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Letter to the editor

Initiatives target possible flu outbreak

By JIM FOX, Times Correspondent
Published September 16, 2007

Canada is moving to counter a possible worldwide pandemic outbreak - including supplying flu vaccine to the United States - with a huge expansion of a pharmaceutical facility in Quebec.

Health Minister Tony Clement said initiatives have moved forward quickly.

He was speaking as a $200-million expansion of a Quebec City facility by pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline wasnearing completion.

"Our planning has accelerated over the last few years with the advent of the H5N1 virus and cases of human-to-human transmission of avian flu," Clement said.

GlaxoSmithKline holds Canada's pandemic influenza vaccine contract, giving the country first access. Its contract is to provide a vaccine for every Canadian.

Also, the company plans to provide the U.S. market with up to 35-million doses of vaccine for the coming flu season. It will be able to produce 75-million doses annually, up from 10-million before the expansion.

This is part of a "worldwide pyramid of planning" led by the World Health Organization, with the progress being "astounding," Clement said.

Quebec Health Minister Philippe Couillard said, "We are ahead of many other countries in the preparedness but you can never be ready enough."

Toronto tower eclipsed

Toronto's sky-high landmark, the CN Tower, has been eclipsed in height by a new Middle Eastern monolith.

Burj Dubai, a soaring Y-shaped needle of glass and stainless steel, is 6 feet taller than the 1,815-foot downtown Toronto tower on the Lake Ontario shoreline and is now the world's tallest free-standing structure. Developer Emaar Properties said there are 150 livable levels, the largest number of any building in the world.

The CN as in Canadian National Tower held its claim to fame since it was built 31 years ago as a communications and tourist facility. It has observation decks and a revolving restaurant at the top of the tower.

In brief

-Canada and other countries involved in missions in war-torn Afghanistan compared technology and ideas over the past week in the Nevada and California deserts. The exercise was the first large-scale multinational effort aimed at reducing friendly fire casualties. Canada's contribution to the exercise included three CF-18 fighter jets, soldiers and fighting vehicles.

-Even with the world price for oil escalating, Canadian motorists can expect gasoline prices to fall slightly in the coming weeks. Michael Ervin, of M.J. Ervin and Associates, a Calgary analyst of retail gasoline price trends, said prices traditionally drop in the fall after the peak driving season. Also, the rising value of the Canadian dollar is helping to shield some of the higher crude price, he added.

-Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Canada's four federal political parties are criticizing Elections Canada for not making unveiling a voting requirement. Marc Mayrand, Canada's chief electoral officer, has refused requests that he change electoral rules to force veiled women, primarily Muslims, to show their faces to identify themselves when voting.

Facts and figures

Higher crude oil prices and a robust Canadian economy propped up Canada's dollar to a 30-year high of 97.09 cents U.S. Friday. There are predictions it will soon be equal with U.S. currency.

The U.S. dollar retreated to $1.03 in Canadian funds, before bank exchange fees.

The Bank of Canada key interest rate is steady at 4.50 percent while the prime lending rate remains at 6.25 percent.

Stock markets are higher, with the Toronto index at 13,684 points and the TSX Venture Exchange 2,758 points.

Lotto 6-49: (Wednesday) 10, 11, 16, 21, 24 and 38; bonus 23. (Sept. 8) 3, 8, 16, 20, 24 and 25; bonus 23.

Regional briefs

-Greenpeace activists set up a ship blockade on the Saguenay River, north of Quebec City, on Friday to prevent a freighter loaded with pulp at SFK Pulp's St. Felicien mill from leaving port. The company is one of several linked to destruction of the boreal forest in serving the magazine industry, said Richard Brooks of Greenpeace.

-Premier Danny Williams and his Conservative government appear certain to be re-elected in the Newfoundland and Labrador election Oct. 9. The popular premier said his greatest accomplishment has been to put the province well on its way to prosperity after being "on the bottom of the heap for a long period of time."

-An Alberta man has been ordered to trial for making threats against Premier Ed Stelmach and his family. Ronald Labelle, 57, faces three counts of making threats along with weapons violations. Police said Labelle was arrested after someone made a threatening phone call to Stelmach's office in Edmonton and they found 14 rifles at Labelle's home.

Jim Fox can be reached atcanadareport@hotmail.com

[Last modified September 15, 2007, 23:48:49]