Tag: Ontario

News

Catholic School Board Could Turn Libraries Into “Tech Zones”

Last month the Catholic School Board in Windsor, Ont., decided to eliminate all of its libraries and librarians.

Paul Picard, the director of the school board, recently changed this decision, saying the libraries just need to be “retooled.”

They wanted to get rid of the libraries to save money, since the school board in Windsor was hit hard by the recession.

The goal was to make libraries less book-centered, instead putting the books into classrooms throughout the school and making the library a tech-zone. The library would become a ‘learning commons area’ and would not need to be a quiet place for reading. The libraries would be a place for research and digital literacy.

Arts Politics

Canada Rocks 4 Japan

Since the earthquake in Japan last month, people around the world have wanted to help. Many people have helped by donating money, clothing, or food.

Artists in Canada and the United States have come up with ways to raise money for Japan. There have been many music concerts in both countries. Recently in Toronto there were three: Canada Rocks 4 Japan, Hope Blossoms Benefit Concert, and Eternal Sunrise Japan Benefit.

A “benefit concert” means that the musicians perform for free, and most of the money made from ticket sales goes to Japanese families affected by the earthquake.

Entertainment Kids

That’s So Weird – Uh, Funny!

Sometimes weird can be good.

Weird can be funny too, as demonstrated on the popular YTV show That’s So Weird. The Canadian television show is a sketch comedy program about a group of teenagers working at a fictional television station called So Weird TV.

That’s So Weird has been running for two seasons. The episodes are made up of silly commercials and even sillier television shows. Skits include spoofs of real-life TV programs like Degrassi: The Next Generation, This Is Daniel Cook and the UFC. They have even poked fun at the Twilight movies and Glee.

Entertainment Lighter

Bieber’s In “Shoe” Business

The Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto recently added a pair of Justin Bieber’s shoes to its collection. The shoes, which he wore in a concert, are on exhibit in a glass case. Dozens of Bieber fans visited the museum last week to look at the famous singer’s shoes.

Bieber’s shoes are in good company. Other shoes in the museum belong to John Lennon, Marilyn Monroe, Queen Victoria and Terry Fox.

Bieber had donated the shoes to a California children’s charity, which put them up for auction to raise money. The Bata Shoe Museum had the winning bid.

It isn’t the first time Bieber’s shoes have been in the news. He recently donated a signed shoe to his old high school, Northwestern Secondary in Stratford, Ont. They sold the bright purple Nike running shoe to raise money for a new broadcast studio.

News

Students Don’t Want Cellphones In Class: Survey

Recently, a survey was done to find out what highschool students think is important.

The survey was done by the Ontario Student Trustees’ Association. more than 2,600 students, mostly in Grade 12, were asked their opinions on many issues. The survey was done through Facebook and e-mail.

Here is what students said:

* Cellphones should not be allowed in the classroom. Less than one-third of all of the students surveyed said cellphones should be used in class as an educational tool.

Entertainment Lighter

The Chicken Channel

You may know that every year around Christmas many cable TV providers, like Rogers, offer their subscribers a “Fireplace Channel.” When you turn to the channel your screen fills with a burning firelog. It makes your TV look like a fireplace.

Now they’ve gone even further. Rogers is offering the “Rotisserie Channel.” A rotisserie is a barbeque pole that turns, to cook meat over a flame.

Entertainment

Justin Bieber Has A New ‘Do – And He’s Dating!

Justin Bieber got a haircut.
Yes, there – we’ve said it. Justin Bieber has cut his hair.

The famous teen idol was shorn on celebrity gossip TV show TMZ, changing his famous hairdo from lanky locks to more of a tousled bed-hair look.
Whether you love him or you hate him, you’ve got to admit that the Stratford, Ont. native has a lot of power. After all, who else’s locks could sell for $7,000 (and counting) on eBay?

Sports

Young Canadian Makes Tennis History

At the young age of 20, Milos Raonic has become Canada’s highest ranked tennis player, ever. Raonic is from Thornhill, Ont.

He jumped from 156 at the end of last year to number 37 with an incredible two-week run that included a win at San Jose and a closely played loss to the number-one seed Andy Roddick in Memphis last weekend.

He didn’t get to where he is by luck–he’s gotten here by hard work, says his mother. She told CBC Radio this morning that her son has practiced long and hard to get where he is. In fact, when he started out he wasn’t even good enough to play with the other kids his age. The coach said he had to improve if he wanted to join the other kids. So that’s what he did, playing before and after school and on weekends until he was good enough to be allowed to work with a coach.

Animals Technology

“Barcode” Of A Beaver On CN Tower

Canada is leading the way in “barcoding” all animals on earth.

Scientists around the world are undertaking a massive project to help protect animals. And Canadians (in fact, Torontonians) are leading the way.

One day, the project will allow you to point your camera phone at an animal or a bug and a screen will pop up with the name of the species and a description of it.