More Canadians drown in swimming pools than lakes or ponds, says the Public Health Agency of Canada. Analysis of years’ worth of hospital records confirmed June, July and August are the worst months for swimming fatalities: “The majority occurred in swimming pools.”
There is no evidence climate change caused Canada’s costliest flood, says a Department of Environment report. Researchers said incidents of heavy rainfall are “rather random” with no detectable trends, though Environment Minister Catherine McKenna has cited extreme weather events as proof “climate change is happening now”.
The federal trademark office in Access To Information records has detailed applications rejected last year as vulgar or scandalous. Under the Trademarks Act regulators may veto slogans or symbols: “Jeez-Us so nearly resembles as to be likely mistaken for Jesus and therefore would be offensive.”
Ontario’s Human Rights Tribunal in the first case of its kind in Canada will rule on whether landlords may evict tenants for keeping marijuana. Landlords complained Parliament’s 2018 legalization of cannabis would lead to years of court challenges over use in rental buildings: “Do I understand the Government of Canada would leave it totally to the courts?”
The Coast Guard will hike icebreaking fees this winter with a “larger increase” planned in 2020, says a federal report. Auditors in the Department of Fisheries responsible for the icebreaker fleet said private shippers must pay more: ‘The cost is shouldered ultimately by Canadian taxpayers.’
The Bank of Canada is monitoring cash sales of cannabis after citing an unusual spike in consumer spending that coincided with legalization of marijuana last October 17. Researchers said the value of banknotes in circulation saw the largest one-month drop since 1935: “Legalization could appear to have had a significant impact on cash use.”
A spot audit of the Senate, the first of its kind since 2012, will exclude “thorough assessment of the expenses”. Members of the Senate budget committee ordered the audit June 13 following disclosures staff breached contracting rules: “It’s long overdue.”
A labour arbitrator has ordered a one-year suspension without pay for a supermarket clerk caught falsifying best-before labels. Managers disclosed they’d fired three employees for similar offences under the Food & Drugs Act that prohibits “misleading or deceptive” labeling: “These sorts of things get published in the media.”
Nearly half of consumers in a federal survey report problems with their bank. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada that commissioned the poll earlier hired 200 “mystery shoppers” to pose as customers in scrutinizing bank practices: “They feel they can do whatever they want.”
The Privy Council Office will not release cabinet minutes from Pierre Trudeau’s last tumultuous term as prime minister though records were to be unsealed this year. Files won’t be disclosed until after the October 21 election campaign: “We certainly have nothing to hide.”
A federal labour board has upheld the suspension of a Canada Revenue Agency clerk who claimed a conspiracy to pay staff for “fake work”. There was no evidence employees pointlessly shuffle paper, an adjudicator said: “It was very boring.”
A radio commentary depicting U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden as “icky” with small children does not breach Canadian broadcast standards, says a national panel. However regulators faulted the same program for portraying Muslims as inherently intolerant: “It’s very disturbing.”
The Department of National Defence is investigating the suicide of a long-time employee described as an alleged victim of gross mismanagement. The staffer ended his life only hours before a disciplinary hearing, and left a lengthy suicide note concealed by police: ‘It poses a serious threat to public confidence in the integrity of the public service.’
Ottawa’s mayor
shows courage.
He stands up
to the powerful, deep-pocket owners
of the Chateau Laurier,
telling them
their proposed addition
to the landmark hotel
is as ugly as a shipping container.
He then prepares
for the city council’s meeting
where he votes to approve the design.
“That is leadership,”
he tells reporters,
wearing his dark blue suit
and a matching, black-and-blue tie.
(Editor’s note: poet Shai Ben-Shalom, an Israeli-born biologist, examines current events in the Blacklock’s tradition each and every Sunday)
The largest daily newspaper in Canada, the Toronto Star, yesterday estimated its take of federal media bailout money is worth the equivalent of $115,385 a week. Payroll rebates will see publishers awarded up to $13,750 per newsroom employee: ‘They got what they wanted.’
