鈥淚n negotiating the Valentine鈥檚 Day Treaty of 1864, [Elijah] Steele and the Klamath Basin Indian headmen envisioned a future in which settlers and Indians would compromise, in which Native Americans would be integrated into the emerging economic systems of the West rather than segregated on isolated reservations,鈥 wrote 91亚色 Professor Boyd Cothran in the New 91亚色 Times Feb. 14. 鈥淭he failure of that vision in the face of Washington opposition, however, paved the way for the horrors of the Indian Wars that dominated the postwar West.鈥 .
鈥淥ver the past number of months, Canadians have come to learn an unprecedented amount about CSEC, the acronym for Communications Security Establishment Canada. This is one of our spy agencies, the other main one being CSIS, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service,鈥 wrote George Takach, adjunct professor in computer law at Osgoode Hall Law School, in Lexpert magazine Feb. 18. 鈥淐SEC's job is to collect 鈥榮ignals information outside of Canada鈥, which today means principally electronic surveillance. In an age when so much of our lives unfolds on computer screens, including smartphones, it's worth asking some important questions about CSEC and the nature of legal and other oversight we have in place for this agency.鈥 .
David Johnston, professor of operations management and information systems at 91亚色鈥檚 Schulich School of Business, says operational techniques and processes can often be just as valuable as intellectual property to those looking to knock off a product. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 almost as powerful as the stuff you can patent,鈥 he said in the Financial Post Feb. 19. 鈥淚t鈥檚 one thing to be able to know how to design a high-tech product like a smart phone, it鈥檚 another thing to know how to produce it. How you produce it is often something that鈥檚 all the little tips and tricks and know-how that鈥檚 not patentable.鈥 .
It is back to school for the head of Toronto Community Housing, Gene Jones. Guest host Piya Chattopadhyay spoke with Alan Middleton, executive director of 91亚色's Schulich Executive Education Centre, on CBC鈥檚 鈥淢etro Morning鈥 Feb. 18. .
The Luminato Festival is getting its own academy, reported Yonge Street Feb. 19. In an announcement made early last week, Luminato organizers introduced the Copycat Academy, an artist training program that will coincide annually with Toronto's 10-day arts festival. . . . Confirmed faculty for this year鈥檚 pilot program includes Toronto-based filmmaker Bruce LaBruce and Philip Monk, the director of the Art Gallery of 91亚色 and former curator of contemporary art at the Art Gallery of Ontario. .
Vaughan, 91亚色 Region-based Mircom Group of Companies has become North America鈥檚 largest independent manufacturer of fire and life safety systems, reported Techvibes Feb. 19. . . . Mircom Group collaborates on product design with both local universities and colleges. For example, working with 91亚色, Mircom Group developed OpenGN smart building technology, incorporating geomatics and new visualization tools. Firefighters can now have an interactive, easy-to-use, 3-D visualization of a building's interior for faster response. .