Researchers have discovered North America's smallest known dinosaur - a meat-eating creature about the size of a modern chicken.
Known as Hesperonychus, the dinosaur lived 75 million years ago in what is today Alberta, Canada. Experts say the fully grown creature lived in swamps and forests, ran on two legs and was covered in feathers, like a modern chicken.
Paleontologists say the meat-eating Hersperonychus probably had a diet that included insects, small mammals and whatever else it could find, including baby dinosaurs.
Paleontologists say Hesperonychus, which weighed about 2.2 kilograms and was knee-high, was a small version of Velociraptor, a vicious carnivore that also stood on two legs and had a sharp front claw for slashing prey. 
Nicholas Longrich of the University of Calgary helped discover Hesperonychus, whose name means "Western Claw."
The bones were found years ago and placed in a museum drawer because it was thought they were from juveniles, but Longrich says scientists recently made a discovery.
"... because the hip bones were actually completely fused together," said Nicholas Longrich. "They were completely knitted together; the individual bones. And that is the type of thing that only happens when the animal stops growing. And when we found those, we said 'Okay. This is not a juvenile of something bigger."
Longrich says scientists had found evidence of large and medium size dinosaurs in North America, but nothing this small. Small dinosaurs about the size of Hesperonychus have been found in China, so Longrich felt it was odd that nothing had been found here.
Longrich thinks there are many smaller, meat-eating dinosaurs like Hesperonychus waiting to be found because larger dinosaurs could not devour all of them.
"Something this size, if it ran into a small tyrannosaur, would have been a nice snack," he said. "So, that definitely would have been an issue for an animal of this size. And presumably they just grew fast enough that they were able to keep producing more animals. And that was probably one of their major strategies - sheer numbers. The tyrannosaurus could not eat them all."
News of the discovery of Hesperonychus was published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Canada's Economic Action Plan supports key tourism and heritage infrastructure in Quebec


The Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of the Environment and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced today that the Government of Canada will finalize plans to revitalize the Cartier-Brebeuf park and to restore Maillou House in the heart of the historic district of Old-Quebec. The announcement is part of Canada's Economic Action Plan.
"Canada's Economic Action Plan is our government's plan to stimulate our economy during the global recession," said Minister Prentice. "Investing in Cartier-Brebeuf park and Maillou House will not only help preserve and improve these National Historic Sites of Canada. It will also support tourism in Quebec City and help stimulate the local economy."
Each of these projects will receive $1.5 million in support from the federal government.
The Cartier-Brebeuf National Historic Site will be fully landscaped as part of the renaturalization of Lairet River. The work includes a visitor's booth with an interpretative component, street furniture and a paved bicycle path. In total, the project, which began in 2008, will have received a total of $4.0 million dollars from the Government of Canada after this final phase is completed.
"This project is a priority for people in my riding. I am proud to support this initiative, which will give visitors and residents a magnificent, completely renovated park. Through this investment, the Cartier-Brebeuf National Historic Site of Canada can return to its vocation as a lively meeting place," MP Sylvie Boucher enthusiastically pointed out.
The project to renovate the Maillou House National Historic Site of Canada will help preserve this irreplaceable cultural resource. The work to be done will include restoring the roof, doors and windows, and masonry. As a result, this prestigious 300-year-old dwelling will continue to be a major architectural element in the heart of the historic district of Old-Quebec.
These sites are part of the Parks Canada network of national parks and national historic sites in Quebec, which provide visitors with exceptional heritage experiences.

Cartier-Brebeuf National Historic Site of Canada
The Cartier-Brebeuf National Historic Site of Canada commemorates the winter spent by Jacques Cartier and his companions in 1535-1536, near the Iroquois village of Stadacona. It also pays tribute to the establishment in 1625-1626 of the first Jesuit mission in Quebec.

Maillou House National Historic Site of Canada
Built in 1736 by Jean-Baptiste Maillou, this prestigious home is recognized as having national historical significance because of its historic and architectural value, taking into consideration that it is an example of French architecture, that well-known figures lived there and that it records a military presence in Quebec City. Part of the Fortifications of Quebec National Historic Site, the house was given classified building status by the Federal Heritage Building Review Office in 1990.
Also available on the Internet at www.pc.gc.ca under Media room.
QUEBEC CITY, QUEBEC -- (Marketwire) -- 03/18/09 --

Globe and Mail

The Globe and Mail is reporting that Canada is close to accepting three Uyghur men who have been held at Guantanamo Bay for seven years despite being cleared of any wrongdoing by the United States. The three Uyghurs - members of a Muslim minority from northwestern China - are among six Guantanamo detainees who have recently applied for resettlement in Canada.

Globe and Mail

Writing in Toronto's Globe and Mail, John Ibbitson bemoans Canada's failing foreign policy establishment. "President Barack Obama arrives on the world stage armed with new approaches to global diplomacy, the environment and, it appears, trade. Never has Canada been less equipped to respond to the American challenge.
A succession of minority governments has left our foreign policy in a shambles and our foreign service paralyzed. On trade, on global warming, on peace in the Middle East, on the emerging Third World powers - on anything that matters, Canada has nothing to say. When we do speak, nobody listens."

Barack Obama is heading north, to Canada, for his first international trip as President.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Wednesday Mr. Obama will meet with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper during the trip on February 19.
The spokesman said the health of each economy and the global economy will be a large part of the agenda. He said trade will also likely be discussed.
In other news, the spokesman said Mr. Obama has called South African President Kgalema Motlanthe - the latest in a series of world leaders that Mr. Obama has talked with since taking office January 20.