This research was funded by the Canadian Race Relations Foundation. This report is a summary of the major results obtain from Unequal Access: A Canadian Profile of Racial Differences in Education, Employment and Income. The Highlights document provides statistical data in the form of graphs- from the 1996- comparing employment, income and university education rates according to racial groups. As well, the summary presents racialise peoples difficulties in obtain employment related to their field of study or expertise, as well as having recognition of their foreign earned education. Copies of this bilingual report are availalbe through the CRRF. via http://www.crr.ca/
Top Documentary of The Week: America Before Columbus
America Before Columbus
History books traditionally depict the pre-Columbus Americas as a pristine wilderness where small native villages lived in harmony with nature.
But scientific evidence tells a very different story: When Columbus stepped ashore in 1492, millions of people were already living there. America wasn’t exactly a New World, but a very old one whose inhabitants had built a vast infrastructure of cities, orchards, canals and causeways. The English brought honeybees to the Americas for honey, but the bees pollinated orchards along the East Coast. Thanks to the feral honeybees, many of the plants the
Europeans brought, like apples and peaches, proliferated. Some 12,000 years ago, North American mammoths, ancient horses, and other large mammals vanished. The first horses in America since the Pleistocene era arrived with Columbus in 1493.
Settlers in the Americas told of rivers that had more fish than water. The South American potato helped spark a population explosion in Europe. In 1491, the Americas had few domesticated animals, and used the llama as their beast of burden.
In 1491, more people lived in the Americas than in Europe. The first conquistadors were sailors and adventurers. In 1492, the Americas were not a pristine wilderness but a crowded and managed landscape. The now barren Chaco Canyon was once covered with vegetation. Along with crops like wheat, weeds like dandelion were brought to America by Europeans.
Protecting Youth from Bullying and Cyberbullying
 May 10, 2013
Winnipeg, Manitoba – PMO Office StatmentÂ
The Government of Canada recognizes that bullying and cyberbullying are serious concerns for many Canadian families and communities, and has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of our most vulnerable citizens.
While bullying is not new, cyberbullying or bullying carried out by electronic means is a relatively recent phenomenon. Anyone can be a victim of cyberbullying. As with bullying more generally, young people are the most common targets of this type of behaviour. Bullying and cyberbullying can have a devastating impact on their victims and are particularly harmful to both the welfare and development of child victims.
Protecting our Youth
The Government has undertaken education and awareness, prevention, and, enforcement activities to address the problems of bullying and cyberbullying.
Education and Awareness
- Through the Healthy Canadians website and Facebook pages, the Government reaches out to Canadians on health issues, including information on bullying and cyberbullying, and tips for bullying prevention and intervention.
- In February 2013, Facebook posts on bullying were seen by over 500,000 people and shared more than 6,500 times.
- The Youth Resource Centre provides RCMP officers working in over 5,000 schools across the country with cyberbullying lesson plans to teach youth how to recognize, respond to and prevent cyberbullying behaviour.
- Piloted in 2011, the Walk Away, Ignore, Talk it Out, Seek Help (WITS) program has RCMP officers in 50 elementary schools and has engaged over 8,800 students to prevent bullying and victimization. The program is run in collaboration with Promoting Relationships and Eliminating Violence Network (PREVNet), the Rock Solid Foundation and University of Victoria researchers.
- The DEAL.org website is a unique by-youth, for-youth, web-based program that offers resources to youth, parents and educators on issues such as bullying and cyberbullying.
- GetCyberSafe, the Government of Canada’s public awareness campaign on online safety, has information about cyberbullying that includes how to talk to youth about it, and how to respond to this type of incident.
- Continue reading
Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission
About the CRTC
- The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is an independent public organization that regulates and supervises the Canadian Radio, Television and Telecommunications sector.
- The CRTC does NOT regulate newspapers, magazines, cell phone rates, the quality of service and business practices of cell phone companies, or the quality and content of TV and radio programs.broadcasting and telecommunications systems.
- As an independent organization, the CRTC works to serve the needs and interests of citizens, industries, interest groups and the government.
- The CRTC reports to Parliament through the Minister of Canadian Heritage.
Mandate
The CRTC’s mandate is to ensure that both the broadcasting and telecommunications systems serve the Canadian public. The CRTC uses the objectives in the Broadcasting Act and the Telecommunications Act to guide its policy decisions.
Harper announces energy innovation projects across Canada
May 3, 2013
Quebec City, Quebec
Click the logo to read the press release from CO2 Solutions
Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced support for 55 innovative new projects aimed at producing and using energy in a cleaner, more efficient way. Support is being provided through the Government of Canada’s ecoENERGY Innovation Initiative, which was introduced in Budget 2011, and is being led by Natural Resources Canada. The Prime Minister was joined by Christian Paradis, Minister of Industry and Minister of State (Agriculture), and Steven Blaney, Minister of Veteran Affairs and Minister for La Francophonie.
“Our Government is positioning Canada as a global leader in the clean energy sector by supporting innovative projects across the country aimed at producing and using energy in a cleaner and more efficient way,” said the Prime Minister. “The research and development generated by the projects being announced today will also maintain and create jobs, while benefitting the environment.”
PM Announces Investment Treaty with Nigeria
May 1, 2013
Ottawa, Ontario
Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mohammed Namadi Sambo, Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, today announced the conclusion of negotiations toward a Canada-Nigeria Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA). The announcement was made following a bilateral meeting that was part of Mr. Sambo’s visit to Canada from April 30 to May 4, 2013.
Photo Curtsey of businessnews.com.ng/business/
“This agreement will facilitate investment flows between Canada and Nigeria, contributing to job creation and economic growth in both countries,” said Prime Minister Harper. “It will provide Canadian companies and investors with the protection and confidence they need to take advantage of the many commercial opportunities in Africa’s most populous nation.”
The Agreement will come into force once both parties complete their respective domestic ratification processes. There are significant Canadian investment opportunities in Nigeria, including in the extractive, information and communications technology, agriculture and infrastructure sectors.
Nigeria is Canada’s largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa. Since 2006, annual bilateral trade between the two countries has more than doubled, reaching $2.3 billion by 2012. In 2011, Canadian direct investment in Nigeria totalled $36 million and is expected to grow as a result of this FIPA.
Continue reading
Spotlight: Canada’s Green Technology Leader – Energate
 About The Founder
NIRAJ BHARGAVA, BASc, MBA, ICD.D Co-Founder, Chairman & CEO, Energate Inc.
NIRAJ BHARGAVA, BASc, MBA, ICD.D Co-Founder, Chairman & CEO, Energate Inc. Niraj Bhargava is Co-Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Energate Inc., a company specializing in home energy management solutions. Previously, Niraj was President and CEO of Enerstat Limited, the company that first commercialized the electronic programmable thermostat. After Enerstat, Niraj became a faculty member in Entrepreneurship at Queen’s University, Founder and CEO of Queen’s Centre for Enterprise Development, and then Dean of the Business School at Royal Roads University. Earlier in his career, Niraj practiced engineering at Bell-Northern Research, marketing and business development at Northern Telecom and General Electric, and was General Manager of GE Energy Management. Niraj has a BASc from University of Waterloo and an MBA from Ivey Business School, including an International Business Certificate from Stockholm School of Economics. With his degree in Systems Design Engineering, Niraj received his Professional Engineering license in 1989.
Continue reading
A Prayer for Mercy In Time of Trouble
By: Jerome Downey
Positive Impacts of Religious Awareness
After talking to my 76 year old grandmother I was inspired to share a bible verse she recited to me after we discussed the challenging week it has been in the news regarding the loss of life and violence which has transpired. I don’t attend church as regularly as I once did in my youth however as I grow older I have become more aware of the positive impacts religion has played in my life.
Within the African Nova Scotian culture there is a strong connection to the church within the community. The African United Baptist Association (AUBA) was founded in Nova Scotia and has been in existence since 1818. Drawing from this history and understanding of my culture I personally identify with a lot of traditional Southern Black Gospel music, it has an empowering emotional and strong impact on the listener. This is one of my favourite Gospel genre songs these days I hope you enjoy!
[youtube_sc url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JY8dIRbhIug” title=”A%20Prayer%20for%20Mercy%20In%20Time%20of%20Trouble%20″]
Royal Bank Takes Social Finance Leadership
By: JeromeDowney
Recently the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) suffered a public relations setback with the announcements of the outsourcing of jobs within the banks internal administrative IT division. This type of negative media focus has been prevalent since the 2008 financial crisis for many banks. With record job losses, home foreclosures and the rise of predatory B lending capital there has been no shortage of material for public’s scrutiny. However with that said positive solutions must come out of this financial crisis one way or another. And that is where the concept of social finance as a new financial tool of lending capital has an opportunity to succeed.
A Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) logo is seen at a branch in Toronto. (© Mark Blinch / Reuters/Mark Blinch /REUTERS)
Finance As a Tool of Equity and Growth
The financial service sector has always been an engine of economic growth for North America’s economy. The development of different financial instruments, products, services and credit approval criteria has revolutionized how money is exchanged between consumers and merchants. In Canada our finances have become increasingly digitized. We have online banking, secured/unsecured credit cards, and simple debt cards. We have online equity trading platforms and a verity of other tools that enables the economic flow of capital. However there has been little development on the technology of lending criteria. The big question social finance can help us answer is “How do we value the human element of capital”?
Leadership Development and Executive Coaching
Professional Development
I have always encouraged and supported the practice and development of professional executive coaching. Any young or seasoned professional that is developing businesses or working within established corporations can gain and benefit from the insights of a coach in the business world. Nikoleta understands the challenges of today’s business leaders. And it is for that reason that I highly recommend Nikoleta & Associates services particularly for those within my network who want to take things to the next level.
Founder of Nikoleta & Associates.
The Power of Executive Coaching
The process of becoming a leader involves commitment to growth, courage and penetrating guidance. At Nikoleta & Associates, we offer executive coaching and leadership development services designed to forge each client’s individual journey.
Executive Coaching – Executive coaching begins where the clients are, not where they think they should be – at Nikoleta & Associates, this is the origin of the journey. Executive coaching can accelerate a leader’s commitment to growth, propel team effectiveness and cohesion, and serve a strategic purpose for transition. Nikoleta & Associates is committed to helping executives garner the full opportunity that transitions offer, whether these transitions are between traditional jobs, between roles within a firm, or the day to day mini-transitions that highlight the executive’s inner challenges to growth and self-authorization