Does saturated fat contribute to development of heart disease?

For over three decades, saturated fat has been accused of significantly contributing to the development of heart disease. However, more and more studies suggest this theory to be false.  Here is a topic that shakes many fixed ideas and sparks great interest within the international community of healthcare and nutrition professionals. And, taking into consideration that, for the average Canadian, saturated fat represents on average a third of the total amount of fat, and that 26% of the population has a much higher level of total fat than what is considered healthy, this topic concerns a lot of people.