West Fraser: Copyright 2013, according to Times Colonist and What happens next is now the question facing Quesnel and Houston. The West Fraser sawmill in Houston and the Canfor sawmill in Quesnel will permanently close five to eight months from now, the two companies announced Thursday. West Fraser and Canfor worked together on the decision, going so far as to swap hundreds of thousands of cubic metres of harvesting rights in order for their remaining operations to thrive. Canfor will keep its large mill in Houston running while West Fraser will maintain its large mill in Quesnel. "In essence, what we have done with West Fraser is exchange fibre. This was not about cash, it was 100 per cent about fibre exchange to ensure the longevity" of both companies in their remaining communities, Canfor president and CEO Don Kayne told The Citizen. "Of course we looked at all kinds of different ways of prolonging the Quesnel sawmill's life . Some short-term degree slowing operations might have worked, but operating at a lower rate was not a reasonable option." The same Quesnel mill had been closed for a short period during the American construction industry collapse until reopening in 2010 specifically to service new lumber customers in China. Canfor and West Fraser officials were on another trade mission to China when the two companies announced the closures. So was Minister of Forests Steve Thomson. Thomson said the two companies, being publicly traded corporations, had to keep their arrangements a tightly guarded secret until the deal was fully agreed to by both sides, and even then it had to go through a government scrutiny process to ensure against collusion and monopoly issues. He saw the decision as an attempt to co-operate on a plan to get past the obvious challenge - the mountain pine beetle had subtracted significant amounts of trees in both if the affected communities. "The diversified market we have built in Asia has given the industry a foundation for recovery, so its still a critical part of the opportunities going forward," said the minister. "They are companies positioning to compete in the global market, and this will be an important one for both of them, but due to the devastation of the pine beetle, this was not totally unexpected. We knew companies had to make business decisions around remaining successful into future." Kayne said employment pain and transition uncertainty for individual families was a distinct possibility, but the closures were not due to poor markets so Canfor is in a strong position, he said, to ease those pains. The customers in China were still happy to buy Canfor wood so the company still needs millworkers. "We have a lot of other mills to fill those gaps and we are confident our customer base in China will be looked after," he said. That also gave good indications that the harvesting contractors weren't going to be left desperate, either. "One thing for certain is the volumes coming out of these locations will remain strong, so each of our companies will no doubt be able to use those contractors. Our vice president Alistair Cook will be meeting with the contractors Friday directly to see how we can assist them move over to West Fraser's operations when five months is up." Both companies pledged to have employment options available to the affected employees, but perhaps it might involve a move to another town or a long commute. They also spoke of co-operation in finding spots within each other's remaining mills for those harder to relocate. The deeper pain might be felt by the maintenance contractors and service providers who will have half as many mills to do business with in each affected community. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

police officer: I found myself in an awkward situation this month as I stood in my front yard locking eyes with a hard-core gang banger I'd met during a murder investigation in May of 2000. , according to Winnipeg Free Press. I immediately felt a surge of apprehension and fear run through my body as I searched my memory banks trying to access the digital face-recognition technology I'd developed during a 26-year career in policing. This scenario is a police officer's worst nightmare. No cop ever wants to see a known gangster standing in his front yard. Our homes are our sanctuaries, our place to relax and escape all the madness a career in law enforcement entails. It's also a place where the people we love reside. As a result, police officers go the extra mile to keep their addresses out of the hands of the criminal element. A gang member is led away by police. For some, there is hope for a brighter future. ARCHIVES Photo Store "I know you," he said. "Did you ever work homicide?" (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

book donation: The 1000x5 childrens book recycling program collected its 50,000th book donation on Thursday. The project was founded on the premise that if a child has 1,000 books read to him or her by age five, the child is better prepared to enjoy and succeed in learning. , according to Times Colonist. About 1,500 families receive books every month. One small book marked a big milestone for a project that aims to boost literacy among young children. Organizers collect new and gently used picture books from individuals, publishers and schools. They are cleaned, sorted and distributed through food banks, community agencies, Strong Start Centres, social programs and other locations. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Paul Reichmann: Daniel H. Burnham 1846-1912 , American architect, according to The Star. Paul Reichmann was among the greatest land developers in history. Reichmann, who died Friday morning in Toronto at 83 , was also among this countrys outstanding philanthropists and Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir mens blood. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Wendell Scott: Wallace's victory occurred almost 50 years after Wendell Scott became the first African-American driver to win a NASCAR national series event. Scott's lone victory in what is now called the Sprint Cup Series took place on Dec. 1, 1963 at Jacksonville Fla. Speedway Park. Scott grew up in nearby Danville, Va, according to Times Colonist. Wallace started third and led a race-high 96 laps and Wallace, who is in his rookie season in trucks, grabbed the lead from Ty Dillon with 50 laps remaining and then held off the field in a trio of restarts during the final 30 circuits around this 0.526-mile short track. The 20-year-old Mobile, Ala. native beat second-place finisher Brendan Gaughan by 1.7 seconds to claim his maiden truck win in just his 19th start. "This is an emotional win for me, especially to do it in Wendell Scott's backyard," Wallace said. "I love coming here to Martinsville. It's always good to me." (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

olive tree: NASSER ISHTAYEH / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS A woman inspects a damaged olive tree near Nablus. Palestinian farmers say dozens of olive trees were damaged by people from a nearby Israeli settlement. CP , according to Winnipeg Free Press. Now, Nablus just wants desperately to get back to normal -- back to work, back to the world. But it is not so easy. NASSER ISHTAYEH / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS In August, Palestinians celebrate the release of Palestinian inmates on the eve of long-stalled Mideast peace talks. CP Enlarge Image NABLUS, West Bank -- A decade ago, this ancient town was a crucible of terror and resistance -- and produced more suicide bombers than any other city in the devastating second Palestinian intifada, or uprising, against Israel. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Canada: When during the Second World War it was possible to help Jews to escape the Nazis, Canada stood idly by. However, its postwar effort to provide shelter for survivors has been commendable. Some 30,000 Jews who had lived through the ordeal in various European countries were brought to these shores and given opportunities to rebuild their lives. As they and their descendants remember the horrors by seeking to educate future generations, they also pay tribute to Canada, according to The Star. Support for Holocaust education by the prime minister and his government is significant and important. Its also manifest in the fact that the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance with its 31 member states is currently being chaired by Canada in the person of Mario Silva. He describes his organization as aiming to ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust are not forgotten and In the statement that introduces this years massive program of Torontos Holocaust Education Week starting next Sunday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper writes that by sharing the stories of the survivors we can remain vigilant in confronting those who propagate messages of hatred, anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial. Justice Rosalie Abella of the Supreme Court expressed it in her keynote address at a special evening of music and commemoration to honour Holocaust educators earlier this month in Toronto. As a child of Holocaust survivors, born in a displaced persons camp in Germany, she told her parents and her story of loss, resilience, hope and gratitude. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

National Security Agency: The high court so far has turned aside challenges to the law on government surveillance, saying people who bring such lawsuits have no evidence they are being targeted. Warrantless programs mean they need no court authorization in advance, according to Times Colonist. According to court papers, the FBI investigated Muhtorov because of his communications with a website administrator for the IJU and WASHINGTON - The U.S. Justice Department says for the first time it plans to use information gained from one of the National Security Agency's warrantless surveillance programs against an accused terrorist, setting the stage for a likely Supreme Court test of the Obama administration's approach to national security. Jamshid Muhtorov was accused in 2012 of providing material support to the Islamic Jihad Union, an Uzbek terrorist organization that, authorities say, was engaging NATO coalition and U.S. forces in Afghanistan. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Royson James: Accept transit hard truths and get on with planning, Royson James says, Oct. 24, according to The Star. But scant attention has been paid to how to improve bus service through the use of more express routes, as well as using double-decker buses or minibuses to increase capacity or reduce costs. In addition, maybe we need to look at allowing private operators to offer transit in areas of low density sprawl where the public sector fails to provide adequate service and Re: Accept transit hard truths and get on with planning, Royson James says, Oct. 24 One of the hard truths is that Subways are not the only good form of transit, but this should be amended to Subways and LRTs are not the only good forms of transit. The truth is that buses are, and will continue to be, the cheapest and most flexible form of public transit. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Diana Aldaz: Because it was my first job I didnt expect anything, so I thought everything was fine, she said, according to The Star. I was really upset. I felt like they cheated me, because I had been working for so long and so hard and I wasnt getting anything, said Aldaz, a poised 20-year-old. So then I called the Ontario Labour Board and asked about unions and When she was 15, Diana Aldaz got a job selling trendy, low-priced clothing at a Sirens store in a Brampton mall. Her work hours were all over the map and she earned minimum wage. But more than four years later, she was still working sporadic hours at Sirens sometimes just one shift a week, even when she asked for full-time hours during her summer break from university. She was still working to the point of stress with little incentive beyond a vague promise of more hours, and still making minimum wage even as people who had been hired after her got raises for no reason she could see except favouritism, she said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.