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Statistics of Teen Crime

WANTAGH, NY - APRIL 15: An aerial view of pol...

About one third of victims of violent crime are in the teenage years. After car accidents the leading cause of death for the 12 to 19 year olds is homicide. More than 1500 young children and teenagers are murdered each year.These teenagers are not always the victims they are sometimes the one that commits the crimes. In fact, most of the violent crimes are committed by someone that is under the age of 25.There were 15% of arrests that were made by people within the 18 years old and under range. There were also 1100 homicides committed by children or teenagers that are under the age of 18.

There is an obsession among news programs and politicians concerning the crime rate among teenagers. There is often daily reports on the statistics of teenage crime rates. It is often reported that the rates have changed dramatically in the teen age group. Some crime statistics have showed that in actuality that the teens of today are not committing as many crimes as teenagers of decades ago did. There are certain crimes that these statistics show teenagers as being less likely to commit but the statistics from the FBI show that there is a rise in crime rates in certain areas among teenagers.

The statistics do however show that crimes that are violent or non-violent are still being committed among teenagers. The adolescents brain is still in the process of being developed causing them to make poor choices at times.This is where the parent needs to step in and make proactive choices when parenting the teenager.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Crime, Crime statistics, Violent crime

Things to do in British Columbia

Image by kw.traveller via Flickr

British Columbia is beautiful. There’s no doubt about that. British Columbia’s mountains are made for adventure. They are erratic in terrain. You can do heliskiing here. Heliskiing is skiing in a helicopter! A helicopter will glide downhill on powder snow. The conditions for this are controlled so as to minimize the risk. The best place for this is Bugaboos mountain range. Heliskiing is one of a kind experience. Not many places offer such an activity.

There are plenty of skiing resorts in British Columbia. You can check into anyone of them. Most of them are more or less the same, but some may cater to a type of traveler. You will relish the good food and wine at these resort hotels. At these resorts, you will have guided kayaking and beach-combing tours. If you are lucky, then you will get to be with whales. British Columbia is a place that inhabits a lot of whales in the water. Many visitors come here to experience how it feels to touch whales, especially killer whales.

You must also visit the Stanley Park in Vancouver. It is a place the draws tons of visitors every year. You will see plenty of people skating past you. A water-walkway runs here. You can walk along this water-walkway and feel the breeze blowing from the water.

A place of interest will definitely have history behind it. British Columbia is no different. Royal BC Museum is the famous museum here. All natural and artificial historical artifacts are preserved here. You will gather almost all the historical information of British Columbia here. Make sure you visit this place.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: British Columbia, Stanley Park, Vancouver

What to Do in Ottawa on Canada Day

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Canada celebrates its birthday on the first of July, and if you happen to be in Ottawa on that day, you’ll have no shortage of events and happenings to attend. Parliament Hill is located in Ottawa, so while there are many birthday festivities all over Canada, the most popular are found in Ottawa. Festivities take place on Parliament Hill, as well as in neighboring parks such as Major’s Hill Park and Confederation park, to name a few. From free musical entertainment to chicken dinners, Ottawa offers just about everything on Canada Day, and the best part? Almost all of it is free!

Two of the most popular Canada Day events take place right at Parliament Hill. At the strike of noon, the Canadian Snowbirds perform a fly-by in honor of the day itself, as well as the country’s prime minister and other high-ranking officials. Live performances by popular musicians take place throughout the day. Participating musical acts in recent years have included Barenaked Ladies and Hey Rosetta!

At nighttime, usually around 10 p.m., fireworks take over the sky above Peace Tower on the hill. While the show can be seen from all over (and always promises a spectacular ending), there are locations that provide some of the best viewing experiences possible. Major’s Hill Park is the most popular viewing spot, but the Canadian Museum of Civilization also offers great views.

Canada Day brings about other fun activities, whether you’re with your family or running solo for the day. Take a look at the following list for some fun ideas.

Free chicken BBQ in Major’s Hill Park
Free tours are offered at the Royal Canadian Mint
Free jazz music/festival in Confederation Park
Canada Day walk/run in Jacques Cartier Park

Filed Under: News, Travel Tagged With: Canada, Ottawa

What is Fan Expo Canada?

Many of us have heard of Fan Expo Canada (commonly referred to simply as “Expo”) from family or friends, but it can be difficult to understand, much less explain, if you’ve never been there yourself. It’s difficult to discern from the name just what “Expo” is, but that’s what makes it so much more interesting.

So, what exactly is Fan Expo Canada? Founded in 1994 by Hobby Star Marketing and first held in 1995, Expo was originally called the “Canadian National Comic Book Expo.” In its early days, Expo showcased comic books, science fiction and fantasy items, and television/movie-related items over a three-day period.

In the years since, the event has moved to the Metro Toronto Convention Center and has grown from just 1,400 attendees in 1995 to over 60,000 in 2010. Expo now showcases a very wide range of pop-culture items, including video games and card games and include items from the genres of horror, anime/manga, Internet items, and standard animation. Other offerings include workshops, discussion panels, film previews, seminars, costume contests, and even portfolio reviews for those interested in the film and video game industries, among other events.

Each year, there are numerous celebrities in attendance, as well as other notable guests. Recent years have included William Shatner, Tobin Bell, Sean Astin, Brent Spiner, Johnny Yong Bosch, Victor Lucas, and Yoshitaka Amano, among many others. There have been surprise guests, such as Tobin Bell in 2009, and in 2004, Patrick Stewart cancelled his appearance for health reasons, but then returned to Toronto a month later to make up for his absence.

In 2011, the event will move to four days, with Thursday being the first day. Attendance is expected to be upwards of 70,000, which will raise space issues once again. If you’re planning to head to Toronto, buy your tickets early!

Filed Under: News, Travel Tagged With: Brent Spiner, Fan Expo Canada

Is a Passport Needed Between the U.S. and Canada?

In June 2009, a law was passed stating that any citizen of the United States wanting to get into Canada, regardless of reason, would need a passport from then on. If you’re planning a trip to Canada, this is one thing you’ll definitely have to keep in mind, especially since things weren’t always this way.

It should be noted that, if you don’t have a passport there are other documents that can stand in its place. If you’re curious about this items, take a look at the following list:

A NEXUS Card: This has the advantage of being able to use faster lanes when crossing the border both ways. The application process involves a bit more than the paper application, though. Fingerprinting and an interview process are just two items.
A U.S. Passport Card: This operates much like the regular passport regarding travel to Canada. If you plan to travel internationally though, this will not allow that.
A FAST/EXPRES Card: This is only for truck drivers who cross the borders a lot. The process is pre-approved by border officials in most cases.
An Enhanced Driver’s License: Currently, this is only available to citizens of New York and Washington, but is going to be available in other states soon. The license proves identity and citizenship and will work if you’re traveling by land and sea, but will not work by air.

The best option is always the regular U.S. Passport, especially if you plan to travel elsewhere outside of North America any time in the future. You can apply for a passport through your state government and can have the proper photos taken at numerous locations, including your local post office. There is currently a fee of $175 for a new passport. The fee is less to renew a passport.

If you need your passport sooner than the standard four to six weeks, you can have it rushed. Rush My Passport, from the U.S. Postal Service, allows you to renew or file for a new passport for $100. In most cases, the process will be completed within 24-48 hours.

Filed Under: News, Travel Tagged With: Canada, Passport

A Taste of History at Carillon Barracks National Historic Site of Canada

Carillon Barracks National Historic Site of Canada came into being during the building of the Ottawa River system of canals. This structure was built in the period between 1830 and 1837. In the years of 1837 and 1838 the English took over the structure and added some of their own changes to it. It also served as a source of housing between 1840 and 1936, finally ending now as the home of the Historical Society of Argenteuil County’s museum. This museum has preserved a number of artifacts that will delight your fancy and pique your interest in history.

The museum focuses on preserving, exhibiting and educating the public about the cultural history of the various peoples in the area. These include the Quebec, British, French, Canadian and Aborignal peoples. There are approximately 7,000 artifacts preserved here, tracing the history of daily work, military, clothing and artistic traditions of the various people. It also displays the work of Sir John-Joseph and Maude Abbott. Their art collection featurs both local and famous artists from all over. You can take a look at various drawings, paintings and sculpture. For history enthusiasts, you can check out their military collection, which features such groups as the Argenteuil Rangers.

There is a fee to enter the facility, and is open from the latter part of March into the middle of December from Tuesday through Sunday. There are various locations around the site that are ideal for picnics, and you visit the local village of St-Andre d’Argenteuil, which is near the Ottawa River. This area offers numerous vistas, fascinating experiences and is worth an afternoon out. The beauty of the area and the chance to step back into history make the Carillon Barracks National Historic Site of Canada a must see stop on your trip through Canada.

Filed Under: Entertainment, News Tagged With: Canada, John-Joseph, Maude Abbott

Retailers Encouraging Alternate Payment Methods

There a number of retailers in Canada who have an issue with fees charged for each purchase, especially with Visa and Mastercard. The Canadian Federation of Business has stated that they are considering a measure allowing retailers to post a choice of signage stating that people should pay with either their debit card or use cash. The credit companies are also being challenged on the fees that they charge in order to allow merchants to accept their credit cards. These fees can range from 1.5 percent to three percent, depending on the type of credit card used. Those customers using premium type cards are more likely to bring retailers higher surcharge fees.

The Competition Bureau in Canada is going to request that the merchant agreement retailers have does not include a surcharge on purchases made with credit cards. Some are even pushing for government legislation to help regulate the credit card companies on this issue. Another way retailers can help curb the charges of the credit card companies is to add their own surcharge to customer purchases on cards that charge them higher fees. They also plan to propose that they can decline higher fee cards from customers as well.

The credit card companies state this will work against customers, causing them to have to pay more for their purchases. It will also, as they feel, be a step into the past in pushing for the use of cash over credit cards. They plan to fight against the measures that are being proposed by retailers. As the contention heats up, the battle over surcharges on both sides of the table could get heated. Customers are in for an intersting time shopping in the future as the two sides work to find a middle ground. The question of cash, credit card or debit card may soon come to a head and get a final answer.

Filed Under: News, Travel Tagged With: Canada, Credit card, Mastercard, Visa

Prime Minister Make Key Staff Choices

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the two new senators that will take their positions in the party, filling two vacant seats: Larry Smith and Don Meredith. This move changes the balance of power in the Red Chamber in favor of the Conservatives, who now have the majority. Smith, who is a prior CFL commissioner, will fill the position in Quebec. The other new senator, Meredith has been a minister and helped to set up the Greater Toronto Faith Alliance. He will fill the position that is currently open in Ontario.

The prime minister told reporeters that these two men are highly regarded in their communities and will offer a broad experience in community action, support, business and sports activities to the government. The other reason the prime minister chose them is their promise to back actions to bring the Senate under higher scrutiny. Part of this is to pass legislation that sets tenure limits for senators and gives provinces the right to vote for their own senators in the government.

The current balance of power in the Senate shows the Liberal party with 46 seats and the Conservatives with 54. Two senators are independent politicians, while two more are tied to the Progressive Conservative Party. One Liberal senator, Raymond Lavigne, was kicked out of the party causus back in 2006 for various alleged activities. Among these were charges that he used Senate money for his own personal expenditures. He is now not allowed to come to any committee hearings or chamber proceedings. In January he will face the courts for committing $5,000 worth of fraud and for obstructing justice.

How Meredith and Smith will do in their new roles waits to be seen. Both of them are well known, and their experience will hopefully bring a new perspective in the Red Chamber.

Filed Under: Government, News Tagged With: Conservatives, Quebec, Senate of Canada

Bell Canada Given Major Fine

The Canadian Radio Communications and Television Commission has announced a stiff $1.3 million fine for Bell Canada. The decision was handed down after it was found that the company was making telemarketing calls to consumers who did not want to get them in the first place. The investigation discovered that in the period from January to October of 2010, the company illegally contacted a great portion of the seven million people who had signed up on the nationwide do-not-call list. Some of those contacted were Bell Canada customers, but had placed themselves on the company’s list of people not to contact. This fine marks a record for one given for telemarketing calls.

The company states that it hired many of the calls out to outside telemarketing companies, many of which it has now decided not to do business with. The company also used machinery that automatically called various customers, which has now been stopped by Bell Canada as well. They also have agreed to pay $266,000 to Concordia University’s Institute for Information and Systems Engineering.

Canadians can add their number to the do-not-call list, which requires that the company get the individual’s number from the computer system within 31 days. Those who can still make these calls include: political party candidates, marketing research firms, firms that handle polling and businesses that know a customer. The government, in 2008, set up its own do-not-call list, giving residents even further protection from annoying solicitation calls. Bell Canada joins Xentel DM, which was fined $500,000 for making illegal calls.

Canadians can now feel better about sitting back and enjoying their evening without the phone with a salesman on the other line. The aggressive policies of the Canadian Radio Communications and Television Commission give customers greater freedom and privacy from telemarketing firms. Steeper fines will help to keep these firms in check.

Filed Under: Entertainment, News, Travel Tagged With: Bell Canada, Concordia University, National Do Not Call List, Telemarketing

Brighter Future for the Canadian Economy

The Canadian economy over the course of 2010 has had its ups and downs in the stock market, housing and numerous other areas. Things are looking on the up and up, though, as some hope is seen on the horizon for regaining strength. The starting point has been seen in the housing market, where in 2009 there were numerous sales and steady increases in price. Things slowed, with the second part of the year having a much weaker showing them first part did. When summer hit in 2010, the housing market started to have a small pickup as the average cost for a home being sold at approximately $344,260. There were variations in housing prices, though, across the nation. The Canadian Real Estate Association has stated that the market seems to be balancing out.

The stock market is another area of the economy that has had an unexciting time this year. For example, the S&P/TSX Composite Index was at 11,746.11 at the end of 2009, but climbed steadily back up to 13,000. This is a good gain of 12%, but is still under the 15,073.13 that the markets saw in June of 2008. As the economy slowly recovers, investor returns will be more modest within the next few years. The Canadian dollar has been able to hold its own throughout 2010, staying within range of the value of the American dollar. This coupled with interest rates that hit as low as .5%, then climbed back up to 1.25%. The bank rate was reduced from 2009 in April up until June of 2010 in order to stimulate the economy. Interest rates may continue to rise in the near future, which consumers need to keep an eye on. The Canadian economy can look to the future with a somewhat sunnier disposition as it has achieved a 5.8% growth rate.

Filed Under: Entertainment, News Tagged With: Canadian dollar, Economy of Canada, S&P/TSX Composite Index