tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88291977185755463512024-03-12T18:34:17.807-07:00CNS EASTCNS EASThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17450023054243911470noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829197718575546351.post-52220896650109117682014-11-27T13:56:00.002-08:002014-11-27T13:56:20.624-08:00CNS-PN 2012<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Seven Ontario teens killed in separate crashes</span><br /><br /><br />POSTMEDIA NEWS JANUARY 4, 2012<br /><br /><br />The Ontario Provincial Police urged motorists to be wary of the dangers of winter driving Wednesday after seven Ontario teens died following two separate multi-vehicle crashes four hours apart.<br /><br />A crash on Highway 17 east of Sudbury, Ont., on Tuesday night claimed the life of Keegan Melville, 18, and Zabrina Rekowski, 19, who died at the scene of the accident near Hagar, Ont.<br /><br />The driver of the minivan they were travelling in, Hillary Afelskie, 19, died in hospital Wednesday afternoon, said Staff Sgt. Tim Foster of Noelville OPP.<br /><br />Another passenger in the vehicle, 19-year-old Emily Olmstead from Renfrew, west of Ottawa, remained in hospital with non-life threatening injuries.<br /><br />The accident happened when the westbound minivan crossed over the centre line on the highway and crashed into an eastbound Jeep.<br /><br />The two passengers in the Jeep were taken to hospital with serious injuries. They are Walter Rancourt, 72, and Patricia Rancourt, 71, both of nearby Sturgeon Falls, Ont.<br /><br />Four other teens, ages 17 to 19, died in a separate crash earlier in the day near Parry Sound that involved three vehicles.<br /><br />West Parry Sound OPP said the accident happened around 2 p.m. Tuesday on Highway 69 when a Chevrolet Camaro lost control on icy roads and crossed the centre line. It was then hit by a Honda Civic and soon after a Chevrolet Optra travelling behind the Civic. Three other people were also sent to hospital in the crash, including a 14-year-old.<br /><br />"These fatal collisions were both related to winter driving conditions," the OPP said in a statement. "As a result of the circumstances surrounding these avoidable tragedies the Ontario Provincial Police is reminding motorists of how important it is to constantly adjust driving behaviour to the road conditions."<br /><br />With files from the Ottawa Citizen</div>
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<br />Top female Mountie says harassment allegations raise 'legitimate' questions<br /><br /> POSTMEDIA NEWS FEBRUARY 8, 2012 6:33 PM<br /><br />The RCMP needs to foster a culture that encourages members to admit and learn from their mistakes rather than keep them hidden where they can "fester and grow," says the highest-ranking female Mountie.<br /><br />In a candid speech delivered at a mess dinner in Quebec late last year, Deputy Commissioner Line Carbonneau said while many of the harassment allegations against the force go back many years, they raise "legitimate" concerns about the RCMP's work environment, policies and practices.<br /><br />"There's no doubt the RCMP has at times been perceived as arrogant, reluctant to recognize its weaknesses or failures, and thus, unable to correct its mistakes and draw lessons from them," she said.<br /><br />Not long after she made those remarks, Carbonneau was tapped by Commissioner Bob Paulson to develop a strategy for boosting female representation in the force's senior ranks.<br /><br />The force has been grappling with a flurry of accusations of rampant harassment in the workplace.<br /><br />A class-action lawsuit is expected to be filed soon on behalf of dozens of current and former female Mounties who say they were mistreated. And the RCMP Public Complaints Commission is probing whether the force investigated harassment allegations in a thorough and impartial manner and whether RCMP guidelines for dealing with such allegations are adequate.<br /><br />Carbonneau, who is based in Ottawa and has been with the force since 1975, is currently on temporary leave and unavailable for interviews, a spokesman said Wednesday.<br /><br />The force, however, did agree this week to provide Postmedia News with a copy of a speech she gave Nov. 17 at an RCMP mess dinner in Montreal.<br /><br />According to the force, regimental and mess dinners are formal affairs designed to boost morale, honour past deeds and traditions and symbolize "pride of profession."<br /><br />While her speech, delivered in French, noted a number of the force's accomplishments in recent years — she said the force had exceeded its hiring goals, built a more a diversified workforce and embraced social media — she also spoke of the force's challenges.<br /><br />While some of the force's past and present problems have been exaggerated a little, "it is obvious we face our share of obstacles and weaknesses to correct," she said.<br /><br />She stressed the need for the force to be more transparent and to follow up on criticism "aimed at us in order to continuously better ourselves."<br /><br />"People aren't ready to take police at their word as they once used to," she said.<br /><br />While being a member of the RCMP is like being part of a family, a family can also have its "dark side" that is closed to the outside world, she said.<br /><br />The desire to remain loyal to that family can lead to "negative, even undesirable, behaviour," she said.<br /><br />A family can also be dysfunctional, she added. "Sometimes, problems that should have been dealt with and corrected remain hidden beneath the surface, where they fester and grow."<br /><br />Such problems can't be ignored, she said.<br /><br />Carbonneau is expected to deliver her ideas for boosting female representation in the senior ranks by the end of March.<br /><br />In the meantime, Paulson has centralized oversight of all harassment complaints in Ottawa, boosted the intake target for women in the force to 35 per cent from 30 per cent, and launched a gender-based audit of the force.<br /><br />The plain-spoken leader has also vowed to bring swift discipline against officers who commit plain and "outrageous" conduct.</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Two more on most wanted list are deported</span></h1>
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<span class="name">Postmedia News</span> <span class="timestamp">February 14, 2012</span><span class="comments" id="lblComment"></span></div>
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OTTAWA - Two more people on the Canada Border Services Agency's most wanted list were removed from the country, the agency announced Tuesday.<br />
Ian Getfield was removed on Friday and Steven Mark Nairn on Tuesday, the CBSA said in a news release. Both were born in Jamaica. Thirteen members of the "Wanted by the CBSA" list have now been removed.<br />
Both were ``inadmissible for serious criminality,'' the release said.<br />
Getfield was arrested by Toronto police on Jan. 31 and had been ``convicted of possession of narcotics, failure to comply with release conditions, trafficking in a narcotic,'' among other charges.<br />
Nairn had been arrested in Surrey, B.C., on Jan. 20 after tips were received from the public. He had been ``convicted of unlawful possession of cocaine and heroin along with five counts of robbery in Canada.''<br />
Under the program 20 individuals have been located in Canada and four abroad, thanks to the public's help, according to the CBSA.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Three killed in Via Rail derailment west of Toronto </span><br /><br />Postmedia News February 26, 2012 <br /><br />Three people are dead and dozens were sent to hospital after a Via Rail train derailed in Burlington, Ont., Sunday afternoon. <br /><br />“There are reports of several injuries to passengers and three fatalities, all Via crew members who were in the locomotive at the time of the accident,” the rail company said in a statement Sunday evening. “There were one locomotive and five cars on the train, all of which derailed,” the statement said. <br /><br />Via said three passengers were airlifted to hospital with serious injuries and 42 other passengers and one crew member were also taken to local hospitals. Via said it was trying to determine what caused the accident in conjunction with the Transportation Safety Board, which was sending a team to the scene to investigate the crash. <br /><br />Earlier reports said as many as 60 were trapped after the derailment. But Via said Sunday evening “all other passengers have been removed from the train and are either en route to Toronto or will be shortly.” <br /><br />A passenger told the Hamilton Spectator that there was “sheer panic” on the train. “It felt like we hit some bumps in the road and then the train jumped and it kept jumping and it tipped over to the side,” Hannah Lemke, 22, told the newspaper. “Everything went flying, people were screaming. It felt like forever. I’m sure it was only a couple of seconds.” <br /><br />The incident happened around 3:30 p.m. while train 92 was travelling from Niagara Falls, Ont., to Toronto. Michelle Lamarche of Via Rail says the incident happened two stations west of Toronto, near Aldershot, on a train carrying 75 passengers. <br /><br />A Hamilton health official told a local media outlet “there is a risk of some part of the train exploding.” Hamilton Health Sciences declared a code orange — which means it is facing an external disaster — as victims from the scene arrived at hospital. <br /><br />Toronto and Hamilton both sent EMS crews to help local crews tend to victims. Air ambulances were also on scene. Burlington is about 60 kilometres southwest of Toronto.<br /><br />Other trains were expected to be affected by the accident, which blocked tracks at the site. Via set up a special number to inquire about passengers: 1-888-842-6141. <br /><br />Malcolm Andrews, a Via Rail spokesman, couldn’t say how many engineers or passengers have been killed in passenger train derailments in Canada. “There have been very few (deaths),” he said. “I have been here for 35 years and this is extremely rare. Canada has one of the safest records of any railway in the world. <br /><br />“Our focus today is on the comfort and safety of our crew members and passengers.” <br /><br />In July 2011, a Via Rail train travelling from Oshawa, Ont., to Windsor, Ont., derailed after it hit a pickup truck. The driver of the truck, a 24-year-old man, was seriously injured. Six passengers from the train were sent to hospital with minor injuries. <br /><br />In February 2010, seven people received minor injuries when a Via Rail train travelling from Montreal to Halifax derailed and slammed into a house. That derailment, which involved two locomotives and seven wagons going off the tracks, happened near Quebec City. A father and his two school-age daughters were killed when the car they were riding in was struck by a Via Rail passenger train in Edmonton in May 2010. <br /><br />None of the passengers on board the train, which was travelling from Toronto to Vancouver, were injured. Investigators at the time were considering whether weather played a factor in the accident, as it was snowing when the train hit the vehicle. <br /><br />One of the deadliest crashes involving a Via Rail train occurred in February 1986 in Alberta. The passenger train collided with a CN freight train 17 kilometres west of the community of Hinton, Alta. Twenty-three people died. Another 71 people sustained injuries in the crash, which was later blamed on human error. <br /><br /><div id="storyheader">
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<span style="font-size: small;">Montreal Canadiens great Jean Beliveau hospitalized after stroke</span></h1>
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<span class="name">Postmedia News</span> <span class="timestamp">February 28, 2012</span><span class="comments" id="lblComment"></span></div>
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<a href="" style="color: #706b60; text-decoration: underline;"><img alt="Montreal Hockey great Jean Beliveau suffered a stroke on Monday evening and was admitted to hospital the Canadiens said on their website Tuesday.1." border="0" class="thumbnail" id="storyphoto" src="http://www.canada.com/health/3742938.bin" title="Montreal Hockey great Jean Beliveau suffered a stroke on Monday evening and was admitted to hospital the Canadiens said on their website Tuesday.1." /></a></div>
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MONTREAL — Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Tuesday wished hockey great Jean Beliveau a "speedy recovery" after the Hall of Famer was hospitalized following a stroke.<br />
"Mr. Beliveau is a great Canadian and a remarkable ambassador for our national sport," the prime minister said in a statement.<br />
The Montreal Canadiens announced on Tuesday that Beliveau, who won 10 Stanley Cups with the team, suffered a stroke Monday night and was admitted to hospital.<br />
The 80-year-old is undergoing "active investigation and treatments", the team announced.<br />
For the duration of his convalescence, Beliveau has asked that everyone respect his privacy and that of his family.<br />
His name was the third highest trending item on Twitter in Canada Tuesday afternoon.<br />
Beliveau, who twice won the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player, suffered a previous stroke in Jan. 2010.<br />
And that wasn't his first brush with serious health issues.<br />
He has dealt with cardiac problems for decades and underwent 35 chemotherapy treatments for a malignant throat tumour in 2000. His cancer has been in remission for years.<br />
During his first team physical in 1953, he was diagnosed as having "an Austin's motor in a Cadillac chassis," the former car a tiny British model of the day. Beliveau overcame that anomaly during a career that took the 13-time all-star to the Hall of Fame in 1972.<br />
In 1,125 games from 1953-71, all for the Canadiens, Beliveau scored 507 goals and added 712 assists. He would join the front office as a vice-president and be part of another seven Cup teams in this capacity.<br />
Beliveau also won the inaugural Conn Smythe Trophy in 1965 as the MVP of the playoffs, and the 1956 Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading points-scorer.<br />
To this day, more than 40 years since he retired as a player, he maintains a legendary love affair with his fans worldwide.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Montreal riot police arrest 5 after busting up tuition hike demonstration with flash bombs</span></h1>
<span class="npByline" rel="author"><a href="http://news.nationalpost.com/author/postmedianews/" rel="author" style="color: #706b60; text-decoration: underline;" title="View all posts by Postmedia News">Postmedia News</a> </span> <span title="2012-03-07T18:12:29-0400">Mar 7, 2012 </span><br />
MONTREAL — At least 1,000 students blocked the entrance to downtown Montreal’s Loto-Quebec building at lunchtime on Wednesday, leading to an intervention by Montreal riot police.<br />
Police say five people were arrested during the incident and the charges were to be disclosed later in the evening.<br />
Student leaders said the police action was excessive for a peaceful demonstration.<br />
Students targeted the building because it houses the offices of the conference of rectors and principals, which supports tuition hikes.<br />
Police lined Sherbrooke St. and used flash bombs to disperse the crowd. Student leaders said they haven’t been co-operating with police because they don’t trust them.<br />
Television footage showed some students being dragged away by police after trying to erect a barrier along the major artery.<br />
This was the latest in a series of student protests against tuition hikes across the province.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Student protesters snake through streets of Montreal </span></span><br />
Postmedia News March 29, 2012 <br />
MONTREAL — Students marched by the hundreds Thursday in Montreal as part of their latest demonstrations against tuition hikes. Dressed in bright colours, and with some wearing masks, students joined any of the four marches snaking through the city. <br />
The protesters caused traffic tie-ups, and some of their compatriots contributed to a disruption in the scheduled court appearance of a man accused of being an influential figure in the Montreal Mafia. The protest came a week after another massive protest saw more than 100,000 gather people in the city. <br />
Demonstrators gathered at Montreal's Phillips Square around noon and took off in four different directions in colour-themed demonstrations. One orange-themed march opposed police brutality; another in green demanded free tuition; while a yellow march denounced "scab" students "who have the right to be against the strike" but not to cross picket lines; and blue demonstrators contested the provincial government's plans for making up lost class time. <br />
Along the routes, supporters could occasionally be seen wearing red or waving red colours, the colour of the general protest movement. While the first hour of the protest wasn't marked by any confrontation with police, organizers were telling reporters to expect some "direct action" later in the day. Just over two hours after the protests started police reported at least some incidents involving graffiti on a bus and police cars. As the protests ended police reported three arrests. <br />
Meanwhile, Education Minister Line Beauchamp indicated in Quebec City that if the striking students want to talk to the government about changes in the province's loans and bursaries, they must first accept that tuition fees are going up. Beauchamp told reporters that until the students budge on their position, there will be no talks. But if they do accept that tuition will rise by $1,625 a year, in five annual $325 increments, the government will discuss possible changes to ensure the fee hike does not penalize the most vulnerable students. <br />
"I have taken note that every time there is something from the (legislature), . . . each time the student associations answer, 'We don't want to talk about loans and bursaries program, accessibility, we want to talk about a freeze on tuition fees,' " she said. "My only reaction is that the three principal parties in the (legislature) are talking about raising tuition fees. So I say to the students, your position does not reflect the position of the majority of the (legislature), elected by the population." <br />
Earlier Thursday, a large and very vocal group of students caused a temporary delay in a court hearing for Antonio (Tony) Mucci, alleged to be an influential figure in the Montreal Mafia, at the Montreal courthouse. The students showed up Thursday morning to protest the first court appearance of dozens of college students arrested in an occupy-type protest in February. <br />
Mucci's brief hearing took place in the same room as the students who were making their first court appearance. The judge presiding in that third-floor courtroom decided to delay Mucci's hearing until later Thursday. Mucci faces a series of firearms related charges filed in 2010. His case is still at the preliminary inquiry stage and his lawyer is expected to tell the judge how he intends to proceed when arguments are made at a later date. <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Student protesters snake through streets of Montreal</span></h1>
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File photo of a protest in Montreal, which has been hit by mass student protests in recent weeks.</h1>
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<b>Photograph by: </b>Allen McInnis , THE GAZETTE</h2>
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MONTREAL — Students marched by the hundreds Thursday in Montreal as part of their latest demonstrations against tuition hikes.</div>
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Dressed in bright colours, and with some wearing masks, students joined any of the four marches snaking through the city.</div>
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The protesters caused traffic tie-ups, and some of their compatriots contributed to a disruption in the scheduled court appearance of a man accused of being an influential figure in the Montreal Mafia.</div>
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The protest came a week after another massive protest saw more than 100,000 gather people in the city.</div>
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Demonstrators gathered at Montreal's Phillips Square around noon and took off in four different directions in colour-themed demonstrations.</div>
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One orange-themed march opposed police brutality; another in green demanded free tuition; while a yellow march denounced "scab" students "who have the right to be against the strike" but not to cross picket lines; and blue demonstrators contested the provincial government's plans for making up lost class time.</div>
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Along the routes, supporters could occasionally be seen wearing red or waving red colours, the colour of the general protest movement.</div>
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While the first hour of the protest wasn't marked by any confrontation with police, organizers were telling reporters to expect some "direct action" later in the day. Just over two hours after the protests started police reported at least some incidents involving graffiti on a bus and police cars. As the protests ended police reported three arrests.</div>
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Meanwhile, Education Minister Line Beauchamp indicated in Quebec City that if the striking students want to talk to the government about changes in the province's loans and bursaries, they must first accept that tuition fees are going up.</div>
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Beauchamp told reporters that until the students budge on their position, there will be no talks. But if they do accept that tuition will rise by $1,625 a year, in five annual $325 increments, the government will discuss possible changes to ensure the fee hike does not penalize the most vulnerable students.</div>
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"I have taken note that every time there is something from the (legislature), . . . each time the student associations answer, 'We don't want to talk about loans and bursaries program, accessibility, we want to talk about a freeze on tuition fees,' " she said.</div>
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"My only reaction is that the three principal parties in the (legislature) are talking about raising tuition fees. So I say to the students, your position does not reflect the position of the majority of the (legislature), elected by the population."</div>
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Earlier Thursday, a large and very vocal group of students caused a temporary delay in a court hearing for Antonio (Tony) Mucci, alleged to be an influential figure in the Montreal Mafia, at the Montreal courthouse.</div>
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The students showed up Thursday morning to protest the first court appearance of dozens of college students arrested in an occupy-type protest in February.</div>
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Mucci's brief hearing took place in the same room as the students who were making their first court appearance.</div>
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The judge presiding in that third-floor courtroom decided to delay Mucci's hearing until later Thursday.</div>
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Mucci faces a series of firearms related charges filed in 2010. His case is still at the preliminary inquiry stage and his lawyer is expected to tell the judge how he intends to proceed when arguments are made at a later date.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ministers seek clemency for Canadian in Iran</span></h1>
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<span class="name" style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">POSTMEDIA NEWS</span> <span class="timestamp" style="color: #999999; font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">APRIL 15, 2012</span><span class="comments" id="lblComment"></span></div>
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Canadian officials issued an urgent appeal to the Iranian government Sunday, fearing an Iran-born Canadian sentenced to death could be executed “imminently.”</div>
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In a joint statement, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird and Minister of State of Foreign Affairs Diane Ablonczy said Canada was “gravely concerned” Hamid Ghassemi-Shall’s execution “may be carried out imminently.”</div>
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Ghassemi-Shall went to Iran in 2008 to visit his ailing mother but was jailed and sentenced to death for alleged crimes against the Iranian state.</div>
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“Canada urgently appeals to the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to grant clemency to Mr. Ghassemi-Shall on compassionate and humanitarian grounds,” their statement said.</div>
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Amnesty International says the dual national was sentenced to death in 2008 on espionage-related charges.</div>
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“We urge Iran to reverse its current course and to adhere to its international human rights obligations,” the ministers added.</div>
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Police arrest students in several Quebec protests</h1>
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<a href="http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Police+arrest+students+several+Quebec+protests/6485037/story.html" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; border-width: initial; color: #035a91; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; width: auto;"><img alt="Students from all corners of Quebec march through the streets of Montreal protesting against the coming tuition fee increases for all Cegep and University students." border="0" class="thumbnail" id="storyphoto" src="http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Police+arrest+students+several+Quebec+protests/6485037/6357565.bin" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: initial; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 460px;" title="Students from all corners of Quebec march through the streets of Montreal protesting against the coming tuition fee increases for all Cegep and University students." /></a></div>
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Students from all corners of Quebec march through the streets of Montreal protesting against the coming tuition fee increases for all Cegep and University students.</h1>
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<b>Photograph by: </b>Allen McInnis , Montreal Gazette</h2>
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Police in several Quebec cities clashed with protesters Thursday while the provincial government sought to meet with student representatives, looking to bring an end to the longest student strike in Quebec history.</div>
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In Gatineau, Que., police arrested more than 150 students following demonstrations that at one point involved acts of vandalism and projectiles thrown at police officers, resulting in student injuries.</div>
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Police used pepper spray on student demonstrators at the St-Jean Bosco junior college during a third day of confrontation in the city, part of widespread protests against an impending tuition fee increase in the province.</div>
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The students marched on the college minutes after a group of about 75 demonstrators muscled aside police guarding the doors at the Universite du Quebec en Outaouais and forced their way inside the locked building.</div>
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The protesters tried to force their way into the college as well, but were repelled after two young men in the front row were pepper sprayed.</div>
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About 500 demonstrators marched through Gatineau, their numbers bolstered by three busloads of some 150 demonstrators from Montreal.</div>
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On Wednesday, 161 protesters were arrested for blocking the road near UQO. The university announced Thursday that classes would be cancelled on Friday.</div>
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Meanwhile, protests at Quebec City's Limoilou junior college Thursday led to 49 arrests.</div>
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And in Montreal, a group of about 200 demonstrators moved randomly through the downtown core on Thursday morning, running through traffic, throwing garbage cans and blocking the entrance to a bank before police intervened.</div>
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The demonstrators quickly broke into two groups, one of which moved east, blocking several intersections and halting traffic as protesters turned north.</div>
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It was unclear what happened to the second group, but several dozen people were soon spotted blocking the entrance to a branch of the CIBC. Police intervened about 8:30 a.m., spraying what appeared to be smoke or a chemical irritant into the crowd.</div>
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The protesters moved on and some were seen breaking garbage cans and tossing them into an intersection.</div>
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Most Montrealers making their way to work simply navigated around the unfolding bedlam and the protest had ended by 8:50 a.m.</div>
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Two people were arrested, said Montreal Police Const. Daniel Fortier.</div>
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Education Minister Line Beauchamp said her staff is in contact with the Federation etudiante universitaire du Quebec, representing striking university students, and the Federation etudiante collegiale du Quebec, representing junior college students boycotting classes, about opening discussions, "starting Friday, if possible."</div>
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But students were cool to the idea, FEUQ president Martine Desjardins saying students were upset that Beauchamp appeared to try to create a rift in the student movement by scheduling talks on the eve of an important meeting of one of the biggest student associations, CLASSE (Coalition large de l'association pour une solidarite syndicale etudiante).</div>
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She said her organization is scrambling to find a way to encourage both CLASSE and Beauchamp to take the necessary steps to allow negotiations to take place.</div>
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But for now, she said, if CLASSE is not included, FEUQ won't be there either.</div>
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Beauchamp, who issued an ultimatum Wednesday to student associations, calling on them to denounce violence, noted in the legislature that FEUQ and the FECQ have both condemned all forms of violence.</div>
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And the provincial government joins them in deploring "excessive brutality."</div>
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Beauchamp said she would like to discuss with the two federations their proposals to save $300 million a year in university administrative costs through better management.</div>
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The minister was silent on the role of CLASSE, the most politically motivated association of striking students. CLASSE is to discuss at a convention in Montreal on Saturday the government's demand that it denounce violent acts.</div>
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CLASSE represents about 70,000 of the 175,000 striking students, is excluded.</div>
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Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, co-spokesman of CLASSE, was quick to respond by Twitter. Alluding to violent campus confrontations across the province Thursday, he tweeted: "The situation is deteriorating. The minister should take this into account and stop denying the reality." He also called for "a real dialogue now."</div>
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Montreal Gazette and Ottawa Citizen</div>
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<img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-167162" height="447" src="http://nationalpostnews.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/riadh-ben-aissa.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 620px !important; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Riadh Ben Aissa" width="300" /><div class="npPhotoTxt npTxtPlain npTxtLeft" style="background-color: #333333; font-family: 'helvetica neue', helvetica, arial, sans-serif !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;">
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SNC-Lavalin</div>
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Riadh Ben Aissa</div>
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Riadh Ben Aissa, SNC-Lavalin’s former executive vice-president — and the company’s point man in North Africa — is being detained by police in Switzerland.</div>
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Ben Aissa is being held on accusations of corrupting a public official, fraud and money laundering related to his business dealings in North Africa, Switzerland’s Office of the Attorney General confirmed to Postmedia News in an email Sunday.</div>
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He has been in custody since mid-April following an investigation launched by Swiss authorities in May of 2011.</div>
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In February, SNC-Lavalin announced that Ben Aissa and another executive, Stephane Roy, had lost their jobs. Both men had links to Saadi Gaddafi, the son of the late Col. Muammar Gaddafi. The elder Gaddafi was killed last October.</div>
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Swiss officials say they have requested and obtained the assistance of their Canadian counterparts in the investigation, and according to Jacqueline Buhlmann, a spokeswoman for the Swiss ministry, they proceeded to execute certain measures in mid-April.</div>
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Two weeks ago, a dozen RCMP officers raided SNC-Lavalin headquarters in Montreal as part of an investigation into the Quebec engineering giant.</div>
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Last March, the company said that $56-million had been paid to unnamed “agents” in North Africa to help secure contracts for two projects, and that CEO Pierre Duhaime had approved the payments. That included a payment of $22.5 million made through SNC-Lavalin’s office in Tunis.</div>
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CNS EASThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17450023054243911470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829197718575546351.post-7100335510787479882014-11-27T13:56:00.000-08:002014-11-27T13:56:02.372-08:00CNS-PN 2011<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">New Brunswick girl, 10, youngest to discover supernova</span><br /><br />Jan 3, 2011<br /><br />TORONTO — A 10-year-old amateur astronomer from New Brunswick has become the youngest ever to discover a supernova, the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada announced in a statement Monday.<br /><br />The society said Kathryn Aurora Gray of Fredericton, N.B., made the discovery during the weekend under the supervision of other astronomers.<br /><br />According to a statement,the discovery "of a magnitude 17 supernova in galaxy UGC 3378 in the constellation of Camelopardalis" was made under the watch of astronomers Paul Gray and David Lane.<br /><br />"The galaxy was imaged on New Year's Eve 2010, and the supernova was discovered on Jan. 2," the society's statement said.<br /><br />The discovery was then verified by Illinois-based amateur astronomer Brian Tieman and Arizona-based Canadian amateur astronomer Jack Newton, the society said.<br /><br />It was later reported to the International Astronomical Union's Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams. The society describes supernovas as being stellar explosions that signal the violent deaths of stars.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Canadian priest detained in Belgium</span><br /><br /><br />Jan. 5, 2011<br /><br /><br />Police in Belgium have arrested Canadian priest Father Eric Dejaeger and will hold him in Bruges pending an immigration hearing, Belgian government officials confirmed Wednesday.<br /><br />Officials told Postmedia News that Dejaeger was arrested Monday and was being held in a detention centre for people in the country illegally. Officials said he is awaiting his eventual expulsion to Canada but were not able to provide a timeline.<br /><br />Dejaeger, 63, who worked as an Oblate missionary in Nunavut, faces six sex charges related to the sexual molestation of Inuit children in incidents alleged to have occurred in Igloolik in the early 1980s.<br /><br />After serving a five-year prison sentence on convictions related to sex charges involving children in the Nunavut community of Baker Lake, Dejaeger fled Canada for Belgium in 1995.<br /><br />The Igloolik allegations were investigated by RCMP Cpl. Tom Power in 1993 and 1994, but Dejaeger never appeared in court to face the charges.<br /><br />More recently, the Belgian government discovered that Dejaeger lost his Belgian citizenship when he became a Canadian citizen some time after 1977.<br /><br />This past Sept. 15, the Belgian government issued a statement saying the disgraced priest was no longer a Belgian citizen.<br /><br />Katrien Jansseune, a spokeswoman for the Belgian immigration department, is quoted on the blog of Joris van der Aa, a Belgian crime journalist, saying that Belgium wants to ship Dejaeger back to Canada.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Art community mourns passing Canadian actor, stage great</span><br /><br /><br />Jan. 9, 2011<br /><br />STRATFORD, Ont. — The arts world and theatre lovers are mourning the death of Canadian “actor’s actor” and stage great Peter Donaldson, who passed away Saturday at age 57.<br /><br />As the Stratford Shakespeare Festival confirmed the news Sunday, tributes to the actor — who was revered for his stage play and big-screen appearances — started flowing on the festival’s Facebook page.<br /><br />“It is with great sadness that we have heard the passing of a great actor,” the festival stated. “Peter Donaldson has been a favourite of many Stratford regulars, a lot were looking forward to seeing him grace our stages again this season.”<br /><br />He died of lung cancer in a Toronto hospital, surrounded by his family and friends, the festival said.<br /><br />Donaldson was to return to the festival for his 25th season in 2011, playing Buckingham in Richard III and Marcus Andronicus in Titus Andronicus.<br /><br />“Peter was the finest actor’s actor,” said festival General Director Antoni Cimolino, who worked with Donaldson on many productions. “He was deeply admired for the conviction he brought to his work and the unsparing truth of his portrayals. He was versatile and able to give outstanding performances in modern plays, musicals and classics. But his home was Shakespeare.”<br /><br />Within hours of the Facebook posting, dozens of people had reacted with words of condolences and recollections of seeing him perform.<br /><br />“Mr. Donaldson’s portrayal of Atticus Finch a few seasons ago was truly heroic and honestly inspirational,” wrote Bruce Barber, calling his passing “A great loss to us all.”<br /><br />“His presence in so many plays at Stratford always enhanced the production, and we will miss him greatly,” wrote Mary Van Nortwick.<br /><br />The Stratford community similarly mourned the loss of the stage veteran.<br /><br />“He was one of those rare actors who excelled at everything he touched, able to sound the depths of tragic emotion even as he delighted us with his flair for wryly deadpan comedy,” said artistic director Des McAnuff, who directed Donaldson in Caesar and Cleopatra and Romeo and Juliet during his final season at Stratford on 2008. “No one who enjoyed his stellar performances at Stratford and elsewhere could have doubted that even greater triumphs lay ahead of him, and our sorrow is all the deeper when we think of the King Lear or the Prospero we might someday have seen him play but now have lost forever.”<br /><br />Apart form theatre performances from King Lear to Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Donaldson was a presence on the small screen — more recently appearing in the Little Mosque series and the Murdoch Mysteries — and big screen, featuring in movies such as Atom Egoyan’s Sweet Hereafter.<br /><br />In 1996 Donaldson won "Best Supporting Actor" for Great Performances (Long Day’s Journey Into Night) at the 1996 Genie Awards.<br /><br />He is survived by his wife, Sheila McCarthy, and daughters Mackenzie and Drew.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Canadian manufacturing on rebound: CIBC</span><br /><br /><br />Jan. 12, 2011<br /><br />A CIBC report released Wednesday says the Canadian manufacturing industry is on the rebound, raising economic activity in the country’s major cities to pre-recession levels.<br /><br />The CIBC’s most recent Metro Monitor survey, reporting on third-quarter 2010 numbers, finds optimism for the majority of Canada’s 25 largest cities, noting Canada added 65,000 manufacturing jobs in December alone.<br /><br />Based on the financial institution’s latest Canadian Metropolitan Economic Activity Index — which looks at such things as employment growth, bankruptcy rates and housing starts — Montreal finished at the top with a score of 26.8, followed by Toronto and Vancouver.<br /><br />Smaller manufacturing cities, meanwhile, showed growth for first time in two years.<br /><br />“Recent data on manufacturing production and shipments reveal a sector that is on the mend,” said CIBC Deputy Chief Economist Benjamin Tal in the report. “While the over 65,000 new manufacturing jobs created in December clearly overstate the real health of the Canadian manufacturing sector, the direction is clear. The footprints of a recovering manufacturing sector are very evident.”<br /><br />According to the report “only two of Canada’s 25 metropolitan areas showed negative growth in economic activity during the third quarter of 2010” — Kingston, Ont. and Saint John, N.B.<br /><br />“This was the smallest number in more than two years and a significant improvement over the third quarter of 2009 when 10 cities were in negative territory.”<br /><br />It’s the first time Montreal topped the index.<br /><br />“The economic momentum in the city of Montreal has traditionally been correlated with activity in the manufacturing sector, and the recent improvement in that sector clearly played an important role in placing the city at the top of our cities’ momentum ranking,” Tal wrote.<br /><br />“Just as we have seen a recent rebound in manufacturing in the U.S. the sector in Canada’s major cities is also showing some life. With more than two-thirds of Canadian GDP generated in Canada’s major cities, the tale of those cities is the tale of the economy.”<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Liberals slam Harper's red-tape plan</span><br /><br /><br />By Phil Couvrette and Tim Shufelt<br /><br />Jan.13, 2011<br /><br />Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced plans Thursday to battle red tape for small- and medium-sized businesses by setting up a Red Tape Reduction Commission, a move Liberal critics say only creates "a bureaucracy to tackle the growth of bureaucracy."<br /><br />"Small- and medium-sized businesses are a critical driver of the Canadian economy," Harper said while visiting the Toronto area. "This initiative will help ensure that they can grow, prosper and create jobs without being impeded by unnecessary government regulations."<br /><br />Minister of State Rob Moore, who joined Harper during the announcement, will head the 12-member commission, which involves other parliamentarians and business owners.<br /><br />The commission will consult Canadians "to identify irritants that have a clear detrimental effect on growth, competitiveness and innovation" and find solutions to lighten the regulatory load.<br /><br />It will also consider the business costs associated with federal regulatory requirements and seek to lessen the price of compliance.<br /><br />"Canadian businesses spend billions of dollars each year adhering to regulations," Harper added. "We need to look at where and how we can reduce these costs and this red-tape burden, especially on small businesses."<br /><br />But Liberals wasted no time panning the announcement, saying it leaves small business "no better off today than they were yesterday."<br /><br />"This idea was announced in the last budget but they've taken almost a year to create a bureaucracy to tackle the growth of bureaucracy . . . it's beyond belief," said Liberal small business critic Navdeep Bains in a statement. "They've been in power for five years, if this was so important why didn't they act sooner?"<br /><br />Bains credited the Paperwork Reduction Initiative started by the previous Liberal government for previous success reducing red tape.<br /><br />"Before one more piece of red tape is cut, this new commission will take its time travelling the country at great expense but won't report back till next fall," he said. "That's almost another year before we can even start debating what regulations we should be cutting. The government clearly isn't taking this issue seriously."<br /><br />However, unlike other attempts to reform the country's regulatory regime, this initiative promises permanent changes, said Catherine Swift, president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business and a member of the commission.<br /><br />The CFIB's research shows that Canadian businesses currently shell out $30 billion annually in compliance costs, and that 25 per cent of entrepreneurs would have reconsidered going into business in the first place had they known the time and money required to comply with red tape.<br /><br />The group's members identify the reduction of red tape as their second highest priority, topped narrowly by the tax burden, Swift said.<br /><br />She identified some of the typical culprits that most aggravate Canadian entrepreneurs: monthly forms, when quarterly or annually would be sufficient, filing the same information to various levels of government, or obsolete regulations still in effect.<br /><br />In 2007, for example, the Canada Revenue Agency identified more than 8,000 non-essential tax forms and filings, Harper noted.<br /><br />But the problem goes beyond the government form, extending to the bureaucratic culture itself, Swift said.<br /><br />"Often, it's uninformed, incompetent, rude, or unresponsive bureaucrats who really don't seem to have any standards of providing decent, courteous, timely service to taxpayers."<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Quebec soldier charged after medical exams investigation</span><br /><br />Jan. 25, 2011<br /><br />Military police have charged a Canadian Forces member with breach of trust related to medical exams performed on recruits in Quebec.<br /><br />A Quebec-based non-commissioned officer has been charged in connection with the way he carried out medical examinations of female recruits.<br /><br />Sgt. Christian Boudreau has been charged with five counts while carrying out these exams for the Canadian Forces Recruiting Centres at detachments in Montreal and Rouyn-Noranda.<br /><br />The incidents are alleged to have occurred from July 2007 to September 2009. He faces criminal charges of breach of trust, or alternatively charges of behaving in a disgraceful manner under the National Defence Act.<br /><br />Both are punishable by up to five years in prison.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ottawa offers flights as Canadians urged to leave Egypt</span><br /><br /><br />By Phil Couvrette and Mike De Souza<br /><br />Jan. 31, 2011<br /><br />OTTAWA — Responding to what it called the “highly unpredictable” and “deteriorating” situation in Egypt, the federal government announced Sunday it will start flying Canadians out of the country as early as Monday — a move that comes amid criticism over the government’s efforts to help stranded Canadians.<br /><br />Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon announced details of the flights Sunday evening in Ottawa, on the heels of similar action taken earlier in the day by the United States and other countries.<br /><br />“We don’t want to put Canadians in a precarious situation,” Cannon said. “Rather than bettering itself, the situation seems to be deteriorating from the reports that we are receiving. And, therefore, our primary concern, of course, is the safety and security of Canadians.”<br /><br />No Canadians have been hurt or injured as a result of the protests, Cannon said.<br /><br />He said Canadians would be flown to either Paris, London or Frankfurt — where a greater amount of consular staff would be able to assist them — but would have to sign a contract promising to reimburse the government for the cost of their flight out of Egypt.<br /><br />“Canadian citizens who travel on arranged transport will be expected to make their own onward travel plans from these locations,” he said.<br /><br />Violent protests swept through the streets of Egypt for a sixth day Sunday, and Canadians trapped in the country say they have been wondering what their government has been doing to help them.<br /><br />There are believed to be about 6,500 Canadians in Egypt. Cannon said plans were in the works to evacuate as many as 800 as early as Monday. The government didn’t have an immediate figure on the number of Canadians requesting to leave.<br /><br />Cannon urged those seeking charter flights to contact the Canadian Embassy in Cairo or the emergency operations centre in Ottawa.<br /><br />“We continue to call on the Egyptian government to state its commitment to strengthening democracy, consultation, dialogue and co-operation,” Cannon said. “We urge the Egyptian government to accelerate the pace of democratic and economic reforms and listen to the aspirations of the Egyptian people.”<br /><br />During the riots, the death toll has climbed to more than 100 people, as Egyptians continue to call for democratic and economic reforms, as well as the ouster of embattled President Hosni Mubarak.<br /><br />Marie-Claude Vigneault said she had been trying to reach Canadian Embassy officials for six days since deadly protests began last week.<br /><br />She said local police have been nowhere in sight. And while her friends from other countries — such as France, Mexico and the United Kingdom — have all been in touch with local consular officials, Vigneault said she had not received a single response from the Canadian Embassy or government officials.<br /><br />“I almost feel ashamed to be Canadian,” said Vigneault, who moved to Egypt from Quebec City eight years ago. “We were not even able to contact Ottawa. The emergency number doesn’t work.”<br /><br />The Department of Foreign Affairs has urged Canadians in Egypt to “consider leaving if their presence is not necessary.” The United States and Iraq have also told their citizens to evacuate and offered flights to take them home to safety.<br /><br />Vigneault said that when she called the embassy, she was put on hold and eventually transferred to Ottawa with no response. After waiting on hold for 20 minutes, she said she ran out of credit to make calls, spending more than $100 with no one to speak to on the other end of the line.<br /><br />Dan McTeague, the Liberal party’s critic for consular affairs, said the government’s “knee-jerk” reaction to helping Canadians in Egypt has been “extremely concerning” and showed it was out of touch with international events.<br /><br />“The Conservatives saw the U.S and their response and what other countries were doing and finally got onto the ball,” he said. “The government has been shamed and embarrassed into reacting.”<br /><br />Delays in putting an evacuation plan in place and not taking the lead could be placing Canadians’ lives “in jeopardy,” he said.<br /><br />He said the government had learned nothing from previous evacuation efforts and that the measures announced Sunday “should have been done days ago” instead of leaving Canadians to fend for themselves for days.<br /><br />NDP foreign affairs critic Paul Dewar agreed Canada’s announcement came “a bit late” and described evacuation arrangements as “awkward.”<br /><br />“What the government should have done is said, ‘We’ll make arrangements to get you out if you need help,’ and that’s all they need to worry about. Instead it’s ‘here’s the number to call and by the way you have to sign a contract that you’re going to pay to get out. It doesn’t sound very welcoming.”<br /><br />While Vigneault and her mother wait for news from Canadian officials in an apartment in the suburban neighbourhood of Maadi, south of downtown Cairo, she’s envious of one of her friends from France who was contacted by the French consular officials who explained the situation and how to prepare for a possible evacuation.<br /><br />Vigneault said she has heard gunshots and machine guns firing in recent days around her block and has tried to avoid going outside. But she said the situation has stabilized over the past day, mainly because the locals are now carrying guns, knives or blunt objects to protect themselves.<br /><br />Getting food is also a struggle. She was able to buy some groceries at the beginning of the weekend and has supplies to last her for about two weeks but notes many basic items are becoming very expensive.<br /><br />“There’s almost nothing left in the grocery store,” she said.<br /><br />Early on Sunday evening, she said a friend of hers from Quebec had finally heard from Canadian Foreign Affairs officials who said they were trying to reach her but got no response on her phone.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Layton walking and ‘in great spirits’ after surgery</span><br /><br /><br />March 6, 2011<br /><br />OTTAWA — NDP leader Jack Layton was up and walking again Sunday, two days after undergoing hip surgery at a Toronto hospital — initially raising questions about whether he would be ready for an election campaign that could be just weeks away.<br /><br />“Mr. Layton is doing well and is in great spirits,” the New Democratic Party said in a statement, two days after Layton went under the knife at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto.<br /><br />The surgery lasted three hours and went extremely well, the hospital said in a statement earlier. It said he would likely be released early this week.<br /><br />Layton had been suffering recently from pain in his hip, the party said, but stressed the procedure would have no impact on his ability to perform his job with a budget looming on March 22 and a possible campaign soon afterward.<br /><br />Layton had spoken to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff before undergoing the procedure, the statement said.<br /><br />The NDP statement said the party leader had nothing but praise for “the incredible care” he received at the Toronto hospital a “reminder of the great health care system we have in Canada.”<br /><br />On Sunday the NDP said Layton was able to receive visits from family and close friends, including granddaughter Beatrice, to whom he read a book “and even put some of her colourful artwork up on the wall.”<br /><br />Layton also thanked Canadians for their well wishes and kind words since he checked in to the hospital.<br /><br />The NDP said it is confident Layton will be back in the House in time for the budget.<br /><br />He and his caucus will play a central role in whether Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s budget precipitates an election. The Liberals and Bloc Quebecois appear likely to vote against the budget.<br /><br />However, Layton recently met with Harper and presented him with a list of demands, outlining initiatives the NDP would like to see in the budget.<br /><br />On budget day, the prospects of an election will hinge on whether Flaherty includes enough concessions to gain the support of the NDP.<br /><br />If the NDP supports the budget, the Harper government will survive and it’s expected the next window for an election won’t open up until after the next budget in the spring of 2012.<br /><br />If all three opposition parties vote against the budget, the country will be plunged into an election campaign this spring, with the most likely election day being on May 2, 9 or 16.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eastern Canada smacked with late-season snowstorm</span><br /> <br />March 7, 2011<br /><br />MONTREAL — The calendar says spring is around the corner, but Quebecers were digging out Monday after the latest winter wallop dropped more than 70 centimetres of snow in some areas, forcing police to ride snowmobiles to assist emergency crews.<br /><br />"It's quite a big storm that's moving over the East Coast. This storm already gave 65 centimetres over the Eastern Township Sherbrooke region," said Andre Cantin of Environment Canada, which forecasts the snow will continue to fall on eastern Quebec until Tuesday.<br /><br />Among the hardest hit was the Eastern Township city of Sherbrooke, paralyzed by more than 70 centimetres of snow, which closed schools, stores and major highways.<br /><br />Streets were so snow-choked that police officers had to use snowmobiles to ferry people to awaiting ambulances, including one dead body. While there was reason to believe the victim was someone who had been shovelling snow, police were not confirming a death directly linked to the storm in Sherbrooke.<br /><br />Danny McConnell of Sherbrooke police said the force used four of its snowmobiles and four on loan from Bombardier to assist emergency crews.<br /><br />Downtown Montreal cars were sliding both up and downhill, and skidding sideways on flat surfaces as drivers struggled with the slick weather conditions.<br /><br />Compounding the problem of accumulated snow was the ice underneath after residents dealt with rain and freezing rain on the weekend.<br /><br />City officials were expecting it would take a full week to clear away the mess.<br /><br />The city of Montreal and its boroughs had 1,000 vehicles operated by 1,000 employees clearing snow from streets and sidewalks as of Monday morning.<br /><br />In Quebec City the picture was hardly less messy, as strong winds and low visibility made the March storm a horror for drivers.<br /><br />Some residents managed to remain upbeat despite the city's 25 centimetres.<br /><br />"I like the snow," said Charles Bussieres. "It's not too cold."<br /><br />Around the province motorists were met with closed roads and safety warnings, leaving provincial police to bring in extra staff to deal with the flood of emergency calls.<br /><br />While many regions closed schools for the day, almost all school boards on the Island of Montreal kept schools open, upsetting some parents.<br /><br />"I think it's a very poor judgmental call," said parent Kirsten Mahar. "I think half the kids won't be there because if you see there are just tons and tons of people who just didn't send their kids in. So I don't see what the point was."<br /><br />New Brunswick also had to contend with the storm, which left 2,400 homes — mostly in the Bouctouche area — without power Monday evening.<br /><br /><br style="font-weight: bold;" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Canada must become world energy superpower: Shell Canada president</span><br /><br /><br />By Phil Couvrette<br /><br />March 20, 2011<br /><br />Growing world demand for sustainable energy puts a stable producer of oil and gas like Canada in an ideal position to become a global energy superpower — if the country can embrace the right national strategy to make it happen, according to the head of Shell Canada.<br /><br />Developing such a strategy starts with a cross-Canada dialogue on energy involving Canadians from all walks of life, said Shell Canada president and country chair Lorraine Mitchelmore in an interview with Postmedia News.<br /><br />Sitting on the second largest oil reserves in the world all the while being “an open market with a deep commitment to environmental stewardship,” Canada has “all the ingredients to be an energy superpower, but it requires a focused effort and a focused plan if we are to realize that,” said Mitchelmore, whose company celebrates its centennial of doing business in Canada Monday.<br /><br />“How do we develop these resources in an environmentally sustainable way? It needs a much better framework between the provinces and the federal (government) that looks at fiscal, that looks at regulatory and environmental policies and standards that allow us to be more competitive in the world.”<br /><br />While some will cringe at any notion of a national energy policy, bearing in mind the divisive years of the National Energy Program, Mitchelmore said a distinction needs to be made.<br /><br />The policy of the 1980s, particularly unpopular in Western Canada, was “something that was created not with the collaboration of a lot of Canadians,” she noted.<br /><br />Launched by the Liberals in 1980, the NEP sought to increase Ottawa’s control of energy resources at a time the world was going through an oil crisis. The policy sought to insure Canada’s energy security but upset Western provinces by redistributing wealth from oil-rich provinces, notably Alberta, to Eastern Canada.<br /><br />“We’re looking at this much more as something about having a conversation among Canadians.”<br /><br />Canada needs “a competitive framework for energy policy” to attain such a goal, Mitchelmore said, one that brings all Canadians — non-governmental organizations, First Nations, producers and everyday consumers — into the conversation.<br /><br />“It’s really about engaging Canadians all across Canada that affect the energy supply chain, all the way from the extraction to the end user. It’s about having a framework that affects all of these different parts of the energy supply chain with a vision for being able to produce energy and use energy in the most sustainable way.<br /><br />“That means also looking at a price on carbon, so it’s all really integrated,” she said, adding this would affect all Canadians and raise the need “to change some behaviours.”<br /><br />If anything such a dialogue with every day Canadian consumers is sure to broach the topic of current high oil prices, but Mitchelmore said this is what is making a national conversation necessary in order to “educate Canadians” on energy, and improve “energy literacy.”<br /><br />Becoming “an environmental leader” comes at a cost, she said.<br /><br />The turmoil in the Middle East and in North Africa — where Canada and other nations are involved in enforcing a no-fly zone over the oil-producing nation of Libya — is a reminder that Canada already stands out as “the most stable, the most reliable and the most democratic of the world’s top 10 oil and gas producers” along with Norway, Mitchelmore said. “That’s a distinct competitive advantage.”</div>
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Canadian film crew in chopper crash</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;">Postmedia News</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;">The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is investigating after a helicopter carrying a Canadian film crew went down in Pennsylvania on Saturday evening, causing injuries but no fatalities.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;">Regional FAA spokesman Jim Peters said they were notified Saturday evening that a helicopter had crashed into a building after receiving a call from a 911 emergency operator in Indiana, a community northeast of Pittsburgh.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;">"We know that three members of the film crew are Canadian," Peters said, adding he was not yet able to determine what part of this country they are from. He said he wasn't sure "whether it was a company based in Canada that was doing the filming."</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;">Peters said the Robinson R44 helicopter with four people on board crashed between two buildings "almost flat against the side of one of the buildings."</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;">Peters said the incident occurred in a student housing area for a state university.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;">He said one of the passengers was able to get out after impact and contact authorities. Local media reported this person tried to help the others out.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;">Emergency responders eventually got the three others out. They were taken to a local hospital.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;">"We are told the range of injury is from serious to critical," Peters said. He said the chopper was registered to Penn helicopter LLC in Friedens, Pennsylvania.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;">The FAA is doing the investigation for the National Transportation Safety Board to determine the reason for the crash, he said.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;">FAA was waiting to get a green light from health officials to interview the pilot.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br /><div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">More troops coming as Quebec deals with higher flood levels</span></h1>
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<span class="name">Postmedia News : </span><span class="timestamp">Sunday, May 22, 2011 12:00 AM</span></div>
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ST.-JEAN-SUR-RICHELIEU, Que. — As the waters of Lake Champlain and Quebec’s Richelieu River rose to an all-time high on Monday, raising the spectre of more evacuations in the flooded region, Premier Jean Charest said the Canadian Forces presence was being doubled to help citizens deal with the situation in southern Quebec.</div>
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“The deployment will take a few hours and double the Canadian Forces presence,” Charest said, adding the extra troop presence “corresponds with the needs we will have in the next 24 hours.”</div>
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About 260 army personnel were on site at the time of the announcement, building and reinforcing barriers to protect vulnerable homes from further damage. On Sunday, soldiers reinforced dikes in St. Blaise sur Richelieu, Que., and unloaded sand bags in Henryville, Que., both towns south of St. Jean.</div>
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As forecast, strong winds from the south swelled the river by eight to 20 centimetres since Sunday. A further three to six centimetre rise was expected on Monday and another similar swell on Tuesday morning.</div>
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On Lake Champlain, the wind whipped up waves that peaked as high as 90 cm, Quebec’s flood forecast centre reported. On the river, waves could reach 30 cm. The latest rise in the water level surpassed the record reached on May 6.</div>
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Charest repeated his assessment the flood in southern Quebec was unprecedented, adding it affected neighbouring U.S. states as well. He said the province was working closely states such as New York on the aftermath of the flooding.</div>
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“We’ve never seen anything like this. No one would have believed we would go back, today the 23rd of May . . . to levels of May 6. No one could have predicted this.”</div>
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U.S. officials told him they were just as surprised by the magnitude of the floods. Charest said the province was co-ordinating efforts with the federal government on a daily basis.</div>
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“This challenges us, we must live with it and deal with the changes the weather throws at us,” he said. “We are facing new circumstances every day.”</div>
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Charest said only a few new evacuations took place Monday.</div>
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Quebec’s civil security agency reminded residents that members of the Red Cross are on site to provide emergency shelter and that mental-health workers can offer psychological support.</div>
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A shift in the wind direction and speed on Tuesday is expected to lower the water quickly by Wednesday.</div>
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Authorities have started offering tetanus shots for affected residents as a precaution, even though the floods have not spurred any major health risks.</div>
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<i style="font-style: normal;">With files from the Montreal Gazette</i></div>
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Canada condemns Sudanese violence</h1>
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<a href="http://www.canada.com/news/Canada+condemns+Sudanese+violence/4960728/story.html" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #4e5989; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial; line-height: 20px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; width: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img alt="A handout picture released by the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) on June 10 2011, shows residents of Kadugli gathered outside UNMIS sector headquarters waiting to collect water after fleeing fighting in Kadugli town." border="0" class="thumbnail" id="storyphoto" src="http://www.canada.com/news/Canada+condemns+Sudanese+violence/4960728/4929180.bin" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 460px;" title="A handout picture released by the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) on June 10 2011, shows residents of Kadugli gathered outside UNMIS sector headquarters waiting to collect water after fleeing fighting in Kadugli town." /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A handout picture released by the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) on June 10 2011, shows residents of Kadugli gathered outside UNMIS sector headquarters waiting to collect water after fleeing fighting in Kadugli town.</span></h1>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Photograph by: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">PAUL BANKS, AFP/Getty Images</span></h2>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird condemned the escalating violence in the Sudanese state of South Kordofan Thursday, saying Canada was "deeply concerned" by its impact on civilian populations.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"Canada condemns the aerial bombings and attacks against civilians that have displaced more than 60,000 people, according to the UN," Baird said in a statement. "Canada calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities, and urges all parties to ensure the utmost protection of civilians, including by providing full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access to those in need."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Fighting between the northern military and southern-aligned armed groups broke out in Southern Kordofan on June 5 and has escalated to include artillery and warplanes.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Both U.S. President Barack Obama and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon have called for an immediate ceasefire in the north-run oil state, where humanitarian groups fear a mounting death toll.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Thursday former South African president Thabo Mbeki said the parties in the border state have agreed hostilities should cease and that talks should start.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"The issues at stake in South Kordofan must be resolved by consultation and negotiation, and not by violence," Baird said in the statement.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Canada has contributed more than $885 million toward peace, humanitarian assistance, development aid, security and peacebuilding in Sudan since 2006.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Southern Sudan is due to become a separate country on July 9 and a raft of issues remain unresolved between the two sides, including where to draw the common boundary.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"Both sides have agreed that there should be a cessation of hostilities, and that negotiations should begin immediately," Mbeki told reporters in Addis Ababa after visiting Southern Kordofan. "They've said they will discuss on certain modalities. The details can only be done within those negotiations."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Mbeki, who has been helping guide talks between north and south ahead of secession, said he and other officials would begin planning "full-fledged negotiations" between the Sudanese government and representatives of Southern Kordofan.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">He did not give a time frame for when any ceasefire would go into effect.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Earlier on Thursday, Sudan's army said it would continue fighting against southern-aligned groups in Southern Kordofan to end what it calls an armed rebellion.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Quebec cult leader sought to incite suicide: French agency</span></h1>
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<span class="name" style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">POSTMEDIA NEWS</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><span class="timestamp" style="color: #999999; font-family: arial; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">JULY 4, 2011</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="comments" id="lblComment"></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.canada.com/news/Quebec+cult+leader+sought+incite+suicide+French+agency/5048303/story.html" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #4e5989; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial; line-height: 20px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; width: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img alt="French officials claim a Quebec leader of a religious sect has counselled his followers to commit suicide." border="0" class="thumbnail" id="storyphoto" src="http://www.canada.com/news/Quebec+cult+leader+sought+incite+suicide+French+agency/5048303/4348953.bin" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 460px;" title="French officials claim a Quebec leader of a religious sect has counselled his followers to commit suicide." /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">French officials claim a Quebec leader of a religious sect has counselled his followers to commit suicide.</span></h1>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Photograph by: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Getty Images, Getty Images</span></h2>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A Quebec man heading a religious sect has been using the Internet to incite his followers to commit suicide, according to a French government agency.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In its latest report to the French prime minister, published in June, the Mission interministerielle de vigilance et de lutte contre les derives sectaires — which monitors groups to prevent abuses related to religious cults — says it had to alert authorities earlier this year when messages to some of the sect leader's followers on social networks came to its attention.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">According to the agency, the man — identified only as 'Flot' in the document — frequently suggested that his "divine children" experience "a divine relationship" with him and join him in "an ascent to . . . leave this world for a new universe."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In preparation he asked his followers to undergo a "mental preparation".</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">According to the agency, some followers were in such a state of preparedness that they had already made arrangements with notaries and funeral homes.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Mission said it quickly proceeded to contact French and Canadian authorities to intervene in the case.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"This matter, which is the subject of close scrutiny on the part of the Mission and authorities, demonstrates the risks of extreme deviance — fortunately without consequences in this particular case — apocalyptic messages can lead to," the agency said in the report.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Northern Ontario fires force evacuations</span></h1>
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<span class="name" style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">POSTMEDIA NEWS</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><span class="timestamp" style="color: #999999; font-family: arial; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">JULY 7, 2011</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="comments" id="lblComment"></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.canada.com/life/Northern+Ontario+fires+force+evacuations/5066142/story.html" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #4e5989; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial; line-height: 20px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; width: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img alt="As dozens more people were being evacuated from northern Ontario communities threatened by fires and heavy smoke Thursday, officials said hundreds more were under evacuation warnings as flames engulfed over 100,000 hectares. July 6 photo." border="0" class="thumbnail" id="storyphoto" src="http://www.canada.com/life/Northern+Ontario+fires+force+evacuations/5066142/5066966.bin" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 460px;" title="As dozens more people were being evacuated from northern Ontario communities threatened by fires and heavy smoke Thursday, officials said hundreds more were under evacuation warnings as flames engulfed over 100,000 hectares. July 6 photo." /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As dozens more people were being evacuated from northern Ontario communities threatened by fires and heavy smoke Thursday, officials said hundreds more were under evacuation warnings as flames engulfed over 100,000 hectares. July 6 photo.</span></h1>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Photograph by: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Combat camera, Canadian Forces</span></h2>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">DRYDEN, Ont. — As dozens more people were being evacuated from northern Ontario communities threatened by fires and heavy smoke Thursday, officials said hundreds more were under evacuation warnings as flames engulfed over 100,000 hectares.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A Canadian Forces plane was expected to transport dozens of residents from the community of Deer Lake some 500 kilometres south to Greenstone, a community officials said had everything to make them feel at home.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"They do have all the necessary logistics in place to welcome a large influx of evacuees," said Brent Ross of the Ministry of Community Safety.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">By Thursday evening about 480 people from Deer Lake were expected to find refuge in Greenstone, but more communities were nervously watching the flames progress near their homes.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"It's not direct fire threat that's causing an impact as much as smoke," said Deb MacLean of the Aviation Forest Fire and Emergency Services Program of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. The 'Phase 1' evacuation mostly concerned community members at risk, such the elderly, the sick or young children.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Eighteen new fires started Wednesday, some sparked by lightning, for a total of 78 active fires across northwestern Ontario, she said.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"We have fires all across the north and some of the communities in the far north of the Red Lake district . . . are on evacuation alert," she said.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"Any fires that are close enough to these communities . . . direct suppression action is being taken on those fires," MacLean said, everything from fire rangers on the ground to water bombers and helicopters in the air. But it wasn't possible to put bombers on every fire, she added.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"The highest priority goes to anything that's going to directly affect people," MacLean said, saying that in addition to Deer Lake, other native communities such as Sandy Lake, North Spirit Lake and other communities could be affected.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"It depends on wind direction and the fire situation."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">One fire alone, southeast of Pickle Lake, accounts for over 70,000 of the hectares facing the flames, MacLean said.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Deer Lake evacuation was taking place at the request of the Deer Lake Band Council. Smoke from fires burning 3 1/2 kilometres away was threatening the community.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"To quickly respond to this life-threatening emergency, the commander of Canada Command, Lt.-Gen. Walter Semianiw, declared a major search and rescue operation, deploying air assets within two hours of the request for assistance," said a statement from Public Safety Minister Vic Toews and Defence Minister Peter MacKay.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"Our government has responded swiftly to an urgent request from the province of Ontario as a result of this serious situation facing the community of Deer Lake."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The statement said two Canadian Forces CC-130 Hercules aircraft from 435 Squadron based at 17 Wing Winnipeg were assisting with the "life-threatening emergency."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Wrong strip: man could face charges for landing ultralight at strip club</span></h1>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A Quebec pilot could face federal charges for landing an ultralight in the parking lot of a strip club.</span></h1>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Photograph by: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Sean Gallup, Getty Images</span></h2>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A Quebec man could face federal transportation charges after police say he landed his ultralight plane by a strip club in Carignan, a community south of Montreal, last Saturday evening.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Capt. Harry Wadup of the Regie municipale Richelieu-Saint-Laurent said Thursday a concerned witness reported spotting the plane "going down rapidly" in the area around 8:30 p.m. Saturday.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">When officers made it to the scene they were relieved to find out it had not crashed, but was sitting unoccupied in the establishment's parking lot.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"The ultralight plane in question was parked, with no sign of damage," he added.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Wadup says police did not charge the man but identified him and referred the case to Transport Canada, which he said is looking at charges in the incident.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"It is illegal to land in a parking (lot), private or public, and he had modified the part of the tail which identifies the ultralight plane. There was no ID number," he said.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Carignan is about 40 kilometres south of Montreal.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Transport Canada did not immediately return calls for comment.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.canada.com/news/national/More+communities+evacuation+standby+Ontario+fires/5115946/story.html" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #4e5989; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial; line-height: 20px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; width: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img alt="A July 6, 2011 handout photo of a firefighter plane battling Red Lake District Fire Number 59 in the Northwest Region of Ontario." border="0" class="thumbnail" id="storyphoto" src="http://www.canada.com/news/national/More+communities+evacuation+standby+Ontario+fires/5115946/5115947.bin" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 460px;" title="A July 6, 2011 handout photo of a firefighter plane battling Red Lake District Fire Number 59 in the Northwest Region of Ontario." /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A July 6, 2011 handout photo of a firefighter plane battling Red Lake District Fire Number 59 in the Northwest Region of Ontario.</span></h1>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Photograph by: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Handout, Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services (AFFES)</span></h2>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">DRYDEN, Ont. — Firefighters from across the country were pitching in to battle the growing blaze covering over 182,000 hectares in northwestern Ontario, prompting another community to prepare for evacuation Sunday.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In all 89 fires were raging across the region Sunday, 12 more than on Saturday, said Deb MacLean of the Aviation Forest Fire and Emergency Services Program of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“We’re dealing with an escalated fire situation all across the northern portion of northwestern Ontario,” she said. “A lot of the fires we are dealing with are large fires, over 10,000 hectares, some over 5,000 (hectares).”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A single fire southeast of Pickle Lake covered 79,000 hectares, she said.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“At this point in time there is no direct fire threat to any communities but there are smoke issues all across the northwest and that has prompted some evacuations,” she said. The smoke especially affects people such as the very young, elderly, and people with health problems.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In recent days over 250 people from Cat Lake, about 180 kilometres north of Sioux Lookout, were moved to Matachewan and Kapuskasing.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Another 140 were on standby to leave Keewaywin Sunday. Sandy Lake was also on standby.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">On the positive side over 540 people who had to leave Deer Lake previously had all returned back home, MacLean said.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Some 2,000 firefighters, both on the ground and in the air, were battling the flames. In addition 360 B.C. firefighters were also pitching in.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Water bombers from Alberta and Quebec were also assisting in the effort.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Western and northern parts of the province were made restricted fire zones, banning outdoor fires.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Canada Post may have lost thousands of cancer test results</span></h1>
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<img alt="Canada Post" class="attachment-single-post-thumbnail wp-post-image" height="462" src="http://nationalpostnews.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/canadapost.jpg?w=620" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 620px !important; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty called the lost reports "very serious" and said the incident highlighted the need to move towards keeping digital records." width="620" /><div class="npPhotoTxt" style="background-color: #333333; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
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Canada Post</div>
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Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty called the lost reports "very serious" and said the incident highlighted the need to move towards keeping digital records.</div>
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Ontario’s Premier said Wednesday he considered it a “very serious issue” that thousands of cancer test results may have gone missing.</div>
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Cancer Care Ontario, the provincial agency charged with improving cancer services, said Tuesday it is investigating whether 15 reports containing the personal health information of 6,490 Ontarians were successfully delivered to family doctors in February and March.</div>
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Officials are also investigating whether an additional 11 reports, containing the personal health information of an additional 5,440 Ontarians, might have been lost.<span id="more-81912" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></span></div>
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The agency used Canada Post’s Xpresspost courier service to mail the reports, which contained the names, health-card numbers and colon-cancer-screening results for those patients.</div>
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Canada Post was supposed to send the packages back to the agency if it couldn’t get a signature on delivery, but the postal service admitted earlier this month that some reports were delivered without a signature confirmation.</div>
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“We’ll do whatever that we can to assist in whatever way possible to retrieve this information and assure that there is ultimately no breach of confidentiality, and that this information doesn’t get into the wrong hands,” Dalton McGuinty told reporters Wednesday.</div>
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McGuinty said the incident bolsters the case to “move forward with electronic health records.”</div>
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“One of the things we’ll be looking at Cancer Care Ontario for is improved and better ways to transmit that kind of confidential information.”</div>
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Officials said the reports that are unaccounted for are summaries of test results that have already been made available to patients and physicians. As a result, the mixup won’t cause patients to have to repeat their colon-cancer screening.</div>
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The reports are screening results for colorectal cancer for patients aged 50 to 74. The reports are usually sent to patients’ doctors.</div>
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<em style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">With files from the Ottawa Citizen</em></div>
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A firefighter plane battles a blaze earlier this month in northwestern Ontario.</h1>
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<b>Photograph by: </b>Handout, Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services (AFFES)</h2>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Ontario is in the process of helping about 400 residents displaced by raging forest fires in the northwestern region of the province return home, officials said Wednesday.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">In a statement, the province said residents of Eabametoong/Fort Hope and Sandy Lake would be able to return home, using five planes with 13 flights.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Two additional aircraft were expected to be available Thursday to help return some of the more than 3,600 people displaced by fires.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The blazes have claimed more than 540,000 hectares — a total nearly 10 times greater than the 10-year average.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"The chief of Sandy Lake moved more than 200 Sandy Lake residents from Marathon, with 75 residents going to Thunder Bay and 126 residents going to the Sioux Lookout region," the province also reported.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">About 114 fires were still burning Wednesday, according to Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources, and new blazes were expected to start in the coming days.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"As of today, the current hectares burned in Ontario is the third highest recorded since 1917," the department said.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">About 2,000 firefighting personnel are helping battle the blaze, including 640 members from British Columbia, Yukon, Saskatchewan, Alberta, New Brunswick, Quebec, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The province said 15 heavy bombers, four light bombers, 97 helicopters and other support aircraft were assisting in the effort.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Stage-maker Groupe Berger under spotlight again </span></span></h1>
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<a href="http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Stage+maker+Groupe+Berger+under+spotlight+again+after+Quebec+incident/5208531/story.html" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; border-width: initial; color: #7b7b7b; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: none; width: auto;"><img alt="Emergency workers walk in front of the twisted debris that was an Ottawa Bluesfest stage. The stage collapsed Sunday, July 17, 2011." border="0" class="thumbnail" id="storyphoto" src="http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Stage+maker+Groupe+Berger+under+spotlight+again+after+Quebec+incident/5208531/5205235.bin" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; border-width: initial; width: 460px;" title="Emergency workers walk in front of the twisted debris that was an Ottawa Bluesfest stage. The stage collapsed Sunday, July 17, 2011." /></a></div>
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Emergency workers walk in front of the twisted debris that was an Ottawa Bluesfest stage. The stage collapsed Sunday, July 17, 2011.</h1>
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<b>Photograph by: </b>Ashley Fraser, Postmedia News</h2>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">LEVIS, Que. — Stage manufacturer Groupe Berger was on the defensive again Thursday, a day after two lighting towers were toppled by a wind burst during stage assembly at a festival in Levis, near Quebec City.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The incident came weeks after the July 17 Ottawa Bluesfest stage collapse during a windstorm. That collapse injured eight people including the driver of the band Cheap Trick, which was wrapping up a performance at the time.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">On Tuesday, the band pulled out of a scheduled performance at Vancouver's Pacific National Exhibition because the stage on which they were to perform came from Groupe Berger.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">On Thursday, the Quebec-based company said it provided the equipment and manual labour but not its own supervisor to oversee the erection of the towers in Levis, and said organizers made modifications without consulting with it.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Levis Festivent organizers held a news conference Thursday afternoon to stress that Groupe Berger was in charge of providing and installing the towers.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"For Groupe Berger, incidents like that one seem to become a tendency," Festivent promoter Martin Lafrance is quoted as saying in the Journal de Levis, saying their confidence in the company was declining.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The Ottawa show was the second time in the past two years a stage owned by Groupe Berger had toppled.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">On June 30, 2009, the roof of one of its outdoor stages buckled and fell at Quebec City's Grand Rire comedy festival after days of high winds and heavy rains.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">There were no injuries in that incident. Quebec investigators determined that the collapse was due to a fault during fabrication of the stage.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Mayor could end up in a hard place for dropping off large rock at ex's</span></span></h1>
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<span class="name" style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">POSTMEDIA NEWS</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span><span class="timestamp" style="color: #999999; font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">AUGUST 15, 2011</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="comments" id="lblComment"></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">ACTON VALE, Que. — A Quebec mayor's idea of a joke could land him in hot water with authorities after he had a large boulder dropped on the lawn of his ex-wife for her birthday, quipping she always wanted a 'big rock'.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Now Quebec provincial police are looking into possible mischief and other charges after receiving a complaint from the woman, who woke up with a 20-tonne problem on her lawn on the weekend in Acton Vale, east of Montreal.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">St-Theodore-d'Acton Mayor Dany Lariviere, who also runs a transport company, told La Voix de l'Est newspaper "It's a gift. She'd been asking me for a big 'rock' for years. I found her one."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Reached briefly by Postmedia News Monday, Lariviere said he was meeting with police to further discuss the case.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">He told the newspaper police had intercepted him previously on the way to depositing the massive boulder but he was allowed to proceed after the paperwork he showed them seemed to be in order. Police say the matter is in the hands of the Crown prosecutor. Lariviere says the rock is hers now: "It's a gift."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Pictures of the rock on the newspaper's website showed a large purple ribbon on the boulder with "Happy Birthday Isa(belle)" inscribed on one side and "This is for all you're doing to me."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The latter, according to La Voix, is apparently a reference to the heavy legal costs he has incurred since his divorce to Isabelle Prevost.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><b><span style="font-size: 14px;">Tea Party site price music to band's ears</span></b><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br />Tue Sep 20 2011<br /><br />Postmedia News<br /><br />Even someone with little interest in U.S. politics is aware of the name Tea Party, it occasionally even creeps into the Canadian political discourse as a number of provinces gear up for the polls.<br /><br />But web surfers finding their way to the Teaparty. com website may be in for a surprise, it explicitly says: "No politics, just rock and roll."<br /><br />That's because the site is home to a Canadian rock band that developed a musical style mixing Middle Eastern and other influences dubbed Moroccan roll.<br /><br />While the name has caused some frustration to the band, more in tune with the hash sessions of famous Beat generation poets that inspired the name than right-wing politics, the website could fetch them a princely sum by some accounts.<br /><br />"Last cycle, Barack Obama raised $500 million online," Warren Adelman, president of GoDaddy.com, told Bloomberg News. "If you look at the money being talked about this time around - campaigns raising $1 billion - it's easy to expect teaparty.com to go for well over $1 million."<br /><br />And that could be just what the band has in mind, with bassist Stuart Chatwood telling Bloomberg the name has been the source of much frustration.<br /><br />"So much damage has been done to our name by the political movement that we're considering selling," he said.<br /><br />One needn't look very far on the band's official Facebook page to spot fans venting their frustration about the what they're most likely to find by googling "Tea Party."<br /><br />"Wow! I just found out you guys are back together," Debbie Reed said about a recent reunion tour. "Now I can say 'The Tea Party' without thinking about morons in politics!!! You guys rock!"<br /><br />Selling the site, with the name hotter than ever after the mid-term election breakthrough and Republicans gearing up for the 2012 presidential vote could seem more appealing than ever.<br /><br />According to Bloomberg, the offers for the site started pouring in last year, when Tea Party activists made their great stage entry in Congress.<br /><br />Despite all the tales of dot-com riches, a $1-million sale isn't that common, the news service notes, since only a few have sold in the seven figures or more, including sex.com ($13 million) and vodka.com ($3 million).<br /><br />This is leaving the band breaking its head about whether to sell, develop the site, or find partners. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ex soldier continues hunger strike despite collapsing briefly</span></h1>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="name" style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-weight: bold; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">POSTMEDIA NEWS</span> <span class="timestamp" style="color: #999999; font-family: arial; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">NOVEMBER 7, 2011</span><span class="comments" id="lblComment"></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #464646; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">A former soldier on a hunger strike in Quebec since Saturday collapsed from a temporary drop in blood pressure Monday, but Pascal Lacoste said he was continuing his protest in the name of ailing war veterans.</span></div>
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The 38 year old — who is protesting outside the Levis, Que., riding office of Veterans Affairs Minister Steven Blaney — claims he was poisoned by depleted uranium while serving in Bosnia in the 1990s.</div>
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He has vowed to stop eating until the government accepted his requests for decontamination treatments.</div>
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Blaney — who met with Lacoste Sunday — offered to provide some assistance to the veteran, but says it is unlikely that Canadian soldiers were contaminated by depleted uranium in Bosnia.</div>
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In an interview Monday afternoon Lacoste said the medical assistance offered by Veterans Affairs would only apply to him, and called for the ministry to recognize soldiers could have been contaminated.</div>
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"I told them in the army there's no 'I', but rather 'us'," he said from outside Blaney's office. "We have asked that (the minister) offer us a written solution . . . for (all) Canadian veterans, not for Pascal Lacoste."</div>
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Jean-Christophe de le Rue, spokesman for Blaney, said specialists had contacted the veteran "to offer treatment to help respond to his personal and immediate needs.</div>
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"Every veteran has unique needs and appropriate treatment is available for those needs, whatever they may be," he added. "The minister implores the veteran not to endanger his health and to accept the treatments which have been offered to respond to his short- and medium-term needs."</div>
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Lacoste, who at the protest site is surrounded by supporters including other veterans, said he has suffered from a degenerative neurological condition, infertility and chronic pain for over a decade.</div>
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He said an ambulance was called at the time of the incident but he chose to stay, calling the presence of supporters invigorating. He said the suffering of other veterans is much greater than his own.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">No "clear evidence" of foul play in Gatti's death, Que. coroner says</span></h1>
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<a href="http://www.canada.com/health/clear+evidence+foul+play+Gatti+death+coroner+says/5683090/story.html" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #4e5989; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; width: auto;"><img alt="Former world champion boxer Arturo Gatti." border="0" class="thumbnail" id="storyphoto" src="http://www.canada.com/health/clear+evidence+foul+play+Gatti+death+coroner+says/5683090/5236887.bin" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 460px;" title="Former world champion boxer Arturo Gatti." /></a></div>
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Former world champion boxer Arturo Gatti.</h1>
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<b>Photograph by: </b>REUTERS, Jeff Christensen</h2>
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A Quebec coroner's report into the 2009 death of champion boxer Arturo Gatti concludes he died a "violent death" but "clear evidence" of foul play could not be found.</div>
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Gatti, a welterweight world champion, was found dead in a Brazilian vacation home on July 11, 2009.</div>
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The death was ruled a suicide by local authorities, and coroner Jean Brochu said that while he had concerns about the "standards" of the Brazilian investigation he was not able to dismiss these conclusions. "All the pathologists and the investigators agree that Mr. Gatti's death occurred from asphyxia by neck constriction," he wrote. "I also agree with this conclusion of violent death.</div>
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"The conclusion of the Montreal pathologists to the effect that there is no clear evidence of foul play in Mr. Gatti's death means I cannot dismiss the formal conclusions reached by the authorities of the country where it occurred."</div>
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Brochu adds an American investigator's conclusion the death may have been the result of murder "has obvious shortcomings."</div>
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The circumstances of Gatti's death have taken a central role in the distribution of the late boxer's estate, which is the subject of a major court battle between his wife and members of his family.</div>
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Gatti's will left everything to his wife, Amanda Rodrigues.</div>
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Gatti's family claims Rodrigues, whom Gatti met in 2006 and married the following year, pressured her husband into signing a will weeks before his death in Brazil in July 2009.</div>
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Thus an earlier will, leaving everything to his mother, Ida, and Sofia, his daughter from a previous relationship, should take precedence. No one has a signed copy of the earlier will.</div>
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Montrealer 'there for everyone'</h1>
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Succumbs to injuries from shooting at roadblock in Egypt</h2>
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A teacher from Montreal who was caught in a deadly crossfire between two tribes in Egypt was remembered as an adventurous world-traveller who was determined to stay in the region until he toured all of Africa.</div>
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Jean-François Pelland was the vice-principal at the British Columbia Canadian International School in Cairo. To his students, he was simply known as "Mr. Jeff."</div>
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"I still can't believe it. I was talking to him just days ago, now he's no longer here," said Magaly Brodeur, a close friend. "This is an incredible ordeal we have to overcome. Life is so unfair. I am so terribly sad."</div>
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According to a statement from the school, Pelland was travelling to a temple 90 kilometres outside Luxor, in central Egypt during the religious holiday of Eid when his taxi attempted to go through an illegal roadblock placed by one of the two opposing tribes. Shots were fired, and he was hit twice in the abdomen and was later transported to International Hospital of Luxor where he succumbed to his injuries on Friday, just days after an operation to repair his intestinal tract.</div>
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"He was athletic, adventuresome and excited about being in Egypt and getting to know his new country," read the school's statement.</div>
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"His love for children, his enthusiasm, his energy and his willingness to do what needed to be done to ensure that every student could be successful was just part of what the students and teachers enjoyed and will miss.</div>
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"Mr. Jeff was there for everyone."</div>
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Pelland spent time with the Canadian Forces Reserves and worked in Canada, the United States, the Caribbean and Asia. He began teaching at BCCIS in August.</div>
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"I travelled to more than 35 countries in the world, and I am not going to leave Egypt until I finish touring Africa! I might be here for a while," Pelland wrote on the school's website.</div>
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An RCMP officer has apologized for her actions in a 2010 shoplifting incident in Vancouver.</h1>
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OTTAWA — A 20-year veteran of the RCMP apologized Thursday and provided some emotional testimony at her disciplinary hearing, which was sparked by her off-duty arrest for shoplifting during the Vancouver Olympic Games.</div>
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"I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere apology for my behaviour and misconduct," Staff-Sgt. Suzanne Denise Marie Martel said. "I take full responsibility for my action."</div>
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Martel was charged with one count of theft under $5,000 in February 2010, was subsequently relieved of her duties at the Games and sent back to her Ottawa-area detachment. The criminal charge has since been stayed, but she still faces a disgraceful conduct charge under the RCMP Act.</div>
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Martel, who broke down on several occasions during her testimony, said she never intended to embarrass the Mounties and painted a picture of her frail state of mind and health in the days and weeks leading to the Feb. 11, 2010 incident, which happened at a Winners store.</div>
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The days leading to the incidents were harrowing both at work and away from her 12-hour shifts, she said, listing a series of troubles from dealing with a cold which struck her upon her arrival in Vancouver, to her lack of sleep over several days. Family problems back home also made her experience difficulty, she said, but she insisted she "gave 100 per cent to her work" under the circumstances.</div>
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Her Olympic assignment began in late January 2010, and Martel said she first became stressed when she learned she was not sure where she was going to sleep.</div>
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After finally being assigned to a hotel for the first few days, Martel was told she would have to move to a cruise ship in Vancouver Harbour — an experience made difficult by her fear of water and constricted spaces, she said.</div>
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Tight living quarters shared with a colleague who worked opposite shifts, regular switches from night to day shifts every week and noise from parties on the ship made for a harrowing ordeal, she recalled.</div>
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In addition, technical difficulties during her work shifts and allegations of harassment by a member of the force, which up until the hearing had been unreported, left her feeling as if she was about to "hit rock bottom," a place she said she eventually reached.</div>
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On the day of the store incident, she recalled a dark state of mind before she made it to the Winners outlet. At one point she came across a highway where she asked herself "what had happened and whether I was dead," she recalled, briefly considering throwing herself in front of some of the vehicles zipping past. "I wanted to walk until I collapsed, and lie there until somebody picked me up," she said.</div>
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Once at Winners she said she felt numb and outside her body: "I could not feel reality around me," she said.</div>
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During cross-examination she said she could recall little of her time in the store, and that most of the recollection she had was from store video played at her lawyer's office subsequently.</div>
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"In my state of mind I could not think ahead or consider the consequence of my acts," she said. Only following her transfer from the police station to the RCMP in British Columbia did she feel "the humiliation" of the incident, she recalled.</div>
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A psychologist she consulted in Ottawa after the incident concluded she had suffered from "a major depression with anxiety problems."</div>
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When cross-examined by Helene DesGranges as to why she had not sought help during her time in Vancouver, she said she had lodged noise complaints to security and a complaint department on the ship which had gone unanswered and reached out to a colleague who had not responded to what she considered "a plea for help."</div>
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But she repeatedly suggested that judging by the experience of people she knew, lodging formal complaints at the RCMP could just land her in more trouble.</div>
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"I have never complained about harassment though I have suffered from it in the past," she said. "When we make a harassment complaint we become the problem," she said in response to queries why she had never before brought up the harassment she said she felt from a member of the force on the ship.</div>
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The Vancouver assignment followed a period working with a partner with whom she had many difficulties, she said. Making matters difficult was that her superior was good friends with the work partner, she said, leaving her few opportunities to talk about her stressful environment.</div>
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"If I had a problem with my partner, I had no one to turn to," she said.</div>
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When asked why she had not sought assistance dealing with work-related issues before leaving for Vancouver, she said it would only have meant raising the matter internally.</div>
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"You then become the problem and suffer from the process," she said, adding her only recourse would have been to seek assistance outside the RCMP.</div>
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When her colleagues, some of whom testified Thursday, heard the news about the arrest they wrongly thought it must have been another woman with the same name.</div>
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Her coworkers described her as a kind-hearted officer with a good work ethic.</div>
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The hearing continues Friday.</div>
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<a href="http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Quebec+gamers+praised+saving+life+Belgium/5750674/story.html" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; border-width: initial; color: #7b7b7b; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: none; width: auto;"><img alt="Two youngsters in Quebec are being credited for possibly saving the life of a Belgian teen they met while playing online video games. They spotted references to suicide on the teen's Facebook page, and informed police in Canada, who contacted police in Belgium." border="0" class="thumbnail" id="storyphoto" src="http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Quebec+gamers+praised+saving+life+Belgium/5750674/5414765.bin" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; border-width: initial; width: 460px;" title="Two youngsters in Quebec are being credited for possibly saving the life of a Belgian teen they met while playing online video games. They spotted references to suicide on the teen's Facebook page, and informed police in Canada, who contacted police in Belgium." /></a></div>
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Two youngsters in Quebec are being credited for possibly saving the life of a Belgian teen they met while playing online video games. They spotted references to suicide on the teen's Facebook page, and informed police in Canada, who contacted police in Belgium.</h1>
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<b>Photograph by: </b>xx, xx</h2>
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Quebec police near Montreal are praising the initiative of area youngsters they thank for ultimately saving a man's life in Europe.</div>
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Chateauguay police, south of Montreal, said on Sunday night, two Quebec youngsters were playing an online game with a teen living in Belgium, when they came across some disturbing information about their 17-year-old playmate.</div>
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Consulting his Facebook site, the Quebecers discovered what police describe as "talk of suicide."</div>
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The Beauharnois, Que., youngsters, aged 14 and 15 called one of their mothers, who contacted local police. Provincial police and authorities in Belgium were soon notified, helping locate the teen in his home country, according to a police statement.</div>
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Health professionals have since contacted the teen, police say, providing the assistance he needs.</div>
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"A life has been saved thanks to the vigilance of the two Quebec adolescents and joint police work," says a release from the Chateauguay police force.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Three youths arrested after 12-year-old doused with gasoline</span></h1>
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Three Quebec youths were arrested this weekend and have a date with youth court in Quebec after they doused a 12-year-old with gasoline and threatened to light her on fire, Saguenay police said Sunday.</div>
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A dispute at a gathering Friday between people who knew each other degenerated and led to the incident, according to Saguenay police Lt. Andre Gagne.</div>
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Gagne said that after a 12-year-old girl left the home around 8 p.m. Friday evening following a dispute, three youths, ages 12, 13 and 14, prevented her from returning by emptying a can of gasoline on her following a further altercation.</div>
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Gagne said one of the three then brandished a lighter, adding it was hard to determine how much gasoline was involved and whether the person truly tried to set her on fire.</div>
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“An act was committed (with the lighter),” he said. “But it’s hard to say whether the lighter was activated or not.”</div>
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The girl then fled the party and reported the incident to her parents, who contacted police, Gagne said. The three were briefly arrested and released on a promise to appear.</div>
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The three have been referred to youth services while investigators and prosecutors review the incident, Gagne added.</div>
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The youths are scheduled to appear in youth court on Feb. 16, 2012.</div>
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Saguenay is approximately 200 kilometres north of Quebec City.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Daniel Paille elected Bloc Quebecois leader</span></h1>
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MONTREAL - Former Parti Quebecois cabinet minister Daniel Paille has been elected the new leader of the Bloc Quebecois.</div>
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``We have work to do,'' he said in his victory speech. ``But that work is exceptional. Imagine, we have a unique chance, as a people, to build our country. I believe this.''</div>
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Paille was declared the winner on the second ballot with 61.28 per cent of the vote. Current Bloc Quebecois MPs Maria Mourani and Jean-Francois Fortin placed second and third, respectively.</div>
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``On May 2 Quebecers voted for change and they obtained a lot of it, but never did they vote to set the Quebec nation back. Never,'' Paille said.</div>
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The Bloc saw its number of House of Commons seats collapse to four in the May federal election.</div>
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Paille said the BQ would convince Quebec's federalists that ``to go forward'' sovereignty has to happen, adding the Bloc would ``convince them with respect, with vigour, with vision and passion.''</div>
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He said it wasn't possible to bring Quebec's interests forward without talking about sovereignty.</div>
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Paille said Ottawa's stance on the long-gun registry and the environment showed how far apart the province's values were from the federal government's.</div>
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He criticized the federal government's stance in South Africa, saying it brought the country ``shame''.</div>
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In a news conference held after the speech, Paille said he was elected because ``people voted for someone who can help them now, rebuild the party, speak to Mr. Harper . . . and do it right away.''</div>
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Montreal Gazette and Postmedia News</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Make sure your passport in `perfect' shape going to Mexico</span></h1>
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<a href="http://www.canada.com/news/Make+sure+your+passport+perfect+shape+going+Mexico+WestJet/5906126/story.html" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #4e5989; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; width: auto;"><img alt="With more and more sun seekers opting for jungle tours and Mayan cultural attractions, there's always a few open chairs along Mexico's Riviera Maya. WestJet is warning Canadians travelling to Mexico they should make sure their passports are in ``perfect condition'' before visiting the popular winter destination." border="0" class="thumbnail" id="storyphoto" src="http://www.canada.com/news/Make+sure+your+passport+perfect+shape+going+Mexico+WestJet/5906126/5906672.bin" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 460px;" title="With more and more sun seekers opting for jungle tours and Mayan cultural attractions, there's always a few open chairs along Mexico's Riviera Maya. WestJet is warning Canadians travelling to Mexico they should make sure their passports are in ``perfect condition'' before visiting the popular winter destination." /></a></div>
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With more and more sun seekers opting for jungle tours and Mayan cultural attractions, there's always a few open chairs along Mexico's Riviera Maya. WestJet is warning Canadians travelling to Mexico they should make sure their passports are in ``perfect condition'' before visiting the popular winter destination.</h1>
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<b>Photograph by: </b>Mexico Tourism Board, Postmedia News</h2>
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WestJet is warning Canadians travelling to Mexico they should make sure their passports are in "perfect condition" before visiting the popular winter destination.</div>
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"Mexican customs and immigration officials may deny entry to guests who arrive with passports that are damaged in some way — including rips or tears, missing corners or water damage to the cover and inside pages," the airline said in a recent travel advisory to Canadians heading south.</div>
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Passport Canada noted on its website individuals with damaged passports could face delays at checkpoints or be prohibited from boarding. It stressed authority lies with the border service of the country in question.</div>
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"Passport Canada recommends that Canadians whose passport has been damaged apply as soon as possible for a new passport, as the Canadian passport is the only reliable and universally accepted travel and identification document for Canadians."</div>
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Mexican officials, however, said there has been "no change in the policy of Mexican customs and immigration officials regarding passports."</div>
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"Passports must be in a generally good condition, normal use is no problem," said Milko Rivera Hope, from the Embassy of Mexico in Canada, in an email to Postmedia News.</div>
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"However, any alterations or major damage to the passport will definitely be a problem for any passenger who wants to travel anywhere in the world. Not only to Mexico."<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, verdana, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><span><br /></span></span></div>
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CNS EASThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17450023054243911470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829197718575546351.post-4855415165201169602014-11-26T16:36:00.002-08:002014-11-26T16:39:19.099-08:00CNS 2010<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Police, officials honour slain Ottawa officer</span></h2>
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<strong style="display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Canwest News Service </strong><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Published: Thursday, January 07, 2010</span></div>
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<img alt="Thousands of police officers from across Canada and the U.S. take part in the funeral procession for the first Ottawa police officer to be killed in the line of duty since 1983" src="http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/www.nationalpost.com/news/2416610.bin?size=404x272" id="storyphoto" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><span class="right" style="color: #888888; float: right; font-size: 0.91em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: right;">Bruno Schlumberger/ The Ottawa Citizen</span><span class="ieclear" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.16em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Thousands of police officers from across Canada and the U.S. take part in the funeral procession for the first Ottawa police officer to be killed in the line of duty since 1983</span></div>
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OTTAWA -- Family members, public officials and fellow officers eulogized on Thursday fallen Ottawa police Const. Ireneusz "Eric" Czapnik as a hero whose passing in the line of duty last week caused people to pause all across the country.</div>
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"I stand before you today so extremely proud and so very humbled, heartbroken and amazed at the sheer magnitude of outpouring my family has received from the entire world," said Const. Czapnik's stepson, Luckasz Galaska. He praised Const. Czapnik for doing "the work of the unselfish, he devoted himself to others and had walked the ever so narrow path of righteousness regardless of how hard at times it may have been. That's what made him a hero."</div>
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"This is the kind of man I want to be."</div>
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"You raised the bar for us," Mr. Galaska said in conclusion, drawing applause and a standing ovation from some in attendance.</div>
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"We will always remember Eric, we'll think of him when we see police officers racing to a dangerous scene, we'll think of him when we hear about police putting their safety on the line to keep us safe," said Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty earlier, as the funeral service for Const. Czapnik -- who was stabbed to death while on duty on Dec. 29 -- got underway.</div>
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"We will remember our hero."</div>
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He offered his condolences to members of the officer's family, sitting in the audience.</div>
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"When he was away from your family he was protecting our family," the premier said. "On behalf of millions I am here to show you we are thinking of your and praying for you, I'm here to tell you how deeply sorry we are for your loss.</div>
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Speaking after McGuinty, Ottawa Police Chief Vern White said: "Eric knew he stood on the right side of the law."</div>
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At a time when most people are entering the sunset of their careers, Const. Czapnik -- who was 48 when he joined the force three years ago -- was beginning his, Chief White said.</div>
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He was the oldest recruit ever for the Ottawa police, Chief White said, and was accepted at that age because he wanted to do the job so badly.</div>
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Chief White read from a letter from two children, Sophie and Grace, addressed to Const. Czapnik's children: "Your daddy will always be a hero."</div>
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Const. Czapnik saw the best and worst of society in his job, White said.</div>
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"Thank you for watching over your community, our community."</div>
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Chief White noted Const. Czapnik was known as "Pickles" because of his favourite food.</div>
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Const. Troy Froates, Const. Czapnik's friend, said the nickname could be heard even over the police radio, "Pickles, are you there" the dispatcher would say, he said.</div>
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"You could count on Pickles to be your side, always," Const. Froates said.</div>
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"Eric has served us faithfully and well and has touched many lives. We are all deeply saddened by his death," said Insp. John Copeland of Ottawa Police Service, who provided the official welcome.</div>
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Before the service began an orchestra played to a packed arena, while a large screen installed over the main stage showed Const. Czapnik's image.</div>
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His flag-draped casket was carried from the hearse to the main stage by fellow officers along a red carpet to the beat of drums in the otherwise silent arena.</div>
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Earlier people lined the streets of the capital as thousands of police officers from across Canada and the U.S. took part in the funeral procession for the first Ottawa police officer to be killed in the line of duty since 1983.</div>
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Officers marched to the sound of a single drum beating.</div>
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The procession was otherwise quiet and solemn as it made its way from Carleton University to Lansdowne Park.</div>
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Const. Czapnik was stabbed to death as he completed paperwork in his cruiser outside an Ottawa hospital.</div>
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Const. Czapnik's widow, Anna, his four children and extended family who have flown in from Poland were to attend the service.</div>
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A trust fund has been set up for Const. Czapnik's children. Donations can be made at all Scotiabank branches to account No. 400060117811, in trust.</div>
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The Const. Czapnik family has requested donations to the Ontario Police Memorial Foundation (OPMF No. 868 395575 RR0001) in lieu of flowers.</div>
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Kevin Gregson, a suspended RCMP constable, has been accused of first-degree murder in connection with Czapnik's death.</div>
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Afterwards, a private interment for Const. Czapnik was to be held at Ottawa's Beechwood Cemetery.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Quebec lottery agency strikes tentative deal with addicted gamblers</span></h1>
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<span class="name" style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">BY PHIL COUVRETTE , CANWEST NEWS SERVICE</span> <span class="timestamp" style="color: #999999; font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">JANUARY 7, 2010</span><span class="comments" id="lblComment"></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Quebec+lottery+agency+strikes+tentative+deal+with+addicted+gamblers/2417821/story.html" style="color: #7b7b7b; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: underline; width: auto;"><img alt="Loto-Quebec confirmed Thursday it reached a tentative multimillion-dollar settlement in a lawsuit involving thousands of compulsive gamblers." border="0" class="thumbnail" src="http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Quebec+lottery+agency+strikes+tentative+deal+with+addicted+gamblers/2417821/2417563.bin" id="storyphoto" style="width: 460px;" /></a></div>
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Loto-Quebec confirmed Thursday it reached a tentative multimillion-dollar settlement in a lawsuit involving thousands of compulsive gamblers.</h1>
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<b>Photograph by: </b>Nick Brancaccio, Windsor Star</h2>
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Groups that monitor the gambling industry were divided Thursday after Loto-Quebec confirmed it reached a tentative multimillion-dollar settlement in a lawsuit involving thousands of compulsive gamblers.</div>
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With cases pending in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Ontario, the settlement has ramifications well beyond Quebec, said Sol Boxenbaum, a consumer advocate.</div>
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“The eyes of the world are on us and this is a very significant case,” he said.</div>
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Jean-Pierre Roy of Loto-Quebec said Thursday details about the Quebec agreement were limited as the settlement process is ongoing. He said a notice on the tentative out-of-court settlement would be published in Quebec newspapers on Jan. 16 with a hearing in Quebec City scheduled in March to determine whether the deal is accepted.</div>
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A group of pathological gamblers filed a class-action lawsuit in 2001 against the provincial lottery agency seeking compensation for addicts, estimated by the plaintiffs to number 119,000 in the province.</div>
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A lawyer and recovering gambler, Jean Brochu, filed the legal action claiming video lottery terminals (VLTs) are tied to pathological gambling. He also blamed the government agency for playing down the dangers of VLTs.</div>
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When the hearing began in 2008 a lawyer for Loto-Quebec said in his opening statement that no scientific study has proven that VLTs can cause addiction and added that the government is doing a lot to help problem gamblers deal with their addictions.</div>
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The plaintiffs want their addiction treatments and other fees reimbursed, for an average amount of $5,000, which would put the claim in the area of $700 million if every claim were accepted. But by some accounts the deal could be worth much less, and closer to $50 million.</div>
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Roy said Loto-Quebec could not provide any amount of a possible deal in part because it did not know how many people would come forward with a claim.</div>
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“We can’t indicate a definitive dollar amount because it’s up to people who have undergone therapy from 1994 to 2002 to claim a reimbursement of therapy fees,” a claim he said had to be filed with supporting document. “But we’re talking about millions of dollars.”</div>
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Reaction to the news of a settlement divided observers.</div>
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“I think it’s a good idea to come to a settlement with that group. It’s terrific news,” said Monique Cantin of Gambling Health and Referral.</div>
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But Cantin added she wasn’t entirely surprised by the news.</div>
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“Since 2001 Quebec’s Health Ministry has been paying for the treatment for people suffering from compulsive gambling,” she said.</div>
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Boxenbaum said an out-of-court settlement was to be expected, but called for claimants to reject the settlement.</div>
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“This settlement is completely unreasonable — it just gave everything to Loto-Quebec and $2,750,000 to the law firm,” while the gamblers, he insisted, would get little.</div>
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“Each case will be decided on its individual merits by the government, not by an independent agency ... and it will only cover people who have received treatment up until 2002 and providing they have the receipts,” he said. “In other words, very few people will benefit from this.”</div>
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As part of the settlement, there was an agreement with Loto-Quebec that the VLT machines did not cause the addiction, he said, but added this was contrary to studies that claimed otherwise.</div>
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<strong>Charest 'shocked' at hit on Quebec junior player</strong><br />
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Jan. 19, 2010<br />
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QUEBEC — As Quebec Remparts defenceman Mikael Tam returned home Tuesday after a violent hit that sent him to hospital over the weekend, Quebec's premier said he was "shocked" by the incident, stressing violence had no place in hockey.</div>
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Team spokeswoman Nicole Bouchard said Tam suffered from a severe head trauma and had a few broken teeth, but was otherwise deemed fit to leave hospital. It was too early, she said, to have an idea on possible long-term effects of the injury that caused Tam to convulse at centre ice before being taken off on a stretcher during the game Sunday.</div>
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The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League suspended Rouyn-Noranda Huskies forward Patrice Cormier indefinitely for the incident, in which Cormier drove his elbow into Tam's head.</div>
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Bouchard couldn't say how long Tam, who was released from hospital Monday, would remain away from the ice and said it was up to the family to determine was course of action to take.</div>
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"An investigation has been launched but an official complaint has yet to be filed," she said. "The player is going to spend some time with his family, they're going to consider this together and will then decide how to proceed."</div>
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TSN's website reported that Remparts head coach Patrick Roy filed a complaint with Quebec provincial police following the game, but Bouchard said this had yet to be done formally.</div>
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Raymond Bolduc, the league's disciplinary prefect, announced in a statement Monday that the official length of the suspension will be determined once the disciplinary process is complete.</div>
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Quebec Premier Jean Charest said Tuesday he was "shocked" by the images of the incident.</div>
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"Frankly I found it distressing to see a young man like that suffering unnecessarily because someone decided that's how hockey is played," Charest told reporters in Quebec City.</div>
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He added that violence has no place in hockey and that this message will obviously have to be repeated.</div>
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Cormier, Canada's captain at the recent IIHF world junior championship, came off the bench during overtime of Sunday's game, skated hard to centre ice and caught an unsuspecting Tam with an elbow.</div>
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Cormier, a native of Cap-Pele, N.B., has scored 11 goals and 20 assists in 31 QMJHL games this season. He played just three games with the Huskies since he was acquired from the Rimouski Oceanic in a trade on Jan. 7.</div>
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The 19-year-old centreman was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the second round, 54th overall, in the 2008 National Hockey League entry draft.</div>
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Tam, an 18-year-old defenceman from Quebec City, is in his third season with the Remparts. He has scored 10 goals and 12 assists in 47 games this season.</div>
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<strong>Fans across Canada, overseas turn out to party after hockey victory</strong><br />
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March 1, 2010<br />
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Team Canada’s dramatic overtime win in the gold medal game sent hockey fans from coast to coast pouring into the streets in full party mode Sunday.</div>
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From Vancouver party-central to Cole Harbour, N.S. — the hometown of overtime hero Sidney Crosby — and even in Afghanistan, people dressed in red and white celebrated Canada’s 14th gold medal win. And then they took the celebration outside.</div>
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Streets erupted in jubilation at ground zero of the celebration where spectators had put their cheers on hold after an 11th-hour U.S. goal sent to the game to overtime.</div>
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Out in the streets of Vancouver, fans waved flags and honked their horns as crowds celebrated the nail-biting gold-medal finish to the Olympic Games.</div>
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Chants of “Go Canada Go!” filled the air, followed by several boisterous rounds of O Canada.</div>
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Jamie Vaughn, from the nearby city of Chilliwack, was in Vancouver to celebrate Canada’s win.</div>
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“It’s all love for the Canadian hockey players,” the 26-year-old said.</div>
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“Like a big family,” added his sister Ashley, 24.</div>
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Crowds were growing so big TransLink, the city’s transit company, suspended bus service into and out of the downtown core. But Vancouver police said Sunday evening there were no immediate reports of “incidents” related to the celebration.</div>
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In Afghanistan, Canadian troops stayed up late overnight to watch Canada take on the U.S.</div>
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“It was amazing” said one man at the rowdy celebrations in Kandahar.</div>
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“I’m happy to be here to watch the game here with everybody around here. It brings us closer to home, makes you feel the natural pride that we have in Canada to be here,” said another wearing a Canada toque and waving a small flag.</div>
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In London, England, fans gathered at the popular Maple Leaf watering hole to celebrate and sing O Canada.</div>
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In downtown Ottawa, bar patrons spilled out onto the streets, chanting “Can-a-da!” and “Sid the Kid!”</div>
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Moments earlier, when Crosby potted the gold-medal-winning goal, a crowd of 200 Team Canada supporters jumped into the air as one and began to dance and in some cases, cry in disbelief and approval.</div>
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“Jumping in joy!” said Eric Dagenais, 41, of Ottawa, who said he high-fived his father while watching at home before rushing over to the bar to join the bedlam.</div>
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The crowd burst into an impromptu version of O Canada both inside and outside, where a tent covered the overflow crowd, but was no match for the screams and euphoric shouting that followed the goal.</div>
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“I stood up and cheered,” said Matt Humphreys, 28, of Kemptville, Ont. “It was unreal.”</div>
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While a spontaneous celebration took place around Parliament Hill’s centennial flame, horns honked in a cacophonic stream of joy south of the hill, as vehicles, adorned with Canadian flags inched through the clogged thoroughfare.</div>
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Traffic came to a near standstill in both directions along Montreal’s always busy Ste. Catherine street, but drivers didn’t seem to mind as they waved at the throngs gathered on the sidewalks and excitedly honked their horns.</div>
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According to Montreal police Const. Daniel Lacoursiere, several officers were stationed on every corner to help keep the celebrations in check.</div>
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“There are a lot of people downtown, but there’s been no loss of control,” Lacoursiere said shortly after 8 p.m. “Everyone seems to be in a festive mood.”</div>
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And they definitely were — dancing, brandishing flags and chanting “Crosby” and “Canada” until their throats were nearly raw.</div>
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“This is exactly what we had hoped for,” reveller Doug Allen said as he waved at a passing car draped in a giant Maple Leaf.</div>
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Victoria fans equally flooded the streets, blocking a lane of traffic on Douglas Street, which was OK with most of the motorists as they were celebrating just the same, waving the Canadian flag and honking their horns.</div>
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Police officers had huge smiles on their faces and looked like they were enjoying the moment as much as the revellers.</div>
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“It’s so amazing,” said Melanie Langdon-Wilkins, 28, sitting outside Element nightclub, where she watched the game. “I’m not even a hockey fan and I’m over the moon right now.”</div>
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On the MV Coho, a ferry plying the waters between Victoria and Port Angeles, Wash., Canadian and American passengers huddled near a crackly radio, groaning and cheering respectively when Zach Parise of Team USA scored with 24 seconds left in regulation time.</div>
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A group of musicians travelling back to Victoria from the Wintergrass bluegrass festival in Bellevue, Wash., played a solemn version of O Canada on banjo, mandolin and guitar after the tying goal.</div>
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Then a loud cheer rang out when Canada scored the overtime goal and the ship’s captain announced the final result.</div>
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“I’m totally elated,” said Marlene Bertrand of Victoria. “And relieved — it was a nail-biter.”</div>
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In Toronto, seven-year-old Connor Yigit joined crowds of fans celebrating on Yonge street.</div>
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“We are having a great time with lots of people on Yonge street,” he said. “It’s really fun and I like yelling ‘Canada!’”</div>
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Thousands of elated fans swarmed Yonge Street to celebrate Canada’s hockey victory, painting the street red with flags and jerseys.</div>
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Packed shoulder to shoulder in Dundas Square, ecstatic revellers waved Canadian flags, using hockey sticks as flagpoles, and joined in rousing choruses of “O Canada.”</div>
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“There are people from storefront to storefront,” said Alex Hunnings, a 24-year-old partygoer who brought her seven-year-old niece Nicola and five-year-old nephew Noah to watch the festivities. “It was really cute because people were going out of their way to high-five the kids. Everyone has their jersey on, everyone’s cheering.”</div>
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As crowds shouted “Crosby, Crosby!” Hunnings said police officers were feeling just as jovial as the hockey fans and an officer gave her nephew a Canadian flag to wave.</div>
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“A lot of no pants is happening, a significant amount,” she said of male partygoers lining the streets.</div>
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In Dundas Square, people were setting off celebratory fireworks from beer bottles, but the scene was good-natured and not belligerent.</div>
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Honking drivers also clogged Regina’s downtown after the momentous win.</div>
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“The atmosphere is just crazy,” said Jeremy Thomas from the nearby community of Milestone. “Great people, fun people and everybody’s having a phenomenal time just watching Canada win gold.”</div>
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Police in Windsor, Ont., intervened when Eric Courteaux climbed on top of a transit bus to wave his Canadian flag.</div>
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“I can’t describe this, I don’t think I’ve ever been so proud of my country,” Courteaux said as the party continued on Windsor’s streets.</div>
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Fans in Winnipeg celebrated with a street hockey game after the game ended.</div>
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“I was scared. I’m not going to lie,” said Peter Girden, who took a break from the pick-up hockey game in front of Canwest Place. “I was nervous, though. I think a lot of us were.”</div>
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Fans in Edmonton crowded the downtown streets after the game, waving flags from their cars and honking their horns at pedestrians. Amid the celebrations, two revellers were hit by a passing vehicle when they walked onto the street shortly after Canada’s victory. Officials did not immediately know the extent of their injuries.</div>
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But a raven in Westlock, Alta., north of Edmonton, didn’t seem to understand there was an important hockey game happening Sunday and spoiled the fun for hundreds of anxious fans.</div>
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About 600 customers in the town of 5,000 were without power for most of the Olympic gold medal game between Canada and the U.S. after the bird got caught up in a power substation, said Fortis Alberta spokeswoman Jennifer MacGowan. The bird caused a power breaker to malfunction at about 1:30 p.m., partway through the game’s first period, MacGowan said.</div>
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With files from Mark Brennae and David Akin, Canwest News Service, Montreal Gazette, Victoria Times Colonist, National Post, Regina Leader-Post, Windsor Star, Vancouver Sun, Edmonton Journal, Winnipeg Free Press and Global National</div>
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<b>Rural community shocked by OPP officer's death</b></div>
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Mar 9, 2010</div>
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LEADBURY, Ont. — The Ontario Provincial Police are mourning the loss of one of their own after the calm in this rural community was shattered by a shootout that killed Const. Vu Pham, a 15-year veteran of the force and father of three.</div>
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"I am deeply saddened by the loss of this young brave officer who was committed to protecting the citizens of Ontario," OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino said Monday afternoon after learning Pham succumbed to his injuries at the London Health Sciences Centre, where he was being treated.</div>
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The province is reeling from the second death of a policeman in the line of duty in a week.</div>
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"It impacts society overall when those who are entrusted with the duty to protect and safeguard are killed in the line of duty," Fantino said. "It diminishes our society gravely.</div>
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"But on the other hand, it also highlights the significance of these very fine men and women who put themselves at grave risk and (in) harm's way — very often for strangers — to simply do their duty and their jobs, and Const. Pham is just one of these heroes."</div>
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Fantino noted that Tuesday he and other police officers were gathering to honour a Peel police officer killed while on duty last week.</div>
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Const. Artem "James" Ochakovsky died from injuries sustained in a vehicle collision March 1. He is to be buried today.</div>
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"There's trauma and the sense of loss is felt in every police detachment throughout this province," he said. "This is a tragedy. We're just trying to hold it together and do what we have to do to see this difficult time through."</div>
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Pham, 37, was shot after he pulled over a vehicle and confronted an armed suspect at 10:18 a.m. Monday on North Line, a rural road in Leadbury, Ont., about 90 kilometres north of London. The officer was "immediately incapacitated," Fantino told reporters at a media conference earlier in the day.</div>
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He would not reveal the nature of the call that Pham was responding to, nor the reason he pulled the suspect's vehicle over.</div>
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"There was nothing fancy about it. He was just doing his job," said Fantino, who flew to London to be at Pham's bedside.</div>
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Reports suggested Pham was shot in the head or neck, and that there was an exchange of up to 25 shots. He was airlifted by helicopter to London Health Sciences Centre, but doctors were unable to save the officer's life. No other officers were injured.</div>
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Fantino said the suspect in the shooting is a 70-year-old man who was later shot by police. The suspect remains in a London hospital but the extent of his injuries are unknown.</div>
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Earlier Monday one of the shooting victims was treated at a Seaforth hospital.</div>
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"We had one patient brought in who was stabilized and transferred to London," said Mary Cardinal, site administrator at Seaforth hospital.</div>
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Cardinal could not say whether it was the police officer or the suspect, but said the nature of the injury was a "gunshot wound" without specifying how many times the person was shot.</div>
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Pham was born in Saigon, Vietnam, and joined the OPP in 1995. During his career he served in Cochrane and in Parry Sound and was attached to the Huron County detachment when he died.</div>
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He is survived by his wife, Heather, and three children, Tyler, 12, Jordan, 10, and Joshua, 7.</div>
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In the legislature Monday, Premier Dalton McGuinty offered his condolences to Pham's family and to the police.</div>
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"I think it's an opportunity for all of us just to reflect on how much we count on these men and women every single day to go out there and put it on the line," he said. "They spend so much time away from their families devoted to our families. And so we're very grateful for everything they do and the sacrifices they make."</div>
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There have now been 104 OPP officers killed in the line of duty; Pham becomes the 24th member of the force to die after being shot, according to statistics provided by Fantino.</div>
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Special Investigations Unit spokeswoman Monica Hudon said her agency has sent nine investigators to the scene. The SIU is an arm's-length agency that investigates incidents involving police which end in death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault.</div>
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The Huron County detachment will also conduct a parallel investigation into the incident.</div>
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Police set up a massive perimeter, blocking off several kilometres of farmland, while OPP and SIU officers milled outside at the crime scene on North Line.</div>
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Neighbour Francis Hunt, who lives further down the road, recalled hearing the mid-morning gunfire.</div>
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"I was just coming out of the barn. I heard six or eight shots," Hunt said. "I thought it was hunters, maybe coyote hunting."</div>
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But then he saw a quick succession of police cars and ambulances tearing down the road, and discovered something far darker had happened.</div>
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"Everybody's in shock. For this community . . ." he trailed off, shaking his head.</div>
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His sentiments were echoed by Elgin and Ruth Schade, who say they were stunned to learn of the shooting in their usually quiet, pastoral community.</div>
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"People are shaken up," said Schade, who was following the story on television, despite living minutes away from the heavily barricaded crime scene.</div>
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Houses in this tiny community north of London are scattered, with wide swaths of open farmland separating friends and neighbours.</div>
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Bonnie Glanville lives just metres from where the shooting took place. She told the Seaforth Huron Expositor that she looked out her window Monday morning and saw a light-coloured pickup truck being pulled over by an OPP cruiser. She said she thought she was witnessing someone getting a speeding ticket.</div>
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"I realized something wasn't quite right when he quickly jumped out of the truck," Glanville said, before describing hearing the sound of shots and watching the officer get shot.</div>
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Residents were struggling to pinpoint which of their neighbours may have been involved in the altercation, as police were withholding the name of the suspect.</div>
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"It's disappointing, and the thing is nobody is immune to disasters like this," said Neil Dolmage, a farmer who also heard the gunshots and lives about one kilometre from the site of the incident. "The officer who's died, I feel badly for him — just (being at) the wrong damn place — and feel bad for the family of whoever did the shooting."</div>
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Dolmage said he could still see police lights flashing late Monday evening.</div>
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With files from Kenyon Wallace, and Ken Meaney and Phil Couvrette, Canwest News Service</div>
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<b>Seals aren't pets, experts warn</b></div>
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Mar 10 2010 </div>
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Phil Couvrette </div>
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Canwest News Service </div>
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Wildlife officials have a clear message for people who may encounter beached seal pups in Eastern Canada this spring: Leave the fuzzy wide-eyed animals alone. </div>
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With poor ice conditions threatening the St. Lawrence seal hunt and many young pups expected to end up beached in various parts of the Canada's eastern coastline, Quebec marine mammal experts warned people against bringing the pups home in an effort to nurse them. </div>
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Veronik de la Cheneliere, of the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network, said her group has been fielding calls from people asking how to feed the pups, some even bringing them home in an effort to care for them. </div>
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``People would like to take care of them as they would a kitten or puppy, or a regular pet, but this is a wild animal,'' which creates various risks, she said. </div>
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In the St. Lawrence experts are particularly concerned about introducing new diseases that could impact threatened species, such as beluga whales, de la Cheneliere said. </div>
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``Their weakened immune system'' could make introducing the pathogens ``catastrophic,'' she stressed, making rehabilitation of the beached seals in general ``too risky.'' </div>
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But informing some people of the risks has sometimes exposed experts to another line of questioning. ``(They then ask) `can we then kill the animal and keep the fur?'' she said, stressing that while legal, the seal hunt is closely regulated in Canada. </div>
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``It is illegal to touch, feed, refloat or kill a marine mammal, unless you have a permit,'' the network notes. </div>
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The group says hooded and harp seal pups, normally born and nursed on the ice pack, will be particularly affected in Quebec. </div>
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``This could mean very high mortality rates for seal pups born this winter.'' </div>
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Because the phenomenon is ``a natural event'' and because these seal populations are ``not at risk of extinction'', the experts recommend ``letting nature takes its course.'' </div>
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The network has reported sightings near Sept-Iles, and so-called ``whitecoats'' have been spotted on beaches in Gaspesie and Quebec's Lower North Shore. </div>
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Talks meanwhile were still ongoing to determine how the poor ice conditions would impact the St. Lawrence hunt, usually held in mid-March. </div>
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The hunt off Newfoundland, held later in the year, could also potentially be impacted by poor ice, according to fisheries officials. </div>
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<strong>Honda Canada recalls thousands of vehicles over 'soft' brakes</strong><br />
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Mar. 16, 2010<br />
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TORONTO — Honda Canada announced Tuesday it will recall thousands of vehicles after fielding owner complaints involving brake pedals.<br />
The recall involves 24,680 Odyssey and 4,137 Element vehicles in Canada from the 2007-2008 model years. The company plans to modify the vehicle stability assist modulator, which is connected to the ABS braking system.<br />
The announcement in Canada coincides with a recall of more than 400,000 vehicles in the United States involving similar models.<br />
Honda said the complaints reported that the brakes felt "soft" or "gradually exhibit a pedal height that gets lower (closer to the floor) before the vehicle stops." In vehicles reporting this, the condition increased over time.<br />
"It's not something that suddenly happened" but occurred over time as customers reported "my brake pedal feels funny," Richard Jacobs of Honda Canada Inc., said Tuesday.<br />
No confirmed accidents were reported in Canada as a result of the brake pedal concern, but some have been reported in the United States.<br />
"There have been a few accidents and several minor injuries (in the U.S.)," said Jacobs. "But it's mostly been just from consumer concern over the feel of the pedal, it seems to be a little more spongy."<br />
Honda said some modulators could allow small quantities of air in, which over time, could accumulate and result in the "soft brake pedal" or "low brake pedal" being reported by customers.<br />
The fix will remove air from the units and seal it so as to prevent it from coming in, something Jacobs described as "a very quick in-and-out procedure."<br />
Honda said not all recalled models reported these issues, but the company was recalling all units to "assure all customers that their vehicles will perform correctly."<br />
The company plans to notify customers beginning at the end of April, so can they bring their vehicles in to Honda dealers.<br />
Jacobs said people concerned with their vehicle's current performance would be asked to bring them in immediately.<br />
"There are things we can do right now but there's a specific process that will be ready," in the next few weeks, he said.<br />
The recall was announced as the chief executive of competitor Toyota Canada was expressing regret at the "anxiety and inconvenience" that the company's recent recalls have caused its Canadian customers.<br />
"Over the past few months, many Canadians have wondered whether Toyota vehicles are safe, and we regret that this has caused our customers both anxiety and inconvenience," Toyota Canada CEO Yoichi Tomihara told the House of Commons transport committee.<br />
Toyota Canada executives were summoned to testify before the committee to explain why the company has been forced to recall millions of vehicles worldwide.<br />
Toyota has recalled more than eight million of its vehicles since November 2009 because of instances of unintended acceleration.<br />
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<strong>Ontario politician wants Toronto to become a province</strong><br />
Mar. 16, 2010<br />
Phil Couvrette<br />
Canwest News Service<br />
Could a struggle to rid rural areas of coyotes become the basis for the creation of a Canada’s 11th province?<br />
Bill Murdoch, a Conservative member of the Ontario legislature, who represents the riding of Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, says Toronto should form Canada’s newest province because communities outside the metropolis are simply not being heard.<br />
Mr. Murdoch said the idea of breaking Toronto off into a separate province came to him during a meeting at the Bruce County federation of agriculture where recurring complaints brought him to the conclusion “we’re never going to change this as long as we have a Toronto-driven government running Ontario.”<br />
The “straw that broke the camel’s back” is the current spread of “coyotes” in his parts of the province, he said, a matter locals would like to settle by placing a bounty on them.<br />
“They’ll never let you do that in Toronto,” he said, suggesting the only way enough attention could come to the plight of rural Ontarians would be “to get rid of Toronto. Let them form their own province.”<br />
He says the sheer size of the city — and its voting power — means Queen’s Park is more likely to cater to Toronto’s every whim.<br />
Mr. Murdoch admits the goal has little to no chance of success, but says the suggestion would at least launch a debate.<br />
“A private member’s bill would be one way of getting it debated,” he said.<br />
Mr. Murdoch said he’s waiting for his constituents to provide input into the matter but says he’s already heard from both opponents and supporters as he did the rounds of various radio shows on Tuesday.<br />
“I got an email from [Toronto] Mayor [David] Miller who said he would certainly like to discuss it,” he said.<br />
Mr. Murdoch says Ontario Conservative Leader Tim Hudak told him that while he did not support the idea of a breakup “he agrees rural Ontario is not being looked after.”<br />
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<strong>I'm not dead, senior tells federal government </strong><br />
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Mar. 17, 2010<br />
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Phil Couvrette<br />
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Canwest News Service<br />
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A very much alive Nova Scotia senior — who the federal government thought was dead on two occasions — demanded an apology Wednesday after the federal government stopped delivering her cheques following a mix-up involving her name.<br />
Theresa Fraser, 76, who lives in the Garden of Eden, in Nova Scotia's Pictou County, said she found out to her great surprise she was in fact, "the late Theresa Fraser" when she dropped by her bank last fall and was told her federal cheques hadn't arrived.<br />
"We called Ottawa, right from the bank, and they said I was deceased," she recalled with a chuckle.<br />
The bank clerk who made the call then passed the receiver over to her with an introduction the Canada Revenue Agency didn't expect: "Well here she is, right here."<br />
Fraser says the recent passing of a woman bearing the same name but living in Trenton, N.S., may explain the confusion.<br />
"They should be more careful up there in Ottawa," she said.<br />
While Fraser thought the matter had been corrected after finally receiving her money, she found out she was far from being resurrected.<br />
"Just a week ago, I got a letter telling me to send my GST cheque back to the estate of the late Theresa Fraser," she explained Wednesday.<br />
After writing a letter to the Canada Revenue Agency and speaking to the secretary of her local MP, Peter MacKay, Fraser thought it was time to tell her story to the media.<br />
"Tell them that you're still living," she said the secretary told her.<br />
On Wednesday, Fraser said the CRA called her to confirm the matter had been settled.<br />
The CRA would not comment on specific cases, citing confidentiality reasons, but said in a statement it "receives information both directly from taxpayers and from other government sources. Despite safeguards in place to ensure accuracy, occasionally information we receive is incorrect or misinterpreted."<br />
"Whenever there is any indication the information we have is incorrect, immediate steps are taken to rectify the situation."<br />
Somehow, the error did not make filing her income tax difficult this week, Fraser noted. But Fraser admits she hesitated when it came time to fill her tax forms.<br />
"I told them I don't know if I should get my income tax done or not," she said, noting it would be rather unusual for a deceased person to file a tax return.<br />
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Canada, G8 condemn Moscow subway attacks<br />
Mar. 29, 2010<br />
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Canwest News Service<br />
Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said he and his G8 partners "strongly condemned the cowardly terrorist attacks" on the Moscow subway that killed 38 people Monday, vowing the group of industrialized nations would continue to fight terrorism.<br />
Cannon and his G8 counterparts said they will "continue to collaborate to thwart and constrain terrorists" as they gathered near Ottawa for two days to discuss critical global security challenges, including terrorism.<br />
The ministers expressed their sympathies to the victims of the attacks, which also injured at least 72 people, and committed to "work for a world that is safe for all."<br />
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who cemented his power in 1999 by launching a war to crush Chechen separatism, declared "terrorists will be destroyed" following the attack triggered by two female suicide bombers.<br />
"A crime that is terrible in its consequences and heinous in its manner has been committed," Putin told emergency officials in a video call. "I am confident that law enforcement bodies will spare no effort to track down and punish the criminals. Terrorists will be destroyed."<br />
Witnesses described panic at two central Moscow stations after the blasts, with morning commuters falling over each other in dense smoke and dust as they tried to escape the worst attack on the Russian capital in six years.<br />
Russia's top security official said the bombs were filled with bolts and iron rods. Officials said the death toll could rise.<br />
No group immediately claimed responsibility, but Federal Security Service (FSB) chief Alexander Bortnikov said those responsible had links to the North Caucasus, a region heavily populated by Muslims, and plagued by insurgency whose leaders have threatened to attack cities and energy pipelines elsewhere in Russia.<br />
The Kremlin had declared victory in its battle with Chechen separatists who fought two wars with Moscow. But violence has intensified over the past year in the neighbouring republics of Dagestan and Ingushetia, where Islamist militancy overlaps with clan rivalries, criminal gangs and widespread poverty.<br />
The chief of the FSB, the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB, said: "Body parts belonging to two female suicide bombers were found . . . and according to initial data, these persons are linked to the North Caucasus."<br />
The first blast tore through a metro train just before 8 a.m. at the Lubyanka station, close to the headquarters of the FSB. It killed at least 23 people.<br />
A second blast, less than 40 minutes later in a train waiting at the Park Kultury metro station, opposite Gorky Park, killed 12 more people, emergencies ministry officials said. Another three people died in hospital.<br />
European Union leaders condemned the bombings and U.S. President Barack Obama called the Kremlin to offer condolences.<br />
"President Obama said that the United States was ready to co-operate with Russia to help bring to justice those who undertook this attack," the White House said in a statement.<br />
At the Chelsea, Que., summit near Ottawa Monday the normally "cheerful-looking" photo-op was a little more sombre as Russia's foreign minister thanked the world for supporting his nation, but re-affirmed Putin's position.<br />
Sergey Lavrov renewed calls to fight global terrorism and said it's a problem that must be addressed principally through the United Nations. Lavrov said militants on the Afghan-Pakistan border may have helped organize the attacks.<br />
Across Canada, the attacks prompted transit agencies to increase their vigilance.<br />
The Toronto Transit Commission says its special constables were "extra alert" in the wake of the suicide bomb attacks.<br />
"We haven't officially heightened the security level in the subway system," said TTC spokesman Danny Nicholson, "but our special constables are extra alert on their patrols."<br />
Montreal has also stepped up its security levels.<br />
"Any event like this around the world has an impact on our system," said Sgt. Ian Lafreniere of the Montreal Police. "We are reacting accordingly, but we cannot share the information with media because people with bad intentions will know what we are doing."<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: normal;"><b>French citizen arrested in northern Ontario over alleged child-purchase charge</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px;">Mar. 30 2010<br />By Phil Couvrette<br />Canwest News Service<br />A French citizen faces possible deportation after being arrested in Thunder Bay, Ont., last week on U.S. charges that include trying to buy a child online.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px;">Patrick Molesti, 56, was arrested at around 6:30 p.m. Friday as the bus he was taking from Calgary to Montreal made a refuelling stop in the northern Ontario city, said Chris Adams, of the Thunder Bay Police.<br />They were acting on an immigration warrant and arrested him without incident before he was turned over to the Canada Border Services Agency.<br />Molesti is wanted in the U.S. on two counts of theft of firearms, two counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count of criminal attempt to commit child molestation, said Lt. Jay Baker of the Cherokee Sheriff's Office in Canton, Ga.<br />“Our investigators received information this month that Mr. Molesti was attempting to purchase a child online,” Baker said, adding Molesti was not at his residence when officers visited his home in Georgia on March 18.<br />Instead, officers seized his computer, Baker said, and a forensic analysis showed “evidence to suggest that, in fact, he was trying to purchase a child online.” He added that child pornography was also found on the computer.<br />An arrest warrant then sought Molesti “for sexual exploitation of children.”<br />Officers first talked to Molesti by phone in a bid to try to get him to turn himself in, but he refused and fled the state, eventually ending up in Canada, Baker said.<br />The investigation — in conjunction with the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Marshals — determined he travelled to Wyoming, where he boarded a bus to Canada.<br />Canadian officials later located the bus en route to Quebec, a province he may have chosen because of his French citizenship, Baker said, adding he was staying in Georgia on a visa which may have expired.<br />The CBSA’s Chris Kealey said Molesti remained in detention in Thunder Bay Tuesday as he awaited a detention hearing Wednesday that should determine whether he remains in custody.<br />“There’s also process to determine his admissibility, which has not yet been scheduled,” Kealey said. “If it’s found that he is not admissible to Canada, at that point, we take the appropriate steps to remove him from Canada.”<br />Kealey added a timeline was hard to determine: “Could be a week, could be a month.”<br />Baker said Molesti could either return to Georgia to face the charges or could end up in U.S. Federal Court in another state.</span></div>
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<strong>Newfoundland flights cancelled amid concerns of ash clouds</strong><br />
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April 18, 2010 COMMENTS<br />
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Air Canada and other airlines cancelled flights out of Newfoundland scheduled for Monday morning as a precautionary measure amid concerns ash clouds from last week’s volcano eruption were heading toward the province.<br />
St. John’s, Gander, and Deer Lake were affected by an advisory said Angela Mah of Air Canada. Flights departing St. John’s until 9 a.m. local time were cancelled and the airline will see whether additional measures are necessary in the morning. “We’ll have a better picture tomorrow morning,” she said Sunday.<br />
The cancellations mean several musicians and industry executives gathered for Sunday evening’s Juno awards could now be indefinitely stranded on the Rock. Most artists taking part in the awards had arrived in St. John’s Sunday, after thick fog had caused massive flight delays over the weekend.<br />
Transport Canada said it was working with Environment Canada and NAV Canada to monitor weather patterns and said it would update travellers and airlines as the situation develops.<br />
Porter airlines also issued an April 19 travel advisory on its website warning “due to the potential of airspace closure caused by volcanic ash from volcano Eyjafjallajoekull in Iceland, all St. Johns flights will be suspended.”<br />
Meanwhile as European officials said they would look into allowing more flight to resume Monday, much uncertainty remained in the transport plans of Canadian travellers stranded by flight cancellations in the aftermath of last week’s volcano eruption.<br />
Most of Europe’s airspace has been closed for four days due to a sprawling ash cloud from an Icelandic volcano, keeping many continental and trans-Atlantic flights grounded. Air Canada said it would only be able to confirm impact to flights to Europe following the scheduled meetings by European officials.<br />
On Sunday, after successful test flights by a number of European airlines, officials predicted about half of all booked flights would operate on Monday.<br />
Any sign that the airport chaos may be coming to an end would be welcome news for Canadians stranded abroad.<br />
Dave Bailey was stranded in Lisbon, Portugal, while on a business trip.<br />
The Montreal man said he was considering driving 1,600 kilometres to a meeting in Marseilles, France.<br />
“It’s Mother Nature, what can you do?” said Bailey, 58.<br />
The volcano has cost airlines hundreds of millions of dollars, officials said.<br />
European Union Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas said he hoped 50 per cent of European airspace would be risk-free on Monday.<br />
“We cannot wait until the ash flows just disappear,” he said.<br />
“The forecast is that there will be half of flights possibly operating tomorrow,” Spanish Secretary of State for European Union affairs Diego Lopez Garrido said Sunday. “It will be difficult; that’s why we have to co-ordinate.”<br />
Meanwhile, parents of 62 Montreal-area students stuck in London, England, were relieved to hear the Grade 11 class was “very safe and secure.”<br />
The families of the Lindsay Place High School students — who were on a graduation trip to Europe — met with principal Jim Aitken on Sunday.<br />
A group of Alberta high school students on a school trip to Hungary, Austria, Czech Republic and Germany were supposed to come home Saturday after a two-week trip. Instead, they are stuck in Germany until at least Tuesday, their principal wrote on their trip blog.<br />
“I remain optimistic about our departure Tuesday and am in constant contact with officials at the airport, Explorica and Air Canada to respond quickly to any changes,” Onoway High School principal Randy Hetherington wrote.<br />
About 20 Edmonton-based troops from Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians) who will serve in Kandahar for six months were supposed to leave at Thursday, but were delayed because of the closed European airspace, said Land Force Western Area spokesman Fraser Logan.<br />
Whether flights will be delayed for soldiers scheduled to return to Edmonton beginning next week after being deployed in September and October is not known, Logan said.<br />
“I don’t know yet if they’re making alternate plans,” Logan said. The military has its own chartered planes and can set up any air traffic route it wants, he said.<br />
Denis Courchesne, from the Montreal borough of Pierrefonds, Que., said hotels and trains in London have increased their prices to take advantage of the influx in travellers.<br />
Courchesne, 49, said he spent $466 on a hotel room on Thursday.<br />
“In Quebec, when something unpredictable happens, people and the government rally to help,” said Courchesne. “Here there’s nothing. My company will pay for this but what about people who don’t have that option?”<br />
Sarah Hughes was planning on landing in Malawi Sunday with bags bearing hundreds of hand-knitted dolls destined for babies and children attending charitable medical clinics in that country.<br />
Instead, she and the dolls were stuck in Alberta because of the volcano.<br />
She is one of several people with Lifeline Malawi — a Calgary-based charity that runs medical clinics in the African country — who was supposed to travel in advance of kicking off a major fundraising campaign.<br />
At the same time, a group of doctors were set to head to Malawi to train staff on neo-natal practices, Hughes said. The charity employs local staff rather than just flying in people, she added.<br />
“We’re all scattered all over the place,” she said Sunday. “All in all there are lots of things at stake here, but ultimately the charity’s work could be seriously affected with the clinics not receiving supplies, training and funding and the (fundraising) campaigns unable to start.”<br />
Calgary airport was reporting Sunday all flights arriving from or departing to destinations in Europe were cancelled. The same was happening at Edmonton International, where Alberta International and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Iris Evans was supposed to fly from for a 10-day promotional tour.<br />
Her flight was cancelled, but she was rebooked for another flight Monday to the United Kingdom, said Mike Deising, spokesman for the ministry.<br />
“Right now we’re waiting and seeing,” he said. “We’re totally dependent on what happens with the ash cloud.”<br />
Meanwhile people in Canada have been opening their homes to stranded passengers.<br />
Calgarian Catherine McDonald said she would offer accommodation to any fellow Brits who have found themselves in the city as a result of the disruption.<br />
“I just hate the thought of anybody who has come out on holiday and is stranded and needs some help for a couple of days,” she said.<br />
Despite Sunday’s announcement of new flights, Melanie Blanchard said she’s not expecting to leave Paris for Ottawa anytime soon.<br />
“The concept that everybody’s been told is to sit and wait,” said the 25-year-old. “It could be a few days, it could be a few weeks before we can get out.”<br />
With files from Reuters, Montreal Gazette, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal and Ottawa Citizen<br />
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<strong>School board yanks French book for perpetuating Quebec stereotypes</strong><br />
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April 20, 2010<br />
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Phil Couvrette<br />
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Forget the term "syrup-suckers" used by one U.S. comedy show to describe Canadians, Quebecers are poutine-eating square-dancers who like nothing more than to use religiously-inspired swear words.<br />
This, according to a French book found in Quebec primary school libraries that at least two school boards say they are pulling from the shelves.<br />
The Premieres-Seigneuries school board located in the Quebec City area says it was so offended by what it considered the perpetuation of stereotypes on Quebec and Canada that it will only make the book available under adult supervision.<br />
Ironically, the book, Kathryn, Sebastien et Virginie vivent au Canada (Kathryn, Sebastien and Virginie live in Canada), which tells the stories of three Canadian children — one from Quebec, another from English-Canada and a third of First Nations background — is part of a series dedicated to instructing youngsters how other kids live elsewhere on the planet.<br />
Spokesman Jean-Francois Parent says the school board bought the series, published by Paris-based La Martiniere, and was only made aware of the book last week, moving since to withdraw it from the dozen school libraries under its jurisdiction.<br />
The board found the stereotypes outrageous, Parent said, adding "we're withdrawing (the books), but they could be the topic of a class lecture in which a teacher instructs students they have to be careful about stereotypes."<br />
The textbook would have the largely unintended mandate of teaching students against promoting "our own stereotypes about other cultures" he said.<br />
"We don't want this book to find its way into the hands of a student without supervision, but a teacher could use it to make students think about what has been written," he said. "We won't prevent that."<br />
Another Quebec City school board said it was also withdrawing the book. Both say few students have borrowed it since it's been sitting on the shelves.<br />
Among his many objections to the text, Parent said he found it wasn't every day Quebecers woke up, after a snowfall, to a landscape lying under "two metres of powder."<br />
Parent said he found surprising claims that Canadians smeared their face with grease when going outside in the winter.<br />
He added that references to Quebec families gathering around corn roasts, poutine or square-dancing weren't exclusive to the province.<br />
American comedian and faux pundit Stephen Colbert has been known to take joking pot shots at Canadians in general; calling them syrup-suckers, Saskatchew-whiners and even ice-holes.<br />
The character, Sebastien "like all Quebecers" likes to use religiously inspired terms in every day conversations, according to excerpts than ran in the Journal de Quebec, usually describing swear words.<br />
"I'm sure people in France have their own swear words, every culture has them, I don't know why this has to be so prominent in the book," Parent said.<br />
Describing a First Nations character, Virginie, excerpts from Le Journal describe the girl as someone who "doesn't sleep in a teepee, doesn't travel in a canoe but eats poutine, hotdogs, burgers and sodas, watches TV and speaks Quebecois" in a family it says "is like every other Quebec family."<br />
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<strong>Security measures in place as Montreal prepares for critical Game 7</strong><br />
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May 13, 2010<br />
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MONTREAL — Montrealers were being urged to clear their parked cars from the city’s main downtown thoroughfare as of Wednesday evening as police announced their plans for whatever outcome may follow the winner-takes-all Game 7 against the Penguins in Pittsburgh.<br />
The police have been tweaking their post-game preparations with each and every game, and as the games get more important, have ramped up their coverage of the downtown core.<br />
“The risk of an incident with a large crowd grows with the importance of the match,” said Montreal Police Department assistant director Denis Desroches. “It doesn’t matter where it happens, with an away game we have to be ready.”<br />
Win or lose, the risk of an over-exuberant post-game celebration is one Montreal police have learned to contend with throughout the years.<br />
In 2008 dozens of fans were arrested and vehicles — including five police cruisers — and businesses vandalized following the Habs’ seventh-game elimination of the bitter rivals from Boston at the Bell Centre. Damage to the police cars alone was estimated at some $500,000.<br />
That paled in comparison with riots which followed the last time the storied franchise won the Stanley Cup.<br />
In 1993 fans leaving the old Forum converged with fans emptying packed bars along Ste Catherine St. after the Habs beat Los Angeles to claim their 24th title and looted stores all along the strip, setting police vehicles ablaze in a night of frenzy that sent nearly 1,000 officers into the streets and caused some $2.5 million in damage.<br />
Police reported dozens of damaged vehicles and arrested over 150 people, some of whom were suspected of taking advantage of the mayhem to plan well-organized hits on stores.<br />
For some, such eruptions in the streets of the city conjure images of the 1955 riots that followed the suspension of hockey great Maurice Richard, in a year he was gunning for the league’s scoring title.<br />
Richard was suspended for an attack on a linesman, the NHL’s decision sparking a riot during a home game which spilled into the streets in an event which some tied with the province’s growing nationalist movement.<br />
Incidents in and around the Forum caused about $100,000 in damage resulting in hundreds of looted businesses and dozens of arrests.<br />
Criticized for letting things slip out of control in 2008, Montreal police have stepped up security procedures ever since, including during the first round of this year’s playoffs when Montreal was playing in Washington.<br />
On Wednesday police officers planned to be on foot, on bikes, in cruisers, on horseback and have an eye in the sky — a helicopter that hovering over downtown.<br />
Desroches said that an initiative from the City of Montreal to use the large parking lot just north of the Bell Centre as a fan party base, post game, will ensure that celebrants can high-five one another and whoop it up in a contained and safe environment, with no cars or traffic close by.<br />
Ste. Catherine St. also acts as a magnet for celebrants, Desroches said, not just those who have been at the game or downtown — since vehicles with youths and flags have been spotted in the past by the Quebec provincial police coming from the north and south shores into Montreal to do victory laps on the street.<br />
<strong>Not everyone’s cheering prospect of Hockey Afternoon in Canada</strong><br />
Phil Couvrette, Canwest News Service<br />
May 20, 2010<br />
The show may be called Hockey Night in Canada, but the clock will say afternoon when the NHL playoffs resume this weekend, a schedule that doesn’t please some fans and business owners.<br />
The Montreal Canadiens play the Philadelphia Flyers in the fourth game of their Eastern Conference final series Saturday at 3 p.m. ET, while the Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks face off at the same time the next day in their Western Conference final, incidentally at an earlier time in their respective time zones.<br />
NHL.com contributor Paul Kukla said he’s received some 50 e-mails this week alone from fans upset about the schedule, prompting him to raise the issue on his blog, Kukla’s Korner Hockey.<br />
“Most of the e-mails I received were from Canada-based fans who are upset with the games, especially Montreal-Philadelphia being played in the afternoon, especially on a holiday weekend in Canada,” Kukla wrote Thursday in an e-mail. “As a Detroit fan, I am used to it and know complaining about it won’t do any good. But as a hockey purist, I would much rather have hockey available to me at night than mid-afternoon.”<br />
He’s not alone.<br />
“I won’t watch. First of all, hockey is meant to be played at night. Second, winter is long and when the warm weather arrives it is time to get outside,” one commentator posted on Kukla’s site. “I watch well over a hundred games per season but afternoon hockey is just plain wrong.”<br />
“This happens every year during the playoffs. NBC dictates the schedule and we end up with afternoon games.”<br />
Business owners say they aren’t crazy about the schedule either. Renaud Poulin, president of Quebec’s association of pub and tavern owners, says that while it’s not something he can immediately quantify, the general rule is people spend more in the evening.<br />
“Games at night are better than in the afternoon” for businesses, he said. “People prefer to eat at the bar and later watch hockey than the other way around, and at night they will tend to stay longer.”<br />
Some business owners, however, stand to benefit by making an event out of the early game he noted, such as by organizing tailgates and barbecues before the game.<br />
As a general rule, taverns and bars across Quebec are delighted the Habs are playing so late in the playoffs, Poulin noted.<br />
“When the Habs are gone numbers, plummet by over 80 per cent,” Poulin said from previous experience. The fact Montreal has played two seven-game series doesn’t hurt either.<br />
“Every Habs game is a bonus,” he said<br />
Jeff Keay, head of media relations at the CBC, said “the nature of scheduling” always allows for some complaints, but that the issue of afternoon games was “not something that jumped out at us” so far.<br />
“We have an audience relations department that acts effectively as a call centre, and if we start getting complaints we usually hear about it pretty quickly, so that hasn’t occurred at this point.”<br />
The CBCsaid while networks have input on the schedule, ultimately it’s up to the NHL to make the decision on when games are played.<br />
Gary Meagher, senior vice-president of public relations for the NHL in Toronto, said there’s nothing new about weekend playoff games.<br />
“The league’s history of playing afternoon games on the weekend in our Stanley Cup playoffs dates back at least 40 years,” he said in an e-mail. “The afternoon broadcast windows satisfy network broadcast commitments.”<br />
One blog post noted U.S. networks may not be inclined to go against Sunday evening’s much-touted finale of the TV series Lost, starting at 9 p.m.<br />
It wouldn’t be the first time afternoon matchups upset some fans. In 2007, more than 350 people signed on to a Facebook group called “Petition To The NHL & CBC” to condemn similar scheduling.<br />
“The Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins game will be played in the AFTERNOON on Saturday thus making the New Jersey Devils vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (the late game)!!! That’s right Hockey Night In Canada is going to be TWO AMERICAN teams!” ranted the group administrator. “We as taxpayers payed (sic) 65 million dollars to the CBC — NHL Contract while NBC paid nothing!”<br />
But anybody watching games being played in different time zones is already aware of schedule issues. That includes watching the ongoing world hockey championship in Germany, or the World Cup of soccer inSouth Africa next month.<br />
Kukla said he’s fielded a number of complaints about the Sunday game as well “especially those from the West Coast, since the game will be on at noon their time.” In other words, good for brunch rather than supper.<br />
But not everyone is upset by the early start in the global hockey-watching age.<br />
“From my European perspective it’s ideal with evening games (local European time) rather than adventures at night,” posted one commentator from Denmark on Kukla’s blog.</div>
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<strong>Cannon puts nuclear onus on Iran</strong><br />
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May 30, 2010<br />
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Phil Couvrette<br />
Canwest News Service<br />
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OTTAWA — Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon says there should be no conference on a nuclear-free Middle East until Iran has fully complied with its obligations to the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency.<br />
The comments, made Sunday, appear to be a show of support for Israel following a resolution Friday from members of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.<br />
The resolution, which emerged from a United Nations conference, singled out Israel and called for a 2012 conference on establishing a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons. The document called on Israel to join the non-proliferation treaty and urged the country to open its facilities to inspection, but made no mention of Iran’s controversial nuclear program.<br />
“The single greatest threat to global peace and security is Iran’s regime, who have no interest in bringing peace to the Middle East,” Cannon told Canwest News Service on Sunday.<br />
“Indeed their belligerent and deceitful ways, particularly with their non-compliance with (International Atomic Energy Agency) obligations threaten the very existence of Jewish state.”<br />
Critics say Iran has failed to declare all its nuclear material and to ensure international inspectors have full access to its facilities.<br />
Cannon made his comments as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was beginning a Canadian visit in Toronto on Sunday before moving on to Ottawa, where he is expected to meet with Prime Minister Stephen Harper this week.<br />
“Until such time as Iran has decided to comply fully to the IAEA and stopped its deceitful ways, I think that there need not be any other ideas going to forward or moving forward on any other issue,” Cannon said.<br />
He said Canada stands side by side with Israel in combating terrorism, adding: “Israel has its sovereign right to protect itself from any terrorist attacks as well as any attacks from Iran.”<br />
“We share a number of values with Israel; they’re strong friends and allies.”<br />
With files from Agence France-Presse<br />
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<strong>Canada sending help to Gulf oil disaster</strong><br />
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June 6, 2010<br />
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Canwest News Service<br />
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DARTMOUTH, N.S. — Canada announced Sunday it was sending half its national stock of ocean boom — some 3,000 metres — to help the U.S. contain a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.<br />
“When faced with an environmental tragedy like the one in the Gulf of Mexico, we must not forget that we are all global citizens who must be prepared to lend a hand where it’s needed,” Fisheries and Oceans Minister Gail Shea said. Fisheries Canada said the U.S. was expected to repay a replacement cost of $3 million for the boom, which were to come from Newfoundland, Maritime and Pacific locations.<br />
This comes in addition to the technical and scientific support the government said it is already providing.<br />
"Canada is pleased to share our leading edge scientific and environmental response capability with a friend and neighbour in need," Veterans Affairs Minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn added. "Our government will continue to work closely with the U.S. to ensure we can maximize Canada’s contribution to the cleanup effort in the Gulf of Mexico."<br />
Canada has also sent experts to monitor the effectiveness of cleanup operations and to “provide advice and best practices on the use of dispersants” as well as provides aerial surveillance to help determine the course and location of the oil.<br />
BP said over the weekend it was capturing an increasing amount of the oil spewing into the Gulf since it installed a containment gap to try to stem the leak.<br />
Before then the U.S. government estimated up to 19,000 barrels of oil a day were making their way into Gulf waters since the April 20 explosion sank the Deepwater Horizon rig.<br />
On Sunday a number of protests were scheduled in Canada and around the world against the British oil giant in the wake of the biggest spill in U.S. history.<br />
With a file from Agence France-Presse<br />
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<strong>Quebec man recovering after axe attack</strong><br />
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June 21, 2010<br />
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Canwest News Service<br />
NATASHQUAN, Que. — Quebec provincial police believe the results of weekend band council elections may have been a factor in an overnight axe attack near Natasquan, on Quebec's North Shore.<br />
Police say a 26-year-old faces a charge of armed assault after allegedly striking a 48-year-old man around 3 a.m. Monday in an Innu community. He is expected to appear in court Tuesday.<br />
Police say they do not fear for the life of the victim, who was being treated in an Sept-Iles area hospital. Police said they were waiting for the victim to recover before interrogating the man to obtain his version of events.<br />
"This occurred within the context of the latest band council election results in the community of Pointe-Parent," said Patrick Lowe of Quebec provincial police.<br />
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<strong>Roommate brings out chainsaw after being evicted</strong><br />
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June 22, 2010<br />
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Canwest News Service<br />
SAINT-JEROME, Que. — An argument between roommates took a nasty turn when police say a man who had been freshly evicted returned to threaten the owner and a neighbour with a chainsaw.<br />
Paul Ouellette, 44, appeared in court Tuesday to face at least four charges following the Monday evening incident, which include armed aggression and making death threats.<br />
Saint-Jerome police say the man was inebriated when he threatened the owner of the apartment at around 10 p.m. Monday, cutting up a railing and turning the home upside down in an incident the owner escaped by leaping out a window.<br />
"When officers arrived on site, the place was littered with wood chips," said Robin Pouliot spokesman for the police force in the town 60 kilometres north of Montreal.<br />
Police say the suspect also threatened a neighbour before fleeing the scene. He was located and arrested at his brother's home half an hour later, police said, but not without making a final stand.<br />
"He was hitting everybody and threatened the lives of the officers," when police came to arrest him, said Pouliot. "Officers had to tie up his feet" to bring him under control, he said.<br />
The owner and neighbour were shaken up but otherwise unhurt after the incident, Pouliot said.<br />
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<strong>Earthquake shakes up Ontario, Quebec</strong><br />
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Canwest News Service: Wednesday, June 23, 2010<br />
OTTAWA - The largest earthquake to hit the area in 20 years sent workers scurrying from buildings across eastern and southern Ontario and western Quebec Wednesday afternoon.<br />
The quake, which the Geological Survey of Canada reported had a magnitude of 5.0, was felt as far away as Toronto and Windsor, Montreal, Boston, Chicago, Syracuse, N.Y., and Cleveland.<br />
That scale was based on measurements recorded at seismic stations throughout the region by GSC.<br />
There were early reports of structural damage to some buildings in Gatineau, Que., and to three Ottawa schools but no reports of injuries.<br />
The quake's magnitude was initially pegged at 5.5 by the U.S. Geological Service, which later downgraded it to 5.0. "I can only say this is quite rare for this region" said John Campbell from the USGS.<br />
The earthquake was centred eight kilometres east of Val-des-Bois in southwestern Que., about 60 kilometres northeast of Ottawa.<br />
"Here at City Hall, we felt it very strongly," said Julien Croteau, who works for the municipality of nearby Val-des-Monts. "It moved quite a lot and lasted a few long seconds."<br />
Seismologist Taimi Mulder with the GSC in Victoria, said the quake struck at a depth of about 16 kilometres, which is "average for that area."<br />
According to the Richter scale, an earthquake of a 5.0 magnitude is considered moderate and could cause damage to poorly constructed buildings. They are relatively common and some 800 occur around the world annually.<br />
In Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto the quake, which lasted about 20 seconds, caused buildings to shake and forced Via Rail to stop trains en route on the Ottawa-Montreal line.<br />
Windows were reported shattered in Ottawa's Rideau Centre shopping mall and the city's First Avenue Public School was immediately closed because of cracks, pending an engineer's report.<br />
On Parliament Hill, the historic buildings were evacuated, but there was little evidence of damage. Staff were told to go home.<br />
Asked by an Ottawa Citizen reporter, a mason working on repairing a stone facade said even loose stones in the outer walls had barely shifted.<br />
Prime Minister Stephen Harper was in a car headed toward the Ottawa airport when the quake hit and did not feel the ground move, according to PMO official Andrew MacDougall. Harper was on his way to Toronto where he will attend an Air India memorial.<br />
Security guard Daniel Plouffe was in the basement of the House of Commons when the quake struck.<br />
"At first, I thought it was a bomb going off," he said. But when the tremors went on, he realized it was probably an earthquake.<br />
Plouffe said the Parliament Buildings, which are undergoing a massive renovation, were being inspected for damage by Public Works staff.<br />
The Bank of Canada building in downtown Ottawa was closed pending verification of the structural integrity of the building.<br />
Jacques Viger of Quebec civil security said there were no immediate reports of injuries across Quebec, but some damage was reported, such as cracks along walls, that required engineers to be dispatched to verify the structural soundness of the buildings.<br />
"People have called after spotting cracks and fissures to certain buildings," he said, without having immediate specifics. "Specialists have been sent to survey the safety certain buildings where damage has been reported."<br />
He said a section of land near a bridge in Bowman, Que., near the epicentre, is missing over a 50-metre stretch. Transport Quebec and Quebec provincial police were assessing whether the quake caused any damage to the bridge. Traffic on route 307 was being diverted.<br />
Inspectors were being sent to survey overpasses and other structures in the Outaouais, he said. He said an energy company was also checking hydro dams on Riviere-du-Lievre.<br />
The mayor of Gracefield, Que., Real Rochon, told LCN he was putting emergency measures in place, after evacuating certain buildings and cutting power to some areas.<br />
He told the French-language network he feared the church steeple could come down "at any time" after the church's ceiling and chimney collapsed.<br />
A roof also collapsed in a local hotel and community centre, he added, forcing people to leave their apartments. Engineers were being called in to evaluate possible structural problems.<br />
TV footage out of Buckingham, Que., showed some homes suffering minor damage, such as fallen bricks.<br />
Many buildings around Toronto were evacuated. According to the Toronto Transit Commision and Toronto Emergency Services, there were no reports of serious injuries.<br />
In Windsor, City Hall and the City Hall Square building were evacuated Thursday after the earthquake caused the ground to shake in Windsor and Essex County.<br />
David Lau, professor civil engineering at Carleton University says even though the area often experiences earthquakes - the seismic risk of the Ottawa-Gatineau region ranks third in Canadian urban areas, according to Seismological Society of America - "you don't feel the small ones." When small quakes rumble through the area, most people cannot detect them through the sound and vibrations of traffic and everyday bustle of busy cities. It just "blends into the urban activities," he said.<br />
Lau said the vast majority of highrise and office buildings in Canadian centres are sturdy enough to withstand earthquakes of (5.0) magnitude.<br />
"Seismic forces (are) a major factor that structural engineers consider in building bridges and all kinds of structures," he said. "Canada is a leader in building regulations."<br />
Lau said the bigger danger during and after earthquakes such as Wednesday's is the tumbling of contents of people's home and offices. He says it's very important bookshelves, electronics and anything else hanging on walls or ceilings are "properly anchored or tied down."<br />
Some 120 metres atop a construction site that will be a 20-storey building, about 700 metres south of Parliament Hill, crane operator Bento Gontcalves, 62, had a bird's-eye view of the Ottawa skyline when the quake struck. He said he felt his rig jiggle but he wasn't immediately frightened.<br />
"For a few seconds, I heard the tower shaking," he said. "Well, I stopped when I heard that; I thought something had broke on the crane."<br />
Gontcalves, 62, and a crane operator since 1976, said he never considered leaving his perch, as he is used to his crane swaying. "It moves a lot," he chuckled.<br />
Dale Burke was on the seventh floor of her office building in Ottawa when she felt the shaking.<br />
At first, she didn't move, because she couldn't believe it was happening.<br />
"I was shocked, but then I ran," she said, standing on the street.<br />
She was trying to track down her husband in eastern Ottawa, but her cellphone wasn't working.<br />
Telus spokeswoman said Anne-Julie Gratton in Toronto said the quake didn't cause any outages as such, but the higher call volumes immediately afterward overwhelmed the system, meaning many people couldn't get through.<br />
Stephanie Couvrette, a McGill University student from Canada who works a summer job in Rochester N.Y., said she felt the quake.<br />
"It didn't last very long, I barely felt it," she said in an email. "(A friend's) son felt it better in their house, he panicked a bit," she said, adding "It wasn't too bad here except for a few Tintin postcards shaking on a cubicle wall."<br />
Cathy Basile, who was at her home in south Ottawa, said she felt the tremors at about 1:45 p.m. ET.<br />
"Everything started slowly to shake, and then it got really strong, like a train going through. And then it slowed down, stopped, and then there was a little burp. My friend who works for the civil service downtown says everyone went outside their building, they're all on the street."<br />
In neighbouring Gatineau, Que., Robert Lenarcic works at the massive Place du Portage complex - home to thousands of workers.<br />
"I was meeting with some staff when we heard this loud crash sound," he said in an email to Canwest News Service. "The floor suddenly shook - felt like it dropped and raised. I had to grab onto the wall for support."<br />
Lenarcic said he could literally see the ceiling heave and thought the floor above was going to cave in. He said staff were ordered to go home.<br />
Alain Latour in Toronto and his wife were outside when they felt the quake.<br />
"My wife and I were having espresso and chocolate in our balcony on Bathurst and St. Clair West when the balcony shook. It's a hundred-year-old, third-storey wooden balcony, so at first, we thought maybe someone had hit one of the balconies below. We jumped up and leaned against the railing and, looking down, found nothing unusual. "It must've been an earthquake!" my wife said. I laughed.<br />
Municipal employees in Val-des-Bois said they were experiencing aftershocks every five minutes for more than 50 minutes after the earthquake.<br />
Marlene Nontell, a secretary at the municipality, said Highway 307 was closed north of the town of 900 people because of a partial bridge collapse near Bowman. Nontell said rocks had fallen onto the highway from a nearby cliff.<br />
"The two first quakes were like an explosion - I flew out the door," Nontell said. "We still have power and there is no damage but the telephones are down. Almost all our employees are volunteer firefighters who are on the radio responding to questions."<br />
The earthquake was likely caused by a geological phenomenon called "isostatic rebound," said University of Toronto geologist Russell Pysklywec.<br />
Most of North America was buried under two kilometres of ice 10,000 years ago, he explained. Since then the Earth has been slowly rebounding back to its pre-ice age levels.<br />
According to information on the website Geoscience World the large Western Quebec seismic zone has felt small earthquakes and suffered damage from larger ones for centuries.<br />
The two most damaging earthquakes occurred in 1935 (magnitude 6.1) at the northwestern end of the seismic zone, and in 1732 (magnitude 6.2) 450 km away at the southeastern end of the zone where it caused significant damage in Montreal. Earthquakes cause damage in the zone about once every decade. Smaller earthquakes are felt three or four times a year, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.<br />
<br />
<strong>Fiesta breaks out in Canadian cities to mark soccer win</strong><br />
<br />
<br />
July 11, 2010<br />
<br />
Canwest News Service<br />
<br />
A fiesta of yellow and red took hold of Canada’s streets Sunday after Spain beat the Netherlands 1-0 to claim its first World Cup.<br />
In Toronto, a sea of red-clad fans waving Spanish flags and blowing vuvuzelas flooded the street and climbed atop streetcars and transit platforms, many chanting “ole ole ole!”<br />
The impromptu street partying suspended transit service at the heart of the action, as officials reportedly cut the power to the streetcars and rerouted other vehicles away from the action.<br />
In Vancouver a conga line snaked down Granville Street as Spanish soccer fans celebrated the historic win on the West Coast.<br />
The red-and-yellow clad football fanatics waved flags, and chanted, “Es-pa-na!” as they made their way downtown.<br />
“This is the best thing in the world,” said soccer player Juan Fueyo, donning his jersey from his native Oviedo, in northern Spain, carrying a ball and waving a Spanish flag. “Three years ago Spain was nothing. Now we’re the champions of the world.”<br />
“It’s very exciting,” said Paula Sanchez of Madrid, pogo-ing with a mob of ecstatic fans at game’s end. “We’re going to have a big party now, and have fun.”<br />
Meanwhile more than 600 fans streamed out of Montreal’s Spanish Club Sunday to celebrate Spain’s victory.<br />
“For me, it’s a gift,” said Antonio Enrique, 82, who watched the game at the club.<br />
He’s watched Spain lose in the World Cup his entire life, Enrique said.<br />
“We were lucky,” he said, his eyes watering. “What happened to Spain could have happened to the Netherlands,” he said, adding that the Dutch team played very well.<br />
Because there could only be one winner, the cheers of Roja supporters meant tears, not of joy but sadness, to Oranje supporters, who saw their team lose their third World Cup final.<br />
Ali Mohamud, decked out in an orange shirt and red top hat, sobbed loudly, part seriously and part jokingly as he left a Windsor, Ont., pub.<br />
“The Netherlands should be right here, No. 1 right now,” he said. “Four years from now the Netherlands will win.”<br />
“I had a bit of a moment,” said Netherlands fan Sabine Weijers, who watched the game in Montreal at Champs Sports Bar with a few dozen other fans wearing orange shirts.<br />
“I knew it was going to happen,” she said about the loss.<br />
But tears were not for her, adding she was going to celebrate anyway and head up the street toward the throngs of fans dressed in Spain’s traditional red and yellow.<br />
Montreal’s St. Laurent Boulevard was partly closed off to accommodate revellers who danced, chanted and blew on coloured vuvuzelas as traffic inched forward.<br />
After the game, an elated group of Spain fans made its way to the fountain in front of Edmonton’s City Hall, garnering many cheers from passersby along the way.<br />
In keeping with Spanish tradition, they took a celebratory dip in the wading pool, waving their flag and singing songs in Spanish, arms linked and spirits soaring.<br />
“This is unreal,” said Alberto Ibanez, a former soccer player for a Spanish team called Recreativo de Huelva, who was watching in Edmonton. “Tonight Spain is not going to sleep.”<br />
National Post, Vancouver Sun, Montreal Gazette, Edmonton Journal and the Windsor Star</div>
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<b>Boaters not giving up on missing N.L. man. </b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
July 20, 2010</div>
<div>
St. John’s Telegram and Postmedia News</div>
<div>
TWILLINGATE, N.L. — A day after a small Newfoundland community gathered for a candlelight vigil to mourn the loss of four people in a weekend boating accident, local boat owners were still on the water Tuesday searching for a man whose body was never recovered.</div>
<div>
The bodies of the three others were found this weekend, including those of two young brothers well known around town for hanging around the same wharf where the town assembled to bid farewell Monday evening.</div>
<div>
“Local pleasure boats and a few small fishing boats are still out there looking and that will go on for a day or two and we’re told (some) people will go out for a week or two,” said Gordon Noseworthy, Twillingate’s mayor and harbourmaster. </div>
<div>
Tour boats in the area were still on the lookout during every trip they make, he said.</div>
<div>
“Everybody knew him,” Noseworthy said of the man in his 40s, but offers of outside help were coming in from people who didn’t, he added, including divers from St. John’s.</div>
<div>
“Hopefully this will come up with something.”</div>
<div>
The family, which has not yet released the missing man’s identity, is “taking it hard,” Noseworthy said.</div>
<div>
As the official coast guard search for the man was called off Monday night, he was to be declared “missing at sea.” The file was turned over to the RCMP as a missing persons case.</div>
<div>
RCMP Sgt. Wayne Newell said if new information arises, they will look into it, but there won’t be a further investigation.</div>
<div>
“There’s never been an indication there’s any foul play or anything like that,” he said. “With the boat, we may be able to find some answers, but the probability of finding that now is relatively low.” </div>
<div>
Just before the vigil began Monday evening, the names of the three people confirmed dead were released.</div>
<div>
Paul Froude, 42, and brothers Josh and James Guy, aged 10 and 12, died in the weekend tragedy. </div>
<div>
Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams expressed his sympathy to the family and friends of the victims.</div>
<div>
“Unfortunately, as a seafaring people, we are not immune to the loss of life on the water; and with such tragedy comes a tremendous sense of sadness and questions,” Williams said in a statement. </div>
<div>
“I cannot begin to imagine the pain being felt by the families right now, and I pray that they will find strength and peace through the memories of their loved ones."</div>
<div>
Noseworthy said the boys loved the outdoors and were known as hard workers.</div>
<div>
“They’re different,” he said. “There’s no video games in their life. They’re on the wharf every day of the week.”</div>
<div>
Noseworthy said the boys were known to hang around down at the wharf and would often go for boat rides.</div>
<div>
On Saturday, they went to their house to get their life-jackets and permission from their mother to go for a short boat trip.</div>
<div>
"They got their life-jackets, their mother came down on the wharf and made sure they had their jackets on and told them to be good," Noseworthy said.</div>
<div>
"She did say, ‘Now, if anything ever happens and you end up in the water, you get ashore and light the biggest kind of fire; someone will pick you up.’</div>
<div>
"She did tell them that."</div>
<div>
That night, the five-metre open boat was declared missing, and early Sunday morning, a fishing vessel found the body of 10-year-old Josh.</div>
<div>
Around noon Sunday, the body of 12-year-old James was recovered.</div>
<div>
The body of Froude, who was a friend of the boys’ family, was found around the same time.</div>
<div>
“They weren’t too far apart,” said Noseworthy.</div>
<div>
“All indications are that they were alive in the water, and they were holding on to each other. And then when they succumbed to their death, that’s when they drifted apart.”</div>
<div>
Noseworthy said he hopes the body of the fourth man will be found, to give the town and his family a sense of closure.</div>
<div>
“It’s not easy for anybody in the community to deal with,” he said. “With the fourth body, if we don’t recover it, it’s going to leave a gaping hole in the whole situation.</div>
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<strong>Ontario coroner's office to review drownings</strong><br />
<br />
July 29<br />
TORONTO — Ontario's acting chief coroner announced Thursday his office would review all of the drowning deaths in Ontario since May.<br />
"The purpose of this review is to identify common factors that may have played a role in the deaths and if necessary, make recommendations to prevent similar deaths," Dr. Bert Lauwers said in a statement. "Once complete, the results of this review will be released to the public later in the year."<br />
Ontario has seen a series of tragic water-related deaths since May, both in backyard pools and water ways.<br />
Wednesday a two-year-old boy who drowned at a private daycare in Ottawa became the sixth Ontario toddler to die in a backyard pool since mid-May. At this point last year, only one Ontario toddler had drowned in a backyard pool, and another in a hot tub.<br />
The deaths are part of a tragic trend that has seen 75 people drown in the province so far this year — 11 more than last year at the same point.<br />
Lauwers provided safety tips to avoid more tragic incidents and save lives, and stressed the need to learn how to swim.<br />
"Swimming is a basic life skill that everyone should be taught regardless of age," Lauwers said.<br />
Tips included wearing life-jacket or a personal flotation device, because people may underestimate to what extent "fatigue can set in very quickly" while swimming.<br />
Lauwers also stressed the need to closely supervise children at all times when near the water and cautioned not to drink and drive while boating.<br />
With files from the Ottawa Citizen<br />
<br />
<strong>Victims feared dead after chopper crashes in northern Quebec</strong><br />
<br />
Aug. 18<br />
<br />
SEPT-ILES, Que. — Quebec provincial police say four people on board a helicopter that crashed on Quebec's north shore Tuesday have been recovered from the crash site but say it is too early to confirm they are dead.<br />
Search-and-rescue teams removed the passengers from the downed helicopter around 6:30 p.m. and the provincial police force says the pilot and three passengers are "feared dead." Their deaths would have to be confirmed at a hospital in Sept-Iles, about 900 kilometres northeast of Montreal.<br />
The hospital said late Tuesday they could not comment on the accident or the conditions of those involved.<br />
Patrick Lowe, of the provincial police, said the company which owns the helicopter contacted police after receiving a distress signal. The incident itself took place around noon.<br />
"When he lost the signal, he went out to search for the location and found the site of the crash," Lowe said of a company staffer.<br />
Lowe said the trip seems to have been work-related. The helicopter took off from Sept-Iles and was heading to Poste Montagnais, about 150 kilometres north of Sept-Iles.<br />
The accident site was hard to access and "only accessible through air travel," Lowe said.<br />
Police confirmed the helicopter belonged to Sept-Iles-based Heli-Excel, but a spokesman at the company would only say a news conference was scheduled in Sept-Iles for Wednesday morning.<br />
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has deployed two investigators to the crash site and is investigating.<br />
The TSB says the helicopter was a AS-350 single-engine turbine helicopter. The agency says the crash site was about 30 kilometres north of Sept-Iles.<br />
<br />
<strong>Quebec man dies, leading to disabled brother's death — possibly by starvation</strong><br />
By Phil Couvrette, Postmedia News: Tuesday, September 7, 2010<br />
<br />
Quebec provincial police officers investigating the deaths of two brothers, including one suffering from Down syndrome, said Monday that the two died of natural causes after the caretaker died and left his brother unable to care for himself.<br />
Police said they were called to a home in St.-Jude, 75 kilometres northeast of Montreal, Sunday night after a man discovered the bodies of his two brothers when he stopped by their home.<br />
The death of Jean-Guy Roy, 59, who was looking after Richard, 46, left the latter "unable to take care of himself" and unable to feed himself, said Richard Gagne of the provincial police. "(Richard) passed away a little later on," but added it will be for the autopsies, in the coming days, to determine the time of the deaths.<br />
When Richard's mother died a few years ago, Jean-Guy — a man of limited education and few financial means — was left to care for his disabled younger brother, said a neighbour Monday.<br />
Jean-Guy, who rarely went out and had few contacts with neighbours, started reaching out to him for help, recalled Eric Sirois, who lived two doors down the Roy family home.<br />
"He would come to me to help him read letters or instructions," he said. "That's when I found out he couldn't read or write and that's when I started knowing him."<br />
Sirois said he last saw Jean-Guy about three weeks ago when he needed help assembling something he had purchased on television.<br />
Police confirmed the deaths and involved criminal investigators in the case but by Monday afternoon a doctor confirmed the deaths were of natural causes. The bodies were found in an advanced state of decomposition, police said, and may have been in the home for several days.<br />
While Sirois said he wasn't aware of specific health problems haunting Jean-Guy, Sirois said he noticed his body shaking increasingly over the years — lately with such violence the chain-smoker was not able to light his own cigarette.<br />
"He lived not more than 40 feet from my house but he would sometimes arrive out of breath, you would think he had hiked uphill for three kilometres," he said. "He left me with the impression his health was getting worse."<br />
Sirois said that the two brothers lived with limited means, probably relying on welfare to survive and any assistance Jean-Guy would get from the government for supporting his brother.<br />
But Sirois said Jean-Guy lived in fear authorities would eventually consider the poor state of their home and consider him "unfit to care for his brother."<br />
He lived under constant fear they would "take him away from me," Sirois recalled the elder brother as saying.<br />
The two, he said, both needed each other, one for general care and basic necessities, the other to fight loneliness. Especially, Sirois added, considering the brothers spoke only to the owner of the local convenience store and occasionally squabbled with their immediate neighbour.<br />
Sirois said he was amazed by the bond uniting the two brothers.<br />
Jean-Guy "loved and would do anything" for Richard, Sirois said.<br />
This is the latest tragedy to strike the community of St. Jude after a family of four died in a landslide in May.<br />
With files from the Montreal Gazette<br />
<br />
<strong>Canada’s fresh water supply draining away: StatsCan<br /> </strong><br />
Sept. 13<br />
<br />
OTTAWA — While Canadians usually think of their country as water-rich, renewable water resources have been dropping in southern Canada at the rate of 1.4 million Olympic-sized swimming pools a year, according to a report by Statistics Canada.<br />
Entitled “Freshwater supply and demand in Canada,” the report says that from 1971 to 2004, the water yield in the part of the country home to 98% of the population fell by an average of 3.5 cubic kilometres a year, representing an overall loss of 8.5% of southern Canada’s water yield over that period. The agency says the annual loss is the equivalent of “almost as much water as was supplied to Canada’s entire residential population in 2005.”<br />
“This report is a comprehensive look taking stock of what the renewable water resources are in Canada,” said Heather Dewar of Statistics Canada. “One of the things that was interesting in the study is that water yield of the volume of renewable fresh water typically peaks in the spring, whereas demand for water peaks somewhat later in the seasons, later in the summer or early fall.”<br />
The agency describes the water yield as “the result of precipitation and melted ice that flow over and under the ground, eventually reaching our rivers and lakes.”<br />
The report notes that Canada’s annual renewable fresh water is “roughly equivalent to the volume of Lake Huron” but is distributed unequally across the provinces.<br />
It notes the “Pacific Coastal drainage region” has the highest water yield in the country, followed by Newfoundland and Labrador. On the other extreme, drainage regions “in the Prairies and north of the Prairies produce the least water.”<br />
“We do have the third-largest volume of renewable fresh water in the world if you’re looking at a country-by-country basis,” Ms. Dewar said, adding it’s important to consider regional variations in water availability, since water isn’t easily transported.<br />
In addition to being dry, the Prairies had “the highest variability” of water yield during the period, a fact which “affects economic activities, including agriculture,” the study said.<br />
The area’s population rose by 1.6 million between 1971 and 2006 to about 4.5 million, the report notes, but while demand increased, the Prairies region received an “average annual yield of renewable fresh water equivalent to 12% of the yield of the Great Lakes drainage region” and just three per cent of the Pacific Coastal region.<br />
In fact, the region is so dry that “the renewable freshwater per unit area of the Prairies is less than that for either Australia or South Africa,” the report said.<br />
In 2005, more than 90% of Canada’s freshwater went to feed economic activity, compared to 9% used directly by the residential sector.<br />
The “thermal-electric power generation” sector was by far the thirstiest industry, the report stated, followed by the manufacturing sector.<br />
<br />
<strong>Montreal Canadiens not lacing up to play politics, says Habs president</strong><br />
<br />
Phil Couvrette Sept. 16<br />
<br />
<br />
With a new session of Parliament days away and a highly anticipated hockey season looming on the horizon, it was perhaps inevitable both worlds would collide over the perceived state of one of the country's most celebrated sports institutions.<br />
Days after a Quebec politician criticized the lack of francophones in the Montreal Canadiens organization, viewing it as a federalist plot to rob Quebecers of one of their most prized symbols, the top office in the land stepped into the melee with a few shots on goal of its own.<br />
The controversy began with the TV interview of Parti Quebecois language critic Pierre Curzi last week, who said of the team's perceived lack of French players: "I don't get paranoid about conspiracies, but I say that when the biggest symbol of our identity, namely the Montreal Canadiens hockey team, does not play any more francophones, when you go there, that is damned well political," he said.<br />
"It is not by chance," he added, when asked to elaborate. "People who are federalists and people who do not want to see Quebec become a country, who do not want French to flourish, they know very well that you have to seize a certain number of symbols of identity. I believe there is a takeover by federal power of the Canadiens club."<br />
On Thursday, the Prime Minister's Office derided the notion of a plot, warning separatists what they were really up against.<br />
"No political party should play wedge politics with the Montreal Canadiens," Dimitri Soudas, director of communications for Prime Minister Stephen Harper, said in an email. "I'm not sure it's a good idea to run against a hockey team, like the Habs, that has more victories than the Parti Quebecois and the Bloc Quebecois combined."<br />
At the Habs' annual golf tourney Thursday, the organization denied the lack of francophone content, and stressed that, in any event, it wasn't lacing up to play politics.<br />
"There is a very strong proportion of francophones and Quebecers in the Montreal Canadiens organization," team president Pierre Boivin told reporters.<br />
"Try to find another team in the NHL where a third of the players are from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League."<br />
Team owner Geoff Molson said one of the team's priorities is finding new Quebec talent, noting that about a third of players currently trying to make the team were francophone, drawing a comparison with NHL figures where he said only four per cent of players were Quebecers.<br />
"We are in the hockey business, we're not in politics," he said. "I can tell you we don't talk about politics in the dressing room, that's for sure."<br />
"This team is part of the culture, part of our fabric," Molson added. "And it's emotional for people."<br />
With files from the National Post<br />
<strong>Kenney in Australia to discuss human smuggling</strong><br />
Sept. 19, 2010<br />
As the boatload of refugees who landed in Canada last month make their way through the immigration process, Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney is in Australia to discuss that country’s approach to human smuggling.<br />
“Migrant-smuggling and human-trafficking are global problems,” Mr. Kenney said in a statement on Sunday.<br />
“Canada intends to work domestically and internationally to combat the crime and fraud associated with the treacherous journey some immigrants make to Canada. At the same time, we need to ensure that those in need of protection have access to it, and we look forward to working with partners such as Australia.”<br />
With Parliament returning in session this week, the Harper government is expected to table a bill early in the session that cracks down on human smuggling and proposes new measures to handle boatloads of refugees, such as the one that came from Sri Lanka this summer. The MV Sun Sea arrived on the B.C. coast on Aug. 13 with 492 Tamil migrants onboard.<br />
Ahead of Monday’s meeting with Australian counterpart Chris Bowen to discuss human smuggling, Mr. Kenney has been discussing with Australian officials “how both countries might jointly warn potential migrants of the dangers of relying on smugglers, particularly by sea, as well as the legal and practical consequences of seeking to enter Canada and Australia illegally,” a statement said.<br />
Australia has taken a hard line in dealing with asylum-seekers, a major issue in recent elections where the leading candidates promised tougher immigration laws during their campaigns, including offshore detention and refugee processing in either Nauru, or East Timor.<br />
Under Australian laws, asylum-seekers arriving by sea without a visa are detained by immigration officials offshore on Christmas Island or at centres on the mainland while refugee applications are assessed.<br />
Mr. Kenney’s visit to Australia follows other consultation with officials in Europe and Asia.<br />
During his trip, Mr. Kenney has noted that while it may not be possible to completely eliminate human-smuggling, actions can be taken to reduce its frequency.<br />
With files from Reuters<br />
<br />
<strong>Landlord who rejected N.W.T. gay couple due to fear of God must pay $13,000</strong><br />
Sept., 20<br />
<br />
YELLOWKNIFE, N.W.T.— A landlord in the Northwest Territories who refused<br />
to rent an apartment to a gay couple — saying he feared he would suffer<br />
God's wrath if he did — has been fined more than $13,000.<br />
Human-rights adjudicator James Posynick this month ordered William<br />
Goertzen of Yellowknife to pay $6,500 each to Scott Robertson and a, ruling<br />
the landlord had discriminated.<br />
Anthony and Robertson filed a complaint in June 2009, saying Goertzen had<br />
discriminated against them because of their sexual orientation. Goertzen<br />
didn't deny the accusation, saying he based his decision on his religious beliefs.<br />
According to the decision, Goertzen had originally agreed to let the two move<br />
into the apartment, receiving a deposit cheque of $1,125, but upon hearing<br />
they were in a long-term same-sex relationship he said he deemed any<br />
agreement void, fearing revenge from "his Lord."<br />
Before the two could appeal Goertzen's decision he had posted a new ad<br />
seeking to rent the apartment.<br />
"Goertzen had no intention of honouring his agreement with the<br />
complainants because he believes that same-sex relationships are 'unnatural<br />
and against nature' and 'the Bible warns against being associated with such<br />
wickedness and there would be undue hardship upon him' if he would let<br />
them live there," said the written decision from the Northwest Territories Human Rights Adjudication Panel.<br />
During the process, Goertzen had referred to "certain excerpts from the King<br />
James Bible ... which suggest that God is strongly against same-sex<br />
relationships," the adjudicator said.<br />
"While I accept his evidence that he believed that he would incur serious<br />
present and future harm if he rented his home to a same-sex couple I found<br />
nothing in the evidence, including in the Bible and Encyclopedia excerpts he<br />
filed, to the effect that he would suffer such harm if he did anything to help,<br />
that is, to accommodate the complainants," Posynick said.<br />
The landlord was ordered to pay the couple $5,000 each "for injury to<br />
dignity, feelings and self-respect" as well as $1,500 for punitive damages. In<br />
addition, Robertson was to receive $400 for lost wages during the time of<br />
the complaint.<br />
<strong>N.B. election candidates conduct final blitz on eve of vote</strong><br />
<br />
Sept. 27<br />
<br />
FREDERICTON — Party leaders conducted a final campaign blitz Sunday as they made their closing arguments and sought to bring out the vote ahead of what is expected to be a tight provincial election in New Brunswick on Monday.<br />
Liberal Premier Shawn Graham, whose political life is on the line, didn’t seem too concerned despite polls showing him trailing Conservative leader David Alward, as he rallied voters in the Acadian peninsula Sunday.<br />
“Dear friends, tomorrow it will be important to bring out the vote, riding by riding, vote by vote,” he said in French, addressing hundreds of supporters gathered in Inkerman, N.B. “But one thing is clear, tomorrow we will win this election.”<br />
Alward also spent some time along the New Brunswick coast Sunday, on the final leg of a bus tour boasting more than 11,000 kilometres, before dropping by the CFL game between the Edmonton Eskimos and Toronto Argonauts in Moncton.<br />
“I feel confident that the people of New Brunswick are looking for change and see that it is our party that will return good government to the province,” Alward said Sunday with the campaign winding down. "I want to be the premier of New Brunswick. I am ready for the job if the people of the province give me that opportunity."<br />
Over the weekend Alward highlighted 10 moves his government would take immediately if they win in Monday’s election<br />
Among the immediate promised priorities would be the swearing in Oct. 12 of a “new, smaller and more affordable” cabinet of 15 ministers, followed three days later by the appointment an energy commission laying out the energy policy of the next decade and guiding future decisions about NB Power.<br />
The failed sale of the provincial utility has fuelled public anger and dragged down the Liberals’ popularity.<br />
Graham contended the deal to sell the assets of debt-ridden NB Power to Hydro-Quebec for $4.7 billion last October would help the province get rid of the utility’s debt and reduce electricity rates.<br />
But the sale, called a despicable power grab on the part of Hydro-Quebec by Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams, sparked outrage in New Brunswick.<br />
Faced with growing public anger, both provinces announced a scaled-back $3.2-billion deal in January that would have seen Quebec take over fewer assets of NB Power. But the fury continued, and the agreement finally fell through in March.<br />
Recent polls suggest the Conservatives have a seven-point lead over Graham’s Liberals.<br />
The Liberals had the support of 38 per cent of those polled, compared to 45 per cent support for the Conservatives.<br />
Alward has also promised, in the days after a win, to hold a forestry summit on Nov. 19 and start a budget consultation process with New Brunswickers on Nov. 22. A speech from the throne would follow the next day.<br />
“We believe that the people of New Brunswick want a more inclusive government and that is what the PC team, under my leadership will provide,” said Alward. “More jobs, fair taxes and a less expensive government are what you can expect if you elect me premier.”<br />
The Liberals wasted no time attacking the 10-point plan, slamming Alward for his “arrogance” in scheduling “his first cabinet meeting ... before the voters of New Brunswick have had their say.”<br />
The three other party leaders — Roger Duguay of the NDP, Jack MacDougall of the Green Party and Kris Austin of the People’s Alliance — campaigned in their own ridings over the weekend.<br />
They are not represented in the outgoing legislature, where the Liberals hold 32 seats and the Conservatives have 21. There are two vacant seats.<br />
The race remains tight, but political observer Donald Savoie believes change is in the air.<br />
“My sense is that we are looking at a Tory majority government, but not a landslide,” said Savoie, chair in public administration and governance at the University of Moncton.<br />
He noted Graham’s government took on a number of controversial files during its mandate — including early French immersion, health-care reforms and the botched sale of NB Power to Hydro-Quebec — and was forced to backtrack several times. In the process, he said, Graham alienated support from different segments of the population.<br />
“I think the ballot question is a referendum on Shawn Graham and people are fairly critical of him,” Savoie said. “I don’t sense a great degree of enthusiasm for any party. I think it will be a classic case of the government sort of defeated itself.”<br />
With files from the Moncton Times and Transcript and Marianne White and Phil Couvrette, Postmedia News<br />
<br />
<strong>Regular Quebec referendum proposal 'supreme idiocy,' say critics</strong><br />
<br />
Sept. 30<br />
<br />
OTTAWA — Anyone up for a referendum neverendum? Some are calling a former Tory cabinet minister's suggestion that Quebec hold referendums every 15 years just plain dumb.<br />
In a letter to Montreal's La Presse newspaper, Michael Fortier recommends the unusual move as way to keep the separation debate from dominating Quebec's political discourse, dividing the political class and allowing it to instead focus its attention on other matters.<br />
Holding a referendum every 15 years, by law, would mitigate the inevitable instability that a Parti Quebecois government would bring when it calls for a future referendum after it is elected, he says.<br />
Of course, that would mean holding a referendum under Liberal rule as well.<br />
The suggestion, at a time Quebec independence has gone to the back burner, got a cool response from Harper's office Thursday.<br />
"Mr. Fortier is a private citizen who does not speak for the government," Dimitri Soudas, director of communications for Prime Minister Stephen Harper, said in an email. "I'm sure there are better things to schedule every 15 years. High-school reunions for example. Not referendums."<br />
Others were more direct when inquired to opine about the referendum pitch.<br />
"I've been in politics for a very long time. This is probably the silliest idea I've ever heard in my life," said the NDP MP Thomas Mulcair in a scrum following question period. "It is supreme idiocy to propose a referendum with a fixed periodicity like that. It would destabilize."<br />
The Quebec MP says the "absurd" idea runs counter to Fortier's previous assertions.<br />
"This is the same Michael Fortier who's always said referendums cause instability and now he's proposing to institutionalize instability," Mulcair said. "He's living on another planet."<br />
The Bloc Quebecois surprised no one by appearing more warm to the idea.<br />
"That would mean it would be this year," observed leader Gilles Duceppe, referring to the fact the last referendum was held 15 years ago this month.<br />
Sovereignty, Duceppe said, "has its roots in the daily life of all citizens."<br />
For the record, Fortier said he would vote no in such a referendum — and any ensuing one.<br />
"As a federalist, I would rather we stopped holding them," he writes.<br />
<br />
Emotional ceremony reunites Pat Burns, players<br />
<br />
<br />
Oct. 6<br />
<br />
STANSTEAD, Que. — People cried and hugged in this Eastern Township Quebec town Wednesday during a groundbreaking ceremony for an arena named after Pat Burns, which reunited the former NHL coach with friends and former players.<br />
“To my husband, Pat, thank you for being a living proof of courage, determination and hope, and this on a day-to-day basis,” Line Burns told those assembled at the future site of the $8.5-million arena.<br />
Burns, weakened by his current battle with cancer, didn’t address the crowd, but reportedly did manage to make light of media reports that pronounced his premature death last month.<br />
“I’m still alive,” he reportedly quipped.<br />
Ceremony participants, who spoke with emotion of the event attended by a frail-looking Burns, said that was more than obvious.<br />
“He demonstrated that he certainly wasn’t dead,” by the way he acted, provincial Liberal legislature member Pierre Reid said with a laugh.<br />
But Reid said Burns appeared much more frail than earlier this spring when he attended an announcement on the arena. He praised Burns’ will to remain so involved in the project.<br />
“Most people with his health” wouldn’t be so active, Reid said. “He’s continued, hasn’t quit. We see he’s a courageous man. Is he that way because he played hockey or is it he played hockey because of that courage?”<br />
Reid said he found “particularly moving” the event’s message: “You can achieve great things until the very end.”<br />
Former Habs player Stephane Richer told LCN network he didn’t pass up the opportunity to attend and speak to his former coach for fear he may not have another chance to see him again.<br />
“This was a very difficult day,” he told the French language network. “Pat is a fighter and he’ll fight until the end.”<br />
Dozens of schoolchildren lined a road leading to the ceremony site, some holding signs saying “Merci Pat” (Thanks Pat).<br />
“The community arena is where I started out skating as a kid and learning to play hockey,” Burns says on the arena’s website. “I’ve been lucky enough to get to know and work with some of the great players of our time. But for all these guys, it all comes back to the small-town arena.”<br />
Burns, who survived battles with colon cancer and liver cancer, was diagnosed with incurable lung cancer in January 2009 and decided to forgo treatment.<br />
The 58-year-old coached the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils.<br />
<br />
<strong>Silence tops menu during lunchtime at Quebec school</strong><br />
<br />
BY CARMEN CHAI AND PHIL COUVRETTE, POSTMEDIA NEWS OCT 7<br />
<br />
<br />
Whispers and the sound of chewing are all that can be heard in an elementary school in Quebec that has created a new rule forbidding kids from talking during lunchtime.<br />
Since the beginning of the school year, about 300 students from five to eight years old at Ecole Notre-Dame in Waterloo, Que., eat their lunches in silence for 15 minutes in the school gymnasium, said Sandra Thibodeau, communications co-ordinator for Val-des-Cerfs School Commission, the board that oversees the school.<br />
"We accept a small amount of whispering for those 15 minutes and the school plays relaxing, rhythmic music . . . it's very nice," she said.<br />
"I saw it last week. It's not like the army or a monastery. We have two lunch periods so we hear some students outside playing, others are inside eating and some students are waiting for hot meals in the cafeteria," she said.<br />
Louise Gagnon, the mother of a seven-year-old student at the school, has collected about 100 signatures against the new policy after circulating a petition.<br />
Gagnon said that what prompted her to start the petition was the "complete change of attitude" she noted in her son after the rule came into effect.<br />
The usually calm child "became furious and borderline aggressive" after returning from school starting last month, she said. "He would run everywhere, jump on furniture and feel the need to make noise and speak loudly," she said.<br />
He was even becoming aggressive with his stuffed animals.<br />
She said after exploring the possibility her child may be the subject of bullying she concluded the rule was causing the change of behaviour.<br />
Students caught whispering during the period are moved around, she said, and not respecting the rule further could land suspensions, which happened twice in his case.<br />
Gagnon said while she is the only one to have complained so far she suspects there are many other parents who won't go on the record on what has become a controversial issue in Waterloo, a small town about 100 kilometres southeast of Montreal.<br />
Thibodeau confirmed that only one complaint has been filed to the board.<br />
She said that when the 15 minutes to eat lunch are over, the students head to the schoolyard for an hour of recess where they can shout and scream as much as they want.<br />
The board approved the idea after parents and teachers complained that children had headaches from the noise level and most didn't eat lunch because they were too busy socializing.<br />
The school tried other ways to calm the students from turning off the lights to ringing a bell when the noise increased, but silence was the "more acceptable solution," Thibodeau said.<br />
She said other schools are also scrambling to make sure students eat more and talk less during lunchtime and the board, which oversees 34 primary schools and seven high schools, could expand the policy after seeing its success.<br />
Nancy Perry, a psychology professor at the University of British Columbia, said the new rule sounds like "an extreme measure" and suggests the school considers other methods of dealing with noise.<br />
"I don't think what they're doing will cause irreparable harm but it is an extreme measure and it seems punishing for children," she said.<br />
She said 15 minutes of silence is difficult for young children to handle.<br />
"If they feel their energy is being pent up, they might feel angry or frustrated. I would feel angry. Imagine spending 15 minutes a day not speaking, especially as a young child."<br />
Thibodeau said the parents will meet with the school director next week.<br />
<br />
<strong>No charges after weekend football brawl</strong><br />
<br />
Oct. 20<br />
<br />
HAMILTON — Hamilton police say no formal charges have been laid after a brawl between junior football players and fans last weekend, but a team official says players are facing sanctions.<br />
The brawl, captured on video by a local cable channel, has garnered more than 62,000 views on YouTube. It shows players from Montreal’s St. Leonard Cougars taking on fans in the stands at Ivor Wynne Stadium in a game against the Hamilton Hurricanes.<br />
At one point, a player swings a milk crate at a fan.<br />
Police said by the time they arrived on scene, around 7 p.m. Saturday, much of the brouhaha was already over.<br />
“We did speak to some people . . . who appeared to be injured,” said Sgt. Terri-Lynn Collings of Hamilton Police.<br />
“But at this point we don’t have anybody that has come forward to lodge a formal complaint about an assault, so our investigation has been concluded pending anybody coming forward at a later time.”<br />
Cougars president Antonio Iadeluca told French-language news channel LCN that players face disciplinary action as they conduct an investigation, but he said referees had been warned in the second quarter some fans were causing trouble.<br />
When beer cans started landing on the players, some of them “took matters in their own hands,” he said.<br />
The incident can be viewed at: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v(equal)AOfJfhoQgGc" style="color: #706b60; text-decoration: underline;">www.youtube.com/watch?v(equal)AOfJfhoQgGc</a><br />
<br />
<strong>Toronto elects Rob Ford as mayor</strong><br />
Oct. 26<br />
<br />
Councillor Rob Ford has won the mayor's chair in Canada's largest city.<br />
With results unofficial, Ford ran away with 47 per cent of the vote with 1,820 of 1,870 polls reporting, declaring soon after the polls closed last night: "Toronto is now open for business."<br />
George Smitherman, his chief rival, was sitting at 35 per cent, while Joe Pantalone lagged with 11 per cent.<br />
Ford beat out Smitherman, a former provincial cabinet minister, along with fellow councillor Pantalone to replace David Miller as mayor of Toronto. Miller did not seek re-election.<br />
"This is absolutely phenomenal," Ford said shortly after learning the extent of his lead. "We've worked very, very hard and the people are really fed up with the wasteful spending. I want to thank them for their vote of confidence and cannot wait ... to put the city back on its financial feet. Toronto is now open for business."<br />
Ford's platform was a simple one: cut taxes, hire more police officers and reduce spending at city hall by slashing the number of councillors in half.<br />
Controversy has surrounded Ford for the past 10 years, not necessarily over his political ambitions, but over troubles in his personal life.<br />
Ford was charged in Miami with marijuana possession (the charge was later dropped) and with driving under the influence (he pleaded no contest and was fined $664). Back home in Canada, he was charged with uttering a death threat and with an alleged assault against his wife, Renata (both charges were later dropped).<br />
In Mississauga, Hazel McCallion, meanwhile, looked to make it another election victory. The 89-year-old McCallion stormed out of the gate with 76 per cent of the early voting with 208 of 231 polls reporting. In Ottawa, former Ontario cabinet minister Jim Watson took over the mayor's chair, replacing embattled incumbent Larry O'Brien, whose term as mayor was sullied by an ugly legal battle and accusations -of which he was exonerated -of influence peddling.<br />
"I am truly honoured and humbled by the strong mandate that I received in all wards in all parts of the city," Watson said last evening. "It appears clear the public voted for change and voted for change in a very big way."<br />
Watson was leading O'Brien by a two-to-one margin with 512 of 556 polls reporting.<br />
Watson had 48 per cent of the votes, while O'Brien tallied 24 per cent.<br />
<br />
<strong>Nigerian militants claim they kidnapped Canadian man</strong><br />
<br />
Nov. 9<br />
<br />
Nigeria's most active militant group has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of a Canadian oil worker and six of his colleagues after an attack on an oil rig off Nigeria on Monday.<br />
"All the abducted expatriates are well and in our safe custody," the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) said in an emailed statement to Reuters.<br />
The group said it would soon release the names of all the hostages being held, although according to Newfoundland television station NTV, the Canadian has been identified as Robert Croke, a resident of St. John's.<br />
Croke and the others, identified as two Americans, two French nationals and two Indonesians, were on the oil rig High Island VII, which had recently arrived at an oilfield, some 12 kilometres off the coast off Akwa Ibom state.<br />
"I can confirm one hostage is Canadian," Postmedia News was told by James Henderson of Pelham Bell Pottinger, a public relations company for Afren, the United Kingdom-based company that operates the rig.<br />
NTV News said Croke, 51, works for PPI Technology Services, a drilling management company based in Houston.<br />
Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement it is aware of reports that a Canadian national is missing and presumed kidnapped in Nigeria.<br />
"The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade is in touch with local authorities with a view to seeking further information. Due to the Privacy Act, no additional information can be released at this time," said spokeswoman Lisa Monette.<br />
In addition to the hostages, an Afren statement said: "Two crew members are stable after receiving wounds to the leg, and have been evacuated by helicopter to a shore-based clinic."<br />
The pre-dawn attack happened in the country's turbulent Niger Delta region, the heart of one of the world's largest oil industries.<br />
Most kidnappings in the region are for ransom, but no demands had been made yet.<br />
The militant group said on Monday it was also holding one Thai and three French nationals who were kidnapped several weeks ago and had since been transferred to its custody.<br />
The three Frenchmen were kidnapped from a vessel owned by French marine services company Bourbon on Sept. 22 by gunmen in speedboats.<br />
Meanwhile, Afren said in its statement that a second "security breach" happened at a support vessel, but did not provide details. The statement said "the vessel and rig are both under the control of the company."<br />
Preparations for drilling operations on the rig had been temporarily suspended.<br />
Afren is headquartered in Britain and works with a local partner, AMNI International, while the rig is owned by Transocean.<br />
Nigerian security officials could not provide precise details on the attack, one of the latest in the Niger Delta.<br />
Criminal gangs seeking ransom payments as well as militants claiming to be fighting for a fairer distribution of oil revenue have abducted scores of foreigners and family members of wealthy Nigerians in recent years.<br />
An amnesty deal offered to militants last year greatly reduced unrest in the Niger Delta, but several incidents have occurred in recent months ahead of elections set to take place early next year.<br />
Sabotage of oil facilities occur frequently in the region. Late last month, a pipeline belonging to the Italian oil firm Eni was attacked, causing a 4,000-barrel-per-day production cut.<br />
Nigeria is one of the world's largest oil exporters.<br />
- With files from Reuters and AFP<br />
<br />
<strong>Police recover some items belonging to Pat Burns</strong><br />
<br />
Dec. 2<br />
<br />
MONTREAL — Montreal police said Thursday some of the items stolen from the widow of former NHL coach Pat Burns have been recovered.<br />
Police said two suitcases containing items belonging to Burns and his wife were turned in to police by a citizen who found them near the scene of the crime.<br />
Other items such as autographed hockey jerseys that were to be auctioned off were still missing.<br />
Family photographs and jewelry were also stolen.<br />
The theft occurred hours after Monday afternoon’s funeral services for Burns, who died Nov. 19 after losing his battle against cancer.<br />
The Montreal Canadiens and other members of the hockey community offered their support to Burns’ widow, Line.<br />
Police pleaded for help from the public in the case and the thief, or thieves, were also being encouraged to contact authorities to set up a drop-off point for the items, no questions asked.<br />
<br />
<strong>Quebec communities assess damage after high tides, strong winds</strong><br />
<br />
Dec. 7<br />
<br />
RIMOUSKI, Que. — A combination of high tides, rain and gusting winds prompted officials to evacuate hundreds of homes in eastern Quebec this week as the safety of residents was threatened by floods and damaged foundations.<br />
Two communities — Sainte-Flavie and Sainte-Luce, east of Rimouski — were still under a state of emergency Tuesday and sought financial assistance from the province.<br />
Public security officials said about 500 homes were damaged overall, from coastal communities in the Gaspesie to residential properties as far west as Charlevoix, near Quebec City.<br />
There have been no deaths or serious injuries reported from the storms.<br />
Annik Bouchard of civil security said officials were keeping a close watch but the seasonal high tides — measuring three to 4.5 metres — were less likely to be accompanied by 80-90-kilometre-per-hour winds that together formed a potent combination along Quebec's coast.<br />
"Our first priority is the safety of the population, so we're doing all we can to help people who are facing danger," Public Security Minister Robert Dutil told reporters. "But we don't control the tide."<br />
Some of the people forced from their homes Monday returned Tuesday but about 300 people were still not able to go home, according to the Surete du Quebec.<br />
Officials said it was too early to put a price tag on the damage.<br />
Sainte-Flavie and Sainte-Luce decided to maintain a state of emergency Tuesday as teams toured their affected communities to assess damage, while officials kept a watch on the high tide.<br />
Sainte-Luce issued a statement saying the community of about 3,000 was seeking to be declared a disaster area by the province in order to facilitate the flow of emergency funds.<br />
"A number of homes along the St. Lawrence are in peril," Mayor Gaston Gaudreault said Tuesday.<br />
Gaudreault told Postmedia News his community was looking at $8-10 million in damages, with 80 per cent of lands in some areas damaged in one way or another.<br />
"One mobile home would have simply floated away if it hadn't been for a tree blocking the way," he said. "One home was punched by a big hole, another was flooded with a combination of water and sand . . . the list goes on. Few homes were left untouched."<br />
City officials fielded calls from concerned citizens Tuesday as water levels rose once more, but low winds minimized the danger.<br />
"I've never seen waves this high, this strong," he said. "It was a combination of high winds and waves that caused this."<br />
Despite it all. the mayor counted his blessings.<br />
"No one's been seriously hurt or killed," he said. "That's very important."<br />
Damien Ruest, mayor of Sainte-Flavie, said Tuesday a tide of 4.4 metres was in effect in his community of 960, where 75 to 80 people were affected by the flooding, but low winds kept the situation under control.<br />
"There's almost no wind, the tide is high but isn't causing any problems today," he said. "Things are looking better."<br />
His community decided to maintain the state of emergency at least until Wednesday, he said, as water levels and winds were being monitored.<br />
In some instances, homes were removed from their foundations, he said, but only four or five were considered total losses.<br />
<br />
<strong>Flooding forces hundreds of people from homes in eastern Quebec, Maritimes</strong><br />
<br />
Dec. 15<br />
<br />
QUEBEC — Flooding affected hundreds of residences, forcing residents out of their homes, as torrential rain continued Wednesday to pound eastern Quebec.<br />
Emergency measures have been implemented in the hardest hit area, around the city of Gaspe, which has received 150 millimetres of rain in two days and was expecting up to 25 millimetres more Wednesday.<br />
"It's pretty terrible," Quebec Public Security Minister Robert Dutil said Wednesday, adding his government is set to adopt a decree to offer financial assistance to the Gaspe Peninsula.<br />
A spokesman for Quebec's civil security department said about 125 residents were evacuated and between 300 and 500 homes flooded in Gaspe alone, adding continued precipitation could cause those numbers to increase.<br />
Because many decided to leave their flooded homes on their own, officials said the exact number of flood evacuees was hard to pin down.<br />
"In some ways, this is worse than the 2007 flooding," said Daniel Cote, of Gaspe. "The damages are plentiful but they are not as serious."<br />
He stressed the heavy rain caused four major rivers and several small streams to spill their banks. The communities also fear possible landslides.<br />
In August 2007, flash flooding killed two people after their house was swept away in Riviere-au-Renard, Que., not far from Gaspe. The damage from the storm was estimated at $2 million.<br />
The civil security department said Wednesday about 50 people were also evacuated both in the communities of Chandler and New Richmond, along with dozens more in outlying areas, where 10 businesses have also been flooded.<br />
Over a dozen provincial ministries were supporting communities in need, officials said.<br />
This week's flooding also led to several road closures in the area — notably Road 132, a main route — because they were covered with water.<br />
Those evacuated were taken to emergency shelters in either Riviere-au-Renard or Gaspe.<br />
Meanwhile the Maritimes were still struggling with floods after some regions were battered with over 200 millimetres of rain in 24 hours, at time isolating small communities.<br />
"We have to declare a state of disaster here," said New Brunswick member of legislature Rick Doucet. "We have to reach out for federal assistance as quickly as possible."<br />
On Tuesday, a couple not realizing Route 770 had been washed away by the Bonny River had to be rescued after scrambling on the roof of their car. Luckily people from a nearby firehall were able to help them to safety using a boat.<br />
Despite being under over a metre of water at home, Kory Leslie has been spending his time rescuing those in need with the help of his boat.<br />
"We probably brought seven people down yesterday, half a dozen kids and their wives, and their husband were kind of hanging out trying to look after the houses."</div>
</div>
CNS EASThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17450023054243911470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829197718575546351.post-84895768510740566372014-11-26T16:35:00.002-08:002014-11-26T16:35:29.317-08:00CNS 2009<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Ferries given federal security grant</strong></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Canwest News Service<br />January 09, 2009<br />B.C. Ferries will get a share of $7.4 million announced yesterday by the federal government to make ferries safer.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">The funding is to provide security enhancements such as surveillance equipment, dockside and perimeter security, command, control and communications equipment, and training.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">The announcement was part of the federal government's Marine Security Contribution Program, a $115-million initiative to improve security enhancements at ports and other marine facilities.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Transport Canada said the operators targeted were those in the "higher risk" category.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">British Columbia was singled out as part of security measures in the lead up to the 2010 Winter Games.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">"We're very pleased to learn we're part of the Marine Security Contribution Program," said B.C. Ferries spokeswoman Deborah Marshall.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">B.C. Ferries had submitted a proposal for federal funding for security upgrades on things such as perimeter fencing and closed-circuit television. Marshall said B.C. Ferries is still awaiting the final word on how much has been earmarked for them.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">In all, the funds will help cover 43 different security projects.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">"Many Canadians rely on ferry services every day. Our government is getting things done to improve the safety and security of those who work and use our ferries," said Transport Minister John Baird.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">"In addition to strengthening the security of Canadians, this investment encourages more travel on our domestic ferries, helps stimulates the economy, supports tourism and promotes the creation of new jobs."</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Funds were announced for ferry operators in Quebec, Nova Scotia and B.C. Transport Canada said Toronto would also receive funding. A complete provincial breakdown was not available.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Que. group launches complaint over TV show</span></h1>
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MONTREAL — The Black Coalition of Quebec said Wednesday it has asked Canada's public security minister to look into a controversial year-end TV show which has generated a number of complaints the program was at best, tasteless and at worst, racist.</div>
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One segment of Radio-Canada's highly controversial Bye Bye New Year's Eve special lampooned U.S. president-elect Barack Obama and featured a slew of jokes about blacks, including one reference to assassination.<br />
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Coalition president Dan Philip told a news conference his group wasn't only concerned about the use of racist terms but fears the program could trigger attacks against the black community, and was therefore requesting "criminal investigations" into the matter.<br />
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"We were outraged because in a society such as ours, these types of words disguised as 'humour' can only promote hatred and contempt and are unacceptable," said the Jan. 7 the letter addressed to Public Security Minister Peter Van Loan.<br />
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The group said it also filed a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission to obtain "a minimum of justice."<br />
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Last week, the show's producers, Veronique Cloutier and Louis Morissette, delivered an emotional apology, saying they misjudged how the public would react to the program.<br />
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The Black Coalition describes itself as a group that defends against all forms of discrimination against Quebec's black community.<br />
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Phil Couvrette, Canwest News Service<br />
A small Quebec community will vote on enforcing a rare ban on two-wheel vehicles in winter after a man was killed riding his bike in the new year.<br />
Regulations banning bicycles and motorized bikes, when roads are partly or completely covered by snow or ice, have been in place in La Tuque, 275 kilometres northeast of Montreal, for a decade, but have never been enforced.<br />
But the death of 45-year-old man on Jan. 6, after he was hit by a truck while riding his bike in the snow, has caused concern and has prompted the town to remind residents about the law. The municipal council will consider next week whether the ban should be enforced by police.<br />
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"This is being done to protect people and make the city safer," city spokesman Alain Michaud said.</div>
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"As soon as there is snow or ice, these vehicles can't circulate."<br />
A provincial police spokesman said he wasn't aware such fines had ever been handed out.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Special unit to patrol Que.-U.S. border</span></h1>
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Phil Couvrette, Canwest News Service, Feb. 3</div>
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A special border-patrol unit consisting of RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency agents will soon take shape in Quebec under a pilot project which could herald a new nationwide efforts to beef up border security.</div>
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The patrol will monitor Quebec-U.S. crossings and combat criminals taking advantage of the boundary, said Jean-Pierre Fortin, vice-president of the Customs and Immigration Union.<br />
The initiative comes from a Conservative party platform to enhance security by creating “a border patrol that can patrol the many unguarded roads and the border in between official entry points,” Fortin said.<br />
He added talks were underway between the RCMP and CBSA and that details were expected soon on where the Quebec project would take shape. RCMP said they couldn’t confirm anything about the project pending an official announcement.<br />
Fortin said Quebec was chosen because it represents the area with the most unguarded roads to the border in the country.<br />
“The government must think this will be a good laboratory to go forward and create this patrol,” he said.<br />
The region has also been affected by RCMP cutbacks, he said, noting the closure of nine detachment.<br />
The initiative is taking place as the U.S. is about to have drone planes patrol the border and Homeland Security reviews vulnerabilities along the world’s longest undefended boundary.<br />
The U.S. Border Patrol is testing the readiness of the drones which were expected to begin regular patrols by the official opening of the North Dakota station housing them, on Feb. 16, according to a U.S. Border Patrol spokesman.<br />
In the meantime Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano singled out the U.S.-Canada border in one of her first action directives days after being sworn in.<br />
“As we have designed programs to afford greater protection against unlawful entry, members of Congress and Homeland Security experts have called for increased attention to the Canadian border,” says the department’s directive, which was issued days after President Barack Obama’s inauguration.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Que. man auctions 'world's oldest stick'.</span></h1>
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QUEBEC - A Quebec man has put up for auction - at $1 million US - a hockey stick that he claims is the oldest in the world.<br />
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The stick went up on eBay at 7 p.m. ET Monday and those interested in purchasing it will have to deposit $10,000 US just to be able to place a bid in the 10-day auction. Unsuccessful bidders will have their money refunded.<br />
Bobby Rouillard - a sports collector and son of a Quebec City antique dealer - says the hockey stick sheds new light on the early origins of the game but Canadian sports historians aren't so sure. They expressed doubts about the stick, insisting the oldest existing hockey sticks were carved in the 1850s. </div>
Rouillard, 35, said he was hoping to list the stick for a 30-day period but had to settle for 10. He says he won't be disappointed and will keep it in his collection if the stick isn't sold.<br />
According to a carbon-dating laboratory in California, where samples of the stick were sent for analysis, the artifact is made of yellow birch or cherry wood dated between 1633 and 1666. The analysis showed the stick was carved in one piece.<br />
Two hours after the item went up on eBay there was yet to be a bid. While the stick comes with a price tag, shipping is listed as free.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: small;">Drone to patrol Manitoba border</span></strong><br /><br /><br />Canwest News Service, February 17, 2009<br />
The U.S. is scheduled to start flying an unmanned and unarmed drone over the U.S.-Canada border today, a U.S. Border Patrol spokesman has told Canwest News Service.<br />
Juan Munoz-Torres of U.S. Customs and Border Protection says the Predator drone will survey a 370-kilometre stretch of the Manitoba-North Dakota border at about 20,000 feet.<br />
The drone will fly no closer than 15 kilometres from the border, said Munoz-Torres. A single drone will be surveying the border at first but "in the future we may have more, it will be determined as we move along with this operation," he added.<br />
The drone is equipped with hi-definition sensors that can spot an object as far as 35 kilometres away, he said.<br />
To date the Border Patrol had been testing the readiness of the drone, which will be flying out of Grand Forks, N.D.<br />
The launch of the drone flights is taking place as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has asked for a review of vulnerabilities along the world's longest undefended boundary.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Family seeks info about Canadian's death in Madagascar</span></h1>
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Canwest News Service, Feb. 25<br />
GUELPH, Ont. — Family of a Canadian killed in Madagascar said Wednesday they hoped the man's body will be returned in time for his memorial service, but were frustrated by the lack of information about the incident.<br />
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Mark Alessio, 43, was killed Monday, said his brother, Michael, who has praised officials for being able to process the paperwork quickly to have the body repatriated to Canada.<br />
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But he said he wasn't happy little information was available about possible suspects in his brother's death. Michael said he was told by Canadian officials his brother was murdered in the capital, Antananarivo, while he was vacationing.<br />
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"They got all the paperwork done fast, I don't know how they did that. My only thing is that my brother didn't just die, he was murdered. I haven't heard anything about that yet," he said. "I realize it's only been a couple of days . . . things don't get solved in a couple of days, but I haven't heard anything about whether they have anybody in custody. I guess that's where my frustration is."<br />
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He said Foreign Affairs had contacted the family but "nobody knows for sure what happened."<br />
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Foreign Affairs "has been advised that a Canadian citizen has been murdered in Madagascar on the early morning of Feb. 23," said Emma Welford from the department. "Consular officials are providing assistance and support to the family as needed."<br />
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Mark Alessio had previously worked as a teacher for two years in Madagascar and loved international travel, his brother said. Michael said a visitation is being held on Sunday.<br />
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The island nation off Africa's southeast coast has been marked by political violence this year. Close to 100 people died in political unrest there last month.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: small;">Quebec may require ski helmets, at request of emergency doctors</span></strong><br />
Canwest News Service, Feb. 27<br />
QUEBEC - Quebec's government says it is seriously considering requests by the province's emergency room doctors to make helmets mandatory on ski slopes.<br />
"Emergency doctors say we could prevent trauma involving ski accidents if the helmet is made mandatory," said Jean-Pascal Bernier, the spokesman for Education and Sports Minister Michelle Courchesne.<br />
It is first necessary to talk with industry partners to see how to proceed and what the impact would be, he said.<br />
Mr. Bernier said a change of habits is already taking place on the hills, with 92% of children under 12 wearing helmets. He noted Quebec ski areas already require helmets in snowboard areas.<br />
The Association of Quebec Emergency Room Doctors made the request yesterday, stressing studies have shown "60% of head trauma could be avoided by wearing a helmet" while participating in winter sports.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Vessel involved in Gainey accident considering Canadian registration</span><br />
<br />Phil Couvrette, Canwes News Service, Feb. 28<br />
Officials of the sail training ship Laura Gainey was working on when she was swept to her death in a storm in 2006 are heeding her family's advice and looking into registering the ship in Canada.<br />
Days after the Transportation Safety Board released its report on the incident, which claimed the daughter of Montreal Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey, owners of the Picton Castle wrote Transport Canada to inquire about registering the ship in Lunenburg, N.S., where it is based, according to a document obtained by Canwest News Service.<br />
"Any help and guidance you can give us in this pursuit would be greatly appreciated," reads the letter dated Nov. 9, 2008 and obtained through Access to Information.<br />
"We are researching what is involved in registering at this point," said Susan Corkum-Greek, a spokeswoman for the Picton Castle, adding, "I wouldn't want to make it sound like it's further along than it is."<br />
The ship is registered in the Cook Islands but the family asked that the ship revoke the registration for a Canadian one soon after shortcomings were unveiled in the investigation of the incident undertaken by authorities on the South Pacific island group.<br />
An initial, critical report on the accident, commissioned by the Cook Islands, had been quietly replaced by another that painted a rosier picture of the ship.<br />
In its own report, the TSB found serious safety deficiencies - since remedied - on the ship at the time of the incident on Dec. 8, 2006.<br />
Clear onboard communications were lacking, and safety nets and harnesses were not in use that night. The report also noted Gainey was tired, but felt she could not sleep because of her duties, and it said the decision to set sail with a long-range forecast of bad weather was flawed.<br />
"Given the mystifying and disappointing action of the Cook Islands registry over the last 20 months, (we ask) that the Picton Castle terminate this relationship and register the ship under a Canadian flag," the Gainey family said the day the TSB report was released, Oct. 30, 2008.<br />
"It was a request we made and they sent me an e-mail in November and said they were taking steps to change the registry," Bob Gainey told Canwest News Service. "We realize that this presents some difficulties for them but I think this shows that they want to be good citizens."<br />
The registry of the ship was raised during the drafting of the TSB report, documents obtained through Access to Information show.<br />
Transport Canada suggested the title of the report be amended to underline where the ship was registered. This was turned down, but Transport Canada did get the TSB report amended by changing a line which referred to the "home port of Lunenburg," which it felt suggested that the ship was Canadian-registered.<br />
"Transport Canada met with the Canadian Sail Training Association in January 2009 to discuss a policy being developed (including the use of safety management systems) related to Canadian-registered sail training vessels," said Maryse Durette of Transport Canada. "The policy will also address issues related to foreign sail training vessels in Canadian waters."<br />
Transport Canada said it is also updating its standards relating to design, construction and operational safety of sail training vessels and will take into consideration the TSB report.<br />
Documents show Transport Canada officials were sensitive to the TSB recommendations. One Transport Canada official, in an e-mail two days before the report's public release, said he was going over the TSB report in detail to "amend (Transport Canada's) draft policy on Sail Training Vessels to cover the safety concerns highlighter in the report."<br />
At one point, Transport Canada considered reviewing the requirement for wearing safety harnesses.<br />
Further, Transport Canada's review of the TSB report questioned the length of time - 30 minutes - it took the ship to return back to the point where crew members had thrown a life-ring into the water, after the alarm was sounded.<br />
"Under power, it should have been quicker, even given the weather," the review suggested.<br />
The Picton Castle website notes the ship has undergone an independent extraordinary safety audit and a Port State Control inspection by Transport Canada since the incident, but Corkum-Greek adds more inspections will be needed to obtain Canadian registration.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">N.B. brew launch leaves bad taste for some</span></h1>
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Canwest News Service, Mar. 13<br />
FREDERICTON — New Brunswick's decision to launch a provincial brand of beer to counter years of drop in the sale of suds isn't going down well with some of the province's microbrewers.<br />
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NB Liquor says that with its Selection brand of lager and light beer it becomes the first liquor board in the country to offer a private label beer, its main selling point being a price tag of $18.67 for a 12-pack of suds.<br />
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The liquor board says it is losing $8 million to $12 million annually as New Brunswickers in part make it a habit of driving into Quebec to pay as little as $1 a can for beer, a price that remains lower even after the initiative.<br />
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"Over the past couple of years, we have seen a steady decline in volume in the domestic beer category and part of that is poor summer weather, lower tourism numbers and some pricing in other liquor jurisdictions," said Nora Lacey, a spokeswoman for NB Liquor. "This has been an ongoing issue for us."<br />
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While NB Liquor president and CEO Dana Clendenning says her board is "proud to launch these premium-quality, low-cost brands, which are brewed for New Brunswickers by New Brunswickers," the government's foray into the beer business is leaving some local microbrewers foaming at the mouth.<br />
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"I think it's kind of a foolish little thing to be doing but they're the bosses, I guess," said Shaun Fraser, CEO of Pump House Brewery in Moncton. "I don't think the government, when it has a monopoly, should be competing against it own citizens."<br />
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The liquor board says it consulted the four major domestic brewers — Labatt, Molson, Moosehead and Sleeman — in the process of developing the brand, but not microbrewers.<br />
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"It's unethical really . . . that not everybody gets to have the same kick at the can," Fraser said.<br />
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NB Liquor decided to launch the brands with Moosehead Breweries in Saint John. Thursday the brands were being promoted with tastings held in over a dozen stores across the province.<br />
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Lacey said the microbrewery category was a separate matter, one doing quite well in the province.<br />
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"The issue has nothing to do with microbreweries and import breweries. This is specific to the domestic beer category," she said. "We're not looking to create something unique and completely out there, we're looking for something comparable to other products."<br />
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But Fraser says he's not worried about his clientele — which he described as being more "value-driven" than "price-driven" — opting for the cheaper brew, and predicts the brands, like long exposed suds, will ultimately fall flat.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Around 200 arrested, one officer hurt, in Montreal protest</span></h1>
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MONTREAL — Police say around 200 people were arrested Sunday following an annual Montreal protest against police brutality some feared would become violent after a teenager was shot and killed by police last summer.<br />
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By early evening 48 people had been arrested for a variety of criminal violations and one policeman was slightly injured when he was struck by a brick. Some 150 others faced charges related to municipal bylaws. Most of them were rounded up, circled by officers in riot gear and led one by one onto awaiting buses in a single sweep downtown.<br />
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Police said protesters committed acts of vandalism, throwing projectiles against buildings and targeting officers in the course of the afternoon.<br />
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Eight people were arrested as a preventive measure, police said, before the protest even got underway, mostly for possessing items police feared could be used as weapons or such projectiles as sticks and rocks.<br />
The 13th annual march, organized by an umbrella organization of groups opposed to “police brutality” began after 2 p.m.<br />
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Traffic was blocked on several downtown streets after an estimated 400 demonstrators gathered earlier at the Mont-Royal subway station and then walked south randomly in groups, meeting blockades of officers along their paths.<br />
Police cordoned off the streets around the subway station. The subway line was shut down for an hour when someone pulled an emergency stop alarm.<br />
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Marchers started tossing firecrackers in the air and throwing vegetables at police. Organizers were using a loudspeaker to rev up the crowd of protesters, many of whom are masked. Organizers did not release a route for the march but told protesters not to provoke police officers.<br />
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Police asked businesses near the area of the initial gathering to keep garbage cans and other objects inside in case they might be used as projectiles.<br />
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Last year, 47 people were arrested and about 10 restaurant windows were broken. One car was firebombed.<br />
Sunday’s march comes after the fatal police shooting last August of Fredy Villanueva, 18, who was not armed when he was shot and two others were injured during a parking-lot melee.<br />
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A public inquest into Villanueva’s death is set to begin May 25. Lawyers for two police officers involved in the shooting have asked for a publication ban for their clients.<br />
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An analysis by the group last August noted that 42 people have died at the hands of police in Montreal since 1987. Of those, 28 per cent were visible minorities. And in 86 per cent of those cases, police were exonerated.<br />
Those figures do not include the Villanueva case.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Suncor deal to acquire Petro-Canada close: Source</span></h1>
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TORONTO — A major oilpatch move may be in the works as Suncor Energy Inc. is close to acquiring Petro-Canada a source told the Wall Street Journal.Although no details could be confirmed on the valuation of such a deal Sunday evening, a statement was expected before markets were to open Monday morning.<br />
Sunday the Wall Street Journal reported that the acquisition would be valued at $15 billion US in stock, citing people familiar with the matter.<br />
Spokespeople for the companies declined to comment to the paper, which said an announcement was expected to come as early as Monday.<br />
The paper said the price tag “would represent a roughly 30 per cent premium for Petro-Canada” and the deal would allow the companies to merge while conserving cash.<br />
This development would form one of the largest companies in Canada and the nation’s biggest energy company with a market value of $35 billion.<br />
But any agreement to acquire Petro-Canada would require the approval of the federal government because of legislation preventing anyone from holding more than 20 per cent of the former Crown corporation.<br />
A merger of the two companies would combine Petro-Canada’s extensive retail gasoline and refining business and its international operations with Suncor’s extensive operations in the oilsands.<br />
In January Calgary-based Petro-Canada reported it suffered a loss in the fourth quarter as the price of crude plummeted and deferral charges related to the Fort Hills oilsands project weighed.<br />
Petro-Canada, the fourth-largest energy producer in the country, reported a loss of $691 million, or $1.43 a share, compared with net earnings of $522 million, or $1.08 a share, in the year-earlier period.<br />
Last year, Petro-Canada booked a profit of more than $3.1 billion, or $6.47 a share, or 15 per cent more than fiscal 2007.<br />
With oil prices depressed as the global economy continues to weaken, Petro-Canada then said it has lowered its production forecast for this year to between 345,000 and 385,000 barrels per day.<br />
Suncor Energy Inc. announced its first quarterly net loss in 16 years in January and a $3-billion capital budget cut to go along with the mothballing of its $20.6-billion Voyageur oilsands expansion.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Fugitive featured on America's Most Wanted arrested in Montreal</span><br /><br />CanwestNews Service, Mar 24<br />
MONTREAL — U.S. authorities say a fugitive on the lam since 2001 was arrested in Montreal Tuesday by agents of the Canada Border Services Agency.<br />
In a statement Tuesday the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said Russell Victor McCollum, 30, was arrested on a number of warrants after barricading himself in a Montreal apartment.<br />
The bureau said it been working the Canadian lead on McCollum after he appeared in an episode of the TV show America’s Most Wanted in February 2008.<br />
The trail led authorities from Nashville to Philadelphia, Ottawa and finally Montreal.<br />
McCollum was wanted for four counts of aggravated sexual battery of a child, failure to appear and flight to avoid prosecution.<br />
The original warrants were taken out for McCollum 10 years ago but he’s been on the lam ever since he failed to appear for trial in March 2001.<br />
The bureau says he faces an extradition hearing while it pays $5,000 US for the tip that led to the arrest.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Raise Internet threats, Que. authorities say</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">By Phil Couvrette</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">March 25, 2009</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">THETFORD MINES, Que. - Authorities in Quebec stressed the importance of raising threats made on the Internet after the vigilance of two web surfers led to arrests in Canada and overseas.</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">This week a 12-year-old boy faces charges of uttering death threats against personnel and students at his school in Thetford Mines, about 240 kilometres east of Montreal. Police say the mother of a girl at the school learned of threats to shoot people at the facility on an Internet posting and contacted police.</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">The boy was arrested Monday but no weapons were found at the home, police said.</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">The arrest came days after a student at Montreal's Concordia University was widely praised for helping prevent an attack on a school in England after having seen a threat posted online.</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">``We need to circulate the message that if someone comes into contact with this sort of discussion they should report it to police,'' said Yves Simoneau of Thetford Mines police.</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Simoneau said people spotting threats on the Internet shouldn't be afraid of betraying people they know because the consequences of someone acting on threats are too devastating. ``If ever they had acted on their threat, imagine how those friends would have felt,'' he said. ``It's not about stooling someone but preventing a tragedy and perhaps helping someone if they're having problems. ''</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Simoneau said the 12-year-old, who appeared in youth court Tuesday and was released in the custody of youth protection services, was not known to police but had previous difficulties obeying rules at the school.</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Police praised the intervention of the parent while the school board said assistance would be available to people requiring any at the school.</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">``We encourage parents to remain vigilant and not hesitate to flag any threats,''a statement from the school board said.</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">The boy's next court appearance is on April 21.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">U.S. grounding choppers until mounting studs replaced</span></h1>
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ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has issued an emergency directive that effectively grounds helicopters such as the one involved in a fatal crash off Newfoundland until the mounting studs are replaced.<br />
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"This unsafe condition is likely to exist or develop on other helicopters of the same type design," the FAA noted. "Therefore, this (Emergency Airworthiness Directive) requires, before further flight, replacing titanium studs with steel studs."<br />
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The FAA said the move — announced late Monday — was prompted by the crash of the Sikorsky S-92A helicopter, which was transporting workers to offshore oilfields.<br />
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A total of 17 people were killed.<br />
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The lone survivor, Robert Decker, remains in hospital in critical, but stable condition.<br />
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The FAA said prior to the March 12 accident the manufacturer was investigating a July 2008 incident that also involved broken studs and noted that "in both cases, the broken studs resulted in rapid loss of oil." The FAA said the failures were "tied to fretting and galling of the original titanium studs" and therefore recommended the removal of all titanium studs and replacement with steel studs.<br />
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"We are issuing this Emergency AD to prevent failure of a stud which could result in rapid loss of oil, failure of the main gearbox, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter."<br />
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The Transportation Safety Board of Canada said that since its discovery Friday of a broken main gearbox filter bowl assembly mounting stud on the Sikorsky S-92A, more than half of the helicopters worldwide have had the defective studs replaced.<br />
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The remaining studs are expected to be replaced in a timely fashion, the TSB said in a statement.<br />
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While the discovery of the broken mounting stud doesn't eliminate other possibilities as to the cause of the accident, which occurred 55 kilometres off Newfoundland's east coast, the loss of oil pressure in the main gearbox was reported by the pilot prior to the crash.<br />
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The TSB released photos of the wreckage Tuesday and planned to release more information at a news conference in St. John's Thursday.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Too dangerous to intervene in caribou hunt, N.L. says.</span></b><br /><br />Tue Mar 31 2009<br />By Phil Couvrette<br />Canwest News Service<br /><br />Newfoundland's government says it's struggling to save a Labrador caribou herd from extinction, and that it's too dangerous to stop Quebec Innu hunters and their families from taking part in an illegal hunt.<br /><br />``This is the most serious incident in the last number of years because they've destroyed 40 from approximately 100 animals,'' said Newfoundland Resources Minister Kathy Dunderdale in a phone interview, adding she deplores the losses in the threatened Joir River herd and that the situation ``very volatile.''<br /><br />About 45 hunters were ``shooting (at the caribou) from the handlebars of the snowmachines,'' with women, children and elders around them, the minister added.<br /><br />She also reported surveillance helicopters monitoring the hunt had been prevented from landing because various articles had been thrown at them.<br /><br />``As important as these animals are they are not worth the life of one of my conservation officers,'' Dunderdale said.<br /><br />Conservation officers seized two snowmobiles and a number of sleighs belonging to the hunters.<br /><br />``Because they're threatened, to hunt them is illegal . . . This is an issue of conservation only, with tremendous availability of other animals.''<br /><br />But the encounters are viewed differently by the hunters, who say they have been intimidated by low-flying helicopters and only brought their families to join the hunt as a protest against the incidents.<br /><br />During one of the hunts, ``one helicopter came so close from behind that one hunter had to turn sharply (on his snowmobile) to avoid it, lowering his head, '' said Pascal Mark, a communications officer for the Quebec-based Pakua-Shipu Innu band.<br /><br />``The helicopter was flying eight to 10 feet above their heads. That's too close.''<br /><br />Mark, a former band counsellor, said the Innu have respected a five-year deal with Newfoundland authorities not to hunt woodland caribou but that the deal had expired, and they were later directed to areas where there were no caribou.<br /><br />Mark said the hunters are just protesting to be able to keep hunting where they always have, hoping to bring back some 25 caribou to feed their families.<br /><br />He said tensions were rising as Innu band members have been critical of a camp erected by conservation agents on their territory and what he called a lack of will by the Newfoundland government to hold talks.<br /><br />Meanwhile, Dunderdale said her government has done everything it could to keep the communication channels open.<br /><br />``Since 2004 this government has had numerous meetings with Innus both inside and outside Labrador, in Quebec as well,'' to talk about threatened herds, she said, adding one meeting was held with hunters this week.<br /><br />Dunderdale said the Innu will have to answer for the dwindling herd and charges could be laid where the evidence warrants it.<br /><br />Despite seemingly heightened tensions, Remi Savard, a retired Quebec anthropologist who's had numerous contacts with the Innu, said the tone isn't as harsh as it use to be, but an agreement between the two parties is long overdue.<br /><br />``The tone of the parties in this conflict (suggests) they are looking for common ground, while in the past there was much verbal confrontation,'' he said.<br /><br />Savard noted one of the reasons the problem has been longstanding is because the Quebec-Labrador border is cutting across Innu land. He said the fact that the herd is threatened could add extra impetus to possible talks between the parties, but the issue has been persistent throughout his career.<br /><br />The Joir River herd is protected by the provincial Endangered Species Act and the federal Species at Risk Act.<br /><br />Dunderdale said the Newfoundland government is doing what it can to get the hunters to return home and has been in touch with the Quebec government since the hunt started.<br /><br />A spokeswoman for Quebec's minister of Natural Resources says there's little the province can do while the hunters are outside their jurisdiction, but says the government has been active making native communities aware of the problems related to threatened herds.<br /><br /><br /><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Flooding forces more evacuations in Manitoba.</span></b><br /><br />Sun Apr 12 2009<br />By Phil Couvrette<br />Canwest News Service<br /><br />The evacuation of dozens of residents continued Sunday as heavy floodwaters threatened two communities north of Winnipeg, sometimes leaving people stuck on rooftops and stranding the rescuers themselves.<br /><br />St. Clements and St. Andrews, communities along the flood-swollen Red River about 60 kilometres north of Winnipeg, were inundated with water and large chunks of ice overnight Saturday and early Sunday morning.<br /><br />St. Clements Mayor Steve Strang said some 45 to 50 people were evacuated by Sunday from homes that were flooded or had their foundations washed out, as rescuers moved in to pull out people sometimes waiting for help on the roof of their vehicles or on top of furniture in flooded homes.<br /><br />Strang praised rescuers who went in and found themselves stuck but kept trying to help flooded residents.<br /><br />St. Andrews mayor Don Forfar said 120 people in the affected area of his community have been evacuated. A voluntary evacuation started on Thursday but overnight into Sunday is when ``everything hit, ice jammed in that area'' making the evacuation mandatory as homes started to flood.<br /><br />``We had stories of people who were up on the roof who had to be brought out and we had our volunteer firefighters in boats who were going door to door to door,'' he said.<br /><br />Some people in St. Clements could have the opportunity to visit their homes to assess damage Monday, Strang said, but it was hard to estimate when the flooding would subside.<br /><br />``It gets a little much, we've been doing this since the 23rd and I'm hoping it's going to be over soon,'' Strang said. ``Mother Nature hasn't totally let it all go, we still have one more block at the very north end of the river.''<br /><br />Forfar said people surveying the zone by helicopter reported homes ``severely damaged by the ice and even some looked like they had been physically relocated, moved off their foundations.''<br /><br />He said the power was cut off to the area but there were no reports of injuries.<br /><br />``That's about the only good news,'' he said.<br /><br />Meanwhile, the province closed more than a dozen highways north and south of Winnipeg Sunday morning due to flooding.<br /><br />Highways near St. Adolphe, Selkirk and Lockport were closed because water was covering the roadway.<br /><br />Water levels were dropping in Winnipeg, but in Selkirk, 50 kilometres north of the city, huge chunks of ice in the Red River ripped out mature trees and partially flooded the city's golf course over the weekend.<br /><br />Don Brennan, the acting executive director of Manitoba's Emergency Measures Organization, is warning people to stay away from flooded areas.<br /><br />Brennan said on Friday emergency crews had to be redeployed away from fighting the flood to rescue a man whose vehicle became inundated by overland flooding.<br /><br />``People should stay off the roads,'' said Brennan.<br /><br />The Red River is expected to crest in Winnipeg Thursday, and officials are watching to see what an expected five to 10 millimetres of rain, predicted for Sunday and Monday, will mean for the flood forecast.<br /><br />With files from the Winnipeg Free Press</span><div>
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Students return to school with 'Tori' still missing</h2>
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<a href="http://www.northernpress.org/npucns2009.htm" style="color: #4e5989; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; width: auto;"><img alt="Posters of Victoria Stafford, 8-years-old, missing since last Wednesday have been put up throughout the town of Woodstock." border="0" class="thumbnail" id="storyphoto" src="http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/www.canada.com/news/this+every+parent+worst+nightmare/1494671/1494676.bin" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 460px;" /></a></div>
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Posters of Victoria Stafford, 8-years-old, missing since last Wednesday have been put up throughout the town of Woodstock.</h1>
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<b>Photograph by: </b>Jordana Huber, CNS</h2>
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WOODSTOCK, Ont. — The whole town is talking about Tori. In coffee shops and corner stores, the little blond eight-year-old, now missing for a week, is on the minds of many.</div>
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Victoria Stafford, or Tori to her friends, was last seen last Wednesday in a blurry surveillance video, walking without a struggle with a mystery woman after school let out.</div>
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With no clues, and little to go on, the tight-knit town of Woodstock — about 150 kilometres southwest of Toronto — is waiting for word. In the absence of any news, speculation is running rampant.</div>
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"Everybody has a theory," said Jessica Waterland, between sips of coffee at a humming coffee shop. The mother of a 10-year-old said Tori's disappearance has made her appreciate her own son that much more.</div>
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"I know this sounds horrible, but I am thankful that it wasn't my son," she said, adding she believes Tori will be found safe. "That's the best we hope for."</div>
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Over at another table, Ann Davies and her friend Jean McCarthy have their own questions.</div>
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"There is more to the story than we know," Davies said. "What made this little girl go so willingly? Was she bribed? Was she told this woman was a friend of one of her parents?"</div>
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"It's very scary," McCarthy said. "We don't know if there is a predator, or if it is something else. You hear so many rumours, but it is hard, because we really don't know."</div>
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Parents and grandparents dropping children off at school Tuesday after the Easter break expressed mixed emotions.</div>
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"I'm terrified for my children," said Heather Ditchfield, whose children are eight and 13. "I can't let them go anywhere without me."</div>
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She said it's difficult to explain what has happened to Tori.</div>
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"You have no answers for them. I have no answers for my kids. I can't comfort them," she said.</div>
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Parent Jeff Ebel said he has reinforced the importance of not talking to strangers, but will still allow his children, in Grades 2 and 8, to walk to school together.</div>
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"Everybody's doing the same things. We are emphasizing safety," he said. "You have to be protective, but you also have to go on."</div>
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Kate Young, a spokeswoman for the Thames Valley District School Board, said eight crisis counsellors were kept busy at Tori's school Tuesday, talking with students.</div>
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Teachers tried to make the day "as normal as possible," she said.</div>
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Tori's classmates made purple ribbons for students in the school to wear. Purple is Tori's favourite colour, and residents of Woodstock have been wearing the purple ribbons to show solidarity with the girl's family.</div>
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The family of Cedrika Provencher, a nine-year-old who disappeared in Trois-Rivieres, Que., on July 31, 2007, offered words of encouragement to the Stafford family, adding they should not lose hope in their search for Tori.</div>
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Cedrika's grandfather, Henri, says there has been renewed interest in the search for the Quebec girl who, like Tori, was last reported with someone who has yet to be identified. Cedrika was helping a man she didn't know look for his dog.</div>
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"There have been 20 calls this morning. (Frequency) depends on the period, especially when events such as this take place, involving the girl in Ontario."</div>
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Henri says the family's message is "to not lose hope, to never give up, keep trying, as we have, keep working and hoping to come across information that will unravel everything."</div>
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Trish Derby, a spokeswoman for Child Find Ontario, said it's important for parents to talk to their children about how to be safe. She said parents with younger children should have a password they can use if parents send a friend or relative to pick them up from school.</div>
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Parents should talk through scenarios with their kids, she said.</div>
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"We suggest parents play role-playing games," Derby said. "They should talk about: What if I am late? Who do you go with? Who else can you go with? Where will you wait?"</div>
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Police have received more than 500 tips since Tori disappeared last week after school.</div>
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Officers continue to canvass her neighbours, and are working around the clock, following up on leads, Oxford Community Police Const. Laurie-Anne Maitland said, adding she's still hopeful Tori will be found safe.</div>
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<i>With files from Phil Couvrette</i></div>
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Blais remembered as dynamic, brave soldier</h2>
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Undated handout photo of Trooper Karine Blais who was killed in Afghanistan April 13, 2009. Blais, 21, is the second Canadian female soldier to die in Afghanistan when the light armoured vehicle she was patrolling in struck an improvised explosive device.</h1>
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<b>Photograph by: </b>Handout, DND</h2>
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KABUL — As Canada's latest soldier to die in Afghanistan began her final trip home, a family in a small town in eastern Quebec was deep in grief Tuesday after learning of the loss of their daughter.</div>
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The parents of Trooper Karine Blais, 21, who died Monday in a roadside bomb explosion northwest of Kandahar City, said they were devastated by their daughter's death.</div>
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"We are extremely saddened. . . . It leaves a void that is too big," the family said in a statement released Tuesday.</div>
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"Despite the terrible news of her sudden loss, Karine had met her goal. She wanted to be a part of this adventure and she was proud to serve in Afghanistan," the statement said.</div>
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Blais had only been in the war-ravaged country two weeks when she became the second Canadian woman killed in action in Afghanistan.</div>
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Her vehicle struck an explosive device while on a routine patrol on a well-travelled secondary road northwest of Kandahar City during which no "combat indicators," had been seen, said her commander, Lt.-Col. Jocelyn Paul.</div>
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Two of Blais's comrades from B Squadron, 12th Armoured Regiment, which is attached to the Van Doo battle group, were "going to be all right" after suffering what Paul described as serious injuries.</div>
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The first Canadian woman to die in battle in Afghanistan was Capt. Nichola Goddard of Calgary. A forward artillery observer with the Manitoba-based Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, Goddard posthumously received the Meritorious Service Medal after she was killed by a rocket-propelled grenade in May 2006 in a firefight with the Taliban. That incident occurred about 40 kilometres west of where Blais became the 117th Canadian to die in Afghanistan.</div>
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Blais's family said she was a dedicated to her regiment and adored her work.</div>
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"You are our sunshine and you will be forever in our hearts," they wrote.</div>
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Mario Blais, the godfather of Trooper Blais, said her death has touched the entire community of Les Mechins, in Quebec's Gaspe region.</div>
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"She was a woman who enjoyed life," he said.</div>
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Blais had been recruited at school and enlisted with a sense of adventure, he said, but ultimately wanted to return to civilian life.</div>
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"She just wanted to do this one mission and start her own business," possibly as an auto mechanic, he said.</div>
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Mario Blais said the family has been receiving words of sympathy from across the community of 1,300, where the soldier was well-known for her work at a convenience store.</div>
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Donald Grenier, the mayor of the community, said the loss is possibly his town's first military death since the Second World War.</div>
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"Today everybody is deeply touched, it's hard to explain losing someone so young at the service of the population, fighting for our rights," he said.</div>
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"A youngster in a municipality such as ours is something precious. It is very difficult on all of us."</div>
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Grenier described Blais as a dynamic young woman whose life was cut short after "being at the wrong place at the wrong time."</div>
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Tributes also poured in on a Facebook page created to honour Blais's memory.</div>
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"I'm shocked," wrote her cousin, Sarah Harrisson. "It's a big loss. My beautiful cousin, you will always be in our hearts."</div>
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Mario Blais said his goddaughter leaves behind parents Gino and Josee, as well as a 14-year-old brother, Billy.</div>
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Blais's sex never became an issue for the men who fought against the Taliban alongside her, Paul said Tuesday — she was simply a member of the squadron.</div>
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"Yes, when we think of Karine she was a woman, but first and above all, she was a member of the troop, no matter what her gender, her origin or what language she spoke," Paul said.</div>
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Blais's flag-draped casket was placed on a CC-130 Hercules transport to begin the long journey back to Canada a few hours after Paul received command of the battle group from Lt.-Col. Roger Barrett. Among the eight pallbearers was a fellow female trooper.</div>
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The solemn ramp ceremony was attended by about 2,400 allied troops under a star-filled night sky. It began with prayers and ended with a slow procession to the aircraft as a lone piper skirled a lament.</div>
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"She left us suddenly," Padre Martine Belanger, a Catholic lay chaplain, told the assembly. "It is difficult to collect our thoughts after such a rough and unexpected shock."</div>
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Those who knew Blais remarked on her energy and how she cared for others, Belanger said. "She was crazy about Hugo, her partner, whom she liked to call Kermit . . . and about Molly, her favourite dog," she said.</div>
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Paul spoke moments after his Quebec-based 2nd battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment Battle Group officially took over responsibility for Kandahar from the Ontario-based 3rd battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group at the airfield outside the provincial capital, which serves as the main Canadian headquarters.</div>
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Before Blais's departure, Paul told reporters: "It is obvious that when you lose a soldier everyone is under shock. Some people can make the comment that yes, she was a female. What I would like to say is that the Canadian army has come a long way over the last 15 years. Right now, you can see women serving in every type of environment.</div>
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"These women show a lot of courage. They are here standing shoulder to shoulder with all the men in the battle group. Very often, especially with the younger ones, we don't make much difference now in terms of sex."</div>
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"There is a time to grieve," Paul said. "Today, we have been thinking about her. Tomorrow, we will continue with the mission."</div>
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In remarks directed toward "the people of Quebec, to Franco-Ontarians and the people of New Brunswick," Paul said: "There are real and important challenges in the province of Kandahar. My organization is prepared to meet them. The training we had was of a remarkable quality and the handover with the RCR was better than I have ever seen before."</div>
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The Van Doo are to be in Kandahar until next September or October.</div>
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The RCR battle group the French-Canadian regiment has replaced lost 19 soldiers during its tour in Kandahar, which began late last summer.</div>
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<i>With files from Marianne White</i></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As officials meet on hunt, some sealers stay put</span></b></div>
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ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - As Newfoundland officials were meeting this week with foreign diplomats to press the province's case on the seal hunt, some sealers back home were staying ashore, citing lower demand for pelts and low pelt prices.</div>
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The Department of Fisheries and Oceans says it has been advising sealers to check with their buyers before setting out the sea, and some have elected to pass on the hunt altogether, which opened at the ``Front'' on Newfoundland's northeast coast Wednesday.</div>
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``Overall activity level is significantly reduced in comparison to previous years,'' wrote Fisheries spokeswoman Michele Boriel. ``Six longliners and 17 small boats were active (Wednesday) and 2,652 seals were landed on the first day of the front hunt,'' she said, comparing this to 34,000 seals landed and 113 longliners sealing last year.</div>
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``We won't be taking part this year,'' said Jack Troake, a sealer from Twillingate, on the northeast coast, who missed the hunt only once before since he started sealing in 1951.</div>
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Troake said demand hardly warrants more than three boats going out instead of the whole local fleet.</div>
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``You must have a market for a number of animals - any less than 1,000 wouldn't be worth going for,'' he said, adding prices at $15 are half what they were last year and buyers say the pelts must be in perfect condition.</div>
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``All over the world the economy has bottomed out,'' Troake said, but adds there's always next year to look forward to. ``We Newfoundlanders live in hope, that's the reason why we're here on this bald rock.''</div>
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The news comes as Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dave Denine is in Ottawa Thursday and Friday to meet with European Union diplomats to make the province's case as an EU vote on a proposed ban on seal products looms.</div>
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Denine was scheduled to meet with ambassadors and embassy officials for countries including Portugal, Greece and the Netherlands, following similar meetings with other diplomats held by provincial Fisheries Minister Tom Hedderson last month.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">With files from the St. John's Telegram.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Paulino Lozada arrives at Pearson International Airport in Toronto, wearing a surgical mask after a vacationing in Mexico April 26, 2009.</span></h1>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Photograph by: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Merle Robillard , For National Post</span></h2>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Canadian health officials reported six “mild” cases of swine flu on Sunday — the first confirmed cases in Canada since an outbreak of the illness began in Mexico several days ago — and warned there could be more cases in the days ahead.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">As governments around the world rushed on Sunday to check the spread of a new type of swine flu that has killed over 80 people in Mexico and has infected about 20 people in the United States, Nova Scotia health officials said two of the four victims in that province, all students at the same private school, recently visited Mexico. Two case also were confirmed in British Columbia.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">None of the people in Canada has been hospitalized.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The Canadian cases “have thankfully been relatively mild and the patients are recovering,” said Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq, who warned “as we continue to ramp up our surveillance efforts these cases are likely not the last we’ll see in Canada.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Aglukkaq said health officials were “following plans and protocols prepared in advance for events like this.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The minister said that the government was co-ordinating its response in key departments and that in addition to consulting with provincial and territorial counterparts she had been in contact with officials in the U.S. and at the World Health Organization. Aglukkaq said the prime minister was being regularly briefed on the situation.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">“To have our first confirmed cases is of course, troubling,” said David Butler-Jones, Canada’s chief public health officer, adding that while the symptoms in Canada were ‘mild,’ Canadians had to practice good basic flu-prevention techniques, to lower risks of infection.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Because the outbreak is at an early stage “there’s a lot more unknowns than is known” said Frank Plummer of the Public Health Agency of Canada. “We’ll learn a lot more as we do further epidemiological analysis and research.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Health officials said Washington’s decisions to declare a public health emergency did not suggest people were in greater danger but that the declaration was part of a normal course of action to facilitate state and federal response.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">“At this point, we are not seeing severe cases like we are in Mexico,” said Dr. Robert Strang, chief public health officer for Nova Scotia, where four cases were confirmed.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Joe Seagram, the headmaster of the private school in Windsor, N.S., said 21 people were in isolation, 17 students and four staff. They are being isolated for seven days as a precaution.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">“All those who had the flu are recovering either at home or in the dormitory,” said Strang.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Dr. Gaynor Watson-Creed, medical officer of health for the Capital District Health Authority in Nova Scotia, said health officials are closely monitoring the other students at the school.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">“One of the challenges with this illness is that it has been so mild that many of the students can’t really tell how sick they are,” she said, adding that most of the children just had a cough and fatigue. There may be many more children who had the virus and didn’t report they were sick because they felt fine, she said.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">While some people at the school were wearing face masks over the weekend, Strang said wearing protective covering had not been recommended by health authorities.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Dr. Danuta Skowronski, a spokeswoman for the BC Centre for Disease Control, said the two people with mild cases of swine flu were in the greater Vancouver area and had recently travelled to Mexico.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">“This is not scary monsters,” she said at a news conference in Vancouver. “We had a surveillance system on high alert to be able to detect these cases and we have.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Doctors aren’t sure why the illness has been so deadly in Mexico and mild in other countries, said Skowronski.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">“The six confirmed cases in Canada are different from what we are seeing in Mexico,” she said. “We do expect more cases.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Officials in Ontario and Quebec said there were no cases of the swine flu in their provinces but had people are under observation for the respiratory virus.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Air Canada and Westjet meanwhile announced they were waiving change fees for passengers to and from Mexico booked until April 30.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">While all the deaths so far have been in Mexico, the flu is spreading in the United States, and possible infections popped up as far afield as Europe and New Zealand.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">About two-thirds of the 1,300 people in Mexico who were suspected of having swine flu were given a clean bill of health and sent home from hospital, according to Mexican President Felipe Calderon.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">He said more than 900 people had been declared healthy and nearly 400 others with flu-like symptoms were in hospitals being checked.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Calderon reassured Mexicans on Sunday that the flu is curable with drugs and said Mexico has ample stocks of antiviral medicine.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">“It’s very important to act fast and take this seriously, but it’s also very important to stay calm, co-operate with authorities and inform them of any cases that arise,” he said during a meeting of health officials.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Sunday that they expected fatalities from swine flu in the United States.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">However, the CDC’s acting director, Dr. Richard Besser, told a White House briefing that “if you do not have symptoms you should not get tested” by a doctor.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg confirmed on Sunday that eight schoolchildren there had contracted the virus, although the cases were mild and it did not appear to be spreading rapidly to the general population. Another 12 cases have been confirmed in California, Kansas, Ohio and Texas.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">In New Zealand, 10 students from a school party that had been in Mexico were being tested after showing flu-like symptoms.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The World Health Organization has declared the flu, of a type never seen before, a “public health emergency of international concern” and says it could become a pandemic, or a global outbreak of serious disease.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">A 1968 “Hong Kong” flu pandemic killed about one million people globally.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Mexico City, one of the world’s most populated cities, practically ground to a halt on Sunday with restaurants, cinemas and churches closing their doors and millions staying at home.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Worshippers were told to follow Sunday church services on television and some residents abandoned the capital, a rambling, chaotic city of some 20 million people.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Michelle Geronis, 22, a film student, took a bus to be with her family in the central state of Aguascalientes.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">“My parents heard the news and said, ’You know what? You’d better get here,’” she said.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">In Spain, doctors checked three people who had returned from visiting Mexico who had reported flu-like symptoms.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The new flu strain, a mixture of various swine, bird and human viruses, poses the biggest risk of a large-scale pandemic since avian flu surfaced in 1997, killing several hundred people.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">WHO director general Dr. Margaret Chan urged greater worldwide surveillance for any unusual outbreaks of influenza-like illness.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Although it is called “swine flu” there is no evidence that any of the cases stemmed from contact with pigs, said Liz Wagstrom, a veterinarian who works on public health issues for the U.S. National Pork Board.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">New flu strains can spread quickly because no one has natural immunity to them and a vaccine takes months to develop.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Authorities across Asia, who have had to grapple with deadly viruses, such as H5N1 bird flu and SARS in recent years, snapped into action. At airports and other border checkpoints in Hong Kong, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan, officials screened travellers for any flu-like symptoms.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">With files from Phil Couvrette</span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">N.L. sealer survives two days on ice floes</span></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Phil Couvrette, </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Canwest News Service Friday, May 08</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">A 66-year-old sealer rescued after spending nearly two days on ice floes off the coast of Newfoundland says his faith kept him going after spending a first frigid night stranded at sea, unable to signal the search helicopters that swirled around him.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Lifelong sealer Rex Saunders had caught nine seals off St. Lunaire-Griquet on Monday morning and directed himself toward two more in the distance when disaster struck.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">He had barely got off his cellphone with his wife, promising to see her shortly, when his six-metre open boat struck ice and capsized, about 40 kilometres from the shore.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The boat climbed on the ice, slowly tilting due to the weight of the seals he was carrying. Saunders tried to balance the boat but ended up "face first down in the water."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Luckily he was wearing a survival suit, but it didn't keep him dry as he had opened it down to his stomach.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">After failing to get on top of the boat a first time because it was too slippery, and onto a nearby ice floe because it was too high, he swam back to the boat and hoisted himself on top just as a small ice pan of about eight metres by eight metres was sliding by. He seized the opportunity to climb on it.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"I had nothing. My cellphone was dead," he recalled. A mound of ice on the pan was too cold to sit on, so he spent the first night walking around until a gas tank from the sunken ship floated by, which he used as a chair.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Saunders spent the next 11/2 days keeping himself warm by moving and blowing on his arms and chest, at times collecting water by digging a hole in the ice floe.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"It started to rain, and then snow, I had a bit of a miserable (first) night," he chuckled. But what made matters worse were circling helicopters that couldn't see him despite the fact he was waving his arms.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"No one shone the light on me," he said. "Everybody was searching for a boat in the water, not for a body or anything on the ice."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The following night "was a rough one, too," he said, but added he gave himself hope by singing hymns from his local church, Power and Prayer and Not by Might, Nor by Power.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"I got to keep my faith up," he said he thought at the time, seeing the ordeal as an opportunity "to increase my faith."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"That's how I kept myself going."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Saunders was rescued by the Canadian Coast Guard vessel Ann Harvey around 7 a.m. local time Wednesday and is back at home after spending a night in hospital.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.northernpress.org/npucns2009.htm" style="color: #4e5989; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; width: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><img alt="There's a more effective way to treat the millions of people worldwide — among them an estimated 200,000 Canadians — suffering from severe arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat, than current treatment methods, according to a Canadian-led international study unveiled in Boston Thursday." border="0" class="thumbnail" id="storyphoto" src="http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/www.canada.com/health/canadian+study+suggests+combo+treatment+irregular+heartbeat/1596729/1596775.bin" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 460px;" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">There's a more effective way to treat the millions of people worldwide — among them an estimated 200,000 Canadians — suffering from severe arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat, than current treatment methods, according to a Canadian-led international study unveiled in Boston Thursday.</span></h1>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Photograph by: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Mychele Daniau, AFP/Getty Images</span></h2>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">BOSTON — There's a more effective way to treat the millions of people worldwide — among them an estimated 200,000 Canadians — suffering from severe arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat, than current treatment methods, according to a Canadian-led international study unveiled in Boston Thursday.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Spearheaded by Toronto-area electrophysiologist Dr. Atul Verma, the study followed 108 patients at four Canadian hospitals and four European cardiac centres over a one-year period, comparing methods of treating patients suffering from atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common heart rhythm disturbance.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">In people suffering from the condition, the upper chambers of the heart beat erratically, affecting the heart's ability to pump blood to the rest of the body.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">It's responsible for 15 to 20 per cent of all strokes, contributes to heart failure and is a leading cause of hospitalizations.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">After comparing treatment methods, the study found a combination of two of them yielded significantly better results.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Because medications to control AF are often ineffective, physicians often turn to ablation — or burning the inside of the heart, a method introduced in 1999.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The trial studied three approaches to the method: a "traditional" method of burning the tissue surrounding the pulmonary veins, a more recent automated approach of burning "hot spots" in the heart, and a combination of both.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The third proved the most effective, 74 per cent of patients treated with the combination therapy showing no signs of AF after the one-year study, compared to 47 per cent in the first method, and 29 per cent in the "hot spot" method.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">In addition 94 per cent of patients treated with the combination therapy remained off anti-arrhythmic medications at the end of the 12-month followup period.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">According to Verma, the study showed that the stand-alone "hot spot" method has a success rate that is probably consistent with a treatment involving medication, while the other two approaches were more effective.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"While many unanswered questions remain about the origins of and best treatment options for AF, the trial's results indicate that perhaps traditional pathways are not the optimal ones," noted Verma. "While there is still more research to be done, the results of the study will enable us to keep building on the techniques and deliver better and better patient outcomes."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The hospitals involved included Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket, Ont., Hamilton Health Sciences, the Montreal Heart Institute and Victoria's Royal Jubilee Hospital in addition to health centres in Norway, Spain and Italy.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; line-height: normal;"><b>Animal protection laws have more bite in Ontario: report.</b><br /><br />Tue May 26 2009<br /><br />CanwestNews Service<br /><br />New Brunswick, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Quebec are in the doghouse when it comes to getting tough on animal abusers, according to a report released Tuesday, which ranked those areas last in terms of animal protection laws inCanada.<br /><br />The U.S.-based Animal Legal Defense Fund referred to them as ``the best provinces and territories in Canada to be an animal abuser,'' based on a comparative analysis of the relative strength and general comprehensiveness of animal protection laws.<br /><br />The report says Ontario was the jurisdiction with the most teeth in animal protection laws, following ``a dramatic turnaround'' from 2008, where the province was ranked last. ``A host of new laws'' made this possible in the province, the report said.<br /><br />The group underlined new Ontario measures improving standards of care for animals, requiring veterinarians to report suspected offences, higher penalties, and restrictions on the future ownership of animals by offenders.<br /><br />British Columbia, Manitoba and Nova Scotia joined Ontario in the top tier in terms of animal-protection laws, while Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Yukon and Saskatchewan took the middle ground.<br /><br />The ALDF notes lack of protections for most kinds of animals, minimal fines and sentences for offenders, and no provisions for the ``warrantless seizure of animals in emergency situations'' often land jurisdictions in the bottom ranks.<br /><br />It also underlines the field of animal law ``is getting real legs'' with seven law schools in Canada offering courses in the field, while Quebec hosts ``the first-ever animal law conference in Canada'' this week.<br /><br />``Regardless of where each jurisdiction currently ranks in the report, all still have room for improvement,'' said Stephan Otto, author of the report.<br /><br /><br /><br /><b>Mystery surrounds boot found in Quebec farmer's field.</b><br /><br />Wed May 27 2009<br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 14px;">By Phil Couvrette<br />Canwest News Service<br /><br />Every year farmer Michel Robitaille spends hours clearing his field north of Montreal of debris that washes onto his land when a nearby river thaws and floods.<br /><br />All sorts of junk piles onto his field when the Riviere du Nord rises in the spring, but a boot caught his eye on May 3 while he was riding his tractor on a two-hectare field next to the river.<br /><br />``What struck me is that it was out of the ground, clean, and there was a blue sock sticking out,'' he said.<br /><br />Lifting the boot, Robitaille said he felt it was heavy. ``I unrolled the sock and saw it was white inside, it wasn't dirt.''<br /><br />Wanting to make sure about the significance of his find, Robillard removed the sock from the small leather boot.<br /><br />``I wanted to make sure somebody wasn't pulling a prank on me,'' he said. ``But when I removed the sock from the boot and felt around, I knew.''<br /><br />Robitaille further inspected his find by cutting open the sock with a pair of scissors, with a neighbour as witness. ``We both agreed it was something'' that required notifying authorities, he said.<br /><br />Police took custody of the boot and its contents and searched around the river but nothing else turned up.<br /><br />Mirabel Police Insp. Daniel Rivest says the contents of the boot were sent for analysis in Montreal. In addition to determining whether it is a human foot, the lab was asked to complete a DNA analysis, which could take a few months, he said.<br /><br />``It sure seems to be a human foot,'' Rivest said.<br /><br />He described the boot as black, size 7 1/2, with a zipper on the left side, which he said would make it a right foot.<br /><br />Rivest notes the river carries water from the Laurentians further north, which made it likely that ``it travelled quite a way.''<br /><br />Small surprises usually turn up when flood waters recede in the spring, he said. ``His surprise was to find a bone.''<br /><br />Robitaille says dealing with animals, which sometimes get sick and die, made him react with less revulsion to the find, but his concern is with the family of the missing person the foot could belong to.<br /><br />``I have two children and my reaction was somebody, like a parent, could be looking for this person.''<br /><br />Last November authorities in British Columbia found the sixth foot to have washed ashore on the province's coast since August 2007.<br /><br />Police determined two of the feet came from the same person and another was linked to a depressed man who had gone missing.<br /><br />One other turned out to be a hoax.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Que. raids leave crowded prisons running shuttle services</span></span></h1>
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<a href="http://www.northernpress.org/npucns2009.htm" style="color: #035a91; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; width: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><img alt="Jails are bulging in Quebec: this week, police were rounding up some 200 suspected marijuana producers, distributors and exporters, mainly around Montreal. Last week, another police crackdown in the region led to the arrest of 46 people, allegedly linked to drug trafficking and the Hells Angels." border="0" class="thumbnail" id="storyphoto" src="http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/www.montrealgazette.com/raids+leave+crowded+prisons+running+shuttle+services/1686563/1686567.bin" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 460px;" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Jails are bulging in Quebec: this week, police were rounding up some 200 suspected marijuana producers, distributors and exporters, mainly around Montreal. Last week, another police crackdown in the region led to the arrest of 46 people, allegedly linked to drug trafficking and the Hells Angels.</span></h1>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Photograph by: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Don Healey, Regina Leader-Post</span></h2>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Quebec highways are crowded with prison vans as the strained provincial correctional system tries to cope with the domino effect of a series of raids, mostly in Montreal, targeting hundreds of suspected criminals since the spring and adding to already overcrowded prisons.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">This week, police were rounding up some 200 suspected marijuana producers, distributors and exporters, mainly around Montreal. Last week, another police crackdown in the region led to the arrest of 46 people, allegedly linked to drug trafficking and the Hells Angels.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Earlier this spring, more than 120 people were arrested in Operation SharQC, an investigation largely credited for crippling the bikers in Quebec.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The operations have left correctional authorities struggling to redistribute the inmates among Quebec's 18 provincial facilities, not only in response to the new arrests, but to manage what was earlier billed as a solution to the overcrowding problem.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"Our system has been overcrowded for two, three years," said Stephane Lemaire, head of the union of Quebec correctional officers.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The provincial government has provided trailer-type housing that can hold 300 prisoners, but they can only house inmates representing a low risk — meaning occupants often have to be transferred from other locations.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"That puts a lot of people on the road," Lemaire said, beginning with the SharQC arrests, which he says ended up taking an entire section of Montreal's Bordeaux prison, while the most recent arrests filled Riviere-des-Prairies, where he said some 50 inmates slept on mattresses placed in common rooms.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"It feels like we've become a placement agency," he said. "This facility asks 'can you take five (inmates)?' another asks 'can you take four?' a third will agree to take two . . . Someone from Montreal will end up in Amos (580 kilometres away) because there's no space."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">This upsets family and attorneys who have a hard time following the inmate's movements, he noted.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The overcrowding problem in Montreal has had a domino effect across the province, agrees Eric Belisle, a spokesman for an inmates rights group, who notes the frequent transfers, in fact, impede social reinsertion and can end up keeping inmates in prison.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"Because they're away from home or there's no program where they are sent, they don't get a conditional release, which amplifies the problem."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Inmates end up staying longer in jail and end up being freed without any therapy, he said.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Belisle said occupation rates in provincial prisons had already reached 116 per cent before the recent arrests.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Quebec security officials say they take the problem seriously but expect the reopening of a new wing of the Bordeaux prison this summer to free 250 spots, while five prisons are being built and seven others are being renovated province-wide, spending $563 million in the process.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"That will give us a breather, but won't solve the problem," Lemaire said.</span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Air Canada to allow small pets in aircraft</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">cabins</span></span></b></h1>
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<a href="http://www.northernpress.org/npucns2009.htm" style="color: #4e5989; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; width: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><img alt="No animals have been accepted for travel on either Air Canada or WestJet airlines since Dec. 15, with the ban extending until Jan. 6 on WestJet and the following day on Air Canada. On Wednesday, the nation's largest air carrier announced it would allow passengers to bring their cat or small dog in the cabin on flights operated by Air Canada and Jazz beginning Canada Day." border="0" class="thumbnail" id="storyphoto" src="http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/www.canada.com/life/canada+allow+small+pets+aircraft+cabins/1706071/1086983.bin" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 460px;" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">No animals have been accepted for travel on either Air Canada or WestJet airlines since Dec. 15, with the ban extending until Jan. 6 on WestJet and the following day on Air Canada. On Wednesday, the nation's largest air carrier announced it would allow passengers to bring their cat or small dog in the cabin on flights operated by Air Canada and Jazz beginning Canada Day.</span></h1>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Photograph by: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">David McNew, Getty Images</span></h2>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">If you like Fido curled up at your feet during a flight you now have a greater choice of airlines, but only if he's small enough, and for a fee.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">On Wednesday, the nation's largest air carrier announced it would allow passengers to bring their cat or small dog in the cabin on flights operated by Air Canada and Jazz beginning Canada Day.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The airline says checking in Fluffy will be possible for a limited number of pets at a cost of $50 per North America segment, $100 each way internationally. No more than two to four pets will be allowed per flight, depending on the plane, to limit the possibility of upsetting passengers with allergies. The pets can weigh no more than 10 kilograms in their carrier, which will have to be small enough to fit under a seat.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Staff will take this into consideration when making seating arrangements for people suffering from allergies.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Trained and certified dogs assisting passengers with disabilities will still travel free.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"This is the latest of our customer-friendly initiatives that underscores our renewed commitment to listening to our customers and offering a competitive product that meets their needs," said Air Canada executive vice-president and chief commercial officer, Ben Smith, in a statement.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Peter Fitzpatrick of Air Canada says the decision has nothing to do with a recent Federal Court of Appeal ruling that overturned a decision by the Canadian Transportation Agency that said the airline must allow pet owners to check them as baggage.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"This decision today is really unrelated to the court decision," Fitzpatrick said. "We're waiting to see what the CTA does."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">WestJet, Canada's second-largest carrier, allows pets to fly in the cabin under their owners' seats, an allowance that Air Canada had previously abandoned, citing passenger allergies.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"We have allowed pets in the cabin for several years now and are known as the pet-friendly airline," said Robert Palmer of WestJet in an e-mail. "We welcome Air Canada's announcement because we think choice is healthy, and we invite pet owners to compare the two services."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">WestJet came under fire this spring for its pets-onboard policy when a Saskatchewan woman complained she had an allergic reaction to a dog seated near her on a flight from Winnipeg to Regina.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Palmer says this hasn't led to policy changes but reminded: "It's extremely important that allergy sufferers identify themselves to us when they book, just as pet owners must let us know in advance if they wish to bring their pet on board. If an allergy sufferer does end up on the same flight as a pet, we will do our best to move one or the other as far apart as possible."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Injured Canadian soldier dies in hospital</span></span></h1>
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<a href="http://www.northernpress.org/npucns2009.htm" style="color: #4e5989; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; width: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><img alt="Master-Corporal Charles-Philippe Michaud, from the 2nd Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment based at Canadian Forces Base Valcartier, died at 2 p.m. Saturday." border="0" class="thumbnail" id="storyphoto" src="http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/www.canada.com/news/injured+canadian+soldier+dies+hospital/1761887/1761927.bin" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 460px;" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Master-Corporal Charles-Philippe Michaud, from the 2nd Battalion, Royal 22nd Regiment based at Canadian Forces Base Valcartier, died at 2 p.m. Saturday.</span></h1>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Photograph by: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Handout, Department of National Defence</span></h2>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">OTTAWA — A Canadian soldier critically injured last month by an improvised bomb in Afghanistan died in hospital in Quebec Saturday.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Master-Corporal Charles-Philippe Michaud served with the 2e Batallion, Royal 22e Regiment based at Canadian Forces Base Valcartier, near Quebec City.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">He was hospitalized after an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated near his dismounted patrol in Panjwaii District, southwest of Kandahar City, the morning of June 23.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Michaud was evacuated by helicopter to the Kandahar Airfield hospital and, from there, to the Landstuhl Regional Medical Centre in Germany. He arrived in hospital in Quebec City on June 28, 2009 and died there six days later.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Master-Corporal Michaud was serving his third operational tour and second to Afghanistan.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Valcartier officials announcing the death Sunday said medical teams spared no effort to save Michaud but he never regained consciousness after the blast.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">“Close to his men, he constantly looked out for their well-being,” said Col. Jean-Marc Lanthier in Valcartier. “He was a mentor for the young soldiers he rubbed shoulders with and he remains an example to follow for all his brothers in arms. His departure leave a tremendous void.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of our fallen comrade during this very difficult time,” said a Canadian Forces news release.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">“Master-Corporal Michaud lost his life as a direct result of his participation in operations to enhance security for the people of Kandahar Province. We will not forget his sacrifice as the Canadian Forces continues to work with Afghans and our allies to bring peace and stability to the region.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a statement saying Canadians “honour his sacrifice” as Canadian troops and their allies strive to “bring Afghans a better future and make Canadians safer.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">“I was aware of his heroic battle to survive severe injuries sustained on June 23 in Afghanistan,” Harper said. “The thoughts of all Canadians are with Master-Corporal Michaud’s family today. They are in our prayers.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Governor General Michaelle Jean also offered her condolences to the family in a statement issued Sunday afternoon.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">“Master Corporal Michaud is one of the courageous, and without a doubt, generous soldier whose sense of duty and ability to keep going despite all adversity command our admiration for the women and men serving in the Canadian Forces,” she said.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">“His sacrifice will never be forgotten and increases Canada’s resolve to help the Afghan people in a UN-sanctioned, NATO-led mission,” said Defence Minister Peter MacKay. “Thanks to Master-Corporal Charles-Philippe Michaud, progress and change is taking place in Afghanistan.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Michaud is the 122nd Canadian soldier to die in Afghanistan.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">On Friday Cpl. Nick Bulger, on his first tour in the war-torn country, was killed by a roadside bomb.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Members of Michaud’s battle group are expected to a private memorial service in Afghanistan on Monday.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Que. physicians' move may heat up right-to-die debate</span></span></h1>
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<span class="name" style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">BY PHIL COUVRETTE, CANWEST NEWS SERVICE</span></span><span class="timestamp" style="color: #999999; font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">JULY 16, 2009</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Canada’s continuing debate on the right to die, prodded by court cases and proposed legislation, seems to be heading for a new round this fall according to a report the Quebec College of Physicians may recommend Canada’s Criminal Code be revised to permit a form of medical euthanasia in strictly controlled circumstances.</span></h1>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Photograph by: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Spencer Platt, Getty Images</span></h2>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Canada's continuing debate on the right to die, prodded by court cases and proposed legislation, seems to be heading for a new round this fall according to a report the Quebec College of Physicians may recommend Canada's Criminal Code be revised to permit a form of medical euthanasia in strictly controlled circumstances.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">A right-to-die private member's bill sponsored by Bloc Quebecois MP Francine Lalonde is also due for debate, leaving both sides of the contentious issue gearing for a busy fall.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The college is reportedly preparing a proposal that calls for drug-induced euthanasia to be allowed in certain circumstances when dealing with terminally ill patients in severe pain.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">This is firing up the latest round in a debate kept going by reintroduced legislation and high-profile court cases such as that of Quebecer Stephan Dufour, found not guilty of helping his disabled uncle commit suicide last year.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Ruth von Fuchs, of the Right to Die Society of Canada, says she isn't surprised Quebec is leading the way.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"Quebec is the most advanced of the provinces. Whenever polls are done, Quebec has the highest percentage of support, around 80 per cent, for people being able to choose professional assistance when they want to end their life," she said, adding "the country is actually eager to talk about this."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Being confronted with the suffering of terminally ill people is "something more and more people know is a real problem and may be a problem for them," or their elders, von Fuchs said.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The college's suggestion would help end "the hypocrisy" under the current state of affairs, she noted.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"A lot of doctors don't enjoy having to acknowledge responsibility for ending a life — it's a very serious thing, it's a psychological hardship for the person who has to acknowledge this responsibility," she said. "You can authorize the administration of the drug, go home and be watching TV when a person dies and don't have to acknowledge that you've ended this person's life . . . this situation exists now."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Alex Schadenberg, the executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition Canada, says he is opposed to "anything that results in the direct and intended killing of other people," but argues that if death is induced by high doses of pain medication "this is not euthanasia."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Intent, is key he says. "When a physician is using a huge amount of analgesic to (make patients) comfortable and not intending their death, there is no euthanasia taking place. It's actually a subtle thing in common law," he argues.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">If, however, doctors plan to turn a blind eye and "abuse the use of the drug to cause death," that becomes a concern "of getting euthanasia through the back door," he said. "I can't prove intention, but I can prove action. Are they actually meaning they want to legalize lethal injection? Is this where they're getting to?"</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Should physicians use drugs in an unethical manner, "if that is their intention, I would be extremely concerned," he said. "We're not in favour of allowing people to suffer — we're just opposed to intentionally and directly killing them."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Michele Boulva of the Catholic Organization for Life and Family agrees intent is key.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"Giving physicians the right to directly and intentionally cause death would go against public safety," she said. "I can see happening very easily a loss of trust between doctors and patients."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The bill sponsored by Lalonde, who is battling cancer, is also due for debate this fall after receiving first reading in the House of Commons. Lalonde has been advocating changes to Canada's laws to allow assisted suicide in certain cases.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The college's reported proposal is "very interesting" and "an opening that benefits everyone," said Lalonde, adding it "arouses a debate which must take place."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"The community is not speaking with a single voice on this," she noted. Lalonde says Canadians are ready for a long-overdue debate, bearing in mind the Supreme Court of Canada had decided Sue Rodriguez's landmark right-to-die case, dismissing her bid for a doctor-assisted suicide in 1993 by a slim 5-4 margin. A year later she took her life.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"We need to obtain a legal framework to allow, under well-defined conditions, people who continue to suffer from acute physical and mental pain — without the prospect of relief — to be medically assisted to die."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Article 241 of the Criminal Code makes it illegal to help someone commit suicide, a crime punishable by up to 14 years in jail.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The college would not comment on the report, saying it would make its official position public in the fall.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Man ticketed for endangering kids he disciplined</span></span></h1>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">SHERBROOKE — A father who wanted to discipline his children for being unruly while he was behind the wheel was punished by Quebec police instead who ticketed him for endangering their lives.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Police ticketed the 34-year-old who was driving in his car with the children, aged 5 and 9, Tuesday evening, after he forced them to take a time out by kneeling on the side of Highway 10 near Sherbrooke.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Police gave him a $438 ticket and withdrew four demerit points from his driving record. The man would normally have been ticketed $40 for parking his car on the side of a highway, but was given a more severe penalty for endangering their lives, police said. The man’s common-law wife and another three-year-old child remained in the car at the time police intervened.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Police note the man’s action was particularly perilous as it took place during the busy Quebec construction holiday period, where more cars hit the roads.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Sherbrooke is about 150 kilometres east of Montreal.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Michaelle Jean speaks of Acadian roots at N.B. gathering</span></span></h1>
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<a href="http://www.northernpress.org/npucns2009.htm" style="color: #4e5989; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; width: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><img alt="In a speech to young people Wednesday night, Michaelle Jean, shown here in a July 31, 2009 file photo, shared her Acadian roots as a “descendant of an Acadian family, the LeBlancs,” who in 1763 arrived in present-day Haiti, where she was born, following the deportation of Acadians in the 1750s." border="0" class="thumbnail" id="storyphoto" src="http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/www.canada.com/news/national/michaelle+jean+speaks+acadian+roots+gathering/1889645/1889657.bin" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 460px;" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">In a speech to young people Wednesday night, Michaelle Jean, shown here in a July 31, 2009 file photo, shared her Acadian roots as a “descendant of an Acadian family, the LeBlancs,” who in 1763 arrived in present-day Haiti, where she was born, following the deportation of Acadians in the 1750s.</span></h1>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Photograph by: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Bruce Edwards, Edmonton Journal</span></h2>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Canada's Governor General wasn't just taking an outsider's view of discussions on identity this week at the World Acadian Congress, but talking from the heart — noting in a speech to a youth gathering her ancestors had Acadian roots and lived through the deportations of the 18th century.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Since Aug. 7 and until Aug. 23 New Brunswick's Acadian Peninsula is home to the fourth edition of the congress which attracts Acadians from around the world every five years to celebrate their history and identity. Cultural celebrations, conferences and workshops, sports competitions and the reunion of more than 90 dispersed families are among hundreds of events.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">In a speech to young people Wednesday night, Michaelle Jean shared her Acadian roots as a "descendant of an Acadian family, the LeBlancs," who in 1763 arrived in present-day Haiti, where she was born, following the deportation of Acadians in the 1750s.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The LeBlancs and other Acadians who settled there were known as "the petits blancs, or 'little whites'" she said, and were labourers who married into the local population.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">She described her great-grandmother as a "determined, extremely energetic woman who was known for being actively involved, politically aware," and urged the youths at the gathering, to use their own energies to protect their heritage and "help it grow."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"Acadia enriches the heritage of humanity and deserves to be protected, defended, celebrated," she said. "You have always existed, resolutely, alongside the dominant language and in permanent contact with it. It is at once a daily struggle, a source of inspiration for any minority community and an incredible strength."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Organizer Jacques Lanteigne says the congress first began15 years ago as an opportunity to foster reunions and reaffirm ties between Acadians from all around the world.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">He cited his own family reunion, this week, which brought together some 600 people from across the U.S. and Canada, and even France. The congress is therefore "an opportunity for families to return home and see everyone," to maintain but also build new family ties.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">While the deportations between 1755 and 1763 might have been responsible for the initial scattering of Acadians, economic imperatives and career moves increasingly fuel the most recent displacements from the region, he says.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">A number of members of his family have moved away for work "and it's like that in all the families I know," he notes, citing decisions by many to leave the Acadian Peninsula to find work in Moncton.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">With the economy in a slump, Lanteigne says the congress is bringing much-needed funds to the region.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"If we hadn't had the congress this year it would have been more difficult," he said.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The congress is expected to inject some $30 million in the local economy.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Via facing language complaint after fire evacuation.</span></span></h1>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">OTTAWA - The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages said Thursday it has launched an investigation after receiving two complaints following the evacuation of a Via Rail train south of Ottawa over the weekend.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">A fire in the train's engine when it was travelling near Richmond, Ont. Sunday night forced the evacuation of 300 travellers on the Toronto-Ottawa route but resulted in no injuries. Some passengers had reportedly complained about the lack of French instructions at the time of the evacuation.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The complaints allege a dereliction of duty concerning ``the linguistic obligations of Via Rail during this evacuation,'' said Robin Cantin, a spokesman for the commission.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Via is a Crown corporation and is subject to the Official Languages Act, said Cantin.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Via says it is investigating the matter to determine what caused the incident and looking into any communications related to it.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">``Our policy, as a Crown corporation, is to offer a service in both official languages, no matter where we are in the country,'' said Via spokeswoman Julie Durocher.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">She said while announcements would first be uttered in French in Quebec, they would be followed by English, while English would come first and French second in other parts of the country.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Via has not yet determined how the fire started.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Fugitive found dead, may have taken own life — RCMP</span></span></h1>
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<span class="name" style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">CANWEST NEWS SERVICE</span></span><span class="timestamp" style="color: #999999; font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">AUGUST 23, 2009</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.northernpress.org/npucns2009.htm" style="color: #035a91; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; width: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><img alt="Ryan Jenkins, the ex-husband of the bikini model found dead and stuffed in a suitcase, and is a "person of interest" in the case, Thursday, August, 20, 2009." border="0" class="thumbnail" id="storyphoto" src="http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/www.calgaryherald.com/news/suspect+have+taken+life+rcmp/1922665/1922673.bin" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 460px;" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Ryan Jenkins, the ex-husband of the bikini model found dead and stuffed in a suitcase, and is a "person of interest" in the case, Thursday, August, 20, 2009.</span></h1>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Photograph by: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Vancouver Sun, VH1RealityWorld.com</span></h2>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">SURREY, B.C. -Fugitive Ryan Jenkins, wanted in the murder of his swimsuit model ex-wife, has been found dead in British Columbia, RCMP confirmed Sunday evening at a news conference in Surrey, B.C.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Sgt. Duncan Pound, spokesman for the RCMP’s federal border integrity program said the police force “is able to confirm that a deceased person that was found in a motel in Hope, B.C., is in fact Ryan Jenkins.” He said it appears as if Jenkins took his own life.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Hope is 135 kilometres east of Vancouver.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">RCMP confirmed earlier in the day that reality-TV star Jenkins, 32, was hiding out somewhere in Canada but wouldn’t be more specific.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Jenkins, originally from Calgary, was wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for the murder of Jasmine Fiore, 28.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Her mutilated body was found on Aug. 15 stuffed in a suitcase and dumped in a garbage bin in Buena Park, Calif., about 30 kilometres southeast of Los Angeles.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">An international manhunt has been on for Jenkins, though authorities on both sides of the border had speculated he may have returned to Canada after his speedboat was discovered in a Point Roberts, Wash., marina on Wednesday. That community shares its only land border with B.C.’s Lower Mainland.</span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Military called in to remove WWII mortar</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">PETERBOROUGH, Ont. — It’s not every day the Canadian Forces’ explosive disposal unit has to make a house call, but on Monday experts from CFBTrenton were called in to remove a Second World War mortar shell found in the shed of a Peterborough-area home.<br /><br />Three other military artifacts were removed from the shed in the community about 90 minutes east of Toronto by the specialized unit.<br /><br />The home and shed were searched for more devices by the military and police but nothing further was located.<br /><br />The unexploded ordnance was transported to CFB Trenton for examination and disposal.<br /><br />Officials were not available to say how the ordnance got into the shed.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Archeologist condemns historical-site looting</span></span></h1>
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<span class="name" style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">BY PHIL COUVRETTE, CANWEST NEWS SERVICE</span></span><span class="timestamp" style="color: #999999; font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">AUGUST 26, 2009</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">A Parks Canada archeologist condemned on Wednesday signs of looting at a Nova Scotia Acadian historical site, and says it's indicative of a wider problem plaguing such sites around the world.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">More than 270 holes have been discovered in recent weeks at the Beaubassin Parks Canada site near the Nova Scotia-New Brunswick border, and Parks Canada archeologist Charles Burke fears the items potentially lost "have an incredible value to our interpretation of the use of that site by the Acadian people."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">He's also seen people using metal detectors around the area.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"This has a great value to the Canadian public," he said of rare ornate silver clasps, silver and copper coins, buttons and buckles — which have already been recovered.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">In part Burke says the discovery of the historical coins near an aboriginal clay smoking pipe suggests Mi'kmaq lived side by side with Europeans at the site before the Acadian deportations of the 1750s.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Jean Leger, director general of the Nova Scotia Acadian Federation says his group is "outraged" by the reports, especially as he notes the site is yielding valuable information concerning the pre-deportation period.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"Beaubassin enables us to study a period that was very prosperous for Acadians," Leger notes. "Sometimes Acadians are viewed as being a poor people, but this really wasn't the case and Beaubassin is a site that could show how prosperous they were before deportations.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"I hope people aren't plundering Acadian heritage to resell it, it is already limited the way it is."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">He urged Parks Canada to better protect the area.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Burke added the problem of looting on historical sites is widespread.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"This relates to the international trade in illegally acquired antiquities (such as) remarkable items and objects of art from the Old World that are traded about in contravention of UNESCO regulations."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Burke pointed to organized "bottle hunting" regularly carried out by collectors on historic sites where they think the items can be found and people using metal detectors on national battle fields.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"Items in an archeological context, once they are removed from that context, essentially become objects of arts or museum objects — by losing the context in which they are found they no longer can provide the kind of information that culture historians would need to interpret the site in itself," he said.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Opposition dancing to election tune</span></span></h1>
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<a href="http://www.northernpress.org/npucns2009.htm" style="color: #4e5989; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; width: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><img alt="Clockwise - Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff, Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe, New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton and Green Party of Canada leader Elizabeth May - Opposition leaders said Tuesday that Prime Minister Stephen Harper has “set himself on a course toward an election” and it was time to present Canadians with “an alternative” as the buzz of a possible call to the polls kept growing across the country." border="0" class="thumbnail" id="storyphoto" src="http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/www.canada.com/news/opposition+dancing+election+tune/1973312/1973393.bin" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 460px;" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Clockwise - Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff, Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe, New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton and Green Party of Canada leader Elizabeth May - Opposition leaders said Tuesday that Prime Minister Stephen Harper has “set himself on a course toward an election” and it was time to present Canadians with “an alternative” as the buzz of a possible call to the polls kept growing across the country.</span></h1>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Photograph by: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Geoff Robins/Reuters, John Morstad/Montreal Gazette, Mike Cassese/Reuters, Paul Darrow/Reuters</span></h2>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Opposition leaders said Tuesday that Prime Minister Stephen Harper has “set himself on a course toward an election” and it was time to present Canadians with “an alternative” as the buzz of a possible call to the polls kept growing across the country.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The Bloc Quebecois rolled out a series of pre-campaign ads while Green Leader Elizabeth May announced she will seek her party’s nomination in B.C., adding to mounting speculation Canadians may soon be called to the polls for a fourth time in five years.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The Bloc said Tuesday it is gearing up for a fall election and the party opened hostilities by launching pre-campaign ads attacking its Conservative and Liberal opponents.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe said a fall election appears inevitable at this point and his party is ready to fight it.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">“I have the firm conviction that barring a major change there will be an election,” Duceppe said Tuesday.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">He said the Bloc’s strategy will be to stress there is not much of a difference between Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">When it comes to dealing with the province, both of them are on the same page, he said.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">“They have the same restrictive vision of Quebec. Harper thinks the talk about the (Quebec) nation is over and Mr. Ignatieff believes Quebec doesn’t need more powers,” Duceppe said before heading into a two-day caucus meeting in Quebec City.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">He said the two leaders refuse to take action on a range of issues dear to the Bloc and many Quebecers, such as settling the fiscal imbalance between Ottawa and the provinces and asserting French predominance in areas of federal jurisdiction in Quebec.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Duceppe unveiled pre-campaign ads that hammer that point.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">“There won’t be any personal attacks, but we’ll underline their positions,” the Bloc leader said, referring to Harper and Ignatieff.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">One newspaper ad released Tuesday shows half-faces of Harper and Ignatieff side by side, topped with the message “Two parties, one vision.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The ad asserts that Liberals and Conservatives voted alike in the House of Commons with the same results in culture, language, employment and environment. The Bloc’s slogan reads: The Bloc is the only one standing up to defend Quebec’s interests.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Duceppe said Tuesday the Bloc has already nominated 67 candidates in the province’s 75 ridings and that it has enough money in its coffers for the campaign.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">But Ignatieff told a news conference in Waterloo, Ont., that his party wants Quebec to be at the heart of a Liberal government while the Bloc is condemned to remain in opposition.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Speaking after visiting the headquarters of BlackBerry maker Research in Motion, Ignatieff said his party wants to back new “national champions” to create future jobs.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">“Stephen Harper let Nortel fail,” he said. “His government didn’t think it was in the national interest to keep Canada’s single largest source of private research and development from going bankrupt — and they have yet to conduct their mandatory review of the sale of Nortel’s high-tech assets to a foreign company.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Ignatieff also criticized the Harper government of letting the U.S. take the lead on the environment.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">“The Conservative government is basically waiting for Barack Obama to give Canada its climate change policy,” he said. “I’m the biggest fan of Mr. Obama in the world but this is Canada and we don’t take policy from others, we should make policy and lead.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">While Ignatieff would not speculate on the timing of a possible election, he said his party could not support the Tories out of principle.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">“We believe that if you’re running the largest deficit in history, terrible unemployment numbers, record bankruptcies and you’re letting Canadian champions down, you’re not investing in the jobs of tomorrow and the know-how of tomorrow, then we can’t support you,” he said. “And we need to present Canadians with an alternative and that’s what we’re going to do.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Meanwhile, NDP Leader Jack Layton said on CTV’s Power Play that his party “called on Mr. Harper to reach out to other parties and try to make Parliament work but . . . he hasn’t been willing to do that.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Harper “set himself on a course toward an election,” Layton said, adding “in some ways it’s unfortunate because a lot of people would rather see Parliament getting to work on the key issues,” such as the needs of seniors.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Layton said he didn’t see any interest by the government on many issues dear to his party.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">“I guess Stephen Harper has decided he preferred an election to getting down to work with other people. I think that’s too bad but that’s the way it is,” he said. “I think it’s time for a real government, one that actually works with people on the issues.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Also on Tuesday, May announced she will seek the Green nomination for a possible federal election in the B.C. riding of Saanich-Gulf Islands.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">“The people here and the values they hold dear are the very heart of our movement,” May said in a statement. “I will be so proud to stand for those values and help to create the change our country needs starting right here in Saanich-Gulf Islands.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">However in an interview she acknowledged a fall federal election is the last thing she, or Canadians, want.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">“Hundreds of people told me they don’t want another election,” May said in an interview with the Victoria Times Colonist. “Five years, four elections. What’s wrong with this picture?”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The prime minister's spokesman, Dimitri Soudas, called the election talks by opposition party leaders “unfortunate” and said the Tory government will instead focus on economic recovery when Parliament resumes next week.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">“It’s unfortunate that the opposition is going to be focused on partisan politics and electioneering at a time when instability would be caused by an unnecessary and opportunistic election,” said Soudas.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">“As we’re starting to see signs of economic recovery, a snap election would obviously put at risk this recovery.”</span></div>
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<b>Police in Quebec investigate string of suspicious fires</b></div>
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Canwest News Service</div>
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<br style="height: 10px;" />SAGUENAY, Que. - Police in Saguenay say they are investigating the possibility that four of six fires which struck various buildings overnight may be of criminal nature but have yet to establish possible links to two "criminal" blazes which targeted schools over the long weekend.</div>
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<br style="height: 10px;" />Sgt. Bruno Cormier of Saguenay police said the six fires were reported between 12:52 a.m. and 8:52 a.m. Tuesday within a 30 kilometres radius of the city about 450 kilometres northeast of Montreal.</div>
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<br style="height: 10px;" />"Certain elements (of the investigation) are leading us to believe they could perhaps be of criminal nature," Cormier said at midday Tuesday. "Fire investigators are on the scene are we will probably learn more details later during the day."<br style="height: 10px;" />"We cannot yet establish any links because every fire scene must be investigated," he added.<br style="height: 10px;" /></div>
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Damage ranges from minimal to considerable, including one family home where three people were living but escaped without injury.<br style="height: 10px;" /></div>
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Police were still investigating two fires of criminal nature which targeted schools over the weekend but had yet to determine whether the same person or people were responsible for both blazes.<br style="height: 10px;" /></div>
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About 300 elementary students learned Sunday they will have to be relocated after their elementary school, located on St. Benoit St. in the Saguenay borough of Chicoutimi, burned down.<br style="height: 10px;" /></div>
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Fire at the second school was limited but concerned citizens were gathering Tuesday to urge authorities to rebuild the first school after it was considerably damaged.<br style="height: 10px;" /></div>
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Police could not confirm reports suspects were seen fleeing the site of one of the school fires.<br style="height: 10px;" />A string of cases of arson against vehicles in July in Saguenay remained unsolved, Cormier said.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: georgia; font-size: small; font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Saguenay man faces nine charges of arson</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">SAGUENAY — A 27-year-old man appeared in court Thursday to face nine charges of arson, including five the same night, as police investigate a string of suspicious fires that have targeted homes and businesses here in the last week.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">A dozen fires, most of criminal nature, have taken place in this city 450 kilometres northeast of Montreal in the last week, two of them involving schools, which Dominique Gauthier has been charged in connection with.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Bruno Cormier, of Saguenay police, said officers arrested him at 5 a.m. Thursday morning after receiving a tip from the public.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">He said the man wasn’t the first to be questioned about the fires that have kept the community on edge since Friday of last week.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Less than two hours after the arrest, another fire was reported in Saguenay but officials had yet to determine if it was of criminal nature.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Gauthier, whose next court appearance is Oct. 22, was charged in connection with fires dating from Oct. 9 to 13.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">He also faces three separate charges of theft related to earlier incidents.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Butting out in virtual reality may have real-life results</span></span></h1>
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<a href="http://www.northernpress.org/npucns2009.htm" style="color: #4e5989; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; width: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><img alt="A recent study by the GRAP Occupational Psychology Clinic and University of Quebec in Gatineau found that smokers who destroyed cigarettes in a virtual-reality environment many times over a period of months reported having less of a tobacco addiction than those who were assigned another virtual-reality task." border="0" class="thumbnail" id="storyphoto" src="http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/www.canada.com/health/butting+virtual+reality+have+real+life+results/2151607/2088045.bin" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 460px;" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">A recent study by the GRAP Occupational Psychology Clinic and University of Quebec in Gatineau found that smokers who destroyed cigarettes in a virtual-reality environment many times over a period of months reported having less of a tobacco addiction than those who were assigned another virtual-reality task.</span></h1>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Photograph by: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Alex Grimm/Reuters, np</span></h2>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Our actions in virtual reality may subconsciously lead to changes to real-life addictive behaviours, according to a group of Quebec researchers.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">A recent study by the GRAP Occupational Psychology Clinic and University of Quebec in Gatineau found that smokers who destroyed cigarettes in a virtual-reality environment many times over a period of months reported having less of a tobacco addiction than those who were assigned another virtual-reality task.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The theory behind the study, published in the current issue of the U.S.-based CyberPsychology and Behavior journal, is that the participants developed a "stronger drive" to quit smoking, because they subconsciously visualized themselves destroying their addiction.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Ninety-one smokers who were enrolled in a 12-week anti-smoking program were randomly divided into two groups.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Participants in the first group were asked to seek out and grasp up to 60 balls in a virtual-reality setting. In the second group, participants were told to find 60 virtual cigarettes and crush them with a virtual arm.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The participants, aged 18 to 65, were in good general health and regularly smoked 10 cigarettes or more a day in the last year. The average age of the participants was 44.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The two groups completed their tasks once a week for the first month of the study, and then once every two weeks for the following two months.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The researchers found that, in the 12th week of the program, 15 per cent of participants in the cigarette-crushing group said they had stopped smoking. Only two per cent in the ball-grasping group reported a change in their addiction.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">During a six-month telephone followup, the researchers found that 39 per cent of the participants in the cigarette-destroying group said they had stopped smoking, compared to 20 per cent in the ball-grasping group.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">One of the study's co-authors, Dr. Benoit Girard, said the "significant effect" on the groups' behaviour shows that virtual tasks may lead to a change in real-life behaviour.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"We made use of cybertherapy to introduce a virtual arm in a virtual environment," he said Tuesday from Saguenay, Que.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">A number of things could explain the different results, according to the study, including the regular meetings with a nurse that participants had to attend as part of the program.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"The impact of the cybertherapy may be limited to foster treatment attendance and adherence," the study said. "Enjoying crushing virtual cigarettes would only be a motivator, and the active ingredients in the treatment would remain those related to counselling and applying self-help strategies."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">It's also believed that virtually destroying cigarettes may have led the participants to increase their "self-efficacy" in behaviours associated with quitting smoking. As well, the study theorized that the investment of time and energy into crushing cigarettes may be linked to a boost in the participants' motivation, or might create a more positive emotional response to stopping the behaviour.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The authors note that further research needs to be completed to determine the role cybertherapy plays, and whether it should be used in conjunction with other treatments in addictive-behaviour programs.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">With a file from Phil Couvrette</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Montreal Mayor Tremblay wins third term</span></span></h1>
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<a href="http://www.northernpress.org/npucns2009.htm" style="color: #4e5989; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; width: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><img alt="Montreal mayoral candidate and incumbent Gerald Tremblay (C) walks with his wife Suzanne Tailleur (L) and their daughter Marie-Laurent after casting their vote in Montreal." border="0" class="thumbnail" id="storyphoto" src="http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/www.canada.com/business/montreal+mayor+tremblay+wins+third+term/2170366/2170390.bin" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 460px;" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Montreal mayoral candidate and incumbent Gerald Tremblay (C) walks with his wife Suzanne Tailleur (L) and their daughter Marie-Laurent after casting their vote in Montreal.</span></h1>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Photograph by: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Christinne Muschi, Reuters</span></h2>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">MONTREAL — Montreal's incumbent mayor, Gerald Tremblay, whose administration has been dogged by corruption investigations and allegations of unethical behaviour for much of the past year, won a third term running Canada's second-largest city after a hotly contested election Sunday night.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Tremblay said in a muted victory speech that he understood the concerns of citizens expressed during the turbulent election campaign and had to strive to regain the confidence of all Montrealers.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"I am aware the municipal administration has been shaken by all the events of the last months and particularly by those of the last weeks," he said. "I am aware the conscience of Montrealers has been put to the test. Citizens want change and we embody this change.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"All citizens want Montreal to be an exemplary model at all levels . . . especially concerning the integrity of its institutions, its elected officials, or its employees and its procedures.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"Rest assured I have heard their concerns and expectations."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Main rival Louise Harel said shortly before 11:30 p.m. that she congratulated Tremblay on his win but urged his administration to make sure "Montreal reclaimed the place it must have in the world."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">As Tremblay spoke, he held 37.2 per cent of the vote to Harel's 33.1 per cent. Third-placed Richard Bergeron had 25.5 per cent. Results from earlier in the evening had given Tremblay 42 per cent of the vote, Harel 31 per cent and Bergeron 24 per cent.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">TVA network called the election at 10:35 p.m. in favour of Tremblay and rival Radio-Canada followed at 10:55 p.m.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"Gerald Tremblay won this election, I congratulate him," said Projet Montreal Leader Richard Bergeron, the first of the main candidates to concede the election.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Recent polls had the three main contenders in a dead heat and early participation rates were higher than anticipated, but the suspense after an anything-but-usual campaign was all the more prolonged by an announcement results of the hotly contested election would be delayed.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Logistical problems Sunday morning at 12 polling stations in Montreal extended voting hours there by as long as 55 minutes past their scheduled closing times of 8 p.m., leaving the entire city anxiously waiting for results.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Despite those problems, as of 5 p.m. turnout in Sunday's Montreal vote was at 32 per cent of registered voters, the city's chief returning officer reported, including the 5.25 per cent of voters who voted in advance polling in Montreal last Sunday.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The total Montreal turnout in 2005 was just 35 per cent.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Low participation rates aren't unique to Montreal. Lower turnouts in city elections are common across Canada. In Toronto, the turnout was 39 per cent in 2003 and 41 per cent in 2006.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">But this isn't your usual election, the candidates agreed in the lead up to voting day.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"This was not a conventional electoral campaign," said Tremblay, understating the drama that has surrounded unfolding allegations of corruption at city hall involving construction contractors.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">As recently as last week, Vision Montreal Leader Louise Harel described Sunday's vote as one of the most important in the city's history and "in order to restore confidence in this administration there must be a high turnout."</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Bergeron, with some help from a string of perceived scandals at city hall, suddenly found himself in the middle of a three-way fight.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Tremblay said Saturday he wished he could have spent more of his campaign promoting his administration's accomplishments of the past eight years.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The most prominent of these have been in the areas of public transit, economic development and sustainable development, he said.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">But corruption allegations took centre stage.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">And there were early signs this had much to do with the higher participation rate.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"I rarely vote at the municipal level, but with all the scandals, I decided I had to," said Jean-Paul Chiasson, waiting in line to vote Sunday.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">During Tremblay's second term as Montreal mayor, allegations surfaced that his party has been too cosy with contributors who conduct work for the city. There also were several spending scandals.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Last April, Quebec provincial police were called in to investigate the city's real-estate arm, following allegations of bent or broken rules and property sales below market value.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">In June, there was an alleged extortion scheme carried out on a contractor renovating the roof Montreal's city hall. The contractor was quoted as saying he was asked by an organized crime figure to pay a $40,000 bribe to two unnamed city councillors in order to keep the contract.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">In mid-September, the city's new auditor general, Jacques Bergeron, recommended the City of Montreal cancel a water-meter deal, because he believed it was awarded too quickly and cost too much.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Bergeron forwarded information to Quebec provincial police, which already had been investigating the deal.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The provincial government last month announced the creation of an investigative unit within the provincial police force to examine allegations of corruption, bid-rigging, collusion and criminal infiltration of the construction industry.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Tremblay said he welcomes the ongoing police probes and hopes the Quebec government will open a public inquiry.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Montreal's three main mayoral candidates all cast their ballots Sunday morning.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Tremblay told reporters he was a little nervous but "very confident" as he voted accompanied by his wife Suzanne Tailleur and daughter Marie-Laurence.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">"Whomever wins — even if it's Mr. Tremblay — things will have to change at city hall," said Gaetan Marcoux, voting on Sunday.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Voters in 839 towns and cities across Quebec were casting votes Sunday in municipal elections to fill 561 mayor's posts.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Among them Regis Labeaume, the incumbent Quebec City mayor, was the projected winner. Incumbent Marc Bureau was the projected winner in Gatineau according to media reports.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Bodies of two miners found in flooded Quebec gold mine</span></span></h1>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">DESMARAISVILLE, Que. — Two of three miners missing in a flooded mine in northern Quebec were found dead Monday.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Three rescue teams were continuing to look for the remaining man, a spokesman from Quebec's workplace health and safety board said Monday evening.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Pierre Turgeon said the first victim was found as the search for the men got underway Monday morning. Another was found around supper time. The identities of the two were yet to be released.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The miners went missing Friday in a gold mine in Desmaraisville, in the James Bay region.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Bruno Goulet, 36, Dominico Bollini, 44, and Marc Guay, 31, were trapped 550 metres underground about 600 kilometres north of Montreal.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Turgeon said the search could continue overnight if necessary.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The mine was closed in 1993, but was being prepared to return to production because of the recent increase in price of the precious metal.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The men were working to align the walls of the mine shaft Friday. They were in a cage on the sixth level and told the cage's operator at the surface level they planned to descend to the 12th level, not knowing that the area was flooded.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Once the operator noticed the water, he signalled the employees, but they didn't respond. The cage was empty and the door open when it was brought to the surface.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Mine operations have ceased and an investigation is underway to determine the cause of this flooding. Water was still being pumped out of the mine Monday.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Pilot dead, 2 seriously injured in Quebec chopper crash</span></span></h1>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">BAIE-COMEAU, Que. — The pilot of a helicopter that crashed Thursday afternoon near Baie-Comeau has died and two others on board were severely injured, Quebec provincial police confirmed early in the evening.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Provincial police said the chopper was reported down at around 2 p.m., and that a 58-year-old man and two women in their thirties were seriously hurt in the crash.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">All three initially were transported to Baie Comeau by a private chopper in the area at the time. Police later confirmed the death of the 58-year-old, whose name was not immediately made available.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">The two survivors were later taken to Quebec City hospital.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Provincial police and the Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Baie Comeau is approximately 700 kilometres northeast of Montreal.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Canadian terror suspect had been in India on headhunting mission: reports</span></h1>
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<span class="name" style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">CANWEST NEWS SERVICE</span> <span class="timestamp" style="color: #999999; font-family: arial; font-size: 11px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 15px; padding-top: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">NOVEMBER 15, 2009</span><span class="comments" id="lblComment"></span></div>
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DELHI — A Canadian of Pakistani origin arrested last month by the FBI for allegedly plotting terror strikes in India, was spotted in a southern Indian city in a “talent spotting mission” days before the Mumbai attacks, according to reports.</div>
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The Hindustan Times reported Sunday that Tahawwur Hussain Rana reportedly issued an advertisement in an Indian daily days before the series of bombings that began in Mumbai on Nov. 26, 2008, offering visas to the U.S. and Canada on a “limited time money back guarantee.”</div>
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“A man named Tahawwur Hussain Rana had stayed in a five-star hotel in Kochi on Nov. 16 last year. Intelligence officials are verifying details given to the hotel,” Kerala state Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan told the paper. Rana later reportedly left for Mumbay.</div>
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The paper quotes police sources saying his passport was issued in Ottawa in 2006 and his address was listed in Chicago. The ad claimed Rana was a Chicago-based emigration consultant.</div>
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Police told the paper: “It seems the interview was just a coverup. Though he interviewed a couple of candidates, no one seemed to have been offered anything.”</div>
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U.S. authorities have charged Rana, along with another suspect, David Coleman Headley, with plotting attacks, including on a Danish newspaper that published cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in 2005.</div>
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Rana passed tips to Headley, a suspected associate of terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, on how to illegally enter the United States, prosecutors alleged in the Chicago case earlier this month.</div>
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According to the Chicago Tribune citing court filings, prosecutors also said Rana discussed other "targets" with Headley, including the National Defense College in India, a military school.</div>
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With files from Agence France-Presse</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Investigation launched after nurses bring H1N1 vaccine home</span></h1>
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<a href="http://www.canada.com/health/Quebec+nurses+bring+H1N1+vaccine+home/2229177/story.html" style="color: #4e5989; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; width: auto;"><img alt="An investigation is underway after two Quebec nurses were found to have taken H1N1 vaccine home to give family members shots. In this photo five-and-a-half-year-old Kim watches as her father, Lawrence Colsell, receives his H1N1 flu vaccination in Montreal on Nov. 16, 2009." border="0" class="thumbnail" id="storyphoto" src="http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/www.canada.com/health/Quebec+nurses+bring+H1N1+vaccine+home/2229177/2229002.bin" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 460px;" /></a></div>
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An investigation is underway after two Quebec nurses were found to have taken H1N1 vaccine home to give family members shots. In this photo five-and-a-half-year-old Kim watches as her father, Lawrence Colsell, receives his H1N1 flu vaccination in Montreal on Nov. 16, 2009.</h1>
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<b>Photograph by: </b>Dave Sidaway, The Gazette</h2>
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QUEBEC — An investigation is underway in Quebec after two nurses were found to have taken doses of the H1N1 flu vaccine home to vaccinate family members.</div>
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The North Shore health agency said the information came to light Friday and the investigation would in part serve to determine whether other nurses there were responsible for similar actions.</div>
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"The fact there are priority groups to respect . . . this caused concern, as well as the fact that vaccines were taken out and brought home, that's not what they're supposed to do," said Pascal Paradis, spokesman for the North Shore health agency — which covers areas north of the St. Lawrence in eastern Quebec.</div>
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Paradis said he expected the investigation to clear up the "who, how and what" of the incident, and address possible sanctions, in the following days.</div>
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"I wouldn't want to lay the blame on nurses, who are doing what they can and are working very hard in vaccination clinics, but what's certain is that this is an unacceptable situation which we deplore," Sandra Morin, a spokeswoman from the agency, told the French-language news channel LCN.</div>
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Morin said the nurses have received a verbal warning.</div>
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A spokeswoman for Quebec Health Minister Yves Bolduc referred to the minister's weekend news conference in which he described the incident as "unacceptable and regrettable."</div>
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<a href="http://www.nationalpost.com/story.html?id=2253586&utm" style="color: #404040; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Royal Canadian Mint went into damage control over missing gold</a></div>
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Jack Branswell and Phil Couvrette<br />The National Post<br />Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:24 EST</div>
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<span class="tiny" style="color: grey; font-size: 7pt;">© David Barbour/Bloomberg News</span><br /><span class="caption" style="color: #1b3651; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold; padding-left: 1em; padding-right: 1em;">The Royal Canadian Mint in Ottawa.</span></div>
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Ottawa - Faced with what may prove to be a huge gold heist right out from underneath its nose, the Royal Canadian Mint ordered polls and consulted with a high-powered Ottawa public relations firm as it worked on damage control, access to information documents show.<br /><br />What is clear in 66 pages of notes released to Canwest News Service under access-to-information law is that as news of the missing 17,514 troy ounces of gold and other precious metals -- with an estimated value of $15.3-million -- leaked out, the mint was keen to protect its reputation.<br /><br />What is less clear is just what the mint's consultations with Angus Reid, which conducted at least two omnibus polls for the Crown corporation, and Hill & Knowlton Inc., the public relations firm, told the mint.<br /><br />The documents are heavily edited, with the polls being blacked out entirely.<br /><br />Their media notes -- the messages they tell reporters -- say the mint "is one of the most highly regarded mints in the world and has a very strong reputation." But that reputation has been under siege as the mint has been unable to account for the missing gold since last fall.<br /><br />On June 9, the government announced it had told the mint to have the RCMP investigate the missing gold.<br /><br />By the end of that month and in early July, the mint may not have found the gold, but it had acquired Corporate Reputation and Sponsorship Index reports from Angus Reid. The reports were called Royal Canadian Mint: Reputation to June 30 (and the second one July 14). Hill & Knowlton also weighed in with an "Issue Analysis" on at least four occasions in June and July.<br /><br />It is clear through e-mails, released with the documents, that the polls are about "our reputation in the context of the metal reconciliations file."<br /><br />But the polls themselves, 48 pages of data, are marked not for public release and are completely blacked out.<br /><br />To explain the heavy editing, the mint cites sections of the Freedom of Information Act that allow exemptions for commercially sensitive information, information that could harm third-party dealings and negotiations and advice or recommendations the mint hasn't put into operation.<br /><br />The mint also held a July 17 conference call and part of that dealt with "Reputation Management" but again, all the details were censored.<br /><br />Christine Aquino, a spokeswoman for the mint, said it is normal that the documents would be so highly censored.<br /><br />"The minting industry is highly competitive, therefore this type of information is deemed confidential," she said.<br /><br />"It is commonplace for the mint to conduct such research on a very regular basis for a variety of reasons, including to develop new products and programs that fulfil our mandate."<br /><br />The mint also would not say how much it spent on the polls or the Hill & Knowlton work.<br /><br />Charles Weinberg, a professor of marketing at Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia, said this is a serious crisis for the mint and that getting advice on its reputation is part of managing the situation.<br /><br />"Part of the critical issues are how they deal with this crisis," Weinberg said.<br /><br />"Losing $15-million worth of gold is a serious amount of money, no matter how profitable the Crown corporation is or what a small percentage of the amount of gold it has.<br /><br />"Generally when something goes wrong, a tainted product or something like that, the first thing that the organization has to do is sort of acknowledge the mistake that was made and show that they're trying to understand what the cause was and providing appropriate corrective action."<br /><br />The mint doesn't just make coins for Canada, it has international clients, and Mr. Weinberg said it would also be acutely aware that it has to maintain its reputation with them, too.<br /><br />But he said the issue isn't resonating with Canadians at this point.<br /><br />"One of the unusual things about this is that unlike health scares where people get ill right away and there's product recalls where there's a real danger to people . . . this is a financial embarrassment but is not an immediate danger to anyone, so I think there's less heightened public attention on this than there otherwise would be."<br /><br />"One of the questions, and they may be doing this, is to see whether or not this issue is actually on people's minds. The problem is going to be when the RCMP is finishing their investigation and either conclude whether they can find there was theft taking place or can't explain it either, and if it's theft they have to see if the theft is something the mint could have done something about."<br /><br />He questioned why so much of the access-to-information request would have to be blacked out.<br /><br />"The question is why is this such sensitive information that it can't be publicly released?"<br /><br />Among other censored information in the documents is a three-page letter, dated July 7, to John Baird, the transport minister, whose department is responsible for the mint and his minister of state, Rob Merrifield.<br /><br />As government department and agencies do, the mint was very closely monitoring the volume of news reports on their missing gold and tracking whether coverage was dying off or not.<br /><br />"Coverage spiked once the minister announced the RCMP had been contacted. This is now truly a cross-Canada story, including in Quebec [both print and broadcast]," the documents note. But a section right after that, presumably talking about that coverage, is blocked out under the law's exemption to not release information that is advice that hasn't been acted on yet.<br /><br />The mint's final report on the missing gold and other precious metals is expected to be released soon. The RCMP investigation into the case is ongoing.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Gunmen spring prisoner from Hamilton hospital</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">November 24, 2009</span></div>
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HAMILTON • Police in Hamilton are looking for three suspects after a prisoner was broken out of a hospital by two armed individuals on Tuesday.</div>
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Police say Fawad Ahmed Nouri, 25, an inmate at Hamilton Wentworth Detention Centre, was being escorted out of the Hamilton General Hospital shortly before noon when two armed male suspects “exited the hospital, pushed the guards to the ground, took the prisoner and fled in a Ministry of Correction Services vehicle, hitting an ambulance as they made their escape,” according to a statement.</div>
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Police say the three then dumped the correctional vehicle and took off in a silver Hyundai Tiburon.</div>
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Nouri was awaiting trial after being arrested on a number of charges including robbery and forceful confinement in relation to a robbery in January, in which shots were fired following a police pursuit, said Superintendent Bill Stewart of Hamilton police. On Jan. 23, in which two men pulled a 45-calibre shotgun on customers and staff at a Tim Hortons. According to police, two masked men fled the scene and subsequently engaged in a police chase. The suspects' car eventually hit a snowbank.</div>
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Nouri is alleged to have fired a shotgun at officers during the chase. He took a shot once and was treated at Hamilton General Hospital. Nouri was back at the hospital for a scheduled followup appointment, police say.</div>
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In May, the <a href="http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2009/04/c7968.html" style="color: #3366cd; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Special Investigations Unit</a> concluded that the two officers involved in the incident did not commit any criminal offenses.</div>
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Nouri is described as being 6-foot-1, 163 pounds and wearing an orange jumpsuit. He and Todd Fenty, 26, were originally charged with <span class="articlebody" id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder_article_NavWebPart_Article_ctl00___BodyLineup__">four counts of robbery, firearms offences and wearing a disguise. In February, however, police laid 36 additional charges.</span></div>
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Nouri in particular was facing nine counts of forcible confinement, possession of a loaded, prohibited weapon, dangerous driving, among others, Supt. Stewart said. He was in custody awaiting trial.</div>
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Nouri — a former Toronto resident who has family there — was also involved in other violent offenses in the past, Supt. Stewart added.</div>
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Hamilton police consider the three armed and dangerous and warned the public against approaching them. </div>
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Anyone seeing them is asked to call 911.</div>
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James Delorey, 7, missing outside his home in the community of South Bar in Cape Breton.</h1>
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<b>Photograph by: </b>Handout photo, Cape Breton Regional Police</h2>
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SOUTH BAR, N.S. — Heavy snow and strong winds were no help in the search for a young autistic boy missing in Nova Scotia on Sunday, but nor were they a deterrent to hundreds of determined residents who were scouring their community for any trace of the seven-year-old.</div>
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There has been no sign of James Delorey since he was seen Saturday afternoon with his family’s dog outside their home in the community of South Bar in Cape Breton.</div>
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Within hours of his disappearance, search-and-rescue officials were knocking on neighbours’ doors and asking for permission to search nearby properties in a race against time as the weather took a turn for the worse overnight.</div>
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“It’s snowing and wet,” said Sgt. Ken O’Neill with the Cape Breton Regional Police Sunday. “We’re hoping if the weather breaks, we’ll be able to use the Cormorant (helicopter) again.”</div>
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Weather prevented the helicopter from flying most of Sunday but it resumed operations in the evening using night-vision capabilities. It first joined the search Saturday. Cape Breton police said the search would also continue on the ground overnight into Monday when search-and-rescue teams from Halifax were expected to help out at first light.</div>
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Despite the weather “we still had well over 200 people out searching on foot and on ATVs, definitely there’s not been any less people out,” said Desiree Vassallo of Cape Breton Regional Police.</div>
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The story of a missing autistic boy, who authorities feared was not properly dressed to be outside during the season’s first snowstorm, prompted a massive outpouring of support from residents in the community, and a long line of cars belonging to volunteers stretched along a nearby highway Sunday.</div>
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Vassallo said there’s currently no plans to interrupt the search. But the fact the boy does not speak has added another set of challenges to searchers.</div>
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“It’s definitely more difficult because he doesn’t verbally respond, there isn’t going to be somebody calling back when we’re calling for him.”</div>
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“We’re all very upset,” said Delorey’ grandmother, Donna Fraser, when reached at the boy’s home, before declining to comment further.</div>
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Delorey’ grandfather is a well-known local fisherman.</div>
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It’s believed Delorey was with the family dog, a large Dalmatian named Chance, when he went missing around 2:30 p.m. in the family yard, which opens to a large wooded area.</div>
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“Apparently the family dog had started to wander into the woods and he followed behind the dog,” said Greg Hanna, who lives in the area and joined in the rescue effort Saturday evening.</div>
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Hanna described the woods as a “real boggy, marshy-type of area, including ponds and dead trees,” with a few hills.</div>
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It’s also not far from a marina where police boats were searching the waters.</div>
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Hundreds of people registered to help search the for the boy, Hanna said.</div>
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“You wouldn’t believe the number of people looking with ATVs and off-road vehicles,” he said.</div>
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Attention for the search was also growing online, where by Sunday evening concern about the missing boy from a community of roughly 2,000 people had prompted 16,000 people to register to a Facebook group called “Bring 7 year old James Delorey home safe!!”</div>
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So many people were showing up to volunteer that those who weren’t properly dressed for the search were sent home, Hanna said.</div>
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“They’ve been searching every nook and cranny you can think of,” Hanna said, adding his barn, some two kilometres away from the home, was also searched.</div>
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Living about 100 metres from the boy’s home, Melanie Sampson said Sunday she had been serving soups and sandwiches to the rescue team posted in her driveway.</div>
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“The mother was out in the yard searching for her little boy; my husband’s been out day and night; I’ve just been staying at home to feed anybody who’s hungry,” she said, adding the family remained optimistic despite the ordeal.</div>
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“Everybody is hoping and praying and everybody is searching with best intents and hoping that he’ll be found safely,” said Sampson.</div>
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Sampson said the boy, his 10-year-old brother and mother were living out west before they moved into their grandparents’ home during the summer.</div>
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O’Neill said that four teams were doing a ground and water search for the boy Sunday. The South Bar Fire Department, K9 units, volunteers and family members were also continuing their search.</div>
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“We haven’t had any luck yet. We have additional teams out on the scene but the search is continuing, unfortunately,” he said. “We’ve expanded the area we’re searching. I can tell you, it’s large.”</div>
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O’Neill said there was concern that Delorey was not properly dressed for the wintry weathers conditions, but there was still hope the boy will be found safe and sound.</div>
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“We’re covering all avenues,” he said.</div>
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Delorey is described as four foot five and 60 pounds, with brown hair and eyes. He was last seen wearing dark jeans, a red shirt and a dark blue plaid shirt, a grey-coloured vest, a shiny belt and black sneakers with glow-in-the-dark stickers on them.</div>
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South Bar is about 10 kilometres north of Sydney, N.S.</div>
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With files from Phil Couvrette and the Cape Breton Post</div>
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Ontario moves to address funding problems at native children agencies</div>
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Dec 2, 2009</div>
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By Phil Couvrette and Jorge Barrera<br style="height: 10px;" />Canwest News Service<br style="height: 10px;" />The Ontario government will provide new funding to two northern Ontario native child and family welfare agencies native leaders said were facing a shutdown because of a funding shortage, threatening to leave hundreds of children out in the cold.<br style="height: 10px;" />Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Stan Beardy said this week two agencies in his territory were on the brink of shuttering, threatening to leave 1,000 children currently in care, in limbo. He said he feared that if the agencies shut down, foster families wouldn't receive money necessary to care for the children and that all services would cease.<br style="height: 10px;" />However, on Wednesday evening, a spokeswoman for Ontario's Ministry of Children and Youth Services said over $4 million in new funding would be provided to the agencies.<br style="height: 10px;" />Half of that was to be provided to Payukotayno James & Hudson Bay Family Services agency, based in Moosonee, Ont., which Beardy said had already started to lay off staff and faced a shutdown by Christmas. Another $300,000 which the agency was eligible to receive but did not would also start flowing to them, said Paris Meilleur.<br style="height: 10px;" />"This won't solve all of the agency's problems and challenges but it will certainly help," she said, adding the move would help stabilize the agency. "The agency will still be required to use their line of credit and find some other cost-containment strategy."<br style="height: 10px;" />Tikinagan Child and Family Services, based in Sioux Lookout, Ont., which according to Beardy, was likely to run out of money by early January, was to receive an additional $2.1 million, to respond to the growing number of children in its care.<br style="height: 10px;" />Meilleur said funding also would be provided for children's mental-health workers in a community which "has experienced really tragic circumstances (including) a high rate of youth suicide."</div>
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"Child protection is one piece of the great puzzle . . . but the work we're doing on the mental-health side is also very important," she said, adding another $700,000 was approved in principle to "develop and implement a plan to address the root causes of youth suicide."<br style="height: 10px;" />Beardy blamed recently announced funding cuts to child and family welfare services by the Ontario government for pushing the native-run agencies in his territory "over the edge."</div>
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<b>Protesters block train by holding Christmas meal</b></div>
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Dec. 14, 2009</div>
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Canwest News Service<br style="height: 10px;" />PERCE, Que. - Protesters including federal, provincial and local politicians blocked a VIA Rail train in the Gaspe region of Quebec by organizing a Christmas meal on the tracks Monday.<br style="height: 10px;" />The Montreal-Gaspe train was blocked at the Barachois stop, outside Gaspe, to protest cuts to the dining service and dropping the name of the train, formerly called "Chaleur," said Rural Dignity volunteer Cynthia Patterson.<br style="height: 10px;" />"They're giving the dining service only in the summer and at the Christmas period - so for tourists - but 'Gaspesians eat, too,' " she said, referring to the slogan of the day.<br style="height: 10px;" />Participants involved some 30 diners in all, she said, including local Bloc MP Raynald Blais as well as his provincial counterpart, local mayors and members of the clergy.<br style="height: 10px;" />The train was blocked for just under two hours before it was allowed to resume service, Patterson said.<br style="height: 10px;" />Police witnessed the protest but no arrests were made. Gaspe is about 900 kilometres northeast of Montreal.</div>
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Security takes lion's share in Montebello summit costs</h2>
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<span>Phil Couvrette, Canwest News Service</span></div>
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<span><span>Published: Sunday, January 13, 2008</span></span></div>
OTTAWA - Last August's Montebello summit cost at least $13.6 million, according to documents obtained by Canwest News Service, and that doesn't include the RCMP's costs, which will likely be the biggest bill of all.<br />
While various government departments and police forces are still tabulating their expenses, the Department of Foreign Affairs - the lead agency for the meeting between leaders of Canada, the U.S. and Mexico - has spent about $3 million and counting, according to receipts obtained by Canwest News Service.<br />
The Security and Prosperity Partnership summit lived up to its name, at least cost-wise.<br />
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The Quebec provincial police spent $7 million on summit expenses while police from Ottawa and five other jurisdictions in Ontario spent another $3.6 million to secure the two-day event in the Quebec town some 80 kilometres east of Ottawa.</div>
Costs for Foreign Affairs, which was responsible for many of the logistics of the event, included catering, lodging, transportation and other related fees.<br />
In addition to the cost of lodging at the posh Chateau Montebello and wining and dining guests, the documents show the leaders of Canada, U.S. and Mexico feasted on $95 meals of caribou, duck and quail.<br />
The department's other expenses included compensating people affected by the summit - including local business owners forced to close up shop as a security measure. Marina patrons were treated to either a round of golf or barbecue dinner for their pains. One couple was compensated $10,000 for having to change their wedding plans.<br />
In general few patrons were inconvenienced, the hotel says, because the summit was planned well ahead of the main tourist booking period.<br />
In terms of security costs, a number of local, provincial and federal police forces participated in the security effort on land, water and in the air, but not all of the figures are available. Among them are the RCMP, which had primary responsibility for securing the event.<br />
That hosting international events means an increasingly expensive security bill is certainly no surprise since 9/11 says John Kirton, director of the G8 Research Group at the University of Toronto.<br />
"Since 9/11, summits hosted in North America, in particular involving the president of the United States, have required - for understandable reasons - significantly enhanced security expenditures," he said.<br />
"We saw that first in Kananaskis (the 2002 G-8 summit)."<br />
It cost the federal government $25 million to host the leaders of the G8 industrialized nations in Halifax in 1995. The summit in Kananaskis, Alta., ran up an estimated bill of $300 million, most of it tied to security.<br />
This prompted Stockwell Day, then Canadian Alliance foreign affairs critic, to note the budget for the 36-hour event was approaching the size of a $500 million African development fund promised at the time.<br />
One of the ways to minimize security costs is to hold events at "relatively remote locations" such as Kananaskis and Montebello, or somewhere where summits have been held before "so someone doesn't have to invent all of the security and other arrangements from scratch," said Kirton.<br />
But that didn't mean a significantly lower bill in Montebello, which is relatively isolated and had also hosted major events in the past.<br />
The cost of the Montebello summit is upsetting to groups opposed to the gathering.<br />
"The amount of money we're hearing that was spent on summit security is outrageous," said Brent Patterson of the Council of Canadians. The Council was forced to change venue, for security reasons, for an event it planned to hold near Montebello.<br />
Patterson added there was also "widespread concern about the secrecy of the summit and the agenda that was taking place that in many ways cost Canadians many more millions in terms of the environmental impact," of decisions made there.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Montebello summit bill tops $27 million</span></h1>
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<span>Published: Thursday, January 17</span></div>
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<span>Phil Couvrette , Canwest News Service</span></div>
OTTAWA - The Montebello summit cost at least $27 million, according to new documents obtained by Canwest News Service.<br />
The documents are the RCMP's expenses to secure the two-day event that brought together the leaders of Mexico, Canada and the U.S. at Chateau Montebello, about 80 kilometres east of Ottawa.<br />
The RCMP, the police force with "primary responsibility for security" at the meeting spent $13.4 million to plan and secure the event according to a financial summary. The Mounties originally estimated it would cost them $15.7 million for the event.<br />
"This estimate included costs for security planning, coordination and logistics as well as salary, overtime and travel costs," the report states.<br />
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The amount comes on top of some $7 million spent by Quebec provincial police and another $3.6 million by Ottawa police and five other forces in Ontario. A rough Canwest News Service tabulation of preliminary expenses by the Department of Foreign Affairs to host the leaders ran up another $3 million. This leaves security costs accounting for over 85 per cent of all the summit bills tabulated so far. A few other departments involved in the summit have yet to report their expenses.<br />
The RCMP refused to comment specifically on the figures.<br />
"We don't have to justify how much it costs to host a summit and... an operation and how much personnel is assigned to the event," said Cpl. Elaine Lavergne, spokeswoman for the Mounties.<br />
"What we can say is that we had sufficient personnel to respond to the request (to secure the event) and the costs associated with the event are related to the equipment and all the personnel present on site."<br />
Lavergne did concede that four months to plan the event was little to work with. The RCMP learned in December 2006 the summit would be held in Canada but the site was finalized in April 2007. It was originally planned to be held in Kananaskis, Alta., the site of the G-8 summit in 2002.<br />
"It's not much (time), indeed, it mobilizes a lot of people from different organizations, departments and groups," she said. "People in the area had to be notified, this requires a lot of logistics and preparation and we didn't have a lot of time to do this."<br />
Personnel and overtime costs accounted for the lion's share of RCMP expenses, amounting to some $6.2 million. The RCMP says "the short notice" to plan the event required use of overtime to meet deadlines.<br />
The tally does not include costs associated with the 1,500-metre security fence, a staple at most international meetings, used to isolate protesters from the leaders.<br />
The reports shows the RCMP was concerned protests would degenerate around the site. "The operational resources deployed/utilized during this event were based on the volatility of such major summits, the 'Direct Action' employed by activists during past events, our assessment of the current intelligence and the inherent risks and high threat associated with the presence of the U.S. president," the report states.<br />
The document says that while some outstanding invoices may still be coming in, it was assumed outstanding expenses would not exceed $450,000.<br />
Large security bills to secure events involving the U.S. president are increasingly a part of the post 9-11 reality says John Kirton, director of the G8 Research Group at the University of Toronto.<br />
"We saw that first in Kananaskis (in 2002)," he said. That summit was estimated to cost $300 million, some 10 times the amount to host the 1995 summit in Halifax.<br />
Groups which opposed the Montebello summit, such as the Council of Canadians, have called expenses related to securing the event "outrageous."<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Researcher preaches snow-making in moderation</span></h1>
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<span>Published: Sunday, January 20</span></div>
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<span>Phil Couvrette , Canwest News Service</span></div>
Warmer winters mean ski resorts are more likely to fire up snow-making cannons harmful to the environment, says a Quebec researcher who is preaching that they be used in moderation.<br />
Artificial snow pumped out in large quantities over an extended period of time affects a ski area's flora, fauna, and promotes soil erosion, says Anne-Sophie Demers, who conducted a six-month environmental study at a ski resort in Quebec's Eastern Townships.<br />
"The fact that artificial snow is five times more dense than regular snow affects the forest cover and can break tree branches, allowing pathogens to enter the tree," said Demers, an environment specialist for the town of Orford, Que., 130 kilometres east of Montreal.<br />
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"We've noticed effects on vegetation near ski hills as well as cases of erosion. Because the snow is more dense it will drag more of the soil along with it when it melts."<br />
The impact is felt not only on the slopes, where machinery affects the lawn underneath, but in area waterways where sediments washed away by land erosion can have an impact on the fish.<br />
A 2003 study published in the journal Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics also questioned the impact of snow-making on biodiversity stemming from the delay of plant development around ski slopes.<br />
"Snowing increases the input of water and ions to ski pistes, which can have a fertilizing effect and hence change the plant species composition," states a summary of the report authored by the Swiss Federal Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research.<br />
European studies have also looked into the possible environmental impact of additives used to produce artificial snow.<br />
Among them is a commonly-used additive Snomax, which uses an active protein that accelerates the crystallization of water molecules. A number of studies on Snomax have found it environmentally safe but it was banned by some environmentally-conscious German states.<br />
Lavoie says Snomax is widely used in Canada and there is no scientific consensus it hurts the environment in the studies he has read.<br />
But some have expressed concern.<br />
"Although sterilized, additives affected the growth of some alpine plant species in laboratory experiments," noted the Swiss study, which also questioned the use of salts on hills used for competition.<br />
Meanwhile demand for snow cannons is climbing as ski resorts buy into an "insurance policy" to make sure their hills are well-covered for the lucrative Christmas holidays, says Charles Lavoie of snow-making machine maker Turbocristal.<br />
"Curiously, society creates greenhouse gases . . . resulting in climate change that affects snow conditions and produces periods where ski resorts will have to make artificial snow," Lavoie said. "Ironically to deal with this lack of snow it requires plenty of energy and plenty of water."<br />
Demers says ski slope managers should limit their artificial snow production to make up for periods of unusual thawing and ensure a safe snow cover for skiers, but not systematically pile layer upon layer of snow.<br />
We recommend that they adopt a snow management policy that avoids producing snow for just any reason or in conditions they shouldn't be making snow," she said.<br />
Resort operators will sometimes pile up to two metres of artificial snow to expand ski slopes or make up for the roughness of some ski hills Demers says, adding that the hills should be better maintained in the off-season instead to smoothen abrupt terrain.<br />
Warmer winters make the need for "rationalizing snow production" all the more important, she said, in part by imitating European innovation of snow production methods.<br />
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Their impact on the environment is reduced by balancing the air-to-water ratio in water cannons, Demers said.<br />
Lavoie says his company is very focused in this area to reduce water consumption that in some cases reaches 800 litres per minute for a single snow machine.<br />
"By reducing the air-to-water ratio one reduces energy consumption, that's what we're trying to do," he said.<br />
Demers says ski resort operators must balance the need to protect the environment with the need to keep their skiers safe.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Boy, 4, dies in backyard snowbank</span></h1>
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<span>Published: Monday, January 21</span></div>
PREVOST, Que. -- Quebec provincial police have launched an investigation into the death of a four-year-old boy whose body was found behind the family home in Prevost, Que. over the weekend.<br />
The boy left his home at 11:30 a.m. Saturday telling his mother he was going to visit a neighbour, said Isabelle Gendron of the Surete du Quebec.<br />
By mid-afternoon his mother contacted police to report him missing after realizing the neighbours weren't home.<br />
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Police found his body stuck in the snow in the home's backyard shortly after responding to the call and searching the immediate area around his house.<br />
Efforts to revive him were unsuccessful. He was transported to a hospital in Quebec's Laurentians where he was declared dead.<br />
Police have not determined the cause of death and could not say whether an autopsy would be conducted.<br />
Prevost is 75 kilometres north of Montreal.<br />
In January, a seven-year-old girl suffocated to death after her head got stuck in a snowbank in front of her house near Quebec City. Police said the boy's head was not stuck in the snow when they found him.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Officer against allegiance to Queen rebuffed by Federal Court</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Tuesday, January 22, 2008</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">By Meagan Fitzpatrick and Phil Couvrette</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Canwest News Service</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">OTTAWA - A member of the Canadian military who launched a court case around his refusal to pledge allegiance to the Queen had his Federal Court application dismissed Monday.</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Capt. Aralt Mac Giolla Chainnigh argued that he was subjected to a form of "institutional harassment" by having to pay respect and show loyalty to the Queen or the Union Jack.</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">He launched a grievance in 2001 with the military which was later rejected by the Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Rick Hillier. He then asked the Federal Court to review Hillier's decision. In the decision released Monday, Justice R.L Barnes wrote that the military was "both correct in law and reasonable" to reject his grievance.</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">"I cannot think of any Canadian institution where an expectation of loyalty and respect for the Queen would be more important than the Canadian Forces," Barnes wrote in the 27-page judgment. "Whether Capt. Mac Giolla Chainnigh likes it or not, the fact is that the Queen is his Commander-in-Chief and Canada's Head of State. A refusal to display loyalty and respect to the Queen where required by Canadian Forces' policy would not only be an expression of profound disrespect and rudeness but it would also represent an unwillingness to adhere to hierarchical and lawful command structures that are fundamental to good discipline."</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Chainnigh, a member of the military since 1975 and an associate professor of physics at the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ont., has "consistently expressed his disaffection for the British monarchy," according to court documents. He claimed that having to sing God Save the Queen, toasting the Queen as the Head of State of Canada, and saluting the Union Jack were all duties he found "politically offensive" and in conflict with his views.</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Chainnigh, reached at his office, said "I'm obviously very disappointed and frankly quite surprised as well.</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">"When the case was presented I felt that many of the issues were presented quite clearly."</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">He said financial limitations prevented him from appealing the decision and he would have trouble paying costs associated with the present case.</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">"If there is an interest in the Canadian public to have this taken to a higher level of adjudication, which I feel is absolutely necessary, then I would need some sort of sponsorship," Chainnigh said.</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Chainnigh - who legally changed his name from Harold Kenny to its Irish spelling - says he signed up for the Canadian Forces to serve Canada, not a foreign monarch.</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">In expressing his objection to toasting the Queen, Chainnigh has said that he cannot in good faith toast her as the "Queen of Canada."</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">"In doing so I would be implicitly declaring the truth of a premise that I believe to be false," he said.</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Chainnigh joined the Forces when he was 16, swearing an oath to "be faithful and bear true allegiance to her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada."</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">He tried to argue that the military protocols infringed on his freedoms of expression and religion under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Barnes rejected that argument and wrote that obeying commands, including saluting the Queen, are part of military life which Chainnigh agreed to adhere to when he joined.</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">He also said that Chainnigh's refusal to participate in the protocols would "constitute a display of rudeness and disrespect entirely inconsistent with traditional Canadian values and accepted international protocols."</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">In 2006 the Canadian Forces Grievance Board rejected his grievance, saying his description of the toast to the Queen as "royalist symbolism" showed a fundamental lack of understanding of the way Canada is governed.</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">He appealed the decision to Gen. Hillier who also rejected it, writing that he saw no reason why "showing respect to our Head of State is anything but proper and lawful."</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Canadian cities compete for Monopoly spot</span></h2>
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Phil Couvrette, CanWest News Service<br />
Published: Thursday, January 24, 2008<br />
Move over Pacific Avenue, hello Vancouver? Three Canadian cities are among 68, from Amsterdam to Zurich, being considered for inclusion in an international version of Monopoly to be launched this fall. Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, are fighting for spots usually held by the likes of Illinois or Pacific Avenue.<br />
Starting this week, fans are being asked to vote on the company's website for the cities that should fill the precious squares on Hasbro's world-famous board game.<br /><br />
The 20 world cities with the most votes as of Feb. 28 will earn a spot on the board better-known for making Marvin Gardens a household-name. They'll be placed on the board "from highest rent property to lowest rent property" according to their voting tallies. That will determine whether Toronto and New York will be the new high-end Boardwalk or Park Place.<br />
But they'll have to earn the votes first. As of Wednesday afternoon Toronto led the Canadian pack with 0.9 per cent of the vote and was in 24th place. Montreal and Vancouver were in neck and neck for 31st spot, leaving all Canadian cities out of contention for now.<br />
Paris and London led the way overall with 2.9 per cent of the vote, followed by New York (2.8 per cent) with Rome and Sydney close behind.<br />
"We looked at cities that had cultural and historic significance and then we also consulted with travel writers around the world to see what cities they thought best represented the world," said Donetta Allen, spokeswoman for Hasbro.<br />
Any visibility is good visibility, the competing cities say.<br />
"Anything that brings the city of Toronto's name to an international audience is a great thing," said Stuart Green of the city of Toronto. "We're obviously incredibly proud of the city and we think more people should visit, so if by having us on a Monopoly board gets more people visiting, by all means we're happy to be on there."<br />
"It would give Montreal terrific visibility not only among gamers but everywhere this game is distributed, so this would be very good news for us," agreed Isabelle Poulin of the city of Montreal.<br />
Monopoly will also hold a vote for other "wild-card" cities that will compete for a spot on the board. Voters feelingsnubbed by the pre-selected lot can nominate their own wild-card city. Only the top 20 among them will be in the race for two spots of the "low rent" Monopoly property group, replacing the likes of Baltic and Mediterranean Avenue.<br />
"Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition" game board will be unveiled in August, going on sale the following month in 45 countries.<br />
This is only be the latest version of Monopoly, which has seen more than 200 editions since 1935, selling over 250 million copies in 103 countries and 37 languages. But the most popular version remains the classic one based on streets in Atlantic City, N.J.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Famous Gimli Glider retired from Air Canada service</span></h2>
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<span>Published: Thursday, January 24, 2008</span></div>
MONTREAL -- Air Canada employees gathered in Montreal today to bid farewell to one of their more storied birds.<br />
On its last flight, the Boeing 767 known as the infamous Gimli Glider, made a pass and waved its wings as a salute to the city that was the point of origin of a 1983 trip that wrote a page of aviation history.<br />
It could have been an ugly page about one of the worst aviation disasters in Canadian history.<br />
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In July 23, 1983, maintenance crews for Air Canada Flight 143 discovered a shoddy soldering job had knocked out the computer that calculates how much fuel is needed to get the plane from Montreal to Edmonton, with a brief stopover in Ottawa.<br />
Instead of cancelling the flight, the ground crews decided to do the calculations manually, even if none of them had been trained to do this.<br />
The aircraft arrived safely in Ottawa and it was not until a warning signal began beeping at 12,300 metres somewhere over Red Lake, Ont., that the flight crew realized the mistake - imperial measurements had been used to calculate how much fuel was needed rather than metric.<br />
The plane had run out of fuel and both engines soon ran out of steam.<br />
Captain Robert Pearson, a trained glider pilot, had his first officer begin calculating for the optimum gliding speed for an 80-tonne jumbo jet. After determining they would not make it to Winnipeg, First Officer Maurice Quintal suggested taking the plane down at a nearby Air Force base in Gimli, Man., where he once served.<br />
Unbeknownst to the first officer, however, was that one of the airstrips - where the plane would eventually land - had become a drag-racing strip. On that day, crowds of campers had collected along the runway to watch go-cart races.<br />
The plane's nose gear eventually came to a stop just 30 metres from where the group had collected, after its front landing gear collapsed on landing.<br />
The so-called Gimli Glider, having sustained only minor damages, entered back into service just two days later.<br />
Today marked the plane's final journey as it headed to airplane heaven, in California's Mojave Desert, where planes are mothballed.<br />
Pearson and Quintal were among others on the plane's final flight.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Canadians vote like mad for Monopoly real estate</span></h2>
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<span>Published: Tuesday, January 29, 2008</span></div>
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<span>Phil Couvrette, Canwest News Service</span></div>
It may sound like fun and games, but some people are taking getting their cities into Monopoly's upcoming World Edition rather seriously. Full-blown campaigns on social site Facebook and other Internet sites have boosted the fortunes of Canada's three candidate cities vying for spots on the game board.<br />
Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal are among 68 world cities being considered for inclusion in the international version of Monopoly to be launched this fall, competing for spots otherwise occupied by the likes of Illinois or Pacific avenues.<br />
Since last week, fans have been asked to vote on the company's website for the cities that should fill the precious squares on Hasbro's world-famous board game.<br />
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The 20 world cities with the most votes as of Feb. 28 will earn a spot on the board known for making Marvin Gardens a household name. And while Canadian cities were at first slow getting out of the gate, all three are currently in the Top 20.<br />
A little bit of online campaigning may be responsible for that as Internet sites such as smartcanucks.ca and specialized groups on Facebook have been calling for Canadians to cast their votes in favour of the three cities.<br />
Familiar rivalries are popping up in the online campaigns. Putting three Canadian cities on the board would "show we are better than the U.S., that's important!" claims William Cloutier on a Facebook site to get Montreal on the map.<br />
Group members also see a message of unity behind the online campaign. "We should also vote for Toronto and Vancouver . . . that would make us the only country with three cities on the game," wrote Jean-Nicolas Beaulieu, also supporting Montreal.<br />
As of Monday afternoon, Canada was the only country with three cities in the Top 20. Montreal was ranked No. 6, behind Paris, London, New York, Rome and Sydney, Australia. Vancouver was No. 13 and Toronto No. 19.<br />
Monopoly will select the top two among "wild-card" cities chosen by online voters. Quebec City, Winnipeg and Calgary are fighting for those spots.<br />
"We can get Winnipeg in there," urged Winnipeg radio host Ace Burpee on his HOT103 online blog.<br />
But Canada isn't alone -- virtually every city from Athens to Zurich has an online campaign to shore up votes.<br />
"Last year, we voted to make Rome's Colosseum one of the new seven wonders of the world. Now you can vote to include Rome in the Monopoly," wrote Martha Bakerjian, on her travel blog.<br />
Kyiv was also getting support from some 1,300 Facebook members on two groups supporting Ukraine's only entry. It was ranked No. 23 as of Monday morning. Much of the campaign was put together by Ukrainian expats with their own axe to grind.<br />
"Take that Moscow!" said Yuri Walkiw, from Edmonton, after the city bumped Moscow in the rankings.<br />
Fans may cast votes for up to 10 of the "candidate cities" each day at <a href="http://www.monopoly.com/" style="color: #706b60; text-decoration: underline;">www.monopoly.com</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Warrant issued for hockey great Lafleur</span></h2>
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<span>Published: Thursday, January 31, 2008</span></div>
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An arrest warrant has been issued for Hockey Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur over testimony at his son's trial last year, according to his lawyer Jean-Pierre Rancourt.</div>
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He said an arrest warrant was issued for Mr. Lafleur for contradictory statements made during testimony in the trial of his son Mark Lafleur.<br />
Mr. Rancourt said Mr. Lafleur, pictured, "was devastated" by the news and feared police would break down his door to cuff him and take him to jail.<br />
"I was shocked by the fact that they chose to issue an arrest warrant rather than a summons or a promise to appear," Mr. Rancourt said. "There was no reason to proceed with an arrest warrant. We don't know why they chose to do this; they wouldn't tell us."<br />
Mr. Rancourt said Mr. Lafleur would present himself to police tomorrow in order to agree on a court date. Mr. Rancourt said he did not expect Mr. Lafleur to be detained.<br />
Mark Lafleur is behind bars until his trial on 22 charges, including sexual assault.<br />
Superior Court Justice Carol Cohen revoked Mark Lafleur's bail last November after the 22-year-old broke his conditions when he spent leaves from a transition house in hotels rather than at home with his parents.<br />
At a hearing last October, Guy Lafleur testified that he had helped his son break his bail conditions while on leave from a hal fway home.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Common flame retardants could hurt unborn children, researcher warns</span></h2>
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<span>Published: Saturday, February 02</span></div>
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<span>Phil Couvrette, Canwest News Service</span></div>
Common flame retardants that are supposed to make everyday consumer items safer could adversely affect pregnancies and impede the development of the fetus, according to a Quebec researcher.<br />
Environmental toxicology specialist Larissa Takser says the effects on humans of polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs, are still sketchy but lab tests on gestating animals have had an impact on the fetus that should at least press governments to ban their use.<br />
"This a public-safety concern, and it's urgent," said Tasker, an assistant professor at the University of Sherbrooke's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Her studies on rats and sheep have shown that fetuses in animals injected with even small doses of PBDE faced health complications. "Current regulations do not take into account how sensitive the fetus is to the toxicity of polluting agents."<br />
The adverse effects of the flame retardants are well-documented, Takser said, but researchers were stunned to find their effects so visible at low doses.<br />
"It's the first time we observe the same effects at very low dose, at levels we consume every day," she said, stressing the chemicals have been used increasingly over the last 30 years.<br />
Scientific studies, such as her current year-long government-funded observation of 100 to 400 pregnant women, could provide proper evidence justifying the need to ban PBDEs altogether, Takser said.<br />
The chemicals can have an impact on a pregnant woman's thyroid gland, she noted, and could adversely affect the fetal brain.<br />
"It could impede cerebral development and prevent the child from developing its full potential."<br />
Takser said this could lead to problems of hyperactivity, as well as anxiety and attention disorders in children.<br />
Health Canada's latest assessments concluded "PBDEs are harmful to the environment."<br />
"As a result, the Government of Canada will be releasing a proposed action plan for addressing these substances," said Joey Rathwell of Health Canada. "While the assessments did not conclude that these were harmful to human health at current levels of exposure, Health Canada supports limiting the use of PBDEs."<br />
"The scientific assessment found no evidence that current levels of PBDEs in the environment are harming human health at the moment. However, the rapid increase in PBDE levels in the environment over the last several years is cause for concern," Environment Canada writes on its website. The presence of PBDE in maternal milk "does not automatically follow that PBDEs are causing harmful effects in humans. Human exposure in Canada is much lower than levels associated with effects in experimental animals," the department adds.<br />
Last year, U.S. researchers said that PBDEs could also be contributing to a rash of thyroid disease in household cats, and there has been some limited evidence that PBDEs may cause cancer in laboratory animals.<br />
Particularly alarming, Takser said, is that no one can choose to simply isolate themselves from the chemicals, which are used in a range of consumer items from cars and popular electronic products such as computers and stereos, to wire coatings, furniture, carpets and draperies.<br />
According to some British and Canadian studies, many people ingest the chemical additive in their diet, through the food chain, but Takser said most cases in Canada were the result of exposure to ambient air and dust.<br />
According to an October 2004 assessment prepared for Washington State's Department of Ecology, PBDEs have been measured "in a variety of human tissues, such as blood, fat and breast milk in people around the world," but the highest levels of PBDEs in human tissues "have been found in Canada and in the U.S., which is the largest producer and consumer of PBDE products."<br />
"Levels of PBDEs in Americans are 10 to 100 times higher than levels reported for Europe and Japan," the assessment said. According to other studies, PBDE levels in maternal milk have been said to be doubling every five years in North America.<br />
Takser said that's why Canada must match the European standards.<br />
Health Canada's recommendations that consumers seek out products with less PBDEs, limit fatty foods which could increase their intake and clean their houses often - to clear the air - aren't enough, she said.<br />
"Many forms of PBDEs are banned in Europe, and we have observed that their levels were 100 to 200 times lower in maternal milk there," she said. "We can see these regulations have an impact."<br />
But even Europe's tougher standards aren't safe enough, Takser said.<br />
"Some forms of PBDEs are still used in Europe and seemed safe because they were not deemed to be cumulative, but this assessment seems to have been wrong," she said.<br />
Banning PBDEs don't mean their effects will immediately disappear, however, Takser stressed. Some forms of the chemicals have been banned already, but because they remain in the environment and were used in so many consumer items it will take some time for them to be completely removed.<br />
The popularity of recycling also means that the chemicals could survive in items being given a second life, she said.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Criticized and praised, popular TV series leaves few unmoved in Quebec</span></h2>
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<span>Published: Sunday, February 10</span></div>
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<span>Phil Couvrette Canwest News Service</span></div>
A television series about a Quebec family that tore itself apart after a huge lottery win has Quebecers riveted to their TV sets. But it's also sparking complaints from some of those it portrays.<br />
"Les Lavigueur: la vraie histoire" ("The Lavigueurs: the true story") is based on the so-called "true story" of the Lavigueur family, who won what in 1986 was the largest lottery jackpot in Canadian history, only to watch it quickly disappear.<br />
The rise and fall of the Lavigueurs was a soap opera in and of itself that the Quebec media focused on in the 1980s as the family dispute tore them apart and their jackpot melted away within a decade.<br />
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The real-life drama needed no embellishment, but that is exactly the charge being levelled against the series. Not everyone believes the series is telling the real story, especially some who played a real-life part in the Lavigueur saga.<br />
Love it or hate it, Radio-Canada, the French arm of the CBC, is scoring big with the series, which is the hit of the winter TV season in Quebec. Nearly one out of three Quebecers - almost two million viewers - watch the show Tuesday nights.<br />
Jean-Pierre Pilon, the lawyer who represented Louise Lavigueur (who didn't contribute to the purchase of the ticket and sued to get her share of the $7.6-million jackpot) is fuming over the series.<br />
He accused the network of slander and filed a complaint against Radio-Canada that prompted modifications to the description of his character on its website. Eventually a disclaimer was added:_"No link must, however, be established between (character) Francois Leonard and the attorney who represented Louise Lavigueur."<br />
The character representing Pilon is depicted as a vile and corrupt lawyer. "The website said the lawyer was 'scum.' That's a pretty harsh word," said Jacques Wilkins, hired by Pilon as a communications agent. "The title says it's 'the true story.' If that's the case, then they should be telling the true story," said Wilkins, who has known Pilon for years and says the character depicted on the show couldn't be more different from the real man.<br />
"His law practice is in a poor neighbourhood and he's always tried to ensure that people have access to all judicial procedures," Wilkins stressed. "He doesn't get paid until the final decision."<br />
Another lawyer who represented the Lavigueurs, Jean Bernier, is also offended about his character, Tom Desuro. Bernier also threatened to go after the network and held a news conference to dispute his portrayal as a money-grubbing shark in the series.<br />
While lauding the six-part series as "probably one of the best shown (on TV) these last years," Bernier questioned the title of "the true story" in a lengthy document explaining his role in the affair.<br />
"To meet the needs of television the scenario strays considerably from . . . reality, with a scenario which allows for all sorts of exaggerations and half-truths," Bernier writes.<br />
Demonstrating huge public interest in the series the Journal de Montreal ran a six-page take out on the program entitled "Far from the truth," collecting criticism by everybody from the real-estate agent who sold the new millionaires their 17-room mansion, to a Loto-Quebec official who denied leaking that the father was on welfare at the time they won.<br />
"It's interesting to see so much passion is being aroused by this series," said Marc Pichette, director of public relations and television promotion at Radio-Canada. "It shows us to what degree it carries a strong dramatic element."<br />
Pichette says even the network was surprised by the number of people tuning in, which exceeded expectations.<br />
"We won't comment on the debate sparked by the series," he said. "In the series' credits it's clearly written that it is inspired by a true story and that there are fictional elements - both people and events - added for dramatic purposes."<br />
At the time the show was launched, a Radio-Canada spokesman said that so much false information had been circulated about the family that it was "our responsibility to rehabilitate them."<br />
But the series is not a documentary, Pichette stressed.<br />
Public reaction has been "very enthusiastic" and the public was "blown away by the quality of the series," he added, while admitting there were complaints from people who found some of the early sex scenes "perhaps a bit too risque."<br />
The real Lavigueurs became aware of their winnings after the wallet belonging to the father, an unemployed widower raising four children and about to receive his first welfare cheque, was returned to him by a 28-year-old drifter. But the rags-to-riches story soon became a legal soap opera and their story became part of modern Quebec folklore.<br />
Compounding the family drama, Louise died from heart complications at 22, patriarch Lavigueur died penniless in 2000 while Michel, the son, committed suicide in 2004. The fairy-tale mansion the family bought was later sold to the leader of a biker gang and ended in a pile of ruins after a fire in 2000.<br />
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Man offers bits of pancreas for sale</h2>
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<span>Published: Tuesday, February 12, 2008</span></div>
A Quebec man with a rare disease he says was a result of gastric bypass surgery is selling parts of his pancreas online for medical research.<br />
Mario Meunier, 36, suffers from nesidioblastosis, an illness of the pancreas which triggers hypoglycemia -- a deficiency of blood sugar -- and was told he would need to have parts of his pancreas removed.<br />
But he refused to sign a waiver turning his organ over to the hospital -- saying he wants to keep any parts of the organ that are eventually removed.<br />
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Meunier wants his pancreas to be used for scientific research to show that people who undergo gastric bypass surgery could get his illness in some form.<br />
"I will keep my pancreas for me because if they want to have my pancreas for nothing that is what they tried to do," Meunier said. "If I give my body to a research centre for sure I will help a lot of people."<br />
Meunier says that through his listing he wants people to know about the risks associated with the increasingly popular medical procedure.<br />
Most online auction sites don't allow the sale of organs so Meunier is offering up his body for research. For $75,000 on eBay, researchers can study Meunier for one year.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Wear helmets on slopes, Quebec coroner urges</span></h2>
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<span>Published: Wednesday, February 13</span></div>
A Quebec coroner is recommending more widespread use of helmets on ski slopes after the death of a man that he said could have been prevented by wearing protective headgear.<br />
Pascal Lepitre, 41, died at the Bromont ski resort after falling headfirst into off-trail rocks on Jan. 16, 2007. The experienced skier was going downhill with his partner on a difficult trail without his helmet.<br />
Emergency personnel were unable to revive him.<br />
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"In this type of accident the coroner believes he would certainly not have been able to avoid facial injuries, but he could have avoided head trauma, and Mr. Lepitre would perhaps still be alive today," a coroner's statement says.<br />
Coroner Jacques Robinson recommended that health authorities and ski associations "intensify measures encouraging people to wear helmets while skiing or snowboarding."<br />
Robinson said ski resort staff and ski patrols should set the example by wearing helmets themselves.<br />
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Flight from Calgary slides off runway on landing</h2>
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<span>Published: Monday, February 18, 2008</span></div>
There were no injuries after a Westjet plane carrying 92 crew and passengers slid off the runway after landing at Ottawa Airport on Sunday, officials say.<br />
Flight 846 was inbound from Calgary and was stuck at the end of the runway after the incident said Krista Kealey, an Ottawa Airport official. Passengers were to be transported to the terminal by bus she said.<br />
Airport officials called Ottawa fire and paramedics to the scene.<br />
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Reports from the scene suggested the area surrounding the aircraft was extremely icy.<br />
About four millimetres of mostly freezing rain fell on the Ottawa region Sunday, which also caused dangerous driving conditions.<br />
Area police reported 28 accidents between noon and 8 p.m., and the OPP reported 96 for all of Eastern Ontario.<br />
Also, an eight-kilometre stretch of Highway 417 was closed for part of Sunday afternoon due to icy conditions.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Baby recovering after eating PCP</span></h2>
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<span>Published: Tuesday, February 19</span></div>
SEPT ÎLES - An 18-month-old boy was recovering in hospital Tuesday after he was found to have eaten illegal drugs he found in his parents' cupboard, the Sûreté du Québec said.<br />
The boy was takn to a hospital Monday after police responded to a call to the parents' home in Uashat, an aboriginal community near Sept Îles, 900 kilometres east of Montreal.<br />
They found the boy unconscious and having breathing difficulties. He was immediately taken to a hospital centre in Sept Îles, where doctors say his life is not in danger.<br />
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An investigation showed the boy consumed PCP, a hallucinogenic drug, which he found in a kitchen cupboard.<br />
The boy's parents were arrested Monday afternoon and released yesterday under strict conditions, according to the provincial police.<br />
The parents could face charges of criminal negligence, possession of PCP with intent to traffic drugs and possession of amphetamines.<br />
The boy was referred to Quebec's youth services.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Residents, businesses urged to clear snow</span></h2>
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<span>Published: Tuesday, February 19</span></div>
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<span>Phil Couvrette, Canwest News Service</span></div>
Freezing rain during the weekend hardened the accumulations after a winter of heavy snow, leading to three related incidents, but, fortunately, no injuries.<br />
A storage facility collapsed under the weight of snow and ice Monday evening in Trois-Rivières.<br />
Luckily, the facility was empty at the time. Neighbouring buildings were evacuated as a preventative measure because authorities feared the outbreak of fire or a gas leak.<br />
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This came a day after two incidents in Quebec City shook up local residents.</div>
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Nicole Begin was watching television Sunday evening when the part of the roof covering her balcony collapsed under the weight of snow.<br />
"I thought it was the entire roof caving in," Begin told French-language news channel LCN. "I'm still shaking from it."<br />
A similar incident happened in the same part of town later, waking up residents in the middle of the night.<br />
Officials in Trois-Rivières and Quebec City were urging businesses and residents to clear heavy snow accumulations regularly to avoid such incidents.<br />
"What worries me particularly are temporary parking shelters," said Const. Michel Letarte of Trois-Rivieres police. "We have seen in some regions that accumulation has led to deadly collapses."<br />
In December, a young Quebec woman died after one of these snow-laden car tents collapsed, burying her alive.<br />
A spokeswoman for the Canada Safety Council said the incident was far from common, but one year ago another man in Granby died after a snow-covered shelter collapsed on him and other workers.<br />
Letarte also stressed the need to clear balconies, but added that urban centres were having a tough time finding room to dump the snow this year.<br />
"Where do we put all this snow? That's the problem of major urban centres," he said.<br />
Soon after the Quebec City incidents, the city also sent an advisory urging residents to be cautious about accumulating snow.<br />
"The abundant snow of the last weeks and the current rain add to the weight on top of the structures and considerably increase the risk of collapse," a city statement said Monday.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Odometer tampering leads to arrests</span></h2>
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<span>Published: Friday, February 22, 2008</span></div>
As used car scams go, this one may have set new standards, according to police.<br />
Five people, aged 22 to 72, were arrested in Quebec Thursday on charges of allegedly selling used vehicles with their odometers rolled back an average 100,000 kilometres.<br />
RCMP Federal Investigation Section investigators determined that among the vehicles were a 1999 GMC Savana and a 2004 Ford F-150, with their odometers rolled back 400,000 kilometres and 395,000 kilometres respectively.<br />
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The five, whose places of business have been closed since October 2007, face some 334 charges after allegedly defrauding at least 332 victims. The fraud was estimated at close to $6,115,000.<br />
"The suspects allegedly used three places of business to commit the offences," an RCMP statement said. "The majority of the vehicles had been purchased in Ontario, but some also came from Alberta, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and the United States."<br />
The investigation was launched after a consumer complaint. An initial search warrant was executed in June 2007 at one of the dealerships, north of Montreal, resulting in the seizure of 53 vehicles, which were suspected of having been tampered with. The total value of the vehicles seized was $635,000.<br />
Quebec RCMP were assisted by Mounties from other parts of the country in the investigation, including Ontario, B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick and Newfoundland.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Couldn't wait for landing, baby born on medical flight</span></h2>
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<span>Published: Monday, February 25, 2008</span></div>
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<span>Phil Couvrette, Canwest News Service</span></div>
It didn't take a Quebec newborn long to earn his wings.<br />
Nicolas Turgeon was born on a medical flight approaching landing Friday morning near Montreal airport, his mother, Josee Simard, said from her St. Justine hospital room.<br />
"It comes to a point where nature does its work. I looked at the doctor and told him I wasn't able to hold it off much longer," she said. "The doctor was seeing the hair on its head, so he realized he didn't have a choice. It had to happen on the plane."<br />
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Thirty-three weeks into her pregnancy, Simard, 25, was told the boy she was expecting could not be delivered in her hospital in Rouyn-Noranda, 600 kilometres northwest of Montreal, because it lacked the facilities to handle a premature birth.<br />
"The policy is that if the baby is under 34 weeks into the pregnancy they must transfer to a major centre in Montreal or Quebec City," she explained. "I was two days short of 34 weeks so the procedure had to be followed and I had to be transferred."<br />
Boarding the flight Friday morning Josee said she could feel contractions. They gradually grew closer together and became more intense as the planet took off for the hour-long flight.<br />
The nurse and doctor told her "breathe" and "don't push" in the hopes of delaying the birth until landing, but Nicolas was born as the plane approached Montreal's Trudeau airport.<br />
Josee said she was relieved there were no complications and the baby, weighing slightly over two kilograms, was breathing properly when he was born, somewhere near Montreal.<br />
While the mother was rushed to hospital in an ambulance after landing, Nicolas' father, Martin Turgeon, was driving somewhere between Rouyn-Noranda and Montreal trying desperately to make it in time to see his son's birth.<br />
Luck wasn't on his side, however, because he was neither allowed on the medical plane, nor able to find a seat on a commercial flight as Quebec colleges let their students go for a week-long break.<br />
"As soon as I could, I got in touch with him to tell him and make sure he took his time on the road," she said. "He was disappointed. He would have wanted to be there for his son's birth."<br />
Josee said she was also disappointed by strictness of the policies.<br />
"It's obvious that everyone would have preferred staying in Rouyn-Noranda to give birth," she said. "Especially since I was just two days short, we find it was a bit ridiculous, that's for sure. But it seems we didn't have the choice."<br />
A professional services director at the hospital said regulations must be respected to the letter in case of premature births.<br />
"We don't know in what state the baby will come out, 10 to 15 per cent of babies can have major complications," said Annie Leger, who added that there were delays before the plane could arrive to pick up Simard.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Canadian cities looking good as Monopoly voting nears end</span></h2>
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<span>Published: Wednesday, February 27, 2008</span></div>
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<span>Phil Couvrette, Canwest News Service</span></div>
Canadian cities were showing their civic pride, and then some, as the battle to earn a spot on the new international Monopoly board game comes to a close on Thursday.<br />
Online voting ends at 7 p.m. ET for cities that will occupy a space on Monopoly's upcoming World Edition and three Canadian cities were in the race to clinch a spot on Hasbro's famous board.<br />
Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal are among 68 world cities being considered for inclusion in the international version and Quebec's metropolis was holding the No. 2 spot when the leader board stopped showing the ranking, to add suspense to the last days of voting.<br />
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Montreal led the board for much of February. Vancouver ranked No. 13 and Toronto was just short of qualifying at the time, ranking No. 21.<br />
Only the top 20 cities earn a spot on the board known for making Marvin Gardens a household name.<br />
The cities will be placed on the board "from highest rent property to lowest rent property" according to their voting tallies, which leaves Montreal in a strong position to secure one of the valued spots usually occupied by the likes of Boardwalk or Park Place.<br />
Hasbro won't be short on suspense because the final results will not be unveiled Thursday but only in August, said Donetta Allen a spokeswoman for Hasbro.<br />
Nor does all the voting end right away because two more Canadian cities, Quebec City and Winnipeg will be competing in another round of voting to pick the top two "wild card" cities suggested by voters.<br />
As of Wednesday Quebec City was No. 2 and Winnipeg No. 7 among the cities vying for one of these "low rent" Monopoly spots.<br />
The game goes on sale in September in 45 countries. Hasbro says some 4.5 million votes have been cast on the website for the world vote.<br />
What sounds like fun and games was being taken quite seriously by city officials, businesses and media organizations which spread the word of voting for their cities.<br />
Full-blown campaigns on the social networking site Facebook and other Internet sites have boosted the fortunes of Canada's three candidate cities, with one single group boasting 10,000 members. But similar campaigns across the world have made contenders out of unlikely cities such as Gdynia, Poland, which topped in the "wild card" voting Wednesday.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Rose bushes named after missing Quebec girl being sold</span></h2>
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<span>Published: Tuesday, March 04</span></div>
TROIS-RIVIERES, Que. - A collection of rose bushes is being sold in Quebec to raise money for the ongoing search of a 10-year-old girl missing since last summer.<br />
The effort also aims to start a foundation in her name.<br />
Some 2,500 rose bushes are known in Quebec as the Cedrika Provencher rose bush, named after the Trois-Rivieres girl who disappeared on July 31. About 1,000 of them have already been sold at $25 a piece.<br />
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"We found a rose bush is representative of Cedrika and other missing children. Like a child it requires care, it's fragile and needs to be looked after," said Claire Lefebvre, who has raised thousands of dollars for the family to help their search efforts by organizing fundraising events such as suppers and hockey games.<br />
She says that even if the hopes of finding the girl are dimming the rose bushes can draw attention to the risks children face, such as kidnapping, she said.<br />
"Yesterday a woman told us her girl was approached by a man who wanted to grab her but (she) broke free and ran away. When her mother asked her why she chose not to follow him she said 'I don't want to end up like Cedrika'," Lefebvre said. "If Cedrika's story... can save lives, we can say we've accomplished something."<br />
Lefebvre says the roses, chosen by Cedrika's father, have a long stem and are a mixture of bright yellow and burgundy red.<br />
"It's a rose bush acclimatized to Quebec's harsh winters," she said. "It represents the girl well and is a colour she would have approved of."<br />
A $100,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the girl's discovery.</div>
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Snowmobile explosions in north spark warning</h2>
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Gentlemen, stop your engines.<br />
Transport Canada and Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. are asking owners of specific Quebec-built snowmobile models to park their vehicles while inspectors determine the cause of three explosions in Labrador this winter, after fires involving the fuel systems.<br />
The models are 2007 and 2008 Skandic SWT V-800 and Expedition SUV SDI 600 snowmobiles.<br />
All the incidents occurred around Rigolet, on the north coast of Labrador, in extremely cold temperatures.<br />
"After the third incident, Transport Canada decided to recommend that the vehicles not be used until we determine the cause for the fires and explosions," Maryse Durette of Transport Canada said.<br />
While she said investigators will be looking into a number of probable causes - including the cold and how the snowmobiles were assembled, and will then focus on local issues such as the local gas supply and use of oil - BRP spokesperson Johanne Denault emphasized yesterday that "no manufacturer defects were found."<br />
The snowmobiles are manufactured at BRP's Valcourt plant in the Eastern Townships.<br />
Denault said a total of 1,000 of those models have been sold across the country. She described them as being used more for transportation than recreation.<br />
"Investigators will look into this as thoroughly as they can, as quickly as they can, keeping in mind that in certain regions of the north (snowmobiles) are essential everyday tools," Durette said.<br />
One of the snowmobiles has been sent to Transport Canada's facilities in Ottawa for examination.<br />
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Permafrost may force Quebec town to move</h2>
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<span>Published: Tuesday, March 11</span><h4 style="font-weight: normal;">
Phil Couvrette, Canwest News Service</h4>
Officials in one of Quebec's northernmost communities are meeting with regional, provincial government officials and geologists this week to consider whether change to the permafrost will force the town to move in the near future.</div>
Salluit, home to some 1,100 native villagers, is located in a basin close to the Hudson Strait and has been plagued by landslides, crater-ridden roads and sinking buildings over the years, says Adamie Papigatuk, the town's representative at the Kativik regional government.<br />
"We might move further inland, move to the west or the east (of its present location), or the last-resort option would be total relocation," he said.<br />
These options are going to be on the table at a meeting Wednesday bringing together local officials, Laval University scientists and representatives of Quebec's Municipal Affairs.<br />
"We're doing precautionary measures, there's no immediate danger," Papigatuk said, pointing out further studies will get a two-year mandate, keeping an eventual move from taking place before then.<br />
Some roads in town are in terrible shape with large holes, he said, and unstable ground and landslides have required 16 social housing units and a firehouse to be displaced in the last decade.<br />
Papigatuk said he was hoping to have a clearer picture of the town's options after meeting with the scientists, who have set up instruments across town to measure the temperature of the permafrost.<br />
"The potential problem is the permafrost," he said. "We have a thick layer of ice four meters below (ground level), according to the studies."<br />
A Laval University geologist involved in previous studies on the town says much of the expanding community is on unstable ground.<br />
"The community is located in a difficult physical location (because it sits in a series of valleys), they have development needs because of the growing population, but there is lack of stable ground to build infrastructures on," said Richard Fortier. "Some infrastructures have already been built on potentially unstable grounds."<br />
He says that while climate change in itself can affect the permafrost, the infrastructure itself, such as paved roads which draw sunrays, thus warming the soil, are a threat to the permafrost, making the ground unstable.<br />
Paving roads can seem like a good idea because it can clear the air in communities swirling in the dust during summer, but the methods have to be adapted to the region, Fortier said.<br />
Contractors must have advanced knowledge of the region's particular land conditions to build anything because the rules of the South don't apply, he stressed.<br />
"Using the same methods used in the South guarantees failure," he said.<br />
He cited as example the spanking new firehouse, which was placed directly on the ground but became unstable after it was heated and housed a fire truck, melting the permafrost below. It eventually had to be moved.<br />
Construction in the region, leaving a space between a home's floor and the ground, was adapted to the town's needs with time, Fortier observed. But he said he feared that cost-cutting measures could jeopardize such methods adapted to the permafrost.<br />
Adding climate change to the mix guaranteed a perfect storm of elements hampering the stability of the soil in town, he said.<br />
A deadly avalanche which killed nine people in the northern Quebec community of Kangiksualujjuaq in 1999 sparked a series of province-wide studies on ground stability in the North, Fortier said.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Roof collapse kills three</span></h1>
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MORIN HEIGHTS, Que. -- All three women pulled Wednesday from the rubble of a building whose roof collapsed under the weight of snow have died.<br />
Barbara Elliott, 54, her fellow employee Sharon Kirkpatrick, 62, and a 46-year-old woman were trapped inside a warehouse belonging to The Gourmet du Village, a food and homestyles company, when the roof fell in just before 1 p.m.<br />
All three were pronounced dead in hospital.<br />
Quebec provincial police had earlier said they had recovered three seriously injured women from the debris of the Quebec bakery but were not able to specify what condition the women had been in when they were found. Footage from a TV helicopter showed rescue crews taking three people from the rubble on stretchers.The town's mayor, Michel Plante, said the families of the three had been notified.<br />
The Gourmet du Village, with a staff of about 150, sells gourmet products around the world, Plante said.He said 45 people worked in the bakery's warehouse, though not all were inside during the time of the collapse. Employers reported the women missing when they did not exit the building with the others.<br />
As the roof collapsed, one of the walls also fell over onto at least six cars parked in the adjacent lot.<br />
"There was a loud crack and then there was a big boom and I saw the roof collapse behind me," Patrick Routhier, an employee of the bakery told Radio-Canada. "I managed to get out. People were screaming and struggling to get out."<br />
He described the missing women as production employees he would run into every day.<br />
"They're good people we work with day in, day out," he said. "This is difficult for us, we're anxious to get some news."<br />
Massive snowfalls have caused a number of roof collapses in Quebec this winter. This week, a shopping mall in the Montreal area was evacuated because of fears over the weight of the snow.<br />
Last week, a pavilion of Laval University in Quebec City was evacuated following similar fears.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Canada Post looking for ways to ward off Fido</span></h1>
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Phil Couvrette , Canwest News Service</h4>
<span>Published: Sunday, March 23, 2008</span></div>
Canada Post isn't sure who let the dogs out, but the Crown corporation says something needs to be done to protect letter carriers from canine attacks.<br />
Dogs sink their teeth into about 300 mail carriers a year, said spokesman John Caines.<br />"Some (attacks) are very serious, some are debilitating, some cause work loss, some require medical attention," Caines said.<br />
The carriers have been told to use their satchels for protection, and they carry pepper spray - but they don't always have time to get it out, and the spray can blow back in their faces, Caines said.<br />
One female carrier in Chatham, Ont., for instance, was mauled by two pit bulls more than a year ago after they rushed through a screen door, knocked her down - breaking both her wrists - and took part of her ear off, Caines said.<br />
More recently, a mail carrier in the West was bitten in the face by a doberman.<br />
"We're going on people's properties and dogs are very protective," said Caines, who notes the corporation engages in a public service campaign every year to remind dog owners to be more responsible.<br />
But it's not just dogs: bears, cats, bees - even two-legged attackers post a threat.<br />
One letter carrier was seriously scratched in the face by a vicious cat last year. And in the summertime, bees' and hornets' nests around houses can be hazardous.<br />
Sometimes the threat stands on two legs:_carriers are occasionally assaulted or held at gunpoint by people hoping to find valuables in the mail.<br />
"We carry cheques, parcels and other things that are valuable to people, that those who aren't so scrupulous might be looking to get," Caines said.<br />
That's why the Crown corporation asked manufacturers last week to submit proposals for the perfect weapon.<br />
"We want to see what technology exists or is in the process of being developed that can help us protect our employees," Caines said.<br />
Canada Post is giving manufacturers until the end of the month to suggest devices that are portable, that can be easily be grasped and activated, and are equipped with a safety feature.<br />
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At least four dead in fishing boat mishap off Alaska</h2>
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<span>Published: Monday, March 24, 2008</span></div>
Four of the crew of a Seattle-based fishing vessel were killed and an another is missing as the ship took on water Sunday off the coast of Alaska, the U.S. Coast Guard said.<br />
Efforts to find one member of the crew of 47 with aid of a C-130 plane remained under way late Sunday, said Petty Officer Walter Shinn.<br />
"There is one person missing that the Coast Guard cutter Munro is searching throughout the night for," he said.<br />
The 55-metre Alaska Ranger began sinking 180 kilometres west of Dutch Harbor on Unalaska Island around 2:50 a.m. and the crew notified the U.S. Coast Guard it had lost control of its rudder and was taking on water.<br />
"We don't know what the cause (was) but we do know they were having rudder problems this morning," Shinn said. "The Alaska Ranger began talking on water and they abandoned ship . . . into inflatable crafts."<br />
Other crew members were taken aboard the Munro and a local fishing vessel.<br />
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Pilgrims trace steps of first Canadian missionaries</h2>
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Canwest News Service</h4>
<span>Published: Tuesday, March 25</span></div>
A group of about a dozen pilgrims is on a 64-day 1,600-kilometre trek to Quebec City in the leadup to the 2008 International Eucharistic Congress.<br />
Marchers took to the pavement in Midland, Ont. Easter Sunday carrying the Ark of the New Covenant - a wooden work of art created especially for the congress and blessed by the pope.<br />
The pilgrimage is expected to visit 10 Canadian dioceses and five national shrines and end up in Quebec City on May 25.<br />
"I took a few days to prepare myself physically and mentally," participant Charles Maillot told Église Catholique du Quebec TV before leaving.<br />
"We'll be travelling in the steps of the first Canadian missionaries - it's very motivating."<br />
Participants will travel by foot and occasionally vehicle to complete their trek in time.<br />
Stops will include St. Joseph's Oratory in Montreal, Notre-Dame-du-Cap sanctuary in Cap de la Madeleine, and Sainte Anne de Beaupré in Beaupré.<br />
Provincial police were working with the group to ensure the safety of marchers.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Cape Breton distillery defends product's name</span></h2>
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<span>Published: Tuesday, April 08, 2008</span></div>
GLENVILLE, N.S. -- A Cape Breton distiller says it will appeal a Federal Court decision to refuse to register a trademark for its 'Glen Breton' single malt whisky.<br />
Glenora Distillers president Lauchie MacLean said he was "very disappointed" by the ruling but would press ahead in order to keep the name of the product.<br />
The Scotch Whisky Association welcomed the decision Monday because it argues "use of the word 'Glen', which is widely used on Scotch Whisky ... was confusing and misleading to consumers."<br />
MacLean says there is no mistaking the product because the Maple Leaf and word 'Canada' are featured prominently on the packaging.<br />
The Federal Court ruling overturns a 2007 Canadian trademark commission decision to approve the trademark. The decision could have serious economic ramifications for Glenora Distillers, MacLean says. The dispute has been dragging since 2000.<br />
"The Scotch Whisky Association believes that they own the word 'Glen' when it comes to Whisky," MacLean said.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Que. woman sues doctors over unnecessary radiation treatment</span></h2>
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<strong style="font-weight: normal;">Phil Couvrette, Canwest News Service </strong><span></span></div>
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<span>Published: Wednesday, April 09, 2008</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">An accountant has launched a $2.5-million lawsuit in Quebec Superior Court against three doctors she claims subjected her to unnecessary brain radiation treatment to combat a cancer she didn't have.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Ginette Cloutier-Cabana, 41, was misdiagnosed as having cancer when she checked into a Montreal hospital in 1995 for a chronic headache, and is going after three doctors who handled her case.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"This case is about a woman who had aneurysms but she was diagnosed as having brain [cancer] and she received radiation on her whole brain, which she should never have received," said her attorney Annette Lefebvre. "As a result of that she suffers from long-term effects from radiation, which are chronic and progressive with time, that's part of the proof and allegations which we'll be making."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">None of the allegations have been proven in court.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Lefebvre will claim that the radiation left Cloutier-Cabana "more vulnerable to having a stroke, that if she had a stroke the extent of it would be greater and the recovery of the [brain] tissue would be diminished because of the radiation."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Cloutier-Cabana suffered a stroke after the second of two surgeries to treat the aneurysms.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">She had just completed her accounting exams before the ordeal began and "is not working to her full capacity," Lefebvre added.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Her attorney is seeking damages related to the "pain, suffering and inconvenience" of the experience as well as dealing with the shock of learning she would have months to live, when she was incorrectly diagnosed as having cancer.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The complaint also considers the long-term effects of radiation, which expertise and medical literature has shown creates "chronic and progressive long-term issues. . . such as significantly increased chance of radiation-induced brain tumours and early onset of dementia, among other problems," Lefebvre said.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">On Tuesday Lefebvre called a medical specialist to testify in the case about the risks of radiation on the brain. Lefebvre says she has had great difficulty finding medical specialists to testify against their peers.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"It's a very sad case and this woman has suffered tremendously," she added.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Lawyers for the doctors could not be reached for comments.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The trial, which began this week, is expected to last 20 days.</span><br />
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Premiers urge ban on seal pick</h2>
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<span>Published: Tuesday, April 15, 2008</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">ST. JOHN'S, Nfld -- The premiers of Newfoundland and Labrador and Nunavut Tuesday called for the immediate ban of a traditional seal hunting tool in an effort to avoid a European ban of seal products.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The hakapik -- a long stick tipped with sharp hooks that some hunters use to kill seals and drag their carcasses -- is often used by protesters to portray the annual hunt as inhumane. But the hakapik, also became an issue of controversy during a recent sealing advocacy delegation to Europe sponsored by Ottawa. The premiers met European leaders on the overseas tour who expressed concern to both leaders about the use of the tool.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">On Tuesday, the premiers issued a statement against the use of the hakapik.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"There are some images that stick with the general public, and the hakapik is one image that is used continually, and is used to lobby against our hunt, throughout Canada," Nunavut Premier Paul Okalik was reported as saying. "Even though we don't use the hakapik, we are impacted by it."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">In Nunavut, rifles and harpoons are used. Most hunters use guns during the hunt, while only 5% relied on the hakapik in Newfoundland's leg of the hunt. "I am advised that within each country the use of the hakapik was a dominant issue and continues to be viewed in an extremely negative manner," Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams said in a statement.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"These are the very countries that are in the process of deciding whether or not to ban the importation of seal products from Canada."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">However, Mr. Williams said he does not support the view that the hakapik is inhumane. "It's [been] proven to be humane and is an accepted method. However, there's a perception in the public that it appears to be a particularly brutal form of killing," he was reported as saying yesterday.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Noting a European Union vote on a possible ban is scheduled for June, Mr. Williams said he and Mr. Okalik were "prepared to move quickly and decisively," on the issue.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The leaders said they had written a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper addressing the matter. "The Canadian delegation was told repeatedly that a ban of this tool may prove to dispel some of the negative opinions regarding the Canadian seal harvest.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"Clearly, this is a core issue in Europe and is used as part of the anti-sealing rhetoric that is being put forward to their policy and decision-makers," Mr. Williams said. Banning the hakapik "is an opportunity to disarm them of something that is used negatively against our sealers," he added.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"It's a real image problem for our industry that we have to change, so that our industry can continue to survive and hopefully thrive in the future," Mr. Okalik said.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Mr. Williams points out a European ban could seriously hurt regional economies that rely on the annual hunt -- a 1983 European ban on the importation of whitecoats and bluebacks "reduced the total Inuit income in Labrador alone by one-third, and it had a tremendous negative impact on aboriginal communities."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">He noted some 16,000 sealers across Canada depended on the hunt to make a living in areas where other employment was scarce.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"Both independent veterinarians and the European Food and Safety Authority have recognized the Canadian seal harvest as one of the one of the most humane harvests of marine mammals in the world," Mr. Williams said.</span><br />
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Don't ban hakapik, say sealers and activists</h2>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><strong style="font-weight: normal;">Phil Couvrette, Canwest News Service </strong><span><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Published: Wednesday, April 16, 2008</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Calls for banning the hakapik from the seal hunt have accomplished something unexpected: they've made both sealers and activists agree on something -- that a ban isn't a good idea.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Sealers say removing the traditional tool, consisting of a long stick tipped with sharp hooks, could make the hunt less safe, while animal rights protesters say it would only prolong the suffering of dying seals and will do nothing to improve the image of the hunt.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">On Tuesday the premiers of Newfoundland and Labrador and Nunavut called for the immediate ban of the pick, which is often used by protesters to portray the annual hunt as inhumane.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Sealers say they understand the government is sensitive about the image of the seal hunt, as Europe ponders a possible ban on seal products, but say banning the hakapik could make the hunt more dangerous.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"The hakapik is a device they use for manoeuvering on the ice and dispatching seals where necessary," said Frank Pinhorn of the Canadian Sealers Association. "So they use the hakapik out on the ice for a safety device to help. . . If you're going to take that away what would sealers use in [its] place?"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">It could not only impact their safety but would make it hard to follow regulations put in place by veterinarians to kill seals, which he says stress, "crushing the hemisphere of the skull" to bleed them out.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Rebecca Aldworth of the Humane Society of the United States says removing the hakapik would increase the suffering of seals because seals shot during the hunt are often just wounded by the first bullet.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">If the hakapik is removed from the commercial seal hunt sealers will have to cut open live conscious animals, which she stressed is not only "an extremely cruel act" but a violation of regulations.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"The fact [the premiers are] willing to increase the suffering of seals to appease European decision-makers is an extremely disappointing thing," she said.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Ms. Aldworth says the ban would do nothing to improve the image of the seal hunt.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"Some of the worst examples of cruelty that I've documented out at the commercial seal hunt involve those seals that are shot and wounded and left bleeding on the ice floes. . . it continues for several minutes until the sealers are able to reach the seals to finish them off."</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Tensions expected as inmates told to butt out</span></h1>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Phil Couvrette , CanWest News Service</span></h4>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Published: Sunday, April 20, 2008</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">As the Correctional Service of Canada prepared for next month's smoking ban in its prisons across the country, it met with resistance from regional staff and inmate groups that predict trouble ahead according to documents obtained by Canwest News Service.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Officials from Quebec's federal institutions and inmate groups consulted across the country expressed serious reservations about a complete ban, documents obtained through Access to Information show.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">CSC banned indoor smoking in its prisons in 2006 but the new rules will mean an end to smoking outdoors as well starting in early May.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">A number of institutions nationwide expressed concerns about the ban, raising fears of rising tensions possibly leading to violence. They feared cigarettes will become a top contraband item or that inmates would move on to harder drugs.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">A document on regional positions about implementing a total ban stated Quebec institutions were "not ready to support a total ban," stressing regional concerns that inmates would be denied rights enjoyed by the rest of the population.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"We can hardly curb access to drugs, how do we think we are going to be able to control access to tobacco, which is a legal substance?" questioned one warden from Archambault Institution in Quebec.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Quebec was supposed to completely ban smoking in its provincial correctional institutions this year but has ultimately allowed smoking in courtyards, said Real Roussy, a spokesman for the Quebec correctional system.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"(Quebec's) public security minister asked officials to consider reducing potential difficulties faced by inmates related to the fact they could no longer smoke. So a proposal was made to allow inmates to smoke in courtyards," he said.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Other concerns were also expressed with regards to inmates with mental disabilities, expected to react negatively to the ban.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Officials, however, insist aboriginal religious and spiritual rights would be accommodated for special ceremonies that traditionally required tobacco.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Just two of Canada's five correctional regions were in favour of a ban at all levels, two others preferring a "differentiated ban" that would implement a total ban in maximum and medium-security institutions but allow for more liberties in minimum-security institutions.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Inmate committees consulted by CSC, meanwhile, were overwhelmingly against a total ban, warning of it would possibly lead to cases of "serious confrontation and possible damage."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">According to a 2002 study, about 72 per cent of the inmate population smokes.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">While the indoor smoking ban resulted in no major incidents, according to CSC, officials were reporting some 9,000 offences by March 2007 - about 16 per cent of all disciplinary charges for the period - resulting in over 400 serious charges, all related to the smoking ban.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Documents obtained by Canwest News Service refer to the indoor ban as having been "ineffective" since it either failed to improve air quality or created new risks as inmates illegally lit up in their cells by using electrical outlets or wicks, creating noxious fumes and sometimes even sparking fires.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Some wardens reported an increase in incidents, some fearing a total ban would be even more disruptive.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"Increased tension between staff and inmates is evident on a daily basis," reported warden Floyd Wilson of Bowden Institution in Alberta, last May. "If we maintain this course of action it is only a matter of time staff become apathetic towards the present smoking policy."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"Many view the disciplinary system as an ineffective deterrent against an addiction to tobacco and note that tensions have increased between staff and offenders," reported one briefing note to Public Security Minister Stockwell Day, who supports a total ban.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">In Prairie institutions, there's agreement "that the current policy on the indoor smoking ban has been very difficult, if not impossible, to manage," according to another document listing regional positions.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Others warned a total ban would present its own set of problems.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"Tobacco would become a new currency of choice. While many inmates are able to abstain or are not attracted to illicit drugs because they are not addicted to it, tobacco products would appeal to the vast majority of inmates incarcerated," wrote the warden for New Brunswick's Westmorland Institution.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Atlantic institutions indicated they support a total ban, which they feel would eliminate second-hand smoke, but note initial implementation is "likely to lead to a period of disruptive behaviours with the potential for escalation to riotous behaviour," according to a regional summary prepared for CSC's executive.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"We are proceeding with the implementation of a total smoking ban on May 5," said corrections spokeswoman Melanie Carkner. "There are measures in place to assist offenders with smoking cessation aids."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Federal officials say implementation issues will eventually die down since most provinces and territories have been able to implement total smoking bans in their detention facilities, but note some of those governments have had to face legal challenges on the restrictions.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Unions say a complete ban will end many difficulties created by the indoor ban.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Labour unions representing guards, who sometimes refused to work and even threatened to sue CSC due to poor air quality after the indoor ban came into effect, say they've pressed from the beginning for a complete smoking ban to eliminate second-hand smoke. Since 2006 they've complained guards have become the "smoking police," spending too much time babysitting inmates rather than looking out for more dangerous offences.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Jason Godin of the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers said he expected the smoking ban to be gradually phased in starting May 5. He said the union would be prepared to deal with possible tensions but expected the transition to occur smoothly.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"We're going to be ready for that with additional staff if required and certainly looking at being able to respond as quickly as possible should there be any problems," he said.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">But advocacy groups warn the ban will do anything but settle current problems.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"You can only push people so far before they won't take it anymore," said Glenn Flett, a former inmate and now director of a prisoners' advocacy group. "Some guys have been smoking for 25 years and they're serving life sentences. They're not going to accept it."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Corrections officials say they've already spent some $2.4 million for programs aimed at getting inmates to butt out.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">But sometimes those remedies have turned into drugs themselves as inmates dissolved nicotine patches in water to extract pure nicotine that was either injected or ingested - when they weren't simply smoking them. In Alberta they were eventually banned.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Canadian man caught in border bind</span><br /> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Thursday, April 10, 2008</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">By Ken Meaney and Phil Couvrette</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';"></span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Canwest News Service</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">The family of an elderly Canadian man who has to cross U.S. soil to get to his home say an American border crackdown has cut him off and left him in a no man's land.</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Nikolaj Pedersen, 85, lives in </span><st1:placename style="font-family: 'times new roman';" w:st="on">Four</st1:placename><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';"> </span><st1:placetype style="font-family: 'times new roman';" w:st="on">Falls</st1:placetype><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">, N.B., but the road to his home cuts briefly through the</span><st1:country-region style="font-family: 'times new roman';" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">His daughter, Joyce Pedersen, says for years there were no problems making the short jaunt through American soil. She says her father has lived in the same home for over 60 years and she and her siblings grew up with American friends.</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Pedersen said the unique situation wasn't a problem until after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. That's when </span><st1:country-region style="font-family: 'times new roman';" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';"> customs agents started rigidly enforcing rules on border crossings.</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">It eased up for a while, but just last week, border agents stopped her father's mail from being delivered and put up a roadblock, she said.</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">``The barricade is down, but we have been informed they would like to close the road off completely and that would leave him ... we don't know. Because if he leaves his property he is entering the </span><st1:country-region style="font-family: 'times new roman';" w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';"> and it would be difficult for him to come into </span><st1:country-region style="font-family: 'times new roman';" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Canada</st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">,'' she said.</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">If the </span><st1:country-region style="font-family: 'times new roman';" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';"> authorities go ahead with plans to block the road, it would mean a 27-minute detour for her father to leave his land or for anyone to visit him, she said. Even now, visitors have to check in twice - once with the U.S. Border Patrol in </span><st1:place style="font-family: 'times new roman';" w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Fort Fairfield</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Me.</st1:state></st1:place><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">, and then with the Canadians.</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">``For a while, when the (</span><st1:country-region style="font-family: 'times new roman';" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">) border patrol were local people, they would know us and it wouldn't be a hassle. But now they're bringing in border patrols from down state and they don't know us and they're there to enforce the law,'' she said.</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">``There's no flexibility. They're not looking at this and saying `OK, where's the humane component to this?' They're just enforcing the law.''</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Pedersen said the situation has caused great stress for her father, who is still active but had major surgery last fall.</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">``He's having a difficult time eating and sleeping, and it's just another anxiety or stress he doesn't need.''</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Pedersen said there has to be a solution that recognizes her father's unique circumstances.</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">``They could put an American customs stop next to the Canadian one (about a kilometre from his home),'' she said, ``or they could both work out of the same building.''</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">Another possibility is to build an access road to it across her father's property, she said.</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">His American neighbour Clarence Clark, who's known the family for decades and says he's surprised he doesn't have the same problems, says </span><st1:country-region style="font-family: 'times new roman';" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';"> officials are making an example out of Pedersen.</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">``I can't say the Border Patrol is wrong - this has been going on for 100 years around here - but they want to make a statement and they're dumping it on the Pedersens.''</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">``They're the best people in the world,'' he added of his neighbours.</span><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><br style="font-family: 'times new roman';" /><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';">The U.S. Border Patrol said that it would not comment on the issue on Thursday.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Le Journal labour strife is 1 year old</h2>
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PHIL COUVRETTE, Canwest News Service</h4>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Published: Tuesday, April 22</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">Locked-out and striking employees of the Quebecor Inc. tabloid the Journal de Québec were preparing to mark the first anniversary of their labour dispute today with a march on the daily newspaper's offices while union officials conceded negotiations were dead in the water.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The lockout/strike began April 22, 2007. The Journal has continued to publish, and the workers have published their own newspaper, MediaMatinQuebec, which is distributed free, and urged readers to boycott the tabloid.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Union spokesman Denis Bolduc said negotiations are at an impasse.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"Maybe one day positions will be close enough to return to the negotiating table, but it's really not the case," he said. "There's no meeting scheduled for the next days, weeks or month."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Quebecor has been asking to extend the newspaper's four-day workweek of 32 hours to five days and 37.5 hours. It also wants more flexibility, requiring reporters to occasionally take photographs, something it deems "not unreasonable in the age of citizen journalism."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The conflict raised the issue of media convergence in Quebec as management wants reporters to produce work not just for the newspaper, but also for Quebecor's Canoe website and LCN cable network, and for the TVA network.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"It's never been a matter of asking Journal de Québec journalists to do the work of their TVA colleagues," Quebecor said in a statement yesterday. "However management wants journalists to acquire a different rhythm, feeding the Journal's website in real time. This way of doing things has become the norm everywhere else in North America."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">But the union said Canoe reporters, who would otherwise not be in Quebec City, have been acting as scabs during the labour strife. A complaint has been filed with Quebec's labour-relations board against 17 workers.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"We're saying there are people from Canoe and other journalists and photographers doing the job we were doing at the Journal," Bolduc said.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Journal reporters would remain the best-paid in Canada under its deal, Quebecor said, but the company has refused arbitration, is already contracting out its classified ads to a call centre, and printing and administrative jobs would be lost over time.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Quebecor said declining readership and ad revenues have spurred the need to change its newsroom. But Bolduc argued this didn't apply to Quebec, where the Journal was healthy.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"The battle is to maintain quality jobs in Quebec, avoid a transfer of those jobs elsewhere, guarantee quality local news and avoid becoming a carbon-copy of the Journal de Montréal."</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Unions slam massive cuts at Quebec broadcaster</span></h1>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Published: Wednesday, April 23, 2008</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">MONTREAL - The unions representing employees of troubled French-language network TQS denounced as "savage" cuts announced at the broadcaster on Wednesday.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Some 270 employees at stations stretched across Quebec are expected to be handed their pink slips, and the network will ask the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to amend its licence so it no longer needs to produce a news broadcast.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The nine unions representing employees say they are shocked they were not consulted during the restructuring process.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"The unions have always collaborated with the employer since December, but it never considered an alternate to massive job cuts," said union president Luc Bessette.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">TQS was acquired by Remstar Corp. from Cogeco Inc. this spring after becoming insolvent last December.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"The financial relaunch plan announced today can seem severe but it is a reflection of the severity of the company's financial problems," said management spokesman Tony Porrello.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The company says it lost $18 million over the last year, racking up an accumulated deficit of $71 million.</span><br />
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Five more arrested as Montreal gears up for playoff game</h2>
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<strong> </strong><span>Published: Thursday, April 24, 2008</span></div>
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<img alt="A number of police cars were set on fire in Monday's riot in Montreal. Police are on alert as the Canadiens start their second-round series against the Flyers." id="storyphoto" src="http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/469344.bin?size=404x272" style="height: 138px; width: 205px;" /><span class="right"></span><span class="ieclear"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">MONTREAL -- Police said they arrested five more people connected to Monday evening's riot downtown Montreal following an NHL playoff hockey game. Security was also being beefed up for tonight's second-round playoff game at the Bell Centre.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">That brings the total to 28 people arrested, with more arrests expected as police gather information from videos and photos pouring into their offices from spectators.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"We got wonderful public support in arresting a lot of the people," said Paul Chablo of the Montreal police.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Many of the suspects arrested have already appeared in court and were promptly released with a promise to appear at a later date.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Montreal police say they are getting help tonight from their provincial and federal counterparts, the Surete du Quebec and the RCMP, in order to make sure there is no repeat of Monday's rampage.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"It's not rare, we work with the RCMP and the provincial police on a regular basis, whether it's in information sharing or operational planning," Chablo said.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Police released six more photos of people causing problems Monday night and posted videos of Habs players, on the <a href="http://www.spvm.qc.ca/en/" style="color: #706b60; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">police's website</a>, asking fans to behave.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"When you celebrate make sure you do it the right way, with happiness and respect," Mike Komisarek is recoded as saying. "We can celebrate without causing trouble," Francis Bouillon says in French.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Police have been visiting area businesses, some of which were hit by the vandals, to give them prevention tips on how to prepare, but said there are no immediate plans to shut downtown streets when the fans leave the arena.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"We tell them [businesses] if you can make sure there are no loose objects in front of the store [that could serve as projectiles] and to, if possible, not put objects of value in the window, and if possible to maybe be present in the early part of the evening" he said. "And if they think anything looks suspicious they should call 911."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"Our goal is to reassure them, I believe we have reassured most of them," Chablo added. "Our police presence will be increased. Our message is clear: anybody who wants to make trouble will be arrested."</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Three dead after N.S. fishing boat sinks</span></h1>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Published: Sunday, April 27, 2008</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">LARRY'S RIVER, N.S. - Search and rescue teams recovered the bodies of three young men who had gone missing after their boat took on water on Saturday.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"There's one lone survivor and the other three bodies have been recovered," said Sgt. Mark Gallagher of the RCMP.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The fishing boat carrying the four had started taking on water at 7 p.m. on Saturday on Fougere Lake.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"They took on more water and it became a very difficult situation where they had to abandon the boat and once they did one was able to reach shore but the other three weren't able to," said Gallagher, who added three of the men were aged 25 and the fourth 27.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Police said they were waiting to notify next of kin before identifying the dead.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The search effort began Saturday evening and Cormorant and RCMP helicopters joined the search effort overnight, the latter being equipped with a heat-seeking device.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">On Sunday morning a dive team was brought in to join the search and recovered the last bodies at mid-afternoon, Gallagher said. The first body had been recovered late Saturday night.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Inmates getting ready to butt out ... except in Quebec provincial prisons</span></h1>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Phil Couvrette , Canwest News Service</span></h4>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Published: Wednesday, April 30, 2008</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">OTTAWA - The Correctional Service of Canada says it is going to implement a total smoking ban in its prisons by phasing it in, following the example of many provinces, but in Quebec smoking will still be allowed in provincial institutions.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The CSC banned indoor smoking in its prisons in 2006, but the new rules will mean an end to smoking outdoors as well.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Jean-Yves Roy of the Quebec branch of the CSC says the ban will begin in maximum-security prisons on May 5, followed by mid-level institutions on May 20 and minimum-security institutions on June 2.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Provincially, "it's prohibited to smoke in detention facilities in (the other) 12 provinces and territories," Roy said.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">In January, British Columbia banned smoking in its remaining provincial institutions. It was supposed to be joined by Quebec in February, but the Public Security Ministry overturned that decision.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The reversal occurred shortly after a riot broke out at a Quebec City-area prison but officials deny the disturbance had anything to do with the smoking ban.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Smoking rights groups don't agree.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"The (public security minister) backed off immediately," said Arminda Mota of Mychoice.ca. "The ban was supposed to come into effect on Feb. 5, but there was a riot during the previous night. ... Of course the minister denied (changing this decision) had anything to do with it."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"Tensions weren't necessarily related to smoking that night," said public security ministry spokeswoman Emilie Rouleau. She said, however, that the ban was dropped on Feb. 8 to "reduce tensions in prisons because a total ban raised tensions."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Smoking is allowed outdoors in provincial facilities, and Rouleau said there were no plans for a total smoking ban.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Internal CSC documents obtained by Canwest News Service reported resistance from regional staff and inmate groups nationwide that predict trouble ahead when the ban comes into effect.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">In particular, they singled out Quebec federal institutions as being "not ready to support a total ban."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Mota said the ban is going to increase tensions, make cigarettes a hot contraband item and is bound to fail because prison guards are already unable to control the flow of drugs.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Roy said federal prisons have prepared inmates for the transition.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"We've been informing inmates since last summer, they've been told about various cessation methods and have been given products to help stop smoking," he said. "We realize it's not an easy thing (to quit smoking) but (the ban) is a health and security matter to protect our environment."</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Boomer the fugitive lion heads to a Que. zoo</span></h1>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Published: Thursday, May 01, 2008</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">The lion that had been roaming around the bush in western Quebec for two days until his capture Thursday, will now call Quebec's Granby Zoo home.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Zoo workers confirmed Boomer, a six-month-old African lion, will move to the facility near Montreal.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"Officials quickly wanted to find a place that was safe, where he would be well treated and comfortable," said spokeswoman Catherine Page. "We're very happy to provide this service and accept him."</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">On Tuesday night, Boomer escaped from its owner, Stanley Dumont-Whiteduck, a resident of an Algonquin First Nation reserve in Maniwaki, about 135 kilometres north of Ottawa. This sparked a search Wednesday, involving officers from the reserve and the Quebec provincial police, as well as a police helicopter equipped with a heat-seeking camera.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">A woman from the reserve spotted the 70-kilogram cat early Thursday near the highway leading into the town. After the lion was captured, authorities put the animal in a cell block of their local jail and fed it steaks to keep it happy, police Chief Gordon McGregor said.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Quebec's Ministry of Natural Resources took custody of the animal around 8 a.m. Thursday.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Before Boomer can be placed in the general zoo population, he will be quarantined in a sterilized area and given a medical assessment. Blood and urine tests will be conducted to determine if he has any parasites.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Page said it's unclear how long Boomer will be living at the Granby Zoo, of if it will become his new permanent home. The zoo already houses four other lions.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Meanwhile, the reserve's police chief said investigators will be looking into whether Boomer's owner had a permit to own an exotic pet, or if any charges are warranted.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Dumont-Whiteduck, a member of the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation, had the lion for two days before it broke from a chain on his property and escaped.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">While the animal was at large, he told police Boomer was not dangerous. Even so, schools and day cares were closed while Boomer was on the loose.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Prisoners butting out but not butting heads</span></h1>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Phil Couvrette , Canwest News Service</span></h4>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Published: Tuesday, May 06, 2008</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">OTTAWA - Anti-smoking programs and suspected stashes of tobacco are what is helping to keep Canada's prisons quiet so far this week as a smoking ban came into effect in maximum-security federal penitentiaries across the country.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The Correctional Service of Canada banned indoor smoking in its prisons in 2006, but the new rules mean no more smoking outdoors as well for maximum-security inmates since Monday.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Mid-level institutions follow suit on May 20 and minimum-security institutions on June 2.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"There are no incidents to report at this point," said Janine Chown, a Corrections spokeswoman for the region of Ontario. "We're only a day into it so it may be a bit early to assess the full reaction to the ban."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Lyle Stewart of the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers said that inmates may be running on hidden supplies for now.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"We think that a lot of inmates have stockpiled their tobacco and cigarettes," he said. "Correctional officers aren't everywhere all at once so unless you catch someone in the act or discover their stockpile cache they're still going to be getting away with it."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">He added there was concern about fighting possibly breaking out over tobacco but the "concern was if there was anything organized, on an individual basis it's a lot easier to deal with."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Chown said the significant advance notice offenders were given and education and other anti-smoking programs in place meant inmates didn't have to go cold turkey.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">A Corrections spokesman from the Prairies, Jeff Campbell, said there were "no reports of anything unusual" in his region. "We do have precautionary measures in place if there's any incident," he added.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"We're implemented things rather gradually and had a lot of information sharing in advance. We've made stop-smoking aides available to the offenders," Campbell added. "They were quite aware that this was coming."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Quebec spokesman Jean-Yves Roy said 1,114 of Quebec's 3,300 inmates had taken part in a smoking cessation program at one time or another.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">There are fears implementation of the new ban could spark resistance in_Quebec where internal Corrections documents described the region as "not ready to support a total ban" and where inmates in provincial prisons can still smoke outdoors.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Earlier this year Quebec was supposed to implement a total smoking ban at the provincial level, joining other provinces and territories, but changed its mind.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Nationwide some 72 per cent of inmates smoke.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">On Monday Corrections released a statement stressing it had "emergency plans in place to address any disruption that may arise as a result of this new policy" including special emergency response teams.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Corrections "is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for staff and inmates," the statement quotes commissioner Keith Coulter, the head of Correction, as saying. "Eliminating exposure to second-hand smoke in our institutions is an important step forward to achieve this objective."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Internal Corrections_documents referred to the initial indoor ban as "ineffective" since it either failed to improve air quality or created new risks as inmates illegally lit up in their cells by using electrical outlets or wicks, creating noxious fumes and sometimes even sparking fires.</span><br />
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Divers remove remains from Que. plane crash</h2>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Phil Couvrette, Canwest News Service</span></h4>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Published: Tuesday, May 13, 2008</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">Quebec police divers launched an operation yesterday to recover the bodies of four passengers who died when a plane crashed into a Quebec lake 50 years ago.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The seaplane fell off the radar on Nov. 21, 1957 after returning from a hunting expedition. The discovery of the pilot's dead dog on the shores of Lac Simon, 75 kilometres northeast of Ottawa, led investigators to the area, but neither the wreckage nor the four passengers was found until last Oct. 4 by a diving enthusiast.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">A coroner then determined the wreckage and bodies had to be recovered so they could be formally identified and in order to prevent the area from drawing recreational divers.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Authorities were concerned there could be a repeat of incidents surrounding the wreckage of the Empress of Ireland which sank in 1914 near Rimouski, Que. A number of divers died after getting close to the wreckage of the ship.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Police spokeswoman Melanie Larouche said the divers recovered the first body and will need to raise the wreckage today in order to find the remaining ones.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"They will first remove the body of the other passenger who was ejected from the plane and then the seaplane will be raised and dragged to the shore where we'll be able to recover the remaining bodies," she said. "We believe they are in the back of the plane."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Nine divers were taking part in the 50-metre dive.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Because of the depth, divers will be breathing a mixture of oxygen and helium called heliox. Visibility could also be a factor.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">A forensic team will also have its ensuing identification work cut out for it, Larouche said, noting the divers expected to find little more than the bones of the passengers.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">They will be sent to a laboratory in Montreal where an attempt will be made to identify them.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Provincial police had thoroughly searched the lake 50 years ago, but the effort was limited by the technology of the time, Larouche said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Second body recovered from sunken plane</span></h1>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Published: Tuesday, May 13, 2008</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">GATINEAU, Que. - Quebec provincial police divers removed a second body from the wreckage of a 1957 plane crash at the bottom of a lake Tuesday.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Four passengers died in the accident shortly after the seaplane disappeared from radar screens on Nov. 21, 1957 after returning from a hunting expedition. The discovery of the pilot's dead dog on the shores of Lac Simon, some 75 kilometres northeast of Ottawa, led investigators to the area shortly after the crash, but neither the wreckage nor the four passengers were found until last Oct. 4 by a diving enthusiast.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Provincial police had thoroughly searched the lake 50 years ago, but the effort was limited by the technology of the time, Larouche said.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">A coroner then determined the wreckage and bodies had to be recovered so they could be formally identified and in order to prevent the area from drawing recreational divers.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Police recovered the first body Monday.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Surete du Quebec spokeswoman Melanie Larouche said divers would be helped by a specialist to assess the best spots to attach the plane so it could be raised and dragged to the shore.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Inside they hope to find the remaining two bodies. The bodies will be sent to Montreal to be identified through DNA analysis.</span><br />
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Mayor vows to continue with prayer recitals</h2>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Phil Couvrette</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Published: Friday, May 16, 2008</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The Mayor of Saguenay, Que., says he intends to continue prayer recitals before council meetings despite the province's human rights commission saying the practice goes against the city's need to be neutral and respect religious rights.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">In a non-binding decision, the commission said yesterday that Quebec towns still reciting prayers before council meetings should stop doing so as the practice goes against well-established jurisprudence.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">It cited a 2006 ruling in Laval, north of Montreal, by the commission's human rights tribunal and saw no need for the matter to make its way to the tribunal again. The commission considers complaints and decides whether they should be heard by the tribunal. It is not possible to go to the tribunal without first going through the commission.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"The decision was clear and said the recitation of prayer before town meetings ... contravened the need of the state to be neutral in religious matters, and infringed on rights by discriminating," said commission spokesman Robert Sylvestre.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Laval stopped the prayers and the matter was never appealed, so the commission found the jurisprudence was clear and other municipalities should be inspired by it rather than wait for the next complaint, he said.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Mr. Sylvestre added that the process required time and money not only from the commission but also the municipalities.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The decision was in response to a complaint in Saguenay, 460 kilometres north of Montreal, filed shortly after the Laval decision and urging Saguenay Mayor Jean Tremblay to end the practice.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">But Mr. Tremblay said he would "absolutely" maintain the practice because the decision is non-binding, adding that if anything, not doing so would hurt the rights of his constituents.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"They think this contravenes human rights, I agree ... some 20 people around the table want to pray and to prevent them from doing so would infringe on their rights," Mr. Tremblay said.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The Mayor said the two complainants rarely attended the meetings and were opponents on a number of issues besides prayer.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"I don't know why we would stop. Prayers are what we have that's most precious. To subject ourselves to the whim of some people, very few of them, just two ... is to kneel down rapidly, and we don't have the intention to stop," he said.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Mr. Sylvestre said the Mayor is right that the decision cannot force a ban on prayers, but said that it does leave the complainants with the option of bringing the matter before the tribunal.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The commission sided with Laval's complainant in 2003, but the city refused to comply until the tribunal ruled on it.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Mr. Tremblay said he hoped the matter would not reach the tribunal. "I can't prevent them," he said. "But if they do, I'll show up."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Christian Joncas, who launched the complaint with another individual , said he would bring matters to court if the next town council, scheduled in June, starts with a prayer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Businessman abducted in Quebec</span></h1>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Published: Tuesday, May 20, 2008</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">GRANBY, Que. - Quebec provincial police are investigating the kidnapping of a 41-year-old businessman early Tuesday morning in this town southeast of Montreal.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"At around 3:30 a.m. Granby police received a call (Tuesday) saying a man had been kidnapped from his home by four individuals," said Louis-Philippe Ruel of the Surete du Quebec. "This is very early in the investigation, we don't have a description of the vehicle or of potential suspects."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The man was later identified as Stephane Hardy and photos of him were released in order to obtain help from the public.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><img alt="Provincial police in Quebec have been called in to investigate the abduction." border="0" class="thumbnail" height="150" id="storyphoto" src="http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/media.canada.com/5b6e4c44-1c52-4892-9c05-6cb84120e9ce/052008qpp.jpg?size=l" width="150" /></span><div class="addthis">
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<span style="font-size: small;">Police say he was dragged out of his home by the men and into a car but their destination was unknown.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"The motives of this kidnapping are not known," Ruel said, adding that police were going to question possible witnesses around the neighbourhood. They were also going to contact the family of the man.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"Police will try to see if someone has seen or heard something, and if someone has any idea why the men would have wanted to abduct him," he added. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"We're trying to determine whether he was abducted for a personal or a business-related reason," Ruel said, adding there was no ransom note.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The Quebec provincial police were called in to help the Granby police and now the provincial force has taken over the investigation.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"This man is not known to police, we don't have priors on him," Ruel said of Hardy.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The kidnapping worried neighbour Nathalie Beauchemin, especially as it occurred days after the discovery of the body of political aide Nancy Michaud, who had been kidnapped from her home.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"I haven't been sleeping since four o'clock because it worried me," the mother told reporters. "Especially after what we've heard about the minister and the woman who was found dead . . . that one (kidnapping) happened so soon after the other is worrisome."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The suspect in that case, Francis Proulx, 29, was charged with first-degree murder Monday.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Rejean Roy, member of a diving group Hardy joined, says they used to go diving together often until last year when business trips kept Hardy out of the water.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Roy described Hardy as someone owning his own business which he sold before becoming a financial planner, and said having run-ins with the wrong people wasn't his style.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"He's a good guy, always willing to help people," Roy said "What happened is incredible, I can't understand what happened."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Granby is 80 kilometres southeast of Montreal.</span><br />
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Big house not big enough for Big Mike</h2>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Phil Couvrette</span></span></h4>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Published: Friday, May 23, 2008</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">Some people call it the Big House, but Big Mike would disagree.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">A judge has reduced the sentence of a morbidly obese Quebec inmate serving time for drug trafficking by six months because of the painful incarceration experience the 430-pound man has endured since his arrest and detention in a prison that isn't adapted to his needs.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Michel Lapointe, also known as "Big Mike," was arrested on drug-related charges in 2006, and since then his weight has ballooned well beyond the 300-plus pounds he weighed at the time.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The 37-year-old man has been in prison for 20 months, and in February, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit drug-trafficking, drug-trafficking and gangsterism.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">On Wednesday, he was sentenced to five years in prison, minus time served, and a bonus six months were shaved off for his particularly painful adaptation to life in a prison not made for the really big and tall.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"His health was deteriorating, his weight was such that there were no objects in prison made for someone like him," lawyer Clemente Monterosso said. "His bed is a foot smaller than he is. He can't even sit on a chair."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Mr. Lapointe complained to the prison administration about the lack of facilities adapted to his needs, citing an undersized bed and a shower that made washing properly impossible, "but they didn't seem concerned by his grievances," his lawyer said.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">So Big Mike pleaded his case before the judge.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Even with the six months taken off his sentence, Mr. Lapointe will still be incarcerated.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"The remaining time is 14 months starting (yesterday)," Mr. Monterosso said.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">When Mr. Lapointe is transferred to another prison to serve his remaining sentence, he and his lawyer expect the institution "will do what it can to follow the judge's recommendation and try to accommodate him," Mr. Monterosso said.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The lawyer said Mr. Lapointe may undergo surgery when he leaves prison, and he may also have to change professions.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"He worked all his life as a chef," Mr. Monterosso said. "That may not be the best place to lose weight."</span><br />
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Lion cub's owner wants to charge Granby Zoo with theft</h2>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span>Published: Monday, May 26</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">Boomer, the lion cub that created a stir last month after escaping from his owners on the Algonquin First Nation reserve in Maniwaki, is about to become the focus of a different kind of commotion.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Dennis Day, the cub's former owner, said he plans to have Granby Zoo - where Boomer is currently residing - charged with theft after the zoo didn't respond to a request for the feline's return.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Day, who lives in Cobden, Ont., said he sent Granby Zoo, some 80 kilometres south of Montreal, a letter on May 16 giving it 10 days to respond.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><img alt="Boomer the lion seemed slightly amused by all the media attention Thursday as he waited to be transported to the Granby Zoo where vets were ready to check his health and make sure the young lion on the run near Maniwaki this week is okay." border="0" class="thumbnail" height="150" id="storyphoto" src="http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/media.canada.com/4d9d0827-6ab4-4319-8aa9-bc45c50578c4/boomer.jpg?size=l" width="150" /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">"When the 10 days is up on this letter, we're going to have them charged with theft," said Day on Monday, the tenth day since the letter was sent.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Day said since he hasn't received a reply from the zoo, he intends to begin legal action Tuesday morning at the courthouse in Pembroke, Ont.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">He said his "next step" after that will be to take the zoo to small-claims court.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"If they want to keep him they're going to have to pay for him," Day said.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Catherine Page, a spokeswoman for Granby Zoo, said they had received the letter but could not confirm if a reply was sent.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"The letter was received, but I believe we issued a response saying they were knocking on the wrong door," said Page, explaining that the zoo was only acting on the request of Quebec's Ministry of Natural Resources.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"We're mandated by the ministry under Quebec law. It's no use sending us (a letter). They should approach the ministry."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Boomer, a six-month-old, 44-kilogram cub, escaped during the night of April 29 from the Algonquin First Nation reserve in Maniwaki, about 135 kilometres north of Ottawa. He was captured two days later and transferred to Granby Zoo.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">It soon emerged that the lion's original owner was Day, who sent the feline to Quebec after Family and Child Services raised concerns about the safety of Day's children.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Day said that he has worked out a solution with the agency that includes proper penning for the lion in anticipation of Boomer being returned to him.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Meanwhile, reports from the Granby Zoo website show that Boomer is doing well.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Marie-Josee Limoges, head of veterinarian services at the zoo, said there are some concerns about how Boomer will react when introduced to other lions for the first time.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"Psychologically he certainly has behaviours that wouldn't be typical or normal to a parent-raised animal," she said, citing his high comfort level towards humans as an example.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Despite the overwhelming public interest in the lion cub, Boomer will not be available for viewing when the zoo opens it doors May 31 since he's still under quarantine and has contracted parasites, said Page.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Foreign press coverage of Bernier an eyeful</span></h1>
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Phil Couvrette , Canwest News Service</h4>
<span>Published: Tuesday, May 27, 2008</span></div>
Like the "gorgeous woman" on his arm when he was sworn in as foreign minister, Maxime Bernier's resignation didn't go unnoticed in foreign news outlets, which seem to gleefully throw his former girlfriend into their coverage.<br />
While the breaking news of the resignation came too late for overseas publications, some did spice up their wire service headlines on websites by playing up the woman behind the fallen cabinet minister.<br />
"Good night and very bad luck," titled Australia's Sydney Morning Herald over a story from the Reuters News Agency, while Britain's Daily Telegraph went with "The minister, the classified papers and a lover linked to Hells Angels."<br />
Few websites didn't run with a photo of the former so-called ministerial couple, including the BBC website which, like many outlets, pointed out that Bernier was under pressure to resign following previous slip-ups such as his suggestion the "Afghan President Hamid Karzai replace the governor of Kandahar province, where Canada has 2,500 troops stationed." Chinese News Agency Xinhua noted Bernier "has been under fire recently for his former girlfriend's links with an organized crime group."<br />
"A calamitous moral affair" put an end to his career, wrote France's Le Figaro - under the banner "A Canadian minister forgets his files at his lover's home" - which added "pretty" to international descriptions of Couillard, which ranged from "gorgeous" and "glamorous" to the "provocatively dressed," used in a widely run Associated Press piece.<br />
The French paper colourfully noted that "the depth of the neckline had reddened the cheeks of royal gendarmes," during the swearing-in ceremony.<br />
India's Hindustan Times also referred to the ceremony: "the gorgeous woman also made headlines in August 2007 when dressed in a plunging neckline she accompanied Bernier for his swearing-in as minister for Foreign Affairs."<br />
Some of the paper's reporting left something to be desired however, as it claimed: "She took active part in the minister's office work."<br />
"When the media blew the cover on her past, she virtually went into hiding and the minister ducked for cover even as the ruling party and the prime minister defended Bernier," the paper added.<br />
"The security slip-up was compounded by the fact that Miss Couillard, 38, has had a string of lovers involved with the biker gang and its criminal activities," wrote Tom Leonard of the Telegraph, noting "glamorous brunette, was once married to an outlaw biker and lived with another who died in a bloody turf war over drugs in the 1990s."<br />
While the reporting may have played up Couillard's appearance, it was far less kind to Bernier.<br />
"Blunder-prone Maxime Bernier resigned after an ugly breakup resulted in Julie Couillard going on TV to accuse him of being 'careless' with classified government papers," summed up Britain's Daily Mail Online in a story entitled 'Minister resigns after leaving files with 'biker chick.'"<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">New health plan under fire in New Brunswick</span></h2>
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<span>Published: Monday, May 12, 2008</span></div>
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<span>Phil Couvrette</span></div>
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In Canada's only officially bilingual province there's concern recent policy changes may be sending New Brunswick back to the days of tension between its francophone and anglophone communities.<br />
Citing the Liberal government's decision to reduce eight health authorities to two and scrap early French immersion in public schools, Opposition Conservative leader Jeannot Volpe said the province is at risk of putting an end to years of mending ties between linguistic groups.<br />
"In a number of areas, the Liberals are stirring up linguistic divisions in New Brunswick," he said.<br />
"It's taken so long to build respect between the communities that we should be careful not to tear it down."<br />
Health Minister Mike Murphy says the province's health authorities needed to be revamped to eliminate inefficiencies by ending duplication of services.<br />
But the decision to create two authorities instead of a single one, or any other number, amounted to forming a linguistic duality, critics have charged.<br />
Doctors at New Brunswick's largest bilingual hospital, Dumont Hospital in Moncton, say the Minister will jeopardize the future of French language health services in the province, noting all of the major care units, such as cardiac and trauma, will be under the control of the anglophone authority.<br />
"The beheading of the administration . . . will leave us with very much difficulty to get the resources we need, the changes we need in the day-to-day administration," argued Dr. Daniel Beaudry.<br />
The president of a medical staff organization representing<br />
doctors in the southern part of the province said: "They divided us along linguistic lines and this has set us back in time," causing concern among francophones and doctors.<br />
"The French feel they have been slighted," Dr. Don Craig said. "The optics of it is that a lot of tertiary services have been left out on paper (in francophone areas), even if in fact they have not."<br />
In a letter submitted to the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal in response to an editorial that said officials "are establishing duality as a governing principle," Mr. Murphy wrote that the government worked to "respect the linguistic rights of all New Brunswickers."<br />
"The creation of two (regional health authorities) with a board of directors functioning in the language of the majority of the population served will in no way establish duality in health care," he wrote.<br />
"Duality refers to two separate systems that each serve a different population, such as exists within the public education system. The education system offers students the opportunity to learn in both French and English through two parallel but separate education systems. This is not the case with health care."<br />
He said a single bilingual authority "would undermine existing language rights and traditions."<br />
The New Brunswick Telegraph- Journal called on the Minister to resign but said both the government and opposition "seem to be engaged in a race to turn back the clock."<br />
Mr. Volpe says that education policies were also driving a wedge between the communities.<br />
"For the first time in New Brunswick history we have francophones and anglophones coming together in agreement saying (early) French (immersion) should be taught at school, why would you want to attack this?" he said.<br />
"When the communities are saying they are ready to lead a united fight to preserve French as a second language, it's a sign New Brunswick has seen a lot of progress."<br />
Meanwhile, the province's ombudsman has launched an investigation into the decision to scrap early French immersion, after receiving more than 200 complaints from parents, who also held protest rallies in front of the legislature.<br />
Both education and health-care reforms are scheduled to be implemented in September, the government said, refusing to budge on the issues.<br />
The matters even seemed to overlap as some doctors said they were considering moving out of the province to make sure their kids could learn French at an early age.<br />
For Mr. Volpe, such policies are a reminder of the province's experiment with the divisive Confederations of Regions Party in the early 1990s.<br />
The party fed on the disgruntlement among some anglophones about the promotion of bilingualism and proposed that French-language services only be provided in francophone areas.<br />
"It's not a good example to follow. We're a bilingual province," Mr. Volpe said.<br />
"We don't need to stir up this old debate. Don't poke the bear -- if it wakes up we don't know what's going to happen."<br />
Daniel Bourgeois, executive director of the Canadian Institute for Research on Public Policy and Public Administration, says the health debate will in the end matter little to most New Brunswickers.<br />
"The matter of being served in one's own language isn't in question -- since 2002 this is guaranteed," he said.<br />
"The crux of the matter concerns the working language of various institutions. There are concerns but it's more at the elite level, the average Joe won't care."<br />
But he notes that because the francophone minority has constitutional rights to have its own institutions, "Some interpret these reforms as an attack against this constitutional guarantee."<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Coast guard's ability to provide bilingual services questioned</span></h2>
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Phil Couvrette, Canwest News Service</h4>
<span>Published: Thursday, May 29, 2008</span></div>
The aftermath of the tragic towing operation of a sealing ship last March has brought together federalists and separatists anxious to find out if language-based miscommunication played a role in the incident.<br />
They are also questioning the Canadian Coast Guard's ability to deliver services in both official languages.<br />
Today, the coast guard will be appearing before the Commons' standing committee on official languages where the accident is sure to be the focal point. Four of the six Quebec sealers on L' Acadien II perished in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.<br />
The trawler capsized as it was being towed by an icebreaker on March 29, prompting the coast guard to look into how it tows smaller ships.<br />
But miscommunication has emerged as a major problem during the incident, some say.<br />
A complaint was lodged before the Commissioner of Official Languages by a notorious Quebec separatist, Gilles Rheaume, who looked into whether miscommunication during the rescue of the sealers was language-related. <br />
And Liberal Opposition critic on Official Languages Denis Coderre, who summoned coast guard representatives to appear before the committee, says he's come across a number of incidents raising questions about the service's ability to communicate in French.<br />
Coderre said that when he attended the sealers' funeral he heard from family members they had difficulty getting information in French following the incident. <br />
"Many people pointed out that it was horrible enough to experience this hardship, on top of that it wasn't possible to be served in one's language by a federal institution," he said.<br />
Coderre said he heard from fishermen that coast guard operators weren't always bilingual during certain shifts and that messages sometimes had to be liaised through a number of boats before finding someone who could provide a translation.<br />
"When you talk about the coast guard, I'm sorry but you're talking about a federal institution," Coderre said. "In addition, when you're facing an emergency, you don't want to have to make yourself understood with a dictionary."<br />
"Someone was suffering from phlebitis on a ship and it took four hours to get someone to understand. It makes no sense," he added. "We're talking about search and rescue, about emergencies."<br />
A spokesman for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans wouldn't comment on language issues before Thursday's appearance at the committee.<br />
Rheaume meanwhile lodged a complaint on April 20 with the Commissioner of Official Languages regarding the incident in order to get to the bottom of communication problems.<br />
"If there was a linguistic problem, I want to know its nature. I want to know all the circumstances - that's why I lodged a complaint," he said.<br />
Spokesman Robin Cantin said the commission was considering the complaint, adding the commission's annual report will be released Thursday, "so the matter may be raised at the time."<br />
Surprisingly the aftermath of the incident has put the staunch federalist MP and Rheaume on the same wavelength.<br />
"I support Mr. Coderre in his intervention," Rheaume said, noting he had raised the issue of the coast guard's bilingualism in his complaint.<br />
"If separatists like the federalist in me it's a good sign," Coderre mused. "Canada is better off that way."<br />
A francophone group in Nova Scotia says federal departments should suffer the consequences of failing to provide services in both official languages.<br />
The group, Federation acadienne de la Nouvelle-Ecosse, said in a statement soon after the L'Acadien II incident "the federal government must impose more severe penalties on agencies and departments that do not comply with the obligations of the Official Languages Act."<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">N.S., Ont. prisons face lockdowns over smoking ban protests</span></h1>
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Phil Couvrette , Canwest News Service</h4>
<span>Published: Monday, June 02, 2008</span></div>
Two prisons in Canada were under either a total or partial lockdown as inmates protested a federal smoking ban, which was officially in effect countrywide on Monday.<br />
The Correctional Service of Canada banned indoor smoking in its prisons in 2006, but the new rules mean no more smoking outdoors as well for all inmates.<br />
Maximum-level institutions imposed the ban on May 5, followed by mid-level institutions on May 20 while minimum-security institutions followed suit Monday.<br />
While the ban went in peacefully in most institutions across the country, inmates in Nova Scotia's Springhill Institution went on strike last week to fight the ban.<br />
A lockdown remained in effect Monday as inmates in the medium-security prison north of Halifax continued a "peaceful" demonstration, with inmates refusing to go to work or to their smoking cessation programs.<br />
In Ontario, Warkworth Institution, near Peterborough, faced a lockdown-like "semi-modified routine" as inmates held similar protests, the union representing prison guards said.<br />
Guy Campeau of Corrections said that apart from these two institutions and isolated cases of inmates refusing to work, the transition to a total ban has been incident-free.<br />
"The inmates are peacefully demonstrating their opposition to the restriction, we're trying to negotiate with them but the days of tobacco (in prisons) are gone," he said. "The health and security of inmates and employees has never been compromised so (implementation) has been successful."<br />
Other regions of the country reported no incidents related to the ban. Corrections officials praised advance notice and the quit smoking programs for the smooth transition.<br />
Meanwhile human rights lawyer Julius Grey is launching a legal fight against the ban on behalf of Quebec inmates in Federal Court, basing his case on charter and inmate rights.<br />
"The penitentiary's act says that a prisoner doesn't lose any rights except those that are intimately necessary for the purpose of his imprisonment," Grey said. "Just like he doesn't lose his right to good medical treatment. . . and doesn't lose his right to be treated with dignity, he doesn't lose this right."<br />
Grey said a hearing on the case would probably take place in the fall, but added he felt the debate could go higher "at least to the Federal Court of Appeal, maybe to the Supreme Court."<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Quebec police seek break-and-enter webcam poser</span></h2>
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<strong> </strong><span>Published: Thursday, June 05, 2008</span></div>
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LEVIS, Que. -- You've heard about your computer bringing weird things into the home, but likely never something like this.<br />
Police in Levis, across the St. Lawrence River from Quebec City, are looking for a man who breaks into homes -- not to steal anything, but to record himself on computer webcams committing indecent acts.<br />
Police say the suspect, a white male aged 20 to 35, may have done this twice in the past few weeks.<br />
On one occasion he was unable to use the webcam of the unsuspecting computer owner but left "traces of sexual acts" on the premises, police say.<br />
Police are confident they will be able to find their man judging by the evidence he has left behind in the form of DNA and photos of various parts of his body.<br />
The detailed description of the suspects notes a piercing on the right nipple, a tattoo of "an animal, like a sea horse" around the right shoulder blade, a silver watch on his left arm and large chain around his neck.<br />
"The odds are pretty good he can easily be identified," said Alain Gelly of the Levis police.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">No escape from soaring diesel prices</span></h1>
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Phil Couvrette , Canwest News Service</h4>
<span>Published: Sunday, June 08, 2008</span></div>
While they haven't been rioting over rising fuel prices like some of their European counterparts, Canadian farmers, truckers and fishermen have been feeling the pain at the diesel pump.<br />
Farmers and truckers are among the heaviest users of diesel fuel, and prices have gone up by 30 per cent in some parts of Canada since the beginning of the year, while regular unleaded gas has increased 21 per cent.<br />
In addition, diesel prices have been anywhere between 10 and 15 cents per litre higher than regular unleaded prices across the country even though before 2003 it used to be cheaper than regular gas.<br />
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Frustration about fuel costs among fishermen is leading to active protests.<br />
The spokesman for lobster fishermen who used their boats last month to block the entrance to a Cape Breton harbour say diesel prices played a role in the confrontation.<br />
"Of course, that had lots to do with it - guys, their profits are going out the window," said Lawrence MacLellan who said his own fuel costs have risen from $3,500 to $4,500 this year.<br />
"A lot of guys are just fishermen and when they get faced with (high diesel prices) they have no money for their family throughout the year," he said.<br />
It costs more to truck in bait and truck out lobster, for which they're also paid less, MacLellan explained.<br />
"The bait goes up, the fuel goes up, the lobster goes down . . . I think that's what led the guys to block the harbour, because they see it only getting worse."<br />
Things aren't any easier on the farm.<br />
Manitoban Doug Chorney says he joked about asking for a $10 per tonne fuel surcharge after making a recent canola delivery to a grain elevator recently, but says the reality of high diesel prices hurts.<br />
"Everybody had a big chuckle, but every other carrier that's hauling consumer goods in Canada is able to pass on these fuel surcharges," he said.<br />
"We've heard Air Canada putting fuel surcharges on their airline tickets, but farmers are forced to be price-takers - we don't have any market power."<br />
It's a good thing grain prices are high, Chorney says.<br />
"It has been a pretty big hit. Fertilizer prices, which are also linked to energy costs, are also up - so, fuel and fertilizer . . . when they both go up together, it's a double whammy."<br />
"Rising farm input costs on fuel are off the charts," said Bob Friesen, president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, noting fuel and fertilizer represent anywhere from 40 to 50 per cent of costs.<br />
That means despite high food prices, farmers are far from making windfall profits this year and they worry about the possibility of grain prices dropping.<br />
"It is absolutely imperative that we have a decent growing season this summer," Friesen said.<br />
To reduce diesel costs, farmers like Chorney have had to become creative.<br />
"I've gone to a single-pass feeding system where I feed, fertilize and till the field all in one pass, and that's reduced the number of times I have to go across my land," he explained.<br />
But with propane prices also rising, sometimes it seems that "everywhere we turn on a farm energy is linked to our cost of production."<br />
Similarly, many fishermen aren't sailing as far or as fast in an effort to conserve fuel, MacLellan said.<br />
The pinch is also being felt on the road.<br />
"It has definitely a big effect," said Brian Fletcher, a heavy machinery hauler in New Brunswick's construction industry, as he was looking at his fifth fill-up of the day, each costing $400. "In time, if it keeps going, I don't know what we're going to do."<br />
David Bradley, CEO of the Canadian Trucking Alliance said the price of fuel has "put real strain on the industry," causing some businesses to fold as truckers struggle to make ends meet.<br />
"Fuel has become the No. 1 cost (topping labour) so it's had an enormous impact on the cost structures of our business," he said.<br />
"It would run usually somewhere between 15 and 30 per cent, now on the truck load side it is well above 40 per cent of total cost."<br />
Passing surcharges on to customers helps, but it's a challenge in the current "soft market," Bradley said. In addition, carriers trying to improve efficiency need a capital investment hard to get in the current economic environment.<br />
Bradley said getting rid of government excise taxes that amount to four cents a litre may not sound very helpful to truckers, but he added "that could be the difference between make it and break it for some carriers."<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Canadian health agency monitoring U.S. salmonella outbreak</span></h1>
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Phil Couvrette , Canwest News Service</h4>
<span>Published: Monday, June 09, 2008</span></div>
OTTAWA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said restaurant chains in Canada taking tomatoes off their menu were practising "an abundance of caution" after a U.S. health alert was issued following a number of cases of salmonella poisoning south of the border.<br />
Spokesman Marc Richard said the CFIA was monitoring the situation in the U.S. where the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control were looking into recent illnesses caused by Salmonella Saintpaul "that may be associated with certain types of uncooked, fresh tomatoes consumed in the United States."<br />
"There's definitely an outbreak in the United States, we're definitely following the American investigation," said Richard.<br />
Over the last few months the U.S. has seen a spike of about 140 cases of this variety of salmonella, he said, but stressed Canadian tomatoes don't represent a concern. No illnesses were reported in Canada linked to the U.S. outbreak, which has hospitalized some 23 people since mid-April.<br />
Salmonella poisoning symptoms generally appear within 12 to 72 hours and include fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.<br />
"We've done preliminary work with the importers to find out where they've been sourcing their material over the last few months, so that once a source is identified we'll be in a position to respond more rapidly," Richard said.<br />
Once U.S. authorities determine the source of the outbreak, health officials here will be able to tell if any of the tainted products made their way to Canada. If this is the case, an appropriate public warning will be issued, Richard said.<br />
"There are a bunch of food stores and retailers that are making their own decisions (removing tomatoes) but that is out of an abundance of caution," he added. "As far as evidence of an outbreak in Canada, there is none."<br />
Over the weekend McDonald's Canada said it had temporarily pulled tomatoes from its menus "as a precautionary measure due to the situation in the U.S."<br />
McDonald's said it had not experienced any "related issues" and the CFIA noted that in Canada reported cases of salmonella overall were below average levels.<br />
"That is a pretty good indication we don't at all have the same problem here," Richard said.<br />
In the nation's capital other fast-food chains such as Burger King, Quiznos and Subway followed suit Monday, posting notices that said tomatoes were off the menu, but it wasn't immediately known whether the same was taking place across the country.<br />
Some media reports said Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut restaurants in Canada were also removing tomatoes from their menus.<br />
Tim Hortons had also reportedly stopped serving tomatoes at Canadian and U.S. stores.<br />
The FDA advised U.S. consumers to eat the following types of tomatoes, including cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, tomatoes sold with the vine still attached and tomatoes grown at home.<br />
The FDA also recommended consuming raw red plum, raw red Roma, or raw red round tomatoes but only if grown in safe areas "not associated with the outbreak." The safe areas include Canada and other countries and in the U.S. the following states: Arkansas, California, Georgia, Hawaii, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Customs protests could mean long waits this summer</span></h1>
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Phil Couvrette , Canwest News Service</h4>
<span>Published: Tuesday, June 10, 2008</span></div>
Drivers could face long and galling lineups at border crossings this summer as customs officers involved in a contract dispute guarantee their pressure tactics, currently targeting truckers and commercial vehicles, will "get worse," a union official said.<br />
There are fears that the backlog will increase wait times for vacationers and that the havoc might even extend to airport border crossings.<br />
Customs excise union vice-president Jean-Pierre Fortin says the last offer from the Canada Border Services Agency is a "slap in the face" and "ridiculous." Fortin says border officers have been applying pressure tactics on commercial traffic at various locations across the country. Border guards have been taking more time to process trucks as they try to clear customs.<br />
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"The employer is trying to provoke our people," Fortin said. "Our people were so shocked by the offer that they've already started using pressure tactics, we're trying to calm things down.<br />
"Truckers have been targeted and (protesting officers) guaranteed it would get worse."<br />
Pressure tactics have been used on commercial traffic in various large border crossings across the country including Fort Erie, Ont., Niagara Falls, Sarnia, Ont. and in New Brunswick. So far the West has been largely spared, but Fortin said it was likely the movement would extend to major border crossings such as those south of Vancouver.<br />
"I'm sure that's going to escalate, as the frustrations grow," said Dan Leibel, who represents the union in southern British Columbia. "I'm feeling frustrated myself."<br />
Leibel said he suspects several guards have probably already started their own personal protests, "some directed at commercial traffic, some at other travellers, daily shoppers.<br />
"My estimation is that it's going to get very ugly," he said. "I think you're going to see small pockets of rebellion from our members, not instructed by the union but taking it upon themselves. Several people will maybe muster together the troops and say 'let's do something about this'." He suspects this would most likely happen in places where they would have the most impact and "would get noticed."<br />
While the union isn't currently in a legal strike situation, this would likely follow in the fall, Fortin said. The protest movement could extend to ports and airports as well.<br />
The pressure tactics could mean extra wait times in the heart of the summer vacation season for Canadians coming home and tourists coming in from the U.S. But the union says it's not seeking to inconvenience Canadians.<br />
"We tell our people we don't want to inconvenience the Canadian public, they've often backed us on security matters," Fortin said. "Could there be an impact (to ordinary drivers) at some locations? That's possible, but it's not something we want. Honestly we don't want people spending hours in their cars."<br />
A tourism industry already suffering from a slump is dreading any problems at the border.<br />
"If you add on top of the strong dollar a hassle at the border and long delays at the border, that'll be the straw that decides we're not going to come," said Bill Allen, president of the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario. "Perception or reality that border crossings are slow and going to take time," are often as reasons tourists wouldn't come to Canada, Allen noted.<br />
For the first quarter, visits to Canada from the U.S. fell by over three per cent, compared to the year prior.<br />
As of June 21 customs officers will have been without a contract for a year, Fortin said.<br />
Salaries, seniority, job security and arming border guards are among the issues at the heart of the dispute, he added.<br />
"We want to have parity with police and correctional officers," he said, noting that the starting salary is $50,000.<br />
The union is seeking a 29.3 per cent salary increase over three years but the last offer from the CBSA was for less than two percent per year over four years.<br />
Negotiations have broken off and no future talks have been scheduled, Fortin said.<br />
A spokeswoman from the Canada Border Service Agency wouldn't comment on the pressure tactics.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Que. dad appeals ruling that allows girl, 12, to take school trip</span></h1>
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<span>Published: Tuesday, June 17, 2008</span></div>
GATINEAU, Que. - The father of a 12-year-old girl who won a court decision overruling his punishment is appealing the decision, his lawyer said Tuesday.<br />
The girl took her father to Quebec Superior Court after he said she couldn't go on a school trip for disobeying his orders to stay off the Internet.<br />
The man's lawyer, Kim Beaudoin, said the issue is about restoring paternal authority and should have been dismissed by Justice Suzanne Tessier, who told the girl Friday she could make the trip.<br />
"If a parent goes too far there's youth court," Beaudoin said. "I don't think this tribunal was the proper forum for a decision like this one."<br />
In any event, the child had broken a number of house rules, she noted. After the father cut her access to the Internet for chatting on websites he tried to block off, she used a friend's Internet to post pictures of herself in clothing "inappropriate for a child her age," Beaudoin said.<br />
"It's for her protection," she said of the father's disciplinary measures, mentioning the arrest of a Belgian man in Montreal found in a hotel with a 13-year-old girl last weekend.<br />
"If we don't learn at the age of 12 there are rules to follow, when do we?" Beaudoin said.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Living large and proud of it - Que. group says big is sexy</span></h2>
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Phil Couvrette, Canwest News Service</h4>
<span>Published: Saturday, June 21, 2008</span></div>
You don't have to tell Daniel Lafond and Francois Provost big is beautiful - they would add it can be sexy and glamorous as well.<br />
The six-foot, 220-pound childhood friends have launched a unique association that not only promotes self-esteem but proclaims large, overweight men should live their life fully and have a blast.<br />
That's certainly the image depicted in their promotional video. The one-minute clip depicts the two impeccably-tailored large and proud Quebecers in the pleasant company of a number of female companions. "Our association will completely change your life," boasts Provost in the clip. "You know how to dress, you like who you are and you find yourself attractive, these are the foundations of a MEGARS man."<br />
The two, who say they have never felt uneasy about their size as the weight accumulated over the years, say they grew up seeing people with hangups about being overweight. That prompted them to launch an association - MEGARS, a French acronym for "elegant male who enjoys social recognition" - using humour to boost self-esteem.<br />
Don't hide that girth, be in your face about it, they say; the message is that the sky's the limit, even for the big and tall.<br />
"We say that people who are overweight but spirited and proud have as good a chance as any to make it and appear attractive," Provost explains in an interview. "We're lucky enough to take up more physical space than others; it's a privilege, you must look at it positively."<br />
There are, after all, advantages to being big, he stresses.<br />
"When a big person enters a business meeting that person is immediately respected," Provost explains. "And women feel secure with large burly men."<br />
He adds that just as "metrosexual" became a catch phrase, so too should "megasexual" become fashionable: "opulence, comfort, the fondness of food, it's got its advantages," he said.<br />
Even very large people can be healthy if they eat well and exercise, says Dr. Arya Sharma, chairman of obesity research at the University of Alberta, but health considerations must go hand in hand with boosting self-esteem.<br />
"There's no question that many people who are obese have self-esteem issues. A lot of the bias and discrimination that obese people face in their daily lives makes living in a large body quite difficult," he said. "This does not mean that when you are large and have significant medical problems related to your size you don't worry about your size and just take tablets to treat no matter what complication you have."<br />
But Provost cautions his club is not out to promote obesity.<br />
"Surely, if someone has excess weight to the point it's unhealthy, something has to be done about it."<br />
At the same time, MEGARS, which has grown to 750 members in the month since it launched, wants to change the image of groups usually representing the obese.<br />
"We think we're quite unique, there are other obesity groups but when you get to their website you see a wheelchair or crutches . . . it underlines a handicap," he said. "We say 'come and join the gang - we'll give you tips (to lose weight) and we'll have fun!'"<br />
Fun is certainly the operative word in this club exclusive to people more than 90 kilograms that encourages members to "adopt a skinny guy."<br />
The response to the website has exceeded expectations, Provost says.<br />
"Lots of men have written saying, 'finally, an association I can feel comfortable with,' " he said.<br />
With membership taking off, MEGARS is looking to plan outings, in addition to becoming a reference point for overweight people looking for a fun time out.<br />
The group's website will list addresses for big and tall men for anything from specialized clothing stores to restaurants where seats are large and sturdy.<br />
The potential for growth is certainly there.<br />
According to Statistics Canada's latest figures, about eight million adults are overweight in Canada and another four million are obese.<br />
Newfoundland and Labrador had the highest obesity rate by province, at 22 per cent, while B.C. had the lowest with 11 per cent.<br />
"We've seen quite a remarkable increase in obesity over the last two decades in Canada," Sharma noted. "The latest data shows the numbers appear to have stabilized at a very high level."<br />
French-only website: <a href="http://unetouchedeplus.com/" style="color: #706b60; text-decoration: underline;" target="new">http://unetouchedeplus.com</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Quebec police wage war on urban myths</span></h1>
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Phil Couvrette , Canwest News Service</h4>
<span>Published: Wednesday, June 25, 2008</span></div>
You really shouldn't be going to movie theatres because some seats have needles sticking out from them and are contaminated with HIV. OK, that isn't true. It's one of many urban myths that is driving at least one Quebec police force to distraction.<br />
The Quebec provincial police have set up a section on their site to debunk the myths and they hope people will check it out first before they call in and use up the valuable time of it's officers.<br />
<br />After fielding a number of calls and e-mails from people concerned with what have turned out to be urban legends, the force is out to set the record straight by becoming the latest myth-busters on the web.<br />
"We're responding to a need, that's why we created this section of our website - to inform the public," said Sgt. Joyce Kemp, spokeswoman for the provincial police force.<br />
"Have common sense, if the story sounds unlikely it probably is," stresses the section of the force's website entitled "urban legends."<br />
Kemp says it hopes the site will become something people will turn into in order to separate fact from fiction.<br />
The site lists 13 urban myths including reports of a computer virus that will paralyze computers and permanently damage a hard drive.<br />
Another myth is that flashing your car lights to warn someone driving with their headlights off at night is a gang initiation rite that will land you in trouble. Then there is the story that if you enter you personal identification number backward at an instant teller then you are telling police that you are being robbed.<br />
The story of a supposedly missing Ashley Flores,13, is listed on the force's site. It is called one of the "hottest urban legends" according to Snopes.com, another website that specializes in debunking myths.<br />
"Most missing child alerts circulating via e-mail fall into one of two categories: genuine reports of missing children that continue to be forwarded long after the child has been found, or hoaxes imploring readers to look for children who aren't missing or don't exist," according to Snopes.com. Hers "bears all the hallmarks of the latter category."<br />
"In general terms, I think what the QPP (Quebec provincial police) are doing is very good," said Philip Hiscock, an associate professor at Memorial University's Department of Folklore in St. John's.<br />
"I doubt it will have a lot of effect directly as contemporary legends really spread because people want to be seen as in the know," he added. "Such legends have a high 'cultural capital' value while debunking sites for the most part are a pooper at the legendry party." <br />
Hiscock points out that after well over a decade of debunking myths, websites like Snopes.com have had "little overall effect on the larger tradition of telling such stories."<br />
Hiscock said the Quebec force's site probably be a little more effective if it were linked to specialized sites like Snopes.<br />
The force became particularly concerned by spreading urban legends when some people were allegedly quoting Quebec provincial police officers in their stories.<br />
"In some cases, in order to make a false story sound important or give it some credibility, the name of an officer or (our) logo was included," Kemp said. "That's not our organization's way of communicating."<br />
Some people may be unwittingly spreading the rumours by sending them to their friends, Kemp added.<br />
"It's important not to send (an urban myth) to all our contacts because you can end up propagating it involuntarily," she said. "If you send it to 10 of your friends and each one sends it to 10 of theirs, this can spread rapidly."<br />
Kemp says people deliberately spreading false information can be charged with public mischief in the more serious cases. And that's no myth.<br />
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Bernier breaks silence</h2>
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Canwest News Service</h4>
<span>Published: Thursday, June 26, 2008</span></div>
ST-GEORGES-DE-BEAUCE, Que - Former Foreign Affairs minister Maxime Bernier wasn't aware of ex-girlfriend Julie Couillard's checkered past until he heard rumours about it after they had stopped dating, he said Wednesday.<br />
"Did Ms. Couillard inform me of her past links to people implicated with organized crime? The answer is no. She did not inform me and never has anyone else at any level," he said. "I knew of her past what she would tell me and was only told of rumours concerning her past on April 20, a few weeks before the information became public and at the time we were no longer dating."<br />
Speaking to supporters in his home riding, Bernier was breaking his silence about his side of a relationship with Julie Couillard, which ended up costing him his job after he left secret documents at her house.<br />
Bernier was greeted in the room with a round of applause by supporters and shook many hands as he made way to the podium.<br />
Bernier resigned May 26, just hours before a television station aired an interview with Couillard, whose previous boyfriends have included members of the Mafia and an outlaw motorcycle gang.<br />
In the interview she revealed that Bernier had left classified briefing documents about a NATO meeting at her home for several weeks.<br />
"The briefing notes were not sensitive enough to be bar-coded, which explained why their disappearance did not set off alarms," he said.<br />
"For my part I did not notice they were missing. I do not recall misplacing them."<br />
Bernier said he had gone through "very difficult moments" since the controversy broke out, discovering the fine line between personal and public life the hard way.<br />
To which someone in the crowd shouted, "We're with you!"<br />
Bernier said that after a period of reflection he was as convinced as ever that he belonged in office representing his constituents.<br />
He repeated that he assumed full responsibility for misplacing the documents, stressing he learned they were missing on the evening of May 25, a day before he resigned.<br />
Couillard rejected an invitation to appear before a parliamentary committee looking into the breach that raised national security issues, saying she feared she could face charges.<br />
However she intends to tell her life's story in an autobiography to be published this fall.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Airlines look to allow limited cellphone use on planes</span></h1>
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Jack Branswell and Phil Couvrette , Canwest News Service</h4>
<span>Published: Sunday, June 29, 2008</span></div>
OTTAWA -- Canadians may soon be able to officially do something that they are already doing furtively - use cellphones while they are on the tarmac on an airplane.<br />
In documents obtained by Canwest News Service, Transport Canada has allowed an exemption to the ban on wireless phones - but only while a plane is taxiing to a gate after landing.<br />
In an advisory circular that Transport Canada sent out to airlines, it tells them that an exemption to the ban on portable electronic devices has been created, although it sets some pretty strict testing conditions before any Canadian airline could allow the use of phones or BlackBerries.<br />
The circular says that Transport Canada was asked "to allow passengers to use PEDS (portable electronic devices) such as cellphones and BlackBerries during the taxi to the gate following a flight. As a result of the request, Cabin Safety Standards (a branch of Transport) conducted a risk assessment."<br />
At least two of Canada's three major airlines, WestJet and the upstart Porter, are interested in introducing this for their passengers while Air Canada is taking a wait-and-see approach.<br />
"We are indeed interested in being able to offer our guests the opportunity to use their cellphones or BlackBerries during the taxi-in portion of the flight," said Robert Palmer, a WestJet spokesman. He said the airline has conducted a number of tests but it can't say at this point when or if it will be able to do it. "But from an interest point of view, yes, we'd like to do it."<br />
Porter spokesman Brad Cicero says his airline is "definitely interested in doing that. We're in the initial stages of exploring that with them (Transport Canada), but we don't have a definitive timeline on when that will be possible to do."<br />
Peter Fitzpatrick of Air Canada said the airline hasn't done any of the testing required by Transport Canada. "We're going to watch what the industry developments are," he said. "The testing is certainly rigorous so it's something that we haven't turned our minds to yet."<br />
Cellphones and other electronic equipment have been banned from use over fears that it would interfere with the plane's electronic and navigational systems and that it would interrupt communications between the cockpit and control tower. The exemption, if it is used, would only apply to taxi-in because Transport Canada figures that while taxiing out there is too much communication between the plane and tower.<br />
"We'll see what the outcomes will be, but right now it is very limited in scope - it's only during the taxiing in phase," said Patrick Charette, a Transport Canada spokesman.<br />
Charette acknowledged that some passengers are already doing this with BlackBerries, when they land, even though it's against regulations. "Based on some of the surveys we conducted, there is no great appetite even among passengers," for using cellphones while on the tarmac.<br />
But he added that "if you look at what is going on in Europe there is definitely some movement in that direction. European carriers are moving towards allowing limited use of cellphones."<br />
A 2003 U.K. Civil Aviation Authority study found that a wireless device can interfere with an aircraft's navigational equipment, but subsequent studies haven't come to the same conclusion. So the jury is still out on the issue.<br />
Part of the problem for Canadian airlines interested in using Transport Canada's exemption is that the department calls for extensive testing before it will approve the use.<br />
For example, one of the conditions is that the airline, which is responsible for testing the devices on its aircraft, has to have cellphones on at least 90 per cent of the seats on the planes and transmitting at maximum power to determine if multiple phones in use would create an interference problem.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">National donair strategy sought to make popular meal safer</span></h1>
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Phil Couvrette , Canwest News Service</h4>
<span>Published: Wednesday, July 02, 2008</span></div>
The nation's donair safety committee is hoping its call to businesses to make sure the spicy meat is well-cooked will go down as smoothly as the popular meal.<br />
A federal-provincial group on food safety started looking into the spiced meat, which is moulded into a cone, cooked in a vertical broiler and then sliced and often served in a pita, after it caused major E. coli outbreaks in Alberta.<br />
"One of the issues that had come to light was the fact there had been significant food-borne illnesses associated with donairs," said Mike Horwich, director of Food Protection for Nova Scotia Agriculture.<br />
After two years of looking into international research and science on the food, which is a big hit in the Maritimes, Ontario and Alberta in particular, recommendations have been made "that represent a best practice for this particular product," Horwich said.<br />
One of them is that the meat that makes the donair loaf "be inspected and come from approved sources," he said.<br />
Another is that the size of the meat cone be appropriate for the broiler and that the meat go through a "secondary cooking step" after it is sliced off the cone.<br />
"(It should be) cooked in a fashion that would kill bacteria, just to ensure food safety is maintained," such as frying or grilling it, Horwich said.<br />
Recommendations for storage also called for a secondary cooking step on whatever leftover meat there is at the end of the day, before it is frozen and stored for future use such as sandwiches or donair pizza, Horwich said.<br />
It's up to every jurisdiction to choose whether to follow the recommendations, he said, adding that Nova Scotia, home to Canada's so-called "donair capital - Halifax," will do so.<br />
"I don't think it will have a significant impact on the industry because a lot of the industry was already doing these recommendations anyway," he noted.<br />
The province where E. coli outbreaks were the impetus for looking into a national donair strategy says it's fully supportive and has already implemented some of the recommendations.<br />
"The new recommendations are a great step in helping to avoid those kinds of situations in the future," said John Tuckwell, spokesman for Alberta Health. "We have moved forward probably over a year ago with the key recommendation, which is a secondary cook step."<br />
Undercooked donair meat in 2004 led to 43 confirmed cases of E. coli in Calgary. Eight people were hospitalized and two cases of kidney failure occurred. It was believed to be the first documented outbreak of E. coli from beef donairs.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Language watchdog to audit Canadian military training</span></h1>
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Phil Couvrette , Canwest News Service</h4>
<span>Published: Thursday, July 03, 2008</span></div>
OTTAWA - Canada's official languages watchdog is about to launch an audit on the Canadian Forces' training procedures after fielding complaints by francophones who failed to get training in their own language.<br />
The complaints date back to last year's scathing report by the military ombudsman at the time, Yves Cote, who described as "deeply deplorable" the treatment of francophone military cadets at Ontario's CFB Borden.<br />
Some 1,500 francophone cadets go through what is one of Canada's main training bases every year, but many reported they have serious difficulties in getting training and services, such as health-care treatment, in their own language.<br />
The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages says it also has received its own complaints<br />
"Each year, we receive a certain number of complaints about the Canadian Forces - people saying the training they need to move forward in their career is not available in their language of choice," said spokesman Robin Cantin. "But instead of treating this one complaint at a time, we want to make an inventory of what's available within the Canadian Forces to see if there's a structural problem and we have the full co-operation of the forces on this."<br />
On Friday, a call for tender ends in the selection of the person expected to lead the audit. The office is eyeing a man with extensive experience in both the official languages environment and auditing at the federal level for the $92,600 year-long contract.<br />
"This audit of the language of individual instruction and education is part of the continuing review of the use of both official languages in the workplace in the CF," the tender reads. "Language of instruction has also been the subject of many analyses by the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages over the years. These analyses show that the language of instruction in the CF is a systemic problem, which may have an impact on military members' employment and advancement opportunities."<br />
Cote said last November he had heard rumours that similar problems exist at francophone-dominated bases - such as CFB Valcartier and CFB Bagotville - for unilingual anglophone cadets, but he has not investigated them.<br />
"We work with (the forces) to identify weak links in the training process, if there are any," Cantin said. "We're not targeting one base more than another, we want to look at the process overall."<br />
In its annual report, the language watchdog designated the Canadian Forces with the lowest rating possible for bilingualism.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">2 arrested after shots fired near U.S.-Quebec border</span></h1>
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Canwest News Service</h4>
<span>Published: Monday, July 07, 2008</span></div>
DERBY LINE, Vt. - Two people were in custody Monday and another was suspected of having fled to Canada after an incident in a Vermont town hugging the U.S.-Canada border.<br />
A U.S. Border Patrol agent was questioning three people in Derby Line suspected of having crossed the border illegally, about 150 kilometres southeast of Montreal, at 2:15 a.m. when he was assaulted "to a point he feared for his life" and shot at the suspects twice, said Mark Henry of the U.S. Border Patrol.<br />
"We have three people who were in the border area that we believe entered from Canada illegally," Henry said.<br />
One person was arrested and was being held in custody in Vermont and another in Canada, he said, not giving details about the suspects or what kind of charges they could face.<br />
A third is thought to have fled to Canada. It wasn't known whether this person was either armed or injured from the shots. The two in custody were not hit by the shots.<br />
The RCMP confirmed they arrested one individual who had fled to Canada but another remained at large. They said the suspects were not Canadian.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Part of TSB report into Air France crash watered down, documents show</span></h1>
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Jack Branswell and Phil Couvrette , Canwest News Service</h4>
<span>Published: Sunday, July 13, 2008</span></div>
OTTAWA -- The Transportation Safety Board's final report on the Air France crash in Toronto three years ago watered down how the lack of having an extended runway impacted both passenger injuries and damage to the plane, according to documents obtained by Canwest News Service.<br />
Transport Canada is still grappling with whether to require 300-metre Runway End Safe Areas (RESA) as a safety measure - it was a key recommendation of the TSB's report into the crash. The lack of these buffers continues to be an issue at some airports in the country, including some of the biggest like Toronto and Vancouver.<br />
How much of a safety issue is it? Since the Air France crash in August 2005, at least 10 other large aircraft have gone off runways in bad weather around the world.<br />
On the Air France crash, an early version of the TSB's report, shown in a document called "Representations from Transport Canada" noted that if Runway 24L at Pearson International Airport had a safety area at the end of it "the damage to the aircraft and injuries to the passengers would certainly have been reduced."<br />
When the report was published last December that section was changed to read: "the damage to the aircraft and injuries to the passengers may have been reduced."<br />
The document called the earlier version "subjective opinion that makes a few assumptions."<br />
It said an RESA can reduce injuries and plane damage but it also said "the same improvements could result in a longer stopping distance due to reduction in energy transference during deceleration."<br />
But the representation also noted that the earlier statement was accurate, that the plane travelled about 300 metres before stopping, but not before it went through ditches, fences and into a steep ravine and that the injuries and the plane damage "was incurred due to these."<br />
However, at the end of that section of the representation, the document notes that the report was amended but doesn't state why.<br />
Six months after the TSB report was released, Air France announced it was suing the Greater Toronto Airport Authority and NavCanada, which oversees Canadian airports, for "failing to provide a safe environment for the conduct of civil air operations," it said in its statement of claim filed in Ontario Superior Court. There is also a passengers' class-action lawsuit against the airport, Air France, the control tower staff, Airbus and Goodrich, which made the plane's escape chutes.<br />
All 309 passengers and crew survived the accident but 33 people were taken to the hospital, including 12 who were treated for serious injuries.<br />
Requiring RESAs - 300-metre buffer zones on Code 4 runways, which are used for larger planes - was one of several TSB recommendations out of the Air France crash.<br />
In a memorandum dated a little more than a month after the TSB delivered its recommendations on the crash landing, the Standards Branch of Transport Canada noted that "current airport certification standards are under review with the participation of industry experts."<br />
That position hasn't changed from January of this year, when the memo was written.<br />
"We are still reviewing regulations for runway length and still consulting with industry to ensure the safety of Canadians and passengers from abroad," said Jean Riverin, a spokesman for Transport Canada.<br />
"At the time it would be inappropriate (to talk about) the details of the proposed amendments because we're still in the phase of consultation."<br />
The court cases have appeared to turn the safety issue into a hot political potato.<br />
Trish Krale, a spokeswoman for the Toronto airport authority, said "unfortunately I can't say too much about it (RESAs) because of ongoing litigation. All I can say is that if Transport Canada makes a change to the regulations that we will comply and that at the moment we comply with all current regulations."<br />
Vancouver also doesn't have RESAs because they aren't required, said Brett Patterson, a spokesman for the Vancouver Airport Authority.<br />
Montreal recently refurbished its airport and runways and it brought them up to the most recent standards of International Civil Aviation Organization, including adding RESAs.<br />
The RESAs don't necessarily have to be paved or cemented runways. For example, Edmonton has fields that would simply stop a plane. Some U.S. airports use the Engineering Materials Arresting System, which is material that crushes under the plane's weight and slows its momentum.<br />
Meanwhile, Riverin said that Transport Canada is reviewing studies from ICAO and American FAA on runway design standards and RESAs "and this review has resulted in a recommendation to amend the Canadian regulations and standards," but the department will consult with the aviation industry before finalizing changes.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Trunk release may have played key role in Que. boy's rescue</span></h1>
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Phil Couvrette , Canwest News Service</h4>
<span>Published: Thursday, July 17, 2008</span></div>
A trunk release mechanism mandatory in the U.S. - but not yet in Canada - may have played a key role in the rescue of an eight-year-old boy who was abducted Wednesday.<br />
The boy was eventually found by police, bound and gagged in an oil drum less than an hour after witnesses first reported his abduction. A number of witnesses saw a man drag the boy into a vehicle and drive it around the Quebec City area before bringing him to the apartment building where the boy was rescued. Among the key witnesses was a man who saw the boy in the trunk of the car of his abductor when it was stopped at a red light and the trunk popped open. The witness, Ryan Murphy, later led police to the building where the child was being held.<br />
The boy's mother told Quebec City's Le Soleil newspaper that her son had pulled the trunk release inside the 2004 Cavalier to open the trunk.<br />
Quebec provincial police said they have yet to determine if that's just what the boy did, but confirm the vehicle was equipped with a release mechanism inside the trunk.<br />
"We don't know if the trunk had problems shutting or (whether it opened) because he had activated this device," said Richard Gagne of the Surete du Quebec. <br />
While Gagne said the device, which is T-shaped and glows in the dark, is increasingly common in vehicles, it is not yet mandatory in Canada, according to the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association.<br />
This hasn't kept vehicle manufacturers from staying one step ahead of the curve.<br />
"Many vehicle manufacturers already have it in place but . . . if you manufacture a vehicle before Sept. 1, 2010, it need not be equipped with an indoor trunk release," noted association president Mark Nantais.<br />
The U.S. has made the device mandatory, and a group which monitors kids' safety around vehicles says the device has had a dramatic impact in reducing trunk-related incidents.<br />
"Every vehicle that's 2002 or newer is required to have the glow-in-the-dark trunk release, and as far as we know there hasn't been a death in any trunk of a vehicle that's 2002 and newer," said Amber Rollins of Kids And Cars. The group previously reported an average of 10 to 20 deaths a year related to people trapped in car trunks in the U.S.<br />
In an interview on French news channel LCN, an older brother of the boy said the moment the eight-year-old opened the trunk was key to his rescue.<br />
"His guardian angel is there looking over him. He was able to open the trunk, to be seen - that's happened for a reason," the brother said.<br />
The suspect in the case, Pierre Defoy, appeared in court in Quebec City Wednesday afternoon, where he was arraigned on three charges - abduction, abduction of a child under 14 and confinement. Police said more charges are possible for Defoy, who remains in police custody.<br />
His bail hearing is scheduled for Friday. Gagne said Defoy had not previously been known to police and did not know the boy socially.<br />
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Police feel pinch at the pump</h2>
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Phil Couvrette, Canwest News Service</h4>
<span>Published: Sunday, July 20</span></div>
Handcuffed to soaring fuel prices, some of Canada's police forces are parking vehicles and putting more officers on foot patrol.<br />
While there is no consensus on how to deal with the surge in gas prices among police services that fill their vehicles once a day or more, departments are all feeling a pinch that's placing their budgets under arrest.<br />
"It's prompted a review on all our operations dealing with our fleet and expenditures," said Deputy Chief Myles Burke of the Cape Breton Regional Police. "Last year, we were over budget because of gasoline costs, (by) just over $50-60,000 so we put in for an extra $50,000 this year. But early on, it was obvious we weren't going to be on target."<br />
So the force of some 200 members and a fleet of about 70 vehicles has traded in several of its big 4x4s for mid-size cars.<br />
It's also encouraged police officers to step out of their vehicles during the day and walk the beat, a measure that has proven as popular with the public as it may be with city accountants and environmental activists. "It's been incredible. The public loves it, the business community loves it," said Burke.<br />
Quebec's provincial police force is pursuing pilot projects incorporating more hybrid and four-cylinder vehicles into its fleet. "Many vehicles have eight cylinders, so this will reduce gas consumption for vehicles other than patrol vehicles -- in their case there's not much we can do," said Sgt. Michel Brunet of the Surete du Quebec.<br />
The SQ is also increasingly video-conferencing meetings to cut travel costs.<br />
"Instead of requiring investigators or people who have to testify to travel, it saves trips," Brunet said.<br />
Brunet said the force had already made gas-related adjustments following the 1980 oil crisis, encouraging officers to pump with regular gas and use self-serve stations when possible.<br />
The SQ tries to enforce a non-idling policy, but idling is sometimes hard to avoid, notes Sgt. Pierre Chamberlain of the Ontario Provincial Police.<br />
Idling is sometimes necessary to make sure batteries powering onboard equipment are sufficiently charged, he said.<br />
"We've calculated that for every penny increase in the price of fuel it costs us approximately an extra $230,000 a year," Chamberlain said, noting the OPP has 5,600 officers, covers 315 municipalities with some 1,800 vehicles, 130 marine vessels, ATVs, boats, choppers and planes.<br />
An efficiency review in 2007 called for realignment of the fleet, Chamberlain said, but he added the OPP is "not going to allow (fuel prices) to impact our service delivery.<br />
"We're not going to be reducing patrols within the communities or around the highways because ultimately we're in the business of public safety."<br />
Ottawa Police will be saving $100,000 this year after choosing a single fuel supplier, said Deputy Chief Gilles Larochelle, but the budget will still be hit by a deficit of between $500,000 and $1.1 million.<br />
"We had to do a budget freeze," Larochelle said, putting projects on hold involving everything from vehicle replacement to uniforms.<br />
The police force is moving to LED lightbars that can operate for long periods without the need for idling, he said.It also brought its bicycles out for the summer and restarted neighbourhood foot patrols, which are "efficient ways of moving around," Larochelle stressed.<br />
Increasingly, Ottawa police are interested in exploring scientific developments -- such as technology that makes idling less fuel-consuming, said Larochelle, who oversees the department's patrol division.<br />
"It's something we wouldn't have been looking at a few years ago," he said.<br />
In the west, the Vancouver Police Department has also been making changes to its fleet of vehicles to improve fuel efficiency, in part by replacing six-cylinder vehicles with four-cylinder Ford Fusions, according to Const. Jana McGuinness.<br />
While most police departments are adamant nothing they're doing will change how they respond to calls, some have considered trimming patrols.<br />
Police forces are not alone in facing the crunch as emergency services across Canada, from ambulances to fire departments, are caught in the same dilemma. As a result, municipal governments have had to adjust their budgets.<br />
Vancouver estimates it will run a $1.4-million shortfall in its budgets for fuel and electricity -- its police department accounting for the biggest portion of that at $440,000.<br />
"We're all facing the same dilemma or challenge," notes Burke. "There's only so much in terms of budget, there's an expectation that we try our best to live within our means."<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Que. woman gets $280,000 for unnecessary radiation treatment</span></h2>
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Canwest News Service</h4>
<span>Published: Tuesday, July 22</span></div>
MONTREAL - A Quebec woman who received unnecessary brain radiation treatment to combat a cancer she didn't have and was told she had months to live should receive $280,000 from the three doctors who handled her, a Superior Court judge has ruled.<br />
Ginette Cloutier-Cabana was seeking $2.5 million from doctors Suzanne Rousseau, Pierre Chabot and Yves Leclerc, but her attorney Annette Lefebvre said Tuesday that the lawsuit wasn't about the money, which will not cover expertise costs alone in the case.<br />
"The defendants spent in the range of approximately $450,000 on expertise," said Lefebvre. "Madame Cabana receives much less than that," she added, noting the couple have had to mortgage their home in the process.<br />
"For them it wasn't about the money but having people know that what happened to her was wrong and shouldn't happen to anyone else," Lefebvre said. "No amount of money can ever give her back her health."<br />
Cloutier-Cabana suffered from aneurysms but was misdiagnosed as having cancer when she checked into a Montreal hospital in 1995 for a chronic headache.<br />
Judge Marie-France Courville ruled neurologist Rousseau made "a hasty diagnosis" while radio-oncologist Chabot "blindly accepted the diagnosis" and surgeon Leclerc "didn't provide a necessary followup."<br />
The judge awarded the sum for her suffering and inconvenience as well as for psychological damage and loss revenue, Lefebvre said.<br />
The doctors have a month to consider an appeal.<br />
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Canada to seek bilateral trade talks</h1>
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<span>Published: Tuesday, July 29, 2008</span></div>
GENEVA - Canada will push ahead with bilateral trade talks after negotiations aimed at striking a global agreement to bring new wealth to rich and poor countries alike collapsed Tuesday amid acrimony between the U.S. and India over agriculture.<br />
"Unfortunately it is indeed a failure," Trade Minister Michael Fortier said. "Canada came here wishing for a happy outcome, a new accord that would allow our exporters to gain ground everywhere on the planet. And we find ourselves 10 days later with a failure. So, that in itself, it's very disappointing."<br />
Fortier said Canada, like other countries, will now seek trade agreements with individual nations and hopes to begin talks with the European Union later this year.<br />
Brazil Trade Minister Celso Amorim concurred, saying countries may pay lip service to the WTO but will focus their energies on bilateral trade deals.<br />
"Today is certainly a serious setback" in the seven-year attempt of the Doha round of negotiations to slash tariffs, quotas and subsidies, World Trade Organization director-general Pascal Lamy told reporters.<br />
European Union Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson used harsher language, calling the failure a "tragedy" that has cost the world a win-win trade agreement that would have benefited both the developed and developing world. "We all lose" without an agreement, he said.<br />
Lamy and some of the 35 trade ministers said advances here during talks this month could build the basis for a possible future breakthrough in the current Doha round of trade negotiations. But ministers couldn't hide their gloom.<br />
U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab complained that the agreement agreed to by all major parties on Friday couldn't "carry the day" Tuesday.<br />
Negotiations stumbled on proposals for so-called special safeguard mechanism (SSM) measures to protect poor farmers that would impose a special tariff on certain agricultural goods in the event of an import surge or price fall.<br />
"They (the United States) have refused to move on SSM. It is an issue of vital importance to us," an India diplomat told Agence France-Presse.<br />
"The United States and India did not accept the compromise proposals, and arrived at an impasse," another source close to the talks told AFP.<br />
Fortier dismissed criticism from some farm groups that Canada's negotiating position at the talks was a disadvantage because of a mixed message from Ottawa.<br />
The Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance, representing export-oriented sectors primarily in Western Canada, said Ottawa shouldn't have been so aggressively defending protectionist policies that help dairy, poultry and egg farmers based primarily though not exclusively in Ontario and Quebec. Those tariffs are well in excess of 200 per cent.<br />
CAFTA president Darcy Davis said that position hurt Canada's ability to argue credibly in favour of bringing down barriers in key target areas for Canadian exporters.<br />
But Fortier said Canada's consistent attempt to protect so-called "supply management" programs didn't hurt Canada's credibility because most countries were pushing for special side deals to protect their own vulnerable sectors.<br />
"We argued for a successful outcome for Canada, for our exporters, and never during the course of our discussions have our arguments on supply management prevented us from advancing the other arguments for all our exporters, whether they be in the agriculture sector or in the aerospace sector or in the auto sector."<br />
Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz told reporters in a conference call that Canada lost an opportunity for growth as a result of Tuesday's failure.<br />
"There is no doubt this is a significant setback especially for our farmers and exporters, given the economic benefits that they and Canada as a whole set to achieve from a positive outcome," Ritz told Canadian reporters in a conference call. "We will push ahead with our trade agenda and our efforts to find more opportunities for our producers and exporters."<br />
Fortier indicated he wasn't particularly surprised at the failure of an agreement that would have required the ratification of all 153 member countries of the WTO.<br />
"Am I surprised? There was a formidable task at hand," he said. "It is extremely challenging . . . to try to bring everybody on board."<br />
Fortier said he was hopeful WTO talks would eventually start again.<br />
"I'm hoping that in the weeks to come (Lamy) can garner some momentum toward kick-starting these discussions," after officials reach a consensus on key issues, Fortier said.<br />
He noted, however, that this could be delayed by elections in a number of key countries that could change some of the interveners.<br />
<i>With files from Phil Couvrette in Ottawa</i><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Jonathan Roy charged for hockey attack</span></h1>
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Canwest News Service</h4>
<span>Published: Thursday, July 31, 2008</span></div>
SAGUENAY, Que. - The son of former Habs goaltender Patrick Roy has been charged with one count of assault for his part in a brawl during a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoff game last March, police said Thursday.<br />
"Jonathan Roy is accused of assault against Bobby Nadeau," said Jean Boily of Saguenay public security. "The investigation is closed and the file has been forwarded to the prosecutor's office today."<br />
The 19-year-old is expected to appear in court on Sept. 16.<br />
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Both Patrick Roy, who coaches his son, and Jonathan, who plays goalie for the Quebec Remparts, were suspended following the incident. Jonathan and both teams involved in the game, the Remparts and the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, were fined for the brawl which relaunched the debate of violence in junior hockey.<br />
During the second period of the March 22 game, with the Remparts facing a six-goal deficit, the young Roy skated across the ice to deliver a pounding to Nadeau.<br />
Patrick Roy was caught on camera gesturing to his son, but denied he encouraged him to fight.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Rare snow leopard gives birth to twins at Quebec zoo</span></h1>
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Canwest News Service</h4>
<span>Published: Wednesday, August 06, 2008</span></div>
GRANBY, Que. - Two young snow leopards, an endangered species, were born in a zoo southeast of Montreal, the zoo announced Wednesday.<br />
A female leopard called Snowflake gave birth Friday, said Catherine Page of Granby Zoo, stressing the event was rare.<br />
"In the last 12 months two were born in North America, three in Europe and three in Japan," said Page. "It doesn't happen frequently."<br />
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The birth came as a surprise to zoo officials who said Snowflake's recent attempts to mate had failed. The public may get a say in naming the cubs, Page said.<br />
Snow leopards live in the hard-to-access mountains and high plateaus of Central Asia, according to the zoo. The highest concentrations can be found in China, Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan.<br />
Granby Zoo is where Boomer, a lion cub that escaped from his owners on the Algonquin First Nation reserve in Maniwaki, Que., in April, has been taken care of.<br />
Boomer has ended his quarantine but has yet to be seen in public.<br />
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Phil Couvrette, Canwest News Service</h4>
<span>Published: Thursday, August 07, 2008</span></div>
Canada's top meteorologist says he's not afraid to start his car every day, but David Phillips admits he's been getting nasty e-mails and has been accosted by critics in public about his predictions for the summer of 2008.<br />
Philips, a 40-year veteran at Environment Canada, says he understands Canadians are upset that the "warm and dry" weather he predicted may have sounded like a lot of hot air in some parts. And he says a good month of August could still prove his predictions true.<br />
Overall temperatures have been a bit cool, but dry out west, warm and dry in the Maritimes and warmer and a whole lot wetter in Newfoundland. But things have been disappointing in between, especially in the wet and cold Prairies.<br />
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Predictions for Saskatchewan and Manitoba have clearly fallen short, he admits. But while people in Montreal may feel the same way, it might only be because the downpours coincided with the province's usual two-week holiday period. Quebec City, however, which is celebrating its 400th anniversary, has been the "wettest spot" nationwide.<br />
As a result, Phillips has been hearing it from Canadians, both in his mailbox and on the streets.<br />
"I can really understand the frustration Canadians have had with regards to the summerlike conditions," Phillips said. "Not that I've had to hire any security guards or anything like this."<br />
"I've been in the business for a long time and accept the fact sometimes you're right, sometimes you're wrong," he added.<br />
Critics have been pulling out the zingers and one-liners in frustration, he says.<br />
In an e-mail, one critic mused "a weather person is about the only job you can have to be wrong all the time and still have a job the next day."<br />
Another quipped: "Weather people were created to make economists look good."<br />
But the frustration Canadians have felt this summer really hit home when Phillips visited a supermarket on Saturday.<br />
There, he said, a woman blocked his cart and charged: " 'You said it was going to be a warm and dry summer. What happened?' "<br />
Phillips said that after collecting praise for his winter predictions, criticism about summer's forecast has been pouring like Quebec City rain. But the predictions weren't wrong, he added.<br />
"What bothered me is our forecast for temperatures has been correct," he said. "We said precipitations were going to be near normal."<br />
"We still have a month to go."<br />
Temperature-wise June was warmer than normal and July marginally warmer in Eastern Canada, he noted, with cities from St. John's, N.L., to Toronto recording temperatures up to 1.5 C warmer than averages.<br />
But Phillips admits apologies may be in order for the Prairies.<br />
"We were wrong in Saskatchewan and Manitoba," he said. "They have had the toughest of all summers because it's been coolish and wettish. We didn't get that right, and we accept that."<br />
"They endure tough winters, and it's almost as if they're owed good summers," he added. "It's a tough country to forecast the weather; it's a big country, not everybody's going to be in the same situation."<br />
While the Prairies may have an air-tight case to complain, it may not be so for Montrealers who feel they may have been cheated out of a sunny vacation.<br />
"Their construction holiday probably was the worst two weeks of the summer," Phillips pointed out. "So that's what's driving them to think it's been the year from hell."<br />
On the other hand, Quebec City revellers are right to feel the weather has dampened the party, after taking in nearly 400 mm of rain in June and July.<br />
Further east however, Maritimers "got the best news. They both got it warm and dry," Phillips noted.<br />
Some Quebec outdoor businesses have been complaining that weather forecasts have sunk their figures as much as the weather itself, but Martin Roy of Montreal's La Ronde amusement park, which introduced a cut-rate mid-season pass, said the public must make an educated choice about forecasts.<br />
"The public must do its down research, you can't sum up a day's weather in a weather icon," he said. "Seventy per cent probability of precipitation doesn't mean it will rain 70 per cent of the time."<br />
Phillips says some people actually tell him they like cooler and wetter weather.<br />
"They like the greenness of the lawn and cleanness of the air, the coolness of temperatures and the sense there hasn't been a lot of torrid days," he noted. "They're saving money on their air-conditioning bills."<br />
On a rainy day there's fewer people in the park and less wait times, noted Roy.<br />
And even Phillips' detractors are disgruntled up to a point. After raving and ranting, the woman who cornered him in the supermarket had one more question to drill him with.<br />
"What's winter going to be like?"<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Protest turns violent in Montreal</span></h1>
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Canwest News Service</h4>
<span>Published: Sunday, August 10, 2008</span></div>
MONTREAL - Montreal police say a female police officer was injured and businesses and vehicles damaged after a protest Sunday in the northern part of Montreal got out of control.<br />
Police said it was possible the officer was injured after being shot to the leg but was still trying to confirm the information.<br />
A number of vehicles were set on fire including an ambulance and a fire truck. The incident occurred in the area where an 18-year-old was killed Saturday after an altercation between police and a group of youths.<br />
Police say many people were out in the streets acting rowdy and projectiles were thrown at vehicles and buildings.<br />
The Montreal police riot squad was called out, and a local fire station was vandalized, according to a report by LCN television.<br />
Police were not able to confirm any arrests as of 11:30 p.m.<br />
Fredy Villanueva died in hospital Saturday night after a confrontation with officers near Henri Bourassa Park in Montreal North earlier in the day.<br />
A Montreal police statement said officers felt threatened by Fredy, his brother Dany and a number of friends, which is why they reacted with force.<br />
It said the officers were surrounded by youths when they tried to arrest one suspect.<br />
"At one point, the group began to move and a good number of individuals charged toward the police and threatened them," the statement said. "One of the police officers present then fired in the direction of the suspects, striking three of them."<br />
The Surete du Quebec, which has taken over the investigation because it involves the Montreal police, remained tight-lipped about the incident.<br />
"I can't tell you what they were doing, we don't even know how many (teenagers) there were," said Sgt. Gregory Gomez Del Prado, a spokesman for the provincial police.<br />
The SQ would not reveal the reason for the arrest. There were conflicting reports about which officer fired the shots.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">TSB draft report in deadly East Coast sinking not released</span></h1>
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Ken Meaney and Phil Couvrette , Canwest News Service</h4>
<span>Published: Thursday, August 14, 2008</span></div>
OTTAWA - Investigators with the Transportation Safety Board have completed a draft report into the sinking of a Quebec sealing vessel while under a coast guard tow last spring that left four men dead, but will not release their findings until the final report is completed this fall.<br />
However, one witness to the accident is already taking issue with a way the coast guard conducted a simulation of the tow as part of its investigation.<br />
John Eaves, the Transportation Safety Board's lead investigator into the accident, said Thursday investigators observed simulations of the tow carried out by the coast guard using ships that closely resembled L'Acadien II and the Sir William Alexander, the icebreaker that was towing her. The trials were done to simulate the actual towing arrangements as accurately as possible, he said.<br />
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Board spokesman John Cottreau said the simulations were valid because the incident occurred in a patch of open water.<br />
"They were going through ice and they came out into an open area of water and that's when the accident happened," he said. "And so what the sea trials that were conducted by the coast guard were to do was to find out what happened with the towed vessel in open water."<br />
But Wayne Dickson, the captain of the ship that rescued two of L'Acadien II's crew, said that from what he heard the simulations, conducted in Halifax harbour in June and Baie des Chaleurs, N.B. in July, didn't duplicate the conditions surrounding the sinking very well.<br />
"It wasn't open water - there were ice conditions and ice cakes all around," he said.<br />
He also criticized the fact none of the witnesses of the incident were there to observe the simulation.<br />
"I can't figure out why did they do that without at least some of us being there to tell them 'yes this is exactly what happened,' " he said.<br />
Eaves said the draft findings have gone to people and organizations with direct knowledge of the accident who would be able to comment on the accuracy of the report.<br />
Neither he nor Cottreau would say who has received copies of the report, citing the need for confidentiality but Dickson said he was expecting his copy any day.<br />
Cottreau said some family members on the Magdalen Islands where the ship was based got it because they, too, have direct knowledge of the accident and their input was sought.<br />
The reviewers have a month to provide feedback.<br />
Eaves would not say what has been determined about the accident, but he said the agency will release its final report as quickly as possible.<br />
"We pulled out all the stops on this one . . . It was an important case in our mind and one that attracted a lot of media attention and a lot of interest certainly in this part of Canada," he said.<br />
Cottreau said any recommendations will be in place for next spring's sealing season.<br />
The sinking of L'Acadien II occurred shortly after midnight on March 29, northeast of Cape Breton Island, as the seal hunt in the Gulf of St. Lawrence was getting underway.<br />
Two of the crew were rescued. Three others, including the father of one of the survivors, died. The fourth man's body was not found.<br />
One of the survivors, Bruno-Pierre Bourque, said last April no one on board the icebreaker, Sir William Alexander, was monitoring the tow in the minutes before the accident. The coast guard says that is incorrect; that the crew were actually watching.<br />
Dickson said if that's the case, "they should have stopped the tow 10-15 minutes before that because the boat almost capsized twice (before it went under)."<br />
An RCMP investigation concluded in the spring that there would be no criminal charges in the sinking. The Canadian Coast Guard is also conducting a probe. Its report is expected this fall.<br />
Six survival suits and a life-raft from the vessel were recovered last month off the coast of a small Nova Scotia fishing village, Cape Forchu.<br />
Eaves said the discovery answered one riddle.<br />
"It actually ate at us - what exactly happened to the life-raft? Well, now that we've found it . . . we know that it in fact did release," he said, although the accident happened so fast the crew were not able to get into it.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Failure to heed airline safety instructions could get passengers sued</span></h1>
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<span class="name">By Jack Branswell and Phil Couvrette<br />Canwest News Service</span><span class="timestamp"><br />August 17, 2008</span></div>
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OTTAWA -- Like most people, you probably tune out as flight attendants give their safety briefing before the plane takes off, but if you’re in an exit row, you might want to think twice about not paying attention.<br />
Transport Canada documents obtained by Canwest News Service question whether there is a possibility that exit row passengers could be sued if they ignore the instructions and someone is injured or dies as a result.<br />
A cabin safety standards inspector with Transport Canada raised that possibility in an e-mail to a colleague, obtained by Canwest News Service.<br />
The e-mail quoted an Air Law and Commerce article from 2003 that suggested that “holding exit row passengers liable for damages resulting from their inattention to safety materials could deter exit row passengers from ignoring safety information and compensate those victims harmed.”<br />
The e-mail also questioned whether cabin crew on the plane, “those responsible for informing exit row passengers of their duties could also become targets for a ‘negligence cause of action.’ In the end, the airline could likely become involved in such actions. Thus, the importance of providing exit row passengers with detailed briefings to prepare them for emergencies cannot be underestimated,” Christopher Dann, the inspector, wrote.<br />
Dann said that the 2003 article by Wendy Gerwick was the only published work that he was aware of on the topic.<br />
Jean Riverin, a Transport Canada spokesman, said his department is not aware of any specific legal action against an exit row passenger resulting from an incident or accident. Transport Canada would not comment directly on the potential for lawsuits.<br />
Canadian airlines are required to brief passengers in exit rows on how to open the emergency door, but the question of when and if they should do it is far more murky and that potentially opens the door to lawsuits.<br />
Transport Canada regulations require exit row passengers to be able to understand the safety briefing, be physically able to open the door, to be able to determine visually if the door is safe to open and that they be of a minimum age, established by the airline. If they don’t meet those criteria, the airlines have to ask them to change seats.<br />
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board has reviewed the issue of exit row passengers and the results weren’t great. In six cases it looked at, its questionnaire found that passengers had difficulty in knowing when to open the emergency exits. It found that in two cases, exits that should have remained closed were opened. In other case, flight crew ordered an evacuation from the forward exits only, but a passenger still opened an exit over the plane’s wing.<br />
The board also found that passengers had trouble assessing conditions outside the plane. In one case, passengers opened an exit and smoke started flowing into the plane. Two passengers were severely burned as they jumped through fire as they exited the plane.<br /><br />It also concluded that most passengers don’t read safety information on the plane and that “exit procedures for emergency evacuations are critical and if not followed could lead to tragedy.”<br />
A recent Australian Transportation Safety Board study also found “passenger attention to safety communications were found to be generally low.” It noted that in part that may be because “perceptions that it is socially undesirable to pay attention to safety information.”<br />
In Canada, the question of whether a passenger could sue a fellow passenger, the airline or both is extremely complex because it isn’t necessarily clear what jurisdiction the case would fall under. Where it happens and where the plane was from could be factors. For example, civil suits in Quebec fall under that province’s civil code but in the rest of Canada, common law is used.<br />
In Quebec, retired civil law professor Claude Fabien says it would be difficult to sue someone for damages if they are trying to help others and it ends in injury. Fabien said the code essentially exonerates anyone of blame if they are trying to help someone else.<br />
“The passenger would really have to do something very stupid to not enjoy immunity from this rule. The goal of the rule is to encourage people to help others without having to worry about a civil lawsuit.”<br />
While there is “no initial obligation to help others,” under common law, University of Montreal law professor Stephane Beaulac says, exit row passengers could potentially become liable if things go wrong after “explicitly or implicitly” accepting to help in case of an emergency.<br />
They can do the latter by “listening to the briefing of the crew and acknowledging, giving the impression they accepted the mandate to help.” In that case, Beaulac added, “there must not be negligence and passengers must to the best of their abilities be able to follow the crew’s directives.”<br />
If there is negligence, in theory the passengers could be held responsible and have to pay for damages.<br /><br />But lawsuits are more likely to target the airlines, which have deeper pockets, Beaulac noted.<br />
“The entire process of delegating, giving a mandate, a responsibility to someone with no expertise in the evacuation of the plane,” could be called into question, he said. The passengers could sue the airline, raising issue with the instructions or the problematic character of the delegation process.<br />
Neither Air Canada nor WestJet would comment on the potential for lawsuits over exit row passenger issues.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Canadian cities score on new Monopoly board</span></h2>
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<span>Tuesday, August 19, 2008<br />Canwest News Service</span></div>
Three Canadian cities scored much-coveted spots on Monopoly's World Edition, according to a statement by Hasbro Tuesday evening.<br />
Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal will all be included in the international version of Hasbro's famous board, which fans voted on last winter.<br />
Montreal will be in the space usually occupied by Boardwalk - the most expensive property on the board of the popular game, which was invented by Charles Darrow in 1935.<br />
The top 20 cities from the Internet voting earned a spot on the board known for making Marvin Gardens a household name.<br />
The winning cities are placed on the board "from highest rent property to lowest rent property" according to their voting tallies.<br />
Monopoly also selected the top two among a number of "wild-card" cities chosen by online voters. The other 68 cities were preselected by Hasbro. The game goes on sale in September in 45 countries.<br />
While the contest sounded like fun and games it was being taken quite seriously by city officials, businesses and media organizations which spread the word of voting for their cities last winter.<br />
This is only the latest version of Monopoly, which has seen more than 200 editions since 1935, selling over 250 million copies in 103 countries and 37 languages.<br />
But the most popular version remains the classic one based on streets in Atlantic City, N.J.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Cellphone-only households growing and youthful: studies</span></h1>
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<span class="name">By Phil Couvrette<br />Canwest News Service</span><span class="timestamp">August 24, 2008</span></div>
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OTTAWA — Canadians who use cellphones exclusively at home are more likely to be male, young and Internet-savvy, according to a new study.<br /><br />The survey, by Ekos Research Associates, conducted for Public Works and Government Services Canada found that 68 per cent of people in cellphone-only households are 34-years-old or younger, compared to 30 per cent in the general population. Sixty-nine percent are male, who represent just under half of the Canadian population, and cellphone-only respondents were also likely to spend more time online and made use more frequently of interactive Internet applications.<br /><br />The results were characteristics of young people more likely to pick up new trends, noted Marc Choma of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association.<br /><br />“The younger adopters are going to be the people that are going to pick up that service first,” he said. “They are a little bit more experimental and at ease in terms of technology.”<br /><br />Choma said related Statistics Canada figures show the number of cellphone-only homes has been increasing. In 2007, it hit 6.4 per cent, compared to 5.1 per cent in 2006, which is more than a 25 per cent increase.<br /><br />British Columbia had the highest percentage of cellphone-only households, with 10.2 per cent, while at the other end of the spectrum Newfoundland and Labrador registered 3.9 per cent.<br />
Ontario had 5.3 per cent cellphone-only households while Quebec had 6.3 per cent and Alberta 7.7 per cent, according to Statistics Canada. <br /><br />The Ekos survey found that cellphone-only users are also more likely to report a lower household income and live in smaller homes.<br />
Phone companies are paying attention to the trend, offering services custom-made both for cellphone and Internet hogs.<br /><br />Rogers’ home services enable customers to make unlimited voice calls over a home-based wireless Internet connection, said Marie-Eve Villeneuve of Rogers communications.<br /><br />“This enables you to use your cellphone at home in a Wi-Fi zone,” which means customers aren’t using their usual talk time.<br /><br />“The type of people we’re targeting are youngsters who grew up with their cellphones and when it comes the time to leave the house don’t see the use for a land line,” Villeneuve said.<br /><br />The object of the Ekos survey for Public Works was to assess the feasibility of conducting surveys with cellphone subscribers, who can’t be reached using current polling methods.<br /><br />Ekos noted that calling cellphone users could help marketers contact hard-to-reach young responders.<br />
In 2007, cellphone access in Canada was 72.4 per cent in households nationwide, according to Statistics Canada and use is up as well to over 400 minutes per month, or 2.5 times the European average.<br /><br />“Canadians are one of the biggest talkers in the world,” Choma noted.<br /><br />Ekos surveyed 203 people and the margin of error was 6.9 per cent. It is considered accurate 19 times out of 20. The survey data were collected over a 15-day period from January 15 to Jan 28, 2008.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">U.S. computer glitch could cause delays to Canadian flights</span></h2>
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<span>By Phil Couvrette<br />Tuesday, August 26, 2008</span></div>
OTTAWA - Canada's civil airspace authority said Canadians could expect air traffic communications network problems that grounded planes south of the border on Tuesday to have an impact on flights to and from the U.S.<br />
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration reported delays to air traffic at more than two dozen airports across the U.S. because of the problem.<br />
"We're still trying to assess this, but this will have an effect on flights to and from the United States and possibly some of the overnight international flights too. But it's too early to give an accurate assessment," said Ron Singer of Nav Canada, which runs the country's civil air navigation network.<br />
Delays were not immediately noticeable in Canada, where Nav Canada said all air traffic systems were operating normally.<br />
At Toronto's Pearson airport, officials said any delays in the U.S. will obviously affect arrival times at Pearson, Canada's main airline hub. There were some delays in Canadian departures, mostly to Chicago and other destinations in the U.S. Midwest.<br />
Vancouver and Montreal airport officials said it was business as usual with no delays related to the computer glitch.<br />
"It depends how long it continues for, but for the moment travellers don't have to be concerned," said Aeroports de Montreal spokeswoman Anne Marcotte. The FAA said it was hoping to solve the problem by early Tuesday evening.<br />
Air Canada said only one flight was affected in Boston which, along with Baltimore, Charlotte, Atlanta and Chicago, faced major delays.<br />
Singer said it was initially hard to determine whether domestic intercontinental Canadian flights, which often travel through U.S. airspace, would be affected.<br />
Once the system is back up and running in the U.S. there is bound to be a backlog he said, and recommended travellers contact the airlines and airports to check the status of their flights.<br />
He said the glitch affected airports in the Eastern U.S., which could mean delays in eastern Canadian airports from Halifax to Toronto.<br />
"All systems in Canada including radar surveillance systems are working," Singer said.<br />
He said Nav Canada was in contact with both U.S. officials south of the border and Canada's airports.<br />
A problem with a communications link in a system that processes flight plan data in Hampton, Ga., was causing the flight delays, according to the southern region branch of the FAA.<br />
The cause of the failure was not known, and a spokeswoman for the FAA added that radar coverage had not been affected.<br />
The Department of Homeland Security said there was no link to terrorism and the FAA said the computer glitch did not affect safety.<br />
"This is not a safety issue," FAA spokeswoman Tammy Jones said. "It is a problem with the (computer) system that is used to process flight plans."<br />
<i>With files from Reuters and the Montreal Gazette</i><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Erosion chewing up Canada's coastlines, researchers warn</span></h2>
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<span>By Ken Meaney and Phil Couvrette<br />Monday, September 01, 2008</span></div>
Rising sea levels and storm surges are taking a bite out of Canada's 243,000 kilometres of coastlines from the Atlantic to the Far North to the Pacific, researchers warn.<br />
The phenomenon is nationwide but affects regions in different ways, notes Jean-Pierre Savard of Ouranos, a consortium of scientists and specialists who study climatology across North America.<br />
Savard, who recently returned from an international conference on coastal erosion in Quebec, says the phenomenon was raised by researchers from coast to coast, and overseas as well.<br />
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"The overall picture is that all government organizations involved in the management of coastal zones are concerned because climate change has a global effect that leads to greater erosion and risks," he said. <br />
Across the North the coasts are threatened by the rapid melting of the permafrost, Savard noted, while melting ice in general exposes coastlines.<br />
"This is a big problem across the Gulf and the Arctic because the ice protects the coastline, as it shrinks it becomes an agent of erosion, becoming more mobile and letting more waves hit the coastline, increasing erosion problems," Savard explained.<br />
The manifestations of land erosion vary, he said. "In the Bay of Fundy the problems aren't the same as in British Columbia, which is more exposed to tsunamis and problems of this nature." <br />
In tiny Souris, P.E.I., people who live in houses perched above a sandstone cliff have lost three metres of land in the last decade. Some of those homes are now just three metres from the edge, said Deputy Mayor Denis Thibodeau.<br />
"There's been erosion since the beginning of time, I guess, but . . . there's not much room left in some cases," Thibodeau said.<br />
On British Columbia's Queen Charlotte Islands, the same amount of land is gobbled up annually.<br />
Climate researcher Ian Walker of the University of Victoria says Canada has the longest coastline in the world and over 80 per cent of it is submerging due to sea level rise. But even areas where the sea level is stable are at risk, he says, because of the greater frequency of storms, particularly on the Pacific coast.<br />
"The greatest concern is areas that are highly developed. Richmond is at or below sea level and it's one of the most densely developed and developing areas in greater Vancouver."<br />
"The airport which will serve the Olympics is at or below sea level and is protected by dikes.<br />
"You have the combined increased sea level rise, increased storminess, increased flooding of the Fraser River, increased development causing the sinking of the land, all culminating into one highly developed, economically rich area."<br />
Walker, who authored a study on climate change and sea-level rise on B.C.'s Graham Island and the Queen Charlotte Islands - also called Haida Gwaii - cautions that erosion is a natural process not always linked to climate change. But he adds it tends to accelerate in areas that are already prone to erosion.<br />
On Haida Gwaii, "we're seeing more extreme storm events, more storm surges superimposed on sea level rise that would be accelerating sea level erosion," he said. "There are sites we have been monitoring for 15 years and we have seen rapid rates, averaging one to three metres a year along that coast."<br />
He lists other areas at risk across the country: "The Mackenzie Delta in the Northwest Territories, Prince Edward Island, portions of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, Halifax harbour, Charlottetown harbour - these are all areas that are subject to fairly rapid sea level rise and in some cases, not all, subject to enhanced erosion," he said.<br />
The problem, says Walker, is that "we've developed a lot of our houses and communities and infrastructure on coastlines or on flood plains for historic reasons, for esthetic reasons, cultural reasons that in the face of climate change put us in increasing hazard and . . . increasing risk of economic losses."<br />
In Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T., the rising Beaufort Sea is eating away at the land there, too.<br />
Norm Catto, a geography professor at Memorial University in St. John's, N.L., says the surprisingly delicate North is feeling the combined effects of storms, high sea levels and warmer summers.<br />
"Most of the area affected is permafrost, so you have frozen sediments and lenses of ice (that) have very little resistance when the waves strike.<br />
"When you couple that with the general warming conditions that we see in the area . . . it accelerates erosion. And if the amount of ice in the Beaufort Sea is reduced . . . the wave action is able to act on the coast for a greater period of time."<br />
In the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Magdalen Islands Mayor Joel Arsenault worries about the islands' connecting road network, which is built on sand dunes and is being eaten away.<br />
A report on the vulnerability of Gulf communities like Arsenault's was completed by Ouranos last month for the Quebec government.<br />
It found coastal erosion was a growing problem, caused in part by rising sea levels and shrinking ice packs leaving coastlines more exposed. Erosion was also aggravated in recent years by intense precipitation.<br />
Catto cautions that areas that are prone to floods will see worse flooding as sea levels rise.<br />
"We have a number of communities . . . where rising sea levels are going to cause difficulty," he said. "This has happened once; it can happen again. So how are we going to cope?"<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Emergency plans come under fire</span></h2>
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<span>By Linda Nguyen and Phil Couvrette<br />Wednesday, September 03, 2008</span></div>
Canada is not sufficiently prepared to cope with serious national emergencies, from natural disasters to terrorist attacks, according to a scathing Senate report released yesterday.<br />
The report by the standing committee on national security and defence criticizes the federal government for procrastinating in implementing and maintaining disaster readiness programs across the country, leaving Canadians vulnerable to natural and man-made disasters.<br />
"We raised a number of issues four years ago and the government has been brain-dead ever since," Liberal senator and committee chairman Colin Kenny said yesterday. "They have not moved forward on any of the main issues and their attitude is wrong."<br />
The report, lightheartedly titled Emergency Preparedness in Canada: How the Fine Arts of Bafflegab and Procrastination Hobble the People Who Will Be Trying to Save You When Things Get Really Bad, follows up a similar report tabled in 2004.<br />
"Seven years have elapsed since Sept. 11, 2001. Yet, despite all the bureaucratic promises from three successive governments, progress is still 'just around the corner'," the report said. "And Canada's emergency preparedness capacity is clearly still thin and fragmented."<br />
The report cites the 1985 Air India bombing as the "first national wakeup call," and urges the government to become more prepared in light of terrorist threats and natural disasters, such as flooding in Quebec, the E. coli water contamination problem in Walkerton, Ont., forest fires in B.C., the mad cow scare in Alberta, and SARS in Ontario.<br />
The committee noted that many of the 12 recommendations in yesterday's report were identified as "long-standing weaknesses" in the previous Senate report, Canada's Fragile Front Lines.<br />
Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day called the report "irresponsible."<br />
"Our government's first priority is protecting the safety and security of all Canadians," he said in an e-mail. "The senator's report, from the title on down, is irresponsible and does not reflect the true picture of how much progress has been made in protecting Canadians since the last elections."<br />
Mr. Day argued that the current government has done much more than the previous Liberal government, with which the senator is associated.<br />
"We did not have to wait for Senator Kenny to tell us that the Liberals neglected emergency management for 13 years. After all, we already knew of their appalling record on security and national defence. However, what we found alarming when we formed government was just how little the Liberals had actually done to keep Canadians safe," he said. "We have made significant progress to close the legislative, financial and planning gaps in Canada's emergency plan."<br />
In contrast, the report concluded that the current "top-down" funding system for emergency planning, in which federal and provincial governments provide money without consulting frontline workers, needs to be overhauled.<br />
Ron Kuban, president of Pegasus Emergency Management Consortium Corp., said the government has gone in the wrong direction with emergency preparedness since 9/11.<br />
There is "lack of focus" on disaster readiness at a grassroots level, he said.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Low-income parents struggle to save for education</span></h1>
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<span class="name">By Phil Couvrette</span><span class="timestamp">September 2, 2008</span></div>
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OTTAWA - While low-income parents have high hopes for their children’s post-secondary education and recognize the need to save early to pay for it, many are having a hard time doing that, according to a study.<br /><br />The parents who were surveyed for Human Resources and Social Development Canada primarily cite lack of money as an issue for not saving for education but they also aren’t always aware of financing options.<br /><br />On the surface parents seem to be aware of various savings plans and grants to finance their child’s higher education, but few can accurately describe them, says an Ekos Research Associates study released recently by the government.<br /><br />The survey interviewed 901 parents reporting a household income of $38,000 or less with children under 18.<br /><br />Among the means of financing post-secondary education Registered Education Savings Plans were often recognized, with 83 per cent of parents saying they had heard of them. But only half could describe what RESPs were accurately while some confused them with other products such as Canada Education Savings Grants. Only one-third of low-income parents had heard about CESGs and just half of those could describe them accurately. Four in 10 low-income parents were saving for post-secondary education in some fashion, according to the survey, two-thirds of them choosing an RESP.<br /><br />“Low-income parents’ expectations of their children attending post-secondary institutions are very high . . . (most) agree that parents should begin saving for their child’s (post-secondary education) before they are teenagers,” the survey noted. “Despite this a significant number do not know what steps to take or to whom to speak to open an RESP.”<br /><br />The study noted 90 percent agreed it is worthwhile to begin saving for their children’s post-secondary education even if it means only putting away $10 a month. But only forty percent of those who expect at least one of their children to attend post-secondary education were currently saving money.<br /><br />Partly explaining this is that three in 10 of low-income parents polled do not believe that saving for higher education is at all feasible at their income levels.<br /><br />One of the authors of a recent study on equitable access to Canadian universities says she is glad something is drawing attention to the difficulty low-income families have of financing higher education.<br /><br />“I wonder if a larger sample size might produce a somewhat more damning picture of how difficult, and increasingly so, it is for low-income and middle-income families to see their children get into and through a university education,” noted Valerie Ashford, a research coordinator at Queen’s Centre for the Study of Democracy.<br /><br />The survey underlined a need to promote the financing options. Most people learn about them from banks, the survey said.<br /><br />People not contributing to an RESP indicated they were more likely to do so after learning about the impact of the CESG. “If parents knew that they would receive a grant of $4 for every $10 they contributed to an RESP, seven in 10 said they would be more likely to open an RESP,” the study noted. CESGs can provide 20, 30 or 40 cents for every dollar saved for a child’s education depending on income.<br /><br />There is no shortage of barriers to higher education for low-income households, Ashford stressed, pointing to the 11 per cent of parents who didn’t report having a bank account.<br /><br />“That’s actually a significant number of low-income Canadians, if the data is taken to be representative,” she noted. “Further, anyone who’s dealt with the bureaucratic minefields of welfare in any of its forms simply may not have the spirit to approach RESP providers, which is why I like the automatic enrolment possibility so much.”<br /><br />Parents responding to the Ekos survey were told the government is considering changing the enrolment process for Canadian Learning Bonds. An RESP would be automatically opened and $500 deposited in a child’s first year, income permitting. While seven in 10 liked the idea, a quarter were concerned about invasion of privacy.<br /><br />“If implemented, I’d certainly like to see a concerted effort made to assuage the anxieties about privacy felt by some parents,” Ashford said.<br /><br />But putting money away for RESPs is daunting enough for average Canadians who sometimes have to decide between contributing, or increasing their own RRSPs.<br /><br />“I try to tell people they are going to be looking at facing the costs of their children’s post-secondary education before their retirement costs,” said Peter Lewis, vice-president of operations of Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation.<br /><br />The survey says there is no single identifiable group of RESP savers but they tend to be younger, have young children and are likely to have post-secondary education themselves. Further, if they aren’t committing funds for post-secondary education early on, they are unlikely to do so later on.<br /><br />The Ekos survey was completed between December 10, 2007 and January 29, 2008 with an error margin of 3.3 per cent and is accurate 19 times out of 20.<br /><br /><i>With files from the Financial Post<br /></i><div id="storyheader">
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Computer chips could keep gamblers off machines, inventer says</span></h1>
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<span class="name">By Phil Couvrette</span><span class="timestamp">September 3, 2008</span></div>
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A Quebec businessman has developed a device that he says would effectively turn off compulsive gamblers from electronic gambling machines and he’s upset the province’s lottery corporation seems itself turned off by the device.<br /><br />Chantal Audet, a Saguenay businessman who worked under contract for Loto-Quebec for 13 years, says tests have shown his technique to keep problem gamblers away from machines such as video lottery terminals does work.<br /><br />The fruit of two years of labour, it works by implanting a tiny computer chip on people who voluntarily submit to the procedure. A similar chip would then be installed on all of the province’s VLT machines, making them go blank as the patron approaches them. The same technique could be used at the entrance of casinos to block access to someone at the turnstiles.<br /><br />But Loto-Quebec, which helped finance a small part of the project, now seems cool to the idea, says Audet.<br /><br />“They told me they didn’t want to go forward with the project,” he said. “It was developed especially for them. We would have to adapt the module, but the same principle could work anywhere.”<br /><br />“At first they said, because it was a chip going into the skin, I should get in touch with the Health Ministry . . . and (health officials) were blown away,” Audet said, adding that they thought it was a great idea.<br /><br />Loto-Quebec then raised the matter of ethics, an issue the health ministry is still debating, but Audet stressed an ethics professor he consulted said it wasn’t an issue because the procedure would be done on a voluntary basis and the chip could be removed.<br /><br />For its part, Loto-Quebec said it hasn’t turned down the project, but was waiting to hear from health officials.<br /><br />Because the procedure involves surgery “it’s not nothing,” and raises “health and civic rights issues” said Marie-Claude Rivet, a spokeswoman for Loto-Quebec.<br /><br />“It’s not for us to make this decision; other authorities must first make them,” she said.<br /><br />But Audet says because he also suggested the use of a bracelet to avoid surgery, Loto-Quebec was stalling.<br /><br />“Loto-Quebec’s decision wasn’t surprising, because according to health officials most of the revenues coming from electronic games come from people struggling with problem gambling,” said Alain Dubois, an expert on addictions.<br /><br />But Audet said the device could actually boost Loto-Quebec’s revenues.<br /><br />“Ironically, this is advantageous — it puts (Loto-Quebec’s) conscience at ease and would prevent them from having to remove VLTs,” he said.<br /><br />Audet said his conversations with problem gamblers made it clear VLTs had to go. “The chip means that for a compulsive gambler the terminal doesn’t exist anymore.”<br /><br />He adds it also helps in the case of compulsive gamblers who avoid therapy because of fear that their family, friends and colleagues might find out.<br /><br />In contrast to lengthy therapy, the surgical procedure would take little time, he said, and be a lot cheaper.<br /><br />“They wouldn’t be cured, but it would be a first step that could be monitored afterwards.”<br /><br />It would cost some $8 million to $10 million to equip the province’s VLTs, he estimated.<br /><br />“Mr. Audet’s proposal warrants more attention and perhaps more experimentation ... under scientific supervision,” Dubois said.<br /><br /><div class="storyheader">
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Quebec Liberal candidate resigns over Oka comments</span></h1>
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<span>Thursday, September 11, 2008</span></div>
QUEBEC - A Quebec City Liberal candidate has resigned after proposing the army should have used lethal force to end the Oka crisis.<br />
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"I have asked for and received the resignation of Simon Bedard as the Liberal Party of Canada's candidate in the riding of Quebec," said Liberal Leader Stephane Dion Thursday. "Clearly, Mr. Bedard agrees that the statements he has made regarding First Nations people are not compatible with the beliefs and values of the Liberal Party of Canada."<br />
Bedard, a former radio host, proposed at the time of the 1990 Oka crisis that the army use force to lift Mohawk Warrior barricades, even if that meant as many as 150 deaths.<br />
This week he told Quebec City's Le Soleil daily newspaper that, "maybe we should have done it because 17 years later, it's still the same."<br />
Bedard withdrew the remarks on Wednesday, and the party announced a news conference on Thursday where, it said, he would explain himself. But reporters who arrived for the news conference in a suburban mall were informed it had been put off to an unspecified future date.<br />
Hours later, Dion announced Bedard's resignation.<br />
"While Mr. Bedard has clearly indicated that he no longer holds those views, the Liberal Party of Canada's proud tradition of support for our aboriginal communities must not be overshadowed by these comments."<br />
Quebec City-area native chief Max Gros-Louis, who had called for Bedard's resignation and previously compared him to Hitler, said repeating comments he had made years earlier only showed he was digging in his position.<br />
"Someone who makes comments of this nature on a nation doesn't deserve to be a candidate," he said. "When you write 'you go in there with the army and clean all that up' it doesn't make any sense."<br />
<i>With files from Montreal Gazette</i><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Que. hospital reports new C. difficile</span></h2>
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<span>Thursday, September 11 2008</span></div>
ST. HYACINTHE, Que. - The Quebec hospital at the heart of a major 2006 C. difficile outbreak that killed 16 people has reported five new cases of the infection.<br />
The patients were housed in the geriatric ward at Honore-Mercier Hospital, 60 kilometres east of Montreal. Five were found to have been infected last week while a sixth was under observation, said Claude Dallaire, a spokesman at the hospital. He said the situation was under control and no other cases were expected. Patients have been placed in isolation as a number of preventive measures were put in place.<br />
"When this sort of thing occurs it is important to ensure it is under control and there isn't a spread of cases," Dallaire said. "Our vigilance is all the more increased because it's a geriatric clientele, which includes very sick people, quite vulnerable to any sort of infection." <br />
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Relatives of patients who either were infected or died from C. difficile during the 2006 outbreak recently launched a class-action suit against the local health authority for up to $10 million in damages.<br />
The outbreak was one of the worst in the province. In total, 70 patients contracted a virulent strain of Clostridium difficile while being treated there.<br />
A coroner's report blamed slipshod infection control and hospital cutbacks in maintenance for causing the outbreak, but it also noted the situation improved following a change in administration.<br />
<i>With files from the Montreal Gazette</i><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Jonathan Roy pleads not guilty</span></h2>
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<span>Tuesday, September 16 2008</span></div>
SAGUENAY, Que. - The son of former Montreal Canadiens goaltender Patrick Roy, Jonathan, says he's not guilty of assault.<br />
That was his plea Tuesday after the goalie for the Quebec Remparts of Quebec's Major Junior Hockey League was charged after an on-ice fight at the end of last season.<br />
In a playoff game against the Chicoutimi Sagueneens on March 22, Roy skated the length of the ice and delivered a pounding to opposing goalie Bobby Nadeau, who was standing in his crease.<br />
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The footage was shown across the globe and sparked calls to restrict violence in junior hockey.<br />
Both Patrick Roy, who coaches his son, and Jonathan, who plays goalie for the Remparts, were suspended following the incident. Jonathan and both teams involved in the game were fined for the brawl.<br />
If found guilty of simple assault Jonathan Roy faces up to six months in jail - and a $2,000 fine.<br />
The case returns to court in November.<br />
Global News with files from Canwest News Service<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">East Coast battens down hatches</span></h2>
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<span>By Tobin Dalrymple and Phil Couvrette<br />Monday, September 29, 2008</span></div>
Emergency and power crews in parts of Atlantic Canada were at work early today trying to restore electricity as tropical storm Kyle swirled into the Maritimes, its high winds toppling power lines.<br />
Kyle went ashore just north of Yarmouth, N.S. at around 9 p.m. Atlantic Time as a marginal Category 1 hurricane, according to the Canadian Hurricane Centre, based in Dartmouth, N.S., downing trees and causing power outages.<br />
As it moved north toward New Brunswick and was downgraded to a tropical storm, winds with gusts up to 110 km/h over exposed areas could still cause damage, the Hurricane Centre warned.<br />
Nova Scotia Power said as of midnight AT some 24,000 customers were without power while another 10,000 had seen their power restored.<br />
"We're seeing trees bringing down lines, whole trees topple over, we're seeing high winds," said Glennie Langille of Nova Scotia Power.<br />
"We are doing as much work as we can within the conditions that we have," she said, mentioning that work had to stop whenever winds topped 90 km/h. "We've been working throughout the storm when it is safe to do so."<br />
Dennis Kelly of Nova Scotia's Emergency Management Office said damage from the storm was not as widespread as had been feared.<br />
NB Power meanwhile was reporting some 700 customers without power across New Brunswick as the storm moved toward the province.<br />
The storm was expected to bring significant rainfall to most of New Brunswick where rainfall advisories have been posted, warning of 50 to 100 millimetres of rain falling in a short period of time, threatening to cause some flooding. As of 11 p.m. AT the Hurricane Centre said tropical storm warnings were in effect for several southern New Brunswick and Nova Scotia regions, including Moncton, Saint John, Lunenburg, Shelburne, Yarmouth and Digby counties and the Bay of Fundy area.<br />
Nova Scotia Power had put its crews on alert "right across the province" and had enlisted extra contract crews to help out in the event of widespread outages, said spokeswoman Margaret Murphy.<br />
"The forecast shows a large severe weather system headed our way," she said. "Certainly experience shows it's best to be prepared, so we prepare for the worst and hope for the best."<br />
Murphy said the company had been putting particular emphasis on beefing up crews in the southwestern shores of Nova Scotia, where Kyle was forecast to hit land, with wind speeds roaring at up to 130 kilometres an hour.<br />
New Brunswick power authorities were making similar preparations.<br />
Kyle reached hurricane strength late Saturday as it swept through and soaked New England.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Vandals target Liberal supporters in Toronto, Halifax</span></h1>
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By Phil Couvrette<br /><span>Monday, October 06, 2008</span></div>
Liberals condemned on Monday a growing number of vandalism cases that appeared to target party supporters in Toronto and Halifax.<br />
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At least 29 homes or vehicles in Toronto were defaced or damaged over the weekend, with reports of cut brake lines, the letter L keyed into cars and spray-painted graffiti.<br />
In a press release Monday morning, Liberal Leader Stephane Dion said he was stunned by the reports of "hateful and dangerous acts".<br />
"Everyone - all Canadians and political parties - must speak out against what is happening in Toronto. It is an obscene violation of the principles of democracy, where Canadians are entitled to express their political opinions without repercussion," he said.<br />
"The cutting of brake lines on people's cars is clearly not a simple mischievous act - it is putting people's lives at risk and raises some very serious questions."<br />
Toronto Police Const. Wendy Drummond confirmed police had received 18 complaints in the riding of St. Paul's, located in mid-Toronto, and another 11 in the west-end riding of Parkdale-High Park.<br />
A large number of the victims had signs supporting the local Liberal candidate in their front lawns. The vandal or vandals struck Friday night in St. Paul's, and Saturday night in the west-end neighbourhood.<br />
"We've had two sets of similar types of criminal offences taking place. Whether or not it's by the same suspect, we can't speculate,"' said Drummond. "It would appear they are targeting the (Liberal) supporters."<br />
The Liberal Party of Canada said there were similar acts of vandalism against their supporters during the byelection campaigns in August in Guelph, Ont. and in the Toronto riding of Willowdale back in March.<br />
There were also reports Monday of vandals targeting overnight the offices of local Conservative and Liberal candidates in Halifax, according to campaign officials.<br />
Vandals threw "fist-sized" rocks through thick plate-glass windows at the offices of Conservative candidate Ted Larsen, campaign manager Jordi Morgan said Monday.<br />
Graffiti was also spray-painted with messages such as "scum" or "politics suck" but no one tried to enter the office, Morgan said.<br />
At the headquarters of Liberal candidate Catherine Meade, one of five "handful-sized" rocks was thrown so hard it travelled through double-paned glass and across the room where it punched a hole in the wall, said Liberal spokeswoman Nancy Sheppard.<br />
"Nothing was stolen and no entry was made," she said.<br />
"Maybe someone saw it on the news and thought 'why don't we do that here' but we don't know that for sure," Sheppard added.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">For fringe parties, it's not about winning but 'ideas'</span></h1>
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<span>By Sikander Hashmi and Phil Couvrette<br />Wednesday, October 08, 2008</span></div>
MONTREAL - Looking at election signs in most Canadian cities, it's clear there are at least five parties vying for your vote. But on election day, the list on the ballot will be almost twice as long, in many ridings.<br />
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There are nine confirmed candidates in Montreal's downtown riding of Westmount-Ville-Marie but if the previous general election in 2006 is any indication, the four "other" candidates could end up with less than one per cent of total votes cast - collectively.<br />
Yet, such stark odds, not to mention two previous defeats with a combined vote count of 217, haven't discouraged Bill Sloan from running in next week's election as one of four Montreal-area candidates for the Communist Party of Canada.<br />
The reason: he's just doing it to bring a couple of issues on to the street, literally.<br />
"I picked this riding because I wanted posters on Ste. Catherine St.," said Sloan, an immigration lawyer. He put up 100 posters voicing disapproval for the Afghan war and Canadian support for "apartheid" Israel, the latter of which have mostly been torn down. He doesn't have time to campaign nor does he have high hopes for election night.<br />
"I don't think anyone in my party thinks we're going to get elected," he said. "None of us are foolish ... we're running because we want to put forward certain ideas."<br />
Meanwhile, artist Judith Vienneau is also running in the riding and she too knows she won't win. The visibility she gets from being a candidate and the opportunity to take part in the political discourse is worth the $1,000 her candidacy has cost her so far, along with the long hours spent on making commercials for her party, neorhino.ca.<br />
Although her party, the successor to the Rhinoceros Party of Canada, is supposed to be a joke, Vienneau believes it allows disenfranchised voters to take part in the political process by giving them an alternative that resonates with them.<br />
"If 40 per cent of the population doesn't vote, it means it's a problem of identification," she said. "They don't recognize their identity in mainstream politicians."<br />
Abbotsford, B.C. Marijuana Party candidate Tim Felger, who runs in local elections at all levels and garnered about 400 votes in the 2006 federal election said it isn't getting any easier scrambling to collect the 100 signatures needed to officially register on the ballot.<br />
"I live in a very Christian town and a lot of people don't comprehend all the issues," he said, adding he has been threatened in the past while canvassing and repeatedly has to put back up signs that are either removed, torn or defaced.<br />
He says his job is not over after an election and immediately starts working for the next. "I got a lot different approach than everybody else. I am a lot more serious candidate than other fringe parties," he said. "If I ever get elected I would change a lot of things."<br />
Being a Communist Party candidate in the Conservative bastion of Edmonton may not seem promising either, but Alberta party leader Naomi Rankin says that opposition to the war in Afghanistan and the financial crisis is making her fringe party resonate with some voters.<br />
"This is what we hear a lot, people are concerned about the war and recently people have become concerned about the economy," said Rankin, who has run in every federal and provincial election since 1981. "When we get our ideas across people recognize them as being good ideas because we have policies in the interest of working people."<br />
Rankin says limited resources mean contact with voters is direct rather than through mass media.<br />
"As a party of the working class we don't get a lot of donations from corporations or wealthy people so it's always a problem just to have the funds for any kind of publicity," she said. "What we do is mostly face-to-face, on a small scale."<br />
But the current electoral system is penalizing for fringe parties, Rankin stresses.<br />
"People who agree with us are not necessarily voting for us," she said, blaming the current electoral first past the post system for encouraging people to vote for major parties as people vote more and more strategically.<br />
Brooke Jeffrey, an associate professor of political science at Concordia University and an expert on political parties, says it should be harder for independent candidates to run in elections, since they often run to highlight or promote single issues.<br />
"If you look at the nature of independent candidates associated with no party over time and the issues they raise, probably there are way better venues for them to raise it," she said. "But maybe they wouldn't get the media coverage they inevitably get by participating in these kinds of debates."<br />
Jeffrey ran as a Liberal candidate in the British Columbia riding of Okanagan-Shuswap in the 1993 federal election. While she supports political parties, whether they are mainstream or fringe, she is less supportive of independents who she says often run for publicity and clog up the debate in the process.<br />
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<span>By Phil Couvrette<br />Sunday, October 19, 2008</span></div>
Prime Minister Stephen Harper told the closing news conference of the Francophonie summit Sunday that Canada would spend $100 million to help developing countries adapt to climate change issues.<br />
The funds would be destined "almost exclusively to countries that are not necessarily major contributors to climate change or major sources of greenhouse gas emissions but will nevertheless be affected, in particular small insular and vulnerable states" Harper said. "Those are the groups of the countries we are looking to help."<br />
"Countries like Canada understand that least developed countries do not have the same resources as developed countries to manage climate change and adaptation," Harper said.<br />
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A statement on the announcement singled out "small island developing states, particularly in Africa, the Caribbean, and the South Pacific."<br />
Harper said the funds are money provided for in the most recent budget, although a formal announcement had not been made before Sunday. He said most of funds would be distributed through international organizations, including the World Bank.<br />
"We anticipate most of this money from the Government of Canada's perspective to be distributed to international organizations in this fiscal year," Harper said.<br />
The news conference brought to an end the summit of the Francophonie, a 55-member organization of governments with significant French-speaking populations.<br />
The meeting was often overshadowed by the financial crisis, which forced French President Nicolas Sarkozy to shorten his visit Friday in order to meet with U.S. President George Bush to discuss the crisis.<br />
Participants said the summit however gave a voice to poorer countries often forgotten during the financial crisis.<br />
"While the international financial crisis continues to resonate for each of us, our discussions here at the summit will contribute to international cooperation on this issue," Harper said. "This meeting has provided the first major forum for developed and developing states and governments to exchange views on the international crisis."</div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Bloc slams think-tank report on party financing</span></h1>
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<span class="name">By Phil Couvrette</span><span class="timestamp">October 23, 2008</span></div>
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OTTAWA - The Bloc Quebecois slammed the report of a Winnipeg-based think-tank Thursday that said the party was rescued in the last election by public money due to its weakening financial situation.<br /><br />The Frontier Centre notes that since 2000 taxpayer subsidies to political parties are estimated at $313 million - with $290 million of that paid out since 2004.<br /><br />It also says that for the 18-month period ending June 30 the Bloc raised just over half-a-million dollars but received almost $6 million in quarterly "allowances" from Elections Canada.<br /><br />Since 2000 the Bloc is the party most dependent on public financing to survive, the centre stressed. The party received $31.8 million dollars in public financing but raised just $5.7 million from individuals, giving the Bloc a high ratio of public dollars to individually donated dollars. This year, it noted, the Bloc raised just $73,704 in the first six months but received over $1.5 million in public financing.<br /><br />"Whether one supports or opposes the use of tax dollars to fund political parties, an unintended consequence of public financing for political parties is that the Bloc Quebecois' finances were greatly helped out by such schemes," said Mark Milke, author of the report and the Frontier Centre's director of research. "Without federal financing, the separatist party would likely have been unable to mount a serious campaign in the 2008 election."<br /><br />But Bloc spokesman Frederic Lepage said party finances were healthy and the study doesn't take into consideration where the Bloc gets most of its financing.<br /><br />"At the BQ, donations are for the most part recorded by riding associations, so they don't appear in the quarterly report they refer to," Lepage said. "When the election was launched there were over $2.5 million in the coffers of the constituencies and ... they were all donations."<br /><br />The fact that the centre looks at donations in the first half of the year also fails to provide a clear picture of financing because financing campaigns are held late in the year, he added.<br /><br />"October to December is when people provide the brunt of financing both to ridings and the national party, sometimes five to 10 times more (than earlier in the year)," Lepage said. "(The study) reveals little in terms of our financing; our financial situation is very healthy."<br /><br />As legislative changes since 2004 in the Canada Elections Act disallowed corporate and union donations, individual donations have become critically important for political parties, the Frontier Centre notes.<br /><br />"The magnitude of the public money/private money ratio (5.6) for the Bloc is surprising to me, but the fact that they would be primarily reliant on public money is not," notes Scott Bennett of Carleton University.<br /><br />"Starting under Chretien and continuing under Harper, the possibility of large organizations funding political parties has been closed off. This hurt some parties much more than others," he said. "The Conservatives have been excellent at raising a lot of small donations from individuals and, of course, getting their share of public funding. The Liberals have done a poor job of playing the new funding game. The Bloc seems to have done worse in terms of the private money aspect. It would appear as though they have done an increasingly poor job of raising money from ordinary individuals."<br /><br />The centre says the trend lines reveal that in recent years the Bloc has garnered progressively fewer individual donations as individual donors dropped to 4,486 in 2007 and just 1,070 in the first six months of 2008.<br /><br />"They're all being financed to a great degree by the public purse, some are more than others, the Bloc in particular," Milke said of political parties. "What's interesting is the trend line since 2004 is down in individual donors and the Bloc's excuse that people donate to riding associations is irrelevant."<br /><br /><div id="storyheader">
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<span style="font-size: medium;">N.L. premier apologizes to victims of botched cancer tests</span></h1>
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<span class="name">By Ken Meaney and Phil Couvrette</span><span class="timestamp">October 28, 2008</span></div>
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A contrite Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams told breast cancer patients Tuesday that he was truly sorry the province had botched their tests.<br /><br />"We sincerely apologize and take full responsibility," he said at the end of his testimony before the inquiry looking into the faulty cancer testing results.<br /><br />He also thanked all the witnesses who have testified, calling the patients and the families who have spoken at the inquiry graceful.<br /><br />"We will never be able to give you back what you have lost," Williams added.<br /><br />"We've hurt these people in some way. They've suffered," he said. "I can assure these people it was not deliberate."<br /><br />As the inquiry winds down - it is expected to end its hearing at week's end - Williams's testimony has long been anticipated. What he knew and when have been key questions for the inquiry and observers.<br /><br />Williams also acknowledged that he should have been told sooner and given more details about the problem.<br /><br />"The buck stops here," Williams said.<br /><br />The inquiry, which began hearings in March, is looking into how nearly 400 patients received the wrong results on their tests, which are used to determine treatment options.<br /><br />Williams told the inquiry that in July 2005 his government had received an e-mail from the Department of Health saying there was a major health problem, but later that day another message came in saying "no action required." He said at that point his government left it in the hands of health officials and that his staff never informed him of the issue.<br /><br />"This was considered to be a non-issue at the time," said Williams.<br /><br />"We have now gone from major to no action required; this matter is, for a lack of a better word, dormant," he said about the two e-mails. "A no action required statement is exactly that. Stand down, no action required.<br /><br />"That's not for one minute to downplay the seriousness and importance of improper testing on patients and its effects on their lives," Williams added.<br /><br />In the past Williams has complained about the tone of questioning by commission lawyer Bern Coffey and even called the inquiry a witch hunt. But Williams, known more for his aggressive style and bombast, showed a different side on Tuesday, answering questions directly and showing contrition.<br /><br />He said the first he heard of the faulty tests was when he read about it in the media in October 2005, three months after the initial message had been sent to his office.<br /><br />"The fact I was not notified about this in hindsight, I find this to be disappointing," Williams said of John Ottenheimer, health minister at the time, not speaking to him about it.<br /><br />But Williams said Ottenheimer was being bombarded by medical advice not to go public at that time because senior Health Department managers and doctors advised against it, fearing full public disclosure would put already stressed patients under greater duress.<br /><br />"At a certain time I would have liked to have known about what was going on with this issue," Williams said.<br /><br />He said the number of contacts of all sorts that come through his office is between 125,000 to 150,000 a year. "That is overwhelming volume," he said adding that there is a fine line between what should be escalated to his attention and what isn't.<br /><br />Peter Dawe, a spokesman for the Canadian Cancer Society, has been critical of the Williams's government handling of the issue, but he had praise for the premier on Tuesday.<br /><br />"He seemed to be very sincere and very straightforward in all his answers to all the questions that were posed to him," Dawe said.<br /><br />"The premier went out of his way to say directly that as far as he was concerned Eastern Health authorities were deliberately trying to minimize the impact of the situation... and that while he wasn't looking to point fingers or apply blame it was quite obvious from his testimony that the process didn't work properly."<br /><br />Williams testified that procedures have been changed in regard to serious health matters and that he has told his senior staff to come directly to him instead of relying on briefing notes. He added senior government officials "are on red alert" now over health issues.<br /><br />"I've said if you have matters that you think are urgent, that need to be brought to my attention, then you need to come and tell me directly."<br /><br />Despite defending his government's practices, Williams said he isn't trying to downplay the seriousness of the botched exams. He said everything has changed.<br /><br />"There is a heightened awareness," he said. "When you are dealing with life safety there is no question," he said.<br /><br />The inquiry was expected to last 40 days, but commissioner Justice Margaret Cameron was granted an extension to conduct hearings. She is to file her report by early next year.<br /><br />A class-action suit against the health region on behalf of more than 300 of the affected women and their families is also underway.<br /><br /><i>With files from St. John's Telegram</i><br /><br /><div id="storyheader">
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<span style="font-size: medium;">No rule says stranded passengers must deplane: Documents</span></h1>
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<span class="name">By Jack Branswell and Phil Couvrette</span><span class="timestamp">November 3, 2008</span></div>
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OTTAWA — Passengers who spent 12 hours last March on the tarmac of an Ottawa airport with no food, water or toilets have inadvertently exposed a regulatory black hole in Canada’s aviation system, documents obtained by Canwest News Service show.<br /><br />“There is indeed no law or regulation that requires passengers to be deplaned,” say Transport Canada briefing notes obtained through access to information. “There is a gap.”<br /><br />“Currently, if an airline or its ground handlers don’t intervene, nobody appears to be responsible for an aircraft full of passengers on the ground. What if there is a crisis, e.g. sickness, terrorists?” the notes ask.<br /><br />Transport Canada has been studying the case of two Cubana flights that were stranded on the tarmac at Ottawa airport to try to ensure it doesn’t happen again. The flights last March 8 were headed to Montreal but redirected to Ottawa because of a snow storm, which was also hitting the nation’s capital.<br /><br />But a combination of the storm, Cubana having no relationship with local baggage handling companies and lightning meant the 300-plus passengers sat for 12 hours within eyesight of a gate.<br /><br />They were eventually bused back to Montreal, but not before spending about another eight hours in the Ottawa airport.<br />
<br />The Transport Canada notes, which refer to the Cubana case as “the operational night from hell,” also viewed the problem within the optics of a passengers’ bill of rights, a motion that was already before Parliament at the time.<br /><br />“Terms of carriage have been silent as to the number of hours a passenger could or should be left sitting in a plane on the tarmac,” the documents say. “I would think passengers would think not being locked up in a plane within sight of the terminal for 12 hours as a right worthy of inclusion in a passengers’ bill of rights,” they added.<br /><br />But the unsigned notes also said:_“I believe there are safety and security concerns here.”<br />
Passengers who were on the flights were irate. In letters sent to the government, people referred to the ordeal as a “surreal mess,” and said they were being “held hostage by other Canadian citizens and bureaucrats.”<br /><br />One writer complained that once they finally got into the terminal and were desperately trying to get information, a police officer reportedly told them they wouldn’t have had the problem if they had flown Air Canada.<br /><br />“Regrettable???? How about outrageous?” one fired back in response to a form letter from the government.<br /><br />Still another, in a blog-like running account of the long night on the tarmac wrote: “Maybe they will find us one day when the snow melts. A phantom plane forgotten there with passengers dehydrated and abandoned by the bureaucracy and technocracy.”<br /><br />Some passengers were so frustrated by the wait that they ended up calling 911 for help.<br />
Transport Canada said it is still looking into the case and the lack of regulations to deal with similar situations. But the documents note it is: “far from certain anything could have saved (the) situation on that particular night, the night from hell.”<br /><br />It noted there was only one ground crew working at the time.<br /><br />It also said there were problems between Cubana and the Ottawa Airport Authority.<br /><br />“The lack of communication and some miscommunication, that night was a particular concern. Things could have been ‘less bad’ with communication.”<br /><br />Cubana has not returned repeated phones calls over the issue, but its general manager for Canada, Ramon Valdivia, wrote to Transport Canada after the incident. “We consider that even taking the exceptional circumstances into account, this situation is highly irregular,” he wrote while asking for an official inquiry into the matter.<br /><br />Krista Kealey, Ottawa Airport Authority spokeswoman, said the airport tried to help Cubana. It found a ground crew, brought in cots to the terminal and arranged for the buses back to Montreal. “We agree that airlines leaving passengers on airplanes for that long is unacceptable,” she said. “Unfortunately, in a situation like that the relationship is between the airline and the passengers.”<br /><br />But she said no water or food was brought to the plane because they didn’t ask for it.<br /><br />“No one asked. We had no contact from them at all.”<br /><br />Suzanne Kearns, an aviation expert at the University of Western Ontario, said the airline industry “tends to view passengers more as cargo or payload than as actual human beings. The anger that materializes on-board an aircraft is often the result of people feeling that they have lost their humanity.”<br /><br />But she said passengers also have to take some responsibility.<br /><br />“For example, if we are the ones choosing travel exclusively based on which is least expensive do we really have the grounds to argue that it’s uncomfortable?”<br /><br />International Air Transport Association spokesman Steve Lott says extra regulations wouldn’t have been helpful because of the number of variables involved in the incident, but there should be contingencies to deal with such scenarios. “The airport and the airline do share some responsibilities to come up with a contingency plan,” he said. “People stuck on aircrafts for 12 hours is simply not acceptable.”<br /><br />Aviation lawyer Robert Donald agrees there is no need to further regulate one of the most regulated industries in Canada, but added carriers, airports and consumer organizations should be involved to develop responses through “voluntary codes of conduct.”<br /><br />“I’m concerned all the focus on a passenger bill of rights is directed at the airlines when sometimes they don’t have control of the situation.”<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">6 protesters arrested at barricade: Que. natives</span></h1>
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<span class="name">By Phil Couvrette</span><span class="timestamp">November 19, 2008</span></div>
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<br />Members of the Barriere Lake Algonquins slammed as 'a shame' and 'disgusting' the arrest of protesters by the Surete du Quebec Wednesday.<br /><br />They also said that the arrests stand as the province's response to their long-standing native claims.<br /><br />Police intervened twice Wednesday to bring down barricades blocking a highway in Western Quebec. The Algonquins were protesting their treatment at the hands of the provincial police during an earlier demonstration.<br /><br />Barriere Lake spokesman Norman Matchewan accused the SQ of using "excessive force" during the arrests and said one of the officers had drawn his gun during the intervention.<br /><br />"One (arrested protester) was bleeding very bad ... another was slapped to the ground and her face hit the concrete," Matchewan said. "We were being pushed into our community, people were being pushed off the highway."<br /><br />Matchewan said Chief Benjamin Nottaway, author of a letter to Quebec Premier Jean Charest on Monday condemning the action of the police during a previous barricade protest, was among six people arrested.<br /><br />"This is the response, it's a shame and disgusting what they did," he said, adding the community was discussing future non-violent protest and supporting those who had been arrested and who were expected to appear in court Thursday.<br /><br />Early Wednesday the SQ arrested a 31-year-old spokeswoman for the Algonquins when they dismantled the natives' log barricade on Highway 117.<br /><br />Protesters then erected a "human barricade" formed by a few dozen people and vowed to continue the blockade until the arrival of negotiators to discuss their claims but were removed after the arrival of SQ officers in riot gear.<br /><br />The SQ confirmed their tactical unit moved on the group at 2 p.m. but could not immediately confirm the number of arrests.<br /><br />The 31-year-old was arrested for "for obstructing the work of police" and police said they expected others to face similar charges.<br /><br />Traffic resumed on the highway at 2:30 p.m., SQ spokesman Marc Butz said. He called claims that an officer had drawn a weapon "unfounded."<br /><br />The band wanted to bring attention to police actions during a highway protest last month.<br /><br />Nine people were arrested and charged with mischief after the previous incident, during which provincial police fired canisters containing a chemical irritant to disperse the crowd.<br /><br />The earlier blockade, set up about 300 kilometres north of Ottawa, was organized by members of the native community in an attempt to pressure the federal and provincial governments to back a new leadership selection process. They also wanted the governments to honour a signed deal giving the community a say over the development of 10,000 square kilometres of territory they claim.<br /><br />"All we want is our agreements to be honoured ... so our community will have a decisive say in the management of our territory," Matchewan said Wednesday.<br /><br />Supporters of the Barriere Lake Algonquins also held a rally in front of Charest's office in Montreal Wednesday. Police said about a dozen people were peacefully demonstrating at the location.<br /><br /><div id="storyheader">
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Forces watch Quebec test of Taser-cam</span></h1>
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<span class="name">By Phil Couvrette</span><span class="timestamp">November 22, 2008</span></div>
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<br />Police departments across the country will be looking on as Quebec conducts tests to determine whether a camera-equipped version of the controversial Taser stun gun is suitable for its police forces and provides greater accountability.</div>
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But critics of the device, which discharges 50,000 volts when fired, say adopting such a model, which both records video and sound when it is triggered, will not eliminate their concerns about its use.<br />
In late October, a subcommittee of Quebec's Public Security Department obtained the go-ahead to conduct studies and tests on the camera-equipped electroshock weapon, according to Andree Dore of Quebec's Ecole Nationale de Police.<br />
The decision followed the recommendations of a Quebec coroner who concluded police forces should videotape the use of such devices.<br />
Coroner Catherine Rudel-Tessier was at the time submitting a report on the death of Quilem Registre, who died four days after being struck by Taser on Oct. 18, 2007. The coroner said although the weapon was not directly responsible for the death, the fact the intoxicated Registre had received six discharges in 53 seconds during his arrest may have contributed to his deteriorating condition.<br />
In all, over 20 people have died shortly after being shocked by the weapon in recent years in Canada, prompting groups such as Amnesty International to call for use of the device to be suspended. Most of those deaths occurred within hours of the Taser incident.<br />
Camera-equipped versions would "provide enhanced accountability for law enforcement officers and the communities they serve," said Steve Tuttle of Taser Inc., who stresses no death has ever been directly linked to the device.<br />
Tuttle noted a 2006 International Association of Chiefs of Police report "showed statistical data indicates that 96.2 per cent of the time, the recording of the event exonerated the officer of the allegation or complaint."<br />
He said the camera-equipped version, which was launched in August 2006, was available to 1,871 law enforcement agencies as of March this year.<br />
But this greater accountability doesn't go far enough, according to Amnesty International.<br />
"It's helpful to have new accountability measures - it certainly doesn't hurt to have them. But in terms of addressing our main concern, it certainly doesn't," said spokeswoman Hilary Holmes. "This is a device that was deployed prior to enough independent study to really be able to assess, 'Is this a reasonable risk?' Particularly with vulnerable groups, there needs to be more study in order to make that assessment."<br />
In the meantime, Amnesty wants use of the weapon suspended or, failing that, brought to "highly restricted use." By Amnesty's count, 25 deaths have occurred in Canada following the use of a Taser since the introduction of the device.<br />
Videotape of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski being shocked by a Taser at the Vancouver airport in October 2007 was broadly distributed. That tape, showing RCMP officers using a Taser on the agitated man, who spoke no English, and then pinning him to the ground, drew outrage from around the world.<br />
Dziekanski's was perhaps the highest-profile death in Canada following the use of the device.<br />
Some police forces do see an advantage in obtaining the camera-equipped version of the Taser.<br />
Such a device "would be interesting because it enables light to be immediately shed on events during the intervention," said Marc Parent of Montreal Police.<br />
Other forces, such as Vancouver's, have considered camera-equipped devices, but decided not to add them to their arsenal.<br />
"The VPD does not currently use Taser cameras. Our Force Options Section has studied the information, and the cameras do not meet our needs at this time," wrote Const. Jana McGuinness in an e-mail.<br />
The Calgary Police Service has also looked into the device, but have yet to implement its use, said Darren Leggatt, who looks after use-of-force training for the department.<br />"We're certainly looking to explore new and different things . . . a variety of different products," he said.<br />
The Ontario Provincial Police says it doesn't use the camera-equipped model, but notes provincial regulations require that all uses of force, including the Taser, be documented.<br />
The RCMP did not respond to requests for information on whether it uses or has considered using the device.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Ill-fated vessel not fit for ice, says report</span></h1>
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<span class="name">By Ken Meaney and Phil Couvrette</span><span class="timestamp"><br />November 26, 2008</span></div>
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Magdalen Islanders reacted angrily Wednesday to a Transportation Safety Board report on the capsizing of L'Acadien II while under tow last March that found, in part, that the aluminum-hulled sealing vessel was not fit to operate in ice.<br /><br />In its final report on the sinking, which claimed four lives, the TSB recommended all fishing vessels operating in ice should be built for the conditions. It also urged the federal Fisheries Department to develop new guidelines for towing operations in "ice-infested waters," saying small vessels participating in the seal hunt often require assistance, "especially . . . those unsuited for navigation in ice."<br /><br />However, islanders like Dorina Cummings, a friend of Claude Deraspe, one of two survivors of the disaster, pointed to the tow itself as the cause.<br /><br />"For them to say the boat wasn't properly equipped or didn't have a reinforced hull, that's fine, but it didn't cause the boat to capsize," Cummings said. "It's really about how they towed the boat."<br /><br />L'Acadien II, a 13-metre boat from Quebec's Magdalen Islands, went down last March 29, some 30 kilometres northeast of Cape Breton Island.<br /><br />The vessel's rudder had been damaged and it was unable to turn toward the starboard side. While under tow, L'Acadien II's clutch became engaged and it veered into the path of a block of ice, the report said. The crew of the L'Acadien II tried to break through. Instead, the vessel ran up onto the ice and capsized.<br /><br />Lookouts on the coast guard vessel saw the danger and cut the tow line, but not in time to prevent the mishap, the report said.<br /><br />Two L'Acadien crew, Deraspe and Bruno Pierre Bourque, were rescued, while the bodies of Bruno Bourque, Gilles Leblanc and Marc-Andre Deraspe were recovered. The body of a fourth man, Carl Aucoin, was never found.<br /><br />The report, made public at a news conference in Halifax as family and friends of the sealers watched by video conference from the islands, addressed lingering questions from sealer Wayne Dickson, whose vessel was following L'Acadien II and picked up the survivors, about whether the crew of the coast guard ship, the Sir William Alexander, was monitoring the tow.<br /><br />TSB chief investigator Don Eaves said two of the Alexander's crew watched the operation, ready to cut the tow line if necessary. He said they may not have been visible to the other ships because of the Alexander's intense flood lights.<br /><br />He also acknowledged the Alexander had received radio warnings from Dickson to stop the tow as L'Acadien II struck the ice pan. But he said the ship's crew was too busy dealing with the emergency to respond.<br /><br />Dickson has also said the tow line to L'Acadien II was too long, but Eaves said the distance between the coast guard ship and L'Acadien II was only 22 metres.<br /><br />Contrary to another of Dickson's claims, that the coast guard ship turned off its flood lights, Eaves said: "At no point were the Sir William Alexander's floodlights turned off."<br /><br />On Wednesday, Dickson stood by his claims and disputed the board's finding that L'Acadien II, like many sealing ships, was not suitable for ice.<br /><br />"What was wrong with the boat - the structure, the size of the boat - had nothing to do with the fact that the coast guard ship towed her (until L'Acadien II went) upside down. It had nothing to do with what the boat was made of, built with, shaped, or anything else. It's just crazy smoke they're throwing in front of everything to blind everybody to what actually did happen," he said.<br /><br />Eaves said two TSB personnel were on the Magdalen Islands Wednesday to brief the families on the findings, but the news conference itself was held in Halifax.<br /><br />"The accident happened in Nova Scotia, so logically, the conference could be held in Halifax. On top of that, it was a media event and only media were invited," he said.<br /><br />Magdalen Islands Mayor Joel Arseneau, who said he was "very disappointed" by the report, stressed that it creates more questions than it answers and doesn't let the community and families turn the page.<br /><br />Family members were "disappointed, some even furious," that the report was released in Halifax and not on the islands as the people who could help them interpret it weren't on hand, he said.<br /><br />"When people left the meeting they said they remained in the dark about many things and said it's hard for them to make their peace with what happened, to try to understand what truly happened, and today's report doesn't help us in any way."<br /><br />Arseneau characterized the report as a "lazy one . . . recycled from an earlier report," which suggested extra precautions concerning small boats patrolling icy waters, which on top of it "was absolutely not pertinent in the current case."<br /><br />"Federal officials said the government had a responsibility in this tragedy and light would be shed on the issue, we're very far form that at this time."<br /><br />Eaves said the TSB was not blaming the crew of either vessel for the accident. Asked what could have been done to prevent it, he said the two recommendations, if implemented, would reduce the risk of such accidents happening again.<br /><br />The Fisheries Department and Transport Canada have 90 days to respond to the report. Fisheries Minister Gail Shea said the department is reviewing it. She said another review, by a retired Canadian admiral, is expected shortly and will be given to families and survivors before its public release.<br /><br /><div id="storyheader">
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Sealer fears TSB report on sinking threatens annual hunt</span></h1>
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<span class="name">By Phil Couvrette and Ken Meaney</span><span class="timestamp">November 29, 2008</span></div>
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A recommendation in a Transportation Safety Board report on the sinking of a sealing ship last March threatens the future of the hunt, an outspoken critic of the report says.<br />
The TSB report found that L’Acadien II — a 13-metre, aluminum-hulled vessel — was, like most ships that take part in the annual hunt, “not designed, constructed or adequately modified to navigate in ice.”<br />
In its final report on the sinking, which claimed four lives, the TSB said all fishing vessels operating in ice should be built for the conditions.<br />
But sealers like Wayne Dickson, who rescued the ship’s two survivors, said following the recommendation would dramatically reduce the number of ships taking part.<br />
“This is just something to eliminate smaller-sized vessels from the seal hunt, as far as I can say,” said Dickson. “How do you reinforce a fibreglass boat for ice?”<br />
L’Acadien II capsized while being towed by a coast guard ship off Cape Breton. The report, which did not assign blame for the accident, also addressed the towing operation, saying the coast guard crew followed standard procedures. But it also noted there are no comprehensive rules on towing small ships in ice.<br />
The ship had sought the tow when heavy ice damaged its rudder, preventing it from turning to starboard.<br />
The TSB report said the damage could have been prevented if the ship had been “ice-strengthened.”<br />
The report by the TSB, a federal Crown agency, angered many in the vessel’s home port on the Magdalen Islands. However, Magdalen Islands Mayor Joel Arseneau, another critic of the report, doesn’t see it the same way as Dickson. He said Ottawa has consistently defended the hunt. “So I am not seeing here a will by the government to distance itself from the hunt.”<br />
Seal hunt opponent Paul Watson, of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, said the Canadian government has been sending sealers out for years in boats that it knows aren’t safe in ice.<br />
“Those vessels, those longliners, have no business in those ice conditions. ... We have an ice-class vessel and they’re constantly saying, ‘your vessel is not safe, you can’t go into this area,’ but they send these aluminum and wooden-hulled vessels into these treacherous ice conditions and lose them every year,” Watson said from Perth, Australia where he was getting ready for Sea Shepherd’s anti-whaling campaign.<br />
TSB investigator Don Eaves said a vessel’s safety in ice depends on how it’s constructed.<br />
“There’s a lot of things to go into ice-strengthening a vessel: a thicker hull, increased frames, a bigger-diameter propeller shaft, bigger-diameter rudder stock, heavier (and) more robust steering gear. There’s many, many things you’d have to do to make a boat suitable to operate in ice.”<br />
The cost to make a vessel suitable for ice-filled waters would vary depending on the size and type of vessel, the area of operation and shipyard, said Transport Canada spokeswoman Maryse Durette.<br />
If implemented, the recommendation could well be costly for the sealing industry.<br />
In 2005, the TSB report noted, 1,800 vessels participated in the hunt, all of them under 20 metres. It says a similar number are estimated to have participated during the 2008 season.<br />
“Most are constructed of wood, fibreglass-reinforced plastic, or fibreglass over wood,” the report said.<br />
“Intended for open-water fishing and outfitted temporarily for participation in the hunt, their hulls, shafts, propellers, and rudders are seldom strengthened for navigation in ice-infested waters. In addition, without sufficient power and mass to navigate in ice, these vessels are susceptible to being beset and damaged.”<br />
Figures in the TSB report show 227 “occurrences” involving fishing vessels in ice-filled waters were reported between 1990 and 2005. Most involved hull damage, but 21 ships were lost.<br />
A 2000 coast guard report also points to the dangers of the hunt, and the economic cost, noting that, in some instances, risk factors associated with sealing preclude insurance coverage. It said vessels engaged in the sealing industry “are finding that standard policies require as much as a $100,000 deductible.”<br />
At the time of the L’Acadien II sinking, there was no requirement for the boat to be ice-strengthened.<br />
But a Transport Canada review now underway, would require fishing vessels more than nine metres to be designed and constructed to handle ice.<br />
The TSB said while it is encouraged by the proposed new regulations, it is “concerned that this will not include all existing vessels; in 2005, for example, 58 per cent of vessels involved in the seal hunt were under 10.7 m.<br />
“Given that these existing vessels are likely to make up the majority of the sealing industry, the current risk level will persist,” it said.<br />
It’s not always safe to go out in icy waters, Cape Breton sealer Shane Briand told the Cape Breton Post newspaper, but sometimes the boats have to take risks to meet their quota. “The seals were in heavy ice last winter and that’s where the boats had to go. You got to go where the money is at,” said Briand.<br />
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Transport Canada have 90 days to respond to the TSB report.<br />
A DFO official declined to comment last week, saying they needed time to review the recommendations.<br />
Transport Canada has also received the report and will review it.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Coast Guard towing rules need review: Report</span></h1>
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<span class="name">By Phil Couvrette</span><span class="timestamp">December 1, 2008</span></div>
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OTTAWA - A new report on the capsizing of a sealing vessel while under tow last March said the Canadian Coast Guard should conduct a full review of its towing operations in ice, and reconsider its policy of leaving crew members on board a ship while being towed.<br />
The report recommends "arriving at a single, common, and very clear towing policy that is understood and applicable across the (coast) guard," said retired rear admiral Roger Girouard, who issued his report Monday into the capsizing of L'Acadien II on March 29, which claimed four lives.<br />
Among his recommendations, Girouard said the coast guard may want to "minimize the crew" on board a vessel being towed, should the conditions permit their removal, all the while informing the crew of the risks involved.<br />
"The policy to date suggests, in fact, that crews not be moved for want of risking them as you do move them, so, in this case (the coast-guard vessel), Sir William Alexander, acted in accordance with the policy," said Girouard, who retired in August 2007 as Commander Maritime Forces Pacific after a 33-year naval career.<br />
"One of the recommendations includes a default, in particular, with small vessels, such as we had with L'Acadien II, that you go to minimum manning," he said. "What that minimum might be depends on the circumstances: if it's an easily towable vessel without anyone on board, it's zero; if there's a particular reason to leave some crew on board, it's no more than two."<br />
"If the conditions for moving the crew are too dangerous, you have to leave them aboard; (they) would then be cognizant of the risks that represents."<br />
Lack of communication about the risks involved in a towing operation may have come into play in the L'Acadien II incident, the report suggests.<br />
"The decision on board L'Acadien II to allow four of the crew to be asleep in the accommodation below does suggest that the potential for a sudden incident was not well-recognized," the report noted. "A more complete conversation about the tow, and the risk to consider, may well have delivered a different scenario altogether."<br />
Girouard further suggested the coast guard may want to upgrade current towing technology.<br />
The coast guard should "take a look at the equipment that's in play now on board, look at what technologies exist out there that towing companies are using, and look to modernize some of that equipment and the capability to use some automated systems to react more quickly."<br />
Girouard noted that while current regulations prevent towing in ice, the coast guard should prepare for the eventuality when this will be necessary over the winter.<br />
"They have a zero-towing-in-ice rule at this exact moment. . . . I recommended that they should look at . . . how they are going to cope with this coming year's ice season.<br />
"While nothing can reduce the risks of life at sea-to-zero, the advice offered is meant to enhance operations and mitigate these risks," said the report released by Girouard, who was appointed by the minister of fisheries to lead an independent investigation in the wake of the accident north of Cape Breton as the seal hunt opened.<br />
His report is the second on the sinking in less than a week. Last Wednesday, the Transportation Safety Board released a report on the same incident that said the coast guard lacks comprehensive policies on towing small vessels in ice.<br />
The TSB report also found that L'Acadien II, as most sealing vessels, was not suitable for operating in ice.<br />
That provoked a harsh backlash on the Magdalen Islands, the sealers' home, where people said the report appeared to unfairly blame the sealers for the incident.<br />
Sealer Wayne Dickson, who rescued the ship's two survivors, says families who joined him in a meeting with Girouard over the weekend were "a little bit more at ease, a bit more comfortable" by this new report, in part because Girouard had personally met with the families before releasing the report.<br />
"He was able to answer a lot of their questions," he said.<br />
While Dickson said he took exception with some of Girouard's findings, he acknowledged the former admiral "did a more thorough investigation."<br />
In particular, Dickson said the report reinforced some of his suspicions, noting it states that at one stage, "Sir William Alexander lost control of the tow."<br />
The report said this happened "at a critical moment, whatever the reason, allowing the L'Acadien II to come into contact with a dangerous ice cake."<br />
The vessel's rudder had been damaged and it was unable to turn to the starboard side, according to the earlier TSB report. While under tow, L'Acadien II's clutch became engaged, and it veered into the path of a block of ice. The crew of the L'Acadien II tried to break through. Instead, the vessel ran up onto the ice and capsized.<br />
Dickson said he agreed with recommendations that coast guard ships be equipped with a quick release to cut tow ropes in case of trouble.<br />
Gail Shea, minister of Fisheries and Oceans, announced Monday the creation of a "dedicated team to analyze the recommendations offered in all federal reports on L'Acadien II." Besides the TSB report and Girouard's, the RCMP, which concluded there was no criminal wrongdoing in the incident, also investigated the incident.<br />
On Monday a fourth report by the Department of National Defence Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax made its own set of recommendations after the incident.<br />
It called for better co-operation between the coast guard's search-and-rescue and ice operations programs, as well as more training for the coast guard in rescue operations where a vessel has capsized. A need for equipment upgrades was also raised, recommending "the investigation, evaluation and purchase of suitable equipment to assist crews with a capsized rescue operation."<br />
The report cited a number of communications problems between the coast-guard ship and search-and-rescue aircraft and the co-ordination centre, citing a need to "improve communication reliability."<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Ice cleaners can make hockey players sick, doctor warns</span></h1>
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<span class="name">By Phil Couvrette</span><span class="timestamp">December 3, 2008</span></div>
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A Quebec public health doctor says hockey-loving communities across the country should be wary of air poisoning related to the use of ice-surfacing machines after dozens of people became ill after attending hockey games last Sunday.</div>
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Some 35 people either checked into hospitals or saw doctors after suffering form symptoms of nitrogen poisoning related to a faulty ice-surfacing machine at Saint-Ubalde arena, west of Quebec City.<br />
Quebec health authorities said Wednesday they wanted to make sure participants of a minor hockey tournament played earlier in the day get in touch with them if they experienced similar respiratory problems. They said that sometimes symptoms appear later.<br />
Participants of a garage league tournament Sunday evening started feeling ill hours after playing, said Dr. Henri Prud'homme of the Quebec City-area public health agency. One of the players was still reported to be in intensive care Wednesday.<br />
Prud'homme said the arena's ice-surfacing machine malfunctioned, leading to nitrogen pollution, something that was made worse by the fact a tournament was held at the arena over the weekend, which meant the machine was in regular work.<br />
"We didn't have to check the ice-surfacing machine, the fact that players were describing a yellowish smoke in the air and their symptoms told us it was a problem related to nitrogen poisoning," pointed to the machine, Prud'homme said.<br />
The players reported respiratory problems such as shortness of breath, some even coughing up blood, and one experienced a buildup of liquid in his lungs. In the worst cases, Prud'homme said individuals could potentially develop asthma-like long-term problems that can require regular use of medication. But most people usually recover easily.<br />
Prud'homme, who in the 1990s helped write a provincial health report which raised the issue of air poisoning related to the use of the ice cleaners in areas, says there may be a need to refresh the memory of communities not only in Quebec but across the hockey-playing world, about the need to look out for problems that can lead to air poisoning.<br />
"We probably all need to send a reminder... or a letter to arena managers to remind them of their duties," said Prud'homme.<br />
Prud'homme said over time, sometimes due to management changes at arenas or for budgetary reasons, people may have forgotten how important it is to consider all the measures necessary to prevent various types of either nitrogen or carbon poisoning.<br />
He said it was important to check the machines for proper calibration every 50 hours and stressed arena doors be kept wide open when the ice is being cleaned.<br />
He acknowledged this isn't always popular, because people often complain of the cold, but it was nonetheless necessary to clear the air.<br />
He also stressed the need to equip arenas with functioning air quality meters.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Search for crew of capsized ship to end Thursday</span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: small;">HALIFAX -- The prefect of the French island of St-Pierre-Miquelon says the search for a ship that capsized off the southern coast of Newfoundland earlier this week will end at the end of the day Thursday.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Meanwhile, Yves Jego, France's Minister for Overseas Territories, issued a statement Thursday thanking search crews for their efforts and saying he would travel to the French island to offer his condolences to the families.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The search entered its third day Thursday.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The Cap Blanc capsized sometime Monday evening en route from Argentia, N.L., to the French islands of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. It was carrying road salt when it flipped over south of Marystown, N.L.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Military spokesman Mike Bonin said the Cap Blanc did not issue a distress call, so a search was not launched until Tuesday morning, hours after the 37-metre ship's scheduled arrival in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Search and rescue crews found the capsized ship around 11 a.m., but were unable to extract anyone from it before it sank.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Mr. Bonin said Coast Guard ships, RCMP vessels, military aircraft and civilian crews are all in the cold waters of Placentia Bay searching for the crew.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"We are still searching, we are hopeful," he said, adding that they would not continue operations if they did not think the crew could still be alive.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">But a Halifax woman told the Halifax Chronicle-Herald she had lost all hope for her nephew, who went missing in the incident.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Thierry Duruty, 52, was aboard ship when it capsized, the paper said.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Axe-wielding N.L. man faces charges</span></h1>
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<span class="name">By Phil Couvrette</span><span class="timestamp">December 21, 2008</span></div>
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A 29-year-old Newfoundland man was in critical condition is hospital Sunday and was facing a number of charges after allegedly threatening family members with an axe before being subdued by police Taser.<br />
RCMP Sgt. Wayne Newell said the incident happened late Friday in the central Newfoundland town of Sandringham and a man had to be restrained after striking a police vehicle with an axe.<br />
“At one point he took the axe, waved it over his head and struck the front of the police truck,” he said.<br />
The man had called authorities himself to say he carried an axe and a shotgun, Newell said.<br />
At one point a family member tried to intervene but “the matter escalated to the point that the conducted energy weapon was deployed,” he said.<br />
After being hit once with the weapon, the man feel to the ground and was then cuffed and arrested, he added.<br />
The man remained violent throughout his arrest and had to be restrained on his way to hospital in Gander and during his hospital stay, Newell said.<br />
“He had to be restrained in hospital.”<br />
His name has yet to be made public as the suspect, because of his condition, is not yet aware of the charges against him.<br />
They include assault-related charges, assault with a weapon, uttering threats, possession of a weapon for a purpose dangerous to the public, mischief and seven breaches of undertakings, Newell said.<br />
RCMP hope the man would be able to appear before the courts Monday, possibly by teleconference.<br />
No other person was hurt in the incident.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Towns hope fake ice can extend outdoor skate season</span></h1>
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<span class="name">By Phil Couvrette</span><span class="timestamp">December 21, 2008</span></div>
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After fake Christmas trees, Astroturf and graphite hockey sticks, is Canada ready for synthetic outdoor ice rinks?<br />
Warmer winters and tight city budgets are making some small town mayors consider replacing the iconic public outdoor ice rinks with a synthetic ice that its Canadian distributors say feels like the real thing and can keep running all year long with little or no maintenance.<br />
Francois Bilodeau president of Montreal-based Glace Synthetique du Canada Inc., says that once skaters get past the initial 15 per cent extra effort needed to skate on the surface made of synthetic polymers, the rest is smooth skating.<br />
“The advantage of plastic is there’s no maintenance, no refrigeration needed, no chemicals or ice-cleaning machine, so the energy costs are zero,” he said.<br />
The technology has existed in the U.S. for decades and has made great strides since but has only become available in Canada recently, says Bilodeau.<br />
EZ-Glide 350, which is available in some training and sports centres, was originally developed to accommodate touring skate shows which had trouble setting up shop in various locations such as malls. Earlier versions of the material were twice as hard to skate on and more difficult to install, Bilodeau says.<br />
“You can pick up and go, it takes about two to three hours to set up artificial rink,” he added, likening the experience to completing “a jigsaw puzzle.”<br />
The surface requires more frequent sharpening but doesn’t nick or damage blades, just dulls them, Bilodeau says. The surface is also softer to land on, the company boasts, describing it as “more forgiving than conventional ice.”<br />
The math is also a plus: At $17-21 a square-foot plastic panel, installation costs much less than a regular rink and doesn’t require thousands of dollars in annual upkeep, Bilodeau says.<br />
“For $10,000 per year (over a lifespan of 20 years) they can get a synthetic outdoor rink open 12 months a year,” Bilodeau said. “Kids in a park in shorts in the middle of summer playing hockey, that’s pretty incredible!”<br />
Some mayors already like the idea.<br />
Dorval, Que. Mayor Egdar Rouleau says his suburb of Montreal is seriously considering synthetic ice to extend increasingly melting skating seasons.<br />
He said nearby communities complained they were down to 25 days of outdoor rink operation last year, a short period for such high upkeep costs.<br />
Rouleau pointed out that one week before Christmas rain was crushing hopes to have the outdoor rinks open for the busy holiday period, when kids are out of school.<br />
“For communities like us the most important thing is for the rinks to be open for the holidays,” he said.<br />
“We have a rink just outside town hall and when I look out I can see the kids out there having fun. But your need the (right) weather to make ice.”<br />
While the longtime hockey-playing mayor says synthetic ice may wear hockey players out faster because of the added resistance, it could be a viable option for recreational skating.<br />
“It’s something we’re considering,” Rouleau said. “If we can’t open our rinks before mid-January, synthetic ice becomes increasingly interesting.”<br />
“The weather is getting to the point it’s becoming very difficult for us to reliably maintain natural ice rinks,” agreed Bob Benedetti, mayor of Beaconsfield, another Montreal suburb. “Our residents want an outdoor skating experience.”<br />
Benedetti said several hundreds of his citizens tried out the synthetic rinks in December and raved about them. One of the reasons is that they could finally hit the ice.<br />
“The largest number of complaints I get come if our rinks aren’t ready on time,” he said, which made the availability of rinks a greater factor than cost in the town’s recreational decisions.<br />
Benedetti said the city wanted to add an artificial rink to the city’s 16 outdoor rinks, which cost $150,000 annually in upkeep, but is now willing to consider going synthetic.<br />
“What was an easy decision (picking an artificial rink) is now more difficult because there are some advantages to this synthetic ice surface,” he said. “The kids certainly loved it.”<br />
In Ottawa, where outdoor rinks were a hot topic in the capital’s most recent budget, city officials say they are aware of synthetic rinks, but not considering them at this time.<br />
“It’s not something that’s on a radar in terms of capital expenditure. There would be capital costs involved with that,” said Barry Campbell of the City of Ottawa.<br />
But Ontario and other provinces are wide open to synthetics says Steven Mai, whose company, Strong Hockey Innovations, is the distributor for synthetic ice in Ontario.<br />
Synthetic ice was well-received by people in North York sampling it over the summer he said. He has also received active inquiries from the Waterloo region and London.<br />
Mai says a combination of factors is making people consider synthetic ice including the development of women’s hockey which has created “a shortage of ice” time.<br />
Not enough hockey arenas have been built to accommodate the growing number of hockey players, he also noted. “There is a shortage of ice as far as availability in terms of practising and the economy itself is another contributing factor. There’s a capital investment to put down but very low overhead cost in terms of maintaining it.”<br />
“It’s not a replacement to ice, it’s an alternative that’s more economical.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Canada ponders following U.S. on school bus safety</span> </h1>
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<span class="name">By Phil Couvrette</span><span class="timestamp">December 27, 2008</span></div>
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Transportation officials are looking into whether Canada should emulate new U.S. rules that have equipped small school buses with shoulder and lap seatbelts.<br />
However, one Toronto coach company has decided not to wait for changes to the Canadian regulations and has already outfitted its buses with belts.<br />
Whether school buses should have seatbelts is a long-standing debate, with some arguing the devices could actually make the vehicles more dangerous for students.<br />
The new U.S. federal rules will require school buses to raise seat backs. Buses under 4.5 tonnes will have to be equipped with three-point restraints.<br />
Some U.S. states have also made seatbelts mandatory on larger buses.<br />
Transport Canada said it is studying the U.S. initiative to determine "whether adopting this rule would provide better protection for Canadian children."<br />
"Presently school buses are not required to have seatbelts," said spokeswoman Maryse Durette.<br />
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"Protection is provided by way of compartmentalization, (which) relies on high-back seats that are padded and closely spaced to protect children."<br />
The idea is that the close rows of seats actually secure kids in a confined space.<br />
This has proved effective, she said, stressing that adding seatbelts could "interfere with compartmentalization."<br />
The U.S. advocacy group, National Coalition for School Bus Safety, says that while the new U.S. regulations are protecting the children that are the most vulnerable - those travelling in small buses that face a higher chance of rollover - they still fall short.<br />
"The regulations are an improvement but in my opinion they don't go far enough," said Alan Ross from the advocacy group. He noted the changes still leave thousands of larger buses without seatbelts.<br />
A number of reports, the latest by Alberta's Ministry of Transport, have raised the issue of possible injuries resulting from adding seatbelts to buses.<br />
In November, a provincial safety review in the province ruled against making seatbelts mandatory on school buses, pointing out that no Canadian province requires the restraints and mentioning studies, including Transport Canada's, that suggest they could, in some circumstances, cause injuries.<br />
"The way buses are designed today, just to add seatbelts to them, you could actually create more of a danger (due) to injury than less," Alberta Transport Minister Luke Ouellette said recently.<br />
That argument doesn't sit well with the U.S. advocacy group.<br />
"For years the industry would bad-mouth safety belts and tell you, kids would be torn in half ... while common sense dictates these are simple appliances that save lives," said Ross.<br />
Ross disputed claims by some experts that crash dynamics were different in large buses and said the cost of retrofitting buses was the real hang up.<br />
"The laws of physics are not suspended because of the vehicle."<br />
The U.S. is not alone in adding belts to buses. The European Union and Australia have had seatbelt rules for buses for years.<br />
A Toronto motorcoach company decided it wasn't going to wait for the long-standing debate to be settled before installing seatbelts on all its buses.<br />
Pacific Western, which bills itself as "safety obsessed," boasts it is the "first bus company in North America to have their entire fleet outfitted with seatbelts" after outfitting all its 50 coaches with belts.<br />
"We feel they make our motorcoaches safer and we didn't feel the need to wait for regulation or legislation," said owner Dean Wright. "We're federally regulated as a company, so we took it upon ourselves to be at the fore-front."<br />
But enforcing the use of the belts is another matter.<br />
In a 1998 review of bus safety issues, Transport Canada noted that in Etobicoke, Ont., where school buses are equipped with seatbelts, "very young children will use them as instructed but that use diminishes into the secondary school age."<br />
"Who would enforce that? The driver is busy driving," said Ray Marchand, general manager of the Canada Safety Council, a non-profit safety advocacy group.<br />
"And why should we put the onus on children to wear their seatbelts? Imagine telling little Suzie's mother, 'It was your daughter's fault. She took off her seatbelt.' "<br />
Fatalities resulting from school bus crashes are always dramatic and headline-grabbing, but are in fact rare. There was one recorded case this year and two in 2007 according to Transport Canada.<br />
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In a 1998 report, the agency says, "There are few instances where seatbelts would prevent injury in school buses" but notes there have been "individual instances where seatbelts could have prevented injury."<br />
Elementary school principal Baher Morcos says he was thankful a school bus ferrying some of his students had seatbelts earlier this year when it was involved in an accident with a pickup truck in Toronto.<br />
While stressing that the jury is still out on the effectiveness of seatbelts, he says they mattered that day.<br />
"In this case, (seatbelts) made a difference because a student was sitting right where the impact took place, she wasn't wearing it appropriately, but without it she would have been projected further," said the principal of Academie de la Moraine in Richmond Hill, Ont.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Freezing rain, flooding and power outages follow thawing temperatures</span> </h1>
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<span class="name">By Tiffany Crawford and Phil Couvrette</span><span class="timestamp">December 28, 2008</span></div>
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Days of heavy snowfall over the holiday in Canada turned into a big thaw on the weekend as temperatures rose above zero in some areas, causing fears of flooding while high winds knocked out power to thousands in Ontario and Quebec.</div>
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Winds became so strong in some parts of Ontario they caused power poles to topple onto the nation’s busiest highway, the 401, interrupting traffic until Monday.<br />
Winds were gusting at up to 100 kilometres an hour throughout the day across Ontario, the system moving from Windsor up and east of the province, where over 30,000 outages were reported later in the day, said Daniele Gauvin of Hydro One. In all at 9 p.m. over 180,000 people across Ontario were without power, down from 235,000 earlier but up from 90,000 in the morning. Hydro One said it could take up to three days to restore power to all customers. Power outages in the Ottawa area even delayed games at the Bell Canada Cup junior hockey tournament.<br />
“This is not going in the direction we would like to see,” said Gauvin, mentioning winds were so strong they were keeping the utility’s choppers on the ground and preventing power crews, out in large numbers, from doing their work. “There will be some customers out overnight, the winds are not due to let up until late evening so there’s more poles coming down and more wires.”<br />
A bridge connecting Ontario to New York State was temporarily shut down when a truck was blown to its side as it was coming off the U.S. end, said the Ontario Provincial Police, which however reported no major injuries from wind-related incidents. Freezing rain was a factor in more than 200 collisions in Eastern Ontario.<br />
The high winds in some areas of Ontario forced Environment Canada to issue a wind warning for the West Nipissing, Ont., Sunday where winds were knocking trees onto power lines and causing power outages in the region, about 400 kilometres north of Toronto.<br />
Hydro-Quebec reported some 56,600 people in the dark early Sunday evening, down slightly from 71,000, as Quebec dealt with high winds and freezing rain. Ten thousands of these customers were in the Outaouais region and another 9,000 around Montreal.<br />
NB Power said most of 800 customers who had lost power in the Moncton area earlier had seen it restored by early evening.<br />
Police in the Waterloo Region of Ontario meanwhile expanded a flood warning, saying they expected waters to rise in the Nith River Sunday with a potential for flows to hit 350 cubic metres per second. The Nith River, which snakes around New Hamburg, Ont., southwest of Toronto, normally has flows of 1.5 cubic metres per second. The water starts to flood the banks at 140 cubic metres per second.<br />
“These are the kind of flows you might see every 20 or 30 years, although it has been twice this year, it is really unusual,” said Dave Schultz, a spokesman with the Grand River Conservation Authority.<br />
Officers knocked on doors late Saturday night warning residents to be on alert to leave their homes if waters flood, Waterloo Regional Police said on Sunday.<br />
The expanded alert affects about 70 properties. Some roads were closed and residents there were advised to clear their basements.<br />
“Snow melt will increase river levels across the watershed today and into Monday,” said Schultz. “We are going to see fairly high levels.”<br />
Schultz said Sunday afternoon that flows and levels in the Grand River through Cambridge, Ont., southwest of Toronto, were expected to peak in the evening and may force the closure of Highway 24.<br />
The rainfall and melting snow prompted officials to remind Canadians how dangerous the rising rivers are during such a fast melt and to stay clear of them.<br />
“The banks will still be very slippery with ice and the water temperature is 1 C or less,” said Schultz. “People see the (rising) rivers as an attraction but it is very important not to go near them. We don’t want people falling in.”<br />
Residents with seasonal trailer homes in Brantford, Ont., and Dunville, Ont., were also told to keep an eye on the swelling rivers and Schultz said they may have to move their mobile homes.<br />
The authority also said ice jams were possible as flows push the river ice through.<br />
The Grand River Conservation Authority manages water for 38 municipalities and 925,000 residents in southwestern Ontario.<br />
Meanwhile police in Toronto said they were monitoring the situation after record temperatures of 10 C melted a massive dump of snow, leaving deep puddles on the streets, but said officers had received no complaints of flooding overnight.<br />
City spokeswoman Francine Antonio said there was a high water safety bulletin issued for the city to remind people to stay away from fast-moving creeks and rivers.<br />
“We did get less rain than expected so the gradual thaw is ideal because we will be getting more snow next week,” she said, adding that crews have been working hard to clear the city’s catch-basins of water.<br />
Antonio said the problem was more to do with high winds than floods.<br />
Environment Canada predicted rain for much of southern Ontario Sunday and even some thundershowers in Montreal.<br />
In Western Canada, the snow was melting rapidly in the Vancouver area and on Vancouver Island as temperatures rose to above 6 C, said Environment Canada. Both areas were unusually hit hard with snowstorms in the past week.<br />
In Vancouver, city crews have been working overtime trying to drain water from flooded streets. Some side roads were covered in slush and cars were stuck waiting about four hours in some instances for a tow truck because of the backlog.<br />
Besides flooding, there was also concern in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland about heavy snow on rooftops. In Surrey, B.C., east of Vancouver, about 20 carports collapsed under the weight of the snow.<br />
The treacherous weather over the holiday period in Vancouver forced Air Canada to ground many planes causing many passengers to be stranded in the airport on Christmas Eve.<br />
Slightly warmer temperatures were on the board for the Prairies as well Sunday. That area of Canada has been in a deep freeze for the past couple of weeks, with people in cities like Winnipeg, Edmonton and Regina experiencing temperatures of -30 C.<br />
In Quebec, the national weather agency warned of two to 10 centimetres of freezing rain affecting the Manicouagan River and several areas north of the Ottawa River and the St. Lawrence River. The heavy rain is expected to cause the rivers to rise there as well.<br />
Atlantic Canada will continue to see more snow however, with Environment Canada predicting 20 to 35 centimetres along with blowing snow expected through Monday in some of areas of Newfoundland and Labrador.<br />
Areas of New Brunswick were subject to a freezing rain warning.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Crown seeks appeal in Que. assisted suicide case</span></h1>
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<span class="name"></span><span class="timestamp">December 29, 2008</span></div>
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ALMA, Que. — A Quebec Crown prosecutor says he is appealing the case of a man recently found not guilty of helping his disabled uncle commit suicide.<br />
Stephan Dufour, 30, was found not guilty by jury on Dec. 12 in the death of Chantal Maltais, 49, who contracted poliomyelitis when he was four years old and was confined to a wheelchair.<br />
Crown prosecutor Denis Dionne said he is raising two issues of law in his motion of appeal.<br />
Dufour told the court during his trial that Maltais had asked him to help put an end to his life every day for several months.<br />
He testified that he finally gave in to the pressure and the verbal abuse from his uncle, tying a choke chain to a rope and installing it on a pole in his uncle's bedroom. Two days later, on Sept. 9, 2006, Maltais was found hanged.<br />
In court the Crown alleged Dufour knew what he was doing when he set up the device and that he was aware of the possible consequences.<br />
Dionne said his appeal will stress that Dufour had opportunities to dismantle the device after it was installed but that the court limited its focus to the installation of the device.<br />
The following day "he could have neutralized the device," Dionne said, stressing the crime of assisted suicide went beyond the installation.<br />
During trial the defence said Dufour was under his uncle's spell and that his limited intellectual capacities prevented him resisting Maltais' multiple requests to put an end to his life.<br />
Dionne is also raising issue with the use of this defence.<br />
Defence lawyer Michel Boudreault says however both matters were already raised in court.<br />
"The Crown is invoking an old motive of appeal," he said. "These two arguments are frankly not convincing."<br />
"I have the impression the Crown is appealing matters without conviction."<br />
Both say it could be months, perhaps even the fall, before any appeal makes it to court.<br />
Dufour was the first person in Quebec to face a jury trial on charges of assisting suicide.<br />
In other provinces, cases of assisted suicide that have made it to the trial phase ended with an acquittal or reduced sentences.<br />
Assisting a suicide is a crime punishable by up to 14 years behind bars.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Que. town council told to cut out prayer time</span></h2>
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Trois-Rivieres became the latest Quebec town to be told to refrain from holding prayers before council meetings.<br />
In a non-binding decision, the province's human rights commission said Trois-Rivieres and other Quebec towns still reciting prayers before council meetings should stop doing so as it constitutes a religious act which goes against the principle of neutrality of the state.<br />
When issuing a similar ruling on Saguenay earlier this year the commission cited a 2006 ruling in Laval, north of Montreal, by the commission's human rights tribunal and saw no need for that matter to make its way to a tribunal again. The commission considers complaints and decides whether they should be heard by the tribunal. It is not possible to go to the tribunal without first going through the commission.<br />
The commission's ruling this week was in response to the complaint of a citizen filed in 2007. The commission said people attending public meetings should not be subjected to beliefs they did not share.<br />
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CNS EASThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17450023054243911470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829197718575546351.post-53589719129483859912014-11-26T14:23:00.000-08:002014-11-26T14:25:41.971-08:00CNS 2007<br />
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PEI Premier calls election for May 28 </h2>
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Monday, April 30, 2007</div>
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CHARLOTTETOWN, - Premier Pat Binns announced Monday night that Prince Edward Island’s estimated 100,000 voters are going to the polls on May 28.Binns, seeking a fourth consecutive majority government, made the announcement at his Conservative nominating convention in the Belfast-Murray River riding.<br />
His party currently has a stranglehold on the 27-member legislature with 23 seats and only four for the Liberals.<br />
Binns, 58, has been elected to three consecutive majority governments, in 1996, 2000 and 2003, since he became party leader in 1996.<br />
Running in his second election as Liberal leader, Robert Ghiz will try to reverse his party’s troubled political fortunes in the province.<br />
Ghiz, 33, elected party leader in 2003, once served as special assistant to former prime minister Jean Chretien. Ghiz is also the son of former Liberal premier Joe Ghiz.<br />
A party spokesman said the Liberals were looking forward to an election.<br />
The election is Binns’ to lose and will decide his opponents’ future, says University of P.E.I. political studies associate professor Peter McKenna.<br />
McKenna says the Liberal leader may have to step down if he fails to win the election on his second try, and doubts that the current political environment calls for much change.<br />
“There’s no great movement among the citizenry for substantial political change,” McKenna says.<br />
In an April pre-election budget, the government announced over $30 million in new health spending and new spending in education but also promised tax cuts and a continuing surplus.<br />
Binns also introduced legislation this month that would set fixed election dates for the second week of May every four years. Opposition Liberals blamed the premier of hypocrisy after voting against a similar bill in 2006.<br />
The Saskatchewan-born premier and his wife Carol have four children and also operate a bean farm in a province where agriculture, tourism and fishing are the economic lifeblood.<br />
McKenna says the premier likes to connect with the average voter, playing up his rural roots, and has a way of deflecting criticism.<br />
“Pat Binns is the Teflon man,” McKenna says.<br />
But the opposition may accuse Binns’ government of fiscal mismanagement after the Auditor General’s report found shortfalls in the government’s loan system.<br />
The steady exodus of islanders to the West has been a growing concern in this province of some 138,000 people. At the same time Binns has acknowledged that P.E.I. could benefit from economic growth trickling down to local businesses from red-hot provinces such as Alberta.<br />
Critics have also been coming down on the province’s environment record, after a new federal-provincial study in April found high levels of nitrate in P.E.I.’s groundwater wells.<br />
“It’s going to be tight,” says Don Mills, the head of the Halifax-based Corporate Research Associates polling firm. In March CRA gave the Tories 48 per cent to the Liberals’ 44 per cent.<br />
While party popularity has varied over the last year Binns has scored consistently stronger in terms of personal popularity, with 38 per cent to Ghiz’s 30 per cent.<br />
“It’s a pretty good spread and that number has held for about a year,” Mills says.<br />
CanWest News Service<br />
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Boisclair, Charest unpopular, survey shows</h2>
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MONTREAL - One month after Quebec's provincial election, Premier Jean Charest and Parti Quebecois Leader Andre Boisclair's popularity has not rebounded, a CROP poll shows.</div>
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Fifty-two per cent of respondents said Charest, the Liberal leader, should not lead his party into another election, while 37 per cent said he should. Charest's Liberals were re-elected with a minority government on March 26.</div>
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Boisclair has roughly the same numbers with 51 per cent saying he should step aside, versus 35 per cent who say he should stay on as PQ leader.</div>
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Action Democratique du Quebec Leader Mario Dumont, who now forms the official opposition, is enjoying a surge in popularity with 74 per cent saying he should lead his troops in the next election.</div>
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Overall the ADQ has been rising steadily since the election, winning the support of 32 per cent of people polled compared to 27 per cent for the Liberals and 23 per cent for the PQ.</div>
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The Liberals won 48 of the National Assembly's 125 seats, followed by 41 for the ADQ and 36 for the PQ.</div>
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While he isn't personally popular, Charest's decision to have as many women as men in his cabinet, was supported by 87 per cent of respondents.</div>
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The CROP poll prepared for La Presse reached 1,001 respondents between April 19 and 29. Its margin of error was plus or minus three per cent, 19 times out of 20.</div>
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Bombardier quiet on alleged case of industrial spying</h2>
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Published: Thursday, May 03, 2007</div>
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MONTREAL -- Canadian transportation manufacturer Bombardier declined to comment Wednesday on a report that foreign technicians were caught stealing secrets at one of its Montreal plants last year.<br />
The newspaper report said that Chinese technicians were especially interested in computer files at one of the jet-assembly plants and that Bombardier tried to keep the incident under wraps.<br />
Isabelle Rondeau, a Bombardier spokeswoman, refused to comment on the story and referred calls to the company's aerospace division.<br />
Bombardier Aerospace did not return repeated calls.<br />
The Journal de Montreal also reported that Bombardier negotiators found out they were being spied on during a recent trip to China.<br />
On Monday the head of CSIS, Jim Judd, told a Senate committee on national security that China tops a list of roughly 15 countries regularly conducting intelligence operations within Canada.<br />
China repeatedly denied spying on Canada.<br />
Bombardier's technological know-how and military products make it a target of choice, says David Harris, director of the International Terrorist Intelligence Program at Insignis Strategic Research Inc.<br />
"On so many levels, a place like Bombardier is something China would be drooling over," he said.<br />
This is a case of "all the resources of a major state and a growing superpower being brought to bear on nearly defenseless commercial interests."<br />
Such "competitive espionage" enables countries such as China to catch up technologically without investing the money and effort into research and development and to create instant competitors able to steal Canadian business or jobs, Harris added.<br />
He says Canada is an easy target because it lacks the "security mindset" to protect itself from espionage.<br />
Harris said this is ironic because the Canadian International Development Agency still regularly allocates money to China.<br />
In addition to using agents under diplomatic cover, China also can force the hand of Canadians of Chinese background by putting pressure on their families back home, he said.<br />
Airline analysts say China is an important part of Bombardier's future plans of lining up customers and partners for its C-Series regional jet.<br />
They believe China could be a major financial backer and also a key parts supplier.<br />
Canada expressed concern about Chinese economic espionage soon after last year's change of government.<br />
"There are some well-documented problems with the Chinese government's operations in this country," Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in April 2006.<br />
But Harris notes that while China is very active spying in Canada, so is Russia, as well as some countries Canada considers allies.<br />
Meanwhile, Bombardier downplayed the reports, insisting its corporate secrets are safe.<br />
While a spokeswoman said Bombardier takes ample precautions to protect trade secrets, she refused to comment on the report that Chinese technicians were trying to steal information from a company factory.<br />
In a statement released Wednesday, Bombardier also challenged "erroneous press reports" that suggested a former director revealed sensitive information to another company where he was seeking employment.<br />
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New regulations could strain close border community</h2>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Published: Friday, May 04, 2007</span></h4>
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Months before new border regulations could require passports to move between their tightly-knit communities, two towns hugging the U.S.-Canada border may be facing new regulations blocking traffic on side streets.<br />
Stanstead, Que., and Derby Line, Vt., are facing plans by U.S. and Canadian authorities to close three unguarded side-streets that cut across the border, in this area about 150 kilometres southeast of Montreal.<br />
An increase in vehicles using the streets and not reporting to border stations made U.S. and Canadian agencies consider the change, says Corp. Elaine Lavergne of the RCMP.<br />
"The problem goes back many years, but we've realized that it's just gotten worse in the last few months," she says.<br />
Few will be as affected by such measures workers at the Haskell Free Library, where the border cuts right through the building. It has addresses in Vermont and Quebec.<br />
Librarian Mary Roy says some of the employees worry new regulations will mean they will have to check through customs before they punch into work.<br />
"Personally I think this would be very sad," she says. "It would be an imposition on Canadians." The main entrance is on the U.S. side.<br />
But at least patrons don't have to worry about borders inside, says Roy, whose husband is a U.S. border agent in Montreal.<br />
The regulations will change habits, but are a necessary impediment, says Derby Line town treasurer Karen Jenne.<br />
An April presentation by the U.S. Border Services about illegal activities along the border was a real eye opener, she said.<br />
"I can understand the reason for raising some of these barricades," Jenne says. "It's going to make it less easy for terrorists to get into the country."<br />
"The number of people the Border patrol is apprehending, whether it's drugs, or illegal crossing, or money laundering... were incredible," she added.<br />
"If people were aware of some of these statistics, people would want these barricades up as well."<br />
"It's a new border," said Jenne, who used to cross into Canada to teach Sunday school without a care for the border.<br />
While emergency vehicles routinely cross the border, thanks to mutual agreements, the type of barriers that go up will determine whether response times change, she said.<br />
Lavergne says cement blocks were one of the options considered but stressed that easy alternate routes would leave response times unchanged.<br />
But new passport requirements for entry by land into the U.S., which could start as early as next January, will have a greater impact on the town, Jenne added.<br />
That may not be easy for everyone.<br />
"The local high school hockey team practises at the Stanstead arena and for all the students to get passports... it's costly."<br />
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New regulations hurt lobster season, fish processor claims</h2>
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Published: Wednesday, May 09, 2007</div>
CHARLOTTETOWN -- With lobster season underway fish processor Ocean Choice is concerned new government regulations on foreign workers will make it miss out on one of its most lucrative periods of the year.<br />
A lack of local workers in the last few years, due to the draw of higher-paid government wages in Prince Edward Island and lucrative oil contracts in Western Canada, have forced the company to look overseas for able hands.<br />
Last year its P.E.I. plant brought in 30 workers from Russia to supplement workers coming from Newfoundland, and was looking to bring in 65 this year. It also wanted to bring in an addition to 15 from India, said Jack MacAndrew, a spokesman for for P.E.I. operations for Ocean Choice.<br />
But new federal government regulations are limiting the number of foreign workers processed by immigration officials at one time and are slowing the hiring, hurting business this lobster season, MacAndrew said.<br />
"In Moscow the embassy told our recruiters that the regulations changed on April 2, and from here on in they would only accept 10 applications a day and it would take at least three weeks to produce the visas," he added.<br />
"This is a little tough to absorb at the last minute because the season began May 1 and we're short 80 workers on the production line."<br />
A new recruiting plan will attempt to "shake these foreign workers loose," he said.<br />
MacAndrew says the regulations will impact other industries across the country, such as agriculture.<br />
"I chaired four meetings on behalf of the Department of Economic Development to get a picture of what was taking place," he said. "And everybody is having the same problem."<br />
Lobster seasons runs until the end of June. MacAndrew said it was hard to estimate possible losses from the lack of manpower, but said it would have a definite impact on productivity.<br />
"If you're bringing in 5,000 pounds of lobster and you can only process 3,000 pounds on any given day... those lobsters begin to pile up in storage," MacAndrew said.<br />
Citizenship and Immigration Canada spokesperson Lisa Borsu said that to her knowledge new regulations were seeking to speed up, not slow down processing time of the worker's visas.<br />
She pointed to a recent announcement on the Temporary Foreign Worker program.<br />
"The changes will reduce the time that employers have to wait to get the workers they need," Citizenship and Immigration Minister Diane Finley said at the time. </div>
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Published: Monday, May 14, 2007 Police were investigating a 14-year-old suspect after they removed an explosive device Monday afternoon from Leo Hayes High School in Fredericton.<br />
The device forced the evacuation of the school.<br />
"Our priority was the school, so now that will branch us off into a different arm of our investigation, which will include a 14 year-old-suspect," said Cpl. Bobbi Simmons of the Fredericton police.<br />
The suspect, a student at the school, was being questioned.<br />
Police were alerted about the device by a school staffer and started their investigation shortly after noon. The school was evacuated shortly after "without incident," she said.<br />
Simmons said she had no description of the device, which was handled by a special explosives disposal unit and taken to a secure area to be detonated.<br />
"We knew where the device was, it wasn't a matter of going in and searching for it," she added.<br />
The high school was given the all clear by police by late afternoon, after an RCMP sniffer dog was brought in. But a decision to reopen the school will rest with the school board, Simmons said.<br />
This is the third security incident at the school this month. Earlier this month two students were arrested on gun charges and another was detained for making threats against another student.<br />
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Halifax gay community concerned after recent murders</h2>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Published: Wednesday, May 16, 2007</span><br />
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As Halifax prepares to mark International Day Against Homophobia, some members of the gay community are uneasy about the recent murders of two gay men, which police say may be related.<br />
Trevor Charles Brewster's body was found on May 9 after going missing for a day. The murder of Brewster, 45, has been linked to the killing of another man, 44-year-old Michael Paul Knott, whose body was found a few days earlier.<br />
Both men are gay and Halifax police and the RCMP issued a warning to gay men to protect themselves.<br />
People seem to agree the murders are related and there's a consensus that it's because they were gay, said Leiehann Witchman of the Lesbian Gay and Bisexual Youth Project.<br />
"I'm sure that's on people's minds," she said of the possibility gays may be specifically targeted in Halifax.<br />
The recent murders have given this week's public event against homophobia a particular significance, says Kevin Kindred of the Nova Scotia Rainbow Action Project.<br />
"Given recent events, the planning has taken a different direction and will be used as an opportunity to reflect on recent events, violence and the way it affects our community," he said.<br />
"The community was always conscious of safety and is being particularly conscious given recent events."<br />
Police say they had seen Brewster's Honda Civic a few hours before he was reported missing - the car was noted because the driver had made a minor traffic violation, but the vehicle wasn't pulled over. Brewster was found under a boardwalk at a local lake by a man collecting recyclable cans. His car is still missing.<br />
Knott was found dead last week in woods near Mill Cove, about 50 kilometres outside of Halifax.<br />
Halifax mayor Peter Kelly says the police made the right move with the warning to the gay community.<br />
"We are always concerned when there are any murders in our territory," he said. "The police were trying to get proactive in getting information out to the community."<br />
Kelly says the city is concerned by the violence but wouldn't speculate on whether the events made Halifax less welcoming to gays.<br />
He said safety shouldn't be a preoccupation to people taking part in this week's public event, which include a rally for the murdered men and a kiss-in.<br />
"I don't see any issue of concern," Kelly added. "This is to bring focus... in terms of trying to deal with homophobia and to see how the community at large can work with the gay community, to bring them support and also (for them) to know that the community is there as part of a diverse Halifax."<br />
Police said there is no special security in place for Thursday's public events but said they had stepped up patrols and "special checks" around gay bars and cruising areas.<br />
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Mumps spreading west</h2>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Published: Wednesday, May 16, 2007</span><br />
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HALIFAX - Nova Scotia began immunizing its health-care workers Tuesday to protect them against an outbreak of mumps steadily spreading across the country.<br />
Some 222 cases of mumps have been reported across the province since the beginning of the outbreak in February.<br />
Since then, the largely Maritime-based outbreak has spread to other parts of the country with reports of cases in Ontario and British Columbia directly linked to the Nova Scotia outbreak.<br />
Health officials say they are not surprised the outbreak may be growing because those who are infected can spread it without knowing they are contagious.<br />
"Public health officials across the country have been on alert since the beginning of the outbreak," said Melissa MacKinnon of Nova Scotia's Health Promotion and Protection.<br />
"What's difficult with the mumps is that you're spreading it before you even know you have it."<br />
The outbreak may have spread to revellers at a Kensington Market bar, Toronto Public Health is warning.<br />
Dr. Barbara Yaffe, the city's director of communicable disease control, said two female students in their early 20s picked up the viral infection while at school in Halifax.<br />
The mumps virus is generally spread through saliva, meaning anyone who knowingly shared a drink, cigarette or kiss with the infected man is at risk.<br />
But in the packed, sweaty atmosphere of a bar, some may have come into contact with the man's saliva without realizing it.<br />
"Just having been in that location may be enough of a risk to get mumps," said Dr. Vinita Dubey, associate medical officer of health.<br />
Mumps are rarely fatal, but serious complications stemming from the virus can include encephalitis meningitis, arthritis and deafness.<br />
In British Columbia, Roy Wadia, spokesman for the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, said a student from a Halifax-area university contracted the viral disease while in Nova Scotia. He visited family and friends in B.C. in late April and started showing symptoms in early May.<br />
"But he actually went back to school there before he got quite sick," he said.<br />
Wadia added the student could have been contagious while in B.C., as there is a wide window between the day the mumps are contracted and the day symptoms start to show - as much as 14-25 days, he said.<br />
The Centre for Disease Control is closely watching the people he had contact with to see if he spread the mumps while out west.<br />
While cases around Halifax have been declining, they have been growing in the rest of the province.<br />
MacKinnon ties this to the end of classes in city colleges.<br />
Most of the people contracting the ailments were between ages 20 and 25.<br />
Health officials have been meeting with their U.S. and U.K. counterparts to discuss how to stem such outbreaks.</div>
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Assisted suicide case full of holes: defence lawyer</h2>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Published: Wednesday, May 16, 2007</span><br />
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A 29-year-old man has been charged with helping an uncle, who suffered from muscular dystrophy, commit suicide.<br />
The death was in September 2006, but the charges were only laid on Tuesday, months after police launched an investigation into the man, Stephane Dufour.<br />
His uncle, Chantal Maltais, 49, was confined to a wheelchair. Dufour is accused of helping him hang himself, but his attorney, Michel Boudreault, says the case against him is very weak.<br />
“It’s in our favour that 12 people will be able to pour over the reasons for these charges,” he said of the jury that will decide Dufour’s fate. “The charges are full of holes.”<br />
The jury will eventually have to launch into a debate on whether the law should be amended, he added.<br />
Dufour could face up to 14 years in prison if convicted of assisting or encouraging someone to commit suicide.<br />
Dufour is out on bail until he appears, on July 17, at the courthouse in Alma, Que., 200 kilometres north of Quebec City.<br />
Boudreault said his client, who will plead not guilty, is living through a very difficult situation.<br />
The trial is taking place nearly a year after Maltais’ death because some family members wondered how he could hang himself unassisted, which prompted the police investigation.<br />
Boudreault said Maltais wanted to die on the anniversary of his mother’s death.<br />
Reached at work, one of Maltais’ five brothers, Gaetan, said he was “very relieved” by the death “because he had suffered so much” late in life.<br />
He said Dufour is supported by most of the family.<br />
Gaetan’s wife, Lina, said they were shocked to learn about the trial.<br />
Maltais had suffered from the disease since he was four, Lina said, and suffered “like a martyr” but was constantly helped by his nephew.<br />
She said Maltais openly talked about putting an end to his life and family members eventually stopped trying to dissuade him.<br />
In 2001, Evode Pelletier, from nearby Chicoutimi, was sentenced to 12 months in jail after helping his depressive partner end her life with the help of cyanide.<br />
Last October Andre Bergeron, a Sherbrooke, Que. man admitted helping to kill his severely disabled wife, but a judge spared him prison time.<br />
It isn’t unusual for the family to become convinced that someone is suffering too much to live, even to the point of helping them commit suicide, said Louis Lemay from Quebec’s Association for the Prevention of Suicide. He called Maltais’ death “a tragedy.”<br />
While his degenerative disease couldn’t be cured, it’s very rare that nothing can be done to relieve physical suffering, he said.<br />
“Did he have the appropriate (medical) treatment? Didn’t he in fact suffer from depression?” wondered Lemay. “Even doctors sometimes don’t have the right approach to relieve the pain.”<br />
Suicide is becoming one of Quebec’s greatest health problems, his group insisted. It is the leading cause of death for men under 40 and Quebec’s overall suicide rate leads the country.<br />
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Morgentaler suit demands N.B. fund abortions at his clinic</h2>
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Published: Thursday, May 17, 2007</div>
The government of New Brunswick was in court yesterday to try to stop a lawsuit by abortionist Henry Morgentaler.<br />
Morgentaler wants the government to pay for abortions at his clinic, but the province wants the lawsuit dropped because Morgentaler isn't a woman.<br />
"Governments across the land have made similar arguments and they tend not to go anywhere so, from a legal perspective, I think it's a pretty thin argument," said Jula Hughes from the University of New Brunswick.<br />
"The women of New Brunswick are entitled to medically safe abortions that are covered by medicare," Morgentaler wrote last year.<br />
"The government has not only refused to cover abortions at the Morgentaler Clinic, it has not taken the appropriate action to advise the medical profession, nor New Brunswick women seeking abortion services, where this essential service will be available."<br />
While about 70 abortion supporters paraded outside Fredericton's justice building, anti-abortionists stood in silence waving placards.<br />
Anti-abortion group Right to Life had 50 women ready to testify about the effect of abortions on women's health, but were denied intervenor status.<br />
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Students ordered to write essay on fellatio by school principal</h2>
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A Quebec elementary school principal who had four students write about oral sex as punishment after they taunted one of their peers has been heavily criticized for her conflict resolutions skills.<br />
The essay was an attempt to get the four boys, aged 9, to explain why they had referred to the sexual act when bullying the young boy, explained Nathalie Marceau of the Grandes-Seigneureries School Board.<br />
She said the four have a history of bullying and after the latest incident, last week, the school principal, Andree Lessard, asked the four students to reflect on what they had said to the victim. Far from condemning Lessard’s punishment, Marceau indicated it was justified.<br />
“The school said ‘you said such and such thing — a crude word for fellatio — so write 10 lines on what you meant by this and where you learned such language, and how.’ All they did was take the same terms and ask them to reflect upon them,” Marceau explained of the school on the outskirts of Montreal.<br />
“The four students have been intimidating and harassing another student since the beginning of the year,” she said.<br />
But others are saying the school gets a failing grade for how it has dealt with this case.<br />
Quebec’s Department of Education wasn’t impressed.<br />
“This isn’t part of our educational approach,” said Jean-Pascal Bernier, a spokesman for Education Minister Michelle Courchesne. “It’s not the most opportune way to proceed.”<br />
Sexologist Sylvie Lavallee called the assignment “ridiculous and stupid” because it focused solely on the specific words used and not on the psychological and verbal violence.<br />
“They’re children, it’s just pouring oil on the fire,” she said.<br />
Some of them should be suspended or even expelled if it’s a serious case of repeat harassment, Lavallee said. “They should be split up in the education system.”<br />
A dissertation on “respect” would have been more appropriate in any case, she added.<br />
Lessard did not return phone calls, but the school board defended her approach. It said it has tried involving parents, teachers, even police officers, to make the four understand “the impact of intimidation and harassment on the victims.”<br />
“It was a major concern at the school,” Marceau stressed.<br />
She said the school used the essays to help the boys focus on how to solve the problem and stop the bullying, but it backfired.<br />
Three of the four turned in essays with a parent’s signature, but a fourth parent complained about the assignment to a newspaper.<br />
In one essay she had read, Marceau said the student expressed no remorse and simply justified his use of insults.<br />
The boys’ writings will be analyzed by specialists. The victim was suffering as the result of constant intimidation and was receiving counselling, she added.<br />
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Montrealers cope with latest transit strike</h2>
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MONTREAL - Montreal transit workers went on strike Tuesday squeezing commuters into crowded rush-hour buses and metro trains.<br />
Quebec’s Essential Services Council has ordered that the buses and subways have to keep running during morning and afternoon rush hours and for a couple of hours late at night. Disabled Montrealers will still get special services as they normally would.<br />
Montreal Transit Corp. spokesperson Isabelle Tremblay said that the volume was higher than usual on the buses and subway trains Tuesday.<br />
The MTC is refusing to buckle to the demands of the 2,142 mechanics and maintenance workers, which it says will cost the transit authority $60 million.<br />
Key issues remaining to be settled in the dispute include wage increases and pension fund parity.<br />
MTC chairperson Claude Trudel has warned Montrealers to prepare themselves for a long walkout.<br />
“I told our clients it could last for awhile,” he said Tuesday. “I fail to understand why they’re imposing a 15th strike in 40 years.”<br />
Montreal mayor, Gerald Tremblay, said the strikers would fail to get the city to back down.<br />
“This time we will not cede,” he said. “Because doing it would be against Montreal’s interest.”<br />
Union president Pierre Saint-Georges said the strike could end immediately.<br />
“If the MTC informs us it accepts the offer we made, it’s not complicated, a few hours from now public transit will be back and running,” he told French-language news channel LCN.<br />
The strike was under discussion in Quebec’s legislature, where Opposition Leader Mario Dumont questioned why the Charest government wasn’t “applying pressure to settle the issue as quickly as possible.”<br />
Some commuters grumbled about the extra time it would take to get to work, others about the salaries transit workers are making. Some actually found their morning commute easier.<br />
Ali Khalil said there were fewer riders than usual. "I guess everyone got scared and left early," he said.<br />
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Government gives union, transit authority 48 hours to settle strike</h2>
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Published: Wednesday, May 23, 2007</div>
QUEBEC - The Quebec government is giving the two sides in the Montreal transit strike 48 hours to settle the dispute or else it will intervene.<br />
Labour Minister David Whisell said Wednesday the government "will take its responsibilities," if no settlement is reached. "We cannot remain passive in this."<br />
"The message is very clear," he added. "We are giving both sides 48 hours."<br />
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Whissell also warned the two sides that a negotiated settlement is preferable to an imposed settlement, suggesting that is the course the government is considering.<br />
Meanwhile Montrealers faced a second day of getting to bus stops early and longer commutes as the transit strike continued.<br />
Transportation is running during rush hours, late at night, and disabled Montrealers are still getting special services, as ordered by Quebec's Essential Services Council.<br />
While some travellers were getting used to the longer wait, there were a "few isolated cases" of passengers taking out some of their frustrations on drivers, said MTC spokesperson Isabelle Tremblay.<br />
"Generally people are very understanding," she said. "They're adapting, but we're adapting too."<br />
The Montreal Transit Corp. placed ads in newspapers Wednesday urging riders not to target drivers, who are not involved in the labour dispute with mechanics and maintenance workers.<br />
"Please do not associate them with this dispute," the full-page ad urged.<br />
Key issues in the dispute include wage increases and pension fund parity.<br />
Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay said the city would not yield to pressure tactics and urged his citizens to be patient.<br />
"I know it's not easy for transit users," he said Wednesday. "I ask them to be patient."<br />
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Retailers in Quebec more likely to sell smokes to minors</h2>
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Phil Couvrette, CanWest News Service Published: Thursday, May 24, 2007</div>
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When it comes to selling cigarettes to minors, Quebec is smoking the other provinces, a Health Canada study says.<br />
A report on retail practices says that 32 per cent of retailers in Quebec sold tobacco to people under 18 years of age last year, compared to 18 per cent in the rest of the country.<br />
That figure is still a vast improvement from the past, according to Louis Gauvin of the Quebec Coalition for Tobacco Control.<br />
In 1995, some 75 per cent of young Quebecers could buy cigarettes, he noted.<br />
“We’re closing the gap with the rest of the country, we were very far behind to begin with,” he said, adding legislation had to catch up in what he called the province with the most smokers.<br />
Nationally, Kingston, Ont. did the best. It scored a perfect 100 per cent of retailers saying they refused to sell to minors. Among major metropolitan areas, Vancouver had nearly 18 per cent of retailers selling to minors, better than the 25 per cent in Toronto and 30 per cent in Montreal. Alberta was the province where the fewest retailers were willing to sell to minors, just 10 per cent, under five per cent in Calgary.<br />
Meanwhile, Gauvin said legislation at both the federal and provincial levels, as well as anti-tobacco campaigns, are turning things around, but “much work remains to be done.”<br />
That is certainly the case in Saguenay,_Que., where a stunning 56 per cent of retailers admitted to selling tobacco to minors. That city, 250 kilometres north of Montreal, was by far the worst rated among the 30 Canadian cities surveyed.<br />
Surprisingly, in both 2005 and 2004, under 10 per cent of retailers said they sold to minors there, beating other Quebec cities surveyed.<br />
“What’s going on there?” Gauvin wondered. “Quebec doesn’t have a record to be proud of.”<br />
Yves Servais of Quebec’s association of food merchants and convenience store owners said the numbers had vastly improved across the province but cautioned about the rise of contraband sales.<br />
“It’s fine that inspectors are making sure retailers are conforming to laws, but the government should help police forces fight contraband,” he says. “Soon that’s the only way cigarettes are going to be sold.”<br />
Health Canada obtained the data by sending research teams containing one young Canadian aged 15 to 17 and another over 19 to buy tobacco in various establishments selling it across the country.<br />
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Health alert for passengers who flew on flight with man who has rare form of TB</h2>
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Phil Couvrette, CanWest News Service Published: Tuesday, May 29, 2007</div>
A health alert has been issued for passengers who flew on two trans-Atlantic flights, including one that landed in Montreal, and may have come in contact with a man infected with a dangerous and drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis.<br />
American health officials issued the warning Tuesday afternoon that anyone who was on the two flights — Atlanta to Paris on Air France 385 on May 12 and Czech Air flight 104 on May 24 from Prague to Montreal — should be seen by a doctor and tested for the disease.<br />
“The patient’s tuberculosis organism was extremely resistant to the tuberculosis drugs,” said Julie Gerberding, Director of the U.S.-based Centers for Disease Control.<br />
“Let me be very clear, anyone who comes in contact with XDR-TB could become infected with TB,” she stressed. XDR-TB stands for extremely drug resistant TB.<br />
The CDC doesn’t believe the man was highly infectious when he travelled, but there is still a risk that people on the flight could have been exposed to the antibiotic-resistant TB.<br />
The man, an American from Georgia, is in a hospital in respiratory isolation.<br />
A “federal order of isolation” allowed officials to order his isolation until health officials rule he is no longer a risk to others. The CDC said to the best of its knowledge, they haven’t issued an order like this since 1963.<br />
“We thought it was our responsible to err on the side of abundant caution,” Gerberding said.<br />
An official at the Public Health Agency of Canada said they were notified of the case on May 25.<br />
Dr. Howard Njoo, director general for the Center for Emergency Preparedness and Response, called the risk of contracting TB among passengers low in general, although it may be higher among his immediate neighbours on the plane.<br />
During an eight-hour flight modern air filters on jet liners would have prevented the bacteria from traveling throughout the plane, he said.<br />
But the CDC strongly recommends that people next to the passenger, two rows in front and two rows behind, get checked. “This isn’t going to pose a health threat to the vast majority of the people that were on these flights,” Gerberding said.<br />
The man suffered from tuberculosis before leaving for Europe. It isn’t clear why he travelled despite knowing that he has tested positive for TB.<br />
“However at the time he departed the full nature of the drug resistance was not known, that became evident (...) once he was already in Europe,” Njoo said.<br />
The CDC wasn’t aware that man planned to travel, had they known, they might have stepped in, Gerberding said.<br />
During his overseas trip he was “advised not to take the flight back to North America” but chose to travel anyways, Njoo said.<br />
The man spent little time in Canada, Njoo said, and immediately rented a car in Montreal which he drove to the Champlain, N.Y. border crossing, some 60 kilometres away.<br />
He was put into isolation soon after he crossed the border and was flown in quarantine to Atlanta by the CDC.<br />
The man was reportedly in “good health” without any symptoms such as coughing or a fever.<br />
“We have no suspicions that this patient was highly infectious, in fact the medical evidence would suggest this his potential for transmission would be on the low side but we know it isn’t zero,” Gerberding said.<br />
Officials would not give out specifics about the man or his seat number but encouraged passengers of the Czech flight to contact health authorities at 1-866-225-0709. Some 200 passengers would have been on that flight, Njoo estimated.<br />
Canada has had only had two previous experiences with the strain, in 2003 and 2006, but authorities generally considered the present case to be a U.S. one.<br />
Symptoms would include fever, coughs, feeling unwell, lack of appetite and weight loss.<br />
“One thing important to understand about tuberculosis, it takes a long time for the disease to evolve so there is time for the people to get these tests done before they would pose any hazard to others,” Gerberding said.<br />
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Gay bar in trouble after refusing to serve woman</h2>
By Phil Couvrette, CanWest News Service Wednesday, May 30, 2007</div>
<span class="doctext">A 20-year-old woman who was asked to leave a Montreal gay bar because it caters to a mostly male-oriented clientele has lodged a complain to Quebec's human rights commission.</span><br />
<span class="doctext">Audrey Vachon, who was sitting down at the bar with her father, was asked to leave Le Stud last Tuesday after having been told she could not be served because she was a woman.</span><br />
<span class="doctext">The bar in Montreal's gay village promotes itself as being "one of the most hard, manly, and virile establishments in town."</span><br />
<span class="doctext">A server told her father "this place is exclusively reserved for men, we don't serve women, I would ask you to leave," she recalls.</span><br />
<span class="doctext">Her father, psychologist Gilles Vachon, protested that such discrimination was illegal, to which the server shrugged, explaining he didn't make the rules.</span><br />
<span class="doctext">"I could barely believed it," said Audrey, who immediately went home to consult the Quebec Charter of Rights and Freedoms.</span><br />
<span class="doctext">"That some establishments prefer to serve men, that's fine," she says. "But to prevent the presence of women, that bothers me."</span><br />
<span class="doctext">Audrey stressed that Article 10 of the Quebec Charter was amended in 1977 to prevent sexual discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and that ironically she was basing her complaint relying on the same article of law.</span><br />
<span class="doctext">"I'm scandalized!" she said of being treated this way by "a community which has suffered discrimination in the past."</span><br />
<span class="doctext">The complaint is rare, considering there was only one case of discrimination in a Quebec establishment on the basis of sex in the 2005-6 period according to his files, said commission spokesperson Robert Sylvestre.</span><br />
<span class="doctext">In contrast there have been 46 cases of people discriminated against on the basis of race, colour, ethnic origin or physical handicap, for the same period he said.</span><br />
<span class="doctext">The commission will analyze whether the complaint is admissible, and if so, will first encourage the parties in the complaint to come to a friendly agreement, Sylvestre said.</span><br />
<span class="doctext">Only if this fails will the commission investigate whether the case warrants being referred to a tribunal. Vachon says she expects to hear from the commission next week</span><br />
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Battle replay has Quebecois irked</h2>
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Published: Thursday, May 31, 2007<br />
Phil Couvrette, CanWest News Service<br />
Two hundred and fifty years later, they'll be storming the Plains of Abraham again.<br />
The National Battlefields Commission announced this week that it will commemorate the famous 1759 battle between Britain's Gen. James Wolfe and France's Marquis de Montcalm by re-enacting the clash with the help of some 2,000 actors.<br />
Participants in full martial gear will set up camp from Aug. 6 to Aug. 9, 2009, in the picturesque field outside Quebec City overlooking the St. Lawrence<br />
River, in what organizers say will be "the most impressive recreation of its kind in the country."<br />
"We would like to underscore this page of our history," said Andre Juneau, president of the commission. "The public is behind us and extremely enthusiastic with the idea of experiencing, once again, the lively ambiance of the military camps and these decisive engagements of the brave men and women who helped shape our history."<br />
But not all Quebec groups are enthused by the prospect of seeing Montcalm's troops fall to the British again, chipping away at the French presence on the new continent.<br />
Nicole Madore, spokeswoman for the Societe nationale des Quebecois et Quebecoises de la Capitale, says her group won't speak out against the production because it teaches history, but fears the re-enaction may spark divisions in Quebec society.<br />
"We say go ahead, but you'll face the consequences if it ends up dividing people," Madore warned. "Some people will probably be upset. We're not keen on celebrating our defeats."<br />
But Juneau said people shouldn't dwell on the politics of the battle, considering French actors are just as likely to portray British soldiers as French ones.<br />
"People come for the show and usually leave in a good mood," he says. "We try to put this in a positive light. There was a battle 250 years ago, the French lost it, but even the French will commemorate it because it's historically significant."<br />
Organizers expect some 100,000 visitors to attend the event commemorating what some historians describe as the first worldwide conflict. Descendants of Wolfe and Montcalm will also be in attendance.<br />
Horst Dresler of the Quebec Historical Corps and Andre Gousse of the Societe de Reconstitution Historique du Quebec will co-ordinate the event, which has a budget of $160,000 and is expected to draw actors from Canada, the United States, Britain and France.<br />
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New Quebec regulations lets offenders denied parole the right to visit family</h2>
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Phil Couvrette, CanWest News Service<br />
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Quebec inmates who have been turned down for parole could still be able to visit their immediate family, under new rules from Quebec’s correctional system that came into effect Monday.<br />
The point is not to release a dangerous offender into society, stressed David Sultan, vice-president of Quebec’s parole board, but to enable inmates who have met a certain criteria to keep in touch with family and eventually reintegrate into society.<br />
The rules won’t be any less strict than those that apply to inmates seeking a conditional release. “The criteria are not different, they are the same, the main ones being protecting the public and social reintegration,” Sultan said. “If they don’t pass that first test they won’t get out.”<br />
Victims of their crimes will be informed of the date, location and conditions of the release. Inmates must clearly state the reason for their visit, when and how they intend to get there and obtain the permission of the host.<br />
A prisoner who has served a third of his sentence could be entitled to visits strictly limited to immediate family members, once a month and for a period not exceeding 72 hours.<br />
“If we consider someone does not represent a risk to the public and it is necessary that family links be reinforced (...) the board could in theory agree to a family visit,” he said.<br />
If on the other hand the board sees the visit just as a courtesy call, or for the fun of it, the person may not get out. “Everything is done in the spirit of social reintegration,” Sultan said. “When the person is eventually released will he or she have the tools necessary or not?”<br />
Victims’ groups say that’s fine but still wonder whether social reintegration isn’t done on the backs of the victims.<br />
“Reintegration is important but not at all cost,” says Michelle Roy, who represent victims of sexual aggression. “There has to be a balance between the security of the public and reintegration.”<br />
“What happens if the family lives near his victim, or if they end up crossing paths with them?” Roy asked. “I hope they take this into consideration but I’m not entirely sure about that.<br />
“Sometimes it’s not the fear of repeating an offense per se, but the stress it brings to the victims,” Roy added.<br />
She also noted that it’s usually hard to track inmates during visits because of the heavy caseload of correctional workers.<br />
Inmates considered for family visits must be assessed according to various criteria including the threat to society they may pose, the risk of repeating offences, the nature of their crime, their behaviour as inmates, and their potential for reintegrating into society.<br />
The Quebec parole board is looking to see how it can apply the new regulations.<br />
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Phil Couvrette, CanWest News Service<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Published: Tuesday, June 05, 2007 </span><br />
A Quebec doctor who wrongly assumed a patient knew about her breast cancer has been suspended for four weeks by Quebec's College of Physicians.<br />
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In its decision the college said Dr. Van-Ty Banh failed to ensure the proper follow-up of a patient despite coming across documents confirming she had cancer in her left breast.<br />
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The patient first made a visit to the Montreal walk-in clinic where Banh worked on Feb. 18 2005, worrying about a cyst on her left breast. That day Banh recommended she undergo a mammogram and blood tests.<br />
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The patient returned twice to see Banh but wasn't informed of her diagnosis despite a series of mammograms and other reports streaming into his office confirming she had breast cancer soon after her last visit.<br />
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"Banh falsely assumed, but in good faith," that the patient was under the care of a hospital handling the tests and that it had fully informed her of her condition, the college wrote.<br />
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Banh slipped the documents into her file without making sure the patient knew about her condition or was under proper care, causing delays to her treatment, the college's disciplinary committee charged.<br />
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Four months after the woman stepped into the Banh's office her true medical condition was revealed to her by an endocrinologist, on June 23, who recommended urgent treatment.<br />
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Banh agreed to a four-week suspension in the complaint, first lodged in December 2005. During the disciplinary proceedings Banh recognized he was a fault.<br />
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The decision takes into consideration the dangers faced by the patient but also the "isolated" nature of the incident and lack of priors in the 23 years Banh has been practising medicine.<br />
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College spokesperson Anne Roy said the health system wasn't at fault even if the patient seemed to fall through the cracks.<br />
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"The college does not tolerate this lack of communication," said Roy of the lack of coordination between Banh and the institutions he referred his patient to. "We don't have to improve the system, the doctor did not follow the procedure he should have followed."<br />
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But some improvements can be made said Phil Hassen of the Canadian Patient Safety Institute. "We need to find ways of organizing patients around physician groups so that there is a continuity of care," such as with an electronic health record, he said.<br />
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Anti-war protesters appeal directly to soldiers about to be deployed</h2>
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Anti-war protesters have launched a letter-writing campaign to discourage soldiers from Quebec's Valcartier military base from participating in the next deployment to Afghanistan.<br />
"We are writing this letter to offer you a dissenting point-of-view about your deployment that we hope will prompt you to reconsider your participation," says the two-page letter sent to 3,000 people living near the base.<br />
Most of the soldiers being deployed will come from the Valcartier base, home to the Royal 22nd regiment or Van Doos, as they are known.<br />
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"Your deployment in Afghanistan means complicity with the civilian deaths and other activities - like the transfer of prisoners to potential torture and death - that are tantamount to war crimes," the letter says.<br />
Marie-Noelle Beland of the Quebec Coalition for Peace, one of the four groups that signed the letter, said she knows the letters have arrived because her group has received calls from soldiers. "Some people have seen it as a way to open a dialogue - which is interesting - others got angry and said we don't understand what's going on', we expected that," Beland said.<br />
Valcartier spokesman, Lieut. Bruno Tremblay, said Monday he hadn't heard about anybody receiving the letters, but said that they would be preaching to a crowd that's rather hard to convert.<br />
"Let's not forget that soldiers enrolling in the Canadian Forces are volunteers to serve in such missions," and not conscripts he stressed. "The decision... is made at a political level," Tremblay added. "The letters should not be sent to the soldiers but to politicians."<br />
Protesters say they are seek to convince soldiers and hope to recruit conscientious objectors. "If there are any we'll support them," Beland said. "We have a legal committee for that reason." The group also plans to stage a demonstration to "denounce Canadian military involvement in Afghanistan and the deployment of additional troops to Kandahar" in_Quebec City on June 22, the day some 2,000 soldiers about to be deployed, will be parading.<br />
While the group is calling for a "peaceful" protest that wouldn't interfere with the parade, at least one participant on the online forum Independance du_Quebec called for people to jeer the soldiers and try to prevent them from parading.<br />
Tremblay said people had a right to demonstrate but noted that the soldiers also have the right to thank the local population for its support.<br />
"What we're defending is exactly what the demonstrators are benefiting from, their right to express their opinion and demonstrating peacefully," he said.<br />
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Quebec judge awards goalie $7,500 after he's cut from minor hockey team</h2>
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A Montreal minor league hockey player was awarded $7,500 by a judge after his Midget AAA team cut him from the team after promising to keep him for the season.</div>
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Quebec Court Judge Henri Richard ruled in favour of goalie Alexandre Di Ruocco, 17, who lost a year of hockey after he was cut from the Montreal Predators for the 2005-2006 season.<br />
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The decision has potential ramifications for teams across the country as players can find themselves teamless, if a higher division cuts them and their former team has replaced them.<br />
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"Would this be a judgment that we'd be excited with? No it's not," said Glen McCurdie, a Hockey Canada spokesman. "It does have the capacity to have a negative impact certainly in the province of Quebec and perhaps beyond these borders as well."<br />
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But the boy's father, Gino, said he was "ecstatic with the judgment that was handed down. There are lots of Alexandres out there in the world that this happens to on a daily basis."<br />
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Three members of the Predators staff made the verbal promise when Di Ruocco transferred to the team but they were eventually replaced when the team's fortunes went sour, Gino said. The new staff didn't abide by the deal, he said.<br />
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"This can't go on, you can't make kids promises...," he added.<br />
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The judge established that a promise had been made and that letting the young goaltender go could compromise his hockey career, Gino recalled. He went to court after a lawyer's letter was ignored by the team.<br />
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Gino said he probably spent more on lawyer fees than was awarded in court, but he wanted to set a precedent for others.<br />
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"They seem to forget that this is a kid's game where the adults that manage these things don't take the child into perspective," and consider how decisions can affect them, he said.<br />
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The president of Quebec's Midget AAA hockey development league, Claude Gauthier, said that in his 30 years in the business he hadn't heard of many promises made to young players "because they are constantly evaluated."<br />
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He stressed the judge made clear that both the league and relevant associations were not at fault in the case and that league rules were respected. "The league has no control... the coaches choose the players," he said. David Assor, the boy's lawyer, said the judge made it clear the associations had to change their regulations to keep this from happening in the future.<br />
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Gauthier, who was involved in the court proceedings, said that he found no jurisprudence that pointed to a precedent in such a case but agreed that "if someone says he is committed to a player he has to respect that, if he doesn't and it causes moral harm he should probably be sued and should pay."<br />
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The boy is anxious to put the entire chapter behind him.<br />
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"I was real happy with the result but I won't get that season back," said Alexandre, who's been playing since he was six and turns 18 on Sunday.<br />
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He said the experience left him a bit bitter about playing hockey in Quebec and that he was looking forward to making a "fresh new start" out West. Alexander has offers from teams in Alberta and Saskatchewan.</div>
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Quebec City hospital reports eight C. difficile deaths since March</h2>
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Phil Couvrette, CanWest News Service<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Published: Wednesday, June 13, 2007</span><br />
QUEBEC — Fifty-two cases of C. difficile infections have resulted in eight deaths at Quebec City’s Saint-Francois d’Assise hospital since March, health officials said Wednesday.<br />
This sudden increase in cases of the infection were reported to regional public health officials on May 28. In 2006, 12 people died from the infection at the hospital.<br />
The average age of victims is 83, many of whom were already very ill.<br />
“Compared to the same periods the previous year fewer number of cases of C. difficile have been counted, but our clinical teams noticed a rapid rise in complications with some patients in May,” said Louis Couture of Quebec’s University Hospital Centre.<br />
Since health authorities were notified however, the number of new cases is down sharply, with just three cases of infection since then.<br />
As of Wednesday regional health officials had launched an epidemiological investigation that would review all of the infection cases which emerged since March. They were also reviewing preventative measures put in place at the hospital. An inspection earlier this year revealed that measures dealing with the infection at Saint-Francois d’Assise were either good or superior to ministerial norms, said Pierre Lafleur of the regional health and social services agency.<br />
Officials will try to determine why the sudden increase happened and whether procedures can be improved to prevent future spikes.<br />
“Public health officials are examining different general hypotheses,” Lafleur said. “Such as a seasonal fluctuation related to the end of the flu season, where there have been more respiratory infections requiring the use of antibiotics, which can be a triggering factor.” Health officials will also look into whether another strain is surfacing.<br />
C. difficile is a common, hospital-acquired infection. But when it strikes people weakened by illness and antibiotics, it can damage the lining of the bowel, in some cases even perforating it.<br />
The new strain has caused an estimated 2,000 deaths in Quebec since 2003. Deaths have also occurred in Ontario.<br />
A hospital in St. Hyacinthe, Que., east of Montreal, was put under investigation by a local health department earlier this year after it “lost control” of the infection that killed 16 patients in six months last year.<br />
A highly lethal strain of C. difficile is one of the most dangerous superbugs today. Health officials don’t know where it came from, but the first major cases emerged alarmingly in August 2004 when the superbug was blamed in the death of 100 patients in the previous 18 months at a single hospital, the Centre Hopitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke in Quebec, some 150 kilometres east of Montreal.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Quebec may make installing car breathalyzers easier</span><span style="font-family: times new roman; font-size: small;">Tuesday June 12, 2007 </span></span><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 24px;"><br /><span style="font-family: times new roman; font-size: x-small;">CanWest News Service<br />QUEBEC — Quebec’s Department of Transport may make it easier for people with drinking problems to have ignition interlock systems installed in their cars.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 24px;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;"><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">The systems, currently only installed in the cars of people in rehabilitation programs, prevent drivers from taking the wheel intoxicated. Drivers have to blow into a built-in breathalyzer that keeps the car locked down if alcohol is detected.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The issue was raised Tuesday in Quebec’s National Assembly by Transport Minister Julie Boulet.<br />Gino Desrosiers of Quebec’s motor vehicle board said Boulet “considered opening up the program to people asking for it on a voluntary basis if they submitted to the same program and conditions.” Desrosiers said that could start in a matter of weeks.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The device isn’t available to everyone but is installed in vehicles of drivers in a special rehab program after they were convicted of drunk driving, he said.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Some of the conditions include having the equipment recalibrated every few months. But the equipment shuts down well below the legal blood-alcohol limit of .08, Desrosiers noted. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Before considering rule changes, Boulet wants to take into account a provincial committee’s transportation recommendations on matters such as photo radar and breathalyzers at the end of the month.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The car breathalyzer made headlines after a man who has a chronic drinking problem but no record, voluntarily asked Quebec transport officials to install the $1,000 system, but was turned down.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Desrosiers said however that the man could have obtained a doctor’s note stating his client is “a chronic alcoholic” that would have made him eligible for the rehabilitation program. A similar note on his licence renewal forms could also have allowed him into the program. </span></span><span style="font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Last week Quebec public-health officials said passive technology that detects alcohol in the air should be installed in all new cars to curb drunk driving.</span></span><span style="font-size: 14px;"></span></span></div>
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Politician fights to keep reporting job</h2>
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Phil Couvrette , CanWest News Service<br />
Published: Thursday, June 14, 2007<br />
A Quebec cabinet minister is contesting her lay off from Radio-Canada after she was elected as a Liberal member of the National Assembly in the March 26 election. <br />
Quebec Culture and Communications Minister Christine St-Pierre, a 30-year veteran reporter with the French-language arm of the CBC, was on a leave of absence and had requested an extended leave but was turned down.<br />
St-Pierre is now fighting the decision with a grievance against Radio-Canada. St-Pierre is saying her grievance isn't in case the minority Liberal government is ousted, but is on principle. The minister has said that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms would supersede any institutional regulation at Radio-Canada.<br />
"She's entitled to her point of view," said Guylaine O'Ferrell, a spokeswoman for Radio-Canada.<br />
The broadcaster's rules make it clear a reporter must quit when elected at the federal or provincial level. Under the heading "Political activities of company employees" Radio-Canada's rules state: "Any employee elected to the House of Commons, the legislative body of a province... ceases to be to the employ of the company following the official results of the election."<br />
"All we've done is apply to the letter Radio-Canada's regulations," O'Ferrell said.<br />
St-Pierre's office confirmed the grievance was lodged with Radio-Canada but would not make further comments about the dispute.<br />
Before the campaign St-Pierre requested a leave of absence which was granted to her, said O'Ferrell. But a Radio-Canada letter clearly explained, O'Ferrell said, that if St-Pierre was defeated she would return to a position that would not "represent a conflict of interest with her political commitment, and if she was elected it automatically caused her to lose her employment."<br />
Alex Levasseur, head of Radio-Canada's communications union said firing St-Pierre was a rather questionable decision. "Normally when running for public office Radio-Canada allows for a leave of absence for the duration of that period," he said.<br />
"It's pretty obvious that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms is rather important," Levasseur added.<br />
It isn't the first time St-Pierre has a run-in with Radio-Canada's in-house rules. Last year she was suspended after writing an open letter in support of Canadian troops, which the network said contravened policies preventing reporters from expressing personal viewpoints on controversial issues.<br />
During the last provincial election Quebec City Radio-Canada reporter Bernard Drainville was also elected for the Parti Quebecois and was given the same letter, said O'Ferrell. In his case there were no grievances.<br />
Drainville and St-Pierre are just the latest former Radio-Canada reporters to go from asking the questions on the small screen to those answering them. Michaelle Jean also worked at the network before she became Governor General in 2005. Rideau Hall spokesperson Isabelle Serrurier said Jean had advised her bosses that she had planned on accepting the nomination for Governor General and "she no longer has a professional affiliation to the station for obvious conflict of interest reasons."<br />
In 1976, Rene Levesque was elected Quebec's first Parti Quebecois premier after spending years at the network.<br />
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Pedophile found out by one of his victims</h2>
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Published: Wednesday, June 20, 2007</div>
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A convicted pedophile was on the board of a centre housing intellectually handicapped children until he was confronted by one of his victims earlier this month.<br />
The head of the Centre Louise Bibeau in St-Hyacinthe, 65 kilometres east of Montreal, learned about the man's priors from someone who had come to register her child at the facility.<br />
Josiane Deslandes, 28, said she was sexually assaulted by Yves Plante, then her mother's boyfriend, for three years from the age of eight and testified at the closed hearing that put him away for 41/2 years.<br />
He actually served a year and seven months, and when Deslandes took her three-year-old daughter to register her on June 5, Plante was the one who opened the door.<br />
"Shock does not start to describe what I felt," said Deslandes, who had just ended a year of therapy that day and had come to the centre to find some support to raise her handicapped daughter.<br />
"Seeing him that day answered the question I was asking myself: are you really healed?" she said.<br />
Deslandes immediately asked to see the head of the centre, Sylvie Gazaille, storming into her office. "The man who just opened the door for me is called Yves Plante and he was my aggressor for three years ... what is he doing here?" she recalled asking Gazaille.<br />
The news came as a shock to members of the centre's board. "It was like the world flipped upside down," said board member Daniel Lanoie.<br />
Soon after Deslandes notified the board Plante was told to "cease his activities" at the centre, said Lanoie.<br />
Plante officially quit his post last week at the end of his mandate, which was to oversee the reconstruction of the building, Deslandes said. "He was not in contact with children but he was still here."<br />
Plante had been a volunteer for at least a year and a half at the centre. Lanoie said the centre quickly altered its hiring policy and that someone would be coming in soon to screen all of the staff, but it's too late for Deslandes. "I just lost all confidence in the place," she said.</div>
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Suspected Basque militant arrested in Quebec City</h2>
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QUEBEC - Canadian police have arrested a suspected member of the Basque militant group ETA, their second such detention in a week, Spain’s Interior Ministry said Wednesday.<br />
The RCMP arrested Ivan Apaolaza Sancho, 35, in Quebec City after discovering he was carrying false papers and lacked permission to stay in Canada, the ministry told Reuters News Agency.<br />
He had been sought by Spain and was on a European Union list of terrorism suspects for his possible involvement in attacks after ETA broke a ceasefire in 1999.<br />
In Montreal, a spokesman for the RCMP confirmed that a man had been arrested in Quebec City on Wednesday morning but gave no further details. Quebec City police said they observed the arrest which was conducted by the RCMP, assisted by Quebec provincial police.<br />
For Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day, the arrest was a sign of the effectiveness of Canada’s security services.<br />
“I can’t say anything that would in any way, you know, influence a case, influence charges or an investigation but it does show that our security forces are vigilant,” Day commented on Wednesday evening. “It shows that they do — that they are aware when there are possible risks coming into the country or in the country itself and they take action on those.”<br />
Earlier this month ETA, which is fighting for Basque independence from Spain, called off another ceasefire which had lasted 14 months. That truce had effectively ended in December when Madrid airport was bombed — an attack that killed two.<br />
Wednesday’s arrest brought to six the number of ETA arrests in June, following last week’s detention of 50-year-old Bittor Tejedor Bilbao in Vancouver, three in France and another in Mexico. In April, three suspects were arrested in Britain. Spanish police alleged Bilbao was part of a separatist commando unit that placed explosives at two electrical plants in the Basque region of Spain in June and August 1981.<br />
Deportation and extradition cases involving political refugee claimants can take months or years to complete under Canadian laws.<br />
Spain said Apaolaza may have been involved in a car bombing in January 2000 that killed army officer Pedro Antonio Blanco Garcia, ETA’s first murder after ending its 1999 ceasefire.<br />
In abandoning its truce, ETA vowed to attack the Spanish government “on all fronts.”<br />
With files from the Montreal Gazette.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Published: Friday, June 22, 2007</span></div>
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MONTREAL -- A Montreal doctoral student prevented from leaving Tehran says she should be let go because authorities have not found her guilty of breaking any laws.<br />
Documentary filmmaker Mehrnoushe Solouki has dual French and Iranian nationality and is being held as a threat to national security, in a case vaguely reminiscent of Iranian-Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi, who died in an Iranian jail.<br />
In a phone conversation with Reporters Without Borders, a press freedom organization which has written twice to French officials to intervene in the affair, Solouki says she did not understand the Iranian authorities' motives for keeping her. "Why am I still being held in Iran?" she asked. "Didn't I have the consent and politically sacrosanct authorizations of Iranian officials to come to Iran? To spend time here and to film? Have I broken any rule, any of the rules laid down by the Islamic Republic? After an investigation, the Iranian judicial authorities concluded that I had not."<br />
Solouki went to Iran in December 2006 to make a documentary about the events that followed the 1988 cease-fire between Iraq and Iran. She was arrested on last February and was held in Evin prison.<br />
Her French passport was returned to her but Iranian authorities are still holding on to all her notes and a portable hard drive that contains 70 per cent of the film she shot.<br />
Evin prison was the one photographed byKazemi before she was arrested and beaten to death during interrogation, an event which has since tainted Canada's relations with Iran.<br />
"So why I am still being held in Iran? Am I guilty because I have French citizenship? Because I resided in Canada?" she asked. "Because I am an independent filmmaker? The interior ministry's silence does not bode well."<br />
Reporters Without Borders is deploring the silence of Iranian authorities. "The Iranian authorities are saying nothing," a statement from the organization said. "While no charges were brought against her after she spent a month in detention, the Tehran prosecutor's office is awaiting a green light from the intelligence ministry to allow her to leave the country."<br />
The group says her family has mortgaged their home to pay for the large amount required to make bail. She was finally released on March 19 after paying over $115,000 in bail but is not allowed to leave the country.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Native group “disgusted” after building vandalized</span></strong> <br />
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CanWest News Service<br />
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KITIGAN ZIBI ALGONQUIN FIRST NATION, QUE. — A Quebec native community was shocked to wake up to racist graffiti on its cultural centre Thursday but officials vowed the act of vandalism wouldn’t deter plans to enjoy National Aboriginal Day.<br />
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Police chief Gordon McGregor said people in the community, about 100 kilometres north of Ottawa, were “disgusted” when they discovered their cultural centre spray-painted with graffiti depicting swastikas, “SS signs” and the inscription “white power.”<br />
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The damage was made overnight all around the building between midnight and 4 a.m., according to McGregor, but he couldn’t say whether it was made to coincide with the holiday.<br />
He said there haven’t been previous acts of vandalism nor tensions with neighbours in the area. “We don’t know what the motivation is but it dealt a serious blow to our people here,” he said. “This shouldn’t happen in any society.”<br />
The tents and picnic tables set up for National Aboriginal Day, on Thursday, were also destroyed.<br />
Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine called for the incident a “hate crime” and said it should be investigated and resolved as quickly as possible.<br />
“I am deeply saddened, shocked and gravely concerned that such a heinous hate crime could be committed against the people of the Kitigan Zibi First Nation,” Fontaine said in a statement.<br />
“This crime is a hate crime, and it harms all First Nations people, everywhere.”<br />
“We expect that this hate crime will receive the same kind of thorough and serious investigation that other hate crimes have received in the past, such as the firebombings (of a Jewish school) in Montreal,” Fontaine said.<br />
McGregor said he wasn’t sure when people would start to remove the markings. “People are stunned by what occurred and are trying to gather themselves,” he said.<br />
Celebrations around the centre were still going to take place “just to make sure it’s not going to deter us in any way,” McGregor said.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>Mostly peaceful rallies, some disruption planned for native day of action</strong></span></div>
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As Canada's native groups prepared to mark a national day of action Friday, raising awareness about issues touching their communities, at least one group was considering disruptive action to make its message heard.<br />
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Most groups are planning peaceful demonstrations such as marches and cultural events, but the Tyendinaga Mohawk reserve in eastern Ontario said this week it would consider Ontario Highway 401 and the CN rail main line that runs between Toronto and Montreal to be "credible targets" for blockades.<br />
In a statement Wednesday, Assembly of First Nations Chief Phil Fontaine sought to downplay the statement "While these comments have been widely reported they are isolated comments and do not reflect the position of the Assembly of First Nations," he said in a statement.<br />
"We respectfully urge Canadians not to criminalize First Nations people with respect to the actions they plan to take on June 29th and beyond. Our people do have a right to protest, as do all Canadians," he further said. "We understand the frustration that exists among too many of our people. Our objective in organizing the National Day of Action is to provide a positive channel for that energy."<br />
Wednesday VIA rail warned passengers that a potential blockade could impact service to or from Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa and Halifax. "While VIA has not received any official confirmation of planned actions," it said on its web page, "we wish to advise passengers who need to travel on June 29th on the above noted services, so that they can make alternate transportation plans if they wish to do so."<br />
Ontario's is an isolated case according to Bryan Hendry spokesman for the AFN.<br />
"That's only one person Shawn Brant," he said, adding that the chief of Manitoba's Roseau River First Nation had removed his threat of blockades after Ottawa settled an old claim by turning over acres of urban land. Instead a four-kilometre walk from Roseau, Man., to a nearby CN rail line and an open-air concert was scheduled.<br />
In Winnipeg, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs planned a similar peaceful march from the legislature to a downtown market followed by a concert to showcase aboriginal musicians, dancers and singers, not limited to aboriginal people.<br />
The Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, near the Ontario and Quebec borders, was however planning a large protest at the base of the Seaway International Bridge, according to the AFN's list of day events.<br />
New Brunswick's Woodstock First Nation and Quebec's Wendanke First Nation were also up for "traffic slowdown" in the schedule.<br />
In the Yukon, the Carcross First Nation was considering "Rail/Highway blockades." A spokesperson for the group said it would not sanction such action and that peaceful demonstrations were officially planned for the day.<br />
In Quebec, the local chapter of the AFN, which had been suggesting that other Quebec bands demonstrate peacefully, was going to pass leaflets. But a spokesperson noted that native bands were free to demonstrate as they pleased.<br />
The group had promoted the notion of "building bridges not blockading them," said Chief Ghislain Picard. "Any blockade or demonstration of civil disobedience would be severely denounced," stressed Picard about June 29.<br />
Kitigan Zibi Chief Stephen McGregor said his community wasn't planning anything out of the ordinary for that day, but deplored blockades "which don't further any cause". "Negotiating is the best approach to anything," he said. "The only thing that blockading does in the end is just cause aggravation."<br />
His Algonquin community, some 100 kilometres north of Ottawa, was still reeling from last week's vandalism of its cultural centre which left it defaced with racist markings.<br />
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Security increased at airports, border crossings</h2>
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Published: Monday, July 02, 2007</div>
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Phil Couvrette, CanWest News Service</div>
North American airports and borders, already preparing to deal with the crush of holidays and summer travel season, stepped up security over the weekend in the wake of terror-related incidents in London and Glasgow.<br />
On Sunday Canadian airports were advised by Transport Canada to be extra vigilant in the wake of this weekend's terrorist attack on Glasgow airport in Scotland, an incident that occurred a day after British police foiled car-bomb plots in London.<br />
The call was quickly heeded, said a spokeswoman for the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority.<br />
"At all the screening checkpoints at the 89 airports, screening officers are carrying out the screening functions with increased vigilance," said Anna-Karina Tabunar.<br />
While this didn't mean more staff to oversee security, it did mean agents were "being extra watchful."<br />
One Transport Canada directive called for personnel to "watch out more for airport perimeters and vehicles," said Tabunar, who added this would be the responsibility of individual airports.<br />
"If he said take extra vigilance, that's exactly what we're doing," Ali Hounsell of Vancouver International Airport said of Cannon's message, without offering more details.<br />
At the Greater Toronto Airport Authority a message recorded on the day of the Glasgow attack said "security was at an appropriate level for today's events."<br />
U.S. airports began tightening security Saturday in the wake of the U.K. incidents. Travellers at New York's major airports were warned that "vehicles entering the airport are subject to random search, please allow extra time when driving to the airport" on the Port Authority of N.Y. and New Jersey website.<br />
A terminal at JFK Airport was briefly evacuated Sunday following the discovery of a suspect package which turned out to be harmless.<br />
The head of U.S. Homeland Security said there were no plans to raise the nationwide colour-coded terror threat level.<br />
"At this point, I have seen no specific, credible information suggesting that this latest incident is connected to a threat to the homeland. We have no plans at this time to change the national threat level," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said in a statement. "However, in an abundance of caution during this holiday period, DHS will be implementing plans to increase our security measures at U.S. airports, mass transit and other transportation facilities. Some of these measures will be visible; others will not."<br />
Melisa Leclerc, a spokeswoman for Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day, said "obviously when something happens like this, the level of exchange of information (between various agencies including RCMP and overseas) increases as well as the level of vigilance."<br />
British airports remained on critical alert Monday after a terminal at London's Heathrow was closed briefly Sunday when a "suspicious package" was discovered by authorities. It was later cleared. Glasgow airport re-opened Sunday with limited service.<br />
On Monday police arrested three more people over a weekend car bombing at Glasgow airport, bringing to eight the number of suspects detained after three failed attacks which put Britain on maximum alert.<br />
The incidents occurred soon after the release of a video purporting to show Taliban militants graduating from training camps before being sent off to the U.S., Canada, Britain and other European countries on suicide missions. Canada has been named by al-Qaida in the past as a terrorist target.<br />
"Times like these definitely raise awareness across the world with different security agencies," said Canada Border Services Agency spokesperson Andrea Kent. "We are always on alert and always very vigilant for anything that could possibly threaten Canadians."<br />
Some border crossings in B.C. and Quebec were testing the patience of passengers for over an hour and a half on Monday, according to the CBSA website.<br />
Agents were dealing with extra cross-border traffic, Kent said. "To respond to that influx in traffic we maximize our resources and will do things like putting extra officers on shifts that we know are busy. We monitor the traffic regularly."<br />
Derek Humble, a senior security specialist with G4S Security Services, a private security firm, said Canada lacks the appropriate security mindset. He recommended posting 1-800 numbers publicly to report suspicious activity.<br />
"The people in this country only have one alternative means of communicating with the police and that is 911," he said.<br />
"The problem is, it is overkill. If there were posted signs in areas vulnerable, key transportation sites, the airport, Union Station (in Toronto) ... that would give me some form of sense these guys (government) were taking things seriously, but unfortunately I don't think they are."<br />
As with after the bombings of the London transit system in 2005, Canada is reacting too late to the latest overseas threat, Humble said. He criticized the lack of "expediency and sensibility from the government at any level."<br />
Canada shouldn't fear scaring off tourists by publicizing security measures, he added, especially not in an environment where Canada's military presence in Afghanistan could inspire terrorists to strike at home.<br />
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Canadian fertility research shines at conference</h2>
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Published: Tuesday, July 03</div>
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Phil Couvrette, CanWest News Service</div>
Groundbreaking fertility techniques and a study correlating infertility treatment with negative moods have put Canadian reproductive research at the forefront of a major international conference in France this week.<br />
The 23rd annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Lyon has been presented with reproductive studies from McGill University and the London Health Sciences Centre, showcasing Canadian know-how in reproductive research and technologies.<br />
"I think Canadian research is really up there and we are among the world leaders in the field," said Dr. Seang Lin Tan, head of the McGill Reproductive Centre, in a phone interview from Lyon.<br />
On Monday the Centre's researchers revealed the first baby to be created from an egg matured in a laboratory, frozen, thawed and then fertilized, had been born in Canada about a year ago.<br />
In a breakthrough treatment that opened new venues for fertilization the baby girl was born to a woman diagnosed with advanced ovarian disease, and three other women in the 20-person trial group are pregnant by the same technique, according to researchers.<br />
Usually the eggs - harvested after stimulating the ovaries with hormones - are fertilized in-vitro with their partner's sperm, then frozen. The eggs are then thawed and implanted. But the Canadian technique recovered the egg from unstimulated ovaries and were only fertilized after they had been frozen and then thawed, not before.<br />
"The baby was born healthily about a year ago," Tan said, adding the method represented a breakthrough to help women with cancer who are at risk of losing their fertility because of chemotherapy.<br />
Tan said the egg was frozen by a "new method of freezing" developed at McGill which has vastly improved the survival rates of eggs, improving chances of bringing fertility treatment to terms with a birth.<br />
In another case, which has raised eyebrows and ethical issues, involves a Quebec woman, Melanie Boivin, who donated her eggs to her daughter who is sterile because of a genetic condition called Turner's syndrome.<br />
When 7-year-old Flavie Boivin comes of age to bear children through in-vitro fertilization (IVF), she will have the option of doing so. But she would also be giving birth to her half-brother or sister.<br />
Tan conceded this scrambling of generations raised ethical issues but noted that Flavie can choose not to use the eggs and noted that ethics may evolve between now and when she is mature enough to bear child.<br />
"It opens up the possibility that in the future mothers can freeze eggs to help their daughters if their daughters have a medical condition," Tan stressed.<br />
Then again the eggs may be given away as the country suffers from a shortage of egg donors which he in part attributes to new federal regulations that ban the selling of women's eggs.<br />
In another presentation in Lyon, Canadian doctors at the London Health Sciences Centre in London, Ont. have found that mood swings heavily influenced a woman's fertility choices when considering IVF treatment.<br />
Research headed by Dr. Christopher Newton unveiled a link, among 129 female infertility patients surveyed one month before IVF treatment, between a negative state of mind and a greater willingness to take risk, in this case by choosing to receive multiple embryos rather than a single one.<br />
Research shows that pregnancies with single embryos suffer less complications while multiple embryo implants offer a higher chance of a pregnancy.<br />
"We found a significant association between women's mood states and their perceptions of the likelihood of a multiple pregnancy. Women estimated their chance of having a multiple pregnancy as lower when they were experiencing more negative moods," Newton said in a statement. "One possible explanation is that negative moods lead women to knowingly make more risky choices."<br />
Newton said this can lead to better understanding of the importance of couples' emotional health during IVF treatment, and the effect this has on their decision-making.<br />
About one in six Canadian couples is affected by infertility and the rate is increasing because women are having children at an older age and have greater access to birth-control pills, Tan said.<br />
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Longueuil bank robber surrenders after standoff</h2>
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CanWest News Service<br />
A tense hostage-taking situation following an apparent botched bank hold-up in Longueuil ended without incident Thursday when a 52-year-old man turned himself to police.<br />
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“What is important to remember is that the five hostages were all released and are safe and sound with no apparent injuries,” said Jayson Gauthier, a Quebec provincial police spokesman. “The suspect also doesn’t appear to have been hurt.”<br />
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“He turned himself into police voluntarily,” said Constable Gaetan Durocher of Longueuil police. The man was taken into custody and will appear in court Friday to face a series of charges.<br />
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He gave himself up at 5:30 p.m., after more than eight hours of negotiating with police.<br />
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His last hostage had been released about four hours earlier.<br />
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Three Laurentian Bank employees left the bank by themselves at 9:40 a.m. About two hours later a woman left the branch, taking advantage of something distracting the suspect.<br />
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Initially, police responded to an alarm going off at the bank on Montreal’s south shore at 9 a.m. The bank branch is on Chambly Rd. near Jacques Cartier Blvd.<br />
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The first officers who responded noticed an armed man inside the bank. They decided to call for back up and wait.<br />
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Manon Gaignard of the Surete du Quebec said three women who worked at the bank were released less than an hour later.<br />
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“At around 11:20 (a.m.) a woman managed to leave the bank on her own. She took advantage of a moment where the suspect was not paying attention to her,” Gaignard said.<br />
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At 1:40 p.m. a man, the fifth hostage, was released from the bank. Gaignard said the robber agreed to let this hostage go.<br />
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The gunman remains inside the bank and SQ is in contact with him. Gaignard said the SQ hopes he will surrender himself voluntarily.<br />
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“When we arrived we noticed bizarre movement inside and we noticed that someone was armed inside,” said Constable Gaetan Durocher of the Longueuil police in reference to when the officers first arrived.<br />
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After the first officers called for backup several officers arrived at the scene, Durocher said adding the bank had just opened when the robbery took place.<br />
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“The priority was to secure the area, which we did by setting up a security perimeter.,” he said.<br />
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The Place Desormeaux shopping mall, which is across the street from the bank, was evacuated as were several homes in the area.<br />
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The police also closed off access to Chambly Rd. between Jacques Cartier Blvd and Desormeaux St. Heavily armed SWAT team officers could be seen on Chambly Rd. with their weapons drawn.<br />
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A witness saw the first three hostages as they left the bank.<br />
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“They didn’t appear to be panicked but I was far away from the bank at that point,” said Richard Desjardins who was at a neighbouring bank when the alarm at the Laurentian Bank went off.<br />
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None of the hostages was injured and no shots have been fired, Durocher said.<br />
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The SQ was called in to take charge of the operation to lend assistance with negotiations and with other aspects of the operation.<br />
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“This kind of operation is necessary when you have a hostage or a possible hostage (situation),” said SQ Constable Manon Gaignard. “That is the structure that we put in place to intervene in this kind of event.”<br />
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Soldier sentenced to house arrest for sexual assault</h2>
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Published: Thursday, July 05</div>
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CanWest News Service</div>
QUEBEC - A Valcartier-based Canadian Forces soldier has been denied an absolute discharge that would have allowed him to serve in Afghanistan.<br />
Instead he was sentenced Thursday to 15 months to be served in the community for sexual assault.<br />
The sentence could end the two-year military career of Pierre-Olivier Boulet, 22.<br />
"This is not the kind of person we want to represent the country overseas, that's for sure," said Crown prosecutor Sarah Julie Chicoine.<br />
But defence attorney Richard-Philippe Guay said there would be an appeal in the case later this year and Boulet remains a soldier in the mean time.<br />
Guay had asked for the absolute discharge so Boulet could serve in Afghanistan, but Quebec Court Judge Carol St Cyr said that would have meant trivializing the crime.<br />
Boulet will be under 24-hour house arrest for the first five months except for work-related matters, leaving him an opportunity to still serve in the military, Guay said. The judge did not prevent him from having access to weapons, he added. "There's still a good chance the army will keep him," Guay said.<br />
Military officials say his case will be looked at in Ottawa.<br />
"Basically, for a serious offence, like a serious crime, the file of the soldier is looked at right away," said Capt. Eric Chamberlain, a spokesman for CFB Valcartier.<br />
"And if he's released from the forces because of a crime he will have a dishonorable discharge and he won't be able to rejoin the Forces after that," Chamberlain said.<br />
Boulet was found guilty in February of sexual assault on a 19-year-old woman, a friend's sister, in 2004. Boulet claimed the act had been consensual.<br />
Boulet was originally scheduled to be deployed in 2006 but the trial postponed his departure. If he wins his appeal he could possibly be deployed next year, Guay said.<br />
Boulet's sentence will be followed by 18 months of probation. He must also make a donation of $1,500 to a victim of crimes group.<br />
"It's a partial victory," Chicoine said.<br />
"The victim said she was happy with the ruling because she thought that if the person would have had a conditional or unconditional discharge, it would have been not a good thing," she added.<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>Thieves lured by shine of metal money from coast to coast</strong></span></div>
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Phil Couvrette<br />
Sunday, July 08, 2007</div>
Aluminum billboards disappearing in Vancouver, stainless steel tanker trucks reported stolen in Quebec, a copper wire theft in New Brunswick resulting in a death, beer kegs in Nova Scotia and a two-tonne bronze statue snagged from an Ontario park.<br />
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Across the country no metal item seems too big or too small as police report an increasing number of incidents they are associating with the growing black market for scrap metal.<br />
The phenomenon is nationwide, but British Columbia has seen the most frequent incidents, says Len Shaw, executive director of the Canadian Association of Recycling Industries, while Ontario takes the cake in terms of the volume of metal stolen.<br />
In January, thieves made off with aluminum bleachers at a baseball diamond in Ucluelet, B.C. The province has been dealing for months with the theft of scrap metal from Vancouver billboards and memorial plaques removed from park benches in Nanaimo, among other targets.<br />
"B.C. has very specific social problems, drugs, etc," Shaw explained. "They're looking for cash, they go steal a billboard made of aluminum for quick money."<br />
The metals that are getting the most attention from thieves are bronze, stainless steel, copper and aluminum.<br />
Metal theft spares no industry or borders. According to the California Farm Bureau, metal theft in rural areas there doubled in 2005 and shot up another 400 per cent in 2006, so the state is now considering legislation to make it harder for thieves to make a quick buck off stolen scrap.<br />
In Michigan, authorities tripled the deposit on beer kegs to discourage thieves from selling them to scrap dealers.<br />
Shaw says the phenomenon isn't necessarily new, but the size and frequency of thefts are, boosted by the fact scrap metal is a basic supply and demand issue and commodity prices are high all over the world.<br />
But copper is a prized metal and there is a shortage in inventories, leading to higher prices, which in turn is encouraging more thefts across the nation's construction and utility sites.<br />
The price of copper reached an eight-week high of US$3.5935 a pound -- it was US$1 a pound in 2003 -- at the New York Mercantile Exchange this past week. It has been fuelled by the U.S. housing boom and, more recently, China and India's seemingly boundless growth.<br />
Often outshone by more precious metals, copper is commonly used in many daily items, for electricity, computer components, data and phone transmissions, plumbing as well as various household appliances.<br />
And some thieves will take great risks for a few metres of copper wire.<br />
In May, an attempt to break into a New Brunswick power substation to steal copper wires resulted in the electrocution of one of the two thieves.<br />
There have been 75 break-ins at substations across the province in the last 18 months, despite tighter security.<br />
"Some folks are just willing to take that risk," observed Sgt. Greg MacAvoy of the Charlotte County, N.B., RCMP. "Commonly, we find that a lot of folks involved in this type of activity are desperate for cash to support an addiction and are willing to do all sorts of things."<br />
While metal fever seems to be spreading across the country, some regions are noticeably spared. Alberta has reported few incidents, probably due to the province's current boom, said Shaw, of the recyclng industry association.<br />
"I guess, frankly, even the thieves out there have jobs," he said with a laugh.<br />
In his quiet corner of southwestern New Brunswick, MacAvoy said that in his 15 years in the RCMP, it's only this spring that cases of metal theft really started surging.<br />
"The price of metals is rising, making them a little more appealing," he said. "Several years ago copper wire probably wouldn't have been at the top of their list."<br />
Local government officials had recently been noticing how aluminum road signs seemed to be disappearing at a growing frequency, he added.<br />
In addition to the value of the metal stolen, inconvenience costs also have to be factored in, MacAvoy said, such as reconstruction costs, extra man-hours of work and interruption of public services.<br />
Overall, the RCMP said it doesn't have a specialized team investigating metal theft, but if thefts continue at this rate, community groups, businesses and even governments may start clamouring for some kind of national plan.<br />
Among the more peculiar items recovered from scrap yards recently was the 135-kilogram bell stolen from Plymouth-Trinity United Church in Sherbrooke, Que. It was recovered in a Montreal scrapyard last March.<br />
Parishioners were fortunate the mass of yellow brass only made it 150 kilometres away. In some cases, large items have quickly been sent overseas.<br />
Last December, a two-tonne bronze statue of Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko was pulled from its park perch in Oakville, Ont. It's believed to have been shipped to China to be melted down. Only its head was found.<br />
How big does metal theft get? Quebec's trucking association is concerned it is being targeted by metal thieves after a dozen stainless steel and aluminum tankers were stolen in the last couple of months. It suspects their rigs are also joining the scrap heap after being stripped of valuable steel.<br />
"They don't show up at a local scrap yard," Shaw said of large items. "They're pretty much, we expect, put into a container and shipped overseas."<br />
The metal theft boom has given scrap dealers a bad name, Shaw points out, despite the fact they're also frequent targets and his association has promoted ethical business practices.<br />
"We are a very large target for these types of thefts," Shaw stressed. In addition, it's hard to track down where much of the material comes from.<br />
"Police are having tremendous difficulty obtaining convictions because they are unable to do that," he said.<br />
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The truth is out there, and Stanton Friedman will soon get to tell the masses about it. The trained nuclear physicist turned ufologist from Fredericton believes aliens have visited Earth, and governments don't want people to know.<br />
Now, he is about to tell a planetary audience about it.<br />
Friedman is heading to Los Angeles to address his largest audience yet on a CNN Larry King Live special segment tonight marking the 60th anniversary of the Roswell incident.<br />
"People are excited by factual information; they also want to know why, why the cover up, why would aliens come here," Friedman said.<br />
Roswell, N.M., was the site of a July 1947 crash, after which ufologists claim space aliens were sighted.<br />
Ten years ago, a U.S. Air Force report concluded that people who reported seeing alien bodies at the crash site near Roswell were actually describing U.S. Air Force dummies used in high- altitude parachute drops. This hasn't made ufology less of a popular subject and reinforces Friedman's belief that Roswell is the subject of a Cosmic Watergate.<br />
Friedman appears on the show with former astronaut Buzz Aldrin and Jesse Marcel Jr. - whose father was a military intelligence officer who examined the Roswell debris field.<br />
"It's just a milestone and also it makes you reflect on the fact that they've been covering things up for 60 years," Friedman said.<br />
After becoming interested in ufology early on in his scientific career, Friedman turned his passion into a specialization and is now considered an authority on the subject.<br />
"I'm not a masochist. I'm not in this to get a hard time. I've only had 11 hecklers in over 700 lectures and two of them were drunk; and I come on very strong," he said. "I'm not an apologist ufologist." Friedman admits he's excited about appearing on the show, which is rebroadcast around the world on CNN International.<br />
"We need to recognize that we're not the big shots in the neighbourhood, maybe we'll grow up a little bit," he said. "Anything I can do that gets people to look at the big picture is worth doing." Friedman, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada, received BSc and MSc degrees in physics from the University of Chicago and was employed for 14 years as a nuclear physicist for such companies as General Electric, General Motors and McDonnell Douglas.<br />
He has lectured on the topic of Flying Saucers ARE Real! for 40 years at more than 600 colleges and more than 100 professional groups in 50 states, nine provinces and in 16 other countries.<br />
Friedman has published more than 80 UFO papers and has appeared on hundreds of radio and TV shows. His website describes him as " the original civilian investigator of the Roswell Incident."<br />
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Jews facing “gathering storm,” Canadian MP tells Israel audience</h2>
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Jews are facing a “gathering storm” with multiple threats from Iran, Hezbollah, al-Qaida, Hamas and international terrorism unmatched since the 1930s, former justice minister Irwin Cotler told a Jerusalem conference on Tuesday.<br />
Speaking on the opening day of the Conference on the Future of the Jewish People, Cotler warned that “radical Islam threatens international peace, security and human rights” and moderate Muslims as well as Jews, amounting to an environment Israel hasn’t seen since the rise of Nazi Germany.<br />
Cotler expressed concerns about a dangerous Mideast threat environment combining Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s Iran with the election of Hamas in Palestinian elections and emergence of the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon “as a state within a state,” he said in his keynote speech entitled The Gathering Storm.<br />
While many of these developments are at least a year old the events “have not only intensified but congealed, constituting now what may be called a gathering storm.” He noted that when Hamas took over the Gaza strip and refugee camps in Lebanon that both erupted in violence due to the infiltration of islamic militants.<br />
“Since last year Iran not only continues to incite a Mideast Holocaust but now also denies that the European one occurred,” he said. “There’s been a quantum leap forward in Iran acquiring lethal atomic capabilities and increased state support for international and Mideast terrorism.”<br />
Cotler also criticized the United Nations Human Rights Council for passing many resolutions against Israel while letting offending countries off the hook, constituting “a country-specific indictment.”<br />
But Israel can count on geopolitics and allies it didn’t have in the 1930s, he stressed.<br />
“It is not 1938. There is a Jewish state as an antidote to Jewish vulnerability,” he said. “There are non-Jews prepared to join together in common cause with the Jewish people and Israel’s not alone.” It can count on allies such as Canada and the U.S. as well as developing relations with emerging powers such as China and India.<br />
“I do believe there is a gathering storm, but there is no inevitability about the negatives,” said the Liberal MP and Opposition Critic for Human Rights.<br />
The conference, organized by the Jewish People Policy Planning Institute, brings together Jewish leaders from around the world to discuss strategies to deal with threats and challenges facing Jewish people.<br />
Some 120 participants, including Israel’s President-elect Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as well as former U.S. envoy to Israel Dennis Ross, were taking part in the conference.<br />
Reflecting this balance of threats and opportunity, Olmert urged Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to begin direct peace negotiations between the two countries on Tuesday, one day after Olmert reiterated Israel’s determination to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.<br />
Olmert has come under pressure to resign after a government report accused him of committing a series of errors in his handling of the war in Lebanon last summer.<br />
The fighting broke out on July 12, 2006 and left 1,100 Lebanese dead, mostly from Israeli air raids, but also killed 163 Israelis. Hezbollah fired more than 4,000 rockets into Israel before a United Nations-brokered ceasefire was declared on Aug. 14.</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Published: Saturday, July 14, 2007</span></div>
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Canadians seeking refuge from the dog days of summer at water's edge take note: This week is the peak time for drownings in Canada.<br />
National Drowning Prevention Week, which starts today, is situated smack in the middle of July for a good reason. This is the month of the year that sees the most drownings in Canada, said Suzanne Gorman, executive director of the Lifesaving Society.<br />
Drowning, according to the Lifesaving Society, is the third leading cause of unintentional death for Canadians under the age of 60 and it takes 400 victims every year.<br />
A majority of the victims drown in natural bodies of water and are male, many of whom never intended to hit the water, Gorman explained.<br />
"Over seventy per cent are male," she said. "Less than one-third of the victims intended to get wet, which means they're usually in a boat, fishing or in land transportation or walking along rivers' edges."<br />
More than 75 per cent of drownings occur in natural bodies of water such as rivers, lakes and oceans.<br />
A little more than five per cent happen in backyard pools, five times more than in public pools.<br />
"For children, our recommendations to parents is to keep them within arm's reach," Gorman said. "It only takes a moment for things to go from perfectly fine to trouble."<br />
Safety advocates also say wearing a lifejacket and leaving alcohol at home when going on boating trips, as well as following a lifeguarding course, can go a long way toward avoiding tragedies.<br />
While drownings occur across the country, the issue has made its way onto Quebec's political landscape thanks to a few high-profile cases.<br />
Tabled in June, Quebec's bill 18 would standardize province-wide norms for pool safety that currently vary from one municipality to another. The bill is aimed at private pools where on average 11 drownings happen every year in the province -- the worst record in the country. Of those deaths, half involve children under five.<br />
"It's important to control access to private pools," said Raynald Hawkins of the Quebec Lifeguarding Society.<br />
Gorman says the bill, which she believes is a first in Canada, is being closely followed.<br />
The Union of Quebec Municipalities applauded bill 18 but stressed cities and towns shouldn't bear the cost of improving residential pool safety alone.<br />
It said pool-makers, stores, installers and insurance companies need to share the costs.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Published: Wednesday, July 18, 2007</span></div>
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OTTAWA - Protest groups are assembling for what they say will be a major demonstration to coincide with the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America summit bringing together the leaders of Mexico, Canada and the U.S. east of Ottawa next month.<br />
Unfazed by being asked to move a scheduled public forum on SPP from its planned location close to Montebello, Que., the site where the leaders are gathering, for security reasons, the Council of Canadians says it is holding the event in Ottawa and calling for a National Day of Action. Protests are planned for Aug. 19, the eve of the two-day summit during which the leaders will gather to discuss bilateral issues.<br />
Spokesman Stewart Trew said the same sort of protests that greeted George W. Bush in his last visit in 2004 should greet the U.S. president here, including a march passing in front of the Mexican and U.S. embassies and ending on Parliament Hill -about 60 kilometres away from the site of the meetings.<br />
"The Council of Canadians has been following the Security and Prosperity Partnership since the 2005 when the leaders of all three countries signed it without public discussion or parliamentary debate," Trew said. "So our position is basically that all talks leading to deeper integration between the three countries should cease until there has been a full public debate on this."<br />
Trew said that in addition the Council is critical the SPP would give U.S. companies control over Canadian resources, make Canada's foreign policy less independent and harmonize security measures targeting innocent Canadians.<br />
A number of groups from Toronto and Montreal have expressed interest about joining in the protest he said. Some groups reported already booking buses to attend the rally.<br />
The Canadian Peace Alliance and Quebec-based Collectif Echec a la guerre were two groups jointly calling for demonstrations to coincide with the summit.<br />
So far police have said little about security measures but they are expected to be tight. Last month, a town official in Montebello said police were planning to erect a 25-kilometre security perimeter around the town, with checkpoints as far away as Thurso, Que. and Hawkesbury, Ont. In comparison, a 6.5-kilometre radius security zone surrounded Kananaskis, Alta., during the G8 Summit held there in 2002.</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Published: Wednesday, July 18, 2007</span></div>
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Phil Couvrette, CanWest News Service</div>
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A Montreal-area woman is charging that ambulance teams were too busy arguing to help save her son who ended up dying after a scooter accident.<br />
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The parents of a 14-year-old boy are lodging a complaint with two ambulance companies they say argued for nearly an hour over transferring their gravely injured son, Marc-Olivier Chayer, to hospital.<br />
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“I don’t know if he would have died or not, but I was told that when they transfer people it’s because there’s a good chance he can be treated,” said Danielle Gaudreau. “They don’t transfer them for just any reason. If they were sure he was going to die they wouldn’t transfer him. But they had the opportunity to treat him, to save him.”<br />
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The regional health agency said it was investigating whether procedures were followed, and if so whether they should be changed.<br />
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“What has occurred is unacceptable to us, this sort of call should be handled within 15 minutes, it took 50 so it’s inadequate,” director Jean-Claude Berlinguet told the all-news, French-language channel LCN.<br />
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The boy was going to work picking strawberries early on the morning of July 12, riding his scooter, when he was involved in an accident south of Montreal. He was rushed to Pierre-Le Gardeur hospital east of Montreal where he received initial treatment. The severity of the injuries he sustained required that he be transferred to Montreal for treatment. That’s when the argument between ambulance companies began.<br />
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Ambulance personnel at the hospital representing two separate regional services — Services Prehospitaliers Laurentide-Lanaudiere and Ambulances Lanaudiere — argued about being unable to transfer the boy, one because it would have meant overtime, and the other because it wasn’t in the right coverage area, Gaudreau said.<br />
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Ambulance technicians could be heard swearing and arguing over who should transfer the boy, she recalled. Then one of the men she was told would do so stormed out of a room swearing. Gaudreau said she was told by a nurse he wasn’t mad at her son but because his dispatcher wouldn’t let him leave because he was doing overtime. “They’re arguing because they want to leave but they can’t,” Gaudreau said the nurse told her. Gaudreau said she was going through hell.<br />
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“I knew my boy was hemorrhaging, it was the liver and that’s essential,” she said. “We knew he was in a stable but critical situation.”<br />
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An ambulance eventually picked up the boy 50 minutes later but he was pronounced dead at the Montreal hospital.<br />
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Services Prehospitaliers Laurentide-Lanaudiere, has opened an internal investigation. Head of operations Francois Galarneau says overtime wasn’t an issue in the matter but rather trouble coordinating resources because ambulances arriving at the hospital were already carrying patients that required a certain turn-around. <br />
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But it isn’t the first time the ambulance service is the subject of complaints, Gaudreau said.</div>
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Traditional ways a solution for natives on thin ice</h2>
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Canadian natives struggling to keep their traditions alive are being told that the old ways can be life-saving for aboriginals who are on thin ice.<br />
A four-year study in six northern Quebec communities into climate change by the Kativik Regional Government is recommending that if people want to avoid falling through thinning ice being blamed on global warming, they should use dog teams instead of snowmobiles.<br />
"The switch from dogsled to snowmobile has had an impact on the security of transport," the report notes. "To minimize the negative impact on travel security of thin and unstable ice due to global warming, the use of sleds pulled by dog teams could be favoured during some periods of winter, such as the beginning."<br />
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The report makes plain the impact global warming is having on the traditional trail network of the north. It stresses that dogs represent a "very efficient navigation device," able to sniff around for trails, signal when the ice is thin, and can help pull a sled out of the water should it fall through. The report quotes Inuit elders saying that the number of accidents increased in the north with the introduction of snowmobiles.<br />
"No one is asking hunters to part with snowmobiles and use (just) dog teams," insists Julie Grenier, spokeswoman for the KRG. Besides "there aren't enough dogs for dog teaming in Nunavik," she added.<br />
Martin Tremblay, who is researching infrastructure safety for the KRG in a project that looks at changes along the trail networks, says Inuit elders are pointing out the risks of a winter season starting later and its impact on transport.<br />
"In some areas the ice will be more dangerous than in the past, more unstable," he said. Local experts providing key ice condition data are reporting more areas of risk, he adds.<br />
Risky trails can potentially block access to resources such as hunting grounds.<br />
During the 2005 U.N. Climate Change Conference in Montreal, Inuit elders, trappers and hunters said weather changes can have significant socio-economic impacts, forcing natives to import more expensive food from the south, which isn't always as suitable to northern diets.<br />
While Tremblay said his study didn't look at the socio-economic ramifications of these changes to infrastructure access - sometimes preventing access to certain areas for weeks -- he conceded they could be far-reaching. "Access to resources depends on access to territory," he noted.<br />
The report says further studies are necessary to determine the impact of global warming on hunted species, hinting their "diversity, distribution and density" may be affected.<br />
Although ice on lakes hasn't been causing problems, coastal areas can remain a risk all winter long due to thin ice, the report notes. Ground trails should be favoured when possible to minimize risks, it adds.<br />
"During the last 10 years we have observed that the ice breakup is earlier than before and this situation can have an impact on security when using snowmobiles to go fishing and hunting," Tremblay said.<br />
Semi-retired Inuit leader Jose Kusugak acknowledged things are changing in the North but he has never heard of recommendations to avoid using snowmobiles. "It's not uncommon that things are changing rapidly," Kusugak said on the phone from Rankin Inlet, Nunavut. "But as far as the trails, I've never heard someone say 'stop using snowmobiles.' They're just more careful now."<br />
Ironically, snowmobile season was particularly long this year, ending just over a month ago in his part of the North, he pointed out. Kusugak said he has been contacting others by citizen's band to get an idea of trails to avoid late in the season. They would "give a general direction but add 'don't go by my word'," he said. "But in the end it was safe." <br />
Experts of the North said this year's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change working group reports only confirmed what had been obvious to people in the North: that human activities are the cause of climate change. The IPCC, northern observers say, expanded on the findings of an earlier report by the multi-national Arctic Council entitled "Arctic Climate Impact Assessment" reaching similar stark conclusions three years prior.<br />
"The Arctic is a barometer of global environmental health," commented Mary Simon, President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami -- Canada's national inuit organization.<br />
Tremblay says his study issues a number of recommendations for the peoples of the North: making information on trail risk areas and shelter locations widely available, using various technology such as GPS for navigation, and spreading the knowledge of experienced hunters and trappers.<br />
A sign snowmobiles aren't about to disappear from the trails of the North: Tremblay's group also recommends using multiple ski-doos on treks, in case of mechanical failure. Even in risk areas, snowmobiles can be used with caution, he said.</div>
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</span><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;"><strong>Jamaica out to conquer the White North again </strong></span></span><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /><br />Published: Wednesday, Aug 1, 2007</span></span><br />
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Maybe it’s the heat that makes them do it. A sun-kissed athlete from Jamaica is about to take on the Great White North by storm again.<br />
In a project reminiscent of the Jamaican bobsled team’s participation in the 1988 Calgary Olympic Games, immortalized in the 1993 comedy Cool Runnings, the owner of the Jamaica Dogsled Team announced that his lead musher would be training with a former champion to take on one of the most demanding dogsled races in the world.</div>
</span><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">That’s dogsled, not bobsled.<br />“Ninety percent of the time I have to correct people, it’s not bobsled, it’s dogsled, they always mix it,” explains head musher Devon Anderson in a phone interview from Jamaica. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Anderson will train with three-time race winner Hans Gatt for the 1,500-kilometre 2009 Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race that connects Fairbanks, Alaska to Whitehorse, Yukon.<br />To get there he’ll have to prepare for 300 and 450-kilometre qualifiers, starting this fall either in Canada or Alaska.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">“It’s in the making!” he said.<br />Relatively new to the sport, Anderson visited Canada last year to follow the Yukon Quest and even mushed on Lake Laberge. He’d seen snow before, but never this much. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">“It blew me away: the people, the snow, the landscape, it was like living in a storybook,” he said.<br />Anderson said he’ll have to practise being around the dogs and staying extended periods of time in the cold to be ready to tackle the first qualifiers.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">“We’re not talking about winning, but competing, it’s an endurance race,” said team owner Danny Melville, a tour adventure company owner on the island nation. “This is not just a promotional move, we take mushing seriously and Gatt agrees otherwise he would not be wasting his time with us.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">What started like a tour company gimmick turned into serious competitive training quite unexpectedly.<br />In spring 2005, Melville was shopping for dune buggies in Edmonton when he spotted a crazy-looking dog sled and had an “epiphany” about starting a dogsled team. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Initially created from mixed breed dogs found on the street or through the Jamaican Society for Prevention of Cruelty of Animals, The Ocho Rios-based team is now big business with sponsors that include singer and songwriter Jimmy Buffett. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">“We’re talking about a Jamaican entering the Yukon Quest and hopefully completing it,” Melville said. “That in itself is an achievement.”<br />There’ll be no need to wait for the movie, Palm Pictures’ documentary feature “Sun Dogs,” chronicling the struggle to make contenders out of Jamaica-bred street dogs in time for the 2006 Dogsled Championships in Scotland, already premiered at Toronto’s ReelWorld Film Festival in April.</span></span></div>
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An Ontario hospital said it would not press Quebec health authorities to force a three-year-old boy suffering from cancer to receive chemotherapy treatment.<br />
The family has refused chemo, instead opting for alternative treatment.<br />
The hospital expressed concern about the boy's health and referred the case to Quebec's regional youth protection agency, which has declined to intervene.<br />
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Marie Belanger, spokeswoman for the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario said it wasn't likely the hospital would take matters to court to force the child to undergo chemotherapy. "I don't think that we're going to forge ahead with any legal recourse," she said.</div>
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Anael L'Esperance-Nascimento, from Ripon., Que. north of Ottawa, was diagnosed with cancerous cells in his brain and bone marrow last fall.<br />
He was treated at CHEO but then his parents decided to consider alternative treatment because he wasn't getting better.<br />
Belanger said doctors disapproved of the family's decision to interrupt treatment but were keeping in touch and still providing some level of care.<br />
"We don't jump the gun every time the parent says something we disagree with," Belanger said. "But in this particular case, for reasons that I can't go into, we decided that we disagreed with the course of treatment the family had chosen."<br />
The alternative treatment involves a diet of raw vegetables developed by Florida's Hippocrates Health Institute which "is dedicated to the belief that a pure enzyme-rich diet, complemented by positive thinking and non-invasive therapies, are essential elements on the path to optimum health" according to its web site.<br />
On Saturday some 300 people held a rally at Gatineau,_Que. health food store to raise money for Anael's treatment.<br />
Joining the crowd was Laurie Anne Prince, who says the Hippocrates method helped her beat breast cancer. She has since started giving conferences promoting alternative treatment and a similar diet based on raw vegetables. "It gives the body the tools necessary to fight cancer," said Prince, who adds she dropped using a wheelchair and tests now showed her cancer to be inactive. "I'm not completely healed, but I am healthier, I should be dead," she said.<br />
It's not unusual for families to seek complementary alternative medicines, said Belanger, but this doesn't necessarily mean patients should interrupt hospital treatment.<br />
The child's condition was improving according to reports, but his mom said she would not hesitate to resort to chemotherapy if the current method failed.<br />
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Bridge work cuts town in half</h2>
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Published: Tuesday, August 07</div>
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Phil Couvrette, CanWest News Service</div>
A small Quebec community is torn in half after learning it will have to make do for months without its main bridge, dividing the town right down the middle.<br />
Last week, St. Lin, a community of about 13,000 in the Laurentians region north of Montreal, was told its main link spanning L'Achigan River would have to be torn down and rebuilt, a process expected to take four months.<br />
Since the Laval overpass collapse last year, Quebec's Transport Department has been conducting more thorough inspections of the province's infrastructure and announced the demolition of a number of structures, but most are located in large urban areas leaving drivers with alternatives.<br />
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Talk of replacing the bridge goes back about four years, said Mayor Andre Auger, and the seriousness of the situation became obvious last year when chunks of concrete started falling off.</div>
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But it was the death of a worker repairing the bridge earlier this year that prompted an investigation which led to the discovery of cracks below the water line and forced immediate large-scale work.<br />
"We were supposed to rebuild it in two stages so as not to cut off the city completely," Auger said, but this would have extended work by a year so authorities bit the bullet and severed all links to get "a brand new bridge" sooner.<br />
The destruction of the village bridge on Highway 335 will require small-town commuters to put up with big-city delays of over half an hour.<br />
In his regular online message, Auger appealed for calm: "We must be very patient because we've been waiting for it for years."<br />
But business owners are enraged that gradual reconstruction has turned into a complete shutdown of the bridge.<br />
"Of course they had to repair the bridge, but the problem is with the duration of the closure, it makes no sense whatsoever," said Stephane Larose of Moreau automobile, a GM dealer just under one kilometre north of the bridge, who added that his business, like many others in the area, was sure to be affected by the closure.<br />
"The partial closure was fine but a complete closure is going to hurt," agreed Yves Morel, who runs a renovation store near the bridge and expects sales to drop by 30 to 40 per cent. "At least we get a number of phone orders but other businesses nearby will be cut from half the city and no one will walk in front of their stores," he said.<br />
"It's unbelievable, I live in St. Lin and I cross the bridge daily to get to my pharmacy, drug store and post office on the other side," Sabrina St-Martin wrote on an Internet bulletin board. "I'm going to have to go all the way around."<br />
A foot bridge will be in place during construction, which starts Monday, Auger said, and emergency services will be split to be able to serve both sides of the community.<br />
Auger, who's been mayor for 36 years, says he's aware of the public reaction, but is happy to get a new bridge he won't have to worry will topple into the water. "The collapse of the Laval overpass created a climate of insecurity in the population and even within government," he said. "I used to remember seeing those big rigs cross the bridge and think 'I would rather not be the driver'."<br />
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Quebec likely to join HPV vaccination bandwagon: health official</h2>
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Published: Wednesday, August 08</div>
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Phil Couvrette, CanWest News Service</div>
Barring any surprises from health specialists currently studying the matter, Quebec should announce it will join other provinces in rolling out a vaccination program to protect young girls against the human papilloma virus this fall, provincial health officials say.<br />
"We've asked our public health teams to step up their work to be able to make an announcement, if they recommend it, before September," said Isabelle Merizzi, spokeswoman for Quebec's Health Minister. "We're awaiting the last recommendations of our experts, but if they're positive we will proceed very rapidly." She said that such a decision had to be based on scientific facts.<br />
Merizzi said health authorities don't want Quebec to fall behind on HPV vaccinations. "We want Quebecers to have access to the latest technology and medicine," she said.<br />
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While a September announcement may seem a bit short to implement the program for the school year, Merizzi said things would move on rapidly after approval.</div>
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On Monday, Newfoundland and Labrador said it would set up its vaccination program beginning in the coming school year to prevent HPV, which is known to cause many types of cervical cancer.<br />
Last month, Nova Scotia became the first province to outline a plan to roll out the Gardasil vaccine under a $300-million national program announced in the last federal budget.<br />
The vaccine was approved by Health Canada in July 2006 for females between ages nine and 26.<br />
The vaccine, Gardasil, protects against four types of HPV, which together cause 70 per cent of cervical cancers and 90 per cent of genital warts, health authorities say.<br />
It does not protect against other HPV strains, the other 30 per cent of cervical cancers or other sexually transmitted diseases.<br />
Still, the HPV vaccine has been hailed a medical breakthrough. Besides Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, vaccination programs are also slated to begin in schools in Ontario and Prince Edward Island in September. British Columbia is also considering a program.<br />
However, there are many questions left unanswered about the vaccine, says a Canadian Medical Association Journal article published online last week in advance of the journal's Aug. 28 paper edition.<br />
Lead author Abby Lippman said federal vaccine funding could be better used to figure out if the vaccine is the best way to prevent cervical cancer, she said.<br />
On Wednesday, Newfoundland's Right to Life Association said the province's plan to vaccinate pre-teen girls against HPV will encourage promiscuity and sends the wrong message to young girls.<br />
"It could give children an impression that they have a green light to sexual activity," said association president Patrick Hanlon. "It can give them a false sense of security in their knowledge about the risks of sexual activity, resulting in them being less hesitant to engage in promiscuity."<br />
Hanlon said that if the government was really concerned with the teenage infection rates for sexually transmitted diseases, it would introduce an abstinence education program, which it says is given only "a fleeting mention, if any" in the current education system.<br />
HPV infects half of all sexually active women between ages 18 and 22 in North America.<br />
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Canadian wanted in deadly Mexico prison break faces extradition, fears torture</h2>
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Published: Tuesday, August 14</div>
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Phil Couvrette, CanWest News Service</div>
A Quebec man wanted in connection with the shooting death of a Mexican prison guard in 1999 could be extradited any day after losing his last bid to stay in Canada, the man's attorney and sister said Tuesday.<br />
Regent Boily, 62, who moved to Mexico 13 years ago, had served six months of a 14-year sentence for drug trafficking when he was involved in an escape, which left a prison guard dead. Boily was arrested near Gatineau, Que. in 2005 and has been fighting extradition ever since over fears he may be tortured if sent back to Mexico.<br />
The man was placed in isolation on Tuesday because prison officials feared he would commit suicide, Marjolaine Boily, his sister said.<br />
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Boily was dealt a fatal blow to his attempt to stay in Canada after the United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture withdrew its support for him.<br />
Marjolaine said Tuesday a Quebec prisonmate who befriended him had alerted her Regent had been told he had spent his last days in his Gatineau,_Que. cell.<br />
Boily said Regent was in a state of panic and tears when he learned he lost the support of the UN on Monday. She said the world body and Canadian government let her brother down.<br />
"It's the fault of the Canadian government," she said between tears. "I also blame Geneva (the UN) which didn't want to read his file and take care of him."<br />
"My brother was tortured (in a Mexican prison) and he shouldn't be sent there," she said. "Why does the government not understand this?"<br />
Regent's attorney Christian Deslauriers said it was a matter of when, not if his client would be extradited. "It's imminent," he said. "He's returning to the lion's den."<br />
He said the UN committee on torture, which initially asked Canada to put the extradition on hold, was ultimately "pressured" by the Canadian government to drop its support so Boily could be extradited before a looming Aug. 20 deadline. If Regent failed to be extradited before then the entire extradition process would have had to start from scratch, he said. In July, the Supreme Court turned down a request to review Boily's case, leaving authorities 45 days to extradite him.<br />
Ironically Aug. 20 is when Mexican President Felipe Calderon joins Stephen Harper and George W. Bush in Montebello, Que. for the three amigos summit.<br />
"One wonders why the government supported this process, what I find shocking is that there's a Canadian national who's been extradited with no criminal history in Canada... he's a good citizen and Canada isn't defending him,"_Deslauriers said. "He should have been helped, and instead we fought to send him back." Deslauriers said Boily had nothing to do with the guard's murder, was involved in the escape against his will - during a prisoner transfer - and later the two other prisoners involved demanded payment from him for being freed.<br />
Deslauriers says fears Boily could be tortured are justified because of what he called Mexico's well-documented cases of torture in general, and specifically because Boily had previously been tortured in the country.<br />
"The risk he faces is very personal because those responsible (for torturing him) were never punished," he said. "My client is extremely fearful of returning, he expects to be mistreated."<br />
Regent has written a book "The nightmare of a Quebecer," from prison, which describes his ordeal.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Groups say banning prison smoking in Quebec could mean trouble</span></h1>
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Published: Wednesday, August 15, 2007</div>
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Phil Couvrette , CanWest News Service</div>
Starting next February Quebec will join other provincial correctional services by banning smoking in its institutions, a decision inmates and smokers rights groups say will add tensions in a prison system already burdened by overcrowding and lack of resources.<br />
Eric Belisle, a spokesman for an inmates rights group, says the withdrawal may spell trouble in a prison population where 80 per cent of the people smoke. "Imagine 600 people going cold turkey like that, I think the risks (of trouble) are high," he said. "The situation (in Quebec prisons) is already tense due to overpopulation problems... and this is added on top of that, I don't think it will improve the situation."<br />
Jean-Yves Roy, a spokesman for federal institutions in Quebec, which already banned smoking indoor two years ago and where outdoor smoking will be banned next year, admits there were some troubles when the nation's 58 federal pens changed their regulations, but he insists they were minor.<br />
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"It wasn't a surprise, people knew it was coming," he said, noting inmates had been informed and had access to nicotine patches, gum and education programs that eased the transition. Real Roussy, a_spokesman for the Quebec correctional system, said the change should occur as smoothly at the provincial level, adding assistance will be available for inmates who need it.</div>
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But Arminda Mota of smoker's group Monchoix.ca says the ban just opens the way to new illegal trafficking inside prisons.<br />
"Patches are used quite differently in prisons, they dissolve them in water, extract pure nicotine and either inject it or drink it, creating a traffic in patches," she said. The extracted nicotine is often added to other drugs forming a potent cocktail. The patches became such a problem in Alberta they were removed from some prisons, she said.<br />
"Inmates are not super-men, they are going to have physical and psychological reactions (to withdrawal) like everybody else," Mota said about the smoking ban. "They're not angels, this will create unnecessary tensions."<br />
She found it ironic that Public Security Minister Jacques Dupuis would try to ban smoking in prisons while she stressed he didn't have a handle on the pervasive drug problem in prisons.<br />
"It's ironic the government wants to improve the health of inmates this way considering the lack of doctors and other health care workers in these facilities," Belisle noted.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Woman commits suicide after cancer diagnosis</span></h1>
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Published: Thursday, August 16, 2007</div>
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Phil Couvrette , CanWest News Service</div>
A woman, who had recently learned she had cancer, committed suicide by setting herself on fire in a Quebec City area parking lot, police confirmed Thursday.<br />
Police in Levis, across the St. Lawrence River from Quebec City, said they responded to a number of 911 calls Wednesday evening reporting a fire in a vehicle parked in a mall parking lot.<br />
Once the intense flames were doused, a body burned beyond recognition and two empty propane tanks were found inside. Beside the vehicle they found personal effects and a family portrait along with a suicide note "which confirmed the person's intentions," said Const. Christian Cantin of the Levis police.<br />
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Police are waiting to check dental records before they officially confirm the woman's identity.</div>
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The woman had gone missing Wednesday, the day her chemotherapy treatments were supposed to begin, police said. Her husband and son, from Lotbiniere, some 65 kilometres west of Quebec City, arrived at the scene, recognizing the vehicle, Cantin said.<br />
There was no explosion according to witnesses. One of them reportedly loaned the woman a lighter before the flames engulfed the vehicle.<br />
"It's certain that it was a suicide and everything points towards the man's common-law spouse," Cantin said. "She decided to end her life after having been diagnosed with cancer."<br />
People who have learned they have a serious medical condition such as AIDS_or cancer are more prone to commit suicide, said Louis Lemay from Quebec's Association for the Prevention of Suicide.<br />
"Scientifically it's been proven that people who have received such bad news face higher risks (of suicide)," he said. Lemay says such incidents raise questions about whether physicians have a difficult time giving patients bad news, and sometimes fail to prepare them to face their new challenges. "They're often not at ease about breaking bad news," he said, adding physicians should be attentive to a patient's psychological history.<br />
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Quebec and video game industry agree to translate more titles</h2>
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Published: Friday, August 17, 2007</div>
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Phil Couvrette, CanWest News Service</div>
When Super Mario crosses over the Quebec border he will have to be able to speak French.<br />
The government and the video gaming industry have reached an agreement to make sure an increasing number of French games will be available in La belle province.<br />
The lack of French games on the Quebec market became "an irritant," said Nathalie Gelinas, spokeswoman for Culture Minister Christine St-Pierre. Gelinas said an "announcement on the agreement is imminent" without providing further details.<br />
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"Many people complained about a number of games," Gelinas said. She stressed that the department signalled early this spring that it was targeting the video game industry.</div>
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"This has been a preoccupation for some time in Quebec," Gelinas added. "In France, there's more access to French versions and this agreement works to head in the same direction."<br />
Quebec's linguistic watchdog, the Office quebecois de la langue française (OQLF), reported 262 complaints were made on video games in 2005-2006, which represents some five to 10 per cent of complaints received at the agency.<br />
About 80 per cent of video games in France are available in French compared to a little over 30 per cent in Quebec, noted spokesman Gerald Paquette, whose agency has been intimately involved in the agreement and is preparing to make a formal announcement in weeks.<br />
"If we could, through this agreement, reach 80 per cent [of video games in French] and more, we would be happy," Paquette said. "There's been a sweeping movement by consumers and French-language protection groups," about the issue he said. "It became a priority for us and we had to intervene."<br />
"What was important was to obtain the collaboration of distributors and game makers, and since they're [mostly] not in Quebec, they're not as sensitive about the issue," Paquette added.<br />
"We and the Ministry of Culture had to establish a certain partnership [with them] to come to an agreement, and this is what we will be unveiling in mid-September."<br />
Among others, Nintendo's Mario Party 8 for Wii, released this year, is available in French in France but in English in Quebec, like many other Nintendo products.<br />
One of the OQLF objectives in its 2005-2008 strategic plan is to make sure gamers have access to products in French.<br />
"We call it a sectorial intervention," said Paquette. "Instead of reaching every single retailer, we intervene at the source: game makers and distributors."<br />
Quebec is a video game development and game makers hub. Companies such as Ubisoft and Electronic Arts, which have expanded operations there are "excellent collaborators, great partners of the office," Paquette said.<br />
Although according to the latest OQLF lists of French video game availability, even Ubisoft fails to provide an Xbox 360 2007 French version of Wartech in either Quebec or France.<br />
According to industry figures, some 3,500 people in 70 different companies work in the video gaming industry in Quebec. In addition to developing its homegrown talent, the province has drawn major international players such as Ubisoft, which earlier this year announced it would invest up to an additional $450 million to expand its workforce of 1,600 to 3,000 by 2013.<br />
Ubisoft said the announcement didn't come as a surprise since it had been working with the government on the issue for some time.</div>
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Shuttle remains 'ride of a lifetime,' Williams says</h2>
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Published: Tuesday, August 21, 2007</div>
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Phil Couvrette, CanWest News Service</div>
Going from the launch pad to orbit in just over eight minutes remains "truly the ride of a lifetime" Canada's record-setting astronaut Dave Williams said Tuesday after space shuttle Endeavour returned to Earth.<br />
Williams, 53, became the first Canadian to complete three spacewalks.<br />
But the experience of space flight just doesn't get old, he said at a news conference from Cape Canaveral, Fla. "To me the most spectacular part of being in orbit is the view outside the window, it's absolutely breathtaking," he added. "But when you get outside and you're doing a spacewalk and you can see a quarter of the planet swirling towards you and you see the sunrises and sunsets every 45 minutes ... these are moments you truly take away with you."<br />
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"It's really the human experience of being there and getting a chance to look at the spectacular beauty of the world," he added.</div>
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The U.S. space shuttle Endeavour returned to its Florida home port Tuesday, shortly after 12:30 p.m. touching down safely at the Kennedy Space Center following a hectic but successful 13-day mission to the International Space Station.<br />
"Welcome home. You've given a new meaning to higher education," said astronaut Chris Ferguson at mission control in Houston, a reference to teacher-turned-astronaut Barbara Morgan, an Endeavour crew member.<br />
The shuttle made a smooth landing despite a ding in the belly caused when a piece of foam broke off during liftoff on Aug. 8.<br />
The shuttle and its seven-member crew spent nine days at the space station to deliver new components and prepare the US$100-billion complex for additional laboratory modules.<br />
"We had a great team, it was a great mission and for me it was thrilling and an honour to be part of it," Williams said.<br />
NASA brought the shuttle home a day earlier than planned when it appeared Hurricane Dean could force an evacuation of the Houston centre that operates the shuttle during flight. But the storm took a more southerly course and hit Mexico's Caribbean coast Tuesday.<br />
Williams had bird's-eye view of the storm during a space walk: "Look over your shoulder and you can see the hurricane below you, and you can see this gigantic hurricane, spanning across the whole area of the ocean."<br />
The back-to-Earth gravity adjustment aside, Endeavour's crew probably felt "bulletproof" nevertheless at the end of their mission, Canadian astronaut Steve MacLean said Tuesday from the Canadian Space Agency in Longueuil, just south of Montreal.<br />
"I'm sure they're feeling marvellous," MacLean said after watching a smooth landing of the DC-9-sized orbiter at Cape Canaveral.<br />
MacLean, who served on shuttle crews in 2001 and 1992, said returning astronauts -- including Canadian Dave Williams -- may have a sense of invincibility after completing such a rigourous set of tasks.<br />
"The hand-grips have to be synchronized within three milliseconds of each other," MacLean said of the commander's steering skills.<br />
During the descent -- which reaches speeds of nearly 2,600 kilometres per hour -- the shuttle "falls like a brick."<br />
"The crew tries to -- and usually does -- beat the computer in calculating data needed for landing."<br />
Crewmates need about four hours after touchdown to completely adjust to gravity, he said.<br />
They cannot walk straight for nearly an hour, but they still manage to kick the tires and comment on what an amazing vehicle the shuttle is, he said.<br />
"It's a feeling that's hard to beat," MacLean said. "Everyone makes mistakes in space. But when you land, you realize your crew and the team on the ground made it all happen. It makes us all very proud."<br />
With just 12 more missions planned to complete the space station before the shuttles are mothballed, and only eight not yet staffed, Williams could be the last Canadian in space for quite a while.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Body count adds to family grief in cemetery strike</span></h1>
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Published: Sunday, August 26, 2007</div>
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Phil Couvrette , CanWest News Service</div>
MONTREAL - Left uncut for months, the weeds and tall grass have overrun the usually immaculate 153-year old cemetery. In places, the grass is even covering up the tombstones on the city's picturesque Mount-Royal.<br />
Over 100 days after the beginning of the labour conflict at the Notre-Dame-des-Neiges cemetery bodies are literally stacking up in cold storage and for family members of the dead sadness has turned to frustration and now to anger.<br />
No bodies have been buried or cremated since workers were locked out by management on May 16. All landscaping and maintenance has also been halted.<br />
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A group representing the families estimates that at a rate of 50 per week, some 600 families are waiting for the bodies of loved ones, to be buried or cremated.<br />
Nathalie Saint-Pierre, 28, has no trouble remembering May 16. That's the day her 75-year-old father Gilles should have been laid to rest. The labour strife has only prolonged the suffering of a family which was dealt a blow when he died on Valentine's Day.<br />
"It was all so sudden," she recalled, standing on vacant plot 408 of the cemetery. "And because the ground was frozen we had to wait until May."<br />
Six months after his death, Saint-Pierre says the family is still looking for closure.<br />
"For my mother it's been particularly difficult," she said. "Sometimes I will ask her if she wants to do something on the weekend and she'll say 'Not yet.' She's not at ease to do anything until it's over."<br />
The plot of cemetery land was dear to her father, she says, and the family is frustrated it can't fulfil his final wishes, or go through the normal stages of mourning.<br />
Saint-Pierre says the wait for "finality" is psychologically draining. "This is the first time I lose someone so dear to me," she said. "I am trying to mourn his passing, but I know we'll all have to go through it again."<br />
As union and management entered a negotiating blitz to attempt to end the impasse, patience was running thin.<br />
"Our members are frustrated and angry," said Debora De Thomasis, who lost her grandmother this year and is a spokeswoman for the families. "We can't wait until December when the earth is frozen. Will we have to wait another year?"<br />
That would present another set of problems. Guy Dufort, a lawyer for the cemetery management, says 700 bodies could be stored under current conditions, which by his count is enough to last until October. The families think that number will be hit sooner.<br />
"If we reach capacity we will find alternatives," Dufort said, but added "I am not here to count the bodies."<br />
The thought of a mounting body count in cold storage has upset many.<br />
"The people allowing the strike at the Cote-des-Neiges cemetery must not have loved ones stored in a massive refrigerator," Mena St. Onge wrote to the Montreal Gazette in July.<br />
"We publicly came out against it (storage) to say it's awful to compare people to fruit and vegetables, or a piece of steak," said De Thomasis.<br />
If some thought divine intervention would settle the issue, they may have been disappointed when Montreal Archbishop Jean-Claude Turcotte waited until July to weigh in, recommending conciliation but stressing the church doesn't own the cemetery, so his hands are tied.<br />
This came as a shock to some in this mostly Catholic province, who expected more action from the church.<br />
"I know the cemetery is Catholic, I was born and baptized Catholic, but I will never set foot in a Catholic church again," declared Robert Tomasino, 73. "These people deserve to be buried according to their final wishes. What is happening is abominable."<br />
Tomasino said Turcotte's intervention amounted to him "washing his hands of the whole matter."<br />
"The church is supposed to bring comfort, not stress," he said.<br />
Lucie Martineau of the Archbishop's office says the cardinal was brokenhearted he could not do more to help settle the dispute. "Unfortunately he can't legally intervene," she said. "But for the families in grief it will never be enough, this is understandable."<br />
De Thomasis said it was ironic that in a province so influenced by Catholicism, its church had a harder time "being respected" than other religions brought in by successive waves of immigrants.<br />
"I'm not a religion expert," she said. "But you've never seen this at a Jewish cemetery because there's a particular rite, a Buddhist would never have accepted this." Jewish law requires burial as soon as possible and preferably within 24 hours of death.<br />
Her group has filed a class-action lawsuit which is seeking moral and punitive damages, which she says will go even if the dispute is settled "to make sure this never happens again."<br />
On Sunday some 200 family members demonstrated outside the cemetery's main entrance appealing for the right to bury their loved ones.<br />
"When I think that my mother passed away three months ago and still cannot be buried next to my father, it is a very sad case," said Tony Vaccaro, joined by his two brothers and sisters, carrying photographs of their mother and father.<br />
Simultaneously, some 70 union members affiliated with the Confederation des syndicats nationaux staged a silent vigil in support of their demands outside the Fabrique de la paroisse Notre-Dame-de-Montreal, which owns and operates the cemetery.<br />
While the grieving families are angry with both sides in the dispute and the Catholic Church and government for their not ensuring the strikes ends, ironically, for at least some of the families, the labour dispute has brought them closer to some religious tenants including charity.<br />
With tall grass around their mother's grave, Claude and Stephane Parent came to the cemetery recently to clear the area around her plot. While they were there, they also tended to several other plots. "This is our good deed of the day," beamed Claude. "We're doing our bit for people who can't come here, for those who may have been forgotten."<br />
Forgotten is how Saint-Pierre feels her father is in this dispute. "That's what we need, a public place to grieve the person we've lost, and we don't have it," she said.<br />
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Quebec police admit they infiltrated protest</h1>
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Published: Thursday, August 23, 2007</div>
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Phil Couvrette , CanWest News Service</div>
QUEBEC - The Quebec provincial police acknowledged in a statement Thursday that their agents had infiltrated protesters demonstrating during the recent North American leaders summit in Montebello, Que. but denied that they acted as "agent provocateurs" to instigate violence.<br />
"They had the mandate to spot and identify violent demonstrators to avoid the situation from getting out of hand," the Surete du Quebec said in a statement. "The police officers were identified by demonstrators when they refused to throw projectiles."<br />
"At no time did the Surete du Quebec police officers act as agents provocateurs or committed criminal acts," the statement adds.<br />
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A spokesperson for the police force refused to further comment on the statement.<br />
Protesters have accused police of planting agents outside the Chateau Montebello to instigate violence during Monday's demonstration.<br />
A prominent labour official pointed Wednesday to video made available on Youtube and photographs of three burly men, dressed as "Black Bloc" anarchists, standing out in the midst an otherwise peaceful sit-in adjacent to Surete du Quebec and RCMP riot squads.<br />
The video shows the three black-clad bandana-wearing men being singled out by union organizers and the crowd. Other protesters started pointing at them and crying "police."<br />
One of the three men is seen shoving and swearing at Dave Coles, president of the Communications, Energy, and Paperworkers Union of Canada, who is angrily confronting the trio, demanding they put down the rocks, remove their bandanas, and identify themselves.<br />
After being backed into a corner against a line of provincial police officers in riot gear, they try to force themselves through the police line and are arrested while the crowd cheers.<br />
"People have the right to peacefully protest something they don't like," said Coles this week, demanding answers from Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Quebec Premier Jean Charest.<br />
"They think that they have the right to infiltrate us as they've done before. But to be packing large boulders, they were going to do something with those rocks and it wasn't peaceful."<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Parents hope to have Cedrika back for 10th birthday</span></h1>
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Published: Monday, August 27, 2007</div>
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Phil Couvrette , CanWest News Service</div>
TROIS-RIVIERES, QUE. - The parents of a missing nine-year-old girl said Monday they hoped to celebrate her 10th birthday by her side and called on the services of a police journalist to help bring her back.<br />
Cedrika Provencher's father, Martin, thanked volunteers for their assistance since the girl went missing, almost a month ago. He hoped she could be found in time for her birthday, on Wednesday, and could join her classmates starting a new school year this week.<br />
"We hope she can join the class she is registered to join, it's important," he said in a halting voice. "She's been gone for one month, we can't wait to see her again."<br />
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"Usually a birthday is celebrated with family," he added. "I hope with all my heart we can have her back for the birthday."<br />
"I can't imagine not having her there that day," said Cedrika's mother, Karine Fortier. Already Cedrika has missed her brother's birthday, she said.<br />
She added she was convinced "someone knows something" about Cedrika but was perhaps afraid to come forward, so they reached out to a police journalist to help crack the case.<br />
Popular French-language crime journalist Claude Poirier, said he was joining the search effort acting as an individual and not a journalist and made public a telephone number to receive tips to help locate the girl.<br />
An $80,000 reward is already available for any information that could help solve the case. "This money is intended to locate the girl and is unrelated to the police investigation," he said. Poirier said he is giving his word that he won't record his calls or pass on identifying details about a caller to police, nor will police tap his phone.<br />
Poirier has a long history of serving as a mediator between suspects and police.<br />
Last week police said they believed Cedrika was still alive after receiving information that she has been seen with a man. This week however, provincial police said the trail leading to the eastern part of the province has gone cold.<br />
Dozens of investigators were combing through 3,000 tips, 1,000 of them listed as credible enough to check and 1,200 people have been interviewed.<br />
Cedrika disappeared on July 31 and was last seen looking for a black and white dog, a few blocks from where she lives with her mother.<br />
Four girls in the area have reported being approached by a man asking for help in searching for his dog.<br />
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Safety board to review report on Laura Gainey's death</h2>
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Published: Friday, August 31</div>
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Phil Couvrette , CanWest News Service</div>
The family of Laura Gainey, who died after going overboard off a tall ship last December, wants the Transportation Safety Board to review the accuracy of a report on her death.<br />
The TSB said it would review a preliminary report, prepared by the Cook Islands, on the incident involving Gainey, 25, daughter of Montreal Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey. She was working as a volunteer crew member on the Picton Castle. Her body was never found.<br />
While the incident occurred 765 kilometres off Cape Cod and the three-masted ship is based out of Lunenburg, N.S., the investigation was conducted by the Cook Islands, because the Picton Castle is registered in that South Pacific country, halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand.<br />
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"The Gainey family had a few concerns about the draft of the report that they were given by the Cook Islands and they've asked us to review," said John Cottreau, a spokesperson for the TSB. "They're fully within their right to have a look at things; it's not out of ordinary.</div>
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"They didn't communicate any particular concerns to us," Cottreau added. The review is expected to begin next week.<br />
"When a foreign government does a report, it's natural that it sends that report to the TSB, so that another agency can review the work," Cottreau added. He said it is impossible to predict how long the review would take.<br />
The Habs GM wouldn't comment directly on the report, which Cook Islands officials said was sent out two weeks ago.<br />
"There's something going on out there. I've received some information, but not in the form of a final report," Gainey said. "It's not something I can discuss now."<br />
The Cook Islands ministry is ultimately responsible for releasing the report, but Secretary of Transport Aukino Tairea said the Gainey family had requested it not be made public.<br />
The Picton Castle's crew has stated Gainey wasn't tethered to the deck and was not wearing a life jacket when a wave hit. They also confirmed Gainey was not on duty when the ship encountered rough weather.<br />
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Bad day for man who was bitten, battered and probed</h2>
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Published: Wednesday, September 05</div>
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Phil Couvrette, CanWest News Service</div>
A Quebec man suffered violent convulsions during a crack overdose, was subsequently attacked by his pit bull and hit in the face by friends trying to scare off the dog.<br />
Then things got worse.<br />
He was sent to hospital and is now facing charges of drug possession after 10 grams of crack was found in a certain body cavity by a nurse. The series of unfortunate events started on August 26 when he suffered a crack overdose and fell to the ground convulsing violently.<br />
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The 41-year-old man from Val-des-Monts, Que., north of Ottawa, was subsequently attacked by his American Pit Bull Terrier. The dog "took a bite out of him" under the left ear, said Const. Martin Fournel of the local police force.<br />
That would have been bad enough, but his friends tried to dislodge the animal by swinging a bat. It connecting with the man's face after missing the dog. All four people in the house were under the influence of drugs, Fournel pointed out.<br />
"On one side of his face you had the bite and on the other he had a huge black eye," Fournel said of the man, adding he was lucky the blow didn't give him a concussion.<br />
The incident hit the man in the wallet as well after receiving a $250 fine because his dog's breed is illegal, according to a municipal bylaw.<br />
But the man's brush with the law was far from over. Later in the day a nurse treating him in a Gatineau hospital "noticed something abnormal in the man's intimate parts," Fournel said.<br />
Doctors then extracted a Ziploc-type bag from his buttocks. The bag contained approximately 10 grams of crack, Fournel said. <br />
The man now faces changes of drug possession with the intent of trafficking.<br />
"A ticket, a bite, a bat to the face and now charges," Fournel summed up with a laugh. "He better buy a lottery ticket, talk about bad luck."<br />
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Teen must choose sport or religion</h2>
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Phil Couvrette, CanWest News Service</div>
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Published: Friday, September 07, 2007</div>
GATINEAU (CNS) -- A young Quebec hockey player has the next week to choose between his religion and his passion -- hockey.<br />
Benjamin Rubin, 18, comes from a very religious Jewish Orthodox family and was given permission not to play a number of games during the Sabbath last year.<br />
This year, the Montreal native was traded from the Quebec Remparts Major Junior team to the Gatineau Olympiques.<br />
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Many junior hockey games are played from sundown on Friday to Saturday night, the Sabbath, and the governor of the new team, who says he is satisfied by the forward's level of play, is trying to make Rubin more of a full-time participant.<br />
"No decision has been made one way or another, meetings are still taking place," between the team, the boy and his family, Charles Henry said.<br />
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Ex-soldier faces charges after standoff with police</h1>
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Published: Tuesday, September 11, 2007</div>
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Phil Couvrette , CanWest News Service</div>
A former member of the Canadian Forces accused of blindly firing weapons through the wall of his trailer home, hitting his neighbours' property, and engaged in a standoff with authorities last week was in court Tuesday facing over half a dozen charges.<br />
They include mischief, production and possession of cannabis, possession of explosives, negligent use of firearms as well as improper storage of weapons, said his attorney, Luc Tourangeau, who described his client as "not fit to stand trial" and asked for a psychiatric evaluation. Tourangeau said Daniel Maltais, 41, formerly of the Valcartier military base, did not have a police record and didn't know whether Maltais had a history of mental troubles.<br />
Maltais' home was cordoned off and surrounded by authorities Friday after police investigating the source of bullet holes appearing on nearby homes turned to his Chicoutimi home, some 200 kilometres north of Quebec City.<br />
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A man who had barricaded himself in his home "spoke very incoherently" when finally reached by phone after hours of trying to contact him and ultimately turned himself in during the evening, said Bruno Cormier, spokesman for the Saguenay police.<br />
Only when police entered the home did they realize how dangerous the situation could have turned, he said, describing the home as being filled with improvised bombs, high-calibre weapons and traps.<br />
"One trap shot arrows when triggered by a trip wire," Cormier said.<br />
The home was filled with fishing lines with large fish hooks, the walls and windows were covered with black plastic sheets and all entry points were screwed shut, he said, adding that the man was equipped with gas masks and was geared for a lengthy standoff.<br />
There were molotov cocktails in the home, Cormier said, describing a pump 12-gauge and .38 and .223-calibre weapons as well as "an industrial amount of ammunition." All were properly registered.<br />
Cormier said ballistic studies will determine which weapons hit surrounding homes, but noted that the man had fired them in his home a number of occasions. He added however that he didn't think the shooter willingly targeted surrounding homes "because he couldn't see where he was shooting" from within the black-covered walls.<br />
Police also found 23 marijuana plans with all the necessary ventilation and lighting equipment, Cormier added.<br />
The man, described as being a solitary figure his neighbours knew little about, was undergoing psychiatric examinations at a nearby health facility and returned there after appearing in court Tuesday afternoon.<br />
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U.S., Canada share police power in mutual waters</h2>
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Published: Friday, September 14, 2007</div>
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Phil Couvrette, CanWest News Service</div>
U.S. Coast Guard officers are being made Canadian peace officers in an area off the south coast of B.C. and in a 100-km stretch of the St. Lawrence, with similar powers given to RCMP officers in U.S. waters.<br />
While the law enforcement initiative, Project Shiprider, gives some members of the coast guard special privileges to act as law enforcement officers, they will have to obey strict guidelines and will be under the authority of the RCMP while in Canada.<br />
The two forces are partnering with a number of other agencies, including provincial police, the Canadian Forces, U.S. state police and immigration and border patrol agencies to also develop the capability to pursue criminals on the ground and in the air, said Cpl. Luc Bessette of the RCMP.<br />
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Bessette said the goal is to try to thwart "organized crime in border areas on both sides of the seaway.<br />
"We want to see how criminals will react and adapt [our strategy] in consequence. We want to become proactive."<br />
"It's the first time there's a strategic use of Canadian and U.S. officers to combat organized crime," said Bessette, adding contraband and drugs had been seized as a result of the project.<br />
No public announcement was made about the pilot project because authorities wanted to keep an element of surprise in their border strategy, but people have spotted U.S. officers in Canadian waters, forcing authorities to reveal some of the project's details.<br />
Bessette said giving a foreign police force powers in Canada isn't an unprecedented development as secret service agents are given those privileges when the U.S. president visits, such as during the recent Montebello summit.<br />
"During international gatherings that bring together foreign dignitaries here, certain countries request permission to bring in armed guards and we give them this status of special or peace agent," he said. "They act under the authority of the RCMP and they obtain the right to be armed in Canada but in a very rigid context."<br />
But unlike the short partnership during a summit or high-level meetings, Project Shiprider brings together USCG and RCMP in integrated teams sharing boats over a number of summer months and it may be extended.<br />
"We have decided to try a project where a boat can travel on both sides of the border," he said. "If we want to do this we must absolutely give powers to American officers in Canadian waters and give Canadians powers in American waters."<br />
If someone has to be arrested during an operation in Canada and the closest officer is American, he will be able to do so, Bessette said, but added that U.S. officers aren't about to commandeer Canadian patrol cars and answer calls.<br />
In these aquatic zones, criminals thinking they are out of the reach of a police force giving them chase when they cross the border are in for a surprise.<br />
One of the areas covered is from Valleyfield, Que. outside Montreal to Cardinal, Ont., west of Cornwall.<br />
Pacific coverage extended to an area south of Vancouver.<br />
"Sept. 11 has changed the face of the border," Bessette said.<br />
"As in the U.S. we have brought new techniques and ways to deal with the border because of terrorism and other problems like contraband and illegal immigration."<br />
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Sister sells self to help 2 brothers</h2>
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Published: Friday, September 21, 2007</div>
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Phil Couvrette, CanWest News Service</div>
A Quebec woman is selling her services to the highest bidder on eBay, but don't get the wrong idea, it isn't sexual and it's being done for a good cause.<br />
Chantal Guilmette, 38, is selling herself on the online auction to support her two brothers, Richard and Jimmy, who are suffering from muscular dystrophy, a degenerative disease which has confined them to a motorized wheelchair.<br />
The bidding started at $30,000 US, but Chantal makes it clear that the offer is non-sexual: "Sirs or Ladies, I am not a prostitute. If you win this bid, you will have the privilege to take me along with you on vacation, at your expense, for a duration of one week in Canada or the U.S." The winner will have to provide proof they don't have a criminal record and "impeccable references," the posting adds.<br />
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Guilmette says the unusual idea occurred to her after she learned the provincial government would cut off welfare payments to her brother Richard following his marriage on Aug. 4. His wife works as a social worker.<br />
"I said 'it can't be,' there's got to be something we can do," she said. Her mom wasn't excited by the eBay idea, she added.<br />
"The government is saying 'it's up to your wife to take care of you,' my human dignity just plummeted," said her brother Richard, 34, who also heads two organizations for people with disabilities in Quebec. "People with disabilities are the poorest on the planet, that's certainly true for me because I have no more money."<br />
While Chantal says she's had to ward off some detractors with the wrong idea, she said the experience was "fun" and hopes it would "help shakes things up," to help her brothers.<br />
Chantal says she could simply accompany someone on vacation or serve as a nanny for a week.<br />
As of Thursday afternoon two people had bid, one wasn't being considered seriously and the other was "a bid of sympathy," with no real money involved, said Richard.<br />
Chantal, who is a waitress and may lose her job by taking the week off, says the idea of selling herself occurred to her after musician James Blunt said he sold his sister on eBay.<br />
The Department of Employment couldn't be reached for comment.<br />
In an edition of Gentlemen's Quarterly this summer, the artist referred to the experience as "the stupidest thing I've ever sold."<br />
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Lachine cyclist Jeanson admits to career of doping</h2>
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Published: Friday, September 21</div>
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Phil Couvrette, CanWest News Service</div>
After years of denial, retired cyclist Geneviève Jeanson admitted to doping during most of her career in an interview with Radio-Canada.<br />
The Lachine native said she started doping at age 16 saying that doing so was "unavoidable" in the sport.<br />
"I knew it wasn't right, but I got caught up in it. I didn't know how to get out. I didn't want to disappoint anyone," Jeanson said.<br />
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In 2005, she tested positive for erythropoietin. She was handed a lifetime ban by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, but argued she never took the banned substance and accepted a settlement offer from USADA that reduced her ban.<br />
"What hurt the most was lying to people who believed me," she said in the interview.<br />
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Families pushing Harper for tougher sentences</h2>
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Published: Tuesday, September 25</div>
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PHIL COUVRETTE, CanWest News Service</div>
With parliament now officially prorogued, killing tough anti-crime legislation, a Quebec victims' group is calling on the Harper government to end concurrent sentences for violent crimes and murders.<br />
"We're asking the federal government to abolish the notion of concurrent sentences in all cases of murder, violent crime or rape," said Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu, whose daughter Julie was raped and murdered in 2002. He heads the Murdered or Missing Persons' Families' Association.<br />
Concurrent sentences are when a criminal is sent to prison and serves time only for one crime - when several have been committed - while a consecutive sentence would add up the total incarceration for each crime.<br />
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"We can no longer accept that a criminal who's raped a woman gets the same sentence as someone who's raped five," he added. "The notion of concurrent sentences is the antithesis of justice."<br />
Among bills that were passed by the Commons but didn't get through the Senate and eventually died on the order paper was Bill C-10, imposing mandatory minimum sentences for gun crimes, and Bill C-35, making it harder for those charged with gun crimes to get bail.<br />
Geneviève Breton, spokesperson for Justice Minister Rob Nicholson, said the government intends to fulfil its 2006 promise to "create mandatory consecutive sentence for select multiple violent or sexual offences."<br />
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Messy hot dog war gets personal</h2>
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Published: Sunday, September 30</div>
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Phil Couvrette, CanWest News Service</div>
It's been three years since Constantinos Kivetos, owner of more than a dozen franchises of the "La Belle Province" fast-food chain, decided to open a location in Lachute, northwest of Montreal.<br />
But with that latest attempt to open shop he possibly bit off more than he could chew.<br />
The decision sparked a wild fast-food rivalry that degenerated into a flurry of trial dates and multiple charges of arson, conspiracy and attempted murder. The string of events became widely known as Quebec's notorious "hot dog war."<br />
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Now, one of the remaining alleged conspirators is set to appear before the courts - none other than Kivetos's wife of more than a quarter century.<br />
A community of 11,000 people some 55 kilometres northwest of Montreal, Lachute became ground zero for the fast-food slugfest when Kivetos attempted to leave his stamp there.<br />
A competitor in the cutthroat world of fast-food hangouts named after Quebec's old motto - La Belle Province - decided he didn't want to share the market, and that's when a number of indigestible events started occurring.<br />
In February 2005 a fire erupted at one of Kivetos's Montreal restaurant locations. Later that fall, the site picked as the future Lachute location was set ablaze.<br />
Steeve Dufour, who was associated with one of Kivetos' competitors, Paraskevi Katsifolis, was later shown to have been behind the attack.<br />
And because Kivetos had failed to read the smoke signals, it wouldn't be the last of it.<br />
In November 2005 Dufour barged into a meeting involving Kivetos and stabbed one of the participants, falsely assuming it was Kivetos, according to reports.<br />
Dufour was later arrested and pleaded guilty to conspiracy, attempted murder and arson and was sentenced to six years in prison this June.<br />
"Ah, the hot dog war," recalled Dufour's attorney Clemente Monterosso. "The arson, the murder attempts, the conspiracy to commit murder... The story is quite unusual."<br />
Joining Dufour in jail was Katsifolis, another among half a dozen people charged in the take-no-prisoners battle over hot dog supremacy.<br />
But the worst was yet to come for Kivetos. Dufour finally got to him and stabbed him. Kivetos survived, and his attacker was eventually put behind bars, but the wounds would run much deeper. His wife is also accused of being in on the attack.<br />
Anastasia Vythoulkas faces charges of attempted murder and conspiracy.<br />
"That's what she was charged with but I don't know what she'll be facing," said her attorney Marco Zuliani, who added that details about the charges were still under discussion.<br />
He confirmed that the charges Vythoulkas is facing involve acts against Kivetos.<br />
Her preliminary inquiry is scheduled for Oct. 16.<br />
The drama has been devastating for Kivetos, who wouldn't return calls placed to one of his outlets, which was the first in a long list of targets over the last years.<br />
In a rare comment on the messy affair, he told the French-language TVA network the entire controversy was "bad for business."<br />
He then slammed the door on reporters and went back to building the empire, one hot dog at a time, which had made him both famous and a target.<br />
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Quebec students head to U.S. to learn in English</h2>
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Published: Tuesday, October 02, 2007</div>
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Phil Couvrette, CanWest News Service</div>
When the young kids in the Gamache family head out to school they have to remember to collect their books, pack their lunch, and bring their passport.<br />
During the daily 15-minute ride south, the family picks up other young students on their route and visit the Lacolle, Que., border crossing.<br />
Veterinarian Mario Gamache lives in Napierville, Que., just north of the Canada-U.S. border, and three of his four children, Hugo, 9, Meghane, 7, and Matis, 5, all attend school and kindergarten at St. Mary's Academy inChamplain, N.Y.<br />
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"In the U.S. immersion in English is total because no one speaks French there," Gamache said. "Our goal is for them to be perfectly bilingual, so that they can write English as well as they write French."<br />
Gamache said bilingualism is a prerequisite for many jobs and wants his children to have the opportunities both he and his common-law spouse never had.<br />
He said Quebec language laws are unfair because they forbid French-speaking children from having access to the same bilingual public education given to English-speakers.<br />
To avoid this Gamache would have to send his children to private school, at $9,000 each, he said, but for that money he can send four of them to the U.S.<br />
He doesn't only want them to know English, but speak it "without accent," and said they will gain from the unique experience. "It's to open a cultural door. Personally I have not had that despite 22 years of education. English has given me problems, [this] would have made my life easier."<br />
The school made it easy to cross the border daily by providing documents for a visa and his children all have passports, Gamache said. Crossing the border is smooth because they do so daily and their itinerary is well-known, he said.<br />
"Even if the customs officers change, they are aware there are many students from Quebec that cross this border station," said Gamache who adds the passports mention where the children go to school.<br />
Indeed he's not alone, 34 of the 102 pupils are from Quebec in the 101-year-old Catholic school which originally started out as a French boarding school, says principal Marie Cordata.<br />
"We love our Canadian kids," Cordata said, noting the first Quebec students started coming in the fall of 2002. The numbers grew with word to mouth and the school placed adds inQuebec papers as well.<br />
Now St. Mary's is even looking for a temporary tutor so their Quebec students keep up with their French.<br />
"It's been a good thing for our school," she said. "I think we have to learn that our borders are beyond what's in front of our nose, that we're all people of God, whether we speak different languages we are all one."<br />
Jean Dorion, head of sovereigntist group Societe Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Montreal, says the families have the right to choose what's right for their children but fears the kids will become alienated from Quebec culture.<br />
"It's regrettable because these children won't have a very Quebecois culture," Dorion said. "They will have been schooled in the U.S. with an American mentality."<br />
"It depreciates their culture," he added. "It risks giving them a very poor opinion of their own culture."<br />
"Their purpose is not to undermine the French language," Cordata points out. "But they know that if their child is going to be successful they should be bilingual, and there's no better way to learn."<br />
Frankly, learning another language isn't the only reason why parents choose to send their kids there, she says.<br />
"I sent my child here to learn English, I keep my child here because my child is learning those kinds of values which I want them to learn," Cordata quotes a parent's letter as saying. "I don't think it's all about language."<br />
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Gay inmates to tie the knot in Quebec pen</h1>
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Published: Tuesday, October 16, 2007</div>
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Phil Couvrette , CanWest News Service</div>
They'll be joined in matrimony, but different cell blocks will keep them apart and limit their honeymoon options.<br />
Two gay prison inmates at the federal penitentiary in Cowansville, Que., 60 kilometres southeast of Montreal, will tie the knot in the institution's first gay marriage on Oct. 29.<br />
It will be Canada's third gay wedding in a federal institution, according to Corrections Canada, following a 2006 wedding in Ontario and another in Alberta this year.<br />
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"Gay weddings are legal since July 2005 and the first union between same-sex inmates occurred in November 2006 so it's not frequent," said Jean-Yves Roy, a spokesman for federal institutions in Quebec.<br />
David Bedard, 22, is serving a 10 year sentence for involuntary manslaughter while his partner Sony Martin, 26, is serving a life sentence for second-degree murder and is ineligible for parole before 2020.<br />
"It won't be any different from any civil wedding," said Lucette L'Esperance, assistant warden at the institution. "They will marry at the chapel before a Quebec court judge."<br />
The wedding will be the usual 10-minute ceremony, but the two, who currently live in separate cell blocks, will continue to do so and will get no special treatment.<br />
"The fact that they are getting married does not grant them any privileges, they will remain in their respective cell blocks and won't benefit from private family (conjugal) visits," L'Esperance stressed.<br />
And nothing prevents correctional officials from placing them in separate prisons, Roy said.<br />
Bedard, in prison since 2006 and Martin, since 2002, will still be able to cross paths during hours when inmates from different cell blocks get to mingle, such as during lunch, gym and outdoor activity periods and well as other down time.<br />
L'Esperance said there probably weren't more than two or three weddings of any type at the Cowansville institution any given year.<br />
While gay weddings between inmates remain rare, the fact they are happening shows that homosexuals can benefit from the same right as all other citizens, notes Jean-Claude Bernheim, a spokesman for an inmates rights group.<br />
"It reflects what is happening in society in general, there's a possibility of getting married - which wasn't possible before - and some inmates will take advantage of this," Bernheim said. "It's a step forward. It confirms formally that inmates aren't totally excluded from civil life."<br />
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RCMP nets dozens in U.S.-Canada border operation</h2>
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Published: Tuesday, October 16</div>
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Phil Couvrette, CanWest News Service</div>
Some 40 individuals were arrested, including some charged for human smuggling, in an RCMP operation conducted with other agencies near the U.S. border.<br />
Four individuals are being charged with either human smuggling or not reporting to a border station. Officials would not provide details about the remaining individuals arrested last week in the vicinity of Stanstead, Que., some about 150 kilometres southeast of Montreal, but a lawyer says they are claiming refugee status.<br />
"During the operation some 40 individuals were intercepted and arrested," confirmed Dominique McNeely of the CBSA. "Charges were laid by (the CBSA) against four individuals in virtue of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act."<br />
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"It's rare that we arrest such a large number of people, this doesn't happen often," said McNeely, adding that the arrests were made between Oct. 9 and Oct. 14.<br />
RCMP_Cpl. Luc Bessette said the Mounties were expected to formally announce Wednesday the results of the "targeted operation," which also involved U.S. Customs and Border Protection.<br />
"Following information obtained via our partners we conducted a strategic operation last week resulting in rather impressive results," he said, without providing further details.<br />
"Most of the people who have entered are claiming refugee status," said Claire Desgens, the attorney of a man charged with not reporting to the border station. A vast majority of those arrested were Colombian, she said. Those being criminally charged are not claiming refugee status because they are either U.S. nationals or permanent residents there, Desgens added.<br />
Desgens said the guerrilla conflict in Colombia may be feeding the influx. "The difficult political conflict in Colombia is making these people flee," often bringing entire families, she said.<br />
The number of arrivals may suggest a network is at work but so far no "professional smuggler" has been charged, Desgens said. But she added that a majority of those arriving carried maps depicting side-streets that could be used to cross undetected the border separating the tightly-knit communities of Stanstead and Derby Line, Vt.<br />
Earlier this year U.S. and Canadian authorities announced they would seek to close three unguarded side-streets that run across that border, but barriers have yet to the put in place McNeely said.<br />
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Second death following Taser use sparks call for moratorium</h1>
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Published: Thursday, October 18, 2007</div>
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Phil Couvrette , CanWest News Service</div>
The death in Montreal Thursday of a second man stunned by a Taser gun in Canada this week is prompting concerns about the use of the weapon, but a recent U.S. study says the weapon inflicts very few serious injuries.<br />
Quilem Registre, 39, was Tasered Sunday, the same day as Robert Dziekanski, 40, who was restrained at Vancouver International Airport. Dziekanski died minutes after being shot with the electro-shock weapon while Registre passed away four days later.<br />
While the actual causes of death have yet to be determined, the incidents are reviving debate on the use Taser guns.<br />
The two recent deaths bring to 17 the number of victims to have died in Canada shortly after being hit with a Taser. In many cases the men also had illegal drugs in their system and often pepper spray or other restraints were used as well as the Taser.<br />
Amnesty International is calling for a moratorium on the use of the weapon.<br />
"The events this week really show a necessity for a comprehensive understanding of this weapon," said John Tackaberry, a spokesman with Amnesty. It wants use of the weapon suspended "until there are adequate comprehensive studies that deal with all of the aspects of the physical and medical impacts."<br />
On Thursday Quebec's Public Security Department asked a working group studying the use of the weapon to move up the presentation of its report, originally due in December.<br />
"In light of recent events the minister has asked that the (committee's) work be accelerated," said spokeswoman Genevieve Guilbault.<br />
She said two suspicious deaths are being investigated in Quebec. Claudio Castagnetta was arrested on Sept. 18 and died after being transferred to a detention centre by police. At one point he resisted arrest and police used a stun gun to restrain him.<br />
The head of the RCMP Public Complaints Commission asked in 2006 for a comprehensive report on police use of Tasers, citing concerns over how the 50,000-volt device is being used.<br />
"In our annual report we reported about the use of Tasers and our concerns about its appropriate use," said Nelson Kalil, a spokesman for the Commission. Among them he cited concerns Taser may be used to prod people along rather than when officers were at risk. "Other interventions could have been more appropriate."<br />
Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day on Thursday said the RCMP and the Canadian Police Association were reviewing the use of Tasers as the issue was being raised during question period in the House of Commons. He said that since their introduction in 2001, Tasers have been used by the RCMP about 4,000 times and at least as many times by other police associations. He said that officers have received intensive training on Tasers.<br />
But in a recent study funded by the U.S. Justice Department, researchers tracking police Taser use on 962 people from July 2005 to June 2007 found very few suffered serious injury.<br />
Three people sustained moderate or severe non-fatal injuries. Two had head injuries when they fell to the ground after being stunned. Another had a type of muscle breakdown, the researchers said. Another 216 people sustained minor injuries like cuts, and 743 suffered no injury, the study found.<br />
Dr. Christine Hall, an in-custody death expert from Victoria, said "99.7 per cent of field applications resulted in no or minimal injury. In that series there were two deaths and in each of those cases the technology was found to be unrelated to the death."<br />
"In the 100,000s of Taser applications in North America... you're going to encounter adverse outcome, it has to happen statistically. That doesn't mean it's a causal relationship."<br />
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Canadian Forces keep eye on Russian aerial exercises</h2>
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Published: Wednesday, October 24, 2007</div>
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Phil Couvrette, CanWest News Service</div>
The Canadian Forces say they transferred a number of CF-18 fighter jets based in Quebec to Goose Bay, N.L. for maintenance reasons, but add they're also keeping an eye on a Russian military exercise in the Arctic.<br />
"It still keeps us in a rapid position to respond to any unidentified aircraft approaching our airspace, but this hasn't been the case," said Capt. Steve Neta, from Canadian Norad regional headquarters in Winnipeg.<br />
Last week, Russia's military announced that up to 10 of its strategic bombers would carry out patrols over the Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific Oceans and the Black Sea.<br />
"From the Norad perspective the mission hasn't changed," Mr. Neta said about the Russians flights. They have been "conducted in a professional way, it's all been done in international waters and airways and obeying international flight rules, so it's been done in a very professional exchange up to this point."<br />
"Up to 10 long-range aircraft, Tupolev 160s and 22M3s are taking part in these exercises, with inflight refuelling," Air Force spokesman Col. Alexander Drobyshevsky told Russian news agencies.<br />
He added that the flights were for training purposes and conformed with international regulations on the use of airspace.<br />
Mr. Neta denied reports a Russian plane had flown into Labrador air space without permission on Aug. 17.<br />
"There is no information supporting this event although we are double-checking to see if there are any flights that may have been misinterpreted," he said. "One thing we can say with absolute certainty is that (at) no time did any aircraft, unidentified or without permission, enter sovereign airspace, at no time at all."<br />
But the president of the civilian workers union at CFB Goose Bay says he expected the denial but insisted that multiple sources, some "well-placed," tell him otherwise.<br />
"(The plane) was asked several times to identify himself and wouldn't, so they called in three CF-18s from Bagotville to escort him out," said Howard Bishop. "By the time they got here from Bagotville, (the Russians) were over Goose Bay. If that plane was equipped to do any damage he would have been able to (do so)."<br />
Mr. Bishop said he has seen at least four CF-18s at CFB Goose Bay, which arrived for an unscheduled two-week training period.<br />
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the resumption of long-range flights in international air space on Aug. 17.<br />
In the past year Russia has been flexing its military muscle, reviving strategic bomber flights to probe western air defences, investing in new strategic weapons and using the windfall from high oil prices to rebuild its weakened military, but NATO officials aren't alarmed yet.<br />
"We watch it, as we always do," Gen. Bantz Craddock, the supreme NATO commander told reporters earlier this month, referring to the resumption of Russian strategic bomber flights. "At this point, I don't see it as threatening at all."<br />
Beginning in 1985 Goose Bay supported allied military training but the memorandum of understanding expired in March, 2006, putting an end to what used to be a permanent allied detachment.<br />
There is no permanent CF-18 presence at the base, which serves as a forward operating location for CFB Bagotville, providing support for that base.<br />
Many countries have faced the same budget restrictions seen in Canada, explains Capt. Tom Burkhart, and have been doing alternative training elsewhere. The base remains a permanent establishment for allied training but none are presently at Goose Bay, he said.<br />
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Fighting Hiltons: TKOed by legal battles</h2>
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Published: Sunday, October 28</div>
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By Phil Couvrette, CanWest News Service</div>
The 'Fighting Hiltons' from Rigaud, Que. were talented and destined for greatness but instead have become an infamous trio better known for their rap sheet than their boxing record.<br />
Their legal troubles started early on and were at times very serious, such as the prolonged sexual assault of two daughters, or plain old silly, when two of the professional boxers wore stocking masks and decided that robbing a doughnut shop while sporting jackets with their names on it would be a good idea.<br />
Two members of the notorious trio remain in prison despite recent court appearances which resulted in acquittals. However their long history of trials and convictions explain why Alex Hilton and brother Dave Jr. aren't on their father's side training the next generation of boxers at Montreal's Club de Boxe Hilton.<br />
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Dave Jr., 43, whose appearance in the ring this spring was probably his last despite being successful, remains in custody, waiting to hear from a parole board despite being acquitted on Oct. 17 of charges of assault and uttering death threats against his girlfriend.<br />
He breached parole conditions in place since last year when he was allowed to serve in the community the remaining third of his 2001 seven-year sentence for sexually assaulting his two daughters, who were minors at the time.<br />
"The parole board is quite powerful, if they decide it's grave he could spend the rest of his sentence in jail, or they could change some of the conditions," said his lawyer Andrew Barbacki.<br />
Alex, 42, walked out of a Montreal courthouse Oct. 17 a free man only to be arrested hours later on 15 charges, nine of them for breaching parole conditions. The previous day he had promised to turn over a new leaf and said the time for the Hiltons to clean up their act was long overdue.<br />
His attorney could hardly believe the new charges.<br />
"Initially I thought someone was playing a prank on me, you know, between lawyers," recalled Clemente Monterosso. "Sincerely, I thought it was a joke."<br />
Monterosso said Alex had walked out of court "full of good intentions" and intended to restart his life, seeking advice on how to once more have access to his children and calling contacts to return to work. He planned to rent an apartment and prepare a nice room for his daughters so he could see them on the weekend.<br />
"He said they (the Hiltons) couldn't go on doing what they did in the past," Monterosso recalled. "He said it was time for them to take charge, to wake up, to lead a normal life."<br />
Their brother Matthew was convicted in the doughnut shop robbery and he was also charged with threatening to kill his wife's former husband.<br />
But often stepping out of court seemed to be like walking through a revolving door for the descendants of a Scottish fighter who became British champion. A boxing analyst says family background goes a long way to explain how the Hiltons became, so "dysfunctional."<br />
"The family in general is quite unusual. Normally when kids are five years old they play in the park with other kids, but the Hiltons were out training with their dad, a boxer himself, two to three hours a day," said Martin Dion from RDS, the French sister station of TSN. "They were running across Montreal while their father was pushing them harder from his car, at that age they were being pushed to the limit."<br />
They were pulled out of school at a young age, Dion said, and were later "sold" to a reputed U.S. promoter "better-known for looking after his wallet than his boxers, Don King."<br />
With their early successes during the 1980s came the first run-ins with the law, spawning a history of violent crime often fuelled by alcohol.<br />
Still fans kept being drawn to the name Hilton until Dave Jr.'s trial, Dion says.<br />
"Even at the trial (for incest) some fans wanted their picture taken with him and to get his autograph," which was absurd, he said. But the sexual assault conviction became the last straw for many fans, and when Dave Jr. returned to the ring this spring and beat his much younger, but also less experienced opponent, the event proved a disaster for the promoter, said Dion.<br />
"The public didn't cheer him on and the media totally ignored it," he said.<br />
He doubts the Hiltons will ever take to the ring again.<br />
The Hiltons were a "boxing machine" probably the most talented family ever produced in Quebec, Dion said, but the headlines they make these days are strictly in the crime pages.<br />
Matthew is a former International Boxing Federation junior middleweight champ and Dave Jr. was for a brief moment one of the greatest 168-pound fighters, having captured the World Boxing Council super-middleweight title before being stripped of the belt in 2001 after the sexual assault conviction.<br />
But in the end, all that fame even failed to intimidate Dave Jr.'s own daughters, who released a book in 2004 describing the abuse at the hands of their father.<br />
"My sister and I confronted the man who made us into slaves, the man who we feared even more than the monsters in our dreams," one of the girls wrote in the book, entitled "Heart with a Black Eye." -- "Together, we KO'd him."<br />
"It's unfortunate, their story is a sad one, but they snatched defeat from the hands of victory," Dion said of the Hilton trio. "They've had so many opportunities and yet failed to seize them."</div>
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Mother caught smuggling heroin in baby carriage</h2>
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Published: Tuesday, October 30 2007</div>
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When a woman pushing a baby carriage walked into a prison in Quebec this weekend, police dogs picked up an unusual scent, but the month-old toddler wasn't to blame.<br />
"Our trained dog pointed in the direction of the baby, which indicated a trace of narcotics," said Jean-Yves Roy of the Correctional Service of Canada.<br />
The 22-year-old woman from Halifax, who was visiting Donnacona Institution near Quebec City on Saturday, also had a 4-year-old child with her. The woman was asked to leave the premises, but became agitated and tried to strike prison personnel, Roy said.<br />
Provincial police officers arrested the woman. The children were handed over to youth-protection services.<br />
Once in custody, the woman handed over about 32 grams of heroin, estimated to be worth $38,400, Roy said.<br />
Another visitor apprehended the same day, a 20-year-old woman visiting from Trois Rivières, was detained for carrying hashish, said Ann Mathieu of the Quebec provincial police.<br />
Roy stressed the two incidents were unrelated and said the second woman was carrying 117.5 grams of hashish.<br />
While both face charges of drug possession, the Halifax woman could also face charges of mistreating the month-old child, Mathieu said.<br />
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Search still full-time job for Cedrika's family</h2>
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Published: Tuesday, October 30 2007</div>
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Phil Couvrette, CanWest News Service</div>
Three months after Cedrika Provencher went missing the number of tips phoned into police are dwindling but her family remains hopeful and is still industriously working to secure her return.<br />
The 10-year-old girl, whose birthday was celebrated in her absence, disappeared on July 31 and was last seen looking for a black-and-white dog, a few blocks from where she lived in Trois-Rivieres, Que., about 110 kilometres northeast of Montreal.<br />
In the days leading to her disappearance a suspect had approached several young girls in a park in Cedrika's neighbourhood telling them in French that he was looking for a dog.<br />
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Trois-Rivieres' Chapais Park was empty the afternoon of Thursday 06 September. Two girls were say they were approached separately by a man in the days leading up to Cedrika Provencher's July 31 disappearance in Trois-Rivieres, Qc. The 10-year-old vanished near her home after telling people she was helping a man look for a lost dog.</div>
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Police have since released the description of the man and said they were looking for a red, four-door Acura with beige interior in connection with her disappearance.</div>
While investigators are treating it as a possible kidnapping, "we have to use the term 'disappearance' because we're not in a position to clearly establish it's a kidnapping," reminded Pierre Rivard of the Surete du Quebec.<br />
Rivard says there's been a sharp drop in he number of calls to their public hotline in the last month but that overall some 15,000 calls had led to 4,000 tips worth investigating.<br />
Fears the case may have gone cold isn't discouraging members of Cedrika's family from pursuing their own investigation.<br />
Family members and volunteers have travelled some 25,000 kilometres over the past three months criss-crossing the province to verify clues and tips, said Cedrika's father, Martin, in a phone interview conducted while he was on the road.<br />
The family has set up a regularly-updated website on the search, and continues fielding some 30 calls and 50 emails daily at "Cedrika headquarters."<br />
"Everybody puts in a full day and helps the search move along, always with the hope of finding her alive," said Henri Provencher, Martin's father.<br />
Over a dozen family members and volunteers put in full 12-hour days in the search for Cedrika. "It's non-stop," he says.<br />
"We're not losing hope, as long as we don't have reason to believe otherwise we remain hopeful," he said.<br />
On Oct. 24 a concert featuring music artist Nanette Workman and a local orchestra helped raised funds to help continue the search.<br />
"The goal isn't to make millions but gathering money to help look for Cedrika, we don't know for how long we'll be doing this," Martin said.<br />
He adds that the concert, which raised some $5,000, was also the opportunity to wind down for the first time since Cedrika went missing.<br />
"It's the first time we were trying to relax since she went missing," he said, adding the day was very emotional. "It's not easy to sit around on a comfortable chair when you don't know where your daughter is and what she's going through."<br />
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Nearly a third of rural mailboxes are unsafe and may have to go</h2>
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Published: Wednesday, October 31 2007</div>
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Phil Couvrette, CanWest News Service</div>
Canadians living outside of cities could have to travel a bit further to collect their mail as Canada Post is estimating that nearly a third of the number of rural mailboxes across the country will have to go.<br />
The mail carrier is currently conducting a three-year assessment of all 843,000 rural mailboxes across the country after having received some 1,000 complaints from postal carriers operating in these areas over the last 18 months.<br />
"Since we have been evaluating rural mailboxes we can say in general terms that 70 per cent can keep them and 30 per cent must find an alternative," said Line Brien, a spokeswoman at Canada Post.<br />
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Some rural areas are entirely safe, she points out, while others represent dangers for postal workers who have to use vehicles on sometimes narrow, unpaved and increasingly busy roads. <br />
"Often postal workers delivering mail do so while standing on the road, there isn't a shoulder, and they can encounter vehicles coming from both directions, and this can result in accidents," Brien said. "Because there's so much concern, especially on road safety matters, and because of complaints from postal workers, we decided to launch a countrywide operation."<br />
"Heavy traffic volumes in particular, make pulling off the road and merging back into traffic unsafe - a situation made worse where curves, hills or other obstructions make it impossible for other drivers to see the mail carrier vehicle stopped at the side of the road or merging back into traffic," noted Canada Post on its website page dedicated to the assessment program.<br />
Brien said Canada Post is legally responsible for the safety of its workers and other federal agencies confirmed the danger posed by some rural routes.<br />
Rural mailboxes represent about six percent of Canada Post's 14 million points of delivery.<br />
In certain areas such as Quebec's Eastern Townships, the number of mailboxes effected is slightly higher, near 40 per cent. Complaints from postal workers resulted in refusal to work in certain areas such as Vaudreuil-Dorion, near Montreal, and Fredericton, N.B., Brien said.<br />
Canada Post has been progressively alerting Canadians, whose boxes pose a problem, and assisting them to find alternatives to their rural mailboxes since the assessment started in 2006, Brien said.<br />
"We're being very transparent and let people know when we're in the region," she said, adding that people are met personally and told face-to-face if their mailbox represents a problem.<br />
The nationwide assessment was deemed necessary after two postal workers were killed and 37 others injured since 2005.<br />
Prior to 2006 Canada Post would visit homeowners of problem mailboxes if there was an incident or a complaint, but now Canada Post is being more proactive, Brien said.<br />
To prevent accidents the carrier has equipped vehicles with rooftop signs and flashing amber lights, but this hasn't proven enough to limit the risks.<br />
In some cases owners are being asked to move their mailbox to a safer area. In other cases they can either use alternatives such a community mailboxes, piggyback on their neighbour's mailbox, or receive free lockbox service at a local post office or local outlet offering postal services, such as pharmacies.<br />
A postal workers representative says she backs the assessment because it addresses safety worries, but is concerned it could be carried out in some instances in an effort to cut mailboxes, service, costs and jobs.<br />
"What I hear is that many mailboxes are being removed and people are asked to use community boxes and post offices, and they're already speaking out against it," said Monique Allard, from the Quebec chapter of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers. "People are opposed to this because they're entitled to the service, and some elderly people are shocked because rural mailboxes have always been part of the landscape."<br />
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Que. provincial police spent $7 million on Montebello summit</h1>
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Published: Tuesday, November 06, 2007</div>
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Phil Couvrette , CanWest News Service</div>
One of a number of police and security forces ensuring protection at the Montebello summit bringing together North American leaders this year, the Quebec provincial police spent over $7 million on the event alone CanWest News Service has learned.<br />
On Aug. 20 Prime Minister Stephen Harper, U.S. President George W. Bush and Mexican President Felipe Calderon convened in the Quebec town some 80 kilometres east of Ottawa for a two-day summit as part of the Security and Prosperity Partnership. The initiative aims to deepen the integration of Canada, Mexico and the United States.<br />
Security was both tight and expensive, especially as a three-metre high fence was raised to surround Chateau Montebello where the meetings took place, to keep hundreds of protesters away.<br />
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A number of local, provincial and federal police forces participated in the security effort on land, water and in the air, and for just one of them the bill climbed over $7 million according to an audit obtained by CanWest News Service through Quebec's access to information legislation. Figures for the others are not yet available.<br />
According to documents obtained from the audit bureau of the Surete du Quebec, $7,192,635 was spent by the provincial police force to help secure the event, most of it to make sure enough manpower was available. A total of $4,589,965 went to cover overtime during the summit and another $1,416,303 covered lodging, transportation and catering costs.<br />
Various maintenance, communications, and rental needs cover the remaining expenses. An official at the audit bureau said these were the more up to date numbers available at the time of the request for information but not necessarily the final costs associated with the event.<br />
Shortly after the summit the SQ acknowledged in a statement that its agents had infiltrated protesters demonstrating during the protests in Montebello but denied charges by some protest groups that they acted as "agent provocateurs" to instigate violence.<br />
A video posted on YouTube showed three burly black-clad bandana-wearing men being singled out by union organizers and the crowd before trying to force themselves through a police line and getting arrested.<br />
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Daycare can help prevent childhood aggression, study says</h1>
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Published: Wednesday, November 07, 2007</div>
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Phil Couvrette , CanWest News Service</div>
Children of mothers with low education levels are less likely to become aggressive if they have been introduced to daycare at an early age, a Quebec study found.<br />
The sweeping study of 1,691 children born between 1997 and 1998, published in this month's Archives of General Psychiatry, found that the earlier the children of such mothers were introduced to nonmaternal care services the less likely they were to become aggressive.<br />
Children who attend daycare before they are nine months old are five times less likely to become aggressive. After nine months, they are still three times less likely to become aggressive by attending daycare.<br />
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"Contrary to some popular belief there's no risk to children, in a majority of cases, who attend daycare, even at a young age," said Sylvana Cote of the University of Montreal, who headed the study. "There's a clear benefit for mothers with low education levels."<br />
That doesn't mean mothers without a high school education won't become good mothers, but they usually live in a troubled environment that may affect the child, Cote points out.<br />
Before learning how to talk, children express themselves aggressively, "which is normal," Cote notes, but in a difficult home environment they may not learn how to adjust their behaviour. "In those cases experience outside the family is beneficial," Cote said, and avoids social problems down the road.<br />
Of the children selected for the study, 111 received no nonmaternal care before kindergarten, 234 received it before they turned nine months old and 1,346 after nine months. Researchers met with their mothers every year between the ages of five and 60 months to track possible behaviour problems such as kicking, hitting or biting other members of the family.<br />
The study goes against notions that some children become more aggressive by attending daycare, its authors note.<br />
But the study acknowledges that the children who would most benefit from early introduction to daycare, most likely from low-income families, are least likely to receive it.<br />
"Because children most likely to benefit from nonmaternal care services are less likely to receive them, special measures encouraging the use of nonmaternal care services among high-risk families are needed," the authors recommend.<br />
The longitudinal study brought together researchers from Canada, the U.S. and Europe and will track the cognitive abilities, school maturity and other characteristics of the study group for years, Cote said. Early figures indicate that children attending daycare are better prepared for school compared to others, she added.<br />
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Quebec doesn't need reasonable accommodation debate: Harper</h2>
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<strong> </strong>Published: Wednesday, November 07, 2007</div>
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Phil Couvrette , CanWest News Service</div>
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Quebecers could do without the ongoing debate on the integration of immigrants into society, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Wednesday.</div>
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"I do think that most Quebecers are feeling increasingly secure in the position of their language and culture in this country, as they should," Mr. Harper said. "My sense is... kind of going back over debates over language or culture or immigration is not frankly where most Quebecers want to go."</div>
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Quebecers want to look ahead and not get bogged down by old debates, Mr. Harper said Wednesday. "Quebecers really do want to move forward," he said. They want to "put behind them the battle between the two extreme positions that they've faced over the past couple of generations -- extreme separatism on the one hand and extreme centralization on the other hand."</div>
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Mr. Harper's position on the so-called reasonable accommodation debate, which has enflamed passions across the province over the last few months, may disappoint Quebec Premier Jean Charest, whose government launched the provincewide commission.</div>
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It also is in sharp contrast to Governor General Michaelle Jean's opinion on the issue.</div>
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Ms. Jean said in a September interview that Quebec's debate on the reasonable accommodation of religious and ethnic minorities is a healthy exercise that should take place not only there but in the rest of Canada as well.</div>
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Ms. Jean said Quebec is no different than other parts of Canada when it comes to attitudes toward minorities. The difference is that Quebecers are talking about it.</div>
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"I think it is always healthy to confront perspectives and points of views," said Ms. Jean, a Haitian-born Quebecer and Canada's first black Governor General. "It is always healthy. I think it would be unhealthy not to do it," she said.</div>
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Mr. Charest's office had no immediate comments on Mr. Harper's statement.</div>
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Mr. Charest announced the reasonable accommodation hearings earlier this year after the Quebec election campaign was monopolized by tensions over how religious and ethnic minority groups were being integrated into Quebec society.</div>
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Girl at home with mother dead in bed</h2>
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Friday, November 16, 2007</div>
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CanWest News Service</div>
DOLBEAU, Que. -- A four-year-old girl was found by herself in an apartment where her mother had been dead for at least 24 hours, and possibly days, Quebec Provincial Police said yesterday.<br />
The 29-year-old single mom, a smoker who suffered from chronic asthma, was determined to have died from natural causes according to a coroner's report, police said.<br />
"The woman died in her bed from natural death caused by her chronic asthma, according to the autopsy; there was no trace of violence," said Const.Pierre Dufour.<br />
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The girl was found by herself Sunday when her grandparents entered the home in Dolbeau-Mistassini, about 250 kilometres north of Quebec City. The girl's grandmother had been told by the four-year-old that her mother was "still sleeping" during calls over the weekend.<br />
The last time the grandmother had heard from the child's mother had been the previous Friday. A coroner determined the woman had been dead for at least 24 hours.<br />
"The girl couldn't tell she was dead, she was too young to know" said Dufour. "After awhile they became worried because they found it strange that the mother was 'sleeping' for such a long time."<br />
The grandparents, who said the girl is in good condition in spite of her ordeal, are now taking care of the child, Dufour said.<br />
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Emergency vehicles delayed</h2>
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Published: Wednesday, November 21, 2007</div>
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CanWest News Service</div>
OTTAWA -- U.S. officials say they are preparing a response to a letter by Stockwell Day raising concerns about incidents involving emergency vehicles being held up at the border but noted that they were isolated cases amid the heavy traffic across the border.<br />
On Monday the public safety minister told the House of Commons he had registered Canadian concerns about the incidents.<br />
On Remembrance Day, Quebec firefighters rushing to respond to a fire in New York State were held up for several minutes at the U.S.-Canada border. The following day an ambulance carrying a 49-year-old Windsor heart-attack victim, who had already twice been revived, was asked to head to a secondary inspection at the U.S. border en route to a Detroit hospital.<br />
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Amy Kudwa, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said her office had received a letter by Day and was formulating a response.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Taser incidents more common in the U.S.</strong></span><br />
Friday, November 23, 2007<br />
By Phil Couvrette<br />
CanWest News Service<br />
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While the disturbing video of a writhing Robert Dziekanski being shocked by Taser in Vancouver travelled around the world, use of the electro-shock weapon is especially widespread in the U.S., where four people reportedly died after its application this week alone.<br />
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Recent non-lethal incidents there also have drawn attention to the use of the weapon, including video footage showing police shocking a student with a Taser during a meeting held by U.S. Senator John Kerry at the University of Florida.<br />
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In another incident, an 82-year-old Chicago woman was Tasered because she wouldn't put a hammer down when confronted by police. That incident is being investigated by the Chicago Police Department's Office of Professional Standards.<br />
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Taser International Inc., based in Scottsdale, Ariz., says over 11,000 law-enforcement, correctional and military agencies in 44 countries use its devices. Over 260,000 Taser brand stun guns have been sold to law enforcement since February 1998 and over 136,000 sold to citizens since 1994.<br />
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In Canada, Tasers are not legal for private use.<br />
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Last year the U.S. Justice Department's National Institute of Justice commissioned a two-year study following reports by Amnesty International that over 150 people had died after they had been shocked by the device.<br />
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At the time, Amnesty called on law enforcement agencies in the U.S. to suspend the use of Tasers. It recently said authorities in Canada should do the same.<br />
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Amnesty now says nearly 300 people have died after being struck by Tasers since 2001 in the U.S. and Canada.<br />
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Brian Loan, a 47-year-old who died in October, 2006, is believed to be the first person in the U.K. to die after being shocked with a Taser, according to Amnesty.<br />
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In Britain, some 3,000 special firearms officers have received Tasers since their introduction in 2003 but groups are concerned authorities are making the device more widely available after the announcement 10 forces across the U.K. were taking part in a 12-month pilot program that began in September.<br />
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In Australia, police ministers in Queensland and New South Wales are under increased pressure by police unions to extend the use of Tasers, according to reports.<br />
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A spokesman for Taser International Inc., noted Amnesty's tally was "not saying those death causes are causal, they're just saying they're related."<br />
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"When we get cleared, these numbers never drop off their radar screens," said Steve Tuttle. "They're just doing a body count at this point, which is ridiculous."<br />
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In fact, Tuttle said no deaths "in terms of direct physical cause" are attributed to Tasers. Some were listed as a "contributing factor in a handful of cases" he said, adding that even in these cases "other uses of force were applied."<br />
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There are 39 lawsuits pending against Taser Inc., including some for wrongful death, but to date it has never lost one. "We're actually 60 wins and no losses when it comes to wrongful deaths and or training injuries," Tuttle said.<br />
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The company's success selling the product internationally is proof of its reliability and safety, Tuttle said. "Multiple independent tests (are required) to get those into countries, particularly the United Kingdom," which spent millions of dollars studying Tasers over many years, he said.<br />
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In a recent Wake Forest University study, researchers tracking police Taser use on 962 people from July 2005 to June 2007 found very few suffered serious injury.<br />
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<h1>
Tenant and landlord in court over right to smoke in home</h1>
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Published: Tuesday, November 27, 2007</div>
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Phil Couvrette , CanWest News Service</div>
In a case that is rallying smoker's rights groups one year after Quebec banned smoking in public places, a Montreal landlord is going to court to overturn a July rental board's ruling in favour of a smoking tenant.<br />
This summer the Regie du logement ruled pack-a-day smoker Sandra Fowler could keep puffing away on the second-floor of her building despite complaints by owner Olesia Koretski. She lives below Fowler and said that smoke was entering her apartment and aggravating her asthma.<br />
Koretski was also worried about the effect the second-hand smoke could have on the unborn child she was carrying.<br />
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Central to Fowler's success in the ruling was that a non-smoking clause was not included in her lease.<br />
The board ruled that Koretski's argument that the initial application form that Fowler filled out - stating that smokers and people with pets were not welcome to apply - was not enough to oblige Fowler to butt out when inside. Fowler was also allowed to keep pets.<br />
The case returns to court Friday a year after Fowler received a letter advising her the landlord had lodged a complaint with the rental board.<br />
Koretski could not have picked a tougher opponent to square off against on the matter of smoking rights.<br />
Fowler is a member of the smoking rights group MonChoix.ca, whose spokeswoman Arminda Mota said she was confident the July ruling would not be overturned.<br />
"Imagine they win this case and the tenant is forced to leave," Mota said. "Anyone who is tenant right now can be booted out by their landlords?"<br />
She says the case is being watched closely by smokers groups at a time communities are starting to prevent smoking in private areas, such as vehicles.<br />
Last week Wolfville, N.S. became the first town in the country to ban smoking in vehicles if there's a child on board.<br />
Bridgewater, N.S., councillor Kevin Marlin said he was inspired by the ruling to consider a more dramatic smoking bylaw in his community.<br />
"My concept is that this bylaw includes not just children in cars but driving and smoking because you're in a public space," he said about plans for a more far-reaching smoking ban. "We're talking the sidewalks, the streets, town-owned parking spaces, recreational facilities - the whole gamut," he said.<br />
"Anti-smokers groups are on an offensive to prohibit smoking in homes," Mota said. "They don't want us to smoke anywhere!"<br />
Mota notes the landlords renewed the lease twice since Fowler moved in and failed to include a non-smoking clause. Mota also blamed shoddy repairs for letting the smoke into the apartment below.<br />
Housing groups were also following the case. Francois Saillant, coordinator for group FRAPRU, said he doubted the landlord would win the case.<br />
"You can't just change the terms of a lease," he said.<br />
Fowler said she was confident the court case would settle the longstanding dispute.<br />
"It's been going on since I moved in but I think it's going to settle it once and for all," she said.<br />
She said she would fight any eviction bearing in mind others faced the same predicament.<br />
"It's easier to just move out, but you have to think of all the other people that are going to be in the same situation," Fowler said.<br />
Matthew Newland, Koretski's husband and father of a five-month-old child, said he was reserving comments for after the court date.<br />
"There's nothing here to say, we're just going to wait and see what happens," he said.<br />
The spokesman for a landlord group says the grievance doesn't oppose landlord against tenant but smoker against non-smoker, and landlords can have valid reasons for denying smokers the right to light up.<br />
"Some landlords have found places in bad shape because a smoker lived there for years and left behind burns appearing on carpets, counters and a lingering smell that scares away future tenants," said Hans Brouillette.<br />
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<h1>
Time ripe to remember defender of the North, historian says</h1>
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Published: Sunday, November 25, 2007</div>
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Phil Couvrette , CanWest News Service</div>
As Canada seeks to assert its Arctic claims, the founder of a Quebec historical society says the time has never been better to honour an explorer who helped the country claim a huge chunk of the North.<br />
In the late 1800s, Quebec-based captain Joseph-Elzear Bernier tried to persuade a young Canada of the importance of claiming sovereignty over the islands of the North. The British government had formally ceded the land in 1880 but the Canadian government had yet to exercise its jurisdiction there.<br />
Bernier's expeditions eventually helped the country claim sovereignty over 750,000 square kilometres in the Arctic, says Jeanne Coude of the Levis regional historic society. Coude has been prodding various governments for years to erect a monument paying homage to a man sometimes called "the greatest Canadian navigator."<br />
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"When I saw reports of other countries contesting the Northwest Passage . . . I thought we needed to honour him here (in Levis), where he lived," said Coude, who has approached federal, provincial and municipal governments to erect a monument.<br />
Bernier not only claimed sovereignty over a large land mass in the North, he constantly reminded the government of the need to "maintain and take care of the North" because of its immense potential, Coude said.<br />
"He saw at the time how valuable it was going to become," she noted. "If he had been English (Canadian), he would already have a monument with a plaque."<br />
The monument would be laid by the docks in Levis, across the St. Lawrence River from Quebec City. Estimated to cost some $300,000, it would be made of bronze and stone.<br />
"Like Bernier (trying to reach the Arctic), I will do everything I can to get a monument worthy of him," Coude said. "He was the last Jacques Cartier - after him there were no more lands to claim."<br />
At the turn of the 20th century, Bernier finally persuaded the government of the need to claim the islands - such as Baffin and Ellesmere - amid obvious signs U.S. and European explorers were out to do the same.<br />
Canada is currently locked in a furious claims rush with Russia, the U.S., Denmark and Norway over parts of the Arctic. Many countries do not recognize Canada's sovereignty in the Northwest Passage.<br />
Billions of dollars in oil and gas deposits are believed to lie beneath the Arctic seabed. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a country can secure rights to seabed territory reaching far beyond the 200-mile limit if it can prove that a portion of the ocean floor is geologically linked to its continental shelf.<br />
The Harper government announced billions in spending to defend the North, including construction of Arctic patrol ships and the establishment of a new training centre in the North.<br />
Bernier made 12 trips to the Arctic and spent eight winters there between 1906 and 1925. He hopped from island to island, sometimes finding documents left behind by his predecessors, and conducted topographic surveys while officially claiming the island for Canada.<br />
Bringing Canadian law to the region, Bernier issued permits to whalers, hunters and fishermen in the area and helped establish numerous RCMP posts. His travels enabled him to establish contacts with Canada's Inuit communities, transporting food and other articles in remote areas.<br />
To this day, his memory lives in Canada's North, said Philippa Ootoowak, who works at the Pond Inlet archives in Nunavut. "Because he made the attempt to stay around the community and befriended the people . . . he was well respected."<br />
"Kapitaikallak still has not been forgotten by Inuit up to now. We still know about him," Inuit elder Nutaraq Cornelius was quoted as saying in 2000, referring to Bernier's Inuit name. "We have heard about him. He is not forgotten."<br />
Ootoowak said "the monument sounds like a good idea because it would make people pay attention more (to their history), especially as people in the political world are talking about sovereignty."<br />
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"(But) putting a monument to a southern person is a little affronting to people who lived here all their lives," she added. "Just because somebody came up in a ship ... nobody's bothered to recognize the fact we've lived here for years and years."<br />
Statements by the government to the effect that "we have to show we live there" can suggest Inuit are not important in the larger scheme of things, Ootoowak cautions.<br />
Coude is hoping the monument, possibly inaugurated during next year's festivities marking Quebec City's 400th anniversary, will help preserve Bernier's memory.<br />
"If we don't, 100 years from now, who's going to remember him?"<br />
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Afghan mission won't make soldier miss childbirth</h2>
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Published: Thursday, November 29 2007</div>
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Phil Couvrette, Canwest News Service</div>
A Quebec hospital is set to broadcast the birth of a baby whose father is a Canadian soldier in Afghanistan and might not be able to make it home in time.<br />
The pilot project, done in partnership with the Canadian Forces, will enable the parents to be linked by video-conference, should the father not be able to attend the birth in mid-December of his child.<br />
A spokesman for the hospital in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, north of Montreal, said the military approached the hospital this fall to ensure the couple was united one way or another for the birth.<br />
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"We really want to make sure the couple can experience this event together," said Alain Paquette.<br />
Paquette said the couple wanted to remain anonymous but said the soldier left for Afghanistan four months ago and was due to receive a special leave."She could give birth tomorrow or in three weeks and we want all bases to be covered.<br />
"This is taking place after wishes were first expressed by the couple," he said.<br />
While the hospital is equipped to allow medical specialists to conduct video conferences and take part in training by video, the equipment will be the military's most up-to-date technology, usually used for soldiers to keep in touch with their families.<br />
"It looks a lot like a laptop with a webcam on it, and it will be discreetly placed in the birthing room" he said. "But the challenge is to make sure the birth takes place like any other normal childbirth here at the hospital, by respecting the human dimension of an event such as this one."<br />
"We want to forget the technology is there. They'll be able to communicate, talk to and see each other but that's all."<br />
Preparation tests carried out Thursday linking Kandahar with Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts had proven successful, Paquette added.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: times new roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Speaker saga leaves laboratory, heads to court</strong></span><br /><br />Thursday, November 29, 2007<br />Phil Couvrette<br />CanWest News Service<br /><br />Health officials in the U.S. and Canada say that none of the passengers who travelled with an American carrying a highly contagious form of tuberculosis, sparking an international health alert, have shown symptoms of the disease.<br /><br />Atlanta lawyer Andrew Speaker travelled on two flights carrying a drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis in May. He ignored a no-fly advisory to fly to Europe and back, passing through Montreal on his way home. He has since apologized for doing so.<br /><br />According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control about 250 passengers on the flight originating in the U.S. onMay 12 were tested and none reported any symptoms. They include 25 of the 26 "high priority" cases sitting closest to Speaker. The remaining passenger was outside the U.S. and testing could not be confirmed.<br /><br />Twenty-nine passengers sitting closest to Speaker on the return flight, landing in Canada, are also symptom-free, said AlainDesroches of the Public Health Agency of Canada.<br /><br />"To date everything is pointing to no evidence of transmission," he said.<br /><br />While these signs bode well six months after the flights, a full two years will be necessary before the passengers are considered completely in the clear, he said citing medical experts.<br /><br />Skin test results only indicate lack of exposure at the time of testing. The passengers have been told to immediately alert their doctors should they develop any symptoms, Desroches said.<br /><br />"I'm relieved that the results came back that way," Speaker told the Atlanta-Constitution on Tuesday. "I hope that brings a sense of peace and closure for the people who may have been concerned."<br /><br />That won't be the end of his worries. Canadian passengers have launched a suit against Speaker "claiming expenses the various plaintiffs have incurred but (which they) were unable to enjoy" because of the health scare, said attorney Anlac Nguyen. Sixteen people have joined the suit which goes to court Nov. 29.</span></span><br />
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Magdalen mayor says land erosion threatens island links</h1>
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Published: Sunday, December 02, 2007</div>
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Phil Couvrette , CanWest News Service</div>
The mayor of the Magdalen Islands has warned Quebec provincial officials his region needs a long-term plan to deal with constant land erosion which threatens to sever roads linking islands in the archipelago.<br />
Joel Arseneau has been addressing various provincial ministries on the matter after being briefed by experts preparing a major report on erosion in this wind-swept community in the Gulf of the St. Lawrence.<br />
"Researchers have taken samples for the last two years and have noticed that the borderline dune which protects the archipelago, notably road infrastructure linking the islands, has been losing ground in certain areas, sometimes by as much as 15 metres," he said. "Obviously this phenomenon is alarming.<br />
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"Based on this information we can attest to what extent erosion is a serious problem."<br />
Climate change is making matters worse by melting ice packs that usually protect the archipelago's sand-lined coast, he said.<br />
"Less ice to protect the archipelago in winter means, during this period when storms are fiercest, there are risks of greater damage," he said.<br />
Guglielmo Tita, the scientific director of a research centre on maritime studies, who's lived there for more than five years, says different factors threaten dunes in the north and south, which serve as road links between the islands. But climate change has exacerbated natural erosion in the last 10 years.<br />
"The (lack of) ice, the storms, the waves, are phenomenon tied to climate change or are at least amplified by them," he said.<br />
Arseneau wants to make sure the issue will become a provincial priority next spring when the erosion experts, the Ouranos research group, releases its report.<br />
"It's a phenomenon we're going to have to act on quickly," he said, referring to Ouranos models which suggest more intense and frequent storms beating against an increasingly defenceless coastline.<br />
The islands of the Magdalen archipelago are connected by extensive sand dunes that serve as foundations for a road system without which up to a third of the area's 13,000 inhabitants would be cut off, the mayor warns.<br />
"People can't imagine being cut off from the islands." Arseneau said. "They need this road link with the main islands."<br />
While he said he didn't expect to wake up one morning and find the links severed, a rupture "isn't an impossible scenario," he said, especially in the event of a major storm.<br />
Any breach to the northern dune could quickly widen and be hard to repair, Tita warns.<br />
Work is completed every year to combat erosion, Arseneau added, but usually it consists of a quick-fix that involves filling gaps with stones.<br />
This isn't a long-term solution, he stressed, and often only ends up displacing the problem.<br />
This method is also becoming costly as the islands increasingly require rocks to be imported and Arseneau said the rising cost of all these quick fixes was more an immediate concern than the possibility part of the road system being washed away.<br />
Arseneau is also trying to bring public officials from both provincial and federal levels, and business to work together to help replenish the dunes.<br />
Tita says, however, there's always going to be a need to combat erosion.<br />
"No adaptation strategy will ever be definitive, it will always be necessary to adapt the structures," he said.<br />
While the problem is common in the region, the margin when fixing the problem is growing thinner every year, Tita says.<br />
"Anywhere else you can just move a road threatened by erosion, here if you do you fall into the water," he said.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: times new roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Three orphans face harm if they are deported to Mexico, groups say</strong></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: times new roman; font-size: small;">Friday, December 14, 2007<br />Phil Couvrette<br />CanWest News Service<br /><br />The United Church of Canada and Amnesty International are asking Immigration Canada to suspend the deportation of three Mexican orphans and their grandmother citing fears for their safety.<br /><br />The three children, ages 6 to 17, were orphaned when their parents were killed by drug traffickers in Mexico two years ago and events they witnessed after the murders mean they could be targeted not only by drug cartels but crooked cops, supporters say.<br /><br />"Amnesty International is very concerned about their safety," said Claudette Cardinal of Amnesty. "We're asking for a suspension of the deportation to give immigration ministry officials the time to study their request for permanent residence for humanitarian reasons."<br /><br />The orphans fled to Canada in October 2005 after receiving threats from drug traffickers. They applied for refugee status, which was refused. A deportation date was recently fixed for January 21.<br /><br />"We've applied to federal court to review the decisions," said attorney William Sloan. "The two decisions that we're attacking are one on the humanitarian application and the other one on the risk review."<br /><br />Cardinal says that in addition to the traffickers, crooked cops are also a concern because one of the children said he saw an officer remove items from the home during the investigation of the killing which were never returned. Sloan says any notion the state of Mexico can protect the orphans is a joke.<br /><br />"They were threatened both by the drug cartel and by some crooked cops so they left because of that," Sloan said, adding someone is currently under arrest in the murder case who is suspected of being a drug cartel assassin. He was known for going after the families of the victims as well, he said.<br /><br />The United Church of Canada has also thrown its support behind the orphans and their grandmother Juana Montes-Gonzalez, calling upon Immigration Minister Diane Finlay to intervene and grant the family legal status in Canada.<br /><br />"We are amazed that the immigration officer charged with assessing the humanitarian and compassionate grounds of the family's case did not find it severely contrary to the best interests of these three children to be returned to the place where they suffered such trauma," United Church of Canada general secretary Nora Sanders said in a statement.<br /><br />Immigration Canada spokeswoman Jacqueline Roby said immigration agents were torn by the decision because it involved children and came so close to Christmas, but said the decision was final while reserving the right to appeal.<br /><br />"This is a very sad case, we're very empathetic as a ministry, even if the decision is negative," she said. "But everything was carefully examined before the decision was handed to the client, and we're twice as attentive when minors are involved."<br /><br />Immigration procedures require that agents consider "the best interest of the child," Roby said, noting that "the best interest of the child isn't always to stay in Canada" in an unfamiliar setting away from the family.</span></span><br />
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Christmas wish: fir tree that doesn't lose needles</h2>
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Published: Wednesday, December 19 2007</div>
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Phil Couvrette , CanWest News Service</div>
Shedding Christmas trees are enough to cause post-holiday blues, and pushing them through a door when they're dry is when it gets really messy.<br />
Researchers concerned that needle loss is increasingly making consumers choose artificial trees over the scent of a freshly cut fir tree, and costing the tree industry plenty in the process, have launched a project to develop trees that hold onto their needles.<br />
"Consumers have cited needle loss as one of the issues and problems with real trees," said Ross Pentz, a Christmas tree specialist with the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources. "We feel it's a serious enough issue that we need to address it."<br />
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The switch to artificial trees is hurting the $72-million-a-year Christmas tree industry in Atlantic Canada, said project director Raj Lada, a professor of plant physiology at the Nova Scotia Agriculture College in Truro.<br />
"This is a major initiative unique to Atlantic Canada," Lada said. "Needle drop is a major issue after a tree is detached from its roots and used as a Christmas tree."<br />
Lada initiated the study and is trying to establish the college as a world centre for the research.<br />
Key to keeping trees from shedding their needles is understanding what triggers it, researchers say.<br />
Most people think trees shed their needles because of dryness, but regular watering does not stop needle loss, and water retention has even been observed to improve after initial needle loss, Lada pointed out.<br />
The research is studying how trees age and how they shed in the hopes of eventually creating a Christmas tree that holds onto its needles.<br />
The study is looking into some 200 balsam fir clones from a Christmas tree seed orchard for signs of genetic resistance to needle shedding. Clones that hold their needles the longest are being studied to see what makes them special.<br />
"We're at the very beginning of the research project, but we have already identified certain clones that have exceptional needle retention," Pentz said.<br />
"So we will be studying those further and looking at ways to reproduce that same condition or those particular clones to make sure that the majority of the trees that we're putting out there in the future will have that superior needle retention."<br />
Acclimatization to cold is being studied because lower temperatures have been shown to damage trees. The role of ethylene, a plant hormone, is also being analyzed, as are industry harvesting and production methods.<br />
Researchers have to look into "multiple questions, as this is not a one-dimensional approach," Lada said, calling needle loss an "intriguing and complex mechanism."<br />
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Choosing your tree<br />
Pine trees shed the least along with Fraser firs, says Myles MacPherson, vice-president of the Canadian Christmas Tree Growers Association. The balsam fir also rates well, while the spruce trees, such as white or blue spruce trees, shed the fastest, he says. Needle retention can also depend on the harvest, MacPherson points out, while firs remain the people's choice overall.<br />
The most popular Christmas trees are balsam fir, Fraser fir, Scotch pine and white spruce, according to the association.</div>
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CNS EASThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17450023054243911470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829197718575546351.post-30613947203564894522009-11-25T13:25:00.000-08:002009-11-25T13:31:58.782-08:00Papers listTelegram 709-748-0826 or 364-2323<br />Gazette 514-987-2617 or 2456<br />Citizen 613-596-3664 or 3697<br />Star 519-255-5743 or 5500<br />Post 416-383-2417 or 2470 or 2362<br />Free Press 204-697-7292<br />Leader-Post 306-781-5300 or 5213<br />StarPhoenix 306-657-6240 or 6227<br />Journal 780-429-5386 or 5205 or 5820<br />Herald 403-235-7433 or 7282<br />Sun 604-605-2445<br />Province 604-605-2030 or 2900 or 2214<br />Times Colonist 250-380-5334<br />TJ 506-645-3305 or 654-3226<br />Guardian 902-629-6000 code 6038<br />CB Post 902-564-5451 or 563-3843 or 3886<br />Journal Pioneer 902-436-2121CNS EASThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17450023054243911470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829197718575546351.post-64355429510100063022007-07-26T13:30:00.000-07:002007-08-09T10:30:18.952-07:00Montreal & southern QuebecMONTREAL & Southern Quebec<br />Montreal hospitals:<br />Jewish General Hospital-Sir Mortimer B Davis - 514-340-8222<br /><br />> McGill University Health Centre - 514-934-1934<br /><br />> Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine - 514-345-4931<br /><br />> Hôpital Santa Cabrini - 514-252-6000<br /><br />> Montreal Children's Hospital Of The MUHC - 514-934-1934<br /><br />> Hôpital Général du Lakeshore - 514-630-2225<br />List of all courthouses in Quebec:<br />http://www.justice.gouv.qc.ca/francais/joindre/palais/palais.htm<br />Quebec Court (criminal)<br />514 393-2034<br />Civil<br />514 393-2322<br />Quebec Superior Court<br />514 393-2256 poste 51774<br />Civil<br />514 393-2322<br />Court clerks<br />514 393-2343<br />Mtl federal court 514-283-4820<br />Ste-Jerome<br />Quebec Court (criminal)<br />450 431-4418<br />Civil<br /><br /><br />450 431-4407<br />Quebec Superior Court<br />450 431-4407<br />Valleyfield<br />Quebec Court (criminal)<br />450 370-4005<br />Quebec Court (civil)<br />450 370-4006<br />Quebec Superior Court (criminal)<br />450 370-4005<br />(Civil)<br />450 370-4006<br />Sherbrooke<br />Quebec Court (criminal)<br />819 822-6903<br />Quebec Court (civil)<br />819 822-6902<br />Quebec Superior Court (criminal)<br />819 822-6902<br />Prisons<br />Federal<br />La Macaza (Med) Warden: Daniel Bonin (819) 275-2315, Archambault (Med) Warden: Yves Fafard (450) 478-5960 Leclerc (Med) Warden: Claude Lemieux (450) 664-1320, Cowansville (Med) Warden: France Poisson (450) 263-3073, Drummond Institution (Med) Warden: Linda Boily (819) 477-5112; Montée Saint-François Institution (Min) Warden: Serge Gagnon (450) 661-9620, Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines Institution (Min) Warden: Joyce Malone (450) 478-5933, Joliette Institution (Multi) Warden: Loretta Mazzochi, (450) 752-5257<br />Quebec media contact<br />Jean-Yves Roy<br />Phone: (450) 967-3350<br /><br />Unions<br />CSN (Confédération des syndicats nationaux)<br />Michelle Filteau, directrice du Service des<br />communications de la CSN, bureau: (514) 598-2162, cellulaire: (514) 894-1326<br />CSQ (CENTRALE DES SYNDICATS DU QUÉBEC 100,000 of its 172,000 members are in education)<br />514 356-8888<br /><br />Search & Rescue contacts<br />https://www.nss.gc.ca/SAR%5Fdirectory/orgsByProvince_e.asp?province=5<br />A few federal agencies are needed in case of a really really bad emergency<br />CSIS 613-231-0100 (actually have the card of an agent somewhere)<br />Border services 350-6130 (Gervais)<br />Emergency preparedness 613-991-0657<br />Ronald Blanchet CIC 450-246-3911 cell 233-0454<br />given the nature of politics in Quebec I thought a few politicos would be needed. Numbers without an area code are 514<br /><br />Poli Scientists:<br />Polisci Antonia Maioni McGill 514-398-8346<br />Pierre Martin 514-343-2027<br />Richard Schultz 514-398-4948<br /><br />A few misc<br />Janet Dench CDN council for refugees 514-277-7223<br />Laval police 450-662-4242<br />Mtl federal court 514-283-4820<br /><br />Legal<br />The Quebec Bar. Sylvie Berthiaume, Communications Co-ordinator. (514) 954-3400, post 3124<br />Mark Bantley media law 514-392-9501<br />Sylvie Bordelais lawyer 514-522-5026<br /><br />Transport<br />Martine Malka IATA 514-390-6713<br />Denis Chagnon ICAO 514-954-8220<br />Aéroports de Montréal, Public Affairs Office, Christiane Beaulieu: Tel (514) 394-7304<br /><br />Air Canada: Isabelle Arthur, 514-422-5788, 246-1959 (cell), 330-1999 (pager);<br />TRANSPORT QUEBEC 514-873-5600<br />Transport Canada<br />François-Nicolas Asselin<br />514-633-2741<br /><br />Base des forces canadiennes Montréal<br />Richelain, QC<br />(514) 252-2777 Ext 4278<br />MONTREAL CITY HALL – OPPOSITION:<br /><br />Suzanne Gagnon<br />Attachée de presse<br />Bureau de l¹opposition officielle<br />Ville de Montréal<br />Tél. : (514) 782-2934<br />Cell. : (514) 945-4787<br /><br />City Hall (Montreal):<br /><br />Mayor Gerald Tremblay Flacks: Bernard Larin, (514) 872-9998, (514) 705-7683 (cell)<br /><br />Darren Becker: 872-6412 or 772-0122.<br /><br />Maxime Chagnon - (514) 872-5527 / (514) 824-1580 (Cell)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />MONTREAL POLICE:<br /><br />duty officer: 280-2777<br />public relations: 280-2015<br />specific station: 280-01xx (station number)<br />homicide dept.: 280-2052<br /><br /><br />MONTREAL FIRE DEPT: 514-749-7746 (pager)<br /><br /><br />SQ regional contacts<br /><br />Langlais, Ève (Trois-Rivières) (819) 379-7195 (819) 691-6929<br /><br />Ruel, L-Philippe (Sherbrooke) (819) 572-6050 (819) 820-4333<br /><br />Gendron, Isabelle (MLLL) (450) 474-7630 (514) 946-2249<br /><br />Larouche, Mélanie (Gatineau) (819) 779-6213 (613) 761-3021<br /><br />McInnis, Ronald (Montérégie) (450) 641-7549 (514) 893-5639<br /><br /><br />RCMP-QUEBEC: 939-8300 or 939-8308<br /><br />LAVAL POLICE (450) 662-5050 (call here first) and after 11 p.m. and weekends: 450-978-6888, xt. 3407<br /><br />LONGUEUIL POLICE (450) 463-7373<br /><br />HYDRO QUEBEC<br />media 514-858-8000<br />emergency 514-386-6632<br /><br />ENVIRO CANADA 514-283-1147<br /><br />Sherbrooke Police:<br />Police Chief Gaetan Labbe<br />(819) 821-1986<br />(819) 821-5555<br />POLICE@VILLE.SHERBROOKE.QC.CA<br /><br />City of Sherbrooke:<br />Mayor’s office:<br />(819) 821-5969<br />MAIRIE@VILLE.SHERBROOKE.QC.CA<br />General number<br />(819) 821-5572<br />COMMUNICATIONS@VILLE.SHERBROOKE.QC.CA<br />Environment (819) 821-5798<br />Water: (819) 821-5809<br />ENV.RESEAUX.VOIRIE@VILLE.SHERBROOKE.QC.CA<br />Fire department:<br />(819) 821-5514<br />(819) 821-5516<br />PROTECTION.INCENDIES@VILLE.SHERBROOKE.QC.CA<br />Magog police:<br />Police Chief Adrien Mercier<br />819 843-3334<br />Gatineau police:<br />Police Chief John M. Janusz<br />819 246-6000<br />Outaouais<br /><br />MRC DES COLLINES-DE-L'OUTAOUAIS<br />Police Chief Denis St-Jean<br />819 459-2422<br />Municipalités desservies : Cantley, Chelsea, L'Ange-Gardien, La Pêche, Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette, Pontiac, Val-des-Monts<br />Police amérindienne<br /><br />BARRIERE LAKE<br /><br />Police Chief Susan Jérôme<br />819 435-4000<br />Municipalité desservie : Lac-Rapide<br />Police departement<br /><br />KITIGAN ZIBI ANISHINABEG<br />Police Chief Gordon McGregor<br />819 449-6000<br />Municipalité desservie : Kitigan Zibi<br /><br /><br />Maurice<br />OBEDJIWAN<br /><br />Type : Service de police autochtone<br />Directeur : Bernard Laberge<br />13,rue Wapistan<br />C.P. 243<br />OBEDJIWAN (Québec)<br />G0W 3B0<br /><br />Téléphone : 819 974-8814<br />Télécopieur : 819 974-1309<br /><br />Municipalité desservie : Obedjiwan<br />Service de la sécurité publique de TROIS-RIVIERES<br /><br />Type : Service de police municipal<br />Directeur : Francis Gobeil<br />2250, boul. des Forges<br />Case postale 1055<br />TROIS-RIVIÈRES (Québec)<br />G9A 5K4<br /><br />3500, rue de l'Aéroport<br />Trois-Rivières (Québec)<br />G9A 5E1<br /><br />Téléphone : (819) 377-4382<br />Télécopieur : (819) 377-5030<br /><br />Site Internet :<br />www.aeroporttrois-rivieres.qc.ca <http:><br /><br />Téléphone : 819 691-2929<br />Télécopieur : 819 374-3506<br /><br />Municipalité desservie : Trois-Rivières<br />WEMOTACI<br /><br />Type : Service de police autochtone<br />Directeur : Aurèle Dubé<br />64, rue Kemosi Atikamekw<br />Wemotaci Via Saumaur (Québec)<br />G0X 2R0<br /><br />Téléphone : 819 666-2238<br />Télécopieur : 819 666-2396<br /><br />Municipalités desservies : Coucoucache, Wemotaci<br /><br />Lanaudiere<br />CORPS DE POLICE DE LA REGION DE JOLIETTE<br /><br />Type : Service de police municipal<br />Directeur : Michel Lachance<br />733, rue Richard<br />JOLIETTE (Québec)<br />J6E 2T8<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 759-5222<br />Télécopieur : 450 759-7174<br /><br />Municipalités desservies : Crabtree, Joliette, Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, Notre-Dame-des-Prairies, Saint-Ambroise-de-Kildare, Saint-Charles-Borromée, Saint-Paul, Saint-Pierre, Saint-Thomas, Sainte-Mélanie<br />Service de police de L'ASSOMPTION<br /><br />Type : Service de police municipal<br />Directeur : Christian Chaput<br />399, rue Dorval<br />Case postale 3400<br />L'ASSOMPTION (Québec)<br />J5W 1A1<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 589-0493<br />Télécopieur : 450 589-7752<br /><br />Municipalités desservies : L'Assomption, Saint-Sulpice<br />Sécurité publique de REPENTIGNY<br /><br />Type : Service de police municipal<br />Directeur : Serge Daoust<br />1, Montée des Arsenaux<br />LEGARDEUR (Québec)<br />J5Z 2C1<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 470-3600<br />Télécopieur : 450 470-3073<br /><br />Municipalités desservies : Charlemagne, Repentigny<br />MANAWAN<br /><br />Type : Service de police autochtone<br />Directeur : Richard Moar<br />211, rue Simon-Ottawa<br />MANAWAN (Québec)<br />J0K 1M0<br /><br />Téléphone : 819 971-8861<br />Télécopieur : 819 971-1291<br /><br />Municipalité desservie : Manawan<br />Sécurité publique de la ville de MASCOUCHE<br /><br />Type : Service de police municipal<br />Directeur : Michel Thériault<br />2939, rue Dupras<br />MASCOUCHE (Québec)<br />J7K 1T3<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 474-4107<br />Télécopieur : 450 474-6036<br /><br />Municipalité desservie : Mascouche<br />Corps de police de la Ville de TERREBONNE<br /><br />Type : Service de police municipal<br />Directeur : Guy Dubois<br />491, boul. des Seigneurs<br />TERREBONNE (Québec)<br />J6W 1T5<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 961-2001<br />Télécopieur : 450 964-6803<br /><br />Municipalités desservies : Bois-des-Filion, Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines, Terrebonne<br /><br />Laurentians:<br /><br />Service de la police de la Ville de BLAINVILLE<br /><br />Type : Service de police municipal<br />Directeur : Jean-Maurice Normandin<br />790, de la Mairie<br />BLAINVILLE (Québec)<br />J7C 4K4<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 434-5300<br />Télécopieur : 450 434-8294<br /><br />Municipalité desservie : Blainville<br />Police régionale de DEUX-MONTAGNES<br /><br />Type : Service de police municipal<br />Directeur : Serge Frenette<br />615, 20e Avenue<br />DEUX-MONTAGNES (Québec)<br />J7R 6B2<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 473-4686<br />Télécopieur : 450 491-0338<br /><br />Municipalités desservies : Deux-Montagnes, Pointe-Calumet, Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac<br />KANESATAKE<br /><br />Type : Service de police autochtone<br />Directeur : Terry Isaacs<br />91, Ahsennenson<br />Mohawk Territory<br />KANESATAKE (Québec)<br />J0N 1E0<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 479-1122<br />Télécopieur : 450 479-8067<br /><br />Municipalité desservie : Kanesatake<br />CORPS DE POLICE MUNICIPAL DE MIRABEL<br /><br />Type : Service de police municipal<br />Directeur : Alain Gariépy<br />14113, rue Saint-Jean<br />MIRABEL (Québec)<br />J7J 1Y4<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 475-7706<br />Télécopieur : 450 475-6956<br /><br />Municipalités desservies : Mirabel, Saint-Colomban, Sainte-Sophie<br />Service de police de la Ville de MONT-TREMBLANT<br /><br />Type : Service de police municipal<br />Directeur : Michel Ledoux<br />380, rue Siméon<br />MONT-TREMBLANT (Québec)<br />J8E 2R2<br /><br />Téléphone : 819 681-6400<br />Télécopieur : 819 425-6407<br /><br />Municipalités desservies : Lac-Tremblant-Nord, Mont-Tremblant<br />Régie de police de RIVIERE-DU-NORD<br /><br />Type : Service de police municipal<br />Directeur : Richard Girard<br />3044, boul. du Curé-Labelle<br />PRÉVOST (Québec)<br />J0R 1T0<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 224-8922<br />Télécopieur : 450 224-2300<br /><br />Municipalités desservies : Piedmont, Saint-Hippolyte, Sainte-Anne-des-Lacs<br />Service de police de SAINTE-ADELE<br /><br />Type : Service de police municipal<br />Directeur : Jacques Deslongchamps<br />1390, rue Dumouchel<br />SAINTE-ADÈLE (Québec)<br />J8B 1V9<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 229-3525<br />Télécopieur : 450 229-3527<br /><br />Municipalité desservie : Sainte-Adèle<br />Régie intermunicipale de police THERESE-DE BLAINVILLE<br /><br />Type : Service de police municipal<br />Directeur : Michel Foucher<br />150, boul. Ducharme<br />SAINTE-THÉRÈSE (Québec)<br />J7E 4R6<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 435-2421<br />Télécopieur : 450 435-2818<br /><br />Municipalités desservies : Boisbriand, Lorraine, Rosemère, Sainte-Thérèse<br />Sécurité publique de SAINT-EUSTACHE<br /><br />Type : Service de police municipal<br />Directeur : Yves Morency<br />144, rue Dorion<br />SAINT-EUSTACHE (Québec)<br />J7R 2N7<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 974-5340<br />Télécopieur : 450 974-5337<br /><br />Municipalité desservie : Saint-Eustache<br />Service de police de SAINT-JEROME<br /><br />Type : Service de police municipal<br />Directeur : Pierre Bourgeois<br />500, rue Filion<br />SAINT-JÉRÔME (Québec)<br />J7Z 1H9<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 432-3344<br />Télécopieur : 450 432-7582<br /><br />Municipalité desservie : Saint-Jérôme<br /><br />Monteregie:<br /><br />Corps de police municipal de BROMONT<br /><br />Type : Service de police municipal<br />Directeur : Jean Bourgeois<br />90, boul. de Bromont<br />BROMONT (Québec)<br />J2L 1A1<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 534-3131<br />Télécopieur : 450 534-5340<br /><br />Municipalité desservie : Bromont<br />Régie intermunicipale de police ROUSSILLON<br /><br />Type : Service de police municipal<br />Directeur : Jacques Poiré<br />90, chemin Saint-François-Xavier<br />CANDIAC (Québec)<br />J5R 6M6<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 638-0911<br />Télécopieur : 450 638-0905<br /><br />Municipalités desservies : Candiac, Delson, La Prairie, Saint-Constant, Saint-Mathieu, Saint-Philippe, Sainte-Catherine<br />Service de police de CHATEAUGUAY<br /><br />Type : Service de police municipal<br />Directeur : Richard Bélanger<br />55, boul. Maple<br />CHÂTEAUGUAY (Québec)<br />J6J 3P9<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 698-1331<br />Télécopieur : 450 698-3209<br /><br />Municipalités desservies : Beauharnois, Châteauguay, Léry, Mercier, Saint-Isidore<br />Service de police de la Ville de GRANBY<br /><br />Type : Service de police municipal<br />Directeur : Richard Dufresne<br />125, rue Simonds Sud<br />GRANBY (Québec)<br />J2J 1P7<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 776-3333<br />Télécopieur : 450 776-8345<br /><br />Municipalités desservies : Granby, Granby<br />KAHNAWAKE<br /><br />Type : Service de police autochtone<br />Directeur : Zacharie Dwayne<br />P.O. Box 203<br />KAHNAWAKE (Québec)<br />J0L 1B0<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 632-6505<br />Télécopieur : 450 632-4763<br /><br />Municipalité desservie : Kahnawake<br />Service de police de LONGUEUIL<br /><br />Type : Service de police municipal<br />Directeur : Marc St-Laurent<br />699, boul. Curé Poirier Ouest<br />Case postale 5000<br />LONGUEUIL (Québec)<br />J4J 2J1<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 463-7011<br />Télécopieur : 450 646-8008<br /><br />Municipalités desservies : Boucherville, Brossard, Longueuil, Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Saint-Lambert<br />Régie intermunicipale de police RICHELIEU SAINT-LAURENT<br /><br />Type : Service de police municipal<br />Directeur : St-Onge Alain<br />1578, chemin du Fer-à-Cheval<br />SAINTE-JULIE (Québec)<br />J3E 0A2<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 922-7001<br />Télécopieur : 450 922-8881<br /><br />Municipalités desservies : Beloeil, Calixa-Lavallée, Carignan, Chambly, Contrecoeur, McMasterville, Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Otterburn Park, Richelieu, Saint-Amable, Saint-Basile-le-Grand, Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Saint-Mathias-sur-Richelieu, Saint-Mathieu-de-Beloeil, Sainte-Julie, Varennes, Verchères<br />Service de police de SAINT-JEAN-SUR-RICHELIEU<br /><br />Type : Service de police municipal<br />Directeur : Rhéaume Ringuette<br />325, rue MacDonald<br />SAINT-JEAN-SUR-RICHELIEU (Québec)<br />J3B 8J3<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 359-9222<br />Télécopieur : 450 359-2631<br /><br />Municipalité desservie : Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu<br />Police amérindienne d' AKWESASNE<br /><br />Type : Service de police autochtone<br />Directeur : Lewis Mitchell<br />P.O. Box 10<br />ST-RÉGIS (Québec)<br />H0M 1A0<br /><br />Téléphone : 613 575-2000<br />Télécopieur : 613 575-2334<br /><br />Municipalité desservie : Akwesasne<br /><br />Fire Departments:<br /><br />Estrie<br /><br />Asbestos<br />Directeur : Jean-Pierre Chartrand<br />300, boul. Saint-Luc<br />Asbestos (Québec)<br />J1T 2W2<br /><br />Téléphone : 819 879-5447<br /><br />Audet<br />Directeur : Roger Boucher<br />251, rue Principale, C.P. 27<br />Audet (Québec)<br />G0Y 1A0<br /><br />Téléphone : 819 583-1596<br /><br />Austin<br />Directeur : Paul Robitaille<br />21, chemin Millington, C.P. 10<br />Austin (Québec)<br />J0B 1B0<br /><br />Téléphone : 819 843-2388<br /><br />Ayer’s Cliff<br />Directeur: Mike McKenna<br />958, rue Main<br />Ayer's Cliff (Québec)<br />J0B 1C0<br /><br />Téléphone : 819 838-5006<br /><br />Bury<br />Directeur : Terry Williams<br />563, rue Main<br />Bury (Québec)<br />J0B 1J0<br /><br />Téléphone : 819 872-3692<br /><br />Chartierville<br />Directeur : Patrick Goyette<br />27, rue Saint-Jean-Baptiste<br />Chartierville (Québec)<br />J0B 1K0<br /><br />Téléphone : 819 656-2323<br /><br />Compton<br />Directeur : Yvon Lapointe<br />3, chemin Hatley<br />Compton (Québec)<br />J0B 1L0<br /><br />Téléphone : 819 835-5584<br /><br />Chookshire-Eaton<br /><br />Courcelles Directeur : Mike Herring<br />220, rue Principale Est<br />Cookshire (Québec)<br />J0B 1M0<br />Téléphone : 819 875-3165<br /><br /><br />Courcelles<br />Directeur : Richard Goulet<br />116, avenue du Domaine, C.P. 160<br />Courcelles (Québec)<br />G0M 1C0<br /><br />Téléphone : 418 483-5540<br /><br />Danville<br />Directeur : Alain Roy<br />150, rue Water, C.P. 310<br />Danville (Québec)<br />J0A 1A0<br /><br />Téléphone : 819 839-2771<br /><br />Dudswell<br />Directeur : Alain Rodrigue<br />76, rue Principale, C.P. 180<br />Dudswell (Québec)<br />J0B 1G0<br /><br />Téléphone : 819 884-5926<br />Télécopieur : 819 884-5777<br /><br />Eastman<br />Directeur : Michel Dextraze<br />160, ch. Georges-Bonnallie<br />Eastman (Québec)<br />J0E 1P0<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 297-3440<br /><br />Hatley<br />Directeur : Madison Bowen<br />2100, route 143, C.P. 360<br />Hatley (Québec)<br />J0B 4B0<br /><br />Téléphone : 819 838-5877<br />Télécopieur : 819 838-4646<br /><br />Kingsbury<br />Directeur : Pierre Pivin<br />370, rue du Moulin<br />Kingsbury (Québec)<br />J0B 1X0<br /><br />Téléphone : 819 826-2527<br /><br />Lanaudiere<br />CHERTSEY<br />Directeur : Serge Lamoureux<br />333, avenue de l'Amitié<br />Chertsey (Québec)<br />J0K 3K0<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 882-2920<br />ENTRELACS<br />Directeur : Louis Cotton<br />2351, chemin d'Entrelacs<br />Entrelacs (Québec)<br />J0T 2E0<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 229-3525<br />Joliette<br />Directeur : Robert Pépin<br />733, rue Richard<br />Joliette (Québec)<br />J6E 2T8<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 759-5222 poste 226<br /><br />L’Assomption<br />Directeur : Serge Loyer<br />399, rue Dorval<br />L'Assomption (Québec)<br />J5W 1A1<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 589-5671 poste 217<br /><br />MANAWAN<br />Directeur : Stéphano Moar<br />130, Amiskw<br />Manawan (Québec)<br />J0K 1M0<br /><br />MASCOUCHE<br />Directeur : Réal Monette<br />3034, chemin Sainte-Marie<br />Mascouche (Québec)<br />J7K 1P1<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 474-4133 poste 601<br /><br /><br />MRC D'AUTRAY, RS<br /><br />Directeur : Mario Latour (par intérim)<br />550, rue de Montcalm, C.P. 1500<br />Berthierville (Québec)<br />J0K 1A0<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 836-7007<br /><br />NOTRE-DAME-DE-LA-MERCI,<br />Directeur : Éric Lamarche<br />1900, montée de la Réserve<br />Notre-Dame-de-la-Merci (Québec)<br />J0T 2A0<br /><br />Téléphone : 819 424-2113<br /><br />RAWDON<br /><br />REPENTIGNY<br />Directeur : Denis Larose<br />270, rue Valmont<br />Repentigny (Québec)<br />J5Y 4G5<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 470-3620 poste 3621<br /><br /><br />RIM-BERTHIER<br /><br />Directeur : Michel Guèvremont<br />580, rue de Montcalm<br />Berthierville (Québec)<br />J0K 1A0<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 803-4217<br /><br />SAINT-ALEXIS, VL<br /><br />Directeur : Mathieu Riopel (par intérim)<br />232, rue Principale<br />Saint-Alexis (Québec)<br />J0K 1T0<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 839-7277<br /><br /><br />SAINT-ALPHONSE-RODRIGUEZ<br /><br />Directeur : Luc Gaudet<br />101, rue de la Plage<br />Saint-Alphonse-Rodriguez (Québec)<br />J0K 1W0<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 883-2264<br /><br />SAINT-CALIXTE<br /><br />Directeur : Pierre Rivest<br />6230, rue de l'Hôtel-de-Ville<br />Saint-Calixte (Québec)<br />J0K 1Z0<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 222-2782<br />SAINT-CHARLES-BORROMEE, M<br /><br />Directeur : Jacques Fortin<br />525, rue Visitation<br />Saint-Charles-Borromée (Québec)<br />J6E 4P2<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 759-4415<br />Laurentians:<br />(Not a complete list more available at:<br />http://www.msp.gouv.qc.ca/incendie/sidq/index.asp?region=15)<br />Arundel<br />Directeur : Neil Swail<br />2, rue du Village<br />Arundel (Québec)<br />J0T 1A0<br /><br />Téléphone : 819 687-3991<br />Blainville<br />Directeur : Michel Chouinard<br />310, chemin Bas-de-Ste-Thérèse<br />Blainville (Québec)<br />J7B 1T5<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 434-5206 poste 8202<br />Boisbriand<br />Directeur : Christian Grand'Maison<br />3305, boul. de la Grande-Allée<br />Boisbriand (Québec)<br />J7H 1H5<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 435-3385<br />Deux-Montagnes<br />Directeur : Ronald Hunt<br />206, 8e Avenue<br />Deux-Montagnes (Québec)<br />J7R 3K3<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 473-2730<br />Grenville<br />Directeur : Stéphane Aubry<br />21, rue Tri-Jean, C.P. 220<br />Grenville (Québec)<br />J0V 1J0<br /><br />Téléphone : 819 242-2146<br />Laval<br />Directeur : Robert Séguin<br />1200, St-Martin O., 6e étage, C.P. 422, Succ. St-Martin<br />Laval (Québec)<br />H7V 3Z4<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 662-4242<br />Mauricie<br /><br />CHAMPLAIN<br />Directeur : Jean Toupin<br />819, rue Notre-Dame, C.P. 250<br />Champlain (Québec)<br />G0X 1C0<br /><br />Téléphone : 819 295-3979<br />LA TUQUE<br />Directeur : Gordon Bernier<br />1060, boul. Ducharme<br />La Tuque (Québec)<br />G9X 3C4<br /><br />Téléphone : 819 523-9797<br />MASKINONGE<br />Directeur : Alain Laflamme<br />154, boul. Ouest, Route 138<br />Maskinongé (Québec)<br />J0K 1N0<br /><br />Téléphone : 819 227-2243<br />ACTON VALE<br />Directeur : Réjean Messier<br />1025, rue Boulay, C.P. 640<br />Acton Vale (Québec)<br />J0H 1A0<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 546-2703<br />BEAUHARNOIS<br />Directeur : Jean-Maurice Marleau<br />660, rue Ellice, Bureau 100<br />Beauharnois (Québec)<br />J6N 1Y1<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 429-3546<br />BEDFORD<br />Directeur : Serge Avoine<br />1, rue Principale<br />Bedford (Québec)<br />J0J 1A0<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 248-2798<br />BELOEIL<br />Directeur : Gilles La Madeleine<br />990, rue Dupré<br />Beloeil (Québec)<br />J3G 4A8<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 467-2835 poste 2863<br />BROMONT<br />Directeur : Richard Chouinard<br />88, boul. Bromont<br />Bromont (Québec)<br />J2L 1A1<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 534-4777<br />CANDIAC<br />Directeur : Steve Lamontagne<br />90, boul. Montcalm Nord<br />Candiac (Québec)<br />J5R 3L8<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 444-6063<br />CHAMBLY<br />Directeur : Alexandre Tremblay<br />1303, boul. Fréchette<br />Chambly (Québec)<br />J3L 2Y9<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 658-8788 poste 240<br /><br />CHATEAUGUAY<br />Directeur : Michel Lussier<br />20, boul. d'Anjou<br />Châteauguay (Québec)<br />J6K 1B7<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 698-3215<br />COWANSVILLE<br />Directeur : Francis Albert<br />200, rue Miner<br />Cowansville (Québec)<br />J2K 3P5<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 263-3551<br />FARNHAM<br />Directeur : Mario Nareau<br />477, rue de l'Hôtel-de-ville<br />Farnham (Québec)<br />J2N 2H3<br /><br />Téléphone : 450 293-5126<br /><br />MONTREAL<br />Directeur : Serge Tremblay<br />4040, avenue du Parc<br />Montréal (Québec)<br />H2W 1S8<br /><br />Téléphone : 514 872-3761<br />CHELSEA<br />Directeur : Andrew Coyne<br />100, chemin Old Chelsea<br />Chelsea (Québec)<br />J9B 1C1<br /><br />Téléphone : 819 827-1124<br /><br />Cities<br />MAIRIE ET DIRECTION GÉNÉRALE<br />1325, place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville<br />Cabinet du Maire 819-372-4606<br />Directeur du Cabinet du Maire 819-372-4607<br />Directeur général 819-372-4608<br />Communications 819-372-4602<br />Granby<br />Mayor’s Office<br /><br />mairie@ville.granby.qc.ca<br /><br />Téléphone : (450) 776-8228<br />communication@ville.granby.qc.ca<br /><br />Téléphone : (450) 776-8236<br />incendie@ville.granby.qc.ca<br /><br />125, rue Simonds Sud<br />Téléphone : (450) 776-8344<br />securite.publique@ville.granby.qc.ca<br />Téléphone : (450) 776-3333<br /><br />Magog:<br />City hall<br />Tél. : 819 843-6501<br />info@ville.magog.qc.ca<br /><br />Drummondville<br />City Hall (819) 478-6550<br />mairie@ville.drummondville.qc.ca<br /><br />St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu<br />City Hall<br />450 357-2100<br />1-800-268-7072<br />info@ville.saint-jean-sur-richelieu.qc.ca<br /><br />Media contacts:<br />MEDIA GUIDE TO EXPERTS<br />McGill http://www.mcgill.ca/newsroom/mediaguide/<br />Laval https://oraweb.ulaval.ca/pls/vrr/gexp_prof.html <file:><br />UQAM http://www.unites.uqam.ca/sirp/experts.html<br />UQAR http://www.uqar.qc.ca/uqar/pub/index.htm<br />UdeM http://www2.dircom.umontreal.ca/specialistes/recherche.asp<br />General: http://www.sources.com/<br /><br />Media:<br /><br />The Gazette<br />514-987-2222<br />Andrew Phillips<br />Editor-in-chief<br />987-2000<br /><br />Doug Sweet<br />National Editor<br /><br />Shelia McGovern<br />Assignment Editor<br /><br /><br />Global Quebec<br />Ville: Sainte-Foy<br />Province: QC<br />Code Postal: G1V 2W3<br />Téléphone: (418) 682-2020<br />Fax: (418) 682-2620<br /><br />Global Montreal<br />Adresse: 1600, boul. de Maisonneuve E. 9e étage<br />Ville: Montréal<br />Province: QC<br />Code Postal: H2L 4P2<br />Téléphone: (514) 521-4323<br />Fax: (514) 590-4061<br />Courriel: globalnews.que@globaltv.ca<br /><br />Global Sherbrooke<br />Adresse: 3330, King O.<br />Ville: Sherbrooke<br />Province: QC<br />Code Postal: J1L 1C9<br />Téléphone: (819) 565-1010<br />Fax: (819) 565-3335<br />Courriel: ajohnson@globaltv.ca<br /><br />CANADIENS DE MONTREAL<br />Dominick Saillant 514-989-2760<br /></file:></http:>CNS EASThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17450023054243911470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829197718575546351.post-4130279496222785762007-07-26T13:15:00.001-07:002007-08-08T09:38:19.038-07:00New BrunswickNew Brunswick contact list<br /><br />Provincial government:<br />Premier:<br />Shawn Graham<br />Phone: (506) 453-2144<br />Premier@gnb.ca<br /><br /><br />Chief of staff:<br />Bernard Theriault (506) 453-2144<br />Bernard.Theriault@gnb.ca<br /><br />Communications:<br />NICOLE PICOT, director<br />(506) 453-2144<br />Nicole.PICOT@gnb.ca<br /><br />MARIE-ANDRÉE BOLDUC, Press Secretary<br />(506) 453-2144<br />Marie-Andree.Bolduc@gnb.ca<br /><br />SHAWN GRAHAM<br /> Premier<br /> Office of the Premier<br /> Biography<br />SHAWN GRAHAM<br /> President<br /> Executive Council Office<br /> Biography<br />SHAWN GRAHAM<br /> Minister<br /> Wellness, Culture and Sport<br /> Biography<br />SHAWN GRAHAM<br /> Minister<br /> Intergovernmental Affairs<br /> Biography<br />SHAWN GRAHAM<br /> Minister responsible<br /> Premier's Council on the Status of Disabled Persons<br /> Biography<br />THOMAS J. BURKE Q.C. (T.J.)<br /> Minister and Attorney General<br /> Justice and Consumer Affairs<br /> Biography<br />JOHN FORAN<br /> Minister and Solicitor General<br /> Public Safety<br /> Biography<br />VICTOR BOUDREAU<br /> Minister<br /> Finance<br /> Biography<br />VICTOR BOUDREAU<br /> Minister<br /> Local Government<br /> Biography<br />VICTOR BOUDREAU<br /> Minister responsible<br /> New Brunswick Liquor Corporation<br /> Biography<br />VICTOR BOUDREAU<br /> Minister responsible<br /> New Brunswick Investment Management Corporation<br /> Biography<br />VICTOR BOUDREAU<br /> Minister responsible<br /> Lotteries Commission of New Brunswick<br /> Biography<br />ROLY MACINTYRE<br /> Minister<br /> Supply and Services<br /> Biography<br />ROLY MACINTYRE<br /> Minister responsible<br /> Regional Development Corporation<br /> Biography<br />DENIS LANDRY<br /> Minister<br /> Transportation<br /> Biography<br />DONALD ARSENEAULT<br /> Minister<br /> Natural Resources<br /> Biography<br />JACK KEIR<br /> Minister<br /> Energy<br /> Biography<br />JACK KEIR<br /> Minister responsible<br /> Efficiency NB<br /> Biography<br />RONALD OUELLETTE<br /> Minister<br /> Agriculture and Aquaculture<br /> Biography<br />RICK DOUCET<br /> Minister<br /> Fisheries<br /> Biography<br />MICHAEL MURPHY<br /> Minister<br /> Health<br /> Biography<br />CARMEL ROBICHAUD<br /> Minister<br /> Family and Community Services<br /> Biography<br />CARMEL ROBICHAUD<br /> Minister responsible<br /> N.B. Advisory Council on the Status of Women<br /> Biography<br />HÉDARD ALBERT<br /> Minister<br /> Office of Human Resources<br /> Biography<br />HÉDARD ALBERT<br /> Minister responsible<br /> Francophonie<br /> Biography<br />EDWARD DOHERTY<br /> Minister<br /> Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour<br /> Biography<br />EDWARD DOHERTY<br /> Minister responsible<br /> Aboriginal Affairs<br /> Biography<br />KELLY LAMROCK<br /> Minister<br /> Education<br /> Biography<br />KELLY LAMROCK<br /> Minister responsible<br /> New Brunswick Advisory Council on Youth<br /> Biography<br />KELLY LAMROCK<br /> Minister responsible<br /> New Brunswick Provincial Capital Commission<br /> Biography<br />ROLAND HACHÉ<br /> Minister<br /> Environment<br /> Biography<br />GREG BYRNE<br /> Minister<br /> Business New Brunswick<br /> Biography<br />GREG BYRNE<br /> Minister responsible<br /> Service New Brunswick<br /> Biography<br />GREG BYRNE<br /> Minister responsible<br /> Population Growth Secretariat<br /> Biography<br />STUART JAMIESON<br /> Minister<br /> Tourism and Parks<br /> Biography<br />MARY SCHRYER<br /> Minister of State<br /> Seniors<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Government ministers’ media contacts:<br /><br /> Agriculture and Aquaculture<br /> ALAIN BRYAR<br /> (506) 444-4218 <br />Business New Brunswick<br /> RYAN DONAGHY<br /> (506) 453-2694 <br /> SARAH KETCHESON<br /> (506) 444-4983 <br />Communications New Brunswick<br /> CRAIG CHOUINARD<br /> (506) 444-2519 <br />Education<br /> ANGÉLIQUE BINET<br /> (506) 453-3085 <br /> JASON HUMPHREY<br /> (506) 444-4919 <br />Energy<br /> MARC BELLIVEAU<br /> (506) 658-3182 <br />Environment<br /> MIKE WESSON<br /> (506) 444-2319<br />Family and Community Services<br /> ROBERT DUGUAY<br /> (506) 444-3684 <br />Finance<br /> VICKY DESCHÊNES<br /> (506) 453-4138 <br />Fisheries<br /> ALAIN BRYAR<br /> Fax(506) 444-5022<br />Health<br /> JOHANNE LEBLANC<br /> (506) 457-3513<br />Intergovernmental Affairs<br /> GISELE REGIMBAL<br /> (506) 444-4594<br />Justice and Consumer Affairs<br /> VALERIE KILFOIL<br /> (506) 453-6543 <br />Local Government<br /> DANIEL LESSARD<br /> (506) 444-4693 <br />Natural Resources<br /> BRENT ROY<br /> (506) 453-7928<br /> WADE WILSON<br /> (506) 453-2635 <br />New Brunswick Insurance Board<br /> LISA FERGUSON<br /> Fax (506) 652-5011<br />New Brunswick Securities Commission<br /> JANE GILLIES<br /> (506) 643-7745 <br />Office of Human Resources<br /> CHRISTINA WINSOR<br /> (506) 453-8014 <br />Office of the Attorney General<br /> VALERIE KILFOIL<br /> (506) 453-6543<br />Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour<br /> SHAWN HEARN<br /> (506) 453-2203 <br />Public Safety<br /> PATRICIA HYLAND<br /> (506) 453-3870<br />Service New Brunswick<br /> QUESTIONS / INFORMATION<br /> (888) 762-8600 <br /> BENOÎT LOCAS<br /> (506) 453-6775 <br />Supply and Services<br /> JUDY COLE<br /> (506) 457-7903 <br />Tourism and Parks<br /> DANIELLE MCFARLANE<br /> (506) 444-4454<br />Transportation<br /> TRACEY BURKHARDT<br /> (506) 453-5634 <br /> MONA CHIASSON<br /> (506) 453-3091 <br />Wellness, Culture and Sport<br /> ALISON AITON<br /> (506) 457-6445 <br /><br />List of MLAs:<br />http://app.infoaa.7700.gnb.ca/gnb/pub/ListMLA1.asp<br /><br />Web streaming of leg sessions:<br />http://www.gnb.ca/cnb/live/index-e.asp<br />Public alerts: (River watch, etc.)<br />http://www.gnb.ca/public/info-e.asp<br />Emergency Assistence:<br />PATRICIA HYLAND, Director<br />(506) 444-4430<br />patricia.hyland@gnb.ca<br />http://www.gnb.ca/public/info-e.asp<br /><br />Harbour Authorities<br />http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/sch/HA-AP-NB_e.asp.<br /><br />Transport Canada<br />Maurice Landry 506-851-7562<br /><br />CANADA BORDER SERVICES AGENCY (regional) - Jennifer Morrisson – 902 426 0580<br /><br />Provincial courts<br />Fredericton: (506) 453-2120<br />Saint John (506) 658-2568<br />Moncton (506) 856-2307<br />Miramichi (506) 627-4018<br />Edmundston (506) 735-2026<br />Cambellton (506) 789-2337<br />Bathurst (506) 547-2155<br /><br />Complete list: http://www.gnb.ca/cour/06PCNB/locations-e.asp<br /><br />Court of Queen’s Bench<br />Fredericton: (506) 444-5675<br />Saint John (506) 658-3762<br />Moncton (506) 856-2951<br />Miramichi (506) 627-4023<br />Edmundston (506) 737-4419<br />Cambellton (506) 789-2186<br />Bathurst (506) ) 547-2966<br /><br />Cour of Appeal<br />Chief Justice J. Earnest Drapeau<br />506) 453-2452<br /><br />New Brunswick Police Commission<br />(506) 453-2069<br />Commissioner GRANT S. GARNEAU<br />Grant.GARNEAU@gnb.ca<br /><br />Hospitals:<br />Moncton Hospital<br />506-857-5520 corporate number<br />506-860-2378 patient care<br /><br />Edmundston:<br />506-739-2597<br /><br />Fredericton<br />Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital (506) 452-5400<br />Saint John Regional Hospital<br />(506) 648-6000<br />Bathurst<br />Chaleur Regional Hospital<br />Hospital switchboard: (506) 544-3000<br />Cambellton Hospital<br />(506) 789-5000<br />Prisons:<br /><br />Atlantic Institution<br />Stéphane Breau<br />Assistant Warden<br />506-623-9915<br /><br />Westmorland Institution<br />Maurice LeBlanc<br />506-379-4503<br /><br />Dorchester Penitentiary<br />Maurice LeBlanc<br />Assistant Warden, Management Services<br />506-379-4007<br />Federal prisons<br />Renous (max)<br />Warden: David Niles<br />(506) 623-4000<br />Dorchester Penitentiary (Med)<br />Warden: Normand LeBlanc<br />(506) 379-2471<br />Westmorland Institution (Min)<br />Warden: Hal Davidson<br />(506) 379-2471<br />Atlantic media contact<br />Denis D'Amour<br />Phone: (506) 851-2833<br />Unions:<br />CUPE<br />President Daniel Légère<br />506-758-2965<br />506-869-0424 (C)<br />dlegere@cupe.ca<br />Complete regional contacts list at:<br />http://www.cupe.nb.ca/rac/raclist.html<br />New Brunswick Union Syndicat<br />(506) 458-8440<br />List of other NB unions and contact by subregions:<br />http://www.xpdnc.com/links/locanb.html<br /><br /><br />Canadian Forces Base Gagetown<br />Oromocto, NB<br />(506) 422-2000 ext. 2466<br /><br />ACOA Head Office<br /><br />Richard Gauthier<br />Telephone: (506) 851-6773<br />Cellular: (506) 874-1256<br /><br />ACOA NB:<br />Ann Kenney, senior communications officer, ACOA NB, 506-452-3687<br />N.B. Maple Syrup Association, 506-458-8889<br />Yvon Poitras, General Manager<br /><br />NB Power<br />Michel Losier, managing director, Corporate Affairs, NB Power, 506-458-3273<br /><br />JD IRVING<br />(506) 632-7777<br /><br />Fredericton:<br /><br />Mayor Brad Woodside<br />Home: (506) 472-8677<br />Office: (506) 460-2085<br />brad.woodside@fredericton.ca<br /><br />City Hall Media:<br />Don Fitzgerald, Team Fredericton (506) 460-2595; John White, Communications, City of<br />Fredericton (506) 460-2227<br /><br />Police:<br />Police Chief Barry Macknight<br />Media relations: Cpl. Bobbi Simmons<br />Phone: (506)-460-2593 / 460-2300<br />Media releases at: http://www.frederictonpolice.com/default.asp?App=&Topic=Media<br /><br /><br />Fire<br />Phillip E. Toole, Fire Chief<br />(506) 460-2500<br />fire@fredericton.ca<br /><br />Fredericton airport<br />506) 460-0920<br />gfaa@frederictonairport.ca<br />http://www.frederictonairport.ca/main.php<br /><br />Moncton<br />Mayor Lorne Mitton<br />CITY HALL<br />506 853-3333<br />info@moncton.ca<br />Paul Thomson, Director of Communications (506) 853-3593.<br /><br />Fire<br />(506) 857-8800<br />info.fire@moncton.ca<br /><br />Greater Moncton Airport<br />(506) 856-5444<br />office@gma.ca<br /><br /><br /><br />Downtown Moncton Centre-ville Inc. – Daniel Allain, Executive Director; phone 857-4077, fax 857-2908, e-mail dallain@downtownmoncton.com, website www.downtownmoncton.com<br />Rob Robichaud, Président et directeur général, Aéroport international du Grand<br />Moncton, Téléphone : (506) 856-5440, courriel : robir@nbnet.nb.ca<br />Greater Moncton Airport – Johanne Gallant, Director of Airport Commercial Development; phone 856-5435, fax 856-5431, e-mail jgallant@gma.ca, website www.gmia.ca<br /><br />Greater Moncton Chamber of Commerce – Valerie Roy, CEO; phone 857-2883, fax 857-9209, e-mail info@gmcc.nb.ca, website www.gmcc.nb.ca<br />Enterprise Greater Moncton – John Thompson, Chief Executive Officer; phone 858-9550, fax 859-7206, e-mail info@greatermoncton.org, website www.greatermoncton.org<br />Moncton Industrial Development – Peter Belliveau; phone 857-0700, fax 859-7206, e-mail mctdev@nbnet.nb.ca , website www.mid.nb.ca<br />Wesmorland Albert Solid Waste Corporation – Angela Mahoney, Public Relations Coordinator; phone 877-1050, fax 877-1060, email publicaffairs@wesmorlandalbert.com website www.westmorlandalbert.com<br /><br /><br />Edmundston:<br />Mayor Gerald Allain<br />(506)- 739-2115<br /><br /><br />Mychèle Poitras<br />Communications Department<br />(506) 737-6799 office<br />(506) 737-3347 cell<br />(506) 735-4342 home<br />communication@edmundston.ca<br /><br />Police Chief Gilles Lee<br />(506) 739-2100<br /><br />Fire Chief Mario L’Italien<br />(506) 737-6848<br /><br />Municipal airport<br />Pierre L.<br />(506) 735-6917<br /><br />Saint John<br />Mayor's Office<br />Norm McFarlane<br />Tel: (506) 658-2912<br />mayor@saintjohn.ca<br /><br />Community Policing Offices<br />Chief of Police<br />Allen Bodechon, Chief of Police<br /><br /><br />Coordinator: (506) 632-6139<br />East: (506) 674-4157<br />North: (506) 649-6077<br />South: (506) 648-3250<br />West: (506) 674-4160<br /><br />Fire Department<br /><br />Chief Rob Simonds<br />Administration Office<br />Weekdays from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm<br />Tel: (506) 658-2910<br /><br />Saint John Airport<br />(506) 638-5555<br />fly@saintjohnairport.com<br />http://www.saintjohnairport.com/<br /><br /><br />Bathurst<br />Mayor Stephane Brunet<br />506-548-2171 (home)<br />Tel:(506)548-0400 (office)<br />City@Bathurst.ca<br />Police<br />Chief of Police: Edward Huzulak<br />506-548-0420<br />City.Police@Bathurst.ca<br />Fire Chief: Robert Langlais<br />Tel : (506)548-0439<br />City.Fire@Bathurst.ca<br />Airport 506-549-5051<br /><br />Campbellton<br />Mayor Mark Ramsay<br />mayor@campbellton.org<br />Telephone: 506 789-2700<br />Fire Chief Mark Parker<br />campfire@campbellton.org<br />Police, RCMP<br />Sgt. Bruno Tourville<br />bruno.tourville@rcmp-grc.gc.ca<br /><br />Miramichi<br />City Hall<br />Mayor John McKay<br />(506) 623-2200<br />Fire Chief<br />John Mather<br />(506) 623-2225<br />Police<br />Chief of Police, Earl Campbell<br />(506) 623-2125<br />campbel7@nbnet.nb.ca<br />Communication Centre <br />Non Emergency: (506) 623-2124<br />Grand Falls<br />City Hall<br />(506) 475-7777<br />Police chief<br />Chief: Jean Réal Michaud<br />(506) 475-7767<br />gfpf@nbnet.nb.ca<br />Fire department<br />Charlie Kavanaugh<br />(506) 475-7780<br /><br />Media contacts:<br />CBC for NB<br />http://www.cbc.ca/nb/audio/index.html#listen<br /><br />Telegraph Journal<br />http://www.canadaeast.com/ce2/docroot/index.php?paper=journal<br /><br />Times Transcript:<br />http://www.canadaeast.com/ce2/docroot/index.php?paper=transcript<br /><br />The Daily Gleaner:<br />http://www.canadaeast.com/ce2/docroot/index.php?paper=gleaner<br /><br />Acadie Nouvelle<br />http://www.capacadie.com/AcadieNouvelle/CNS EASThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17450023054243911470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829197718575546351.post-12829327721640972502007-07-26T12:27:00.000-07:002008-02-12T10:14:10.865-08:00Nova ScotiaBOARDS OF TRADE<br /><br />· Halifax Chamber of Commerce. Prez. Valerie Payn - 902 481 1229. Main number - 902 4687111. info@halifaxchamber.com <mailto:info@halifaxchamber.com> . Janet Creamer, Communications Coordinator - 902 481 1240<br /><br />janet@halifaxchamber.com <mailto:janet@halifaxchamber.com><br /><br /><br /><br />COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTORS, PROVINCIAL<br /><br /><br /><br />COURTS ETC<br /><br />· Nova Scotia Supreme Court, Halifax – 902 424-4900<br /><br />· Halifax Provincial Court – 902 424-8718<br /><br />· Dartmouth Provincial Court - 902 424-2390<br /><br />- a full list of court and correctional facilities contacts is kept at: http://www.gov.ns.ca/just/contact.asp#Comm <http: ca="" just="" comm=""> and also at http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/region/nat_facility_dir_e.shtml#q3 <http: ca="" text="" region="" q3=""><br /><br />EDUCATION<br />Dalhousie – Charles Crosby – 902 494 1269 or Marla Cranston 902 494 3136/222 8810 cell<br /><br />EMERGENCY<br />- Cape Breton Regional Police – 902 563 5151… Sgt. Ken O'Neill. 902-565-4956. - Glace Bay – const Gary Fraser – 842 2903<br />- RCMP comms centre – 902 893 1323<br />• Halifax Regional Police – Const. Jeff Carr. – 902 490 5154./ 902 456 1688 carrj@halifax.ca or teresa brien – 902 490 5063<br />- const les kakonyi - kings county rcmp (New Minas) - 902 679 5555<br />• Halifax RCMP Cpl. Joe Taplin Media relations Officer, Halifax Detachment RCMP - (902) 490-1497/902 488 2830. Or Const Peter Marshall – 902 223 8539 or watch commander 902 459 0502.Joe.Taplin@rcmp-grc.gc.ca<br /></http:></http:></mailto:janet@halifaxchamber.com></mailto:info@halifaxchamber.com>Outside of halifax - Nova Scota RCMP guy Sgt. Mark Gallagher – 902 426 5120.<br /><mailto:info@halifaxchamber.com><mailto:janet@halifaxchamber.com><http: ca="" just="" comm=""><http: ca="" text="" region="" q3="">– RCMP at the Halifax airport 902 873 1300. - port Hawkesbury rcmp - RCMP contact cell Cont. Grant Webber 902-222-0154<br />- A full list of RCMP and other police detachments is kept at: http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ns/detachments/index_e.htm <http: ca="" ns="" detachments="" htm=""><br />-<br /><br />- SAR – Coast Guard Rescue Centre (regional) – 902 427 2106<br /><br />- EMO – Comm.: 902-424-5620<br /><br />- city of Halifax - Mike LeRue Public Information Officer, Fire & Emergency Services (902) 490-6574. leruem@halifax.ca<br />- Chief Medical Officer of Health - Dr. Jeff Scott - 902 424-8698 or medicalofficerofhealth@gov.ns.ca<br />- Acting Deputy Chief Medical Officer of Health - Dr. Robert Strang (902) 424-2358<br />- Department of Justice. Carla Grant. 902-424-6282<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />ENTERTAINMENT<br /><br />= Mary Walsh – 902 420 4760/902 425 5188/709 579 6153 (publicist Renee Pye – 902 420 1577<br /><br />ENVIRONMENT<br /><br />EXPERTS/SOURCES<br /><br />• Atlantic-based experts search engines:<br />http://experts.dal.ca/index2.cfm <http: ca="" cfm=""> (Dalhousie)<br />http://www.mun.ca/experts/ <http: ca="" experts=""> (Memorial)<br /><br />• McGill -http://www.mcgill.ca/newsroom/mediaguide/ <http: ca="" newsroom="" mediaguide=""><br />- Laval https://oraweb.ulaval.ca/pls/vrr/gexp_prof.html <file: localhost="" pls="" vrr="" html=""> <file: localhost="" pls="" vrr="" html=""><br />- UQAM http://www.unites.uqam.ca/sirp/experts.html <http: ca="" sirp="" html=""><br />- UQAR http://www.uqar.qc.ca/uqar/pub/index.htm <http: ca="" uqar="" pub="" htm=""><br />UdeM http://www2.dircom.umontreal.ca/specialistes/recherche.asp <http: ca="" specialistes="" asp=""><br />- General: http://www.sources.com/ <http: com=""><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />GOVERNMENT, FEDERAL<br /><br />• a full list of cabinet and opposition critic contacts is kept at: http://www2.parl.gc.ca/parlinfo/Files/Parliamentarian.aspx?Item=46dccbed-4370-40f0-975f-d08fe1688aa2&Language=E <http: ca="" parlinfo="" files="" item="46dccbed-4370-40f0-975f-d08fe1688aa2&amp;language=e"><br /><br />· ACOA in Nova Scotia - David Harrigan, 902 426-4238/221-1435C<br /><br />· ACOA in Cape Breton - Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation - D.A. Landry, 902 564-3617<br /><br />- a website that lists daily news releases broken down by province/territory - http://news.gc.ca/cfmx/view/en/index.jsp?categoryid=7&category=Regional+News <http: ca="" cfmx="" view="" en="" categoryid="7&amp;amp;amp;category=regional+news"><br /><br />-<br />Transport Canada<br /> - in Ottawa 613-993-0055, after hours 613-990-6055<br /> - Atlantic Region - Moncton: Maurice Landry 506-851-7562<br /> - St. John's- Tracey Hennessey 709-772-6197<br /> - Dartmouth, Steve Bone 902-426-7795<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />GOVERNMENT, PROVINCIAL<br /><br />• a website that lists daily news releases broken down by province/territory - http://news.gc.ca/cfmx/view/en/index.jsp?categoryid=7&category=Regional+News <http: ca="" cfmx="" view="" en="" categoryid="7&amp;amp;amp;category=regional+news"><br /><br />· Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board - 902 424 4448<br /><br />• Govt telephone directory -<br /><br />- Office of provincial ombudsman – 902 424 6780<br /><br /><br /><br />HEALTH/HOSPITALS<br /><br /> - IWK Children’s Hospital – CEO: Anne McGuire – 902 470 8888. Comm: Allison Lucio - IWK Health Centre Public Relations 902-470-6740<br />- Nova Scotia Department of Health Media Room - Phone: (902) 424-5886<br /><br />- health dept contacts: Valerie Bellefontaine, Communications Director, 902-424-7942…. 902 499 4767<br /><br />Sherri Aikenhead, Communications Advisor, 902-424-2583<br /><br />Kim Silver, Senior Communications Advisor, 902-424-3034<br /><br />Tina Thibeau, Communications Advisor, 902-424-2727<br /><br />Michelle Perry, Communications Advisor, 902-424-3731<br /><br />- Emergency Medical Care -(media calls related to paramedics and the provincial ground ambulance service) – Comm.: Jean Spicer, 902-832-8336, (pager) 902-498-3180, or (cellular) 902-456-7213<br /><br />- Chief Medical Officer of Health - Dr. Jeff Scott - 902 424-8698 or medicalofficerofhealth@gov.ns.ca<br />- Acting Deputy Chief Medical Officer of Health - Dr. Robert Strang (902) 424-2358<br />(Phone)(902) 424-2358 (Fax)(902) 424-0550 IMMIGRATION/REFUGEES<br />· immigration lawyer – Lee Cohen – 902 423 2412<br /><br />· Canada Border Services Agency (regional) - Jennifer Morrisson – 902 426 0580-<br /><br /><br /><br />INDUSTRY<br /><br />• Offshore<br /><br />· Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board – Comm. - Neal Dawe – 902 496 0744c/440-0118<br /><br />· Fishery<br /><br />• Energy<br /><br />• Mining<br /><br /><br /><br />KEY FIGURES<br /><br />• John Risley – 902 443 0550<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />LABOUR<br /><br />N.S. government and General Employees Union (reps most prov govt workers) – Prez. Joan Jessome - lisam@nsgeu.ca <mailto:lisam@nsgeu.ca> . 902-471-4566. 902 424 4063. Ian Johnson, NSGEU Policy Analyst/Researcher, (902) 476-4355 (cell) Deedee Slye, NSGEU Media Relations Officer, (902) 240-4320 (cell)<br />- a full list of nova scotia labour contacts - http://www.xpdnc.com/links/locans.html<br />LOBBYISTS<br />http://www.apec-econ.ca/ <http: ca=""><br />http://www.gpiatlantic.org/ <http: org=""><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />MEDIA<br />- Chronicle Herald - http://www.herald.ns.ca/ <http: ca=""><br /><br />- CBC Radio - http://www.cbc.ca/ns/ <http: ca="" ns=""><br /><br />- CP - Bureau Chief: Kevin Ward - kward@cp.org <mailto:kward@cp.org> . News Editor: Mike MacDonald - mmacdonald@cp.org <mailto:mmacdonald@cp.org> . 902 422 8496. halifax@broadcastnews.ca <mailto:halifax@broadcastnews.ca> . www.cp.org <http: org=""><br /><br />· a complete list of nova scotia media outlets is kept at: http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:SpzNS0kaBkwJ:https://www.gov.ns.ca/cmns/pubs/NSMedialist.pdf+NOVAS+SCOTIA+MEDIA&hl=en&amp;amp;ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=ca&client=firefox-a <http: 104="" q="cache:spzns0kabkwj:https://www.gov.ns.ca/cmns/pubs/nsmedialist.pdf+novas+scotia+media&amp;amp;amp;hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=ca&client=firefox-a"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />MILITARY<br /><br />- DND Public Affairs – Capt. Paul Doucette – 613 945 1265. Main number: 613 996 2353/54. Full list of contacts is kept at: http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/contact_pa_e.asp <http: ca="" site="" asp=""><br /><br />• CFB Greenwood (902) 765-1494 Ext 5101<br />- 12 Wing Shearwater (902) 460-1996<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />NATIVE GROUPS<br /><br />· Native Council of Nova Scotia (reps Mi’kmaq/Aboriginal Peoples<br /><br />Residing Off-Reserve in Nova - 902 895 1523. e-mail: info@ncns.ca <mailto:info@ncns.ca><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />POLITICS, FEDERAL<br /><br />- • a full list of cabinet and opposition critic contacts is kept at: http://www2.parl.gc.ca/parlinfo/Files/Parliamentarian.aspx?Item=46dccbed-4370-40f0-975f-d08fe1688aa2&Language=E <http: ca="" parlinfo="" files="" item="46dccbed-4370-40f0-975f-d08fe1688aa2&amp;amp;amp;language=e"><br /><br />- Peter Mackay, foreign affairs, acoa - 613 992-6022<br /><br />Brison, Scott LIB Kings—Hants<br />Casey, Bill CON. Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley Cuzner, Rodger LIB Cape Breton—Canso<br />Eyking, Mark LIB Sydney—Victoria <br />Keddy, Gerald CON South Shore—St. Margaret’s Nova Scotia<br />MacKay, Peter CON Central Nova <br />McDonough, Alexa NDP Halifax <br />Regan, Geoff LIB Halifax West <br />Savage, Michael LIB Dartmouth—Cole Harbour <br />Stoffer, Peter NDP Sackville—Eastern Shore <br />Thibault, Robert LIB West Nova Nova Scotia <br /><br /><br /><br />Green party – leader: elizabeth may – 902 752 2320. Press sec: Camille labchuk – 613 562 4916<br /><br /><br /><br />POLITICS, MUNICIPAL<br /><br />A FULL LIST OF TOWN WEBSITES IS HERE: http://www.halifax.ca/community/neighbours.html<br /><br />- Halifax – Peter Kelley - 902 490 4010 or kellyp@halifax.ca <mailto:kellyp@halifax.ca> . A full list of municipal contacts is kept at http://www.halifax.ca/community/neighbours.html <http: ca="" community="" html=""><br /><br />- John O'Brien, Manager, Corporate Communications, city of halifax (902) 490-6531: obrienj@halifax.ca or exec assitant jaunita Hartman 902 490-4026<br /><br /><br /><br />POLITICS, PROVINCIAL<br /><br />- Premier’s Office – Rodney MacDonald – Comm: Sasha Irving – 902 424 4092. irvingss@gov.ns.ca. for day-to-day contacts call press secretary: Joe Gillis at 902-497-7263.<br /><br /><br />- Finance minister Angus MacIssac. Comm.: Donna Chislett – 902 424 2917. e-mail: chisledp@gov.ns.ca<br /><br />· PC party - 902 429 9470. Provincial Director - Jim David<br /><br />jim.david@pcparty.ns.ca. PC Caucus Office - 902 424 2731. http://www.pccaucus.ns.ca/<br /><br />· Opposition Leader - Liberal Leader Michel P. Samson. 902 424 8637. e: lco@gov.ns.ca. Nancy Sheppard, Chief of Staff / Director of Communications. Michelle Coffin, Communications / Research Advisor. Cheryl MacEachern, Communications Officer<br /><br />· NDP Leader Darrell Dexter - 902 423-9217. ndpadmin@nsndp.ca .. comm.: Jason warren – 902 354 5203/478 8068 cell<br /><br /><br />POLITICAL SCIENTISTS/ECONOMISTS/POLLSTERS<br /><br />· Corporate Research Assoc. – Prez Don Mills – 902 421 1336/493 3237<br /><br />- decima<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />TRANSPORTATION<br /><br />• Airlines<br /><br />· Scotia Flight Centre. Cambridge 902 538-8057<br /><br />· Provincial Airlines Halifax 902 873-3751. St. John’s, 709 576-1800<br /><br />· CanJet. Enfield - 1 902 873-7800<br /><br />· Air Canada Jazz. Halifax - 902 429-7111<br /><br />· Air Canada – Halifax - 902 429-7111<br /><br />· WestJet -<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />• Airports –<br /><br />• Halifax International Airport- Comm.: Peter Spurway, Karen Sinclair - communications@hiaa.ca. A full list of N.S. airports is kept at http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/sch/HA-AP-NS_e.asp<br /><br />• Harbour authorities. A complete list of port authorities is kept at: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/sch/HA-AP-NS_e.asp<br /><br />• Port of Halifax – security: 902 426 3629. Main line: 426 8222.<br /><br />· Road conditions/traffic cams – http://www.highwayconditions.com/ns.htm- Ferries<br /><br />• Ferries<br /><br />• Marine Atlantic – Comm.: Tara Laing, 709 772 8794. Website:<br /><br />• Provincial – the full list of ferries and contact numbers is at: http://www.novascotia.worldweb.com/Transportation/Ferries/<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />MISC<br /><br /><br /><br />1.re Helena munroe, “kidnapped” n.s. woman –<br /><br />husband- sandy munroe – 902 369 2066. 902 790 0440 cell. 902 634 1910<br /><br />- his brother – Donald munroe – 416 690 3128.<br /><br />Lawyers – Jeanne desveaux – 902 443 7307, ron meagher – 902 830 1778.<br /><br />Rejean beaulieu – dfait 613 995 1874<br /><br />- her brother – 011 44 1845 524 846<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />2. re glen race<br /><br />- Andrew wylie – Clinton county district attorney – 518 565 4770.<br /><br />Cdn justice dept – Patrick charette – 613 952 8587<br /><br /><br /><br />n.s health dept – Valerie Bellefontaine – 902 424 7942/499 4767 cell or kim silver – 902 424 7942.<br /><br /><br /><br />n.s. public prosecutions office – chris Hansen – 902 424 2225/430 5529 cell or chelsey perez 902 424 8007<br /><br /><br /><br />Halifax regional police – const jeff carr – 902 490 5154 or terese brien, same number<br /><br />Halifax rcmp – cpl. Joe taplin – 902 490 1497/488 2830 cell<br /><br />Alternate rcmp – const. peter marshall – 902 223 8539…. Or watch commander – 902 459 0502<br /><br /><br /><br />u.s. dept of homeland security – 202 282 8010<br /><br /><br /><br />u.s. border patrol – oscar salvana – 956 227 8023.<br /><br /><br /><br />Ny state police – capt Robert lafountain – 518 897 2000/298 5200<br /><br /><br /><br />Texas fbi – 1800 426 5460<br /><br /><br /><br />Joe pink, lawyer for the race family – 902 492 0550.<br /><br /><br /><br />Texas attorney general – nancy Herrara – 713 567 9301.<br /><br /><br /><br />Race’s Texas lawyer – Timoteo Gomez – 956 542 0357???<br /><br /><br /><br />RCMP in New Minas, N.S. – Les Coconi (spelling???). – 902 680 5081 cell.<br /><br /><br /><br />RCMP New Brunswick – Sgt. Derek Strong – 506 452 3400.<br /><br />Rcmp moncton/Dieppe – chantell farrah 506 857 2494<br /><br />Fredericton, N.B. 1-888-506-RCMP (7267)/1-888-506-1GRC (1472)<br /><br />Charolottetown police – const gary clow – 902 566 5548<br /><br /><br /><br />Rcmp on p.e.i. – sgt denis morin – 902 566 7112.<br /><br /><br /><br />Fredericton Crown prosecutor: Katherine Gregory 506 453 2784<br /><br />Moncton Court of Queens bench – 506 856 2308<br /><br />Moncton Crown prosecutor: 506 856 2310<br /><br /><br /><br />RCMP Bathhurst, N.B. major crimes unit – Cpl Sylvain Leclerc – 506 548 7774<br /><br /><br /><br />Fredericton police – cpl. Bobbi simmons – 506 460 2593/461 9538<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />n.b. dept of public safety - - patricia hyland, director – 506 444 4430.<br /><br /><br /><br />n.b. att gen – Valerie kilfoil- 506 4536543.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Sydney, N.S. provincial court – 902 563 3510</http:></mailto:kellyp@halifax.ca></http:></mailto:info@ncns.ca></http:></http:></http:></mailto:halifax@broadcastnews.ca></mailto:mmacdonald@cp.org></mailto:kward@cp.org></http:></http:></http:></http:></mailto:lisam@nsgeu.ca></http:></http:></http:></http:></http:></http:></http:></file:></file:></http:></http:></http:></http:></http:></http:></mailto:janet@halifaxchamber.com></mailto:info@halifaxchamber.com>CNS EASThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17450023054243911470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829197718575546351.post-45576828506119822892007-07-26T12:26:00.001-07:002007-07-26T12:28:26.700-07:00NewfoundlandBOARDS OF TRADE/CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE<br /><br />- St. John’s Board of Trade – Kathy Bennett, prez. Comm: Mark King – 709 726 2961 ext. 106<br /><br /><br /><br />COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTORS, PROVINCIAL<br /><br />· Office of the Premier. Elizabeth Matthews - elizabethmatthews@gov.nl.ca <mailto:elizabethmatthews@gov.nl.ca> 729-3960 729-5875 351-1227cell<br /><br />· Executive Council and Asst. Secretary to Cabinet - Josephine Cheeseman - josephinecheeseman@gov.nl.ca <mailto:josephinecheeseman@gov.nl.ca> 729-4781 729-5645 687-3353<br /><br />· Executive Council and Senior Director of Communications - Carmel Turpin - carmelturpin@gov.nl.ca <mailto:carmelturpin@gov.nl.ca> 729-0329 729-5645 685-4624<br /><br />· Business - Jennifer Dalton - jenniferdalton@gov.nl.ca <mailto:jenniferdalton@gov.nl.ca> 729-7628 729-3306 693-2655<br /><br />· Education - Jacquelyn Howard - jacquelynhoward@gov.nl.ca <mailto:jacquelynhoward@gov.nl.ca> 729-0048 729-0414 689-2624<br /><br />· Environment and Conservation Diane Hart - DianeHart@gov.nl.ca <mailto:dianehart@gov.nl.ca> 729-2575 729-1930 685-4401<br /><br />· Finance and responsibility for Public Service Secretariat - Bill Hickey. billyhickey@gov.nl.ca <mailto:billyhickey@gov.nl.ca> 729-6830 729-6791 691-6390<br /><br />· Fisheries and Aquaculture and responsibility for Aboriginal Affairs - Lori Lee Oates - oatesll@gov.nl.ca <mailto:oatesll@gov.nl.ca> 729-3733 729-0360 690-8403<br /><br />· Government Services - Vanessa Colman-Sadd - vanessacolmansadd@gov.nl.ca <mailto:vanessacolmansadd@gov.nl.ca> 729-4860 729-4754 682-6593<br /><br />· Health and Community Services - Tansy Mundon - tansymundon@gov.nl.ca <mailto:tansymundon@gov.nl.ca> 729-1377 729-0121 685-1741<br /><br />· Human Resources, Labour and Employment Ed Moriarity - edmoriarity@gov.nl.ca <mailto:edmoriarity@gov.nl.ca> 729-4062 729-6996 728-9623<br /><br />· Innovation, Trade and Rural Development & responsibility for Rural Secretariat - Lynn Evans - lynnevans@gov.nl.ca <mailto:lynnevans@gov.nl.ca> 729-4570 729-4880 690-6290<br /><br />· Intergovernmental Affairs - Ken Morrissey - kenmorrissey@gov.nl.ca <mailto:kenmorrissey@gov.nl.ca> 729-6026 690-0525<br /><br />· Justice - Deborah Pennell - deborahpennell@gov.nl.ca <mailto:deborahpennell@gov.nl.ca> 729-6985 729-0469 685-6612<br /><br />· Municipal Affairs - Heather MacLean - heathermaclean@gov.nl.ca <mailto:heathermaclean@gov.nl.ca> 729-1983 729-0943 690-2498<br /><br />· Natural Resources Tracy Barron - tracybarron@gov.nl.ca <mailto:tracybarron@gov.nl.ca> 729-5282 729-0059 690-8241<br /><br />· Tourism, Culture and Recreation John Tompkins - jtompkins@gov.nl.ca <mailto:jtompkins@gov.nl.ca> 729-0928 729-0662 728-7762<br /><br />· Transportation and Works and responsibility for Labrador Affairs - David Salter - davidsalter@gov.nl.ca <mailto:davidsalter@gov.nl.ca> 729-3015 729-4285 691-3577<br /><br /><br /><br />COURTS ETC<br /><br />- Provincial Court clerk (St. John’s) – 709 729 1538<br /><br />- Provincial Court clerk (Harbour Grace) – 709 596 6141<br /><br />- Provincial Court clerk (Grand Bank) – 709 832 1450<br /><br />- Parole board (Regional office) – Cathy Borque – 506 851 6056. Or Brian Chase – 506 851 6492<br /><br />- Law Society of Newfoundland – Peter Ringrose – 709 722 4740/4795<br /><br />• Supreme Court of Newfoundland – 709 729 1059<br /><br />• her Majesty’s Penitentiary (St. John’s) – Supt. John Scoville – 709 729 1200/0356<br /><br /><br />EDUCATION<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />ELECTIONS CANADA<br /><br />• Gerald Tilley – 709 726 5052. Comm: Francois Enguehard – 709 – 727 1310 cell/753 0288<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />EMERGENCY<br /><br />- RCMP – Comm After July 3, contact Sgt. Wayne Newell at 709 772 5926/682 7329<br /><br />- Or Helen Escott – 772 7334/685 9147 c ----<br /><br />Sgt. Pete Mckay – 709 772 5926/682 7329c<br /><br />- - a full list of detachments is kept at: http://www.rcmp.gc.ca/nl/detachments/index_e.htm<br /><br />- Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (polices St. John’s and surrounding towns, Corner Brook and Labrador City) – Comm.: Paul Davis, St. John’s - 553 6138 - Chief Gary Brown – 726 6617h. main line – 709 729 8333.<br /><br />- RNC Corner Brook – media relations Const. Steve Mercer – 637 4103.<br /><br />- Emergency Preparedness Canada – Len LeRiche – 772 5522<br /><br />- Fire Commissioner – Fred Hollett – 709 729 3703.<br /><br />- St. John’s Regional Fire Dept. – Chief Mike Dwyer – 709 576 8683<br /><br />- SAR - Coast Guard Rescue Centre (regional) – 902 427 2106. Comm: Jan Woodford – 709 772 7622, Erica Pittman 709 772 7626. Capt. Brian Penney, head of operations with the coast guard's command centre in St. John's – 772 6220<br /><br />- Chief medical officer – Dr. Faith Stratton – 709 729 3430<br /><br />• Air ambulance service – 709 256 1048<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />ENTERTAINMENT<br />· Mary Walsh – 902 420 4760/902 425 5188/709 579 6153 (publicist Renee Pye – 902 420 1577<br /><br />· <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />ENVIRONMENT<br /><br />- Paul Watson – Sea Shepherd Conservation Society – 310 701 3096 cell/310 456-1141. paulwatson@earthlink.net <mailto:paulwatson@earthlink.net> . Comm.: Heather Callan 360 370 5650<br /><br />- Fred Winsor – 709 738 3781<br /><br />- Whale rescuer Jon Lien – 709 895 2068/737 76<br /><br /><br /><br />EXPERTS/SOURCES<br /><br />• Atlantic-based experts search engines:<br />http://experts.dal.ca/index2.cfm <http: ca="" cfm=""> (Dalhousie)<br />http://www.mun.ca/experts/ <http: ca="" experts=""> (Memorial)<br /><br />• McGill -http://www.mcgill.ca/newsroom/mediaguide/ <http: ca="" newsroom="" mediaguide=""><br />- Laval https://oraweb.ulaval.ca/pls/vrr/gexp_prof.html <file: localhost="" pls="" vrr="" html=""> <file: localhost="" pls="" vrr="" html=""><br />- UQAM http://www.unites.uqam.ca/sirp/experts.html <http: ca="" sirp="" html=""><br />- UQAR http://www.uqar.qc.ca/uqar/pub/index.htm <http: ca="" uqar="" pub="" htm=""><br />UdeM http://www2.dircom.umontreal.ca/specialistes/recherche.asp <http: ca="" specialistes="" asp=""><br />- General: http://www.sources.com/ <http: com=""><br /><br /><br /><br />GOVERNMENT, FEDERAL<br /><br />• a full list of cabinet and opposition critic contacts is kept at: http://www2.parl.gc.ca/parlinfo/Files/Parliamentarian.aspx?Item=46dccbed-4370-40f0-975f-d08fe1688aa2&Language=E <http: ca="" parlinfo="" files="" item="46dccbed-4370-40f0-975f-d08fe1688aa2&amp;language=e"><br /><br />• Transport Canada<br /><br />• Maurice Landry – 506 – 851 7562<br /> Tracey Hennessey 709-772-6197<br /> Steve Bone 902-426-7795<br /><br />· Transportation Safety Board - John Cottreau (819) 994-8053/3741<br /><br />• Fisheries Dept./Coast Guard<br /><br />Sophie Galarneau - (613) 990-7537<br /><br />Robert Fagan – 709 772 7626<br /><br />Jan Woodford – 709 772 7622/23<br /><br />· ACOA in NF- Julie Afonso, 709 772-2984<br /><br />· ACOA regional office. Richard Gauthier, 506 851-6773/874-1256cell<br /><br />· a website that lists federal government news releases: http://news.gc.ca/cfmx/view/en/index.jsp?categoryid=1&category=News+Releases <http: ca="" cfmx="" view="" en="" categoryid="1&amp;amp;category=news+releases"><br /><br />- Transport Canada<br /> - in Ottawa 613-993-0055, after hours 613-990-6055<br /> - Atlantic Region - Moncton: Maurice Landry 506-851-7562<br /> - St. John's- Tracey Hennessey 709-772-6197<br /> - Dartmouth, Steve Bone 902-426-7795<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />GOVERNMENT, PROVINCIAL<br /><br />• a website that lists daily news releases broken down by province/territory - http://news.gc.ca/cfmx/view/en/index.jsp?categoryid=7&category=Regional+News <http: ca="" cfmx="" view="" en="" categoryid="7&amp;amp;category=regional+news"><br /><br />- Auditor General John Noseworthy – 709 729 2700/2695. http://www.ag.gov.nl.ca/ag/<br /><br />• Public Utilities Board (also responsible for setting gas prices) – CEO: 709 726 1133. Petroleum Pricing office – 489 8877<br /><br />• Govt telephone directory - http://www.tw.gov.nl.ca/telephonedirectory/ContactUs.htm <http: ca="" telephonedirectory="" htm=""><br /><br />- Marvin McNutt, director of adult correctins – 709 729 3880<br /><br /><br /><br />HEALTH/HOSPITALS<br /><br />• Eastern Health – runs all eastern nf hospitals – Comm: Susan Bonnell – 709 – 777 1338/1426/687 4713c. 778 6121 after hours.<br /><br />• Western memorial Hospital – Comm: Heidi Staeben-Simmons – 709 – 637 5252<br /><br />• Health Boards Assoc of Nf – John Peddle, exec dir. – 709 364 7701<br /><br /><br />IMMIGRATION/REFUGEES<br />· immigration lawyer – Lee Cohen – 902 423 2412<br /><br />· Canada Border Services Agency (regional) - Jennifer Morrisson – 902 426 0580- - Immigrant Advisory Council - an advocacy group for immigrants/refugees – Director: Donna Jeffrey – 709 753 7860 – ext 333<br /><br />- Canada border services agency – Darlene Stamp – 709 772 5078. In halilfax, laurie Gilmore – 902 426 0900.<br /><br /><br /><br />INDUSTRY<br /><br />o Offshore<br /><br />• Canada Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Board – Comm. Edsel Bonnell – 778 1418. Chairman Max Ruelokke<br /><br />• Husky Oil – Comm.: Andrea Marshall – 709 738 8070/724 4049<br /><br />o Fishery<br /><br />• FPI - Comm. Dir. Russ Carrigan – 570 0130/690<br /><br />8625<br /><br />• Canadian Sealers Association – managing director Frank Pinhorn – 709 682 7573<br /><br />- Martin Sullivan, president of St. John's-based Ocean Choice<br /><br />o Energy<br /><br />- - Ed Martin, president of Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro (working to develop Churchill Falls hydro power). Comm.: Dawn Dalley – 709 – 737 1315.<br /><br />- - Hydro Quebec – Comm.: Sylvie TGremblay – 514 289 4975<br /><br /> - Fortis Inc. - Barry V. Perry Vice President Finance & Chief Financial Officer - 709-737-2800<br />• Mining<br /><br />• Wabush Mines. Comm. Dir. John McGrath – 418 964 9373.<br /><br />• Iron Ore Co. of Canada – Comm.: Michel Filion – 514 217 6253<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />KEY FIGURES<br /><br />• Vic Young, former FPI head, close with Williams – 709 722 4166/727 1668 cell<br /><br />• Brian Tobin – 416 863 4511<br /><br />• John Risley – Clearwater/FPI – 902 443 0550<br /><br />• Gus Etchegary (fishery/nationalist issues) – 895 6681.<br /><br />• John Efford (former Liberal cabinet minister) – 709 786 7186.<br /><br />• John Crosbie – 709 895 3308h/570 5501<br /><br />• Sen George baker – 709 256 2327 h<br /><br />• Averill Baker (lawyer) – 709 651 – 2327<br /><br />• Bob Buckingham (lawyer) – 685 1766 c/739 6688<br /><br />• Leo Power – big in federal conservative party in Newfoundland – 709 682 3543<br /><br />· Dean MacDonald, former executive who worked for Danny Williams before he sold Cable Atlantic to Rogers. MacDonald is also involved in the fibre-optic deal that is subject of a-g investigation because of ties between the company that won the contract and Williams. MacDonald is the president and chief executive officer of Persona<br /><br />· Ken Marshall, former executive who worked for Danny Williams before he sold Cable Atlantic to Rogers. Marshall is also involved in the fibre-optic deal that is subject of a-g investigation because of ties between the company that won the contract and Williams. Marshall is a Rogers vice-president.<br /><br />· Siobhan Coady – Liberal party insider – 709 738 8714<br /><br />· Paul Antle – Liberal insider – 709 682 1650<br /><br /><br />LABOUR<br />- Newfoundland Association of Public Employees (reps majority of prov. Workers) – 709 754 0700 – Comm. Dir. Judy Snow – 687 8551/570 2473.<br /><br />- Fish, Food and Allied Workers union (reps most fishermen; is affiliated with CAW) – Earle McCurdy prez. – 709 576 7276. Comm Dir. Lana Payne – 682 0348 cell/ 576 7276<br /><br />- A list of major NF union contacts - http://www.xpdnc.com/links/locanl.html <http: com="" links="" html=""><br /><br /><br />LOBBYISTS<br />http://www.apec-econ.ca/ <http: ca=""><br />http://www.gpiatlantic.org/ <http: org=""><br /><br /><br />MEDIA<br /><br />- CBC Radio - http://www.cbc.ca/nl/ <http: ca="" nl=""><br /><br />- VOCM - http://www.vocm.com/ <http: com=""> - regular breaking news updates<br /><br />- The Telegram – www.thetelegram.com <http: com=""><br /><br />- Transcontinental Media - http://www.atlanticnewsnet.ca/ <http: ca=""> - links to all Atlantic Transcon properties.<br /><br />- Atlantic News Roundup from the Canadian Press - http://www.cbc.ca/atlantic/ <http: ca="" atlantic=""><br /><br />- The Independent Newspaper (St. John’s) - http://www.theindependent.ca/ <http: ca=""><br /><br />- NTV News (CTV affiliate) - http://www.ntv.ca/ <http: ca=""><br /><br /><br /><br />MILITARY<br />- Military Family Resource Centre (St. John’s) – 709 570 4636/4530<br /><br />- Royal Newfoundland Regiment - Comm. Capt. Michael Pretty – 709 570 4593/4500/4553/4558<br /><br />- DND Public Affairs – Capt. Paul Doucette – 613 945 1265. Main number: 613 996 2353/54. Full list: http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/contact_pa_e.asp <http: ca="" site="" asp=""><br /><br />- Gen. Rick Hillier – thru Maj. Tom King – 613 945 0855.<br />- Maritime Forces Atlantic Headquarters, Halifax - (902) 427-0550 Ext 6981<br />- Public Affairs, Land Force Atlantic Area, Halifax - (902) 427-7576<br />CFB Gander - (709) 256-1703 Ext 412<br />CFB Goose Bay (709) 896-6928<br />- CFS St. John’s – Chief de Sourcy – 709 570 4507<br /><br /><br />NATIVE GROUPS<br /><br />- Quebec Innu – Council of the Innus of Uashatmak Mani-Utenam – Chief Rosario Pinnette – 418 968 2266 (French) or Konard Sioui 418 964 5233/962 0937 (English)<br /><br />• Sip’kop Mikmaw – Chief Jake Davis – 709 538 3660<br /><br />• Ktaqmkuik M’kmaq – Chief Bart Alexander 709 643 9679<br /><br />• Nunatsiavut government (Labrador Inuit) – 922 2942<br /><br />• Labrador Metis Nation – 709 896 0592<br /><br />• Innu Nation (Nitassinan) – 709 497 8398/478 8919 <br /><br />• Federation of Newfoundland Indians - Pres. Brendan Sheppard – 709 634 0996<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />POLITICS, FEDERAL<br /><br />• a full list of cabinet and opposition critic contacts is kept at: http://www2.parl.gc.ca/parlinfo/Files/Parliamentarian.aspx?Item=46dccbed-4370-40f0-975f-d08fe1688aa2&Language=E <http: ca="" parlinfo="" files="" item="46dccbed-4370-40f0-975f-d08fe1688aa2&amp;amp;language=e"><br /><br />• Loyola Hearn – 709 834 3499 h/687 6988 cell/709 772 4608/613 992 0927. Comm: Steve Outhouse<br /><br />· Byrne, Gerry. LIB, Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte <br /><br />· Doyle, Norman. CON St. John’s East<br /><br />· Hearn, Loyola CON St. John’s South—Mount Pearl <br /><br />· Manning, Fabian. CON Avalon<br /><br />· Matthews, Bill. LIB Random—Burin—St. George’s<br /><br />· Russell, Todd. LIB Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador<br /><br />• Simms, Scott. LIB Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor<br /><br />- <br /><br />POLITICS, MUNICIPAL –full list of towns and officials is kept at: http://www.ma.gov.nl.ca/ma/municipal.html <http: ca="" ma="" html=""> )<br /><br />• St. John’s: Andy Wells – 709 576 8477/754 1334h/682 2145 c<br /><br />• Mount Pearl – Steve Kent – 709 748 1030 c/368 2900<br /><br />• Corner Brook – Charles Pender – 709 637 1543<br /><br />• Federation of Newfoundland Municipalities – Randy Simms – 682 1375<br /><br /><br />POLITICS, ODDBALL PARTIES<br />• Newfoundland and Labrador First Party – Fred Wilcox 709 738 1084. Also Tom Hickey – 709 682 3850 c/726 5327<br /><br />• Labrador Party- Ern Condon – 709 944 2437<br /><br /><br /><br />POLITICS, PARTIES<br /><br />• Provincial PC Party – Exec. Dir. Paula Hayes Butt – 709 753 6043.<br /><br />• Provincial Liberal party – Danny Dumaresque prez. – 709 726 7164. libcan@nf.aibn.com <mailto:libcan@nf.aibn.com> .<br /><br />• Provincial NDP Party - Nancy Rich - (709) 739-6387<br /><br /> <br />POLITICS, PROVINCIAL<br /><br />• Premier’s Office – Comm. Dir. Elizabeth Matthews – elizabethmatthews@gov.nl.ca <mailto:elizabethmatthews@gov.nl.ca> . A full list of communications staff is kept at http://www.releases.gov.nl.ca/releases/contactmedia.htm <http: ca="" releases="" htm=""> .<br /><br />- Finance Minister – Tom Marshall – Comm: Bill Hickey – 709 728 6830/691 6390c. a full list of cabinet is kept at http://www.exec.gov.nl.ca/exec/CABINET.HTM<br /><br />• Opposition Leader – Gerry Reid – GerryReid@gov.nl.ca <mailto:gerryreid@gov.nl.ca> - 709 729 6941. Comm Dir. Jeff Mackey – 709 745 0064/727 6427<br /><br />• NDP Leader Lorraine Michael – 709 739 6387/685 9494c. Comm Dir. Amanda Will – 729 0270<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />POLITICAL SCIENTISTS/ECONOMISTS/POLLSTERS<br /><br />· Eric Mintz (poli sci) – 709 637 6227/639 9735 h<br /><br />· Wade Locke (econ) – 709 737 8104<br /><br />· Corporate Research Assoc. – Prez Don Mills – 902 421 1336/493 3237<br /><br />- Michael Temelini, a political science professor with Memorial University<br /><br />- Doug House (econ) – 709 739 5892<br /><br />- decima<br /><br /><br /><br />TRANSPORTATION<br /><br />• Airlines<br /><br />• Air Canada jazz - http://www.aircanadaregional.ca <http: ca=""><br /><br />• Air Canada - http://www.aircanada.ca/ <http: ca=""><br /><br />• Air Labrador- http://www.airlabrador.com <http: com=""> . Ward Pike – 709 687 5256<br /><br />• Canjet - http://www.canjet.com <http: com=""><br /><br />• Jetsgo- http://www.jetsgo.net <http: net=""><br /><br />· Provincial Airlines - http://www.provincialaerospace.com/ <http: com=""> - Halifax 902 873-3751. St. John’s, 709 576-1800<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />• Airports<br /><br />• St. John’s International Airport – Keith Collins (ceo) – 709 682 7911/758 8501 . Comm: Marie Manning – 690 9319/758 8564<br /><br />• Harbour authorities<br /><br />St. John’s Port Authority – Sean Hanrahan – 709 738 4780. A complete list of port authorities is kept at: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/sch/HA-AP-NF_e.asp <http: ca="" sch="" asp=""><br /><br />• Road conditions/traffic cams/weather - http://www.roads.gov.nl.ca/ <http: ca=""> . Also available at the weather network - http://www.theweathernetwork.ca/features/hwycond/indexNBNSPE.htm# <http: ca="" features="" hwycond="" htm=""><br /><br />• Ferries<br /><br />• Marine Atlantic – Comm.: Tara Laing, 709 772 8794. Website: http://www.marine-atlantic.ca/ <http: ca=""><br /><br />- Provincial ferry system – the full list of ferries and contact info is at: http://www.tw.gov.nl.ca/FerryServices/ <http: ca="" ferryservices=""><br /><br />• Trucking industry<br /><br />• Newfoundland and Labrador Independent Truckers Assoc. – Jon Summers Prez – 709 753 8025<br /><br />• Newfoundland and Labrador Carfriers Association – Gord Peddle Prez. – 709 685 9446</http:></http:></http:></http:></http:></http:></http:></http:></http:></http:></http:></mailto:gerryreid@gov.nl.ca></http:></mailto:elizabethmatthews@gov.nl.ca></mailto:libcan@nf.aibn.com></http:></http:></http:></http:></http:></http:></http:></http:></http:></http:></http:></http:></http:></http:></http:></http:></http:></http:></http:></http:></http:></file:></file:></http:></http:></http:></mailto:paulwatson@earthlink.net></mailto:davidsalter@gov.nl.ca></mailto:jtompkins@gov.nl.ca></mailto:tracybarron@gov.nl.ca></mailto:heathermaclean@gov.nl.ca></mailto:deborahpennell@gov.nl.ca></mailto:kenmorrissey@gov.nl.ca></mailto:lynnevans@gov.nl.ca></mailto:edmoriarity@gov.nl.ca></mailto:tansymundon@gov.nl.ca></mailto:vanessacolmansadd@gov.nl.ca></mailto:oatesll@gov.nl.ca></mailto:billyhickey@gov.nl.ca></mailto:dianehart@gov.nl.ca></mailto:jacquelynhoward@gov.nl.ca></mailto:jenniferdalton@gov.nl.ca></mailto:carmelturpin@gov.nl.ca></mailto:josephinecheeseman@gov.nl.ca></mailto:elizabethmatthews@gov.nl.ca>CNS EASThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17450023054243911470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829197718575546351.post-42749802184727733162007-07-26T12:22:00.001-07:002007-07-26T12:22:37.176-07:00P.E.I.RCMP<br /><br />RCMP P.E.I. (L Div) (902) 566-7144<br />Cavendish Det (Summer) (902) 963-9300<br />East Prince Det (902) 436-9300<br />Montague Det (902) 838-9300<br />Queens Dist Charlottetown (902) 368-9300<br />Souris Det (902) 687-9300<br />West Prince Det Alberton (902) 853-9300<br /><br /><br />SEARCH & RESCUE & MUNICIPAL POLICE<br /><br />City of Charlottetown Police Headquarters Ground<br />Phone: (902) 566-4455<br />Fax: (902) 894-5508<br />Contact: Paul Smith, Chief<br /><br />Civil Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA) - Prince Edward Island Air Ground Marine<br />Search Headquarters: Charlottetown<br />Phone: (902) 675-3753<br />Email: decyyg@hotmail.com<br />Contact: Darren Emery, Provincial Training Officer<br />Contact: Doug MacDonald, Provincial Director<br /><br />Emergency Measures Organization (EMO) - Prince Edward I<br />Phone: (902) 368-5582<br />Fax: (902) 368-5526<br />Contact: Albert MacDonald, Director<br /><br /><br />Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) - Prince Edward Island Air Ground Marine<br />Location: Charlottetown, PE<br />Postal Code: C1A 7N1<br />Phone: (902) 566-7112<br />Contact: Cst. T.W. Tottem, RCMP HQ Charlottetown<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />LEGISLATURE<br /><br />Main sites: http://www.assembly.pe.ca<br />http://www.gov.pe.ca/ec/index.php3<br /><br />GVT contact search:<br />http://www.gov.pe.ca/phone/index.php3<br /><br />Office of premier<br />Hon. Patrick George Binns<br />(902) 368-4400, Party 628-8679<br />Minister Responsible for Intergovernmental Affairs<br /><br />Others on executive council:<br />Hon. Michael Currie,<br />Minister of Development and Technology<br />(902) 368-4230<br /><br />Hon. P. Mitchell Murphy,<br />Provincial Treasurer<br />(902) 368-4050<br /><br />Hon. Chester Gillan,<br />Minister of Health and<br />Minister of Social Services and Seniors<br />(902) 368-4930<br /><br />Hon. James W. Ballem,<br />Minister of Environment, Energy and Forestry<br />(902) 368-6410<br /><br />Hon. Gail Shea,<br />Minister of Transportation and Public Works<br />(902) 368-5120<br /><br />Hon. Elmer MacFadyen,<br />Minister of Community and Cultural Affairs<br />(902) 368-5250<br /><br />Hon. Mildred Dover,<br />Minister of Education,<br />(902) 368-4610<br />Attorney General<br />(902) 368-5152<br /><br />Hon. Philip Brown,<br />Minister of Tourism<br />(902) 368-4801<br /><br />Hon. James D. Bagnall,<br />Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Aquaculture<br />(902) 368-4820<br /><br />Office of the Speaker<br />Hon. Gregory J. Deighan<br />General Inquiries: (902) 368-4310<br /><br />Liberals 902-368-3449 or 1-877-740-3449<br /><br /><br />MUNICIPALITIES<br /><br />City of Charlottetown<br /><br />incorporated in 1995 and has a population of 32,245.<br />Telephone: (902) 566-5548<br />Facsimile: (902) 566-4701<br />Address: P.O. Box 98, Charlottetown, PE, C1A 7K2<br />Office Hours: Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (Summer) 8:30 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.<br />Email: city@city.charlottetown.pe.ca<br />Website: http://www.city.charlottetown.pe.ca<br />Officials: Lee, Clifford, Mayor<br /><br />City of Summerside<br /><br />incorporated in 1995 and has a population of 14,654.<br />Telephone: (902) 432-1230<br />Facsimile: (902) 436-9296<br />Address: 275 Fitzroy Street, Summerside, PE, C1N 1H9<br />Office Hours: Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Summer 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.<br />Email: cityhall@city.summerside.pe.ca<br />Website: http://www.city.summerside.pe.ca/<br />Officials: Stewart, Basil, Mayor<br /><br /><br />AIRPORT<br /><br />Charlottetown Airport Authority<br />250 Maple Hills Avenue, Suite 132<br />Charlottetown, PE<br />C1C 1N2 Phone: (902) 566-7997<br />Fax: (902) 566-7929<br />E-mail: info@flypei.com<br /><br />Summerside Airport (no commercial traffic) 902 432-1760<br /><br />UTILITY<br /><br />MacQuarrie, Wayne<br />Chief Executive Officer<br />PEI Energy Corporation<br />Environment, Energy & Forestry (Deputy minister)<br />(902) 894-0289<br /><br />PEI LOCAL BRANCH CDN BAR ASSOCIATION<br />Branch Office: (902) 566-1590<br />President, William F. Dow (902) 626-4254<br /><br />HOSPITALS<br /><br />Community Hospital O'Leary - 902-859-8700<br />Hillsborough Hospital - 902-368-5400<br />Kings County Memorial Hospital - 902-838-0777<br />Prince County Hospital - 902-438-4200 (Summerside)<br />Queen Elizabeth Hospital - 902-894-2111 (Charlottewtown)<br />Stewart Memorial Hospital - 902-831-7900<br />Western Hospital - 902-853-8650<br /><br />MEDIA<br /><br />CBC Prince Edward Island<br />Telephone: (902) 629-6400<br />Facsimile: (902) 629-6518<br /><br />ATV/ASN<br />Telephone: (902) 566-1010<br /><br />GVT NEWS RELEASES<br />http://www.gov.pe.ca/index.php3?number=news<br /><br />PAPERS<br /><br />The Guardian<br />Telephone: (902) 629-6000 - 6038<br />Email: newsroom@theguardian.pe.ca<br /><br />Journal Pioneer<br />Email for editorials dshea@journalpioneer.com<br />Darlene Shea, Managing Editor<br />Telephone: (902) 436-2121<br /><br />LA VOIX ACADIENNE<br />Telephone: (902) 436-6005<br />Email: pub@lavoixacadienne.com<br /><br />RADIO<br /><br />CBC Radio One (96.1 FM)<br />Charlottetown<br />Telephone: (902) 629-6400<br />Email: islandmorning@cbc.ca<br /><br />C 102 FM<br />Summerside<br />Telephone: (902) 436-2201<br />Email: c102@c102fm.com<br /><br /><br />ACOA Prince Edward Island<br /> Shauna McNeil<br />Telephone: (902) 566-7569<br /><br />CANADA BORDER SERVICES AGENCY (regional) - Jennifer Morrisson – 902 426 0580<br /><br />COURTS<br /><br />Sir Louis Henry Davies Law Courts<br />Charlottetown<br />Telephone: (902) 368-0179<br />Toll-free: 368-0266<br />Alexander W. Matheson Building<br />Georgetown<br />Telephone: (902) 652-8990<br />Email: sjclory@gov.pe.ca<br /><br />Access PEI Souris - Johnny Ross Young Services Centre<br />Souris<br />Telephone: (902) 687-7000<br />Email: ACCESSPEISOURIS@gov.pe.ca<br /><br />Summerside Law Courts<br />Telephone: (902) 888-8125<br /><br />MacDonald, Marjorie<br />Supreme Court<br />Office of the Attorney General<br />Telephone: (902) 368-6001<br /><br />Federal Court general contact<br />Andrew Baumberg, Executive Officer<br />(613) 947-3177<br />E-mail: media-fct@fct-cf.gc.ca<br /><br />Community Legal Information Association (CLIA)<br />Telephone: (902) 892-0853<br />Toll-free: 1-800-240-9798<br />Email: cliapei@isn.net<br /><br /><br />Charlottetown Area Development Corporation<br />Telephone: (902) 892-5341<br /><br />Summerside Regional Development Corporation<br />Telephone: (902) 436-2246<br />Email: acroken@srdcpei.com<br /> <br />Search PEI business<br />http://www.gov.pe.ca/business/directory/chooser.php3?unique=1177712144CNS EASThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17450023054243911470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829197718575546351.post-15468840240692112542007-07-26T12:21:00.001-07:002010-09-09T20:24:41.952-07:00Quebec various: hospitals, prisons, etc...URGENCES-SANTE<br />André Champagne<br />Relationniste médias<br />(514) 708-8989<br /><br />Agence Sante publique Canada 613-948-7970<br /><br />Institut Philippe-Pinel de Montréal 514-648-8461<br /><br />Paul Brunet, dir of Que’s patients’ rights committee 514 861-5922<br /><br />Country DFAIT warnings<br />http://www.voyage.gc.ca/dest/sos/warnings-en.asp<br /><br />SOPFEU<br />Jacques Nadeau 418-871-3341<br /><br />Canadian Red Cross, Quebec<br />Stéphanie de Launière, Media Relations Officer<br />Cell phone: (514) 248-4509, stephanie.delauniere@croixrouge.ca<br /><br />Amnesty International, Qc<br />Anne Sainte-Marie, Responsable des communications,<br />(514) 766-9766 poste 230 ou Cell. (514)268-4983,<br />aste-marie@amnistie.ca<br /><br />Reporters without borders<br />Emily Jacquard, Canadian chapter (514) 521-4111, Cell: (514) 258-4208, rsfcanada@rsf.org<br /><br />Assembly of First Nations, Qc<br />Chief Ghislain Picard, AFNQL, (418) 842-5020<br /><br />Council of the Innus of Uashatmak Mani-Utenam – Chief Rosario Pinnette – 418 968 2266 (French) or Konard Sioui 418 964 5233/962 0937 (English)<br /><br />Quebec Coroner's Office:<br />Anne-Marie Lessard, 1-418-643-1845. xt. 225.<br /><br />Barreau du Quebec<br />Mme Sylvie Berthiaume<br />Coordonnatrice des communications<br />514 954-3400, poste 3124<br />Me Lisa Bérubé, directrice générale, Barreau de Québec,<br />(418) 529-0301, poste 23<br /><br />Earthquakes: Geological Survey of Canada:<br />613-995-5548 (info line) or (613) 995-3084 (pr) or Quebec Offices: (418) 654-2604.<br /><br />COAST GUARD<br />(418) 648-7060<br /><br />Fisheries and oceans, East coast<br />(902) 426-3550<br /><br />Quebec<br />(418) 648-7747<br /><br />SEARCH AND RESCUE<br />https://www.nss.gc.ca/SAR%5Fdirectory/orgsByProvince_e.asp?province=5<br /><br />Ports Canada Police (PCP) - Port of Quebec Marine<br />Phone: (418) 648-3645 or 3495<br />Fax: (418) 648-7052<br />Contact: Richard Hughes, Lieutenant<br /><br />Ports Canada Police (PCP) - Québec Marine<br />Phone: (418) 648-3645<br />Fax: (418) 648-7052<br />Contact: Lieutenant Richard Hughes<br /><br />Recherche et Sauvetage Québec-Métro (RSQM) Ground<br />Postal Code: G0A 1H0<br />Phone: 418-834-4001<br />Fax: 418-822-2107<br />Email: info@rsqm.qc.ca<br />Web: http://www.rsqm.qc.ca<br />Contact: Officier de garde<br />Contact: Marie Cauchon, Présidente<br /><br /><br />Ports Canada Police (PCP) - Sept-Îles Marine<br />Phone: (418) 968-1232<br />Fax: (418) 962-4445<br />Email: ottawa@bbsi.net<br />Contact: Shawn Grant, Sergeant<br /><br /><br />Quebec Secours Baie-Comeau Ground Marine<br />Phone: 418-589-9190<br />Fax: 514-667-2460<br />Email: qs09bc@quebecsecours.qc.ca<br />Web: http://www.quebecsecours.qc.ca<br />Contact: Frédéric St-Laurent, Captain<br /><br />INTELLIGENCE<br />David Harris former CSIS, now president of the Insignis Consulting .<br />613-447-2784, 233-1220<br />Michel Juneau-Katsuya, former CSIS, now Northgate Group<br />613-254-9300<br /><br />MILITARY<br />Valcartier<br />Lieutenant Navy Bruno Tremblay, Public Affairs<br />Officer of 5 CMBG, (418) 844-5000 ext.4688, Pager: (418) 260-3082,<br />Captain Mathieu Dufour, (418) 844-5000, ext 5880<br />Captain Eric Chamberland, Public Affairs<br />Officer of 5 CMBG, (418) 844-5000 ext 4688, Pager: (418) 260-3082<br />Captain Vincent Bouchard, Assistant Public<br />Affairs Officer of 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group, (418) 844-5000, ext 4429<br />www.5gbmc.ca<br />Also main office (418) 844-5000 Ext 7641<br /><br />Bagotville<br />Jean-Marc Pageau, Spokesperson, Québec<br />International Air Show, (418) 847-4411; Lieutenant Christian F. Courtemanche,<br />Public Affairs Officer, 3 Wing Bagotville, (418) 677-7277, (418) 690-6362<br />Office (418) 677-8277<br /><br />Naval Reserve Headquarters - Quebec City<br />(418) 694-5560 ext. 5303 (vice 694-3303)<br /><br /><br />Land Force Quebec Area (LFQA) Montreal<br />Public Affairs Office<br />(514) 252-2777 Ext 4291<br /><br /><br />Base des forces canadiennes Montréal<br />Richelain, QC<br />(514) 252-2777 Ext 4278<br /><br /><br />HYDRO-QUEBEC<br /><br />Telephone number for members of the press only: 514 289-5005<br />Marie Archambault, Manager - Media and Public Affairs<br />archambault.marie@hydro.qc.ca<br />Tel.: (514) 289-2221<br /><br />Marc-Brian Chamberland, Team Coordinator - Public Affairs<br />chamberland.marc.brian@hydro.qc.ca<br />Tel.: (514) 289-2209<br /><br />Flavie Côté, Press Office<br />Tel.: (514) 289-2220<br /><br />Sylvain Théberge, Press Officer<br />Hydro-Québec Production, Équipement, Corporate security<br />theberge.sylvain@hydro.qc.ca<br />Tel.: (514) 289-3612<br /><br /><br />QUEBEC CITY HOSPITALS<br />Hotel-Dieu (CHUQ) - 418-525-4444<br />Hôpital Laval (Ste Foy) - 418-656-8711<br />Hôpital Général De Québec - 418-529-0931<br />CHUL 418-656-4141<br /><br />MONTREAL<br />Mtl General communications 514-843-1560 or 406-3466<br />McGill religion studies John Zucchi 514-865-1192<br /><br /><br />QUEBEC ELECTORAL OFFICE<br />418 528-0422 or 1 888 ELECTION<br /><br />PMO<br />(613) 957-5555<br />(613) 992-4211<br /><br />FEDERAL AGENCIES<br />CSIS 613-231-0100<br />Border services 350-6130 (Gervais)<br />Emergency preparedness 613-991-0657<br />Ronald Blanchet CIC 450-246-3911 cell 233-0454<br /><br />POLITICS<br />McGill Antonia Maioni McGill 398-8346<br />U of M Pierre Martin 343-2027<br />McGill Richard Schultz 398-4948<div>http://www.erudit.org<br /><br />LAW, IMMIG<br />Janet Dench CDN council for refugees 277-7223<br />Mark Bantley media law 392-9501<br /><br />Sylvie Bordelais lawyer 522-5026<br />Clemente Monterosso 804-6277<br />Office (with Marie-Helene Giroux) (514) 948-2006<br />Pierre-Luc Rolland (450) 646-5959<br />Isabelle Briand (450) 686-5911<br /><br />MEDIA GUIDE TO EXPERTS<br />McGill http://www.mcgill.ca/newsroom/mediaguide/<br />Laval https://oraweb.ulaval.ca/pls/vrr/gexp_prof.html<br />UQAM http://www.unites.uqam.ca/sirp/experts.html<br />UQAR http://www.uqar.qc.ca/uqar/pub/index.htm<br />UdeM http://www.recherche.umontreal.ca/medias/medias_specialistes_recherche.asp<br />General: http://www.sources.com/<br /><br /><br />QUEBEC LOBBYISTS<br />https://si1.lobby.gouv.qc.ca/internet/accueil.asp<br /><br />QUEBEC & MONTREAL BOARD OF TRADE<br />Isabelle Poulin, Directrice des communications, FCCQ,<br />(514) 953-3725; Mélanie Larouche, Directrice des communications, CCQ, (418) 692-3853, poste 234; Roch Landriault, (514) 843-2345<br /><br />GREENPEACE QUEBEC & OTHER GREENS<br />Amélie Ferland, Equiterre, (514) 973-2000<br />Brigitte Boulianne, Nature Québec, (418) 648-2104;<br />Jocelyn Desjardins, Greenpeace, (514) 212-5749;<br />Alexandre Turgeon, Vivre en ville, (418) 655-0592;<br />Jérôme Normand, Environnement JEUnesse, (514) 577-3016; Philippe Bourke, RNCREQ, (514) 791-7022<br /><br />LABOUR<br />CSN Michelle Filteau, (514) 598-2162, cellulaire: (514) 894-1326;<br />FTQ Louis Cauchy, (514) 235-3996<br />Syndicat de la Fonction Publique du Qc, Stéphane Caron, (418) 623-2424, poste 338, Cell.: (418) 564-4150<br />CSQ, Claude Girard cell. : (514) 237-4432<br /><br />RELIGION<br />Archdiocese Montreal 514-931-7311<br />Archdiocese Quebec 418-688-1211<br /><br />QUEBEC TOP 500<br />http://www.lesaffaires.com/listes/500quebec.fr.html<br /><br /><br />FIRE SAFETY SEARCH ENGINE<br />http://www.msp.gouv.qc.ca/incendie/sidq/index.asp<br /><br /><br />CORRECTIONS CANADA, Quebec<br />http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/region/nat_facility_dir_e.shtml#q3<br /><br /><br />OTTAWA: Guy Campeau 613-947-3372 cell 371-2257<br />Melissa Leclerc, Stockwell Day’s office: 613-991-2863<br /><br />Jean-Yves Roy (450) 967-3350<br /><br />Federal Training Centre, a federal minimum-security penitentiary in Laval, 450-661-7786, ext. 4400<br /><br />Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines Institution<br />A/Assistant Warden, Management Services<br />450-478-5933, ext. 6120<br />Georges Flanagan<br />Assistant Warden, Management Services<br />450-478-5933, ext. 6200<br /><br />La Macaza Institution, Carole Bousquet<br />Assistant Warden, Management Services<br />819-275-2315, ext. 7034<br /><br />Drummond Institution (Drummondville)<br />Edith Brouillard<br />Acting Assistant Warden, Management Services<br />(819) 477-5112, ext. 210<br /><br />Port-Cartier Institution<br />André Jolicoeur<br />Acting Assistant Warden, Management Services<br />418-766-7070, ext. 2707<br /><br />Laval Regional Reception Centre<br />Jean-Yves Roy<br />Manager, Media Relations<br />450-967-3350<br /><br />Donnacona Institution<br />Richard Bolduc<br />Assistant Warden, Management Services<br />418-285-2455, ext. 2150<br /><br />Montée Saint-François Institution<br />Sylvie Gravel<br />Assistant Warden, Management Services<br />450-661-9620, ext. 2200<br /><br />Cowansville Institution<br />Lucette l'Espérance<br />A/Assistant Warden, Management Services<br />450-263 3073, ext. 2102<br /><br />Leclerc Institution<br />Pierre Gautier<br />Assistant Warden, Management Services<br />450-664-6717<br /><br />Archambault Institution<br />Sylvie Bourgon<br />Assistant Warden, Management Services<br />450-478-5960, ext. 8120<br /><br />Joliette Institution<br />Thérèse Lemieux<br />Acting Team Leader, Media Liaison<br />(450) 752-5257, extension 3003<br /><br />PROVINCIAL PRISONS<br />http://www3.sympatico.ca/cfcn/province.html<br />http://www.msp.gouv.qc.ca/msp/msp.asp?txtSection=ministe&txtCategorie=Bottin&txtNomAutreFichier=etablissements_detention.htm<br /><br /><br /><br />Québec - Men sector<br />Phone: (418) 622-7100<br />Visitors: for an appointment<br />Phone: (418) 528-7936<br />Toll free: 1 866 528-7936<br /><br />Québec - Women sector<br />Phone: (418) 622-7125<br />Visitors: for an appointment<br />Phone: (418) 622-7125<br />Toll free: 1 866 528-7936<br /><br />Montréal - Prison de Bordeaux<br />Phone: (514) 336-7700<br /><br />Montréal<br />Palais de justice*<br />Phone: (514) 393-2800<br /><br />Longueuil<br />Palais de justice*<br />Phone: (450) 647-4401<br /><br />Montréal - Maison Tanguay<br />Phone: (514) 337-9450<br /><br />Amos<br />Phone: (819) 444-5222<br /><br />New-Carlisle<br />Phone: (418) 752-6637<br />Toll free: 1 866 258-2472<br /><br />Saint-Jérôme<br />Phone: (450) 436-8144<br />Visitors: for an appointment<br />Phone: (450) 569-3269<br /><br />Baie-Comeau<br />Phone: (418) 294-8646<br /><br />Rimouski<br />Phone: (418) 727-3547<br /><br />Sherbrooke<br />Phone: (819) 820-3100<br /><br />Chicoutimi<br />Phone: (418) 698-3838<br /><br />Rivière-des-Prairies<br />Phone: (514) 494-3930<br /><br />Sorel<br />Phone: (450) 742-0471<br /><br />Hull<br />Phon : (819) 772-3065<br />Toll free: 1 866 466-7603<br /><br />Roberval<br />Phone: (418) 275-0207<br /><br />Trois-Rivières<br />Phone: (819) 372-1311<br />Toll free: 1 866 292-6281<br /><br />Sept-Îles<br />Phone: (418) 964-8632<br /><br />Valleyfield<br />Phone: (450) 370-6814</div>CNS EASThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17450023054243911470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829197718575546351.post-31094414178198732942007-07-26T12:19:00.002-07:002007-07-26T12:20:16.033-07:00Quebec mediaGlobal Quebec<br />Ville: Sainte-Foy<br />Province: QC<br />Code Postal: G1V 2W3<br />Téléphone: (418) 682-2020<br />Fax: (418) 682-2620<br /><br />Global Montreal<br />Adresse: 1600, boul. de Maisonneuve E. 9e étage<br />Ville: Montréal<br />Province: QC<br />Code Postal: H2L 4P2<br />Téléphone: (514) 521-4323<br />Fax: (514) 590-4061<br />Courriel: globalnews.que@globaltv.ca<br /><br />Global Sherbrooke<br />Adresse: 3330, King O.<br />Ville: Sherbrooke<br />Province: QC<br />Code Postal: J1L 1C9<br />Téléphone: (819) 565-1010<br />Fax: (819) 565-3335<br />Courriel: ajohnson@globaltv.ca<br /><br />C B C (Québec) (418) 691-3620<br /><br />Le Soleil (418) 686-3394 Courriel: nouvelles@lesoleil.com<br />Le Quotidien (Chic) (418) 690-8800 redaction@lequotidien.com<br />Nouvelliste (TR) (819) 376-2501 information@lenouvelliste.qc.ca<br /><br /><br />Some media to monitor:<br /><br />CNW French www.cnw.ca (French daybook has way more info on Quebec than the English one moved on our wire, appx. 7am & 7pm)<br /><br />LCN www.canoe.qc.ca (unfortunately requires media player)<br /><br />www.940news.com<br />www.info690.ca<br />www.info800.com (Quebec city)<br /><br />TQS TV evening bulletin at 4:30pm<br />TVA at 4:55 pm<br /><br />List:<br />http://www.abyznewslinks.com/canadqc.htmCNS EASThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17450023054243911470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829197718575546351.post-44126036076586487902007-07-26T12:19:00.001-07:002007-07-26T12:19:32.479-07:00Quebec courtsQuebec court houses:<br /><br /><br />Main site:<br />http://www.justice.gouv.qc.ca/francais/joindre/palais/palais.htm<br /><br />www.jugements.qc.ca<br /><br />Baie Comeau<br />Palais de justice de Baie-Comeau<br />Téléphone : 418 296-5534<br /> <br /><br />Palais de justice de Chicoutimi<br />Téléphone : 418 696-9926<br /><br /><br />Palais de justice de Chibougamau<br />Téléphone : 418 748-6411<br /><br /><br />Point de service de justice de Gaspé<br />Téléphone : 418 368-5756<br /> <br /><br />Point de service de justice de Jonquière<br />Cour provinciale et greffier<br />Téléphone : 418 695-7991<br /><br />Palais de justice de Kuujjuaq<br />Téléphone : 819 964-2973<br />Sans frais : 1 866 226-9860<br /><br />Palais de justice de Lac-Mégantic<br />Hôtel de ville<br />Téléphone : 819 583-1268<br /><br />Palais de justice de La Tuque<br />Téléphone : 819 523-9533<br /><br />Point de service de justice de Matane<br />Téléphone : 418 562-2497<br /><br /><br />Palais de justice de New Carlisle<br />Téléphone : 418 752-3376<br /><br /><br />Palais de justice de Percé<br />Téléphone : 418 782-2055<br /><br />Palais de justice de Québec<br />Téléphone : 418 649-3400<br /><br />Palais de justice de Rimouski<br />Téléphone : 418 727-3852<br /> <br />Palais de justice de Rivière-du-Loup<br />Téléphone : 418 862-3579<br />Sans frais : 1 800 463-8009<br /> <br />Palais de justice de Rouyn-Noranda<br />Téléphone : 819 763-3058<br /><br /><br />Palais de justice de Sept-Îles<br />Téléphone : 418 962-3044<br />Sans frais : 1 866 405-7951<br /><br />Palais de justice de Shawinigan<br />Téléphone : 819 536-2571<br /><br /><br />Palais de justice de Sorel-Tracy<br />Cour du Québec, Chambre civile<br />450 742-2786<br />Chambre criminelle et pénale<br />450 743-1251<br /><br />Palais de justice de Thetford Mines<br />Téléphone : 418 338-2118<br /><br />Palais de justice de Trois-Rivières<br />Chambre civile 819 372-4153<br /><br />Chambre criminelle et pénale<br />819 372-4152<br /> <br />Palais de justice de Val-d'Or<br />Téléphone : 819 354-4462<br /><br /><br />COURT ART:<br />Atalante 514-252-1353CNS EASThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17450023054243911470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829197718575546351.post-79130528314865206462007-07-26T12:18:00.001-07:002007-10-28T11:25:31.074-07:00Quebec airports + airlinesAIRPORTS & AIRLINES<br />Full list: http://www.tc.gc.ca/quebec/fr/aeroports/menu.htm<br /><br /><br />QUEBEC<br />http://www.aeroportdequebec.com/<br />Information : Julie-Anne Vien<br />Téléphone : (418) 955-7980<br />Alternate: 418-640-2663<br /><br />Baie-Comeau 418-589-8285<br /><br />DRUMMONDVILLE<br />Corporation Aéroport Régional de Drummondville<br />Téléphone (819) 472-1011 Télécopie (819) 472-4291<br /><br /><br />Gaspé 418-368-2104 / 0200<br /><br />MATANE<br />Responsable de l’aéroport : Jean-Pierre D’André Tél. : 418.560.2271<br /><br />Rimouski 418-724-3173 T<br /><br />Rivière-du-Loup 418-862-2121 T<br /><br />Rouyn-Noranda 819-762-8171<br /><br /><br />TROIS-RIVIERES<br />Téléphone : (819) 377-4382<br />www.aeroporttrois-rivieres.qc.ca<br /><br />Schefferville 418-585-3544<br /><br />Val d'Or 819-824-2711<br /><br /><br /><br />AIRLINES<br /><br />AIR CANADA<br />Isabelle Arthur (514) 422-5788<br />Weekend/Night: (514) 330-1999<br /><br />TRANSAT<br />Pierre Tessier, (514) 987-1660, ext. 4509<br /><br />Air Creebec inc.<br />Suzanne DesGagné (418) 748-3764<br /><br />Martine Malka IATA 390-6713<br />Denis Chagnon ICAO 954-8220CNS EASThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17450023054243911470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829197718575546351.post-7752294766911647222007-07-26T12:17:00.000-07:002007-07-26T12:18:07.410-07:00Quebec citiesMAYORS<br /><br />Municipality search:<br /><br />http://www.mamr.gouv.qc.ca/repertoire_mun/repertoire/repertoi.asp<br /><br />AMQI<br /><br />Gaëtan Ruest ing.<br />Maire d'Amqui<br />418.629.7334 (418.629.4242 poste 233)<br /><br />ALMA (418) 669-5000<br /><br />AMOS (819) 732-3254<br /><br />BAIE JAMES (819) 739-2030<br /><br />Baie-Comeau (418) 296-8101<br /><br />CHICOUTIMI: (418) 541-4500<br /><br />GASPE (418) 368-2104<br /><br />ILES DE LA MADELEINE<br />(418) 986-3100<br />Emergency (outside business hours) 937-7632<br /><br />KUUJJUAQ<br />Larry Watt, Mayor<br />(819) 964-2943<br /><br />LA TUQUE (819) 523-3231<br /><br />LEVIS<br />Direction des communications, Andre Roy<br />835-8288<br /><br /><br />MATANE <br />Mairie<br />Tél. : (418) 562-2333<br />Securite publique<br />Directeur par intérim Pierre Dugré<br />(418) 562-2333 poste 2123<br /><br /><br />MISTASSINI<br />Téléphone: (418) 276-0160<br /><br />QUEBEC<br />Cabinet de la mairesse<br />Téléphone : (418) 641-6434<br />Télécopieur : (418) 641-6318<br />Also:<br />Paul-Christian Nolin, Ville de Québec, (418) 641-6411,<br />poste 1005; Geneviève Breton (418) 527-3326<br /><br /><br />RIMOUSKI<br />Monsieur Éric Forest, maire<br />Téléphone : 418 724-3126<br /><br />Rouyn-Noranda<br />Téléphone (819) 797-7110<br /><br />RIVIERE-DU-LOUP<br />Hervé Bouchard, maire suppléant<br />Téléphone : (418) 867-6625<br /><br />STE FOY<br />Marie-Andrée Germain, Conseillère en communication,<br />(418) 641-6301, poste 3315<br /><br />SAGUENAY<br />Téléphone : (418) 541-4505-11<br /><br />SEPT-ILES Mairie (418) 964-3211 - 2525<br /><br />Shawinigan (Québec) Téléphone : (819) 536-7200<br /><br />Sorel-Tracy (450) 780-5600<br /><br />Thetford Mines (418) 335-2981<br /><br />VAL d’OR M. Fernand Trahan, maire<br />Téléphone : (819) 825-5837 (home)<br />824-9613, poste 223 (bureau)CNS EASThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17450023054243911470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829197718575546351.post-12622065509501532022007-07-26T12:16:00.000-07:002012-05-29T11:38:25.507-07:00Quebec local police + RCMPNON-SQ POLICE DIRECTORY:<br />
<br />
http://www.msp.gouv.qc.ca/police/services_police/bottin/index.asp<br />
<br />
http://policeinternational.com/display_links.php?cat_id=0&sub_cat_id=9 (gives an idea which police force operates in region)<br />
<br />
MONTREAL<br />
<br />
514-280-2015 or 2777 or 0120<br />
<br />
LAVAL<br />
<br />
450-662-5050 or 978-6888 ext. 3407 after hours<br />
<br />
QUEBEC<br />
Jean-Sebastien Roy (418) 641-6316<br />
Directeur : Serge Bélisle<br />
Téléphone : 418 641-6411 (poste 6393 or 6316), 641-6292; media: 6230<br />
Municipalités desservies : L'Ancienne-Lorette, Notre-Dame-des-Anges, Québec, Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures<br />
<br />
GATINEAU<br />
Service de police de la Ville de Gatineau<br />
Isabelle Poirier, agente-relationniste<br />
819 243-2345, poste 7666<br />
http://www.gatineau.ca/page.asp?p=securite_publique/police<br />
<br />
<br />
LEVIS<br />
Directeur : Jean-François Roy<br />
Téléphone : 418 835-8255<br />
Télécopieur : 418 839-1725<br />
Media relations: 956-0009 (Alain Gelly)<br />
<br />
RIVIERE-DU-LOUP<br />
Directeur : Martin LeBlond<br />
Téléphone : 418 862-6303<br />
<br />
<br />
SAGUENAY<br />
Directeur : Mario Giroux<br />
Téléphone : 418 699-8202<br />
Municipalités desservies : Larouche, Saguenay<br />
<br />
<br />
SHAWINIGAN<br />
536-5611<br />
<br />
<br />
THETFORD MINES<br />
Directeur : François Gagnon<br />
Téléphone : 418 338-0111<br />
<br />
<br />
TROIS-RIVIERES<br />
Directeur : Francis Gobeil<br />
Téléphone : 819 691-2929<br />
<br />
<br />
RCMP DIRECTORY:<br />
<br />
Main site Quebec<br />
<br />
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/qc/detach/detac_e.htm<br />
<br />
Montreal 939-8308 (C division)<br />
<br />
Abitibi-Témiscamingue– Nouveau-Québec RCMP **<br />
(819) 797-2120<br />
<br />
Beauce-Amiante RCMP **<br />
(418) 228-2332<br />
<br />
Sept-Îles (Quebec) G4R 4K3<br />
Telephone: (418) 962-2061<br />
<br />
Gaspe / Iles-de-la-Madeleine RCMP **<br />
(418) 368-1611<br />
<br />
Québec City Detachment<br />
925 9th Airport Street<br />
Quebec (Quebec)<br />
G2G 2S5<br />
Telephone: (418) 648-3733<br />
Fax: (418) 648-7325<br />
<br />
Rimouski (Quebec) G5N 0A1<br />
Telephone: (418) 722-3090CNS EASThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17450023054243911470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829197718575546351.post-50484979614807656272007-07-26T12:15:00.000-07:002007-07-26T12:16:38.456-07:00Quebec Provincial policeSQ REGIONAL LISTING<br /><br />Montreal, main public relations: 514-598-4848 (after hours and weekends)<br /><br />Jacques Labrie 514-866-5556 xt 228 or try 501-0821<br /><br />During the week, region by region:<br /><br />Office Cell<br /><br />Ross, Claude (Rimouski) (418) 721-7250 (418) 732-1268<br /><br />Lavoie, Pierre (Saguenay) (418) 549-5382 (418) 690-6711<br /><br />Mathieu, Ann (Québec) (418) 623-6452 (418) 564-4597<br /><br />Gagné, Richard (Québec) (418) 623-6381 (418) 654-6830<br /><br />Beaulieu, Hugues (Rouyn) (819) 763-4806 (819) 763-5404<br /><br />Lafontaine, Isabelle (Baie-Comeau) (418) 294-1202 (418) 297-4066<br /><br /><br />REGIONS<br /><br />District de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue–Nord-du-Québec<br />(Rouyn-Noranda (Québec)<br />Urgence : 310-4141<br />Renseignements généraux : (819) 764-3202<br /><br />Abitibi<br />Amos (Québec) J9T 1Y3<br />Téléphone : (819) 732-3311<br /><br />Nunavik<br />Kuujjuaq (Québec) J0M 1C0<br />Téléphone : (819) 964-2400<br /><br />Poste de la ville de Rouyn-Noranda<br />Téléphone : (819) 763-4846<br /><br />Témiscamingue<br />Téléphone : (819) 629-2356<br /><br />Val-d'Or, (Québec) J9P 4G7<br />Téléphone : (819) 825-6161<br /><br />Rimouski (Québec) G5L 8X1<br />Urgence : 310-4141<br />Renseignements généraux : (418) 723-1122<br /><br />New-Richmond (Québec) G0C 2B0<br />Téléphone : (418) 392-4411<br /><br />New-Carlisle (Québec) G0C 1Z0<br />Téléphone : (418) 752-2251<br /><br />Gaspé (Québec) G4X 1A4<br />Téléphone : (418) 368-3232<br /><br />Îles-de-la-Madeleine<br />Téléphone : (418) 986-5555<br /><br />Matane<br />Téléphone : (418) 562-2222<br /><br /><br />Rivière-du-Loup<br />Téléphone : (418) 862-9191<br /><br /><br /><br />Québec (Québec) G1K 7W2<br />Urgence : 310-4141<br />Renseignements généraux : (418) 623-6262<br /><br />Thetford Mines (Québec) G6G 3X3<br />Téléphone : (418) 338-3151<br /><br />Saint-Georges-de-Beauce (Québec) G5Y 5B8<br />Téléphone : (418) 228-5531<br /><br />Charlevoix<br />Téléphone : (418) 435-2012<br /><br />Portneuf<br />Téléphone : (418) 337-7060<br /><br />Highway station Québec<br />Téléphone : (418) 623-6249<br /><br />Baie-Comeau (Québec) G4Z 3A8<br />Urgence : 310-4141<br />Renseignements généraux : (418) 296-2324<br /><br />Fermont (Québec) G0G 1J0<br />Téléphone : (418) 287-3555<br /><br />Schefferville (Québec) G0G 2T0<br />Téléphone : (418) 585-2626<br /><br />Tadoussac (Québec) G0T 2A0<br />Téléphone : (418) 235-4486<br /><br />Poste de la MRC de Manicouagan<br />Courriel : poste.mrc.manicouagan@surete.qc.ca<br /><br />Havre-St-Pierre (Québec) G0G 1P0<br />Téléphone : (418) 538-2118<br /><br /><br />Sept-Îles (Québec) G4R 5M8<br />Téléphone : (418) 962-9438<br />or (418) 766-2112<br /><br />Trois-Rivières (Québec) G8V 1S2<br />Urgence : 310-4141<br />Renseignements généraux : (819) 379-7311<br /><br />Maskinongé<br />Téléphone : (819) 228-2774<br /><br />Nicolet (Québec) J3T 1C6<br />Téléphone : (819) 293-4428<br /><br />Shawinigan (Québec) G9N 8L2<br />Téléphone : (819) 539-6262<br /><br />Chicoutimi (Québec) G7H 6N3<br />Urgence : 310-4141<br />Renseignements généraux : (418) 549-9266<br /><br />Poste de Chapais-Chibougamau<br />Téléphone : (418) 748-7652<br /><br />Chicoutimi (Québec) G7H 6N3<br />Téléphone : (418) 549-4576<br /><br />Lac-Saint-Jean-Est - Alma (Québec) G8B 5V2<br />Téléphone : (418) 662-6606<br /><br />Dolbeau-Mistassini (Québec) G8L 3E4<br />Téléphone : (418) 276-2871CNS EASThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17450023054243911470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8829197718575546351.post-79253363081076804192007-07-26T12:02:00.000-07:002008-05-18T18:36:21.079-07:00Quebec GovernmentUpdated list of ministers<br /><br />http://www.premier.gouv.qc.ca/equipe/conseil-des-ministres.shtml<br /><br />gvt wire:<br />www.gouv.qc.ca/portail/quebec/pgs/commun/actualites/<br />fildepresse/?lang=fr<br /><br />PARTIES<br /><br />QUEBEC LIBERAL<br />Karine White, Coordonnatrice aux communications, Parti<br />libéral du Québec, (418) 688-8910, 1-800-463-4575, whitek@plq.org<br />Marie-Eve Dutremble<br />cabinet du premier ministre<br />418-643-5321<br />Hugo D’Amours<br />Attaché de presse<br />Cabinet du premier ministre<br />Tél. 418 643-5321<br /><br />PQ<br />Bureau de presse du Parti Québécois, Permanence<br />nationale du Parti Québécois, (514) 526-0020<br /><br />ADQ Martine Hilaire, (514) 270-4413; Source: Action<br />démocratique du Québec<br /><br />FEDERAL LIBERALS (QUEBEC)<br />Normand Houde, Directeur régional, Communications, Parti<br />libéral du Canada (Québec), (514) 381-8888, cell. : (514) 755-7042<br /><br />BQ<br />Montréal<br />Téléphone : 514 526-3000<br />Quebec<br />capitale@bloc.org<br />Téléphone : 418 524-8440<br /><br />TORIES<br />Daniel Morneau 1-866-927-2007<br />Quebec regional 418-657-2026<br /><br />GOVERNMENT<br /><br />M. Jean Charest<br /><br />Conseil exécutif<br />Téléphone : 418 643-5321<br />Télécopieur : 418 646-1854<br /><br />Conseil exécutif<br />Téléphone : 514 873-3411<br />Télécopieur : 514 873-6769<br /><br />Riding:<br />Sherbrooke (Québec)<br />Téléphone : 819 569-5646<br />Télécopieur : 819 569-4952<br /><br />Tony Tomassi, (LaFontaine), parlementary assistant to Premier<br />Phone : 418 644-0871<br />Fax : 418 641-2668<br />ttomassi@assnat.qc.ca<br /><br />Nathalie Normandeau<br />Deputy Premier, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Regions, Minister responsible for the Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine region<br />418 691-2050<br /><br />Monique Jérôme-Forget<br />Minister of Finance, of Government Services, responsible for Government Administration, Chair of the Conseil du trésor<br />418 643-5270<br />514 873-5363<br />418 643-8611<br />Assistant, Roch Cholette, 418 644-9954<br /><br />Monique Gagnon-Tremblay<br />Minister of International Relations, responsible for La Francophonie, responsible for the Estrie region<br />418 649-2319<br /><br />Philippe Couillard<br />Minister of Health and Social Services, responsible for the Capitale-Nationale region<br />418 266-7171<br />418 528-8549<br />514 873-3700<br />Assistant, Russell Copeman, 418 646-5752<br /><br />Michelle Courchesne<br />Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports, of Families, responsible for the Laval region<br /><br />Jean-Marc Fournier<br />Minister of Revenue, responsible for Parliamentary Reform, responsible for the Montérégie region, Government House Leader<br /><br />Jacques Dupuis<br />Minister of Justice, of Public Security<br />418 643-4210<br />514 873-3317<br />418 643-2112<br />514 873-2112<br />Assistant, Guy Ouellette, 418 643-6018<br /><br /><br />Line Beauchamp<br />Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks<br />418 521-3911<br /><br />Claude Béchard<br />Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife, responsible for the Bas-Saint-Laurent region, the Côte-Nord region and the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region<br />418 643-7295<br /><br />Raymond Bachand<br />Minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade, of Tourism, responsible for the Montréal region<br />418 691-5650<br />Assistant, Pierre Arcand, 418 643-6018<br /><br />Benoît Pelletier<br />Minister responsible for Canadian Intergovernmental Affairs, Aboriginal Affairs, Francophones within Canada, the Reform of Democratic Institutions and Access to Information, Minister responsible for the Outaouais region and the Nord-du-Québec region, Deputy Government House Leader<br />418 646-5950<br /><br /><br />Julie Boulet<br />Minister of Transport, responsible for the Mauricie region<br />418 643-6980<br />514 873-3444<br />Assistant, François Ouimet, 418 646-3202<br /><br />Laurent Lessard<br />Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, responsible for the Chaudière-Appalaches region and the Centre-du-Québec region<br />418 380-2525<br /><br />Sam Hamad<br />Minister of Employment and Social Solidarity<br />418 643-4810<br /><br />Marguerite Blais<br />Minister responsible for Seniors<br />418 644-5976<br /><br />David Whissell<br />Minister of Labour, responsible for the Laurentides region, the Lanaudière region and the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region<br />418 643-5297<br /><br />Yolande James<br />Minister of Immigration and Cultural Communities<br />418 644-2128<br />514 873-9940<br /><br />Christine St-Pierre<br />Minister of Culture, Communications and the Status of Women<br />418 380-2310<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Parliamentary and Ministerial Functions<br /><br />President of National Assembly<br />Michel Bissonnet<br /><br />First Vice-President<br />William Cusano<br /><br />Second Vice-President<br />Diane Leblanc<br /><br />Third Vice-President<br />François Gendron<br /><br />Premier and President of the Executive Council<br />Jean Charest<br /><br />Government House Leader<br />Jean-Marc Fournier<br /><br />Deputy Government House Leader<br />Henri-François Gautrin<br /><br />Chief Government Whip<br />M. Norman MacMillan<br /><br />Assistant Government Whip<br />Lucie Charlebois<br /><br />Chair of the Government Caucus<br />Yvon Vallières<br /><br />Leader of the Official Opposition<br />Mario Dumont<br />418 643-2743<br />Fax : 418 528-9479<br />dumont.rdl@assnat.qc.ca<br />514 873-0970<br /><br />Official Opposition House Leader<br />Sébastien Proulx<br /><br />Deputy Opposition House Leader<br />Sylvie Roy<br /><br />Chief Official Opposition Whip<br />François Bonnardel<br /><br />Deputy Opposition Whip<br />Lucille Méthé<br /><br />Chair of the Official Opposition Caucus<br />Pierre Gingras<br /><br />Leader of the Second Opposition Group<br />André Boisclair<br />Phone : 418 644-9318<br />Fax : 418 643-2957<br />aboisclair.pat@assnat.qc.ca<br /><br />House Leader of the Second Opposition Group<br />Diane Lemieux<br /><br />Whip of the Second Opposition Group<br />Stéphane BédardCNS EASThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17450023054243911470noreply@blogger.com0