The Bank of Canada has decided to stop producing paper money and start issuing high-tech plastic money. The money will feature transparent maple leaf window to help reduce currency counterfeiting.

The first polymer bank notes $100 bills will arrive in November. The $50 notes are scheduled to be released in March.

Remaining notes like $20, $10 and $5 will gradually be introduced by the end of 2013.

After the spectacular marriage ceremony in London on April 29, Prince William and his new bride, Kate Middleton are in their first international tour together as husband and wife. On the way they will spend nine days in Canada to visit seven cities across five provinces in Canada.

While some are concerned on the government spending tax-payer’s money on the royal couple, the government is hoping to bring-in tourist and journalists from all over the world.

This will be the third Canadian tour of Prince William, and Kate’s first visit. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will start their Canadian tour on June 30 from the National Capital Region, and then visit Montreal (Quebec), PEI (Charlottetown and Summerside), Northwest Territories (Yellowknife) and Calgary (Alberta).

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Prince William and Kate to arrive in Canada on June 30

The initial response to Canada’s wedding gift of $50,000 to Prince William and Kate Middleton was not that pleasant.

Many believed – with all the current financial mess, wasting money on gift to the Royal wedding is the least expected expenditure of the government. Some also argued that the Royals should have acted decent enough by not accepting such unnecessary gifts. But, these people also ignore the fact that the gift goes to a Canadian charitable organization, the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary.

The Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, said the government of Canada offered this gift on behalf of all Canadians. He added, the gift will be sued to help fund the search-and-rescue program, and to help prevent injuries or loss of life at sea.

The royal couple’s one of the honeymoon destination will be Canada. The June 30-July 8 visit will cover areas in Alberta, the Northwest Territories, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Ottawa.

CN Tower

The 553.3 metres (1,815 ft) tall CN Tower used to be the tallest free-standing structure in the world for 34 years since it was completed in 1976.

In the recent time, a lot of tall structures are being built. At least seven structures currently under construction, all of which are scheduled to be completed by 2013. Recently completed three tallest free-standing structures taller than CN Tower are:

• Burj Khalifa (828 m – 2,717; World’s tallest building)
• Tokyo Sky Tree (634 m – 2,080 ft; tallest structure in Japan)
• Canton Tower (600 m – 1,968.5 ft; tallest structure in China)

Although the record of being the "tallest free-standing structure" is broken by others, there are few other world records still held by CN Tower. Some of the records are:

• World’s highest public observation gallery – at 447 m
• World’s highest bar – at 346 m
• World’s longest metal staircase – with 2579 steps
• World’s highest and largest revolving restaurant – at 351 m
• World’s highest wine cellar – at 351 m

Inco Superstack

The second tallest structure in Canada is a 380m (1247 ft) cylindrical smokestack. The structure was constructed in 1972 by Inco Limited at a cost of 25 million dollar. Until 1987, this was the world’s tallest smokestack and was it was the tallest freestanding structure in Canada before CN Tower was built.

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Top three tallest structures in Canada

Canada made Blackberry may be the world’s most-popular or next-to-the-most-popular high-end smart phone but that doesn’t mean Canadians love cell phones to the ancient land-lines.

In a latest report, Canada has the lowest mobile penetration followed by Mexico. Among 30 member countries surveyed by a Paris-based organization, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), consumers in the U.S., Canada and Spain pay the highest mobile phone bills.

I posted about the previous report of OECD in 2007 and nothing has changed in the last two years – rates in Canada are still the highest and it is still the country with the lowest mobile penetration. Yes $85K mobile phone bill do make sense sometimes.

In the same report, it is told that Italians have 150 mobile phone subscribers for every 100 residents.