Ontario's 9000 community college faculty will vote February 10th on what the college negotiators have referred as the final offer. The move has resulted in the strike deadline being moved to February 17. Union negotiator Ted Montgomery says it has been moved to allow for more talks should the offer be voted down.
The final offer includes a 5.9 per cent wage hike over three years. The deal would raise the maximum pay for college teachers to $102,186 by September 2011.
Classes may grind to a halt on February 11th for 200,000 Ontario College students.
In setting the February 11th strike date, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union says it would rather see binding arbitration imposed. The strike date comes after teachers rejected what colleges called their "final" offer.
The college says the offer is better but the union disagrees saying the key issues are workload, academic freedom and management’s decision in November to impose its offer on the teachers without a vote.
About 57 per cent of the teachers who voted earlier this month gave OPSEU the strike mandate.
A provincial mediator has been appointed.
The Labour Force Survey, released by Statistics Canada on Dec. 3, said that Canada gained over 79,000 jobs in the month of November.
The report said Ontario, Quebec and Alberta gained about 27,000, 21,400 and 12,800 jobs, respectively.
The national unemployment rate dipped 0.1 per cent, leaving it now at 8.5 per cent.
Notable growth in employment was reported for women aged 25-54, gaining 51,000 jobs and men aged 55 and over with about 17,000 jobs created.
Jobs in private and public sectors in Canada saw an increase, both gaining over 50,000 jobs. Self-employed jobs declined, losing 32,000 jobs.
These graphs display the rise of jobs in Canada, Ontario and Toronto:
Federal government announces $20 million funding for Ryerson athletic centre and Loblaw supermarket
Those who had given up hope of ever again watching hockey at the historic Maple Leaf Gardens are in for a pleasant surprise. The iconic building will once again be home to a hockey rink, among other things. The federal government announced Dec. 1 that it will spend $20 million on the project as part of the infrastructure stimulus spending. Ryerson University, in partnership with Loblaw Co. Ltd, will be building an athletic facility on the second and third storeys, while the main floor will host a Loblaw superstore. The facility will be complete with an NHL size hockey rink, a racetrack, volleyball and basketball courts and a fitness centre. The building, which Loblaw Co. Ltd. purchased five years ago, has sat derelict for the past ten years. “I’m thrilled that the neighbourhood is going to get a reuse of Maple Leaf Gardens,” city councillor Kyle Rae, who represents the ward, told thedailyplanet.com. Rae said he is shocked, yet pleased, to learn of Ottawa's contribution. The project will cost $60 million dollars and is being split three ways.
A third of the cost is coming from an additional fee levied on Ryerson University students. In a referendum last spring students agreed to pay an extra $126 annually for the new athletic centre. The remainder of the funds will be raised through donations, with Loblaw kicking off the campaign with a donation of $5 million. Ryerson’s director of athletics, Ivan Joseph, told thedailyplanet.com, that he couldn’t be more pleased with the plans. “It’s going to meet our expanding needs,” said Joseph. “We now have a building that can hold up to 25,000 people,” adding it will be a great revitalization for the community. "Ryerson is talking about making those facilities available to the community at off-peak times," said Rae. Those details have yet to be worked out, said Joseph, but he said Ryerson's current facilities are open to the public. This announcement is vital for the community, said Rae. “When Maple Leaf Gardens was operational we had a lot of bars and restaurants that were dependant on Maple Leaf Gardens,” said Rae. “Back in the 90s as well, we lost the CBC, so we had a loss of jobs in the neighbourhood. So this is giving the opportunity for more employment and for revitalization.” The building is set to open in 2011. "I'm so proud of Ryerson University's tenaciousness and their ability to get the student body to support this project," said Rae. "It's a fantastic opportunity for the university and a great outcome for the city." 
Time just as valuable as money
If people can’t donate money, the Salvation Army encourages them to donate time to this year's Christmas campaign.
“It’s really important for Canadians to support this year,” Andrew Burditt, territorial public relations director for the Salvation Army told thedailyplanet.com. “Financial donations are great, volunteering your time is just as important. If someone can’t honestly donate money, stand on a Kettle for three hours.”
Christmas Kettles are part of the Salvation Army’s annual Christmas campaign to help raise funds to fight poverty throughout the Christmas season and the rest of the year.
The campaign kicked off on Nov. 16 and will run until Dec. 24.
This year, the Salvation Army will use more than 2,000 volunteers, or bell-ringers as they’ve been dubbed, on the Christmas Kettles, spokesperson for the Ontario Central East division of the Salvation Army, Captain John Murray told thedailyplanet.com.
“We have more than 500 Christmas kettles this season in the GTA,” said Murray. The bell-ringers will be everywhere from malls and storefronts to outside the LCBO.
“Certainly the ideal minimum shift would be two hours,” said Murray, adding most people end up giving more due to the screening process.
“They’re dealing with the public and there’s public funds involved, so we do screen people very closely for each position,” said Murray.
The screening process is to ensure that the volunteers’ motivations and commitment aligns well with those of the Salvation Army. They also do a background check and follow-up on references.
“Sometimes people will volunteer eight or 10 hours over a season, some people will volunteer several weeks over the holiday season,” said Murray.
“Last year, the actual physical kettles nationwide raised $16 million,” said Burditt. “That $16 million is in the middle of a recession and that was actually up 14 per cent from 2007.”
The Army didn’t set any specific fundraising goals this year due to the economy, but Burditt said it would be great if they could reach and exceed $16 million.
Burditt said he thinks this year, due to the current economic downturn, it is especially important for Canadians to get involved.
“Demand for our services is 10 to 40 per cent, depending on what province you go to,” said Burditt.
“The Salvation Army has a long history of us just basically doing more with less if necessary,” said Burditt. “What it comes down to is if you come to the Salvation Army for assistance, you won’t be turned away.”
Three years ago, the Salvation Army introduced the iKettle, which is an online virtual kettle that people can set up to help raise funds.
“The first year we did it [the online drive] only raised $40,000. It raised awareness more than it raised funds. Last year it raised closer to $140,000,” said Burditt.
Those interested in making a donation or volunteering their time can do so by going to salvationarmy.ca or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY (725-2769).