Events in Ottawa This Week and Beyond: Fundraisers, Documentaries, and Critical Reads
From grassroots wellness gatherings to data-driven reviews from Canadian researchers—here’s what’s worth your time in Ottawa and across Canada this week and this summer.
Thursday, 19 June: Potluck Social Wellness Fair – Fundraiser for the CAUGHT Foundation
Date: Thursday, June 19, 2024
Time: 6:30 PM to 10:30 PM (venue locks at 11:00 PM)
Location: Tom Brown Arena, 141 Bayview Station Road, Ottawa
Cost: $5 Admission (children 12 and under enter free)
This Thursday, Ottawa will host a community Potluck Social Wellness Fair Fundraiser in support of the CAUGHT Foundation—a Canadian nonprofit founded by former law enforcement, intelligence, and military professionals to combat child exploitation and human trafficking.
What to Bring:
Your favourite specialty dish to share
Your own cup for water, coffee, or tea (coffee/tea station provided)
Optional donations for the raffle table or live auction (greatly appreciated)
Accessibility: The venue is fully accessible and includes on-site parking. Chairs will be provided.
Meeting Conduct: Respect and Responsibility
This event is governed by a volunteer-led Code of Conduct, designed to ensure a safe and open atmosphere:
Phones and smartwatches should be left at home or in vehicles
No photography or recording of any kind
All attendees are volunteers, participating freely and without formal leadership
Respect others’ boundaries, beliefs, and diversity of thought
Unlawful actions are not supported
The event encourages a return to personal growth and principled discussion
About the CAUGHT Foundation: Preventing Exploitation, One Conversation at a Time
The CAUGHT Foundation aims to prevent child exploitation before it occurs. Through its Caregiver Education Program, the foundation equips parents, guardians, and educators with the tools to spot early warning signs of trafficking and exploitation.
CAUGHT provides a unique intermediary role between the public and law enforcement, helping to educate communities and lighten the investigative burden on agencies.
If you cannot attend but wish to support the foundation:
Donation page: https://www.givesendgo.com/caughtfoundation
More info: https://caughtfoundation.ca
Friday, June 20: Fundraiser for Detective Helen Grus
Hosted by: Bikers Church
When: Friday, June 20, 2024, 6:30 PM
Where: Bikers Church
Tickets: $15 (Advance purchase only)
Ticket link: www.bikerschurch.com/events
More info: Search “Rob Stocki Helen Grus 2” (on muse.ai)
Other Events, News, and Interesting Reads
Elsewhere in Canada
Christine Anderson Tour 2025 (Calgary - June 28, 2025, Edmonton - July 2, 2025)
Ticket link: Trinity ProductionsReclaiming Canada Conference (September 19–21)
Event info: https://www.weunify.ca
Documentary Screening: “Why Can’t We Talk About This?”
When: June 18. Showtime: 7pm
Where: Historic St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 137 Queen Street, Kitchener.
Featuring: Dr. David Speicher (Support his research on GivesSendGo), Dr. Chris Shoemaker (Support his work on GivesSendGo), and Dr. Byram Bridle, filmmaker Dean Rainey (Listen to him in Norfolk Today).
Watch Trailer: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/whycantwetalkaboutthis
Medical Fundraiser: For the Love of Mike
https://www.gofundme.com/f/benefit-for-the-love-of-mike
Watch the FULL Documentary directly from YouTube:
Thought-Provoking Reads
The Canadian Patriot
This platform explores Canada’s role in global cooperation and historical truth.
Visit: https://canadianpatriot.org
One of the articles that caught my attention:
“Untold Story of Canada’s Fight for Progress”
By Matt Ehret
Link: https://canadianpatriot.org/get-control-of-your-past-to-shape-your-future
Mortality Study During COVID-19
Title: Constraints on the Hypothesis of Disease Spread During COVID
Article: https://correlation-canada.org/constraints-on-hypothesis-of-disease-spread-during-Covid
Summary:
Data from the first peak (March–May 2020) in Europe and the USA show inconsistencies with the viral contagion model. The study challenges assumptions made by epidemic models based on spatiotemporal mortality data.
From the Abstract:
Large peaks of excess all-cause mortality occurred immediately following the World Health Organization (WHO)’s March 11, 2020 COVID-19 pandemic declaration, in March-May 2020, in several jurisdictions in the Northern Hemisphere. The said large excess-mortality peaks are usually assumed to be due to a novel and virulent virus (SARS-CoV-2) that spreads by person-to-person contact, and are often referred to as resulting from the so-called first wave of infections. We tested the presumption of this viral spread paradigm using high-resolution spatial and temporal variations of all-cause mortality in Europe and the USA.
We studied excess all-cause mortality for subnational regions in the USA (states and counties) and Europe (NUTS statistical regions at levels 0-3) during March-May 2020, which we call the “first-peak period”, and also during June-September 2020, which we call the “summer-peak period”.
The data reveal several definitive features that are incompatible with the viral spread hypothesis (in comparison with qualified predictions of the leading spatiotemporal epidemic models)
And another comprehensive analysis from another a Canadian research group
Scoping Review on COVID-19 Vaccination and Autoimmunity
Title: COVID‐19 Vaccination and Autoimmune Disorders: A Scoping Review
DOI: 10.20944/preprints202506.0831.v1
Full text: https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202506.0831/v1
Summary:
This review evaluates over 100 studies on the links between COVID-19 vaccines and autoimmune conditions, including both relapses and new-onset disorders. Multiple biological mechanisms are explored. The article calls for a more evidence-based assessment of vaccine risk-benefit ratios.
From the Abstract
Background: Upon the global COVID-19 vaccination campaign, unprecedented in the history of public health, concerns have emerged regarding potential associations between vaccination and autoimmune disorders. Historical research has long identified mechanisms by which vaccines might trigger or unmask autoimmune processes. However, systematic synthesis of evidence concerning COVID-19 vaccines and autoimmunity remains limited.
Objective: To review the literature on associations between COVID-19 vaccination and autoimmunity, focusing on six conditions: Graves’ disease, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Methods: Following a published protocol, we conducted a scoping review of studies retrieved from PubMed and the WHO COVID-19 database. Inclusion criteria required empirically verifiable clinical manifestations of autoimmune disease following COVID-19 vaccination.
Results: Across 109 included studies, relapses or flares in patients with autoimmune disorders were reported in nearly 60% of studies, while about one-quarter described new-onset autoimmune disorders in persons without prior autoimmunity. Several mechanisms of action linking COVID-19 vaccination and autoimmune disorders were identified such as autoimmune inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants, molecular mimicry, bystander immune activation, and interactions with immunosuppressive and disease modifying therapies. Serious adverse events, though less common than mild or moderate ones, were also documented. Vaccine efficacy was claimed but empirical support was often lacking.
Conclusions: This review highlights the substantial patterns of reported associations of autoimmune disorders following COVID-19 vaccination, in patients with and without prior autoimmunity. The benefits of vaccination are claimed but evidence for them is lacking. A proper evaluation of risks and benefits is needed to support vaccination recommendations given the reported associations between it and autoimmune disorders.
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Acknowledgment
Article written with assistance from ChatGPT using the following prompt: “Format for Substack a weekly event digest highlighting local Ottawa fundraisers and national-level news, ensuring no emojis are used and including subtitles for clarity.”
Disclaimer
This article's opinions are that of the author, not of any institution. It is not for legal or medical advice.
Wow, that's great Dmitry - thank you so much. It's wonderful to see that people are standing up and doing things - important things - and in Ottawa!