Federal Government Cut Funding For Sex Crime Prevention Program

CBC

The federal government is cutting funds for a program designed to prevent the most dangerous, high-risk sex offenders from repeating their crimes, just as its own five-year study has found the program dramatically improves public safety and saves money.

The 18 Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA) programs across the country now have about 700 trained volunteers who help safely reintegrate offenders from prison back into the community.

Most sites are now preparing to close after funding from the Correctional Service of Canada ends March 31.

Music group TLC are asking fans to contribute money for their final album

The remaining two members of TLC, T-Boz and Chili are asking fans to contribute for their final album. They said they need $150k for the new album and have set up a Kickstarter crowd funding page to raise the album. So far, they have managed to raise $55k.

People who contribute stand to receive some prizes from the singers. For $5, you get an exclusive Kickstarter remixed single! For a $10, you'll receive a PDF file of a list of TLC's favorite songs. For $15, you get a digital copy of the album. And for $5k, you get a slumber party with T-Boz or Chili. The hustle is really hard!

Despite Tight Budget, Canadian Aid to Haiti Will Continue

Men carry water in Port-au-Prince, Haiti after a powerful earthquake hit the country on January 12, 2010. AP

Terry Pedwell The Canadian PressCanada urged the Haitian government on Thursday to call elections soon, as the Caribbean nation teetered yet again on the brink of collapse.

But while Haiti tries to resolve a mounting political crisis, Canadian officials say aid money will continue to flow to help rebuild a nation still struggling with the devastation of a deadly earthquake five years ago.

Canada has been reviewing its aid commitment to Haiti for nearly a year and says problems persist with co-ordination of aid efforts, largely as a result of a lack of accountability and transparency on the part of the Haitian government.

Friends rally behind Montreal woman whose legs were severed by a train

Sarah Stott lost both of her legs after she was struck by a train in Montreal on Dec. 8, 2014.

A fundraising campaign has been set up for a Montreal woman who lost both of her legs after she was hit by a train in early December.

Friends set up the campaign for Sarah Stott, to help her pay her medical bills and buy a set of prosthetic legs. The campaign has raised more than $28,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.

Sarah, 22, was coming home from a shift at the Irish Embassy Pub in downtown Montreal on Dec. 8 when she was hit by a Canadian National Railway train at about 3 a.m.

Watch Hunger Games Cast Campaign For Ebola Funding In West Africa

Canadian companies who went global through crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is increasingly becoming a growth strategy for real — but still small — companies with big ideas. Mass Fidelity, headquartered just east of Toronto, turned to Indiegogo earlier this year to help get its Core wireless speaker system from the prototype stage into production. | Mass Fidelity

Michael Oliveira The Canadian PressThere was $1.3 million raised for high-fidelity wireless speakers, almost $1.2 million for specialty drones and $820,000 for smart-bikes.

In 2014, three tiny Canadian companies went from teetering in obscurity to making headlines on tech blogs around the world thanks to successful crowdfunding campaigns that spurred exponential growth almost overnight.

Once the domain of hobbyists and tinkerers, crowdfunding is increasingly becoming a growth strategy for real — but still small — companies with big ideas.

“An older paradigm about crowdfunding was four guys in their garage who couldn’t find money any other way,” said Steve Tam, a marketing manager with Indiegogo Canada.

Federal Government renews funding to Avalanche Canada

An avalanche path at Corral Creek near Lake Louise in December 2011. Courtesy Parks Canada / For the Calgary Herald

CH- The federal government has renewed its commitment to Avalanche Canada, a national public avalanche safety organization.

The Parks Canada funding, worth $600,000 over four years, will go toward the organization’s programs — including providing an avalanche safety training program near the national mountain parks.

It will also help backcountry users of various skill levels understand the risk involved as they participate in winter activities.

Avalanche Canada, which was created in 2003 after a tragedy-filled season, refreshed its name and logo earlier this year.

At the time, the Alberta government announced it would increase its funding to $750,000 over three years, while the B.C. government committed $450,000 for the upcoming season.