Cabinet has enacted a law banning bulk water exports just as several American states grapple with extreme drought. The Transboundary Waters Protection Act rewrites sections of a 1909 treaty to restrict exports from cross-border basins: "Who knows what the future holds".
A Parks Canada repeal of service cuts on its historic canal system is drawing praise from boaters who lobbied against reductions. The agency released new data confirming a sharp drop in traffic that prompted protests to the Prime Minister’s Office: "The implications were not thought out".
Nova Scotia, one of the biggest coal-burners in Canada, has won a waiver from federal greenhouse gas regulations. The province was granted a cabinet exemption till 2030 to self-regulate emissions from its coal plants: "The job just doesn't get done".
Three years after its approval by cabinet, a panel of transportation managers has convened its inaugural meeting. The Commodity Supply Chain Table had been promised in 2011: "It has taken three years to get action on this one".
The Department of Foreign Affairs is attempting to explain its purchase of a luxury diplomatic residence in a Miami suburb where celebrity neighbours include A-Rod and Jeb Bush. Disclosure of the country club estate comes as authorities attempt to sell foreign property under an austerity order from the Department of Finance: “It’s a very luxurious lifestyle for foreign nationals”.
New federal rules on earthquake protection are “overkill”, says the Insurance Bureau of Canada. Insurers said a requirement they set aside billions in additional reserves in anticipation of disastrous quakes in B.C. and Québec will impact consumers.'Two simultaneous earthquakes are unlikely'.
Cabinet is approving new issues of collector Royal Canadian Mint coins in an order dealers caution may help sink the market. The secretive order allows the Mint to strike a new $1,250 coin and a $1,000 issue: "They are sucking out the value for collectors".
A Supreme Court judgment upholding union rights by Walmart employees may be a hollow decision, a legal analyst tells Blacklock’s. The retail giant was found in violation of the Québec Labour Code for closing its Jonquière store after workers certified a bargaining agent: "If you unionize, you lose".
Canada appears powerless to stem the disastrous spread of the mountain pine beetle, blamed for destroying thousands of acres of forest. A new federal assessment concludes the beetle continues its eastward flight from B.C.: "There is no reason this will stop".
Homeowners and property managers face the prospect of rising insurance costs beginning in 2015 following an obscure federal order on earthquake reserves. Insurers have been told to set aside billions of dollars in new reserves in case of catastrophic quakes in two regions of Canada. Access to Information documents show insurers privately warn the regulations are costly and needless: "We worry about the impact on consumers".
A museum chronicling mankind at its worst is hiring consultants to determine why tourists will come for a visit. The Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg issued a contracting notice for research on visitors’ thoughts and impressions after its scheduled opening September 20: "We're not here to show horrible things".
A federal board violated the Copyright Act by selling millions of dollars’ worth of commercial data for $759, says a Calgary businessman. The Canada-Newfoundland & Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board is accused of selling material from Canada's largest private collection of marine seismic maps: "It is perverse".
Canadians are holding onto their wallets this summer with a majority minding their savings or cutting spending, according to Chartered Professional Accountants research. The survey also signaled a sharp decline in spending on home renovation: 'I can't afford it'.
Shoppers Drug Mart Corp. has won a legal battle against an ex-consultant it accused of masterminding a million-dollar scheme. The Supreme Court cleared the way for Shoppers to pursue its former contractor for misappropriated payments: 'It operated in Ponzi-like fashion'.
Managers and accountants rate Canada Revenue weak on enforcement with scorn for toothless treatment of offshore tax avoiders, the department’s own research shows. The findings are in a $149,000 study commissioned by management: "As soon as tax lawyers are brought in by the wealthy, the Canada Revenue Agency backs off".
