11:15am-11:30am ET | Lisa Campbell, Deputy Commissioner, Competition Bureau

11:30am-11:45am ET | Erin Weir, Economist, United Steelworkers

12:15pm-1:00pm ET | Dr. Zach, GFB House Doctor, Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University

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11:15am:

GUEST – Lisa Campbell, Deputy Commissioner, Competition Bureau

TOPIC – Competition Bureau Improves Access to Little Black Book of Scam.

INFO – March is Fraud Prevention Month, and the Competition Bureau announced today that it has improved accessibility to one of the Bureau’s most popular publications.

Building on the success of the Canadian Edition of the Little Black Book of Scams, which was launched during last year’s Fraud Prevention Month, the Competition Bureau has announced that the document’s online content will now be easier to read on mobile devices. Additionally, a new high-resolution, ready-to-print version is available for organizations and individuals who wish to print their own copies of the book for students, clients, employees or for their own personal use. Details for requesting this new print-ready version from the Bureau are available online.

The Canadian Edition of the Little Black Book of Scams is a compact and easy-to-use reference guide filled with information Canadians can use to protect themselves against scams. It offers information on how a variety of common scams work, how to recognize them, as well as practical tips on how consumers and businesses can protect themselves. It also debunks common myths about scams, provides contact information for reporting a scam to the correct authority, and offers a step-by-step guide for scam victims to reduce their losses and avoid becoming repeat victims.

“Consumers and businesses can consult theCanadian Edition of the Little Black Book of Scams year-round to avoid falling victim to Internet scams, fake lotteries, romance scams, and many other schemes used to defraud Canadians of their money or personal information,” said Interim Commissioner of Competition John Pecman. “We are pleased to be able to make it easier to access, and we are delighted that it has become so popular.”

Since its launch in 2012, nearly 10,000 published copies have been distributed to Canadians from coast to coast to coast. It has become the most popular document on the Competition Bureau’s website, with more than 50,000 visits and more than 20,000 downloads. Those numbers do not include where Fraud Prevention Forum members have included Canadian Edition of the Little Black Book of Scams information on their own websites.

The Competition Bureau is grateful to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, who originally developed The Little Black Book of Scams and granted the Bureau permission to produce a Canadian edition.

The Fraud Prevention Forum, chaired by the Competition Bureau, includes more than 125 private sector firms, consumer and volunteer groups, government agencies and law enforcement organizations that have banded together to help combat fraud and raise awareness. During Fraud Prevention Month, Forum members are participating in a number of activities across the country, designed to raise awareness among consumers and businesses about the dangers of fraud.
Canadians are encouraged to visit the Fraud Prevention section of the Competition Bureau’s website to find out more about fraud, and to view Forum members’ activities in the Calendar of Events.
The Competition Bureau, as an independent law enforcement agency, ensures that Canadian businesses and consumers prosper in a competitive and innovative marketplace. FRAUD: Recognize It. Report It. Stop It. / http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/03541.html

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11:30am:

GUEST – Erin Weir, Economist, United Steelworkers

TOPIC – Today, Statistics Canada reported that there are almost six unemployed workers for every vacant job in the country.

INFO- The federal government has signalled that tomorrow’s budget will emphasize training and connecting workers with available jobs. But today’s figures confirm that there are not nearly enough available jobs.

Specifically, there were 220,900 vacant jobs and 1,257,800 unemployed workers at the end of 2012. (Statistics Canada does not seasonally adjust these figures.)

Even if a policy somehow succeeded in filling every current vacancy, more than a million Canadians would remain unemployed. Governments should focus on creating more jobs by investing in needed public services and infrastructure, including the renewable power, transit and conservation measures required to put our economy on a more sustainable path.

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12:15pm:

GUEST – Dr. Zach, GFB House Doctor, Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University

TOPIC – Bone and joint health

INFO -Osteoporosis refers to low bone mass. This increases the risk of fractures. 2 million people in Canada suffer from it, and 80% of the more than 25,000 hip fractures annually in Canada are osteoporosis-related. These result in death for 20% and disability in 50%. We will discuss how to prevent it and how to treat it.

Arthritis is joint inflammation. There are many kinds. The most common kind is osteoarthritis, which is a degenerative joint disease. The risk of this increases with age. It can result in stiffness, pain, and swelling. We will discuss osteoarthritis as well as other causes of arthritis and how they are treated.