Camrail train derails: General mobilisation of Cameroonians perceived

24/10/2016Cameroonians are this 24th October 2016, observing a national day of mourning through prayers, for the victims of the Eseka train accident of 21st October 2016.

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As Moslem faithful assemble at the Mosques, Christians of all denominations in Churches, ecumenical services are being organised, the most important being that of the site of the accident.

As Cameroon copes with one of the worst train disasters, the atmosphere is tight and that of reflection.

Though the day is not a public holiday, the national flag has been placed at half-mast in honour of the departed.

Over in schools, young Cameroonians are being updated on the situation.

Special programmes are being aired on radio and TV with soul-touching music and wishes of goodwill and solidarity to the bereaved families and those in the hospital.

Social networking sites are also over flooded with prayers and good wishes.

Even Cameroonians in the Diaspora are presently using the media to get updates as they express condolences in line with President Paul Biya’s prescription.

Eleanor Ayuketah



COURTESSY: CTV Montreal
Published Friday, October 14, 2016 8:00AM EDT 
Last Updated Friday, October 14, 2016 11:50AM EDT

Montreal threw a party underground Friday to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the metro system.

It was on Oct. 14, 1966 that the first metro stations were grandly opened by Mayor Jean Drapeau and Cardinal Paul-Emile Leger.

It's estimated that one million people tried out the metro during the first week it was open.

Friday's anniversary was marked by a series of concerts by the Montreal Symphony Orchestra at the Place des Arts metro. .

Metro enthusiast Matt McLauchlin says the entire system is a masterpiece.

"I see a space that is a really good example of the brutalist architecture. I see the artwork here. I see the beauty. I see the beauty..and the flows of people," said McLauchlin.

He is the creator of a Montreal metro fan page, metrodemontreal.com, that has extensive background of the tunnels, the stations, and the trains.

McLaughlin has even rated every station for artwork, design, and ease of use, with Lionel Groulx, the intersection of the Green and Orange lines, being one of his favorites.

"People will ask me about my favorite stations. This station for one for its planning, Acadie station for its colour scheme and its homage to the art deco style, and Champ de Mars for the most beautiful artwork, Marcel Perron's stained glass," said McLauchlin.

50 years of history

The metro's unofficial historian is Benoit Clairoux.

"I was just seven years old the first time I took the metro to go see the Expos and it was love at first sight," said Clairoux.

That passion eventually led him to write two books about the history of the transit system, including Le Metro de Montreal, 35 ans deja.

"They talked about the metro maybe 50 years before it was built," said Clairoux.

Figure 1

The plan for the metro, as conceived of in 1944

He explained how the very first plans for the tunnels followed the same routes as the tramways that crossed the city, but how everything transformed under Mayor Jean Drapeau in 1961.

Drapeau is commonly known as the father of the metro, but Clairoux said that's not quite true

"The father of the metro was Lucien Saulnier, his right hand man," said Clairoux.

This was due in part to a viewpoint that is still very common today as people argue companies like Uber can improve transportation.

"Like many people in his day Drapeau thought all problems could be solved with cars," said Clairoux.

Saulnier convinced Drapeau to get on board and launch construction of an underground network for smaller metro cars on rubber tires.

"With the smaller cars you could have only one tunnel but you could save a lot on construction," said Clairoux.

It cost $213 million -- that's $1.6 billion in today's money -- to build the first 20 stations within five years.

"They didn't waste much too time on studies and stuff like that. They Yellow Line was decided in one night. They decided well we're going to have Expo, it's going to be on the islands in the middle of the St. Lawrence river, so let's have it start at Berri de Montigny, the old name for Berri-UQAM, and let's have it go all the way to the south shore. So they asked the engineers 'Can you do it? And by the way, you have to answer within the next few hours. That was the way in those days," said Clairoux.

"It was a window of opportunity. Everything was in full flight."

As the system expanded construction pushed west of Decarie, but the cost for the system ballooned with the economic crisis of the 1970s.

"They started the Blue Line but what happened in those days with inflation and everything the metro started to cost a lot of money. And in the interval the Quebec government started to pay a part of the metro, and of course when somebody starts to pay something, they decide 'well since I'm paying, why don't I decide where it goes?'" said Clairoux.

The result is that plans for a western expansion to the Blue Line were shelved by the Parti Quebecois government of 1979, and after several stations were completed in the 1980s, expansion came to a halt.

"If they had started a little earlier we would have metro to Montreal North and the west end. It's a window. and when the window closes, it's closed," said Clairoux.

Planning for the future

The three stations on the Orange Line extending the system to Laval were the first new stations in 20 years.

Now, the federal government is offering a new window of opportunity by offering billions for new infrastructure.

In July Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier Philippe Couillard signed an agreement to spend $650 million on public transit in Montreal over the next three years.

"Over the next year, we'll be developing the second phase of public transit investment to build bridges and new subway lines," said Trudeau on July 5.

With Ottawa offering financial support, the Couillard government is calling the Blue line's eastward extension a top priority -- but one that still needs study. "

With the possibility of hundreds of millions more in funding in the next few years, the STM will continue to devote its efforts to maintaining existing infrastructure.

"It's a never ending process, maintaining the metro," said STM chair Philippe Schnobb.

Part of the work is replacing the oldest cars with the new Azur trains.

Fifty two should be running on the rails by the end of 2018.

"When I look at Azur I think this is the best way to look at the future of the metro. More room, more light, better ventilation. More service because we will be adding 14 trains to our fleet. That will give us the opportunity to put more tranis on the track every morning and add capacity every morning at peak hours," said Schnobb.

McLauchlin is very happy with the incremental changes "over the past ten years to make small, unsexy adjustments that still improve the commuter experience."

And with major highways being rebuilt in Montreal in the next five to ten years, along with a plan to double the urban core's population by 2050, the STM is hoping more commuters will come underground.

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Montrealers divided over mayor’s plan to ban bottled water

CTV Montreal: Limiting plastic bottles
Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre is looking at possibly limiting the sale of plastic water bottles.
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Josh Dehaas, CTVNews.ca 
Published Tuesday, February 23, 2016 6:39PM EST 

After Montreal’s mayor succeeded in passing a plastic bag ban Monday, he said his next target will be disposable plastic water bottles.

Environmentalist Daniel Green thinks it’s a good idea.

“What did we do before (plastic bottles)?” Green added. “Were we dying in the streets from dehydration?”

At the same time, Green said he recognizes the need for some sort of multi-use bottled water, including for times when tap water becomes contaminated.

On Monday, the City of Montreal has issued a boil water advisory for the neighbourhoods of Cote des Neiges and Outremont.

And just last month, a hospital in Montreal recently spent five days without tap water after black particles were found. The particles turned out to be harmless copper oxide.

Some Montrealers said they have concerns about the loss of convenience if plastic bottles are banned, and questioned whether it was needed considering the plastic is 100 per cent recyclable.

The Canadian Bottled Water Association’s Elizabeth Griswold said that 72 per cent of them are diverted from landfills.

The Canadian Bottled Water Association also asserts that bottled water bans don’t work, because many people will simply switch to other plastic-bottled beverages like soda.

Environmentalists at the David Suzuki Foundation say that the negative impact of bottled water goes beyond the use of plastic, which can collect in oceans and takes more than 700 years to decompose. For example, bottled water contributes to climate change when fossil fuels are burned shipping it.

Montreal is not the first jurisdiction to target bottled water.

The Province of Manitoba banned bottled water sales from government buildings in 2011.

Some municipalities, including London, Ont., have done the same.

So too have some universities, including York University and Ryerson University in Toronto, and Memorial University in Newfoundland.

Ontario’s MPs voted against a Liberal back-bencher’s proposal in 2008 to ban bottled water and fine people minimum $500 for breaking the law. Premier Kathleen Wynne was among those opposed, arguing that bottled water was being in schools with unsafe levels of lead and an alternative to less healthy drinks in school lunches.

Courtesy: ctv.ca

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With a report from CTV Montreal’s Cindy Sherwin 

WHO declares Zika virus an international emergency


Jamey Keaten and Maria Cheng, The Associated Press 
Published Monday, February 1, 2016 8:43AM EST 
Last Updated Monday, February 1, 2016 5:35PM EST

GENEVA -- The World Health Organization declared a global emergency over the explosive spread of the Zika virus, which has been linked to birth defects in the Americas, calling it an "extraordinary event" that poses a public health threat to other parts of the world.

The U.N. agency took the rare step despite a lack of definitive evidence proving the mosquito-borne virus is causing a surge in babies born with brain defects and abnormally small heads in Brazil and following a 2013-14 outbreak in French Polynesia.

Monday's emergency meeting of independent experts was called in response to the spike in babies born with microcephaly in Brazil since the virus was first found there last year. Officials in French Polynesia also documented a connection between Zika and neurological complications when the virus was spreading there two years ago, at the same time as dengue fever.

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WHO Director-General Margaret ChanWHO Director-General Margaret Chan declares the Zika virus to be an international emergency, in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday, Feb. 1, 2016.


A city worker fumigates a classroom in a mosquito eradication effort to battle the insect blamed for spreading a virus suspected of causing birth defects, in Santa Tecla, El Salvador, Jan. 28, 2016. (AP / Salvador Melendez)


In this Jan. 29, 2016 photo, Carmen Cruz, 31, waits to have her prenatal exam at the National Hospital for Women in San Salvador, El Salvador. (AP / Salvador Melendez)

"After a review of the evidence, the committee advised that the clusters of microcephaly and other neurological complications constitute an extraordinary event and public health threat to other parts of the world," WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan said.

WHO, which was widely criticized for its sluggish response to the 2014 Ebola crisis in West Africa, has been eager to show its responsiveness this time. Despite dire warnings that Ebola was out of control in mid-2014, WHO didn't declare an emergency until months later, after nearly 1,000 people had died.

"If indeed, the scientific linkage between Zika and microcephaly is established, can you imagine if we do not do all this work now and wait until the scientific evidence comes out?" Chan said. "Then people will say, 'Why didn't you take action?"'

WHO estimates there could be up to 4 million cases of Zika in the Americas in the next year, but no recommendations were made to restrict travel or trade.

"It is important to understand, there are several measures pregnant women can take," Chan said. "If you can delay travel and it does not affect your other family commitments, it is something to consider."

"If they need to travel, they can get advice from their physician and take personal protective measures, like wearing long sleeves and shirts and pants and using mosquito repellent."

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has advised pregnant women to postpone visits to Brazil and other countries in the region with Zika outbreaks, though officials say it's unlikely the virus could cause widespread problems in the U.S. On Monday, health officials added four more destinations to a list that now includes 28 locations, most of them in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The last time WHO declared a public health emergency was for the devastating Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which killed more than 11,000 people. Similar declarations were made for polio in 2013 and the 2009 swine flu pandemic.

Such emergency declarations are meant as an international SOS signal and usually trigger increased money and efforts to halt the outbreak, as well as prompting research into possible treatments and vaccines. There are currently no licensed treatments or vaccines for Zika.

WHO officials say it could be six to nine months before science proves or disproves any connection between the virus and babies born in Brazil or elsewhere with abnormally small heads.

Zika was first identified in 1947 in Uganda but until last year, it wasn't believed to cause any serious effects; about 80 per cent of infected people never experience symptoms. The virus has also been linked to Guillain-Barre syndrome, which causes muscle weakness and nerve problems.

Michael Osterholm, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Minnesota, said it was still unclear how Zika had evolved since it first emerged in Africa, but that even minor genetic changes might have major consequences.

"It could have just been some point mutation (in the virus) that has now made a big difference," Osterholm said, adding it would likely take years to curb the mosquito populations capable of spreading Zika -- and before local populations gain enough immunity for the number of cases to fall.

Jimmy Whitworth, an infectious diseases expert at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said we might soon see babies born elsewhere with malformed heads as the virus becomes entrenched in other countries.

"It could be that we're getting the strongest signal in Brazil," he said. "But having these cases occurring and pinning it to Zika is tough."

Whitworth said it was important for WHO to act quickly, despite the lack of definitive evidence that Zika is responsible for the surge in microcephaly cases.

"For situations like this, you have to essentially have a 'no regrets' policy," he said. "Maybe this will be a false alarm when more information is available months later, but it's serious enough on the evidence we have right now that we have to act."

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Maria Cheng reported from London. Raphael Satter in London contributed to this report.

Courtesy : ctvnews

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MECCA Montreal Website goes mobile

Another great achievement by our IT desk. All those who have SMART phones and tablets, you no longer need a computer to surf on our website.
We just succeeded to configure the mobile version of our website for both Android and I-phone users.

Get all information you need on your mobile and stay connected to MECA Montreal.

Just type www.mecamontreal.com on your web browser and you will be there.


MECCA, Promotes a better world !!!

2nd October 2012

 

2012/2013 academic year begins hitch-free

03/09/2012

Students and pupils heeded to the official back- to- school programme drawn up by the Ministries of Basic and that of Secondary education.

As early as 6:30 am this Monday 3rd September 2012 children and teachers braved the cold weather in some parts of the country for the start of the 2012/2013 academic year.

Senior officials at the Ministries concerned are also on the field to ensure an effective take off of classes.

But the back to school excitement however varies with the age group. The older children consider back to school as the beginning of another nine month routine while the idea of meeting old friends and making new ones brings joy. The beginners

on their part, find it hard to let go daily parental guidance.

During the last day preceding this Monday 3rd September in several parts of the country, shops and markets were overcrowded by parents and students buying school needs as last minute preparations.  CRTV

China – Cameroon: agreement to boost air travel within concluded 06/07/2012 China and Cameroon have sealed an agreement in which Cameroon will receive three aircrafts from China. According to the agreement, the Cameroon government will to pay for two of the three aircrafts while the third will be offered free of charge. The manufacturer of the planes, AVIC International Holding in China will offer training, general maintenance services on the aircrafts. The company also undertook to render Cameroonian international airports conducive for the aircraft operations. The Minister of Transport Robert Nkili and the Vice President of AVIC International XUBO, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective countries. According to projections, the aircrafts will serve within the national territory. The deal is expected to revive Camair-co’s activities within the national triangle. CRTV
Arrived Atlanta today 4th July 2012 for the MECA USA Convention. I look forward to seeing all of you. It will be a thriller.