Cabinet in 1958 considered stripping a minority religious group of its Canadian citizenship and paying to deport members to Russia, according to newly-released files. The mass exodus was requested by the British Columbia government, but never approved on fears of bad publicity: 'It would be a mass movement by ship from Vancouver to Vladivostok'.
The Canada Border Services Agency is contracting psychologists to counsel 15,271 staff on workload and job stress. It follows Agency orders for credit and background security checks on all employees: 'Counselling is voluntary'.
The Bank of Canada is gaining new powers to buy U.S. Government bonds and other securities in case of financial panic. New regulations under the Bank Act are retroactive to September 25: 'It's like a pawnbroker will accept watches'.
A “stark” crisis on housing for the nation’s greying population faces a new Parliament, say Canada’s cities. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities yesterday appealed for a national policy to shelter the aged: "We are now discussing how we can react to the aging population when we have known about it for years".
The RCMP kept files on Paul Robeson, Maurice Chevalier and Pablo Picasso under a cabinet order to keep Communist subversives out of the country. Newly-released memos show cabinet rated Robeson risky, but feared ridicule if it banned Picasso from visiting Canada: ‘A confidential source reports there’s a visitor from France’.
Health Canada faces more demands for a national pharmacare plan. Delegates to an Ottawa conference of the National Pensioners Federation urged “meaningful” steps to Canada-wide coverage of costly prescriptions: "It is tragic and unfair".
A federal board faces a court challenge on complaints it failed to properly investigate workplace health and safety complaints at Air Canada. The Canadian Union of Public Employees refused comment on its Federal Court application: "There was indeed a mixture of chemicals in the cabin air".
The Canada Border Services Agency is warning multinational corporations on abuse of “transfer pricing”, the reporting of values on cross-border goods. Prices claimed by two branches of the same company can be used to shift profits for tax avoidance: "It warns the importing community".
Poet Shai Ben-Shalom, an Israeli-born biologist, examines current events in the Blacklock’s tradition each and every Sunday: “Facing growing criticism, the Conservative government will bring in 10,000 refugees, help them settle in Canada…”
Cabinet plans for a military-themed celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary are contradicted by a federal survey, the first of its kind, on the nation’s most treasured values and symbols. Canadians say they are just as proud of medicare (64%) as they are of the armed forces (64%): 'Sixteen percent said they were not proud of Canada on the world stage'.
Anti-trust investigators are expanding a probe of contracting practices at one of the country’s largest airports. The Vancouver Airport Authority says it is cooperating fully with the probe into airline catering: "The Authority exercises control over the business".
An Alberta man who sued for a refund of lawyering fees has lost a bid for a Supreme Court appeal. Justices declined to hear the case of an armchair attorney who won a case his paid lawyer said was likely a lost cause: "Client's frequently complain".
A federal contractor has successfully sued to block disclosure of trade secrets under the Access To Information Act. However a Federal Court judge ruled the value of payments made on government contracts must be made public: "It has an economic interest in maintaining secrecy".
Transport executives grumble a federal safety board is “too rigid” and oblivious to the expense of recommendations on system improvements. Complaints of tense dealings with railways, airlines and marine shippers are detailed in Transportation Safety Board interviews with industry: 'It is too confrontational at times'.
Canada Post faces a post-election pension fight over any proposal to strip benefits as a cost-savings measure, say employee and retirees' advocates. The corporation yesterday declined comment on claims it plans to cut payments under a new Parliament: "I can't understand how it would even be legal".
