No injuries after car slams into midtown storefront

On Sunday night, a black Volvo spun out of control as the driver turned onto Eglinton Avenue. At 1588 Eglinton the car crashed through the glass window. There were 4 people in the car at the time of the accident and none of them got hurt and no one was in the store at that time. Police allege that the driver was traveling at a high rate of speed. Police did not reveal the names or ages of the driver and passengers but said they don't believe alcohol was a factor in the crash. Traffic in the area was closed for more than an hour but by Monday morning, the accident scene was cleared. Authorities said the driver will likely face charges in connection with the accident.

The police said there was no alcohol involved so I suspect that there was some kind of race going on. This seems crazy to me. It is so dangerous. This happened at 10:45 at night so that means that there were still people on the street who could have gotten hurt even killed just because the drivers wanted the thrill of racing their car. If they really want a thrill of racing they should go to a drag strip where there is controlled conditions. I hope the police take their care away from them.

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20091207/car_crash_091207/20091207/?hub=TorontoNewHome

Mayoral hopeful turns eye to provincial politics

This article is about former Winnipeg's mayor Glen Murray, the first openly gay politician, to decide to not seek the mayor nomination of Toronto. Instead he will run for the soon to be one cabinet position of another only gay politician George Smitherman. The article focuses on Murray's skills and knowledge at dealing with different issues such as green energy and gay rights. The race for the mayor position of Toronto is said to be sought by a number of another politicians including John Tory the former head of the Conservative party of Ontario.

It is my opinion that having more openly gay politicians out in Ontario is a good thing. It means that we are becoming more open to people who are different than the majority. That is a good thing. It is better to have people with different perspectives working to make Ontario and Toronto a better and more open place to live.

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20091203/Murray_Smitherman_091203/20091203/?hub=TorontoNewHome

Five suspects charged with Toronto man's murder

Five people have been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of a 29-year-old man. On October 18 after 3 a.m. Andre Daley was shot and killed. This happed due to a drive-by shooting which happened at Keele Street and Sheppard Avenue area. She was outside of First Choice Restaurant with a number of people when the shots rang out. Also there were four other people who were shot during this incident but are expected to survive the injuries. On Wednesday, police say they have five suspects arrested. The suspects - all men believed to be between the ages of 25 and 35 - were expected to make a court appearance Thursday morning.

My opinion is that a drive by shooting is a cowardly act. No violence takes courage but there is something really weak and cowardly about driving by a group of people and shooting widely out the window. It shows such a lack of care for people that I would suggest that people who do this terrible thing should receive the maximum sentence to convince people not to do it.

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20091203/murder_arrests_091203/20091203/?hub=TorontoNewHome

School bus involved in 'serious' head-on crash

On Wednesday morning in Peterborough, Ont. a full school bus with high school students hit a pickup truck head on. Authorities say seven teens have been sent to Peterborough Regional Health Centre, all with bumps and bruises. The driver of the pickup truck was rushed to a local hospital by an air ambulance. The police were alerted to the accident just before 7 a.m. This crash happened on Highway 7, just west of Norwood. Authorities are calling the crash "serious" but are crediting the bus driver from keeping the vehicle from rolling over. OPP have closed both the eastbound and westbound lanes of Highway 7, while they investigate the accident. There were 45 teens on the bus, all reportedly Grade 10 students from Lakefield District Secondary School. They were on their way to Ottawa for a school field trip along with three teachers. A second school bus was dispatched to the scene to transport the remaining students back to school.

There are big heroes and little heroes in life. There are the heroes who get a lot of attention and then there are simple guys who drive a bus day in and day out to support their families. This bus driver is one of those heroes. he didn't panic. he was alert and it is possible that he saved the lives of many of those students. I'm proud of him and I hope that he gets a lot of recognition.


http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20091202/schoolbus_crash_091202/20091202/?hub=TorontoNewHome

Quebec could become stricter on drunk driving

On Monday, Transport Minister Julie Boulet announced that drivers in Quebec may soon face a 24-hour license suspension if they drive with .05 percent blood-alcohol level or higher in their systems. This is one of the 27 recommendations Boulet suggested in a security report released on Monday to keep the roads safer. This new rule is to be introduced in the National Assembly this week. "Once the public realizes that it is dangerous to drive with 50 milligrams, they will change their behavior. They're not stupid, and if they have the correct information, they will adapt their behavior to a better way of doing things," said Jean-Marie de Koninck from the Quebec road safety task force. If a driver is found to have higher than a 0.05 per cent blood-alcohol level, police could seize the vehicle for 24 hours.

Drunk driving is a huge issue. It is the most selfish thing a person can do. They get behind the wheel drunk. Their coordination and their thinking is compromised. They are driving one way with other cars coming towards them either in the other direction or alongside. They are like ticking time bombs. I think the government should be even stricter when it comes to punishment of this action. There should be zero tolerance.

http://montreal.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20091130/mtl_drunk_drving_091130/20091130/?hub=MontrealHome

Protesters arrested at Flaherty's Whitby office

On Monday, 7 protesters were arrested by Police. These protesters occupied federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty riding office in Whitby. The protesters were charged with mischief and trespassing said Durham regional police. They were released on the condition they stay away from Flaherty's office or the office of any other elected official. The demonstrators from the group, People for Climate Justice, are demanding greater action on climate change. The group wants a binding climate treaty during negotiations to be held in Copenhagen in December. It also wants Ottawa to commit to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 to 25 per cent of 1990 levels.

This is an important issue to me. It is easy to ignore global warning right now because there is nothing showing its immediate dangers. However, the signs are all around. Ice melting. Frozen territories now green. Polar Bears searching for food. These are all sign of a potential meltdown in the world that could drown us before we know it.

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20091130/protesters_arrests_091130/20091130/?hub=TorontoNewHome

Man in custody after two pedestrians struck by car

On Monday morning, two people were struck by a car, and a man is now in police custody. This accident was in Toronto east. The two people were rushed to hospital with injuries after getting hit by the car just before 1 a.m. in the morning in the Kingston Road and Elmer Avenue area. There was a women and a man involved in the accident. The women, 20 years old, had serious injuries, and the man, 20 years old, was treated for a knee injury. Police allege the driver fled the scene in the vehicle. A suspect was located a short time later after police received information from witnesses who jotted down the car's license plate number. Authorities have not released the suspect's name.

This article is about people who don't own up to mistakes. We are all human and being human means we are going to make mistakes. The important thing is once we have done that we shouldn't run away. If we run away once then we will tend to always run away. Therefore, I hope that the police are really tough on this hit and run crime because it might teach him an important life lesson.

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20091130/pedestrian_struck_091130/20091130/?hub=TorontoNewHome

Deer spotted strolling through downtown Toronto

A female deer took a trip to Toronto on Tuesday, strolling through the downtown core among hundreds of bewildered passersby. The doe was first seen at Union Station Tuesday morning. Witnesses also reported seeing the animal at Queen and Bay Streets before she sauntered over to Dundas Street and University Avenue, just blocks away from Toronto police's 52 Division. The deer was then spotted resting near Edward Street and Dundas. Police have set up a wide perimeter around the animal, keeping curious onlookers and traffic far away. Animal control has been called to try to defuse the situation. Police are telling people to avoid startling the animal.

This is the opposite type of story than the previous one about the accidental death of a baby. This story is mostly fun although it was possible that if the deer got scared she would go crazy and cause some damage to herself or others. Mostly though, because of the usual gentleness and beauty of this great animal I'm sure most people felt happy and cheered up to see a wild animal in the middle of the most populated and advanced city in Canada. Will wonders never end?

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20091124/deer_Toronto_091124/20091124/?hub=TorontoNewHome

Baby dies after falling over T.O. airport balcony

Police say they believe it was a tragic accident that killed a 15-month old boy Sunday night after he fell from a second-story balcony at Pearson International Airport. Investigators say they don't suspect foul play was involved. Witnesses at the scene told CTV Toronto on Monday that a mom was holding the child with her left arm while carrying a suitcase with her right arm. The young boy began to squirm and the mom put down the suitcase to get a better grip on her child. But by that time it was too late! The boy plunged two stories, from the airport's departures level, to the arrivals level. One man said, "he saw the child's father running down the escalator immediately after his son fell, at around 7:20 p.m." "It looked like it was the longest run of his life," the witness said. "He kind of fell to the floor as soon as he got right by me." Another witnesses told CTV Toronto that several people rushed to the boy's aid in an effort to save his life. The child was rushed to Etobicoke General Hospital but was soon pronounced dead. Police say the airport balcony rail is waist-high and meets all safety code requirements. The child, who has not been identified by Peel Regional Police, was at the airport with his parents, his four-year-old sibling and his grandmother. The family, who sources say live in Burlington, Ont., was preparing to go on a vacation to Argentina.

There is one of the most tragic articles I have had to review. There is something so sad and terrible about this type of accident. The baby is so helpless and so dependent on the mother and the mother is trying to do so many things at the same time because the baby can't do anything for himself. It was no one's fault but you have to believe that both parents will spend the rest of their life both mourning the loss of their baby and feeling guilty and responsible. This is a terrible story.

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20091123/fatal_pearson_091123/20091123/?hub=TorontoNewHome

Fatal Brampton crash causes traffic delays

A Brampton roadway will remain closed throughout the Tuesday morning traffic rush as police probe a fatal crash that happened overnight. The crash happened just after 5 a.m. at the tri-section of Highway 7 and Highway 50 between a tractor trailer and a vehicle. The male driver of the car suffered serious injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the truck was not injured. Police say the intersection will remain closed until at least 10 a.m. as investigators reconstruct the accident scene. In the meantime, authorities are rerouting traffic through local side streets. Commuters should expect serious delays.

This article is similar to the previous one. They both involve careless driving early in the morning. It seems to me that cars are going too fast in that area. I used to live not to far I observed this with my own eyes. Once again, it is my belief that more cops are needed to patrol the streets to keep people driving with more care.

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20091124/fatal_crash_091124/20091124/?hub=TorontoNewHome

Girl rushed to Sick Kids after being struck by car

A 13-year-old girl was rushed to the Hospital for Sick Children after she was struck by a vehicle in Toronto's Leaside neighborhood. She is the second child in less than 24 hours to have been hit by a car in the city. The girl suffered serious leg injuries after she was trapped underneath the car just before 9 a.m. this morning. Meanwhile, an 11-year-old boy continues to fight for his life at the same hospital. The child ran into the path of a minivan on Lawrence Avenue over the noon hour on Thursday. Police say he and a friend darted across the street in an effort to get to class on time after the lunch break. The boy was pinned under the van and dragged about 100 feet, police said. He suffered serious head and back injuries.

I have done another article on a accident in Toronto that happened on November 24. People should pay more attention to the road instead of looking around and see what is happening with the world. If you want to know what is happening in the world then you could easily turn on the radio or watch some news at 6 a.m. or 6 p.m. I may be going against the driver but if he could of tried to stop but I guess he was driving too fast so he couldn't stop. As I said in the other article, maybe we should have more police on the road.

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20091120/pedestrian_hit_091120/20091120/?hub=TorontoNewHome

Meth lab uncovered in ritzy Toronto neighbourhood

A suspicious chemical odor led authorities to a suspected meth lab inside a home in one of the city's most sought-after neighborhoods. Toronto police have closed off a block of Woburn Avenue near Avenue Road, located in Toronto's quiet Bedford Park community, while they investigate the duplex. An investigator with the drug squad confirmed to reporters at the scene that officers had found evidence to suggest the home was outfitted to produce crystal meth and to store equipment used to produce the drugs. The drug lab was discovered by firefighters after they received a call from a neighbor who smelled acetone in the air at around 2 a.m. No one was inside the home at the time of the discovery. Authorities say they will remain at the scene for the rest of the day to make sure the chemicals are taken out of the home safely. Residents living on Woburn Avenue have not been evacuated but every safety precaution is being taken, said police.

My opinion about this event is that it only goes to show that there is no place in Toronto that is free of crime. As mentioned in the article, Bedford Park is considered a very elegant and upscale area. The house prices are through the roof. However, even in this kind of area and right under the very noses of the neighbors there was a serious drug production business being operated. Well, at least they got caught.

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20091118/meth_lab_091118/20091118/?hub=TorontoNewHome

Man shot and killed in Etobicoke home invasion

A man was shot and killed overnight during a home invasion in west-end of Toronto. Toronto police said they are looking for three suspects after a man was shot several times inside a home in Etobicoke. It was a home invasion and it happened on Wincott Drive at around 7:30 pm. He was rushed to Sunnybrook Hospital with no vital signs and was pronounced dead soon after arrival. Another man, who fled the scene by diving out a window, was also injured during the incident, but he was treated at the scene for non life-threatening injuries. A neighbor told CTV he was relaxing at home when a man started banging on his front door, asking him to call 911. "He was very upset and excited," the neighbor said. "He heard shots fired and he was worried about his buddies. He didn't know what was what because he jumped out the window." Police swarmed the area until early this morning with the K-9 unit but no arrests have been made.

This story strikes a little to close to home; so to speak. It occurred about four minutes away from the new house our family just moved into yesterday. So, I've got to admit I'm a little scared. The mood in our house shifted pretty quickly between the excitement of moving in and the news of this terrible event. I'm definitely calmer now because i realize that Toronto is a big city and that even in very safe neighborhoods there is sometimes going to be some trouble. I am determined to not pay too much attention to it and just enjoy our new surroundings.

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20091118/fatal_homeinvasion_091118/20091118/?hub=TorontoNewHome

Police seek several suspects after two teens shot

Two teens spent the night in hospital recovering from gun wounds after a shootout in west-end Toronto. The victims were ages 17 and 18. They were shot in a parking lot located at the side of Starbank Convenience Mart, located on Eglinton West near Dufferin Street, at around 8:30 p.m.
One man was shot several times in the legs while the other was shot in the back. Their injuries are not life-threatening. Authorities told CTV Toronto they are looking for three suspects, all between the ages of 18 and 25. They were wearing fitted ball caps, dark track suits and hooded sweatshirts. They were last seen fleeing on foot, going northbound on Locksley Avenue. Police spent the night at the scene gathering evidence, shell casings and collecting footage from surveillance cameras. Investigators say they believe the victims were targeted.

My opinion of this article is that it reminds us that crime is occurring all over Toronto and is often done by young people. It is interesting to me that much of the violence that I read about is commitd by young people. My opinion is that is a difficult time of life being young and that without support from family and friedns it is easy to take the wrong path in life. I'm very glad that I have such a loving family to help me.

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20091110/shooting_injuries_091110/20091110/?hub=TorontoNewHome

More coyotes killed over fatal attack on T.O. singer

In the province Nova Scotia, park officials stated that the they have killed another 2 coyotes suspected in the mauling death of a young GTA folksinger. The 2 coyotes, which were males, were shot on Wednesday in Cape Breton Highlands National Park. It is believed one of the animals had been involved in the attack on 19-year-old Taylor Mitchell, who had been out alone on the park's Skyline Trail on Oct. 27 and she had died the next day at Halifax hospital. On Thursday her family had held a funeral in Mississauga. RCMP officers who responded to the original 911 call shot and killed a female coyote shortly after the attack. All three coyote carcasses are being sent to the Canadian Centre for Wildlife Health at the University of Prince Edward Island for further analysis. Coyote attacks on human beings are considered very rare. The trailhead, which is close to the Cape Breton town of Cheticamp, does warn hikers about moose and bears. About 25,000 people per year use the Skyline trail, making it the most popular hike in the park.

My opinion on this article is that they should do something about this action. I believe a solution to this problem can be that they shut down the trail for a couple of weeks. This solution would prevent the coyotes to get confused and not see and humans there so they wont find them and kill them. So therefore I believe that people should not be able to walk through the Skyline trail for a couple of weeks.

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20091105/mitchell_coyotes_091105/20091105/?hub=TorontoNewHome

Royals arrive in Toronto Wednesday afternoon

Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, will leave Newfoundland and land in Toronto at 2:40 p.m. at Pearson Airport today. They will meet with Premier Dalton McGuinty, and then Prince Charles will meet with members of the Canadian Business for Social Responsibility. Camilla will visit the Royal Conservatory of Music at the U of T. The next day, they will head to Dundurn Castle in Hamilton, and visit the HMCS Haida, and tour the Niagara College in Niagara-on-the-Lake. On Friday they open the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.

Even though the Queen of England and her son the prince don't actually have any power in Canada, I think that it is good to have them as part of our country. Their presence helps us to remember our history. They remind us how we got to be the country that we are today. Just reviewing their travel schedule, it is also clear that they work very hard in fulfilling their duties.

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20091104/Royals_Toronto_091004/20091104?hub=Toronto

T.O. man shot to death in front of his girlfriend

A 24-year-old man is dead after being shot in a parking lot in the northwest end of Toronto. The victim was with his girlfriend in front of a townhouse on Sentinel Road; which is in the Keele Street and Finch Avenue area. He was shot at around 11:30 p.m. Police say they are looking for as many as four suspects who were seen at the scene. The man was pronounced dead at the scene, despite the efforts of paramedics who tried to revive the man using CPR for nearly 20 minutes. Investigators say they are talking to the man's girlfriend who witnessed the murder. Police say the victim did not live in the townhouse complex. They are looking to collect video from surveillance cameras around the area to see if it captured an image of any of the suspects involved. Authorities will be canvassing the area Wednesday to speak with potential witnesses. The man, whose name has not been released by police, is the third person in less than a week to be killed by gunfire in Toronto. He is the city's 47th homicide victim of the year.

This is another article on gun violence in Toronto and this issue is starting to get really out of hand. I believe that people should not be allowed to buy guns at all. I understand that some people like to go hunting. There should be special areas where they can go hunting under supervised conditions. I also believe there should be more police officers on duty so that they can prevent crimes of violence before they occur.

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20091104/murder_shooting/20091104/?hub=TorontoNewHome>

Police identify Toronto's latest murder victim

A 26-year-old man is Toronto's latest murder victim. Richard Durant was shot Friday night at around 11:40 p.m. at Tom's Bar and Café on Davenport Road near Ossington Avenue. Durant died in hospital from his injuries. A second person at the scene, a 26-year-old man, was also sent to hospital with gun shot wounds. He is expected to recover from his injuries. Police have informed the public that they will update them about news of their investigation into the crime.

Where people are drinking and partying there is a potential for trouble. I'm not saying that people can't go out and have a good time but the truth is that when it gets dark, there is going to be more danger. Maybe the police should have way more policeman out at night to protect innocent people who happen to be in that area.

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20091102/fatal_shooting_091102/20091102/?hub=TorontoNewHome

Police seek suspect in Bluffer's Park sex assault

The Toronto police were back at Bluffer's Park on Monday where they investigated a 24 year old woman. She claims that she was sexually assaulted on the weekend. She says that she was attacked on Sunday afternoon when she was walking in the park which is located in the Brimley and Kingston area. Initial reports say a gun was used to threaten the victim but police did not confirm whether a weapon was used. The woman was able to provide a physical description of the male suspect. The male suspect is described to be of East Indian. His physical description is of a man with black hair, with a bald spot, and grey patches. He is about 5'5" and wore glasses, a black short-sleeve shirt, and black pants.
The woman was treated at Scarborough Grace Hospital for her injuries.

It is a scary thought that a woman can't walk along the street without getting assaulted. I really resent the fact that there is this kind of violence. If the police are able to prove that this man did what he is accused of doing, I hope that he gets a serious sentence so that maybe it scares other people from doing the same thing.

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20091102/sex_assault_091102/20091102/?hub=TorontoNewHome

Four suffer burns after home explosion

During the night, in northwest Toronto, three people were burned after an explosion. In addition, a man is suffering from life threatening burns. There were six people in the house at the time of the explosion, and they managed to get out of the house. However, a 24 year old man suffered third degree burns on 90 per cent of his body. The victims were in a bungalow in the Lawrence Avenue West and Keele Street area when the explosion happened around 10 p.m., Wednesday evening. A 17 year old boy was taken to hospital in the special burns unit. Two other men had minor burns on their arms, hands, faces and necks, and a woman and a child got out of the house uninjured. A firefighter said that there was not a single wall standing in the house when the doused the flames. The firefighters think that this problem came from a natural gas line, but they said it is too early to tell.

This article describes what I imagine is a very scary event. I have never been in a fire but I love my family and my friends and I know how I would feel if we were all woken up in the middle of the night to the smell of burning and the sight of flames. I would be terrified not just for me but for everyone. Then, you are out on the street, and you watch your house go up in flames and everything you have gathered over the years is lost.

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20091029/explosion_burns_091029/20091029/?hub=TorontoNewHome

T.O. boys dies of H1N1 flu

On Monday, health officials stated that a 13 year old boy died of H1N1 flu virus. The boy’s name was Evan. He complained that his neck was hurting on Saturday night with his hockey team; his team name was Mississauga North Stars. By Monday, Evan complained that his knees were hurting him and he told his dad to run a bath. His dad did. When the father came back 10 minutes later, his son was laying on the floor dead. His dad tried to do CPR and he also called 911. They tried CPR but the H1N1 flu had already attacked his heart. His mom, a nurse, and his brother were at a hockey tournament at the time.

This is an important article but it is also scary. It comes at a time when people are trying to make up their minds if they should take the flu shot that is supposed to prevent the virus from harming people. The story of this hockey player is only one story, but it at least shows people that this virus can be deadly. I believe that more people will take the flu shot because of this story.

Swine flu fears mean fewer handshakes, hugs: poll

This article is about the H1N1 flu and what people should do to prevent it. Over 52 percent of people surveyed said that they wouldn’t shake hands with people because of the possibility of getting the disease. The archdioceses' from Halifax to Vancouver said that during the Sign of Peace celebrations congregants can’t shake hands and instead they had to bow their heads. In addition, holy water fonts are being sanitized and left empty. Also a minor soccer league is saying that the players should show a sign of sportsmanship by forming a line and clapping. The province of Manitoba was hit the worst of the H1N1 during spring. The article also reported that many people around the world are going to go into survival mode.

I thought this was a good article because I am very interested in the swine flu and how it is affecting people. As I go to church I was especially interested in how churches are dealing with this virus while still observing and respecting religious ceremony. As a sports fan, I was interested in the information about the precautions that teams such a s soccer league teams are taking to address the challenges of this virus. In times of fear, we need articles like this to give us important information about how to deal with problems without panicking.

http://www.healthzone.ca/health/newsfeatures/swineflu/article/712445--swine-flu-fears-mean-fewer-handshakes-hugs-poll

Toronto plans for mass swine flu vaccination

This article is about the H1N1 flu vaccination that is coming to Toronto. The health committee says that in Christmas we will receive this vaccination and it will be a six week period to hopefully vaccinate everyone. The Toronto Health board is going to make the doctor's offices open 7 days a week so they can use up all the doses fast as they can. They are going to be 19.5 million doses aloud in Toronto and there are 36 health units in Toronto. In the week of November 7 their will be a special vaccine for pregnant women. They Health board already has 1 million doses ready but they are not bring them out till "early November." They are seeing the most H1N1 cases in Toronto. Adults are going to need 1 dose of this vaccine and kids under 10 will need 2 doses. One average about 40 per cent of Torontonians get the seasonal flu.

I thought this was an important article because this the HINI virus is scaring a lot of people and this makes me feel like the government is on top of the problem. The plan makes sense to me although I worry that people are going to panic and flood the medical centers. Overall however, I feel less scared about the problem than i did before I read this article.

http://www.healthzone.ca/health/newsfeatures/swineflu/article/711248--toronto-plans-for-mass-swine-flu-vaccination

Aging population a threat to Canadian blood supply: study

This article is about people who do or do not donate blood. A news reporter said that Canada’s population is aging and we might not have enough blood to donate to sick adults and children. Less than 4 per cent of Canadians donate blood. The common ages that donate blood are ages 15-24 and the least likely ages to donate blood are ages 25-54. Most likely people who are wealthy and immigrants do not donate but people who live in small cities or towns tend to donate blood. There are about 12.5 million people who can donate blood but decide not to.

This was a very interesting article. I learned a lot about the blood supply situation in Canada that I didn't know about before reading the article. For example, I had no idea that young people are the most likely to give blood and that English speaking people and people who live in towns are also more likely to donate their blood. I think that more people should read this article because they would be more likely to want to help do something to fix this very important problem.

http://www.thestar.com/article/709591

Ontario Health Minister David Caplan quits

The article is mostly about the decision by the health minister, David Caplan to resign because of a report that is very critical of the spending practices in his ministry. The article reports that although the opposition leaders were happy that Caplan had resigned they worried that his resignation would take attention away from problems in the department. They accuse the government of "flushing money down the toilet". The article is also about the government's reaction. Their reaction as presented by the former health minister, Smitherman, is that it was the government's decision to stop untendered contracts that actually helped to find the problem and that all other governments had this problem even before them.

My opinion in reaction to this article is that the current government, the Liberals, have a lot of nerve trying to take credit for solving this problem. This is their second term in office. They don't have the right to look at other governments before them and blame it on them. Also things are worse than they say: The report is 50 pages long and that means there were a lot more problems in the Ministry other than just how contracts were given out. I think the government should do what any student would do when we get in trouble: take responsibility and apologize!

No rebound yet for Canadian car sales

This article is about car sales in Canada. It reports that although car sales continue to drop in numbers over previous years there was some good news. The rate of the overall drop in car sales had slowed down. Four companies actually reported increases in sales: Ford, BMW. Mercedes, and Hyundai. It was BMW that showed the greatest rise in sales. However, normally strong selling car companies such as Honda and Toyota took a dive as did the company with a terrible sales record: GM. The observer who was quoted in the article said that his research indicated that Canadian car buyers were starting to get the confidence back and he believed that they would soon be more wiling to buy cars. Let us hope he is right.

I think the article did an effective job capturing the present car sales situation in Canada. At the end of the article I understood the difference between car sales being worse than last year but that the difference between last years sales and this years sales had slowed down. This means that the situation is improving but we are still not in great shape. I would have like the writer of the article to explore more of the reasons why some of the companies were doing better than others.

http://www.thestar.com/business/article/704176

Ontario files $50-billion suit against tobacco manufacturers

The suit is for 50 billion dollars in damages for the health care that it cost the province to provide to people with illness caused by their smoking. The article laid out the tobacco company’s defense which is that selling cigarettes is legal in Ontario and the government collects 7 billion dollars in taxes each year form the companies. In fact 70% of the price of each package is made up of government taxes. The article reported that there are actually only 2 provinces in Canada that have either not sued or are not planning to sue the tobacco companies of their province.

I completely disagree with the government's lawsuit. It completely lets the smoker off the hock. The government is basically saying that it is not the person who buys and lights up a cigarette that should be held responsible. This idea seems wrong to me. Are we responsible for our own behavior or we not? I think the government can't have it both ways. if they are saying that smoking causes cancer than they should outlaw smoking and therefore they will have to give up collecting the taxes for it. That would be the fair thing to do.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ontario-files-50-billion-suit-against-tobacco-manufacturers/article1305611/

Riot police await Queen's debauchery

This article is about the homecoming at Queen's University in Kingston. It is a big event every year in which students get together and throw parties. Last year, things got out of control and the University cancelled it for two years. This decision followed a warning from medical doctors that the kind of drinking and wild behavior would eventually lead to "loss of life", However, the article reports that many students have continued the effort to have a big party this weekend. Last night two dozen arrests were made and many people were wild on the streets. The police are bracing themselves for a major party tonight and have even called in help from Toronto police force.

My opinion is that the university didn't handle the situation well. They totally sided with the local community at the expense of the students. There could have been some kind of compromise. Why university leaders couldn’t have brought together student leaders and local community people and discussed ways to still have a party without the out of control behavior. There could have been students appointed a s student marshals to patrol the streets and help out the police. Passes could have been issued so that non university students would have been prohibited from the event. I understand the police has to have law and order but Kingston is a university town and there should have been more effort made to take that fact into account.

http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/article/701606

Massive pension shortfall hits Ford

This article is about Ford's efforts to deal with a shortfall in pension payments to its workers. It is trying to extend the time it has to pay into the fund from 5 years to 10 years. The problem is that it must get 2/3 of its workers to agree. Right now Ford is in negotiations with its workers. Ford wants each employee to agree to contribute $1 an hour to their pension fund and this would mean a yearly contribution of $1,600. In return, its employees are asking for Ford to commit to keeping 13% of its car production in Canada. Ford has not agreed because it is concerned that it doesn't have a new car model to replace some of the gas guzzlers that are currently being produced in some of its plants in Canada. Ford is asking for the same arrangement that its competitors, Chrysler and GM got but both of these companies have been more willing to commit themselves to their Canadian employees.

I think that Ford is trying to have their cake and eat it to. They chose not to accept a government bailout like GM and Chrysler. In accepting the bailout from the Canadian taxpayers, Chrysler and GM agreed to commit themselves to the Canadian workers. Ford didn't take the money but they want the same deal as these two companies without having to show any commitment to the Canadian workers. Thai is not fair. They are concerned that they won't have a new efficient car to replace gas guzzlers then they should attack the problem now instead of just complaining about it.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/massive-pension-shortfall-hits-ford/article1297606/

Skype Founders File Copyright Suit Against eBay

This article is about the case currently in the courts about the potential sale of the company Skype from eBay to a group of investors. It is a tricky but interesting case especially considering that many of us use Skype very often. The facts of the case are: eBay bought Skype from its two original owners. Then they decided to sell Skype for 1.9 billion to a group of investors including the Canadian Pension Fund. The Skype original owners decided to sue eBay for, they claimed, selling coding that these owners said eBay did not own. The case is so complicated that even a company as large as Google got scared away from the deal. The case is being heard in California as we speak.

In my opinion I think that the Skype owners sound crazy. Even the court seemed to say this but in different language. The British court threw the case out saying that their reasons were "inexplicable". It just doesn't make sense that eBay would agree to buy a computer company without making sure that they were actually buying the code for that company. Why would a company as smart as eBay agree to this kind of deal? They wouldn't! It seems to me that the former Skype owners have been carried away by their success and think they can have whatever they want even if it doesn't make any sense.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/17/technology/companies/17skype.html?_r=2&th&emc=th

Man pleads guilty in crash that killed two, injured eight

This article is about a case of speeding that caused the death of two people. In May 2008, Rehan Riaz a 22 year old young man was racing at double the speed limit on Eglinton Rd near the Don Valley. He lost control of his car, a white Honda, and it jumped the median and ended up on the wrong side of the road. He smashed into six other cars. Two people were killed in the accident because they weren't wearing seat belts and were thrown from the car and received fatal head injuries. Originally, he was charged with 12 counts but eventually he plead guilty to 4. He will be sentenced on January 22nd.

My opinion about this case is that the court should have been tougher on Mr. Riaz. I understand that he is a young man and he didn't mean to kill anyone. However, he is 22 not 16. He was driving at twice the speed limit at 8:30 at night in an area with lots of people and children around. He has a responsibility to the people in his car, to the cars all around him, and to the people on the streets. The fact is that if we don't make tougher rules, other young people will make the same mistake of thinking they can take the risk of speeding and putting people at risk. I think the court has to make sentences for this crime so severe that people will think twice before they make the same mistake.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/695989

Retailers to be banned from playing lottery at own stores

This article is based on how retailers were playing lottery tickets in their own stores. Through an investigation it was discovered that there had been fraudulence valued at over 198 million dollars, over the last 13 years. Starting this November a retailer of lottery tickets may participate by buying a ticket at another location and receiving their winnings at another location as well.

In my opinion I agree with the new ruling that if a retailer of lottery tickets must purchase and receive their winnings at another location to make it fair for everyone who plays.

Link: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/695067