The Department of Canadian Heritage, fearing public complaints, ordered army reservists to wear skidoo helmets in a $775,000 video celebrating the nation’s 150th birthday. Authorities noted while the army had no rule on snowmobile helmets per se, “we want to be politically correct”.
Federal regulators are stepping up monitoring of sulphur dioxide linked to acid rain. Environment Canada will expand its air quality surveillance program this year following earlier cuts, the department said: ‘We put this off for years’.
Tax scams detailed in federal court point to millions in false claims over fictitious business accounts. The Canada Revenue Agency would not disclose the amount of claims it’s faced through so-called business agent losses: “You may accuse me of being silly or reckless”.
Farm groups are appealing for specific regulatory details of any federal climate change initiative. The Department of Agriculture earlier forecast global warming will likely result in better harvests and more varied crops for growers: ‘It depends on the rules’.
The Department of Canadian Heritage has written off hundreds of thousands in unpaid loans after missing deadlines on collections, records show. In two cases the department allowed debts to go unpaid for years before the statute of limitation expired: ‘Internet research indicates the company ceased operations’.
Regulators must prepare for dumping of used batteries in anticipation of an electric car boom, says an international panel. Environment Canada should draft regulations to ensure safe disposal and recycling of auto power packs, said the Commission for Environmental Cooperation: “The biggest challenge for electric cars is the battery”.
A Tax Court judge has dealt a costly blow to service companies that pool customers’ tips. The Court ruled a restaurateur that collected and redistributed $1 million a year in gratuities is liable for federal Canada Pension Plan and employment insurance deductions: ‘The test is not who the tips belong to, but who paid them’.
Natural Resources Canada has awarded another six-figure research contract on wind energy, the second in five weeks. The department proposes to study reliability of electricity generation from a wind farm in Prince Edward Island: “It is critical to have that information”.
Warmest wishes to all friends and subscribers for a safe and happy holiday. Blacklock’s reporters, contributors and shareholders pause to bid you all the best in 2016. Thank you for another tremendous year! — The Editor
At least 5 percent of applicants for jobs as Transport Canada policy analysts plagiarized answers in their civil service exam, say court documents. Applicants were tested on “knowledge of key issues relating to transportation”, and were expected to show values and ethics: “Who can tell?”
Health Canada is commissioning a five-figure study on processed food labeling after proposing stricter regulation of salt and sugar. The department awarded a sole-sourced $426,000 research contract to a U.S. firm for “trend monitoring” on food labels and marketing: ‘We require a significant amount of data’.
A bill introduced in the Commons aims to end once and for all the confusion over numeric dates. The Conservative bill comes 27 years after the Canadian Standards Association proposed a uniform method of listing dates like today’s, 2015-12-23: “Misinterpretation of the significance of numbers can occur”.
Federal regulators have cited a national chain of houseware stores for breach of the Textile Labeling Act for the second time in two years. JYSK Canada was not fined, but ordered to pull items and post a “correction notice” for customers: ‘If it occurs again penalties will be severe’.
Regulators knowingly allowed an insolvent Canadian airline to continue selling tickets for months before it collapsed, says an advocacy group. Air Passenger Rights released whistleblower emails to Transport Canada that warned of financial difficulties at SkyGreece Airlines two months before the company abruptly cancelled pre-paid flights.
“It was a warning to Transport Canada about serious shortcomings, both in terms of safety and finances, yet is seems no action was taken,” said Dr. Gábor Lukács, Passenger Rights advocate. “To my knowledge Transport Canada did not respond.”
The department did not comment. Lukács published correspondence from an accredited SkyGreece pilot, complete with company identification, that was sent to seven civil aviation inspectors and enforcement investigators at Transport Canada on June 16. “At best the airline is farcical, operating on a shoestring budget, and at worst mismanaged chaos with the potential for tragedy,” the whistleblower wrote.
The airline grounded flights on August 17 and applied for bankruptcy protection from creditors on September 3. Travellers are still owed hundreds of thousands in refunds for pre-paid tickets, and compensation after being stranded by SkyGreece’s collapse.
In the whistleblower email, Transport Canada inspectors were told the company had trouble paying its fuel bills; that crew had quit over unpaid wages dating from as early as May; that replacement crew were inadequately trained; and that SkyGreece has “the worst onboard storage of charts, approach plates and documents I have witnessed in over thirty years’ flying.”
“SkyGreece requires further and more detailed examination by your authority,” wrote the Boeing 747 pilot, who provided his name and contact information. “Please contact me if you require additional information.”
Lukács said the whistleblower provided Air Passenger Rights with records of correspondence following the airline’s bankruptcy. “This email was sent two and-a-half months before SkyGreece became insolvent,” said Lukács.
“I am working to find out if any actions were taken to investigate his very serious complaints,” he said. “One is left wondering whether the financial aspects of the information was transmitted to the Canadian Transportation Agency – and if not, why not.”
The Agency’s initial response to the SkyGreece grounding was to publish a terse website notice advising stranded customers to contact their travel agents. The airline had offered service from Montréal and Toronto to Athens, Thessaloniki, Budapest and Zagreb.
Regulators yesterday concluded SkyGreece violated Air Transportation Regulations in failing to compensate travellers, but concluded further investigation was moot since the airline was bankrupt. The Agency only initiated its investigation September 2, more than two weeks after flights were grounded, when it was petitioned by Lukács to enforce regulations.
“The real issue is how this situation was created,” he said. “I maintain the Agency was too slow to act when I filed my complaint; moreover, it is quite possible that they could have acted months earlier.”
SkyGreece was launched in 2014 by Montréal-area investors with Air Omega Holidays Inc. Lukács earlier criticized the Agency as “useless”, noting regulators might have acted to secure the airline’s main asset – a Boeing 767 grounded in Toronto – to finance compensation for clients.
By Dale Smith 
Cabinet has gutted provisions of Bill C-377 only ten days before unions and labour trusts nationwide saw a legal requirement to compile confidential financial records for publication on a government website. The Canada Revenue Agency refused to say how much it spent in preparing to enforce the law: “We’re talking real money”.
