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Examines Alberta's shiny new paper mills which are expected to cash in when prices for pulp and paper rebound next year. Shipments of pulp and paper component down; Alberta Newsprint Co. of Whitecourt breaking even by deferring depreciation costs; Campaign of then-Premier Donald Getty to lure international investors to Alberta's largely unallocated forests; Cost to taxpayers; The long-term.

Looks at the deal between paper companies Grande Alberta Paper Ltd. (GAP) and Manning Diversified Forest Products Ltd. (MDFP), over a supply of timber from northern Alberta. Each company's concern of bankruptcy, if it did not get the lumber; The compromise, which was supported by the government.

Informs that paper company Millar Western is buying back the 60 percent of its paper mill in Whitecourt, Canada that the Canadian government owns. The sale being for much less than the government spent for the mill; The number of jobs created by the mill; Details of the government's relationship with the mill; Other government-industry partnerships in Canada. INSET: Who's next?..

Comments on a report released in October 1995 by green-leaning scientists that warned that Alberta (Canada) is running out of trees and no new forestry projects should be launched. Recommendations in the report; Grande Alberta Paper Ltd.'s proposed project; The views of Environmental Protection Minister Ty Lund; Comment by Liberal forestry critic Nick Taylor. INSET: Log-nappers beware (illegal logging and smuggling), by G.K..

Discusses how Canada's Alberta pulp mills want to streamline the enviro-reporting system. Proposal to merge data collection for Environment Canada and Alberta Environment; Each has different reporting forms and different data; New Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act doesn't address duplication problem.

Reports on the upcoming opening of the Dead Sea Scrolls Institute at Trinity Western University in British Columbia. Programs that the institute will offer; Comment on the Bible as history; The graduate program in biblical studies; Description of the scrolls; The Great Isaiah Scroll; The `Jesus Seminar'; More. INSET: High-tech tools of the trade, by J.W..

Discusses the current status of the Grande Alberta Paper (GAP) mill. Actions of former premier Don Getty; Moves by Finance Minister Paul Martin; Cost considerations related to the GAP; Role of the Alberta Forests Products Association.

Mentions Canmore, Albertan Cyndi Foster's use of animal dung in her handmade papers. Colors and textures of Poop Paper; Her comments about using herbivore dung; Public reaction to the paper.

Focuses on the corruption and lack of accountability of officers in the Canada's officer corps. Efforts of Dave Krayden, former public affairs officer at a British Columbia military base, to get the military reformed; Scandals within the Department of National Defence at National Defence Headquarters; The issues of political correctness and quotas for women in the military; Allegation of cover-ups in the Somalia and Croatia inquiries.

States that Toronto, Ontario-based newspapers are descending into British-style sex and sleaze. The need for increased circulation and subscription; The hostile takeover bid of Torstar Corp. for the Sun Media Corp.; View of Chris Dornan, director of the School of Journalism and Communication at Carleton University in Ottawa, on the viability of the Canadian Press wire service; Suggestion that Southam Inc.'s `National Post' is doing well on the newsstand; Mention of Conrad Black, majority owner of Southam Inc.

Reports on the litigation of Esther Neuman for violations of the Alberta Animal Pedigree Act. Alleged failure to provide customers with pedigree papers of poodles; Fines to be charged upon conviction; History of Neuman's breeding operation.

Probes allegations that documents exist authorizing the Canadian National Archives to buy former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney's letters, memos and notes for $1.3 million. Frenzied hunt for the alleged documents; Denial from government officials of an agreement to buy the Mulroney papers; Report by Arthur Drache, publisher of `Canadian Taxpayer'; His comments on the story.

Looks at the assertion by University of Ottawa criminologist Julian Roberts that hate crime is rampant in Canada. Roberts' figure of 60,000 hate crimes per year, of which two-thirds go unreported to police; Other work on hate crimes that Roberts has undertaken for federal Justice Minister Allan Rock; Criticism of Roberts' statistical methods.

Surveys the Alberta Stock Exchange, which has doubled in activity over the past year, trading now exceeding $50 million a week. Hottest story in surging junior oil and gas sector; Activity not going unnoticed in Montreal and Toronto; Province's juniors' need for capital.

Mentions Albertans Adam McKay, Abraham David, and Jason Ewert. How they helped the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology School of Business win a first-place spot in the Green line Investment Challenge, a Canadian competition for finance students; Comment of instructor Pat Latham.

Addresses the problem of too many developmental activities and not enough focus on the basic skills and learning in Canadian public schools. Examples of time-wasting activities; Main causes of classroom busy-work; Inadequate teacher training; Changes in classroom curriculum; Comments by British government's chief inspector of schools, Chris Woodhead.

Opinion. Investigates the failure of daily newspapers in Canada to take the forefront in news gathering and agenda setting. Possible causes for the poor performance of newspapers, including the rise of the electronic media and the focus on journalistic objectivity; Reference to a story related in the book `Alberta Was My Beat: Memoirs of a Western Newspaperman,' by Fred Kennedy.

Reports on the decision by Alberta's Environmental Protection Minister Ty Lund to allow competitive bidding in the province's forest products industry. Conditions set for Alberta Newsprint Co.'s operations before the company can avail of cheap access to timber reserves; Mistakes detected in the province's support of the company; Options left for the company to expand its operations.

Provides information on former Alberta Premier Ernest Charles Manning, who led the province more by example than by decree for 25 years. Papers released from Alberta provincial archives; Manning papers an open challenge to common fallacy that religious politicians are intrusive busybodies; Manning's Christianity smoothed the rough edges of ruling Social Credit party; His concern with the Quiet Revolution in Quebec; Economy of leadership. INSET: Small was beautiful, by C.S..

Examines the debate in Canada in late 1997 over the status of Indians. How the rejection of the 1969 White Paper on Indian Policy has impacted the lives of Indians; The role of the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development; Social conditions which Indians live under; Allegations against Indian leaders of corruption from their people; Challenges to the race-based ghettoization. INSET: Privatization and the American experience..