New TV Series "Soleil Noir"

A new series of podcasts has just been released by the Radio Télévision Suisse, RTS,  (together with Radio Canada) entitled “Soleil noir”. It deals with the Order of the Solar Temple a secret society and religious movement that became notorious between 1994 and 1997 when a total of 74 people were found dead both in the Romandie and in Quebec. [article and podcast in French] https://www.rts.ch/info/suisse/2024/article/le-podcast-soleil-noir-une-autopsie-de-la-secte-de-l-ordre-du-temple-solaire-28642305.html

10 Safest Countries to Visit

At HolidayCheck.de both Switzerland and Canada are listed among the top 10 “safest countries” to visit. Switzerland sits at # 3 and is lauded for its neutrality, its stable government and efficient legal system. The Swiss themselves feel very safe in their country. Canada is listed as the 8th safest place to travel to; the political situation and the country’s friendly people are mentioned as positive aspects. The article does advise tourists to be on the lookout for muggings, though. [in German] https://www.holidaycheck.de/magazin/urlaubstipps/sicherste-laender
In another ranking by “US News and World Report”, Switzerland is ranked as the third highest country for “Quality of Life” with Canada coming in at # 5 in the same ranking. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/rankings/quality-of-life

Swiss Investment in Port Colborne

A big investment (CAD 200 million) is being injected into the Port Colborne, ON, economy by Swiss producer of biodegradable ingredients, Jungbunzlauer. The first-of-its-kind biogum facility in Port Colborne will produce xantham gum, an agent for culinary, cosmetic and pharmaceutical uses. The project is also supported by the Invest Ontario Fund. https://canada.constructconnect.com/dcn/news/projects/2024/09/swiss-agribusiness-f-irm-announces-200m-port-colborne-expansion

Production Start New Movie About the Tragic Swissair Flight 111

Production hast started a for a new movie about the tragic crash of Swissair flight 111 (Washington DC – Zurich), the film will be called “111”. The flight had gone down off the coast of Nova Scotia on September 2, 1998. Filming is being done on location in Nova Scotia through the end of October and on location in an around Zurich. Various Swiss and Canadian production partners are involved in the project. [in German] https://medien.srf.ch/-/drehstart-der-srf-kino-koproduktion-111-?redirect

How do residents in Switzerland and Canada feel about cost of living?

The Luzerner Zeitung has published an article about living costs across the industrialized world  (based on a Gallup poll that included 38,000 people in 38 countries). Residents in Switzerland get away relatively unscathed as “only” 36% of the respondents were unhappy with their living cost situation. The overall average was over 50%. The increase in rent and real estate prices has been relatively flat, comparatively speaking. In Canada 70% of the respondents indicated that their cost of living was too high (rents here have increased by 30% since 2015 and real estate prices by 40% in the same time span). [in German] https://www.luzernerzeitung.ch/wirtschaft/immobilien-sorgen-um-wohnkosten-sind-global-rekordhoch-ist-es-in-der-schweiz-nur-halb-so-schlimm-ld.2664559

Read the story of the Schildknecht family from St. Gallen who followed their dream to become bush pilots. As a young couple from the north-eastern part of Switzerland Marianne and Urs ended up in north-western Canada after some stops in Florida and London, ON. After spending some time in the Northwest Territories they settled in northern BC, on the Alaska Highway, where they now run a successful year-round lodge by Muncho Lake.   [in German] 

Switzerland Considering Canadian Immigration Point System

The merits of the Canadian points system used to determine a noncitizen's eligibility to immigrate to Canada are being discussed in Switzerland. Would-be immigrants to Canada are given a points score based largely on skills and education – if the point-requirement is met (67 of 100 points needed) the applicant may come to Canada. A majority of Swiss (65%) would welcome such a system in Switzerland as well, according to a recent poll. Politically speaking the parties are somewhat split over whether the Canadian system would work in Switzerland or not. Read about it here in article from the Blick. [in German] https://www.blick.ch/politik/schweizer-wollen-kanadisches-modell-punktesystem-bei-der-zuwanderung-kann-das-bei-uns-funktionieren-id20125277.html

William Tell at TIFF

The movie “William Tell” was premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and you can read a review at the link below. The production features some big name stars such as Ben Kingsley and Jonathan Pryce and it re-tells the legend of William Tell’s uprising against the Habsburgs in the early 1300s in Uri. https://ca.news.yahoo.com/william-tell-review-claes-bang-000000103.html

Contrast in Sentiment on Safe Injection Sites

The sentiment on safe injection sites is heading in opposite directions in Canada and in Switzerland. Many of the safe injection sites in Canada are in the process of being shut down; the feeling across the country is that these sites have not really worked and occurrences of violence in proximity of the sites has led to an exacerbation of the problem. In Switzerland, on the other hand, new such sites are being opened, e.g. in Lausanne and in Fribourg. [in French] https://www.letemps.ch/societe/alors-que-la-suisse-ouvre-des-salles-de-shoot-le-canada-les-remet-en-cause â