Refits of puncture-prone tank cars like those in the Lac-Mégantic disaster will take years to complete, warns a Transport Canada panel. Authorities recommend a feasibility study on getting rid of unsafe cars: "The longer those cars are out there, the longer they will be a danger to the public".
A 149-year tradition in Government of Canada cheques will end in 2016 with the substitution of paper payments by prepaid cards, officials say. The Receiver General said anyone receiving a paper cheque for tax refunds, pension or benefits will automatically be switched to prepaid cards: “The question is, are we changing the nature of cash?”
Mounties attempting to unionize say they're optimistic the Supreme Court will lift a 94-year ban on collective bargaining in the federal force. The Mounted Police Professional Association of Canada noted the RCMP remains the only civilian police force forbidden by executive order from joining a union: "We're seeking equal treatment".
The CBC did not pay the Canadian Coast Guard for a “fun” Arctic cruise aboard an icebreaker for anchorman Peter Mansbridge and a television crew, authorities confirm. Memos show the government put the vessel at the network's disposal for a 2012 TV story, though policy states no media are to get a free ride: 'The Coast Guard did not charge journalists'.
A tax credit for Canadian miners has been renewed for a fourteenth straight year amid claims it’s become a giveaway to corporations. Finance Canada again extended the credit, worth $100 million this year: "We see this as a gift to investors".
Structures with sprinkler systems are safer than those without, regardless of the type of construction materials, new research concludes. Analysis of actual fire reports and fatalities involving different building materials found no safety advantage to concrete, metal or wood under the National Building Code: "Sprinkling takes away that threat".
The National Capital Commission billed taxpayers for massages, beach balls, $4520 worth of hot chocolate and hundreds of thousands more in incidental costs to host Ottawa’s annual winter festival, secret accounts show: "I bet you could not find another ice sculpture contest anywhere in Canada that offered massage therapy".
Environment Canada and the Department of Fisheries won’t say if they will appeal a stinging Federal Court judgment that they broke the law in failing to protecting threatened species. Documents show both departments had to be sued before complying with federal law: "This isn't just a technical breach".
Canada’s largest airports are “quasi-monopolies” that must increase accountability, says a Montréal think-tank. Airports have collected some $14 billion in fees without proper Transport Canada oversight, concludes a report: "We feel there is something wrong here".
Hundreds of deaths in federal prisons pass without proper review by the Correctional Service, says the nation’s Correctional Investigator. Howard Sapers said authorities typically take years to conduct a cursory review of inmate deaths attributed to “natural causes”, like the inmate who died of cancer after being treated with antibiotics: 'It is first and foremost a prison service'.
Local authorities are waiting for the fine print of a new subsidy plan for utilities, roads and bridges. The renewed Building Canada Fund targets $43 billion in spending over the next decade but gave city councils little time to draft plans and tender contracts: "There won't be any ribbon-cutting ceremonies this year".
The Supreme Court will hear landmark cases that will determine whether a 1920 ban on an RCMP union will stand. The Mounties are forbidden from forming any bargaining unit under a cabinet order that dates from police strikes in Winnipeg, Boston and Liverpool: 'It's an opportunity to clarify freedom of association'.
Farm groups are pressing the Senate to forestall any curbs on bee-killing pesticides rated 10,000 times more toxic than DDT. A Health Canada review of the chemicals is now underway: "We don't agree with the knee-jerk reaction".
Canadian shippers seek hidden details of a European trade pact they fear could threaten jobs in domestic freighting. Transport Canada says the treaty lifts restrictions on European container ships freighting cargo from Halifax to Montréal: "How many jobs would you say would be at stake?"
Health Canada is proposing new meat labeling and cooking instructions prompted by the nation's biggest beef recall: "Unfortunately we see a lot of work done when there's a crisis".
