Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - June 30, 2004, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free press wednesday june 30, 2004 Canada / world a5 West Jet filing counter suit in Industrial spying Case claims air Canada unlawfully seized confidential documents less than Cost its High Cost Structure and the poor treatment of its air Canada has been operating under bankruptcy Protection since april 2003. It is seeking $5 million in its lawsuit against West Jet but the suit could involve millions of dollars More in revenues and profits that air Canada says it lost because of the alleged snooping. Canada sent private investigators to Hills Home on two occasions this Spring. Hill states they trespassed on his Pri vate property to unlawfully seize West Jet documents that had been shredded and placed in a recycling Container for pick up by municipal employees West Jet said in a statement released late yesterday. By Steve Erwin t Oronto ? defending itself against claims of corporate espionage launched on it by air Canada West Jet airlines announced yesterday it is launching a counter claim against its larger competitor claiming air Canada unlawfully seized confidential West Jet information while trying to compile documents for its own Legal action. West Jet said it will file its statement of defence in a Toronto court today against claims that the Calgary based discount Carrier used a private company website to Access confidential information about air Canadas passenger traffic. But West Jet also said it will file a counter suit against air Canada seeking $5 million. The counterclaim alleges that private investigators for air Canada illegally seized confidential financial information about West Jet from recycling material at the Home of West Jet executive Mark Hill in Oak Bay . Hill vice president of strategic planning for West Jet is one of two employees named in air Canadas suit. In its statement of claim filed in april air Canada alleged its rival used the per Sonal identification number of West Jet financial analyst Jeffrey Lafond a for Mer Canadian airlines International employee to get Access to a private air Canada website. The site is used by current and former air Canada employees to Book personal travel. Lafond was allowed this privilege in october 2000 after leaving Canadian airlines which was acquired earlier by air Canada. The website shows when space is available on planes and whether that space is Likely to remain available. Rate of a sections expected to double women choose natural childbirth less often by Susan Ruttan Edmonton ? North americans can expect the rate of babies born by cae Sarean Section to double in coming years As More women opt for controversial elective a sections Canadian obstetricians were told yesterday. About 35 to 40 per cent of All North american babies Are expected to be delivered by caesarean Section Over the next few decades said or. Ralph Hale executive vice president of the Ameri can College of obstetricians and Gyne colonists. He said doctors in Canada like their . Colleagues should Brace themselves for increasing demands for the procedure. There is no question that in the next 15 to 20 years we will be seeing increasing requests for elective caesarean delivery Hale told members of the society of obstetricians and gynaecologists of Canada meeting in Edmonton. He predicted that a Section rates will never again drop below 20 per cent of births. The . Rate currently sits at 26 per cent of All births the Canadian rate at 22 per cent. Among the wealthy in Brazil almost All births Are now by a Section. The convenience of being Able to plan a a Section birth is one reason Why women turn to them said Hale. A lot of the wives of National guards and others who have been mobilized As soldiers in Iraq Are coming in for elec Tive caesarean sections he said. They want their husbands present when they fear of the pain of labour is another reason As is fear that going through labour will damage either the Mother or the child he said. Several medical stud ies in recent years they want have cited a danger of incontinence in their women As a result of husbands vaginal childbirth. Present nor is it Only women pressing for when they More a sections. Deliver Hale said some . Hospitals Are relic ? or. Ralph Tant to have comply Hale executive rated vaginal births vice president of done because they the american require highly College of trained staff. The obstetricians and fear of lawsuits gynaecologists resulting from nor Mal childbirth is also a deterrent he said. and increasingly physicians Arent skilled in handling complicated vaginal deliveries such As Breech births because most Are done by a Section said Hale. Hale said caesarean Section holds its own dangers such As bleeding and infect air Canada alleges West Jet used Lafond a code to Access the site 243,630 times Between May 15, 2003 and March 19, 2004. With that information West Jet could alter its routes and improve their expansion plans air Canada charges. West Jet said its statement of defence will explain that the information on the air Canada employee website is not confidential and in fact is available to the Public through Many sources including counting passengers and other pub Lic further West Jet said no information from the air Canada website was Ever used by West Jet for any it also lashed out at its bigger rival by saying that any lost Revenue or profits air Canada alleges it has suffered arises not from any use of information on the website but from air Canadas mis management of its business its decision to persist in Selling seats on flights for Tion but those risks Don to seem to be registering on the women now demanding them. Doctors Are going to have to decide to what extent a woman should have the right to choose her method of delivery he said. He cited several studies showing increasing numbers of physicians Are prepared to Doc sections on demand. A Survey last fall of women members of the american College of obstetricians found Only 36 per cent would refuse to do a a Section on demand. He himself would try to convince a woman to use natural childbirth but if the woman was Adamant he a do the cae Sarean he said. Hales organization has recently issued new rules approving elective a sections when the mothers health and Well being would be served by one. The Canadian society is still in the process of drafting a new policy. ? can West news service ;