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Links
for Monday, January 22:
- Keith Peiris: Next month,
Keith Peiris will travel along with the Prime Minister and nine provincial premiers on the
Team Canada trade mission to China. Keith is president and CEO of Cyberteks Design in
London, Ontario. Keith is 12 years old. Website: Cyberteks Design - Peiris' website.
- Judith Maxwell: An interview
with Judith Maxwell, president of the Ottawa-based Canadian Policy Research Networks think
tank. Shelagh Rogers talks with Judith Maxwell about defining what it is to be Canadian
through economic and social issue analysis. Website: Canadian Policy Research Networks (CPRN) - non-profit think tank which
links researchers and government to develop policy surrounding work, family, and health.
- Stan Rogal: Stan Rogal is a
busy guy...writing short stories, poetry, plays and novels, not to mention acting and
running his own theatre company. He's also organised a popular reading series at the Idler
Pub in Toronto for the past ten years. Hard to believe he has time for a day job ... but
he does. And he's had lots of them over the years. Bafflegab is the title of his
new novel, about a writer trying to make a place for himself and his work in an unnamed
city. Websites: Stan Rogal - more information about the author, from Insomniac Press; Bafflegab
- information about the book.
- Counter-Tenors: Of all the
"voices" in the human repertoire, the counter-tenor is unique. Counter-tenors
are males who sing roles usually performed by women. They are the modern equivalent of the
castrati, boys who were castrated before their voices changed at puberty, so they retained
a high voice but with the power of a male physique. Interest in this particular sound has
gone through a bit of a renaissance, particularly since the l994 film Farinelli,
the story of a 17th-century castrato. Unlike their 17th-century counterparts,
counter-tenors have normal male voices, but choose to sing in the higher registers because
of the beauty of the sound. Counter-tenors are in big demand these days, and Canada has
some of the best. Shelagh talks to three of them - David Lee, Daniel Taylor and Carl
Strygg. Website: Daniel Taylor - more information about the counter-tenor.
- Virtual War Graves: Steve
Douglas is a Canadian living in England. A few years ago, he was trying to come up with an
idea that would marry his love of computers and his desire to do something special for the
millennium. What came to him was a colossal undertaking which he calls the Maple Leaf
Legacy Project: to photograph, annotate, and post on the Internet every Canadian war grave
and gravesite. He estimates that the project will feature 115,000 graves when it is done.
Right now, he has collected about 15,000, and offers to help are streaming in from across
the globe. Website: The
Maple Leaf Legacy Project - Steve Douglas' website.
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Monday, Jan 22,
2001
This Week's
Links:
Monday
January 22:
- Keith Peiris: Next month,
Keith Peiris will travel along with the Prime Minister and nine provincial premiers on the
Team Canada trade mission to China. Keith is president and CEO of Cyberteks Design in
London, Ontario. Keith is 12 years old. Website: Cyberteks Design - Peiris' website.
- Judith Maxwell: An interview
with Judith Maxwell, president of the Ottawa-based Canadian Policy Research Networks think
tank. Shelagh Rogers talks with Judith Maxwell about defining what it is to be Canadian
through economic and social issue analysis. Website: Canadian Policy Research Networks (CPRN) - non-profit think tank which
links researchers and government to develop policy surrounding work, family, and health.
- Stan Rogal: Stan Rogal is a
busy guy...writing short stories, poetry, plays and novels, not to mention acting and
running his own theatre company. He's also organised a popular reading series at the Idler
Pub in Toronto for the past ten years. Hard to believe he has time for a day job ... but
he does. And he's had lots of them over the years. Bafflegab is the title of his
new novel, about a writer trying to make a place for himself and his work in an unnamed
city. Websites: Stan Rogal - more information about the author, from Insomniac Press; Bafflegab
- information about the book.
- Counter-Tenors: Of all the
"voices" in the human repertoire, the counter-tenor is unique. Counter-tenors
are males who sing roles usually performed by women. They are the modern equivalent of the
castrati, boys who were castrated before their voices changed at puberty, so they retained
a high voice but with the power of a male physique. Interest in this particular sound has
gone through a bit of a renaissance, particularly since the l994 film Farinelli,
the story of a 17th-century castrato. Unlike their 17th-century counterparts,
counter-tenors have normal male voices, but choose to sing in the higher registers because
of the beauty of the sound. Counter-tenors are in big demand these days, and Canada has
some of the best. Shelagh talks to three of them - David Lee, Daniel Taylor and Carl
Strygg. Website: Daniel Taylor - more information about the counter-tenor.
- Virtual War Graves: Steve
Douglas is a Canadian living in England. A few years ago, he was trying to come up with an
idea that would marry his love of computers and his desire to do something special for the
millennium. What came to him was a colossal undertaking which he calls the Maple Leaf
Legacy Project: to photograph, annotate, and post on the Internet every Canadian war grave
and gravesite. He estimates that the project will feature 115,000 graves when it is done.
Right now, he has collected about 15,000, and offers to help are streaming in from across
the globe. Website: The
Maple Leaf Legacy Project - Steve Douglas' website.
Tuesday January
16:
- Reverend
Brent Hawkes: Rev. Hawkes is mailing the licenses of the two gay couples he
married over the weekend. He's going to send the licenses to the province's
Registrar-General in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The province has already said that it will not
register the marriages. Rev. Hawkes, a long-time activist, warns it might be time for a
bit of civil disobedience. He says he is following the example of Moses in his work
because he believes his role is to lead people to freedom in the "promised
land." Websites: Gay and lesbian couples wed in double ceremony - article from CBC
News Online; Metropolitan Community
Church; The
fight for gay rights - an indepth look from CBC News Online.
- Stockwell Day: The leader of
the Canadian Alliance Party has been having a bit of a rough time lately. Questions about
his leadership have been circulating within the party, and he's in trouble with Albertans
because taxpayers' money was used to settle a defamation lawsuit. Website: Stockwell Day/Canadian
Alliance - official site for the party and its leader.
- Talking
Books: This week Ian Brown and his guests talk about a novel by James Salter,
called Cassada. The book looks at the lives of officers in an air force squaron in Cold
War Europe, and the resopnse of those officers when a newcomer named Cassada joins them. Websites:
Cassada
- more information about the book from the Counter Point Press; New York State
Writers Institute: James Salter - short biography of the 1998-2000 New York State
author; New York Times: A Teller of Tales Tells His Own - interviews,
reviews, and a selection of Salter's travel writing; James Salter -
website from previewport.com.
Reprogramming
Furby: Jeff Gibbons, a Canadian computer consultant, has won a computing and
engineering contest set up by Silicon Valley computer expert Peter van der Linden. Van der
Linden offered $250.00 U.S. for a smart solution to the problem of how to defeat
protective measures by the Furby manufacturer and make a Furby programmable. He required
that the results be freely shared over the Internet. Websites: Peter van der Linden - his website, with more information on
re-programming the Furby; The
Hack Furby Challenge - more information about the contest; Furby Upgrade Homepage - more
information on how to mess with your Furby; Furbyland
- official site featuring news, a library of activities, and more; Furby Autopsy - learn how to
dissect Furby, what all the parts do, and how to hack the toy.
Newfoundland
Report: A report from St. John's, Newfoundland. How are people coping with a record
snowfall and city council's decision NOT to clear sidewalks this winter. Website: City of St. John's.
Wednesday January
17:
- Energy
Prices: Shelagh talks with people across the country about the effects high energy
prices (natural gas and oil) are having on them. Followed by a discussion with two
economists who will explain why prices are so high and the impact it will have on the
economy. Websites: Alternative Energy
- While oil and gas prices climb, CBC This Morning looks at alternative energy
sources. We meet several Canadians who are successfully harnessing wind, solar or other
forms of renewable energy; Energyshop.com's
natural gas price comparison; Natural
Resources Canada - FAQ about natural gas prices; The unnatural
price of natural gas - indepth coverage from CBC News Online; OPEC to cut production by five per cent - article from CBC News
Online; Gas
Pains - indepth coverage from CBC News Online; Tips to Lower
& Manage Your Bill (from Ontario's Enbridge Gas); Energy Saving
Tips (from SaskEnergy); Gas Price F.A.Q.s (from Alberta's ATCO Gas); National Energy Board -
FAQ about natural gas prices; Share
the Warmth - a charity that purchases heat and energy on behalf of low-income people.
- Skating Championship: When it
comes to watching figure skating, it doesn't much matter whether you know your quad from
your double axel. It's just delicious to be a spectator. This morning, Shelagh Rogers
speaks to two former Olympic stars, Debbi Wilkes and Karen Magnussen, about what they
think the highlights will be in this year's Canadian Figure Skating Championships
competition. Websites: Debbi
Wilkes - transcript of a chat Debbi recently held with CTV; Karen Magnussen
- short biography from teh Skate Canada Hall of Fame; Canadian Figure Skating
Championships - information about the competition from the Canadian Figure Skating
Association website; Skate Canada (CFSA)
- more information about figure skating in Canada.
- Linda Crompton: A feature
interview with Linda Crompton. She's something of an anomyly... a banker... and a
philosopher. Linda's the head of Citizens Bank of Canada, the country's only bank with no
branches. She's also been called the guru of ethical investing. Websites: Linda
Crompton - biographical information; Citizens Bank of Canada - branchless bank, with services by telephone,
by modem or through ATM machines. Site includes information and links on corporate social
responsibility.
- Elizabeth Simpsons: Elizabeth
Simpson grew up expecting motherhood and a happy marriage. She was a teenager in the
fifties on the prairies in a family where her own parents were the model of a happy
marriage. But finding the same thing for herself has been elusive. Now, married for the
third time Elizabeth Simpson comes to terms with her life's experiences in a new memoir
called, One Man at a Time: Secrets of a Serial Monogamist. Websites: Elizabeth
Simpson - information about the author from Macfarlane Walter & Ross' website; One Man at a Time - information about the book from the
publisher.
- Rural Doctor: On call 24 hours
a day, a regular rotation in emergency and patients that can live tens of kilometres apart
-- the life of a rural doctor can be a stressful, exhausting experience. It comes as no
suprise that fewer young doctors are choosing to work outside major centres. As a champion
of rural medicine, Dr. James Rourke is trying to change all that. He runs a family
practice in Goderich, Ontario, with his wife, Leslie, and he's also a professor with the
Department of Family Medicine at the University of Western Ontario. He also travels the
world studying and lecturing on rural medicine. He was recently honoured by the Canadian
Medical Association for his work. Websites: College of Family
Physicians of Canada Working Group on Rural Family Medicine Education Report - Dr.
Rourke is a member of the working group that wrote this draft report; Department of Family
Medicine/University of Western - staff listings, research abstracts, teaching centre
descriptions, newsletters, and e-mail discussion group archives related to the practice of
Family Medicine in Southwestern Ontario.
- Polar Bears: Two polar bear
stories from the North: one about declining numbers of bears, a decision to cut the quota
from 32 to 12, and an American decision not to allow anyone to import killed bears into
the U.S. The other, is about an Inuit hunter who wants the right to kill a polar bear with
a harpoon. A judge ruled in his favour, but the Nunavut government hasn't yet given him
permission for the hunt. David Michael Lamb reports from Iqaluit. Website: Polar Bears Alive -
preservationist group works to ensure the survival of the species. Read about their goals,
find out about cubs and prey.
Thursday January
18:
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Al Waxman dies at 65
Actor Al Waxman died
last night in a Toronto hospital, following what was described as routine heart surgery. FULL STORY from CBC Infoculture. |
- Water
Safety: Are there other Walkertons waiting to happen? A national report card on
Canada's drinking water regulations says too many provinces don't make the grade. Drinking
water that's not tested ... waterworks operators who aren't trained ... officials who
don't tell the public they're drinking contaminated water. Sounds like Walkerton, Ontario,
where seven people died from tainted tap water. But a new study found those dangerous
problems all across Canada. We talk with the director of the Sierra Legal Defence Fund
about their new report card on Canada's drinking water. Websites: Sierra Legal Defence Fund - the
organization's official website; Who's Watching
our Waters? - the Sierra Legal Defence Fund's report on "who's polluting and the
government that's permitting it" (you'll need Adobe's Acrobat Reader
installed to download the report); National
drinking water report calls for urgent action by governments - article from the
CUPE Water Campaign; Walkerton
- more information from the Canadian Environmental Defence Fund; Walkerton Inquiry Home Page -
learn more about the town's water troubles and inquiry.
- NDP &
Labour: Is the marriage between the NDP and the Labour movement on the rocks? Even
before the election, some labour leaders were questioning the relevance of the
relationship. And now that the party is examining its future, those questions are back
with a vengeance. We speak about this long-standing relationship with Nancy Riches, of the
Canadian Labour Congress, and Les Campbell, former chief of staff for Audrey McLaughlin. Websites:
NDP - official site of the New Democrats
of Canada; Canadian Labour Congress.
- Wanted Words: Jane
Farrow returns for another round of Wanted Words.
- Dog Safety: When news broke
this week about a young woman who was mauled by two dogs, we had a sense of "deja-vu
all over again". A pair of 90-pound dogs attacked a 16-year-old newspaper carrier in
Toronto. She needed three hours of plastic surgery. Why does this keep happening? And why
aren't we doing anything to stop it? Emile Therien has been lobbying governments to act on
this problem. He's President of the Canada Safety Council, in Ottawa. Websites: Canada Safety Council - public,
workplace and traffic safety organization dedicated to prevention through education and
public awareness; Dog's World
- contains details of dog breeds, lists dog shows, and more.
- LAL: The Toronto band
"LAL" has been turning alot of ears with it's debut CD, Corners. It's a
moody almost "edgeless" mix of sounds and cultures. It's hip hop and jazz with a
touch of Bengali folk, all played over a big fat beat. Website: LAL - information
about the band from their record label.
- Robert Latimer: A look at the
Supreme Court decision on Saskatchewan farmer Robert Latimer. The Court will decide if he
must spend at least 10 years in jail for the death his severely disabled daughter, Tracy. Message
Board: What
is your opinion on mercy killing? Post your thoughts in our message board. Websites:
The
law and Latimer - indepth coverage from CBC News Online; Cerebral Palsy Canada; Supreme Court of Canada; euthanasia.com.
Friday January
19:
- The Law
and Latimer - the Supreme Court
of Canada has ruled Robert Latimer must spend at least 10 years in jail for killing his
severely disabled daughter. Website: Indepth coverage from CBC
News Online.
- Skating Out Back: Most parts of the country, it seems, are having
one of those real Canadian winters that we used to have. Not a surprise then to discover a
revival of an old, uniquely Canadian tradition across this wintry land: The making of
backyard ice rinks -- the kind Wayne Gretsky learned on. The backyard rink can become a
gathering point for a neighbourhood... and then, there's simple pleasure of making good
ice. Bob Carty's documentary first aired earlier this week on the Sunday Edition.
Websites: Howard
Purhcase of Mount Pearly, Newfoundlnad, makes a backyard rink every year and has a
number of tips and suggestions from his years of experience; Nicerink - a company that sells plastic liners for backyard rinks;
"How and Why to
build a Backyard Rink" - by Jack Falla. Gives some helpful ideas from the
ice-challenged experience of an American.
- Diamond Security: Canada's
fledgling diamond industry recently suffered its first-ever theft. A parcel of diamonds
went missing while in transit from Yellowknife to Vancouver. The incident has meant
tightened security - and concern over organized crime moving into the North. Website:
Sirius Diamonds.
- Queen Victoria: Barbara Rusch
is a devotee of Queen Victoria memorabilia and 19th-century history because the monarch
was an icon of that century and made major contributions to society at that time. Websites:
Victoria - more
information about the Queen from the official British monarchy website; The Ephemera
Society; Queen Victoria - profile of the monarch excerpted from Lytton
Strachey's book Eminent Victorians. Note: We'll have a special look at the
life and legacy of Victoria on our website Monday, January 22 (the 100th anniversary of
her death).
- Georgian Choir: Music and
unique harmonies from the Republic of Georgia. Website: Darbazi - choir founded in
Spring 1995 in the home of Alan Gasser, a local proponent of Georgian music who has been
honoured by the Georgian Ministry of Culture.
Sunday
January 20:
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Hana's
Suitcase
In a small,
non-descript building in downtown Tokyo, the children - flocks of them - come to see a
suitcase, sitting in a glass case. They write poems about it, draw pictures. They are
drawn to the story it tells, and the tragedy it represents.
The suitcase belonged
to a girl named Hana Brady. She died at Auschwitz in 1944. She was 13.
The Tokyo Holocaust
Education and Resource Center acquired the suitcase last year. No further information
about Hana came with it. Since then its director, Fumiko Ishioka, has made it her mission
to find out more of Hana's story and scoured the world for it. In the end, her search
brought her to Toronto and George Brady. |
- Debating Homework: Homework is
an "ugly fact of nature, like the weather or a cold we must endure." In hour one
educators debate whether homework overburdens children, or if it's an important tool for
learning. Michael Enright talks with John Buell who co-authored the book "The End of
Homework, How Homework Disrupts Families, Overburdens Children and Limits Learning." Website:
The End of
Homework - information about the book.
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