Metro Calgary - January 29, 2009

39.2 MB·English

by  Metro International

CALGARY • THURSDAY JANUARY 29 2009 metronews.ca

U.S. HOUSE PASSES MASSIVE STIMULUS, PG 6
Celebrity pg 16
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CALGARY • THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2009 metronews.ca time
21+ years experience
Voted #1Paralegal
Why pay more?
Tories ‘on probation’
Obama
lands on
Feb. 19 Coalition collapses as Liberal leader gives support to Conservative budget
OagBnuTaTrdrAaa WccteikAor nOeFm,rb eUaos.mhnS. ya oP ’ofsrff e F tshheiibdes.e pi1nno9tam uvip-s- BCFaeunadddeag 2re0a0tl9 CHRIS WATTIE/REU C(cid:129) oThne dLibietriaols nwasnt Tories to
iat mtoo Crea nloawda-k peryo amffiasiers. to be TERS “apnrdo fviisdcea lo unp-gdoatinegs; edceotnaiol mthiec
Canadians are trying to The Conservative govern- actual implementation of
keep the focus for Obama’s ment has accepted a Liber- the budget; and itemize the
meeting with Prime Minis- al change to the federal actual effects of the budget.”
ter Stephen budget that requires peri- (cid:129) The tests for approval: Pro-
Harper on odic parliamentary reports tection of most vulnerable,
work, not on how its $40-billion eco- minimizing of existing job
ceremony. nomic rescue package is losses, creation of employ-
While the being spent — a move ment opportunities of
visit was that guarantees the tomorrow, provision of
pre viously budget’s passage and the economic stimulus in a
announced, government’s probable manner fair to all regions,
U.S. President the date was survival well into 2010. and assurance the deficit is
Barack Obama confirmed With the Liberals’ sup- not a burden to future gen-
yesterday by port of the Conservative erations or a detri-
Washington and Ottawa. It budget, the would-be coali- ment to economic
will be Obama’s first trip tion with the New Democ- recovery.
abroad as president. rats, backed by the Bloc (cid:129) The Conservatives must
“This is a testament not Québécois, collapsed. also provide details on ad-
just to the size of our trad- It was the latest twist in a justments or new measures.
ing relationship and the political drama that erupted
closeness of our alliance, in November and led to the Harper should “proceed
but also the strength of our near-defeat of Prime Minis- with extreme caution.”
friendship,” Harper said. ter Stephen Harper’s minor- Harper did not formally
Obama’s office provided ity government. speak on the amendment,
few details but said the fo- The Conservatives earned but senior government
cus will likely be the a new lease on government ministers cast the amend-
sagging economy. — but only to implement a ment as recognition of what
TORSTAR NEWS SERVICE massive pro-growth spend- the government already
ing plan dictated in part by does — account to Canadi-
their opposition adversaries ans for how it spends their
Food pg 11
and leaving the govern- money.
ment with a $64-billion Meanwhile, NDP Leader
deficit within two years. Jack Layton and BQ Leader
The Liberal amendment Gilles Duceppe said the Lib-
calls for reports that would erals will wear the Conser-
require three more mini-fis- vatives’ budget.
cal updates. The Conserva- “The coalition is dead,
Relax while tive government quickly ac- very clearly,” said Duceppe.
cepted the change, which Layton lashed out at Ig-
cooking chili means the budget could Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff speaks in Ottawa yesterday. Ignatieff said the Liberals will support the natieff, accusing him of
pass as early as Monday. budget, ensuring the survival of Harper’s minority government. More coverage, pgs 4, 5, 7 & 8 forming a new coalition
“We are putting this gov- with the Harper govern-
Metro Homes pg 10 ernment on probation,” Lib- actually reach them.” veal that the government is lem of trust, there remains ment.
eral Leader Michael Ignati- The motion will require not delivering on its budget a sense that they announce TORSTAR NEWS SERVICE
Repeating eff declared yesterday. “We these report cards at the pledges, the Liberals will and don’t deliver, a sense
will be watching like hawks end of March, in June and withdraw their support for that they promise and don’t ShareYourViews
patterns to make sure that the in- again in December. Ignatieff the Tories in Parliament. get the money out the
vestments Canadians need said that if the reports re- “There remains a prob- door,” said Ignatieff, adding [email protected]
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metronews.ca metro
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Building burns week before demolition date 3
A fire yesterday around 11:45 a.m. tore through a building already scheduled for demolition next Monday. Three individuals in the building
exited safely and no injuries were reported. The cause is still under investigation but it is not believed to be suspicious. METRO CALGARY
New AHS head from Down Under
Local
Alberta Health Services announced a health administrator from Australia as the new
president and CEO of the Alberta Health Services superboard. Stephen Duckett will take
the reigns of the AHS on March 23. Duckett was the chief executive of the Centre for
Healthcare Improvement for Queensland Health in Australia. METRO CALGARY
Season Premiere
8 Tonight
Freethought Techies lap up ‘unboxing’ 2nd person dies
from home fire
ads to run
SUITE BLAZE A woman died
on city buses ARY in hospital yesterday, the
G
JENNIFER HILLIKER AL second person to die after
nREoL GIGoIOd,N so“T shtoepre w porrorbyainblgy is for Metro Calgary METRO C aMno enadralyy .m orning fire on
and enjoy your life.” As Calgarian Jason Dunn OR Colleen Mantei, 23, was
This is the slogan the unwrapped his Dell Studio NISKI/F one of four victims caught
Freethought Association of Hybrid computer, about U in the basement suite fire
Canada plans to put on Cal- 90,000 Internet viewers OBIN K on 33 Street N.W. and the
gary buses within two watched in fascination. R second to die after 19-year-
months, spokesperson Katie One of the first to receive old Jonathon St. Pierre died
Kish said. the computer, the profes- the day before in hospital.
“We want to get people sional blogger filmed him- Fire investigators believe
talking so people who don’t self opening it and put the a space heater was to blame
believe can understand video on YouTube, so others for the fire. Two more
Christians and vice versa,” could share the experience women are in Edmonton
Kish said. — online. hospitals. METRO CALGARY
The group chose to run “I was the very first one to
ads in Alberta because, “it’s show that product on cam-
the most religious province era,” Dunn said. “In one
in the country,” Kish said. day, it went up by 50,000
Father Leighton Lee of the hits. If people are interested WHAT’S ONLINE TODAY
Cathedral Church of the Re- in a product they’ll lap
deemer doesn’t think this is everything about it up.” VideoAngry about your
the way to open a dialogue. Dunn videotapes himself unplowed street? Be careful
“Their technique seems whenever he gets a new Jason Dunn, a gadget reviewer, specializes in opening boxes and doing the video of his opening what you wish for at
very in-your-face … It just gadget like a phone, laptop the box as part of his reviews. “Unboxing” has gained a huge online viewing audience. metronews.ca/local
gets people’s hackles up,” or MP3 player, and he’s not VideoLayton
Lee said. “But we can’t deny the only one. This Internet hand — with authentic, people to his five websites, regular person. blasts Ignatieff for
rights we enjoy to other craze called “unboxing unrehearsed clips. where he makes most of “I’m not sure if a letting the budget
groups because we don’t videos” has generated “They’re very raw, very his money. YouTube video could be an pass at metro
agree with (them).” about 65,000 videos on real, and very honest. I Ryan Felgate, blogger for authentic depiction of a news.ca/canada
The group has already run YouTube. don’t rehearse my videos techvibes.com said that product,” Felgate said.
the ads on Toronto transit Dunn figures the great- and I don’t have any people have to be careful, Lotteries
where there was critical and est value of the video un- scripts,” he said. as he suspects some corpo- Watch one of Jason’s Lotto 6/49:1, 6, 20, 22, 24 & 46 Bonus 36
positive feedback, said Kish. veilings is that others get Dunn said he produces rations launch “unboxing” videos online at These results are not official.
metronews.ca/local
LINDSEY WALLIS/FOR METRO CALGARY to see the product first- the videos mostly to attract videos under the guise of a
metro metronews.ca
Thursday, January 29, 2009
local
4 United Way will be able to continue its 2008 level of funding
Thanks to Calgarians’ generosity, the organization announced yesterday it was
able to raise $49.5 million to continue its 2009 programs. METRO CALGARY
Take safety precautions
to help avoid fatal fires
added that proper care must for ensuring a working
ALICIA FOX be taken to make sure smoke smoke detector is installed,
for Metro Calgary detectors work. while it is the tenants’ re-
According to the ongoing sponsibility to ensure they
The Calgary Fire investigation, there was no are maintained.
Department is urging working smoke detector in Violations to the fire code
Calgarians the home of the fire that has can carry fines up to $15,000
to take pre- took the life of 19-year-old Jon - or six months in jail, and the
cautions athan St. Pierre and put three violator can be charged un-
against “en- others in hospital due to der the Criminal Code.
tirely smoke inhalation.
prevent- Bars on the windows of the
able” basement suite may have What you can do
tragedies, in prevented the victims from
the wake of escaping from the home in (cid:129) Sleep with bedroom door
a northwest Brad the 500 block of 33 St. NW. shut
Calgary fire Lorne It has yet to be determined (cid:129) Place escape ladders un-
that has left who put the bars on the win- der second-storey bedroom
two dead and two still in dows and whether they vio- windows
hospital lated any codes, but the cause (cid:129) Plan an escape route
Yesterday, Deputy Chief of the fire has been blamed (cid:129) Teach guests how to es-
Brad Lorne spoke out about on a space heater. cape the house
the necessity of smoke detec- “Bars on windows must be (cid:129) Establish an outdoor
tors. able to be opened without meeting place
“Fatality fires should never special knowledge, tools or (cid:129) Make sure smoke detec-
occur if you have proper ear- devices,” Lorne said. tors work
ly warning,” he said, but The landlord is responsible
RO
BIN
KU
N
ISKI/FO
R M
ETRO
CA
LG
A
RY
Garry Curtishas, a 40-year veteran of renovations, works on his latest project. Tuesday’s budget al-
lows tax breaks of up to $1,350 on home renovations.
Contractors cautiously optimistic for credit
RENOS Home renovation “However, it would have Canada 2009
companies like the home been nice to see a larger Federal
renovation credit intro- number.”
duced in the federal budget People renovating their Budget
Tuesday, but don’t want to homes can claim a 15 per
get their hopes up. cent credit against spending
John McCoy with Ulti- of between $1,000 and phoned me who wanted to
mate Renovations says he $10,000, with a maximum change the date of his reno-
thinks there will only be a credit of $1,350. vations to the 27th so he
five per cent increase in It applies to work done on would receive the credit,”
business. houses, cottages and condo- said Randy Acheson, manag-
“I believe that it’s an ex- miniums after Jan. 27 and er of A-A Renovation Doctor.
cellent incentive to put the before Feb. 1, 2010. Routine “His original date was the
renovation idea into peo- maintenances do not count. 26th; so we didn’t care, we
ple’s minds as a sensible Some are already taking changed it for him.”
place to spend their money advantage of the credit. JENNIFER HILLIKER/
right now,” McCoy said. “I had one customer who FOR METRO CALGARY
News in brief
FEES The Calgary Downtown needs of long-term facility pa- NDP said there needs to be
Association is asking city coun- tients, according to 300 surveys more staff for patients.
cil to reverse the short-stay the party conducted last year. BUDGET The Calgary Homeless
parking fee increases it recent- The surveys were distributed Foundation is pleased with the
ly approved. among union staff in 2008 to fed’s $2-billion pledge in social
CARE The Alberta NDP says the get feedback on what was hap- housing, a news release said
province isn’t meeting the pening in seniors’ homes. The yesterday. METRO CALGARY
metronews.ca metro
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Second coast guard icebreaker gets stuck in ice 5
After 15 ice-bound hours, 38 passengers on a ferry from Îles de la Madeleine to P.E.I. have landed safely, CBC News Online reports. The coast guard icebreaker Sir William Alexander
freed the ferry, but not after first getting stuck in the heavy ice itself. This is the second time in as many days that a coast guard icebreaker has been stuck in ice.METRO NEWS SERVICES
Groups urge less birth intervention
Canada
Medical interventions like caesarian deliveries shouldn’t be routine for low-risk
pregnancies, several Canadian medical groups said in a new policy statement
yesterday. The statement called for the promotion of normal childbirth when
labour and birth are progressing normally. The statement urged doctors to
resort to caesarean sections, among other interventions, only when there is a
valid, evidence-based reason. METRO NEWS SERVICES
The coalition is dead
Budget Getting to work News in brief
SURVEY A recent opinion sur-
Duceppe pulls plug on Liberal-NDP deal CHRIS W vtheayt o, gni pveronf tehsesi ochnos irceev, emalosre
A controversial political ATTIE/REU ppeluomplbee wr tohualnd am marorvyi ae star.
figure — remembered for “I come out of this experience with the TERS Synovate surveyed 1,000
its “extraordinary work” sense that we have changed Canadian Canadians and found that,
— has died. based on profession, 15 per
politics.” Michael Ignatieff
Shed a tear for the NDP- cent would choose a doctor or
Liberal coalition. a nurse as a spouse, nine per
This rare political ani- Ignatieff, never a fan of the It was left to Bloc Quebe- cent would choose a worker
mal, born in a splash of coalition he inherited from cois Gilles Duceppe to fill from the sciences or trades
controversy and daring Dion, was first to hint at its in the death certificate. people, while only four per
died a quiet, merciful fate yesterday when he de- “The coalition is dead. cent would choose to marry
death yesterday, put down livered a kind eulogy with- It’s finished. It’s over,” an actor.
by one of its creators, who out pronouncing the union Duceppe declared bluntly.
figured it had outlived its formally deceased. Only NDP Leader Jack BUDGET Hailing Stephen
usefulness. “The coalition has ac- Layton betrayed any anger Harper as the “Prime Minister
The death was greeted complished, I think, ex- or bitterness yesterday, who actually delivered”
with a mix of mourning traordinary work. It has blaming Ignatieff for not Ontario Premier Dalton
and indifference on Parlia- forced a reckless … prime following through on the McGuinty said the federal
ment Hill, the very place minister to think again, to coalition’s grand strategy budget is just the tonic for his
where it entered the world jettison the partisan my- to replace the Conserva- province’s ailing economy.
in a surprise birth just a way-or-the-highway style tives. Meanwhile, Newfoundland
month and a half ago. of leadership,” Ignatieff “We have a new coali- and Labrador Premier Danny
The coalition is survived said. tion now on Parliament Prime Minister Stephen Harper uses a nail gun while touring a Williams, a Tory, said the
by warring siblings and is “I come out of this expe- Hill. It’s a coalition be- home undergoing renovations yesterday in Ottawa. Harper at- budget was designed to give
predeceased by Stéphane rience with the sense that tween Mr. Harper and Mr. tended the photo opportunity after the Tory budget, released his province the “maximum
Dion, one of its founders. we have changed Canadian Ignatieff,” Layton said. Tuesday, announced tax breaks for home renovation projects. shaft.”
Liberal Leader Michael politics,” he said. TORSTAR NEWS SERVICE METRO NEWS SERVICES
metro metronews.ca
Thursday, January 29, 2009
6 Venice’s public toilets going digital
Venice is launching an online service that lets visitors pay for access to public toilets with a mouse click. Instead of paying the current one-euro fee to get into a public bathroom, tourists who think
ahead can get one week or day passes to the bathrooms online. Visitors can pay seven euros online for 10 toilet visits over five days in high season, and five euros in the low tourist season. REUTERS
More G8 cash for arms disposal: Russia
World
Russia said yesterday it might have to slow down destruction of its huge Soviet-era stocks
of chemical and other weapons of mass destruction because its G8 partners are not
providing enough funds to carry out the work. The Group of Eight industrialized nations
clinched a $20-billion US deal in 2002 to help Russia get rid of chemical, nuclear and other
weapons to prevent them falling into the wrong hands. REUTERS
House passes $819B bailout
Brazil
Deforestation protest
RA
IM
U.S. President Barack Oba- posed the landmark bill, in tax cuts, $275 billion, UN
D
ma scored his first major complaining it contained Extra spending and too much in spending, O PA
legislative victory yester- too much new spending $550 billion. The Senate is CCO
d$st8ai1my9 wu-bliutilhsl i ppoaancs UksaaSgg eeec oobnfy aoanmic alonwAdl ln boDute te m1n1oo ucorgfa hOt sbt aaxmi ncau ’sts tf.hele- (cid:129)Dag eTemh eion ccnrlaeutwd-ae spsp pemrnoodvneinedgy itpnoa tcrheke-- elianxrgp ve$ec8rt8es7ido btnoi l olaifpo tnphr.eo vbei lal sciomsti-- / REUTERS
sharply divided House on House supported the bill to build crumbling roads and House Democrats reject-
a 244-188 vote. combat the worst econom- bridges, and upgrade ed Republican efforts to
Obama, who took office ic crisis since the Great De- health care and schools. strip out the new spending
eight days ago, was denied, pression. The Senate be- and instead approve a
at least for now, his goal of gins debate next week. day, Obama failed to ease package essentially re-
bipartisanship. Every Re- On his first visit to the Republican concerns the stricted to about $478 bil-
publican who voted op- Capitol as president Tues- package included too little lion in tax cuts. REUTERS
Israel strikes Gaza after militants fire rocket
Russia orders
soldier home
MIDEAST Israeli warplanes Rafah, along Gaza’s border The rocket was the first
bombed a weapons pro- with Egypt. Witnesses and fired from Gaza since Is-
from Georgia
duction facility in Gaza Hamas Islamists said a rael and Hamas called sep-
yesterday after militants metal foundry was dam- arate ceasefires ending a
fired a rocket at Israel, in aged. 22-day Israeli offensive on TBILISI The Russian army
violence that defied the ef- Moments earlier, a mili- Jan. 18. It caused no casual- accused Georgia yesterday
forts of a visiting U.S. tant group with links to ties, but Israeli leaders fac- of blocking the return of a
peace envoy to reinforce a Palestinian President Mah- ing a Feb. 10 election in a soldier who disappeared
ceasefire. moud Abbas’ Fatah move- campaign focused on secu- from his unit and said he
There were no reports of ment claimed responsibili- rity concerns, have vowed must come back or face
injuries from the predawn ty for firing a rocket at to respond to rocket prosecution as a deserter.
Israeli strike in the town of southern Israel yesterday. salvoes. REUTERS “Alexander Glukhov
must return and continue
his service,” said Col. Igor
Konashenkov, aide to the A Brazilian Indian is shown at a protest against Amazon defor-
commander of Russia’s estation at the ninth Social World Forum, which was brought
ground forces. to the city of Belem partly as a way of drawing global attention
Georgia, crushed by Rus- to the destruction of the Amazon rain forest.
sia in a brief war in August
when it tried to retake its
rebel South Ossetia region
by force, paraded the sol- News in brief
dier on Tuesday.
Glukhov told Reuters in IRELAND Relatives of people heal wounds.
Tbilisi he had asked for killed in Northern Ireland's
asylum, saying conditions decades-long conflict clashed WEAPONS Iran will not halt
with Russian forces in on Wednesday at the launch of sensitive nuclear work as
South Ossetia were a report which recommended demanded by the new U.S. ad-
unbearable. a “recognition payment” to ministration, a close aide to
Moscow maintains the families of paramilitary fight- President Mahmoud
soldier was abducted and ers. More than 3,600 people Ahmadinejad said. The U.S.
that Georgian officials were killed in 30 years of sec- and other Western powers sus-
must have forced him into tarian violence from the late pect Iran’s peaceful nuclear
making statements that 1960s. A government-commis- projects are a front to build nu-
discredited the Russian sioned panel was appointed clear arms, which the aide de-
military. REUTERS last year to look into ways to nied yesterday. REUTERS
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metronews.ca metro
Thursday, January 29, 2009
7
LOCAL NATIONAL Assoc MngingEditor, Tarin Elbert Art Director, Laila Hakim
Publisher, Steve Shrout Group Publisher, Bill McDonald Assoc Night MngingEditor, Jim Reyno National Sales Director, Susan Courtney
Managing Editor, Darren Krause Distribution Manager,Dave Mak Editor-in-Chief, Dianne Rinehart Enter/Lifestyle Editor, Dean Lisk Interactive/Mrktng Director, Jodi Brown
Comment & Views
Comment M
ICH
A
Who is this prime minister? EL D
E A
D
D
ER
Home Abroad latest in a string of stagger- knows, more than most,
& Canada 2009
ing reversals. Only weeks the pain it took to produce
ago, Harper declared that Federal a surplus in the 1990s.
Andrew our economy was strong Budget Then again, a govern-
and there was no need for ment invites a deficit when
Cohen stimulus. And there would it cuts the GST and income
be no deficit. and plotting a Canadian taxes (which this govern-
Well, one could say that Conservative majority, they ment did), so it can shrink
Canada & world insight things changed between take office and embrace the size of government
R
now and then. What deficit financing and gar- (which this government
alph Waldo Emer- changed was the govern- gantuan spending. wants), so it can create a
son famously said ment found Keynesian eco- Breathtaking. Conservative Canada. Or so
that “a foolish con- nomics when it was faced Some might say the Con- it thought.
sistency is the hob- with defeat. Period. servatives have become Lib- When you want to stay in
goblin of little That this deficit comes erals today, but don’t be so power, you learn how to
minds.” Emerson, the 19th- from a Conservative gov- sure the Liberals would trim and tack. Harper is be-
century American philoso- ernment led by a conserva- have been this profligate. It coming good at this.
pher, thought the better tive economist who once was they who eliminated Need a new mandate?
part of wisdom is one’s will- disdained deficits is exqui- the deficit inherited from Forget the election date you
ingness to abandon flawed, site. It shows, once again, Brian Mulroney’s Con- fixed and call one now.
mistaken or dated beliefs. that politicians, whatev- servatives. Want a Conservative major-
By this measure, Stephen er their stripe, will When former ity in the Senate? Forget
Harper is Emerson’s man. choose survival over finance minis- term limits for senators.
He’s happy to divest him- principle. ter John Man- Want to appoint a new
self of anything. There ap- Power has not cor- ley heard the high court justice? Forget
Quote of the Day
pears to be nothing — no rupted the Conserva- deficit forecast those pesky parliamentary
program, no promise — tives absolutely, as last week, he hearings. Dislike income
that he will not jettison if it Lord Acton once said. said he “felt trusts? Abolish them.
“We have a new coalition now
becomes cumbersome or Rather, it has bank- sick.” He Want to placate the oppo-
inconvenient. rupted them sition? Drop plans to kill
on Parliament Hill. It’s a
If that means remaking intellec- election subsidies.
yourself ideologically, or be- tually. Easy come, easy go. My, coalition between Mr. Harper
coming a political cham - After a my, these are faithless folks.
eleon, so be it. No one can decade and Mr. Ignatieff.”
accuse Harper of much at- of “unit-
Andrew Cohen, a professor and
tachment to anything. ing the journalist, is the author of — NDP Leader Jack Layton on learning of Liberal Leader
The federal budget is the right” Extraordinary Canadians: Lester B. Pearson. Michael Ignatieff’s comments TORSTAR NEWS SERVICE
Views
Federal budget missed the boat to mend ACTRA wounds over prior cuts
job generator and gives gov- Canada 2009 al gross domestic product full-time jobs our industry this is basically a status
Stephen ernment a lot of bang for — and more than 1.1 mil- creates across Canada. quo budget for our indus-
Federal
Waddell every dollar invested. By not lion jobs. ACTRA had pre- We also pitched the idea try and a missed opportu-
making a significant invest- Budget sented a number of con- of re-introducing “income nity to use the job-creating
ACTRA ment in this industry, Con- crete job-creation ideas in averaging” for tax purpos- power of our industry to
servatives passed on an op- riches our lives, it enriches the pre-budget process; un- es over a five-year period its full potential.
If Tuesday’s federal budget portunity to create thou- our economy. More people fortunately, the govern- to provide fair and equi- Simply put, Canadian
was an attempt by the Con- sands of well-paying, cre- work in culture than work ment didn’t include any of table tax treatment for performers are surprised
servatives to apologize to ative, skilled jobs and, in in agriculture, forestry, them in yesterday’s budg- self-employed Canadians, the government is passing
Canada’s culture community turn, stimulate Canadian eco- mining, oil and gas — com- et. These practical solu- such as performers. We’re on such a no-brainer.
for the devastating cuts of the nomic growth. bined. Our cultural indus- tions would have fuelled pleased to see renewed
last year, they missed a major A healthy cultural indus- tries already contribute Canada’s $5-billion film commitments to the Cana-
Stephen Waddell is National Executive Direc-
cue. Canada’s $5-billion film try is in everybody’s inter- more than $85 billion — or and TV industry and added dian television fund and tor of ACTRA, the national association repre-
and TV industry is a proven est — culture not only en- 7.4 per cent of Canada’s re- to the more than 125,000 new media fund. However, senting over 21,000 professional performers.
It’s your turn to tell others what you think. E-mail your thoughts and opinions to: [email protected]
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Thursday, Janaury 29, 2009
8 Toyota recalls Yaris
Toyota is recalling 58,000 of its 2006 and 2007 Yaris subcompact models sold in Canada because of a seatbelt defect. A seatbelt
could cause a foam pad in the car to catch fire if the vehicle is involved in a severe front-end collision. CBC NEWS ONLINE
DOLLAR OIL
Business
C$ 82.29¢US $42.16 US
0.74¢ US$ $1.2152 $0.58
EDITOR: FERMIN DESOUZA, [email protected]
Credit plan skimpy: Critics How green
Virgin High-stakes ad contest
is your
Tcrimnelhugegema u tfshlseauyrdtro eaeeu trscgat riehlne mg d “toihsptkvet cei tambrornupdmdy lge”eenntdt’-s “traoCt openass ytuo lme ssuesrs istna ntieenreedst BCFaeunadddeag 2re0a0tl9 TONY B OCK/TORSTAR N wEdNriVvIaeRsO lcNloMneEsNutTm?Aesr sr etcoe csusiton
will do little to beef up their purchasing involves simplifying the EW costs, their commitment
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servative Finance Minister rate and fee changes. are not falling. How green
Jim Flaherty outlined a concerns with Liberal Additionally, the govern- are our wallets?
handful of proposals to Leader Michael Ignatieff, ment promised to limit The global market for
better assist consumers in but also urged the Senate “business practices that are organic food and
making “informed deci- yesterday to investigate not beneficial to con- beverages was worth
sions” when using credit. the industry. sumers,” without naming $22.75 billion US in 2007,
But various politicians and “Given the current state specifics. That could in- after more than doubling
some members of the busi- of our economy, con- clude minimum grace peri- in five years, according to
ness community say his sumers need to pay less in- ods on new purchases and market research firm Eu-
plan lacks teeth. terest rates to sustain their changes to debt collection. romonitor International.
Liberal Senator Pierrette purchasing power,” MP Dan McTeague, the Though the sales growth
Ringuette called Flaherty’s Ringuette told senators. Liberal Consumer Affairs is slowing in the U.S. and
proposals an “insult,” argu- Flaherty’s proposals in- critic, wants a cap on rates Europe as shrinking
ing he should have intro- clude a new task force on set at 12 per cent above the incomes force the newly
duced rules to shield con- financial literacy, while banks’ prime rate. The green to save money, one
sumers and businesses “strengthening disclosure NDP want it set at five per marketing expert noted
from rising interest rates requirements” on banks cent above prime. that most people who pur-
and fees. She raised those that issue credit cards. That TORSTAR NEWS SERVICE chased organic foods were
very committed, and said
big declines in the indus-
GDP outlooks too rosy: IMF Air Can workers
try were unlikely. REUTERS
nix new contract
ECONOMY The International Finance Minister Jim Fla-
Monetary Fund says Cana- herty prediction a day ear- AIRLINEAir Canada’s hopes In brief
da’s economic recovery lier in the budget. of easy flying ahead of Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin group of companies,
will be far less vigorous The government expects labour negotiations this waves to the crowd during an Advertising Week event in ENERGY Canadian oil and gas
than the federal govern- real gross domestic prod- spring have been jetti- Toronto. He was in the city to award eight students a $100,000 drilling could fall 21 per cent to
ment and the central bank uct will grow by 2.4 per soned after about 5,000 prize for a contest to create a Virgin ad package. 13,500 wells this year because
are predicting. cent in 2010, after shrink- ticket agents and call cen- of slowing petroleum demand
The world body yester- ing by 0.8 per cent this tre workers, part of the and low commodity prices, the
day revised its outlook for year. Even that rosy predic- Canadian Auto Workers Petroleum Services Association
Unexpected profit drop for Boeing
Canada sharply downward, tion pales in comparison (CAW) union, voted 78 per of Canada said. That number is
forecasting the country’s to the Bank of Canada’s lat- cent against a tentative down from 17,043 in 2008, and
economy will grow by a est projections for real collective agreement. EARNINGS Boeing Co. re- pects more plane order 46 per cent below the record
sluggish 1.6 per cent in GDP growth of 3.8 per cent While its current agree- ported an unexpected cancellations and uncer- 25,000 wells drilled in 2005.
2010, after contracting by next year, following a 1.2 ment with CAW doesn’t fourth-quarter loss of $56 tainty over the U.S. de- The association, which repre-
1.2 per cent this year. per cent contraction this expire until May 31, Air million US yesterday, fence budget. sents oilfield services firms,
That view contrasts with year. TORSTAR NEWS SERVICE Canada had been hoping down from $1.03 billion Chief executive Jim Mc N- said only British Columbia will
to set a positive precedent US in profit a year earlier. erney said he was also tar- see an increase in drilling, as
before it sits down to Feeling the pain of the geting 10,000 job cuts this producers rush to exploit
negotiate similar contracts recession, which has af- year, or about six per cent promising new natural-gas
with its other three main fected airlines, Boeing low- of the company’s total. plays. Alberta’s drilling will fall
unions. TORSTAR NEWS SERVICE ered its forecast as it ex- REUTERS 27 per cent. REUTERS
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