Canada

You're more likely to get a doctor's appointment in Canada if you're rich than if you're poor, even though the government pays the bills, according to a new study. In the spring and summer of 2011, a team of Canadian researchers posing as prospective patients cold-called 375 doctors offices in Ontario to schedule a check-up. The researchers posed in each call as one of four types: a wealthy banker in good health, a wealthy banker with diabetes and back problems, a welfare recipient in good health, or a welfare recipient with diabetes and back problems.

There's something inspiring about choosing a school for academic reasons, then not abandoning it when you become a star athlete and others try to lure you away with visions of grandeur. Robert Cartwright is a junior point guard at La Canada Flintridge Prep who could easily play for any big-time basketball program in Southern California. But he's sticking with the Rebels. "It's a fantastic academic school," he said. "The moment I stepped on here in seventh grade, I loved it. The teachers were wonderful, the kids were wonderful and I loved my coach.

For days, residents of the Cecil Hotel in downtown Los Angeles believed something was amiss. At least one said there was flooding in one of the fourth-floor rooms, while others complained about weak water pressure. At least one of those complaints led a hotel maintenance worker to check Tuesday on one of the large metal water cisterns on the roof, where he discovered the body of an unidentified woman in her 20s at the bottom of the tank. Authorities said late Tuesday that the body was that of Elisa Lam, 21, a Vancouver, Canada, woman last seen at the hotel Jan. 31. Police gave scant details about how the body might have ended up in the tank.

Ski enthusiasts looking for someplace new and exciting may want to take a serious look at the Kootenay Lake region of British Columbia, Canada . Some of North America's finest skiing can be found just outside the Victorian community of Nelson , nestled along the west arm of the lake in the Selkirk Mountains in southeastern British Columbia. The area might be among the best destinations few folks have ever heard of. In December, the Rossland-Nelson area won Powder magazine's Ski Town Throwdown , besting 31 other communities, including better-known destinations such as California's Mammoth and Wyoming's Jackson Hole.

Families can save some greenbacks on spring break with a ski vacation at Big White Ski Resort near Kelowna, British Columbia. From March 1 to April 13, Big White is offering a deal in which kids 12 and under can ski and stay for free. Families will receive a complimentary child lift ticket with each adult pass purchased. Big White is British Columbia's second-largest resort after Whistler and has the most ski-in, ski-out accommodations in Canada. From March 10-25, youngsters and their parents (or grandparents)

Shopping might be a staple for some girlfriend getaways, but CMH Summer Adventures is offering exhilarating, women-only journeys to the mountains of southwest British Columbia that it's calling “Bodacious Girlfriend Getaways.” Heli-hiking is at the core of each three-day, two-night escape. Participants will be flown by helicopter to rugged peaks in the Columbia Mountains for daytime hiking experiences. Evenings will be spent in luxurious lodges where gourmet meals will be accompanied by activities intend to help guests unwind.

The long-awaited BlackBerry Z10 won't be available in the U.S. until March, but it's already out in other countries and sales are hot, according to the maker. BlackBerry's Z10 touch-screen smartphone has gotten off to a better start in Britain than any of its previous models, the company said. To be precise, the Z10 is "selling almost three times better" than previous BlackBerry models have in their first week, according to a Bloomberg report that cites BlackBerry Chief Executive Thorsten Heins as the source.

The new BlackBerry Z10 won't come to the U.S. until March, but it's already out in other countries and sales are hot, according to the maker. BlackBerry's new Z10 touch screen smartphone has gotten off to a better start in Britain than any of the company's previous models, it said. To be precise, the Z10 is "selling almost three times better" than previous BlackBerry models have in their first week, according to a Bloomberg report that cites company Chief Executive Thorsten Heins as the source.

Marilyn Manson has come down with the flu and collapsed onstage during a concert in Canada. According to reports, about an hour into his Wednesday performance in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan's TCU Place, the shock rocker began vomiting several times then passed out during his song "Beautiful People. " Manson, whose concerts are chock full of theatrics, was helped off the stage when the band and stagehands realized that the incident was not part of the performance, Billboard reported . TMZ added that the 44-year-old was not taken to the hospital but rather was taken to his hotel room to rest.

Winter in Vancouver , Canada , can be gray and dreary, but the Executive Hotel Le Soleil is offering a deal that promises to chase away the blues in that city in British Columbia. The “Discover Gastown” package invites guests to lace up their walking shoes and explore Gastown , Vancouver's oldest neighborhood and a national historic site. Nearly every building in Gastown boasts historic significance. The district is home to more than 180 shops, restaurants, bars and clubs.