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Around the Globe
New name for the colder parts of Canada?
The Canadian government, bored of the bland name "Northwest
Territories," has been running a contest to select a new name for the remaining
territory after portions of it become the predominantly Eskimo province of
Nunavut in 1999. Approximately 35,000 people will live in the new unnamed
province. According to newspaper The Globe and Mail, "Bob" is currently
in second place among the counted votes with 200 ( the typical first choice is
to remain Northwest Territories). Proponents claim that "Bob" is a perfect
choice since it sounds the same in French and English, and thus will placate
the nation's powerful French lobby. Others point out that "Bob" could be
interpreted as an acronym for "Bottom of the Barrel." Traditionalists have
suggested "Bobukon," which will sound good next to neighboring Yukon.
The Canadian healthcare model
Montreal, Quebec coroner Teresa Sourour formally criticized the Fleury
hospital for letting a patient die of a heart attack rather than brave the
cold. When a 75-year-old man collapsed with a heart attack outside the hospital
building in January, hospital employees debated going outside in the -20deg.F
weather to help the man. They ended up calling an ambulance. The man died. A
DUH employee, who asked to remain anonymous, said, "See, our service might be
bad, but at least we don't leave you out in the cold."
Law and order Canadian-style
Prison officials in Winnipeg, Manitoba are red-faced about hiring a
convicted felon to help clean up after the April riot at the Headingley
Correctional Institution. The riot, which sparked an investigation of prison
conditions, resulted in several million dollars in damage. Officials hired
workers, including Stephen Lee Gressman, to clean up the damage. Gressmen was
then on Manitoba's Top-10 Most Wanted List for extortion and assault. According
to the Winnipeg Sun, Gressmen worked several days but left town just
before he was identified.
--Compiled by Michael Rubin from News of the Weird (in the New Haven
Advocate), Deutsche Presse-Agentur, and Canadian Occupational Health and Safety
News.
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