Politik Dunia

CBC year in review: the 14 most-read stories of 2014

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 31 Desember 2014 | 21.16

You compiled this list, in a way.

Unlike Newsmaker of the Year or other year-end retrospectives, our rundown of the top 14 stories in 2014 required no editorial decisions or judgment calls. It's simply the stories that CBC News readers viewed more than any others, starting with a tragedy that was our single most read story ever.

1. Ottawa shooting

The story:

An armed attacker fatally wounds a Canadian Forces member at the National War Memorial before being shot dead in Parliament's Centre Block.

The quote:

"Let there be no misunderstanding. We will not be intimidated. Canada will never be intimidated." - Prime Minister Stephen Harper

2. Moncton shooting

NB Shooting Manhunt ERT shooter June 5 2014

An Emergency Response Team member walks on the roof of a building in Moncton during the search. (Marc Grandmaison/Canadian Press)

The story:

Police scour a locked-down Moncton, N.B., looking for the shooter of three slain RCMP officers.

The quote:

"This is working through your worst nightmare." - Roger Brown, RCMP assistant commissioner

3. Robin Williams dies

2014 Emmy Awards Billy Crystal Robin Williams tribute

Billy Crystal paid tribute to Robin Williams during the Emmys. (Kevin Winter/Getty)

The story:

Iconic actor-comedian Robin Williams is found dead of an apparent suicide in California.

The quote:

"Robin Williams was an airman, a doctor, a genie, a nanny, a president, a professor, a bangarang Peter Pan, and everything in between. But he was one of a kind." - U.S. President Barack Obama

4. Calgary stabbing

Women cry and hug beside a makeshift memorial near the scene of the stabbings. (Larry MacDougal/Canadian Press)

The story:

Matthew de Grood, the man suspected of fatally stabbing four men and a woman at a northwest Calgary house party, is charged with five counts of first-degree murder.

The quote:

"This is the worst mass murder in Calgary's history." - Calgary Police Services Chief Rick Hanson

5. Jian Ghomeshi

Former CBC Radio host Jian Ghomeshi leaves a Toronto courtroom after his first appearance on sexual assault charges. (Reuters)

The story:

Q host Jian Ghomeshi leaves the CBC with little explanation, kicking off a scandal that will culminate with sexual assault charges against the former radio host.

The quote:

"... I have nothing to hide." - Jian Ghomeshi, in a Facebook posting

6. The Nathan O'Brien case

A woman embraces her sons after placing flowers and toys at an impromptu memorial for Nathan O'Brien and his grandparents, Alvin and Kathryn Liknes. (The Canadian Press)

The story:

Douglas Garland, the man suspected in the murders of three Calgary family members, including five-year-old Nathan O'Brien, arrives at the Calgary Police Service arrest processing unit to face multiple murder charges.

The quote:

"There's always a glimmer of hope and unfortunately with the laying of the charges we've taken that away from the family. They're devastated." - Calgary Police Services Chief Rick Hanson

7. Dead babies discovered in Winnipeg

Members of the media stand outside the scene where the remains were found. (Lyle Stafford/Reuters)

The story:

Police in Winnipeg find several dead babies inside a Winnipeg storage locker.

The quote:

"How does that even happen, when you sneak four infants into a storage unit and nobody sees it, nobody knows?" - Barrington Francis, who rents a storage unit in the same facility

8. Malaysia Airlines tragedies

A teddy bear is placed next to wreckage at the site of the downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17. (Marko Djurica/Reuters)

The stories:

Malaysia Airlines had the misfortune of losing two aircraft in the same year: one shot down over Ukraine and the other mysteriously disappearing without a trace. Coincidentally, the two tragedies ranked side by side on CBC's most-viewed stories of the year.

The quotes:

"We are sure that those guilty in this tragedy will be held responsible." - Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko, on MH17

"We know much more about the surface of the moon than we do about the ocean floor in that part of the Indian Ocean." - David Ferreira, an oceanographer, on the search for MH370

9. 'Sergeant' Franck Gervais

Franck Gervais spoke with CBC on Remembrance Day wearing a uniform and medals. (CBC)

The story:

The Department of National Defence says Franck Gervais, a man who claimed to be a decorated soldier during this year's Remembrance Day ceremony at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, is not a member of the Canadian Forces.

The quote:

"The thing that really irks me about him is he has a medal for bravery on." - Jake Flanders, Airborne Regiment Association of Canada

10. Jim Flaherty dies

Laureen Harper reacts to the news of former finance minister Jim Flaherty's death. (Blair Gable/Reuters)

The story:

Former finance minister Jim Flaherty dies suddenly, just weeks after resigning from federal cabinet.

The quote:

"You could differ with him, but you never ever doubted his absolute commitment to serving the people of Canada." - Liberal MP Scott Brison

11. Philip Seymour Hoffman dies

Actress Cate Blanchett and her husband Andrew Upton leave the funeral of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman. (Jason DeCrow/Associated Press)

The story:

Philip Seymour Hoffman, one of the leading actors of his generation, is found dead in his Manhattan apartment of a drug overdose.

The quote:

"Today New York mourns the loss of one of stage and screen's greats." - New York Mayor Bill de Blasio

12. Apple product release

A man wearing a mask depicting Apple's co-founder Steve Jobs holds up a cardboard cut-out of Apple's new iPhone 6 outside an Apple store in Tokyo. (Yuya Shino/Reuters)

The story:

Apple unveils larger smartphones, a smartwatch and mobile payments, amid questions over whether the company still has a knack for innovation following the 2011 death of co-founder Steve Jobs.

The quote:

"One more thing..." - Apple CEO Tim Cook, stealing a line from late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, to cheers from the crowd.

13. Winter rant

The story:

An unidentified caller gives CBC Radio's Morning Edition in Saskatchewan a blast about wind, winter and having to endure it year after year.

The quote:

"I get the funny feeling that you guys are just saying [the weather is nice] so that people won't just end it." - unidentified caller to CBC, on Saskatchewan's winter weather

(WARNING: HARSH LANGUAGE) CBC listener rants about the weather.1:59

14. U.S. police shakedown

The story:

In our most-read analysis of 2014, senior Washington correspondent Neil Macdonald writes about how U.S. police are operating a coordinated scheme to seize as much of the public's cash as they can.

The quote:

"There's a shakedown going on in the U.S., and the perps are in uniform." - Neil Macdonald

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Sylvain Chicoine, NDP MP, countersues ex-staffer for 'smear campaign'

New Democrat MP Sylvain Chicoine is seeking $175,000 in a defamation lawsuit filed against former employee Fabiola Ferro, who in the fall filed a court claim alleging that the politician had a sexist and misogynist attitude towards her.

In a countersuit filed against Ferro in Ontario Superior Court on Monday, Chicoine is seeking $175,000 for legal costs and alleged defamation of his professional reputation.

Chicoine represents the Quebec riding of Châteauguay-Saint-Constant and works as the NDP deputy critic for veterans affairs.

In a lawsuit filed on Nov. 7. Ferro is seeking $194,000 in damages from Chicoine, who she claims failed to deal with harassment by another staffer and fired her without cause.

The former employee alleged that Chicoine showed favouritism towards another staffer, David Cimon, who she alleges was harassing her, threatening her, and unfairly criticizing her work.

CBC News on Tuesday spoke with Chicoine's lawyer, Alexander Herrick Duggan from the Montreal law firm of Duggan Avocats, who said his client rejects the accusations against him.

"He [Chicoine] bent over backwards to help and accommodate the plaintiff, Ms. Ferro, who then maliciously attacked and defamed him in an abusive and meritless lawsuit."

Duggan said Chicoine's statement of defence and counterclaim shows he is "the victim of a politically motivated smear campaign and abusive lawsuit by a former employee."

The counterlawsuit alleges that Ferro's lawyer is a former defeated candidate for Ontario's Progressive Conservative Party and that Ferro, through her counsel, "threatened to embarrass the NDP politically."

Chicoine also claims the "smear campaign" was the result of Ferro's "dissatisfaction with her limited role as an administrative assistant."

None of the allegations have been proven in court.

Ferro's lawsuit was filed amid allegations of harassment by two female NDP MPs against Liberal MPs Scott Andrews and Massimo Pacetti.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau kicked Andrews and Pacetti out of his party's caucus due to the allegations of misconduct against them.

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Trudeau's Liberals led in 2014, but what does 2015 have in store?

As 2014 comes to a close, all eyes turn to the federal election scheduled for 2015.

The climactic year begins with the Liberals leading in the polls, the Conservatives in a close second, and the New Democrats trailing in third. Here's a look at how we got here with a retrospective of 2014 polling.

It was a good year for Justin Trudeau's Liberals, as the party maintained its lead in national voting intentions. But there were moments when it looked like the Conservatives were on track to dislodge the Liberals from top spot.

Liberals (red), Conservatives (dark blue), New Democrats (orange), Bloc Québécois (light blue), Greens (green) (ThreeHundredEight.com)

That was certainly the case when the House of Commons began its summer break. The Liberals had begun the year with a comfortable six- to eight-point lead, but by June the margin between the two parties had decreased to just two points. The Trudeau honeymoon was at risk of coming to an end.

But the Liberals' polling numbers ballooned over the summer, as the party surged to the highest level of support it would enjoy all year, at 38 to 39 per cent. The Conservatives, however, were keeping their heads above water at 30 per cent, and as parliamentarians returned to work in the fall, the margin closed once again.

As it stands at year end, the Liberals still lead in the polls, but their advantage over the Conservatives is modest at about 35 to 32 per cent.

The New Democrats have trended downwards throughout the year, having started 2014 in a strong third position with 24 to 25 per cent support. But as Liberal support jumped in the summer, the NDP dropped to the low-20s and, this past month, has been even flirting with the high-teens. While the party is still polling quite well by historical standards, it is a far cry from the 31 per cent the NDP captured in 2011.

The biggest problem for the NDP has been Ontario, where the party has been averaging 20 per cent or less since July.

That might be good news for Trudeau. The Liberals led in the province throughout the year, experiencing the same uptick during the summer that they experienced nationwide. But the race has been very close for much of 2014, with the gap standing at two to three points for much of the first half of the year. As the fall sitting recommenced, the large margin that the polls recorded over the summer decreased again, and the battleground province looks to be one that will be hotly contested in 2015.

Another important battleground will be Quebec, where the Liberals and New Democrats are vying for the lead. The Liberals captured it for most of 2014, but the New Democrats remain ahead among election-deciding francophones, an edge that could serve them well in the seat count.

The Bloc Québécois began the year with some hope of being able to repeat its 2011 vote share performance and potentially win a few more seats due to vote splitting. But when Mario Beaulieu took over the party in June, the Bloc's support plummeted. Not since before Beaulieu's arrival has the party averaged more than 20 per cent support in any month. And with the Conservatives experiencing a modest uptick as 2014 comes to a close, the Bloc may be dropping into fourth.

The Conservatives also continue to poll well in Alberta, managing between 50 and 60 per cent support for most of 2014. But noteworthy is the performance of the Liberals in the polls, with between 20 and 30 per cent. Recall that the party took just nine per cent of the vote in the province in 2011, so with a three-fold increase the party may be in contention for a handful of seats.

Another region where the Liberals have done unexpectedly well in 2014 has been in the provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. While the Conservatives remain comfortably ahead in the region, with over 40 per cent support for the first half of the year as well as in December, the Liberals have managed between 30 and 35 per cent. The New Democrats, who have hopes for a breakthrough in Saskatchewan, have taken a plunge over the last few months.

Support has proven somewhat more robust for the NDP in British Columbia, the only real three-way race in the country. The lead swapped hands throughout the year, with the parties being within a few points of each other on several occasions. The Liberals have wobbled anywhere between 27 and 37 per cent support, while the New Democrats have put up between 23 and 30 per cent. The Conservatives, meanwhile, have been very steady in the province with about 30 per cent support. Depending on how the vote breaks down regionally, B.C. could have a lot of interesting races in 2015.

One party to keep an eye on in the province is the Green Party, which has polled at roughly 10 per cent for most of 2014. That would mean an improvement over 2011, and bode well for leader Elizabeth May's re-election chances.

Re-election will be more difficult for Conservative and NDP MPs in Atlantic Canada, however, as the Liberals dominated the region in 2014. The party has averaged majority support throughout much of the year. The Conservatives and NDP have vied for the distant second spot, with about 20 per cent apiece.

The 2015 federal election campaign will undoubtedly move the dial again, and none of the parties will start that campaign at zero. The polls in 2014 show where the parties will start off in the new year, but the big question is: where will they finish?

The monthly polling averages are determined by averaging all polls conducted within a given month and weighing them by sample size. The methodologies, survey dates, and sample sizes of the polls included in these averages vary and have not been individually verified by the CBC.

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Ebola outbreak: Canadian volunteers to West Africa doubles since call to action

The number of Canadians who have volunteered to take part in the government's efforts to stop the deadly spread of Ebola in West Africa has doubled since Health Minister Rona Ambrose put out a call to action last month.

Ambrose called on health-care workers to join the fight against Ebola in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea during a press conference on Nov. 27.

Nick Ayre, a recruitment officer with the Red Cross's Ebola response team, said 670 Canadians have applied to help contain the deadly virus in West Africa — 350 since the government's call for more volunteers. Of the 350 who have applied, 100 of those are government workers.

In an interview with CBC News, Ayre did not sugarcoat the risks and challenges faced by volunteers on this mission.

"The environmental conditions are harsh to deal with and they're coming face-to-face on a daily basis with death."

Patrice Gordon, a B.C. nurse practitioner and Red Cross delegate, is currently working at the Red Cross Ebola treatment centre in Kenema, Sierra Leone. She is seen here caring for a one-month-old baby with Ebola. (Handout/Canadian Red Cross)

Ayre said while the majority of the applicants are nurses, there is still a need for more volunteers, specifically doctors as well as water sanitation engineers.

The Red Cross will open a new treatment centre in Kono, Sierra Leone, in the next few days. The new centre will open as Canadian troops have begun working on the ground.

The federal government confirmed today that 37 Canadian Armed Forces doctors, nurses, medics and support staff have started working at a British-operated treatment unit in Kerry Town, Sierra Leone.

National Defence Minister Rob Nicholson, following an event in Halifax earlier today, welcomed their efforts in preparing for the mission.

"The feedback that I have received at this point in time is that it's positive and they're working well and putting this together."

In a written statement, Lieutenant-General Jonathan Vance, commander of Canadian Joint Operations Command, said he was proud of the work Canadian troops were doing on the ground.

"Their efforts will help alleviate human suffering, save lives, and serve as a reminder of the Canadian Armed Forces' important and enduring role in helping people around the world."

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Joe Oliver concerned about a Canada divided over energy

Finance Minister Joe Oliver says he is concerned that divisions within Canada over the energy sector will eventually hold back the country's growth.

In a year-end interview for The Exchange with Amanda Lang, Oliver cited opposition to fracking and to pipelines in some provinces as potential points of conflict.

"It's important to communicate with Canadians that we're not just missing out on a new opportunity. We're potentially also looking at a decline which would adversely affect the Canadian economy and degrade the standard of living of Canadians across the country," Oliver said.

New Brunswick recently announced it would impose a moratorium on fracking and Quebec and Ontario have set conditions for the development of the Energy East pipeline within their borders.

Pipelines critical to economy

Oliver terms the need to get Canadian oil to tidewater so it can be shipped overseas a "critical strategic imperative" for the country.

He said the inability to gain agreement to build the Keystone XL pipeline through the U.S. so far was disappointing, but he believes that a pipeline to secure export markets will eventually go through.

'I haven't heard anybody suggest that the U.S. is about to introduce a carbon tax. I think with the change in the Senate and the House of Representatives, that's an extremely unlikely event'- Finance Minister Joe Oliver

"We have a critical strategic imperative, which is to diversify our markets because 100 per cent of our gas exports, 99 per cent of our oil exports go to the U.S.," Oliver said.

"They've found vast amounts of their own and they're in the process of competing with us on gas," he added.

He upheld the prime minister's view that a carbon tax which would show Canada is moving to combat climate change would not be the right move at this time.

The Obama administration has suggested it is looking for proof that Canada is moving to combat climate change before it would approve Keystone.

"What we have said, what the prime minister has said is 'we'll move with other countries, but this is not the time to disadvantage Canadian industry in a significant way.' It simply doesn't make sense," Oliver said.

Oliver dismisses carbon tax

He insisted Canada is serious about dealing with greenhouse gases and would move when other countries move, but said he doesn't believe there is international pressure to put a carbon tax in place.

"I haven't heard anybody suggest that the U.S. is about to introduce a carbon tax. I think with the change in the Senate and the House of Representatives, that's an extremely unlikely event," Oliver said.

"Why introduce a carbon tax here to show that we are serious about climate change when they haven't done it?" he added.

A 2014 report on Canada's greenhouse gas emissions shows the country will fall short of meeting its 2020 targets that were agreed to in Copenhagen for reducing the emissions that lead to climate change. The world is set to implement tougher emissions targets when delegates gather in Paris next year.

Oliver points out that Canada is "very wealthy" and has an opportunity to prosper even more in the years ahead.

But there are headwinds from Europe and other more troubled economies, even as the U.S. picks up steam.

"The fact that Europe is poised to either start recovering or decline is a concern," he said.

"There are geopolitical issues that have economic and other implications for Canada. We're in pretty good shape, but the international situation is fragile," he said.

Oliver said his goal is to create economic stability for Canadians and that's part of the reason he believes it's important to have balanced budgets and bring down the debt.

"We want to be strong in the event there are international shocks, which are inevitable from time to time," he said.

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Queen Elizabeth calls for harmony in Christmas message

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 26 Desember 2014 | 21.16

Queen Elizabeth used her traditional Christmas broadcast to call for international reconciliation and praise medical workers fighting Ebola in Africa.

She said it will take time to heal divisions in Scotland, where a referendum was held this year on whether to remain part of Britain, and praised progress resolving the conflict in Northern Ireland. Elizabeth cited the "Christmas truce" in 1914 as an example to be remembered.

"Something remarkable did happen that Christmas, exactly 100 years ago today," she said. "Without any instruction or command, the shooting stopped and German and British soldiers met in No Man's Land. Photographs were taken and gifts exchanged. It was a Christmas truce."

She said German forces sang Silent Night so that it could be heard on the British side of the front line.

"That carol is still much-loved today, a legacy of the Christmas truce, and a reminder to us all that even in the unlikeliest of places hope can still be found," the Queen said before wishing everyone a happy Christmas.

The Queen writes her own Christmas speech, which is pre-recorded and televised in many parts of the world. She made her first Christmas broadcast on radio in 1952

The Queen and her close family celebrated Christmas at the sprawling Sandringham estate in Norfolk.

The royals attended a church service Christmas morning before a gala lunch. Prince William and his pregnant wife Kate were present, but their toddler son, Prince George, didn't go to church.

Kate told one person in the crowd she didn't bring one-year-old George because he would have made too much noise.

Queen Elizabeth leaves after attending the British royal family's traditional Christmas Day church service at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, England, on Dec. 25, 2014. (Matt Dunham/Associated Press)

Prince Charles' wife Camilla also didn't attend because of a painful back injury suffered earlier this month, officials said.

The Queen arrived by car while the other royals walked from her estate to the village church.

Hundreds of well-wishers lined the route to the church to exchange Christmas greetings with the royals. Some shouted with glee as Prince Harry walked by. One visitor from Spain told reporters she had asked Harry to marry her.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby cancelled his Christmas sermon because of a severe cold. In a statement he expressed "great regret" about his inability to preach his planned sermon about the true meaning of Christmas.

Church officials said the sermon at Canterbury Cathedral would instead be delivered by the Dean of Canterbury Robert Willis.

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Canada's Peace Tower carillon bells mark 1914 Christmas truce

Around the biggest of the 53 carillon bells hanging in the Peace Tower reads the inscription, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace and goodwill towards men" — words taken from Luke's Christmas passage in the Bible.

When the tower and its carillon were unveiled in 1927, they were a tribute to peace after the traumatic First World War.

It's perhaps fitting then that on Christmas Eve this year, the carillon was among 99 instruments in 11 countries that commemorated the 1914 Christmas truce.

The truce was a spontaneous laying down of arms in various places along the western front by German, Belgian and British soldiers that first year of the war. (Canadians had not yet joined them in combat).

Accounts of that Christmas Eve and Christmas Day talk of meals shared, carols sung, games of soccer, and even a collective effort to bury the war dead.

Dominion Carillonneur Andrea McCrady played Silent Night at about 12:15 p.m. on Dec. 24 as part of the agreement with the World Carillon Federation. The University of Toronto's Soldiers' Tower carillon also participated.

Anyone within earshot of Canada's Peace Tower Wednesday around noon heard Dominion carillonneur Andrea McCrady play "Silent Night." (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

"In his dedicatory speech, Mackenzie King waxed quite eloquent, saying this was the song of the angels, heard 2,000 years ago in Judea, and now the carillon becomes the voice of the nation in remembrance and thanksgiving," McCrady said in an interview.

"He made a direct connection of that inscription to the first Christmas and the song of the angels. Even though Canadians are not part of the actual Christmas truce, the carillon, the Peace Tower, they all share the same aspiration towards peace.

"The spirit is there."

The carillon itself originated in Flanders around 600 years ago. The massive instrument features pedals, rows of wooden levers called batons, and pulleys that attach to the bells above. The carillonneur plays by pressing on the pedals with her feet and simultaneously hitting the batons with the side of her loosely closed fist.

McCrady, a retired doctor from the United States, won a competition for the job in 2008. She replaced Gordon Slater, who had occupied the post for 31 years.

McCrady is creative with her recital playlists. This winter, passersby could hear Coldplay's "Clocks" playing if they came up to Parliament Hill midday. During the annual Parliament Hill Christmas lighting ceremony this year, she prepared a number of songs that would have been heard by Canadians during the First World War.

She also played Paul McCartney's song "Pipes of Peace," which was written as a tribute to the 1914 truce.

One of McCrady's favourite times for playing is in the lead-up to the holidays.

"It's a joy to play every day, but it connects a lot with people on the ground (during this period)," she said.

"It's lots of fun to play the prelude to the Christmas lighting ceremony. People are up there with their hot chocolate and their beaver tails and they're hearing the bells play the Christmas carols. That's one of the neatest times of the year."

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John Baird to push for Mohamed Fahmy's release in Cairo next month

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird will travel to Egypt next month to push for the release of imprisoned Egyptian-Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy.

Baird said Canada has been working hard behind the scenes to win the release of the Al Jazeera journalist who will be entering his 13th month in captivity by the time Baird arrives in Cairo in January.

Baird has met twice with his Egyptian counterpart in the last month, most recently in Bahrain, and pushed for the release of the 40-year-old Fahmy, the minister's office said Tuesday.

"We had a long conversation about this," Baird told Ottawa radio station CFRA in an interview Tuesday about his most recent discussion with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry.

Baird said he also met with Egypt's ambassador to Canada on Monday to discuss Fahmy's possible release.

Baird's office said the minister also had a separate conversation with Shoukry at an international gathering in the United Arab Emirates last month.

As Baird told the Ottawa radio station, there has been an ongoing diplomatic effort to free Fahmy, who was arrested on Dec. 29 last year along with two colleagues, Australian correspondent Peter Greste and Egyptian producer Baher Mohamed.

"We're doing a lot, everything we can. We're going to it in an effective way, not in a loud way," Baird said.

"We'll continue to make our case directly to the senior leadership in Cairo."

After a trial that was denounced as a sham, Fahmy was sentenced to seven years in prison for supporting the banned Islamist Muslim Brotherhood group of ousted Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi. Greste were sentenced to seven years in prison, while Mohamed was sentenced to 10 years.

They were also charged with fabricating footage to undermine Egypt's national security.

The journalists deny the charges, saying they were just doing their jobs.

Fahmy's family and others have suggested the case has political overtones, claiming Egyptian authorities believe Al Jazeera is biased towards the now-deposed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood.

The Qatar-based broadcaster denies the allegation.

Fahmy's family is hoping for a positive result after his appeal is heard on Jan. 1. His relatives have started an online crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for his legal fees.

Fahmy's family hopes he will be at least temporarily released on health grounds because he has hepatitis C and an injured shoulder.

Baird expressed muted confidence in securing Fahmy's release because of success in October 2013 winning the release of two other Canadians arrested in Egypt.

John Greyson and Tarek Loubani spent two months behind bars after their arrest and beating during an anti-government protest.

Both men had praised Baird, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the country's diplomats and their friends, family and supporters for relentlessly pushing for their freedom.

"We had two Canadians that were imprisoned last year. We got them out through effective diplomacy," said Baird.

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Stephen Harper asks Canadians to pray for military fighting ISIS

Holiday message focuses on Canada's role overseas

The Canadian Press Posted: Dec 25, 2014 8:49 AM ET Last Updated: Dec 25, 2014 12:25 PM ET

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is asking Canadians to pray for the country's military personnel as they battle ISIS extremists in Northern Iraq.

Harper also called Thursday for support of the Canadian Forces as part of his annual holiday address.

Canada has six CF-18 fighter jets in the Middle East as part of an international effort to help Iraq fight an insurgency by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria militants.

Until this week, it also had fighter jets in the Baltics in response to Russia's incursions in Ukraine.

Harper also spoke of the economy, saying more Canadians have more opportunities and better jobs than at any time in the country's history.

But a big focus of his message was on Canada's role overseas.

Harper says Canadians are doing what they are known for — standing up for what is right, defending freedom and protecting the vulnerable.

The prime minister also urged Canadians to give to the less fortunate.

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WW I soldiers' files being digitized by Library and Archives Canada

Library and Archives Canada is in the process of digitizing all soldiers' records from the First World War, the most requested items in its collection.

And it's not easy work.

Sylvain Bélanger, director-general in the stewardship branch of Library and Archives Canada, said there are about 640,000, and within each of those folders there are numerous documents. He estimates that, in the end, about four million images will be scanned and digitized.

One of the First World War files that will be available online within the next 12 to 18 months. (Mathieu Theriault/CBC)

"So that's a big effort for our team," Bélanger said, adding the project should take 12 to 18 months.

Each file must be prepared one at a time before the pages can be scanned. Staff remove metal clips and fasteners, while glue is removed from some pages.

And in some files, there are more than formal documents.

In one, staff found a piece of shrapnel. In another, an American social security card. Many have personal photographs, including one taken of a group of officers at a field hospital. The caption just reads "somewhere in France."

Bélanger says it brings these soldiers to life for the staff.

"Every time they go through the file, they find something different. Every soldier has got a history, has got something special related to him," he said.

Library and Archives Canada has been criticized in recent years for keeping too much of its collection locked away in vaults, making it difficult for the public to access. At one point, only two per cent of the entire collection was online. Now, four per cent of its material can be found with the click of a mouse.

A recent report from Auditor General Michael Ferguson was critical too, suggesting that the archives were not in touch with what Canadians want from the institution.

Just four per cent of Library and Archives Canada's collection has been digitized, a number the agency hopes to increase to 15 per cent. (Mathieu Theriault/CBC)

He said a disconnect happens when departments don't have a clear understanding of whether the services they are providing are meeting the needs of their clientele.

"When departments do not fully consider the on the ground impact of their activities, they're missing opportunities that they're hitting the mark for Canadians," Ferguson wrote.

Guy Berthiaume, who was named librarian and archivist of Canada six months ago, said he hopes to one day see 15 per cent of the collection digitized, but not much more than that.

"One-hundred per cent is not the goal. We're not going to go and digitize the phone book, all phone books in Canada. It doesn't make sense," he said.

Instead, Berthiaume would like to see more of the material in the vaults displayed in public exhibits across the country.

He points to why people continue to line up to see the Mona Lisa, even though they can Google the image easily.

"I'm not a psychologist. I can't explain it. But I know it when I feel it. It's a very different emotion when you're with the document than when you see it digitized," Berthiaume said.

Vancouver's chief librarian, Sandra Singh, is leading the digitization effort in her city.

She said Berthiaume's efforts are a step in the right direction.

"Fifteen per cent in the short timeline he's speaking about is pretty ambitious. I would hope over the long term to see even greater collections digitized and provided and made available to Canadians," Singh said.

Berthiaume is seeking the public's input on what should be digitized next. The public can vote on a Top 10 list that's on the website. There are also more public exhibits planned for 2015.

Singh can't wait to see more of what's in the vaults.

"I would suspect that in archives and libraries across the country there are boxes and boxes of collections that are just waiting to be opened, waiting to be described," she said. "Perhaps they'll be catalysts for the next great Canadian novel or the next really insightful piece of analysis of the Canadian story, and where we are and where we might be going."

Berthiaume agrees.

"We're still in the process of defining who we are. And if this institution can be felt as the place to go, to help people know themselves personally, through genealogy or globally through history, that would be a great undertaking," he said.

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Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne's other side

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 25 Desember 2014 | 21.16

It turns out there are actually two Kathleen Wynnes.

There's the minority premier promising to be "new and different" and "open and transparent."

And there's the majority premier who appears to have all but wiped those four words from her political vocabulary. Why?

Because she can, say some Liberals privately, who say as well Wynne's majority means she no longer, in their words, "has to play nice" with the opposition to get things done.

Wynne's new approach to governing has manifested itself in a number of ways, not the least of which was her decision to uninvite — some say "dismiss" — her loyal Liberal candidate from the June general election in Sudbury.

Andrew Olivier apparently just wasn't good enough for a provincial byelection to be held in the riding early in the new year.

What galls a lot of Sudbury Liberals — and even some at Queen's Park — is that as Olivier was preparing to run, Wynne was on the telephone convincing NDP MP Glenn Thibeault to be her candidate, after he made it known he was disenchanted with federal party leader Tom Mulcair.

The timing of his departure from Parliament Hill allows Thibeault to collect his full MP's pension. If elected, he'll take a pay cut and receive no pension.

But while all sides deny there's been any deal, my political radar tells me that Thibeault is headed for Wynne's cabinet, which may well be the wink and nudge that the Liberals will campaign on in a riding that is used to being represented by a cabinet minister.

Rick Bartolucci held the riding for almost two decades, retiring just before the June election.

A Liberal byelection win would strip NDP Leader Andrea Horwath of her bragging rights over having "stolen" the riding in June and then essentially finding it up for grabs again when MPP Joe Cimino stepped down after just five months.

Wynne says Thibeault would bring what she calls "stable" representation to the riding, which implies that Cimino did not.

And that comment in and of itself marks a change from the always compassionate Wynne who seems to have let politics cloud her thinking — forgetting that the one-time city councillor quit provincial politics to deal with a "serious family" matter and chose to give up a $58,000 severance that he was entitled to receive under the current rules for MPPs.

I have covered provincial politics in this province since the 1980s. I have reported on eight premiers: Bill Davis, Frank Miller, David Peterson, Bob Rae, Mike Harris, Ernie Eves, Dalton McGuinty and now Wynne.

But I have been struck by just how quickly Wynne has gone from "new and different" to "same old, same old" — reminding me and others of the short-lived Peterson era — another Liberal administration that promised to "earn the trust of Ontarians every single day," and then quickly forgot that.

It's a time that is well-chronicled in the book Not Without Cause — the rise and fall of David Peterson — a Liberal premier sent packing by an electorate that quickly tired of him and his approach to governing.

Wynne's approach — often echoed by her cabinet ministers — is now more of: we won, you didn't.

And as a result, she wants legislation passed quickly, limiting debate, refusing to allow all-party committees to travel outside of Queen's Park.

But beyond that, what is and is not acceptable has changed in Wynne and two recent examples underscore the new tone.

Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa recently said in the House during a morning question period that Horwath was incapable of reading the Liberal election platform because it is "more than the nine pages" she produced for the June election.

In the past, Wynne has been clear that that kind of putdown was unacceptable. In fact, she led a group of women cabinet ministers who spoke to then-premier Dalton McGuinty asking him to intervene to stop the patronizing attitude toward Horwath, then the newly-elected NDP leader.

McGuinty did intervene and things changed. Wynne successfully challenged the old boys club at Queen's Park. But she now seems to support it.

Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli dismissed Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk's concerns about the government's smart meters program saying "the electricity system is very complex ... difficult to understand."

His tone was called "sexist and patronizing" by the opposition, directed as it was at a woman, who for a decade held senior positions with Manitoba Hydro.

But Wynne offered only mild support for Lysyk, "welcoming" her annual report and when confronted with demands for Chiarelli's resignation, dismissed the calls, turning at one point during a particularly heated exchange with Horwath to face her caucus and mouth the words "for God's sake."

In the past, people close to Wynne have often quietly informed reporters, including me, when the premier had been "displeased" with a cabinet minister. But there have been no calls about either Sousa and his comments about Horwath or about Chiarelli's public attitude toward the auditor general.

Again, it's the case of the two Kathleen Wynnes.

The premier is clearly popular right now, having come out of the June election with a lot of political capital. But that could all change.

It is one thing for the Opposition to call her "arrogant." It'll be quite another matter if that's picked up by voters.

If the government continues to wear the McGuinty gas plant scandal and its own questionable spending of taxpayers' money and if the Opposition gets its act together, 2018 may not be the slam dunk many Liberals are privately expecting.

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Neil Bantleman, Canadian teacher, in Indonesian court for start of testimony in sex assault trial

Neil Bantleman trial adjourned: His wife speaks 7:37

Neil Bantleman faces child sex charges 6:18

Canadian teacher Neil Bantleman was exhausted and emotionally shattered after spending 11 hours in an Indonesian court on Tuesday, his wife said.

The Burlington, Ont., man, who had also worked as a teacher in Calgary, faces allegations that he sexually assaulted a six-year-old boy and two other kindergarten-age children at the Jakarta International School where he worked. Teaching assistant Ferdinand Tijong is also on trial for the same charges.

Neither man has entered a plea, but both have maintained their innocence.

Tracy Bantleman, the wife of the accused, is in Jakarta and said the trial started at 8:30 a.m. local time and adjourned around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday was the first time testimony has been heard at the trial.

The court heard from the six-year-old boy at the centre of the case. The child was supposed to appear by teleconference, but after technical difficulties in the courtroom, the boy covered his face with a mask and was escorted into the courtroom by his father.

Neil Bantleman was kept out of the court as the boy spoke. When he was allowed to return, the judge asked him what he thought of the boy's testimony, to which he replied he couldn't comment because he didn't hear it.

"That was very frustrating for him," his wife said.

The accused man was allowed to stay in the courtroom as the boy's mother testified.

According to emailed comments from Bantleman's lawyer, Patra M. Zen, the child's testimony cannot be used as evidence under Indonesia's criminal law, and the other evidence his family presented was flimsy.

Zen said during questioning, the child often answered, "I don't remember" or "I forget."

Zen also said that it was impossible for the child's parents to not know about a potential sexual assault, given the mother frequently volunteered at the school and the father picked the boy up after class,

The only way they wouldn't have known, Zen said, was that "there was no sodomy" or "this is a fabricated story."

Bantleman's legal team maintains there's been no physical evidence of sexual assault put before the court.

Questions about standards of evidence

The lack of evidence prompted a warning Tuesday from the U.S. government.

U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Robert Blake said in a statement to CBC Hamilton that the investigation and the accusations "raise serious questions about the standards of evidence applied."

"The outcome of these cases and what it reveals about the rule of law in Indonesia will have a significant impact on Indonesia's reputation abroad," Blake's statement continued.

The U.S. Embassy is a founding member of the Jakarta International School.

Guy Bantleman, Neil's brother, said he was encouraged to hear about the U.S. statement.

"That was totally out of left field," he said. "I think that was a fairly strong statement and a very dramatic position."

Guy Bantleman said he hopes to share the U.S. statement with Canadian officials, who he has asked to call for transparency in the Indonesian legal process.

The Canadian government has been repeatedly asked to intervene, but has declined. The government said it's providing consular assistance to Neil Bantleman.

Tuesday was the first day of major arguments in the case. Bantleman had been in court earlier this month to ask that the case be thrown out, but the court denied his application. Bantleman is expected to appear again in court next Tuesday. The trial is expected to take up to three months.

Janitors sentenced

Bantleman, who remains employed and backed by Jakarta International School administrators, has been detained since mid-July. Around 100 teachers and parents from the school community came to court to show their support.

The Jakarta International School is attended by children of foreign diplomats, expatriates and Indonesia's elite. It has 2,400 students aged three to 18 from about 60 countries.

Monday's sentencing of five janitors from the school doesn't bode well for Bantleman's case, his brother said, though according to Tracy Bantleman her husband has a different set of judges.

The four men and one woman were given sentences of up to eight years in prison after they were found guilty of sexual assault on the same six-year-old boy.

The only woman involved in the case received seven years for being an accomplice.

The janitors were arrested in April and went to trial before Bantleman, in almost a preview of the case against the Canadian teacher.

Lawyers for the janitors argued in court that the evidence was weak, noting medical reports found the boy had no major injuries or abnormalities. They also complained that confessions given by the janitors were obtained through police torture, and were later recanted.

Prosecutors said the boy had been sodomized up to 13 times.

Bantleman's trial could take up to three months. It's unclear when his next court appearance will be.

His wife said he is "very fearful for the eventual outcome."

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Canada's Peace Tower carillon bells mark 1914 Christmas truce

When the tower and its carillon were unveiled in 1927, they were a tribute to peace after the traumatic First World War.

It's perhaps fitting then that on Christmas Eve this year, the carillon was among 99 instruments in 11 countries that commemorated the 1914 Christmas truce.

Accounts of that Christmas Eve and Christmas Day talk of meals shared, carols sung, games of soccer, and even a collective effort to bury the war dead.

Anyone within earshot of Canada's Peace Tower Wednesday around noon heard Dominion carillonneur Andrea McCrady play "Silent Night." (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

"The spirit is there."

McCrady, a retired doctor from the United States, won a competition for the job in 2008. She replaced Gordon Slater, who had occupied the post for 31 years.

She also played Paul McCartney's song "Pipes of Peace," which was written as a tribute to the 1914 truce.

One of McCrady's favourite times for playing is in the lead-up to the holidays.

"It's a joy to play every day, but it connects a lot with people on the ground (during this period)," she said.

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What should be on the federal leaders' polling wish list?

The leaders of Canada's political parties have undoubtedly already written their Christmas wish lists — a pair of sandals, a beard trimmer, maybe even a fuzzy sweater.

But if they could receive a gift from the pollsters, what might they wish for?

Blue Christmas (in Ontario)

Topping Stephen Harper's polling wish list should be for his party to regain the lead in seat-rich Ontario. It was the province that gave the prime minister a majority government in 2011, and it is the only province that can give him another one in 2015. Moreover, for Harper, a majority government may be the only means of staying in office.

Stephen Harper reads Twas The Night Before Christmas

Prime Minister Stephen Harper was one of the many Conservative caucus members to join in a pre-holiday read-along of Clement Moore's classic poem, which was posted to YouTube. (YouTube video posted by Conservative MP Paul Calandra)

The Conservatives are still competitive in Ontario, having trimmed the margin that separated them from the Liberals earlier this year. But they have yet to consistently move ahead in the polls. The province is where every vote taken away from the Liberals gives the Conservatives the highest return in seats. A return to 40 per cent or higher would certainly bode well for the Conservative Party's re-election odds next year.

As a stocking-stuffer, Harper might also wish for some strong numbers in the Quebec City region. The New Democrats took the city in the last election, but have lost some of their support to the Liberals. If the Tories can bounce back in the provincial capital, they may be able to squeeze between the two and win some new seats.

Do they know it's Mulcair?

What Tom Mulcair would be glad to see from the polls would be a drop in the number of Canadians outside Quebec who say they have no opinion of the NDP leader. In some polls, this still represents as much as one in three Canadians, compared to half that number for Justin Trudeau and a third of it for Harper. Mulcair needs his numbers to improve outside of Quebec if the NDP is to have any hope of being in the running to form the government in 2015. And considering that those who do have an opinion of Mulcair tend to have a positive one, particularly in important provinces for the NDP like British Columbia, he stands to gain by becoming better known.

A smaller present Mulcair might like to get from the pollsters would be stronger numbers in the Prairies. With the boundary changes in Saskatchewan, an opportunity for new seat gains there has opened up for the New Democrats. But the party is struggling in the region in the polls. An uptick here could pay some serious seat dividends.

N'oublie pas mon petit Trudeau

Trudeau might want to write his wish list in French. His party would benefit greatly from an improvement in their polling numbers among francophones in Quebec. While the Liberals lead provincewide, they trail the NDP among francophones and that could have real implications in the number of seats each party could win in Quebec. By making some inroads among francophones, Trudeau would close the seat gap in the province with the NDP, as well as decrease some of the imbalance that exists between the Conservatives' strength in the West and the Liberals' strength in the East.

In his stocking, though, he could use some more growth in Alberta and the Prairies as well, in order to capitalize on the party's good byelection results in the region and turn those close contests into seat wins in 2015.

Green Christmas (for B.C.)

For Elizabeth May, she should wish for another breakthrough for her party in British Columbia. The Greens' polling numbers in the province are respectable, and make May's re-election a good bet. But she would like to be joined by a second elected Green MP, and it is B.C. that could deliver one. Moving from around eight to 11 per cent to closer to 15 per cent may go a long way towards securing that second B.C. seat.

Jingle Bell Bloc

It doesn't look like it will be a happy holiday season for the Bloc Québécois, which remains mired in the polls well below even its disastrous showing of 2011. Mario Beaulieu, who was named leader in the summer, needs his own personal numbers to improve. His approval ratings are dismal, with three times, even four times as many Quebecers saying their disapprove of Beaulieu than approve of him. At this stage, it doesn't look like the sovereignty issue will carry the Bloc to its old stature in the province. Having a likeable leader would help.

Read more of Éric Grenier's analyst at ThreeHundredEight.com.