China has reported about 200 cases of a new coronavirus originating in the city of Wuhan which has caused the deaths of six people so far. It also is now reportedly spread from person to person, vastly increasing concerns. The World Health Organisation is holding an emergency meeting in Geneva today to discuss potential courses of action to halt the spread as needed. For more on this new disease we spoke with Dr. Dick Zoutman He's an infectious disease specialist and professor at Queen’s Univers...
Jan 21, 2020•6 min
A new book is being released called “From the Depths of Our Hearts”. It’s sparked a bit of controversy within the Roman Catholic church. It seems to push a conservative message about celibacy, and includes an essay by retired Pope Benedict who has asked to have his name removed as co-author. Micheal Swan is associate editor of The Catholic Register which lists itself as “Canada’s Catholic news source since 1893” ListenEN_Interview_1-20200116-WIE10 While the book supports the idea of celibacy, th...
Jan 16, 2020•9 min
Viewed by some as ‘too restrictive’, Canadian laws around medically assisted dying are under review. The government is asking Canadians to submit their views on the laws and what might be changed. Arthur Schafer is founding director of the Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics at the University of Manitoba, and was a consultant on previous government discussions on the issue ListenEN_Interview_1-20200114-WIE10 It’s called medical assistance in dying, and known by the acronym MAID. Current l...
Jan 14, 2020•11 min
After initially denying they were at fault, Iran quickly backtracked saying the shot down the passenger jet by mistake? But with modern sophisticated systems how could a large, slow moving, and climbing jetliner be mistaken for a “hostile” fighter jet or cruise missile? James McKay (PhD) is a professor of political science at the Royal Military College in Kingston Ontario. ListenEN_Interview_1-20200113-WIE10 There should have been several clear indications that PS752 was not hostile and was in f...
Jan 13, 2020•9 min
In 2015 and 2016, children in a British Columbia elementary school took part in a First Nations smudging ceremony and prayer. A mother objected saying the school obliged her children to take part in a religious ceremony and a later First Nations prayer contrary to the School Act and her own religious beliefs. A judge in the British Columbia Supreme Court ruled this week that the practice did not infringe on religious beliefs. Jay Cameron (MA. LLB) is with the legal advocacy organisation, the Jus...
Jan 09, 2020•10 min
We've all seen it, we all know it when we see it, and we've all most certainly wondered just how downright stupid our species can so often be. For most of us, witnessing the insanity of drunken driving, is something we experience (hopefully) just in passing. Anecdotal. Until it isn't: until the time when somebody we know or love is involved in a fatal accident that has alcohol at its root. A woman, 21, died in this crash in Richmond Hill, Ont. in August, 2018. A Toronto driver, also 21, was char...
Jan 07, 2020•9 min
With the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, the entire mid-east situation is in turmoil. Hundreds of thousands are turning out in the streets of Tehran and other major centres, to mourn the general. But was there more behind the killing and what of internal politics in Iran? Ali Dizboni (Ph.D.) is Director of Military and Strategic Studies-MSS and professor in the Department of Political Science and Economics at the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario. ListenEN_Interview_1-2020...
Jan 07, 2020•7 min
After the U.S. drone strike on Friday that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, and several other important Iranian military or militia leaders on Iraqi soil. U.S. President Trump said Soleimani's "reign of terror" was over. The U.S. action appears to be a unilateral attack without consultation with NATO allies. That strike has caused outrage in Iran and with Iranian expats around the world. Iran has threatened retribution, and NATO is holding an emergency meeting today. Of immediate concern...
Jan 06, 2020•11 min
Looking back on 2019--a year lacking Olympics, another year missing a Canadian-based Stanley Cup champion, a year with a less than stellar performance by the Canadians at the Women's World Cup of Soccer. What are we left with? How about basketball? How about tennis? How about another terrific year in moguls skiing by Mikaël Kingsbury? And--maybe most of all--how about a lot of stories about hockey that those in the hockey world would just as soon forget--like abusive coaches and racist behaviour...
Dec 31, 2019•13 min
Animal rights activists, a determined lot at any time, are looking back at their gains in 2019 and feeling pretty good about both themselves and the animals they seek to protect. https://youtu.be/u3O7RoSWMTI The year, according to the executive director of Animal Justice, Camille Labchuk, was marked by some historic wins--including the ones making the most news–-a new law to ban keeping whales, dolphins and porpoises in captivity, new federal legislation cracking down on animal cruelty that will...
Dec 31, 2019•6 min
In 2015 a study of over 200 lakes around the world (containing a total of half the world's freshwater supply) showed a clear warming trend. At the time, it was suggested that this is affecting drinking water quality, fish habitat, and has an effect on other animals. A new study looks at how declining ice cover has an detrimental economic affect on people. Sapna Sharma (PhD) is a professor in the Department of Biology at York University in Toronto. ListenEN_Interview_1-20191224-WIE10 The study sh...
Dec 24, 2019•7 min
A new analysis of hundreds of studies covering two decades of studies related to genetics and about 200 diseases. The result may come as a surprise to many. It finds, in most cases, little correlation between a genetic mutation and risk of the disease. David Wishart (PhD, FRSC) t, professor in the University of Alberta’s Department of Biological Sciences , the Department of Computing Science, and the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology. He is the supervising co-author on the study Li...
Dec 23, 2019•7 min
The Supreme Court of Canada will not hear a case involving a 44-year-old ailing elephant, dashing the hopes of animal activists and likely confining her to the Edmonton Valley Zoo for the rest of her days. Zoocheck Canada has been going to court-unsuccessfully--for years to have the elephant, named Lucy, moved to a warmer location, a move that is supported by celebrities who include famed author Margaret Atwood and prominent former game show host Bob Barker. The group says the zoo is violating p...
Dec 19, 2019•6 min
It’s a worldwide problem that nets scammers untold wealth from unsuspecting and trusting phone users. Telephone scams, along with simple spam, have been increasing dramatically in the last couple of years, and now the Canadian government is ordering companies to act against it. Greg O'Brien is the editor and publisher of Cartt DOT ca - which covers the telecom and TV industry. We reached him in Hamilton, Ontario ListenEN_Interview_1-20191219-WIE10 In a press release on Tuesday, the oversight and...
Dec 19, 2019•7 min
Pretty much every one of us has been there--though likely not to anything resembling this nth degree--so maybe that's why the plight of Leonard Mawora has touched so many. Mawora, a 26-year-old accounting and finance student, was set to complete his final semester at Memorial University in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, beginning in the new year. But first, he was heading home for Christmas in Zimbabwe--to see his mom and to help her mourn the loss of a family member. The flight was last...
Dec 18, 2019•7 min
A prominent green economy think tank is backing the federal government's promise to plant two billion trees over the the next 10 years to combat climate change, saying the plan is feasible. A new study by the Smart Prosperity Institute at the University of Ottawa says planting the trees could reduce emissions between two and four million tonnes a year by 2030, and up to eight million tons a year by 2050 as the trees mature and absorb more carbon dioxide. That could amount to about five per cent ...
Dec 17, 2019•6 min
Smart speakers with their voice assistants are becoming more and more common, and many might find their way under a Christmas tree this year. But for all the assistance and helpful information they may provide, they could also be gathering lots of private and personal information and data about you, your family, and even guests. Where that personal information ends up and what it might be used for is also a big concern. I spoke with Jordan Pearson in Toronto. He is a Senior Editor at Motherboard...
Dec 17, 2019•8 min
Following the actions of China internationally and in respect of the diplomatic and trade dispute still ongoing with this country, Canada will strike an all party committee to study and recommend policy regarding dealings with China. Colin Robertson is a former consular diplomat with Chinese experience and currently Vice-President at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, an independent, non-partisan research institute related to foreign policy ListenEN_Interview_1-20191216-WIE10 Many political ...
Dec 16, 2019•8 min
It's pretty much conventional wisdom that an afternoon nap is good for you--a credo that a lot of people around the world have lived by for years. A new study published in September of Swiss adults aged 35 to 75 found that the occasional nap--once or twice a week--appears to cut in half people's risk of heart attack, strokes and heart disease, compared with folks who never nap. However! Researchers also found more frequent napping provided no additional benefit. Some studies are finding that eit...
Dec 16, 2019•5 min
Transport Minister Marc Garneau was at Ottawa International Airport today to remind travellers that a new set of airline travel regulations take effect on Sunday. It was a redux of last July when Garneau announced passenger-rights rules that required airlines to compensate and respond to tarmac delays, denied boardings and lost or damaged luggage. The last phase of the Air Passenger Protection Regulations kick in Sunday, providing compensation for flight delays and cancellations. (Mike Cassese/R...
Dec 13, 2019•7 min
A new report from the National Farmers Union says that combining new technologies with old-fashioned mixed farming methods would be an effective weapon in the battle against human-driven climate change, as well go a long way toward saving the farming industry itself. Agriculture generates about eight per cent of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions and the report suggests ways those emissions could be cut in half by 2050. The study, which follows the NFU's national convention last month in Winnipeg...
Dec 12, 2019•7 min
By making genetic research so much easier, the recent technology known as CRISPR has allowed scientists an enormous advantage in research into so many areas. Unfortunately there’s a downside which raises serious ethical questions. Françoise Baylis (CM, ONS, PhD, FRSC, FCAHS), is a research professor at Dalhousie University Halifax who has written on the subject. ListenEN_Interview_1-20191212-WIE10 The concern with gene-editing is with experiments into modification of human DNA, which could lead ...
Dec 12, 2019•8 min
It’s known officially as CUSMA- the Canada, US, Mexico Agreement, although it’s still often referred to as NAFTA, or NAFTA 2.0 (North American Free Trade Agreement) It’s been a long time in negotiation, almost there with agreements and signing, then new amendments worked out and finally an agreement. So as a major international deal, what’s good and not so good after so long and often contentious negotiation. Michael Manjuris (BAScMBA, PEng) is professor and chair global management studies at Ry...
Dec 11, 2019•10 min
A new report examining racism in Canada has been published, confirming what a lot of people already knew from first-hand experience. The report, based on a survey by Environics Institute for Survey Research was publicly released today. It finds that one in five Canadians experiences discrimination regularly, or from time to time. The survey found that just under 40 per cent of racist incidents reported took place on the street. An equal number of incidents took place in the workplace. Environics...
Dec 10, 2019•7 min
A long time strong proponent of Canada-China relations, has recently changed position. Margaret McCuaig-Johnston, had almost four decades of service in the upper levels of Canadian government in science and technology policy and Chinese affairs. She is currently a Senior Fellow with the China Institute at the University of Alberta and Senior Fellow at the Institute of Science, Society and Policy, University of Ottawa. She feels that China has evolved into a much different country under the curre...
Dec 10, 2019
The original concept of artificial turf held a theoretical number of advantages. The tiny pellets of rubber infill made from recycled tires diverted thousands of those tires from landfill sites, while the fields eliminated the need for pesticides, fertilizers and watering. Crumb rubber is spread throughout the artificial turf as filler and support between the “grass” blades, and as a cushioning for players Since the arrival of artificial turf however, there have been ongoing concerns about the t...
Dec 09, 2019•9 min
Finally! A deal--officially--is in place to build a new hockey arena in Calgary. After years of back-and-forth, the city and the owners of the NHL Calgary Flames and the Calgary Stampede have signed on the dotted line. The official announcement was made Thursday and ensures that the Flames will remain in Calgary for at least the next 35 years. This conceptual drawing of a new hockey arena in Victoria Park is from the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation, which owns the Calgary Flames. It...
Dec 06, 2019•8 min
Let's face it, homeless people in Canada and elsewhere don't have a whole lot of people in their corner. But don't count William Panenka as one of those guys who looks the other way, like so many of us do, when he meets some person on the street, shivering, or maybe in rags, asking us for a handout. Panenka has credentials to burn and soul to share. Among other things, he's a physician and researcher with the B.C. Neuropsychiatry Program and the Provincial Health Services Agency in Vancouver. In...
Dec 05, 2019•8 min
The study by Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, and the University of Guelph in Ontario is called "Canada's Food Price Report 2020” Its’ the tenth annual report, and it notes that climate change, with its accompanying bad weather, is an important contributing factor in the expected increase in food prices. Sylvain Charlebois is the Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, and lead author of the report. ListenEN_Interview_1-20191205-WIE10 While the inflation rate in Cana...
Dec 05, 2019•7 min
It is, of course, that most wonderful time of the year...the December shopping season. Stresses you out a little, eh? 'Tis the season to be jolly, right? The holiday shopping season is in full swing and the clock is ticking. It may be time to think green. (CBC) Not feeling it yet? Here's a shot worth taking, a study well worth reading. It's from the John Molson School of Business at Montreal's Concordia University, written by Professor Onur Bodur and one his his PhD students, Ali Tezer, who is n...
Dec 04, 2019•7 min
