Ottawa Race Weekend (Photo: Robbie on Flickr)

After a quiet winter I am back… and ready to run.

Run!? Yes, you read that right I am switching the bike shoes for running shoes, but only temporarily.

You see I have never had much love for running. In fact I have spent most of my life avoiding it all together, including when I was 5 years-old and my mom put me in soccer for a summer (I quickly took refuge in goal).

But over the past few months my view has changed. After a colleague told me he had taken up running during a Christmas visit to Victoria, I seriously started thinking about taking on the challenge of running the 10km during Ottawa Race Weekend.

I have enjoyed this great event from the sidelines the last few years and every time left feeling motivated to give it a shot. Unfortunately, as many of us have discovered, that motivation disappears quickly. This time however I put my money on the table and signed up. I also committed to Run for a Reason in support the Ottawa Hospital Foundation.

Over the past few weeks I have trained. Thankfully it has gone better than expected, and just a few days ago I managed to run 7km. I feel ready for the run on Saturday night, and look forward to the rush that comes with crossing the finish line.

No doubt I would never have done this had a I not taken in part in Ride the Rideau. As I have wrote before, Ride the Rideau allowed me to prove to myself I could commit to a physical challenge and complete it. And for that reason (and because I still enjoy it) I will happily get back on my bike in a few weeks and start training for Ride the Rideau 2013.

A lesson for photographers and gardeners alike: contrast is key.

Manny Rodrigues, ORW elite athlete coordinator, said Tariku Jafar, 28, and Terefi Kebede, 32, are two elite runners to watch out for at the finish line as the athletes try to break 2:09:12, a record set by last year’s champion, Laban Moiben of Kenya.

All marathon runners, though, will have their eyes set on the “magic prize” of 2:07:57, he said.  Kenneth Mungara of Kenya set that record in Toronto in 2010.

As for female runners, Ethiopian Yeshi Esayias is the returning champion with a personal best time of 2:26.

“I think her main competitor is going to be Maria Konovalova. She stands out because the fact that her personal best is 2:23:50 and she’s placed in the top 10 in London and Chicago.

Compared to the Boston Marathon, ORW is a bigger event overall with more than 40,000 runners in the marathon, 2 k, 5 k, and 10 k. Almost 30,000 runners competed in Boston, although the marathon is the primary event, said ORW president and race director, John Halvorsen.

Following the Boston Marathon bombing, which left three people killed and more than 200 injured, Halvorsen said people can expect to see an “enhanced” Ottawa police presence on the ground this year.

“We’re also working with messages to the runners and the spectators to be aware that, of course because of what happened in Boston, there’s a bit of sensitivity around packages, bags, and so on,” said Halvorsen. “So we will be reminding people to leave as much as they can at home, not to leave baggage unattended.”

Organizers will hand out clear, plastic bags to spectators to use if they want at the baggage check as a precautionary measure.

“We’ve got to be a little more careful as to what we accept,” said Halvorsen. “Bags that appear a bit unusual, we’ll check them out and that will slow things down unless you use clear bags or come with very light, small bags.”

ORW runs Saturday through Sunday in downtown Ottawa. Visit runottawa.ca for more information.

“I’ve been advocating a common securities regulator for a long time, with limited success,“ Mr. Flaherty told the House of Commons finance committee on Wednesday.

The Supreme Court of Canada ruled in 2011 that Ottawa’s attempts to create a single federal regulator — there are now 13 separates bodies — infringed on some provincial constitutional responsibilities.

In his March 21 budget, Mr. Flaherty again broached the issue, saying the different levels of government could find common ground without affecting constructional rights.

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Wednesday’s committee hearing was called to enable members of Parliament to question the government on its budget implementation bill, C-60.

The March budget document stated: “Canada is the only industrialized country without a national securities regulator. By pooling provincial, territorial and federal jurisdiction and expertise, Canada could have a world-leading securities regulatory regime.”

Mr. Flaherty told MPs that his reading of high court ruling was that “we all have constitutional responsibilities in the area of securities. But the federal government has a systemic responsibility for systemic risk across the whole country in terms of the securities market.”

At the same time, he said, the provinces have “day-to-day regulatory responsibilities.”

“We have tried greatly and repeatedly” to get the majority of the provinces to join Ottawa in a joint regulator.

“This is not a federal regulator. This would be a joint Canadian regulator — similar to the Canada Pension Plan — where the provinces and the federal government would delegate our jurisdictions,” he said.

“We have been unable to reach that kind of consensus.”

The Supreme Court has told the federal parliament that “we are responsible systemically for the system,” the minister said.

“We will, if we have to, create a federal securities regulator to deal with those areas of jurisdiction that the Supreme Court of Canada has told

I’d love to hang around and chat but I have to get to Peru.

Who ever said Canadian Politics were boring? If it was me I take it all back. The last few weeks and months have political junkies wetting themselves in anticipation of the next gaff or revelation of wrongdoing at every level of government. In Ottawa, Dear Leader is currently facing the greatest test of his mandate since almost missing the news of the great recession of 2008. The Senate expense scandal has escalated into something unheard of. Not one but three Conservative Senators appointed by Stephen Harper have resigned from the conservative caucus, while investigations continue or in Senator Duffys’ case are reopened over allegations of willfully padding expense claims. Then over the weekend the Prime Ministers chief of staff Nigel Wright, also resigned his position after it was revealed he had cut a personal cheque to Senator Duffy for $90,000 to cover his now ineligible expenses. With back benchers in near revolt and polling numbers showing public support dropping to historic lows, the Prime Minister needs to take a strong leadership role and show some of the dogged determination he is known for. The public, pundits and fellow Parliamentarians demand answers to some very basic questions from the Prime Minister, to ensure he played no part in what appears to be a very messy affair. So far the Prime Minister has only said publicly “I’m not happy. I’m upset.” With that the Prime Minister of Canada ignored questions for over an hour before getting on a plane to Peru. Most notable as a destination because it’s not Ottawa.

In Provincial politics Christy Clark came from 20 points behind in polls and against all odds to win the election for the BC Liberals. Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, Adrian Dix can only wonder how he was beaten by the most reviled party in the province. Former Premier Gordon Campbell resigned in November of 2010 when his popularity took another nose dive after implementing the dreaded HST to British Columbian voters against the latter’s wishes. Taking up the reigns of the party, few gave much hope to Ms Clark as she tried to rebuild the party brand on more than her MITF look. But in a dizzying display of negative advertising she soundly trounced the hapless NDP and picked up a few extra seats along the way. Could Ontario Liberal leader Kathryn Wynn be so lucky?

Much like Clark, Wynn has also assumed command of battered and bruised party. On October 15 2012, Ontario Premier Dalton McGinty resigned as Premier and leader of the liberal party of Ontario. Like Campbell he had made some enormously costly mistakes and by the fall of 2012 the writing was on the wall. In a supremely cowardly act, he prorogued the legislature and resigned. Not out of any great sense of duty, but because he couldn’t see another way out. It was all going to be someone else’s problem. Enter Kathryn Wynn.

Of all the little IED’s that Dalton left around for Kathryn to step in, the gas plant closures were on the front burner and boiling over. In a last-minute pre-election promise, Dalton said he would close and move two gas-fired electric plants to where NIMBYism  isn’t as rampant as Oakville or Mississauga. The decision ensured the re-election of two liberal MPP’s but still left Dalton one seat short of a majority government. As it became clear that the reasons for moving the plants were clearly partisan and political in nature, it also became clear that the costs for moving them were not so transparent.

Responding to intense pressure, Premier Wynn finally called an inquiry to determine a final cost and to find out who knew what and when. The Auditor General’s report pegged the cost at around $585 million and counting and the evidence would suggest that the government knew the numbers they provided to the public were erroneous. Now we find Dalton stepping out of a nearby closet to appear at the inquiry. He calmly states that the closures were the right thing to do. They did it for the children who live nearby and he knew that’s what his mother would have done. Yes, he knew there would be associated costs but his office had no way of estimating those cost. He just knew it was the right thing to do. $585 million. Two hundred million paid and the balance going on to the Electric bill of every power user in Ontario for the forseeable future. This is only one reason why Bob Rae owes Dalton McGinty a tremendous  debt of gratitude. Now Dalton is the most reviled Ontario Premier in living memory.

Now with some NDP support Wynn has passed her first budget and seems to be settling into a prolonged honeymoon with the public. She has made every effort to appear to be honest and forthright without being overly contrite. Although she doesn’t have Christy Clarks’ MILTF look, I’d say the next election in Ontario is Wynns’ to lose.

Have you heard the one about Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and the crack pipe? The latest in allegations that go back years, this one better not have any legs. Although still hugely popular with Torontonians outside the city core, he does have his enemies. Some have suggested they might have to put up scaffolding to feed him but that seems a little harsh.

He certainly has made his gaffs over the years. The run in on his driveway with Marg Delahunty the Warrior Princess prompting a 911 call. The dope in Florida. Drunk and belligerent at a Leafs game. Lawsuits and an attempt to impeach him as mayor. Allegations of improper fondling and lewd suggestions to a former mayoral candidate. Nothing seems to stick to this guy. It must be all the butter in his diet. If the latest allegations about the crack turn out to be true, he’s toast. He has done little to help himself other than to declare the allegation ridiculous but his silence has many questioning the motives behind his reluctance to speak. Until something is proven or he resigns we should just sit back and enjoy the show. Who wants a dull mayor? Great cities are know for their mayors. La Guardia, Daley, Guiliani, Marion Barry. Toronto is no worse for it. So let Rob be Rob. Just for the absurdity of it.

It was more mea than culpa but Stephen Harper finally expressed some contrition for the scandal that has engulfed his government.

Speaking in Lima, Peru, Mr. Harper said Wednesday he is “very sorry this has occurred … I’m sorry, I’ve been through the range of emotions, I’m frustrated and I’m extremely angry about it,” he said.

At the same time, he made clear he accepts no responsibility for the actions carried out by his chief of staff, Nigel Wright, who wrote the $90,000 cheque to cover Senator Mike Duffy’s expenses. “He [Wright] is solely responsible and that’s why he resigned … I did not know, was not consulted or asked to sign off. Had I known about it, I wouldn’t have signed off on it.” The buck, it seems, stops somewhere near the Prime Minister’s desk but not on it.

On Parliament Hill, it was another day dominated by the Duffy affair. It was revealed Tuesday that the Senate’s Committee on Internal Economy is going to take another look at Mr. Duffy’s expenses.

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[np_storybar title="Duffy says his ‘expenses do not merit criticism’" link="http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/05/22/duffy-says-his-expenses-do-not-merit-criticism/"]“Canadians deserve to know all the facts. I am confident that when they do they will conclude, as Deloitte has already concluded, that my actions regarding expenses do not merit criticism.”

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The move was welcomed in a statement by the senator himself, who said he is confident that they will find “my actions regarding expenses do not merit criticism.”

But it was derided by the opposition parties, who pointed out the same committee whitewashed its original report by leaving out language critical of Mr. Duffy, after he repaid the $90,000 expense claim (with Mr. Wright’s money).

“Are the Conservatives trying to suggest that a Conservative-controlled Senate committee is independent?” asked NDP leader Tom Mulcair.

The original report concluded that Ottawa was Mr. Duffy’s primary residence and he was, therefore, ineligible to claim a living allowance in the capital. That language was deleted from the final report – an omission the opposition parties claim was because Mr. Wright had reached an agreement with the Conservative members on the committee to go easy on the senator.

The Prime Minister has now stated publicly that he knew nothing of the payment to Mr. Duffy until he heard it on CTV News. That admission must have stung as much as the apology. The NDP was quick to make the most of Mr. Harper’s discomfort. “CTV is more aware about what is happening in his office than the Prime Minister,” mocked Alexandre Boulerice in Question Period.

The Prime Minister has now stated publicly that he knew nothing of the payment to Mr. Duffy until he heard it on CTV News

On the government side, Foreign Minister John Baird was once again handed the unenviable task of concocting something plausible to tell the House of Commons.

He sounded like the Liberal Party ministers who used to try to deflect criticism of the sponsorship scandal by urging the Conservatives to “let Justice Gomery do his work.” Mr. Baird repeatedly asked the opposition to let the Ethics Commissioner, Mary Dawson, carry out her own investigation. That approach didn’t work out too well for the Grits when the Gomery report finally landed, but in politics the goal is to survive until tomorrow and let tomorrow look after itself.

All in all, it was a slightly better day for the government. Mr. Harper has at least now spoken to the issue, albeit at a distance of nearly 6,000 km. If his version of events were submitted to the Politifact.com website’s Truth-o-meter (where political statements are judged on a scale from “mostly true” to “pants on fire”), I suggest he’d be given the benefit of the doubt. The consequences of being caught in a lie are just too grave.

If he can convince Canadians that this was work of a rogue aide and a greedy senator, rather than a systemic problem rooted in a government that has grown too comfortable in power, he may be able to make it relatively unscathed to the safe harbour of the summer break.

National Post

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On the show this week, it’s the post-Victoria Day weekend edition and the buzz being Daft Punk’s new album, Random Access Memories as it got released this week. There’s been a lot of talk because the robotic duo haven’t released new materials for several years and so far, Get Lucky is still number one on the UK Singles Chart for the fourth week.
Aside from the album and the opening intro for the live radio show, I stumbled on a mash-up track done by The Melker Project and played it on the radio show at CKCU-FM. She & Him was played as I Could’ve Been Your Girl got released as a music music. Something about Zooey Deschannel makes her so quirky as she directed the music video. I did watch the season finale of New Girl last week. Wish I could watch more of the tv show.

Also on the show, local band, Fevers released a new single and they will be having a concert on Saturday night at Ritual Nightclub. The band will be giving away the single free for the concert for Saturday night. Opening up for them are adaline, Glenn Nuotio and Birthday Girls. There’s some Canadian indie music added to the mix.

On the Wild 10 Countdown, Gold & Youth is still number one this week. Check the recap over at this link.
The playlist for the radio show is over at this link.
The audio for the radio show is below.
Have a great week!
Audio/Radio Show
The May 22nd Radio Show – Press play to listen.

Playlist from the Podcast
-Before The Wild 10 Countdown-
Home – Ladyfrnd

-After The Wild 10 Countdown-
These Paths – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Oblique City – Phoenix
Home – Austra
Destroy – In-Flight Safety

No Connection – Chris Ho
Speedboats – GROUNDERS
Today We’re Believers – Royal Canoe
In Berlin – Aidan Knight

Baptism – We Are The City

Credit: Michelle Ford

It’s a short week as the Victoria Day weekend has gone and went.
For another week, Gold & Youth is still number one of the Wild 10 Countdown. As for the new entries this week, they are A Tribe Called Red and Bravestation.
Here’s the top 10 list;

1. Quarters – Gold & Youth
2. I Love You – Said The Whale
3. Emeralds Shatter – Louise Burns
4. Flowers In The City – Michael Feuerstack
5. So Slow – Born Ruffians
6. Hero Brother – Sarah Neufeld
7. Graves – Hooded Fang
8. I Can’t Stand It – Maylee Todd
9. Somewhere We Belong – Bravestation (New entry)
10. Bread & Cheese (featuring Black Bear) – A Tribe Called Red

NightHawk

Police say on May 21, 2013, around 4:45 p.m. a man went to meet a person outside a business on Cyrville Road. after the man posted an iPhone for sale on an online auction site.

The man was met by four to five suspects people who then stole the phone.

“The victim gave chase and was then assaulted by one of the suspects. A passerby intervened and assisted in detaining that suspect until Ottawa Police arrived at the scene,” police said in a press release.

Police say the other suspects, described as “black males, ages 14-18,” were able to escape and police say they were last seen at the rear of an apartment building at 1244 Donald St.

A 17-year-old Ottawa boy has been charged with Robbery and has been released from custody. He is to appear in Youth Court on June 18, 2013.

Anyone with information with respect to this robbery, or any other robbery, is asked to contact the Ottawa Police Service Robbery Unit at 613-236-1222 ext. 5116 or Crime Stoppers at 613-233-8477 (TIPS) or toll free at 1-800-222-8477.

Veggies by Shannon McAdam, Creative Commons licence http://erosophy.wordpress.com/2007/10/21/the-fruits-and-vegetables-that-made-me-cry/

If you’re keen to have more fresh vegetables and fruits on your table but are short on funds, don’t live near a market or can’t commit to a CSA share, don’t despair; there’s another option.

The Ottawa Good Food Box allows you to purchase a box of fresh fruits and vegetables at wholesale prices. The Good Food Box pools your order with others it receives, meaning it can buy in bulk from local farmers and wholesalers.

The boxes contain “staples” such as carrots, onions, apples, tomatoes, lettuce and potatoes as well as seasonal produce such as green beans, mushrooms, strawberries, asparagus or mangoes. Not all the produce is local, although they try to source local where possible. You can sign up for a large, medium or small box, a “fruit bag,” or an organic box. The Good Food Box includes recipes with every order in case you’re not sure what to do with that eggplant or Swiss chard.

The Ottawa Good Food Box is a non-profit program run through the Centretown Community Health Centre. It began as a way to make fresh food affordable. The program is open to everyone, and there’s no fee to participate.

You pick up your order at a local distribution site (check the online map for a site near you). If you can’t find a nearby site, the Ottawa Good Food Box will create a new one as long as they have 10 customers and a volunteer site coordinator for it.

The Good Food Box relies on volunteers, so if packing boxes, running a site or getting to know your neighbours interest you, check out the opportunities at http://www.ottawagoodfoodbox.ca/?page_id=59.

From the Ottawa Good Food Box website:

The Good Food Box is open to anyone and everyone who is interested in participating in the program, whether your reasons are to increase your consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, introduce variety and new food experiences, cooking more from scratch or building community spirit!”

The backdrop was breathtaking, the colors were amazing, apple blossoms are simply beautiful.

We found a few awesome trees and started to capture amazing mom and daughter moments.

Here is a sampling of the session.

For more details or to book a session go to http://www.megandrewsphotography.com.s,

On May 15, 2013, one of the parents reported to police their child had allegedly been abused by day care worker Jeffrey Steven Wills, 39.

He faces two counts of sexual assault, two counts of sexual interference and two counts of invitation to sexual touching.

Wills was charged May 17 and his next court appearance is scheduled for June 6, 2013.

Barrhaven Music Academy opened its doors in July, 2012 and already is as popular with parents as it is with kids. Left to right, Tashi Bernard (voice), Kendra Mathers (piano), Nadia Zaid (voice and piano), Ashley Martyn (acoustic, electric and bass guitar), Corey Taylor (guitar, voice) and Ria Aikat (piano) love teaching music to all ages – from preschoolers to adults.

Grownups love music lessons as much as the kids do

By Bev McRae

On any given evening you will see adults sitting in the waiting room at Barrhaven Music Academy in the Mulligan Centre on Woodroffe Ave. at Longfields Dr. The thing is, they’re not all waiting for their kids. They may be waiting with their kids.

“We have tons of adult students,” said Ashley Martyn, co-owner of the music school. “We have many in piano, guitar and voice who just love it. In a lot of our families, the mom or the dad will take a lesson while the kid is taking a lesson. It’s really fun. The adults enjoy it as much, if not more than the kids.”

Martyn and her friend Nadia Zaid, who both grew up in Old Barrhaven, opened Barrhaven Music Academy in July 2012, and now, along with seven other music teachers, offer lessons in piano, guitar, bass guitar, voice, violin and drums for students of all ages, even preschoolers.

“The Tuneful Tots program is a music education program designed for three to five year olds, that age where parents may not be sure they want to jump them right into private lessons,” said Martyn. “The students don’t specialize in any one instrument in Tuneful Tots, they get used to rhythms and beats, learning lyrics, learning songs – just getting them excited about music.”

Tuneful Tots is taught by Kendra Mathers, one 45-minute lesson a week of singing, clapping, ear training, making music and moving to it. “We have a box of instruments with maracas, tambourines, shakers, rain sticks,” said Martyn. “Everyone takes an instrument and they create simple rhythm first and then it gets more complex and they learn how to keep a beat together and how the different instruments sound like when they’re played all together. It’s a lot of fun, just hilarious. It’s like playtime for them, but they’re having the love of music instilled in them while they’re playing the song.”

At what age are children ready for private lessons on their favorite instrument is a question Martyn often has to answer. “It really depends on the student,” she said. “If they’re super-motivated and willing to understand the practice that it takes to progress at a steady pace; I’ve had students as young as four.”

And of course, whatever instrument the little one plays has to fit. “There are half size guitars, three-quarter size and full size,” Martyn explained. “A little four year old would play a half size guitar. As long as their fingers can reach the four frets, they can play it.”

Other instruments are too big for little beginners, which is why many parents choose to enrol their children in piano lessons.

“With the piano, you just have to be able to press down a key and that doesn’t take much physical effort, so a lot of our students start on the piano because it’s easier and you can get the sound out right away,” Martyn said.

Piano is the most popular class at Barrhaven Music Academy, and the school has teachers available for all levels from beginner to advanced. The average time for a lesson in one of the school’s five classrooms is 30 minutes for a flat fee of $22. Adults or more advanced students may prefer a 45-minute or one hour session.

The music school also has a Youth Choir for singers age seven to 12, led by I.iz Wardhaugh that rehearses one hour a week on Thursday nights, at a cost of $15 per session.

“Most of the members are our students who are taking voice lessons, but we do have some outside kids who have joined just that program,” Martyn said. “It started in January and their debut performance will be at our summer concert in June. Eventually we’ll get them into competitions like the Kiwanis Music Festival.”

Barrhaven Music Academy presents two concerts a year, one in June, another in December, but last September students and teachers also held a special fundraiser for a young Barrhaven woman, Brynn Mclennan, who needs stem cell treatment for her muscular dystrophy.

“It was an outdoor show in the parking lot where the school is, then we had our big holiday concert in December so we’ve had two shows already,” said Martyn. “It was a lot of fun. The students love it. Performing in a concert inspire them, gives them motivation – and they love to see their teachers on stage.”

Getting a child to practice a music lesson and to enjoy music isn’t as difficult as many parents fear, said Martyn. It’s a combined effort on the part of the teachers and the parents.

“We’ve designed the program for every instrument to keep it fresh, keep it interesting, to make sure they’re not always playing the same kind of piece from the same book,” said Martyn. “We like to change it up, maybe throw in not just practical stuff, but some theory, ear training or games just to liven it up and keep their minds going.”

It’s important for parents to understand that a rigorous, hourly marathon of scales every day is not mandatory, a good five minutes is plenty for a beginner. “When they start, that’s all they really need. Just to get into the routine of doing it,” said Martyn.

“It’s quality over quantity when it comes to practicing. A good quality five or ten minutes every day is better than forcing them to practice for two hours on a Saturday when they really want to be playing outside.”

Both owners of the Barrhaven Music Academy have loved music since they were little, growing up in Old Barrhaven and attending John McCrae Secondary School, although Nadia is three years older than Ashley.

“I think I pretty much stole the guitar my mother had lying around the house,” laughed Ashley. “We always had music going on in our house. I did piano when I was growing up and I did trumpet in middle school so I always had music going on in my life. It was never very far out of reach.” Martyn has studied a world of genres and styles, including rock, pop, blues, jazz & classical, most notably under the Canadian guitar guru Anders Drerup.

Zaid has a Bachelor of Music degree from Carleton University and a Bachelor of Education from Ottawa University. Martyn has a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Music with honours (2008) from University of Ottawa. Zaid has been teaching for ten years, Martyn for seven, both privately and at another music school. Both love music, and love teaching.

“We actually met working at another music school,” said Martyn, “but we wanted to teach music differently, to put our own stamp on it. In some schools it’s all about exam marks or how fast they can get through a method book. We want the students to really love music. We really want them to succeed so they will love music.”

The Barrhaven Music Academy is located in the Mulligan Centre at 2900 Woodroffe Ave. in Barrhaven The school is open Monday to Friday from 3 to 9 p.m. and on Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Phone (613) 459-6027, e-mail info@barrhavenmusicacademy.com or visit the website at www.barrhavenmusicacademy.com for more information.

Jones’ burns were likely caused by a hot liquid poured from something like a large kitchen pot, said  Dr. Joel Fish, head of Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children burn unit as he testified in the in the first degree murder trial of Jones’ husband Mark Hutt, 36.

Jones’ body was found Dec. 6, 2009, in the basement of the Barwell Avenue home she shared with Hutt. The jury heard Tuesday from police witnesses that Hutt told officers his wife was apparently burned during a drunken fall into a fire pit.

However, the Crown said in opening arguments Hutt changed his story a few hours later in a videotaped police interview, saying he accidentally doused Jones with boiling water. He also said his wife refused to go to a hospital in the days leading up to her death.

The 12 jurors were shown extremely graphic photographs Wednesday of Jones’ body, showing burns on her shoulders, abdomen, back, finger tips, breast area, and thighs. Fish described the burns on her upper back and right shoulder as “beefy, red.”

“All of those areas are really third-degree burns,” said Fish.

He agreed with Crown prosecutor Vikki Bair, who suggested Jones could have been crouched down when she was scalded, judging by the pattern of the burns.

Based on his analysis, Fish said the burns were likely 10 or 11 days old when police were called to the home following Hutt’s 911 call. After that time frame, Fish said, bacteria starts to grow on the outer layer of the skin.

He said he would normally treat patients with these kinds of serious burns right away to prevent infection and reduce the “excruciating” pain.
“Purely out of just basic humanity, we put them on morphine,” said Fish.

He described Jones’ wounds as “a massive injury” which could have been treated by skin graphs.

“It is hard to comprehend how anyone would not seek medical attention,” said Fish.

The trial continues Thursday.

Would it work? Gregory Thomas, federal director of the CTF, said it could have flagged P.E.I. Sen. Mike Duffy’s spending problems earlier by mapping how he was using public money, and “nipped this problem in the bud,” before it became a full-blown crisis.

The Alberta system requires all ministers, deputy ministers, their staff, and senior officials to report expenses publicly — such as meals, transportation and accommodation — on a bi-monthly basis. There are currently more 35,000 separate entries published online, with receipts for certain expenses, all publicly available.

Additionally, members of the legislative assembly produce quarterly expense reports that detail expenses accumulated while they are on official duty.

In contrast, current members of Parliament and senators report their expenses through internal committees. MPs report their expenses annually, and these are available online. Senators began reporting their quarterly expenses in January 2011 (the first numbers looked back at the final quarter of 2010), after an audit showed improper disclosure of some expenses.

These quarterly reports are available online, and show office, housing, hospitality and travel expenses. Under each of these categories is a the total for what the senator spent that quarter.

However, in Alberta, under travel expenses, taxpayers can see details such as which hotel their representative stayed at, how much he or she spent on parking, even how much the MLA tipped the cab driver to the airport.

Advocates like the Alberta system because the issue isn’t always the amount of money spent, but what it is spent on: even a small expense could have been inappropriate. (Think former federal minister Bev Oda’s $16 orange juice receipt.)

Alberta Conservative Member of the Legislative Assembly Cathy Olesen said the system makes politicians think twice about what they charge taxpayers, and that it’s a reassurance to the public to see what their representatives are spending money on.

The provincial Conservative government adopted its disclosure practice following several expense scandals uncovered by journalists.

However, Alberta Liberal leader Raj Sherman said the disclosure policy doesn’t go far enough in revealing spending at various levels of government.

“They give the appearance that they’re fully accountable, but they’re not,” Sherman said, saying that his attempt to have all constituency office and caucus expenses disclosed was shut down by Conservative MLAs.

Since federal expense records are already kept internally, Dylan Jones, president of the Canada West Foundation think tank, said it’s not a big step to move toward public reporting of the details. Since federal expense records are already kept internally, Dylan Jones, president of the Canada West Foundation think tank, said it’s not a big step to move toward public reporting of the details.

“It’s not a massive, new, expensive bureaucracy, it’s just taking reporting that exists anyway, and putting it on the website,” he said.

Donald Savoie, a parliamentary expert at the Universite de Moncton, said there is no good reason not to make expenses more transparent, using a reporting system similar to the one in Alberta.

“I think it’s a marvelous idea … I can’t imagine a downside,” he said. “When you’re dealing with public funds, it’s fair game — everything should be transparent.”

Savoie said there are no legal barriers to its implementation federally.

Despite how important public reporting is to transparency, Laurie Blakeman, a provincial Liberal politician from Edmonton, said politicians might resist such a system out of fear they’ll be targeted.

“Somebody got strung out once because there was a package of gum on an expense receipt,” she said. “That’s the kind of thing that politicians are always concerned about. That could have been a simple mistake … you can tar and feather a really decent politician for that kind of thing.”

Savoie dismissed these concerns, because “over time, you wouldn’t have any people going online to see how much senators spend for breakfast … I think people would lose interest in it, that’s probably the risk.

“That being said, that’s not a reason not to do it. I think it should be done,” he said.

“If everyone knows these things are going to be out there proactively, politicians and staff are going to be a lot more hesitant to abuse the public purse,” said Derek Fildebrandt, Alberta director of the taxpayers federation.

tdawson@postmedia.com

Further reading:

Legislative Assembly of Alberta Expense Disclosure Reports

Member of Parliament Board of Internal Economy Member’s Expenditures Reports

Senate of Canada Proactive Disclosure 

Related articles

• Opposition politicians continue push for RCMP probe on Senate spending (o.canada.com)

Hope you guys enjoy these pictures!

- Cloudy

What are you pondering today?

Here is the third installment in our series of previews of the awesome local talent playing this year’s Ottawa Bluesfest. We’re hoping to do this weekly, to help you discover your new favourite Ottawa band or musician to see at the festival!

Amanda Rheaume

What to say about Amanda Rheaume.  She is Métis singer/songwriter with a powerful voice which has just the right touch of grittiness to it. This independent artist makes lovely roots and pop-folk music. She was the winner of the Live 88.5 Big Money Shot in 2008 and she never looked back. Amanda has released 3 full length albums, toured the country as well as Europe, she even had a stint in Afghanistan with Canadian troops.  Amanda just finished up her new album and I can not wait for it to be released.  It will be a little treck to go see Amanda play, as they have her playing at the Rideau Center at noon on Friday, July 12, but it will be worth it.

The Goodluck Assembly

The Goodluck Assembly are one of Ottawa’s premier alternative rock bands.  Formed by brothers Bruce and Mike Libbos and then complemented with the additions of Jamie Kronick and Matthew Mowbray the band is ready to show you what they got. Their latest album ‘Demonstrations’ was recorded in Brooklyn, New York, during Hurricane Sandy, with the help of  producers Gus Van Go & Werner F (The Stills, Hollerado, Les Trois Accords). The band has worked with producers who have recorded with such great bands, so you can ensure yourself that you are in for quite the treat.  Check out The Goodluck Assembly on July 8th at 7:00 pm at the River Stage.

John Carroll & The Epic Proportions

If you have ever walked by The Laffayette on a Wednesday nigth, you have already heard the great John Carroll.  If not, let me assure you that this traditional blues and country folk artist is not to be missed.  On top of that, consider the fact that instead of playing solo, he will have a full band by his side, The Epic Proportions. Many of Carroll’s songs are these epic tales told in such a way that you always wished there was another chapter.  You can read a previous review of one of his live performances I did here. But don’t settle for my review, go check them at on the River Stage at 1:45 on Sunday July 14th.

Steve Adamyk Band

There might not be a lot of punk rock at Bluesfest this year, but punk rocker don’t fret, the Steve Adamyk Band has you covered. The band was born from the ashes of two great Ottawa bands, Million Dollar Marxists and Sedatives. They play trash-pop inspired by seventies and eighties punk and nineties garage rock. These Ottawa rockers have taken their show on the road, playing Europe, SXSW, Sled Island festival and Juno Fest.  Their third album, called Third, was released in February of this year.  Check out the first single off Third, “Katacombs,” right below.  You can catch them on one of the main stages, the Bell Stage at 1:00 pm Sunday July 7th.

This is the first group of pics that I processed from this shoot and there will be more to come. Adriana was also on this shoot so I will be posting some of hers soon too. I’m a little slow at processing these pics for 2 reasons. First, I always sit on my pics for a while so that when I go to process them I a looking at them with fresh eyes and hopefully can be a little more objective in picking what is good and what is not. Secondly, processing portraits is new for me and I’m learning as I go. Hope you like the results.

© Copyright Beth Walsh Photography. All rights reserved.

I took a hiatus from running long distances as I was scared of injuring my knee again.  It was a combination of a stretched IT band and a tight VMO, which pulled on the knee cap, ouchy!  But with a little physio (taping my knee cap, foam rollers, etc) it healed well. I guess since then I have been reluctant to sign up for another race, simply out of doubt.

My cousin Tara, who’s in the picture with me convinced me to run again, and doing the Army Run for charity this year gives me so much more motivation, giving the run purpose rather than just running to run.  And we all know running can become addictive and making a new PB is also such a great feeling.

Since I took 2 years off of long distance running, this race will be a challenge, as it’s like starting from scratch.  But I am totally up for it. I have decided to set my goal for 2:15 as I don’t want to push it too hard. I have 17 and 1/2 weeks to train and I have already started a to do list as I learned a few things from my last training program at the Running Room.

1) Made a running schedule: Which slowly builds my mileage,  similar to the Running Room plan, but with my own tweaks.  I found we spent too much time on hills so I added more time to speed and interval training. I changed my run before my long run to a very easy run, the Running Room recommends a steady run but I found it a little hard on my legs as my long distance runs got longer.

2) Keeping a journal: I sort of did this last time, but not consistently.  My plan is to log everyday my progress and thoughts, this will help me track any concerns, pain, moods, sleep, diet, all kinds of things really. I think this is key, especially for injuries, it can really help you figure things out for example, may be you pushed yourself too hard on week 10 and that’s when the injury started to set it.

3) Meal Planning: I have decided to change my meal plan slightly. Basically a high protein diet, lots of water, cutting out junk food, and cut down on the breads and pasta. Meal planning is also my new favorite thing, package individual smoothies in the freezer for two weeks, once a week make a bunch of food prep and store it the fridge, makes life easier. I have also found a bunch of different marinades for meat so I don’t get bored of the same things.

4) Mapping my runs: since I am not doing a running program and doing things my self , I have come up with multiple runs and mapped them all in advance so I don’t need think about it and it’s all done, making it easier to follow my running plan.

I guess that’s it for now.

If you would like to support me in this new challenge, please donate at the following link:

https://secure.eventsonlinenetwork.com/events/army_run_pledge/pledgeprofile.php?id=JME519ac131a8d9c

Lots of Love

XO

Hope your week is going well! I’m finding very hard to concentrate at work this week because I’m so stoked for my upcoming trip to LA next week. That said, I’m trying to stay focused and am working on planning out first two festival outings of the summer: the Francofolies de Montreal and the Festival d’été de Québec.

We’re putting together some of the new series that we’ve been working on for BRBR season 2. I should have a little preview for you all in the next couple of weeks  In the meantime, in case you missed it, you can now watch our 1hr special that we filmed in Ottawa at the Canadian Tulip Festival at the beginning of the month with Hollerado, Hotel Morphée and Pandaléon. Can’t believe over 1200 people showed up for our event! What a memorable night!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcLFx1sscQA&list=UUL6u5j-6kV6vOepVTIdl97w&index=1

For today’s outfit, I’m wearing white, off-white and a pop of neon green. I’ve also decided to layer some of my favorite necklaces: the Biko Jaci necklace & Biko Colby necklace as well as an older H&M neon green necklace. No arm swag today, just a few dainty rings from Verameat (obsessed with the Vampire Crown), Bing Bang & my daily staple – the Lady Muerte ring from Springsioux (have you checked out some of the new fall/winter 2013 items previewed on their site?! You can do so here).

Forever 21 Ganado Denim Vest (get it here)

Forever 21 neon green tee (similar one here)

Zara white embroidered mini skirt (similar one here)

Biko Neon Blue Colby necklace (get it here)

Biko Jaci Necklace – Lilac (get it here)

H&M neon green bib necklace 

Verameat vampire crown ring (get it here)

Bing Bang Shard Ring (get it here)

Springsioux Lady Muerte ring (get it here)

Lace-Up Platform Boots (similar ones here)

We’re bringing you our thoughts about the best and worse planned social events in two of the world’s nation’s capitols: Washington, D.C., and Ottawa, Ont. We will provide the cat’s meow on the crème-de-la-crème, but also provide insight on how to Party With A Purpose.

Stay tuned!

I’m going to Nipissing in the fall! Big changes ahead…