Category / National news

by Krystle K.

Quebecor to make bid to enter wireless market

By KRYSTLE CHOW
Published on the Ottawa Business Journal website.
Apr. 17, 2007

Click here to view this article on OttawaBusinessJournal.com.

Quebecor Inc. is looking at making a major investment in third-generation mobile services in Quebec and will be bidding in the upcoming wireless spectrum auction, chief executive Pierre Peladeau said in a speech Tuesday.

Mr. Peladeau made the announcement during a speech to the Canadian Club of Ottawa, stressing the need for competition in the wireless industry and calling for Industry Canada to make it easier for companies like Quebecor to compete against “the oligopoly of three companies – Bell, Telus and Rogers.”

Quebecor, which owns the country’s third-largest cable company Vidéotron Ltée through its Québecor Media division, has been expanding into the phone market with cable-based Internet protocol technology, as well as offering cellphone services through Rogers Communications Inc.’s wireless network.

Mr. Peladeau said Canada’s wireless industry has fallen behind Continue reading →

by Krystle K.

High-school dropout rates tumble across Canada

By KRYSTLE CHOW
Published on the CanWest News Service wire, in the National Post (pg. A10), the Ottawa Citizen (pg. A7), the Regina Leader-Post (pg. A3), the Saskatoon StarPhoenix (pg. C10), the Vancouver Sun (pg. A4), and the Victoria Times Colonist (pg. A7).
Dec. 17 2005

OTTAWA – High-school dropout rates across Canada have declined significantly since the early 1990s, with the most dramatic changes happening in the Atlantic provinces, where the numbers fell from the highest in the country to among the lowest, a Statistics Canada report said Friday. Continue reading →

by Krystle K.

Canadians over 65 to be double the number of kids under 15

By KRYSTLE CHOW
Published on the CanWest News Service wire, in the Calgary Herald (pg. A13), the Montreal Gazette (pg. A19), the Nanaimo Daily News (pg. A9), the National Post (pg. A12, all but Ottawa, Toronto & Vancouver), the Ottawa Citizen (pg. A8), the Saskatoon Star Phoenix (pg. B8), the Vancouver Sun (pg. A3), and the Windsor Star (pg. D10).
Dec. 16 2005

OTTAWA – In 25 years, Canada’s population of seniors 65 and older could be more than double the number of children under 15, a Statistics Canada report says.

Although the country’s population is expected to swell to nearly 40 million by 2031, so will the proportion of seniors, who are projected to make up about 23 to 25 per cent of the total population in 2031. Continue reading →

by Krystle K.

Any bump in youth vote worth celebrating: No magic formula for attracting young voters

By KRYSTLE CHOW
Published on the CanWest News Service wire and in the Ottawa Citizen (pg. A6).
Dec. 15 2005


Sarah Green, left, Johanna Mazur and Olive Dempsey worked with Get Your Vote On in last year’s provincial election in British Columbia. Ms. Dempsey credits the group’s efforts for a bump in voter turnout among young people.
Photo by STEVE BOSCH
for the Vancouver Sun.

OTTAWA – Considering the low voter turnout among young Canadians, youth groups say any increase for this federal election — however small — should be deemed a victory.

As they gear up for the Jan. 23 vote, they said there is no magic formula for turning around the dismal turnout in the June 2004 vote — fewer than four in 10 eligible voters aged 18 to 21 cast a ballot.

Still, representatives for such organizations as Vancouver-based Get Your Vote On and Student Vote, a Toronto group, said they are optimistic their efforts to win over young voters will mean higher numbers than the 38 per cent recorded last year by Elections Canada.

Party youth wings and young MPs are also doing their bit, using new technology to reach out to tech-savvy young people, as well as tried-and-true methods like visiting schools and universities.

“Politics is no longer just an old person’s game,” said Richard Diamond, president of the Young Liberals of Canada.
Continue reading →

by Krystle K.

A debate primer: Where the parties stand on the issues

Compiled by KIRSTEN SMITH, CARLY WEEKS and KRYSTLE CHOW
Published on the CanWest News Service wire, in the Ottawa Citizen (pg. A6), and in the Vancouver Sun (pg. A6).
Dec. 15, 2005

OTTAWA – Debate issues: Prior to tonight’s debate, the parties have been advised of six issues where they might be questioned. However, only four topics will be chosen for discussion during the debate. Continue reading →

by Krystle K.

Salesman stalking me, claims terrified cabby

By BEH YUEN HUI and KRYSTLE CHOW
Published in The Star in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
July 2003

KUALA LUMPUR – A seemingly innocent friendship between two men turned sour when one of them began making sexual advances towards the other.

The 45-year-old victim, K.O. Teng, was distressed when the salesman started stalking him and tried to break up his marriage so that the two of them could be together.

Taxi driver Teng claimed that the 37-year-old salesman wanted to see him every day and would call up to 30 times a day until he promised to go out with him.

Teng also claimed that the salesman peeped at him while he was in the bathroom. Continue reading →