The Commons this week will pass into law a bill to safeguard sunken WWII warships and military aircraft from memorabilia hunters. The Senate earlier attached the ocean war graves amendment to a marine liability bill at the request of a 91-year old veteran: “For our sailors there are no pristine, manicured cemeteries.”
The CEO of a Crown agency says he made a simple mistake in failing to disclose for months his cannabis investments held in breach of the Conflict Of Interest Act. Ian McKay, $231,000-a year chief executive of Invest in Canada Hub, would not speak to reporters despite multiple requests: “He realized his error.”
Environment Canada faces a federal lawsuit, the second in eight years, over its repeated failure to protect habitat of woodland caribou. The population of the iconic species once hailed as Canada’s monarch of the wild numbers fewer than 35,000: ‘All Canadians share an interest in the survival and recovery of boreal caribou.’
A Black federal prison guard has been awarded $12,500 in damages after being ridiculed at work. Penalties levied by human rights panels for offensive language have varied widely: “I was in emotional shock and completely downcast.”
A locomotive engineer falsely blamed for the fiery Lac-Mégantic wreck will receive compensation for wrongful dismissal, the Canadian Railway Arbitration Board has ruled. The decision marks the last chapter in the July 6, 2013 derailment that killed 47 people and prompted numerous regulatory changes: “This case is unique.”
The cabinet-appointed CEO of a “high performing” Crown agency failed to disclose financial dealings in the legal marijuana trade, the Office of the Ethics Commissioner yesterday disclosed. Ian McKay was ordered to immediately resign as director of a cannabis investment company. McKay did not reply to Blacklock’s request for comment.
Cabinet last March 12 appointed McKay as the $231,000-a year CEO of Invest in Canada Hub, a new federal agency assigned to attract foreign companies. McKay was an unsuccessful Liberal candidate for Parliament and national director of the Liberal Party from 2010 to 2013.
Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion yesterday in a Compliance Order said McKay failed to divulge his ties to the cannabis industry at the time of his appointment. McKay was a director of Nesta Holding Co. Ltd., described in company statements as a “cannabis-focused private equity firm”.
Cabinet legalized recreational marijuana seven months after McKay’s appointment to the federal agency. Nesta Holding Co. in a 2017 company announcement said: “The primary focus of Nesta Brand Co. will be to provide northern exposure to cannabis innovations and industry-leading products from around the globe, tailoring them for Canadian cannabis consumers.”
Commissioner Dion’s Compliance Order gave McKay 10 days to resign from the Nesta board. The order was dated January 15 but only disclosed yesterday. It states in full:
“Whereas on March 12, 2018 you were appointed chief executive officer of Invest in Canada Hub and became subject to the Conflict of Interest Act as a reporting public office holder;
“Whereas you were at the time of your appointment a director of Nesta Holding Co. Ltd., which is a prohibited activity pursuant to paragraph 15.1.c of the Act;
“Whereas you failed to disclose all of your activities within 60 days of your appointment pursuant to paragraph 22.2.d of the Act;
“Whereas you continue to be a director of Nesta Holding Co. as of the day of this order;
“And whereas pursuant to section 19 of the Act, compliance with the Act is a condition of your appointment as a public office holder, I therefore order you to resign from the board of directors of Nesta Holding Co. and to submit to my office within 10 days of the deemed date of service of this order, proof of receipt of your resignation from the chair of Nesta Holding Co. Ltd.’s board of directors.”
Blacklock’s attempted to contact McKay last night to determine if he would resign by today’s deadline. McKay did not respond.
Invest in Canada Hub has 13 staff at its Ottawa headquarters and a $23.2 million budget, projected to increase to $36 million this year according to a 2018-2019 Departmental Plan. “A highly skilled, high performing team will be recruited to provide world-class investor services and deliver on Invest in Canada’s important mandate,” wrote staff.
McKay previously served as a Liberal-appointed policy advisor and was a 2000 Liberal candidate in West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast. He finished second to then-Canadian Alliance MP John Reynolds with 27 percent of the vote.
By Staff 
The Senate has yet to disclose financial assets of three Liberal-appointed legislators who voted on dozens of bills after taking office in 2018. Records indicate the trio filed mandatory Public Disclosure Summaries that were not made public by the Senate Ethics Officer: “We have these rules for a reason.”
The Commons public safety committee yesterday served notice of public hearings on cybersecurity threats at Canadian banks and insurers. The initiative came as a federal regulator ordered all banks to report electronic threats within 72 hours: ‘People are testing us.’
A federal judge has ordered the Government of Ontario to pay a total $35,800 for stealing a private company’s trademark. Evidence showed the province’s energy ministry ignored repeated warnings to stop using the slogan “empower me” even after being taken to Federal Court: ‘There was public interest in having the proceeding litigated.’
The Canadian Paediatric Society predicts hundreds of children will be hospitalized this year with “serious and life-threatening” emergencies due to legal marijuana. Doctors have been conducting a monthly survey of hospitalizations since cabinet legalized recreational cannabis last October 17: ‘There is little scientific evidence at the moment on what the actual health outcomes are.’
Federal regulators are citing Sunwing Airlines Inc. for numerous breaches of regulations over nightmare holiday flights last April. In one case, the airline summoned police to calm rowdy travelers stranded more than six hours on the tarmac: ‘Police were urging passengers to remain calm.’
A business survey of municipalities rates the best and worst cities in Canada on red tape. Thousands told the Canadian Federation of Independent Business that time-wasting paperwork and petty bylaw enforcement is commonplace: “It has taken over 16 months to get a permit.”
Federal auditors are completing a review of government advertising, the first since cabinet shelved a law to ban partisan self-promotion. Then-Treasury Board President Scott Brison promised “future legislation” in 2016: “We are seeking to move with an immediate policy, a strong policy.”
New Statistics Canada data question the effectiveness of a proposed federal ban on food and beverage ads targeting children. Kids’ sugar consumption is above the national average in Québec, where the country’s only ad ban has been enforced for 39 years: “Evidence suggests there is absolutely no correlation.”
The Department of Natural Resources yesterday approved a $3.9 million solar panel grant to a private builder to construct what it called the country’s first super-energy efficient apartment building. The grant is equivalent to $33,900 per apartment: “It costs quite a bit more.”
