A company that won Environment Canada approval to grow made-in-the-lab salmon is now applying to have its engineered fish certified as good enough to eat — a Canadian first: ‘This is happening in total secrecy’.
Mutual funds are “failures” for RRSP savers, says an advocacy group. Economists calculated many individuals cannot hope to match the returns of the $201 billion Canada Pension Plan: ‘It isn’t working’.
Cabinet faces complaints over the rollout of new public works subsidies that’s left municipalities and contractors with few details only days before the program’s launch. The New Building Canada Fund pledges details will follow April 1: “How can they plan?”
Dairy farmers are fending off a proposal by the Conference Board to wind up their national supply management program. Farmers acknowledged Canadians pay 30% more for milk than Americans, but pointed to the economic impact.
Senators are proposing changes to the National Do Not Call List, citing complaints that telemarketers continue to flout the program. An Alberta senator quoted one constituent who gets up to 20 calls a week including Sundays: “It’s nothing less than harassment”.
Oil and chemical corporations will be asked to sponsor facilities at national parks, secret documents show. Parks Canada staff propose to sell naming rights, but privately warned of public protest: “Alberta’s oil patch is ready to take off again; it is probably great timing to get our national park-corporate partnering ducks in a row!”
The Senate banking committee will investigate Bitcoin, the pseudo-currency swapped by speculators on internet exchanges. Senators expressed bafflement over the fad and cautioned Bank of Canada regulations may be needed: “We find Bitcoin perplexing”.
All parties but the Greens are endorsing a bill to restrict media and activists from within nearly two kilometres of Canada’s Atlantic seal hunt. The legislation follows much-photographed protests by Paul McCartney and Brigitte Bardot.
Lumber mills, fertilizer makers and other shippers are questioning a cabinet order that gives priority rail service to farmers. The ad hoc order compels railways to carry more grain: “We can’t ship our products”.
Chemical makers are disputing claims bee colonies are being killed off by farm pesticides. CropLife Canada said the nation’s bee population is at historic highs, contradicting reports of devastating losses: “These are Statistics Canada numbers”.
Municipal ownership may be hamstrung under a “ratchet” rule in a European trade pact, says Canada’s largest union. CUPE told MPs the treaty restricts municipalities from reclaiming any service once privatized: “We’re very unhappy”.
A quarter of Canadians now watch Netflix, say regulators. The CRTC said the number of internet TV subscribers has more than doubled in two years; and barely 3000 Canadians bothered to participate in a national consultation on the future of traditional TV programming: “Change is upon us”.
Canada Post is again postponing payments into its pension plan, avoiding a $100 million-a month bill that falls due July 1. Cabinet authorized the deferral as “temporary relief” from closing a pension shortfall that’s grown 25% since 2011: “They are in a cash crunch”.
The Canadian Transportation Agency has cited another European carrier for flouting fare disclosure rules. Brussels Airlines must comply with regulations by March 31. More than $190,000 in federal fines have been issued to date: “The agency deals with penalties on a case-by-case basis”.
An executive whose firm was implicated in a $15 million tax-avoidance scheme was reappointed to a federal post on the advice of CMHC, says the minister. Jason Kenney said he was unaware of a Tax Court lawsuit involving the appointee’s firm: “You’ll have to let me look into this particular case”.
