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All 64 passengers aboard the three-masted Canadian sailing ship SV Concordia -- seen here on the St. Lawrence River near Kingston, Ont., in 2001 -- were rescued from rafts after the tall ship sank off the coast of Brazil Feb. 18. In a statement, Prime Minister Stephen Harper thanked both the Brazilian Navy and merchant vessel crews "for their swift and heroic response" that saved the lives of the 64 people, which included 48 students in grades 11 and 12. The Concordia is owned by West Island College International and is based in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. |
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Church
leaders in the U.S are concerned for the safety of Patriarch Bartholomew I, the
spiritual leader of the world's 300 million Orthodox Christians, including 750,000 in
Canada. In a letter sent Feb. 17 to Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, Rev. Dr. Michael
Kinnamon, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches wrote, "We are
grieved that (Bartholomew's) safety and freedom are constantly threatened." Writing
on behalf of the 36- member communions of the National Council of Churches, Kinnamon
added, "despite the many traditions and histories that our member churches bring to
our council, we are emphatically agreed that a threat to the Ecumenical Patriarchate is a
threat to Christians everywhere." Although the Ecumenical Patriarchate has been
established in Istanbul since the days of Constantinople 17 centuries ago, the NCC letter
stated," the Ecumenical Patriarch now experiences threats to his safety that require
police protection and barbed-wire barriers." The visit of Ecumenical Patriarch
to Canada in May 1998 was the first such visit in the 2,000-year history of the Orthodox
Church. |
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Catholic Bishop Raymond Lahey won't go on trial for over a year on charges of child pornography. Assistant Crown Attorney David Elhadad says the trial in Ottawa has been set for April 26, 2011, and that 16 witnesses are expected to be called. Lahey, the former bishop of Antigonish, N.S., was charged with possession and importation of child pornography in September after arriving in Ottawa on a flight from Britain. |
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The crutches and canes that line a wall at St. Joseph's Oratory in Montreal offer testimony to the healing power of the oratory's founder, Brother André. The Holy Cross brother will become the 11th saint in Canada when he is formally canonized on Oct. 17 at the Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI approved Brother André for sainthood Feb.19. |
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A
giant pair of ice skates carved out of almost 40 tonnes of snow was the winner of the
National Snow Sculpture Competition held in conjunction with Winterlude, the 16-day
annual winter festival in the National Capital Region that ended Feb. 21. The sculpture
was created by the Alberta team, which also won first prize last year. Ten teams of
carvers representing Canadian provinces and territories, took part in the competition held
in Gatineau, Que.
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The
Ontario team won third prize in the National Snow Sculpture Competition held in
conjunction with Winterlude, the 16-day annual winter festival in the National
Capital Region that ended Feb. 21. Carved out of almost 40 tonnes of snow, the
sculpture depicts ice fishing.
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CHIMERA An ice-carving entitle 'Chimera' by Armando
Baisas and Ross Baisas of the
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Went ice fishing ... Caught two! Almost 40 professional ice carvers from 13 countries took part in the International Ice-Carving Competition held in conjunction with Winterlude, the 16-day annual winter festival in the National Capital Region that ended Feb. 21 in Ottawa. |
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Edmonton
Tory MP Peter Goldring is in hot water for sending out a pamphlet calling former Métis
leader Louis Riel a "villain" who has blood on his hands and who doesn't deserve
a statue on Parliament Hill in his honour. Riel was hanged as a traitor following the Riel
rebellion in 1885 but is now regarded as a folk hero by many for defending Métis rights
and culture. The Prime Minister's Office joined with Opposition party politicians to
condemn Goldring's comments in the pamphlet, stating, "This is a personal initiative
of MP Goldring which we strongly disapprove of." It added, "Louis Riel is a
historical and controversial figure but he played an important role in the development of
Canada and in the protection of the rights and culture of the Metis and Francophones in
Canada." Goldring's comments may have been prompted by a private member's bill
introduced last November to overturn Riel's conviction and formally recognize him as a
Father of Confederation.
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Governor General Michaëlle Jean and her husband Jean-Daniel Lafond paid a low-key visit to visit Saint Paul University January 27 where they helped launch the Catholic University's Michaëlle Jean and Jean-Daniel Lafond Endowment Fund for Social Communication Studies. She told members of the university community that she and her husband are honoured by the establishment of the fund that will bear their name. "We are especially touched knowing that this fund will make a real difference for the future of students of various cultures and origins who might otherwise not be able to pursue their studies," she said. "Moreover, this fund is dedicated to a discipline that I have practised for years with passion and conviction, and to which my husband has devoted himself as a film and documentary maker." Jean was a journalist and broadcaster in Quebec before becoming Governor General of Canada. |
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Federal Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff has come under fire from at least two Catholic bishops in Canada for suggesting that abortion rights be linked to any Canadian plan to improve maternal and infant health in the developing world. Ignatieff said in a statement Feb. 2 that the Conservative government has shown "it’s willing to cut funding to aid groups, like KAIROS, that dare to speak out against the Conservative party line, so we want a clear commitment that women’s reproductive rights – and the organizations that promote them – will not be jeopardized by the Conservative caucus.” Toronto Archbishop Thomas Collins said in a statement Feb. 4 that it's "astonishing" that the Opposition leader issued a statement "advocating contraception and abortion as fundamental elements in addressing this important issue." He also said ,"There are many fruitful ways to improve maternal and child health, and the discussion should centre on the most effective strategies for doing this." Calgary Bishop Fred Henry called Ignatieff's proposal "pathetic" and said Ignatieff is alienating religious people with his comments, which will not win him votes. |
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The Conservative government is being accused of trying to gag legitimate criticism of Israel in a dispute over alleged Conservative interference with a government-funded rights agency, The Canadian Press reported Feb. 3. Former Liberal cabinet minister Warren Allmand accused the Harper government of "a deliberate attempt ... to dampen and control public dissent and accountability," in a bitter dispute over alleged government interference at Rights and Democracy, a Montreal-based rights agency funded by the government. Dozens of foreign non-governmental organizations that work in the field of human rights have written an open letter denouncing actions by Tory appointees on the board of Rights and Democracy, CP reported. It also said that Allmand, a former president of the agency, linked the dispute to recent Conservative cuts to the funding of KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives," the church-based organization that Immigration Minister Jason Kenney told an Israeli audience recently was defunded because of what he alleged were anti-Israel positions. |
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Carl Nicholson, executive director of the Catholic Immigration Centre (CIC) in Ottawa, says federal funding of $375,000 announced Feb. 1 will help create a specialized wellness clinic for immigrants. The money will go to the Elisabeth Bruyere Centre for Immigrants, which is operated by the CIC. The CIC is to match the federal funding, which comes from the government's $4 billion infrastructure stimulus fund. |
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This
year Lent, the 40-day period of preparation in commemoration of the death and resurrection
of Christ begins in western Christianity on Ash Wednesday, February 17. The period is
marked by prayer, penitence, self-denial and almsgiving and culminates in the
celebration of the resurrection on Easter Sunday, April 4.
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