Finally, some good news: Dog and seal form unlikely friendship, an Olympic hopeful breaks barriers and Indigenous elders make history

In a world often dominated by challenging headlines, Yahoo News Canada aims to spotlight uplifting news stories both local and beyond.

This week's roundup includes what is perhaps one of the most unlikely animal friendships, Indigenous elders who made history at the University of Winnipeg and a swimmer who stared down her fears and just broke an Olympic record.

🐕 Unlikely friendships: Dachshund and seal's friendship goes viral

There are hundreds of photos and videos of different animal species becoming BFFs since the dawn of the internet, however the one we just came across may just be one of the most heart-melting.

Stanley, the Dachshund first met Aayla, the seal in the early days of 2020, before, well—you know what happened that spring.

While on a visit to the Sea Life Trust Cornish Seal Sanctuary located in the U.K., the wiener dog became fascinated by what his owner was looking at in the aquarium tank.

Read More: Dachshund and Seal's Precious and Unlikely Friendship Goes Viral

When she placed him on the ledge to look for himself, someone else noticed too.

Aww! Aayla immediately noticed Stanley standing on the ledge by her tank, and she simply had to get a closer look. And who can blame her?

The duo became viral on nearly every social platform with thousands of commenters sharing their reactions.

"This made my day 🥰 the cutest love story," reads one TikTok comment.

Another commenter shared "The seal and the sausage sounds like a lovely story."

🎓 'If I can do it, you can do it': First Nations elders make history at U of Winnipeg

🏊‍♀️ From 'just a bathtub swimmer' to Olympic breakout star: Gretchen Walsh defies her fears

Years before swimmer Gretchen Walsh broke through and her name was among Olympic stars-to-be, she faced a battle out of the water — one where scary thoughts would dance through her mind and hinder her, according to reports by Yahoo Sports.

They danced every time Walsh crept toward a pool like the one she conquered Saturday and Sunday night, when she qualified for Paris 2024 in the 100-metre butterfly.

They danced despite the potential she carried.

Stepping onto blocks of any 50-meter pool, she’d essentially prepare to fail. She had come to terms with disappointment before she even dipped into water.

"It's OK if I don't succeed," she would tell herself.

Her fears were not so much linked to physical shortcomings but rather, a mental wall she constructed that separated her from superstardom.

READ MORE: How Gretchen Walsh, once ‘just a bathtub swimmer,’ became a breakout Olympic star

“Once she had a couple of bad swims long-course, and that fear built up,” said Christen Shefchunas, Walsh’s confidence coach to Yahoo Sports. "She was just swimming scared all the time."

What Walsh says she had to learn was to get “comfortable with being uncomfortable.” She had to take some risks, and quit overthinking, and accept forthcoming pain. She had to deconstruct those scary thoughts, and replace them with, well, something, anything.

"Everyone always says, like, I’m just a bathtub swimmer, can’t do the long-course pool. But I think I finally proved to myself that I can do both," Walsh said.

It was in the 100 butterfly at a Virginia Stadium last weekend, that Walsh broke through. She shattered the world record Saturday, clocking in with a 55.18 in her semifinal.

“I did not know that I was gonna go 55.1 and break the world record,” Walsh said. “It doesn't feel real.”

Walsh will now look to make her first Olympic team Sunday night in the 100 fly final. But no matter the result, she said, “I'm gonna be at peace with the fact that I've already accomplished so much at this meet, more than I ever thought I would.”

🪴 Quebec school swaps pavement for dirt to fight hunger, heat and climate change

⛴️ Nova Scotia lobster boats go electric to boost climate resilience

Nova Scotia is taking a big leap forward in reducing carbon emissions with the announcement of The Sea Cucumber — a prototype diesel electric hybrid fishing boat made by Glas Ocean Electric.

Here's how it works.

If you plug it in, it charges overnight. It has 98 kilowatt hours, so you could drive to your fishing ground on diesel, operate for six to eight hours on electric power, then head home on diesel.

READ MORE: Electric lobster boats: Bringing future resiliency to energy infrastructure

"You can take your eight-hour day now, and replace six or seven of those hours with cheap electric power instead of diesel power," Glas Ocean Electric Director of Engineering Brad Purdy tells The Weather Network.

The Sea Cucumber would produce fuel savings from 50 to 70 percent, and is one of 100 efficiency projects in the province, reducing emissions by more than 5,600 tonnes, equal to taking 11,000 cars off the road, over the past three years alone.

"This program will act as the seed needed to bring costs down, demonstrate success and bring future resiliency in our energy infrastructure and our ability to withstand future climate related natural disasters," said Nova Scotia Seafood Alliance executive director, Kris Vascotto to The Weather Network.

Do you have an uplifting moment or story you would like to share with the Yahoo Canada audience? Email corne.vanhoepen@yahooinc.com