One dead several injured after powerful quake rocks Indonesia
Jakarta: At least one person died and several were injured after a powerful undersea earthquake rocked Indonesia’s heavily populated Java island, triggering a brief tsunami warning, officials said Saturday. The 6.9 magnitude quake on Friday evening sent residents fleeing to higher ground, while many in the capital Jakarta ran into the streets. Officials from Indonesia’s national disaster agency warned the quake could generate a tsunami as high as three metres (10 feet), but it was lifted several hours later. Also Read – Saudi Crown Prince ‘snubbed’ Pak PM, recalled jet from US On Saturday, authorities said a panicked 48-year-old woman had died of a heart attack as the strong quake rocked the region. Four more people were injured and over 1,000 evacuated to temporary shelters, said officials, including residents of neighbouring Sumatra island. More than 100 buildings were damaged, with some 34 houses destroyed, the agency added. “There was thundering noise — it sounded like a plane overhead — and I was just so scared that I ran,” said 69-year-old Isah, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, at an evacuation shelter in Pandeglang at the southwest end of Java. Also Read – Record number of 35 candidates in fray for SL Presidential polls In December, the area was hit by a volcano-sparked tsunami that killed over 400 people. Indonesia experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, where tectonic plates collide. Last year, a 7.5-magnitude quake and a subsequent tsunami in Palu on Sulawesi island killed more than 2,200 people, with another thousand declared missing. On December 26, 2004, a devastating 9.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra and triggered a tsunami that killed 220,000 across the Indian Ocean region, including around 170,000 in Indonesia.
Malika’s Kantha Collection endeavors have been successfully been able to unshackle Kantha from the traditional confines of a humble quilting stitch, therefore letting it soar to the top range of haute couture at the ongoing exhibition, ‘Agomoni’ by Shamlu Dudheja, and her daughter Malika, which is being held at ITC Royal Bengal. This exhibition is a tribute to Ma Durga where each panel tells its own divine story. Shamlu’s most significant contributions to society have been, the revival of Kantha, with the support of her daughter, Malika also publication of several series of Maths text books for India and Pakistan, welfare work, in many fields, as Chairperson of Calcutta Foundation. Also Read – An income drop can harm brainThrough Shamlu Dudheja’s intensive marketing efforts, from a humble quilting stitch, Kantha has become one of the most revered styles of embroideries, both in India and abroad. Through her guidance Kantha has travelled right across the socio-economic spectrum from idyllic rural settings to the ramps of glamorous fashion shows and finds its way into various drawing rooms or work spaces. ‘Kantha as Stitch art’ goes even beyond and adorns the walls of famous museums and prestigious art galleries of the world. Also Read – Shallu Jindal honoured with Mahatma AwardThis has helped thousands of Kantha artists realize their potential and live with a sense of dignity. Kantha is about holding together layers of fine muslin cottons, and sewing them meticulously, with fine running stitches, to make quilts for loved ones. If a woman is empowered, the home is empowered, if rural homes get empowered, the villages get empowered their lives are heading towards a more productive, positive life styles. “Tremendous promotional efforts to the simple running stitch have impacted the lives of the rural women beyond all expectations. We began with 3-4 workers, now we are almost touching 1000 women. Kantha revival has been the harbinger of the resurgence of power, the empowerment of women. The enhancement of the status in their family and within their community has reawakened their inner sense of self worth,” said Shamlu Dudheja.
Moscow: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Russia on Thursday to meet President Vladimir Putin, as he looks to convey the image of a statesman ahead of an election on September 17. Netanyahu is on a campaign to maintain his status as the country’s longest-serving prime minister and the talks in Russia’s Sochi come days after his controversial vow to annex the West Bank’s Jordan Valley if re-elected. Netanyahu has sought to highlight his relations with world leaders, including Putin and US President Donald Trump, and is on his third visit to Russia this year. Also Read – Saudi Crown Prince ‘snubbed’ Pak PM, recalled jet from US”This is a very important trip,” he told journalists before his departure. Meetings in Russia are meant to prevent clashes in Syria and “to ensure Israel’s security, in the face of attempts by Iran and its proxies to attack us,” he said. Prior to meeting Putin, Netanyahu, who also serves as defence minister, met with Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu. “Every meeting with you is very important,” Netanyahu said. Moscow on Wednesday condemned Netanyahu’s threat to annex the Jordan Valley, with the foreign ministry saying it could lead to a “sharp escalation of tensions” and undermine peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians. Also Read – Record number of 35 candidates in fray for SL Presidential pollsNetanyahu previously said he and Putin would discuss Iran’s activity in Syria, where Israel had carried out strikes against what it says are Iranian and Hezbollah targets. Russia, Iran and its Lebanese Shiite ally Hezbollah back Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the civil war, and Russia and Israel have established a hotline to avoid clashes. That did not prevent an incident last year when Syrian air defence accidentally downed a Russian plane during an Israeli raid, with the Kremlin blaming Israel. Speaking to Russian news website RBK, Netanyahu said the only thing that had prevented Israel and Russia from clashing in Syria was “direct contact with President Putin, a connection which is of great value to me.” “Relations between Israel and Russia today are better than ever,” he said in the interview published in Russian. Netanyahu is looking to pull votes away from his rival Avigdor Lieberman of the nationalist Yisrael Beitenu party who relies on support from Israelis with roots in the former Soviet Union.
VICTORIA – A Victoria event venue has hired a so-called consent captain to help prevent sexual harassment and assaults as bars and nightclubs across Canada grapple with how to respond to the #MeToo movement.Tanille Geib, a sexual health educator and intimacy coach, has been hired by the Victoria Event Centre to counsel people who are feeling harassed and to speak with those who are making others uncomfortable.She said she’s been doing a similar job at the Crush Collective, a queer dance party, for about 18 months. She often introduces herself to tables of people so that they know she’s available if they experience or witness anything.Geib offers support to those who come to her with complaints of inappropriate conduct and she asks whether they want her to talk to the offending person. She also checks in with people who look heavily intoxicated throughout the night.“I’m not here to police people and their behaviour,” she said. “I’m definitely there to support if something uncomfortable’s happening.”The most common complaints are inappropriate comments and touching, she said.Geib said she opens conversations with people accused of non-consensual acts by letting them know they’ve made someone uncomfortable and asking if they want to talk through it. She tells them if they continue to act this way, they won’t be welcome anymore.Sometimes the chat ends with her asking the person to leave, but she often gives them her card and invites them to follow up with her when they’re sober, she said.Asked whether she thinks she’s prevented sexual assaults, she said, “I hope so, yes!“I think that our culture has been shifting so much in the past year,” she added.“Mentally and emotionally, we’re all signing up for consensual culture, but a lot of folks don’t know how to catch up with their behaviour. So a lot of the initiative is teaching folks about healthy consensual connections.”To that end, the centre has also been decorated with posters and information that outline information about consent, and what the house policies are. Geib is also training staff to identify issues early on and take them seriously.The #MeToo movement emerged last October and has sparked discussion about sexual harassment and assault in the nightlife scene.The movement helped inspire the Victoria Event Centre to be proactive about misconduct on its dance floor, said booking co-ordinator Chris Fretwell.“It put a lot of these issues to the top of public consciousness,” he said. “It felt like we were in a good position to be able to respond with something concrete that we can do in our space.”There are a lot of situations where a traditional bouncer may not be equipped to prevent assault or harassment, he said, and the new program will supplement the centre’s existing security personnel.Lane Foster, inclusion co-ordinator at the Victoria Sexual Assault Centre, praised the initiative.“Sure, (nightclubs) can be wonderful places to have fun and party and dance and engage with your community, but I also think they end up creating spaces where a lot of harm gets done. They are not safer spaces,” said Foster.“I really think that the VEC taking the initiative here is pretty fantastic and is one way to combat sexualized violence.”— By Laura Kane in Vancouver
MONTREAL – One of Canada’s former poet laureates is being accused of plagiarizing the works of illustrious English-language authors in a book that has since been taken off the shelves.U.K.-based poetry sleuth Ira Lightman went public in The Guardian newspaper over the weekend about his investigation into Pierre DesRuisseaux, who died in January 2016 at age 70.Lightman said DesRuisseaux’s “Tranches de vie,” a book of French-language poetry published in 2013, lifted works from various authors, including Maya Angelou, Dylan Thomas, Louis MacNiece and even late rap artist Tupac Shakur.According to Lightman, Ontario poet Kathy Figueroa initially noticed the slight in May 2016 when the current laureate, George Elliott Clarke, was invited to show poems by previous laureates and shared one by DesRuisseaux which bore resemblance to Angelou’s “Still I Rise.”He said in an interview Monday he doesn’t want to besmirch a lifetime of work, but adds an acknowledgment of the uncredited work was necessary.“My simple request was that they made it public, because any one individual who holds a copy of that book in their hands thinking those are original poems are wrong and aren’t doing proper credit to the original author,” Lightman said.“To publish is to make public, so something else needs to be made public to add the footnote that was missing.”Inspecting the works further, Lightman said about 30 out of 50 were based on those of others, including amateur poets.“I just don’t know what he was doing — whether he was randomly searching or putting in key words,” he said.Montreal-based publisher Editions du Noroit said Monday that only between 50 and 100 copies of the book were sold and that it has since been removed from shelves.Paul Belanger, who has worked at the publishing house for 26 years, said the late Quebec writer, poet, journalist, publisher and translator’s health may have had something to do with any uncredited work.Belanger said DesRuisseaux suffered from a degenerative brain disorder in his final years and may have been confused when he submitted work he believed was original.“I think what might have happened was he was in a different folder and maybe he forgot simply what works belonged to him and he forgot to put the reference,” Belanger said.The publisher said he worked with Lightman when the latter brought the matter to his attention in May 2016 and that DesRuisseaux’s family was subsequently informed.He considered the matter closed as the author was dead.Belanger noted the standard contract signed by authors is that they guarantee their work is original.He said the incident is the only one in the 45-year history of the publishing house, which he called honest and transparent.If DesRuisseaux were still alive, Belanger said he would issue a statement signed by the author. Given the poet is dead, Belanger said it wasn’t up to him to apologize.“I can’t do that, it’s not my place,” he said. “I can’t go public for something that is the responsibility of the author.”Lightman, meanwhile, said his goal was not to ruin DesRusseaux’s reputation.“He doesn’t seem a bad man to me at all, so I’d be pretty interested and curious in what he was doing,” he added. “There doesn’t seem to be institutional abuse involved in it, so it’s sad not to talk to him about that and sad that he can’t answer back.“I don’t want to bad-mouth the man or besmirch his reputation. There’s plenty of good work in his canon.”DesRuisseaux produced numerous works including several books of poetry, with “Moneme” earning him the 1989 Governor General’s Award, Canada’s most prestigious literary honour.The native of Sherbrooke, Que., was Canada’s fourth poet laureate, between 2009 and 2011.— Follow @sidhartha_b on Twitter.Note to readers: This is a corrected version. A previous story had the wrong first name for Paul Belanger
VANCOUVER – New rules for legalized marijuana need to consider the impact on workplaces and clarify the rights of both employers and employees, say some business groups.Ottawa has set July 1 as the deadline for regulations to be in place and many provinces and territories are still working to craft legislation, including British Columbia, where a public consultation on legal pot wrapped up this week.Anita Huberman, CEO of the Surrey Board of Trade, said large and small companies need guidance from the provincial and federal governments on how they should balance employee privacy with safety in the workplace.“For any employer, what are their rights and responsibilities in the face of an employee who is under the influence of cannabis?” she said.“How is an employer supposed to be able to deal with that type of situation without compromising their business and their workplace?”Huberman said the board of trade wants to see the provincial Employment Standards Act amended to specifically address marijuana usage.The law does not include any provisions on marijuana, although WorkSafeBC regulations prohibit workers with any physical or mental impairments from doing work that could pose harm to themselves or anyone else.The rules also say employers cannot allow anyone at a workplace to stay if their ability to work is impaired by alcohol, a drug or any other substance that could put anyone in danger.Those rules apply to workplaces in B.C., but regulations for legalized marijuana should be standardized across the country, Huberman said.“In every province, in every territory, we want to make sure this is done right,” she said, adding that creating the right rules may take more time than the federal government’s timeline allows.As business groups express their concerns about looming legalization, unions have been quiet on the issue.Paul Finch, treasurer for the B.C. Government and Service Employees Union, said the group has submitted recommendations to the province on how and where recreational marijuana should be sold, but the union does not take a position on legalized marijuana in the workplace.Several other unions declined comment or did not respond to requests for comment.The BC Trucking Association, meanwhile, is asking for a “legalized framework” for random drug and alcohol testing.“We recognize that there is an increased safety risk due to the possibility of impairment and in order for the public safety risk to be reduced, we think it’s imperative that employers be allowed to randomly drug test workers that are in safety-sensitive positions,” said Louise Yako, the association’s president and CEO.The issue of workplace drug and alcohol testing has already gone before Canadian courts, including Alberta’s Court of Appeal, which ruled in September that the energy company Suncor could continue testing workers at its sites in the oilsands.While testing is allowed under some specific circumstances, the rules around random testing are not as clear as they should be, Yako said.“Given the change in the regulation affecting marijuana, we think that employers should have every tool available to them,” she said.
OTTAWA – The federal government says the recent hiring of new staff at its pay centre in Miramichi, N.B., has helped cut the backlog of problem files created under the troubled Phoenix pay system.Public Services and Procurement Canada says the backlog of transactions involving overpayments or underpayments of civil servants was cut by 25,000 in May, compared with the previous month.The department said roughly 347,000 transactions beyond its normal workload were still waiting in the queue as of May 30, down from the 372,000 recorded in April.The number marked the fourth monthly decline in problem pay files since the backlog peaked in January.Public Services Minister Carla Qualtrough had announced a series of pilot projects in recent months aimed at speeding up pay transactions.It’s not clear whether those projects, including the use of so-called pay pods, contributed to the improving backlog.But the department says newly hired staff have made a difference.“Earlier this year, the pay centre hired and trained additional staff to handle straightforward transactions, allowing more experienced compensation advisers to focus on more complex pay requests,” the department said on its pay dashboard website.“This additional capacity is allowing us to make greater progress on the backlog.”More than half of the 290,000 federal workers who are paid through Phoenix have been directly impacted by the computerized system’s failings over the past two-plus years, some more seriously than others.Unions representing those workers recently called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to breathe life into stalled talks aimed at compensating employees for the stress and anguish caused by the pay problems.Qualtrough’s department said it is continuing to hire more pay centre employees with a goal of resolving outstanding pay transactions “as quickly as possible.”
TORONTO – Digitally savvy Canadians who make up the Google Generation are on the leading edge of a transformation in the health-care system that will see a greater reliance on technology, including how doctors interact with their patients, a survey commissioned by the Canadian Medical Association suggests.The Ipsos survey, released Tuesday, shows that young adults aged 18 to 34 are frequent users of the health-care system, reporting an average of at least 11 visits to a physician each year, as well as being the most eager adopters of technology to manage their own health.“I think this generation that they’re calling the Google Generation is already very comfortable with technology,” Dr. Gigi Osler, incoming president of the 85,000-member CMA, said from Winnipeg.“They have grown up with it, they’ve grown up using it and hence are more comfortable seeing more technology in the health-care system, more technology use as part of their own personal health care,” said Osler, an ear, nose and throat specialist.“They’re about wellness care, not just sick care.”The survey found respondents among the Google Generation would be more likely to take advantage of virtual doctor visits — 47 per cent would opt for at least half of their visits being virtual, compared to 38 per cent of those aged 35 to 54 and 31 per cent of those 55-plus.These young adults are more likely than Canadians in the older age brackets to use wearable technology such as FitBits or to use online apps to monitor their health status — 44 per cent compared to 28 per cent and 14 per cent for the other age groups, respectively.“They’re looking at how to be better informed about how to stay healthy and if they do get sick, how to get better,” said Philip Edgcumbe, an MD-PhD student at the University of British Columbia and a consultant on technological innovation in health care.“And this is because the whole landscape of health care is changing as a result of the development of the internet and the mobile phone,” Edgcumbe, 29, said from Vancouver.“The bottom line is the Google Generation is on the leading edge of this transformation into newly empowered patients and health-literate patients.”That’s not to say that middle-aged and older Canadians don’t appreciate the benefits that technology could bring to health care, the survey suggests.Overall, seven in 10 respondents said they would take advantage of virtual physician visits, with many believing they would be more convenient as well as leading to more timely and better care.About half of all respondents said they would likely wear a mobile device that would continuously monitor their health, keeping track of such vitals as blood pressure and heart rate, detect the presence of toxins in the environment and create a personal warning system when health measures are out of the normal range.Roughly 70 per cent agreed that incorporating more technology into personal health care could prevent illnesses and 64 per cent said that given a choice, they would go to a physician who incorporates more technology into their practice.And while 60 per cent said they were excited about the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in the delivery of health care, they would only trust a diagnosis if it was provided by a doctor.Despite support for AI and technology in general, roughly two-thirds of respondents were concerned about privacy and protection of personal health data.About the same proportion were worried about the potential loss of human touch and compassion as a result of AI and the digitization of heath-care delivery and the accuracy of diagnoses.“We’re also excited, happy to see that despite this willingness to adopt technology, they don’t want to lose the human connection, they don’t want to lose that personal touch as well,” said Osler, who will be inducted as the 2018-19 president during the CMA’s annual meeting in Winnipeg next week.The first two days of that meeting will be dedicated to a health summit, which will include discussions about how to incorporate innovations in technology to improve health- care delivery, said Osler.“And I see it really as a need for investment and scaling up the health-care technology across Canada, not just little islands and little silos,” she said.The Ipsos Internet survey of 2,003 Canadians aged 18 and older was conducted May 16-18 and has a plus-minus 2.5 percentage point credibility interval 95 per cent of the time.— Follow @SherylUbelacker on Twitter.
OTTAWA – More than 1,800 Canada Post workers have walked off the job in Hamilton, Ont., and La Mauricie, Que., as the union’s overtime ban takes effect across the country.The Canadian Union of Postal Workers says the walkout in La Mauricie began Wednesday at 11:30 p.m. and in Hamilton just after midnight on Thursday.Those workers joined union locals in other communities taking part in the rotating strikes, including Regina, Sask.The Ontario communities of North Bay and Ottawa are also on strike, as well as the British Columbia cities of Campbell River, Courtenay, Nanaimo and Port Alberni.In Quebec, Canada Post locals are also off the job in Outaouais after strikes in other areas of the province wrapped up Thursday.On Wednesday, CUPW said the overtime ban means postal workers can refuse to work beyond their normal eight-hour days.“We have a health and safety crisis at Canada Post. We’ve seen injury rates skyrocket,” Mike Palecek, CUPW national president, said in a statement Thursday. “This has got to be fixed.”Meanwhile, Canada Post says it is facing a days-long backlog of parcel deliveries.Dozens of trailers filled with parcels and packages were awaiting processing at the agency’s three biggest hubs — Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal.Combined, the three key locations can process one million parcels a day from across the country, Canada Post spokesman Jon Hamilton has said.The union and the postal service have been unable to reach new collective agreements for two bargaining units after 10 months of negotiations.Canada Post has said it provided “significant” offers to its employees, including wage hikes.“But they don’t address a single one of our major issues,” Palecek said Wednesday in a statement on the union’s website.Those issues include health and safety concerns, he said, adding that the wage offers from Canada Post fall far below expected cost-of-living increases.Last Tuesday, Labour Minister Patty Hajdu appointed Morton Mitchnick, a former chairman of the Ontario Labour Relations Board, to help the two parties resolve their differences.
Mike Racicot kept a letter with one request should he die: “I want to be put back into the air.”The five-page handwritten missive the elite BASE jumper had left at his home in British Columbia had instructions on what to do with his possessions and his beloved dog, a 10-year-old boxer called Taco.The 37-year-old — known as “Treehouse Mike” — died on July 26 while on a wingsuit flight in Switzerland.“We were always worried about him, but he was so good about taking care of himself,” said Racicot’s sister, Rachel Polite, who has spent the past few months fulfilling her brother’s wishes. “Now we’re taking care of him.”As per his final wishes, Racicot’s body was cremated and the ashes were sent to family and friends who were to take them on more adventures. A big “ash jump” was held in Squamish, B.C., in late August when more than two dozen friends jumped off a cliff. When one opened his parachute, Racicot’s ashes burst forth in a giant plume.His ashes have also been spread on jumps off the Kuala Lumpur Tower in Malaysia, the massive Balinghe River Bridge in China and Trump Tower in Vancouver, among others. Another jump will take place in Mexico on New Year’s Eve, and some of his ashes will be taken back to the Swiss mountain where he died.Racicot earned his “Treehouse” nickname for living off-and-on for years in a secret tree house he built on Blackcomb Mountain in Whistler, B.C. He became a journeyman carpenter, a beekeeper — you had to donate money to a local charity to get some honey — and worked for a time at Tim Hortons. He hitchhiked across the country several times and rode freight trains for fun.He spent his early years in Quebec before moving to Arnprior, Ont., in the Ottawa Valley, when he was four years old.That’s where he started to skateboard, at age 9, because he felt more comfortable gliding then walking, said his 40-year-old sister. People made fun of his walk due to problems with the arches in his feet.“He had a little bounce in his step when he walked,” said Polite, so he skated all over the small town. “He became really good, really quick.”The family soon moved to Barrhaven, an Ottawa suburb, where, as a teen, Racicot advocated for a skate park that would later become a favourite haunt for the youngster and his friends.His father tried putting Racicot in football, but that didn’t take.“I say to Mike, ‘To be good at this, you have to hit the other guys,’” Al Racicot says. “He didn’t have that in him.”His adventurous spirit couldn’t be contained, his family said. He jumped out of trees and soon began jumping off bridges, some 35 metres high, into the water below.“The first time I really met him he was doing flips off the roof of the community centre into the snow,” said Adam Myers, his childhood friend.Together, Racicot and Myers started a graffiti collective — called DBS crew — that left their marks across the city.“If you’re in Ottawa, Mike is a legend,” Myers said. “All they knew is this guy started DBS, moved out west, lived in a tree fort and became a BASE jumper.”On his 18th birthday, Racicot asked his father for a skydiving session. Al Racicot complied. The father, son and Myers drove to Arnprior where Racicot went up in a plane and jumped.“He was so stoked, you could see it in his eyes,” said Myers.At 20, Racicot dropped out of college. “He wasn’t the greatest one in school,” his father said, “but, boy, could he work.”Most of all, Racicot wanted adventure. So at 23, he packed up everything he owned, including his skateboard, stuffed it onto a small Yamaha scooter and headed west.The scooter maxed out at 60 km/h through the flats of the Prairies and chugged uphill at 40 km/h through the Rockies, his life’s belongings weighing him down. It took him a month to get to British Columbia. Drivers gave him the finger the entire ride, his sister said.But rent in Whistler, even when he lived in someone’s closet, was too much. With his burgeoning carpentry skills, Racicot built a tree house on the side of a cliff, attached to trees.“He stole all the materials, the wood, the nails, everything” from construction sites in Whistler, said Myers.Inside, there was room for a double bed and compartments for clothes. Outside, he had a small grill. He covered the Seussian house with a green tarp for camouflage.He then built an addition for visitors — a platform with a tent — and when Myers visited the home, he asked about the slash marks through the tarp.“Sometimes bears walk on the roof,” Racicot told him. Myers slept little that week when he stayed with his friend.Racicot had friends working in the village’s numerous hotels where he’d go for a shower as the maids cleaned a room, then grabbed grub from the free continental breakfast, and exercised in the gym.The tree house — as teens, Myers and Racicot had dreamed about building a treefort hotel that looked like the Ewok Village in the Star Wars movie “Return of the Jedi” — became synonymous with Racicot.About 10 years ago, Racicot got into BASE jumping, which involves jumping with a parachute off buildings, cliffs, or bridges. He moved to Squamish, considered by many to be among the most important areas for BASE jumping in Canada, where he’d often start his day with a jump off the Stawamus Chief, a mountain 700 metres above Howe Sound where BASE jumping is legal.“He was the chief of the Chief,” said Philip Moessinger, a jumper who also learned under the tutelage of Racicot. “Everyone knows Treehouse in B.C.”Racicot jumped 969 times in his life, his sister said, with more than 500 jumps at the Chief, as it is known colloquially.His peers say Racicot was one of the best all-around BASE jumpers in the world. He could also perform aerials and flew incredible distances with a wingsuit.The sport is intoxicating, his friends say.“You’re literally flying,” said Moessinger. “The feeling you get out of it, the joy, the high, is unbelievable. Treehouse felt that too.”Racicot was among the rarefied air of jumpers who were sponsored.“He did it all, and did it all well and that made him impressive and unique among his peers,” says Joe Putrino, who works for Apex BASE, a parachute company that sponsored Racicot.On July 26, Moessinger and Racicot stood at the top of Chaserrugg mountain with the Swiss town of Walenstadt sitting below. The sun shone down that afternoon as wispy clouds rolled by. The pair had just jumped off the mountain that morning and were back up to fly another line in their wingsuits — Racicot’s suit bearing a giant image of his dog, Taco, on the front. They planned to soon meet three other friends from Canada for a jumping tour around Europe.Moessinger jumped first with Racicot in tow. They flew between three-to-10 metres off the steep ground. At one point, Racicot flew underneath his friend and took the lead.“It was a great flight,” Moessinger said.They came out of the flight line, the exit named “Fatal Attraction” where the terrain drops off, and the point at which they would fly toward the landing area where they would pull their parachutes.Racicot didn’t pull his parachute.“He just disappeared in the trees,” Moessinger said as he fell silent.No one knows what happened to Racicot in that flight.His death has left a void in the jumping community around the world and with his family in Ottawa. His father, a devout Baptist, struggles with his son’s loss. Prayer usually helps, but it didn’t that first night without his boy.“The most difficult time I had was the night I heard Mike had died,” his father said through tears. “I believe that we pray for people while they’re alive and we make our decisions while we live. That night, as I was going through the names of our family members and friends and got to Mike, I realized I didn’t have to pray for him anymore.”Liam Casey, The Canadian Press
EDMONTON — Alberta’s environment minister has cancelled public information sessions about proposed new parks in a region known as Bighorn Country, citing “bullying” and “abuse” which she says make it impossible to guarantee people’s safety.“I have heard stories of Albertans afraid to attend community events, Albertans berated in public, Albertans followed home, and Albertans feeling intimidated to not speak their mind or participate in this important discussion,” Shannon Phillips said in a news release Saturday.“I call on all of my elected colleagues to denounce the bullying and harassment being faced by Bighorn supporters,” she noted, referring to people who favour the government’s parks plan.The New Democrats in November announced eight new parks covering 4,000 square kilometres along the eastern edges of Banff and Jasper national parks.Fourteen public and invitation-only information sessions were scheduled in five communities between December and Jan. 31.But Phillips said Saturday that upcoming sessions for Drayton Valley, Red Deer, Sundre and Edmonton will be cancelled. She said the government will re-evaluate its engagement plans in order to ensure people in those communities “can participate safely.”Phillips said the government will schedule two telephone town hall sessions for residents of Drayton Valley and Red Deer and that the public engagement period will be extended to Feb. 15.“We will continue to engage with all Albertans in the weeks to come. We believe our proposal for Bighorn Country sets the stage to achieve the right balance of environmental, economic, Indigenous and social values and goals,” Phillips said.Jason Nixon, the United Conservative Party member for the Sundre area, issued a response condemning intimidation — but said he hasn’t personally seen any.“I have personally attended a number of public events regarding the Bighorn, and while attendees were very concerned with the proposal, they were also completely civil,” Nixon said in a statement.Nixon has said that many people remain uncertain about the plan’s impact on industry and land use, and suggested it could take another year to gather input. He said the government has been overly reliant on information from environmental groups and has only recently opened up the process.Nixon repeated on Saturday a previous accusation that the government is trying to ram the plan through before an expected spring election.“It is completely unacceptable for the NDP to arbitrarily cancel in-person consultation. Sadly, it’s increasingly clear that the NDP isn’t interested in listening to those who live and work in the region,” he said. More than three dozen retired biologists, however, have accused Nixon of spreading misinformation. They said in an open letter to Phillips and Premier Rachel Notley that they want the provincial government to stick with the plan to conserve the area.The plan for the new parks calls for a variety of permitted activities and offers $40 million over five years for campsites and other infrastructure. Off-highway vehicles, horse packing and hunting would continue, although with new restrictions. Grazing leases would continue and no existing trails would be closed.Rob Drinkwater, The Canadian Press
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — Adventure tourists with money in the bank have a new bucket list travel item: a spot on a submarine diving 3,800 metres down to the rusting remains of one history’s most iconic shipwrecks.Week-long expeditions to the Titanic are set to depart from St. John’s, N.L., this June, in the first manned surveys of the decaying vessel since 2005.A ride on the aptly-named Titan submarine costs just over $168,000 per ticket.Stockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate Expeditions, the U.S. company running the show, defended the hefty price tag, saying the trip is more than worthwhile for an experience he said is more rare than space travel.“What we’re doing is something that’s going to add to the historical record of the Titanic — what is it like now, how is it decaying, what kind of marine life is there. We’re going to be making real discoveries,” Rush said in a phone interview from Washington state.“It’s going to be a different experience but one that’s got this greater good component.”The “mission specialists,” as passengers are called, range in age from their early 20s to late 70s. They will take a hands-on role in data gathering, with training in underwater photography, sonar operation and other note-taking duties.Less strenuous than space travel, Rush said the biggest physical requirement is agility — like the ability to climb a ladder or stand on a chair without assistance, for example. “If you can board an airplane on your own and haul your bag into the luggage container, you probably can do this,” he said.There are a number of “unknown unknowns” to explore on each week-long mission at the site of the ocean disaster. The accident claimed the lives of more than 15,000 people in April 1912, after the Titanic hit an iceberg about 600 kilometres off Newfoundland’s southeast coast.Explorers will seek to answer the question of how fast “rusticles,” or bacteria, are devouring the ship’s remains.Bacterial damage done to the vessel since the last robotic survey in 2010 may have revealed previously unseen corners of the wreck, Rush said, possibly exposing more artifacts and personal effects from the so-called unsinkable ship’s drowned travellers.Each dive on the five-person submarine will last eight hours. When not exploring the depths of the cold Atlantic, mission specialists will be able to help assemble a virtual reality project with partner Virtual Wonders. The project aims reconstruct the hull and eventually bring the wreck site to a wide audience.Only two of the 54 spots remain open for the six 2019 expeditions, and more are available for 2020. Rush anticipates the findings from this year’s expeditions could uncover more clues for OceanGate to chase on return visits.Larry Daley, a local logistics specialist, said the attention to Newfoundland could be “huge” for the local economy, and for preservation of the Titanic’s tragic story.The St. John’s-based Titanic expert has worked logistics for dozens expeditions since the late 1990s, including a production role for James Cameron’s 2003 Ghosts of the Abyss documentary. He’s even been one of the lucky few to dive down to the infamous wreck, in a Russian submersible back in 2003.Daley saw international interest boom after Cameron’s 1997 blockbuster, “Titanic,” reintroduced the world to the doomed vessel’s story — and he said 2019 could be the biggest year for Titanic tourism since.“They’re bringing people in from all over the world that are going to get to experience what I did, but on a new platform, new technology and so on. And it’s going to draw eyes back on Titanic again,” Daley said.The historical connections to Newfoundland raise the possibility of other adventures for guests, like iceberg tours and exploring the island’s role as the source of radio transmissions that told the world the unsinkable ship was going down.“I think this is the start of hopefully a long term operation and adventure tourism,” Daley said.“I’m a big proponent (of), you know, keeping the story alive, the Newfoundland and Labrador connection, but respectfully.”OceanGate’s submarine has had its own share of bad luck leading up to the big dives. Expeditions were scheduled to depart last June, but the Titan was damaged in a lightning storm while parked in the Bahamas for test dives.Barring other unpredictable catastrophes, Rush said the sub is ready to go this summer, and said he hopes the Titan will return to the wreck for years to come.“As long as there are, I think, discoveries to be made and clients who want to help us do that, we plan to keep going, and I expect that will be for many years,” Rush said. Having seen the wreck himself in 2003, Daley said the experience offered an incredible look at bio-luminescent deep-sea life. He recalls dropping through miles of darkness before seeing the remains of the ship, adorned with memorial plaques left by previous expeditions honouring the lives lost in the tragedy.“It’s very emotional when you’re down there,” Daley said. “When you fly up all over the wheel house, what’s left of it, and you see the memorial plaques, that sticks right to you … You took a moment there, realized where you were, and paid respects because, you know, it’s a grave site.”Respect for the dead is an essential part of any exploration of the disappearing site, Daley said, but explorations like OceanGate’s can resurface historical details that give new life to a tragically true tale that’s captured the world’s attention for over a century.“It does bring a story back to the surface for people to learn about,” he said.Holly McKenzie-Sutter, The Canadian Press
Toronto police say an Uber driver is facing sexual assault charges in relation to two investigations.Police say a 36-year-old man from Mississauga faces one count each of forcible confinement and extortion, and two counts of sexual assault.The first alleged incident occurred on Sept. 6, 2018, after a 24-year-old woman entered a black SUV she believed to be the Uber she had ordered.Police allege the driver did not allow her to leave the vehicle, and instead took her to a secluded spot where he’s accused of sexually assaulting her.The second alleged incident happened on April 8, 2019, when police say a 21-year-old woman entered a black SUV.They allege the driver would not let her leave the vehicle as he drove away from Toronto: first to a fast-food restaurant parking lot, where she tried to get assistance from a bystander; then to a secluded side street, where he allegedly sexually assaulted her.The suspect is due to appear in court on May 23.Police say they believe there may be other victims.A spokesperson for Uber says the company is “fully co-operating with law enforcement,” and the suspect’s access to the app has been revoked.The Canadian Press
OTTAWA — The federal government has signed historic self-government agreements with the Metis nations of Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan.The agreements affirm the Metis right of self-government and formally recognize the mandates of the Metis nations in the three provinces.They further recognize the Metis governments’ jurisdiction in the areas of citizenship, leadership selection and government operations.The agreements also set out processes for negotiating future agreements dealing with additional areas of jurisdiction and the next steps to formally recognizing Metis governments in Canadian law.Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett says the agreements are a “fundamental step to advance reconciliation” and transform the federal relationship with Metis nations in the three provinces.Audrey Poitras, president of the Metis Nation of Alberta, says the agreements mark the beginning of “a true government-to-government relationship with Canada based on reconciliation and a recognition of our place in Confederation.”The Canadian Press
At just 11 years-old, Dustin Meraz knew he wanted his life to make a difference for seriously ill children. A terminal cancer patient, Dustin’s last wish was to inspire grown-ups to have the courage to care about kids in need.His story inspired the biennial Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Gala: Noche de Niños, a red carpet gala celebrating the hospital’s true heroes—patients like Dustin, their exceptional caregivers and the supporters who help make miracles happen every day.On Saturday, October 20, more than 1,000 celebrities, prominent philanthropists, business leaders and local dignitaries will gather at The Event Deck at L.A. LIVE, which will be transformed into an enchanted forest for the 2012 Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Gala: Noche de Niños. Proudly supported by AEG and presented by The Walt Disney Company, Delta, Costco Wholesale, Alyce and Warren “Spud” Williamson, Dayle and Ken Roath and The Estate of Cameron Glidewell, the black tie affair raises millions of dollars to help fund the hospital’s most critical needs, including patient care, support for families in need and pediatric medical research.This year, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles will honor The Walt Disney Company, Lakers power forward and NBA superstar Pau Gasol, and supermodel, television host, mom and designer Heidi Klum with the “Courage to Care Award” for their dedication and support of the hospital’s mission and the patients it serves. Previous honorees include Johnny Depp, Jennifer Lopez and Jamie Lee Curtis.“We are deeply appreciative of our steadfast relationship with The Walt Disney Company, Heidi Klum, and Pau Gasol,” says Richard Cordova, FACHE, president and CEO, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “It is our privilege to honor them at Noche de Niños and highlight the incredible work they do. Their continued compassion and support has made a truly positive impact in the lives of countless patients and families.”For nearly thirty years, The Walt Disney Company has dedicated significant time, talent and treasures to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, bringing happiness, hope and laughter to children and families when they need it most. The heart of this relationship has always been the people of Disney, including dedicated Disney VoluntEARS who give their time to comfort and entertain patients, the Disney Tri-Team, which has raised over $1.3 million to benefit the pediatric cancer research program, and Disney Imagineers who used their creative skills to design the hospital’s main lobby.Since Heidi Klum first visited Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, she fell in love with the kids, and, as a mom of four, has been a passionate advocate of the hospital’s mission. Heidi’s involvement has been as diverse as her talents that have made her a famous supermodel, actress, businesswoman and television producer, from surprising some lucky patients who accompanied her on the red carpet of the premiere of Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil to serving as Celebrity Ambassador for the Turn on the Lights! 5k Walk for kids celebrating and raising funds for the opening of the Marion and John E. Anderson Pavilion, to name just a few.A pre-med student before his championship basketball career, Pau is a frequent visitor and champion for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Pau has stopped by to visit with patients, distributed tickets to the NBA All-Star Jam Session, facilitated a donation of new technology to our pharmacy from Grifols (a company based in his native city of Barcelona) and, most recently, presented a check for $25,000 from the NBA Cares Foundation. He has also observed several spinal surgeries and starred in our interactive game Where’s Pau Now? showcasing the new healing spaces in the Anderson Pavilion.Other celebrities who will grace the Noche de Niños stage include Emmy-winning host of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” Tom Bergeron, who will serve as the night’s Master of Ceremonies; renowned former NBA player and head coach, Phil Jackson, actress and author Jamie Lee Curtis, and actress and philanthropist Melanie Griffith, who will serve as presenters during the program; and Grammy-nominated and Billboard chart-topping band Five For Fighting, who will provide the evening’s headline entertainment.Noche de Niños kicks off with red carpet arrivals at 5:30pm, followed by a cocktail reception and dinner where guests will enjoy food prepared by renowned celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck.This event is not open to the public. To purchase a ticket, visit www.CHLA.org/GALA.
This year ethical women’s fashion retailer Monsoon Accessorize has released The Heritage Collection to celebrate forty years of Monsoon passion.They’ve returned to the very start of the story and revisited all that first inspired them; the lush colours of the subcontinent, the exquisite embellishment, the handcrafted prints and the unmistakable bohemian style that defines the Monsoon brand.Produced in partnership with skilled Indian artisans using traditional decorative techniques, this limited-edition capsule range breathes fresh life into our classic looks. Model Yasmin Le Bon and Monsoon founder Peter Simon travelled all the way to Udaipur, India, to see the clothing being made in person and visit various charity projects set up by the Monsoon Trust over the years.Yasmin Le Bon and her daughter, Amber, are also seen modelling the Limited Edition Heritage Collection in celebration of Monsoon’s 40th Anniversary.Shot by iconic fashion photographer Anders Overgaard in Rajasthan, India; the heartland of hand-block printing and the location of Monsoon’s original 1974 campaign shoot. Beautifully styled by fashion guru and editor of the world-famous Cheap Date magazine Bay Garnett, the shots capture the intricate details of the collection that Monsoon is renowned for.For more information on the Monsoon Trust and the work they carry out click here.
To commemorate the 12th anniversary of the events of Sept. 11, 2001, Sarah Tuft’s prestigious and storied play ‘110 Stories’, will be presented in Los Angeles on Sept. 11th at The Nate Holden Performing Arts Center.110 Stories 2013A love letter to New York City, 110 Stories shares the stories and perspectives of those who lived through the experience.The play, which is based on firsthand survivor accounts, will feature portrayals by Golden Globe nominee Diane Venora (As You Like It, Heat, The Insider, Bird); two-time Golden Globe nominee Steven Bauer (Ray Donovan, Traffic, Scarface), Dash Mihok (Ray Donovan, Silver Linings Playbook), Sydney Tamiia Poitier (Death Proof, GrindHouse, True Crime), Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters, Miss Congeniality II); Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite, Blades Of Glory); Screen Actor’s Guild nominee Stelio Savante (Ugly Betty, My Super Ex-Girlfriend); Benito Martinez (Sons Of Anarchy, The Shield), Ethan Kogan (Dr. Gutman’s Eulogy), and Jessica Silvetti (Problem Of Evil). The play is directed by Rudolf Buitendach, narrated by Sal Masekela, and other celebrity performers will be announced soon.Tickets can be purchased at www.Itsmyseat.com/110stories The performance starts at 8 pm and ticket prices range from $25-$55. All ticket purchases and donations are tax-deductible.In 110 Stories, a firefighter leads a journey through the morning and events of September 11th and into the recovery through a blend of the words and reflections of 30 characters, including an iron worker, a policeman, a homeless couple, a photojournalist, a K9 handler, a doctor, a body worker, a chaplain and a volunteer, among others.The play was most recently presented at NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts in 2011 and at The Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles in 2010.All net proceeds from the performance will be donated to benefit Operation Gratitude, a non-profit organization that sends care packages to the military and is supported by First Lady Obama, and Hollywood celebrities including Ben Affleck, Gary Sinise, and Ed Asner.“I’m delighted to bring this to Los Angeles for the second time. Sarah’s compelling play defines the victory of the human spirit over adversity despite all of our differences, and in honor of those who are no longer with us,” said Savante, who is the show’s Lead Producer in addition to being a longtime, original member of the cast.The performance also offers those who cannot attend the opportunity to purchase and donate tickets to be given to a Military Service Member, Veteran or Emergency First Responder. For more information, email Operation Gratitude at opgrat@gmail.com110 Stories has a prestigious history featuring performances by Susan Sarandon, Samuel L. Jackson, James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Cynthia Nixon, Tony Shalhoub, John Hawkes, Ed Asner, Billy Crudup, Jeremy Piven, John Turturro, Katie Holmes, and Katharine McPhee. The play has been featured in an A&E documentary about 9/11 commemoration and has benefitted charities including The Red Cross, Dennis Leary Firefighters Foundation and the New York Says Thank You Foundation.
Four tickets to John Bishop’s Supersonic tour and the chance to meet him Paloma Faith’s Olympic torch outfit A pair of Bono’s sunglasses and the chance to collect them from the musician himself – the winning bidder and a friend will be invited backstage to meet the U2 singer ahead of seeing the band perform live in the UK A signed disc of quadruple-platinum album ‘The Defamation of Strickland Banks’ from Plan B Frankie Boyle’s suit and glasses from a recent stand-up tour Calling all online shopping fans! Sport Relief announces a new eBay auction that gives the public the chance to bid on money-can’t-buy items and experiences donated by Russell Brand and a host of his celebrity friends.Video: Russell Brand wants you to give something upFrom the worlds of music, sport and entertainment the likes of Bono, Stephen Fry, Paloma Faith, John Bishop and Gary Lineker, to name a few, have all given up beloved belongings or an amazing experience. These items among many others are set to get the pounds stacking up for Sport Relief. Items include: The chance to become Russell Brand for the day! Have a private yoga lesson with Russell, lunch at one of his favourite London restaurants, followed by the gift of Transcendental Meditation at the David Lynch Foundation
Being Gary Lineker’s guest in the MOTD studio as he broadcasts the popular football highlights TV show live from MediaCityUK. After the show, Gary will sign a MOTD script for you VIP tickets to sold-out Kasabian ‘Summer Solstice’ gig and a signed guitar Being a guest at the recording of QI with Stephen Fry A Russell Brand print from photographer to the stars Ray BurmistonThe auction runs until Sunday 2nd March and the public can also support the cause by selling something of their own on eBay for “Give it Up for Sport Relief”.The money raised from this auction will go to the ‘Give it Up’ fund managed by Comic Relief and created by Russell to help people with drug and alcohol addictions remain abstinent.
To bid or sell something of your own visit: www.ebay.co.uk/sportrelief.
Reaffirming its commitment to reducing the volume of plastic bottles and cans that end up in landfills each year, SodaStream, the world leader in home beverage carbonation stations, is leading a campaign to raise awareness for the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a collection of waste floating in the ocean that is twice the size of Texas.To combat this environmental catastrophe and urge people everywhere to join its bottle-free movement, SodaStream has partnered with Earth Day Network and 5 Gyres to further expose what they call ‘The Secret Continent’.The Secret Continent is an imaginary resort destination that SodaStream has birthed in an effort to bring attention to the environmental devastation that is taking place in the Pacific. The damage to our planet is shocking; humans manufacture 1 billion plastic bottles per day and this garbage patch is made from just a portion of the 10 million tons of plastic pollution left behind each year.To date, scientists have documented the impact of marine plastic pollution on 663 different marine species, including all known species of sea turtles, half of all species of marine mammals, and one-fifth of all species of seabirds. By taking this uniquely whimsical approach, SodaStream is seeking to make this environmental message resonate with people all over the world.‘The Secret Continent’ represents the floating garbage island, which is larger than many countries, and SodaStream is seeking to have it acknowledged as the world’s eighth continent by the international community, challenging the world’s population to sign an online petition that will be sent directly to global leaders. The petition urges them to publicly acknowledge ‘The Secret Continent’ and take proactive measures to change the way plastic is used and discarded. In doing so, plastic pollution will be highlighted and no longer ignored.‘The Secret Continent’ is part of SodaStream’s ongoing mission to help consumers reduce their carbon footprint and prevent continued environmental damage in landfills. One SodaStream can save the average U.S. family up to 2,000 bottles and cans each year.“We applaud the bold steps SodaStream is taking to bring the Pacific Garbage Patch to the forefront and proactively fighting to reduce the amount of plastic that gathers in landfills each year,” said Kathleen Rogers, President of Earth Day Network. “We all know that plastic debris doesn’t biodegrade, but we don’t think enough about where it actually ends up, and the danger all this plastic imposes on birds, animals, plants, micro-organisms and seawater. The Secret Continent Campaign isn’t just a publicity stunt. It’s a serious effort to advocate for the health of our oceans and the survival of our planet. We are thrilled to join SodaStream on this mission.”SodaStream’s Global Brand Ambassador, Scarlett Johansson, has already signed the petition and is a huge supporter of this cause. “I am honored to be a part of a project that is powered by such noble intentions and goals. The Secret Continent inspires people to change the way they live. Products like SodaStream aid in the reduction of our carbon footprint, a feat that is vital to preserving the planet for our children.”“SodaStream is steadfast in our mission to elevate awareness for reducing the amount of plastic waste,” said Daniel Birnbaum, CEO of SodaStream. “The Secret Continent is a disruptive way to make people stop and rethink how they drink, from what they’re putting into their bodies to how they’re safeguarding the planet.”
Facebook Login/Register With: It was a big night for Drake going into the awards, who walked in with a record-breaking 13 nominations, the most for any artist in a single year ever. He surpassed Michael Jackson who previously held the record, with 11 nominations in 1984.Other Canadian artists in attendance included singer Alessia Cara and model GiGi Gorgeous, both of whom were discovered on YouTube.By Emma McIntosh – Toronto Star Advertisement Advertisement Twitter Drake thanked Toronto when winning the first of his awards, with Mayor John Tory chiming in on Twitter to thank him in return. LEAVE A REPLY Cancel replyLog in to leave a comment Tory was apparently excited by the Canadian-representation at the awards, larger suggesting they should be renamed the Canadian Music Awards. If Canadian artists didn’t plant a flag at the American Music Awards, they should have.The annual awards were a big night for Canadian talent including Justin Bieber, the Weeknd and Shawn Mendes who all brought the audience to their feet with show stopping performances.But it was Toronto-born rapper Drake who was one of the showstoppers of the awards, taking home statues for Best Rap/Hip-Hop Artist and Best Rap/Hip-Hop Album for “Views.” Advertisement