Feel-good Friday: Global BC’s highlights of the week

Each week at Global BC, we highlight our stories to bring a bright spot to your Friday and into the weekend.

Here are the five stories we want to share:

Canada soccer star Christine Sinclair gets her own Barbie doll

B.C.’s Christine Sinclair is receiving worldwide recognition for her accomplishments — in the form of a very famous doll.

Sinclair, 40, was born in Burnaby, B.C., and began playing soccer when she was only four years old.

She was a member of the Canadian national team until she retired from international soccer in 2023.

Sinclair is also an Olympic gold medalist, two-time Olympic bronze medalist, CONCACAF champion and 14-time winner of the Canada Soccer Player of the Year award.

0:48 Soccer star Christine Sinclair talks about Barbie honour

Vancouver man helps save rickshaw riders in Egypt after fire breaks out

A B.C. couple visiting Egypt recently jumped into action to help two young men in an auto-rickshaw.

On a recent trip to visit family in Egypt, they saw an occupied rickshaw catch fire.

“They didn’t notice it because the fire was in the back and the engine was in the back,” Ghabrous said.

Finally, the two men noticed, pulling over to the side of the road and getting out quickly. That’s when Ghabrous sprung into action, running towards the small vehicle with a fire extinguisher from his trunk.

“They could’ve lost their lives so I was very tense and they were so grateful after and things calmed down,” he said.

1:46 Vancouver man helps save rickshaw riders from fire

How ‘dementia village’ model could be spread to long-term care throughout B.C.

British Columbia is piloting a new concept for long-term care for people with dementia that draws heavily on the European “dementia village” model, which could eventually be spread province-wide.

The key to the model is the creation of “households” of about a dozen residents, with a person- and family-centred approach built on individual independence and social connection.

Patients have free access to kitchens and laundry facilities in their own households and decide if they want to sleep in or stay up late watching a movie, when they want to eat, or if they want to partake in chores.

Meals are cooked in the household, residents can help prepare them, and dining is conducted in a more family-like format.

Judi Wild’s husband Lorne has been living at one of the pilot facilities for two years and says it has been life-changing.

“The difference is night and day. (At home) he was kind of in chaos, and his mind wasn’t working right and agitated,” she said.

“Now he’s just so relaxed. Smiling, happy, joking around. Just the way he used to be.”

The model is being piloted at the Youville Residence in Vancouver and The Views in Comox, a converted hospital that will move in July to a new, custom-built dementia village of 13 households of up to 12 residents in private suites.

2:20 A look inside B.C.’s new dementia long-term care model

NBA to host fan event in Vancouver, rekindling city’s pro basketball dreams

The NBA is bringing its travelling fan attraction to Canada for the first time with an upcoming stop in Vancouver.

Vancouver’s Plaza of Nations will host the immersive hoops experience from June 6 to June 9, featuring meet-and-greets with NBA Alumni, the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy and viewing parties for Games 1 and 2 of the NBA Finals.

The event comes nearly 25 years after Vancouver lost its status as an NBA city when the Grizzlies franchise was moved to Memphis.

While the Vancouver Grizzlies were among the NBA’s historically worst-performing outfits, it hasn’t stopped the city and fanbase from dreaming of a second chance.

“It’s smart to have these events in Vancouver. We have already proven we are a basketball city,” said Kat Jayme, a filmmaker who has made two documentaries about the Grizzlies. “We obviously used to have an NBA team here,. There’s already a market here, a huge fan base.”

3:18 NBA House appearance in Vancouver raises basketball fans’ hopes

Vancouver Canucks’ Rick Tocchet wins Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year

Rick Tocchet of the Vancouver Canucks is this season’s Jack Adams Award winner as NHL coach of the year.

“This really is a team award, and I couldn’t have done any of this without the support of our staff and complete buy-in from the players,” Tocchet said in a statement, adding he was “honoured and humbled.”

Tocchet received 82 first-place votes of 114 ballots and earned 483 voting points to win the award.

Andrew Brunette of the Nashville Predators (145 points) and Rick Bowness of the Winnipeg Jets (75 points) were the other finalists.