Canada

The contrasting colours of fall are slowly being replaced by the first snow...long before the water has a chance to freeze. db Comments Read Full Story

Notwithstanding the original objectives of the long-gun registry program, it was sold to Canadians on the basis that it was only going to cost a few million dollars and that the program would be a lifesaver. A billion dollars plus and 14 years later, the usefulness of the program objectives has continued to remain open to discussion. While there still are a few more hurdles to cross, I hope the naysayers will come to conclude that the long-gun registry had been advanced, however well-intended, without a sufficient analysis of the costs and benefits. Now is not the time for political gamesmanship but rather an ... Read Full Story

Using the podium at a conference on security and intelligence to get their message out, both CSIS Director Richard Fadden and RCMP Commissioner William Elliott are trying to get Canadians to understand that Canada is not immune to terrorism. While Elliott was also making a pitch for more resources dedicated to terrorism related investigations, both men captured the attention of their conference audience with their resolve to try and do more. From my perspective, many Canadians continue to believe that Canada is in some way insulated from terrorism. With most of the ongoing carnage happening in a faraway place, people will tune out from ... Read Full Story

There has been a lot of recent advertising by both the television networks as well as the cable/satellite companies trying to convince consumers that they are the respective good guys in this debate about paying for local television. As they toss the blame back and forth through television announcements and full page ads in newspapers, it is the consumer that will be stuck with paying the bill. The CRTC has established the Local Programming Improvement Fund (LPIF) which is intended to subsidize some smaller market TV stations and Rogers has already added this new charge to the monthly bill. Television stations should be able ... Read Full Story

If you have already travelled to the Columbia Icefield area there is probably not much I can add to increase the ‘wow’ factor for you. For those of you unfamiliar with this corner of our country, here’s some background. At 3745 meters (12,284 ft), the top of Mt. Columbia is the highest point in Alberta. The Athabasca Glacier, a destination for thousands of visitors every year, is one of the many glaciers fed by the Columbia Icefield. The latter is the largest body of ice in the Rocky Mountains and covers 325 square kilometers (130 square miles). The Athabasca Glacier is small by comparison ... Read Full Story