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Canada: Massive protest on Christian Church attacks in India From: http://www.bellevision.com/bvcanadaprotest220908.asp Canada, 22 September 2008: The Indian Christian Community of Canada and their supporters came out in large numbers to show solidarity with their Christian brethren in India, who were the victims of the recent horrific attack on the churches, places of worship, innocent Christians, nuns and the clergy. An estimated 500 people were gathered in the Square of Mississauga City Hall on Sept. 20th 2008 at 9:30 am. This protest was well covered by the local media. This was the largest gathering of this nature by Christians out side India, in the light of the events that took place. The protest rally was graced by priests & clergy from the various Christian denominations. It was heartening to see the commitment and zeal of the young & old who showed up with strong messages on the placards and banners. Hundreds signed petitions addressed to: The High Commissioner of India: demanding that the Government of India take immediate action to protect minorities, the Prime Minister of Canada: requesting the Canadian government to investigate the Human rights violations perpetrated by Bajrang Dal and its leaders and deem them a Terrorist Organization and to The High Commissioner -International Human Rights Commission-Switzerland : To charge the leaders of Bajrang Dal in the International court of Justice for inciting hatred and violence against the Christian minorities and investigate the inactions by the Chief Ministers of Karnataka, Kerala & Orissa and other affected states, in protecting its citizens. Rev. Fr. Joe Mary Lobo started the proceedings and called upon every Indo Canadian to promote peace and pray for justice. He further reiterated that for the most part Hindus and Christians live peacefully, Hindus are peace loving people. It is only a tiny minority that are responsible for this shameful act. Fr. Henry Alva, a well known Franciscan friar was very candid about the incident and called it not just an isolated incident or an accident, but it is a systematic planned project that is executed by the Bajarangdal and supported by some insensible political leaders. He called the attack shameful as Christians have only done good to the nation by their selfless acts of love and offering good education and health care. His message was of peace and forgiveness. Imploring to Indo Canadians he asked them never to disrespect their mother nation and never to lose hope as there are some great people in India, who promote peace and justice. Dwayne Menezes a youth activist from London, U.K., recalled in his speech several horrific crimes committed against the innocent Christians and called for hope among the Christians to face persecution with courage, following the example of Christ. Several other great speakers including, Melissa Bhagat -Conservative candidate from Mississauga, Fr. Austin another Franciscan Friar, Mr. George Matthew from the local Brethren Church were united in their call to people to promote peace, tolerance and respect for all religions. Max Mendes, the chairman of Canara World Foundation Inc., in his speech capturing the highlights of the protest said that it is not the entire Hindu community who is responsible for this but the fundamentalist fanatics of Bajrang Dal behind these attacks, well supported by a few ignorant and self promoting politicians, looking to communalise before central election. He also sent a message across to the Indian Christian brethren that although we are living in a distant land, yet we have strong roots in India and that we do Care. And will use all the diplomatic channels to bring these atrocities and human right violations to the light for the entire world to know. He thanked www.daijiworld.com & www.mangalorean.com for up to date coverage when national media ignored at the beginning. He also commended the protestors for coming together on this day in such a large number within a short notice. Donald Alva, a prominent community leader and one of the organizers conducted the proceedings of the protest in an orderly fashion. He reminded the people to remain peaceful as they always are, but stay in solidarity with the brethren in India who are victimized for their faith. In his introductory speech he described this senseless attack as not only crime against Christianity but humanity in general. Gerry D'Mello one of the community leaders and organizers led the choir, making the protest a true Christian rally by signing hymns of unity & peace. The prominent Christian community leaders Donald Alva, Flavian Pinto, Gerry D'Mello, Joyson D'Souza, Max Mendes, Nancy Mendes, Noel Pereira, Osbert D'Souza, Paul Mathias, Irene Mathias, Vivek Veigas, Vijay Dante, Wilson D'Souza, organized the entire event in a very short span and in an efficient and effective manner.

Armed police patrolling some Toronto schools Source: CBC News, Posted: 09/16/08 8:42AM http://news.aol.ca/article/tto-schools/343351 Twenty-seven armed Toronto police officers took up new duties this week - patrolling some of the city's high schools.  It's part of what the Toronto District School Board calls a "school resource officer initiative" and is a result of last year's Falconer Report on school violence. After the report was released, the board said it would come up with a plan to increase safety in schools. The School Community Safety Advisory Panel, chaired by lawyer Julian Falconer, was launched by the Toronto board after the fatal shooting of Grade 9 student Jordan Manners at C.W. Jefferys high school in May 2007. It did not specifically recommend posting officers to patrol classrooms and hallways. The police assigned to the schools will be "visible and active," according to the board. They will participate in school council, as well as other school and community activities, but they will also be an obvious presence inside the schools. Eight Catholic schools are part of the plan, as well as 19 public schools in all areas of the city. More school may be added in the future.

Ontario may face future as have-not province: Premier McGuinty Monday, September 22, 2008 CBC News http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/09/22/mcguinty-economy.html Ontario could soon become a have-not province, requiring equalization payments, Premier Dalton McGuinty told the Economic Club of Toronto in a Monday morning speech. With the decline of Ontario's manufacturing industry, combined with higher oil prices, McGuinty said the province may qualify for equalization payments within two years. Equalization payments are the federal government's way of offsetting differences between the provinces. None of the four federal parties have included the cost of equalization payments for Ontario in their financial forecasts, but they should, he said. McGuinty said he has written to party leaders asking for a commitment they won't make any changes that would exclude Ontario from receiving equalization payments. McGuinty made the speech before going to the legislature where the fall session kicked off Monday. The economy is expected to dominate debate. http://www.innisfiljournal.com/innisfiljournal/article/115670 OPINION: What will they do for Ontario? Title__a John dissects what the premier meant about questioning federal wannabes September 09, 2008 Meet the new boss. He’s not the same as the old boss. Once upon a time, not that many years ago, premiers of Ontario proudly bore the moniker of Captain Canada, an apt title considering the consensus-finding, nation-building approach the province’s leaders took to the often contentious national issues of their day. An enlightened view, perhaps. But it was also a self-serving tactic, as largely what was good for Canada was good for Ontario. Those were the days when Ontario was unquestionably king of the hill, with huge benefits of Confederation flowing its way, so it was easy to take the high road. Times have changed. Manufacturing jobs, the mainstay of the province’s economy, are bleeding away in the face of high energy costs, a strong dollar and a wilting American economy. Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty is envious of the province-first support his peers have in other regions of the country. He’s openly asking Ontario residents to give him the same edge as he negotiates with the feds for a ‘better deal’ for Ontario. It’s a tough pill to swallow, and a jarring sight to see the premier go cap in hand, but Ontario is no longer the fat cat of the land. The old milk cow has seen better days. Not only is its industrial power fading, its political muscle is slipping away, as the ‘centre’ moves west. Times have changed. So when the premier says Ontario residents should ask federal candidates and leaders what they plan to do for Ontario, he has a point. Other Canadians expect an answer to that question in relation to their provinces, so why not residents of this province? What, specifically, should voters ask candidates about? Start with equalization, that federal program designed to ensure common standards for basic social services across the land. Ontario contributes billions more than what it gets back, some estimates put it as high as $20 billion a year, even as services rise in other provinces, at times beyond the level of what residents in this province receive. Economists say that within a few years, Ontario will be a have-not province. This will create the ludicrous situation of Ontario receiving equalization payments, the bulk of which it supplies to the federal treasury. McGuinty also wants the feds to increase employment insurance benefits paid to Ontarians to national levels. He wants funding of the Canada Health Transfer to be done on a per capita basis, immediately, rather than in 2014-15, as is now the plan. And he seeks a regional development plan for Ontario’s industries, arguing every other region in Canada has such a program. Ontario has a great natural resource: its people. Mobilized, they are a powerful force, able to influence and direct national policies. When candidates come calling, it’s okay to ask not only what have done for Ontario, but also what they plan to do for Ontario.

Canadian Inflation rate reaches 3.5 per cent Tuesday, September 23, 2008 Excerpts from Canwest News Service & Statistics Canada OTTAWA - Canada's inflation rate climbed to 3.5 per cent in August, the highest level since March 2003, on rising gasoline and food prices, Statistics Canada reported Tuesday. Click to view large The annual growth in the consumer prices from August 2007 was in line with economists' expectations, and is up from a rate of 3.4 per cent the month before. Gasoline prices, which rose 26.3 per cent in August over a year ago, as well as rising costs for other energy sources such as natural gas, fuel oils and other fuels accounted for about half of the overall 12-month increase in the consumer price index in August, the federal agency said. "Driven by price increases for grain and bakery products, prices for food purchased from stores (up 4.5 per cent) also contributed significantly to the change," it said. On a month-to-month basis, prices fell 0.2 per cent according to seasonally unadjusted data, the approach emphasized by market analysts watching to see if inflationary trends were easing. On a seasonally adjusted basis, generally emphasized by Statistics Canada, prices rose 0.2 per cent from July to August. "Don't look for any quick retreat in Canadian headline inflation in the next few months," said Douglas Porter, deputy chief economist at BMO Capital Markets. "Amid all the day-to-day swings, it looks like gasoline prices are actually set to rise on average for September. ….” Percentage change in provincial inflation rates Unadjusted, annualized Newfoundland and Labrador +4.2% Prince Edward Island +4.8% Nova Scotia +4.4% New Brunswick +2.6% Quebec +3.1% Ontario +3.5% Manitoba +3.4% Saskatchewan +3.4% Alberta +4.0% British Columbia +3.3% SOURCE: Statistics Canada

Flaherty says American-type financial crisis unlikely to happen in Canada Source: The Canadian Press http://money.aol.ca/article/finance-flaherty-1st-writethru/349685/ Posted: 09/21/08 7:02PM OTTAWA - The federal finance minister says he doesn't expect the type of crisis that battered the American financial sector to occur in Canada. Jim Flaherty told CTV's "Question Period" Sunday that the government has taken steps to make sure the country's financial sector will not end up in a precarious situation like that of the United States. "As the prime minister has said, we have a solid banking system in Canada. Our banks are well capitalized. Our households are well capitalized," he said. Flaherty was speaking as U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson called on the American Congress to move quickly to pass a $700 billion bailout package for financial firms that was announced by the Bush administration Friday. Flaherty told CTV that he had been in constant contact with Paulson and finance ministers from the other Group of Seven countries to monitor the situation. "As you know, the Americans have taken quite dramatic action to stabilize their banking system. We'll have more discussions later today among the G-7 finance ministers," Flaherty said. He noted that the U.S. financial crisis was spawned by risky mortgages. "You know 40 per cent of the people in the United States with sub-prime mortgages were sold this product in their own homes," Flaherty added. "This is something fortunately that did not happen in Canada. We've taken some steps this year to make sure our housing market remains solid."

The Conservative government's record comes under fire in new e-book OTTAWA, Sept. 23 /CNW Telbec/ - Today the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) released The Harper Record, the most comprehensive analysis of the Conservative minority government's record to date. "Scheduled for broad release in early October, we are releasing the electronic version of this book today, to help Canadians make informed choices about the future of their country," says CCPA Executive Director Bruce Campbell. Edited by Canadian Labour Congress Researcher Teresa Healy, Ph.D., with contributions from 47 policy analysts and economists, The Harper Record documents in exhaustive detail the Conservative government's performance over the last two-and-a-half years. "Contrary to the general perception that this has been a moderate government, this book reveals that it, in fact, has taken significant steps to transform Canada in a very short time. Harper's very conservative vision has been advanced across a broad range of policies. It is a deeply troubling prelude of things to come," says Healy. Similar to previous CCPA evaluations of previous governments, this publication evaluates the Harper track record through a progressive lens. The analysts find the Harper record falls woefully short when measured against the great challenges of our time: climate change, inequality and poverty, peace and stability, educating our children, protecting our health, and managing the economy. The Harper Record is available for free download from the CCPA website: http://www.policyalternatives.ca