What’s new: In brief (January 31, 2007)

Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is bringing its Emergency Ice and Cold Water Rescue demonstration to four Alberta cities this winter as part of a 10 city tour. The industry wants hockey players, skaters, snowmobilers and outdoor enthusiasts to know the cold, hard facts about ice safety, and to be aware of ice rescue tips that could save their lives.
A spokesperson for Canada’s home, car and business insurers’ Be Smart BeSafe injury prevention program, John Blaicher (a.k.a. “The Iceman”) will plunge into freezing water to demonstrate self-rescue techniques and provide tips for assisting others who have fallen through the ice. Anyone who falls through ice has approximately 10 minutes of self-rescue time to get out or they may not survive. John will explain how to lessen the risk of an incident, and explain the best safety equipment to have when you’re travelling over ice.

Desjardins Group, recently announced a $2 million donation to Concordia University’s John Molson School of Business (JMSB) today.
The announcement was made at a reception attended by Concordia President Claude Lajeunesse and Alban D’Amours, President & CEO of Desjardins Group.
These funds will provide students with scholarships and bursaries and establish the Desjardins Centre for Innovation in Business Finance. This research centre, unique to Quebec, will study how companies finance themselves, including the role financial institutions may play in this financing.
An auditorium in the new JMSB building will also bear the name of Desjardins Group’s founder Alphonse Desjardins.
“Desjardins’ donation will go toward the establishment of an endowment fund, the annual return of which will ensure the fulfillment of the mission and objectives of the Desjardins Centre for Innovation in Business Finance. As we all know, corporate financing is at the centre of the economic challenges that we will be facing in the coming years and decades,” said D’Amours. “Furthermore, the support we are granting Concordia University bears testimony to our motivation to enhance Desjardins’ presence in Greater Montral and work more intensely to encourage the inclusion of members from non-French-speaking communities in our Group.”