McGuinty Government Supports 159 Projects To Help Students Graduate

KITCHENER — More high school students will graduate through the increased support, extra guidance and unique learning opportunities offered by Student Success Lighthouse projects, said Education Minister Kathleen Wynne November 30, 2006.

"We know that a one-size-fits-all approach does not work in education,” said Wynne at Forest Heights Collegiate Institute high school. “That’s why we are reaching every student through a variety of programs like the Student Success Lighthouse projects that help students who struggle in the traditional classroom.”

The Ministry of Education has invested $12 million in 159 projects in 2006-07. These projects were developed by individual boards to meet the unique challenges faced by their students, schools and communities.

“We are helping more students in Kitchener build confidence and learn skills so they can focus on graduation,” said Kitchener Centre MPP John Milloy. “Lighthouse projects are a great example of how local innovation and provincial support can create student-focused solutions within individual communities.”

At Forest Heights, about 400 students are participating in three Student Success Lighthouse projects:

§ The Reintegrating-Engaging-Connecting program provides students with a space where they can receive support and remain connected to school, while dealing with issues that may result in suspension.

§ The New Horizons-Immigrant Youth program focuses on language and skill development for new immigrants.

§ The Career Explorations / Integrated Services Model program includes a flexible and unique co-operative education option that meets students’ academic needs, and strengthens interpersonal and problem solving skills.

Zeljka Stanivuk is a student in the Career Explorations / Integrated Services Model program. She nearly dropped out of school, and credits the school’s integration worker, Tanya Dale, for helping her reengage in learning. “She’s the type of person that you simply can’t disrespect. Little by little she learned about me. She was the one I could turn to. She also helped my family understand what I was going through.”

Other Lighthouse projects running in Ontario schools this year include:

§ House-building projects offered by the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario and Algoma District School Board

§ High school classes being offered on college campuses including manufacturing and construction courses at Mohawk College through the Brant-Haldimand Norfolk District School Board

§ Career development help for Grade 9 and 10 students in Noelville by the Conseil scolaire public du Grand Nord de l’Ontario

Innovative programs like these will help the McGuinty government achieve its high school graduation target of 85 per cent of students by 2010-11 – a significant increase from 68 per cent in 2003-04. When the target is achieved, 20,000 more students will graduate every year. Early results show Ontario schools are on track to meet this target with 71 per cent of students graduating in 2004-05.

This is the third year of the Student Success Lighthouse program. Last year, students participating in Lighthouse projects achieved a 76 per cent pass rate, with more than 21,000 credits earned.

This program is one of six innovative new initiatives at the heart of the government’s Student Success Strategy. Other initiatives in the strategy include Student Success Teams, Grade 8-9 Transition Teams, Specialist High-Skills Majors, expanded co-operative education and dual credits.

TORONTO - The federal government's economic update contains a few positive signals that Ottawa may be listening to Ontario's call for fairness in federal transfers, Finance Minister Greg Sorbara says.

"What I don't see - and this disappoints me - is any detail on anything except tax cuts and debt reduction," Sorbara said. "There are no specifics on how they're going to invest in infrastructure. There are no specifics on how they're going to address the fiscal imbalance. There are no specifics on how they're going to invest in post-secondary education."

The federal government's economic update failed to provide any details on these essential areas of investment. The province remains concerned that the federal government's focus on tax cuts and debt reduction limits their ability, and the province's, to invest in these priorities. This could mean, Sorbara said, that provinces will be on the hook to pick up even more of these costs in the future.

"Tax cuts will certainly benefit Ontarians," Sorbara said. "But I don't see the details on how Ontarians' priorities will be addressed."

OTTAWA - The following is a statement from FCM President Guelph Councillor Gloria Kovach reacting to the release November 23, 2006 of the Economic and Fiscal Update by Finance Minister Flaherty.

"We welcome the reaffirmation of the Government's commitment to work toward a comprehensive infrastructure plan that includes long-term and predictable funding.

The extension for two additional years of the federal gas tax transfer is an important first step as we transition toward a longer term effort to erase Canada's municipal infrastructure deficit. This also signals the Government's long-term commitment to vibrant and competitive cities and communities.

We look forward to more details on this plan in the 2007 Budget. The economic statement indicates that the Government of Canada will continue to provide targeted infrastructure programs as part of the overall plan. These programs will go to municipal priorities, such as public transit and wastewater.

On this front, the Economic and Fiscal Update brings good news for Canada's cities and communities. We look forward to working with Transport, Infrastructure and Communities Minister Cannon and Finance Minister Flaherty to work out the details of the Government's long-term participation in strengthening our cities and communities.

However, we will also be looking very carefully at the details of the requirement that municipalities must consider Public Private Partnerships, or P3s, to access federal infrastructure dollars.

Municipalities are already using P3s where it makes sense. We are concerned that this new funding requirement may create unnecessary red tape and become a barrier to participation by municipalities. This is particularly true for smaller and remote communities. Here too we look forward to working out the details with Minister Cannon.

The prosperity of our country will be built on a foundation of vibrant and competitive cities and communities. The Government of Canada today has taken an important step in that direction."

In his lecture Back to the Great Game, Dyer will discuss his views on world events that have taken place since 9-11, and will explore issues such as current shifts in global influence.

“The most dangerous times in history are the periods when the pecking order of the great powers changes, and we are approaching such a period now,” says Dyer. “The United States, after less than a century at the top of the heap, faces the emergence of new great powers in Asia.”

The lecture will mark Dyer's third visit to Wilfrid Laurier University in the past seven years. In his last lecture at Laurier in February 2003, he spoke about the “war against terrorism,” predicting a lengthy war in Iraq which he called “dumb and dangerous.”

“Gwynne is always an interesting lecturer who delivers thought-provoking commentary on international affairs. We're very pleased to have him come back to Laurier to present his views on current issues, the world's response and what's going to happen next,” said David Docherty, Laurier’s dean of arts.

Dyer has worked as a freelance journalist, columnist, broadcaster and lecturer on international affairs for more than 20 years, but was originally trained as a historian. Born in Newfoundland, he received degrees from Canadian, American and British universities, finishing with a PhD in military and Middle Eastern history from the University of London. He currently publishes a twice-weekly column on international affairs, which appears in 175 papers in some 45 countries.

The Laurier lecture series asks noted speakers to share their diverse and wide-ranging interests with the Laurier community. The lecture is open to the public and admission is free, though seating is limited and provided to the first who arrive.

Op-ed by Catherine Whelan Costen Canadian Action Party President

November 19,2006 - The Canadian public continually admonishes politicians because they feel the system is undemocratic or not accountable to the people. I assert that the system was founded with the ability to become more democratic as the country matured, but has not evolved into a more interactive system, in part because those who hold power are reluctant to share that power with the people they serve. Power is given not taken. Democracy is meant to involve the people. The word ‘politics’ was derived from the Greek root ’politeia’ meaning, ‘gathering of citizens’. Oxford Dictionary definition: ‘ORIGIN late Middle English : from Old French politique ‘political,’ via Latin from Greek politikos, from polit?s ‘citizen,’ from polis ‘city.’

It is time politicians understood this and the people gathered to involve themselves in the democracy of our nation, while we still can. Democracy ought to reflect the values, morals and aspirations of the people. As the word political becomes associated with corruption, and high powered games, the people naturally recoil in disgust, leaving a democratic deficit. Through my position with the Canadian Action Party I have witnessed first hand the desperate attempts of the empire builders to block the people from their Constitutional Right to self-government.

Canada is a federal constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy. Comprising ten provinces and three territories, Canada has 308 federal ridings represented by 4 political parties voted into power by the people of Canada. Results of the 39th General Election show that of the 308 ridings, consisting of 30,007,094 citizens, and 23,054,615 eligible voters only 14,908,703 actually voted. That is 64.7% voter turnout, but only 36.3 % of voters voted for the voice represented by the present minority Conservative government. (23.5% of eligible voters voted for the present government) This means that 15,098,391 people in Canada do not have their voice heard, either because they did not qualify to vote or because they voted for another party. 35.3 % of eligible voters have a representative from another party, but the remainder has no voice. 820,875 eligible voters voted for a point of view that is not represented in Parliament. There are 15 registered federal political parties in Canada, Canadian Action Party is one. Everyone of these 15 parties must comply with Elections Canada rules and has the same structure as the others, the only difference is some hold seats in Parliament.

Parties holding seats in Parliament have historically fought against the rights of those parties who do not hold seats. This is a very real form of discrimination against the people of Canada who do not support the elected parties. It is displayed in their conduct during elections when established parties control candidate forums. Candidates (without party seats) are often prevented from offering the public another point of view in ‘all’ candidate debates/forums, either by totally banning other candidates or through biased, moderator-controlled events. Established parties (including the NDP) fight against fair distribution of Canadian tax dollars to the other parties, as is demonstrated with the recent appeal by the Attorney General of the lawsuit fought and won for $1.75 per vote regardless of party size or number of votes. No party with seats has spoken out on the people’s behalf!

‘An Ontario judge has struck down an electoral law that permitted large federal political parties to fill their coffers with public money at the expense of smaller parties.’ But the large political parties do not want competition. They do not want the truth to be exposed or for the people of Canada to have options in this democratic process otherwise they would not be appealing. Yet…

‘The federal government has appealed an Ontario ruling striking down a law that permitted large federal political parties to fill their coffers with public money at the expense of smaller parties.

In a brief filed with the Ontario Court of Appeal, federal lawyers maintain that the small parties should never have been granted legal standing to mount their Charter of Rights and Freedoms challenge against the electoral law in the first place… The federal brief also claims that the government was perfectly justified in drafting a law that requires small parties to prove they have achieved a certain level of public popularity before they can receive taxpayers' money.’

Superior Court Judge Ted Matlow said it was undemocratic, unequal and stunts the growth of small parties for no valid reason. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20061117.wxparties17/BNStory/National/home

The most popular kids in school weren’t always the brightest, and popularity is not the most prudent manner to run the country. Popularity is often dependent on visibility, and if those who do not want a view to be heard can block it, then democracy is blocked by popularity. Blocking of funding prevents alternative parties from ever getting their message to the public. Democracy works best with an informed electorate. Dictatorships, on the other hand, control free speech. Media broadcasting is another area which is dominated by parties with seats in the House.

We are not talking about a child’s game here, we are talking about our the ability as Canadians to make informed decisions regarding how we wish to live in our own country! If the only people allowed to speak are those who actively deny the rights and freedoms of other points of view, then Canadians do not have a real, living democracy. Small political parties, acting in the best interest of the people, are forced to fund their own legal challenges to this grossly unfair system, while the government of the day uses public money to fight against rights that should be guaranteed under our Charter of Rights and Freedoms!

Undemocratic practices include legislation, or changes to existing legislation, that tip the scales in their favour. This is contrary to the best interests of the people of Canada. We are seeing this with the current, proposed changes to the ‘Accountability Act’.

“Elections Canada says the Conservative Party may have violated sections of both the Canada Elections Act and the Income Tax Act by engaging in a "cheque-swapping" scheme at its 2005 national party's policy convention in Montreal, a system that one legal expert says is designed to maximize revenue.” ( http://www.thehilltimes.ca/html/index.php?display=story&full_path=/2006/july/10/swap/&c=1 )

“The Conservative government is proposing to open a loophole in its vaunted accountability act by declaring that party convention fees not be counted as political contributions under the law.

The issue is a sensitive one for the Conservative party, which is under investigation by Elections Canada for failing to declare almost $2 million in fees paid by delegates to the party's 2005 convention.” ( http://www.mytelus.com/news/article.do?pageID=canada_home&articleID=2455586 )

The Conservative Party of Canada has been cited for their handling of funds for their party Convention; the party didn’t treat delegate fees as donations, as is required by Elections Canada. Rather than conform to Elections Canada regulations they are now attempting to change the law retroactively.

Canadian Action Party recently sent a letter of complaint to Jean-Pierre Kingsley, Chief Electoral Officer, asking him to investigate explicit instructions from Conservative Party headquarters to use Conservative MP's federally funded resources to support their candidates in the two by-elections of November 27, 2006.

These are clear examples of a dysfunctional democracy.

The people of Canada who support alternative political parties often make requests through their chosen party when they have concerns regarding matters in Parliament. Since the only difference is that one party has seats and the other does not, requests for information from unofficial opposition parties should be responded to in a respectful manner. If members currently holding seats do not respect the people’s choice, then they are not acting in a democratic fashion. Further unacceptable behaviour is seen in the response many citizens receive, should they write to an MP outside their riding. They are told to write to their own MP. If a Member of Parliament is unwilling or unable to respond to requests for information or take input from members of the public, then they should also refrain from voting on national issues which impact anyone outside their riding.

Our Supreme Court of Canada sanctioned the importance of small parties in Figueroa v Canada (Attorney General) 2003 SCC 37 it said in part…

"The ability of a party to make a valuable contribution is not dependent upon its capacity to offer the electorate a genuine government option. Political parties… act as a vehicle for the participation of individual citizens in the political life of the country. …Marginal or regional parties tend to raise issues not adopted by national parties. Political parties provide individual citizens with an opportunity to express an opinion on the policy and functioning of government.”

So while our democratic rights are enshrined within our Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Canadian Constitution is a solid document and tool for Canadians, they will remain simple historical documents unless the people of Canada breath life into them by actively using them and insisting that our Parliamentary system involve all the people of Canada. Full transparent, accountability cannot be gained without our vigilance and dedication to demanding it.

Canadian Action Party responds to the concerns of Canadians (regardless of their political affiliation or riding) as part of our pledge to serve the public good. We believe that 'public servant' is a term which requires reflection and action. Although we are not paid by the public, we maintain the position that as a legally registered federal political party we owe the public our best efforts to represent them within the limits of our resources. We could afford staff and better resources to serve the public interest, exposing truth, questioning decisions with public funding. That is primarily why those who hold the power prefer to keep us underfunded, out of public debates, off of national media and labeled as fringe parties rather than support real living democracy.

Through our awareness, our research and our ability to write to MP’s on behalf of citizens we serve the public good. If not for the Canadian Action Party the truth regarding the threat of Canada’s absorption into a North American Corporate enslavement would never have been exposed. The secret Traitorous meeting in Banff of unelected CEO”s and elected officials from Mexico, Canada, and the U.S. would not have received the attention it did, and the anti-terrorism Act which threatens all Canadians’ civil rights would not have been contested. No other political party is addressing these issues, and certainly none with a seat in the House of Commons! So while they are unapologetically feeding off the public coffers, they are not acting in the people’s best interest.

We expect MP’s to respect the democratic process enough to respond to our legitimate inquiries. We acknowledge the very important role of every political party in Canada as a reflection of the citizens who support them. We demand nothing less from our counterparts. The new Conservative Party of Canada held their first Convention in 2005. It is a new party, already involved in controversy with Elections Canada, and they are sitting with a shaky minority government gained with the support of only 23.5% of eligible Canadians; yet they are willing to challenge the rights of other political parties to receive fair funding.

Canadians deserve better!

An initial public meeting was held on September 14 at St. Aloysius Church to collect public input and share ideas and thoughts about the neighbourhood's needs to be used when building the business case for a new, permanent centre.

Wilson Avenue Public School is located at 221 Wilson Ave. in Kitchener. For more information call 519-741-2511 or email lynda.stewart@kitchener.ca

Gary Goodyear, Member of Parliament for Cambridge, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development; John Milloy, MPP for Kitchener Centre, on behalf of John Gerretsen, Ontario’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Waterloo Regional Chair, Ken Seiling, and Cambridge Mayor, Doug Craig, attended today’s ceremony.

“Lower-income individuals, seniors and families deserve a safe, affordable place to call home,” said Mr. Goodyear. “Canada’s new government is proud to help make this dream a reality for those members of our community who need it most.”

“The McGuinty government is committed to working with our partners to help ensure that vulnerable residents across Ontario have an affordable place to call home,” said MPP Milloy. “These projects are a significant step in meeting the need for safe, affordable housing here in Cambridge.”

The two projects, totalling $11.5 million, including $2.87 million in funding from the Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program, will provide:

77 units for seniors and single persons at 151 Main Street in Cambridge, sponsored by Lancer Wellington Corporation; and

52 units for families and single persons at 224 to 230 Lena Crescent in Cambridge, sponsored by Lena Apartments Inc.

“The Region of Waterloo has been a leader in Ontario in funding, promoting and facilitating affordable housing projects,” said Regional Chair Ken Seiling. “With committed partners such as Lancer Wellington Corporation and Lena Apartments Inc., we have been successful in developing 1,200 units of affordable housing in our community since 2001.”

“It is partnerships such as this that make affordable housing projects the realization of a dream from many Cambridge residents,” said Mayor Craig.

The federal and provincial funding for the projects was complemented by more than $2.16 million in municipal financial incentives from the Region of Waterloo.

In Waterloo Region, the Government of Canada, through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), has contributed $13.57 million through the Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program Agreement.

The new Canada – Ontario Affordable Housing Program comprises a commitment of $301 million from each of the two senior levels of government. In total, the federal, provincial and municipal governments will invest at least $734 million in the program, which will provide affordable housing for 20,000 households in Ontario.

MISSISSAUGA- The City of Mississauga's municipal election results were certified and released today by city clerk CrystalGreer. Hazel McCallion was again re-elected as Mayor and received 98,293 votes or 91.41 per cent of the ballots cast.

The official results indicate voter turn out was 25 per cent this year. The City of Mississauga had a total of 445,964 eligible voters, 110,248 of which cast ballots.

The official results are available online at www.mississaugavotes.ca and are broken down by Mayor and City-wide races and Ward races (including school board trustees). The results show the number of votes each candidate received and a percentage based on the total ballots cast.

EqualityRules.ca Campaign Targets Youth Aged 8 to 14

TORONTO - The McGuinty government is launching EqualityRules.ca, a groundbreaking public education campaign to educate youth, aged eight to 14, about the importance of healthy, equal and respectful relationships, Sandra Pupatello, Minister Responsible for Women's Issues, announced November 16, 2006.

"This pioneering campaign will empower young people to develop the positive behaviours necessary for healthy relationships in their teenage and adult years," said Pupatello. "EqualityRules.ca speaks the language of youth to help them recognize and respond to attitudes and behaviours that are unhealthy versus those that are healthy."

The campaign is anchored by the EqualityRules.ca website and also features television and cinema ads. The campaign features scenarios that illustrate harmful behaviours and attitudes that can lead to violence against women and girls, and offers viewers a choice of ways to manage these situations in the right way.

"Early intervention is the key to breaking the cycle of violence," said Donna Hansplant, Vice-President, Counselling Services for Kids Help Phone. "I applaud the government for taking this innovative approach to reducing violence and abuse against women and girls in our communities."

The campaign also includes a $1.2 million in funding to community groups to promote healthy, equal relationships.

The campaign fulfills another commitment of the McGuinty government's, four-year, $68 million Domestic Violence Action Plan. Other initiatives include: <<

- Investing $571,925 in the Neighbours, Friends and Families campaign that provides information to help people who know women at risk recognize the signs of abuse and know what action to take;

- Investing over $58 million over four years to boost community supports such as shelters, crisis lines, and counseling;

- Investing $4.6 million in 28 initiatives over three years to help women and children at risk and to train professionals to intervene earlier when they spot the signs of abuse

ST-EMILE, QUEBEC- The Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of Industry, today told workers and executives at the Leduc Sawmill that the return of softwood lumber duties will help their industry get through this difficult period.

"These duty refunds bring a badly needed injection of cash to the softwood industry, which is facing significant challenges," said Minister Bernier while visiting the sawmill during a tour of forestry companies. "The implementation of the Softwood Lumber Agreement is vital for the success of Canada's forest industry and its 340 000 workers."

The Honourable David Emerson, Minister of International Trade, said that thanks to the creation of a refund mechanism through Export Development Canada (EDC), the return of duties to companies is well ahead of schedule. "Canada's New Government committed to the speedy return of duties to our softwood producers," said Minister Emerson. "These returns started less than three weeks after the agreement came into effect."

"The quick return of softwood lumber duties are vital for these forestry companies in order for them to pay down debt, improve cash flow, invest in new machinery and equipment, and explore new markets for their products," Minister Bernier added.

Rejean Begin, Vice-President of Papiers White Birch, a private company with holdings in Scierie Leduc, is looking forward to receiving some $2.5 million in duties collected from his company. "The return of this money will allow us to modernize some of our equipment," he said, "which will in turn contribute to the viability of the plant."

Under the terms of the Softwood Lumber Agreement, EDC will continue to make expedited refunds to participating companies over the coming weeks.

Early Researcher Award Program Supports 104 Projects

LONDON - Ontario's talented academic researchers are getting a $14 million boost from the McGuinty government, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Research and Innovation John Wilkinson announced November 7, 2006.

"Our government is doing its part to make it easier for outstanding researchers to stay in Ontario and recruit talented young researchers to their teams, " said Wilkinson, on behalf of Premier and Minister of Research and Innovation Dalton McGuinty.

The government is investing $51 million over five years in the Early Researcher Award program. This second round of the awards will support 104 leading early career researchers working at 22 institutions in 10 communities across the province. Awardees receive up to $100,000 from the Ontario government and $50,000 from their institutions.

"We know that jurisdictions that invest in innovation will be home to the most rewarding jobs, the strongest economies and the best quality of life," McGuinty said. "By providing early career researchers with the tools they need to succeed, we're laying the foundation for generations of research talent to come."

Applications are now being accepted for the next round of Early Researcher Awards. The deadline is January 31, 2007. Details are posted on the Ministry of Research and Innovation website at http://www.ontario.ca/innovation.

Investing in early career researchers and attracting world-class research talent is the latest example of how the McGuinty government is working on the side of businesses and families to strengthen Ontario's economy. <<

Other initiatives include:

- Encouraging strong job creation, with almost 268,000 net new jobs since taking office

- Helping to generate almost $7 billion in automotive investments that retain and create thousands of high-value jobs

- Launching a $500-million Advanced Manufacturing Investment Strategy to help manufacturers develop cutting-edge technologies

- Investing $6.2 billion in our universities, colleges, student financial assistance and training programs.

"By investing in early career researchers, we're making Ontario a great place for innovation," said Wilkinson. "Their discoveries will be made right here at home, providing jobs and prosperity for Ontarians well into the future."


Backgrounder

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EARLY RESEARCHER AWARD PROGRAM >>

The Early Researcher Award (ERA) program is the Ontario government's $51 million, five-year investment in the next generation of researchers with big ideas.

To be eligible for an award, a researcher at an Ontario university, college, hospital or research institute must be within the first five years of his or her independent academic research career.

As well, all ERA projects are required to develop a youth outreach plan to connect tomorrow's researchers with today's leaders in science and technology.

In the second round of Early Researcher Awards, more than $14 million has been awarded to 104 leading early career researchers working at 22 institutions in 10 communities across the province.

Awardees receive up to $100,000 from the Ontario government and an additional $50,000 from their institutions. The funding covers operating costs of the researchers' teams and the facilities and infrastructure required to perform the research.

A call for proposals, which will close on January 31, 2007, was issued today for the third round of awards. Applications are peer-reviewed and judged according to the excellence and potential of the applicant, quality of the research and training of the members of the research team. The Ontario Research Fund Advisory Board's recommendations for funding are forwarded to the Minister of Research and Innovation for final approval. For a complete list of award recipients to date, please visit www.ontario.ca/innovation.

The program is a key component of the province's research and innovation strategy, which aims to strengthen Ontario's economic advantage by helping to attract, retain and develop the best and brightest researchers in key economic sectors.

Establish tree-lined corridors for sitting, walking and cycling on certain downtown streets;

Require or encourage facilities such as multi-use pathways and bike racks to promote alternative modes of transit;

Promote the unique character of each of the four distinct downtown design districts: City Centre, Market, Warehouse, and Civic. This will be done through specific urban design guidelines and standards in the City's Urban Design Manual; and,

Encourage a mixture of people-friendly streets and car-friendly streets.

The policies will come into effect once they are approved by Regional Council. It is expected that Regional Council will consider them early in the new year.

Once implemented, the policies are expected to have a positive effect on Kitchener's economic development. ''Cities around the world are defined now, not by their suburbs, but by their downtown areas,'' said Bluhm. ''If we achieve what this vision and these policies strive for, we will be able to compete for the world's most talented minds and most prestigious stores and companies.''

TORONTO - Mayor David Miller released his full campaign platform today, outlining both a positive vision and specific priorities for a prosperous, liveable Toronto with opportunities for all. Highlights include a climate change plan, creation of 4000 affordable housing units, and a plan to put creativity at the heart of the city's economic development strategy.

"To me, a great city is one that is known around the world for the quality of life it offers its citizens," said Mayor David Miller. "It is safe, strong, creative and clean. It has a great transit system. And a great city leaves no one behind by creating opportunity for all. That is my vision for Toronto and I look forward to working with the people of this city and all levels of government to build our great city together."

The platform builds on Mayor Miller's vision for Toronto articulated at his campaign launch, and on policy announcements made throughout the campaign. For the complete policy platform, visit www.millerformayor.ca.

A Prosperous Toronto

Mayor David Miller is seeking a strong mandate to champion a true New Deal for Canada's major cities. He will:

<< - Develop a National Transit Strategy to fund public transit in Canada's largest cities.

- Fight to fix the municipal fiscal imbalance by pressing the provincial and federal governments to take back the costs of social services, housing and other downloaded services.

- Focus on obtaining a source of revenue that grows with the economy, just as Ottawa and Queen's Park have enjoyed for decades. Toronto deserves a one-cent share of the existing GST or PST as it is impossible to build a great city on the property tax base alone. This would add $450 million a year to the City's budget. >>

A Greener City

Under Mayor Miller's leadership the City has made historic progress on environmental issues, and there is more to be done. To build on Toronto's successes, Mayor David Miller will:

<< - Increase Toronto's diversion rate to 70 % by 2010 by expanding the Green Bin program to include apartments and condominiums, and expanding the range of recyclable materials in the blue box to include: polystyrene, plastic film, ceramics/plate glass, and plastic jugs.

- Develop a comprehensive climate change plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions to help combat global warming.

- Implement the remaining components of the City's smog plan and develop a new, aggressive clean air action plan that will reduce smog-causing pollutants by 20 % by 2012. >>

A Creative City

Mayor David Miller wants Toronto to be a creative city that celebrates and embraces arts and culture. He wants it to be Canada's cultural capital and a global cultural centre. He will: <<

- Put creativity at the heart of Toronto's economic development strategy. This could include:

- Establishing a creativity convergence centre that will bring different enterprises together under one roof to spark innovation, cooperation, and new economic activity.

- Advancing Toronto as a centre of design.

- Supporting entrepreneurship skill development for creative professionals.

- Supporting the creation of a venture capital pool for creative industries.

- Continuing to strengthen Toronto's film industry.

- Build creative community hubs that will bring local artists and organizations to provide programming in Toronto's community centres.

- Bring back Nuit Blanche and continue the successful Live with Culture initiative.

>> Efficiency

Mayor Miller's vision of government is to work with people and to get results for people. He will:

<< - Continue to manage the city efficiently and responsibly. If residential property taxes have to rise at all, the increase will be in line with the rate of inflation.

- Establish a 311 hotline with multilingual access so that every resident has direct and simple access to a person at City Hall who can help resolve problems.

- Establish a mandatory lobbyist registry in January 2007. It will apply to anyone wishing to bid on a procurement contract, including unions and not-for-profit organizations. >>

Opportunity for All

Mayor David Miller believes that City Hall should take the lead in building strong, inclusive and diverse communities in all parts of the City.

To strengthen Toronto's diversity he will: <<

- Create 1,000 units of affordable housing each year for the next four years on the Railway Lands, the West Don Lands, and by redeveloping existing locations.

- Transform and revitalize Toronto's social housing communities, using Regent Park as an example, into viable, mixed-income communities of hope.

- Create a civic engagement office to reach out to Torontonians of all backgrounds and make them feel a part of Toronto. >>

eMaps, Interactive Online Mapping Named Top Project in "Geospatial: Web Publishing" Category

EXTON, PA. - Mississauga, Canada's sixth-largest city, has won a 2006 BE Award for its eMaps project. The award category was "Geospatial: Web Publishing."

The BE Awards of Excellence, which are judged by an independent panel of industry experts and presented at an evening ceremony during the annual BE Conference (www.be.org), honor the extraordinary work of Bentley users improving the world's infrastructure. These projects set benchmarks for their industries and showcase the imagination and technical mastery of the organizations that created them.

In 2003 Mississauga launched its eCity portal - with a goal of making all major city services available online. The portal offers residents, businesses, and visitors better customer service while realizing savings for the city through a cost-avoidance model.

The portal's development plans include a robust, multifunctional, interactive online mapping system called eMaps. The system is based on Bentley Geo Web Publisher and is closely tied to the city's enterprise systems and processes. It provides eCity users with 24/7 access to accurate, integrated geospatial data through a user-friendly browser-based interface. In its current phase-one implementation, eMaps allows users to quickly and easily search and display property-related mapping and aerial imagery.

Over time, the city expects this fast access to up-to-date geospatial information to dramatically reduce the phone and walk-in inquiries it receives from the public. This could save Mississauga tens of thousands of dollars in support costs.

In addition, the city is already realizing major benefits from the transformation of its mapping services. Through the new eMaps system, workflows have been automated, ensuring that all geospatial data is current and accurate. Nightly batch routines are run to update the mapping from the city's conventional maintenance procedures. Moreover, attribute data is leveraged from enterprise systems, where it is maintained by the city's business units.

The eMaps system also enables city staff to easily access integrated geospatial data to overlay mapping themes, query data, and generate custom maps. As a result, the city's highly trained GIS and CAD staff spend less time producing simple maps and more time on GIS analysis, automation, and data maintenance.

Likewise, because of eMaps, staff in the city's Geomatics section now spend fewer hours maintaining standard mapping products in MicroStation and outputting updated maps as PDFs for the eCity portal. The integration of these mapping products into eMaps ensures that the information is always up to date, reducing the requirement to maintain PDF maps.

For more information on Mississauga's winning project and all of the other 2006 BE Award projects, visit www.be.org/awards. For more information on the Bentley products used in this project, visit www.bentley.com/geospatial.

New Technical Support Centre To Help Diversify, Strengthen Windsor Economy

WINDSOR - Economic Development and Trade Minister Sandra Pupatello was joined by Dwight Duncan, MPP for Windsor-St. Clair, Ashok Jain, Chief Operating Officer of Sutherland Global Services, and Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis to announce a new technical support centre in Windsor creating 1,000 high value jobs in this community.

"This is a huge win for Windsor," said Pupatello. "This investment is a real boost to this city's economy and a vote of confidence in its highly educated workforce. These are the kinds of investments that help put Windsor and the rest of Ontario on the radar screen to attract other innovative businesses."

Sutherland Global Services (SGS) will provide advanced technical support for personal computer users. The new Windsor operation, set to open December 15, 2006, will phase in hiring and training for technical support agents in diagnostics and troubleshooting. SGS will hire 75 agents starting mid-November and another 500 agents in March 2007. One thousand full time positions will be filled by March 2008.

Windsor is part of a growing trend as Ontario attracts more high-end technical support centers.

This is meeting a North American consumer demand for technical support services closer to home.

"We're grateful to Sutherland Global Services for choosing Ontario," Pupatello added. "We know it's because of the quality of Windsor's workforce, and the competitive advantage Ontario offers through lower corporate tax rates, health care, and telecommunications costs."

"This is great news for Windsor and this entire region," said Duncan. "This technical support centre is the result of our government's aggressive efforts to bring good jobs and more opportunity to workers and families in this community. We're helping diversify Windsor's local economy and promote our strong, skilled workforce."

Windsor is the third SGS operation in Ontario. The company operates two technical support centres in Sault Ste. Marie employing 1,300 people.

Citing the abundant skilled labour, the continued support of the Government of Ontario and the spirit of partnership demonstrated by the City of Windsor, Sutherland's Chief Operating Officer Ashok Jain said, "We thank the Province of Ontario for being supportive of our investment and look forward to working with them and the people of Windsor in supporting the region's economic growth."

This morning the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) approved the planning documents for the Hanlon Creek Business Park. The decision means the City of Guelph now has final planning approval for the plan of subdivision, zoning and Official Plan Amendments.

“The approval of the final planning documents from the OMB means the City of Guelph can now move forward with the first phase of development of the Hanlon Creek Business Park,” said Guelph’s Mayor, Kate Quarrie. “This helps to ensure the city has a sufficient supply of employment lands, and reinforces the message that Guelph is open for business.”

The City’s next step involves the establishment of a community liaison committee that will assist in the creation of the details for the design of the park. “The Hanlon Creek Business Park will offer purchasers, users, builders and developers a location that is unique for this part of the country,” said Peter Cartwright, Manager of Economic Development. “The park will have mixed uses incorporating architectural, urban design and landscaping guidelines to ensure a high quality development,” he added.

Located in Guelph’s south end, the Hanlon Creek Business Park will offer more than 400 acres of developable and saleable area with a 255 acre environmental reserve in the heart of the park containing recreational trails. Strategically located for targeting both Canadian and U.S. industrial and consumer marketplaces, the Hanlon Creek Business Park is expected to attract both new business wishing to relocate and existing local businesses that are looking to expand.

TORONTO - The Ontario government is making historic investments to improve access to post-secondary education by funding more college and university spaces and making certain that post-secondary education remains affordable.

These investments include:

- More opportunities: 86,000 more student spaces compared to four years ago;

- More affordability: 120,000 different students receiving grants, including 60,000 new upfront tuition grants;

- A 27% increase in available student assistance, while still limiting student debt to $7,000 a year;

- Breaking down barriers for first generation students, aboriginals, persons with disabilities and francophones;

- Improving quality: more professors, better equipment, improved student support services;

Under Reaching Higher, the people of Ontario are investing $3 extra for every extra $1 students are asked to contribute to their own education.

The new Student Access Guarantee ensures that:
- no qualified Ontario student is prevented from attending the province's public colleges and universities due to a lack of financial support programs and
- students in need have access to the resources they need for their tuition, books and mandatory fees.

40% of 18- to 24- year olds are participating in postsecondary education this fall - the highest rate in Ontario's history. This is compared to a 35 per cent participation rate in 2002-03.

On October 25 City Council unanimously approved a cost-sharing agreement and minutes of settlement for the Hanlon Creek Business Park. The agreement and minutes of settlement bring to completion several years of work on the part of the City to bring much-needed employment lands online.

Guelph’s Mayor, Kate Quarrie is pleased with today’s decision. “Staff and all parties involved, including the neighbourhood groups, are to be commended on reaching consensus on this tremendously important project. The new employment lands are an essential ingredient to helping Guelph diversify and build on its competitive strengths to create a positive environment for business investment.”

Now that Council has approved the agreement and minutes of settlement, the final planning documents now agreed to by all parties will be presented to the Ontario Municipal Board. When complete, the Hanlon Creek Business Park will advance the city’s economy by approaching a more balanced tax revenue base between residential and employment lands.

Warren Allmand, President, World Federalist Movement-Canada notes "We have given the UN responsibility for gargantuan tasks, but we also need to give it the requisite tools to do its job. We must strengthen the UN and international law now. We all know the consequences of failure. Will we be destined, as in 1919 and 1945, to start all over again from the ashes of another global catastrophe?"

Canada and Canadians have made substantial contributions to the founding and development of the UN. Today, at this critical time, a host of new initiatives - a standing emergency UN peace service, innovative financial development levies, greater efforts to operationalize the Responsibility to Protect, and the creation of a UN parliamentary assembly - cry out for Canada's bold leadership and vocal support.

WFM-C BACKGROUNDER
61st birthday of UN

The UN Charter came into effect on 24 October 1945 and United Nations Day provides an opportunity to celebrate an institution shared by all peoples of the world. Canadians can be justly proud of their contributions to the UN system.

UN's Purpose

The purpose is proclaimed in the eloquent Preamble to the Charter drafted by citizen-poet Archibald MacLeish which proclaims 'We the Peoples of the United Nations determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.. to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights ...and to promote social progress and better standards of life ..”. The UN is the world's only multilateral organization whose membership approaches universality that is dedicated to promoting adherence to treaties, international law, and the peaceful settlement of disputes.

Accomplishments

The UN has been at the centre of many of the most important accomplishments of the second half of the twentieth century - providing aid to people in desperate circumstances, overseeing decolonialization, promoting universal human rights, protecting the planet's natural resources and averting potentially catastrophic war. The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Secretary-Generals Hammarskjöld in 1961 and Annan in 2001, while the United Nations system has also won five times for peacekeeping and assistance to refugees and children.

Challenges

Human Security

The UN notoriously failed to prevent the Rwandan genocide in 1994 when an estimated one million people perished and it has failed again in Darfur since 2003. But there are reasons for hope. The recognition by the General Assembly in 2005 of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) as a new international norm, the advent of a revamped Human Rights Council and a new Peacebuilding Commission, and the recent NGO-led campaign for a Standing UN Emergency Peace Service are important steps toward addressing and preventing future atrocities.


Development

At its recent Reform Summit in September 2005, UN members recommitted themselves to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. But will these fine words be followed by bold action? Will Canada honour the commitment to devote 0.7 per cent of Gross National Product to foreign aid, a target first proposed by Lester Pearson in 1969?

Resources

The United Nations system spends about $20 billion each year - a tiny fraction of the trillion dollars that the world devotes to military expenditures. For nearly two decades, financial straits have forced the UN to cut important programs. Lately there has been an upsurge in proposals to utilize innovative global levies to fill some of the gaps. For example, fourteen countries have recently pledged to implement air-ticket levies to raise funds to treat AIDS and other pandemics in developing countries. France began implementing the levy this summer. "Canada has shown interest in these groundbreaking efforts in the past. Lately, however this country has lost the initiative," says Fergus Watt, Executive Director of the World Federalist Movement-Canada.


Governance

Recent reform efforts have concentrated on better internal management systems, but many UN decisions are made behind closed doors and lack democratic accountability. This year, the Government of Canada and many NGOs have called for a more transparent process of selecting the UN Secretary-General. Also, to address the UN's democratic deficit, civil society is conducting an international campaign for a UN Parliamentary Assembly. Here is another opportunity for Canada to play a leadership role.

The Twenty-first Century and the Road Ahead for Canada and the World

Today humankind faces many potential dangers - climate change and natural disasters, pandemics, economic and financial turbulence, nuclear accidents and weapons proliferation. These problems are unlikely to be solved by nations acting alone. The world requires effective democratic global institutions that enable cooperation and the rule of law while respecting the diversity and autonomy of national states. Will Canada play a leading role and persevere in strengthening the foundations of the United Nations system or, as in 1919 and 1945, will institution-building begin anew only upon the ashes of world-wide destruction?


FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Warren Allmand, WFM-C National President, (514) 872-4863 (o), (514) 486-1811(h) Fergus Watt, WFM-C Executive Director, (613) 232-0647

______________________________________________________________

WORLD FEDERALIST MOVEMENT - CANADA

Working for global human rights through global laws and institutions

The World Federalist Movement - Canada (WFM-C), founded in 1951, is a branch of the international World Federalist Movement (WFM) which is headquartered in New York City across from the UN, where it is an accredited NGO.

World federalists support the United Nations, while also working to make it more democratic, reliable and effective.

We believe the best guarantee of universal human rights is a global community based on the rule of law and democratically accountable international institutions.

During the 1990s, WFM coordinated the vast coalition of NGOs whose successful lobbying led to the creation of the International Criminal Court where human rights violators – from soldiers and civilians to generals and heads of state – can be brought to justice. Today WFM campaigns for the ratification of the ICC by all countries.

In the 2000s, WFM leads a new coalition lobbying for the global adoption of “The Responsibility to Protect” (R2P) as a new norm for the prevention of crimes against humanity and for multilateral military intervention as a last resort when gross and systematic violations occur. In September 2005 at the UN's historic Millennium + 5 Summit, WFM successfully pressed for the endorsement of R2P by the General Assembly.

WFM-C is Chair of Peace Operations Working Group of the Canadian Peacebuilding Co-ordinating Committee.

E-mail: wfcnat@web.ca

Telephone: (613) 232-0647

Fax: (613) 563-0017

http://www.worldfederalistscanada.org

OTTAWA - On October 18, 2006, the Government of Canada published Industry Canada's Regulations Amending the Patented Medicines (Notice of Compliance) Regulations ("PM(NOC) Regulations") and Health Canada's Regulations Amending the Food and Drug Regulations in Part II of the Canada Gazette. These regulations, which came into force on October 5, 2006, will strengthen the economy in the long term by restoring certainty, predictability and balance to Canada's intellectual property framework for pharmaceuticals and bio-pharmaceuticals.

"These improvements to the intellectual property environment are the product of extensive consultations with the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, and respond to the major concerns expressed by each sector of that industry," said the Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of Industry. "These improvements will encourage research into new and innovative drugs, and help to deliver on our government's commitment to provide the right environment for business-driven research and excellence."

"The amendments published today will benefit Canadians by making it easier for lower-cost, generic versions of these drugs to enter the market in a timely fashion," said the Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Health.

Under Health Canada's Regulations Amending the Food and Drug Regulations, new and innovative drugs will receive an internationally competitive, guaranteed minimum period of market exclusivity of eight years - up from the current five years. This is especially important to Canada's burgeoning biotechnology industry, since biologic drugs often have little patent protection left by the time they are approved for sale due to lengthy development and regulatory review times. These regulations will also provide a further six months of market exclusivity to innovative drugs that are the subject of pediatric studies, in order to encourage companies to provide more information about the effects these products have on children.

In turn, Industry Canada's Regulations Amending the PM(NOC) Regulations will restore their original policy intent by enabling generic versions of innovative drugs to enter the market immediately following the expiry of relevant patents, while also allowing substantive improvements to innovative drugs to be duly protected. This will provide greater certainty and predictability for the industry overall, thereby strengthening investment and innovation in Canada.

Electronic copies of both sets of these regulations, as published in Part II of the Canada Gazette, can be found at http://canadagazette.gc.ca/index-e.html.

Backgrounder

Regulations Amending the Intellectual Property Rules for Pharmaceuticals

In Canada, there are two types of regulations that protect intellectual property in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, the Patented Medicines (Notice of Compliance) Regulations ("PM(NOC) Regulations") and the data protection provisions in the Food and Drug Regulations. Industry Canada is responsible for the PM(NOC) Regulations and Health Canada is responsible for the data protection regulations.

On October 18, 2006, a joint set of amendments to these two sets of regulations was published in Part II of the Canada Gazette. The purpose of Industry Canada's amendments to the PM(NOC) Regulations is to make it easier for generic drug companies to predict when they may enter the market with a lower-cost version of an innovative, patented drug. This will accelerate the market entry of generic drugs once relevant patents expire. The purpose of Health Canada's amendments to the data protection regulations is to provide new and innovative drugs with a guaranteed eight-year minimum period of market exclusivity. A further six months of protection is available to drugs that have been the subject of pediatric studies. This will encourage research in the area and improve drug information available to pediatric health professionals. Together, these amendments will make Canada's intellectual property environment for pharmaceuticals more predictable, stable and internationally competitive.

A draft version of the amendments was pre-published in Part I of the Canada Gazette on June 17, 2006. Pre-publication was followed by a 30-day public comment period during which the government received over thirty separate submissions from various sources, including brand-name, biotech and generic pharmaceutical companies, as well as patent law practitioners, parliamentarians and provincial governments. Minor technical changes were made to the amendments in response to these submissions.

Rationale

The past few years have given rise to significant public dialogue about the intellectual property protection of pharmaceuticals, internationally and nationally. Internationally, many countries have made policy adjustments to optimize the balance between innovation and access to affordable medicines. In 2003, the United States amended its version of the PM(NOC) Regulations to make it easier for generic drugs to enter the market. In 2004, the European Union adopted new measures for data protection, settling upon a uniform 10-year period of protection, with an additional year of protection in instances where a drug is approved for a new use.

In Canada, rising concerns have been expressed about the balance between encouraging innovation and the availability of generic drugs, most notably in the report of the Romanow Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada, the 2003 review of the PM(NOC)Regulations by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, and most recently, in a February 2004 statement by the Competition Bureau.

In response to these concerns, Industry Canada and Health Canada carefully examined Canada's intellectual property regime as it relates to the pharmaceutical and biotech industry and concluded that two types of changes are needed to restore balance and predictability to the marketplace. On the patent side, it was found that some brand-name drug companies were using the PM(NOC) Regulations to delay legitimate generic competition, a practice sometimes referred to as "evergreening." On the trade-secret side, it was found that Canada's data protection provisions, which are intended to implement a NAFTA and WTO obligation to protect the research data submitted to regulatory agencies by innovative (i.e., brand-name and biotech) companies, do not currently prohibit generic drug companies from obtaining marketing approval on the basis of bioequivalence comparisons to already-approved innovative drugs. This is out of line with current practice in other jurisdictions, most notably Europe and the United States.

On December 11, 2004, the government pre-published a joint set of amendments designed to address these problems in Part I of the Canada Gazette. Pre-publication was followed by extensive consultations with the innovative and generic sectors of the industry. The amendments published in the Canada Gazette on October 18 incorporate the most sought-after change requested by each side of the industry, but have the same underlying objectives of restoring balance and making Canada's intellectual property regime more predictable and internationally competitive.