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Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Sudanese envoy to be turfed from Ottawa
Updated Wed. Aug. 29 2007 1:41 PM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier has announced that a high-ranking envoy at the Sudanese embassy in Ottawa will be turfed from the country in a retaliatory move that is expected to turn up the heat on a simmering diplomatic dispute.


Bernier says Canada has decided to expel the diplomat in response to the Sudanese government's expulsion of Canada's chargé d'affaires, Nuala Lawlor.


"Canada considers the expulsion of our chargé d'affaires to be entirely unjustified. Wherever they are posted, Canada's diplomats will continue to work to uphold Canadian values of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law," Bernier said in a statement.


Sudan's ambassador in Ottawa has been notified of the decision, which will take effect on September 1.


Earlier this month, the Sudanese government announced that it would be expelling Lawlor and EU's diplomat Kent Degerfelt for "meddling in its affairs."


Lawlor and Degerfelt had allegedly been seeking the release of opposition politicians who had been imprisoned over an alleged coup attempt.


At the time, the Sudanese government asserted that the expulsion order should not hinder relations between Sudan and the EU or Canada.


Earlier this week, Bernier said he spoke to Sudanese Foreign Minister Lam Akol in protest of Lawlor's expulsion and conveyed "Canada's strong concern about Sudan's decision to expel Canada's charge d'affaires."


But Bernier's efforts were to no avail, he said.


As a result, Bernier has directed Lawlor to leave Sudan.


Canada has already cut off bilateral aid to the Sudanese government and ensures that its aid money flows through the African Union's mission in that country.


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Monday, August 27, 2007

It's a grey day in Winnipeg. The weatherman said it would rain this morning. It is still not raining. The sky is merely heavy with dark clouds hanging long. I wish it would rain and get over with it. My plants will then be watered and I would not have to water them this evening.
The good thing is I do not have to feel bad about having another cup of coffee. The latest report is that coffee is good for your liver and helps to prevent liver cancer.
Fourteen Year Old Kills Mother and Sister

People are reeling from this one. It seems like everytime you turn around a youth is committing a heinous crime. What is going on? I do not think that a child would kill his parent or mother in such apparent cold blood. Are we putting children with emotional problems to the test by allowing them the freedom that some may not be able to handle. Or are parents cuddling their emotionally challenged children. I believe that for a child to commit such a crime he had to be mentally unstable. So unstable that he cannot see his mother and sister as they are but as something threatening to his own well being. When these crimes are committed we look at the child as if he is a monster when in fact he may be suffering from a mental illness that distorts reality.
It is such a tragic loss and for it to happen in a small rural community I cannot begin to imagine the impact. It is tragic for everyone.

Monday, August 20, 2007






Dining in Winnipeg, Keep Safe and eat at Restaurants with Safe Practices

The following restaurants have been either convicted or shut down because of insanitary conditions. Make sure you check their public health record before eating or buying food from these establishment. Stop the spread of e-coli and other illness due to insanitary practices.

Tindahan Food Market used food from unuauthorized sources
906 Sargent Avenue

Civita restaurant Dirty, dirty
B-691 Corydon Avenue



Mandarin Restaurant 3 charges (fail to protect food from contamination;
252 River Avenue (fail to keep equipment and utensils clean and in good repair; no hot water; terrible)

A & W Food Services of Western Canada
333 St, Mary Avenue (City Place) (no hot running water to hand wash basin)

Mad Dogs
93 McLeon Avenue (lack of running water)

Ho Choy Restaurant (insantary - mouse dropping
640 Jefferson throughout food preparation and storage area

Dragon River Restaurant Insanitary conditions, filthy
537 Sarget Ave

George's Burgers and Subs
212 Henderson Highway Insanitary defective washing facilities

Tasty Bite Pizza & Restaurant Insanityary conditons, filthy
102 Sherbrook St.

Ducky Fish and Chips Insanitary conditions
884 Notre Dame Ave

Sushiya Dirty conditions, improper washing of utensils
659 Corydon Ave

Hi-Ball Restaurant
421 Academy road Obtain food from unapproved sources

Samosa Hut (City Place) No handwashing facility
333 St. Mary Ave

Divine Dogs
1582 Magnus Ave Failure to wear approved clothing

Albert Street Burger
58 Albert Street insanitary condition, lack of hot water

Soup Pierre
240 Portage Ave no head covering, insanitary condition

Garwood Grill insanitary condition, dust, dirt, debris
435 Pembina Highway

Green Garden Restaurant
City Place - 333 St. Mary insanitary condition

Awesome Dog #4 did not wash hand after smoking,

Pampanga Meats and Groceries insanitary conditions

McDonald's at City Place insanitary conditins

Cathay House
1631 Regent Avenue West insanitary food handling, dirty food containers
inadequate temperature

WILL KEEP YOU POSTED ON UP TO DATE INFRACTIONS. BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR FOOD.

Friday, August 17, 2007

Alcohol snuck into a dry Reserve

This is a very sad commentary of the Aboriginal leadership on this troubled reserve. What were they thinking man? A former chief, a band councilor and an addictions counselor colluded to bring liquor to this dry Pauingassi First Nation reserve. Are they at all concerned with the health and wellbeing of their people on that community? So many lives have been lost; so many families broken because of alcohol and people who are expected to know better and have the community interest at heart have let down their community down badly.
I listened to a commentary on CBC this morning from a social worker in Toronto. She claimed that dry reserves do not work and that this is imposed mostly on religious grounds. She said that more education was needed. People must be told about the dangers of alcohol and its impact on the society and unborn children but if it is forced upon the community it will not work.
I agree to this to a certain degree. However if alcohol is prohbitive in order to establish a policy on the reserve to make it a better place for everyone (and not because of some religious minority group)there might be some positive outcome. What the reserve needs to do is to occupy people with positive activities to replace the dependency on alcohol. Have activities like punch-making recipes using various juices and teas to create wonderful drinks; use of songs and dance to create similar highs that alcohol creates.

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

RCMP warns Canadians to watch out for counterfeit cash
Last Updated: Wednesday, August 8, 2007 | 3:57 PM ET
CBC News
Consumers are being told to watch out for Canadian counterfeit money with glued on authentic holographic security stripes, following incidents in Alberta, B.C., Ontario and Quebec.
The RCMP Bureau for Counterfeit and Document Examinations (BCDE) issued an alert Tuesday after identifying an increase in fake Canadian bank notes that bear a genuine holographic stripe taken from authentic currency of a lower denomination.
The counterfeit money has actual holographic stripes removed from Canadian Journey series $5, $10 and $20 notes, which are glued onto poor quality counterfeit $20, $50 and $100 notes.
RCMP spokesperson Nathalie Deschenes told CBCNews.ca that a recent rash of the fake notes is what prompted the BCDE to issue the release. She said 45 of the counterfeit notes had been found in July alone, with a total of 66 notes for 2007, and a total of 450 since 2005.
Most of the incidents happened in Alberta, with some also in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec.
"Watch for bank notes which bear a genuine holographic stripe but for a lesser denomination than that of the actual bank note.
"For example, the note may have a genuine holographic stripe with the numeral 5 appearing on a counterfeit $50 bill. The same is happening for the numeral 10 appearing on a counterfeit $100 note," said the BCDE in a statement.
"Bank note security features are easy to recognize by touching, tilting and by looking through the note. Both merchants and the public are encouraged to routinely check their bank notes, not only to protect against loss, but also to prevent counterfeits from entering circulation," it added.
The BCDE added that the criminals tried to take the genuine notes with the missing security stripes back to the bank for replacement.

Tuesday, August 07, 2007



Photoplay of Winnipeg Summerscapes







Photoplay of Winnipeg Summerscapes


Canada's Uzoma Asagwara heads to the bench with a scratch above the eye while playing the United States during their Pan American Games basketball Monday, July 23, 2007. Semi - final game in Rio of Janeiro, Tuesday July 24, 01:53 AM

Uzoma is from the Prairie City of Winnipeg, Canada's jewel in the heart of the country.

The Afro-Caribbean, African and Multicultural communities are all rooting for this dynamo. We are all proud of her achievements