The 25 most important people in Ottawa

Alex Himelfarb, director of the School of Public & International Affairs and the Centre for Global Challenges at York University’s Glendon College, was named one of the 25 most influential people in Ottawa by Maclean’s Nov. 27. Himelfarb has become a leading public critic of Harper-style government – a blogging theorist of effective centre-left opposition. His blog never mentions Harper by name, but it’s easy to tell he’s not a fan….It’s Himelfarb’s persistence and focus that make him a standard-bearer for Ottawa denizens who dream of a post-Harper Canada. Read full story.

TTC’s tunnel boring machines Yorkie and Torkie make double breakthrough
The TTC made a rare double breakthrough with its tunnel boring machines last week, and the event was posted on YouTube, reported the Toronto Star Dec. 6. Powerful boring machines, dubbed “Yorkie” and “Torkie,” broke through at the same time to excited applause during work on the 8.6-km Toronto-York Spadina subway extension, which runs from Downsview Station northwest through York University and north to the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre in York Region. Read full story.

York University abduction was a hoax
It turns out a frightening abduction reported at York University Tuesday afternoon was all a hoax, reported the Toronto Sun and others Dec. 6. But for nearly 24 hours, Toronto Police worked feverishly to determine who had been kidnapped from the North York campus….“It was a prank,” Const. Tony Vella said Thursday. Read full story.

Why we can all fall for psychic scams – ‘everybody’s vulnerable’
We’re all susceptible to scams when they play on the belief system we’ve adopted since childhood, according to York University psychology Professor James Alcock. “Everybody’s vulnerable,” said Alcock, in Metro Dec. 7. “You could take a person who doesn’t believe in curses, won’t believe in psychics, is very careful about responding to spam emails and yet they could be suckered by some financial adviser.” Read full story.

Why is Lululemon so successful?
Two Canadian marketing experts agree that one of the most important things Lululemon offers is a simple one: a high quality product. “Lots of people can make good product, but this is product really specially designed for stretch, fabric, and the age of people who do yoga,” said York’s Schulich School of Business Professor Alan Middleton, in Global News Edmonton Dec. 6. Read full story.