- Well done, War Museum “The prosthetic leg of a soldier wounded in Afghanistan has become a part of Canadian military history, immortalized on a canvas purchased by the Canadian War Museum. Sgt. Bjarne Nielsen lost a leg in July 2010 after stepping on an improvised explosive device while on a foot patrol just southwest of Kandahar. Ottawa artist Bruce Stewart decided to paint the prosthetic leg after visiting The Ottawa Hospital’s Rehabilitation Centre to photograph it. “It’s kind of an eye-catching piece,” Stewart said. “It’s going to command your attention across a room because … it’s got so much pain behind it. And I think that pain is reflected in there somewhere in the work. At least I hope it is. I tried to.” Stewart’s painting and his drawing of another soldier were purchased by the museum this week ….”
- “The Helmets to Hardhats Canada Web site, dedicated to helping Veterans and men and women in uniform find jobs in the building and construction industry as they transition to civilian life, is now available. On behalf of the Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Veterans Affairs, the Honourable Lisa Raitt, Minister of Labour and Member of Parliament for Halton, and representatives from Helmets to Hardhats Canada today highlighted the Web site in Hamilton ….”
- “The Helmets to Hardhats Canada Web site, dedicated to helping Veterans and men and women in uniform find jobs in the building and construction industry as they transition to civilian life, is now available. On behalf of the Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Veterans Affairs, the Honourable Keith Ashfield, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Minister for the Atlantic Gateway and Member of Parliament for Fredericton, today highlighted the Web site at CFB Gagetown ….”
- Libya “The retired Canadian Forces general who commanded the NATO mission in Libya says the deadly attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi was both an act of terrorism — and a sign of a struggling new democracy. In an exclusive interview with Power & Politics guest host Hannah Thibedeau, retired lieutenant-general Charles Bouchard said the attack is not a reflection that the NATO campaign ended too early. The fledgling central government faces tremendous security challenges posed by young demonstrators and terrorists and is not yet capable of controlling the threat, he said. “I think all indications point towards that this was a terrorist action taking place, but it’s also indicative of a government that has not found its full control yet,” Bouchard said in his first interview since the Sept. 11 attack that killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other diplomatic staff. “We just had a recent election, a new prime minister has been appointed, and he faces many, many challenges.” ….”
- One writer’s view of Canada as a “warrior nation” “…. I would say that the people who are supporting the idea of the warrior nation are also, by and large, the people who don’t want to give up an iota of that notion of sovereignty, defined narrowly, and who are also putting a terrified foot in the sand against a future that is already here. This is already an international age. This is already an age in which economic shocks, computer viruses and biological ones and authentic terrorist threats all operate across borders. So what I’m about to say is the thing that is really obnoxious in this camp, which is that it’s inevitable that there will be some kind of greater international order. That’s the only possible civilized way we can move forward ….”
- Way Up North (1) “The melt of Arctic sea ice has reached its lowest point this year, shrinking 18 percent from last year’s near-record low. Summer ice this year is half what it was 30 years ago and is now affecting weather patterns. The massive declines in ice in recent summers have shocked scientists and Arctic experts. Some predict that in just a few years we will witness an event that hasn’t happened in millions of years: the complete loss of summer ice. “We are now in uncharted territory,” said Mark Serreze, director of the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) in Colorado. “Few of us were prepared for how rapidly the changes would actually occur” as a result of the burning fossil fuels that are warming the planet, said Serreze. “We could see an essentially ice-free Arctic ocean in late summer by the year 2030,” ….”
- Way Up North (2) “Although China does not currently hold any Arctic territories, it is deploying its wealth and diplomatic clout to secure a foothold. The country sees its involvement as important so that it is not shut out of mineral and shipping decisions. The Arctic region has risen rapidly on the country’s foreign policy agenda: this year alone diplomats have visited Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, and also Greenland, where Chinese companies are investing to create a mining industry. Retreating of Greenland’s ice cap has made accessible deposits of many valuable minerals; so far there has been little exploitation of Arctic resources. Greenland’s proximity to the US is also of concern to American officials, who have accordingly stepped up diplomatic efforts with Arctic countries ….”
- “On behalf of the Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Veterans Affairs, Senator Yonah Martin and the Honourable John Baird, Minister of Foreign Affairs, will join Korean representatives to pay tribute to Canadians who served during the Korean War (this afternoon in Ottawa) ….”
- “On behalf of the Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Veterans Affairs, the Honourable Tony Clement, President of the Treasury Board, Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario, and Member of Parliament for Parry Sound–Muskoka, will attend a dedication ceremony for the newly erected Algonquin Regiment Monument in Parry Sound, Ontario. Minister Clement will speak and lay a wreath at the event (tomorrow afternoon) ….”
MILNEWS.ca News Highlights – September 22, 2012
MILNEWS.ca Blog 