Health Canada To Add Anti-Cancer Drugs To Junk Food

Health Canada To Add Anti-Cancer Drugs To Junk Food

National Post

December 21, 2009

Health Canada is proposing an unorthodox way of combatting a food ingredient suspected in some cancers: It wants to let manufacturers put small amounts of a cancer-fighting drug into potato chips and similar foods to curb production of the harmful chemical.

Ever since acrylamide was discovered seven years ago in such foods as french fries and chips cooked at high temperatures, scientists have struggled for a way to get it out. The chemical is not added deliberately; it is an unintentional byproduct of cooking.

Though the evidence is far from definitive, acrylamide has been connected to cancer in animals and possibly people.

As a partial answer, Health Canada is suggesting removing the requirement for a prescription to administer the enzyme asparaginase, except when it is injected into leukemia patients as a treatment.

That way, food companies could include small amounts of the drug in their products, the department says in a “notice of intent” document published on Saturday. Evidence suggests that asparaginase lessens the production of acrylamide by as much as 90%.

The enzyme is destroyed in cooking so would have no impact on people consuming the food, said Varoujan Yaylayan, associate professor with McGill University’s food-science department.

“It has been used quite effectively on an experimental basis,” he said. “It appears to work.”

The acrylamide issue has preoccupied food manufacturers as they brace for the possibility of regulations that could limit levels of the chemical or ban it outright. California actually sued french fry and chip makers over the question, with several agreeing last year to reduce the volume of acrylamide in their goods.

“It’s been a big, big problem,” Prof. Yaylayan said. “Not so much in the public eye, but behind doors, the companies keep having meetings, having scientific symposia and seminars. I have attended many of them, here, in the U.S., in Europe.”

Manufacturers “fully support” the move suggested by Health Canada, Derek Nighbor of Food and Consumer Products of Canada said in a statement provided by the industry group yesterday.

Health Canada is accepting feedback on the idea for 75 days, and could implement it in six to eight months, the government document said.

Swedish scientists discovered in 2002 that acrylamide, used in making various industrial and consumer products, also occurred in foods ranging from breakfast cereals to bread cooked at over 120-degrees celsius. A by-product of heating certain sugars, levels are particularly elevated in carbohydrate-heavy food heated to high temperatures like chips and fries.

Tests have found that consuming the chemical increases the risk of some cancer in rodents. Evidence of its effect on humans who eat it in food is less clear, though, with some research linking it to cancer but most studies finding that the levels people eat would have no carcinogenic effect, said Lorelei Mucci, a Harvard medical school assistant professor who studies the issue.

In fact, Dr. Mucci questions devoting much energy or money to the substance.

Volumes of the chemical can be reduced by cooking at lower temperatures or soaking the product in water first to extract some sugar, but such techniques can affect the pleasant odour, crispiness or colour of some food.

Asparaginase is injected in leukemia patients, where it breaks down asparagine, an amino acid, killing the cancer cells. When it is applied to potatoes or other food before cooking, it similarly reduces the amount of asparagine, the key ingredient in the inadvertent production of acrylamide.

The “downstream effects” of using asparaginase to counter the chemical in food should be studied carefully, advised Dr. Mucci.

 

[Via http://noworldsystem.com]

Toronto Airport With "Worst" Delays

In the immediate aftermath of the failed terrorist bombing of Flight 253 in the United States, heavy security has plagued air travel wait times all over the world. And according to the Globe and Mail, Toronto’s Lester B. Pearson International is among the absolute worst in the world, say many airline industry analysts.

Of course one needs to take into account several factors here. Toronto is a major international hub for travel, particularly as stopovers en route to the United States. Canada also has the most scheduled flights to the U.S. than any other country in the world, unsurprisingly, but it’s still caused enough chaos that police forces have had to be called in to deal with the volume.

But while some other Canadian airports have managed to deal with the problems, Toronto is struggling.

“There are some Canadian airports operating very well. Vancouver is doing well. Calgary seems to have turned around … most of the pressure right now is definitely focused on Toronto,” said Ken Dunlap, director of security in North America for the IATA. “We’re satisfied that every stone has been turned over to remedy the situation at Canadian airports.”

Although it isn’t mentioned in any articles that I can think of, do you think that this little get-together might have anything at all to do with the extra delays?

Close to 17,000 Muslims came to Metro Toronto’s Convention Centre on Friday – Christmas Day – to learn about their religion and being a Muslim in a modern world.

They heard from Islamic scholars, prayed, visited with family and friends and shopped in a bazaar that offered up a variety of wares, including hand-embroidered shawls, books, T-shirts, hijabs for both women and children, jewellery and hijab pins.

It was all part of a three-day convention “Reviving the Islamic Spirit,” an annual conference with its roots in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attack. It is designed, organizers say, as a way to help young Muslims understand their faith in a North American context.

A three-day convention, which means that if you do the math, most would be trying to leave Toronto yesterday and today. Or is that merely an inconvenient coincidence?

[Via http://unambig.wordpress.com]

Five, four, three, two, one...two, three, four, five

For many years, I’ve poo-pooed the act of New Year’s resolution-making. I could care less about New Year’s, which means I generally avoid New Year’s-y nonsense, including the year-end traditions, the-year-in-review newspaper articles and those infernal top-ten-lists, and, of course, New Year’s Eve parties, especially ones involving hollered countdowns, midnight kisses (tongue or no tongue, slobber or no slobber) and off-key renditions of Auld Lang Syne. Which means all of them.

Call me a killjoy if you must. In my books, New Year’s is a big disappointment — always has been, always will be. I’m an optimistic, I swear, but New Year’s never fails to let me down. The clock strikes twelve, and what have you got? The same neuroses. The same regrets. The same flab in the same conspicuous places. The same crippling fear of failure that, instead of motivating you to succeed, sucks you into that self-loathing, procrastinating vortex of definitely-soon-but-not-until-I’ve-cleaned-the-toilet-napped-and-watched-Glee. Same same same. BLAH.

Ain’t no pyrotechnics display, Self-Improvement-Vow or wet smooch with Uncle Frank gonna change a thang. At least, no more than ANY OTHER DAY OF THE YEAR.

New Year’s resolutions are, as a rule, a risky business. The chances of success are (unlike me) extremely slim. Old habits die hard. You stand at the edge of a cliff as the clock ticks and tocks its way towards twelve. You resolve to fly in 2010. Reason tells you that, as soon as you jump, you’ll go KERSPLAT at the bottom of the ravine. But you’re full of boozified optimism. The Schnappsy stars are twinkling in your eyes. So when the clock strikes, you jump, because hey, maybe this year will be different. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll sprout wings.

And then you go KERSPLAT at the b0ttom of the ravine.

Why do we torture ourselves this way, year after year after year? Humans are screwy. This constantly amazes me.

Here’s the funny thing. I’m not anti-resolution because I’ve failed. I’m anti-resolution because I’ve succeeded. It’s true! I know, I’ve just said the chances of success are (unlike me) extremely slim. But I managed to pull it off. ONCE. When I was a foolish, maudlin twentysomething, I smoked. Cigarettes. Gobs and gobs and gobs of them. AND I LOVED IT. But I gave it up cold turkey on Dec. 31, 1999, at the age of 21. And I haven’t once looked back.

*pats herself on the back*

The fact I’ve actually kept one resolution is the perfect excuse never to make one again. One, because I don’t want to spoil my perfect record. Two, because given the fact the chances of success are (unlike me) extremely slim, I am more than 100% sure to fail in future. I’ve used up all my luck.

Where am I going with this, you ask. Good question.

Well. If I were to make a New Year’s resolution for 2010, which I am not going to do, for reasons explained above, it would be this: to stay in each yoga posture for five breaths. This is the ashtanga tradition, and although it sounds easy, I personally find it damn near impossible. Deceptively simple. I’m a rusher, you see. A hurrier. I know I should spend five full breaths in each pose. But theory and practice rarely get along. I tend to cheat a little, when I count. I take short breaths. And/or I move on the fifth breath, which means I’m really only in the pose for four breaths. Which means I’m really only giving it 80%.

Am I impatient? Yes. Am I results-driven? Yes. Am I lazy? Yes yes yes.

According to one of my yoga teachers, ashtangis are famous for their ability to do anything BUT hold a posture.

In the words of my wannabe-ghetto Boulder hairstylist, “true that.”

To sum. I’m not going to make a resolution for 2010. I’m not going to promise to fix my hurry-hurry-ashtangi problem the second the clock strikes twelve on New Year’s Eve. All I can do is try to try. And accept that, despite my best efforts at slowing down, at staying present, at counting to five over and over and over, I’ll likely to go KERSPLAT at the bottom of the yoga ravine – especially in home practice, when no one is counting breaths except me.

[Via http://poseprose.wordpress.com]

Demand grows for Khadr's return

As people across Canada rallied in support for Omar Khadr, the Supreme Court of Canada began proceedings to decide whether the Harper government must seek the Canadian citizen’s return.

Toronto-born Khadr was arrested when he was just 15 by the U.S. army in Afghanistan in 2002, after allegedly throwing a grenade that killed an American soldier. Since then, he’s been held in Guantanamo Bay without trial.

The Canadian government under Harper has so far refused to seek repatriation for the now 23-year-old Khadr, despite a 2008 Federal Court ruling calling for exactly that, and instead went to the top at the Supreme Court. That court could uphold the decision of the Court of Appeals though, forcing the government to comply with its ruling.

Edmonton-based Dennis Edney, Khadr’s lawyer, said he hopes the Supreme Court will rule in Khadr’s favour. Such a decision would effectively force the government ask the Americans for Khadr’s safe return.

“They’d have to abide by the constitution, or we’d have an illegal government,” said Edney  when asked if he thought Harper would contravene such a ruling. “It’s just a simple matter of a ruling from our court.”

“Our government knows, as the rest of the world knows, that Guantanamo Bay has been universally criticized for its treatment of detainees,” he added.

U.S. authorities announced Nov. 13 that Khadr would be facing a military commission for his alleged crimes, the same day Supreme Court hearings on the case began in Ottawa.

“The military commission process has been condemned as a kangaroo court. It’s not a proper process,” Edney said about the development.

Closer to home, about 250 people rallied on Nov. 15 at Edmonton’s Churchill Square, calling for Khadr’s immediate return and criticizing what they see as the government’s abandonment of one of its own citizens.

“Canada is supposed to be the place where we defend and protect human rights, and we have a reputation world wide for that,” said Tonia Huculak, one of the organizers of the rally. “We want him to come back to Canada.”

Amnesty International, one of the sponsors of the Edmonton rally, has documented Khadr’s torture while being held by U.S. military in the notorious prison camp.

The fact that Khadr is a Canadian citizen is an important part of this case for Rodrigo Loyola, 35, who attended the rally with his five-year-old son, Daniel.

“For me, it was very important to attend the rally, because Omar Khadr’s situation could be any Canadian citizen,” Loyola said.

Protesters also criticized the government’s apparent willingness to allow Khadr to be tried in a military court in the U.S., arguing he won’t be given a fair trial.

“I’m very concerned about a Canadian citizen having to go through a military tribunal in the United States,” Loyola said. “It sets precedent.”

“Even if you don’t want to defend Omar, you have to defend your vision of what Canada is,” Huculak said. “If you can’t protect human rights in Canada, where can you protect them?”

Many of  Khadr’s supporters argue that since he was a child when he was detained, he should be treated as a child soldier and reintegrated back into Canadian society.

“Omar has always been treated as an adult, despite the convention on the rights of the child,” Edney said.

Others have called for Khadr to be returned to Canada and tried in a civilian court. But that’s not likely to happen if Khadr returns, according to Edney.

“The truth of the matter is Canada would never try him, because we’d have him out of our court system in two minutes,”  he said, in reference to Khadr’s age at the time of his arrest. “Canada knows that.”

A Jan. 2009 Ipsos-Reid poll indicated that two-thirds of Canadians want Khadr returned home to Canada. Edney said Khadr is aware of the Canadians rallying in his support.

“He says to me that if he ever got out of Guantanamo, he looks forward to thanking all those people who helped him,” Edney said. “Think about that. He’s thinking about others instead of himself.”

This article was originally published in the winter 2009 issue of The MacEwan Journalist.

[Via http://mariamibrahim.wordpress.com]

See Santa's Travels With NORAD!

If you wanted to track the location of Father Christmas tonight, you have only to look on NORAD’s site, accessible in 7 languages.

The tradition started in 1955 when NORAD was called the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) and a Sears advertisement printed Santa’s hotline into CONAD’s instead of Santa!

Colonel Harry Shoup, a commander, decided to have his staff find out where Santa was to so they could pass along the information to the kids.

Nowadays, volunteers help the center by taking phone calls and e-mails from kids. But if you really want to know what’s going on with Santa, all you need is a computer. Thanks to the Internet now, you can track him yourself online through NORAD’s site.

NORAD is made possible by Google Earth so have fun tracking and Merry Christmas!

[Via http://yvesonvictoria.wordpress.com]

Newsline: Canada starts issuing visas for Czechs in Prague

Canada has started issuing tourist visas at its embassy in Prague, as a result of which the Czechs travelling to Canada will no longer have to apply for visas via Vienna. The visa department is being opened in Prague almost half a year after the reintroduction of visas for Czechs by Canada in mid-July. Canada reimposed visa requirements on Czechs on July 14 because a high number of Czech citizens, mainly Romanies, applied for asylum after arriving in Canada. In Prague, Ottawa’s decision caused displeasure. The Czech Republic will continue calling on other EU countries to help it press on Canada that reintroduced visas for Czechs even after Canada opens a visa office in Prague. Canada has not stated so far when the visa would be lifted. The EU has threatened to introduce visas for Canadian diplomats unless Canada facilitates the issuing of visas for Czech citizens and sets clear conditions for the renewal of visa-free relations. Brussels set the end of 2009 as a deadline for Ottawa in this respect.

http://www.ceskenoviny.cz/news/zpravy/canada-starts-issuing-visas-for-czechs-in-prague/413095

[Via http://diplomaticbriefing.wordpress.com]

Laugh Rebel... @ Cosmic Dave's

Had a shoot with Jen Plummer & Jen Courchesne of Laugh Rebel.  They arranged a location shoot at Cosmic Dave’s guitar shop & studio in Sudbury, Ontario.  And what a location it was!  A converted diner, with much of the original decor still intact…Worth a visit if you ever are in Sudbury.

Here are a few of my favourites:

[Via http://shawnmoreton.wordpress.com]

focus on: aritzia.

inn 1984 brian hill opened the first aritzia boutique inside the reputable hill’s of kerrisdale department store on the west side of vancouver.

the store’s have an indie vibe; however, the stores are modelled after the cities they reside in drawing a parallel between the stores and the customers who shop in them.

no two boutiques are alike.

a strain of creativity runs through the heart of every aritzia store, ”they are sponsor to FUSE at the vancouver art gallery, and play indie and electronica tracks. artists such as amy winehouse, patti smith, stars, bat for lashes, simian mobile disco, peter, bjorn and john, lily allen, justice, daft punk, mgmt, bloc party, vampire weekend, santogold, crystal castles, team canada and m.i.a.. can often be heard in their stores.” (wikipedia)

unfortunately, because they change their stores to match the culture in their residin cities, much of the initial vancouver heritage is lost. when aritzia opened up in toronto, the stores, and it’s concept, became very mainstream.

it was no longer an indie company from vancouver, it was now a mainstream conglomerate for the mass consumption.

in my first year of university i noticed girls wearing TNA and talula – none of which were girls who would ever be into the stores out in vancouver – or the indie culture that goes along with the companies mantra.

how is it that the branding and mantra behind aritzia has become lost?

regardless, aritzia has made a name for itself, as celebrities all over the world are now wearing the brands, which have become synonymous with this canadian company.

initially i hated this company and everything it stood for; however, after doing some research into the companies history and it’s branding i’ve now become more aware of the company and what it stands for.

aritzia is a green company, “[it] claims it has a commitment to sustainability. their stores use low energy lighting, earth-friendly paint and wood-free shopping bags.” (wikipedia)

check out aritzia’s website here.

as of lately aritzia has even been features on MTV’s peak season – as characters elle and amanda rock their TNA hoodie’s.

although its hard to see an indie company go mainstream – it’s also really nice to finally see a canadian company prosper.

[Via http://thenightlyspoon.wordpress.com]

Siddiqui: Harper acting like an elected dictator

When Pierre Elliott Trudeau and Jean Chrétien were in power, conservative commentators used to complain that both tended to be dictatorial, courtesy of our parliamentary system that made the prime minister too powerful, more so in some respects than the president of the United States.

Where are those pundits when we really need them? Stephen Harper is centralizing power in the PMO on an unprecedented scale; defying Parliament (by refusing to comply with a Commons vote demanding the files on Afghan prisoner abuse); derailing public inquiries (by a parliamentary committee and the Military Police Complaints Commission); muzzling/firing civil servants; demonizing critics; and dragging the military into the line of partisan political fire.

“When you add up all that this government has done, it’s truly scary,” says Gar Pardy, former head of the foreign ministry’s consular services. He’s the one who organized the petition that defended diplomat Richard Colvin from Tory mudslinging, and which has been signed by 133 retired ambassadors.

The extent of Harper’s misuse of power becomes clearer when you realize that the Conservatives are replicating some of the worst practices of the Republicans under George W. Bush and Dick Cheney:

Consolidating executive power; eviscerating the legislative branch; operating under extreme secrecy (by keeping an iron grip on information, through endless court challenges and censoring/redacting documents); riding the coattails of the military and questioning the patriotism of political opponents; and forcing out public servants who refused to fall in line.

Count the heads that have rolled in Ottawa:

Peter Tinsley, chair of the military police commission, who initiated the Afghan prison abuse probe – refused a second term.

Paul Kennedy, chair of the Complaints Commission for the RCMP, who criticized the use of Tasers – refused a second term.

Linda Keen, nuclear watchdog, who insisted on safety at Chalk River – fired.

Kevin Page, parliamentary budget watchdog, who rattled the Tories with several revelations – rendered ineffective with a cut of $1 million from his $2.8 million budget.

Marc Mayrand, chief electoral officer, who probed Tory election spending – publicly attacked.

Louise Arbour, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, who dared criticize both the U.S. and Israel – refused support for a second term and publicly rebuked.

Jean-Guy Fleury, chair of the Immigration and Refugee Board, who opposed the Tory politicization of appointments to the tribunal – frustrated into quitting.

Similarly, groups that won’t toe the Tory line are being penalized.

The Canadian Arab Federation lost funding after its chair attacked Ottawa’s pro-Israeli policies. Now the same fate has befallen KAIROS, a Christian aid group, for “taking a leadership role in the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign” against Israel, boasts Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, the designated Tory bulldog in charge of attacking real or perceived enemies.

Ottawa is rife with rumour of another scandal in the making: Harper asking Governor General Michaëlle Jean to prorogue Parliament, yet again, this time during the Winter Olympics (ending Feb. 28) and perhaps also the Paralympics (ending March 21).

She should flat-out refuse and not repeat her mistake from a year ago, when she got rolled by him. At that fateful meeting, she should not have let Kevin Lynch, clerk of the Privy Council, into the room. Get-togethers between the governor general and the prime minister are privileged.

She also should not have shuttled between Harper and a team of constitutional advisers she had assembled. Instead, she should have taken his request under advisement and sent him off, and summoned Stéphane Dion and perhaps also Jack Layton to brief her on their coalition agreement.

That way, she would’ve had more choices:

Advise the Prime Minister to seek a vote of confidence. Or, if he felt he didn’t have it, to ask if someone else on his front benches might. Failing both, turn to the opposition to demonstrate that they could muster the confidence of the House, as claimed.

Jean failed in her duties by deciding the fate of the government behind closed doors, rather than in an open democratic process by the elected representatives of the people.

A governor general is not obliged to take the prime minister’s advice, only that which she deems appropriate to our parliamentary system. What Jean saw as appropriate last year wasn’t. Each passing day proves it.

Haroon Siddiqui writes Thursdays and Sundays. hsiddiqui@thestar.ca

[Via http://rogerhollander.wordpress.com]

Ten tallest towers in the world

In Malay Language : Sepuluh menara tertinggi di dunia

Top ten tallest towers of the world

1. CN Towers Canada, 553m – 1976
2. Ostankino TV Tower Russia, 540m 1967
3. Oriental Pearl Tower China, 467m 1994
4. Borg-E-Milad Iran, 435m 2003
5. Menara KL Malaysia, 421m 1995
6. Tianjin Radio TV Tower China, 415m 1991
7. Central Radio TV Tower China,386.5m 1992
8. Kiev TV Tower Ukraine,385m 1973
9. Taschkent tower Uzbekistan,374.9m 1985
10. Liberation Tower Kuwait,372m 1996

Kuala Lumpur Tower / Menara Kuala Lumpur / The KL Tower

In all of the we have visited Menara KL Malaysia in 2005. It was an amazing experience. My uncle came from India to see my son. We went there with few of my friends.

Other name for this building are

• The Kuala Lumpur Tower
• The Menara Kuala Lumpur
• The KL Tower

An antenna  placed at the top of the building for communication purposes. This KL tower is the fifth tallest freestanding tower in the world. The roof of the pod is at 335 m .

The rest of the tower below has a stairwell and an elevator to reach the upper area, which also contains a revolving restaurant (bit costly – but once we have to try this restaurant), providing diners a beautiful view of the city.

Architect: Kumpulan Senireka Sdn. Bhd.

[Via http://webalfee.wordpress.com]

Selling fridge to an Eskimo is becoming a reality

It used to be a truism that to be the best salesman in the world, one has to be able to sell a refrigerator to an Eskimo living at the Arctic.

It sounded more like a joke than a challenge to a salesman worth his salt for in reality, how could a fridge sale be consummated at the Arctic region, especially to the Inuits, the indigenous people of Greenland, Canada, Alaska and Russia, when it is, perhaps, the last thing that they need.

With permafrost practically all over the area, all the Inuits have to do is dig a hole to store their food and cover it back with ice so their provisions do not go bad prematurely.

But, with the issue of global warming hotly contested now, indeed, it may be highly probable these days that a salesman can close a deal with an Inuit by being able to persuade him to buy a unit of a cooling or a freezing appliance such as a refrigerator.

Climate change in the Arctic is considerably affecting communities and, thus, the lifestyle of the Inuits. Their hunting culture has been altered and so are the ways to store the meat of the Arctic species they hunt for food, like seals, polar bears, whales and the caribous.

In fact the Inuit communities are said to be appealing for funds to build communal deep freezers as an alternative to the fast melting ice cap.

The ice is no longer thick and safe as before that the Inuits have to find other ways to store their meat. Some of their villages are literally falling into the seas because of erosion as a result of global warming.

There is greater apprehension especially that the ice cap is melting much faster now. It has raised ocean levels and  thinned the winter ice and in the process is threatening the Inuit’s existence.

Unless the U.N. talks in the Danish capital of Copenhagen on a new global climate deal is being agreed upon  by the 190 governments attending it, could we be seeing pretty soon a proliferation of refrigerators being sold at the Arctic?

[Via http://quierosaber.wordpress.com]

O Canada

On my short NW wish list: seeing a Wild game in Vancouver. Time it took to get around to it: less than 2 weeks!

A old friend from school – like junior high old skool – invited me to go. My friend Karlie lives in Bellingham (about 1.5 hours north of Seattle) and invited me to go. We:

• did the border-crossing thing – knew I renewed that passport for some reason
• stayed at the Vancouver Marriott – which was gorgeous and I was seriously thinking about stealing the bed
• almost got run over by some crazy motorcade
• did some sweet shopping – if you ever need some Canadian-themed clothing, check this out
• saw some crazy Olympic preparations

The Wild lost, but it wasn’t a blow-out. As much as I feel like a sissy, I dressed in team-neural clothing. Glad I did, as those crazy Canadians are a tad more aggressive than Minnesotans…which I was surprised to discover…thought they were a gentle folk.

In the good words of Forrest Gump, “that’s all I have to say about that.” Here are the pics:

View from the Vancouver Marriott

Hmmm...wonder who they were transporting....

GM Arena

Game

Me n Karlie

Up next: job

[Via http://rubbishbot.wordpress.com]

Canada 2009

Bog Flora, Jasper National Park, Alberta

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Dry Pond, Jasper National Park, Alberta

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Moonrise, Banff National Park, Alberta

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Lake Waterton, Alberta

[Via http://delislephotos.wordpress.com]

Edmonton breaks weather record for coldest December 13

Edmonton breaks weather record for coldest December 13

National Post

Posted: December 13, 2009, 3:38 PM

By Scott Maniquet

Sunday marked the coldest Dec. 13 in Edmonton’s history.

Environment Canada recorded a frigid -46.1 C, or -58.4 with wind chill, at the Edmonton International Airport at 5 a.m., Environment Canada meteorologist Pierre Lessard said.

The old record of -36.1 C was set last year, he said.

“To break a temperature by 10 degrees is very exceptional,” said Lessard.

A ridge of frigid Arctic air has hit all the prairie provinces this weekend, causing record-low temperatures in many parts of northern Alberta, Lessard said.

“Temperatures are very cold over Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. There are some places more windy than the others, especially northern Saskatchewan and the north half of Manitoba are very cold,” he said.

But Arctic winds are normal in the winter and should pass through by the middle of this week, Lessard said.

Some flights scheduled to land at the Edmonton International Airport late Saturday night and early Sunday morning were diverted to Calgary because of the severe temperatures, said Edmonton International Airport spokeswoman Traci Bednard.

There were some delays and a couple of cancellations for flights departing Edmonton as well on Sunday morning because of the cold, she said.

“Different airlines and aircrafts have different operating limits,” Bednard said.

Canwest News Service

photo: Pedestrians brave the frigid weather as trees are coated with ice fog on Dec. 13, 2009. (Ed Kaiser/Canwest News Service)

Source

[Via http://globalfreeze.wordpress.com]

Green products will be showcased at Landscape Ontario's Congress 2010

The landscaping industry has experienced tremendous growth for many years, providing several economic benefits to society, especially with regards to employment.  However, the industry provides many other social benefits beyond the economic measurement such as environmental, community pride, lifestyle, tourism and recreation.

The landscaping industry is currently positioned for continued future growth because of the many social trends that are occurring such as aging baby boomers interested in garden and garden-related activities during retirement, the return of staycations and the rising concern for the environment. Therefore, moving forward, the landscape industry is fostering strategic alliances with other business professionals to act on these social trends and work towards professional development.

At Congress 2010, a three-day horticultural, lawn and garden tradeshow taking place Jan. 12-14 at the Toronto Congress Centre, Landscape Ontario is partnering with the Ontario Parks Association, Communities in Bloom – Ontario and the Canadian Fence Industry Association as well as the aquatic leisure industry as a means of creating a one-stop buying and networking experience for business professionals.

Landscape Ontario’s Congress 2010 attracts more than 500 exhibitors, many of whom will be showcasing new and green products. Congress 2010 is Canada’s largest horticultural, lawn and garden tradeshow and conference.

The Ontario Parks Association will be running their annual Explorations 2010 trade show in conjunction with Congress 2010.  The 17th annual parks, grounds and recreation facilities trade show is dedicated to showcasing products and services related to parks and green spaces sectors.

Written by Exhibit City News Wednesday December 09, 2009  Read More

[Via http://shopforexhibits.wordpress.com]

Canada Beats Around the Bush at Delegation Meeting

Every morning there are meetings where Canadians are able to meet with Michael Martin, Canada’s Lead Negotiator at COP15. Today Tyler, Sylvie and Emily from UWSP attended this meeting in order to get some more insight as to what is going on with Canada and why we aren’t saying anything. Our goal was to hear first hand why the government of Canada is not speaking up and what their plans are in terms of meeting commitments.

The meeting today was similar to most meetings that occur with our government – UNANSWERED AND OPEN-ENDED. Many questions were asked from a variety of youth and press. The youth put pressure on the government, but in all cases they were ignored with the annoying use of jargon coming from Mr. Martin. A key question that was asked was: Are Canada’s Current Targets Good Enough? [In regards to the melting of the ice caps and 2050]. Michael Martin answered – or didn’t answer – with a vague statement by saying, “I am not a scientist.” He went on to say that there are a group of scientists that provide recommendations to the delegation and give them the “scientific facts”, but would not answer the question whether or not Canada’s targets will have a negative effect on the earth by 2050. Caroline, a CYD delegate then attempted a different strategy by asking what the scientists have to say about our emission targets. He avoided the question by using governmental jargon. Mike Martin continued to say that it isn’t OUR problem, it is the global community’s problem. He repeatedly stated that Canada will step up only if other countries [AKA the United States] also start making decisions. It is obvious that Canada is not a leader and we as the youth at this COP are embarrassed by Canada’s lack of positive actions.

There are podcasts available so that you can hear what Michael Martin has to say. These will be posted shortly on the Canadian Youth Delegation website, http://cydcopenhagen.org/?cat=5 There are previous podcasts from the week which are also available on this website.

[Via http://uwsp.wordpress.com]

Just a little intro :)

Hey guys!

My name’s Britney and I’m a Canadian Gal currently attending University. I loveee creating things and have a slight addiction to the internet so I thought hey! Making a blog sounds perfect for me!

I have soo many different interests so I decided instead of focusing on just one subject I’d love to do a variety of different subjects all the way from self-help articles to crafts to celeb updates! I also  love meeting new people so if you drop by and like what you see, feel free to send me a comment or message, I’d be happy to say hi!

I also have two different Youtube channels (making videos is another one of my passions lol). The first one is “thelittlestmonkey77″ which is were I post all my fun/ creative videos and “beautifulpaperflower” where I post my vlogs and some videos on depression and anxiety help! Feel free to check em out!

Thanks so much for dropping by! If you have any suggestions on some topics you’d like to see me post, go for it!

Have an amazing day guys! Love ya! *kisses*

[Via http://beautifulpaperflower.wordpress.com]

First Snowfall

The first snow is always exciting.  This is our first snow in Sutton, Ontario.  This is our front lawn, and I hope to do another version of the back.  The Briars is next door and there are a lot of opportunity to capture snowscapes near lake Simcoe.  It’s not even winter yet, but there will be plenty of opportunities to capture the snow in Ontario.

[Via http://donarsketch.wordpress.com]

Found: Digital Camera at Christie Pits

In the spirit of the season and also becauseI am an honest person, I am posting to find out how effective the internet is.

I found a camera on the ground at Christie Pits.  It was a cold day full of walking around in the cold, hungry and then there was this black holster that I thought would be empty.  Now, I have lost a camera before in Berlin.  I am pretty analog regarding, camera-wise, and my camera had a whole roll of my brief stay in Hamburg and Berlin until the time of said camera loss.

If you know anyone who is in town, on an American-Canadian tour, of Asian descent (as seen in the photos in camera’s memory), please let me know.

If you recognize the dog above and name a couple of cities that you visited and recorded digitally, please let me know.

[Via http://urbanpeanut.wordpress.com]

A serious warning for Quebec's Premier Jean Charest too.

 

It is not just what you do that next can haunt you, but also what you had wrongfully failed to do as well. Things can change rapidly for the worse as well now.. Many, many people falsely still do think that bad things happen only to the others and will not happen to them next as well. The federal Liberals had in the past failed to adequately deal with the issues of adequate law and order and paid a big, big price for it, and who is next now?

The pot calling the Kettle Black. The new federal consumer government being concerned about Consumer protection, only when it suits them undeniably certainly has not done anything about the  undeniable false misleading advertisements by Rogers, TELUS and Bell  or the bad RCMP for that matter or the two tier health care system with have in Canada.. Nor have the Liberals   Health Minister pushing for consumer protection  Toronto Sun -  OTTAWA – Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq is turning up the heat in her battle to reform Canada’s consumer protection law, accusing senators of siding with industry over consumers.

[Via http://thenonconformer.wordpress.com]

Harbour Centre

This last week the good folks at Harbour Center in Vancouver, BC gave me roof level access to shoot some panoramic photography. Now… let me start off by saying I AM SCARED TO DEATH OF HEIGHTS… but this isn’t the first time I have attempted to conquer my fear and go some place ridiculous to get a good shot.

This shot was taken from the roof of the building. I used a 400 mm lens, so the full height of the tower isn’f fully appreciated in this shot, but the view and unobstructed access over the tops of many other buildings is what makes this shot work.

Harbour Centre - Man what a view !

Vancouver really is a beautiful city. The people are great, the country is fantastic and there is some absolutely beautiful scenery to take in while there. As always, comments on my work are SINCERELY appreciated.

[Via http://facesplacesandthings.info]

Father Jacques Marquette

By Bill Federer

Father Jacques Marquette arrived in Quebec from France to be a missionary among the Indians. Governor Frontenac commissioned him to explore the unknown Mississippi River. In 1673, he traveled with explorer Louis Joliette by canoe from Lake Michigan, across Green Bay, up Fox River to the Wisconsin River and down to the Mississippi, where they floated as far as the Arkansas River, deciding not to go further for fear of Spaniards. On their return trip up the Illinois River, Father Marquette founded a mission among the Illinois Indians. Caught by the winter weather on DECEMBER 4, 1674, Father Marquette and two companions erected a rough log cabin near the shore of Lake Michigan. The settlement would afterwards grow into the city of Chicago. In an account written by Father Dablon of the Society of Jesus, 1678, Marquette met with over 500 chiefs and “explained to them the principal mysteries of our religion, and the end for which he had come to their country; and especially he preached to them Christ crucified, for it was the very eve of the great day on which he died on the cross for them.” In 1895, the State of Wisconsin placed a statue of Father Jacques Marquette in the U.S. Capitol Statuary Hall.

www.AmericanMinute.com

[Via http://papundits.wordpress.com]

My Stance on Exotic Animals

Okay, you might have noticed that in my bloglist, I’ve posted some links to some sites that are all about exotic animals.  About a year ago, I accidentally came across an article that was against exotic ownership.  After reading it, I was intrigued by the issue and decided that if I was going to properly understand it and come to my own conclusion as to what my opinion on it would be, I needed to find some pro-exotics articles.  After a fair amount of searching and reading through of negative articles, I managed to find some positive information, which then led me to more positive information.  Although all of those articles contributed to my decision to work towards eventually owning one or more exotics, a youtube video is what really tipped the scales for me.  It is called ‘Exotic Animal Owners Under Attack’ and it is a slideshow of images of exotic animals and their people interacting, put together by REXANO, the organisation of REsponsible EXotic ANimal Owners.  Here it is;

How can you not be convinced that exotic animals can make great pets after that?  Notice that I used the word ‘can’ because exotic animals are not for everybody, just like domestic cats, dogs, and horses, respectively, aren’t forerybody. 

I could go on and on stating my opinions on this subject and explaining why what a lot of animal activists say is wrong but I’ll try to not make this too long.  First of all, I want to confront the whole “they should be in the wild, they’ll be happier there” thing. 

1) There is very little wild left because of humans.  Oh sure, there are humongous nature reserves, but as those are surrounded by a fence, any animals that reside there are technically in captivitty.

2) In the ‘wild’ the typical life of an animal consists of; not always knowing if it’ll have enough food, living in constant fear of predators/rivals, and eventually dying a very painful death due to starvation, disease, or being ripped to pieces by predators or rival carnivores.  Compare that to living in something that protects from the elements (whether that be a house or a constructed den in an enclosure), being guaranteed food regularly, getting vaccinated and therefore protected from the majority of diseases they would encounter in the ‘wild’, having a large enclosure to run and play in, and last but not least, being loved on and spoiled by their human family.

Now, you might be shaking your head at the computer screen going ‘no, that’s not how it is, exotic animals are alway kept in horrible conditions and spend their life angry.’  Unfortunately, the only times you’ve probably heard about exotic animals being kept is when they’re being abused, neglected, or have attacked somebody.  That is for two reasons; because animal rights activists want you to see only the bad stuff, and/or the media only shows you things that are considered ‘news’.

When I first got into researching exotics, I was most interested in tigers.  Now through being at exoticcatz.com, I know that I will be getting a serval first and possibly own a slightly larger cat like a lynx or cougar before finally getting a lion or tiger.  I’m also starting to like the idea of a lion a bit more partly due to hearing about others’ experiences with them and partly because of the work of Kevin Richardson (whom I will probably post about in the future).  Other exotics that I would like to eventually own at one point or another are;

a wolf or wolfdog

a kangaroo

an arctic fox

a jackal

a hyena

a bear

a peacock

a deer

a wallaby

and probably quite a few others I will decide that I would like.

Although there are other things I would like to discuss on this topic, I’ll leave them for another post.

And here is yet another quote from “How to be a Canadian”  They are actually two different sentences; one on being a newfoundlander, and one on being a quebecker, that are linked.

“Nefoundlanders rank-far and away- as having the most sex of any Canadians…Newfoundlanders are also the friendliest people in Canada.  Of course they’re friendly.  They want to have sex with you….The Quebecois are among the friendliest people in Canada outside of Newfoundland.  And yes, their motives are probably the same.”

[Via http://dainesmusings.wordpress.com]

Bail reform bill C-464

From CBC,

“Kate and David Bagby, who live in California, joined Avalon MP Scott Andrews in his riding just outside St. John’s Friday to bring attention to proposed Criminal Code changes.

The Bagby’s 13-month old grandson, Zachary Turner, was drowned by his mother in Conception Bay in 2003, shortly before she killed herself in a murder-suicide.“

I have the privilege to interview Kate and David when they visited Calgary in 2008, have a look of my video interview with them. You can also listen to an interview I had with Kurt who made a documentary about the case and was Andrew’s friend.

[Via http://kempton.wordpress.com]

Sand Bay Bass Hole Georgian Bay Lower Pickerel River Area

This big largemouth bass hole is way back in Sand Bay & can be full of largemouth & smallmouth bass at times that readily take surface lures. We have taken a lot of really big largemouth in this area so fish it throughly & especially way bay at the end where the creek runs into it as big largemouth sometimes hold in this warm shallow water. Also know that a nine pound smallmouth was caught in Sand Bay on a live crayfish fished 35 foot deep by the Windmill Cottage. It was taken two days before bass season opened & had to be released.

[Via http://georgianbaybasshole176.wordpress.com]