Remember Paul Anka?

Remember Paul Anka? In the ’50s and ’60s, he was the Canadian Elvis Presley and many thought that he was an American kid. Now in his ’60s, Ottawa-born Paul is very much alive, healthy, looking well, still doing showbiz but in moderation. He’s tipped to get the Order of Canada.

When asked how he survived and enjoying longevity while his teen-idol peers are now all dead, here’s his reply:

"Canada had a great deal to do with the stability and foundation to cope with showbusiness and the success I’ve had. The Canadian environment is conducive to being as normal to center as you can get. My upbringing taught me patience. My saving grace was my Canadian roots. I’ve passed 60 and am in good shape but I don’t act 16. I take care of that temple. I do believe everything in moderation, including moderation."

Anka has one wife, five daughters and two grandchildren. He performs onstage 35 weeks a year. In case you’ve never heard of Paul Anka, check-out the old hits such as Diana, Lonely Boy, Put Your Head on My Shoulder and the song he wrote for Frank Sinatra called My Way.

Thinking of Paul Anka brought back nostalgic memories of listening to the radio. Radio was once the media king in British Columbia for news and music. People here do a lot of driving and sitting around, sipping steamy, hot coffee but newer technology diverted the listeners’ interests to countless alternatives.

According to statistics Canada, the province’s residents listened to less radio than anywhere else in Canada during 2000, with seniors the most frequent listeners and teenagers the least interested. The average hours spent listening to the radio each week in the two diverse provinces at either extreme: British Columbia is 18.4 while Quebec is 22.4.

In year 2001, the average Canadian woman bears 1.5 children. The figure has fallen from 1.6 over five years. American women in comparison maintain a replacement birth ratio of above two children each. With the current trend, Canada’s native population will decline by about one-third every generation. Many wonder why there’s this unwillingness to have children. Canadian specialists point to one key social factor–Trust. In a traditional, old-fashioned rural society, children will not be an economic burden to a woman. Today, it will be a burden and disposable income will be greatly reduced. In recent years, trust has also been eroding on the male side of the marital equation.

New studies and public opinion indicate that Canadians are now proud of their national identity and that Canadians are not so bothered to brag about how low key and modest they are. The identity per pollsters underwent a remarkable transformation in the 1990s.

Today, there are more Canadians who are unashamed, cosmopolitan and confident about the country’s future and their distinctness from Americans. There’s also no contradiction between embracing the global market and their commitment to social programs. Many believe that modern-thinking Canadians can reconcile the pressures for competitiveness, innovation, efficiency and globalization with the old sharing and caring Canadian way.

Unlike most Americans, Canadians still prize traditional Canadian values of diversity, tolerance and fairness. Canadians generally think that their country is better off and more productive than it used to be and believe social programs boost productivity by creating a more healthy and educated workforce.

The United Nations recently chose Vancouver to host a major international conference on urban issues in 2006. The World Urban Forum will host delegates from over 100 countries which takes place every two years. The event will showcase Vancouver as a model for sustainable urban development which hopefully will boost B.C.’s bid for the 2010 Olympics.

The Forum’s objectives is to facilitate the exchange of experiences and the advancement of collective knowledge among cities and their developing partners. The delegates will be requested to share strategies to deal with urban issues such as social housing, management of the HIV-AIDS pandemic and the development of "cities without slums."