What is Cancer?

 The science will tell you that cancer is a disease that starts in our cells. It is when abnormal cells divide and multiply uncontrollably forming lumps or tumors or spread through the blood stream or lymphatic system. Malignant or cancerous tumors can spread to other parts of the body by

Canadian Snowbirds and U.S. Income Tax

 If you plan to spend your winters in the U.S., you should be concerned with more than just ensuring your passport is up-to-date and that your bags are packed. Snowbirds – Canadian residents who spend part of each year in the United States – need to be aware of the

Check Your Notes This Holiday Shopping Season

 Here's some advice from the Bank of Canada. Your first time handling Canada's latest polymer notes—the new $5 and $10 bills—may bring a little holiday cheer despite the hustle and bustle of the busy shopping season. Take a few seconds to look them over. It's important to keep looking at

Let the Science Speak

 Last month, the union I represent released the results of an on-line Environics survey designed to gauge the actual extent and impact of muzzling and political interference among federal scientists. Over 4,000 of the more than 15,000 federal scientists, researchers and engineers invited took part – a remarkable response rate.

The Canadian Coast Guard College

 As one of the most formidable institutions developing strong Canadians responsible for protecting our northern waters, the Canadian Coast Guard College continues to live up to its solid reputation.   The Canadian Coat Guard College is a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to turning out the greatest defenders of Canada’s 243 000

If National Caricatures were Poker Habits

 Just a thought to idle away ten minutes or so ladies and gentlemen: if playing habits in the game of poker had to be likened to caricatures associated with countries around the world (light-hearted and well-meaning caricatures, we hasten to add!), which country would represent which poker habit? Also, are

Distant Stars – John Banville – Ancient Light

 John Banville - Ancient Light Vintage Canada 2012 Reviewed by Don MacLean Readers familiar with the great Irish writer John Banville will also be familiar with the characters Alexander (Alex) Cleave, his wife Lydia and their troubled daughter Catherine (Cass), all of whom feature prominently in some of his previous

Philadelphia Freedom

 So Much To Do — So Little Time It’s easy to get to by air but we decided to drive. Traveling through New York State is one of the great road trips you can take. You pass through a majestic landscape, wonderful rolling hills and low mountainous terrains. It is

Arctic Inspiration Prize Nominees Announced

 Six teams have been shortlisted for the 2013 Arctic Inspiration Prize in recognition of their plans to mobilize knowledge into action in the Canadian Arctic. In its second year, the $1 million prize was established by the S. and A. Inspiration Foundation to recognize and promote the extraordinary contribution made

The Glitter and the Grit of Lindi Ortega

 For any traveling musician, the long, lonesome stretches of road that bind concert stages to one another can disrupt the concept of time, making a minute feel like an eternity. Our contemporary troubadours spend a significant amount of time lingering in these counterfeit purgatories, anticipating with equal parts excitement and

THE SEELY’S — A Family of Medical Pioneers

 The Ottawa Integrative Cancer Centre (OICC) is a new cancer care and research facility that incorporates the use of naturopathic medicine and other compatible whole-person treatments with standard cancer care to meet the goals of improving the overall quality of life for those living with cancer. Naturopathic doctor, Founder and

Canadian Athletes and a Look at Canada’s 2014 Olympic Men’s hockey team

 I can't wait for Men's Olympic Hockey to start. Will there be another Crosby dream moment or will the Russians take it this year? Canadians look forward to the Olympics to watch many winter sports but in the end the juggernaut is the Olympic Men's hockey team and the most

Federal Employees And Retirees Raise $20.1 Million To Date To Support Their Communities

 On November 28 at the Canadian Museum of Nature, hundreds of federal employees and retirees celebrated the success to date of this year’s Government of Canada Workplace Charitable Campaign (GCWCC), which raised $20.1 million in the National Capital Region. Thanks to these generous contributions, thousands of people in the National

Past Its Expiry Date: Time to Get Rid of the National Capital Commission

 Ottawa is changing in a good way. The increased urbanization of the core has re-energized communities like Westboro, Kitchissippi, Sandy Hill and parts of Lower Town. The renovation of Lansdowne Park proceeds apace, soon to breathe new life into the Glebe and the downtown core (much to the delight of

Putting the “Science” in “Science Fiction” – Robotic Muscles

 Earlier this year I talked about giant robots, and the many technical challenges that have prevented them from being put into production. Although there are many reasons why creating a giant robot is difficult, the major one has always been how to make it move. Robots tend to rely on

Kazakhstan: at the forefront of nuclear non-proliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear energy

 In our continuing series on Canada-Kazakhstan relations, we look at Kazakhstan’s expanding uranium mining sector and its position in the vanguard of middle-power countries supporting nuclear non-proliferation. The decision of Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev in 1991 to eliminate the nuclear test site in Kazakhstan ended 40 years of nuclear tests

Canada Makes A Good Business Partner

 by the Honourable Ed Fast The year 2012 was a landmark in Canada-China commercial relations. For the first time, China became Canada’s second-largest trading partner. Despite its recent economic slowdown, China remains one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. And that is why it has become a priority market under the

Bang a Gong for Hong Kong

 Over the past two decades, Hong Kong's economy has more than doubled in size and its GDP has grown at an average of 4.5 per cent for the past 10 years in real terms. Hong Kong's government runs a good surplus and its current fiscal reserve is large enough to

An Exhibition of Photography by Asif Rehman

 Asif Rehman’s photography reveals that the label “Canadian Muslim” at best defines only a part of a person’s identity, and seeks to break down stereotypes held by Muslims and non-Muslims about what it means to be a Canadian Muslim. "In spite of differences that exist between people and cultures, I

An Open Letter to Slow-Witted Ottawa Drivers

 by: Stéphane Tessier Ottawa is my home. I live here by choice because there are more things that I like and fewer things that I dislike than any other place I have lived in or visited. That being said, Ottawa is home to the worst drivers on earth! My bone

NBA Players Try Yoga for Performance Benefits

 The benefits of yoga have been known to people in the East for many thousands of years, and finally the West is catching up. Yoga is now so popular and its impact so much more understood that sporting stars across many disciplines are now incorporating it into their training -

The Great Canadian Experiment to House the Homeless

 That health is more than health care was a point I heard many times on my recent Fulbright fellowship visit to Canada. Right now in the U.S., you'd never know that though, what with all the hullaballoo over dysfunctional websites and failed efforts to get more people covered by insurance.

Online Medical Devices: Sacrificing Safety for Price

 In this fast-paced age of the Internet and instant information it can become easy to overlook safety when buying medical devices online. Yes the internet makes it more convenient for us to purchase items, but is buying something online always better? Are there ever circumstances where sacrifice must be made

Mind Over Matter tour comes to Ottawa and calls attention to the lack of research on women’s brains as they age

 Deloitte and The Honourable Dr. Hedy Fry, MP and Liberal Health Critic, help raise awareness of gender imbalance in research. Ottawa is the next stop on a six-city national tour that will bring leading neuroscientists and business leaders together in an effort to raise awareness of the need to enhance

Bus Driver Fatigue: A Fatal Threat

 The memory of the fatal freight train derailment that occurred this past July in the scenic Quebec town of Lac-Mégantic lingers as an unnecessary tragedy. Measuring 1.5 kilometres in length, the New Brunswick-bound, 74-car, unmanned freight which belonged to the Montreal, Maine and Atlantic (MMA) Railway Ltd., was travelling at