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Ontario premier worries about student's eduction
By:JustinSchuck
Ontario’s Premier, Dalton McGuinty is asking for teachers to reinstall extra-circular activities. McGuinty has encouraged teachers to keep their fight against the government in courts as opposed to in the classroom, where innocent students are affected.
McGuinty believes that extra-curricular activities are an important part of an enriched educational experience. McGunity’s comments was raised after the Globe and Mail reported that it could be longer than two years until students will have sports teams, clubs, field trips and after-school help. These cuts are in response to the dispute currently held between teachers and the Liberal government.
While many students have attempted to protest these cuts by walking out of their classrooms, it is unlikely that their actions will show any results.
Educational Minister, Laurel Broten, has the power to prevent teachers from striking, however, Broten does not have the power to force them to continue their unpaid extra-curricular activities.
Teachers are not likely to reestablish extra-curricular until the government’s current contract term expires in the fall of 2014.
Many students fear that their lack of extra-curricular will effect college applications. Jurisidctions in Canada and the United States have rewarded teachers who continue with extra-curricular with pay or time-off. While the Mike Harris government suggested making these acitivies part of teacher’s work day, unions did not agree.
Ambulance technicians plan a strike during the holidays
After the student strike, Quebec could now face a strike from ambulance technicians during the holidays.
The CBC reported that the CSN Labour Federation, representing 60% of the paramedics and ambulance technicians in Quebec, had filled a strike notice for the holiday period.
The technicians have been lacking a contract since 2010 and are asking for a better pension plan.
They also ask for a revision of the salary scale.
However, this strike will mostly impact the administrative side of the job according to Union spokesperson Yvon Bonesso, as there is a law that requires paramedics to fulfill their obligations as an emergency service.
He added that the population will be safe and should have no fear as all calls will be covered as usual.
A tentative agreement was reached this past July, but as many as 71% of the union workers have voted against it in October.
However, Quebec Health Minister Réjean Hébert said that he has no intention of reopening the deal that was reached a few months ago.
Rush - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2013 Induction
One likes to believe in the freedom of music, but glittering prizes and endless compromises shatter the illusion of integrity. –Rush "The Spirit of Radio"
Eligible yet overlooked for 14 years, 2012 marked the first time Canadian band Rush was nominated for entry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Since then (and for the first time) the fans have voted, some music historians have discussed it, and Jann Wenner from Rolling Stone has stamped it with no erasies black magic swallow the golden key:
Rush will be officially inducted into the Cleveland museum of rock and roll (and not-so rock and roll... cough ABBA cough Donna Summer cough) early next year.
It's surprising and strange that it took this long, considering the foundation's mandate that nominees must "demonstrate influence and significance within the history of rock and roll." I mean... virtually every rock group formed in the last 44 years has named Rush as their inspiration at one point or another; their songs can be heard several times a day on every classic rock station imaginable; and this band is so deeply-rooted in our history that even our most beloved fictional characters name Neil Peart as their drum god. Love them or hate them, Rush's "influence and significance" in the school of rock is undeniable.
Guitarist Alex Lifeson said in a phone interview, "I think our fans are more upset than we were because they feel a real bond to this band and it's been an important part of their lives in some form, and to be snubbed was snubbing them at the same time."
Maybe die-hard Rush fans value the biased opinions of this small group of "experts" in the US who took it upon themselves to deem certain bands "worthy" of benefice; or maybe the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is, to quote the Sex Pistols, "a piss stain" and we really shouldn't give a damn what they think. But the fact that Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee, and Neil Peart achieved success without ingratiating themselves with the mainstream masses is the reason why I'm excited about their impending induction.
Ever the gentleman, bassist and singer Geddy Lee directed the attention away from the band and sent it out to fans and family when he told Rolling Stone, "It made my mom happy, so that's worth it. It was a cause they championed, [and] I'm very relieved for them and we share this honor with them, for sure."
Join my fellow Canadians and prog-rock fans everywhere in our collective cry of relief: FINALLY.
2013 Inductees
Albert King
Donna Summer
Heart
Public Enemy
Randy Newman
Rush
Lou Adler (Ahmet Ertegun Award)
Quincy Jones (Ahmet Ertegun Award)
Full List of Nominees
Albert King
Chic
Deep Purple
Donna Summer
Heart
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
Kraftwerk
The Marvelettes
The Meters
N.W.A.
Paul Butterfield Blues Band
Procol Harum
Public Enemy
Randy Newman
Rush
--Stephanie Dee hosts Twee Time, Fridays 8-9pm
View From the Venue - Teenage Bottlerocket
View from the Venue caught up with Ray Carlisle from Teenage Bottlerocket at Foufounes Electriques in Montreal. They talk about keeping a tour diary, riling up metalheads on the internet (throwing the horns is serious business. almost an art. really) and of course their newest release, Freak Out!. Ray also mentions that the band will be putting together a DVD in the future for all you people of the rock-doc persuasion. Check out more from Teenage Bottlerocket on their website.
December 11, 2012
Hosted by: Carlo Spiridigliozzi
Stories Written by: Carlo Spiridigliozzi, Saturn De Los Angeles, Danny Aubry & Hannah Besseau
Produced by: Catlin Spencer
Tobacco insider stands up for victims
A renowned Tobacco insider is in Montreal this week to speak up for Tobacco victims.
Jeffrey Wigand is testifying at Quebec Supreme Court this week as part of Canada's largest class-action lawsuit between smoking victims and large tobacco companies.
In a report by CBC Montreal, Wigand testimony suggests that he was a former tobacco scientist at Brown and Williamson, a U-S based cigarette company in 1989.
While working there, Wigand says the company was giving misleading messages about tobacco's effects to the general public despite acknowledging its health risks.
The 27-billion-dollar lawsuit is led by two groups that represent 1-point-8 million Quebec smokers - those who become ill from smoking and another group claiming they couldn't quit.
It's pitted against Canada's three largest cigarette companies - Imperial Tobacco, J-T-I MacDonald and Rothmans Benson & Hedges.
Wigand is known to be a famous whistleblower when he revealed to the television newsmagazine show 60 Minutes that tobacco companies were hiding the health risks of cigarettes.
His revelation provoked him to testify at a lawsuit versus the five biggest American tobacco companies, bringing a settlement of 368-billion U-S dollars in favor of state governments in the U.S., as well as individual smoking victims.
Flickr Photo by: daubiwan
STORY WRITTEN BY: SATURN DE LOS ANGELES
New form of justice for indigenous peoples proposed
A new initiative in indigenous justice has been brought to the table.
A call for indigenous activists and allies to act and speak up about injustices has been set forth. The campaign is called Idle No More.
According to Rabble.ca it is coming out of the growing frustration of the silencing of indigenous rights across Canada.
During the federal budget negotiations, First Nations leaders were denied entrance to the House of Commons despite the impacts of the bill having direct effects on indigenous people.
This, in addition to the frequent dishonoring of Treaties between nations has sparked this campaign.
So far the initiative remains primarily through social media networks however aim to broaden to other forms of resistance such as peaceful protests and marches to raise awareness.
STORY WRITTEN BY: HANNAH BESSEAU
Bilingual status to stay with municipalities, says minister
The rules for a municipality losing its bilingual status have been softened.
According to the Gazette, Bill 14 gives the P.Q. the power to remove a city or town’s bilingual status if their non-French speaking population drops blow fifty per cent.
The clause was implanted in a revised Charter of the French Language introduced last week by the minority P.Q. government in power. It represents a hard-line stance in P.Q. policies and has raised concern among the Anglophone community.
Jean-François Lisée, the minister responsible for Montreal, told the paper on Monday that if a city’s bilingual population starts to decline, a committee would review the trend before making the decision on revoking or not its bilingual status.
Bill 14 will be up for consultations and committee hearing in the New Year. Lisée also encouraged cities facing population fluctuations to come forward with any questions.
Flickr Photo by: Parti Quebecois (officiel)
Canadian government creates new immigration trade skills program
The Canadian government is working on a new system to speed up the acceptance of skilled foreign tradespeople.
According to the Globe and Mail the Immigration Minister announced that Jan 2, 2013 will mark the beginning of a new federal skilled trades program.
The Immigration Minister stated that the program will decrease labour shortages within certain regions of the country.
Applicants within the program are required to have at least two years experience within their trade and to speak a basic amount of either language.
December 10th, 2012
Hosted & Produced by: Carlo Spiridigliozzi
Stories by: Alyssa Tremblay, Carlo Spiridigliozzi & Daniel J. Rowe
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