Canada Celebrates The Inscription Of A New UNESCO World Heritage Site

Mistaken Point named Canada's 18th World Heritage Site 

OTTAWA, Ontario July 17, 2016 /Canada NewsWire/ - Mistaken Point in Newfoundland and Labrador has been inscribed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List. Minister of the Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, Catherine McKenna, took the opportunity to welcome this heritage treasure into Canada's list of 18 World Heritage Sites that represent some of humanity's most outstanding achievements and nature's most inspiring creations.

The Government of Canada congratulates those involved in the nomination of Mistaken Point – a provincial ecological reserve and globally important fossil site located on Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula. The Government of Newfoundland andLabrador worked tirelessly with local communities and academic experts on the nomination of this site, which illustrates the earliest stages in the emergence of biological complexity on our planet.

World Heritage Sites are exceptional places around the world that are considered to have Outstanding Universal Value. The World Heritage Committee's decision to inscribe Mistaken Point on the prestigious World Heritage List will ensure that it is protected for the benefit of all humanity. The decision was made at the World Heritage Committee annual meeting in Istanbul, Turkey.

As we near the 150th anniversary of Confederation in 2017, the Government ofCanada invites visitors to experience and learn more about Canada's natural and cultural heritage, including the country's 18 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Quotes

"I am delighted that Mistaken Point is now part of Canada's family of UNESCO World Heritage sites. This site has received the highest recognition of protected heritage places in the world. Congratulations to all those involved with the inscription of Mistaken Point. Canadians can be more proud to be home to 18 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including this new addition of great significance."

The Honourable Catherine McKennaMinister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada

"Our province's natural heritage is recognized today on the international stage. The success of this inscription is the result of countless hours of hard work by the many staff and volunteers who are dedicated to the protection and preservation of the fossils at Mistaken Point. They are to be congratulated for their work."

The Honourable Perry TrimperMinister of Environment and Conservation, Province of Newfoundland and Labrador

Quick Facts

• Mistaken Point is a globally-significant fossil site that contains 580 to 560 million years old fossils that are the first record of large, complex, multicellular, animal-like organisms – i.e. "when life got big" – a pivotal event in the evolution of life on Earth.
• The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador partnered with the Mistaken Point Ambassadors Inc. to nominate the site for this international recognition.
• Parks Canada manages one of the finest and most extensive systems of protected natural and cultural heritage areas in the world. The agency is the Government of Canada's representative for the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Twelve of Canada's 18 World Heritage Sites are areas managed in part or in whole by Parks Canada.

BackgrounderMistaken Point is an Ediacaran fossil site located on the southern tip ofNewfoundland's Avalon Peninsula. The vast majority of the nominated property falls entirely within Mistaken Point Ecological Reserve, a provincial protected area managed by Parks and Natural Areas Division (PNAD) of the Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Environment and Conservation.

The fossils found at Mistaken Point date to the Middle Edicaran Period (580 to 560 million years ago) and represent the first appearance in the fossil record of large, complex, multicellular, animal-like organisms – i.e. "when life got big" – a pivotal event in the evolution of life on Earth.

Associated Links

UNESCO

Parks Canada

SOURCE Parks Canada  

Mid-year Dairy Price Increase Leaves Sour Taste

TORONTO, Ontario July 15, 2016 /Canada News Wire - Restaurant owners are bracing for higher prices for cheese, yogurt, ice cream and butter with today's news that industrial milk prices will rise by another 2.76% on Sept. 1. This is the second price increase in seven months and comes on top of a 2.2% increase that took effect Feb. 1, 2016.

"Continually jacking up prices for restaurant owners and consumers is not a long-term solution when Canadians are already paying among the highest prices in the world for dairy products," says Pierre Cadieux, Restaurants Canada's Vice President Federal/Quebec. "Cheese is being priced off the menu and another price increase is only going to further drive down demand."

Representing an industry that buys $2.7 billion worth of dairy products a year, Restaurants Canada is pushing for long-term solutions to the problems created byCanada's outdated supply management system.

"We understand concerns around producer margins, but we need solutions that will increase volumes rather than always increasing prices," says Cadieux. "Today's announcement is yet another indicator that the current system is not working for producers or end users."

The increase was announced late this afternoon by the Canadian Dairy Commission.

Restaurants Canada (formerly the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association) is a growing community of 30,000 foodservice businesses, including restaurants, bars, caterers, institutions and suppliers. We connect our members from coast to coast, through services, research and advocacy for a strong and vibrant restaurant industry. Canada's restaurant industry directly employs 1.2 million Canadians, is the number one source of first jobs, and serves 18 million customers every day.

Wellington County Residents Who Love And Collect All Things John Deere

Wellington County Collects - John Deere

The Collections of Jim McGoldrick (Fergus), Dorothy Hadfield (Ariss), Elaine and Gerry Boyes (Belwood), Kyle Bosomworth (Alma) and Art and Janette Freeman (Arthur)

June 25  to January 8, 2017

"Nothing runs like a Deere" is one of the most recognizable slogans out there and stands true for many Wellington County residents who love and collect all things John Deere. 

 Meet seven collectors from all across the County and share their personal passion of all things John Deere.

Please join us for John Deere Daze, Wednesday, August 31 from 1:00-4:00 pm.

Wellington County Museum and Archives

0536 Wellington Rd. 18
Fergus ON N1M 2W3

T 519.846.0916 x5224

T 1.800.663.0750 x5224
F 519.846.9630

Increasing Number of Canadians Hesitant to Invest, Even in Housing

Investor sentiment at its lowest level since the financial crisis: Manulife poll

TORONTO, Ontario February 15, 2016  Canada News Wire - Manulife's Investor Sentiment Index has dropped to +16, the lowest point since the financial crisis when the index hit +11; the all-time high was +34 reached in 2006. Along with eroding investor sentiment is the feeling among Canadians that they are in a worse financial position than they were two years ago (26 per cent).

Canadians are increasingly viewing housing as a less attractive investment having dropped three points in the last year. The two largest drops were in British Columbia(13 point decrease since November 2014) and Ontario (decreased six points in the same time period). Canadians are also less likely to prioritize investing in their home in the near future (falling five per cent in the last six months). 

"Canadian investors are facing a long list of uncertainties, including tremendous volatility in both oil prices and the value of the Canadian dollar. The outlook should become more clear over the course of 2016," said Frances Donald, Senior Economist, Manulife Asset Management. "What is most interesting from the survey is the ongoing decline in the Canadian appetite to invest in their own home." 

In the last six months, Canadian investors lost confidence in mutual funds (down eight points), ETFs (down seven points), and balanced mutual funds (down seven points, the lowest it's been since 2011). Fixed income stayed the same (+3 on the index).

Index Ranking Across Canada

Investors in Ontario and the Atlantic provinces were the most optimistic ranking +20 on the index. Quebec ranked lowest at +9 and Alberta ranked second lowest at +14 (dropping five points since May 2015 and 11 points since November 2014).

Cash Preference by Province

Investors in Ontario (+20 points), Atlantic Provinces (+18 points), and British Columbia (+10 points) prefer cash. Albertans are focusing on their homes and then cash for investment purposes. While Investors in Quebec (-5 points) believe that now is a bad time for cash.

Interest Rates 

Almost half (48 per cent) of Canadians believe that interest rates will stay the same for the next 12 months. While 77 per cent of Canadians say interest rates will not have an impact on their investment strategy.

"The Bank of Canada has been suggesting that interest rates are on hold or may even fall further over the coming year,"  said Donald. "Yet, interestingly, 40 per cent of Canadian investors still expect interest rates to rise, highlighting the ongoing uncertainty around the interest rate outlook."

Online banking activities

In a new line of survey questions, 82 per cent of Canadians used an online channel to manage their finances. And affluent investors are more likely to go online to access financial services and look after their finances (94 per cent). Desktop and laptop are still the most common tools to manage finances online (90 per cent of Canadians on average); however Canadians are more likely to use a smartphone to deposit funds to their accounts (36 per cent). Just under half of Canadians (47 per cent) still feel it is unsafe to bank on their smartphones.

The most common online financial activity for investors is checking the performance of their investments, 75 per cent doing so at least once a month or 34 per cent doing so weekly.

For more information and historical data, visit Manulife.ca

About the Manulife Investor Sentiment Index

Now in its 16th year, the Manulife Investor Sentiment Index is a semi-annual measure of investors' views on a range of asset classes, and savings and investment vehicles, as well as their confidence in these areas. The general population data is representative of all Canadians and is based on an online survey of 1,001 respondents who were at least 25 years old. Data from affluent respondents was compiled from an online survey of 1,251 respondents who were household financial decision-makers 25 years and older, with a household income of at least $75,000, and investable assets of at least $100,000. The survey was conducted in December 2015 by Environics Research. 

About Manulife

Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services group providing forward-thinking solutions to help people with their big financial decisions.  We operate as John Hancock in the United States, and Manulife elsewhere.  We provide financial advice, insurance and wealth and asset management solutions for individuals, groups and institutions.  At the end of 2015, we had approximately 34,000 employees, 63,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving 20 million customers.  At the end of December 2015, we had $935 billion (US$676 billion) in assets under management and administration, and in the previous 12 months we made more than $24.6 billion in benefits, interest and other payments to our customers.  Our principal operations are in Asia, Canada and the United States where we have served customers for more than 100 years.  With our global headquarters inToronto, Canada, we trade as 'MFC' on the Toronto, New York, and the Philippine stock exchanges and under '945' in Hong Kong.  Follow Manulife on Twitter @ManulifeNews or visit www.manulife.com or www.johnhancock.com.

SOURCE Manulife Financial Corporation

Everything You Need To Know About How Prescription Drugs Are Delivered

TORONTO, Ontario February 12, 2016 Canada News Wire - Canadians presented almost 600 million prescriptions to more than 9,000 neighbourhood pharmacies in 2015. Each and every medication dispensed passed through hundreds of checks and balances as part of a finely tuned distribution system—where the rules constantly evolve in the face of growing prescription volumes as well as innovations in treatment.

To understand that system and its evolution, a new educational program recently became available in Canada. Entitled "Pharmaceutical Supply Chain: A Comprehensive Introduction," the three-day course at the Schulich Executive Education Centre at York University, Toronto, maps out the regulations and realities that are unique to pharmaceutical distribution in Canada. Instructors bring decades of personal experience, representing distributors, pharmaceutical manufacturers and pharmacies.

"I really liked the fact that it was an end-to-end overview of the pharmaceutical supply chain," says Anna Zahedi, manager of pharmacy procurement at Shoppers Drug Mart and a student of the inaugural program in October 2015. "The question and answer periods were also really important to me. There was a great knowledge base to draw from."

It's Canada's first supply-chain program dedicated to pharmaceuticals, says David Johnston, president and CEO of the Canadian Association for Pharmacy Distribution Management, which helped the Schulich Centre develop the curriculum.

The degree of regulation in this country has created "one of the best pharmaceutical distribution systems in the world," notes Johnston. As such, people in the industry need to keep pace with constant change. "Regulations are increasingly intense and need to be adapted, in part because pharmaceutical products, such as biologic drugs, are more complicated. Even a tiny mistake can destroy a $25,000 medication."

"This course addresses a need that the pharmaceutical industry has had for quite some time," says Mark Thomas, program director for supply chain at Schulich. "It's for anyone in health care, or serving health care."

It's also good for business. "Organizations are more productive when everybody is speaking the same language and has a common understanding of how things work," says Thomas.

Dan Lang, national manager of quality assurance and regulatory affairs at Matrix Logistics in Moncton, New Brunswick, agrees. "I see the value of this course for senior managers, or people stepping into this industry, to understand the intricacies imposed in pharmacy distribution, and to understand why certain decisions are made."

At Auro Pharma Inc. in Woodbridge, Ontario, supply chain executive Arif Ahmad was able to take his learnings one step further. "I came away with ideas for inventory management, and we've since improved service levels. The content was practical and hands on."

More details on the course, scheduled for March and November this year, can be found at http;//www.schulich.yorku.ca  A second three-day module, which delves deeper into supply-chain operations, is also under development and expected to be available before the end of the year.

The Trouble With Canada Post - One Size Does Not Fit All - Report

CALGARY, Alberta - February 11, 2016 Canada News Wire  - The explosion of electronic communication has caused Canada  Post's lettermail volumes to plummet, with no relief in sight. 

E commerce parcel deliveries are on the rise, but not nearly at the  rate necessary to offset the decline in lettermail, and there are many competing private courier companies.

Meanwhile, Canada Post's plan to end the remnants of door-to-door  home delivery has halted in light of the new Liberal government's  promise to maintain the service. The extraordinary disruption that electronic media has caused to the model of state-owned postal services, with their mandate to provide universal delivery, is dire.

In a report released today by The School of Public Policy and author Philippe De Donder, there are viable solutions to help Canada Post succeed. They include:

-  One size does not fit all - charge varying rates (capped at a maximum) based on the type of sender, volume and how far the letter has to go.

-  Outsource certain upstream operations, like sorting facilities, to further reduce infrastructure and labour costs.

-  Introduce competition in the collection, transport and sorting of mail.

-  Charging for delivery to your door.

Is immediate privatization the answer? Not necessarily. According to the report 

"The burden of universal service obligations in a country as expansive and minimally populated as Canada is, could make it difficult for the government to realize appropriate value in selling Canada Post. But if the Liberal government intends to help Canada Post endure in this environment, it should allow the corporation to introduce some basic elements of competition and market-based reform." 

The paper can be downloaded at http://www.policyschool.ucalgary.ca/?q=research

SOURCE The School of Public Policy - University of Calgary 

TVO On The Road Brings The Agenda with Steve Paikin To Guelph Sunday, March 6, 2016

TORONTO, Feb. 8, 2016 /CNW/ - TVO's flagship current affairs program The Agenda with Steve Paikin is coming to Guelph as part of TVO On The Road. Members of the public can register for free tickets to be part of the audience at the recording of two programs that take an in-depth look at issues affecting the region. The first program, Ontario's Food Sustainability, focuses on Ontario's food security and is related to TVO's Food Chain narrative theme which looks at the how, where and why of food. The second program, What Ontario Can Learn From Guelph, examines how Guelph has become a leader in employment and jobs growth in the country. The program is part of TVO's The Next Ontario narrative theme looking at the forces shaping the future of the province.

TVO will also hold a public reception between programs hosted by Peter O'Brian, TVO's Chair of the Board of Directors, and Lisa de Wilde, TVO's Chief Executive Officer.

What:	TVO On The Road in Guelph
Why:	Recording two programs of The Agenda with Steve Paikin
When:	Sunday, March 6, 2016 1-5 pm
Where:	University of Guelph, Summerlee Science Complex, Atrium Wing 488 Gordon St,  Guelph, ON, N1G 1Y2
How:	Register for free tickets by visiting tvo.org/article/about/tvo-on-the-road-visits-guelph

The Agenda with Steve Paikin is sponsored by the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario.

About TVOAs the technological extension of Ontario's public education system, TVO's vision is to create a better world through the power of learning. TVO provides learning opportunities for Ontarians through innovative educational products, in-depth current affairs, groundbreaking documentaries, and award-winning TVOKids resources both inside and outside the classroom. TVO is funded primarily by the Province of Ontarioand is a registered charity supported by sponsors and thousands of donors. For more information, visit tvo.org.