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Wednesdays with @Kady: Banning masks on Halloween?

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 31 Oktober 2012 | 22.40

There's always plenty to chat about with the always well-costumed Kady O'Malley.

On Wednesdays, CBCNews.ca's Politics blogger convenes a "people's caucus" to discuss and debate the issues of the week, so far.

Flickering inside the pumpkins this week:

Join us at 1 p.m. ET (comments open at 12:45 p.m. ET) with your trickiest questions. A big bowl full of political commentary awaits you.

You can also share your topic suggestions, questions for @kady and views on Twitter using the hashtag #WwK.

(Because this riot happens online, feel free to wear your own mask. Just make sure you can see clearly.)

Mobile-friendly version also available.

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Novartis flu shots OK'd by Health Canada

Health Canada has lifted its hold on Novartis flu vaccines.

The department has told the provinces and territories that had bought Novartis products that the vaccines are safe to use.

Novartis is supplying 20 per cent of Canada's total flu vaccine supply this year. (Jeff McIntosh/Canadian Press)

The decision means provinces that have either suspended their flu shot clinics or had to scramble to use vaccines made by other companies can resume normal operations.

The decision follows a risk assessment the department did using information from European regulatory agencies and the company.

Health Canada suspended use of the Novartis vaccines last Friday after several European countries stopped using two of the company's vaccines, Fluad and Agriflu.

The Italian regulatory agency had stopped distribution of Novartis vaccine to that country after the company reported finding a higher-than-normal level of protein aggregates in one batch of vaccine.

Novartis says the affected batch was pulled from distribution.

Protein aggregates are tiny bits of the killed influenza viruses that are used to make flu vaccine.

Normally those proteins are in a suspension and are not visible to the naked eye. But from time to time they fall out of suspension and can be seen.

Novartis says that's not uncommon, nor is it a sign that there is something wrong with the vaccine. Typically the particles will disappear when the vaccine is shaken, as it should be before use.

Novartis is supplying 20 per cent of Canada's total flu vaccine supply this year.

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Kenney set to release 2013 immigration levels

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney will announce Canada's 2013 immigration targets today, meeting reporters at 11:30 a.m. ET on Parliament Hill to outline how many people will become permanent residents next year.

Canada plans to admit 240,000 to 265,000 new permanent residents in 2013 – the same annual target range it has set for immigration since 2007.

However, Kenney is expanding the number of admissions under the Canadian Experience Class, which aims to recruit and retain international students who have studied and graduated in Canada as well as temporary foreign workers who speak one of Canada's official languages and already have Canadian work experience.

Up to 10,000 permanent residents will be accepted next year in the Canada Experience Class, up from 7,000 in 2012 and 2,500 in 2009.

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has been focused on restructuring Canada's immigration system, with a strong emphasis on finding immigrants likely to integrate and succeed in the Canadian workforce. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

Last month, Kenney's department marked its 20,000 immigrant under this class, after five years in existence. Admitting up to 10,000 in a single year represents a big jump.

The minister's annual immigration plan must be tabled in Parliament each year by Nov.1. It sets overall targets for how many newcomers will be issued visas to be admitted to Canada from abroad, as well as how many students and temporary foreign workers already in Canada will be allowed to stay.

The numbers of people accepted for permanent residency are expressed as a range under each of three categories:

Economic immigrants.
Family reunification immigrants.
Protected persons (refugees).

The operational targets for the number of visas issued for new arrivals can exceed the admissions targets because not everyone issued a visa moves to Canada that same year.

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Canadian economy shrank in August

Canada's economy contracted for the first time in six months, with August figures showing it shrank 0.1 per cent compared to July.

Statistics Canada said Wednesday that the service sector was unchanged, but led by declines in mining, oil and gas, and manufacturing, the goods-producing sector shrank by 0.5 per cent.

Economists had been expecting a slight gain of 0.2 per cent overall.

With the poor showing, Canada posted its slowest annual pace of growth in more than two years.

Broad-based but small declines

Overall, the data agency noted shrinking output in 10 out of 18 industrial sectors.

"This was no fluke," said Douglas Porter, deputy chief economist at BMO Nesbitt Burns.

"While some temporary factors weighed on activity in August, the main message here is that the economy is struggling to churn out any growth whatsoever."

He expects a "modest rebound" for September, but sluggish growth for the rest of the year.

With files from The Canadian Press

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Sandy brings more rain, cold to Eastern Canada

The wrath of Sandy has come and gone, but weather forecasters say the post-tropical storm will bring rain, cool air and possibly flurries to Eastern Canada today as trick-or-treaters prepare for their annual Halloween ritual.

Southern and eastern Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes will experience scattered showers to heavy rain, but there may be snow in parts of northeastern Ontario, said CBC meteorologist Jay Scotland.

Many power lines in Toronto were downed, causing outages, after superstorm Sandy hit the city late Monday night. (Nathan Denette/Canadian Press)

"The remnants of Sandy will continue to spread moisture into cooler air, which means flurries or light snow for some and a messy mix, including freezing rain, for others ... the good news is that the worst of the wet and windy weather is behind us," he said.

"But cloudy and cool weather will remain in place for trick-or-treating, and parents should be advised to keep the umbrella handy."

Nova Scotia Power was working to restore power to roughly 2,500 people - the majority of which were in Dartmouth.

Neera Ritcey, a spokesperson for Nova Scotia Power, said the utility is hoping all of the electricity will be restored by late morning.

"There's been a lot of individual, scattered outages that went on overnight," she told CBC News on Wednesday.

"Given the kind of weather they were dealing with, thunder and lightning, obviously they have to ensure that they're working safetly and are spending the right amount of time doing the repairs that are needed."

Scotland said Sandy has grown in size, but weakened considerably in intensity.

"The biggest threats from Sandy today will be some heavy rain continuing today for the Maritimes and parts of eastern Quebec with 30 to 50-plus millimetres possible," he said.

Environment Canada said the Charlevoix region northeast of Québec City had already received 143 millimetres since Monday.

Further east in the Martimes there is a chance of thunderstorms, and while there is the risk of localized flooding, the weather is "far from extreme," said Scotland.

"Windy and wet is what they get for Halloween, but the heavy rain will taper off through the afternoon," he said.

In northern Ontario, the township of Wawa was blanketed with 10 centimetres of snow overnight Tuesday as Sandy moved across the region.

The town is under a state of emergency after a severe drenching of rain last week washed-out roads in the area, including a section of the Trans-Canada Highway.

Power restored to thousands

Cleanup in Eastern Canada continues after the superstorm's unrelenting winds and rain on Tuesday felled trees and tossed debris, leaving as many as 200,000 people without power and killing at least one woman.

Recovery efforts are also underway in the northeastern U.S., where Sandy's impact was far more widespread and deadly. The superstorm's storm surges, as much as four metres high, and lashing winds left millions without power and at least 55 dead.

The strongest winds in Ontario (106 km/h) were recorded on Western Island in Georgian Bay. In Quebec, Laval and Orléans experienced winds close to 90 km/h.

Wind warnings were in place for most of southern Ontario and Quebec, but were lifted by Tuesday afternoon.

On Wednesday morning, at least 7,700 homes and businesses were still without electricity in southern Ontario, Hydro One said, down from as many as 90,000 a day earlier.

Toronto Hydro reported up to 55,000 people were without power on Tuesday, but by Wednesday morning, electricity had been restored to all but 700 customers.

"Toronto Hydro estimates that more than 85 per cent of the outages were caused by tree limbs coming into contact with power lines, poles and transformers," it said in a statement. Toronto Hydro estimated that the cost of storm-related repairs could reach $1 million.

Projected path of post-tropical storm Sandy

Source: Canadian Press, Map data: NOAA, OpenStreetMap

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Another earthquake rattles B.C. coast

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 30 Oktober 2012 | 22.40

Another earthquake has rattled the north coast of B.C.

The 6.2-magnitude tremor was recorded at 7:29 p.m. PT Monday at a depth of about 10 kilometres and was centred about 260 kilometres southwest of Prince Rupert, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

There were no reports of injury or damage.

It is very close to the same area of Saturday's 7.7 magnitude quake.

The U.S. National Weather Service said the latest quake was not expected to generate a tsunami.

The tremor came as questions are being raised about the B.C. government's response to the weekend earthquake off the northwest coast, after officials took more than half an hour to issue a tsunami warning.

Seismologists say aftershocks like the latest one are normal. But Masset fire chief Stephen Grosse said that comes as little comfort to residents.

"People are like pins and needles around here right now," Grosse said. "People are too nervous. It scared them pretty bad. They still don't know who to trust, or if they should trust anybody."

Grosse said the rush to stock up on gas, water and non-perishibles left one gas station empty over the weekend.

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Quebec provincial police make arrests in $9M tax fraud

Quebec provincial police made a series of arrests this morning in an alleged invoicing fraud they estimate bilked the government of nearly $9 million in taxes.

Officers raided several locations around southern and central Quebec, armed with arrest warrants for 17 people wanted on charges of theft over $5,000, money laundering, gangsterism and conspiracy.

Sgt. Daniel Thibaudeau said the police were first notified to the alleged fraud in 2010 after Revenu Quebec noticed irregularities in some of its files.

Investigators believe the suspects, all involved in construction companies that specialize in foundation work, created fake companies and used fraudulent invoices to generate cash. The fake invoices billed for labour and included GST and PST that was allegedly never paid to the government.

Police allege the construction entrepreneurs used the cash to pay employees under the table and for personal expenses.

The provincial police launched an investigation, dubbed Operation Tourniquet, in 2011 that led to raids on residences, vehicles and warehouses north of Montreal.

"It allowed us to discover this network of fake companies, which systematically, repetitively and organized fashion conspired to commit these crimes of a fiscal nature," Thibaudeau said.

Tuesday's arrest warrants are tied to that investigation.

The investigation is not linked to the province's corruption inquiry or investigations by the permanent corruption unit, he said.

None of the 17 people being sought by police has known links to organized crime groups and none was previously known to police.

Thibaudeau said the value of the fraud could rise as the investigation is ongoing.

Some of the accused are expected to appear in Montreal court this morning. Others will appear via video.

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Sandy brings vicious winds, rain to Ontario, Quebec

Southern Ontario, Quebec and parts of the Maritimes continue to be lashed by superstorm Sandy — which has killed one woman in Toronto — as the massive weather system churns its way north.

The destructive post-tropical storm has already wheeled through the northeastern U.S. — where it has caused flooding, widespread power outages and more than a dozen deaths — and is now pummelling parts of Canada with strong winds and heavy rain.

The superstorm has left more than 200,000 people across Ontario and parts of Quebec without power, impeded Toronto transit systems, and triggered the cancellation of a quarter of all flights at Toronto Pearson Airport.

For forecasters, the superstorm's unrelenting winds are the greatest concern.

"Wind will be the biggest threat today, [but] it will diminish throughout the morning for Ontario," said CBC Meteorologist Jay Scotland.

"We're still just seeing it really ramping up into Atlantic Canada. Gusty winds certainly, but not as potent as what the U.S. northeast saw. There are some rainfall warnings also in effect for the Maritimes, pounding surf as well for the St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes."

Southern Ontario is expected to bear the brunt of the storm today, with powerful winds being more of a concern for forecasters than the rain.

Environment Canada has ended wind warnings for most of southern Ontario. However, a warning remains in effect in Sarnia, in southwestern Ontario, which the agency says had among the highest gusts at 100 km/h.

Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley told CBC News that waves on the community's shores reached six to nine metres overnight, the highest in recent memory.

"This is a storm reminding some people of Hurricane Hazel [in 1954], thank goodness not in the loss of life, but in the duration and anger of the storm." he told CBC News Tuesday.

"No one has seen the St. Clair River look like this for at least a generation."

While winds reached top speeds of 103 km/h overnight, the threat comes from prolonged winds at 40 to 60 km/h, said Scotland.

"We're used to dealing with powerful gusts that come with thunderstorms but sustained winds at this level spanning hours is a relatively rare occurrence in Ontario," he said.

Woman killed by storm-blown sign in Toronto

Those gusts claimed a life in Monday night in Toronto. Police say a woman was killed by a falling sign as winds of 65 km/h whipped the city.

Toronto Police sit at a taped off Staples outlet parking lot after strong storm winds caused a piece of a sign to fall, killing one, in Toronto on Monday. (Victor Biro/Canadian Press)

The woman, in her 50s, was hit in the head by a sign panel measuring about two-metres wide while walking in a commercial parking lot near Keele Street and St. Clair Avenue. The panel was ripped off by a strong gust of wind, police say. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Sandy was unleashing its wrath on New York City at the time, but the Canadian Hurricane Centre said the impact of the weather system extended over a thousand kilometres from the storm's centre.

About 150,000 people in Ontario are without power, with an estimated 800 storm-related outages, said Energy Minister Chris Bentley in a statement.

The most heavily affected areas are Toronto, Waterloo, Peterborough, Owen Sound and Sarnia, he said.

As many as 55,000 people in Toronto were in the dark, Jennifer Link, a spokewoman for Toronto Hydro told CBC News. This figure has come down to roughly 45,000, as emergency crews work to resolve outages across the city, Toronto Hydro said.

An additional 90,000 people in several other communities across southern Ontario are without power, according to Hydro One.

And in Quebec, about 48,000 thousand homes and businesses in the province were without power. Roughly 28,000 of those customers are in the Laurentians, although the Lanaudiere and Monteregie regions were also affected.

Transportation woes

Meanwhile, the weather also caused transportation headaches.

Superstorm Sandy's strong gusts of wind felled several trees across Toronto. (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press)

Several Toronto buses and streetcars were being diverted due to fallen tree limbs, hydro poles and downed wires, according to the Toronto Transit Commission.

At Toronto's Pearson Airport, about 25 per cent of all incoming and departing flights were cancelled this morning in the wake of the superstorm.

Flights were also delayed or cancelled due to weather at Ottawa International Airport and Montreal-Trudeau Airport, according to their websites.

As well, gusts from Sandy on Monday caused a Nova-Scotia built tall ship to sink, leaving one crew member dead and the captain missing.

Wind warnings lifted except Sarnia, Quebec City

Wind warnings were in effect for much of southern Ontario, from southern Georgian Bay to Kingston, Ont., and along the St. Lawrence River, but were lifted by about 7 a.m. ET Tuesday.

A warning remains in effect in Sarnia, however. A wind warning also remains in place for the Quebec City region, the Canadian Hurricane Centre said.

Parts of southern Quebec and southwestern Nova Scotia will also be whipped by strong winds, but the gusts will not be blowing as hard as in Ontario.

As the storm swirls its way north, officials are urging people in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes to take precautions through the day.

At their strongest predicted point, today's winds could down trees, hurl debris through neighbourhoods, create difficulties for motorists on highways and even make it difficult to walk down a street, said Rob Kuhn, a severe weather meteorologist with Environment Canada's Ontario Storm Prediction Centre.

"If somebody loses their balance, they could get knocked over," he said.

Precipitation could turn to snow in Ontario, Quebec

Breaking waves along the southern shores of the Great Lakes also remains an issue, said Scotland.

Higher than normal water levels and pounding surf is expected along the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia and along the St. Lawrence River. Forecasters are warning that some coastal flooding could be seen in the Quebec City region.

Downed powerlines closed a Toronto street on Oct. 30, a day after high winds and heavy rain caused by post-tropical storm Sandy damaged cars and property across the city. (Nathan Denette/Canadian Press)

"[It] will likely be most pronounced in the Niagara Region and even more so south of Lake Huron as northerly winds are intensified with little friction over a long stretch on this north to south oriented lake," he said.

In Quebec, a storm surge warning is in effect for the St. Lawrence as gusty winds will pile water up on shore for those along the river.

Rain is also an issue today, but the showers, while they will be heavy, are likely to come in sporadic bursts.

Southern Ontario expects between 20-40 millimetres of rain, although some areas could see higher amounts, while southern and central Quebec could also see some showers, according to Environment Canada.

The precipitation could turn into snow over parts of Ontario and western Quebec, said Environment Canada.

The southwestern Maritimes are also likely to experience a soggy day with rain that could persist into Wednesday with total amounts which could exceed 50 millimetres.

Sandy expected to weaken by midday

Many Canadians living in Sandy's path have taken to Twitter and Facebook to discuss the power outages, rattling windows and damage to backyards caused by the storm. However, some fake photos of Sandy's aftermath were being circulated on various social media networks.

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews has said the military and the Canadian Coast Guard are on standby to help grapple with any havoc wreaked by Sandy.

Health Canada is conducting generator checks and has reviewed the National Emergency Stockpile, which contains supplies such as beds, blankets and antibiotics. Meanwhile, the Red Cross says it has 550 volunteers on standby in Ontario and the Atlantic provinces.

Sandy is expected to weaken through the day, notably starting around lunchtime, said Environment Canada meteorologist Etienne Gregoire.

"Typically, hurricanes, when they make landfall and become post-tropical [cyclones], they lose about 50 per cent of their energy in the first 24 hours. So we're going to see the remnants of Sandy really diminish in intensity through day," he told CBC News.

Environment Canada expects winds in Ontario to drop to between 40 and 60 kilometres per hour this afternoon and predicts gusts between 30 and 50 kilometres an hour by tonight.

Sandy made landfall in the U.S. Monday evening, just after forecasters stripped it of hurricane status, but the distinction was purely technical, based on its shape and internal temperature.

It still packed hurricane-force wind, and forecasters were careful to say it was still dangerous to the tens of millions in its path.

The storm killed 69 people in the Caribbean before making its way up the Atlantic.

Projected path for post-tropical storm Sandy

With files from the Canadian Press

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Youth unemployment outlook not so bleak

Employment prospects for younger Canadians looking for work are not as dismal as widely believed, a report released by the Certified General Accountants Association of Canada today suggests.

The report argues that the peak unemployment rate among those aged 15 to 24 peaked at 15.2 per cent during the latest recession, lower than the high of 19.2 per cent in the 1983 downturn and 17.2 per cent in 1992.

And young people tended to find work faster than mature workers.

In 2011, it says, 46.8 per cent of unemployed young people found a job within four weeks, compared with 27 per cent of mature job seekers.

The study also suggests the quality of jobs for young people has been improving during the recovery.

Young people found 32,500 higher-wage jobs over the three years to October 2011 while the number for mature workers contracted by 0.7 per cent.

Underemployment bigger issue

A bigger challenge, the report warns, is underemployment of the young, as the proportion of those employed in lower-skilled occupations remained unchanged between 1990 and 2011, despite an increase in educational attainment.

Underemployment, it says, leads to loss of skills, knowledge and abilities, lower income, job dissatisfaction and emotional distress, which may, in turn, have health effects.

The CGA-Canada recommends educators and employers cooperate better in tailoring training to meet the needs of business.

It also suggests governments strive to improve Canadian competitiveness, in order to promote an increase in higher-paying jobs.

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New Windsor-Detroit bridge threatens endangered species

Canada's public works department said the construction of a new international border crossing in Windsor, Ont., poses a threat to two endangered plants.

Dense Blazing Star. (Ojibway Nature Centre)

The department said it's launching an effort to relocate the species before construction of the Detroit River International Crossing in west Windsor ramps up next summer.

It said at least 277 Dense Blazing Star plants and 180 Willow Leaf Aster ramets will be moved between November 2012 and May 2013.

It said the plants will be relocated to the eastern side of Lake St. Clair, near Chatham-Kent.

Willow Leaf Aster. (Sierra Club Canada)

Earlier this month, the Harper government announced in its latest omnibus bill it will exempt the new Windsor-Detroit bridge from major Canadian environmental laws.

The Conservatives introduced the Bridge to Strengthen Trade Act as a part of the omnibus budget bill tabled in the House of Commons.

Once passed, bridge construction would be immune to laws governing permits, approvals and authorizations, including the Environmental Assessment Act and the Species at Risk Act.

With files from the Canadian Press

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Kenney's economic immigration changes praised, scorned

Written By Unknown on Senin, 29 Oktober 2012 | 22.40

As Immigration Minister Jason Kenney prepares to table a new immigration levels plan for 2013 this week, he has much to lay claim to in Canada's restructured immigration system.

Kenney's most commonly proclaimed achievement has been to move the country toward more efficiently accepting migrants who can best contribute to the Canadian economy. That shift will be visible yet again in this year's target levels across all categories of economic immigrants.

A promised final recalibration of the points system that governs the foreign skilled worker category was also set to be unveiled this week, but that announcement has been pushed back to January.

Still, most of the planned changes to the points system are already widely known: They will place increased weight on youth, job skills and, most importantly, strong English- or French-language skills.

The new system will also provide for better pre-screening of foreign education credentials. And there will be some new streams added, including a long-needed "skilled trades" stream that will address the large trades gap.

Wait time cut by years

In the meantime, the government has fixed the processing times, wrangling them down to less than a year. Under the old system they stretched in some cases to nearly a decade.

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has earned both praise and criticism for changes to the way Canada handles economic immigrants. (CP file photo)

The willingness to limit the intake is the reason processing times are finally down, and it is the most effective measure Kenney has taken, according to Vancouver immigration lawyer Richard Kurland.

"That single measure, while politically unpopular, fixes Canada's immigration system, because no longer will we take in a year more files that we can process in a year," Kurland told CBC.ca. "That guarantees no more backlogs. It's common sense, but no previous government had the chops to do it."

Overall, Kurland added, the foreign skilled workers category has undergone a major fix.

"It will be less expensive to process more files, and the quality of those files is 'higher grade,' because the bar was raised for language skills," he said.

As for the backlog of files received under the old system, last spring Kenney made another controversial move: a plan to delete the backlog of some 280,000 foreign skilled worker applications. That stack of files has been an albatross, sitting stagnant for years with no responsiveness to current labour market needs. Some applicants have languished in the queue nearly a decade.

Under Kenney's plan, those whose files had not yet been opened will be refunded their application fees.

However, to those whose files were about to be processed, the move appeared grossly unfair. They have launched a legal challenge and it's not yet clear what the outcome will be.

Observers generally agree that some improvements to the system include:

The expansion of the Provincial and Territorial Nominee programs: Thus far, most provinces have proven more adept at choosing the people with needed job skills than Ottawa has been at choosing them through the foreign skilled worker category. Expect to see those levels increase or remain steady for another year in a row.
Creation of the Canada Experience Class: No longer do the best and brightest foreign students and skilled workers who already have experience in Canada have to leave the country in order to reapply for permanent residency. Now, they can transition into becoming Canadians while they continue to contribute to the Canadian economy.

Still, for many workers in Canada, there is no easy transition to residency despite months or years of backbreaking labour here. It's a problem critics say must be considered when assessing how well Kenney has shifted the country's focus to immigration as an economic tool.

Barriers remain for temporary workers

While some temporary workers, notably in Manitoba, have gained the help they need to transition to permanent residency, a new collection of essays written by Canadian academics, documents the overwhelming barriers many temporary migrant workers face in trying to become residents and citizens of Canada.

Not only that, the increasing numbers of temporary foreign workers who have few rights and little stake in the nation's political life are creating a two-tiered system that's undermining Canada's traditionally equitable treatment of immigrants.

That's the warning issued in "Legislated Inequality: Temporary Labour Migration in Canada," co-edited by University of Ottawa professor Patti Tamara Lenard.

Lenard says it clearly documents what had long been suspected: Temporary workers in Canada are vulnerable to abuse. That runs counter to the driving ethos of Canada's decades-old immigration system, in which immigrants are viewed as "full and equal members of our political community." That sense of community has, she argues, contributed to Canada's success.

"Where migrants are admitted on temporary visas — in particular those migrants admitted to work on visas that do not permit the transition to citizenship [or where this transition is difficult] — we are undermining this basis of our success," Lenard said.

In particular, Lenard said, the collection illustrates that two conditions of temporary labour in Canada create systemic inequality: "One, migrants are not permitted to transition to permanent residence or citizenship, and so are treated as expendable; and two, they are not permitted to change employers, which means they are denied one of the main ways in which employees can protect their rights."

The essays are based on research and interviews with migrant labourers. They found that in addition to facing barriers to becoming permanent residents, even if they do achieve that goal migrant workers continue to struggle to improve their economic lot. They remain at the "bottom tier" of the economic immigration system.

Temporary workers have little to no access to supports such as settlement services to help them integrate, even if they should want to transition to permanent residency.

"Temporary migrants are not entitled to these services, so even where they can manage to stay permanently, they do not have access to the standard help in integrating that immigrants have," Lenard said, adding a serious policy change is required to give these workers more rights and more support.

Lenard argues the numbers are worrisome: For several years Canada has admitted more temporary foreign workers than economic immigrants in all categories, including foreign skilled workers and Canada experience class. Last year, the country admitted 190,679 temporary migrant workers, compared with 157,000 economic immigrants.

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TransCanada, Phoenix Energy to build $3B Alberta pipeline

Calgary-based TransCanada and Phoenix Energy Holdings Ltd. are forming a partnership to build a $3-billion pipeline project in northern Alberta to serve an area of emerging oilsands production.

Each of the companies would own half of the Grand Rapids project, which they expect will carry crude oil and diluent for oilsands producers northwest of Fort McMurray, Alta., starting in early 2017.

"As Alberta crude oil production continues to grow, it's critical to have the infrastructure in place to move oil to market from emerging developments west of the Athabasca River," says Russ Girling, TransCanada's president and chief executive officer.

"This is the first major pipeline project to meet the needs of this fast-growing area."

TransCanada operates one of North America's largest networks of energy pipelines.

Its best-known development is the controversial Keystone XL project, which would expand the company's capacity to carry Alberta crude to refineries in the U.S. Gulf Coast region.

The Keystone XL project has been stalled by concerns about the environmental impact of building the pipeline, as well as the increased risk that could occur in the event of a major spill.

The pipeline industry, including TransCanada, argues that their networks are vital to link the United States with a stable source of energy and that technological advances have reduced the risk.

In Canada, there's the additional incentive to open up new markets and improve prices for oil and gas produced in Western Canada.

Zhiming Li, Phoenix's president and chief executive officer, said the company is committed to developing its Dover and MacKay River oilsands assets.

"Given that transportation in the Athabasca region has become a bottleneck, working with TransCanada to build a pipeline system in a timely fashion is crucial to implement our development strategy," Li said.

"This transportation solution will be important to Phoenix and other potential producers in this area to monetize their huge resource."

The Grand Rapids project would stretch 500 kilometres to an area northwest of Fort McMurray, one of Canada's oilsands centres.

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Woman 'appalled' how U.S. site spread 'dirt' about her

A young Saskatoon mom is speaking out against an American gossip website that posted vicious comments about her sex and social life, written by people she can't identify.

"I was just so embarrassed. Yes — I have made my mistakes I have to live with … but I am back at school and trying to put this all behind me," said 23-year-old Kendra Olesen.

"None of it should ever be posted publicly like that — on a site where I can't take it down."

Someone submitted an anonymous post about her last winter to the popular, controversial American site "The Dirty," run by self-described internet celebrity Nik Richie, who is based in Arizona.

Richie allows anyone to submit "dirt" about someone else, which he then posts, without verifying whether it is accurate. His site includes sections for several Canadian cities, with hundreds of posts about Canadians.

"I went on and was completely appalled at what I had seen," said Olesen.

All anonymous

The submission about Kendra claimed she drinks and drives and sleeps around, among other things. Several other people also posted rude comments, many who don't know her.

"Everybody has partied. Everybody has gone out drinking and it's just — why did they attack me so badly?" she said. "Half of it wasn't even true."

The Dirty invites people to 'submit dirt' about people, which is then posted without verifying its accuracy. (CBC)

The expose came a few weeks after someone — possibly the same person — keyed her new car, engraving it with derogatory names. Someone also messaged her friends on Facebook — under a fake name— claiming Olesen had a sexually transmitted disease, which she also said was not true.

Olesen said she thinks she knows who is responsible, but can't prove it.

"This person clearly has some sort of long-held hatred towards me that I just can't even describe. Because I could never do anything like that to somebody else," she said.

Suicide attempt

Olesen said she was so devastated by the post and comments on The Dirty — shown on a page with her name and pictures — that she attempted suicide by overdosing on prescription drugs.

"I didn't want to go out. I didn't want to leave my house. I was very withdrawn," Olesen said. "[The site] is ruining a lot of people's lives — and it's awful."

Her worst fear, she said, was that her six-year-old twins, whom she gave birth to when she was a teen, would see the posts.

"In a couple of years, all they would have to do is type in my name and that's the first thing that pops up. I never want them to have to read that. Never," said Olesen.

Nik Richie, owner of The Dirty, told the Dr. Phil show his website is a form of entertainment and is there to hold people accountable for their actions. (Dr. Phil)

Olesen lives with her parents — who adopted her children when they were born — and is now studying to become an engineer. She wrote to Richie, through his website, asking him to remove the posts about her.

"I heard nothing. I got nothing back," she said.

When B.C. teen Amanda Todd committed suicide after being tormented online, Olesen said she decided to go public about her ordeal.

"I am so much better now. I am getting the support that I need and the help that I need to get through this, but it's just something I want gone forever."

Her mother said she is proud of Olesen for taking a stand and speaking out.

"It's affected our family — and her children — in such a way that we want to be able to make a positive, by coming forward and saying we don't want this to continue," said Val Foulds-MacLeod.

"This has happened to my kid. It can happen to anybody," said Foulds-MacLeod. "It's like a life of its own once this machine gets started … and there is not one thing you can do about it."

Richie has been sued and vilified by some critics in the U.S.

He declined to be interviewed by Go Public. However, he has publicly defended what he does, by pointing out there is demand for it.

"My site is a form of entertainment.… It's a business," Richie said on the Dr. Phil show in 2010. "It's a form of holding people accountable for their actions.

"I think it's the new way of social media —and it is definitely revolutionary."

Canadians called 'whiny'

Richie's lawyer told Go Public he's received about a dozen letters from lawyers representing Canadians who want to sue him for defamation.

"You guys are very thin-skinned from what I can tell," David Gingras told Go Public.

"I get so many letters from Canadians and they are very, like, whiny. If you guys don't like the internet then you are going to have to turn it off."

Kendra Olesen and her mother Val Foulds-MacLeod are speaking out because they hope to help others who have been affected. (CBC)

Gingras said that even if someone filed and won a suit in Canada, they wouldn't be able to collect from The Dirty. The company has no assets in Canada and U.S. law doesn't allow foreign defamation awards to be enforced there.

Gingras also said that what Richie is doing is perfectly legal in the U.S.

"This is a very black and white thing. Websites in the United States can't be held responsible for material posted by users," said Gingras.

"A lot of people I've dealt with over the years have come to The Dirty and said, 'Look, I am begging you, please I am so hurt by this. And for whatever reason Nik turns a blind eye. He doesn't help them. And ultimately they wind up being stronger for it."

Go Public emailed Richie, explaining Olesen had contacted him about taking her post down, but hadn't heard back. He replied, saying he would remove it immediately.

"This is the first I have heard of it or of her … I will remove," Richie replied.

When Go Public told him Olesen was trying to turn her life around, he wrote, "Looks like the wakeup call worked then. Give Kendra my best and I wish her continued success. Post removed."

CBC email goes awry

However, at one point, the CBC became part of the story.

The CBC producer who first talked to Olesen wrote an email, intended for Go Public reporter Kathy Tomlinson, saying he still believed Richie is "the scum of the earth," adding "Creepy doesn't begin to describe it."

He mistakenly sent that email to Richie, who responded by posting the email exchange on his website, along with criticism of the CBC.

The comments about Olesen, which have since been removed, attacked her on many fronts. (CBC)

He also said Olesen's post would stay up after all.

"So Kendra when this hate story comes out and the world wonders why I'm such an asshole your post is still up because of IDIOTS … the definition of true journalism," Richie wrote on The Dirty.

Olesen then wrote to Richie again, appealing to him directly, and soon afterward, he did remove the posts about her.

"This is happening even to people who are even younger than me," said Olesen. "I can't even imagine what they are going through."

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Slow B.C. tsunami warnings raise questions

Questions are being raised about the B.C. government's response to the weekend earthquake off the northwest coast after officials took an hour to issue a tsunami warning.

The 7.7 magnitude quake struck at 8:04 p.m. PT Saturday, eventually triggering tsunami warnings along the West Coast of Canada and the U.S. and as far away as Hawaii.

But it was 8:55 p.m. by the time Emergency Management B.C. was able to issue its first tsumami warning on Twitter, long after U.S. warnings had been issued at 8:13 p.m. PT and news stations had already begun reporting on the earthquake.

While there were no reports of large waves, injuries or major damage in the end, some local officials, including Tofino's mayor, say the flow of information was slow, prompting them to put their own plans into action.

In Prince Rupert, several hundred kilometres from the epicentre, some people complain they heard no emergency messages to seek higher ground.

In the village of Tlell, on Haida Gwaii, Dutes Dutheil said he and his neighbours did not get enough information about what was happening.

"We still have no news, other than turning on the TV or radio — but if there's no power?" he said.

"There has to be some better way of communicating to people if there's an emergency and they have to evacuate," said Dutheil.

Officials pleased with response

Kelli Kryzanowski, the province's manager of strategic initiatives for Emergency Management B.C., said she was pleased with the way local governments and individuals reacted to the quake and the tsunami threat.

The agency activated nine operations centres and sent out thousands of voice calls, emails, and faxes to first responders, she said.

But Kryzanowski promised a review will be conducted.

"After these types of events we always do an analysis and have discussion about what will be the best ways to further enhance. So at this point we're just doing the post mortem on this, figuring, looking at what went well, some of the lessons we can learn, and then those discussions will take place down the road," Kryzanowski said.

Justice Minister Shirley Bond also said overall she's pleased with the response of emergency officials and local governments, but added that she won't offer her own assessment of the response until after the review is complete.

Bond also said that at least one government system may have had technical difficulties.

Prepare yourself, say experts

Meanwhile experts and politicians are urging British Columbians to consider the weekend earthquake off the coast of Haida Gwaii as a wake-up call to make their own prepartions.

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson is urging people to ensure homes and businesses are prepared.

He also says there is still work to be done to make government buildings and schools quake-resistant — in a region that is overdue for a major shaker.

"A real focus needs to happen for residents and businesses to be ready for the big one. This was a real warning, definitely a wake-up call for everybody in Vancouver that we need to be ready for the big one," said Robertson

There have been more than 30 aftershocks since the initial quake hit. Just before noon Sunday a 6.3 magnitude quake hit just west of Sandspit, on Haida Gwaii.

With files from The Canadian Press

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Canadians urged to prepare for Hurricane Sandy

Canadian officials are urging those in the path of Hurricane Sandy to be ready for at least 72 hours without power, while forecasters warn that some areas of the country could see in excess of 50 millimetres of rain and winds climbing up 100 km/h or more.

The storm, moving up the U.S. Eastern Seaboard, has already caused the cancellation of hundreds of flights to and from Eastern Canada.

Wind warnings were posted by Environment Canada covering much of southern Ontario, along with parts of Eastern Ontario and western Quebec along the St. Lawrence River.

"Southern Ontario, southern Quebec and southwestern Maritimes will experience high wind gusts and periods of heavy rain beginning later today and continuing into Tuesday," Environment Canada said in a bulletin issued early Monday.

Heavy rainfall is expected as early as Monday afternoon in Ontario, Monday evening in Quebec and Tuesday morning in the Maritimes. Rainfall is expected to vary between 20 and 50 millimetres depending on the area.

The Canadian Hurricane Centre says parts of southern Ontario should brace for 90 km/h winds or higher, especially along western Lake Ontario, the Niagara escarpment, Lake Huron and Georgian Bay.

CBC meteorologist Jay Scotland said the southern shores of the Great Lakes will see the risk of pounding waves and some shoreline flooding.

"If you're in the Niagara Region [or] if you're south of [Lake] Huron towards Sarnia, northerly winds will be piling that water up on shore," Scotland said. "Avoid being near the shore. The waves are fun to look at, but you'll be doing a dangerous thing to take in those sights."

Environment Canada said strong winds with gusts exceeding 90 km/h could also batter parts of Quebec.

"The chances of the gusts in the 60 to 90 km/h range are greatest in the evening and overnight," said Environment Canada meteorologist Etienne Gregoire.

"Typically, when you get in that range, you see branches broken off. With trees having a fair amount of leaves and the ground relatively wet ... it's not impossible to see trees broken off and uprooted."

Gusts up to 80 km/h are expected along coastal areas of southwestern Nova Scotia, with slightly lower winds expected farther to the north and east, the weather agency said. The Maritimes will also experience some rainfall and strong winds, as well as large waves and pounding surf.

"We have forecast offshore winds to reach probably 120 km/h… and seas will be building west of Nova Scotia, in the Gulf of Maine and at the mouth also of the Bay of Fundy," said forecaster Jean-Marc Couturier at the Canadian Hurricane Centre.

"We would be expecting probably wave heights to reach five [to] six metres in that area."

Southwestern New Brunswick should expect up to 40 mms of rain tomorrow and up to 80 mm over the next couple of days, Couturier said.

Emergency stockpile

The Canadian Red Cross issued a statement Sunday urging people to prepare for the storm by stocking a number of supplies including water, food, flashlights and a first aid kit. Hurricane Sandy could down trees and power lines and cause flooding, the organization said.

"Be prepared to take care of yourself and your family for at least 72 hours in an emergency," Mike Morton, the Canadian Red Cross director of disaster management in Ontario, said in a release. "By taking some time now to store emergency food, water and other supplies, you can provide for your entire family during a power outage or evacuation."

Among items to consider for an emergency kit are:

Four litres of water per person for each day of a 72-hour period (two litres for drinking, and two litres for washing)
Enough non-perishable or canned food for each person for 72 hours, as well as enough food for pets
A manual can opener
A crank or battery-operated flashlight, with extra batteries
A crank or battery-operated radio, with extra batteries
Spare keys for the house and car
A first aid kit
Cash in small bills, in case power outages restrict the use of bank machines
Other special needs items such as medications, baby formula, diapers and equipment for people with disabilities

People living in the affected areas are also being reminded to store anything outside their home that could become airborne.

"Our primary goal at this point is to make sure that everybody understands that this is going to be a serious storm and that they have a part to play, so they need to be thinking about making sure that anything that's outside is secured or taken in," said Allison Stuart, the chief of Emergency Management Ontario.

Air Canada, WestJet and Porter Airlines have all issued statements warning that flights to and from the U.S. northeast have been or will likely be cancelled in the coming days. Passengers are advised to checked the status of all flights.

More than 300 flight cancellations were posted on the website for Toronto's Pearson International Airport by mid-morning Monday.

Hurricane Sandy is currently on a northeast track off the coast of the U.S. but is projected to slam into the New York and New Jersey area before affecting Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. (Environment Canada)

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Tenderized meat labels being considered, minister says

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 28 Oktober 2012 | 22.40

Canada's agriculture minister says federal officials are looking at issues surrounding mechanically tenderized meat in the wake of a massive E. coli-related beef recall from Alberta's XL Foods.

Gerry Ritz was in Regina on Friday and reporters asked him about the process, in which lesser cuts of steak are pressed with steel blades and needles to make them tender.

That could potentially push E. coli into the centre of the steak, which often isn't cooked completely.

Ritz allows there is talk in both the U.S. and Canada about putting a label on such products.

He says such a label would warn people "that if you're buying this tenderized product at a lesser price, because it's a lesser cut of meat that's been tenderized, that it should be labelled to warn you to cook it beyond the temperature that's required."

Ritz says that would be up to Health Canada, not the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

"But certainly they take it seriously and they're working toward that end," he said. "I know in Alberta, the Alberta public health agency has actually outlawed it until they have a better look at it."

The CFIA restored the XL plant's operating licence this week and also launched a review of the E. coli crisis that made at least 16 people ill.

Management of the plant in Brooks, Alta., has been taken over by JBS USA, an American subsidiary of a Brazilian company.

JBS USA has not yet decided if it will exercise its option to buy the plant.

Production is expected to begin again on Monday.

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Health Canada pulls distribution of Novartis flu vaccines

Canada is following the lead of several European countries and suspending distribution of flu vaccine made by the pharmaceutical firm Novartis.

The decision relates to the discovery by the company of tiny clumps of virus particles in some batches of flu vaccines made at the Novartis production facility in Italy.

Health Canada, which announced the move, said Novartis has agreed to suspend distribution of its vaccines — sold in Canada as Fluad and Agriflu — while the department investigates the situation. All the Novartis vaccine Canada purchases is made at the Italian plant.

The department is also telling doctors and others who administer flu shots to hold off using Novartis product for the time being.

"We think it's prudent, given the response of certain European countries to . . . request of Novartis — and they will be complying — to stop distributing and then to recommend to practitioners to refrain from using the (Novartis) vaccine just until this review is completed," Dr. Paul Gully, senior medical advisory for Health Canada, said Friday.

Vaccine may not work as well as it should

Dr. Allison McGeer, an infectious disease consultant at Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital, told CBC News that people who have had the Novartis shots should not worry about adverse side effects.

The worst she sees happening is the shot won't work as well as it should.

McGeer stressed that the agency's move signals its tendency to be extra cautious when it comes to flu shots, and she feels people are in more danger from avoiding the flu shot than from having a Novartis shot.

Health authorities in Italy, Germany and Switzerland have suspended distribution of some Novartis flu vaccine, and in the case of Germany recalled some lots of vaccine, after the clumping issue came to light.

In a statement issued Friday night, the company said more than one million doses of its flu vaccines have been administered in Europe so far this season and no unexpected adverse events have been reported.

As well, it said that it has already delivered about 70 per cent of its Canadian order (roughly 1.5 million doses), again without hearing of problems in people who have received Novartis flu shots. The company said people who have received Novartis flu shots are not at risk.

Company says clumping not unusual

Novartis said finding minute clumps of virus protein in vaccines is not unusual. They said their vaccines passed quality inspections and they are confident the products are safe.

"We think that there's no adverse consequence, no side effects, because we do occasionally see [particles], so we want to find out exactly what the Europeans saw and why they took the decisions that they did," said Dr. Paul Gully, the senior medical advisor for Health Canada.

"The aggregate proteins are predominantly influenza virus-derived (mainly hemagglutinin), all normal and necessary components of influenza vaccines," the company said. "Aggregation of these proteins is not unusual in vaccines manufacturing."

Hemagglutinin is the protein on the outside of flu viruses that locks onto cells in the human respiratory tract to start the process of infection. Flu vaccines are designed to provoke the immune system to produce antibodies to hemagglutinin to protect against infection.

In fact, this isn't the first time protein clumping has disrupted Canada's flu vaccine supply.

During the 2009 pandemic, there was a delay in delivery of unadjuvanted vaccine for pregnant women when GlaxoSmithKline, Canada's pandemic vaccine supplier, found visible protein aggregation in some of the vaccine.

Adjuvants are compounds that boost the response a vaccine generates. Canada used adjuvanted vaccine during the pandemic, but bought some unboosted product for pregnant women as a precaution.

Novartis makes only about 20 per cent of Canada's annual flu vaccine purchase. GlaxoSmithKline makes the bulk of Canada's seasonal flu vaccine, though a variety of other suppliers have a share of the Canadian market.

Still, because of the way vaccine orders are placed, the hold on Novartis vaccine could put some provinces and territories in a position where they face a temporary vaccine shortfall, just at the time when flu shot programs are getting underway, Gully admitted.

He said Health Canada hopes there is a rapid resolution of the situation. But if provinces or territories have a problem with supply, efforts will be made to share across jurisdictions, he said.

Both Fluad and Agriflu are sold in single-dose formulations, pre-loaded into a syringe.

Fluad contains an adjuvant and is licensed for use in people 65 and older. Older adults do not mount a good response to flu vaccine and the inclusion of an adjuvant is an effort to improve the protection they get from flu shots.

With files from CBC News

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Family mourns girl killed in Alberta classroom crash

The family of the Grade 6 girl who died after being pinned by a minivan that crashed into her classroom in St. Paul, Alta. on Thursday says she was a happy girl with a passion for dance.

Megan Wolitski died in an Edmonton hospital on Friday.

"We would like Megan to be remembered for the incredible girl that she was. She loved her family and loved to take care of her sister and baby cousins," her family wrote in an emailed statement.

Megan Wolitski died in hospital Friday, one day after a minivan crashed into her Grade 6 classroom, injuring her and seven classmates. (Les Miskolzie)

Megan and two other girls were critically injured when a van smashed through a ground-floor window of Racette Junior High School on Thursday morning. All three were flown to Edmonton hospital. One was upgraded to stable condition on Thursday afternoon.

Five other students were taken to hospital in St. Paul.

"We ask that you pray for her classmates who are still recovering from their serious injuries," the statement said.

Megan's family said she was a Girl Guide who was looking forward to an upcoming trip to Switzerland with her unit.

Police have charged the driver of the van, Richard Edward Benson, 46, with three counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm, one count of resisting arrest and one count of possession of marijuana.

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Tsunami heads for Hawaii after huge B.C. quake

Low-lying areas in the Hawaiian islands have been evacuated following a 7.7-earthquake that struck near Haida Gwaii, off the British Columbia coast, on Saturday night.

At least three tsunami waves were reported on B.C. coast in the hours following the quake, which struck just after 8 p.m. PT.

The waves have not caused any damage, but there have been evacuations in Haida Gwaii and Port Edward, near Prince Rupert. Officials say it's not clear how many people have been driven from their homes.

"It looks like the damage and the risk are at a very low level," Shirley Bond, British Columbia's minister responsible for emergency management said. "We're certainly grateful."

Kelly Kryzanowski of Emergency Management B.C. said an evacuation centre had been set up on Haida Gwaii.

"Power in some areas is sporadic. There are challenges with telecom. We have not had any reports of damage," Kryzanowski said.

The tsunami warning was downgraded to an advisory at about 11:30 p.m. PT for the North Coast and Haida Gwaii, as well as the Central Coast including Bella Coola, Bella Bella and Shearwater.

Dennis Sinnott of the Canadian Institute of Ocean Science said a 69-centimetre wave was recorded off Langara Island on the northeast tip of Haida Gwaii, formerly called the Queen Charlotte Islands. The islands are home to about 5,000 people, many of them members of the Haida aboriginal group.

Another 55-centimetre wave hit Winter Harbour on the northeast coast of Vancouver Island, while a 12-centimetre wave was recorded in Tofino, on Vancouver Island's west coast.

"It appears to be settling down," Sinnot said. "It does not mean we won't get another small wave coming through."

Tsunami threat moves to Hawaii

As the tsunami threat diminished in B.C., attention turned to Hawaii, where the first wave is expected to hit at around 1:28 a.m. PT.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie proclaimed an emergency, mobilizing extra safety measures

The CBC's Anu Dawit-Kanna in Waikiki said the streets have been cleared.

"The horns were going off," said Dawit-Kanna. "We have been told to stay in our hotel rooms, and we happen to be on the 14th floor and our hotel is asking everyone to stay above the fourth floor."

She said restaurants are shutting down and police are getting people off the beaches. Guests in the lower floors of at least one beachside hotel are being told to get out if they can.

Public information officer John Cummins said an island-wide and state-wide evacuation was in effect.

"Our streets and highways leaving the area are backed up, so we are working with our first responders to mitigate that as quickly as possible and get our cars inland and away from the hazard and danger area."

The last tsunami siren sounded at 1:00 a.m. PT. Emergency personnel have pulled out of low lying areas and have said anyone who ignored the sirens and chose to stay in affected areas are now on their own. Honolulu police have told people stuck in their vehicles to consider evacuating on foot, as traffic jams are clogging major arteries.

Earthquake felt in cities across B.C.

The quake, which struck just after 8 p.m. PT, was felt across a wide area of north-central B.C., including Prince Rupert, Sandspit and Kitimat, and was felt as far away as Quesnel, Houston and Kamloops. It was followed by multiple aftershocks as high as 5.8 in the following minutes.

It was centred 198 kilometres south-southwest of Prince Rupert at a depth of 10 kilometres, the USGS said.

There have also been reports of people feeling the earthquake as far away as Edmonton, St. Albert and Grande Prairie, Alta. as well as the Yukon.

'It was very fluid, I guess you could say. Everything was moving.'Neil Goodwin, Sandspit, B.C., resident

Natural Resources Canada seismologist John Cassidy said this type of earthquake occurs when two tectonic plates slide against one another, adding it's not the kind that usually causes substantial tsunamis.

Neil Goodwin in Sandspit felt a rolling motion Saturday evening.

"It was very fluid, I guess you could say. Everything was moving. It lasted for at least a good 30 seconds. It was difficult to stand. Definitely there was some damage that was done to people's houses here in town."

He said the whole town evacuated and left for higher ground.

"People are definitely nervous, worried about their homes. I think everyone has got out safely. We practise tsunami evacuation drills quite often here in town, so I guess it's all paid off now."

The quake felt much stronger to Dave Martynuik in Queen Charlotte.

"The whole house was just shaking, pictures on the walls," said Martynuik. "[My son], he was stabilizing the bookshelves —and the windows, everything was just creaking."

"We have two cats and one cat was deliberately throwing herself at the door to get herself out. It was just pure hell there for a while."

Canada's largest earthquake since 1700 was an 8.1 magnitude quake on Aug. 22, 1949 off the B.C. coast of , according to the Natural Resources website. It occurred on the Queen Charlotte Fault in what the department called Canada's equivalent of the San Andreas Fault — the boundary between the Pacific and North American plates that runs underwater along the west coast of Haida Gwaii.

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Liberals ask watchdog to probe Tory MP campaign spending

Newly-appointed Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs Peter Penashue is sworn in at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Wednesday, May 18, 2011. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)

Interim Liberal leader Bob Rae is calling on Elections Canada to launch a formal investigation into the election spending of Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Peter Penashue during the last federal election.

In a letter to the Commissioner of Canada Elections, Rae says "a number of serious allegations" have come to light and if proven to be true, "they constitute serious infringements of the Canada Elections Act and may even bring into question the validity of the election result in a very close race."

Records obtained by CBC News, show that Penashue's campaign spent $24,711 in flights during the 2011 election campaign, but an airline in his Labrador riding wrote off most of that amount under an agreement that appears to have been made months after the election was over.

The cost of the flights that were written off would have put Penashue well over his spending limit. CBC News has previously reported that Penashue's campaign spending records show he was already nearly $4,000 over his limit.

It also appears Penashue still owes $15,000 plus interest on a loan provided by Innu Development Limited Partnership, a company run by two Innu communities to develop business partnerships. Penashue's brother-in-law, Paul Rich, was the CEO of IDLP but he stepped down after the community expressed outrage that Rich earned more than $1 million in salary over two years.

Candidate travel isn't subject to spending limits under Canadian election laws, but the travel expenses of a candidate's family, staff and volunteers are. That means the airline invoiced Penashue for $18,163 of travel that falls under campaign expense limits.

A calculation by CBC News of the travel expense invoices, the previous overspending and a portion of a flat rate charged by the airline for travel shows that Penashue's campaign overspent its limit by $17,469.06, or about 21 per cent.

In his letter, Rae said this matter is "quite serious because, taken together, these irregularities could have certainly had an impact on the election in Labrador."

Penashue won the 2011 federal election over Liberal incumbent Todd Russell by 79 votes.

With files from CBC's Laura Payton

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Tenderized meat labels being considered, minister says

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 27 Oktober 2012 | 22.40