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Health Committee on Feb. 17th, 2011
Evidence of meeting #51 for Health in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was sodium.
A recording is available from Parliament.
On the agenda
MPs speaking
Also speaking
- Heather Chappell Director, Cancer Control Policy, Canadian Cancer Society
- Rob Cunningham Senior Policy Analyst, Canadian Cancer Society
- Eleanor White President, Canadian Chiropractic Association
- Garth Whyte President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association
- Joyce Reynolds Executive Vice-President, Government Affairs, Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association
- Stéphanie Côté Dietitian, Public nutrition and communication/media, Nutrition reference centre of Université de Montréal, NUTRIUM
- Barbara Kaminsky Chair, BC Healthy Living Alliance
- Mary Collins Director of the Secretariat, BC Healthy Living Alliance
- John Tucker Director, Government and Interprofessional Relations, Canadian Chiropractic Association
3:30 p.m.
The Acting Chair Tim Uppal
Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Standing Committee on Health, meeting number 51, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), a study on healthy living.
Welcome, witnesses. Today we have with us the Canadian Cancer Society, Heather Chappell, director, cancer control policy; and Rob Cunningham, senior policy analyst.
We have the Canadian Chiropractic Association, Dr. Eleanor White, president, and Dr. John Tucker, director, government and interprofessional relations.
From the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association, we have Garth Whyte, president and chief executive officer, and Joyce Reynolds, executive vice-president of government affairs.
We have NUTRIUM, Stéphanie Côté, dietitian, public nutrition and communication/media.
And by video conference from Vancouver, British Columbia, we have BC Healthy Living Alliance, Barbara Kaminsky, chair, and Mary Collins, director of the secretariat.
We will open with five-minute remarks from each organization. We will begin with the Canadian Cancer Society.
3:30 p.m.
Heather Chappell Director, Cancer Control Policy, Canadian Cancer Society
Thank you very much.
Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and committee members. On behalf of the Canadian Cancer Society, I would like to thank you for inviting us to share with you our perspective on healthy living.
The Canadian Cancer Society is a community-based organization with 1,200 staff and 170,000 volunteers. We work in and support communities across the country at the local, provincial, and federal levels. And we fight cancer by doing everything we can to prevent cancer; by funding research to outsmart cancer; by empowering, informing, and supporting Canadians living with cancer; by advocating for public policies to improve the health of Canadians; and by rallying Canadians to get involved in the fight against cancer. We have been a leader in fighting cancer for almost 75 years.
Healthy living is a broad issue that includes a number of lifestyle factors impacting overall well-being and disease development. I'm going to focus my comments specifically on healthy body weights and physical activity, and my colleague will focus his comments on tobacco.
Currently in Canada, we know that 61% of adults and 26% of children are overweight or obese. In looking at the physical activity numbers, most recently, just in the last month, we found that 15% of adults and 7% of children are meeting the physical activity guidelines. Even more startling is that half the children are not even reaching five minutes a week of vigorous activity.
With regard to this impact on cancer, we know that up to 35% of all cancers can be prevented by being active, eating well, and maintaining a healthy body weight. That means in the year 2010 there were an estimated 60,000 Canadians diagnosed with cancer as a result of these lifestyle factors. More specifically, looking at two more common cancers, 45% of colorectal cancers diagnosed and 26% of colorectal cancer deaths are linked to these risk factors, and 38% of breast cancers diagnosed and 19% of breast cancer deaths are linked to these risk factors. After smoking, unhealthy body weight is the next largest risk factor for cancer development.
Obesity is a complex issue that encompasses social, economic, physiological, environmental, and political factors. It's not equally distributed across communities in Canada. Rather, it's more concentrated in communities that are economically, politically, and socially disadvantaged.
A strategy is needed with sustained political commitment and multisectoral collaboration. This cannot be done by a single organization, sector, or government alone. Policy actions can impact obesity in a number of ways. The first is by shaping the environment so that healthy choices are easy choices for Canadians. This can include food access, security and labelling, built environments for supporting physical activity, as well as tackling some of the broader socio-economic disparities. Second, they can directly influence behaviour. This can include public awareness so that individuals and communities know the magnitude of the problem and the solutions that can help combat it. And third is by supporting health services and clinical interventions for those who are already overweight or obese.
3:30 p.m.
Rob Cunningham Senior Policy Analyst, Canadian Cancer Society
Regarding tobacco control, I'd like to begin by expressing support and congratulations for two very important measures that have been brought forward: Bill C-32 on flavoured tobacco and the new, enhanced picture warnings for cigarette packages. Both of these measures show world leadership. The Minister of Health, all political parties, and members of this committee deserve praise and thanks.
For this committee's current study on healthy living, and as part of achieving broader healthy living objectives, I simply want to underline the ongoing crucial importance of tobacco control.
Tobacco remains the leading preventable cause of disease and death in Canada.
Le tabac tue. Tobacco kills 37,000 each year.
We've made clear progress in reducing smoking, but an enormous amount of work remains to be done. Fully 18% of Canadians and 13% of youth aged 15 to 19 were current smokers in 2009.
The 10-year-old tobacco control strategy announced in 2001 expires very soon, March 31, 2011. It is essential that this strategy be continued. We need, as always, an approach to tobacco control that is comprehensive in nature. Within Health Canada's comprehensive strategy, the programming component is vital. The minister has referred to $15.7 million in funded cessation, youth prevention, and other initiatives. These should continue; we cannot let up. And new initiatives must be pursued, such as the very commendable social media campaign that will be linked to package warnings. Ensuring that the federal strategy is continued without any gap would ensure that the preparatory work for the social media campaign as well as many other initiatives would be carried out in full without interruption.
Given high aboriginal smoking rates, including 59% for first nations individuals on reserves, additional aboriginal initiatives of course are needed.
In closing, tobacco control remains pivotal for what we will achieve in the years ahead in terms of overall healthy living for Canadians.
Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today.
3:35 p.m.
The Acting Chair Tim Uppal
Thank you very much.
We'll now hear from the Canadian Chiropractic Association.
3:35 p.m.
Eleanor White President, Canadian Chiropractic Association
Thank you.
The Canadian Chiropractic Association appreciates the opportunity to appear before the committee. Healthy living is fundamental to our profession.
The promotion of a healthy lifestyle is an important objective of chiropractic care. As primary contact health care providers, the chiropractic profession supports public health promotion and prevention strategies that encourage physical and mental health well-being, such as programs that address smoking cessation, obesity, physical activity, and nutrition.
Historically, at its core the chiropractic profession has embraced its role as health promoters and champions in healthy living. By engaging patients as active partners in managing their own health outcomes, chiropractors aim to improve overall function and well-being. Consequently, the adoption of healthy living approaches by patients helps them achieve greater capacity. The average chiropractor spends a considerable amount of time recognizing and managing capacity issues at their early stages. As chiropractors, we can assist our overworked fellow health care providers in acute care by providing health and prevention in the framework of our patient plan of management.
The CCA's initiatives are founded on chiropractic's strength to implement such strategies. Our recent programs have included Fit-in 15, which encourages Canadians of every age and fitness level to devote 15 minutes a day to a physical activity. Recognizing the aging population, the CCA has also developed Best Foot Forward, which is a program targeted for seniors to reduce falls and their associated negative outcomes. An initiative of the CCA and its provincial divisions in conjunction with Chatelaine magazine has produced the Chatelaine back health promotion, both in print and online. In addition, our provincial divisions have also developed a number of creative public health initiatives, including Alberta's bad back campaign, British Columbia's WorkSafe, Ontario's Lift Light, Shovel Right, Quebec's Santémania, Newfoundland's Straighten Up, and so forth.
Canadian chiropractors are involved on a daily basis in widespread activities to promote healthy living to our patients and Canadians in general.
Our efforts do not stand alone, but rather are implemented in a collaborative framework with other health care professions that encourages the creation of public policies that reflect our vision of health promotion in Canada. The CCA has partnered with the Canadian Coalition for Public Health in the 21st Century, ThinkFirst, Osteoporosis Canada, etc., on a number of innovative projects. Moreover, the chiropractic profession has fostered and supported team-based clinical affiliations, notably at the National Spine Care program in Calgary, St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, Mount Carmel Clinic in Winnipeg, and the Rosedale Medical Clinic in Hamilton. Patients benefit when health care providers are grouped together to offer the best practices available. These examples have clearly demonstrated the increase in patient satisfaction and savings in care when providers collaborate synergistically.
Moreover, our commitment to health equality has inspired the CCA, in association with local governments and communities, to support the provision of chiropractic services to Nunavut residents in an effort to move their health status closer to that of the general Canadian population. The proposed project, entirely funded by the CCA, will benefit the residents of Nunavut by offering an alternative, hands-on form of health care and treatment for neuromusculoskeletal complaints. As an example of our potential community engagement in Nunavut, the CCA was recently approached by ThinkFirst, a non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention of brain and spinal cord injuries, to collaborate on the implementation of injury prevention strategies for elementary-aged children in the north. Planning is well under way on this initiative.
The CCA also supports such advances as HealthForceOntario, allocating funds for health promotion for physicians within a primary contact care setting. The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care aims to support a model of care that encompasses health promotion and disease prevention as well as treatment and disease management. In addition, the system accommodates a wide range of practice models, specifically team-based and interdisciplinary practices. We commend the Public Health Agency of Canada's recent release of Canada's new physical activity guidelines and the revised Canada food guide.
Such a paradigm shift towards health promotion must stem from efforts from all sectors, including regional, provincial-territorial, and federal governments, complemented by public and non-profit sectors.
The CCA recognizes that good health requires more than good health care and supports national public policies and initiatives that address the socio-economic determinants of health, such as early childhood development, poverty, education, and safe and affordable communities.
As Canadians, we must unite to support projects and enterprises that encourage health and well-being. Such an agenda should not be limited to population-based public health programs but extend also to individualized rewards for good choices through an array of governmental incentives. Notwithstanding, the provincial-territorial and federal governments must put forth incentives that aim to address the needs of patients, practitioners, and health care collaborative teams. Direct reinforcement for positive behaviour, in the form, for example, of the proposed adult fitness tax credit, would encourage Canadians to increase their level of physical activity. The children's fitness tax credit has also demonstrated the economic sensitivity of Canadians toward financial incentives.
Economic Benefits of an Adult Fitness Tax Credit, a study conducted by the Centre for Spatial Economics on behalf of the Fitness Industry Council of Canada, concluded that it would only take three years for health care cost savings to be observed that were due to the increase in physical activity within the population. The amount of total savings resulting from improving a population's general health would far outweigh any loss in net personal tax incurred by the government.
Essentially, the CCA's mission is to help Canadians live healthier lives by informing the public about the benefits of chiropractic care, facilitating chiropractic research, and advocating for health care system reform, ensuring quality health care for all Canadians. Consequently, the CCA believes in a vision of every Canadian having full and equitable access to chiropractic care. Similarly, every Canadian should have access to the same opportunities to make positive behavioural choices that will allow them to be healthier individuals and in turn be exemplary role models for their families and communities.
Thank you.
3:40 p.m.
The Acting Chair Tim Uppal
Thank you very much, Dr. White.
We'll now hear from the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association.
3:40 p.m.
Garth Whyte President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
We want to thank the committee on health for inviting the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association to speak on healthy living. We're a non-partisan national organization that has more than 30,000 members representing restaurants across the country.
You should have before you a package of information that Joyce and I will be presenting during our presentation.
There's a saying in our business: "If you're not at the table, you're on the menu." With an important issue such as healthy living, it's essential that the restaurant sector be included at the healthy living policy table. Our key message is that we should be seen as an important part of the healthy living solution, not as part of the problem.
Healthy living is a major imperative for CRFA and its members. Last year, we developed a healthy living vision with 10 principles, which was endorsed by our board and our membership across the country. It is included in your package. Recently, we've been working with several provinces, including Ontario and B.C., in this area. We've also been involved in national strategy sessions with key senior representatives from the agriculture, health, and food sectors. And over the past several years we've worked closely with the federal government, and specifically Health Canada, on such key issues as sodium, trans fat, and nutritional information in our establishments.
In March, the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association is participating in a nutrition disclosure think tank with Health Canada and other leaders in this area, and we want to bring some of that information to the table today.
I'm going to ask Joyce, my colleague, to speak specifically on those areas.
3:45 p.m.
Joyce Reynolds Executive Vice-President, Government Affairs, Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association
Thanks, Garth.
I'm going to focus on nutrition disclosure in restaurants, since it dominated one of your previous sessions. We do appreciate the opportunity to clarify the industry's position on this very important subject.
First, you should be aware that CRFA is in discussions with Health Canada and individual provinces about a national policy framework for nutrition disclosure. Included in your package are the guiding principles informing these discussions. One of the challenges for both government and industry is ensuring that this initiative will have the desired impact on the food choices and ultimately on the health of Canadians.
A recent witness acknowledged that "The evidence that menu labelling will influence people's eating habits is not conclusive", but went on to say that "most recent studies have found significant, though modest, effects". I haven't seen any studies that have found significant effects. I can cite many studies that have found weak, inconsistent, or no effects. Most recent studies, based on real-world experience, not hypothetical, show no impacts.
A study in the current issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine tracked purchasing behaviour at a fast food chain before and after calorie posting was regulated, comparing sales between a chain establishment within and adjacent to the regulated jurisdiction over a 13-month period. It found that the regulation had no impact. Trends in transactions and calories per transaction did not vary between the control and intervention locations after the law was enacted. A study released just this week in the International Journal of Obesity came to the same conclusions.
Because the evidence to date is inconclusive, Health Canada is planning a think tank on nutrition disclosure at the end of March that will bring together academics, NGOs, industry, and governments. One of the objectives is to identify research gaps, needs, and opportunities.
From the industry's perspective, the objectives of a nutrition disclosure policy framework are, first, to provide consumers with meaningful nutrition information so they are able to make informed choices that reflect their individual dietary and lifestyle needs; second, to help consumers make healthier food choices that will improve their health.
Building on CRFA's voluntary nutrition information program, a national nutrition disclosure framework would include the consistent, prominent, and visible display of nutrition information for standardized menu items in store, prior to point of sale. The manner in which this information is displayed may vary, depending on the individual restaurant's unique environment, but must meet the test of being visibly prominent and available at point of sale.
Some examples of how restaurants may prominently display nutrition information include: wall poster, menu insert, brochure stand, computer kiosk, etc. Technology is changing the face of society and the way we interact and consume information. Nutrition information is no exception. Many CRFA members are developing new electronic applications so that customers can view nutritionals simply by pointing their BlackBerry or their iPhone at the menu or menu board. This is already operational in some chain restaurants in Canada.
So CRFA is opposed to the oversimplified provision of single-nutrient information, such as the posting of calories, for several reasons.
The first reason is the difficulty of presenting the information in a way that is meaningful to consumers. Restaurants offer menu choices in multiple varieties, flavours, and options for customization. This makes it impossible to fit nutrition information on menus and menu boards in a way that is accurate, complete, legible, and enforceable. A sandwich, a pizza slice, a burger can vary in caloric content by a margin of 50%. Customers may have thousands of options that aren't listed on the menu, and this is the reason so many chain restaurants use nutrition calculators on their websites. Jurisdictions in the U.S. that have mandated calorie posting allow broad ranges of calories on their menus that aren't permitted in Canada.
Second is the singular focus on calories, rather than on nutrition and balance. This approach delivers a mixed message to consumers. For example, a small serving of milk will show more calories than a small soft drink; a yogurt with granola will show more calories than a bag of chips; a flax seed bagel will show more calories than a cookie. And it should be noted that Weight Watchers, which has helped millions of people throughout the world lose weight, uses a point system based on fat, carbohydrates, fibre, and protein—not calories.
Third is the shifting public policy concern about posting information on menus.
Over the years, the industry has been faced with public policy initiatives requiring posting on menus and menu boards of specific allergens, fat, trans fats, calories, and, most recently, sodium. Recognizing the normal shifts in public health concerns, we are amenable to a policy that highlights specific nutrient information on calories and sodium in our nutritional information in an effort to draw particular attention to them at this time. The industry is concerned about the precedent of requiring specific information per menu item on menus and menu boards.
To conclude, CRFA is interested in working with government on a made-for-Canada national policy framework that will ensure that Canadians have meaningful information for making healthy choices when they visit their favourite chain restaurants.
In the interests of time, I'm going to provide clarification on our positions on trans fats and sodium during the Q and A.
3:50 p.m.
The Acting Chair Tim Uppal
Very good. Thank you.
We'll go to NUTRIUM, please.
3:50 p.m.
Stéphanie Côté Dietitian, Public nutrition and communication/media, Nutrition reference centre of Université de Montréal, NUTRIUM
Good afternoon, my name is Stéphanie Côté, and I am from the nutrition reference centre at the Université de Montréal. Our mission is to educate and inform the public to help people make informed nutrition decisions. Ours is a positive approach that takes enjoyment into account.
I want to talk to you today about diet. And I want to speak to you as eaters, because we all eat, and so diet affects us all, to some degree or another. But we have a problem when consumers think they need a degree in nutrition in order to eat well. Sometimes it feels like you need a degree just to read a nutrition label, especially when faced with an enormous amount of nutrition information, which often does more to confuse than inform.
Nutrition-related communication is an essential tool for prevention. Appropriate and well-directed communication can build nutrition skills, food skills, cooking skills and even parenting skills. But that is not currently the case.
I want to share with you two key communication concerns when it comes to food choices and nutrition.
The first is confusion, due in part to the overabundance of nutrition-related information. There are numerous forums that deal with diet and nutrition, and much of the information and advice comes from unreliable sources and non-experts. Furthermore, the way that reporters and people in the media handle that information is also questionable. Many of the claims that appear on food products only add to the confusion, not to mention the private logos that companies put on many of their own products.
The second concern is the anxiety generated by some of the communications out there. The current approach to nutrition is likely to cause feelings of stress and guilt, especially since products are lumped into two very distinct categories: foods that are good for you and foods that are bad for you. What's more, the approach is often expressed in terms of right and wrong, which can backfire when you are trying to get people to eat healthily. For the past few years, we have been hearing about orthorexia, a fixation with healthy or righteous eating, a relatively new disorder.
I have three major recommendations to address these concerns.
The first has to do with segmentation. Segmenting messages is paramount in order to better engage with the various target groups. Canada's is a very diverse population, and communications need to reflect that. It would be worthwhile to focus efforts on enhancing our knowledge of the various segments of the population, so as to tailor not just the messages, but also the way they are communicated. Numerous factors affect people's needs, receptiveness and understanding with respect to the message being communicated, including literacy, education, ethnic background, language, socio-economic conditions and family. We should not limit our communication to groups who are already interested; it is equally important to target all groups.
My second recommendation is to create an accessible no-charge service, which could take the form of a call centre or an electronic service, where members of the public could, at their convenience, ask nutritionists questions about nutrition, diet or food preparation. This type of initiative would use oral communication and therefore help to target groups with lower levels of literacy. Furthermore, it would also serve as a reliable source of information. People would not have to wonder whether the information came from a credible source, given that they would be speaking with trained nutritionists. Both Ontario and British Columbia currently provide such a service.
And last but not least, my third recommendation has to do with educating children. Teaching children from an early age about foods, healthy eating principles and basic food preparation is key. And obviously, it is important to continue with that education as children get older, to instil in them the knowledge essential to developing healthy eating skills.
Taste-based education is another approach worth exploring. Experts in Europe are particularly interested in the effectiveness of that approach versus one based solely on nutrition. It involves developing a child's joy of eating, helping foster a stronger appreciation of food and possibly healthier eating habits and portion control, which would solve two problems at once.
In conclusion, I would remind you that eating is a natural act. Mealtime should be an enjoyable time. But unfortunately, for many Canadians, the simple act of eating involves constant calculations and stress.
Clearly, our current approach to communication is not working. Not only must we come up with better ways to communicate with a diverse population, but we must also measure the effectiveness of those communication methods.
I want to thank you for the opportunity to be here today. I also want to thank you for your consideration.
3:55 p.m.
The Acting Chair Tim Uppal
Thank you.
We will now hear, by video conference, from the BC Healthy Living Alliance.
3:55 p.m.
Barbara Kaminsky Chair, BC Healthy Living Alliance
Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and committee members.
On behalf of the BC Healthy Living Alliance, we would like to thank you for the opportunity to share our experience and views on what can be done to promote healthy living in Canada.
By way of information, BCHLA is an alliance of nine provincial organizations that have been working together since 2003 to address the common risk factors and health inequities that contribute significantly to chronic disease.
While our work has focused specifically on British Columbia, our experience in overseeing $25 million worth of initiatives to address these risk factors and our involvement in policies to reduce health inequities have provided us with a wealth of knowledge that we believe has applicability to Canada as a whole. We have provided copies of a number of our reports to the committee. We hope you'll have an opportunity to peruse them in more detail.
In the limited time available today, we would like to highlight three main areas.
First, to effectively change social norms related to healthy living, we need a holistic and comprehensive approach. We call it a "whole of society" approach. No one sector can do it alone. To see real results, we need to align our priorities and work on a common agenda.
Within governments at all levels there also needs to be a "whole of government" approach. Whether to redress the underlying social and economic determinants of health or to enact specific policies or actions, the health ministry alone cannot do it all. We need accountability requirements for all departments to address the health and health equity impacts of their policies and programs. We also need a commitment from the Prime Minister, premiers, and mayors to put this issue at the top of their agendas. Only in this way will we move towards a healthier Canada, which will also be a wealthier and more productive Canada.
Second, as you well know, whether you will be healthy or not, in many cases, depends less on the health care system and more on your economic and social circumstances. Without focusing on these determinants of health, including income security, food security, housing, early childhood development, and a healthy built environment, among others, we will never really redress the health inequities that continue to plague us or the ever-increasing levels of chronic disease, with the attendant costs for the health care system, currently estimated at $93 billion a year.
Finally, we need to focus on specific policies and actions that can assist Canadians in changing behaviours and in engaging in healthier lifestyles. We would like to share with you some specific examples of where we believe the federal government can play an important role in making this shift.
3:55 p.m.
Mary Collins Director of the Secretariat, BC Healthy Living Alliance
We'd like to focus our suggestions on the issue that is of growing concern in Canada and elsewhere and that you've been hearing about at the committee, the increasing levels of unhealthy weights among both adults and children.
As you've heard from others, currently a quarter of 2- to 17-year-olds in Canada are overweight or obese, and it is estimated that 70% of 35- to 44-year-olds will be in this category in 20 years if nothing changes.
Although the problem is complex, there is a fairly broad consensus on some of the actions necessary to curb it. To make progress on this issue, we need to start shifting the physical and socio-cultural environments that shape our consumption and activity patterns. In our experience, this requires a combination of carrots and sticks—regulation and taxation as well as health-promoting actions that focus on access, education, and skills development required for Canadians to engage in healthy living.
A priority is to ensure Canadians have nutritious food and the ability to make good choices about what we eat. Children in particular need healthy food in order to achieve optimal development, to succeed in school, and to develop lifelong healthy habits.
The federal government can play an important role by restricting the marketing to children of unhealthy foods and beverages. We would suggest to include banning television advertising of unhealthy foods and beverages during programs viewed by children age 12 and under; banning or restricting unhealthy food at grocery store checkouts; banning the use of celebrities or cartoon characters to promote products to children; and banning sponsorship or marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages within school settings. If this can be achieved in cooperation with industry, that would be great. But if not, we would recommend a strong regulatory regime be introduced at the federal level, much as was done for tobacco.
Information is key to decision-making, and in order to make healthy choices, consumers need to have clear information about what they are purchasing. We recommend strengthening the requirements for clear and consistent front-of-package labelling of the contents of packaged foods, providing appropriate information on sugar, fat, and sodium, and clearly relating these to servings. As well, we need to gradually reduce the acceptable levels of sodium and sugars in many of our foods.
While we are pleased that some industry groups have made a start in this direction, there is still much work to be done.
We have been particularly concerned with the overconsumption of sugar-sweetened beverages among young people. One of BCHLA's initiatives, Sip Smart! BC, enabled more than 6,000 school children in British Columbia to learn about the sugar content of what they were drinking and encouraged them and their families to make more appropriate choices. This program is now being expanded to other jurisdictions across Canada with the support of the Childhood Obesity Foundation, CDPAC, and a CLASP grant.
Education is important, but in this case easy access is also a concern. When sugary drinks are often the cheapest and most convenient option, it is no wonder they have been consistently linked with overweight children. Taxation is never a popular choice, but with respect to the challenges we are facing with childhood obesity, we believe an increased tax applied to non-nutrient foods and beverages could limit overconsumption in the same way that tobacco taxes have reduced smoking rates.
Of course, physical activity must play a larger part in the lives of our children and adults. Through the tax system and in other ways, governments can play an important role in supporting measures to promote and facilitate families of all income levels to be able to engage in physical activity. In particular, we suggest the federal government should support other levels of government in ensuring that there is the appropriate physical recreational infrastructure to meet the physical activity needs into the next generation.
Finally, we would like to congratulate Health Canada on its recent health promotion campaign to raise awareness of the links between sugar-sweetened beverages and childhood obesity. But much more needs to be done. We urge the federal government to take a leadership role in working with the provinces and territories, the private sector, and the not-for-profit sector in a joined-up approach to promote, support, and inspire the next generation of Canadians to live not only long lives but healthy ones as well.
4 p.m.
Chair, BC Healthy Living Alliance
In conclusion, while we know that tobacco is not the main focus of the work of the committee at this point, like many of the other groups that have presented to you, we would like to urge you to support the continuation of the federal tobacco control strategy, which is scheduled to end at the end of this fiscal year. While we have made great progress in reducing smoking, there is still much to be done, particularly with specific target groups such as youth, which we have worked with in our BCHLA initiatives. We would be pleased to share the results of our work, which may help to guide future activities in tobacco reduction.
Thank you all very much, and we look forward to being part of the question and answer period.
4 p.m.
The Acting Chair Tim Uppal
Very good. Thank you very much.
I will mention that the documents you had provided are being translated and will be distributed to members once they are translated. So thank you.
We now give the members an opportunity to ask questions. We will start with Mr. Dosanjh.


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UBS Investment Bank takes a giant leap of faith
The great thing about banging your head against the wall is that it feels so good when you finally stop.
After many years of demonstrating an almost unique ability to lose money in its investment bank – it has lost money in five of the past six years – UBS and its shareholders have been experiencing a sense of elation ever since the bank announced its plans in October to radically scale back its investment bank and throw in the towel on large parts of its fixed-income, currencies and commodities business.
Shares in UBS have jumped by a third since it unveiled this leaner "capital-lite" look and it now trades above book value for the first time in years (compared with, say, 0.6 times' book value for Deutsche Bank). Now UBS is being touted as a pioneer in the investment banking industry, and "doing a UBS" has become an open challenge to other firms to face up to reality and embrace the future.
But behind all this excitement, something doesn't quite smell right. First, not everyone is convinced that this interesting experiment will work, with several analysts and many rivals questioning the extent to which you can remove large parts of an investment bank and expect what's left behind to flourish without them. Second, the closer you look the more it becomes apparent that UBS remains committed to an awful lot more of its FICC business than you might think.
And third, you have to ask how much faith you can have in a bank like UBS to deliver on an untested strategy when it has screwed up so gloriously over the past decade, racking up pre-tax losses of more than Sfr34bn and has worked its way through seven chief executives in as many years (*there is a prize for anyone who can get all seven of them before looking at the answers).
But let's start with what people seem to think UBS is doing. In October, UBS said it would pull out of capital-intensive businesses that would struggle to generate adequate risk-adjusted returns under proposed new regulations, such as long-dated uncollateralised derivatives, correlation trading and highly structured products.
It would reduce risk-weighted assets in the investment bank by more than half to around Sfr70bn, transferring Sfr90bn into a non-core unit that would be sold down over the next few years. In turn it would need just Sfr7bn in equity – roughly one quarter of its allocated capital today – and cut an unspecified but significant number of jobs (think thousands).
UBS said that by simplifying its business it could focus on doing fewer things but doing them better, freeing up resources in areas where it had more of a right to compete, and offering clients a clearer and less conflicted service.
From the outside, it looked like it was shutting down most of its FICC business to focus on those areas less affected by regulatory change and where it had a stronger franchise, such as equities, advisory and precious metals.
Not everyone was convinced by this FICC-lite strategy. One analyst described the task of winding down the non-core assets as like trying to decommission a nuclear power station while it was still running. Others queried how some parts of the business – such as debt capital markets and even some parts of the advisory business – might fare without the support of a significant fixed-income sales and trading business? How could UBS compete with the giant universal banks in fields such as trading and capital markets without a big balance sheet?
One rival banker said: "Some of the conversations UBS will have with clients will be very short." Some analysts were less charitable. Deutsche Bank said that while it was a "very interesting experiment", it was "difficult to understand" how its DCM business and the rump of its trading business could survive. Analysts at Kepler said the business would "die a slow death" and be marginalised quarter by quarter.
In other words, having been brave to cut so much of the FICC business, why didn't UBS go a step further and pull out of it entirely, and focus solely on advisory and equity, like Lazard on steroids feeding a huge wealth-management business on the side. Indeed, why not just call time on the whole investment bank? The retort from UBS is confusing and revealing at the same time. While the bank admits that it is a live experiment, it pours cold water on the suggestion that it is effectively "pulling out" of large parts of FICC. In fact, it will continue to be extremely active in most parts of the business.
More than meets the eye
According to a briefing for its staff to explain what's going on to clients, UBS says it is "unequivocally committed" to its DCM business, not least to support its wealth management business. While it has pulled out of governments and agencies, and is cutting back in lower-margin "pay-to-play" markets, it is investing in its origination and distribution capacity in leveraged finance and structured financing. It is particularly keen on private placements and liability management, and has a list of more than three dozen debt deals it has worked on since announcing that it was supposedly "pulling out" of FICC.
Meanwhile, it will retain a "full presence and capability" in FX and precious metals and, far from closing its fixed-income trading business, it will continue to trade "flow credit across investment grade, high yield and loans in major currencies".
In case you're confused, it will also continue to trade all of the following (at least in major currencies): interest rate swaps, inflation and cross-currency swaps, government bonds, credit default swaps, swaptions, MTNs, index futures and options, covered bonds and credit hybrids. And lots of other stuff too, such as "lightly structured" products.
This raises almost as many questions as it answers. At what point does a product become sufficiently "exotic" for UBS not to trade it? What are "lightly structured" products and how structured does something have to be before UBS draws the line? How does UBS avoid "mission creep" by gradually expanding its product range to satisfy demanding clients? And how can it offer all of the above off a tiny capital base in the face of thuggish flow monsters such as JP Morgan and Deutsche Bank?
Path to salvation?
But perhaps the biggest question of all is how much faith you can have in a bold new strategy at an investment bank like UBS. Over the past few years it has lurched from one crisis to another, tripping up over US tax evasion, Kweku Adoboli, Facebook and egregious Libor rigging along the way. This is not a bank from which most people would buy a second-hand car, let alone a $1bn bond deal.
Has UBS discovered the path to its salvation for its investment bank or for the industry? Nobody knows, although I suspect it has not. The initial lack of clarity is not a great start. UBS has lots of goodwill, good people and resilience in businesses such as equities, advisory and parts of the capital markets. But you have to take a giant leap of faith to believe that plucky little UBS will be able to make this experiment work.
*Chief executives of UBS Investment Bank since 2005: Huw Jenkins, Marcel Rohner (interim), Jerker Johansson, Carsten Kengeter and Alex Wilmot-Sitwell (co-heads), Kengeter (sole head), Kengeter and Andrea Orcel (co-heads), Orcel (sole head)

subset: commoncrawl


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Redmen JV hockey team wins, ties at home
By Journal Sports Staff
MARQUETTE – The Marquette Senior High School junior varsity hockey team picked up a win and tie against visting Bay Port, Wis., on Jan. 19-20.
In a 2-2 tie on Saturday, the Redmen jumped out to a two-goal lead on scores by Brock Smith but couldn't hold off Bay Port. Tanner Carrierre had assists on both Smith goals. MSHS goalie Gabe Apple made 22 saves.
"We played very undisciplined hockey and took way too many penalties," Redmen coach Kevin Thomsen said.
"When you take that many penalties, it makes the third period real hard to finish with any kind of strength.
On Sunday, Smith scored four more times as Marquette put five tallies on the board in the first period en route to an 8-1 victory. Alex Warchol added two goals and Jacob Patterson and Carrierre had one each.
Teammate Nick Tuma tallied up five assists, Carrierre and Nick Borgialli had two apiece and Smith, James Hendrickson, Zach Carter, Tony Fedrizzi and Sam Leow had one each.
"We played much more disciplined hockey and the scoreboard reflected that," Thomsen said.
Johnny Beckman made 15 saves as his teammates held a 43-16 edge in shots.


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John Teevan's recent profile of Bob Woodson and the Center for Neighborhood Enterprise (CNE) reminded me of a profoundly impactful tour I took of George Wythe High School in Richmond, Va., which was led by Mr. Woodson as a case study of CNE success.
The tour was part of a seminar with the DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society, and was intended to showcase effective solutions to social problems. In this, it greatly succeeded, highlighting that any such solutions can only be effective insofar as they take into account the full needs and dreams of the human person.
The school had recently emerged from a season of heavy violence and crime, due in large part to its partnership with CNE's Violence-Free Zone Initiative, which seeks to restore peace and trust to broken communities by equipping local schools with on-the-ground "Youth Advisors" and partnering with local organizations, churches, and law enforcement.
Rep. Steve Southerland, who also joined the tour, wrote a brief account of the trip, which includes a good summary of the initiative and how it's benefited George Wythe:
This violence-reduction and high-risk student mentoring program prepares students to learn by equipping them through relationships with the skills and knowledge necessary to overcome violence. The Richmond public schools system has worked in conjunction with CNE to create the Violence-Free Zone. Youth advisors who are affiliated with the Richmond Outreach Center, a local church, and who have overcome similar challenges, work as hall monitors, mediators, character coaches, and trusted friends. For the 2009-2010 school year, George Wythe reported a 26% decrease in fighting, a 68% decrease in truancy, and a 63% reduction in dropouts since the inception of the Violence-Free Zone program. (emphasis added)
Led by Woodson, we able to interact with several Youth Advisers and local pastors, each of whom poured out their hearts, telling numerous stories of reconciliation and restoration with students and explaining how, thanks to the people and programs now in place, many conflicts are being promptly defused while students see greater and greater levels of success and empowerment—spiritually, socially, academically, and beyond. (more…)


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Fitch affirms Thrivent Financial for Lutherans top rating, stable outlook
MINNEAPOLIS – Fitch Ratings has affirmed Thrivent Financial for Lutherans AA (Very Strong) rating, the third-highest of Fitch's 19 categories, and given the organization a stable outlook.
Fitch cited Thrivent Financial's strong capitalization, high quality investment portfolio, consistent profitability, and favorable market position within the Lutheran market as part of the basis for the affirmation. The stable outlook was driven by the organization's strong capital base and the expectation of Thrivent Financial's solid operating performance, supported by conservative investment and product offerings. These ratings reflect Thrivent Financials' overall financial strength and claims-paying ability, but do not apply to the investment performance of investment products.
"Our mission is to help our members be wise with money and inspire them to live generously," said Randy Boushek, senior vice president and chief financial officer for Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. "Ratings from agencies such as Fitch are an affirmation of our strength, stability and the steadfast commitment to our members."
Thrivent Financial is represented in the Iron, Florence and Dickinson county area by the Great Lakes Group, which includes James Quayle in Iron River, Jason Anderson in Iron Mountain, 906- Mark DeGrave in Ironwood, and Marty Kelto in Ishpeming.
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is a not-for-profit, Fortune 500 financial services membership organization helping approximately 2.5 million members achieve financial security and give back to their communities.
As a not-for-profit organization, Thrivent Financial creates and supports national outreach programs and activities that help congregations, schools, charitable organizations and individuals in need.


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Building remembered as Highland Manor demolished
M R Paving & Excavating workers demolish the former Highland Manor nursing home on North Highland Avenue on Monday in New Ulm.
Highland Manor, which was the predecessor to Oak Hills Living Center, was purchased by Martin Luther College in 1995 and used for dorms until 1997. At that time, a portion of the building was renovated to accommodate an early childhood learning center. Demolition of the building will be followed by the construction of a new early childhood center operated by MLC. The college is expanding its early childhood center to meet the demand for training teachers who will be placed in similar centers in schools operated by Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.
The new center will be located on the northern part of the cleared lot. Anticipated occupancy date is Sept. 1. The expanded center will have space for infants and toddlers.
An apartment building for senior independent living will be built on the southwest portion of the lot. The construction of the apartment building could begin this summer and is expected to take about a year.


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Procurement Collaboration Success Case Study
April 19, 2013
Sean Dowd, senior manager global strategic sourcing, and Mariann Coleman, global relations and performance at Intel Corporation, discussed the evolution of their marketing and marketing procurement relationship.
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Bias seen in tpt documentary
To the editor:
This letter is in response to an article posted in the Journal on December 22 about the upcoming TPT production called: "The Past is Alive Within Us" that was aired on December 26. There were so many things about this production that were disturbing to me as a descendant of several who were killed in this war: the fact that more than 650 whites were killed when the video states 400-600 (this number included 100 children and over 40 women); there was no mention of the New Ulm, Fort Ridgely, Birch Coulee, Redwood Ferry and Wood Lake battles; there was no mention of the friendly Dakota who risked their lives to save the lives of whites; and the lack of information on the aftermath of the settlers was appalling; those who lost their loved ones, their homes, their possessions, and for many their futures deserved some mention. Many children were left as orphans after witnessing the brutality of their parents' deaths. Most widows had to find new homes. There was nothing said about those taken captive and released after six weeks and the trauma they must have experienced. It should also be stated that Fort Snelling was NOT a concentration camp. The Dakota were sent there for their safety and their security. They were fed there and protected from the angry whites who saw their lives plundered. What was the government to do with these people? Leave them on the prairie without food and protection? These are all significant historical details that the producers chose to leave out.
There were strange sequences that did not seem to fit the purpose of this production which was "designed to build a better understanding of historical interpretation and encourage critical thinking." (per the website's mission). The 1491 humor section added nothing and was in poor taste, the Chippewa artist's drawings were offensive and certainly not politically correct, the scenes in front of the Lincoln Memorial were most inappropriate, and the criticism of Lincoln's actions by hanging the 38 was not fully explained: war has consequences and these 38 were found guilty if they had committed murder and/or rape. I also felt too much footage was devoted to "the walks" and the Dakota gatherings. Not one word was said about how the settlers' descendants memorialized their fallen during their 150th commemorations and there were many activities. That information was given to TPT several times along with photographs, when I was interviewed as co-founder of Family and Friends of Dakota Uprising Victims.
We expected so much better from TPT, especially when they took nearly two years to produce this documentary. They chose to air a program with what I see has a pervasive bias; they fell far short of meeting their mission with a program that turned out to be a PR statement for the Dakota and to me seemed like propaganda. Minnesota taxpayers who approved Legacy funding deserved better, and if reconciliation is a goal for all of us, productions like this do not help this process.
Jan Klein, Co-Chair
Family and Friends of
Dakota Uprising Victims


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text:
JPMorgan's Valuation Still Makes Sense
However, JPMorgan is still a dominant power in the financial sector. Very few can match JPMorgan's performance in terms of profitability and credit quality. Although the bank is not out of the woods by any stretch, the current valuation looks good. But management has to show better growth to get investors to believe.
On balance, JPMorgan's first-quarter report was good, not great. As with rivals Bank of America
For instance, although JPM posted strong revenue of $25.8 billion that represented a 6% sequential increase, reported revenue was down 3% year over year.
Management said the year-over-year decline was due to soft mortgage banking and the continuation of production margin compression. Surprisingly, JPMorgan was outperformed by Citigroup, which posted 2% year over year growth in core revenue. Along similar lines, JPMorgan's net interest income wasn't any better.
As management alluded to, there were increased signs of margin erosion by a 6% year-over-year decline, and 2% sequentially. Likewise, net interest margin (NIM) fell almost by one-quarter point year over year. Initially, I was concerned by this. But there were NIM struggles across the entire sector.
For instance, Wells Fargo
So investors of JPMorgan can take solace in the fact that JPM's margin struggles looks to be an industry trend. Nevertheless, management deserves credit here for navigating this period of weak margins, which still lead to record profits of $6.5 billion, or $1.59 per share. But this is certainly a situation that bears watching going forward, especially if the revenue trajectory does not reverse course.


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About the Author: William B. Stevens serves as Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
Most of us have (hopefully) put away the holiday decorations from December, and are celebrating Valentine's Day today. Before the winter ends, though, my colleagues and I wanted to tell you about a group of U.S. exchange alumni who brought the holiday spirit to over 90 orphans, disabled children, and disadvantaged youth in Turkmenistan. Through an "Angel Tree" project, the exchange alumni collected over 250 gifts from anonymous donors at the U.S. Embassy, the Public Diplomacy Section's Information Resource Center, and American Councils in December 2010.
The alumni, primarily from the Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX), worked with several local non-profits to identify needy children and created "Angel Ornaments" for each of the children. They then placed the Angel Ornaments" on holiday trees in several locations, where local staff and visitors could select an angel and donate presents for the child on the photo. The children received their gifts at a holiday concert on December 29. FLEX alumni and kids from the orphanages performed at the concert, and one of our brave American staff played the role of "Ded Moroz" (Santa).
This was the first time in many years that the embassy community was able to participate in a holiday donation drive for needy Turkmen. Our alumni played the critical role of connecting willing embassy staff with local Turkmen organizations, creating an uplifting project that demonstrated the U.S. spirit of volunteerism and civic activism that we encourage in all of our exchange programs.
You can watch a short video clip of the event here.
Editor's Note: Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert O. Blake, Jr. will lead interagency delegations to Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan February 14-19, 2011. Read more about his trip here. You can also learn more about the FLEX Program here.


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Decries behavior at game
To the editor:
My wife and I were in Kansas after the Iowa State/Kansas basketball game when, thankfully, the Jayhawks won in overtime in Ames. There was a picture in the Kansas City Star newspaper of a security guard holding onto the shirt of a poor loser Iowa State fan with his wife standing in the background. There was a separate article about two other Iowa State fans having their Twitter accounts deactivated for making racial slurs and saying something about feeling like taking a gun and attacking the Kansas Jayhawk bus. These things happened after Iowa State lost to the Jayhawks in overtime by 12 points in Ames with a Kansas player dunking the ball with about two seconds left which added to his 39 point total for the game.
Regarding the racial slurs on the Twitter accounts, check out the race of most of the Iowa State team that are really good players.
Regarding the fan that had his shirt wrinkled by the security guard, grow up and get a life.
Regarding the racial slurs on the Twitter accounts, go ahead and move to Alabama or Mississippi or one of those Confederate states. You would fit in down there just fine. You certainly don't belong in Iowa.
Dave Adams


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Live on Skysports 2: Sat 08.35 & 10.40: It's just under evens (Stan James) that Crusaders and Reds win the Super 15 qualifiers. Compare odds.
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These are your Beats from Dr. Dre. The Beats By Dre Solo HD Black Headphones w/CT are your high definition on-ear headphones featuring a superior strength head-band. Committed to giving music enthusiasts the best in sonic performance, Beats Solo HD gives you a high definition sound experience. Our advanced proprietary titanium coated driver technology provides ultra precise highs and mids, plus deep, distortion-free bass, so you can hear every detail, the way the artist intended you to hear it. These headphones are light and compact for every lifestyle. At the gym, going for a run, frequent traveler, or just cruising down the street, Beats Solo HDs are the perfect light-weight headphone. Monster's compact tri-fold design makes it easy to store in bags, suitcases, and jackets. Plus, the Ultra Low Profile Right Angle Connector hugs your music player and is perfect for airplane seat jacks. Monster and Dre detailing throughout. Available in Black.
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text:
About Me
I'm not a poet, but love poetry. Enough so that I dedicate much of my free time to a little project called Poems-For-All where I put poems into little booklets about the size of a matchbook. My wife and I own a small used bookstore in midtown Sacramento -- one of several outposts on the local literary landscape where you can buy books by local poets and writers, attend poetry readings or just pick up the latest (free) Poems-For-All miniature chaplette.
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text:
Super Bowl 2014: Tampa Finds Out its Fate
Tampa is one of the three finalists for the 2014 Super Bowl. The city will find out its fate May 25 during the afternoon of the NFL Spring Meeting. The two-day meeting will be held in Dallas. Tampa has held four Super Bowls in the past, the last coming in 2009. Tampa is competing with South Florida and New York for the 2014 event.


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Thank you Alan,
You have gave me a good excuse to salvage the old gaunts I made from your temps, will make them mythos style for later, been looking for the ESB flamethrower for along while like others, thank you once again for a great contribution.
Thank you, I would have sworn I up loaded years ago, but I was going through my stuff and checked and it wasn't there.
Here is the PDF version
This is awesome and very timely for me as I need to build this from an old MOW set I had and replace it with metal parts for my new IOA clam shells.
Thank you!
Time to Revise & Redraw the Templates.
Check out my blog at
Please like my Facebook page
Is there something wrong on my end? Because I cannot see or click any links to the pdf. I honestly have been searching for ESB flamethrower templates for hours. Any help?
The PDF file is in the second post of this thread you should just have to click on it & you should be able to download it.
Man what would we do without Alan? Thanks again for your contributions Alan...id have nothing done without your templates!
Any way you can adjust the templates for A4 print ?


text:
|Seeking A Book Publicist
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Date Posted
|Media Connect (www.Media-Connect.com), a division of www.finnpartners.com, is one of the nation's leading and largest book publicity firms of the past 51 years, promoting best-selling authors, independent publishers, and university presses. We also work with the Big Five and major publishers. We promote books of many genres, both non-fiction and fiction. We are seeking a talented, energized and intelligent individual, with 2+ years of experience in promoting books and authors to traditional news media: bloggers, online reviewers, and.the dot.com side of major media outlets. An intimate understanding of how to use social media to help promote author brands is a must. Strong writing and communication skills a must. . Excellent opportunities for growth and a good learning environment.


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Lemon Pasta with Roasted Shrimp
- 2 pounds (17 to 21 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Good olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound angel hair pasta
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- Zest and juice of 2 lemons
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the shrimp on a sheet pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.Toss well, spread them in one layer and roast for 6 to 8 minutes, just until they're pink and cooked through.
Meanwhile, drizzle some olive oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add the angel hair and cook until al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking liquid. Quickly toss the angel hair with the melted butter, 1/4 cup olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and about 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking liquid. Add the shrimp and serve hot.
Photograph by Quentin Bacon
Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten for Food Network Magazine
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Pairs Well With
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Neely's Lemon Pasta Salad
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Asparagus Lemon Pasta Salad
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text:
Police ID man shot, killed outside home; suspect in custody
Friends set up website to raise money for victim's funeral expenses
ALSACE TWP., Pa. - A man is in custody in connection with the deadly shooting of another man early Friday morning, state police said.
Timothy Reber was shot shortly before 4 a.m. outside his girlfriend's home at 37 Beckers Rd. in Alsace Twp., Berks County, said state police. Reber, 31, of Cactus Lane in Alsace Twp., died at the scene.
The preliminary investigation soon led troopers to respond to a home in the 300 block of East 3rd Street in Boyertown, said state police.
A man who lives there, Robert Pfanders, was led away in handcuffs and transported to the state police barracks in Reading for questioning by investigators, officials said.
Police said they later identified Pfanders, 25, as a suspect in Reber's killing. He is being charged with criminal homicide and first degree murder, police said.
Investigators said Reber, his girlfriend, Pfanders and a friend of his returned to the girlfriend's home on Beckers Road after a night of drinking.
Pfanders confronted Reber about an argument Reber had with his girlfriend earlier in the evening, and at some point, Pfanders pulled out a .40 caliber handgun and shot Reber, said state police, who noted that the gun has not yet been recovered.
Pfanders and his friend then fled the scene and returned to their homes, police said.
Reber's friends have set up a website to help raise money for his funeral expenses so that his younger sister, Brittany, isn't burdened with the cost.
"We are all still mourning the death of his mother just six months earlier," said Jesse Anthony. "No child should pay to bury their mother and brother."
The friends have also established a Facebook page in Reber's memory.
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National Defence Committee on June 12th, 2012
Evidence of meeting #46 for National Defence in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was nato.
A recording is available from Parliament.
On the agenda
MPs speaking
Also speaking
- Jack Granatstein As an Individual
- Ernie Regehr Research Fellow, Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Waterloo, As an Individual
12:05 p.m.
The Chair James Bezan
I call the meeting to order.
I have one piece of committee business that we need to deal with quickly. We have a budget item that we need to deal with for the study—to pay for witnesses who have attended committee.
The total amount is $17,950. Could I have a motion that the committee adopt the proposed budget in the amount of $17,950 for its study on the NATO strategic concept?
12:05 p.m.
Mark Strahl Chilliwack—Fraser Canyon, BC
I so move.
12:05 p.m.
The Chair James Bezan
Is there any discussion? Seeing none, all those in favour?
(Motion agreed to)
12:05 p.m.
The Chair James Bezan
Thank you.
In the interests of time—because of our votes, we are delayed—we're going to have both of our witnesses appear together as we continue with our study under Standing Order 108(2) on the NATO strategic concept and Canada's role in international defence cooperation. Joining us are Jack Granatstein and Professor Ernie Regehr.
We welcome both of you.
Professor Regehr is a research fellow from the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Waterloo.
We're looking forward to your opening comments.
If each of you can bring us your opening comments and keep them under 10 minutes, that would be very much appreciated.
Mr. Granatstein, could you start first?
12:05 p.m.
Dr. Jack Granatstein As an Individual
Thank you, sir.
Honourable members, I thank you for the opportunity to appear before you.
I believe this committee can play its most useful role for this nation by considering Canada's relationship with NATO. Is the alliance still relevant for us? Is Canada still useful to the alliance? If the answers to these questions are not immediately clear—and I do not believe they are—then we might ask if the Canadian commitment to NATO should be increased, sustained as is, reduced, or even ended.
We have not asked such questions since the government of Pierre Trudeau came to power in 1968. It is long past time to ask them once more. Why? Because the alliance's experiences in Afghanistan have been difficult, to understate matters. Nations, including Canada, until the end of 2005, imposed caveats on what their troops were allowed to do. Many members contributed no troops or small numbers of troops and could not be moved to do more. The alliance's command structure was sometimes ineffective, and the United States for a time all but refused to operate within or cooperate with NATO's ISAF structure. These flaws had serious tactical consequences, and I would suggest they led to unnecessary Canadian casualties.
Professor David Bercuson and I discussed some of these questions in a paper we wrote for the Canadian Defence & Foreign Affairs Institute.
Some might argue last year's Libyan operation demonstrated that NATO could work effectively. I do not believe this to be the case. First, France all but hustled NATO into the operation, launching its own air strikes. Second, although many member nations did good work, not the least our air force and navy, many members either refused to participate at all or placed severe caveats on their forces' role. Members had too few aircraft available, too little ammunition, and a shortages of pilots. The command structure, ably led by a Canadian general officer, nonetheless had the familiar flaws of uncertain command and control and lines of communication. While successful in toppling Gadhafi, the operation, more than anything, demonstrated the military weaknesses of the European members of the alliance.
Now matters are worsening, and will worsen further, as the global and European Community financial situations force cuts on alliance members' defence budgets. NATO's "smart defence" is intended to promote better and more coordinated use of members' military resources. This is a fine idea, but given more than a half century of history, there's very little to inspire confidence that NATO will be able to make this work. The reality is, if it wished to, Europe would be completely able to defend itself without North America's help. The U.S.S.R. is gone, and Russia, while a potential threat, is not likely to be a serious one for at least a decade. There are no other challengers in sight. A wealthy continent even now, Europe can and should do what it feels necessary to protect its interests.
The United States, like Canada, is turning its gaze towards the Pacific. There are challenges to come there, not least the rise of China as a military, economic, and political power. No one is suggesting war, but there is a need for increased preparation, enhanced readiness. Given the American financial troubles and given our own, we might ask if adequate attention can simultaneously be paid to both Europe and Asia. I think it cannot.
I'm not suggesting that Canada quit NATO. The alliance links us with our friends and it serves our national interest. But perhaps we should downplay our interest in and commitment to NATO, as in fact we have been doing by withdrawing from some alliance military programs. Perhaps we ought to begin looking for new partners to work with us from North America. Britain and France, although perhaps less so in the future under the Hollande government in Paris, appear willing to defend western interests. The Australians and New Zealanders provided excellent troops for Afghanistan and are historic partners in the Commonwealth. In the future, perhaps the Republic of Korea, Japan, India, Singapore, and other nations might be willing to join in what we might call an expanded anglosphere.
I do not see a new formal alliance in the immediate future, but it is not unlikely that there will be new coalitions of the willing—democracies that are capable of operating well together and that share an interest in protecting and advancing their common values.
I'm a historian, not a futurologist. Historians have enough difficulty trying to understand what has already happened, let alone what might happen tomorrow. But it is the task of government and members of Parliament to plan for the future. Your committee, ladies and gentlemen, can contribute to this by thinking ahead.
Thank you very much.
12:10 p.m.
The Chair James Bezan
Thank you, Mr. Granatstein.
Professor Regehr, please.
June 12th, 2012 / 12:10 p.m.
Dr. Ernie Regehr Research Fellow, Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Waterloo, As an Individual
Thank you very much.
I appreciate the invitation and welcome the opportunity.
I've prepared a background paper. I understand it has been distributed. In the next few minutes, I want to summarize some of the key points. I will devote my attention exclusively to the nuclear elements of the NATO strategic concept and posture, as did the paper I have submitted.
Though disagreements abound, we are still in a moment of some real opportunity for advancing nuclear disarmament. NATO's 2010 strategic concept partly reflects that increased international attention to and support for the pursuit of a world without nuclear weapons.
Paragraph 26, the central arms control paragraph, stands in sharp contrast to the 1999 strategic concept. The latter was effusive about nuclear weapons on European soil being "vital to the security of Europe". It insisted that deployments in Europe "remain essential to preserve peace", and that nuclear weapons in Europe were "an essential political and military link between European and North American members of the Alliance".
None of that language is present in the 2010 strategic concept. It simply notes that NATO will retain "the full range of capabilities necessary to deter and defend"—but without explicitly insisting that nuclear capabilities be based in Europe.
There is, nevertheless, still reluctance to take action in support of the welcome change in rhetoric. Growing pressure to end European nuclear deployments is proving to be a politically vexing issue within NATO. But on one level, the issue should be straightforward. The nuclear non-proliferation treaty expressly prohibits, in articles I and II, the deployment of nuclear weapons in non-nuclear weapon states. The U.S. and NATO are currently alone in not complying with those two articles.
An estimated 200 B61 gravity bombs are currently deployed in five NATO countries. The justification is that it is an arrangement that goes back to before the treaty's 1970 entry into force, as did a similar Soviet Union-Warsaw Pact arrangement. It was tolerated in the Cold War context, but that tolerance is now wearing thin.
In the NPT review process, there are persistent calls for all nuclear weapon states to ensure that all their nuclear weapons are returned to and held within their own territories, that the capability for their rapid deployment to other states be eliminated, and that all nuclear training with non-nuclear weapon states be ended.
Germany has called for an end to nuclear deployments on its territory, partly out of concern for NPT compliance. The European nuclear deployments are now defended largely as symbols of political solidarity. Indeed, it is the conventional wisdom that the B61 bombs have no military utility.
In other words, the U.S. and all the current host states—Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, and Turkey—could comply with the treaty requirements without any adverse security consequences.
The European states that host the B61 are all facing decisions on replacing the aircraft that currently carry and deliver them—a series of individual national procurement decisions that could end the deployments by default. The Eurofighter, the likely replacement choice for Germany, does not currently have a nuclear-capable version. The Dutch, the Italians, and the Turks are considering the F-35.
In each case, adding a nuclear capability would add some $5 million to $10 million to the per unit cost. The Belgians are considering not acquiring a new fighter aircraft at all, thus ending their nuclear role.
The added financial costs for nuclear capability will be an issue in each of these countries, but even more so will be the political costs of an explicit decision to commit to a nuclear role for the next three to four decades that the new aircraft will be in service.
In the meantime, the U.S. is committed to upgrading the B61 warhead, including modifications to the tail assembly, in the interests of greater accuracy against hardened targets. If the B61's heightened accuracy were to be mated to new F-35 stealth fighter aircraft based in Europe, the result would be, from Russia's perspective, a significant escalation of the nuclear threat.
Even so, Russia does not justify its retention of non-strategic nuclear weapons primarily as a response to U.S. nuclear bombs in Europe. NATO's massive conventional superiority is the greater concern. Russia accounts for less than 6% of world military spending, while NATO states collectively account for about 60%. As long as Russia regards this overwhelming conventional force as a serious challenge to its regional interests, it will resist the final elimination of its tactical nuclear weapons. Two decades have now passed since the end of the Cold War, and it is past time for the mutual suspicions between NATO and Russia to be challenged and seriously addressed.
Notably, through the pursuit of a genuine mutual security community within the OSCE region, in testimony before this committee a few weeks ago, the Department of National Defence ADM for policy said that NATO has consistently told Russia, "This alliance is not about you. It's not against you." It was an important point about pursuing mutual security interests, but the defence minister of Lithuania told this committee only a week or two later that it's absolutely about Russia. Lithuania and the Baltic and East European states seek collective defence against Russia as the priority NATO mission: "Our main concern," said the minister, "is Russia's intention to dominate the region and the Baltic states."
So NATO has not sent a consistent message to Russia, and neither have NATO's actions been unfailingly consistent with mutual security objectives. B61 modernization is one example, and ballistic missile defence is another. It is true that Russia is given to exaggerated claims about the likely impact of European missile defence on its security and the reliability of its deterrence, but it is also obvious that missile defence is a major drag on efforts to reset the overall Russia-NATO relationship. Some laud BMD as an element of smart defence, as did the Lithuanian minister, but there is a significant expert community that asks what is smart about a military deployment that relies on unproven and still hotly debated technology, that is deployed against an uncertain threat, and that undermines a key NATO arms control objective, namely the elimination of sub-strategic forces?
All of this suggests some constructive policy directions for Canada. I won't list all of the ones that I have suggested in the paper, but perhaps we could talk about those during the discussion period.
Thank you.
12:20 p.m.
The Chair James Bezan
Thank you, gentlemen. I appreciate that both of you were able to stay under the 10-minute time limit.
In the interest of time, we're going to have five-minute rounds right through to try to get as many members up with questions as possible.
Mr. Harris, would you kick us off, please?
12:20 p.m.
Jack Harris St. John's East, NL
Thank you, Chair.
Thank you to both of the witnesses for coming to share your thoughts with us today.
First of all, Professor Granatstein, I don't know if you're deliberately trying to be provocative here, but your reputation precedes you. The idea of us as a Canadian nation joining with others to form some sort of "anglosphere" in the world as a military alliance strikes me as not the kind of thing that a bilingual, multi-founding nation country should be engaged in.
Obviously we share a lot of interests and values with some of the countries you mentioned, but surely the interest of international peace and cooperation must depend on Canada cooperating with and trying to make friends and strategic alliances with people like the Lithuanians and NATO and the other nations of the United Nations that perhaps use our knowledge to help them learn from us some of our skills and values.
Are you trying to be provocative here, or do you really believe that?
12:20 p.m.
As an Individual
I was careful not to say that we should leave NATO. I was trying to suggest that if we are turning our attention towards the Pacific, it's a bit outside NATO's usual sphere of operations, and maybe we should be looking for people who share our values in that part of the world. The Australians and New Zealanders are obvious ones. Britain and France have continuing interests in that area. Perhaps the Koreans, the Japanese, the Indians, the Singaporeans, and those in other nations might find that they share some western interests in the face of growing Chinese aggressiveness and pushiness in the South China Sea and in other parts of the Pacific. I'm not suggesting that a military alliance should be formed. I'm suggesting we should talk to people.
12:20 p.m.
Jack Harris St. John's East, NL
SEATO exists there too.
12:20 p.m.
As an Individual
It doesn't any longer.
12:20 p.m.
Jack Harris St. John's East, NL
We'll leave that. You're right.
I don't have much time. That's why I'm moving on quickly, Professor Granatstein.
Professor Regehr, I want to thank you for your analysis and for pointing out the significant differences on the nuclear side of policy with respect to the 1999 to 2010 strategic concept notions.
Your paper suggests some of the things Canada should be doing. Within NATO, can you suggest any top two or three things Canada should be pushing for to see that new concept make some progress, now that we seem to have adopted a new approach? What are the two or three most important things we should be pushing for?
12:25 p.m.
Research Fellow, Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Waterloo, As an Individual
I think the issue of the nuclear deployments on European soil is shaping up to be a major issue, because of the procurement decisions that are coming along. Ultimately, that's going to be primarily a European decision, but I think Canada should make its own position clear, that the utility of these weapons, whatever they once were, have passed, and that an international community that is trying to deal with non-proliferation challenges elsewhere—Iran and DPRK obviously—ought to be particularly sensitive to a policy that continues to deploy nuclear weapons within the territories of non-nuclear weapon states parties to the NPT. I think that's a particularly rankling policy, and I think we ought to push for strict adherence in the spirit and letter of the NPT law.
I think then the relationship with Russia, and that involves both the issue of the modernization of the warheads the United States is planning and also the deployment of ballistic missile defence, is also a particular concern. Germany and Norway and some other states have called for new, reinvigorated discussions within the Russia-NATO Council on cooperation with Russia. I think we ought to be pushing that strongly and calling for a halt, at least, or a slowdown, a pause, in ballistic missile defence deployments until we get a better understanding and some assurance that if ballistic missile defence is to go forward, it goes together cooperatively with Russia, rather than viewed as being against Russia's interests.
12:25 p.m.
The Chair James Bezan
Thank you. Time has expired.
Mr. Alexander.


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Jennifer Kmiec, executive director of the Delaware Sustainable Chemistry Alliance.
Delaware State University will feature a guest lecture on "Sustainable Chemistry" presented by Jennifer Kmiec, a prominent advocate of environmentally responsible chemistry in Delaware, at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9 in the Mishoe Science Center north auditorium (rm. 139) on campus.
The guest lecture is free and open to the public.
Mrs. Kmiec, the executive director of the Delaware Sustainable Chemistry Alliance (DESCA), will explain the concept of sustainable chemistry and its importance to Delaware, as well as how the First State is a major player in this environmental endeavor.
She is also the wife of Dr. Eric Kmiec, chair of the DSU Department of Chemistry.
Sustainable chemistry – also known as "green chemistry" – is the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances. Green chemistry applies to the entire life cycle of a chemical product, including its design, manufacture, and use.
DESCA is dedicated to encouraging sustainable innovation in chemistry throughout the greater Delaware region. Formed in 2010, DESCA's mission is to foster sustainable chemistry innovation among key stakeholders in the public and private sectors.
Working with thought leaders in industry, government and academia, DESCA helps link resources in ways that can both optimize the funding essential for R&D and translate the benefits of new and sustainable discoveries in chemistry into commercial opportunities.
The guest lecture is a part of the Dean's Distinguished Lecture Series sponsored by the DSU College of Mathematics, Natural Sciences & Technology.


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9 Day Beijing & Shanghai,
A Tale of China's Two Great Cities
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Visit hotel website at Traders Hotel Beijing by Shangri-La
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The hotel features free high speed internet access in hotel room.


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Flute World
America's #1 flute specialty house since 1983.
Skizzen (score)For Flute, Oboe, Clarinet in A, Horn in F, BassoonBy Jan Bach
The nine movements of SKIZZEN by Jan Bach have been inspired by line drawings of Heinrich Kley, the extraordinary German illustrator, who was born in 1863 in Karsruhe and produced the greater part of his work in the early 20th century. Kley was a cartoonist and illustrator who developed a bizarre personal style laden with elements of bitter attire, social irony and earthy humor. Animals and people intermingle in his drawings in strangely comic and poignant ways.
1. The Child Prodigy2. Ladies' Marching Band3. Springtime4. the Love Match5. Bucolic Intermezzo6. A Pair of Butterflies7. In the Churchyard8. Art Critic9. Dance Craze
The parts for this music can be found here.


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-T / T / +T | Comment(s)
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Norway SAR Program Picks AgustaWestland AW101 Fleet
|Norway has ordered 16 AW101s for its SAR program.
Under the contract, Norway has options to purchase six further aircraft. AgustaWestland will equip the fleet with an advanced SAR package, including a multi-panel surveillance radar system from Selex ES, two rescue hoists and a fully integrated avionics and mission system.Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2017. The Norwegian Air Force will operate the helicopters.


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Jennifer Lawrence Short Bob
2014 has been a huge year for the young and beautiful Hunger Games actress Jennifer Lawrence. No matter how she presents herself at events she always steals the attention of the media with good reason. This short bob looks absolutely amazing on her, we have seen a lot of bobs but this classic bob is definitely one that stands out.


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So I was visiting Ellie's tree on Arthur's seat (I think it's a maple of some sort) and it isn't looking very well. It has hard white raised spots on the bark, and the leaves are looking a bit yellow and curled rather than lush green.
Anyone here with any expertise on such things?
Is it a serious problem? What can be done about it?