Canada column for
Sunday, Sept. 23/18
THE CANADIAN REPORT
(c) By Jim Fox
The environmental
impact of oil tankers shipping crude oil from Alberta to overseas markets is
being reviewed to try to get approval to expand the Trans Mountain pipeline.
Natural Resources
Minister Amarjeet Sohi said the Canadian government is giving the National
Energy Board 22 weeks to complete a thorough review of the environmental impact
of oil tankers off the British Columbia coast.
The government
bought the existing pipeline from Kinder Morgan for $4.5 billion, approved the
project and plans to sell it back when completed to a private buyer.
The Federal Court
of Appeal has blocked the expansion saying more consultation and environmental
impact studies are needed.
Sohi said he
believes the latest plan will “allow us to meet the high standards that
Canadians expect when it comes to protecting the environment.”
Under review will
be the impact on killer whales with the number of oil tankers rising to 35 a
month from the current five.
---
An agreement on pay
for Canada’s rural and suburban postal workers has averted a potential strike
by letter carriers.
The settlement was
reached with an arbitrator after the postal union argued that the 8,000 mostly
women rural carriers were being paid substantially less than their largely male
urban co-workers.
The settlement amounts
to a 25-percent pay increase or as much as $13,000 more annually on a minimum
base pay of $26 an hour retroactive to the start of 2016.
Canada Post said
the pay-equity dispute settlement could cost the government corporation up to
$250 million when it had a second quarter loss of $242 million.
---
News in brief:
- Ontario Premier Doug
Ford went to Washington on Thursday to “stand up” for the province’s workers in
the free-trade negotiations. The Conservative leader said it is important his views
be known as the federal Liberal government tries to reach a deal. “Your
government is working hard to protect Ontario jobs that depend on trade,
especially in our steel, aluminum, automotive and agriculture sectors,” he
said.
- Toronto’s
“terrific talent base” is why Uber Technologies is revving up its Canadian
operations by creating an engineering hub and expanding its self-driving
vehicle center in the city. The developments will help the company build and
update its infrastructure so it can offer more features and products, said Dara
Khrosrowshahi, chief executive officer. It will add 300 jobs to the 200 already
in Toronto.
---
Facts and figures:
Canada’s dollar has
risen to a value of 77.41 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.2921 Canadian
before bank exchange fees.
The Bank of Canada’s
key interest rate is steady at 1.5 percent while the prime-lending rate is 3.7 percent.
Stock markets are higher, with the Toronto
exchange index at 16,259 points while the TSX Venture index is 720 points.
The average price for gas in Canada is slightly
lower at $1.29 a liter or $4.90 (Canadian) for a U.S. gallon.
Lotto 6/49: (Sept. 19) 3, 9, 15, 17, 23 and 45; bonus 18.
(Sept. 15) 3, 4, 18, 24, 32 and 36; bonus 19. Lotto Max: (Sept. 14) 1, 3,
5, 10, 16, 27 and 43; bonus 14.
---
Regional briefs:
- There’s speculation
that Canada will hold off until after the Oct. 1 Quebec election before considering
a deal with the U.S. on the North American Free Trade Agreement. Easing
Canada’s access to dairy products is a sore point with Quebecers and its major
dairy industry. Polls show the governing Quebec Liberals ahead in support.
There was still no breakthrough in the talks that the U.S. wants completed by
the end of this month.
- Barbara Reddick
of Nova Scotia has reached a settlement with her nephew over splitting a $1.2-million,
tax-free lottery jackpot. After suing her nephew Tyrone MacInnis rejecting a
50-50 split of the winnings, the two agreed to $872,639 for her and $350,000
for him. The woman said she hadn’t intended to split the prize with MacInnis
and had put his name on the ticket only for “good luck.”
-30-
Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com
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