Eh! Rochrox here again, writing my fourth edition of Eh: The Canada Column. This week in Eh! "What's Up?: Current Canadian Events and News."

International

I'm sure all you fellow Canadians have seen those Remembrance Day quarters, with the red poppy symbol in the middle. On Monday May 7, an article was printed in my local newspaper, that is still making my friends and I laugh. These special quarters were released in October 2004, to remember all the Canadian war veterans. The coins are very unique because they have a red, painted on poppy on one side of the coin, and are the first painted coin in circulation.

Why is this important? Well, besides Canadians, not too many other people knew about the coins. U.S. Army contractors had been travelling in Canada recently, and came across some of the poppy quarters. They believed that the quarters were actually nano-technology spy cameras! Of course, the quarters were not spy cameras, but many people had a good laugh over the mistake.

Provincial

Ontario: It has been decided that $5.5 million will be spent by Ontario to help shorten children's surgery wait times. The money will help over 2000 more surgeries take place in Ontario for kids. Surgeries will include: cleft lip, appendectomies, palate repair, eye related surgeries, dental surgeries, bone and joint surgeries, and many more.

Atlantic Canada: On Thursday, May 10, Gideon Sacrey, an 87 year old war veteran, was honoured for saving a little girl's life, 54 years ago. In 1953, Antonia Reeves (Toni Rowsell) fell from a wharf near the Canada Harbour in Newfoundland. Sacrey dove into the water, and pulled Rowsell out. 54 years later, Sacrey was presented with a letter of commemoration from the Royal Life Saving Society. As fate would have it, Rowsell is currently the caregiver of Sacrey.

British Columbia: As many of you probably already know, the 2010 Winter Olympics will be held in Whistler and Vancouver, British Columbia. 2007 will be a busy year for B.C. Construction is beginning on the Whistler and Vancouver villages, and the mascot for the 2010 Olympics must be chosen. The last Winter Olympics hosted by Canada was the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. Events will include ice hockey, different types of skiing and skating, and a newer event, wheelchair curling.

So that's what's up in Canada. Have you heard any of these news stories, or have another one to share? Talk about it in the BBS! And make sure you check back next week for a very special issue!!

This has been rochrox, finishing off her pancakes with maple syrup!