Market watch dogs breathe new life into mutual fund fees in Canada

A regulatory probe into mutual fund fees that generated heated debate after its start in 2012, but then went quiet this year, showed signs of life again on Friday. The Canadian Securities Administrators, an umbrella group for provincial regulators, said two research contracts have been handed out to study fees and evaluate whether regulatory intervention is needed….In a second research report, Douglas J. Cumming, a professor of finance and entrepreneurship at York University’s Schulich School of Business, will collect and review data on whether commissions influence fund sales. Mr. Cumming will look at both initial sales and trailing commissions, which are paid each year to the seller out of the fund’s management fee, reported the National Post Sept. 19 and others, including the Investment Executive and on Sept. 22 Wealth Professional. Read full story.

Simple test can help detect Alzheimer’s before dementia signs show, study shows
York University researchers say a simple test that combines thinking and movement can help to detect heightened risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease in a person, even before there are any telltale behavioural signs of dementia. Faculty of Health Professor Lauren Sergio and PhD candidate Kara Hawkins who led the study asked the participants to complete four increasingly demanding visual-spatial and cognitive-motor tasks, on dual screen laptop computers, reported Science Daily Sept. 19. Read full story.

York U In York?
Mississauga has one, so do Oshawa, Hamilton and Toronto. Now the Region of York wants a university campus of its own. Matt Galloway spoke with Greg Sorbara on CBC’s Metro Morning. He is a former Liberal MPP and cabinet minister from Vaughan, and now serves as the chancellor of York University. Listen to full interview.

Paralympians aim to level playing field for students with disabilities
Paralympians Victoria Nolan and Josh Dueck visited Sloane Public School Thursday, Sept. 18 to launch a resource available for elementary school teachers across Canada to make physical education classes inclusive for children of all abilities. It’s something Nolan, who is the co-author of the Paralympic FUNdamentals resource program, said she wished existed when she grew up visually impaired. Now she’s hoping children, both able-bodied and with disabilities, can participate in sports activities together aided by the physical literacy resource she wrote with Stephanie Bowerman, a York University course director specializing in adapted physical activity. Read full story.