Blacklock's Reporter

The Department of Public Works in a briefing note says it continues to do business with SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. since criminal charges against the company “relate to alleged misconduct from 20 years ago.” SNC-Lavalin was the first company in Canada to win an out of court settlement under new provisions of the Criminal Code: "Canada is committed to taking action against improper, unethical and illegal business practices."

Federal managers are weary of the pandemic and need “time to recover and refresh,” says the Association of Professional Executives of the Public Service of Canada. The commentary follows an in-house survey indicating managers felt unappreciated: "Seventy-six percent show high levels of exhaustion."

A 12-year old schoolgirl who objected to being vaccinated cannot be forced to take a Covid shot, a Peterborough, Ont. judge has ruled. The decision came in a family court dispute: "Requiring her to be vaccinated against her will would not respect her physical, emotional and psychological safety."

Canada’s oldest retailer Hudson’s Bay Company fell millions behind in commercial rents due to Covid lockdowns, according to court records. The scope of pandemic damage in the retail sector was detailed in legal disputes with landlords: "March 2020 changed everything."

Treasury Board President Mona Fortier yesterday rejected any language bonus for federal employees who speak an Indigenous dialect. The Board currently authorizes an $800 annual bonus to bilingual employees fluent in English and French under a program dating from 1966: "Currently we are continuing to explore."

Freedom Convoy judicial inquiry hearings will open September 19, the same day the Commons returns from summer recess. The chief of the Public Order Emergency Commission yesterday said cabinet must be held to account for its claim a truckers’ protest outside Parliament represented a national emergency: "Hearings are vitally important."

Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough’s department in a briefing note boasted it processed a record number of permits for migrant workers even as auditors warned foreign labour may cost Canadian jobs. “The Temporary Foreign Worker Program has processed a record high number of files,” wrote staff.

The federal IT department Shared Services Canada spent almost $50,000 to interview 58 computer students to ask if they’d like to work in Ottawa, records show. Students rated it “bureaucratic, boring and hierarchical.”

Parks Canada has been ordered to pay a penalty for secretive contracting. The agency did not treat all bidders fairly, said Procurement Ombudsman Alexander Jeglic: "Parks Canada did not meet its obligations with respect to transparency."

Candy maker Mars Canada Inc. has won a $144,600 Federal Court judgment against marijuana dealers who sold cannabis-laced edibles under a copycat Skittles label. A federal judge condemned the cannabis dealers: 'It represents a marked departure from ordinary standards of decent behaviour.'

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra knew last spring the federal airport security workforce was short-staffed by 25 percent, according to a briefing note. Alghabra at the time blamed airport delays on Canadians eager to travel: "Does that mean we have a shortage?"

Naloxone kits will not be distributed in federal buildings in case of drug overdoses, says a Treasury Board report. Federal employees should not be taking drugs at the office, the Board said: "Employees are expected to report fit for work."

Municipalities cannot block federally-approved projects under the guise of bylaw enforcement, an Ontario judge has ruled. The decision came in the case of the Town of Milton, population 112,000, that tried to block a railway megaproject already licensed by the federal cabinet: "Federalism may require tolerance and cooperation where people may not wish to be tolerant or to cooperate."

Cabinet must curb CRTC powers under a YouTube regulation bill, says a coalition of unions and publishers. Bill C-11 An Act To Amend The Broadcasting Act would grant the Commission too much authority without oversight, it said: "The fears are varied."

Canadians required to self-quarantine due to monkeypox should receive federal aid, says Dr. Theresa Tam. The remarks by the chief public health officer followed estimates the virus has resulted in 28 hospitalizations in Canada: "Support people who do the right thing."