Keenan: Canadian men are sad; Can clubs cheer them up?
A 2025 study by the Canadian Men's Health Foundation revealed that stress and depression levels among Canadian men have increased. Of the 2,000 men sampled, 64 per cent reported moderate-to-high stress levels, and 23 per cent were at risk of severe depression. The study found that one in two Canadian men 'are at risk of social isolation.' This figure went up to 73 per cent for men who live alone, 67 per cent for men aged 19-29, and 59 per cent for racialized men.
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One natural solution to the isolation problem is to participate in pleasurable activities with friends. I've written about the Men's Shed Movement before, which originated in Australia and is now thriving in many countries, including Canada. It provides a place for men, primarily older ones, to hang out with peers, chat and do projects like woodworking.
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In a sense, the Rotary Club was the original men's shed, founded over a century ago. On Feb. 23, 1905, Paul P. Harris, a Chicago lawyer, invited three buddies over to exchange ideas and form meaningful friendships.
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Fast forward to 2025, and Rotary International has over 46,000 clubs around the world, with a total of 1.4 million members globally. It's no longer a boys' club. The Rotary Club of Calgary, of which I am a proud member, has recently had two consecutive female presidents.
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They join an amazing lineage, which includes James W. Davidson, who served as the club's president from 1919 to 1920. Often called 'the Marco Polo of Rotary,' he travelled the world, establishing 32 Rotary clubs in 15 countries, including Greece, Egypt, Malaysia, Singapore, and even the city of Jerusalem, which today brings together Jewish and Arab youth to help build peace.
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Each year, the keenest Rotarians travel to an annual convention. This year, it's in Calgary. More than 15,000 will descend on the BMO Centre and Scotiabank Saddledome from June 21 to 25. While most events are for members, there are some open to the public, such as the House of Friendship exhibition hall. Full details are on the website rotarycalgary2025.org.
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Soon after its founding, Rotary evolved from a social organization to a service club. The organization's motto is 'Service Above Self.' A good example of how doing good for others can improve one's mental health comes from Australian Rotary Health (ARH). This Rotary-linked charity has become one of the largest independent funders of mental health research in Australia. Rotarians there proudly note that 'since 1986, over $55 million has been invested in the health of all Australians.' In 2023, they narrowed their funding focus to 'the mental health of children aged 0-12.'
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Calgary Herald
5 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
Rotary convention kicks off at Stampede Park with House of Friendship grand opening
Article content Thousands of Rotarians from around the world gathered at Stampede Park on Saturday to kick off their annual convention. Article content Rotary International, a worldwide service organization, boasts more than a million volunteer members with a common goal of making change both within their communities and globally. More than 15,000 Rotary members, visiting from more than 120 countries, are expected to gather in Calgary for this year's convention, which runs June 21-25. Article content Article content Article content Article content The convention's scheduled sessions and events officially begin on Sunday, but thousands gathered for the grand opening of its House of Friendship — a gathering place for attendees throughout the conference — on Saturday morning. Hundreds of booths display Rotary's many humanitarian projects, partner organizations and fellowship opportunities for members to get involved with. Article content Article content Rotary International's core priority, the eradication of polio, was a featured exhibit at the House of Friendship. Over the last 35 years, Rotary has helped to reduce polio cases by 99.9 per cent globally. Article content Article content 'We've made tremendous progress, but we're not quite there,' said Carol Pandak, director of Rotary's PolioPlus program. Article content 'We need to continue to fundraise, raise awareness and advocate with governments, both those affected by polio and the donor governments, to make polio eradication a priority,' Pandak said. Article content This year's convention also saw the instalment of a permanent peace pole — Rotary's symbol of peace and unity — at the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Calgary. Article content 'It brings people with the same values together,' she said. 'When you come to an event like this, you know that you're meeting with people who are just like you and who want to make the world better.'
Canada Standard
7 hours ago
- Canada Standard
Hainan free trade port moves to forefront of China's opening-up drive
HAIKOU, June 21 (Xinhua) -- For Canadian visitor Stephanie Wing See Yau, the therapy experience at a care center in Bo'ao, a coastal city in China's southernmost island province of Hainan, felt more like "a vacation." "This place is top-notch. They cater to so many aspects of wellness, not just physical, but mental too," she told Xinhua during her stay in the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone, which hosts over 30 top-tier domestic and international medical institutions. Thanks to special policy support, the pilot zone has introduced 485 cutting-edge medicines and medical devices that are licensed abroad but not yet available in the domestic market. The policy has benefited more than 130,000 patients, including individuals like Yau. Her four-day experience -- blending advanced health screenings, traditional therapies, tea ceremonies, and cultural immersion -- offers much more than just a chance to relax. It showcases a tangible outcome of a key move in China's opening-up strategy: the transformation of Hainan into a Free Trade Port (FTP). As the Hainan FTP is set to begin independent customs operations by the end of the year, it is poised to become not only a tourist haven but also a pivotal gateway for China's opening-up drive. FRONTIER FOR FREE-FLOWING FACTORS A central component of this transformation is the Lecheng medical tourism pilot zone. A total of 25 medical tourism routes have been rolled out to cater to a wide range of needs, including traditional Chinese medicine, chronic disease care, luxury diagnostics and cosmetic rehab, garnering popularity among visitors from countries such as Indonesia, Russia, Spain, and beyond. In 2024, the medical special zone attracted over 410,000 medical visitors, up 36.76 percent year on year. Lecheng is only one part of Hainan's wider push for opening up. Beyond the medical sector, the province has been fast-tracking foreign access across sectors ranging from finance and education to communication and high-tech industries, as China aims to build an FTP with global top-tier trade standards. Hainan, supported by the country's vast domestic market and its strategic positioning, stands as a vital hub that connects the world's second-largest economy with global markets. The FTP is gearing up to be "a pivotal gateway leading China's new era of opening-up," said Chi Fulin, head of the China Institute for Reform and Development. With independent customs operations imminent, the FTP's policy framework, underpinned by features like zero tariffs, low tax rates, simplified tax systems and facilitated factor flows, has taken shape. For firms in Lecheng, a zero-tariff policy on medical imports has saved nearly 8.2 million yuan (about 1.14 million U.S. dollars) in duties since December 2024. The start of independent customs operations will represent a concrete step toward building a major gateway for China's high-level opening-up, Chi said. INSTITUTIONAL OPENING-UP LURING FOREIGN CAPITAL As Hainan FTP has prioritized institutional integration and coordination across trade, finance and regulatory systems, experts believe this will create a powerful driving force for the development of the FTP and contribute to China's high-standard opening up strategy. Official data showed that so far, the province has rolled out a total of 158 institutional innovation cases. These reform measures include technology-empowered public tendering, one-stop business licensing, and a specialized IP zone to support the seed industry. Hainan FTP serves not only as a testing ground for free-flowing goods, services and data, but as a frontier for the innovation of regulations and mechanisms, said Zhou Xiaochuan, vice chairman of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA). With its optimized business environment, Hainan has emerged as a premier foreign investment destination, ranking among China's top performers. In 2024, the number of foreign-invested enterprises in Hainan rose 19.2 percent year on year, while its foreign direct investment volume climbed to the tenth spot nationally. To date, Hainan has attracted investment from 158 countries and regions, while its economic openness ratio -- the ratio of total trade to GDP -- more than doubled from 17.3 percent in 2018 to 35 percent in 2024. High-profile events held in the province like the BFA, a premier platform advocating openness and multilateral cooperation, and the China International Consumer Products Expo, the largest consumer expo in the Asia-Pacific region, offer global investors dynamic gateways to observe the country's evolving openness agenda. DFS, the travel retail company of the luxury goods conglomerate LVMH, in 2024 sealed its largest single investment in 60 years to launch a landmark complex in Yalong Bay of Sanya, the well-known tropical resort city in Hainan. The project will merge luxury retail, hotels and entertainment, with the goal of building a top destination for luxury shopping and tourism. "Hainan FTP embodies China's commitment to high-standard openness," said Nancy Liu, president of DFS China. China's special economic zones, like Hainan FTP and the 21 pilot free trade zones, serve as pivotal engines for industrial transformation and opening up, Chi noted, highlighting their role as "growth accelerators for both regional and global economies." 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Winnipeg Free Press
20 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Fading into the background
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