Veterans and their families are finding ways to mark Remembrance Day despite the pandemic forcing the cancellation of traditional ceremonies.
Veterans and their families are finding ways to mark Remembrance Day despite the pandemic forcing the cancellation of traditional ceremonies.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu travelled to Saudi Arabia and met its crown prince, an Israeli official said on Monday, in what would be the first publicly confirmed visit there by an Israeli leader as the countries close ranks against Iran. Earlier, Israeli media said Netanyahu had secretly flown on Sunday to Neom, on the Red Sea, for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Reports of the meeting between the crown prince and Netanyahu were denied by Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.
GENEVA — A panel of human rights experts working with the United Nations said Monday that former Renault-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn was wrongly detained in Japan and has urged “compensation” for him from the Japanese government.The Japanese government denounced the report as a “totally unacceptable” viewpoint that will change nothing in the country's legal process.In its opinion published Monday, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found that Ghosn’s arrest in Japan in late 2018 and early 2019 was “arbitrary” and called on Japan’s government to “take the necessary steps to remedy the situation of Mr. Ghosn without delay.” A determination of whether detention is arbitrary is based on various criteria, including international norms of justice.While Ghosn is no longer in Japan, having fled in a dramatic operation that drew headlines worldwide, the opinion could weigh on minds in courtrooms in the country and beyond. It could affect, for example, the possible extradition of two Americans, Michael Taylor and his son Peter, whom Japanese prosecutors say helped the executive sneak out of Japan.Ghosn, a 66-year-old with French, Lebanese and Brazilian citizenship, led Japanese automaker Nissan for two decades, rescuing it from near-bankruptcy. He was arrested in November 2018 on charges of breach of trust, in misusing company assets for personal gain, and violating securities laws in not fully disclosing his compensation. He denies wrongdoing.In December, he fled Japan to Lebanon while out on bail awaiting trial, meaning his case will not go on in Japan. Interpol has issued a wanted notice but his extradition from Lebanon is unlikely.The five-member working group, which is made up of independent experts, called on Japan to ensure a “full and independent investigation” of Ghosn’s detention, and asked the government “to take appropriate measures against those responsible for the violation of his rights.”The working group said that “the appropriate remedy would be to accord Mr. Ghosn an enforceable right to compensation and other reparations."The opinions of the working group are not binding on countries but aim to hold them up to their own human rights commitments. Among its past rulings involved the case of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who was likewise deemed to have had his human rights violated.The panel, which is independent from the United Nations, noted a string of allegations from Ghosn and his representatives, such as that he was subjected to solitary confinement and long interrogations at day or night, and denied access to court pleadings. His team claimed that interrogations of Ghosn were aimed to extract a confession.Japan’s system has been repeatedly criticized by human rights advocates. The panel cited previous concerns about Japan’s so-called “daiyo kangoku” system of detention and interrogation that relies heavily on confessions and could expose detainees to torture, ill-treatment and coercion.Japan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the government had applied “appropriate procedures” in the case, and it could not provide full information to the working group before a trial had begun. For that reason, the ministry added, it would be inappropriate for the working group to make a decision on the Ghosn case “based on limited information and biased allegations” from him and his team.“The opinion is totally unacceptable, and is not legally binding,” the ministry statement said. It also warned that the opinion could set a dangerous precedent, and “encourage those who would stand criminal trial to entertain the idea that flight can be justified and prevent the realization of justice and the proper functioning of the criminal justice system in each country.”"Japan can by no means accept the opinion of the Working Group regarding the case of the defendant Carlos Ghosn," it added.Ghosn lawyer Jessica Finelle welcomed the “brave” decision by the panel and said its members had been “hard on the Japanese legal system” and the way that Japanese authorities treated Mr. Ghosn, "specifically, violating numerous times his presumption of innocence, presenting him as guilty, orchestrating two of his arrests with the media...”Ghosn was “very happy” and “relieved” about the opinion, she said."He is somehow is getting back his dignity because he’s been humiliated during this time that he was held in Japan,” she said.Ghosn has accused Nissan and Japanese officials of conspiring to bring him down to block a fuller integration of Nissan with its French alliance partner Renault SA of France.Ghosn's lawyers filed a petition with the working group in March last year, appealing to its role to look into cases in which governments are alleged to have wrongly detained individuals under agreed international human rights conventions.Its members declined to speak to reporters about the opinion, the U.N. human rights office said.____Jeffrey Schaeffer reported from Paris.Jamey Keaten And Jeffrey Schaeffer, The Associated Press
WALKERTON – Despite an icy wind and requests for people to stay home because of COVID-19, a small group of people went to the Walkerton cenotaph to view an abbreviated Remembrance Day ceremony on Nov. 11. Most people remained safe at home and viewed the ceremony on Facebook. Brief though they were, the ceremonies in Walkerton and Mildmay were fitting and dignified. Although there were no parades, there were many wreaths set in place prior to the ceremony. There was a solemn two-minute silence. And there were heart-felt words from all levels of government. In Walkerton, representatives of Royal Canadian Legion Branch 102 were joined by members of the Ontario Provincial Police, MP Ben Lobb, MPP Lisa Thompson and Brockton Mayor Chris Peabody. The Legion and government representatives gave short speeches thanking those who have sacrificed so much for our freedom, and who continue to do so – members of the Armed Forces, police, emergency services and volunteers. Thompson spoke about a 97-year-old veteran who told her he hopes no one ever has to go through what he did. Peabody summed it up by stating, “Thank you for your service.” The poppies carefully placed beside many of the names on bricks in the walkway said the same thing. We will not forget. Pauline Kerr, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Walkerton Herald Times
LOS ANGELES — Bruce Swedien, a five-time Grammy-winning audio engineer who collaborated with Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones, has died. He was 86.His daughter, musician Roberta Swedien, said her father died Nov. 16 in Gainesville, Florida, after battling an illness and complications from surgery. The New York Times reported that he tested positive for the coronavirus but was asymptomatic.“He had a long life full of love, great music, big boats and a beautiful marriage,” Roberta Swedien posted on Facebook. “We will celebrate that life. He was loved by everyone.”Bruce Swedien had more than 65 years of music industry experience and was best known for his collaborations on Jackson’s hit albums “Thriller” and “Off the Wall.” He also had recording sessions with some of music's biggest names including Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, Duke Ellington and Diana Ross.Swedien, the son of two musicians, landed a position at Universal Studios where he was mentored by legendary engineer, Bill Putnam. His career rose to new heights when he teamed up with Jones to mix the soundtrack “The Wiz” before both collaborated on Jackson’s 1979 debut album “Off the Wall.”Swedien worked as an engineer on three more albums for Jackson including “Thriller,” “Bad” and “Dangerous.” He won Grammys for those albums in the best engineered album, non-classical category then two more for Jones’ albums “Q’s Jook Joint” and “Back on the Block.”Jones posted on social media that he was “devastated” about the news of Swedien’s death, calling him a sonic genius.Swedien is survived by his wife, Bea, of 67 years and two daughters. He was preceded in death by his son.The Associated Press
GREY-BRUCE – It took from March to May for the number of COVID-19 cases to reach 100. The area didn’t see the 200th case until Nov. 12. Since then, there have been 24 cases of COVID-19 reported throughout Grey-Bruce, with the most recent being three in Southgate. The health unit is working with the Bluewater District School Board to address a case in Northern Bruce Peninsula involving a school. The health unit is handling contact tracing and will get in touch with anyone deemed to be at risk. No school bus routes are affected. As of press time, the total number of cases in Grey-Bruce stood at 224, with 33 active cases. No one is currently hospitalized, and there are no outbreaks in facilities (long-term care homes, schools or daycares). Currently, Grey-Bruce remains Green – Prevent. In order to remain there, the local health unit states on its website, “We must stay vigilant with COVID-19 precautions. We have been seeing a deeply concerning trend of a significant increase in the number of cases locally, and in the number of close contacts of these cases. “These findings are indicative of fatigue related to following public health measures. It is important that we refocus our energy on the basic measures that can keep us safe – the same ones that got us through the spring first wave, including the three Ws of washing hands frequently, watching distance (ideally six feet) and wear face coverings correctly (over both nose and mouth).” The increase in numbers locally led to discussion on what to do about the community recovery centre located in Kincardine. The other community recovery centre in Hanover has been dismantled, with the components stored in case there’s a need. The council there decided it was important to get the ice surface back in use. Neither recovery centre was used prior to the dismantling of the one in Hanover. In light of rising numbers, Kincardine council has agreed to leave the recovery centre at the Davidson Centre in place for now. It’s in a gym, not on an ice surface (like Hanover’s), and public health has given permission for the indoor walking track above the gym to be used. There was some concern expressed at a recent council meeting in Kincardine that if the centre is dismantled, the components will not remain in the area but will be appropriated for use in an area where numbers are much higher. Neighbouring health units are reporting spikes in the numbers of cases, and deaths, including at long-term care homes.Pauline Kerr, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Walkerton Herald Times
In May, the City of Mississauga gnashed its teeth. At the time, it was knee-deep in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. A number of long-term care homes in the city were in outbreak, with dozens of deaths recorded. Business owners were also hurting, their shuttered bars, restaurants and gyms collecting dust and debt. Inside City Hall, losses were mounting daily. Reluctantly, the City had been forced to let roughly 2,000 staff, mostly part-time, seasonal employees, go from its empty recreation facilities. Help eventually offered by the federal and provincial governments was still months away from materializing. Quietly, while the world was distracted, the Doug Ford PC government was forging ahead with its plans to seismically shift how developers pay for growth. Under the area of development subsidies known as a Community Benefits Charge (CBC), the Province was toying with new rules for planning. These fees are often paid by builders to create enhanced features such as green spaces or other amenities that are built using additional money charged to developers in exchange for project changes that generally create more profit, such as adding additional floors to a condo building. Changes were introduced as one of many initiatives in Bill 108 (More Homes, More Choice) — legislation that was almost universally decried around municipal council tables when it received royal assent in 2019. The Province allowed consultation in May (when Mississauga was preoccupied with its pandemic response) which revolved around parks. Just how much greenspace developers needed to provide for even more new residents that would eventually be housed in expanded projects, was a question that created tension. According to staff reports in Brampton and Mississauga at the time, the proposed changes meant developers would pay less to cities, for the features they have for decades been expected to provide when building large residential projects. Municipalities, under the PC government’s plan, would be worse off, while developers would be further ahead. “At a time when we are grappling with the unprecedented financial impacts of COVID-19, the proposed Community Benefits Charge will leave Council [with] even more difficult decisions,” then City Manager, Janice Baker, told Mississauga Council. Under the current rules, developers have to offer a certain amount of parkland to cities and, if they want to reduce that amount, they have to pay a fee. The CBC proposals limited parkland related contributions to 10 percent of the land’s value for high-rise buildings, meaning the projects with the most residents would offer the least public space per capita. “The proposed CBC weakens the link between population growth and the increased need for services,” a Mississauga staff report earlier in the year stated. In Mississauga, under the current system, high and medium-density developments contribute 74 percent of parkland (either physically or in payments). The CBC proposals meant dense developments would cough up just 31 percent of the funding for the city’s new greenspace, with non-residential and low-density homes (which already have backyards) making up the difference. It seemed illogical. After a passionate response from Mississauga and other cities angered by the prospect of a revenue hit while they are reeling financially because of the pandemic, the PC government has rolled back its proposed changes. Under Bill 197 (COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act) Queen’s Park rapidly back-peddled, returning parkland contributions by developers to the pre-pandemic levels. “The new community benefits charge authority provides local governments with the flexibility to collect funds for any growth-related services required due to higher density residential development, as long as those costs are not being recovered under other tools,” a spokesperson for the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing explained to The Pointer. “A community benefits charge may enable municipalities to recover the capital costs of any service, as long as it is needed to support new growth … the types of services funded through community benefits charges could include parks, recreation centres, affordable housing, child care, cycling infrastructure and others.” “We were very pleased the Province listened to the feedback from municipalities and rolled back many of the proposed Bill 108 provisions around the Community Benefits Charge,” Jason Bevan, director, city planning strategies, told The Pointer. “We look forward to seeing the final CBC regulations on the percentage of land value cap.” The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) which advocates for the lowest tier of government, said it was “pleased to see the addition of eligible services for development charge recovery being restored” alongside “maintaining existing parkland provisions and the flexibility of CBCs as a tool to recover additional costs”. After a year of consternation for cities, the Province has largely walked back its plans for the CBC. The legislation, initially blasted as a developer freebie, has gradually been softened. Originally, the new legislative changes impacted a range of community features that municipalities have to provide for residents under the development proposals submitted by builders after assembling land for growth. Municipalities were concerned they would have to stretch the funds from the charge to cover features such as libraries, community centres, parks and playgrounds. Responding to feedback, the Province changed tack and protected a range of community features that will continue to be covered by development charges. Specific infrastructure, including libraries and other “soft” services, are covered under the Development Charges Act. Developers will continue to pay for the costs associated with growth. But, realistically, these charges are generally covered by buyers who pay for them through increased unit costs that developers charge when setting their sale prices. It seems much more fair to have the people in a particular new development pay for the surrounding features and services they will enjoy, rather than having property tax payers in general cover the expenses when municipalities have to fund them. At the beginning of October, further regulations were released which made the CBC picture a little clearer still. While the charge is designed to capture certain soft community services not always covered by traditional development charges, there are several areas explicitly excluded. Long-term care, universities, clubhouses or retirement homes cannot be funded using the latest form of CBCs. The new CBC mechanism, brought in to codify an element of development which previously operated as more of a negotiation, comes with strict rules. Cities are tasked, over the next two years, with creating a CBC strategy and bylaw to estimate the amount and type of development where the charge may be used. The strategy should also estimate the increased need for facilities and services as a direct result of developments and the associated growth-related costs. It must acknowledge any grants or subsidies made to help with such projects. A potential sticking point for municipal councils is a cap on the CBC, meaning the charge cannot exceed 4 percent of the value of the lands being developed. If developers disagree with the land valuation, they can dispute it. The likely outcome will see buyers cover any increased costs, as developers across the province won’t have to worry about unfair pricing competition because all builders will have to raise prices. In the end, it will be mostly young buyers who will absorb the additional financial burden for creating enhanced community features they will benefit from. Moving forward, municipalities will also produce an annual report showing how much money is in their CBC and parkland reserves. The reports will detail where money is spent and how projects not using CBC charges were funded. The concept behind the strategy and bylaw is to make costs more predictable for developers and reduce negotiations between individual builders and local politicians. Exactly what community features Mississauga will prioritize under the new CBC system will become clearer over the next two years, as the City draws together its bylaw for the charge. These community standards will best serve the public if they are directly involved and make clear what they want in their neighbourhoods. In essence, as long as cities don’t double charge through other parkland contributions or development charges, they can hit developers with a bill for any growth costs, other than the small list of features that are exempt. The amount is capped under the 4 percent limit, based on the land value. But it still gives high-growth municipalities such as Mississauga and Brampton welcome breathing room as they no longer have to worry about paying for a range of new community features while struggling with the financial damage caused by the pandemic. Smart decision making around the bylaw, with some elements still emerging, should help ensure that as new developments keep springing up across the city, growth will pay for growth in Mississauga. Email: email@example.com Twitter: @isaaccallan Tel: 647 561-4879 COVID-19 is impacting all Canadians. At a time when vital public information is needed by everyone, The Pointer has taken down our paywall on all stories relating to the pandemic and those of public interest to ensure every resident of Brampton and Mississauga has access to the facts. For those who are able, we encourage you to consider a subscription. This will help us report on important public interest issues the community needs to know about now more than ever. You can register for a 30-day free trial HERE. Thereafter, The Pointer will charge $10 a month and you can cancel any time right on the website. Thank you.Isaac Callan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Pointer
PARIS — The trial of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy for corruption and influence peddling was suspended Monday less than two hours after it started, to allow a medical report on one of the defendants.Sarkozy is accused of having tried to illegally obtain information from a magistrate about an investigation involving him in 2014.This is the first trial for the 65-year-old politician, who has faced several other judicial investigations since leaving office in 2012.He stands trial in a Paris court along with his lawyer Thierry Herzog, 65, and the magistrate, Gilbert Azibert, 73. They face a prison sentence of up to 10 years and a maximum fine of 1 million euros ($1.2 million.) They deny any wrongdoing.Sarkozy and Herzog are suspected of promising Azibert a job in Monaco in exchange for leaking information about an investigation into suspected illegal financing of the 2007 presidential campaign by France’s richest woman, L’Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt.Sarkozy arrived at the court surrounded by his lawyers and bodyguards, in the presence of dozens of journalists. The Paris court has been placed under high security as hearings in the case, scheduled until Dec. 10, are taking place at the same time as another key trial — that of the 2015 attacks at the Charlie Hebdo offices and a kosher supermarket.The trial started Monday in the absence of Azibert, whose lawyer requested the hearings to be postponed. He argued his client's bad health makes it risky for him to travel and appear in court amid the coronavirus pandemic, leading the court to suspend proceedings pending an expert medical report. The trial will resume on Thursday.In 2014, Sarkozy and Herzog used secret mobile phones — registered to the alias name of “Paul Bismuth” — to be be able to have private talks as they feared their conversations were being tapped.Sarkozy and Herzog explained that they bought the phones to avoid being targeted by illegal phone tapping. Investigative judges, however, suspect they actually wanted to avoid being tapped by investigators.Judges have found that discussions between Sarkozy and his lawyer suggested they had knowledge that judicial investigators at the time tapped their conversations on their official phones — they mentioned “judges listening.”Sarkozy argued that he never intervened to help Azibert, who never got the job and retired in 2014.Investigative judges consider that as soon as a deal has been offered, it constitutes a criminal offence even if the promises haven't been fulfilled.Legal proceedings against Sarkozy have been dropped in the Bettencourt case.Sarkozy, a lawyer by training, pointed at judicial harassment, accusing judges of breaching lawyer-client privilege via wiretapping.“I don't want things that I didn't do to be held against me. The French need to know... that I'm not a rotten person,” he told BFM TV earlier this month.He said he was facing the trial in a “combative” mood.Sarkozy's predecessor, Jacques Chirac, was found guilty in 2011 of misuse of public money, breach of trust and conflict of interest and given a two-year suspended prison sentence for actions during his time as Paris mayor, before he was president from 1995 to 2007.Sarkozy’s name has appeared for years in several other judicial investigations.Allegations, which include illegal financing of his 2007 campaign by then-Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, cast a shadow over Sarkozy's comeback attempt for the 2017 presidential election.After failing to be chosen as candidate by his conservative party, he withdrew from active politics.Sarkozy remained the most popular figure amid French right-wing voters in recent years. His memoirs published this summer, “The Time of Storms,” was a bestseller for weeks.Sarkozy was handed preliminary charges including “illegal campaign financing” in the Libyan investigation, which has been underway since 2013 — and prompted the wiretapping of his phones.Earlier this month, French-Lebanese businessman Ziad Takieddine retracted his previous statements that he delivered suitcases from Libya containing 5 million euros ($5.9 million) in cash to Sarkozy and his former chief of staff, Claude Gueant.Instead, he told news broadcaster BFM and magazine Paris-Match that there were “no Libyan financing.”Sarkozy said that the truth “finally comes out.”Financial prosecutors said in a statement that charges in the Libyan case are based “on strong or corroborated evidence that are not limited to one person’s statement only.”Meanwhile, the former president will stand another trial in spring 2021 along with 13 other people on charges of illegal financing of his 2012 presidential campaign.His conservative party and a company named Bygmalion are accused of using a special invoice system to conceal unauthorized overspending.They are suspected of having spent 42.8 million euros ($50.7 million), almost twice the maximum authorized, to finance the campaign, which ended up in victory for Socialist rival Francois Hollande.Nicolas Vaux-Montagny And Sylvie Corbet, The Associated Press
Saint-Tite – La MRC de Mékinac réagit au cri du cœur lancé dans nos pages par les relais de motoneiges qui craignent de ne pas traverser l'hiver si on leur permet seulement d'accueillir des clients pour les réchauffer, sans pouvoir ouvrir leurs salles à manger. Tous ont décrié l'impact des coûts fixes élevés comme le chauffage, la main-d'oeuvre ou le nettoyage des lieux pour expliquer les difficultés financières qu'ils anticipent. La MRC de Mékinac se dit sensible de la situation vécue par les relais de son territoire. «C’est une situation vraiment préoccupante pour notre milieu. L’industrie de la motoneige est un moteur économique très important pour notre MRC, tant au niveau des relais que des autres commerces autour. Les motoneigistes sortent souvent dans les sentiers avec le but de se rendre dans un relais, de consommer et de faire d’autres arrêts dans différents commerces. La fermeture des relais peut entrainer un ralentissement économique sur un volet beaucoup plus large» s'inquiète Nadia Moreau, directrice du service de développement économique de la MRC de Mékinac. Elle craint que l'impact financier des décisions gouvernementales ne vienne hypothéquer sérieusement le secteur jusqu'au printemps. «Nous sommes évidemment grandement conscients des enjeux de la propagation de la COVID-19. Nous tentons par tous les moyens de soutenir notre milieu pour passer à travers cette crise. Par contre, nous aimerons grandement que ce que nous pouvons favoriser localement puisse se faire chez nous. La possibilité de voir les habitués de notre région se déplacer vers une région aux conditions plus souples demeure inquiétante tant au niveau sanitaire qu’économique» ajoute Nadia Moreau. La MRC soutient que selon les commerçants, les chiffres d'affaires sont en péril de 75 à 90%.Marc-André Pelletier, Initiative de journalisme local, Le Nouvelliste
Celebrity birthdays for the week of Nov. 29-Dec. 5:Nov. 29: Blues musician John Mayall is 87. Actor Diane Ladd is 85. Musician Chuck Mangione is 80. Country singer Jody Miller is 79. Singer-keyboardist Felix Cavaliere of The Rascals is 78. Actor Jeff Fahey (“Lost,” “The Marshal”) is 68. Director Joel Coen is 66. Actor-comedian Howie Mandel is 65. Actor Cathy Moriarty is 60. Actor Kim Delaney (“NYPD Blue”) is 59. Actor Tom Sizemore is 59. Actor Andrew McCarthy is 58. Actor Don Cheadle is 56. Actor-producer Neill Barry (“Friends and Lovers”) is 55. Singer Jonathan Knight of New Kids on the Block is 52. Actor Larry Joe Campbell (“According to Jim”) is 50. Keyboardist Frank Delgado of Deftones is 50. Actor Paola Turbay (“True Blood”) is 50. Contemporary Christian singer Crowder is 49. Actor Gena Lee Nolin (“Sheena,” ?Baywatch”) is 49. Actor Brian Baumgartner (“The Office”) is 48. Actor Julian Ovenden (“Downton Abbey”) is 45. Actor Anna Faris (“Mom,” ?Scary Movie”) is 44. Gospel singer James Fortune is 43. Actor Lauren German (“Lucifer,” ?Chicago Fire”) is 42. Rapper The Game is 41. Drummer Ringo Garza of Los Lonely Boys is 39. Actor-comedian John Milhiser (“Saturday Night Live”) is 39. Actor Lucas Black (“NCIS: New Orleans,” ?Sling Blade”) is 38. Actor Diego Boneta (“Scream Queens”) is 30. Actor Lovie Simone (“Greenleaf”) is 22.Nov. 30: Country singer-record company executive Jimmy Bowen is 83. Director Ridley Scott is 83. Writer-director Terrence Malick (“The Thin Red Line”) is 77. Bassist Roger Glover of Deep Purple is 75. Singer-actor Mandy Patinkin is 68. Guitarist Shuggie Otis is 67. Country singer Jeannie Kendall of The Kendalls is 66. Singer Billy Idol is 65. Guitarist John Ashton of Psychedelic Furs is 63. Comedian Colin Mochrie (“Whose Line Is It Anyway?”) is 63. Rapper Jalil of Whodini is 57. Actor-director Ben Stiller is 55. DJ Steve Aoki is 43. Singer Clay Aiken (“American Idol”) is 42. Actor Elisha Cuthbert (“24”) is 38. Actor Kaley Cuoco (“The Big Bang Theory”) is 35. Model Chrissy Teigen is 35. Actor Christel Khalil (“The Young and the Restless”) is 33. Actor Rebecca Rittenhouse (“The Mindy Project”) is 32. Actor Adelaide Clemens (“Rectify”) is 31. Actor Tyla Harris (“For Life”) is 20.Dec. 1: Actor-director Woody Allen is 85. Singer Dianne Lennon of the Lennon Sisters is 81. Bassist Casey Van Beek of The Tractors is 78. Singer-guitarist Eric Bloom of Blue Oyster Cult is 76. Drummer John Densmore of The Doors is 76. Actor-singer Bette Midler is 75. Singer Gilbert O’Sullivan is 74. Actor Treat Williams is 69. Country singer Kim Richey is 64. Actor Charlene Tilton is 62. Model-actor Carol Alt is 60. Actor Jeremy Northam (“The Tudors,” ?Happy, Texas”) is 59. Actor Katherine LaNasa (“Longmire,” “Deception”) is 54. Actor Nestor Carbonell (“Lost,” ?Suddenly Susan”) is 53. Actor Golden Brooks (“Girlfriends”) is 50. Comedian Sarah Silverman is 50. Singer Bart Millard of MercyMe is 48. Actor David Hornsby (“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”) is 45. Guitarist Brad Delson of Linkin Park is 43. Actor Nate Torrence (“Hello Ladies”) is 43. Singer Mat Kearney is 42. Drummer Mika Fineo of Filter is 39. Actor Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”) is 38. Actor Ilfenesh Hadera (“Godfather of Harlem,” “She’s Gotta Have It”) is 35. Singer-actor Janelle Monae is 35. Actor Ashley Monique Clark (“The Hughleys”) is 32. Singer Tyler Joseph of Twenty One Pilots is 32. Actor Zoe Kravitz (“Insurgent,” ?Divergent”) is 32. Singer Nico Sereba of Nico and Vinz is 30.Dec. 2: Actor Cathy Lee Crosby (“That’s Incredible”) is 76. Director Penelope Spheeris (“Wayne’s World,” “The Decline of Western Civilization”) is 75. Actor Ron Raines (“Guiding Light”) is 71. Country singer John Wesley Ryles is 70. Actor Keith Szarabajka (”Angel,” “The Equalizer”) is 68. Actor Dan Butler (“Frasier”) is 66. News anchor Stone Phillips is 66. Actor Dennis Christopher (“Breaking Away,” ?Chariots of Fire”) is 65. Actor Steven Bauer (“Scarface”) is 64. Bassist Rick Savage of Def Leppard is 60. Actor Brendan Coyle (“Downton Abbey”) is 57. Bassist Nate Mendel of Foo Fighters is 52. Actor Lucy Liu is 52. Actor Suzy Nakamura (“Dr. Ken”) is 52. Actor Rena Sofer (“24,” ?Just Shoot Me”) is 52. Rapper Treach of Naughty by Nature is 50. Actor Joe Lo Truglio (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”) is 50. Singer Nelly Furtado is 42. Singer Britney Spears is 39. Singer-actror Jana Kramer is 37. Actor Daniela Ruah (“NCIS: Los Angeles”) is 37. Actor Alfred Enoch (“How to Get Away with Murder”) is 32. Singer Charlie Puth is 29.Dec. 3: Director Jean-Luc Godard is 90. Singer Jaye P. Morgan (“The Gong Show”) is 89. Actor Nicolas Coster (“The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo”) is 87. Actor Mary Alice is 79. Singer Ozzy Osbourne is 72. Singer Mickey Thomas of Jefferson Starship is 71. Bassist Paul Gregg of Restless Heart is 66. Actor Steven Culp (“Desperate Housewives”) is 65. Actor Daryl Hannah is 60. Actor Julianne Moore is 60. Actor Brendan Fraser is 52. Singer Montell Jordan is 52. Actor-comedian Royale Watkins is 51. Actor Bruno Campos (“Nip/Tuck,” ?Jesse”) is 47. Actor Holly Marie Combs (“Charmed”) is 47. Actor Lauren Roman (“Bold and the Beautiful”) is 45. Musician Daniel Bedingfield is 41. Actor Tiffany Haddish (“Girls Trip”) is 41. Actor Anna Chlumsky is 40. Actor Jenna Dewan (“The Resident,” ?Supergirl”) is 40. Actor Brian Bonsall (“Family Ties”) is 39. Actor Dascha Polanco (“Orange is the New Black”) is 38. Singer-songwriter Andy Grammer is 37. Drummer Michael Calabrese of Lake Street Dive is 36. Actor Amanda Seyfried (“Mamma Mia”) is 35. Actor Jake T. Austin (“The Fosters,” ?Wizards of Waverly Place”) is 26.Dec. 4: Game show host Wink Martindale is 87. Singer Freddy “Boom Boom” Cannon is 84. Actor-producer-director Max Baer Junior (“The Beverly Hillbillies”) is 83. Bassist Bob Mosley of Moby Grape is 78. Singer-bassist Chris Hillman (The Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers) is 76. Singer Southside Johnny Lyon of Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes is 72. Actor Jeff Bridges is 71. Guitarist Gary Rossington (Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Rossington Collins Band) is 69. Actor Patricia Wettig is 69. Actor Tony Todd (“Final Destination” films) is 66. Drummer Brian Prout of Diamond Rio is 65. Jazz singer Cassandra Wilson is 65. Bassist Bob Griffin (The BoDeans) is 61. Singer Vinnie Dombroski of Sponge is 58. Actor Chelsea Noble (“Growing Pains,” "Kirk”) is 56. Actor Marisa Tomei is 56. Comedian Fred Armisen (“Portlandia,” ?Saturday Night Live”) is 54. Rapper Jay-Z is 51. Actor Kevin Sussman (“Ugly Betty”) is 50. Model Tyra Banks is 47. Country singer Lila McCann is 39. Actor Lindsay Felton (“Caitlin’s Way”) is 36. Actor Orlando Brown (“That’s So Raven”) is 33. Actor Scarlett Estevez (“Lucifer”) is 13.Dec. 5: Actor Jeroen Krabbe (“The Fugitive”) is 76. Opera singer Jose Carreras is 74. Singer Jim Messina (Loggins and Messina, Poco) is 73. Actor Morgan Brittany (“Dallas”) is 69. Actor Brian Backer (“Fast Times at Ridgemont High”) is 64. Country singer Ty England is 57. Singer-guitarist John Rzeznik of The Goo Goo Dolls is 55. Country singer Gary Allan is 53. Comedian Margaret Cho is 52. Actor Alex Kapp Horner (“The New Adventures of Old Christine”) is 51. Actor Kali Rocha (TV’s “Man with a Plan”) is 49. Bassist Regina Zernay of Cowboy Mouth is 48. Actor Paula Patton (“Precious”) is 45. Actor Amy Acker (“Person of Interest,” ?Angel”) is 44. Actor Nick Stahl (TV’s “Carnivale,” film’s “Terminator 3”) is 41. Actor Adan Canto (“Designated Survivor”) is 39. Singer Keri Hilson is 38. Actor Gabriel Luna (“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”) is 38. Actor Frankie Muniz (“Malcolm in the Middle”) is 35. Actor Ross Bagley (“Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”) is 32.The Associated Press
BROCKTON – The Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund allocation for Brockton has been decreasing over the past several years. Brockton received $2,380,000 in 2012; by 2017, that had decreased to $1,607,100. Brockton was notified that the 2021 allocation will decrease by $48,500 from 2020’s $1,536,600 to $1,488,100. The municipality relies on the OMPF grant to provide government services. Small, rural municipalities don’t have the large tax base that cities do. Coun. Steve Adams suggested drafting a letter to express concern over the decrease. Coun. Dean Leifso wondered if other municipalities in the area were getting the same decrease. Mayor Chris Peabody regarded the information as “mixed” news – both good and bad. It’s a bit of a drop. But he also noted Brockton has received a number of grants from “this government” and credited MPP Lisa Thompson for working on behalf of her constituents. Peabody said Leifso’s idea was a good one. “Let’s do some research.”Pauline Kerr, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Walkerton Herald Times
Victory is always sweet in municipal politics, said Mayor Duane Favel, and this year, victory has meant starting his fifth term as leader of the Northern Village of Île-à-la-Crosse. Duane defeated fellow mayoral candidate Peter Durocher with 323 votes to 257, with 580 total votes cast. This will be a long four years of council, Favel said, with many challenges facing northern Saskatchewan communities and with COVID-19 those challenges are going to get bigger, he said. In a previous interview before the election, Duane said physician retention and high water levels have been a challenge for the community for years. Joining Duane at the council table will be incumbents Vincent Ahenakew, Bodean Desjarlais, Myra Malboeuf, and Gerald Roy, and new councillors Noel McLean and Kevin Favel. Having a mix of old and new councillors is good to have for both continuity and bringing new voices to the table, Duane said. “It's nice to have a council who clearly has a good background on some of the things we've been working on and to bring those two councillors up to speed. Certainly, their voices will be heard as well.” Mentoring the new councillors will be an important step in the coming term, Duane said. Duane said he would like to thank the outgoing councillors who have stepped away from the table, including Durocher, who decided to run for mayor. The open spots allowed for two new voices to join the conversation and Duane said he is excited to work with this new council. Becky Zimmer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Battlefords Regional News-Optimist
Agriculture in Labrador has always been a bit of a hard go. While there is a huge amount of agricultural land in the region — far more than on the island portion of the province — the vast majority of it is uncleared and even getting access to some of it could take years. There is a bright side, though. In recent years, a few new farms have popped up and one is even planning to sell local beef. Food insecurity is a big issue in Labrador, with high prices and the area only producing one per cent of the food it consumes. The provincial government created a work sector plan for agriculture in the last few years and highlighted some concerns producers are having in Labrador, including the lack of an abattoir or the ability to sell large-scale commercial eggs in the region and the need for more Crown land to be made available for agriculture. On Nature’s Best Farm, Desmond Sellars has been growing produce such as carrots and potatoes in the region for about 20 years. He is a familiar face to many in Happy Valley-Goose Bay as the guy who sells vegetables in front of the courthouse, There is a huge amount of opportunity for farmers in Labrador, according to Sellars, but he feels the industry is still in its infancy stage and 'requires a lot of zeroes in your bank account.’ “Farmers here in Labrador can produce more but it always comes down to policy around agriculture. There’s no question about the soil, there’s no question about the land being able to produce, but we do not have the right policy and the right supports at the present time to support increased agriculture here in Labrador.” Things are moving in the right direction, he said, with the province recognizing the need for more locally produced food, but agriculture is a long game and that’s even more true in Labrador. It can take years to get leased land from the government, he said, and that’s just the first hurdle. Since all agricultural land in Labrador is leased, not granted, farmers don’t have access to any capital from it to go to banks, and so have to invest a lot of their own money up front. Even then, he said, the province still owns it and when a farmer retires, all the investments they made on the land can be lost. Freight costs are another barrier, he said. It costs just as much to ship things sometimes as the items themselves. That drives up his cost, which is a barrier to selling his produce to local stores. It’s cheaper for local stores in bring in food from outside the province than buy from him, he said, and that needs to be addressed. “Farmers don’t need a handout, they need a hand up,” he said. ‘If I could, for example, be able to expense freight on a subsidy basis I could compete with P.E.I., Ontario, New Brunswick, and I’d have that market, I know I would. That wouldn’t be a terrible cost to anyone, but it would be a big step for producers.” At the end of the day, he said, young people need to see that agriculture is something worthwhile to pursue and he doesn’t see a lot of that messaging out there. While farming is a long-term investment because of the large upfront capital costs, he said, it can be very profitable and there need to be more conversations around that. “The whole notion of farming as an important, viable business for this province and for people to engage in, there aren’t enough conversations around that. Farming is an underdeveloped part of this province, that’s self-evident. For that to change it requires ongoing conversations and I would argue some policy changes. “ Jim Purdy is one of the operators of Birch Lane Farm on Mud Lake Road in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, which produces a wide variety of products, from produce to live chickens and live ducks to berries and jams. Purdy highlighted some of the same issues as Sellars, especially around the impact of freight costs and getting Crown land. “Our biggest competition isn’t here, it’s in Quebec and Ontario. They can sell their product cheaper here than we can produce it for. We have to depend on the local market, loyalty, to sell our products.” Purdy said people do recognize that locally grown food tastes better, but producers need to move into larger commercial markets to be able to grow and that isn’t possible right now. Other provinces have programs to assist with that, he said, and something needs to be done in Newfoundland and Labrador. Things that aren’t issues in less remote places, he said, like getting a tractor fixed or hiring someone to clear land, can be a real barrier in Labrador. “I would say that there’s less than 200 acres of cleared agricultural land in Labrador and in some places that’s a small farm,” he said. “It’s not like you can call someone and get them to do it. We don’t have the infrastructure here for agriculture, it’s as simple as that.” He said in his opinion other provinces have done a lot more to help with agricultural production and it doesn’t seem to be a priority for the government in Newfoundland and Labrador. Much like Sellars, Purdy cites the rules around Crown land and the unwillingness of government to grant it to farmers. “They can but they won’t,” he said. “It took me a few years to get a lease and that was on land no one else wanted. Can you imagine how long it would take if someone else had wanted it? I don’t know why the process takes so long but it isn’t helping anything. If you want to farm here, you better be ready for a long investment,” he said. When asked what could be done to help the industry grow Purdy said he didn’t even know where to start, but government offering more support is a big part of it. When SaltWire Network contacted Fisheries, Forestry, and Agriculture Minister Elvis Loveless, who was given the portfolio three months ago, he said he hasn’t had a chance go to Labrador to meet with local producers yet and discuss the issues, but he’s committed to doing so. “Our goal, in terms of helping farmers, is opening up access to land,” Loveless said when asked about the concerns expressed over the inability to get granted agricultural land. “Farmers, in order to grow vegetables, or just around the culture of growing, need land, there’s no doubt. I won’t make a commitment on a timeframe, but I will commit to talking to farmers. I’m looking to get on the ground in Labrador and have those conversations with them; what are their priorities moving their industry forward in Labrador?” Loveless said in terms of issues, it’s “all on the table.” He referenced recent investments made by the provincial government in the central Labrador region for community gardens and a cold storage and packaging facility in Happy Valley-Goose Bay and said there are plans to make more agricultural land available in the region. “Having access to safe and healthy food is on everyone’s minds, and addressing those needs has never been more important than right now, especially in Labrador, where the residents rely heavily on food imported from other areas, and that’s something we’d like to change.” Tomorrow: a new beef farm is the only one of its kind in Labrador. Evan Careen, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Telegram
Don’t be fooled into thinking this is a gorgeous sunset. It is actually light pollution from Leamington, Ontario, Canada on November 22nd, 2020. How crazy is that?!
Health researchers say British Columbians need to find new ways to get active as the pandemic stretches into its tenth month and the province has implemented new limits on some activities.Last week, provincial health officials suspended some indoor group fitness classes until Dec. 7 to try to reduce COVID-19 infections.The continuing uncertainty around how to keep fit safely has thrown some people off exercising entirely, but health researchers in B.C. say it's important to fight against apathy."It's not something to sort of push off," said University of Victoria professor Ryan Rhodes, who studies health psychology and how people approach and do exercise."We have to accept that this is a new reality and find new routines to get our physical activity going," he said.National guidelines recommend Canadian adults engage in 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per week, or what Rhodes describes as "huffing and puffing," to help prevent a range of diseases as well as bolster mental health.In the spring, both Rhodes and Guy Faulkner from the University of British Columbia worked on different studies looking at how Canadians were exercising during the initial response to the pandemic, which included the shutdown of gyms and recreation centres.Both found an expected reduction in activity, whether going to the gym or just getting outside. Moderate to vigorous physical activity declined on average by 46 minutes per week for adults, according the study Rhodes worked on.Of those who were active before COVID-19, around 20 per cent of them were not during the early days of the pandemic.Those who have stopped exercising and may still be trying to wait the pandemic out before returning are the people researchers like Rhodes and Faulkner are most concerned about."The consequences of inactivity are quite extreme," Rhodes said. Exercise for physical and mental well-beingFor 20 years, Faulkner has studied the effect of exercise on well-being and happiness.Now, in a pandemic with no known endpoint, he says exercise should be a tool to not only stay physically fit, but to bolster mental well-being."Mainly as a positive coping strategy for dealing with the stress of the situation that we find ourselves in," he said.Through their work, both Faulkner and Rhodes have uncovered some interesting trends that have helped people keep moving.Early in the pandemic, Rhodes found that people with dogs more easily kept up with exercise by walking their pets.He also found that people who had exercise equipment at home, bought new equipment, or even turned to YouTube for exercise videos fared better.Faulkner says routines do not need to be complicated. It could be as simple as trying to build in movement throughout the day to reduce sedentary activity.He takes a brisk walk in the morning and at the end of his working day as a sort of faux commute that many people like him have lost by working from home."I think we do need to make a conscious effort," he said.Pick something you likeTurning new routines into habits could be the toughest part, according to Rhodes.His research has shown that an activity needs to be repeated four times a week for six weeks before it becomes a part of someone's lifestyle. It's also important to choose an activity that you actually like doing to help make it stick.Rhodes has studied how cues, such as exercising at the same time each day, can be effective in turning exercise into a habit."Eventually the cue itself promotes the behaviour," he said.
Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week.MOVIES— The Christmas movie, that yuletide evergreen, is subtly changing. “Happiest Season,” which premieres Wednesday on Hulu, has many of the genre's comforting standards — a homecoming trip, family discord, a secretly planned engagement — but it opens the holiday comedy to a fresh cast of characters, and comes away all the more charming for it. Writer-director Clea DuVall's film — originally planned as a theatrical release by Sony Pictures — stars Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis as Harper and Abby, a couple who travel to Harper's Waspy family for the holidays. Just before they arrive, Harper confesses she isn't out to her family. The spirited supporting cast includes Aubrey Plaza, Mary Steenburgen and Daniel Levy.— “Superintelligence,” too, is a studio film uprooted to a streaming service by the pandemic. The Melissa McCarthy comedy, her latest with director-husband Ben Falcone ("Tammy," “The Boss"), had been headed to theatres but will instead debut Thursday on HBO Max. In it, an artificial-intelligence supercomputer voiced by James Corden tasks McCarthy's unemployed character with saving the world.— Ironically, the week's top Netflix release is the one that's been playing in theatres. After two weeks in select cinemas, Ron Howard's “Hillbilly Elegy” begins streaming Tuesday. The adaptation of J.D. Vance's much-talked-about 2016 bestseller hasn't been a hit with critics ( including this one ), but it's also a kind of regular feature to the season: a big 'ol helping of awards bait, with a handful of big performances by elite actors (Glenn Close, Amy Adams).—AP Film Writer Jake CoyleMUSIC— Miley Cyrus is ready to rock ‘n’ roll on her new album. The pop star recruited some famous rock stars to help on her seventh studio release “Plastic Hearts,” including Stevie Nicks, Billy Idol and Joan Jett. And Mick Rock, the iconic rock ‘n’ roll photographer who has shot everyone from David Bowie to Debbie Harry, photographed the “Plastic Hearts” cover art. But pop fans shouldn’t worry too much about Miley’s rock sound, the album – out Friday – also features a collaboration with hitmaker Dua Lipa and includes producers like Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse, Bruno Mars) and Louis Bell (Post Malone).— Speaking of Dua Lipa, the Brit has had a major year in music thanks to the success of her sophomore album “Future Nostalgia” and the smash hit single “Don’t Start Now.” She’ll celebrate her big year on Friday with “Studio 2054,” a multidimensional live experience where Lipa is promising fans “a night of music, mayhem, performance, theatre, dance and much more.” The singer said there will be “surprise superstar guests” at the event, and standard tickets costs $11.99.— Grammy-winning Chicago-based rockers Smashing Pumpkins will release a double album on Friday. “CYR” features 20 tracks produced by founding member and frontman Billy Corgan. The band’s 11th album also features founding members James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlin as well as guitarist Jeff Schroeder. “CYR” is the follow-up to 2018’s “SHINY AND OH SO BRIGHT, VOL. 1 / LP: NO PAST. NO FUTURE. NO SUN” – Corgan, Iha and Chamberlin’s first collaborative album in 18 years.— AP Music Editor Mesfin FekaduTELEVISION— If you like “Bones” and “CSI” but just need more French accents, your best bet is the terrific NOVA special “Saving Notre Dame.” The hour-long PBS documentary airing Wednesday shows the incredible lengths architects, engineers and craftspeople have gone to restore the iconic Paris cathedral stricken by 2019's fire. There is detective work — where did the original limestone come from? — and painstaking efforts to reclaim the building’s glory, like stained glass specialists using cotton swabs to remove toxic lead. Everyone wears wear full hazard protection gear as they navigate a “giant house of cards.”— Can you have a “Saved by the Bell” without Screech? Peacock is hoping fans won't notice that character's absence when its sequel to the popular TV series brings back members of the original cast — Elizabeth Berkeley, Mario Lopez, Tiffani Thiessen and Mark-Paul Gosselaar — but not Dustin Diamond, who played the quirky Screech. In this sequel kicking off Wednesday, Gosselaar is California governor who has a son at Bayside High, Berkeley is a guidance counsellor and Lopez is once again A.C. Slater, now a gym teacher.— It happens all the time: You wake up next to a dead body in a Bangkok hotel. In the case of HBO Max’s adaptation of “The Flight Attendant,” the comedy and darkness work simultaneously. Kaley Cuoco of “The Big Bang Theory” plays an air hostess with a drinking problem whose looney attempts to cover up her part in the death place her in the crosshairs of the FBI. The first three episodes of the limited series premier Thursday, with the first one free now if you're willing to give HBO Max your email.— AP Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy___Catch up on AP’s entertainment coverage here: https://apnews.com/apf-entertainment.The Associated Press
A petition calling for stricter laws and tougher penalties for drunk and reckless drivers has amassed nearly 100,000 signatures in the wake of a pair of deadly Peel Region crashes. Jillian McLeod launched the change.org petition, aimed at lobbying the different levels of government, in the wake of a horrific Brampton crash that claimed the lives of Caledon East elementary teacher Karolina Ciasullo and her three daughters, Klara, 6, Lilianna, 4, and Mila, 1. “We have signatures in almost every province now,” McLeod said this week. “It’s sending a message that citizens have had enough with the lenient sentences. Our justice system is broken.” As the number of signatures grew, so have the number of motor vehicle-related fatalities across Peel Region — 38 to date, up from 23 all of last year. Since 2010, only two full years have recorded more motor vehicle-related fatalities: 41 in 2018 and 40 in 2016. Police confirmed that six of the deaths to date in 2020, including the Ciasullos and 19-year-old Jagrajan Brar, who was killed after his car was hit head-on in an Oct. 10 crash, were the result of alleged impaired driving. “I snapped and said that’s enough,” said McLeod, who has lost two close friends to impaired driving. She’s not alone. Brar’s family has also rallied to her cause, using the Lorne Park Secondary School student’s story to amplify McLeod’s initiative. Peter Simms, 46, the man charged with impaired driving causing death, had two prior impaired driving convictions, Peel police said last month. “This man should not have been behind the wheel of a car,” Rob Brar, the teen’s father, said. The petition is pushing for tougher sentences for serious driving convictions including: impaired driving causing bodily harm, impaired driving causing death, criminal negligence causing death and dangerous operation causing bodily harm On Wednesday, about 40 protesters once again rallied outside a Brampton courthouse to demonstrate against Simms’ effort to get bail. Family and friends also rallied at the courthouse for Simms’ last hearing in October. His case was adjourned until Dec. 16. Police last month charged a second driver who they allege engaged in dangerous and aggressive driving behaviour with Simms and contributed to the collision. They’re calling on Premier Doug Ford to endorse their initiative, and for Ottawa to review the existing penalties. The group is also opposing bail for Brady Robertson, 20, of Caledon, who faces four counts of dangerous driving causing death in the collision that killed Ciasullo and her daughters. Robertson’s next court appearance is scheduled for Dec. 2. Robertson was also charged with dangerous operation of a vehicle in connection with a separate incident that occurred at Dougall Avenue and Kennedy Road in Caledon, two days before the fatal crash. Peel police are separately warning about a rise in street racing and stunt driving amid the pandemic. As of Oct. 31, the service had laid 599 charges for these offences in 2020, up from 332 over the same time frame in 2019. Jason Miller is a Toronto-based reporter for the Star covering crime and justice in the Peel Region. His reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. Reach him on email: firstname.lastname@example.org or follow him on Twitter: @millermotionpicJason Miller, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Toronto Star
HURON COUNTY – Residential development proposals will soon have a comprehensive document to ensure that housing developers understand the community’s goals and expectations. Andrea Sinclair, urban designer for MHBC Planning Urban Design and Landscape Architecture, presented the final Residential Intensification Guidelines (RIGS) to Huron County council on Nov. 4. The motion was approved to accept the guidelines, and staff will distribute copies to local municipalities for information. These guidelines will help when evaluating development proposals and provide the community with more housing choices. The document mainly focuses on multi-unit development and will apply to all residential intensification projects in the county. The guidelines also address residential conversions and Additional Residential Units (ARUs). The RIGS are intended to be used by the builder and development community to guide residential developments. The guidelines address a full range of design considerations, including site layout, building design, parking, and landscaping. The guidelines, not meant to add more red tape to the process, are expected to streamline the process by setting out the design expectations early on and avoiding the development community and planning staff’s back-and-forth. By setting clear design objectives and priorities early in the process, the development community will understand what staff will be looking for when reviewing applications. The RIGS will ensure that neighbourhoods continue to be diverse while maintaining the need to accommodate a growing community. The County of Huron’s website states, “single detached dwellings meet many residents’ needs – but not all of them. When housing takes a wide range of forms, it can better meet the diverse needs of community members: those who rent, families requiring multiple bedrooms, seniors who are interested in downsizing, first time home buyers who can afford a house provided they can rent out the basement unit. “Neighbourhoods are dynamic places; the shifts anticipated in the next 20 years will bring about a renewal of our housing stock and the introduction of more dense forms of housing. This document is a tool to help manage that change and ensure that housing is available – and affordable – for all who call the county home.” For more information or to see the Residential Intensification Guidelines visit the Huron County website at www.huroncounty.ca.Cory Bilyea, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Wingham Advance Times
Le confinement a contribué à une reconnaissance de l’importance de l’espace public comme lieu de rassemblement et d’équipement essentiel à la satisfaction des besoins de la population.
It’s been just over a year since Nalcor Energy impounded the reservoir at Muskrat Falls. How much methylmercury that would release into the water downstream and subsequently the impact it would have on the food chain in central Labrador has been the topic of much debate over the years, and that debate is still going on. Ryan Calder, an assistant professor of environmental health and policy in the department of population health science at Virginia Tech, and the lead author of the 2016 Harvard paper "Future Impacts of Hydroelectric Power Development on Methylmercury Exposures of Canadian Indigenous Communities," took to social media recently to express his concern over the methylmercury readings for the first year following impoundment. Calder said the increased levels showing at a station downstream from Muskrat Falls, N5, are more in line with what his group at Harvard estimated, and exceed the projections made on behalf of Nalcor Energy. He said he wishes they were wrong in their predictions, but based on what he’s seen so far it doesn’t appear to be so. “Nalcor and the government of Newfoundland claimed that there was no possibility for risk to people or the environment, spent years claiming up and down there was nothing to worry about, and now monitoring is coming out showing that the peak levels are still increasing and are within the range that was forecasted,” he said. Data from the last four years available online shows that the recorded levels in the water exceeded the Nalcor predicted peak of 0.1 namograms per litre a couple times in the last year and does show an increased overall level of methylmercury. Calder said it’s common for levels to increase in the first year after impoundment and stay higher for a few years before levelling off, but any increase corresponds to an increase in risk. “It’s known that when you flood a reservoir there are increased methylmercury levels. Nalcor doesn't deny that creation of the reservoir accelerates the production of methylmercury. They accept that there are impacts on water, they accept that people eat the fish, but they don’t accept there’s any risk to the people and that’s logically inconsistent.” It’s too early at this point to assess any risk to people, he said, and that would require more data on methylmercury in fish, which has not been released yet for 2019, but increased methylmercury levels in the water are the first signal. When asked by SaltWire Network about the levels, Nalcor Energy said the measured values in water are very similar to those predicted and are within safe limits. James McCarthy, senior associate biologist with Wood, the firm that handles the monitoring for Nalcor, said he doesn’t see anything in the levels that would cause concern from a human health perspective. “Ultimately, it’s the fish concentration that matters, that’s the interaction with people. Even though water is an early indication it’s really the fish that matter most to people. We just finished the sampling for 2019, so that’s a full year of flooding, but had three years of head pond formation, and we’ve seen nothing really in the fish.” McCarthy said the increased levels are in line with projections made for Nalcor in 2018, which did differ from lower predictions in previous years, and so far everything appears to be on track. The Department of Environment, Climate Change and Municipalities told SaltWire Network methylmercury levels are below the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) guidelines for aquatic life and at no time have levels presented a risk to public health.Evan Careen, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Telegram
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Reggaeton superstar Bad Bunny has tested positive for the new coronavirus, his representative said Monday. The announcement came a day after the musician won favourite male Latin artist and favourite Latin album for "YHLQMDLG” at the American Music Awards. Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Martínez Ocasio, was scheduled to sing his hit, “Dákiti,” with Jhay Cortez at the event but cancelled without explanation, leaving many fans disappointed. The singer, however, presented the award for favourite Latin female artist remotely. Publicist Sujeylee Solá told The Associated Press that Bad Bunny wasn't showing any major symptoms as of Monday. She did not provide further details, saying only that the musician was not granting any interviews. The Associated Press


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Helping Hands Project
- Address: 41 Campbell Place, Kilmarnock, KA1 4DY
- Tel:01563 574 333
- Email: firstname.lastname@example.org
Map for Helping Hands Project
A small local charity helping elderly and disabled people living in and around Kilmarnock.
For £10 year, residents in need can access a basic maintenance service carrying out small tasks such as changing curtains, cleaning kitchen cupboards and changing lightbulbs. The charity also operate a shopping service and wheelchair loan.
- Loan equipment
- Home visiting
- Shopping assistance
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This organisation was verified on 10 November 2015

domain: sociology


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ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Top high school hockey players in Minnesota will have a chance to show their skills in front of scouts next month.
The first Minnesota High School All Star Prospects Game is set for Nov. 10 at TRIA Rink in downtown St. Paul.READ MORE: 2nd Man Charged In Minneapolis Gun Battle-Turned-Crash That Killed Autumn Merrick
The game is an official NHL Central Scouting event. National Hockey League, college and junior hockey scouts have been invited.
Elite players from around Minnesota will face off against each other to showcase their skills in a regulation game followed by a shootout. The winning team will be awarded the State of Hockey Cup.READ MORE: 'We Will Not Tolerate Sexual Misconduct In Any Form': Minnesota Colleges Investigating Alleged Sex Competition
The players were nominated by a panel that included NHL scouts and college coaches. Doors open at 1:30 p.m., with game time at 2:30 p.m.
Advance ticket sales are available online next week.MORE NEWS: 'We Are Pleasantly Surprised': Minnesota's Corn, Soybean Yields Better Than Expected
(© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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Latest Garden strawberry Stories
In response to increased awareness generated by the expanding local foods movement, demand for fresh strawberries has increased throughout the United States.
NEW YORK, June 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- HSBC, "the world's local bank" and official banking partner of Wimbledon, is teaming up with some of New York's most popular restaurants, bakeries and food trucks to create unique culinary experiences as part of "HSBC Bank presents Wimbledon 2011 at Rockefeller CenterÂ®." In an expansion of the Bank's fourth-annual Wimbledon program, select locations will serve "A Taste of Wimbledon" -- special desserts in honor of the traditional tournament treat,...
CHESHUNT, England, June 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Tesco Real Food has announced that Britain's spring heat wave has led to the biggest and best quality English strawberry crop for 20 years growers have reported. The glut of English strawberries - considered by experts to be the best in the world - will result in an estimated 50 per cent reduction in UK retailers bringing in imports. Experts say that Britain's warmer than usual March and April heat wave produced perfect growing conditions...
Strawberry Cooking, Baking and Noshing Adventures Made Easy with "Strawberry Recipes for Everyday" in Print and e-Book Formats Just in Time for Mother's Day Sales Benefit the California Strawberry Scholarship Program WATSONVILLE, Calif., May 3, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With the new fascination on the timeless art of home cooking and nutrition, the California Strawberry Commission today announced the availability of a new cookbook full of chef-created, mouth-watering strawberry recipes.
WATSONVILLE, Calif., April 6, 2011/PRNewswire- USNewswire/ -- A new study by The Ohio State University suggests strawberries may help prevent human esophageal cancer.
Freeze-dried strawberries may be an alternative to drugs for the prevention of esophageal cancer.
A geneticist jumped at the chance to help sequence the genome of the woodland strawberry â€“ a close relative of the apple that blooms in a mere 15 weeks, making his work much more efficient.
LOS ANGELES, March 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- To elevate the national discussion on healthy eating, Robeks has joined hands with the American Dietetic Association in support of their "Eat Right with Color" campaign by pledging to sell 100,000 red fruit smoothies during March. The initiative will spotlight Robeks original commitment to serving only premium, whole fruit smoothies, especially those containing red fruits like strawberries, raspberries, cranberries and pomegranate.
The term plasticulture is in reference to the practice of utilizing plastic materials in agricultural applications. The plastic materials themselves are frequently and broadly referred to as “ag plastics.” Plasticulture ag plastics can include soil fumigation film, nursery pots and silage bags, irrigation drip tape or tubing, but the term is most frequently used to describe all kinds of plastic plant and soil coverings. Such coverings range from plastic mulch film, high and low...
- A handkerchief.
- Specifically— The legendary sweat-cloth; the handkerchief of St. Veronica, according to tradition miraculously impressed with the mask of Christ; also, the napkin about Christ's head (Johu xx. 7).
- In general, any miraculous portrait of Christ.


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The Barton County Spelling Bee, originally scheduled for the morning of Feb. 12 at the Great Bend High School Auditorium, has been rescheduled to Feb. 5. Sponsors said the date was changed because there was a conflict with the use of the auditorium.
Senior Citizens are invited to enjoy an afternoon of socializing and eating ice cream at 3 p.m. Thursday at the Great Bend Senior Center, 2005 Kansas Ave. The Senior Center will provide ice cream and cookies.
Akings to address Citizen Watchdogs
BCC Theatre and Forensics to host open house for new students
Tuition, Camp Aldrich on BCC study session agenda
Crime Stoppers seeks burglary tips
Tom Giessel of rural Larned, longtime vice president of the Kansas Farmers Union, will be speak and lead a discussion at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Gold Room at the Highland Hotel, 3017 10th St. Giessel has been asked to speak at the Barton County Progressives meeting about the plight of small family farms, BCP spokesman Christina Stein said.
The Great Bend Recreation Commission is forming its New Year sessions of exercise classes for people 18 years of age and older, program coordinator Garet Fitzpatrick said. Classes start Monday, and will continue through Feb. 4. All classes will be held at the Great Bend Activity Center, 2715 18th St.
The Great Bend Police Department is investigating a local man's report that he was hit in the head and knocked unconscious Tuesday in the area of 10th and Kansas.
Registration for the next weekly Story Time sessions at the Great Bend Public Library starts Monday, Children's Librarian Eric Coulbourne said. Parents are invited to bring children to the library, 1409 Williams St., for story time from 10:15 to 11 a.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays, beginning Jan. 18. They will hear stories, do a craft, sing songs and have fun at this free program.
Great Bend Public Library will be closed Friday, Saturday and Sunday for Christmas. The library will also be closed Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 for New Year's.
The Great Bend Post Office will close at noon Friday and will remain closed until Monday. There will be no mail delivery on Christmas day.
The Great Bend Recreation Commission Office and Activity Center offices will be closed Thursday through Monday. The Carl Soden Recreation Center, GBRC Activity Center, City Auditorium and Cavanaugh Wellness Center closed Friday through Sunday. The Activity Center will be open Thursday from 1-5 p.m and on Monday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The City Auditorium and Cavanaugh Wellness Center will be open Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Monday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The GBRC facilities will be closed Dec. 30 at noon and Dec. 31 ...
The American Legion in Great Bend will be closed Friday and Saturday.
A Great Bend Community Benefit Soup Supper for Shawn and Karen Crane and sons Jacob and Brandon will be held from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Monday at the First Southern Baptist Church, 3301 19th. Free will donations will be taken to benefit the family who lost their home to a fire.
This week's Chamber of Commerce Coffee will be hosted by Johnson Electric, 2212 10th, at 9:30 a.m., Thursday. Host will be Scott Donovan with greeters John Sullivan and Eric Gotsche. Coffee, refreshments and door prizes will be available.
Adam P. Kephart, 33, of Hoisington was injured early Saturday after a sport utility vehicle rolled on a northern Barton County Road.
The Great Bend Recreation Commission will host a free Stop 'N Learn Session titled "Vegan Cooking" from noon to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, March 4, at the Great Bend Recreation Center, 1214 Stone St.
The Great Bend Seventh-day Adventist School is taking orders for the spring shipment of Bithell Berries from Boring, Oregon. The 14 pound boxes of fresh fruit are flash frozen so to better divide them upon arrival. Available now are Marion blackberries, red raspberries, boysenberries, blueberries, strawberries sliced with sugar, strawberries whole, loganberries, pie cherries, sweet cherries, peaches, apricots, apples and rhubarb. Also available are frozen jams of various flavors and puree.
American AgCredit will hold a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate start of construction of its Great Bend office. The ceremony will start at 10 a.m. Thursday, March 6, at the site, 5634 10th St.
The dynamic demographics of the United States come with many advantages, but they also present some challenges, like communication barriers.
The March 10 Teen Movie Monday at 4 p.m. at the Great Bend Public Library is open to students in grades 7-12.
Crime Stoppers of Barton County and Great Bend has released more information about a robbery reported Saturday morning by a Great Bend resident.
This week's Chamber of Commerce Coffee will be hosted by Best Western Angus Inn, 2920 10th Street, at 9:30 a.m., Thursday. Host will be Julie Smith with greeters Judy Reed and Kevin Sundahl. Coffee, refreshments and door prizes will be available.
A passenger in a 2002 Volkswagen Beetle that went of U.S. 283 early Monday in Hodgeman County was seriously injured, Kansas Highway Patrol reports.
Plans for a March retreat are on the agenda for the Barton Community College Board of Trustees meeting, set for 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, in the Seminar Room, F-30 of the Fine Arts Building.
Sunday's Great Bend Tribune featured a story from Barton Community College about Carli Newkirk and the Medical Assistant program. There were two errors, a college spokesman said.
The Great Bend Recreation Commission will host a free Stop 'N Learn Session titled "New Zoo Friends" from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at Great Bend's Brit Spaugh Zoo.
USD 428 Board of Education will meet at noon on Thursday at Great Bend Middle School, 1919 Harrison. Items on the agenda include Riley Elementary School HVAC project bids; calendar development; and approval of licensed personnel retirements and licensed personnel resignations. Great Bend Middle School Principal David Reiser and other staff members will share information regarding the academic programs and the school improvement efforts at Riley.
A motorcyclist was taken to the Lyons Hospital with possible injuries after an accident Saturday afternoon in Rice County.
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domain: library


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Bhubaneswar: With a hope to see good footfall of tourists when the covid unlock would begin, the artisans of Raghurajpur heritage crafts village in Puri district are busy giving a facelift to their village.
The next time a tourist visits Raghurajpur, they would be welcomed with beautiful murals painted on the walls of every house of the village.
The artisan of 150 families are making murals on the walls and doors of their house as part of an art camp organised by the Department of Language, Literature and Culture in association with Odisha Lalit Kala Akademi. Each family would be paid Rs 10000, and they have to complete the work within five days from June 9-13.
Sharing about the initiative of organising an artists in the village and converting walls of the heritage village into a canvas, President of Odisha Lalit Kala Akademi , Sudarshan Patnaik said, “The artisans of the village are going through a tough phase due to the Covid pandemic. We often organise artist camps inviting selective artists, however this time we thought of organising the camp in the village itself involving all the artists.”
“All the artisans have been asked to make murals on the walls and doors of their house. The best five would be awarded,” he said.
The artisans of Raghurajpur are known for making marvelous pattachitra paintings, tussar paintings, palm leaf engravings, cow dung toys, papier mache masks, wood carving and stone carving.
Overwhelmed with the initiative, the artists known for their intriguing pattachitra paintings on canvas are busy depicting various mythological stories with the traditional art form on the walls.
“The pandemic has severely affected the artisans of our village. With no tourist footfall since 2020, the livelihood of the artisans has gone down. The camp has raised the enthusiasm of the artists and are hopeful that things would settle down in coming days,” shared artist Akash Swain.
Pattachitra artist Apindra Swain who was in the news last year for making beautiful pattachitra paintings representing the change in lifestyle of humans due to covid pandemic, is also busy making paintings on the walls with the help of his son. “All the artists are depicting mythological stories. I am depicting the ten incarnations of lord Vishnu on the walls of my house along with other mythological stories,” said Apindra.

domain: artistic


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The favorite sport of these times of pandemic is the forced closure inside our homes and predicting what will happen next, and we are all scrambling to find solutions for the problems that will certainly befall us. But, after all, this is an attitude that we have for all the things in our lives – we are always living in the future and in the past out of fear, including the fear of facing the present. But there is a difference between a healthy fear and unhealthy fear. The first is a right attitude towards the Divine Majesty, while unhealthy fear can sometimes become continuous panic, which is a bit like what we are seeing happen now.
One of the sayings of Jesus comes to mind, when he says, “Each day has enough trouble of its own.” This sentence is in the context of a passage in the Gospel of Matthew (6:25-34) that reads as follows:
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
And yet we know that such a “pagan” approach is truly the most common way people live in our society. We live either in the future or in the past but never quite succeed in living in the present moment.
“Each day has enough trouble of its own,” because in reality we do not know what the future holds, and we often risk making the future evil in our thoughts because we project our negative expectations on it. It is just like someone who is always convinced he is sick and is certain that he is going to get a devastating illness, and then his mental fear causes his body become truly sick, thereby making his prediction come true! In other words, he caused the very problem he predicted. But this is not the only case – there are many. This does not mean that we should not use prudence in providing for our future necessities, but we must try first of all to live rooted in what we are at the present time in order to give birth to what we will be and to see ourselves again in what we have been, because the past too can help us to live more fully hic et nunc, not simply in order to reconstruct “what really happened” according to perhaps unattainable desire of the famous German historian Leopold von Ranke.
Fr. Luigi Maria Epicoco comments on the passage from Matthew in these words:
“Someone who worries is always living one step ahead of his life, and thus does not have time to taste his life here and now. Someone who worries lives with anxiety about what ought to happen instead of having gratitude for what is happening. We all ought to learn how to be present “right here” a bit more instead of worrying and thus going “somewhere else” in our minds. We should return a bit more to the present reality. Someone who worries no longer sees the face of their husband or wife, the faces of their children and their friends, the blue sky or the shining summer rain. Someone who worries sees only problems to resolve and not things to be thankful for anyways. Someone who worries does not have time to smile because “life is a serious thing.” It is so serious that there are days when one wonders if it is truly worth living like this. And so Jesus was right when he reminded us of a very simple thing: “Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” You see, it is difficult to live in the present moment; it is perhaps the hardest thing to do – trying to do so quickly reveals the imperfection of our spiritual life. But climbing the mountain that is God is accomplished by taking an infinite number of tiny steps in the present moment. The problem is that we are afraid of trusting God; we all fear this, and I am the first one to say that I do.”
In his general audience of October 24, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI said:
“Faith is believing in this love of God that is never lacking in the face of human wickedness, in the face of evil and death, but is capable of transforming every kind of slavery, giving us the possibility of salvation. Having faith, then, is meeting this “You” – God – who supports me and grants me the promise of an indestructible love that not only aspires to eternity but gives it; it means entrusting myself to God with the attitude of a child, who knows well that all his difficulties, all his problems are understood in the “you” of his mother. And this possibility of salvation through faith is a gift that God offers all men and women. I think we should meditate more often — in our daily life, marked by problems and at times by dramatic situations — on the fact that believing in a Christian manner means my trusting abandonment to the profound meaning that sustains me and the world, that meaning that we are unable to give to each other but can only receive as a gift, and that is the foundation on which we can live without fear. And we must be able to proclaim this liberating and reassuring certainty of faith with words and show it by living our life as Christians.”
But we continue to reject this gift of faith, because we prefer to live in fear. We prefer to be enslaved to ourselves.

domain: literature


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Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), also known as “Indian Winter cherry” or Indian Ginseng,” is an evergreen shrub that’s found in India, Africa and parts of the Middle East.
“Ashwagandha has long been used in Ayurvedic medicine as a “Rasayana” rejuvenative to increase energy, improve overall health and reduce inflammation, pain and anxiety,” In Ayurvedic medicine a healing tradition form india uses nutrition, exercise, mindfulness practices and herbs to promote balance between the body, mind, spirit and the environment.
Ashwagandha is an Adaptogenic Adaptogens are components of herbal medicines that are said to help the body’s resilience in dealing with physical and emotional stresses. Adaptogens are also said to have anti-aging properties.
When there is a threat that is chronic such as when there is stress from finances, work or the pandemic — the stress response also becomes chronic.
Over time, long-term stress can contribute to persistent inflammation and increases the risk for developing chronic conditions disease
Adaptogens are said to help the body overcome the influences of physical, chemical, or biological stressors
If you have any issues with your thyroid, it is strongly recommended to check in with your healthcare provider before taking ashwagandha.
“Ashwagandha can augment thyroid function by increasing the conversion of the less potent thyroid hormone, T4, to the more active form of the thyroid hormone, T3. Thus for some people, it can support a healthier thyroid function. On the other hand, if an individual’s thyroid is already borderline hyperactive, ashwagandha could contribute to frank hyperthyroidism.”

domain: medical


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By the late 1970s, Chan Wai Man had found a good degree of success in show business. Already notorious for his gangster background, this didn't stop fans from seeing his movies; if anything, it made moviegoers curious to seek them out.
The steady flow of Triad influence on the Hong Kong film industry was soon to become a major problem; and the industry would reflect this, although not necessarily in a negative way. Kung fu movies were still being made in abundance and righteous swordsmen were still flying across the screen with rapidity. Societal issues were always present in HK cinema, but a change in how these issues were explored, and the way Chinese movies were made in general was on the horizon. Of course, this would be Chan's second wind; and possibly a more comfortable transition to the changing cinema style of the 1980s that would soon find him in numerous roles tailor made for his prior life as a gangster in Hong Kong. The dawn of the new decade would also bring about an independent feature that was an autobiographical endeavor and an influence on similar films that followed.
6. TEN FROM CHEN: THE HEROES (1980)
The plot is a bit of a stretch, but it makes for a highly entertaining movie. This is Wu Ma's version of one of his mentors Shaolin cycle of movies; and made on a much smaller budget. Still, Wu Ma does a fine job of making his own movie while showing the influence of Chang Cheh. Ti Lung plays a traitorous Chinese who is actually only pretending to have sold out his country. He secretly trains a motley clutch of Shaolin captives and plots the evil emperors (Chen) demise. One of Chen's favorite roles, he does very little fighting till the end; he settles mostly for presiding over the torture of his captives.
Directed by then newcomer Kirk Wong, and written with Chan Wai Man specifically in mind, THE CLUB (1981) was reportedly based on real events in Chan's life. An independent feature financed by Bang! Bang! Films, Chop! Chop! Films would have been more appropriate. There's no gunplay, but there's a handful of chopper action with various bladed implements including two outboard boat motors zeroing in on their fleshy targets. Chan himself called it the first real Hong Kong gangster movie. While it's certainly an innovative production for the many similar pictures that followed, it wasn't technically the first of its type.
Movies about gangsters and the Triads had been around at least since the early 1970s. Chang Cheh touched on their old world origins in FIVE SHAOLIN MASTERS (1974); and featured them in a handful of his Early Republic movies like THE DUEL (1971) and THE BOXER FROM SHANTUNG (1972). In these movies, the gangs were not so much glorified as the violence they perpetrated, and that brought onto them by the hero(es). These early depictions were virtually night and day when compared with their flashier 'blood and bullets' counterparts of the late 80s and 1990s. Kuei Chi Hung's critically lauded THE TEAHOUSE (1974) and its sequel are among the earliest examples to tackle the subject of criminal organizations seriously without focusing on bloody action. Hua Shan's ultra violent BROTHERHOOD (1976) is another, but favors sleaze and fights over dramatic exposition.
Aside from the bloody mark THE CLUB (1981) left on the Chinese gangster movie, an extremely rare earlier example mined similar territory. It, too, starred Chan and is discussed elsewhere in this article.
7. TEN FROM CHEN: THE CLUB (1981)
Kirk Wong's first feature is a groundbreaking modern day gangster drama. It's significant mainly because it's supposedly written specifically for Chan Wai Man in simulating some of his prior, real life gangland activities. The movie is gritty, bloody and has a high amount of nudity. The gangsters don't use guns here, but love swinging their choppers around. In fact, chopper movies would seem to be trying to outdo one another from here on out. Chopper mania reached an apex with the Shaw's HONG KONG GODFATHER (1985) -- a film that proved hard to beat where geysers of blood and knife wounds were concerned. THE CLUB takes a while to get going, but if you're a Chan Fan (not that Jackie guy), you'll want to add it to your collection.
|Chen Hui Min takes on Eddie Ko in THE INVINCIBLE KILLER (1978)|
|DEADLY CHASE FOR JUSTICE (1977)|
|Promotional ad for FIVE ELEMENT NINJAS (1982)|
By the early 1990s, organized crime within filmic circles had gotten so severe, that in 1992, some 200 actors and filmmakers took to the streets in protest. Granted, you had what was considered good and bad Triads -- those who were reasonable businessmen, and those who were not. Chan was the latter, of course. During the mid 80s and throughout the 90s, movies about Triads had become extremely profitable thanks to John Woo's A BETTER TOMORROW (1986). A flood of similar underworld movies followed and made Chow Yun Fat a superstar.
|Chen (right) is not IN THE LINE OF DUTY (1986)|
|Chen (left) and Lo Lieh (right) in SHAOLIN HANDLOCK (1978)|
In 1978, Chan Wai Man starred in this Sun Chung film -- a Shaw co-production with an independent company from producer-actor Chung Kuo-jen titled GODFATHER'S FURY.
|Promotional materials for the rare GODFATHER'S FURY (1978)|
Originally titled 489, it was the first of a series of gangster-crime-action-dramas that utilized numerical codes for its title. '489' was, as relayed by its producer, code for the leader of a criminal syndicate.
This particular movie is among the most rare HK films, and one that deals with Triad Society. It has yet to surface on any format, and may possibly be a lost motion picture.
At the time, Shaw Brothers were heavily promoting both Chan and the movie. Chan Wai Man (this was during his more prominent period listed under his Mandarin name of Chen Hui Min) and director Sun Chung had a bit of success with 1977s JUDGMENT OF AN ASSASSIN; which saw Chan essay the freakishly scary main villain, The Bloody Devil. You can see the make up artists preparing Chen for his facial appliance for that movie in the insert photo.
8. TEN FROM CHEN: FIVE ELEMENT NINJAS (1982)
Chang Cheh's most ornately gory martial arts picture is this wildly colorful, bloody comic book come to life. The plot is of the basic revenge school of kung fu -- lone student avenges the death of his teacher and friends at the hands of invading ninjas with eyes on total control of the martial world. Chen Hui Min plays calculating villainy to the hilt here. He explodes when he fights, but the rest of the time he's calm; yet the piercingly sinister visage is always present on his face. Chan and the other actors pull out all the bloody stops for the extended finale. Cheng Tien Chi and Chu Ko made Chen look great in the fight scenes; arguably his finest hour in a martial arts role. A classic of epically heroic proportions.
THE TRIAD WITH WHITE HAIR: BLOOD AND TATTOOS
|Ti Lung (left) fights his old nemesis Chen Hui Min (right) in THE DEADLY BREAKING SWORD (1979)|
|Chen Hui Min with Chang Cheh (left) and Sun Chung (right) in 1977|
While Chen was much ballyhooed in Shaw's publicity department in 1977, this wasn't the actors first time at Shaw's. In 1972, he had a small role as Two Spears Tung Ping in Chang Cheh's gore-laden epic, ALL MEN ARE BROTHERS (released in 1975). His tattoos are briefly on display in this movie, and most especially in the second Chang Cheh movie Chan starred in, the spectacular FIVE ELEMENT NINJAS from 1982. Chan's tats are glorified in many more of his movies. In 1979s underrated HANDCUFFS, Chan has some fake tattoos added to his already existing ones for the film.
9. TEN FROM CHEN: PROFILE IN ANGER (1984)
Another of those wacky, chaotic HK films with a troubled production history -- the type that could turn sloppiness into an art form. Popular actor Liang Chia Jen (Leung Kar Yan) directs for the first time and packs an incredible amount of energy into his movie even if the scenario seems to take place in some alternate universe. Chan's role here is minimal; and he's another psycho killer. The scene where he stalks Liang's wife in their home while a thunderstorm beats down on the house is a major highlight. He's also prone to mercilessly torturing his victims, smacking around kids and running over pregnant women.
"YOUR KUNG FU'S GOOD" BUT "YOU MUST BE TIRED OF LIVING!"
|Chen (left) has a great fight with Yasuaki Kurata (right) in V.I.P. aka THE MAD, THE MEAN & THE DEADLY (1978)|
There were some he never worked with for one reason or the other. According to the man himself, he and Sammo didn't get along. A fight between the two at a public disco led to both HK movie titans never officially working together. Jackie Chan allegedly didn't want to be upstaged by the revered Tough Guy, so extensive scenes of Chan from both DRAGON LORD (1982) and PROJECT A II (1987) were cut out. That trick he does in the latter Jackie Chan movie by flipping a couch over with a single foot was impressive. Even more so in that there were no wires and he did it on the single take.
|Chen Hui Min administers a shot of bullets in MERCENARIES FROM HONG KONG (1982)|
Trouble and confrontation wasn't necessarily resigned to the movies where Chan Wai Man was concerned. In the wild and wooly 1970s, he would often be challenged in the street by eager, if careless souls ignorant of his capabilities and wishing to try him out. The challenging of a rival school was also a regular occurrence at this time. Considering the hundreds of similar scenarios that played out in countless kung fu movies, these were cases of the art imitating life.
|Chan (right) battles it out in a junk yard with his kung fu brother Cheng Kei Ying (left) in THE INVINCIBLE KILLER (1978)|
|Carter Wong (left) is a ring man for Chan at boxing event|
10. TEN FROM CHEN: THE MASTER STRIKES BACK (1985)
Chan's last Shaw Brothers movie, and one of the last Shaw movies period is this dramatic quasi-action picture starring Ti Lung as a roughhouse instructor assigned to a remote military outpost. He's to whip the men into shape, but the corrupt local official (Chan Wai Man) would prefer the soldiers stayed drunk and in the whorehouse. It's a stunning film with only one real fight at the end. The dramatic elements that build up to it make the final confrontation all the more satisfying. Chan is incredibly cruel here as the devilish Jin Bu Huan. One of Sun Chung's best, most under appreciated movies.
THE MAD, THE MEAN & THE COMEDY
With all this volcanic miasma of masculinity erupting all over Hong Kong between the Tough Guys of Asian cinema, Chan Wai Man did tap into his lighter side by doing comedy in some of his movies. Some of these include an early example of the rambunctiously zany side of Wong Jing's filmmaking imagination with WINNER TAKES ALL (1982). There's lots of crazy special effects, robots, ninjas, and enough nuttiness for a couple more movies -- nuttiness being a recurring staple of Wong Jing's future productions. He soon became one of HK's most successful filmmakers. Shaw's was cognizant of his talents and they promoted him heavily in the early 1980s.
Wong Jing (Wong Tsing) was one of the youngest directors at Shaw's at that time. He showed a great deal of promise and brought an energy to the studios output that matched the New Wave approach being embraced by other studios around Hong Kong. This was especially evident in Wong's exciting and violently over the top action comedy MERCENARIES FROM HONG KONG (1982). You can see both Chen and Ko Fei goofing around between takes on that film in the above insert photo.
Sadly, the Shaw's were not able to keep up with the slew of innovations emitting from filmmakers outside their doors. Even so, Chen Hui Min seemed to enjoy poking fun of his image in some of his modern day pictures at Shaw's.
|Chen (right) is in awe of Hui Ying Hung's penis in THREE STOOGES GO UNDERCOVER (1984)|
|Chen in BROKEN OATH (1977)|
In his heyday, Michael Chan Wai Man enjoyed a steady twenty years of popularity with numerous lead roles. He's lived that rare life where much of his film career mirrored and reflected his past experiences. He also stands out among his colleagues as the real deal where fighting was concerned. He lived and breathed action (even having champion dogs for fighting as well as bears and chickens!). He was the extreme archetype of machismo. Chen Hui Min is, and was a fighter, father, martial arts champion and instructor. Whether you can look past the man's shadowy past or not, Hong Kong cinema is forever tattooed with many memorable roles from one of the most brutally refined examples of masculinity to ever punch, kick and slash its way across a movie screen.
***Sources for this article include an interview with Michael Chan by Bey Logan and numerous articles from assorted Hong Kong film magazines***

domain: entertainment