Wednesday November 19, 2008
ACROSS CANADA 
Auto execs plea for lifeline to stave off total collapse
The Detroit Three auto makers are warning of a ''catastrophic collapse'' of the entire U.S. economy if Washington fails to throw the industry an emergency $25-billion lifeline.The spectre of economic Armageddon was raised as the heads of ailing General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC descended on Washington yesterday in a high-stakes plea for cash from the U.S. government, which is already spending $700-billion to rescue banks and insurers.
The next generation sails into local politics
Tara Ney played host to an election-night gathering of close friends at her home, a safe venue lest the evening succumb to disappointment.Only after the announcement of civic election results for Oak Bay did the party move to the Penny Farthing Pub.
Bay Street hears growling at the gate
In a decision one litigator says has created ''real fear out there,'' an Ontario court ruled corporate officers, directors and advisers facing a shareholder class action are required to hand over potentially damning non-public information to plaintiffs' lawyers before the lawsuit has even been certified.
A culinary crime scene
You have to admire a bar that's cheeky enough to serve a fruity martini called the Cavity Search.Too bad the ''toxicology report'' (cocktail menu) is the only thing remotely daring about this deathly boring resurrection of the old Crime Lab restaurant.
Environmentalists promote 'green stimulus'
Saving the economy and saving the planet at the same time were once considered two mutually incompatible goals. But not any longer.A chorus of proposals from liberal-leaning think tanks and conservation organizations is suggesting that the best way to revive the faltering economy would be to finance solutions to pressing environmental problems.
Conversation cops step in to school students
Your friend's new fuchsia fedora might be hideous. But don't call it gay, or you might get a language lesson from the conversation cops. Students at Queen's University who sprinkle their dialogue with an assortment of ''homo'' or ''retarded'' could find out the hard way that not everyone finds their remarks acceptable.
TransCanada takes a long-term view on energy
TransCanada Corp. did the seemingly impossible this week, handily raising $1-billion on a depressed stock market to help finance a pipeline from Alberta to the Gulf of Mexico. Here's a closer look at the company, and what it plans to do with the money.
Surmounting 'remarkable' odds, survivor isn't afraid to fly again
The crash killed seven men and left a debris field spread widely over a Sunshine Coast island - and one man walked away, leaving even doctors astounded.They said Tom Wilson, who fled the burning wreckage of the Grumman Goose just before it exploded and who hiked for two hours to a beach where he was rescued, should recover within two to three weeks from light burns to his face, hands and right thigh. He will not require surgery.
'I watched my girlfriend cut her brother's throat,' accused says on tape
Laughing at times, Jeremy Steinke casually recounted to an undercover police officer posing as a fellow prisoner how he and his 12-year-old girlfriend butchered her parents and little brother in their Medicine Hat home, an Alberta court heard yesterday.
Victims' autopsies set for today
The remains of all seven victims from Sunday's plane crash have been removed from the hillside of an island off British Columbia's Sunshine Coast.The remains were flown to Vancouver yesterday afternoon via helicopter, but it could be a while before they are released to their families, Jeff Dolan, a spokesman for the B.C. Coroner's Service, told reporters who gathered in Halfmoon Bay directly across from crash site. Autopsies were to begin today, ''obviously with a focus on identifying each of the individuals, which will, or could very well, require the use of dental examination and analysis as well as DNA comparison,'' Mr. Dolan said.
Economic woes cast doubt on Games' sponsors
Are economic vultures beginning to hover over the 2010 Winter Olympics? Or is it business as usual despite concerns that many parts of the world, including North America, are slipping into recession?
Queen's cancels fall homecoming till at least 2011
Queen's University has pulled the plug on its fall homecoming, hoping to put some distance between the Kingston, Ont., campus and the rowdy street party that has grown up around the event, even at the risk of straining relations with its loyal alumni.
Majority within Charest's grasp, poll shows
Almost midway into the Quebec election campaign, Jean Charest's Liberals have mustered enough support among a largely uninterested electorate to inch their way into majority government territory, but still need to solidify francophone voter support.
Milliken survives challenge for Speaker's job
Repeated complaints about incivility in the House of Commons did not prevent the return of Peter Milliken to the Speaker's chair that he has occupied for the past seven years.
Alberta trims $6.5-billion from surplus
Teflon-coated Alberta, long protected from the global economic downturn by its oil and gas wealth, is now feeling the full force of the world's financial panic. Alberta will have a budget surplus of only $2-billion for the financial year 2008-2009, Finance Minister Iris Evans said yesterday. While that's still substantial - especially as other less fortunate economies tumble into recession - it's $6.5-billion less than the province had forecast only three months earlier.
$10-million reasons to fight
Hockey Canada has a $10-million interest in fighting to keep its famous logo on the front of the Olympic jersey to be worn by men's, women's and Paralympic teams in 2010.
Court date set for female jumpers
A court date has been set for a group of female ski jumpers to argue they should be allowed to compete at the Winter Olympics in 2010, and at least one civil rights expert says there is a chance a judge could be convinced that not including them in the Games would violate the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
New Harper lawyer once represented Mulroney
When it comes to defending a Tory Prime Minister fuming over audiotapes, lawyer David Wingfield can now add a second entry to his resume.He was first called upon when a bombshell audio of a cursing Brian Mulroney surfaced in connection with a 2005 book called The Secret Mulroney Tapes.
Confession made officer lose objectivity, lawyer says
An Ottawa homicide investigator went from being coolly objective to hell-bent for a conviction upon hearing that Romeo Phillion had confessed to the 1967 murder of firefighter Leopold Roy, a lawyer for Mr. Phillion told the Ontario Court of Appeal yesterday.
Man who killed family calls for inquest in bid to improve care for mentally ill
A Toronto man who slaughtered his family while in a deluded state has asked the Ontario Office of the Chief Coroner to call an inquest into the deaths he caused on Feb. 9, 2006.
Quebec town pours cold water on wood stoves
Nothing says winter comfort like stepping indoors and feeling the full-body hug of a blazing wood stove. But one Montreal-area town is pouring cold water on that wintry reprieve, banning the installation of new wood stoves and outlawing their use entirely within seven years.
Cauchon to announce he will not seek Liberal leadership
Former justice minister Martin Cauchon will announce today that he will not enter the Liberal leadership race, which is now set as a battle of three.In a statement obtained by The Globe and Mail, Mr. Cauchon says he wanted to run but it was simply too difficult to raise the money and build a machine.
Manitoba mourns death of world's oldest polar bear
She came to Canada as a Russian orphan in the midst of the Cold War and quickly became a beloved icon for generations of Manitobans.After earning worldwide recognition as the oldest of her kind, Debby the polar bear died peacefully on Monday at the ripe old age of 41. Her keepers and admirers laid flowers by her empty enclosure at Winnipeg's Assiniboine Park Zoo yesterday as they tearfully remembered the majestic, gentle bear.
Pension plan volatility not an 'aberration'
The volatility in pension plan funding in recent years should not be dismissed as an ''aberration'' but is a sign that Canada needs to rethink fundamental elements of its pension system, a Toronto seminar heard yesterday.
Appointment puts new life in Memorial's presidential search
The Newfoundland government has picked Robert Simmonds, a prominent Saint John's defence lawyer, as the new chairman of the board of Memorial University, a post that will make him a key figure in the school's controversial search for a new leader.
Keeping a foot in the car door
The governments of Canada and Ontario need to stay in lockstep with the negotiations in the United States on the parlous condition of the North American automobile industry, lest Canada be left out and lose much of its auto sector.
Adult, but not adult?
As a father, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty has explained, he was moved by the pleas of Tim Mulcahy, whose 20-year-old son was killed along with two friends in a car crash last summer. What parent wouldn't be? But then, most parents do not run provincial governments. If they were, one hopes they would do a better job of distinguishing reason from emotion than Mr. McGuinty has now done in proposing new rules for young drivers.
B.C. warns all-day kindergarten won't start soon
Education Minister Shirley Bond is hinting the B.C. government's plan to offer all-day kindergarten is turning out to be a bigger exercise than originally planned and parents hoping for the classes next year may be disappointed.
Couple expecting twins denied separate leaves
When his first child is born in May, Christian Martin intends to take a full paid parental leave. Mr. Martin's wife, Paula Critchley, intends to take a full paid parental leave when their second child is born - minutes later.
Ski jumpers will argue VANOC is violating Charter
A court date has been set for a group of female ski jumpers to argue they should be allowed to compete at the 2010 Winter Olympics, and at least one civil-rights expert says there is a chance a judge could be persuaded that not including them in the Games would violate the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Syncrude reaches royalty deal
Syncrude Canada Ltd., which operates Canada's single largest oil sands project, has reached a new royalty deal with the provincial government that brings it more in line with a new system that takes effect in January.
RCMP shoot bear rummaging for food near Sunshine Coast mall
There's a saying in British Columbia that a fed bear is a dead bear, and that truism played out dramatically outside a mall on the Sunshine Coast this week, when RCMP shot a black bear that was considered a threat.
WEEKENDS
A delicious getawayCambridge, Ont.Even if you have no time to cook this fall, that doesn't mean you have to spend the weekend eating KD out of a pot. Book Langdon Hall's Gourmet Getaway, and bring an appetite for the work of chef Jonathan Gushue and the gracious service of the inn's Five Diamond restaurant. The two-night package includes a three-course dinner one night and a five-course tasting menu the next. Still hungry by morning? A country breakfast awaits.
Yukon soccer players suspended for hazings
Three players on a Yukon under-14 soccer team have been suspended after their involvement in hazing incidents against fellow teammates at two tournaments outside the territory.Brian Gillen, president of the Yukon Soccer Association, said yesterday that in addition to the suspensions, the players will have travel restrictions placed on them at future tournaments.
Halifax's second shooting in two days wounds man
A young man was shot and wounded last night outside the biggest hospital in the region, the second time in two days bullets have flown in the city.Police are investigating links between the shootings, amid fears they could signal the resumption of a turf war over a suburban part of the city known as Spryfield.
Not everyone's cross to bare
As a Quebecoise, Lysiane Gagnon sees nothing wrong with the fact the Quebec flag contains a cross (The ADQ Bubble Bursts - Nov. 17).Presumably, she would not see anything wrong with the fact that the French version of ENTITY ERROR: Ô is not recognized Canada contains the line: Il sait porter la croix.
Expenses raise furor in Sask.
The Saskatchewan government is facing questions about why it paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in moving allowances to political staff.Information obtained by the NDP indicates the Saskatchewan Party government has doled out more than $220,000 in moving allowances to 15 people since taking office last year. In one case, more than $35,000 was paid to move a media-relations officer from Brandon to Regina.
34 charged with smuggling tons of marijuana into U.S.
RCMP say they helped U.S. authorities in a large-scale drug-smuggling bust in upstate New York.The Americans are charging 34 people accused of smuggling tons of marijuana from Canada to the United States through the St. Regis Mohawk Reserve, which straddles the Canada-U.S. border in Eastern Ontario.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
''I feel scared, incredibly scared. I don't know what to expect, but I fear the worst.'' Sultan Kohail, hours before a Saudi court was to begin deliberating a case that could lead to both his and his brother's public beheadings. Page A18
Swift Current to hold women's world event
Swift Current was announced yesterday as the host city for the 2010 women's world championship by the Canadian Curling Association and the World Curling Federation. The championship is scheduled from March 20 to 28, 2010.
CORRECTION
Paul Hyde is the co-owner of the Banting House Inn in Toronto. His first name appeared incorrectly in a story on Monday.
TORONTO
Ontario to offer high-tech driver's licences as passport alternative
Ontario is the latest province that will offer enhanced driver's licences as an alternative to a passport for residents who travel to the United States, despite warnings that the new system will be wide open for privacy abuses.
A father's quest leads to young drivers' bill
Psychology has identified five stages of grief: Denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. But Tim Mulcahy knows a sixth: Action.The father of four became a father of three one July morning last summer, after the Audi S3 driven by his 20-year-old son, Tyler, plunged into Lake Joseph.
City plans to clear snow off major cycling routes
With up to four centimetres of snow expected to hit Toronto tomorrow morning, city officials - mindful of last season's near-record snowfall - were quick to say yesterday that they are ready for winter and are even pledging to keep a pair of key cycling routes clear this year.
Apartments, condos to get green bins
Apartment and condo residents - until recently the forgotten half of Toronto's waste-diversion efforts - are about to join homeowners in being able to recycle their kitchen scraps.Today, at an official launch, Mayor David Miller kicks off an 18-month roll-out of organic ''green bin'' collection to 500,000 apartment and condo units, starting in Scarborough in coming weeks. The project is believed to be the largest in North America.
18-year-old charged with kidnapping, assaulting boy
An 18-year-old man is charged with kidnapping a 9-year-old boy, holding him captive and repeatedly sexually assaulting him for six hours.Lucas Petrini of Everett, Ont., allegedly abducted the boy Monday morning while he was on his way to school, forcing him into a nearby home. He faces multiple charges including kidnapping, uttering a death threat, assault, sexual assault and possession of a weapon.
Police looking for man in attempted abduction
Police are searching for a person who attempted to abduct an 11-year-old girl outside her Toronto school yesterday.Police told CTV that the girl was returning to Balmy Beach Community School in the Beaches when a man in a black ski mask, driving an old, dented mini-van grabbed her and attempted to pull her into the vehicle.
BRITISH COLUMBIA
RCMP issue warning about violent robber
RCMP say robbery victims should hand over their cash rather than risk death at the hands of an extremely violent crook who has struck six times in two days.Sergeant Roger Morrow says a man in his 20s has been linked to five robberies on Sunday and another one Monday evening - with shots fired in three of those six incidents.
Hansen cheers opening of spinal-cord injury centre
Man in Motion wheelchair athlete Rick Hansen saw a dream come true yesterday with the opening of a world-class spinal cord injury research centre in Vancouver.The Blusson Spinal Cord Centre at Vancouver General Hospital will have more than 300 researchers looking for new ways to treat spinal injuries and providing outpatient care.
Four teens arrested in robbery, assault
Police have arrested four teens - including three 13-year-olds - in a robbery and assault in which the victim was also 13.A boy was robbed of his cellphone and handcuffed by four other teens at a gas station two weekends ago.
New mill will process beetle-killed timber
A new log chipping mill opened yesterday that will use pine-beetle-killed timber.The $5-million Rivercity Fibre operation will process the chips for the Domtar pulp mill next door.
COLUMNISTS
Listening to the sounds of health-care silence
Where did health care go? Pollsters keep reporting that health care is the No. 1 issue for Canadians. We spend way more on it than on anything else. Yet, no one - well, almost no one - talks about it any more, at least not politically.
Will embracing a dark history dishearten the sick?
There are many scars on the walls of the old Don Jail, including one created 30 years ago as the result of a pioneering photo-op, when politicians and activists wielding a sledgehammer managed to knock off ''one-foot-square of stone facing on the southeast corner,'' according to a report in this newspaper.
