Passport requirement at Canada-U.S. border crossings delayed

Canadians won't need to pack their passports when entering the U.S. by car until June 2009, according to U.S. legislation passed Thursday.

While I think that this is definitely the right move, I do think all citizens should have a passport. From my personal experience, passports speed up the process at airports and drive through borders because instead of having to carry three of four documents with you, you only need one.



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Ottawa school threatened after Christmas song cuts

An elementary school in Ottawa was flooded with hateful and threatening e-mails and phone calls after media reports that it had removed the word "Christmas" from a song to be performed at its Christmas concert.

It is totally unnessecarry and over the top of these people to call the scool anti-christian. It is simply accepting that there are other cultures that do not nessecarily celebrate christmas and to make the concert meaningful to them as well.



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Winter storm lashes Atlantic provinces after pummelling Ontario, Quebec

Residents in Central Canada began digging out Monday as a massive winter storm that battered Ontario and Quebec moved eastward overnight to deliver its wallop to Atlantic Canada.

This winter is said to be the coldest and snowiest winter in 15 some odd years. As surprising as it may seem, i would attribute this to global warming. The storm was said to be coming from Kentucky, and then the rain moved north and turned to snow. Global warming is a much larger issue that wee think it is, and it needs to be dealt with.



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Rogers accused of hijacking other web pages

In a week when Canadian internet activists are up in arms over the government's proposed copyright reform bill, Rogers Communications Inc. is also drawing fire for what critics are calling the company's violation of net neutrality principles.

I think that this is unnacceptable. People are paying for access to the interent, not access to the internet that has been man-handled by someone. When you pay for phone service, you want to be able to talk to people, not talk then have your conversation intercepted by a third party, manipulated, ads put in and then delivered to the other end. Rogers has been doing some pretty shady things lately such as silently billing people for a service they didnt order and only cacelling it if the user requests. I think that this should be seriously looked into.



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Clash between traditional values, modern culture may be behind teen's death

A slain Muslim teen whose father has been charged with second-degree murder apparently chafed at the prospect of wearing traditional religious garb, but members of the Islamic community warn against anyone using the tragedy to vilify the head scarf known as the hijab.

This is extremely frightening to me. It is especially frightening because there is nothing that can be done. The only thing I can say is clearly if they moved to a western culture, they liked western values more. The parents should be willing to accept that and if they want a more muslim culture, they should move to a country where women must wear a hijab is the law.



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RCMP must curb Taser use, watchdog says

The RCMP's watchdog is calling for the force to restrict its use of stun guns, saying the weapons are increasingly employed to subdue those who are resistant rather than those who pose a threat.

I find that this is a much needed announcement, especially with the past few deaths by tasers here and in the US. Tasers were initially designed to be put in use where a gun would normally be used. In the recent taser stories, police have used the tasers as a substitute for trying trying to physically subdue offenders because it's just easier. The article is spot on, tasers sould not be on the same level as nightsticks and pepper spray.



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RCMP to review Taser policy in wake of airport death: commissioner

Four Mounties involved in the fatal takedown of a Polish immigrant at Vancouver airport have been assigned to other duties as the RCMP reviews its policy on the use of Tasers, Commissioner William Elliott said Saturday.

Finally. It took 3 taser/police brutality related death in the US and one here in the past few months and now finally someone has taken the liberty to investigate. I am glad that they stepped up, admitted it and are trying to do justice instead of following the US and pretending it never happened.




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