October 17, 2019
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Newfoundland and Labrador has announced an independent review of three deaths in provincial jails since August — including two young women in the last five weeks — as grieving families wait for answers.Justice Minister Andrew Parsons said retired police Supt. Marlene Jesso will examine policies, procedures, and how corrections staff responded.“We’re accountable for these individuals that are in our care and control,” Parsons said in an interview.“When you have three in this short span of time, we want to find out what is going on.”Police say an inmate at the Clarenville Correctional Centre for Women died suddenly Saturday, but offered no details on the cause or circumstances.In April, a 27-year-old woman died at the same facility. Police said she had choked on food.And on Aug. 31, a 37-year-old male inmate at Her Majesty’s Penitentiary died suddenly. Police did not indicate the death was suspicious.In the legislature Monday, NDP Leader Gerry Rogers said the death Saturday of Samantha Piercey has left her mother desperate for information.“What’s the minister doing right now to ensure all inmates are safe and properly treated while incarcerated?” she asked.Rogers said the family of Skye Martin, the inmate who died in April, is also without answers.“This is not about casting blame. This is about getting information in a timely manner to the family,” she said during question period. “And it’s about the mental health services in our prisons.”Rogers said Martin spent six weeks at the Waterford psychiatric hospital in St. John’s and was on effective medication when she returned to jail “stable and healthy” in the weeks before her death.“After less than a month, the psychiatrist at the correctional facility altered her medication regime,” Rogers said. “The day she died, she was begging to go back to the hospital for help.”St. John’s lawyer Bob Buckingham said he has been retained by the family of Douglas Neary, the inmate who died Aug. 31, to assess any potential liability.There should be an automatic inquiry when inmates die, he said in an interview. “We should not have had to wait for three deaths before the minister announced an investigation or a review.”Buckingham said it’s not clear whether Jesso is qualified to lead such a process, if she’ll be able to compel evidence or retain experts.Justice officials did not immediately respond.But Parsons said the review, which is to start once investigations by the RCMP and chief medical examiner conclude, does not suggest guards were at fault.“Maybe we have to look at — even if procedure was being followed appropriately — do we require a change of the procedure itself?”Parsons said there’s growing recognition that many people wind up behind bars because of mental health and addiction issues. It’s a revolving door, he added.“To put somebody back inside, without recognizing why they might be there, I think it’s counter-productive and I think there’s a way to do things better.“This is not a Newfoundland and Labrador issue. This is a Canadian, an international issue.”Parsons said Jesso has more than 34 years of investigative experience, including work with the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary.Jerry Earle, president of NAPE, the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees, represents more than 300 correctional staff.“This is really a difficult situation and first I want to pass on condolences to family and friends in this latest incident,” he said in an interview.“We were a little bit taken aback,” he said of frontline staff and union reps. “We heard of this review through a press release.”Earle said a broad analysis could be helpful if it looks at concerns raised by corrections workers for years. They include the long delayed replacement of Her Majesty’s Penitentiary in St. John’s, the province’s largest jail. Critics of all political stripes say it’s an abysmal Victorian throwback that should be razed.Training, equipment, procedures and programs should be assessed to consider growing numbers of inmates with mental health challenges and addictions, Earle said.“Our correctional officers have to attempt to care for these individuals 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”Follow @suebailey on Twitter.
HALIFAX – Nova Scotia’s school system is failing its students, according to a provincially ordered report that recommends all English-language boards be scrapped in favour of a single “aligned model.”Education consultant Avis Glaze released a report Tuesday that says the system is not working because of a “lack of clarity and coherence,” and as a result, students are in many cases performing below average compared to the rest of the country.Glaze says the administrative system should be realigned to reflect a unified and province-wide focus on students, with any savings directed back to classrooms.She said she heard a lot about mistrust within the province’s school system during the course of her consultations across the province.“They (people she consulted) said they had made recommendations in many cases and they have not been listened to. They have said that too many of our actions were political, and people mistrust when they think there is a political rationale rather than an educational rationale.”Glaze, who formerly served as Ontario’s education commissioner and as advisor to that province’s education minister, was hired by the province last October to look at all areas of administration and operations.Under one of her 22 recommendations, the seven regional school boards would retain their boundaries and names but operate as regional education offices.The province’s Acadian school board would retain its current structure while following provincial curriculum guidelines.Glaze said local voices would be maintained through the creation of school advisory councils with input from parents, students, principals and community members.Asked whether eliminating elected English-language boards could be seen as undemocratic, Glaze said that was for the government to decide.“People feel the status quo is not working,” Glaze said. “We have had an opportunity to improve the achievement of the children of this province and it is not happening. They felt that they need a new structure in order to make that happen.”But those involved with school boards said they were shocked by the recommendation.Hank Middleton, president of the Nova Scotia School Boards Association, said the boards “embrace” change and agree with many of Glaze’s recommendations, although they feel she is going too far in saying school boards should be eliminated.“Those school boards represent individuals in communities,” said Middleton. “I don’t think that somebody in an office in Halifax is going to have that understanding.”Gin Yee, chairman of the Halifax Regional School Board, also said he didn’t see the move coming, although he admitted the province would likely save money if it eliminates seven boards.“We provide an elected voice … we advocate on behalf of our constituents,” Yee said.Glaze’s report also recommends moving teaching support specialists such as literacy and math mentors from board offices into classrooms four days a week, with the fifth day dedicated to assessing student progress.She says assessment responsibility should be taken away from the Education Department and given to a new independent student assessment office.She also recommends the establishment of an education ombudsperson to investigate and resolve concerns or complaints in the education system.She would enhance the roles of the Council on Mi’kmaq Education and Council on African Canadian Education, giving them more leeway to directly advise the education minister.“This is a made-in-Nova Scotia model which I think should be looked at and further fine-tuned to make sure that it works,” Glaze said of her overall recommendations.Amy MacKinnon, a parent from Barrington, N.S., who sits as a member of a school advisory committee, said she particularly likes the idea that learning specialists be freed up to be in schools more often.“For a child that has a learning disability, to hear that specialists will potentially be coming into the school more often is a really positive step forward,” she said.Glaze also calls for a provincial college of educators to license, govern, discipline and regulate the teaching profession. She says the independent body would help improve public confidence in the education system.Another recommendation would see principals and vice-principals removed from the Nova Scotia Teachers Union and into a new professional association.The recommendations were quickly dismissed by the union, which called them a “recipe for chaos in our public education system.”“What this report lays out is essentially the same failed experiment the current government tried with health care,” union president Liette Doucet said in a news release.“This does nothing to help students or teachers, all it does is create a larger centralized bureaucracy while bringing division to our schools.”Doucet also said removing principals and vice principals from the union would not benefit students.“Our current collegial model places emphasis on conflict resolution and healthy staff relations, this creates a positive work environment that benefits teachers and their students,” she said.Education Minister Zach Churchill is to give the government’s response to Glaze’s recommendations during a news conference on Wednesday.“Our government is focused on building a stronger education system by putting more resources in classes. Student success is our singular focus,” he said in a statement Tuesday.
VICTORIA – Victoria police Const. Ian Jordan died in hospital Wednesday after spending 30 years in a mostly unresponsive state caused when his cruiser crashed into another police vehicle racing towards the same call.Retired Sgt. Ole Jorgensen vividly remembers the crash that severely injured his friend and colleague.He was responding to a business alarm when Jordan’s vehicle crossed the intersection in front of him.“I had my foot on the brake so hard and in my head I can distinctly remember I was saying, ‘Get out of the way Ian.’ But it was too late, it was a split second before I hit him that I realized he was there,” Jorgensen said.Victoria Police said the accident resulted in the creation of a “trauma team,” which helps officers and staff after traumatic incidents, and also prompted a change in procedures for controlling traffic lights.A funeral for Jordan with full police honours is being planned.The officer was 35 at the time of the accident and father to a 16-month-old son.Hilary Jordan said her husband’s death feels like deja vu.“I feel like I’m back 30 years ago and it was just a new normal, 30 years visiting hospital every day. It’s just really part of my life now. So it just feels quite different,” she said.“But I’m happy for Ian that his struggle is over and he’ll be at peace.”She said her husband was in a coma for the first few months after the crash, then he opened his eyes, but he didn’t communicate and his level of understanding was unknown.Between the Jordan family and members of the department, she said “Ian, for 30 years, had a visit every day.”She never remarried. Their son, Mark, is now criminal lawyer in Edmonton.Jorgensen described Ian Jordan as a close friend who loved going on calls with him and his K-9 unit.Earlier in their shift on Sept. 22, 1987, Jordan had been pushed down a flight of stairs when responding to a call at a nightclub, Jorgensen said, so he was supposed to be heading home.But Jordan was a keen officer and when reports of a possible break-and-enter came in, Jorgensen said he must have decided to respond to the call instead.In the three decades that Jordan was in care, Jorgensen said he visited every month. He would fill Jordan in on the goings-on of the police department — who got hired or fired — and update him on his wife and son.“I would just tell him what was going on in our lives. Just in case. We don’t know whether he was hearing us, so, just in case (I was) keeping him up to date,” Jorgensen said.He wasn’t alone. Police Chief Del Manak said several Victoria Police officers and staff members have visited Jordan on a regular basis, himself included.“I found it quite humbling to be in his presence,” Manak said.“Like most police departments, it’s a really tight-knit family. It’s a group of individuals who are committed to serving their community. This hits home the risks and dangers that our officers and staff face, who work the front lines.”Manak said it’s hard to imagine what the family has experienced. Jordan made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty and Manak said the department is consulting his family as it plans a memorial service.“We want to make sure that there is closure, but that it’s done in a way that respects the sacrifice that Ian has made,” Manak said.Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version said the officer was in a coma, when in fact he was in an unresponsive state.
OTTAWA – The families of Canadian diplomats serving in Cuba are being recalled as a response to mysterious incidents which have plagued some staff and dependents.The move comes after 10 Canadians continue to show unexplained brain symptoms, officials say.That number includes an unknown number of children and non-diplomat family members, but government officials are giving no further breakdown, citing privacy concerns.Government officials, who briefed journalists on the condition of anonymity, say the ongoing problems are raising concerns about a new type of acquired brain injury, the cause of which remains a mystery. Officials say the cause could be human-made.Spouses, children, or even parents of Canadian diplomats currently accompanying them in Havana will begin leaving the Cuban capital immediately.Havana has now been declared an “unaccompanied post” in the Canadian foreign service — a designation Cuba now shares with Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and South Sudan.Cuba is a favourite tourist destination for Canadians, with more than one million visiting the Caribbean island annually, but Global Affairs Canada says there is no evidence of any related ailments among Canadian travellers.Canada is working with the United States — many of whose personnel in Havana also took ill — and Cuban authorities to try to solve the mystery.Cuba says it is not responsible for the unexplained incidents, but the fallout has led the U.S. to recall many of its diplomats and expel Cuban representatives from Washington.Global Affairs Canada said the new status of the Havana mission is the result of an environmental assessment of its staff housing completed in March that failed to turn up a cause. The decision is also being taken after the troubling findings of a University of Pennsylvania study of U.S. diplomatic staff.“According to these specialists, medical information raised concerns for a new type of acquired brain injury. Additional research is needed to better understand this,” said a statement Monday from Global Affairs Canada.“The cause remains unknown, but could be human-made.”Government officials declined to give further details of the new medical findings and referred reporters to the study itself, which was published in February by the Journal of the American Medical Association.Canada and Cuba continue to have “a positive and constructive relationship” and have been co-operating to find a cause since problems first surfaced about a year ago, the statement said.But officials said Monday it remains a mystery that has no apparent precedent in diplomatic affairs.About 27 people from 10 diplomatic families underwent testing when some complained of dizziness, headaches and difficulty in concentrating.The symptoms developed amid concern about possible acoustic attacks in 2016 and 2017, but officials said Monday the theory of an acoustic or sonic attack has been ruled out.Canadian diplomats in Havana were told Monday of the changes, and officials said they would be given time to evaluate any future career decisions, given the effect on their families.Many of the embassy staff were due to rotate out and be replaced this coming August, but now all those involved will be given time to re-evaluate their next moves, officials said.The Cuban embassy in Ottawa did not respond to a request for comment on Monday.
EDMONTON _ Alberta Premier Rachel Notley and her cabinet have put the legal wheels in motion to begin cutting oil production while calling on the federal government to step up.“We don’t actually need Ottawa’s sympathy. We need Ottawa’s full attention,” Notley said prior to a cabinet meeting Monday morning.The meeting was called to hash out legal directives to give the Alberta Energy Regulator the power to direct oil producers to cut production by 8.7 per cent starting Jan. 1.Notley said it will be a short-term solution designed to be monitored and adjusted monthly as necessary. It ends on Dec. 31, 2019.“We will continue to work with industry to make sure that this curtailment is done in a way that is most effective, and that is responsible and ensures that we don’t curtail one extra drop more than we need to,” said Notley.The market price for Alberta oil rebounded Monday, but the discount Canadian producers have to stomach compared with the price their U.S. counterparts get is still north of $30 a barrel.The glut in reserves driving down prices needs to be addressed before producers begin taking more drastic steps such as slashing capital projects or laying off workers, Notley said.WATCH: Alberta family reacts to oil production cut Federal Natural Resources Minister Amarjeet Sohi said Monday he is asking the National Energy Board to make sure Canada’s oil pipelines are being used as efficiently as possible. Sohi said he shares Alberta’s frustration about the oil-price crisis and has asked the NEB to report as soon as possible.He said the status quo on Canadian oil shipping cannot continue, but defended his government’s record on pipelines and the oil industry, noting the recent $4.5-billion purchase of the Trans Mountain pipeline in a bid to get it expanded despite political controversy.The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, which would triple capacity to move oil to the west coast, was approved two years ago, but is now in legal limbo as Ottawa revisits the impacts on First Nations and B.C.’s marine environment.The federal government has not yet decided whether it will contribute anything toward Alberta’s purchase of new rail cars so that two more trains a day can transport crude from Alberta to refineries in Canada and the United States.Federal Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said Alberta’s dilemma is a direct result of the Trudeau government’s failure to get pipelines built while cancelling ones like Northern Gateway.“I believe what we’re seeing is a systematic strangulation of our energy sector by this Liberal government,” Scheer said in Winnipeg._ With files from Mia Rabson in Ottawa and Steve Lambert in Winnipeg Alberta Energy Minister Marg McCuaig-Boyd said they’ve also talked to Saskatchewan about the cuts and are working together to resolve the price quandary.“This is a national priority, so the more we can get on board the better,” said McCuaig-Boyd. “They’re in the same boat we are. They’re seeing the differential hurting their prices. It’s about jobs there. They’re not as big a player as us, but they’re still a player.”Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said in a statement that the province isn’t considering following Alberta’s example.Saskatchewan’s industry is conventional oil, not oilsands production, Moe said. A mandated cut would have little impact on price, but would prompt job losses and a decline in economic activity, he said.“That said, we understand the actions being taken in Alberta and will be working with our industry partners to ensure Saskatchewan is not undermining these efforts,” said Moe.Alberta’s price cut is rare but not unprecedented — in 1980, Tory premier Peter Lougheed forced oil production cuts to protest then-prime minister Pierre Trudeau and his Liberal government’s national energy program.Notley said a lack of pipeline capacity is a big part of the problem.She announced last week that her government will purchase rail cars to get more oil moving while the province waits for the Enbridge Line 3 and the Trans Mountain expansion to the B.C. coast to come on line.Notley said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government must do its part by rolling back proposed legislation that she says will make it much harder for energy megaprojects to be approved. She said Ottawa must also revisit its proposed tanker ban on the northern B.C. coast and help Alberta with its rail purchase plan.WATCH: Industry reacts to oil cutbacks
OTTAWA — Supreme Court Justice Clement Gascon is retiring in September after five years on the high court.The court says Gascon, 58, is stepping down for personal and family reasons.Chief Justice Richard Wagner praises Gascon’s thoughtful, rigorous, and collegial approach that helps the court get to the heart of complex issues.Wagner says Gascon has served Canadians with integrity and wisdom, and that colleagues will miss his commitment and friendship.Gascon says he is profoundly grateful to those who put their trust in him over the years.Gascon was appointed to the Quebec Superior Court in 2002 and joined the Quebec Court of Appeal 10 years later, becoming a Supreme Court justice in June 2014.The Canadian Press
OTTAWA — The federal food safety watchdog says it is recalling a certain brand of baby food due to the possibility of insects being in the product.The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says it is recalling Kraft Heinz Canada’s turkey stew product for babies over eight months.The agency says the baby food was sold in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador.There have been no reported illnesses.The agency says the product should not be consumed and it should be thrown out or returned to the store where it was purchased.The Canadian Press
Sunday
Kings of Leon,
Tiësto, Pharrell Williams
, Girl Talk, Spoon, Grimes, AWOLNATION
, Gareth Emery, Tommy Trash, Kongos, Danny Brown
, YG, Penguin Prison (DJ Set with Live Vocals)
, 3Lau, Mimosa, Bleachers, Cut Snake, Bixel Boys, VacationerLOS ANGELES DAILY LINE-UP
SaturdayImagine Dragons
, Kendrick Lamar, Afrojack, Iggy Azalea
, Sublime with Rome, Metric, Capital Cities
, Gareth Emery, Schoolboy Q, Borgore,
DVBBS, YG, MUTEMATH, Dr. Dog, Hit-Boy
, ZZ Ward, Classixx, Ab-Soul, Isaiah Rashad, Jay Rock, Cut Snake, GrandTheft Sunday Grammy Award-winner Kanye West and Billboard chart-topping artist Iggy Azalea have been added to the 2014 Los Angeles Budweiser Made In America Music Festival line-up taking place at the Los Angeles Grand Park on August 30 and 31.Kanye West will now headline both the Philadelphia and Los Angeles “Budweiser Made In America” Music Festivals. Kanye West and Iggy Azalea join previously announced Los Angeles headliners Imagine Dragons and John Mayer.The “Budweiser Made In America” Music Festival also revealed today the daily line-up for the Philadelphia and Los Angeles versions for one of the country’s premier summer festivals. The “Budweiser Made In America” events will benefit United Way of Greater Los Angeles, United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey and United Way of Lancaster County. The two-day music festivals created by Budweiser and Live Nation will deliver must-see performances on both coasts with headliners Kanye West, Kings Of Leon, Tiesto and Pharrell Williams in Philadelphia and Kanye West, Imagine Dragons and John Mayer in Los Angeles. Daily line-ups for both festival locations are listed below.Single-day tickets for both festivals will go on sale Friday, July 18 at www.livenation.com and through the Live Nation mobile app. Single-day ticket prices are $89.50 for Philadelphia and $99.50 for Los Angeles.PHILADELPHIA DAILY LINE-UP
Saturday
Kanye West,
The National, Steve Aoki,
J. Cole, Chromeo, City and Colour,
R3HAB, Baauer, Mayer Hawthorne,
The Neighbourhood, Holy Ghost, Will Sparks,
Destructo, DJ Cassidy, Cherub, Young & Sick, Kaneholler Kanye West, John Mayer, Juanes, Weezer, Rise Against
, Steve Aoki, Chance the Rapper, Cypress Hill
, R3HAB, Wolfgang Gartner, 12th Planet
, Rita Ora, Nipsey Hussle, Terraplane Sun
, Yellow Claw, Will Sparks, Scavenger Hunt, SZA, A Tribe Called RedBe sure to check in at www.madeinamericafest.com often for the latest updates on both festivals.
Tweeting about social injustice is not enough for Alicia Keys – so she has penned an entire article for The Guardian.“I know critics will say that people like me should stick to making records,” she wrote. “But musicians are voters too. We are artists and we are human, alive to what is going on around us. We seem to be able to connect to millions of people who have either lost faith in the system or who need to feel a part of a community. Music has an uncanny way of getting to people’s emotions. And when we listen to music it is as if the consciousness changes around us. I intend to keep on speaking out, as do a number of my peers. We feel it is our duty to use our fame for something bigger than empty things.”You can read the entire article here.
Make-A-Wish recently announced the recipients of several awards the organization presented at their 35th Anniversary Global Conference last week in Anaheim, Calif.The wish-granting organization took time to celebrate some of their most passionate and devoted ambassadors as part of their Evening of Excellence awards reception.Make-A-Wish and Disney celebrated the 100,000th Disney-related wish during a special event emceed by Disney Channel “Girl Meets World” star Ben Savage, marking a momentous milestone in the organization’s 35-year relationship with Disney. Nearly 8,000 Disney wishes are granted globally every year – including experiences at Disney Parks, voyages on Disney Cruise Line, and visits to TV and movie sets. From the first wish 35 years ago to the 100,000th wish together, Disney and Make-A-Wish have brought comfort and smiles to wish kids and families when they need it most.Each year, some of the world’s most famous celebrities provide inspiration to thousands of wish kids — meeting them on sets, at concerts, in their hospital rooms and everywhere in between. Make-A-Wish honors four of these celebrities annually with the Chris Greicius Celebrity Award. These celebrities, despite their hectic schedules and never-ending demands, have been dedicated to creating meaningful, life-changing experiences for wish kids. The 2015 Chris Greicius Celebrity Award recipients are:• “Disney Channel”: For many wish kids, the characters they watched every day — passing the time in hospitals as they sit through treatments, recovering from surgery or waiting on test results — became their best friends, and the chance to meet them in person inspired them to keep fighting. • Bruno Mars: The internationally known singer, songwriter, record producer, voice actor and choreographer has been granting wishes since 2012 for children all over the world. Bruno has quietly but enthusiastically brought joy to the lives of more than 16 children. • Norman Reedus: Known most recently for his role in the mega hit, The Walking Dead, the long-time actor has granted 10 wishes, even flying out to meet a wish kid in the hospital with less than 24 hours’ notice. Norman also designated Make-A-Wish as the charity beneficiary of his OMAZE campaign. • Shaun White: Born with the same congenital heart condition as many of our wish children, the highly decorated American professional snowboarder and skateboarder’s drive and life achievements speak to wish children in knowing that they, too, can do whatever they put their heart into. Shaun has granted 17 wishes, starting in 2008, and continued to grant wishes every year since.Make-A-Wish also celebrated a historic milestone: the granting of 500 wishes by one individual. WWE Superstar John Cena started granting wishes in 2004, and this summer, granted his 500th wish. As his popularity as a WWE Superstar quickly soared, so did the number of wish requests. His motto, Never Give Up, serves as a rallying cry to hundreds of sick kids and a commitment that he’ll keeping fighting right alongside them.Make-A-Wish honored ESPN’s “My Wish” series with the Douglas Kiker Award for excellence in media. The award, accepted by ESPN commentator Chris Connelly, recognizes individuals and media organizations for their extraordinary efforts to extend Make-A-Wish stories to the public. Since 2005, ESPN has told 53 stories of wish children and the athlete heroes who made their wishes come true through the ESPN “My Wish” and “Mi Deseo” series.To cap off the festivities, Make-A-Wish presented The Walt Disney Company with the 100,000th Wish Award, which was accepted by Spencer Neumann, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts chief financial officer and executive vice president, Global Guest Experience, and Make-A-Wish America board member.“A wish-come-true helps wish kids feel better and in some cases get better,” said Make-A-Wish America president and chief executive officer David Williams. “Corporations like Disney and WWE, celebrities, like John Cena, Bruno Mars, Shaun White and Norman Reedus, can make a very real, lasting impact on wish kids’ ability to handle and overcome the medical challenges they face.”
“Degrassi” hasn’t killed many characters, but when it does, it’s always been in an organic way that serves the story, said executive producer Linda Schuyler. TORONTO — Erinn Hayes’s recently announced departure from the Kevin James TV comedy “Kevin Can Wait” has sparked shock and outrage among fans. Advertisement Twitter Advertisement “I was always nervous, especially after Paul (a main monitor of the clones) died too in the third season,” said Jordan Gavaris, who plays Felix on the show. “Every week there’s an actor that is not renewed, or fired,” he said in an interview when Netflix revived the series last November.“The seven-year contract that you sign when you audition is basically to protect the studio for you not to be able to leave. But it doesn’t protect you from being fired.” For some actors, going out in a blaze of glory can ease the blow. “I think it’s … built into every actor’s mentality to assume as a show wraps either an episode or a season, to think that you’re unemployed and you’ll never work again,” Maria Doyle Kennedy, who plays Mrs. S on “Orphan Black,” said on the set before the latest and final season kicked off in June. Last week, CBS announced Hayes will not be returning to play the wife of Kevin Gable, played by James, on the sitcom. Instead she’ll be killed off, paving the way for a reunion with Leah Remini, James’s TV wife for nine seasons on “The King of Queens.” “They get a week, some people get less than a week,” said Rooker. “Any death that’s happened on ‘Degrassi’ has been … to illustrate a particular issue and not to be vindictive to the actor,” she said. Receiving such news can still be devastating, not just the person who’s being axed but also their castmates. “Merle Dixon definitely went out with a bang,” said Michael Rooker, referring to his character on AMC’s “The Walking Dead.” Montreal actor Yanic Truesdale of “Gilmore Girls” said he never assumed he’d be a part of the next season until he got the official word. “Leaving can also be the best thing that happens to any actor, it’s just if you’re leaving the right way,” he said.
Advertisement When Samira Wiley was told her “Orange is the New Black” character would be killed off in season 4, she said she initially took it personally. After reading the script, she understood it was a necessary part of the story, but her castmates didn’t know until a week before shooting the episode. Facebook “If you don’t feel like you’ve shown enough of your character or you’ve been able to show at least one side to your character that makes it interesting, then that is my fear — of leaving without leaving a mark.”By: Victoria Ahearn “And always, whenever something big like that would happen with a character, I would bring them into my office and we’d talk it through with them beforehand so that they wouldn’t just one day get surprised about what would happen.” Alexander Ludwig of “Vikings” sees a positive aspect to being killed off a show. LEAVE A REPLY Cancel replyLog in to leave a comment Login/Register With: But for many actors, it seems the possibility of being killed off a show is one that’s always on their minds. Rooker knew three weeks before he had to shoot his final scene, which he said is a long time compared to the notice some actors are given. “There would be characters where you felt like, ‘Yeah, these are fantastic characters. I bet we’re really going to see an arc develop for these people,’ and then you’d watch them trickle into the table read the following week … only to see on the page that their character was dead and you’re just kind of like, ‘Whoa, this is one of those shows.’” “He came in with a bang so he might as well go out. When I got the phone call I said, ‘Well, if I’m going to go out, I’m going to go out an ass-kicker.” “By the time we went and shot it, the news was very, very fresh for them,” she said in an interview. “So in a way, even though it was happening to me and I was the one who really had to bear the crux of it, I felt like I needed to take care of other people because they were so profoundly sad.” “If and when I die on this show, it needs to be extremely powerful and that serves everything I came on the show for…. To me, dying, if nothing comes of it, then that’s a problem.
Most people look at a memory card as a piece of plastic or metal, and they don’t think much about them. But inside those covers, there is a LOT of intelligence. There is flash memory, a controller and much more. The quality of that memory and controller often determines the speed and quality of your card.READ MORE As many of you know, I spent many years of my life as Director of Marketing at Lexar dealing with the ins and outs of the memory card business. And in all that time, I have never written a blog about the do’s and don’ts of memory cards. Now that I have left Lexar and not on that side of the business any more, I feel that I can write this objective piece for you without any conflict of interest.And if you are taking digital photos on a memory card (and you probably are), YOU WILL WANT TO READ THIS!First, let me explain the memory card in simple terms for you. Facebook Login/Register With: Advertisement Advertisement LEAVE A REPLY Cancel replyLog in to leave a comment Twitter Advertisement
TORONTO, Feb. 13, 2018 – SiriusXM Canada, the country’s leading audio entertainment company, today announced the launch of SiriusXM’s Top of the Country in partnership with the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA), offering a national platform exclusively for emerging Canadian country artists. The cross-Canada search will give participating acts a chance to play at Canada’s biggest country music festivals, industry mentorship programs, a SOCAN songwriting camp in Nashville, TN and more, plus the grand prize of $25,000 and a SOCAN songwriting camp in Pender Island, BC.Once participants representing Western, Central and Eastern Canada have been selected, the competition will not only offer emerging artists some of the biggest prizes in the country, but showcase them on a national stage through a public online vote open to all Canadians to choose their favourites.“Fostering and promoting new Canadian talent has always been incredibly important to SiriusXM and to our partner, the CCMA,” said Jeff Leake, Director of Music Programming. “So as Canada’s premier music provider, we wanted to shine a light on the burgeoning community of up and coming country artists to give them the exposure they deserve and need to help take their music careers to the next level.” LEAVE A REPLY Cancel replyLog in to leave a comment SiriusXM and the CCMA launch Top of the Country music competition in search of Canada’s next big country star (CNW Group/Sirius XM Canada Holdings Inc.) Facebook “As a champion of Canadian country music, the CCMA prides itself on finding new ways to elevate the genre and the artists that are navigating their way through it,” said Tracy Martin, Interim President of the CCMA. “We were focused on expanding our Discovery Program and our new artist development efforts, and we have done just that with our partner, SiriusXM. We are very excited to launch Top of the Country.”SiriusXM invites Canadian country solo artists and groups to register starting at 10 am ET today at siriusxm.ca/topcountryuntil midnight ET on March 2. Following the registration phase, three artists from each of Western, Central and Eastern Canada will be chosen by a jury of industry experts to record in-studio videos for the Canada-wide online vote, taking place later this Spring.Once voting is complete, three will emerge as the Top Country Finalists, receiving a stage spot at Big Valley Jamboree(Camrose, AB), Cavendish Beach Music Festival (Cavendish, PEI) or a SiriusXM-sponsored major festival in Ontario. Finalists will also receive a SOCAN songwriting camp in Nashville, TN and an exclusive mentoring session with Canadian artists and industry professionals in Toronto, hosted by SiriusXM and the CCMA.The grand prize winner of Top of the Country will be chosen during the CCMA’s Country Music Week in Hamilton, ONthis September. Finalists will battle it out on stage before a headlining artist at the SiriusXM CCMA Top of the Country Finale, airing live on SiriusXM, with music industry professionals and audience votes deciding the winner of $25,000, plus a SOCAN songwriting camp in Pender Island, BC.SiriusXM’s Top of the Country in partnership with CCMA is part of SiriusXM’s ongoing tradition of promoting and elevating the best emerging Canadian music. SiriusXM continues to offer a leading platform for Canadian artists through its significant financial contributions and North American-wide reach of over 35 million subscribers.About SiriusXM CanadaSirius XM Canada Holdings Inc., operating as SiriusXM Canada, is the country’s leading entertainment company. SiriusXM creates and offers commercial-free music; premier sports talk and live events; comedy; news; and exclusive talk and entertainment. SiriusXM is available in vehicles from every major car company and on smartphones and other connected devices as well as online at siriusxm.ca.Join SiriusXM Canada on Facebook at facebook.com/siriusxmcanada, on Twitter at @siriusxmcanada, on Instagram at @siriusxmcanada and on YouTube at youtube.com/siriusxmcanada.SiriusXM radios and accessories are available from retailers nationwide and online at SiriusXM. In addition, SiriusXM Music for Business provides commercial-free music to a variety of businesses. SiriusXM is also a leading provider of connected vehicles services, giving customers access to a suite of safety, security, and convenience services including automatic crash notification, stolen vehicle recovery assistance, enhanced roadside assistance and turn-by-turn navigation.SiriusXM Canada has been designated one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies eight years in a row and is currently a Platinum Club Member.About the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA)Established in 1976, the CCMA is a membership-based, not-for-profit organization committed to the promotion and recognition of Canadian country music. Built upon the foundation to educate, elevate and celebrate Canadian talent, the CCMA progressively heralds the spirit, community and creativity that country music fosters through year-round initiatives, culminating every fall with Country Music Week and the Canadian Country Music Association Awards. Sponsors of Country Music Week and the 2018 CCMA Awards Show include FACTOR, Canada’s Private Radio Broadcasters and the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage’s “Canada Music Fund”, Radio Starmaker Fund, Government of Ontario, City of Hamilton, Tourism Hamilton and the Hamilton, Halton and Brant Regional Tourism Organization. Login/Register With:
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Advertisement Advertisement LEAVE A REPLY Cancel replyLog in to leave a comment Facebook Twitter Shania Twain relates to fans getting starstruck because she still experiences it herself when meeting fellow celebrities.She may be a showbiz stalwart, but the 53-year-old singer can’t help getting nervous around big stars.Describing the first time she met Madonna as awkward, Twain told America’s Today show that she’s just not very good around her peers. “I’m not very good with stars,” she confessed. “I get really uncomfortable, I don’t know what to say. I am very shy actually. I just feel like I’m invading their space by being with them. I was awkward with Madonna when I first met Madonna. Login/Register With: Advertisement
Quebec’s museum of Civilisation is going for a new look.And it wants the help of First Nations, Innu and Inuit groups to achieve it’s goal.The permanent exhibit in the museum is the most popular draw in the province.Now officials are travelling the province asking how Aboriginal Peoples wish to be represented in the exhibit.
APTN National NewsCanada prides itself on being a multicultural country.But in Nova Scotia, some are saying that diversity isn’t being reflected in the classroom.APTN National News reporter Tim Fontaine explains.
APTN National NewsDawson City and the Tr’ondek Whitchin First Nation in the Yukon are working on a plan.The two groups are going to nominate the Klondike famous for its gold rush history as a world heritage site.And as APTN’s Shirley McLean reports, the First Nation says, it’s a shared history worth the designation.
(Ashton Larmond, above. File photo)Kenneth JacksonAPTN National NewsWhile on statutory release for a nearly six-year federal sentence for robbing banks the father of two Algonquin men in Ottawa charged with terrorism offences is back in custody after admitting to illegally taking morphine.When asked why he would break his parole, Anthony Larmond, 48, said the stress of his sons’ terrorism charges was, in part, too much to handle.“You admitted to your case management team that you had bought and used a hydro-morphine pill, as you were feeling alone, under stress due to your sons’ serious criminal activity and bored due to reduced working hours,” says Larmond’s parole documents dated June 24.Larmond is the father of Carlos and Ashton Larmond, 24, who were both charged by the RCMP in January for wanting to fly overseas and join the terrorist group ISIS. They claim to have converted to Islam several years ago.They’ve been locked up at the local Ottawa jail since their arrests.APTN previously reported in February the twins claim to be Algonquin, but it wasn’t immediately known what First Nation they were from.APTN has now learned they have cards saying they belong to the Bonnechere Algonquin First Nation.Bonnechere is one of several non-status Algonquin First Nation’s in the Ottawa area, under the Algonquins of Ontario banner, negotiating with the federal government for land and title rights.APTN was told the twins have cards, along with identification numbers, from the band, currently located in Renfrew, Ont. about 100 km west of Ottawa.It’s not believed either has status, but were in the process of applying in February.Bonnechere Chief Richard Zohr was contacted by APTN but he wasn’t able to provide any information.According to Bonnechere’s website, it has 1,200 members with an “in depth history of its community dating back to the early 1600s.”Their father is a career criminal who has struggled with addictions.Anthony Larmond is on his forth federal sentence.His past offences include 74 property related convictions and 55 breaches.His latest breach happened March 24, about a week after the parole board removed a condition that he reside a halfway house in Toronto. He was supposed to move into a Toronto community housing unit.“Your criminal history includes three previous federal sentences, for robberies, assaults and property offences, and you have breached your conditions or re-offended while on each release,” the parole board said.His current sentence is for robbing two banks for about $7,000 with his girlfriend to buy drugs in 2009.APTN spoke to Anthony Larmond in February.“I developed a drug habit and became institutionalized at a very young age,” he said, adding he was ‘strung out and at the end (his) rope’ when he robbed the banks.As for life on the outside, he said he was struggling.“It’s not so bad when I’m working but it’s hard on the weekends,” he said.He defended his sons’ who he said get their Algonquin lineage from his side of the family.“They just wanted to go over there to (a) Muslim school to learn more about the Quran,” he said. “They told me they had no intention on joining ISIS.”The twin’s lived with their grandmother, Anthony’s mom, in Ottawa. He would call there from prison, or at the halfway house, and sometimes speak to them, he said.“Maybe some Native teaching will draw them away from Islam a bit,” he said at the time.APTN also previously reported the twins say they’re “proud” of being Algonquin but were refusing to participate in any Aboriginal cultural activities while in custody.It’s believed the twins are the first Aboriginal people in Canada to be charged with terrorism-related offences.Anthony Larmond must reside at the Toronto halfway house until his full sentence expires in November.Kjackson@aptn.ca
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