Hot Canadian Athletes At The Olympics!

Of all types of people in the world, athletes are certainly considered to be the height of physical perfection, toned and lean and, yes, blessed with a certain genetic superiority when it comes to looks. So it should be no surprise that the men and women in London to represent their countries at the Olympic Games are particularly attractive.
By now, we've all likely seen ESPN's magnificent take on the bodies of Olympians (and it's worth a second look, too), but we Canadians wanted to delve in a little more and see exactly what our country has to offer.
The results, as you'll see, are beyond impressive. Don't get us wrong -- every member of the 277-strong Canadian Olympic team has the kind of appeal most of us rarely see, let alone possess. So let these 21 (or so) athletes serve as a stellar representation of just how gorgeous our country truly is when it's in top physical shape.

A judge has ordered controversial blogger Ezra Levant to pay $25,000 to Giacomo Vigna for libel, citing his "reckless indifference" to the truth while writing blog posts about the Canadian Human Rights Commission lawyer.

A judge has ordered controversial blogger Ezra Levant to pay $25,000 to Giacomo Vigna for libel, citing his "reckless indifference" to the truth while writing blog posts about the Canadian Human Rights Commission lawyer.

Levant accused Vigna of lying to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, tampering with evidence, and suggested he'd been fired, the National Post reports. Justice Robert Smith ruled that Levant "spoke in reckless disregard of the truth and for an ulterior purpose of denormalizing the Human Rights Commission across Canada which makes his statements malicious in that sense."

Earlier this year on J-Source, University of Windsor law professor Richard Moon wrote an article "Is it neutral to spread lies?" about the false claims journalists were "carelessly" spreading about The Canadian Human Rights Commission. Too often, he argued, journalists treat alleged facts as if they were opinions, channeling them to the audience in the name of "balance" without context or verification. As result, Levant's opinions have received plenty of media attention.

The judge dismissed some of the claims against Levant, but found that he defamed Vigna six times between March and May 2008. That Levant failed to check facts or seek Vigna's side of the story meant that he could not claim the new libel defence, introduced by the Supreme Court late last year, of "responsible communication on a matter of public interest."

"While the transcripts are a reliable source, Levant did not read the ... transcripts in a diligent manner, but rather chose to extract only one part of the exchange which was taken out of context," the judge wrote. "Given the total lack of urgency, Levant should have sought Vigna's side of the story before publishing the defamatory statements.

"He did not want to check the facts as a responsible journalist would have done because this would interfere with his opportunity to ridicule the Human Rights Commission"

Hundreds of current and former female Mounties have come forward from across Canada to join a class-action lawsuit alleging harassment within the ranks of the RCMP.

Hundreds of current and former female Mounties have come forward from across Canada to join a class-action lawsuit alleging harassment within the ranks of the RCMP.

Lawyers expected dozens of women to contact them with allegations after Janet Merlo, a 19-year veteran of the force, filed suit in March but attorney Jason Murray said Monday that more than 200 people have called his firm in Vancouver

It’s a significant number. It says to us there’s a significant problem that people feel has happened within the RCMP with respect to how women are treated,” Murray said in an interview.

And more people are expected to join the class action.

“We’re still hearing from women who either are currently members of the RCMP or who have retired or left the force in other ways,” Murray said. “On a week-to-week basis we’re hearing from people coming forward who have complaints about how they feel they were treated when they were with the RCMP.”

The civil suit filed by Ms. Merlo alleges she suffered bullying and verbal abuse throughout a career that began in March 1991 and ended in March 2010, all but a few months of it at the detachment in Nanaimo, B.C.

In her statement of claim, Ms. Merlo says male members of the detachment repeatedly made statements to her then-boyfriend and now husband, Wayne Merlo, that they’d had sex with her.

“The supervising corporal on Ms. Merlo’s night shift watch commented to Wayne Merlo words to the effect... ‘Janet is the right height because you can lay a six-pack of beer on her head while she gives you a blow job,“’ says the claim.

Ms. Merlo claims offensive items were left in her mail slot by colleagues, including a dildo and a fictional manual titled “Training Courses Now Available for Women,” comprising a list of 30 derogatory courses.

The court document claims Ms. Merlo left the force in March 2010 suffering from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The case will officially get underway with a first appearance before B.C. Supreme Court on Thursday, but a class-action suit typically takes several years to wind its way through the justice system.

Ms. Merlo’s is just one of several lawsuits filed against the national police force by women who say they suffered abuse and harassment on the job.

Cpl. Catherine Galliford is suing the RCMP in a separate case claiming she suffered post-traumatic stress because of harassment that spanned two decades. She claims she was sexually assaulted, harassed and intimidated during a career in which she was the public face of the Air India investigation and the task force that arrested serial killer Robert Pickton.

The federal government, which represents the RCMP, denied all of Ms. Galliford’s allegations in a statement of defence in her case, but the rash of allegations since she came forward last fall prompted the force to announce earlier this year that it would train 100 officers to investigate internal complaints of sexual harassment.

Mr. Murray said the women who have contacted his firm concerning Ms. Merlo’s suit will not be named in the lawsuit at this time, but their allegations may be heard in court as the cases progresses.

“Everyone’s experience is different, obviously, but (the allegations) range from people who feel they’ve been passed over for an assignment or promotion because of their gender to people who have had words and taunting all the way up to incidents of sexual assault and physical assault.”

Bruce Carson, a former senior aide to Stephen Harper charged with influence peddling.

Bruce Carson, a former senior aide to Stephen Harper who worked closely with the Prime Minister on environment and energy files, has been charged with influence peddling.

The RCMP said Friday that Mr. Carson, 66, had been charged the previous day with one count of fraud on the government – a crime that is punishable by up to five years in jail.

Mr. Carson, who worked off and on as a political adviser to Mr. Harper between 2006 and 2009 and was known in Conservative circles as “the Mechanic”for his ability to fix tricky situations, is accused of using his association with the power brokers of Ottawa to sell filtration systems to Canada’s first nations.

Mr. Harper’s office first called the RCMP on Mr. Carson after allegations connected to a news investigation by the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network. The matter was also referred to the office of the conflict of interest and ethics commissioner and the commissioner of lobbying.

The network reported that Mr. Carson had allegedly been lobbying Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the minister’s office on behalf of an Ottawa-based water company, H2O Pros, that employed his girlfriend.

Mr. Carson also raised the issue of water quality on reserves in a meeting in February, 2011, with Environment Minister Peter Kent, but the government says he did not promote the services of H2O Pros at that time.

Under legislation brought in by the government in 2006, senior federal officials are not permitted to lobby on behalf of private companies for five years after leaving the government.

“Any individual who doesn’t respect our laws must face their full force as well as the consequences that come with them,” Andrew McDougall, Mr. Harper’s spokesman, said in an e-mail on Friday.

There are also allegations that Mr. Carson improperly lobbied the Natural Resources department on behalf of the Canada School of Energy and the Environment (CSEE) for $25-million in federal funding. Mr. Carson took a job as the executive director of the Calgary school after spending the 2008 election campaign on Mr. Harper’s plane.

The charge laid against Mr. Carson on Thursday is not the first time he has had a run-in with the law. He was disbarred as a lawyer in 1981 and sentenced to 18 months in jail two years later after being convicted on five counts of fraud. Mr. Harper has said he was aware of some of Mr. Carson’s background but not all of it and would not have allowed him to work in his office had he known the full details of his past.

But opposition critics say Mr. Harper must take responsibility for hiring someone with a shady past.

“It is like the red carpet was rolled out because he was one of theirs,” said Charlie Angus, the NDP ethics critic. “He was part of their circle of good old boys.”

Scott Andrews, the Liberal ethics critic, said he is glad that the RCMP has taken this matter seriously, but “this is really about the judgment of the Prime Minister.”

Mr. Carson is scheduled for his first court appearance in relation to this charge on Sept. 10.

He was also being investigated by federal Lobbying Commissioner Karen Shepherd and Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson, but the ethics investigation is on hold pending the outcome of the criminal case.

The McGill Dances for Cancer Research video has won a Bronze Medal for best use of social media. ... McGill Dances for Cancer Research Lipdub

To highlight some of the critical work being done at the Goodman Cancer Research Centre, we gathered some of our top scientists, students, lab techs and dedicated volunteers, who turned on the music - and danced!

Thanks to our proud sponsor, Medicom, a donation will be made for each hit to support advances in cancer research at the Goodman Cancer Research Centre.

Visit:
http://cancercentre.mcgill.ca/

To make a direct gift, click under the photo.

Thank you for your tremendous interest and support!



We are proud to announce that the Council for Advancement and Support of Education has awarded the video McGill Dances for Cancer Research a bronze medal in the Circle of Excellence Awards for "best use of social media". This is a terrific achievement for all those who participated on this project. Congratulations!

 

Personalized Cancer Medicine, the Golden Age of cancer research," said Dr. Benjamin Neel, Director of The Campbell Family Institute

Amidst the skirl of the pipes and a glistening 400-ounce bar of solid gold symbolizing a new gold standard in cancer care, The Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation today announced its new 'BELIEVE IT!' campaign -- a BILLION DOLLAR CHALLENGE to accelerate Personalized Cancer Medicine at The Princess Margaret.
"We live in the Golden Age of cancer research," said Dr. Benjamin Neel, Director of The Campbell Family Institute for Cancer Research at The Princess Margaret. "Recent advances in genetics, including the ability to decode cancer genes, are leading us towards a more customized approach. Our goal is to bring full genetic molecular profiling to all new patients in order to truly deliver Personalized Cancer Treatment." Personalized Cancer Medicine focuses on using a patient's genetic information to more precisely diagnose their cancer and determine its prognosis, and then to select the treatment most likely to be of specific benefit to the individual.

"We're creating our own distinct model of Personalized Cancer Medicine at The Princess Margaret," stated Dr. Robert Bell, President and CEO of University Health Network. "It encompasses four key themes: Detect, Diagnose, Target and Support." The Princess Margaret's model of Personalized Cancer Medicine will help detect cancers earlier, diagnose cancers more precisely, provide targeted treatment and better support patients and their families through their cancer journey. "The Princess Margaret Cancer Program will unify around the creation and delivery of Personalized Cancer Medicine to provide the new gold standard of cancer care," added Dr. Bell. Today is Day One of the Billion Dollar Challenge, a five-year initiative to help revolutionize cancer care in Canada and around the world by creating a new gold standard of Personalized Cancer Medicine at The Princess Margaret. Changing the paradigm of cancer care requires a major investment, and in order to meet the Billion Dollar Challenge, The Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation will reach out to its donor community to raise $500 million while researchers will be challenged to secure the remaining $500 million through grants.

The funding will allow The Princess Margaret to recruit, train and retain highly-skilled physicians, scientists and staff who have the expertise to lead critical projects and clinical studies in order to improve the standard of care for patients. It will help build multi-disciplinary teams that include engineers, bio-informatics specialists and medicinal chemists in order to speed new technologies and discoveries to help patients sooner. The Billion Dollar Challenge will also allow for further development of award-winning psychosocial, survivorship and palliative care programs to assist patients and their families in managing pain, disease symptoms and the side-effects of treatments.

"Every patient is unique; every patient's cancer is different, so it follows that Personalized Cancer Medicine will produce the best results," said Dr. Mary Gospodarowicz, Medical Director of the Cancer Program at The Princess Margaret. "But it's not just at The Princess Margaret – it's people working collaboratively across Canada and the world that will conquer cancer in our lifetime." "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for personalized cancer medicine," stated Robert Kidd, a PMH patient and one of the event's speakers. "Radiation was too risky, surgery couldn't help me and chemotherapy wasn't working. I was part of a clinical trial that absolutely saved my life."

"As one of the top 5 cancer research centres in the world, The Princess Margaret has the responsibility to lead the way in improving the standard of care for patients in the province, across Canada and around the world," said Paul Alofs, President and CEO of The Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation. "That's why The Foundation has taken on such a lofty, ambitious goal. Can we conquer cancer in our lifetime? Believe it!"

For more information or to donate to Personalized Cancer Medicine, visit www.ibelieveit.ca 

The Federal Court ruled Thursday that a Council of Canadians lawsuit aimed at overturning the election results in seven ridings where voters reported receiving deceptive telephone calls can go ahead.

OTTAWA — The Federal Court ruled Thursday that a Council of Canadians lawsuit aimed at overturning the election results in seven ridings where voters reported receiving deceptive telephone calls can go ahead.
The Conservative Party had sought to have the case thrown out before evidence could be presented, arguing that it was a frivolous and vexatious suit, but federal prothonotary Martha Milczynski stated that without judicial scrutiny, fraudulent electoral calls "could shake public confidence and trust in the electoral process."

"Far from being frivolous or vexatious, or an obvious abuse, the applications raise serious issues about the integrity of the democratic process in Canada," said Milczynski.

"And identify practices that, if proven, point to a campaign of activities that would seek to deny eligible voters their right to vote and/or manipulate or interfere with that right being exercised freely."

At a hearing in June, Conservative lawyer Arthur Hamilton argued that the seven applications for judicial review of the election results should be thrown out of court because they were filed months after the election.

The Elections Act requires that any action to overturn an election be launched within 30 days of allegations of irregularities coming to light.

Steven Shrybman, the lawyer handling for the council, argued that the applicants only learned of an apparent attempt to keep voters from going to the polls after media reports on Feb. 23.

The court ruled, though, that when voters received calls misdirecting them on election day, they could not have known that they "could have been part of a fraud or corrupt or illegal practice," and said a determination requires "a full evidentiary record."

"It cannot be concluded at this juncture simply on the basis of inference and argument that the applicants as a group, or any of them, sat on their rights until after the time for bringing the application had expired."

The ruling does not cast judgment on the merits of the case, only asserts that it is not obviously fatally flawed, and calls for parties to get ready for a hearing "as quickly as possible."

Milczynski cites a ruling from Ontario Superior Court Justice Thomas Lederer, who in May ruled that the election of Conservative MP Ted Opitz in Etobicoke Centre should be voided because of irregularities, after former Liberal MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj sued.

Opitz appealed that decision to the Supreme Court of Canada on July 10. A decision is expected in that case any day.

Council of Canadians president Maude Barlow said Thursday that she is pleased that the court didn't toss out the case.

"We'll be with the applicants every step of the way," said Barlow. "We want the truth to come out. The Canadian people all want to know what happened. We're not prejudging it but we do want our day in court."

Conservative Party spokesman Fred DeLorey pointed out that the ruling is not evidence that the case has merit.

"The court made no decision on the merits of the applications, which we continue to believe are completely unfounded," he said Thursday.

The council, a nationalist, left-leaning citizen advocacy group, is seeking to have the court throw out the results in seven ridings where Conservatives won close races: Don Valley East, Elmwood—Transcona, Nipissing—Timiskaming, Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, Vancouver Island North, Winnipeg South Centre and Yukon.

Each of the applications is from a voter who received a call telling them that their polling station had moved, seemingly as part of a concerted attempt to prevent opposition supporters from voting.

The council has also presented evidence from a Conservative call centre worker in Thunder Bay, Annette Desgagne, who signed an affidavit stating that she made calls in at least one of the ridings — Nipissing—Timiskaming — directing opposition supporters to the wrong polling stations.

The Conservatives have repeatedly stated that the party did not misdirect any voters.

DeLorey has described the council's suit as a "a transparent attempt to overturn certified election results simply because this activist group doesn't like them."

In an interview with the Toronto Star in April, Hamilton predicted the council's case would be thrown out. "They don't have any backup," he said then. "This is a publicity stunt."