Blacklock's Reporter

The phrase “season’s greetings” has been trademarked by a government agency in a bid that prompted experts to question misuse of the Trademarks Act. The application came under an obscure provision of federal law permitting public institutions to stake claim to trademarks without public notice: "Everybody uses that term, and no government agency should be expropriating it for their own use".

Wait times for trucks paying cash fees at Canada-U.S. border crossings average just 5 minutes, claims a federal report. A trucking executive disputed the claim as misleading: "They were looking for very simple, black and white, cut-and-dried data".

Environmentalists have filed a formal complaint against climate change skeptics alleging “false or misleading” claims in breach of federal law. Groups accuse two Canadian advocacy groups and a Chicago-based think tank of deceptive representations: "This would appear to go against the very essence of the Charter of Rights".

The navy is awarding a sole-sourced, six-figure contract to a U.S. firm to install cellphone detectors on Canadian vessels. The defence department justified the contract as “pivotal” to security: 'It's up to the government to justify this'.

The Canadian Coast Guard disrupted shipping and crew schedules to “accommodate” Peter Mansbridge and a CBC-TV News crew videotaping a government special, newly-released records show. An icebreaker and helicopter were put at CBC’s disposal in 2012, while a companion research ship ordered a scientist off board to make room for TV staff: 'We're very eager to have CBC on board'.

Cabinet will scrutinize foreign investment in urban real estate markets, says Finance Minister Bill Morneau. The Minister would not say if a previous Conservative review of legislated curbs on offshore speculators will be revived: "I'm going to stay on top of it".

Cash-strapped VIA Rail has won the right to appeal a multi-million dollar tax assessment it claimed should be fixed at just ten dollars. VIA lawyers appealed for the tax break by arguing the Crown railway is economically obsolete: "This is a case that involves an important question of law".

Natural Resources Canada is expanding research that challenges a Chinese monopoly on strategic metals. The department commissioned a series of investigations on so-called “rare earth” metals used to manufacture electronics: "We don't know enough about it".

Offshore money accounts for 25 to 49 percent of residential property sales in Canada’s largest cities, says a newly-released federal report. Cash buyers from China, Russia and the Middle East are among top investors, according to a study commissioned by the Financial Transactions & Reports Analysis Centre. The research was obtained through Access To Information: 'Cash is very common'.

A federal bill mandating disclosure of confidential labour records will not see a constitutional test in court. An Alberta union that was the first to challenge Bill C-377 is adjourning its lawsuit on a cabinet promise to repeal the measure: "It’s still possible to revive that application if things take an unexpected turn".

Cabinet is postponing a decision on whether to approve a permanent nuclear waste disposal site on the Great Lakes. Opponents cheered the delay, the first environmental regulatory decision by the new Liberal cabinet: 'The fact it’s right on the shore makes it very contentious'.

Cabinet faces a tough sell with any federal climate change program, says Natural Resources Canada research. A $152,235 department study concluded most Canadians oppose a carbon tax; do not understand cap and trade; and rate local pollution issues a higher priority than global warming: ‘Most expressed cynicism about how money from a greenhouse gas tax would be spent’.

Newly-released accounts show the Library of Parliament spent $32,300 for out-the-door interviews with retiring MPs to ask what they thought of – the Library of Parliament. Management earlier spent thousands on public "outreach" Facebook ads, though it's inaccessible to the public, and hired a patent lawyer to trademark its image for key chains and coffee mugs: "That's $566 an hour".

Taxpayers face billions in rising clean-up costs for federal toxic sites, says a secret Department of Finance memo. The document conceals current actual costs, but noted expenses invariably go over-budget: "Costs are revised, generally upwards".

Cash-strapped Parks Canada spent hundreds of thousands on theatre ads most people never saw, and fewer than 1 in 100 said prompted them to actually visit a park. The agency yesterday declined to reveal total costs of advertisements that ran in cinemas nationwide: "Some respondents recalled forests, lakes or mountains".