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Home Business Asia Today: Fiji sequesters hospital staff after COVID death
Asia Today: Fiji sequesters hospital staff after COVID death
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) – The military and police in the Pacific nation of Fiji have surrounded and locked down a major hospital amid concerns of a growing virus outbreak.
Health authorities say they're quarantining 400 patients, doctors, nurses and staff within the compound until they can determine who had contact with a coronavirus patient who died.
The 53-year-old patient at Lautoka Hospital was just the third person in Fiji to die from the virus but the nation's leaders are deeply worried that the latest outbreak is spreading, especially after two doctors at the hospital tested positive for the virus.
Dr. James Fong, the permanent secretary for health, said the country was in a war against COVID-19 that posed the greatest-ever test of its health care system. He said the hospital is closed and all medical services are being diverted to other facilities.
Fong said those sequestered in the hospital would be provided with food, bedding and whatever other supplies they needed.
Fiji is located north of New Zealand and is home to just under 1 million people.
In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region:
– Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has asked China to take back 1,000 doses of donated Sinopharm vaccine after he was criticized for getting the injection even though the vaccine hasn't been authorized for public use in the country. The Philippine health secretary injected Duterte on Monday, and an unspecified number of Duterte's guards received the Sinopharm vaccine in secrecy. Duterte said he told the Chinese ambassador "that this came under criticism because Sinopharm did not undergo examination so let's just do away with it. You withdraw all Sinopharm vaccines, 1,000 of them." Duterte said his injection did not breach any regulation because it fell under a "compassionate use" exemption. Critics, however, said Duterte and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III made a mockery of vaccine regulations while ordinary Filipinos have struggled with a plethora of pandemic restrictions.
– The U.S. State Department has authorized the departure of all non-essential American staff at the embassy in New Delhi and consulates around India because of its surging COVID-19 outbreak. The step announced late Wednesday in the U.S. means such staff can leave voluntarily at government expense but aren't required to do so. Families of embassy and consulate staff had been allowed to leave last month. India's latest surge has brought its health systems near collapse, with hospitals overwhelmed with patients and pleading for oxygen supplies.
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Staten Island lawmakers call for more accountability in water-rate hikes
Updated Mar 01, 2019; Posted Apr 29, 2013
By Ryan Lavis | lavis@siadvance.com
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- More accountability.
That's what some elected officials on Staten Island are calling for when it comes to the city's ever-rising water rates.
And with another price hike already in the works, Assemblyman Michael Cusick (D-Mid-Island) promoted legislation on Sunday that would potentially bring more transparency to the New York City Water Board, a seven-member agency appointed by the Mayor's Office and tasked with enacting the rates set by the city Department of Environmental Protection.
Cusick proposed that membership of the board include the five borough presidents. This way, he said, homeowners would be given a greater voice through their elected officials during the often ambiguous process of setting water rates.
"Those affected by the rate increases feel that the public hearings and votes are formalities for decisions that have already been made," Cusick said Sunday from the home of Ed Malone, the treasurer of the Westerleigh Improvement Society and a longtime proponent of change in the current system.
The assemblyman was joined by Councilman James Oddo (R-Mid-Island/Brooklyn), Councilwoman Debi Rose (D-North Shore) and Mike Morrell, president of the Westerleigh Improvement Society.
Malone, a Westerleigh resident, plans on voicing his opinions during a public meeting Monday at the Joan and Alan Bernikow Jewish Community Center at 1466 Manor Rd. in Sea View.
Malone has attended these forums eight consecutive times, bemoaning the public's low turnout.
"I've been at all the meetings. Not very many people attend. It feels like there's nothing you can do about it ... like you're wasting your time," said Malone.
The city is seeking to increase water rates by 5.6 percent. This hike would take effect July 1, the start of fiscal year 2014. Considering that rates have gone up each year of the Bloomberg administration, Cusick and his colleagues said they hoped things would be different with the next mayor.
"If we could get our candidates for mayor to commit to legislation like this, we know we could have fairness when it comes to water rates," said Cusick.
There was a 7 percent increase in fiscal year 2013. In 2012, it was 7.5 percent, and 12.9 percent in both 2011 and 2010. In 2009, it spiked to 14.5 percent.
Oddo, running for borough president, blamed the hikes on several factors. Costly government-mandated projects that the DEP must undertake drive water rates up, he said, as well as annual rental payments the New York City Water Board makes to the city to use its water system.
"The reality is that the city includes this rental payment because it's a backdoor tax that goes back into the general fund," Oddo said. "Since 2005 this administration has been using this rental payment technique to spike rates and generate money for the general fund."
Cusick's bill, Oddo said, would "give the public a fair shot by having the decision-making in the hands of people who are much more accountable."
"These increases take money out of our pockets and fuel cynicism in the public that everything is going up and that the public can't fight City Hall."
@siadvance
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POL ITA
Factoring for the Domestic Market
Factoring for the International Market
Banca Ifis: net profit of 80,2 million Euro in the first 9 months Bank revises year-end guidance upwards
In the first nine months of the year, the Bank's revenues recorded double digit growth, reaching 449.2 million Euro: an all-time high, net of the PPA, as a result of strong growth in business in the commercial portfolio and excellent performances in the Npl Segment. Profits up significantly, despite further prudent provisions to absorb the expiry of government support measures at the end of the year.
In the quarter, year-on-year record of cash recoveries of Npl portfolios purchased, which almost eliminates the less favourable seasonality of the third quarter. Annual target of purchasing 3 billion Euro of Npl portfolios achieved.
The digitisation programme continues and, by joining the Net-Zero Banking Alliance, the Bank further reinforces its commitment to contribute concretely to a more sustainable and inclusive future.
For 2021, Banca Ifis raises estimates and expects to achieve a net profit between 90 and 100 million Euro (the target communicated on 5 August 2021 was between 80 and 90 million Euro) and revenues between 570 and 590 million Euro (the guidance communicated on 5 August 2021 was between 540 and 560 million Euro).
The guidance was prepared on the assumption of gradual improvement in the scenario, no macroeconomic or pandemicrelated shocks and continued support from Governments and central banks for the economic recovery.
Reclassified data1 – 1 January 2021/30 September 2021
Net interest and other banking income rose to 449,2 million Euro (+39,6% compared to 321,7 million Euro at 30.09.2020), benefiting from both the improved performance of the Npl Segment and the dynamism of the Commercial and Corporate Banking Segment.
Operating costs come to 267,6 million Euro (+16.6% on 30.09.2020) due to higher variable costs linked to the legal business of the Npl Segment, the entrance of Farbanca and the former Aigis Banca business unit into the scope of consolidation and ICT projects.
The net profit attributable to the Parent Company of 80,2 million Euro recorded double-digit growth (+53,2%) compared to 52,3 million Euro in the same period of 2020. Excluding the PPA and the extraordinary gain of 24,2 million Euro from the sale of the property in Corso Venezia in Milan in 2020, the result was five times that of 2020.
The Cost of credit of 62,4 million Euro, of which 19,8 million Euro in the third quarter alone. The figure for the last quarter includes additional provisions of a further 8,1 million Euro in the Npl portfolio due to the long-term effects of Covid-19 and 5 million Euro for concentration risk on positions in the Corporate Banking & Lending Area.
Solid liquidity position: approximately 1,8 billion Euro at 30 September 2021 in reserves and free assets that can be financed by the ECB (LCR above 1.500%)
Capital requirements with the consolidation within La Scogliera
• CET1 up to 11,68% (11,29% at 31 December 2020) with respect to an SREP requirement of 8,12%; TCR: 15,35% (14,85% at 31 December 2020) with respect to an SREP requirement of 12,5%. These results are calculated without including the profits generated by the Banking Group during the first nine months of 2021.
Capital requirements without the consolidation within La Scogliera2
• CET1: 16,24% (15,47% at 31 December, 2020); TCR: 20,77% (19,87% at 31 December 2020). These results are calculated without including the profits generated by the Banking Group during the first nine months of 2021.
Mestre (Venice), 4 November 2021 – The Board of Directors of Banca Ifis, chaired by the Deputy Chairman, Ernesto Fürstenberg Fassio, today approved the results for the first nine months of 2021.
"The results of the first nine months confirm the Bank's ability to effectively cover specific businesses and to seize the opportunities offered by the greatly recovered market – explains Frederik Geertman, CEO of Banca Ifis -. The net profit for the period attributable to the Parent Company of 80,2 million Euro exceeded our expectations; the result, calculated net of the PPA and extraordinary gains related to the sale of the Milan property, is 25% higher than in the same period of 2019 and approximately 5 times higher than in 2020.
Industrial revenues for the period recorded double-digit growth, up to 449,2 million Euro, supported by the new mix of the commercial portfolio and the excellent performance of the Npl Segment. Revenues, net of the PPA (amounting to 21,5 million Euro), reached an all-time high.
The positive trend in these results has prompted us to revise the guidance for 2021 upwards and to estimate net banking income between 570 and 590 million Euro and an operating profit between 90 and 100 million Euro. All this was done in the assumption of gradual improvement in the scenario, no macroeconomic or pandemic-related shocks and continued support from Governments and central banks for the economic recovery.
More specifically, the Commercial & Corporate Banking Segment demonstrated its ability to rapidly adapt its offering to market needs, thanks to a combination of the commercial strategy and operational and technological efficiency.
Although in 2020 we were able to seize the commercial opportunities linked to the strong demand for state-guaranteed mortgages, in 2021 we quickly identified and satisfied the growing demand for factoring linked to ecobonuses and commercial recovery, through the provision of dedicated products and services.
During the period, the process of digitalising and developing business services from an omni-channel perspective continued: the "Ifis4business" platform for factoring customers is nearing completion and will be extended to all products in the portfolio by the first half of 2022. The migration of the former Aigis Banca business unit is scheduled for completion in November, and in the Leasing Area, the launch of a new digital sales portal for suppliers, sales people and customers that will make it possible to optimise the management of the commercial chain.
Positive signs are also recorded by loans in moratorium where 74% of our customers have resumed regular payments. The remaining receivables in arrears, amounting to 211 million Euro, consist mainly of lease receivables, with underlying vehicles and capital goods, and loans, mainly Government-backed.
During the first nine months of the year, cash recoveries on Npl portfolios acquired reached an all-time high and amounted to 252 million Euro, +38% compared to 183 million Euro in the first nine months of 2020, confirming the portfolio's resilience in the face of the crisis. On 2 November we finalised our largest Npl acquisition, taking over 2,8 billion Euro of impaired loans from Cerberus. The transaction enabled the Bank to meet its estimated 2021 Npl portfolio purchase target of around 3 billion Euro ahead of schedule and will provide a solid contribution to the Bank's profitability in the coming years.
CET1, calculated excluding the profit for the first nine months, stood at 11,68%, up from 11,29% at 31 December, 2020, confirming Banca Ifis' ability to finance business growth.
Our Bank's recent membership of the Net-Zero Banking Alliance further reinforces our commitment to building a more sustainable and inclusive future and will allow us to contribute actively to achieving the common goal of zero net emissions by 2050," concludes Geertman.
1 In the following statements, net impairment losses/reversals on receivables of the Npl Segment were reclassified to interest receivable and similar income to the extent to which they represent the operations of this business and are an integral part of the return on the investment. For this reason too, apart from the specific operations, the effects of an analysis performed also in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, have been classified amongst value adjustments.
2 Consolidated own funds, risk-weighted assets and solvency ratios at 30 September 2021 were calculated based on the regulatory principles set out in Directive no. 2013/36/EU (CRD IV) and Regulation (EU) no. 575/2013 (CRR) of 26 June 2013, as updated and amended over time and transposed, where applicable, in the Bank of Italy's Circulars no. 285 and no. 286 of 17 December 2013. In particular, the CRR provides for the prudential consolidation of Banca Ifis in the holding La Scogliera. For the sake of disclosure, we calculated the same indicators without including the effects of the consolidation within La Scogliera. Therefore, the reported total own funds refer only to the scope of the Banca Ifis Banking Group, as defined in accordance with Italian Legislative Decree no. 385/93, thus excluding the effects of the prudential consolidation within the parent company La Scogliera S.p.A.
Key Information sheets


An 18-year-old Petaluma woman was arrested early Thursday on suspicion of drunken driving after running a red light, ramming into a car and fleeing, police said.
Anessa Sablan was booked into Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of felony hit-and-run and a DUI causing injury, according to jail records.
Shortly after 9:50 p.m., a witness called police after Sablan ran a red light on 6th Street and broadsided the passenger side of a Subaru that was headed west on D Street, Sgt. Rick Cox said.
The crash caused the Subaru to flip onto its roof while Sablan fled in her black 2000 Volkswagen Jetta, Cox said. Petaluma Fire Department personnel helped the Subaru's occupant, a 34-year-old Petaluma man, from the car, Cox said. The driver, whom police would not name, was treated on scene for pain, Cox said.
Using a license plate from the Jetta, officers attempted to contact Sablan and family members. About 12:20 a.m., Sablan called police from the parking lot of Grant Elementary School to turn herself in, police said. She was arrested on the campus, Cox said.
Sablan, who was not injured, registered a 0.08 blood alcohol content, Cox said.
The crash closed the intersection for about an hour, Cox said.


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Metrolink Train Slowly Derails Near LA's Union Station, No One Injured
The mishap occurred at 4:55 p.m. as the train, coming in from the north, went off its tracks near Vignes and Bauchet streets, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
From Hal Eisner:
If all goes as well as Metrolink officials hope the system's trains should be back on track in the morning. About 10:30pm Tuesday night heavy equipment was being moved into place to help lift the 4-car-train's last two cars back on the tracks. The goal is for that to be done by midnight. If all goes as planned the morning commute should be find according to Metrolink Spokesman Jeff Lustgarten who says "it was a tough night."
Just before 5pm the train derailed. Why? It's not clear. The 100 passengers were walked over to Union Station to catch other trains. One woman was taken in a wheelchair, but Lustgarten says she was not injured in the derailment.
The derailment caused for 3 of 5 tracks to become inoperable which meant thousands of commuters had to be reassigned other trains to get to their destinations.
It wasn't easy, but Metrolink officials say they got through it. Passenger Mark Brien, who was on derailed train #906 told FOX 11 "The train derailed. It was going very slowly. The switch went off at the wrong time it sounded like." He says at the moment of the derailment "in part of the train we all went this way and the other half this way and then some on the ground so, we were stuck."
When we asked him his reaction to the derailment he took it in strike. "No big deal," he said, "we weren't going fast enough we're going very slow."
Copyright 2015 FOX 11 Los Angeles | Download our mobile app for breaking news alerts | Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
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Jet Airways' Lessors Plan To De-Register More Planes In Coming Days: Report
HomeCorporatesJet Airways' Lessors Plan To De-Register More Planes In Coming Days: Report
Once a plane is de-registered, the lessors are free to take them out of the country and lease them to other airlines.
CorporatesThomson ReutersUpdated: April 05, 2019 15:03 IST
Jet's lessors are likely to apply to DGCA to de-register up to 15 of the grounded planes, report said.
Lessors to Jet Airways are planning to ask the country's aviation regulator to de-register many more planes leased to the airline, three sources told Reuters, signalling that a planned bailout of the troubled carrier is failing to assuage their concerns.
About six of Jet's lessors are likely to apply to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to de-register up to 15 of the grounded planes, over the next 10 days, said one of the sources with direct knowledge of the situation.
While some lessors have already taken a few planes out of India after a mutual agreement with Jet, sources have told Reuters, the latest series of applications to the DGCA would be on a non-consensual basis.
Jet did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Jet, country's oldest private carrier now controlled by its lenders, has had to ground more than three-quarters of its fleet of 119 planes, many due to non-payment to lessors, leading to hundreds of flight cancellations.
Avolon, one of the world's biggest aircraft lessors, on Thursday applied to the DGCA to take two of its planes placed with Jet outside of India, making it the first to pull planes out on a non-consensual basis.
About 100 of Jet's 119 mainly Boeing Co planes are leased by companies such as Avolon, GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) and Aercap Holdings. It was not immediately clear which of the lessors were planning to apply for de-registration in the coming days.
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Food insecurity and food consumption by season in households with children in an Arctic city: a cross-sectional study
Catherine Huet1,
James D. Ford1,
Victoria L. Edge2,4,
Jamal Shirley3,
Nia King4,
IHACC Research Team &
Sherilee L. Harper ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-7298-87654
High rates of food insecurity are documented among Inuit households in Canada; however, data on food insecurity prevalence and seasonality for Inuit households with children are lacking, especially in city centres. This project: (1) compared food consumption patterns for households with and without children, (2) compared the prevalence of food insecurity for households with and without children, (3) compared food consumption patterns and food insecurity prevalence between seasons, and (4) identified factors associated with food insecurity in households with children in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada.
Randomly selected households were surveyed in Iqaluit in September 2012 and May 2013. Household food security status was determined using an adapted United States Department of Agriculture Household Food Security Survey Module. Univariable logistic regressions were used to examine unconditional associations between food security status and demographics, socioeconomics, frequency of food consumption, and method of food preparation in households with children by season.
Households with children (n = 431) and without children (n = 468) participated in the survey. Food insecurity was identified in 32.9% (95% CI: 28.5–37.4%) of households with children; this was significantly higher than in households without children (23.2%, 95% CI: 19.4–27.1%). The prevalence of household food insecurity did not significantly differ by season. Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the person responsible for food preparation, including low formal education attainment (ORSept = 4.3, 95% CI: 2.3–8.0; ORMay = 3.2, 95% CI: 1.8–5.8), unemployment (ORSept = 1.1, 95% CI: 1.1–1.3; ORMay = 1.3, 95% CI: 1.1–1.5), and Inuit identity (ORSept = 8.9, 95% CI: 3.4–23.5; ORMay = 21.8, 95% CI: 6.6–72.4), were associated with increased odds of food insecurity in households with children. Fruit and vegetable consumption (ORSept = 0.4, 95% CI: 0.2–0.8; ORMay = 0.5, 95% CI: 0.2–0.9), as well as eating cooked (ORSept = 0.5, 95% CI: 0.3–1.0; ORMay = 0.5, 95% CI: 0.3–0.9) and raw (ORSept = 1.7, 95% CI: 0.9–3.0; ORMay = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.0–3.1) fish were associated with decreased odds of food insecurity among households with children, while eating frozen meat and/or fish (ORSept = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.4–5.0; ORMay = 2.0, 95% CI: 1.1–3.7) was associated with increased odds of food insecurity.
Food insecurity is high among households with children in Iqaluit. Despite the partial subsistence livelihoods of many Inuit in the city, we found no seasonal differences in food security and food consumption for households with children. Interventions aiming to decrease food insecurity in these households should consider food consumption habits, and the reported demographic and socioeconomic determinants of food insecurity.
Food insecure households face challenges affording or obtaining sufficient and nutritious food for an active and healthy life [1]. Approximately 11% of Canadian households were classified as being food insecure in 2011–2012 [2]. In contrast, 63% of Inuit households in Arctic Canada were classified as being food insecure [3, 4], and community-based surveys have indicated an even higher prevalence in some Inuit communities [5,6,7]. This high prevalence spurred research examining the determinants, distribution, and experiences of food insecurity in the North, which has highlighted the complexity of Northern food systems [5, 6, 8, 9]. For instance, Inuit diet is traditionally comprised of nutrient-dense "country" foods [10,11,12] (i.e. country foods are 'animals and plants harvested from the local environment' (11) that are not typically available at retail stores, hereafter referred to as "local foods") such as caribou, seal, and fish. However, Inuit diet has undergone a nutrition transition whereby retail foods are now widely consumed and are often a main food source [11,12,13,14,15]. The poor nutritional quality of many retail foods that are available in the North increases the risk of nutritional deficiencies [11, 13, 16]; furthermore, the high cost of these foods, mainly due to their transport [17,18,19,20,21,22], can impact households' food security status, particularly when local foods are not readily available [11].
Food insecurity is often associated with inadequate nutrient intakes and lower diet quality, which can compromise adults' [22,23,24] and children's [3, 25,26,27,28,29,30] health and well-being. For instance, food insecurity can have detrimental long-term effects on child physical, mental, cognitive, and psychosocial health and development [22, 26, 30,31,32,33,34,35,36]. As such, Arctic food security research has increasingly focused on households with children: high household food insecurity was documented among Inuit preschoolers aged 3–5 years in Nunavut [7] and Inuit children aged 3–14 years in Nunavik (Northern Quebec) [34]. Responding to this high food insecurity prevalence has recently emerged as a priority for governments. For instance, the Nunavut Food Security Coalition, co-chaired by the Government of Nunavut and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, released the Nunavut Food Security Strategy and Action Plan (NFSSAP) in May 2014, which identifies food security among households with children as a public health concern [31] and charts a strategy to address the high levels of food insecurity in Nunavut [37, 38].
While research on food security in households with children is burgeoning, seasonality of food security with regards to children has scarcely been investigated in the global literature, and, to our knowledge, has not been published for Inuit communities. Season has an important influence on Inuit food systems since access to, and success of hunting, trapping, and fishing depend on season-dependent factors including ice conditions, precipitation patterns, and animal migration and distribution [37, 39,40,41,42]. As a result, the type and quantity of local food harvested and consumed in Inuit communities typically changes seasonally [11, 16, 43]. Furthermore, weather conditions also affect retail food transportation into communities [37, 42, 44]. Recent research in Iqaluit found no significant difference in household food security status between seasons [45]; however, seasonal differences in food security for households with children have not been investigated.
Furthermore, food security research in larger northern centres is nascent; past studies focused on households with children in small northern communities (<2000 people) [5, 6, 8, 9, 46] or used aggregated data over large geographical regions (entire provinces or territories) [7, 14, 26, 34]. Although this work in smaller communities has advanced our understanding of food insecurity, the occurrence and determinants of food insecurity for households with children have rarely been investigated in larger northern centers, including Iqaluit (Nunavut, population: 6699 [47]) [39, 45, 48]. Large northern centres contrast with smaller communities in their rapidly developing economies and large in-migration from other Canadian communities; for instance, one-third of Iqaluit immigrants arrived during the last decade [45, 47]. Furthermore, Northern urban centers are also home to a large non-Indigenous population, while smaller communities are primarily home to Inuit residents [49]. Considering these differences, determinants of food insecurity identified through previous research in smaller communities likely differs in larger centers where several factors such as sharing networks, employment, formal education, income, culturally determined food preferences, and participation in traditional harvesting activities differ [39].
Adding to recent work focusing on food security among adults in Iqaluit [45], and responding to the gaps in the literature on food security seasonality in households with children in urban Arctic settings [50], this study identified and characterised the food consumption and the food security of households with children in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada. Specifically, we (1) compared food consumption patterns for households with and without children, (2) estimated and compared the prevalence of food insecurity for households with and without children, (3) compared food consumption patterns and food insecurity prevalence between seasons, and (4) identified factors associated with food insecurity in households with children in Iqaluit.
Iqaluit is located on Baffin Island (63°45′N 068° 31′W), and is the capital of Nunavut with 6699 residents (Fig. 1) [47]. Iqaluit's economy is based on waged employment from the public sector, as well as partial subsistence hunting and gathering activities. Caribou, walrus, fish, seals, beluga whales, clams, geese, and ducks are traditionally harvested and shared in the Iqaluit area [39]. A moratorium was recently imposed on caribou harvesting throughout Baffin Island, but was not in place while household surveys were conducted [51].
Map of Nunavut, highlighting the city of Iqaluit (white dot), with other communities highlighted with a star
As the territorial capital, Iqaluit serves as the administrative centre of, and gateway community to, Nunavut and has a large and rapidly growing population (i.e. 8.3% growth rate compared to 5.9% at the national level [52]). Nearly 40% of the population identified as non-Inuit [53], reflecting a relatively recent influx of non-Indigenous people immigrating to the community. Iqaluit has a young population: in 2011, the median age was 30 years old compared to 41 years old in Canada; nearly 25% of the population in Iqaluit was aged 0 to 14 compared to less than 20% in Canada; and 60% of households had children aged 24 and under living at home compared to less than 50% in Canada [52].
Randomly selected households were surveyed from September 15th to October 5th 2012 and from May 18th to May 31st 2013 in Iqaluit, Canada. The cross-sectional surveys were conducted during two periods to capture different harvest seasons. Although the environmental conditions that determine harvesting periods vary from year to year, late June to November is usually the 'open water season' in Iqaluit, during which boats are used in harvesting activities. December to the end of May typically captures 'late fall to early spring' during which snowmobiles are used for transportation because of generally stable ice conditions and extensive snow cover [54]. September/October and May were selected for this study as they represent the 'shoulder seasons,' or transition periods, during which weather fluctuations can compromise the safety of harvest activities (such as unstable ice conditions in late May, and stormy weather or the formation of land fast sea ice in October) and therefore limit access to harvesting sites and local food [54].
A target sample size of 512 randomly selected households was chosen to capture 25% of all households in Iqaluit (total of 2049 households) [55]. Households were selected using a two-stage random sampling protocol. This random selection was conducted in September and then households were randomly selected again in May; that is, the September and May samples were independent. First, the city was divided into 18 map components, or 'blocks', using the City of Iqaluit "House Numbers Atlas - February 2012" based on socioeconomic status and geographical location [55]. Blocks were selected using proportional random sampling, and then a census of the selected block was attempted; that is, every household on the block was invited to participate in the survey. Second, individuals in each household were selected to complete a two-section questionnaire: one section captured individual-level data and the other section captured household-level information. The individual-level section, relating to food consumption habits, was completed by the household member randomly selected using the 'last birthday method', regardless of age, in order to estimate food consumption patterns that are representative of the population [56]. The household-level section, relating to demographics, housing conditions, reliance on income support, and food security, was completed by the person in charge of household food preparation. On some occasions, the randomly selected household respondent and the person in charge of household food preparation were the same individual. All inhabitants of Iqaluit were considered potential participants for the survey, including Inuit and non-Inuit residents as well as households with and without children. Following the advice of Nunavut research partners and reflecting local research norms and expectations, respondents were compensated with a $20 CAD gift-card for local retail stores or gas stations, as well as a coupon for a larger prize draw.
Overall, 532 households completed the survey in September and 523 in May, resulting in a response rate of 75% and 55%, respectively. During the May survey, the Inuit surveyors reported that many community members were going out on the land in the weeks preceding the spring break-up, which may explain the lower response rate in May. If the household-level section was incomplete (i.e. the participant declined to complete the section or the person in charge of food preparation was unavailable), the questionnaire was not used during analysis. As a result, analyses were based on 446 questionnaires for September 2012 and 453 questionnaires for May 2013. For the purpose of this study, we grouped the households based on the presence of children (i.e. households with children and households without children). The final sample comprised 431 households with children (203 in September 2012, and 228 in May 2013) and 468 households without children (243 in September 2012, and 225 in May 2013). When compared to the 2011 Canadian Census, females, older people, and Indigenous people were over-represented in the September survey; and females and older people were over-represented in the May survey. While climate change is impacting seasonal variability in Iqaluit, our partners described the weather as "not unusual" in September 2012 and May 2013.
Trained members of the survey team, mainly local Inuit research assistants and some southern-based university students and academics, conducted face-to-face interviews in English, Inuktitut, or French, which represented all languages spoken by potential study participants. Some participants completed the questionnaires over the telephone at their request (9.2% in September and 17.5% in May). Questionnaires were completed using an iPad-based application (iSurvey, version 2.8.3, Wellington, New Zealand).
Food insecurity was assessed using the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Household Food Security Survey Module [57], which was slightly modified to reflect Inuit culture and the northern study context (questionnaire available upon request of the authors) following the Inuit Health Survey's questionnaire (available at http://www.inuithealthsurvey.ca). A 1-month recall period was used instead of a 12-month period to allow for repeated sampling to investigate seasonal differences, as well as to increase participants' recall reliability, which was a concern raised by local residents and decision makers during study design consultations. Ten questions were related to the food security status of adults and eight questions were related to the status of children (<18 years old) living in the household. The questionnaire was pre-tested for content and context by academics, government representatives, and community members. The USDA classification was used to determine food security status of households (see Additional files for more detail) [57]. For the purpose of this study, "high food security" and "marginal food security" were combined to indicate a food secure status; and "low food security" and "very low food security" were combined to indicate a food insecure status.
Frequency of food consumption was assessed for local foods (freshly caught fish, meat from the land, berries from the land) and retail foods (fish, meat, and pre-packaged, processed, or ready-to-eat food from the retail store). Participants reported the preparation method of local and retail fish and meat that was consumed in the past 2 weeks; these data were collected since previous studies have associated specific food preparation methods with food insecurity [25, 58,59,60] (see Additional files for more detail).
Prevalence of food security status, demographic characteristics, socioeconomic characteristics, food consumption frequencies, method of food preparation characteristics, and answers to questions regarding food security were calculated. Chi-square tests were used to compare the prevalence of food insecurity between households with and without children; the prevalence of food insecurity in households with children between seasons; and the frequency of food consumption between households with and without children. To examine associations between food security status and demographic, socioeconomic, method of food preparation, and frequency of food consumption variables for households with children, we conducted a series of univariable logistic regression models for each season. All differences were considered significant at α ≤ 0.05. All statistical analyses were conducted using Stata/SE 11.2 (StataCorp LP, College Station, TX).
Comparing food consumption patterns between households with and without children
An overview of the survey sample is provided in Table 1. As expected, households with children had significantly higher retail food expenditures, expenses related to obtaining local foods, and other household expenses compared to households without children (Table 2). In households with children, the person responsible for food preparation was more often female, Inuit, younger, and had lower formal education attainment compared to households without children (Table 2). Households with children had significantly higher levels of crowding than households without children (Table 2). There were no significant differences in employment, income support, and major household repairs needed between households with and without children (Table 2).
Table 1 Summary of survey participants in September 2012 and May 2013 in Iqaluit, Canada
Table 2 Prevalence of household food insecurity, demographic, and socioeconomic characteristics, September 2012 and May 2013, Iqaluit, Canada
People in households with children consumed significantly more fruit and vegetables (P = 0.002) and retail foods (P < 0.001) compared to people in households without children (Table 3). There were no significant differences in consumption of local foods, or the frequency of consuming cooked, raw, fermented, dried or frozen fish and meats between households with and without children (Table 3).
Table 3 Prevalence of household food consumption characteristics, September 2012 and May 2013, Iqaluit, Canada
Comparing food security prevalence between households with and without children
Overall, households with children were significantly more food insecure than households without children (P = 0.001): 32.9% of households with children and 23.3% of households without children were food insecure in the month prior to survey (Table 2). Households with children "worried about food running out" more often than households without children in September (P < 0.001, Fig. 2a) and May (P < 0.05, Fig. 2b) (Additional file 1: Table S1 and Additional file 2: Table S2, online supplementary material).
Prevalence of affirmative answers to selected food insecurity questions, Iqaluit, Canada. a September 2012; b May 2013. P values determined using χ2 tests, H0: Prevalence of affirmative answers is the same in households with and without children. * P < 0.001
Comparing food consumption patterns and food security prevalence between seasons
For both households with and without children, there were no significant differences in retail food expenditures, costs associated with obtaining local food, and household expenses between May and September (Table 2). Food consumption characteristics were similar for September and May; there were no significant differences in consuming fruit and vegetables, local foods, retail foods, or cooked, raw, fermented, or frozen fish and meat between May and September. Consuming dried meat, however, differed significantly between September (51%) and May (38%) in households with children (P = 0.003) (Table 3). For households with children, food security status did not differ significantly between seasons (P = 0.52, Table 2).
Factors associated with food insecurity in households with children
For households with children, food insecurity was significantly higher where the person responsible for food preparation was female, Inuit, employed, or had lower formal educational attainment (Table 4). For households with children, food insecurity was significantly higher when people in the household consumed more retail foods, raw fish or meat, and frozen fish or meat; conversely, food insecurity was lower for households where people consumed more fruits and vegetables, and cooked fish. Factors associated with food insecurity for households without children can be found elsewhere [45].
Table 4 Odds ratios (OR) of food insecurity in households with children, September 2012 and May 2013, Iqaluit, Canadaa
This study compared food security and food consumption patterns between households with and without children, compared food security and food consumption patterns between seasons, as well as identified factors associated with food insecurity for households with children in Iqaluit, Nunavut. Similar to previous studies [4, 5, 7, 50], food insecurity was more common among households with children than households without children in Iqaluit. One third of households with children in this study were food insecure, which is nearly 7-fold greater than the Canadian average for households with children [2]. Nonetheless, the prevalence of food insecurity among households with children in Iqaluit (33%) was lower compared to recent studies conducted in Kugaaruk, Nunavut (83%) [5]; 16 Nunavut communities (70%) [7]; Nunavik, Quebec (50%) [34]; and a sub-Arctic First Nations community (76%) [61]. Additionally, there was a lower overall prevalence of affirmative answers to food insecurity questions in Iqaluit as compared to regional estimates for Nunavut, Inuvialuit, and Nunatsiavut [4], and Igloolik, Nunavut [6]. However, these other studies used a 12-month recall period, which is difficult to compare to the 1-month recall period used in our study. The lower prevalence of food insecurity and affirmative answers in our study may be attributable to different demographic and socioeconomic characteristics within this city centre [45]: other studies focused primarily on small Indigenous communities or regional aggregates, whereas our study focused on the larger and more economically developed northern centre, Iqaluit.
Similar to another study conducted in Iqaluit [45], there was no seasonal difference in the prevalence of food security in households with children. A variety of factors could explain the lack of seasonal differences. First, we found that retail foods were consumed more frequently than local foods in Iqaluit, which is similar to other studies conducted in Nunavut [24, 44, 62]. This might reflect the nutrition transition taking place in many Inuit communities, in which households are increasingly relying on retail rather than local foods [11,12,13, 62]. While local food access is heavily influenced by environmental and climatic conditions, retail food access in northern Canadian communities is less seasonally dependent [45, 54]. As such, the increasing reliance on retail foods in Iqaluit may result in seasonality being less important for food security in Iqaluit. Second, the lack of seasonal differences in food insecurity prevalence could also reflect the access to local foods via food shipments from friends and relatives in other communities, as well as soup kitchens, community freezers, and food banks [14, 44, 63]. These alternate local food access points might help negate seasonal scarcities and could explain why food insecurity did not differ by season in households with children. Lastly, Iqaluit's economy is primarily wage-based and less dependent on subsistence activities compared to other smaller Inuit communities, thus further decreasing the influence of climatic and seasonal conditions on household incomes and sustenance [45, 64]. Importantly, we compared two 'shoulder seasons,' or transition periods, during which weather fluctuations can compromise the safety of harvest activities and therefore limit access to harvesting sites and local food. While we found no significant differences in food insecurity between shoulder seasons, there could be significant differences in food insecurity between shoulder and non-shoulder seasons. As such, additional research comparing food insecurity between shoulder and non-shoulder seasons warrants further research, especially in the context of climate change.
Dried meat and fish was more often consumed in September compared to May, which likely reflects the ability to produce large quantities of dried foods during the warmer and drier summer months when meat can be laid out in the sun [65, 66]. However, there were no significant seasonal differences in other food consumption patterns in Iqaluit. This lack of seasonality in food consumption patterns is similar to results reported by other food consumption frequency studies in two First Nations communities [46] and Iqaluit [45], but differs from research by Kuhnlein et al. [11] who reported seasonality in food consumption patterns in Inuit communities across the Arctic.
Contrasting previous studies [41], local food consumption was not associated with food security status in Iqaluit. This finding could be explained by the nutrition transition reportedly taking place in Iqaluit, and suggests that local food consumption may be less important for food security in larger Inuit communities where the waged economy often dominates over subsistence livelihoods [45]. As such, food security interventions in Iqaluit should be designed differently than those in other smaller Inuit communities. For instance, food security programs in Iqaluit should consider the role of this nutrition transition in food security, and consider improving access and knowledge regarding healthy retail foods, in addition to considering increasing access to local foods [24, 39].
Consumption of retail foods was associated with decreased food insecurity in households with children, which could reflect the household's ability to afford retail foods. However, the role of retail foods in Arctic food security is complex. In the Arctic, affordable retail foods are often non-nutrient dense, with a high refined carbohydrate, fat, and sodium content [13, 16, 67, 68]. Conversely, healthy retail foods are often expensive and of low quality and freshness due to the long and sometimes delayed transport [6, 22, 44]. Previous studies documented high levels of non-nutrient dense food consumption, especially among children and youth, in Arctic communities [5, 40, 44, 62, 68]: the Inuit Child Health Survey found that on average, 35% of surveyed children's food energy came from non-nutrient dense foods such as chips, candy, soft drinks, and fruit juice [31]. Due to these foods' low cost per calorie, previous research suggests that Arctic food insecure households often rely on non-nutrient dense retail foods as a coping strategy for food insecurity [13, 22, 25, 28, 32, 69]. As such, improving food insecure households' access to adequate amounts of nutritious food will require an increase in their purchasing power, either by reducing poverty or increasing the affordability of healthy eating options [22, 50], which highlights the complex role of retail foods in alleviating Arctic food insecurity.
As reported by previous studies, the odds of household food insecurity in households with children increased if the person responsible for food preparation was female [6, 18], Inuit [39], unemployed [6, 39, 45], or had a lower level of formal education [39, 45, 70].
There are several limitations to this study. First, the United States Department of Agriculture Household Food Security Survey Module does not account for important aspects of the Inuit food system, including food sharing and reliance on harvesting practices. Similar to the Inuit Health Survey, we modified the Survey Module to attempt to capture this information; however, we acknowledge that this is difficult to quantify in a survey and likely impacts the reliability of this tool in the Arctic [71]. Furthermore, it would have been valuable to capture data on the presence of a hunter within the household or as a close relation, household income, and food sharing practices, since these characteristics have previously been associated with household food security status [3]. Second, similar to other studies [45], this study limits its seasonal comparison to two seasons: September/October, and May. For Inuit, a year encompasses six 2-months seasons [16]; it would therefore be worth exploring the impacts of these shorter seasons on food security status of Inuit households with children [39]. Additionally, we collected cross-sectional data in 2012 and 2013, and we acknowledge that seasonality of food insecurity likely varies by year. Third, we acknowledge that it is important to better differentiate the food consumption habits and food insecurity levels among Inuit and non-Inuit families with children given that their respective food systems are likely different in terms of food preferences and perceptions of food insecurity. Fourth, this study did not consider the impacts of household structure or composition on food consumption, food preparation methods, or food security status [72, 73]. Lastly, questions about frequency of food consumption and method of food preparation were asked to the randomly selected household member to attempt to understand food consumption proportions at the population level; however, in identifying risk factors for food insecurity we assumed these variables were representative at the household level.
Food insecurity remains a critical issue in Iqaluit. Households with children are at a greater risk of experiencing food insecurity compared to households without: one third of households with children were food insecure in Iqaluit, which is 7-fold higher than the Canadian average [2]. Retail foods were consumed more frequently than local foods, suggesting that food security interventions should consider the affordability of healthy retail food choices, in addition to programing increasing the availability of local foods. Food consumption, preparation, and security did not differ significantly by season. Several demographic and socioeconomic characteristics were associated with food security; future policies and interventions should consider the underlying social determinants of health, such as low formal education attainment and gender, which continue to aggravate food insecurity in Iqaluit. Effectively addressing the food insecurity challenge in Iqaluit will require continued research into food insecurity risk factors and trends in order to facilitate the identification of priority policy and action areas.
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Many thanks to the participants for their time and interest and to all the surveyors (M. Atagoyuk, N. Atagoyuk, T. Atagoyuk, G. Akpik, J. Campbell, N. Campbell, P. Davidee, A. Kilabuk-Degrasse, J. Fraser, S. Kownirk, N. Lewis, S. Lewis, L. Mark, D. McGlade, M. Naglingniq, E. Nevin, O. Nowdlak, I. Oopakak, M. Petooloosie, M. Pillaktuaq, M. Unahah) for their conscientious work and expertise. They all made the survey possible. We would like to thank M. Baikie, K. Hutchinson, W. Joy, P. Workman, and many others in the Department of Health and Social Services, Government of Nunavut; M.E. Thomas and others at the Nunavut Research Institute. We would also like to thank K. Patterson, Y. Guo and M.-P. Lardeau from McGill University and C. Wright from University of Guelph.
Group authorship: Indigenous Health Adaptation to Climate Change (IHACC) Research Team:
• Lea Berrang-Ford, Department of Geography, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
• Shuaib Lwasa, Department of Geography, Geoinformatics and Climatic Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
• Didacus Namanya, Ugandan Ministry of Health, Kampala, Uganda
• Cesar Carcamo, School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
• Alejandro Llanos, School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
• James D. Ford
• Victoria L. Edge
• Sherilee L. Harper
This project was supported by the IDRC International Research Initiative on Adaptation to Climate Change (IRIACC) grant from the IDRC, SSHRC, NSERC, and CIHR, ArcticNet, and the Nasivvik Centre for Inuit Health. The funders had no role in the design, analysis, or writing of this article.
Materials are available upon request; please contact the corresponding author.
JDF, LBF, VLE, CC, JS, DBN, SL, AL, NK, and SLH designed the research and edited the manuscript. SLH and CH conducted research. CH and SLH analysed data. CH wrote paper. JDF and SLH had primary responsibility for final content. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
This study was conducted according to the guidelines outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki and all procedures involving human subjects/patients were approved by the Research Ethics Boards of McGill University (REB: 180–1212) and the University of Guelph (REB: 11JL004). A research license was obtained from the Nunavut Research Institute (01014 13R–M). Reflecting local, cultural, and research norms in Nunavut, verbal informed consent from all subjects was obtained, witnessed, and formally recorded.
Department of Geography, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A OB9, Canada
Catherine Huet & James D. Ford
Office of the Chief Science Officer, Public Health Agency of Canada, Guelph, ON, N1G 5B2, Canada
Victoria L. Edge
Nunavut Research Institute, Nunavut Arctic College, Iqaluit, NU, XOA OHO, Canada
Jamal Shirley
Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
Victoria L. Edge, Nia King & Sherilee L. Harper
Catherine Huet
Nia King
Sherilee L. Harper
IHACC Research Team
Lea Berrang-Ford
, Shuaib Lwasa
, Didacus Namanya
, Cesar Carcamo
, Alejandro Llanos
, James D. Ford
, Victoria L. Edge
& Sherilee L. Harper
Correspondence to Sherilee L. Harper.
Summary of Food Security Response: September. Prevalence of affirmative answers to food insecurity questions, September 2012, Iqaluit, Canada. (DOCX 18 kb)
Summary of Food Security Response: May. Prevalence of affirmative answers to food security questions, May 2013, Iqaluit, Canada. (DOCX 130 kb)
Huet, C., Ford, J.D., Edge, V.L. et al. Food insecurity and food consumption by season in households with children in an Arctic city: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health 17, 578 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4393-6


text:
Visitor submitted travel journals. Submission guidelines
A Family Discovery of the Natural Beauty of Jasper and Its Environs
January 17, 2017 by Habeeb SalloumLeave a Comment
Packing up the van as we loaded up the children and luggage from our hotel in Edmonton, we embarked on the Jasper area of the Canadian Rockies adventure hoping to find snow-capped mountains, turquoise lakes, raging waterfalls and animals of the area. My daughter Muna and I were travelling with my eldest grandson Laith, Maria his wife and their two inquisitive sons, Bilal and Tamer. As we left the city anxious to visit Alberta's natural wonders in Jasper and Banff National Park discussing our itinerary, suddenly the voice of my 4-year-old great grandson broke through my thoughts. "When are we going to see the bison? You know, Jiddy (great-grandfather), they're my favourite animal. I've loved them all my life!" His 5-year-old brother Bilal interrupted the conversation with: " Wasn't that bison that we just passed?" My daughter laughed explaining, "Those were cows, not bison!" So much for city folk I thought to myself but for these precious little lads, I considered this only an honest mistake. "Don't worry, boys, we'll be seeing a lot of animals in the parks. By the end of our tour in a week's time, you'll be animal experts."
Continuing on our trip amid the towering mountains and forested foothills of Jasper National Park, we drove to Maligne Lake, the second largest glacier-fed lake in the world, stunning in its beauty.
Set in the imposing Maligne Valley, the lake, the largest in Jasper National Park, is surrounded by glacier-studded mountain peaks. The lake, which freezes in winter, boasts sparkling deep-blue waters and for beauty, has no equal in the region. Gazing at this postcard of scenic delight my daughter Muna mused, "It's a scene made by the hand of nature for the camera."
We stopped by the Maligne Lake Day Lodge & View Restaurant from where there is a fine vista of the lake and its surrounding white capped mountains – said to be the most famous view in the Canadian Rockies. Bilal and Tamer were more excited about the donuts and chocolate chip cookies that they were about to devour than the boat tour upon which they were soon to embark.
The docks edging the restaurant which is the best eating place on the shores of Maligne Lake, had a series of boats standing by, overflowing with customers. After enjoying lunch, like the 40,000 annual tourists who visit the lake, we joined in a 90-minute scenic boat cruise to Spirit Island. Muna, proud and loving great-aunt of these two precocious boys, urged them to go sit at the front of the boat. In response to Laith and Maria asking why, Muna winked and said, "They will have an experience that they won't forget".
Known as the icon of the Canadian Rockies, Spirit Island, located on the southern end of the lake, is a small islet that is wrapped in legends and can only be reached by private boats or cruise vessels. The stop allows passengers to walk the island and stop at a viewpoint that offers a spectacular panorama of the lake and mountains.
Our guide seemed to love his job as he entertained us with his historic and geographical stories about the lake intertwined with anecdotes and jokes. The scenery around us was eye-bulging and I continued to be entranced with the aura of lake waters caressing the feet of the majestic mountains until we docked on Spirit Island for a short stroll.
With the departure from Spirit Island our exploration of Maligne Lake ended. We had come to see why within the Jasper area, there is no competition in the beauty of its setting. After our tour, the saying that 'once you have seen it, Maligne Lake will forever hold a place in your mind', was more than appropriate.
As we were heading back to shore, the captain of the boat turned to Bilal and Tamer and asked which one of them would like to steer it. Tamer, without hesitation, jumped up volunteering. Just as Muna predicted, sitting at the front was advantageous and Tamer nailed it. He steered for about 10 minutes with the captain by his side. Very happy with his accomplishment, Tamer excitedly told me that this was the best-ever trip he had made because this was the first time in his life that he commanded a boat.
Leaving the lake, we stopped by to watch an elk both feeding and gazing at us along the road. Apparently he had no fear of humans, especially tourists. "Wow, isn't' that Rudolph? Does Santa live here?" "No, boys", I explained, "Santa lives further north and only appears at Christmas". They seemed a little disappointed.
Registering in a hotel in the mountain-resort town of Jasper nestled in the bosom of the Rockies, a tourist town of 5,000 in winter and 10,000 in summer, Laith and Muna went in search of food for the evening meal. What they found instead, were two elk bucks strolling lazily along a sidewalk near the centre of town munching on tree leaves to their hearts' content as they moved along. Laith excitedly took scores of pictures while Muna sat back in fear that there may be an attack. Returning back to the hotel, Laith was thrilled to show his sons the pictures. Tamer, in his quest for bison, blurted out, "Were they bison?" After learning they weren't', he sat down uninterested in the elk encounter.
Leaving the town of Jasper behind with its well-kept buildings, cuddled by towering mountains, and an idyllic vacation spot, we made our way southward on Highway 93, known as the 'Icefields Parkway' and as one of the most scenic routes in the world, to stop at Athabasca Falls, the most powerful of the numerous falls in the Canadian Rockies. A place of wonder, we gazed at and listened to its roaring waters within a setting of white-tipped mountains and tree-filled valleys.
Back on the highway, a short distance away, the boys cried out "Look, there's animals!" Laith stopped our van and we all got out, gazing at herds of black and white mountain goats, munching on greenery by the side of the road. The boys stood in awe as they realized that part of the herd included families with mother, father, and children. Bilal took me tight by the hand and breathlessly said, "See! There's a father, mother, and two babies, just like me and Tamer". Maria quickly responded, "Yes, and the children eat all their food without their mother running after them". No comment, of course, from the two toddlers to their mom's remark.
We were still discussing our encounter with the goats when a flock of Canada geese suddenly appeared wobbling along the highway. Both boys piped up, "Oh look! Canada geese! They're so funny-looking. You know they go south in the winter. Do they need passports because they're Canadian?" Muna looked at the boys with pride as they already seemed to know the rules of travelling.
With the geese encounter we went back to our hotel to reminisce about Jasper and its scenic beauty and plan the next leg of our Canadian Rockies tour while in the background Tamer was repeating "I want to see bison!"
Top Place to Stay In Jasper:
The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge – the hotel, spreading along the curve of Lac Beauvert, a short distance from town, incorporates a golf course and combines the ultimate in luxury with tranquillity and natural beauty. A village unto itself, it consists of lavish log cabins and cedar chalets. 1 Old Lodge Road, Jasper, Alberta, Canada T0E 1E0. Tel: TOLL FREE: 1(866) 540-4454 or (780) 852-3301. Fax: (780) 852-5107. E-mail: jasperparklodge@fairmont.com
Website: www.fairmont.com/jasper
Tourism Jasper, P.O. Box 568, Jasper, Alberta, Canada TOE 1EO. Tel: (780) 852-6236 Website: www.jasper.travel
By Habeeb Salloum and Muna Salloum, Top photo credit: Jasper-Tourism
From Jasper's Icefields To Maligne Lake: A Panorama of majestic Colours Canadian Rockies Trip Banff, Jasper & Glacier A Guide To California's Top Natural Beauty Spots Rocky Mountain Blues
Filed Under: North America · Tagged: Animal Rescue, Art, Canada, Chocolate, Christmas, Cruising, Food and Wine, Glacier, Golf, Lodge, National Park, Resort, Restaurants, Rocky Mountains, Village, Walking tour, Wildlife
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Nice job, love the details like this.
Reading things like this makes me really kick myself – about 15-20 years ago now, I collected a complete line of the vintage figures (in fact, near enough two complete lines), with only the ultra rare giants and the laser lights figures missing. Anyway, this meant buying up MANY large lots on ebay (before their price had filly gone astronomical) and by which means, I did gain a number of very subtle variants. For example, I had the quite rare early Zodak with alternate latch design on his armor! Sadly, although the MOTU fan community was already well active on-line by that point, such intricate production variants hadn't really yet been logged or even discovered, and so I know for a fact I let several of those early production variants (including that version of Zodak) go without knowing their worth, slowly selling on my duplicates to save space and fund my collecting of the line!
Also, I know the varying paintwork on Castle Grayskull has been covered on it's own entry on this blog, but looking at that photo of the very early production run Grayskull there really shows what a difference paint apps can make – I love it's more 'sunken' eyes, making it look more piercing and sinister without all the heavy black all over. My childhood version of Grayskull (which I still have) looks similar to the second version shown (I'm assuming yours, Battleram) but with more black shading around the base on the "rocks" around the jawbridge and on the rear section. I remember as the years went on the paint jobs got increasingly sloppy, and often losing some of the striking features of the sculpt as a result. I remember a childhood friend of mine who lived a few houses away had a Grayskull that we used to call Mister T, as it had a strong black stripe right over the top of it's head (akin to Mister T's mohwak).
One possible early production variant that has been nagging me for a few years is Mer Man's sword. I know the vibrancy of the yellow can vary on different example of his accessories over the years (one example I had of the figure had near mustard coloured accessories), but I vaguely recall that some early productions of his sword may have had a extra paint detailing, a sort of light black wash to bring out the sculpt detailing in the crevices of the sword. I've tried to read up on this a couple of times and have found nothing; wondering it is actually just my memory playing tricks.
If it helps, the first release Zodac isn't particularly hard to acquire.
I haven't heard of a Mer-Man sword that had a black wash. I do think that the early ones had a darker yellow accessories, but I need to see a direct comparison to be sure. I just have the early one.


text:
- Discover Moscow - by Type
- Discover Moscow - by Region
AAArbat is a live, hot and beating heart of Moscow. Arbat has several versions of its name. Firstly, in Arabic 'Orbat' means suburb,and it is truly understandable, because in XIV-XVI centuries, Arbat was located in the surburb- just right behind the white-stone Kremlin walls. Secondly, in Turkic 'Arba' is a carriage, and it might also be the right explanation because tatars stayed there when they were on their way to Moscow. And the most interesting interpretation is a distorted word 'gorbat' (crooked). The name was given due to special street planning. Moscow was a wooden town and fires which happened often seemed a real danger, thus to prevent it, streets and lanes were designed in a crooked way, as twisting ones to reduce wind power and thus fire catching.
Actually, until XVIII century Arbat was not only a street, but also a district with plenty of trade shops such as carpentry, jewellery, coinage ones and many others. Unfortunately, in 1812, when Napoleon captured Moscow, lots of wooden buildings in the street burnt down and it took a long time to make it come to life again. In Soviet times Arbat's name was changed to Old Arbat. The reason for this was Kalinin prospect also known as New Arbat, which was in parallel to the initial Arbat. It wasn't the most brilliant architectural idea, so New Arbat was quickly nicknamed 'false teeth'.
Since 1974 Old Arbat has become a pedestrian zone with trade stalls, tiny shops and local cafes. It has become the Russian «Montparnasse», place, where poets, writers and painters lived. In the nineties, Arbat was a place for underground rock bands, young rebels, new wave musicians and freaks. For more than 10 years it has been a popular spot for tourists who like to enjoy themselves at theatres, museums, shops, restaurants and clubs scattered along the street and round the corner lanes. There still are some local crafts with antique stuff like Soviet coins or pins and traditional matreshkas. In the spring it is a typical venue for outdoor Dream Flash festival (Bubble festival) when lots of pedestrians dressed in a fancy costumes have fun, show joy and happiness and blow soap bubbles. The main idea of the festival is to be in high spirits and make others feel the same.
Arbat is really easy to find, it is right in the heart of Moscow, between Smolenskaya and Arbatskaya metro stations.
UPDATED: May 4th 2017
- Discover Moscow -


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


AppWriter Cloud is a Google extension providing word prediction support for struggling writers. One of the only word prediction apps for Google Chrome, this app fills the need for students familiar or needing word prediction to support spelling challenges when composing in Google docs.
LingApps are the developers of US AppWriter an iPad app featuring word prediction, TTS tools for students with learning challenges. They also have a Google Doc app called AppWriter Cloud app featuring word prediction capabilities.
Ling Apps provides a sign up for a one month free trial for AppWriter Cloud on their website: http://lingapps.com/appwriter-cloud.
Contact with LingApps has been extremely positive with quick responses to persistent questions and requests for assistance. They provide great service and support and are committed to improving their mobile device apps.
This entry was posted in App Rubric, Apps for OT's, Apps for Special Needs, Education, Google, iPad, Learning Disability, Reading, Text to Speech, Uncategorized, Word Prediction, Writing and tagged App Review, Google, Learning Disability, occupational therapy, OT Apps, special education, special needs students, Word Prediction, Writing. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
2Bayani
Our Way Forward
Magisterial Lectures
Sandaang Salaysay
Copyright 2021 Ateneo de Manila University. All Rights Reserved. Powered by Passion.
Why the Boy Was Scooped Out of the Sewer
Peter Zaragoza Mayshle sat down with Cyan Abad-Jugo and Martin Villanueva in the Emmanuel S. Torres Literary Arts Room in the George SK Ty Learning Innovation Wing of Areté last August 8, 2018. Mayshle read from a novel-in-progress, Judas Republic, and discussed a story's seed, a narrative's structure, notions of time and timeliness in fiction, and the process of developing a work that creates a world and characters out of an actual news article about a body found in the Manila sewage system.
Mayshle received a PhD in English, Composition, and Rhetoric from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. His stories have appeared in The Manila Times, The Philippines Free Press, Mandala Journal, Every Day Fiction, Flash: The International Short-Short Story Magazine, and Flash Fiction International. He currently teaches writing and rhetoric at Carnegie Mellon University.
Abad-Jugo teaches with the Departments of English, Fine Arts, and Interdisciplinary Studies at the Ateneo de Manila University where she also advises BFA Creative Writing seniors. Villanueva is Chair of the Department of Fine Arts, is Associate Editor for the Literary Section of Kritika Kultura, and helps coordinate programming for Areté.
This conversation is the first of a series that will feature authors discussing their work, process, and practice. The series is produced by Areté in collaboration with Kritika Kultura and the Department of Fine Arts's BFA Creative Writing program. The readings and conversations are recorded in the room named in honor of Emmanuel Torres, the poet, critic, and literature professor who was also the first and longtime curator of the Ateneo Art Gallery.
Writing as a Political Act
Political Orientation, Multiplicity of Voices, and the...
NVM, Hip-Hop, "Born Again Filipinos," and the Strings...
Writing One's Way to Knowing about Martial Law
In Conversation with Domenèc and Teresa Grandas
In Conversation with Author Luis Francia
Managing Stress and Anxiety: The Power of Mindfulness
Of Carabaos and Communion: Understanding Sacraments
On Youth Engagement and Citizenship
Devi Benedicte I. Paez, Cecilia A. Suarez, PhD, and...
Physical Fitness in a Time of Isolation
A Psychology of Liberation: Positioning, Power, & Pride!
After Lockdown: Perspectives from the Medical Field
Of Black Swans and Gray Rhinos
The Monkey and the Turtle
How may we help you? Please feel free to get in touch.
Copyright 2022 Ateneo de Manila University.
All Rights Reserved. Powered by Passion.


The following are the details for the Branch Minimus and Tetrathlon Competition Dates that are available at the moment. Further details will be published as they are submitted to the IPC office.
•Sunday April 22nd, Kildare Hunt Branch – Clane.
•Sunday April 29th, Wicklow Hunt / Shillelagh & District Hunt Branch.
•Monday May 7th, Meath Hunt Branch – Kells.
•TBC – June Bank Holiday weekend, Golden Vale Hunt Branch.
•TBC, South Union Hunt Branch – Area 5.


text:
Shadow and Bone: The Collector's Edition
By (author): Bardugo, Leigh
Series: The Shadow And Bone Trilogy
Subject: YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Action & Adventure / General
YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Fairy Tales & Folklore / General
YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Fantasy / General
YOUNG ADULT FICTION / General
Audience: young adult
Publisher: Imprint
Enter the world of the Grishaverse and Shadow and Bone, soon to be a Netflix original series!
Read from the beginning with this beautiful deluxe collector's edition of the first novel in the worldwide-bestselling Shadow and Bone Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo. This edition features brand-new artwork, a hardcover slipcase with exclusive design, a ribbon pull, and more.
Soldier. Summoner. Saint. Orphaned and expendable, Alina Starkov is a soldier who knows she may not survive her first trek across the Shadow Fold-a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters. But when her regiment is attacked, Alina unleashes dormant magic not even she knew she possessed.
Now Alina will enter a lavish world of royalty and intrigue as she trains with the Grisha, her country's magical military elite-and falls under the spell of their notorious leader, the Darkling. He believes Alina can summon a force capable of destroying the Shadow Fold and reuniting their war-ravaged country, but only if she can master her untamed gift.
As the threat to the kingdom mounts and Alina unlocks the secrets of her past, she will make a dangerous discovery that could threaten all she loves and the very future of a nation.
Welcome to Ravka . . . a world of science and superstition where nothing is what it seems.
A New York Times Bestseller
A Los Angeles Times Bestseller
An Indie Next List Book
This title has Common Core connections.
An Imprint Book.
Read all the books in the Grishaverse!
(previously published as The Grisha Trilogy)
Siege and Storm
Ruin and Rising
The Six of Crows Duology
Crooked Kingdom
The King of Scars Duology
King of Scars
The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic
The Severed Moon: A Year-Long Journal of Magic
Praise for the Grishaverse
"A master of fantasy." -The Huffington Post
"Utterly, extremely bewitching." -The Guardian
"The best magic universe since Harry Potter." -Bustle
"This is what fantasy is for." -The New York Times Book Review
"[A] world that feels real enough to have its own passport stamp." -NPR
"The darker it gets for the good guys, the better." -Entertainment Weekly
"Sultry, sweeping and picturesque. . . . Impossible to put down." -USA Today
"There's a level of emotional and historical sophistication within Bardugo's original epic fantasy that sets it apart." -Vanity Fair
"Unlike anything I've ever read." -Veronica Roth, bestselling author of Divergent
"Bardugo crafts a first-rate adventure, a poignant romance, and an intriguing mystery!" -Rick Riordan, bestselling author of the Percy Jackson series
Biographical Note Leigh Bardugo is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of fantasy novels and the creator of the Grishaverse. With over three million copies sold worldwide, her Grishaverse spans the Shadow and Bone Trilogy, the Six of Crows Duology, The Language of Thorns, The Lives of Saints, and the King of Scars duology. Her short stories can be found in multiple anthologies, including The Best of Tor.com and the Best American Science Fiction & Fantasy. Her other works include Wonder Woman: Warbringer and Ninth House. Leigh was born in Jerusalem, grew up in Southern California, and graduated from Yale University. These days she lives and writes in Los Angeles