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Source:  http://www.castanet.net/news/Letters/152436/Kelowna-s-lakeshore

============

July 20, 1951
(Tsunami).
Source: The Penticton Herald, July 26, 1951; Evans 1986 (pp. 164-166); Evans, unpublished data.

Details: On July 20 at 6:45 p.m., a landslide caused a wave in Okanagan Lake near Penticton. The slide in glaciolacustrine silt destroyed a house. An immense wall of water rapidly bore down on the house. The water receded as quickly as it had come. A baby was rescued from the ruins of the house.

Fifteen boats were also lost (Evans and Clague 1999). A family of four narrowly escaped the tons of clay that slid into the lake. A woman was wedged beneath a chaise lounge on the veranda, which railing had kept her from being swept away. Water had entirely filled the house, slightly south of the Three-Mile Beach on the east side of Okanagan Lake, when the wave crashed over it. An insurance adjuster found silt imbedded on top of a shelf of a floor to ceiling cupboard. Also dead fish were found on the roof.

One acre (0.4 ha) of orchard with 33 fruit-bearing trees was gouched out of the cliff. With a
“terrific rumbling” a solid wall of water hit the cottage. A concrete 9-in. (22.5 cm) wall cracked “as though it had been a piece of 2 x 4.” The thousands of tons of earth engulfed the lakeside home at Three Mile point and created a 12-ft. (3.6 m) wave. The wave devastated the shore for over 0.5 mi. (800 m). A car was hurled 200 ft. (60 m) onto the beach. The 2-ton sailboat Marion was bodily lifted and deposited high and dry 100 ft. (30 m) from where she had been moored. A cabin cruiser, moored short an unable to ride the crest, was submerged. A four-cylinder marine engine was found 50 ft. (15 m) from its stand.

Source:  BC Ministry of Environment

Officials targeted over mussel risk
Vernon Morning Star - by Richard Rolke - Apr 2, 2014

Okanagan residents are being rallied to fight invaders.

The Okanagan Basin Water Board decided Tuesday to consider ways of allowing residents to express concerns about the risk of zebra and quagga mussels to federal and provincial officials.

“Our MLAs need countless correspondence from constituents,” said director Toby Pike at a meeting in Coldstream.

“This is a nerve issue for people in the valley. They really don’t want this to happen.”

The mussels are indigenous to Europe and since arriving in North America, they have spread across the continent, clogging water intake pipes and boat motors. They also deplete food sources for fish, produce toxins that contaminate drinking water and razor-sharp shells spread across beaches.

Also on Tuesday, the OBWB board agreed to write a letter once again reiterating the need for the federal and provincial governments to take action on the mussels, particularly given that a boat infested with mussels was found at the Osoyoos border crossing March 12.

“I’m quite disgusted with how the province and the feds are taking this so lightly,” said director Allan Patton.

OBWB has been urging the federal government to permit border guards to inspect boats and prohibit entry of any contaminated vessels. It also wants the provincial government to create an inspection program.

“We have to continue to hammer away at the province to do something and the feds to implement regulations,” said Doug Findlater, OBWB chairperson.

When contacted, Okanagan MPs have indicated that federal regulations are pending.

“They’re very vague on that end of things,” said Anna Warwick Sears, OBWB executive director.

The other concern is that when the mussel-infested boat was stopped in Osoyoos, the B.C. Ministry of Environment had to find a commercial company for decontamination.

“They’re just not prepared,” said Warwick Sears of the ministry.

“There are very few resources coming down to the local level.”

Director Juliette Cunningham says senior officials need to act as the possibility grows that mussels will arrive in the Okanagan.

“I have people coming up to me and they’re freaking out about it,” she said.

Okanagan jurisdictions are also being urged to speak out.

“We need to get every municipality to do it (write letters). That may have some teeth,” said director Gerry Zimmermann.

=======================

This no-brainer scares me that people have to send in letters to encourage the government to do what is right.  Is the government that stupid that they need to have people telling the government to do what is right?  People don't have time to write thousands of letters, and the government doesn't have time to read them all, so what is the point of writing letters?  The government doesn't listen anyway.  It is the governments job to do what is right!!!  If the government can't do their job without a thousand letters, maybe its time we disband government!!!  I don't know about you, but every day there is something that pisses me right the "F" off!  Sometimes several times per day!!!  If the OBWB can't persuade the government, who can?  The government will do whatever it wants to do no matter what people say, and even if you do send in letters.  The system is obviously not working.  Why don't we change the system so that it does work.  If we don't change the system, nothing is going to change, and everyone will have to spend their life writing letters and spend thousands of dollars cleaning up Okanagan Lake.  This mussel problem was brought up a long time ago by the OBWB and its still an issue!!!!!!  For all the effort protestors have to put in to encourage change, all the protestors could use that effort to become their own government and change the system so that it works the way it should.  Tell me, do you like Harper and Clark, cause I sure don't.  Harpers election fraud scandal, should have been your first clue!!!  How many letters after the first one, do the OBWB need to write?  The OBWB have already written a letter, but the government needs more letters from them????  Lets work on changing the way the system works so you can stop writing letters for every dam thing that comes along.  How stupid does our government have to be for you to do something about it?  Do you really want to live the rest of your life this way, writing letters or forever holding your peace?

Honestly, can you believe this?  Well I for one can't stand this anymore!!!  The entire system needs to change!!!

If you do write a letter, make sure you emphasize how ignorant government is and that you shouldn't have to write a letter about the mussel problem.

Online Petition to Legalize Marijuana in Canada

against Stephen Harper

Legalize Marijuana in Canada Today Petition | GoPetition

I. INTRODUCTION

[1] The Court: The applicant, Richard Rex, seeks an order for advance costs in order to fund a challenge he has brought pursuant to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, R.S.C. 1985, App. II, No. 44, Schedule B. Mr. Rex seeks to strike down certain provisions of the Radiocommunication Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. R-2 which he says effectively prohibit Canadian consumers from purchasing encrypted television broadcast signals from foreign broadcasters.

[2] The present litigation arises from Mr. Rex’s “grey market” satellite businesses which involve the sale to Canadian residents of subscriptions to encrypted satellite television signals provided by two companies based in the United States, Dish Network L.L.C. (“Dish”) and DIRECTV, Inc. (“DIRECTV”). Mr. Rex has carried on business under the names of Can-Am Satellites (“Can-Am”), www.smalldish.com, and Digital Valley Entertainment.

[3] Canadian residents have purchased decoding boxes and ancillary equipment from Mr. Rex’s businesses and provided fictitious addresses in the United States to Dish and DIRECTV in order to access encrypted satellite television signals. The grey market is unlike the “black market”, where television programming is pirated. In the grey market, Canadian residents pay for their subscriptions.

[4] Dish is incorporated in both Colorado and Texas. Its principal place of business is in Englewood, Colorado. Dish is the plaintiff in VA S094747.

[5] DIRECTV is incorporated in California, and maintains its principal place of business in El Segundo. DIRECTV is the plaintiff in VA S084517.

[6] Neither Dish nor DIRECTV are registered under any Canadian or provincial statute to carry on business in any province in Canada.

[7] Bell ExpressVu Limited Partnership is a limited partnership constituted under the Limited Partnership Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. L-16. Bell ExpressVu, now known as “Bell TV” (“Bell”), is the general partner of the limited partnership. It maintains its main operational office in Toronto. Bell is the plaintiff in VA S085635.

[8] The Attorney General for Canada (“Canada”) is an intervenor on Mr. Rex’s Charter challenge and on this application.

[9] Dish, DIRECTV, and Bell have brought separate proceedings seeking, inter alia, injunctive relief and both statutory and common law damages against Mr. Rex and others for facilitating access to encrypted television broadcast signals from the United States contrary to the Radiocommunication Act. I have been appointed the case management judge for each of those proceedings. The quantum of damages has yet to be specified.

[10] Mr. Rex’s application for advance costs is brought in all three actions.

[11] Mr. Rex argues that the expressive freedom of nearly a million Canadians has been infringed by the Radiocommunication Act. In his submission, a prima facie case of a Charter breach has been established.

[12] The position advanced by Mr. Rex on the Charter challenge and on this application is that certain provisions of the Radiocommunication Act contravene s. 2(b) of the Charter, which guarantees freedom of expression to all Canadians, because they prohibit access by Canadian residents to expression from foreign broadcasters who transmit satellite television programming through encrypted broadcast signals.

[13] According to Mr. Rex, the issue in this case is whether that breach can be justified under s. 1 of the Charter, applying the analysis of the Supreme Court of Canada in R. v. Oakes, [1986] 1 S.C.R. 103 and Alberta v. Hutterain Brethern of Wilson Colony, 2009 SCC 37. Section 1 provides:

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the rights and freedoms set out in it subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.

Above is just a snippet, click the link for more info

http://www.courts.gov.bc.ca/jdb-txt/SC/11/11/2011BCSC1105.htm

Angler catches big rainbow trout out of Okanagan Lake
Kelowna Capital News - By Barry Gerding - April 12, 2011

Local angler Jim Sutherland holds up his latest prize catch, a 25.5 lb.
rainbow trout caught last Friday afternoon in Okanagan Lake.  Barry Gerding

Kelowna angler Jim Sutherland says he wants to catch the big fish whenever he goes fishing.

Last Friday, Sutherland was able to live up to those expectations, reeling in a 25.5 lb. rainbow trout from Okanagan Lake.

Sutherland says it's the third largest rainbow ever caught in the lake that was weighed on a government-certified scale.

"It had been out of the water for two hours when it was weighed, so the actual weight when I caught it was probably closer to 27 pounds," said Sutherland.

Sutherland said he made his catch fishing in the Gellatly Bay area, using a buck tail lure.

Since he posted news of his catch online, Sutherland said he has been generating responses from as far away as England.

"It's the best fish by far that I've caught in Okanagan Lake," Sutherland said.

Telus is warning customers to beware of a sophisticated email phishing scam.

Telus is warning B.C. and Alberta residents to be on the lookout for a new email scam designed to get at your personal information.

Telus spokesman Shawn Hall said there has been a huge surge in emails from scammers purporting to be from Telus, trying to trick customers out of secure information and their Telus account login details.

"What really concerns us about this one is we've really seen a dramatic increase in its volume," he said.

The emails are typical of phishing scams, where criminals send emails that appear to be from a trusted source in order to trick people into releasing personal information, including online banking names and passwords.

"In one case, they're asking for you to upgrade to a new security system, in another case to verify your account," he said.

"If you return that information, they're going to cull it and use it probably for identity theft purposes. If you come across this type of information, simply delete it."

Hall said the emails are fraudulent and are not from Telus. He said the company has intercepted or responded to hundreds of these email scams in the last week.

He said it appears to be the work of a sophisticated offshore operation.

"The common thread in every account is they're asking you to return with personal information," he said.

"In this particular case, we have been blocking the emails the scam is coming from. They are moving, though, and sending the scam from new email addresses."

Scams like this are common, Hall said, and fraudsters regularly rotate between different regions of the world, change the names of legitimate and well-known companies they claim to represent and alter details in an effort to appear legitimate.

Hall advised consumers to be cautious any time they receive a phone call or email asking for personal information. A key indication the email or phone call is fraudulent, he said, is requests for personal information the legitimate company would already have and should not need to request, such as user name or account details.

Reminder to watch for ticks.  Ticks are active in the Spring.  If you are bitten by a tick you could get a very nasty serious and expensive disease called Lyme Disease.  Here is a good photo of a tick.

It is false rumour to poke a tick in the behind with a hot needle to get it to back out of the hole it may have made in your body.

How to remove a tick.

CRTC to hold public hearing on wholesale Internet access services OTTAWA-GATINEAU, March 11, 2011 —In response to numerous requests, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today clarified the form and scope of its proceeding to review wholesale residential high-speed Internet access services, which was launched on February 8, 2011.

Canadians will have an opportunity to share their views at a public hearing starting on July 11th 2011 in Gatineau, Que. The CRTC will also hold an online consultation. Details of both the hearing and consultation will be announced shortly.

Although the scope of the proceeding will not be limited to reviewing usage-based billing proposals, the CRTC intends to focus on issues such as:

- usage-based charges, whether aggregated between the Small Internet service providers (Small ISPs) or applied to each Small ISP
- usage-based charges driven by peak traffic periods, and
- an examination of network capacity and congestion.

The CRTC will not be expanding the scope, as requested by several parties, to include the billing practices for retail Internet services. There is no evidence that market forces are not working properly in this unregulated market.

Finally, the CRTC will not review, as was also requested by several parties, the overall regulatory framework for wholesale high-speed Internet access services. The overall framework was not part of the decision that is being reviewed, and it would not be appropriate to initiate such a wide-ranging review within the current proceeding.

CRTC Letter to parties

The CRTC
The CRTC is an independent public authority that regulates and supervises broadcasting and telecommunications in Canada.

Reference documents:

News release, “CRTC to review billing practices for wholesale Internet services,” February 8, 2011

Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2011-77

Media Relations:
MediaRelations, Tel: 819-997-9403, Fax: 819-997-4245

General Inquiries:
Tel: 819-997-0313, TDD: 819-994-0423, Fax: 819-994-0218
Toll-free # 1-877-249-CRTC (2782)
TDD - Toll-free # 1-877-909-CRTC (2782)
Ask a question or make a complaint

These documents are available in alternative format upon request.

------------

UPDATE

Letter Ottawa, 11 March 2011

Our Reference: 8661-C12-201102350

BY E-MAIL

DISTRIBUTION

Dear Madam or Sir:

Re: Review of billing practices for wholesale residential high-speed access services, Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2011-77, 8 February 2011 (Notice 2011-77) – Requests to modify the scope and terms of the proceeding

Shortly after the issuance of Notice 2011-77, the Commission received requests to modify the scope and terms of this proceeding. The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC), on its own behalf and as counsel to the Consumers’ Association of Canada (CAC) (collectively, PIAC/CAC), submitted such a request on 10 February 2011 and the Canadian Network Operators Consortium (CNOC) submitted one on 11 February 2011.

In a letter dated 15 February 2011, Commission staff sought comments from various parties on these requests to modify the scope and terms of the proceeding.

Following the issuance of that letter, the Commission received comments from the following parties: Bell Aliant Regional Communications, Limited Partnership and Bell Canada; BC Broadband Association; the Canadian Association of Internet Providers (CAIP); Cogeco Cable Inc., EastLink Cable Inc., Quebecor Media Inc. on behalf of its affiliate Videotron G.P., Rogers Communications Partnership, and Shaw Communications Inc. (collectively, the cable carriers); Mark Rubenstein; MTS Allstream Inc. (MTS Allstream); Netflix Inc.; the Samuelson‐Glushko Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic; Saskatchewan Telecommunications; TELUS Communications Company; l’Union des consommateurs; and Vaxination informatique.

This letter sets out the Commission’s determinations regarding these requests.

Principles

In Notice 2011-77, the Commission set out an approach to review billing practices regarding mandated wholesale residential high-speed access services based on the following two principles:

• a.  as a general rule, ordinary consumers served by small Internet service providers (Small ISPs) should not have to fund the bandwidth used by the heaviest retail Internet service consumers; and

• b.  it is in the best interest of consumers that Small ISPs, which offer competitive alternatives to the incumbent carriers, should continue to do so

Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) and Consumers’ Association of Canada (CAC) requested that principle (a) noted above should be removed from Notice 2011-77. Canadian Association of Internet Providers (CAIP) requested that the Commission remove both principles noted above from Notice 2011-77. Both parties indicated that these principles prejudge a rate structure for billing practices regarding mandated wholesale residential high-speed access services and that they should be replaced with broader questions in order to determine the proper principles applicable to mandated wholesale services.

The Commission considers that the two principles stated above and in Notice 2011-77 are intended to create a fair wholesale regime that (1) protects the interests of consumers and Small ISPs, and (2) does not create an unintended advantage for any particular service provider or user. In addition, the principles stated above do not prejudge in any way the outcome of this proceeding. In reviewing the billing practices for mandated wholesale residential high-speed access services in this proceeding, the Commission is inviting comments on proposals for billing practices that implement these two principles, and is not limited to examining only usage-based billing (UBB).

For example, the scope of the proceeding does not preclude proposals for billing practices that incorporate usage-based charges aggregated on a per-ISP basis or that are driven by peak period traffic, as indicated by some parties in their comments. The scope of the proceeding also does not preclude comments on the effectiveness of any billing practice as an Internet traffic management practice.

In light of the above, the Commission denies PIAC/CAC’s and CAIP’s requests.

Expansion of proceeding

PIAC/CAC also requested that the Commission expand the scope of the proceeding to allow parties to comment on the use of UBB in the retail Internet market.

The Commission notes that it has forborne from the regulation of retail Internet services on the basis that there is sufficient competition in the retail market. The Commission also notes that no parties provided evidence to justify a re-examination of this forbearance directive. Accordingly, the Commission denies PIAC/CAC’s request for expansion of the scope of the proceeding to allow comments regarding the use of UBB in the retail Internet market.

CNOC submitted that the current regulatory framework for wholesale high-speed access services is outdated and needs to be replaced. CNOC argued that the current framework is based on the assumption that these services are only used by competitors to deliver Internet services to their end-users and that competitors are mere resellers of incumbent retail Internet access services. CNOC requested that the Commission expand the scope of the proceeding to include a review of the regulatory framework for wholesale high-speed access services.

The Commission notes that the current proceeding deals with the narrow issue of billing practices for mandated wholesale residential high-speed access services. The Commission also notes that many of the issues raised by CNOC regarding wholesale high-speed access services were addressed in a recent Commission decision. The Commission considers that it would not be appropriate to include in the current proceeding a broad review of the regulatory framework for wholesale high-speed access services, as suggested by CNOC. Accordingly, the Commission denies CNOC’s request to modify the scope of the Notice 2011-77 proceeding.

MTS Allstream requested that the Notice 2011-77 proceeding be revised to include additional questions regarding such issues as network congestion and capacity.

The Commission considers that the above noted issues raised by MTS Allstream can be addressed in the context of this proceeding.

Procedural matters

Several parties requested that the procedure set out in Notice 2011-77 be modified to include an interrogatory process. Several parties also requested clarification on whether this proceeding would include an oral hearing and an online consultation.

The Commission will issue an amendment to Notice 2011-77 shortly to revise the procedure to include an interrogatory process, an oral hearing, and an online consultation. The oral public hearing will begin on 11 July 2011. Details will be provided in the amendment to Notice 2011-77.

Sincerely,

Original signed by:

Robert A. Morin
Secretary General

Wholesale high-speed access services proceeding, Telecom Regulatory Policy CRTC 2010-632, 30 August 2010

-------------------------------------------

ANOTHER UPDATE

This is an email from Minister of Industry Tony Clement about Internet Usage based billing we received March 25, 2011.

Dear Sir or Madam:

Thank you for expressing your concerns regarding usage-based billing (UBB) for Internet services. It is essential that I hear the views of Canadians on the issues that matter. Prime Minister Harper and I have been clear that we cannot support imposing a UBB business model on wholesale Internet service providers.

Our government recognizes that the Internet and digital technologies are an increasingly important part of everyday life including driving innovation, commerce and social interaction. As the government develops Canadas first comprehensive Digital Economy Strategy, we need to look carefully at how issues like UBB affect the big picture. We will be guided by our long-standing policies of encouraging competition and investment, increasing consumer choice, minimizing regulation and allowing market forces to prevail.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has chosen to examine these concerns that the government shares with a large number of Canadians. Details of the CRTC consultation are available at
www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/com100/2011/r110208.htm.

When the CRTC reaches a final decision following its consultations, the government will carefully assess the CRTC position to ensure that it is in line with the best interests of Canadian consumers and encourages competition among internet service providers. I will be recommending that any decision counter to these foundational principles be reversed.

You can find the latest news on the governments Digital Economy Strategy and related issues at www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/ic1.nsf/eng/h_00008.html.

Once again, thank you for writing. I trust that this information is
helpful.

Yours sincerely,
Tony Clement

The province’s process for bringing in new legislation to replace the century-old water act is flawed, according to the Okanagan Basin Water Board.

Instead of calling for feedback once a draft of the legislation is available to comment on, the province’s plan is to go directly from public feedback to drafting legislation, then to taking it to the legislature for approval. Currently, the process is at the Water Sustainability Act policy proposal stage, having already gone through a public input process that resulted in draft options which aren’t specific. The next four steps to introduction of legislation are all at the government level, with no public feedback stage.

OBWB director Graeme James said the City of Kelowna believed there would be time for its input on the draft legislation, and director James Baker agreed, saying they need details on which to comment, rather than just vague policy directions.

Director Toby Pike recalled that the Parliamentary Secretary for Water Stewardship to the Minister of Environment, John Slater, who also used to head up the OBWB, committed to make time for feedback after the legislation was drafted. For instance, at this point, there’s no definition of what’s meant by such terms as “conservation flows,” noted Pike.

Director Bernie Bauer suggested the board send a letter expressing strong support for the policy proposal, but expressing concern about the details of the actual legislation. The letter will request that a period for public feedback on the draft legislation be allowed before it goes to the legislature for approval.

The province is calling for public feedback now on its blog on proposals for the new act at

http://blog.gov.bc.ca/livingwatersmart/

Telus as overpriced as any other in Canada
As the above poster noted, Canadians are overcharged for their highspeed internet services, and, unlike many other countries, most Canadians have a cap on the amount they can download. Canada also has slower speeds than many other countries as well. CBC did a story on this, you can read it here »www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008···and.html
I'm not sure if this is still the case but South Korea and many other Asian countries had the lowest highspeed internet prices and I think most, if not all, did not have download caps. Ultimately it's just all about money. Canada has maybe 1 or 2 service providers in a given area, and smaller providers, if any, are basically only resellers as they rely on access to lines of the bigger providers. Basically, internet service is monopolized and thus providers charge whatever they want, under whatever conditions they want (ie. download and speed limits, lack of customer service, etc). Not that the public actually cares. This is a country of people that quitely still paid the higher exchange rate price even when the Canadian dollar was on par with, or higher than, the US dollar, and, when asked if it bothered them, said "no, what can you do?"

Are you religious?

Think about it, not everyone believes in the same belief (religion), and there are so many religions I can't count them all. And you know how people like to be forced into a religion they don't believe in. Well I think some people may believe they are atheist, but they don't act like it. Everyone believes in the biggest religion of them all.... government. There are more people that believe in government than any other religion. People are more than willing to hand over a portion of each pay cheque to their government (god). People believe if there was no government (god) that they would go to hell. Well I don't know about you, but I don't think I would go to hell. I truly believe I am not religious and I don't believe in being governed. So why is this biggest religion (government) being shoved down my throat? If I don't want to belong to this biggest religion (government) I will go straight to hell (jail).  Anyone have a solution?

Pass this around if you believe like I do.

okanaganlakebc.ca

HOW FAR WILL REGIONAL DISTRICT OF CENTRAL OKANAGAN GO?

WE CAN'T SHOW EMOTION??

Behavior

6.2 Those in attendance will refrain from applause, cheering, heckling, booing, inappropriate language, other expressions of emotion, outbursts or criticisms aimed at individuals or groups whether in favor of, or opposition to, any particular application or argument. Placards, posters, signs and other distracting material are not permitted.

Regional District of Central Okanagan Regional Board Procedure Bylaw No. 1278, 2010 - from page 9

Protection of public body from legal suit
73 No action lies and no proceeding may be brought against the government, a public body, the head of a public body, an elected official of a public body or any person acting on behalf of or under the direction of the head of a public body for damages resulting from

(a) the disclosure, or failure to disclose, in good faith of all or part of a record under this Act or any consequences of that disclosure or failure to disclose, or

(b) the failure to give any notice required under this Act if reasonable care is taken to give the required notice.

The Internet As You Know It Is Slated for Death by 2012

According to information readily accessible on the internet, the effort is underway to charge per site fees on most internet sites. The plan will convert the internet into a cable-like system in which customers will sign up and pay for access to specific web sites and then pay al a carte to visit any sites beyond the package they have bought. It's modeled on the manner in which cable TV subscribers buy prepackaged service, leaving them open to purchase extra services on a per view basis. Many sites not popular enough to be bundled would disappear. Costs for the average internet user would soar.

FCC regulations have already allowed the phone and cable giants to gain greater control over broadband and eliminate longstanding regularoty safeguards. Companies providing internet access are not required to operate in a nondiscriminatory manner. It has been governmental regulation of phone lines that has helped make the internet the open, accessible and vibrant medium it is today. But now the effort is underway to privatize these networks and the government is slowly allowing this to happen.

http://www.naturalnews.com/023858_internet_the_power.html

------------------------------

"The commissioners were especially outraged by Comcast's lies and deception. When it first got caught blocking the Internet, the cable giant "misleadingly disclaimed any responsibility for its customers' problems," according to the FCC order, followed by "at best misdirection and obfuscation." Contrary to the spin of Comcast's lawyers, the FCC can protect the rights of Internet users, and promote openness, free speech and competition on the Web.

http://www.naturalnews.com/024391_internet_Comcast_the_FCC.html

As reported in the news, Merchant Law Group is launching class actions against various school boards in Canada for ancillary school fees charged to parents or students who attended public and separate schools. The lawsuits assert that these fees are inappropriate and that they must be repaid to the parents and students who paid them.

If you or a family member was enrolled in any primary or secondary school in the past 15 years and was charged any class fees or costs, please complete the form below. These lawsuits are being pursued against individual school boards when appropriate students and parents contact our law firm.

http://www.merchantlaw.com/classactions/schoolfeesreimb.php

http://www.merchantlaw.com/classactions/index.php

----------------------------------

BC Lottery Corp. (Scratch 'n' Win) tickets lawsuit

http://www.merchantlaw.com/classactions/scratch.php

-----------------------------------

Facebook Breach of Privacy Class Action

http://www.merchantlaw.com/classactions/facebook.php A SETTLEMENT HAS BEEN REACHED

• sawdesigner.com

• photosforsale.ca

• okanaganlakebc.ca

Chronic alcoholic

92 (4) If, after hearing the evidence of a physician who has examined the person and any other evidence of the person's addiction to, or use of, alcohol, and any evidence of the person concerned, the justice is satisfied that the person concerned is in need of treatment and rehabilitation as provided for chronic alcoholics, and that no firm arrangements have been made for the voluntary treatment of the person or, if made, are not likely to be adhered to by the person, the justice may make an order that, for an indeterminate term not exceeding 12 months, the person attend at, or be detained in, an institution where treatment is provided for chronic alcoholics.

Identity theft and fraud are not listed as specific crimes in the Criminal Code, putting Canada behind the U.S. and Europe.