There is virtually no chance of a toxic spill at sea in the Canadian Arctic, though any fuel leak would devastate pristine wilderness areas, says a confidential Transport Canada report. The 2014 assessment rated the odds of a fuel spill at once every 778 years: "A spill of refined cargo products is predicted to occur close to every 3000 years".
The St. Lawrence Seaway saw a 7% rebound in year-over-year traffic this season, its best year since the 2008 recession, by official estimate. The Seaway Management Corporation said actual traffic of 39.6 million tonnes was just short of its target: "The Seaway proved its value".
Canada should reclaim John A. Macdonald’s Ottawa home as a bicentennial memorial to the Founding Father, says a Conservative cabinet member. Earnscliffe, a 19th century manor where Macdonald died in 1891, is currently the residence of the U.K. ambassador to Canada: "Wouldn't it be great?"
Toronto’s Pearson International is the most irritating airport in the country, according to complaints logged by Canada Border Services Agency. Documents cite hundreds of grievances a year, ranging from inadequate signage to “infrastructure”. Winnipeg and Halifax had among the fewest complaints: 'Toronto is always going to have the most'.
Defaults on government-guaranteed loans to small business average $75 million a year, records show. Industry Canada said it has no plans to lower loan limits raised five years ago: "The decision to grant a loan rests entirely with the lender".
Federal agencies are continuing quiet research on a proposed shipping lane for oil tankers on B.C.'s northern coast. The Department of Fisheries awarded a $50,000 contract to scan the Douglas Channel using robot gliders. Environment Canada earlier initiated its own studies on the impact of a tanker spill in the region: "It would be useful information in an actual spill".
Canada saw a dismal year for housing starts in 2014 with declines in seven provinces, according to CMHC. Only Alberta saw significant gains in construction of new single-family homes, condos, apartments and townhouses: 'It's much weaker than expected'.
Poet Shai Ben-Shalom, an Israeli-born biologist, examines current events in the Blacklock’s tradition each and every Sunday: “If I could tune my radio to the exact frequency of the Royal Canadian Air Force…”
Acquired Tastes is ingenious. Researchers at six universities take a bird’s-eye view of Canadian supper tables. They interview families nationwide, rich and poor, from Vancouver to Halifax, and ask: why do you eat that? Interestingly, nobody replies: “Because I’m hungry.”
Food, it turns out, is an expression of Canadians’ intimate values and ideals of self-worth. We are highly opinionated on the subject. Consider those who rate themselves “virtuous or moral individuals as they differentiated between their eating habits and those of other people,” editors note. One mother recalls the time she volunteered on a class field trip: “Kids would bring a little mini pop. I mean, it was just horrible”; “Cinnamon rolls and those Vachon cakes. I haven’t even seen them for years. One guy had an extra-big Coffee Crisp and a pop, and his dad was there on the field trip, and I remember thinking, ‘Oh my god, this is just awful!’ I couldn’t believe it.”
Confidential Transport Canada reports predict little gain in Arctic shipping despite climate change that’s expected to see ice-free summer passage within 20 years. Two studies conclude the Northwest Passage will remain too risky and expensive to generate commercial traffic: 'Insurance is costly'.
MPs will debate legislation to radically overhaul VIA Rail as the Crown passenger service braces for record deficits and cabinet prepares to appoint a new chair. The private bill would curb service cuts and permit employees to purchase VIA shares: "It would be a good first step".
The Canadian Transportation Agency is ordering airlines to formally adopt family-friendly seating policies. The order, effective March 2, says carriers must take steps to seat parents and children together: "We put consumers first".
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner is indicating support for a bill to appoint a new Inspector General to oversee the Canada Border Services Agency. The Senate bill, scheduled for hearings, would see a chief inspector granted broad powers to scrutinize the agency’s work: 'We should be alarmed such powers are wielded by an agency with no independent oversight'.
Cabinet will enact a contentious union bill C-525 within five months by speeding legislative amendments to correct technical garbling. The Department of Labour said the bill must become law before a fall election: "It will come into force on June 16".
Environment Canada is being sued after approving a scheme to sink a toxic warship in fish habitat. The department quietly issued a Disposal At Sea permit to a scuba diving society to scuttle HMCS Annapolis, a decommissioned destroyer, in a marine park in British Columbia: "This is costing a fortune".
