Canada Post faces a Federal Court challenge over its plans to eliminate all doorstep mail delivery nationwide. A coalition led by the Canadian Postal Workers Union said it will today file an application asking that a judge quash the service cuts: "These cuts go against the rights of Canadians".
The federal mortgage insurer CMHC says it is at a loss to assess the amount of foreign investment in the country’s condo market. Authorities said attempts to determine if offshore speculators skewed sales in key cities have been unsuccessful to date: "What is the demand for the product?"
The cash-strapped Canadian Tourism Commission is hiring foreign-language Tweeters as a “cost-effective” promotion. The Crown agency has seen its budget cut 19 percent in the past two years: 'The more eyeballs you get, the more value you get".
A federal judge has upheld a landmark tax ruling that narrowly defines religious congregations under the Income Tax Act. The $1.8 million appeal came in a case that exposed the finances of a polygamist group in southeastern British Columbia: "The children earned about $2 an hour".
Pharmaceutical drugs flushed through the nation’s waste treatment systems are proven to disrupt entire fish ecosystems, says new Canadian research. Scientists documented the devastating impact of estrogen, commonly found in birth control pills, on lake trout and other species: "Organisms are connected".
Environment Canada’s “legally defensible” assessment of a British Columbia oil spill confirms fears that cabinet ignored safety in approving the Enbridge Inc. Northern Gateway project, says a B.C. legislator. The environment department proposes to study the impact of Alberta bitumen dumped on the northern B.C. coast: “I’m caught by surprise”.
The Consumers’ Association of Canada is opposing a Senate bill to regulate merchants’ fees on rewards cards, arguing retailers will simply pocket the savings. A private Liberal bill before the Senate would cap fees at one-sixth what retailers now pay: "This is not a consumer concern".
Transport Canada proposes no new initiatives on rail safety after being cited for lax enforcement by investigators of the Lac-Mégantic disaster. Transport Minister Lisa Raitt told the Commons transport committee initiatives previously announced will continue, but detailed no original proposals: "We have a problem".
Environment Canada is being prodded to expand its monitoring of Great Lakes water quality amid concerns on runoff of agricultural pesticides. Ecology groups accused the department of cut-and-paste responses to demands for regulatory proposals to curb toxic algae bloom: "What will it take?"
A finding of racial profiling against the Canada Border Services Agency has been thrown out by a federal judge. The case followed an admission from a customs officer that Chinese travellers are often scrutinized for unusual contents in their luggage: "It is more than common".
An oil lobby group credited with rewriting key federal regulations is winding up its work. The Energy Policy Institute of Canada surrendered its federal charter. Alberta Conservative Senator Douglas Black, founding president of the lobby, did not respond to Blacklock’s interview request: "There is mounting evidence industry has actually been drafting legislation".
Cabinet is quietly extending a tax break to thoroughbred horse breeders. Amendments to the Income Tax Act give breeders the same treatment as dryland farmers in deferring taxes owed in bad years. The amendment was written into a 278-page Ways & Means motion tabled in the Commons: 'We're like any other business -- a restaurant, or the Hamilton Tiger-Cats'.
Environment Canada proposes more research on links between air pollution and related deaths. The department is commissioning new studies on the “relationship” between common pollution sources like industry and traffic, and mortality: "We have so much information on this it seems like someone wants to avoid the question".
The Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from a frustrated job-seeker who complained of cronyism in government hiring. Justices granted costs but would not consider allegations that public service employment is discriminatory: "It's not surprising".
The jobless rate in Regina has hit an historic low for any Canadian city with virtual full employment for every worker, according to new federal data. Unemployment in the city is at 2.8 percent, tying the previous record set by Calgary in the winter of 2006: 'It's all good'.
