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SASKATOON - Bonnie Lysyk said neither the health authority nor the provincial ministry of health could tell her office what criteria was used to award the contract to Amicus to build a $27M care facility. (Saskatoon StarPhoenix) REPORT: SK 2011 report volume 2
Employment insurance is at the heart of Canada’s social safety net. You pay into the system when you work, and you collect if you’re laid off. But EI might be one the most unjust and economically inefficient government programs. (Globe & Mail) REPORT: Making it work .pdf Mowat Centre for Policy Innovation EI broken State Secret revealed Office of Client Satisfaction EI fraud bust
WHITEHORSE - More than 400 people entered a lottery to buy land in Whitehorse, indicating the severity of the city’s housing shortage. (CBC) PREVIOUS: Yukon: About 34,246 people living on about 474,391km (183,163 sq mi) Metro Vancouver: about 2,116,581 people living on about 735.6km (1,905 sq mi)
Regulators still protecting their turf TORONTO - Health-care professionals are still facing problems moving across borders within Canada more than two years after an agreement to eliminate those barriers. (CP)
TORONTO - The Ontario government will start cracking down on doctors who tack on extra fees to services covered by OHIP. (CBC) RELATED: Fee for losing traffic case Another hidden government fee
MONTREAL - The Quebec Court of Appeal ruled that a proposed federal law to set up a national securities watchdog is unconstitutional. The court said in a split decision the federal government exceeded its legislative jurisdiction with the project. The Alberta Court of Appeal reached a similar conclusion at the beginning of March. (CP)
TORONTO - The Competition Bureau is suing the Toronto Real Estate Board for allegedly denying services to customers over the Internet. (CTV)
VICTORIA - The US Securities and Exchange Commission has alleged that Victoria resident Colin Heatherington made $11.6M and two co-conspirators generated another $52.2M in a massive international stock fraud. (Vancouver Sun) MORE: International hedge fund pumping scheme
PIERREFONDS - After two years of struggle and a pending court case, the Agence Metropolitaine de Transport (AMT) has decided to stop pursuing an elderly train rider who failed to pay an extra .50 cents for a transfer. (CTV) PREVIOUS: .50 cents
VANCOUVER - A stream of these job offers that caught the eye of immigration officials stemmed from a Vancouver law firm that advertised Nigel Thomson, head of the agency that oversees immigration consultants in Canada, as their immigration expert. (CBC) PREVIOUS: Immigration consultant busted Consultant charged in student visa scheme Move to criminalize bogus immigration consultants Crack down on 'crooked' consultants
School boards having trouble paying government VICTORIA - Mandatory carbon neutrality means even bigger demands on the wallets of school boards across BC, already facing multi-million dollar budget shortfalls. The government has formed a crown corporation called Pacific Carbon Trust to invest in green projects across the province. (CTV) PREVIOUS: Teachers pensions, wage increases mean cuts elsewhere
TORONTO - A Toronto condo owner says her patience is wearing thin with the eviction process at the Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board. (CBC) |
OTTAWA - New polymer banknotes demand that all money-handling machines in the country be upgraded at a cost of $75-100M, the Bank of Canada estimates. (Toronto Star)
Some new vehicle owners are complaining their cars consistently use much more gas than they were led to believe they would. The Automobile Protection Association (APA) said one key problem is the vehicle-specific consumption rates the government puts out in its Fuel Consumption Guide are not based on reality. (CBC)
Canada's airport operators are howling after federal aviation officials revealed it will cost them at least $400M to bring runways up to international safety standards with longer overrun zones. (PostMedia) PREVIOUS: National Airports System (NAS) 26 NAS airports serve 94% of all traffic RESA Aviation sin taxes
IQALUIT - An internal audit has found the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) violated almost every financial management rule since its creation in 2009. (CBC)
TORONTO - Ontario’s top teacher watchdog has quit. Jacques Tremblay, who the Star reported was a writer of soft porn replete with questionable administrator-teacher-student conduct, resigned Tuesday. (Toronto Star) MORE: Official resigns Watchdog writes soft porn Ontario's secret list Ontario College of Teachers Predator teachers Police check an illusion Teacher did not lose his job
ST JOHN'S - The president of Newfoundland and Labrador's Crown energy corporation says he is surprised and disappointed at the tone of an environmental assessment that concluded the utility has not proven the need for the proposed $6.2B Muskrat Falls hydroelectric project. (CP) MORE: Muskrat Falls hydroelectric project
SASKATOON - The practices of the Saskatchewan Real Estate Commission (SREC) are under investigation following complaints raised by a former auditor of the agency. (CBC)
MONTREAL - In Quebec, butter is butter. A butter substitute cannot be described as being in any way associated with butter. (QMI) PREVIOUS: Canadian dairy industry CILQ
WINNIPEG - The Public Utilities Board has ordered a 45% rebate be given on MPI basic vehicle premiums paid in the 2009/2010 insurance year. (CTV)
FREDERICTON - A senior Progressive Conservative MLA is demanding to see a secret study into NB Liquor's executive compensation package. The chief executive officer's position at NB Liquor pays more than $150,000 annually and is one of the most coveted political rewards in the province. (CBC)
BATHURST - Former long-time Liberal MLA Frank Branch will stand trial on a series of fraud charges. Court of Queen's Bench Justice Ronald LeBlanc ruled that Branch will face five charges, including breach of trust, extortion and fraud against the province of NB, stemming from alleged wrongdoings during his time as general manager of the North Shore Forest Products Marketing Board in Bathurst. (CBC) PREVIOUS: Legal aid refused Frank Branch
Recycled still ending up in dumps TORONTO - In its first year, the Ontario Electronic Stewardship (OES) - a private agency created by provincial regulation - gathered only a third of the 42,000 tonnes of toxin-laced equipment it was originally supposed to collect. (Toronto Star)
VANCOUVER - A BC Supreme Court judge ruled Imre Toth was "negligent" and provided "woefully inadequate" estimates after his inspection of a home the couple bought in September 2006. Toth is a member of the Canadian Association of Home & Property Inspectors (BC), a self-regulating association that licenses its members. (CTV) |
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OTTAWA - Annual compensation paid to directors of publicly traded companies in Canada has risen by more than a third over a two-year period to $112,651, according to a report from the Conference Board of Canada. (PostMedia) 2011 director's compensations practices Investors sue securities commission Ontario obstacle to TMX-LSE union Largest shareholder Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Ontario plays 'strategic asset' card Bay Street lawyers fear high paying job losses Why the LSE and TMX are getting together Bid reopens Canadian benefit debate |
Shareholders admit lying to regulators Police charge 2 in Ponzi scheme Pension fund wants say on national securities watchdog Plan for single securities regulator AB & QC will battle for their regulators 13 years for justice in AB - and counting Stockbroker denies altering documents Investment broker faces new allegations Friedland settlement .pdf |
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No deal on securities regulator Will 'wet noodle' ruling put scandal to rest? Securities regulation on agenda Ex-TSX chief urges merger of Canada bourses Epic BC securities case ends in failure |
Can you trust your financial advisor? Flaherty stands firm on regulator Can Flaherty regulate the regulators? Another flaw in the system gets noticed Patchwork regulators flawed set-up Political parties are the most corrupt institutions Why few white collar crooks end up in jail Canada's dawdling cost US opportunity to deter Rankin to pay $250,000 in OSC deal Canada's fraud squad hindered by laws, leadership |
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Pacific International Securities Inc Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) Alberta Securities Commission (ASC) BC Securities Commission (BCSC) Manitoba Securities Commission (MSC) NB Securities Commission (NBSC) |
Special Advisor report to the RCMP Corporate Governance in Canada and the US Northwest Territories Securities Registry Nova Scotia Securities Commission Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) Prince Edward Island Securities Office Quebec Autorite des marches financiers (AMF) Saskatchewan Financial Services Commission |
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Keeping democracy at arms length OTTAWA - We elect politicians, we make our voices heard, we decide who will run the government. That government takes office and then…the permanent bureaucracy takes over. More and more our politicians at all levels of government are giving up their power to “arm’s length” organizations which really means unaccountable bureaucrats. (QMI) |
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TORONTO - A new board of directors for Toronto’s troubled social housing provider will be in place by mid-June. A panel of three will vet and recommend seven citizen appointees to the board of Toronto Community Housing Corp., Mayor Rob Ford said. (Toronto Star) |
Verdict in seniors' home fire a call to action Toronto Community Housing Corp In Al Gosling's death hope for others |
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LAKE LOUISE - There were no red-coated Mounties waiting to throw him in the hoosegow as a radio DJ and admitted wine lover symbolically flouted a liquor law that dates back to Prohibition. (CP) |
BC considers changing liquor laws Canadians should see red over feds' inaction on archaic liquor law |
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Bylaw officer says it will cost $28.65 for walk TORONTO - It was a beautiful day in Humber Bay Park. The seniors group had just finished an hour-long walk along the water, a regular event organized to warm them up before a twice-weekly fitness class at a nearby community hall. They didn't get far before the bylaw officer's truck appeared. (Toronto Star) |
TORONTO - Preadorshani Biazar was a relatively low-earning provincial bureaucrat with an unemployed husband when she was arrested in 2007 - yet she was able to travel the world, own three Toronto-area homes and drive an expensive luxury SUV. (CanWest) |
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VANCOUVER - Former NDP MP Nelson Riis has agreed to a two-year market suspension and $40,000 in fines and costs to settle allegations he made "overly optimistic and misleading claims" about the commercial prospects of Vancouver-based Canadian Rockport Homes International Inc. (Vancouver Sun) MORE: BCSC settles 2009 BCSECCOM 44 Dozens of MPs have shares |
MASERU - Gap’s decision to develop the production of jeans and T-shirts in Lesotho had heralded an era of opportunity for one of the world’s poorest nations but a Sunday Times investigation has exposed an unforeseen consequence of that commitment - the dumping of tons of waste, much of it dangerous, at unsecured municipal sites. (Sunday Times) RELATED: Foreign investors snap up African farmland |
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YORKTON - The provincial Ministry of Health has ordered a review of more than 70,000 diagnostic images that were interpreted by a Yorkton radiologist whose competency is being questioned. (Saskatchewan News Network) |
TORONTO - Millions of Ontario drivers are about to be slammed with double-digit premium hikes, with the average Toronto-area driver likely to pay nearly 14% more. (Toronto Star) PREVIOUS: Financial Services Commission of Ontario |
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OSC investigating Ponzi scheme TORONTO - The Ontario Securities Commission is investigating an alleged Ponzi scheme run by a Toronto businessman that may have raised as much as $60M, some from the Chinese Canadian community, according to court documents filed this week. (Toronto Star) MORE: Investor 'king' admits sin, but denies stealing OSC probing alleged Ponzi scheme |
LONDON - The Accreditation Service for International Colleges (ASIC) has given 180 institutions the stamp of approval since he set it up in 2007. Among them is a Manchester college exposed last month as the front for an immigration scam which helped 1,000 fake students to enter or stay in Britain. (Times online) RELATED: Germany rocked by allegations of PH.D. bribes |
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Regulatory agency overruled every time CHARLOTTETOWN - The PEI cabinet overruled every decision by the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission (IRAC) to reject non-resident land purchases last year. (CBC) RELATED: Millions in government assistance for 5 employees, not 100 |
Mackenzie pipeline panel reports People in the Northwest Territories are still sifting through the Joint Review Panel's recommendations for the Mackenzie Valley gas project. (CBC) REPORT: Review panel for the Mackenzie gas project Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Regulators delay pipeline |
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VANCOUVER - The Fraser Institute has crunched data on the outcomes for nearly 2.5M patients admitted to BC hospitals between 2001 and 2007 and has ranked how up to 95 acute care hospitals performed. (Vancouver Sun) REPORT: Hospital report card BC 2009 More Canadians dying at home |
TORONTO - Many hospital boards of directors in Ontario are flying blind when it comes to setting salary levels for the chief executive officer, leading to wide discrepancies in compensation, a new report suggests. (Globe & Mail) MORE: Pay practices hurting morale Ontario Hospital Association |
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Revoking tax powers of school boards WINNIPEG - The Manitoba government could move to revoke the taxation powers of school boards. Similar action was announced by the Saskatchewan government, which said it is revamping the school tax system and assuming direct control over how much property owners pay on the education portion of their tax bills. (CBC) MORE: 79% of school board spending goes to staff |
Homemade food for homeless banned VANCOUVER - For 12 years, sandwiches have been prepared in the homes of Christ Church Cathedral parishioners and supporters before being taken to the downtown Vancouver heritage building and served to the needy. Then someone from the Vancouver Coast Health Authority noticed what was going on and put a stop to the practice, demanding the food be prepared on site. (Vancouver Province) |
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TORONTO - For $400 cash, some Etobicoke residents were allegedly told they could jump a lengthy lineup to have their inferior pipes replaced. Instead of joining a year-long wait list for the city's pipe replacement services, they could be hooked up by spring. (Toronto Star) |
Former brokers can be held accountable VANCOUVER - The decision paves the way for the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) to proceed with allegations of misconduct against Charles Dass, a former broker with Dundee Securities Corp. in Port Alberni. (Vancouver Sun) PREVIOUS: $3.9M missing |
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TORONTO - The Ontario government spent more than $23.4M on outside lawyers and consultants in suing numerous parties over alleged corruption at its real estate arm but it has been awarded just $3.5M plus interest after a recent trial. (Toronto Star) |
Law society kept legal fight secret REGINA - A recent Appeal Court decision has revealed, for the first time, the existence of a years-long legal battle between the Law Society of Saskatchewan and prominent Regina lawyer Tony Merchant. . (Saskatoon Star Phoenix) RELATED: Pair accused of giving advice without law society membership |
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CALGARY - There is no mystery what is hurting Greyhound Canada: politics. Politicians and regulators have intervened in transportation decisions to such an extent that the country's principal operator of inter-city buses can no longer make a profit carrying passengers on most of its routes. (Edmonton Journal) |
Open the highways to competition |
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Construction site safety under scrutiny CALGARY - As city engineers work to pinpoint how two large pieces of glass plunged from a construction site in the Beltline, inspectors are launching a sweeping review of highrise building projects. As many as 36 major projects will be visited by safety codes officers in the coming weeks looking specifically for overhead structural concerns that could pose a danger to the public. (Calgary Herald) |
Anguish Witness tells of horror Construction site safety under scrutiny Little girl killed, mother in hospital Girl killed as truck hits stroller Crane death warrants criminal charges |
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CALGARY - It's been called "Ponzimonium"- a surge in the number of Ponzi schemes being probed across North America -and it has watchdogs in Western Canada busy, too. (CanWest) |
Shire International Real Estate Investment |
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CALGARY - A Mormon church leader who blew the whistle on a $60-million alleged Ponzi scheme says "it's wonderful" that RCMP have laid charges in the case whose victims span the globe, but called it "unbelievable" it took them six years. (Calgary Herald) Ottawa-provinces face off over pensions Watchdog appeals white collar sentence Canada struggle with white collar crime White collar cost of living is higher Jones scared, may need protection Jones' company declared bankrupt Financial adviser allegedly stole $6.5M |
Earl Jones and the incredible shrinking justice system AB challenges single regulator Regulators scrap changes to corporate governance rules Another alleged Ponzi scheme uncovered Call for National Enforcement Agency Watching spending not feds' role Victims of BC Ponzi scheme urge caution |
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OTTAWA - The doctor accused of exposing patients to hepatitis and HIV by not cleaning equipment properly now faces a $20M class-action lawsuit. Merchant Law Group is handling the suit that names Dr. Christiane Farazli as the defendant. (QMI) Government spends $750K on 'scare' Thousands exposed to infection risk No crisis 'until it was too late' |
Doctor should have know patient was dying College alleges doctor 'incompetent' Ontario Addiction Treatment Centres, Cosmetic surgery crackdown begins Province pushes for legal whip over doctors Doctors' legal records to be made public |
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Fine for driving up power rates CALGARY - A major Alberta power company has been issued a $370,000 fine for manipulating power rates. TransAlta has agreed to pay the fine. (CTV) |
Regulator levies record securities fines |
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TORONTO - Whether they were aware of it, Ontarians enter a legal grey zone when they participate in a carpool, says a new ruling by the Ontario Highway Transportation Board. (Windsor Star) MORE: Evil carpooling startup fined |
SASKATOON - Lawyers for Susan Rault of Watrous and Michael Nolin of Saskatoon say they were treated more harshly than other lawyers who committed comparable offences. (Saskatoon Star Phoenix) |
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VANCOUVER - A class action lawsuit was launched against the BC Medical Association (BCMA), alleging that the group improperly charges “arbitrary and excessive” fees to BC physicians who are not members of the association, but who must obtain publicly-funded benefits from the group. (Vancouver Sun) BCMA board slammed |
NEW YORK - An undercover police sting has implicated two Vancouver stock promoters and a local stockbroker in an alleged bribery scheme. (Vancouver Sun) PREVIOUS: Stock promoter facing US fraud charges US stock bribery cases have Vancouver connections |
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OTTAWA - The Ontario liquor board has fired at least 10 workers in the last year for scooping up Air Miles meant for customers. The employees were nabbed after the Liquor Control Board of Ontario gained access to their Air Miles accounts and found they were using personal cards to accumulate points on customer sales. (CP) |
LCBO staff fired for swiping Air Miles 'Social responsibility' mandate
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High-stakes battle over mining rights OMPAH, Ont. - Frank Morrison knew immediately what the red metal tag meant. He didn't understand why it was on his land. The race for resources has put the spotlight on the Mining Act, which, under a system known as free entry, allows prospectors and mine developers almost unhindered access to public lands and much private property as well. (Toronto Star) |
TORONTO - A Toronto Star investigation in early 2009 showed the costly provincial Labour Market Re-Entry program, which had been outsourced to the private sector, failed to lead nearly half of its participants to jobs. (Toronto Star) PREVIOUS: Program that fails WSIB Crawford Healthcare Management, Sibley & Ontario names next WSIB head |
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WINNIPEG - Questions are being raised about a Winnipeg doctor whose licence was revoked due to a psychiatric problem - but whose name is being kept secret, even from the doctor's former patients. (CBC) COMMENT: Patients must know |
RCMP asked to investigate programs HALIFAX - Nova Scotia's auditor general has referred what he calls irregularities in the province's immigrant nominee program to the RCMP for further examination. (CP) MORE: RCMP asked to probe nominee program |
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Too many questions need answering VANCOUVER - Police, the BC Coroner's office and Fraser Health Authority are scrambling to get to the bottom of an apparent arrest that ended when a 22-year-old, waiting for psychiatric help at MSA Hospital in Abbotsford, slipped past health workers and hanged himself in a staff washroom 10 days ago. (Vancouver Province) PREVIOUS: Family deserves answers |
REGINA - The minister responsible for Saskatchewan Crown corporations has accepted the province's rate review panel recommendation to approve SaskEnergy's proposed average natural gas rate hike of 24% to $8.71 per gigajoule. (Regina Leader-Post) PREVIOUS: Another 20% rate hike approved Minimum 40% SaskEnergy hike proposed Appointed SK rate review panel |
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MONTREAL - The cabinet appears to have sounded the death knell for the off-white margarine distinctive to Quebec, the last province to rule that margarine can be any colour as long as it is not yellow. (Montreal Gazette) PREVIOUS: Canadian Daily Commission |
MONTREAL - UltimateBet.com, which is owned by a company controlled by former Kahnawake grand chief Joe Norton, acknowledged that unnamed insiders had altered its poker software to allow them to see opponents' hidden cards. (National Post) |
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EDMONTON - Alberta Education advised the Alberta School Boards Association (ASBA) in an e-mail last month that the province has transferred the responsibility for reviewing complaints about teacher competence to the Alberta Teachers' Association, said Heather Welwood, president of the provincial school boards association. (Calgary Herald) |
Mom fires BC government collection agency VANCOUVER - One quick read of the enforcement agency's government website and Vancouver mom Lisa S. was hooked. The BC Family Maintenance Enforcement Program was just what she needed to look after the nasty stuff: They had the goods to flush out deadbeat parents, record support payments and collect overdue amounts along with interest. (Vancouver Province) |
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Former head of law society sued for $1.4M TORONTO - The former head of the governing body for lawyers in Ontario in Ontario is being sued for $1.4 million in damages by a former client he had an affair with for more than two years. George Hunter, 59, and his law firm, Borden Ladner Gervais, are named as defendants in the civil action filed in Ontario Superior Court by the woman who can be identified only as A.B., as a result of a court order. (Ottawa Citizen) RELATED: Unfit judge still a lawyer |
OTTAWA - It was a tough week for MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates shareholders. After Industry Minister Jim Prentice deep-sixed the $1.3-billion sale of the company's space division to Minnesota-based Alliant, saying it was not a "net benefit" to Canada, they took a $150-million bath on stock price. (Calgary Herald) PREVIOUS: MDA reeling after sale rejected The death knell of a deal Lost in space DND at risk of losing spy systems 'An affront' Don't sell off this satellite |
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EDMONTON - The Alberta Workers' Compensation Board rewards its staff for cutting off benefits to employees injured on the job. (CBC) |
Final report of the Commission on Worker's Compensation in BC |
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Statscan blames gas prices on provincial taxes OTTAWA - In a study Statistics Canada puts the blame for uneven gas prices in Canada on some provincial and municipal governments. (CTV) |
Gas station robberies on the rise In heated hearings, oil bosses defend big profits Canadians being gouged at the pumps: report Six million face record fuel bill rise RCMP begins ticketing protesting truckers |
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HALIFAX - Some companies that defaulted on big loans from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency have been frequent borrowers for more than a decade, prompting a critic of the agency to wonder why the businesses weren't cut off sooner from public funds. (CBC) |
VANCOUVER - Today, Vancouver investment dealer Sean Kim sits in a Korean jail after allegedly scamming $30M from Korean-Canadians in the Lower Mainland. Kim, 39, whose full name is Sung Wan Kim, was arrested by Korean police last weekend on fraud charges related to a Ponzi scheme. (Vancouver Province) |
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Saskatchewan fires labour board REGINA - The Saskatchewan Party government has fired the chair and vice-chairs of the Labour Relations Board in a move organized labour says raises major concerns about the future independence of the board. (Regina Leader Post) |
EDMONTON - Premier Ed Stelmach vowed to improve the transparency of the province's 250 boards last fall and a review of his appointments since then suggests he is keeping his promise. (Edmonton Journal) |
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PRINCE ALBERT - The Saskatchewan Party government plans to introduce legislation to ensure judges and other professionals accused of misconduct can't escape investigation by resigning their posts. (Saskatoon Star Phoenix) PREVIOUS: Judge owed 'favours' Judge refused offer of photo of naked man |
Transport Canada decision led to deadly crash Transport Canada allowed a Winnipeg company to repair a "critical part" on a Bell 206B helicopter despite the aircraft manufacture's advice not to, a decision that led to three deaths in a helicopter crash on BC's north coast, a federal transportation safety board report concludes. (Vancouver Sun) |
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Risky workplaces faces cash penalty TORONTO - For years, many unsafe companies that caused deaths or injuries have received substantial payouts that were supposed to reward businesses with golden safety records. WSIB payouts are often double or quadruple the fines levied against the companies by the Ministry of Labour, allowing dangerous businesses to recoup their financial losses by the very system that was created in 1915 to protect the rights of injured workers. (Toronto Star) PREVIOUS: Board shields unsafe job sites When companies get rewarded for mistakes Hiding injuries rewards companies |
VICTORIA - The federal government is getting out of providing employment programs across Canada. In BC it is handing the province $2 billion over six years to do the job. The province touts it as an opportunity to create a "made in BC" system of employment services, but critics say "made in Tucson" may be more accurate. Last year a big American company, Providence Service Corporation, bought BC's biggest employment program contractor, WCG International Consultants Ltd. (Tyee) PREVIOUS: WCG CEO: Ian Ferguson WCG President: James Rae |
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TORONTO - Ontario's Liberal government rushed into its expensive green-energy policy without fully evaluating the costs and benefits, says Ontario Auditor General Jim McCarter. (PostMedia) Ontario’s 2011 annual report Highlights Key findings Energy observations Highest car insurance in Canada Scrapping power plan won't halt hikes Pricing Ontario electricity options Costly to build plant in Ontario |
Leaked MB Hydro report Bipole III MB will sell $4B worth of power to the US Hydro rebate won't offset increases Utilities donating to political parties Province switches time-of-use electricity pricing Inside TO's $158M green gravy boat Power grid needs $293B from you Building a case for investment Power prices set to rise sharply Nunavut power rates going up 19% |
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Lawsuit rule changes will cost VANCOUVER - Six months of further talk isn't good enough, say BC lawyers, and sweeping new rules for civil litigation in the province must be scrapped because they will cost too much and lengthen lawsuits. (Vancouver Sun) |
Government-appointed task force |
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Accountant penalized for info leak EDMONTON - A member of national accounting firm Deloitte & Touche has been penalized $64,000 after admitting he gave confidential information to the Insurance Bureau of Canada during Alberta's personal injury claim debate five years ago. (Edmonton Journal) |
Unqualified mediators prey on broken families TORONTO - Mediators aren't regulated in Ontario. Instead, anybody can hang a shingle and plunge into a highly sensitive area of working with divorcing couples and their children at a time when most are financially and emotionally vulnerable. (Toronto Star) |
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TORONTO - The brokerage industry's self-regulatory body (Investment Dealers Association of Canada) (IDA) is conducting a compliance and enforcement sweep of its member firms in the wake of the $32-billion asset-backed commercial-paper debacle and has served notice that dealers that signed the Purdy Crawford restructuring will not be immune to regulatory action. (Financial Post) |
Committee strikes tentative deal Asset Backed Commercial Paper (ABCP) Flaherty seeks better disclosure |
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Parents feel schools not preparing kids OTTAWA - Almost one-third of Canadian parents have hired tutors for their children and three-quarters of families report homework is a source of stress in their household, according to a report released Monday. (CanWest) PREVIOUS: 2007 Survey of attitudes toward learning Support of public school system slipping Public education in Canada 2007: Facts, trends and attitudes |
Cross-border shopping for a car seat illegal OTTAWA - Car seats bought outside of Canada don't meet standards set by Canada's Motor Vehicle Restraint Systems and Booster Cushions Safety Regulations (RSSR) or those of the Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS), and do not bear the National Safety Mark required in Canada. (CTV) RELATED: Retail sales fall Canadians bought 25,000 cars in the US in October Protectionism |
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EDMONTON - Martha Kostuch this week received approximately 1,100 pages of documents from Alberta Energy regarding the fairness of the province's royalty regime and strategies for oilsands development. The documents, however, were heavily censored. (Edmonton Journal) |
Ontario to better monitor trial costs TORONTO - The Ontario government is creating a new protocol that will keep a closer eye on criminal cases where taxpayers' dollars are spent to defend criminals, the province's new attorney general announced. (CTV) PREVIOUS: Few checks on Wills' Legal Aid spending Legal Aid Ontario |
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HAMILTON - The Ontario Information and Privacy Commissioner has launched an investigation into the collection of personal information by a private-sector company that helps doctors collect fees. And the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario says it will review its regulations covering how doctors use hired companies for fees. (Hamilton Spectator) PREVIOUS: Is there a doctor in the house? NL police probe security breach of patient information |
Officer's killer can do investor relations VANCOUVER - A man who shot and killed a Calgary police officer should be allowed to do investor relations work, a BC Securities Commission panel has ruled, overturning an earlier decision by the TSX Venture Exchange. William John Nichols was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with no parole eligibility for 25 years. (Toronto Star) PREVIOUS: CPS 1976: Fallen Officer Keith Harrison |
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MONTREAL - The provincial government will advance as much as $1B to the private consortia that will build Montreal's two superhospitals. (Montreal Gazette) |
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EDMONTON - The province is reviewing hundreds of prostate exams, and over 1500 other tests, after discrepancies were found in the work of one pathologist. The pathologist underestimated the aggressiveness of the cancer, and 15 patients were told they didn't have cancer, when they did. (CTV) Eastern Health 'should be shot' Failure of accountability and oversight |
Review to examine pathology department Probe into 'critical incident' deaths College defends 'problematic' testing Eastern Health released cancer numbers Cancer labs no closer to national standards Doctor blows whistle on testing Manitoba pathologist on leave over errors |
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142 child death cases to be reviewed TORONTO - The provincial government will today begin the process of reviewing at least 142 child deaths attributed to shaken baby syndrome to determine if there were miscarriages of justice, a government source says. (Toronto Star) Doubt cast on reasons children died |
Inquiry report slams child forensic pathology |
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Doubt cast on homicide autopsies Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan Wrongly jailed mother wins right to sue MD |
Mistake by Smith found in 1994 case Inquiry into pathologist's faulty work Coroners Canada: Alberta British Columbia Manitoba New Brunswick Newfoundland Northwest Territories Nova Scotia Ontario Prince Edward Island Québec Saskatchewan Yukon Territory |
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CHALK RIVER - In a statement AECL said the National Research Universal reactor at the Chalk River, Ont., facility was “safely shut down” on Thursday due to a “shortage in electrical power.” (CanWest) Why Chalk River still has no backup reactor Chalk River crisis sired by AECL Appointment exposes political ties AECL: Special examination reports |
Ottawa to sell stake in nuclear agency Another fired appointed public servant goes to court Fired regulator suing government Atomic Energy chair steps down Canada MPs to end isotope crisis Fallout seen for another government granted near monopoly |
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TORONTO - Two long-time Toronto Catholic trustees, one of them chair of the board, are facing conflict-of-interest allegations less than a year after the former chair was ousted in a similar case. (Toronto Star) Province takes over Catholic school board School trustees asked to explain high expenses Catholic trustees avoid police probe Latest expense report deferred Trustees reflect poorly on community Parents shocked by board spending |
More government pension problems Teachers buys 'significant minority stake' Less teaching time doesn't add up How Falconer hoodwinked the Star Falconer never asked us: no-shows Toronto board mandarins snub safety probe Reality: millions of dollars and delicate labour negotiations School community safety advisory panel final report Report paints bleak picture of Toronto school safety Crisis of confidence,' in school safety |
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OTTAWA - Thousands of Hydro Ottawa customers have received nasty shocks in the mail after the utility's billing staff reconciled five years' worth of power bills and discovered they were owed $4.9 million. The bills were sent to 6,700 customers enrolled in Hydro Ottawa's "budget billing" program, which allows people to pay their power bills in equal amounts based on their estimated annual electricity use. The company has not done so since 2003. (Ottawa Citizen) |
VANCOUVER - The Vancouver board of education announced today that it will not release a long-awaited independent report it received last spring on the sex scandal at Prince of Wales high school in the 1970s and 80s. In a statement the board suggests that privacy laws prevents it from releasing the report, which was written by Don Avison and was expected to examine how students in the school's Quest outdoor education program were sexually abused for years. (Vancouver Sun) |
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A mining plan to transform a remote British Columbia lake into a toxic waste dump has been rejected by a government review panel, but its exhaustive report acknowledges the possibility that federal and provincial ministers of environment might approve the controversial project anyway. The unprecedented environmental assessment crushes Northgate Mineral Corporation's proposal to dig a second pit to the north of its existing Kemess Mine, located more than 400 kilometres northwest of Prince George. (Tyee) |
The likelihood of patients suing their Canadian doctors is going down but overall costs of litigation are increasing, and last year awards and settlements peaked at a record high, a new report says. Awards and settlements were $184 million in 2006, but when such items as legal costs and expert opinion fees were factored in, the expense of such litigation hit $354 million, states the annual report of the Canadian Medical Protective Association. (Vancouver Sun) REPORT: CMPA 2006 Annual report |
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Corruption scandal nets no jail TORONTO - Ivan Sirman, a former environmental engineer, received a conditional two-year sentence yesterday but won't have to spend any time behind bars for his role in the kickback, bid rigging and land fraud case at Ontario Realty Corp., the province's real estate arm. (Toronto Star) |
Self regulation in the medical industry TORONTO - Half of the doctors found guilty of sexually related professional misconduct in Ontario have kept their licences to practise medicine. (Hamilton Spectator) PREVIOUS: College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) Trained MDs ignored |
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Doc's magazine story prompts investigation NANAIMO - Investigation into the conduct of a Nanaimo hospital doctor begun by the Canadian military is now being continued by the BC College of Physicians and Surgeons. But it's still not known if the investigation by the Canadian Forces Health Services Group concluded Kevin Patterson broke doctor-patient confidentiality in a magazine article he wrote while in Afghanistan. (Vancouver Province) |
Frontline medicine in Afghanistan |
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Secrecy doesn't serve victims of crime HAMILTON - What the press release said: Ombudsman Ontario will conduct a "systemic investigation" into the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board. (Hamilton Spectator) |
EDMONTON - Alberta Auditor General Fred Dunn has been forced to drop or suspend four key investigations because his department is financially hamstrung. (Edmonton Journal) |
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EDMONTON - The resignation of the Law Enforcement Review Board’s second chairperson in five months has again paralyzed the seriously backlogged police conduct review agency. (Calgary Herald) |
Teachers' unions have too much influence HALIFAX - A new report from the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies argues teachers' unions have a disproportionate impact on education policy in Canada. (CanWest) REPORT: Taking back our public education |
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VANCOUVER - Canada's doctors are calling for a country-wide ban on smoking in all vehicles carrying children - including private cars - to protect young lungs from the dangers of second-hand smoke. (CanWest) |
Doctors defeat user fee motion - barely |
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Canada fails to track education progress The Canadian Council on Learning (CCL) says Canada ranked last of 40 countries in the information it provided to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for its annual report on the state of education. Key data on Canada's $34-billion-a-year post-secondary education sector were in particularly short supply. (Ottawa Citizen) |
WINDSOR - The government-ordered audit of the Windsor Utilities Commission will not go far enough to provide answers ratepayers deserve, says the president of a local taxpayers group. Members of the Windsor Association of Concerned Taxpayers (WeAct) are among those upset over a recent 86% water rate hike imposed by WUC. (Windsor Star) |
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VICTORIA - The College of Physicians and Surgeons, which regulates and disciplines the 10,367 doctors in BC, received 595 complaints of an ethical nature in 2007, 463 related to medical performance or quality of care and 28 having to do with sexual misconduct, according to the college's annual report. That's a total of 1,086 complaints, up by 123 from 963 the year before, for an increase of 12.7%. (Vancouver Sun) Criminal record check law useless School official gets top pay despite probe Law governing professionals isn't working Man barred from teaching for 50 years Court rules in favour of teacher Courts to decide if teachers to be named |
Disciplinary findings to be public Guilty allowed to leave quietly Complaints should be heard in public Toothless laws failing the public Island chiropractors practising despite charges Psychologist's case shows law's limits Ontario's solution - put everything online Deal means complaints process to stay secret Patient accused physicians' college Name removed from sex offender registry Discipline registry has a significant loophole Mother didn't know teacher had been disciplined GP refused to sign incorrect death certificates Chaos in coroners service blamed on retirements The secret discipline of BC's professions Sex-abused patients left twisting in the wind |
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Fixed fees biggest slice of AB utility bills EDMONTON - It's not surprising Albertans are frustrated and confused over their electricity and natural gas bills when most of the costs are not directly related to the amount of energy they use, says a former top official with the Utilities Consumer Advocate. (Edmonton Journal) |
2 new agencies replace scandalized EUB Alberta Energy Resource Conservations Board (ERCB) Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (EUB) 110 Alberta Government agencies and appointees Top EUB officials retire in wake of spying controversy Tories urged to fix spy scandal |
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TORONTO - The Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants was created to clean up and professionalize a trouble industry. But the model has critical flaws. (Toronto Star) PREVIOUS: Part 1: Problems in the system Part 2: Cooking up a story Preying on immigrants unchecked, lawyers say’ Canadian Association of Professional Immigration Consultants CIC Canada: Immigration Representatives |
Montreal school order to rehire convicted killer MONTREAL - A Montreal school board has been ordered to rehire a teacher who failed to disclose that he had been convicted of killing his wife in 1990. The French-language board may appeal the order to hire Jean-Alix Miguel. Miguel pleaded guilty to manslaughter in 1990. (CTV) MORE: Teacher who killed, lied gets job back Boards of Education Council of Ministers of Education (CMEC) School board weighs fate of killer |
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Ban on grocers selling pseudoephedrine overturned TORONTO - Ontario residents will once again be able to get cold and allergy medicine containing pseudoephedrine from local grocery and corner stores. A controversial decision to make products containing the compound available only through a pharmacy was overturned by the Ontario Superior Court on Thursday. (CTV) |
The secret's out on phantom bids TORONTO - The incoming head of the Toronto Real Estate Board has come out swinging against phantom bidding tactics after denying they even existed when she ran for the job three months ago. "It's dirty realty, it really is," Maureen O'Neill said of agents who fabricate offers during bidding wars. She is now calling on the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) to yank the licences of agents convicted of using phoney bids. (Toronto Star) |
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