Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann replaces Dharam Vira Gandhi as AAP leader in Lok Sabha

NEW DELHI: As an expected fallout of the brawl in Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Patiala MP Dharam Vira Gandhi -- who had raised his voice against the treatment meted out to now expelled Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan -- was removed as the party's leader in Lok Sabha on Tuesday. In his place, the party appointed stand-up comedian and Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann to articulate its views in the lower House. 

This is an unprecedented rise for an entertainer who rode his punchlines through his poll campaign and eventually to Lok Sabha, although the jury may still be out on whether it is a sign of the readiness of the political class to put satire on the same pedestal as serious criticism. 

Even though Gandhi's removal was explained by AAP merely as a "party decision", it is hardly lost on anyone that he has paid the price for siding with rebels. The Patiala MP gave considerable grief to Arvind Kejriwal and his aides when he endorsed the version of Bhushan and Yadav that the dominant faction resorted to strong-arm methods to intimidate dissidents and stifle their protest. That Gandhi had till then kept himself aloof from the ugly factional fight lent credence to the rebels' narrative. 

Party member Ashutosh, while confirming the development, refused to go into the reason why Gandhi had to be dumped. "This is a party decision and we need not explain it," he said. 

Mann, who had defended Kejriwal and his group, was pleased with the development, and he attacked Bhushan and Yadav saying the two leaders were sacked for carrying out anti-party activities. "I have raised maximum questions, participated in maximum debates and raised concerns about various bills in the House. If the party wants to give me more responsibilities, then I am ready to shoulder them," Mann said. 

Mann's rise is significant as a leg-up to entertainers in Indian politics which has seen many actors enter the fray but rarely any rising beyond a point. 

As a stand-up comedian, Mann also joins the league of several such personalities across the world who have literally laughed their way to election wins and upset political calculations. 

From Italy to Iceland and Miyazaki to Minnesota, comedians and entertainers have left a trail of political surprise. Italian comedian Giuseppe Piero 'Beppe' Grillo spent much of his career pillorying political parties until he launched the 'Five Star Movement' which went on to win over 25% votes in the 2013 general elections in Italy. Icelandic standup comic Jon Gnarr fought mayoral elections in the capital Reykjavik as a "fun thing" only to be declared the winner to his and the political establishment's horror. 

In 2007, Japanese comedian Hideo Higashikokubaru decided to run a serious campaign for governor of the Miyazaki Prefecture and won it in an atmosphere of complete dejection among voters with the political class. Most famous of all, however, was the victory of WWE Hall of Fame wrestler Jesse Ventura's win in Minnesota gubernatorial elections in 1998 when he defeated both the Democratic and Republican candidates. 

Mann's rise comparatively is circumstantial but given that he lost no minute in siding with Kejriwal after the quarrel broke out in the party shows that he is equipped, besides a sense of humour, with political smarts. The reward that he has received from the party will encourage him to further burnish his 'loyalist' credentials.

Ease norms for MBBS seats, demand NRIs

Edmonton - After denied admission in the MBBS course in Punjab, many NRI students have approached the Medical Education and Research Department, seeking abolition of new rules under the All-India Pre-Medical Entrance Test (AIPMET) on July 6.
Earlier, all NRI quota seats in medical colleges of Punjab were filled on the basis of marks obtained by the candidates in exams equivalent to Class XII of the PSEB or CBSE. Under the new rules, it is mandatory for every candidate to appear in the AIPMET and get a minimum 50 per cent marks to be eligible for MBBS and BDS courses.
The seven state medical colleges have 72 NRI quota seats, but the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) could find only two eligible candidates.
A number of other applications were rejected as the candidates had scored less than 50 per cent marks in AIPMET. Several others did not even appear in the AIPMET.
In their representation to Minister, Medical Education and Research Department, Punjab, the NRI students said they had passed their qualifying examination (equivalent to Class XII) from the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and other countries. They maintained that they had different curriculum than the one taught in India, so they had no exposure to the Indian examination system.
Dyal Sharma, father of Akanksha Sharma, an NRI student, said: "Since the academic period in India and in several foreign countries is different, it is not practical for NRI students to travel to India and appear in the AIPMET."

NRI Sabha, Canada urged Punjab Govt. that these conditions must be relaxed else all NRI seats will remain vacant in the state, the students said in their representation.

Helicopter Jailbreak: 3 Inmates Escape Orsainville Detention Centre in Quebec

MONTREAL -The search has widened for three Quebec inmates who used a helicopter to escape from jail on Saturday evening.

Quebec provincial police say they have alerted authorities across the province and elsewhere.

Sgt. Ann Mathieu says police are reluctant to provide many details about their investigation for fear the escapees could be monitoring media reports.

Audrey-Anne Bilodeau, another police spokeswoman, said Saturday police were working with surrounding airports and Quebec’s Valcartier military base to help track down the chopper.

The men fled from the Orsainville Detention Centre in suburban Quebec City shortly before 8 p.m. with the help of a green-coloured helicopter,  Quebec provincial police said.

For the second time in just over a year, inmates used a helicopter to make a brazen escape from jail in Quebec.

Audrey-Anne Bilodeau, a police spokeswoman, said the helicopter flew west from the provincial detention centre, perhaps toward Trois-Rivieres or Montreal.

"We (are working with) a few partners like the airports of Quebec City and surrounding areas, the military bases and, of course, there's a ground search in the event that the helicopter is located," Bilodeau said late Saturday.

Provincial police Sergeant Ann Mathieu said the chopper put down in a courtyard of the detention centre then quickly took off again heading west.

Mathieu, however, said police were reluctant to reveal much else about their investigation for fear the escapees could be monitoring media reports.

The escapees were identified as Yves Denis, 35, Denis Lefebvre, 53, and Serge Pomerleau, 49.

The three men were being held at the detention centre waiting to stand trial, it was not immediately clear what charges they were facing.

Police released photos of the three men on social media and appealed to the public for help, but warned anyone who spotted them not to approach and immediately contact police.

The Orsainville Detention Centre, about 10 kilometres from the centre of Quebec City, can hold up to 710 offenders.

In 2010, it was the scene of a fire and a violent skirmish that ended with two inmates dead and another six rushed to hospital.

It was also the scene of a riot in February 2008, which was apparently triggered by a smoking ban at the facility.

Saturday's helicopter escape had similarities to another bold jailbreak last year.

Two inmates made a similar jailbreak from a St-Jerome, Que. prison in March 2013.

A helicopter pilot was forced at gunpoint to fly to the prison on a Sunday afternoon.

Two inmates at the facility, which is about 60 kilometres from Montreal, climbed a rope ladder into the hovering helicopter and fled.

The two escapees and the two men accused of hijacking the chopper were picked up by police in Mont-Tremblant, about 85 kilometres away, within a few hours of the escape.

Jaswinder Sidhu's Murder Case: Mother, uncle of alleged honour killing odered to be extradited to India over her slaying

Jaswinder Kaur Sidhu @ Jassi

Vancouver - The mother and uncle of Jaswinder Kaur Sidhu have been ordered extradited to India to face charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder, 14 years after she was found dead.
Sidhu, also known as Jassi, 25, was found strangled and beaten to death in Punjab in 2000. Her mother, Malkit Sidhu, and uncle, Surjit Badesha, both of Maple Ridge, B.C., were arrested in 2012.
In court Friday, Justice Gregory Fitch ordered the siblings be extradited to India, to face accusations they killed Sidhu after she married Mithu Sidhu, a rickshaw driver she met in India a few years earlier, of whom her family did not approve.
The final decision on the extraditions will be made by Canada's justice minister, and that decision could be appealed.
Jaswinder Sidhu, 25, of Maple Ridge, B.C. worked at a Coquitlam beauty salon​. Last year, co-worker Jody Wright testified at the extradition hearing for Malkit Sidhu and Badesha that Sidhu had told her the marriage had remained a secret for about a year because she had married for love, while her family wanted her to have an arranged marriage.
Justice Gregory Fitch heard that when the clandestine union accidentally came to light, what happened next was an "interrogation," during which Sidhu's own life and that of her husband were threatened.
Wright testified her friend told her she admitted to her family that she was married and was forced to sign a document seeking an annulment.

Jaswinder Sidhu married Mithu Sidhu for love, against the wishes of her family

 

"She was fearful of her life. She told me she didn't know what they were capable of," Wright said.
Even prior to Sidhu's admission of her marriage, Wright testified that her relatives would often come to the salon to keep an eye on her. After the admission, Wright told the court, their presence increased.
Sidhu arranged a code with Wright that would initiate a call to police. Wright said she made that call twice.
"The code word was, 'I'm sick or I have the flu.' That was my trigger to call the cops because she was locked in her bedroom," she told the court.
Finally, weeks before her death, Wright testified that Sidhu ran away from home, fleeing to the home of another co-worker, Tamara Lamirande, with the help of a Maple Ridge police officer.
Sidhu had heard from her husband who was still in India and the news was not good, Lamirande testified.
"She had been receiving phone calls from India from Mithu and his friends that he was being threatened, that his family was being threatened, his mother, and he was scared and that he was beaten up," she told Fitch.
"Jassi knew that the uncle had arranged people to go after Mithu and his family to scare him off, so that this marriage would break up."

Jaswinder Sidhu's mother, Malkit Kaur Sidhu, and uncle, Surjit Singh Badesha, in court during their extradition hearing.

 

After about a week at Lamirande's home, Sidhu flew to India to reunite with her husband, and bring him back to start a new life in Canada. She never returned.
Sidhu and her husband were attacked as they rode a scooter in a village near Sangrur, Punjab, in June 2000. According to reports in India, her husband was severely beaten and left for dead.
Sidhu was kidnapped and later strangled to death, her body left in a canal.
The case received extensive media coverage, which included a book and more than one television documentary.
Seven people have been convicted of conspiracy to commit murder in her death, but several of those convictions were overturned on appeal.
The family has denied any involvement.

Vaisakhi 2014 Surrey Khalsa Parade Draws 240,000 People

ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ ਡੇਅ ਪਰੇਡ ਮੌਕੇ ਕੇਸਰੀ ਰੰਗ 'ਚ ਰੰਗਿਆ ਸਰੀ 

ਵੈਨਕੂਵਰ/ਸਰੀ, 20 ਅਪ੍ਰੈਲ-ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਦੀ ਧਰਤੀ 'ਤੇ ਸਿੱਖਾਂ ਦੇ ਸਭ ਤੋਂ ਸੰਘਣੀ ਵਸੋਂ ਵਾਲੇ ਸ਼ਹਿਰ ਸਰੀ 'ਚ ਅੱਜ 'ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ ਡੇਅ ਪਰੇਡ' ਦਾ ਵਿਸ਼ਾਲ ਪੱਧਰ 'ਤੇ ਆਯੋਜਨ ਕੀਤਾ ਗਿਆ | ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ ਸਾਜਨਾ ਦਿਹਾੜੇ ਨੂੰ ਸਮਰਪਿਤ ਇਸ ਨਗਰ ਕੀਰਤਨ ਵਿਚ ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਅਤੇ ਅਮਰੀਕਾ ਦੇ ਵੱਖ-ਵੱਖ ਸ਼ਹਿਰਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਇਲਾਵਾ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਤੋਂ ਵੀ ਨਾਮਵਰ ਸਿੱਖ ਸ਼ਖ਼ਸੀਅਤਾਂ ਸ਼ਾਮਿਲ ਹੋਈਆਂ | ਸਰੀ ਰੌਇਲ ਕੈਨੇਡੀਅਨ ਮੌਾਟੇਡ ਪੁਲਿਸ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਜਾਰੀ ਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ ਡੇਅ ਪਰੇਡ 'ਚ ਦੋ ਲੱਖ ਚਾਲੀ ਹਜ਼ਾਰ ਦੇ ਕਰੀਬ ਲੋਕ ਪੁੱਜੇ ਅਤੇ ਸੈਂਕੜਿਆਂ ਦੀ ਗਿਣਤੀ 'ਚ ਫੂਡ ਸਟਾਲ ਸੰਗਤਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਲੰਗਰ ਛਕਾਉਣ ਵਾਸਤੇ ਲਾਏ ਗਏ | ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਦਸਮੇਸ਼ ਦਰਬਾਰ ਸਰੀ ਤੋਂ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਦੀ ਛਤਰ-ਛਾਇਆ ਹੇਠ ਸਜਾਏ ਨਗਰ ਕੀਰਤਨ 'ਚ ਕੈਨੇਡੀਅਨ ਫ਼ੌਜ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਗਿਆ ਸਨਮਾਨ ਉਸ ਵੇਲੇ ਇਤਿਹਾਸਕ ਹੋ ਨਿਬੜਿਆ, ਜਦੋਂ ਤੋਪ ਤੇ ਬਖ਼ਤਰਬੰਦ ਫ਼ੌਜੀ ਗੱਡੀਆਂ ਨਾਲ ਕੈਨੇਡੀਅਨ ਜਰਨੈਲਾਂ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਮਾਰਚ ਪਾਸਟ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਸਲਾਮੀ ਦਿੱਤੀ ਗਈ | ਕੈਨੇਡਾ ਦੇ ਕੇਂਦਰੀ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਟਿਮ ਉੱਪਲ, ਮੰਤਰੀ ਐਡ ਫਾਸਟ, ਬੀ. ਸੀ. ਦੀ ਮੁੱਖ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਕ੍ਰਿਸਟੀ ਕਲਾਰਕ, ਵਿਰੋਧੀ ਧਿਰ ਦੇ ਆਗੂ ਏਡਰੀਅਨ ਡਿਕਸ, ਸ਼ਹਿਰ ਦੀ ਮੇਅਰ ਡਾਇਨਾ ਵਾਟਸ, ਸਾਂਸਦ ਨਰਿੰਦਰ ਕੌਰ ਗਰੇਵਾਲ, ਵਿਰੋਧ ਧਿਰ ਐਮ. ਪੀ. ਜਸਬੀਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਸੰਧੂ, ਜਿੰਨੀ ਸਿਮਜ਼ ਬਹੁਤ ਸਾਰੇ ਸੂਬਾਈ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਅਤੇ ਐਮ. ਐਲ. ਏ., ਅਮਰੀਕ ਸਿੰਘ ਵਿਰਕ, ਹੈਰੀ ਬੈਂਸ, ਰਾਜ ਚੌਹਾਨ ਅਤੇ ਸਾਬਕਾ ਸਾਂਸਦਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਇਲਾਵਾ ਗੁਰਮੰਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਗਰੇਵਾਲ, ਸੁੱਖ ਧਾਲੀਵਾਲ, ਜਗਰੂਪ ਸਿੰਘ ਬਰਾੜ, ਉੱਘੀ ਫ਼ਿਲਮ ਨਿਰਦੇਸ਼ਕਾ ਦੀਪਾ ਮਹਿਤਾ ਵੀ ਕੀਰਤਨ 'ਚ ਸ਼ਾਮਿਲ ਹੋਏ | ਸਰੀ ਦੀਆਂ ਸੜਕਾਂ 'ਤੇ ਕਈ ਕਿਲੋਮੀਟਰ ਤੱਕ ਕੇਸਰੀ ਦਸਤਾਰਾਂ ਤੇ ਦੁਪੱ ਟਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਠਾਠਾਂ ਮਾਰਦੇ ਇਕੱਠ ਨਾਲ ਸ਼ਹਿਰ ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾਈ ਰੰਗ 'ਚ ਰੰਗਿਆ ਪ੍ਰਤੀਤ ਹੋ ਰਿਹਾ ਸੀ | ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਦਸਮੇਸ਼ ਨਗਰ ਦੀ ਮੁੱਖ ਸਟੇਜ 'ਤ ਸ਼ਹੀਦ ਜਸਵੰਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਖਾਲੜਾ ਦੇ ਸਪੁੱਤਰ ਭਾਈ ਦਮਨਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਨੂੰ ਕੌਮੀ ਸਨਮਾਨ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਗਿਆ | ਇਸ ਤੋਂ ਇਲਾਵਾ ਭਾਈ ਜਗਾ ਸਿੱਘ ਜੋਗੀ ਕਵੀਸ਼ਰ ਦੇ ਦੋ ਪਰਿਵਾਰਕ ਮੈਂਬਰ ਸਿੱਖ ਸੰਘਰਸ਼ 'ਚ ਸ਼ਹੀਦ ਹੋਣ ਕਰਕੇ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਸਨਮਾਨਿਤ ਕੀਤਾ ਗਿਆ | ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ 'ਤੇ ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ ਡੇਅ ਪਰੇਡ 'ਚ ਵਧੇਰੇ ਫਲੋਟ ਵੀ 1984 ਦੇ ਸ਼ਹੀਦੀ ਸਾਕੇ ਨੂੰ ਸਮਰਪਿਤ ਕੀਤੇ ਗਏ | ਸਿੱਖ ਮੋਟਰਸਾਈਕਲ ਕਲੱਬ, ਸਿੱਖ ਅਕੈਡਮੀ, ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ ਸਕੂਲ ਸਰੀ, ਗੁਰਮਤਿ ਸੈਂਟਰ ਐਬਸਫਰੋਡ, ਗੁਰੂ ਅੰਗਦ ਦੇਵ ਐਲੀਮੈਂਟਰੀ ਸਕੂਲ, ਵਿਕਟੋਰੀਆ ਸਕੂਲ ਅਤੇ ਸ਼ਹੀਦ ਬਾਬਾ ਦੀਪ ਸਿੰਘ ਗਤਕਾ ਅਖਾੜਾ ਦੇ ਬੱ ਚਿਆਂ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਗਤਕੇ ਦੇ ਜੌਹਰ ਵਿਖਾਏ ਗਏ, ਜਦ ਕਿ ਐਡਵਾਂਸ ਲਰਨਿੰਗ ਸੈਂਟਰ ਦੇ 'ਦਸਤਾਰ ਸਜਾਉਣ' ਵਾਲੇ ਸਟਾਲ ਉੱਪਰ ਸੈਂਕੜੇ ਵਿਅਕਤੀਆਂ ਦੇ ਪੱਗਾਂ ਬੰਨ੍ਹੀਆਂ ਗਈਆਂ | ਨਗਰ ਕੀਰਤਨ 'ਚ ਵਿਸ਼ੇਸ਼ ਤੌਰ 'ਤੇ ਪੁੱਜੇ ਸਿੰਘ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਭਾਈ ਰਾਮ ਸਿੰਘ ਮੁਖੀ ਦਮਦਮੀ ਟਕਸਾਲ, ਭਾਈ ਸ਼ਿਵਤੇਗ ਸਿੰਘ ਸਾਬਕਾ ਮੁੱਖ ਗ੍ਰੰਥੀ ਬੰਗਲਾ ਸਾਹਿਬ, ਢਾਡੀ ਗਿ: ਤਰਲੋਚਨ ਸਿੰਘ ਭਮੱਦੀ, ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਮੁਖ ਸਿੰਘ ਵਲਟੋਹਾ ਅਤੇ ਬਹੁਤ ਸਾਰੇ ਨਾਮਵਰ ਕਵੀਸ਼ਰੀ ਅਤੇ ਕੀਰਤਨੀ ਜਥੇ ਸ਼ਾਮਿਲ ਸਨ | ਗੋਰੇ ਤੋਂ ਸਿੰਘ ਸਜੇ ਭਾਈ ਹਰੀ ਨਾਮ ਸਿੰਘ ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਅੰਗਰੇਜ਼ੀ 'ਚ ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ ਸਾਜਨਾ ਦਿਹਾੜੇ ਬਾਰੇ ਦਿੱਤੇ ਵਿਚਾਰਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਨੌਜਵਾਨ ਕੈਨੇਡੀਅਨ ਪੀੜ੍ਹੀ ਬੇਹੱਦ ਪ੍ਰਭਾਵਿਤ ਹੋਈ | 21 ਫਲੋਟਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਸਜਾਏ ਸਰੀ ਨਗਰ ਕੀਰਤਨ 'ਚ ਮੌਸਮ ਖ਼ਰਾਬੀ ਦੇ ਬਾਵਜੂਦ ਲਗਾਤਾਰ 7 ਘੰਟੇ ਤੱਕ ਲੱਖਾਂ ਸਿੱਖ ਸੰਗਤਾਂ ਨੇ ਭਰਪੂਰ ਹਾਜ਼ਰੀ ਲੁਆਈ | ਲੋਅਰ ਮੈਨਲੈਂਡ ਦੀਆਂ ਸਾਰੀਆਂ ਪੰਥਕ ਸੁਸਾਇਟੀਆਂ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਇਕਮੁੱਟ ਹੋ ਕੇ ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ ਡੇਅ ਪਰੇਡ ਨੂੰ ਸਫ਼ਲ ਬਣਾਇਆ ਗਿਆ | ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਦਸਮੇਸ਼ ਦਰਬਾਰ ਸਰੀ ਦੇ ਮੁੱਖ ਸੇਵਾਦਾਰ ਸ: ਗਿਆਨ ਸਿੰਘ ਗਿੱਲ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਨਗਰ ਕੀਰਤਨ 'ਚ ਪੁੱਜਣ ਅਤੇ ਸਹਿਯੋਗ ਦੇਣ ਵਾਲੀਆਂ ਸਮੂਹ ਸੰਸਥਾਵਾਂ ਦਾ ਧੰਨਵਾਦ ਕੀਤਾ ਗਿਆ |

5 dead in Calgary stabbings, police say

Apr. 15, 2014: Police investigate the scene of a multiple fatal stabbing in northwest Calgary, Alberta.

CALGARY, Alberta –  Five people were killed and a suspect taken into custody after multiple stabbings at a house party attended by university students near the University of Calgary, the police chief said, calling it the worst mass murder in Calgary's history.
Police Chief Rick Hanson said the suspect is the son of a 33-year veteran of the Calgary police force and a student at the University of Calgary.
"We have never seen five people killed at one scene," Hanson said. "The scene was horrific."
Hanson said the suspect was invited to the party and shortly after arriving picked up a large knife and began stabbing the victims one by one early Tuesday morning. He said about 20 people were at the party when the stabbings occurred.
Hanson said the victims ages range from 22 to 27. He said the dead were all "good kids"
The police chief said they would not release the name of the suspect until first-degree murder charges are announced later Tuesday. He said the suspect left his work at a grocery store before arriving to the party.
Police said three males were found dead at the home. A male and a female died at a local hospital.
Police said the suspect, in his 20s, was arrested with the help of the police canine unit about 40 minutes after the stabbings and that he was taken to hospital for treatment for dog bites.
There was no immediate word on charges or the possible motive. Hanson said the suspect brought a weapon, but used a knife from the house.
Hanson said the father of the suspect is devastated.
Multiple witnesses were taken to the campus and are currently being interviewed by detectives, police said.
The blue-sided house where the stabbings occurred is on a quiet, tree-lined residential street. It was surrounded with yellow police tape as medical examiner staff brought three bodies out on stretchers.
Neighbors in the area say the house was being rented by University of Calgary students and that the party was related to the student union's annual Bermuda Shorts Day, held Monday.
Bermuda Shorts Day, shortened by students to BSD, is an annual outdoor party on campus with live music and beer gardens to celebrate the final day of classes.
The school's student newspaper, The Gauntlet, wrote about the tradition two weeks ago in a story titled "BSD: It'll be a bloodbath."
On Twitter, many students wrote about how they started drinking early in the morning Monday and continued after the campus event at parties elsewhere.
University of Calgary President Elizabeth Cannon said they are "deeply saddened" by the news. Cannon said it was a house party off campus.
"This is a terrible, terrible tragedy," Cannon said. "It's young people who have lost their lives at a very critical point in their lifetimes. It's a huge impact on all of us."
Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi took to Twitter to offer condolences.
"Thoughts and prayers of all Calgarians are with the young people we lost this morning, their families, friends, and university community," the mayor said.
Just outside Toronto, meanwhile, a student was stabbed in a school and two were arrested. Police said the 17-year-old victim has non-life threatening injuries.

Former finance minister Jim Flaherty dead at 64

Ottawa, ON - Former finance minister Jim Flaherty has died at the age 64, nearly a month after he stepped down from cabinet ahead of a planned move to the private sector.

The cause of death was not immediately available. Paramedics were called to Flaherty’s Ottawa condominium shortly after noon Thursday, and he was pronounced dead not long after, police said.

Flaherty’s wife, Ontario Progressive Conservative MPP Christine Elliott, and the couple’s triplet sons, John, Galen and Quinn, issued a brief statement asking for privacy. The statement said Flaherty “passed away peacefully.”

The House of Commons was suspended after the news of Flaherty’s death broke Thursday afternoon. The Ontario legislature was also adjourned for the day.

The flag on the Peace Tower at Parliament Hill was lowered to half-mast.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said “today is a very sad day for me, for our government and for all of our country.”

“Jim will be sorely missed, not only by his many friends on both side of the House, I know particularly his friends in this caucus, among whom he was held unanimously in a combination of great respect and affection,” Harper said in a statement to the Conservative caucus.

“But he will also be missed by the countless thousands of Canadians that he devoted himself to and whom he helped during his long and successful career in public life.”

Harper said that he will speak more about Flaherty’s legacy and “the special relationship I shared with Jim” in the days ahead. Harper appeared with his wife Laureen, who was wiping tears from her eyes.

Former and current MPs and MPPs of all political stripes paid tribute to Canada’s longest-serving finance minister.

Joe Oliver, who succeeded Flaherty in the finance post, said he was “shocked and very saddened” to learn of Flaherty’s death.

“He was an honourable, dedicated and exceptional man who loved Canada,” Oliver said.

NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair said he and his wife, Catherine, “are very, very sad at the loss of a great Canadian.”

Mulcair, near tears, made a brief statement outside the House of Commons. He paid tribute to Flaherty, calling him an “extraordinarily dedicated public servant.”

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau issued a statement, saying he learned of Flaherty's death "with great shock and sadness."

"Jim was a dedicated Parliamentarian with a strong social conscience and fundamentally committed to the ideal of public service," Trudeau said. "He was a proud Canadian and showed continued devotion and commitment to his country over many years. This is a loss to the entire family in the House of Commons."

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May issued a statement offering her “deepest condolences” to Flaherty’s family.

“He was a rare partisan, able to extend a mischievous twinkle to a rejoinder in Question Period,” May said. “He was a dedicated public servant and a genuinely kind man. He will be missed.”

NDP MP and finance critic Peggy Nash tweeted: “Oh so sorry to learn news about Jim Flaherty. Very very sad.”

Former Ontario premier Mike Harris said Flaherty will be remembered for his political and finance skills. However, Harris told CTV News Channel: “He was an honest, genuine good guy…I loved him because he was an honest, good guy.”

Current Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa tweeted that Flaherty “was a man of great integrity. My thoughts & prayers are with Christine & family. He was a champion for Canada. We’ll miss him.”

Flaherty stepped down from his post as finance minister last month, citing plans to eventually take a job in the private sector.  At the time, Flaherty said he and his family came to the decision that he would resign from cabinet, but did not say whether he would remain an MP until the 2015 election.

He denied that his health had anything to do with the move.

He had been coping with a painful skin condition, Bullous Pemphigoid. The condition required him to take powerful medications that left him appearing bloated, and looking and sounding at times extremely fatigued.

In a statement announcing his resignation from cabinet, Flaherty said that he was “on the road to a full recovery.”

Flaherty was born in Lachine, Que. on Dec. 30, 1949 and, after growing up in Quebec, went on to earn a BA from Princeton University and a law degree from York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School.

He helped found law firm Flaherty Dow Elliott before jumping into provincial politics in the early 1990s.

He lost his first time out, but won the Whitby-Ajax riding in 1995 and held several cabinet posts over the next decade, including labour, finance and deputy premier.

After two unsuccessful attempts to win the leadership of the Ontario Conservatives, he made a successful leap to the federal scene in 2006, winning in Whitby-Oshawa.

As federal finance minister, Flaherty made tax cuts a priority, starting with a one-per-cent cut to the GST, followed by another cut in 2008.

In 2007, Flaherty introduced the Registered Disability Savings Plan to help Canadians with disabilities save for retirement, and in 2008 introduced the Tax-Free Savings Account.

He also raised the base deduction rate, cut a point from the lowest personal tax rate and raised the limits of the two lowest tax categories.

Flaherty wasn’t afraid to spend, however, once the 2009 recession hit, pouring billions of stimulus into the economy via the Economic Action Plan.

When he stepped down last month, Flaherty thanked his constituents, his House colleagues, his wife, who represents her husband’s former provincial riding, and their sons.

“We live in the greatest country in the world, and I want Canadians to know that it has been my honour and my privilege to serve them,” Flaherty said.

About Jim Flaherty, 

James Michael foundly known as Jim Flaherty (Born December 30, 1949) was Canada's federal Minister of Finance (2006–2014) and also a former provincial Minister of Finance for Ontario (2001–2002). From 1995 until 2005, he was the Member of Provincial Parliament for Whitby—Ajax, and a member of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party caucus and unsuccessfully sought the leadership of the provincial party on two occasions.

Flaherty won the riding of Whitby—Oshawa in the federal election held January 23, 2006 as a member of the Conservative Party of Canada narrowly beating Liberalincumbent Judi Longfield. He was re-elected in 2008 and 2011. Flaherty's widow, Christine Elliott, represents Whitby—Oshawa in the Ontario legislature.

Suicide bomb attack on Kabul restaurant 'kills 14'

• Two Canadians killed in Kabul attack 
• Lebanese owner died defending Kabul restaurant

At least 14 people have been killed in a suicide bomb and gun attack on a restaurant popular with foreigners in the Afghan capital, officials say.

Foreigners, including an IMF representative from Lebanon and a Briton, were also among those killed in Kabul's Wazir Akbar Khan neighbourhood.

The area is home to a number of foreign embassies and organisations - the UN said four of its staff were missing.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack on the Taverna du Liban.

The restaurant is popular with foreign nationals, diplomats and aid workers, and was busy with diners at the time of the attack.

A suicide attacker detonated his explosives outside the gate of the heavily-fortified restaurant, Deputy Interior Minister Mohammad Ayoub Salangi said.

Two gunmen then entered the restaurant and started "indiscriminately killing" people inside.

Mr Salangi said four women were among the dead.

The UK Foreign Office (FCO) confirmed that a British national was among those killed in the incident and that it was ready to provide consular assistance to the person's family.

International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde later said Wabel Abdallah - the head of the fund's Afghanistan office - was among those who died.

"This is tragic news, and we at the fund are all devastated," Ms Lagarde said in a statement.

Abdul Majid, a chef at the restaurant, told AFP news agency that he was sitting with his friends "in the kitchen when an explosion happened and smoke filled the kitchen".

"A man came inside shouting and he started shooting. One of my colleagues was shot and fell down. I ran to the roof and threw myself to the neighbouring property."

Taliban claim

The well-known owner of the restaurant was also among those killed.

The attackers were eventually shot dead by the security forces when they arrived at the scene.

The BBC's Mahfouz Zubaide heard the blast and gunfire from at least two kilometres away. He said the gunfire went on sporadically for about 10 minutes.

Several hours later, UN officials in Kabul said four of its personnel, who may have been in the area at the time, were still unaccounted for.

"The UN is making efforts to clarify the status of its personnel," spokesman Ari Gaitanis told AFP.

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it had been deliberately targeting foreign officials.

Security continues to be a major concern in Afghanistan. The last remaining contingent of Nato-led forces is due to leave by the end of the year, having handed over security to Afghan forces.

Washington is pushing Afghan President Hamid Karzai to sign an agreement which would allow some US troops to stay behind after this year's withdrawal.

The Taliban told the BBC's John Simpson earlier this week that it was now back in control of large areas of Afghanistan and was confident of returning to power after Western troops left.

Our correspondent says it is hard to believe the Taliban could make a comeback as things stand, but their takeover of Kabul in 1996 was unexpected, and they could be strengthened if a weak, corrupt president is elected in April.

Canada sheds nearly 46,000 jobs; unemployment rate rises

Above: 2013 ended with a thud for the Canadian economy, as nearly 46,000 jobs disappeared. The news comes as the Loonie sinks to its lowest level since 2009. 

OTTAWA – The Canadian economy lost a surprising 45,900 jobs in December to finish the weakest year of job growth since 2009, raising concerns about how the economy will fare into 2014.

The unemployment rate rose to 7.2 per cent for the final month of the year, compared with 6.9 per cent in November.

READ MORE: The Canadian jobs picture in one handy graphic

BMO Capital Markets chief economist Doug Porter said the dismal jobs data will add pressure to the loonie and stoke chatter about the possibility of a interest rate cut by the Bank of Canada.

The loonie fell half a cent to 91.65 cents US, its lowest level since mid-2009, following the jobs report Friday.

Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz has suggested that the central bank’s next policy move is just as likely to be a cut in interest rates as a hike.

READ MORE: 5 occupations in high demand amid Canada’s surprising job losses

However Porter suggested it will likely take more than one month of disappointing job growth to trigger a rate cut.

“We continue to believe the bank will need to see an extended period of economic underperformance and even lower inflation before they would even consider easing,” he said.

READ MORE: Sun seekers may face new surcharge as loonie declines

The December drop, the biggest since March 2013, was led by a decline in full-time jobs, which fell by roughly 60,000. That loss was offset in part by a gain of 14,200 part-time jobs.

Economists had expected the economy to add 14,600 jobs and the unemployment rate to hold steady at 6.9 per cent, according to estimates compiled by Thomson Reuters.

The weaker than expected report in Canada came as the U.S. also released disappointing job growth numbers.

READ MORE: Skills shortage causing anxiety for Canadian businesses

The country’s biggest trading partner added just 74,000 jobs in December after averaging 214,000 in the previous four months. The U.S. Labor Department also said Friday that the unemployment rate fell to 6.7 per cent from seven per cent in November as many Americans stopped looking for jobs.

The December jobs report capped a week of generally soft Canadian economic data. Statistics Canada reported earlier this week that Canada’s trade deficit edged higher in November as imports inched up and exports stalled.

CIBC chief economist Avery Shenfeld noted the jobs numbers are volatile month to month, but said the December results were decidedly ugly.

“We are getting less surprised by surprises in this survey, which has had quite a lot of volatility in the past year or so, but obviously it is a disappointment in both Canada and the U.S.,” Shenfeld said.

However, Shenfeld noted that the fourth quarter started out with a fair bit of bit of momentum.

“Because we got off to a good start, the fourth quarter still looks reasonably healthy and so the issue really is: do we get a bounce back in January and February to help the first quarter numbers?”

For the month, Ontario and Alberta led the provinces lower with losses of 39,000 and 12,000 respectively. British Columbia added 13,000 jobs and Newfoundland and Labrador gained 1,900.

By industry, there were 19,000 fewer jobs in educational services, while the other services category, which includes personal care as well as civic and social organizations, lost 15,000. The agriculture sector lost 9,800 and natural resources lost 8,000.

Health care and social assistance was the only industry to see gains in December as the sector added 22,000 jobs.

7 things to know about Canada Post’s new changes

Canada Post announced it is phasing out door-to-door mail delivery in cities across the country, raising the price of stamps and cutting thousands of jobs. Vassy Kapelos reports.

Canada Post announced Wednesday a dramatic but many say necessary overhaul to be implemented over the next five years in a bid to turn around the struggling postal service. The broad plan calls for the elimination of thousands of jobs, phasing out of home delivery and sharply higher postage rates.

Here’s what you need to know:

Why is mail delivery being phased out?

Obvious to most, once-steady volumes of mail have eroded over the last decade and a half as digital communications have crept into daily life. “As more people began to communicate and manage their household bills online, lettermail volumes declined sharply,” the service said in the announcement.

Canada Post has been selling off century-old offices and real estate to avoid losses but that’s not a long-term solution. By 2020, Canada Post expects to lose $1 billion annually under its current business model.

Using taxpayer funds to buoy a declining service isn’t an option. “Canada Post has a mandate to fund its operations with revenues from the sale of its products and services, rather than become a burden on taxpayers,” Canada Post said.

The new plan, which will phase out a “significant” amount of costs over the next five years, means the postal service will be profitable or at break-even by 2019.

How Canada Post’s home delivery cuts could affect seniors and the disabled

TORONTO – Canada Post is trying to cut costs by phasing out door-to-door letter mail delivery in urban centres, but many are concerned that seniors are also being cut out of contact.

The Green Party’s Elizabeth May said the decision to replace personal delivery with community mailboxes would “disproportionately affect the elderly and Canadians living with disabilities, for whom home delivery of letters and parcels provides a critical link.”

Judith Wahl, executive director of theAdvocacy Centre for the Elderly (ACE), is shocked by the announcement.

“I could see that this could be very difficult for older adults; certain older adults who don’t have the independence to go down the street to some community mailbox,” said Wahl.

“Not everybody has people to go pick up the mail for them.”

Another seniors advocacy group, CARP, has been receiving calls from concerned members all day, according to vice president Susan Eng.

“It’s very hard because although they might be independent in their own homes, getting out and about is not easy for them,” said Eng. “And in weather like this, it also can be risky.”

READ MORE: 7 things to know about Canada Post’s plan to axe home delivery

Eng said people who don’t have family or caregivers will be denied access to things like bills or likely more importantly, cards and letters from family.

“This demographic is probably the last demographic who actually really supports the postal service,” she said. “They rely on it, they care about it, they don’t see that email is necessarily a substitute. Some can’t afford…a computer and so on.”

But Canada Post spokesperson Jon Hamilton said that the issues around community mailboxes aren’t new to Canada Post, who’ve been delivering to community mailboxes for 30 years. He said they’ve worked with Canadians across the country to best provide the service and “haven’t had issues.”

“[Community mailboxes] have been a reality in part of the Canadian landscape for three decades,” said Hamilton. “Not only has that given us the opportunity to figure out how to do this really well, but to serve a variety of Canadians and the needs that they have.”

Hamilton said if someone has mobility issues, they often have people who come to help them. Canada Post will provide extra keys so the mail gets picked up when that person is visiting.

“We ensure that we provide a box that’s accessible—because there’s different heights of boxes—and we’ll ease any obstructions as much as possible, we ensure we clear the snow, and things like that.”

Watch below: Canada Post spokesperson Jon Hamilton on how changes will affect residents

Regardless of the fact that two thirds of Canadians have been using community mailboxes successfully, Wahl plans to speak with seniors who are “more housebound” to get their reaction to the end of door-to-door delivery.

Eng has been referring members to “E-voice” – a tool on the CARP website that allows people to search for their federal or provincial representatives, and send emails directly to that MP. Eng believes many seniors will be calling or emailing their elected officials personally.

Wahl is also investigating whether ACE could fight the decision from a legal standpoint.

On the other hand, Wahl highlighted the potential for entrepreneurs in what could be a new niche market.

“I could see entrepreneurs getting into the business of offering that service [picking up the mail] at a cost,” she said.

“Something that we have enjoyed as part of living in Canada might disappear.”

Ottawa-area bride dies in balcony collapse on honeymoon in Mexico

OTTAWA -- A tragic picture has emerged of the final moments of a Carleton Place woman's life before she fell to her death in Mexico on Wednesday.

Shannon Amy Guy, 24, newly married to Paul Guy, was excited about a tropical getaway after getting married in August.

But the honeymoon barely had time to get started.

As the mother of two posed for a picture with another couple on third-floor balcony of the room at the Tulum Oasis resort, the glass panels gave way.

Debra Simonton, a Loveland, Colo., resident at the resort, came upon the scene right after it happened.

"The new groom was in the doorway to the room taking a picture of his new bride," Simonton said. "They went to give him the best shot of the ocean behind them, and the glass broke out from behind them."
Shannon died at the scene while two others were taken to hospital.
Paul was in rough shape, Simonto said.

"He was severely in shock and had actually fallen on the ground in the spa area and was alone when (another guest) found him," Simonton said. "He had been hitting the walls, he was just really messed up and shouldn't have been left alone."

Simonton blamed flimsy glass panels for the accident, though hotel staff suggested alcohol played a role -- something the woman disputed.

A friend of the bride said Shannon's top priority was taking care of her young daughters, Kaydence, 3, and Harmony, eight months.

"She was dedicated to her kids 24/7," Amanda Scantland said, fighting tears. "(She was) the type of mom that would do anything for her children and it was always about her children. It was never about her."

As news of the tragedy spread Friday, condolences continued to pour in from grieving friends.

"No words can describe the pain that you and your family are enduring right now, but I hope you can use them as strength to get through the days that will follow you ahead," wrote a friend on the Facebook page of Ted Murray, Shannon's father.

Canadian foreign affairs officials have confirmed the death of one Canadian and injuries to two others but have not released any further details.

Plane crash in Laos leaves 49 dead, including 1 Canadian

44 passengers, 5 crew killed after Lao Airlines flight crashes

BANGKOK, Thailand — One Canadian was among 49 people aboard a Laos Airlines domestic flight that crashed Wednesday in Laos and authorities in the Southeast Asian country say they fear there are no survivors,  the Lao government said.

The Ministry of Public Works and Transport, which operates the airline as a state enterprise, said 44 passengers and five crew members were aboard flight QV301 from the Lao capital, Vientiane, to Pakse in the country's south. Earlier reports had said there were 39 passengers on board.

Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Sek Wannamethee said the flight crashed about 8 kilometres short of the international airport at Pakse.

"Upon preparing to land at Pakse Airport the aircraft ran into extreme bad weather conditions and was reportedly crashed into the Mekong River," the ministry said in a statement. It said there was no word of survivors. The airline flies an ATR-72 twin-engine turboprop plane on the 467-kilometre route.

Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Sek Wannamethee said his country's embassy in Vientiane was informed that the plane crashed between seven and eight kilometres from the airport at Pakse.

A passenger manifest faxed by the airline listed 44 people: 17 Lao, seven French, five Australians, five Thais, three Koreans, two Vietnamese and one person each from Canada, China, Malaysia, Taiwan and the United States. Korean, French and Thai officials confirmed the totals for their nationalities.

The Lao government said the airline "is taking all necessary steps to co-ordinate and dispatch all rescue units to the accident site in the hope of finding survivors."

It said the crash is being investigated and the airline hoped to announce its findings on Thursday. A Laos Airlines employee contacted by phone at Vientiane's Wattay airport said a news conference would be held Thursday.

Alice Munro wins Nobel Prize in literature, first Canada-based writer to win award

First Canadian to win Nobel Prize in literature

Alice Munro 

One of the world’s foremost practitioners of the short story has won its biggest literary prize. Alice Munro, the 82-year-old author from Wingham, Ontario was awarded the 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature on Thursday.

“This is so surprising and wonderful,” said Munro in a statement supplied by her publisher. “I am dazed by all the attention and affection that has been coming my way this morning.  It is such an honour to receive this wonderful recognition from the Nobel Committee and I send them my thanks.

“When I began writing there was a very small community of Canadian writers and little attention was paid by the world. Now Canadian writers are read, admired and respected around the globe.  I’m so thrilled to be chosen as this year’s Nobel Prize for Literature recipient. I hope it fosters further interest in all Canadian writers. I also hope that this brings further recognition to the short story form.”

Munro, whom the Royal Swedish Academy called a “master of the contemporary short story,” is only the 13^th woman to win the prize since it was founded in 1901, and the first since German writer Herta Müller in 2009. Recent winners include the Chinese novelist Mo Yan; the Swedish poet Tomas Tranströmer; and the Peruvian-Spanish writer Mario Vargas Llosa. The prize is worth 8 million Swedish kronor (approximately $1.3-million CDN).

“I knew I was in the running, yes, but I never thought I would win,” Munro said by telephone when contacted by The Canadian Press in Victoria. She added that she was delighted and “just terribly surprised.”

She had been considered a perennial contender for the Nobel prize in literature, with British-based betting company Ladbrokes positioning her as the second-most likely recipient this year behind Japanese master Haruki Murakami.

“We’ve been teased with this prospect for years now, and for it finally to happen, and for Alice not to be kept up all night waiting for no news, is such a wonderful thing,” said Deborah Treisman, her editor at the New Yorker for the past 12 years. “It brings this incredible validation, both of her and her career, and of her form – the dedication to the short story.”

Technically, she’s not the first Canadian to win the prize. That would be Saul Bellow, who was born in Lachine, Quebec, but moved to Chicago as a child. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1976, but is largely considered an American writer.

This feels different, however, a monumental day for Canadian writing. In the minutes after the announcement, Twitter and Facebook exploded with well-wishes from other Canadian authors, including Margaret Atwood, another long-rumoured contender for the prize.

“This is no different than Canadians winning at hockey at the Olympics,” said Geoffrey Taylor, artistic director of the International Festival of Authors. “This is a win for us all. Canadians, by our very nature, are not very nationalistic. But things like this suddenly make you want to find a flag.”

In a statement, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the prize “is the culmination of a lifetime of brilliant writing.

“Ms. Munro is a giant in Canadian literature and this Nobel Prize further solidifies Canada’s place among the ranks of countries with the best writers in the world,” said Harper. “I am certain that Ms. Munro’s tremendous body of work and this premier accomplishment will serve to inspire Canadian writers of all ranks to pursue literary excellence and their passion for the written word.”

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne said that she is “part of a lucky population who has been forever changed by [Munro's] unparalleled ability to articulate the complexity and heartbreaks of everyday life.

“Ms. Munro has, over the course of her long career, established herself as one of the world’s greatest living authors and a tremendous source of pride and inspiration for this province,” she said in a statement. “Her stories captured the unique character and experience of small-town Ontario and her selection as a Nobel Laureate is a tribute to her profound talent and devastating insight. I am thrilled for her and all the lucky readers around the globe who will discover her as a result of this honour.”

Her longtime publisher and editor Douglas Gibson, who has worked with Munro since 1976 – at a point where she found herself pressured to write a novel, he convinced her to continue writing short stories – admitted he could not sleep the night before the announcement.

“I was like a kid on Christmas Eve,” he said. “And then Santa came.”

Over the course of a career that’s stretched over 45 years — Munro didn’t publish her first collection until she was 37 years old — her books have remained consistently excellent. She has gone about her work, quietly and without fuss, penning stories mostly set in the back roads and small towns of southwestern Ontario, where she was born and now lives. Although her stories all touch upon similar themes, and introduce readers to familiar characters, each one holds its own surprises. In an industry that has faced the bankruptcy and merger of publishing houses, the collapse of bookstores and the rise of ebooks, Munro has remained a constant.

“It’s the crowning achievement,” said Brad Martin, the President and CEO of Penguin Random House Canada. “As a Canadian, we should all be proud of her. I think she’s the best short story writer in the world. This just confirms it.”

Her first book, Dance of the Happy Shades, won the Governor General’s Literary Award in 1968; she won the same prize in 1978 for Who Do You Think You Are?(published elsewhere as The Beggar Maid) and in 1986 for The Progress of Love. She’s twice won the Giller Prize, Canada’s most prestigious literary award: The Love of A Good Woman won in 1998, while Runaway took home the prize in 2004. Most recently Munro, whose work has been compared to that of Anton Chekhov, was awarded the Man Booker International Prize. At the time, the judges said: “Alice Munro is mostly known as a short story writer and yet she brings as much depth, wisdom and precision to every story as most novelists bring to a lifetime of novels. To read Alice Munro is to learn something every time that you never thought of before.”

“This is really confirmation of what those of us deeply involved in Munro have always thought was only appropriate and just for someone who is produced a body of work that is of such consistent high quality, and which continued to grow from book to book to book,” said her biographer, Robert Thacker, author of 2005′s Alice Munro: Writing Her Lives, on the phone from California. “This is a writer who is enormously respected because of her lifelong commitment to her craft.”

Although Munro is a perennial bestseller in Canada, booksellers across the country were optimistic the prize would introduce a new crop of readers to her work. At Munro’s Books in Victoria, the store that Munro co-founded with her first husband, Jim, in 1963, store manager Jessica Walker said upon hearing the news on the radio Thursday morning she immediately ordered more books from Munro’s publisher, and, upon arriving at the store, moved every copy they had in stock to the front of the store. “She’s won so many accolades, and she’s held in such high regard by other writers, that this is kind of like the cap on [her] career,” said Walker. At Ben McNally’s Books in Toronto, proprietor Ben McNally said that although Munro “has been a beacon for Canadian writers and the Canadian literary community for a long, long time,” because she’s already well-known in Canada the impact of the Nobel Prize “will be much more evident outside of Canada.” Bahram Olfati, the senior-vice president of print at Indigo Books & Music, Canada’s largest chain of bookstores, said “this will introduce her to a whole new generation. She is a Canadian icon.”

Her future as an author remains uncertain. In June, after winning the Trillium Book Award for her 14^th collection, Dear Life, she told the National Post “I’m probably not going to write anymore. And, so, it’s nice to go out with a bang.” (In an interview withnobelprize.org on Thursday, Munro said “But this may change my mind.”)

Jack Rabinovitch, the founder of the Giller Prize, said Munro’s win would be celebrated at the award’s 20^th anniversary gala ceremony next month. “It’s about time,” said Rabinovitch. “What it does is recognize the fact this country has a tremendous plethora of good writers. I think [Munro] is going to be the first of many. [Margaret] Atwood, Michael Ondaatje, Rohinton Mistry. These are all outstanding writers.”

As well, the International Festival of Authors in Toronto will hold a tribute to Munro on Saturday, November 2, an event that has been in the works for months, although at this time it is still unknown whether Munro will attend.

“This is something that a lot of people have been wanting to happen for a very long time,” said Taylor of Munro’s Nobel Prize. “Those of us who have known her work have got to be giddy to know that so many more people are going to have access to it.

“This is just going to go nuts.”

Speaking on the phone from New York, Treisman laughed when recalling an on-stage interview she conducted with Munro a couple of years ago in New York, during which time an audience member asked about how she felt when her stories were rejected.

“She talked about the fact it still hurt if the New Yorker turned down one of her stories,” said Treisman. “She still found this deeply wounding. And I thought it was just so perfect, and humbling, because we so often think of her as this great figure. But to think of her just as this vulnerable being, typing alone in rural Ontario, and hoping that someone’s going to read her, still, and the fact she’s still grateful when that happens, I found really touching.”

Reacting to news of her win Thursday morning, Munro told that the entire experience has been "wild."

Though odds makers gave her a one in two chance of winning the approximately $1.3 million prize as late as Wednesday, Munro said she didn't think she'd win.

"I didn't think about it at all," she said from Victoria, B.C. "I would have said if you had asked me that then, my chances are pretty slight."

Here is a list of short story collections by Alice Munro, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature on Thursday:
“Dance of the Happy Shades,” 1968
“Lives of Girls and Women,” 1971
“Something I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You,” 1974
“Who Do You Think You Are?” 1978 (“The Beggar Maid” in U.S. editions)
“The Moons of Jupiter,” 1982
“The Progress of Love,” 1986
“Friend of My Youth,” 1990
“Open Secrets,” 1994
“The Love of a Good Woman,” 1998
“Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage,” 2001
“Runaway,” 2004
“The View From Castle Rock,” 2006
“Too Much Happiness,” 2009
“Dear Life,” 2012

A list of Canadians who have won the Nobel Prize

Here is a list of Canadians who have won the Nobel Prize:

• 1923: Frederick G. Banting, Medicine
• 1949: William F. Giauque, Chemistry
• 1957: Lester Bowles Pearson, Peace Prize
• 1966: Charles B. Huggins, Medicine
• 1976: Saul Bellow, Literature *born in Quebec, but a naturalized U.S. citizen
• 1981: David H. Hubel, Medicine
• 1983: Henry Taube, Chemistry
• 1989: Sidney Altman, Chemistry
• 1990: Richard E. Taylor, Physics
• 1992: Rudolph A. Marcus, Chemistry
• 1994: Bertram N. Brockhouse, Physics
• 1996: William Vickrey, Economic Sciences
• 1997: Myron S. Scholes, Economic Sciences
• 1999: Robert A. Mundell, Economic Sciences
• 2009: Willard S. Boyle, Physics
• 2011: Ralph M. Steinman, Medicine
• 2013: Alice Munro, Literature

Read more: http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/a-list-of-canadians-who-have-won-the-nobel-prize-1.1492122