Watch Those Kids Online!

The Toronto Star today reports that the popular website Myspace has revealed that they have 29,000 registered sex offenders as registered users on the site. You really want to be keeping an eye on who your kids are ‘chatting’ with.

Dangerous Pedophile Gets Life

Post on: Out of the Shadows
Peter Whitmore, a man (and I use that term loosely) with a long history of sexual offenses against young children has been allowed to accept a deal where he accepts a life sentence in return for the Crown not pursuing a dangerous offender designation. Under the designation it would be 25 years before Whitmore could apply for parole -- with a life sentence, he can apply in 7 years.

His most recent victims are 10 and 14 years of age. His depraved attacks on them after abducting them from their families last year has left the boys and their families deeply emotionally wounded. One only needs to read their impact statements to give a glimmer of how deeply. ...read post

Black and the Order of Canada

Post on: Out of the Shadows
As it stands right now, Conrad Black has been convicted of four of the thirteen charges the American government brought against him. The most serious charge being obstruction of justice. He could spend up to thirty years in prison on those charges. Most of the attention on this case has been because Black is a big name which has been brought down by his own sense of entitlement and arrogance, his sense of being an untouchable. read post..

VanDoos Begin Deployment to Afghanistan

Post on: Out of the Shadows
Members of the famed VanDoos, the Royal 22nd Regiment, based in Valcartier, Quebec have begun their deployment to Afghanistan. It is the regiment’s turn to take up Canada’s mission in Afghanistan. The men deploying there have all volunteered, by all accounts they are looking forward to taking part in this mission.

They also hail from the province where opposition to the mission in Afghanistan is the highest in the country. This is nothing new for Quebecors, they have been loath to take part in any war that Canada has been engaged in. I can’t say that this ongoing attitude in that province particularly endears them to me. ... read post

Flying the Red Ensign

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
A couple of days ago, Senator Romeo Dallaire spoke out decrying the flying of the Red Ensign on a regular basis at the Vimy Memorial. Back in March when the discussion about the flying of the Red Ensign at the commemoration ceremonies for the Battle of Vimy Ridge, I agreed that the Red Ensign should fly during that time. It was a time to honour those who fought the battle, those who died and those who survived. They had served under the Red Ensign and honour should be rendered to them with that flag flying. ...more

Along the Highway of Heroes

Post on: Out of the Shadows
Last night, hundreds if not thousands of Canadians from Trenton to Toronto along Highway 401 put aside any differences they might have about Canada’s mission in Afghanistan to turn out in honour of our fallen heroes. Every young Canadian who has returned home in a casket since the mission started in 2002 has taken this same route, landing at CFB Trenton to be received by their family and their comrades in arms and then taken by motorcade with their family to Toronto ....more

We Will Remember Them

They shall grow not old, as we who are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning
We will remember them

In memory of our fallen Canadian:

Capt. Matthew Dawe -- Afghanistan July 4, 2007
Master Cpl. Colin Bason -- Afghanistan July 4, 2007
Cpl. Cole Bartsch -- Afghanistan July 4, 2007
Pte. Lane Watkins -- Afghanistan July 4, 2007
Cpl. Jordan Anderson -- Afghanistan July 4, 2007
Capt. Jefferson Francis -- Afghanistan July 4, 2007

Always Caring -- Always Canadian -- Never Defeated

Support Our Troops -- Wear Red on Fridays

Respect For Our Fallen — Not Political Gamesmanship

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
This last week has made me extremely glad I am not a resident of the City of Toronto. As three young Canadians, including one from Scarborough, were giving their lives in service to this country the boys and girls who are supposed to be in service to the people of Toronto were voting on whether to leave the ribbon decals on the emergency vehicles or not.

Sunday night, when those three young men were returned to Canada, firefighters were called off the bridges in Toronto just in time to stop them from paying their respects. Fire Chief Bill Stewart calls the decision a matter of ‘public safety’. That is a crock of the highest odour available. ...more

We Will Remember Them

They shall grow not old, as we who are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning
We will remember them

In memory of our fallen Canadian:

Cpl. Stephen Bouzane -- Afghanistan June 20, 2007
Pte. Joel Wiebe -- Afghanistan June 20, 2007
Sgt. Christos Karigiannis -- Afghanistan June 20, 2007

Always Caring -- Always Canadian -- Never Defeated

Support Our Troops -- Wear Red on Fridays

Deaths in Afghanistan

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
On the day that their comrade in arms, Trooper Darryl Caswell, was being laid to rest in Bowmanville, Ontario three more young Canadians have met their deaths in Afghanistan. Three more caskets will make their solemn way onto a transport plane for the journey to Trenton, Ontario, just east of me. Three more families will wait heartbroken on the tarmac in Trenton as their fallen family member is returned home. ....more

We Will Remember Him

They shall grow not old, as we who are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning
We will remember them

In memory of our fallen Canadian:

Tpr Darryl Caswell -- Afghanistan June 11, 2007

Always Caring -- Always Canadian -- Never Defeated

Support Our Troops -- Wear Red on Fridays

Smog Has a Hundred Year Old History

Post on: Out of the Shadows
Most Canadians would think of smog and smog days as something that originated in the late 20th century. In fact, the term ’smog’ was coined back in 1905. Back then Dr. Henry Antoine Des Voeux delivered a paper to the Public Health Congress in London, England about the air in London. He noted there was a health threat inherent in urban living due to the pervasive presence of a "smokey fog" or "smog"

Canadian Passport System to be Simplified

Post on: Out of the Shadows
Now that our American neighbours have decreed that Canadians will be required to have passports to enter the US likely by 2008 (air passengers into the US are required to have them now) the Canadian government is experiencing a backlog of passport applications. The response is to ’streamline’ the system by changing the requirements to make the process easier.

Mosque Rigidity

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
Sadia Zaman, award winning journalist and broadcaster currently Director of In House Productions for Vision TV, has written an interesting piece in the Toronto Star today. We need articles like hers to remind us occasionally that not withstanding the awareness of Muslims which we see on our TV screens, usually via the media, there is a diversity of beliefs and views within their faith.

Don’t Expect Spam to Change

Posted on: Out of the Shadows
US authorities are busy high fiving themselves over the arrest of Robert Alan Soloway who is reportedly one of the world’s top spammers. A federal grand jury last week returned a 35-count indictment against Soloway, charging him with mail fraud, wire fraud, e-mail fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering.