Cabinet has no choice but to write off a 42-year loan to Cuba, says the Treasury Board. The 1975 loan in its day was mired in controversy after an agency was accused of lying to MPs over its terms: "Who would decide to write that off?"
The middle class is now a minority of Canadian families, says a secret Department of Finance memo. The report defined middle-income families as those earning between $32,400 and $43,800 a year but noted, “There is no consensus definition of middle class, nor is there an official definition.”
The Canadian Transportation Agency is dismissing complaints over ceaseless clanging of locomotive bells on one of the country’s busiest urban rail routes. Residents must prove actual harm and not mere annoyance, said regulators: 'It's that clang, clang, clang.'
Cabinet plans new cybersecurity measures this spring following the shutdown of two federal websites over fears of hacking. An Access To Information memo details government worries over future cyberattacks: 'It could impact the safety and security of Canadians.'
The Navy is dismantling two decommissioned vessels but says it’s still willing to offer surplus ships as artificial reefs for scuba divers. The 2015 scuttling of a toxic vessel in fish habitat in British Columbia triggered an environmental lawsuit: "If the Navy can fob a ship off on a local dive club and sink it, that saves a ton of money."
The Department of Finance has expressed alarm over “rapidly increasing housing vulnerabilities” and pledged further action in 2017. The confidential memos were obtained through Access To Information: "Taxpayers have exposure to losses."
A realtor who claimed a home was 12 percent bigger than the actual property size was sloppy but not nefarious, a Calgary judge has ruled. Alberta Provincial Court Justice Donald Higa noted homebuyers should be aware property listings may not be accurate: "You are taught how to measure a home."
Wholesome team building and ergonomic chairs are key to reducing employees’ sick days, says the federal agency with the lowest absentee rate in the Government of Canada. The Military Police Complaints Commission also credited staff picnics with boosting attendance at work: “Physical wellness is important.”
Cabinet is considering a pay raise for RCMP members for the first time in three years. The initiative follows Senate passage of a bill setting terms for a Mounties’ union: 'We are seeing people leave the force.'
Canadians must economize on home heating or pay the price, says an Access To Information memo from Environment Canada. The memo detailed a “rationale for carbon pricing” for Environment Minister Catherine McKenna: "Encourage behavioural change."
Cabinet will budget millions for a national harbour clean-up of derelict boats. A single wreck abandoned on the St. Lawrence River will cost taxpayers $34 million, said the Department of Fisheries: "Taxpayers are on the hook for a huge amount of money."
Canada Post is being challenged over job cuts. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers in a Federal Court application said managers used faulty data to justify regional cuts, a position upheld by a labour arbitrator: "They are ruining the service."
Farm fertilizer accounts for a higher rate of greenhouse gas emissions than originally estimated, says new University of Manitoba research. Release of nitrous oxide with spring thaws adds another 22 to 30 million tonnes of emissions each year, said researchers: "It is significant."
A federal agency is comparing fossil fuel industries to tobacco manufacturers. The government think tank Policy Horizons Canada warned regulators could be sued if they do not enforce a climate change plan: "It's all part of the ongoing scare tactics."
The Department of Justice says federal employees may copy thousands of password-protected works without payment or permission in the name of research. Lawyers made the claim in response to Blacklock’s lawsuit against Health Canada for unauthorized copying of online content to more than 1,000 employees: “They were used fairly.”
