WINDSOR, N.S. – Conservative Leader Stephen Harper admitted Saturday that Canadians would probably rather drink a beer with NDP Leader Jack Layton.

Indeed, a QMI Agency poll earlier in the campaign also found Canadians would choose Layton first to coach their kids’ hockey team or be their neighbour.

But in an exclusive interview with QMI Agency here Saturday, Harper warned managing the fragile economy isn’t a drinking game.

“This isn’t about picking a guy you want to have a beer with,” Harper said. “This is about picking the economic direction of this country.

“This is the big choice: A serious economic program versus, frankly, a program that any other country would view as disastrous and would be disastrous for this country.”

With only a day left in the campaign and in the wake of the orange surge, Harper has been ramping up his attack of the NDP platform, which promises $69 billion in new spending over four years.

The NDP plans to raise more than $70 billion in revenues to pay for it, but Harper said their funding model is from “fairy land” and has “no economic credibility whatsoever.”

When asked what Harper would do with the majority he’s gunning for, he said the direction of the country would not change. Instead, he said it would offer stability not only for voters, but the economy as well.

“I think the difference with a majority is that the country can focus a bit on the longer term instead of on the Parliamentary manoeuvring,” he said.

“Look at the issues that were dominating Parliament before this election. They have almost nothing to do with anything that anybody cares about in this campaign.

“I think it (a majority) is not just what we need, I actually think it’s what the country needs,” he added, saying he’s learned a lot about how to be flexible running the longest minority government in Canadian history.

“But at the same time, I think we’ve come to a limit of how far the country can really progress if the dynamics of minorities keep continuing. We have election after election. Sooner or later something is going to go very, very wrong, and I think we’re that close to it.”

The Conservative platform plans to squeeze $4 billion in annual savings from the federal bureaucracy, which critics say is an unachievable amount.

Also, some voters have been slow to warm to Harper, who has been dogged his entire political career by fears he has a hidden socially conservative agenda.

Now though, he said the opposite is true. The Conservatives are the tried and true, and the other parties pose the threat of the unknown, Harper said.

“I’m not sure they know entirely what they would do, but we do know broadly that they will raise spending enormously, raise taxes and we know where that leads our economy. It leads us from leading the global recession to falling behind very quickly,” Harper said.

Repeatedly, Harper warned his supporters that Monday’s election — the country’s fourth in seven years — is going to be close. The surprising NDP surge, which has the party in second place in most national polls, has made it more difficult to predict the outcome, he said.

“I tell people in all our ridings, you can not be confident or overconfident. You’ve got to work hard, work hard to the last minute and get that vote out, and make people understand the stakes here,” Harper said.

bryn.weese@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @brynweese

Article source: http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/CanadaVotes/News/2011/04/30/18088116.html

Why start with Steven Seagal… ? It just sums up the weird and wacky world we live in. Most travellers will tell you that Canada is light, airy, liberal and progressive. It is. It also has GSP. That’s Georges St Pierre, a French-speaking Canadian who has entranced his compatriots as MMA has exploded in that country. It was telling this week.

This is apocryphal, and part of my own meandering experience, yet in other countries, taxi drivers, hotel concierge(s), restrateurs, the general populus, will look on the the UFC’s travelling circus with a certain alarm and therefore, distance.

The sport is still heavily – and wrongly – misunderstood. Yet the UFC has also proved recession-proof, grossing around half a billion US dollars in the last two fiscal years.   

In Canada, that ‘misunderstanding’ appears not to be the case. A mix of ingredients this week (and I’d include Steven Seagal), the seven incumbent UFC champions on one stage , a heavily-attended two day Fan Exposition, and hey presto, this has become a mega-event. 

Add one of the iconic early legends in MMA, Royce Gracie, and it has had the feeling of a very special movement forward. This is the first event in Toronto, and right now, 55,000 spectators are filing into the Rogers Center, a baseball ground with a retractable roof.  The arena is immense, it is one fifth full and there is already a growing warmth in the atmosphere.  There are hundreds of represenatives in the media, more of an international feel than ever before. The first contest of 12 on this evening’s card, between Pablo Garza and Yves Jabouin, is won by ‘The Scarecrow’ Garza, by tapout submission, in the opening round of three.      

The only obstacle to this sport coming to Ontario earlier has been a political battle. Politicians often think they know best. But they lie to us. They are suggesting the New Democratic Party could be elected in nationally, in the next 48 hours, after a Conservative Government for little over one term. Ontario itself has a Liberal party in power at present. Legislation was passed for this event only weeks ago.

The exposition has been well-attended, full of novel ideas, t-shirts, and tattoos, but this is a culture group into looking good – at times fearsome – but also into the body beautiful and living the dream. They drink little alcohol. There is just adoration for the fighters and fringe characters in the sport. It must rank as one of the most misunderstood sporting subcultures on earth. Mixed martial arts is full-on, brutal at times, but it also has a beauty for its exponents and an honour code under a unified set of rules.

Deeper within that, there are some of the old rites of the Eastern philosophies. Yes, Eastern arts brought into real combat, but after the combatants knock six bells out of each other,  they embrace. We all admire them for that.    

Then there is the growth and merchandising within the industry, supported by an affluent middle class. And it is both men and women who enjoy the sport. Through the week, there have been several groups of British and Irish fans out here. There is not a British, nor indeed an Irish fighter, on the entire card. MMA has a global, not necessarily patriotic, flavour.    

Then the main fight  itself…which pitches a modern Canadian sporting hero in Georges St Pierre against Jake Shields, a 32-year-old American who has been a ‘world’ champion in two other organisations. GSP, a mild mannered man who has been on a brilliant winning streak as the champion – in a sport whose matched skill sets can vary dramatically – has been taken to the hearts of Canadians. He has become a crossover star, admired for his athletic skills and sportsmanship. Once in the arena, he is a machine, who has found a winning method.       

Just witness how these fighters describe their task 48 hours out from the fight.
GSP on controlling his emotions:

“It’s a very stressful job that we do. Because if you think about it, all the work that we put into this only goes into 25 minutes. In this 25 minutes, it is going to be the result of all of my work. It’s very stressful. To make things easier, I have to joke around. I have to have great friends with me and a great entourage. I’m laughing all the time. I’m relaxed. I’m focused. I’m nervous of course, but it’s not time to be stressed. It’s not time to be stiff. It will be time for business when I step into the Octagon, but before that I need to relax. It’s not good for my body to be stressed all the time.”

On pressure in his profession:
“It’s different all the time. Every UFC is different. UFC 100 was huge. This is huge too because it’s the first time in Ontario and it’s in front of 55,000 fans; and the guy that I’m fighting I consider him the best guy I’ve fought in my career. The bar has been raised very, very high for this fight. It’s going to be big. It’s the biggest fight of my career. I want to be the one that beats Jake Shields – the great Jake Shields. This is something that hasn’t been done in six years. The pressure is there and I’m at my best when it’s like that. And in terms of how it plays on the fight, I don’t think it does. When the door closes, everything will play out there.”

Or take his opponent, Jake Shields, on facing a partisan crowd:

“I’m not really concerned about turning them in my favor. I just want to go out there, put on a great fight and beat him. I think I will slowly turn fans if I go out there and bring it. I think he is under more pressure. We’re both dealing with issues. I’m dealing with being in hostile territory right now and he’s dealing with tremendous pressure so I think it kind of evens out.”

“They’ve been chasing me around asking me for photos. They may be wearing GSP headbands while they’re doing it, but the fans have been great. I’ve been here a few times before. I expect them to boo me on fight night but overall they treat me great wherever I go.”
In the mix in the event, there are legends – like Randy Couture, 48 in June – fighting the newer champions of today, such as Lyoto ‘The Dragon’ Machida, a karate expert who looked invincible at 16-0 in his career before losing his last two contests. And above all, those 9 contests pitching Canadians against those pesky Americans from across the border. It has been some week. It promises to be some night.

Article source: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/sport/garethadavies/100016465/ufc-129-mma-acceptance-light-years-ahead-in-liberal-canada/

It has been an explosive night of action already at UFC 129 in Toronto, with Canadians winning five of the first seven matches on a historic night for mixed martial arts in North America.

The 55,000 fans in attendance are doing their part, throwing their considerable vocal weight behind every Canadian fighter and roaring for every big punch and kick scored in the octagon.

More related to this story

• Predicting the big UFC matches
• UFC delivers what it promises to fans
• ‘You’ve done a little boxing, haven’t you?’

Photos

UFC 129 Greatest Hits

Video

Ready to rumble in Toronto

Photos

All in for the Octagon

The UFC has certainly but its stamp on the Rogers Centre, hanging huge screens around the top of the building to give fans in the 500 section a better look at the action. A massive cube of screens floated above the infamous octagon, accentuated by rigging and lighting fit for a rock concert.

The stadium’s famous Jumbotron screen at the north end was matched by another massive screen on the south side.

In fights shown across Canada on Sportsnet, Rory (The Waterboy) MacDonald of Quesnel, B.C., ignored the constant jawing of brash California native Nate Diaz to win his welterweight bout by unanimous decision.

MacDonald, now 11-1, had the crowd chanting his name in the third round, twice lifting Diaz before slamming him to the mat.

“I’m on top of the world,” MacDonald told UFC announcer Joe Rogan after the decision was announced.

Sean Pierson of Pickering, Ont., wasn’t so fortunate, losing to Jake Ellenberger of Omaha, NE., after a left hook in the first round tagged him.

In preliminary bouts shown on the UFC’s Facebook page, lightweight John (The Bull) Makdessi of Halifax knocked out Illinois native Kyle Watson with a devastating spinning back-fist in the third round. The move impressed UFC president Dana White, who tweeted “That’s gonna be tough to beat for knockout of the night!”

Makdessi, 9-0, said the win will push his career to the next level.

“I knew I hit him well, but I didn’t know I knocked him out,” he said. “I guess when you train that much, it’s just a feeling to know when to use it.”

Middleweight Jason (The Athlete) MacDonald of Red Deer, Alta., made a successful return to the octagon from a severe leg injury by submitting Ryan Jensen of New Mexico with a triangle choke in the first round.

“Once the door closes to the Octagon, you just hear the familiar voices – but the crowd was amazing, the atmosphere out there is amazing,” MacDonald said. “To walk away with such a decisive win when I had all the cards stacked against me, I can’t even put it into words.”

Ivan Menjivar of Montreal beat Charlie Valencia of Los Angeles in a bantamweight bout, breaking his nose with an elbow before mounting Valencia and reigning blows on him until the referee stepped in to end the fight.

Toronto welterweight Claude Patrick wrapped the first batch of fights by beating Daniel Roberts of Rockford, Ill., by unanimous decision.

Yves Jabouin, who fights out of Montreal, was lone Canadian to come up short, losing to Pablo (The Scarecrow) Garza in a featherweight bout when he was forced to tap out to a triangle choke in the first round.

Article source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/more-sports/canada-triumphs-in-ufc-undercard/article2005489/

RICHMOND HILL, Ontario (Reuters) – Conservative Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper made a direct pitch on Saturday to centrist Liberal voters whose party has been swamped by a late campaign surge of the New Democratic Party.

Harper’s plan to win a majority of seats in Parliament in Monday’s elections counts on the Liberals and NDP splitting the vote on the left of Canada’s political spectrum and then winning over centrist Liberals worried that the left-leaning New Democrats will gain too much power.

Conservatives currently have a minority government.

“A vote for the Liberals is a vote for an NDP government,” Harper told a small rally near Toronto.

It was the first time he has made such a direct pitch since the Liberals began a slide in opinion polls midway in the five-week campaign.

Polls show the Conservatives with a comfortable lead going into Monday’s elections, but short of what they would likely need to win a majority that does not need some opposition party support to stay in power. New Democrats are in second and Liberals in third place in the polls.

Harper said a re-elected Conservative government would unveil its budget later this spring, but was not more specific about the date. If the Conservatives do not win a majority government, the budget could trigger another election if opposition parties do not support it.

FORCED TO RETOOL

The Conservatives’ campaign plan had initially focused on bashing the Liberals, their traditional main rival, but they have been forced to retool with the jump in NDP support that has surprised most political pundits.

The New Democrats have never governed Canada. Harper’s stump speeches now frame the race as a choice between a Conservative government that would ensure stability and a NDP-led minority government that would hurt the economy.

A sign of the Liberals’ fallen fortunes was the Toronto Star newspaper’s endorsement on Saturday of the New Democrats. Canada’s largest newspaper is traditionally pro-Liberal, but urged readers to vote for the NDP to prevent a Conservative majority.

The NDP’s rise has been fueled by voter disenchantment with the other parties, including the separatist Bloc Quebecois in Quebec, and the charismatic style of its leader Jack Layton, who performed well in the leadership debates.

Layton was campaigning on Saturday in British Columbia on the Pacific coast, where the party hopes to take seats from the Conservatives.

The spring budget vote would be a key test for the Conservatives if they fail to win a majority since they would need to have the support of at least one of the opposition parties to pass it and stay in power.

The Conservatives have said they plan to introduce the same budget as they did in March. The opposition parties all said they would oppose that budget, but it was never voted on before the government fell, triggering this election.

(Additional reporting by Rod Nickel and Jeffery Hodgson; Editing by Will Dunham)

Article source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110430/wl_canada_nm/canada_us_politics_58

By Steve Keating

TORONTO |
Fri Apr 29, 2011 5:48pm EDT

TORONTO (Reuters) – Dana White, the bombastic president of Ultimate Fighting Championship, whipped Canadians into a lather last year when he said welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre was better known than hockey great Wayne Gretzky.

While such a statement borders on treason in hockey-mad Canada, White’s boast cannot not be simply dismissed with St. Pierre set to headline the biggest mixed martial arts event ever held in North America Saturday at a 55,000 seat Rogers Center that sold out in a matter of hours.

White chuckles at the fuss his comments created and this week delighted in delivering another well-placed jab, claiming that not only is St. Pierre Canada’s most popular athlete but that he is probably the country’s best paid as well.

“I said, he was the biggest superstar to ever come out of Canada and Canadians lost their minds,” White told Reuters. “But it’s true.

“The reality is he is the biggest star. He went down to the Philippines and got absolutely mobbed. It was insane. Hockey doesn’t have that reach.

“To many people Georges St. Pierre is one of the most famous and biggest superstars in all of this sport and I’m not just talking Canada.”

When asked, White is quick to throw around big numbers such as the economic impact UFC 129 will have on Toronto, “around $40 million,” and Saturday’s record gate of $11 million.

But the figures he refuses to reveal are what the UFC’s stable of fighters earn. White would only say that St. Pierre, one of UFC’s biggest names, “makes a lot of money.”

White concedes that none of the UFC fighters come close to pulling in the $20 million boxer Manny Pacquiao will reportedly earn for next week’s fight with Shane Mosley.

But White says UFC fighters, on average, are more fairly compensated than their boxing counterparts with fighters drawing the biggest crowds getting a bigger piece of what is now a billion-dollar pie.

TOP EARNERS

In a recent ESPN survey breaking down the top earners in 30 different sports, UFC heavyweight Brock Lesnar was the top MMA fighter last year banking $5.3 million in prize money and a cut from pay-per-views.

“What you kill you eat,” said White, who has the build, attitude and demeanor that would not look out of place inside the cage. “The bigger star you are, those are the guys who make the most money.

“Right now Georges St. Pierre might be the highest paid athlete in Canada … Georges St. Pierre is one of our biggest stars right now. Georges St. Pierre makes a lot of money.”

If Torontonians did not know St. Pierre before the UFC hype machine came to town, many do now as his stern, chiseled face is on banners flying from almost every light post, peering down from billboards and out from magazine covers and newspapers.

Turn on the television and St. Pierre is there pitching one of his many endorsements or being interviewed.

Hockey may be religion in Canada but, according to White, it is also the mecca for mixed martial arts.

People from across the country will make the pilgrimage to Toronto to watch St. Pierre put his welterweight crown and a 30-round unbeaten run — that mixed martial arts enthusiasts compare to Joe DiMaggio’s 56 game hitting streak in Major League Baseball — on the line against American Jake Shields.

Some of those fans have paid as much as $800 for a ticket to watch St. Pierre, who earned just $1,300 for his first fight and survived the early days working as a doorman at Montreal nightclubs while honing the skills.

“Now it (prize money) is pretty good, of course it is going to get better, it is a young sport,” said St. Pierre. “I have good team around me and things are going very well for me but it mostly depends on my performance inside the octagon.

“I want to be the greatest, good isn’t enough for me.”

(Editing by Frank Pingue)

Article source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/29/us-fighting-ufc-stpierre-idUSTRE73S78720110429?feedType=RSS&sp=true

KOSICE, Slovakia – Canada filled out its roster at the IIHF World
Hockey Championship by adding four players just before the start of
the event.

Forward James Neal, goaltender Jonathan Bernier and defencemen Carlo
Colaiacovo and Marc-Andre Gragnani all accepted invitations, but
weren’t expected to be available for the tournament opener against
Belarus on Friday (TSN, 2:15 p.m. ET).

Once they join the team, Canada will have 13 forwards, eight
defencemen and three goalies.

Neal (Pittsburgh), Bernier (Los Angeles) and Gragnani (Buffalo) are
fresh off first-round playoff losses while Colaiacovo has been on hold
since his regular season ended with St. Louis more than two weeks ago.

Canadian coach Ken Hitchcock will have a decision to make about his
goaltending because none of the three netminders has been promised the
No. 1 role.

James Reimer was expected to start the opener against Belarus, but
Devan Dubnyk and Bernier could also both see action during the event.

Article source: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=cp_ipe3pnhjh5&show_article=1

Canadian players celebrate a goal against Belarus at the IIHF World Championships. (REUTERS/Petr Josek)

Edmonton Oilers winger Jordan Eberle scored a pair of goals as Canada got off to a winning start at the 2011 IIHF World Championships on Friday.

Eberles goals bookended a 4-1 win over Belarus in Kosice, Slovakia on the opening day of the tournament.

Elsewhere, Germany surprised Russia 2-0, Switzerland beat France 1-0 and the host Slovakia beat Slovenia 3-1.

Jeff Skinner and John Tavares added the others for Canada, while James Reimer, making his first appearance with the national team at any level, turned away 21 shots to record the victory in goal.

Eberle opened the scoring early in the contest, re-directing an Evander Kane centering pass past Belarus goaltender Andrei Mezin.

Belarus tied the game with 34 seconds left in the opening period, as Andrei Stepanov beat Reimer from in tight following a giveaway from Canadian defenceman Luke Schenn behind the net.

In the second, Skinner, the Carolina Hurricanes rookie, put Canada up by a goal, lifting a shot over the shoulder of Mezin from in tight.

Belarus had a couple of good chances to tie that game as Mikhail Grabovski, the teams lone NHLer, was twice denied by his Toronto Maple Leafs teammate, Reimer, from in tight.

Later in the period, Tavares, who was name Canadas player of the game, increased his teams lead, coming in off the wing, faking a shot then beating Mezin from a tight angle.

Eberle added a fourth, picking up the spoils after Dion Phaneuf fired a shot off the crossbar, which dropped behind Mezin and sat on the goal line.

Chris Stewart had an opportunity to add a fifth, but was stopped by Mezin on a penalty shot.

Canada continues the tournament on Sunday when they take on France. Theyll conclude the group portion of the event Tuesday against Switzerland.

Article source: http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/World/2011/04/29/18085866.html

Young stud Jordan Eberle had two goals for Canada in their 4-1 win over Belarus in the World Championship.
Eberle is going to be a fine player. His ceiling is very high, think 35 goals. He always plays huge on the world stage so if you can take a long look at him. He should be drafted in all leagues next year. Apr. 30 – 10:20 am et
Source: Edmonton Journal

Article source: http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/playerbreakingnews.asp?sport=NHL&id=2579&line=134933&spln=1

CENTRALIA, Wash.

Canada-based TransAlta Corp. says it plans to build a new natural gas facility in Lewis County, Wash., as it prepares to shut down the Northwest’s largest coal-fired power plant.

The company will gradually close its Centralia facility by 2025, as part of legislation negotiated by TransAlta, Washington state officials, lawmakers and environmentalists.

Gov. Chris Gregoire plans to sign Senate Bill 5769 into law on Friday. Proponents say closing the state’s largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions will improve public health and help the state meet its climate change goals.

The legislation calls for TransAlta to provide $55 million in economic assistance and to install new pollution controls at the plant.

TransAlta spokeswoman Angela Mallow says the company would get expedited permitting to build a natural gas facility to come online by 2020.

Article source: http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9MTCPNO1.htm

Sat Apr 30, 2011 8:30am EDT

* Conservatives gain slightly to 38 percent

* NDP support slips to 29.6 percent

TORONTO, April 30 (Reuters) – Canada’s ruling Conservative
Party is still leading the May 2 election campaign, with the
left-leaning New Democrats firmly in second place, according to
a poll released on Saturday.

The Nanos Research tracking poll of results for three days
of surveys put support for the Conservatives at 38 percent, up
slightly from 36.4 percent in Friday’s poll.

The NDP had 29.6 percent of decided voters, down from 31.2
percent.

An unprecedented surge in the polls by the NDP has forced
apathetic markets to sit up and take notice of the party’s
platform, with some investors fretting about its plans to raise
corporate taxes, spend more and launch a tougher energy policy.
[ID:nN27126329]

Political analysts have been trying to figure out whether
the NDP’s rise will split the center-left vote and benefit the
ruling Conservatives, or give the NDP a chance to form its
first federal government, in coalition with the faltering
Liberals.

Under Canada’s electoral system, a party normally has
needed to win about 40 percent of the national vote to win a
majority of the 308 seats in the House of Commons.

The Nanos poll showed Liberal support rose slightly to 23.3
percent from 22 percent a day earlier.

The separatist Bloc Quebecois, which runs candidates only
in the French-speaking province of Quebec, was at 5.2 percent,
down from 5.7 percent in Friday’s poll. Nanos noted the NDP
enjoy a comfortable lead in Quebec with 39 percent support
there.

The national daily Nanos tracking figures are based on a
three-day rolling telephone sample of 1,048 decided voters and
are considered accurate within 3 percentage points 19 times out
of 20.

Results from the last three days of polling are as
follows:

Poll Release Date April 30 April 29 April 28

Conservatives 38 36.4 36.6

NDP 29.6 31.2 30.4

Liberals 23.3 22.0 21.9

Bloc Quebecois 5.2 5.7 6.0

Green Party 3.1 4.0 4.1
(Reporting by Jeffrey Hodgson; Editing by Eric Beech)

Article source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/30/canada-politics-poll-idUSN3010289320110430