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A holiday to remember for MacKinnon philip croucher

First game out of the way

Nathan MacKinnon was held off the scoresheet against Finland, and so was his Halifax Mooseheads teammate Jonathan Drouin. The two spent part of the game playing on the team’s second line. • “It was a pretty solid game,” MacKinnon said

philip.croucher@metronews.ca

Nathan MacKinnon will wake up Christmas morning far away from the comforts of home. He will open his eyes in a Russian hotel room next to a teammate, who like him, is spending the holidays thousands of miles from the family gatherings and traditions he’s come to love. Still, there is no place MacKinnon would rather be this holiday season. That’s because the 17-year-old Cole Harbour standout with the Halifax Mooseheads is fulfilling a dream of his — one shared by most teenagers who lace up the skates — to play for Can-

ada at the world junior hockey championship. “It’s different, but I’m doing something that I love. I’m having a lot of fun,” he said Thursday by phone after playing in Canada’s first exhibition game, a 3-2 loss to Finland. “It would be nice to be home for Christmas, but this is an excellent thing.” MacKinnon, who doesn’t turn 18 until September, is the youngest member of Team Canada, but he’s still going into the tournament with plenty of expectations of him. Billed as a potential firstoverall pick in next year’s

in rating his performance and that of the team. “But at the same time, we have to be a little more disciplined and get used to this officiating quickly.” • Canada begins play at the

world juniors in Ufa, Russia, on Boxing Day against Germany.

NHL draft, MacKinnon will be looked upon to come to an event made up of mostly 18- and 19-year-old players and play an important role for Canada. Whatever that role turns out to be, MacKinnon is ready to accept it. With the Mooseheads, he’s on the No. 1 line and getting plenty of powerplay time. With Team Canada, he could be used as a 13th forward and get the odd shift on special teams. “I want to help the team and I want to be an impact player,” said MacKinnon, who sits third in Quebec Ma-

jor Junior Hockey League scoring with 22 goals and 30 assists in 30 games. “But I’m going to do whatever role I’m given and hopefully the team can be successful.” MacKinnon is the first Nova Scotian to play at the world juniors for Canada since 2007 and 2008, when Brad Marchand of Hammonds Plains skated in back-to-back years, each time winning gold. MacKinnon is getting a lot of supportive emails, tweets and Facebook messages from the Halifax area and across the country, something he’s appreciative of. “The fans back in Halifax, and all across Canada, are awesome and very supportive,” he said. “It’s nice to have a whole country behind you.”

Nathan MacKinnon of Cole Harbour is the first Nova Scotian to play for Team Canada since 2008. Larry MacDougall/The Canadian Press

Quoted

“It was a cool experience — a world junior game — it was exciting. And I’m sure every game is going to get more and more exciting.” Nathan MacKinnon on playing for Team Canada Thursday

Finland tops Canada in tune-up game For more on Canada’s loss on Thursday and a look at upcoming group opponents at the world juniors, flip to the sports section page 38

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NEWS

metronews.ca WEEKEND, December 21-23, 2012

NEWS

Dog bite. Owner charged for incident involving 4-year-old The owner of a dog that bit a young girl inside a Cole Harbour home has been charged under HRM’s animal-control bylaws. HRM spokesperson Shaune MacKinlay said Thursday the municipality had obtained a court order to hold the dog while the court process unfolds. The owner will be in court in early January to face a charge of owning a dog that attacked another person. The dog in question, identified as a pit bull, has been held for observation by Public Health officials since the incident on Dec. 9. MacKinlay said the dog’s fate will be decided after the legal process wraps up. RUTH DAVENPORT/METRO

Parking ban. Police issue over 300 winter tickets The warning was issued and some obviously didn’t obey. Halifax Regional Police say 325 overnight winter parking tickets were issued by the six officers brought in when HRM announced the ban was being put into effect Wednesday because of snow in parts of the municipality. Spokesman Const. Pierre Bourdages said the six officers, who are paid overtime for being brought in to enforce the ban, handed out 138 tickets in the East Division (Dartmouth), 89 in Central Division (peninsula) and 98 in West Division (Mainland South and North, Bedford). The total doesn’t include tickets handed out by regular officers on duty, he said, or anyone in Halifax RCMP jurisdictions. The overnight winter parking ban, which was lifted Thursday morning, runs between 1 and 6 a.m. when in effect. Anyone ticketed is handed a $50 fine. PHILIP CROUCHER/METRO

Cars lined up in downtown Halifax. METRO FILE

Tracey Dorrington-Skinner, right, speaks at a news conference at Province House on Thursday as Tony Smith looks on. The pair were both former residents at the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children and joined Liberal leader Stephen McNeil to call on the NDP to hold a public inquiry into alleged abuse at the home. JEFF HARPER/METRO

Calls for inquiry into home persist Home for Colored Children. Former residents, Liberals renew call for public inquiry HALEY RYAN

haley.ryan@metronews.ca

Tony Smith says he will not rest until a public inquiry into the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children has been made, whether it happens under the current government or not. “We see the oppositions

fully supporting a public inquiry, so, you know, politics is like you’re in one day and out the next,” said Smith. “This story isn’t going anywhere.” Liberal Leader Stephen McNeil joined VOICES co-chairs and former residents of the home, Smith and Tracey Dorrington-Skinner, at a press conference Thursday to ask the premier for a public inquiry into alleged abuses at the home, which date back up to 60 years. During the conference, McNeil said an inquiry would examine why social work-

ers didn’t come to the home to monitor care, correct records weren’t kept and how to change the system so it never happens again. McNeil said the Darrell Dexter government is not to blame over the issue, but that the NDP now have a chance to right the wrongs that happened years ago. “What we’re asking them to do is to show the courage that is required to call this inquiry, to allow our fellow citizens to move forward,” said McNeil. “The province of Nova Scotia, all of its citizens ... have a right to know what happened

to those children,” said Irene Smith, executive director of the Avalon Sexual Assault Centre, who attended Thursday’s meeting. Dorrington-Skinner said that hope had been given and taken away multiple times from former residents, such as the recent RCMP investigation, which wrapped up last week with no charges laid. “We’re still hoping but prepared for the worst,” she said regarding the inquiry. When asked if McNeil considers this an election issue, he said no because it’s a “moral issue” for the province.

Alleged abuse. Premier Darrell Dexter says he needs more time to consider public inquiry Premier Darrell Dexter said he needs more time to consider whether he will call for a public inquiry into the alleged abuse at the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children. Dexter offered no timetable for when he’ll make a decision but said his govern-

ment would offer a formal ‘response’ after speaking to various stakeholders. “I want to make sure that the response that we have is done right,” said Dexter to reporters after Thursday’s cabinet meeting. “It is to me more important that it be done right rather than a knee

jerk reaction.” Dexter also said there are a variety of inquiry models he’s considering. “It has to be a thoughtful process for the sake of the people who are making their claims who are wishing to express their angst and complaint over the things that

have happened to them from people who for years provided leadership in the organization,” said Dexter. Police formed a special investigative team in March to look into the claims of abuse, but found insufficient evidence to support charges. ANDREW RANKIN/METRO

news

metronews.ca WEEKEND, December 21-23, 2012

Darrell Dexter It’s been an eventful year for Darrell Dexter’s NDP government, which has weathered a particularly tough fall legislature session. The opposition parties have labelled Dexter and Co. a corporate-welfare government that lacks transparency and accountability. The government is projecting a $277-million deficit. But Dexter says he has set the platform for economic stability and newfound wealth on governmentbacked projects. When are you going to call an election? I said right from the beginning I intend to use as much of the mandate as I feel I need. A year ago, people said, ‘You’re up in the polls: Are you going to call the election right now?’ I said the same thing I’m saying now. We have lots of things to do. You’re lagging in the polls. What do you have to do to make the leap? The seats in the House don’t belong to us; they don’t belong to the Liberals, the Conservatives or the news media. They belong to the people, and at some point people have to make a decision. We’ve measured our program of the future against theirs. That’s going to have to be critically analyzed.

Premier says his party has stayed the course through some of the toughest economic times this province has ever seen. He’s predicting the province will reap the benefits in the coming year. Andrew Rankin

andrew.rankin@metronews.ca

standing strong How would grade your performance this year? I’m not going to do that. We’ve worked diligently and very hard. I don’t take anything for granted. All I want people to know is that the decisions that I have made — and I don’t mind people disagreeing with the decisions I make — have been well researched and thoughtful. What, of all the achievements, are you most proud of this year? Do you regret any decisions you’ve made? I don’t have regrets. I’m not the type of person that wallows. I try to make the bestpossible decisions I possibly

can. I reflect but I’m more focused on looking ahead. I don’t rank my achievements. The Port Hawkesbury mill investment is an important one, the Bowater land purchases are important as well as the decision to move the Lower Churchill project forward. In 10 months we’ve managed to get $2-billion investments in offshore

development. Those are pretty big things. Some people might suggest you’re not the same person who led the opposition four years ago. Has the job taken its toll? I don’t think anybody who isn’t doing the job can really understand the level of com-

Fortune first

“Whether it’s our commitment to balancing the books — even when it’s painful —(or) if you look at the IBM decision, all of these things were done out of the best interest of the province and to improve the fortunes of the province.” Premier Darrell Dexter

mitment that is demanded. It is every hour of every day. Even if you are lucky to get away for a few days, you’re never off your Blackberry; there’s no turnoff switch ever. If you’re lucky enough to go to a movie or play, where at the beginning you’re told to turn off your phone, you say, “Yes! I’m actually going to have two hours to myself.” It’s an all-consuming piece of work. So, you’re a basketball man. One-on-one, whom would you prefer: Jamie Baillie or Stephen McNeil? I don’t think either of them have enough game for me. And in fact, if they want a little two-on-one, I wouldn’t object to that (laughing.)

Jeff Harper/Metro

Why are you so set on balancing the budget? It is important for New Democrats to demonstrate that kind of fiscal probity, perhaps more than other parties, just because there’s this notion that New Democrats fail in this area. But if people look at NDP governments across the country, we have better records of balancing the budget than either the Conservatives or the Liberals. What are you going to cut in order to balance the budget in the spring? I’m not going to talk about potential cuts. There is a revenue growth every year; the question is whether spending goes up to exceed natural revenue growth. We’ll have to see what the new year brings. You’re going to see all those projects kick in next year that will have a positive impact on the province. Exclusively online

To read the full interview with Darrell Dexter, go to metronews.ca.

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news

metronews.ca WEEKEND, December 21-23, 2012

Annual hockey game builds relationships on and off the ice Slap shot. Match between Preston, RCMP ‘good for the community’ haley ryan

haley.ryan@metronews.ca

Members of the Preston community again showed the Mounties how it’s done on the ice. A crowd of more than 50 people watched on Thursday afternoon as the Preston Selects beat the RCMP 10-7 in their fourth-annual hockey game at Cole Harbour Place. It was the third year in a row Preston skated away victorious. “We look forward to doing it every year. There’s a lot of talk about the game,” said Cpl. Calvin Byard, unit commander of the Preston RCMP. “The players on both sides know each other … Everybody goes

Forging links

“It’s just a good all-around thing.” Matthew Thomas, captain of the Preston team on the annual game against the RCMP

away with good relationships.” Byard said the talent pool on both sides is fairly even, with some players coming from recreational leagues and others lacing up the skates just once a year for the game. “It shows that there is a connection between the community and the police, and it’s very competitive, which is good,” he said. “We got a few younger guys with fresher legs than the RCMP has,” Preston team captain Matthew Thomas said, laughing, in a separate interview. “We had a good team effort and came up with a victory.” RCMP team captain Robert Taylor said it was a good game until the third period, when his team “fell off the rails a

Cpl. Calvin Byard of the RCMP Preston Patrol Unit, right, talks to Preston team player Larky Lewis between plays at Cole Harbour Place on Thursday. The RCMP took on members of the Preston community in their annual hockey matchup. Jeff Harper/metro

little bit.” But winning isn’t the primary reason for the game

The staff of HGS Dartmouth would like to wish you and your family a fun and safe Holiday Season!

— something everyone who plays will tell you. “It’s just good for the com-

munity,” Taylor said. “Just to meet with each other on common ground,

just to bond over recreational sport and bring out the best in each other.”

One of two victims of Sheet Harbour homicide identified RCMP have released the name of one of the homicide victims found during a fire in Sheet Harbour last week. The body of Matthew Allan Hebb, 22, of Herring Cove Road, was found on Dec. 12 in the wreckage of a burned-out camp building near Sheet Harbour. Accident

Police probing fourth pedestriancar collision in 24 hours Another driver has been ticketed after the fourth carpedestrian collision in HRM in a 24-hour period, Halifax police say. The latest happened at about 6 p.m. on Wednesday on Windmill Road near Jamieson Street in Dartmouth. A 30-year-old man was in the marked crosswalk when he was hit by a car heading south on Windmill Road. He was taken to hospital with minor injuries.

The bodies were discovered after witnesses reported seeing a fire at a building. Police spokesman Sgt. Alain Leblanc said the name of a second man whose body was also found in the rubble should be released in the next three to four days.

Investigation • Two people were arrested

in connection with the homicide on Tuesday but were released without charges on Wednesday.

Metro

The 21-year-old male driver of the car was charged with failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk and also for being a licensed learner operating a motor vehicle without an experienced driver in the vehicle. There were two more collisions on Wednesday morning and another on Tuesday evening. Police issued a reminder to motorists and pedestrians that road safety is a shared responsibility. Motorists need to be mindful of road conditions that could affect their ability to stop safely, while pedestrians should wait until vehicles come to a complete stop before attempting to cross the road. Metro

Man in minivan

Second indecent act reported in Dartmouth Police are looking for a man after a child reported seeing an indecent act in Dartmouth. A nine-year-old girl was walking near Windmill Road and Henry Street at about 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday when she saw a man masturbating in a minivan. The girl ran home and told her mother, who called police. Police say they don’t know if the same suspect is responsible for another indecent act reported in the same area this week. metro

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news

metronews.ca WEEKEND, December 21-23, 2012

In 2012, it was definitely hot enough for ya Mercury climbing. Environment Canada names record-breaking warm temperatures top weather story RUTH DAVENPORT

ruth.davenport@metronews.ca

Nova Scotia’s scorching spring and soggy September weren’t quite remarkable enough to crack Environment Canada’s top 10 weather stories of the year. The forecasting agency released its annual list of the most notable meteorological events Thursday, topped by a sweltering coast-to-coast trend. “We saw the ‘Big Heat’ very clearly this year,” said Environment Canada senior meteorologist David Phillips. “In Atlantic Canada, when you combine (winter, spring, summer) it was the warmest and driest.” Phillips also singled out Superstorm Sandy and the outrageously mild March for recognition.

“We broke a record for the number of records broken in that March heat wave,” he said, adding the national “hot spot” for the month was Lake Major, N.S., on March 22, at 30 C. Phillips said this was the sixteenth year in a row Canadian temperatures were normal or above normal, and said it’s time to start planning for warmer and more extreme weather events. “It’s not just about burning less fossil fuels, it’s more about expecting that it will rain in heavier doses and maybe we should think about whether we’ve cleaned the eavestrough, do we need a sump pump now,” he said. “I think cities should encourage people to adapt, with incentives ... to weatherproof ourselves a little more.” In Nova Scotia, the executive director of the Fruit Grower’s Association said “weatherproofing” fruit trees requires more time and money for research. “The federal government provides funding for research, but needs a 25 per cent cash contribution from the indus-

Warm, wet, wild

Top 5 weather stories:

1. The Big Heat 2. Super Storm Sandy —

Active Hurricane Season

3. B.C. Flooding — Larger, Longer and Lethal

4. March’s Meteorological Mildness

5. Summer on the Prairies

— Warm, Wet and Wild

try,” said Dela Erith. “That’s an impossible thing to meet.” Erith said climbing temperatures bring new insect and disease pressures, and warned the industry won’t be able to combat those without more support from consumers. “If the growers ... can’t pay for the research that‘s required to support the growth and production of a healthy product that’s consumer friendly, then we have a problem,” she said.

Don Rieder of Halifax takes advantage of the beautiful weather to fly a kite on Citadel Hill in September. Jeff Harper/Metro file

Transfer reductions not so bad after all: MacDonald Nova Scotia’s finance minister says federal officials have assured her that a reduction in federal transfer payments to the province won’t be as bad as she initially expected. Earlier this week, Maureen MacDonald said the reduction could have an impact on the NDP government’s bid to balance its budget by next spring. However, MacDonald now says the province will be getting about $15 milFit to stand trial

Man accused of shooting his wife to stand trial next May Nine days have been set aside for the first-degree murder trial of a man accused of shooting his estranged wife two years ago in a parking lot. Wayne Paul Eisnor is

lion less than it expected, a relatively small reduction considering the province has a $9-billion budget. Still, MacDonald says every dollar counts as the province’s projected deficit for this fiscal year is projected to hit $277 million — a $66-million increase when compared with the budget tabled last April. “We have a very steep hill to climb,” she said Thursday after a cabinet meeting. “Revenues have softscheduled to be tried by judge and jury in Nova Scotia Supreme Court beginning May 13. The 48-year-old Barss Corner man is accused of fatally shooting 42-year-old Tina Mae Eisnor outside a New Germany grocery store in June 2010 before turning the gun on himself. Last month, a Nova Scotia Supreme Court judge upheld a ruling that Eisnor was fit to stand trial. the canadian press/CKBW

ened. Nova Scotia is in the same boat as many other provinces. Misery loves company and we have lots of company.” MacDonald said there are a number of provinces struggling with growing deficits, including Alberta, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador. “What’s occurring in the economy is a softening of revenue.... It’s impacted all of us.” MacDonald said depart-

Holiday break

• Maureen MacDonald declined to talk about potential budget cuts, saying she wanted to consider her options during the holiday break.

mental spending is under control, but provincial revenue has dropped by $90 million, mainly because of a

October election

the canadian press

Muskrat Falls

Clarke campaign received nearly $120K in donations It took more than $100,000 in campaign donations for Cecil Clarke to secure the mayoralty of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality in October’s election. In a list of campaign donors released by the CBRM

$61-million decrease in projected income tax revenue. “The expenditure side is looking very good,” she said. “Departments are coming in at or under budget and we will continue to maintain that discipline.” The minister said the process of balancing the books will be challenging. “It’s not going to be easy to get back to balance in the current climate,” MacDonald said.

Hydroelectric project gets assurances Cecil Clarke metro file

returning office Wednesday, the mayor racked up $110,875 in cash donations and another $8,883 from in-kind contributions. Cape Breton Post

The Nova Scotia government has agreed to make no regulatory or legislative changes that would have an impact on the Muskrat Falls hydroelectric project while it is being reviewed by the province’s Utility and Re

Maureen MacDonald metro file

view Board. The agreement with Emera Inc. allows the company that owns Nova Scotia Power to continue its plans for a subsea link from Newfoundland with some financial certainty. The so-called stability agreement was a requirement of a federal loan guarantee for the Nova Scotia portion of the project, which is expected to save about $100 million in borrowing costs. the canadian press

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metronews.ca WEEKEND, December 21-23, 2012

Flights cancelled. Air Canada refuses transport of primates used for research, when other animals are routinely transported on flights. The university says that finding other methods of research could cost it between 10 to 15 per cent more per animal. However, Air Canada argued that it has received 47,000 letters from the public protesting its transport of primates being used for research, and some people threatened to stop travelling with the airline if it didn’t refuse to carry the research animals. The agency accepted in its decision that Air Canada had a legitimate concern of losing passengers that far outweighed the possible loss of income they earn from transporting the primates. The regulator also said the decision makes business sense for Air Canada, and is increasingly a practice in the aviation industry. It says there are options available to those who want to ship the animals, and that no international agreement explicitly requires the Canadian government to use air carriers to transport the animals.

A Canadian regulator has ruled that Air Canada is within its rights to refuse to transport primates that are being used for research. A Canadian Transportation Agency tribunal issued its decision Thursday, dismissing the complaints of health research groups arguing the airline should be required to carry the animals. It says that Air Canada’s (TSX:AC.A) restrictions are reasonable and aren’t discriminatory because the carrier risks losing passengers who disagree with research using primates. The original complaint against the air carrier’s policy came from Steven Liss, viceprincipal of research at Queen’s University, and the Public Health Agency of Canada. They argued the policy unfairly discriminates against them. They said the tribunal should consider the effect that the refusal to carry the primates would have on the well being of Canadians, the country’s international competitiveness and its economic growth. Queen’s University also argued that it was unfair to only exclude animals being

Portraits of society’s rising stars were photographed at the corner of Yonge and Dundas in Toronto on December 19, 2012. Front row- Lindsey Stewart, Dane Clark, Patrick Gunning. Middle row- Amanda Lee Kew, Grant van Gameren, Cara Gee, Shadya Yasin, Jordan Subban, Dr. Samir Sinha. Back rowMaria Franke, Dr. Danielle Martin, Yu-Ling Cheng and Giant panda Er Shun. Lucas Oleniuk/torstar news service. Milky Way

Scientists set their eyes on five new planets Five new planets orbiting a sun very like Earth’s own have been detected just 12 light years away, an international team of

astrophysicists reports. One of those planets sits in the “habitable zone” just far enough away from the star Tau Ceti to support water and thus life similar to Earth’s. Tau Ceti is a celestial neighbour in our Milky Way Galaxy, visible just by looking up at the night sky. torstar news service

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news

metronews.ca WEEKEND, December 21-23, 2012

London. Assange gives speech from balcony of the Ecuadorean Embassy

Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Feds refusing to hand over documents: Lawyer

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange emerged for a rare public address Thursday, praising jailed U.S. soldier Bradley Manning in an address delivered from the balcony of the Ecuadorean Embassy in London. Addressing supporters on a cold and wet English evening, the 41-year-old Australian looked fit and healthy despite half a year spent trapped inside the small apartment he shares with diplomatic staff. He gave no hint that he would end the standoff, which has seen him spend six months as a fugitive from European justice, saying he was holed up at the embassy for fear of the U.S. investigation into his activities. “While this immoral investigation continues, and while the Australian government will not defend the journalism and publishing of WikiLeaks, I must remain here,” he said. While the U.S. Justice Department has launched an investigation into WikiLeaks’ spectacular disclosures of U.S. secrets, Assange is currently wanted by police over allegations of sexual assault stem-

The Canadian government cannot be allowed to renege on a legal deal with aboriginal people simply because sticking to the terms would cost too much, an Ontario court heard Thursday. At issue, a lawyer for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission said, is the government’s refusal to organize and turn over millions of records related to what he called “the highest level of human tragedy” — the Indian residential school system. Those records, lawyer Julian Falconer told Justice Stephen Goudge, go to the commission’s core mandate of creating a comprehensive and lasting account of the shameful century of abuse. “One day the light switch went on that this was a really expensive obligation, so history gets changed,” Falconer said. “It’s all about money.” The commission is asking the courts to clarify the government’s obligations under the multibillion-dollar settlement reached in 2007 with victims of the Indian residential school system.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange speaks from Ecuador’s Embassy in London. the associated press

ming from a trip to Sweden in mid-2010. Many WikiLeaks supporters have suggested that the allegations are a ploy to extradite Assange, first to Sweden and then to the U.S. The Swedish government and Assange’s alleged victims deny it. Assange’s address listed a series of jailed figures, including Bahraini human rights activist Nabeel Rajab and alleged Anonymous hacker Jeremy Hammond. the associated press

Breezy Point’s tree of hope Hand-painted stars painted by children hang from a scorched tree among the ruins of houses in the Breezy Point section of New York, Thursday. One hundred homes in the neighbourhood were burned to the ground during Superstorm Sandy. Mark Lennihan/the associated press

The cost of truth

In the 1990s, thousands of victims sued the churches that ran the Indian residential schools and the Canadian government. The suits were settled in 2007 and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was set up. • The commission worries that Ottawa’s intransigence will make it impossible to complete its work, as required, by 2014. • Some estimates of the cost of turning over the records are more than $100 million.

Terms of the settlement included creation of the truth commission now led by Justice Murray Sinclair. While Ottawa has turned over about one million documents to date, 23 of 24 government departments have now refused to provide the materials and millions of records remain outstanding. the canadian press

news

metronews.ca WEEKEND, December 21-23, 2012

Reserve land attracts mining giants Ring of Fire. Leafs jersey and breakdancers the price of doing business in Marten Falls For Christmas, Chief Eli Moonias received a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey autographed by Wendel Clark. His remote northern Ontario community of Marten Falls got 50 turkeys and a visit from Santa, laden with children’s gifts. And in March, the 61-yearold chief will be granted his wish of travelling to China — if

he can get his passport in time. They’re all gifts from mining companies who need the chief’s support to develop what could be a world-class basemetal discovery. Moonias’s community sits next to what has become known as the Ring of Fire. Marten Falls is a small fly-in reserve — just three streets of houses for about 300 people at the junction of the Albany and Ogoki rivers. It’s in the middle of one of the only forests in the world that has never been touched by industry, an area that hosts six of Canada’s biggest rivers. About 130 kilometres to the north of the reserve, multinational miner Cliffs Natural Resources wants to develop a

huge chromite mine to make a key ingredient in stainless steel. The firm brought Marten Falls the Christmas turkeys. Next door, Toronto-based Noront Resources wants to mine nickel and other base metals. Noront employees chipped together to bring the Leafs jersey, Santa and an entertainment troupe of breakdancers. Co-operation from First Nations is essential for both companies, and for anyone else wanting to do business in the remote James Bay lowlands. “If you don’t reassure me, that’s when I say no,” Moonias says in an interview at the band’s resource office, wallpapered with maps and surveys. THE CANADIAN PRESS

Chief Eli Moonias holds up an autographed Toronto Maple Leafs’ Wendel Clark jersey. Ryan Remiorz/the canadian press

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metronews.ca WEEKEND, December 21-23, 2012

Health and wellness. Flu virus is picking up steam — just in time for the holidays

A nurse draws a syringe of seasonal flu vaccine during a health fair and flu shot clinic in Ohio in 2009. the canadian press file

Flu activity seems to be surging just in time for the holidays in several parts of the country. Health officials warned Thursday that transmission of the nasty virus is picking up steam. They urged people to take precautions against catching and passing along the illness, including getting a flu shot. “We are seeing a lot of influenza in the hospital. And anecdotally, a lot of people that I work with or people who work with them have been calling in sick in the last couple of weeks,” said Dr. Michael Gardam, head of infection control at Toronto’s University Health Network. The season is off to its earliest start in several years and is a stark reminder of the unpredictability of the influenza virus. Last year’s flu season started so late — and was so mild, in relative terms — that for most of the season it seemed like the winter that flu forgot. The timing of influenza’s peak doesn’t indicate how hard or moderate a flu season this might be. But with so much illness happening around the holidays, the opportunities for people to pick up a flu infection are pretty much ideal, experts say. “We have long recognized that the holiday period is a chance for greater social mixing,” said Dr. Danuta Skowronski, an influenza expert at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control in Vancouver. “We sometimes refer to influenza as the original Grinch who stole Christmas because it can transmit more when there are people gathering in large numbers indoors.” Dr. John Spika of the Public Health Agency of Canada said that more than 25 per cent of tests for respiratory infections in Quebec are coming back positive for influenza at this point. Ontario is seeing roughly the same amount of activity

Sick season

Although it takes a couple of weeks for flu vaccine to build up a person’s antibodies against the virus, there will be flu circulating for awhile still, Skrowronski said. People who are sick should try to keep their germs to themselves. “Don’t come into work, don’t go to that Christmas party if you’re feeling really ill,” Gardam said.

and the Prairie provinces are reporting that about 15 per cent of respiratory tests are positive for flu, said Spika, who is director general of the agency’s centre for immunizations and respiratory infectious diseases. Even the Atlantic provinces have been getting into the action over the past week or so, he said. (Flu seasons in Canada typically start in British Columbia and work their way east.) “Usually what we say is when they hit 10 per cent, we’re into the flu season,” Spika said to put the percentage figures into context. Spika suggested activity in British Columbia may have actually peaked, but Skowronski said the numbers she’s seeing suggest the viruses are still going strong there. “We’re still seeing indications of climbing activity, and primarily due to H3N2 subtype viruses.” In fact, the influenza virus H3N2 is the predominant strain circulating all across Canada at the moment, making up about 80 per cent of the viruses tested. H3N2 typically causes more severe illness, especially in seniors, Spika said. He and others urged people who haven’t had a flu shot yet to get one. The canadian press

Skiing accident

Father and sons rescued at resort For the second time in less than a week, rescuers have been called out to help people who went out of bounds in a B.C. ski area. In the latest case, a father and his three sons got lost Wednesday after leaving the marked ski area of the Revelstoke Mountain Resort, east of Kamloops.

RCMP Const. Dan Moskaluk says the father used his cellphone to alert authorities. He says a search-andrescue helicopter found the group and dropped supplies to them but was not able to get them out because of the weather and approaching darkness until the next morning. On Tuesday, a snowboarder was rescued after he went out of bounds at the Cypress Mountain resort. the canadian press

South Africa

Toad stowed in candlestick It’s a real-life Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. Animal-rescue officials in South Africa say they found a toad from China hidden inside a porcelain candlestick. The Star newspaper of South Africa quoted animal expert Brett Glasby in Cape Town saying that workers had to break the candlestick to get the

toad out. He said the toad, an Asian Common Toad, can slow its breathing and heart rate to survive times of drought, likely aiding it to survive the voyage. Workers fed the hungry toad worms and crickets after freeing it. The animal is not endangered. But because the toad is a possible invasive species for South Africa, workers have to put the animal down. the associated press

news

metronews.ca WEEKEND, December 21-23, 2012

Supreme Court split on freedom to testify in a veil Balancing act. Ruling states each judge must weigh religious rights and right to a fair trial A sharply divided Supreme Court of Canada was not able to definitively rule Thursday whether a woman can wear a religious veil known as a niqab while testifying in court. In a rare 4-2-1 split decision, the Supreme Court ruled that a witness can cover their face in certain circumstances. The case pitted two protections in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms against each other — religious freedom versus an accused person’s right to a fair trial. The practical effect of that decision was to pass the case back to an Ontario trial judge that had just begun a preliminary hearing. In this case, a Muslim

The Supreme Court was not able to definitively rule on niqabs in court. Maya Alleruzzo/The Associated Press File

woman sought to wear a niqab while testifying against two men she claims sexually assaulted her as a child. The two men claim the charter allows them to confront their accuser and observe her facial expressions as she

testifies. Due to a publication ban, the woman can only be identified as N.S. Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin wrote for the majority and affirmed the two charter rights should receive the fullest possible expression. McLachlin spelled out a fourstep analysis that the judge at N.S.’s preliminary hearing can now use to determine the issue. The ruling will also be a precedent in other cases. “The judge must assess all these factors and determine whether ... the salutary effects of requiring the witness to remove the niqab outweigh the deleterious effects of doing so.” The ruling told trial judges to ask themselves three questions: Would requiring the witness to remove the niqab interfere with her religious freedom? Would permitting the witness to wear it create a serious risk to trial fairness? Is there a way to accommodate both rights? The Canadian Press

First Nations protest

Woman charged in hammer attack A woman is facing a mischief charge after footage of her attacking a First Nations protester in London, Ont., was posted on YouTube. The video shows a woman walking out of an apartment building, talking briefly with protesters then hitting a car with a hammer. ANGELA MULLINS/ METRO IN LONDON, Ont.

Edutainment

Teacher in trouble over drag video

Monkey mom melancholy Media swarm Yasmin Nakhuda as she leaves a hearing about her monkey Darwin — the Ikea monkey — with his coat in her hands at the Superior Court of Justice in Oshawa, Ont. The custody case is expected to resume in mid-January. Rene Johnston/Torstar News Service

In the small community of Brentwood Bay on Vancouver Island, a video featuring bikini-clad drag queens has been deemed too racy for the classroom. Brentwood Elementary School teacher Joe Winkler showed the clip to his Grade 4 students as an introduction to transgender issues. After parent complaints, Winkler was suspended without pay pending an investigation in January. luke simcoe/metro online

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news

The best defence ... Teachers at Texas school to carry firearms In the tiny Texas town of Harrold, children and their parents don’t give much thought to safety at the community’s lone school — mostly because some of the teachers are carrying concealed weapons. The nearest sheriff’s office is 30 minutes away, and people tend to know — and trust — one another. So the school board voted to let teachers bring guns to school. “We don’t have money for a security guard, but this is a better solution,” superintendent David Thweatt said. “A shooter could take out a guard or officer with a visible, holstered weapon, but our teachers have master’s degrees, are older and have had extensive training. And their guns are hidden. We can protect our children.” In the awful aftermath of last week’s Connecticut elementary school shooting, lawmakers in a growing number of states — including Oklahoma, Missouri, Minnesota, South Dakota and Oregon — have said they will consider laws allowing teach-

Community support

metronews.ca WEEKEND, December 21-23, 2012

Slain teacher protected students from gunman Sandy Hook shooting. 52-year-old one of six educators killed in Newtown massacre

“I think it’s a great idea for trained teachers to carry weapons.... But I hate that it has come to this.” CaRae Reinisch, resident of Elliott, a town near Harold

ers and school administrators to carry firearms at school. Texas law bans guns in schools unless the school has given written authorization. Arizona and six other states have similar laws with exceptions for people who have licences to carry concealed weapons. Harrold’s school board voted unanimously in 2007 to allow employees to carry weapons. After obtaining a state concealed-weapons permit, each employee who wants to carry a weapon must be approved by the board based on his or her personality and reaction to a crisis, Thweatt said. Employees also must undergo training in crisis intervention and hostage situations. the associated press

A teacher who authorities said died trying to protect her students in the Connecticut school shooting that left 28 people dead was laid to rest Thursday. Anne Marie Murphy, 52, was remembered as a teacher who “brought together a community, a nation, a world, now awed by her own life and death,” in a eulogy by Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York. Murphy’s father, Hugh McGowan, said authorities told him that she died trying to Archbishop

Mourners exit a church in Katonah, N.Y., after the funeral for Anne Marie Murphy on Thursday. Murphy was killed when Adam Lanza walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., Dec. 14 and opened fire.

“Annie’s life and death brings light, truth ... and love to a world often shrouded in darkness.”

Lindsay Niegelberg/the associated press

Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York

T:10”

protect her young pupils. Her body was found covering a group of children’s bodies as if to shield them, McGowan said. About 15 people arrived at St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Katonah, N.Y., in a yellow school bus with “Newtown,” the name of the Connecticut town where the shooting occurred, written on its side. The church quickly filled and about 100 mourners waited outside. A Justice Department official said the country’s top lawyer, Attorney General Eric Holder, would visit the town Thursday to meet privately with first responders and lawenforcement officials. At least nine funerals and wakes were held Wednesday for those who died when 20-year-old gunman Adam Lanza, armed with a militarystyle assault rifle, broke into Sandy Hook Elementary School and opened fire. He killed six adults and 20 children, all of them six or seven years old. More tributes were scheduled for Friday and Saturday. The Associated Press

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news

metronews.ca WEEKEND, December 21-23, 2012

McGuinty wants ‘locked-door’ policy in schools Security measures. Opposition claims the initiative is a ploy to distract voters from teacher labour strife Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty announced Thursday there would be a “lockeddoor” policy at all 4,000 elementary schools in Ontario by next September in reaction to last week’s shooting rampage that left 26 dead at a school in Newtown, Conn. “In the aftermath of that tragic event that unfolded in the U.S., I think there’s an important question that we need to ask ourselves: Are we taking all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of our kids at school?” McGuinty said at St. Fidelis Catholic Elementary School in Toronto. “I think the response to that question requires that

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty Torstar News Service File

we assure parents that all of our elementary schools are locked during the day, that we are controlling access into our elementary schools, so we’re going to put a locked door policy in place.” The Opposition said all parents would support initiatives to make schools

Volunteer veteran stands guard at California school A Marine veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan took up self-imposed duty in front of a California elementary school in the wake of the Connecticut shooting. Hughson Elementary School Principal Laura Fong said Sgt. Craig Pusley stood all day Wednesday in fatigues in front of the flag pole at the school just southeast of Modesto. He was not armed. Pusley, who served two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan before leaving active duty last year, told Fong that “he wanted to make the kids feel safe in light of what happened at Sandy Hook Elementary,” the principal said. The veteran Marine arrived at the K-3 school a little before 7:30 a.m., Fong said, and asked permission to stand guard. He stood in front of the flag pole until 2:30 p.m., she said, without taking any breaks. Sgt. Pusley is a father of a three-year-old and his wife is expecting another child. He told the Modesto Bee that he

decided to take action after reading a Facebook post urging soldiers to be posted at every school in the wake of last week’s tragic shooting in Connecticut. “When I enlisted, I swore to defend this country from all enemies, foreign and domestic,” Sgt. Pusley said. “I just want to be sure all these kids go home safe for Christmas.” the associated press

safer for their children, but questioned the timing of McGuinty’s announcement. The Progressive Conservatives suggested McGuinty was simply trying to change the channel from his government’s ongoing fights with public-school teachers over wage-freeze legislation, which prompted rotating one-day strikes in elementary schools this month. “I think that the timing, obviously, would lead one to believe that this is a cynical move by Mr. McGuinty,” Tory education critic Lisa MacLeod said. “He used his final preChristmas media availability to talk about this when I think the issue that is really pressing on Ontario families’ minds right now is the labour strife in our schools and whether or not extracurriculars are going to go on and whether or not there are going to be strikes in January.” The canadian Press

Gun control

NRA to comment on gun violence Now that President Barack Obama has demanded “real action, right now” against U.S. gun violence, attention turned Thursday to the coming “major news conference” by the country’s top gun lobby, whose power for years has contributed to the political hesitation around the issue. The National Rifle Association has promised to make its announcement Friday — the last real work day before Washington, and the rest of the country, scatters for the long Christmas holiday. the associated press Weapons charges

Sask. politician appears in court

Craig Pusley stands guard as kindergarten student Liset Corona, 5, walks to her class at Hughson Elementary School on Wednesday. ap photo

A former Saskatoon mayoral candidate has appeared in court to face charges related to an alleged disagreement at a bar. Al Werner, a customer at the Coachman Lounge, says he and Clay Mazurkewich were having a disagreement Wednesday when the would-be politician pulled out a gun. the canadian press

metronews.ca WEEKEND, December 21-23, 2012

ReTreaters participate in a seminar with Linda Kennoy, during last year’s event in Colorado. Photo contributed

Weekend of hope for survivors Breast cancer. Free event in B.C. offers participants yoga, meditation, snowboarding, skiing lessons and cooking classes Liz Brown

liz.brown@metronews.ca

This February, 10 Canadian breast-cancer survivors will have the opportunity to spend an all-expense paid weekend at RED Mountain Resort in Rossland, B.C., which will focus on health and wellness — with ski and snowboarding lessons from pro athletes. Boarding for Breast Cancer (B4BC), the organization that funds the event, will select these participants from entries in a free lottery to be held on Dec. 28. The weekend, called ReTreat Yourself, is the brainchild of organizer Megan Pischke, a pro snowboarder who first got involved with raising breast-cancer awareness 17 years ago, when a fellow snowboarder, Monica Steward, succumbed to the disease at the age of 28. “(Monica’s) legacy has held true with a lot of us, as far as promoting a healthy lifestyle through our sport,” says Pischke. Originally from Colorado, Pischke first offered the retreats in the U.S., but now, as a resident of Canada, she is

How to enter

The lottery is open to any breast-cancer survivor in Canada who has the OK from their doctor to participate in the activities. • To enter, you can email survivorship@b4bc.org and you will be sent an entry form. • The deadline for entries is Dec. 28. • Winners will be contacted Jan. 9 and the retreat takes place from Feb. 2-4 at RED Mountain Resort in Rossland, B.C.

organizing the first one here in what she hopes will become an annual event. “I was always involved in awareness and fundraising events and then a girlfriend and I started to do these snowboard retreats,” she says. “They marry my lifestyle, which was pro snowboarding, doing yoga, eating healthy and just being connected with the outdoors.” While the weekend offers 10 paid spots for breast-cancer survivors, there are also a limited number of spaces available for purchase by the general public, at a price of $1,199, which includes accommodations, meals and all activities over the three days. The retreat offers yoga, meditation, snowboarding and skiing lessons and cooking classes by cookbook author Marianne Abraham.

“When I started doing these retreats in Colorado, my goal was to have women walk away from them full of hope and inspiration and a little more educated,” says Pischke. She cites one example of a woman who attended a weekend in Colorado who told her that the meditation practices she learned on the retreat had shifted her perspectives on fear. “I’ve seen a lot of women who get through this … and they’re ready to move on, yet they’re still holding onto a lot of fear in their life. The meditation helped this woman so she was able to shift her perspective and move past that fear,” she says. Pischke says she’s driven to offer these retreats because of the people around her who have been impacted by the disease. “My grandmother passed away from complications due to breast cancer and it’s something I have a lot of empathy for and I really want to stand strong and do as much as I can to raise awareness,” she says. Quoted

“I’ve seen a lot of women who get through this … and they’re ready to move on, yet they’re still holding onto a lot of fear in their life.” Megan Pischke, organizer.

news

metronews.ca WEEKEND, December 21-23, 2012

Olympian admits to working as an escort

Double life. After reports of prostitution, runner Suzy Favor Hamilton tweets that she’s been working for an escort service for the past year

Three-time Olympic runner Suzy Favor Hamilton has admitted leading a double life as an escort. She apologized Thursday after a report by The Smoking Gun website said she had been working as a prostitute in Las Vegas. The 44-year-old Favor Hamilton lives in Madison, Wis. The Smoking Gun said she has been working for the past year for an escort service. Soon after the story appeared online, Favor Hamilton released a series of tweets saying in part that she was “drawn to escorting in large part because it provided many coping mechanisms for

Olympian Suzy Favor Hamilton john bazemore/the associated press

me when I was going through a very challenging time with my marriage and my life.” A middle-distance runner, Favor Hamilton competed for the U.S. at the Olympics in 1992, 1996 and 2000, but did not win a medal. She won seven U.S. national titles. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Crowning Miss Universe Miss USA, Olivia Culpo, left, is crowned Miss Universe during the Miss Universe competition Wednesday in Las Vegas. Twenty-year-old Olivia Culpo, an American university student, won the title, replacing outgoing champion Leila Lopes of Angola and beating out 88 competitors from six continents. julie jacobson/the associated press

Unlucky 2013?

Good luck charms installed in Times Square Officials in New York City have gathered good luck charms to accompany the unlucky number 13 that will light up when the New Year’s Eve ball drops in Times Square. The massive sign in the shape of the number 13 arrived in the city’s iconic tourist attraction Wednesday.

The New York Post reports that 13 good luck charms will be installed along with the sign atop One Times Square for the celebration that will ring in the new year. The charms include a four-leaf clover, gold coins and a Buddha statue. Times Square Alliance President Tim Tompkins says officials want to assuage the fears of any superstitious revellers. More than 1 billion people are expected to watch the New Year’s Eve festivities in telecasts and newscasts. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Deadly cruise

Italian prosecutors finish Concordia shipwreck probe Prosecutors in Tuscany have officially finished their probe of the Costa Concordia shipwreck that killed 32 people off the Italian coast. Prosecutors deposited some 50,000 pages of evidence Thursday with court officials. The evidence includes testimony, experts’ reports and a phone recording in

which Italian coast guard officials order the Italian captain of the ship to go back aboard the vessel, which rammed a reef off Giglio Island on Jan. 13 and capsized. State TV quoted Chief Prosecutor Francesco Verusio as saying Capt. Francesco Schettino risks 20 years in prison if convicted of manslaughter and abandoning ship. In a few weeks, prosecutors are expected to request indictment of Schettino and seven others. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

business

metronews.ca WEEKEND, December 21-23, 2012

Dairy farmers say eggnog sales help compensate for decreased milk consumption over the holidays. Flickr.com: ReeseCLloyd

Drink up! Dairy producers depend on eggnog rush Holiday season. Sales of festive drink offset temporary decline in milk consumption As you raise a glass of eggnog over the holidays, consider that you’re making the season brighter for the country’s farmers. There’s typically a decline in milk consumption over the holiday period as people turn to boozy beverages, and some

dairy producers say eggnog sales are key in offsetting that slump. Andrew Taylor, plant manager at Hewitt’s Dairy in Hagersville, Ont. said the operation sees an increase of 10 to 15 per cent in sales — usually lasting from the beginning of December until early January — and that eggnog is the beverage behind the jump. “Overall milk sales tend to fall in December as people tend to drink other things, usually an alcoholic beverage, so

Quoted

“We rely on (eggnog). Farmers need a consistent market and it helps to maintain that consistency.” Andrew Taylor, plant manager, Hewitt’s Dairy in Hagersville, Ont.

anything that compensates for that is something that we look forward to,” said Taylor. Morgan Modjeski/Metro in Saskatoon

business

metronews.ca WEEKEND, December 21-23, 2012

Y kant Canaydians spel? Blame it on the Internet Disappearing skills. Digital life is ruining our ability to do basic tasks such as spell properly, recall phone numbers and write by hand

A woman types while surfing the Internet in North Vancouver on Wednesday. Our continued reliance on technology means we’re no longer very good at undertaking manual, old-fashioned tasks. Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press

Wireless industry. Data use fuels revenue growth Here’s my cell number. Call me, maybe? Or maybe not. Cellphone users are doing less calling as they buy more smartphones and use the device for texting, emailing, web surfing, mobile apps, social networking and watching videos. And it’s that surge in data use that Canada’s telecom companies — big and small — are banking on as the revenue driver of the future. “It’s no longer just your teenage kids. It’s everybody,” telecom analyst Brahm Eiley said. “They use their phone the way they would use their PC.” Dan Maitland has an iPhone and hardly uses it for calls. “These are not just phones,” said Maitland, 39, who makes software that helps train pilots to be safer at flight simulator company CAE Inc. in Montreal. “They are small computers that have the ability to make a phone call.” Maitland said he uses his iPhone for such things as web searches, apps, accessing files for work and reading. And he Downloading option

Keep those tweets! Twitter introduces personal archive Twitter is offering its users a chance to keep a digital scrapbook of all their tweets. The tool, announced this week, is designed to make it easier for people to review all their activity on Twitter’s messaging service. When it’s available, the downloading option will appear at the bottom of each user’s settings menu. Twitter, which is based

By the numbers

55%

The Convergence Consulting Group expects that about 55 per cent of all cellphone users in Canada will have smartphones by the end of this year. That’s expected to increase to 65 per cent by the end of 2013 and go up to 80 per cent by year-end 2016.

is doing exactly what wireless providers expect and want him to do to help increase their data revenues in the years ahead. Faster wireless networks are also helping drive the increasing use of data by consumers, Eiley added. Rogers, Bell and Telus have been experiencing yearover-year growth in wireless data revenues with the rise of smartphones. By the end of this year, Eiley said, data will make up roughly 39 per cent of service revenue, which includes voice and data, for Canada’s major wireless providers. The Canadian Press

in San Francisco, said it may take a few weeks before everyone gets the feature. After a records request is made, users will receive an email on how to download their personal archive. For Twitter’s earliest users, the records date back to 2006 when Twitter started. Twitter users already have been able to peruse their past tweets by navigating to their personal profile page. But going that route is more cumbersome because it requires scrolling down a page that can sometimes be slow to display additional tweets. The Associated Press

Market Minute

DOLLAR 101.29¢ (+0.09¢) Natural gas: $3.46 US (+14¢) Dow Jones: 13,311.72 (+59.75)

TSX 12,388.71 (-14.92)

OIL $90.13 US (+15¢)

GOLD $1,645.90 US (-$21.80)

Canadians may be among the world’s most prolific Internet users, but it seems all that time online hasn’t made us a nation of careful spellers.

Many of us often type “facebok” into Google and rather than correcting the obvious mistake, let the search engine fix it. Monitoring Canadians’ search habits would reveal that many, many more consistently type in “faceboo,” “faebook” and “fcaebook” — but they know Google will get the point. Others can’t be bothered to tap out even eight characters and have learned that entering just “face” or “fb” will get them exactly the link they’re seeking. Is that lazy or efficient? Should

Quoted

“When you’re typing ... you don’t have to think — (and autocorrect) thinks for you. So I was like, ‘Wow, I’m really scared now when I don’t have Google or spellcheck to help me out.’” Matthew Thomas, 33

we thank Google’s engineers for saving us a few seconds

or lament that technology is dooming us to laziness? It seems hardly anyone can remember phone numbers anymore since we starting storing them in our mobile phones. Outside of schools and some workplaces, the practice of putting pen to paper is becoming increasingly rare. To many, scribbling with a pen feels quaint in today’s digital age. And who needs maps and a sense of direction with GPS technology to guide the way? The Canadian Press

voices

metronews.ca WEEKEND, December 21-23, 2012

maple syrup heist, raptors May your days be merry and bright back on the ball and a top-10 hit

Say what? South African President Jacob Zuma Mike Benhaim maintains leadership metronews.ca of the currently ruling African National Congress party by defeating deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe with a dubious 75 per cent majority vote. Perhaps it’s just that the robocalls had trouble pronouncing the name Kgalema Motlanthe. Slap-happy. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have created a sophisticated prosthetic arm that can translate brain signals into the appropriate movements. While a definite boon for the physically challenged, I raise two concerns: You just know some rich guy is eventually going to buy a couple of extra arms for no good reason, and someone having a bad dream will end up slapping the heck out of their bed-partner. Holy crepes. After a huge manhunt, Quebec police have arrested more than a dozen accused assailants in what will one day be known as the Great Maple Syrup Heist of 2012. Officers also recovered important paraphernalia used in the production of maple syrup, and around $18 million worth of our nation’s most delicious natural resource (I believe that’s street value). The province has been dealing with controversies over corruption and organized crime, but they’ll be damned if they are going to sit by and let citizens endure Christmas with dry, unsavoury pancakes. Bac off. Dollarama has pulled two brands of cleansing wipes from its shelves after tests by CBC News revealed unacceptable levels of bacteria. It’s reassuring to know that all of the other products we use to rid our skin of impurities contain “acceptable” levels of bacteria. Kill me, maybe? The votes are in, and Carly Rae Jepsen’s Call Me Maybe is the song of the year. While I am pleased for our homegirl, after the millionth listen I respectfully request, for the love of God, that someone call this girl already! Fields of dreams. The Toronto Raptors welcomed back Landry Fields, who was cleared by team doctors after undergoing elbow surgery over a month ago. The team is on a four-game winning streak, and Fields is anxious to jump in and get them back to their comfort zone. Winter wonders. Monkeys shopping, eagles snatching babies, cows falling from trucks — it brings to mind fond memories of something my mother used to say: “If your flying baby cries over a truckload of spilled cows, no one’s ever going to buy your sharp-dressed monkey.” In fairness, English was not her first language. And the winner is ... Cassadee Pope. Pope is now officially The Voice. Fans voted for The Personality as well, but to me she’ll always be The Legs. Congrats, Cassadee. My favourite things. This week in 1985, Born in the U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen surpassed Michael Jackson’s Thriller as the second-longest-lasting album on Billboard’s American Top 10. It stayed there for 79 weeks. So what mega-singing sensation is powerful enough to top these two superstars for the honour of being No. 1? At 109 consecutive weeks ... Julie Andrews with The Sound of Follow The Metro List on Music. Of course it was. Twitter @TheMetroList the list

2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9

Matt York/the associated press

Christmas circuit

Don’t get blinded by the lights A woman walks along Natal Circle viewing Christmas lights in Gilbert, Ariz., in this photo taken earlier this month. As Christmas decorations light up across the globe, take these precautions to avoid a holiday mishap. • Sparkle without the spark. Turn off the electricity to the supply outlet before working with outdoor wiring. Unplug light strings before replacing bulbs and check to ensure replacement bulbs match the voltage and wattage of the original. To avoid a shock from damaged wire, use

insulated fasteners rather than metal nails or tacks to hold light strings in place. • Stay dry. Keep electrical connectors for outdoor lights above ground, out of water, and away from metal eavestroughs. Connect outdoor lighting into receptacles protected by weatherproof ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCI). These can provide protection from electric shock by sensing ground leakage and cutting electrical power. • Put your faith in the magic of the holidays but don’t fall for fakes. Avoid counterfeit electronic decorations that haven’t been certified for safe use. Look for the mark from an accredited certification organization like CSA Group. news canada

Pales in comparison

Neighbour cops out on lights An Arizona woman who knew she couldn’t compete head-on with her neighbour’s elaborate Christmaslight display is attracting attention for her response. Using red and green lights, Kristina Green of Maricopa, Ariz., spelled out the word “ditto” and made an arrow pointing toward her neighbour’s home. KNXV-TV reports that Green’s display is made of around 600 lights. Her neighbour’s setup has about 16,000 colourful lights. Green has created a Facebook page for her “ditto” sign.

The Christmas light competition heats up for some neighbourhoods, while other neighbours go with a “ditto” sign and an arrow. screen grab

Last year, a family in Beaverton, Ore., also erected the word “ditto” with an arrow on the side of their own home toward a neighbour’s house as part of an online movement. the associated press

Twitter Register at metropolitanpanel.ca and take the quick poll

What’s next for the Ikea monkey? 20%

40%

Bachelor: Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary edition

Whatever he wants. he’s a celeb now

40%

The Sound of Music has fought off the likes of Born in the U.S.A. and Thriller in retaining the record for most consecutive weeks on Billboard’s Top 10. contributed

Made for TV movie

@HHBridges: ••••• Continuing the tradition - no tolls on the bridges Christmas Day. Happy holidays from Halifax Harbour Bridges. @DonnieSpicer: ••••• @HfxRegPolice Car pedestrian accidents are preventable. We all need to pay attention! @LauraWhalen29: ••••• Driving in downtown halifax this time of year is actually terrifying

@JillianBlackman: ••••• 2 teenage boys just attempted to jump my agent @AngelaHaliLand & her fiancee in the #Halifax Shopping Centre Parking lot while loading car. @HealthyHalifax: ••••• At #Dartmouth surplus getting tires. Great people! Robert & Chris always get you best value. #Halifax

President Bill McDonald • Vice-President & Group Publisher, Metro Eastern Canada Greg Lutes • Editor-in-Chief Charlotte Empey • Deputy Editor Fernando Carneiro • National Deputy Editor, Digital Quin Parker • Managing Editor, Halifax Philip Croucher • Managing Editor, News & Business Amber Shortt • Managing Editor, Life & Entertainment Dean Lisk • Vice-President, Sales Quin Millar • Regional Sales Director, Metro Eastern Canada Dianne Curran • Distribution Manager April Doucette • Vice-President, Business Ventures Tracy Day • Vice-President, Creative Jeff Smith • Vice-President, Marketing & Interactive Jodi Brown • Vice-President, Finance Phil Jameson • METRO HALIFAX • 3260 Barrington St., Unit 102, Halifax NS B3K 0B5 • Telephone: 902-444-4444 • Fax: 902-422-5610 • Advertising: 902-421-5824 • adinfohalifax@metronews.ca • Distribution: halifax_distribution@metronews.ca • News tips: halifax@metronews.ca • Letters to the Editor: halifaxletters@metronews.ca

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metronews.ca WEEKEND, December 21-23, 2012

Reel Guys

RICHARD CROUSE AND MARK BRESLIN

HANDOUT

This is all too familiar Biting honesty. Judd Apatow’s latest comedy pleases with its realistic take on life in middle age Richard: Mark, after writing that synopsis, I feel it necessary to remind everyone that this is a comedy, so mixed into this study of midlife disappointment are some keenly honed and very funny observations. It’s a blend of heart and humour, frequently in the same scene, and often in the same sentence. When Pete says to Debbie, “We’re like Simon and Garfunkel and you turned me into Garfunkel,” it’s a funny line, delivered well, but also a loaded one that places his unhappiness front and centre. It’s that kind of writing and performance that makes you laugh and cringe at the same time. What did you think? Mark: It’s Apatow’s best movie, but not necessarily his

funniest. The comedy comes intermittently in between stretches of a married couple bickering, experiencing a financial meltdown, problems with their kids and their parents. Just like real life. But I’m not sure the very funny comedy bits redeem the rest of the movie’s grim and lacerating honesty. RC: I think Apatow is trying to get that James Brooks magical mix of funny and raw emotion. The ratio might be a bit off here, but his cast — Rudd and Mann — both bring considerable likeability and comic chops, but temper that with resentment and dissatisfaction. Mann is particularly good. A scene with a hockey player who doesn’t realize she is married is funny but framed with a kind of vulnerability that elevates Debbie from stock character to believable person. MB: I found this movie less sentimental than most of Brooks’ work, but the cast does make the bitter pill seem a bit sweeter. Not just Rudd and

Mann, but the smaller parts — Albert Brooks and John Lithgow as their respective fathers, Jason Segel as the insufferable personal trainer and Apatow’s own daughters as the couple’s siblings, all work wonders. And two comic set pieces late in the movie — when most directors would be sprinting to the finish line — one with Charlene Yi, the other with Melissa McCarthy — are comedy gold. Your favourite funny bit? RC: I loved everything to do with the Graham Parker storyline. As the retro rock act Rudd’s character is trying to promote, Parker — who was one of my 1970s real-life punk rock heroes — gamely allows himself to be the butt of a lot of jokes, including my favourite from Chris O’Dowd, who says, “It’s hard to watch a band when you know all of them were alive on D Day.” MB: Casting Parker was such an inspired choice! I hope that life will imitate art and people will get interested in his music again. But the

Synopsis

SCENE

This is 40 sees Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann reprise their roles as the warring couple in Knocked Up.

This is 40 takes place in the week between Pete and Debbie’s (Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann reprising their roles from Knocked Up) 40th birthdays. Although Debbie lies about how old she is, larger problems include constantly warring kids (Maude and Iris Apatow), an empty bank account made worse by a freeloading father (Albert Brooks), an embezzling employee and relationship doubts triggered by Debbie’s loaded question, “If I hadn’t gotten pregnant 14 years ago, would we still be together?” •

Richard: •••••

•

Mark: •••••

movie is full of such inspired offbeat picks. That was Tatum O’Neal as the realtor and radio talkshow hero Phil Hendrie who attacks Rudd after the bicycle crash.

UNIVERSAL PICTURES PRESENTS AN APATOW PRODUCTION A JUDD APATOW FILM PAUL RUDD LESLIE MANN “THIS IS 40” JOHN LITHGOW MUSIC EDITED MUSIC COSTUME PRODUCTION BY JON BRION SUPERVISOR JONATHAN KARP DESIGNER LEESA EVANS BY BRENT WHITE ACE DESIGNER JEFFERSON SAGE MEGAN FOX AND ALBERT BROOKS PRODUCED BASED ON CHARACTERS DIRECTOR OF BY JUDD APATOW CLAYTON TOWNSEND BARRY MENDEL CREATED BY JUDD APATOW PHOTOGRAPHY PHEDON PAPAMICHAEL ASC WRITTEN AND STARTS TODAY DIRECTED BY JUDD APATOW A UNIVERSAL PICTURE COARSE LANGUAGE, SEXUAL CONTENT, CRUDE CONTENT

SOUNDTRACK ALBUM ON CAPITOL RECORDS

26 Action

Django Unchained

SCENE

Action

Jack Reacher

Director. Quentin Tarantino

Director. Christopher McQuarrie

Stars. Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz

Stars. Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike

•••••

Whatever you think of Quentin Tarantino, his movies stand out in an industry full of mediocrity. Django Unchained, the filmmaker’s homage to the spaghetti western, is certainly no different — casting Jamie Foxx as the titular slave-turnedbounty hunter. Aided by a smooth-talking “dentist” (Waltz), Django strives to save his wife from a plantation owner played by Leonardo Dicaprio. Hypnotic dialogue and Tarantino’s sense of retro-style keep Django smartly entertaining, albeit a bit long at 165 minutes. steve gow

Tom Cruise channels the macho swagger of John Wayne and Robert Mitchum in this refreshingly unpretentious, highly entertaining mystery thriller. Cruise plays an exmilitary cop who is called in to aid defense lawyer Rosamund Pike in profiling another soldier who has murdered five civilians. Of course there’s more to the serpentine case than meets the eye. Jack Reacher gets an extra star for casting cult German director Werner Herzog as a reptilian psychopath. Chris alexander

metronews.ca WEEKEND, December 21-23, 2012

Drama

Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away

Musical

Les Misérables Director. Tom Hooper

Director. Andrew Adamson Stars. Erica Linz, Igor Zaripov

Stars. Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway

•••••

The problem with making a Cirque du Soleil movie is that the company’s acrobatic shows are more spectacle than the medium of cinema truly allows. And these days, that’s saying something. Worlds Away (which is a virtual “greatest hits” from seven Cirque shows) tries to thread a narrative throughout, but even that’s lost amongst the thrilling stunts that are still more impressive on stage than in a 3D film.

Chances are, if you’re excited to see Les Misérables, you already know what you’re in for. Based on the hugely popular stage play, this brooding musical (there are no dance numbers here, folks) stars Jackman as a reformed thief who adopts the daughter of a prostitute in the years following the French Revolution. There’s no denying the grandiosity of staging and the device using actors’ live vocals leads to impressive performances, but the windy one-takes are just as wearisome.

steve gow

Parental Guidance Parental Guidance, featuring Billy Crystal, Marisa Tomei and Bette Midler opens Christmas Day. Visit metronews. ca/scene to read our review of the film. handout photo

scene

metronews.ca WEEKEND, December 21-23, 2012

Metro’s 10 must-see films from the past year Ned Ehrbar

Metro World News in Hollywood

This may finally be the year that well-made big-budget studio fare finally gets some respect, a cause championed by the likes of Christopher Nolan. Which is awkward, because we were expecting more from his Dark Knight Rises, but he didn’t quite stick the landing. If nothing else, 2012 proved to be a delightfully diverse year at the movies. Some runners up for this list include best picture front-runner Argo, Michael Haneke’s Cannes favourite Amour and Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained. Cloud Atlas A big, bold, far-reaching tale encompassing six different stories — and six very different visual and genre styles — to explore the enduring power of love and mankind’s struggle for freedom. The Wachowskis and co-director Tom Tykwer packed a lot into their 172 min-

utes, adapting David Mitchell’s gorgeous novel into something vital and engrossing. Zero Dark Thirty Director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal follow up their wins for the Hurt Locker with an even better film tracking the decade-long manhunt for Osama Bin Laden, buoyed by a performance by Jessica Chastain that should earn her a best actress Oscar. The film’s greatest feat is presenting all of the facts without an ounce of politicization. The Impossible This true-life tale of a European family separated during the 2004 tsunami is incredibly manipulative, but it is some of the most artful, effective manipulation ever committed to film, and for that it deserves respect. It’s a harrowing, unflinching look at the struggle for survival that puts viewers through the emotional wringer. Beasts of the Southern Wild A startling debut with a six-

“HEARTFELT

year-old unknown star (Quvenzhané Wallis) and a look and feel unlike anything seen before, this charming and moving fable is a rare treasure, a visual poem with an equally enduring score co-written by director and co-writer Benh Zeitlin. Cabin in the Woods Joss Whedon had one of the year’s biggest hits with the Avengers — which nearly made this list as well — but his real triumph this year comes in cowriting this sharp and hilarious deconstruction of the horror movie genre. Once the movie’s real game is revealed, the film’s giddy energy is infectious. Rust and Bone Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard turns in another striking and poignant performance as a whale trainer who loses her legs during an accident at work and rediscovers the beauty of life with the help of a down-on-his-luck bruiser of a single father (Matthais Schoenaerts).

Lincoln Daniel Day-Lewis is of course the main attraction here, seamlessly transforming himself into the 16th president, but he shares the screen with a dizzying array of fantastic supporting performances, the best of which was Tommy Lee Jones, Lee Pace and James Spader. Keep the Lights On Writer-director Ira Sachs mines his own romantic past with aching honesty to tell the story of two men trying to love each other and ignore each other’s addictions for nearly a decade. It’s an unflinching portrayal of intimacy. Anna Karenina Director Joe Wright and actress Keira Knightley team up for their third literary adaptation — after Pride and Prejudice and Atonement — with this gorgeous and risky translation of the Russian classic. The staging and style are mesmerizing, and Knightley shines, but the real standout here is Jude Law in a

AND HILARIOUS.

ONE OF THE YEAR’S BEST COMEDIES.

STREISAND AND ROGEN ARE THE PERFECT COMEDY DUO!”

Beasts of the Southern Wild. handout

Jessica Chastain’s performance in Zero Dark Thirty is Oscar worthy. handout

career-redefining turn as the cuckolded Alexei Karenin. Skyfall Sam Mendes leads the James Bond franchise to a

new benchmark in quality just in time for its 50th anniversary, imbuing Daniel Craig’s 007 with just the right amount of fun and ’60s swagger.

JOEL STEIN

A GORGEOUS MOVIE”

“

FOX TV, JAKE HAMILTON

LANGUAGE MAY OFFEND

NOW PLAYING

STARTS TODAY IN MOVIE THEATRES! CHECK THEATRE DIRECTORY FOR LOCATIONS AND SHOWTIMES

CHECK THEATRE DIRECTORY FOR LOCATIONS AND SHOWTIMES

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metronews.ca WEEKEND, December 21-23, 2012

These pages cover movie start times from Fri., DEC. 21 to Thurs., dec. 27. Times are subject to change. Complete listings are also available at metronews.ca/movies.

Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away (STC) Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 1-7 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Mon 11:15 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Tue 4:20-6:50-9:40 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 1-3:45-7-9:10 Cloudburst (STC) Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 11:45-4:406:25-10:15 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Mon 12:05-3:15 Django Unchained (STC) Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Tue 3:40-8:05-10 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 11:40-3:25-7:15-9:40 Flight (14) Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 9:40 The Guilt Trip (STC) Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 12:103:25-6:45-10:45 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Mon 11:40-2:40 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Tue 4:407:40-10:10 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 12-2:50-6:45-9:50 Hitchcock (PG) Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 11:40-3:35-7:4010:20 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Mon 10:55-3:05 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Tue-Thu 9:45 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (PG) Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 11:30-1:30-3:15-7:15-9:45 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Mon 11:20-11:30-2 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Tue 3:30-7:45 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 1:30-6:55 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 3D (PG) Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 12-12:15-3:45-4:05-7:30-8 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Mon 10:55-11:10-2:30-2:50 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Tue 4-8:15 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 12:15-4:05-7:50 Jack Reacher (STC) Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 12:40-4:107:25-10:40 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Mon 11:50-3 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Tue 4:05-7:10-10:35 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 12:50-4-7:30-10:35 Life of Pi (PG) Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 12:20-3:206:30-9:50 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Mon 12-3:10 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Tue 3:35-6:45-9:45 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 12:20-3:20-6:30-9:35 Life of Pi 3D (PG) Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 3:30-10:10 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Mon 2:30 Les Misérables (STC) Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Tue 3:25-3:557-8-10:15 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 11:30-12:40-3:15-4:25-

Imax 190 Chain Lake Dr., Bayers Lake 902-876-4800

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey — An IMAX 3D Experience (PG) Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 12:45-4:45-9:15 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Mon 11-2:40 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Tue 4-8:15 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 12:45-4:30-9:15

Oxford Theatre 6408 Quinpool Rd. 902-423-7488

Lincoln (PG) Fri 6:30-9:40 Sat-Sun 3:457-10:10 Mon 11-2:30 Tue-Thu 3-6:30-9:40 White Christmas (G) Sat-Sun 1

Park Lane 5657 Spring Garden Rd. 902-423-4860

Django Unchained (STC) , Stadium Seating Tue 3-6:35-10:05 , Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 11:30-3:05-6:40-10 The Guilt Trip (STC) Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 12:50-4-7:05-9:30 Stadium Seating Mon 12:50-3:35 Stadium Seating Tue 3:20-7:15-10 Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 1:15-4:30-7:15-9:35 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (PG) , Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 12:204-7:30 , Stadium Seating Mon 12:20 , Stadium Seating Tue 5-9 , Stadium Seat-

ing Wed-Thu 1-5-9 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 3D (PG) , Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 1-2:454:45-6:20-9-9:20 , Stadium Seating Mon 1-2:45 , Stadium Seating Tue 3:45-8 , Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 12-3:45-8 Jack Reacher (STC) , Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 12:30-3:30-6:50-9:55 , Stadium Seating Mon 12:30-3:30 , Stadium Seating Tue 4:05-7-10 , Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 12:30-3:40-7-10:10 Life of Pi (PG) Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 12:10-6:30 Stadium Seating Mon 12:10 Life of Pi 3D (PG) Stadium Seating FriSun 3:10-10 Stadium Seating Mon 3:10 Les Misérables (STC) , Stadium Seating Tue 3:30-6:15-9:45 , Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 11:15-3:30-6:15-9:45 Parental Guidance (STC) , Stadium Seating Tue 3:50-6:40-9:20 , Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 12:45-4-6:30-9:10 Skyfall (14) Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 12:25-3:30-6:40-9:45 Stadium Seating Mon 12:10-3:20 This Is 40 (STC) , Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 12:15-3:20-6:40-9:45 , Stadium Seating Mon 12:15-3:20 , Stadium Seating Tue 3:10-6:45-9:45 , Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 12:20-3:30-6:50-10:05

Lower Sackville Lower Sackville 760 Sackville Dr., Downsview Plaza 902-869-2022

Django Unchained (STC) Dolby Stereo, , Stadium Seating Tue 6:15-9:15 , Stadium Seating, Dolby Stereo Digital Wed-Thu 12:40-3-6:15-9:15 The Guilt Trip (STC) Dolby Stereo Digital, , Stadium Seating Fri 3:50-7:20-9:40 Dolby Stereo Digital, , Stadium Seating Sat-Sun 1:25-4:25-7:05-9:30 Dolby Stereo Digital, , Stadium Seating Mon 12:20-2:50 Dolby Stereo Digital, , Stadium Seating Tue 6:55-9:55 Dolby Stereo Digital, , Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 4:25-6:55-9:55 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (PG) Stadium Seating, Dolby Stereo Digital, Fri 3:30-7:30 Stadium Seating, Dolby Stereo Digital, Sat-Sun 12:15-3:45-7:30 Stadium Seating, Dolby Stereo Digital, Mon 12-2 Stadium Seating, Dolby Stereo Digital Tue 8 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 8 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 3D (PG) , Stadium Seating, Dolby Stereo Digital Fri 4-8 , Stadium Seating, Dolby Stereo Digital Sat-Sun 12:45-4:15-8 , Stadium Seating, Dolby Stereo Digital Mon 11:30-2:30 Stadium Seating, Dolby Stereo Digital Wed-Thu 12:30 Jack Reacher (STC) Dolby Stereo, , Stadium Seating Fri 3:10-6:45-9:35 Dolby Stereo, , Stadium Seating Sat-Sun 12:353:50-6:45-9:05 Dolby Stereo, , Stadium Seating Mon 12:10-3:05 Dolby Stereo, , Stadium Seating Tue 6:45-9:50 , Stadium Seating, Dolby Stereo Digital Wed-Thu 12-3:30-6:45-9:50 Monsters, Inc. 3D (G) Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating, Fri 4-6:35-9:15

Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating, Sat-Sun 1:15-4-6:35-9:15 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating, Mon 11:50-3:15 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating, Tue 6:35-9:30 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating, Wed-Thu 1:10-4-6:35-9:30 Parental Guidance (STC) Dolby Stereo, , Stadium Seating Tue 7:05-9:25 , Stadium Seating, Dolby Stereo Digital Wed-Thu 12:25-3:40-7:05-9:25 Rise of the Guardians (G) Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Fri 3:40-7:10 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating SatMon 12:55-3:40 Stadium Seating, Dolby Stereo Digital Wed-Thu 12:20 Rise of the Guardians 3D (G) Stadium Seating, Dolby Stereo Digital Fri 6:50 Stadium Seating, Dolby Stereo Digital SatSun 12:55-3:40 Stadium Seating, Dolby Stereo Digital Mon 11:30 Skyfall (14) Stadium Seating, Dolby Stereo Digital Fri 9 Stadium Seating, Dolby Stereo Digital Sat-Sun 9:35 This Is 40 (STC) , Dolby Stereo, Stadium Seating Fri 3:20-6:25-9:25 , Dolby Stereo, Stadium Seating Sat-Sun 12:25-3:206:25-9:25 , Dolby Stereo, Stadium Seating Mon 11:40-2:40 , Dolby Stereo, Stadium Seating Tue 6:25-9:40 , Stadium Seating, Dolby Stereo Digital Wed-Thu 12:103:15-6:25-9:40

Dartmouth Dartmouth Crossing 145 Shubie Dr., Dartmouth Crossing 902-481-3251

Django Unchained (STC) Dolby Stereo, , Stadium Seating Tue 4-8:40 Dolby Stereo, , Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 1:30-6:509:50 The Guilt Trip (STC) Dolby Stereo, , Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 12:05-3-6:15-10:20 Dolby Stereo, , Stadium Seating Mon 11:10-2:40 Dolby Stereo, Stadium Seating Tue 3:15-6:20-9:10 Dolby Stereo, Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 12:50-3:30-7:20-10:25 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (PG) Dolby Stereo, , Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 2:30-7:45 Dolby Stereo, , Stadium Seating Mon 2 Dolby Stereo, , Stadium Seating Tue 3:50-7:45 Dolby Stereo, , Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 2-6:15-10:15 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 3D (PG) Dolby Stereo, , Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 12:15-12:45-2-4:15-4:45-7:308:15-8:45 Dolby Stereo, , Stadium Seating Mon 12-1-1:30 Dolby Stereo, , Stadium Seating Tue 3:20-4:30-7:10-9:25 Dolby Stereo, , Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 12-14-4:45-8-9 Jack Reacher (STC) Dolby Stereo, , Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 12:30-3:356:45-9:50 Dolby Stereo, , Stadium Seating Mon 11:30-2:35 Dolby Stereo, , Stadium Seating Tue 3:30-6:40-9:50 Dolby Stereo, , Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 12:40-3:456:45-9:45 Life of Pi (PG) Dolby Stereo, Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 12 Dolby Stereo, Stadium Seating Mon 11 Life of Pi 3D (PG) Dolby Stereo, Stadium

Seating Fri-Sun 3:10-6:20-9:25 Dolby Stereo, Stadium Seating Mon 2:20 Les Misérables (STC) Dolby Stereo, Stadium Seating, Tue 4:20-8 Dolby Stereo, , Stadium Seating Tue 4:40-8:30 Dolby Stereo, Stadium Seating, Wed-Thu 3-6:30-10-11:30 Dolby Stereo, , Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 12:30-4:30-8:30 Monsters, Inc. 3D (G) Dolby Stereo, , Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 1:05-3:45-6:309:10 Dolby Stereo, , Stadium Seating Mon 12:35-2:35 Dolby Stereo, , Stadium Seating Tue 4:10-6:40-9:10 Dolby Stereo, , Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 1:10-4:157:10-9:40 Parental Guidance (STC) Dolby Stereo, , Stadium Seating Tue 3:40-6:20-9:25 Dolby Stereo, , Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 12:153:15-6:20-9:10 Playing for Keeps (PG) Dolby Stereo, Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 9:15 Rise of the Guardians (G) Dolby Stereo, Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 1:15 Dolby Stereo, Stadium Seating Mon 12:15 Dolby Stereo, Stadium Seating Tue 3 Dolby Stereo, Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 11:40-2:30 Rise of the Guardians 3D (G) Dolby Stereo, Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 3:55-6:25 Dolby Stereo, Stadium Seating Mon 2:45 Skyfall (14) Digital, Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 12:20-3:40-7-9 Digital, Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Mon 11:20-2 Digital, Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Tue 6:10-9 Digital, Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 6:10-9:30 This Is 40 (STC) Dolby Stereo, , Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 12:55-4:05-7:10-10:15 Dolby Stereo, , Stadium Seating Mon 11:15-2:25 Dolby Stereo, , Stadium Seating Tue 3:10-6:30-9:40 Dolby Stereo, , Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 11:50-3:207-10:10 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (14) Digital, Dolby Stereo, Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 1:20-4:20-7:20-10:10 Digital, Dolby Stereo, Stadium Seating Mon 11:40-2:30

Truro Truro 20 Treaty Trail, Millbrook 902-895-8020

Django Unchained (STC) Dolby Stereo Digital, Digital, , Stadium Seating Tue 6:10-9:20 Dolby Stereo Digital, Digital, , Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 2-6:10-9:20 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (PG) Digital, Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating, Fri-Sun 2:55-8:30 Digital, Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Mon 2:55 Digital, Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 2:10 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 3D (PG) Dolby Stereo Digital, , Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 2:30-7:15 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Mon 2:30 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Tue 6:20 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 6:20-9 Jack Reacher (STC) Digital, Dolby Stereo Digital, , Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 2:50-

GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINATIONS

MATURE THEME, VIOLENCE

6:55-9:45 Digital, Dolby Stereo Digital, , Stadium Seating Mon 2:50 Digital, Dolby Stereo Digital, , Stadium Seating Tue 6:30 Digital, Dolby Stereo Digital, , Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 6:30-9:40 Les Misérables (STC) Dolby Stereo Digital, Digital, , Stadium Seating Tue 7:30 Dolby Stereo Digital, Digital, , Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 2:40-6-9:30 Monsters, Inc. 3D (G) Dolby Stereo Digital, , Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 2:45-7-9:15 Dolby Stereo Digital, , Stadium Seating Mon 2:45 Dolby Stereo Digital, , Stadium Seating Tue 6:40-9:50 Dolby Stereo Digital, , Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 2:20-6:40-9:50 Parental Guidance (STC) Digital, Dolby Stereo Digital, , Stadium Seating Tue 7-10 Digital, Dolby Stereo Digital, , Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 2:50-7-10 Playing for Keeps (PG) Digital, Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 6:45-9:30 Rise of the Guardians (G) Digital, Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 3 Rise of the Guardians 3D (G) Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 3-6:40 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Mon 3 Skyfall (14) Digital, Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 2:35-6:30-9 Digital, Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Mon 2:35 This Is 40 (STC) Digital, Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating, Fri-Sun 2:406:35-9:30 Digital, Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating, Mon 2:40 Digital, Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating, Tue 6:50-9:55 Digital, Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating, Wed-Thu 2:30-6:509:55

Bridgewater Bridgewater 349 Lahave St., 902-527-4020

Django Unchained (STC) Tue 7:30 WedThu 12:30-4-7:30 The Guilt Trip (STC) Fri-Sun 1:30-4:156:50-9:10 Mon 1:30-4:15 Tue 6:50-9:10 Wed-Thu 4:15-6:50-9:10 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (PG) Fri-Sun 12:30-4-7:30 Mon 12:30 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 3D (PG) Fri-Sun 1-4:30-8 Mon 1 Tue 7:15 Wed-Thu 1-4:30-8 Jack Reacher (STC) Fri-Sun 12:45-3:406:30-9:20 Mon 12:45-3:40 Tue 6:30-9:20 Wed-Thu 12:45-3:40-6:30-9:20 Monsters, Inc. 3D (G) Fri-Sun 1:10-3:306:45-9:05 Mon 1:10-3:30 Tue 6:45-9:05 Wed-Thu 1:10-3:30-6:45-9:05 Parental Guidance (STC) Tue 7-9:25 Wed-Thu 1:20-3:50-7-9:25 Rise of the Guardians (G) Fri-Mon 3:50 Wed-Thu 1:30 Rise of the Guardians 3D (G) Fri-Sun 1:20-7 Mon 1:20 Skyfall (14) Fri-Sun 9:25 This Is 40 (STC) Fri-Sun 12:40-3:356:35-9:30 Mon 12:40-3:35 Tue 6:35-9:30 Wed-Thu 12:40-3:35-6:35-9:30

BEST PICTURE

MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Bayers Lake 190 Chain Lake Dr., Bayers Lake 902-876-4800

7-8-10:30 Monsters, Inc. 3D (G) Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Mon 11:45-2:45 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Tue 3:45-6:40-9:35 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 1:05-3:406:35-9:25 Parental Guidance (STC) Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Tue 4:10-7:1510:30 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 12:35-3:35-6:50-9:45 Rise of the Guardians (G) Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 1:204:25-7:10 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Mon 11:25-2:35 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Tue 4:45-7:20 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 12:10-3:10-7:05 Silver Linings Playbook (14) Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 11:50-3:10-6:15-10 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Mon 11:05-2:25 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Tue 4:507:50-10:50 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 11:50-3-6:25-9:30 Skyfall (14) Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Fri-Sun 1:15-4:35-7:55 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Mon 11:35-2:50 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Tue 4:25-7:30 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 1:406:15-9:40 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (14) Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Tue 7:25-10:45 Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Wed-Thu 6:30-10:40

INCLUDING

Halifax

scene

metronews.ca WEEKEND, December 21-23, 2012

When the tunes Let’s get ready to brought us together rock and rumble Smashing Pumpkins to smashing heads. Billy Corgan finding success as wrestling promoter

A social song. Beck harkens back to a time when music bonded the masses Beck Hansen wants you to think about the way music has changed over the last century, and what that means about how human beings engage each other these days. Labouring over the intricate and ornate details of his new Song Reader sheet music project, he was struck by how social music used to be — something we’ve lost in the age of ear buds. “You watch an old film and see how people would dance together in the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s. You’d go out and people would switch partners and it was a way of social interaction,” Hansen said. “It’s something that was part of what brought people together. Playing music in the home is another aspect of that that’s been lost. Again, I’m not on a campaign to get people to take up songs and play music in their home or anything. But it is interesting to me, the loss of that, what it means.” Beck hopes the Song Reader inspires some of us to pick up instruments and limber our vocal cords. It includes 20 songs annotated on sheet music that’s been decorated in the style popular in the early 20th century when the songwriting industry was a thriving enterprise with billions of songs sold. The 42-year-old singer notes in the book’s preface that Bing Crosby’s Sweet Leilani sold an estimated 54 million copies in 1937, meaning about 40 per cent or more of the U.S. population was engaged in learning how to play that song. They were touching it directly, speeding it up, slowing it down, changing the lyrics and creating something new. “There’s popular bands now that people know the words to their songs and can sing along, but there’s something about playing a song for yourself or for your friends and family that allows you to inhabit the song and by some sort of osmosis it becomes part of who you are in a way,” he said. “So when I think of my great-grandparents’ generations, music defined their lives in a different way than it does now.” Beck proposed the idea to McSweeney’s Dave Eggers in 2004 and it soon blossomed into something more ambitious as the artist wrapped his mind around the challenge of not just writing a song, but presenting it in a classic way

Beck spent six months finishing off his project, The Song Reader, after working on it sporadically for years. Kim D. Johnson / the associated press

Take note

...When I think of my great-grandparents’ generations, music defined their lives in a different way than it does now.” Beck Hansen

that also engages fans who might not be able to read music or play their own instruments. They quickly agreed it would make no money, but it seemed like an idea worth exploring. “And it seemed like only Beck would have thought of it,” Eggers said in an email to the Associated Press. “It’s a very generous project, in that he wrote a bunch of songs and just gives them to the world to interpret. That’s a very expansive kind of generosity and inclusiveness that we’re happy to be part of. On a formal level, we love projects like this, that are unprecedented, and that result in a beautiful object full of great art and great writing. And it all started with Beck. It’s a testament to his groundbreaking approach to every-

thing he does.” Beck hopes fans will record their own versions and upload them to the Internet so those songs grow into something more universal. As for his own recorded music, that’s a little more complicated. Beck’s not sure where he’s headed at the moment. He recorded an album in 2008, but set it aside to work with Charlotte Gainsbourg on IRM, which he wrote and produced. He’s also been writing songs for soundtracks and special projects and producing artists like Thurston Moore, Stephen Malkmus and Dwight Yoakam. All that has left him feeling creatively satisfied, but he does acknowledge it’s been a while since he released 2008’s Danger Mouse-produced Modern Guilt. He says in many ways he’s reached a crossroads he’s not yet sure how to navigate. “This last year I’ve been thinking about whether I’d finish those songs (from 2008), whether they’re relevant or worthy of releasing. I know that doesn’t sound very definitive,” he said, laughing, “but that’s the kind of place I’m in — in this kind of limbo — and, um, yeah.” THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Billy Corgan had a night off from the latest Smashing Pumpkins tour and a night out with The Blue Meanie. No, that’s not the next upand-coming band with a colourful name, along the lines of the White Stripes or the Black Keys. The Blue Meanie is a professional wrestler — yes, hair and beard dyed cobalt blue to match his worn T-shirt — and Corgan was his tag-team partner for a Friday night road trip to an independent wrestling show in New Jersey. His next Smashing Pumpkins concert was a night away, and Corgan wasn’t going to miss it. The musician-songwriter is more than just another celebrity immersed in wrestling as some sort of quirky promotional stunt. Corgan’s childhood fandom of the high-flying moves and outlandish story lines morphed into a serious passion for the craft and real-life drama that goes with it. For the past year, the Smashing Pumpkins’ frontman has worked as the behind-thescenes brainchild for the Resistance Pro Wrestling promotion out of Illinois. He teamed with R-Pro owners, brothers Gabe and Jacques Baron, to raise the diminished expectations that usually come with a typical weekend indie show and make

Proving that Corgan still has his claws in the music industry, his band The Smashing Pumpkins recently reissued their epic album, Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness. getty images Music and the mat

The entertainment industry has long tried to wrest its way into the wrestling world. • Mr. T and Lawrence Taylor main evented WWE cards. • Aretha Franklin, Kid Rock and John Legend have all performed at WrestleMania.

the company a smashing success over the first 10 cards. Stretched out in a Philadelphia hotel room, Corgan explained he’s in the wrestling

business for the long haul. “I like that it makes people uncomfortable,” Corgan said. “I like that it’s not an easy thing to explain. I like when it’s great, it’s amazing; when it’s bad, it’s really, really bad.” Corgan’s music career has pretty much been all great since he founded the seminal 1990s alternative-rock band that keeps churning out acclaimed records, like their latest, Oceania,” even as they endured a breakup, lawsuits, and multiple lineup changes. He shifted his talents to R-Pro as the creative director, where he consults with wrestlers and maps out old-school story lines with a modern twist to keep the promotion strong. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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SCENE

metronews.ca WEEKEND, December 21-23, 2012

The hardest working man in music David Guetta’s ultimate NYE playlist

David Guetta. Today’s most popular DJ talks about the benefits and drawbacks of the Internet and gives us his ultimate playlist

1 David Guetta ft Taped Rai. Just One Last Time

(Extended Mix) (What A Music)

2 Ludacris ft Usher & David Guetta. Rest Of My Life

(Extended Mix Edit) (Def Jam)

Richard Peckett

Metro World News

3 Rihanna ft David Guetta.

Right Now (Def Jam)

David Guetta, one of the most worked with musicians today, spoke to Metro about working with Will.i.am, the social networking revolution and who are the most talented DJs of today. How would you describe your relationship with Will.i.am? He’s a friend. We’ve known each other since I produced I Gotta Feeling and anything that he comes out with is always genius, so I kind of trust him with closed eyes. What’s he like to work with? He’s like a bit of a crazy scientist who has difficulty in only doing one thing at a time. We just open the mics up and he doesn’t write any-

4 Alesso. Clash (Refune) 5 David Guetta & Nicky Romero. Metropolis (Jack

Back)

6 Thomas Gold. MIAO (Fly

Eye)

7 Daddy’s Groove. Turn The

Lights Down (David Guetta Re-Work) (Jack Back)

8 Chuckie & Junxterjack.

Make Some Noise (Cr2/Big Beat)

9 Tony Romera. Pandor

(Protocol)

10 David Guetta ft Ne-Yo & Akon. Play Hard (Edit)

(What A Music)

Call him popular, or today’s ‘it’ feature guy, but however you say it, David Guetta is in high demand. handout

thing — it just comes out of him — and it’s impressive to see that. He’s a party guy and that’s my life. What do you think of the i.am+ and social networking? You know, I started organizing raves when I was very young and it was against the law. Radio and TV were not playing our music in France and the only way to have

events and DJ was to keep tight with the people who were from the scene. It was text messages, phone numbers, flyers, stuff like this, you know. So now of course with technology, it’s evolving, but it’s the same principle, only it’s not just my city, but the world. Literally anything that allows me to share my passion and get closer to the fans is great.

So you think that the Internet and YouTube are a positive for the industry? Amazing, absolutely. It’s made music so democratic because it’s cheap to produce music to a professional quality and you can also market it through a laptop. Nowadays, it’s about creativity, the music itself and it’s not like the head of the record company, the head of a TV channel and the head of a

radio channel are going to sit down over lunch and decide who’s the next star. Do you think that there are more talented DJs today? I don’t think that there are more talented people around now but there are more opportunities for them to expose their ability. Talent is about continual good ideas and a career. It’s way more competitive. Everything is so fast. It’s easier to rise and also quicker

to fall. You played to 3 million people last year on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro. Do you prefer bigger venues? Not necessarily, I love both. I really love playing Pacha in Ibiza, but now those kind of venues are a little small for me. This New Year, I’m going to play Mamita’s Beach, Playa del Carmen in Mexico, which isn’t as big but I love Latin and South America.

scene

metronews.ca WEEKEND, December 21-23, 2012

Maintaining the voice that made his career Italian tenor. Andrea Bocelli talks about his new album, ignoring the luxury items in life and his belief in the goodness of people AMANDA QUEIRÓS

Metro World News

The Italian tenor who gave a pop touch to classical music confesses his love for opera, soccer and good food and explains how he keeps his voice and his popularity worldwide At the age of 54, the Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli

reaps impressive numbers for an opera singer. On Jan. 29, he releases Passione, in which he sings in six languages. He spoke to Metro about the mix between popular and classic music that made him famous across the world. Why have you decided to merge classical and popular music? Actually, I try to split them up. Classical music and pop are two different universes, each with its own difficulties, peculiarities, depth and artistic dignity. Of course, in presentations in arenas, I try to sing classical music to propagate

it better. I do not really like the term crossover. I also have no need to label what I do. What are the sacrifices demanded by your career? The most difficult in my profession has always been the separation of those who I love. In regards to that, I especially think about my parents and how brave they were to teach me how to be brave by sending me to study far from home when I was still a boy so I could have a better life later. How do you preserve your voice? I never stop trying to per-

fect the technique. This lesson I learned from my friend and great tenor Luciano Pavarotti. He taught me to sing effortlessly and give the best of myself — something essential, or otherwise there would be no more singing at my age. I follow a strict diet before tours and opera seasons, having an almost monastic life, forgetting wine, coffee, pasta and other important joys of life. The opera singer in general is a gourmand and refuses to be limited — and I’m no exception. But one problem is the reflux, almost a “working disease” of singers, which requires me to be more careful at the table.

Andrea Bocelli credits his vocal success to cutting out the luxurious things in life. getty images

Have a merry little (and slightly odd) Christmas The 12 Days of Christmas/Chris Murray

sound check

Alan Cross scene@metronews.ca

Assuming the world doesn’t end, we’re still scheduled to have Christmas. Here are three more holiday songs that are a little out of the ordinary

From A Moose in a Maple Tree, which also includes tracks from Tegan & Sara and Johnny Bower. Yes, him.

We Three Kings/Cai.ro An interesting orchestral version the carol based on everyone’s 10th century Duke of Bohemia. Good for Fleet Foxes fans.

Santa’s Doing the Horizontal Twist/Kay Martin and the Body Guards A risqué Vegas nightclub act released this on their 1962 album, I Know What He Wants for Christmas…But I Don’t’ Know How to Wrap It!

CD Pick

Listen to the Voices in My Head Looking for a great gift for that jazz lover on your list? If so, Joe ‘Jojo’ Bowden’s newly-released debut recording, Voices In My Head, is perfect. Combining the

hard edge of jazz improvisation with the solid backbeat of rhythm and blues and featuring all original music, Voices In My Head highlights Joe’s intimate understanding of synchronicity, musicality and versatility. For a sneak peak, visit metronews.ca/ scene. metro

scene

metronews.ca WEEKEND, December 21-23, 2012

Could it be boiling-over drama on Downton Abbey this season? Interview. Downton’s cook weighs in on life on set and gives us a taste of how things may pan out for the Crawley family and their minions in the third season Stephen Eramo

Quoted

“Although I can’t speak in detail, I can say that in season three, you’ll see much more of Mrs. Patmore and Mrs. Hughes banding together ... which was wonderful to investigate. ” Lesley Nicol

scene@metronews.ca

In 2010, a British-American period TV drama called Downton Abbey took the world by storm. Three seasons later, fans still eagerly tune in to watch the latest goings-on in the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants, all of whom live together in the fictional Yorkshire country estate of Downton Abbey. Keeping everyone wellfed is Downton’s cook, Mrs. Beryl Patmore, played by the lovely and talented Lesley Nicol. Although it was two years ago, she will not soon forget her first time stepping foot into Downton as Mrs. Patmore. “I should explain that all my scenes are shot at Ealing Film Studios in London,” says Nicol. “The kitchen, the servants’ quarters and hall, and the corridors are all sets at Ealing, and then an hour away is Highclere Castle (which plays as Downton Abbey). They shoot all the upstairs scenes there, and because Mrs. Patmore, for legitimate reasons, doesn’t stray far from her kitchen, I rarely get to Highclere. “So for me to film a scene in the library with Hugh Bonneville (the Earl of Grantham) was quite extraordinary, not only be-

cause it’s such an amazing room and building, but also to watch my character go from the safety of her kitchen to be with her boss, who she hardly knows and is scared of. That was very memorable for me and great fun, too.” A skilled cook who knows her away around a kitchen, Mrs. Patmore can sometimes be a bit bossy, especially with the younger staff. She means well, though, and Nicol has been able to show viewers that along with other facets of her character. “What’s brilliant about (series creator/executive producer/writer) Julian Fellowes is that he gives you one aspect of a character, and then because of circumstances you see another side,” says the actress. “So when, for instance, we find out about Mrs. Patmore’s nephew, who was apparently shot for cowardice (in the military), that opens up a whole other seam of her life and reveals a very vulnerable woman. “Although I can’t speak in detail, I can say that in season three, you’ll see much more of Mrs. Patmore and Mrs. Hughes (Phyllis Logan) banding together rather than opposed to each other,

Lesley Nicol plays Mrs. Beryl Patmore, Downton’s sometimes bossy cook. Carnival Film & Television Limited 2012 for MASTERPIECE

which was also wonderful to investigate.” With Downtown Abbey renewed for a fourth season, Nicol will once again be reprising her role of Mrs. Patmore, and that suits her just fine. “It’s a love-

ly job and I feel very blessed to be in it,” she enthuses. Downton Abbey season three premieres Jan. 6 on Masterpiece on PBS. All three seasons begin airing on VisionTV on Jan. 2 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

scene

metronews.ca WEEKEND, December 21-23, 2012

Life as they knew it, changed for good Bomb Girls. Meg Tilly talks about her role as a floor supervisor at Ontario’s Victory Munitions during WWII, and how female perspectives were forever altered anne brodie

scene@metronews.ca

The Second World War brought Canadian women out of the home and into the workforce. Thousands were employed in an Ontario munitions factory, helping in the war effort, earning their own pay cheques and standing on their own two feet as their men fought overseas. Bomb Girls, starting season two Jan. 4 ET/PT at 8 p.m., continues as they navigate life at Victory Munitions and on the home front. Meg Tilly plays Lorna the floor supervisor: Lorna’s a great leader. She’s stoic, efficient and level headed. But her home life

is unstable. That’s what I love about her. Everybody has light and dark and joys and sorrows and they’re all intermingled. There is no good one or bad one. We finished season one with her pregnant and pregnant women aren’t allowed to work on the line. Lorna has always been a by-therules person and the whole situation changes her. In season two, because of this, she’s not so rigid. She’s broken several rules. She did things that were wrong if you’re going to go black and white. I think she’s got more compassion and sees more shades of grey. That’s a shift. How did the work change women? It contributed to the feminist movement. All these capable women who were underutilized found themselves out there doing useful things. Usually women would be born in a town, be raised in the town, marry and die in the town. And all of a sudden women made decisions. They came from all over the country to work in the plant. It’s really important to show

the change that happened with women. Everything changed, that’s what (The Second World War) was to us. The focus is usually on the sacrifices of the men, but now we see the women and how they changed our country and how they effected change. And now I see that time so differently. I think back to my grandparents. I wish they were alive now so I could talk to them about what their experiences were like. People are lucky if they still have people alive who can talk about it. It wasn’t that long ago. What happened to the women after the war? That was a shock. Those were the dark years, some of them call it. All of a sudden it was over. And the men came home and it was changed. And everyone’s trying to pretend it was exactly the way it was before the war and it wasn’t. Everyone was dealing with this huge shift and women lost loved ones, fathers, brothers, lovers, husbands and they’re dealing with other loss, loss of identity and self. They worked and grew and bloomed and

felt useful for something other than baby rearing and cleaning the house, and then suddenly they had to ask for permission to buy a hat. I remember seeing interviews from this one woman. She said it only takes so long to clean the house. You’re working hard, and then it’s gone. And the woman said, “Until I had my baby, those were the dark years.” Bomb Girls is topical, with references to events in Oshawa or the possibility of Nazi planes flying over Canada. I didn’t know how close we came to ... I didn’t know. The storylines are amazing. I read (Second World War) tweets every day — 3,000 killed in bombing in England and you see photos of the streets and think, “Wow, how is it possible?” I didn’t realize the extent of what happened. You read Hitler meets with so and so. Hitler says he’s not invading anyone, and then he invades. There were Nazi prison camps in Canada? I know. I didn’t know that. And that’s in the show.

Meg Tilly plays Lorna, the floor supervisor, in Global’s Bomb Girls.

handout

dish

METRO DISH

metronews.ca WEEKEND, December 21-23, 2012

The Word

OUR TAKE ON THE WORLD OF CELEBRITIES

Oddcouples of2012 the word

Dorothy Robinson scene@metronews.ca

Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson

Stewart and Pattinson host Christmas party Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson are reportedly getting pretty domestic, even going so far as to host a small Christmas party for their friends, according to Hollywood Life. “Kristen and Rob had a small, intimate Christmas tree decorating party on Sunday. They have a gorgeous tree set

up at Kristen’s, where Rob pretty much lives now,” a source says. “They are not living with each other, but they are spending plenty of time with each other and they do sleep over often. They are in a really magical place right now despite some lingering trust issues on Rob’s side.”

Rosario Dawson and Danny Boyle A 22-year age difference hasn’t stopped director Danny Boyle and actress Rosario Dawson from “canoodling” all over London, per the brilliant and descriptive London press. The May/December romance apparently bloomed on the set of their new movie Trance. Was it the Olympics’ bizarre opening ceremony that took Dawson’s heart? Simon Cowell and Carmen Electra The rumours are kind of true:

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Cowell, 53, explained when he called in to On Air with Ryan Seacrest yesterday about the rumours between the two stars. “We’re people who date.” How very “bro” of Simon. Avril Lavigne and Chad Kroeger To the surprise of most, the singers got engaged this year after quietly dating for six months, Lavigne’s rep confirmed to People magazine. “A romantic relationship blossomed as they spent time writing together,” the rep says. This will be the Canadian singer’s second marriage after splitting from Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley in 2009. Kroeger “makes her so happy,” a source tells the magazine. “Both of their families could not be more excited.”

Johnny Depp

She’s just not that into you Newly single Johnny Depp is reportedly hung up on his Rum Diary co-star, Amber Heard. The only problem is the feeling isn’t exactly mutual, according to Radar Online. “Johnny and Amber have been having a lot of fun spending time with one another, but Amber keeps

telling him she’s not interested in being with him in a monogamous relationship,” a source says. “She says she feels she’s too young for him, but the main factor is Amber prefers dating women over men and has no interest in committing to a guy — even if he is Johnny Depp.”

To our past, present and future clients, we wish you joy, peace, balance and harmony in your homes and lives. – REALTORS® in Nova Scotia

WEEKEND

metronews.ca WEEKEND, December 21-23, 2012

Santa’s cookies 2.0 Chocolate Shortbread Melt-Aways

Holiday baking. As the undisputed queen of sweets, Anna Olson knows a thing or two about delicious treats

These cookies have a chocolate intensity that balances with their buttery richness, and when piped onto a baking tray, they look like chocolate kisses. They are a good addition to a holiday cookie tin.

2. Cream the butter and icing sugar together until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract.

• 1 cup (250 ml) unsalted butter, at room temperature • 1 cup (250 ml) icing sugar, sifted • 1 tbsp (15 ml) vanilla extract • 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) all-purpose flour • 1/3 cup (80 ml) Dutch process cocoa powder, sifted • 2 tbsp (30 ml) cornstarch • 1/2 tsp (2 ml salt)

4. Spoon the soft cookie dough

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F (160 C) and line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.

3. Add the flour, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt, and beat until evenly incorporated. into a piping bag fitted with a large plain tip, and pipe 1-inch (2.5 cm) “kisses” onto the baking trays, leaving a 2-inch (5 cm) space between the cookies.

5. Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes, until they lift away from the parchment paper without sticking. Let the cookies cool completely on the tray before removing. The cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days. FROM ANNA OLSON’S BACK TO BAKING

Sharability :38

easy

hard

Do you and your family have any Christmas traditions when it comes to the baking? My mom and I book a day each year to bake our family recipes as well as make perogies. Then we go out for dinner to toast our accomplishment — and so we don’t have to do any more dishes! Fruitcake always gets a bad rap. Where do people go wrong with it? I think people don’t think you can alter the fruit and nut combination, but you have a great deal of flexibility. So long as the total measurement of fruit and nuts is the same, feel free to switch out the candied peel for dried cherries or cranberries, or re-

Anna Olson. SUBMITTED

place the prunes with figs! Any tips to ensure a sturdy gingerbread house that will stand the test of time and also small hands picking candy off of it? For a gingerbread house that needs to remain intact for more than a week, then it really shouldn’t be made to be eaten. In this case, use vegetable shortening instead of butter in the cookie dough. For an icing that holds up well, use a recipe that calls for meringue powder. It sets up firmly but it’s also easy to work with when soft. A Christmas cookie can take many shapes and forms. What is your go-to variety? Other than my Grandma’s Cherry Walnut cookies, I must have my Toblerone Shortbread onhand the entire month of December. Your love for baking and sweets is undeniable, but is there one thing you don’t like to whip up in your kitchen? I’ve never really clicked with rum balls. I always pass them over if they are on a cookie platter and I don’t make them at home. Last, but perhaps most important, do you leave milk and cookies out for Santa on Christmas Eve? You bet! I need to stay on the nice list!

I write this column assuming the world hasn’t ended today. If I’m wrong, here are some red wine suggestions to match with turkey for all you roaming hordes of zombies who may or may not have taken over the earth. One of the wine world’s most heinous old wives’ tales is that white wines only go with white meats and red wines only go with red meats. If something has to end today, please let it be that thick slice of baloney. You have to think about more than the star of the meal when it comes to a liquid pairing. Considering all the side dishes means a meal featuring the grand gobbler can cast a wide net catching many red wines. For some outside the box drinking, think a mid-priced Italian Chianti, a robust Rioja from Spain or a fresh flavoured merlot from California, Australia or Chile. As a long time pinot-file, I tend to crave a fruit-forward pinot noir when carving. New Zealand knows its way around the grape and the 2011 Oyster Bay Pinot Noir ($19.95 - $24.99) oozes ample very berry fruit that should appeal to all of your table mates, whether alive ... or living dead. Happy holidays! PRICES REFLECT THE RANGE ACROSS THE COUNTRY. SOME PRODUCTS MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE IN ALL PROVINCES.

LIFE

This recipe makes five dozen small cookies. DAN CLAPSON

White wines for zombies with Santa hats? Peter Rockwell @therealwineguy liquidassets@eastlink.ca

life@metronews.ca

What’s the first memory you have of baking over the holidays? Making Cherry Walnut Icebox cookies with my grandma. I still make these cookies each year. It’s not Christmas without them.

Liquid Assets

LIQUID ASSETS

DAN CLAPSON

Whether it’s gingerbread, yule logs or some shortbread, with the holiday season comes the sweet smell of desserts in the air. Food Network personality Anna Olson took some time out of her busy baking schedule to chat about what she’s whipping up for the holidays. And, no surprise, she is as sweet as sugar!

weekend

metronews.ca WEEKEND, December 21-23, 2012

This holiday, entertain like Martha Martha Stewart. She doesn’t do appetizers, won’t serve red wine and — surprise! — sends email invites. The domestic guru shares tips for hosting the perfect party Tina chadha

Metro World News in New York

Dream of hosting epic gettogethers that will spread like wildfire on Instagram and Pinterest, but have yet to organize something more involved than cheese and crackers? You, aspiring hostess, need a thought-out game plan, so we checked in with domestic powerhouse Martha Stewart (consider it an early Christmas present). “I always have a Christmas open house,” she explains. “This year, I’ve decided to do brunch.” Here, she takes us through her personal party prep. Take notes, people! Start with the right company “The first thing I do is create

Dazzle at your party

Here are Martha’s top tips • Mingle. “Make sure you make time to be friendly to your guests and acknowledge everybody’s presence. Try to matchmake a little with the people that you think should meet each other.” • Please be seated. “I like to set the table for a plated and served dinner unless I’m having a very large crowd. When creating a seating chart for

my guest list. I have a basic list of my friends and then people who I’ve added to it throughout the year. I send out a savethe-date. Then I send out an email invitation — but it’s embedded in my email so it opens immediately. You don’t have to go clicking here and clicking there. It’s very important to me. I don’t click on an envelope that opens up. Right click here and download pictures — I don’t go for that stuff.” Plan your menu “Next I start on the menu. What do I really want to cook? What do I really want to serve? After the menu plan-

Cooking dinner? Skip apps

“I don’t like serving appetizers because I always have really good food and I don’t want people to get stuffed on appetizers. I rarely have them, and if I do it’s really something simple, but special — like homemade puff pastry cheese straws right out of the oven.” Martha Stewart On why it’s better to go right to the mains

served dinners, I always break up couples and seat new people next to one another. I also always put myself in the least-comfortable spot. For a crowd larger than what my tables will hold seated, I will serve a buffet dinner.” • Pre-pour. “Having cocktails pre-made ensures you won’t spend the whole party fixing drinks and you can instead devote your attention to your guests.”

ning comes the shopping list.” Dive into a theme “Two weeks before the party, make sure you have everything you need for decorating and (put it up). We lost a lot of trees in Sandy, so I’m using a lot of fallen trees as decoration. All my big trays are slabs of wood cut from the trees that fell down. And I made beautiful coasters from three-inch-diameter branches that are sliced very thinly. You have to think of a theme — is it woodland or what is it? I have a theme for all of my parties. I think it’s fun.” Create signature drinks “Make a really good drink from fresh juices, the best ingredients and serve it in beautiful glasses. I’ll also serve white wine. I don’t serve red wine in my house because I don’t want people to spill it — unless it’s a seated dinner. We’re going to have homemade bloody marys with homemade tomato juice, eggnog and hot mulled white wine. You have to be a little creative, thoughtful and adventurous.”

Martha’s tips will ensure your party is a success.

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weekend

metronews.ca WEEKEND, December 21-23, 2012

Have a few gaps in your schedule you’re looking to fill? Whether you’re hoping to dance, drink or just relax, check out these hot upcoming events.

Capella Regalis Men and Boys Choir Directed by Nick Halley, the choir celebrates its third annual To Bethlehem With Kings concert with a Christmas performance in Halifax. A traditional and heartwarming evening of beautiful carols for Christmas, ancient and modern, performed by a choir of 12 boys (ages 7-14) and 12 men. The concert, hosted by First Baptist Church on Sunday at 7 p.m., includes hymns for audience participation, Paul Halley playing pipe organ, and the Maritime Brass Quintet. Tickets: 422.1270 ext. 261.

On Display: Emerging Artist Series The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia is pleased to announce a new solo exhibition, Craig Francis Power: Les Fleurs du Mal. Craig Francis Power is a writer, curator and visual artist from St. John’s Newfoundland and Labrador. He embraces the narrative format of the hooked rug as a platform for storyboarding his unique and graphic personal responses to some of life’s more uneasy topics.

On Stage: Handel’s Messiah Last chance to Dance: The End is Near Join those few souls hoping to ring in Armageddon with some great music and fine drinks on Friday night. For only $10, The Seahorse Tavern has graciously offered to host the countdown to the end of the world. Dress in your best for The Leader, skip the Kool Aid and enjoy the musical talents of We’re Doomed, Black Moor, The Motorleague and Bloddy Diamonds.

This weekend, don’t miss out on this moving musical masterpiece. Symphony Nova Scotia performs this great work with special guest conductor Alexander Weimann, one of the most in-demand baroque instrumentalists in the world. Along with four guest soloists and the 80-member Symphony Nova Scotia Chorus, Alexander brings his trademark blend of emotional drama and Baroque authenticity to this holiday favourite. Visit: symphonynovascotia.ca.

Mix of six

Jenna Conter halifax@metronews.ca

Rocking New Year Celebrating its 19th year, this show certainly knows how to ring in the New Year. Hosted by CTV Morning Live personalities Cyril Lunney, Heidi Petracek and Tina Simpkin, the high-energy event will feature more than two hours of live entertainment, including Charlie A’Court, Bruce Guthro, J.P. Cormier, and Lennie Gallant. The celebration New Year’s Eve at Grand Parade will start at 9:30 p.m.

Classy New Year: Rouge Fatale & Friends NYE Show Are you all ready for a fantabulous frolic with Miss Fatale and friends for their New Year’s Eve Extravaganza? Well, you better, because the lovely ladies are back to bring you a night to remember. Come out and see these ladies work the stage with impersonations, group numbers, and of course lots of laughs. The show starts at 10:30 p.m.

SPORTS

metronews.ca WEEKEND, December 21-23, 2012

Group B

SPORTS

A look at the countries competing in Canada’s group at the world junior hockey championship in Ufa, Russia. •

Russia. Call the Russians a tournament favourite with home-ice advantage, a star-studded lineup and experienced goaltending. The Edmonton Oilers made Nail Yakupov the first-overall pick in the NHL draft this year after choosing Canada’s Ryan NugentHopkins No. 1 in 2011. Yakupov has a strong supporting cast around him. A country is lucky to have one goaltender with previous tournament experience and the Russians have two.

•

Slovakia. The Slovak lineup was heavy with Canadian Hockey League players in previous tournaments, but no longer. Most of the roster is from an under-20 Bratislava club team that plays some games in the elite league. The exception is New York Rangers prospect and Peterborough Petes defenceman Peter Ceresnak.

•

United States. Seventh in 2012 was the worst result for a U.S. team since they were eighth in 1998. Defenceman Jacob Trouba, forward J.T. Miller and goaltender John Gibson are the returning players from that team. Trouba was the ninthoverall pick in the 2011 draft by the Winnipeg Jets. The Americans will be coached by former NHL defenceman Phil Housley.

•

Germany. The Germans return to the top-tier championship after they were relegated in 2011. The player to watch is Tobias Rieder, a Kitchener Rangers forward and fourth-round draft pick of the Edmonton Oilers.

Team Canada forward Boone Jenner, front, takes out Team Finland forward Markus Granlund during the world junior championship in 2011 in Edmonton. Both Jenner and Granlund will be back with their respective teams in Ufa, Russia, at this year’s tournament. NATHAN DENETTE/THE CANADIAN PRESS

Wake-up call for juniors in pre-tourney game World juniors. Canada assessed nine penalties in exhibition loss to Finland It was an early wake-up call for Canada’s world junior team. Undisciplined and out of sorts, the Canadians dropped an exhibition game to host Finland 3-2 on Thursday. Two of the Finnish goals were scored with a 5-on-3 power play during a game that saw Canada assessed nine minor penalties in total. “I think the challenge for us obviously is coming together as a team,” said Canadian coach Steve Spott. “It’s our first game. But ultimately I NFL

Giants should get boost from return of receiver Nicks The return of New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks to practice Thursday after missing the previous day with a sprained left knee could only bode well for his on-field rapport with quarterback Eli Manning. Nicks, who has 53 catches for 629 yards and three touchdowns, says he expects to be healthy enough to face the Ravens on Sunday. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Quoted

“You want to make sure when you hit the 26th that your team is where you need it to be.” Canadian coach Steve Spott

think discipline is the subplot here tonight, where we have to get used to the standard of officiating and deal with our discipline a lot smarter than we did tonight.” Miro Aaltonen scored the winning goal 7:16 into the third period. Markus Granlund and Ville Jarvelainen had the power-play markers earlier in the game. Griffin Reinhart and Mark Scheifele replied for Canada with goals 36 seconds apart in the second period while MalNBA

Wolves snap OKC’s win streak J.J. Barea scored 14 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter and the Minnesota Timberwolves ended Oklahoma City’s 12-game winning streak with a 9993 victory over the Thunder on Thursday night. Kevin Love had 28 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists and Nikola Pekovic had 24 points for Minnesota. But it was Barea who was the key, scoring 12 straight at one point for the Wolves to hold off the team with the best record in the league. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

colm Subban finished with 19 saves. Canada was outshot 22-15 overall and Spott expects to see a better offensive effort when his team faces Sweden in another exhibition game on Saturday. “I think we’ve got to create more offence, but that comes from staying out of the penalty box,” he said. “That to me is going to be our challenge here. We turned over too many pucks, took penalties and that took away from

our 5-on-5 ability to create offence.” Canada played without forward Jonathan Huberdeau, who served the final game of a four-game suspension for abusing an official in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The team also lost forward Brett Ritchie to an upper-body injury after an awkward collision with an opponent midway through the game. He was held out as a precaution and the injury isn’t considered serious. After facing Sweden over the weekend, Canada will travel to Ufa, Russia, for the world junior hockey championship. It plays its first game there on Dec. 26 against Germany. THE CANADIAN PRESS

Levett back with Rainmen

Tyrone Levett METRO FILE

Tyrone Levett is back with the Halifax Rainmen. The all-star forward who played last season with Halifax was re-signed by the National Basketball League of Canada team on Thursday after being released by the Moncton Miracles. The Rainmen traded Levett to Moncton this past off-season. “Trading him away this summer was extremely hard to swallow and we have certainly missed his defensive presence and offensive spark this season,” Rainmen president and CEO

Andre Levingston said in a release. “We know that Tyrone’s incredible work ethic and talents will serve as a huge asset to our team, and we are confident that our fans will join us in welcoming him back with open arms.” Levett will be in the Rainmen lineup on Friday when they host the Summerside Storm at the Metro Centre at 7 p.m. In other roster news, the team has released Darnell Hugee, who has been recovering from a concussion since Nov. 25. METRO

SPORTS

metronews.ca WEEKEND, December 21-23, 2012

NHL just a shot away from pulling the plug on season Lockout letdown. With labour talks at an impasse, cancelling the season may soon be Bettman’s only option The NHL has moved one step closer to calling off another season because of a labour dispute. Regular-season games through Jan. 14 were wiped

off the schedule on Thursday afternoon, setting up a potential timeline for the league’s collective-bargaining negotiations with the NHL Players’ Association. It was likely the final batch of games that will be cancelled during the lockout. If commissioner Gary Bettman holds true to his word that the league must play at least a 48-game schedule with playoffs ending in June, the next announcement from the league will

either be a new CBA or a second cancelled season in eight years. “When it gets to the point where we can’t play a season with integrity, with a representative schedule, then we’ll be done,” Bettman said earlier this month. “If you go back in history, in ’94-95 I think we played 48 games. I can’t imagine wanting to play fewer than that.” A total of 625 games have been cancelled because of the current lockout, which represents 50.8 per cent of the sea-

son. The all-star game in Columbus has also been axed. When the NHL staged a 48-game season following the 1994-95 lockout, the CBA was agreed to on Jan. 11 and the puck was dropped on Jan. 20. The regular season ran through May 3 and saw the Stanley Cup awarded on June 24 — thanks to sweeps in four of the last seven playoff series. The league contemplated the possibility of a 28-game season in 2004-05 before finally

cancelling play on Feb. 16. There was no statement included with Thursday’s announcement of the additional game cancellations. In an email, deputy commissioner Bill Daly declined to characterize whether Jan. 15 could be viewed as the last date to salvage a shortened schedule. Talks have been at a standstill since the NHLPA last presented a proposal on Dec. 6 in New York. The Canadian Press

NHLPA vote

Pushing for a disclaimer National Hockey League players are expected to be overwhelmingly in favour of an interest of disclaimer when their vote on the motion wraps up Friday. The players appear to be pushing full ahead for the disclaimer, which would see the players’ executive board give the power to Don Fehr and his leadership group to remove themselves from representing the players. Under that scenario, the union would disband and force a court settlement to end the lockout. But that step has not been finalized yet. TorStar News Service

CFL

Hall of Famer Keys passes away at 89 Eagle Keys, a Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductee who played in the 1954 Grey Cup on a broken leg, has died at the age of 89. Keys won two Grey Cups as a player, with Montreal and Edmonton, and also coached the Saskatchewan Roughriders to their first CFL title in 1966 before completing his gridiron tenure as field boss of the B.C. Lions. He passed away early Thursday. “It’s exemplary, what he did in Saskatchewan,” said former B.C. Lions kicker Ted Gerela, who played under Keys in the early 1970s. “He was the top of his game.” Gerela also praised Keys for following a tough coaching act in Jackie Parker in B.C. and rebuilding the Lions from the ground up. “A lot of people are going to be shocked to hear that he died, like they were when (former quarterback and coaching great) Ronnie Lancaster passed away,” said Gerela. The Canadian Press

Dashing through the snow Canada’s Erin Mielzynski speeds past a pole during the first run of a women’s alpine skiing World Cup event on Thursday in Are, Sweden. Seventeen-year-old American Mikaela Shiffrin earned her first career victory, winning a night slalom ahead of Swedish home favourite Frida Hansdotter. Mielzynski, of Guelph, Ont., finished fifth. giovanni auletta/the associated press

sports

Champions League. Real Madrid draw Man United Real Madrid will face Manchester United in a mouth-watering Champions League last-16 clash that sends Cristiano Ronaldo back to where he made his reputation, and Jose Mourinho to the club many believe he wants to coach one day. United manager Alex Ferguson called it “the tie of the round,” and Real Madrid director Emilio Butragueno said it would be “thrilling for everybody.” In another blockbuster pairing in Thursday’s draw, Champions League favourite Barcelona and Lionel Messi will play seven-time winner AC Milan. Arsenal will face Bayern Munich, last season’s beaten finalist, and big-spending Paris English soccer

England moves to tackle racism The English Football Association has approved proposals to help stamp out the resurgence of racism in the national game. The “Inclusion and AntiDiscrimination Action Plan”

Round of 16

metronews.ca WEEKEND, December 21-23, 2012

Blown-call fallout being felt with playoffs on line

First-leg matches are to be played from Feb. 12 to 20. Return matches are from March 5 to 13.

NFL. Seahawks can help Packers get No. 2 spot and a bye with win over 49ers

Saint-Germain was paired with Valencia. Also, it will be: Celtic vs. Juventus, Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Borussia Dortmund, FC Porto vs. Malaga, and Galatasaray vs. Schalke. “It’s a great opportunity for our fans to see Cristiano again and also for me to meet up with Jose again,” Ferguson said in a statement. the associated press

was requested by British Prime Minister David Cameron after racism cases involving Chelsea’s John Terry and Liverpool’s Luis Suarez last season, and various fan incidents. For instance, managers and players will have “mandatory induction arrangements” if they are new to the “British cultural environment.” the associated press

Apartment Finder

Wide receiver Golden Tate of the Seattle Seahawks was controversially ruled to have caught a touchdown pass to defeat the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 24 in Seattle. Greule Jr/Getty Images

Pay up, Seahawks. The Green Bay Packers have put the Inaccurate Reception behind them, and they’ve done their best not to begrudge Seattle the win that really wasn’t. But karma has a way of coming back around, and the Seahawks have a chance to make things right this weekend. “Without looking in the past, we have to root for a team we fell short to,” Packers linebacker Clay Matthews said on Thursday. “So that’s how it goes. We’ll control our own destiny by winning these out and hopefully we can get some help along the way.” San Francisco is a game ahead of Green Bay for the NFC’s No. 2 seed and Seattle plays the 49ers on Sunday night. Beat the Niners and the Seahawks can essentially get

The fail mary

The Inaccurate Reception was arguably the worst call of the NFL season. • Green Bay safety M.D. Jen-

nings appeared to intercept a pass to Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate in the end zone only to have it ruled a touchdown.

• The NFL said the next day

Tate should have been called for interference.

the Packers back to where they would have been had replacement referees not blown that call back in September. “I don’t know if they owe us anything — not them, in particular,” Matthews said of the Seahawks. But if Seattle wants to wipe the karmic slate clean, who are the Packers to argue? “We want home field,” James Jones said, “so hopefully they get it done.” the associated press

To advertise contact Krista Rodgers at 421-5861 Sullivan Suites

55 Dahlia St, Dartmouth Fully Furnished Bachelor Apts

Includes all utilities, Stove, Fridge, Microwave, TV, Cable, Wireless Internet, Dishes, Linens, etc. Free in/outdoor Parking.

775

/month

Novacorpproperties.com • 830-5539

Fenwick Tower 5599 Fenwick Street

Excellent South End Location Brand New in the Heart of Halifax

Studio, 1, 2, 3 Bedroom Suites • Now Renting! • Spacious Suites - up to 1500 Square Feet • Hardwood & ceramic floors, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances • Ensuite laundry with full size washer and dryer

Located at 3330 Barnstead Lane For more info call Donna 818 3330 rentals@thevc.ca • www. thevc.ca

• Heat and hot water included • Large balconies • Roof top deck • Underground parking • Fully equipped fitness room

Apartments from $495 830-7081 FT@TempletonProperties.ca

www.TempletonProperties.ca

For those without a Metro, the forecast calls for “I dunno” with a slight chance of “huhhh?”

Apartment Finder

To advertise contact Krista Rodgers at 421-5861 Ideal Location NOW for Students RENTING Quinpool Towers & Quinpool Court

Ocean Brook Park

The Welsford Spectacular views Short Bus Ride to DAL & SMU Bachelor, 1 & 2 bdrm

Starting fr $770, twos starting fr $1200

Call Now! 902-404-4440

Call Now! 902-404-3838

NEWLY RENOVATED Move in Bonus

Move in Bonus

Somerset Place

Park Victoria

Downtown location just steps to SMU, dining, shopping and more Bachelor, Jr. 1 and 2 Bdrm

Premier downtown location, walking distance to Dal and SMU 1, 2 and 3 bdrm

Starting fr $825

Starting fr $1060

Call Now! 902-404-7575

Call Now! 902-404-7676

Move in Bonus

Legacy apartments

Harbour View Apartments: Live where there’s a view.

Rockwood Estates

Includes heat & hot water

390 Larry Uteck Blvd Open House Daily 1-4 • 1 + den, 2, 3, 3 + den Suites Available • Up to 2200 sq ft of living space • Keyless Entry • 6 appliances • Granite Countertops • Professionally Decorated • Heat and Hot Water Included

423.9161 killamproperties.com | tsx:kmp

809-9500

www.880view.ca

NEW OWNERS & MANAGEMENT

Building! Brand New

Living at Harbour View Apartments offers many benefits that most apartments in Halifax simply cannot match. Whether you’re a student, senior, member of the Military or need a great home for your family, you’ll find everything you need and more.

Bachelor, One and Two Bedroom Suites Available --DAILY, WEEKLY, MONTHLY

High rise towers and townhouse units just North of downtown Halifax. On-site amenities include: Fitness centre Free wireless study area Laundry facilities Convenience store All units feature balconies

One Month Free! 1 bdrm starting at $850 2 bdrm starting at $950 3 bdrm starting at $1025

FULLY FURNISHED SUITES

Fully equipped kitchens, laundry facilities, free parking, internet and utilities included. Located on Lake Maynard in Downtown Dartmouth, near Penhorn, Woodlawn and Mic Mac malls.

For more inFormAtion: 209-1110 | rentals@legacybuilder.ca

341 Portland St, Dartmouth T: 464 1114 F: 464 1124

2, 3, 4 bdrm townhomes $ 1025 - $1250

sunsettowers@accesscable.net

902-982-1481 • Rental Office: 2334 Longard Plaza

A P A R T M E N T S

2761 GLADSTONE ST. Call Doreen Mallon: 830 4300 GladstoneNorth.ca

Ask about our rental incentives

1 BR, 2 BR, 3 BR & PENTHOUSE SUITES • One, one + den, two, two + den three bedroom suites available • Six Premium Appliances including Washer/Dryer • In-suite Air Conditioning • Large Corner Windows for Maximum Natural Sunlight in most suites • High-Quality Laminate Floors

• Private Large Balconies • Fully Secure Building with keyless entry • Executive Penthouses Available • Rooftop Garden • Environmentally Friendly Features • Bright In-door Parking* • Walking Distances to all Amenities, on Bus Route

The best things in life are right outside the door!

Halifax Apartments

Harbour Ridge

1881 Brunswick St, Halifax 1 & 2 BR (902) 422 5747

1663 Brunswick St, Halifax 1 BR (902) 422 4545

MacDonald Apartments Bedford Heights 5885 Cunard St, Halifax 1 & 2 BR (902) 422 5033

22 Bedros Lane, Bedford 1 & 2 BR (902) 431 8028

Stonecrest Village

SPECIAL! No Security Deposit!

80 Chipstone Close, Clayton Park 1 & 2 BR (902) 457 3600

.ca

LUXURY APARTMENTS 421 Larry La y Uteck Blvd Blvd., Halifax

BRAND NEW BUILDING! Variety of 2 bedroom, 2 bedroom plus den, and 3 bedroom plus den units • granite countertops • 2 cabinet options • No carpet • 6 appliances • 2 baths • wheelchair accessible • air conditioning

Starting at $1375/mth

(incl: heat, hot water, parking, storage, fitness & common room)

For more info: 877-1787 • jeff@kiel.ca GardensLuxuryApartments.com

OPENING MARCH 2013

Service Directory

To advertise contact Tricia Brommit at 444-8329

Apartments For Rent

“We take care of our residents. Try us and see!”

902.461.HOME(4663)

Dartmouth Apartments 175 Albro Lake Rd Bach $519 1 BR $599 Parking, Heat & Hot Water Incl. 6 - 16 Nivens, 77 Farrell, 15 Middle St. 1 BR $559 2 BR $719 All Utilities Incl. Book your viewing appointment today! Call Mack at 402.3894 Or Olga at 401.7318

Bach $539 1 BR $579 2 BR $649 Heat & Hot Water Incl. Book your viewing appointment today! Call Mack at 402.3894 Or Olga at 401.7318 65 & 81 Primrose Bach $479 1 BR $579 2 BR $679 Heat & Hot Water Incl. Outdoor Parking Incl.

11 Glenview 1 BR $579 Heat & Hot Water Incl.

Book your viewing appointment today! Call Lynne at 402.6287

141 Albro Lake Rd 1 BR $630 2 BR $719 3 BR $799 8 Months Free Parking!

2 & 4 Franklyn Crt, 1-10 Crystal Bach $499 1 BR $569 2 BR $699 Heat & Hot Water Incl.

Book your viewing appointment today! Call Olga at 401.7318 Or Anne Marie at 401.7318 31 & 35 Highfield Park Dr., 11 Joseph Young Dr. 1 BR $569 2 BR $619 Utilities Extra Book your viewing appointment today! Call Olga at 402.2915 Or Anne Marie at 401.7318

15/25/35 Leaman Bach $529 1 BR $619 Heat & Hot Water Incl. 87 Pinecrest Dr, 1-3 Farthington Place 1 BR $549-559 2 BR $679-699 Heat & Hot Water Incl. Book your viewing appointment today! Call Lynne at 402.6287 Or Olga at 402.2915

4 retail sales reps $11.60/hr

5 sales reps

$11.60 per

6707696b e d f o rd @g m ai l . co m

EXPERIENCED MAINTENANCE MANAGER Responsible for the overall performance of the property. The Maintenance Manager’s duties include but are not limited to: expense control, ensuring the proper physical maintenance of the building and surrounding property and daily management and training of maintenance and cleaning staff. The Maintenance Manager ensures the complex and grounds are kept clean daily in accordance with company standards (Exterior and Interior).

Residential & Commercial

440-6817

902- 449- 0232

Realstar Management is currently seeking a Two-Person Assistant Superintendent Team to live and work at one of our Halifax properties.

info@messymaid.com

1.855.767.MAID (6243)

LIMITED TABLES AVAILABLE!!

902-495-0206 Call or Text

HFX Forum Flea Market

(since 1975) Windsor + Almon St.

Shop Christmas and More

You will be responsible for cleaning the common areas of the property, preparing apartments for new residents, minor maintenance repairs and customer service. Salary and benefits will be provided.

Something for Everyone!

Please submit BOTH your resume and cover letter via e-mail to: greatcareers@realstar.ca or by fax: 416-923-9315 ATTN HR: Please quote ‘HFX’ in the subject line.

Renovated to serve you better. Expanded flea market section.

Building Managers Needed To oversee daily operations of assigned building. Please send resumes to jobs@metcap.com and quote job BMNS

Wreaths • Ornaments Meats • Produce Baked Goods • Toys Antiques • Jewelry Candy • Tools Books • Crafts • DVDs

OPEN Sat & Sun 9-4

SPECIAL TABLE RENTAL ONLY $10 42 Canal St, Dartmouth 407•3323 harbourviewmarket.com

Don't miss out on our last market before Xmas! Take care of all your final shopping needs here. From stocking stuffers, to that special gift, we have it all, at amazing prices!

275+ Tables (Over 1000 Buyers) Spaces $17 Admission $1.50

Sunday 9-2pm

463-1406

John Panter, Certified Rolfer™

Are you tired of chronic pain…? 902 425 2612 • fareast@auracom.com

December Special

Classes held in Halifax and Bedford every month

902-454-0672 • www.rightlanedriving.com

On Cemetery Plots

Why Choose RightLane Driver Training?

(including bronze markers and cremation plots)

www. messymaid .com

$1 Admission!! Sundays 9-2 pm (Sellers 7am)

ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT Two-Person Team

Can’t get a hold of us? Call our help line at 1-877-638-2271 or email us at leasing@metcap.com

2 $75.00 per hour

32 Glendale Ave Lr. Sackville

Please submit your resume and cover letter via e-mail to: greatcareers@realstar.ca or by fax: 416-923-9315 ATTN HR: Please quote ‘HFX’ in the subject line.

1 & 11 Drysdale Rd. 22-40 River Rd 2 BR $619 3 BR $699 Heat & Hot Water Incl. Book your viewing appointment today! Call Teddy at 441.0354

1 7 ft

MEGA FLEA MARKET LOWER SACKVILLE

Previous experience is an asset. Candidates who can live on site at our Halifax property preferred.

HOLIDAY SPECIAL! Halifax Apartments 1 MONTH FREE RENT* Ask about our pet friendly apartments *13 month lease Offer expires Dec. 31, 2012

Soap Stor ies

$100.00 down Balance paid over 12 months Special pricing for cash payments

Lose Weight Now!

Call 830-3732 today!

mont@pleasanthillcemetery.ca

RightLane DriverTraining is the largest driver education company inAtlantic Canada with 8 locations throughout NB and NS.

UPGRADE KIT INSTALLED $119

INCREASE AIRFLOW UP TO 20% REDUCE NOISE UP TO 50%

For those without a Metro, the forecast calls for “I dunno” with a slight chance of “huhhh?”

play

metronews.ca WEEKEND, December 21-23, 2012

Horoscopes

Aries

March 21 - April 20 Whatever your age or position, you are about to get the chance to move up in the world. Powerful people will be watching you closely today and over the weekend, so make sure they like what they see.

Taurus

April 21 - May 21 Times are good and about to get even better. It may take two or three days for things to pick up speed but once they do, you will be on a roller coaster ride of fun and games. Hang on and enjoy the experience.

Gemini

May 22 - June 21 Most likely you are reading too much into a situation that is of no real importance but for your own peace of mind, you should investigate further. If someone is trying to take you for a ride — get off quick!

Cancer

June 22 - July 23 You will notice a subtle change in the way other people react to you today. But it is the way that you choose to behave towards them that will determine whether the next few weeks are going to be easy or difficult.

Leo

July 24 - Aug. 23 The Sun’s change of signs puts the emphasis on matters of a work nature, and also on your physical health. The two are closely related. In a nutshell: If you work too hard your wellbeing may suffer. Slow down!

Virgo

Aug. 24 - Sept. 23 You don’t have to do anything special today: The Sun’s change of signs will do it all for you. One of the most active times of the year is about to begin, so prepare yourself mentally for what lies ahead.

By betty martin

Crossword

Libra

Sept. 24 - Oct. 23 No matter how many interesting things may be taking place in the world, you must focus exclusively on the needs and desires of loved ones today. There has never been a better time to show how much you care.

Scorpio

Oct. 2 04 - Nov. 22 Keep your options open today because there will be all sorts of new and interesting events taking place and you need to be free to react to any or all of them. Part of the meaning of life is to have fun.

Sagittarius

Nov. 23 - Dec. 21 The past few weeks have been hectic to say the least and the momentum you have built up will keep you going for quite some time. But don’t forget you have limits.

Capricorn

Dec. 22 - Jan. 20 You may be eager to get started on a new project but think before you act. Make sure you are well prepared. Any day can be a new beginning. Though, yes, this one is more special than most.

Aquarius

Jan. 21 - Feb. 19 You may be a bit more reclusive than usual today and over the weekend but there is no need to worry about it. You’re not withdrawing from the world, you’re just getting your thoughts and feelings in order.

Across 1. Fishing need 4. To and --7. Catch sight of 11. Silkworm 12. Make tracks 13. Desire 14. Schedule abbr. 15. Sale condition 17. Garfield pal 18. Seafarer’s beacon 21. Disco proof of age (abbr.) 22. Select 23. Flintstone pet 25. Before 26. Magnum, P.I.’s pilot buddy 28. School subj. 29. --- Acres 31. Cruise setting 32. Emergency room personnel (abbr.) 33. --- Lingus 34. Smack a fly 35. Tavern brew 36. “Dirty Harry” actor (init.) 37. Eastern prov. 42. Cloak 43. Fashion magazine 44. Scottish cap 47. Barbra’s “Funny Girl” co-star 48. Be indisposed 49. View 50. Hide 51. One of The Three Stooges 52. Family tree member (abbr.) Down 1. Soak flax 2. Globe 3. Ringing up, old style 4. Flown at the 2012 Olympic games 5. Poison ivy result 6. Exclude Yesterday’s Crossword

SALLY BROMPTON

7. Whoop 8. Pea jackets 9. Mayberry boy 10. Casual top 16. Sandcastle spot 19. Wedding vows 20. Diner sign 23. German article 24. Quaint hotels 25. According to Sudoku

How to play Fill in the grid, so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1-9. There is no math involved. You solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic.

Pisces

Feb. 20 - March 20 You seem to be having doubts about something that only a few days ago you thought was the best idea in the world. The good news is your doubts will pass very quickly and then you can get on and make it happen.

What’s online

See today’s answers at metronews.ca/ answers.

Yesterday’s Sudoku

26. Afternoon gathering 27. Garfield, for one 29. Elaborate party 30. Actress Witherspoon 31. Spring or Fall clothing 34. Chem. or biol. 35. Deviate 37. Point a finger at 38. October birthstone 39. Type of chowder

40. Stew 41. Prefix with confidence 42. Officer of the peace 45. Yes, to Angus 46. Actor Gibson

DON’T

PAY R

DAYS

OFFER ENDS JANUARY 2

ON SELECT MODELS

2013 ELANTRA

T DON’

PAYR

GET UP TO

2,000

WITH

IN PRICE ADJUSTMENTS‡

FRIENDS FRIENDS& & FAMILY FAMILY SELLING SELLING PRICE PRICE

%†

DAYS

HWY: 5.2L/100 KM CITY: 7.1L/100 KM

FINANCING FOR 24 MONTHS

15,444

ELANTRA L 6-SPEED MANUAL. DELIVERY & DESTINATION INCLUDED.

♦

2012 CANADIAN & NORTH AMERICAN CAR OF THE YEAR

Limited model shown

2013 SONATA

HWY: 5.6L/100 KM CITY: 8.7L/100 KM

T DON’

GET UP TO

3,500

WITH

IN PRICE ADJUSTMENTS‡

FRIENDS FRIENDS& & FAMILY FAMILY SELLING SELLING PRICE PRICE

%†

HWY: 6.7L/100 KM CITY: 10.1L/100 KM

22,064

1,150

WITH

IN PRICE ADJUSTMENTS‡

5-year/100,000 km Comprehensive Limited Warranty 5-year/100,000 km Powertrain Warranty 5-year/100,000 km Emission Warranty

THE MOST FUEL-EFFICIENT FULL-SIZED CAR – NATURAL RESOURCE CANADA’S 2012 ECOENERGY VEHICLE AWARD◊

T DON’

GET UP TO

Limited model shown

♦

2013 SANTA FE

FRIENDS FRIENDS& & FAMILY FAMILY SELLING SELLING PRICE PRICE

FINANCING FOR 48 MONTHS

SONATA GL AUTO. DELIVERY & DESTINATION INCLUDED.

Limited model shown

PAYR

DAYS

†

PAYR FO

DAYS

FINANCING FOR 24 MONTHS

27,109

SANTA FE 2.4L FWD AUTO. DELIVERY & DESTINATION INCLUDED.

♦

2013 AJAC BEST NEW SUV (OVER $35K)

HyundaiCanada.com

The Hyundai names, logos, product names, feature names, images and slogans are trademarks owned by Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. †Finance offers available O.A.C. from Hyundai Financial Services based on a new 2013 Elantra L 6-Speed Manual/Sonata GL Auto/Santa Fe 2.4L FWD Auto with an annual finance rate of 0%/0%/0% for 24/48/24 months. Bi-weekly payment is $297/$213/$522. No down payment required. Cost of Borrowing is $0/$0/$0. Finance offers include Delivery and Destination of $1,495/$1,565/$1,760. Registration, insurance, PPSA, fees, levies, charges, license fees and all applicable taxes are excluded. Delivery and destination charge includes freight, P.D.E., dealer admin fees and a full tank of gas. Financing example: 2013 Sonata GL Auto for $22,064 (includes $3,500 price adjustment) at 0% per annum equals $213 bi-weekly for 48 months for a total obligation of $22,064. Cash price is $22,064. Cost of Borrowing is $0. Example price includes Delivery and Destination of $1,565. Registration, insurance, PPSA, fees, levies, charges, license fees and all applicable taxes are excluded. Delivery and destination charge includes freight, P.D.E., dealer admin fees and a full tank of gas. ▼Fuel consumption for 2013 Elantra Sedan L 6-Speed Manual (HWY 5.2L/100KM; City 7.1L/100KM)/2013 Sonata GL Auto (HWY 5.6L/100KM; City 8.7L/100KM)/2013 Santa Fe 2.4L FWD Auto (HWY 6.7L/100KM, City 10.1L/100KM) are based on Manufacturer Testing. Actual fuel efficiency may vary based on driving conditions and the addition of certain vehicle accessories. Fuel economy figures are used for comparison purposes only. †♦Friends & Family prices for models shown (includes $2,000/$3,225/$1,250 in price adjustments): 2013 Elantra Limited/Sonata Limited/Santa Fe 2.0T Limited AWD is $22,694/$27,339/$39,009. Prices include Delivery and Destination charges of $1,495/$1,565/$1,760. Registration, insurance, PPSA, fees, levies, charges, license fees and all applicable taxes are excluded. Delivery and destination charge includes freight, P.D.E., dealer admin fees and a full tank of gas. ♦Friends & Family Selling Prices are calculated against the starting price less all factory to dealer price adjustments (including Friends & Family price adjustments). Friends & Family Selling Prices include Delivery and Destination. Registration, insurance, PPSA, fees, levies, charges, license fees and all applicable taxes are excluded. Delivery and destination charge includes freight, P.D.E., dealer admin fees and a full tank of gas. ‡Factory to dealer price adjustments (including Friends & Family price adjustments) are calculated against the vehicle’s starting price. Factory to Dealer Price adjustments of $2,000/$3,500/$1,150 available on 2013 Elantra L 6-Speed Manual/Sonata GL Auto/ Santa Fe 2.4L FWD Auto. Factory to dealer price adjustments are applied before taxes. Offer cannot be combined or used in conjunction with any other available offers. Offer is non-transferable and cannot be assigned. No vehicle trade-in required. Ω0 payments for up to 90 days (payment deferral) is available on new in-stock 2012 Sonata Hybrid, 2013 Accent 4 Door/Accent 5 Door/Elantra Sedan/Elantra GT/Sonata/Santa Fe models and only applies to purchase finance offers on approved credit. If payment deferral is selected the original term of the contract will be extended by 2-months/56-days for monthly/bi-weekly finance contracts. Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. will pay the interest of the deferral for the first 2-months/56-days of the monthly/bi-weekly finance contract. After this period interest will start to accrue and the purchaser will pay the principal and interest monthly/bi-weekly over the remaining term of the contract. Ω†♦‡Offers available for a limited time, and subject to change or cancellation without notice. See dealer for complete details. Dealer may sell for less. Inventory is limited, dealer order may be required. ◊Based on Natural Resource Canada’s 2012 ecoEnergy award for most fuel efficient full-size car. ††Hyundai’s Comprehensive Limited Warranty coverage covers most vehicle components against defects in workmanship under normal use and maintenance conditions.

NEWS

metronews.ca Thursday, December 27, 2012

With more vacant spaces popping up around downtown Halifax in recent months, how to revitalize the area is an issue in the forefront heading into 2013. We asked some local notables what they believe is the best approach to creating a vibrant and thriving downtown core. ALY THOMSON

NEWS

Halifax’s home improvement halifax@metronews.ca

“There are many positive signs of revitalization in the downtown, such as the Central Library, Waterside Place, the new Convention Centre, and the Citadel Building. But there are other measures that will encourage development and allow us to showcase downtown, from taxes to direct civic investment in streetscaping and safe, convenient public transportation. I look forward to working with groups ... to make downtown a place where people want to live, work, shop and play.”

“The best way to revitalize downtown is simply to use it more. The majority of stores and the restaurants are owned by local business people who contribute high taxes to the city and support the community in many ways. What they need most to succeed are customers who make a concerted choice to bypass a big-box store or national chain or website and put their disposable income back into the community. Come downtown more often or try it for the first time. I know you’ll love it!”

“Downtowns are ecosystems: commercial, retail and residential are interdependent. If you can convince people to live in the urban core, retail will thrive and businesses will be enticed to be there. Affordable workforce housing, which lets everyone from lawyers to secretaries choose to live and work near the downtown is paramount. There’s no ‘silver bullet.’ It’s a holistic, downtownfirst approach with many factors — transit, infrastructure, tax, regulation, arts and culture — that will get the job done. We need to make it easier to choose the downtown.”

“Revitalizing downtown Halifax is about public and private partnership; key stakeholders and the various levels of government planning together with one vision. It requires a degree of co-operation that sometimes is hard to pull off. The political will is a balancing act, but we can learn from history and from other cities. In order to revitalize downtown, we need to focus on more affordable housing, transportation, investment on infrastructure, and arts and culture. These are key ingredients to revitalizing any downtown.”

MAYOR MIKE SAVAGE

PAUL MACKINNON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF DOWNTOWN HALIFAX BUSINESS COMMISSION

DAVID FLEMING, PROJECT DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST FOR GREATER HALIFAX PARTNERSHIP

NANCY TISSINGTON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SPRING GARDEN AREA BUSINESS ASSOCIATION

“Halifax has neglected its downtown core in recent years and, as a result, we have lost the vitality of our downtown. To revitalize this area of the city, we need to ensure that we have businesses that attract customers and that we have support for local businesses to ensure that they are profitable. To attract customers, the downtown must be energetic and convenient. Convenience comes both from location and access. We are starting to see residential growth in the downtown, however we are also seeing a reduction in available parking.” LISA GALLIVAN, CO-OWNER OF MILLS AND LAWYER IN HALIFAX

LOSE WEIGHT, FEEL GREAT IN 2013

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news

regret or rejoice in our choices of the past Urban compass

Stephen Kimber halifax@metronews.ca

Forget this year’s faux feints and fevered fantasies — 2013 will be the year we get to pass electoral judgment on the government of Darrell Dexter. Will we decide, on balance and measured against his less-than-stellar competition, that Dexter has earned a second majority term? Or will we, seeing more potential than performance in the past four years, rein him in, giving Dexter a second minority-government chance to make a better first impression? Or will we decide electing a first-ever NDP government was as historic a mistake as it was a milestone, and consign it to history’s dustbin? Except for the most rabid of partisans — the my-party-right-or-wrong NDP-ers and their the-sky-is-falling-socialist-hordes counterparts — the choice will not be easy. There are too many issues for one column but let’s start with economics. The NDP inherited a fiscal mess mostly of its predecessor’s making; a global economic meltdown beyond its control; and, worst, the ticking demographic time bomb of an aging, under-educated population. None of those big-picture problems

could have been overcome in a single electoral term by any party. The NDP’s signature fiscal accomplishment — presuming they can pull it off — will be to have brought the province’s books back to balance in four years without completely devastating a precarious economy. No mean feat. The trick for the government now will be to convince its traditional base that those against-the-grain sacrifices were necessary to allow for future social investment while reassuring those independents who voted for it in 2009 that there won’t be a return to runaway spending. The NDP’s broader economic development strategy has been the doomed-todisappointment, tried-and-failed strategy Nova Scotia governments have touted since the days of Robert Stanfield: Dream big and pray. Daewoo, IBM, Cooke Aquaculture, Irving Shipbuilding, the Lower Churchill… The good news is the government has coupled those gambles with investments in training that — should they pay off — will keep more young people in the province. The bad news is that most of the bets will not pay off and the government will have sacrificed other significant assets (gobs of public money, the environment) in the process. No easy choices indeed. Let the campaigning begin. Happy New Year!

Halifax voters have to decide if Darrell Dexter — whose government started the Ships Star Here campaign — should be awarded with another term in office. metro file

metronews.ca Thursday, December 27, 2012

Metro asks: What’s your prediction for 2013?

Lis McMillan, 21, Halifax “It will probably be a lot like (2012). Cold in the winter. Warmer in the summer. Probably a couple superstorms.”

Helen Litam, 23, Richmond, B.C. “No more (MTV’s) 16 and Pregnant people.”

Katrina Lat, 20, London “Walt Disney will be removed from his current cryogenically frozen state, and brought in to help direct Star Wars: Episode 7.”

Ali Hancharyk, 27, Winnipeg

Lorissa Good, 37, Calgary

Kevin Kirouac, 43, Edmonton

“2013 will see popular music deteriorate to the point of solely consisting of just beeping noises and laser sounds.”

“Same-sex marriages will be allowed in more U.S. states once they realize how much money gay people spend on parties.”

“I predict a female, black Prime Minister ... It would shock everybody.” (Ed’s note: shocking since there’s no federal election in 2013.)

Pat Mallough, 23, Saskatoon

Jon Poulin, 28, Regina

“We’re going to complain about the weather ... gas prices are going to go up, gas prices are going to go down.”

“The States legalizing marijuana. And I am excited to see how that would affect our view of things here in Canada.”

Jeff Brodawka, 38, Toronto “A more steady growth and a little bit more of a quiet confidence about the economy.”

WEEK: B248 NAME: BOXING DAY INSERT DATE: DEC.27 AD# 39195 SIZE: GRID B (10 X 12.5) MARKETS: MA - MEH

Boxing Day offers start early at thebay.com on December 25

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Closed Boxing Day Wednesday, December 26 Check thebay.com for local listings.

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Women’s clearance intimates exclude Diesel. Women’s clearance fashion excludes The Room, Diesel, Not Your Daughter’s Jeans, Topshop, Wallis, Evans and Dorothy Perkins. Women’s clearance accessories, handbags and wallets exclude Coach and Cole Haan. Clearance jewellery excludes Coach and Swarovski. Men’s clearance fashion excludes Michael Michael Kors, White Space, Contemporary, Premium Denim, Diesel, 55DSL, Armani Jeans, Scotch & Soda, G-Star, Superdry, English Laundry, Bench, Lacoste, Diesel, The West End Shop, Prestige, Black Brown LUX cashmere and items with 99¢ price endings. Men’s clearance underwear, sleepwear and robes exclude Diesel underwear and Hugo Boss. Men’s clearance accessories exclude Coach, Polo Ralph Lauren, Hugo Boss, Lacoste, Tumi and Diesel. Men’s clearance footwear excludes Zegna and Hugo Boss. Women’s sleepwear and robes in our sleepwear and robes departments exclude Calvin Klein, New Spring Arrivals and items with 99¢ price endings. Men’s sleepwear and robes exclude Calvin Klein, Diesel and Armani sleepwear and items with 99¢ price endings. Kids’ sleepwear and robes exclude items with 99¢ price endings. Women’s outerwear excludes New Spring Arrivals and items with 99¢ price endings. Kids’ and babies’ outerwear excludes Ralph Lauren Childrenswear, Juicy Couture, Guess, Diesel and Armani Junior.

news

metronews.ca Thursday, December 27, 2012

The future of endangered species The losers

Narwhal

With 2012 seeing the largest mass of summer ice melting in the Arctic in modern history, it’s no surprise experts predict more of the same for 2013. The melting ice has implications for some of Canada’s most threatened species. Metro spoke with World Wildlife Fund scientist and researcher Pete Ewin, who said there will continue to be winners and losers in the global warming species game.

Narwhals, called the “Unicorns of the Sea” due to their long, sharp tusk, feed deep under packed arctic ice where the ice provides them shelter from predators. Less ice means less defence.

Elisha Dacey

elisha.dacey@metronews.ca

Polar bears

Ringed seals

Polar bears are hugely dependent on sea ice for their food supply. Less ice means fewer chances of fattening up on ringed seals, their primary food, which keeps them nourished the rest of the year around. Ewing said polar bears will eventually be found only further north, and have been eating more seaweed and kelp in recent years to keep their bellies full.

Warmer waters and less ice mean fewer resting places for the ringed seal. Ringed seals usually pup on large ice floes and spend most of their lives in contact with ice or icy waters. Smaller ice floes keep these solitary animals from spreading out like they’re used to doing.

The winners

Other seals With the decline of the ringed seal will mean more food for other types of seal. Harp seals, which like colder waters but not ice, may move in, affecting the diet of other animals and the Inuit, many of whom rely on ringed seals for food.

Killer whales Considered a threatened species, killer whales are making a comeback in areas with warmer temperatures and warmer waters. Warmer waters in the north means killer whales will be found with more frequency in northern climates.

Some salmon Different species of salmon used to warmer waters will start to replace other species of salmon. This will also bring killer whales closer, as their primary food source is salmon.

news

metronews.ca Thursday, December 27, 2012

10 things forecast to happen in 2013 March 20: UN says be happy

First-ever International Hap-

piness Day. The day, sponsored by the UN, is the latest move towards establishing happiness as a key factor in comparing nations. A number of countries, including Britain, now have official National Happiness indexes. The Smiley emoticon, meanwhile, celebrated its 30th birthday in September 2012.

Obama’s second inauguration will see yet another inspirational speech by the president, but can he inspire the U.S. economy to recovery? Getty Images

Jan. 21: Four more years

Barack Obama will be sworn in for a second term as president of the United States. Inauguration Day begins with a church service, after which the president and his family travel to Capitol Hill, where the chief

Justice of the Supreme Court will administer the oath. Obama will then deliver his Inaugural Address. The day ends with inaugural balls.

March 21: Anniversary of Alcatraz shutdown Will Sean Connery be back?

Feb. 10: Year of the Snake

Chinese New Year begins the Year of the Snake. According to Chinese astrology, a person born in the Year of the Snake is very wise and can be a theologian, as well as a smart banker. She also has good taste in food and fashion but is not frivolous. Sounds like a good year to have babies.

Fifty years ago, Alcatraz closed. The world’s most famous prison (‘The Rock’) housed America’s most infamous prisoners, including Al Capone. Thirty-six escape attempts were made from the prison island, but none are known to have succeeded. Sean Connery’s character in the movie, The Rock, succeeded, however.

June 14: Open race in Iran election

Iran holds presidential elec-

tions. Firebrand Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has served two terms as president and is ineligible to run again. So the race is wide open, with analysts reading the tea leaves to see which candidate Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will support. The outcome of the election will be closely watched by the world as Iran is currently on a confrontational course with the international community over its nuclear program.

today, dramatically scrubbed of the memory of Lance Armstrong, who’s been stripped of his seven Tour wins over doping allegations. Bradley Wiggins, the Brit who won the race in 2012 and the 2012 Olympic gold in the road time trial, has turned down the chance to defend his title, agreeing instead to support his teammate Chris Froome’s bid for glory.

July 1: EU welcomes Croatia

Croatia becomes the 28th member of the European Union. Its neighbour and onand-off foe, Serbia, is still negotiating membership. And Turkey will make a renewed push for EU membership starting on this date, when Lithuania takes over the rotating EU presidency.

June 29: September: Ready, Merkel steady, cycle faces vote

The Tour de France begins

Another victory for the Iron Chancellor? Germany goes to the polls in parliamentary elections. While Angela Merkel remains popular in terms of personality, her coalition government may not

survive the election, as the Liberal Democrats, the junior partner, are languishing at four per cent of the vote in polls. Merkel’s CDU gets 36 per cent, compared to 30 per cent for the Social Democrats. The Pirate Party is also running, as are the Greens.

Nov. 14: Charles turns 65

Even though he’s now retirement age, heir to the British throne Prince Charles may have to wait for yet some time to become King. At age 86, his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, remains in good health. The Queen’s mother lived to be 101 years old.

Nov. 22: JFK remembered

50th anniversary of the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy. JFK was killed by gunshots while visiting Dallas. Lee Harvey Oswald, an American who had moved to the Soviet Union, was arrested but was killed by nightclub operator Jack Ruby before he could stand trial. Mystery still surrounds JFK’s murder. The anniversary will be commemorated in Dallas.

Elisabeth braw/metro world news

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12/17/12 10:04 AM

news

metronews.ca Thursday, December 27, 2012

expect the unexpected Metro asks a psychic to tell us what’s coming up next year in entertainment, sports and politics. Psychic Nikki is a Toronto-based clairvoyant who claims to have predicted Hurricane Sandy, Barack Obama’s first presidential win and the Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes split. Lisa Wilton

halifax@metronews.ca

What’s in store for some big-name celebrities and celebrity couples? Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie will marry, and I see another child. But she has to watch her health. Jennifer Aniston will have a child, or at least pregnancy and a marriage. But I also see another man besides (fiancé) Justin Theroux. I see a marriage for Kim Kardashian. Taylor Swift has to be careful around transportation. I see a handsome cowboy type around her, possibly business and romance combined. (The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge) may have a set of twins in the future. Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake may have a kid, but their marriage is doomed in the future when one of

Obama’s reading

“He is in extreme danger during the next four years and he may not finish his term.” Psychic Nikki, about U.S. President Barack Obama’s political future

them has a roving eye. Justin Bieber will do more acting. There could a sitcom. He has to be careful of fast cars or red ones. Helen Hunt will be nominated for an Academy Award for The Surrogate and Keira Knightley for Anna Karenina. Meryl Streep may be nominated again. Daniel Day Lewis will be nominated for Lincoln and Sir Anthony Hopkins could also receive an Oscar nomination. How will the political landscape change in the next year? Prime Minister Stephen

Harper will work well with the American president, but there could be a crisis where he is tested. He also has to watch for danger. (U.S.) President (Barack) Obama will try to turn the economy around, but it will be hard with all the natural disasters coming. Vice-president Joe Biden has to watch health and danger also. He could be replaced maybe by a woman. It will take a long time for the economy to pick up because of natural disasters and potential terrorist attacks, and wars in the Middle East and Asia. But there could be a gold rush in Canada. So, what are these natural disasters you speak of? Should vacationers avoid certain areas in the next year? I see a lot of earthquake activity on the West Coast of the United States right up to British Columbia and Alaska.

There will be earthquakes in the Middle East, China and Japan. Also Mexico, South American, New York City, Quebec, Virginia, Washington and Tennessee. I would try to avoid coastal areas. What are you sports predictions? I see a famous Formula One driver being killed in a fiery crash and I think there will be a sex scandal in the NHL.

Tough to believe, but things could get worse for the NHL. getty images istock

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business

metronews.ca Thursday, December 27, 2012

They know your type: Tracking real-world trends through Google Searching for answers. Companies use search queries for research ALEX BOUTILIER

Metro in Ottawa

In this file photo, a Google executive speaks about improvement to Google Instant search engine in San Francisco, Calif. Companies like Walmart are tracking what shoppers plug in to their search bars so they can better tailor and geo-target their marketing and merchandise promotions. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/file

If you come to Google with questions, chances are you’re providing answers of your own. That’s because companies can now track consumer intentions based on what shoppers plug in to their search bars. Given the sheer amount of searches per minute, companies can even isolate data from particular countries, provinces, even cities. Shoppers on Canada’s east coast, for instance, aren’t as interested in patio furnishings as people in Vancouver until later in the season, according to Walmart’s Drew Cashmore. “It helps us make more educated merchandizing decisions,” said Cashmore, Walmart’s director of digital marketing.

“If we know that a particular TV is going to be hot this season, we’ll work towards pushing that specific item or brand.” Cashmore said the retail giant is surprisingly nimble at adjusting to the data mined through customers’ searches, tailoring messaging and promotion. But the “database of intentions,” as Google calls it, can be used for more than just making sure the right television or cell phone is on store shelves. Started in 2007, Google Flu Trends was created to model real-world phenomena — in this case outbreaks of influenza — using patterns in user searches. “The rise in the frequency of certain search terms in a given area matches with the rise of So much we want to know

57.6B

There are 4.8 billion Google searches per month in Canada alone. That’s 57.6 billion searches per year.

flu activity in that same area,” said Google spokesperson Leslie Church, in an email. “The queries generally include search terms regarding influenza complications, cold and flu remedies and general flu symptoms. Imagine what you would do if your child were sick — you might try to look up a symptom, such as a sore throat.” There are limits to what information can be gleaned from internet queries, however. During the last Canadian election, Dr. Anatoliy Gruzd and his team at Dalhousie University’s Social Media Lab attempted to use tweets and Facebook posts to assess who would win. “We tried to match the data to the other polls, the general polls,” Gruzd said in a November interview with Metro News. “(But) not everybody is using social media.” Because the sample was skewed towards a young and technologically-addicted population, the data could not compete with traditional forms of polling.

14 Technically speaking

Top 5 tech trends

Xbox 720 vs. PS 4, and Grand Theft Auto 5

metronews.ca Thursday, December 27, 2012

All-in-one Fujitsu Lifebook 2013

michelle castillo

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michelle.castillo@metro.lu

Including the death of the cable box, and Grand Theft Auto

The rise of the digital media receiver

Over 1 million U.S. cable subscribers ended their subscriptions in 2011, and the trend is expected to continue thanks to more people picking up digital media receivers by companies like Roku and Apple. With these “boxes,” users can use streaming services like Hulu Plus, Netflix and Amazon Instant video to watch whatever they want at the time of their choosing.

The Xbox 720 and Playstation 4 — or Playstation Omni if you believe the blogs — may launch (the latter may measure your heartbeat and take cues from your emotions). Meanwhile, the biggest game of next year could be Grand Theft Auto V, rumored to kick doors down in Q2 of 2013.

New Apple products You can count on big Apple product launches every year even though you’ve just upgraded to an iPhone 5. Apple fans are hoping the new year brings an iPhone mini and perhaps an MacBook Air or iPad Mini with Retina display capabilities. There’s also talk of an iTunes radio-capable device.

While it may function as your basic laptop when put together, the Fujitsu Lifebook 2013 can be broken down to become a tablet, phone and camera as well. How does it work? The digital keyboard can be pulled out to work as a tablet, and the camera can be removed from the front of the computer when it’s not in use.

Kickstarter changes business 2013 will be the year that crowdsourced funding becomes a household name. Before, people had to rely on angel investors to launch their startup. Now, they can use their social network savvy to recruit interested parties to donate a few dollars towards their company. With more people joining, we foresee a revolution.

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G E T C O N N E C T E D

voices

we must move forward, not backward; upward, not forward ... he says...

John Mazerolle metronews.ca

metronews.ca Thursday, December 27, 2012

Who are we to block the sun?

Journalism has come a long way since the days when we all wore hats that said “Press” and drank whiskey at our desk. Now we wear hats that say “Internet” and drink Jack and Coke Zero at our desk.

We’ve come a long way, baby. There have been many changes in the way we collect the news, too. There was a time when the public wanted — and the media delivered — complete, accurate information at the end of the working day, while the kids removed Dad’s slippers and Mom made meatloaf. But now Mom and Dad live apart and the kids are busy sexting, so to fill the gaping void in your life you fill the hole with news, news and more news, every minute, day and night. Even stories like the Ikea monkey get updated as quickly as possible, because we in the media don’t want to look like fools with an out-of-date story about a monkey in a coat. We will be coming to you live from the Ikea parking lot, dammit, and if the monkey flings some feces, you will hear about it before it hits the ground. That’s our solemn promise to you. This speed has occasionally led to what some may call errors, such as when we kill off people who aren’t dead yet. But the fact of the matter is those people will some day be dead. We’ve only been giving you a heads up. You’re welcome. With that in mind, I’ve noticed that some of my media colleagues have stuck to their tired old ways by writing a Year in Review. That is so 2012. Instead, I bring you the 2013 Year in Advance. Here are the stories that will happen next year, before they’ve happened. • Jan. 11: NASA scientists announce a major breakthrough when the Mars Curiosity rover finds itself. “I want to be a painter,” the machine declares. • Feb. 5: Inspired by seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong’s example, Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards also denies drug use. • April 9: According to a new report, the Harper government ******** in ********* the ***** transparency. • May 15: Avril Lavigne throws Nickelback into disarray when she teaches fiancé and lead singer Chad Kroeger a new chord progression. Other band members say her “crazy ideas” are threatening to “Yoko Ono” the band’s singular sound. • Sept. 30: Meteorologists change the naming system for hurricanes to better reflect reality. Hurricane I Am a Direct Result of Global Warming causes major damage to the U.S. coastline, yet fails to breach the Republican consciousness. • Oct. 9: Will and Kate Plus 8 debuts on the Royal Life Network, as monarchists devour the latest news from Georges I through VIII. • Nov. 4: Toronto Mayor Rob Ford’s new 700-page memoir, The Broken Republic: A Treatise on Debate and Democracy, from Plato to the Paris Convention, is hailed as a masterwork of the genre. • Dec. 15: BREAKING NEWS — Ikea monkey has died, Twitter confirms. Oh, wait, he was only asleep. But sources say he will die eventually. You’re welcome.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Geoengineering

Scientific solution to global warming A record loss of Arctic sea ice and faster-than-expected melting of Greenland’s ice cap made worldwide headlines in 2012, but research published in major science journals suggests warming in the North doesn’t have to continue from 2013 on. Scientists theorize that injecting reflective particles of some kind into the high atmosphere could reduce the amount of sunlight reaching the Earth’s surface and compensate for the greenhouse effect.

2013 is no time to toss the cookbook in the trash

Bronwyn Page/handout/THE CANADIAN PRESS

While ebooks have been exploding in popularity in recent years, scholars, chefs and those who just love to tool around in the kitchen say it’s not time to stick a fork in the physical cookbook just yet. Trend watcher Christine Couvelier, who recently passed the 3,000 mark in

Save it for an emergency

“The Cooling the Earth really could be a bad idea hard In a world that seems unable questions to come to grips with carbondioxide emissions driving here climate change, manipulataren’t ing the Earth’s climate to mostly cool it down has some calling technical. geoengineering a bad idea. The professor behind the They’re questions about idea, David Keith, believes what kind of planet we emissions should be cut, and he doesn’t advocate such a want and who we are.” David Keith, a Calgarian and professor of applied physics at Harvard University. Keith said any significant nation in the world has the technological capacity to facilitate a drop in the Earth’s temperature.

the canadian press

ebooks

2013 will be the year that media outlets bring you the news before it happens — including round-the-clock coverage of the Ikea monkey.

Ethical question

her cookbook collection, thinks the print format isn’t going anywhere, though she also enjoys such innovations as the video clips used with recipes, and stories in publications like Martha Stewart Living that she reads on her iPad. “There’s something about experiencing a cookbook the way the author designed it so the right format is there,” said the Victoria-based chef, who noted that some ereaders reformat cookbooks. the canadian press

plan, at least not yet. He suggested geoengineering may be a viable response to a “climate emergency” — a sudden collapse of ice sheets or a killing drought. the canadian press Paywalls

Newspapers go back to the future Whether they’re lauded as the future of online media or labelled a scourge on the flow of digital information, opinions abound on the rise of paywalls in Canada, and the conversation is only going to get louder. One frequently cited example of such success is the New York Times, but observers caution that the paper is an “elite” product. Some Postmedia papers

Debate heats up • The UN has ruled out

geoengineering.

• Peter Mooney of the

Ottawa-based Etc Group, an environmental technology watchdog, is skeptical of anyone’s ability to manage geoengineering.

• “The governments who

screwed up in the first place can’t be expected to take something like planetary systems management and do a better job of it,” he said.

— including the Montreal Gazette, the Ottawa Citizen and the Vancouver Sun — have been experimenting with paywalls this year. The company plans to put the rest of its newspapers behind a paywall in early 2013. The Globe and Mail launched its much-anticipated paywall recently, and the Toronto Star, which boasts the highest circulation in Canada, will also be watching the evolution of its audience very closely once it puts up a paywall in 2013. the canadian press

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metronews.ca Thursday, December 27, 2012

From aggressive women to quiet men to androgynous rappers, the new year looks promising PAT HEALY/EVE HYMAN/CHRIS LEO PALERMINO

SCENE

Metro World News

Savages

Mykki Blanco Mykki Blanco, the alter ego of Michael Quattlebaum Jr., mixes a helping of tribal beats with her radical rap. The solo artist follows in the nontraditional path of recent indie hip-hop a la Odd Future, successfully dipping into punk and electro while retaining individuality. Her profile is bound to go up in the early months of 2013 with the slow and steady reception of praise she is receiving from her November-released album, Cosmic Angel: The Illuminati Prince/ss.

One of the biggest buzzes out of this year’s CMJ Music Marathon in New York City was Savages, four London women whose punctuated attack on every song is every bit as vicious and thrilling as their name implies. Gemma Thompson plays guitar like she’s the runaway teenage daughter of The Edge. Yes, she learned a lot from her old man, but she’s still rebelling against him with the way she draws abrasive and occasionally atonal sounds out of the instrument. It’s not easy to make out the subject matter coming from singer Jehnny Beth, but it’s unmistakably angry, as she flails about like every convulsion is choreographed to the beats of drummer Fay Milton, who just wails on her kit. Holding down all the chaos is bassist Ayse Hassan. The sound is post-punk (sounding like a cross between Joy Division and the aforementioned early U2 thing). They’ve officially released a single and a live EP, but expect an LP in the first part of 2013. PAT HEALY

Bands to listen to in 2013

Night Beds

Little Green Cars

Deap Vally

Winston Yellin has the sort of voice that could quiet a huge room. It’s not necessarily the Fleet Foxes/My Morning Jacket airy style of delivery that’s so effective as much as you can just tell that this is somebody who is saying something that he feels deeply, and there’s really nothing much more contagious than that. If his song Even If We Try is any indication, his album, Country Sleep, which will be out on Dead Oceans in February, is going to be a stunner.

The hook for this Irish band’s recent single, The John Wayne, is “it’s easy to fall in love.” And with LGC’s simple and authoritative harmonic songs, it really is easy. They can weave their voices together as beautifully as any esteemed practitioner of the traditional music of their homeland, but they combine it with a crushing angst and the joy of rocking out. The band are expected to deliver a full-length in the early part of the year.

Considering the oversaturation of bleeps and bloops lately, Joan Jett-esque grrl rock duo Deap Vally are a welcome change. Skimpy, sequined outfits, long hair and heavy rockin’ are the name of the game for these L.A. women who are already signed to Island Records and have recently been opening for Muse in Europe. Throw on your jean jacket and get down with Lindsey Troy’s raspy vocals.

CHRIS LEO PALERMINO

PAT HEALY

EVE HYMAN

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metronews.ca Thursday, December 27, 2012

Celluloid Soothsayers On the eve of the 21st century’s Bar Mitzvah, we dissect three films that were set in ‘future’ 2013. Maybe it’s the pall of unluckiness associated with the number 13 in Western culture, but dystopian scenarios were the consensus. mike dojc

scene@metronews.ca

Escape from L.A. (1996) Snake Plissken, Kurt Russell as a monosyllabic scofflaw with an eye-patch and a permanent five-o’clock shadow, is charged with retrieving a doomsday device from Los Angeles, a city converted into a massive prison colony after a devastating earthquake separated it from mainland California. Prediction: John Carpenter imagines a fascist America where the constitution has been shredded. Smoking and red meat are verboten, all marriages must be approved by the department of health and wave goodbye to freedom of religion too. Reality: California’s coffers have been savaged. Governor Jerry Brown came into office last year saddled with a crushing $28 billion budget gap, the weight of which threatens to turn the residents of this financially underwater state into debt slaves paying sky-high taxes. Verdict: While the San Fernando Valley may not be surfable, it is drowning in red ink.

District 13: Ultimatum (2009)

The Postman (1997)

Damien and Leito are back for another parkour-fuelled adrenaline ride. This time they’re defusing a civil war that is breaking out between the five gangs living in D13, the walled-in Parisian ghetto from the first flick. Prediction: Parkour will become de rigueur on the urban street, with gangbangers turning rues into their personal jungle gyms. Reality: Free-running springlegged Frenchmen vaulting, climbing and freewheeling over everything in their path is a far less common sight on the streets of Paris than sad-eyed mimes or young lovers locked in the country’s vaunted kissing style. Verdict: Sure, parkour may not be the new skateboarding, but you do see a lot more of the kinetic art form on network television.

Kevin Costner, always a sucker for pretentious, lengthy epics à la Waterworld, couldn’t resist starring as a post-apocalyptic superstar in this 177-minute snoozer. Prediction: Resuscitating a defunct postal service is key to bringing hope back to a bedraggled society. Reality: While all-out nuclear war doesn’t appear to be on our doorstep, postal services the world over are certainly hurting as mail volume drops and the USPS is fathoming closing more offices and ending Saturday delivery service. Verdict: When it comes to forecasting the future, what we have here is a failure to deliver, but Tom Petty is good for a couple half-hearted yuks as a future version of himself.

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metronews.ca Thursday, December 27, 2012

Superman and a Vulcan? We can’t wait until next year. ned ehrbaR

ned.ehrbar@metro.lu

THE BIG MOVIES OF 2013 The World’s End Speaking of long waits, Edgar Wright is going to finally — finally! — release the last entry in his Cornetto Trilogy, after Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. The film follows pals played by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as they relive a pub crawl that may or may not coincide with the apocalypse.

Star Trek: Into Darkness JJ Abrams has been keeping us waiting four years for the followup to his fantastic reboot of the sci-fi juggernaut. But if it’s anything like the

1/2

first film, the wait will have been well worth it. And with Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch coming onboard in a highly-speculated-upon villain role, odds are it will impress.

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Man of Steel There’s a lot riding on Zack Snyder’s attempt to reboot the Superman franchise seven years after Bryan Singer’s droopy Superman Returns. If it succeeds, it will serve as the jumping-

Don Jon’s Addiction After learning on the job from directors like Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan and Rian Johnson in 2012, Joseph Gordon-

off point for the Justice League, DC Comics’ attempt to steal some of that Avengers thunder from rival Marvel. But will new star Henry Cavill make an impression with audiences?

Levitt steps behind the camera himself for the first time with this modern-day take on Don Juan, co-starring Scarlett Johansson. Gordon-Levitt also stars and wrote the screenplay.

Science-fiction fans have been waiting a long, long time for a film adaptation of Orson Scott Card’s tale of kids training to battle aliens in the near future, but the wait is (almost) over. The cast is stacked with the likes of Harrison Ford, Sir Ben Kingsley and Viola Davis, plus high-brow

younger talent like Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit), Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine) and Asa Butterfield (Hugo) as Ender.

Elysium

Warm Bodies

District 9 auteur Neill Blomkamp brings some social commentary to the summer blockbuster with a big and loud action film about the haves and the have nots, immigration reform and environmental issues. In the film, the one per cent live on a pristine space station orbiting the ruined Earth. Matt Damon stars.

This romantic comedy — about an undead boy (Nicholas Hoult) who falls for a potential victim (Teresa Palmer) looks to have plenty of wit, charm and life to it. It’s no Twilight.

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Actresses to watch ... they will be stars in 2013 Selena Gomez

Teresa Palmer

Where we’ve seen her: Practicing magic on the Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverly Place, and on the arm of Justin Bieber — though not as much lately. Why she’ll be big in 2013: Don’t pigeonhole this former child star just yet. Gomez turns in an attention-grabbing performance in Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers alongside Vanessa Hudgens and James Franco in a film described as “Scarface meets Britney Spears.” Key quote: “Don’t see it,” Gomez said when asked what she’d tell her younger fans about Spring Breakers.

Where we’ve seen her: As a gun-toting alien refugee in I Am Number Four and donning 1980s fashions in Take Me Home Tonight. Why she’ll be big in 2013: The charming Australian actress finds herself the object of a zombie’s affections in Warm Bodies, out in early 2013, and later in the year she shares the screen with Christian Bale, Natalie Portman and Cate Blanchett in Terrence Malick’s Knight of Cups. Key quote: “You never know when the next up-and-comers will be in the spotlight so people forget you. There’s no guarantees,” says Palmer, keeping lists like these in perspective.

Rosie HuntingtonWhiteley Where we’ve seen her: Working the runway for Victoria’s Secret, on the arm of Jason Statham, running from robots in Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Why she’ll be big in 2013: Hopefully we’ll get to see her go toe-to-toe with Tom Hardy in the Mad Max: Fury Road Key quote: “All the actresses are taking everything over now, with all the modeling endorsements and magazine covers,” Huntington-Whiteley says of her old business.

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The next soon-to-be splitsville celebs? For the rich and famous, who divorce as commonly as we take out the garbage, love is a pretty transient notion. Like two yachts passing in the night, celebrity relationships tend to be louche and fleeting. While Kim K and Kris Humphries’ mere 72-day-union may be difficult to beat, here are some candidates well worth drafting in the first round of your 2013 celebrity break up pool. Mike Dojc, Metro World News

Stephen Moyer & Anna Paquin

All photos getty images

Avril Lavigne & Chad Kroeger Prediction: Chad will go ahead and make things so complicated … with the wedding planning. His insistence on hiring a pyrotechnic coordinator, an arctic fox wrangler and an ‘I do’ mic check man all in a vain attempt to prevent reporters from writing “this was even blander than a Nickelback show” in their wedding reviews will backfire.

Playing passionate lovers on TV while trying to keep the magic rolling when the cameras are off is a high wire act — just ask Lucy and Desi. While we don’t see Moyer tiring of getting some nookie from Sookie, since Paquin has fairy blood (well, on True Blood she does), we can see her spreading her wings and leaving her post-modern Dracula for a mischievous Peter Pan spirit.

Swizz Beatz & Alicia Keys Keys is Beatz’ third wife and they say the third one is the charm. But the prolific producer, who has laid down beats for everybody from DMX to Whitney Houston, seems to also be a prolific player. He’s the baby daddy of three other children in addition to Egypt, his son with Keys. It seems like after a few years, his penchant for variety kicks in and the Beatz tends to go on. Can the vivacious R&B chanteuse break the spell or will we soon hear the ominous sound of history repeating?

Brian Austin Green & Megan Fox Donna’s boyfriend on Beverley Hills 90210 must pinch himself every morning when he wakes up and comes to the realization that he’s in bed with Hollywood’s most ogled actress. Green is flexing his previously underutilized comic muscles in his latest gig as the lead singer on Wedding Band, a TBS sitcom. Meanwhile Fox’s cleavage steals the trailer to Judd Apatow’s This is 40. Both roles may be career altering, creating the kind of festering inequity and resentment that leads to break ups.

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Only one (1) offer may be applied towards the purchase or lease of one (1) Eligible Vehicle, up to a maximum of two (2) separate Eligible Vehicle sales per Costco Membership Number. Offer is transferable to persons domiciled with an eligible Costco member. This offer can be used in conjunction with most retail consumer offers made available by Ford Motor Company of Canada at either the time of factory order (if ordered within the Offer Period) or delivery, but not both. Offer is not combinable with any CPA/GPC or Daily Rental incentives, the Commercial Upfit Program or the Commercial Fleet Incentive Program (CFIP). Applicable taxes calculated before $1,000CDN offer is deducted. Dealer may sell or lease for less. Limited time offer, see dealer for details or call the Ford Customer Relationship Centre at 1-800-565-3673. ‡‡‡Max. horsepower of 411 and max. torque of 434 on F-150 6.2L V8 engine. Class is Full-Size Pickups under 8,500 lb GVWR vs. 2012/2013 comparable competitor engines. ‡‡When properly equipped. Max. towing of 11,300 lb with 3.5L EcoBoost 4x2 and 4x4 and 6.2L 2 valve V8 4x2 engines. Max. payload of 3,120 lb with 5.0L Ti-VCT V8 engine. Class is Full-Size Pickups under 8,500 lb GVWR vs. 2012/2013 competitors. ^^Offer valid from December 21, 2012 to January 2, 2013 (the “Program Period”). Receive $750 towards the purchase or lease of a new 2012/ 2013 Ford and Lincoln vehicles excluding Focus, Fiesta, C-MAX, (Fusion S, Hybrid and Energi), Mustang GT500 and BOSS 302, Taurus SE, Edge SE, Flex SE, Explorer Base, Escape S, Transit Connect EV, F-150 Regular Cab XL 4x2 Value Leader and Raptor during the Program Period (the “Offer”). Offer must be applied to the Eligible Vehicle. The Eligible Vehicle must be delivered or factory ordered during the Program Period. Taxes payable on the total price of the Eligible Vehicle (including accessories and factory options), before the Offer value is deducted. This Offer is subject to vehicle, accessory, and factory installed option availability. Only one (1) Offer may be applied toward the purchase or lease of each Eligible Vehicle. This Offer can be used in conjunction with most retail consumer offers made available by Ford of Canada at the time of factory order or delivery, but not both. This Offer is not combinable with CPA, GPC, Daily Rental Allowances or the Commercial Fleet Incentive Program (CFIP). Some conditions apply. Offer available to residents of Canada only. ©2012 Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited. All rights reserved.

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metronews.ca Thursday, December 27, 2012

Cupid, draw back your bow After reading some tea leaves, shuffling a virtual deck of tarot cards and participating in a séance with an extra from a Kevin Bacon movie (that guy was just seven degrees of separation from every star on the planet), we’ve divined several fantasy couples the paparazzi will be all over in the new year. Mike Dojc

life@metronews.ca

Jennifer Lawrence & Justin Bieber Sorry Selena Gomez but Bieber is a young buck and he is going to sow his oats. After they call it quits again, he’ll cavort with a few models, play the young Hollywood field and then get nostalgic for the good old days when he was half of a glamorous power couple. And the mere sight of the Biebs walking down the red carpet with the Hunger Games hottie on his arm might just start a tweenage riot. On their first date Jen can show her new beau how to string a bow, and the Boyfriend crooner can reciprocate by styling her hair.

Gerard Butler & Heidi Klum With Seal now out of the picture, there are plenty of A-list fish in the sea raring to nibble on the Project Runway host’s manicured toes. But Heidi knows what she wants so choosing a man is as easy as deciding whether to wear Cavalli or Versace. While Klum’s been carrying on with her bodyguard, she’d scotch her security detail with benefits to make schnitzel with this leading man.

Leonardo DiCaprio & Yvonne Strahovski Leo certainly has a type: blonde tressed, luscious lipped, S.I. Swimsuit calibre model with legs that go on forever. Aussie stunner Strahovski (Chuck, Dexter) hits all those marks and she’d also make an exquisite addition to a “I canoodled with DiCaprio” calendar, fitting right in with former flames Gisele Bündchen, Bar Refaeli, Erin Heatherton, and Blake Lively.

Danny DeVito & Lady Gaga After splitting from Rhea Perlman, his wife of 30 years, DeVito (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) sets his sights on a less age appropriate amore. The timing couldn’t be any better for the pop singer known for her unhinged fashion sense either. Gaga could really use a high profile fling even if it turns into a bad romance. Maybe she can even land a part in Triplets, the long awaited sequel to 1988’s Twins.

Amy Poehler & Jamie Foxx After parting ways with hubby Will Arnett this past fall, Poehler (Parks and Recreation) is looking for a new funny man to light up her world. The smooth talking Foxx, who plays the president in White House Down and a freed slave in Django Unchained, is just what the doctor ordered to get sassy Poehler back in the relationship game.

scene

metronews.ca Thursday, December 27, 2012

2013 is here and Julian Brass, founder of Canada’s largest website for young professionals, has his Notable calls and predictions for trends young Canadian professionals will be creating and embracing in the year after the ‘end of the world.’

Marginalized sense of cool

Travel more, stay less

What’s in is not being in. Get it? Fitting in is way out of style. Being an individual — now that is notable. Nobody cares about keeping up with the Joneses anymore. We care about our individuality, our values, our unique style, and being our own “cool.” Notable call: We’ll be seeing more individuality in how we set up our desks, fashion we wear, music we listen to and places we choose to socialize.

Every day we see photos of our friends’ and colleagues’ last trip. We see the inexpensive travel opportunities everywhere. We hear the stories and sip the metaphoric margarita in Mexico or the awesome Australian adventures. Notable call: More travel for less time. Young professionals will be boarding more flights and pulling out their passport more often, but each time they do, they’ll be getting their vacay-fix for less time.

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Julian Brass, Founder of notable.ca, Canada’s online source for young professionals

Selected spotlight

Quality, culture, cocktails and cuisine

Over the last several years our lives have become seriously public. People know where I went last night, when I wore my favourite blazer last, and that I’m going to be in Vancouver next week. We’re sick of our privacy not being, well, private, but we do enjoy the affirmation that people are listening, RT’ing, and “liking” our last post. Notable call: We’ll continue to share our latest, but we’ll become increasingly selective on what that is.

It wasn’t a trend. The growing sales in premium spirits combined with the intrigue of the Mad Men era and the push toward locally sourced, premium ingredients has seriously refined the average young professional’s palette and fashion-sense. Bottom line — this year we are all more cultured and so are our tastes. Notable call: More refinement in young professional style, restaurant choice, and cocktail choices. Salud!

metronews.ca Thursday, December 27, 2012

Food trends don’t come out of nowhere; they grow and evolve from years passed and embody the current thinking and influences of a culture. Like other artists, chefs get inspiration from the world around them, searching for new and tongue-tickling treasures. Fresh ideas, ingredients and techniques are highlighted in culinary competitions like Bocuse D’or in France, which serves as inspiration to restaurants first and then trickle into the mainstream. The following year, we see grocery stores and retailers introducing these same flavours and trends to give us home cooks a chance to play along. Next year will see us continue on a healthy/wholesome kick.

LIFE

BY THERESA ALBERT, MYFRIENDINFOOD.COM

Year of the whole beast ... “Nose to tail” cooking has been around for a few years as chefs strut their peasant pleasures and use up every bone and organ an animal can offer. Now, the idea has come home to roost. Look for “whole beast” parties to surge. Head on, big meals like roast suckling pig, whole duck on a spit and a whole salmon in a big backyard smoker will treat you this summer.

Seaweed so good Darwinian beings came from the sea and now we go back to it for taste and nutrients. Seaweed is a huge “new” (yet ancient) food. No longer just wrapped around sushi or as dulse from the east coast, expect to find it in crackers, breads, as a topping and a snack. Seaweed, after all, contains more minerals than any other food on the planet. Look for sushi nori to crop up in salads and other recipes, and flavoured seaweed to come to a potato chip aisle near you.

Delicious food trends for 2013 Off the rails taco fusions Tacos are king but it isn’t just the ground beef and chili powder variety that will make the grade anymore. Look for fusion flavours with Asian cabbage and Harrisa paste in a classic corn tortilla. The wilder the combo, the cooler it will be. Creative textures, shapes and sizes of the shells will morph too ... ice cream cone filled with pulled chicken with crème fraiche, anyone?

... and the veggies As our global luck would have it, the opposite trend has taken hold as vegetarians, vegans and flexitarians take the reins. Veggies as a main dish won’t be relegated to the sidebar. Look for kale, collards and other greens to be dressed for success with beans for the vegans and sausage or bacon for the rest to make a whole meal. It’s a good thing too, because the numbers show that we still aren’t eating nearly enough greens.

The tiniest taste Mini-me is key. Everything small is big. Going further than the tapas trend, this one allows one mouthful of a pleasure to be enjoyed while leaving room for healthier fuel; baby burgers will incorporate herbs and greens, mini grilled cheese, mini corn dogs and super cute cubes of cake satisfy. Perhaps we have figured out that it doesn’t have to be massive to hit the spot. (Here’s hoping!)

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metronews.ca Thursday, December 27, 2012

Collard Greens with Sausage

Sushi for dummies. Add salmon, chicken or pork for extra taste

Ingredients

Serving Size: 8, prep time: 10 minutes • 2 bunches collard greens — about 10 cups chopped • 1/4 cup water • 1 tbsp butter • 1 tbsp honey • 1 teaspoon salt (or less to taste) • 1 teaspoon white pepper Toppings • 2 cups cooked breakfast sausage, cooked bacon or canned white beans that have been warmed

Ingredients

Serves 4, Prep Time: 5 min • 2 Cups, cooked, short grain rice ( or any other leftover rice)

Collards are killer if you know how to make them right. Theresa Albert

Collard Greens are cheap and yet are one of the most popular vegetables. What a combo! Many, though, don’t know how to cook them. In the Southern U.S. they simmer them low and slow. Brazilians sliver them into thin strips and do a quick sauté. Our method is somewhere in the middle to save you time and keep the leaves al dente. This flexitarian meal can be completely vegan

or sausaged to the nines to suit your group. Keep toppings separate and serve as a main course with a crusty loaf of bread and some nice hummus or sharp cheese.

1. Rinse greens and chop off stems. Discard. Roll leaves width wise in stacks of 4 or 5 leaves. Slice thinly across the leaf (chiffonade) to create ribbons that are about ¼ inch thick or less. Place into a large pot with a

lid containing ¼ cup of water. Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer over medium-high heat to cook down for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in butter, honey, salt and white pepper. Simmer further for 15 minutes.

2. Place toppings in bowls on the table and serve with warm bread. 3.

Enjoy!

• 1/2 cup carrot, grated or shaved • 1/2 cup diced red pepper

• 2-3 tbsp rice vinegar

• 2 sheets toasted nori, ripped or cut into pieces

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 1/2 avocado

• 1 cup sliced cucumber

1. Place rice on individual plates or bowls. 2.

Season with vinegar and soy sauce — stir with a fork (so rice doesn’t clump together).

Theresa Albert

3. Top with remaining ingredients. Theresa Albert Theresa Albert is a food communications consultant and nutritionist in Toronto. She is @ theresaalbert on twitter.

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metronews.ca Thursday, December 27, 2012

What can you expect Kane for 2013? Check out American your horoscope Staffordshire Aries

March 21 - April 20

The New Year has arrived and with it loads of responsibilities. Expect to be thrown into uncanny situations throughout 2013 that will unfold into valuable lessons, ones that will teach you more about yourself than others.

Taurus

April 21 - May 21

Career will be challenging for the first part of 2013. However, with patience by mid 2013 you will not drive yourself up the wall hoping for that perfect job because you will realize you are already in it, or magically you will be placed into it.

Gemini

May 22 - June 21

Romance and personal relationships will be a concern in the first quarter of 2013, but by Spring you experience a shift in the romance department and your focus will mainly be on friendship and family. One tip for 2013: Try not to take people too seriously. Especially those who take themselves way too seriously!

Cancer

June 22 - July 23

Think more progressive and positive. You have the tendency to over think things way past the point of healthy pondering and at times that causes you to undertake unnecessary emotional torment caused by thought. In 2013 you can flip the script just by flipping your thought pattern.

Leo

July 24 - Aug. 23

This year will be one of personal challenges for you. Don’t fret, these will be positive challenges. You will be learning facts about your character, ones that you may not like so much. Nevertheless, this will cause you to practice new personality skills and by 2014 you will feel like a new person.

Virgo

Aug. 24 - Sept. 23

In 2013, people will appreciate that you do not have to be told what needs to be done. You just get it done. You will be viewed as on-the-ball and that means co-workers, friends and family, will flock to you for advice regarding a multitude of concerns.

Libra

Sept. 24 - Oct. 23

Do not be discouraged when plans refuse to unfold according to your wishes, and especially in the love department. Expect fluctuations of ups and owns and you will not be disappointed when loved ones say one thing but do another. Just do your best to be your best and 2013 will be relatively cool.

Scorpio

trip yourself... You gotta do what ya gotta do!

Sagittarius

Nov. 23 - Dec. 21

This will be a year of love, joy and peace for you. There will be some bumpy roads during the ride, but nothing will be too much for you to handle. Winter brings love. Spring will offer joy in career. Summer brings peace. Fall will have you busy like a bee, but you will make loads of honey money.

Capricorn

Dec. 22 - Jan. 20

In 2013 if anyone dares to impose havoc on you or anybody you care for they will feel your wrath. Your authoritative side will rise up in February and it will not ease up until early Fall. Nevertheless, your gentle side will be freely given to those who behave.

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Aquarius

Jan. 21 - Feb. 19

Listen to your heart. It will speak loud and clear all throughout 2013. Your gut instinct will be on point and if you ignore your intuition you will want to kick yourself. So to prevent unnecessary upset, pay attention to your inner voice and follow through.

Pisces

Oct. 24 - Nov. 22

Feb. 20 - March 20

Some people feel you can be harsh at times. Like the ol saying goes “it’s a dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it” and you do it well because you know how to keep it real. So in 2013 when you are packing a punch do not second guess or guilt

Money will flow to you more regularly in 2013, but first you will have to develop a better relationship with dollars and coins by saving your cash and refusing to spend frivolously.

Provincial Animal Shelter

Cerise Fairfax, life coach and astrologer (cerisefairfax.com)

2013

SPORTS

metronews.ca Thursday, December 27, 2012

Hot Canadian athletes to watch PHILIP CROUCHER AND MATTHEW WUEST halifax@metronews.ca

SPORTS

Steve Nash By the time the NBA playoffs roll around, the spotlight will be squarely on Vancouver’s Steve Nash and the Los Angeles Lakers. The 38-yearold two-time most valuable player is in his 17th season and is still in search of his first NBA title. On a team loaded with big-name talent — Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace — the Lakers are supposed to be the Western Conference’s answer to the Eastern Conference’s defending champion, Miami Heat. But plenty of questions remain about whether the Lakers can put it all together as Nash strives to finish his illustrious career a champion.

CHRISTIAN PETERSEN/GETTY IMAGES

Nathan MacKinnon

JEFF ZELEVANSKY/GETTY IMAGES

Georges St-Pierre It will, without question, be the biggest fight in MMA history. Montreal’s Georges St-Pierre is expected to square off against UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva sometime in 2013 in what is being dubbed simply the ‘superfight.’ St-Pierre and Silva are considered the best pound-for-pound fighters in MMA, and the showdown should finally put to rest the question of who is the best. St-Pierre goes into 2013 on a high after winning a blood-filled fiveround decision over Carlos (Natural Born Killer) Condit in November to unify the welterweight title. He also showed he has lots left in the tank after missing 18 months due to knee surgery.

The electrifying forward from Cole Harbour, N.S., has been the front-runner to be selected No. 1 overall in the NHL draft for more than a year now. MacKinnon, 17, raises fans of the Halifax Mooseheads out of their seats with his high-octane METRO speed and ability to score goals in bunches. He hails from the same hometown as Sidney Crosby — generating comparisons between the two despite significantly different styles of play — and is facing plenty of competition from Portland Winterhawks defenceman Seth Jones, among others. The battle could go right down to the wire on the draft stage at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on June 28.

Milos Raonic

Graham DeLaet

With almost $1.2 million in prize money and two tournament victories, 2012 was certainly kind to Toronto’s Milos Raonic. But with success comes higher expectations and Canadian tennis fans from coast-to-coast will be looking for this 21-year-old power server to elevate his game even further in 2013. Fans will be watching closely at the four majors too, where Raonic went 8-4 this year. His best finish came at the U.S. Open where he made it to the quarter-finals before dropping a straight-sets decision to Andy Murray. Raonic can look to build off that finish however as it was his best-ever at a major.

Graham DeLaet isn’t a household name to most Canadian golf fans but 2013 could be the year he becomes one. The Weyburn, Sask., native is coming off a solid season on the PGA Tour. DeLaet played in 23 tour events in 2012, made 17 cuts, finished in the SCOTT HALLERAN/GETTY IMAGES top five twice and earned a cool $1.05 million. His best finish was a tie for fourth in Zurich Classic of New Orleans, and in the FedEx Cup playoffs, DeLaet made it to the third round. All that’s really left is his first PGA tour victory, which many think that could happen in 2013.

CLIVE BRUNSKILL/GETTY IMAGES FOR ATP WORLD TOUR

SPORTS

metronews.ca Thursday, December 27, 2012

Fed up fans to lock out NHL with boycott pledge Just Drop It. Campaign calls for hockey supporters to drop everything related to the sport after Dec. 21 phylicia Torrevillas Metro in Vancouver

Steve Chase and his friends pledge to boycott one NHL game for every game cancelled after Dec. 21 and they’re sticking by it. The 55-year-old commercial director, a Montrealer who lives in Los Angeles, started a grassroots campaign called Just Drop It that encourages fans to drop everything hockey-related .

“We don’t want to destroy our game,” he told Metro. “We just want them to pay attention to us.… We decided a fair thing would be to just make it one for one. If you cancel a game, we cancel a game.” Chase created a video that has been viewed a total of 100,000 times on YouTube and Vimeo, as well as a Facebook page, which already has more than 19,000 likes. “Our goal was to be heard,” he said. “We’re knocking on the door of that meeting saying, ‘Guys, we’re the people paying you. We’re a little annoyed that you’re disregarding and disrespecting us.’” Chase said he hopes fans will live up to the pledge’s challenge. “I hope people stick to it be-

Quoted

“They will support the team at the end of the day no matter what.” Dr. Joti Samra on the psychology of sports fans

cause we need to send a little bit of a message: ‘Guys, don’t do this again,’” he added. But Dr. Joti Samra, host and psychologist on the Oprah Winfrey Network’s Million Dollar Neighbourhood, said that fans may be upset now about the contract negotiations, but they’re not going to be able to resist the temptation. “When it comes to sport we’re pretty forgiving fans, whether our team is playing or not, whether they win or not,”

Fan tweets

Will you tune in to hockey if the NHL returns in the new year? @taboada93: I don’t think so it’s so sad with how they’re

handling the NHL lockout. It’s dragging on badly

reached. They lose this season, I’ll skip 2013-14.

@Primlar: I plan to avoid as many @NHL games as are locked out, once a deal is

@AlanSimpson: No. What goodwill that was built by the return of the Jets is gone. Again.

she said. “It’s frustrating now because for a lot of people the big part of their social activities revolve around sports, especially this time of year when the days are shorter, and people are inside more … but fans are fans. They will support the team at the end of the day no matter what.”

A view of an empty Rexall Place, home of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. After months without hockey due to a lockout, will fans be back in the stands if the season returns in the new year? Tim Smith/Getty Images file

sports

metronews.ca Thursday, December 27, 2012

Luongo trade rumours fly coop

Roberto Luongo Getty Images

This space was supposed to be reserved for some wild and whacky Roberto Luongo trade rumour. For what it’s worth, it still seems like the Vancouver Canucks goaltender, usurped this past April by Cory Schneider as the starter for that position, is destined to be a Toronto Maple Leaf soon — or a Florida Panther? — after this nonsense NHL lockout finally concludes. But, until then, consider

the matter embargoed. It seems dealing the former No. 1 man in the Canucks crease has, in the minds of local fans, not only taken a back seat to the ongoing labour war but been left at home entirely. Even those ardently opposed to having Luongo back in a Canucks uniform — a gold medal at the 2010 Olympics and a berth in Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup final doesn’t cut it with some folks — would probably wel-

come him with open arms if it meant doing away with the lockout. That’s the way it is. Luongo is a polarizing figure. His greatest moments walk hand in hand with his ultimate blunders. As a result, Luongo has attracted a great number of detractors within the Vancouver faithful. But what hockey fan is really talking or thinking about this at this particular moment? Cam Tucker/Metro

Hot teams to watch in 2013 Cam Tucker Metro in Vancouver

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks began the 2012-13 NFL season at longshot 60-1 odds to win the Super Bowl, according to Bodog. ca on Sept. 18. Fast forward three months ahead and the Seahawks are, with a 9-5 record, 20-1 odds to win the Super Bowl, as per the same gambling website. The Seahawks have gone from pretender to contender thanks mostly to reliable running back Marshawn Lynch, a staunch defence and the improved play of rookie quarterback Russell Wilson.

Toronto Blue Jays The acquisitions of pitchers Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle and, more recently, R.A. Dickey, as well as fielders Melky Cabrera and Jose Reyes have created a lot of enthusiasm. But more than 10 months separate the Jays from a playoff spot — their first since 1993.

Vancouver Whitecaps The Vancouver Whitecaps’ sophomore Major League Soccer campaign yielded a playoff berth, but the club backed into the post-season by winning twice in its final 11 games. Scoring was an issue throughout the year — the Caps put up a total of 35 goals in 34 games.

Halifax Mooseheads

Saskatchewan Roughriders

The Halifax Mooseheads occupied the top spot in the Canadian Hockey League rankings as of Dec. 12, and are led offensively by 17-year-old centre Nathan MacKinnon, who had 22 goals and 52 points in just 30 games before leaving for Team Canada’s world junior selection camp.

There are passionate Canadian Football League fans all across Canada. But few can top those who wear the green of the Roughriders. The team will host the 2013 Grey Cup, not far removed from the heartbreak of the 2009 title game that saw them lose thanks to a toomany-men call.

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902-495-0206 Call or Text

15/25/35 Leaman Bach $529 1 BR $619 Heat & Hot Water Incl.

Shop Christmas and More Something for Everyone!

2 $75.00 per hour

17 ft

Residential & Commercial

902- 449- 0232

440-6817

Renovated to serve you better. Expanded flea market section. Wreaths • Ornaments Meats • Produce Baked Goods • Toys Antiques • Jewelry Candy • Tools Books • Crafts • DVDs

OPEN Sat & Sun 9-4

SPECIAL TABLE RENTAL ONLY $10 42 Canal St, Dartmouth 407•3323 harbourviewmarket.com

87 Pinecrest Dr, 1-3 Farthington Place 1 BR $549-559 2 BR $679-699 Heat & Hot Water Incl. Book your viewing appointment today! Call Lynne at 402.6287 Or Olga at 402.2915

31 & 35 Highfield Park Dr., 11 Joseph Young Dr. 1 BR $569 2 BR $619 Utilities Extra Book your viewing appointment today! Call Olga at 402.2915 Or Anne Marie at 401.7318

LIMITED TABLES AVAILABLE!!

65 & 81 Primrose Bach $479 1 BR $579 2 BR $679 Heat & Hot Water Incl. Outdoor Parking Incl. Book your viewing appointment today! Call Lynne at 402.6287

Book your viewing appointment today! Call Olga at 401.7318 Or Anne Marie at 401.7318

$1 Admission!! Sundays 9-2 pm (Sellers 7am)

CANADA’S FIRST NEWS APP IN

Dartmouth Apartments

32 Glendale Ave Lr. Sackville

NEWSSTAND

902.461.HOME(4663)

MEGA FLEA MARKET LOWER SACKVILLE

Now available for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch!

Apartments For Rent

“We take care of our residents. Try us and see!”

To advertise contact Tricia Brommit at 444-8329

HOLIDAY SPECIAL! Halifax Apartments 1 MONTH FREE RENT* Ask about our pet friendly apartments *13 month lease Offer expires Dec. 31, 2012

1 & 11 Drysdale Rd. 22-40 River Rd 2 BR $619 3 BR $699 Heat & Hot Water Incl. Book your viewing appointment today! Call Teddy at 441.0354

*First to market as of press time.

Can’t get a hold of us? Call our help line at 1-877-638-2271 or email us at leasing@metcap.com

Building Managers Needed To oversee daily operations of assigned building. Please send resumes to jobs@metcap.com and quote job BMNS

To our past, present and future clients, we wish you joy, peace, balance and harmony in your homes and lives. – REALTORS® in Nova Scotia

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Read your money every Tuesday for financial tips, trends and advice. Only in Metro. News worth sharing.

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metronews.ca Thursday, December 27, 2012

Metro’s crossword gift to you Across 1. Syrup or leaf 6. NAFTA part 11. Niagara Falls’ Maid of the __ 15. Russian city where Canada is now competing in hockey’s 2013 World Juniors 18. Recipe instructions phrase 19. Mr. Quinn 20. Venetian traveller Mr. Polo 21. Chitchat 22. “Baby Beluga” troubadour 23. Prisoner 24601 25. Ex __. 26. Honest __, Toronto 28. F.D.R as F.R. instead 29. “Star Trek” starship, partially 30. Scarth Street locale 32. Levy 35. Tiara twinklers 37. Tabula __ (Clean slate) 38. Newbie 39. Etiquette expert in Metro 47. Suzette’s serving 49. “Well, now!” 50. Sea nymph 51. Harmony 52. Hairstyling request 53. Cuts wood 55. Moray catcher, say 57. Close-fitting 58. Deorbited space station 59. WWI: Harry Colebourn’s “Winnipeg” 62. #23-Across hideaway 64. Natural __ 65. What an extra might have in dialogue 67. Elton John song 69. Specialist 71. It culminates (federally) on April 14th, 2013 77. Network VIP 78. Ewoks’ forest moon home 79. Comes forth 80. John A. Macdonald 82. Hockey great Mr. Mikita, and others 84. Justin Timberlake, formerly 87. Mini Martians 88. Beverage company 90. Shoulder scarf 92. Calendrier component 93. Patsy Gallant disco hit: “From New York __” 95. Wee hours time

54. Lunchtime order 56. Fitness __ 58. Actress Gretchen 60. Makes official 61. French artist, Odilon __ (b.1840 - d.1916) 63. Territory the Hudson’s Bay Company controlled, __ Land 66. Supervillain Mr. Luthor 68. Vice __ 70. Basic learning, informally 72. Edgar Allan Poe poem 73. Eve __ (Playwright/ activist) 74. Trojan hero 75. Whales’ order 76. Feminine suffix 80. Sketch show 81. Hawkeye State 83. ‘Decor’ finishing 85. English setting of “Downton Abbey” 86. Microwave 89. Be silent, in music 91. Breadwinner 94. Making the most of Boxing Day sales 96. Kris Jenner, to The Kardashians 98. Polka’s partner 101. ms. lang’s 103. Diamond arbiter 104. River Styx ferryman 105. Subway stop, shortly 110. Enlighten 111. Ms. Braxton 112. Sound, Ontario 113. PayPal co-founder Mr. Musk 114. Shoe store 115. Canadian comic Gerry 117. Cote d’__ (French Riviera) 121. Mr. Chaney Jr. 122. Greek letter 123. Founded, for short 125. Actor Mr. Wheaton 126. Web connector [abbr.] 127. Days opp.

97. “__ you loud and clear.” 99. Movie studio 100. Quick bite 102. Marianas Trench and Hedley 106. Thunderstruck 107. Single-named supermodel 108. Utmost degrees 109. “Battle of the Blades” champ Ms. Bonhomme’s 111. Dancer’s move 114. Fruit drink 116. Oprah’s __! moment 118. Tom Mulcair’s letters 119. Snowy __ 120. Scotiabank __ (Literary award) 124. Toy company

128. Keanu’s ‘Matrix’ role 129. Gnaw geologically 130. Falcon-headed deity 131. “1234” songstress 132. Caravansary 133. HGTV undertaking 134. Sluggish 135. Pup’s protests! Down 1. Feb.’s follower 2. Inman’s beloved in “Cold Mountain” (2003) 3. Comp. file 4. Yann Martel’s book-turnedmovie

5. Barenaked Ladies’ title lady, and others 6. __ Mahal 7. Nothing: French 8. “Cash Cab” host 9. Mr. Lanois, U2 producer 10. Letter’s li’l jacket 11. Mil. ranks 12. Pique 13. Ancient Egypt’s divine beetle 14. Gets in shape 15. Certain citrus 16. Gladly 17. “Dancing Queen” band 20. Real estate acronym 24. Kangaroo logo shampoo

27. Minute bit 31. Billionaire Bill 32. Company name abbr. 33. 007’s drink 34. The Arctic Grail author 36. ‘My’ in Montreal 37. Freshen 40. Backpackers’ lodging 41. Captain in 1956’s “Moby Dick” 42. Lancome Paris perfume 43. Ms. Mirren’s 44. They concern signage in Quebec 45. Quito is its cap. 46. Mr. Philbin, et al. 48. Royal realms

What’s online

Visit metronews. ca/answers for the solution to this Boxing Day crossword puzzle and for the latest news during the holidays. The answer to our regular crossword and sudoku will be printed in Metro on Jan. 2