Local student using project to help others
Students at the Sturgeon Creek Alternative Program have been producing business plan projects for four years, but 10th-grader Felicia Schmutz is doing something rather unique for her venture. She developed a non-profit business called “Adopt-a-Doll,” where she sells hand-made Guatemalan dolls—complete with an adoption certificate. And the money she raises from selling the two-inch dolls for $2 each will go towards building shelters for residents in Guatemala.

Social housing needs feds, province, city: Dion
All three levels of government must be partners on the issue of social housing, says federal Liberal leader Stephane Dion. Dion said in an interview that while the province has the main responsibility for building and providing social housing, Ottawa “will be there” not just as a provider of transfer payments.

Housing co-op eyes five-unit building:
If funding falls into place, Bank Street block would add to city's affordable housing stock
A fledgling rental co-operative is close to a deal that could block a five-unit rental building from being turned into less affordable strata apartments.

Beyond Wikipedia: Larry Sanger wants to keep it honest. Get ready for Citizendium.
Larry Sanger doesn't trust the wisdom of the crowd, so he's no big fan of Wikipedia. But he's not like the others who get their kicks pooh-poohing the all-powerful (but flawed) wiki: Sanger had a huge hand in creating it.

Recycling program will turn fleece jackets into raw fibre
In a first among Canadian retailers, Mountain Equipment Co-op(TM) (MEC) has introduced a garment recycling program for polyester-based clothing into its stores. The program is another step in the outdoor retailer's commitment to sustainability. Under the program, consumers will be able to deposit such things as fleece jackets and pants that contain at least 90 per cent polyester content at one of MEC's eleven stores across Canada.

Business professor finds solutions for the poor: Her own expertise was shaped by life in the Peruvian culture
Ana Maria Peredo saw what others didn't when she spotted indigenous children begging together in a plaza in Peru in January. To her knowing eyes, these youngsters were out of place in the busy tourist centre of Cuzco, near the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu. "They didn't even speak Spanish. They were from the high mountains. They were so scared.

Vancouver car co-op could lose out at city hall
A pioneering Vancouver car-sharing co-op is raising concerns about the possibility that a city car-sharing contract may go to an American-based firm. Officials at Vancouver city hall recently put out a call for bids to run a car-sharing service for a fleet of 40 vehicles. So far, two private American companies, ZipCar and Flexcar, have expressed interest.

Economist's team finds casual work `toxic' to society and to employees
Part-time, casual and contract employment is "toxic" to workers' health and has broader societal costs we ignore at our peril, says a McMaster University economist who is writing a book on the subject. "These jobs are really about insecurity," said Wayne Lewchuk, who leads a team of researchers examining the impact of insecure employment on health. He's found it's not just immigrants and low-skilled workers who suffer.

Contract job workers left without hope
A pizza deliveryman is told he is a "contract driver," not an employee, then his franchise boss assigns him to work 10 hours straight with no overtime pay. A home-care worker, on 24-hour shifts looking after a man with Alzheimer's disease, signs a contract with a temp agency saying she is "self-employed" and therefore not entitled to the minimum wage. And then there's Boen Hauw Tjoa.