News

SOURCE: WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
BYLINE: MIA RABSON

Midday Friday, the NDP scheduled a press conference for leader Jack Layton to discuss his "immediate future." Tweets flew fast and furiously about the possibilities. Jokes were rampant.

But then the real news hit and the humour stopped.

Layton had prostate cancer.

Layton was his usual affable self as he confidently said he would be staying on as NDP leader and not letting the cancer dictate his life.

"I'm a fighter," he said.

Below is a list of Pat's bills brought forth to the house of commons in this session of parlaiment.

C-248 - An Act respecting Louis Riel

C-249 - An Act to ensure that appropriate health care services are provided to First Nations children in a timely manner

C-250 - An Act to prohibit the export of water by interbasin transfers

BYLINE: Mia Rabson
SOURCE: Winnipeg Free Press `

OTTAWA -- A federal government directive preventing the Canadian Wheat Board from pushing a pro-monopoly stance will stand after a Supreme Court of Canada denied the board leave to appeal Thursday. It ended a battle of more than three years between Ottawa and the Winnipeg-based grain marketing agency over a federally imposed order that all wheat board communications should reflect the government policy.

BYLINE: Mia Rabson
SOURCE: Winnipeg Free Press

Canada's opposition parties aren't letting prorogation go down without a fight. NDP Leader Jack Layton Wednesday pledged to introduce legislation when Parliament finally does resume in March, that would limit the powers of a prime minister to prorogue the House.

BYLINE: Mia Rabson
SOURCE: Hill Talk

OTTAWA -- Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger has already put the kibosh on a salary hike for cabinet ministers this year and is mulling doing the same for all MLAs. It's all part of the government's attempt at belt-tightening, and while the wage hike is a paltry amount compared to the projected $592-million provincial deficit, it's a symbolic move.

BYLINE: Susan Delacourt
SOURCE: Toronto Star

A week of controversy over Prime Minister Stephen Harper's shutdown of Parliament has sent all federal politicians scrambling to respond to what appears to be a back-to-work order by Canadians.

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff announced Friday that his party will be holding public hearings on employment, the environment and other big issues starting on Jan. 25 - the week Parliament was supposed to return until Harper pushed the date to March 3 when the Olympics are finished.

BYLINE: Jennifer Wells
SOURCE: Toronto Star

Unaffected by fire, unchanged by weather, untouched by time's dark captains - rust, rot and decay - asbestos possesses rare qualities for which it stands alone.

Johns-Manville promotional film

For a freshly graduated mining engineer, circa 1969, the Jeffrey asbestos mine in Asbestos, Que., offered Bernard Coulombe one of those exceptional - and irresistible - career opportunities.

BYLINE: Bartley Kives
SOURCE: Winnipeg Free Press

Back in 1963, Andy Williams recorded a little ditty about the winter holidays called It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. Almost half a century later, the easy-listening crooner has yet to pay for his cultural crimes, as the song he popularized became the foundation for the most oppressive sonic pastiche to ever assault the ears of humanity: The dreaded phalanx of Christmas tunes that batters every denizen of the western world at this consumer-mad time of the year.

BYLINE: Bartley Kives
SOURCE: Winnipeg Free Press

When you type "say no to gangs" into the search engine on the province of Manitoba's website, you get a curious suggestion. "Did you mean, 'say no to giants?' " it asks.

Why, of course. I'm always being pushed around by giants.

Rarely a day goes by when I don't get bullied by some obnoxious, oversized oaf who wants to snatch my lunch money into his oversized paws.

BYLINE: RHEAL SEGUIN
SOURCE: Globe and Mail

A report shows that for the people of Thetford Mines, Que., living near an asbestos mine can be hazardous to health, but the jury is still out as to how much of a cancer risk the deadly mineral may be to residents. Perhaps even more confusing is that both supporters and opponents of asbestos mining are using the study to further their respective causes.