Canada's Breathtaking Northern National Parks Unveiled on Google Maps

Some of Canada's most remote landscapes

 now featured on popular Google Street View

OTTAWA, Ontario April 30, 2015 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of the Environment and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, along with Google Canada, today announced that Google Street View imagery of more national parks is now available on Google Maps and Google Earth. Incredible virtual tours of some of Canada'sspectacular northern national parks are now directly accessible for Canadians and others abroad to explore, appreciate and plan trips to witness nature's wonder.

New panoramic images are now available for Auyuittuq National Park, Ivvavik National Park, Torngat Mountains National Park, Tuktut Nogait National Park and Wood Buffalo National Park. This initiative is the fruit of a collaborative, nationwide initiative between Parks Canada and Google to bring Street View imagery to Canada's treasured natural and cultural sites.

With the click of a mouse button or the tap of a touch screen, virtual visitors can marvel at the sweeping glaciers and majestic fiords in Auyuittuq, discover the British Mountains and the Firth River Valley in Ivvavik, and immerse themselves in Tuktut Nogait's stunning canyons and waterfalls along the rugged Brock River. They can also see the spectacular towering peaks of the Torngat Mountains, and appreciate the grandeur of Canada's only salt plains and take a virtual stroll in the historic Sweetgrass bison corrals of Wood Buffalo National Park – Canada's largest national park.

Since starting to work together in 2013, Parks Canada and Google have documented highlights from most of Parks Canada's places in the south and they plan to continue the work this summer adding more to the collection, helping Canadians and the world to connect to our country's majestic protected areas.

Quick Facts

• Key Parks Canada team members were trained by Google to collect Street View images using specialized equipment, like the Street View Trekker, allowing for imagery collection in northern and remote national parks.
• Some of the imagery displayed for Ivvavik National Park looks as bright and sunny as midday, but was collected as late as 11 p.m., demonstrating how different the cycles of day and night are in the far north.
• Auyuittuq National Park images were gathered primarily from the water. The Street View Trekker was positioned on a boat which sailed along the park's coastline.
• Parks Canada manages a nationwide network of 167 national historic sites, 44 national parks and four national marine conservation areas that make up the rich tapestry of Canada's cultural and natural heritage.

Quotes

"Our Government is committed to promoting and protecting our rich natural heritage. Thanks to this collaboration with Google, we can showcase Canada's amazing northern national parks and inspire people to visit and personally connect with these beautiful national treasures. I invite Canadians to visit Google Maps and discover the North's spectacular scenery, unique wildlife and pristine wilderness – Canada as they have never seen it before."

The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of the Environment and Minister responsible for Parks Canada

"Parks Canada's northern parks are some of the most incredible and remote places on earth. We are of proud to be able to showcase this spectacular landscape and share with a global audience this important part of Canadian culture."

Aaron Brindle, Google Canada Spokesperson

Be safe: keep clear of the tracks! - VIA Rail's word of advice for the 2015 Rail Safety Week

MONTRÉAL, Quebec April 27, 2015 /Canada NewsWire Telbec/ - VIA Rail Canada (VIA Rail) is actively participating in Operation Lifesaver's 13^th Annual Safety Week, taking place from April 27 to May 3, 2015. Under the key message "See Tracks, Think Train", this year's week is devoted to educating and reminding the public about the importance of acting with extreme caution around railways. Throughout the week, volunteers will be hosting many local events and activities acrossCanada.

"VIA Rail's involvement in Operation Lifesaver helps educate Canadians about the dangers of trespassing on or around railways," explains Yves Desjardins-Siciliano, President and CEO of VIA Rail, "At VIA, security is in our DNA. It is at the core of every decision we make. I am proud to work with a highly qualified team of experts at VIA Rail, who take safety and security to heart every day, and who help maintain our excellent safety track record."

VIA Rail will be supporting #SeeTracksThinkTrain campaign through various means with customers and employees, culminating with a major event held on May 2 at its Halifax train station. Everyone is invited to take part of "All Aboard for Safety", a free Family Day event open to the general public to promote rail safety and general safety for all, including Operation Lifesaver presentations, model train set displays, local emergency services, and complimentary train rides. VIA Rail also invites everyone to read Yves Desjardins-Siciliano's blog entry on this.

In 2014 there were 180 crossing accidents and 58 trespassing accidents in Canada, a 30% decrease since the first Rail Safety Week in 2003. "That's still too many preventable accidents" according to Yves Desjardins-Siciliano, "which is why VIA Rail continues to collaborate closely with Operation Lifesaver, the Railway Association of Canada, Transport Canada, CN, CP, Go Transit and other industry partners to improve safety and help spread the word about railway safety every day."

VIA Rail operates some 500 trains weekly on 12,500 kilometers of track, and strictly adheres to its safety procedures to ensure that passengers arrive at their destinations safely.

About Operation LifesaverEstablished in Canada in 1981, Operation Lifesaver is a national public-rail safety program sponsored by Transport Canada and the Railway Association of Canada. Through partnerships with provincial safety councils, police, railways, the trucking industry and community groups, Operation Lifesaver is dedicated to saving lives by educating Canadians about the hazards surrounding highway/railway crossings and trespassing on railway property.

www.operationlifesaver.ca

Learn more by following the hashtags #RSW2015 and #SeeTracksThink and by joining the discussion on *Facebook.com/oplifesaver  * Twitter.com/oplifesaver and Instagram.com/oplifesaver

About VIA Rail CanadaAs Canada's national rail passenger service, VIA Rail Canada (viarail.ca) and its 2,500 employees are mandated to provide safe, efficient and economical passenger transportation service, in both official languages of our country. VIA Rail operates intercity, regional and transcontinental trains linking 450 communities across Canada, and safely transports nearly four million passengers annually. The Corporation was awarded seven Safety Awards by the Railway Association of Canada over the last eight years, and was the recipient of the 2012 Agent's Choice Award voted by Canadian travel agents and presented by Baxter Travel Media. Since 2007, the Government of Canada has invested almost a billion dollars in VIA Rail. Read more about our transformation at viarail.ca/transformingvia.

Follow us on our Evolution Blog at viaevolution.ca - On Twitter @VIA_rail and @VIARailPrez - On Facebook - OnInstagram.

SOURCE VIA Rail Canada Inc.

10 Environmentally Conscious Schools Each Win $25,000 Worth of Technology from Staples Canada

Superpower Your School Contest winners announced

TORONTO, Ontario April 22, 2015 /Canada NewsWire/ - Staples Canada today announced the winners of the 2015 Staples Canada Superpower Your School Contest. The contest, held in collaboration with Earth Day Canada, was open to publicly-funded elementary and secondary schools across Canada and ran from January 5, 2015 to January 31, 2015. Close to 600 schools submitted entries detailing their environmental initiatives. Ten schools, two from each region, have been selected to receive $25,000 each towards the purchase of new technology from Staples Canada.

Ontario

• Elementary: St. Agatha Catholic School, Scarborough, ON
• Secondary : Saunders Secondary School, London, ON

Western Region

• Elementary: Beaverlodge School, Winnipeg, MB
• Secondary: Argyle Alternative High School, Winnipeg, MB

British Columbia

• Elementary: Kinnaird Elementary School, Castlegar, BC
• Secondary : Smithers Secondary School, Smithers, BC

Quebec

• Elementary: École Notre-Dame-des-Rapides, Lasalle, QC
• Secondary: École Arthur Pigeon, Huntingdon, QC

Atlantic Region

• Elementary: Immaculate Heart of Mary School, Corner Brook, NL
• Secondary : Sussex Regional High School, Sussex NB

Each school was told they won during surprise assemblies held in March and early April.

"The ten winning schools are as passionate about innovating to make a difference as we are," said Steve Matyas, president of Staples Canada. "By giving them the power to learn using the latest technology, the schools now have the ability to make an even greater impact."

"We congratulate these outstanding winners for their commitment to making Earth Day Every Day in their schools and local communities," said Deborah Doncaster, president of Earth Day Canada. "We were particularly inspired by their highly innovative initiatives, which have had positive environmental impacts far beyond the individual school grounds. We are excited to learn about how the schools will use the new technology to further their environmental efforts."

Staples Canada and Bullfrog Power will also bullfrogpower® the new technology at each school with 100% clean, pollution-free energy for one year.

The contest, previously known as the Staples Canada Recycle for Education Computer Lab Contest, is now in its fifth year and has previously awarded 40 environmentally conscious schools the latest technology to empower students to learn and nurture their passion for the environment.

For more information, including the winning schools' entry summaries, visit staples.ca/powereco.

About Staples 

Staples makes it easy to make more happen with more products and more ways to shop. Through its world-class retail, online and delivery capabilities, Staples lets customers shop however and whenever they want, whether it's in-store, online, on mobile devices, or through the company's innovative buy online, pick-up in store option. Staples offers more products than ever, such as technology, facilities and breakroom supplies, furniture, safety supplies, medical supplies, and Copy and Print services. Headquartered outside of Boston in the United States with offices in Toronto, Canada,Staples operates throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.  More information about Staples (Nasdaq: SPLS) is available at www.staples.com and www.staples.ca. 

About Earth Day Canada

Earth Day Canada's mission is to foster and celebrate environmental respect, action and behaviour change that lessens our impact on the earth. The national environmental charity does this through year-round campaigns that culminate in an international day of environmental action - April 22nd - that touches the lives of millions of Canadians, including virtually every school-aged child. April 22nd, 2015 marks the launch of 'Earth Day Every Day', a national framework helping Canadians reduce their carbon footprint 20% by 2020 via an online, mobile friendly platform. Commit to green acts, share your profile and achievements, and be recognized for making good green choices!www.earthday2015.ca

SOURCE Staples Canada Inc.

The Great Ontario Clean Farms Challenge calls on farmers to share their environmentally friendly farming practices

ETOBICOKE, Ontario, April 20, 2015 /Canada NewsWire/ - Canada's leading agricultural stewardship organization, CleanFARMS, is calling all Ontario farmers to take The Great Ontario Clean Farms Challenge and help profile the positive contributions they make to the environment through good waste management.

"Farmers are committed to acting in environmentally responsible ways," said Barry Friesen, general manager of CleanFARMS. "This challenge encourages farmers to share what they do and allows us to showcase their ongoing stewardship commitment."

The Great Ontario Clean Farms Challenge launches this week and is open to all farmers who own or operate commercial farms in Ontario. The challenge closes on July 30, 2015. Finalists will be selected based on their commitment to best practices, innovation, and participation in recycling programs. The winning farmer will receive a$5,000 cash prize.

This is the second Clean Farms Challenge.  The challenge, which ran last year for the first time in Manitoba, is designed to help create a dialogue about the on-farm innovations that help farmers reduce, reuse and recycle agricultural waste.

CleanFARMS Inc. is a not-for-profit industry stewardship organization committed to environmental responsibility through the proper management of agricultural waste and is best known for its award winning empty container recycling program. CleanFARMS works with a variety of stakeholders to deliver end of life stewardship programs to farmers.

Waterpower Industry Promotes Public Safety

OWA Re-launches Online Sign Store

PETERBOROUGH, Ontario, April 8, 2015 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Ontario Waterpower Association (OWA) is pleased to announce the re-launch of the OWA Public Safety Sign Store. The initiative is part of the Association's commitment to the continued advancement of dam safety and public safety around dams.

Initially introduced in 2012, the new online store is more user-friendly and provides a quick and easy reference to standardized public safety signs for dams and hydropower facilities. Through a partnership with Alpine Graphics, hundreds of high quality, standardized signs have already been installed across the province.

"Promoting and implementing public safety measures is of great importance to the waterpower industry," said Paul Norris, President of the OWA. "Our members, and the broader community of dam owners in Ontario play a key role in public education."

Creating consistent visuals and increasing public education through standard signage helps reinforce core safety messages. The new web-based product will make the purchasing of public safety signs easy, accurate, and efficient.

"The OWA would like to remind the public to be safe around dams, particularly at this time of year," added Stephanie Landers, OWA's Communications and Public Outreach Coordinator. "Water levels and flows can change quickly as dam operators help manage the spring freshet."

To visit the OWA sign store, please visit http://signstore.owa.ca/

Small Town Canada - Nipawin, Saskatchewan

Small Town Canada - Nipawin, Saskatchewan

As a tourist destination, Nipawin has many opportunities and facilities for recreation. Throughout the winter and summer months Nipawin and area abound with festivals, organized events and sports, and facilities for recreation. Nipawin boasts some of the best walleye fishing in North America, excellent hunting, picturesque scenery, and a superior vacation experience.

As a millennium project, the town of Nipawin commissionned a number of murals to be created on buildings throughout the town. The murals showcase life in Nipawin throughout the years and provide a tribute to both the history and present life of the town. Regina artist Zhong-Ru Huang was responsible for the first two murals; one on the seniors centre and one on the Jubilee arena. The third mural was created by the Nipawin Art Club and now resides on the Grayson Massage Therapy building. The fourth mural has been recently completed by Watrous artist Michael Gaudet who is also now working on the fifth mural.

Visit Nipawin here...

Small Town Canada - St. Anthony, Newfoundland and Labrador

St. Anthony, Newfoundland and Labrador

National parks, Provincial parks, private parks, nature, rugged coastline, icebergs/whales, Grenfell Historical Properties and a polar bear display are just some of the things you can see in the St. Anthony area.

Visit Grenfell Historic Properties and relive an era that depicts the life and times of a determined people. Share in the struggles and successes of a determined doctor and see how St. Anthony grew as a result of his work.

Travel the Viking Trail to St. Anthony and view a land that is unique in nature. Experience nature at it’s finest, enjoy boat tours that will leave lasting memories and meet friendly people along the way.

Visit St. Anthony here ...

CAA SCO applauds safe cycling communities

THORNHILL, Ontario, April 1, 2015 /Canada NewsWire/ - For over a decade, CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) has been working closely with both municipalities and cycling advocates across the province on ways to help make our roads safer for drivers and cyclists.

Almost 30 per cent of our members are cyclists and those numbers are expected to grow. With the growing popularity in cycling, it is important that municipalities consider all road users when building infrastructure.

CAA SCO is proud to be a sponsor of Share the Road's Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) Awards. Last night, CAA SCO was on hand for the award ceremony at the Eaton Chelsea Hotel in downtown Toronto for the announcement of the 2015 recipients. This year's Gold, Silver and Bronze recipients include Newmarket, Thunder Bay, Blue Mountain,Peterborough and Toronto.

Communities that completed a thorough application process are judged in five categories: Engineering, Education, Encouragement, Enforcement, and Evaluation & Planning. A community must demonstrate achievements in each of these categories in order to be considered.

"At CAA SCO, we believe it is important to recognize the municipalities that have made the safety of all road users a top priority, and as a result, achieved this unique distinction," said Caroline Grech, Government Relations, CAA SCO.

"With the population of cyclists expected to grow in the future, we encourage municipalities to continue to invest in cycling infrastructure and safety programs," added Grech.

A 2013 survey of our members found 71 per cent of those asked would like to see the same or increased investment in cycling infrastructure by the government.

Currently, a bill focused on road safety (Bill 31) is being debated by MPPs at Queen's Park. A portion of the legislation is geared to cyclists, through a number of initiatives including efforts around paved shoulders and safety measures. The bill also focuses on expanded infrastructure, current and future.

Meanwhile, CAA's Watch for Bikes program reminds motorists to be aware of their surroundings before exiting their vehicles and to always remember to look carefully for cyclists approaching from behind.

To help further raise awareness, CAA urges drivers to place the Watch for Bikes decal on your side mirror as a reminder to check for cyclists and other traffic. For tips on how to share the road safely, visit caasco.com.

For over a hundred years, CAA has been helping Canadians stay mobile, safe and protected.  CAA South Central Ontario is one of nine auto clubs across Canada providing roadside assistance, automotive care, travel products, insurance services and member savings for more than 1.9 million members.