A federal program that has paid six-figure grants to the nation’s largest media corporations is under scrutiny, says the minister of heritage. “We want to make sure that those larger companies are not in any way abusing the system at the sacrifice of smaller publications,” the minister told Blacklock’s.
Canada Post will not disclose its anticipated revenue from a fee for mail delivery to new homes. In a new policy introduced Jan. 1, Canada Post is charging home builders $200 for every new single-family residence. And the profit? “I don’t think we’ll be giving you that,” the Crown agency told Blacklock’s.
A virus outbreak in farmed Atlantic salmon is raising concern with experts consulted by Blacklock’s, including fears the infection may spread to wild salmon and other fish populations: “There is a risk.” A similar outbreak in Chile cost the industry $2 billion, noted one scientist.
No public hearings are planned in a federal oversight review of the government’s handling of the biggest beef recall in Canadian history. The review follows Blacklock’s disclosure that fewer federal veterinarians were assigned to field inspection last year prior to an outbreak of E.coli at a Brooks, Alta. slaughterhouse.
A federal appeal for new standards on sustainable purchasing has received enthusiastic response. It follows a Crown agency’s call for interest in developing a voluntary, consensus-based code on fair, eco-friendly policies: “This is a hot topic.”
Five years after winning an endorsement from Wayne Gretzky, a Canadian firm has finally received an Industry Canada patent for a heated skate blade that promoters say can improve performance: “We want this to be a flagship product.”
Cities hit by recession will find encouragement at a national conference on sustainability in — Windsor. The city’s unemployment rate is 9.7 percent. “It is fitting for us to be here,” said the president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
A Parliament Hill management dispute has ended in arbitration for federal employees responsible for essential research for all House and Senate committees. The settlement affects librarians earning an average $82,414 a year.
The nation has suffered its largest one-month job losses for adult workers in nearly twenty years, according to new figures. “We sympathize with Canadians,” the parliamentary secretary for finance told the House of Commons. Across Canada, only half the provinces reported net job gains last month.
Federal regulators begin hearings Monday into cellphone contract termination charges and protection from unexpected fees in the $18 billion wireless market. The CRTC will examine whether to regulate contract terms for 27,000,000 cellphone customers: “It’s going to be tough.”
Federal cuts to the “first line of defence” in food safety may conceal even sharper reductions than are documented in government records, says a national union: “Seeing these numbers, I don’t believe it for a minute.”
New homebuyers nationwide saw higher prices last year amid an economic slowdown, according to newly-released federal figures. Building associations contacted by Blacklock’s cited higher land and building costs, and local tax increases, as cause of the inflation.
Confidential records show the number of veterinarians assigned to field inspections has been cut despite federal claims of support for this “first line of defence” in food safety. Documents obtained by Blacklock’s confirm fewer veterinarians were assigned to inspect slaughterhouses and other field work last year than in 2010.
A Senate committee is urging a top-to-bottom review of tariffs that cost Canadians billions of dollars in the price of goods. It comes amid a federal tariff review that could impact the price of thousands of goods, from luggage to cutlery: “Let’s do the whole ball of wax.”
Long-awaited renewal of federal spending on roads, bridges and utilities is essential to improving Canadian productivity and growth, says a Calgary think-tank. The Canada West Foundation calculated investment in public works as a portion of economic growth is now at its lowest level in two generations.
