Canada: Township of Essa Gets $281,677 Federal Funding

EFT Report, Thornton: Members of the community gathered together at the Thornton Arena on Jan. 25, 2013 to celebrate an announcement by the Honorable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario). Minister Goodyear was joined by Kellie Leitch, Member of Parliament for Simcoe-Grey.

Under the Community Infrastructure Improvement Fund (CIIF), Minister Goodyear announced federal funding of up to $281,677 to the Township of Essa for the replacement and upgrading of the ice pad surface and refrigeration system at the Thornton Arena. Work on the project involves installing new refrigerant piping with a new concrete slab covering, as well as upgrading the refrigeration system to increase the capacity and sustainability of the ice surface, which will enhance safety for users.

"The Harper Government is pleased to partner with the Township of Essa to revitalize the Thornton Arena," said Minister Goodyear. "Through the Community Infrastructure Improvement Fund, our Government continues to support projects that improve safety and energy efficiency as well as stimulate the economy in communities across southern Ontario."

"Our Government's investment will not only enhance the experience and services delivered at the Thornton Arena, but it will also support the creation of jobs, growth, and long-term prosperity in the community," said MP Leitch. "Together, we are building stronger communities here in Ontario, for a stronger Canada."

"The Township of Essa is very pleased to be a recipient of the Community Infrastructure Improvement Fund for the renovations and upgrades to the Thornton Arena," said Sandie Macdonald, Deputy Mayor for the Township of Essa. "These much needed improvements will have a cost-saving effect for the taxpayers of the Township and all users of the facility will benefit from the new technology and safety features installed."

The Fund supports, on a cost-shared basis, repairs and improvements to existing community infrastructure that is accessible for use by the public. Recipients of the Fund may receive contributions of up to $1 million and must leverage a minimum of 50 percent of funding from other sources. Please see the backgrounder for more information on CIIF.

Created in 2009, FedDev Ontario supports the southern Ontario economy by building on the region's strengths and creating opportunities for jobs and economic growth. The Agency has launched a number of initiatives to create a Southern Ontario Advantage and place the region in a strong position to compete in the global economy. These initiatives are designed to encourage partnerships and support projects that help the region's businesses and communities become more competitive, innovative and diversified. To learn more, please visit www.FedDevOntario.gc.ca or call 1-866-593-5505.

Continue Reading

Canada: $110 Million Investment at 8 Wing Trenton Facilities Announced

EFT Report, 8 Wing Trenton: The Honorable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, announced a major investment of more than $110 million in contracts for infrastructure projects at 8 Wing Trenton on Jan. 25. This investment will result in the construction of a new maintenance hangar, and a new building to house the Canadian Forces Land Advanced Warfare Centre, in addition to the infrastructure upgrades to the National Air Force Museum, the Air Mobility Training Center and the Military Family Resource Centre already completed or underway. The estimated overall value of these projects, once complete, will be more than $200 million.

“These impressive state-of-the-art buildings will enable our dedicated Canadian Armed Forces personnel to continue their excellent work as world leaders in military aviation operations,” said Minister MacKay. “Updating our defence infrastructure to ensure it is ready the meet the challenges of the 21st century is in line with our Government’s Canada First Defence Strategy, and will benefit industry, economic development and job creation throughout Canada. It is estimated that these projects will contribute to the creation and sustainment of 400 high-quality jobs.”

Construction recently began on a $36.5 million building that will serve as the new home of the Canadian Forces Land Advanced Warfare Centre. The contract for the 12,000 square metre building was awarded to Varcon Construction of Brampton, Ontario. The new facility is designed to a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) silver level and is expected to be ready for occupancy in early 2015.

The construction contract for the new $72.9 million Maintenance Hangar 6 was awarded to Bondfield Construction of Concord, Ontario. It will be primarily used for first-line maintenance activities on the CC-177 Globemaster III fleet, as well for housing the contracted maintenance support for CC-150 Polaris aircraft. Construction started in December 2012 and the building is expected to be ready for use in early 2016.

Minister MacKay also announced infrastructure modifications to the Sedley S. Blanchard Air Mobility Training Centre, awarded to M.J. Dixon Construction Limited of Mississauga, Ontario; the second part of Phase II of the expansion project for the National Air Force Museum of Canada, awarded to Mirtren Contractors Limited of Scarborough, Ontario; and renovations to the Military Family Resource Centre facility to be completed by the Base Construction Engineering Department.

Continue Reading

Justin Bieber Shows His Bare Butt on Instagram

EFT Report, North Carolina: Canadian pop star Justin Bieber showed off his bare butt in an Instagram picture on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2013.

The 18-year-old singer was wearing a black tank top, a baseball hat and aviator sunglasses, and was peering over his shoulder in the image. He deleted the image shortly after it was posted to his official account, though it had already been liked more than 15,000 times and received more than 2,700 comments.

Bieber's manager, Scooter Braun, joked about the picture via Twitter. "As a prankster you have to respect another good prank," he wrote. "Only makes sense. #crackdealer." Bieber's succinct reply: "Haha."

Bieber is currently on tour to support his latest album, Believe. He next performs at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Jan. 19. He'll travel to Georgia and Florida throughout the month before taking his act to Dublin, Ireland, Feb. 17.

Justin Bieber Bare Butt on Instagram

Continue Reading

Ravi Pandey Gets GIA Excellence Award for Community Service in Canada

Report by Santanu Ganguly, New Delhi: Ravi Pandey, Chief Editor of Canada based newspaper “Hindi abroad,” recently received a GIA-International excellence award-2013 for a valuable and outstanding contribution and performance in “Community service in Canada.”

Few years back Ravi Pandey was in Delhi with an evening newspaper as prominent film Journalist before shifting to Toronto, Canada. In Canada he tried his hand in various fields but got back in Journalism and started Hindi news paper Hindi Abroad and within short span of time his newspaper was talk of the town and now Ravi Pandey is a well known figure of Canada. The jury selected Pandey unanimously not only for his splendid and remarkable nature but also for his professional acumen. GIA stands for Global Indian association.

Ravi Pandey Receiving GIA-International Excellence Award 2013

Global Indian Association (GIA) is an international platform for Overseas Indians around the world to unite together to present share and solve the issues related to migration and work, welfare activities, co-ordination with Government of India and the Embassies of the respective countries in India.

The award ceremony was held recently in Kerala and felicitated distinguished Indians around the globe for their remarkable contribution and dedicated service for the well being of Indian fraternity abroad.

The ‘GIA International Excellence Award 2013’ given to Pandey consists of Memento along with Citation and traditional Indian Shawl.

Continue Reading

Titanic Actor ‘Victor Garber’ Confirms He is Gay

EFT Report, Los Angeles: Canadian actor Victor Garber, best known for his work in films "Alias" and "Titanic," has publicly confirmed that he is gay.

Garber lives with model/artist boyfriend Rainer Andreesen in New York.

"I don't really talk about it but everybody knows. Andreesen is going to be out here with me for the Screen Actors Guild Awards," Garber said.

The 63-year-old, who stars in the Golden Globe-winning drama "Argo," is not the only celebrity to recently come out to the public.

Actress Jodie Foster, who received the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille trophy at the 70th Golden Globe award ceremony, used the platform to speak about her sexuality.

Victor Garber with Rainer Andreesen

Continue Reading

Golden Globe 2013: 'Life of Pi' Wins Best Original Score

EFT Report, Los Angeles: Canadian film composer Mychael Danna won the best original score motion picture award for "Life of Pi" at the 70th Golden Globe awards in Los Angeles.

Danna beat Alexandre Desplat (Argo), Dario Marianelli (Anna Karenina), Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek, Reinhold Heil (Cloud Atlas) and John Williams (Lincoln) to walk away with the prestigious trophy at the glitzy gala on Sunday night.

Directed by Ang Lee, "Life of Pi" is based on Canadian author Yann Martel's Man Booker Prize-winning novel of the same name. It is about the journey of an Indian boy who survives a storm and is left on a life-boat with a tiger.

Mychael Danna Gets Golden Globe for "Life of Pi" 

Continue Reading

Twilight Star Bronson Pelletier Arrested for Urinating at Airport (See Video)

The Twilight star Bronson Pelletier was arrested for public drunkenness after he showed up sloshed at Los Angeles International Airport and then purportedly proceeded to urinate at the terminal.

A video has surfaced showing the 26-year-old committing the act in question. In the clip, the actor is seen stumbling around the terminal looking dazed and disheveled.

After an airport official approaches Pelletier, the actor moseys around for a bit before urinating in the passenger waiting area.

The official stands behind the actor as Pelletier relieves himself fully, only to be tackled by a police officer who eventually comes in to cuff the star.




See Video

Continue Reading

BlackBerry 10 Launch Event in New York City on Jan. 30

Research in Motion [RIMM] has officially announced the BlackBerry 10 release date. The BlackBerry maker sent out invitations for the global BlackBerry 10 launch event in New York City on Jan. 30, 2012.

RIM didn’t provide any details on the event, but its tagline is, “Re-designed. Re-engineered. Re-invented,” and they are expected to unveil a full touch-screen device and another that could resemble its current Bold handset.

Continue Reading

Pope Posts His First Tweet; Gets Over 1 Million Followers

Pope Benedict XVI posted his first tweet on social networking site Twitter today (Dec. 12) under his confirmed handle @Pontifex, as he hit the 1 million Twitter follower mark.

The 85-year-old inaugural tweet read: Dear friends, I am pleased to get in touch with you through Twitter. Thank you for your generous response. I bless all of you from my heart.

The Vatican had opened eight Twitter accounts in the pope's name, in eight languages: English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Italian, French and Arabic.

Continue Reading

Skyfall Gets Biggest James Bond Opening Ever

Skyfall, which is the 23rd Bond film in the 50-year-old series, is the biggest opening in the franchise's history. It returned to theaters in record fashion at the weekend, blowing away box office rivals with $87.8 million in ticket sales for the US and Canadian debut.

The best North American opening for the 50-year-old Bond franchise adds to a strong tally of $428.6 million for Skyfall overseas. Globally, the movie starring Daniel Craig as 007 and Oscar-winner Javier Bardem, has now earned $518.6 million since first hitting international theaters on Oct. 26, distributor Sony Pictures said.

Continue Reading

RIM May Sell NewBay, Other Assets

BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIL) is looking to sell cloud services provider NewBay and some of the other minor assets it recently acquired, as part of a strategic review process, according to a source familiar with the matter.

RIM acquired NewBay, a provider of photo, video, and social-networking tools for smartphones and computers, in October 2011 for reportedly around $100 million, as it sought to roll out a new strategy to stem its steady decline.

RIM declined to comment on the sale report.

RIM, based in Waterloo, Ontario, is a pioneer in the smartphone industry, but has struggled over the last couple of years, as its aging line-up of BlackBerry smartphones have not been able to compete against more-advanced devices like Apple Inc's iPhone and a slew of other devices based on Google Inc's Android software.

Continue Reading

'Dark Knight Rises' Grosses $160.8-mn in Opening Weekend

Warner Bros said "The Dark Knight Rises" took in $160.8 million at US and Canadian box offices over the weekend, which is lower than industry estimates for the debut that felt the impact of last week's movie theater massacre in Colorado.

"Dark Knight Rises" also opened in 17 international markets with $88 million in ticket sales to put its global total at just under $250 million for its debut. Warner Bros, a unit of Time Warner Inc (TWX.N), made no initial comment beyond simply releasing the figures. The movie cost around $250 million to make and tens of millions more to promote and market.

Before a gunman killed 12 people and wounded 58 at a midnight screening of the movie early on Friday in a Denver suburb, "Dark Knight Rises" had been forecast by some box office watchers to bring in anywhere from $170 million to $198 million.

The alleged shooter, James Eagan Holmes, 24, made his first court appearance in Colorado on Monday, one day after President Barack Obama visited the scene to grieve with the victims' families. Criminal charges are expected to be filed next week.

Despite ticket sales coming in lower than the range of estimates, the movie's U.S. and Canadian box office debut remains among Hollywood's biggest openings ever, and the film appears poised to be a financial success.

The $160.8 million ranks it No. 3 on the list of top 3-day opening weekends behind No. 1 "The Avengers" at $207 million and No. 2 "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part II," which earned $169 million. "Dark Knight Rises" beat the debut of its 2008 predecessor "The Dark Knight," which opened with $158 million on its way to a total domestic haul of $533 million.

The 2008 "Dark Knight" pulled in $468 million overseas, putting its global haul above $1 billion. The movie's performance overseas will not be clear until it opens in more countries.

Box office watchers said it was hard to guess how much the movie might have made in the United States and Canada if the massacre had not happened.

"Before the weekend, I figured it would earn around $170 million, and the fact it still earned over $160 million in the wake of the tragedy is very impressive," said Paul Dergarabedian of Hollywood.com Box Office. "Never did I think it could earn over $200 million or challenge 'The Avengers' which was 3D."

Indeed, even before the weekend, some analysts had expected it would be difficult for "Dark Knight Rises" to reach the lofty heights others had predicted because it did not open in a 3D version, for which theaters charge higher ticket prices.

Elsewhere in U.S. and Canadian theaters, "Ice Age: Continental Drift" in 3D took in $20.4 million in its second week in theaters to rank No. 2 on ticket charts. Its domestic total now stands at $88 million. "The Amazing Spider-Man," also in 3D, was No. 3 with $10.8 million, which elevated its total to $228 million after roughly three weeks in theaters.

Continue Reading

McCracken Banned From Performing in Canada

American singer Bert McCracken's band, The Used, has been banned from performing in Canada. They were denied entry in the country earlier this month.

"They won't let me in. They said not for 10 years. It's weird, they're like, 'You need to rehabilitate these crimes before you come back to Canada.' I'm like, 'What does that mean?'" the 30-year-old told the Rolling stones magazine.

The singer also insists that the authorities have blown things out of proportion.

"When I say criminal record, I'm talking teensy, eensy misdemeanors they still have on my record from, 2001 and 2003 - trespassing," he said.

The star is hoping to organize a series of border shows in Michigan, New York to compensate for his fans who can drive from Canada over to the US border.

Continue Reading

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton Wins Canadian F1 GP

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton won the Canadian F1 Grand Prix at the Montreal track on June 10, 2012 to become the seventh different winner in as many races this season.

Hamilton drove his McLaren Mercedes to a win in 1 hour, 32 minutes, 29.586 seconds, taking advantage of fresh tires he picked up during a second pit stop. Hamilton finished 2.5 seconds ahead of Lotus' Romain Grosjean, with Sauber's Sergio Perez in third.

Defending F1 champion Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel was fourth and Fernando Alonso, who won in Malaysia and entered the weekend atop the standings, was fifth.

The win moves Hamilton into the championship lead, two points ahead of Alonso, who is one point ahead of Vettel. This is Hamilton third Canadian GP win, having won it here in 2007 and 2010.

Drivers' standings after seventh round in Canada:

1. Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) 88 points
2. Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) 86 points
3. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) 85 points
4. Mark Webber (Red Bull) 79 points
5. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) 67 points
6. Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus) 55 points
7. Romain Grosjean (Lotus) 53 points
8. Jenson Button (McLaren) 45 points
9. Sergio Perez (Sauber) 37 points
10. Pastor Maldonado (Williams) 29 points

Now the action shift to Valencia Street Circuit for 2012 F1 Grand Prix of Europe from June 22 to 24, 2012.

Continue Reading

'Khushiyaan' Selected for Punjabi Film Festival in Toronto

US-based Indian filmmaker Tirlok Malik is delighted after his Punjabi film "Khushiyaan" was selected for a screening at the first Punjabi International Film Festival (PIFF), starting May 18-21. The four-day festival will be held in Ontario province with events planned for the cities of Toronto, Brampton and Mississauga.

"The film is about the journey of a family and when you will watch it, you may be surprised to find yourself there,” Malik, who has been a pioneer of Indian American cinema, said in a statement. In 1990, the filmmaker was nominated for the New York Emmy award for his directorial venture "Lonely in America".

"Khushiyaan" portrays the complex emotions of children who have to leave their parents back in India and what happens when they get busy with the American life. Shot both in Punjab and New York, "Khushiyaan", a thought-provoking film, is a mix of drama, comedy, and music.

Continue Reading

Nelly Furtado to Launch 'The Spirit Indestructible' on June 19

Canadian singer and songwriter Nelly Furtado has revealed the title of her fifth studio album ‘The Spirit Indestructible’ scheduled to release on June 19, 2012. Co-written with Rodney Jerkins, the singer has released the first single ‘Big Hoops (Bigger the Better).’

The album features myriads of collaborators from across the musical spectrum including hip-hop songwriter-producer Salaam Remi (Furtado’s “The Night is Young,” Nas), pop songwriter-producer Rodney Jerkins (Michael Jackson, Beyonce and Lady Gaga), veteran metal producer Bob Rock (Metallica), Dutch DJ and EDM producer Tiesto, rock songwriter and producer John Shanks and Jamaican reggae producer Da Genius.

A deluxe version of the album will feature several bonus tracks, including Furtado’s collaborations with Fraser T. Smith (Adele), producer and Passion Pit lead singer Mike Angelakos, and a track featuring the Kenyan Boys Choir.

The Spirit Indestructible is Furtado’s first English studio album since 2006’s double-platinum ‘Loose’ which debuted at number one on the Billboard Top 200 chart. The album was certified multi-platinum in 32 countries, and sold 10 million copies worldwide. ‘Loose’ also spawned three hit singles, including the ‘Promiscuous’ and ‘Say It Right,’ both of which earned Grammy nominations.

Continue Reading

Canada Releases New Plastic Currency

Canadians will get their first look at a plastic bank note that will replace the paper 50 Canadian dollar bill.

The Bank of Canada announced on March 26, 2012 that the new notes will be distributed to all the financial institutions throughout the country starting Monday, and the new bills will be the first polymer notes that will be available in automatic banking machines.

The 100 Canadian dollar polymer bill came out last fall, but since Canadians rarely use such big bills, many Canadians have not seen a polymer note. Eventually, all of Canada's bank notes will be replaced with plastic money.

The new 50 dollar note depicts the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Amundsen, an image intended to highlight the nation's arctic research efforts. The bill, like the old one, bears the image of Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, Canada's longest-serving head of government, who led the country through World War II.

The bill is made of Australian-produced polymer that is almost impossible to tear with bare hands. The bill contains many security features, including raised letters, hidden numbers and a clear window containing a hologram.

Smaller denominations in the polymer series, the 20, 10 and 5 dollar bills that are the most commonly-used bank notes, are expected to be released by the end of 2013.

Continue Reading

37th Toronto Film Festival From Sept. 6-16; Ten Mumbai Films to be Premiered

The 37th edition of one of the world’s leading film festivals, Toronto International Film Festival, is scheduled to kick start from Sept. 6 and will run until Sept. 16, 2012. The film festival program’s lineup will be announced in August.

The Toronto International Film Festival’s 2012 City to City program has selected Mumbai as its city of focus. Ten films, made by filmmakers working in the city, will be premiered at the festival.

Past cities featured in the City to City program have included Tel Aviv, Istanbul and Buenos Aires.

Continue Reading

New Apple iPad to Go on Sale on March 16

Apple’s third-generation iPad will arrive at Apple's retail stores and its online store on Friday, March 16, 2012 in the United States and nine additional countries and regions.

According to the company, the new iPad will hit the store on March 16 at 8 am in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, Britain, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Customers who buy a new iPad at an Apple retail store will be offered free personal setup service. Customers in the US could shop and buy the device anywhere they are and pick up their purchase at any Apple retail store.

In the US, the new iPad will also be available at Best Buy, Radio Shack, Sam's Club, Target and Walmart.

Starting March 23, the new device will be available in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

Continue Reading

Actor Kader Khan Designs Urdu, Arabic Courses to Remove Misconceptions About Islam

For over 40 years we have known Kader Khan for his humor and dialogues. But now this Kabul-born Bollywood actor is immersed in academics. He has designed courses for studies in Arabic and Urdu languages and says education can remove lot of misconceptions about religion.

The veteran actor is set to fly to Dubai to take forward his dream of educating as many people in Arabic and Urdu. Currently he is working on setting up the KK Institute of Arabic Language and Islamic Culture at Knowledge City in Dubai.

Khan is also planning to create an entire syllabus from nursery to post-graduation in Islamic studies. Apart from Dubai, Khan is also gearing up to open an institute in Toronto, Canada, where he will teach these languages. "When I come back to India next year, I shall take up similar activities and classes here also," he said.

Khan, while talking, often mentions his mother Iqbal Begum and credits her for inculcating the importance of education in him. His father, Abdul Rehman, who taught in madrassas, added to the inspiration.

Reminiscing about his early years, Khan said he was barely a year old when he came to Mumbai.

"I had been an academician and I feel now is the time to go back to it. When I open a full-fledged school of Islamic language studies, I will dedicate it to my parents who inspired me. I love my mother for making me who I am today. She was a lioness, who taught me how to read, to write, to live my life and be the best," he said with pride.

Khan, who intends to eradicate misconceptions about religion and communalism through his courses, said: "With education, a lot of misconceptions about religion can be eradicated. In my own small way, I am trying to further this cause."

"The ill name of Islam is something I want to wash off. Islam spreads peace and if I can do my small bit in spreading harmony, I don't want anything else," he added.

In his illustrious career, as an actor and dialogue writer, Khan has acted in 450 movies and written dialogues for over 250 films. He won the Filmfare Award for best comedian in 1991 for "Baap Numbri Beta Dus Numbri" and a Screen Award for best performance in a comic role in 1995 for "Taqdeerwala."

As a dialogue writer Kader Khan's work includes "Ganga Jamuna Saraswati," "Sharaabi," "Coolie," "Agneepath," "Himmatwala" and "Sarfarosh."

Continue Reading