A 430-pound convict was released early from a Quebec prison because his jailers could not accommodate his huge frame.
Michel Lapointe, who served more than two years in jail on drug charges, was released Tuesday — three months early, Canadian news broadcaster CTV said.

The decision was made in May by a Quebec judge after prison officials said they were unable to find Lapointe a chair or table large enough to fit him.  Lapointe described his time in prison as “a living hell,” CTV said.

The crack-cocaine of gambling has Quebec’s gaming commission facing a potentially crippling payout as gambling addicts try to hold it responsible for downplaying the dangers of video lottery terminals.  A class-action lawsuit brought by a group of pathological gamblers is seeking compensation from Loto-Quebec for their addiction treatments.

With the plaintiffs claiming around 119,000 gamblers can trace their addictions to VLTs, a judgment could cost Loto-Quebec upwards of $500 million, excluding exemplary damages.  “Despite the fact that studies on the dangers of pathological gaming and its treatments were known, the defendant didn’t consider its obligation to warn users of the dangers of dependence,” the statement of claim reads.

None of the lawsuit’s claims has yet been proven but after several years of jumping through legal, the trial phase of the case will finally begin in Quebec Superior Court next month in Quebec City.  Launched in 2001 by Jean Brochu, a lawyer and recovering gambling addict , the lawsuit cites government reports that claim VLTs have been tied to pathological gambling.  Loto-Quebec denies such a link exists and says problem gambling should be considered a personal health issue rather than one of legal liability.

“At the current time, there exists no expert, recognized by his peers… who proposes that VLTs are the cause of pathological gambling,” the defence statement reads.  The Quebec government began to regulate VLTs in 1993. Before then, Loto-Quebec estimated there were between 25,000 and 50,000 black-market gambling machines operating in the province.

Now there are around 12,000 VLTs in the province’s casinos, bars and restaurants.  A court decision last year forced the gaming commission to release documents about gambling-related suicides at Quebec casinos.

Last week, Quebec’s newly appointed health minister reiterated some of the unease public officials have about state-sanctioned gambling.

Yves Bolduc said both the government and Loto-Quebec should take additional measures to fight problem gambling.

He floated the idea of cutting the number of VLTs in poorer areas of the province.  Loto-Quebec promised in 2004 to remove some 1,142 VLTs by 2007, but has acknowledged it is still short of that goal.  The gaming commission contributed $1.6 billion to government coffers in 2006-07.  This final tally just about says it all, the government needs the cash and does not care how it gets it.

Thousands of Quebecers can thank an extra 2.1 centimetres of snow for a free trip, part of a vacation giveaway based on the amount of snow that fell on Jan. 1. Canadian online travel retailer itravel2000.com confirmed Wednesday night that 14.8 centimetres of snow fell at Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Montreal on New Year’s Day.

That amount surpassed the minimum of 12.7 centimetres or five inches required for a free trip under their “Let it Snow” promotion
Quebec customers whose departures were scheduled between Nov. 1, 2007, and Apr. 30, 2008, and who booked their trips between June 12 and Dec. 7, 2007, earned free vacations.

The offer was based on snowfall in Calgary, Toronto, Montreal or Halifax. Toronto measured in at 9.4 centimetres, while Halifax recorded 0.8 centimetres and Calgary had 0 centimetres. The number of winners could be in the “tens of thousands,” itravel2000 vice-president Brad Miron told the CBC on Tuesday.  It looks like it still might have worked out.

Wearing speedos at the beach is wrong, right?  But they crazy Canadians are showing off their speedos in sub-zero weather…that is wrong, very wrong!!  But it was all for a Sick Kids Foundation fundraiser, so that is ok, eh?

Those crazy, nutty Canadians sure have good hearts, check these guys out, they have no shame!

So everyone always thinks of Canadians as those too nice, docile folks to the North, but what they don’t know is that under the facade of sweetness lies the cold heart of a cheater. According to a Sun Media-Leger Marketing sex poll, though, almost 30% of Canadians admit to illicit trysts and cheating on their partner.

While Atlantic Canada boasted the most faithful partners, with only 16% admitting to cheating, that number doubles in the Prairie provinces, where 35% say they’ve been unfaithful. Gender differences are marginal among the 1,524 poll respondents, with 30% of men cheating, compared to 25% of women.

“Cheaters follow the same patterns,” Gruschynski, a private investigator said, and signs of infidelity are predictable. But sometimes the victims of betrayal can also fall into dangerous patterns, he added, and call back to bust subsequent unfaithful partners.

The bust-a-cheat business has been brisk in Edmonton, growing proportionally to the population boom. Summer is particularly busy, he said, when long summer days and more exposed skin heat up dormant libidos. Though it’s said it takes two to tango, most couples counsellors agreed that cheaters who do the horizontal mambo are ultimately accountable for their actions.

“The victim of betrayal should never be blamed,” said Montreal psychotherapist Jason Phelps. But infidelity is often the result of growing distance in the relationship, he said. When Sun Media dangled a carrot in front of respondents in the form of secret sex, three-quarters of Canadians said they would never cheat even if no one could ever find out. But a gender breakdown reveals that double the percentage of men — 26% — would cheat if given the chance. Meanwhile, the refrain “look but don’t touch” may apply to casual glances of admiration on the street, but intimacy at any level — including online — is considered a betrayal among the majority of Canadians.

Is kissing cheating? While 67% of Canadians consider kissing cheating, online intimacy is close behind at 63%, followed by “loving someone else but no sex” at 56%. “Many partners will feel betrayed by online chatting,” Phelps said. “They’re sharing their inner-most thoughts, feelings and fantasies with someone outside the relationship; the partner will feel betrayed.”

But while online intimacy is seen as emotional betrayal among 72% of women, only 54% of men consider cybersex and online chats cheating. “When one’s doing it secretively, it doesn’t involve the other person and it becomes an ongoing thing, it’s going to cause problems,” Phelps said. Having been the victim of a cheating wife I can tell you something you don’t always see in the above statistics and that is the broken homes and kids that have to grow up without an intact family. It seems wedding vows don’t mean much these days….

NATO has been under intense pressure to beef up its military presence.  But for those member nations bearing the brunt of the fighting, there is also intense debate about whether or not to extend the mission for their own troops.  How is Canada dealing with the issue?  I think Canadians in general are doing a good job of looking at this mission with an honest open attitude.  We really want to help and make a difference and have proven we are willing to risk our lives helping.  But considering some of the recent developments with the government of Afghanistan offering the Taliban reconciliation without first having them denounce violence is a little bit of a slap in the face for all those that are risking their life to help Afghanistan.
 
We are also now having a healthy debate about renaming the 401 highway that cuts through Toronto and is the major transportation corridor between Toronto and Montreal, Canada’s busiest thoroughfare. It’s about as far from Afghanistan and the fighting there, that can be imagined. But recently the 401 was designated the Highway of Heroes to honour Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan now numbering more than 70.

The fallen soldiers are flown from Kandahar to Canadian Forces Base Trenton, on the north shore of Lake Ontario. From there a funeral procession leaves the base and heads to Toronto where the bodies are taken to Centre for Forensic Sciences and along this Heroes Highway many people come to stand on the overpasses and show their support by waving Canadian flags and signs.

I would like to see a little more support from NATO and also some hard decisions by the Afghanistan government in further condemning the Taliban unless they stop the violence and seek peaceful negotiations.