authors list | date_download timestamp[s] | date_modify null | date_publish timestamp[s] | description stringlengths 1 5.93k ⌀ | filename stringlengths 33 1.45k | image_url stringlengths 23 353 | language stringclasses 21
values | localpath null | title stringlengths 2 200 ⌀ | title_page null | title_rss null | source_domain stringlengths 6 40 | maintext stringlengths 68 80.7k ⌀ | url stringlengths 20 1.44k | fasttext_language stringclasses 1
value | date_publish_final timestamp[s] | path stringlengths 76 110 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
[
"The Associated Press",
"Scott Feschuk",
"John Geddes",
"Jonathon Gatehouse",
"Charlie Gillis",
"Scott Gilmore",
"Anne Kingston",
"Adrian Lee",
"Nancy Macdonald",
"Jason Markusoff"
] | 2016-08-27T18:48:43 | null | 2016-08-27T12:41:10 | WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — Hillary Clinton received her first national security briefing Saturday as the Democratic presidential nominee, meeting with intelligen | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.macleans.ca%2Fpolitics%2Fwashington%2Fhillary-clinton-receives-first-intelligence-briefing-since-nomination%2F.json | http://www.macleans.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/CLINTON.jpg | en | null | Hillary Clinton receives first intelligence briefing since nomination | null | null | www.macleans.ca | WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — Hillary Clinton received her first national security briefing Saturday as the Democratic presidential nominee, meeting with intelligence officials for an overview of the major threats facing the nation around the globe.
Clinton attended the briefing for more than two hours at the FBI office in White Plains, New York, near her suburban New York City home. Republican Donald Trump received his briefing earlier this month, a customary move for major party nominees but one that has been the subject of a political tussle during the campaign.
Trump was campaigning on Saturday in Iowa, headlining Republican Sen. Joni Ernst’s annual “Roast and Ride” fundraiser at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. The celebrity businessman was not planning to join the 42-mile motorcycle ride that is part of the event but bringing his campaign to a state where polls show a tight contest, a rare bright spot for Trump amid a sea of challenging battleground states.
The activities capped a week that saw some of the harshest exchanges between the two presidential rivals, with Clinton asserting in an MSNBC interview on Friday that Trump’s campaign was built on “prejudice and paranoia” and he had catered to a radical fringe of the Republican Party. Trump, who is trying to win over moderate voters and minorities who have been unsettled by some of his provocative remarks and policy proposals, has tried to paint Clinton as a racist.
The Republican released an online video that includes footage of the former first lady referring to some young criminals as “super predators” in the 1990s. The video also shows Clinton’s former Democratic rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders, denouncing the phrase as “a racist term.” Clinton has since apologized.
Clinton has said that Trump and his supporters have taken on extremist views, casting the race as “not a normal choice between a Republican and a Democrat.”
The back-and-forth has been waged in the national security space.
As President Barack Obama’s secretary of state, Clinton held a high security clearance and received a copy of the President’s Daily Brief—the highest-level U.S. intelligence document that includes sensitive intelligence and analysis from around the world.
Saturday’s briefing was Clinton’s first since becoming her party’s nominee. Trump received his first briefing earlier this month.
The briefings, which are delivered by career staffers from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, have been customary for presidential nominees for more than 60 years to ensure a smooth transition for the next commander in chief. But the lead-up to the briefings for both candidates have been steeped in politics.
Prior to Trump’s briefing, leading Democrats questioned whether the celebrity businessman could responsibly handle receiving sensitive information because of some of his comments, including the suggestion that Russia should attempt to hack Clinton’s emails.
Trump and his supporters have said that Clinton’s use of a private email server and FBI Director James Comey’s rebuke of her “extremely careless” handling of classified information at the State Department should bar her from receiving the briefing.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, meanwhile, wrote National Intelligence Director James Clapper, saying that many questions remain about how Clinton handled her email and requested she not receive the briefings for the remainder of the campaign.
But Clapper rejected Ryan’s request, responding that the meetings would be provided on a non-partisan basis. “I do not intend to withhold briefings from any officially nominated, eligible candidate,” Clapper wrote.
Trump is also trying to shore up his standing with Latino voters. In Las Vegas, Trump met Friday with two dozen Latino supporters to discuss strategies for boosting Hispanic turnout in the swing state. He has sought to make the case that his economic policies would be better for small minority-owned businesses than those of Clinton.
“People don’t know how well we’re doing with the Hispanics, the Latinos,” Trump said at his hotel just off the Vegas Strip. “We’re doing really well.”
Trump has suggested that minorities have been left behind by Democratic economic policies and hammered the nation’s sluggish GDP growth as “a catastrophe.”
But he has continued to send mixed signals about a key issue for many Latinos: immigration. While he has not wavered on his desire to build an impenetrable wall along the border with Mexico, he exhibited indecisiveness in recent days about his plan to deport 11 million immigrants living in the U.S. illegally.
Aides have said he would announce his immigration policy in a speech in the coming days, but his campaign has yet to set a date. | http://www.macleans.ca/politics/washington/hillary-clinton-receives-first-intelligence-briefing-since-nomination/ | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.macleans.ca/1ee1f900b9be22aba0c4ba78ee7636014e4e21ca32b0720677a3b0905336dc4d.json |
[
"The Associated Press",
"Scott Feschuk",
"John Geddes",
"Jonathon Gatehouse",
"Charlie Gillis",
"Scott Gilmore",
"Anne Kingston",
"Adrian Lee",
"Nancy Macdonald",
"Jason Markusoff"
] | 2016-08-26T13:06:07 | null | 2016-08-24T18:03:38 | With the Olympics in the rear-view mirror, Brazilian senators are now set to decide whether to remove President Dilma Rousseff from office | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.macleans.ca%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Fthe-rio-olympics-are-done-the-drama-in-brazil-is-just-beginning%2F.json | http://www.macleans.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/11195669.jpg | en | null | The Rio Olympics are done. The drama in Brazil is just beginning. | null | null | www.macleans.ca | RIO DE JANEIRO — The last medals have been handed out, the athletes have all gone home and the fireworks at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana stadium are fading into memory. Now Brazil’s real drama begins.
Just days after the closing ceremony of the Rio Olympics, Brazilian senators are about to decide whether to permanently remove President Dilma Rousseff from office, the climax of a months-long political battle that has laid bare deep polarization in Latin America’s largest nation.
The Aug. 5-21 Summer Games were a welcome distraction for many Brazilians angry over endemic corruption and an emerging economy that has gone from analysts’ darling to severe recession amid its worst financial crisis in decades. Street parties erupted when their beloved soccer team beat Germany to win gold, a measure of redemption after being humiliated 7-1 by the Germans in the World Cup semifinal two years ago.
With the Olympic bash over, “we return to the divisions, to the fighting,” said Fabiano Angelico, a political consultant based in Sao Paulo.
On Thursday, the Senate begins the final phase of the trial of Rousseff, who was suspended in May for allegedly breaking fiscal rules in managing the federal budget. Several days of deliberations, including an address to lawmakers by Rousseff herself, will culminate in a definitive vote expected early next week.
Rousseff’s opponents argue that she used sleight of hand budgeting to mask the depth of government deficits and ultimately exacerbated the growing economic crisis, which has led to 10 per cent inflation, daily announcements of layoffs and repeated credit downgrades from ratings agencies.
Brazil’s first female president denies any wrongdoing, pointing out that previous presidents used similar accounting measures. Rousseff alleges that something more nefarious is at play: a bloodless “coup” by corrupt legislators who want to oust her so they can water down a wide-ranging investigation into billions of dollars in kickbacks at the state oil company, Petrobras.
A letter signed by 22 international artists and intellectuals was published Wednesday voicing support for Rousseff. Among them were actor Danny Glover, film director Oliver Stone, linguist Noam Chomsky, fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, actor Viggo Mortensen and composer Brian Eno.
“The legal basis for the ongoing impeachment is widely contested and there is compelling evidence showing that key promoters of the impeachment campaign are seeking to remove the president to stop the corruption investigations that they themselves are implicated in,” the letter said.
But much of the alleged graft happened over the 13 years that Rousseff’s left-leaning Workers’ Party has been in power. Several businessmen and top politicians have been jailed, including some connected to Rousseff’s government, and a number of opposition officials are also in investigators’ sights.
The probe has blown the lid off a political culture of corruption that spans the ideological spectrum: About 60 per cent of lawmakers in the Senate and lower house are being investigated for various crimes, many related to graft and the Petrobras scandal.
Rousseff has never been personally implicated, but her detractors say she must have known what was happening and bears responsibility. She refused to block the investigations even as she paid a steep political price through her impeachment, saying it is a process that Brazil badly needs to go through.
The interim government that stepped in for her has also been stung, with three Cabinet ministers forced to resign right after taking office due to corruption allegations. Acting President Michel Temer, who was Rousseff’s vice-president and is known as a behind-the-scenes dealmaker, has been fingered for alleged bribery by witnesses who have reached plea deals in the Petrobras case, although he has not been charged with any crime.
The result has been widespread popular disgust and anger at both Rousseff and Temer: A national poll by Datafolha last month found that 62 per cent of respondents favoured holding new elections rather than keeping either one as president.
Rousseff has promised to hold a referendum on whether to call new elections if she survives the Senate trial. But for that to happen, both she and Temer would have to resign or be removed.
Temer, a 75-year-old career politician from the centrist Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, has shown no indication he would step down. He casts himself as a reluctant saviour who just wants to do what’s best for a divided country, and denies Rousseff’s accusations that he’s the ringleader in the push to oust her.
If Rousseff is permanently removed, Temer would serve out the remainder of her term through 2018.
“Michel wants to remain president, but he can’t show himself to be trying to do that,” Brasilia-based political consultant Alexandre Barros said. “It’s a complicated equation for everybody.”
In any case, Rousseff’s odds of surviving the Senate trial appear slim.
In May, 55 of the body’s 81 senators voted to impeach and suspend her — one more than the 54 it would take to kick her out for good. Since then Rousseff has embarked on a campaign to change their minds, hunkering down with supportive senators, tweeting regularly against the “coup,” holding rallies around the country and meeting with Brazilian and international media.
Earlier this month, 59 senators voted to move forward with the trial. | http://www.macleans.ca/news/world/the-rio-olympics-are-done-the-drama-in-brazil-is-just-beginning/ | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.macleans.ca/2cb60bfa7fffe9026a54b6bbe1501270ca655a8bc9c13af4c91f3780c713fa62.json |
[
"Aaron Hutchins",
"Jennifer Robson",
"Scott Feschuk",
"John Geddes",
"Jonathon Gatehouse",
"Charlie Gillis",
"Scott Gilmore",
"Anne Kingston",
"Adrian Lee",
"Nancy Macdonald"
] | 2016-08-28T20:48:34 | null | 2015-07-18T12:12:34 | Starting Monday, parents will get lump sum Universal Child Care Benefit payments from Ottawa. We asked Jennifer Robson to help us make sense of it all. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.macleans.ca%2Feconomy%2Feconomicanalysis%2Fwhat-you-need-to-know-about-the-universal-child-care-benefit%2F.json | http://www.macleans.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/tile-robson.jpg | en | null | Making sense of those Universal Child Care Benefit payments | null | null | www.macleans.ca | Starting on July 20, parents across Canada with children under 18 can expect a nice, fat cheque in their mailboxes (or directly deposited into their bank accounts, if they’ve chosen that option). With the increase to the Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB), families with kids aged five and under can expect $160 per month per child (up from $100) while those with children aged six to 17 will also now receive $60 per month for each child.
But the reason this month’s payments are such big news is because they will include the extra $60 per child retroactively to Jan. 1, 2015. That means parents with a five-year-old can expect $520, and if they have a seven-year-old, too, they’ll get another $420. That’s a good chunk of change.
It can’t be that easy, can it? How do parents qualify? And why is this windfall coming now? To help answer those and other questions, we turned to Jennifer Robson, assistant professor at Carleton University’s Arthur Kroeger College.
Related: Sorting out who wins with Harper’s family tax package
So say I have two kids: Mikey, who is five, and Molly, who is seven. Why am I getting this money?
Robson: That depends on whom you ask. Let’s go back.
Even a decade ago, you’d probably be getting something for Mikey and Molly. What you got depended on your total family income and how old Mikey and Molly were. Stephen Harper comes into government in 2006, leaves part of the old child-benefit system in place, but cancels the daycare agreements with the provinces and cancels what used to be the young child supplement, and creates the UCCB. You got a flat amount—100 bucks a month for every kid who is aged under six. Don’t care how much you make, don’t care whether you use daycare, just a flat amount per kid. So Molly is seven; you wouldn’t have been getting anything from the UCCB for her.
But, back in October, the government announced it was going to change the UCCB, so you would get a monthly amount of $60 for Molly. And for Mikey who’s under six, it’s going up to $160 per month.
That means more money in my pocket, right?
More money—sort of. Depending on your family circumstances, depending on your income, it’s possible this is not leaving you that much better off than you would have been, say, 10 years ago.
What? I could have been getting more money with the day-care and young-child supplement?
Possibly. That depends on your family circumstances. But why are you getting this? Because, back in October, the government announced it wanted to make some changes to its universal child-care benefit—not the entire child-care system and apparatus, but the one associated with their brand. (Whisper: And there’s an election coming up.)
Related: Q&A: Pierre Poilievre on parents, pensions and taxes
Do I have to register for the payments?
You have to tell the government Mike and Molly exist. You have to show you are eligible to receive this money. If you’ve previously been receiving child benefits, you should already be in the system. You can also contact CRA proactively, just to check.
So who gets the money?
Typically, the cheque goes to the person identified as the primary caregiver. So, in a lot of circumstances, that ends up being the default of the wife. However, it is also typically the person with the lower household income. You can work it out so it goes to the lower-income parent.
With the UCCB, in particular, that’s a nice thing to do, so you don’t have to pay as much tax on it later on—which people forget. This is a taxable benefit. You’re going to get this money, but you’re going to have to pay tax on it later.
Is it possible, if I make just under the maximum for one tax bracket, this money could push me over into the next tax bracket?
It is possible. I haven’t seen any good estimates on the frequency with which that happens, but yeah, it’s possible this tips you over the scales, not only in terms of your tax liability, but if you’re really low-tax income and you’ve applied for subsidized housing or a child-care subsidy; all this money counts. In some cases, this could push people above the threshold for those benefits.
And if I’m octo-dad? Is there a limit to how much coin I can get?
I’ve never seen anything in the rules that [says there’s a limit]. What were those shows Will & Kate plus Eight, or 19 Kids and Counting? They would get a flat amount per kid. But there aren’t many families like that these days.
Related: Is the Conservative tax plan principled or just vote-buying?
Every time I have a baby, do I have to go on the registration website and say “had another kid”?
Yep, you do. Service Canada, for a couple years, has tried to do its best to coordinate when you register your birth; you have to tell governments you had kids, and they issue you paperwork. You can also inform CRA: “Hey! Had a kid. Sign me up for the new benefits.” This all works pretty well if you have a secure Internet connection.
And if my Internet is spotty?
Good luck. There are many forms and you have to go stand in lines. It’s a pain. I don’t know if you’ve had to visit a Service Canada office in the last little while. The lineups are long. If I’m a new parent and I don’t have a secure Internet connection to sign up for these benefits . . . what a pain in the ass to drag my newborn down to Service Canada, take a ticket and wait in line for hours.
Okay, now some terrible news. My wife and I split up just, like, 45 seconds ago.
I’m sorry hear that.
We’ve decided to do shared custody. But for the UCCB, is my ex going to get my money?
That’s a great question. Typically, CRA will ask you to provide some kind of documentation that will be in your separation agreement. You’ve got an agreement for how much time the kids are going to be where. Typically, lawyers will include a clause that deals with the splitting of credits and benefits. For example, for daycare benefits, there are ways to split them. Different families work out different kinds of arrangements.
[Note: After speaking with Robson, we received this from the CRA: Families with children in a shared-custody situation will receive 50 per cent of the benefit each month if the child is in shared custody, if both parents applied.]
Related: The Family Tax Cut needs a rethink
Are there any rules governing how I spend the UCCB money? ’Cause there’s this new big-screen TV I’ve been looking at.
If you wanted to. Somebody once cracked a terrible joke about beer and popcorn, but there’s nothing that prevents you from using your universal-child-care-benefit money to buy a TV or beer or popcorn. The assumption is that, whatever you’re spending it on, you are the parent who gets to decide what is best for your kids. If you use it to subsidize the cost of whatever child care arrangements you are using—home care or licensed care—there are good questions about how much daycare this actually buys a person. But you don’t have to spend it on daycare. You can spend it on whatever you want.
So is everyone getting the big cheque on Monday? Or is my cousin Gus and his family in Flin Flon, Man., going to have to wait?
As far as I understand, as long as they’ve got up-to-date information on you, they should be able to issue you a paper cheque or a direct deposit that goes directly into your bank account. I can’t see a reason why a cousin in Flin Flon should see a delay in benefit compared to you in Toronto. Is it possible a paper cheque might take a little longer to get somewhere? Maybe. The CRA has been working really hard to get people signed up on direct deposit so they can issue it electronically.
[Note: As of July 2015, CRA says approximately 70 per cent of applicants have registered for direct deposit. The majority of families, approximately 3.8 million, were identified and will automatically receive the increased UCCB on Monday. However, there are still an estimated 200,000 families with children who may be missing out if they don’t apply.]
In the mail, will it be just a cheque? Or will there be a friendly letter from Pierre Poilievre with it?
He’s done so many photo ops in front of the cheques, I would surprised if there were not some kind of insert with some nice blue-colour branding.
So, from an economist’s perspective, is the UCCB good?
Is this good? Well, child benefits have a lot of merit, be it economically, for social-policy reasons or—let’s be honest—for political reasons, too. The issue is always about how you design them so they’re the most efficient and the most effective. From one perspective, with the UCCB, we just count Mike and Molly. Boom, boom, cheque. I don’t need to know anything else about you. I don’t need to know how much money you make or what you spent the money on. I don’t ask you to keep receipts. I don’t care.
Nice and simple.
It’s simple. However, really high-income families with two kids are also getting two cheques. And, later on, they’re going to be paying some tax on that, but not the whole amount. So you end up with a system where you’re paying money to people who don’t need it. And you could be using those taxpayer dollars in a more efficient and effective way. So, child benefits—yes, good. Is this the best way to design child benefits? No.
Related: Revisiting the Conservatives’ tax cut and child benefit packages
I was kidding about the TV earlier. I really want this money to go toward the little ones. What’s the best way to save for Mikey and Molly?
In a sense, there’s no end of options. I’m well aware that the banks have been saying, “Hey! Come bring us your UCCB lump sum and open up an Registered Education Savings Plan!”
Right—an RESP.
These are tax-preferred savings accounts. They’re not quite tax prepaid. If you put that money into your RESP, you’re not going to have to pay any money on the investment earnings that build up in there. But neither are you going to get a deduction, the way you do with an RRSP.
The thing that’s attractive about the RESP is that, every dollar you put in, when it’s for Mike and Molly, triggers a matching government savings grant called the Canada Education Savings Grant. Depending on your family income, it could be 20 cents on the dollar. It could be up to 40 cents on the dollar. When Mike or Molly take the money out and they happen to be in post-secondary education, they only pay tax on that money at their very modest student taxable income rates. This is sort of like: Take the government money, get the match on the government money, get the publicly subsidized tax saving on the investment income now and, then, later on, there’s a nice little nest egg for Mike and Molly, as long as they’re in school. It doesn’t matter what happens to that money.
As a matter of fact, some RESPs are set up so that the contributions are refunded to the parent. In other words, the parents get this lump-sum refund back. They can use it for a nice cruise or to pay off their mortgage. There’s no enforcement. It’s just assumed that, if your kids are in school, you’ll probably be using this money to help them with those costs.
What are my other options?
There’s another way to do this that does not trigger the matching grants, but gives you more flexibility. Mike and Molly are five and seven. You’d have to wait a long time before you can access that [RESP] money again, because it’ll be a while before they finish high school. Another option is the Tax Free Savings Account, where you don’t get a deduction if you put that money into the TFSA, and you don’t have to pay any tax on the investment that builds up, but you also don’t have to pay any tax when you take the money out. If you’re thinking odds are good that Mikey will need braces and you’re not so sure about you’re orthodontic plan . . .
Yeah, Mikey’s teeth are not looking good these days.
You can put that [UCCB] money into a TFSA, then pull that money out later on. You don’t get the 20 per cent grant, but you still get this very generous tax treatment, for sure.
People keep saying the lump-sum payments this month, totalling close to $3 billion, will help stimulate the economy. Given that we may be in a recession, would I better serve my country by buying stuff with this money instead of saving it?
What would you do with the money?
There’s that big-screen TV.
What’s the economic stimulus in doing that? We don’t make TVs in Canada. By buying that big-screen TV, it’s not as though you’re supporting Canadian manufacturing jobs. A lot of the durable goods or services families might use this money for may not have an impact on the economy.
Also, if you were paying attention—it would have been hard to miss the announcement in October and through this pre-election period—you’d know this money is coming. A lot of the research we’ve got tells us that, when people know to expect future income, they treat it a lot like current income, so a lot of this money has already been spent. People have bought that big-screen TV, but they just put in on their credit cards. And when they get this lump-sum payment, they’ll pay down the credit card.
Thanks Jennifer. It all makes sense now. | http://www.macleans.ca/economy/economicanalysis/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-universal-child-care-benefit/ | en | 2015-07-18T00:00:00 | www.macleans.ca/e4dfb04db3027d6e8c95d4bc6f373c971402025373712e524af597090ca5b74c.json |
[
"The Canadian Press",
"Scott Feschuk",
"John Geddes",
"Jonathon Gatehouse",
"Charlie Gillis",
"Scott Gilmore",
"Anne Kingston",
"Adrian Lee",
"Nancy Macdonald",
"Jason Markusoff"
] | 2016-08-26T12:51:15 | null | 2016-08-24T17:44:20 | NDP MPs have sent letters to the prime minister about 'questionable expenses' from his own ministers | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.macleans.ca%2Fpolitics%2Fottawa%2Ftrudeau-urged-to-outline-directives-actions-on-ministerial-spending%2F.json | http://www.macleans.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/NSD114356754_high.jpg | en | null | Trudeau urged to outline directives, actions on ministerial spending | null | null | www.macleans.ca | OTTAWA – The political pressure is mounting on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to outline specific measures to control spending among his cabinet ministers, now that two of them find their own practices under the microscope.
New Democrat caucus chair Charlie Angus and ethics critic Alexandre Boulerice have written to the prime minister about “questionable expenses” that they say may breach Trudeau’s own standards of conduct when it comes to public funds.
“I think the prime minister needs to clarify: were they serious in the commitments they made in being open and transparent and what’s he going to do about it?” Angus said in an interview Wednesday.
“This is a government that’s already 25 per cent of the way into its new mandate and troubling patterns are developing.”
The push for additional scrutiny comes after the ethics commissioner confirmed she would examine Health Minister Jane Philpott’s repeated use of a high-end car service owned by a Liberal supporter.
The minister has committed to fully co-operate with Mary Dawson’s investigation, which will focus on the question of “preferential treatment” because the owner of the vehicle service, Reza Shirani, volunteered on the minister’s last campaign.
The Canadian Press reported Monday that Philpott claimed the $520 cost of accessing Air Canada passenger lounges in various airports in North America and Europe. Philpott’s office later said she would pay back the money.
Environment Minister Catherine McKenna also asked her department this week to review its expenses after it was revealed $6,600 was spent documenting the COP21 climate change conference in Paris.
McKenna said the use of photography was a “long-standing practice under previous governments, including the Conservative government.”
During a news conference Tuesday in Barrie, Ont., Trudeau said his government would look for “new and more robust ways” of disclosing the use of public dollars, although his office has not outlined specific steps.
Aaron Wudrick, the federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said Wednesday it is reasonable to think the government may need “some time” to review ministerial spending practices.
“I don’t imagine it should take them a year to come up with something,” Wudrick said.
“If they’re suggesting they need to take a few weeks, or a month or two to figure something out, that’s a reasonable time frame — but he should certainly at least indicate that’s happening and not sort of leave it hanging there.”
Wudrick’s watchdog group has encouraged Trudeau to look at the online disclosure policies used by Alberta’s provincial government and the City of Toronto.
At the federal level, there are individual budgets for MPs separate from ministerial offices and staff.
Wudrick said the degree of financial scrutiny at the MP level has “increased considerably” but there are still broad categories, such as hospitality, that do not offer specific details.
Improvements are required at the ministerial level, he added, noting ministers tend to travel more and attend international events.
“I think that is in many cases where some of the bigger dollars will appear,” he said.
“They should have the resources they need but these are some of the situations where the costs can get out of control. I think the public needs confidence that they are being kept under control.” | http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/trudeau-urged-to-outline-directives-actions-on-ministerial-spending/ | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.macleans.ca/1351ed77cd2a58e912e8248ad768f535b31d3502629fb2636a793923048fec3f.json |
[
"The Canadian Press",
"Scott Feschuk",
"John Geddes",
"Jonathon Gatehouse",
"Charlie Gillis",
"Scott Gilmore",
"Anne Kingston",
"Adrian Lee",
"Nancy Macdonald",
"Jason Markusoff"
] | 2016-08-31T00:49:34 | null | 2016-08-30T20:06:14 | The U.S. has warned new bank would provide loans without caveats about environment, labour rights or anti-corruption reforms | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.macleans.ca%2Fnews%2Fwill-canada-join-chinas-new-international-infrastructure-bank%2F.json | http://www.macleans.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/MAC06_BOOKS_CAROUSEL02.jpg | en | null | Will Canada join China's new international infrastructure bank? | null | null | www.macleans.ca | BEIJING – Canada is keen to get involved with a new international infrastructure bank in China, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau indicated Tuesday – a move that would help the east Asian country’s economic credibility around the world.
China founded the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank late last year to provide other countries in the region access to capital for investments in things such as transportation, power and telecommunications projects.
The bank has already invested more than US$500 million in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan and Tajikistan, and Chinese officials have said it plans to loan out US$10-15 billion over the next five years.
“My government believes very, very much in the importance of investing in infrastructure,” Trudeau said Tuesday during a roundtable discussion with business leaders.
“That’s one of the reasons why we’re looking very favourably at the possibility of joining the AIIB).”
Should Canada announce Wednesday that it’s joining, it would be among 57 other member countries, including Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and South Korea, which signed on last year in the face of opposition from the U.S.
In order to join, countries agree to contribute funds in the form of shares. Australia agreed to contribute $930 million over five years, which the Australian Broadcasting Corp. has said would make that country the sixth-largest shareholder.
American officials warned that the new bank would provide loans to developing countries without requiring any caveats about the environment, labour rights or anti-corruption reforms, as are typically included in loans from the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
Former Canadian diplomat Charles Burton of Brock University in St. Catharines, Ont., said a Canadian decision to join the bank would signal that Canada is prepared to see China take a seat at the table in terms of having input on the global economic landscape.
“Certainly we’re trying to show that we are prepared to see China take an important in the global economy,” he said.
“And by supporting this institution that’s primarily initiated by China indicates that we’re trying to build trust that China will use this institution for the greater good in a liberal, internationalist way and not simply as a device to expand its geopolitical reach.”
There is still some wariness in official Ottawa about supporting China’s global influence, particularly with its recent actions the South China Sea, said Paul Evans of the University of British Columbia’s Institute for Asian Research. But he said most officials feel Canada made a mistake by not joining the bank last year.
The four projects approved earlier this year addressed many of the concerns western countries had about the new bank, he said, including that China would use it to advance its own strategic and commercial interests.
Evans said the Liberal government’s decision to sign on would be symbolically important in terms of Canada-China relations.
While the cost – which he estimated will be as much as $1 billion – is high, he said Canadian companies could benefit from the billions of dollars in projects the bank will finance.
With files from Lee Berthiaume in Ottawa | http://www.macleans.ca/news/will-canada-join-chinas-new-international-infrastructure-bank/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.macleans.ca/0b1b13c70952542e127a69aa509d5c46a80905e61d43b866829d10022d2f4ceb.json |
[
"Martin Patriquin",
"Scott Feschuk",
"John Geddes",
"Jonathon Gatehouse",
"Charlie Gillis",
"Scott Gilmore",
"Anne Kingston",
"Adrian Lee",
"Nancy Macdonald",
"Jason Markusoff"
] | 2016-08-26T14:48:30 | null | 2016-08-26T10:08:45 | In prioritizing public appearances, the Prime Minister may have a hard time finding balance | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.macleans.ca%2Fpolitics%2Fdoes-justin-trudeau-risk-being-overexposed%2F.json | http://www.macleans.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/MAC36_WORKING_TRUDEAU_FEATURE01.jpg | en | null | Does Justin Trudeau risk being overexposed? | null | null | www.macleans.ca | It’s as though he never stopped campaigning.
Nearly a year since Justin Trudeau was propelled into office on a near-narcotic wave of optimism, he remains the personification of “sunny ways,” the Liberal party’s de facto mantra, mode de vie and campaign slogan.
It was on display last fall, when Trudeau was mobbed by civil servants after his government “unmuzzled” government scientists, thus allowing them to speak freely with the media. There it was again in December, when a room of First Nations leaders erupted in cheers when Trudeau emphasized Canada’s “sacred obligation” to the rights of First Nations communities across the country. And again this summer, when Trudeau photobombed fellow vacationers, always with that smile and sometimes without a shirt.
We see it almost constantly with the general public. From the moment he set foot on the streets of Montreal for the city’s annual Pride parade, Trudeau basked in the adoring embrace of the crowd. He smiled, waved, shook hands, posed for pictures, brandished a rainbow flag and otherwise became as fabulously sweaty as the multicoloured throngs of Pride goers swarming around him. It would be the same atmosphere of well-documented adoration a week later, when Trudeau made a show of attending the last Tragically Hip concert in Kingston, Ont.
“I like the energy, the proximity to people,” he says, at the parade’s starting point, dressed in white pants, grey sneakers and a turquoise button-down shirt. “In my job, I have a range of experiences, with heavy serious work mixed with moments where I get to share in this kind of thing. It’s about finding the right balance.”
Has he found it yet?
“It’s a moving target.”
There is substance behind the flash, those around him insist. In interviews with Trudeau and members of his inner circle, a picture emerges of a Prime Minister who has adopted the insouciance and flesh-pressing humanity in crowds that so defined the tenure of his father, Pierre Trudeau. He has also taken on his father’s ethic of intense work juxtaposed by daily family time, weekends at the cottage and an ironclad edict that he get eight hours sleep every night. He has taken a total of 25 vacation days in his 10 months in office, according to Prime Minister’s Office staff.
Yet when it comes to the mechanics of governing, the younger Trudeau has moved away from his father’s approach, in which he and an all-powerful Prime Minister’s Office dictated the agenda and policy decisions. Pierre Trudeau’s top-down style of governing was enduring—and perfected, most recently, by former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper.
Under Harper, the PMO was at once protector of the prime minister’s image and enforcer of his whims, decisions and diktats. Under Trudeau, the PMO has been cut from 100 staff members to about 65, and the power shifted to his ministers. “I govern by cabinet,” Trudeau says.
The government is working on or has fulfilled 106 of 220 electoral promises, according to TrudeauMetre.ca, which tracks such things. When the doors are closed and the cameras off, his advisers and cabinet ministers say a different, seemingly less carefree Trudeau emerges—one who is both exacting and consensus building. “He can be very playful and he can be deadly serious,” says Roland Paris, who until recently worked as a foreign affairs adviser in the PMO.
Yet as popular and resolutely positive as his government is, all of it risks being undone. There’s the matter of its $113-billion gamble on deficit spending over the next five years. Or, as his senior adviser Mathieu Bouchard readily admits, Trudeau might suffer from sheer overexposure. “How much rope does he have? That’s something you look at after the fact and say, ‘That’s how much he’s had.’ You don’t know until you’ve hit it.”
“The major stumbling block for both the Conservatives and the New Democrats, however, remained Pierre Trudeau. The press continued to follow each of his moves, providing their readers and viewers with a steady stream of Trudeau memorabilia,” read the 1969 edition of the Canadian Annual Review.
It might have been written 47 years later about his son. In the first 10 months in office, Trudeau has generated 27 per cent more media coverage across the country than Harper’s first 10 months, according to a report by Quebec-based media monitoring firm Influence Communication.
Along with the constant adoring crowds, Justin Trudeau has also benefitted from an opposition rendered disorganized in the wake of last year’s election. The Conservative party will have an interim leader until May 2017; NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair already has one foot out the door, having been rejected by his own party members last April.
Coverage of prime ministers and their governments tends to drop off after an election: Harper’s fell off by 79 per cent one month after the 2006 election. Brian Mulroney’s coverage dropped by 69 per cent in 1988, and Jean Chrétien’s by 30 per cent in 1993.
Media coverage of this Prime Minister since the 2015 election has actually increased by 40 per cent, according to the report. And unlike in Harper’s case, it is overwhelmingly favourable. “In Canadian and foreign media, the tone used to describe Trudeau is far more positive,” says Influence Communication president Jean-François Dumas. “The People magazine-style coverage he gets plays a major role in this.”
It’s perhaps why Trudeau’s appearances at Pride parades, Tragically Hip concerts and at the Toronto Zoo, where in March he cuddled two panda cubs and birthed the mother of all Internet memes, feel like tightly scripted displays of the Prime Minister’s cheerful spontaneity. Under Trudeau, such things have become part of the job—though he couches it in different language.
“The social media age means that people are used to feeling connected and they want to see their leaders out and articulating the values that they stand for. When I show up for a Pride parade or at a multicultural park celebration or whatever, these are articulations of things that are values that we all share,” Trudeau says.
Harper’s embrace of social media was awkward at best. For Trudeau, it has been a key part of his ascension. He first used his personal Twitter account on March 30, 2008. Ostensibly a reluctant tweeter at first, Trudeau came to embrace the platform and its tendency toward broadcasting 140-word inanities. He wished Chuck Norris a happy 70th birthday, kibitzed about his moustache grown in the name of cancer research and sporadically cheered on the Montreal Canadiens. “Wohoo! Rockets in my pockets! I love Hallowe’en,” he tweeted on Oct. 29, 2009.
Today, the @JustinTrudeau account is overseen and largely written by a small team headed up by Dave Sommer, a PMO staffer with the title of “digital creative lead.” Less frivolous and far more bilingual, the account nonetheless provides a breezy account of Trudeau’s thoughts, activities and pronouncements. It is also a repository of soft focus (and often partisan) pictures of Trudeau scooping ice cream in P.E.I. and polishing the Grey Cup with his sleeve in Ottawa.
If @JustinTrudeau is the party, @CanadianPM is the suit and tie. Maintained by the Privy Council Office, the account is a far more straightforward take on the Prime Minister, from trade missions to visits with foreign dignitaries and politicians to commemoration ceremonies. It has 51,000 followers. @JustinTrudeau has nearly two million.
Both accounts carried the news of Trudeau’s appearance at the Tragically Hip show last weekend. @JustinTrudeau featured pictures of Trudeau signing an outsized farewell card to the band, and of him hugging Hip frontman Gord Downie. “PM Trudeau attends Tragically Hip’s final show. Watch this historic moment live,” read the @CanadianPM feed—tying, inadvertently or not, Trudeau’s attendance to the Hip’s indelible legacy. Photographers from Canadian outlets were barred from the venue. Trudeau’s personal photographer snapped away unfettered.
(In Sudbury, 450 km northwest, much of the Liberal cabinet was in preliminary meetings for a planned retreat, which would begin the next day upon Trudeau’s arrival.)
Trudeau appears genuinely shocked when asked about the perception that he is rarely behind a desk. “I spend an awful lot of time behind a desk. The work that I do as Prime Minister has me on phone calls, conference calls, briefing notes, briefing books all the time. There’s an awful lot to do, and I’m glad to do it. But you also have to do it in a way that stays connected with Canadians and in order to do that, I’m continuing what I’ve been doing for years, which is doing the hard work of getting out, meeting with Canadians, listening to them, talking with them, and being part of this country that I have the responsibility to serve.”
Cheery tweets and campaign-style jaunts into adoring hoi polloi are the most visible part of a government that has substantially changed its course and tone in less than a year. On foreign policy, for example, the government has shifted to a more multilateral stance than the previous Conservative government. “I think that his view was that the Conservative’s foreign policy was ineffective more than anything else,” says Paris, who worked in different capacities for the Liberal party and the Trudeau government until this past June. Under Trudeau, the country has re-engaged with the United Nations, lifted sanctions against Iran and attempted to repair strained relations with China.
Domestically, government ministries have been given more latitude and, in some cases, more money. At Status of Women Canada, a relatively small ministry with a full-time staff of 99, the arrival of the Liberals has brought “an enormous change in tone,” according to a department source. The minister, Patty Hajdu, is the first in the department’s 40-year history to have full ministerial authority without another portfolio attached.
In November 2015, shortly after the new government was sworn in, the words “advocacy” and “research” reappeared in the ministry’s mandate. The ministerial mandate letter itself, which remained secret under the previous government, was published on the government website (as were the mandate letters of all government ministries). Along with a modest budget increase, the ministry received $23.3 million over five years for “more consistent gender-based analysis.”
Past prime ministers, Harper very much included, usually had their fingerprints on the more substantial legislation. Trudeau, though, has taken a hands-off approach and delegated authority to his ministers on such matters. In April, the government introduced its medical-aid-in-dying legislation. Written in response to a Supreme Court of Canada decision striking down the country’s prohibition of doctor-assisted death, the legislation was at once important and fraught.
Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, who co-wrote the legislation with Health Minister Jane Philpott, says Trudeau stayed largely in the background, despite its relative importance. “His was one of many voices that we heard in crafting the legislation,” Wilson-Raybould said. “We had formal and informal discussions where the Prime Minister would check in with Jane and I just to see how things were going. He always made himself available and always made it clear that we could bounce ideas off of him.”
Ministers are usually required to give presentations at caucus meetings every Wednesday morning. Trudeau is almost always there. “The Prime Minister always gives his perspective,” says Canadian Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly. “He’s not a micromanager. He always says: be available to the media. Be positive, avoid excessive partisanry. Humility is very important to him.”
Justin Trudeau sits down for an interview at a table on the 46th floor of Montreal’s Place Ville Marie. He nods confidently and, at the behest of a mindful aide, flicks his hair off his forehead.
“I haven’t had my post-vacation haircut yet,” he laments.
Downstairs, 46 floors below, a cortège of 10 black cars await to take him to the Pride parade, where he will be mobbed. He’ll be mobbed again the next day, in Newfoundland, in P.E.I. and Toronto after that, then in Kingston when he strode, resplendent in denim, through the throngs outside the Tragically Hip concert.
Liberals bask in Trudeau’s honeymoon, which has lasted well into his first year in office. Others wonder when and how badly it’s going to end.
And it’s not just cynics. Economists have lamented the slow pace of the Canadian economic recovery. It has lagged behind the United States, shedding 31,200 jobs in July alone. Exports are flat despite a low dollar, while the country’s oil patch languishes in low crude prices and successive natural disasters in Fort McMurrary. A Conservative attack ad had Trudeau on a milk carton, suggesting the Prime Minister had gone missing.
Trudeau says he doesn’t worry about his own popularity. “Polls will go up, polls will go down. My focus is, what are we doing that is the right thing. I’ve pulled together a great team, we are working very hard on that, we’re remaining engaged, we’re listening to Canadians, we’re working with the top scientists and engaging the civil service in terms of finding solutions for how we move forward,” he says.
Besides, help is on the way, in the form of targeted middle-class tax cuts and billions of dollars in economic stimulus. “These are things that are setting us on the right path. None of them were ever designed to be quick fixes. They are things that will get our economy on the right footing for the next decade.”
How long is it going to take?
“It’s going to take the time it does.”
Few interviews with Canada’s 23rd Prime Minister are complete without a stirring (and unmistakenly self-serving) narrative, and it comes moments later, when he’s asked about his pro-immigration, pro-trade government’s place in an increasingly isolationist, nationalist world.
“Canadians made a choice that people around the world would make if there was a strong, compelling authentic narrative of how we’re better than our fears and insecurities. Listening to Canadians for years, getting out there and working hard and engaging with them told me that we should trust in the better angels of our nature, and that’s exactly what we put forward.”
An hour later, Trudeau is arms deep in the Montreal Pride crowd. Other politicians momentarily appear at his side, through circumstance or otherwise. All five candidates for the separatist Parti Québécois find themselves campaigning in his shadow. Montreal mayor and former Liberal cabinet minister Denis Coderre, himself no stranger to the camera, is reduced to being Trudeau’s hype man as the Prime Minister strolls along Boulevard René Lévesque.
Mathieu Bouchard walks 10 m behind his boss, dressed in a comparatively modest red polo shirt and jeans. The 39-year-old has worked for Trudeau since 2015. Since the election campaign, he has become used to shaking his head at the kind of spectacle playing out within spitting distance from him. “He’s got so much energy,” Bouchard says.
The boss is well grounded, Bouchard insists. Trudeau gets two nights a week to spend time with his kids—there’s a make-up night if one is missed. He sleeps regular hours. He goes to the cottage regularly, where staff has set up secured phone, email and Internet so he can work. “Harrington Lake is his refuge, where he can let go,” Bouchard says of the Prime Minister’s official retreat in Gatineau, Que. [Trudeau’s wife] Sophie, it’s basically her job to make plans for the family.”
As for the Trudeau spectacle, Bouchard doesn’t know how long it will last. “Is there a risk of over-exposure? There’s always a risk. But he’s conscious of it. It’s in his brain,” he says.
Twenty minutes later, Trudeau and his entourage shoot down a side street into flashing lights and idling limousines. Soon enough, they’ll be another crowd waiting for him. | http://www.macleans.ca/politics/does-justin-trudeau-risk-being-overexposed/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.macleans.ca/7807ad4243f3bb72285191cff5edeef4031f737fdcce24d4e88fa643ce8abc10.json |
[
"The Associated Press",
"Scott Feschuk",
"John Geddes",
"Jonathon Gatehouse",
"Charlie Gillis",
"Scott Gilmore",
"Anne Kingston",
"Adrian Lee",
"Nancy Macdonald",
"Jason Markusoff"
] | 2016-08-28T14:49:00 | null | 2016-08-28T10:21:37 | The deaths—mostly of civilians—comes as NATO ally Turkey pushes back against U.S.-backed proxy fighting ISIS | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.macleans.ca%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Fsyrian-rebels-advance-on-kurds-as-turkish-strikes-kill-35%2F.json | http://www.macleans.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/ap-logo.jpg | en | null | Syrian rebels advance on Kurds as Turkish strikes kill 35 | null | null | www.macleans.ca | BEIRUT—Turkey-backed Syrian rebels seized a number of villages and towns from Kurdish-led forces in northern Syria on Sunday amid Turkish airstrikes and shelling that killed at least 35 people, mostly civilians, according to rebels and a monitoring group.
Turkey sent tanks across the border to help Syrian rebels drive the Islamic State group out of the frontier town of Jarablus last week in a dramatic escalation of its involvement in the Syrian civil war.
The operation, labeled Euphrates Shield, is also aimed at pushing back U.S.-allied Kurdish forces. The fighting pits a NATO ally against a U.S.-backed proxy that is the most effective ground force battling IS in Syria.
Turkey’s military said its warplanes killed 25 Kurdish “terrorists” and destroyed five buildings used by the fighters in response to attacks on advancing Turkish-backed rebels in the Jarablus area.
A Turkish soldier was killed by a Kurdish rocket attack late Saturday, the first such fatality in the offensive, now in its fifth day.
Various factions of the Turkey-backed Syrian rebels said Sunday they had seized at least four villages and one town from Kurdish-led forces south of Jarablus. One of the villages to change hands was Amarneh, where clashes had been fiercest. Rebels posted pictures from inside the village.
Ankara is deeply suspicious of the Syrian Kurdish militia that dominates the U.S.-backed Syria Democratic Forces, viewing it as an extension of the Kurdish insurgency raging in southeastern Turkey. Turkish leaders have vowed to drive both IS and the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, or YPG, away from the border.
The SDF crossed the Euphrates River and drove IS out of Manbij, a key supply hub just south of Jarablus, earlier this month. Both Turkey and the United States have ordered the YPG to withdraw to the east bank of the river. YPG leaders say they have, but their units play an advisory role to the SDF and it is not clear if any of their forces remain west of the Euphrates.
Turkey is part of the U.S.-led coalition fighting IS, but the airstrikes that began Saturday marked the first time it has targeted Kurdish-led forces in Syria.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the bombing killed at least 20 civilians and four Kurdish-led fighters in Beir Khoussa, a village about 15 kilometres south of Jarablus, and another 15 in a village to the west.
ANHA, the news agency of the Kurdish semi-autonomous areas, said Beir Khoussa has “reportedly lost all its residents.”
SDF spokesman Shervan Darwish said the airstrikes and shelling started overnight and continued Sunday along the front line, killing many civilians in Beir Khoussa and nearby areas. He said the bombing also targeted Amarneh village. He said 50 Turkish tanks were taking part in the offensive.
Syrian state news agency SANA reported that 20 civilians were killed and 50 wounded in Turkish artillery shelling and airstrikes, calling it Turkish “encroachment” on Syrian sovereignty under the pretext of fighting IS. Turkey is a leading backer of the rebels fighting to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad. But both Ankara and Damascus share concerns over Kurdish ambitions for autonomy.
An Associated Press reporter in the Turkish border town of Karkamis spotted at least three Turkish jets flying into Syria amid heavy Turkish shelling from inside Syrian territory on Sunday morning.
Also Sunday, government warplanes renewed their air campaign against the besieged neighbourhood of al-Waer in the central city of Homs. An activist in the neighbourhood Bebars al-Talawy said at least a dozen airstrikes were launched Sunday, killing one person.
The neighbourhood came under a gruelling airstrike campaign a day earlier, including incendiary bombs that left two children, a brother and sister, badly charred. Images of other children shaking as doctors tried to treat them for the burns were posted on social media sites. The district’s hospital was bombed and made non-operational earlier this month.
Human Rights Watch announced recently that it had documented the use of incendiary weapons, which burn their victims and start fires, in at least 18 different instances between June and August in rebel-held areas. The group blamed the Russian and Syrian joint military operations room for the use of such weapons in violation of international law.
The neighbourhood, home to nearly 75,000 people, has been under siege since March and has been one area that U.N agencies have reported difficult to access. An aid convoy reached the area on Aug.25.
According to local residents, the escalation follows recent threats by soldiers at checkpoints that the government’s patience was running out with the district, the last rebel holdout in the city.
It also comes after the evacuation of Daraya, a Damascus suburb, following a deal struck with the government after a grueling bombing campaign and a tight siege.
The Homs Local Council appealed to the U.N. envoy to Syria to negotiate a truce for al-Waer, condemning the government’s “siege policy” that aims to force residents and local fighters to surrender. | http://www.macleans.ca/news/world/syrian-rebels-advance-on-kurds-as-turkish-strikes-kill-35/ | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.macleans.ca/7bac245fb48cdd87ee80ac156081be51114c9fa74e9ee732e66d09c5c3abceb1.json |
[
"Meagan Campbell",
"Scott Feschuk",
"John Geddes",
"Jonathon Gatehouse",
"Charlie Gillis",
"Scott Gilmore",
"Anne Kingston",
"Adrian Lee",
"Nancy Macdonald",
"Jason Markusoff"
] | 2016-08-30T16:49:36 | null | 2016-08-30T12:09:54 | For the first time in recorded Canadian history, mothers over the age of 40 are officially having more kids than teens are. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.macleans.ca%2Fsociety%2Fhealth%2Fforget-teen-pregnancies-older-moms-new-normal%2F.json | http://www.macleans.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/MAC37_PREGNANCY_POST01.jpg | en | null | Forget teen pregnancies. Older moms are the new normal. | null | null | www.macleans.ca | When Bridget Jones gives birth in September, with the release of Bridget Jones’s Baby, the character will happen to be 40 years old. This is not unrealistic. As teens take birth control and mothers prefer to be changing careers than changing diapers, young and middle-aged women are rescheduling motherhood to a later date. And now, for the first time ever recorded in Canada, women aged 40 and older have surpassed teenagers in giving birth.
“I think of it as an evolutionary change,” says Elizabeth Gregory, a professor at the University of Houston who interviewed 100 women who started families after age 35 in the United States, where the trend is similar. “Women can control their fertility in ways they couldn’t before.”
According to the most recent Statistics Canada data, in 2012, women over 40 gave birth to 13,395 children, while teenagers produced 12,915. Demographers have been expecting this tipping point for decades. In 1974, the older age group gave birth to just 3,550 children while teenagers produced 38,650—and the numbers have shifted each year since. The transition has just been confirmed in the U.K. and Australia as well, while data shows that men are also fathering children later in life: the average age of Canadian fathers at birth of their children was 41 in 2011, compared to 39 in 1995.
So what’s the holdup? “I wasn’t one of those women off pursuing a big fancy career,” says Erika Schroll, a mother who gave birth at age 40 without artificial reproduction therapy, after a first birth at age 30 with her former husband. “I just wanted a partner who I had a better working relationship with.”
Indeed, while teenage pregnancy has fallen due to later marriages and better contraception since the 1960s, older women are delaying pregnancy for the sake of work or better lives. The recently adopted medical term is “mothers of advanced maternal age,” although Schroll says doctors still refer to them as women with “geriatric pregnancies.” “We find it hilarious,” says Schroll. “It makes you feel like [you need] a walker and a cane.”
Perhaps they don’t need crutches, but many do need artificial reproductive therapy (ART). Quebec, Manitoba and New Brunswick offer tax credits for in vitro fertilization, a type of ART in which a doctor draws sperm and eggs from a man and woman, fertilizes the egg and re-inserts it into a woman’s womb to increase the chance of pregnancy. It costs about $10,000 per round. Last year, Ontario began covering the procedure for all women under 43, although not the required drugs, which can cost an additional $5,000.
Along with celebrities including Celine Dion, Tina Fey and Halle Berry, who all gave birth after 40, the highly educated represent a primary clientele for ART. “Academics have a low fertility rate because we spend a lot of time in graduate school,” says Rachel Mongolis, a professor of sociology at the University of Western Ontario. “I know quite a lot of people who have tried [ART]. There’s not very much taboo on this.”
There is trepidation, however. Mothers over 40 both receive advanced monitoring during pregnancy and are offered inductions of labour at 39 weeks, rather than the 41 weeks offered to younger women. Their children are at increased risk of chromosomal abnormalities causing autism or other developmental disabilities, according to the Society of Gynecologists and Obstetricians in 2011. Pam MacInnis, a midwife in Toronto, hears fears from her older clients. “They’ll say, ‘how many blood tests have I had? How many injections? [They’ll talk about] the increased watch they’re under, the appointments … It might take away from the general experience of pregnancy.”
Another downside, Schroll knows, is that she won’t be around as long for her now 17-month-old son, Paul. “One of his parents could die in high school, and that’s not a bonus,” she says. Gregory echoes, “it’s not predictable whether you’ll be there in the long-term for your kids. They’ll miss you.” Further, if the next generation delays having kids also, there will be fewer grandparents. As Gregory says, “you might be 80 or 90 [when your grandchildren are born], and you might be dead.”
Yet, when maternity comes with maturity, mothers can parent with less financial stress, more stable relationships and more life experience to pass onto their kids. “The media says women don’t understand that their fertility wanes, and that they’re stupid,” says Gregory. “But actually, they are being responsible and thoughtful.”
“Tick-tock anxiety,” or the social pressure on women to reproduce, is beginning to fade, as society becomes more accepting of women not having children at all. Although some women may feel a biological urge to give birth, Gregory says, “what we’re finding is maybe there isn’t a biological urge to parent. Some people delay and realize they can have happy lives without children.”
Or with them, later in life. Schroll says she’s less anxious parenting Paul than she was while parenting her firstborn, Arabel. “I’m not so invested in the ‘make baby a genius’ [programs],” she says. “He likes to chuck toys over the baby gate. At 25, I’d be like, ‘stop that right now!’ Older parents, we see the sweetness.” While her boy has proved more challenging than her girl, she concludes, “it’s a more intense baby, but a more relaxed me.” | http://www.macleans.ca/society/health/forget-teen-pregnancies-older-moms-new-normal/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.macleans.ca/3162db3a113d9109651013c851aaf5cd7ac124365f98db1b7f2bea590a8429d8.json |
[
"The Associated Press",
"Scott Feschuk",
"John Geddes",
"Jonathon Gatehouse",
"Charlie Gillis",
"Scott Gilmore",
"Anne Kingston",
"Adrian Lee",
"Nancy Macdonald",
"Jason Markusoff"
] | 2016-08-29T20:48:44 | null | 2016-08-29T14:53:47 | Huma Abedin, close Hillary Clinton aide and vice chair of her presidential campaign, announced the split after a New York Post exposé | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.macleans.ca%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Fhuma-abedin-to-leave-husband-anthony-weiner-amid-new-sexting-scandal%2F.json | http://www.macleans.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Weiner660x290.jpg | en | null | Huma Abedin to leave husband Anthony Weiner amid new sexting scandal | null | null | www.macleans.ca | NEW YORK—Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin said Monday that she is leaving her husband, Anthony Weiner, after the former New York congressman was accused in yet another sexting scandal.
“After long and painful consideration and work on my marriage, I have made the decision to separate from my husband,” Abedin, vice chair of Clinton’s presidential campaign, said in a statement issued by the campaign. “Anthony and I remain devoted to doing what is best for our son, who is the light of our life.”
The New York Post published photos late Sunday that it said Weiner, a Democrat, had sent last year to a woman. The tabloid identified her only as a “40-something divorcee” who lives “out West” and is a supporter of Republican Donald Trump.
The photos included several shots of Weiner bare-chested and two close-ups of his bulging underpants. In one of the pictures, Weiner is lying on a bed with his toddler son while he is texting the woman, according to the Post. The tabloid also ran sexually suggestive text messages that it said the two exchanged.
Weiner told the Post that he and the woman “have been friends for some time.”
“She has asked me not to comment except to say that our conversations were private, often included pictures of her nieces and nephews and my son and were always appropriate,” he told the newspaper.
Weiner didn’t return a call, text or email from The Associated Press. Weiner deleted his Twitter account Monday.
The Post didn’t say how it had obtained the photographs and messages.
Abedin, 40, is a longtime aide and confidante to Clinton who is often referred to as the candidate’s second daughter. She is widely expected to play an important role in a Clinton administration if the Democrat is elected president.
The marital split spilled into the presidential campaign, with Trump seizing on it to accuse Clinton of “bad judgment.” He suggested that Weiner might have seen and spread classified information, but offered no evidence to support the allegation.
Abedin has been under scrutiny during the probe into Clinton’s use of a private email system while she was secretary of state. Federal prosecutors declined to file charges in the investigation, but FBI Director James Comey said Clinton and her aides had been “extremely careless” in their handling of classified information.
Weiner quit Congress in 2011 after it discovered that he was sending women sexually explicit messages. Weiner ran for mayor of New York in 2013, but that bid collapsed after it was reported that he had continued to sext women.
His persistent sexting, despite the consequences, disgusted and mystified voters. Some psychology experts, while cautioning they haven’t treated him, suggested his behaviour smacks of extreme impulsiveness, compulsion or a form of addiction.
“Impulsivity is something that a lot of people really struggle with,” said Jeannette Stern, a New York therapist. While there are various approaches people can try to change such behaviour, she noted, “they have to really be willing to stop.”
Since his mayoral bid, Weiner has remained in the public eye, commenting on politics on a local cable news show. A documentary offering a cringe-inducing inside view of his mayoral campaign and its unraveling played in theatres earlier this year and is set to air on Showtime this fall.
In the documentary, Weiner allowed the camera crew extraordinary access even after the new scandal broke. His wife appeared stricken and deeply uncomfortable as the cameras continued to roll.
Abedin began working for the former first lady as a White House intern and became a trusted aide and adviser as Clinton won a seat in the Senate representing New York in 2000, ran for president in 2008 and served as President Barack Obama’s secretary of state.
Abedin and Weiner were married in 2010 at a wedding officiated by former President Bill Clinton. They have a 4-year-old son, Jordan.
Frequently by Clinton’s side, Abedin was spotted outside fundraisers for the Democratic presidential nominee on Sunday in the Hamptons, on New York’s Long Island. | http://www.macleans.ca/news/world/huma-abedin-to-leave-husband-anthony-weiner-amid-new-sexting-scandal/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.macleans.ca/5da7f175fd26bf1896f9606f5e798270697b1c772e3e7c1b95542dac46b26c38.json |
[
"The Associated Press",
"Scott Feschuk",
"John Geddes",
"Jonathon Gatehouse",
"Charlie Gillis",
"Scott Gilmore",
"Anne Kingston",
"Adrian Lee",
"Nancy Macdonald",
"Jason Markusoff"
] | 2016-08-26T13:06:57 | null | 2016-08-24T16:49:29 | Attack that has left at least one dead has been condemned as 'an attack on the future of Afghanistan' | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.macleans.ca%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Fmilitants-attack-american-university-in-afghanistan-killing-at-least-one%2F.json | http://www.macleans.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/12661933.jpg | en | null | Militants attack American University in Afghanistan | null | null | www.macleans.ca | KABUL — Militants attacked the American University of Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing at least one person and wounding another 18, officials said.
AP photographer Massoud Hossaini was in a classroom with 15 students when he heard an explosion on the southern flank of the campus.
“I went to the window to see what was going on, and I saw a person in normal clothes outside. He shot at me and shattered the glass,” Hossaini said, adding that he fell on the glass and cut his hands.
The students then barricaded themselves inside the classroom, pushing chairs and desks against the door, and staying on the floor. Hossaini said at least two grenades were thrown into the classroom, wounding several of his classmates.
Hossaini and about nine students later managed to escape from the campus through an emergency gate.
“As we were running I saw someone lying on the ground face down, they looked like they had been shot in the back,” he said.
Hossaini and the other students took refuge in a residential house near the campus, and were later safely evacuated by Afghan security forces.
Hedayatullah Stanikzai, an official with the Ministry of Public Health, said a guard employed by the university had been killed and that the wounded included a foreign teacher. University authorities could not immediately be reached for comment.
University President Mark English earlier told The Associated Press that security forces had arrived on the scene soon after the attack began around 7 p.m., saying “we are trying to assess the situation.”
Dejan Panic, the program director at Kabul’s Emergency Hospital, said 18 people wounded in the attack, including five women, had been admitted. He said three were “seriously” wounded, probably from automatic gunfire.
Police spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said security forces were conducting a clearing operation to track down the “terrorists.” He said it was still not clear if there were one or two attackers.
All other personnel on the campus were being evacuated, he said. He had no further details on the nature of the attack.
The Pentagon said U.S. military advisers were on the ground with Afghan security forces at the university. Spokesman Adam Stump said the forces had been embedded with the Afghan units.
The attack on AUAF comes two weeks after two university staff, an American and an Australian, were kidnapped from their car by unknown gunmen. Their whereabouts are still unknown.
The university was established in 2006 to offer liberal arts courses modeled on the U.S. system. More than 1,000 students are currently enrolled in degree courses.
The U.S. State Department condemned what it called “an attack on the future of Afghanistan.”
“We are in the process of accounting for all chief of mission personnel and working to locate and assist any U.S. citizens affected by these attacks,” it said, adding that it had no further information.
The Taliban have been fighting to overthrow the Kabul government for 15 years, and regard foreign civilians as legitimate targets. | http://www.macleans.ca/news/world/militants-attack-american-university-in-afghanistan-killing-at-least-one/ | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.macleans.ca/f3fef997d39ecf1700b5d983395d75dba9dc79fd5d22f172487ff5c9cd937f56.json |
[
"The Associated Press",
"Scott Feschuk",
"John Geddes",
"Jonathon Gatehouse",
"Charlie Gillis",
"Scott Gilmore",
"Anne Kingston",
"Adrian Lee",
"Nancy Macdonald",
"Jason Markusoff"
] | 2016-08-30T22:49:30 | null | 2016-08-30T17:55:25 | Brown has been in repeated legal trouble since his felony conviction in the 2009 assault of his then-girlfriend Rihanna | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.macleans.ca%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Fchris-brown-emerges-from-home-after-police-serve-warrant%2F.json | http://www.macleans.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/08058817.jpg | en | null | Chris Brown emerges from home after police serve warrant | null | null | www.macleans.ca | LOS ANGELES—Singer Chris Brown came out of his Los Angeles home peacefully Tuesday after an hours-long standoff with police who responded to a woman’s call for help.
Police Lt. Chris Ramirez said several people were escorted from the residence after a search warrant was served.
No arrests had been made and everyone has been co-operative, he said.
Police said the woman who made the call for help about 3 a.m. was not inside the hilltop estate in the San Fernando Valley. Ramirez did not identify the woman or elaborate on the assistance she needed. He did not know if she was injured.
Brown’s attorney Mark Geragos arrived at the home shortly before the warrant was served.
Earlier, Brown posted several videos to social media declaring his innocence. The singer has been in repeated legal trouble since his felony conviction in the 2009 assault of his then-girlfriend, Rihanna.
“I don’t care. Y’all gonna stop playing with me like I’m the villain out here, like I’m going crazy,” he said in one Instagram video Tuesday, waving a cigarette and looking at the camera. “When you get the warrant or whatever you need to do, you’re going to walk right up in here and you’re going to see nothing. You idiots.”
Calls and emails seeking comments from Geragos and other representatives were not returned Tuesday.
After several missteps, Brown completed his probation last year in the case involving Rihanna.
In 2013, Brown struck a man outside a Washington, D.C., hotel and was charged with misdemeanour assault. The singer was ordered into rehab but was dismissed from the facility for violating its rules.
He spent 2 1/2 months in custody, with U.S. marshals shuttling him between Los Angeles and the nation’s capital for court hearings.
In another incident while in treatment, Brown was accused of throwing a brick at his mother’s car following a counselling session. It came after Brown had completed court-ordered anger management classes. | http://www.macleans.ca/news/world/chris-brown-emerges-from-home-after-police-serve-warrant/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.macleans.ca/3dc8d922702f4bf689d083616912d88b3bb94a78da5a791f56542822fa680ed2.json |
[
"The Canadian Press",
"Scott Feschuk",
"John Geddes",
"Jonathon Gatehouse",
"Charlie Gillis",
"Scott Gilmore",
"Anne Kingston",
"Adrian Lee",
"Nancy Macdonald",
"Jason Markusoff"
] | 2016-08-28T16:48:27 | null | 2016-08-28T10:39:39 | Mayor Denis Coderre, an opponent of Energy East calling for review process to be suspended, will speak first | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.macleans.ca%2Fnews%2Fcanada%2Fnebs-energy-east-pipeline-review-heads-to-hostile-montreal%2F.json | http://www.macleans.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/MAC05_SOLOMON_POST01.jpg | en | null | NEB's Energy East Pipeline review heads to hostile Montreal | null | null | www.macleans.ca | MONTREAL – The National Energy Board’s review of the Energy East Pipeline heads to hostile territory Monday when it resumes in Montreal, where the city’s mayor has called for the process to be suspended.
Denis Coderre, who has long opposed the $15.7-billion project, is scheduled to be the first to speak at the public hearings.
But he has said he is “not comfortable” with the review following revelations that former Quebec premier Jean Charest met last year with the board chairman and two review panel members while working as a consultant with TransCanada, the proponent behind the 4,500-kilometre pipeline.
“I’m not sure of the impartiality of the process,” he said Thursday. “I think they should take a break and look seriously at how it’s done.”
Steven Guilbeault, spokesman for environmental group Equiterre, said he has similar concerns even though his organization, as well as municipal leaders, First Nations representatives and others, also met with commissioners in advance of the hearings.
“I’m not saying that there is a conflict of interest, but certainly you want people to have trust in these processes,” he said, adding that he told commissioners at the time that the meetings were unusual.
“Perceptions are very important (and) right now there is a perception that there is a bias.”
He said the commissioners who participated in the meetings should recuse themselves or the NEB should ask them to step aside and replace them.
The NEB said last week it was accepting written comments until Sept. 7 on motions calling for two of the three people who met with Charest to step down from the panel over perceptions of bias. The board said it would consider those submissions and establish any further steps, if necessary.
The NEB has said that at no time during meetings with Quebec stakeholders did NEB officials permit any inappropriate discussions on pipeline projects under review.
Guilbeault said a suspension of the proceedings would allow TransCanada to complete its application, which he said fails to explain how the company plans to cross the Ottawa and St. Lawrence rivers.
With more than 60 per cent of Quebecers depending on the St. Lawrence for their drinking water, concerns about spills are driving opposition to the project in Quebec, he said.
Louis Bergeron, TransCanada’s Quebec vice-president, acknowledged that the Calgary-based energy company faces a “big challenge” given the number of opponents in the province, which include more than 300 municipalities, First Nations and the Quebec Farmers’ Association.
“I understand that it is of concern (among citizens), but I cannot change the past,” he said, referring to the Charest meeting which TransCanada says it didn’t initiate.
“We are in a new phase of the project and Mr. Charest is not present.”
The chief of the Mohawks of Kanesatake, Simon Serge Otsi, said he plans to question the legitimacy of the board when he speaks before the hearing.
“They have no credibility to speak to the First Nations,” he said.
Otsi said the project requires First Nations consent, something that was raised by Mi’kmaq communities at the public hearings earlier this month in New Brunswick.
“These are our lands. We never ceded them. We never surrendered,” he said.
While the pipeline has fomented dissent from some, others including business leaders and some construction industry unions have backed the project, saying it would create jobs and be a boon for the national economy. Other supporters say it would also help get Alberta’s land-locked crude resources to markets overseas.
The NEB plans additional hearings in several other cities including Quebec City before concluding in Kingston, Ont., in December. Quebec will hold its own environmental hearings.
The board must submit its report by March 2018 after which the federal cabinet will have the final say on the project. | http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/nebs-energy-east-pipeline-review-heads-to-hostile-montreal/ | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.macleans.ca/119efdefbf48d0a118a2131f27b1b494fc009d54d47d637492752cdf835dceba.json |
[
"The Canadian Press",
"Scott Feschuk",
"John Geddes",
"Jonathon Gatehouse",
"Charlie Gillis",
"Scott Gilmore",
"Anne Kingston",
"Adrian Lee",
"Nancy Macdonald",
"Jason Markusoff"
] | 2016-08-26T22:48:40 | null | 2016-08-26T17:17:57 | Manitoba's former aboriginal affairs minister called the federally run hospital's mistakes criminal | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.macleans.ca%2Fnews%2Fcanada%2Ftwo-manitoba-first-nations-men-angry-over-birth-mix-up%2F.json | http://www.macleans.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/JGW102357297_high.jpg | en | null | Two Manitoba First Nations men angry over birth mix-up | null | null | www.macleans.ca | WINNIPEG – For years, people in the tiny northern Manitoba community of Norway House Cree Nation gossiped and whispered about why David Tait Jr. and Leon Swanson didn’t look much like their parents.
Now, the two men — born just days apart in the same remote community’s hospital — are devastated after learning that they’ve called the wrong people their family for decades after apparently being switched at birth.
It’s the second such case at the same federally run hospital to emerge in less than a year.
“I want answers so bad,” an emotional and tearful Tait Jr. told reporters Friday.
“Forty years gone,” he said after long pauses, barely able to speak through his tears.
“It’s pretty tough. It hit me like a ton of bricks. If anything (I’m) angry, confused, upset. I’d like to get some answers on what’s going on.”
DNA evidence has confirmed that Tait Jr., 41, is the son of Charlotte Mason — the woman who raised Swanson as her son — and not Frances Tait.
Further DNA tests are expected to show that Swanson, Tait Jr.’s life-long friend, is the biological son of Frances Tait, the men said.
“I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what to say,” was all Swanson was able to manage as he cried.
Tait Jr. was born three days after Swanson in the winter of 1975 at the federally run Norway House Indian Hospital.
Last November, two men from nearby Garden Hill First Nation, Luke Monias and Norman Barkman, discovered through DNA tests they were switched at birth at the same hospital in the same year.
Manitoba’s former aboriginal affairs minister Eric Robinson called the mistakes criminal.
“We can live with one mistake, but two mistakes of a similar nature is not acceptable,” said Robinson, who has been working with the families. “We can’t slough it off as being a mistake. It was a criminal act.”
Robinson demanded the federal government launch an independent investigation into what happened and provide dedicated counselling for the families. He also wants Health Minister Jane Philpott to meet with the relatives of all four men to hear first-hand how they have been affected by the discovery.
“It’s something (the government) can’t sweep under the carpet. There are lingering questions out there,” said Robinson, who was born at the same hospital.
“These two gentlemen are not the only victims. We have families who are deeply hurt by this. We have siblings … that are hurt by this.”
Philpott called the circumstances appalling and said Ottawa is taking steps to set up a third-party investigation.
“It’s impossible to describe how tragic this situation is, obviously, for the two gentlemen in question, but (also) for their families, for the entire community,” she said from Saguenay, Que., where she was attending a Liberal caucus meeting.
“We have reached out to the gentlemen to make sure that they have the appropriate mental-health resources … to deal with this very unfortunate circumstance,” she said.
“It’s fundamentally important that we understand how this could have happened at the time.”
Health Canada called the mix-ups “unfortunate incidents” and promised counselling and other support to the affected families.
The Norway House hospital no longer does elective deliveries and conducts emergency births about once every two months. Babies born there today are immediately given identification wristbands as is modern practice.
David Tait Sr., 63, said his wife was given what she thought was her own baby when she left the hospital in 1975. The couple had no questions, he said, until later, when his son started to “look different.”
“But who am I to say that he’s not mine?” Tait Sr. said of his mindset at the time.
The families have talked since they discovered the switch and are going to be one large family, he added.
“I have an extra son, and Charlotte has an extra son, so hopefully everything will work out that way.”
“We’ve been family from the beginning,” agreed Tait Jr. “Just didn’t know it ’til now.” | http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/two-manitoba-first-nations-men-angry-over-birth-mix-up/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.macleans.ca/6f4396e496e9df4e700a4bb8b7bd809ac72056cd27389ec27930299d22b21a86.json |
[
"Evan Solomon",
"Scott Feschuk",
"John Geddes",
"Jonathon Gatehouse",
"Charlie Gillis",
"Scott Gilmore",
"Anne Kingston",
"Adrian Lee",
"Nancy Macdonald",
"Jason Markusoff"
] | 2016-08-26T12:52:49 | null | 2016-08-25T10:10:37 | Canada has no coherent policy on China. Evan Solomon on why it's time for change. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.macleans.ca%2Fpolitics%2Fwhy-china-needs-more-canada%2F.json | http://www.macleans.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/TrudeauChina.jpg | en | null | Why Justin Trudeau's trip to China matters | null | null | www.macleans.ca | So much of politics is spin, but most politicians pretend they never do it. Not Justin Trudeau. During his two-day cabinet retreat in Sudbury, Ont., he visited the Science North centre, jumped into a gyroscope and started spinning wildly. It was poorly timed. At that very moment, Health Minister Jane Philpott was in the midst of trying to spin her way out of the $1,700-a-day limo rental controversy—it was a “sedan” not a “limo,” OK? Right. Philpott has apologized, offered to pay back the money, but this story is far from over. The opposition loves the smell of Liberal entitlement in the morning and they plan to bring it up when Parliament resumes in September. This won’t bring down the minister, but the burn marks left on the Liberal brand come as Trudeau prepares to head off to China and the G20 summit. And there is no way to spin that file: Canada has no coherent policy on China.
China is Canada’s second-largest trading partner, but two-way trade is only $85 billion. That’s the equivalent of about 35 days of trading with the U.S., a relationship worth close to $760 billion. Because both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are either openly hostile to or lukewarm on NAFTA, the U.S. situation quite rightly gets more attention than China. David McNaughton, the Canadian ambassador to the U.S., briefed the Trudeau cabinet in Sudbury, preparing them for a bout of protectionism.
The problem for Trudeau is that Canadians are ambivalent on China. According to a 2014 survey by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, more Canadians view China as a threat than an opportunity. “The proportion of Canadians who consider China to be highly important to their economic prosperity dropped from 45 per cent in 2013 to 35 per cent in 2014,” the survey found, the lowest level the organization has ever seen.
The recent Canada-China relationship has been hot and cold. Chinese companies had invested more than $40 billion in Canada’s energy sector. Canada opened new trade offices there. In 2014, Stephen Harper’s government ratified the controversial Canada-China Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA), hailing it as a key step to a more secure and favourable status for investors in both countries. But things suddenly turned. More restrictive rules on foreign ownership were introduced. Then came allegations of Chinese cyber-espionage, followed by worries about Chinese investment in Vancouver real estate. In December 2015, China’s massive sovereign wealth fund, the China Investment Corp, shut down its Toronto office, a signal it was separating from, if not divorcing, Canada’s resource sector. So what does Trudeau need to do?
It’s simplistic to imagine he can simply pick up his father’s 1970 policy of engagement and increase trade with China, though the Trudeau name does carry diplomatic weight. Real influence, however, has a price: security. China has raised regional tensions, exerting its presence in the South China Sea by building dual-use runways on artificial islands. The U.S. and its allies are all deeply engaged in this, but, as University of Toronto professor Wendy Dobson points out in an excellent article in Policy Options, Canada is missing in action. “Canada has been a silent spectator over the past decade as geopolitical tensions between China and the United States have intensified,” she writes. Dobson points out that Canada is not even part of important groups like the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus, a group of nations working to co-operatively counterbalance China’s influence. Nor is Canada a member of new institutions like the annual East Asia Summit, which includes 18 countries—the U.S. and China among them—working on trade and security. “We are perceived as distant, aloof and reactive, focused narrowly on our own economic advantage,” Dobson argues.
Canada isn’t just missing meetings, it’s missing muscle. “We have allowed our naval presence in the Pacific to dwindle to something approaching irrelevance,” the former Canadian ambassador to China, David Mulroney says. “Navies carry the flag, do humanitarian work, conduct anti-piracy missions and build goodwill. Our lack of investment and presence speak much louder than our oft-repeated messages of goodwill.” Canada expects deeper influence, but has done little to warrant it.
If Trudeau really wants to change that, it means making a pivot toward Asia. That’s expensive. Not coincidentally, the Navy announced on Tuesday it was sending HMCS Vancouver to the Indo-Pacific region to “foster ties and partnerships,” but this barely makes a splash. Experts like Mulroney and Dobson argue that at the very minimum, Canada needs to create a comprehensive, detailed China strategy—including both economic and security issues. We don’t even have that. Canada is years away from a free trade deal with China, and unless Trudeau comes home with something concrete—business deals, new agreements, more formal engagement processes—these trips start looking more like jet-setting than agenda-setting. In other words, spin, not substance. | http://www.macleans.ca/politics/why-china-needs-more-canada/ | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.macleans.ca/bb165dd7d9b406fa58c0db04a1e65aa22d64a54e9cca5c9145b77289a2f07a77.json |
[
"Jason Markusoff",
"Scott Feschuk",
"John Geddes",
"Jonathon Gatehouse",
"Charlie Gillis",
"Scott Gilmore",
"Anne Kingston",
"Adrian Lee",
"Nancy Macdonald",
"Shannon Proudfoot"
] | 2016-08-26T12:54:53 | null | 2016-08-25T18:16:18 | How desperate is Rachel Notley's Alberta NDP government to avoid cuts to public services? There's a veritable laundry list of ways. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.macleans.ca%2Fnews%2Fcanada%2Fthe-line-item-that-shows-the-ndp-cant-clean-up-albertas-balance-sheet%2F.json | http://www.macleans.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/12301232.jpg | en | null | The line item that shows the NDP can't clean up Alberta's balance sheet | null | null | www.macleans.ca | Alberta isn’t what it used to be, and that’s an assertion that goes beyond politics. Alberta Finance this week said the Fort McMurray wildfire will worsen this year’s economic shrinkage to 2.7 per cent. Between this year and last, the province’s economy is 94 per cent of what it was in 2014. This isn’t one of those cases where 94 per cent is an A+, non-numbers people—but even you can likely see the gut-wrenching problem of this year’s deficit, now adjusted upward to $10.9 billion.
The wildfire and oil price plunge aren’t the Rachel Notley NDP’s fault any more than this dreadfully rainy summer. But as chosen captains of the Waterlogged Ship Alberta, the New Democrats are responsible for trying to bucket its way out of these troubles.
There’s little they can do on the jobs front to counter the tens of thousands of departed energy and energy-related jobs, no matter how heavily ministers tout their grants to Alberta’s microbrewers and their workforce of potential hundreds. Notley’s budgeting efforts have shown reluctance to act seriously at rescuing their own leaky vessel, and the premier says repeatedly she won’t be a public-service slasher.
One recently revealed NDP decision shows just how stubbornly this government will refuse to even touch the financial scissors? Proudly preserving the sanctity of … unionized government laundry services.
Alberta Health Services, the gargantuan agency that controls all provincial hospitals and clinics, had yet another CEO hit its revolving headquarter doors last fall, something that had become habitual under Progressive Conservative micromanagers. Turned out a NDP health minister was just a meddler of a different political stripe, according to Vickie Kaminski’s resignation letter. She complained the minister often interfered for ideological reasons, blocking AHS cost-cutting attempts to outsource services many steps removed from the front lines, including food services and laundry.
Edmonton Journal health reporter Keith Gerein dug into the laundry conflict:
“AHS has reached a critical point where the only viable option for sustaining linen services that are core to patient care is to work with our existing linen contract provider and transition AHS facilities to them as effectively as possible,” says a briefing note from June last year. That provider, K-Bro Linen Systems, has been used for years by AHS to provide medical linen in the Calgary and Edmonton regions, and the health authority planned to expand the contract to include the rest of the province. The executives noted other health regions, including some in Saskatchewan, B.C., Ontario and Quebec, had gone the outsourcing route. But Health Minister Sarah Hoffman said she personally intervened late last year, telling AHS to look at other options since the strategy ran afoul of NDP policy to prevent further privatization of health services. The plan would have led to the elimination of 130 to 140 full-time equivalent jobs at AHS.
Of course, these jobs would be replaced by laundry jobs at private facilities, albeit probably fewer and they may not pay up to $20 an hour, and more for supervisors. The hospitals agency warned that without a new way of dealing with bedsheets and towels, it would have to spend between $54 million and $200 million on new laundry facilities, according to documents obtained by the Journal. For that price, the NDP could put a soft dent in needed health centre repairs, if it was willing to leave the industrial hot-wash cycles to non-government entities.
AHS appears likely to find a public-sector solution that will cost less (and could reduce its employee rolls, after all). But this episode shows, perhaps in the clearest fashion yet, just how loudly the anti-privatization alarm bells blare at Notley HQ. Few Albertans would shed tears or anxiously grip the edges of Grandpa Dwayne’s wheelchair to hear of money-saving efforts to transfer cafeteria, security or pillowcase-folding duties to give outside companies—and few outside of union halls will stand to applaud Notley if she highlights this level of public-service job preservation.
But it’s the emergency room, not the laundry room, that the premier talks about when she raises the spectre of her rivals’ austerity ideas. “Their idea was that if you fire thousands of teachers, teachers’ aides, school support workers, nurses, nurses’ aides and people that work in the hospitals that somehow the price of oil would go back up,” she told a Unifor convention in Ottawa this week.
That’s a line Notley has been peddling for nearly a year now, but normally she’s wielded it to demonize the current tack of the Wildrose opposition. In Ottawa, however, she used it to play revisionist history, against the Tory regime she vanquished last May. Unless she’s still waving a protest sign against the 1995 Ralph Klein revolution cuts, she’s misrepresenting the record of all the Tory premiers that followed, who expanded the public sector faster than oil revenues allowed, creating the deficit mess she inherited. The PC dynasty’s final budget in March 2015 did propose a bad-medicine combination of modest budget cuts and assorted tax hikes—earnest efforts to bail Alberta out of chronic deficits, and exactly the sort of unpalatable budget a shrewd premier releases after an election, not before one. But Jim Prentice got that backwards, and this is how we got the Alberta NDP, as it appears today: afraid to trim spending, unlikely to raise taxes further, and hoping that a gradually recovering economy can balance the budget eight years from now.
Remember all that talk about how Jason Kenney’s conservative-unity bid threatened to pull the Alberta Tories far to the right to allow for a Wildrose merger, letting Notley’s party occupy an abandoned political centre? Turns out, it’s not clear the NDP is interested in that turf. | http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/the-line-item-that-shows-the-ndp-cant-clean-up-albertas-balance-sheet/ | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.macleans.ca/313e47c6a90d694fcb27059ef8627ee78f99e9705d5834ff663dc40ee9b1035b.json |
[
"Adriana Gomez Licon",
"The Associated Press",
"Scott Feschuk",
"John Geddes",
"Jonathon Gatehouse",
"Charlie Gillis",
"Scott Gilmore",
"Anne Kingston",
"Adrian Lee",
"Nancy Macdonald"
] | 2016-08-26T13:04:44 | null | 2016-08-25T11:44:22 | The trial that will decide whether Dilma Rousseff remains in office is underway. How did we get here? | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.macleans.ca%2Fpolitics%2Fthe-trial-to-remove-brazils-president-dilma-rousseff-explained%2F.json | http://www.macleans.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Dilma-Rousseff.jpg | en | null | The trial to remove Brazil's president, Dilma Rousseff: explained | null | null | www.macleans.ca | RIO DE JANEIRO – Brazil’s Senate on Thursday began a trial to decide whether to permanently remove President Dilma Rousseff from office. While the formal accusations against Rousseff are related to her management of the federal budget, the leadership fight involves much more. The Associated Press explains how we got to this point and how the trial is likely to play out.
How did we get here?
Rousseff was re-elected to a second four-year term in October 2014. As the economy worsened, hundreds of thousands took to the streets in early 2015, with many demanding the ouster of Rousseff and her left-leaning Workers’ Party. Her foes in Congress introduced a measure last year to impeach and remove her. In April, the Chamber of Deputies approved it 367-137 and in May, the Senate voted 55-22 in favour. Rousseff was suspended and Vice-President Michel Temer became interim president.
What is Rousseff accused of doing?
Rousseff is accused of illegally shifting funds between government budgets. Opposition parties say that was to boost public spending and shore up support while masking the depths of deficits. Rousseff says other former presidents used similar accounting techniques.
How will the trial unfold?
Supreme Court chief justice Ricardo Lewandowski will preside as witnesses from both sides testify and senators cross-examine them. Rousseff is expected to testify on Monday. A vote is expected by the middle of next week. A supermajority – 54 of the 81 senators – is needed to convict her, which would result in her permanent removal from office.
What do Rousseff’s supporters and opponents claim?
Rousseff and her backers say impeachment is a “coup” by corrupt opposition lawmakers meant to derail investigations into into billions of dollars in kickbacks at the state oil company. They also argue that Brazil’s ruling class wants to end 13 years of leftist government. Opponents say Rousseff’s budget manoeuvrs aggravated the crisis in Latin America’s largest economy.
What happens if she is convicted?
A conviction would permanently remove Rousseff from the presidency and bar her from holding any office for eight years. Temer would serve out her term, which ends Dec. 21, 2018. If convicted, Rousseff will likely appeal to the country’s highest court. But previous appeals during the process have failed.
What happens if she is absolved?
If fewer than 54 senators vote to remove her, Rousseff would return to office. She’s promised that if that happens, she would let voters decide in a plebiscite whether they want early presidential elections.
What do Brazilians want?
Brazilians are soured on politicians in general; both Rousseff and Temer are very unpopular. A poll taken last month by Datafolha found that 62 per cent want new elections to solve the crisis. But before new elections could occur, both Rousseff and Temer would have to resign or be removed from office. | http://www.macleans.ca/politics/the-trial-to-remove-brazils-president-dilma-rousseff-explained/ | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.macleans.ca/7303e63c5ddc00512fd239a144e4b0ede2beab62ed6d8b6018123ae14f5d37a1.json |
[
"Lee Berthiaume",
"The Canadian Press",
"Scott Feschuk",
"John Geddes",
"Jonathon Gatehouse",
"Charlie Gillis",
"Scott Gilmore",
"Anne Kingston",
"Adrian Lee",
"Nancy Macdonald"
] | 2016-08-30T00:49:22 | null | 2016-08-29T20:26:22 | The UN reimburses countries that provide soldiers to peacekeeping missions – to the tune of more than $1,300 a month for each soldier | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.macleans.ca%2Fnews%2Fpeacekeeping-could-cost-less-than-non-un-missions%2F.json | http://www.macleans.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Peacekeepers.jpg | en | null | Peacekeeping could cost less than non-UN missions | null | null | www.macleans.ca | OTTAWA – One side benefit of Canada’s return to peacekeeping is that it could end up costing a lot less than leading a NATO force in Latvia or the war in Iraq.
The Liberal government announced last week that it will make up to 600 troops available for future United Nations peacekeeping operations, though it stopped short of saying where they could end up. Specialized units and equipment, such as military aircraft and medical personnel, are also on the table.
The commitment is in addition to the approximately 800 personnel participating in the U.S.-led fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and Canada’s promise in July to send up about 450 soldiers to lead a NATO force in Latvia starting next year.
Yet unlike those two missions, in which Canada is required to foot the entire bill, the UN reimburses countries that provide soldiers to peacekeeping missions, to the tune of more than $1,300 a month for each soldier. It will also often reimburse countries for the deployment of high-tech equipment.
Such reimbursements money wouldn’t entirely offset the costs of a Canadian peacekeeping mission, said Walter Dorn, an expert on peacekeeping at the Royal Military College of Canada, “but it can be a lot of money that the UN pays out.”
That would certainly ease the pressure on the military, which has been contending with tight budgets for years. Defence spending hit record lows last year, falling to less than 0.98 per cent of gross domestic product even as the number of Canadian military operations abroad has ratcheted up.
While Dorn said he doesn’t believe the reimbursements were a major factor in the Liberal government’s decision to re-engage with peacekeeping, “it’s a bonus.”
But retired major-general Lewis MacKenzie, who led a UN force in Sarajevo in 1992, says his fear is the government could end up using peacekeeping to justify spending less and less on the military.
“You could stand there on your political platform and explain why you’re giving the military less money because we’re going to make sure they’re committed to UN operations where they won’t need the full suite of military equipment,” he said. “A blue beret and a pistol, to exaggerate.”
MacKenzie’s concerns are rooted in memories of the 1990s, when the Chretien government deployed thousands of Canadian soldiers on UN missions around the world even as it made deep cuts to defence. Former defence chief Rick Hillier would later describe the period as a “decade of darkness” for the military.
Dorn acknowledged the concerns, saying that at the time “a lot of the soldiers complained that peacekeeping was a way for the government to spend less on defence. They weren’t getting the kind of equipment they wanted. More warfighting, heavier equipment.”
But Dorn said in his research, he has seen no evidence of what he called the “myth” of peacekeeping being used to justify spending less on the military.
The Trudeau government is currently conducting a defence policy review to determine the future missions and needs of the military. That includes what equipment the Canadian Armed Forces require.
The new policy is expected to be unveiled early next year, in time for the federal budget. While the government has said it will maintain operational funding levels for the military, it has not said whether it will make more money available for new equipment. | http://www.macleans.ca/news/peacekeeping-could-cost-less-than-non-un-missions/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.macleans.ca/6a93f3c1eb742cfda132b4dc0b1a39c39d68db051f8eec2c60388aaf532473bb.json |
[
"Dallen Harris",
"I Have Been In The Entertainment Reporting Niche Since Writing For Several High Profile Sites Like Aol",
"Huffington Post",
"Popeater. Now I Am One Of The Head Editors For Showbiz Spy. I Am A Dad",
"Husband",
"Golf Freak"
] | 2016-08-26T12:57:33 | null | 2016-08-17T08:43:56 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.showbizspy.com%2Fscandals%2Famber-heard-johnny-depp-assault-and-divorce-case-settled-amber-withdraws-accusations%2F.json | http://cdn.showbizspy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/amber-heard-johnny-depp-case-settled.jpg | en | null | Amber Heard & Johnny Depp Assault & Divorce Case Settled Amber Withdraws Accusations | null | null | www.showbizspy.com | As expected, Amber Heard refused to testify under oath about the abuse/assault charges she claimed Johnny Depp was responsible for in their short relationship.
Sources have confirmed that the domestic assault charges against Johnny have been dismissed, and the divorce settlement has been taken care of at about $8 million out of Johnny’s pocket. Much less than the $50 million Amber was said to be expecting. Friends of Depp said this just proves that Amber was full of shit and would not go under oath with her claims, because she was nervous that the truth may come out at some point, and that would get her in trouble if she lied under oath.
Amber and Johnny released a joint statement: “Our relationship was intensely passionate and at times volatile, but always bound by love for one another.” they also said: “Neither party has made false accusations for financial gains.” This was said to have been added to help protect Amber from further prosecution of Depp fans/friends, and was a requirement of the “deal”.
Amber’s attorneys released the following statement as well: “Amber wishes the best for Johnny in the future. Amber will be donating financial proceeds from the divorce to a charity.” Though the percentage amount that will be given was not mentioned.
Sources report that Johnny has told close friend Nicolas Cage that he is glad that “crazy bitch” is finally out of his life, and that he can now move forward… He continues “I am just ready to get back to work… I could not focus with all the mess that was going on, I am good now though for sure.”
We are super excited that this is all finally behind him, and can’t wait to see captain Jack Sparrow set to be back in 2017 for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales! | http://www.showbizspy.com/scandals/amber-heard-johnny-depp-assault-and-divorce-case-settled-amber-withdraws-accusations/ | en | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | www.showbizspy.com/9005172f5264c1a014c784f84717d2fcce34ad01fc47d01106d2850ee77d5a02.json |
[
"Dallen Harris",
"I Have Been In The Entertainment Reporting Niche Since Writing For Several High Profile Sites Like Aol",
"Huffington Post",
"Popeater. Now I Am One Of The Head Editors For Showbiz Spy. I Am A Dad",
"Husband",
"Golf Freak"
] | 2016-08-28T06:50:50 | null | 2016-08-28T01:04:51 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.showbizspy.com%2Fscandals%2Famber-rose-talks-sex-partners-working-old-strip-club-magic-private-nude-videos%2F.json | http://cdn.showbizspy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Amber-Rose-Talks-About-Sex-Stripping-And-Private-Videos.jpg | en | null | Amber Rose Talks Sex Partners, Working Her Old Strip Club Magic & Private Nude Videos | null | null | www.showbizspy.com | If you do not know by now, celebrity socialite Amber Rose was a very successful exotic dancer before becoming the celeb she is today.
In a recent interview on the now highly watched “The Amber Rose Show” Amber went into detail about some of her sexual experiences…
Asked about the number of men she has slept with, Amber responded as only Amber can, by saying: “Look, I’m 32-years-old, I’ve been around the block a few times, I’m not going to sit there and count cocks. Especially all the times I said he could put the head in, then take it out, does that count? Because I used to be so good for that, I was the queen of that.” Talking about how she would boost thousands of dollars out of “clients” at the strip club by letting them stick just the tip of their penis in her.
Amber then adds: “Does sucking d$%k count?, Like, if you suck d%^k too good the first time, guys will be like, ‘Mmm I can’t make a wife of her because she sucks d%^k too good, I am one of the best at that talent, trust me.” We have no doubt Amber, no doubt!
She then went on her soap box a bit about the difference between men fu%^ing a ton of women and why they are considered a stud, however if a woman does it, she is a slut…
“Why are men allowed to have mistresses, and why aren’t women allowed to have some side d^&k for themselves? We [women] are smart enough to not let the men find out, I feel like guys get so sloppy about it because they lose their minds. Women have an intuition, if he lies we know. Sometimes we’re in denial, like, ‘He wouldn’t do that to me,’ but at the same time we like, ‘Bitch, I know he did that.”
Amber finally gave a number of how many men she believes have touched her pu$$y, and well, the number was staggering at somewhere north of 300. That is a lot of d%^ks! lol
Last on the discussion board was making sex tapes, specifically if she has made any with anyone we know. The answer of course as we all already know was yes, and the hints where spot on with what we have already reported on, as we all know about the Amber Rose sex tapes by now, yeah?! Anyways, Amber went on to say that: “Those moments are made in private and should stay private, but don’t piss me off or they will go public real fast, and you know who you are.” Talking about the Kanye West tapes Amber has said many times she has on hand that include ass play, however Kanye still is in denial. | http://www.showbizspy.com/scandals/amber-rose-talks-sex-partners-working-old-strip-club-magic-private-nude-videos/ | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.showbizspy.com/fad44352fb165333f3f67dc66e490f66ef9a822b2e3a588585c15e406b6f6cf9.json |
[
"Dallen Harris",
"I Have Been In The Entertainment Reporting Niche Since Writing For Several High Profile Sites Like Aol",
"Huffington Post",
"Popeater. Now I Am One Of The Head Editors For Showbiz Spy. I Am A Dad",
"Husband",
"Golf Freak"
] | 2016-08-26T13:02:11 | null | 2016-08-17T05:34:45 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.showbizspy.com%2Fmovies%2Fjoker-suicide-squad-jared-leto-tells-warner-bros-go-fk%2F.json | http://cdn.showbizspy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Untitled-2.jpg | en | null | The Joker In Suicide Squad Jared Leto Tells Warner Bros To Go F%#k Themselves | null | null | www.showbizspy.com | Looks like all the cutting made to the Suicide Squad movie is not sitting well with Jared Leto who played the Joker.
There has been a lot of rumors that Jared was very unhappy with the final cut, and now tells ShowbizSpy why.
Our spies caught up with Jared at Bestia in LA, and he broke down the 411 for us when we asked what the hell is going on with his character: “I thought the music biz was bad man, they don’t hold a candle to the lying and conniving in the film industry. What has me a bit upset, is that when I signed on for the roll of Joker, I was told that he will have a major impact/roll on the film, and they pitched the movie to me as a darker version than what was released after all the cuts/edits. I simply was tricked into thinking that the movie was going one way, that ended up going a completely different route.” We then asked about the sequel and Jared said: “I don’t know man, I mean I love the character and want to make people happy, but if Warner Bros. thinks they can say/promote one thing then go a completely different direction, but yet market to the public the feeling that the Joker will have a major role again and does not, well f$%k em, they can find someone else. I am not going to have my name attached to trickery. As the saying goes… Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. Yeah?”
Original cuts of the film had the Joker in the film at around 34 minutes, and after the film was cut/edited that screen time ended up at more like 6-7 minutes. Yet, Warner Bros. still marketed the Joker heavily to the public, and that fact is the reason many in the movie biz are said to have given the movie a poor rating.
Just look at the trailer released by Warner Bros. the trailer shows just about every clip he is actually in: | http://www.showbizspy.com/movies/joker-suicide-squad-jared-leto-tells-warner-bros-go-fk/ | en | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | www.showbizspy.com/a190906cbea924892b0ea8859003038957a8eae517decb5d34db6fbd7aff5416.json |
[
"Dallen Harris",
"I Have Been In The Entertainment Reporting Niche Since Writing For Several High Profile Sites Like Aol",
"Huffington Post",
"Popeater. Now I Am One Of The Head Editors For Showbiz Spy. I Am A Dad",
"Husband",
"Golf Freak"
] | 2016-08-31T02:51:57 | null | 2016-08-30T20:03:14 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.showbizspy.com%2Fscandals%2Fupdate-chris-brown-arrested-assault-deadly-weapon%2F.json | http://cdn.showbizspy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Chris-Brown-Arrested-2016.jpg | en | null | UPDATE: Chris Brown Arrested For Assault With A Deadly Weapon | null | null | www.showbizspy.com | At this point the authorities are still at the #ChrisBrown house. Chris HAS NOT been arrested. Honestly though, Facebook live is hoping they’ll get their first real time celebrity arrest.
Brown is accused of pulling a gun on a woman for touching his friend’s piece of jewelry.
TMZ is saying the woman then tried to leave with her friend but Chris Brown’s handlers/security/friends took her phone and wanted her to sign a non disclosure agreement.
She managed to leave and call 911.
Police arrived at Brown’s house and he shut the door on them and said they needed a warrant. So they got a warrant!
Witnesses were seen coming in and out of Breezy’s house all day. Paparazzi and tv networks flooded the scene once the search warrant was delivered.
Brown came out of the home at one point. He sat on the sidewalk outside his door with a female companion. They later motioned for him to go back inside.
We’ll continue to update the story. | http://www.showbizspy.com/scandals/update-chris-brown-arrested-assault-deadly-weapon/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.showbizspy.com/9e16cc527e45de683a4c26b9b66ab5a62fb43fc3ac566263b0883ce3895c6700.json |
[
"Dallen Harris",
"I Have Been In The Entertainment Reporting Niche Since Writing For Several High Profile Sites Like Aol",
"Huffington Post",
"Popeater. Now I Am One Of The Head Editors For Showbiz Spy. I Am A Dad",
"Husband",
"Golf Freak",
"Linda P."
] | 2016-08-26T13:05:22 | null | 2016-08-08T03:13:37 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.showbizspy.com%2Fmovies%2Fsuicide-squad-breaks-weekend-box-office-records-despite-poor-critic-reviews%2F.json | http://cdn.showbizspy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/suicide-squad-breaks-box-office-records.jpg | en | null | Suicide Squad Breaks Weekend Box Office Records Despite Poor Critic Reviews | null | null | www.showbizspy.com | The critics said that the movie was a dud, however the people seem to love it all the same. Suicide Squad blasted August box office records this weekend, raking in over $140 million in ticket sales. The prior record was held by Guardians Of The Galaxy with an opening weekend of $95 million.
The story line is what critics have been hammering with negative reviews… Assemble a team of the world’s most dangerous, incarcerated Super Villains, provide them with the most powerful arsenal at the government’s disposal, and send them off on a mission to defeat an enigmatic, insuperable entity. U.S. intelligence officer Amanda Waller has determined only a secretly convened group of disparate, despicable individuals with next to nothing to lose will do. However, once they realize they weren’t picked to succeed but chosen for their patent culpability when they inevitably fail, will the Suicide Squad resolve to die trying, or decide it’s every man for himself?
Social media has been exploding with positive reviews from those that have seen the flic this weekend, however all wished there was more Joker scenes involved. We will not give it away, but we are pretty sure the movie set itself up for a sequel that will have a ton of the Joker involved to satisfy fans.
Here is the latest trailer: | http://www.showbizspy.com/movies/suicide-squad-breaks-weekend-box-office-records-despite-poor-critic-reviews/ | en | 2016-08-08T00:00:00 | www.showbizspy.com/6e844c2bfe1305954214134709b4c930bad129872182e111ee491ecee3d1df05.json |
[
"David Harris",
"David Here",
"You Probably Know Me As The Owner Of Sextape.Com. I Will Be Covering Celebrity Sex Scandals As This Has Been My Specialty For Over Years. If You Have Any Questions On Any Of My Reporting Or Want To Simply Chat With Me",
"Please Feel Free To Hit Me Up On Any Of My Social Media Ch... | 2016-08-26T13:06:02 | null | 2016-08-07T02:24:23 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.showbizspy.com%2Fscandals%2Fsex-tapes%2Fbrie-larson-full-sex-tape-porn-video-leaked%2F.json | http://cdn.showbizspy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Brie-Larson-Full-Sex-Tape-Porn-Video.jpg | en | null | Brie Larson Full Sex Tape Porn Video Leaked | null | null | www.showbizspy.com | Just when things start warming up for Brie Larson, including the latest news of Marvel Studios officially introduced Brie Larson as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Carol Danvers. A new sex tape video scandal has hit with the rumors of a sex tape with her ex John Patrick Amedori whom she dated from 2008-2012.
The video that is making rounds was said to have been leaked, showing Brie and John doing the nasty after a late night out of partying hard in LA. The video shows what appears to be Brie a little tipsy talking sexy in the background of the male recording on his phone. Then Brie comes into the picture looking fucked up and grabs what is said to be Patrick’s cock and proceeds to stroke it, talking sexy as you can possibly imagine. After John is nice and hard, Brie then removes all of her clothes and lays down on the bed, asking if he wants her (dumb ass question if you ask us). After, asking the question, the male said to be John basically trips over himself trying to get into bed with Brie. The video quality is said to be A+ and the record time lasted about 22min in total.
Calls have been put into Brie’s reps and they have replied to ShowbizSpy that they are looking into the rumors and have no comment at this time. Her current man Alex Greenwald, that she has been with since the relationship with John fizzled, was asked about the rumors, and he said not even one word. He just smiled.
[UPDATE] – The leaked sex tape video is now being said to have leaked by one of Patrick’s buddies that watched the video and then emailed a copy to himself. Pat was asked flat out about leaking the video and he said he had nothing to do with it, though one of his buddies had told local paparazzi that his phone was compromised. The entire story is sketchy on how the video hit the web, but either way it did. | http://www.showbizspy.com/scandals/sex-tapes/brie-larson-full-sex-tape-porn-video-leaked/ | en | 2016-08-07T00:00:00 | www.showbizspy.com/4d56fa67f14fd256d216a056b3840522927af46499070336bca37488f7e3c570.json |
[
"John Daffron",
"Hey This Is Johnny D. I Will Be Covering A Broad Spectrum Of Entertainment News. I Currently Reside In Portland",
"Help Promote Manage Celebrity Events",
"Movie Tv Shoots In The Oregon Washington Area. Love Life",
"Live It To The Fullest."
] | 2016-08-26T12:57:57 | null | 2016-08-16T02:30:53 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.showbizspy.com%2Fscandals%2Fgame-confirms-sex-kim-kourtney-khloe-kardashian-sisters%2F.json | http://cdn.showbizspy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/The-Game-Has-Sex-With-Kardashian-Sisters.jpg | en | null | The Game Confirms He Had Sex With Kim, Kourtney & Khloe Kardashian Sisters | null | null | www.showbizspy.com | Well it looks like all the rumors came true yet again after The Game (Jayceon Terrell Taylor) rapped on his most recent track “Sauce” that he “Fu^$ed 3 Kardashian sisters”.
If you are curious about the order, our spies have found that out as well… Kim Kardashian was first to receive the Game’s known giant manhood back around the time she was messing with Ray J, and made the famous Kim K Superstar sex tape. Next was Khloe, Khloe and the game have been very close for over 15 years. Last, and most recently was Kourtney Kardashian shortly after her public break up with Scott Disick.
The move on the track mentioning that he had sex with all of the Kardashian sisters seems to be right out of the Kanye lyrics playbook, discussing sexual encounters. However our spies have heard that Kanye is not the least bit amused, and after finding out that The Game has also tagged his wife, he went on a rant, even calling Kim a whore. We are still looking into what exactly happened, but there appears to have been a huge fight in the Kardashian/Kanye household according to one of their workers. We are looking into this more, and have a recording on the way of Kanye going off on Kim that we will be sharing shortly.
The Game also publicly commented on his rap, since the lyrics went so viral, saying: “I have the utmost respect for the Kardashian family, I was just keeping it real.” Awesome! | http://www.showbizspy.com/scandals/game-confirms-sex-kim-kourtney-khloe-kardashian-sisters/ | en | 2016-08-16T00:00:00 | www.showbizspy.com/66a6f0cab6f6b2253c17afca6a9c2207db8f463aebb2872c5c91ed4e197a0653.json |
[
"Dallen Harris",
"I Have Been In The Entertainment Reporting Niche Since Writing For Several High Profile Sites Like Aol",
"Huffington Post",
"Popeater. Now I Am One Of The Head Editors For Showbiz Spy. I Am A Dad",
"Husband",
"Golf Freak"
] | 2016-08-26T13:03:53 | null | 2016-08-22T13:32:44 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.showbizspy.com%2Fmusic%2Flou-pearlman-died-massive-heart-attack-prison-waiting-heart-surgery%2F.json | http://cdn.showbizspy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/lou-pearlman-died-of-massive-heart-attack.jpg | en | null | Lou Pearlman Died Of Massive Heart Attack In Prison While Waiting To Have Heart Surgery | null | null | www.showbizspy.com | As we already know… music mastermind Lou Pearlman, the brains behind the Backstreet Boys and ‘NSYNC boy bands, passed away while serving his prison sentence for fraud at the age of 62.
Sources within the DOJ are now saying they where aware of his heart problems, and had already transferred him to receive the medical attention he required, however they where a bit late.
A security guard for the prison in Texarkana, Texas told our spies: “You have to be almost dying before you are sent out to a hospital. The reason is because of both money and security issues. The cost of any treatments is taken on by the fed and security must be handled by the DOJ. With the amount of paperwork that must be taken care of before one is able to go to the hospital is imminence.” He goes on to say: “I have seen mrsa outbreaks that could have been handled very easily, but instead you have people losing body parts because of all the red tape with medical care in the prison system. I guess the saying is true that if you are going to prison, don’t get sick!”
Lou’s cause of death has been official labeled by the hospital of “death by natural causes” even though they knew he was having heart problems.
As far as what landed the mogul in prison, according to court documents and Wiki:
In February 2007, Florida regulators announced that Pearlman’s Trans Continental Savings Program was indeed a massive fraud and the state took possession of the company. Most of the at least $95 million which was collected from investors was gone. Orange County Circuit Judge Renee Roche ordered Pearlman and two of his associates, Robert Fischetti and Michael Crudelle, to bring back to the United States “any assets taken abroad which were derived from illegal transactions.”
Following a flight from officials, Pearlman was arrested in Indonesia on June 14, 2007 after being spotted by a German tourist couple. He was living in a tourist hotel in Nusa Dua in Bali. Pearlman had been seen in Orlando in late January 2007, in early February in Germany, including an appearance on German television on February 1. Reportedly he was also seen in Russia, Belarus, Germany, Israel, Spain, Panama, Brazil and Indonesia. In early February, an attorney in Florida received a letter from Pearlman sent from Bali. Pearlman was then indicted by a federal grand jury on June 27, 2007. Specifically, Pearlman was charged with three counts of bank fraud, one count of mail fraud and one count of wire fraud.
Five days before his sentencing, Pearlman requested a telephone and an Internet connection two days a week to continue to promote bands. U. S. District Judge G. Kendall Sharp rejected the request. On May 21, 2008, Sharp sentenced Pearlman to 25 years in prison on charges of conspiracy, money laundering, and making false statements during a bankruptcy proceeding. Pearlman could reduce his prison time by one month for every million dollars he helped a bankruptcy trustee recover. He also ordered individual investors to be paid before institutions in distributing any eventual assets.
Lou was also accused of molestation by several accusers, however non of those charges where ever filed. | http://www.showbizspy.com/music/lou-pearlman-died-massive-heart-attack-prison-waiting-heart-surgery/ | en | 2016-08-22T00:00:00 | www.showbizspy.com/43b08bbcc4bf6496d44b3176fce042ab605c977874ecc2962cceca6c1f04af1c.json |
[
"Dallen Harris",
"I Have Been In The Entertainment Reporting Niche Since Writing For Several High Profile Sites Like Aol",
"Huffington Post",
"Popeater. Now I Am One Of The Head Editors For Showbiz Spy. I Am A Dad",
"Husband",
"Golf Freak"
] | 2016-08-26T12:48:59 | null | 2016-08-19T07:57:52 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.showbizspy.com%2Fscandals%2Frobert-griffin-iii-trades-wife-rebecca-liddicoat-collage-track-star-grete-sadeiko%2F.json | http://cdn.showbizspy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/robert-griffin-III-divorcing-wife-for-new-girlfriend.jpg | en | null | Robert Griffin III Trades In Wife Rebecca Liddicoat For Collage Track Star Grete Sadeiko | null | null | www.showbizspy.com | If you have not heard yet, the rumors are true that Robert Griffin III better known as the ex Washington QB RG3, has in fact filed for divorce from his wife and high school sweetheart Rebecca Liddicoat.
ShowbizSpy reached out to the wife and she is telling us: “He is lying, I was totally blindsided by the infidelity and divorce. I thought things where fine with our family, hell we just bought a house in April.” As we had reported earlier and no one believed us, Robert has been “seeing” Grete even before they purchased the new home.
Grete Sadeiko who is a student and track & field athlete is saying the couple have known each other for the last year, but only just recently started getting serious. We call bullshit again on that statement as our spies told us long ago about this affair.
Robert has provided other statements, telling TMZ: “Our relationship has been over for years, we have just been going through the motions, you know what I mean.”
Rebecca is not going to lay down on this one, and has already told reporters that: “The entire situation is just so incredibly overwhelming and I am going to start leaving all decisions and comments up to my attorneys now.”
Looks like the divorce will end up costing RG3 most of his new contract money from the Cleveland Browns. Though social media thinks that is the way it should be for a man who is now know as a “cheater”.
Robert’s attorney have now told him not to discus any details with the relationship, in an attempt to protect his assets.
What do you think? Did RG3 cheat with this girl that he has known now for a long time? Will he end up getting waxed in court? We sure think so! | http://www.showbizspy.com/scandals/robert-griffin-iii-trades-wife-rebecca-liddicoat-collage-track-star-grete-sadeiko/ | en | 2016-08-19T00:00:00 | www.showbizspy.com/4f02fdce124ebfca037c895caafa779e736431010db0a63be266c5712ad6904e.json |
[
"Dallen Harris",
"I Have Been In The Entertainment Reporting Niche Since Writing For Several High Profile Sites Like Aol",
"Huffington Post",
"Popeater. Now I Am One Of The Head Editors For Showbiz Spy. I Am A Dad",
"Husband",
"Golf Freak"
] | 2016-08-26T12:58:45 | null | 2016-08-24T01:00:37 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.showbizspy.com%2Flegal%2Fariana-grande-insider-says-producer-david-guetta-knew-jacking-hit-single-one-last-time%2F.json | http://cdn.showbizspy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/David-Guetta-Ripped-One-Last-Time-Beat-And-Lyrics.jpg | en | null | Ariana Grande Insider Says Producer David Guetta Knew He Was Jacking Hit Single 'One Last Time' | null | null | www.showbizspy.com | It has come to light that an insider in the Ariana Grande camp is saying: “David knew he was copying music from famous songwriter Alex Greggs”.
The song in question is Ariana’s 2014 hit single One Last Time. The beef is that Alex produced ‘Takes All Night’ for Skye Stevens in 2012 that sounds “very familiar”.
In the lawsuit documents obtained by the court, Greggs claims Ariana and producer/dj David Guetta who came up with the song ‘One Last Time’, blatantly duplicated the most memorable part of his song … the damn chorus!
Our insider is telling us, Ariana had no idea whatsoever about the copy, but David knew damn well what he was doing.
Alex Greggs is suing for a large % of the profits from money made off the song by Ariana One Last Time.
In our humble opinion, we honestly think the jury will side with Alex, but we want to hear what you think… So listen to the two tracks below, and see what you think. Do they sound alike to you? | http://www.showbizspy.com/legal/ariana-grande-insider-says-producer-david-guetta-knew-jacking-hit-single-one-last-time/ | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | www.showbizspy.com/bf6b172d9f65aef368d4e5dd7351ed5ce6eb8e54ec1b577e3237ed253df9f5c2.json |
[
"John Daffron",
"Hey This Is Johnny D. I Will Be Covering A Broad Spectrum Of Entertainment News. I Currently Reside In Portland",
"Help Promote Manage Celebrity Events",
"Movie Tv Shoots In The Oregon Washington Area. Love Life",
"Live It To The Fullest."
] | 2016-08-26T12:59:43 | null | 2016-08-26T03:27:01 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.showbizspy.com%2Fscandals%2Factress-bella-thorne-finally-confirms-bi-sexual-questions-leaked-video-hit-social-media%2F.json | http://cdn.showbizspy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Bella-Thorne-Comes-Out-As-Bi-Sexual.jpg | en | null | Actress Bella Thorne Finally Confirms She Is Bi-Sexual After Questions About Her Leaked Video Hit Social Media | null | null | www.showbizspy.com | We finally got conformation via social media from Bella Thorne, that she is in fact bi-sexual. It only took about a year to pry the truth out of her, as our spies have reported about her sexual escapades several times now with other smoking hot women.
Bella was asked flat out if she was in fact gay as we have been reporting for the last year, and she replied with a big “YES”. We hate to say it again, but we told you so.
Then after Twitter blew up with gay pride and proposal Tweets, Bella replied to all her new gay fans:
Aww thank you for all the accepting tweets from everyone. I love you guys ❤️❤️❤️ #pride — bella thorne (@bellathorne) August 23, 2016
If you have never heard of Bella, let us lay some education for you on one of the most beautiful ginger women in the world. Annabella Avery “Bella” Thorne is an American actress and singer by profession. She played Ruthy Spivey in the TV series My Own Worst Enemy, Tancy Henrickson in the fourth season of Big Love, and CeCe Jones on the Disney Channel series Shake It Up. She also appeared as Hilary/”Larry” in Blended and as Celia in Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. In 2015, she played Madison in The Duff and Amanda in Perfect High.
Bella was dating actor Gregg Sulkin for about a year, but just recently broke up and has now been seeing Bella Pendergast. The latest picture she posted of the new couple kissing is making rounds like wild fire on social media:
wake me up when these damn girls will officially date @bellathorne i'm just a happy shipper pic.twitter.com/W0Xp64aXmm — ` (@vodkaingomez) August 22, 2016
Now the only thing Bella has to worry about, is the amount of women that are trying like hell to hook up with her. lol | http://www.showbizspy.com/scandals/actress-bella-thorne-finally-confirms-bi-sexual-questions-leaked-video-hit-social-media/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.showbizspy.com/b99bd58b0f8542696aad5bd1287e51d1a71b98bb2ca5f7546e922a69c5f22995.json |
[
"Dallen Harris",
"I Have Been In The Entertainment Reporting Niche Since Writing For Several High Profile Sites Like Aol",
"Huffington Post",
"Popeater. Now I Am One Of The Head Editors For Showbiz Spy. I Am A Dad",
"Husband",
"Golf Freak"
] | 2016-08-26T13:01:43 | null | 2016-08-21T13:12:18 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.showbizspy.com%2Fscandals%2Fgawker-media-close-doors-next-week-permanently-hulk-hogan-sex-tape-law-suit-breaks-company%2F.json | http://cdn.showbizspy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/gawker-media-shuts-down-website.jpg | en | null | Gawker Media To Close Doors Next Week Permanently After Hulk Hogan Sex Tape Law Suit Breaks The Company | null | null | www.showbizspy.com | Wow! Never thought we would see this, but Gawker Media has decided to shut down its website next week permanently, after the company went belly up from the Hulk Hogan sex tape law suit loss.
There is several in the industry, including Gawker employees that said they knew what they where doing when they posted the real Hulk Hogan sex tape on their website. The only problem is that, they used their own servers to house the tapes and not a server outside of the US, which was a huge mistake that has now caused the company to sell off all their assets to Univision. This includes the purchase of Deadspin, Gawker, Gizmodo, Jalopnik, Jezebel, Kotaku and Lifehacker. All of the sites being listed as receiving well over 1M visitors per month.
Gawker released the following on their website on Thurday: “After nearly fourteen years of operation, Gawker.com will be shutting down next week. The decision to close Gawker comes days after Univision successfully bid $135 million for Gawker Media’s six other websites, and three months after the Silicon Valley billionaire Peter Thiel revealed his clandestine legal campaign against the company.” They continue… “Nick Denton, the company’s outgoing CEO, informed current staffers of the site’s fate on Thursday afternoon, just hours before a bankruptcy court in Manhattan will decide whether to approve Univision’s bid for Gawker Media’s other assets. Staffers will soon be assigned to other editorial roles, either at one of the other six sites or elsewhere within Univision. Near-term plans for Gawker.com’s coverage, as well as the site’s archives, have not yet been finalized.”
Gawkers huge mistake was putting the tape on their own servers. Had they put the video on a server not attached to the company outside of the US and simply link to the video, none of the problems they have had would have happened. So, I guess the rule continues, don’t use your main server to house anything that would be questionable or you could also end up like Gawker. | http://www.showbizspy.com/scandals/gawker-media-close-doors-next-week-permanently-hulk-hogan-sex-tape-law-suit-breaks-company/ | en | 2016-08-21T00:00:00 | www.showbizspy.com/dbd03c4c649dae6c4ecd2d321d90303646017988c7e3139a94d7397cffe30d99.json |
[
"Dallen Harris",
"I Have Been In The Entertainment Reporting Niche Since Writing For Several High Profile Sites Like Aol",
"Huffington Post",
"Popeater. Now I Am One Of The Head Editors For Showbiz Spy. I Am A Dad",
"Husband",
"Golf Freak"
] | 2016-08-30T06:51:12 | null | 2016-08-30T01:00:04 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.showbizspy.com%2Fmovies%2Frip-legendary-actor-gene-wilder-passed-away-83-complications-alzheimers-disease%2F.json | http://cdn.showbizspy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Gene-Wilder-Death-2016.jpg | en | null | RIP Legendary Actor Gene Wilder Has Passed Away at 83 After Complications From Alzheimer’s Disease | null | null | www.showbizspy.com | RIP Legendary Actor Gene Wilder Has Passed Away at 83 After Complications...
This death really hits us hard, as Gene is one of our favorite actors of all time, bringing to life movies like Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein and many more.
Social Media has been blowing up with love of the actor, just go do a search for #GeneWilder:
Farewell #GeneWilder, comic genius. Thank you for all those happy happy hours. pic.twitter.com/O6oHS9TQqX — Stephen Fry (@stephenfry) August 29, 2016
Together again. RIP #GeneWilder true master of his craft https://t.co/iH4SwyXzFU — Lucy Liu (@LucyLiu) August 30, 2016
So sad that the inspiringly talented #GeneWilder has left us. He was one of the kindest souls I've ever met. 😢 pic.twitter.com/JoEUa2IS0s — Sean Hayes (@SeanHayes) August 30, 2016
In the later years of his wonderful life, Wilder spent most of his free time writing. His memoir, Kiss Me Like a Stranger: My Search for Love and Art, was released in 2005. He went on to pen a number of fictional novels, including My French Whore, The Woman Who Wouldn’t, and Something to Remember You By: A Perilous Romance.
He’s survived by his nephew and his fourth wife, Karen Boyer, whom he married in 1991. Wilder’s other former wives include Mary Mercier and Mary Joan Schutz, aka Jo Ayers.
Revisit some of Wilder’s most classic on-screen appearances below. | http://www.showbizspy.com/movies/rip-legendary-actor-gene-wilder-passed-away-83-complications-alzheimers-disease/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.showbizspy.com/b70683b83da486cb1ee656aca725d0e24f27cb4b944b5c8d63f5d78dc70ffe39.json |
[
"Dallen Harris",
"I Have Been In The Entertainment Reporting Niche Since Writing For Several High Profile Sites Like Aol",
"Huffington Post",
"Popeater. Now I Am One Of The Head Editors For Showbiz Spy. I Am A Dad",
"Husband",
"Golf Freak"
] | 2016-08-26T13:01:17 | null | 2016-08-25T01:00:44 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.showbizspy.com%2Fscandals%2Fjennifer-lopez-breaks-casper-smart-says-good-time%2F.json | http://cdn.showbizspy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Jennifer-Lopez-And-Casper-Smart-Break-Up-For-Good.jpg | en | null | Jennifer Lopez Breaks Up With Casper Smart Again, Says It Is For Good This Time | null | null | www.showbizspy.com | 47 Year old Jennifer Lopez has indeed called it quits with 29 year old boy toy Casper Smart, stating to close friends that “the time has come to move on”.
Sources told People Mag: “It wasn’t anything dramatic and they were on good terms – it just came to a natural end,” the source adds. “They will remain friends and they see each other, but they are not together. It was very amiable.”
J Lo and Casper hooked up around October 2011 or earlier while Casper was a dancer for her concerts and music video shoots. It appeared as if they broke up in 2014, however friends claimed they were never really apart … and they were really spending time at her house when they were supposedly separated. However, there has been plenty of on again off again with the couple, as Casper himself has told friends close to him that “the relationship has been very weird for the last year.” “He basically knew what was coming” says Tony Gonzalez a close friend of Casper.
Many reported that the couple was actually not having problems as they where seen together in Vegas just last week. But as we said then, we say again and now confirmed by several other outlets. Jennifer Lopez is back on the market!
Reps for both JLO and Casper have refused to comment, and both of their social media channels are dead quiet. One of JLO’s workers Crystal Wilson though has told our spies “She is fine, in fact she is doing great, there is no need to worry about that.” | http://www.showbizspy.com/scandals/jennifer-lopez-breaks-casper-smart-says-good-time/ | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.showbizspy.com/48f782d46e045f5104900079ebfa7eb337dd4f7e5edbf11f1ba290271e62ee98.json |
[
"Jayson Nguyen",
"Hey Yo",
"This Is Jayson The Wic",
"I Am Happy To Be A Part Of The Showbizspy Network Of Spies. My Specialty Will Be Reporting On The Music Industry",
"Stuff That Catches My Attention."
] | 2016-08-26T13:00:08 | null | 2016-08-19T13:57:39 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.showbizspy.com%2Fmovies%2Fconfirmed-african-american-zendaya-play-spider-man-girlfriend-mary-jane-watson%2F.json | http://cdn.showbizspy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Zendaya-Playing-Mary-Jane-In-Spiderman-Homecoming.jpg | en | null | Confirmed: African American Zendaya To Play Spider Man Girlfriend Mary Jane Watson | null | null | www.showbizspy.com | For the first time ever, Mary Jane Watson that is Spider Man’s main squeeze will be played by an African american actress/model, after Disney star Zendaya has behind the scenes landed the role unofficially.
The news was started by The Wrap claiming: “Zendaya will be playing long-time Spider-Man love interest Mary Jane Watson in next summer’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” two individuals with knowledge of the project told TheWrap”. They go on to claim: “Diehard Spidey fans have long speculated about whom the 19-year-old Disney Channel star would portray in Sony’s high-profile reboot of the superhero franchise, starring British actor Tom Holland as a teenage Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Man”.
ShowbizSpy has confirmed through Robert Downey Jr. who said: “Zendaya will be a great Mary Jane, she is very talented and a great girl that will bring a lot to the table.”
The new Spider Man is set to hit theaters July of 2017.
There has of course been those that are extremely pissed off about the fact that she is black, and that the story line should stick to the comics and not try to mix in color for the sake of being politically correct. Just go look at social media… In our opinion though fuck that, we believe that white or black Zendaya will be a great addition to the cast and can’t wait to see Robert Downey Jr’s role in the film!
According to box office insiders, they will be heavily marketing Spider-Man Homecoming to try and be the “it” movie for the summer of 2017. | http://www.showbizspy.com/movies/confirmed-african-american-zendaya-play-spider-man-girlfriend-mary-jane-watson/ | en | 2016-08-19T00:00:00 | www.showbizspy.com/27a4d1cbca8fc80bd3e714ddbe65f2346cfa5582f018915c9c47bc3c5c1ebeaf.json |
[
"Stacy Lewis",
"Camille Kuzlong",
"Looky Here",
"Celeb King",
"Showbiz Spy",
"Nia S. Alpha",
"Ryan Fergo",
"Phong Nguyen",
"Becca White",
"B. Lowles"
] | 2016-08-26T13:05:42 | null | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | Showbiz Spy has now partnered with the top adult sites, providing users access to the internets largest celebrity sex tape video database available. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.showbizspy.com%2Fsecure-sex-tape-join%2F.json | http://www.showbizspy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/sextape-in-the-media.jpg | en | null | Watch All Celebrity Sex Tape Videos | null | null | www.showbizspy.com | null | http://www.showbizspy.com/secure-sex-tape-join/ | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.showbizspy.com/777a53cfed995c59fa2e8d9362b459dd929f0cb9f25d1c53835daa8f8f1c385d.json |
[
"Summer Wait",
"Hey All",
"So You Want To Know A Little About Me Huh",
"Well",
"My Living Is Made Through Photography",
"Journalism Primarily. I Currently Work With Rock Revolt Magazine",
"Pinup Culture",
"Most Recently A Head Editor Gig Here With Some Great People At Showbiz Spy."
] | 2016-08-31T02:51:55 | null | 2016-08-30T21:34:45 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.showbizspy.com%2Fscandals%2Fdrake-gets-pissed-off-rihanna-shows-major-concern-chris-brown-standoff%2F.json | http://cdn.showbizspy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Drake-Rihanna-And-Chris-Brown-Love-Triangle.jpg | en | null | Drake Gets Pissed Off After Rihanna Shows Major Concern During Chris Brown Standoff | null | null | www.showbizspy.com | Our spies in the Drake/RiRi camp are telling us that Drake was not happy at all, after Rihanna freaked out while Chris Brown’s house was surrounded by police in a stand off.
Rihanna was on her phone non-stop trying to get Chris to reply to her that he was ok during the standoff. After Chris never responded, Rihanna started to freak out and this did not sit well with Drake. Drake was telling his boys that “I can not see how she could possibly give a shit about that piece of trash, unbelievable.”
A Hollywood life source also went public about how worried RiRi was about her first love. “Of course Rihanna is worried about Chris after hearing about the police being at his house,” said the insider. “She knows how hard he’s been trying to be the best dad he can be to Royalty. This kind of drama doesn’t make him look good. She’s hoping it was all a big misunderstanding for Chris’ sake.”
We are going to assume that because of all this most recent news, and the fact that Drake has shown publicly how he is not happy that Rihanna has showed so much concern for her ex-lover. We are going to bet that the Riri and Drake relationship is soon to be “no more”.
On a side note, Drake has women knocking his door down 24/7, so a breakup with Rihanna would not devastate him one bit we assume. | http://www.showbizspy.com/scandals/drake-gets-pissed-off-rihanna-shows-major-concern-chris-brown-standoff/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.showbizspy.com/96b571ef091cb179d1b657dca8d3cebbb74f6d3636028c689947b210cfb1786e.json |
[
"Christie Trower",
"Christie Here",
"As Many Know I Am One Of The Top Interesting People To Follow On Twitter",
"Have Decided To Bring My Entertainment Knowledge",
"Contacts To The Showbiz Spy Team. Like My Writing",
"Find Me Interesting",
"Follow Me On Twitter"
] | 2016-08-26T13:03:03 | null | 2016-08-14T21:26:24 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.showbizspy.com%2Fscandals%2Fdavid-victoria-beckham-not-getting-divorced-despite-reports-tabloids%2F.json | http://cdn.showbizspy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/David-And-Victoria-Beckham-Divorce-Rumors-Debunked.jpg | en | null | David & Victoria Beckham Are Not Getting Divorced Despite Reports By Tabloids | null | null | www.showbizspy.com | Ok people, there has been a ton of reports out there about David and Victoria Beckham getting a divorce. We can confidently put those rumors to rest, after getting in touch with David directly.
David tells ShowbizSpy: “No there is no trouble in our relationship, we still love each other as much today as the first day we met. All of these rumors were started after we put our French Estate in southern France. There is nothing more to it.”
RadarOnline known for making shit up is stating that “the Beckham’s are moving for a different reason.” Pointing to trouble in paradise. However, GossipCop has debunked several made up stories by Radar like the “David Beckham was flirting with a woman at SoulCycle” and when Radar reported that the soccer star and his wife had “severed their business ties to each other.”
Ok! another tabloid known for stretching the truth had recently reported that the couple was in the middle of a massive $ billion divorce, but that has also been debunked as false.
MediaTakeout yet another gossip blog known for making up shit has just reported that David was caught cheating on Victoria. This has also been debunked by ShowbizSpy spies directly from Victoria who said: “That is totally false.”
So, like always, make sure to check your sources before passing on information you have read. ;) | http://www.showbizspy.com/scandals/david-victoria-beckham-not-getting-divorced-despite-reports-tabloids/ | en | 2016-08-14T00:00:00 | www.showbizspy.com/257efe2680697752c5b3d37d2f3f5557d8f7eddfefca08b2a83341da1b0070c1.json |
[
"David Harris",
"David Here",
"You Probably Know Me As The Owner Of Sextape.Com. I Will Be Covering Celebrity Sex Scandals As This Has Been My Specialty For Over Years. If You Have Any Questions On Any Of My Reporting Or Want To Simply Chat With Me",
"Please Feel Free To Hit Me Up On Any Of My Social Media Ch... | 2016-08-31T02:51:53 | null | 2016-08-30T01:25:53 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.showbizspy.com%2Fscandals%2Fsex-tapes%2Famber-rose-full-sex-tape-porn-video%2F.json | http://cdn.showbizspy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/amber-rose-sex-tape-porn-video.jpg | en | null | Amber Rose Full Sex Tape Porn Video | null | null | www.showbizspy.com | American model, recording artist, actress, socialite and former stripper Amber Rose has been caught up in a full sex tape porn video scandal made before she gave the stripper lifestyle up and after hooking up with Wiz Khalifa generating the Amber Rose sex tape video buzz. Amber is quickly becoming more and more famous, even just recently landing a gig on the famous Dancing With The Star series for 2016, being featured as one of the top women.
The video that is said to feature a man that looks stunningly like Kim Kardashian’s current man Kanye West features the two in a fancy hotel with Amber showing her stripper skills in full detail. She starts off giving the “un-known” male oral for a bit then proceeds to let him hit it from behind all recorded by the male featured in the video for approximately 25min. The funny thing is that right in the middle of the two going at it another girl comes over out of no where and starts kissing on Amber and holds what appears to be a joint for her while the guy never misses a beat and is said to overall be a great video.
Calls to Amber’s reps have gone un-returned though she has gone on record stating “I have done some wild and crazy things in my past but have turned a new leaf and would like to forget about that part of my life, though I am not ashamed of it, I would like to move on.”
[UPDATE] – About 50 nude photos of Amber at what appears to be a house party have also recently leaked to the net. We are curious just how much nude content there is of Amber, we are betting there will be much more content come out of the wood works as she becomes more popular and featured on sites like TMZ.
[UPDATE] – Oh snap!… Seems as though there is rumors flying around the net that Amber Rose and Nick Cannon have had a sex tape leak after the break up of Amber and Wiz Khalifa and word is that it is one nasty piece of work. This is so new that we currently have our geeks working on location and verification. We will keep you updated. Nick Cannon also recently took a lie detector test on BBC Radio 1xtra about hooking up with Amber and he failed it with flying colors
[UPDATE] – Lol it never seems to end as now even a well respected site like Break.com is lying their asses off claiming to have the Amber Rose sex tape and forwarding people to a cliphunter video of some Amber Rose lookalike. The woman in the video is not Amber people. We have looked into the video and for one… the chick in the video has no tattoos that Amber has had for a very long time and two the one tattoo that we can see is on the girls neck and well you guessed it Amber has no neck tattoos. Damn seems like everyone wants to get into the celebrity sex tape biz nowadays. We will of course keep you posted on any real verified sex tape of Amber Rose that comes to light.
[UPDATE] – There is video going around of what is said to be Amber with her best buddy Blac Chyna doing the nasty. In the video you can not really make out the faces, but the body styles are right on point.
[UPDATE] – Amber has confirmed 100% that she did in fact make sex tapes with several “men in the industry” including Kanye. This news did not sit well with the Kardashian crew who we all know became famous for the Kim Kardashian 2007 porn. Kanye and Kim all of a sudden befriended Amber after she threatened to leak the video of her and Kanye. There must be some juicy stuff on that sucker for them to all of a sudden end their feud with Amber. | http://www.showbizspy.com/scandals/sex-tapes/amber-rose-full-sex-tape-porn-video/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.showbizspy.com/bf68362a04debc4ca28c2cdb974bed27772812eca3eaa4e7bb01e740eea21e71.json |
[
"David Harris",
"David Here",
"You Probably Know Me As The Owner Of Sextape.Com. I Will Be Covering Celebrity Sex Scandals As This Has Been My Specialty For Over Years. If You Have Any Questions On Any Of My Reporting Or Want To Simply Chat With Me",
"Please Feel Free To Hit Me Up On Any Of My Social Media Ch... | 2016-08-26T13:04:17 | null | 2015-10-29T06:51:09 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.showbizspy.com%2Fscandals%2Fsex-tapes%2Fyusaf-mack-full-sex-tape-porn-video%2F.json | http://cdn.showbizspy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/yusaf-mack-sex-tape-porn-video.jpg | en | null | Yusaf Mack Full Sex Tape Porn Video | null | null | www.showbizspy.com | Popular Philly boxer Yusaf Mack or better known as “Mack Attack” has been caught up in what is said to be the “Yusaf Mack gay sex tape porn video scandal of Philly” and fans are freaking out. Yusaf says: “I had no idea what happened, I was drugged before filming.”
The video is very nasty stuff featuring Yusaf who says he was drugged at the time getting it on with two other black males at the same time. The video starts out with kissing and then goes into a full blow porn video with a lot of sucking and anal sex. There is no doubt whatsoever that this is in fact Yusaf as it was professionally filmed by a production company in New York.
Here is how Yusaf says it all went down: “I was contacted by a guy through Facebook to come to New York make a porn video and get paid 5k. I got there and saw a bunch of naked girls walking around and thought this would be a pretty cool deal. I was nervous so asked for a drink at which point I was given a pill that was said to calm my nerves. I then woke up at the train station with $4500 in my pocket but could not remember anything.” Yusaf goes on to say: “Later, a friend asked me what the hell after hearing about the gay sex tape and I freaked out trying to log into Facebook to track down the guy that set up the shoot, but I could not remember my password.” Yeah right… lol
We contacted Yusaf directly and he said: “I am currently looking at my legal options on what I can do, this has been very hard on my family and ask for your respect of my privacy.”
As far as his story about being drugged before he made the gay sex tape, well personally we are not buying it as his story is just not all there. Especially with “not being able to contact the guy that got him the gig”. But hey if you are into this type of thing, this is a must see for sure!
[UPDATE] – Damn we hate being right all the time! Yusaf Mack just came out of the closet saying: “I was not drugged, I panicked and did not know what to say. But I would like to now go on the record that I am in fact Bi-Sexual and was very aware of what I was doing.” HAHA We told ya’ll ;) | http://www.showbizspy.com/scandals/sex-tapes/yusaf-mack-full-sex-tape-porn-video/ | en | 2015-10-29T00:00:00 | www.showbizspy.com/a1585a128b7b5e4381b7684ded32fd12fdec48271e4f2e505020abb6a29567e3.json |
[
"Dallen Harris",
"I Have Been In The Entertainment Reporting Niche Since Writing For Several High Profile Sites Like Aol",
"Huffington Post",
"Popeater. Now I Am One Of The Head Editors For Showbiz Spy. I Am A Dad",
"Husband",
"Golf Freak"
] | 2016-08-31T08:52:06 | null | 2016-08-31T03:26:34 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.showbizspy.com%2Fmovies%2Fmark-hamill-confirms-luke-skywalker-will-return-star-wars-episode-ix%2F.json | http://cdn.showbizspy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Luke-Skywalker-Returns-For-Star-Wars-9.jpg | en | null | Mark Hamill Confirms Luke Skywalker Will Return In Star Wars: Episode IX | null | null | www.showbizspy.com | Fans across the world were super worried that Mark Hamill’s iconic character ‘Luke Skywalker’ may end up like Harrison Ford’s Han Solo in Star Wars: The Force Awakens did. But Mark Hamill has now confirmed that the Jedi Master will live through the next chapter to face the dark side yet again in this trilogy ending sequel, to be directed by Jurassic World’s Colin Trevorrow.
Hamill posted a crazy video on Twitter earlier today, that showed the actor getting his beard trimmed off. While it was certainly exciting to see a fresh shaven Jedi string back at us, it was the caption that accompanied this video, that has captured Star Wars Fan’s attention. This pretty much confirmed that Star Wars 9 is going to bring back the Jedi Master.
Mark had only one minute of screen time at the end of ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’, with Rey visiting him on the secluded planet of Ahch-To. Star Wars: Episode VIII is said to pick up mere moments after this scene, and will find Luke training Rey to become a Jedi Knight. Other rumors claim that Kylo Ren will kidnap Finn and Poe Dameron, forcing Rey to come out of hiding and face him. All the while, Skywalker will be forced to contend with The Knights of Ren, where he will get to show off some of his new Jedi powers.
We can all now rest assured, that Master Jedi Luke Skywalker’s story is not done in the upcoming ‘Star Wars: Episode VIII’, which hits theaters in December 2017. And looks like his future in the franchise is going to be big time!
If you are unsure of Skywalkers history, this video may help catch you up a bit on the history: | http://www.showbizspy.com/movies/mark-hamill-confirms-luke-skywalker-will-return-star-wars-episode-ix/ | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.showbizspy.com/ab8e9905d5c20b1b38d6699c9ee5ba66f251be709b3819bde6822214e0c64a04.json |
[
"Jayson Nguyen",
"Hey Yo",
"This Is Jayson The Wic",
"I Am Happy To Be A Part Of The Showbizspy Network Of Spies. My Specialty Will Be Reporting On The Music Industry",
"Stuff That Catches My Attention."
] | 2016-08-26T12:58:21 | null | 2016-08-23T01:00:54 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.showbizspy.com%2Fmusic%2Fgorillaz-new-album-one-anticipated-2017-featuring-de-la-soul-snoopdogg-vic-mensa%2F.json | http://cdn.showbizspy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Gorillaz-New-Album-2017.jpg | en | null | Gorillaz New Album One Of The Most Anticipated Of 2017 Featuring De La Soul, SnoopDogg & Vic Mensa | null | null | www.showbizspy.com | Get ready people, one of the most highly anticipated albums of 2017 is without a doubt the new Gorillaz album, with the latest update surrounding the release coming from Pos of De La Soul. Pos recently sat down with The Guardian about collaborating on the still-untitled project. “We actually sat down with Damon two weeks ago and he played us some of the new Gorillaz album, and it sounds amazing,” said Pos. “He played us a track that he wants us to get off on his album so we got to get in the studio and put that down.”
Pos has gone on record with ShowbizSpy stating that Snoop Dogg will also make a guest appearance on what will be the fifth studio album from Gorillaz. Vic Mensa, composer Jean Michel-Jarre, songwriter Liam Bailey will also be contributing.
Pos also told ShowbizSpy “This album is some of the best work we have ever done, with a sound that will be both familiar and mind blowing with the added artists. I guarantee fans will be very happy.” That is one strong statement!
The new album will hit sometime in 2017, until then here is a couple music videos that help put Gorillaz on the map! | http://www.showbizspy.com/music/gorillaz-new-album-one-anticipated-2017-featuring-de-la-soul-snoopdogg-vic-mensa/ | en | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | www.showbizspy.com/fe2ceb824789c1ce94387a733e96ab52e1e82c0629d0262351b1b92a6efd03ed.json |
[
"David Harris",
"David Here",
"You Probably Know Me As The Owner Of Sextape.Com. I Will Be Covering Celebrity Sex Scandals As This Has Been My Specialty For Over Years. If You Have Any Questions On Any Of My Reporting Or Want To Simply Chat With Me",
"Please Feel Free To Hit Me Up On Any Of My Social Media Ch... | 2016-08-27T06:50:14 | null | 2016-08-27T01:00:21 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.showbizspy.com%2Fscandals%2Fsex-tapes%2Fleaked-emily-sears-full-sex-tape-porn-video%2F.json | http://cdn.showbizspy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Emily-Sears-Full-Sex-Tape-Porn-Video.jpg | en | null | Leaked Emily Sears Full Sex Tape Porn Video | null | null | www.showbizspy.com | Rising model Emily Sears has become the latest victim to leaked nudes and celebrity sex tape videos. Emily has become famous in the modeling arena very fast with her use of social media, and posting pictures of herself that makes every man and woman drool.
The sex tape said to be that of Emily, leaked just this last week and quickly became the talk of the town in LA. The video features what appears to be Emily after a nice little workout taking a shower, lathering up that big beautiful booty of hers in a very sexual way. She then exits the shower and goes over to the guy holding the camera looking as sexy as you could imagine and proceeds to pleasure him orally. After she has spent a few minutes downstairs on the guy she turns around and lets him get to work and finish on her back side.
We have seen the video and can say that it is very good and the overall quality is top notch. With that said, the only issue we have with the video is that you do not see her face in any closeups and though people are saying it is her, we can not confirm.
Emily has been asked about the tapes and thus far has not made any comments.
Emily’s social media Instagram account that gets dick picks sent to her on a daily basis from horney fans, has been blowing up. Her followers are getting ready to hit the 4 million mark after this last weeks spike in followers for some reason. lol | http://www.showbizspy.com/scandals/sex-tapes/leaked-emily-sears-full-sex-tape-porn-video/ | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.showbizspy.com/be92174a0260cff113b340115c65ad5682aef2a04bed001881964810289ad226.json |
[
"Linda Kelso",
"Ontario Lyme Alliance",
"Cynthia Smith",
"James Dyer"
] | 2016-08-26T12:49:52 | null | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthedrydenobserver.ca%2F2016%2F08%2Fmunicipalities-will-form-bylaws-to-regulate-growing-of-medical-marijuana-for-personal-use%2F.json | http://www.thedrydenobserver.ca/wp-content/themes/LondonLive/images/pinecone.png | en | null | Municipalities will form bylaws to regulate growing of medical marijuana for personal use | null | null | thedrydenobserver.ca | By Michael Christianson
New rules that came into effect on August 24 means those who have been approved by their doctor to use medicinal cannabis will now be allowed to grow a limited amount of marijuana for personal use, or designate someone to grow it for them.
The regulations are in response to a Federal Court ruling earlier this year that found the ban on patients growing their own medical cannabis to be a violation of their constitutional rights.
Angela Ferguson from the Rainy River Cannabis Collective has been watching the ever-changing legal landscape in Canada with regards to cannabis and welcomes the new ruling.
“The new legislation is really exciting because it definitely puts a lot more control and access in the hands of individual patients,” said Ferguson. “There’s going to be some ripple effects for municipalities, we’re all going to have to come together and talk about safety and how to properly and safely grow your own medicine. What’s interesting and a lot of people don’t realize is that Health Canada puts the municipalities right in line to dictate some of those regulations.”
Health Canada has left the creation of bylaws in regards to growing in the hands of municipalities and she says it is up to producers to work with their communities.
“You definitely want to do it in a responsible way. What I don’t want to see is someone who is in their house and it’s in their basement and they don’t both to control odor and the whole neighbourhood stinks,” said Ferguson. “In this case you absolutely have the right to grow it yourself but I think there needs to be a conversation at the municipal level that talks about the safety and the respect factor in making sure that what you’re doing in your home is a positive contribution and doesn’t negatively affect your community.”
Right now the Rainy River Cannabis Collective is focusing on becoming like a community garden where people with prescriptions can have their medicine grown for them. Angela’s husband Brad is the master grower on site and Angela stresses that anyone who is interested speak with them because they want everyone to be as informed as possible.
“What we’re envisioning at Stratton is we want to open a cannabis wellness center. So, wherever you are in your journey, if you’ve just been diagnosed with something and you want to talk about your cannabis options or if you’re having a hard time finding a doctor we have doctors in our referral network that we can connect you with if you need to learn how to grow your own cannabis or you want it done for you,” said Ferguson. “Our business, it’s really unique, there really isn’t much like this in Canada and it’s a great place to come just to have a conversation about cannabis because the only other person you can really talk about it with is your doctor and they may or may not be supportive.” | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/2016/08/municipalities-will-form-bylaws-to-regulate-growing-of-medical-marijuana-for-personal-use/ | en | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | thedrydenobserver.ca/f61548a3302bb0a9deb39c198a61e96347b4bc0c5127a27fa6164a218e9a9db0.json |
[
"Linda Kelso",
"Ontario Lyme Alliance",
"Cynthia Smith",
"James Dyer"
] | 2016-08-26T12:59:30 | null | 2016-06-11T10:48:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthedrydenobserver.ca%2F2016%2F06%2Fdredging-up-a-painful-past%2Fcomment-page-1%2F.json | http://www.thedrydenobserver.ca/wp-content/themes/LondonLive/images/pinecone.png | en | null | EDITORIAL: Dredging up a painful past | null | null | thedrydenobserver.ca | If I’ve learned one thing in my 11 years at this newspaper and 30 years as a resident of Dryden, it is that the question of mercury in the Wabigoon River is so mired in racial politics that we will likely never know a data-supported approximation of the truth of what’s really happening in the river.
Now, a sudden flurry of calls by MP Bob Nault and MPP Sarah Campbell to clean up mercury contamination in the Wabigoon River has begun.
Apparently the idea of remediating 130 kilometres of waterway between Dryden and Grassy Narrows is a no-brainer and long overdue, despite the province’s disagreement with a recent report that was commissioned by er… Grassy Narrows First Nation and penned by John Rudd — a provider of mercury remediation services.
That sounds a bit like the 2011 study sponsored by the National Confectioner’s Association that revealed that people who eat candy weigh less than those who don’t. See the problem there?
Mercury in the Wabigoon River is the most dangerous story of our times in this region and one that I’ve abandoned all hope of striking at some spark of the truth.
I’ve come to the conclusion that the press is the exact worst tool in the box for this problem.
That’s because people who have nothing to lose seem to say anything and those with answers but everything to lose can say nothing at all.
It was the national press who framed the current narrative that we gave up trying to refute in the 1980s. Influential storytellers and politicians seemed to hold the real sway in settling the issue and shutting down the debate which had become as toxic as the river itself.
Many in the area believed there was much more to the story than just the 9,000 kilograms of mercury-rich effluent discharged from Reed Paper’s chlor-alkali plant in the 60s and 70s.
I get the feeling that there are indeed some important scientific findings yet to be gleaned from the Wabigoon waterway, if only the data could extricate itself from political passions and colonial guilt.
To me, a fantastic solution would be if scientists involved in the nearby Experimental Lakes Area (ELA) had opportunity and the funding to study the entire water system — even above the dam at Dryden. In the 1990s the Flooded Uplands Dynamics Experiment (FLUDEX) at the ELA uncovered hard data to support long-held suspicions that elevated methyl mercury levels in fish were a characteristic feature of reservoir water systems like Wabigoon Lake — a function, they concluded, of the decomposition of flooded soils and vegetation.
Could these findings not have a huge bearing on better understanding the interplay of factors? What about 70 years of log booms shedding bark into the river above the dam?
A 2012 paper in the Journal of Environmental Monitoring showed that while mercury levels in fish tested from Clay Lake, Ball Lake, Separation Lake and Tetu Lake along the English/Wabigoon River system have declined 36 to 94 per cent, that decline has since levelled off. The paper indicates that there remains some influence for still elevated levels of mercury in fish that we don’t fully understand.
So I say let science prevail. Dryden has little left to defend in terms of its reputation, only a chance to better understand this dark cloud that has lingered over our community for 40 years.
But if we are indeed to dredge up the past, let’s base it on the best information and not dubious politics.
— Chris Marchand | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/2016/06/dredging-up-a-painful-past/comment-page-1/ | en | 2016-06-11T00:00:00 | thedrydenobserver.ca/4372ce0442eebcb58b7ef4b3d20f9a187578ca6546fa9be7e375ada042fbd4cd.json |
[
"Linda Kelso",
"Ontario Lyme Alliance",
"Cynthia Smith",
"James Dyer"
] | 2016-08-26T12:53:33 | null | 2016-06-27T20:02:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthedrydenobserver.ca%2F2015%2F06%2Ffeature-like-it-happened-yesterday-bonny-bay-disaster-survivors-remember-those-lost-on-50th-anniversary-of-tragic-accident%2Fcomment-page-1%2F.json | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/webBonnybay-1.jpg | en | null | FEATURE: “Like it happened yesterday” Bonny Bay Disaster survivors remember those lost on 50th anniversary of tragic accident | null | null | thedrydenobserver.ca | By Chris Marchand
Fifty years ago June 26, the local community witnessed an unthinkable tragedy that would forever shape the lives of the couple who lived on to tell the tale.
The passage of time has done little to dull the memories of what began as a pleasant day on the water, June 26, 1965, and ended with the sudden and staggering loss of 12 lives, eight of them children under the age of 13.
What’s come to be known as the Bonny Bay Disaster lives on as a cautionary tale about the sheer power of nature and our human vulnerability in the face of it.
Cyril Lobreau was at the helm of his homemade 28-foot houseboat about a mile south of Bonny Bay when a violent storm erupted churning up waves of over six feet.
Facing into the storm, Lobreau attempted but was unable to reach a nearby island, limited by the craft’s 18 horsepower motor. The boat was struck broadside by large waves and capsized.
The occupants of the houseboat cabin Margaret Finlayson (50) of Dinorwic; Jack Graham (37) and his wife Dorothy (31) also of Dinorwic; their seven children Shirley Ann (13), Margaret May, Jacqueline (10), Lloyd (9), Sharon (6), Lynn (5) and Daniel Patrick (3); Betty Huckell (22) and her 21-month old daughter Roxanne were drowned when the cabin’s roof detached from the boat.
“We had a radio on board, but in those days there were no warnings,” said Lobreau. “I was out from Bonny Bay and it caught us right in the middle of the lake. It rained so hard that you couldn’t see the front railing of the houseboat. I’ve never seen waves like that on this lake since. It just grabbed that pontoon and set it right upside down.”
Lobreau, who was 27 years old at the time and his wife of three years, Shirley, were the sole survivors of the wreck. Shirley was aunt to all the children and sister to Dorothy Graham and Betty Huckell.
“We were upside down so quick. We were both at the front — I was at the steering wheel and I think she (Shirley) had gone across to try to hold the dishes in the cupboard. I don’t know if the door was open or if I opened it, but I just pushed her out (of the cabin) and flipped her up over the pontoon.”
Clinging to the pontoons and washed ashore, Cyril and Shirley walked a few kilometres of shoreline with trees were blowing down around them and came upon Bonny Bay Camp where they reported the incident and an initial search began.
“Davis’ were the owners of Bonny Bay (Camp) then and they were very good to us,” said Shirley. “They took us in, someone picked us up. They staged the search, all the boats, and fed everyone while they were dragging.”
The storm caused extensive damage throughout the area, including the Dryden arena, with many old timers claiming they’ve yet to see an equal to it in the years since.
“If you look out from Bonny Bay there were lots of big poplar trees in there at that time,” said Lobreau. “That day, all the tops of the poplar trees were gone — like someone had sawn them off. I don’t we’ve had a storm like that since.”
Weight of tragedy hits community
“It was the biggest funeral Dryden had ever seen,” said Cyril.
A funeral procession of over 150 automobiles stretched from Moffatt Funeral Home to the Dryden Cemetery, July 2 as hundreds of residents turned up to pay their final respects to the victims.
For Cyril and Shirley, their final resting place is a familiar one. The couple say they still go to visit the graves of their friends and family members once per week.
“It’s something you’ll never ever forget,” said Shirley. “I’ll take it to the grave with me. We just try and remember the good times we had with them, even on that same day.”
As both builder and skipper of the craft, Cyril Lobreau faced an inquest in which a marine engineer found the craft, built on 25 sealed oil drums, to be well-built. A coroner’s jury attached no blame for the incident, attributing the severity of the storm as the principle cause.
“Everybody, at least everybody I had anything to do with, or knew was excellent with us about it,” said Cyril.
“The town had never had anything like that happen before,” added Shirley. “They were all very good to us.”
Fifty years later, the couple live on one of the rare few full service lakefront lots in Dryden, though Shirley has never learned to swim. Cyril says he’s never let the tragedy keep him off the water, though he says he has a profound respect for the power that Mother Nature can unleash.
“I still worry when my kids go out of the lake,” said Shirley. | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/2015/06/feature-like-it-happened-yesterday-bonny-bay-disaster-survivors-remember-those-lost-on-50th-anniversary-of-tragic-accident/comment-page-1/ | en | 2016-06-27T00:00:00 | thedrydenobserver.ca/5a81a76e62c9bebe01b7dbf32e8cbf851e18291f11807f8e912ad3a1a6146224.json |
[
"Linda Kelso",
"Ontario Lyme Alliance",
"Cynthia Smith",
"James Dyer"
] | 2016-08-26T12:46:56 | null | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthedrydenobserver.ca%2F2016%2F08%2Fjohn-jantzen-1945-2016%2F.json | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Jantzen-John-300x275.jpg | en | null | John Jantzen - 1945 - 2016 | null | null | thedrydenobserver.ca | In loving memory of John Jantzen who passed away peacefully on August 15, 2016
John is survived by his loving wife of 47 years Shirley, daughter Lori Brash (Chad), son Mark Jantzen (Terri-Lynn), four grandchildren Amanda (Ryan), Megan, Madi (Alex) and Stephan, also the two little lights of his life, great granddaughters Blaire and Naomi. John was predeceased by his parents Abe & Jessie Jantzen.
John was a loved man who enjoyed fishing, camping, hunting and most of all, spending time with his family.
John was born in 1945 in Winkler, MB. He then moved to Dryden in 1951 and worked at the Dryden paper mill from 1968 until his retirement in 2003. John enjoyed his retirement with family, especially his grandchildren and great grandchildren.
To my husband, dad, grandpa, great grandpa and friend. You will be forever missed and never forgotten. We love you!
A Private Family Memorial Service has taken place. Internment of ashes will follow at a later date.
If friends so desire, donations may be made to the Diabetes Association through the Stevens Funeral Homes P.O. Box 412, Dryden ON P8N. Condolences may be posted at www.stevensfuneralhomes.ca | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/2016/08/john-jantzen-1945-2016/ | en | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | thedrydenobserver.ca/ef68ddbb1ba8ba58552798778b4f351269efcf5e19f19c2696e2b48faad58d2d.json |
[
"Linda Kelso",
"Ontario Lyme Alliance",
"Cynthia Smith",
"James Dyer"
] | 2016-08-26T12:50:26 | null | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthedrydenobserver.ca%2F2016%2F08%2Fbig-shoes-to-fill-as-gm-ice-dogs-welcome-fresh-faces-to-training-camp%2F.json | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Dogs-2.jpg | en | null | Big shoes to fill as GM Ice Dogs welcome fresh faces to training camp | null | null | thedrydenobserver.ca | By Michael Christianson
The Dryden GM Ice Dogs held their annual training camp last weekend and the team is already looking at who can fill the gaps left by players such as Kyle Pouncy and Matt Houston.
One player who will help fill the hole Pouncy left on defense is 19 year old Tristan Knott who comes up from the Minnesota Iron Rangers. At 6’4 Knott will be a physical player to watch in the coming season. He got to Dryden the day before training camp but has already started to settle in as an Ice Dog.
“At first I was kind of skeptical about it but talked to Smaha and a few of them now it’s pretty much that we’re on the same team and just a group of guys now,” said Knott.
A fresh face to the team and the league this year is 16 year old Sam Marit from Toronto. Marit is quick on the ice and he comes up from the North York Minor Midget program in the Greater Toronto Hockey League. He is hoping to earn his place on the team and advance the guys who are leaving the league soon.
“We’re playing for the 20s this year and make sure they get somewhere whether it’s school or pro try outs so you know you give it 110% every night and do it for the 20s,” said Marit. “As far as my career goes, take it one step at a time here and bring it home this year and we’ll worry about what happens next later on.”
A new 20 year old joining the Dryden GM Ice Dogs this year is centerman Garret Graham from Colorado. Graham previously played for the Spokane Braves in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League so he is no stranger to the cold, or Canada.
He says he heard great things about the Ice Dogs organization and has already seen the staff and fans are invested in the team’s success.
“Coach Walsten he’s been great so far. I think the passion he has in practice, our first practice was a little lighter today but you know, high intensity, high tempo. He knows the game and seems to be a good player when he was playing up so that will be good to follow through,” said Graham. | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/2016/08/big-shoes-to-fill-as-gm-ice-dogs-welcome-fresh-faces-to-training-camp/ | en | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | thedrydenobserver.ca/986a1c5d3aef5c5ce4d24910b89e82ffc7e683d923a04af461b2c7b685cc181e.json |
[
"Linda Kelso",
"Ontario Lyme Alliance",
"Cynthia Smith",
"James Dyer"
] | 2016-08-26T12:52:01 | null | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthedrydenobserver.ca%2F2016%2F08%2Fdingwallsamsal-win-bass-tournament%2F.json | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Bass-11.jpg | en | null | Dingwall/Samsal win bass tournament | null | null | thedrydenobserver.ca | By Michael Christianson
Scott Dingwall and Jay Samsal took home the 2016 Dryden Bass Championship on Sunday.
The pair are no strangers to the fishing winners circle, they also won the Dryden Walleye Masters this year. This time they brought in 20.08 pounds of bass in the single day tournament beating out second place finalists Jamie and Ashley Bruce who managed to net 17.78 pounds at the tournament.
Over forty teams competed this year on a beautiful Sunday and for Chris Churchill and his partner Cory Roulston it was their first experience ever with the fish.
“It’s our first time bass fishing, never done it before, and we caught five bass so I think it turned out pretty good for us,” said Churchill. “They were fun to catch that’s what we enjoyed about it; compared to the walleye tournaments we normally go in it’s a whole different bag, it was interesting. I’d have to say I like this tournament more than the walleye masters because it’s a little bit more relaxed pace and you can enjoy the day and not worry about things.”
Darren Kennedy has been in this tournament before and he said it was a fantastic day out on the water. His team did better than they did last year and that’s all he was hoping to accomplish this go round.
“It was a great day. We had some really good fishing right off the bat early this morning, probably missed a couple big ones but we had quite a few bites, caught quite a few ended up with about twelve and a half pounds and really enjoyed it.”
Kennedy’s next stop is the Red Lake Fall Classic during the September long weekend.
Dryden Bass Tournament Top 10
Team Weight
1. Scott Dingwall and Jay Samsal 20.08lbs
2. Jamie Bruce and Ashley Bruce 17.78lbs
3. Brandon Kamm and Dale Barker 16.86lbs
4. Keith Kellar and Shannon McKay 16.86lbs
5. Shayne Mozdzen and Jayden Belanger 16.32lbs
6. Jeff Dingwall and Michael Cortens 15.85lbs
7. Kurt West and Josh West 13.18lbs
8. Kyson Jensson and Kasey Jensson 13.02lbs
9. Darren Kennedy and Jeremy Kennedy 12.50lbs
10. Jeff Park and Matt Park 11.50lbs
Big Fish
1. Brandon Kamm and Dale Barker 4.16lbs
2. Scott Dingwall and Jay Samsal 4.10lbs
3. Jeff Dingwall and Michael Cortens 3.88lbs
4. Kyson and Kasey Jensson 3.74lbs
5. Shayne Mozdzen and Jayden Belanger 3.66lbs | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/2016/08/dingwallsamsal-win-bass-tournament/ | en | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | thedrydenobserver.ca/b42c9c6a9298f947b4d44dccda4e205e06832b37272cb955f9d954527be71351.json |
[
"Linda Kelso",
"Ontario Lyme Alliance",
"Cynthia Smith",
"James Dyer"
] | 2016-08-26T12:58:44 | null | 2016-06-19T08:12:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthedrydenobserver.ca%2F2016%2F06%2Fbee-nice-local-beekeeper-advocates-for-bee-friendly-solutions-to-forest-tent-caterpillar-scourge%2Fcomment-page-1%2F.json | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/BEES-reagan.jpg | en | null | Bee nice - Local beekeeper advocates for bee-friendly solutions to forest-tent caterpillar scourge | null | null | thedrydenobserver.ca | By Chris Marchand
A local beekeeper is expressing concern that a long overdue plague of forest tent caterpillars sweeping over the community may have residents reaching for pesticides that will kill off beneficial insects as well.
Reagan Breeze is an avid keeper of bees and passionate champion for the insects and the role they play in the ecosystem.
“I hear a lot of people talking about using some pretty intense insecticides and harsh measures to alleviate the army worm situation we’re going through right now,” said Breeze. “Those chemicals are also going to be affecting honeybees and all the other pollinators out there. The worms are harmless, they’re almost done and the trees are going to grow their leaves back in a few weeks time.”
Breeze says that honeybees are already fighting an uphill battle against diseases, parasites and other poorly understood environmental variables that have led to widespread collapses in bee colonies across North America.
The province recently instituted a ban on the sale of neonicotinoid pesticides after Ontario beekeepers lost over half their hives in 2013- 14.
Breeze fears that many people hang on to out-of-date pesticides from years past and that the sudden re-emergence of the forest tent caterpillars may prompt them to rummage through the garage for a solution.
“They (bees) adapt very easily, but under the current situation, there’s been a really big decline in the past few years. There has been a lot of good awareness being put out there about the importance they play in pollination and growing food and a lot of interest in the art of backyard beekeeping.”
He says some local gardeners are spraying worms with a mixture of dish soap, vinegar and water. Some add rubbing alcohol to the mixture.
The pesticide Bt (bacillus thuringus) affects only caterpillars and is bee-friendly.
Some construct a physical barrier on a tree’s trunk with tin foil or duct-tape slathered in Vaseline or grease that will stop the advance of the caterpillars.
Breeze says he is preparing to approach Dryden City Council to consider some bee friendly policies and to talk about the importance of fostering a bee-friendly culture.
“I’d like to see them set aside a honeybee day,” said Breeze. “I’d also like to see if they would allow beekeepers and people who support beekeepers to allow their lawns to grow in the springtime — maybe have a sign that explains the reasoning for the uncut lawn. I’m not sure what they’d say to that, but it’s something I’d like to address.” | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/2016/06/bee-nice-local-beekeeper-advocates-for-bee-friendly-solutions-to-forest-tent-caterpillar-scourge/comment-page-1/ | en | 2016-06-19T00:00:00 | thedrydenobserver.ca/bbb9b0b8cd0123ef6518620fe71179e22c817471adaf51431edf04b2deb07b7c.json |
[
"Linda Kelso",
"Ontario Lyme Alliance",
"Cynthia Smith",
"James Dyer"
] | 2016-08-26T12:59:07 | null | 2016-05-13T18:43:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthedrydenobserver.ca%2F2016%2F05%2Fshake-your-booty%2Fcomment-page-1%2F.json | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/SHakeBooty-1.jpg | en | null | Shake Your Booty | null | null | thedrydenobserver.ca | Photo by Samantha Hawkins
A night of fun, enchantment and magic was in store for the 750 ladies of the Shake Your Booty Gala in support of the Dryden Regional Health Centre (DRHC).
One of the most consistently successful fundraisers of our era, the event once again filled the Dryden Memorial Arena with fun-seeking females with the goal of emptying their pockets for important equipment purchases at the DRHC. The lofty, but previously met, goal of $100,000 would go to a $55,000 hematology analyzer, $15,000 towards a sterilized cabinet to house previously purchased colonoscope and endoscope; two hospital beds at $10,000 each and $10,000 towards the replacement of the CT Scan unit in 2018.
“It came together easier this year because we’ve done it before, even though it had more pizzazz in the decorations and everything else,” said the Dream Believers’ Mardi Plomp. “We had new Dream Believers on board which made a real difference. It was a matter of getting them acquainted with what their roles would be. We’re such a good team.”
The event was assisted by 50 volunteers and an additional 75 ‘Men In Black’ who ushered ladies into the gala.
The evening began with a ‘Taste of Dryden’ buffet dinner featuring selections from a variety of local restaurants, followed by a welcome toast to cancer survivors and a performance from Judi Greene. A fashion show featured clothing from five local shops, modeled by a range of ages.
Justice Bruyére performed a tribute to First Nations Inuit and Métis survivors of cancer, followed by a choreographed dance by the Dream Believers and Stage Door Studio dancers. Magician Brian Glow was followed by local music acts from Rick Smith, Shannyn Peters and Danielle Trudel.
Live auctions were a big moneymaker for the evening and many thanks go to the business who helped put prize packages together.
“I thank Dr. Bruce Cook and Nurse Practitioner Tina Bryant who did the theme acting for all those auctions,” said Plomp. “It was hilarious.”
Plomp says she hasn’t a clue what the final total of the evening will be just yet. She adds if the event hits its goal of $100,000, it will bring the sum of all monies raised by various Shake Your Booty events over the years to approximately $420,000.
The Dream Believer says that many of the group’s core members have called this their last Shake Your Booty event. Plomp says she hasn’t decided what she’ll do herself.
“We’ve got some new girls on board and we hope they’re going to carry it — they may change it in ways, who knows?” said Plomp. “My goal was always to make half a million dollars. I don’t know how I feel yet, it’s still too close.” | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/2016/05/shake-your-booty/comment-page-1/ | en | 2016-05-13T00:00:00 | thedrydenobserver.ca/7bdd6e379a943684281998b8f6a00517a2e55a3986f7906c7e54c654bfdbe866.json |
[
"Linda Kelso",
"Ontario Lyme Alliance",
"Cynthia Smith",
"James Dyer"
] | 2016-08-26T12:54:39 | null | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthedrydenobserver.ca%2F2016%2F08%2Fmoody-jamboree-celebrates-15-years%2F.json | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/MODY-louieH.jpg | en | null | Moody Jamboree celebrates 15 years | null | null | thedrydenobserver.ca | By Chris Marchand
An annual local music tradition got going a few weeks later than usual this year, but fans of the Moody Jamboree got their fill this past weekend on McKee Rd.
The event was marked by mostly pleasant weather, despite a brief shower on Saturday afternoon.
Jamboree founder Neil Moody says the event happened about four weeks late this year due to wet conditions.
“You couldn’t even walk on the field on the 23rd and 24th of July when we normally have it — so we had to push it back,” said Moody. “You lose a few people because there’s other stuff going on this weekend, but this has probably been our best year for out-of-town musicians.”
The Jamboree’s musical lineup is an ever-evolving and often surprising list of the usual suspects from the local open ‘mic scene, rare appearances by closet performers and serendipitous showings by talented visitors and long lost bands.
Among those long lost bands to dust off a set was local group Streamline, comprised of Ed Price, Chris and Steve Denby and Humberto Pacheco.
Moody says Red Lake’s Franklin Mullin and Stan Laevens were well-received for a commendable set of original tunes.
The event celebrated its 15th year with a strong showing of its usual clientele — a mostly older crowd keen on country, bluegrass and old tyme sounds.
Event emcee, court jester and all around troublemaker Wayne Franklin has been the emcee for many years.
“We get the most wonderful people out here — both the spectators and the musicians,” said Franklin. “Everybody enjoys themselves and looks forward to it all year. We have no limitations — anybody can get up on stage and play whatever they want.”
When the festival wraps up on Sunday evening, many of the spectators lend a hand, making quick work of the cleanup and teardown.
“I built the stage in 2002,” said Moody. “I just added two feet because it was a bit shallow. We’ll probably give this up when those creosote (railway) ties give out — we should get another hundred years out of them.” | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/2016/08/moody-jamboree-celebrates-15-years/ | en | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | thedrydenobserver.ca/74426e901197e4703245afc3f82e230f26a47e5c6894b24c63aa1c147d9b4f3b.json |
[
"Linda Kelso",
"Ontario Lyme Alliance",
"Cynthia Smith",
"James Dyer"
] | 2016-08-26T13:00:59 | null | 2016-06-16T12:23:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthedrydenobserver.ca%2F2015%2F01%2Fbusiness-new-vet-at-helm-of-trans-canada-pet-clinic%2Fcomment-page-1%2F.json | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/webTransCanadaVet.jpg | en | null | BUSINESS: New vet at helm of Trans Canada Pet Clinic | null | null | thedrydenobserver.ca | By Chris Marchand
A local veterinary clinic has changed hands.
Dr. Puran Das has purchased the clinic from its founder Dr. James Brown, who has retired.
Originally from Pakistan, Dr. Das comes to Dryden from his most recent veterinary post at Regina’s 24 Hour Animal Care Centre. After immigrating to Canada in 2002, he obtained his license to practice in North America in 2006.
Dr. Das expects his wife and family to join him in Dryden soon as they await the sale of the their home in Saskatchewan.
“I passed through Dryden once before eight years ago when I moved from Pembroke to Regina and I liked the area. It’s a very pretty place to live “ said Dr. Das. “I saw the opportunity here and it all happened very quickly and unexpectedly for us. Maybe it was destined.”
Dr. Das hopes to expand on the Trans Canada Pet Clinic stable of services, including expertise with exotic species like snakes, ferrets, birds and reptiles.
More orthopedic surgeries and ultra-sounds services are also planned to increase.
“I have a lot of experience in veterinary emergency practice and critical cases,” said Dr. Das. “I have done lots of plating, cruciate surgeries, pinnings and ultrasounds. I will be adding those services to the area because in certain cases people have to travel to either Winnipeg or Thunder Bay. I feel that having those services in here will be an improvement.”
For a complete look at the services offered by Trans Canada Pet Clinic check out their website at www.transcanadapetclinic.com, or call the clinic for more information at 223-5900. | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/2015/01/business-new-vet-at-helm-of-trans-canada-pet-clinic/comment-page-1/ | en | 2016-06-16T00:00:00 | thedrydenobserver.ca/7b42699b05171343d7a96ab7530362276987f3940c0984be06f234f73c2cbd9f.json |
[
"Linda Kelso",
"Ontario Lyme Alliance",
"Cynthia Smith",
"James Dyer"
] | 2016-08-26T12:53:02 | null | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthedrydenobserver.ca%2F2016%2F08%2Fthe-highest-common-denominator%2F.json | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Hip-1.jpg | en | null | The highest common denominator | null | null | thedrydenobserver.ca | For those who might not know anything about The Tragically Hip, let alone why your nation would come to a standstill to celebrate a band’s final concert, my hope is to place a plank wide enough to roll a motorized scooter over the generation gap.
I think that to understand what makes The Tragically Hip so special to a couple generations of Canadians has everything to do with how we define ourselves, or struggle to.
A vast land of diverse peoples, Canada has always been a nation whose people have grasped for some semblance of group identity. Like most people who might live thousands of kilometres apart, we fear in our core that we have little in common with each other but the weather.
Our history lacks the same kind of grandiose legends and mythmaking of our neighbours to the south. What cultural uniformity we do have seems curated and doled out by our national broadcaster in National Film Board shorts like the Log Drivers’ Waltz, or in clever marketing campaigns for beer that play off our longing to hold ourselves somehow separate from the often overwhelming cultural influence of America.
Enter The Tragically Hip in the late 1980s and early 90s — in an era of shallow, vapid American glamour rock — came a band who, in the beginning, had stripped their rock music down to something closer to the blues and paired it with a poet the likes of which had not been seen since Leonard Cohen.
But Cohen was never able to do what Gordon Downie could — a singer and lyricist who through some alchemical fusion of words and nuance could unite both Saskatchewan farm boys and Mississauga mall rats in common voice.
The songs themselves really had no place among their contemporaries.
Listening to them was something akin to rifling through old newspapers in your Grandma’s attic — Downie’s lyrics populated by characters from Canada’s past or using historical events as set pieces in explorations of characters like the wrongfully convicted David Milgaard (Wheat Kings), Group of Seven painter Tom Thomson and in Flanders Field author John McCrae (Three Pistols). There was the legendary disappearance of Toronto Maple Leaf Bill Barilko (Fifty Mission Cap), or the 1972 Summit Series and all its Cold War paranoia (Fireworks).
My all-time favourite among these (Nautical Disaster) is a song about the sinking of the German battleship Bismarck set into the bitter end of a relationship.
While he might have been singing about the people on our money, it never seems Downie’s intention to edify his fans on history. He is simply being the man he is, the lens through which we’ve chosen to see ourselves and make sense of our place in the world. In the manner of a true poet, Downie’s words humanize history and make us feel something deeply about our shared past.
There’s always a price to pay for going after the highest common denominator.
In 1993, I was one of 24,000 in the crowd at Winnipeg Stadium for the first Another Roadside Attraction — a festival headlined by The Hip in the era of their ‘Fully Completely’ album. When the band would cross over into the U.S., they could find themselves playing small clubs to a few dozen people and whatever Canadian ex-pats got wind of the show.
Being not just a Canadian band, but ‘Canada’s Band’ has placed them in a very unique position — universal adoration within our borders and relative obscurity beyond them.
Now, that man is living on borrowed time, recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer that doctors say will eventually claim his life.
To bear witness to the manner in which this exemplary Canadian has chosen to spend the time he has left is truly inspiring — an event worthy of being written into a musical history of its own someday.
Someday perhaps my daughter will sort through confusing memories of a concert on the television with both her parents sitting on the couch sobbing and unable to explain why.
“Honey, it’s like saying goodbye to an old friend.”
— Chris Marchand | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/2016/08/the-highest-common-denominator/ | en | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | thedrydenobserver.ca/025b38d6a75f9e45c03ec36c36b36ff02ccc81c8330d1d0f6aca562ce86d2866.json |
[
"Linda Kelso",
"Ontario Lyme Alliance",
"Cynthia Smith",
"James Dyer"
] | 2016-08-26T12:57:22 | null | 2016-07-14T22:19:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthedrydenobserver.ca%2F2016%2F06%2Fmuseum-exhibit-probes-regional-history-of-bush-pilots%2Fcomment-page-1%2F.json | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/museum-scalemodel.jpg | en | null | Museum exhibit probes regional history of bush pilots | null | null | thedrydenobserver.ca | By Michael Christianson
The Dryden and District Museum is giving you an eagle eye view this summer.
‘By the seat of your pants!’ is a travelling exhibit from the Lake of the Woods Museum about the history of bush flying in the area and it promises to offer a glimpse into the lives of these pilots.
“Bush flying is part of the history of Northwestern Ontario; with all the tourists and even mining industries, everybody uses bush planes to go into remote areas,” said museum curator Leah Gardner. “We just thought it would be good travelling exhibit to bring in, particularly in the summer because it seems like lots of people will come and see something like this. We found with our winter exhibit that’s outdoor stuff, history of hunting and fishing last year and it brought lots of people in so we thought ‘what can we do in the summer months during the tourist season to bring in people who may be visiting in the area and as well local residence to see if we can entice them to come in. We’re working with a couple of local pilots and they’re bringing in some stuff just to add some three dimensional pieces to it.”
Local pieces include the flight suit of Ray Fread and he has been busy collecting other items for the museum to display. Fread is expected to be at the museum on July 15 for an evening of stories and refreshments. Fread has flown all over the world.
The exhibit will even feature a flight simulator so you can test your navigational skills.
The museum is hoping to get more guests in this summer and they are offering free admission on Thursdays, which begins on July 7 so that everyone can come down and enjoy what they have to offer.
‘By the seat of your pants!’ will run at the Dryden Museum from June 30 until August 31. | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/2016/06/museum-exhibit-probes-regional-history-of-bush-pilots/comment-page-1/ | en | 2016-07-14T00:00:00 | thedrydenobserver.ca/72b7ae3f2fa478d3ae2512a4e8f49ca462404022614b920a6e9eb96d45fc0dc4.json |
[
"Linda Kelso",
"Ontario Lyme Alliance",
"Cynthia Smith",
"James Dyer"
] | 2016-08-26T12:52:32 | null | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthedrydenobserver.ca%2F2016%2F08%2Fnorthern-homecoming-cofield-and-fischler-stay-in-the-moment-in-lokah-sangha-gig%2F.json | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/TimGabrielle.jpg | en | null | Northern homecoming - Cofield and Fischler stay in the moment in Lokah Sangha gig | null | null | thedrydenobserver.ca | By Chris Marchand
A far-flung former Drydenite played his guitar and sang for a crowd with some help from friends old and new, Aug. 9 at Lokah Sangha Yoga.
Born in Dryden and hailing from a family of Tennessee missionaries, Tim Cofield grew up at Camp of the Woods near Dinorwic and attended Dryden High School. There, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, he would meet another strange, shy Grade 9 student — Stephen Cortens — with whom he shared an obsession with music.
“I was a loner and didn’t have many friends. I had to entertain myself because I lived so far out,” said Cofield. “Meeting Steve in ninth grade — we both came from religious backgrounds, we were both weird, eccentric young dudes who were trying to figure things out — and we became best friends. You don’t have a lot of friendship throughout your life with people you’ve known from a young age. Steve is one of those guys that I’ll always be able to pick up where we left off.”
Cortens, now a music teacher at Open Roads, accompanied Cofield for over half his set at Lokah Sangha.
After high school, Cofield took his dreams of playing music back to Tennessee, forming a band that would release two albums in five years before Cofield says things fell apart.
“Everybody quit within two weeks and I just gave up,” said Cofield. “I wasn’t paying the bills with this, so I moved down to Chattanooga, Tennessee and didn’t play music for a long time. I just started, very recently, to play again.”
Now a commercial filmmaker, Cofield says music is edging its way back into his creative endeavours. His pilgrimmages to Northwestern Ontario are marked by an annual performance at Sioux Lookout’s Blueberry Fest.
“Music’s kind of a tradition, a vehicle and an excuse to get up here,” he said. “I love the north and it’s the only way I get to see high school buddies.”
Lending a refined sound to Cofield’s tunes was New Orleans’ violinist Gabrielle Fischler.
“I only met her a month ago in Chattanooga while she was travelling through with a friend,” said Cofield. “I saw her in a pub with a violin. I approached her and we played music that night together. We met later that month in New York and played again. I asked her, ‘Do you want to go to Canada with me?’ I’m glad she did because it makes it so much more interesting than hearing me play by myself. She’s pretty much here because she believes in the music and I’m really fortunate for it.”
More accustomed to reading charts in the orchestra pit, the classically-trained Fischler finds herself thrust rather suddenly into the realm of improvisation with Cofield.
“A lot of it is about mindset and really being able to let go,” said Fischler. “So many orchestral and classical musicians, because we’re used to having all the notation in front of us and because we practice a lot, our fingers and our muscle memory knows where to go. We’re on automatic. You can’t do that with this music. You have to be completely present and in the moment.” | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/2016/08/northern-homecoming-cofield-and-fischler-stay-in-the-moment-in-lokah-sangha-gig/ | en | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | thedrydenobserver.ca/1c7ceda5ce3c0576346e4b883b61197e6c7acbbaf732e2d0dfbd1d42fac9a0ff.json |
[
"Linda Kelso",
"Ontario Lyme Alliance",
"Cynthia Smith",
"James Dyer"
] | 2016-08-26T12:47:26 | null | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthedrydenobserver.ca%2F2016%2F08%2Fpatricia-dzikowski-1922-2016%2F.json | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/pic-236x300.jpg | en | null | Patricia Dzikowski - 1922 - 2016 | null | null | thedrydenobserver.ca | The family of Patricia Dzikowski, wish to announce the passing of our beloved mother and Baba, who peacefully passed away at the Dryden Regional Health Centre. She entered into eternal rest on Friday, August 5, 2016, at the age of 94.
Pat was born in Arran, Saskatchewan on July 12, 1922. Her early farming days influenced her to become a hard-working and independent woman which she remained throughout her life. In her 20’s, she met her soulmate Bill, married and had three children Roy, Gloria and Phyllis . Bill’s job on the CN railway brought the family to Ontario and ultimately to Richan.
Pat kept busy cooking, sewing, gardening, and enjoying her flowers. She loved her home and pets. Everyone was welcome, whether they were family, neighbours, or strangers looking for a meal. There was always work to be done, but to her, family was number one. Nothing mattered more. We share many memories of playing cards, laughing together and savouring her delicious perogies, homemade bread, and the special 12 dishes for Ukrainian Christmas Eve.
Pat was an active member of the Richan Women’s Institute and Friends and enjoyed visiting with ladies
over tea. She was kind and generous. Pat was full of grace, always so thankful for every blessing. While life was not always easy, she carried on with positive energy, teaching us to keep trying, to believe anything is possible and that there’s always a silver lining to be appreciated. Her smile, her laugh and her warm hugs will be dearly missed.
Pat was predeceased by her parents Mary and Joseph Wegzenowski, by her beloved husband William,
as well as her siblings Lena, Vera, Ann, Helen and Walter.
Pat is survived by her children Roy Dzikowski (Debora) of Dryden, Gloria Dzikowski of Midland and Phyllis Bauldic (Ray) of Dryden, as well as her grandchildren Lynda, Jennifer, Michael, Leigh-Anne, Heather, Lynsey, Andrew, Chelsea, nine great grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were held on Friday, August 12 at 1 p.m. at the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church with Father Allan Campeau officiating. Interment followed at the Dryden Cemetery.
Visitation was held Thursday August 11th from 6 to 8 pm at the Dryden Community Funeral Home with prayers at 7 p.m.
Donations may be made to Richan W. I. and Friends through Dryden Community Funeral Home
249 Grand Trunk Ave. Dryden On. P8N 2X3. | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/2016/08/patricia-dzikowski-1922-2016/ | en | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | thedrydenobserver.ca/6e8cc228d060f8379d1050dbf15b83acc3dda1f87f22db14aa011a0a01f69951.json |
[
"Linda Kelso",
"Ontario Lyme Alliance",
"Cynthia Smith",
"James Dyer"
] | 2016-08-26T12:49:23 | null | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthedrydenobserver.ca%2F2016%2F08%2Farena-group-gets-hands-dirty%2F.json | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Arena-2.jpg | en | null | Arena group gets hands dirty | null | null | thedrydenobserver.ca | By Michael Christianson
Dryden Recreation Extension and Modification (DREAM) group had all hands on deck at the Memorial Arena last weekend getting some first steps into their goal of fixing up the facility.
“We’re rearranging the seats by colour, it makes the presentation of the Memorial Arena much neater and cleaner and it’s part of our ongoing efforts to bring this 38 year old building up to standards,” said Kent Sinclair. “We’ve applied with the Dryden Economic Development Corp for two different grants; the first grant is all on accessibility to make the public washrooms 2016 Ontario building code standards. The second application is to create 12 exercise stations in the entrance and in the lobby for seniors that are walking down here.”
The group has also applied for recreational facility money through the Building Canada Fund.
DREAM’s other goals for the arena includes a new ceiling, new sports flooring and painting as well as a 2200 square foot addition to Arena #2 based off of plans drafted in 2008. | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/2016/08/arena-group-gets-hands-dirty/ | en | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | thedrydenobserver.ca/54d22da11ca4b09f18ff271d5b233fbadd704985f89a9bcafe896772b16a6a13.json |
[
"Linda Kelso",
"Ontario Lyme Alliance",
"Cynthia Smith",
"James Dyer"
] | 2016-08-26T12:56:25 | null | 2016-08-03T20:41:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthedrydenobserver.ca%2F2016%2F08%2Fbrunner-making-progress-in-lyme-disease-treatments%2Fcomment-page-1%2F.json | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/webBrunner.jpg | en | null | Brunner making progress in Lyme Disease treatments | null | null | thedrydenobserver.ca | By Michael Christianson
Shopper’s Drug Mart held a barbeque fundraiser last week for someone they consider a part of their family. Sara Brunner was diagnosed with Lyme disease earlier this year and Shopper’s took the opportunity last week to raise some money for her during the Dryden Days of Summer.
Brunner returned to Washington D.C. on Monday for more treatments and she says that her story has caught the attention of documentarians as part of a documentary about Lyme disease in Ontario.
“They’ve already sent me a huge package of video equipment so we’re doing lots of videoing at home; it’s been a huge learning curve for that too,” said Brunner. “And then they are actually flying us from Washington to Ottawa for a couple days to do an interview there and kind of hang out for a day and see how things are.”
Brunner is at the end of her second treatment and she says she has been less nauseous but still feels tired.
“This month I’ve been extremely exhausted every day,” explains Brunner. “The other night I fell asleep on the couch and I was so incoherent, like the exhaustion was at the level where I couldn’t stand up, I couldn’t lift my head. Stephen had to pick me up off the couch; he tried standing me to see if I could walk to the bedroom but I just kept falling over, I was like a ragdoll.”
Brunner says she has been feeling better in some ways than she has all year, progress is coming and she continues to be overwhelmed by the response of Dryden.
“This community has been, I don’t even have words to describe how great it is to be from such a small community where everybody cares,” said Brunner. “I’m still getting cards in the mail and you don’t expect people to think of you after, you know back in March was when I first aired it all out there and everything came in at once and there are still people reaching out.” | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/2016/08/brunner-making-progress-in-lyme-disease-treatments/comment-page-1/ | en | 2016-08-03T00:00:00 | thedrydenobserver.ca/a5d997fd37c11ffa8f6844812ae5755724061451518a54854ce7174ba66cbeea.json |
[
"Linda Kelso",
"Ontario Lyme Alliance",
"Cynthia Smith",
"James Dyer"
] | 2016-08-26T12:55:56 | null | 2016-08-12T21:22:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthedrydenobserver.ca%2F2016%2F08%2Ftroutfest-stage-to-feature-jane-siberry-24th-street-wailers%2Fcomment-page-1%2F.json | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/webTrout-FireCMYK.jpg | en | null | TroutFest stage to feature Jane Siberry, 24th Street Wailers | null | null | thedrydenobserver.ca | By Chris Marchand
Northwestern Ontario’s favourite music festival returns to the shores of Ear Falls Waterfront park this weekend, Aug. 12-14 with a new crop of stage veterans and emerging talents from near and afar.
Heading into its 21st year, The Trout Forest Music Festival features a lineup of 28 acts across three stages and many late-night campfire jams.
Trout Fest Music Director Devin Latimer says the festival was able to pull in some well-established names in the Canadian folk scene with a little help from his wife and Leaf Rapids bandmate Keri Latimer.
“I had been trying to book Jane Siberry now for a number of years,” said Latimer. “I’d just kind of assumed I couldn’t afford her, but I also knew that she does like to play smaller concerts so I just kept trying. She’s also kind of friends with my wife, and she reached out saying she was interested in playing some festivals this summer. That spurred on a few other bookings like Oh Susanna, from Toronto. Other than that, in looking for a real ‘dancy’ headliner, I booked the 24th St. Wailers. They’re going to be out there all weekend long. They’re a real high-energy, dance and jivey blues band.”
In a region often described by touring musicians as a bit of a black hole for live music, Latimer says the festival seems to balance the challenges posed by its relatively remote location with its many charms — sending bands home happy and spreading the word amongst their cohorts.
“The festival really does have a good reputation, so a lot of bands want to play it,” said Latimer. “We generally pull bands in because they’re driving by on the Trans-Canada, but sometimes they come long distances, or fly-in just for it. We get a bit of everything. We’re not offering the big money like the big festivals, but we do okay.”
First timers to this well-established tradition will notice a significant difference from other music festivals, most notably a distinct blurring of the lines between performer and participant, especially as the stage is darkened and the music moves to more intimate campfire settings.
“There’s no real backstage area, no fence cutting you off from the performers — they’re just wandering around like everybody else and I think that’s what the performers also love. They find it really refreshing. It’s not a big deal that everybody’s mingling and swimming in the lake. The friendly people and the hospitality is part of what attracts performers and the crowd.”
Thunder Bay’s Greenbank Trio and Sioux Lookout’s Nick Sherman join the 24th St. Wailers to open the festival in the Frank’s Tavern Stage on Friday evening followed by new workshops on the hour, culminating in an Octoberfest explosion with Washboard Hank and the Geszundheits.
Saturday Night’s main stage lineup includes hour-long slots from Small Glories, a workshop called The Grand ‘Ol Trout Opry, Jane Siberry, The Abrams and a rollicking set from the 24th St. Wailers.
Thunder Bay legend Rodney Brown will be playing throughout the weekend. No longer part of the regional showcase, Kenora’s Mike Procyshyn and Lonesome Boxcar will also stage their return to the Trout lineup.
Kenora’s Brooklyn Doran, Jesse McIsaac and Reilly Scott will be featured performers throughout the weekend.
For a full stage schedule and info on the lineup of performers check out www.troutfest.com.
Trout Forest Music Festival tickets can be purchased locally at The Golden Nectar and CKDR. | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/2016/08/troutfest-stage-to-feature-jane-siberry-24th-street-wailers/comment-page-1/ | en | 2016-08-12T00:00:00 | thedrydenobserver.ca/10563b6fb251433e7425b07ab32f7f9feb83309debb358775d301156eee77b89.json |
[
"Linda Kelso",
"Ontario Lyme Alliance",
"Cynthia Smith",
"James Dyer"
] | 2016-08-26T12:50:58 | null | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthedrydenobserver.ca%2F2016%2F08%2F100k-donation-to-drhc%2F.json | http://www.thedrydenobserver.ca/wp-content/themes/LondonLive/images/pinecone.png | en | null | 100K donation to DRHC | null | null | thedrydenobserver.ca | By Michael Christianson
August 9 was a very special day for the Dryden Regional Health Centre.
The DRHC received a $100,000 donation from a former patient who has chosen to remain anonymous. The donor gave the generous amount after seeing first hand the good work the hospital does on a daily basis.
“The hospital has been good to me, I was diagnosed with cancer years ago and the staff there were very good to me. I am healthy now and wanted to do something good for them,” said the donor.
“It’s certainly a powerful donation that we got, it’s not something that happens every day at the Dryden Regional Health Centre but it certainly is something we’re very grateful for,” said Kim Vares, the director of stakeholder engagement and relations at the health centre. “While we get great support from our community and across the region on a continual basis this is really a powerful donation and it sends a really strong message to our staff; it’s recognition and acknowledgement of the great work that they do on a daily basis and it really goes miles to helping them realize what a meaningful impact they can make on a patients life.”
Recruitment and Fundraising Coordinator Chuck Schmitt says there has been some early discussions of where the donation will go and he says this large donation highlights the generosity of the region.
“We’re grateful we have a really supportive community. The business community has rallied at times when we’ve run larger campaigns and the public has been great,” said Schmitt. “We’re not blessed like a place like Kenora or Winnipeg where there are large populations of wealthier people. So we really are more grassroots so when something like this comes along every penny counts.” | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/2016/08/100k-donation-to-drhc/ | en | 2016-08-17T00:00:00 | thedrydenobserver.ca/f2772c0b1c928895d6932b7ccd3b93294aaa81dc856c08980fb02b6cf6268ca5.json |
[
"Linda Kelso",
"Ontario Lyme Alliance",
"Cynthia Smith",
"James Dyer"
] | 2016-08-26T12:57:47 | null | 2016-06-28T08:20:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fthedrydenobserver.ca%2F2016%2F06%2Famerican-hunter-bowhunts-536-pound-black-bear%2Fcomment-page-1%2F.json | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/bear1.jpg | en | null | American hunter bowhunts 536 pound black bear | null | null | thedrydenobserver.ca | By Michael Christianson
When Randy Zeman heard about the big bear with the black muzzle he knew that was the one he wanted. While out hunting with his wife Jami he told her that they’re not going to get a big one if they shoot a little one, his patience would pay off.
The couple from Baraboo, Wisconsin came to Indian Point Camp on Wabigoon Lake for their 38th wedding anniversary. In Wisconsin there is no spring bear hunt and bear hunting works on a point system that can take 6-8 years to draw.
Zeman said there was only one way to describe what he saw when hunting from his popup blind.
“I saw just this massive black blob coming out from my left and it so dwarfed this other bear that we sized for quite some time; that it was a decent bear and I see this blob and I looked over at my wife and said ‘here he comes.’ I knew immediately it was just a different animal all together,” recalls Zeman. “So it comes in real slow, it probably took five minutes to get all the way up there. It comes up and it just makes a half circle out of its legs and stares at us from 18 yards. I’m sitting in the popup and I’m having trouble breathing now. I just got to get it together so I stopped breathing through my mouth and started breathing through my nose and he’s just standing there staring at us. Then he sits down, backs up, sat down and stared at us, he knew we were there! After a little while he got up again, took a step, I picked up my bow and pulled up, took another step, it was probably five minutes and he stopped again and he just stared then he took a step towards the site and I waited for him to put his left leg forward and I pulled back and it was angling just a little bit toward me and I pulled the trigger and the arrow went and I watched the arrow go through him and into the ground on the other side but he turned and ran.”
Zeman said his legs were in knots after the kill; he has hunted elk and bucks but nothing compared to this.
Zeman and his wife both ended up killing bears during their week at Indian Point Camp and they stressed that this was the best hunting experience they have ever had and it was because of Indian Point which made them feel like family.
Marc McNay from Indian Point and host of The Real Deal was happy to be welcomed into their hunting experience and says the spring bear hunt not only creates lasting experiences for hunters but also helps to boost the economy.
“The spring bear hunt in Ontario it was controversial, there’s no doubt about that; but when you’re harvesting mature boars like that you’re not harvesting cubs with sows at heel, you’re not harvesting sows at all if you can help it,” says McNay. “The influx into the economy from the area has got to be huge because you have people like Randy and Jami coming up, they’re hitting Wal-Mart, they’re hitting restaurants, they have to buy a few things and that gets the economy flowing earlier in the year for the tourist outfitters.”
Scenes from the hunt will be featured on season three of ‘Indian Point Camp’s The Real Deal’ while season two is set to debut this month with a special screening party and banquet happening at The Centre in Dryden on June 25. | http://thedrydenobserver.ca/2016/06/american-hunter-bowhunts-536-pound-black-bear/comment-page-1/ | en | 2016-06-28T00:00:00 | thedrydenobserver.ca/ded7e5e3859201fb25016cb43cdf03f6f0e3d2c2b0722e5891b39ce0b4dfa7d1.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:52:54 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | Much has been said and continues to be said about the performance of our athletes at the just concluded Rio Olympics. Most comments have centred around the disappointment that only a single bronze medal has come our way.
First, let me make the point that | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Fletters%2F2016-08-26%2Four-athlete-ambassadors-represented-us-well.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/guardianfav1.ico | en | null | Our athlete-ambassadors represented us well | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | Much has been said and continues to be said about the performance of our athletes at the just concluded Rio Olympics. Most comments have centred around the disappointment that only a single bronze medal has come our way.
First, let me make the point that it cannot be doubted that when an athlete dons the colours of his or her country, he or she would be aware that his or her own glory is intrinsically linked to that of his or her country.
Therefore, it would be irrational to expect him or her to render less than his or her best. The reason that our athletes have not been able to bring home more medals in the truly competitive arena that is the Olympics, is due not to a lack of patriotism but lies elsewhere. We must therefore assume that all our athletes had done their best in the circumstances.
The Olympics, held every four years, are of important international relations significance as they provide one of several forums for attempting to foster international friendship and goodwill among nations. This importance is recognised by the presence, at the opening ceremonies, of several heads of state and government, including the USA, and the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
I venture to suggest, therefore, that when an athlete puts on the colours of his country in competition, he or she is in effect an ambassador of his or her country even though he or she may not eventually be crowned with a “Medal of Glory.” May I say more in support of our T&T athletes?
Errol O C Cupid,
Trincity, Tacarigua | http://www.guardian.co.tt/letters/2016-08-26/our-athlete-ambassadors-represented-us-well | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/2e7d37cc44a8ba776d67d93778d9bf1043ffb0ad35f3d3109ea540fed8336d7c.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T04:50:17 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | The bodies of two decomposing men were discovered yesterday morning at Invaders Bay, off the Audrey Jeffers Highway.
One of the men was found floating in the Gulf of Paria while the other was found hog tied on the shore.
According to Lieutenant Sherron | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Fnews%2F2016-08-30%2Ftwo-nude-bodies-found.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/guardianfav1.ico | en | null | Two nude bodies found | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | The bodies of two decomposing men were discovered yesterday morning at Invaders Bay, off the Audrey Jeffers Highway.
One of the men was found floating in the Gulf of Paria while the other was found hog tied on the shore.
According to Lieutenant Sherron Manswell, public affairs officer of the T&T Coast Guard, they received a call at 6.55 am from a pilot boat. The report stated that there was a nude body floating in the Port-of-Spain harbour, Birthing Area 8. Officers responded to the call and retrieved the body around 8.18 am.
About two hours later, officers of the Western Division responded to a report of a nude body found near a pile of burnt rubble on the shoreline behind the Marriott Hotel. Police said the man was found hog tied with rope and is believed to have washed ashore prior to the discovery of the other body.
Police told the T&T Guardian that the district medical officer told them the men appeared to have been in the water for almost two days before they were found.
Police said due to the length of time the men were in the water their skin had become discoloured and they could not identify any markings or tattoos on them. Police are now asking anyone who may have a relative who may have gone missing at sea recently to come forward.
However, Manswell said there were no reports of anyone missing at sea recently so he could not say if the men may have fallen off a boat or whether they were dumped in the water after being killed elsewhere.
Autopsies are expected to be done on the men later this week to determine cause of death. | http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2016-08-30/two-nude-bodies-found | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/78f39434b2b03ede90279554eb59e667af976ed5e185e0f423022001f4e70798.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T04:50:01 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | As the country celebrates its 54th anniversary of independence on Wednesday, many politicians and public figures will offer greetings and anniversary messages.
The Sunday Guardian asked our audience to post photos that show why they are proud to be from | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Fnews%2F2016-08-28%2Fphotos-why-do-you-love-tt.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/front/14040043_10208397590596201_9093697498353322239_n.jpg?itok=vFxOMcVe | en | null | Photos: Why do you love T&T? | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | As the country celebrates its 54th anniversary of independence on Wednesday, many politicians and public figures will offer greetings and anniversary messages.
The Sunday Guardian asked our audience to post photos that show why they are proud to be from T&T.
These are some of your responses.
Kareem Durity posted this photo from the 2015 Pan American games. T&T won eight medals at the Pan American games, three gold, three silver and two bronze. T&T has participated in the games since inception in 1951.
Ariel Spiers created this collage showing her family's love for T&T.
"My family... showing our love for our sweet T&T. Although I'm not in d pic.. they show our true patriotism and love for our country.. Thank God for who we are."
"I am not a citizen of the country, but a legal immigrant living in this beautiful land for the past 17 years. Proud to call myself 'Trini to the Bone" - Louisa Deonarine.
"In the service of the people of Trinidad and Tobago...we serve with pride!" -Sherie-ann Sheppard
"Trinidad is where the heart is...always will be home." - Sangeeta Chapman.
"Roots. Its important to know where you came from." - Leena Moran.
Comment on Facebook and tell us what makes you proud of your country on this 54th anniversary of independence. | http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2016-08-28/photos-why-do-you-love-tt | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/dbe5580a052732e03b7c3445063e612f4e3eb39747fb122fa0944acdcf20b71a.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T12:49:09 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | Holland-based T&T winger Levi Garcia is hoping to pick up from where he left off when the T&T Soca Warriors resume their 2018 Concacaf Group C Semifinal Round World Cup qualifying campaign. The Soca Warriors host Guatemala on Friday at the Hasely | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Fsport%2F2016-08-28%2Fgarcia-looking-forward-guatemala-clash.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/field/image/Untitled-2_308.jpg?itok=VxPRo3cp | en | null | Garcia looking forward to Guatemala clash | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | Holland-based T&T winger Levi Garcia is hoping to pick up from where he left off when the T&T Soca Warriors resume their 2018 Concacaf Group C Semifinal Round World Cup qualifying campaign. The Soca Warriors host Guatemala on Friday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo from 7.06 pm before heading to Jacksonville, Florida to meet USA on September 6.
It’s been just over six months since Garcia made his senior international debut for T&T which he marked with a match-winning double in a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over St Vincent and the Grenadines at Arnos Vale and the 18-year-old from Santa Flora, now a seasoned pro in the Dutch Eredivisie is hoping to again bring his A-game for Guatemala.
T&T currently sits at the top of the four-team group with ten points, three ahead of USA while Guatemala is next with six points and St Vincent and the Grenadines, bottom of the table without a point.
With two matches left for each team the Kenwyne Jones-captained Soca Warriors need only a point to qualify as one of the top two teams from the group to earn a spot in the six-team Final Round of Qualifiers to the World Cup in Russia.
Garcia said, “It’s going to be a big occasion for us and I am seeing a tough game as well for us on Friday. But we will be ready for it. We have an amazing team spirit and a great squad that will pull us through.
“I have not played against Guatemala before but I have seen the games and I know the Central American style so I expect they will come all out and try to stamp their authority. But we have shown that we are capable of putting them on the back foot which is exactly what we will need to do. Once we settle in early and we make sure to avoid any silly mistakes then the game will be ours.”
Garcia has played in all three of AZ Alkmaar’s matches so far this season and is expected to feature for them today before arriving in Port of Spain on Tuesday to join the T&T team. He also scored three goals for the club in their preseason campaign.
“I had a strong preseason and we’ve already played three games in the new season. I feel really good at the moment. I’m just very excited as always to meet up with my national teammates for these two World Cup qualifiers,” he said.
The T&T team enters a live-in camp today while the Guatemalans arrive in Port of Spain.
T&T coach Stephen Hart is expected to have some light sessions with the players who are already in camp today while full preparations begin tomorrow with the majority of the squad.
“We have some of the players coming in on Monday and Tuesday but we’ll start some work with those that are here on Sunday evening. The important thing will be to have everyone here healthy and ready for the match. It’s nothing new to us in terms of having a full squad in maybe three to four days before a match. We’ll focus on what we need to do and manage our preparations in relation to Friday’s match in a fully concentrated mode,” Hart said.
Tickets for Friday’s match remain on sale at Lotto locations nationwide and are priced at $300 (covered) and $150 (uncovered). Gates open at 4 pm on Friday ahead of the 7.06 pm kick off.
T&T Soca Warriors squad
Goalkeepers: Marvin Phillip (Morvant Caledonia AIA), Greg Ranjitsingh (Louisville City FC), Adrian Foncette (Police FC).
Defenders: Aubrey David (Dallas FC), Radanfah Abu Bakr (JK Silame Kalev), Sheldon Bateau (FC Krylia Sovetov), Carlyle Mitchell (Seoul E-Land FC), Daneil Cyrus (W Connection FC), Yohance Marshall (Murcielagos FC), Mekeil Williams (Colorado Rapids).
Midfielders: Joevin Jones (Seattle Sounders), Andre Boucaud (Dagenham & Redbridge), Hughtun Hector (W Connection FC), John Bostock (Racing Lens), Levi Garcia (AZ Almaar), Kevin Molino (Orlando City), Khaleem Hyland (KVC Westerlo), Neveal Hackshaw (Charleston Battery), Jomal Williams (Murciealagos FC), Kevan George (Jacksonville Armada FC).
Forwards: Trevin Caesar (Orange County FC), Shahdon Winchester (Murciealagos FC), Cordell Cato (San Jose Earthquakes), Kenwyne Jones (Central FC). | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sport/2016-08-28/garcia-looking-forward-guatemala-clash | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/c92fd05c55a1558b6e9e00cffea4dc1b7ee028bb6941c774f2df73c99f6f6e0f.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T12:52:26 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | MIAMI - Former West Indies middle order batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul is continuing to protest his unceremonious expulsion from the regional squad, saying he has given yeoman service without being honoured.
Chanderpaul, 42, who was dropped from the West | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Fsport%2F2016-08-31%2Fdisrespected-chanders-laments-treatment-wicb.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/field/image/Untitled-2_312.jpg?itok=joLNn2y4 | en | null | Disrespected: Chanders laments treatment from WICB | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | MIAMI - Former West Indies middle order batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul is continuing to protest his unceremonious expulsion from the regional squad, saying he has given yeoman service without being honoured.
Chanderpaul, 42, who was dropped from the West Indies squad before the series against Australia last year, says his departure “was not handled properly”.
The veteran left-hander was axed after a poor run of form that saw him make 183 runs at 16.63 in the 11 innings that followed his 30th and final Test century a few months earlier against Bangladesh.
“You’ve put in so many years. A lot of times you’ve been injured and you still go out and play,” said the Guyanese cricketer, in an interview with ESPNcriinfo.
“A lot of times I went back home to Guyana injured from tours that I’ve been on for West Indies and go back home and play, and you give so much service for your country and to West Indies and on the back end you were not properly honoured for it.”
Chanderpaul, who boasts a career average of 51, has averaged just 16 from his last 11 innings.
Overall, however, he has scored 11,867 from 164 Tests, with 30 hundreds and is just 87 runs short of overtaking Brian Lara as the leading West Indies run-scorer of all time.
“I ended up getting the same treatment in the back end of it, where you are totally disrespected and you were not treated right, and you’ve given so many years of service to the Caribbean,” he complained.
“There’s nobody there to properly honour you and send you off properly, maybe like what Sachin [Tendulkar] got in India or some of the other players I’ve seen got a proper send-off. It was nothing like that. It hurt in the end because you’ve done so much for the West Indies”.
Chanderpaul played five games for Guyana in the last edition of the WICB Professional Cricket League (PCL), averaging 49.83 to help them to defend their title.
Considered a West Indies cricket legend, Chanderpaul insists that there has been a lack of gratitude for his service to the region but conceded that he was not the only one who received an undignified farewell.
“I don’t think [the selectors] handled it properly. It was not the way they should have done something.
They should have done it better,” said Chanderpaul whose last appearance came in May 2015, against England, where he made a nine-ball duck.
“This is something that happened way back in the past, when I started my career with some of the senior players, maybe like [Courtney] Walsh and other guys, Desmond Haynes. These are things that happened to those guys and it was not handled properly”. | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sport/2016-08-31/disrespected-chanders-laments-treatment-wicb | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/c78947d9b95464a01ee39813571a79551d508b8a3d3dcf1bdcc06bfcc2c7e283.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T02:50:14 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | La Brea Fisherfolk Association president Alvin La Borde is calling on the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) and the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) to disclose the results of their investigations into the fish kills over the last seven | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Fnews%2F2016-08-28%2Fla-brea-fishermen-demand-investigation-results.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/guardianfav1.ico | en | null | La Brea fishermen demand investigation results | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | La Brea Fisherfolk Association president Alvin La Borde is calling on the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) and the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) to disclose the results of their investigations into the fish kills over the last seven years.
La Borde made the call on the heels of the cancelation of a meeting with the south western fisherfolk and officials of the Ministry of Energy, IMA and EMA, which was carded for Saturday.
He said they were not told what the meeting was about or why it was cancelled.
However, he said: “We must make it clear that we are standing by our position that the public not just the fisherfolk need to be at the meeting to know exactly what is being said. We are looking at the fact that EMA and IMA have fallen short of producing certain information about what cause the fish death. After the 2013/2014 oil spill there was a task force set up. Why it is the then opposition which is the present government and the then government which is the present opposition have not make it public to date.
“We are calling on the Minister of Energy and the Prime Minister to intervene, if the Government is serious about stamping out corruption they need to come and demand the reports be made public.
“The upper management of EMA and the upper management of IMA need to be suspended pending an investigation like what they did with the Housing Minister when they did an audit. They have to investigate all of what happened from 2009 to date.”
La Borde said the $1 million assistance offered by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley would be insufficient.
When contacted via WhatsApp about the meeting, Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat said: “The meeting planned for yesterday (Saturday) was intended to give the fisherfolk an opportunity to address concerns to the Minister of Agriculture, EMA, IMA. The Ministry fo Agriculture was facilitating.
“The Cabinet on Thursday directed that Petrotrin reviews the concerns regarding hydrocarbons in the Gulf of Paria. Cabinet also requested that the Minister of Finance identify $1 million to assist fisherfolk in the Southwest.
“On the basis of those two decisions and the fact that the Minister of Energy was out of the country and would not have been able to meet with Petrotrin before the meeting planned for yesterday, the Ministry of Agriculture cancelled the meeting. If it becomes necessary to have the meeting later on it would be scheduled.”
In the interim, Rambharat said he will continue to meet with affected fisherfolk. | http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2016-08-28/la-brea-fishermen-demand-investigation-results | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/e70b22ef9af6807c287941a1e8717f1e7abe1879b902cb98ea012f2c2491b79f.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T16:49:44 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | Engagement shoots have now become the norm but there are several ways to maximise your time with the photographer. Why not capture the euphoria of your engagement in the most effective way? If you haven’t already considered an engagement shoot, here are s | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Flifestyle%2F2016-08-28%2Ftop-five-reasons-engagement-photo-shoot.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/field/image/Untitled-9_54.jpg?itok=kOID1bQt | en | null | Top five reasons for an engagement photo shoot | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | Engagement shoots have now become the norm but there are several ways to maximise your time with the photographer. Why not capture the euphoria of your engagement in the most effective way? If you haven’t already considered an engagement shoot, here are some reasons why you should:
• Part of the package—take advantage of the opportunity that many photographers will offer you a complimentary or discounted engagement shoot if you book them for your wedding.
• Build a rapport with your photographer—This will be your first opportunity to work with your photographer. It gives both parties a chance to bond and get to know each other’s personalities and preferences. Feeling comfortable around your photographer is key to an effortless, laid-back shoot. You can also use the shoot as a chance to get accustomed to being in front of the camera and for getting used to certain posed angles and positions.
• A way to address your concerns—Many people are camera shy and this is why a shoot can help allay some of their fears. Brides may be worried about not photographing well, photos taken from certain angles which don’t flatter them, or simply how to pose to camouflage certain physical flaws. All of these issues can easily be worked out during an engagement shoot. Many couples feel more confident after the photo shoot, having been privy to the photographer’s directions, tips and cues.
• An opportunity to improvise and experiment—Most of the time, an engagement shoot is fairly informal—unless you want to go for formal, posed shots. Since the shoot will be more casual, you have free rein to experiment with different types of photos, locations, poses and lighting. In a way, the shoot can be considered as a dress rehearsal for the photo shoot on your wedding day.
• Mementos—Your engagement photos can be used on your save the date cards, invitations or even thank you cards. You can also incorporate them into the reception décor, wedding favours (think coasters!), or a projected slideshow during your cocktail hour.
Some styling tips for your engagement shoot:
• Selecting your wardrobe—Always be aware of the background for your shoot. You wouldn’t want to blend in! One example is avoiding wearing green if your shoot will take place in a garden or park. Another colour may pop better, such as white, ivory or even brighter colours such as purple, red or orange.
• It is also best to wear clothing you’re most comfortable in for your shoot. If your style is more casual, try not to turn into someone unrecognisable in a cocktail dress and stilettos on your shoot! The best option is to stay true to your style and clothing preferences. Try to avoid clothing that will become see-through in the sunlight or clothing that will show your underwear or perspiration stains, if you’re doing an outdoor shoot.
• Use props or a certain theme—Many couples choose to use parasols, balloons, cars, bicycles or beach balls, to inject more personality and interest during their shoot. Couples are now incorporating their pets and favourite memorabilia—books, collector items or heirlooms—as well.
• Choose a meaningful location—Engagement shoots are not usually done in studio. Most are done off-site or on location. Your choice of location can be as simple as having it at home, if that’s where you’re most comfortable. If you would like to be more adventurous, your shoot is an ideal time to select a location that reflects your interests.
For example, if you are a sports fan, you can choose to shoot in a stadium or playing field, or if you love to dine out, you can do your shoot al fresco, at your favourite restaurant or café. Many couples choose locations that are off-the-beaten path such as on a rooftop, beachside, a movie theatre, on a bridge or near to monuments or places of architectural interest.
For more inspiration for your wedding's photographs, visit the TrinidadWeddings' Pinterest board at: https://www.pinterest.com/trinidadwedding/photo-ideas/ | http://www.guardian.co.tt/lifestyle/2016-08-28/top-five-reasons-engagement-photo-shoot | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/abb03794bc8e893b08e5687e2a7be3fd646311c7666bdb9652a6be9a3bd569d5.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T12:50:31 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Despite getting a team-high 26 points from guard Jordan Persad, T&T fell to Costa Rica, in its final match of the Centrobasket Under-15 Boys Championship, to place sixth in the seven-team competition. This was in Patillas, Puerto Rico on Sunday | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Fsport%2F2016-08-30%2Ftt-falls-costa-rica-puerto-rico.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/guardianfav1.ico | en | null | T&T falls to Costa Rica in Puerto Rico | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | Despite getting a team-high 26 points from guard Jordan Persad, T&T fell to Costa Rica, in its final match of the Centrobasket Under-15 Boys Championship, to place sixth in the seven-team competition. This was in Patillas, Puerto Rico on Sunday afternoon.
Though it wasn't enough to produce an upset of Costa Rica, Persad was one of the few bright spots for the twin-island republic, putting together a great performance in the local team’s 90-68 loss in the fifth place playoff.
T&T struggled from the jump. At the end of the first quarter, the team representing the red, white and black, trailed 14-22. There was marginal improvement in the second session with T&T almost matching offensively scoring 19 compared to Costa Rica’s 22, to go in at the half with a 10-point (43-33) deficit.
In the third period, T&T, coached by Barry Stewart and Morgan “Axe” Shade, again netted 19 points but the Costa Ricans through the contributions of trio Jeaustin Solis, Manrique Alvarado and Ian Martinez remained in charge.
Solis, who emerged Costa Rica’s leading scorer with 31 points, made certain his team stayed aggressive in the final stanza with the support of Alvarado and Martinez, who ended with 26 and 19 respectively.
T&T was again outscored in the final period, 16-24, to lose by a 22-point margin.
However, Persad exited the tournament as he did in the Caribbean Basketball Confederation U-16 Championships last month where T&T placed ninth in the ten-team competition, as one of the top performers, averaging 35.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 6.5 steals per game.
The T&T youngsters sealed only one win against regional neighbour Guyana, 107-60 on Friday. Then Persad had led with a Championship-high 56 points. In previous results, T&T playing in Group B in the preliminary, struggled against Dominican Republic 122-65 on Wednesday and 100-90 to Panama the following day.
Host Puerto Rico defeated Dominican Republic 74-67 to claim the title on Sunday night. Finishing third was Mexico with a 100-46 victory over Panama. Costa Rica was fifth while winless Guyana finished seventh.
Puerto Rican, Dominican Republic and Mexico qualified to compete in the 2017 FIBA Americas U-16 Championship. | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sport/2016-08-30/tt-falls-costa-rica-puerto-rico | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/12e8122d8202b7140b6fb7a3538a73fd3c8d2ea93147ed23720c902a851ff682.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T04:50:43 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | On Friday, the leader of the Joint Trade Union Movement, Ancel Roget, led a group of his comrades to deliver a letter to the Office of the Prime Minister in which the trade union leader complained about the length of time that the Government is taking to | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Feditorial%2F2016-08-28%2Fputting-wage-freeze-table.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/guardianfav1.ico | en | null | Putting wage freeze on the table | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | On Friday, the leader of the Joint Trade Union Movement, Ancel Roget, led a group of his comrades to deliver a letter to the Office of the Prime Minister in which the trade union leader complained about the length of time that the Government is taking to conclude outstanding wage negotiations.
The campaign by the trade union movement in T&T to extract higher salaries and better terms of employment from state-owned enterprises and the State must be seen, firstly, in the context of it being a responsibility of union leaders to seek the best interests of the workers they represent.
But the heightened activism of the union leaders must also be viewed against the backdrop of the fact that the previous administration granted most of the unionised workers in this country a 14 per cent wage increase for collective agreements spanning 2011 to 2014.
And the cry for higher wages must also be seen, quite obviously, through the prism of the fact that the amount of revenue that the Government and most state enterprises expect to collect for the 2016 fiscal year will be substantially less than was originally projected to be collected for the 2015 fiscal year.
It bears repeating that when former Finance minister Larry Howai presented the 2015 budget on September 8, 2014, he said that based on an average oil price of US$80 a barrel and a gas price of US$2.75 a unit, he would collect total revenue of $60.35 billion, with energy revenues contributing $21.22 billion of that amount.
It was based on the expectation that T&T would collect $60.35 billion in revenue in the 2015 fiscal year that the then administration, led by Kamla Persad-Bissessar, went ahead and granted organised State and state enterprise workers increases of 14 per cent.
The world of September 2016 is vastly different from two years ago. In that period, the global energy market has seen an excess of oil and natural gas supply over demand, which has led to a collapse in the world market prices of oil, natural gas, ammonia, methanol, urea, propane, butane, natural gasoline and other petrochemical exports from this country.
When he presented the mid-term budget review, the current Minister of Finance, Colm Imbert, said the revised estimate of revenue for the 2016 fiscal year $52.68, which is an anticipated revenue shortfall of $7.7 billion.
Prime Minister Keith Rowley was absolutely correct, then, when he told a recent post-Cabinet news conference that some labour leaders seem “to want more out of less.”
The fact is that if a government has collected, is collecting and will collect less revenue, it would be almost criminally irresponsible for its minister of finance to offer public sector workers any increase in their compensation at all.
Local labour leaders should know that Brazil President Dilma Rousseff is facing impeachment—summary removal from office—for failing to meet the fiscal target that her administration had set.
While the legal context in T&T may be different to Brazil, it is indisputable that it would be recklessness in the extreme for Mr Imbert to greenlight the chief personnel officer to begin negotiations with public sector workers at anything but a wage freeze for the outstanding collective agreements.
The fact that T&T’s current administration has not told the labour leaders in plain language that the best that it can offer is a wage freeze exemplifies the kind of fiscal cowardice that last Sunday’s editorial warned was the real danger facing T&T.
By not delivering this message, the Government is simply encouraging labour leaders to continue offering workers in this country a fantasy when what they need is the reality. | http://www.guardian.co.tt/editorial/2016-08-28/putting-wage-freeze-table | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/0f78430b0263dab001399ab62b16921176aeabdeac21a7b247552781bbeb83d6.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T12:49:28 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | At the end of the powerplay, West Indies were 78 without loss—the most runs ever conceded by India in a T20 powerplay. Charles rushed to his half century off just 24 balls, with four sixes and five fours. Lewis at the other end was motoring along almost u | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Fsport%2F2016-08-28%2Fopener-lewis-impresses-bat.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/field/image/Untitled-2_309.jpg?itok=BlTXQuDE | en | null | Opener Lewis impresses with bat | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | At the end of the powerplay, West Indies were 78 without loss—the most runs ever conceded by India in a T20 powerplay. Charles rushed to his half century off just 24 balls, with four sixes and five fours. Lewis at the other end was motoring along almost unnoticed.
They posted a robust 126 runs for the opening association before the partisan Indian crowd had anything to cheer about. Mahammad Shami castled Johnson for 79, which came off 33 balls with six fours and seven sixes.
The partnership of 126 was the third best opening stand for the West Indies in T20 cricket. Gayle and Dwayne Smith leads with 145 against South Africa. The other is Gayle and Andre Fletcher with 133 versus Australia.
As Charles walked off the field, one could have seen the relief in the body language of the Indians but they did not expect what was to come. As Charles left, he spoke to Lewis as if to tell him it’s your time now and the left hander obliged.
He rushed to his half century off just 25 balls with four fours and three sixes.
He was joined by Andre Russell and they added 76 runs in six overs, as Lewis ran amok slamming five sixes in the 11th over of the innings bowled by Stuart Binny. In all the over costed India 32 runs, as they looked lost at sea.
Russell left for 22 and soon after Lewis brought up a most magnificent century off 48 balls with five fours and nine sixes. India was able to send him back into the dugout soon after for an even 100.
His effort was the fifth fastest in International T20 and the second fastest by a West Indian after Gayle’s 47-ball ton against England. South Africa’s Richard Levi remains at the top as he slammed his off 45 balls. Towards the end a few lusty blows by Kieron Pollard (22) and Brathwaite (14) took West Indies to an eventual 245/6 off their 20 overs—the third best in the history of this format.
Sri Lanka remains in pole position with 260/6 against lowly Kenya.
Both teams return to the venue today for the second and final match of the series. | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sport/2016-08-28/opener-lewis-impresses-bat | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/e476974c697066291c08cd65e6a4a8368efc7a3b0b616ff85ebf864692af9018.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T04:49:56 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Almost one month after he was shot over an argument about bison, Barrackpore farmer Ricky Gangadhar has completed a petition calling for the removal of the animals from his neighbourhood.
On August 2, Gangadhar said he was shot in the shoulder after | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Fnews%2F2016-08-30%2Fbison-rampage-petition-gets-500-signatures.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/field/image/RICKY%20GANGADHAR.jpg?itok=vLN3U_h7 | en | null | Bison rampage petition gets 500 signatures | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | Almost one month after he was shot over an argument about bison, Barrackpore farmer Ricky Gangadhar has completed a petition calling for the removal of the animals from his neighbourhood.
On August 2, Gangadhar said he was shot in the shoulder after speaking out against the animals by the alleged owners.
The T&T Guardian visited the area at that time and spoke to a number of residents and farmers who all had complaints about the animals.
The T&T Guardian also visited the man who the animals were said to belong to but he denied the animals were his.
Gangadhar then started a petition to take to Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat, asking for his ministry to intervene and remove the animals.
He said the animals could be removed by the ministry’s Veterinary Department.
In an interview yesterday, Gangadhar said the petition had already amassed over 500 signatures.
“We did one set separate for the farmers and that has over 500 signatures. We have the residents on a separate list.
“All of our names can be verified as we have addresses and contact numbers. We are hoping that the minister starts taking us seriously from now on,” Gangadhar added.
He said Rambharat had contacted him on August 19, promising to visit the community but added: “We haven’t heard anything from him since then. We are just waiting here and seeing no results.”
Gangadhar said the farmers were taking the issue quite seriously and intended to make their plight heard.
“We are taking copies of our petition to National Security Minister (Edmund Dillon), our MP (Kamla Persad-Bissessar) and to Mr Rambharat’s office. If nothing happens, we will have to picket Rambharat’s office. We are tired of this issue being ignored and swept under the carpet.”
Responding to messages for a comment yesterday, Rambharat said: “I requested the director of our Regional Office, South to visit the farmers. At the same time I have sought legal advice on the matter since the animals appear to have no owners. I am awaiting that advice.”
Asked when the advice might be ready, Rambharat wrote: “This week.” | http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2016-08-30/bison-rampage-petition-gets-500-signatures | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/7227740ff4c5ddd1a1df215b949d64591180fc0b3f5722dc1e7c915107d52737.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T04:49:10 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | Express columnist David Renwick, in his Energy Insider column in that newspaper’s Business Today section on Wednesday, August 17, covered the issue of developing an underutilised hydrocarbon resource, the Tar Sands in South Trinidad. At the same time, h | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Fletters%2F2016-08-28%2Futt%25E2%2580%2599s-research-can-aid-decision-making.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/guardianfav1.ico | en | null | UTT’s research can aid in decision-making | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | Express columnist David Renwick, in his Energy Insider column in that newspaper’s Business Today section on Wednesday, August 17, covered the issue of developing an underutilised hydrocarbon resource, the Tar Sands in South Trinidad. At the same time, his article may have raised public awareness about a private company’s drive to partner with the Government and with investors to exploit this resource. Much was made of the requirement, before going forward, for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and a Socio-Environmental Economic Survey (SEES), for which it was suggested a contract might need to be given to a foreign company. Within this context, it is important for the Government and the public to note that at the University of T&T, we have already done extensive and rigorous research into nearly all aspects of utilising this resource.
Petroleum Engineering UTT doctoral graduate (2014), Dr Godfrey Ransome did a comprehensive study, including both an EIA and a SEES, for his research of the feasibility of exploiting the Parrylands Tar Sands. The survey was administered face-to-face with the residents in that area and it was/is administered online, using Survey monkey®, to collect the nation’s views on the matter. The link, https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RSNTFJK, is still active and still collecting responses.
Dr Ransome was able to obtain an oil price below which it would not be feasible to exploit these reserves—a most important piece of information to be considered before any investment in this resource is made. I am sure Dr Ransome, who is in the Petroleum Engineering Department at UTT, would be willing to discuss his results with the minister. All of the evidence is there to form a solid platform for decision-making. All the ministry has to do is ask for it. UTT is the national university and we serve the nation.
Valerie Stoute
Professor, Environmental and Postgraduate Studies and Research at UTT | http://www.guardian.co.tt/letters/2016-08-28/utt%E2%80%99s-research-can-aid-decision-making | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/5a2b2bea73658d5a1ad405f0bdc1d79ab2bac32fe63e0475cb391f259eab598b.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T14:48:27 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | When Ian Ali, well known teacher, author and chess player, was asked by the T&TCA earlier this year to write a history of the sport in Trinidad and Tobago he readily accepted.
His assignment was expected to be a significant part of the association’s | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Fsport%2F2016-08-27%2Fhistory-tt%25E2%2580%2588chess-needs-be-published.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/field/image/Untitled-9_53.jpg?itok=wlH2v492 | en | null | History of T&T chess needs to be published | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | When Ian Ali, well known teacher, author and chess player, was asked by the T&TCA earlier this year to write a history of the sport in Trinidad and Tobago he readily accepted.
His assignment was expected to be a significant part of the association’s 80th anniversary celebrations, coinciding with the two recent international tournaments which attracted GMs and IMs from different parts of the globe.
Much to the disappointment of Ali and a number of other chess enthusiasts, however, his work is yet to be published.
After spending several months in researching the subject, Ali has produced a fairly comprehensive, informative and very readable history of chess in T&T. In fact, he has succeed in a task where others, including DR himself, have failed.
As a published writer, Ali was able to tap into historical sources that DR did not even know existed.
Ali begins his history with a fascinating account of the sport in colonial times, when chess played a fraternal role among British West Indian territories, with Trinidad hosting the Inter-Colonial Tournament in 1897 in which Barbados and British Guiana participated.
In conjuring up this long forgotten period, Ali states, “Chess activity blossomed in the 1920 after the First World War.
The chess section of the Royal Victoria Institute (RVI) was formed under the leadership of Dr Arthur Hutton McShine. Two other chess clubs, the Girwood Chess Club in Port-of-Spain founded by C.B. Franklin and the Pan-Cassian Chess Club founded in 1922 revealed a vibrant chess culture existing.
“Chess was a popular activity at the YMCA and simultaneous exhibitions were frequently played.
“In 1930 Trinidad contested a ‘cable match’ with British Guyana and later with Barbados. The British Guiana and the British West Indies Chess Federation was formed in 1938 and the first Inter-Colonial Tournament of this period began.
Inter-Caribbean chess activity during this period indicates that chess was a pro-imperialist activity, designed to keep the British colonies together. It was also a middle class activity that prominent persons indulged in.”
Ali then proceeds to give a detailed history of the RVI Chess club which dominated the sport from the 1920s to the 1970s, producing a series of national champions. He includes in this account the two simultaneous exhibitions conducted by visiting world champion Alexander Alekhine at the Royal Victoria Institute in February 1939.
He notes: “Hundreds of spectators turned up paying an entrance fee of two shillings each to support the socially prominent personalities playing as well as to see the world champion in action.”
Apart from his comprehensive and fascinating account of RVI’s history, the prominent personalities who ran it and the many champions it produced, Ali has also profiled the role of other major chess clubs which have blossomed after RVI’s disappearance.
The fact that Ali has completed this unique undertaking at the request of the TTCA, that he has produced a comprehensive history of the royal game in T&T purely as a result of his love for the sport and his appreciation for its social benefits demands the gratitude not only of the Association but also of the entire chess community.
It is a grievous fact, then, that this history was not published, as promised, alongside the two international tournaments celebrating the Association’s 80th anniversary.
DR can only hope that Ali’s history will see the light of day before the end of this anniversary year. | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sport/2016-08-27/history-tt%E2%80%88chess-needs-be-published | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/dc9a0fed818bf52de240b20b009d9e6298089334daeb1ce93e790ed0714eb198.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T14:49:48 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | By now the Indian cricketers must be hating the sight of rain, as it denied them the chance of squaring the Paytm T20 series against the West Indies yesterday at the Central Broward Regional Park in Ft Lauderdale.
A week ago the elements prevented them | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Fsport%2F2016-08-29%2Frain-gifts-windies-t20-series.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/guardianfav1.ico | en | null | Rain gifts Windies T20 series | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | By now the Indian cricketers must be hating the sight of rain, as it denied them the chance of squaring the Paytm T20 series against the West Indies yesterday at the Central Broward Regional Park in Ft Lauderdale.
A week ago the elements prevented them from retaining their number one rank in Test matches and now this. After all the good work done by Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men in restricting the world champions to 143 all out in 19.4 overs.
Set the achievable target of 144 in 20 overs, the Indians reached 15 without loss in two overs, when rain poured down on the Broward outfield.
After mopping up operations, the umpires ruled it was still too wet for play and even as they walked off at 2.05pm, the rain came back down. With at least five overs need to constitute a match, It meant the West Indies won the series 1-0, after their narrow 1-0 victory in the first match on Saturday.
Earlier, the fans who turned up looking for more of the ball beating they got on Saturday, would have been disappointed because the pitch and the West Indies batsmen did not play as well.
India won the toss and predictably sent the opposition in with rain about. With Chris Gayle again missing out due to his back problems, Johnson Charles and Evin Lewis promised a lot. Their start of 24 came of 20 balls but Lewis, who got a century in the first game could not repeat. He was sent back by Mahammad Shami to give the Indians an early look in.
Charles tried his best and punched 43 runs in a lone fight, as the others looked uninspired.
With the pitch offering some purchase for the spinners Dhoni brought on leg-spinner Amit Mishra by over number six and he immediately made a telling blow - sending back Charles, who had faced 25 balls, hitting five fours and two sixes.
Off form batsmen Marlon Samuels and Lendl Simmons both fell with the score at 76 and although the West Indies batting ran deep, it was only impressive on paper. Mishra would end with the impressive figures of 3/24, while the finger spinner Ravi Ashwin would also make his mark in taking 2/11 of three impressive overs. When he trapped Ashwin leg before, Ashwin reached the plateau of 200 wickets in T20 internationals, the first Indian bowler to reach the mark.
SCOREBOARD
WI vs India
WI inns
J Charles Rahane b Mishra 43
E Lewis c Mishra b Shami 7
M Samuels c Dhoni b Bumrah 5
L Simmons st Dhoni b Ashwin 19
A Fletcher b Bumrah 3
K Pollard lbw Ashwin 13
A Russell c Kohli b Kumar 13
D Bravo b Mishra 3
C Brathwaite b Mishra 18
S Narine not out 9
S Badree b Shami 1
Extras lb4, w4, nb1 9
Total all out (19.4) 143
Fall of wkts: 24, 50, 76, 76, 92, 98, 111, 123, 133, 143.
Bowling: B Kumar 4-0-36-1, M Shami 2.4-0-31-2, A Mishra 4-0-24-3, R Jadeja 2-0-11-0, R Ashwin 3-0-11-2, J Bumrah 4-0-26-2.
India inns
R Sharma not out 10
A Rahane not out 4
Extras 1b 1
Total for 0 wkts(2ovs) 15
Bowling: A Russell 1-0-7-0, S Badree 1-0-7-0.
Result: Match abandoned.
West Indies win series 1-0. | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sport/2016-08-29/rain-gifts-windies-t20-series | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/752af17a475ce7c2f8aba382da62bdd9d080818578f8b454061553dd5f40908c.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T08:51:12 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Kevin Ramnarine
Madam Justice Mira Dean-Armorer has ruled that the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) broke the law when it extended the close of voting by one hour on the day of general elections in 2015. The learned judge in her 53-page judgment | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Fcolumnist%2F2016-08-30%2Febc-commissioners-should-resign.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/field/image/Kevin%20Ramnarine_45.jpg?itok=f2qgGIds | en | null | EBC commissioners should resign | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | Kevin Ramnarine
Madam Justice Mira Dean-Armorer has ruled that the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) broke the law when it extended the close of voting by one hour on the day of general elections in 2015. The learned judge in her 53-page judgment stated that it was her view that there were breaches of the election rules at every polling station where the election officers failed to close the polls as required by Rule 27(i) and that the directive of the EBC to extend voting hours was not justified in law and hence was illegal.
She also dismissed the election petitions from the United National Congress candidates in St Joseph, Tunapuna, Moruga-Tableland, San Fernando West and Toco-Sangre Grande. Since the delivery of the judgment and the finding that the EBC broke the law (the Representation of the People Act Chap 2:01), there have been calls for the affected commissioners to resign. While the UNC has signalled that it will appeal the dismissal of the petitions, it is not yet certain whether the EBC will appeal the judgment. I am of the view that those commissioners who were in office on September 7, 2015, should tender their resignation to the President. This will of course have no bearing on former chairman Norbert Masson, who retired in December 2015.
Readers may recall that in somewhat similar circumstances, in February 2009, the entire Integrity Commission resigned when they were found to have breached the Integrity in Public Act by failing to inform the MP for Diego Martin West, Dr Keith Rowley, that he was being investigated. In that matter, Rowley sought judicial review of the action of the Integrity Commission to forward a report in relation to him to the DPP without giving him a fair opportunity to be heard.
In her judgment on the matter, Justice Maureen Rajnauth-Lee ruled that the Integrity Commission had acted in bad faith and was guilty of the tort of misfeasance in public office. The Integrity Commission subsequently admitted that it had acted wrongly and issued an apology to the President of the Republic, Rowley and the people of T&T. The decision of the 2009 John Martin-led Integrity Commission to resign was a principled decision and the right thing to do.
The question that now arises is should the EBC follow the precedent created by the Integrity Commission in 2009 and resign having been found guilty of breaking the law? It should be considered that the EBC commissioners are charged with the very serious responsibly of regulating elections in T&T.
Free and fair elections form the substratum of our democracy. It is imperative therefore that the population has the highest degree of confidence in the agency charged with the regulation of elections. It is equally imperative that the population form the opinion that the outcome of any election is an accurate reflection of the will of the electorate.
The erosion of confidence in the EBC sets the country on a very slippery slope. In addition, there remain several unanswered questions related to the events of September 7, 2015. Questions have been asked as to who took the decision to extend the hours of voting, when the decision was taken, whether legal advice was sought and whether the EBC consulted the political parties contesting the polls before making the decision. The EBC cannot arrogate unto itself powers it does not have. To do that would be tantamount to assuming the law-making role of the Parliamentarians. Should the commissioners who were in office on election day not resign, I fear that the EBC would lose the moral authority to oversee future elections. The matter assumes urgency when one considers that there are two elections due in the next five months.
Like the Integrity Commission before them, there is no legal requirement for the EBC commissioners to resign. There is, however, a moral and an ethical argument that they should resign. There is also convention. In the United Kingdom, David Cameron was under no legal obligation to resign as Prime Minister following the Brexit vote. However, convention dictated that, considering that the British people had largely voted in a direction that was in opposition to his policies, he should resign.
The act of resignation when one has made a fundamental error in judgment or broken the law is an accepted convention in developed countries, but finds resistance in developing countries. Case in point, when the Panama papers scandal broke the Prime Minister of Iceland and the Prime Minister of Pakistan were both implicated in separate matters. The Icelandic Prime Minister resigned. The Pakistani Prime Minister appointed a commission to probe the allegations and is still in office.
In this country, we have too many tin gods and sacred cows. Many times people in authority become a law unto themselves. This malady is not unique to independent statutory commissions like the EBC, but extends to state enterprises and ministries where chairmen, CEOs and ministers over time begin to lose sight of the legal boundaries that delineate their power and authority. It’s time to correct that and the EBC can help by following the example of the Integrity Commission in 2009.
Kevin Ramnarine is the former Minister of Energy of Trinidad and Tobago. | http://www.guardian.co.tt/columnist/2016-08-30/ebc-commissioners-should-resign | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/2cff64f11247e85cf75569733b8807180e504900bc10c85f231f705e67e6b4a4.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T02:49:17 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | JOEL JULIEN
Feroze Mohammed does not know whose kidney he has inside his body. However every day for almost three years Mohammed, 69, has thanked God for that anonymous organ donor.
Mohammed is one of only 26 people in T&T who has received a kidney | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Fnews%2F2016-08-27%2Fsecond-chance-life.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/field/image/Kidney.jpg?itok=3--WnV8P | en | null | A second chance at life | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | JOEL JULIEN
Feroze Mohammed does not know whose kidney he has inside his body. However every day for almost three years Mohammed, 69, has thanked God for that anonymous organ donor.
Mohammed is one of only 26 people in T&T who has received a kidney from a deceased donor via the National Organ Transplant Unit (NOTU) of the Ministry of Health.
The NOTU has been in operation since 2006 and currently there are 101 people in this country awaiting kidney transplants. NOTU officials say “many others” have enquired about being on the donor waiting list but have not supplied all the necessary information.
According to the NOTU, approximately 500 nationals are in need of kidney transplants and that number grows by approximately 40 every year with a “very large number” of people dying annually while waiting.
Mohammed is a member the Kidney Recipients Support Group of T&T (KRSGTT). He and other members of the group are hoping that more people will become organ donors.
“It will literally save a life,” he said.
Guardian Media Limited is today launching a campaign to promote public awareness about organ donation and transplant with the aim of encouraging citizens to augment this country’s donor pool.
“People must first understand that God almighty created us with two organs in our body and that even though one is not functioning, one is sick or whatever it is, you can still live a natural healthy life with one kidney. As long as you are healthy and as long as you are living a good life you can donate a kidney,” Mohammed said.
“I know some people, as soon as they hear about donating an organ, going under surgery, there is fear and they put the fear before the reality. If you continue living in fear then we all will not be able to survive, so my advice to people is that yes as long as you can donate a kidney you do not want more blessings than that. That is the best blessings one could get. Please connect with the National Organ Transplant Unit and they will take it over from there and they will make it easy for you it is a simple process,” he said.
A second chance at life
Mohammed and three other members of the KRSGTT sat down with the Sunday Guardian this week to tell their stories.
Twenty five years ago, Mohammed was working in the sales department of Nestle T&T when he was diagnosed with an inherited disorder in which clusters of cysts developed within his kidneys. That changed his life.
“I was on the go busy, busy doing what I had to do. Then suddenly I started to feel very sick and I became very lethargic, tired, feeling very restless,” he recalled.
“I had hypertension so that kept going up, climbing. It was not even going anywhere with medication at that point in time so it reached the stage that the doctor thought I should go to a nephrologist. And this is where it started. I visited the nephrologist, he analysed the situation and told me exactly what it was he discovered after doing all the tests and so on, that it is hereditary, polycystic kidney disease and there is no cure for that and you have to live with it,” he said.
Mohammed said the most important thing was accepting that he had to live with the illness.
“The doctor told me two things would happen in my life, one I would be either under constant dialysis when it started or I would have to move to a kidney transplant. So said so done,” he said.
Mohammed was put on dialysis but things eventually began to deteriorate and he needed to have a kidney transplant.
“Two or three of my relatives came forward to be donors but unfortunately they were not compatible with me. In one case they were almost there and in the last minute the medical professionals felt that it may not have been possible. It was a 50/50 situation and they said ‘listen it is better no than yes’,” he said.
“I registered on the list at the National Organ Transplant Unit. You would normally register with them and they would do all the comparisons with the blood types and so on to see if there is a match. If you don’t have a relative, a sibling or somebody who can come forward to give you the kidney then you have to look elsewhere and this is where the Organ Transplant Unit came in,” he said.
“They were able to get a match for me through a cadaver and that was the joy of my life, that was the pinnacle. That is where it reached because having been told there is a possibility that I could have a kidney and be able to live and go back to a somewhat normal life it was really something that I could not describe. Not many words can say how it was,” he said.
Mohammed does not know exactly who the donor was, or even their gender.
“I understand that he or she was in an accident and the family agreed to donate the kidneys. The donor must have an agreement with the family. I got a kidney and another colleague of mine in a similar situation was also fortunate to match the kidney and we got one kidney each.”
He said the unnamed donor was able to save two lives.
There are two types of donors, live donors and deceased donation. Most of the live donors give to families and friends.
Justin Squires, 24, knows that all too well. He got his kidney transplant four months ago on April 27.
“I woke up one morning with this extremely painful headache. I could not bear it anymore and I went to the hospital. Everything was just out of control and I was diagnosed with chronic renal failure,” Squires said.
He underwent dialysis for 18 months. During one of his visits to the hospital to receive dialysis Squires was accompanied by his cousin Nick.
“When he saw what was going on he was like ‘Nah! This is what you have to go through every day?’ And was like ‘yeah. What ah go do?’,” Squires said.
At that moment Nick, 26, decided that he would donate his kidney to his cousin.
“When he said he would donate his kidney to me people told him ‘Don’t do that. What you doing you will only have one kidney’ but he was determined to do what he wanted to do because he said he could not look at his cousin suffer and just stand idly by,” Squires said.
Squires’s father originally offered to donate his kidney but he was not deemed eligible.
“His blood pressure was over what they were looking for, so he was not able to go through with it,” Squires said.
Patricia Quammie, 53, was the recipient of “brotherly love”. Her brother Peter gave her his kidney.
“When he gave me that kidney it caused a lot of problems in his home. he is no longer living in Trinidad and Tobago. He now has a new family,” Quammie said.
Shafiran Mohammed, 53 said she never asked her family to become a donor but without prompting her nephew, Imtiaz, decided to donate his,
“I tip my hat to every person who donates a kidney. They are the real heroes,” Shafiran said.
A donor’s story
Media personality Jessie-May Ventour gave one of her kidney’s to her younger brother Matthew in December 2011. There were three other people who did transplants that same day.
According to figures from the NOTU, 155 people have done transplants since 2006. This does not include transplants done at private health institutions.
“I have never had any regrets or any doubts that it was the right thing to do. As far as I am concerned this is my baby brother and he deserved to have a chance at having a life. He was not even 30-years-old as yet so he had not really even started his life and I thought it was not right that his life should be cut short like this before he actually began to live,” Ventour said.
“In my heart I felt like I had to do it.”
The kidney transplant took place just as their father Wilbert was dying after battling cancer for 18 years.
“We went into hospital on November 30. The transplant surgery was December 1 and by December 4 after hearing and satisfying himself that the surgery went well and that my brother was going to be okay, my father passed on. It was a very emotional time for everybody,” she said.
Ventour did the eulogy at the funeral and Matthew was allowed to go to the funeral home to say his private goodbye.
“It has been four years and counting since the transplant and Matthew is doing okay. God has been really, really good,” Ventour said.
For a year before the transplant Ventour had to watch what she was eating and undergo counselling and psychiatric evaluation. Although she had made up her mind that it needed to be done Matthew began to have second thoughts.
“He was so terrified. He was oscillating back and forth. He said he was concerned that he would ruin my life,” Ventour said.
When the time actually came and everything worked out Ventour said she felt as though she witnessed a miracle firsthand. She has a scar to remind her of it all.
In 2012, the NOTU introduced the retrieval of living donor kidneys by the laproscopic or keyhole surgery method. This less-invasive procedure allows for a much earlier discharge of the donor from hospital.
Asked what advice she would have for other donors, Ventour said: “Don’t expect anything from the recipient. They may be super grateful or they may not even thank you but you do it because it is something that you feel moved, not just in your heart, but in you very soul to do and go forward.
“The minute you decide I am going to do this for somebody you are not losing a kidney you are an instrument of someone getting a brand new life. It is literally like the person is reborn because I saw my brother’s physiological transformation, not having to go dialysis all the time and within the first week the texture of his skin changed. It was the most amazing thing to see,” she said. | http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2016-08-27/second-chance-life | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/2af8b1bc045a0a91a25e56e053b4a1e8f0d4af99d1844ed5ae9fc96bb6257f6a.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T04:50:12 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | Peter Permell
GUEST COLUMNIST
As we celebrate our many achievements as a nation on this the occasion of our 54th anniversary of independence, let us take time out to acknowledge an inconvenient truth, that despite our rich legacy of producing | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Fcolumnist%2F2016-08-31%2Fleadership-post-independence-era.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/field/image/Peter%20Permell%201.jpg?itok=sTfXuHXn | en | null | Leadership in the post-independence era | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | Peter Permell
GUEST COLUMNIST
As we celebrate our many achievements as a nation on this the occasion of our 54th anniversary of independence, let us take time out to acknowledge an inconvenient truth, that despite our rich legacy of producing distinguished and outstanding individuals who have impacted our development and history, it is clear, whether it be with regard to the issue of crime or the economy et cetera, leadership remains an area of weakness and concern in 2016.
The seemingly unending Clico saga is a case in point—a national/regional tragedy that spans seven years, three successive administrations, two multi-million dollar forensic audits and an equally expensive Sir Anthony Colman Commission of Enquiry, but still continues to shrouded in secrecy and a lack of accountability.
And what’s worse, even with a change of government last September and the appointment of a new Finance Minister, things have literally gone from bad to worse for the vast majority of policyholders (the intended beneficiaries of the bailout) with no satisfactory and/or amicable resolution in sight.
Where are the authentic leaders who have the courage of their conviction to do what is right. Where are the leaders who are willing to intervene and take charge of the present situation? Who is going to grab the proverbial bull by its horns and face it head on with integrity, character and a commitment to fairness and equity?
But before we interrogate the current leadership issue further, we must first concede that those who led this twin-island state in the past performed a Herculean task to preserve our fledgling democracy, maintain our peaceful way of life and sustain our development for almost five and a half decades. We must also concede that we have failed to properly recognise their contributions or meaningfully keep their memories alive in a hall of fame or by engraving their names upon the structures we have built or are about to build.
Yes, there are some leaders who work hard and with commitment and refuse to allow themselves to be compromised either because of greed or self-interest. And we feel proud to call them our leaders. However, we all know there are others who have long since fallen asleep on the job or who have selfishly failed to take the time to put a succession plan in place which will enable their organisations and by extension the country, to benefit from the fresh, young talent and energy that abounds. Meanwhile, there are still others who have become so adept at manipulating the system for personal gain and self-aggrandisement, that they are usually able to influence others to blindly return them to office time and time again.
The truth be told, today we live in vastly different times. Trinidad and Tobago is now part of the shrinking global village the world has become, as access to ICT (information and communications technology) is much more easily available than in the days of our parents and grandparents. The educational and socio-economic profile of the average citizen has also changed and so to has his/her demands for service and representation.
Leadership today, therefore, calls for a different kind of individual, one who is never brash or boastful, allows their work and achievements to speak for themselves while secure in the knowledge that recognition and acclaim ultimately comes through productivity and success, not public relations. Moreover, today’s leadership requires individuals who are honest and act at all times with integrity, courage, consideration and discretion; are well-equipped to take a proactive stance; are always seeking to find creative and innovative solutions, mentally and physically fit, are able to motivate and inspire others; are caring and responsive to the ever-changing needs of the citizenry; are not afraid to jump off the beaten track, and (last but not least) are willing to not always follow where the path leads but to go where there is no path and leave a trail.
Someone once wrote “today is the first day of the rest of our lives.” Let us, therefore, not only view today’s observance of our Independence as an occasion for parades and back-patting, but also as an ideal opportunity for each of us as “good citizens” to quietly reflect, assess and reassess the quality and performance of our leaders.
Let of us further resolve to collectively hold their feet to the fire in order to ensure a peaceful and just society that has a proper respect for the rights and freedoms of the individual and places a high premium on fairness and equity. If not for our sake, then at least for our children. Failure is not an option.
Happy Independence! | http://www.guardian.co.tt/columnist/2016-08-31/leadership-post-independence-era | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/caa641bbc24955ba808ec5cc5f6e5a01b49e9eef27526fdff4d8700d1952f81a.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:53:53 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | Today I took a walk down memory lane—the hospital corridor at Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC), more commonly known as Mt Hope General Hospital. Of course, four months ago it wasn’t actually a walk as such rather it was more of “a ride along | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Fletters%2F2016-08-26%2Fanother-angle-ewmsc-story.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/guardianfav1.ico | en | null | Another angle to the EWMSC story | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | Today I took a walk down memory lane—the hospital corridor at Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC), more commonly known as Mt Hope General Hospital. Of course, four months ago it wasn’t actually a walk as such rather it was more of “a ride along the corridor” in my wheelchair, as I was ushered from Radiology to X-ray departments to some other testing arena.
Three months ago to date, I was all dressed in my surgery gown awaiting a life-altering operation. The state of our country’s blood bank dilemma at that time prevented this surgery from actually happening.
One thing that I had intended to do during those weeks whilst I was hospitalised, but sadly it never materialised, was to pen this letter.
So I am writing this long over-due message to say that EWMSC and its staff are not all that you have heard and read about. In fact, it is so much more!
My stay of five weeks is certainly evidence of this. I have met and interacted with doctors and nurses from every shift, with janitors, with meals providers, security workers and even medical students. I have seen the challenges the staff face each day with being short on workers and with trying to be as efficient as possible on some very “dinosaur-aged” medical equipment, no doubt adding to their already long and trying shifts.
Yet these dedicated workers go all out to attend to the many patients’ cries and needs. And these cries seem almost incessant at times, throughout the days and nights. I have seen and heard nurses talking to ailing patients, bantering cheerfully and trying to make their already stressful stay as easy as possible.
These workers, medical and otherwise, were all amazing in their kind treatment to me. Yes, I was accused jokingly of sabotaging my IV access, which kept collapsing and making their jobs just a little bit harder; no fault of mine! The patience shown by the many surgeons, doctors and nurses who attended to me was heart-warming.
Hats off to you all, especially the great staff from Adults Medical 2. Keep up your excellent work!
It is with sincere love and affection that I say that I hope I never see you people again! At least not from a hospital bed’s perspective!
It is also with all sincerity that I say, we as citizens of T&T need to acknowledge our diligent and efficient doctors, nurses and staff at EWMSC. Thank you all kindly.
Nazima Mohammed-Khan
Rashadi Foundation | http://www.guardian.co.tt/letters/2016-08-26/another-angle-ewmsc-story | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/b0af027244bf09c676ef0045df0c8ac91d3aeb4b57f468a33c4c13295ce7e86e.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T04:49:10 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | Police are now investigating the death of a 19-month-old child, after an autopsy by pathologist Dr Valery Alexandrov found the child died as a result of blunt force trauma.
During the examination of the child’s body, Alexandrov found that Malik Sampson h | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Fnews%2F2016-08-27%2Fcops-probe-baby%25E2%2580%2599s-death.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/guardianfav1.ico | en | null | Cops probe baby’s death | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | Police are now investigating the death of a 19-month-old child, after an autopsy by pathologist Dr Valery Alexandrov found the child died as a result of blunt force trauma.
During the examination of the child’s body, Alexandrov found that Malik Sampson had eight broken ribs, five on the left and three on the right. The child also had marks all over his body and internal bleeding.
Asked if the cracked ribs and internal bleeding could have come from an amateur performing CPR to save the child’s life, Alexandrov said no.
According to police reports, Sampson was fed a meal of pumpkin and orange juice at his Sangre Chiquito home around 11.30 am on Thursday. Four hours later, police said a male relative found him vomiting and gave the child orange juice after he stopped.
However, the child continued vomiting and his eyes began to roll to the back of his head. The relative called the Emergency Health Services, who arrived later and performed CPR.
The child was subsequently taken to the Sangre Grande District Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. JL | http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2016-08-27/cops-probe-baby%E2%80%99s-death | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/9cf5cfc8c9badb336b58b63907ece1d459a664493ed60b5c1a4b14955cc029aa.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T04:48:58 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | With recent Carnival band launches the question has once again imposed itself upon us: Is the direction of Carnival bands and party band launches something we want the future generation to be a part of? It has been said that culture is comprised of those | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Fletters%2F2016-08-28%2Fpreserving-value-women.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/guardianfav1.ico | en | null | Preserving the value of women | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | With recent Carnival band launches the question has once again imposed itself upon us: Is the direction of Carnival bands and party band launches something we want the future generation to be a part of? It has been said that culture is comprised of those things that one generation would see fit to pass on to future generations. There are, however, some questionable parts of our culture that we have passed on, example placing rings in your lips, or wearing tiny shoes in order to prevent your feet from growing.
There are certain things that no one would deem fit to pass onto future generations, one of them being the devaluation of women. It is very obvious that in recent years our culture and perception of Carnival is changing rapidly. We have seen costumes go from beautiful pieces of art, where designers showcase talent and skill to barely-there pieces of dental floss that present women at face value as objects and nothing more. I know many women like and enjoy this attention but I believe this will change if they knew what was going through men’s heads. I have first-hand experience seeing many young girls trying to enjoy Carnival but don’t want to wear the costumes being offered. I have great memories of the days my parents use to take my sisters, brother and me to watch all the amazing, colourful costumes etc on Carnival Monday and Tuesday. But nowadays, many parents are skeptical about allowing their kids to see what takes place on those two days. Carnival has evolved in many positive ways but also negative ones. It is possible to enjoy this beautiful festival and to come together as a nation to appreciate our culture in a clean, respectful and fun way, as people used to long ago. Feminists should advocate for this as well; for women to be valued as people and not just bodies, for better costumes, better music that doesn’t command women to bend down, jook, wine, and other lust-driven messages that are now associated with Carnival. Each year, Carnival bands have so much opportunity to set a standard and to raise the bar, yet each year the opposite happens.
It is extremely important to recognise that women have much more to offer than their physical qualities and are not mere objects for men to seek pleasure and this is why we must not seek or want these current practices to be passed down or continued. In fact, women have attributes which men need them to showcase in order for us to truly be reminded of their value on this earth; after all, women are the makers of men. Recent studies show that women are not only are needed to bring up the children at home but also uphold an important role in the workplace. Women display incredible signs of being caring, loving, nurturing, helpful, ethical, and hard-working. Many worldwide business owners also say that once women start a task they are very keen on getting it done properly, displaying incredible determination and commitment. All of these are attributes which businesses nationwide would and could take advantage of if we upheld and treated our women with greater respect. If women sell themselves short they not only bring down their self worth but they also bring down the men who rely deeply on women for the values they have.
We as the present generation must be aware of what is taking place in our amazing nation and do what we can to protect the future generations. You may read this and wonder how you as an individual can change Carnival and the answer is simple: we must all change ourselves before we see any real change in these issues. These things are not forced upon anyone, you only take part if you want to. The demand of the people changes the way things are manufactured and developed. I believe that Carnival bands would enjoy actually showcasing the talent of designers rather than wasting their hard work to create something damaging to their neighbours and friends.
Parents should teach kids good moral values. Men, teach your sons to respect women and women, teach men and kids that you deserve to be respected.
James Lanser
Catholic Voices T&T | http://www.guardian.co.tt/letters/2016-08-28/preserving-value-women | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/2297e30c0ff4a9fb204a89c1405ace62da663dbd8fce09c8b20a39a2cb343c7b.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T12:52:46 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | I am concluding the thoughts on tolerance but, until improved, it will remain an outstanding issue so I will be getting back to it. State and national intolerance weigh heavily on my heart because this forum allows me interaction with people’s situation t | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Flifestyle%2F2016-08-31%2Fgreat-vacuum-mental-health-services.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/field/image/Caroline%20C%20Ravello_72.jpg?itok=tuFCwUHr | en | null | The great vacuum of mental health services | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | I am concluding the thoughts on tolerance but, until improved, it will remain an outstanding issue so I will be getting back to it. State and national intolerance weigh heavily on my heart because this forum allows me interaction with people’s situation that you may never encounter, indeed you probably would find incredulous.
My credit line encourages people to write to me and many people take opportunity to request straightforward information, to engage me in research, to commend my openness, to thank me for being part of their struggle, or to share their struggles without expectation. I encourage and I am encouraged by those expressions.
There are others, though, who desperately require an intervention and they write with the hope that I can lead them to someone somewhere, or something that would provide a response, if not a solution, to their situations. Generally, they intervene for someone they know or love.
In almost five years, I am uncertain that I have found anything in the “system” that provided an answer/ solution to anyone. So, quite apart from managing my own emotions, I have had to harbour the despair of others and endure the indignity of non-existent mental health caregiving in T&T. The last such email broke my heart and all I can do is apologise to the individual.
In the earlier years of this feature, I would delightedly promise to contact this officer here or this service there, or try to put people in touch with someone. Apart from a few who found interventions at the North Central Regional Heath Authority psychiatric clinic at Mt Hope, and some others who accessed the psychiatrists in private practice whom I recommended, I have found nothing to give to people—nothing of substance when and where it really matters.
In the last year, a mother in the eastern region reached out to me about her son. He was refusing to take his medication and the consequent issues distressed me where I sat, far more her. I reached out to someone in the health system who should have been able to give support.
The mother called me back and said no one had communicated with her. I called the person again and got the promise again to help the family. Two more weeks passed and hearing nothing from either of them, I thought—we’re doing better.
When I messaged the mother, she told me she had had no help and in fact, she was at that very time hospitalised, having suffered a heart attack. She survived, came out of the hospital and to date there has only been one phone call from the mental health professional to say she would get back to the mother.
Recently, I began saying up front that, so far, I’ve not been able to find anything or anyone in the “system” who has helped anyone whose case I have presented. Now I’m thinking I would just tell people there is nothing I can do to get any help in T&T. That way there would be no issue of deferred hope for a family already burdened.
I know that it is not entirely on the individuals in the health ministry to whom I have reached out. It is greater than that, though; their nebulousness compounds the issue. It is that the Health Minister and health ministers before him and the health ministry have never taken the issue of mental health and mental illnesses as seriously as it needs to be. And I am sounding like a stuck record, so I’m saying no more about that today.
My own interventions over the years cannot be attributed to state mediation or resources. When I was a teenager, I was warded at the San Fernando General Hospital, receiving medication, counselling and occupational therapy as an in-patient. But for the rest of my life, I have had to pay for the services I need in order to be as well as I should be, despite my diagnosis.
It is a deep, despairing feeling to realise so many people are ill and families, neighbours and friends suffer as T&T provides next to nothing to which many people do not have access.
So, to the beautiful soul that reached out to me about the neighbour’s daughter whose mother died, whose father would not allow her in her home, and who was allowed to sleep in your brother’s car in your yard (only because of your children’s safety and the destruction of your property); for rescuing her from the neighbour’s yard and putting her up in a hotel for a few nights with your money, many thanks for your compassion and generosity.
I have nothing…the system has given me no answers.
In the fires of hope and prayer, where we should find an equal place, I continue to seek tolerance—resources, investiture, lenience, acceptance, forbearance, patience, broadmindedness—on both our behalf.
And may God bless our nation with compassion, too.
—Caroline C Ravello is a strategic communications and media practitioner with over 30 years of proficiency. She holds an MA in Mass Communications and is pursuing the MSc in Public Health (MPH) from The UWI.
Write to: mindful.tt@gmail.com | http://www.guardian.co.tt/lifestyle/2016-08-31/great-vacuum-mental-health-services | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/918d5f213f61041939d0d1fefbd074046a10c6e6005249d0b7c9bc88a410357c.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T14:49:09 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | The film Play the Devil, by writer/director Maria Govan and producer Abigail Hadeed, is simultaneously an exploration of the socio-political issues underpinning T&T and the Caribbean, a coming-of-age film, and a plea for compassion in dealing with | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Farts%2F2016-08-28%2Fplaying-keeps.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/field/image/Untitled-4_227.jpg?itok=u3wSus-H | en | null | Playing for Keeps | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | The film Play the Devil, by writer/director Maria Govan and producer Abigail Hadeed, is simultaneously an exploration of the socio-political issues underpinning T&T and the Caribbean, a coming-of-age film, and a plea for compassion in dealing with others.
That’s according to Hadeed, Govan and main actors Gareth Jenkins and Petrice Jones, who say even though the film is centred around a homosexual relationship, that isn’t the only issue addressed in the film.
Hadeed, for whom this is her first full-length narrative film, believes it will become a seminal one for the English-speaking Caribbean, due to the topics it covers. It tackles how homosexuality crosses all the boundaries of class, race, culture and environment.
She said she hoped it would inspire investors and filmmakers to come together and make more films.
Govan’s perspective is that the film tries to dig into the roots of violence, as she feels the world judges people without investigating their lives, instead of trying to understand why they arrived at that place.
“We don't look at how racism and homophobia and the church—all of these systemic things—can be very oppressive to people and how that oppression then wreaks havoc in those people's lives.
“Without compassion and really a more empathic look into people, it’s really hard to heal what’s actually broken in our world.”
The main character, Gregory (played by Jones), comes from a working class family in Paramin.
“Coming of age in the Caribbean can be quite difficult, particularly if you’re LGBTQI,” said Hadeed. “It is the most difficult space to navigate, and worse yet if you come from a working class Afro-Caribbean background. What this film is trying to ask is compassion for everybody, because if we cannot be who we truly are at our core, and we have to hide who we are, what happens is we get pushed into corners and we get trapped.”
Govan agreed, saying the world would not necessarily see the movie as a gay one. “It's really showing how difficult coming into adulthood can be when there are expectations from the people who care for us.
“His family hopes he's going to be that person to have a different life trajectory, and the film looks at his complicated relationships with his father, brother and best friend, so this dynamic with all these other characters is evenly mapped. It's not then just a film about him and this man.”
Jenkins and Jones are both heterosexual. They said working on the movie was an eye-opener.
Jenkins, a designer and entrepreneur with no prior acting experience, said while he was concerned about the stigma that might be attached to the role, he took it because he realised local and regional actors were reluctant to play the part. He didn’t want his children to think of him as a bigot for not taking up the offer.
“The truth is it would be very hard for a gay man to play this role in a way that as a straight man I can get away with, because I can say I’m straight and I was just acting.
“I felt it’s abhorrent the way we stigmatise such a significant portion of the population. Essentially it’s a human rights issue that keeps getting swept under the carpet by successive governments, and if I could do something positive in one small way by taking on this role, and expose myself to some backlash perhaps, then why not?”
Jones, who is from England, said the character as he played it has a lot of shame verging on self-hatred. The role helped him see what it’s like to grow up in a society where being gay is not accepted at all and to carry that around.
“No one deserves to have to live a lie, so it was a strange experience for me as a heterosexual male to see what it’s like living on the other side of that.”
During filming, Jones was harassed by some boys on a corner because he “looked gay” and that experience brought the character home in a different way.
“I would have loved to talk to them to understand their mentality towards homosexuality and how you think it’s okay to shout abuse at someone you’ve never seen in your life, just based on their appearance.
“I could imagine if I was gay that it would be awful, feeling like you couldn't walk out of your house and just go somewhere without someone harassing you. I hope this film will mitigate some of the negative feelings about homosexuality by humanizing LGBTQI people.”
Jones and Jenkins both hope that the film will alter the landscape positively for LGBTQI people in T&T.
In addition to being shot entirely in Trinidad, the film used mainly local cast and crew, with very few non-local people. Hadeed and Govan congratulated the crew on their professionalism and positivity, and said the acting talent was wonderful. Hadeed paid special tribute to Avril Fisher, Leslie Ann Caton, Lesley-Ann Macfarlane, Timmia Hearn, Che Rodriguez, Penelope Spencer and Nickolai Salcedo.
They also thanked the people of Paramin for being gracious during filming, particularly “Popo” Constantine, Ellis Emmanuel, Jesus from Cool Breezes Bar and the New Management Blue Devil group.
Govan said they were very open with the community about the premise of the film.
“We didn't want them to feel betrayed, but they were fine with it. The culture of jab acknowledges the shadow in a particular way and feels rooted in a kind of inclusion that a lot of cultures don't have, wherein they accept the things they aren't so comfortable with.
“They see it all as sacred including the darkness and the ‘Devil,’ which is why I was so fascinated by the idea of the jab and the whole film is inspired by that really.”
Hadeed said the Government should encourage the local sector by initiatives such as mandating that international film crews shooting in T&T have people understudy and learn from them, creating a dedicated police department for permits and permissions and funding a script development department. She also called for greater investment in and consistent funding of the arts.
Govan said the Government should make it a priority to cultivate a local industry where Trinidadians and other Caribbean people can tell stories about the region in their own voices.
Play the Devil was produced in association with CreativeTT and FilmTT.
The film has been received positively by audiences at the Los Angeles Film Festival and won Best Film at QFlicks, an LGBTQI Film Festival in Philadelphia. It is scheduled to open the T&T Film Festival on September 20, and all involved are curious to see how local audiences will receive it.
Jenkins called it an amazing piece of cinema and hoped people would see it as an interesting take on what is the reality of life in T&T for a lot of people. Jones said he’s interested in what different people will take away from the film.
Hadeed said, “We tried to make a film that speaks to the real issues in the region and hopefully encourages us to look at ourselves and be more compassionate and less judgmental.”
Govan said she hoped that Trinidadians would be proud of the film, even if they find it challenging. “The film showcases the rich colourful cultural backdrop of T&T and hopefully it represents how Trinidad is absolutely rich and beautiful and complicated as a place and space. I hope that it creates an interesting conversation in the country, if nothing else, and people reflect on it and I'm excited for the conversation.” | http://www.guardian.co.tt/arts/2016-08-28/playing-keeps | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/82567d5cf5aea4328c37151d62240d438a047a0c66b44470e5b4d1b1fa3b1be3.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T14:49:11 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | UWI, St Augustine, will join with the Brazilian Embassy in hosting the concert A Alma Brasileira—The Brazilian Soul on September 7.
The concert is being organised by the Portuguese and Brazilian Studies Section, Department of Modern Languages and L | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Farts%2F2016-08-28%2Fsamba-show-reveal-soul-brazil.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/field/image/Untitled-5_185.jpg?itok=w1xeGk05 | en | null | Samba show to reveal soul of Brazil | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | UWI, St Augustine, will join with the Brazilian Embassy in hosting the concert A Alma Brasileira—The Brazilian Soul on September 7.
The concert is being organised by the Portuguese and Brazilian Studies Section, Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics at UWI, St Augustine, in conjunction with the Department of Creative and Festival Arts, and under the auspices of the Embassy of Brazil.
A Alma Brasileira will commemorate Brazil’s independence and 100 years of samba.
Performers including Candice Alcantara, Devon Seale, Gerelle Forbes, Heather Mac Intosh and Marlon de Bique will interpret samba classics with a live band led by musical director Anthony Woodroffe Jr. They will be joined by Tamba Gwindi, percussionist, and Marcus Santos on the pandeiro from Bahia, Brazil.
Wilson & Co Dance Troupe will dance, and there will be capoeira performances by Volta Miúda and Acanne.
The event is a fund-raiser.
“The funds provided by this event will be used for funding academic and co-curricular activities for students in the section and for our Secondary Schools Outreach programme over the next academic year,” Dr Jo-Anne Ferreira, senior lecturer in linguistics and co-ordinator of the undergraduate Portuguese and Brazilian studies programme said in a press release from the university.
“The minor in Brazilian studies programme is fairly young, only three years old, within the older Portuguese Language programme dating to 1987. The section is a small team, with only one full-time instructor post, trying earnestly to increase awareness of the relevance of Brazilian culture and the Portuguese language nationally and in the region.”
Santos, the Brazilian musical guest, is a percussionist who specialises in playing the pandiero, a small, flat, handheld drum. He will give a workshop on September 3 in St Augustine and on September 4 in San Fernando. Registration is required for the workshops.
The concert A Alma Brasileira starts at 6.30 pm and takes place at the Central Bank Auditorium, St Vincent Street, Port-of-Spain.
More info
WhatsApp: 383-9592, 299-8543 or 384-7205; or visit the A Alma Brasileira Facebook Event Page. | http://www.guardian.co.tt/arts/2016-08-28/samba-show-reveal-soul-brazil | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/7c30b84e17a5d0522e03402087de5009dce057cf44dba7852023736838c7fb4f.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T04:49:51 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | Kevin Baldeosingh
The life expectancy in Jamaica is 73 years; the infant mortality rate is 15 per 1,000 live births; and the murder rate is 30 per 100,000 persons. In developed nations, by contrast, average life expectancy is in the late 70s; infant | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Fcolumnist%2F2016-08-28%2Fmedals-and-circuses.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/field/image/Kevin%20Baldeosingha_27.jpg?itok=Pf9VUGFn | en | null | Medals and circuses | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | Kevin Baldeosingh
The life expectancy in Jamaica is 73 years; the infant mortality rate is 15 per 1,000 live births; and the murder rate is 30 per 100,000 persons. In developed nations, by contrast, average life expectancy is in the late 70s; infant mortality is below five per 1,000; and homicides are less than three per 100,000.
But Jamaica got 11 medals in the 2016 Olympic Games: ergo, it’s a great country. In fact, the discussion now is how T&T can emulate Jamaica to win more medals in the 2020 Olympics. Nobody even asks if athletic achievement brings any tangible or even intangible benefits to a nation. That is taken as a given.
However, in their book Guide to the Perfect Latin American Idiot, writers Plinio Mendoza and Carlos Montaner and Alvaro Vargas Llosa say in respect to Cuba: “Any government that haphazardly allocates its society’s resources in a single direction can achieve a deceptive and incredibly limited accomplishment, but this will always be at the expense of other sectors that would necessarily be left on the fringes of the development efforts.” In 2016, Cuba ranked 18th in the Olympic Games with 11 medals, equalling Jamaica which ranked 16th. But, since Cuba’s population is 11 million and Jamaica’s three million, Jamaica’s resource allocation is even more skewed than Fidel’s socialist paradise.
Yet in T&T the default premise seems to be that athletics programmes more than repay the investment that the State and private sector make. If justification arises at all, the assertions are that sporting glory (1) inspires young people and imparts positive values to them; (2) instils national pride; and (3) provides publicity for the nation. But all these claims are tendentious.
To start in reverse order: neither tourist nor investor is going to say: “Wow, people from that country really run fast, I’d better go there.” And whatever national pride we get from Olympic medals does not and will not cause any change in behaviour: murderers will continue to murder and litterbugs will continue to litter. Which brings me to the main justifications.
To start with “inspiration”: the core argument proffered by sports defenders is that the effort and dedication of athletes set an example for every field of endeavour. However, the praise for this kind of dedication can actually devalue effort in other areas: for it equates effort and dedication at a game (ie fun) with effort and dedication in the more crucial aspects of life, such as acquiring a marketable skill or providing for your family.
A runner or thrower winning a medal only inspires those youths who want to run fast or throw objects very far. Such an achievement does not motivate a majority of young people to achieve within their own skill set, or be better citizens, nor does it even improve their self-image. Indeed, if athletic glory does make more youths to focus on sports, that would be to their detriment as well as the country’s. After all, only a few of them will reach championship level, hence ensuring that the majority become failures by their own criteria.
The cultural message sent by glorification of athletes undermines the values needed to make a country developed. T&T is even more guilty than Jamaica of this, perhaps because energy revenues gave us money to waste. Of all our international achievers, we laud athletes and beauty queens the most. Of course, we also celebrate the top achievers in SEA and CAPE, but even that is treated as a competition, where success rather than learning is celebrated. That is why we have buildings named for athletes, but not for VS Naipaul or Derek Walcott.
As for imparting positive values, this is the most vacuous claim of all. There is no evidence that participating in sports teaches fair play or teamwork outside of the specific activity. Moreover, as Dr David Bratt asserted in his Guardian column last Tuesday: “For practical purposes, every gold medal won at the Olympic Games since 1976 is tainted by drugs. The athletes know it, the medical advisers know it, the media know it and above all the organisers know it.” So youngsters who enter sports with the intention of competing internationally soon learn that the overriding value is that it’s okay to cheat to win and, concomitantly, that only a loser doesn’t play the game.
At best, therefore, it seems to me that a country whose athletes medal in the Olympic Games gets nothing but boasting rights. Which brings me to the crux of the matter: will T&T be spending scarce resources in order to win more medals four years from now? As Mendoza et al point out: “It’s true that Cuba wins gold medals than France in the Olympics. But the only thing this reveals is that the poor Caribbean island uses its meagre resources in the stupidest way anyone could think of.”
Sports are recreation and entertainment, and the money a government allocates to athletics should reflect no more than that. This is why I consider the appointment of Diego Martin Central MP Darryl Smith as Sports Minister to be the most effective ministerial appointment in the entire Cabinet: because, from the optics alone, this sends a message that the Keith Rowley administration considers athletics to be a low priority.
Kevin Baldeosingh is a professional writer, author of three novels, and co-author of a history textbook. | http://www.guardian.co.tt/columnist/2016-08-28/medals-and-circuses | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/fece2f07f7e5129231ee1c700b7f5fc702694a5145473ee7a209023d539142a2.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T04:49:00 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | With both Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and National Security Minister Edmund Dillon upping the pressure on the police service to bring rising crime, in particular murders, under control over the last 24 hours, the T&T Guardian yesterday posed | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Fnews%2F2016-08-27%2Fdivision-heads-crime-we%25E2%2580%2599re-trying-our-best.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/field/image/Adeline%20St%20Louis-Pesnell.jpg?itok=AuqnhB9_ | en | null | Division heads on crime: We’re trying our best | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | With both Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and National Security Minister Edmund Dillon upping the pressure on the police service to bring rising crime, in particular murders, under control over the last 24 hours, the T&T Guardian yesterday posed several questions to the divisional heads on the issue.
Several of them said while there appeared to be an increase in crime, they were doing their best with the resources they had and were getting good results.
Following are the comments of eight of the nine division heads we managed to interview yesterday.
Senior Supt, Southern Division —
Adeline St Louis-Pesnell
What are you doing to reduce crime in your division?
“I am tackling crime using a two-fold approach. What is really on the frontburner right now is having static patrols and a visible police presence by Task Force and CID officers. We also have intelligence teams on the ground who gather additional evidence and we use this to reduce crime. I plan to regain the trust of the citizens and members of the community in the Southern Division. Police officers cannot resolve crime on our own. Without the real assistance of the members of the community we will find ourselves in a bind. We have to engage the community and I am doing so particularly in La Romaine. My predecessor was focusing on Marabella. We are relaunching the La Romaine Police Youth Club, which was dormant for a year.
What is the current crime detection rate in your division?
Our detection rate in this division is 34 per cent. It is not the highest but we have a good rate. The national mandate was 22 per cent but we are not limiting ourselves.
What is your target for crime detection by year-end?
We will be very happy for a 50 per cent solve rate but I am not going to put a time frame. I am not going to put that 50 per cent bar because we could achieve more than that. That is why we will do whatever it takes to increase the solve rate as much as I can. I am meeting all the officers on the ground and I am trying to get them to buy in with what we are doing so everyone will be in sync with our goals and objectives.
How are you motivating staff?
I understand the plight of officers. They have their issues but I will meet and engage them. If I can assist an officer I will do so, but if an officer is delinquent then I will deal with that differently. My thing is to reach out to the officers. I have told them that the Commissioner of Police has an incentive programme where divisions are rewarded. For example, a reward is given to the division that retrieves the most guns off the streets. My goal is to mirror that so every station district will increase their performance and be rewarded.
Are you focusing on crime hotspots?
Yes but we have to also look at all regions. This division has ten stations and one post in St Mary’s. We hold regular meetings with all the community councils of the various districts and decide how we going to address the issues. We are also going around to the schools to find the children who are suspended. We don’t leave them unsupervised.
What are some of the challenges you face?
A challenge is to get some of the parents and the public to cooperate with us. I have asked my office staff to give me an extra four hours on Saturday and Sunday. I am there with my officers on the ground to meet with people. When 4.30 pm reaches, I don’t lock up my door and leave to go home, I remain on the ground with my team to implement our strategies.
Sr Supt, South Western Division— Inraj Balram
What are you doing to reduce crime in your division?
In my division, which has the highest crime detection rate in the country, I am using research, data and technology to fight crime. I am also ensuring that there are adequate patrols out on the street.
Based on our research we are able to say what time of the year has the most crime and what areas within the district has the highest levels of crime. We have a special team set up in the division to compile data and do intelligence gathering along with the Crime and Problem Analysis Unit. We keep in touch with known criminals and monitor their activities. Knowing a lot about these priority offenders keeps the crime rate down. We also have a database with retired police and soldiers, who we use effectively to help us with reducing crime. Our officers live in the division so they police their own communities. We also treat our informants with respect and courtesy.
What is the current crime detection rate in your division?
Our detection rate is over 40 per cent—the best in the country.
What is your target for crime detection by year-end?
I am hoping to reach 50 per cent by year-end. Right now we looking into the cold cases and solvability factors.
What are some of the challenges you face?
I am not focusing on challenges or manpower shortages. I focus on the resources we have and how we can use our staff and technology effectively to fight crime. We partner with the community and we get the youths on our side through successful police youth clubs. The Victim Support Unit works with the community. I don’t have a problem with staff motivation. We have excellent social networking in this division. Just yesterday we had a little lime by the river. We have sports days. I am only here for two weeks but I plan to put other things in place to motivate my staff.
Are you focusing on crime hotspots?
Our focus is the entire division.
Ag. Sr Supt, Eastern Division
—John Trim
What are you doing to reduce crime in your division?
We have an active community policing unit in the Eastern Division. There are police youth clubs in each of the nine station districts, where we conduct programmes to motivate young people to become productive citizens and to stay away from crime.
We have introduced a programme to help young people who are suspended from school for disciplinary infractions. It is called Brooklyn House. We take in the students and assist them with their school work so that they do not remain idle at home. The programme started in 2012 and is a vital part of the efforts in the Eastern Division to reduce crime. The Commissioner of Police believes it could become a model programme for other communities.
We also have another programme which goes by the acronym CITY- Caring Intervention for Troubled Youths, and we conduct town meetings every month in different areas of the region. We get feedback from the communities on what we are doing wrong or right, what they want us to improve and what areas we need to concentrate attention on.
Station heads within the division also hold regular meetings with stakeholders to discuss not just crime, but social issues and we invite WASA, T&TEC and other agencies to attend to help address problems raised.
What is the current crime detection rate in your division?
Our crime detection rate is 42 per cent, the highest in any division. For the last two years we have won the commissioner’s award for the highest detection rate.
In 2014 and 2015 our detection rate was 50 per cent and in 2016 at 42 per cent, we are still the highest.
We have had 26 murders so far for the year, we have already solved four of these and charged persons; they are now before the courts. Four other persons are expected to be charged soon.
We have recovered 31 illegal firearms for the year so far, that is six more than the 25 seized in the same period last year.
What is your target for crime detection by year-end?
While 42 is the highest I am still not satisfied, I want to surpass the last two years when we had a 50 per cent detection rate. I want to get at over 50 per cent by year’s end.
How are you motivating staff?
One of the basic things is praising staff for good work and continuing to encourage them to perform at a high level.
We excel in the total number of arrests we make each year for all categories of crime. The officers feel motivated by the excellent work which we do.
Are you focusing on crime hotspots?
We have been running hotspot patrols in areas identified as hotspots. These include Mayaro, Rio Claro, Valencia and Sangre Grande. These are the four station districts which are the busiest in the Eastern Division.
The five other areas which fall under the division hardly have any crime at all. These include Toco, Matelot, and Biche where we get small crimes, including robberies and house break-ins.
What are the challenges you face?
This division has the longest stretch of coastline. The Eastern Division comprises one third of the land mass of Trinidad, from Matelot to Guayaguayare to Rio Claro. It is a challenge because we have the widest stretch of sea coast to manage, Matelot, Toco, Matura, Manzanilla, Guayaguayare, the whole eastern sea coast.
We have implemented coastal patrols, but on land, because we cannot do marine. We do daily patrols of the coastline to stop the entry of illegal arms, ammunition and drugs in the country. But to make it effective we need the assistance of other agencies to assist in managing the coast. A marine patrol is vital to seal off the borders.
Ag Senior Supt, Port-of-Spain Division - Mc Donald Jacob
What are you doing to reduce crime in your division?
Port-of-Spain was on the radar for the high incidence of crime but there is now a 30 per cent decline in murders and a 55 per cent reduction in shootings and woundings compared to last year. We have seen a significant decrease in violent crimes in the area.
When I came into the division I used the Crime and Problem Analysis branch of the Police Service to identify the crime trends and patterns within the division. We used Prince and Charlotte Streets as the epicentre, because 67 per cent of the crimes occur in that radius. We identified the offenders, we began a clinical way of doing patrols. We implemented the plan in March after Carnival and there has been a tremendous reduction in break-ins and larceny.
On the periphery the police and Defence Force are working together to patrol the area, including George and Nelson Streets. Besson Street police also play a key role. It was done on the basis of clinical analysis.
We have patrols by the army and police (the IAFT) in Laventille, Beetham, Sea Lots and we revived the foot patrols.
The work done by the IATF, the Port-of-Spain Task Force and the Defence Force has helped a lot to reduce crime. For the year so far, six people have been charged for murder and two have been charged with the shooting of a police officer in Sea Lots. Boombay, a gang leader, is in prison. It is a combination of things that has helped with crime reduction in the city.
When the commissioner appointed me, he said he was putting a criminologist in charge of the division. At one time this was the most challenging division. We work together with the mayor’s office and businesses on Ariapita Avenue as a team to deal with unlawful activity. It is a partnership. It is working well.
What is the current detection rate in your division?
For serious crimes it is 16 per cent. It may sound like a little bit but the trend of detection in Port-of-Spain has been between ten and 11 per cent. The last time it reached 15 per cent was ten years ago.
For minor crimes, such as possession of firearms, ammunition, possession of cocaine and marijuana and malicious wounding, the detection rate is 60 per cent. Our detection is weak when it comes to night patrols.
What is your target for crime detection by year-end?
To reduce murders by five per cent by the end of the year. This is the mandate from the commissioner. If we had 80 murders last year it has to be reduced by five per cent of that figure by the end of the year. We are at a 25 per cent reduction so we are above the requirement.
If the commissioner set a goal of five per cent, I tell my men we need to reduce by 15 per cent. We have not reached the target for recovery of firearms. Last year it was 48, by now we should be 55, I hope to improve that.
How are you motivating staff?
By educating them on what we are doing. We set smart goals so when they achieve the goals they feel fulfilled and comfortable. We have motivational speeches for officers to help motivate them and I meet with them regularly.
Are you focusing on crime hotspots?
We have identified some key areas, the epicentre Prince and Charlotte Streets, Laventille, Beetham, Sea Lots, George Street, Nelson Street.
Identifying hotspots is done in a scientific way by looking at Compstat data. We look at areas where there are crimes, a place maybe a hot area now but that changes in two months.
What are some of the challenges you face?
The biggest challenge is the number of CCTV cameras in the heart of Port-of-Spain which are not working, some at Park and Henry Streets, Park and Frederick Streets, and Charlotte Street. About 30 per cent of the cameras in prime areas are not working.
We do not have enough people to handle traffic management right now, we depend heavily on the traffic wardens.
There are also challenges with vacant buildings and in some areas the lighting needs to improve.
We want more calls to 555 and Crime Stoppers to help us increase our detection rate. We get a lot of help but we need a lot more. 555 and Crime Stoppers are anonymous so people should call in.
Ag. Senior Supt, North Eastern Division - Surendra Sagramsingh
What are you doing to reduce crime in your division?
I was appointed to the division one week ago. Before I take decisive action I need to do an audit. I will conduct a comparative analysis of 2015 and now to see if my predecessor’s initiatives were working. After I do the analysis I will make a decision on what to do next. If the initiatives did not work I will decide what changes need to be made. I don’t intend to reinvent the wheel if they were working. I will certainly tweak to see how to improve things.
What is the current crime detection rate in the division?
From the records the division has not been doing significantly well, but I have not yet had the opportunity to conduct the audits. There are some offences that the police cannot do anything to prevent. This is an area with rival gangs, they operate like this, either you kill me or I kill you. We can’t stop it but we can put things in place to deal with that.
What is your target for crime detection by year-end?
The TTPS has a mandate for a reduction in crime, improved patrols. The first agenda is to do an audit to find out where we are and I will put things in place. We will improve where it is lacking.
What are the challenges you face?
The murder rate is a sore point. This district has a number of gangs and that is a major source of concern. That will be a major challenge.
How are you motivating staff?
I intend to visit every station that falls under my command. I will have to do a manpower audit to see how much personnel there is in the division.
We have to have a shared vision. People may be demotivated, we will have to deal with that. I will let people know who I am. I came from a serious background. I worked at Morvant station for 13 years. I left as a constable, now I am returning as head. I will let them know I cannot do it alone, I need input from every individual. The first message I intend to send is that I will not tolerate any senior officer embarrassing any junior officer.
Are you focusing on crime hotspots?
I have not yet identified the crime hotspots. There are major concerns in the Morvant and Barataria areas. San Juan also has some concerns but it is not as bad as Morvant and Barataria.
Acting Sr Supt, Western Division - Basdeo Ramdhanie
What are you doing to reduce crime in your division?
We are targeting priority offenders/persons of interest. We are also increasing our capacity to find and seize illegal firearms, intensifying patrols in hotspot areas and targeting known drug blocks. We are generally policing the division on a zero tolerance basis.
What is the current crime detection rate in your division?
For serious crimes it is 20 per cent for 2016; it was 18 per cent last year. We have a 50 per cent detection rate in respect of minor crimes.
What is your target for crime detection by year-end?
We hope to reach 30 per cent by the end of the year, that is part of the strategic plan of the TTPS.
How are you motivating staff?
We are explaining to them where we are and where we want to be. Supporting and nurturing them. I listen to their views and suggestions and provide adequate training letting them know we are professionals.
Are you focusing on crime hotspots?
We focus on crime hotspots as well as non-hotspots alike because there has been a shift from the hotspot areas. We did an analysis in June, we realised that 65 per cent of the crimes are committed in non-hotspot areas. The criminals are smart, they soon realise we focusing on one area so they move to another.
What are some of the challenges you face?
Demotivated staff, and a lack of resources. We also have problems controlling the coastal areas and reaching the mountainous areas. We have to drive along the coast because we do not have the boats. The coastal area is from MovieTowne to Chaguaramas all the way to Saut Deau beach behind the Paramin Hills on the north coast. We have to trek the mountains on foot because you can only drive so far. The area includes Rich Plain, La Puerta, Belle Vue, Bourne’s Road and the North Coast Road.
Ag Sr Supt, Tobago - Joanne Archie
What are you doing to reduce crime in your division?
We work with the strategic goals of the TTPS. Based on that we look at the statistics as it relates to crime and in Tobago the biggest challenge is break-ins and larcenies.
What I did, I looked at the areas and we implemented a strategy where we target the offenders, we looked at who are the offenders. We want to reduce serious crime by 25 per cent and work along with the goals of the police service. We do not have an issue with murder, but with the increase in wounding and shooting. We intend to introduce a campaign on firearm seizure.
I always ensure that whatever strategy I come up with, it is aligned with the strategic goals of the Police Service.
I also meet with stakeholders, hoteliers and those in the tourism industry; we have a partnership.
What is the current crime detection rate in your division?
We have a 27 per cent detection rate. The TTPS target is 30 per cent.
What is your target for crime detection by year-end?
I want to see serious crimes reduced. I have been targeting priority offenders and 30 persons have been charged for break-ins and larceny. There was one murder and someone is now before the court. I am trying to keep the violence down, that is why I want to start a firearms campaign to increase firearm seizures and to reduce violent crimes.
How are you motivating staff?
Since I came in 2015 I have had a commendation function, commending officers for their good work. We meet every two weeks, that is a CompStat meeting, where the station commanders are asked to account for what happened in their divisions. We discuss what has been done and what are the plans for the next two weeks, always ensuring that staff is kept informed.
Are you focusing on crime hotspots?
We do not have hotspots, a hotspot is where there is a proliferation of crime and we don’t have that in Tobago. But we do monitor all areas since we need to keep a balance.
We also have a tourist-oriented unit, they walk the beaches and interact with tourists to provide advice. They are often commended for the work they do.
What are the challenges you face?
My biggest challenge are the shortcomings on the port. We need more security measures at the port. Police doing random searches of a ferry, intelligence tells us that there are things that come in. We need more scanners to find the contraband and firearms that come in.
We do hand scans, so vehicles on the port are not properly checked. Anything can come in. We need to improve the security systems at the port.
Ag Sr Supt North Eastern Division - Simboonath Rajkumar
What are you doing to reduce crime in your division?
I am doing plenty things, some confidential. But we have a lot of exercises going on targeting drug blocks and priority offenders and gang leaders. We are doing warrant exercises to bring people in who owe government taxes, and those who owe child maintenance. We visiting bars and casinos to ensure that people do not have firearms.
We have adopted a zero-tolerance approach to crime, we are even going after loiterers to ensure that we bring crime down.
We have called out officers on vacation to ensure that we have the manpower needed to fight crime. We also host regular town meetings and people come, they tell us what is happening, where we need to focus. They provide information. We have outreach programmes along with the hard policing to build partnerships with the communities to get results.
What is the crime detection rate in your division?
Our crime detection rate is 20 per cent and seizure in firearms is 80.
What is your target for crime detection by year-end?
It’s 30 per cent crime detection rate and we want to get at least 100 firearms. We are sure we can meet the target.
How are you motivating staff?
We have a lot of meetings. We praise people. We lead by example, we are out in the field with the men. We spend time with them, energise them, compliment them and praise them.
Are you focusing on crime hotspots?
There are four major hotspot communities in the division—Arouca, Arima, St Joseph and Tunapuna. While we focus on the entire division we place more emphasis on these four divisions identified because of the crime situation.
What are some of the challenges you face?
We have a vehicle problem and like other divisions we have manpower issues, but like any good manager I work with the resources I have because I will not let a resource issue set back the work which we have to do.
We serve 350,000 people, it is a wide area to deal with and we will not let lack of resources set us back. | http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2016-08-27/division-heads-crime-we%E2%80%99re-trying-our-best | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/bb4b82cf45da93d6bcac9f44fc87c48e6880801d3c6dc9a26de5594096331a2d.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T04:51:25 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | Trinidad and Tobago remains justly proud of the idea of its history and the remaining examples of that past left standing, but expends little effort on actually preserving that architectural history as the T&T Guardian’s reporting this week on the l | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Feditorial%2F2016-08-31%2Fhistory%25E2%2580%2599s-dilapidation-choice.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/guardianfav1.ico | en | null | History’s dilapidation is a choice | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | Trinidad and Tobago remains justly proud of the idea of its history and the remaining examples of that past left standing, but expends little effort on actually preserving that architectural history as the T&T Guardian’s reporting this week on the lamentable state of the Red House and President’s House attests.
It’s not as if a casual bystander couldn’t see that neglect for themselves. Work on the Red House, after the erection of a prophylactic roof over the decaying structure was built, has proceeded at a pace that’s largely invisible to the human eye.
The humiliating scar of the collapsed roof at President’s House is only the most obvious manifestation of the slow and steady creep of neglect that’s rotted the building from its foundations.
According to former museum curator Claire Broadbridge, the government ignored an offer of significant funding from the Canadian government to repair President’s House at least a decade ago.
Was that pride, an oil-rich economy or an institutional disinterest in investing in historical old buildings in favour of shiny new ones with spiffy steel and glass cladding?
President’s House was built in 1876. The Red House in 1844.
Together they represent an astonishing 314 years of this country’s experienced history on this, our 54th celebration of Independence, but that hasn’t earned them much respect.
History may also be playing a role in the stalling of the restoration of the Red House.
Amerindian remains were discovered on the property when excavation began in 2013 and a sensible halt was called while the Santa Rosa First Peoples were consulted about how the find should be handled.
Ricardo Bharath, head of the First Peoples, is very clear about what should be done with the remains that have been unearthed, but the formal government response has been secretive and reticent.
The Santa Rosa First Peoples want their presence in the space appropriately honoured, and any historical display designed in accordance with their expectations and that of the UN Declaration of Human Rights of Indigenous People. It seems a commonsense solution, but such straightforward, problem-focused thinking seems to have eluded every effort at managing restoration work on the Red House, President’s House and virtually every other building of age, importance and value to the history of T&T.
Works Minister Fitzgerald Hinds has promised that the renovation of President’s House would be a top priority. A small allocation was said to have been made in the 2016 budget toward the project, with a promise of more funding in the future “for the refurbishment and renovation of this wonderful edifice.”
On taking power with the People’s National Movement Government in September 2015, Dr Keith Rowley more definitively appointed a Red House Committee and chose to lead it.
In that flush of corrective enthusiasm, Rowley said, “A people uninterested in its art ... its artists and its history are a people not worthy of an independent state.” These are both bold and noble sentiments and concepts entirely in line with the expectations of the last century’s ideas about art and its value as expressed by its practitioners.
From MP Alladin to Pat Bishop, creative professionals in Trinidad and Tobago have called for greater institutional involvement in both support for the creative arts as they are practiced and the preservation of created works, of which architecture is the boldest and most obvious presence in the national landscape.
By the end of March 2016, $400 million was supposed to have been committed to restoration work on the Red House. Udecott has spent $110 million on consultancy and construction work on the restoration project.
During the water riots of 1903, the Red House survived the destruction by fire of everything but its concrete frame.
The insurrectionists in 1990 coup attempt riddled the structure with bullet holes and dings which eventually led to leaks and accelerated weathering.
Neither assault has been as effective as the wood slaves of neglect, institutional disinterest and bureaucratic lethargy which have steadily eaten away at our built heritage with remorseless, deadly efficiency.
Sorry to say, we cannot be proud of that. | http://www.guardian.co.tt/editorial/2016-08-31/history%E2%80%99s-dilapidation-choice | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/62cc403fc721ce935790a217c40e87cbaffff4b8683e68f6347d374b86f1a5e8.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T02:49:55 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | A local story the equivalent of Disney’s Bambi occurred this past weekend in the Morne La Croix forest.
A deserted fawn was rescued by hikers from the Garden of Eden Adventure Tours and Camping hike leaders near the Arima/Blanchisseuse Road.
The fawn ha | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Fnews%2F2016-08-29%2Fhikers-rescue-fawn-forest.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/field/image/Deer%20Rescue.jpg?itok=2Iokyhjy | en | null | Hikers rescue fawn from forest | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | A local story the equivalent of Disney’s Bambi occurred this past weekend in the Morne La Croix forest.
A deserted fawn was rescued by hikers from the Garden of Eden Adventure Tours and Camping hike leaders near the Arima/Blanchisseuse Road.
The fawn has since been named “Joey.”However, this story does not end with Bambi’s parents rushing to carry him off and nurture him.
In a brief interview, hike leader Doon Rampharay said their group were approaching an area known as Three Sprout on Sunday when they saw Joey walking around the edge of the pool at the waterfall.
“We crossed over the small waterfall and we heard the cries of what sounded like an animal,” Rampharay said.
He said they approached the fawn and he picked up the crying animal to have closer look to see if it was hurt. With nothing apparently wrong with the animal, the group decided to leave it there to give his mother time to return. Later that evening, however, Doon and his son, Kern, returned to the forest to check on the animal.
“We went back and it was still there. The mother would not leave that fawn for that length of time. It means something happen to the mother. He made some noise, calling for mother,” he said.
Rampharay said the area was frequented by hunters so they decided to take the animal home.
“I thought all kind of things. He don’t have a parent and was at a risk and was vulnerable. I grow up in the bush with animals. The people who came with me, they usually hike and try to preserve the environment,” he said.
Joey was placed in a baby pouch bag and they made their way back out the forest.
Rampharay said Joey was hungry and he attempted to give him paw paws and bananas, which he did not enjoy.
“He wasn’t afraid or looking for comfort. I am an outdoors person. We see snakes, birds, animals all the time. I love nature and I try to protect it,” he said.
Joey was put in a box in Rampharay’s bedroom to get a rest Sunday night.
“He didn’t make a sound and slept through the night. In the morning when he woke up, he got up and roamed around the house like he lived here. He was very comfortable.”
Rampharay said the group Wildlife and Environment Protection of T&T (WEPTT) was contacted yesterday and retrieved Joey who will be placed in foster care with some other deers they had rescued.
“He will be with a surrogate mother who will try her best to keep him alive. I named him Joey, like a baby kangaroo. His ears were perked up.”
Kristopher Rattansingh, one of the director’s at WEPTT, said yesterday that Joey was doing well.
“He was a little shaken up but doing well. They did the right thing in contacting us and after we found out it was abandoned,” he said. | http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2016-08-29/hikers-rescue-fawn-forest | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/da8884aecc332a3625eed8c29aeb8175e3662eba86a0976a9f71a507e48a77d3.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T10:49:46 | null | null | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Fcovers%2Fmonday-29th-july-2016.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/guardianfav1.ico | en | null | Monday 29th July, 2016 | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | Woodland vendors plead hardship Crab and oyster venders in Woodland who have been struggling to survive since oil seeped into the mangrove more than a month ago also want monetary assistance from Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley...
Samba show to reveal soul of Brazil UWI, St Augustine, will join with the Brazilian Embassy in hosting the concert A Alma Brasileira—The Brazilian Soul on September 7.
Opener Lewis impresses with bat At the end of the powerplay, West Indies were 78 without loss—the most runs ever conceded by India in a T20 powerplay.
A bangin’ party set On the surface it sounds like an unlikely alliance: alternative rock band 5 Miles to Midnight's founder and drummer Rhys Thompson teaming up with jazz percussionist Modupe Onilu of Dayo Bejide...
Future trends in Caribbean democracies The decision by Madam Justice Mira Dean-Armorer two Fridays ago in the case of five election petitions brought by the UNC against the EBC and the victorious PNM candidates in St Joseph, Tunapuna,...
Medals and circuses Kevin Baldeosingh
Transforming thinking through education “Investing in improving innovation quality is essential for closing the innovation divide.
A second chance at life JOEL JULIEN Feroze Mohammed does not know whose kidney he has inside his body. However every day for almost three years Mohammed, 69, has thanked God for that anonymous organ donor. | http://www.guardian.co.tt/covers/monday-29th-july-2016 | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/0ab575d7c2070599dd772f7eb70b1f6adfcf6ac06fd43337551adb512f87bb4d.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T14:50:10 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | The trio of Derron Douglas, Shreya Maharaj and Priyanka Khellawan all captured gold medals as T&T won three of the four titles on offer in the Under-11 and Under-13 Singles finals when the Caribbean Table Tennis Federation (CTTF) Pre-Cadet | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Fsport%2F2016-08-29%2F12-gold-medals-dominant-tt-j%25E2%2580%2599ca.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/field/image/Untitled-2_310.jpg?itok=bMXUvYFC | en | null | 12 gold medals for dominant T&T in J’ca | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | The trio of Derron Douglas, Shreya Maharaj and Priyanka Khellawan all captured gold medals as T&T won three of the four titles on offer in the Under-11 and Under-13 Singles finals when the Caribbean Table Tennis Federation (CTTF) Pre-Cadet Championship ended at the National Indoor Sports Arena, Kingston, Jamaica, on Saturday.
After topping his round-robin series on Friday night, Douglas was gifted a bye to the Under-13 quarterfinals, where he defeated Jamaica Derrick Francis 11-6, 11-4, 11-4 and then outplayed fellow T&T player Messiah Walcott in the semifinals, 11-3, 11-3, 11-7, before he outclassed Guyana’s Isaiah Layne 11-8, 12-10, 11-3 in the final.
Layne’s route to the final was a tough one as he first beat Jamaican Jordan Campbell 11-6, 11-9, 13-15, 11-13, 11-9, then ousted T&T duo, Mikhail Dookie 5-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-7 and Nicholas Lee 11-9, 7-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-9 in his quarterfinal and semifinal encounters, respectively.
Walcott booked his last-four place courtesy his 11-6, 11-3, 11-4 defeat of Barbadian Ronico Sealy, while he humbled Jamaican, Cezare Meghie 11-4, 11-1, 11-6. Both Walcott and Lee got bronze as semifinal losers.
Maharaj had a much harder task in the Under-13 Girls decider as she was taken the distance by Guyana’s Nevaeh Clarkston before she prevailed 11-6, 8-11, 11-6, 6-11, 11-9.
Earlier in the semifinals, Maharaj whipped countrywoman Rayanna Boodhan 11-1, 11-5, 11-4 and Clarkston stopped T&T’s Shurja Welch 11-5, 12-10, 11-7.
And in the two quarterfinals, Boodhan ousted host player Alicia Pearman 8-11, 12-10, 11-7, 11-6 and Welch outlasted Guyana’s Abigale Martin 11-7, 11-6, 8-11, 8-11, 11-7.
Khellawan continued her impressive form on her way to the Under-11 Girls title with a come-from-behind 5-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-8 win over Jamaican Kelsey Davidson for the gold medal.
This after the T&T ace spanked Jamaican Giana Lewis 11-4, 11-4, 11-6 in the quarterfinals and another host player, Liana Campbell, 11-5, 11-5, 11-4 in her semifinal.
The two other T&T players to reach the main draw quarterfinals, Rebekah Sterling and Brianna Solomon were stopped at the first hurdle by Campbell, 5-11, 6-11, 14-16 and Davidson, 8-11, 10-12, 11-7, 8-11, respectively.
T&T was denied a clean sweep of the singles, after Jalen Kerr went under to Guyana’s Kaysan Ninvalle in an entertaining final, 8-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-9, 7-11 to take silver.
Kerr earned his spot in the title match, firstly by beating Guyana’s Colin Wong 11-8, 11-4, 15-13 in the last-eight and fellow T&T smasher Jamali Mauge 11-5, 11-4, 11-7 in his semis, while Ninvalle topped Jamaican hopeful Dujaun Jackson 9-11, 12-10, 11-7, 6-11, 11-2 and T&T’s Nicholas O’Young 9-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-5.
O’Young had earlier brushed aside Jamaica’s Joel Butler 11-8, 10-12, 11-6, 12-10 while Mauge blanked Krystian Sahadeo, also of Guyana, 11-4, 11-4, 11-7.
Overall, it was a dominate showing by the T&T contingent under the supervision of head coach Edwin Humphreys and his assistant Dexter Abbott as they captured 12 of 14 gold medals on offer after sweeping all four team titles (Under-11 Boys, Under-11 Girls, Under-13 Boys, Under-13 Girls) as well as five of six doubles crowns.
They included the Under-13 Boys, Girls and Mixed Doubles as well as the Under-11 Boys and Mixed Doubles, with a second placed finish in the Under-11 Girls Doubles. The tournament concludes today, resuming with quarterfinal matches this morning.
Honour
Under-11
Team
Boys: 1. T&T; 2. Jamaica ‘A’; 3. Guyana
Girls: 1. T&T; 2. Jamaica ‘A’; 3. Jamaica ‘B’
Mixed Doubles
1. Nicholas O’Young/Priyanka Khellawan (T&T)
2. Jalen Kerr/Brianna Solomon (T&T)
3. Dujaun Jackson/ Liana Campbell (Jam) & Joel Butler/Kelsey Davidson(Jam)
Girls Doubles
1. Liana Campbell/Kelsey Davidson (Jam)
2. Priyanka Khellawan/Rebekah Sterling (T&T)
3. Selena Khwalsingh/Olivia Peterkin (Jam) & Rohanna Anderson/Jhanelle Blake (Jam)
Boys Doubles
1. Nicholas O’Young/Jalen Kerr (T&T)
2. Dejaun Jackson/Joel Butler (Jam)
3. Jamali Mauge/Vheer Samnarine (T&T) & Jelani Barnaby/Demar Williams (Jam)
Girls Singles
1. Priyanka Khellawan (T&T);
2. Kelsey Davidson (Jam);
3. Liana Campbell (Jam) & Thuraia Thomas (Guy)
Boys Singles
1. Kaysan Ninvalle (Guy);
2. Jalen Kerr (T&T);
3. Jamali Mauge (T&T) & Nicholas O’Young (T&T)
Under-13 Medal winners
Team competition
Boys: 1. T&T; 2. Guyana; 3. Jamaica
Girls: 1. T&T; 2. Guyana 3. Jamaica
Mixed Doubles
1. Derron Douglas/Shreya Maharaj (T&T)
2. Kaysan Ninvalle/Abigale Martin (Guy)
3. Messiah Walcott/Rayanna Boodhan (T&T) & Derick Francis/Alicia Pearman (Jam)
Girls Doubles
1. Shrey Maharaj/Rayanna Boodhan (T&T)
2. Nevaeh Clarkston/Abigale Martin (Guy)
3. Soleisha Young/Tavera Prendergast (Jam) & Fiona Li/Alicia Pearman (Jam)
Boys Doubles:
1. Derron Douglas/Messiah Walcott (T&T)
2. Nran Bissu/Kaysan Ninvalle (Guy)
3. Derick Francis/Jordan Campbell (Jam) & Ronico Sealy/Emmanuel Gibbs (B’dos)
Singles:
Girls:
1. Shreya Maharaj (T&T);
2. Nevaeh Clarkston (Guy);
3. Shurja Welch (T&T) & Rayanna Boodhan (T&T)
Boys:
1. Derron Douglas (T&T);
2. Isaiah Layne (Guy);
3. Nicolas Lee (T&T) & Messiah Walcott (T&T) | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sport/2016-08-29/12-gold-medals-dominant-tt-j%E2%80%99ca | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/357f1546a7d8486950754358207c418d331db18f2934dd4958b61c8f067d438b.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T14:48:37 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | Children at the Sangre Grande and Port-of-Spain children’s libraries were in for a special treat when Auntie Thea, the “Mystic Storyteller,” visited their vacation camp sites with an international storyteller, Dr Kole Ade Odutola.
Dr Odutola is a Yoruba | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Flifestyle%2F2016-08-27%2Fstorytelling-auntie-thea-uncle-kole.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/field/image/Untitled-12_17.jpg?itok=FHMPIoqx | en | null | Storytelling with Auntie Thea, Uncle Kole | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | Children at the Sangre Grande and Port-of-Spain children’s libraries were in for a special treat when Auntie Thea, the “Mystic Storyteller,” visited their vacation camp sites with an international storyteller, Dr Kole Ade Odutola.
Dr Odutola is a Yoruba lecturer in the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures at the Centre for African Studies at the University of Florida. He visited Trinidad as a special guest of the Emancipation Support Committee and participated in its 2016 celebrations.
The Sangre Grande workshop began with Auntie Thea’s Rise ’n’ Shine interactive games and activities. “Uncle Kole” then took centre stage and had the children spellbound with his delightful adaptation of the Nigerian story Ijapa and Yanribo. The audience laughed as he joyfully danced, twisted and turned, and engaged the children in activities like “Walking!” “Stirring the Pot” and performed comic antics.
The two storytellers then journeyed to Port-of-Spain where Dr Odutola gave a brief lesson in Yoruba.
Dr Odutola has a BSc (Hons) in Botany (1984, University of Benin, Nigeria), a Masters Degree in TV/Video (University of Reading) and a PhD in Media Studies (2010). He has presented conference papers worldwide, and his Master’s degree thesis on the participatory use of video is shared widely on development oriented websites. | http://www.guardian.co.tt/lifestyle/2016-08-27/storytelling-auntie-thea-uncle-kole | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/b097854788c223c68bd131aeb599c9086bd9799c2df001d1b20bc3c39956f401.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T16:50:36 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | Fans of the Savanoy series by T&T-born author Nathalie Taghaboni are rejoicing at the publication of the long-awaited third book, Side By Side We Stand.
The story, set mostly in Trinidad, centres around the fates of the Savanoy family—Jeneva, C | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Farts%2F2016-08-28%2Fsavanoy-three-popular-tt-series-gets-third-instalment.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/field/image/Untitled-7_105.jpg?itok=IIbK4B3P | en | null | Savanoy by three: Popular T&T series gets third instalment | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | Fans of the Savanoy series by T&T-born author Nathalie Taghaboni are rejoicing at the publication of the long-awaited third book, Side By Side We Stand.
The story, set mostly in Trinidad, centres around the fates of the Savanoy family—Jeneva, Carlton, Helene, Gloria, Remy, Vijay and Kenneth, characters that became dear to readers of the first two books, Across from Lapeyrouse and Santimanitay.
Taghaboni, who left Trinidad when she was 14 and now lives in the US, said readers have told her that not only the scenery but the characters are real and they see them walking the streets every day.
“There’s quite a bit of Book Three actually that only West Indians and specifically people who are familiar with Trinidad will notice.” She said the T&T of the books is an idealised version of the country.
Taghaboni said her muses wouldn’t allow her to be anything less than true to life, so a traditional happy ending may not be in the cards.
“Everyone tells me that the story feels so real, and Book Three reminds you that life is not a fairytale, sometimes there is no happily-ever-after. You may escape while reading a book but after the book closes, you still have to face life.”
One of the most stunning elements of the new book is the cover, which features a white-faced moko jumbie draped in white. The portrayal is by Jha-whan Thomas, whom Taghaboni met in 2014 while launching the first two books. She had previously been in awe of his 2008 Pandemic Rage performance for Brian MacFarlane and asked him to be on the cover in 2015, even before his 2016 Dying Swan portrayal.
Dying Swan designer Roland Guy James also did the moko jumbie's cover costume, with make-up by Mervyn de Goeas.
“My photographer Errol John went out five o’clock one morning to Lapeyrouse Cemetery and shot the cover for me. I’ve never met these folks but I’ve been working with them. Technology has helped me to remain connected in a very real way.”
Taghaboni’s lifelong fascination with pan and mas are evident in her writing, with the Savanoy family being famous for bringing an award-winning band every year. Her descriptions of the costumes are detailed and vivid, and have led to non-Caribbean readers being drawn to the festival, if their reviews are to be believed.
She shares these reviews on the Facebook page she runs under the name Queen Macoomeh, and the fans who gather there have been dubbed the “Studients of Commess University.” Taghaboni said her “studients” have contributed to her growth as a person and a writer.
“I truly enjoy people and in order for me to do what I do, I need to be receptive to them. This ‘university’ has so many different kinds of characters. I cull some of their attributes and use some of the interactions to create my own arsenal of characters for my writing.
“The only demand that I have on my Facebook page is that respect be shown to and by every person there, and if that can’t be done, then later.”
The folklore elements in the books are a result of stories Taghaboni’s grandmother told her as a child.
“I remember a painting on the wall of her house where all the local folklore characters were depicted: Papa Bois, La Diablesse, Mama Glo, all of them. She would point to each one and tell me their names and their characteristics and it stuck.
“I have pulled everything that has happened in all three books from a memory. The folk characters have always fascinated me, especially the moko jumbies. They terrified and excited the mind of the child within at the same time.”
Taghaboni said it would be a shame for T&T to lose these folklore characters to technology.
“I think today’s children don’t care or don’t know about Mama Glo or a La Diablesse. They want to hear about Friday the 13th or go catch Pokemon. I wanted to remind us of ourselves, of things we knew as kids, and for people to tell their children.
“It’s shameful that Twilight and those other characters are in the front row of our bookstores in T&T as opposed to our own. If I am a visitor, the last thing I want to see is more of the same, I am coming to your home and I would like to see how you live. So I try to bring it out in my books.
“In Trinidad and the Caribbean, we seem to dismiss ourselves and hold on to foreign while foreign has nothing better than we do, and often wants to take our stuff and re-purpose it. Witches and warlocks, we have La Diablesse and douens and Papa Bois and to me just the sound of those words is so evocative, and I think it’s time for us to step into our own shoes, they fit nicely.”
Side by Side We Stand will shortly be available at the Paper Based Bookshop at the Hotel Normandie in St Ann’s. | http://www.guardian.co.tt/arts/2016-08-28/savanoy-three-popular-tt-series-gets-third-instalment | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/20b62d8afe9a95f057ef1c0bd1b647f7792217ac6d746e4bc023398c5ac5ee4d.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T08:51:22 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | No one is trying to be alarmist but one has to face up to certain facts.
We are a small island people and have small island attitudes to problems. There is a “don’t care, don’t worry,” lackadaisical attitude of the T&T public and medical profession to | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Fcolumnist%2F2016-08-30%2Foutbreak.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/field/image/DAVID%20E%20BRATT_49.jpg?itok=KCOM6FWf | en | null | Outbreak | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | No one is trying to be alarmist but one has to face up to certain facts.
We are a small island people and have small island attitudes to problems. There is a “don’t care, don’t worry,” lackadaisical attitude of the T&T public and medical profession to health and to disease that is of concern. God is ah Trini and so on.
I hope that the stats I am about to present do not become reality, because if so we are going to see a lot of personal tragedies in the next six months. Still, I suppose people not affected will shrug and say, “well, is God will” and, “she could make ah nex wun!”
There is an outbreak of Zika in Trinidad. Outbreaks of Zika seem to last about four to five months. Like all outbreaks they start slowly, build up to crescendo when everyone seems to be sick and gradually subside. Our outbreak peaked sometime in the past month, precipitated by the increase in mosquitos at the start of the rainy season. We are on the downside now.
The efforts of the Ministry of Health to warn us of the danger of Zika have not borne fruit. Despite a promising start in January, when the Minister of Health rightly proclaimed a public health emergency, they have been incapable of getting the public to buy into the strategy of eliminating the mosquito in order to eliminate Zika. This may not be their fault. A Trini is ignorant and arrogant and doesn’t seem to care about anybody else except himself.
Still, the Ministry of Health’s health education programme has been woeful.
Most Trinidadians do not know that the main way you get Zika, is to get bitten by an infected mosquito, ie, a mosquito that has bitten someone who has the Zika virus in his blood. Most Trinidadians do not know that the second way you get Zika is by having unprotected sex with someone who has Zika, mainly a male, but probably a female too. Most Trinidadians do not know that the Zika virus has been found in semen of males, up to six and now possibly nine months after they had Zika. Six months after you have recovered from Zika you can infect a sexual partner! Most Trinidadians do not know that the mosquito that carries the Zika virus lives inside our houses and fogging outside does nothing but create mosquitos who are resistant to the insecticide. Most Trinidadians do not know that the mosquito can breed in the stems of plants in your gallery, inside empty sweet drink bottles in your garage, in discarded tyres and uncovered water barrels in your back yard. Most Trinidadians do not realise that the mosquito can fly up to 100 yards from where it is born. Above all, most Trinidadians do not understand how seriously ill babies born to a Zika-infected mother are!
The Ministry of Health’s education campaign has not hammered home these points forcefully and repeatedly enough. Even so, the pubic has been remarkably apathetic about Zika and its major complication.
It seems that with Zika, about 30 per cent of a virgin population is hit by the first wave of illness. We have just over 18,000 births a year and we can use that figure to carry out some simple arithmetic. Eighteen thousand pregnancies means an average of 1,500 births a month, give or take a couple hundred for “Carnival” babies or whatever reason Trinis use to explain their sexual behaviour.
The Zika virus has a pregnancy attack rate that varies from one per cent to 13 per cent (no one knows for sure because we are still playing catch up and the prospective studies following pregnancies from conception to birth are still being done). If we accept those figures and with the secure knowledge that few in sweet T&T are taking any precautions whatsoever to protect themselves from either mosquito or sexual bites, then a conservative estimate of pregnant women who will have had Zika in the last 30 days, knowingly or not, will range from 15 (one per cent) to 195 (13 per cent).
Some will suspect they have had Zika, a few will have had it confirmed by the CARPHA lab, some will have been informed wrongly by the private labs that they did not have Zika when in fact they did, most will not know that they have had Zika. Some will get Zika in the first weeks of pregnancy when it seems to be most dangerous to the fetal neurological system, but others will get it at later stages where it seems to be also quite dangerous. They are now seeing newborns who seem quite normal at birth, no microcephaly and so on, but who appear six months later, severely brain damaged and they are the ones whose mothers contracted Zika during the last three months of the pregnancy.
Most if not all of these babies whose mothers had Zika during their pregnancy will be born severely brain damaged and disabled for life. Apart from emotional anguish, the cost of taking care of a child with congenital Zika syndrome for life in the USA has been estimated to be US$4 million.
Given the unavailability of abortion (at least if you are poor), given the wretched state of taking care of disabled children in T&T, where the waiting list at the Children’s Hospital at Mount Hope is over one year, ie, if you are born now with a disability, you get an appointment for November 2017, and given that there is nowhere else to go, what are the legal repercussions going to be, when people realise that there is no help for their Zika children that the State did little to help while in utero and is doing little to help once they are born? | http://www.guardian.co.tt/columnist/2016-08-30/outbreak | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/f3ad049dc70cc2b480b7a21cff3c91d85f198dd342f548e37721cdb9408b9207.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T04:51:35 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | More than 600 truckloads of garbage have been removed from homes within the Couva/ Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation within the past three weeks in its bid to reduce mosquito breeding areas and prevent the spread of the Zika virus.
Even though | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Fnews%2F2016-08-31%2Fsuruj-steps-clean-moves.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/field/image/ZIKA%20TALK.jpg?itok=Ftv7cQHR | en | null | Suruj steps up clean-up moves | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | More than 600 truckloads of garbage have been removed from homes within the Couva/ Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation within the past three weeks in its bid to reduce mosquito breeding areas and prevent the spread of the Zika virus.
Even though health authorities have admitted thousands of people have been infected with the virus, people are not taking the personal responsibility to clean around their homes and communities.
This was evident during Tabaquite MP Dr Surujrattan Rambachan’s tour of Guaracara yesterday. Some homes still have overgrown bushes, receptacles for water and several other public health violations that created breeding grounds for the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.
Within an hour of health control officers and litter wardens visiting homes, several people were warned about their premises and one person was served with a notice. Corporation chairman Henry Awong told the T&T Guardian over 500 residents were served with notices for violating the public health ordinances.
He said when public health officers visited two weeks later and there was a 60 per cent compliance rate of people addressing the violations while 40 per cent were tardy. At least three people have been fined $500 for unkept property. That fine has since been increased to $3,500.
For abandoned properties, he said, the corporations would clean it once while the owners were tracked down and billed for the job.
Although all regional corporations received $500,000 towards source reduction activities, Awong said it was not enough over a long period.
Rambachan said he was surprised how some people kept their premises. He said people were under-educated about the causes and effects of the Zika virus and the issue of microcephaly, a medical condition that results in birth defects.
For that reason, he said, he would be forming neighbourhood Zika watch groups, led by responsible people in the community. He said those groups would be responsible for immediately identifying potential mosquito breeding grounds and help educate their neighbours.
“I believe too many people in our country are not serious about cleaning up and perhaps they do not understand the wider implications and dangerous outcomes of being subjected to the Zika virus.
“The idea of having a child with microcephaly in your house is not something to be welcomed at all. Across the world we are seeing the difficulties parents are faced with in having to manage for a lifetime, children born with microcephaly,” Rambachan added.
He said his office called the Ministry of Health yesterday morning, requesting educational pamphlets on the Zika virus so they could be distributed through the constituency. However, he said, they were told that the ministry was out of pamphlets and the staff there was unsure when new ones would be printed.
“I believe nationally, more can be done about the education. I think that the educational efforts of the Ministry of Health are too sparse and too thin. When you get a response like that, it means to say they are not aware themselves about the extent to which there is under-education of the problem and we are seeing it,” Rambachan said. | http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2016-08-31/suruj-steps-clean-moves | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/43f5696ededbb7d87dd942b75f677c49d58fb3c08e7138dd94a6586602054c58.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T04:50:22 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | Trinidad and Tobago marches into its 54th year of Independence today. Independence from what?
No sooner does a new prime minister sit on his chair, here comes a knocking at his door.
Here comes a merchant from the conglomeracy. If you give him a | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Fletters%2F2016-08-31%2Fstate-dependence-independence.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/guardianfav1.ico | en | null | State dependence at Independence | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | Trinidad and Tobago marches into its 54th year of Independence today. Independence from what?
No sooner does a new prime minister sit on his chair, here comes a knocking at his door.
Here comes a merchant from the conglomeracy. If you give him a container of artificial powder from Miami, artificial juice, to fill up plastic bottles, feed to our youth, our infants, he will do just that. Not all of them. But some.
Here comes a contractor from the contractocracy. If you tell him to grade up the Northern Range, fill up the sea. He will do just that. Is a job, don’t blame me, I have to feed my family. Not all of them. But some.
Here comes an officer from the bureaucracy. With a wink and a nod, he will take a tip, sign a form, for a little penny. The contract for the quarry, highway, licence and so on. Not all of them. But many.
Here comes a consultant from the technocracy. The educated elites. The professional consultancies. You could put Christ on a cross, stone him, and they will pass by. Sorry. Can’t stop. Have to feed my family, pay mortgage, fund my son’s degree. The validating elites. Not all, but many.
After taking all the telephone calls from the various estates, the conglomeracy, the contractocracy, the bureaucracy, the technocracy, after their various entrances and exits, after they have corked up ears with their requests, admonitions, indictments, does the Honourable Prime Minister have ears for the rest of us? That is the question. Can he be or not be?
Do our prime ministers have ears for the lands, peoples and communities of all of Trinidad and Tobago, or to use a former prime minister’s phrase, for only the “parasitic oligarchy?” Hmmm. Let us see.
Debe to Mon Desir is a test case. Let us see if our PM will listen to the voices of independence: Dr James Armstrong and his committee of scientists; to the Inter American Development Bank scientists; to the scientists of the Institute of Marine Affairs; to the economist Mary King, the trade unions, others, who have called for an audit into this collapsed, wasteful, destructive project? Or, will he listen to the voice of permanent dependence: the conglomeracy, the contractocracy, the bureaucracy, the technocracy, or, as to use the umbrella word, the plantocracy.
Life is not easy for our prime ministers. Every five years we anoint them with our votes, and put them on the spot, the spotlight, between the devil and the deep blue sea. But those whom we have anointed, the gods curse with telephone calls and doorbells.
If our honourable prime minister allows the contractocracy to twist his neck, like a bull under a yoke, and not reroute Debe to Mon Desir, it would be a clear signal, that not just half, but the entire Parliament is compromised. And it must surely be re-routed. Re-configured. All. Not half. All Parliament must go. If our prime ministers and parliaments are not independent, independent-minded, the office of state, official state power, shall never be independent.
Wayne Kublalsingh,
Highway Reroute Movement. | http://www.guardian.co.tt/letters/2016-08-31/state-dependence-independence | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/409134d64d898499bd8a5a7e0c0d5e749799a9afae4386a32e6f1c930503ce84.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T04:51:06 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | I was stunned to read the statement of a father that his son’s death was “happiness.” This is the distorted concept of those who have little understanding of what is Islam.
The Qur’an states: “O you who believe keep your duty to Allah, as it ought to be | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Fletters%2F2016-08-29%2F%25E2%2580%2598-muslim-lives-islam%25E2%2580%2599.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/guardianfav1.ico | en | null | ‘A Muslim lives for Islam’ | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | I was stunned to read the statement of a father that his son’s death was “happiness.” This is the distorted concept of those who have little understanding of what is Islam.
The Qur’an states: “O you who believe keep your duty to Allah, as it ought to be kept, and die not unless you are Muslims.” Chapter 3 verse 101. Thus it is the believer in Allah who is admonished to die not unless you are a Muslim. Acceptance of belief in Allah is not enough to make a Muslim. One must spend his entire lifetime in submission to Allah fulfilling duties as prescribed in the Qur’an, in the hope of becoming Muslim at the time he reunites with his Creator. A Muslim lives for Islam. He does not die for it.
Imaam Iqubal Hydal
Felicity | http://www.guardian.co.tt/letters/2016-08-29/%E2%80%98-muslim-lives-islam%E2%80%99 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/f2875677f2927db46a2b0f5721b341903435a9efa5e25149a204365651476d30.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T10:49:20 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | Heavy rain was expected in the Fort Lauderdale area but the only thing that fell on fans at the Central Broward Regional Park were leather balls as it rained sixes in the first match of the Paytm Twenty20 (T20) series where the West Indies pulled off a | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Fsport%2F2016-08-28%2Fbravo-rescue.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/field/image/Untitled-1_340.jpg?itok=vUvLD9Ka | en | null | Bravo to the rescue | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | Heavy rain was expected in the Fort Lauderdale area but the only thing that fell on fans at the Central Broward Regional Park were leather balls as it rained sixes in the first match of the Paytm Twenty20 (T20) series where the West Indies pulled off a brilliant victory off the last ball.
The world champions got a belligerent century from Tableland in the form of Evin Lewis and 79 from Castries in the form of Johnson Charles to tally their highest ever T20 score of 245/6.
Lokesh Rahul, the man from Mangalore in India, threatened to make Carlos Brathwaite’s debut as captain a sour one but the tried and tested Dwayne Bravo stepped forward when it mattered most and helped the regional side prevail.
With eight runs needed in the final over and two off the last ball, the right arm seamer got Mahendra Singh Dhoni caught at backward point to spark wild celebrations among the West Indians.
The Indian skipper was put down by Marlon Samuels in the same position off the first ball of the over but second time around the Jamaican was not going to make a mistake.
Rahul looked on in horror from the non-striker’s end as his unbeaten 110 off 51 balls would play second fiddle on the day.
The tall right hander slapped 12 fours and five sixes, as he brought India back into the match after the early loss of Ajinkya Rahane and poster boy Virat Kohli.
Opener Rohit Sharma also played brilliantly and got 62 off 28 balls with four fours and four sixes.
Earlier, India won the toss and with rain hanging around sent the West Indies in to bat on a belter of the batting pitch. Chris Gayle failed a fitness test before play because of his chronic back injury so he did not feature in the affair.
Openers Charles and Lewis batted as if they were at the crease since Friday night.
Anything in their arc disappeared into the crowd and while they hammered, it looked like a baseball game.
“Home runs” were coming fast and furious and skipper MS Dhoni was fixing his hat continuously. The only thing he could have done was to use his hat to hide the ball so that the duo couldn’t see it.
It seemed like they were seeing it as big as a breadfruit from St Vincent.
At the end of the powerplay, West Indies were 78 without loss—the most runs ever conceded by India in a T20 powerplay. Charles rushed to his half century off just 24 balls, with four sixes and five fours. Lewis at the other end was motoring along almost unnoticed.
They posted a robust 126 runs for the opening association before the partisan Indian crowd had anything to cheer about. Mahammad Shami castled Johnson for 79, which came off 33 balls with six fours and seven sixes. The partnership of 126 was the third best opening stand for the West Indies in T20 cricket. Gayle and Dwayne Smith leads with 145 against South Africa. The other is Gayle and Andre Fletcher with 133 versus Australia.
As Charles walked off the field, one could have seen the relief in the body language of the Indians but they did not expect what was to come. As Charles left, he spoke to Lewis as if to tell him it’s your time now and the left hander obliged.
He rushed to his half century off just 25 balls with four fours and three sixes. He was joined by Andre Russell and they added 76 runs in six overs, as Lewis ran amok slamming five sixes in the 11th over of the innings bowled by Stuart Binny. In all the over costed India 32 runs, as they looked lost at sea.
Russell left for 22 and soon after Lewis brought up a most magnificent century off 48 balls with five fours and nine sixes. India was able to send him back into the dugout soon after for an even 100. His effort was the fifth fastest in International T20 and the second fastest by a West Indian after Gayle’s 47-ball ton against England. South Africa’s Richard Levi remains at the top as he slammed his off 45 balls.
Towards the end a few lusty blows by Kieron Pollard (22) and Brathwaite (14) took West Indies to an eventual 245/6 off their 20 overs—the third best in the history of this format. Sri Lanka remains in pole position with 260/6 against lowly Kenya.
Both teams return to the venue today for the second and final match of the series.
SCOREBOARD
WI vs India • WI inns
J Charles b Shami 79
E Lewis c Ashwin b Jadeja 100
A Russell lbw Jadeja 22
K Pollard b Bumrah 22
C Brathwaite run out 14
D Bravo not out 1
L Simmons b Bumrah 0
M Samuels not out 1
Extras: (w4, nb2) 6
Total: for 6 wkts(20ovs) 245
Fall of wkts: 126, 204, 205, 235, 244, 245.
Bowling: M Shami 4-0-48-1, B Kumar 4-0-43-0, J Bumrah 4-0-47-2, R Ashwin 4-0-36-0, R Jadeja 3-0-39-2, S Binny 1-0-32-0.
India inns
A Rahane c Bravo b Russell 7
R Sharma c Johnson b Pollard 62
V Kohli c Fletcher b Bravo 16
KL Rahul not out 110
MS Dhoni c Samuels Bravo 43
Extras: (2lb, 4w) 6
Total: for 4 wkts (20ovs) 144.
Fall of wkts: 31, 48, 137, 244.
Bowling: A Russell 4-0-53-1, S Badree 2-0-25-0, D Bravo 4-0-37-2, S Narine 3-0-50-0, C Brathwaite 4-0-47-0, K Pollard 3-0-30-1. Result: West Indies won by 1 run.
Series: West Indies lead 1-0. | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sport/2016-08-28/bravo-rescue | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/fcc08c5bce1bb588df3b0ad2ad8385a2734daaeacfe6036afcfd41ccd5b795a0.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T04:50:33 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | Fifty-four years ago, Trinidad and Tobago was a much different place. The people of our nation hoped for the birth of a nation managed by descendants of slaves, indentured servants, plantation owners and native people working together in peace and | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Fletters%2F2016-08-31%2Flooking-forward-better-tomorrow.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/guardianfav1.ico | en | null | Looking forward to a better tomorrow | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | Fifty-four years ago, Trinidad and Tobago was a much different place. The people of our nation hoped for the birth of a nation managed by descendants of slaves, indentured servants, plantation owners and native people working together in peace and harmony. The nation was about to build on the foundation left by the colonial masters, one constructed with the blood, sweat and tears of a people. We took down the Union Jack on the grounds of an immaculate Red House, brightly painted with large majestic wooden doors and a fountain in an atrium that was constructed with national pride. I remember a past government employee describing to me how overwhelmed she was at the sheer beauty of the offices and common space that comprised the Red House.
We inherited a number of other beautiful things at that time. Our public transportation service included a well managed bus service that ran on time, servicing remote towns like Toco, Marac, Cedros and Las Cuevas. Additionally, we inherited a rail system that connected the capital city to villages as far as Siparia, Sangre Grande and Rio Claro. Our hospitals were clean and immaculate, our botanical gardens were picturesque and complemented the grounds of a majestic Governor General’s House, later to be the President’s House. The Prime Minister’s office, Whitehall, was a place of beauty.
Every town and village was adequately patrolled by police and justice was swift with magistrates courts in most communities. One can go on and on to describe the oil fields and their satellite towns like Point Fortin and Point-a-Pierre and the infrastructure that were world class.
Fifty four years after, most of the infrastructure that we inherited are destroyed or in a state of decay. Our society is plagued with crime, mismanagement and corruption. Our people are divided by race, political affiliation, religion and class. In this colossal mess we parade military equipment, including helicopters that cannot trace one car in a getaway after a drive-by shooting. We will claim national pride and celebrate another year of independence.
We are still a very young nation that can boast of some level of harmony. There is still time to come together as one people and rebuild our nation. This can only be done together. Every child of Trinidad & Tobago, regardless of ancestry, political affiliation or class, must make a concerted effort to rebuild our land. That is my Independence prayer. I look forward to a better tomorrow together.
God bless our nation.
Steve Alvarez,
via email | http://www.guardian.co.tt/letters/2016-08-31/looking-forward-better-tomorrow | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/6127726c718e8f1982ff3815d85be977997538aed4fef26efd7e57de743bd0bf.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T04:49:21 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | Port-of-Spain Mayor Keron Valentine and leader of business in the Port-of-Spain City Council, Jennel Young, are among seven incumbent city councillors out of the PNM’s Local Government race following screening of nominees on Thursday.
PNM general s | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Fnews%2F2016-08-27%2Fvalentine-rejected-local-govt-screening.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/field/image/Mayor%20Keron%20Valentine.jpg?itok=PRn4AkgR | en | null | Valentine rejected in Local Govt screening | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | Port-of-Spain Mayor Keron Valentine and leader of business in the Port-of-Spain City Council, Jennel Young, are among seven incumbent city councillors out of the PNM’s Local Government race following screening of nominees on Thursday.
PNM general secretary Ashton Ford confirmed this yesterday following screening of nominees for areas under the PNM-controlled Port-of-Spain Corporation. The screening team led by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley met at Balisier House.
Seven of the 12 incumbents in the Port-of-Spain Corporation are out.
Apart from those rejected—which include Valentine and Young—Belmont North/West councillor Farai Masaisai did not offer himself for re-election.
Valentine (Northern Port-of-Spain councillor) has been city mayor since February when predecessor Raymond Tim Kee resigned under pressure due to his statements after the murder of Japanese masquerader Asami Nagakiya.
While Valentine is out of the running for Northern Port-of-Spain, no replacement candidate was chosen by the PNM’s screening team on Thursday, Ford said. The party will have to seek new nominees in that area, he said.
The PNM will also have to look again for nominees for Southern Port-of-Spain where incumbent councillor Daaga Gabriel was rejected.
Young (Belmont South councillor) was replaced by Stephen Harper, according to Ford.
Successful candidates are in St James East (incumbent Jameel Bisnath), St James West (Ronald Ramkissoon replacing incumbent Wendell Stephens), Woodbrook (incumbent June Durham), St Ann’s River South (Allan Samuel replacing incumbent Ashtine Thomason ), St Ann’s River Central (incumbent Kemo Romeo), East Dry River (Clint Baptiste replacing incumbent Nedra Mclean), Belmont West (incumbent Daryl Rajpaul), St Ann’s River North (incumbent Hillan Morean).
In May, PNM chairman Franklin Khan told T&T Guardian that any PNMite who runs afoul of the law in any way would not be among the PNM’s Local Government selections.
In March, Valentine confirmed he was involved in an August 2015 incident in St James when he allegedly drew his licensed firearm and discharged two shots in the air when he and his driver were confronted with an attempted robbery. He’d said the matter was the subject of a police inquiry. It is now before the courts.
Thursday night’s screening rejections also came hours after the Port-of-Spain Corporation statutory meeting, earlier in the day, where questions were raised about a report on expenditure for the corporation’s 2016 City Day celebrations. T&T Guardian obtained August 19 summary expense documents showing $896,000 was the budgeted amount for the event, but overall expenditure was listed at $2,005,255.
PNM sources also noted another senior councillor who was rejected in screening had done management services—and was paid for City Day activities—concerning the Charlotte Street market in June. Alleged payment of $5,000 by cheque (number and voucher given) which the person received came from the Mayor’s Fund.
UNC to present candidates on Monday
While the ruling PNM has to complete screening for several more areas, the Opposition UNC starts presenting its Local Government candidates on Monday.
Following Thursday’s PNM screening of Port-of-Spain nominees, PNM general secretary Ashton Ford said screening for most of the East-West corridor has been completed save for four areas in Sangre Grande and Diego Martin, and a few in Tunapuna.
Most southern areas are completed except for Mayaro, Princes Town, Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo and Chaguanas. Last night, PNM screened nominees for Penal and Siparia. Screening for outstanding areas continues next week.
Rowley is expected to announce the Local Government election date at the PNM’s annual convention on October 30 where election of new PNM executive officers will also be done. Nominations begin September 5 to 22.
Ford, correcting previous reports, said members must pay party dues by September 16 or they will not qualify to vote for a new executive.
The Opposition UNC completed screening on Wednesday. The party will start presenting candidates in various areas from next Monday in Rio Claro where candidates for surrounding districts will be highlighted. | http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2016-08-27/valentine-rejected-local-govt-screening | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/89f92f91a56e7ed6a564c56a11519cec1a4e57f2355ddedf36896faeda2f9dca.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T04:50:12 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | Mickela Panday
It truly is unfortunate that in a desperate bid for political survival, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar chose in the wake of yet another defeat, this time in the courts, to deliberately misrepresent the judgment in the dismissed | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Fcolumnist%2F2016-08-28%2Fno-basis-declare-election-invalid.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/field/image/Mickela%20Panday_41.jpg?itok=uqTvnmMm | en | null | No basis to declare election invalid | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | Mickela Panday
It truly is unfortunate that in a desperate bid for political survival, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar chose in the wake of yet another defeat, this time in the courts, to deliberately misrepresent the judgment in the dismissed UNC election petitions. Whether or not it was sheer embarrassment that triggered the incoherent “Usain Bolt” analogy on the steps of the Hall of Justice, one thing was clear, this was the action of a “leader” who would say or do anything to hold onto power at any cost.
It is disgraceful, to say the least, that now that the petitions have been thrown out the current UNC leader has chosen to put confusion in the minds of the public by asking, “How can you break the law and still end up with something that is legal?” knowing fully that such a reckless statement would only serve to undermine public confidence in the administration of justice.
It must be remembered that election petitions can only be brought where there is some irregularity in the election, but the existence of the irregularity is not itself enough to invalidate the election. There must be more, as was detailed by the court in its 53-page judgment. So it is disingenuous, if not dishonest, for the UNC leader to say that the finding alone by the court that the EBC did not have the power to extend time was enough to invalidate the results in five constituencies. It is unbecoming for a senior counsel (albeit self-appointed) to mislead laypersons on matters of law for political survival.
The court firstly considered whether the extension amounted to a corrupt practice so as to render the results void under section 146(1) of the Representation of the People Act (ROPA). The court held that the extension was made in good faith and one could not impute any corrupt motive to the EBC or to the election officers.
The court then went on to consider whether there were any breaches of the election laws. The court found that there were breaches of the election rules at every polling station where the election officers failed to close the poll at 6 pm as dictated by Rule 27(1) and the directive of the EBC to extend time was unlawful. The extension was illegal, but the consequence was not that the results were automatically invalidated. Contrary to the present UNC leader’s bleats, the matter did not end there.
The court next had to consider the following questions: did the constituency have a fair and free opportunity of electing the candidate which the majority might prefer? Was there substantial compliance with the election law?
The court noted further that for an election to be conducted substantially in accordance with the law there must be a real election by ballot and no such substantial departure from the procedure laid down by Parliament as to make the ordinary man condemn the election as a sham or a travesty of an election by ballot. A considerable departure was required in order to invalidate an election.
The judge found that the election was free and fair in the sense there was no intimidation or unavailability of ballot papers or electoral ink, there was no trickery, fraudulent vote counting, or false declarations by elections officers. There was no evidence to suggest that there was no real electing at all.
The court found that both parties had provided evidence of difficulty because of the extension so neither was given preferential treatment. It had not been proved that the electors had not a free and fair opportunity of electing the candidate which the majority might prefer. The electors enjoyed the opportunity to vote, unassailed, until 6 pm and then had a further opportunity for another hour.
While there was one departure from the election laws, ie the extension of time, the court was unable to say that the election was carried out by some method other than that prescribed by the Constitution and the ROPA. The court held that the ordinary man in T&T would recognise that the poll was conducted peacefully throughout the day and the only obstacle was presented by inclement weather, over which the election laws had no control. Because there were challenges in only six constituencies the electors in the overwhelming number of constituencies were satisfied that the election was not a sham or travesty. Also, using St Joseph as an example: the voter turnout was just over 71 per cent and of the total number of votes (19,648) only 119 voted during the extension. Clearly the majority of voters had exercised their franchise before the illegal extension.
The court found that there was substantial compliance with the election laws and the court would not be justified in declaring the election void.
Finally the court had to consider section 35(3) of the ROPA, which states that no election shall be declared invalid by reason of any act in breach of official duty or of the election rules “if it appears to the court . . . that the act did not materially affect the result of the election.”
“Materially affect” has two aspects: the qualitative and the quantitative. The court held that in respect of the qualitative aspect, because there was substantial compliance, the breach did not affect the result. Further, UNC supporters had not come forward to give any evidence of their dashed hope of taking advantage of the extended poll.
In respect of the quantitative aspect, the numbers showed that if all the persons who voted after 6 pm were presumed to have voted PNM and those votes were deducted from the total PNM vote than the PNM would still have won. There was no basis upon which the court could declare the election invalid.
It becomes obvious that the UNC leader’s irresponsible statements, which deliberately ignore the reasoning and findings of the court, are nothing more than baseless propaganda designed to hoodwink and to delay the inevitable. | http://www.guardian.co.tt/columnist/2016-08-28/no-basis-declare-election-invalid | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/081672e9f108cd2ef614cba469764b304c7cd15c71c8b2efa54e11f617ab77a1.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T04:49:55 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | ORIN GORDON
Today I pack my Georgie Bundle. I’ve left the editors’s chair at this venerable newspaper, 99 years old this week. I’ve worked with some great people—the ink men and women, the ad guys, editors, reporters, photographers. Many who help put out | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Fcolumnist%2F2016-08-29%2Fthoroughbreds-and-burros.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/field/image/orin_1.jpg?itok=RjBBwOMx | en | null | Of thoroughbreds and burros | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | ORIN GORDON
Today I pack my Georgie Bundle. I’ve left the editors’s chair at this venerable newspaper, 99 years old this week. I’ve worked with some great people—the ink men and women, the ad guys, editors, reporters, photographers. Many who help put out a paper don’t get bylines or public recognition. I’ll miss the subs. Mark T, Mark W, Marvin, Cherill, Roxanne, Ryan, Natasha, Allison, Veda, Tamika, Taye, everyone.
I won’t be privy to the intelligent opinionatedness and scandalous laugh of Vidya, the Imaging Technician, and the gait of her colleague Pelham, who glided/sauntered across the newsroom like the most chilled dude on the planet.
One of the most precious qualities in the news business is industry. Shaliza, Abraham, Rhondor and Joel among others ensured that we had plenty of that. The San Fernando team Hazel, Gennifa, Sharlene, Radhica, Sascha, Kevon, Rishi allied small office togetherness with an admirable willingness to learn and grow. Kevon is way too competitive in the north/south cricket matches, and the north needs desperately to regain the bragging rights.
Outside the Guardian, I’m excited by the storytelling nous of Akash Samaroo and the all-round excellence of Jabari Fraser. They’re going to have outstanding careers in journalism. HR Departments will surely see past Jabari’s overly long tresses.
Overall though, the quality of news reporting across our industry isn’t good enough, and we have to forget rivalries and join forces to raise it.
The younger generation already have excellent role models—Sunity Maharaj, Tony Fraser, Wesley Gibbings, Lenny Grant, Anthony Wilson, Judy Raymond, Omatie Lyder, the just-retired Dominic Kalipersad and my good comrade Jones P Madeira, who always had a kind word when the heat was on. How we link the two generations is something I’d be more than willing to help MATT do.
But enough about thoroughbreds—I want to talk a bit about burro behaviour. We’re in the age of the professional loudmouth, armed with hot air, dubious professional ethics, too much time and a keyboard. And in the case of Inshan Ishmael, a TV show as well.
It was predictable that he would claim credit for my personal decision, made long ago. Inshan’s big achievement was to corral 59 people by one reporter’s count in protests on the shoulder of highways two Fridays running. And for all the sound and fury the bother expended, at no time did he mobilise more than a few dozen people, including kids who had no choice in the matter.
He seemed to spend as much time insulting fellow muslims who didn’t join him. There was quiet contact from Islamic leaders and muslim friends who despite being angry about Kevin’s column, told us that Ishmael did not speak for them.
It’s a reflection of our reporting culture that we amplified him. One news outlet even reported the second protest as ongoing an hour before it actually started.
Newsrooms have teams. There’s an editor responsible for each section of the paper, including OpEds. If I did not see the offending piece prior to publication, I should have, or should have been presiding over a system that red-flagged it for my attention. I’m ultimately responsible, so the heat was applied appropriately.
The image in my head today is of Keshorn winning a medal, arms raised before the crowd, and Inshan coming out of nowhere, snatching the flag and doing a victory lap.
The man is a hashtag waiting to happen. #isinshandodat.
He’d called on my office line early on. I didn’t know who he was, but I was prepared to take my lumps.
We spoke a good 10, maybe 15 minutes. He wasn’t interested in what I had to say, just threats. He had called Norman Sabga, he vented, and demanded that I be fired. The conversation ended something like this…
INSHAN: I recorded everything you said, eh? I gon play it on my show
ME (TAKEN ABACK): Ah, okay (or some such startled reaction)
INSHAN: Eh-heh, you just gave me your permission
ME: I did nothing of the sort. You need to indicate that it is an on-the-record journalistic conversation BEFORE it starts, at the beginning
INSHAN: I’m doing an investigative report
ME: Well I wasn’t exactly trying to avoid you or hide from you
He gave out my office and mobile numbers on his TV show. What followed was predictable.
In consultation with my editors, I independently made the call on the two apologies issued to the muslim community.
I’ve not responded to the gentleman until now. Time to expose his unethical behaviour.
I have no idea what Norman Sabga made of the brouhaha, because we never spoke about it. We had maybe 3, maybe 4 conversations in my 18 months there. One was on more analytical business coverage. Another was more robust, and it’s going to stay between us. I give him credit for never once interfering editorially. From our limited contact, I found him to be likeable.
So I gone. By choice, having worked my full notice in August. Bittersweet, but overall satisfied that it’s time. Hopefully I’ll have more balance away from the sometimes 13 hour daily grind of newspaper editing. Lose some pounds. Resume running. Stop eating shrimp roti at my desk while reading emails. Not work every single day over the Christmas period.
Today I’m saying goodbye to the team and to Michelene the cleaning lady, whom I sometimes beat to the office despite her 7 am starts. I’ll probably get a bit emotional.
If my sparring partner wants to snatch my flag and do a victory lap, go brave bredrin. | http://www.guardian.co.tt/columnist/2016-08-29/thoroughbreds-and-burros | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/986d0cdaba4047b8c0fc4b0982954309fa11a0d9666e28d1a918f60af854514d.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T04:50:26 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | There was a lot of criticism about the lack of transparency surrounding the No-Man’s-Land Sandals deal. Sea level rise however, a far greater threat, took place in full view. It was backed by scientific data. Nobody cared though. Didn’t matter, it still h | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.tt%2Fcolumnist%2F2016-08-29%2Fno-man%25E2%2580%2599s-land-already-lost.json | http://www.guardian.co.tt/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/field/image/MARC%20DE%20VERTEUIL_5.jpg?itok=S5v2qwEH | en | null | No Man’s Land is already lost | null | null | www.guardian.co.tt | There was a lot of criticism about the lack of transparency surrounding the No-Man’s-Land Sandals deal. Sea level rise however, a far greater threat, took place in full view. It was backed by scientific data. Nobody cared though. Didn’t matter, it still happened. The sea took No-Man’s-Land.
The latest International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) prediction is that seas with rise by one to three feet by the end of this century. Nobody knows exactly when No-Man’s-Land will be submerged, but one-foot sea level rise is more than enough to do the job. If your expected lifespan is another 30 years, there is a good chance you will experience the disappearance of No-Man’s-Land, based on IPCC data. Take all the pictures you can. Short of geoengineering to remove atmospheric CO2 there is nothing to reverse this trend.
Some scientists believe that a more realistic sea level rise could be six to 10 feet at the end of the century.
The hottest years have been 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016. This is not a bell-curve model that has a downward side. Temperatures soar together with CO2 in the atmosphere.
Mind-bogglingly, the Arctic may be ice free in summer by 2017 or 2018. It is one of those things that we used to shrug off and say, “that is for the next generation to deal with.” But it is here.
Loss of the summer ice sheets will have a profound effect on more than just polar bears. The entire planet will feel it. Sea ice reflects about 50 per cent of the solar radiation it receives back in to space. Think of it like a mirror. Water only reflects 10 per cent. Without sea ice the ocean will warm even faster than it already is.
Sea ice also acts as an air-conditioning system. Wind that passes over sea ice is cooled and this affects climate far away from the Arctic. Without sea ice, the wind over places like Siberia and Iceland will be warmer than before. This warmer air is a catalyst for more global warming. Greenland glaciers will melt faster, and as Siberia thaws more methane is released into the atmosphere.
Methane is 23 times more potent than CO2. Scientists warn about the “methane bomb” when so much methane is released into the atmosphere that temperatures will spike, creating yet more trigger points. Methane dissipates quickly though. In seven or eight years it will have oxidised. CO2 will stick around for maybe another 1,000 years.
The IPCC is a conservative, consensus-based scientific organisation. It does not make wild predictions. If anything, the IPCC does not paint a dire enough picture.
T&T is a small island developing state or SIDS. One of the characteristics of a SIDS is that it is at increased risk of suffering from climate change. Long-term planning and adaptation is necessary.
It doesn’t make much sense to build in coastal zones that will be eroded in 20 or 30 years. Building in a nature reserve doesn’t add up either. That is where the trees grow that store CO2.
Short of geoengineering to remove CO2 from the atmosphere, a technology that does not exist yet, we will live in a world that has elevated sea levels. It will be a world that has turned its back on oil and gas in favour of renewable energy. This puts T&T in a difficult position. The old economy is dying while sustainable income is needed to deal with climate change.
Eco tourism is identified as a future earner of foreign exchange. After having been dismissed as an inferior industry for decades, tourism projects are now being rushed against zoning rules, due process and without consultation with stakeholders.
Environmentalists are fingered as being anti-development; in reality GORTT is the biggest obstacle to development, by disobeying its own rules.
The decision to invalidate more than 20 illegal leases in Chaguaramas is an example of this. The ill-planned highway to South was always bound to fail because of a lack of sustainable financing. The casualness of announcing a 750-room resort in Tobago without details looks in danger of becoming another white elephant, similar to the Chaguaramas Hotel and Convention Center and the Magdalena Hotel.
The Chaguaramas Development Authority does not seem to possess institutional memory, and now proposes an illegal hotel in a nature reserve at the Tracking Station.
The same way that we can use science to predict what No-Man’s-Land will look like is the same way that we can use the law and logic to predict the success of planned developments that impact on both the Treasury and the environment.
The T&T government must abide by the law and put transparency and public consultation first in all development projects.
The future holds many challenges. We would like T&T to be able to drop the “D” from SIDS. We cannot afford more white elephants and deal with climate change at the same time. Law and order and respect for science and nature. | http://www.guardian.co.tt/columnist/2016-08-29/no-man%E2%80%99s-land-already-lost | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.guardian.co.tt/7beb99fddabf18d55dbca0c2297ecc003b6eb8ae1bd0ed523d4f8f416e68136b.json |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.