NewsCan: For February 9-15, 2007
Special Features |
International News |
Business and Trade |
Canadian News |
Opinion/Editorial
The Connect2Canada team produces NewsCan as a weekly summary of Canadian news. If you have comments or suggestions, please email us at newscan@canadianembassy.org.
The articles appearing in this newsletter have been collected from various Canadian and American news websites. Articles appear in the language in which they were published.
Connect2Canada strives to minimize inclusion of paid links in NewsCan, but at times, some of our links to commercial news websites may lead you to paid content. This is mostly because the links are freely available at the time of the NewsCan publication, but they become paid content hours or days later, depending on the news sites. Connect2Canada will continue to do our best to make all of our news stories available without charge to our NewsCan readers.
Tell your friends and spread the word about NewsCan today!
Not on the NewsCan list? Click here to subscribe.
In this issue:
and much more...
News from Connect2Canada: Spotlight on Atlanta
An Out-of-This-World PanCanadian Gala
The Connect2Canada Team
"I never heard of a funny astronaut!" said one audience member. "These dinners just get better and better!" said another. "How are you planning to top it next year?"
The "funny astronaut" was Dr. Steven G. MacLean, one of the six original Canadian astronauts, veteran of two Space Shuttle flights (Columbia, October 1992 and Atlantis, September 2006), the second Canadian to walk in space, and the first Canadian to operate Canadarm2. Illustrating his remarks with video and slides — many of the images never before seen in public — Dr. MacLean talked informally about astronaut training, what happens to the human body during launch, and the timeless wonder of viewing the universe from a place "where there is no up or down." Numerous alumni and officials from Steve's own alma mater, York University — including President Dr. Lorna Marsden — were on hand to hear his presentation, which he called "From Atlantis to Atlanta: The View from Above."
Nearly 300 Canadians and friends of Canada joined the York contingent in the Grand Ballroom of the Four Seasons Hotel in Atlanta on Thursday evening, February 8, to celebrate the Third Annual PanCanadian Alumni Gala. This year, emcee Jonathan Mann (a Montréal native and CNN International anchor) again captured the crowd's imagination as he called out the names of the 36 Canadian colleges and universities represented in the room — some by only one person (Lakehead University, Saint Boniface College), others by three and four overflowing tables of alumni (York and McGill Universities, for example).
Apart from the speakers, the audience's most enthusiastic response was for Atlanta's 2006 Teacher of the Year, Raine Hackler, a graduate of the University of Lethbridge, who was honoured by Consul General Brian Oak for his dedication in teaching computer skills to underprivileged children at an elementary school in one of Atlanta's grittier neighbourhoods. And singer Jennifer Hanson, a native of Flin Flon, Manitoba, performed the national anthems and later entertained between 75-100 guests who stayed on until midnight for the "Canadian Jazz Café."
As for that rhetorical question of how we plan to top this year's event next year — the ideas and speaker suggestions are already pouring in! Stay tuned, and if you live in the southeastern U.S., we'll see you in February 2008 for the Fourth Annual PanCanadian Gala!
Special Features
Minister Day announces that NEXUS takes off at Toronto Pearson International Airport
Monday, February 12, 2007
The Minister of Public Safety, the Honourable Stockwell Day, announced today that the NEXUS Enrolment Centre and automated self-serve kiosks are now operational at Toronto Pearson International Airport and that NEXUS will expand to six more airports across Canada. The expansion to Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax will be completed soon.
Read the full story
Canada Participates in Global Dialogue on Climate Change
Thursday, February 15, 2007
The Honourable John Baird, Minister of the Environment, today announced Canada's intention to become a member of the Legislators Forum of the G8 + 5 Climate Change Dialogue. On February 14 and 15, 2007 in Washington D.C, Canadian Members of Parliament are participating in the Legislators Forum on Climate Change along with more than 80 legislators and government officials, and leaders from the private sector around the world, to generate ideas for an effective international approach to address climate change.
Read the full story
IMF Praises Economic Plan of Canada's New Government
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, today welcomed the release of an annual International Monetary Fund (IMF) report, which praises Canada's strong economic performance, forecasts continued growth and welcomes Advantage Canada, the long-term economic plan of Canada's New Government.
Read the full story
Governor General Announces 11 Decorations for Bravery
Monday, February 12, 2007
Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, announced today the awarding of 11 Decorations for Bravery. Recipients will be invited to receive their decorations at a ceremony to be held at Rideau Hall at a later date.
Read the full story
International News
Michigan Eyes New Canada-US Bridge
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Josh Pringle, 580 CFRA
Michigan is now testing to determine whether the ground can bear the weight of foundations for a new bridge linking Canada and the United States.
Read the full story
Rock mural built to honour Cdn troops
Friday, February 9, 2007
Murray Brewster, Cnews
Taking and holding the area around Ma'sum Ghar last fall cost Canadians the lives of five soldiers and that sacrifice is now etched into this dusty, ragged hillside by — of all people — American and South African dog handlers.
Read the full story
Canada joins $1.5-billion US vaccine program for world's poor
Friday, February 9, 2007
CBCNews
The federal government contributed $200 million US on Friday toward a $1.5-billion US program to spur drug companies to develop vaccines against pneumonia and meningitis for children in the world's poorest nations.
Read the full story
Canada's 'citizen soldiers' awarded Afghan medal
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Canadian Press, Calgary Sun
Most Canadians associate medals with old soldiers and wars long past, but that stereotype now clearly belongs to history as hundreds of young men began leaving the battlefields of southern Afghanistan this weekend, joining comrades on their long journey home.
Read the full story
Province offers $10M for scientists
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Bill Kaufmann, The Calgary Sun
With the offer of a $10-million recruitment sweetener, Alberta hopes to attract Nobel Prize-calibre medical researchers to the province.
Read the full story
Edmonton bottled water company gets UN seal of approval
Monday, February 12, 2007
CBCNews
An Edmonton-based bottled water company is teaming up with the United Nations, directing its entire net profit to the international agency to fund clean water projects in Africa.
Read the full story
Business and Trade
'Blazing' Canadian economy churns out 88,900 jobs
Friday, February 9, 2007
CBC News
The Canadian economy added far more jobs than expected in January, with Alberta and British Columbia leading the employment surge, Statistics Canada said Friday.
Read the full story
Trade surplus swells
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Tavia Grant, The Globe and Mail
Canada's trade surplus with the world hit a 10-month high of $4.98-billion in December as exports and imports swelled, a government report showed Tuesday.
Read the full story
Dormir au travail, c'est bon pour le coeur
Mardi, le 13 février 2007
Associated Press, LaPresseAffaires
Bonne nouvelle pour les employés fatigués: une petite sieste à la mi-journée semble réduire le risque de problèmes cardiaques mortels, selon les résultats d'une vaste étude publiés lundi dans le magazine Archives of Internal Medicine.
Lire en détail
Don't get caught without a visa
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Jim Middlemiss, CanadaCom
Cal Bricker knows the ins and outs of crossing the Canada-U.S. border on business. Mr. Bricker, the vice-president of public affairs for the Canadian operations of Waste Management reports to the company's Houston office and heads to the United States once a month to meet with executives. Before taking this job, Mr. Bricker lived and worked in the United States — back during 9/11.
Read the full story
GM to be first to build hybrid car in Canada
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Reuters
General Motors of Canada (GM.N: Quote, Profile , Research) said on Tuesday it will be the first automaker to build hybrid vehicles in Canada and expects hybrid versions of some of its pickup trucks to hit the market next year.
Read the full story
Indian metals firm to buy Canadian rival for $6 billion
Sunday, February 11, 2007
AP, International Herald Tribune
Indian aluminum and copper producer Hindalco Industries Ltd. announced Sunday it plans to take over Canadian aluminum producer Novelis Inc. for US$6 billion (€4.61 billion).
Read the full story
Canadian News
Jason Kenney Invites Canadians to Honour National Flag of Canada Day
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
The Honourable Jason Kenney, Secretary of State (Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity), invites Canadians to celebrate National Flag of Canada Day, which is observed each year on February 15, the anniversary of the proclamation of our maple leaf flag by Her Majesty the Queen, in 1965.
Read the full story
'Bon Cop, Bad Cop' is top flick but 'The Rocket' soars
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Jay Stone, CanadaCom
Bon Cop, Bad Cop, the bilingual, bicultural buddy film that is the most successful Canadian movie of all time with $13 million in box office receipts, was named best motion picture of the year at the 2007 Genie Awards Tuesday night.
Read the full story
It's too late to get a passport for March break
Friday, February 9, 2007
Unnati Gandhi, The Globe and Mail
Unusually long delays in processing new passports have tens of thousands of Canadians scrambling to get their documents back in time for the fast-approaching winter holidays.
Read the full story
B.C. marks 3-year countdown to Winter Olympics
Monday, February 12, 2007
Mary Nersessian, CTV
Architects, engineers and construction teams are working round-the-clock to build and upgrade Olympic sports venues, as British Columbia prepares to mark the three-year countdown to the 2010 Winter Games.
Read the full story
Artificial Lung Used For First Time In N. America
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
CityNews
It's a milestone in Canadian medicine that could save the lives of people with serious respiratory illness who are awaiting lung transplants.
Read the full story
Quebec to study how to live with immigrants
Friday, February 9, 2007
Kevin Dougherty, CanadaCom
After weeks of controversy over the attitude toward — and treatment of — newcomers to Quebec, Premier Jean Charest has named two respected academics to head a study into the reasonable accommodation of the traditions of immigrants.
Read the full story
Opinion/Editorial
Avec des fleurs?
Mercredi, le 14 février 2007
Sarah Charland-Faucher, Cyberpresse
Aujourd'hui, jour de la Saint-Valentin, plusieurs d'entre nous achèterons des fleurs pour offrir à l'être aimé. Au même moment, de l'autre côté de la planète, des milliers de travailleurs et de travailleuses des serres de fleurs iront se coucher exténué-e-s.
Lire en détail
B.C. is busy helping skilled immigrants find right jobs
Monday, February 12, 2007
Colin Hansen, CanadaCom
Recent media coverage has incorrectly painted a bleak picture of the prospects of skilled immigrants finding employment aligned with their knowledge, skills and experience.
Read the full story
