Toronto police are seeking the public’s help in identifying a mystery woman, known only as Linda, in a case that has baffled them for just under a month. The woman walked into a downtown shelter on Sept. 5 claiming she could only remember her first name, reported CBC News.ca, CBC Radio’s Metro Morning and others Oct. 4. Amnesia expert York psychology Professor Shayna Rosenbaum, who is affiliated with the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, said she’s only ever seen two cases like Linda’s. Rosenbaum suspects the woman has functional amnesia, likely caused by a traumatic event, which does not result from an injury to the brain.
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Transit summit focuses on post-secondary students
A conference held at York University in late September rightfully recognized the political importance of postsecondary school students when it comes to regional transit planning, said a Toronto city councillor this week reported The North York Mirror Oct. 4. Adam Vaughan, who helped organize Going to School: A Transit Summit, which took place Friday Sept. 28 at York University, said the event succeeded in bringing attention to the importance of universities and colleges as central transit nodes crucial to the mobility of an estimated 650,000 post-secondary students in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. Read full story.
Fine-tuning foreign skills for Canadian jobs
Nora Priestly, program manager of York University’s bridging program for internationally educated professionals, was quoted in The Globe and Mail Oct. 5 in a story about how such programs provide a valuable service for foreign-trained professionals. The 300 foreign-trained professionals who have taken York’s program in the past two years came from 40 countries. More than half have advanced university degrees and several years of professional experience abroad. Read full story.
Spirit maker creates buzz over bosom-brushed booze
A German liquor company has launched a line of spirits with a bizarre guarantee: all beverages have been poured over a glamorous model’s naked breasts, reported the Toronto Star Oct 5. The marketing ploy by G-Spirits offers limited-edition bottles of rum, vodka and whisky. “If it gets people talking about it” and media pick up the story, it will generate enough interest to build momentum and boost short-term sales, said Alan Middleton, a marketing professor at York University’s Schulich School of Business. Read full story.
Ways to cut down life insurance premiums: start early, quit smoking
Experts say a life insurance policy should be a staple in a family’s financial plan, yet many still struggle at the mere mention of it. Moshe Milevsky, an author and finance professor at York University, said that there are a lot of ways to cut down on the cost of life insurance premiums, reported The Charlottetown Guardian and the Vancouver Sun Oct. 5. “You have to think about it as a Swiss army knife,” said Milevsky, adding that while insurance sounds pretty simple but “there are lot of features inside that you want to know how to take advantage of.” Read full story.