Actress Glenn Close arrives for the 84th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 26, 2012, in Hollywood, Calif. Close, also known for her mental health advocacy, will be a keynote speaker at an international conference on reducing stigma surrounding mental illness to be held in Ottawa in June. (Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images)

Award-winning actress Glenn Close will be a keynote speaker at an international conference on reducing stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness being held in Ottawa June 4–6.

The 5th International Stigma Conference—Together Against Stigma: Changing How We See Mental Illness—will bring together mental health researchers, policy makers, and service users from around the world.

That there is mental illness in my family puts us squarely at the heart of the global human family.—Glenn Close

In 2009, Close helped launch Bring Change 2 Mind, a U.S. based anti-stigma organization that works to remove misconceptions about mental illness.

Close’s younger sister, Jessie, and Jessie’s son, Calen, both live with mental illness. Fifty-six-year-old Jessie was diagnosed as bipolar at age 47. The illness began when she was a teenager but went years undiagnosed. Calen suffers from schizophrenia.

Jessie and Calen will also be guest speakers at the conference.

“That there is mental illness in my family puts us squarely at the heart of the global human family,” said Close in a press release.

“I am honoured to be a part of this year’s International Stigma Conference and am thrilled to also be celebrating the formation of Bring Change 2 Mind’s distinguished Advisory Council, who will aid us in translating the science of stigma and discrimination into powerful, informed messaging.”

Close, who has received six Oscar nominations, three Emmy Awards, two Golden Globes, and three Tony Awards, is also known for her role as a mental health advocate.

This year she received the National Association of Broadcasters Educational Foundation’s Leadership Award for her work with Bring Change 2 Mind.

The Stigma Conference is hosted by the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) and the World Psychiatric Association Scientific Section on Stigma and Mental Illness.

In welcoming Close to the conference, Micheal Pietrus, director of MHCC’s anti-stigma initiative Opening Minds, noted that “her commitment to fighting stigma and removing misconceptions about mental illness is inspiring to us all.”

Opening Minds is the largest systematic effort to reduce the stigma of mental illness in Canadian history, according to the MHCC.

The initiative is working to evaluate anti-stigma programs across Canada to determine their effectiveness at changing negative attitudes and behaviours related to mental illnesses. The successful programs are being replicated elsewhere in the country.

To decrease stigma, Opening Minds is also working with journalism schools and the media to identify myths and misconceptions associated with mental illness.

More than seven million Canadians will experience a mental health problem this year.

According to the MHCC, researchers have found that stigma is a major barrier preventing more than two-thirds of people with mental illnesses from seeking help, and “Many people living with a mental illness say the stigma they face is often worse than the illness itself.”

The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.

File photo of Wildrose leader Danielle Smith. Smith says the decision of Alberta’s culture minister to cancel the Shen Yun Performing Arts shows after the local hosting organization went public about unprofessional treatment at the hands of Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium management is an example of PC “bullying.” (Dave Cournoyer/Wikimedia Commons)

In their first session as the official opposition, the Wildrose Party took the Tories to task in the Alberta legislature Monday, calling the cancellation of future Shen Yun Performing Arts shows in the province an act of “bullying.”

Shen Yun, a New York-based classical Chinese dance company that performs around the world each year, has been coming to Alberta since 2007. The group was slated to perform at both the Northern and Southern Alberta Jubilee auditoria in 2013.

However, Culture Minister Heather Klimchuk abruptly cancelled future performances at both venues after the local presenters went public with concerns of “professional misconduct” at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in Calgary.

“It’s another classic example of ‘keep your mouth shut, otherwise we’re going to punish you.’ … This is not setting the proper tone for a brand new government,” said Wildrose leader Danielle Smith at a press conference on Monday.

“It’s a bullying issue.”

Culture Critic Blake Pederson called on Klimchuk in Parliament on Monday to apologize to the Falun Dafa Association, which presents Shen Yun in both cities, and reinstate the 2013 shows.

“The culture minister’s rash cancellation of next year’s performances means Shen Yun will have no venue large enough to accommodate it and effectively bans Shen Yun’s world class performances from Alberta,” said Blake.

In response, Klimchuk called the dispute a “contractual issue” and a “safety issue”—referring to a safety net placed over the Shen Yun orchestra pit that was demanded by Southern Alberta Jubilee management.

There was no net installed at the Northern Alberta venue, however, or at any other venue the show performs at around the world. The net was also not listed in the contract between the Calgary venue and organizers.

However, for the first time, Klimchuk said she will ask her officials to meet with the Calgary Falun Dafa Association to see whether the issue can be resolved. Premier Alison Redford echoed Klimchuk’s stance.

“This is an issue with respect to whether or not netting should be up around a stage and the management of the auditoriums believe that to be the case. … That is the primary concern and it is the only issue that it is going on,” Redford said.

Safety Claims a Red Herring‘

The Calgary Falun Dafa Association cried foul at a press conference after the legislative session, saying the safety claims were a red herring, and wondered why the Minister has only now agreed to a meeting, after repeated requests were ignored.

“We are disappointed that the minister has been mis-portraying that this is an issue solely about safety and a contractual issue, making the suggestion that the government is pro safety and our organization is weak in regards to safety. That’s really untrue. We are talking about professionals who are trained in the highest form of their art and certainly safety at all the performances is an important part of their work,” said spokesperson Jenny Yang.

“Unfortunately the minister’s office and the auditoria have been completely unwilling to discuss any remedies, and are rather disrespectful in that process. … It is that behaviour and that attitude which is not isolated to the net but has become the norm of how the ministry and the auditoria management are dealing with Shen Yun.”

Yang said the problems at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium started in 2010, and reached a peak in 2012 when a technical mistake by Jubilee staff caused a major lighting error during the performance. In addition, the door to a makeshift change room for Shen Yun’s female performers was accidentally opened by a male staff member, exposing the young women as they undressed to other male staff.

Yang says when these concerns were raised with Jubilee staff they were met with dismissal, condescension, or laughter.

In a letter to Klimchuk earlier this month, Winnipeg-based human rights lawyer David Matas said the use of the net was first imposed by the Calgary Jubilee’s management in 2010, even though no reference was made in the contract to any such net.

“This has been so even though liability waivers were offered and performers held personal injury insurance. There would have been no liability for the theatre in case of injury due to absence of a net,” he wrote.

Chinese Regime Pressure

The Falun Dafa Associations of Calgary and Edmonton have also raised concerns that the cancellation of the 2013 shows is a result of pressure from the Chinese Communist regime ahead of Redford’s trip to China next month.

The regime has repeatedly tried to stop Shen Yun from performing in Alberta and at many other venues around the world due to Shen Yun’s mission to revive traditional Chinese culture, which has been systematically destroyed in China to make way for communist rhetoric.

In 2010, Southern Alberta Jubilee management told the local presenters that they had indeed received letters and phone calls, presumably from the Chinese regime, that were clearly meant to create animosity towards the hosting organization with the ultimate aim of cancelling the shows.

Yang says the Falun Dafa Association’s original demands were simply to have the net removed from the orchestra, as it made the performers feel as if they were “performing in a cage,” and to ask for improved relations at the Southern Alberta venue.

Opposition House Leader Rob Anderson presented a petition to the legislative assembly on Monday and Tuesday with 6,000 signatures from Albertans, calling on Klimchuk to reinstate future Shen Yun shows.

Canada’s legal system needs to be aware of the global scope of persecution of vulnerable groups like Falun Gong to maintain its integrity and inspire action on international human rights justice issues, Matas said.

Matas analyzed five court cases and one tribunal to show how the legal system has failed to grasp the global nature of the persecution of Falun Gong being pursued by the Chinese regime, which Matas noted, is a foreign repressive state.

Proxy Legal Repression

While key perpetrators of the widespread imprisonment, torture, and killing of Falun Gong adherents do not acknowledge lawsuits filed against them in courts around the world, Matas said they do defend themselves through a proxy, the All China Lawyers Association (ACLA).

He described two cases of torture victims suing their perpetrators. In one, the plaintiff sued former Chinese head of state Jiang Zemin who orchestrated the persecution of Falun Gong. In the second, the plaintiff, a Toronto resident, took action against the now-disgraced Chinese official Bo Xilai, then minister of commerce and former head of Liaoning Province.

Bo rose to prominence under Jiang for his role in conducting a brutal repression and widespread torture of practitioners, which included the plaintiff.

While none of the accused contested the cases, the ACLA was granted intervener status as friend of the court to argue immunity for the accused.

Unlike the Canadian Bar Association, ACLA is directly controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and in China it is used by the CCP to stop lawyers from representing Falun Gong practitioners, thus directly participating in the persecution of Falun Gong.

It is completely wrong for Canadian courts to allow the ACLA, which denies justice to victims in China, to interfere in cases in Canada, Matas said. Allowing ACLA to intervene in Canadian courts means the courts are willing to turn a blind eye to its complicity in the persecution.

By so doing, Matas said any confidence that the courts will mete out justice is correspondingly decreased.

Oppression Extends to Canada

While the persecution of Falun Gong is intense and fatal in China, the Chinese regime finds several ways to attack adherents in Canada as well.

Matas described how the regime exports the slander used in China to demonize and thus justify the murder of Falun Gong adherents.

One of the most notable cases in recent years is that of Crescent Chau, the publisher of La Presse Chinoise, a Montreal-based Chinese-language newspaper that regularly publishes some 4,000 copies that sell for 60 cents each in Montreal, with a few hundred in Ottawa.

Starting in late 2001, Chau started to print runs of up to 100,0000 copies of 32-page special editions distributed nationwide for free, devoid of any ads or news. All 32 pages were packed with articles attacking the founder of Falun Gong and vilifying Falun Gong adherents with fabrications of bizarre practices like bestiality and vampirism.

At the time, The Epoch Times published articles that examined Chau’s actions and the Chinese regime’s repression of Falun Gong. The articles noted Chau’s actions revealed he was acting as an agent of the regime.

The articles also reported on Chau’s business connections to questionable characters and quoted Chen Yonglin, a former high-ranking Chinese diplomat who had defected to Australia, who suggested that Chau’s paper was serving as a propaganda tool for the CCP in Canada.

Chau said he wanted to eliminate Falun Gong yet stated he had neither spoken with Falun Gong adherents for the contents of the special edition nor read the Falun Gong teachings.

Chau was sued for defamation by 232 Falun Gong practitioners before the Quebec Superior Court and the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal concluded that the accusations of criminal behaviour, levied without any proof, were defamatory, but that they did not result in personal damages to individual plaintiffs.

That ruling overturned the lower Quebec Superior Court that gave credence to the defamation. The lower court had earlier held that it was not able “to come to the conclusion that contents of the impugned particles … are false, grossly inaccurate, published to incite hatred and derision in Canada or persecution in the People’s Republic of China.”

Although the lower court was overruled, Matas said the fact that a Quebec Superior Court judge would give credence to CCP propaganda against Falun Gong is troubling.

“What happens in court has a significant impact outside of court and beyond the judgment,” he said. “A poor judgment—the wrong result for the wrong reason—misleads the public.”

Discrimination Against Falun Gong in Canada

In the above case, although the Court of Appeal ruled that Chau’s act was illegal, no punishment was given and Chau subsequently repeated the crime. It’s part of a pattern Matas described of courts and tribunals failing to understand the nature of what is happening.

In 2010, the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal ruled that Falun Gong is a protected creed under the Ontario Human Rights code. That ruling came in a case where the Ottawa Chinese Seniors Association discriminated against Daiming Huang, an elderly female Falun Gong adherent who was expelled from the association for her belief.

During the hearing, Matas noted that ample evidence detailed how the seniors association was following the Chinese communist regime’s anti-Falun Gong policy and how the expulsion of Huang was instigated by the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa. Yet the decision made no finding on the aspect of the extension of the persecution of Falun Gong to Canada.

Matas was uncertain whether justice had been served, despite Huang’s win. To judge the system, he said one must look at the process as a whole rather than just the outcome.

Because the tribunal made no finding on the global pattern of persecution, the decision was limited in impact and has much less relevance than it could on the global campaign the Chinese regime is carrying out against Falun Gong.

General Problem; Solutions

Some cases do have landmark implications, delineating the line between regular criminal activity and activity that is part of a broader coordinated effort at repression.

Chau’s lawsuit against The Epoch Times is one example. While the defamation finding that Falun Gong adherents won against him was limited, a better result came from Chau’s attempt to sue The Epoch Times.

Chau tried to sue The Epoch Times for libel for describing him as an agent of the CCP. He lost, and the court asserted he was indeed acting as an agent of the regime. The ruling set a precedent that can help other courts understand the nature of actions taking place in Canada.

However, such findings are limited, noted Matas.

“Sometimes you get a good judgment; that doesn’t remove the general problem I was trying to identify, which is a general lack of awareness of what’s going on in China,” he said.

“I think when we’re dealing with specialized tribunals we have to make sure they get the specialized knowledge they need.”

It can be difficult for courts and tribunals to understand the scope of repression in China, he noted.

In order to maintain its integrity, the Canadian legal system has to become more familiar with the global nature of the CCP’s oppression of Falun Gong and its practitioners, Matas said, adding that currently, the system falls short.

“That system doesn’t work that well with these types of cases because there’s just too much contextual background information that the courts need to deal with.”

By issuing limited judgments, courts fail to define the parameters of what is happening accurately, which does little to prevent future acts of persecution.

Matas said the CCP’s oppression of Falun Gong has impacted the Canadian justice system by weakening it, making it less credible, and showing it to be “ill-informed and gullible.”

“We need to get our system organized so that victims abroad who come to Canada can get justice here.”

The conference at which Matas spoke ran two days and included experts from across Canada who spoke on a wide range of topics dealing with the 30th anniversary of the repatriation of the Canadian Constitution. Speakers also discussed both teaching and learning the law in Canada and elsewhere.

The Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) has accused Sino-Forest Corp. of one of the largest frauds ever carried out on the Canadian stock market.

On Tuesday, the OSC published a 33-page report detailing the “Standing Timber Fraud” that the Chinese commercial forest operator allegedly carried out on unsuspecting investors.

The OSC is alleging that Sino-Forest carried out a massive scheme to make its business look much larger and more profitable than it was in order to defraud investors on the TSX.

From February 2003 until October 2010, Sino-Forest raised approximately $3.0 billion in cash from the issuance of equity and debt securities to investors, noted the report.

“From June 30, 2006, to March 31, 2011, Sino-Forest’s share price grew from $5.75 (Can) to $25.30 (Can), an increase of 340 percent,” the report said.

The OSC alleged that the company had undisclosed control over suppliers, authorized intermediaries, and other companies that were used to create a “dishonest process of creating deceitful purchase contracts and sales contracts.”

After a wildly successful run on the TSX, the company’s fortunes began to turn after a report by research firm Muddy Waters claimed the company had exaggerated its assets. The TSX delisted Sino-Forest on May 9, 2012.

The BC Fruit Growers’ Association says approval of a GM apple could cause consumer backlash and harm the industry for conventional growers as well as potentially contaminate organic orchards. (Cat Rooney/The Epoch Times)

A biotech company’s bid to market a genetically modified apple that doesn’t brown when sliced is prompting concern among conventional and organic fruit growers in B.C.’s Okanagan.

Last month, Okanagan Specialty Fruits (OSF) submitted a request to Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for approval of its Arctic Apple, which has been genetically engineered to keep its colour when cut.

There are certain foods that are considered to be pure and one of them is apples. We don’t want to put that at risk. Glen Lucas, BC Fruit Growers’ Association

Glen Lucas, general manager of the BC Fruit Growers’ Association, says if approved, the GM fruit could be devastating for both conventional and organic apple growers.

“There are certain foods that are considered to be pure and one of them is apples,” he says. “We don’t want to put that at risk.”

He notes that consumer backlash to the apple could damage market share for conventional growers. Organic farmers are particularly concerned because if their apples are contaminated by the GM variety, such as through pollen transferred by bees, they could lose their organic certification.

“We would like the government to provide assurance and indemnity or a guarantee that there would not be a market impact from introducing this new technology,” Lucas says.

“We have not, in our view, received adequate assurances that organic producers would not be impacted, or if they are impacted, be compensated by government.”

The Arctic Apple is primarily designed for fast food restaurants and other food service companies that use pre-cut apples.

A biotech company’s bid to market a genetically modified apple that doesn’t brown when sliced is prompting concern among conventional and organic fruit growers in B.C.’s Okanagan. (Cat Rooney/The Epoch Times)

The technology was first developed in Australia and later licensed by Okanagan Specialty Fruits, which says the non-browning fruit can be beneficial to producers, retailers, and consumers due to its longevity.

Although resistance among consumers to GM foods remains high, OSF says each Arctic Apple will be labelled so that consumers can distinguish it as a GM product.

OSF also maintains the likelihood of other apple orchards becoming contaminated is “inherently very low,” according to its website.

“Apples aren’t like row crops. First, apple trees aren’t “weedy”—that is, they don’t tend to escape farms and grow in the wild like some other crops. Second, apple blossoms are pollinated by bees, not by the wind. So the risk of “gene flow” by traveling pollen is inherently very low for apples compared to other crops,” the website reads.

“On the outside chance that cross-pollination with Arctic Apples does occur, genes from the Arctic Apple parent will be present only in some of the resulting apples’ seeds—not in the fruits’ skin or flesh.”

Rigorous Testing

OSF president Neal Carter, a fruit grower with a background in bioresource engineering, has said the fruit is among “the most tested apples on the planet.”

But Lucas says this does little to comfort apple growers who are worried about seed contamination and losing their organic certification.

“What happens if their seed is contaminated? And what level of contamination puts the [organic] certification at risk? That’s the open question,” he says, adding that organic farmers may have to bear extra costs to test their seeds for GM contamination.

Last week, the New Democrats called on the provincial government to defend the B.C. fruit industry by working with the federal government to keep the province free of genetically modified fruit.

“The B.C. tree fruit industry produces healthy products that are world famous for flavour and purity. Growers are concerned that this marketing advantage will be undermined if the introduction of genetically modified fruit is allowed to go forward,” said Lana Popham, New Democrat critic for agriculture.

Last year, the BC Fruit Growers’ Association passed a resolution against the introduction of all GM fruit, stating concerns about consumer backlash and the difficulty of protecting organic growers from contamination.

OSF applied for approval of the new apple from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2010. The apple has not yet been approved anywhere in the world.

He said that in Canada, there will be a public comment period on the company’s request for approval to the CFIA through mid-June.

The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.

Jenny Yang, a spokesperson for the Falun Dafa Association of Calgary, says Alberta Culture Minister Heather Klimchuk’s decision to cancel Shen Yun’s shows in Alberta was in retaliation for going public with concerns. (Epoch Times File Photo)

Alberta Premier Alison Redford needs to rein in Culture Minister Heather Klimchuk after the latter’s “iron-fisted” response to public criticism, says a Calgary group.

Klimchuk cancelled all Alberta bookings of Shen Yun Performing Arts after the Calgary presenters of Shen Yun went public over ongoing difficulties with the management of the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium.

While there were no issues at all with shows at the Northern Alberta Jubliee Auditorium in Edmonton, Klimchuk cancelled bookings there as well. When asked about the decision, she offered little explanation before changing the topic.

“When the letter went out, cancelling the shows, I knew that I had to kind of do that,” she said in explanation for cancelling the Edmonton shows. She later said she cancelled the shows to be “consistent.”

Klimchuk neglected to inform the hosts of the Edmonton shows of her decision to cancel their bookings.

On several occasions, management has encouraged us to cancel our show, and the minister has now taken that step herself.

—Shar Chen

While the Calgary shows are hosted by the Falun Dafa Association of Calgary, the Edmonton shows are hosted by the Falun Dafa Association of Edmonton, two separate organizations with different personnel.

Shar Chen, a representative for the Edmonton association, said she was taken aback when she heard indirectly their show dates at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in Edmonton had been cancelled.

“We felt very shocked because first of all, we had no issue with the Jubilee Auditorium in Edmonton. They cancelled our dates without contacting us directly. They put it in a letter to the Calgary association,” said Chen.

In that letter, Klimchuk said she was unwilling to resolve the issue because the groups went to press with their concerns and alleged they had not attempted to contact her office or Katherine Huising, the director of the auditoria.

We are calling on Premier Alison Redford to show that the Alberta government will not similarly give in to foreign influence.

—Jenny Yang

In the same letter, however, Klimchuk said she reviewed all communication between her office and the group, which had attempted to contact her office over a dozen times.

In an interview with The Epoch Times after writing the letter, Klimchuk suggested she was unaware of the ongoing issues because she was not minister before October last year. She said, however, that she had asked her assistant deputy minister (ADM) to investigate.

Jenny Yang, spokesperson for the Falun Dafa Association of Calgary, said the ADM’s office had contacted her and said a meeting would be arranged, but her subsequent efforts to contact the ADM’s office to set up that meeting were ignored.

Pressure from Chinese Consulate

Yang said Klimchuk’s decision to cancel the shows is clearly retaliation for going to the press with concerns about a string of issues at the Calgary auditorium, and that it raises serious questions about whose interest the minister is serving.

“Minister Klimchuck’s conduct makes less convincing her assertion that there is ‘no linkage whatsoever’ between her actions and pressure received from the Chinese consulate in Calgary,” said Yang, referring to Klimchuck’s comments that pressure from the Chinese consulate had no impact in her decision.

Yang said that they heard from Huising in 2009 that the minister’s office had received pressure to cancel Shen Yun. Since then, Yang said the treatment by management at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium towards Shen Yun and the Calgary association has “rapidly deteriorated.”

“On several occasions, management has encouraged us to cancel our show, and the minister has now taken that step herself,” Yang said.

The position the minister has taken, Yang added, is not reflective of someone who wants to resolve the issue in the interest of the public and all stakeholders.

“Actually this is exactly what the Chinese consulate wants,” she said.

The Chinese consulate in Calgary has a history of interference in the province, including its widely covered efforts to interfere in Travel Alberta’s plan to sponsor Shen Yun in 2008.

In an email obtained by the Canadian Press, an official from Travel Alberta said the agency was forced to cancel plans to support Shen Yun after pressure from the Chinese consulate in Calgary.

Yang wants to be certain the same is not happening again.

“We are calling on Premier Alison Redford to show that the Alberta government will not similarly give in to foreign influence and is committed to resolving this issue in the interest of Albertans and the province,” she said.

When approached for a response, a spokesperson from Redford’s office distanced the premier from the decision and deferred questions to Minister Klimchuk, saying Klimchuk alone had made the decision to cancel the shows and was responsible for the file.

Deteriorating Professionalism

Problems for Shen Yun and the Calgary hosts began in 2010 when Shen Yun managers noted deteriorating professionalism from the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium management.

During performances this April, a severe technical malfunction marred one show, while a male stage crew member opened a loading dock door that was acting as a wall for a changing room, exposing the young women changing inside to several male crew members.

“When confronted over these and other lapses, auditorium management was condescending and unapologetic. For several years, the theatre has also refused to compromise on the placement of an intrusive orchestra pit safety net that impedes the performance,” a statement by the Calgary association says.

Klimchuk has deflected concerns raised by the groups by framing the issue as solely about safety and disagreement about the presence of a net over the orchestra pit.

While Calgary’s Jubilee has had a net since 2010, Edmonton’s has not, despite insistence that the net in Calgary was a non-negotiable and essential safety feature. Klimchuk said the Edmonton Jubilee will now be getting a net as well.

“The safety net is being installed as we speak,” said Klimchuk Friday.

Both the Calgary and Edmonton associations say no other venues in Alberta have the proper stage conditions for Shen Yun to perform.

The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.

NDP leader Thomas Mulcair’s recent comments that the Canadian economy is suffering from Dutch disease has sparked national debate about the role of oil in the economy. (Matthew Little/The Epoch Times)

What happens when the good times in Alberta’s oil sands end?

Canada’s rare combination of natural resources and a highly developed economy puts it in a unique position, with benefits, but also risks, such as those recently raised by NDP leader Thomas Mulcair.

How much the government can do to steer the private sector and how effective those policies are is widely debated among economists.

With Conservative economic policy rapidly coming to fruition, Mulcair will have until 2015 to wait and see how the economy pans out under Tory guidance.

Until then, he will make the NDP’s case on various fronts and has already started to frame the debate with his most recent assertion that Canada suffers from Dutch disease, an affliction loosely defined as a booming resource sector—in Canada’s case oil—that pushes the dollar too high for manufacturers to sell their goods abroad.

Mulcair had made the claim before winning the NDP leadership, but to much less fanfare than his comments earlier this month during a CBC interview. His remarks have spurred national debate in the media over the role of the oil sands in Canada’s national economy.

Mulcair asserts the oil sands are effectively gutting manufacturing because oil producers don’t pay the cost of dumping the pollution they create.

Mulcair is, in part, resting on solid economic theory borne out by historical example. At least three studies have found that Canada’s oil dollar is hurting manufacturers, but there are disparate estimates about how much.

One study commissioned by the government estimates that between 33 and 39 percent of manufacturing job losses were due to a rising loonie between 2002 and 2007.

But a high dollar is far from the only challenge facing Canada’s non-oil exporters.

Technological innovation can make global leaders like Research in Motion irrelevant in short order, and revolutions in transportation and communication have created a global economy where Canadian firms have to face off against competitors an ocean away.

Disparate Approaches

There are two broad ways to deal with those challenges, and the NDP and Conservatives stand on either side.

The Tories ascribe to the idea that the best thing for the government to do is set the right conditions for business to prosper, mainly by getting out of the way so the market can quickly adapt to changing circumstances.

Lower taxes, simpler regulations, and free trade deals that make Canada an attractive place to base operations are the hallmarks of Tory economic strategy.

The NDP generally disagree with this approach. While it is not yet known where exactly Mulcair would lead the NDP policy-wise, from the positions he has taken so far it’s clear he objects to major planks of the Tories’ economic platform.

Economists who strongly favour government intervention believe the government should employ almost any lever it can to support domestic companies, using everything from tariffs to national procurement and direct investment to foster their growth.

Mulcair’s cap and trade plan to make oil producers cover the environmental cost of emissions does not quite fall into that category. While it would raise the cost of oil production and slow the sector—possibly bringing down the value of the loonie to the benefit of manufacturers—it’s a fairly free-market approach.

Beyond some specific points, like the NDP’s objection to Conservative corporate tax cuts, it is unclear how much the NDP would diverge from the direction set by the Tories. However, Mulcair’s policies on the oil sands are in line with those recommended by economist Jim Stanford, who works for Canadian Auto Workers.

Stanford has written about Dutch disease and has been called by the NDP to testify at committee.
He says the government needs to take a more hands-on approach to manage the broader economy.

“I think we have to learn from the experience of other countries that have successfully nurtured home-grown but globally oriented companies,” he says.

He points to Germany, S. Korea, and Japan as examples and cites research by Carleton University’s Daniel Poon that scrutinized how Korea, Japan, and Taiwan developed their economies in relatively short order.

Rather than taking a hands-off approach, Poon’s research detailed how each nation leveraged a combination of polices—from controlling the value of their currency to blocking foreign competitors—to nurture domestic firms. Targeted investments and favourable domestic procurement polices also helped those countries build globally competitive brands.

(Modern free trade deals and membership in the World Trade Organization now limit some of those approaches.)

Canada needs to nurture those same value-added sectors, argues Stanford, because resource markets are notably volatile.

“You can go from feast to famine very very quickly,” he notes.

Comparative Advantage

But some economists argue that Canadian companies have yet to find their footing, and by lowering trade barriers and providing favourable conditions, the Tories have prepared businesses to find their niche and compete internationally.

“It is all about comparative advantage,” says economist Werner Antweiler.

Canadian companies need the rigours of international competition, rather than protection, to spur them to innovate, says Antweiler, the chair in International Trade Policy at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business.

“If we allow ourselves to compete in the world market, we allow ourselves to be competitive and productive,” he says. “The idea is you start to specialize where you have a comparative advantage.”
In other words, Canada can’t be the best at everything, but it can outperform other countries in some sectors.

There is wide disagreement about how much the government should participate to foster that kind of innovation. Canada has a well-educated work force and reasonable investment in research and development, but companies do little to innovate themselves.

A panel convened by the government to investigate that issue recommended in 2011 that the government simplify a system of tax credits for R&D and use domestic procurement to spur Canadian companies to innovate.

The Jenkins panel, as it was informally known, also recommended the National Research Council link with universities and business to foster innovation.

Industry Minister Christian Paradis re-affirmed the government’s commitment to those recommendations at the Bloomberg Canada Economic Summit on May 8.

With Mulcair talking about Dutch disease as leader of the NDP, that debate is about to enter the House of Commons.

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This file photo shows a worker installing a Sinopec logo at a new Sinopec station in Beijing. Green Party leader Elizabeth May says China’s large stake in Alberta oil is putting Canadian national security at risk. (Teh Eng Koon/AFP/Getty Images)

As foreign ownership of the Alberta oil sands increases, the leader of the federal Green Party warns that China’s large—and rapidly growing—stake in Alberta oil is putting Canadian national security at risk.

In a period of 18 months between 2009 and 2011, Chinese state-owned companies invested $15 billion in the oil sands, according to a study sponsored by the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE).

Green leader Elizabeth May says this is cause for alarm because these companies are owned by the Chinese Communist Party, and the more Beijing controls Canada’s natural resources, the more influence it can exert on federal policies.

“There’s really no separation between the Chinese Communist government and their capitalist enterprises—they’re the same thing. In that light there are concerns with national security,” she said in an interview.

“This is the kind of concern that should be reviewed in advance of Chinese investments.”

In recent years Chinese companies have been aggressively investing in Canada’s natural resources, especially the oil patch.

Since 2010, notable investments include a $1.25 billion share of Penn West Petroleum by the China Investment Corporation, and the purchasing by Chinese National Offshore Oil Corporation of Opti Canada for $2.34 billion.

Sinopec recently took over Daylight Energy Ltd. for $2.2-billion, and Petro-China became the owner and manager of the MacKay River oil sands project to the tune of $1.9 billion.

In the largest deal to date, state-owned Sinopec Corp. purchased a $4.65-billion piece of Syncrude in 2010, securing a 9 percent stake in the company.

Sinopec, which is also a partner in Enbridge’s Northern Gateway Project, has a long history of major scandals involving allegations of corruption, human rights violations, and environmental pollution. It is also known to enthusiastically engage in business with oppressive regimes around the world.

May said the 9 percent share is enough for Sinopec to get a seat on the Syncrude board, which gives them veto power and an ability to indirectly represent the interests of the Chinese regime.

“It gives the Chinese government quite a significant level of control over decisions that should be made by Canadians and the Canadian national interest,” she said.

“It’s not a company where the corporate behaviour would suggest that Canadian norms will be observed.”

A recent shareholder analysis released by environmental group ForestEthics Advocacy shows that close to three-quarters of oil sands production is now foreign-owned.

According to Statistics Canada, the oil and gas sector in Canada has nearly double the amount of foreign investment compared to the national average. In addition, over half (51.1 percent) of all oil and gas operating revenue in Canada goes to foreign entities.

Other Sectors

Chinese state-owned companies are gaining a foothold in other sectors as well.

Bell and Telus recently signed contracts with massive Chinese tech firm Huawei, raising fears that the deal could compromise the security of Canadian communication systems, making them vulnerable to espionage.

Australia and the U.S. have both blocked the Chinese firm from telecom projects due to security concerns.

And on Monday, Chinese company Wanda Group announced it will buy AMC—the second-largest theatre chain in North America—for $2.6 billion. The acquisition is being seen as part of the Chinese regime’s efforts to expand its global influence through soft power.

Headquartered in Dalian, Wanda is a subsidiary of China National United Oil Corporation Co. Ltd., according to Bloomberg Businessweek. AMC has hundreds of multiplexes in Canada and the U.S.

Given the increasing Chinese investment in Canada, especially in the oil sands, May wonders why she is the only MP questioning the associated risks. She says a strict screening process to review foreign investment in Canada is urgently needed to protect the national interest.

“We really need to have had, in the Investment Canada Act, a proper, consistent national security screen before foreign investments from any country are made in Canada,” she said.

“Prime Minister Harper explicitly refused—in 2009 when amending the Investment Canada Act—to include a clear, criteria-based definition of national security or to include a national security review.”

May also questions the decision to aggressively market oil resources to Asia while roughly half of Canada continues to rely on imported oil from world markets such as Saudi Arabia, Africa, and Venezuela.

“Eastern Canadians are buying oil at world prices while Canada is exporting most of its oil to the U.S. at lower prices. So we’re buying high and selling low. There are many layers on which our current approach to oil is devoid of any notion of the national interest,” she said.

“It’s selling out our resources to a foreign power that will remain under their control.”

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The National Energy Board says gas prices are expected to remain between $1.20 and $1.35 per litre across Canada. (Photos.com)

Canadians can expect to pay similar prices for gasoline this summer as last year, according to a National Energy Board forecast.

The price of gas is projected to average between $1.20 and $1.35 per litre across Canada based on an expectation that the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) index will average around US$100 per barrel.

Darcy Johnson, a market analyst with federal regulator the National Energy Board (NEB), says prices will vary from province to province based on provincial taxes as well as the price of crude oil used by the refineries supplying the fuel.

Fuel products in some markets, such as in eastern Canada, rely on world crude oil price benchmarks whereas other markets, such as Alberta and southwestern Ontario, are based on the WTI index.

The WTI price is expected to remain at a discount compared to world benchmarks because of supply and demand imbalances and “pipeline bottlenecks” due to land-locked refineries, the NEB says.

“The supply comes from inland North America, either from Alberta, Saskatchewan, North Dakota, or Texas, and most of it will feed down into central North America,” explains Johnson. “But the demand is actually on the coastline, so … the pipeline bottlenecks getting that crude oil to the coast.”

Prices of natural gas are also expected to remain at their lowest level in a decade at US$2-3 per MMBtu due to record levels of natural gas in storage this spring.

NEB market analyst Bryce van Sluys says the high amount of storage results from the warmer weather experienced all over North America this past winter, lowering demand for fuel during the season.

The low prices are expected to raise the use of natural gas in the market.

“[Based on] basic supply and demand, if the price is low enough people are going to find a way to take advantage of that,” says van Sluys.

One possible area that can see more use of natural gas is the electric power generation sector in the U.S., he says.

According to the NEB, electricity market prices are also lower than average this summer, though some provinces are paying higher prices because of regulated and contracted generation.

The provinces experiencing increases include Nova Scotia, Ontario, BC, and Manitoba, according to NEB market analyst Natalia Lis.

Lis says the increase is 10.4 percent in Nova Scotia, between 5 and 8 percent in Ontario, 3.9 percent in British Columbia, and 2 percent in Manitoba.

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Prime Minister Stephen Harper speaks with Defence Minister Peter Mackay and Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird at the International Security Assistance Force meeting on Afghanistan during the NATO Summit in Chicago on Monday. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)

Prime Minister Stephen Harper confirmed Monday at the NATO summit in Chicago that Canada’s military mission in Afghanistan will come to an end once the current training mission concludes on March 31, 2014.

“For more than a decade, the brave men and women of our Canadian Armed Forces, the RCMP, and many dedicated public servants and civilians have made enormous sacrifices to assist the Afghan people,” he said, according to a PMO release.

“Canada will honour its commitment and complete its current training mission but our country will not have any military mission in Afghanistan after March 2014.”

Canada will provide financial support to the Afghanistan National Security Forces to the tune of $110 million per year over three years from 2015 to 2017, joining a broad international coalition of NATO and non-NATO partners in supporting the ANSF.

“Canada plays an integral role in ensuring that Afghan National Security Forces are well-trained so they can assume full responsibility for their own national security,” Harper said.

“The support being announced today will help sustain these Forces by ensuring they are well-equipped beyond 2014.”

A Toronto-based environmental organization says triclosan, an anti-bacterial chemical found in a broad range of household items such as hand sanitizers and toothpaste, should be banned because of its risk to human health. (Omar Torres/AFP/Getty Images)

The organization that successfully advocated for a ban on BPA in baby bottles and phthalates in toys is now turning its attention to triclosan, an anti-bacterial chemical originally used medically but now found in hundreds of products.

Toronto-based Environmental Defence says the chemical is present in alarming levels in people’s bodies and the environment, and the time has come to ban it from household use.

Tests conducted by the group show widespread body pollution by triclosan in Canadian adults. Seven of eight people tested had the antibacterial chemical in their bodies at levels higher than those toxic to fish.

“[The] data show how widespread the chemical is in our bodies. So consumers should do what they can to avoid products that contain it,” said Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defence.

Triclosan was first registered as a pesticide in 1969 and was initially used in medical settings as a surgical scrub.

But in the 1990s it began to be added to consumer products, and is now found in a broad range of household items such as hand sanitizers, toothpaste, cleaning supplies, and makeup, and is often the active ingredient in antibacterial products.

The chemical is known to be an endocrine disruptor—interfering with the human body’s natural hormones. Many endocrine disruptors have been linked to thyroid problems and cancer.

The Canadian Medical Association has also raised concerns about the chemical, due to fears its widespread use is contributing to antibiotic-resistant “superbugs.”

On March 30, Health Canada and Environment Canada published a preliminary assessment of triclosan on the Chemical Substances website. The assessment declared that triclosan can cause some harm to the environment—but not human health—at its current levels.

Environment Minister Peter Kent said in a news release that he would talk to industry players about voluntarily reducing the use of triclosan in their products.

Long-Term Exposure

But Smith said the issue needs to be taken more seriously and that triclosan must be avoided by all consumers due to its long-term presence in the environment.

“The danger with triclosan isn’t just the level of exposure, it’s also the length of time someone is exposed,” he said.

Since Triclosan is used in many consumer products, it is often washed down drains and goes on to pollute rivers and lakes. It is toxic to fish, amphibians, and algae, according to an Environmental Defence report titled “The Trouble with Triclosan.”

“Every time we wash our hands or brush our teeth with triclosan, more of this hormone-disrupting chemical goes down the drain. That’s bad news for people and bad news for the environment and why it’s time for a household ban,” said Smith.

In addition, it tends to break down in chlorinated water and sunlight, after which it can produce human carcinogens.

“Triclosan is now found in millions of people, as it is easily absorbed not only through the skin but also through the oral mucous membranes and GI tract,” the report says.

The federal government is currently holding a 60-day consultation period that invites industry, environmental groups, consumer groups, and other stakeholders to comment on its draft assessment of triclosan.

Consumers can check product ingredient lists for triclosan. However, some companies that use the chemical aren’t always required to list ingredients on certain products. Triclosan can also be referred to by the brand name Microban.

Conservative MP Rob Anders, seen here speaking at Falun Dafa Day celebrations on Parliament Hill on May 9, told The Epoch Times that most MPs are naive when it comes to the Chinese regime. (Evan Ning/The Epoch Times)

PARLIAMENT HILL—Conservative MP Rob Anders is concerned that very few Members of Parliament seem to really understand the significance of events unfolding in China today or the true nature of the Chinese regime.

“China is so vast and nebulous that a lot of people, unless they are deeply concerned, have a hard time reading the tea leaves,” he said.

That is the best way to judge the regime—by their actions, not by the words of the leaders in one-on-one meetings. — MP Rob Anders

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that rules China is currently in the midst of unprecedented upheaval as allies of former Party leader Jiang Zemin come under censure. Those allies include former commerce minister Bo Xilai and security chief Zhou Yongkang, both of whom Epoch Times analysts predicted would fall.

Jiang promoted both Bo and Zhou for their zealous adherence to Jiang’s bloody crackdown on the Falun Gong spiritual practice.

Meanwhile, current Premier Wen Jiabao is making bold moves to bring China towards democracy, including a recent directive that will allow political parties to register in China.

A well-placed source revealed to The Epoch Times recently that key leaders in the Chinese regime have agreed to nationalize the military, strike a committee to form a constitution that would enshrine the right to form associations and political parties, and redress the Tiananmen Square massacre and crackdown on Falun Gong.

The agreement also said the CCP had completed its reign as China’s ruling party.

Those signals represent seismic shifts within the regime. Historically, the CCP is known for its ruthless grip on power, a grip cemented with millions of dead. Some estimates put the number of deaths caused by the CCP since it came to power at 65 to 80 million.

Click www.ept.ms/ccp-crisis to read about the most recent developments in the ongoing power struggle within the Chinese communist regime. In this special topic, we provide readers with the necessary context to understand the situation. Get the RSS feed. Get the new interactive Timeline of Events. Who are the Major Players?

‘Chequebook diplomacy’

As events rapidly unfold, many MPs in Canada remain unclear about the true nature of the Chinese regime. Anders said many of the experts who do understand China have a vested interest in the status quo, while others have been duped by the regime.

“They are people that go on five-star trips and get wined and dined and what have you,” he said.

“I think a lot of people get bought into the chequebook diplomacy. I think that China is very good at taking people over to China and Shanghai and giving them a stay at a five-star hotel, and introducing them to people that speak excellent English and take them out for a night on the town, and stroke their egos and offer them business deals.”

The problem is a lot of our people are naïve. MP Rob Anders.

Some MPs The Epoch Times has spoken to have been uncomfortable talking about the unfolding events on the record; but few seem to have followed events closely. Some MPs who are closely involved in China seem relatively unaware of the abuses by the regime.

“The problem is a lot of our people are naive,” said Anders.

MPs offered great business deals that keep paying after they put up a bit of money don’t see themselves as bought, said Anders. Other officials approached by a woman a third their age don’t want to recognize that they are being offered favours, he said.

“They don’t want to see that for what it is. … They’re too proud to admit that they’ve been taken.”

Subtle Seduction

Anders compares the way MPs and others get seduced by officials of the Chinese regime to how Mackenzie King was seduced by Adolf Hitler after a visit to Nazi Germany in 1937.

“My sizing up of the man as I sat and talked with him was that he is really one who truly loves his fellow-men, and his country, and would make any sacrifice for their good,” King wrote about Hitler in his diary. The former PM wrote that Hitler appeared to be “a man of deep sincerity and a genuine patriot.”

“As I talked with him, I could not but think of Joan of Arc. He is distinctly a mystic,” wrote King.

Anders compared King’s comments to how Canadian officials and others have talked about Bo and other Chinese officials known for their brutality.

“It’s depressing. I am sure that on a one-on-one basis, the leaders of communist China, having risen to the positions that they have, they’re probably affable, they probably have people skills, they probably are well read and conversant on a variety of topics. So in that respect I am sure they may be interesting to have a discussion with,” he said.

“But when you judge the regime and what it has done, in terms of taking over other people’s territory, or in terms of gun boat diplomacy against their neighbours, or in terms of exporting revolution-like Maoist rebels to Nepal, or in terms of harvesting the organs of Falun Gong practitioners, or having the largest number of political executions in the world, and its massive system of jails and forced labour—that’s how the regime has to be judged.

“That is the best way to judge the regime—by their actions, not by the words of the leaders in one-on-one meetings.”

Regardless, he said Canada had a duty to support values like democracy and basic freedoms in China.

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B.C. plans to set aside a day for Family Day—a holiday in February that aims to give families a break in the long stretch between New Year’s Day and Easter. A recent survey suggests Canada has the fewest public holidays of any nation in the world. (Photos.com)

As B.C. ruminates on which day would be best to set aside for Family Day, a recent survey reveals that Canada has the fewest public holidays of any developed nation in the world.

The BC Liberals are holding online consultations from now until May 22 asking British Columbians to choose which day in February they prefer for Family Day—an annual holiday already celebrated in Alberta, Ontario, and Saskatchewan.

Manitoba and P.E.I. also have statutory holidays on the third Monday in February, but they are not officially referred to as Family Day.

The new B.C. holiday, set to come into effect in February 2013, aims to provide a break for families during the long 94-day stretch between New Year’s Day and Easter.

As part of the consultation process, the government will hear from the tourism industry and the broader business sector as well as the general public on whether to have the holiday either on the second or third Monday in February.

Having Family Day on the second Monday would mean that British Columbians wouldn’t have to compete for vacation spots with neighbouring provinces and U.S. states that already have a long weekend on the third Monday. It would also mean B.C. businesses could capitalize on increased traffic over two holiday weekends.

Alternatively, the third Monday aligns the Family Day long weekend with other provinces and neighbouring U.S. states, making it easier for families in different jurisdictions to get together and for B.C. businesses that operate across Canada to plan.

Fewer Holidays in Canada

An extra holiday may be a welcome relief for many, as a recent survey suggests Canada has fewer government-mandated holidays than any developed country in the world.

Released in December by U.K.-based Mercer Consulting, the survey found that Canada has a total of 19 potential days off, including calendar holidays and minimum vacation requirements for full-time staff.

The United States, on the other hand, has 25 days, Australia has 30, and Western European countries come out on top with 34-38 days per year.

Of all the 62 nations surveyed, Canada ranked at the bottom, alongside countries such as the Philippines (20 days), China (21), and Thailand (22).

Wolfgang Seidl, head of health care consulting at Mercer, says more time off does not necessarily mean less revenue for businesses in the long run, and can actually translate into more balanced, productive staff.

“Companies recognize that a healthy, happy workforce is a productive one and this feeds directly into the bottom line.”

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Audiences members give a curtain-call standing ovation to Shen Yun performers at the Sunday evening performance at Calgary’s Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium. (Jerry Wu/The Epoch Times)

EDMONTON—After the local hosts of a classical Chinese dance company raised complaints in the media about professional misconduct at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, Alberta’s Minister of Culture and Community Services Heather Klimchuk responded by cancelling the group’s future performances at both province-operated Jubilee auditoriums.

Shen Yun Performing Arts has performed in Calgary each year since 2007. But after the Calgary Falun Dafa Association, which presents the performances there, went public on April 16 with ongoing complaints about how the performers were treated, Minister Klimchuk informed the group that it should look for other venues at which to perform.

“The Shen Yun Performing Arts show carries a tremendous reputation in our province; however I must request that you find other venues for future bookings, including your 2013 dates at the Northern and Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditoria, which have now been released,” she stated in a letter to the group.

We have been requesting a meeting with officials in the ministry for years to address our valid concerns but have been ignored. — Jenny Yang

Klimchuk said she was concerned that the presenters brought their complaints to the public.

However, Jenny Yang, a spokesperson for the presenting organization, said in a statement that going to the media was resorted to only after repeated requests for a meeting with someone from Alberta Culture failed.

“The Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium is a taxpayer-funded venue whose purpose is to serve the public and enrich the cultural experience of Albertans. When a world-class arts company feels that it can no longer perform in Calgary due solely to the conduct of auditorium management, we believe that is an issue in the public interest. We informed the media of the situation only after our repeated requests for meetings failed,” Yang said.

“That the Minister would act punitively against us for raising a public issue to the media is unbecoming of someone in her position. This is all the more true of performances in Edmonton, which are hosted by our sister organization, and where there are no complaints concerning the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium.”

Problems began in 2010 when Shen Yun managers noted deteriorating professionalism from auditorium staff. During performances this April, a severe technical malfunction marred one show, while a male stage crew member opened a loading dock door that was acting as a wall for a changing room, exposing the young women changing inside to several male crew members.

“When confronted over these and other lapses, auditorium management was condescending and unapologetic. For several years, the theatre has also refused to compromise on the placement of an intrusive orchestra pit safety net that impedes the performance,” the statement says.

In a letter to the presenters, Klimchuk said she was not notified of problems, but the Calgary Falun Dafa Association says it requested a meeting with the Minister of Culture nearly a dozen times since 2010.

“The Government of Alberta should be accountable for what happened in the theatre. We have been requesting a meeting with officials in the ministry for years to address our valid concerns but have been ignored. We felt we had no choice but to raise these issues with the public,” said Yang.

“We are requesting that the Southern Jubilee Auditorium apologize to Shen Yun for the misconduct, invite them to return, and to remove the net over the orchestra pit for future performances,” she added.

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Police officers chase demonstrators during the G20 summit in Queen’s Park on June 26, 2010. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Police were ill-prepared for the G20 summit events and the protests that followed, Ontario’s civilian police watchdog that reviewed the conduct of police during the summit has found.

“What occurred over the course of the weekend resulted in the largest mass arrests in Canadian history,” Gerry McNeilly, head of Ontario’s Office of Independent Police Review Director, said in his report.

“These disturbances had a profound impact not only on the citizens of Toronto and Canada generally but on public confidence in the police as well.”

Security for the events in Toronto was provided by an Integrated Security Unit consisting of the RCMP, the Toronto Police Service, and the Canadian Forces, among others.

The G20 summit was held in Toronto in June 2010, following the G8 summit in Huntsville, Ontario. The combined security for both summits comprised Canada’s largest-ever domestic security operation, involving roughly 21,000 personnel.

McNeilly said the Toronto Police Service had “incomplete and inadequate” planning for the G20 security operation, and that it lacked experience in planning and executing operations of this scale.

He also said police used “excessive force” when making arrests in many instances, and that the Prisoner Processing Centre was “poorly planned, designed, and operated.” The lack of proper processes resulted in prisoners being lost within the system and prisoners not having their basic needs addressed due to inadequate staffing.

McNeilly noted, however, that given the short time police had for planning, “policing was generally carried out very well,” although improvements are needed.

Security had only six months to prepare for the G20, compared to most host cities that have two years.

Report Clears RCMP of Wrongdoing

In a separate report released this week, the RCMP watchdog concluded that the actions of the force during the G8 and G20 summits were “reasonable and appropriate.”

“The RCMP ably fulfilled its planning and operational responsibilities relating to security for this large-scale international event,” Ian McPhail, the Interim Chair of the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP, said in a statement.

The RCMP had the primary responsibility for the security of the summit and the protection of visiting foreign dignitaries.

McPhail said the RCMP had behaved properly in conducting its duties.

“Planning for both events was found to be thorough. The investigation did not reveal any instances of unreasonable use of force by RCMP members,” the commission said.

McPhail also cleared the RCMP of any wrongdoing in the so-called “kettling” incident, noting that although such tactics are not consistent with the RCMP’s policies and practices, the site was at the time under the control of the Toronto Police and the Ontario Provincial Police.

The kettling incident involved police boxing in of hundreds of people for hours in the rain in downtown Toronto on June 27, 2010.

“It is hoped that the issues identified throughout the planning process, during the Summits, and in the context of the Commission’s public interest investigation, will serve to enhance security for such events in the future,” McPhail said.

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Minister for Status of Women Rona Ambrose (C) is seen here with authors Aruna Papp (R) and Barbara Kay at the launch of their book titled “Unworthy Creature: A Punjabi Daughter’s Memoir of Honour, Shame and Love.” Minister Ambrose said she commends the authors for drawing attention to “acts of violence committed in the name of ‘honour’ with their new book.” “Aruna Papp demonstrates that the barbaric practices associated with ‘honour’-motivated violence have no place in Canada, and that we must reject them using clear language of freedom and equality,” she said in praising Papp for having the courage to speak out through her book. “I hope that my book will encourage community leaders from all countries where gendered inequities flourish to break the silence on, and the cycle of, honour-motivated abuse,” said Papp. (Status of Women Canada)

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A whistleblower watchdog is vowing to keep an eye on Alberta premier Alison Redford’s promise to introduce whistleblower legislation, and says success depends on the premier setting the right “tone” for her government.

After winning the provincial election and swearing in her new cabinet, Redford promised a sweeping review of laws—“taking the best examples from the world, including whistleblower legislation”—that would help Albertans access information about their government.

This week, the Federal Accountability Initiative for Reform (FAIR), an Ottawa-based charity that works to protect whistleblowers, wrote an open letter to the premier urging her to create strong laws to protect those who speak out about corruption or wrongdoing.

“The ultimate success of this initiative will lie mainly in your own hands, by setting the ‘tone from the top.’ Little will change unless your own actions as premier demonstrate that employees in Alberta are encouraged to report wrongdoing that threatens the public interest, and that your government will not tolerate any reprisals against them,” reads the letter.

David Hutton, executive director of FAIR, said in an interview that Alberta’s concentration of corporate power in the oil economy makes legislation to support whistleblowers even more important.

“I think it’s very appropriate, very valuable that Alberta would do this,” he said.

“We know that corporations don’t always act in the public interest. If there’s a choice between the public interest and making a buck, it’s pre-determined which way a corporation will go. In that kind of setting it’s doubly important that you have effective ways of ensuring that the corporations and the government that’s overseeing them are at least obeying their own laws and not engaging in misconduct or criminal acts.”

Canada Behind on Protection

Hutton said whistleblower protection across Canada has suffered “a history of decline” and is now decades behind other developed countries such as the U.S, the U.K., and Australia.

“Ten to fifteen years ago whistleblowers were in better shape than they are now because they had common law rights. They could go to court and sue their bosses if they were harassed. That’s not possible anymore. Those rights are being stripped away and the protection and immunity of higher-ups has been strengthened,” he said.

“It’s now virtually impossible to have any consequences against a politician or senior bureaucrat who’s done something wrong.”

Whistleblower protection began to decline after the tainted blood scandal of the mid-1980s—Canada’s worst-ever preventable public health disaster that led to 2,000 recipients of blood products contracting HIV, and another 30,000 transfusion recipients infected with hepatitis C.

Hutton said that after the scandal, laws were pushed through to protect politicians and bureaucrats from liability.

This, as well as a costly federal whistleblower protection system that has produced virtually no results since it was initiated in 2007, has contributed to Canada’s reputation internationally as the “Enron” of whistleblower protection, he said.

Alberta Controversies

Alberta has had its own share of whistleblower-related controversies, such as the case of northern Alberta physician John O’Connor.

O’Connor sounded the alarm in 2003 after finding increased cancer rates in the First Nations town of Fort Chipewyan, which he linked to environmental contamination from the nearby oil sands.

After speaking up, a complaint was lodged against O’Connor by Health Canada, which threatened to take away his medical license for “causing undue alarm,” and he became a victim of political persecution for the next five years.

After increasing public and media protests, O’Connor was eventually cleared of any misconduct and independent studies revealed his concerns were accurate—pollutants in the area were measured to be 50 times higher than normal.

Redford herself has come under fire for failing to carry through on a promise to complete a public investigation into Health Quality Council reports of a “culture of intimidation” and muzzling of doctors in the provincial health care system.

Accountability Tool

Hutton said Canada’s leaders need to understand the value of whistleblowers, not just to the public but to politicians and industry as well.

He said politicians can use whistleblowers to dig out problems in their departments and deal with them before a full-scale media scandal breaks. Or corporations can stop corruption and greed from destroying their companies from the inside, with possible repercussions for the public.

“If you don’t provide an avenue for whistleblowers to blow the whistle, then two things happen. One is that the wrongdoing goes on and builds up into something massive, which will eventually bring a government down when it’s exposed. The other thing is that the whistleblowers themselves, because of being crushed in silence, have no choice but to leak to the media,” he said.

“It’s an accountability tool,” he added. “If whistleblowers are dealt with properly, you can get these things nipped in the bud.”

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A store owner in St. Thomas, Ontario, holds a pack of cigarettes on March 12. A study by the C. D. Howe Institute says the government needs to find an appropriate balance between taxes, restrictions, and controls on the illegal tobacco market when forming policies. (Geoff Robins/AFP/Getty Images)

Canada’s illicit tobacco market can be shrunk by investing more in the legal or enforcement pressures on suppliers which would result in raising the price of contraband cigarettes, says a study by the C. D. Howe Institute.

Authored by Concordia University economists Ian Irvine and William Sims for the think-tank, the study examines government efforts and tax policy on tobacco use and the effects on the choice between legal and illegal cigarettes.

Titled “A Taxing Dilemma: Assessing the Impact of Tax and Price Changes on the Tobacco Market,” the study considers different policy scenarios to shut out the illegal market, including reducing taxes on cigarettes and boosting the price of the illegal product through more crackdown.

The authors conclude that reducing taxes on cigarettes would not have a significant impact on curbing the illegal market. It would also result in a small increase in total tobacco consumption.

For lower prices on the legal product to be effective in reducing demand for the illegal market, tax reductions would have to be substantial, the authors argue. However, that would result in significantly lower tax revenues as well as increased overall consumption.

Raising legal and enforcement pressure on suppliers would drive up the cost of contraband cigarettes and thus lower demand for the illegal market.

“[T]he illegal market is destined to remain operative unless more intensified legal measures are enacted,” the report says.

The authors note that sales of contraband cigarettes in Canada constitute a sizable component of the tobacco market. The illegal trade is associated with a loss in tax revenue and an array of illicit activities that involve gangs and organized crime.

Policy Needs ‘Appropriate Balance’

The report says the steep tobacco tax increases in the early 2000s resulted in a growth in the illegal supply, which by 2008 accounted for one-third of the national market.

Increased policing and controls, however, lowered the market share of the illegal product to around 20 percent in 2010.

The report notes that it would be impractical and of limited value for provincial and federal authorities to act against illegal production on First Nation lands, citing the 1990 Oka Crisis that put the Mohawks and Quebec authorities in a violent confrontation.

“We emphasize that tax policy should be based not only on its impact on the total quantity of cigarettes purchased, but also on the social, legal, and enforcement costs associated with the illegal supply,” the report says.

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Immigration Minister Jason Kenney rose in the House of Commons Monday to mark the anniversary of the repeal of the Chinese Immigration Act 65 years ago. Kenney said the repeal of the Act, introduced in 1923 to prevent anyone from China from immigrating to Canada, “brought an end to generations of discrimination against people of Chinese origin.” “Chinese men who had already faced two decades of stigma remained separated from their families and were denied the rights of subjects of the Crown. This was unworthy of our country, considering that many of these men had helped unite the Dominion in building one of the most dangerous sections of the CPR through the Rockies,” he said. He paid tribute to Douglas Jung, who became the first Canadian MP of Asian and Chinese origin, and subsequently represented Canada at the United Nations. “On this 65th anniversary of the repeal of the Chinese Immigration Act, let us all call to mind those who overcame adversity to help build a Canada that is a nation of freedom, democracy, and equality of opportunity for all,” Kenney said. (Citizenship and Immigration Canada)

Fifty-six percent of Canadian adults haven’t completed their last will and testament, according to a new survey. (Photos.com)

Do you have a will? If you answered no, you join the ranks of more than half of Canadian adults (56 percent) who haven’t completed their last will and testament, according to a new survey released by a Toronto insurance company.

In addition, 71 percent of Canadian adults also do not have a signed power of attorney, making them vulnerable in the event that an accident renders them incapacitated, says the survey, released by the Lawyers’ Professional Indemnity Company.

“The absence of a clear, signed will can become a divisive and contentious issue at a time when families are already experiencing grief, and can result in a range of complications, from belongings not going to the person they were intended for to court battles that cost thousands of dollars,” says Ray Leclair, LAWPRO’s acting VP of public affairs.

“Without proper powers of attorney in place, Canadians put at risk their ability to be properly cared for without delay or legal proceedings should they become incapacitated—for example through a major accident that impairs their ability to make decisions.”

The most common reasons the respondents cited for not completing their will? Believing they were still “too young,” not knowing how to get started, or viewing the process as too expensive.

Leclair says the process is not as expensive as many people think—usually a few hundred dollars or less—and can save huge costs down the road by avoiding the legal fees it would cost to sort out assets after the fact.

“This is especially important in today’s world in which we see more common-law relationships, blended families, and second or third marriages,” he says.

“A lawyer will provide guidance on how an individual’s circumstances could affect the disposal of assets in a will, and will reduce the risk of a breach of a technical requirement for a valid will or power of attorney.”

Consequences

The survey notes that many Canadians may not realize the consequences of foregoing a will until it is too late—which gives the government the power to divide their assets.

The laws differ between provinces, but a typical scenario, such as in Ontario, is that if a husband dies without a will, his wife gets the first $200,000 of the estate, and the remaining shares must be divided between the wife and children.

This could be a problem, for example, if the husband wanted his entire estate to go to his wife, or the children are too young. Before the age of 18 the inheritance is held by a trustee and could not be immediately accessed if, for example, it was needed to provide for the loss of income after an unexpected death.

Once the children become of age they are given the inheritance, but the question remains of how well an 18-year-old can manage a significantly large sum.

Wills Not Only for the Wealthy

A common misconception is that only the wealthy have an estate and need to prepare a will, says Jamie Golombek, managing director of tax and estate planning at CIBC Private Wealth Management.

“If you own investments, real estate, vehicles, or other personal effects, then you have an estate,” he said.

“A will is the most basic element of an estate plan that will ensure your assets are passed to your loved ones with minimal grief.”

Golombek says as the baby boomers head into retirement, the issue will become increasingly important.

“Given the mass amount of wealth this group has, the fact that nearly one-third of Baby Boomers are without any kind of will means they will not control who inherits their assets.”

Western Canadians More Likely to Have a Will

A similar poll, conducted for CBC by Harris/Decima, revealed that Western Canadian baby boomers are more likely to have prepared a will than easterners.

Adults in Alberta and B.C. were most likely have prepared for the worst, at 73 and 74 percent respectively.

Girls perform a Chinese ribbon dance at the Falun Dafa Day celebration on Parliament Hill May 9, 2012. (Matthew Little/The Epoch Times)

PARLIAMENT HILL, Ottawa—A celebration of ribbons and drums on Canada’s Parliament Hill Wednesday took place amidst a backdrop of political upheaval in China that has some MPs hopeful for brighter days in the Middle Kingdom.

Hundreds of Falun Dafa adherents gathered on Parliament Hill to mark Falun Dafa Day, an annual celebration of the public introduction of the meditation practice. Performances by dancers and musicians were punctuated by speeches from MPs and Senator Consiglio Di Nino, who spoke of their hope for an end to the crackdown on the group in China.

The Epoch Times asked several MPs from the Parliamentary Friends of Falun Gong what they thought of events unfolding in China today, where senior ranking party cadres have been ousted from the party with others expected to fall soon.

We should not allow economic considerations to trump human rights considerations.

—Conservative MP Garry Breitkreuz

After congratulating the Falun Dafa adherents gathered on the hill, Conservative MP Garry Breitkreuz told The Epoch Times that change may be underway in China, and widespread human rights abuses could be about to come to an end.

“It seems like the new leadership that is coming in may be addressing the situation. I think they realize how serious it is, how many lives are being lost. The torture, the detention that is taking place is not acceptable and I really think there is some hope that this will take place,” he said.

Conservative MP Garry Breitkreuz told reporters at the event Wednesday that trade concerns should not trump human rights in dealings with China. (Matthew Little/The Epoch Times)

Breitkreuz said the international community had a duty to push the regime in the right direction.

 “We should not allow economic considerations to trump human rights considerations. Freedom, democracy, and human rights are more important than sometimes a dollar in our pocket. That would be my feeling and I also think that the people of China themselves feel that way.”

Unrest is in fact at record levels in China, a situation that prompted U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke to describe the political situation there as “very very delicate,” in a January interview with NPR.

Breitkreuz said calls within China for change should be echoed in other countries as well.

“I am sure we do not know the extent to which people in China themselves are trying to voice their concerns over what’s happening. I think we need to support them.”

Upheaval Signals Change

NDP veterans critic Peter Stoffer also said he’s hopeful that upheaval in China means change is coming.

NDP MVD Peter Stoffer expressed hope that upheaval in China means change is coming soon. (Evan Ning/The Epoch Times)

“Obviously with the corruption charges against [Bo Xilai], I think that’s unsettled the apple cart a bit there. If someone of that prominence could end up being charged in that regard, it shows you that there are some people within the government that are looking at corruption from a different point of view and saying ‘Come on folks, we can’t keep doing this.’”

Disgraced official Bo Xilai was once China’s commerce minister, beloved by Canada’s business community as a friend to Canadian companies wanting to access China.

But Bo was among the most brutal cadres at the highest ranks of the Chinese Communist Party. Once widely held as a leadership contender, Bo has since been put under investigation by the Party’s powerful disciplinary committee. Epoch Times analysts expect Bo’s ally, Chinese security chief Zhou Yongkang, will also be purged.

Stoffer said the upheaval marks a time for the international community to call on the Chinese regime to address human rights.

Diversity of belief would make China stronger, as it did Canada, he added.

“The strength of the diversity of a nation is its tolerance and acceptance of other people’s faiths and religions. That’s what made us strong.”

“Your true power comes when your people say ‘I respect you and want you as my representative,’ instead of the dictatorial approach where they say ‘I’m your representative and that’s it.’ So when they reach that epiphany, I believe then they will have a really wonderful society.”

Stoffer said Chinese people are calling for change, and the regime should welcome it.

“Don’t be afraid of it. Don’t run away from it, don’t look at it as a threat, but embrace that change.”

Jailed for Free Speech

Liberal MP Judy Sgro spoke at a gathering on Parliament Hill Wednesday to celebrate Falun Dafa Day. (Matthew Little/The Epoch Times)

Liberal MP and Seniors, Pensions and Status of Women critic Judy Sgro said if the regime is serious about change, it should release its political prisoners.

“They’ve got people who are in jail for nothing more than talking in a public square about a peaceful movement. There are several that I know of, students who have been put in jail for nothing other than free speech. They weren’t saying anything against the government, they were just simply speaking out their mind about human rights.”

She said she was hopeful something was underway in China and Canadian officials had a duty to aggressively encourage it.

“They should be using whatever political strength we have. … If they want to continue to tiptoe around the violations of people’s human rights, China will continue to do whatever they want. I think that it is time Canada took a much stronger role on those issues.”

They’ve got people who are in jail for nothing more than talking in a public square about a peaceful movement.

—Liberal MP Judy Sgro

Sgro thinks Chinese participation in the world economy should require the recognition of groups like Falun Gong.

Green Party leader Elizabeth May said she was worried the Canadian government was wavering in its commitment to human rights in China.

“We mustn’t forget that as much as China plays a very significant and powerful role in the world, we must engage, we must always bear in mind that we don’t trade off human rights for selling oil,” she said.

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Click www.ept.ms/ccp-crisis to read about the most recent developments in the ongoing power struggle within the Chinese communist regime. In this special topic, we provide readers with the necessary context to understand the situation. Get the RSS feed. Get the Timeline of Events. Who are the Major Players?

A protestor stands in front of the condominium development project that the Musqueam Nation says will destroy an ancient village and burial site. (Courtesy Musqueam Band)

A B.C. First Nation is trying to preserve an ancient village and burial site that were part of what was once one of the largest pre-contact middens on Canada’s Pacific coast.

The Musqueam Nation and supporters have been protesting around the clock at the site of a large condominium development underway at the Marpole Midden, an ancient village site located at the southern tip of Vancouver.

The Musqueam say the 4,000-year-old midden represents a profound and rare link to their history, and is a sacred place of rest for their ancestors that should not be disturbed.

“It’s one of the last—if not the last—connection the Musqueam people have to their ancestors,” says Wade Grant, a council member with the Musqueam band.

“It’s important to the Musqueam now because the city of Vancouver has grown up so rapidly around us, there are no other real sites that actually connect us to who we are.”

The remains of an adult and two infants were unearthed at the site earlier this year, and the Musqueam say this provides further proof that the area is a rich historical treasure trove that needs to be protected.

Many tools, artifacts, and weapons were found in the area when it was first developed, which led to its designation as a Canadian Heritage site in 1933. It is recognized as one of the largest ancient village sites in North America.

Work is currently on hold at the site, located on the 1300 block of S.W. Marine Drive. Grant says band members will continue to protest at the site until a resolution is reached that protects the area from further development.

“Community members have said they’re planning to stay here until a resolution is found that ensures the archeological remains remain intact and are not removed,” he says.

“They are taking a stand and they are very upset right now.”

Alternative Offer

The Musqueam have offered to swap the condo development land, which belongs to a private owner, for a parcel of their own land, while covering some of the costs.

Grant says both the City of Vancouver and the developer, Century Holdings Ltd., have been willing to negotiate with the band and seem open to the land-swap, but provincial approval is needed.

“The Provincial Government hasn’t had much communication with the Musqueam people,” he says.

“We’ve never heard directly from the premier. We have heard from the minister in charge, who says that the province has no role in this issue, which we disagree with.”

Brennan Clarke, public affairs officer for the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, says the government is working with the city and the Musqueam to find a solution.

“The site where the remains were found will not be disturbed until an archaeologist has completed intensive testing the vicinity to determine if there are additional remains in the area,” he wrote in an email, adding the province recently hired a consultant to work with the parties in finding a resolution.

Clarke also said the area has already been “heavily disturbed” and developed over the years, and that the province had issued permits to develop only a portion of the site.

He noted that by 1955, urban expansion had significantly altered the landscape of the Marpole Midden. The site was settled in the 1880s and has been redeveloped several times.

However, the portion slated for the proposed condo development remained undisturbed, according to an open letter from the Musqueam to Premier Christy Clark and Mayor Gregor Robertson.

City Supports Protection

City of Vancouver spokesperson Mairi Welman says that while burial sites and archeological sites fall under the jurisdiction of the provincial government, the city supports protecting the site.

“We support the rights of the Musqueam Nation to protect and respect a historical site,” she says. “It is our hope that the province takes a more assertive role in resolving this issue.”

The Musqueam are proposing building a park and memorial in the area of the site, in partnership with the province and city.

“Instead of a jumbled collection of rundown buildings and car lots, visitors would be greeted by a vision of an interpretative park … that would celebrate the Musqueam/Coast Salish heritage on whose land all of Metro Vancouver and surrounding cities are built,” the open letter says.

“The province has really made strides in the last decade to create a new relationship with First Nations based on mutual respect and recognition,” he says.

“However, we felt that respect should also be passed on not only to us living today but to those who have come before us. … This is Canadian history and B.C. history that needs to be preserved and protected as we move forward.”

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Prof. Keith Head, an expert on international trade at UBC, has researched the impact of distance on trade in services. (Courtesy Keith Head)

PARLIAMENT HILL—Canada’s free trade deal with the European Union charts new ground in an evolving global economy and could lead to a rewrite of NAFTA and other trade agreements, says one expert.

In the new world order, trade is fast and free, letting agile companies build transnational operations using the best and cheapest the world has to offer.

A revolution in transportation streamlined logistics and brought shipping costs down dramatically, making it cost-effective to produce products (or parts of products) in far-flung corners of the globe where labour was cheap and infrastructure mature.

Now, a revolution in communications promises to do the same with services—everything from architectural design to tech support. Many services are already delivered offshore, as Indian accents attest on calls to customer service, but barriers have kept others homebound.

As manufacturing jobs leave developed countries to bring much-needed wealth to impoverished nations, services continue to grow as a portion of the GDP, from 59.8 percent of GDP in 1980 to 66.8 percent in 2008.

Part of reason for that is the way technology has changed the way people work and play, and as a result, it’s time services were included in trade deals, said Werner Antweiler, the chair in international trade policy at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business.

“The Canada-EU free trade agreement has the potential to be a milestone by charting new territory. I think you kind of have to look at it as a new template for free trade agreements,” said Antweiler.

The Canada-EU free trade agreement has the potential to be a milestone by charting new territory. — Werner Antweiler, UBC Sauder School of Business

“Eventually, it may lead to us revisiting NAFTA too and actually bringing that into the 21st century because when it was concluded, it was focusing on the manufacturing sector.”

The government is counting on trade in services to be a huge portion of Canada’s gains from free trade with the European Union. Of the $12 billion a year the government expects Canada to gain from the deal, 45.5 percent will come from services, according to a joint study the two parties have done on the deal. In a request for details, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) clarified that those gains would come come from removing citizenship or residency requirements, and ownership and investment restrictions.

Services Better Face to Face

But even with an increase, free trade in services will not have the kind of dramatic impact seen on free trade in goods, said James Brander, an international trade expert also at the Sauder School of Business.

“Many services we consume are personal, getting a haircut, [retail] financial services, mechanic services, and so on. All these services are facilitated by being close to someone,” he noted

Although companies are taking advantage of technology to change some operations, the legal framework doesn’t really exist to support trade in services, said Brander.

Previous agreements like the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, the legal backbone of the World Trade Organization, don’t really cover services, he said.

However, even with services included in future free trade agreements, one expert doubts trade in services with the EU can come anywhere close to the numbers Ottawa is hoping to see.

Prof. Keith Head, an expert on international trade at UBC, has researched the impact of distance on trade in services. Head notes that even with a trade agreement in place, entry regulations for many services are simply too high, like the professional requirements and accreditation needed to practice certain professions.

Doctors and other professionals driving taxi cabs, a favourite example of Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, speak to the difficulty foreigners have practicing their professions in Canada.

DFAIT said those restrictions don’t apply to Canadian interests in the EU, namely in engineering, environmental services, business services, and information and communications technology.

There are also the practical limitations caused by working in vastly different time zones. Even with an EU trade agreement, U.S. firms are much better positioned to trade in services, Head noted.

“Many people imagine that because services can be delivered over the Internet, that therefore geography no longer matters and thus European firms would be on even footing with American service providers. But the research that I have done shows that distance affects services trade just as much as it affects goods trade,” he said.

“While you can do some things on the Internet, you end up needing to have lots of meetings to establish trust, to hash out difficult details, etc.”

Even in his own joint research with European counterparts, Head said he needs to travel to meet them and noted the difficulty of dealing with a nine-hour time difference.

While some services, like setting up reservations, can be done routinely, more complicated tasks require extensive collaboration.

“Things that require negotiation, agreement, coordination, like architecture and engineering, are going to tend to require a lot of face to face contact. The Europeans are going to have to come out to inspect the site and so on. So I am not seeing Europe making huge inroads on those areas.”

Despite the EU and U.S. having similar sized economies, Canada trades 10 times as much with U.S. and Head expects that will change little.

But according to the joint study mentioned above, if Canada can reduce the cost of trade in services by 10 percent, it could see service trade jump up to 35 percent. That is the amount that service trade increased between EU member states following their joining to form a single market. DFAIT says those cost savings will be made by removing trade barriers.

Of course, that sunshine figure doesn’t address the limitations raised by time zones, and EU member states are already deeply connected through the legislative power of the European Parliament.

The deal, formally titled the Canada-EU Trade Agreement, is in the final stages of negotiation. The government has said it expects it to be finalized this year.

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The Ontario Medical Association is saying the provincial government has “turned their back” on the province’s physicians by imposing cuts to some of the fees paid to doctors this week.

“The message from the McGuinty government to our medical graduates and doctors who might think of returning to Ontario is clear—we don’t value your input in our health care system,” Dr. Doug Weir, president of the Ontario Medical Association (OMA), said in a statement.

Weir said the announced cuts mean that Ontario doctors will start considering moving out of the province.

Minister of Health and Long-Term Care Deb Matthews announced on Monday that the province is going ahead with cuts to some of the fees paid under the $11 billion Ontario Health Insurance Plan after failing to reach a deal with doctors.

“Our doctors are the best paid in Canada. Instead of another raise for doctors, we need a real wage freeze so we can invest in more home care,” Matthews said in a statement.

“To hold the line on doctor pay, we’re making changes to fees for physician services to reflect advances in technology and the latest medical evidence on what helps patients most.”

The government says introduction of new technology has reduced the time needed for certain procedures while the costs of the procedures have remained the same. Cataract surgery, for example, now could take as little as 15 minutes to perform, compared to two hours a few years back, and so the fee for this operation will be reduced from $441 to $397.75.

Among the planned cuts are reductions to the $88 million spent on self-referrals, under which a patient is sent back to the doctor’s practice for an additional procedure. With the new changes, payments for some diagnostic tests such as X-rays and ultrasounds will be cut in half if the same doctor orders and performs the test.

Fees will also be reduced for diagnostic radiology tests such as CT and MRI scans as well as eye injections for retinal diseases since technology has reduced the time required for these operations, the government says.

Doctors are also told to perform fewer echocardiograms, which have been found not to improve patient outcomes before routine non-cardiac surgery.

Ontario’s doctors earn an average of $385,000 per year, with over 400 making more than $1 million a year.

Negotiations between the OMA and the province for a new contract, which has lasted for weeks, reached an impasse on Sunday ahead of the government’s latest announcement on Monday.

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Pearson International Airport was voted the worst Canadian airport in an online poll. (Photos.com)

Toronto’s Lester Pearson International Airport was voted the worst airport in Canada in an online poll conducted by FlightNetwork.com.

In the poll, respondents were asked to name the best and worst airports in major cities in Canada, the U.S., and internationally.

In Canada, Pearson was ranked the worst airport with close to 37 percent of the votes, followed by Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport with around 19 percent, and the Edmonton International Airport with 12 percent.

Pearson was also ranked the worst Canadian airport in FlightNetwork.com’s 2010 survey with over 26 percent of the votes.

Internationally, among the 14 airports considered, Pearson was voted as the second worst airport after London’s Heathrow International.

The best Canadian airport according to the poll is the Vancouver International Airport with 35 percent of the votes.

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A Canadian Army soldier patrols the desert while a helicopter flies overhead on June 9, 2010, south of Kandahar, Afghanistan. The union representing some of the research staff in the mental health field of the Canadian Forces say the government is cutting some of the research jobs in mental health support. (Chris Hondros/Getty Images)

With newly released statistics showing a rise in the number of suicides in the Canadian Forces, the federal government has come under pressure over reports that the Department of National Defence is cutting the positions of some mental health professionals.

According to the union representing some of the affected professionals, the positions being targeted include experts performing research and providing policy advice in the mental health field to the government.

“We’re concerned that we have experts who are recognized around the world in this area, and we’re concerned any time that the government cuts this expertise,” says Gary Corbett, president and CEO of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC).

“We ask why, especially for a topic like this, a subject like this where it has a direct impact on our military people who are serving. … If you don’t do this work, it’s going to end up costing the taxpayers a lot more down the road.”

PIPSC says what prompted their concern was some employees receiving letters indicating their positions are being “affected,” and, after they sought further information, getting the impression that their jobs are being cut.

The Department of National Defence (DND) has so far neither confirmed nor denied whether the positions are to be cut.

Responding to criticism over the reported cuts in the House of Commons last week, Defence Minister Peter MacKay said the government is “committed to ensure that we provide the best possible support for members with mental or physical illness or injuries.”

“[W]hen compared to NATO allies, the Canadian Forces has the greatest ratio of mental health care workers to personnel,” MacKay said.

He added that a satellite detachment in Ottawa along with all its mental health provider positions is being moved to the Petawawa base so that it is closer to the soldiers and their families.

There are currently 378 full-time mental health professionals working with the Canadian Forces, MacKay added, and said the government is looking into hiring more people.

Corbett says it’s not clear where the government will be doing more hiring, but he says it’s important to retain the research specialists as they do important work in identifying what the problems are and providing expert advice.

According to PIPSC, the affected positions include the four-member Deployment Health Section that focuses on the monitoring of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and concussions, and another 8 out of 18 positions of researchers and epidemiologists who analyze mental health outcomes such as depression and suicide.

An injury surveillance and prevention trial at CFB Valcartier will also be closed as a result of the budget cuts, PIPSC says.

DND did not have anyone available for an interview by press time.

Increase in Suicides

Last week, the Ottawa Citizen reported on a leaked internal report that painted a bleak picture of war veterans being neglected by the mental health treatment system.

Statistics released by DND in late April shows that 19 members of the Canadian Forces committed suicide in 2011, a sharp increase compared to 12 in 2010 and 11 in 2009.

DND says each suicide death is investigated and the motivating factors leading to the event are examined, among other things.

The issue of suicide and PTSD is being discussed this week during a military police complaints hearing into complaints by the parents of Cpl. Stuart Langridge, who hanged himself in 2008.

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Students protest in Montreal on April 26. The Canadian Federation of Students is warning that student debt across Canada is reaching “dangerous levels.” (Rogerio Barbosa/AFP/GettyImages)

As Quebec student protestors mark their third straight month of taking a stand against proposed tuition hikes, the Canadian Federation of Students is warning that student debt across Canada is reaching “dangerous levels.”

This year, national student debt will reach $15 billion. However, this figure only accounts for loans doled out by the federal government. If provincial and private lenders are included, the actual student debt is billions more.

“In Canada we’re reaching pretty dangerous levels of student debt. It’s a huge burden to put on the youth of today,” says Roxanne Dubois, chair of the CFS, which represents half a million students. In addition, young people are facing an unemployment rate that’s double the rate of the overall population, she says.

It’s a huge burden to put on the youth of today. — Roxanne Dubois, Canadian Federation of Students

“We’re expecting [youth] to head out into the job market and try to contribute to the Canadian economy. It’s difficult to do that when you have so much debt upon graduation, and it gets even more difficult when the unemployment rate is so high.”

Dubois says tuition fees have increased at four times the rate of inflation in the past decade, in part due to massive education funding cuts by the federal government in the 1990s that have trickled down to students, making them ever more dependent on loans.

The average debt-load for Canadian graduates today is $27,000. Dubois says this kind of debt is not only scaring away students from impoverished backgrounds, but increasingly the middle class as well.

“The costs of post-secondary education have increased so much that it’s becoming inaccessible for a lot of people,” she says, adding students who are forced into large amounts of debt at an early age are likely to struggle with it for the rest of their lives.

“If you have a huge loan to pay then you’re going to have to pay it for a longer period of time and end up paying more because of interest rates. Relying heavily on student debt simply replicates the inequalities that education is supposed to alleviate.”

Protests Growing Worldwide

Quebec students began protesting after the Charest government proposed tuition hikes that would lead to a 75 percent increase over five years.

Although Quebec has some of the lowest tuition fees in the country due to a history of provincial subsidies and tuition controls, students have strongly opposed the increases in a larger boycott of what they say are neoliberal austerity measures and a capitalist agenda.

Students in several other countries have also taken to the streets in the past year to vent their dissatisfaction with rising education costs.

This week, talks between Quebec student groups and the Liberal government fell flat, as students rejected a deal aimed at lessening the effects of the tuition hike.

Students in several other countries have also taken to the streets in the past year to vent their dissatisfaction with rising education costs.

Protests have made headlines in Chile, the United Kingdom, the United States, Italy, and New Zealand, ranging from violent clashes with police to hunger strikes, sit-ins, and rallies.

Dubois says the increasing pressure on students will reach a breaking point, adding that making education inaccessible for many hits a core nerve and leads to cynicism among youth.

“I think that the breaking point here is whether or not we’re going to start building systems that are inclusive of everyone.”

Pigeons congregate on a traffic light in New York City. A wildlife centre director says controlling reproduction is a more humane and more effective way of reducing pigeon populations than current forms of pest control. (Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images)

The best way to manage pigeon problems in Canada is to put the birds on “pigeon birth control,” says the director of an Alberta wildlife centre.

Carol Kelly, the executive director of Medicine River Wildlife Centre in Red Deer, says OvoControl, a new form of pigeon feed that controls reproduction in pigeons, is both more humane and more effective than current forms of pest control.

“OvoControl is proactive in that it reduces the number of pigeons,” she says. “The pigeons eat it, they eat it for a certain period of time and it makes their eggs not viable. There’s no hormones involved.”

Pigeons are known to breed rapidly—usually six times a year, at two eggs per clutch. Since OvoControl interferes with egg hatchability, it stops new birds from hatching and the population naturally declines.

Field studies of the contraceptive have shown a reduction in pigeon populations of approximately 50 percent annually and up to 88 percent over 28 months. Once the pigeons are taken off the feed, normal reproductive cycles return after a few months.

Currently, pigeon problems in Canada are largely handled by pest-control companies, which frequently use poisons, sticky glue, steel barbs, nets, and other repellants that can solve the problem in the short term.

Field studies of the contraceptive have shown a reduction in pigeon populations of approximately 50 percent annually.

But Kelly says these methods do not address the fundamental problem, because pigeons can easily find alternative areas in a city to nest and breed, which ensures their populations are maintained.

“OvoControl is proactive in that it reduces the number of pigeons in a humane, gentle way,” she says.

In Red Deer, the city uses an anti-flocking agent to control pigeon populations. Kelly says that although she doesn’t know the ingredients of the agent, it can be very traumatic for pigeons that ingest it.

“It disturbs the birds. It makes them feel uncomfortable. We’ve already had two or three pigeons brought in to us just this week that were found shaking and seizuring on the ground,” she explains.

“Some people will say, ‘Who cares, they’re only pigeons?’ But it’s still an animal, it still makes them very vulnerable to predators, or being run over by cars, and it doesn’t solve the problem. It just sends them somewhere else to breed.”

Contraceptive Widely Used in the US

Kelly says OvoControl is being used across the U.S. and is “getting rave reviews” for its effectiveness. She believes the next step is for a Canadian city or town to partner with them to bring the product to Canada under a research permit.

Once the basic research shows the product’s effectiveness, it can be registered in Canada.

“[OvoControl] certainly has been widely adopted across the States so I see no reason why we can’t work towards helping to get it here,” she says.

Erick Wolf, CEO of California-based Innolytics, LLC, the company that produces OvoControl, says they receive regular inquiries from Canada and getting it into the country is now just a matter of “regulatory priorities.”

In its developing stages, the product was actually once used on resident Canada geese, but Wolf says the company gave up on this species because the control and management of Canada geese is “highly political.”

“I can only speak for the U.S., but the hunting community, especially the state regulatory agencies, are adamantly opposed to the contraception of any huntable wildlife,” he says.

“The business of hunting does not make any money permitting contraception … and much prefers to sell hunting licences.”

He says although cities may be tempted to try and kill off a large number of pigeons to immediately control the problem, the only long-term solution is to control the number of pigeons being born in the first place.

“In contrast, contracepting the flock actually represents a sustainable, long-term solution—a method to bring down the population of birds through attrition without having them breed back immediately.”

Justice minister Rob Nicholson and MP Parm Gill. (Matthew Little/The Epoch Times)

MP Parm Gill’s private member’s bill to outlaw efforts to recruit people into organized crime received official support from the government Tuesday when Justice minister Rob Nicholson joined the Brampton, Ont., MP to announce the Criminal Organization Recruitment Act.

The act will make it an offence punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment to recruit or encourage someone to join a criminal organization.

Liberal Senator Mac Harb is facing renewed opposition to his bill in the Senate to end the commercial seal hunt.

“After millions of dollars being wasted over the years to prop up and defend the dying commercial hunt, it became clear that only by formally ending the hunt would the government shift its focus to the issues of compensation, retraining, and investment in other industries required to transition those involved into more viable employment,” writes Harb in a recent op-ed defending his legislation.

The Canadian sealing industry, however, lambasted the bill on Tuesday.

“Mr. Harb’s claims are unfounded. The Canadian sealing industry is very much alive and well,” said Dion Dakins, chair of the Seals and Sealing Network.

“Consumer demand remains strong. And with positive results at the WTO and the European General Court, we feel there will be a level trading field for seal products.”

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) issued a report this week detailing $114 billion the government gave banks during the economic downturn through indirect support.

The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation provided $69 billion to take mortgages over for the banks. The government says the program that took on the mortgages has generated $1.2 billion in net revenues.

Canadian banks also used a program set up by the U.S. Federal Reserve, with Scotiabank taking the most from the program at $12 billion. The Bank of Canada gave banks some $41 billion in the form of liquidity support, according to the report.

Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart (Matthew Little/The Epoch Times)

Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart announced $500,000 in funding for 11 research projects on Wednesday.

The projects will look at privacy issues relating to key priorities for Stoddart’s office related to social networking, cybercrime, surveillance, cloud computing, smartphone applications, and cell therapy research.

The federal government is introducing changes to food regulatory processes in an effort to reduce red tape and delays in getting food products to the market.

The changes were announced as part of a bill introduced last week to legislate key elements of the 2012 budget.

“The current tools we use to regulate some food products are rigid and outdated,” Minister of Health Leona Aglukkaq said in a statement.

“Our new approach will allow more timely approvals of safe, innovative products while still protecting the health and safety of Canadians.”

According to Health Canada, the proposed changes will still maintain the same pre-market assessments to ensure food product safety, but will streamline regulatory processes.

For example, Health Canada determined that CITREM, a product used in infant formula to ensure consistent and full delivery of nutrients to newborns, was safe for use in June 2008. However, it took 41 months to receive all the necessary approvals and implement the required regulatory changes to allow the industry to use the product.

New Tools Cut Red Tape

With the new changes, Health Canada says the process could take as little as six months once a product has been deemed safe.

“These new tools would only be used after the scientific assessment and consultation process is complete. The extensive safety assessments conducted by Health Canada scientists won’t change,” Stephane Shank, a spokesperson with Health Canada, said in an email.

“These amendments will also provide tools so that safe new products with potential health benefits for Canadians, such as antimicrobials aimed to inhibit the growth of pathogens, can get to market more rapidly.”

The changes also allow faster update of maximum limits for chemical contaminations if new sciences emerge justifying these changes, and once stakeholders have been consulted, Shank said.

One of the new tools introduced to speed up the processes is “Incorporation by Reference,” under which lists detailing rules and limits for specific substances in various foods will no longer be managed within the regulations.

“By managing these lists outside of the regulations, through a publicly available document, it becomes much simpler and less time-consuming to add to, or change, these lists. This will reduce red tape and allow the department to focus resources where they will have the greatest impact on the health of Canadians,” Shank said.

Addressing Risks

The other tool is “Market Authorization,” which grants the Minister of Health more ability to act on certain safety decisions.

“The Market Authorization would also allow the minister to apply specific conditions on the approval of a product or substance, allowing more flexibility to address any particular risks,” Shank explained.

Ken Whitehurst, executive director of Consumers Council of Canada, points out that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (overseen by the Ministry of Agriculture) is also introducing many changes, and in times of change, there are risks of oversight or omission.

He notes, however, that the changes are being introduced in a systematic way.

“They’re aware of those risks and … their management seems to be trying to be careful about it. I don’t think they have any goal to weaken food safety,” Whitehurst said.

Audiences members give a curtain-call standing ovation to Shen Yun performers at the Sunday evening performance at Calgary’s Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium. (Jerry Wu/The Epoch Times)

Winnipeg-based international human rights lawyer David Matas says Calgary’s Jubilee Auditorium is limiting the “expressive freedom” of artists by imposing the use of a net over the orchestra pit for shows by Shen Yun Performing Arts.

Shen Yun, a world-renowned classical Chinese dance and music company based in New York, features a unique orchestra combining classical western and Chinese instruments that is very much an integral part of the show.

The dance company has performed in hundreds of venues around the world without any requirement to have a net over the orchestra pit.

“The theatre should not impose structures to limit art groups’ expressive freedom or to prevent the content of their expressions,” Matas wrote in a letter to Heather Klimchuk, Alberta’s Minister of Culture and Community Spirit who oversees the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium (SAJA).

“Arts groups have a constitutional right to freedom of expression. This right to freedom of expression has both form and a content component.”

The use of the net was first imposed by SAJA’s management in 2010, even though no reference was made in the contract to any such net, Matas noted.

“This has been so even though liability waivers were offered and performers held personal injury insurance. There would have been no liability for the theatre in case of injury due to absence of a net,” he said.

In fact, SAJA’s requirement for the net violates the contract, which spells out that the minister warrants that the premises will be provided in a good state of repair.

“The throwing of a net over the orchestra pit means that this provision is violated,” Matas said.

The net hinders the interaction between the musicians and the dancers, and since its use means the pit needs to be positioned much lower, the orchestra is further away from the view of the audience, Matas said.

“In addition, the musicians felt disrespected playing under such a net, as it was akin to being displayed in a cage,” he added.

Unreasonable Infringement

Citing the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Matas said the theatre must not infringe on the freedom of Shen Yun’s artistic expression unless the “infringement falls within reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.”

In this case, however, he said the net “is not a reasonable limit on freedom of expression because its enforcement would have the effect of preventing Shen Yun performers from expressing themselves in the manner of their choice in an unreasonable way not demonstrably justified.”

The local Calgary presenter of Shen Yun, the Falun Dafa Association of Calgary, said “unprofessional” and “insulting” behaviour from SAJA’s management might mean that Shen Yun won’t return to Calgary next year.

The presenter said the mistreatment began in 2010 when theatre management first required the use of the net, but the unprofessional behaviour reached new levels this year.

What concerned the artists and the local presenter was the “dismissive” response from the Jubilee’s management, who laughed the matter off instead of taking it seriously.

U.S. President Barack Obama speaks at the White House on March 13 about enforcing U.S. trade rights as he accused China of breaking global trade rules by restricting exports of rare earth elements. Canada has a tremendous opportunity to gain global influence by capitalizing on its abundant rare earth deposits, says a Canadian Chamber of Commerce report. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

Canada has a tremendous opportunity to gain global influence by capitalizing on its abundant rare earth deposits, otherwise known as the “oil of the 21st century,” says a new report by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

In the report, titled Canada’s Rare Earth Deposits Can Offer A Substantial Competitive Advantage, the chamber outlines the opportunity for Canada to start “punching above its weight” by leveraging its rare earth projects and deposits.

Rare earths are a series of 17 elements that have unique chemical, magnetic, and fluorescent properties. They are integral to the functioning of items such as hybrid and electric cars, fluorescent lights, plasma screens, portable computers, hand-held electronic devices, wind power generators, and optical and medical devices.

They are also widely used in defence applications such as missiles, lasers, satellite communications, and radar systems.

“Canada has 1.1 billion pounds of rare earths locked in black shale deposits (the Alberta Black Shale Project) worth an estimated $206 billion. In addition, several other Canadian mines across the country show great potential,” says Perrin Beatty, president and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

“We have been blessed with great geology and we have a tremendous opportunity to turn our resource richness into a significant competitive advantage,” he added.

We have a tremendous opportunity to turn our resource richness into a significant competitive advantage.

—Perrin Beatty, Canadian Chamber of Commerce

Over 90 percent of rare earths come from the Bayan Obo mining district in China. Countries around the world have been rushing to develop their own deposits after China recently decreased exports to satisfy the demand of its own internal markets.

Over the past several years, China has also been raising export duties and reducing export quotas on some rare earth elements. This led the United States, Japan, and the European Union to file a complaint at the World Trade Organization earlier this year.

“With the Japanese, Americans, and Europeans now searching for ways to counter China’s monopoly, Canada is in a very enviable position,” says Beatty.

Challenges

The biggest deposits outside China can be found in Canada, Russia, the U.S., Australia, India, and South Africa. The challenge is to introduce the necessary infrastructure and processes to mine and process these rare earths economically and in an environmentally responsible way.

Until recently, processes to release rare earths from black shale deposits in Canada were considered risky and hazardous to the environment, says the chamber report, but new technology has now been developed to mitigate the risks.

The report highlights several Canadian-based mining companies that are gearing up to develop deposits across the country, and anticipates full production in some areas could start as early as 2015.

The company that is able to produce the soonest will likely capture a strategic industry position, as many countries are desperate to offset their dependency on China.

Companies that experience start-up delays may miss the chance to stake their position in the global market, the report says.

The report concludes that if Canada is able to harness the resources quickly and effectively, it could provide a significant portion of global rare earths exports which would boost its political influence.

A bamboo bike built by Grass Frames sits on a Vancouver city street. (Courtesy Grass Frames)

A B.C. bicycle manufacturer is joining an emerging new trend by using an unusual material to build bike frames: bamboo.

Al Roback, founder of Vancouver-based bike company Grass Frames, was inspired by the idea of using bamboo while on an exchange in Japan.

“While studying Japanese and the Japanese culture, I started a gardening co-op and a bicycle co-op and messed around making some furniture out of the local bamboo,” he says.

“I was quite impressed by bamboo’s strength and aesthetic.”

The idea stuck with him. When he returned home to Vancouver Roback convinced long-time friends James Moore and Joshua Armstrong to help him develop his vision, and Grass Frames was born.

“We’ve had a lot of interest,” he says. “Our main focus at this point has been getting [the bikes] into stores. So we’re in some very heated talks with local stores.”

The hand-crafted bikes consist of bamboo frames attached to the standard handlebars, seat, pedals, tires, and gears.

Bamboo bikes are not only lightweight (1.7–2.2 kilos) and long-lasting, says Roback, they are also eco-friendly due to natural materials and organic production processes.

Bamboo is an ideal bike material because it has a higher tensile strength than many alloys of steel, is scratch-resistant, and absorbs vibration extremely well.

The process of treating the bamboo and handcrafting the frame takes about 40 hours, which is ultimately reflected in the price—starting at $2,100 for the frame alone, with a complete bike costing $3,350.

“It’s not an entry-level bike, but for a handmade bike [the price] is definitely comparable,” says Roback, adding that the ride quality is on par or better than a carbon fibre bike.

“As a road bike they work extremely well.”

Eco-Friendly Alternative

Foreman and designer Josh Armstrong works in the Grass Frames studio on Main Street in Vancouver. The company is one of the first to design and build bamboo bikes in Canada. (Courtesy Grass Frames)

Currently there are few Canadian bike makers using bamboo in their designs, but the trend has been popping up around the world since the mid-nineties, as manufacturers look for eco-friendly, affordable alternatives to steel or carbon fibre bikes.

The use of bamboo in bike components can be traced back as early as 1895 and enjoyed a renaissance in 1995 led by well-known industry leader Craig Calfee, who was among the first to experiment with both carbon-fibre and bamboo materials.

Bamboo is an ideal bike material because it has a higher tensile strength than many alloys of steel, is scratch-resistant, and absorbs vibration extremely well.

It also requires little energy to source, can be grown in most environments, and has exceptional regenerative properties—some species have been known to grow over a metre within 24 hours.

According to a recent economic analysis of the bamboo bicycle industry, since the sector is still in its infancy, new builders play a critical role in establishing the market if bamboo is ever to be widely adopted.

“Until demand can be better gauged, large manufacturers will likely wait along the roadside while the early movers in the market invest energy and dollars building demand and establishing bamboo as a viable frame alternative,” reads the analysis.

“A growing number of bamboo frame builders entering the market, however, foretell promise for the industry’s outlook.”

Roback says once consumers try bamboo bikes they’ll be hooked, but it will take time for the idea to catch on.

Credit rating agency Moody’s downgraded Ontario’s credit rating in response to the recently tabled provincial budget. (The Epoch Times)

Ontario, Canada’s economic heartland, is facing a lack of confidence as credit rating agencies Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s respond to the province’s budget with downgrades.

While Moody’s downgraded the province’s credit rating from Aa1 to Aa2 on Thursday, on Wednesday Standard & Poor’s downgraded its outlook for the province to negative.

With Moody’s downgrade, Ontario joins the lowest of three tiers that provinces sit at.

Alberta and British Columbia enjoy an Aaa rating, while Saskatchewan and Manitoba sit at Aa1. Ontario was downgraded to Aa2, the lowest rating shared by the rest of the provinces.

Ontario previously sat at Aa1 with a negative outlook, an outlook that was fulfilled. The Aa2 rating is considered stable, said Assistant Vice President Jennifer Wong, lead analyst for the Province of Ontario.

In other words, further downgrades are not expected.

“The downgrade of Ontario’s rating reflects the growing debt burden and the risks surrounding the province achieving its medium-term fiscal plan given the subdued growth outlook, extended timeframe back to balance, and ambitious expenditure targets,” said Wong.

Moody’s was looking for more spending restraint given the “subdued growth outlook” and said the province’s ambitious plans to rein in deficit spending were overly optimistic.

With the previous five years averaging 7 percent increases in expenses, the prospect of bringing that down to 1.9 percent from now to 2015 and then to 1.1 percent through to 2018, as outlined in the budget, didn’t strike the agency as likely.

The ratings agency said there were “significant risks” to the province’s “ambitions expenditure targets” aimed at stabilizing and reversing the recent accumulation of debt.

With a debt that sits at 215 percent of consolidated revenues, Ontario is at the high end of debt burdens among Canada’s provinces.

Ontario currently represents 38 percent of Canada’s GDP, compared to 20 percent for Quebec, 16 percent for Alberta, and 13 percent for B.C.

PARLIAMENT HILL—The Tories continue to face heavy fire over low-balled cost estimates for the F-35 fighter jets but say they’ve made changes to address the problem.

A parliamentary committee is now looking into a report by Auditor General Michael Ferguson earlier this month that detailed serious problems with the procurement process for the jets, including estimates that were known to be billions below the true cost.

Ferguson will appear before the Public Accounts Committee on Thursday to testify on the issue while Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page is also set to re-examine the cost of the jets.

NDP defence critic Jack Harris says Page has to reopen the file because of a lack of explanation for the $10 billion shortfall in the cost.

That’s the approximate difference between a $25 billion price tag for the 65 jets the Department of National Defence (DND) published internally in 2010 and the $16 billion DND publicly claimed they would cost.

Page estimated the jets would cost close to $30 billion over 30 years, while DND’s published $16 billion cost was over 20 years.

In April, Ferguson backed up Page’s report.

The Conservatives say they agree there are problems with the costing of the jet and want the matter resolved.

“We have agreed with all [Ferguson’s] recommendations and his conclusions,” Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose told the House of Commons on Wednesday.

“We have put in place a seven-point plan to ensure full transparency and accountability. The number one recommendation [from Ferguson] is that the Department of National Defence update its cost estimates for the F-35 and table those in Parliament.”

However, Harris is doubtful about a more accurate costing for the jets coming out.

He noted Wednesday that Page had difficulty getting information from DND for his report and said it would take a major push for the department to open up on the true costing.

“They’re going to need some pretty strong direction from the Minister of Defence in order for that to happen. It hasn’t happened before. The Parliamentary Budget Officer has complained about that,” said Harris.

Because the jets are still under development, there is no telling what the final cost will be or when they will be ready, Maillet said.

MP Brent Rathgeber said Canada should not lose sight of human rights in its trade relations with China during a forum held just off Parliament Hill on Wednesday. (Matthew Little/The Epoch Times)

PARLIAMENT HILL—A handful of MPs gathered near Parliament Hill on Wednesday to discuss the plight of Falun Gong on the 13th anniversary of the largest peaceful protest in China since the Tiananmen Square massacre.

On April 25th, 1999, some 10,000-20,000 Falun Gong practitioners gathered outside the Central Appeals Office beside the leadership compound in Beijing. Unlike the students, the protesters were greeted amicably by then Premier Zhu Ronji who promised to release adherents that had been arrested in Tianjin city.

Former leader Jiang Zemin, however, was outraged by the protest and quickly instituted a crackdown on the group, leading to the widespread torture, arbitrary arrest, and killing of adherents which has continued to this day.

Shawn Li, the president of the Falun Dafa Association of Canada, said many groups are persecuted in China, including Tibetan Buddhists and Uyghur Muslims, but none as harshly as Falun Gong adherents.

“Falun Gong is the largest group being persecuted and the most severely,” he said.

MP Brent Rathgeber described the current abuses, which include evidence of forced organ harvesting, as “disturbing.”

Propaganda controlled by Li Changchun, the fifth-highest member of the Chinese Communist Party, continues to vilify Falun Gong and justify their murder. Li visited Canada last week with no advance notice and his itinerary kept secret.

Grace Wollensak, a representative from the Falun Dafa Association of Canada, said Li had to sneak into Canada to avoid being served with lawsuits for the torture, murder, and demonization of Falun Gong adherents in China.

“He is afraid, and so he should be,” said Wollensak, noting Li has already been served in France and Ireland.

Such lawsuits led to the downfall of former minister of commerce Bo Xilai, according to diplomatic cables published by Wikileaks. Bo was recently purged from the Party, with his benefactor Zhou Yongkang expected to fall soon. Zhou controls the regime’s internal security apparatus.

With the Party facing a stability crisis due to the ongoing infighting, some commentators, including former MP David Kilgour who was present at the event, have said Canada should step up pressure for democratic reform in China.

Rathgeber, who heads the Parliamentary Friends of Falun Gong, said Canada should encourage the end of the persecution of Falun Gong.

The plight of Falun Gong should not be lost in trade negotiations, he added.

Senator Consiglio Di Ninio and MP Stephen Woodworth also attended the forum.

Protesters demonstrate outside Rio Tinto’s annual general meeting in London on April 19 against the company’s sponsorship of the 2012 Olympic Games. Unions are urging the London 2012 Organizing Committee to drop Rio Tinto as its medals supplier and official sponsor due to an ongoing dispute with workers in Canada. (Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images)

Three of Australia’s largest unions have joined Canadian steelworkers in a global campaign to have mining giant Rio Tinto dropped as the official medals supplier for the London 2012 Olympics.

The Australian unions, which together represent over 400,000 blue-collar workers, are backing the “Off the Podium” campaign started by United Steelworkers (USW), Canada’s largest private-sector union, after a lockout of more than 750 workers at Rio Tinto’s plant in Alma, Quebec.

The campaign calls on the International Olympic Committee to remove Rio Tinto as an Olympics sponsor and supplier, and have the 4,700 gold, silver, and bronze medals made by Rio Tinto recast because of the company’s controversial labour and environmental record.

Rio Tinto employees in Alma were locked out January 1 after they refused to accept an agreement that would see an increase in the hiring of contract workers, which could drive down wages by as much as 50 percent.

“We believe that Rio Tinto’s involvement in the Olympics really violates the spirit of the Olympics, the sense of fair play, fair competition, ethics, and solidarity that the Olympics are supposed to represent,” says Joe Drexler, strategic campaigns director for USW.

Drexler says the call to boycott Rio Tinto is gaining momentum as the general secretaries of both the International Metal Workers Federation and the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions, which represents 55 million workers, have written to the IOC and pledged to “take global action” if Rio Tinto is not dropped from the Olympics.

“If the IOC does not react, the two global federations will undertake some actions against the Olympic committee in Switzerland and will also engage in global days of action to call attention to Rio Tinto’s lockout of the workers in Alma, as well as their other human, labour rights, and environmental abuses throughout the world,” says Drexler.

UK MPs Express Concern

Last week, 15 U.K. Members of Parliament sponsored a House of Commons motion expressing concern that “successful Olympians will be presented with medals produced by multinational company Rio Tinto who have locked out their entire workforce in Alma, Quebec, without any serious consultation.”

Drexler says the USW, workers from the Alma plant, and supporters will be protesting at an IOC pre-Olympics executive meeting in Quebec City next month to urge the committee to hold Rio Tinto accountable to the community.

Rio Tinto did not respond to requests for comment on the lockout or the Off the Podium campaign, but instead referred The Epoch Times to a prepared statement quoting CEO Tom Albanese.

“Being ethically responsible is a thread that runs through everything we do. We aim to bring long-lasting positive change to the communities where we work, respecting human rights, bringing economic benefits, and looking after the environment,” Albanese said.

“We support London 2012’s commitment to delivering the most sustainable Games ever. It aligns with Rio Tinto’s commitment to sustainable development wherever we operate.”

‘Greenest Games to Date’

The London 2012 Organizing Committee has pledged to make 2012 the “greenest Games to date,” but sponsorship has been widely criticized by activists who say the top sponsors have some of the most controversial human rights and environmental records on the planet.

A campaign called “Greenwash Gold 2012” has been launched to protest the Games’ top sponsors—Dow Chemical, oil giant BP, and Rio Tinto.

All three companies have been linked to major environmental or human rights controversies, such as Dow’s infamous 1984 poison leak in Bhopal, India, that killed 20,000 people, and BP’s 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion that leaked 5 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

The greenwash campaign was launched by the London Mining Network, Bhopal Medical Appeal, and UK Tar Sands Network in hopes of raising awareness of what they say are the companies’ attempts to capitalize on the Olympics by boosting their public image and “greenwashing.”

“The ONLY reason such corporations bother to sponsor the Olympics (instead of spending their money cleaning up affected sites or investing in the environmental and social health of the communities they work in) is to divert the public’s attention away from their destructive practices,” reads a posting by organizers on the campaign website.

In January, Meredith Alexander, a commissioner who monitored environmental practices for the Games, made headlines when she resigned from the sustainability committee to protest the controversial 2012 sponsors.

Visitors observe a view of Turtle Mountain and part of the slide from the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre. (Alberta Culture and Community Services)

It was 109 years ago this week, in the early hours of April 29, 1903, that the Frank Slide—the deadliest rock slide in Canadian history—claimed the lives of 90 Albertans.

Back then Frank was a bustling mining town of 600 residents. Today it is a quiet community of 200 in Southern Alberta’s Crowsnest Pass.

The area continues to bear the scars of that fateful night, when the tip of Turtle Mountain detached from its base and plummeted to the ground.

In 90 seconds, 82 million metric tonnes of rock came crashing down, leaving destroyed homes, businesses, and lives in its wake. When the dust cleared, the rubble covered two kilometres across the valley.

“Scientists have actually calculated that if you took all the rocks that fell off the mountain you could make a one by six-metre wall that could go all the way across Canada, from Victoria to Halifax— that’s how much rock fell off in the Frank Slide,” says Joey Ambrosi, interpretation-education officer at the Frank Slide Interpretative Centre.

“In the path of the rocks there were about 110 people. Of those, about 90 were killed.”

A view of the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre above the rocks of the slide. (Alberta Culture and Community Services)

There are dozens of homes in the area that could one day be impacted from another major slide, however.

But an extensive system was put in place in the last decade that would give residents months, if not years, of warning if a section of the mountain were to become unstable.

The Alberta Geological Survey has installed a network of sensors on the mountain as an early warning system that would alert researchers of irregular movement. Cracks, degree of tilt, and spaces in the rock are also monitored.

The real-time data stream from the network provides insight into the mechanics of the rock mass, as well as how weather affects its movement. The data are also analyzed to identify patterns that could predict future changes in the mountain.

Scientists predict an area known as South Peak—five million cubic metres of rock—is the next likely piece to fall, and would be about 1/6 the size of the original slide, threatening a dozen homes nearby.

Ambrosi says if its current rate of movement remains—equivalent to the thickness of a penny every year—South Peak will likely not fall for thousands of years.

“It’s not just going to grow from what it is now to instantly falling tomorrow, because it’s fairly stable now and it would have to move into a position that it’s not very stable,’ he said.

The cause of the original slide has been blamed on a host of factors, including the mountain’s continuous movement which eventually formed precarious vertical rock slabs, coal mining inside the mountain, and a particularly wet winter with a late April freeze.

Myth vs. Reality

The Frank Slide story has captivated people around the world for over a century. Ambrosi says about 100,000 tourists come to see the rubble every year, which looks much the same as it did minutes after the tragedy.

He thinks people remain interested in the slide not only due to its sensational nature and the awe-inspiring sight of the rubble, but because of the human stories that emerged from the disaster and the incredible resilience of the town.

“After the slide came down, within three months they had the coal mine working again. The town grew from 600 people to 1,000 people. It didn’t just scare people off,” he says.

So many legends have been passed around about the night of the slide that myth has blended with reality.

A common misconception is that Frank was completely buried by the slide, but although the town suffered damage and destruction, only the eastern outskirts were completely covered by the rocks.

Another famous story that has been written into books, plays, and songs was that the “lone survivor” of the slide was a baby girl, found in the rubble the next day and named Frankie Slide.

Ambrosi says the lone-survivor myth may have originated from a story about a particular area near the town that was directly hit by the slide. Of the 23 survivors in the area, three were young girls who were the only survivors in each of their families.

One, 15-month-old Marion Leitch, was thrown from her house only to land safely on a pile of hay.

Another inspiring survival story is the tale of 17 miners who were trapped inside the mine when the mountain fell. The tunnels remained intact but all the entrances were blocked, so the miners set about digging their way out.

All 17 men popped out of the rubble one-by-one that evening, much to the town’s amazement.

Another enduring legend is that local aboriginals had long warned European settlers not to go near Turtle Mountain.

The Blackfoot and K’tunaxa peoples had oral traditions that referred to Turtle Mountain as “the mountain that moves,” and had long refused to camp in the area that was later impacted by the slide.

According to the Frank Slide interpretive centre website, prehistoric people in the area likely saw cracks and fissures along the summit ridge and left pictographs on adjacent mountains to warn others of the danger. They may also have observed seasonal rock falls and developed a keen awareness of the risks.

Ambrosi says these are lessons from the tragedy that can still be applied today.

“Some of the lessons were that you shouldn’t be so greedy, and just be charging in to take everything out of the ground without having a good look around at where you’re doing it, and what you’re doing to it,” he says.

Cars line up to enter the United States at the border crossing between Blaine, Washington, and White Rock, British Columbia. Canadian retailers are worried about the impact of a budget proposal to increase border exemptions on American goods being brought into Canada. (Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images)

Cross-border rule changes proposed in the 2012 federal budget mean good news for Canadian shoppers but could pose further problems for struggling retailers on this side of the border.

Starting June 1, returning travellers who have been outside of Canada for more than 24 hours but less than 48 hours will be able to bring back $200 worth of tax-exempt goods—up from $50. For those out of Canada for 48 hours or more, the exemption will quadruple, from $200 to $800.

Since the announcement of the new personal exemption limits, Canadian retailers, particularly those near the border, have expressed concerns about the anticipated negative impact on their businesses.

“Since 9/11, Niagara Falls merchants have been operating with tourism that has fallen to 1970s levels and the ever-increasing pressures of cross-border shopping,” said Niagara Falls Chamber of Commerce president Carolyn Bones.

“This proposal will allow Canadians to spend even more money in the States, which means fewer dollars, more bankrupt shops, and more lost jobs for our citizens.”

To add insult to injury, the increased exemptions come at a time when Canadians are making day-trips to the U.S. in record numbers.

This could mean further problems for the retail sector because there are no limits on goods for day trips under 24 hours, and with a strong Canadian dollar, more Canucks are heading south to save money.

According to Statistics Canada, 4.4 million Canadians travelled to the U.S. in February, of which 2.6 million were day-trips. This is an 8 percent increase in same-day car travel south of the border—the highest monthly level since December 1997.

Uneven Playing Field

“The federal government and our local politicians need to hear the impact that increased duty exemptions will have on retailers who are already operating on an uneven playing field,” said Diane J. Brisebois, president and CEO of the Retail Council of Canada.

High Canadian import duties on finished goods force retailers to pass those prices on to consumers, making it difficult to compete with U.S. prices, Brisebois said.

“This is salt in the wound for Canadian retailers, who pay upwards of 18 percent more in import duties than their American counterparts,” Brisebois said, adding that the duties are particularly onerous for products manufactured in Asia.

“These duties have outlived their original purpose, which was to protect Canadian manufacturing. Now, these useless tariffs only help to propel more people who live close to the border to dip into the U.S. to save the difference.”

On Tuesday, Brisebois gave a presentation to the Standing Senate Committee on National Finance which is looking into the reasons for price discrepancies between Canada and the United States at the request of Finance Minister Jim Flaherty.

Brisebois said that in order to counter the effects of the increase, the government needs to eliminate the import duties on finished goods.

However, Flaherty has said the previous exemption limits were not strongly enforced and he doesn’t expect the new rules to impact local retailers significantly.

He told reporters in Toronto last week that the changes aim to “harmonize with the Americans,” and allow a more realistic assessment of what actual purchases are being made and brought back to Canada.

But Bones is not convinced.

“We need an honest open dialogue so that our political representatives can understand that this decision will have irrevocably hazardous effects on retailers in border communities and the communities they serve,” she said.

The retail sector is the largest employer in Canada, providing jobs for more than two million people and generating sales in excess of $300 billion a year.

Shen Yun Performing Arts' curtain call at Montreal's Place des Arts. (Ai Wen/The Epoch Times)

Presenting 5,000 years of Chinese history compressed into two hours of entertainment and cultural education, Shen Yun Performing Arts leaves Canada a little richer once again.

Journeying from the East to the West across the country, the touring group relayed the spirit of true Chinese culture to Canadian audiences. On April 13, Shen Yun ended its run in the Prairie Provinces in Regina, promising to return next year.

New York-based Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company. Its mission is to reclaim the traditional Chinese culture, and while the eyes of the world turn more frequently to China it is Shen Yun that has most eloquently embodied the traditional spirit of the Chinese people.

The large-scale production uses elaborate costuming, digital moving backdrops, a full orchestra, and legendary dance-stories to express the depth and beauty of Chinese culture.

Shen Yun has become the go-to yearly event for many who seek a refined, high-calibre performance that gives audiences more than pyrothechnics and flash. Regina audiences were no exception.

“The dancers are very skilled … with very colourful costumes, and very well-coordinated. And very interesting about the history that they’re taking and putting into dance,” said Ed Coulthard, an agricultural expert with Agriculture Canada.

“Such a long history of culture there—5,000 years. … [Shen Yun is] actually bringing that culture to life over that many years in such a short period of time.”

Artists the world over have found something in Shen Yun that speaks to the creative spirit. Fashion designers, dancers, and musicians alike have expressed their appreciation for Shen Yun’s brand of artistry.

“It’s almost like having a spiritual moment if you will. You just get shivers and goose bumps. … From beginning to end, it was just beautiful,” said dancer and musician Vanessa Wolfram.

“I was up in the second balcony so I could see all of the formations, which were just phenomenal. Everything was just in straight lines and I was just amazed at how they used the stage—it was just phenomenal to see,” she said.

Marrying old traditions with new technology is a facet of Shen Yun that brings the age-old beauty and tradition of China into the digital age.

One of the show’s unique features, the hi-tech digital images in the background, give a sense of reality between screen and stage. Exquisitely costumed dancers, solo musicians, and vocalists are choreographed to match perfectly the animated backdrops that change seamlessly from scene to scene.

“One thing I really, really like is the integration of the visual/video with the dancers,” said actor and writer Jean Freeman. “They do that so well. There’s a lot of high-tech but also very classical, very traditional, and very beautiful.”

With three touring groups travelling the world for the better part of the year, Canadian audiences won’t have to wait long for Shen Yun to return.

The same amount of alcohol will produce a higher blood alcohol content and greater impairment in an older person than it does in a younger adult of the same weight. (Cat Rooney/The Epoch Times)

The B.C. government is warning seniors that people become more sensitive to the effects of alcohol as they age and that drinking can have serious consequences for the elderly.

Too much alcohol can contribute to chronic diseases, including cancer and some heart conditions. But in older adults, alcohol-related problems can be mistaken for physical, social, or emotional conditions associated with aging.

In addition, even the smallest amount of alcohol can negatively impact the effectiveness of medications. Almost half of all prescription drugs taken by older people can interact with alcohol, according to a statement issued by the B.C. Ministry of Health.

To keep seniors up to speed on these and other facts about alcohol and aging, the ministry has released a brochure and Web-based information to provide guidance on low-risk drinking for seniors.

“We are hoping British Columbians realize that as they age, their bodies treat alcohol differently and this can have a greater effect on their lives,” said Ron Cantelon, Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors to the Minister of Health.

“This new brochure acts as a guide by highlighting some of the adjustments we need to be aware of as we age in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle.”

According to HealthyFamiliesBC, as people age they produce less of a critical enzyme that breaks down alcohol, which can elevate blood alcohol levels in older adults.

So as we get older, our bodies process alcohol more slowly and we become more sensitive to its effects. The same amount of alcohol will produce a higher blood alcohol content and greater impairment in an older person than it does in a younger adult of the same weight.

Problem drinking among older adults often goes unnoticed because many prefer to drink alone in the privacy of their homes. The statement from the Ministry of Health suggests that family and friends watch for signs that drinking could be a problem.

And with falls being the most common cause of injury among B.C. seniors, adding alcohol to the mix increases the risk of injury by falling and can lead older adults to lose their independence, the statement said.

For more information on alcohol and aging, visit www.seniorsbc.ca/activeaging/alcohol.

Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper (L) and his wife Laureen wave as they disembark from their aircraft after arriving at Beijing international airport on February 7,2012. While in China, Harper met with Chongqing City's Party Secretary Bo Xilai, a notorious rights abuser now ousted from his position and under investigation. Harper's meeting with Chinese propaganda chief Li Changchun has raised questions over how much the PM knows about the people he is meeting with. (Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images)

The prime minister is getting some bad advice.

Those were former member of Parliament David Kilgour’s first words when he heard Stephen Harper had met with another senior Chinese cadre who is among the most notorious rights abusers in China today.

“I am very sad to hear that. It simply has got to stop or Canada is going to be a laughing stock among the people that believe in human dignity and rule of law,” said Kilgour, a former Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific).

Harper met with Li Changchun, head of the Chinese regime’s propaganda and censorship system, on Thursday, but the meeting was not announced in advance. Details of the meeting emerged from Chinese press likely in Li’s entourage, and a photo of Harper and Li was distributed by the Prime Minister’s Office.

Kilgour said the fact that Li was making the rounds in Ottawa while trying to keep his presence unknown to the western press should have tipped Harper’s staff off that Li had something to hide.

Meetings With Top-Level Targets for Ousting

Li comes to Canada amid factional infighting in the highest ranks of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) which is claiming some of Li’s most powerful allies.

Li has long been counted among the core members of the faction loyal to former chairman Jiang Zemin, as opposed to the faction headed by current leader Hu Jintao and his premier Wen Jiabao.

Several top members of Jiang’s faction are now targets for ousting. It’s a messy process that has caught the attention of the international press as former Chongqing Party Secretary Bo Xilai, another Jiang ally, comes under investigation.

Harper met with Bo on Feb 11, just weeks before Bo was purged from his position, a move The Epoch Times predicted before Harper’s meeting. Once considered a rising star, Bo is now under investigation for “serious discipline violations.”

“[Harper] should never have gone to see Bo in Chongqing, that was colossally bad advice. It was abundantly clear to everybody that follows China closely that Bo was on his way out,” said Kilgour.

Kilgour also noted Bo’s leading role in the organ harvesting crimes against Falun Gong practitioners, arguing he is not someone Canada should have been looking to build ties with.

“Our PM is supposed to get better advice than that. He’s got a lot of stuff to keep track of and he’s not supposed to be an expert on all these nuances that are happening in China at breakneck speed.”

Abrupt Terminations

Kilgour said the prime minister needs capable China advisers able to understand the situation unfolding in that country now. Otherwise, Canada will look absurd as events play out and its closest China connections continue to be cadres with careers marked by brutality and abrupt termination.

Those terminations are climbing ranks, and Epoch Times analysts are expecting Bo’s former protector and one of the regime’s most powerful figures, Zhou Yongkang, will be next to fall. Zhou heads China’s all-powerful internal security apparatus, which controls a massive surveillance network as well as China’s police and courts.

Click www.ept.ms/ccp-crisis to read about the most recent developments in the ongoing power struggle within the Chinese communist regime. In this special topic, we provide readers with the necessary context to understand the situation. Get the RSS feed. Get the Timeline of Events. Who are the Major Players?

For several weeks, The Epoch Times has been pointing to evidence that Zhou is on the ropes, and recently many large media organizations have also reported that the sharks appear to be circling the communist security chief.

It’s all bad news for Li, a close ally of both Bo and Zhou. Li may have left China for a trip to four nations to escape the fallout of those struggles, said Sheng Xue, a prominent Chinese democracy activist in Toronto.

“He wants to keep his power after the struggle, so he chose to leave,” said Xue, adding that Li may actually have connections on both sides of the struggle and so left the country to avoid having to position himself.

Li has already been forced to oust his past ally Bo after his fellow eight members on the regime’s ruling Standing Committee supported purging Bo.

While Li may now wish to avoid stating allegiances, he has traditionally been associated with Jiang’s clique. According to one news report from Hong Kong’s Apple Daily, Li has already come under censure amid the fallout surrounding Bo.

Continued on the next page: Propaganda Czar Zealous in Persecutions

TORONTO—Canada is closing two federal prisons in an effort save costs and improve the prison system, but the move is being criticized for shrinking the space for inmates as populations are set to rise.

One of the prisons is the Kingston Penitentiary, a maximum security facility in Ontario built in 1835 that is not well-suited to modern incarceration, said Public Safety Minister Vic Toews.

Closing the prison will also close the Regional Treatment Centre.

The other closure is the Leclerc Institution in Laval, Quebec, home to members of the Mafia and others.

Toews said he can close prisons without building new ones because the wave of criminals his critics predicted would result from his tough-on-crime legislation have not materialized. Meanwhile, extra space is being added to existing prisons

Toews said he had been given predictions of an increase of 3,500 prisoners when he became minister, from 14,000 to over 17,000. The increase has instead been closer to 600, he said.

However, it is unlikely the full effect of those relatively recent changes to the criminal code have been seen.

“The thrust of our tough-on-crime legislation is to ensure that dangerous and repeat offenders remain behind bars where they belong for a longer period of time. We are not creating new criminals,” Toews said.

Toews said opposition parties were fear-mongering when they said the Tories’ tough-on-crime legislation would create new inmates requiring new prisons.

“Quite simply, these new inmates have not materialized,” he said.

“As we stated in our most recent budget, we will not build any new prisons and we have no intention of building new prisons.”

Around 1,000 prisoners will need to be transferred from the shutdowns, with a similar number of prison staff. Toews said most of the staff will be able to find new jobs at other facilities nearby, without having to move.

‘Built in a different era’

The prisons are being shut down because they don’t work well, with limited views for correctional officers and other structural issues making it difficult to quickly respond to incidents.

“Some of these facilities were built in a different era, not for today’s correctional system,” Toews said.

“We’ve heard from frontline employees in certain institutions that they are confronted by situations such as the lack of appropriate sight lines and cells with open bars that permit inmates to throw objects at correctional officers. The location and design of control posts in this old infrastructure do not allow for the most effective views of cellblock ranges.”

Kingston Penitentiary opened its doors 32 years before Confederation and the birth of Canada in 1867.

Toews said crumbling infrastructure and costly upkeep meant closing the Kingston and Leclerc prisons would save about $120 million a year—$15,000 a year per prisoner at Leclerc alone.

“Kingston Penitentiary and Leclerc Institution are aging facilities with aging infrastructure. Simply put, we have better options,” he said.

The government has plans to create 2,700 single-bunk cells in prisons across Canada.

Liberal Public Safety critic Francis Scarpaleggia said the closures are “puzzling and disturbing.”

“With nearly 1,000 offenders housed at Kingston Penitentiary and Leclerc Institution, this announcement raises serious questions about where these inmates will be housed in our already overcrowded penal system,” he said.

Scarpaleggia questioned whether the closures would lead to more double-bunking and more dangerous conditions for correctional officers.

“Over-crowded prisons can compromise the effectiveness of programs such as drug rehabilitation, making it more likely inmates will reoffend once released into the community at the end of their sentence” he said.

Liberal MP Ted Hsu said the closures will make it more difficult for Corrections Canada to accommodate the expected increased in prisoners from the recently passed omnibus crime bill.

“The omnibus crime bill was only passed a month ago and we have yet to feel its effects,” he said.

“For example, was there an assessment of the costs and benefits of renovation? And what will happen to the Regional Treatment Centre and the mentally ill inmates that they manage?”

Student protesters gather in Phillips Square in downtown Montreal on March 29. (Nathalie Dieul/The Epoch Times)

A massive student protest in Quebec has seen over 165,000 students ditch class over proposed tuition increases, with tensions escalating in recent days even as support for the movement slips.

Reports Wednesday in various Quebec cities detailed street protests with Gatineau police arresting 80 people. Hundreds of students have been arrested in the protests, which began over two months ago.

On Monday, reports emerged that Montreal police are investigating incidents of vandalism at cabinet ministers’ offices. Molotov cocktails were found inside several offices.

We won’t stop as long as the government doesn’t do anything, that’s for sure. — Elvire Marcland, Student

Red squares, a symbol of the student protesters, were found painted on the sidewalks outside.

On April 14, thousands joined a march that wound through several blocks and obstructed traffic, but fell short of the violence that erupted the day before when seven students were arrested for trashing the office of the province’s education minister, Line Beauchamp.

Another group of students set up tents at the University of Montreal in an Occupy-style protest. The university has sought an injunction from the court after several hundred students caused extensive damage there on April 12.

A previous injunction was already handed down by the courts to prevent protesters from blocking access to the building.

Protesters also managed to temporarily shut down websites for the Quebec Liberal Party and the province’s Education Department.

Support Falling

But as reports of vandalism rise, support for the protests is falling in Quebec.

A Leger Marketing poll for the Journal de Montreal shows 38 percent of Quebecers support the protests, down seven percent from a similar poll March 28 that recorded support at 45 percent.

The poll also found 74 percent of Quebecers were not willing to pay extra taxes to stop the tuition increase.

Students march down Rene-Levesque Blvd. in Montreal on April 11. (Nathalie Dieul/The Epoch Times)

Now in their third month, the protests were sparked by plan to raise tuition by 75 percent over the next five years.

Quebec currently has the lowest tuition in Canada, and its tuition would remain the third lowest even with the increase.

The plan that has so angered students aims to raise tuition fees by $325 a year for the next five years for a total increase of $1,625.

Quebec has a unique history with post-secondary education funding. Broad support for free schooling or low tuition fees began during the secularization process that unfolded during the Quiet Revolution in the 1960s.

In Quebec, students receive the equivalent of one free year of university education, and the lowest tuition rates in the country.

Protesting More Than Tuition

Several students involved in the protests say the tuition hikes are part of a broader move towards a more capitalistic society, a trend they oppose.

Zachari Jolin, a biology student set to start his Masters degree next year, said the protests are a social fight involving the entire society.

Many students hope to work later on in a society that would not be based upon values such as money. — Félix Blequiére, Student

“Democracy is not a package deal that comes with Quebec or Canada, it’s something that changes with the time, and at some point we won’t have it any more, so we have to fight in order to keep it,” he said.

Despite the fact the students have been able to take to the streets and oppose the cuts in the strongest terms possible, many, including Jolin, say the planned increases are a sign the government is no longer democratic.

Anthropology student Elvire Marcland echoed that point, describing the protests as closely linked to the Occupy movement that saw temporary encampments pop up in high-profile locations across North America and in other countries.

“I won’t speak about dictatorship, but about a society that doesn’t listen to us,” she said

“It’s more global, it’s also worldwide because we’re fighting against capitalism and its consequences.”

She said that movement will continue even if the protests end, which won’t happen unless the government relents.

“We won’t stop as long as the government doesn’t do anything, that’s for sure, we really have the motivation and [for] many of us, it can still last for a long time.”

Student protesters pump their fists in the air and chant slogans in Victoria Square, Montreal, on April 11. (Nathalie Dieul/The Epoch Times)

Félix Blequiére another anthropology student, said the protests are a part of a bigger fight to maintain the gains of the Quiet Revolution, a period in which the province took control over education from the Roman Catholic Church and increased funding to make higher education broadly accessible.

“The movement is bigger than [the increase in tuition]—the whole notion of education is in question,” he said.

“What we put in question is the way the government of Quebec wants to build its society based on education. The whole ideology is in question; it’s also enlarging capitalism.”

“Many students hope to work later on in a society that would not be based upon values such as money,” he said.

Tuition on the Rise Nationally

A ticker on the Canadian Federation of Student’s website puts Canada Student Loan (CSL) debt at over $14 billion. CSL is the main provider of student loans in Canada, though provinces also operate provincial programs.

Tuition fees have increased at twice the rate of inflation, notes the group.

Newfoundland and Labrador has the second lowest rates with an average of $2,649 while Quebec came in at just $2,519. Even if the total increase was implemented today, Quebec students would be paying $4,144. Fees in Manitoba are $3,645.

Nikki Skuce of ForestEthics speaks at a recent rally in Vancouver where over 2,000 people came out to oppose increasing oil tanker traffic on B.C.’s coast. (Facundo Gastiazoro/ForestEthics)

The Conservatives’ efforts to limit criticism of their environmental and energy policies could be backfiring as environmental groups formulate strategies to deal with increased pressure on charities.

Both David Suzuki of the David Suzuki Foundation and ForestEthics are implementing plans to protect their organizations and allies while stepping up advocacy efforts opposing Conservative priorities

I think they are going too far and too fast and they are going to get a lot of push-back. — Niki Skuce, Forest Ethics Advocacy

“What they have done is touched on a democracy nerve and people are reacting. We’ve gotten thousands of names on petitions and received thousands of dollars in donations—more than ever in our history from individual donors—since these attacks began,” said Niki Skuce, the senior energy campaigner for newly formed Forest Ethics Advocacy.

The David Suzuki Foundation has also seen a moderate increase in donations, said a spokesperson from the foundation.

Forest Ethics Restructures

ForestEthics recently announced plans to split up its operations and form a non-charitable branch so that it could step up efforts against projects like the Northern Gateway pipeline and gas drilling at what is known as the sacred headwaters in Northwest British Columbia where the Skeena, Nass, and Stikine Rivers begin.

In the last budget, the Conservatives allocated $8 million to monitor charities’ compliance with tax regulations, requiring they limit political advocacy efforts to 10 percent of their spending with increased penalties for breaches.

Previously, the government had criticized environmental groups for their “radical” opposition to energy and resource projects, alleging foreign funding was being used to oppose Canadian economic objectives.

Under the new regulations, charities will have to say how much of their foreign-sourced money goes to political activities. The government has also firmed up what constitutes political activity.

I want to speak freely without fear that my words will be deemed too political. — David Suzuki

“Instead of increasing dialogue and open conversation, they are trying to silence it,” said Skuce. “I think they are going too far and too fast and they are going to get a lot of push-back even from their own supporters.”

ForestEthics operates north and south of the border, with some of its funding previously coming through its relationship with Tides Canada, an umbrella organization that helps several environmental groups raise funds while providing office support services like accounting and financial management.

The northwest coast of B.C. where Enbridge’s Northern Gateway project would introduce oil supertankers for the first time ever. (Nikki Skuce/ForestEthics)

Tides Canada spearheaded fundraising efforts that helped get protected designation for the Great Bear Rainforest.

ForestEthics broke ties with the Tides Canada to alleviate pressure on Tides coming from the Conservative government, said Skuce.

“We have been specifically targeted by the Harper government and so Tides is undergoing its fourth audit in a year and a half. So we think it is better for all the projects they support if we step aside.”

Skuce said the bureaucratic burden of carrying out those audits has become “outrageous.”

“[Tides] are really fantastic and we support the work that they do … and we will continue to have a cooperative relationship with them, but we will no longer be putting them at risk, hopefully.”

Rather than expose Tides to pressure, ForestEthics decided to “rise to the challenge” and develop an organization dedicated to advocacy.

Skuce said funding will come from several streams, including foundations interested in groups that don’t have charitable status. With increased support coming since the Tories took a harder line on environmental groups, she is hopeful they can attract donors even without the ability to issue tax receipts.

David Suzuki Leaves Foundation

David Suzuki made a similar move last week when he announced his departure from the eponymous foundation he started.

“I want to speak freely without fear that my words will be deemed too political, and harm the organization of which I am so proud,” wrote Suzuki in an open letter explaining his departure.

A sea lion sits on a rock along Enbridge’s proposed tanker route. (Nikki Skuce/ForestEthics)

“I am keenly aware that some governments, industries and special interest groups are working hard to silence us. They use threats to the Foundation’s charitable status in attempts to mute its powerful voice on issues that matter deeply to you and many other Canadians.”

Suzuki said it is important he speaks out and that the foundation’s “science-based, solutions-oriented research and educational work” continues without being endangered by his own advocacy efforts.

“Our opponents, however, are redoubling their efforts to marginalize the Foundation by getting at me, personally,” he wrote. Suzuki said he made the decision last year.

Berman made national headlines for organizing roadblocks during the Clayoquot Sound protests in the 1990s. She faced nearly 1,000 criminal charges and six years in prison for her efforts.

A screen shot of Travel Alberta's award-winning “Remember to Breathe” video. Tourism in the province has exploded in the last decade, partly due to savvy marketing and increased government funding to the sector. (Courtesy Travel Alberta)

Alberta’s tourism industry celebrated this week as a promotional YouTube video for tourism in the oil-rich province reached over a million viewers worldwide.

Titled Remember to Breathe, the video was voted best in the world, earning the Diamond Award—equivalent to the Oscars in tourism circles—at Golden City Gate, a tourism advertising competition held at the International Tourism Fair in Berlin last month.

The three-minute video features a vivid collection of Alberta’s natural wonders and attractions, and various versions of it are currently being promoted to markets in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and China.

The attention reflects a growing $5.5-billion tourism industry, one of the largest sectors in Alberta, which employs 90,000 workers in the province.

“[Tourism] has been growing exponentially over the last 10 years,” says Travel Alberta CEO Bruce Okabe, who contributes much of the growth to a fresh marketing strategy and increased funding that became available when Travel Alberta became a crown corporation in 2009.

“Clearly we have a lot of what visitors want,” Okabe adds.

“We have the full support of the government of Alberta in terms of the sustainable tourism funding model. So there’s a number of things that are on our side that are contributing to the growth.”

Publicity from top U.S. talk show Live! With Kelly, which broadcast for four days in Banff earlier this month, will also contribute. The attention from the show is thought to be worth around $22 million.

Twenty-three million people visited Alberta in 2010; 18.6 million came from other parts of the province, 2.8 million came from other parts of Canada, and 1.5 million from other countries.

According to the Conference Board of Canada, average revenue growth from tourism across Canada was just under 4 percent last year. In Alberta it was almost double that at 7.8 percent, and Travel Alberta hopes to increase tourism revenues by $1 billion before 2017.

The major draw for international tourists continues to be natural wonders such as the Rocky Mountains and Banff or Jasper national parks, says Okabe.

Tourists within Canada are more likely to visit other areas of Alberta to see family or explore attractions such as Dinosaur Provincial Park or the Calgary Stampede.

However, tourism in Alberta has not always enjoyed such a rosy image.

In 2010 a San Francisco-based environmental group launched an international ad campaign that called for American tourists to boycott Alberta due to the environmental impact of oil sands development.

The “Re-Think Alberta” campaign, directed at U.S. and U.K. markets, included billboard ads and online advertising featuring oil-soaked birds and wildlife, with the words “Alberta: The OTHER Oil Disaster.”

Okabe says the anti-Alberta campaign didn’t have any effect on tourism numbers, and in fact could have produced the opposite effect.

“Interestingly enough what actually transpired was the tourism to Fort McMurray and the Northern area actually doubled [after the campaign was launched],” he says.

He adds it is difficult to prove whether the campaign can be linked with the boost in tourism, but it did create a lot of discussion in social media circles at the time.

The award-winning Travel Alberta promotional video can be seen at www.travelalberta.com

The students of Kotu-Erinjang school all set to read. (Lise Watson)

There’s plenty of controversy about foreign aid in Africa. It’s common knowledge that NGO corruption has often left out the needy and instead paid the salaries of administrators who don’t personally dig wells, hand out mosquito nets, or build schools.

But that doesn’t mean it’s not a good idea for people to help each other.

Lise Watson, a bursary administrator with the Ontario Institute of Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, is holding an event to help small friends she’s made in The Gambia.

Watson has been visiting The Gambia since 2005. She loves the music and culture there. During her 2012 visit, Watson met Bubakar Ceesay, the headmaster of a small school in Kotu-Erinjang.

The community needed a school, so in 2007 they started one. As time passed, the community began to rely on the school. The students are 5, 6, and 7 year-olds. The parents pay fees and provide uniforms, but the budget is extremely tight.

“I don’t think that Bubakar is able to take much of a salary,” says Watson.

When Ceesay and Watson met, the school had 50 students and three rooms. Since then the number of students has nearly doubled, but the space and the number of desks has not.

Government inspectors visited the school and threatened to close it because of the lack of desks. The government doesn’t fund the school, so it is subject to private school regulations. There is no government-funded school close enough to Kotu-Erinjang.

So to save the school, Watson has taken it upon herself to raise money for the desks.

“I got so much joy from being there that I wanted to give something back. I asked them what they needed and they said they needed desks,” explains Watson.

The price of one wooden desk is $25. Watson is asking others to help in the fundraising by making donations online at kotukids.wordpress.com.

Watson is also holding a fundraiser on Thursday Apr. 26 at Toronto’s New Bilan restaurant, legendary for its spectacular and inexpensive Somali food. Maryem Hassan Tollar, Roula Said, and Naghmeh Faramand will present music from Egypt and Syria. The price at the door is $20 including food.

Watson will be leaving for The Gambia on June 8. She says pictures of the desks bought by the donations will be uploaded to the fundraising website in mid-July.