For the second year in a row, Pembroke librarian Patti Kim challenged herself by running the most famous marathon in the world, but this time her participation in the Boston Marathon was a more emotional experience. It was the tenth anniversary of the marathon terrorist attacks that killed three people and seriously injured dozens more.
As Kim crossed the finish line where the bombings had occurred in 2013, she read the #BostonStrong sign and thought of the victims. After the race, she reflected on that experience.
“On the 10th anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings, I thought of the victims when I saw the iconic blue and yellow message of ‘BOSTON STRONG’ under the Bowker Overpass with less than a mile to go. For my race, it reminded me that I could put aside the fatigue and pain to finish with my fastest kilometer out of the 42.2 for the marathon distance. I tried to give the heart symbol on course to let the people of Boston know that we were running for them in 2023. We could collectively demonstrate courage, strength, resilience, and determination. We can do this through something so simple as a love of running and coming together to celebrate that joy. The Boston Marathon is special because of the human stories while the course is like a very tough victory lap. I’m grateful for the incredible support from my family, friends, and AC colleagues. 4:13:36 finish time on April 17, 2023. We did it together!”
winning team of the inaugural Ingenium Innovation Challenge. After an inspiring and jam-packed weekend of collaboration to develop a digital product in the state-of-the-art Digital Innovation Lab at the Ingenium Centre, the winning team, Artifice, from Algonquin College, was awarded $15,000 along with dedicated funding and mentorship guidance to further develop their proof-of-concept into a marketable, educational product for youths, under the theme of climate action that will be made available for the public in the 2024.
continues to deal with the threat posed by flooding. It’s a reminder of the reality that emergencies and disasters can and do happen, and we only need to look to our most recent past to further appreciate this fact. Since 2017 alone, our region has experienced two significant flood events, a tornado touchdown, a global pandemic and a derecho windstorm.