Those who urge that a global World Trade Organization agreement is preferable to a series of bilateral and multilateral pacts ignore the WTO's very limited progress towards creating global free trade.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Free trade: An antidote to Chavez

"By moving ahead with this World Trade Organization challenge, we stand behind the thousands of Canadians in coastal and northern communities who depend on the seal harvest to provide a livelihood for their families, " Ms Shea said.

BBC: A seal laying in the Gulf of St Lawrence, Canada

The victor will succeed Mayor Paul Schell, who was defeated in the primary amid voter frustration over the 1999 World Trade Organization riots and the city's loss of economic mainstay Boeing.

CNN: Several large cities getting new mayors