Latest news with #FrenchCatholic
Ottawa Citizen
01-05-2025
- General
- Ottawa Citizen
Deachman: 'A tragic misstep' — closing OCDSB alternative schools helps no one
Article content Even if those savings helped the board reduce its spending, though, how would the savings from shuttering the alternative program compare to the long-term costs of failing students, or the overall enrolment loss as parents potentially move their children to other boards? Both the French Catholic and French public boards, says Addison, have alternative programming. Such small savings hardly justify abandoning an education stream that works for so many. Article content As things stand, the five schools that offer Alternative programs extend only as far west as Lincoln Heights (Regina Street Alternative School) and as far east as Alta Vista (Riverview). Families in suburban areas such as Kanata, Barrhaven and Orléans don't have convenient access to the program. Addison says she'd like to see a pilot program offer alternative education in those areas. She points to Trillium Elementary School in Orléans as an example of where it could be adopted. The school, she says, is projected to operate at just 62 per cent capacity post-reorganization, and so could be used to test a 'school-within-a-school' model. Article content Article content The board, meanwhile, needs to do a better job marketing the alternative program to boost enrolment. One parent at an April 22 town hall meeting with trustees said he only learned of it by word-of-mouth from other parents. Rosalind Paciga, who also spoke at the meeting, said that many parents only discover the program when their child is in crisis, when the inadequacies of the mainstream program are exposed. Article content 'Now that the review has finally sparked awareness and brought attention to the program are we hearing how parents wish they knew about the program sooner,' she said. 'Parents want this program. Students need this program. The community supports this program. The answer is not elimination, it's revitalization.' Article content Article content The board has been running deficits for years and can no longer do so. In looking for solutions, it faces opposition on just about every front. Article content Board staff's final recommendations on the elementary program review are expected to be made public on Thursday or Friday, and officially presented to the board for discussion on May 6. A final decision is expected on May 13.
France 24
28-04-2025
- Politics
- France 24
'The after Francis': Papers discuss Conclave preparations at Vatican
The pope's funeral was the main story in the papers over the weekend, and is still on most front pages this morning. Le Figaro is looking at the "after Francis' and says the church is waiting for the new pope. The French Catholic paper La Croix discusses the preparations going into the election of a new pontiff. The cardinals are meeting this Monday to set a date for the start of the conclave. The Guardian says that despite the fact that Francis appointed many of the voting cardinals, this conclave is still extremely unpredictable as both conservatives and progressives are seeking to shape the future of the Catholic Church. The Spanish paper El Pais looks at the issues facing the cardinals. It says that Francis leaves behind a "complex legacy and half-baked changes which have created internal division". In France, the man who brutally murdered a Muslim worshipper in a mosque in the south of France on Friday has handed himself to police in Italy. Le Figaro says that the suspect filmed himself committing the murder and talked about wanting to become a serial killer. Libération is covering the story on their front page, but they are looking at the commemorations. The left leaning news site Mediapart says that Bruno Rettaileau, the French minister of the interior, has come under fire for his "discreet" reaction to the attack: notably taking longer than he usually does to post a response on social media and for waiting two days before going to the mosque in person. Tension between India and Pakistan is worsening after last week's terrorist attack in Kashmir that killed 26 civilians. The Guardian reports that India has test-fired missiles. It says India's navy was demonstrating its ability to carry out long-range precision offensives. Meanwhile, a Pakistani minister has said that nuclear weapons "are targeted at you". The New York Times says that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not just been trying to de-escalate the face off. It also appears that he might be building a case to strike Pakistan. The article says the situation is still volatile, both sides are continuing to escalate their discourse, but it is not clear 'if and when' the tit-for-tat could get completely out of hand. Liverpool has just won their 20th Premier League title and Liverpool fans have been celebrating, or as The Star puts it, "Salah-brating" their League title today. The Mirror calls for a pool party. The Daily Telegraph, meanwhile, says the symbolic Laiver Birds are back on their perch. The Guardian, through, brings us a story line worthy of Hollywood. Ryan Reynolds' team Wrexham have sealed their third promotion in a row. Finally, a ten-year-old prodigy has just retained his title in the European gull screeching championship, beating contestants from all around Europe including his seven-year-old sister. The article in T he Times says Cooper started squawking after an altercation when a seagull tried to steal his sandwich.
Local France
10-04-2025
- Local France
Easter activities in France for families
French schools' staggered two-week Spring holidays began for pupils in Zone B on April 5th. Children at schools in Zone C will break up at the end of classes on April 11th, while those in Zone A have to wait until April 19th. The holiday period takes in Easter – and Easter Sunday this year falls on April 20th, almost as late as it can get. Like many other historically Catholic countries, France is a big fan of Easter. All around the country, you'll see shopfronts and bakeries decorated with chocolate rabbits, chickens, bells, and other signs of spring. Advertisement Many other traditions and festivals mark the spring holiday season in France. Flying bells Traditionally, cloches volantes (flying bells) rather than cutesy fluffy bunny rabbits bring Easter treats to children in France – though they outsource chocolate egg distribution logistics to a rabbit subsidiary in the east of the country. French Catholic tradition has it that, on Good Friday (the Friday before Easter), all church bells in France sprout wings and fly to the Vatican to be blessed by the Pope. After their short Italian getaway, the bells return to France laden with goodies for well-behaved children — in the form of some sort of chocolate confection – before ringing out joyously in celebration of Jesus' resurrection. Presumably, the power of the promise of chocolate means no child has ever cast doubt on the aerodynamic qualities of several hundred kilogrammes of cast metal without visible means of propulsion. Speaking of which… Easter egg hunts A lot of towns organise a chasse aux oeufs (egg hunt) as do many of France's most beautiful chateaux, so grown-ups can admire stunning architecture and gorgeous gardens while the kids get hyped-up on sugar and hunt for eggs. Another rather messy tradition in some parts of the country is egg rolling or egg tossing. Raw eggs are either rolled down a slope or thrown into the air, and the last person to keep their egg intact gets a forfeit of chocolate from the other players. The surviving egg is dubbed the 'victory egg' and – by all accounts – symbolises the stone being rolled away from Christ's tomb. Another Easter egg game consists of children tossing raw eggs into the air and trying to catch it without breaking it. Special cakes As well as chocolate, the windows of boulangeries and patisseries also display beautifully decorated cakes and pastries. There isn't a particular traditional Easter desert in France, but it wouldn't be a celebration without getting something from the patisserie to end the Easter meal. Anything with chocolate is popular, particularly cute little chocolate nests, and seasonal fruit like the first strawberries are often seen too. Advertisement Something savoury – and big Every Easter Monday, some 10,000 people gather in the town of Bessières in south-west France to break 15,000 fresh eggs and make one giant omelette. The event is organised by the town's Confrérie des Chevaliers de l'Omelette Géante (brotherhood of the knights of the giant omelette) to honour that time Napoleon Bonaparte and his army once spent the night near the town. A fter eating (and evidently enjoying) an omelette made by a local innkeeper, Napoleon ordered the townspeople to gather all the eggs in the village to make a gigantic omelette for his army the next day. It's now the conclusion of a three-day Easter festival in the town , which this year features a vintage car rally and an 80s night as well as an egg hunt and the all-important omelette. Lunchable Easter is seen as a family occasion, and most French people have lunch with relatives or friends. Since the schools are on holiday, many families visit grandparents. Lamb is the traditional Easter food, but plenty of people just serve what they like. If you can't be bothered to cook, a lot of restaurants do open on Easter Sunday, although it might be wise to book in advance. Advertisement Alsatian Easter markets In the eastern region of Alsace – where they also enjoy an extra public holiday – they take Easter celebrations a step further with a series of lively Easter markets and events. In a region also famous for its expansive Christmas Markets, cities like Colmar celebrate the holiday and the beginning of spring with live music, art exhibitions, and sales of local artisan and gastronomic products. Flying high Châtelaillon-Plage in the south-west département of Charente-Maritimes is a windswept delight of a beach and every year it hosts the Festival international du cerf-volant et du vent (kite and wind festival) for three days in April – this year it's on the 19th, 20th and 21st. There's big kites, little kites, competition kites, fighting kites. Plus, kite surfing and kite-building workshops. Basically, kites plus wind plus sand plus sea equals a whole lotta fun. More information here . Pump up the volume You know summer's on the way when the outdoor music festivals start popping up on the agenda. Enter the annual, eclectic Printemps de Bourges – from April 15th to 20th in the central French town of Bourges, which this year features Michel Polnareff, Emma Peters, Clara Luciani, Bandit Bandit, Fatboy Slim, Mandragora, and Malik Djoudi. Feria de Pâques Controversial one, this. Despite repeated attempts to ban bullfighting , in south-west France, Easter marks the start of the season – starting with the Feria de Pâques in Arles. The event this year runs from April 18th to 21st, and is expected to attract 500,000 visitors to the ancient Bouches-du-Rhône town. Roman salute If you head down to Nîmes, in the Gard, instead, you may think you've also travelled back in time roughly 2,000 years as the town's famous Roman amphitheatre hosts historical reenactment events. This year, the event – which runs from April 25th to the 27th - focuses on the legendary story behind the founding of Rome. More details here . Chocolate art France has some world-famous chocolatiers, and they certainly don't hold back at Easter. Keep an eye out in the chocolate shops for their magnificent creations. You'll see beautifully detailed sculptures of eggs, fish, chickens, rabbits, and more. They're almost too beautiful to eat... almost.
CBC
24-03-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Rural schools closed and some bus routes cancelled in Thunder Bay, Ont., after spring snowstorm
Social Sharing Rural schools are closed Monday in Thunder Bay, Ont., and some school bus routes are cancelled after a dump of snow overnight in the region. Confederation College has also closed its Thunder Bay campus today and classes are cancelled. Environment Canada has issued multiple weather alerts for the region, including snowfall warnings for Thunder Bay and north shore areas. Snowfall is expected to continue through the morning. School closures Lakehead Public Schools is closing rural schools today due to weather conditions. That includes Crestview, Five Mile, Gorham Ware, McKenzie, Nor'wester View, Kakabeka, Valley Central, and Whitefish Valley schools. Public board city schools are open in Thunder Bay. As well, the Thunder Bay Catholic Board, French Catholic, and French public schools are open in Thunder Bay, and city school buses are running. Confederation College's Thunder Bay campus is closed for the day. Classes at all campus buildings are cancelled, and the buildings will remain closed. This includes the SUCCI Wellness Centre, Sodexo and the Children and Family Centre. School bus route cancellations in Thunder Bay Student Transportation Services of Thunder Bay has cancelled all rural school buses for the day. Most student transportation for city schools will run, but delays are possible. All wheelchair accessible vehicles are cancelled for the day for the Thunder Bay Catholic, French Catholic and French public school boards. More information can be found on the Student Transportation Services of Thunder Bay website.
CBC
04-03-2025
- Health
- CBC
From secretions to oxygen, why is the Vatican sharing so much detail about the Pope's health?
There's a first time for everything. But the phrase "copious secretions" in an official update from the Vatican on Pope Francis? That level of detail may be surprising even to those who aren't aware historically how taboo it was considered to openly discuss a pope's health. As leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, the pope is a revered spiritual figure. Talking about his earthly health was profane. "Downplaying the pope's health problems is part of a great Vatican tradition. It's often said in Rome that 'the pope is in good health until he dies, and maybe even a little after'," noted French Catholic media outlet LaCroix International in March 2023, during another one of Francis's hospitalizations. Yet, in an update on Monday, the Vatican Press Office wrote, "Today the Holy Father presented two episodes of acute respiratory insufficiency, caused by a major accumulation of endobronchial mucus, and consequent bronchospasm. "Two bronchoscopies were therefore performed, with the need for aspiration of copious secretions." This follows weeks of similar, daily updates that the Pope has battled double pneumonia at Rome's Gemelli hospital since Feb. 14. The press office has shared when the Pope had a fever, how his kidneys were functioning and his white blood count. It has provided such details as the pontiff's use of high-flow oxygen and his need for blood transfusions. "These are very specific details we would never have had in the past," said David Perlich, CBC's Vatican analyst who has been covering the topic for the past 25 years. "I've been surprised by the level of candour and the level of detail." So, why the change? WATCH | Pope Francis suffers health setbacks: Pope Francis suffers 'respiratory failure.' What it means for his recovery | Hanomansing Tonight 16 hours ago Duration 6:35 A new transparency The transparency is certainly new, even for Francis, who was thought to have long considered health a private matter, Perlich explained. Historically, the Vatican has operated in a much more opaque way, notes the New York Times, with a tendency toward obfuscation. For instance, the stomach cancer that afflicted Pope John XXIII for at least eight months was only revealed long after his death in 1963. And Pope John Paul II, whose papacy lasted from 1978 to 2005, had visible tremors for years before the Vatican finally confirmed in 2003 that he had Parkinson's disease. On Feb. 25 2005, the morning after John Paul II's surgery for a tracheotomy, the Vatican released a statement that he was breathing and eating well, and enjoyed a breakfast that included 10 biscotti. He died just over a month later. "The Vatican right now is doing a very delicate balance with the Pope's health information," Perlich said. "On the one side, they want to respect the privacy and the dignity of an elderly man who is in the hospital and is very, very ill. On the other side, there is an acknowledgement that as the leader of over a billion Roman Catholics in the world, and a globally famous person, people are necessarily curious about the Pope's health." Information in the disinformation era And if you don't release accurate information, you get rumours and speculation, Perlich said. When Francis was first hospitalized, all kinds of reports — true and not — abounded about Francis's health. They'd taken on a life of their own in an age of chat groups, conspiracy theories and internet memes — not to mention the perennial Roman fixation on the Pope and who might succeed him. On Feb. 21, Catholic news website Crux reported that several top Pope aides were hitting back against rumours of Francis's death or resignation, going on Italian television to assure people that "the things that are said are exactly what's happening." So this transparency about his health actually affords Francis more dignity in a difficult situation, Perlich said — even down to the information about his "secretions" (which Perlich suggests is really more of an Italian translation issue).
