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The Canadian government is suggesting that Canadians wanting to help victims of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami should give money, not clothing or food. The web site for Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade lists everything from contact numbers to inquire about friends and family in Japan to the web site for Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan's and the Embassy of Canada to Japan; and lots of ways Canadian citizens and companies can help.

On March 11, an 9.0 magnitude earthquake - the most powerful recorded in history, according to the U.S. Geological Survey - with a depth of 24.4 kilometres, struck Japan's east coast of Honshu, and triggered a tsunami.  A significant series of aftershocks, ranging from 5.8 to 7.1 in magnitude followed in the same area.

As of today (March 15), at least 6,746 people are missing, Japan's National Police Agency said.
On the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada site, it states "We are aware of the death of one Canadian citizen as a result of the earthquake at this time."  It says there are an estimated 11,000 Canadians in Japan; more than 2,400 Canadian citizens registered with the Canadian embassy in Japan but "very few" in the affected area.

Officials at Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada in Ottawa and at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo are working to determine the fate of any Canadians living or visiting Japan.

Starting on World AIDS Day, December 1, Canadian readers can contribute towards programs that fight HIV and AIDS in Africa, while they broaden their minds. Penguin Classics has partnered with Indigo Books and Music, the country’s largest book retailer, to launch a new line of (PENGUIN CLASSICS)^RED .

Working in partnership with Penguin Canada, Indigo will release 16 classics in Canada just in time for the holidays.  Each of the books has in its own way changed the world, and now buyers can consider doing a little world-changing of their own this gift-giving season.

Editions available through this partnership will feature beautiful, eye-catching cover designs using the colour red. Instead of the customary book cover paintings and photographs, words appear as images.

By purchasing (PENGUIN CLASSICS)^RED versions of Bram Stoker’s Dracula,  Joseph Conrad’s The Secret Agent, Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw, Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, Louise May Alcott’s Little Women and 11 other titles, buyers will be directing 50 percent of the profits to the Global Fund to help eliminate AIDS in Africa.

Many of you are donating to the relief efforts in Haiti and will likely go with the Canadian Red Cross Society, but to avoid being scammed by sound-alike charity names and smaller local initiatives that may not be honourable, Canada Revenue Agency has a directory which allows you to put the name in the search engine and find out if it’s registered. If it is, it will also give you the business registration number, mailing address and tell you its status: ie. registered or revoked. Who knows if it’s up to date — there may be legit charities that haven’t been put in the system — but it’s a comforting reference source. If you prefer to support a local charity or one which doesn’t show up in this database, just do your research. Know the people involved and ask questions as well. Of course, with the recent arrests of Toronto Humane Society brass for animal cruelty, a registered charity doesn’t always mean that it is being run properly. Donator beware.