Tag Archives: Vancouver

GLOBE 2010 Announces Star Speaker Line-up

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Business leaders from international companies including Dell, AMEC, Fedex, Barrick Gold and Interface will join NGO directors, government and intergovernmental officials and thousands of delegates for three days of engaging and topical conference sessions on business and the environment.

GLOBE 2010 confirmed speakers include Samir Brikho, Chief Executive Officer of AMEC plc, Ray Anderson, Chairman of Interface Inc., Paul Clements-Hunt, Head of the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative, Tony Manwaring, Chief Executive Officer of Tomorrows Company, Tod Arbogast, Director of Sustainable Business of Dell Inc., Suzanne Stormer, Vice-President and Chief of Staff at Novo Nordisk, Caroline Waters, director of people and policy at BT Group, Liesbeth van der Pol, Chief Government Architect of the Government of the Netherlands, Jim Prentice, Ministry of the Environment of the Government of Canada, and Gregor Robertson, Mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia.

Speakers

Samir Brikho, Chief Executive Officer, AMEC plc, has led the London-based engineering company into the prestigious FTSE 100 index while promoting environmental sustainability. In March, the Times of London reported that AMEC seemed to be defying the recession and had reported a 66-per-cent increase in profits. Mr. Brikho has used business to promote peace in the Middle East and is a recipient of the Medal of Honour for Industrial Service from South Korean President Myung-bak Lee.

Ray Anderson, Founder and Chairman, Interface Inc., pledged his company to sustainability long before environmentalism became trendy. In 1994, Mr. Anderson dedicated his Interface, which manufactures carpet, to completely eliminating its environmental impact by 2020. The company has since remade its corporate structure and drastically reduced its waste output. Interface, which in 2008 won a Queens Awards for Enterprise Sustainable Development, has gone so far as to study geckos to learn how to adhere carpets to floors without using glue.

Paul Clements-Hunt, Head of the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative, (UNEP FI), oversees a partnership between the United Nations Environment Programme and the global financial sector. UNEP FI works with more than 170 financial institutions to develop links between the environment and business. Mr. Clements-Hunt founded Thailands first environmental consultancy. He also directed the International Chamber of Commerces energy, environmental and sustainable development policy work.

Tod Arbogast, Director, Sustainable Business, Dell Inc., is responsible for matching Dells growth strategies with sustainable development practices. Mr. Arbogast aims to minimize Dells environmental impact while sustaining its robust growth and status as a leading technological innovator. By creating more energy efficient products, Dell hopes to save customers operating costs while reducing the environmental impact of the companys products.

Tony Manwaring, Chief Executive Officer, Tomorrows Company, aims to improve the relationship between business, employees and society at large. The London-based research and education non-profit advocates holistic thinking that can promote decisions to enable sustainable business success. Mr. Manwaring previously worked as head of The General Secretarys Office for the Labour Party as it transformed into Tony Blairs New Labour.

Jim Prentice, Minister of Environment, Government of Canada, was first elected to Parliament in 2006. He has also served as Ministry of Industry and Ministry of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. As a lawyer, Mr. Prentice specialized in property rights and served as a commissioner on the Indian Specific Claims Commission.

Caroline Waters, Director of People and Policy, BT Group, was named HR director of the year by HR magazine. Ms. Waters has been an outspoken advocate of work-life balance and a strong employee-employer relationship for BT Group, one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world. She has provided advice to government and serves on a number of boards.

Gregor Robertson, Mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia, was elected in 2008 and will speak just weeks after his city hosts the world during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Mr. Robertson has also served in the British Columbia legislature as the New Democratic small business critic. He is co-founder of Happy Planet, an organic juice producer that received the Ethics in Action Award in 2004.

2010 Conference Themes

Water: Potential Impacts + Issues for Business NEW

Clean(er) Technology: Changing the World of Business NEW

Corporate Sustainability Toolkit

Climate Change + Carbon Management

Energy and the Future

Financing the Green Economy

The Urban Infrastructure Revolution

For more information visit www.globe2010.com

About GLOBE

GLOBE 2010 is produced by the GLOBE Foundation, an international consultancy organization in the business of the environment. GLOBEs expertise lies in project management, event development, and management and consulting in the fields of environment and energy, urban development, and corporate responsibility. The GLOBE Foundation is North Americas longest operating producer of environmental events, having produced the GLOBE series since 1993.

North Shore commercial real estate sales and leasing transactions on the rise as average land prices rank among the highest in Metro Vancouver

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/CNW/ – North Shore commercial real estate market activity is expected to increase in most sectors in 2010, says a new Avison Young Metro Vancouver submarket report released today.

Sales and leasing deals in the office, retail, industrial and multi-family sectors are on the rise, comments Avison Young North Shore specialist Matt Thomas. Cautious optimism has replaced the unprecedented uncertainty that accompanied the global financial meltdown of 2008.

According to the report, North Shore industrial vacancy remains below 3% and ranks among the lowest in Metro Vancouver. Meanwhile, Avison Young data shows the North Shore average industrial land price of $2 million per acre ranks as the second highest in the region, next to Vancouver itself.

The North Shores tight industrial sector, in particular, shows underlying strength. Diminishing land availability is going to keep North Shore industrial vacancy low, and lease rates and sale prices will remain relatively high in the long run, says Thomas. With mountains to the north and water to the south and west, there is minimal room for development of new industrial properties.

Although North Shore industrial vacancy is expected to increase marginally in 2010, the lack of available quality product, coupled with ongoing strong demand, is expected to hold vacancy in the 3% range through 2010, according to Thomas.

Lease rates have held up surprisingly well, adds Avison Young sales associate Kyle Blyth. However, inducements have become an important part of landlord-tenant relations.

Meanwhile, North Shore office vacancy continues to increase slightly due to new inventory and corporate downsizing. Most activity is occurring in North Vancouver, with a number of mid-sized projects due to come on stream in 2010.

North Shore retail vacancy remains in the 1% to 2% range while the multi-family market continues to display strength as the global market recovers, states the report, which was compiled by Avison Youngs North Shore team of Thomas and Blyth.

Overall, the North Shore market remains resilient after 12 to 18 months of considerable uncertainty, says Blyth.

Founded in 1978, Avison Young is Canadas largest independently-owned commercial real estate services company and the only national, Canadian-owned, principal-managed real estate brokerage firm in the country. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario and ranked among Canadas leading national commercial real estate organizations, Avison Young is a full-service commercial real estate company comprising more than 500 real estate professionals in 14 offices across Canada and in the U.S. The company provides value-added, client-centric investment sales, leasing, advisory, management and financial services to owners and users of commercial, industrial and multi-residential real estate properties.

Editors/Reporters:

- Avison Youngs Fall/Winter 2009 North Shore, BC commercial report:

http://www.avisonyoung.com/library/pdf/Van_Research/NVNewsWEB.pdf

If you are unable to open the link, please contact Monte Stewart for PDF version to be emailed. Thank you.

Editors/Reporters can now follow Avison Young on Twitter:

http://twitter.com/AvisonYoung

Special Christmas Holiday Vancouver Programme

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From 19 December to 3 January
General public
Wapikoni mobile – documentaries
Overview of the Aboriginal communities in Quebec
Every day, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
The concept of the Wapikoni mobile? A mobile video studio sets off to meet the First Nations. Then a team of staff train young Aborigines on audiovisual production techniques. The result: unusual subject matters, chosen and produced by adolescents or young adults. Linking with tradition, heritage and modernity, the young generation express themselves using hand-held cameras.
The Wapikoni mobile, a remarkable collection of short films produced by the young people of Quebec’s First Nations
Traditional Inuit games
Every day, 3 – 5 p.m.
Some entertainment from the Great North, Inuit versions of games that are well known in Europe. An effective way of keeping in shape this winter!
Guided tours
Sunday 20 December and 31 January at 2 p.m. (included in entry price).
The Challenging Traditions: Contemporary Art from the Northwest Coast of Canada exhibition with commentary by art historian Françoise Ramseier.
Young public
Mascot or inukshuk workshop
Every day, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Age 6 upwards
Mascots and an emblem, all of them elements which make up the identity of the Olympic Games while showing aspects of the host country’s culture. Quatchi, Miga and Sumi: make the mascots. The inukshuk: build an emblem!
Haida ceremony workshop
Tuesday and Wednesdays, 2 – 3.30 p.m. and 4 – 5.30 p.m.; Thursdays: 2 – 3.30 p.m. Ages 6 to 11.
From medals to mascots, the Vancouver Games are promoting First Nations art. The workshop highlights the mythical animals which fill the imagination of the Haidas, the Aboriginal people of the West Coast of Canada. On the programme: making a ceremony banner and an introduction to Haida rituals.
The activities are free-of-charge and accessible without reservation, as long as there are places available.
Information: 021 621 65 11
The Museum is closed on Mondays and 25 December and 1 January.

Source: WEBWIRE

CATALYST TELECOM EXPANDS INTO CANADA

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Through this expansion, resellers in Canada will have access to the industry-leading value-added services and support that Catalyst Telecom offers, including online, in-person and self-paced training covering manufacturers, products and business acumen; pre- and post-sale technical support; VoIP and wireless network assessments; solution design support; and customized financial services support. In addition, resellers will be supported by a sales and business development team that brings years of experience and knowledge on Avaya solutions and is familiar with Canadian business processes. What’s more, Catalyst Telecom will continue to add resources to support the channel and enhance its offering in Canada.

“Expanding our Avaya business into Canada will provide real growth opportunities for Canadian resellers looking to offer voice and data solutions to their end-user customers, as well as for U.S. resellers who are looking to create partnerships with Canadian solution providers,” said John Black, president, Catalyst Telecom. “Our POS and Barcoding business in Canada has been successful, and we will certainly leverage that experience through Catalyst Telecom Canada. In addition, we will utilize the ScanSource POS & Barcoding sales offices in Vancouver and Toronto for additional expansion opportunities.”

Catalyst Telecom is a valuable partner for Avaya in the U.S. and we look forward to working with them more closely in the Canadian market, said Mary Whittle, channel director, Avaya Canada. As Avaya continues to move towards a channel-centric model, it is important to have great partners on board to serve our customers better. Catalyst Telecom has a proven track record and solid knowledge of Avaya’s solutions that will help it effectively support our growing Canadian customer base.”

For additional information on Catalyst Telecom, please visit www.catalysttelecom.com.

About ScanSource, Inc.
ScanSource, Inc. ( NASDAQ: SCSC ) is a leading international distributor of specialty technology products, consisting of seven sales units in North America, Latin America and Europe.

ScanSource POS & Barcoding in North America, Latin America and Europe delivers AIDC and POS solutions; Catalyst Telecom in the US, and ScanSource Communications in North America and Europe, provide voice, video and converged communications equipment; and ScanSource Security in North America offers physical security solutions. Founded in 1992, the company ranks #854 on the Fortune 1000. For more information, call the toll-free sales telephone number at 800.944.2432 or visit www.scansourceinc.com.

Source: Media Newswire

PANASONIC TO LAUNCH MULTI-FACETED MARKETING CAMPAIGN SURROUNDING THE VANCOUVER 2010 OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES

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Full HD 3D Home Theater Pavilion

Panasonic plans to bring to market its ground-breaking Full HD 3D Home Theater products in 2010. In Vancouver, Panasonic will feature the Panasonic FULL HD 3D Theater Pavilion at David Lam Park. The 700 m2 corporate pavilion will be open throughout the Olympic Games ( February 12 to 28 ) in cooperation with the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games ( VANOC ), the City of Vancouver and Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium — the official Canadian broadcaster of the 2010 Winter Games.

The highlight of the pavilion will be Panasonics world-first FULL HD 3D Plasma Home Theater System which will allow visitors to experience the immersive world of 3D entertainment through a variety of sports and entertainment videos shown in FULL HD 3D movie-theater quality.

Panasonic has been contributing to the Olympic Games with its state-of-the-art digital AV technologies since the Calgary 1988 Olympic Winter Games. The company, who recently extended its commitment to global sponsorship through 2016, will demonstrate in Vancouver the future of at-home Olympic Games viewing by displaying its Full HD 3D technology to the the public in Vancouver.

Following the initial announcement in January 2009 of plans to create a FULL HD 3D Plasma Home Theater System* using a 103-inch Plasma and 3D Blu-ray Disc player, Panasonic recently announced a 50-inch FULL HD 3D Plasma Home Theater System in September 2009. It also has been developing professional 3D production systems to improve the production environment and make it easier for content creators to create more 3D programming for consumers.

One Winter, Five Dreams Online Contest

On November 2, Panasonic launched a blog entitled One Winter, Five Dreams within its global Olympic Games web site featuring five athletes who are striving to win a place at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. Using videos and photos, the five athletes will blog about their highly unique experiences including their daily training, pre-Olympic events and their passion as they pursue their dreams of becoming an Olympian. Readers can post messages on the blog to help encourage and support each of the athletes with one fan blogger winning a trip to the Vancouver Olympic Games as the “Gold Blogger” to cheer on them at the venues.

The five athletes include Robel Teklemariam ( mens cross-country skiing, Ethiopia ), Clyde Getty ( mens freestyle skiing, Argentina ), Tugba Karademir ( ladies figure skating, Turkey ), Katharine Eustace ( womens skeleton, New Zealand ) and Kazuhiro Koshi ( mens skeleton, Japan ). Their blogs appear at http://5dreams.panasonic.net

VANOC Sustainability Video Contest

VANOC has made sustainability one of the main themes of the 2010 Winter Games, taking measures to reduce the environmental impacts of the Games. Panasonic supports the goals of VANOCs sustainability-focused operations and will implement various environmental programs during the Olympic Games.

A centerpiece of Panasonic’s support for VANOC’s environmental initiatives is a co-sponsorship of the Do Your Part – VANOC Sustainability Video Contest aimed at Canadian youth aged 13-24. The contest, promoted jointly by VANOC, the United Nations Environment Program ( UNEP ) and the Government of Canada, will make use of Panasonic’s long-term Kid Witness News ( KWN ) program – a hands-on video educational program started in 1989 — in order to encourage interaction and environmental activities by children in Canada and around the world through the making of videos.

Panasonic will also cooperate with VANOC and the Official Carbon Offset Supplier, Offsetters, to contribute to VANOCs goal of having a Carbon-Neutral Olympic Games by offsetting 416 tons of CO2 emissions, the estimated total amount of CO2 released from various activities Panasonic will carry out during the period of the Games.

* World’s first system to create true-to-life 3D Full HD images by providing full HD images to left-eye and right-eye, as of November 2, 2009.

About Panasonic:

Panasonic is proud to support the Olympic Movement—aimed at promoting world peace through sports—as an Official Worldwide Olympic Partner in the Audio and Visual Equipment category for more than 20 years since The Olympic Partner ( TOP ) Program commenced for the Calgary Olympic Winter Games in 1988. Under the slogan of Sharing the Passion, Panasonic will contribute to the success of the Olympic Games through its technology. In 2007 Panasonic renewed the partnership with the International Olympic Committee through to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

For more information on the programs discussed in this release, please visit:

Panasonic’s Olympic Sponsorship: http://panasonic.net/olympic/

Panasonic’s Environmental Programs: http://panasonic.net/eco/

Kids Witness News Program: http://panasonic.net/kwn/

Editorial Contacts:

Chris De Maria ( Panasonic ) 201-348-7182 Blayne Murphy ( Cohn & Wolfe ) 212-798-9763

[email protected] [email protected]

MeeJin Annan-Brady ( Panasonic ) 201-392-6124

[email protected]

Source: Media Newswire

Adult Safe Hockey Network Announces 2010 and 2011 Tournament Locations

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TORONTO, Ontario – The Adult Safe Hockey Network (ASHN) is pleased to announce that the ultimate adult recreational hockey tournament—the North American Championships (NAC)—will be hosted by two of Canada’s best destination cities in 2010 and 2011.
The 2010 North American Championships will be hosted by Canlan Ice Sports – Les 4 Glaces de Brossard in magnificent Montréal, QC. Tournament games will commence the day after Victoria Day, on Tuesday, May 25th and will culminate with the Championship Finals on Saturday, May 29th. The ASHN is expecting more than 64 teams to compete in 12 divisions during the five-day event.
League and tournament teams also have the opportunity to qualify for the 2011 North American Championships, which will take place in beautiful Vancouver, BC at Canlan Ice Sports – Burnaby 8 Rinks from Tuesday, May 24th to Saturday, May 28th, 2011.
There are several ways that teams can qualify to attend one of the North American Championships: by finishing first or second at a North American Qualifier (NAQ), placing first or second at a Adult Safe Hockey League Regional Championship or by receiving a “Wild Card” entry.
In addition, all of the 2009 San Jose NAC participants have been invited to attend the 2010 Montréal NAC. There were 59 teams that took part in the inaugural event in May 2009 at Sharks Ice in San Jose, California. The tournament crowned 12 teams as the ultimate champions of their caliber.
More information on the 2010 North American Championships will be posted in the weeks and months ahead as players, sponsors, suppliers, and staff members organize their teams to attend and deliver an awesome event.
The ASHN is an online community of more than 65,000 recreational hockey players in leagues owned by or affiliated with, Canlan Ice Sports. The Network enhances a player’s regular hockey experience with online features (e.g. Team Locker Room, Hockey Finder) and membership benefits (e.g. insurance, prizing, opportunities to qualify for special tournaments).
Canlan Ice Sports is the largest private sector owner and operator of recreational ice sports facilities in North America and currently owns or manages 22 multi-use facilities in the United States and Canada.
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Source: WEBWIRE

Acetaminophen may be linked to asthma in children and adults

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New research shows that the widely used pain reliever acetaminophen may be associated with an increased risk of asthma and wheezing in both children and adults exposed to the drug. Researchers from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, conducted a systematic review and metaanalysis of 19 clinical studies (total subjects=425,140) that compared the risk of asthma or wheezing with acetaminophen exposure.

The analysis showed that the pooled odds ratio (odds ratio for all studies combined) for asthma among users of acetaminophen was 1.63. The risk of asthma in children who used acetaminophen in the year prior to asthma diagnosis or in the first year of life was elevated to 1.60 and 1.47, respectively.

Furthermore, results showed a slight increase in the risk of asthma and wheezing with prenatal use of acetaminophen by mothers. Researchers speculate that acetaminophens lack of inhibition of cyclooxygenase, the key enzyme involved in the inflammatory response of asthma, may be one explanation for the potential link between acetaminophen use and asthma.

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This study is published in the November issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians.

Source: EurekAlert!

Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines Expand Alliance in Portland

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Airlines now offer customers codeshare access to 70 daily departures to 32 markets, including nonstop flights to Amsterdam, Tokyo
PORTLAND, Ore.- Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL), Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air this fall are expanding codeshare access for customers at Portland International Airport to include more than 70 daily departures to 32 nonstop destinations. This represents a 40 percent increase in codesharing between Delta and Alaska/Horizon compared to last fall’s schedules.
“Together, Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air and Delta offer more flights from Portland than all other carriers combined,” said Karen Broghammer, Alaska Airlines’ director of alliances. “Combining the strengths of Delta’s global network with Alaska’s extensive nonstop connections to major cities across the West Coast give our Portland customers more options than ever before to connect around the globe.”
Customers benefit from the complementary nature of Alaska, Horizon and Delta’s Portland service. From Portland, Delta offers Alaska customers access to thousands of connecting flights via its international hubs in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK, Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita, as well as daily nonstop flights between Portland and Honolulu. Alaska, meanwhile, offers Delta customers convenient flights from Portland to 26 connecting destinations primarily across the West Coast, Alaska and Hawaii.
New nonstop routes added to Delta’s schedule from Portland via Alaska and Horizon include: Boise, Boston, Burbank, Eugene, Fresno, Spokane, Las Vegas, Long Beach, Medford, Oakland, Ontario, Phoenix, Redmond, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento, Orange County, Santa Rosa and Vancouver.
“Delta’s Portland customers are fiercely loyal and we are pleased to be able to offer new routes and destinations from their hometown airport via our partners at Alaska and Horizon,” said Andrew Guenthner, Delta’s director – Alliances. “We look forward to flying even more Alaska and Horizon customers to and from the world with convenient connections between Portland and six of our global connecting hubs.”
Delta and Alaska also offer a number of customer service benefits via their West Coast alliance, including reciprocal Delta SkyClub and Alaska Board Room access worldwide; and priority boarding and check-in on both airlines for elite members of Delta’s SkyMiles and Alaska’s Mileage Plan programs.

Source: WEBWIRE

BRAID WINDING ITS WAY TO PLAYSTATION®NETWORK SOON

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Explore the human condition and manipulate time as our hero Tim leaps onto the PlayStation®Network in the lush, painterly world of Braid, a puzzle-platformer that takes you from a house in the city on a journey through a series of worlds to solve puzzles and rescue the princess. In each world, you have a different power to affect the way time behaves, including the ability to rewind, create parallel realities and utilize time dilation to overcome the many obstacles in your path. There is no filler in this game; every puzzle shows you something new and interesting about the game world.

Key Features:

• Untraditional platforming. You can never die and never lose, but challenge is always present and focused on solving puzzles, rather than forcing you to play and replay tricky jumps.
• Puzzle-rich environment. Travel through a series of worlds, searching for puzzle pieces and solving puzzles by manipulating time: rewinding, creating parallel universes and setting up pockets of dilated time. The game play is always fresh and new and the puzzles inspire new ways of thinking.
• Aesthetic design. A painterly art style and lush, organic soundtrack complement the unique game play.
• Nonlinear story. A nonlinear fiction links the various worlds and provides real-world metaphors for your time manipulations; act out these themes at your own pace, exploring playful “what if” universes.
• Forgiving game play. The game doesn’t force you to solve puzzles in order to proceed. If you can’t figure something out, just play onward and return to that puzzle later.

Braid has been rated “E 10+” for Everyone 10 and older by the Entertainment Software Rating Board for all platforms.

About Hothead Games: Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Hothead Games is an independent developer and publisher of groundbreaking titles. Hothead is currently partnering with indie studios all over the globe to bring their games to new audiences and bringing to life original properties such as Ron Gilberts DeathSpank and the highly anticipated, award-winning Swarm. Hothead celebrates its third anniversary in 2009. For more corporate and product information, please visit our website at www.hotheadgames.com.

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Contact: Carolyn Carnes
Flash Fire Communications
866-205-5670 x500
[email protected]

Source: Media Newswire