Canada's Arctic

Canada’s Claim Over Arctic

Why Now?

Just a few years ago the world has not paid much attention to the vast, abandoned arctic but nowadays its hard not to notice that Canada and arctic being mentioned everywhere, specially after Canada’s prime minister Steven Harper’s trip to Nu navut to reaffirm Canada’s claim over the North. But the question is why now?

It’s all about Global warming, which is opening up huge economic potential in the arctic north mainly for 2 reasons.

1. World is using up its oil fast and to survive the future, we need to look for places which have not been explored yet. Arctic holds oil, gas, minerals, fish and other resources under it’s frigid, barren landscape which stretches thousands of miles. Surveys show that the Arctic contains an estimated one-quarter of the world’s undiscovered energy resources. Also studies suggest that up to 50 per cent of the earth’s remaining undiscovered reserves of hydrocarbons are located north of 60°n latitude. However, the extraction and transportation procedures still remain difficult and expensive. New technologies should cut down the cost considerably by making extraction and transportation procedures efficient and cost effective, just like Alberta tar and oil Sands.

2. The effects of climate change could open up the Northwest Passage to summer commercial traffic by 2015, which links the Atlantic and Pacific Oceanand offers a 7000 KM shorter route than the Europe to Asia voyage through Panama Canal. This summer the Arctic sea ice cap shrank to the smallest size ever measured and scientists believe that in 25 years not just the Northwest Passage, but the whole polar cap could thaw and by the end of this century, summer sea ice could disappear entirely. Some countries are already testing the waters. A Russian ship traveled through the Northwest Passage to Bermuda in 1999 and it saved them a lot of time and money. Japan and other countries researching to find ways to travel through Arctic for large ships.

Canadian or International Waters?

How much of Arctic is Canada’s? Canada claims that the Arctic waters of the Northwest Passage constitute “historic internal waters”, and under Canadian jurisdiction. While most countries agree that many islands dot the Arctic to the north of our mainland belongs to Canada but some countries, most arguably the Unites States does not recognize Canada’s right over waters separating Somerset Island from Devon Island or Melville Island from Banks Island. These countries see the Northwest Passage as an International strait or waters that any countries should be able to use. Hans Island in the Arctic Ocean has already been a matter of diplomatic issue with Denmark. Recently, Danish troops landed on Hans Island and planted a flag (2002 and 2003).Canada responded by doing the same right after (2005), which was the right thing to do to show the world that although we are peace loving people; we won’t tolerate anything when it comes to maintain our sovereignty.

Canada’s Plan For Protecting The Arctic

– Three new armed naval heavy icebreakers in the area of Iqaluit. The icebreakers will include 500 regular force personnel for crews and support and will be capable of carrying troops. This commitment will establish a Canadian naval presence in the Arctic.

– A new military/civilian deep-water docking facility in the area of Iqaluit. 

– A new Arctic National Sensor System for northern waters which will include underwater surveillance listening posts, such as acoustic or movement sensors, that will detect the movement and position of any foreign submarines and ships in Canadian Arctic waters.

– A new Arctic army training centre in the area of Cambridge Bay. 

– New fixed-wing search-and-rescue aircraft in Yellowknife. 

– Provide eastern and western Arctic air surveillance. New long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) squadrons will be stationed at Goose Bay and Comox to provide continuous Arctic and Ocean surveillance and patrol. Also, the Aurora aircraft and the satellite surveillance system will be upgraded to provide a complete Arctic surveillance capability.

– Revitalize the Canadian Rangers by adding 500 additional Rangers. The Rangers’ level of activity and training will be increased and equipment will be upgraded.

– Provide an army emergency response capability for the Arctic through a new airborne battalion at CFB Trenton.

Conclusion

Although Canada and the U.S. may disagree on the Arctic waters issue, it hardly becomes dispute. We can not work this out militarily with our southern neighbours for the obvious reasons. An Arctic cooperation agreement with the U.S. is in place and has worked well so far. Under this agreement, we are to suspend our differences and cooperate in one another’s Arctic waters. This agreement can be extended to include naval cooperation, Arctic security cooperation etc which would be beneficial for both and cost effective. Recent government activities are very positive and hopefully it will not wither away. Further policy discussions have to be arranged to secure Canada’s future most efficient and effective ways.

Originally published on www.adawn.net. I will be transferring all my articles from Canada’s Personal Finance Website. You will see articles from www.adawn.net being posted here once in a while. Thanks.

Are Book Readers Becoming Extinct?

Reading for enjoyment

Many of us, in everyday life, spend a hefty proportion of our time reading. The reasons for this reading will vary from person to person. Mostly, though, it will either be for the purposes of keeping up with the news, or for work purposes. This is a perfectly good reason for reading, of course. There is, however, some sense of injustice in the fact that merely living is taking the element of fun out of something that we used to do almost entirely for pleasure. Reading a book just because we want to do so, as a simple pleasure, is something that disappointingly few of us are doing. There are numerous reasons for this, and they say a lot about how the meaner side of human nature has taken hold among many of us.

There is a sense among a sadly growing number of people that reading is simply something for the college kids and the wannabe intellectuals. Who reads for pleasure these days, people will seriously ask, when we have DVDs, cinemas and the TV for our entertainment? There is even an element of distrust shown towards those of us who like to read. It is a massive shame, but it seems that there is a tendency to dumb things down and to actually wear ignorance as a badge of honour. Just to clarify things, there is nothing shameful about cracking a book every once in a while and reading for fun. Don’t be concerned about people looking at you in a slightly dimmer way just because you enjoy the written word. It is something that gives life a bit of flavour. A good book can take you outside the confines of the everyday and turn free time into dream time.

Now, this is not an order to go out and read the classics. If you don’t like Shakespeare you don’t have to read him. If Dickens doesn’t do anything for you, don’t buy his books. It really isn’t about who you read, or even what you read. It’s about why. And the fact is that sometimes reading for pleasure can make a real difference. It relaxes you physically while at the same time exercising your mind. Even a fairly simple and pedestrian novel that won’t win any awards will keep your brain functioning at a higher level, exercise that it needs in order to keep operating at the level you are used to.

So, if you have a favourite childhood book that always used to make you laugh or smile, why not pick that up once more? If a friend is reading something that they deem excellent, ask if you can borrow it when they’ve finished with it. Reading just for the sake of pleasure is something that makes us richer as a people, and something that should survive the prospect of being sneered at. It really is good fun, and we should see it as such. Find a new favourite author and read as many books as you can find, and before too long you’ll be reading a couple of books a week!

To streamline and minimize blog maintenance, I will be discontinuing maintaining the Simplepersonaldevelopment.com website (however, I will still hold the domain). I will gradually move all articles from this site to Ahmed Dawn Dot Com site. This article originally published on the above website on June 14, 2009.

Investopedia, StumbleUpon, FeedBurner and Last.fm

Recent Internet Acquisitions

Recently numerous acquisitions took place online and some of these websites are very well-known. Let’s take a quick look at some of these deals – which are making big news.

Investopedia and StumbleUpon

Two famous websites are no longer Canadian. Although everyone knew these acquisitions were coming, it was not expected to occur so fast and in a row.

Edmonton based Investopedia founded in 1999 and draws roughly 2,500,000 monthly viewers. Investopedia provides financial education to investors. On April 11, 2007, media giant Forbes bought Investopedia. Terms and conditions of the sale were not disclosed. You can visit Investopedia by clicking here – Investopedia.

Calgary based StumbleUpon founded in 2001. StumbleUpon is something like but not exactly a search engine. It searches for sites based on user’s personal preferences and other user recommendations. This has been known as discovery search, which can be seen as next generation search. Currently StumbleUpon has more than 2.3 million registered users. On May 30, 2007, EBay bought StumbleUpon for $75 million cash. You can visit StumbleUpon by clicking here – StumbleUpon.

FeedBurner

The rumour that Google is buying FeedBurner has come to an end in May. How much Google paid for this deal is unknown but if you perform an Internet search by putting Google and FeedBurner, $100 million in search results will catch your eye.

It is not surprising that Google wants to enter the rapidly growing RSS Feed ad market. FeedBurner has gained so much popularity that it will be an easy access for Google into the RSS world. This is a very smart move and my guess would in the future, Google would want to buy sites like Technorati, Netvibes etc. We have to wait to see how many more sites Google acquire. You can visit FeedBurner by clicking here – FeedBurner.

Last.fm

If you like music, you would love last fm. Last.fm is an Internet radio, but wait, it is no ordinary Internet radio like you have tried before.

Last.fm keeps track of what you listen and based on your taste, it suggests you tracks and presents other users who are similar to your taste. This feature is very unique. I listen to New Age type of music and I know how hard it can be to keep track of all new albums and artists. If I was keeping track of my music all by myself, I would have never found some of the artists from different parts of the World. And now, I have a network of thousands of users like me to suggest albums and artists and i am sure music will never sound the same with Last.fm. There are lots of other features such as you can ask Last.fm not to play a track if you don’t like it or you can express your love for a track and each time Last.fm will make a note of your likings or dislikings and it filters out the worst to give you the best the next time. US media giant CBS Corporation bought Last.fm on May 30, 2007. You can visit last.fm by clicking here – Last.fm.

These sites attract massive traffic on a daily basis because users find these sites useful and beyond ordinary. When companies like EBay, Forbes and CBS buy any sites, definitely they have business on mind. While doing business, I hope these sites will still be useful and able to meet users’ expectations, like the way they have been.

Originally published on Friday, July 6, 2007 on www.adawn.net. I will be transferring all my articles from Canada’s Personal Finance Website. You will see articles from www.adawn.net being posted here once in a while. Thanks

Tahiti, Bora Bora, and Moorea; Heaven on Earth

Tahiti, Bora Bora, and Moorea

The world is full of beauty, and beautiful places are always attractive to tourists. There is probably no greater advertisement for a country’s tourist industry than a non-captioned picture showing beautiful scenery, unspoilt land and smiling faces. And perhaps more than any other region, the South Pacific has all of this in great quantities. Nowhere is this more in evidence than in Tahiti, the largest island in French Polynesia, and an attractive proposition for any sun-seeking tourist with an interest in living the relaxed life. If you had to put a visual picture to the word “holiday”, then perhaps the most immediate one would be one which corresponds very directly to what you will see in Tahiti – palm trees, sandy beaches, the whole nine yards.

In fact, Tahiti is a series of islands, and also the name of the larger island which makes up most of the landmass of the small French protectorate. The island of Tahiti, in fact, does not quite have the same beach lifestyle as the rest of the country, but what it does have is a lot of holiday resorts which feature the aesthetic beauty of the South Pacific in all its glory, along with the capital city, Papeete. Papeete makes for an excellent base from which to see the rest of Tahiti. Also on the main island are some volcanoes which form part of the breathtaking natural scenery of the area. Off the main island you will find, though, some of the most heartbreakingly beautiful scenery that you have ever seen.

Bora Bora is recognized as being among the most desirable locations for a honeymoon that the world has to offer. In the holiday resorts of Bora Bora you will find the immediately recognisable overwater bungalows, wooden huts raised on stilts over the lagoon which surrounds the island. These range from some very affordable accommodations which will suit the pocket of any visitor and serve perfectly well as a marvellous setting from which to see the area, to more luxurious bungalows which make for the ideal setting for a honeymoon. Anyone who could look at Bora Bora, its tropical lagoon, coral reef and the overwater bungalows and not want to visit, must surely have seen everything in their life.

Moorea is seen as the more exclusive sister island to Bora Bora, but is in truth not that much different to it. This is not to denigrate its charms, which are extensive and very clear to anyone who pays a visit. In fact, on Moorea the main selling point is that it is simply something different to Bora Bora – equally beautiful in a different way, with stunning views over any of its two gorgeous bays. The overwater bungalows are also present here, as are garden bungalows and apartments which are set among a relaxed atmosphere which would make not just honeymooning couples but also any casual traveler feel absolutely blissful. Beyond these two islands there are still others, making a package deal a worthwhile choice for anyone looking for a break in the sun.

To streamline and minimize blog maintenance, I will be discontinuing maintaining the Travelnowsimply.com website (however, I will still hold the domain). I will gradually move all articles from this site to Ahmed Dawn Dot Com site. This article originally published on the above website on Oct 11, 2009.

TFSA - No Need To Rush

TFSA or RRSP

First Published: December 10, 2008 ADawnJournal.com

Recently, an ADJ reader sent the following email:

Hi Dawn,
Been reading your blog for some time now and getting more and more interested in learning to handle my own finance.
I would like to know more details about the new Tax Free savings account and your take on this new thing and how we can use it best.
Thanks for your time!

Ms. ADJ Reader (Withholding name for privacy)

Today’s article is specially written for Ms. ADJ Reader and many other ADJ readers who are waiting eagerly to read ADJ article on TFSA.

What Is a Tax Free Savings Account?

TFSA is an account type where you can make contributions, grow your money (means you can earn interest or income), and take out money without paying any taxes.

Doesn’t It Sound Like an RRSP (Registered Retired Savings Plan)?

Kind of. However there are some major differences. Let’s look them one by one.

RRSP

TFSA

When you put money in an RRSP, you get tax slips to reduce your taxable income

contributions in a TFSA do not reduce your taxable income

When you take out money from an RRSP, you pay taxes on withdrawals and your withdrawal will be added to your income (it simply means you taxable income will be higher)

TFSA withdrawals are tax free

RRSP account has age limit (must be terminated by 71);

TFSA has no age limit

Once you put in money, your contribution room is used up. You will not be able to regain your contribution room back by taking out money

Amount withdrawn will create equal contribution room

Some TFSA Features

·   Canadians aged 18 and older can save up to $5000 a year.

·   Annual contribution limit will be indexed and will increase gradually.

·   Contributions will not be tax deductible but income and gains will not be taxed.

·   No taxes to pay when you withdraw money out of TFSA.

·   Income earned or withdrawals will not affect eligibility for Federal benefits such as Old Age Security, Canada Child Tax Credit, Guaranteed Income Supplement.

·   No taxes to pay when you withdraw money out of TFSA.

·   Unused room can be carried forward indefinitely.

·   TFSA account can hold same products like RRSP, such as GICs, stocks, mutual funds, and many more.

·   Upon death, your TFSA can be transferred to your spouse without tax implications.

·   Excess contributions will incur a monthly penalty tax of 1% – just like an RRSP.

TFSA Ideas

You have to be creative here. There are so many ways you can use a TFSA account. Here are some I can think of off the top of my head:

·   If you don’t have room in your RRSP account, use TFSA.

·   If you don’t have room in your RESP account, use TFSA.

·   Use TFSA for short-term savings.

·   Use TFSA for long-term savings.

·   Use TFSA to keep your emergency funds.

My Take

You should use TFSA to its full limits; however, I don’t see there is any need to rush. You will see bank ads and some personal finance blogs making it sound like you should jump into it right now – otherwise, you will miss the boat. This is simply not not the case. TFSA is not going anywhere and there is no need to rush. Take your time to draft your investment planning and strategies and then make full use of TFSA.