Poppy Remains On Local Man's Sweater For Six Consecutive Minutes

Dugald, Manitoba

Leslie Fletcher of Dugald congratulates her father Harold Sampson
following his accomplishment.

When Harold Sampson woke up on Tuesday morning, he was shaking with a mixture of excitement and fatigue after getting only an hours sleep the night before. The 89 year old had envisioned this day for an entire year.

For the last 15 years, Sampson, a native of Dugald, just east of Winnipeg, has been attempting to break the Guinness World Record for consecutive minutes that a Remembrance Day poppy stays pinned on a man, woman, or child.

The scene at the local legion hall was as it had been for 15 years, with his wife of 62 years, Doreen, and a host of family and friends gathered to hopefully witness history, as well as to enjoy a pint of Molson Canadian. And as it has been every year, a representative from Guinness was present so that the organization could authenticate the record should it be broken.

The proceedings began with a friend and local WWII veteran Arnie Bellamy pinning a poppy on Sampson's sweater. "I went through hell and back for my country, and it's very rewarding to see friends like Harry being willing to do the same for me."

The red poppy-shaped pin with the black centre was placed on Sampson at 11:00am, and all was going well until 11:05am, when said poppy began to come loose from his sweater. At this point, Sampson remained stoic and held his head high, refusing to give in. When the clock above the billiard table hit 11:06am, history had been made. Harold Sampson now holds the Guinness World Record for consecutive minutes that a Remembrance Day poppy stays pinned on a human being.

The previous record of 5 minutes, 59 seconds was set in 1992 by Shirley Knelsen of Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia.

From Our Winnipeg Bureau

Interim Conservative Leader Bakes Hash Cookies On Live TV

Rona Ambrose
Interim Conservative Leader & Leader Of Canada's Official Opposition

Toronto, ON

It has only been four days since Rona Ambrose assumed the role of interim Conservative leader and Leader of the Opposition in Canada's House of Commons, yet she is already making waves and raising eyebrows.

Mrs. Ambrose, Member of Parliament for the Alberta riding of Edmonton-Spruce Grove, was voted in as interim leader shortly after Prime Minister Stephen Harper resigned following a crushing defeat by Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party on October 19th.

Already, the 46 year old, who has held prominent portfolios in the government including Minister of the Environment and Minister of Health, has been signaling to her party and to Canadians that she plans on moving the Conservative Party in a different direction.

One of her first announcements came on Friday, when she shocked Canadians by saying that she would support a public inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women and children, something Mr. Harper had refused to implement for years despite an outcry from indigenous leaders as well as opposition parties.

But no one saw this morning's appearance on CityTv's Breakfast Television coming.

Mrs. Ambrose, a native of Valleyview, Alberta, appeared on the popular Toronto-based show during its weekly baking segment. When asked by host Kevin Frankish what her favourite holiday treat was and if she would be willing to "show Canadians her special touch," Mrs. Ambrose proceeded to produce two vials of hash oil from her pocket and pour the contents into a large bowl which already contained chocolate chip cookie dough. While pouring the oil into the bowl, she looked up and smiled at the crowd, saying "Come on, ladies, we all know how stressful Christmas can be. We do most of the cooking, the dishes, minding the kids. At some point you just have to chill out."

At that point, producers quickly cut to commercials. CityTV has not made itself available for comment to The Sentinel Dispatch as of press time.

The appearance marked a sharp turn-about from her vocalized outrage in June after the Supreme Court of Canada expanded the definition of medical marijuana beyond dried leaves, to include cannabis oils, teas, brownies and other forms of the drug.

From Our Toronto Bureau

REPORT: Feud Erupts Between Sophie Trudeau And Céline Dion

Prime Minister-designate Justin Trudeau attempts to protect Sophie
Grégoire-Trudeau from litigation on election night.

Ottawa, ON

It seems as if the honeymoon is over for Canada's new first family, only days after Justin Trudeau was sworn in as the northern nation's 23rd Prime Minister.

According to multiple reports and confirmed by The Sentinel Dispatch  late Thursday evening, Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau, the 40-year-old wife of the Prime Minister was handed a cease and desist order as the family was relaxing at their temporary residence as they continue to make preparations to move into Rideau Cottage.

Several reports say that the litigation was brought forward by Canadian chanteuse Céline Dion, who is currently performing a string of shows in Las Vegas. According to the document, Ms. Dion, performer of such hits as All By Myself, That's The Way It Is, and My Heart Will Go On, has demanded that Grégoire-Trudeau stop the use of her trademark chest-thumping gesture, which the singer has been known for since childhood - an action that led to a broken right clavicle when Dion was 7 years of age. During the recently concluded election campaign, and particularly on election night, Grégoire-Trudeau was seen either gently touching or thumping her chest enthusiastically as assembled crowds shouted her husband's name. Close family friends have confirmed that the mother of three has been known to instinctively engage in the activity in public at awkward moments when the family is shopping or eating in posh restaurants.

Céline Dion, 47, registered the action as a trademark in 1997 and according to celinechesthump.com has missed 174 shows since that time due to deep bruises and broken bones.

From Our Ottawa Bureau

Oilers Phenom McDavid Out Long-Term; Jays Fans Blame Shapiro

Oilers star Connor McDavid in NHL action vs Philadelphia on Tuesday night.

Edmonton, AB

The new president of the Toronto Blue Jays has only been on the job for two days, and he is already the most hated man in the Great White North.

Immediately after the club announced that popular general manager Alex Anthopoulos had rejected a new contract offer, speculation swirled that he was being pushed out by Mark Shapiro, former president of the Cleveland Indians.

The intensity of the hatred became more evident on Tuesday night when, during a home contest against the Philadelphia Flyers, forward Connor McDavid, the face and future of the Edmonton Oilers franchise, slammed hard into the end boards and suffered a broken collarbone. Twitter reaction was immediate and unrelenting:

"None of this would have happened if Rogers (owners of the baseball team) would have kept Alex. Shapiro's a bum!"

"Somewhere in a hotel room in Toronto, Mark Shapiro is slamming a Connor McDavid voodoo doll against a wall."

"What's a 48 year old American guy doing picking on an 18 yr old Canadian boy? I'm gonna cheer for the Phillies."

McDavid, the number one pick in the 2015 NHL draft, is expected to be out of action until January at the very least.

From Our Edmonton Bureau

Groundhog Emerges From Mulcair's Beard, Sees 4 More Years In Opposition

NDP leader Tom Mulcair in Châteauguay, Quebec last night.

Châteauguay, QC

It was a frantic day on the campaign trail yesterday for Tom Mulcair, as the NDP leader made several stops in key battleground ridings one day before the Canadian election. Mulcair, leader of the Official Opposition before the dissolution of the last parliament, spent the first part of his day making appearances in several Toronto locations, in an attempt to stave off what is appearing to be a growing Liberal tide.

The 60 year old Ottawa native then moved on to Quebec, where in 2011 the NDP, then under the late Jack Layton's leadership, rode to unprecedented heights in what came to be known as the Orange Crush. However, despite leading in the polls early on in the current campaign, Mulcair and the NDP faithful could very well be looking at a third place finish on Monday, as Justin Trudeau's Liberals have surged in the polls, and Conservative leader Stephen Harper has resorted to reaching out to former Toronto mayor Rob Ford for help.

Mulcair held his last large campain rally in the heart of Montreal on Sunday night, but afterwards kept a promise to a local candidate in the Greater Montreal riding of Châteauguay - Lacolle. Mulcair and incumbent MP Sylvain Chicoine held a small gathering outside a local café, where Mulcair repeated his election talking points. However, in the midst of describing his plan to consistently keep balanced budgets, an unexpected visitor interrupted the proceedings, as local legend Châteauguay Charles, a 12-year-old groundhog, emerged from Mulcair's beard and, by all accounts, made it quite clear that Monday's election results would not be kind to the NDP. After gingerly climbing down Mulcair's left jacket-sleeve, Charles scurried along a nearby sidewalk, where autumn leaves had fallen beside a trash can. The mercurial woodchuck first approached an orange leaf, curiously sniffing at it for two minutes, which is impressive considering a marmot's short attention span. However, he then noticed a discarded, peeled-off Labatt's Blue label - clearly a Conservative party omen - and proceeded to lick it for several moments before moving on. In the end, though, a bright, glorious red leaf received the affections of the creature. Those gathered watched in horror as Châteauguay Charles picked up the leaf with his left claw, stood up on his hind legs, and proceeded to wave to the crowd before scurrying off into the night. Charles prognostications of a third-place NDP finish sent those gathered into a nearby pub to drown their sorrows.

From Our Montreal Bureau

Green Party Leader's Self-Approval Ratings At All-Time High

Green Party leader Elizabeth May (r), at the Ottawa Press Gallery Dinner on May 9th.

Ottawa

With one day remaining until Canadians head to the ballot box to choose their next government, much of the hype is surrounding Justin Trudeau. Mere weeks ago, the Liberal leader was, by all accounts, headed for a third-place finish. However, heading into Monday, most prognosticators have the Ottawa native set to take the keys to 24 Sussex Drive.

But Elizabeth May, leader of Canada's Green Party, is having none of it.

In a snap poll conducted by The Sentinel Dispatch on Sunday, Ms. May's self-approval ratings were found to be at an all-time high. "To tell you the truth, I'd have to say that I'd give myself a 95% approval rating at this point of the long campaign," said May when reached by phone from her wind and solar-powered home in Sidney, British Columbia. "Despite what the media might be reporting, I think I've been extremely efficient and have come up with new ideas, though it's been tempting to recycle the same ideas over and over again. The other parties are saying the same things, they seem stuck. Meanwhile, I'm the only one who's been driven," remarked the native of Hartford, Connecticut. "And speaking of driven, I'm the only party leader who is proud to drive a hybrid. That's saying something."

Ms. May is the only Green Party member to ever have been elected to Canada's parliament - she was elected MP of Saanich-Gulf Islands in 2011 after two previous unsuccessful attempts to win a seat. Her party narrowly missed forming government in 2008 and 2011 after garnering 6.78% and 3.91% of the national vote respectively.

The 61 year old lawyer and activist has been criticized by many for siphoning off votes from the Liberal and New Democratic parties and thus aiding the Conservative Party, however she still insists that her party is "vastly different than those other old parties." In some ways, she is correct. She is the only national party leader to commit to mandatory five-year prison sentences for Canadians found guilty of disposing recyclable water bottles into regular waste bins. Ms. May has also said that by the year 2025, under a Green Party government, all jet-fuelled air travel would cease. Her technology critic, a sophomore at the University of British Columbia, when reached at his parents home in Victoria, explained the innovative project: "At the Green Party, we realize that people will still need to travel by air. For the past 5 years, the brightest and most creative young minds in the country have been brainstorming, and based on the principles of aerodynamics, by 2025 we'll have built a fleet of papier-mâché passenger planes. Our working theory is that if we build tall enough airstrips around the country, Canadians will come together and be able to launch these planes by means of their collective blowing."

When asked by The Sentinel Dispatch why she only gave herself a 95% approval rating, Ms. May admitted to lingering guilt over eating a piece of processed cheese in her youth.

From Our Ottawa Bureau

Conservative Campaign Director Resigns After Tree-Planting Allegations

Conservative leader Stephen Harper with (now) former 2015 campaign director Jenni Byrne

Ottawa

With only three days remaining leading up to Canada's 42nd general election, one would think that the major party leaders would solely be focused on criss-crossing the country, fighting tooth and nail to either retain or increase support for their cause. However, for the second time in only two days, a party leader has been forced to part ways with one of their campaign directors.

Word quickly spread - as it does in Ottawa - on Friday afternoon, that Jenni Byrne, national director for Stephen Harper's Conservative election campaign, has abruptly stepped down after video was submitted to several news outlets, including the Sentinel Dispatch, that clearly shows the former Reform party staffer taking part in a tree-planting ceremony near her hometown of Fenelon Falls, Ontario. The event, according to several sources who also participated and spoke to media on condition of anonymity, took place three weeks ago in conjunction with the opening of a new elementary school in Ms. Byrne's riding.

It is clearly stated in Conservative party policy that "no candidate, staffer, or advisor to the leader will engage in any activity which is contrary to Conservative values - such as mishandling of public funds, electoral fraud, or appearing to show concern for Canada's environment."

The Conservative party under Stephen Harper has a long and proud history of standing by its principles of aggression towards the environment. Soon after taking power in 2006, Harper started to clamp down on research into global warming. He ousted his own science adviser and effectively killed the climate-change section of the Department of Foreign Affairs. He shut down the official website on climate change and tried to cut funding for the Polar Environment Atmosphere Research Laboratory, which had been at the forefront of monitoring deterioration in the ozone layer as well as climate change. In addition, an environmentally-friendly group out of British Columbia called Dogwood Initiative, reported that it had been under “illegal surveillance” by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), and other groups and individuals had been muzzled. Also, though Harper has promised action on climate change, particularly in relation to the carbon that is released from Canada’s huge reserve of tar sands, now the third-biggest reservoir of oil on the planet, no such action has taken place; there are no emissions rules for its oil and gas sector. In 2011, the Harper government backed out of the Kyoto protocol, and to top it off, when the Centre for Global Development, in 2013, ranked 27 developed nations according to their handling of the environment, it placed Canada at number 27.

This is not the first time during the current election campaign that Ms. Byrne has been under scrutiny. On Day 38 of the current campaign, she was effectively taken off of the election tour bus and sent back to Ottawa due to the party's flagging fortunes before being given a second chance to right the ship.

Ms. Byrne becomes the second major party campaign director to step down amidst controversy in the last two days. On Wednesday, Liberal party co-campaign chair Dan Gagnier fell on his sword after it was revealed that he had sent a highly detailed letter to executives in big oil, advising them how to best lobby a minority government to achieve their goals toward the Energy East oil pipeline. Gagnier also has ties to Conservative lobbyist Bruce Carson, who was charged with fraud and influence peddling, as well as much-maligned former Liberal-turned-Conservative minister David Emerson.

When contacted by the Sentinel Dispatch, Conservative spokesman Kory Teneycke said that "while Jenni Byrne's service to her party and to our country has up til now been commendable, her reckless regard for nature can not and will not go unnoticed by this government."

Late Friday afternoon, Ms. Byrne was seen hastily placing cardboard boxes into the back of her hybrid Toyota Prius.

From Our Ottawa Bureau