tag:www.cbc.ca,2009-06-23:/maritimenoon//21 2010-02-09T20:52:45Z Costas Halavrezos hosts Maritime Noon, a two-hourram devoted to delivering informative reports and interviews which explore issues that are of interest to Maritimers. Movable Type Enterprise 4.3-en tag:www.cbc.ca,2010:/maritimenoon//21.24976 2010-02-09T19:45:35Z 2010-02-09T20:52:45Z

It may be a drop in Ottawa's budgetary bucket, but to the editors of two small Maritime magazines where many Canadian writers get their start, it's what keeps them alive. It's the subsidy they used to get from the federal...

Costas HALAVREZOS http://www.cbc.ca/cgi-bin/MT4/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=21&id=59 The Fiddlehead and The Antigonish Review are both prestigious publications with international reputations. They published the earliest work of renowned Canadian writers such as Alistair Macleod, David Adams Richards, Lynn Coady and Margaret Atwood.
But the publications have annual paid circulation of fewer than 5,000 copies, and under new rules, that means they are no longer eligible for a subsidy from the Canada Periodical Fund, which is administered through the federal Department of Canadian Heritage.
Jeanette Lynes of the Antigonish  Review and Ross Leckie of The Fiddlehead told us that they wondered how their journals could carry on.
Then Scott Shortliffe,  Director of the  Periodical Publishing Policy and Programs with the Department of Canadian Heritage, explained the rationale behind the reorganization of funding criteria.

Local musicians & celebrities performed at the "Halifax for Haiti" benefit concert on Monday, February 8th. They wowed a crowd of nearly 7000 people with music that ranged from rock & hip hop to opera. "Halifax for Haiti" raised more than $135,000, and when those funds  were matched by the federal government, the total raised for the Red Cross topped $270,000.
Jerry West prepared a soundscape of the event for us. As well, Moncton is planning a  "Concert for Haiti: Big Bands, Big Hearts" at 6:30 p.m. at the Central United Church, 150 Queen St. on Wednesday, February 10th.


Speaking of Haiti, it's focused us on a particular branch of charitable fundraising - emergency relief in Haiti. The CBC Haiti site lists 25 organizations to which you can contribute, and there are easily dozens more that aren't as well-known.
But beyond emergency relief there are ongoing year-round charitable efforts. They can be international or local. They can touch on everything from the environment to medical research into a specific disease; from local food banks to protecting wildlife.
For the potential donor, the decision-making process can get complicated. Within any branch of charity, you can't help but notice that some organizations seem to overlap. Or - if you want to look at it another way, they compete.
Do the administration and fundraising costs of charities operating in the same sphere lead to ineffeciencies in getting the greatest bang for the donor's buck ?
Our guest was Cathy Barr, Vice-President of Operations at Imagine Canada, which conducts research into trends and issues for charities and non-profits.
Our question: Would it be easier to give if there were fewer charities ?

]]> tag:www.cbc.ca,2010:/maritimenoon//21.24868 2010-02-08T20:42:16Z 2010-02-08T21:16:05Z

It's rare for a judge to speak publicly about government policy.But on Friday, February 5th, Justice Raymond Guerette told an audience of the New Brunswick branch of the Canadian Bar Association - including two former ministers of justice - what...

Costas HALAVREZOS http://www.cbc.ca/cgi-bin/MT4/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=21&id=59 It's rare for a judge to speak publicly about government policy.
But on Friday, February 5th, Justice Raymond Guerette told an audience of the New Brunswick branch of the Canadian Bar Association - including two former ministers of justice - what was on his mind.
Justice Guerette had chaired The Access to Family Justice Task Force which delivered a report to the provincial government in January of 2009 (to read the report, click here ). It featured dozens of recommendations on how to administer justice properly to men, women & children caught up in divorce and custody issues.
But Justice Guerette said that instead of acting on those recommendations to make it less stressful and  expensive to get a divorce, the government had done things which made it more difficult and costly. He went on to say that he and his task force members felt betrayed, but was more concerned about the people caught up in a system which is decades behind the times.
We spoke with Brenda Noble, who practices family law with the firm of Barry Spalding in Saint John. She was also a member of the Access to Family Justice Task Force.



Nova Scotia has traditionally opened up its Crown land for logging - to forestry companies, small private firms and individuals who wanted to cut their own firewood.
But soon, the latter - those individual logging permits - will be a thing of the past.
Cumberland County is one of two areas in the province where individuals are still allowed to cut firewood. But later this month, Nova Scotia will stop granting permits there.
Alan Eddy, regional director for the province's Department of Natural Resources, explained.  

It's safe to say that a century from now, some Canadians will be tracing their family tree back to Haiti - specifically, to early 2010, when their great-grandfather or grandmother left because they'd lost their parents and other family members in the earthquake. And as for those who died in the earthquake, there might be little record of them ever having lived.
Genealogist Terry Punch has long been interested in the natural disasters and wars that have forced people to migrate to other countries. Many Maritimers can probably trace their ancestries to events as diverse as the Irish Potato Famine or the Nazi invasion of European countries.
Terry's discussed the ways that an understanding of these terrible events can provide a richer  background for our genealogical research. He's the author of 3 volumes of Erin's Sons: Irish Arrivals in Atlantic Canada 1761-1853.
He also answered questions about tracing your family tree.]]> tag:www.cbc.ca,2010:/maritimenoon//21.24481 2010-02-05T18:11:12Z 2010-02-05T18:21:42Z

When the US launched its massive $800 billion stimulus package last year, the so-called "Buy American" provision shut out Canadian bidders from much of the work.But today, Ottawa has announced a deal to ease those restrictions. It also gives companies...

Costas HALAVREZOS http://www.cbc.ca/cgi-bin/MT4/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=21&id=59 "Buy American" provision shut out Canadian bidders from much of the work.
But today, Ottawa has announced a deal to ease those restrictions. It also gives companies in both countries permanent market access to projects at the sub-federal level - meaning they can bid and work on public works projects at the provincial, state or municipal level.
The agreement applies only to U.S. funding delivered under the current stimulus program, and not to any future legislation that might include similar "Buy American" clauses.
As well, some interprovincial barriers in Canada will have to drop...with some exceptions.
We spoke with Steve Ross, the General Manager of the Cherubini Group of Companies, a steel fabrication company based in Dartmouth.


From boom to bust - and now, back to boom ?
Work in the Alberta Tar Sands is beginning to pick up again. Several major construction projects have been announced in the last few weeks, and together, they're worth billions of dollars.
That's good news for the economy of Wild Rose Country. But what does it mean for people on this side of Canada ?
The CBC's Wendy Martin looked into how it might affect some highly mobile workers from Cape Breton - who are in the same boat as many other Maritimers laid off during the recession in Alberta.  

There are days in winter when the scene outside looks pretty black and white. So we look indoors to get the burst of colour to brighten our moods. But before you go crazy with pots of paint, perhaps some professional advice would help.
Jim White operates Lake City Paint and XXL Painting in Dartmouth. He answered your questions about using paint, stain and wallpaper. ]]> tag:www.cbc.ca,2010:/maritimenoon//21.24398 2010-02-04T17:46:31Z 2010-02-04T20:23:56Z

When Public-Private Partnerships were all the rage in the 1990s, provincial governments sold the concept as a way to construct and operate schools more cheaply than they could on their own. The efficiency of the private sector, it was argued,...

Costas HALAVREZOS http://www.cbc.ca/cgi-bin/MT4/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=21&id=59 Public-Private Partnerships were all the rage in the 1990s, provincial governments sold the concept as a way to construct and operate schools more cheaply than they could on their own. The efficiency of the private sector, it was argued, would save taxpayers' dollars on building & running these public insitutions.
In Nova Scotia, it didn't take long for cost overruns to raise questions about this new model. The Conservative government of John Hamm first reduced the number of planned P3 schools, and then abandoned the approach entirely.
But more than 30 P3s were built before the programme ended. And now, the P3 contracts that establish "who's responsible for what" have become a problem, as evidenced by the latest Auditor-General's report.
Jacques Lapointe says the Department of Education has not met the "very high duty of care" required in managing the massive financial obligations : $830 million over 20 years.
He joined us to discuss the weak points in accounting and the challenge of planning for the day the leases expire. [To read the Auditor-General's report, click here .]


This week, Irving Oil's parent company, Fort Reliance, announced that "current economic conditions" have forced the company to abandon a plan to build a new office complex on the Saint John waterfront.
As an illustration of those "current economic conditions", about two dozen gas stations in New England supplied by Irving Oil have closed in recent weeks.
For years, Irving has been steadily developing markets for its fuel from Maine as far south as Rhode Island. It provides gasoline to more than 300 stations throughout the Northeastern US, and although the company doesn't own those stations, the gas is sold under the Irving banner.
Martin Luttrell, a business reporter with the Telegram and Gazette in Worcester, Massachusetts, told us about the closure of Irving-flagged stations owned by the CK Smith fuel company. Then, we spoke with Liza Dubé, Public Relations Director for Irving Oil Marketing in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Our automotive expert, Doug Bethune, talked about turmoil in Toyota land - from sticky accelerator pedals and concerns over electrical systems to inconsistent brake feel in certain 2010 models of its flagship hybrid, the Prius. He also answered your questions about cars, trucks and vans.



]]> tag:www.cbc.ca,2010:/maritimenoon//21.23887 2010-02-03T18:11:27Z 2010-02-03T18:18:24Z

"Free cellphone with our 3-year plan." "Six months free digital cable if you switch to us." "No money down, no payments until 2011." Every day, we swim through an ocean of tempting commercial offers, like fish looking at tasty morsels...

Costas HALAVREZOS http://www.cbc.ca/cgi-bin/MT4/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=21&id=59 "Free cellphone with our 3-year plan." "Six months free digital cable if you switch to us." "No money down, no payments until 2011."
Every day, we swim through an ocean of tempting commercial offers, like fish looking at tasty morsels dangling from lines. And even when we know from experience that there's a hook in that bait, a complex set of  wants, needs, emotions and calculations can make us bite something that.
But what's missing in those low-price or even "free" come-ons ?
Raj Patel has explored both the almost mystical role that "price" has played in society and the things that aren't taken into account when we make judgments based on the so-called "sticker price" of everything from cheap food to flat-screen TVs.
On the other side of the ledger, he looks at the value of unpaid work and of rediscovering the idea of "the commons".
Dr Patel is the author of "The Value of Nothing : Why Everything Costs So Much More Than We Think". Our question : "In our society, are there things more important than price ?"
 
 ]]> tag:www.cbc.ca,2010:/maritimenoon//21.23788 2010-02-02T18:00:26Z 2010-02-02T19:10:15Z

Hockey Night in Canada is an institution. Its coverage of NHL games reaches more than a million Canadians each Saturday night. But do its commentators have a special responsibility to cover hockey in a way that doesn't glorify violence ?...

Costas HALAVREZOS http://www.cbc.ca/cgi-bin/MT4/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=21&id=59 Hockey Night in Canada is an institution. Its coverage of NHL games reaches more than a million Canadians each Saturday night. But do its commentators have a special responsibility to cover hockey in a way that doesn't glorify violence ?
Globe & Mail columnist Roy MacGregor was our guest on Friday's phone-in when we asked  "What's the best way to prevent violence in hockey ?"  
The pretext was Patrice Cormier's elbow-hit to the head of an opponent that left Mikael Tam convulsing on the ice. The discussion didn't so much focus on this incident, but rather on the "environment" fostered at the professional level - the NHL, which Cormier and others aspire to join. There was also discussion of how the NHL is presented & interpreted by the entertainment media.
Roy MacGregor explained why he doesn't like the "rock 'em, sock 'em" approach that Don Cherry, the star of Coach's Corner, brings to HNIC (and Martin Patriquin of Maclean's is even more pointed in this piece ).
We spoke with Scott Moore, Executive Director of CBC Sports, and General Manager of Media Sales and Marketing, about the criticisms.  


Maritime Noon's home heating consultant Art Irwin pulled on a balaclava and muffler and braved the frigid temperatures to join us in studio Monday to take your calls about conserving energy while getting the most from your heating system. Producer Deborah Woolway joined us with Art's response to an email we received after the phone-in.
Richard Gilbert of Halifax wrote that he'd recently upgraded his outdoor oil tank to a fibreglass model and placed it on the original pad. He says the tank's oil line has frozen three times so far this winter, and he wanted to know if the installation procedure for fibreglass models is different than for steel tanks. He also wanted to know how to get the water out of the tank, and wondered if he could use methyl hydrate.
Deborah read Art's helpful response - which is timely, considering that we're into the coldest week of the winter so far.

And how cold is it ? Minus 16 in East Point, PEI; -17 in Economy, Nova Scotia; -24 in Edmundston, New Brunswick at showtime. If you woke up from a Rip Van Winkle-like sleep of 20 years, and stuck your head out the door, your re-orientation would be immediate. You'd know you'd woken up in the middle of the Maritime winter.
And while the week-to-week or day-to-day conditions can vary, we can always recognise the broad strokes of a season.
Well, at least the seasons in this part of the world.
Our science panel was physically separated by half of that world, but brought together through the magic of radio : Mary Anne White in the Maritimes and Richard Wassersug in  Melbourne, Australia, where he's doing research during a sabbatical from Dalhousie University, where he & Mary Anne teach. They answered your questions about The Science of Everyday Life. ]]> tag:www.cbc.ca,2010:/maritimenoon//21.23728 2010-02-01T18:35:32Z 2010-02-01T21:23:43Z

The most divisive political issue in New Brunswick - and one which ripples into the whole region - is the proposed power deal with Hydro-Québec. The political uproar was so loud that Premier Shawn Graham appointed a 6-person panel chaired...

Costas HALAVREZOS http://www.cbc.ca/cgi-bin/MT4/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=21&id=59 the proposed power deal with Hydro-Québec. The political uproar was so loud that Premier Shawn Graham appointed a 6-person panel chaired by David Ganong to study the Memorandum of Understanding and report publicly.
But the uproar continued, and the proposed sale of assets was amended. The Liberal government reduced the deal from the original $4.75-billion to $3.2-billion - still a substantial amount. This change might have complicated the panel's job, but its chairman  has delivered the assessment, along with recommendations.
CBC Reporter Jacques Poitras gave us the details.
To read the report from the "Advisory Panel on the Proposed New Brunswick - Québec Electricity Transaction", click here.

Toyota Canada has announced that its technicians will install a steel reinforcement bar to fix sticky gas pedals. The fault led to the recall last month of about 270,000 vehicles in Canada,  and 4.2 million vehicles worldwide.   
The Canadian division of Toyota Motor Corporation says it will begin fixing accelerator pedals in some recalled vehicles by the end of this week, but it's unclear how long customers will have to wait before the problem is addressed.
George Iny of the Automobile Protection Association - a frequent guest on the phone-in - had advice for Toyota owners who might not be able to get their cars into the dealership immediately.


Well, Don Cherry and some other commentators on CBC TV's Hockey Night in Canada took it on the chin during last Friday's phone-in, when we asked what's the best way to prevent hockey violence ?
Our guest, Globe and Mail columnist Roy MacGregor, is critical of a hockey environment that he says makes tough hits and fighting acceptable. Hits to the head are in the news because of the recent elbow-to-the-head shot Quebec Major Junior player Patrice Cormier gave Mikael Tam - an assault that left Tam convulsing on the ice.  Police are investigating the incident and charges could be laid.
Cormier is an NHL prospect, and that body says it will convene a summit on hockey violence. But MacGregor doesn't think they'll do much. He also took aim at Hockey Night in Canada, and the rock 'em, sock 'em videos that are commentator Don Cherry's stock in trade (MacGreor's criticisms were mild, compared with those of Maclean's magazine's Martin Patriquin ). Producer Deborah Woolway dropped in with your emails and comments on the answering machine.

 Would you like your oil tank outside the house, or in ? Well, if it's a new installation, you don't have a choice any more. To get details on changes to the national code that regulates domestic oil tanks, we invited heating consultant Art Irwin back into the studio. And, from now until one o'clock he'll also answer questions about how to get the most from your heating system and how to conserve energy ]]> tag:www.cbc.ca,2010:/maritimenoon//21.23561 2010-01-29T18:31:39Z 2010-01-29T19:02:53Z

You always knew they were tasty, and - bonus - they were good for you. But research is now showing that those simple round blueberries you sprinkle on your cereal or fold into muffins are an incredibly complex little fruit...

Costas HALAVREZOS http://www.cbc.ca/cgi-bin/MT4/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=21&id=59 But research is now showing that those simple round blueberries you sprinkle on your cereal or fold into muffins are an incredibly complex little fruit with hugely diverse health benefits.
Dr Wilhemina Kalt is a food chemist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Kentville. She and her team have been focusing on the nutritive qualities of blueberries for some time, and she told us about her latest research and findings.   


Thursday, our guest was John Lanchester. He's written a book called "IOU" about the practices that led to the financial crash of 2008. And when he talks about the out-of-control wheeling & dealing of financial companies that led to bankruptcies, he says "These did not happen in a vacuum; they happened in an environment".
The same might be said for the elbow-shot that Patrice Cormier inflicted on Mikael Tam in a QMJHL game (click here). It left Tam convulsing on the ice - a disturbing image that couldn't be shrugged off as easily as, say, the image of Swedish Junior Anton Rodin nursing a nose bloodied by another Cormier elbow-shot just a few weeks previously. (To see that less-publicised attack, click here).
The two incidents show just how fine the line can be between an elbow-hit that bloodies your nose and one that jars you into convulsions (or - neurosurgeons will add - to cause permanent brain damage or even death).
Cormier has been suspended for the rest of the season because of what he did to Mikael Tam. His team is appealing that because it thinks the sanction is too severe.
But this phone-in isn't about that single incident or about Patrice Cormier. It's about the environment of hockey, a sport in which the goal of thousands of young men who play it is to be drafted to an NHL team.    
The NHL, of course, is the professional sports league in which referees - unlike those in soccer, basketball, or football - stand back and let opponents punch each other out.
Because of the many components in hockey's "environment" - owners, coaches, fans commentators,etc. - some observers say it's inevitable that a player will be killed one of these nights. And because of that, they say it's time for more criminal charges.
But others say suspensions are quite enough - that they send the message about what's unacceptable.
We were joined by Roy MacGregor, a columnist with the Globe & Mail. He's won numerous journalism awards, is the author of nearly 40 books - including the Screech Owls Mystery series for young readers and "Home Team: Fathers, Sons and Hockey", which was nominated for the Governor-General's Award.
Our question again : What's the best way to prevent hockey violence ?  ]]> tag:www.cbc.ca,2010:/maritimenoon//21.22489 2010-01-28T17:59:44Z 2010-01-28T18:11:42Z

From time to time, when John Lanchester is cruising down a traffic-free country road, he entertains a curious thought : what would happen if he suddenly threw the gearshift into reverse ?Well, you don't have to do much imagining to...

Costas HALAVREZOS http://www.cbc.ca/cgi-bin/MT4/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=21&id=59 John Lanchester is cruising down a traffic-free country road, he entertains a curious thought : what would happen if he suddenly threw the gearshift into reverse ?
Well, you don't have to do much imagining to conclude that it would have a devastating effect on that smoothly-running vehicle, and possibly, as collateral damage, on its driver.
Now don't worry - he's not going to do that. The author of such memorable fiction as "A Debt To Pleasure" and "Fragrant Harbour" still has a lot of writing to do, but he's taken time away from fiction to write about the crash of another smoothly-running machine : the world's financial system.
It's called  "I.O.U.: Why Everyone Owes Everyone and No One Can Pay". It documents how governments, regulatory bodies, businesses and investors all abandoned common sense and threw the world's credit system into reverse. Taxpayers and the hundreds of thousands of people who lost homes and jobs were the collateral damage of that 2008 crash.
And while there's been much talk about a chastened financial sector and the need for more government oversight of what the banks and bond rating agencies and credit-swappers are doing with our money, John Lanchester's not convinced we're much more secure that we were before  the spectacular flameout.
John Lanchester was in our CBC London studio as we asked : "Do you believe the financial system is safer than it was before the crash ?"


Their publications may not have huge circulations of Chatelaine or Maclean's, but they have international reputations and punch 'way above their weight. They even refer to themselves as "little magazines".
Literary periodicals such as The Fiddlehead - published in New Brunswick for the last 65 years - and The Antigonish Review - celebrating its 40th anniversary  - have given many of Canada's best-known writers their start (Alistair MacLeod, David Adams Richards, Wayne Johnstone, Lynn Coady, et al.)
But both periodicals are reeling from what - to them - are massive cuts.  The Department of Canadian Heritage  has made changes to funding assistance for magazines. The Canada Periodical Fund will not provide money to publications with an annual paid circulation of 5,000 copies. The subsidy amounted to about 10% of The Fiddlehead's budget and 25% of The Antigonish Review's.
Producer Deborah Woolway dropped into the studio with your reactions to our January 27th interview with the editors of The Fiddlehead and The Antigonish Review.
]]> tag:www.cbc.ca,2010:/maritimenoon//21.21757 2010-01-27T19:51:37Z 2010-01-27T21:00:58Z

The federal budget hasn't been announced, but the cuts have already begun.Publications with a paid circulation of 5000 or fewer copies won't be eligible for any assistance from the new Canadian Periodical Fund (which replaces two funding streams : the...

Costas HALAVREZOS http://www.cbc.ca/cgi-bin/MT4/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=21&id=59 Publications with a paid circulation of 5000 or fewer copies won't be eligible for any assistance from the new Canadian Periodical Fund (which replaces two funding streams : the Canadian Magazine Fund, which supported editorial content and business development, and the Publications Assistance Program, which subsidized mailing costs).
Ottawa will exempt aboriginal, ethno-cultural and official language publications from the 5000-circulation threshhold. But dozens of literary, arts or scholarly periodicals will be affected - including some prominent journals based in the Maritimes.
Jeanette Lynes is co-editor of The Antigonish Review. Ross Leckie is the Editor of The Fiddlehead, in Fredericton. They told us what this could mean for their periodicals, which published the early work of Alistair MacLeod, David Adams Richards, Lynn Coady and many more.


When is a home inspector not a home inspector ? Or, at least, one who doesn't have all the skills needed to do a throrough investigation of that home you'd like to buy ? 
The home inspection industry is unregulated in the Maritimes, as it is in most of Canada. That leaves plenty of room for someone with a ladder and a flashlight to hang out a shingle and call themselves a home inspector. And if they fail to uncover problems like mould, faulty wiring or a crack in the foundation, you could end up paying a lot of money to fix the problems, with your only recourse in the court system.  
On January 25th, we spoke with Dan Connors who runs a property maintenance and inspection business in Moncton. He's trying to convince the New Brunswick government to regulate the industry. Dan found plenty of support on our answering machine. We also heard about home inspectors who do thorough, professional jobs, and help many potential buyers.

Unless you're a vampire, you crave sunlight - especially in the Canadian winter.
But the fact is, we actually waste perfectly good sunlight all the time.
Take this studio, for instance : third floor, lots of natural light, and not a plant in sight.
But this year, we hope to change that.
Marjorie Willison is going to tell us how to plan and grow a small herb garden. That's right - something you can snip and use in your cooking. And we're going to see if we can document our progress - the successes and failures - and invite you to do the same - on the MN website.
But as always with gardening - indoors or out - we're going to have to plan this. Marjorie is here to get us started on this herbal journey. She's the author of the East Coast Gardener and she'd be happy to answer any question you have about plants. ]]> tag:www.cbc.ca,2010:/maritimenoon//21.21384 2010-01-26T19:55:19Z 2010-02-02T13:10:13Z

They knew the day would come.This past summer, sea lice - parasites kept under control in Bay of Fundy fish farms for years - showed that the treatment used to fight them wasn't effective any more. And since they had...

Costas HALAVREZOS http://www.cbc.ca/cgi-bin/MT4/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=21&id=59 This past summer, sea lice - parasites kept under control in Bay of Fundy fish farms for years - showed that the treatment used to fight them wasn't effective any more.
And since they had ideal summer water temperatures and captive hosts - caged salmon - they were able to hatch a new generation every two weeks.
This means that the farmed salmon industry here - and in other parts of the world - needs to find a new method of knocking back the parasite.
Dr. Larry Hammell, who holds the Innovation PEI Research Chair and directs the Atlantic Veterinary College Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences described the search for alternatives - before summer 2010 arrives.


Well, the show's not complete until we get your comments on the stories and topics we cover. Producer Deborah Woolway joined me to read some of the lively - and sometimes  conflicting responses we received after the January 18th phone-in, when we asked : "Why did you decide to live in the Maritimes ?" - a question which opened the discussion both to people who've moved here and to those who grew up in the region & decided not to head on "Down The Road".


When it comes to talking about diabetes, the medical community has coined a new word : Diabesity.
That's because exploding rates of diabetes in this country are absolutely linked to climbing rates of obesity. Canadians are exercising less, and eating more - and more of the wrong kind of food.  Now, Type 2 diabetes - which used to be called "adult onset diabetes" and considered a disease of aging - is now being diagnosed with alarming regularity in young people. In fact, one quarter of the teens being diagnosed with diabetes at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax have Type 2 diabetes.  
The concern about obesity rates is not new. We just don't seem to be doing  anything about it.  That point was driven home this week when the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada released its annual report into the health of Canadians. The report notes that between 1994 and 2005, obesity rates rose by 18% and diabetes rates rose by 45%.  Those numbers are even higher among people aged 25 to 39.
Dr Thomas Ransom, an endocrinologist at the QE2 Health Sciences Centre in Halifax, answered your questions about diabetes.
For information on diabetes management centres in your province, click here and follow the links.
And if you live in the Halifax area and would be interested in taking part in diabetes research, call 473-4198.
]]> tag:www.cbc.ca,2010:/maritimenoon//21.21267 2010-01-25T17:53:17Z 2010-01-25T18:09:40Z

Recently, we examined cross-border issues which have cropped up where New Brunswick and Nova Scotia meet. But a cross-border issue of a very different sort has just come to light where New Brunswick meets the State of Maine.A spokesperson for...

Costas HALAVREZOS http://www.cbc.ca/cgi-bin/MT4/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=21&id=59 A spokesperson for Maine State Police says one of the force's troopers was suspended for crossing the border into Canada during a high speed pursuit.
The incident happended last fall fall on Campobello Island, but has only recently been revealed. CBC reporter Connell Smith in Saint John has been looking into this story.

Buying a home is the biggest investment most of us will ever make. And the last thing you want to do is buy into a whole lot of expensive and demoralizing problems.
That's why you hire a house inspector to check the dwelling from basement to attic - structure, electrical, plumbing, insulation - the works.  
But the home inspection "industry" is not regulated in most of Canada, including here in the Maritimes. And while many home inspectors are authorities in their field, many are not.  Dan Connors thinks the industry needs standards and regulation to protect homeowners. He operates Metro Maintenance and Inspection in Moncton - a property management and inspection business.  


The February 1st deadline is looming for anyone who wants to take advantage of the Home Renovation Tax Credit . It was introduced a year ago, and offers a 15% non-refundable tax credit for renovations to a house, condo or cottage.  The credit is based on eligible expenses for work performed,  or materials purchased, after January 27, 2009, and before February 1st, 2010 - that's next Monday.
Many Maritimers have taken advantage of the tax credit, and not surprisingly, given the older housing stock here in the Maritimes, many people are concentrating on improving their home's energy efficiency, along with updating bathrooms and kitchens.
But whether you're planning a major addition or simply looking for pointers to help you lay a new floor in the kitchen, our Renovators Panel provided sound advice.
Alan Keating is a carpenter and operator of Keating Construction in Sydney. Eric Tusz-King is with Energreen Builders Co-op in Sackville, which concentrates on building affordable, energy efficient housing.    ]]> tag:www.cbc.ca,2010:/maritimenoon//21.21127 2010-01-22T18:58:52Z 2010-01-22T19:24:52Z

Neil Bauman has left the comfort and security of Saint John for Haiti. Mr Bauman is an architect and takes on the kind of assignment that many of us couldn't imagine. He's a Shelter Co-ordinator with the Red Cross, and...

Costas HALAVREZOS http://www.cbc.ca/cgi-bin/MT4/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=21&id=59 Neil Bauman has left the comfort and security of Saint John for Haiti. Mr Bauman is an architect and takes on the kind of assignment that many of us couldn't imagine. He's a Shelter Co-ordinator with the Red Cross, and flies into some of the most traumatized places on earth to put his expertise and experience to work.  
We asked Mr Bauman about his experiences in dealing with shelter issues after international disasters.

What's a border town to do ? Thursday, we spoke with Randy Smith - head of the Amherst and Area Chamber of Commerce - about the sobering results of a recent online survey he'd conducted. It confirmed what the Chamber already suspected : that most people in the area crossing the provincial border to buy gas more cheaply in Sackville. While they're there, they're picking up groceries or visiting the liquor store or travelling on to Moncton to do further shopping. Mr Smith fears that Amherst's economy is being undermined. But some of you called to remind him that the Trans-Canada runs both ways.
We also played your thoughts following Wednesday's phone-in when we asked "Can governments balance budgets without raising new tax revenues ?"

Imagine that the earthquake in Haiti didn't happen. Even without that catastrophe, Haiti has been an ongoing example of how fragile we all are in the face of disruptive forces. Unfortunately, we just haven't paid much attention.
But extreme events are just one of the forces that can shatter order and civil society and stunt everything from education and health protection to economic activity.
And in case you feel this kind of vulnerability is only present in countries where people  live in shantytowns, ask the people of New Orleans who bore the brunt of Hurricane Katrina. Ask Montrealers who went without heat & lights when their city was shut down in the middle of winter by the Ice Storm. Closer to home, ask people in Maritime communities who were hit by Hurricane Juan or, just three weeks ago, who lost their homes and businesses and institutions in the storm surge.
While these events receive plenty of disaster coverage at the time, what - if anything - are we learning from them in terms of understanding the thin line between security and catastrophe ?        
What friction points are there around the world in which a crisis could be ignited tomorrow by an unpredicted event  - countries which have population growth without adequate natural resources, religious and ideological differences, or gross economic disparities ?
Cleo Paskal has been studying the factors which make the world in 2010 a more fragile place than we tend to assume. She's the author of "Global Warring : How Environmental, Economic & Political Crises Will Redraw The World Map". Ms Pascal is with the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London and has given briefings on environmental change and security issues to CSIS, the British Ministry of Defence and CEOs of global corporations.
Our question : What do you think will be the most likely cause of future conflicts ?


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Costas HALAVREZOS http://www.cbc.ca/cgi-bin/MT4/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=21&id=59 The border town of Amherst, Nova Scotia is fighting for its economic life, and  results from a recent on-line survey conducted by its Chamber of Commerce show just how much is at stake. Making a run across the border into New Brunswick to buy cheaper gas and perhaps a load of groceries has become the norm for many citizens in the Amherst area - and that's eroding the town's economic base.  
That's something Randy Smith, President of the Amherst and Area Chamber of Commerce, wants to reverse. We spoke with him.
But what about you ? Do you have ideas for border communities whose citizens see better bargains on the other side of the line ? If you live in one of those communities, how do you choose where to spend your money ? Call us at 1-800-565-5463.


As a call for tenders, it's a doozy.
More than a million hectares of New Brunswick have been put up for tender for companies that want to explore for oil and gas.
One of the tracts stretches from the Northumberland Strait almost to the US border.
The bids - which will be opened in mid-March - could generate a one-time bump of more than $10 million dollars for the province. But what could exploration on that much land mean ?
To find out, we've contacted Keith Endresen, Manager of Petroleum Tenure for New Brunswick's Department of Natural Resources.
To read the Call For Tenders and to see the map of land blocks, click here .


It's a disturbing and misunderstood trend, and it's worrying many mothers and fathers these days. Simply put, it's the growing concern that their role and importance in their children's lives has been replaced by their children's friends.
Baulking at parental authority and spending time with friends is nothing new, and is usually regarded as part of growing up and becoming independent.
But Dr Gabor Maté says that "peer orientiation" - that is,  the tendency of young people to look to kids their own age for direction and advice, for a sense of right and wrong, for values, identity and codes of behaviour - is undermining family cohesion.
He has also concluded that peer orientation poisons the school atmosphere, fosters an aggressively hostile and sexualized youth culture, and may provide a powerful explanation for schoolyard bullying and youth violence.
Those theories are laid out out in the best selling book he co-authored with psychologist Dr Gordon Neufeld called "Hold on to Your Kids:  Why Parents Need To Matter More Than Peers". We invited you to call with your questions or comments about establishing a loving and lasting relationship with your children - especially when you compete with teen peers.

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There's been a significant shift in the deal to sell NB Power assets to Hydro-Québec.The changes were announced Wednesday morning by Premier Shawn Graham.According to this version of the deal, Hydro-Québec will purchase the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station only...

Costas HALAVREZOS http://www.cbc.ca/cgi-bin/MT4/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=21&id=59 the deal to sell NB Power assets to Hydro-Québec.
The changes were announced Wednesday morning by Premier Shawn Graham.
According to this version of the deal, Hydro-Québec will purchase the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station only after its refurbishment is complete.
The Québec utility will also take over New Brunswick's hydro dams and two diesel units. NB Power will continue to operate the Coleson Cove and Belledune generating stations and sell the electricity back to Quebec.
New Brunswick's residential ratepayers will still get a 5-year rate freeze. Small businesses will see a roughly 15% cut in power rates. Large industrial customers will see their rate drop by 23%.  Premier Shawn Graham commented on the deal's significance and NB Energy Minister Jack Keir responded to reporters' questions about why the cost of power jumps by 60% or 70%  when it crosses the border from Québec to New Brunswick.

Tuesday on MN, Tom Kent explained that tax reform was long overdue. And he's been watching this for a long time. He was Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Lester Pearson and cited recommendations made by the Royal Commission on Taxation back in 1967.
At that time, it was suggested that tax reform should be guided by the principle that "a dollar of income is a dollar - regardless of where it comes from".
But in the decades since then, many billions of dollars of income have become exempt from taxation - everything from dividends and capital gains to lottery winnings and trusts.
Expanding sources of tax revenue is one means of balancing a budget, but so far this year, the only options mentioned by politicians have been cuts to spending and programmes.
But regardless of the means of returning to balanced budgets, what challenges face Ottawa right now...and in the next several years ?
Kevin Page, the Parliamentary Budget Officer sketched the landscape he sees.

Then we were joined by Fred Bergman, a Senior Policy Analyst with the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council. Our phone-in question : "Should governments raise new tax revenues to balance their budgets ?"

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