Taxpayers have fully guaranteed more than a billion in Crown bank loans to unidentified companies that reported disastrous revenue losses due to the pandemic. Union executives have asked that borrowers be publicly named: “That’s information the public should know.”

An estimated 175,000 federal employees have received compensation over payroll errors, says a Department of Public Works briefing note. The department did not disclose the cost but acknowledged maximum damages would total nearly half a billion: “We will always have respect for taxpayer dollars.”

Canada’s Covid outlook is “slightly precarious” with infection rates on the rise since July 18 and likely to continue upwards into September, says Dr. Theresa Tam, chief public health officer. Even Canadians who are fully vaccinated must wear masks indoors this fall, said Tam: “Vaccinated people can carry the virus and then transmit to others.”

Widows who outlive two husbands cannot double their survivors’ benefits under the Canada Pension Plan, says a federal judge. Parliament intended the Plan to operate as an insurance program not “a social welfare scheme,” said the Federal Court of Appeal: “Giving to some takes from others.”

Canada’s third largest university has lost a claim to photocopy millions of pages of copyright works for free. The Supreme Court in a 9-0 ruling dismissed the appeal by York University: “It has resulted in a 76 percent decrease in royalties to creators and publishers.”

Blacklock’s pauses for the August bank holiday with warmest regards to subscribers. We wish you a safe, happy holiday. We’ll be back tomorrow — The Editor.