Jack Layton will be laid to rest today. Though I didn't always agree with his politics, I will always be thankful for his dedication to the issues that mattered most: social justice, equal rights, poverty elimination, clean/renewable energy, universal health care, global co-operation and the advancement of peace.

Perhaps the following quote from Embassy Mag best sums it up:

"Folks, this is gonna be a thing." ~ Sun TV host Theo Caldwell

Sun News Network, a channel brought to by its own sense of self importance, is the epitome of pseudo-journalism, comprised of (self professed) semi-literate on-air personalities with the collective intellectual curiosity of Sarah Palin.

Irresponsible at best, the inherent lack of journalistic integrity is an insult not only to the many well-established, credible, hard working news organizations across the country, but to Canadians who've come to expect both accuracy, and honesty, in reporting.

The current election campaign has seen an unprecedented number of candidates -- primarily Conservatives -- opting out of all-candidate forums, town hall events, and scheduled debates.

If a candidate cannot be bothered to address constituents during the campaign, they do not deserve your vote, period.

I've compiled a list of those who have, thus far, refused to partake in such unscripted events. If your local candidate should be on this list, please leave their name, party and riding in the comments section.

Alberta

-  Deepak Obhrai (CPC) - Calgary East

-  Rob Anders (CPC) -Calgary West

-  Michelle Rempel (CPC) - Calgary Centre-North

In December 2007, at the height of Calgary’s housing crunch, a report emerged from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation that confirmed what many had long suspected -- the cost of renting a two bedroom apartment in Calgary eclipsed that of all major Canadian cities, marking the first time since the CMHC started tracking the data that Calgary tenants paid more than their counterparts in Toronto and Vancouver.

What’s more, the cost of that two bedroom apartment had grown by 83 per cent over the span of a decade, from the $595 paid on average in 1996, to the $1, 089 required to rent an equivalent unit in 2007.