Village Gamer

Are you a ‘Cameo’-style volunteer, who wants occasional, flexible opportunities to develop your skills?  Or are you a ‘Type A’, a highly motivated leader, driven to contribute to a cause that means the most to you?

Volunteer Canada, together with Manulife Financial, is introducing a new digital tool that categorizes Canadians into six distinct volunteer types and recommends available roles suited to their volunteer profiles and specific interests. The Volunteer Quiz, or VQ, is the latest addition to a suite of digital assets that is part of a national two-year campaign. This national campaign is aimed at enriching the volunteer experience of Canadians and strengthening the country’s voluntary sector in order to build and sustain healthy communities.

According to the landmark Bridging the Gap research study, led by Volunteer Canada in partnership with Manulife, technology is creating an opportunity to address a disconnect between what Canadians look for in volunteer experiences and what organizations offer.

“Today’s volunteers are more goal-oriented, autonomous, tech-savvy, and mobile,” said Ruth MacKenzie, President and CEO of Volunteer Canada. “It’s essential that organizations recognize the changes that technology brings and adapt to meet the needs of the next generation of volunteers.”

Rookie, Roving Consultant, Type ‘A’, Groupie, Juggler, and Cameo are the six volunteer types identified by the VQ, and are based on the Bridging the Gap research findings. The VQ is the first online tool in Canada to provide volunteer opportunities best suited to the individual’s profile. The ‘Groupie’, for example, enjoys the camaraderie of group volunteering activities, and is best suited to large organizations with short-term or one-day volunteer activities, while the ‘Roving Consultant’ is better suited to work on specific short-term projects with real need for a specialized skill set.

“All Canadians have a role to play along a broad spectrum of engagement – everything from quick bursts of volunteering on mobile handsets to front-line volunteer aid in war-torn regions of the world,” said MacKenzie. “The VQ can help boost volunteer engagement, but it’s essential to maintain a balance between episodic and long-term volunteering.”

“As the leading corporate supporter of this campaign, Manulife is committed to building tools and resources that inspire Canadians to get involved in their communities and help the not-for-profit sector respond to the unique needs of today’s volunteers,” said Nicole Boivin, Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Communications at Manulife Canada.  “The VQ is an interactive tool that helps people identify their unique volunteer style, which in turn allows them to focus their search on experiences that they’re likely to find most rewarding.”

Canadians can access the VQ as a feature on the interactive campaign website. The resource connects individuals to suitable volunteer opportunities made available through a powerful volunteer matching tool, sponsored by Manulife Financial.

Reminder: You have one more day to get your vote counted for the Canadian Video Game Awards Game of the Year. Note: Use of Facebook Connect is required to vote.

Canada Post has introduced its new mobile applications that enable Canadians to create their own postage stamps while on the go. The new applications are available in iPhone, iPad, iPod, Android^™ and BlackBerry formats and can be downloaded for free. These new applications join the growing suite of mobile apps now offered by Canada Post.

“This is a unique and creative way to capture special moments in one’s life – whether it’s to mark an occasion like a wedding, celebrate a loved one or commemorate a pet – and share it with friends and family,” says Mary Traversy, Senior Vice President, Transaction Mail at Canada Post.

Picture Postage^™ can be used the same way as any other stamp. The stamps are valued at the current domestic rate. This means that one Picture Postage^™ stamp gets any standard-size envelope (up to 30 grams) delivered anywhere in Canada.

Each photograph submitted will be transformed into a sheet of 20 self-adhesive, domestic rate stamps with a souvenir picture enlargement for $27.95 or a full sheet of 40 stamps for $44.75.

Reminder: You have one more day to get your vote counted for the Canadian Video Game Awards Game of the Year. Note: Use of Facebook Connect is required to vote.

On May 2, 2011, the Ontario court approved settlements in a copyright class action involving freelance writers who wrote for Canadian publications. The settlement funds total C$7.9 million. The freelance writers are represented by Heather Robertson, a freelance author, and by Koskie Minsky LLP, a leading Canadian class action law firm.

The case involved allegations that the defendants infringed the copyright of freelance writers who wrote articles and other literary works that were published by Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd., Rogers Publishing Limited, Canwest Publishing Inc. or their affiliates. The plaintiff alleged the defendants disseminated these literary works in online databases without permission.

“This is a tremendous result for Canadian freelance writers”, said Kirk Baert, lead lawyer for the plaintiffs. “Class members saw their articles appearing in online databases without their express permission. This settlement provides compensation for that unexpected use.”

In the next few weeks, there will be an official notice appearing in certain newspapers and magazines explaining how freelance writers can make claims from the settlement funds. The notice will also be available on Koskie Minsky’s website.