November highlights include: Lifeline Canberra announced it would be able to hold its popular bookfair once again, the historic Canadian Flagpole at Regatta Point was removed due to serious public safety concerns and a family helps their son living with autism to get his own business off the ground.
Paddy’s PickUp provides purpose for teenager with autism
As a vibrant, 19-year-old Canberra man living with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Paddy has never lacked the skills to have a meaningful career, but he has lacked the opportunity. That’s why, with the help of his parents Pete and Sarah, newly minted entrepreneur Paddy has started his very own laundry service – Paddy’s PickUp. Paddy’s PickUp services a football team, a doctor’s surgery and a chiropractor, picking up gowns, towels and the like and is looking for more clients to add to his growing list. In tow with his support worker, Paddy takes his laundry bag and an iPad to each job to communicate with his clients.
Canadian Flagpole coming down due to safety concerns
The historic Canadian Flagpole at Lake Burley Griffin came down in November due to “serious” public safety concerns, with a detour in place around Regatta Point for anyone making their way around Lake Burley Griffin. The National Capital Authority (NCA) said it is conducting final inspections on the flagpole, a single green spar of a Douglas Fir tree, with the view to felling it as soon as possible to ensure public safety. An exclusion zone is in place around the flagpole, and the public exhibition at Regatta Point is closed. Anyone doing the bridge-to-bridge circuit will need to walk behind the National Capital Exhibition and Regatta Point through Commonwealth Park before re-joining the lake path. The Canadian Flagpole weighs close to seven tonnes and stands at nearly 40 metres high.
Lifeline Canberra’s iconic bookfair returns next month
COVID-19 may have taken one Lifeline Canberra Bookfair away from us during 2020, but it’s not getting a second. The iconic event came back on the Southside from 10-13 December, after the charity had to cancel its July event due to pandemic restrictions. The event will be held over four days, rather than its usual three, with the hope of drawing a crowd of 10,000 socially-distanced people. It will be held at Tuggeranong Southern Cross Stadium, across the two separate arenas that can hold up to 500 people each. In place of its regular mid-year bookfair, Lifeline Canberra opened a permanent shopping space, Book Lovers Lane, at the Niche Markets within the Fyshwick Fresh Food Markets during July.
Papalii helps Queensland to famous Origin victory
One of the great State of Origin upsets is complete after Queensland stunned NSW 20-14 in an epic decider at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Wednesday 18 November. Dubbed the ‘worst Queensland team in 40 years’ by some in the media, the Maroons proved the critics wrong with a typically stirring performance in front of the world’s largest sporting crowd since COVID struck, 49,155. After being knocked out early in Game II, Cameron Munster was the star for Queensland and was rightly awarded the Wally Lewis Medal as the man of the series. Canberra Raiders’ favourite, Josh Papalii, also played a major role in the Maroon’s historic victory.
For more of 2020 in review:
January 2020 | February 2020 | March 2020 | April 2020 | May 2020 | June 2020 | July 2020 | August 2020 | September 2020 | October 2020 | December 2020
