Mail bound for First Nations and northern hamlets now accounts for two thirds of contraband shipments of drugs and drink intercepted by postal inspectors, records show. Indigenous leaders had pleaded with Parliament to keep legalized marijuana out of dry reserves under the Indian Act: “Substances ranged from alcohol to illicit cannabis, opioids, ecstasy pills, methamphetamine and powder.”
Canadians will be required to get a Covid shot every nine months for the foreseeable future, says Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos. Previous definitions of “fully vaccinated” made no sense, he told reporters: “We will never be fully vaccinated against Covid-19.”
Canada Post discloses it is losing market share in its revenue generating parcel business. Parcels accounted for half of post office income last year amid overall losses of $490 million: “Our market share has decreased.”
School boards nationwide face a $41 million annual cost for new bus safety equipment under a Department of Transport proposal. Regulators stopped short of recommending the costliest safety measure, mandatory seat belts for every school bus in the country: “Why have school buses been left out?”
The labour department proposes to restrict hiring of children in the federally regulated private sector. Minors should not be assigned hazardous jobs or swing shifts, the department said: “Young workers need adequate labour protection because they may be more likely to undertake unsafe work.”
Blacklock’s pauses for the Canada Day observance to wish all friends and subscribers a happy First of July. We’re back tomorrow — The Editor
Cabinet yesterday approved a taxpayer-funded booklet for schoolchildren that calls the Red Ensign flag a hate symbol and identifies the Conservative Party by name as a target of “infiltration” by racists. It also warns children to beware of classmates who speak in favour of Donald Trump: “It represents the next stage of our work to fight and win against hate.”
A CBC radio show was so offensive it breached the Broadcasting Act, federal regulators ruled yesterday. The decision came over a French-language program that repeatedly used the n-word: “The host and the commentator used the n-word four times, three times in French and one in English, in a segment of six minutes and 27 seconds.”
Canadian drivers will pay billions more for gas and diesel under new climate change regulations to be detailed Saturday. “The regulations may increase fuel prices” in addition to the current 12¢ a litre carbon tax on gasoline, said the Department of Environment: “Certainly there are additional costs.”
The Department of Health is granting the food industry another four years to comply with new warning labels intended to cut Canadians’ consumption of sugar, salt and fat. Regulations to be finalized tomorrow and originally scheduled to take effect in 2022 will cost industry a half billion, by official estimate: “Costs to industry are anticipated to be significant.”
Cabinet should subsidize Canadian fertilizer producers to counter the impact of collapsing farm exports from Ukraine, the Commons agriculture committee said yesterday. Extraordinary measures are needed “given the urgency and severity of what we are collectively facing,” wrote MPs.
A Covid Alert app failed in part because Canadians don’t trust the government, says a Department of Health report. The $20 million program was disbanded last Friday: “Trust in government is clearly an issue.”
Secret papers detailing cabinet’s use of emergency powers against the Freedom Convoy will be publicly disclosed, a judicial inquiry said yesterday. The Rouleau Commission called it an “exceptional step” in unraveling why cabinet invoked the Emergencies Act against truckers protesting vaccine mandates: “I am committed to ensuring the inquiry will be fair and open.”
CMHC employees received the equivalent of more than $6,000 in pay raises through the pandemic, according to Access To Information records obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. The pay hikes were in addition to performance bonuses that averaged $11,000 a year: “We share in the tragedy and the fact the pandemic has made things worse for homeless people.”
Uninsured homeowners with mortgages and lines of credit must have a minimum 35 percent paid-up equity in their property, Canada’s chief bank inspector said yesterday. Rules targeting more than $200 billion in outstanding loans will take effect next year: “A portion of principal payments will go towards reducing their overall mortgage amount until it is below 65 percent.”
