The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Ottawa - Ottawa has cancelled $9 million of debt owed by three African countries. Finance Minister Ralph Goodale announced on Wednesday that the government will forgive the debt owed by Senegal, Ghana and Ethiopia. "Excessive debt is one of the heaviest burdens to economic growth for African nations," Goodale said in a news release. In 2000, then-finance minister Paul Martin announced Canada would stop collecting debt payments from heavily indebted poor countries if they committed to reducing poverty, spending on social priorities such as health care and education, and protecting human rights. Canada plans to forgive more than $1.1 billion in debts. Ottawa - Six national education groups don't like proposed changes to copyright laws, saying they hinder web use for teaching purposes. The standing committee on Canadian Heritage has recommended the creation of a licensing scheme, which would cause students and teachers to pay to use online material that's now free. Educators say limiting access to the internet will prohibit students from developing skills they need. Calgary - The number of E. coli cases in Calgary has hit 29 in less than a week. The Calgary Health Region says 17 of the cases can be traced back to food containing ground beef at five city restaurants, whose names aren't being released. The restaurants are still open for business.
