News

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: Gerald Flood
SOURCE: Winnipeg Free Press

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.

BYLINE: Bartley Kives
SOURCE: Winnipeg Free Press

Manitoba New Democrats plan to nominate candidates in Winnipeg's next civic election, formalizing a process that's been informal in the past. Senior NDP officials say the party may hold nomination meetings in Winnipeg wards where more than one party member wants to run for office in the 2010 general election.

PUBLICATION: The Winnipeg Sun
SECTION: News
BYLINE: TOM BRODBECK

Gordon Bell High School students, parents and local community activists showed us this week it's never impossible for the little guy to move heaven and earth to make a major improvement to their community.

PUBLICATION: WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
BYLINE: NICK MARTIN

Gordon Bell High School's field of dreams has finally come true.

Education Minister Nancy Allan will be in Gordon Bell's senior gym today at 10 a.m. to announce that the province is spending $5.3 million to acquire a former car dealership on Portage Avenue from Canada Post and convert it into an athletic field and green space.

"We want to do some creative landscaping. We want to do some community involvement" in planning the design of the site, she said.

PUBLICATION: The Winnipeg Sun
SECTION: News
BYLINE: ELIZABETH THOMPSON

A federal public works employee is in the doghouse after successfully filing claims to the civil service's health insurance plan for a pet, Sun Media has learned.