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When it comes to writing something of an intimate nature, the instrument of choice for Toni Onley is the fountain pen. An elegant fountain pen is more than a tool; it's functional art. "A fountain pen is the champagne of writing instruments," says Robert Culmer, owner of Montreal's Peel Pen Shop, the oldest specialty shop selling writing instruments in Canada. If you're hunting for a distinctive pen, then the pinnacle of the Montblanc collection is the Solitaire Royal Le Grand fountain pen, which is covered in 4,810 diamonds from tip to cap. If you're into gems, you may prefer a pen from Montblanc's Bohème series which, at $1,100 features a synthetic amethyst on the clip and a retractable nib. Within several months of regular writing, the nib will actually mold itself to your writing style--which is why you should never lend your fountain pen. An important improvement was made to fountain pens by Lewis Edson Waterman, a New York insurance salesman, who devised a feed regulator that allowed air into the ink reservoir as the ink flowed out, reducing blotching and skipping.

Focuses on Montreal, Quebec brothers Glenn and Greg Chamandy, who founded Gildan Activewear Inc., and were recognized as Entrepreneur of the Year, 2000 in Canada. Background on their T-shirt company; Details of stock prices and sales figures; Description of their business model and how they competed with rival companies.

Focuses on C-MAC Industries Inc., a multinational electronics manufacturer headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. Expected sales for 2000; Nortel Networks Corp.'s reliance on C-MAC for the design and engineering of new products; How Chairman Dennis Wood started the company.

The US Department of Justice's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) compares bullets and cartridge cases recovered at a crime scene using its National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, a collection of law enforcement agencies that compares crime scene evidence and connects seemingly unrelated cases. Illinois State Police, for example, were able to solve a cold shooting case in January after they arrested a 17-year-old who had a .25-calibre handgun that matched the markings on a bullet removed from the back of a woman's head two years ago. The ATF's system is powered by software and robotics hardware created by a Montreal company called Forensic Technology Inc., which was founded by Robert Walsh. The bureau is so impressed with the company's Integrated Ballistics Identification System (IBIS), that in May it signed a one-year deal with options that could be worth up to $130 million by 2008. At a list price of US $125,000, Walsh hopes the Brasstrax system for smaller towns and rural areas will interest more of the 20,000 or so law enforcement agencies across the US.

The US$1.4-billion fine US regulators levied on major brokers last December for tainted research obviously wasn't enough. Burned investors want skin for their money, and big sell-side brokers face a flurry of lawsuits--up to 150 in the case of Merrill Lynch alone. What a great time, then, to be an independent equity research analyst. The competition has melted down and investors are desperate for new voices and new research. One name getting noticed is François Parenteau, CEO of Parenteau Corp. Inc., a Montreal-based analyst who was recently named the top independent equity analyst by Investars.com, an online rating service, and by 'BusinessWeek' magazine. Although Parenteau will make aggressive long and short calls on large caps--in Canada, he's recommending Bombardier, a matter of 'seeing past the crisis,' as he puts it--he searches around the edges of the economy for his research targets. Parenteau also has a buy on First Cash Financial Services Inc., a US string of 190 pawnshops and cheque-cashing facilities that boasts revenues in excess of market cap and earnings growth at a compounded rate of 19% over the past five years.

Reports on the Écoles des Hautes Études Commerciales Business School in Montreal, Canada. Bilingual M.B.A. program that is offered; Ranking by 'Canadian Business' magazine; Age and experience of average student.