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Canada Loses Its Troubador – Stompin’ Tom Connors Dead At 77

Some people say that Canada has two national athems: “O Canada” and “The Hockey Song” by Stompin’ Tom Connors.

The Canadian icon passed away on March 6, at the age of 77, leaving a hole in the heart and soul of the country.

Connors was a folk musician and a fierce Canadian patriot. He made his way up and down the country, documenting every square inch of every little Canadian town in his songs. He got his nickname because as he played and sang on stage, he stomped his cowboy booted left foot in time to the music.

The songs Stompin’ Tom wrote and sang were songs that Canadians connected with and which drew them together. They were simple, singable and relatable. Songs like “The Hockey Song,” which recounts a hockey game, inning by inning. Or “Bud the Spud,” about a trucker driving a load of PEI potatoes across Canada. Or Sudbury Saturday Night, which tells the tale of ordinary folks enjoying themselves in an Ontario town.

News Politics

Hugo Chávez, President Of Venezuela, Remembered For Social Reforms

Hugo Chávez, the charismatic president of Venezuela, died on Tuesday. He was 58.

Chávez had been the president of the South American country since 1998.

Chávez grew up in a very poor family. He dreamed of becoming a baseball player, but instead he studied at a military academy and then joined the army.

As a student and a soldier, Chávez read many books and became interested in politics and the problems affecting poor people in Venezuela. He believed that the people running the government at the time were dishonest, and were taking money that should have been used to help the whole country.

News Science

Dragon Brings Fresh Supplies To International Space Station

Did you ever wonder how the astronauts who are living on board the International Space Station get fresh supplies, like food, medicine and materials for their research?

A cargo capsule called SpaceX Dragon was recently sent up to the ISS to bring the astronauts fresh supplies.

Dragon was loaded with more than a thousand kilograms of science equipment, food and other materials.

It left Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Friday.

News Politics

Canadian Senators’ Expenses Being Reviewed

Senators are people who are chosen to help make the laws in Canada.

But right now, some of the senators are getting attention because of money they are spending on travel, and on apartments or houses to live in while they sit in the Senate in Ottawa, Ont., Canada’s capital city.

Senators can get as much as $22,000 each year from Canadians or their living expenses, as long as their main residence is at least 100 kilometres away from Ottawa.

But people say that some of the senators are claiming money to pay for their homes even though they are not living in them when they claim to be.

In other cases, people say the homes that are being paid for by Canadians are the main place of residence, or where the senators live most of the time — not just when they have to help make laws in the Senate.

If that is the case, these people say, the senators should be paying the cost themselves.

The senators who are being questioned about whether Canadians should be paying their housing and travel expenses include former TV news personalities Pamela Wallin and Mike Duffy.

News

Will The Titanic II Sail In 2016?

An Australian billionaire named Clive Palmer is building a life-sized replica of the Titanic.

The Titanic is a famous ship that sank in 1912. The dramatic story of the ocean liner has fascinated millions of people around the world. It was supposed to be an unsinkable ship but it hit an iceberg and sank on its very first voyage.

There have been many documentaries, films and books about the Titanic. Interest in the ship was heightened in 1997 when a blockbuster movie called “Titanic” was released, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.

The replica Titanic ocean liner will be called Titanic II. It is scheduled to sail in 2016, from Southampton, England to New York in the United States.

News Sports

Andrew Wiggins Awarded Naismith Trophy For High School Basketball

The top high school basketball player in the United States is a Canadian.

This week Andrew Wiggins was awarded the Naismith Trophy and named the Boys’ High School Player of the Year.

Wiggins was born in Vaughan, Ont. and is playing for Huntington Prep School in West Virginia.

Wiggins is 18 years old. His average per game is 23.6 points and 11.7 rebounds.

He hasn’t yet decided where he will go to university; many schools are competing for him.

The Naismith award winner is chosen by basketball journalists in the U.S.

Entertainment News

Oscars Handed Out At Star-Studded Gala

On Sunday night, the motion picture industry had its biggest night of the year. The 85th annual Academy Awards were handed out. They are also known as “The Oscars.” The show is seen around the world by more than a billion people.

The show was hosted by Seth MacFarlane, who is known for creating and doing the voices for the cartoon series Family Guy.

Oscars are awards given to the best filmmakers including the best director, actress and actor and the best in other areas of the industry such as special effects creator and costume designer.

The biggest award is always saved for last: Best Picture. This year it went to the film Argo.

News

Cruise Not The “Triumph” It Was Supposed To Be

Everyone’s safe and sound now – and on dry land –but it’s a vacation that 4,000 people who took a Carnival cruise probably don’t consider a “triumph.”

It was supposed to be a four-day luxury cruise, from Texas to Mexico and back.

The Carnival Triumph cruise ship was in the Gulf of Mexico on Feb. 10 when a fire broke out in the engine room.

There were 3,143 passengers and 1,086 crew members on board.

The fire disabled the 14-story luxury liner’s engines and power generators.

That shut down the ship’s refrigeration, air conditioning and toilets.

The ship drifted at sea for five days, with no way to heat up food or flush the toilets. The ship was eventually towed to a dock in Mobile, Alabama.

A lack of fresh water, baby formula and clean washrooms were probably the biggest problems for the passengers. That, and boredom. Some of the passengers joined in on sing-a-longs and impromptu comedy shows to amuse themselves.

As the washrooms became dirtier and the un-air-conditioned cabins became stuffier, many passengers opted to sleep in the hallways or outside on the decks.

News Science

King Richard III’s Bones Discovered Under A Parking Lot

He was the king in Shakespeare’s play who uttered the famous words, “My kingdom for a horse!”

His name was Richard III, and he ruled as King of England from 1483 to 1485. He died in battle at age 32 at a place called Bosworth Field near Leicester (pronounced like “Lester”), England.

His body was buried by King Henry VII in a monastery (a place where monks live). Later, the monastery was destroyed and no one ever knew what became of Richard III’s bones.

News Sports

Wrestling Likely To Be Dropped As An Olympic Sport

The International Olympic Committee is planning to drop wrestling as an Olympic sport as of the 2020 Summer Games.

Some countries will feel the loss more deeply than others.

Many Iranians view wrestling as their national sport.

The governments of Iran and the United States don’t normally agree on much. In fact, they are currently in a major disagreement about weapons.

But they are standing together on the issue of wrestling. They both want it put back in the Olympics, and they are willing to work together to make it happen.