BYRON LEE PASSES ON As per the website http://www.byronleemusic.com/, Byron Lee passed on peacefully November 4, 2008 after a valiant battle with Cancer.

BYRON LEE IS NOT WELL Received: Saturday, October 25, 2008, 3:38 AM Byron Lee ' s daughter disclosed to a friend on the evening of October 25, 2008, that Byron Lee has taken a turn to the worse and the doctors say it's now just a matter of time. He has accepted his fate with dignity and he requested that they fly him back to Jamaica, where he wants to spend his last days. He was scheduled to go back Sunday October 26, 2008 on an Air Ambulance. Please remember him in your prayers.

VANCOUVER - Former U.S. president Bill Clinton is praising Canada's banking system. Clinton, who was in Vancouver yesterday to speak to a business group, says Canadians are very lucky to have a government and system that encourages one of the best banking communities in the world. The two-term Democratic president says if Canada keeps it up, it will avoid the banking mess being experienced in the United States. Clinton says U.S. and foreign bankers now will have to rely less on innovative financial products for profits than on old-fashioned lending to help produce goods and services. Clinton's viewpoint got a quick endorsement from Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day, who was also at the event. Day said Canadians should be reassured that one of the greatest U.S. presidents when it comes to economics thinks Canada is on the right track. October 18, 2008 - 11:39 THE CANADIAN PRESS Story from Macleans.ca: http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=n101811A © Rogers Publishing

Italy’s Attacks on Migrants Fuel Debate on Racism Abdul William Guibre (nickname: Abba), born in Burkina Faso and raised in Italy, was beaten to death in Milan, Italy in September 2008 by a bar’s father-and-son proprietors. The two, Fausto and Daniele Cristofoli, suspected Mr. Guibre, 19, of stealing money and set upon him with a metal rod, the authorities said, when it appeared he had stolen a package of cookies. During the altercation, the attackers shouted “dirty black,” lawyers for both sides said. Click here for the New York Times' article

YOUR CANADIAN PASSPORT Starting June 1, 2009, you will need a passport if you want to travel to the United States by land or water. You now need a passport or a Nexus card (good for low-risk, frequent travelers) to go the the USA by air.  Don't wait until the last minute; get your passport early. Call 1-800-622-6232 or click here for more information

NEW CO-HOST FOR SOUL CALL Mama Zeeta is now the Co-Host of Soul Call, Montreal's only English Black Community Show!! She joins Peter Anthony Holder on the show, which airs on CH (channel 14) every Saturday at 8:30 pm (plus it airs at random times throughout the week.) Sep. 7-08

USE OF CELL PHONES WHILE DRIVING IN QUEBEC The grace period is over; as of July 1, 2008, anybody in the province of Quebec who uses a hand-held cell phone that does not have a “hands-free” function is liable for a fine of $115 (including court costs), plus having three demerit points added to their driving record. Be aware: Drivers who are holding a cell phone in their hand are presumed to be using it. Any device that has a telephone function, such as a wireless information device (e.g., BlackBerry), is therefore prohibited when it is held in the hand. To use a device with a telephone function, held in the hand, drivers must bring their vehicle to a stop in a location where parking is authorized. Except in an emergency situation, no one is allowed to bring a vehicle to a stop on a highway shoulder, on-ramp or off-ramp. Drivers waiting at a red light or delayed in traffic are considered to be driving their vehicle. Use of a “hands-free” cell phone is permitted. *Source: Road safety, A hand-held cell phone: Illegal!, Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec