Travel tips from Canadian 'the world's most travelled man'

Mike Spencer Bown has been backpacking virtually non-stop since 1990, and has visited all 195 of the world's countries on all seven continents.

His grand adventure started 23 years ago, while he was looking down from a mountain in British Columbia. He told CTV Your Morning he had always been fascinated by ecosystems and was inspired to explore new ones.

“I’d seen what I could see across Canada and the States, but I was really curious about jungles, maybe the Himalaya Mountains and things like that,” said Bown, who says he first began his vagabond lifestyle to see different kinds of animals. “But then I found out that people, if anything, were actually more interesting.”

Through his travels Bown picked up a trick or two. For example, a khaki shirt with a lot of pockets is helpful for impersonating officials.

Sears Canada Cut 12,000 Jobs As Business Dwindles

Sears Canada Inc. has decided to shut its doors and is seeking approval to liquidate its roughly 130 remaining stores — leaving another 12,000 employees across the country without a job.

The embattled retailer, which sought protection from its creditors in June, said Tuesday it had failed to find a buyer that would allow it to continue as a going concern.

The court overseeing Sears Canada's operations is set to hear a motion Friday seeking approval for the liquidation and wind down of the business.

"The company deeply regrets this pending outcome and the resulting loss of jobs and store closures," Sears Canada said in a statement on Tuesday.

Last week, Sears received a revised bid from a buyer group led by its executive chairman Brandon Stranzl to buy the business and keep it operating. It was the latest move in a weeks-long discussion process after Stranzl stepped away from his role to launch the bid.

However, on Tuesday, the retailer said that "following exhaustive efforts, no viable transaction" was received. A lawyer for Stranzl did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A Canadian Surreal Experience At Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Mansion

© FACEBOOK Julie McLeod of Oakville looks back fondly about her time at the Playboy mansion in the 1980s in the wake of Hugh Hefner's death

Since news broke that Hugh Hefner, founder and editor of Playboy magazine, died Wednesday night at the age of 91 fans called him a “cultural icon,” and “media titan,” while critics hesitated to mourn a man they said embodied “male entitlement.”

Oakville resident Julie McLeod remembers him another way: as a kind, gracious host.

Hefner was well-known as a radical hedonist who played a major role in bringing sex into the mainstream of American media — a legacy that’s brought him both praise and derision.

McLeod, a former model and actress, was living in a hotel in Los Angeles in 1984 when her friend and fellow model Carrie Leigh — then Hefner’s girlfriend — invited her to stay at his famed home instead.

“I was a young woman so I was apprehensive,” McLeod told the Star on Thursday, nodding to the controversy surrounding Hefner that he made his living largely off women’s sexuality.

“There are a lot of people that will presume I must have been a playmate and it must have been wild. That was contrary to my experience.”

Trade War: US slaps 220 percent duty on Canada's Bombardier jets

The Bombardier CS 300 performs its demonstration flight during the Paris Air Show, at Le Bourget airport, north of Paris, June 15, 2015

The U.S. Commerce Department on Tuesday slapped preliminary anti-subsidy duties on Bombardier Inc’s CSeries jets after rival Boeing Co accused Canada of unfairly subsidizing the aircraft, a move likely to strain trade relations between the neighbors.

The department said it imposed a steep 219.63 percent countervailing duty on Bombardier’s new commercial jets after it made a preliminary finding of subsidization. Boeing has complained the 110-to-130 seat aircraft were dumped below cost in the U.S. market last year while benefiting from unfair subsidies.

An April 2016 order for 75 CSeries jets from Delta Air Lines stemmed from the same harmful sales practices European rival Airbus SE employed to win business in the 1990s, according to Boeing.

The Commerce Department’s penalty against Bombardier will only take effect if the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) rules in Boeing’s favor in a final decision expected in 2018.

Canada Education System Better than US and Europe

When there are debates about the world's top performing education systems, the names that usually get mentioned are the Asian powerhouses such as Singapore and South Korea or the Nordic know-alls, such as Finland or Norway.

But with much less recognition, Canada has climbed into the top tier of international rankings.

In the most recent round of international Pisa tests, Canada was one of a handful of countries to appear in the top 10 for maths, science and reading.

The tests, run by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), are a major study of educational performance and show Canada's teenagers as among the best educated in the world.

They are far ahead of geographical neighbours such as the US and European countries with strong cultural ties like the UK and France.

At university level, Canada has the world's highest proportion of working-age adults who have been through higher education - 55% compared with an average in OECD countries of 35%.

Meet Astronaut Julie Payette, the New Governor General of Canada

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau name retired astronaut Julie Payette as the next governor general, the acting head of state and Queen Elizabeth's representative in Canada. Payette, 53, would replace outgoing Governor General David Johnston, 76, whose term is set to expire in September after nearly seven years in office.

Engineer, songstress, mother, pilot, astronaut, linguist, Olympic flag-bearer, scuba diver, governor-general designate. It’s a stretch to imagine any Canadian checking off all of those boxes, but Julie Payette, astonishingly, has managed it.

Standing alongside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday afternoon in Ottawa, Payette was confirmed to be his choice for the Queen’s next representative in Canada. Both the NDP and Conservative leaders sent their best wishes.

Happy Canada Day!

Happy Canada to all fans of buzzcanada blog.

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

French version

19-0 KO Champion - Anthony Joshua Knocks Out Wladimir Klitschko to Claim 19th Victory

Anthony Joshua added the WBA belt to his IBF title with an 11th-round stoppage of Wladimir Klitschko in a thrilling fight on Saturday.

Joshua was knocked down in round six but twice had Klitschko on the canvas in the penultimate round before the referee stepped in.

Not only did the 27-year-old retain the IBF World Heavyweight Championship, Joshua remains undefeated as a professional, with 19 victories.

The bout which made history as one of the biggest fight nights in boxing history drew a record post-war British boxing crowd of 90,000 at Wembley.

Any talk of Anthony Joshua versus Tyson Fury may have to be shelved for a bit, as Klitschko has a rematch clause to fight Joshua again.

Three Canadians Who Made It To Time's 2017 Most Influential People List

We'll admit it — when an American news outlet puts out a list of important people in the world, we immediately start looking for the Canadians who are on it.

Call it a self-esteem issue, call it Canadian pride, but whatever it is, it never fails to send a shiver of happiness down our spines as we see some of the best and brightest from our country recognized on a world stage.

This year, Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people celebrated three Canadians who made their impact in various ways: Samantha Bee, Margaret Atwood and Ryan Reynolds.

Host/Executive Producer Samantha Bee of 'Full Frontal With Samantha Bee' poses in the green room during the TCA Turner Winter Press Tour 2017.

According to an editor's note from last year, the list is chosen to represent people "who have lessons to teach .. and the power to make us think."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is perhaps notable in his absence, though he did make the list last year, and was a close runner-up in the readers' choice poll, which was eventually won by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.

Canadian Singer Nelly Furtado & Husband Demacio Castellon Split After 8 Years

Canadian-Portugese singer and songwriter Nelly Furtado has confirmed that she and her husband of 8 years Demacio Castellon have split.

The 38-year-old singer made an appearance on ITV’s Loose Women on Wednesday, where she spoke about the split.

She said; “I am single now, Someone here needs to update my Wikipedia—it’s not helping my dating life!”

“I went through an emotionally difficult time last summer and I actually wrote and sung myself songs to get through it, I would sing to myself while I drove on these long drives and I thought to myself, ‘I’m so lucky that I can write songs because I can soothe myself with them.’” She added.

Dollarama, the Most Successful Retailer In Canada

Most would agree that Dollarama Inc currently takes the crown as being the most successful retailer in the country. And while the market has been firing on all cylinders for the past few years, talk of a slowdown and correction doesn’t seem to be a concern for Dollarama. Dollarama provided the latest quarterly update this week which showed the strength of the company and the opportunity the market still has for Dollarama to expand even further.

For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017, Dollarama reported net earnings of $146.1 million, or $1.23 per diluted common share, representing an impressive increase over the $124.8 million, or $1.00 per diluted common share, in the same quarter last year. Dollarama reported sales of $854.5 million in the quarter — an increase of 11.5% over the same quarter last year. Comparable same-store sales increased by 5.8% for the quarter — over and above the 7.9% growth registered in the previous year. EBITDA grew by 19.1%, coming in at $226.2 million, representing 26.5% of sales.

Dollarama also announced a 10% increase to the quarterly dividend, which will now pay $0.11 per common share. Even with the latest increase, the stock is unlikely to be seen as a great income-producing investment, as the yield is far below 1%.

Read more 

Canadians Supporting Trump To Build Wall

© Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press via AP An asylum claimant and her two daughters cross the border into Canada from the United States Friday, March 17, 2017, near Hemmingford, Quebec

‘Build that wall?’ Some Canadians are calling for more border control, too. Candidates for leadership of Canada’s opposition Conservative Party are calling for drastic measures to halt the flow of asylum seekers fleeing the United States into Canada, including deployment of the Canadian army to detain would-be refugees as they cross the border.

This get-tough approach reflects public opinion surveys that show a hardening of attitudes among some Canadians toward the asylum seekers and immigration in general, placing political pressure on the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Canadian news recently has been full of images of migrants trudging across snow-covered fields and through icy ditches, hauling small children and suitcases as they cross into Quebec, Manitoba and other provinces from U.S. border states. The phenomenon has gained momentum since Donald Trump was elected president in November.

Kevin O’Leary, a reality-TV celebrity and neophyte politician who has taken a Trumplike approach to his quest for the Conservative leadership, says illegal crossings are “unacceptable” and that Canada must beef up its border security to avert a flood of refugees. “I don’t want what’s happening in Europe to happen in Canada,” he said in a recent campaign video.

Read in full 

Bomb Detonated At Saskatoon Provincial Court House

Saskatoon police say the call about an explosion at the court house came in after 11 p.m. on Wednesday night.

According to police, some minor damage to the exterior of the building has been reported and there are no injuries.

Members of the police, including the SPS Explosive Disposal Unit and a bomb detection trained SPS K9 team and of the fire department were at the scene after midnight.

Saskatoon resident Scott Dempster says he witnessed the explosion after stopping with a friend to examine what they originally thought was a fire outside the courthouse while driving up 19th Street around 10:55 p.m.

He said they pulled over and were getting off the phone with 911 when: “All of a sudden, it was like a ‘bang.’ ”

Legendary Musician Eric Clapton On Wheelchair

Eric Clapton gets escorted in a wheelchair and is surrounded by his supportive daughters as he catches a flight out of LAX, UK bound

Eric Clapton seen in wheelchair after announcing he has 'severe bronchitis'. Eric Clapton’s bronchitis seems to be taking a toll.

The legendary musician canceled his Los Angeles concerts last weekend due to “severe bronchitis,” and he was snapped at the airport on Wednesday in a wheelchair.

The 71-year-old singer has only performed two shows so far this year – both a New York City.

He took to Twitter on March 24 to apologize to his fans for having to cancel his Los Angeles concerts. He announced the shows would be rescheduled for September.

Canadian Ships Involved in a Massive Cocaine Bust

The U.S. Coast Guard says Canadian ships were involved in a massive cocaine bust in international waters over a 26-day period.

The agency plans a 10 a.m. news conference at Fort Lauderdale's Port Everglades to discuss the interdiction of approximately 16 tons (14.51 metric tons) of cocaine.

The drugs have a wholesale value of US$420 million ($562 million).

In a news release, the agency says the drugs were seized along Central and South America by Coast Guard and Canadian ships sailing with an embarked Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment team.

It consisted of 17 separate suspected drug smuggling vessel interdictions.

Canadian Press

Karim Baratov, 22 Year Old Canadian At the Center of Russia Hacks

One of the alleged perpetrators involved in the massive Yahoo hack that compromised as many as 500 million user accounts purported to be a luxury car aficionado and claimed to have made his first million at the tender age of 15.

According to a federal indictment, 22-year-old Karim Baratov — a Canadian citizen born in Kazakhstan — was used by Russian intelligence officers to gain “access to individual user accounts at Google and other providers (but not Yahoo)” and paid a bounty for providing them with the account passwords. The information was then allegedly used to hack into the email accounts of various political and business leaders in Russia and the United States.

Baratov was arrested in Hamilton, Ontario on Tuesday, the same day U.S. officials indicted two Russian spies and Alexsay Belan, a notorious cybercriminal, who has been wanted for more than four years, and has been arrested before.

Classmates recalled that Baratov began driving flashy cars and wearing expensive clothes in high school.

Winners at the 2017 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards

Nickelodeon handed out its 2017 Kids’ Choice Awards in Los Angeles. The event was hosted by actor and WWE star John Cena with performances by Little Mix, Machine Gun Kelly and Camila Cabello. Justin Timberlake led with seven nominations, followed by Kevin Hart with six. The 2017 Kids’ Choice Awards, which are voted on by kids, this year features nine new categories, including Favourite African Stars, Favorite Frenemies, Favorite #squad and Most Wanted Pet. A staple of each KCA is the anticipated moment when green slime is splashed onto various stars.

Favorite Kids’ Show
Game Shakers
Girl Meets World
Henry Danger (Winner)
Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn
The Thundermans

Favorite Family Show
Big Bang Theory
Black-ish
Fuller House (Winner)
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Supergirl
The Flash

Best Family Pictures At 2017 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards

It was indeed family time at the 2017 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards as stars hit the red carpet with their kids. Blac Chyna with son King Cairo, Jordana Brewster and son Julian, and DJ Khaled and Nicole Tuck with son Asahd were spotted on the red carpet at the event. 

Mariah Carey and her ex-husband Nick Cannon also brought their five-year-old twins Moroccan and Monroe to the 2017 Kids’ Choice Awards. Mariah and Monroe looked cute in matching navy, Adidas dress as Nick and Moroccan looked tough in sleeveless orange sweats.

Lamar Odom, Kel Mitchell, Becky G, Zendaya, Demi Lovato, John Stamos and more were also on the red carpet.

See the photos below;

Brazillian Artist Makes a Pregnant Barbie-like Doll in Honour of Beyoncé Grammy Performance

When it comes to sharing surprises, Beyoncé is one person who knows how to spill the beans. She shocked the world when she announced she will be having twins via her Instagram page.

Marcus Baby, a Brazilian artist and also a super fan of the singer, took the initiative to recognize the significance of Beyonce’s achievement by immortalizing her as a heavily pregnant doll complete with makeshift Virgin Mary halo.

Although it is not a barbie doll, but it comes close in quality and durability. The attention to detail is accurate, right down to Beyonce’s flexible knees and the chain link garment she wore during her performance at the 2017 Grammy Awards.

“I did this job in five days and her clothes are made with gold chains, rings and wire,” Marcus said

Welcome to the Good Times! Canada's Unemployment Rate Lowest in Two Years

Canada's unemployment rate dropped to 6.6 per cent last month, its lowest level in more than two years, as fewer people were looking for work, Statistics Canada said Friday.

Several economists were quick to hail the numbers as a sign that Canada's economy is on the mend, though at least one questioned the survey's findings of a massive swing toward full-time employment at the expense of part-time jobs.

The decline of 0.2 percentage points from the previous month brought the rate down to a number not seen since January 2015.

The agency's February employment survey indicated the national labour market added 15,300 jobs overall last month, higher than analyst expectations.

Economists had projected a gain of 2,500 jobs and the unemployment rate to stay at 6.8 per cent, according to Thomson Reuters.

Samsung Group Chief Indicted on Bribery Charges

In what poses to be a big blow to the world’s biggest smartphone maker, South Korean prosecutors have said Samsung Group chief, Jay Y. Lee and four other executives will be charged with bribery and embezzlement.

Lee was arrested on Friday, February 17, 2017,  over his alleged role in the corruption scandal involving impeached President Park Geun-hye of South Korea.

In a statement released by Lee Kyu-chul, a spokesman for the special prosecutor, he said:

Man Who Robbed Nine Banks in Alberta and Saskatchewan Sentenced

A 29-year-old man who admitted to using a fake gun during eight of his nine robberies at banks across Western Canada has been sent to prison for four years.

Shaun Cornish was sentenced Tuesday in British Columbia Supreme Court in Kamloops but a seven-year term was reduced by 36 months to account for time spent behind bars since his arrest in January 2015.

The court was told Cornish robbed his first bank in Princeton in December 2014 and the heists continued in the Alberta communities of High River, Lethbridge and Claresholm, as well as in Swift Current, Sask.

Canadian Imprisoned in North Korea Gets Audience With Ambassador

A Canadian pastor serving a life sentence in North Korea has been allowed to meet with the Swedish ambassador in Pyongyang and telephone his family.

Hyeon Soo Lim, a pastor with the Light Korean Presbyterian Church of Mississauga, Ont., was sentenced in December 2015 by a North Korean court to life in prison with hard labour for what it called crimes against the state.

Swedish Ambassador Torkel Stiernlof says he met Lim for 40 minutes last week. He said they discussed Lim's health and other matters, but refused to comment further.

The ambassador said in an email to The Associated Press on Wednesday that he and Lim "weren't rushed."

He said there were two North Korean officials in civilian clothes and an official photographer present throughout the meeting, which was held in a conference room at a Pyongyang hotel.

Barack & Michelle Obama’s Forthcoming Memoirs land Record-Breaking $65m Publishing Deal

Penguin Random House has landed a deal to publish two forthcoming memoirs by former U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, with one volume to be written by each, the publishing company said on Tuesday.

Terms of the agreement, in which Penguin Random House acquired worldwide publication rights for the two books, were not disclosed, but Financial Times said the Obamas may have set a record deal in excess of $65million.

But in keeping with their past practice, the Obamas plan to donate a “significant portion of their author proceeds to charity,” including the Obama Foundation, the publisher said in a statement.

The deal followed a heated auction for global rights to the two books with bidding that reached more than $60 million, a record sum for U.S. presidential memoirs, the Financial Times reported, citing people with knowledge of the sales process.

Drake Grammy 2017 Wins and Buzz

Toronto born Hip Hop A-list, Drake won two gongs last night for this record "Hotline Bling" - Best Rap/Sung Performance and Best Rap Song. He missed out on the "Best Rap Album" to Chance the Rapper.

Drake was not in attendance at the Grammy Awards on Sunday (Feb. 12) night to witness Chance the Rapper's best new artist win firsthand, but the hip-hop superstar was still celebrating. Following his award, Chance shared a text message conversation with Drake congratulating his victory and saying he was toasting Chance from tour in Manchester, England. "CONGRATS BOI," Drake's texts read. "WELL DESERVED. I AM IN MANCHESTER HAVING A DRINK FOR YOU BROSKI."

Another highlight for Drake is the dishes from his recent flame. Speaking at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday night, Jennifer Lopez, the 47-year-old gushed to E! News about the star. She told Ryan Seacrest: “Of course. I love Drake. “He’s so brilliant, talented, amazing. Coolectively, Drake has had 35 nominations since 2010 but won three including two last night. Well done Son!

See full list of winners

Quebec Mosque Attack Update: 6 Dead, Suspect Arrested

At least six people have been reportedly killed and eight injured in a shooting that took place inside a mosque at the Quebec Islamic Cultural Center in Quebec City, Canada, on Jan. 29, 2017. (Pictured) A police officer stands guard at the center. 

Police were investigating a single suspect in a shooting at a Quebec City mosque that killed six people, with a second person who was arrested now considered a witness, authorities said on Monday.

The sole suspect in the attack on Sunday evening prayers was Alexandre Bissonnette, a French-Canadian university student, according to a source familiar with the matter.

The man now considered a witness was of Moroccan descent although his nationality was not immediately known, the source said. He was named by media as Mohamed Khadir or Mohammed Belkhadir by media.

Police declined to give details of those arrested or possible motives for the shooting at the mosque, the Centre Culturel Islamique de Québec.

A-List Ryan Gosling and Denis Villeneuve Lead List of Canada’s Oscar Nominees

Canadian Oscar nominees Denis Villeneuve and Ryan Gosling pulled away from their jam-packed schedules Tuesday morning to marvel over their Academy Award kudos.

They chatted by phone soon after Villeneuve learned he’d snagged his first directing nomination for the aliens-have-landed thriller Arrival, and Gosling picked up a best acting nod, one of a leading 14 nominations for La La Land.

“We are both proud of each other and happy for each other. It’s quite a nice ride for both of us and I’m very, very happy for what he did,” Villeneuve said from Los Angeles.

“Ryan is a kind of comical genius. He has that sense. He’s a very, very strong actor and I’m very proud of what he did in La La Land.”

Arrival is also up for best picture and six other awards, with several Canadian nominees in categories including production design and sound.

Some Goodnews As Canada Had Best Job Creation in 4 years

Canada's job market had a promising end to a year marked by big employment gains — but, unlike recent history, growth in 2016 was driven by a less-encouraging factor: an upsurge in part-time work. Canada added more than 53,000 jobs in December, bringing the total for 2016 to 214,000.

The total for last month was 54,000, according to Statistics Canada. The economy actually added 81,000 full-time jobs during the month, but that was slightly offset by a loss of 27,000 part-time positions.

The results were a positive surprise to economists, who had been expecting a slight loss of jobs during the month.