John Baird- the Americans love him- but should Canadians?

Even in early 2007 when John Baird took over the environment portfolio, American diplomats saw a bright future for the feisty Conservative MP. 'Baird is a young, ambitious and dynamic minister who should be one of the Conservatives' top leadership prospects in the future," a leaked U.S. diplomatic cable says.

Americans devoted an entire nine-page diplomatic cable to analyzing Baird after he was appointed to the tricky file in January 2007 and he met with the U.S. Ambassador to Canada, David Wilkins. The document, dated Feb. 2, 2007, and classified as confidential, was among a batch of leaked U.S. State Department cables recently released to CBC News. "Baird clearly enjoys and is comfortable with the rough-and-tumble of Parliamentary debate in contrast to his predecessor Rona Ambrose," says a section of the cable marked "embassy comment."

"It is clear that Baird hopes a strong performance handling the politically sensitive environmental file will eventually be rewarded by his appointment to an even higher profile ministry," it says.

WikiLeaks

The flattering portrayal of Baird — particularly in comparison to his predecessor, Rona Ambrose, who is described as ineffective — suggests the newly anointed foreign affairs minister clearly made a positive impression abroad.Prime Minister Stephen Harper named Baird to the coveted top cabinet job on Wednesday amid questions over how the known Conservative party "pit bull" would fare on the world stage where diplomacy is key.Baird, 41, previously held the post as Treasury Board president and it was a job he enjoyed, according to the cables. "Baird volunteered that he had not asked to be environment minister," the U.S. diplomatic cable says. "He had been happy as Treasury Board President where, as a fiscal conservative, he could cut 'stupid' spending."

Baird expected defence file

The Ottawa West-Nepean MP recalled when the prime minister called him to 24 Sussex ahead of the 2007 cabinet shuffle and told him of his new post. Baird said he would not have chosen it, but was now delighted by its challenges."He regards it as a 'first-line' ministerial position and recognizes that the environment and Afghanistan may be the two most important issues in the next election," the cable says.And perhaps prescient, given his current post, Baird's other topic of conversation with U.S. officials was Afghanistan.

He recounted a trip the previous month to visit Canadian Forces members stationed in Afghanistan and stressed the importance of Canada's involvement in NATO fighting the Taliban as "an essential national commitment."
Baird also described spending a cold night sleeping in a tent with the soldiers.Baird went on to say that he was "proud to fire an artillery piece (although he did not think that the shell had caused casualties)," the cable says.

Indeed, it was the national defence file that Baird thought Harper might allot him back in 2007."He wondered whether he would be switched to the Department of National Defence in light of his Afghan trip," said the cable. "He got Environment instead, but was not dissatisfied."

CPP earnings up 12%

Canada Pension Plan Investment Board ended fiscal 2011 with $148.2 billion in assets, a 20.6 per cent increase over 2010's level. The managers of Canada's national pension plan earned $15.5 billion in investment income, and got another $5.4 billion in CPP payments during the year.The 11.9 per cent annual gain was just off the 14.9 per cent increase during the previous fiscal year. The fund has now earned $31.7 billion worth of investment income in the two years since the recession, CEO David Denison said in a release.

"By adhering to our long-term strategy during and following the recent financial crisis, the fund has benefited from the recovery in the global public equity markets," he said.The CPPIB invests the funds not needed by the Canada Pension Plan to pay current benefits on behalf of 17 million Canadian contributors and beneficiaries.The Chief Actuary of Canada has repeatedly deemed the found actuarially sustainable for at least the next 75 years. CPP contributions are expected to exceed annual benefits paid until at least 2021.

The fund was active in the real estate space during the year, closing major deals for assets in Australia, the United States, and Londo. Just last week, the fund agreed to pay $370 million for a stake in a major German shopping complex.The year also saw the CPPIB increase its portfolio of infrastructure assets. The fund completed its largest infrastructure investment to date with two concurrent transactions involving the acquisition of a 40 per cent interest in the 407 Express Toll Route outside Toronto during the period, as well as an interest in a toll road in Sydney, Australia.

All 12 of the fund's asset classes were in positive territory for the year. In 2010, five lost value, but they were more than overcome by a major gain in the public equity portfolio.The CPP outperformed its own benchmark by 2.07 per cent, the fund said in a release. The 2011 showing brings the fund's five-year annual performance to 3.3 per cent and over 10 years, that return jumps to 5.9 per cent per year.

Sperm donor anonymity overturned by B.C. court

Olivia Pratten succesfully sued the B.C. government to force changes in the B.C. Adoption Act to allow the offspring of sperm, egg and embryo donors to find out who their donors are. (Jonathan Hayward/Canadian Press)The B.C. Supreme Court has struck down provincial legislation that protected the identity of sperm donors. The court also prohibited the future destruction of any records and ordered the province to draw up new legislation in line with the Charter of Rights.

Lawyers for Olivia Pratten had argued that the existing rules discriminated against the children of sperm donors. The court ruled in her favour on Thursday. "It is a total win for us. No more anonymity. Donor offspring have been recognized as having the same rights as adoptees in B.C.," said Pratten after the ruling was released. In the decision, Justice Elaine Adair wrote that the rights of the child must be protected in sperm donation, much like they are protected in cases of adoption in B.C. "I conclude, based on the whole of the evidence, that assisted reproduction using an anonymous gamete donor is harmful to the child, and it is not in the best interests of donor offspring," wrote Adair.
"I grant a permanent injunction, in accordance with these reasons, prohibiting the destruction, disposal, redaction or transfer out of B.C. of gamete donor records in British Columbia," she wrote. The ruling gives the province 15 months to enact conforming changes to the B.C. Adoption Act that are in line with the Charter of Rights.

Pratten was conceived through sperm donation. The 28-year-old journalist fought for years to learn her biological father's identity, but was eventually told the doctor legally destroyed the records in the 1990s.
She then decided to sue the B.C. government on behalf of other children who still have hopes of learning their parentage and to ensure donor records are preserved indefinitely and that children can have access to the records when they turn 19.

Canadians secretly added to U.S. security list: WikiLeaks

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service, Canada's principal intelligence agency, routinely transmits to U.S. authorities the names and personal details of Canadian citizens who are suspected of, but not charged with, what the agency refers to as "terrorist-related activity." The criteria used to turn over the names are secret, as is the process itself.But a new cache of WikiLeaks documents pertaining to Canada lays bare the practice. It contains not only frank assessments by U.S. officials of Canadian co-operation, but the names of 27 Canadian citizens turned over by their own government as possible threats, along with 14 other names of foreign nationals living in Canada.
In at least some cases, the people in the cables appear to have been named as potential terrorists solely based on their associations with other suspects, rather than any actions or hard evidence.Of the 41 people named, 21 do not appear to have ever been charged, and some had never come to the attention of the Americans before being named by their own government. Most of the remaining 20 names comprise the group known as the Toronto 18. Some of that group were charged and convicted; others had charges against them stayed.

The cables are a snapshot of periods in 2009 and 2010. Over the years, the number of names handed over is certainly much higher. The first stop for these names is usually the so-called Visa Viper list maintained by the U.S. government. Anyone who makes that list is unlikely to be admitted to the States.Given Washington's policy of centralizing such information, though, the names also go into the database of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Centre. Inclusion in such databases can have several consequences, such as being barred from aircraft that fly through U.S. airspace. Paul Cavalluzzo, who acted as chief counsel for the Canadian commission of inquiry that cleared Arar of any wrongdoing, put it this way after being briefed on the cables: "Once you give the name to the Americans, that's the end of the game."
Long-standing practice

Interviews with several Canadian security sources confirm that the practice of naming people who are suspected, but not charged, has been going on for many years.One security official with deep knowledge of the subject said the cables go to "the nub of some of the most sensitive communications between our side and the Americans."He stressed that any decision to hand over names is the result of a detailed process, in which an individual's threat level is assessed by a committee of Canadian security officials, including a senior executive at CSIS. Lawyers from the Department of Justice also participate, and often a representative of the RCMP.As part of the process, someone plays the part of devil's advocate, challenging the information gathered on the individual being considered. Even then, said the official, the decision to hand over a name to the Americans is subject to written ministerial directives and internal CSIS policies.

Still, as Cavalluzzo points out, the process is secret, with no judicial oversight, and takes place without the knowledge of the individual being "targeted.""It certainly doesn't meet any criteria of due process in the sense that the individual has no representation whatever. Don't tell me there's a devil's advocate. That and a dollar will get you a cup of coffee."

The Canadian security official said two considerations loom over the CSIS committee's deliberations.
The first is Arar, who was secretly traduced by the RCMP to American authorities and, as a result, was removed from a commercial flight at John F. Kennedy airport in 2002, then forcibly deported to Syria, where he was tortured. Maher Arar in January 2007, holding a copy of Justice Dennis O'Connor's report recommending a government apology and compensation for his ordeal, which was forthcoming. (Tom Hanson/Canadian Press) Arar subsequently received an apology and $10.5 million in compensation from Ottawa. Significantly, though, he remains on the U.S. no-fly list. He, too, was named to American authorities based solely on association.
"We don't want another Arar," said the security official. But at the same time, he said, CSIS is acutely aware that if it did not pass on information about someone it suspected, and that person then carried out some sort of spectacular attack in the U.S., the consequences could be cataclysmic for Canada. U.S. authorities, already suspicious that Canada is "soft on terror," would likely tighten the common border, damaging hundreds of billions of dollars worth of vital commerce.

A former senior official, who also spoke to CBC on the basis of anonymity, put it more bluntly: "The reality is, sorry, there are bad people out there. "And it's very hard to get some of those people before a court of law with the information you have. And so there has to be some sort of process which allows you to provide some sort of safeguard to society on both sides of the border." Furthermore, he said, "it's not a fundamental human right to be able to go to the United States."

Current realities

Both security officials said they are absolutely certain that individuals they've had a hand in naming posed threats to Canada's security.Cavalluzzo, though, is uncomfortable with the practice. He says the names should be vetted by a judge before being handed to the Americans. He says there should be guarantees that any information turned over is accurate and that any person named could be delisted if it turns out the intelligence was poor. (One Canadian security official said at least two people named over the years have indeed been delisted at Canada’s request, although he acknowledged that once you are in the American system, you are most likely in for life).Despite Cavalluzzo's discomfort, though, he agrees that, given the current reality, the names of suspects must be shared: "It would seem to me that it's reasonable so long as it is done in a way that provides Canadian citizens with adequate controls, and I don't know if you can ever do that when you're dealing with the Americans."

Toronto lawyer Clayton Ruby, who also has had considerable experience in national security cases, took a different view. The practice, he said, is "abhorrent.""This is information that is being handed over with the knowledge that it will have adverse consequences on Canadian citizens. And Canadian citizens have a right to be protected by their government."Ruby described the committee practice as a "bureaucratic process" that falls far short of what a citizen is due. "Due process would involve some standards such as, well, more than 'we suspect he's involved in something nasty.'"A third source, also highly placed in the Canadian intelligence apparatus, objected to the accusation that the process is hidden from scrutiny. He pointed out that the Security Intelligence Review Committee, created to oversee CSIS, has access to all the names and all the deliberations.
"We [CSIS] are the most reviewed service in the world," he said. He added that he felt sorry for some of those whose names have been released by Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks. "They were not charged or convicted."When it was pointed out that they are nonetheless now in the American databases, courtesy of CSIS, the official replied: "Yes, and so are you, and so am I."The databases are vast, he said, and the Americans are capable of distinguishing dangerous threats from individuals of concern, or simply of interest.

Reasonable suspicion of a crime

But Ruby said the threshold for naming someone to the Americans should be "reasonable suspicion of a crime." Abdullah Almalki listens to Justice Frank Iacobucci's opening statement in March 2007 at the start of the commission investigating the ordeals of himself and two others, all of whom deny allegations of terrorist ties. Two years later, Parliament voted in favour of an apology and compensation for the three men. (Tom Hanson/Canadian Press) In other words, that the authorities have reasonable and probable grounds to believe that the individual has planted a bomb, or is planning to plant a bomb.

Canadians have a constitutional right to privacy and to protection from unreasonable search and seizure, said Ruby."This is clearly a search. They're searching out information about you. They're invading your privacy. And the question is whether it's reasonable."Well, clearly it's reasonable when there's an actual crime being investigated. But short of that, some generalized threat to the state because the state says so? All in secret? I'm not sure it's legal. I think it isn't."In another of the WikiLeaks cables, though, U.S. Embassy officials in Canada make it clear they think Canada already accords too many rights to suspects."Canadian services do not appear to be as proactive as U.S. law enforcement regarding terrorist cell penetration and source development," says the cable, which is classified as both secret and "noforn," meaning not for foreign eyes.

"Both [CSIS and the RCMP] are supportive and co-operative with U.S. law enforcement for the most part, although restricted by the Canadian Charter of Rights, which is the basis for Canada's strict privacy laws."

CSIS declined a request for an on-the-record interview, instead putting out a lengthy written statement that essentially urged Canadians to trust the agency’s secret proceedings. The executive director of the Security Intelligence Review Committee, Susan Pollak, would not discuss the criteria CSIS uses to name people to U.S. authorities, but told CBC she is satisfied that CSIS operates within the law.

New Canadian Bid for TMX

Canada's TMX Group, operator of the Toronto Stock Exchange, has received a domestic takeover bid to rival the group's proposed merger with the London Stock Exchange (LSE).The bid came from from a group of Canadian banks and pension funds.TMX said it would consider the bid while still seeking shareholder and regulatory approval for the LSE deal. Recent months have seen a spate of merger talks between the world's leading stock exchanges.

In March, the US exchanges Nasdaq and ICE mounted a bid for NYSE Euronext, topping a previous offer from Deutsche Boerse, while last month Australia indicated that it would block a bid from the Singapore stock exchange for ASX, the firm that owns the Australian Stock Exchange.

'Exciting offer'

"For years it has been totally inconceivable that any British government would tell a bidder for a UK company to take a hike ” Robert Peston. The fresh bid for TMX was made by a number of Canadian financial institutions operating under the name Maple Group Acquisition Corporation."Now Canadians have a Canadian alternative to look at that points to the strength of our financial services sector," said Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan.He said the government would look at the bid, but while it was too early to say whether he personally preferred Maple's offer to that of the LSE, he was "excited" a Canadian bid had been made.

Any deal for TMX must gain government approval.
At the end of last year, the government blocked an offer for fertiliser group Potash Corporation from Anglo-Australian mining giant BHP Billiton on the basis that it was not in the Canadian national interest.

Honour killings in Canada: even worse than we believe

Gerald Caplan- Special to The Globe and Mail

If you are already sufficiently appalled knowing there’ve been 12 despicable “honour killings” in Canada since 2002, don’t read any further. This is only the tip of a nightmarish iceberg, I’m afraid. For some reason, the term honour killings seems to be reserved for murders committed by male family members against daughters or sisters in South Asian or Middle Eastern communities. These unimaginable crimes have been receiving much high-profile notoriety in the Canadian media, as they surely deserve. All Canadians must now know of the tragic murder of 16-year old Aqsa Parvez of Mississauga, strangled to death three years ago by her brother and father.

But I’m confident that not one in a million is aware that in Ontario alone, from 2002 until only 2007 (the latest data), 212 women have been killed by their partners. That’s 42 every year, compared with 12 so-called honour killings in all of Canada in the past eight years. Women killed by partners are known as domestic homicides, and, unless especially gruesome, are barely worth a mention in the media. Maybe there's just too many of them to be newsworthy. The data comes from the Ontario Domestic Violence Death Review Committee, which I didn’t even know existed until it was recently cited in the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives' Monitor. I’ve never come across these figures anywhere else.

Let me rush to be clear here. I don’t for a moment minimize the horror of 12 girls and women in Canada murdered by members of their immediate family. To steal a phrase, one would be far too many. Terrible things still happen to women everywhere, as the domestic violence figures for Canada demonstrate. No nation, religion, class or ethnic group has the monopoly on misogyny..

There is no conceivable excuse or justification for doing anything but condemning such murders in the most unequivocal way. There is no cultural tradition, no sensitivity to the different values of other societies, that can ever justify or even “understand” how a father or brother can kill their daughter or sister, or how a mother can be a sympathetic witness to such a savage act. It is beyond any rational understanding.

What accounts for the high profile of these relatively small number of murders in Canada? Why do we know little or nothing about the larger epidemic of women killed, almost routinely it sometimes seems, by boyfriends or husbands? Is it less terrible to be strangled to death or shot or have your throat slit by them than by family members? Is it just too commonplace to bother paying attention to? Do we still harbour that sneaking suspicion that women murdered by partners have somehow brought it on themselves?

Yet both kinds of murders have a common root. Both are honour killings, reflecting a twisted, pathological male sense of honour. Both are executed by men who feel they haven’t received their due deference, men who consider “their” women, whether daughter or partner, to be their chattel, to do with as they choose. Have we smug white Canadians forgotten that you don’t have to be a Muslim or South Asian to regard women this way?

Or do we focus on so-called honour killings precisely because the victims are Muslims, or South Asians, or Middle Easterners? By giving such prominence to these communities and their cultures, are we not denigrating them? For all our ostensible acceptance of multiculturalism, are we not feeding our lingering prejudices against certain specific minorities among us? Look at it purely statistically. If so-called honour killings are in fact culturally approved by their communities, as is often charged, shouldn't we expect far more than 12 in the entire country in eight years? And if the rest of us truly embrace a culture that repudiates violence against women, why are so many of them still being murdered?

Let me again emphasize that I have no illusions about these dark issues. According to the United Nations, there are a staggering 5,000 instances annually of women and girls being shot, stoned, burned, poisoned, buried alive, strangled, smothered or knifed to death by family members. I can barely write the sentence without getting sick to my stomach. The killers are fathers, brothers, sons, uncles, and yes, even mothers. The disgusting deeds are carried out in the name of preserving or protecting family honour. Most such murders are indeed carried out in the Middle East or in the countries of South Asia – India, Bangladesh, Pakistan – or by South Asians or Middle Easterners living elsewhere. These terrible crimes can never be “understood,” justified or condoned. They must be stopped, wherever they happen.

But terrible things still happen to women everywhere, as the domestic violence figures for Canada demonstrate. No nation, religion, class or ethnic group has the monopoly on misogyny. Honour killings should be seen not as uniquely evil but as the most extreme and perverse proof of this truth. That's why it's encouraging that women's equality groups have been so vocal in their denunciations of all violence against women and are supporting women in minority communities to give them the strength to stand up for their rights.

Despite the remarkable progress women have truly made in the past half-century, clawing for every inch of it, the struggle for women’s equality can never rest. It simply has too many enemies, always fighting to keep women in their place, where they belong, dead or alive. Young women who dismiss feminism as irrelevant or outdated are, I’m afraid, dead wrong. The struggle is never over.

York University at forefront of Autism research

A York University study has shown for the first time how the drug misoprostol, which has been linked to neurodevelopmental defects associated with autism, interferes with neuronal cell function. It is an important finding because misoprostol is similar in structure to naturally-occurring prostaglandins, which are the key signaling molecules produced by fatty acids in the brain.Past clinical studies have shown an association between misoprostol and severe neurodevelopmental defects including autism symptoms. Those studies looked at cases in Brazil in which women misused the drug early in pregnancy in unsuccessful attempts to terminate their pregnancies.

The York study examined mouse neuronal cells to discover how the drug actually interferes at a molecular level with prostaglandins, which are important for development and communication of cells in the brain.“Early in the first trimester of pregnancy, neuronal cells reach out to communicate with one another,” says Dorota Crawford, an assistant professor in the School of Kinesiology & Health Science in York’s Faculty of Health. “Our study shows that misoprostol interferes with this process by increasing the level of calcium ions in neuronal extensions, which reduces the number and length of these extensions. It prevents the cells from communicating with each other. If changes in prostaglandin level alter the development or differentiation of cells, it may have a physiological impact.”

Crawford and Javaneh Tamiji, who undertook the research for her master’s thesis in the Neuroscience Graduate Diploma Program at York, co-authored a study published online in the journal Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications: “Prostaglandin E2 and misoprostol induce neurite retraction in Neuro-2a cells.”
There is no indication that women in Canada are misusing misoprostol to terminate pregnancies, and in fact the drug is used safely for other purposes such as treatment and prevention of gastrointestinal ulcers. However, during early neuronal development the drug misoprostol or other environmental factors such as infections or inflammations, which can also increase the level of prostaglandins, may interfere with normal brain function, says Crawford.

Crawford and Tamiji focused on the drug misoprostol because they had evidence from the clinical studies of the neurotoxic effects of the drug. They used misoprostol and the naturally occurring prostaglandins side by side in their study and found that both compounds produced the same effects on neuronal cell function.The study shows that misoprostol interferes with the prostaglandin pathway in a dose-dependent manner – in other words, the higher the dose, the greater the problems created.

“What that indicates to us is whether it is infection that will activate it, or whether it is the drug, it will cause the same effect,” says Crawford. Now that it has been shown that misoprostol affects interaction between cells, the next step will be to do animal studies on mice to examine the physiological impacts on particular parts of the brain, she says.

Crawford’s lab is one of very few in the world that has adopted a multidisciplinary approach to the study of autism spectrum disorders, using molecular techniques to understand the link between causative biological factors (genes and environment) and the behavioural expression.

York University is the leading interdisciplinary research and teaching university in Canada. York offers a modern, academic experience at the undergraduate and graduate level in Toronto, Canada’s most international city. The third largest university in the country, York is host to a dynamic academic community of 50,000 students and 7,000 faculty and staff, as well as 200,000 alumni worldwide. York’s 10 Faculties and 28 research centres conduct ambitious, groundbreaking research that is interdisciplinary, cutting across traditional academic boundaries. This distinctive and collaborative approach is preparing students for the future and bringing fresh insights and solutions to real-world challenges. York University is an autonomous, not-for-profit corporation.



Contact: Janice Walls, Media Relations, York University

Source: York University

Arctic Rescue deal struck in Greenland

Canada and other Arctic nations will work together on major search and rescue operations in the Arctic, under an international treaty signed by eight nations Thursday in Greenland. Foreign affairs ministers and other leaders from Canada, the United States, Russia and five other northern countries signed the search and rescue treaty during a ministerial meeting of the Arctic Council in Nuuk, Greenland.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Canada's Leona Aglukkaq were at the Nuuk meeting, along with foreign affairs ministers from Norway, Iceland, Finland, Sweden and Denmark.
Increased marine traffic

The new treaty, which would require Arctic Council nations to co-ordinate with each other in the event of a plane crash, cruise ship sinking, big oil spill or other major disaster, is the first legally binding agreement to be reached by the circumpolar intergovernmental forum. The need for a search and rescue agreement comes as shrinking sea ice in recent years has opened up Arctic waterways to more marine traffic, including shipping vessels and cruise ships.

"As the ice melts and will continue to melt, we can expect increased human activity at sea, with the increased risks that accidents may happen," Danish Foreign Affairs Minister Lene Espersen told reporters on Thursday.
Norwegian Foreign Affairs Minister Jonas Gahr Store said each participating nation, including Canada and the U.S., will have to ensure it can live up to its responsibilities under the search and rescue treaty.
"That is a cumbersome and long and expensive process that each state has to take on, but I think with this as a legal basis, we have the foundation to sort out what we have to do back home," Store said.
Oil spill task force struck

The leaders meeting in Nuuk also agreed to set up a task force to work on an Arctic oil spill preparedness and response agreement.Given companies' growing interest in drilling for offshore oil and gas in the Arctic, northern countries need to work fast on an oil spill plan, said Alexander Shestakov, director of the Global Arctic Program with the World Wildlife Fund."From our point of view, the changes [in] the Arctic are so rapid, the governments should really follow this pace rather than be too accurate and too slow in some decisions," he said.

Aglukkaq, who was health minister before the recent federal election, was representing Canada at the Arctic Council meeting because former foreign affairs minister Lawrence Cannon lost his seat.An Inuk from Nunavut, Aglukkaq wore a sealskin vest and coat in Nuuk, saying she wants European members of the Arctic Council to know that Canada opposes the European Union's ban on Canadian seal products.
"You're taking something that we, as Inuit people, have eaten for thousands and thousands of years, and other countries are making decisions to ban that, so there is an impact," Aglukkaq said Thursday.

New direction for council

Observers in Nuuk said Thursday's meeting shows that the Arctic Council is moving in a new direction, in which there will be more action than talk.Nunavut Premier Eva Aariak said in a statement that she welcomes the "trend within the [Arctic] Council for more policy-making" as a step towards a stronger council."It is historic for the Arctic Council to agree today to a binding legal instrument," Aariak said.

"I look forward to the work of the next task force towards another potential agreement for 2013 on emergency response and preparedness," she added."This issue is important for Nunavut, as it witnesses the prospect of exploration drilling for oil and gas in its adjacent and internal waters."
Inuit call for sustainable development

On Wednesday, Inuit leaders issued a joint declaration on Arctic resource development that says they support offshore oil and gas exploration as long as it's sustainable — culturally as well as environmentally — and strict safety measures are put in place. But Jimmy Stotts, president of the Inuit Circumpolar Council in Alaska, said he does not think Arctic oil and gas development is sustainable right now.

"We're not convinced, at least in Alaska, that it's sustainable so far, despite statements that are made by government or industry or others," Stotts told reporters. "We're still waiting for somebody to prove to us that they can clean up an oil spill in the Arctic Ocean."

Shell has set its sights on the Chukchi and Beaufort seas off the northern Alaskan coast, while BP is trying to work out an arrangement in Russia's Arctic.

Meanwhile, oil rigs are already heading west of Greenland, where Cairn Energy plans to drill four holes this year. The government in Greenland has authorized oil and gas exploration in the area, despite public concerns that development is moving too quickly and could harm Arctic wildlife.

Canada's Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of Canada currently consists of, front row, left to right, Justices Marie Deschamps, Ian Binnie, Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin, Louis LeBel and Morris Fish; back row, left to right, Marshall Rothstein, Rosalie Silberman Abella, Louise Charron and Thomas Cromwell. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

Justice Ian Binnie, 72, and Justice Louise Charron, 60, have written to Federal Justice Minister Robert Nicholson, to inform him of their plans, both effective Aug. 30, Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin said Friday in a release. Binnie has indicated a willingness to stay longer if needed during the judge-selection process.
Justice Louise Charron "It has been an honour and a privilege to serve on the Supreme Court of Canada since January 1998," Binnie wrote. "Much as I will miss the work and my colleagues, I am now well into my 14th year on the court, and the time has come to return to Toronto to pick up some of the threads of an earlier existence."

Charron said her reasons for retiring are quite simple: she recently turned 60.
"As promised when I took the oath of office, I have brought to this task my best, every day, whatever that could be at the time," she said. "I hope that I have lived up to the trust and honour that was bestowed upon me."With several justices nearing retirement, Harper was expected to be able to appoint replacements, but it was thought he would have more time to work with.Binnie has been on the Supreme Court since 1998 and was due to retire within the next three years.Justice Ian Binnie Charron joined the bench in 2004, but is stepping down well before the mandatory retirement age of 75.

McLachlin says she hopes the government makes the selection of new justices a priority and uses the care and deliberation that is required. Binnie was born in Montreal and graduated in law from the University of Toronto in 1965. He also has two law degrees from Cambridge University. He was a litigator with Wright & McTaggart and its successor firms until 1982, then became an associate deputy minister of justice with the federal government. Binnie was a senior partner at McCarthy Tétrault from 1986 to 1998, when he was appointed to the Supreme Court.

Charron was born in Sturgeon Falls, Ont., and graduated in law from the University of Ottawa in 1975. She practised with the firm Lalonde, Chartrand & Gouin in civil litigation, then began a career as an assistant Crown attorney and district court judge. She was promoted to the Ontario Court of Appeal in 1995, and to the Supreme Court of Canada in 2004

From drug cocktails to vegetarian sorbet: young scientists excel in national contest

The discovery of a drug cocktail that might have potential some day to help patients with cystic fibrosis took first place Tuesday at a national science contest, and a method of making vegetarian-friendly sorbet was the runner-up. The judges were left in awe at the level of science that participants brought to bear at a young age, said the chair of the judging panel, Dr. Luis Barreto, former vice-president of immunization and science policy at Sanofi Pasteur.
The students are driven by curiosity and "we know the future of Canada is in good hands as Canada looks into creating the R and D strategy for the country," he said in an interview after the awards were presented at the National Research Council Canada laboratories in Ottawa. "The constant feeling with all the judges was I would hire these guys not as my summer student but as my post-doc ... every one of them. It was very difficult to actually identify the first five."

Marshall Zhang, a Grade 11 student in Richmond Hill, Ont., used the Canadian SCINET supercomputing network at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto to identify how two drugs interacted with a specific part of a mutant protein that's responsible for most cases of CF. He then proved what he'd found using living cells in culture. "Not only did they (the drugs) work together, they worked together so well that they actually allowed the cells that were treated with both compounds to function as if they were the cells of healthy individuals," said Zhang, who was awarded a $5,000 prize.

The second-place prize of $4,000 at the 2011 Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge went to three 19-year-old students from Montreal who made sorbet without gelatin, potentially opening up a large new vegetarian market for the dessert.Jonathan Khouzam, Simon Leclerc and Francis Marcogliese also won a special $1,000 prize for the project with the greatest commercial potential.
They combined three polysaccharides: caraggeenan, pectin and gellan, Khouzam said. Gellan has similar properties to gelatin, but it's relatively new on the market and hasn't really been exploited as a sorbet stabilizer, he said."When used together, the combined effect is greater than that of each individual stabilizer, which means we used less, and in the process we make a more cost-effective product," he said.

Their experiments were done with sugar, water and a bit of acid. "We're hoping to test it with fruit as well and eventually take it to market," Khouzam said.

The first- and second-place winners will go on to compete against American and Australian teams at an international challenge in Washington on June 27. Students in the contest were mentored by university professors and others who volunteered their time and expertise.

Third place went to Shannon Watson, 18, of Ottawa, who identified bacteria in a probiotic fermented milk product from Zambia that inhibit the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Yasamin Mahjoub, 16, of Calgary won fourth place for showing that hormones produced by pregnant women protect neurons from the effects of iron accumulation in the brain, a characteristic of multiple sclerosis.

Winnipeg student Siyuan Cheng, 18, finished in fifth place for combining a drug treatment for leukemia, fludarabine, with a lung cancer drug, gefitinib. The experiment showed an increase in the number of leukemia cells being killed.

Cheng said he's hoping to pursue a career in medicine

Did a Canadian Teen in Grade 11 cure Cystic Fibrosis?

High Schooler Uses Super Computer to Potentially Cure Cystic Fibrosis


Cystic Fibrosis is a hereditary disease that causes excessive buildup of thick mucus in the lungs and digestive track. Marshall Zhang is an 11th grader from Ottawa that may have just cured it.
For his entry to the 2011 Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge, Zhang leveraged a Canadian supercomputing network to identify an interaction between two drugs that affect the same portion of mutant gene that accounts for a majority of Cystic Fibrosis cases.

The initial interaction tests and identification were all accomplished via simulation using the collaborative SCINET supercomputing system at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. The interaction was then confirmed using live cell cultures. This interaction was so effective, in fact, that "they actually allowed the cells that were treated with both compounds to function as if they were the cells of healthy individuals," according to Zhang.

"Not only did they (the drugs) work together, they worked together so well that they actually allowed the cells that were treated with both compounds to function as if they were the cells of healthy individuals," said Zhang, who was awarded a $5,000 prize.

Concordia University studying aging in Bilingual brains

How the Bilingual Brain Copes with AgingAs brain power decreases, older adults find new ways to compute language Older bilingual adults compensate for age-related declines in brainpower by developing new strategies to process language, according to a recent study published in the journal Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition.

Concordia University researchers studied two groups of fluently bilingual adults – aged from 19 to 35 and from 60 to 81 years old – and found significant age-related differences in the manner their brains interpreted written language. “We wanted to know whether older adults relied on context to process interlingual homographs (IH) – words that are spelled the same in both languages but have a different meaning,” says lead author Shanna Kousaie, a PhD candidate at Concordia University’s Department of Psychology and Centre for Research in Human Development (CRDH).

Does “coin” mean “money” or “corner”?

As part of the study, subjects were asked to read hundreds of trios of words. The first word in the triplet was in either English or French, indicating the language of the IH, putting it in context for readers. The second was an IH – a word such as “coin,” which means “money” in English but “corner” in French. The third word was one that might or might not help the person understand the meaning of the IH more quickly.Subjects’ neurophysiological responses to these words were recorded using an electroencephalograph, an instrument that records the brain’s electrical activity.

Kousaie and co-author Natalie Phillips, a professor in Concordia’s Department of Psychology and member of the CRDH, found that the older adults processed these letter strings differently, using context to a greater extent to determine meaning.These findings were based on the relative speed of responses for younger and older bilingual research participants and on the differences in their EEG recordings as they “processed” the word triplets. Both measures indicated younger participants relied less on the first (contextual) word when processing the trios of words in the test.

“As we get older, our working memory capacity and ability to quickly process words declines,” says Phillips. “As a result, older adults become a little more strategic with capacity. It’s important to stress these are normal and mild age-related changes. Participants didn’t have any cognitive deficit. Rather, they were making the best use of mental resources by using context to help them process language.”

More than half the world is bilingual

These findings shed light on how bilingual adults process language. Although some 50 per cent of the world’s population is bilingual, much language research has so far focused only on single language speakers. Understanding the effects of bilingualism on the brain may be of more than academic interest. Evidence is mounting that bilingual people have a cognitive advantage over monolingual individuals because their brains are accustomed to “manipulating” two languages.“Our study suggests that bilingual adults, as they age, are able to find strategies to compensate for changes in language comprehension,” says Phillips.

Notes about this brain research article
Partners in research: This work was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
Related links:
Cited research: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a927919047~db=all~jumptype=rss

Concordia Department of Psychology: http://psychology.concordia.ca/
Centre for Research in Human Development: http://crdh.concordia.ca/

Paul Nicklen: Extraordinary Canadian Photographer

Phone App for Diagnosing Strokes

University of Calgary researchers have developed an iPhone application that allows doctors to diagnose a stroke in a patient thousands of kilometres away.The application will be particularly helpful to doctors in rural areas who need the expertise of a specialist, such as a neurologist or radiologist, who is working in an urban setting, say researchers.
The specialist will be able to see diagnostic images from a CT scan on their phone, whether they are at a Calgary hospital or a hockey game.Ross Mitchell, a professor of radiology at U of C, holds an iPad showing a CT scan of the brain. "Now a physician anywhere can get a call on their iPhone and can immediately take a look at the images in the remote community," said Ross Mitchell, a professor of radiology at the university who helped develop the software. "They can do more than just look at them. They can cut into them, rotate it in 3D, they can do all kinds of advanced visualizations and analysis, which may be critical to make the diagnosis."

Every minute counts when diagnosing a stroke, he added.

A study published in the current issue of the Journal of Medical Internet Research found that doctors using the application were 94 to 100 per cent accurate in diagnosing acute stroke, compared to a traditional medical diagnostic work station.Health Canada approved the application last month so Canadian doctors can now legally use it as a primary diagnosis device.

The application, called ResolutionMD Mobile, works on iPhones, iPads and Android smartphones and tablets.CT scanners in rural communities would be attached to a server protected by the hospital's firewall. That means patient information would be kept safe, says Mitchell. Also the doctor with the iPhone doesn't have to wait for all the information to download, the server is doing the hard work and streams the images to the phone in real time.
Calgary Scientific Inc., the company that helped refine the software, has already licensed the application to over 50,000 hospitals around the world.

Quebec opens up the north for mining

A large area of northern Canada is to be opened up to mining, energy and forestry projects.The government of Quebec has unveiled a massive plan to develop a largely inhospitable but untouched area in the north of the province.The "Plan Nord" aims to turn 1.2 million sq km of land into a major area of mining and renewable energy.The plan also aims to ensure that half of the area will be environmentally protected.

"It is one of the world's last virgin territories," said Quebec's Premier Jean Charest. "It's also a fragile territory and a territory of great richness and it's also a responsibility."
Huge potential

The area is rich in deposits of nickel, cobalt, platinum, zinc, iron ore and rare earth minerals."Northern Quebec has incomparable mining potential," said natural resources minister Sege Simard.
The plan includes 11 new mining projects, the development of renewable energy resources (mainly hydro-electric projects), sustainable forestry and a huge infrastructure programme.This part of Canada is so remote that new roads, airports, and even a deep sea port will have to built to get the raw materials out to sell them to the outside world.The government of Quebec said that everyone in the province would benefit.

"(Plan Nord) will create or consolidate 20,000 jobs a year, on average, and generate C$14bn (£8.86bn; $14.5bn) in revenue for the government and Quebec society," said Mr Charest.With global appetite for raw materials growing, mining companies are likely to keen to invest in the region.
Arcelor Mittal, Xstrata, Tata Steel and Barrick Gold are just some of the companies who are already active there.According to the plan, mining regulations will be amended to ensure the government obtains what it calls a "fair return" from the development of natural resources.

Sceptical

However, the plan will be scrutinised by environmental groups and indigenous people.
The government says that Plan Nord will mean better jobs, housing and education for the local Inuit people who often live in poor, remote communities."All of them are sceptical. They point to past agreements where certain things were promised and feel that they were short-changed by the government in the south."

Announcing the plan, Mr Charest said it was hoped that the project would be "one of the most environmentally sustainable projects for the world".  The goal has been welcomed by environmental groups."There are no models for this type of conservation planning on such a grand scale," said Matthew Jacobson of the Pew Environmental Group, but he commended Quebec for not undermining the environment with plans for excessive economic growth.

A whale of a story

Minke whale rescued from N.S. river


Fisheries officials rescue a minke whale caught in shallow waters near New Glasgow, N.S. (CBC)For the second time in two days, rescuers aided a large whale stuck in the shallow waters of a Nova Scotia river on Monday. Members of the New Glasgow, N.S., fire department were called out to the East River Sunday to assist a minke whale that had become stranded."We have no idea how it came up the river," said fire chief Doug Dort. "Probably chasing small fish, I would think." Dort said members of the department's water rescue team dug a trench around the whale and pulled it backwards to allow it to swim away.

But on Monday morning the whale was back, this time as far as eight kilometres up the river.Officials say the whale was calm as they helped tow it to open waters. The Department of Fisheries responded to help free the whale, estimated to weigh between 350 and 500 kilograms, after it got stuck on a sandbar.The four-metre whale was freed and on Monday afternoon was being towed to Pictou Harbour, where it will be set free in the Northumberland Strait. Fisheries officer Craig MacDonald said the whale's skin was dry and had some marks on it, but the minke did not have any open wounds.'We'll keep our fingers crossed that he grows up to have kids of his own and can tell them to stay out of the river and enjoy the open ocean.'

—Craig MacDonald, fisheries officer"He was very calm … and he's got some kick to him," MacDonald said. "We'll keep our fingers crossed that he grows up to have kids of his own and can tell them to stay out of the river and enjoy the open ocean."

Minke whales, which have characteristic white bands on their flippers, are commonly seen in the Maritimes in spring. They are seasonal feeders that eat small fish and have been known to chase schools of sardines, anchovies, cod and herring

'SlutWalk' marches sparked by Toronto officer's remarks

'SlutWalk' marches sparked by Toronto officer's remarks


Protesters say they are reclaiming the word "slut" A new protest movement sparked by a policeman's ill-judged advice to women students to "avoid dressing like sluts" has taken root in the US and Canada. Thousands of people - some dressed in jeans, others more provocatively - are taking part in marches, or "SlutWalks".
The aim, say organisers, is to highlight a culture in which the victim rather than rapist or abuser is blamed.
A "SlutWalk" in Toronto last month attracted some 3,000 people. A similar event is due to take place in Boston.

Nearly 2,500 people have signed up via Facebook to attend Saturday's march in Boston.Boston organiser Siobhan Connors explained: "The event is in protest of a culture that we think is too permissive when it comes to rape and sexual assault.""It's to bring awareness to the shame and degradation women still face for expressing their sexuality... essentially for behaving in a healthy and sexual way," the 20-year-old told Associated Press.

Workshops

Police officer Constable Michael Sanguinetti had been giving a talk on health and safety to a group of students at Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto when he made the now infamous remarks."You know, I think we're beating around the bush here," he reportedly told them. "I've been told I'm not supposed to say this - however, women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimised".

He has since apologised for his remarks and has been disciplined by the Toronto police, but remains on duty.
Meanwhile, his remarks have led to "SlutWalks" not only in Toronto but also in Dallas, Asheville in North Carolina, and in the Canadian capital, Ottawa. As well as Boston, marches are also planned in Seattle, Chicago, Philadelphia, Reno and Austin.
The SlutWalk Toronto website says the aim of the movement is to "re-appropriate" the world slut.
"Being in charge of our sexual lives should not mean that we are opening ourselves to an expectation of violence, regardless if we participate in sex for pleasure or work," it says. Everybody, from singles, couples, parents, sisters, brothers, children and friends, are encouraged to join the marches.The rallies typically end with speakers and workshops on stopping sexual violence and calling on law enforcement agencies not to blame victims after sexual assaults, the Associated Press reports.

Canadian/Irain Reporter detained in Syria

Syrian officials have confirmed to the television channel Al-Jazeera English that they are holding British Columbia journalist Dorothy Parvaz, who was detained on arrival in Damascus six days ago and hasn't been heard from since.Al-Jazeera called for the immediate release of Parvaz.

She is an experienced journalist who joined Al-Jazeera in 2010. She graduated from the University of British Columbia, obtained a masters from Arizona University, and held journalism fellowships at both Harvard and Cambridge. She previously worked as a columnist and feature writer for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer in the United States.

Journalists have faced ever increasing restrictions in Syria since protests there began.
"We are worried about Dorothy's welfare, security and safety," an Al Jazeera spokesman said. "Syria should release her immediately."

A statement from Dorothy's family read: "Dorothy is a dearly loved daughter, sister and fiancée .… We need to know where she is. We need to know that she is comfortable. We need to know that she is safe."

Her family is desperate to hear from her.

"We just want to know she's safe and we want her to come home," her sister, Sheila Parvaz told CBC News Tuesday.Parvaz was born in Iran and is travelling on an Iranian passport, which prompted the foreign minister of Iran to ask for more information on Parvaz's fate.
Facebook campaign

About 2,000 people have joined a worldwide Facebook campaign for Parvaz's freedom.Her father, Fred Parvaz, hopes the global response to his daughter's disappearance will protect her."I am really relying on them to treat her well, like a human being, just like the person who wants to do her job," Fred Parvaz said.
"I am very proud of her, I love her very much."

Dorothy Parvaz spent her teenage years in North Vancouver and attended the University of British Columbia. She then studied journalism in Arizona and later worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper before taking the job with Al-Jazeera.Her fiancé, Todd Barker, said he tried to talk Parvaz out of going to Syria, but didn't succeed. "Nothing I would say would change her mind," Barker said in a telephone interview from Portland, Ore.Meanwhile, Syria's president said Wednesday the military operation in a southern city at the heart of the country's uprising will end "very soon."
The city of Daraa has been under military siege since April 25 as protests that started out as demands for reforms seven weeks ago mushroomed into calls for Bashar Assad's ouster.

Rights groups say at least 545 Syrians have been killed in the uprising.
Assad's remarks were reported in the private Al Watan daily on Wednesday.
Late Tuesday, activists say, security forces fired tear gas in the northern city of Aleppo to disperse hundreds of students rallying and calling for an end to Daraa's siege.The activists spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing government reprisals. They say many protesters were later detained.

Canada- Nation or Notion

The Economist's Point of view- pre-election

ON MAY 2nd, for the fourth time in seven years, Canadians will go to the polls. On the previous two occasions the outcome has been a Conservative minority government, under Stephen Harper. Both the Conservatives and their main opponents, the Liberals, hoped to break the stalemate this time. Yet if opinion polls prove correct, it will be Groundhog day for Canada, with the Conservatives again the largest party but lacking an overall majority. There is one possible twist: the left-wing New Democrats are enjoying a late surge of support, especially in Quebec, and might secure more seats than the Liberals. Even if they do not, the two parties might conceivably join forces in an anti-Tory coalition. Then again, the NDP surge may yet help the Conservatives by splitting the opposition vote more evenly (see article).


Mr Harper’s record is in some ways impressive. Canada sailed through the recession better than any other large developed economy. True, that was mainly because of Asian demand for Canada’s natural resources, as well as the strong fiscal position and well-regulated banking system Mr Harper inherited from the Liberals. But he deserves credit for having administered a limited and effective fiscal stimulus, and for promoting investment through corporate tax cuts. Employment is higher now than when the Tories took over in 2006.

But there are some serious blots on Mr Harper’s record. He is a dinosaur on climate change. He has batted away all criticisms of the Albertan tar sands, where oil extraction is an especially dirty business, and placed his faith in carbon capture and storage, an unproven and expensive technology. Even some Albertan oil bosses favour greener rules. But the biggest worry about Mr Harper is his contempt for the rules of Canadian democracy. Since the previous election he has twice prorogued parliament for disgracefully lengthy periods, the second time to avoid awkward questions about whether his officials lied to the house about the treatment of detainees in Afghanistan. He has also got rid of watchdogs whom his government found too independent and generally tried to hand over as little information as possible to the public.

For these reasons The Economist, like many Canadians, would be relieved if there were a better alternative to Mr Harper. But there is not. On paper, Michael Ignatieff, the Liberal leader, looks attractive. The Liberals hoped that Mr Ignatieff, a journalist and writer who lived abroad for three decades, would bring them a scatter of stardust. Instead he has struggled to adapt to politics, and has plodded overcautiously. Fewer tax cuts, more money for health care but without reforms, and focus-group-inspired handouts for niche voters hardly add up to a compelling alternative vision. His party is still struggling, with many Canadians unable to erase the memory of a string of corruption scandals that disfigured the later years of the Liberals’ generally successful stint in power from 1993 to 2006. Indeed Mr Ignatieff’s weakness raises the unattractive prospect of a Liberal coalition with the NDP, an old-fashioned labour party led by Jack Layton, who has opportunistically opposed VAT and courted Quebec separatists.



Some day my prince will come



Coalitions and minorities may be the new norm in a country which now has four substantial parties. All things considered, Canada has not done too badly under Mr Harper’s minority governments. But sooner or later it will need a prime minister with a majority who can tackle difficult issues such as an ageing population, reforming a good but expensive health-care system, and coming up with a policy on climate change. If none of today’s leaders is capable of convincing Canadians that they deserve a clear mandate, then they should yield to others who might.

David Suzuki says VOTE

We Canadians are lucky; all we have to do is vote


Every day we hear news reports about people risking their lives for the right to choose their leaders. Here in Canada, many people are saying "Meh."

We shouldn't be so complacent, and we should never take democracy for granted. True, the current federal election is frustrating. The carefully scripted talking points, the avoidance of controversial issues, the negative attack ads – none of it is very inspiring. It's especially difficult for the millions of Canadians who care about the environment. Scientists from around the world – from countries covering the entire political spectrum – are unearthing incontrovertible evidence that the natural systems that give us life are in trouble. Pollution is affecting our children's health and causing health care costs to rise. Human activity is driving animals and plants to extinction at alarming rates. And climate change is having a dramatic impact on many things that make our world livable, including weather patterns, water availability, sea levels, and our ability to grow food. The economic implications of these environmental issues are immense.

Despite the serious nature of these problems and the fact that many solutions would be as good for the economy as they are for ecosystems and human health, the environment is being all but ignored in this election. Environmental issues barely registered in the leaders' debates, have not factored into most of the campaigns or platforms, and are not being covered by the news media.

Instead, we get the usual platitudes and regurgitations about tax cuts, the economy, jet fighters, and law and order. Of course, these are all important and deserving of our attention, but if we don't protect the air, water, and soil that give us life, we eventually won't be around to worry about the other issues.So, yes, it may be difficult to get worked up about this election when so many politicians and pundits are ignoring the most important issues affecting Canadians and our country's place in the global community. But every vote counts. It's especially crucial for young people to get out and vote. The last election had the lowest voter turnout since Confederation, in part because young people are not engaged with the political process. According to Stats Canada, close to 90 per cent of people over 65 vote in federal elections, but fewer than 50 per cent of voters under 30 cast ballots. Considering that young people have more at stake in the future of our country, this is bewildering.

Sure, it takes time to figure out where the parties stand on issues, but if candidates are willing to devote time to running and to representing us in Parliament, we can at least make some effort: visit a few websites, tell your candidates the environment is important to you, ask a few questions, vote if you're young and encourage young people to vote if you're an elder, and cast your own ballot. It's a lot easier than taking up arms and risking your life for the privilege of living in a democracy.

Some issues may seem distant or abstract, but politicians make decisions every day that affect each of us where we live. Do you want a pipeline running from the tar sands to the B.C. coast? What can we do to make cities more livable and sustainable? Should we do a better job of protecting wildlife and habitat? How can we take advantage of opportunities in the green energy sector?

Every Canadian should be happy for what we have achieved in our relatively short history. We have one of the most tolerant and peaceful nations on Earth, and we're blessed with an abundance of clean water and natural wealth. We have a great country because our democratic system allows us to participate in choosing the people and parties that lead us. The country we will have in the future, that we will leave to our children and grandchildren, will be shaped by the choices we make now, and by the people we elect to act on our behalf. We can't take this responsibility lightly. We enjoy freedoms and a quality of life that others are willing to kill and die for. At the very least, there's one thing we must do to preserve those privileges: vote!
Written with contributions from David Suzuki Foundation communications and editorial specialist Ian Hanington.

Learn more at www.davidsuzuki.org.

Louise Penny wins 4th Agatha Award

Quebec's Louise Penny 'thrilled' by 4th Agatha Award


6th book in Insp. Gamache series captures best mystery novel in U.S.

CBC News Posted: May 1, 2011 1:52 PM ET Last Updated: May 1, 2011 5:16 PM ET Read 5 comments5 Back to accessibility links

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Quebec mystery writer Louise Penny has captured an Agatha Award for a fourth year in a row for best mystery novel, Bury Your Dead.

Penny, known for her series featuring charming francophone homicide detective Insp. Armand Gamache, lives south of Montreal and was handed the prize Saturday night in Washington, D.C. Bury Your Dead has also been nominated for Canada's Arthur Ellis Award, to be handed out June 2. (Hachette Books)

"I am so thrilled," Penny wrote in her blog. "And so deeply grateful to not only the readers, of course — but my fellow writers, for being so understanding and so generous."

The awards are given to materials first published in the United States by a living author and honour what is called a "traditional mystery," best typified by the works of Agatha Christie. The books must not contain explicit sex or gratuitous violence.Bury Your Dead is the sixth book in the Gamache series and is also up for the Canadian mystery writing trophy, the Arthur Ellis Award, to be handed out June 2 in Victoria:
Her previous Agatha wins included:
2009 for A Brutal Telling.

2008 for The Cruelest Month.

2007 for Dead Cold.

In her latest Gamache novel, her normally steadfast inspector is holed up with an old friend in Quebec City, haunted by events from his past. Gamache is emotionally damaged."Gamache in Bury Your Dead is certainly tortured, but he’s struggling to get back to the light,” Penny said in a CBC interview last year. “He’s a man with equilibrium, through the rest of the series. Bad things happen and he feels them deeply, but he can get back to centre."

Penny, who had once worked for the CBC before leaving to write her mystery novels, burst onto the mystery scene with her first Insp. Gamache book, Still Life, in 2005.
The debut novel garnered several prizes including the New Blood Dagger award in the United Kingdom and the Arthur Ellis Award in Canada for best first crime novel.

Six Canadians inducted into the Medical Hall of Fame

A doctor whose research led to the first antiviral drug to treat hepatitis B and a cardiologist who contributed to Canada's first heart transplant are among the newest members of the country's medical hall of fame.

The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame in London, Ont., says it celebrates the accomplishments of "Canadian medical heroes."

The six laureates for 2011 are:

Born in Argentina, Dr. Albert Aguayo trained in neurology at the University of Toronto and McGill University in Montreal, where he was a pioneer in neural regeneration. Aguayo and his team were the first to show that nerve fibres and function in the central nervous system of adult mammals could be restored after injury.

Dr. John Bienenstock was born in Budapest, Hungary, and accomplished his landmark research into immunization and how the nervous and immune systems interact at McMaster University in Hamilton.

The late Dr. Paul David was considered Quebec's father of cardiology for establishing the Montreal Heart Institute in the city of his birth. The institute was home to Canada's first heart transplant and first coronary angioplasty under his direction. David was appointed to the Senate.

The late Dr. Jonathan Campbell Meakins was born in Hamilton. He was a teacher and promoter of clinical research who wrote a renowned textbook. The former dean of medicine at McGill University was an advocate of health insurance and was a founder and the first president of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Dr. Allan Ronald was born in Portage la Prairie, Man. Ronald was instrumental in creating the Manitoba Infectious Disease Program, an internationally recognized centre of excellence in research and training in the treatment of infectious diseases. With his wife, a nurse, Ronald provided antiretroviral therapy and training in HIV care to thousands in Africa, and he oversaw Hong Kong's SARS epidemic.

Edmonton-born Dr. D. Lorne Tyrrell's groundbreaking research led to the discovery of 3TC or lamivudine, the first antiviral therapy drug for the treatment and control of hepatitis B virus. Tyrrell and his colleagues developed a mouse model to test potential drugs against hepatitis C. In 2010, he secured the University of Alberta's largest donation, enabling him to found the Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology.

Wikileaks - American opinion of Canadian Political leaders

The whistleblowing website WikiLeaks has released sensitive U.S. diplomatic cables that reveal their behind-the-scenes take on Canada’s party leaders — on the eve of the federal election.

The cables released to several media outlets cover a six-year period that ended in early 2010. They not only provide a distillation of media accounts on key Canadian political events by U.S. officials, but include accounts from Canadian party insiders.

Among the revelations included in the diplomatic documents are accounts of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s “vindictive pettiness,” Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff’s “lack of energy and hands-on leadership,” and New Democrat Leader Jack Layton’s “mouse of a party.”

A cable from March 2009 that is classified as confidential states the Bloc Québécois is “well-entrenched” and plays a “spoiler role” against future Liberal or Conservative majority governments. Calls from Radio-Canada/CBC to the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, where many of the cables originated, were not immediately returned.
A 10-page brief by officials in the U.S. Embassy in Canada’s capital describes Harper’s governing style in detail.It calls him a “master political strategist” whose reputation was left “somewhat tattered” after his 2008 attempt to abolish public financing for all political parties.The cable was written a month after Harper prorogued Parliament to avoid the fall of the government on a budget-related confidence vote.
“Relying on an extremely small circle of advisers and his own instincts, he has played the game of high-stakes, partisan politics well, but his reputation for decisiveness and shrewdness has been tarnished by a sometimes vindictive pettiness,” says the cable dated Jan. 2, 2009.

Harper called controlling

The document also notes that despite years in the political sphere, Harper “remains an enigma to most Canadians [including many Conservatives].” It also includes references to Harper’s controlling ways within the party. According to the document, a minister of state confessed privately to a U.S. Embassy official that he “did not ‘dare’ to deviate from his preapproved text,” despite events having “overtaken his speech.”
Prime Minister Stephen Harper is shown shaking hands with Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean on July 1, 2009. He prorogued Parliament earlier that year, requiring Jean's OK. A document from early 2010 that was released by WikiLeaks says the Liberal Party had a 'muted' response to the prorogation. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)Citing discussions with Conservative caucus members, the document says the members said they were “often out of the loop on the prime minister’s plans” and many senior Tories said they were stunned to hear about the plan to ban public financing of political parties.

The lengthy cable also critiques Harper for concentrating heavily on short-term election planning, giving the government a “sometimes improvisational air.” Another cable dated March 23, 2009, speaks to strains between the Conservatives and Quebec following the prime minister’s attacks on the Liberal-NDP coalition pact, which alienated many Quebec voters.

“PM Harper reportedly blames Quebec Premier Jean Charest for the Conservatives’ failure to win a parliamentary majority,” the cable says. It also says Conservative Party insiders “repeatedly chafed” at the lack of obvious talent within the pool of Quebec’s Conservative MPs, leaving important portfolios to “less-than-obvious choice MPs.”

A number of cables also weigh in on the state of the Liberal Party and Ignatieff.

A document from early 2010 says the Liberal party’s “muted” response to Harper’s prorogation of Parliament suggested a “lack of energy and hands-on leadership,” noting that Ignatieff reportedly remained on vacation in France. “The Liberals face a tough road ahead if they hope to beat the Conservatives in the next federal election – whether in 2010 or 2011,” says the unclassified cable dated Jan. 5, 2010. Other cables cite conversations with former Liberal Party national director Rocco Rossi, who told U.S. Embassy officials that Ignatieff didn’t really listen to advisers.

“He knows his own mind, and the only person whose opinion he really cares about is his wife Zsuzsanna,” the cable quotes Rossi as saying. Rossi, a longstanding Liberal, quit his role as national director in mid-December 2009 to run in Toronto's mayoral race. He recently switched parties, announcing in February 2011 his intention to run for the Ontario Progressive Conservatives in the October provincial election.
CBC News tried to reach Rossi for comment but he was not immediately available.

Another former party official is quoted as expressing worries that the Liberals may have entered a period of up to as much as six to eight years in the “political wilderness” of opposition. The cable also describes Ignatieff as “urban, articulate, bilingual and with an impressive Rolodex of contacts around the world – including in the new Obama administration.”
Few Bloc, NDP observations

Rossi is also quoted as saying Ignatieff’s insisted on having new substance in each speech rather than perfecting a good stump speech for general use. The result, he says, was Ignatieff was forced to think about what he was saying in each speech, causing him to often look up or at his feet while pondering, instead of connecting with the crowd. “Rossi indicated some frustration that Ignatieff seemed unable to absorb helpful critiques on his delivery,” the cable says. Few of the American documents included observations of the Bloc and NDP.

In an unclassified April 2005 cable discussing how then-Prime Minister Paul Martin might hang on to power, an American official states that no matter what happens, Layton’s New Democrats will come out winners, since his “mouse of a party” has “gotten the attention of the lions.”“In the battle for Canada’s so-called progressive voters, Layton has finally presented himself and his party as having power and influence in Ottawa,” the cable goes on to say.

Another 2007 cable, quoting a PMO staffer, describes the NDP as living “for small victories on the margins, and this may be enough.” The Bloc is characterized in a March 2009 cable classified as confidential as “well-entrenched” and as playing a “spoiler role against future Liberal or Conservatives majority governments.”
“There does not appear to be any prospect of breaking up or giving up,” the cable states. “The Québécois retain a reputation as highly strategic voters.”

Ont. farm workers 'shocked' as union ban upheld

The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that a provincial ban on farm unions is constitutional, denying more than 80,000 Ontario farm workers the ability to unionize. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that a provincial ban on farm unions is constitutional, denying more than 80,000 Ontario farm workers the right to unionize.

"Quite frankly, we are shocked," Mindy Leng, a former Ontario farm worker, told CBC News.
"This decision is not really worth the paper it's printed on," said Stan Raper of United Food and Commercial Workers Canada. "It's not even fertilizer." Some producers, however, were encouraged by the ruling, saying the ban prevents higher labour costs.

"It would deter the industry or slow the industry down — stop new processors from coming in the area," said Corey Versnel, who runs a vegetable farm in Kingsville, Ont. One farm worker told CBC she does not personally feel the need for a union, but was sympathetic to other workers who do.
"If they have everything they need and if they don't really want a union that's great. But for the workers who feel that they are in a poor setting — like if they feel they are being discriminated against or if they have bad working conditions — I feel bad for them," said Angela McHardy.

In November 2008, the Ontario Court of Appeal upheld a charter challenge brought by the United Food and Commercial Workers Canada union that the ban was unconstitutional.The decision pointed to  freedom of association rights to organize for the purposes of collective bargaining. The Ontario government appealed the ruling to the top court, which heard arguments in December 2009 and ruled Friday, handing down an 8-1 decision upholding the law.The eight justices who allowed the appeal were divided on exactly how the workers should be allowed to bargain, but ultimately ruled that the existing act is sufficient.

Ontario's agriculture minister said she supports the decision but is willing to listen to the concerns of workers. "It's a very careful decision," Carol Mitchell said Friday.

"The Supreme Court has reaffirmed that the Agriculture Employees Protection Act is appropriate," she said."We are always listening and willing to work with the agricultural community," she added.