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On a hill overlooking the Fraser Valley in Mission, British Columbia is a remarkable center of life, prayer, work, hope, and peace known as Westminster Abbey. Considered to be Mission's most famous landmark, with its striking bell tower and austere yet modern church, this renowned Benedictine monastery attracts thousands of visitors annually. Why do so many people make the journey up the hill in such great numbers? What are they seeking? Whom are they seeking?Monasticism, though still a curiosity, is more and more an attractive curiosity. Monasticism sinks its roots into the real world of God by seeking an...

Scientists have revealed insights into a peculiar, phallus-shaped creature discovered at a fossil site in Canada. The animal has been identified as Spartobranchus tenuis, a species from the Cambrian period that was previously unknown to science. The odd-looking creature was an ancient relative of acorn worms that exist today, according to researchers. Their study, published in the journal Nature, is the first full description of the prehistoric animal. Remains of soft-bodied worms were found in the Burgess Shale fossil beds in Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada throughout the last century. But now researchers studying the 505 million years old...

VANCOUVER, February 25, 2013, (LifeSiteNews.com) - The British Columbia Parents and Teachers for Life (BCPTL) organization is warning parents that the BC Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) plans to use the "Day of Pink" on February 27 to indoctrinate school children with "a pro-homosexuality message." The BCPTL points out that under the heading Day of Pink on its website, the BC Teachers' Federation "pays lip service to preventing the bullying of all students," then goes on to give suggestions for school activities which "make crystal-clear what they think the objectives of the day ought to be." These activities include focusing on "gender...

Researchers at Oregon State University report their studies suggest salmon use magnetism to find their way to their home rivers during spawning migrations. Sockeye salmon typically swim as much as 4,000 miles into the ocean and then, years later, can navigate back to the upstream reaches of the river in which they were born to spawn their young, they said. Writing in the journal Current Biology, the researchers suggest salmon find those home rivers by sensing the river's unique magnetic signature. They studied the routes salmon had taken from their ocean destinations, mostly near Alaska or the Aleutian Islands in...

  "German Islamists Target Youth on the Internet" By Christoph Sydow 11/01/2012 "Translated from the German by Christopher Sultan." PHOTO CAPTION: "A growing community of German-speaking Islamists has developed on the Internet. Aiming to find new recruits, they glorify jihad and call for attacks on Germany. A new study warns that such online propaganda might foster a new generation of terrorists." SNIPPET: "International terrorist groups like al-Qaida recognized the importance of the Internet for recruiting new supporters early on." SNIPPET: "Intelligence services can also take advantage of the anonymity of Internet forums to deliberately plant false information or obtain insider...

<p>The Alaska Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer issued a tsunami warning Saturday evening for Southeast Alaska and the British Columbia coast minutes after a strong earthquake struck the region.</p>

So much for Santa Claus, who could turn up slim and gluten-free at any moment. A new version of the classic “A Visit from St. Nicholas” edits out all references to Mr. Claus‘ pipe smoking in the beloved old poem, rewritten by Pamela McColl, a writer and smoking-cessation advocate in Vancouver, Canada, who deleted two verses penned in 1823 by original author Clement Moore, for “the benefit of children in the 21st century,” she says. Vanished: “The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, and the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.” Santa now explains...

In Canada we have a strange tradition of "spreading the wealth around." Provinces are divided into "Have" and "Have-Not" categories, and the federal government redistributes wealth from the Haves to the Have-Nots. Aren't you glad you're an American? But hold on. It gets worse. Sometimes, when politicians in a province think they're not getting enough redistributed wealth from the feds, their premier (equivalent to your state governor) will move heaven and earth to get a better deal. Such is the case right now, as the premier of the province of British Columbia (B.C.) is using every phony environmental concern in...

This 837-mile route, known simply as The Highway of Tears, strikes terror into the hearts of millionsWITH its breathtaking lake views and snowy mountain backdrop, Canada’s Highway 16 is one of the world’s most picturesque roads. But this 837-mile route through British Columbia strikes terror into the hearts of millions after a spate of unsolved murders. To them it is known simply as The Highway of Tears – the hunting ground of a prolific serial killer. The only hint that it is any different from any other stretch of road in Canada are the Missing Person posters stapled to lampposts....

Legends and bits of evidence tell a story of Asians arriving here long, long ago. Part one of two. "Even pale ink is better than memory." -- Chinese proverbAs the tide creeps over the sand flats of Pachena Bay south of Bamfield, it brings ashore the flotsam of the Pacific that -- on occasion -- hints at extraordinary travels and a mystery of historic proportions. Amid the kelp, in decades past, hundreds of green-glass fishing floats would arrive intact on the Vancouver Island coast, having ridden the powerful Japanese Current in year-long transits from Asia. But on rare occasions, entire...

Although wireless Internet can be found everywhere from your corner coffee shop to your local dog park, a growing group of concerned parents across the country are urging health officials to keep it out of one place: schools. And if this year was any indication, the chorus of opposition to the popular technology and its potential health effects is gaining momentum. In September, at least 12 elementary and middle schools in Ontario and B.C. imposed sweeping bans on wireless Internet by not installing it or removing it completely from their classrooms. In May, the World Health Organization reclassified the radio...

A national organization located in British Columbia is seeking to expose what they argue are the lies, seduction, and criminal activity at the heart of the homosexual agenda being pushed on students in Canadian schools. Out in Schools touts itself as an “outreach initiative” that “harnesses the powerful medium of film and video to engage to engage youth and educators on issues related to homophobia and violence.” The initiative works towards “the promotion of safer and more diverse communities, free from discrimination and bullying.” But the truth behind the OIS initiative, said (Kari) Simpson (President of Culture Guard, an organization...

A wilderness and ecology guide believes Bigfoots by the dozen could be roaming the wilderness of southern Alberta and parts of British Columbia. Todd Standing says he has photographic proof that such creatures exist after snapping a photo of something in the Banff area with human-like features on its hairy face.

VANCOUVER—Another foot has washed ashore in Vancouver, police said Tuesday.Tuesday’s discovery marks the eighth foot to be found on the B.C. coast since August 2007. Three more have washed up in nearby Washington.Vancouver police Const. Jana McGuinness said that a person reported finding “the remains of what appear to be a human foot and leg bones in a running shoe” on Tuesday afternoon.“The shoe was found floating in the water next to the Plaza of Nations marina in False Creek,” she said in a news release.Police and officials from the BC Coroner’s Service are investigating the discovery.“There is no indication...

Just saw it promoted. They can't hold it in any longer.

The Commonwealth Fund has another one of its surveys showing how health care in the U.S. is so much worse when compared with so many other nations. A debate on what health care system is best is well worth having. But it’s hard to take such a debate seriously when the senior vice president for the Commonwealth Fund, Cathy Schoen, makes remarks like this:

FOURTEEN black bears that had grown accustomed to a quiet life in the company of an eccentric pair of cannabis farmers may have to be destroyed. The bears have acquired a taste for dog food. Deep in the mountains of British Columbia, but only a few kilometres north of the rapidly expanding marijuana markets of the US, a detachment of Royal Canadian Mounted Police stumbled on the docile and apparently good-natured bears while raiding a remote cabin on a tip-off late last month. They also found a pot-bellied pig rummaging for food with the bears near the cabin above Christina...

NOTE The following text is a quote: Fugitive Captured at Border with Counterfeit Document (Wednesday, July 07, 2010) contacts for this news release Blaine, Wash. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers apprehended a Salvadoran man who was wanted in Dallas, Texas, for alleged assault causing bodily injury to a family member on July 3 as he attempted to enter the U.S. at the Pacific Highway port of entry. CBP officers immediately became suspicious of Francisco Oswald Gallardo, 45, when he presented a counterfeit permanent resident card for identification. Often referred to as a green card, a permanent resident card...

As early as the end of this year, you might be able to hop into your plug-in electric car and drive to Portland, Ore., or Vancouver, B.C., without worrying about finding a charging station. The state has received federal economic stimulus funds to build four or five charging stations along the I-5 corridor from Canada to Oregon. The $1.32 million would ultimately pay for seven to 10 stations on I-5 and I-90. If all goes as planned, Washington will be the first state to have a series of coordinated electric charging stations spanning its borders, said Tonia Buell, a spokeswoman...

A high school student from California is dead after falling 30 metres from a viewing platform into a rocky canyon at the Capilano Suspension Bridge in North Vancouver. The teenage boy reportedly fell from a viewing platform on the west side of the canyon at around 7 p.m. Sunday. Rescue crews were able to reach the boy quickly, but he was not alive by the time they arrived, according to RCMP Inspector Davis Wendell. "Emergency responders attended the scene and undertook a very difficult high-angle rescue attempt. Unfortunately the male in question had fallen to his death," said Wendell. It...

Enjoy breathtaking scenery without the winding roads and gnarled trafficOn a sunny and clear day, is there any scenery in the world more breathtaking than the towering mountains and sparkling waters that surround you as you travel up the Sea to Sky Highway? However, throw in bumper-to-bumper traffic and unexpected delays and the journey can be less than relaxing. Well, what if you could slow down and really enjoy that beautiful scenery without the worry of the car in front or behind you and the twists and turns of the highway? What if you could actually relax and make the...

You’ve probably heard of Geert Wilders, the “far right” Dutch politician currently on trial in Amsterdam for offending Islam. But have you heard of Guy Earle? He’s a Canadian stand-up comedian currently on trial in Vancouver for offending lesbians. Two lesbians in particular. They came to a late-night comedy show he was hosting and got a table near the stage. They were drunk, and began disrupting the act, and so he did the old Don Rickles thing and put down the hecklers. So, naturally, the aggrieved party went to the British Columbia “Human Rights” Tribunal, and Mr Earle has now...

The Canadian Press VANCOUVER — SNIPPET: "Khaled Nawaya, a flight instructor, was arrested by Canada Border Services agents when they found $800,000 in gold coins and other currency in his car and pockets on Oct. 6, as he crossed into Surrey, B.C., near Vancouver." SNIPPET: "He'd been living in the U.S. since he was 17 and had gained approval for permanent residency in Canada. Besides the gold, Canadian agents found a ring bearing the insignia of Hezbollah, which has been listed as a terrorist organization by the Canadian government since 2002. They also seized 9/11 conspiracy theory-themed DVDs and a...

SNIPPET: "Would-be migrants who were found aboard a vessel headed for British Columbia may have each paid $45,000 for the trip. The men, believed to be Tamils from Sri Lanka, remain in custody as Immigration Canada determines their identity. The ship, called the Ocean Lady, was seized by RCMP last Friday. Another vessel carrying Sir Lankans was caught off the coast of Australia last week, and the passengers said they had paid smugglers $15,000 to board the ship. One man told a reporter about the Ocean Lady, and said he had wanted to board that vessel instead, but it was...

Just starting... get interested!

Health Care Systems: A return to private health care is rising from the grass roots north of the border. While we rush headlong toward socialized medicine, Canadians are saying, "No, thanks — been there, done that." We recently told the story of Ava Isabella Stinson, born 13 weeks premature at St. Joseph's hospital in Hamilton, Ontario. She weighed all of two pounds and had no time to be put on a waiting list. But there were no open neonatal intensive care beds for her at St. Joseph's or anywhere else in the entire province of Ontario it seems. Canada's perfectly...

Medical Care: A leaked report shows that Vancouver's health authority is considering cutting thousands of surgeries to balance the budget. However organized, government-run health care inevitably leads to rationing.Defenders of ObamaCare continually point out that their plan is not like Canada's, that holding that country's system up as an example of impending medical doom is invalid. Canada's system is different. Instead of having a single national plan, Canada's national health insurance, a kind of public option, is composed of 13 interlocking provincial and territorial plans, all framed under the Canada Health Act. But based on a report leaked to the...

Health Reform: A critically ill premature baby is moved to a U.S hospital to get the treatment she couldn't get in the system we're told we should emulate. Cost-effective care? In Canada, as elsewhere, you get what you pay for.Ava Isabella Stinson was born last Thursday at St. Joseph's hospital in Hamilton, Ontario. Weighing only two pounds, she was born 13 weeks premature and needed some very special care. Unfortunately, there were no open neonatal intensive care beds for her at St. Joseph's — or anywhere else in the entire province of Ontario, it seems.

Note: Photo included. "2 Canadians slain in Mexico tied to drug trade: police 3 gunmen believed responsible for shootings" Last Updated: Monday, September 28, 2009 | 9:56 PM ET The Associated Press SNIPPET: "Gang investigators in British Columbia say two men gunned down in Mexico were involved in the drug trade, and had been on the radar of gang investigators before they were found shot to death in a Puerto Vallarta condo complex."

SNIPPET: "SPOKANE -- Authorities in North Idaho are reporting that sometime early Tuesday morning a small airplane was stolen from the Boundary County Airport. The Boundary County Sheriff confirms they received a report regarding the theft of a 2005 Cessna T182T aircraft around 7 AM Tuesday morning. The aircraft, with tail number N2183P, is a white and blue fixed wing single engine aircraft. It is believed the aircraft was taken from the airport around 5:45 Tuesday. They're not sure in what direction the plane was flown from the airport." SNIPPET: "Authorities are working to confirm if the theft is related...

A toddler has miraculously survived after he drove his toy jeep into a river and then floated nearly eight miles downstream. Demetrius Jones, who turned three yesterday, let himself out of his grandmother's holiday trailer while his family slept and took his battery-operated truck down to the Peace River in British Columbia, where he was swept away by the current. The red miniature Chevrolet Silverado truck flipped over but the boy - who was only wearing a nappy and T-shirt - floated on it, along swirling waters. When his family woke up and realised he was missing police were called...

Three cougars that appeared to be stalking people were shot in Princeton, B.C., during the last two weeks, and a veteran conservation officer says he's never seen anything like it. The first cougar was spotted lurking near a campground in the southern Interior town on July 3... B.C. conservation officer Al Lay shot the big cat out of concern it may have been stalking people. "It was close to residences and campsites on the other side, and it was just one of those situations where it is better safe then sorry.… We just can't take the chance of someone being...

PRINCETON, British Columbia, July 15 (UPI) -- Three cougars shot in the past two weeks after being spotted apparently stalking people is a rare occurrence in Canada, a conservation officer says. One of the big cats was killed by a conservation officer July 3 near a campground in Princeton, British Columbia, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Tuesday. The second was shot by a Princeton area man after being seen following two girls tubing down a river. The next day, a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer killed a third cougar spotted hanging around a softball tournament.

Vancouver — Two citizens of Pakistan, one of whom had a British Columbia driver's licence, are being held by U.S. authorities in Seattle after their names showed up on an antiterrorist "no-fly list" when they tried to book one-way flights to New York. They were nabbed at the Sea-Tac International Airport on Saturday night, less than 12 hours after a curious incident in Vancouver in which a drug suspect plunged to his death from a seventh-floor apartment balcony as he tried to flee a police raid. The RCMP confirmed yesterday that its antiterrorism unit is investigating whether the dead man...

Mounties have shot a woman in a wheelchair dead after she gunned down two people inside a Gibsons nursing home. One of the woman's victims is dead and the other has been taken to St. Paul's Hospital by helicopter. The incident occurred at about 4:30 p.m. at Good Samaritan Christensen Village nursing home after two employees approached the wheelchair-bound resident. The woman allegedly shot them with a rifle. She may have also had a handgun on her, according to witnesses. Residents identified the woman to The Province as Linda, 40. They said she had been acting erratically after being served...

"On Monday evening Melvina's mother heard an awful racket/strange and loud noise coming from the back of her property. It certainly did frighten her as the sound was so very unusual and the dogs certainly were going wild over what was happening. She contacted her daughter and Melvina came down the next day to look into what took. She put on a set of snow shoes and headed out into the forest. In the open areas, (not under any trees) the snow would have been approximately a foot and a half in depth. Under the trees the snow pack was...

January 23, 2009 Note: The following text is a quote: http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel09/fugitive012309.htm Possible Sighting of FBI Fugitive in British Columbia The FBI is working with Canadian authorities to confirm the possible sighting of one of its Domestic Terrorism fugitives. Last November, the Bureau announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of four eco-terrorists known as “The Family.” Rebecca Rubin, one of the four fugitives, was spotted by a tipster who may have seen her near her hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia. We received several tips about all of the fugitives as a result of the publicity. Some of...

When dozens of white sturgeon began washing up dead on the banks of British Columbia's Fraser River in the mid-1990s, some feared that North America's largest freshwater fish could be headed toward extinction. Once plentiful in the river, the sturgeon population had dropped below 40,000, and scientists were unable to explain the die-offs of mostly female fish. That's when an alliance of government agencies, environmentalists, aboriginal groups, and commercial and recreational fishers came together to save the sturgeon, spurring a robust recovery of the lower Fraser River population.

The teenager behind a "Kick a Ginger" group on Facebook is being investigated by police after reports of attacks on redhead children. Nearly 5,000 people joined the online campaign which urged members to "get them steel toes ready" for a day of booting this week. The website appears to have been inspired by a recent episode of the cartoon South Park, in which a young character called Cartman describes people with red hair as evil and soulless. Dozens of children left messages on the page claiming to have carried out attacks on "National Kick a Ginger Day" on Thursday,...

British Columbia Harry had a large UFO incident which took place on August 31, 2008 at approximately 1:30 a.m. when he was on a week's holiday. All of a sudden the object jumped from a stationary position it appeared to rise up and drop down again. He said the object went from a stop, then made about a 20 foot jump into the air in a split second, it jumped again and this time it made an estimated jump of approximately 50 to 60 feet and then it kept jumping at greater distances.

Having tolls removed from a major route in British Columbia, Canada, has taken some of the sting out of the cost of operating a trucking business in that province, but there’s still plenty of sting to go around. In late September, the government removed a $20 truck toll and $10 passenger vehicle toll from the Coquihalla Highway, which connects the city of Hope to Kamloops, B.C., in the Canadian West. Provincial officials said that truckers were pleased with the move, and they were. “Given the price of fuel, truckers are very happy with this,” Bridgitte Anderson, spokeswoman for British Columbia...

Bear jumps on boat, mauls man Published Thursday September 11th, 2008 A7 By SCOTT SUTHERLAND The Canadian Press VICTORIA - Salmon fishermen are no longer throwing fish guts on shore for black bears around Port Renfrew, B.C. after one climbed onto a dock, jumped into a man's boat and mauled him. "All the bears in Port Renfrew are pretty docile," said fire Chief Dan Tennant. "They're more afraid of people than people are of them and normally turn and high-tail it when they see people.'' He said he first thought the bear attack call received by his department and an...

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Canada is a cultural dichotomy. We are a collection of very singular and – dare I say? – distinct peoples who have very little in common, yet are feebly tied together through pseudo-patriotic themes such as beer commercials and donut shops. Confederation, that wonderfully impossible concept of complete and total Canadian national unity, has never worked and never will. One trip to a different part of the country proves that unequivocally. That is what became apparent to me during my camping venture in British Columbia.....

Parents seek to stop candy throwing at parades Some British Columbia in are trying to end the practice of throwing candy from floats during parades.   DAWSON CREEK, B.C. — Some British Columbia in are trying to end the practice of throwing candy from floats during parades.The campaign in Dawson Creek is the latest effort by people concerned about children bolting into the parade to scoop up the sweets. Efforts to end candy tossing have been adopted in Kamloops, Prince George and Fort St. John.A Fort St. John town council member and parade marshal, Larry Evans, says float drivers...

How are thing? I mean, really – how are things going for you? I’ve been hearing some…well, disturbing things lately and I just wanted to touch base and see if you were okay.....

 Human rights complaint over comic's lesbian remarksUpdated Thu. Jun. 26 2008 11:13 PM ETCTV.ca News StaffA Toronto comedian facing a B.C. Human Rights Tribunal hearing says offensive comments he made to two Vancouver lesbians were simply an attempt to stop them from heckling him on stage."I don't hate anybody based on their sexual orientation, or whatever, but I do hate hecklers and sometimes I get a little vehement," Guy Earle says in a radio interview posted on YouTube.Earle said he was hosting a weekly open-mic night in a restaurant on March 22, 2007 when the two women moved up...

Turbaned Sikhs in B.C. contest mandatory hard hat rule at sawmill Posted by Michael Rollins, The Oregonian April 01, 2008 06:59AM   Kalwant Singh Sahota Sikhs in Canada have won several key battles over religious attire. For example, Sikhs can wear turbans instead of the familiar Royal Canadian Mounted Police hats. But what about a sawmill? Isn't this easily a safety issue? It might be, except the two Sikhs who filed a human rights complaints have been working there for years without hard hats and have suddenly been required to don them. The Vancouver Sun's Kim Bolan is expert...

  Sturgeon goes on and on   Reel-y big ... Nick and George with their monster catch  Published: Today       TWO British anglers got a reel shock while boat fishing in Canada – when they caught a TEN FOOT long sturgeon. Nick Calleya, 36, and George Carstairs, 42, took an hour to land the 500lb fish – thought to be more than 100 years old. Nick, of Cubert, Cornwall, and George, of Aberdeen, caught it on Fraser River in British Columbia, Canada. Nick said: “It was so strong it was lifting George off his seat.”

Driving 11 miles over the speed limit cost one driver more than a quarter-million dollars this weekend — at least for now. A State Patrol trooper spotted a Honda Accord speeding southbound on Interstate 5 on Friday, according to State Patrol spokesman Jeff Merrill. It was raining, and the driver was cruising down the freeway at 71 mph. So the trooper pulled the driver over, Merrill said. The 35-year-old from British Columbia, who had a valid driver's license, struggled to tell the trooper where he was going and how long he had been in Washington, prompting the trooper to search...

The insistence of a Washington state couple that they have a right to build a four-foot concrete wall along 80 feet of the 1,270-mile-long U.S.-Canada boundary in the West has cost a U.S. member of the International Joint Commission his job, according to reports appearing last week in the Canadian news media. If the incident did nothing else, it gave Canadians (prone always to accept the dicta of officialdom) an inkling of how things work on the other side of the border. Apparently, it all started because Herbert and Shirley Ann Leu of Blaine, Wash., couldn't prevent dogs escaping from...