Pope Francis's 10 happiness tips? Turn off the TV and don't try to convert others

CBC News Posted: Jul 31, 2014 11:37 AM ET Last Updated: Jul 31, 2014 11:56 AM ET

“Be giving of yourself," "move with kindness" and don't try to convert others, are among Pope Francis’s 10 tips for happiness. ?

The 10 tips are part of a candid interview the Pope gave to the Argentine newspaper Clarin this week, which also touched on the violence in Ukraine, his recent trip to Israel and his nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize.

"We can inspire others through witness so that one grows together in communicating. But the worst thing of all is religious proselytism, which paralyzes: 'I am talking with you in order to persuade you.' No. Each person dialogues, starting with his and her own identity," the Pope is quoted by the newspaper as saying.

"The church grows by attraction, not proselytizing."

The Pope’s recipe for happiness includes advice about how people should spend their time. He says that Sunday is "for family” and that people need “a healthy sense of leisure,” while adding that the joy of literature is being lost. ?

Francis also advises families to turn off their televisions at dinner time, because TV "doesn't let you communicate."? However, he does note TV can be useful for following the news.

His tips for happiness touch on politics as well. In the interview he says "Consumerism has brought us anxiety" and that the destruction of our environment "is one of the biggest challenges we have."

He also asks people to take a proactive role in solving political conflicts. The Pope says "the call for peace must be shouted. Peace sometimes gives the impression of being quiet, but it is never quiet, peace is always proactive."

'The worst thing of all is religious proselytism'- Pope Francis

The tips are not without controversy. ?When it comes to growing the Catholic Church, the Pope says “the worst thing of all is religious proselytism, which paralyzes.”? Instead, he says, the church "grows by attraction, not proselytizing” and that Catholics need to have “dialogues” with those who don’t follow their religion.

He also reflects that as he grows older, he is no longer the “rushing river” he was as a young man. ?Instead he sees himself as a “pool of water” — which allows him "the ability to move with kindness and humility,"

Below are The Pope's?ten tips translated from Spanish by the Catholic News Service.

1. "Live and let live."

2. "Be giving of yourself to others."

3. "Proceed calmly" in life.?

4. Have "a healthy sense of leisure."

5. "Sunday is for family."

6. Be "creative" with young people and find innovative ways to create dignified jobs.

7. Respect and take care of nature.

8. Stop being negative. "Letting go of negative things quickly is healthy," he said.

9. "The worst thing of all is religious proselytism, which paralyzes."

10. Work for peace. "We are living in a time of many wars," he said. "The call for peace must be shouted."

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Trudeau's pot stance in line with 1 in 3 Canadians, poll suggests

Despite the best efforts of the Conservatives to use Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau's support for marijuana legalization against him, his position may not be a political liability after all, according to a just-released poll commissioned by the federal Justice Department earlier this year.

A phone survey conducted by Ipsos Reid between Jan. 30 and Feb. 7, 2014, found that 70 per cent of Canadians want to see the current laws at least relaxed — and one in three backs full legalization.

When asked how the government should "deal with" marijuana, the most popular option was full legalization, which was supported by 37 per cent of respondents, followed by 33 per cent who backed the decriminalization of "small amounts of marijuana" by imposing a fine instead of a criminal record.

Support for legalization was highest in British Columbia, at 46 per cent, followed by Atlantic Canada at 41 per cent, with Ontario at 37 per cent, Quebec at 35 per cent, Alberta at 34?per cent and the Prairies at 32 per cent.

Just 14 per cent sided with the status quo, while only 12 per cent wanted to see penalties increased and three per cent either didn't know or had no response.

Asked whether legalization would lead to an increase in marijuana use, only 38 per cent of respondents agreed, with 53 per cent predicting that it would stay the same, with an additional six per cent of the belief that it would actually decrease use, and three per cent who didn't know, or had no response.

The survey also found that 83 per cent of respondents either strongly or somewhat agreed that marijuana "should be legally available for doctors to prescribe to their patients."

But just 42 per cent agreed, either strongly or somewhat, that companies "should be allowed to produce and promote the sale of marijuana just like tobacco and alcohol," with disagreement notably higher for women at 63 per cent, compared with?48 per cent among?men.

In fact, tobacco companies are barred from advertising their products outside of print ads in magazines with an adult readership higher than 85 per cent. Six provinces have also outlawed retail displays of cigarettes in convenience stores.

Ipsos Reid polled a total of 3,000 randomly selected Canadian adults by phone — including both land lines and cellphone numbers — which gives the poll a countrywide margin of error of plus or minus 1.8 per cent, 19 times out of 20, with higher error rates for data broken down by region.

The final reports from both the focus groups and the phone poll were posted to the online archive of government-commissioned public opinion research data on Wednesday night — just one day before the six-month deadline for filing such material with Library and Archives Canada was set to expire.

The results may bolster B.C. pot?activist Marc Emery's bid to make?legalization of the drug a ballot box question during the next federal election.

Emery, who was recently freed after spending four years in a U.S. federal prison after being convicted of conspiracy to manufacture marijuana, is currently waiting for the paperwork to go through that will allow him to return to Canada.

"My own government betrayed me and I'm going to wreak an appropriate amount of political revenge when I get home and campaign against the Conservative government," he told CBC News in an exclusive interview from a private deportation facility in Louisiana.

"Hopefully we'll do a good job and get the young people to vote for Justin Trudeau's Liberals and get that legalization agenda enacted in Canada as soon as possible."

Earlier this month, Emery announced that he and his wife, Jodie, are planning to hold rallies across Canada in support of Trudeau, though the Liberals have distanced themselves from the Emerys.

"We are not aware of Mr. Emery's plans and he is not affiliated with us in any way," Liberal spokeswoman Kate Purchase said in an email to CBC News Thursday.

Last month, Vancouver Conservative MP Wai Young sent out a flyer accusing Trudeau of promoting marijuana to children.

This Conservative mailer claims Trudeau's marijuana policy would allow kids to more easily smoke pot. (CBC)

The leaflet, which featured a photo of a young person about to light a joint, claimed that Liberal policies would make it easier for children to smoke pot, an allegation local Liberal riding president Stewart McGillivray?denied.

"Justin Trudeau has been extremely clear that we don't?want our children?more easily able to access this, that it does have harmful effects in many cases." he told CBC News.

"I think Wai Young?knows that, so I wish she would act a bit more maturely on the issue."

Trudeau's pot stance also provided fodder for the Conservatives during last month's byelection in Scarborough-Agincourt, as reported by The Canadian Press.

As was the case in Vancouver, the leaflet also asserted that the Liberal leader "wants marijuana in local stores, just like alcohol and cigarettes."

Voters, however, appear to have been unmoved: the Liberals won the byelection by 60 per cent, an even higher level of support?than former MP Jim Karygiannis garnered in 2011.?

Even so, there's no indication the Conservatives are reconsidering their current strategy.

In response to a CBC News query on Emery's plan to campaign in support of Trudeau, a spokeswoman for Justice Minister Peter MacKay reiterated the most recent talking points put out by the party.

"In the next election, Canadians face a choice: Justin Trudeau, whose idea of a 'star Liberal'?is a convicted drug dealer and the self-proclaimed 'Prince of Pot', and whose main policy is the legalization of marijuana, or Prime Minister Harper, who has the best job creation record in the G7 since coming to office," said MacKay's communications director, Mary Ann Dewey-Plante.

"While the Liberals like to point to experimental laws in some U.S. states, President Obama opposes legalization – reiterating his opposition even after the recent New York Times editorial," she continued.

"The Liberal Party wants to make smoking marijuana a normal, everyday activity for Canadians. We, on the other hand, want to protect children and teens from the harmful effects of smoking pot on their health and development.”

Meanwhile, the Conservatives may be heartened at the seemingly contradictory results from the 14 focus groups that Ipsos Reid conducted across the country at the same time.

"Most participants said they would like to see the federal government either leave the laws how they are now, or decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana with a fine rather than a criminal record," the polling firm reported.

"There was some support for legalizing marijuana in the B.C. groups, but even in B.C., more participants favoured the status quo or decriminalization."

Outside of B.C., they concluded, "there was very little support for legalization of marijuana."

Both the focus groups and the phone surveys suggest that so-called law-and-order issues simply don't seem to be on the political priority list for most Canadians.

According to the phone poll, 28 per cent of poll respondents wanted to see the government focus on "economy/unemployment/jobs," followed by health care at nine?per cent, and just one per cent citing crime.

"Crime and justice issues barely registered in participants’ top of mind priorities for the federal government," noted the report on the focus groups.

"Even when prompted to name their top of mind crime and justice issue facing Canada, many participants could not think of an issue they would want the federal government to focus on most."

"The top issue was making the justice system more strict (e.g.,?longer sentences, tougher on young offenders) and putting victims of crime first in the justice system," the report concluded.

"Marijuana and prostitution were not mentioned at all."

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Truck collision on Skyway bridge threatens Toronto-bound traffic ahead of busy weekend

CBC News Posted: Jul 31, 2014 4:02 PM ET Last Updated: Jul 31, 2014 5:39 PM ET

The Toronto-bound lanes of the Burlington Skyway are closed and could remain shut down through?the busy Caribbean Carnival weekend after a truck hit some scaffolding on the bridge.

Police, fire and the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) are all responding to the collision, which has closed all Toronto-bound?lanes, said Const. Julia McCuaig. The driver received?minor injuries.

A heavy tow truck is also on scene. Police have no estimate of how long the lanes will be closed. Burlington Mayor Rick?Goldring?has tweeted that the damage may mean the highway is closed for days.?Authorities are also keeping ship traffic out of the canal.

Officers are still investigating how the collision happened, McCuaig said. Traffic is being redirected onto Lakeshore Road, causing a potential backup for this weekend's Caribbean?Carnival?in Toronto.?The Fort Erie-bound lanes are open.

Just after 3:30 p.m., OPP?received a call from a?dump truck driver that the truck had struck scaffolding. The dump truck bed appeared to be?extended, McCuaig said, but it's?not clear if the truck?is part of the?job site there.?The truck compromised the?scaffolding and some debris also fell.?

Workers in the area are safe, and emergency officials are trying to figure out how to get the vehicle out without damaging the scaffolding further.

The province is in the midst of a $20-million construction project on the?Skyway. Workers are on the second phase of applying anti-corrosive coating to the steel, which should be finished by fall 2016.

MTO?is assessing the damage to the bridge.?

Pic of Burlington #Skyway incident with Dump truck. That truck driver better have his license revoked. pic.twitter.com/PG9NBrpzwp

— @vandernate

ALL TORONTO BOUND LANES CLOSED ON QEW AT BURLINGTON SKYWAY pic.twitter.com/YV6yvWlvEO

— @satansux

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Temporary foreign worker agency sues McDonald's Canada

A company that recruits temporary foreign workers on behalf of Canadian employers has filed a lawsuit against McDonald's Canada, alleging?breach of contract and defamation of character.

Graeme Young, the Manitoba lawyer representing Actyl Group Inc., which?has recruited temporary foreign workers for McDonald’s in Western Canada, told CBC News the lawsuit was filed in a Winnipeg court Thursday.

In the company's statement of claim, Actyl alleges?McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Ltd. breached its contract when it failed to pay the agency certain "service fees" for immigration services it provided the franchisees.

Actyl alleges?McDonald's Canada was "unjustly enriched" when it deducted money from the paycheques of its foreign workers and pocketed the deductions instead of paying the recruiting agency directly.

Young told CBC News the services fees are for "certain immigration services that Actyl may provide to employees of McDonald's with respect to the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program, the Provincial Nominee Program, or other work permit, or permanent residency applications."

John Betts, president and chief executive officer of McDonald's Canada, was heard rejecting criticism of his company's use of temporary foreign workers on a conference call with franchisees. (Chris Young/Canadian Press)

Actyl alleges that McDonald's Canada had also agreed to pay the agency "a $500 CDN bonus" for "every successful permanent resident application" that was granted to its foreign workers.

"The defendant failed to remit to the plaintiff timely payroll deductions, deducted from the employee's payroll, and refused or neglected and continues to refuse or neglect to remit those amounts due and owing under the agreement," says Actyl's statement of claim.

Young could not say how much money McDonald's Canada allegedly owes Actyl in unpaid fees, but he told CBC News it's an amount "they could take out of their coffee fund or petty cash."

In response to a request for comment, a?media relations spokesperson for McDonald's Canada referred CBC News directly?to Actyl.?

The spokesperson did not say in their email when McDonald's Canada would file a statement of defence.

None of the allegations have?been proven in court.

Actyl also alleges that comments made by McDonald's Canada CEO John Betts during a conference call with franchisees to?defend?his decision to suspend its use of the program?were intended "to impugn the good character, credit and reputation" of the agency "in a reckless, deliberate and purposeful fashion."

A tape of the conference call was given to CBC News.

McDonald's Canada put its Temporary Foreign Worker Program on hold while a third party conducted an audit on its use of the plan.

That was before the federal government imposed a temporary moratorium?on the fast-food sector's use of the program.

The?moratorium has since been lifted, but new restrictions were imposed when the government overhauled the program in June.

"John Betts made statements of a detrimental nature on a conference call, where it was reasonable to conclude that there was no expectation of privacy," the statement of claim said.

CBC's Go Public team aired a portion of the?teleconference call,?during which?Betts also referred to news coverage of McDonald's use of temporary foreign workers as "bullshit."

Young told CBC News his client was not on the conference call with Betts and the franchisees.

Actyl alleges "the comments attributed" to the CEO for McDonald's Canada "were meant to mean and were understood to mean that the plaintiff was not a reputable business, that it did not have sufficient safeguards in place, that it took advantage of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program for its own material benefit."

"The defamatory words expressed by the defendant and its unlawful defamatory and disparaging conduct caused irreparable harm to the plaintiff's credit, character and reputation amongst the Plaintiff's business partners domestic and foreign."

Young said that as a result,?his client was forced to close its regional office and scale back on?employees.

He added that Actyl still has Labour Market Opinions, now called Labour Market Impact Assessments, pending for foreign workers it recruited for McDonald's Canada.

These are the forms employers must fill out to prove the need to hire a foreign worker over a Canadian.

In April, CBC News reported that foreign workers from Belize hired by Actyl?claimed the agency made them several promises it did not keep.

Linda West, Actyl's president, later issued a press release rejecting the allegations.

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P.K. Subban 'very, very, very' likely to stay with Habs, he says

CBC News Posted: Jul 31, 2014 11:13 AM ET Last Updated: Jul 31, 2014 4:06 PM ET

The fate of P.K. Subban has been the talk of Montreal for weeks now, but the Canadiens' star defenceman has remained?tight-lipped as negotiations continue over his contract.

Subban is scheduled to go to arbitration on Friday unless he can ink a new deal with the club before then.

The 2013 Norris Trophy winner is asking for $8.5 million for one year, according to Hockey Night in Canada's Elliotte Friedman.

Subban?took a break from the?salary speculation today to take fan questions on CBC Montreal's Radio Noon.?

Here a five of the best ones:

Q: Who do you like playing against the least and the most in the NHL?

A: That’s a very good question.… You know what??I enjoy playing in Toronto. It’s my hometown and I always have a lot of family and friends there.

Where do I not like to play? I don’t think there’s a place in the league that I don’t like to play. I enjoy going into everybody’s building and I enjoy winning in everybody’s building. I try and take that positive approach when I go on the road.

Q: Aside from being with the?Habs, what do you like about living in Montreal?

A: The culture, the city, the way people embrace each other. I think Montreal is such a friendly place to be, but it’s very European. I like that European style. I like their lifestyle here. It’s a fun lifestyle to be a part of and to live and I think they live life the right way. I’ve been here for four years. I’ve been coming to Montreal for the past seven years and it’s definitely one of my favourite cities to be in.

Q: If you could play with any defenceman from any era, who would it be?

Definitely Bobby Orr. Statistically and probably favourite as the best defenceman of all time. I figure that I’d be able to win a lot of Stanley Cups if I was able to play with him.

Q: Who on the Habs has the best nickname?

A: I like Carey (Cash)?Price. Nobody calls him that but me. Carey (Cash?Money)?Price, CP, CPizzle.?His last name is Price, so anything to do with money, I just flow it into his nickname. I’ve got many other nicknames for him as well, but I probably shouldn’t say them on air.

Most of the guys call me Sizzle. I’d like them to call me?Subbanator, but they don’t. The only person that calls me Subbanator or Subbatron is Colby Armstrong, but he’s not on our team anymore. But most of the guys on our team call me Sizzle.

Q: Could you give a percentage chance that you think you’ll be back with the Montreal Canadiens next season?

I would say that there is a?very, very, very good chance that I’ll be back. It’s a place that I want to play and I think I’ve made that pretty clear, so I have no reason to believe that a deal won’t get done and I’ll be back with the Montreal Canadiens.?

Mobile users: Listen to the full interview here

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First Nations must post chiefs' salaries online under Transparency Act

The vast majority of First Nations chiefs and band councils have yet to?post their financial statements online under new transparency rules passed by the federal government last year.

Under the First Nations Financial Transparency Act,?First Nations leaders have?120 days after the first quarter — so, by end of day Tuesday?— to make public?their audited financial statements for the last fiscal year, including the salaries and expenses of their chiefs and councillors.

As of Monday night, on the eve of the deadline, the government confirmed that 20?First Nations out of more than 600 had their financial statements posted on the government's web site.

First Nations already have to produce their financial statements as part of their funding agreements with the federal government, but this is the first time they are being asked to post?the information online.

First Nations without a website can ask larger?First Nations organizations to post their financial statements for them.

Under the new rules, the minister in charge must also publish the documents on the department's website.?

First Nations who refuse to comply could be subject to a court order or?see funds withheld from them.

Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard?Valcourt?reminded First Nations of the new rules?in a written statement last Friday.

"First Nations, like all Canadians, deserve transparency and accountability from their elected officials," he said.

"With increased access to basic financial information, community members can make more informed decisions about the financial management and reporting of their elected officials."

"First Nations that have yet to submit their audited consolidated financial statements and schedules of remuneration and expenses for chiefs and councillors are encouraged to submit the documents as soon as possible. My department will continue to post as the documents are received,"?Valcourt?said.

Assembly of First Nations?National Chief?Ghislain?Picard?said First Nations are supportive of accountability and transparency, but the AFN does not support the act because?it?calls for disclosure of information "above and beyond that of other governments."

The legislation "in no way addresses calls by First Nations for reciprocal accountability,?that the government demonstrate its accountability to First Nations including spending and outcomes related to First Nations, as called for in many reports by auditors general over the years," Picard said in a written statement.

The government has said all along it was First Nations members who approached Ottawa asking for greater transparency "as a result of difficulty obtaining financial information from their elected local officials."

Although there may be a delay between the time First Nations submit their documents to the government and the time they are posted online, the Department of Aboriginal Affairs has committed to publishing them "without delay."

This story has been updated to make it clear that the 20 First Nations that have posted statements online as of Monday refers to the number posted to the government's website.

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