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Contact: Angela Espinoza, News Editor

Mi news@theotherpress.ca

www.theotherpress.ca

Future Shop closes doors across Canada

» Some locations to convert into Best Buys over coming weeks

Angela Espinoza News Editor

Mi news @theotherpress.ca

‘

OO: March 28, shoppers

across Canada learned Future Shop had closed 66

rebranded as Best Buys.

No prior public announcements had been given about the brand’s closure, with “This store is permanently closed” signs on Future Shop doors serving as notice. Reportedly roughly 500 full-time and 1,000 part-time jobs were lost as a result of the closures.

CBC reported numerous staff did not know about the plans until the morning of the closures, with some staff being offered other options with Future Shop’s parent company, Best Buy. Other staff were reportedly told they’d

: continue working.

In an open letter from Best :

: Buy Canada, Best Buy president : : and CEO Ron Wilson made : : comments about the closure.

: “Any decisions that impact

: our people are never taken

: lightly; our first priority is to

: support them through this locations, with another 65 to be change. I want to express my : appreciation to the employees : who are leaving, for their

: contributions to Best Buy

: Canada.” if : The reason provided inthe :

: open letter for the closures was : : that in an already competitive : market for sales of electronic

: items, Best Buy found their

: financial situation would

: benefit by removing the Future } : Shop brand and focussing

: solely on promoting Best Buy : locations. However, in the

: meantime, there would be an : increase in costs as numerous : former-Future Shop stores are : restructured and staff numbers :

: are sorted out. have to “reapply” to Best Buy to }

“As a result of today’s

announcements, Best Buy

: Co., Inc. expects to increase

: its capital spending by up to

: $200-million over the next 12 to : 24 months.”

“Due to the transitional

nature of the majority of these : costs, the company does not

expect this negative EPS impact : : to continue into future years.”

Earlier this year, Target

closed all of its Canada-based

: locations after sales numbers

: were not being met, amongst : other reasons. Sony stores

: across the country announced : their closure soon after.

: Clothing store brand Jacob is

: also in the process of closing its : : g2 store locations in Canada,

while Reitmans announced

Meanwhile, Ontario’s

Image from HuffingtonPost.ca

: Comark Inc. is in the process : of closing Ricki’s, Bootlegger, : and Cleo locations while the

: parent company is working

: ona restructuring plan for it

: businesses.

Those with Future Shop

: gift cards can still redeem

: them at Best Buys, as well as : closures of numerous Smart Set : : locations in November 2014.

those wishing to exchange or

: return previous Future Shop : purchases.

Showing the ‘Lemur Love’

» UVic alumni to aide endangered lemurs in Madagascar

Adrian Paradis The Martlet

(C) n March 23, a week

after completing her dissertation at the University of Victoria (UVic), Tara Clarke left for southwestern Madagascar to work in the Lemur Rescue Centre.

Clarke will spend two months in the region, working with UVic alumni and Lemur Love founder and director Dr. Marni LaFleur.

“People here think that [lemurs] are not endangered because they see them in zoos and in media and [they] think that there must be a lot of ring- tailed lemurs,” said Lisa Gould, Clarke’s former PhD advisor. “Actually, ring-tailed lemurs are in trouble. All the lemurs are in trouble and some of them are really critically endangered.”

Looking at three specific populations of ring-tailed lemurs, Clarke studied the effects of habitat fragmentation and isolation on the genetics of

: their populations.

: was that, as of right now,

: these populations maintain

: a moderate level of genetic

: diversity,’ said Clarke. “That’s

: encouraging and hopeful,

: because right now things aren't : as bad as I expected, or where I : predicted it would be.”

: to human involvement, there

: are multiple stresses on the

: populations of these lemurs

: beyond deforestation. Other

: factors such as the illegal pet

: trade and the Madagascar

: bushmeat hunting market are : also threats to the populations. : Since 2010, 28,000 lemurs

: have been affected by the

: illegal pet trade industry in

: Madagascar alone as lemurs

: are often sold for five dollars,

: according to Clarke. “It’s [a way : bigger problem] than anybody : thought,” she said.

Clarke and Gould sit on the : board of directors, started the : first and only Lemur Rescue

“Surprisingly what I found

Clarke explained that due

Lemur Love, for which

: Centre in order to retrieve and : rehabilitate ring-tailed lemurs : captured for illegal pet trade.

: Lemurs can be symbolically

: adopted for a $50 donation on : the Lemur Love website.

While conservation and

: awareness efforts are being

: made by Clarke and Gould,

: the fight is still far from over.

: “Absolutely, there is a potential

: of extinction for ring-tailed

: lemurs,” said Gould. “I’ve been

: doing research in Madagascar

: since the mid ‘80s, so I’ve seen a : lot and Iam not that optimistic. : There are a lot of problems and : they seem to be getting worse.”

While Clarke agrees that

the possibility of extinction is

: avery real one, she remains

: hopeful that the lemurs will

: defy the odds. “The research

: that I did provided me with

: even more hope because these

: animals are resilient. I feel very : hopeful for these populations.”

To find more information,

to donate, or to adopt a lemur, : visit lemurlove.org

Image from Thinkstock