This week two Russian bombers approached Canadian airspace about 450 km off the coast of Newfoundland. The bombers were spotted by NORAD and two Canadian CF-18s were dispatched to intercept the pair of TU-95 Bears, according to a report in the Globe and Mail.

Nothing became of it, and the Russians claimed it was part of a training exercise and Canadian airspace was never breached.

This is the type of activity that former CF-18 pilot, Maj.-Gen. Tom Lawson, was telling me about last week. The saber-rattling is becoming less of a transparent choreography—as he put it—and more secretive on the part of the Russians.

Of course, we must ask how often these types of things happen, and how often the Canadian Forces decides to report on them. Curious to have the Canadian Air Force in the news at the very same time the government is trying to drum up support for the $16 billion-dollar strike fighter project.

*According to the Globe’s Daniel Leblanc it didn’t take long for the incident—one that occurs around a dozen times per year—to make it into the Conservatives Friday talking points as evidence supporting the highly contested F-35 procurement.

High fives to a group of University of British Columbia  J-schoolers who have been nominated for two Emmy awards for their documentary Ghana: A digital dumping ground that aired on PBS’s Frontline last year.

The ten students and their lead instructor—Peter Klein—are in contention for Outstanding Investigative Journalism and Outstanding Research categories.

Well done.

Happy 143rd  birthday Canada.

Celebrating this day in Ottawa seems to come with its own set of responsibilities. Firstly, I must find something red to wear immediately. I came here quite unprepared.

Happy Canada Day. Photo courtesy of Creative Commons (ScottsPicks)

I think it might actually be a misdemeanor to leave the house on July 1 without the proper Canadian colour.

Secondly, I need to accept the mission of celebrating as enthusiastically as possible. I think the masses are already assembling in front of the centre block for what I hear is the party of the year.

Word is the Queen is joining us later on the hill for a little shout out.

Rather enjoyable.

Greetings all.

May 3 happens to be World Press Freedom Day.

Some of the best journalism often comes at a cost. In many situations and countries across the world, journalists must pursue their work without the support of civil rights protections. Censorship, intimidation and barriers to governmental information continue to impede democracy and journalism.

Take a moment to check out what Amnesty International has to say about this important issue.

The Liberal party of Canada received some good advice on Sunday.

While addressing a Liberal policy conference in Montreal, former Canadian diplomat Robert Fowler had harsh, yet warranted criticism of Canada’s flailing and selfish foreign policy.

With Michael Ignatieff in attendance, Fowler attacked the Conservative and Liberal parties alike. (more…)

New high-tech Canadian passports are expected to arrive in 2011, but at this point, there remain more questions than answers.

During the Speech from the Throne on March 3, the Conservative government repeated its intent to revive its development of new biometric passports.

Microchips inscribed with your private information will soon reside inside your Canadian passport. (Photo courtesy of creative commons: kevin van lierop)

The new passports will include a microchip implanted into the back cover with digital versions of the holder’s personal information, and a digital identification signature revealing the origin of the passport.

The government hopes that the new high tech travel documents will thwart illegal immigration and will protect travelers from identity fraud and tampering.

Despite the government’s expectations questions remained un-answered.

How much will these cost?

Documents attained by Embassy News Weekly back in 2006 showed that the development costs for the new passports since 2003 had skyrocketed from $99 000 to over $2 million.

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Everybody knew this was coming.

For years now, a localized debate has persisted regarding the benefits of the 2010 Olympics. I wrote a post a while back attempting to convey that an event such as the Olympics — one that requires a vast allocation of funds — deserved a healthy dose of debate.

We are two weeks out from the opening ceremonies at B.C. Place, and as the streets of Vancouver fill with Olympic tourists, visitors and international media, the mandate for debate is growing much wider.

For some reason everybody enjoys a good controversy, and this city is about to get a lot of it, whether we want it or not.

Dave Zirin from Sports Illustrated had this to say about his first impressions upon arriving in Vancouver last week. The Guardian has also weighed in with this article by Douglas Haddow.

Please share your perspective on the Olympics below. How has your perspective changed since Vancouver was awarded the games?

Just over one week has passed since 23-year-old Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab attempted to detonate a chemical explosive aboard Northwest Airlines flight 253, and already the consequences for his actions are being felt across the globe.

In the nine days following the failed attack we find ourselves facing a reinvigorated battle against terror. New enemies, new threats, new fronts, and new opinions on how to protect ourselves against an ambiguous foe are resulting in problematic solutions to complex problems.

Nationality profiling at security checkpoints

In a contradictory move, new so-called random security screening at airports will be adjusted. According to a CBC story, citizens of Nigeria, Yemen, Pakistan, Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria will be among 14 nationalities that will experience increased scrutiny at U.S. security checkpoints beginning today. (more…)

Last night, while watching the beginning of the Canada-U.S. World Junior Championship hockey game I noticed something very alarming.

Before the drop of the puck, the public address announcer requested a moment of silence to reflect on the lost lives of the four Canadian soldiers and one Canadian journalist who died in Afghanistan this week.

The moment was anything but silent: fans cheered, jeered and waited noisily and anxiously for the game to start, thinking not, about the devastation wrought on the lives of the families who lost their loved ones due to this longest ever combat mission.

Granted, people in this country love hockey, but at what moment did politics and war depart from Canada’s collective thoughts in such a neglectful manner?

It might seem a bit of a stretch to relate this nation’s political consciousness to a ceremony at a single sporting event, but recent political strategy in Ottawa seems to be taking advantage of Canada’s political exhaustion.

Canadian governance on hold

Throughout the holiday period it is understandable that politics descend the list of Canadians’ priorities, but the government itself is now set to extend the parliamentary break until after the 2010 Olympics.

Stephen Harper made the decision recently to prorogue parliament until the spring, eliminating any further debate on the mission in Afghanistan, the committee’s investigation into the Afghan detainee scandal, and delaying a new budget and throne speech until March 4. (more…)

Guest editorial by Jacob Butula

Part One

It’s 6 p.m. in Vancouver and I’m walking down Commercial Drive to cash a cheque after work. Looking ahead, I see three police officers standing around a shorter, Hispanic-looking man. He’s familiar; I’ve seen the man before standing on the corner begging. They’re talking to him in lowered tones. They turn him around; handcuffs are attached. They usher him into a big, white, windowless van marked POLICE, and the door is closed behind him.

I walk right by it all, observing out of the corner of my eye. Part of me wants to interject. To ask what’s going on, to ask why the man is being arrested. But I’m tired and hungry. The police in this city scare me. The whole scene feels like too much trouble to bother with.

Once I’m 100 meters past, I turn around. I’ve just watched a man who was perfectly compliant, and rather harmless-seeming, get pushed into the back of a windowless van.

Changing relationships between citizens and police in Vancouver

Normally, I wouldn’t give the matter a second thought. This scene could be a routine police incident, handled in the appropriate manner, but recent legislation ought to make matters like this a subject of concern.

The Assistance to Shelter Act was recently passed in the B.C. legislature. The controversial law gives police officers the right to take homeless people to shelters during extreme weather conditions. It’s unnerving. (more…)