A Canadian Member of Parliament says PETA should be labeled as a “terrorist” organization after a protester pushed a pie into the face of Canadian fisheries minister Gail Shea while Shea was giving a speech Monday in Burlington, Ontario.
See video of the moment here:
The CBC reports that MP Gerry Byrne of Humber-St. Barbe-Baie Verte, said the action was threatening and intimidating, and puts seal hunters at risk.
“There has to be a review whether or not PETA has crossed the line now by attacking a federal minister of the Crown for the purpose of public intimidation of an office-holder,” Byrne told CBC News on Tuesday.
PETA’s president Ingrid Newkirk said the MP was blowing the situation out of proportion.
“Mr. Byrne’s reaction is a silly, chest-beating exercise that is unlikely to impress anyone who has a heart for animals or who is bright enough to spot the difference between a bomb and a tofu cream pie,” Newkirk said in a statement reported by the CBC.
The pie-wielding woman was identified as Emily McCoy of New York City, and she was protesting what PETA called “the government’s ill-advised sanction of the seal slaughter.”
Canadians came up big at Sunday night’s Golden Globe Awards, with director James Cameron taking home the top prizes as he won for Best Director and his film, “Avatar,” claimed the trophy for Best Motion Picture, Drama.
The Kapuskasing, Ontario, native who’s long lived in Los Angeles has had a heck of a year with the release of his long-awaited and highly anticipated adventure film to the far-off planet of Pandora. The film was Cameron’s first since a little thing called “Titanic” was released 12 years ago, and it seems the wait didn’t hamper the new film’s performance. In addition to claiming some major awards, it’s approaching $500 million gross revenue at the box office, according to boxofficemojo.com, putting it third place all time after “Titanic” ($600 million) and “The Dark Knight” ($533 million).
Elsewhere, screenwriter and director Jason Reitman took home a Best Screenplay award with co-writer Sheldon Turner for “Up in the Air,” which starred George Clooney. Reitman, of Montreal, also directed the film, but lost in that category to the aforementioned Cameron.
FInally, Calgary’s Cory Monteith was not nominated for an individual acting award, but his show “Glee” won the top prize for Best TV Series, Musical or Comedy, knocking off heavy hitters such as “30 Rock,” “The Office” and “Entourage,” and another highly touted newcomer, “Modern Family.”
In Canada, the hierarchy of music could go something like this:
1. The Canadian National Anthem
2. “The Hockey Theme”
3. Anything by Rush
Two of those became one, in a way, on Thursday night with the debut of Rush drummer Neil Peart’s percussion-heavy version of “The Hockey Theme.” The one-minute tune premiered during the first intermission of Thursday night’s broadcast of the game between the Flyers and the Maple Leafs.
UPDATE: And now you can see it here:
Of course, the move comes with a touch of controversy. “The Hockey Theme” was — and to many Canadians always will be — the “Hockey Night in Canada” theme song on CBC. A couple of years ago, the CBC was unable to negotiate an extension for the rights to use the song and rival CTV snatched it up. “The Hockey Theme” now plays on TSN’s broadcasts of hockey games.
Still, Peart said it was an honor to give his take on a song known throughout the land.
“I gave a little speech in the studio before we started [recording] saying: ‘Every mother, father, grandfather, grandmother, child, moose and beaver will see and hear this,’ the St. Catherines, Ontario, native told Allan Maki of The Globe & Mail. “I’ll be very curious to know how Canadians respond to this.”
He took the job seriously, taking about 60 days to record the minute-long piece of music, and using a 17-piece orchestra behind him. Peart was filmed recording the song, playing on a custom drum kit by DW, that bore the logos of all 30 NHL teams. The drum kit will be displayed at the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Check out the video below for a quick take and some words from Peart about what it meant to do this job:
Howie Mandel is America’s newest arbiter of talent.
The Canadian comedian-turned-game-show-host has signed on to judge “America’s Got Talent,” replacing David Hasselhoff, who announced last week that he’s leaving the summertime talent show. Mandel already has a couple of other jobs hosting “Deal or No Deal” in prime time, in syndication and also in Canada.
It’s tough to say Hasselhoff’s will be difficult to fill, but there was a certain chemistry between judges Piers Morgan, Sharon Osbourne and Hasselhoff that worked for the talent showcase that doesn’t take itself terribly seriously.
Will Mandel fit like a head in a rubber glove?
Interestingly enough, Mandel’s appointment to the judges’ table means that two Brits and a Canadian make up the entire panel on “America’s Got Talent.”
An Ontario judge saved Keanu Reeves from a paternity matrix that would have been a most bogus ending to an otherwise excellent adventure.
A woman named Karen Sala claimed that she once lived with Reeves and had four of his children, who are all adults now. But the CBC reports that Judge Fred Graham in Barrie, Ont., dismissed the case, calling Sala’s allegations “so incredible” that any trial would be “a waste of limited judicial resources.”
Reeves denies ever having met the woman, let alone having lived with her and fathered four children. Reeves grew up mostly in Toronto.
It’s already turning out to be a heck of a year for Shania Twain.
The country gal from Timmins, Ontario, kicked off 2010 by running the Olympic torch through her hometown, and next week she’ll be one of the featured guest judges on “American Idol,” when it returns for its ninth season on Fox.
But before that, she’ll be interviewing Queen Rania of Jordan on CBC Radio on Friday. According to her Web site, Shania will guest host the CBC’s “The Current” radio show and is going to ask the Jordanian queen about her global charity for underprivileged youth, 1Goal.
To be honest, I’m still trying to figure out who this kid is, but this will surely matter to many people somewhere: Justin Bieber is not dead.
The 15-year-old Stratford, Ontario, native woke up this morning to discover he was the latest in a string of Internet death hoaxes as one was saying he’d passed away. Just before noon EST, Bieber, a notorious Tweeter, posted a link to an MTV News story about the hoax with the comment, “oh yeah…and it feels so good to be alive. haha.”
Bieber shot to stardom in the last couple of months, really, with his debut album “My World” coming out on Nov. 19. Since then, he’s performed all over most television programs in the United States and Canada, as well as for President Barack Obama and the First Family.
He also hangs out with Usher, who signed him to his record label.
Hometown girl Shania Twain returned to Timmins, Ontario, on New Year’s Day to run the Olympic torch as it continued on its trek across The Great White North to Vancouver, B.C.
After the run, she donated the torch and the torch-bearer’s uniform she wore to the Shania Twain Centre, an exhibition center and gathering place that celebrates the singer’s rise to fame from the small mining town.
According to a post on her Web site, Twain revealed a minor modification she made to the torch when she handed it over to Timmins Mayor Tom Laughren: she put white hockey tape on the handle before her run.
She explained she did it “so it wouldn’t slip out of my hand. I thought that would be rather embarrassing if I dropped the torch!”
Twain also remarked that she was pleased to be back at the STC.
“It’s just such a huge honour,” she remarked. She added that she thinks about the centre often and says remembers her Timmins roots and “what it is for a small town girl to come from here.”
In case you missed it, the Order of Canada honorees were announced this week and Governor General Michaelle Jean included NHL legend Mario Lemieux of Montreal, film director Ivan Reitman of Toronto, and folk rocker Neil Young of Winnipeg among the 57 honorees for the year,
All three men were given the honor of Officer of the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest civilian honors which recognizes “a lifetime of outstanding achievement, dedication to community and service to the nation.”
We here at Canadian of the Week figure if they’re good enough for the Governor General, they’re good enough for us, and we’re therefore proud to bestow the additional honor of Canadian of the Week on all three of them.
Here are their citations from Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean:
Mario Lemieux For his contributions as one of hockey’s most gifted players, as an inspirational role model and mentor, and for supporting charitable initiatives through the Mario Lemieux Foundation.
Ivan Reitman For his contributions as a director and producer, and for his promotion of the Canadian film and television industries.
Neil Young For his contributions as one of Canada’s greatest musical talents whose unique voice and iconic songs have influenced generations of musicians, and for his support of educational and charitable organizations.
Country sensation and Canadian cutie Shania Twain will be running the Olympic torch through her hometown of Timmins, Ontario, tonight as the torch continues its journey to Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, which kick off next month.
Twain asked fans on her Web site to follow her run of the torch live online (click here to see it), and wrote back in October that it was an “immense honour” to have been asked to participate.
“It is certain to be one of the most memorable experiences of my life,” she wrote. “I am proud to have been presented this unique opportunity and privilege and look forward to sharing the pride with my hometown and fellow Canadians as we are all proud of our country’s chance to host the upcoming winter games.”
The Canadian Press reports that despite protests that took place when the torch went through southern Ontario last month, Olympic officials say there are no signs of any demonstrations planned for Timmins on Friday and they don’t plan on boosting security when Twain carries the flame.
A Canadian Member of Parliament says PETA should be labeled as a “terrorist” organization after a protester pushed a pie into the face of Canadian fisheries minister Gail Shea while Shea was giving a speech Monday in Burlington, Ontario.
Canadians came up big at Sunday night’s Golden Globe Awards, with director James Cameron taking home the top prizes as he won for Best Director and his film, “Avatar,” claimed the trophy for Best Motion Picture, Drama.
Howie Mandel is America’s newest arbiter of talent.
An Ontario judge saved Keanu Reeves from a paternity matrix that would have been a most bogus ending to an otherwise excellent adventure.
In case you missed it, the Order of Canada honorees were announced this week and Governor General Michaelle Jean included NHL legend Mario Lemieux of Montreal, film director Ivan Reitman of Toronto, and folk rocker Neil Young of Winnipeg among the 57 honorees for the year,
