Emily Tieu
Next month, Emily Tieu will speak in front of 10,000 people about how she raised $12,000 for research of a rare disorder that effects only one person in Canada.
The 11-year-old is only slightly anxious about being on stage at the Keller Williams international conference in Orlando, Fla.
“I’m a little nervous,” Emily admitted. “I won’t worry about it too much; I know once I get up there it won’t be as nerve-wracking.”
Emily was invited to the event because of her work raising money to help Tyler Hunealt, who suffers from sialidosis, a fatal enzyme disorder that causes toxins to build up in his body.
This girl is one of my new heroes – her maturity and awareness is incredible for someone her age. Read the whole story here.
Strike ends after 51 days
The transit union and the City of Ottawa agreed to binding arbitration today, effectively ending the 51-day old bus strike. Yesterday the federal government said they would introduce back-to-work legislation for the 2,300 OC Transpo employees who walked off the job Dec. 10. Opposition MPs said they would support the idea, but it looks the pressure was enough to make the two sides finally agree on something.
Go here for more details.
The question is now, how long will it take to actually put buses back on the road?
Sens vs. Devils
I had the fabulous opportunity to shoot the Senators game last night. I’ve watched numerous games, but never from right behind the boards.
I was assigned a hole in the glass in the 114-115 section. I was told to find a milk crate to sit on … apparently being a Sens photographer means you have to sacrifice comfy seating. No problem.
I saw Jason Smith in my search around the lower levels of Scotiabank Place, but he ended up not playing last night.
Here’s a couple photos from last night. None of goals though – most were scored on the other end of the ice, and most were by the Devils, anyway. The Sens lost 4-1.
The players watch the puck after a face-off in the Devil's end.
Vermette and Heatley take a breather after an unsuccessful trip to the Devil's net.
Jason Spezza goes down in a rush for the puck.
Chris Neil finishes a fight with a Devils player.
The crowd begins leaving with several minutes left in the third period, while hardcore fans keep waving their flags until the buzzer sounds.
It was a great experience. I’ll take a free milk crate seat any day.
Budget 2009
The Conservative government released their budget for 2009 today. Read the whole deal here. The spending plans will put Canada in the red for the first time in 12 years.
Here’s some of the highlights:
• $11.8 billion for infrastructure by the end of 2010
• $335 million for arts and culture
• $500 million for recreational facilities
• $200 million to the Canadian Television Fund
• A cap on public service wage increases to 1.5 per cent until 2011
• $1 billion for social housing
• $7.5 billion for regions hit hard by the economic downturn, such as one-industry towns
• $8.3 billion for job retraining programs
• $40 billion over the next two years to stimulate the economy
• Protection for employees’ severance pay when companies go bankrupt
There’s more here.
NDP leader Jack Layton and Gilles Duceppe of the Bloc have already said they won’t support the budget, but it’s Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff’s opinion that really matters now. He’ll announce his intentions to either back Prime Minister Stephen Harper or bring down the government and possibly renew the coalition with the other opposition parties.
It would be ridiculous to have an election right now, and I think Ignatieff has distanced himself from Stephane Dion’s coalition plans enough that he can support the budget and still save face as the strong leader his party needs. Or maybe that’s just wishful thinking on my part. I’d really like to see something accomplished in this session of Parliament.
Speech from the Throne
Governor General Michaelle Jean gave the 144th speech from the throne today. Parliament has resumed, and the budget will be tabled tomorrow at 4 p.m.
Best job = aunt
I love being an aunt. But then, it’s hard not to love it with these kids for my nephews and niece …
Kellon, three years. He’s seriously going to be a musical prodigy of some sort.
The gorgeous Allie Grace, five months. Photo by the pro, my bro Ryan.
The newest addition to the clan – Jacob, who is now four days old. Even though I would love to jump on a plane to go see him and hold him, I will be forever grateful for skype for allowing me to meet me through the internet for now.
Seriously. Wouldn’t you be bragging if you were the aunt of such beautiful, phenomenal children?
Spending our way through
This week, Macleans had a great article by Andrew Coyne about why the Canadian government shouldn’t offer a fiscal stimulus to deal with the economic downturn.
But to get a really severe, U.S.-style recession in Canada you’d have to have a really severe, U.S.-style credit crisis here. So far we haven’t seen that. And if we did, deficit spending would no more recommend itself as the solution here than in the U.S.
What is required, rather, are measures to address the problem at its roots: the disease, not just the symptoms. The first priority for policy makers, here as in the U.S., should be to fix the credit crisis; the second, to ensure that it does not recur. And, while there is room for some shoring up of aggregate demand while the patient recuperates, it is far from clear that fiscal policy is the right instrument for this.
Read the whole article here.
I heart Jon Foreman
I recently purchased Jon Foreman’s solo album Limbs and Branches, which is a compilation of the best from his four seasonally-themed EPs, plus a couple of new songs. The lead singer of Switchfoot has one of my all-time favourite voices, which is part of the reason they are on my list of top-five greatest bands. I saw them live once and the concert was phenomenal.
His solo projects have allowed him to step away from the Switchfoot sound, but his thoughtful, solid lyrics are still classic Jon Foreman. I love how mellow this album is, though the harmonica opening on Southbound Train kind of threw me off for a minute.
Here’s Jon explaining and playing my favourite song from the CD so far – called Your Love is Strong, from his Spring album.
Cheryl