From: CTV News

Thousands of Canadians are gathering at the site of the Battle of Vimy Ridge today, to mark 95 years since the fight in northern France that some say was a turning point in forging Canada’s identity as an independent nation.

Gov. Gen. David Johnston is being joined by 5,000 young Canadians Monday, for ceremonies at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, which overlooks the Douai Plain from the highest point of Vimy Ridge. Read more »

When consumers pay more, writes Evan Fraser, farmers get more. It’s volatility that does the real damage

BY EVAN FRASER, OTTAWA CITIZEN

According to a recent United Nations report, food prices are rising again. Since 2008, the world has been treated to a roller-coaster of commodity price rises and crashes. While we Westerners are somewhat buffered from these changes – only a small amount of our grocery bill is actually spent on commodities whereas the majority of our money goes to packaging, processing and retail – this may still spell bad news for people all over the world. In 2008, food price rises triggered riots in dozens of cities. In 2010, they were the opening act in the drama of the Arab Spring.

But seeing rising food prices as a harbinger of the apocalypse is the wrong way to look at the situation. In fact, higher prices may actually be a godsend. Low prices, by contrast, are a real problem. Read more »

The World Wild Life Fund has this to say on their website about Earth Hour.

On Earth Hour hundreds of millions of people around the world will come together to call for action on climate change by doing something quite simple—turning off their lights for one hour. The movement symbolizes that by working together, each of us can make a positive impact in this fight, protecting our future and that of future generations…