New federal rules on earthquake protection are “overkill”, says the Insurance Bureau of Canada. Insurers said a requirement they set aside billions in additional reserves in anticipation of disastrous quakes in B.C. and Québec will impact consumers.'Two simultaneous earthquakes are unlikely'.
Cabinet is approving new issues of collector Royal Canadian Mint coins in an order dealers caution may help sink the market. The secretive order allows the Mint to strike a new $1,250 coin and a $1,000 issue: "They are sucking out the value for collectors".
A Supreme Court judgment upholding union rights by Walmart employees may be a hollow decision, a legal analyst tells Blacklock’s. The retail giant was found in violation of the Québec Labour Code for closing its Jonquière store after workers certified a bargaining agent: "If you unionize, you lose".
Canada appears powerless to stem the disastrous spread of the mountain pine beetle, blamed for destroying thousands of acres of forest. A new federal assessment concludes the beetle continues its eastward flight from B.C.: "There is no reason this will stop".
In 1968 the government passed a Narcotic Drugs Act to pursue a “vision of a drug-free society”. Thousands of people were jailed; even simple possession of marijuana was punishable by up to six months’ imprisonment. Drug testing was punitive and commonplace and treatment was “based on obtaining complete abstinence”, noted a Senate report.
The country was not the U.S. but Sweden.
The scheme worked; marijuana use by young Swedes fell to 9 percent, less than half Canada’s comparable rate. Few analysts ever mention Sweden in our national debate over marijuana.
Homeowners and property managers face the prospect of rising insurance costs beginning in 2015 following an obscure federal order on earthquake reserves. Insurers have been told to set aside billions of dollars in new reserves in case of catastrophic quakes in two regions of Canada. Access to Information documents show insurers privately warn the regulations are costly and needless: "We worry about the impact on consumers".
A museum chronicling mankind at its worst is hiring consultants to determine why tourists will come for a visit. The Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg issued a contracting notice for research on visitors’ thoughts and impressions after its scheduled opening September 20: "We're not here to show horrible things".
A federal board violated the Copyright Act by selling millions of dollars’ worth of commercial data for $759, says a Calgary businessman. The Canada-Newfoundland & Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board is accused of selling material from Canada's largest private collection of marine seismic maps: "It is perverse".
Canadians are holding onto their wallets this summer with a majority minding their savings or cutting spending, according to Chartered Professional Accountants research. The survey also signaled a sharp decline in spending on home renovation: 'I can't afford it'.
Shoppers Drug Mart Corp. has won a legal battle against an ex-consultant it accused of masterminding a million-dollar scheme. The Supreme Court cleared the way for Shoppers to pursue its former contractor for misappropriated payments: 'It operated in Ponzi-like fashion'.
Managers and accountants rate Canada Revenue weak on enforcement with scorn for toothless treatment of offshore tax avoiders, the department’s own research shows. The findings are in a $149,000 study commissioned by management: "As soon as tax lawyers are brought in by the wealthy, the Canada Revenue Agency backs off".
New regulations will see thousands of Canadian lab workers fingerprinted and subject to criminal background checks as an anti-terror precaution. The Public Health Agency said employees with access to deadly bacteria and viruses must be scrutinized: 'The damage related to a SARS outbreak is 200 times the cost of these regulations'.
A Senate panel conducting landmark hearings on the environmental impact of farm chemicals should report to the public this fall, officials say. Senators aim to complete and publish findings on bee mortality and pesticides after Parliament returns from its summer recess September 15: "It's up to you guys".
Twelve million Canadians who signed onto the national Do Not Call List are being promised lifetime freedom from unwanted telemarketing calls. The nation’s telecom regulator the CRTC said the list of registered users is now permanent: "It makes sense".
Accountants are celebrating passage of legislation that requires MPs to sweep up orphaned tax amendments that clutter Parliament year over year. The measure was signed into law with an omnibus budget bill: "We are really happy".
