A contract signed under threat of imprisonment isn't valid according to the Civil Code of Quebec:
1399. Consent may be given only in a free and enlightened manner. It may be vitiated by error, fear or lesion.

I can't remember where I read that (surely an old Slashdot story) some years ago, but some guy who was teaching Windows to the elderly got a lot of success by showing them the console, which he dubbed the "text mode" of Windows. The "graphical mode" was just too overwhelming for those. They prefered remembering commands associated with the tasks they wanted to do.

Report concerning geomagnetic storms from Public Safety Canada :
http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/prg/em/ccirc/2002/ta02-001-eng.aspx

An extract : "Consequences of geomagnetic storm activity can include widespread power failures, pipeline corrosion, the shutdown of cable systems, an increased drag on satellites, inaccurate navigational sensors and the loss of millions of dollars in revenue."