China becomes the third country to land an exploratory vehicle on the surface of the moon after the U.S. and the former Soviet Union. It is a remarkable accomplishment for a nation which was utterly impoverished merely 40 years ago. And while it is no doubt cause for pride China should ponder the vast poverty that still exists amid the riches of the new middle class. AFP
Mandela goes home to boyhood village for burial
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Nelson Mandela was taken home to his boyhood village Qunu today for burial. The South African Broadcasting Corporation presented all-day live coverage of events.
Who owns Mount Pleasant Cemetery? An update
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A court date set for next Monday (December 16, 2013) has been abandoned by the Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries in the game of legal chess that goes on between it and the citizen’s group known as Friends of Mount Pleasant Cemetery (Friends). The occasion was intended to set a date to challenge the Friends right to “standing” in their claim that the cemeteries are a public trust owned by the province. The citizen’s group claims the cemeteries have been essentially appropriated by MPGC. A move by the Friends seems to have dodged the possibility of such a challenge when they moved their case under the The Charities Accounting Act. That act permits legal standing, stating that two people (in this case. Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam and Friends of Toronto Public Cemeteries) may bring such an action forward. The Friends want a public inquiry into the ownership of the cemeteries. At the last minute MPGC said it was not going to bring the motion forward so it let the court date go. Now MPGC wants the Friends to put up $20,000 for the cost of the cancelled motion plus an additional $50,000 for security. Friends has already placed $70,000 with the court. All of this is the type of rear-guard action to be expected in a battle of this kind. It does raise the question however as to why a review cannot be done in a timely way.
Struggling to figure out the Cisco handout
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Vito Pilieci writing in the Ottawa Citizen asks the question that comes intuitively to the tongues of your ordinary taxpayer in South Bayview. What are we really going to get for the $190 million in the peoples money that is being given to Cisco Systems Inc. Some independent academics are struggling to figure it out. Vito Pilieci
Diet doc Bernstein sues investment partners
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Amy Dempsey of the Toronto Star has a look at the legal action taken by diet guru Dr. Stanley Bernstein against Norma and Ronauld Walton, formerly his friends. Dr. B has a history of more than $100 million invested and 31 projects with the Waltons but according to Ms. Dempsey’s reporting, it has all gone bad. Here
How WestJet pulled off amazing Santa stunt
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With the YouTube viewing clock closing in on an astounding 2,000,000 lookies, WestJet must be well satisfied wtih its Christmas promotion stunt. Briefly, airplane loads of Calgary-bound passengers were asked electronically what they wanted for Christmas as they prepared to board their flights. While the planes were in the air some 175 employees and agents were hitting the stores to find the correct present and match them up with the boarding passes of the WestJet fliers. On landing, the disbelief, delight and in some cases tearful emotion of being handed your most-wanted gift by the company’s head office staff made for a promotion that it is hard to put a price on.
Jeanine Noyes concert called a great success
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Those present for the performance of Canadian singer and musician Jeanine Noyes and a band of entertainers give the evening a thumbs up. The concert took place Friday night at Road United Church. The lineup included Jeanine on keyboard and guitar the band includes Fergus Marsh, bass, Chapman Stick and vocals, Al Cross, drums, Carol Olson, keyboard and vocals, Dale Yim, vocals and stories.
Northlea School cheers crossing guard Jake Apacible
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The auditorium at Northlea Elementary and Middle School rang with cheers and applause this morning (Friday, December 13, 2013) to thank and congratulate crossing guard Jake Apacible (centre above). Jake is the diminutive but powerfully caring and conscientious guard who for more than ten years has been shepherding Northlea kids safely across the street. The occasion was Jake’s winning of the “Canada’s Favourite Crossing Guard” contest sponsored by Parachute and FedEx Canada. More on that in this previous post Today Jake was first thanked personally by school and police officials (above he is seen with Trustee Gerri Gershon and PC Wai Lau, the 53 Division School Crossing Guard Coordinator). Then it was on to the auditorium where assembled Grade 3 and 4 classes gave Jake a heart warming reception (pictures inset). It was nice for Jake for sure but also a useful lesson for the children about the importance of ordinary people.
Snow to begin this evening, continue on Saturday
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The predicted snow is expected to begin this evening across central Toronto. The amounts estimated vary between 10 to 15 centimetres during the overnight period and Saturday. A special weather statement updated this morning predicts a “widespread snowfall event” beginning tonight for Toronto, Windsor, Kitchener-Waterloo and Hamilton.
Air Canada to buy Boeing 737 short haul jets
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| Boeing 737 MAX |
Air Canada is jumping to a full Boeing fleet for its domestic and short haul service. The national carrier announced today that it will buy 61 of the latest version of the Boeing 737 narrow bodies, a move that will equip it with the same jets as competitor West Jet. AC may expand this order to a total of 109 of the narrow body 737s as it retires Airbus and Embraer models. The order includes two sizes of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft with between 162 and 180 seats in two seating classes. The firm order is valued at US$6.5 billion at list prices, although airlines often discounts. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2017 with two planes and with the firm order to be completed in 2021. The Boeing 737 MAX uses the CFM International LEAP-18 engines that promise to deliver a 14 per cent improvement in fuel efficiency over the current narrow bodies in service.
Excited politicos to blow billions on “transit”
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The truth at last. It comes in the form of a report from something called the Neptis Foundation, a Toronto-based planning body. It sears both provincial and city politicians for trying to buy votes with billion dollar projects that are unnecessary. Neptis report author Michael Schabas blows away the idea of a Scarborough subway. Get people downtown from the east by electrifying the GO lines and clearing the rails for faster frequent service, he says. Schabas claims the much ballyhooed Downtown Relief Line is a multi-billion dollar madness that will never pay for itself. The report is in the Toronto Star. It comes on the same day that Premier Wynne’s transit commission, headed by Anne Golden, is expected to recommend a five-cent a litre gas tax, corporate taxes and a land-value capture (the term just gives one a bad feeling). Maybe they plan to “capture” people and rob them. Neptis report
Can Post’s monopoly on delivery of letters
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Andrew Coyne makes the case for Canada Post to give up its monopoly on letter delivery in Canada. We referred to this senseless barrier to private enterprise yesterday (previous post). Coyne reminds us that the Canada Post Office Corporation Act gives Can Post the “exclusive privilege” to deliver first-class mail, making it illegal for anyone but the post office to deliver a letter for less than three times the price of a stamp. Andrew Coyne