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Daily Mirror
26-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Helen Mirren at 80 - 'Don't ever tell me to grow old gracefully!'
A national treasure, though she'd probably cringe at that description, as she turns 80 acting royalty Helen Mirren offers her forthright opinions about ageing, marriage and confidence Dame Helen Mirren is as fearless, feisty and adventurous as ever. And as she celebrates her 80th birthday today, 26 July, she can certainly rest in the knowledge that she remains one of Britain's most ageless actors - one who has always pushed tirelessly against the idea of how long a woman can remain 'relevant' - particularly on-screen. The national treasure, who has played a whole host of iconic roles, from Detective Jane Tennison in the television series Prime Suspect to her Oscar-winning turn as Queen Elizabeth II in 2006 film The Queen reveals the secrets to her 40-year relationship with husband director Taylor Hackford. She also reveals she never plans a thing when it comes to the future - and why, as she prepares to celebrate her milestone birthday, as OK! reports, the last thing she wants to hear is that she looks 'good for her age' or worse, that she's 'ageing gracefully'... How is your approach to ageing gracefully helping you with turning 80? I am not ageing gracefully at all! I hate that term - it sounds like you have to be elegant and accepting, and, no, I am not. I am ageing with fun, with commitment but not gracefully. Who cares about graceful? We just do grow older, there's no way you can escape that. You have to grow up with your own body, your own face and the way it changes. It's not always easy but it is inevitable. You have to learn to accept it. How do you feel when someone says you look good for your age? Insulted (laughs). You look good for your age is patronising. I hate that kind of comment. Be prepared, if you use that phrase, to be dissed in a major way! You've often credited the 1950s Canadian Air Force program for keeping you looking so fit and healthy... That's true. I have to admit, I don't do it so much now, and I should get back into it. It is a great way to get fit. You just do what they tell you to do. You start very low and you think, 'Oh, this is just much too easy.' And if it is, then you start making it more difficult for yourself. Then you go, 'Oh my God, no, this is really difficult.' It can be quite challenging, but it works. It's great.' What are your top tips to keep looking and feeling good? It's as important to make the inside of you, as healthy as the outside of you. I always go everywhere with my vitamins. That is probably the most important thing in my beauty bag, actually. What you eat, what you drink, what you don't smoke, really makes a massive difference to your skin, especially as you progress through life. It's incredibly important to feed the inside of your skin, as much as the outside of your skin.' How has your relationship with beauty and image changed over the years? The majority of us are not beautiful. There are beautiful people who walk on this planet, and we can all see them and appreciate them, but the majority of us are not beautiful like that. But, we can put on style, we can put on swagger, we can put on confidence, we can put on wit and charm, and lots of other things that are just as attractive as sheer beauty. So, I think in a way, that word - beauty - it alienates people. It did for me, for many years, I have to say. Is there anything you've learned about beauty that you wish you'd known when you were younger? Yes, to let go of the concept of beauty. Think of confidence. Think swagger. Enjoy beauty where you see it, absolutely, but let go of it for yourself. Don't let it influence your thinking in any way. I remember being in my thirties and being told, if I used this cream, I could look like I was a teenager again, with absolutely no marks of any living whatsoever. That annoyed me. Luckily, we have gone way beyond that. Where does your own confidence and swagger come from? It took a while and I'm still working on it. I was very, very insecure as a young person. My body was the wrong shape. I was very insecure around people. The most important thing is to remember that probably everybody feels the same.' You play many strong, ferocious characters on-screen. Are you anything like them in real-life? I wouldn't say I'm ferocious. I'm a total wimp. I'm not a confrontational person at all. I can be argumentative sometimes - more so when I was younger. I would defend positions that I thought were correct. I have always been a feminist, and argumentative but, I don't think I am ferocious. Maybe people would have a different idea of me, I don't know. How do you look back on your career up to now? Yes, well, you know, I think I was brave. I have to say, as a young actress, I think I was courageous. I was. And keen to break down attitudes that I thought were old-fashioned, or retrograde, or just wrong, you know. So, I relished having roles. That is the great thing about drama, is that it can do that, without being lecturing because it is entertaining at the same time. It can really change people's attitudes about things.' Have you always been at ease with being in the spotlight? No, not at all. A lot of actors become actors because they are shy, in a way. They find being themselves quite difficult, so it is much easier to become someone else. I think that was the case with me, to a certain extent, certainly when I started.' Your next film is T he Thursday Murder Club. What can you tell us about that? It's based on the extremely successful Thursday books. It's with a some beloved fellow British actors and it's a very British subject. I'm really excited about it. Do you still feel British - though you're a big Hollywood star, live in America and have an American husband? I do. I'm very proud to be British and it's funny because even in America I seem to be surrounded by Brits. It's full of them! The world has become so much smaller. You and your husband have been together for 40 years and married for more almost 30. What's your secret? I think it helps that we're both in the same business. We understand what we each go through and the demands on your time. But the main thing is trust. As long as you trust and respect each other, and are not jealous of each other, then it works. We came into the relationship already very grown-up, so all of that crap was out of the way. And it's not such a bad thing to be separated for two or three weeks from time to time. That's fine, as long as you trust each other and really look forward to seeing each other again. Finally, what are your plans for this next chapter of your life? I have no idea. You know, when I was 20, I didn't know what my twenties would be like. I didn't know what my thirties would be like... I still have no idea and that's the adventure. Life is an adventure. I don't plan anything. I don't expect anything. I will just allow life to come and hit me, the way it always has.
CTV News
13-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
Change of Command of 15 Wing Moose Jaw takes place
Brigadier-General John Alexander, Commander of 2 Canadian Air Division (centre) congratulates the incoming 15 Wing Commander, Colonel Adam Carlson (left) during the ceremony in a hanger at 15 Wing Air Force Base. Outgoing 15 Wing Commander Brigadier-General Daniel Coutts is on the right. (Gareth Dillistone / CTV News) A Change of Command ceremony for the 15 Wing Moose Jaw took place Thursday morning in Moose Jaw. Command was transferred from Brigadier-General Daniel Coutts to Colonel Adam Carlson. 'I'm incredibly proud and honoured to be here. There's a lot of trust given to me. And it is significant as a military aviator and a commander now. The weight of that command is significant because I have to serve and lead this team, and I'm responsible,' Colonel Carlson said. Colonel Carlson is no stranger to Moose Jaw. Part of his training took place at 15 Wing Moose Jaw. 'I trained here on the tour quite a few years ago. As a student, you want focus. Your whole life is spent trying to learn and perfect and fly to become the best that you can. To come back here as the commander is pretty special,' he said. He officially joined the Canadian Armed Forces in June of 1992 and officially received his pilot wings in 1997. While in his role as commander, his goal is to focus on making the best military aviators they can. 'I want to make sure everyone does their best but also look after the team. It's heavy. The responsibility is big. I want to make sure everyone is okay, and we do the best we can,' he added. With a recent investment into military from Ottawa, the commander said it's really going to help prepare aviators with cutting edge technology. 'Our challenge is going to be to prepare our students to fly cutting edge modern technology, modern aircraft, modern equipment. I think that we're going to be called to produce a significant number of pilots.'
CBC
29-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Militant approach needed to control Canada goose population in border city, says expert
Social Sharing Managing Windsor's population of Canada geese will require militant effort over multiple years to truly make a dent in the number of the birds throughout the city. That's according to Dan Frankian of Hawkeye Bird and Animal Control Specialists — a bird control expert with more than 36 years of experience managing animal populations. "They're coming after you and you're going after them, and we know how militant they can be," Frankian told CBC. The former Canadian Armed Forces sniper and master falconer has traveled all over the world to help large corporations and government agencies get bird populations under control. Frankian said dealing with Canada geese needs special diligence. "I mean, they call them the Canadian Air Force not for unknown reasons. These things are good, all right," Frankian advised. The City of Windsor has hired a contractor to remove 150 eggs from seven nesting locations in Windsor. It's a method that requires a permit from the federal government. Council approved a $30,000 geese management strategy as part of the city's annual operating budget earlier this year. Management plan a good start, says federal government Riverside-area councillor Jo-Anne Gignac pushed for action on the issue after she heard last summer from a constituent complaining about nearly colliding with geese while riding a bike on Ganatchio Trail. "He swerved to avoid them. He was thrown from his bike and spent four days in the hospital with a broken collar bone and six broken ribs," Gignac told council in June 2024. Geese crossing busy roads have led to other collisions in the city, in some cases sending people to hospital with serious injuries. "These flocks of geese just walking out into the road, people slamming on their brakes, and it's a mess," Gignac told council. But a spokesperson for the federal government said Windsor's management plan is a good starting point that's in line with what similar sized cities across Ontario have been doing. "However, habitat modification and education remain vital to mitigating human-goose conflicts in Windsor," wrote Samuel Lafontaine, a spokesperson for Environment and Climate Change Canada. The federal agency 430 permits regarding Canada geese have been issued across Canada since 2020, and 97 per cent of them include egg management methods. 'Do not let the population grow' The Canadian Wildlife Service says Canada geese lay two to eight eggs a year, starting when the adults are around three years old. The large birds nest in the spring in familiar areas for their entire lives — which can be as long as 25 years. That means one Canada goose could produce 176 eggs in its lifetime. According to the Canadian Wildlife Service, late April to early June is when geese are most aggressive — because they're motivated to protect their recently hatched goslings. Frankian said oils can be applied to eggs to prevent them from hatching — but that won't dissuade a Canada goose from nesting at a location again. He said the city's contractor should act like a predator to the full extent that the federal permit allows. "Destroy the nest, destroy the eggs, do it in front of the female," advised Frankian, who emphasized that the act needs to show the goose that all humans are a threat. "The basic thing is: Do not let the population grow." According to the City of Windsor, its federal permit only authorizes "the removal of nests and eggs during a defined period." But Frankian believes outright, obvious destruction of the nest and eggs is necessary for the plan to be truly effective. Otherwise, the goose will persist in nesting again. "You are trying to tell the goose, get out, don't come back," Frankian said. Windsor resorts to removing geese eggs for population control 3 hours ago Duration 2:40 The City of Windsor has obtained a federal permit to remove 150 Canada goose eggs — part of an effort to control the local population of the large and persistent bird. But anti-goose expert Dan Frankian says the city will need to be militant about the plan. CBC's Chris Ensing reports. University sports fields protected by dogs This isn't the first time Windsor has tried to get geese out of popular park areas such as the riverfront trail. In 2019, city staff placed two-dimensional dog-shaped cutouts on the riverfront to try to scare away geese. The University of Windsor tried the same, then had a better idea: Employ an actual dog to chase the geese off campus sport areas. Winston, a St. Bernard-Mastiff mix, is owned by Rick Daly — manager of athletic facilities and services at the university. Twice daily, Winston runs through the track and football fields of the Toldo Lancer Centre, making life difficult for geese. "Ultimately it's just to annoy them so that they're not nasty," Daly explained. Daly consulted with golf course operators to find the right approach to preventing the accumulation of "geese content" — the term Daly uses for goose droppings. Daly also encourages fellow dog-owning staff members to bring their pets to campus and help out. "We simply just want to gently remove the geese from locating here." "The dogs won't necessarily catch them. They won't be able to." Daly said Winston gets paid for his work with treats and hugs. Mutli-year effort needed, says expert Frankian said that a dog can work to deter geese from frequenting a park — but it needs to be consistent. Chasing geese with dogs is the only method that doesn't require a federal permit, Frankian added. The stronger method would be to obtain a permit that allows for physical relocation of geese to other communities. "Geese molt," said Frankian. "In other words, these flight feathers entirely disappear. They fall off every year. They're flightless." That time of year is when experienced bird control professionals will slowly corral the geese into manageable groups that can be put into trucks and moved elsewhere. According to Frankian, the key is to outlast the geese with your efforts: You don't stop until the geese give up — which will take more than a few years. "When they give up, you do an extra year, and then you're done," Frankian said.
Japan Times
14-04-2025
- Climate
- Japan Times
'Hard on the body': Canadian troops train for Arctic defense
In normal conditions, Canadian Air Force helicopter pilot Jonathan Vokey uses the treeline to gauge his altitude. But in the Arctic, where the landing zone is an expanse of white snow, he has to adjust. "Operating in the cold, it's hard on the body, but it also can be challenging with the aircraft as well," Vokey, an Air Force captain, said during an exercise aimed at preparing Canadian troops to operate in the country's extreme north, a region fast becoming a military priority. Canada is making a significant push to boost its military strength in the Arctic, which accounts for 40% of its territory. Arctic ice is melting as a result of climate change, opening up the region and increasing the risk of confrontation with rivals such as Russia over the area's natural resources, including minerals, oil and gas, as well as fresh water. "If I was to boil it down: you can access the north now more easily than you have ever been able to. And I would say that that's going to change even more drastically over the next 10, 20 years," said Col. Darren Turner, joint task force commander of Operation Nanook, the annual Arctic training exercise established in 2007. "Once a route is opened, they will come. And that is something that we need to have an interest in. That is something that we need to have the capabilities to interdict, to stop," he said. That requires training more troops to operate in the region's extreme conditions and deploy to three Arctic military hubs that the government plans to build. Operation Nanook — the word for "polar bear" in an Inuit language — is central to that effort. In a long tent pitched on a vast sheet of ice and snow, troops practiced diving into frigid water. In another location, teams worked on detecting hostile activity with infrared imaging, a particular challenge in the Arctic where the cold can obscure thermal signatures. 'A little different' Dive team leader Jonathan Jacques Savoie said managing the brutal weather is key. "The main challenge on Op. Nanook in this location is the environment. The environment always dictates how we live, fight and move in the field," he said, noting the day's temperature of minus 26 degrees Celsius. This year's operation marked the first Arctic deployment for Corporal Cassidy Lambert, an infantry reservist. She's from the eastern province of Newfoundland and Labrador, where maritime Atlantic weather creates wet, damp winters. The Arctic, she conceded, is "going to be a little different." "I don't handle the cold too well, but I think I've prepped myself well enough," she said. Steven Breau, a rifleman with New Brunswick's North Shore regiment, said troops are trained on a range of region-specific safety measures, like avoiding frostbite. Sweat can also become a problem. "It's really important to stay dry, to take body heat into account. If you get too hot, you sweat. It gets wet, then it gets cold, then it freezes." 'Direct confrontation' The surrounding frozen tundra does not immediately look like the next front line in a looming global conflict. But leaders in multiple countries have put a spotlight on the Arctic. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to annex Greenland, insisting the United States needs the autonomous Danish territory for its security. And days after taking over as Canada's Prime Minister last month, Mark Carney visited Iqaluit, in another part of the Canadian Arctic, to announce a multibillion-dollar radar deal he said would be crucial to securing the nation's sovereignty. Briefing troops arriving for Operation Nanook, Major Andrew Melvin said a direct confrontation with Chinese or Russian forces was "highly unlikely" during the exercise. But, he added, "it is possible that either the PRC (People's Republic of China) or the RF (Russian Federation) intelligence services will seek to collect intelligence during the conduct of Op. Nanook." For Col. Turner, protecting the Arctic from hostile actors means safeguarding a region that is inseparable from Canadian identity. "It's a part of our raison d'etre ... from a sovereignty perspective."
South China Morning Post
12-04-2025
- Climate
- South China Morning Post
‘Hard on the body': Canadian troops battle brutal conditions to train for Arctic defence
In normal conditions, Canadian Air Force helicopter pilot Jonathan Vokey uses the tree line to gauge his altitude. But in the Arctic, where the landing zone is an expanse of white snow, he has to adjust. Advertisement 'Operating in the cold, it's hard on the body, but it also can be challenging with the aircraft as well,' Vokey, an Air Force captain, said during an exercise aimed at preparing Canadian troops to operate in the country's extreme north, a region fast becoming a military priority. Canada is making a significant push to boost its military strength in the Arctic, which accounts for 40 per cent of its territory. Arctic ice is melting as a result of climate change, opening up the region and increasing the risk of confrontation with rivals such as Russia over the area's natural resources, including minerals, oil and gas, as well as fresh water. Canadian soldiers set up camp during Operation Nanook in Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada, on March 2. Photo； AFP 'If I was to boil it down: you can access the north now more easily than you have ever been able to. And I would say that that's going to change even more drastically over the next 10, 20 years,' said Colonel Darren Turner, joint task force commander of Operation Nanook, the annual Arctic training exercise established in 2007.
