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Good news report from Canada

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7 February 2009

31 January was the 31st day of the seventh month of the 3rd year of Canadian national consciousness rising to invincibility.

Dr William Overall, National Director of the Global Country of World Peace in Canada, presented highlights of news reports reflecting Canada's rising invincibility from Yogic Flying groups across Canada and the large Invincible America Assembly at Maharishi University of Management and Maharishi Vedic City, USA.

Extensive scientific research has documented the Maharishi Effect of rising coherence, harmony, and peace created in the collective consciousness of a nation by large groups of Yogic Flyers. The effect has been found to extend beyond national borders when the group is of sufficient size.

Following are press reports featured in Dr Overall's presentation:

31 January 2009

The Canadian Press - Stockwell Day is optimistic about a stalled global free trade deal (31 January 2009) There is renewed hope talks towards a global free trade deal may be revived, International Trade Minister Stockwell Day said Saturday. As business and political leaders meet for the 39th World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, 18 ministers responsible for commerce from countries in Europe, the Americas and Asia met on the sidelines to try and jumpstart the so-called Doha round of World Trade Organization talks that have been stalled since July. Day left Saturday's meeting feeling optimistic. 'I can say that right around the table, it was unanimous that we not only want to see the Doha round completed and getting it reopened, but people felt it was not unrealistic to think it could happen,' he said. Quebec Premier Jean Charest, who is also in Davos, said any renewed interest in a world free trade pact didn't threaten a possible one-on-one deal with the European Union. Charest met with Czech President and current EU leader Vaclav Klaus and maintained the partnership project between Canada and Europe was still in the works. 'We foresee more than a simple free-trade agreement because it would include collaboration, and new institutional co-operation between universities, research centres,' Charest said. Above and beyond a traditional tariff-based free trade agreement, the accord could also involve labour mobility and more investment. Day is hopeful the first phase of negotiations will be finished by May, in time for a scheduled Canada-EU summit.

CBC News on Alberta premier and opposition leader agree on need to tone down rhetoric (31 January 2009) Alberta's premier and the new leader of the opposition have vowed to improve the level of debate in the legislature. Premier Ed Stelmach and Liberal Leader David Swann met this week and say behaviour in the chamber needs to change. Each promised they would let their caucuses know that it is time to tone down the partisan rhetoric in the house. 'We both agree that respectful relations is the foundation for good public policy,' Swann said.

The Calgary Herald - Tax breaks offered to homeowners (31 January 2009) As part of the federal budget released this week, homeowners undertaking renovations will be able to claim a maximum tax credit of C$1,350 from additions and upgrades made to their homes. Tthe Home Renovation Tax Credit will let people claim 15 per cent of renovations that cost between C$1,000 and C$10,000 until Feb. 1 of next year. The government says the program could provide about C$3 billion in tax relief to 4.6 million families. For those getting into home ownership for the first time, they will benefit from a pair of measures presented as part of the budget. The first one is a First-Time Home Buyers' Tax Credit which would help offset legal fees and land-transfer taxes. For homes bought after Jan. 27, a 15-per-cent tax credit would apply on expenditures of up to C$5,000—a maximum tax savings of C$750. In addition, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced a new withdrawal limit for the Home Buyers' Plan, which allows tax-free withdrawals from RRSPs for the purpose of buying that first home. The new withdrawal limit would be C$25,000, up from C$20,000. Canadian Home Builders' Association president John Hrynkow says the industry will benefit from the funding for core infrastructure, renovation tax credit, tax credit for first-time homebuyers and expansion of the home energy retrofit initiative (C$300 million over two years for energy retrofits for 200,000 homes).

The Canadian Press - Raw milk safe and nutritious when locally produced, say its advocates (31 January 2009) Debate over whether raw milk is healthy or hazardous is like comparing apples and oranges, say advocates who argue how safe it is all depends on the size of the herd. They say small, well-managed dairy farms are different from large-scale producers. Gathering in Toronto at the International Raw Milk Symposium, they professed science backs their stance as they showed support for Michael Schmidt, a dairy farmer in Durham, Ont., currently being tried for allegedly dispensing milk straight from the cow, rather than adhering to regulations that all milk sold in Canada be pasteurized. The group flanking him, including microbiologists, a pathologist and other experts, say locally sourced foods, where quality trumps quantity, is the key to health safety. They argue it's a David versus Goliath battle that sees small-time farmers losing out to massive commercial enterprises. 'I believe it would be an easy step [to] develop protocols around the safe handling of farm-fresh milk,' said renowned chef and ardent local food supporter Jamie Kennedy. Studies showing the appearance of hazardous bacteria in raw milk are inadequate as evidence against that product because they analyze milk meant for pasteurization and likely coming from a large herd of cows, said Schmidt. 'When you know that your house gets cleaned every day by someone else, you don't [care]: you walk in with your boots,' he said. 'When you know that you have to clean your own house, you take off your shoes.' In other words, he said, milk prepared by a farmer for raw consumption is wholly distinct from milk its producer knows will be treated to remove contaminants. Dr. Ted Beals, a pathologist from the University of Michigan, pointed to several European studies showing that children who drank raw milk were protected from asthma and were less afflicted by cold-type symptoms. A variety of nutritious vitamins and enzymes are also destroyed or reduced through the pasteurization process, he said.

The Financial Post - Atlantic Canadians happy to work (31 January 2009) According to Sun Life Financial, many Atlantic Canadians now expect to work longer for positive reasons, such as remaining mentally active and enjoying the people they work with, but they are also concerned about their financial readiness for retirement. 'Interestingly, in pinpointing their primary reason for working past age 65, as many people singled out lifestyle reasons as those who indicated financial reasons,' says Dean Connor, president, Sun Life Financial Canada. In the survey, 69% of Atlantic Canadians rated their personal health highly and 74% rated their overall level of happiness highly.

The Financial Post - Banks roll out welcome (31 January 2009) Baskar Rao and his wife, Shisma, have lived in Canada for all of two weeks. Despite leaving behind their home, family, friends and well-established careers in India—he's a chartered accountant, she's a software engineer—the Raos admit the culture shock hasn't been as jolting as they imagined. They stepped off the plane on a Friday and walked into a local Bank of Nova Scotia on Saturday. 'Within 24 hours of arriving,' Mr. Rao says, 'we had our social security numbers, our credit cards and a bank account.' To show their support of multicultural customers, Canadian banks are increasingly catering their services to new immigrants like the Raos, a population that grows by about 250,000 a year in Canada. They focus mostly on Asian markets—roughly 50% of new Canadians are from China or South Asia. By 2030, according to StatsCan, when the Baby Boomers have exited the workforce, immigrants will account for 100% of our labour force growth and population growth. 'Moving to a new country is a very overwhelming experience,' says Manisha Burman, director of multicultural markets at Royal Bank of Canada, herself a daughter of Indian immigrants. 'You have to adjust to a new socio-economic life; it takes new Canadians five to 10 years to catch up to their peers, and we try to support them through that transition.' It's a competitive market; RBC boasts service in 150 different languages, Bank of Montreal has branches in China and Scotiabank recently launched a partnership with India's second-largest private bank, HDFC Bank, which allowed Mr. Rao to establish a relationship with them before the big move. 'Immigrants have a great thirst for financial knowledge,' says Srini Iyengar, BMO director of multicultural markets, who immigrated to Canada from Calcutta 30 years ago. Employees at the banks who trained in multicultural relations will help a new Canadian with everything from opening bank accounts to giving advice on how to get a driver's licence, preparing taxes, even deciding where to live or send their kids to school. RBC's Community Corner website ( communitycorner.ca) provides details on the demographic and cultural makeup of most communities in Canada. Before they even arrive, immigrants can check out neighbourhoods, including home values, and find cultural communities they want to be close to. For most immigrants, their child's education is a top priority. One of the most popular financial products for new Canadians, the banks say, is RESPs (Registered Education Savings Plans). Most banks also publish guidebooks in different languages to help newcomers navigate their new lives, including Scotiabank's 300-page Arrival Survival Guide, written by the co-founders of Canadian Immigrant magazine. Regardless of culture, the numbers show that once they get the hang of how things work here, new Canadians are better savers, more conscientious spenders and more likely to hold investment incomes than native-born Canadians.

For further information on creating invincibility for your nation, please visit: www.globalgoodnews.com/invincibility.

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For information about Maharishi's seven-point programme to create a healthy, happy, prosperous society, and a peaceful world, please visit: Global Financial Capital of New York.

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