FFWD Weekly
Copyright © 1997. All Rights Reserved.
NEWS
by FFWD StaffFluoride opponents want city to let people decide
Calgarians for Choice, a group opposed to mandatory water fluoridation, is concerned about the composition and process that city council will follow prior to holding another fluoride plebiscite in 1998.
"Our first choice is to let the people of Calgary decide the fluoridation issue," says Jack Locke, member of Calgarians for Choice. "We are very concerned that the City of Calgary's fluoridation literature review committee may not be impartial."
The city is in the process of selecting Calgarians to sit on a panel to review scientific literature that has been published since 1989. Recent advertisements called for written submissions to a yet-to-be-selected review committee.
Elke Babiuk, another member of Calgarians for Choice and the person behind the 1990 petition that collected 48,000 signatures calling for a fluoride plebiscite is taking a wait and see position on the issue.
"If the city can establish an impartial panel to review the truth about fluoride, we should let them go ahead before passing judgment," says Babiuk.
Calgarians for Choice is a newly-formed alliance of Calgarians and organizations that seek an open and fair public process that allows citizens to decide the fluoridation issue.
In a previous plebiscite, city residents voted in favor of fluoridation.
Designated dates for December
In addition to Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year's Eve, December includes three other important dates to mark on the calendar.
December 1 is World AIDS Day and this year the theme focuses on children living with AIDS. Events will be held throughout Canada and the world, including a candlelight vigil at 7 p.m. at the Central United Church in Calgary, 131 - 7th Avenue SW. The ceremony will include a dance presentation, sharing of memories (people are welcome to bring a poem or a reading), and the city's first AIDS memorial tree will be planted in Fish Creek Park by McInnis and Holloway.
The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women is December 6. The date marks the massacre of 14 women at the University of Montreal on December 6, 1989. Memorials will be held all across the country.
December 10 is International Human Rights Day, celebrating the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, proclaimed in 1948.
New film classifications give more information
Albertans will soon have more information when making decisions about the movies they watch after the Alberta government has adopted new film classification categories.
Alberta Community Development views and rates all films before they are screened publicly in the province. The new film classification system maintains the General (G), Parental Guidance (PG) and Restricted (R) categories, as well as the Mature (M) category, which changes in name only to 14A. The new system also uses two additional ratings, 18A and Adult (A). The new classifications will be in movie theatres and listings beginning in December.
Community Development Minister Shirley McClelland says the new categories will make ratings easier to understand. "Because films and videos are rated by different authorities using different classification systems, there has been no consistency between film and video ratings, even for the same titles. Standardizing Alberta's film classification categories with those used by the Canadian Home Video Rating System and by other western provinces will reduce customer confusion about multiple ratings."
The new film classifications include:
· G - Suitable for viewing by all ages.
· PG - Parental guidance is advised. Theme or content may not be suitable for all children.
· 14A - Suitable for viewing for persons 14 years of age or older. Persons under 14 must be accompanied by an adult. May contain violence, coarse language and/or sexually suggestive scenes.
· 18A - Suitable for viewing by persons 18 years of age or older. Persons under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. May contain explicit violence, frequent coarse language, sexual activity and/or horror.
· R - Admittance restricted to persons 18 years of age and older. Content not suitable for minors. Contains frequent sexual activity, brutal/graphic violence, intense horror and/or other disturbing content.
Beautiful Joe recording with legendary producer
Calgary-based band Beautiful Joe is about to begin pre-production for its first album, with Canadian expatriate and Nashville resident Brian Ahern at the helm.
Ahern, well known for his work with Emmylou Harris (13 albums), Rodney Crowell, George Jones, Roy Orbison and others, will be recording the band "live" for five nights starting November 30. The recording will take place in Bullshooter's Rodeo Bar in the 7400 block of Macleod Trail and the general public is invited to help make it an exciting event.
Beautiful Joe features songwriters Jane Hawley, Steve Pineo and Tim Leacock on the front line with bass man Danny Patton and drummer Ross Watson driving the bus. Ahern first saw Beautiful Joe perform last March in Longview, Alberta and has been enthusiastic about producing the band. He will take the tapes back to Nashville to begin making plans for the studio album, which the band is scheduled to start recording in late March at his Enactron truck studio. Plans are under way to release some of the live performances in advance of the studio album.
For more information, contact Musicworks Inc. at 245-0425.
Calgary Cooks! to support Canadian Mental Health Association
The Canadian Mental Health Association is launching Calgary Cooks! this week. The cookbook is dedicated to a loving father who committed suicide after a long struggle with mental illness. The money raised from the sale of the book will help CMHA bring mental illness out of the closet and provide much needed support for individuals and families who are experiencing one of Alberta's major health problems.
Calgary Cooks! includes more than 160 recipes from the chefs of Calgary, Banff and Lake Louise, including restaurants like The Post Hotel, The Cross House, Assiniboine Lodge, La Caille, Chateau Lake Louise, Heartland, River Cafe, Owl's Nest, Teatro, Rimrock Resort Hotel, La Chaumiere, and more.
Novagas Canada Ltd. funded the costs of producing the book and 100 per cent of the proceeds will go to the CMHA.
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