CrowdRise has launched the third annual Holiday Charity Challenge – the holiday season’s largest and most fun crowdsourced online giving and fundraising event – with the announcement of Craig Newmark and other philanthropists’ generous donations of $200K in prize money for competing charities.The Challenge, with support from The Huffington Post, runs from 12:00 p.m. ET, November 18 through 11:59 a.m. ET, January 9 and promises grand prize donations to the three charities to raise the most money during the Challenge; a record $100K for first place, $40K for second place and $20K for third place. Charities will also have the opportunity to win thousands of dollars more in prizes during weekly Bonus Challenges.More than $75K was raised during the first 24 hours of the Challenge, the fastest start to any CrowdRise Holiday Challenge and a reflection of how many charities and celebrities are making CrowdRise their go-to site for holiday giving campaigns.Some of the entertainment industry’s biggest talents including Will Ferrell (Cancer For College), Sean Penn (J/P Haitian Relief Organization), Ian Somerhalder (Ian Somerhalder Foundation) and Seth Rogen (Hilarity for Charity) are joining this year’s Challenge to help raise the most money for the causes they are most passionate about with exciting prizes, including two tickets to the Anchorman 2 movie premiere at the Beacon Theater in New York City and a feature article in The Huffington Post about your favorite charity.Other participating celebrities and their causes include Edward Norton (Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust), Sophia Bush (The Nature Conservancy), Jason Bateman (City Year), Kristen Bell (Epath.org), Olivia Wilde (Artists for Peace and Justice), Christy Turlington (Every Mother Counts), Eliza Dushku (THRIVEGulu), Brittany Snow (Love Is Louder) and Conan O’Brien (Children’s Hospital Los Angeles).The Holiday Charity Challenge on CrowdRise consistently represents the largest crowdsourced philanthropy event during the holidays for anyone to fundraise for or donate to their favorite causes. Last year’s Challenge crowdsourced $1.1 million in small donations benefiting charities across the country.This is Craig Newmark’s third CrowdRise campaign. His past contributions on CrowdRise have leveraged to raise more than a half million dollars for charities supporting veterans and Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. A number of brands and foundations have used CrowdRise for fundraising Challenges, including the Skoll Foundation, Groupon, Newman’s Own Foundation, Martha Stewart and Mozilla. The Challenge model, which is exclusive to CrowdRise, is quickly becoming a favorite of forward-thinking corporations, philanthropists and foundations, for whom crowdfunding is a needed update on the “giant check presentation” standard of institutional philanthropy. Countless charities plan for CrowdRise’s recurring Challenges as critical moments in their yearly fundraising cycles.“CrowdRise is an effective way to help out nonprofit groups, and I’m excited we already have more than 500 charities and counting coming together this holiday season to raise a lot of money for nonprofits getting the job done,” said Craig Newmark, founder of craigslist and craigconnects.“At HuffPost, we’re delighted to be a part of the Holiday Charity Challenge, using the HuffPost platform to share stories of giving,” said Arianna Huffington, President and Editor-In-Chief of The Huffington Post Media Group. “There’s no better time than the holidays to open up the conversation about the unique power of giving to not only improve the lives of others, but to help us bring purpose and meaning to our lives.”“Our supreme focus at CrowdRise is to make giving back fun,” said CrowdRise cofounder and CEO Robert Wolfe. “And we’re relentless about finding awesome and notable ways for people and organizations to be so, so psyched to raise money for their favorite causes. The CrowdRise Holiday Challenge creates ‘that moment’…a moment that isn’t a dinner or disaster. The CrowdRise Holiday Challenge is just a cool and fun way to rally your friends to engage and give back and drive some kick ass impact.”
The Prince of Wales addressed business leaders and politicians at an event for the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) recently, and called for “profound changes” to the global economy to avoid catastrophic climate change.Video: A speech by HRH The Prince of Wales at the ‘Rewiring the Economy’ DinnerDuring the ‘Rewiring the Economy’ dinner, His Royal Highness said: “It seems to me that if we are to achieve different outcomes to the ones toward which we are presently headed, then we will absolutely need a different kind of economy to get there.”Source:www.princeofwales.gov.uk
The Elders have launched a series of seven short films presenting their unique perspective on fairness, the human value that underpins the new UN Sustainable Development Goals.Martti Ahtisaari, Mary Robinson, Hina Jilani, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Jimmy Carter, Ela Bhatt and Kofi Annan have each selected an object or moment from their lives that symbolises their own view of fairness.The aim is to start a global re-examination of fairness ahead of the SDG Summit in New York on 25 September and amplify the call for world leaders to show a serious commitment to ending poverty, discrimination and injustice.The first film was uploaded to The Elders’ Facebook page on 18 September, with a new one following each successive day until the summit begins.• Film 1 (18 September) is by Martti Ahtisaari, former President of Finland and Nobel Peace Laureate, and features the Finnish baby box given by the state to every new-born child. “It doesn’t matter what your background is, everyone has this so the child gets a decent start… It’s never too expensive to give a chance for a decent beginning for everyone.”• Film 2 (19 September) is by Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, and features the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. “Fairness is an extraordinary quality in life and it brings us together in a solidarity that makes everybody better.”• Film 3 (20 September) is by Hina Jilani, Pakistani lawyer and human rights defender, and features the legal statute to end bonded labour in Pakistan. “For me, fairness is when human dignity is respected. Bonded labour was not only an illegal practice, but a cruel practice that was denying people their basic right to dignity.”• Film 4 (21 September) is by Fernando Henrique Cardoso, former President of Brazil, and features the Brazilian Constitution of 1988 after the end of dictatorship. “It’s not just a set of rules saying ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. It’s a set of dreams, saying health is a universal value, education is a universal value, and access to land is a universal value.”• Film 5 (22 September) is by Jimmy Carter, former US President and Nobel Peace Laureate, and features a poem he wrote inspired by his encounter with racism as a youth. “I grew up in a community in Archery, Georgia, and ours was the only white community there. So all my neighbours, all my playmates, were African-American. And we would treat each other completely equal.”• Film 6 (23 September) is by Ela Bhatt, Indian labour activist, and features a clay plot made by rural female workers in India. “This pot, it is a public statement that I am concerned with the rural artisan who makes the pot. The money that I spend circulates within that local economy.”• Film 7 (24 September) is by Kofi Annan, Chair of The Elders, former UN Secretary-General and Nobel Peace Laureate, and concludes the series by urging us all to see the bigger picture. “There’s lots of goodness in the world, don’t go through life focusing on the negative. Be open, and embrace the goodness which also surrounds us.”Martti Ahtisaari, whose film starts the series, said:“The SDGs are the latest attempt to further prosperity in a just and equitable way and fairness lies at their heart. This goes beyond fair and equal treatment under the law, freedom of speech and the right to vote. It also means being dealt a fair hand in terms of health, education, access to land and other cultural and economic rights.”
On Monday, November 2, 2015, the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) raised more than 3.3 million at its 14th annual An Enduring Vision benefit gala to support HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and awareness programs across the United States, the Americas, and the Caribbean.American Airlines, Robert K. Kraft, The Lauder Foundation- Leonard & Judy Lauder Fund, Mylan, Pablo and Nathalie Salame, Sands Bethlehem, and Wells Fargo served as the Presenting Sponsors of the benefit. The star-studded evening was held at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.As part of the evening’s program, EJAF Founder Elton John and Chairman David Furnish presented Enduring Vision awards to three outstanding Foundation supporters – M. Michele Burns, Robert J. Coury, and Tracey Emin.M. Michele Burns is an internationally recognized corporate and philanthropic leader, played an integral part in EJAF’s inception, and has served as an Executive Board Member from the very beginning. Robert J. Coury, Executive Chairman of Mylan, continues to be a visionary in leading the company into areas where it can make a difference, such as improving global health and helping to end the AIDS epidemic. Tracey Emin is one of the most renowned and respected living artists today and is also a fierce humanitarian and tireless advocate for human rights causes.CNN anchor Anderson Cooper emceed the gala dinner for an eighth time. Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation, spoke eloquently about the Foundation’s achievements and the role of philanthropy in ending the AIDS epidemic. KC and the Sunshine Band took the stage for a rollicking performance of disco classics. And guest auctioneer Alexander Gilkes of Paddle 8 conducted a live auction featuring such one-of-a-kind items as a neon work of art by honoree, Tracey Emin, a 1999 print of Elton John by photographer David LaChapelle, the opportunity to create bespoke champagne with HATT et SÖNER, a group of unique archival pigment prints by Joel Meyerowitz and fine jewelry by Lily Gabriella.“I cannot begin to express how incredibly grateful I am to all of the amazing donors and friends who support and attend An Enduring Vision year after year,” said Elton. “Their generosity helps to make our lifesaving work possible and brings us closer to achieving our vision of a world without AIDS.”Through the impeccable credibility and reputation attained based on more than two decades of extensive work, EJAF has emerged as a significant leader in the field of AIDS. The Foundation advances public dialogue on critical and controversial issues related to the epidemic and challenges misguided policies and attitudes that block progress in HIV prevention. Proceeds from An Enduring Vision will help support these efforts, as well as EJAF’s grant-making initiatives across the U.S., the Caribbean, and the Americas.
The Lupus LA Hollywood Bag Ladies Luncheon will take place this Friday.Now in its 15th year, the Lupus LA Hollywood Bag Ladies Luncheon is a Beverly Hills tradition. Guests will enjoy an afternoon of fashion and fun, including an exciting silent auction with over 200 designer handbags, donated by top designers and celebrities, as well as an exclusive fashion show from Roberto Cavalli.The event will also feature lunch, a live auction, awards and more. Funds raised will support Lupus LA’s mission to find the causes of and cure for lupus, while providing support, services and hope to those affected by lupus. Preview the handbags and purchase tickets at www.LupusLA.org.The event will be hosted by Paula Abdul. Additional attendees include Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick; “Silicon Valley”), Lisa Ann Walter (The Parent Trap; Bruce Almighty), Kearran Giovanni (“Major Crimes”), Kate Von (“Cutthroat Kitchen”) and more to be announced.This year’s Women of Achievement Award Honorees are Cara Dellaverson (Senior Vice President, Drama Development, NBC) and Emily V. Gordon (Writer, Producer, The Big Sick).WHEN: Friday, November 17, 2017Red Carpet & Silent Auction: 11 AM – 12:30 PMLuncheon, Fashion Show, Live Auction, Awards: 12:30 – 2 PMWHERE: The Beverly Hilton, 9876 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
JFL NorthWest kicked off on their annual comedy festival on Thursday (March 1) and runs to March 10. ICYMI it’s also launching a new outdoor celebration that comes complete with a beer garden.From next Wednesday to Friday (March 7 to 9), the JFL NorthWest Block Party will liven up the Queen Elizabeth Theatre Plaza from 5 to 10 p.m. each night.Patrons heading out to shows will find food trucks, various Just for Laughs stand-up specials and Just for Laughs GAGS on the big outdoor screen, as well as performances by the likes of Coldwater Road’s Patrick Spencer, musician Adrienne, and more. Tim Hortons will be serving up complimentary beverages, while Sleeman Breweries and Hopping Mad Cider sell their suds in the beer garden. LEAVE A REPLY Cancel replyLog in to leave a comment Twitter Advertisement The JFL NorthWest Block Party will also feature an LED Games Tent with ping pong and foosball. Keep your eye out for the JFL mascot, Victor, too.The fest is getting ready to host more than 100 comedians and performances at 30 venues across the city. This year’s event will also feature the first edition of the Vancouver Just For Laughs Film Festival and the inaugural Vancouver Comedy Awards on March 5. Big comedy names like Bill Burr, Trevor Noah, and Jo Koy will be performing at the nearby Queen Elizabeth Theatre.For additional information – visit the JFL NorthWest site here Advertisement
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Advertisement Twitter Advertisement Russell Peters only had one question when he was asked if he’d be interested in co-hosting a new variety show with TV legend Carol Burnett: when do we start?The Brampton, Ont.-native joins the 85-year-old Emmy winner in her new Netflix series A Little Help With Carol Burnett. On the show, Peters, who rocketed to fame thanks to a brand of comedy that pokes fun at racial stereotypes, banters with kids as they give advice to adult couples and celebrity guests.After selling out arenas across the globe, it’s a different gig than he’s used to. LEAVE A REPLY Cancel replyLog in to leave a comment 
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LEAVE A REPLY Cancel replyLog in to leave a comment Advertisement YOU HAD ONE JOB!!!Of all the movies not to show a bunch of kids excited for Detective Pikachu — the child-friendly tale of a cute yellow creature — a jump-scare-laden horror flick about a ghost who is trying to snatch youngsters probably tops the list.That, however, is what happened at a Montreal theatre last week.The screening, witnessed and tweeted by Screen Rant‘s Ryan George, began with trailers for The Joker and Child’s Play — and also tears.NOW IT’S CHUCKY OH NO CHILDREN OH NO pic.twitter.com/P2DkGmglDJ— Ryan George (@theryangeorge) May 9, 2019 This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Roman Christou, left, and Jaynee-Lynne Kinchen in a scene from “The Curse of La Llorona.” (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP) ORG XMIT: CAET486 Advertisement If you’re thinking that horror film trailers shouldn’t come before Detective Pikachu, you’re right.But the trailers, in their twisted way, were a suitable coming attraction insofar as the movie that followed had nothing to do with Pokemon; it was The Curse of La Llorona, the latest entry in The Conjuring’s horror franchise.OH MY GOD THEY’RE PLAYING LA LLORANA INSTEAD OF DETECTIVE PIKACHU pic.twitter.com/j4qX6fAf95— Ryan George (@theryangeorge) May 9, 2019“La Llorona is arguably the most frightening appearance of the supernatural in all The Conjuring instalments, besides Valak, the demon nun,” IMDB’s guide for parents says of the film, which is rated 13+ in Quebec. “La Llorona offers a large amount of effective jump scares, her kills are quite emotional and disturbing.”Eventually the Detective Pikachu audience was relocated to a theatre actually playing Detective Pikachu.We’ve all been moved to another theatre where Detective Pikachu is just paused? At least there aren’t any more murders on-screen pic.twitter.com/tEid3ThPY4— Ryan George (@theryangeorge) May 9, 2019Honestly, this whole affair could serve as the premise of a future Conjuring movie — just don’t take a bunch of Pokemon-loving kids to see it.MONTREAL GAZETTE
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Advertisement Facebook Newfoundland-born actor Jonathan Watton has gone from being a fan of The Handmaid’s Tale, which starts its new season Sunday, to a cast member.Watton — who has worked in TV, film and theatre for two decades — will play Commander Matthew Calhoun during the award-winning show’s third season, which airs on the Crave service in Canada.He got the role “the old-fashioned way” after auditioning, but Watton said he had followed the Toronto-shot series closely during its first two seasons. Login/Register With: Coming in as a fan required him to disconnect from that before he started filming, he said.Jonathan Watton, second from left in the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre’s production of 23.5 Hours, has a long career on screen and stage. (Dylan Hewlett)“I’ve got to go to work now and I sort of have to put the fandom away, for sure,” he said, “and then just show and sort of jump into that world.”Return to GileadThat world is a dark one, as the series tells the story of Gilead, an authoritarian and deeply religious society that emerges after a civil war in the United States and a mass societal panic caused by the effects of environmental degradation and disease. Advertisement
LEAVE A REPLY Cancel replyLog in to leave a comment The Handmaid’s Tale begins its third season, airing on Crave and Bravo in Canada, on June 9, and a Newfoundland-born actor has a prominent role. (Hulu) Advertisement Twitter
Mendes posted this message alongside numerous pics showing his success: “I’m thinking about being in 9th grade right now. The day after I posted one of my first covers onto YouTube back in 2014.”Mendes added of a group of older bullies, “[They were] yelling out ‘sing for me Shawn, sing for me!’ in a way that made me feel absolutely horrible… made me feel like a joke, like what I was doing was just stupid and wrong.” Login/Register With: Shawn Mendes – Timothy Kuratek /CBS ©2019 CBS Broadcasting, LEAVE A REPLY Cancel replyLog in to leave a comment Twitter Advertisement
Shawn Mendes is opening up about how he was bullied as a kid, for wanting to sing.The musician posted a candid Instagram post on Sunday, telling his fans about his experience with bullies while he was growing up.Mendes encouraged his fans to follow their dreams no matter what in the inspirational post. Advertisement Facebook Advertisement
APTN National NewsStudents at Stobart High School in central Saskatchewan are protesting the transfer of one of their teachers.They say that too much cultural programming has been cut from the school, and they plan on circulating press releases and continuing to protest until they get answers.APTN National News reporter Larissa Burnouf was there, and has their story.
APTN National NewsSalmon fishing on the Yukon River both on the Alaska Side and the Yukon Side has been restricted all summer.Officials were expecting between 49,000 and 71,000 Chinook to enter the Yukon River this year, but the number of Chinook returning to spawn is way down again.APTN’s Shirley Mclean has more.
APTN National NewsA boutique hotel in downtown Vancouver is offering guests what they say is a unique and authentic Aboriginal experience to its guests from around the world.The owners of the hotel also says it’s a way to help those in need.APTN’s Tina House explains.
Laurie Hamelin APTN National NewsA traditional Sturgeon Nose canoe maker from British Columbia is passing his knowledge on so his art doesn’t get lost.Wayne Louie was in Vancouver at the Kanata Festival building a seven-foot canoe.“Growing up on the flats of the lower Kootenays helped shape my life,” said Louie who is from the Ktunaxa Nation. “And watching all the elders do their canoes, my grandma was my mentor. I watched her, studied her, learned everything from her.”Louis explained that the work behind building a canoe is all based on science.“It’s all waterproof at the end of the day, it’s made out of western maple for the ribs, the slats, it’s all tied together by bitter cherry bark and cedar roots. White pine is the wood that goes on the frame, and what is so unique about the white pine is that it seals itself as it is curing, it becomes waterproof. And everything is built like my ancestors, there are no nails, no screws, no wire, no foreign material,” said Louie.lhamelin@aptn.ca
(The Westridge marine terminal in Burnaby, B.C., pictured here, is the end point for the Trans Mountain pipeline. Lindsay Sample/The Discourse)The Canadian PressShareholders in Kinder Morgan Canada Ltd. have voted more than 99 per cent in favour of the sale of its Trans Mountain pipeline and expansion project to the federal government for $4.5 billion.The brief meeting in Calgary was chaired by the CEO of both Kinder Morgan Canada Inc. and its U.S. parent, Steven Kean.The outcome was not in question as Kinder Morgan Inc. retained about 70 per cent of the shares after spinning off its Canadian assets in a $1.75-billion initial public offering in May of 2017.Earlier Thursday, the Federal Court of Appeal quashed the approval of the Trans Mountain project after finding that the federal government failed in its duty to engage in meaningful consultations with First Nations before approving the project.The decision means the National Energy Board will have to begin anew its review of the Trans Mountain project.
The Canadian PressPolice have charged a suspect in the death of a six-year-old girl from the Kasabonika Lake First Nation, in northwestern Ontario.Officers with the Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service were called to a residence on Wednesday to investigate a report that a girl had been assaulted.Ontario Provincial Police, who are now directing the investigation, say family members took the girl to a medical centre where she was pronounced dead.Police say that on the same day 21-year-old Lanny Edward Mekanak of the Kasabonika Lake First Nation was arrested and charged with second-degree murder.He was scheduled to appear in court Friday in Sioux Lookout, Ont.Police, meanwhile, said a post-mortem on the girl’s body had been scheduled for Friday in Toronto.
Inuk throat-singer Tanya Tagaq performs in New York City (Six Shooter Records).Kathleen MartensAPTN NewsAn allegation of cultural appropriation has Inuit artists threatening to boycott the upcoming Indigenous Music Awards (IMA).Throat singers Kelly Fraser and Tanya Tagaq are upset a non-Inuk throat-singing artist is up for an award alongside two Inuk performers.“We respectfully ask this woman to stop throat singing,” Fraser said of Cree performer Connie LeGrande (Cikwes).“We asked the IMAs for an apology for allowing this to happen and to remove her album.”Fraser said the Inuit women’s collective she is a member of has been trying to resolve the issue with LeGrande and IMA officials for almost two months.But they decided to make the issue public on social media Monday.Until the board of Governors addresses issues around #CulturalAppropriation and has Inuit representation/consultation within their organization, I will not support, submit any work to, or perform for the @IMAs https://t.co/U4C7JWIUND— Iva Music (@IvaMusicInc) March 31, 2019“We are aware of it and are working on a press release,” said a person who answered the phone at the IMA office.APTN is a major sponsor of the event.LeGrande could not be reached for comment.Tagaq and Fraser, along with Iva, said they would not attend the event until the organization revises its policies or includes Inuit representation on its board.The awards ceremony is set to be held in Winnipeg on May 17 as part of the annual Manito Ahbee Festival.We have withdrawn PIQSIQ’s album from its 2019 @IMAs nomination. We look forward to submitting future work once our concerns of cultural appropriation are taken seriously and policies are in place to prevent it from happening again. #inuitthroatsinging is for #inuitreclamation— PIQSIQ_music (@piqsiq) April 1, 2019The throat-singing duo PIQSIQ, comprised of Inuksuk Mackay and Tiffany Ayalik, also said on Twitter they would reject the nomination of “Altering The Timeline” for best electronic music album.The Yellowknife-raised sisters say their decision was spurred by the IMA’s nomination of a non-Inuit artist who performs throat singing, but declined to name the musician to keep the focus on the issue of appropriation between Indigenous groups.With files from The Canadian Press
MONTREAL – As it prepares to join the Metro grocery chain network, Quebec pharmacy company Jean Coutu Group Inc. anticipates some stability after years of provincial government intervention in a bid to lower generic drug costs.A ceiling on professional allowances paid to pharmacists by generic drug manufacturers such as Jean Coutu’s (TSX:PJC.A) Pro Doc will be restored to 15 per cent next week.And a new law limiting pharmacists to buying half of their total generic drug purchases from one generic drugmaker is expected to have little impact on its pharmacist owners.Most of Jean Coutu pharmacists already meet this threshold and will be able to maintain their current purchases from Pro Doc, which mainly supplies large volume generic drugs, chief financial officer Andre Belzile said Thursday during a conference call to discuss second-quarter results.“We don’t expect any additional reform so we should have a much better view on the impact on our earnings and the earnings of Pro Doc going forward now that we will have that stability for the next five years,” he told analysts.The Quebec-based pharmacy chain earned $47.8 million in its latest quarter, down from $51.5 million a year ago even as revenue improved.The drugstore retailer said the profit amounted to 26 cents per diluted share for the three-month period ended Sept. 2, two cents per share above analyst forecasts and down from 28 cents per diluted share in the same period a year earlier.It attributed the drop in earnings to a lower contribution from Pro Doc following a lifting of professional allowance caps in January.Revenue increased six per cent to $744.3 million, up from $701.2 million.Irene Nattel of RBC Capital Markets said Jean Coutu’s outlook of stability is good for Metro shareholders.“Sustaining momentum as we move through the approval process for the proposed transaction remains critical, particularly in light of ongoing pressure on profitability of the generic drug unit,” she wrote in a report.Last week, Jean Coutu agreed to a $4.5-billion takeover offer from grocery store chain Metro Inc. (TSX:MRU) that is expected to close in the first half of 2018.Jean Coutu shareholders are being offered a combination of cash and stock worth about $24.50 per share.Metro announced Wednesday that it expects to receive $1.55 billion in proceeds from the sale of more than 27 million shares in Alimentation Couche-Tard (TSX:ATD.B) to help fund the Jean Coutu purchase.Meanwhile, while some analysts fear that the liquidation of Sears will hurt other retailers during the busy holiday season, CEO Francois Coutu anticipates some longer-term benefits.“With the problems that Sears is having, I think this should benefit also all the retailers who will probably benefit from this clientele who will have to find other places to go,” he said.
TORONTO – The head of Canada’s largest wireless carrier said Thursday the appetite for the Apple iPhone 8 smartphone is “anemic” as the company gets set to take orders of the iPhone X next week.Rogers Communications Inc. CEO Joe Natale said on a conference call that the company will begin taking orders of the “very expensive” iPhone X on Oct. 27 and will begin sales the following week, on Nov.3. The iPhone X will be Apple’s most expensive smartphone to date, which will retail in Canada for almost $1,300.However, he added, device availability is “a question mark” and the full impact of the new devices might not be felt until the first quarter of 2018, adding to concerns about soft sales for Apple devices.Analysts attribute iPhone 8 sluggishness to the pending release of the iPhone X.The current iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 plus had a two per cent share of the U.S. iOS device market nearly a month after their launch, significantly lagging the five per cent share grabbed by the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 plus at a similar point last year, according to Localytics, a mobile engagement platform that analyzes iPhone adoption rates.The iPhone 8 went on sale on Sept. 22 in Canada.During the call, Natale said it was the wireless services — rather than sales of devices like smartphones — that was the main area of growth for Rogers Wireless.Natale added that he’s not concerned about a new pricing initiative being promoted by Shaw’s Freedom Mobile.Freedom announced this week that it’s now offering 10 gigabytes of data for $50 “with no penalties for data overages.”While the rival service’s announcement says its new Big Gig plan is “unlike anything currently being offered to Canadians,” Rogers CEO Joe Natale said he viewed it as “business as usual.”“First of all, we have always competed with Freedom on price. This appears to be an extension of this strategy, with a lot of marketing bravado behind it,” Natale told analysts in a conference call Thursday.“It wasn’t long ago that they had an 80-gig package for about sixty bucks, and it was kind of benign in terms of its impact. So I would look at it as a business-as-usual situation.”“The goal would be to leverage our ability to get customers in the right data plan,” Natale said.“The key is: customers’ appetites for data are growing 40, 50 per cent per year. We’d rather have them in the place where they’re in the right data plan or they can occasionally have a top-up if they see fit.In the third quarter ended Sept. 30, Roger’s profit grew to $467 million, driven mostly by the strength of its wireless business and incremental progress at its cable and internet division.Rogers Media was the only major division to report a decline in revenue, which was down three per cent from the third quarter of 2016, when Rogers benefited from the World Cup of Hockey.Rogers also announced the media division’s adjusted operating profit fell 18 per cent, primarily due to a higher Toronto Blue Jays player payroll and lower publishing-related revenue.During the call, one analyst asked whether Rogers was considering a sale of any non-core assets.Natale replied that Rogers is committed to look at “ways of surfacing value from our portfolio assets, whether it be the Jays or some of our other investments.”“We don’t have any plans at this moment that we are announcing or even giving a nod to. Our focus, very much, is on our core business.”Rogers reported its net income for the three months ended Sept. 30 amounted to 91 cents per diluted share, up from $220 million or 43 cents per share last year.On an adjusted basis, Rogers earned $523 million or $1.02 per share for the quarter, up from $427 million or 83 cents per share a year ago.Revenue totalled $3.58 billion, up from $3.49 billion in the same quarter last year.Rogers also raised its guidance for the growth of its adjusted operating profit for 2017 to between five and six per cent compared with its original expectations for growth of two to four per cent.
VICTORIA – British Columbia is planning to introduce a pilot program that would give some residents a basic income in what will be part of a series of legislative strategies to fight poverty, the minister in charge said Monday.Poverty Reduction Minister Shane Simpson said his government wants to test the effectiveness of providing people with a basic income to reduce poverty, improve health, employment and housing prospects.The NDP government is consulting with other jurisdictions that have similar programs.“We’ve been talking with the province of Ontario about their work,” he said at a news conference announcing the B.C. strategy. “We’re also talking to people in diverse places such as Glasgow, Scotland and Oakland, Calif., where they are doing this work, too. I expect to have more to say about how we proceed with that in the new year.”B.C. currently has the highest poverty rate in Canada based on the federal government’s Market Basket Measure indicator which includes the costs of food, clothing, footwear, transportation, housing and other expenses for a family with two children.Simpson said it’s estimated 678,000 people live in poverty in B.C., including 118,000 children.The NDP made poverty reduction one of its key election promises last spring after years of labelling the former Liberal government as cold-hearted for rejecting plans to reduce one of the highest child-poverty rates in Canada.Simpson appointed 27 people, including poverty advocates, academics and First Nations members, to an advisory group that will provide insights and guidance as the government prepares to introduce its reduction strategy and legislation next spring.He said the dates and locations for a series of public consultations will be announced shortly.“The end result of this, we hope, will be a complete poverty reduction strategy next year,” Simpson said. “I look forward to hearing from British Columbians who believe this is an issue that we need to challenge and who believe we need to reduce inequality, and reducing poverty is a fundamental step in that.”He said the poverty issue cuts across all communities and statistics indicate that 40 per cent of those in poverty have low-paying jobs.Dawn Hemingway, chairwoman of the School of Social Work at the University of Northern B.C., said she expects the government’s strategy will make a real difference in people’s lives.“I want to underline that as a human being and as a social worker, I firmly believe that it is a basic human right for everyone to have a good quality of life,” she said.Hemingway was appointed as one of the leaders for the advisory group.Simpson said the government has yet to decide how many people would be involved in the basic income project or the amount of money that would be provided to those participants, but it has already undertaken consultations with academics and other experts.He said a federal-provincial initiative in the 1970s conducted a basic income experiment in the community of Dauphin, Man. Researchers looking at the program, called Mincome, said it was stopped after four years when Canada fell into an economic recession.The Ontario government’s project is measuring how a basic wage helps people living on low incomes meet their needs for food, shelter, health and employment training.