diversity reporter

ToronTo: Director Mira Nair re-ceived a warm ovation at the gala pre-miere of her latest film `The ReluctantFundamentalist` during the ongoingToronto International Film Festival.

The film arrived here after openingthe Venice film festival, where Nair`s`Monsoon Wedding` had earlier wonThe Golden Lion.

Based on Mohsin Hamid`s book ofthe same name, the film addresses thecatastrophic consequences of prejudice

against South Asian/Indian Muslims inAmerica post 9/11.

The film is latest to take up the isseafter Karan Johar`s `My Name isKhan` and Kabir Khan`s thriller `NewYork`, both on the aftermath of 9/11 inthe US.

Nair`s film features Changez (afinely etched performance by charis-matic British-Pakistani actor RizAhmed), from Lahore, who goes to theUS to live his dream -? he studies at

Princeton, then is promoted for beingruthless with lay- offs as a financial an-alyst with a Wall Street firm.

After 9/11, he suffers the humilia-tions of many Muslims in the US ?- heis strip searched; then his dimwit girl-friend (Kate Hudson) unintentionallyhumiliates him too.

Disillusioned, he returns to Lahorebecomes a professor inciting radicalismamong his students, until his remorseat the climax, when his student (Imaad

Shah) is shot dead. The story is told inflashback as Changez is interviewed byjournalist/CIA agent Bobby in Lahore.

Nair`s assured craftsmanship es-tablishes how America`s Wall Streetschools equally dangerous capitalist ji-hadis, but underlines capitalist funda-mentalism versus Islamicfundamentalism in bold typeface.

William Wheeler`s screenplay(story Mohsin Hamid, Ami Boghani)offers a moving confession as Changez

admits he felt awe at the militants` au-dacity when the Twin Towers fell, be-fore feeling sorrow for the victims.

It also tantalizingly refers to thePakistani dream, but doesn`t exploreit. Om Puri and Shabana Azmi shine inbrief roles.

The poetry of Faiz Ahmed Faiz andqawwali songs elevate the film. Thecinematography by Declan Quinn isgood, contrasting Lahore`s warm tonesagainst New York`s grey and glass.

'Reluctant Fundamentalist' an attempt to build bridges: Mira Nair

Wednesday September 12, 2012

www.diversityreporter.com

02

B.C. families benefitfrom KidSport funding VAnCouVer: More kids in British Columbiawill be able to participate in organized sportsthanks to $400,000 in new funding from theprovincial government, announced ParliamentarySecretary for Non-Profit Partnerships GordonHogg on behalf of Bill Bennett, Minister of Com-munity, Sport and Cultural Development. Kid-Sport is a non-profit organization that works toeliminate the financial barriers that can keep kids18 and under from participating in sport. The pro-gram enables youth to participate in a sport of theirchoice through confidential financial assistance.The funding will help KidSport assist more than5,600 children and youth in British Columbia.Each grant averages $200 to $300.

Hogg made the announcement while takingpart in KidSport's annual fundraiser, the Cor-porate Kids Challenge, featuring an old-fash-ioned school sports day with participation byOlympians including Ryan Cochrane, CarolHuynh, Denny Morrison and Cindy Klassen.Quotes: Bill Bennett, Minister of Community,Sport and Cultural Development - "For somany of us, participation in sport in our youthtaught us important life lessons and helpedmake us who we are today. KidSport is a fabu-lous organization that works to make sport af-fordable for families. Our government isproud to support the work of this wonderfulorganization."

VICTorIA, BC: Finalists have been selected fortwo, annual Victoria Book Prize Awards -- the City ofVictoria Butler Book Prize and the Bolen Books Chil-dren’s Book Prize.

The $5,000 City of Victoria Butler Book Prize isawarded to a Greater Victoria author for the best bookpublished in the preceding year in the categories offiction, non-fiction or poetry. The finalists are:

WIllIAm DeVerell I’ll See Youin My Dreams (fiction) published by McClelland &StewartesI eDugyAn Half-Blood Blues (fiction) pub-

lished by Thomas Allen PublishersrAChel FIsher, heATher sTreTCh,

AnD roBIn TunnIClIFFeAll the Dirt:Reflections on Organic Farming (non-fic-tion) published by TouchWood Editions

mADelIne sonIk Afflictions and Depar-tures (non-fiction) published by Anvil Press

mArk Zuehlke Breakout from Juno:Canadian Army and the Normandy Cam-paign, July 4-August 21, 1944 (non-fiction)published by Douglas & McIntyre

The $5,000 Bolen Books Children’s Book Prize isawarded to an author or illustrator for the best children’sor youth’s literature published in the preceding year. This year’s finalists are all authors and include: kIT PeArson The Whole Truth (fiction)

PuBlIsheD By hArPerCollInsPAmelA PorTer I’ll Be Watching (fic-

tion) published by Groundwood Books Caitlyn Vernon Nowhere Else on Earth: Standing Tall for the Great Bear Rainfor-

est (non-fiction) published by Orca Book Publishers. Two independent juries comprised of represen-

tatives from the literary arts community were ap-pointed by the Victoria Book Prize Society to reviewand assess 31 adult and 16 children’s/youth entriesbased on their literary merit. The Society establishesthe policy and criteria for the prizes, appoints the ju-ries and administers the competitions.

The winners will be announced at a gala event tobe held at the Union Club of British Columbia onWednesday, October 10, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. Open tothe public, the event will feature readings by the fi-nalists and will provide guests with the opportunityto meet the authors and have their books signed.

Tickets are $15 and are available at Bolen Booksin Hillside Mall, Ivy’s Bookshop at 2188 Oak Bay Av-enue, Munro’s Books at 1108 Government Street, andfrom the Victoria Book Prize Society by calling250.589.8430.

The City of Victoria Butler Book Prize celebratesits ninth year in 2012 and is a partnership betweenthe City of Victoria and Brian Butler of Butler Broth-ers Supplies. The Bolen Books Children’s Book Prizewas founded by Mel Bolen in 2008 to provide authorsand illustrators of children's and youth literature anincreased opportunity for recognition.

Other sponsors include the Greater Victoria Pub-lic Library, the Magnolia Hotel and Spa, the UnionClub of British Columbia, the Marriott Victoria InnerHarbour Hotel, CBC Radio and Island Blue Print. For more information, visit: www.victoria.ca

Finalists Announced for Victoria Book Prize Awards

CLASS 3 Driver required with Airbrakes ( NOC 7511 )Canrun Transportation INC is looking for experi-enced drivers for long routes. Must be reliableand able to make quick decisions. Must be ableto write read and communicate in English. Knowl-edge of Farsi is an asset. The candidate musthave a clean drivers abstract and 3-5 years of ex-perience. The Compensation is based on experi-ence. All benefits will be included. Please sendyour resume to [email protected]

AJ sweets INC. A Halal sweet shop/restaurant ishiring full time an experienced sweet maker(preferably a Muslim) to work from Surrey location.3-5 years of related experience required. Must beable to make Pakistani (speciality), Hindi and Ara-bic sweets. 16.50/hr+ benefits after 90 days.

Send resume to [email protected]

HELP WANTED

Speciality food maker/Sweets ( Mithai Maker ) required. ( NOC: 6252 )

03 Wednesday September 12, 2012


FOR many, the combina-tion of a busy family life,workplace pressures, andconstant connectivitythrough technology can

lead to unhealthy stress levels.“High stress levels on an ongoing

basis, without relief, can lead to serioushealth issues such as heart problemsand various wear and tear diseases likecarpal tunnel syndrome,” says LyndaM. Miller, the CEO of Overloaded-Stress.com. "Every day we are exposedto demanding jobs, traffic jams and toomany personal commitments. It's vitalwe learn and practice smart stress re-lieving techniques to release pressure."

Try these tips to help you relax, un-wind, and melt unwanted stress away:

HOME FOR A RESTg Soothing music or your favourite

songs can help you unwind aftera stressful day. If you have a longand traffic-heavy commute, con-sider listening to relaxing musicin the car to help make the some-times painful drive a bit easier.

g Lighting aromatherapy candlesor reading a book can help relaxyou after a long day.

g Establish a “happy place” in yourhome, a spot where you have

time to yourself, privacy to re-flect, and the space to do thingsthat make you calm, such aspainting or reading.

BATHROOM RETREAT

• Shower the stress away. A relax-ing shower can help ease tense muscles

and make you feel rejuvenated. A rain-can showerhead and a custom showerallow you to create your ideal shower-ing experience that is both luxuriousand soothing. At deltafaucet.ca, take alook at the sensational Compel customshower as one appealing example.g Use aromatherapy products like

body washes, lotions, and oils to

calm your senses.

LET'S GET PHYSICALg Practice yoga in the morning or

take stretch breaks at work tohelp alleviate sore muscles andrelease tension.

g Go for a walk, work in the gar-den, or go to the gym to help

sweat out stress and toxins andtake your mind off the tasks wait-ing for you at home or work.

g Affordable massage therapytools – like wooden body rollersand scalp massagers – can re-lease endorphins, increase cir-culation, and help you to relaxand feel good.

REDUCE STRESS TO BOOST YOUR MOOD

Like fashion, interior design trends change withthe seasons. Each month, different colours andpatterns become the new “it” look, inspiring us tooverhaul our home décor.

Keeping up with the latest looks can be chal-lenging, not to mention expensive. That's why it'simportant to remember that keeping your homedécor modern isn't so much about buying trendyfurniture as it is about being practical. Invest intimeless pieces that are suited to your lifestyle andcreate a calm environment.

Delta Faucet, a leader in beautifying home in-teriors, offers the following tips to make sure yourspace will always feel fresh:

Choose multi-functional products with hiddentechnology and beautiful design to create a mod-ern feel. Think televisions hidden in cabinets,speakers mounted behind the wall, and sleekkitchen faucets with a hidden sprayer. Technologythat seamlessly blends into a space will always feelnew. Consider incorporating accessories in shadessuch as clean green, saffron, ocean blue, and ma-genta to create a soothing atmosphere that willnever feel tired. “Adding sleek pieces in a colourthat you'll always love – rather than a trendycolour – makes your style timeless, not to men-tion wallet-friendly,” says Jo Alcorn, a Toronto-based interior design expert.

Update fabrics to those that feature timelessgeometric designs, overlapping layers, or stripes.All of these can instantly make a home more con-temporary without a large investment.

Sleek and simple architectural details add

maximum design impact and can become thefocal point in any room.

“Paying attention to your hardware includingcabinet handles, light fixtures and even faucetscan play a huge role in making your place lookmore modern,” says Alcorn. For instance, thestrong, angular lines of the Vero lavatory faucetbring a sense of urban sophistication to the bath-room. See more at deltafaucet.ca. When consider-

ing furniture, look for pieces with glass or paintedwood, and materials like coloured acrylic, fibre-glass, and chrome. These features will ensure yourchoices stand the test of time.

Nothing dates a space like clutter. Organizeand store - or even neatly display - magazines,newspapers, and books. Electronic cords shouldbe off the floor and not visible to keep your roomlooking neat and clean.

Create a timeless look in your home

Stay fresh in the kitchen this fallFALL brings an abundance of farm freshand local produce to heighten the flavourat your dinner table. This season, maxi-mize your dining experience with yourfamily and friends by following these fourtips from KitchenAid Canada spokesper-son and renowned chef Lynn Crawford:1. emBrACe The seAson: Au-

tumn produces some of the most de-licious and rich vegetablesof theyear. It's important to use fresh in-gredients that are in season as theynot only taste better, but also allowyou to embrace and celebrate theflavours of each season through themeals you create for family andfriends.

2. PuT Fresh FIrsT: You wantwhat's best for your family which is

why creating meals with quality in-gredients, to boost flavor and reapthe full benefits of produce is so im-portant. Using fresh ingredients alsoprovides an abundance of nutri-tional value. Create a list of localfarmers markets in your neighbour-hood. Having the list on hand willentice you to add more fresh ingre-dients in your meals knowing thatthey are only a step away.

3. keeP Them CrIsP: Those witha love of cooking know the impactthat fresh ingredients have on a de-licious meal – but we've all had tothrow out fruits and veggies thatspoil before we've had the chance touse them. Today, you can get refrig-erators that actually help keep your

food fresher longer. KitchenAid®refrigerators with Preserva™ FoodCare System have innovative tech-nology that keep your fridge andfreezer at optimal humidity andtemperature levels to extend andmaximize the freshness of yourfood. For more information on newappliance options that make yourlife easier, visit www.kitchenaid.ca.

BASED ON COMMONLY

PURCHASED PRODUCE

4. use uP All your IngreDI-enTs: How many times have youcome home from the grocery storewith something you already had

stocked? Keeping your fridge cleanand organized will not only assistyou when looking at your inventory,but will also help save you money.

It's time to make farm fresh and local

a priority in the kitchen, and with newtechnologies, it's easier than ever to makeseasonal a recurring theme for every meal.Seek inspiration from your local marketand delicious meals will follow.

Spend more time entertaining andless time cleaningThe arrival of fall is a busy time for the whole fam-ily. From hectic back-to-school routines to the ad-vent of holiday entertaining, your home is bound tobecome a hub of activity. To prep for a season of so-cial events and family occasions, it's time to giveyour kitchen a cleaning and de-cluttering makeover.Cut Through The Clutter Whether its school lunchesor a Thanksgiving feast, your fridge can quickly be-come a haven of leftovers and expired condiments.Toss out products that are past their expiry date,and store leftovers in clear plastic containers foreasy identification.

ELIMINATE THE EVIDENCEStainless steel appliances are a beautiful accent toany kitchen, but after frequent use fingerprints andsmudges can dull their shine. To keep your stainlessappliances sparkling, use a product specifically de-signed for these delicate surfaces. The popularstainless steel wipes by affresh™are an easy to usesolution for a streak-free shine.

DOUBLE DUTYWhen entertaining family or guests, serving plattersprovide a handy solution for sharing large quantitiesof food. Storing these plates can be a different story.To eliminate the hassle of finding space for largetrays or bowls, we recommend repurposing them asa decorative accent when not in use. The addition offlowers, potpourri or even seashells and candles cancreate a unique centerpiece or arrangement.

Tahir aslam Gora

THE arrest of 11-year-or-so-oldChristian girl, Rimsha Masih, inPakistan in connection with theblasphemy charges has shockedthe world but not Pakistan and ma-jority Pakistanis.

For instance, a Pakistani Cana-dian from Mississauga, OntarioCanada wrote on the Internet inthe wake of this senseless arrest,"Lets fight against the terrorism ofUSA and support the cause ofAAFIA SIDDIQUE (a Pakistanilady convicted and jailed in theUSA for assault with intent to mur-der her U.S. interrogators inAfghanistan)", he stated further, "Iam 100% sure that nothing willhappen to the girl (Rimsha) andshe will be released, not to worry."

While undermining the arrestof poor little Rimsha and provok-ing dispute in Aafia convictioncase, that Pakistani-Canadian fel-low completely forgot that a Pak-istani Christian lady, Asia Bibi, amother of five is still behind thebars. She received a sentence ofdeath by a Pakistani court in con-nection of Blasphemy Law in No-vember 2010.

Two high profile courageousPakistani politicians, former Gov-ernor Punjabi Salman Taseer &Federal Minority Minister ShahbazBhatti have been assassinatedwhile opposing the death sentenceof Asia Bibi and the infamous blas-phemy law there.

Another Pakistani Canadianhas named the act of little Rimsha'sarrest a drama and has expressedhis views on Facebook in thosewords, "this entire drama is being

staged by enemies of Islam andMuslims." In his and many others'views, enemies of Islam havestaged this drama. If it's a drama intheir views then there is long list ofblasphemy law victims in Pakistanin recent years.

In this scenario, millions Pak-istanis are not behind blaming"Western and Zionist media" forconspiring this act. A young manfrom Pakistan has put a headlineon many Facebook groups thatreads, "Zionist media's attempt tosabotage the blasphemy laws."Then the man went on writing,"Local Christian community ac-cepts her bad action and beated thegirl but national level Zionist Chris-tian NGO's and Christian commu-nity barking against Islam andthreatening Pakistan." It's not likethat there are not any Pakistanis inPakistan and abroad who don'tspeak out against this tyranny.

Ali Dayan of Human RightsWatch in Pakistan has said it veryclearly in the local media that "[Theblasphemy law] was designed as aninstrument of persecution." Onecould find thousands Pakistanicritics and activists like Ali Dayanin the country and outside. But it'snot easy for them to speak out inPakistan. If they do so it clearlymeans they are looking for trouble,not less than a death threat. It's noteasy to demand abolition of blas-phemy law in Pakistan which hasput the life of Christians, Hindus,Ahmadies, Shias and even dissi-dent Muslims in real danger.

It's not even easy to call it ablack law while sitting here inCanada. In so doing, one may in-vite the intimidations and conspir-

acy theories of fellow Urdu writersand journalists here in Canada.They would come out to blame youfor giving a bad name to Pakistanas if the horrendous act of a littlegirl's arrest is not sufficient to por-trait bad image of Pakistan.

You may find some so-calledPakistani community leaders inToronto that would be condemn-ing the arrest of a little girl but theywould not call blasphemy law to beabolished. They would say that thelaw itself is not a problem its mis-use is a problem. The blasphemylaw Section 295-C reads:

Whoever by words, either spo-ken or written, or by visible repre-sentation or by any imputation,innuendo, or insinuation, directlyor indirectly, defiles the sacredname of the Holy Prophet Muham-mad (peace be upon him) shall bepunished with death, or imprison-ment for life, and shall also be li-able to fine.

Is the law still not a problem?Pakistan's cricket star turned

politician Imran Khan recently saidto a Pakistani Newspaper, "Pak-istan's blasphemy law is neces-sary." According to media reportshe thinks in its absence peoplewould be lynched and there wouldbe anarchy. New Star politicianheading his Justice Party doesn'tsee anarchy created by this Law.

After seeing hopeless situationfrom Pakistan and majority Pak-istanis in terms of not condemningthe law, one could only see somehope from conscience Pakistanisliving abroad and foreign govern-ments to put enough pressure onPakistani establishment to abolishthis law as soon as possible.



04

Why Pakistanis Won't Speak OutAgainst Blasphemy Law

LETTER TO THE EDITORAs someone who competed in sport for decades, Iknow that coaches are an integral part of the experi-ence. In B.C., our government is recognizing the im-mense contributions of coaches in every athlete'spersonal and professional development by pro-claiming the week from Sept. 15 to 22 as B.C.Coaches Week. Coaches are mentors for kids andadults alike. They are powerful influences with thepotential to change lives. The Coaches Association ofB.C. represents some 40,000 coaches, of which 98per cent are volunteers. It is coaches who teach theyoungest athletes the essential skills of their sports;coaches who inspire and motivate athletes of allages; and coaches who spot excellence in an athleteand work hard to develop it. Coaches also teachethics and fair play-critical lessons for young ath-letes that last a lifetime. At the recent Olympic andParalympic Games in London, British Columbia'sathletes experienced great success, bringing homemedals and achieving personal bests. In the process,they positively influenced younger athletes and ele-vated the stature of their sports. These are wonderfulachievements that have made us all proud, and weneed to recognize the crucial role coaches played inthose successes. Our collective goal is to ensure thatevery coach receives the training he or she needs toprovide effective leadership. With that in mind, wewill invest more than $2 million in coach develop-ment over the next year. Since last year, more than$100,000 has been directly targeted to developcoaches in northern British Columbia in the lead-upto the 2015 Canada Winter Games in Prince George.In addition, the Coaches Association of B.C. is offer-ing free National Coaching Certification Programs inmany locations around the province. I call on allBritish Columbians to recognize the critical roleplayed by coaches as valued contributors to thehealth and social development of children andyouth in this province.

BILL BENNETTMINISTER OF COMMUNITY, SPORT AND CUL-

TURAL EVELOPMENT



oTTAWA: The Government ofCanada's investigation into residencefraud continues to grow, with nearly11,000 individuals potentially impli-cated in lying to apply for citizenship ormaintain permanent resident status.

"We are applying the full strengthof Canadian law to those who have ob-tained citizenship fraudulently," saidCitizenship, Immigration and Multicul-turalism Minister Jason Kenney."Canadian citizenship is not for sale.We are taking action to strip citizen-ship and permanent residence statusfrom people who don't play by the rulesand who lie or cheat to become a Cana-dian citizen."

Citizenship and ImmigrationCanada (CIC) has begun the process torevoke the citizenship of up to 3,100citizens who obtained it fraudulently.Minister Kenney first announced theinvestigations last year. CIC is workingclosely with the Canada Border Serv-ices Agency(CBSA), the Royal Cana-dian Mounted Police (RCMP), andCanadian offices abroad to tackle thisfraud.

"Today's announcement is the end-result of the hard work done by the

RCMP and CBSA, and they should becongratulated for their dedicated effortin bringing these charges forward,"said Canada's Public Safety MinisterVic Toews. "These efforts reinforce ourgovernment's commitment to protect-ing the integrity of our immigrationsystem."

The Department has also beenworking on cases of those who are notyet citizens. Nearly 5,000 people withpermanent resident status who areknown to be implicated in residencefraud have been flagged for additionalscrutiny should they attempt to enterCanada or obtain citizenship. The ma-jority of these individuals are believedto be outside the country.

Permanent residents must reside inCanada for three years out of four yearsprior to applying for Canadian citizen-ship. To retain their status as perma-nent residents, they must be physicallypresent in Canada for two out of fiveyears with few exceptions.

In typical cases, permanent resi-dents will use the services of an un-scrupulous immigration representativeto fraudulently establish evidence ofresidence in Canada while living

abroad most, if not all, of the time. Thisis perpetrated so that individuals canfraudulently maintain their permanentresidence status and later apply for cit-izenship.

RCMP and CBSA criminal investi-gations have found that a family of fivemay pay upwards of $25,000 over fouror more years to create the illusion ofCanadian residence.

Finally, CIC has flagged the files ofanother 2,500 individuals where, for

various reasons, there are concerns.These individuals will be watchedclosely should they make future appli-cations. This makes a total of nearly11,000 individuals tied to citizenshipand residence fraud investigations.

To date, CIC and its partners haveremoved or denied admittance to over600 former permanent residentslinked to the investigations, and havedenied about 500 citizenship applica-tions where the applicants do not meetthe residence requirements. Almost1,800 applicants linked to the investi-gations have abandoned their citizen-ship applications as word about theseinvestigations spreads.

"We will not stand by and allowpeople to lie and cheat their way intobecoming citizens," added MinisterKenney. "I encourage anyone who hasinformation regarding citizenshipfraud to call our tip line to report it.There is no time limit for investigatingthis type of fraud."

Over the past six years, Canada hashad the highest sustained level of im-migration in Canadian history. TheGovernment of Canada is committed tocreating an immigration system that

brings the world's best and brightest toCanada while protecting our immigra-tion system against those who wouldabuse our generosity.

Cases involving false representa-tion, fraud or knowingly concealingmaterial circumstances in the citizen-ship process-for example, pretendingto be present in Canada to meet theresidence requirements for obtainingcitizenship-should be referred to thecitizenship fraud tip line at CIC's CallCentre at 1-888-242-2100 (in Canadaonly, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. local time,Monday through Friday). Tips may alsobe reported by email at [email protected]. Those overseascan also contact the nearest Canadianvisa office.

All other types of immigrationfraud can be reported to the CBSA'sBorder Watch Tip Line at 1 888-502-9060. Tips accepted by the BorderWatch Tip Line include, but are notlimited to, suspicious cross-border ac-tivity, marriages of convenience, mis-representation in any temporary orpermanent immigration application, orthe whereabouts of any person wantedon an immigration warrant.

CANADIAN CITIZENSHIP NOT FOR SALE: Minister Kenney Provides Update on Residence Fraud Investigations

oTTAWA: Citizenship, Immigra-tion and Multiculturalism MinisterJason Kenney announced todaythat Canada has welcomed its20,000th permanent residentthrough the Canadian ExperienceClass (CEC) immigration stream,reflecting the success of the gov-ernment's efforts to attract as wellas retain the world's best andbrightest skilled workers.

The Minister was joined at theannouncement by Gaurav Gore,originally from India, who was rec-ognized as the 20,000th perma-nent resident admitted under theCEC. Mr. Gore earned a master'sdegree in business administrationfrom the University of Toronto. Heis applying his education as well ashis experience as a business con-sultant with a major bank inToronto.

"We are working hard to at-tract and retain the best andbrightest students from around theworld. Gaurav is an excellent ex-ample of the benefits of welcominghighly educated and skilled peopleto stay as well as work in Canada.Mr. Gore completed a challenging,competitive university program.He is now building a successful ca-reer, contributing to our economyand helping create jobs for Canadi-ans here in Canada. Guarav is ex-actly the sort of skilled worker thatCanada hopes to attract and retainthrough the CEC program," saidthe Minister.

"As a student, I saw the wealthof opportunities that are availablein Canada," said Mr. Gore, a Per-sonal and Commercial Digital

Channels Advisor with BMO Fi-nancial Group. "I felt welcome. Iwanted to stay, pursue a careerhere, and contribute to the econ-omy as well as to the country. I washappy to discover that it was pos-sible through the CEC and that Icould use my skills immediatelyupon graduating.""Canada's uni-versities are pleased to see the suc-cess of the CEC in helpinginternational student graduatesbecome permanent residents.

The graduates contribute theirknowledge, talent and global per-spectives to our communities andto our economy," says Paul David-son, President of the Association ofUniversities and Colleges ofCanada. "These graduates con-tribute to economic growth an in-novation in Canada and helpCanadian businesses connect withnew international markets."

The CEC, Canada's fastestgrowing economic immigrationprogram, offers a pathway to per-manent residency for internationalstudent graduates as well as otherswith skilled work experience inCanada.

Those who are eligible mayapply from within Canada and ex-pect a quick decision. In the past, abrilliant student graduating fromour top universities who wanted tostay in Canada and help create jobswould have had to return to theirhome country to wait at the back ofa seven or eight year queue. Theymay have spent several years wait-ing in the immigration queue andmay have been required to leavethe country before applying for

permanent residence. The goal ofthe CEC is to ensure that Canadaretains talented and motivatedpeople who have already shownthat they can put their skills as wellas their experience to work, growthe Canadian economy, create jobsand integrate easily into Canadianlife.

"The Canadian ExperienceClass is a sound program that re-sponds tothe needs of employers.The program contributes to eco-nomic growth," said James Knight,President and Chief Executive Of-ficer of the Association of CanadianCommunity Colleges. "Equippedwith diplomas as well as degrees,international students becomeCanadian citizens, excellent em-ployees and community mem-bers."

In order to make the CEC evenmore respons ive to Canada'slabour market needs and economicgoals, CIC is proposing changesthat will expedite the transition topermanent residence of those al-ready working successfully inCanada. With the proposedchange, all applicants will require12 months of Canadian work expe-rience gained in the 36 monthspreceding their application. Someapplicants currently require 24months of full-time work experi-ence. This change will make theprogram more flexible for interna-tional studentgraduates. It willprovide them with more time tolaunch their careers as well as gainthe necessary experience to applyfor permanent residency throughthe program.

CANADIAN EXPERIENCE CLASS:Creating Jobs Across CanadaNew, Innovative and Fast Economic Program Attracts theWorld's Best and Brightest

oTTAWA: The Government of Canadawelcomed the findings of a report on im-migration backlogs by the Standing Com-mittee on Citizenship and Immigrationand tabled its response in Parliamenttoday.

"I think we can all agree that backlogsare unfair to applicants, harmful toCanada's ability to attract the best andbrightest from around the world, and holdback economic and job growth," said Citi-zenship, Immigration and Multicultural-ism Minister Jason Kenney.

"I thank the Standing Committeemembers for their hard work in compilingtheir report."

The Committee commented favourablyon what the Government has alreadyachieved to date through the Action Planfor Faster Immigration and the ActionPlan for Faster Family Reunification.However, the Committee report also madeclear that more needs to be done in orderto better align application intake with ad-mission levels.

The committee report recognizes thatbacklogs have occurred because for toolong Canada has accepted more applica-tions than it can process and admit in agiven year. Over time, this annual surplusof applications resulted in a backlog ofmore than a million applicants, and pro-cessing delays of eight to ten years in someimmigration categories. The report con-cluded that, in order to avoid future back-logs, it is critical that the Government actto ensure that the annual number of appli-cations better align with the number of ad-missions. The report also recommendedexploring further options to deal with theproblem of existing backlogs, particularlyin the federal skilled worker, immigrantinvestor, and parent and grandparentclasses.

The Government agrees with all of theStanding Committee's report recommen-dations and has already acted quickly totackle application back logs in key areas.Successes include:g Reducing the pre-2008 Federal

Skilled Worker (FSW) backlog by

more thang 50 percent by 2011 - two years earlier

than expected - through the 2008g Action Plan for Faster Immigration

and successive Ministerialg Instructions limiting application in-

take. Most recently, Economic Actiong Plan 2012 removed around 280,000

applicants from that FSW backlog,which

g paves the way for a faster and moreflexible economic immigration

SYSTEMg Managing intake of the Immigrant In-

vestor Program applications startingg in July 2011. Most recently, a tempo-

rary pause on new applications wasg introduced on July 1, 2012 to allow

Citizenship and Immigration Canadag (CIC) to focus on processing existing

applications and reviewing the

PROGRAM'S EFFECTIVENESSg Significantly decreasing the backlog of

applications for parents andg grandparents since fall 2011, as a re-

sult of increased admission targetsg and a two-year pause on new applica-

tions under the Action Plan forg Faster Family Reunification. At the

same time, CIC introduced a newg "Super Visa," which allows for visits of

up to two years by parents andg grandparents, and has proven to be a

popular alternative for applicants.In the last year, the Government has

also launched public online consultationson re-designing the parent and grandpar-ent program, and reforming the Immi-grant Investor Program. Policy work onreformed programs is now underway.

"The economy and job growth remainthe Government's number one priority,"said Minister Kenney. "We continue totake the issue of immigration backlogsvery seriously, and we will be doing evenmore in the future to transform our immi-gration system into one that is fast, fair,flexible, and serves the interests ofCanada's long-term prosperity.

Reducing Backlogs to Achieve a Fast, FlexibleImmigration System



06

PRINCE Harry became a vic-tim of a honey trap by a groupof girls who planned to getinto his VIP suite hours be-fore he was pictured cavortingnaked, it has been claimed. At

least four “hot chicks” went with thePrince to his room at a Las Vegas hotelafter making a bee-line for him and othermale members of his group.

Two witnesses revealed how theysaw and overheard the girls trying tocatch the eye of the fun-loving royal, theDaily Express reported. They believe itmay have been one of the same group ofgirls who later snapped him with a cam-era phone cavorting nude with a youngbrunette. As the fallout from the photoscontinued, details emerged of how thePrince may have been snared by the

group of local girls whom he did notknow. The encounter happened whenHarry arrived “half wasted” at the five-star Wynn Hotel’s elegant Parasol barand lounge just before midnight last Fri-day. Kim Garcia, 22, said: “He was defi-nitely buzzed. He made eye contact witha brunette in the group and immediatelyinvited them all to join him and his bud-dies.” Garcia, who is studying to be adental hygienist, said she and a friend,24-year-old hair salon receptionist Glo-ria Bryant, were drinking cocktails whenthey saw Harry walk in.

“We recognised him instantly,” Kimsaid, “just like the other girls who weresitting a couple of tables away and get-ting noisier the more they drank. Gloriaand I clearly heard one of them say,‘That’s Prince Harry. Let’s see if we can

get him to take us upstairs with him.’Maybe she thought she was talking qui-etly but she was so drunk at least a dozenpeople must have heard her.”

Bryant, of Palmdale, California,added: “It was one of those bar hook-upsthat happens all the time in Vegas and itwouldn’t even have registered with us ifit hadn’t involved Harry.”

She and Garcia, of Yorba Linda, Cal-ifornia, had left friends earlier in theevening to sample the high life at one ofthe city’s most opulent casino resorts.

Garcia explained: “We’d been hopingto catch sight of some celebrities lettingtheir hair down but we were amazed tosee Harry and what looked like a prettybig entourage of guys. When the fourgirls joined them they ordered anothercouple of rounds of drinks, including a

bottle of vodka, but only hung around foranother half-hour to 40 minutes.”

“Then they all got up and left to-gether and we just looked at each otherwith our mouths wide open when we re-alised the girls had managed to pull thebiggest VIP in town.” Gloria said: “Wetold our friends later and they thought itwas awesome that we had been so closeto a real royal. Then we forgot about ituntil all the fuss. You have to thinkHarry is a bit of a dumb-ass for throwingall his clothes off and letting himself bephotographed by a bunch of strangers.But, hey, this is Vegas and that’s whatpeople do on vacation. It’s all harmlessfun but you’d think someone in his posi-tion would go about things a bit moresubtly and discreetly. There’s no doubthe was half wasted before he even set

foot in that bar.”Kim and Gloria quickly found the

Wynn, which boasts Dior and Cartierstores and a Ferrari showroom, far tooexpensive for their budget.

“It’s the kind of place you’d expectreal gold-diggers to hang out and thosegirls looked exactly that type. OnceHarry showed an interest there was noway they weren’t going to try to get theirclaws into him. Even pretty wasted,which they all were, it was obvious theonly thing they wanted to do was partywith Harry and get as much on his dimeas they could.”

“It’s a shame, really. You’d thinkhe’d go for classier girls who are a bitmore discreet. But if you can’t go a bitwild in Vegas, what’s the point of cominghere?” Garcia added.

PRINCE HARRY tricked into naked honey trap?

AFTER being in the industry for more than adecade, Bipasha Basu says an actor’s life is a sadone. She says even superstars fade away after apoint and are remembered only when they die.“An actor’s life is very sad. The biggest of super-stars in our country fade away after some timeand are remembered only when they die. But whatto do? It is very vulnerable, very sad, but that isthe way it is. Nothing is permanent in their life,”Bipasha told IANS on the phone from Mumbai.

A classic example is that of Rajesh Khanna,Bollywood’s first superstar. All but forgotten foralmost a decade, he emerged briefly in a rathersad TV spot and the next thing we knew was thathe was in hospital, came out, went in again andcame out for the last time - only to die a few dayslater. Of course, there was a nationwide outpour-ing of grief - and this is just the point Bipasha ismaking. “Once you achieve success, you just wantto work, you don’t want to be forgotten. It is anemotion that every actor worldwide, male or fe-male, goes through,” said the 33-year-old, whoplays an actress whose career is on the downfallin her forthcoming film “ Raaz 3”. Directed byfilmmaker Vikram Bhatt, the movie, a sequel to2009 film “Raaz”, also stars Emraan Hashmi andEsha Gupta.

Bipasha says people want to know everythingabout an actor’s life and that is the reason filmslike “The Dirty Picture”, “Raaz 3” and “Heroine”are made. “Acting is a very enigmatic line. Beinga celebrity people always want to know about yourpersonal life - what you are? What you eat? Howyou live? Where you go? Who are you dating?How you breathe?” “Raaz 3” is about struggle ofan actor’s life to attain fame and success. And theactress says that an actor’s life makes an interest-ing proposition for a movie theme. “It is an inter-esting profession to make a film on - either the

actor’s life or an actress’. In today’s time every-body wants to be an actor. It is a fascinating pro-fession and people want to know about behind thescenes. And that is the reason there have been somany movies made on the same topic,” said Bi-pasha, who made her acting debut with the 2001film “Ajnabee”. So, are such films actually basedon real life incidents?

“These are all fictional and little drawn fromreality. Such films are basically different types ofstorytelling of different directors, which makefor very interesting stories,” added Bipasha. Anactor’s personal life has always made head-lines and even the Bengali beauty has notbeen spared - be it her relationship with“Raaz” co-star Dino Morea, or her ro-mance with actor John Abraham andtheir break-up. Though she does not letall that bother her a lot, she says mediaand people should not forget that actorsneed some privacy. “Poeple are always in-terested to know what you are doing inyour personal space. It makes great newsfor people to discuss over a meal. Butthey forget we are also humans, whohave a personal life, struggles and wetoo go through good and bad times.“It is quite harsh at times to ex-pect an actor to be okay withwhatever is written about him.Actors and not super humans,they are normal people,” saidthe actress, who has alsoworked in Tamil, Telugu andBengali language films. Knownfor her performances in filmslike “Corporate” and “Dhoom2”, Bipasha is game for well-written comedies. “I am dying

to do a comedy. I am a funny girl and blessed witha mad sense of humour. I think I can pull off com-edy nicely. I don’t like slapstick comedy but, yes,situational comedy works for me,” said the ac-tress, who has done comedy films like “No Entry”and “All The Best”. Last seen in “Jodi Breakers”,

Bipasha’s future proj-ects include English

film “Singularity”and director Su-

parn Varma’shorror project

“Aatma”.

Superstars are remembered only when they die

Joker’s item number insults patriotic sentiments in IndiaHINDI movie Joker, scheduled forrelease August 31, could face legalhurdles over a raunchy item num-ber that allegedly insults patrioticsentiments, an activist said hereThursday. A legal notice has beenserved on the Central Board ofFilm Certification demandingdeletion of the item number. Thesong has “caused an intolerable in-sult to our first warrior of inde-pendence, Rani Laxmibai, famousas Jhansi ki Rani,” said RajkumarTak, the Maharashtra director ofInternational Human Rights Asso-

ciation. “The song, Kaafirana, car-ries offensive words and utters thename of the great warrior princessJhansi Ki Rani in a derogatorymanner. We want the producer,Shirish Kunder, to delete the itemnumber or Rani Laxmibai’s namemust be deleted from that song,”lawyer S. Kunjuraman told IANS.Joker stars Akshay Kumar andSonakshi Sinha in the lead role,and the controversial item numberhas been picturised on Chitran-gada Singh. The lyrics sung bySunidhi Chauhan and Adarsh

Shinde feature words like “bevdi,bawaal, kaafirana, paapi ye anghai, saali kalank hai, fultoo da-bangg hai, kholeye ab, do peg,baby I just want you, Jhansi KiRani,” Kunjuraman pointed out. Taksaid that the pre-release video of thesong shows a “vulgar item girl gyrat-ing like a drunkard” and revolving along stick symbolizing the sword ofRani Laxmibai. Kunjuraman warnedthat unless the producers complied,they would be compelled to movethe Bombay High Court and seekappropriate relief.

Katherine denies affair with Beckham

Welsh classical singer Katherine Jenkins has beenforced to deny she had an affair with David Beck-ham after bogus rumours circulated on Twitter.Jenkins, 32, took to the micro blogging site to rub-bish the reports by issuing a statement claimingthat she had only met the footballer twice and saidshe had never been on her own with Beckham. Therumours swept Twitter after a picture of a fakemagazine cover started doing the rounds, whichclaimed that Beckham had left his wife, Victoria,the Telegraph reported. Numerous users tweetedthe unfounded rumour that the alleged affair wascovered by a superinjunction. However, others tookto Twitter to point out they had not even heard ofthe rumour until she brought it up. A spokesmanfor the LA Galaxy star said the allegations were“rubbish” and “nonsensical.” Jenkins tweeted:“Dear Twitter friends, I’ve read some horrible ru-mours on here and want u 2 know I absolutely denyI’ve had an affair with David Beckham.



Halloween SafetyHalloween isn't just for kids. Pets are joining the festivitiestoo, but it's important to keep safety in mind while you cele-brate. To make Halloween a real treat for pets and ensure theystay safe and happy, here are a few tips to keep in mind:g enTerTAInIng AT home: Is your dog easily

spooked? Even the friendliest pet may be alarmed by aghost or witch at the front door. One of the best ways tohelp eliminate unwanted surprises is by establishing asafe, pets-only room in the house. This may also put trick-or-treaters who are uncomfortable around pets at ease.

“Before having pets join in the Halloween festivities, it's impor-tant to assess whether your pet will be comfortable participat-ing or if the festivities will cause undue stress,” says Dr. RobynJaynes, DVM, Pet Care Expert at PetSmart. “If you have ayoung or senior pet, or one that is shy around others, it's betterto give them a quiet space away from all the activity or host asmall family celebration where they'll feel more comfortable.”g PeT FrIenDly TreATs: Chocolate is particularly

tempting for pets, but it can make them seriously ill. Pet par-ents should keep all Halloween candy out of pets' reach. Also,choose a treat that will help pets celebrate Halloween and in-cludes health benefits, such as Greenies Dental Chews, whichkeep dogs' and cats' teeth clean and breath fresh.

g sAFeTy FIrsT: Is your pet ready to step out on the street?Reflective leashes, collars and ID tags with flashing lights areessential accessories for any pet Halloween costume. Petsshould also have proper identification that includes pet par-ents' contact information. Finally, make sure that an adult isholding the leash and that the pet isat ease around strangers andcrowds.

Moret i p s

o np e tsafetyas well

as Hal-loween cos-

tumes and toyscan be found at

PetSmart orwww.petsmart.com.

Spooktacular Halloween fun for pets

hALLOWEEN isn't just forkids. Pets are joining thefestivities too by dressingup in fabulous costumes.For the upcoming Hal-

loween season, here are tips on how todress your pet for spooktackular success,and keep them safe and happy during thecelebration.

DEVILISHLY CUTE DRESS UPBefore you begin shopping for your

pets' Halloween costume, here's a run-down of some of this year's cutest op-tions:g ToP TrenDs: some pet parents

like to outfit their pets in the samelooks that are popular amongstadults and kids. This year, pet's cos-tumes run the gamut from super-heroes such as Spiderman and

Wonder Woman, to rock stars likeBret Michaels and childhoodfavourites like the sock monkey.

g someThIng For eVeryone:combining style, quality and fun, youcan style your pet with looks from

Martha Stewart Pets, Marvel Comicsand the Bret Michaels Pets Rock,which can be found at PetSmart.Each collection includes adorable op-tions such as Wonder Woman, Su-perman, an enchanting dragon,spooky spider, devilishly cute skele-ton and a classic bumblebee costume.

g Cool CATs: Cats can join the funwith adorable character hats, likethe jester and princess.

g TIme To shIne: Show off yourpet at PetSmart's annual Howl-O-Ween pet parade on October 20 atyour local store or in the onlineMonster Cute photo contest pow-ered by Greenies atwww.facebook.com/PetSmart fromSeptember 10 through October 24.

Costumes, toys and more ideas for Halloween fun for yourpet can be found at PetSmart or www.petsmart.com.

Prepare your home properly for a new petIntroducing a pet into your

home may not be as difficult asyou think. “Pets enrich our livesand bring happiness to ourhomes, but careful preparationis necessary for such a commit-ment,” says Steve Gray, a bro-ker with Royal LePage Kelownain Kelowna, British Columbia.“You can make the process eas-ier with a few helpful tips.”grAy reCommenDs TheFolloWIng:

1. Consider a crate for yourpet. Most pets do not cometrained and they certainly don'tknow what's safe to chew. Bycrating your pet when you areaway, you ensure that your pos-sessions are left intact and yourpet's safety is put first. In addi-

tion to protecting your belong-ings, crating your pet will en-courage good behaviour duringthe most formative years.

2. Secure your kitchen cab-inets. There are many kitchenitems that are deadly to ani-mals. Contact your veterinarianfor a list of these products andsecure your cabinets with child-proof locks. Keep your trashcan tightly lidded.

3. Make sure your heating andair vents have adequate covers. Ifyou are bringing home a 'pocketpet,' such as a hamster or guineapig, you may be surprised at thetiny areas your new friend cansqueeze into. By placing closely-grated covers on your vents, youensure the safety of your pet.

You also prevent fur andhair from clogging your airducts and decreasing yourhome's overall efficiency. If youare ready to make a commit-ment to pet ownership, these

small and simple home prepa-rations can make the transitionmuch less complicated. More ideas on preparing your home for sale or

enjoyment can be found online at

www.royallepage.ca.www.newscanada.com


Wednesday September 12, 2012 08



12

Some people start theirmornings with the jolt of analarm clock, punctuated by acaffeinated slap in the facecare of their nearest coffeeshop. While others prefer toease into their day. Lettingthe tantalizing aroma of arich, dark and sultry, slowroasted coffee lull them ef-fortlessly from their slum-ber. Beckoning them gentlyas it envelops their everysense. Life moves pretty fastthese days. So you can eitherspend upwards of $65.00 amonth buying a premiumcoffee at your favourite cof-fee shop five days a week.Or, you can wake up andsmell the coffee…literally.Experts agree taking a mo-ment to brew and enjoy yourown coffee at home has a

restorative effect that goes along way to soothe frayednerves, not to mention its di-rect effect on your wallet. AsIan Buckingham, vice presi-dent of sales for MelittaCanada explains, “In today'sfast paced world, it's easy tolose track of the benefits ofpremium coffee at home.The truth is, even if you buya super premium blend likeMelitta World Harvest, thecost per cup is approxi-mately $0.12, and you're get-ting the best coffee in everycup. Compared to what youwould pay for out of homecoffee, an average of $2.00 -$4.00 per cup, that's an esti-mated savings of over 90%–plus the added benefits of re-laxing and recharging in thecomfort of your own home.”

The days are getting shorter, thenights longer, and there's a definitechill in the air. To greet the autumnharvest moon, leaves are turningdeep, rich, auburns, crimsons, andburnt oranges. It's the perfect time tocozy up to a crackling fire, with yourfavourite stick-to-your-ribs, heartycomfort foods.

melitta French onion Dark Brewsoup

Melitta's French Onion Dark BrewSoup adds a unique twist to this classic.Hearty and filling, the deluxe Europeanroast coffee gives the broth a depth offlavour and a silky texture.

INGREDIENTS:

g 5 cups Vidalia or Spanish onions,thinly sliced

g 4 tbsp. butterg 1 tbsp. vegetable oilg 1 tsp. salt (first dash)g 1 cup Melitta Deluxe Coffee

(brewed)g 3 tbsp. all-purpose flourg 6 oz. dark ale or stoutg 8 cups beef broth or stock, hotg ½ tbsp. ground black pepperg 1 tbsp. salt (second dash)

1 French-style baguette ½ cupgrated gruyere or cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:

g Over low heat, in a large heavybottomed pot, warm butter andoil. Add sliced onions and sprin-kle with salt. Sauté, stirring occa-sionally for approximately 10minutes. Onions will begin tocolour and become very soft.

g Add coffee to onion mixture. Stirand continue to cook for further10 minutes until coffee is ab-sorbed.

g Stir in flour and cook for 1minute then remove from heat.

g Add ale or stout and beef broth.Return to heat and add balanceof salt and pepper.

g Simmer for 40 minutes. Tasteand adjust seasoning as desired.

g Preheat oven to 375◦F.g Slice 8 slices (approximately ½

inch thick) of bread. Layout onbaking sheet and top withgrated cheese. Cook in pre-heated oven until cheese beginsto bubble.

g Ladle into bowls and top withcheese covered bread.

Last step? Sit back and savourevery last drop of your indulgent treat.

More recipes can be found online atwww.melitta.ca.

AUTUMN BURSTS WITH COLOUR – AND WITH FLAVOURS

Turn fall festivities into afundraiser

Fall is an ideal time to get back to cooking com-fort foods, reconnecting with loved ones aftersummer trips and appreciating the beauty theseason has to offer. Fall is the perfect opportu-nity to host a gathering, and since October isbreast cancer awareness month why not supporta great cause while you do it – host a Cook forthe Cure party. Whether it's an intimate can-dlelit dinner or full-fledged family affair - hereare a few tips to get your party started:1. hosT A PArTy For A CAuse – Oc-

tober is Breast Cancer Awareness monthand a great time to turn entertaining intofundraising by hosting a Cook for the Cureparty. Cook for the Cure, presented byKitchenAid asks guests to make a dona-tion to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foun-dation in place of a traditional hostess gift.The size of the donation is up to yourguests. Register your party at www.cook-forthecure.ca and KitchenAid Canada willdonate $50 to help the cause. All proceedssupport research, education, communitycare, and advocacy to create a future with-out breast cancer.

2. PICk your Theme – A festive themesets your fête apart. Whether you go clas-sic autumn with rich colours or stick to amonochromatic look, once you determinethe look the rest of the party will fall intoplace. Add fun touches like placingplanters and urns outside to welcomeguests and kick the party off on the rightfoot. Whether you go with casual or for-mal, trendy or traditional, a festive themewill help bring your seasonal party to life.

3. seT The mooD – Music sets the toneof the event. Spend time crafting the per-fect playlist to put your guests in the partyspirit.

4. mAke IT PersonAl – From cus-tomized drink skewers to personalizedplace cards, dress up your party withthoughtful details that leave a lasting im-pression. Mini pumpkins and gourds willadd a pop of colour to your table. Writeguests' names on business card sizedpieces of paper and attach with a pushpinand you'll have place cards that serve dou-ble duty as a takeaway after the dinner.

Cook For The Curewith this sweet treatOctober is Breast Cancer Awareness month and agreat way to show your support is by hosting afundraising party. Cook for the Cure, presentedby KitchenAid, makes this easy by turning en-tertaining into fundraising simply by askingyour guests to make a donation to the CanadianBreast Cancer Foundation in place of traditionalhostess gifts. Register your party online atwww.cookforthecure.ca and KitchenAid will pitch in$50 to help the cause.

Why not thank your guests with a delicious treatlike this cupcake recipe from world-renowned chefand KitchenAid Canada spokesperson, Lynn Craw-ford - they're sure to be a hit with any party-goer.

lemony CuPCAkes WITh sTrAW-Berry FrosTIngCourtesy of lynn Crawford andkitchenAidCuPCAkes makes 12 Cupcakes

INGREDIENTSg 1 ¼ cups flourg 1 tsp baking powderg ¼ tsp saltg 1 cup sugarg ½ cup unsalted butter, softenedg 2 eggsg ½ cup plain yogurtg 2 tsp lemon zestg 3 tbsp lemon juiceg ½ tsp vanilla extractsTrAWBerry FrosTIngg ½ cup whole strawberries, washed and

stemmedg 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, firm and

slightly coldg Pinch saltg 3 ½ cups icing sugarg ½ tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONSPreheat oven to 325˚Fand line a muffin tin

with paper liners. In alarge bowl, mix to-

gether flour, bakingpowder, and salt. In

a KitchenAidStand Mixer, on

m e d i u m - h i g hspeed, cream but-

ter and sugaruntil pale and

fluffy. Add eggsuntil incorporated.

Add yo-g u r t ,l e m o n

z e s t ,juice and vanilla. Mixuntil smooth. Add flour and mix justuntil smooth. Scoop batter into paper liners. Bakefor about 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Re-move from pan and let cool completely before frost-ing.

Place strawberries in a food processor and puree.In stand mixer bowl, beat together butter and salt onmedium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce mixerspeed and slowly add icing sugar; beat until well com-bined. Add vanilla and 3 tablespoons strawberrypuree. Mix until just blended. Frosting consistencyshould be dense and creamy. Help KitchenAid cele-brate the 10th anniversary of Cook for the Cure, byvisiting www.cookforthecure.ca. Everyone needs atreat, but eating healthy foods, such as fruit and veg-

Slow-cooked chili is comfort from the coldAs the seasons change and the air turns brisk, peo-ple begin to gravitate towards the items that keepthem cozy, whether it is a favourite blanket, acrackling fire, or comfort foods to warm theirhearts and bellies. Great tasting classics like pulledpork, stews, and chili will surely warm you andyour loved ones when you feel the chill in the air.But why venture out into the cold, when you cancreate these classic dishes from the comfort ofyour own kitchen? Homemade meals are not onlymore economical, when prepared with local freshingredients, they are also more nutritious. Butstaying in for these classics doesn't mean havingto slave over the stove. Countertop appliances,such as Crock-Pot branded slow cookers, makecreating these classics a cinch with minimal fuss,allowing you more quality time to spend cozyingup under a blanket.Any Day of the Week Beef Chiliserving: 6-8low: 6-8 hourshigh: 3-4 hoursIngredients2 medium yellow onions,chopped4 cloves garlic, minced2 green bellpeppers, chopped2 pounds ground chuckbeef28 ounces pinto beans, canned, drained14ounces tomatoes, canned, drained, chopped4ounces green chilies, canned, chopped2 tspground cumin1 tbsp dried oregano1 tspcayenne pepper1 tsp freshly ground black pep-per1 tsp salt1 cup beef or chicken broth1 cupsour cream, for garnish1 cup sharp cheddarcheese, grated, for garnish2 tbsp greenonions, thinly sliced, for garnishPrePArATIonIn a large skillet, sauté the onions, garlic, and bellpeppers until soft.Brown the ground beef and drain off any excess fat.Transfer the meat and vegetables to the Crock-Pot.Add the remaining ingredients except the gar-nishes, and mix thoroughly.Cover; cook on Low 6 to 8 hours (or on High for 3to 4 hours.).To serve, offer the sour cream, cheese and greenonions at the table.



According to a survey released by The Counsel Net-work and The Canadian Corporate Counsel Associ-ation (CCCA), the legal profession has a higher thanaverage level of satisfaction with their work-life bal-ance, but gaps remain both in gender equality andin ethnic diversity.

Lawyers satisfied with work-life balanceDespite 30% reporting increased work hours,

78% of respondents are somewhat or very satisfiedwith their work-life balance, a level that far exceedsthat reported by the average Canadian employee1,and which is 6% higher than in 2010. The amountof satisfaction is greater (88%) among those underthe age of 35 and among those who work fewerhours per week.

Gap narrows but women still paid less The results indicate that, even when compared

against men in the same roles in the profession,women continue to be paid less. While the gap hasdiminished from 19% in 2009 to 16% in 2012, thisstill represents a significant disparity in pay be-tween the sexes.

“This year’s survey provides some interestinginsights into diversity among in-house counsel inCanadian business, ” commented Sameera Sereda,Managing Partner, The Counsel Network. “Whilethere is still a long way to go, we are encouraged tosee a trend toward diminishing the gap betweenmen’s and women’s salaries. ”

Ethnic diversity remains a challengeFor the first time, this year’s survey asked re-

spondents to indicate their ethnicities. An over-whelming 84% of respondents were Caucasian.Only 6% of respondents were South Asian, 3% Chi-nese and 2% European. The remaining respondentsindicated Canadian, Filipino, Black, West Asian,Arab and Latin American/Hispanic as their ethnic-ity. None of the respondents identified themselvesas First Nations. Only 1% identified as Métis.

“The legal profession has identified the need tobuild its diversity, and this survey backs up thatneed with statistics,” Sereda commented. “The

Counsel Network is proud to see efforts being madeto support diversity, such as the Legal Leaders forDiversity and Inclusiveness initiative launched lastyear.”

Legal Leaders for Diversity and Inclusivenessconsists of a group of more than 50 General Coun-sel who advocate for and promote diversity withinthe legal departments of some of Canada’s leadingorganizations.

Wages vary significantly by region, industryThe survey, intended to benchmark various

compensation-related measures of Canada’s in-house counsel community, found that on average,in-house counsel earn approximately $155,000 peryear. This represents an increase of $4,500 over2010. However, wages in Alberta exceed the aver-age by 6%, followed by Ontario, at 5%. Atlantic andCentral Canada lag the rest of the nation, withsalaries 23% and 20% below the national average.

Compensation also varies significantly by in-dustry, with the IT sector paying the highest salaries($184K) followed closely by oil & gas ($178K) andresources/mining/forestry ($171K). Telecom andGovernment/Crown Corporations pay the lowestsalaries at $134K and $130K respectively.

Other notable findings from the 70-questionsurvey include:• On average, in-house counsel earn ap-proximately $155,000 per year, representing an in-crease of $4,500 since 2010• Salaries of in-house counsel in both theIT and manufacturing/automotive/aerospace in-dustries increased by over $18,000 in the past twoyears, while salaries in Government, Crown Corpo-rates and the telecommunications sector fell by$7,000 over the same period• In-house counsels work an average of48.2 hours per week. Among metropolitan cities,counsel in Montreal work the longest hours (50.5)compared to Vancouver (47.3)• Nearly half (47%) of respondents seethemselves in the same role in the coming two years

In-House Counsel satisfied with work-life balance but diversity gaps remain

diversity reporter

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