In 2011, an average of 3.4 million Canadians made a conscious choice to hop in their vehicles each month and make a run for the border – to shop….Schulich School of Business economics Professor Fred Lazar believes the price gap boils down to competition, or lack thereof. “Take The Bay. When The Bay was just a Canadian company it lagged behind in every important characteristic of retailing.[…]It’s only since it brought in new management and became a U.S.-owned company that you saw significant changes and improvements,” said Lazar, in the Financial Post May 23, noting the higher degree of competition in the U.S. forces retailers to invest in e-commerce and other innovative mechanisms that serve to reduce costs, lower prices and widen profit margins. Read full story.
Ottawa police race data collection to begin amid controversy
After months of public consultation and two months later than planned, Ottawa police will roll out an Ontario Human Rights Commission mandated race data collection project at traffic stops June 27. The project, which will have officers mark what they perceive to be the race of the person they’ve pulled over in their in-cruiser computer system, will be the first effort to track race information on the people pulled over by a major police force in Canada….Officers will not ask people their race, rather they will indicate what they have perceived the driver’s race to be through observation alone….“When it comes to racial profiling and racial bias in general, the issue is always how other people see you,” said Les Jacobs, one of three York University researchers involved in the study, in the Ottawa Citizen May 23. Read full story.
One of a kind research beneath the beauty
It’s that time of year again. People come from miles around to visit the Ellis Bird Farm that opened its doors for the season on May 20. While the beauty and serenity of the farm is common knowledge, visitors may be surprised that there is groundbreaking research that takes place every year, reported the Lacombe Globe May 23. Prior to the birds migrating south last year, biologists placed trackers on the Purple Martins hoping to retrieve information on the migration patterns….“We attached light geolocators to some of the birds and we [have] retrieved two of them, which are at York University for testing right now,” said Myrna Pearman, biologist and site services manager. Read full story.
Leaders recognized at Vaughan South Asian fest
Vaughan community organization Human Endeavour celebrates South Asian Heritage Day with an awards ceremony Saturday, May 25 at Vellore Village Community Centre, 1 Villa Royale Ave. from 1 to 5pm….York University sociology Professor Nancy Mandell is being recognized for her research work for seniors and families and for promoting community-academic research partnerships, reported the Vaughan Citizen May 23. Read full story.