Bond at the Opera

 Photo credits: Alexandra Augustine Bond…James Bond. The name has been pulled from the pages of Ian Fleming’s popular spy novels into a cinematic world of action, romance and intrigue since Sean Connery first stepped into the well-tailored suit of what would become a movie icon. But how would the character

The Other Side of Reason – Adversity and perception

 [Dawn’s breath] I am nothing, Here and now, In this very moment, I am nothing and yet I am everything. Hold me together, Not as it was. I promise. Dawn’s breath, short gasps, and a remembrance: dreams come in kaleidoscope flashes of colour and shapes. Our breath is many voices

Will climate refugees in Canada finally spur action on climate change?

 Photo Credit: Eric Wüstenhagen Ryan Meili and Mahli Brindamour A young child arrives at the hospital emergency room in respiratory distress, his asthma worsened by smoke exposure. An elder has uncontrolled blood pressure because there wasn't time to get her medications when the evacuation orders came through. Scabies and other illnesses related

Female-Driven Canadian Action Drama Picked Up by American Broadcaster

 Photo courtesy of Skycron Three street-smart women will be stepping on screen to “return what is taken” and “heal what is wounded,” next fall. The Undersigned will air initially on ABC-TV affiliate WSYR-TV in Upstate New York. The new show is a female-driven action drama. The action might take place in Syracuse,

PowerCost Monitor: A Win for Your Pocket and the Planet

 Do you leave the light on when you’re not in the room? Do you forget to turn the TV off or leave your laptop charger plugged in? We all do it now and again, but the fact is, it’s hurting the environment and it’s costing you money. “Climate change is

Fashion Goes Green

 Photo credit: MIV Photography Bayshore Shopping Centre and H&M collaborate for eco-fashion initiatives through “Conscious Exclusive” line We wake up every morning, head to our closet and skim through racks of clothing. Some pieces are our favourites, some are fashion staples and some have never made the cut. Inevitably, the story

Get Outdoors: Mont Tremblant

 As kids skiing in Québec, my friends and I heard tales of the legendary Jackrabbit Johannsen, who was instrumental in cutting trails in the Laurentians. Even though he was quite elderly, we had hoped to sneak a peek of him gliding through the forest. We never saw him, but his

Protecting Bodies of Water — A Top Priority For The Pipeline Industry

 Over 100 biologists, engineers, government officials and other experts are currently working with the pipeline industry as it updates its comprehensive guidelines for constructing pipelines that cross bodies of water. And for good reason – Canada has an extensive pipeline network; in fact, the members of the Canadian Energy Pipeline

Health Canada Fails to Enforce its own Rules on Pharmaceutical Advertising

 A handsome man struts over to the office water cooler with a smirk on his face. When his colleagues ask about his weekend, he replies enthusiastically, with audio muted. A large blue pill appears with the tagline, “Viagra, Ask Your Doctor.” Vibrant, energetic older people are shown swimming, bowling and

Health in all Policies Approach Gaining Traction Across Political Spectrum in Canada

 By Danyaal Raza and Ryan Meili When counselling patients on health, physicians often focus on lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise or smoking. This kind of advice can be important for the individual, but does little to change underlying drivers of health like income, education and employment. These factors are

Is It Time For Canadians to Demand Action on Child Care?

 After years of inaction from Stephen Harper's Conservative government, it is time for Canadian families to join together to demand high quality, affordable child care. As it stands right now, millions of parents lack access to affordable, quality day care in Canada, with one care space available for every five

Why the Mental Health of Girls Needs National Attention

 Canadian girls internalize emotional stress and report high rates of depression, psychological distress, anxiety disorders and eating disorders. The recent Maclean’s cover story, entitled Revenge of the Teenage Girl, was too tempting not to read. No doubt they were publishing this in honour of the third International Day of the

How Lt Gen Currie turned the Canadian Corps into a national army

 Ask the average Canadian student about the origins of our nation and you will likely hear about Confederation and how Canada became a country with the passage of the British North American Act (BNA) in 1867. The fact of the matter is this is not actually the case. The BNA

Let Opera Lyra’s Tosca Take you Away

 Photo courtesy of Marc Fowler. There is nothing quite grander than hearing beautiful voices singing about love, betrayal and politics. There is one chance left to catch Opera Lyra’s production of Puccini’s Tosca and you shouldn’t miss it:  Saturday night.  The singing, set, costumes and music will instantaneously transport you