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Subj: Wednesday's Canada News Briefs

Date: 5/5/99 8:58:14 PM Central Daylight Time

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Wednesday's Canada News Briefs

..c The Associated Press

Note: All dollars are Canadian unless otherwise noted

Kosovo Refugees Are Getting Used to Canada

CFB TRENTON, Ontario (AP) -- On their first full day in Canada, the youngest

Kosovar refugees frolicked with abandon in the May sunshine -- proving that,

despite a harrowing escape from their war-ravaged homeland, they remained

just kids.

Children proudly held up their freshly printed Canadian ID cards and played

with donated toys on the grounds of this southern Ontario military base on

Wednesday.

The glee amazed some of their parents, who marveled at their ability to

endure so much upheaval in the five weeks since Serbs forced them from the

only homes they'd ever known.

Some 250 refugees were the first to arrive in Canada on Tuesday as part of a

5,000-person airlift. Most of them were heading to a more permanent home at

CFB Borden, north of Toronto.

Another 250 Kosovars were expected to arrive at CFB Greenwood in Nova Scotia

early today.

Ontario Voters To Decide Government on June 3

TORONTO (AP) -- Ontario's election campaign did not begin with the customary

stroll down the halls to the lieutenant governor's office to have the

legislature dissolved.

Instead, after a quiet breakfast-time drive to her house where he told Lt.

Gov. Hilary Weston of his plan to call a vote, Premier Mike headed

north on Wednesday to a sun-drenched backyard.

The Tory premier played coy right to the end, telling reporters Wednesday

morning at the legislature that it was business as usual.

But a short bus ride later, he stood in the Newmarket yard of a businesswoman

to announce the election will be held June 3, just shy of four years since

the Tories won a resounding majority.

Wednesday was the start of a campaign that feels as if it's been under way

already for months.

Although the location of 's announcement wasn't given out in advance, a

busload of protesters managed to find the quiet street and serenade the

premier with chants of ``Bye-bye, Mike.''

Poverty activists and students have banded together, threatening to follow

the Tory leader to every stop along the campaign trail.

CN Rail Putting in New Switches After Crash

OTTAWA (AP) -- CN Rail will spend $25 million to get rid of unmonitored

switches on busy Ontario track after last month's fatal crash of a passenger

train at Thamesville.

CN president Tellier advised Transport Minister Collenette of the

railway's decision in a letter Wednesday.

The railway is installing centralized traffic control signaling on its

single- and double-track Chatham subdivision line between Komoka, west of

London, Ontario, and Windsor.

It will also install the technology on its double-track Grimsby subdivision

between Hamilton and St. Catharines.

With these installations, CN's entire Quebec City to Windsor corridor will be

electronically signaled, Tellier said.

Alberta Privacy Watchdog Slams StatsCan Survey

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) -- A Statistics Canada survey on the financial health

of Canadians is an unwarranted breach of privacy and people should think

twice before taking part, Alberta's information watchdog warned Wednesday.

``Personally, I would not participate in this survey if approached,'' said

Information and Privacy Commissioner Bob .

Approximately 2,500 households in Alberta have been randomly selected by

Statistics Canada to participate in the Survey of Financial Security. It will

measure the income, assets and debts of Canadian families.

anne Webber, director of income statistics for Statistics Canada, said it

would be difficult to trust the data if Albertans didn't participate.

In the comprehensive survey, StatsCan will ask people for permission to look

at their income tax files and for details of their pension plans, income

sources, assets, debts, student loans and business liabilities.

People Who Visited Britain May Be Barred As Blood Donors

OTTAWA (AP) -- Canadian Blood Services has decided to refuse blood donations

from people who have visited the United Kingdom in recent years because their

blood may be infected by the human equivalent of mad cow disease.

The agency has struck an expert committee to decide on exact criteria for

excluding donors.

If the policy is applied to any donor who has visited the U.K. since 1980 --

considered the period of risk -- it would result in a massive and costly

deferral of donors and force Canada to import blood.

``The decision to defer donors has essentially been made,'' Graham Sher,

vice-president of the blood services, said in an interview Wednesday.

``It's a matter of what the criteria are that we will use to determine who

should be deferred.''

A survey by the blood agency found that 22 per cent of its donors visited

since 1980.

Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease (CJD) is a devastating nervous disorder that causes

progressive dementia. The initial symptoms are vague but the median duration

from onset to death is only 4.5 months.

Scientists suspect the condition is linked to bovine spongiform

encephalopothy, commonly known as mad cow disease.

AP-NY-05-05-99 2157EDT

Copyright 1998 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP

news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise

distributed without prior written authority of The Associated Press.

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