Angel >> River dam reprieve For reasons as yet unknown, plans for proposed mini-dams on the Rouge River and the Gatineau have been called off. This follows a controversial scheme unveiled last year that would have 36 small private dams built on 24 rivers, alarming conservationists and water sports enthusiasts alike. Last Friday, the list of sites for potential development was cut from 36 to 14, although opponents were not completely satisfied. They remain concerned that the reprieve will be temporary only, and will press their position that energy conservation is preferable to the construction of new dams.

Insect >> Stingy Canadian foreign aid A new report by the Canadian Council for Independent Cooperation, an umbrella organization of Canadian non-governmental organizations working in development, shows what a pittance Canada gives in foreign aid. Their report, The Reality of Aid 2002, reveals that Canada gave a miserly $57.20 (U.S.) per capita in foreign aid in 2000, far below Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands and Japan; as a percentage of gross national income, we rate below Portugal and Ireland (although ahead of the United States). The report also blasts the way aid is distributed, its effectiveness and how money is often returned to the donor countries by way of imposed trade conditions.