Family Ties Of Current MPs

Canadians know Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau's father, Pierre, was the country's 15th prime minister.

His grandfather, James Sinclair, was also a B.C. Liberal MP from 1940 to 1958 and a former minister of fisheries and oceans.

But Trudeau is not the only current MP to follow in the footsteps of a family member all the way to the House of Commons.



Maxime Bernier

Conservative Minister Maxime Bernier was first elected in 2006 in the Quebec riding of Beauce.

The riding was held for years by none other than...

Gilles Bernier

Gilles Bernier, Maxime's dad, represented Beauce for 13 years (1984-1997), first as a Progressive Conservative and then, briefly, as an Independent.

Peter MacKay

Peter MacKay has been an MP since 1997. He first represented the Nova Scotia riding of Pictou-Antigonish-Guysborough but, since 2004, has been the member for Central Nova.

Central Nova is a riding that was held for more than 21 years by...

Elmer MacKay

Elmer MacKay, Peter's dad, represented Central Nova from 1971-1983 before stepping down so that Prime Minister Brian Mulroney could (briefly) take his spot. MacKay won again in 1984 and served until his retirement in 1993.

Thomas Mulcair

NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair was first elected in a 2007 byelection in the Quebec riding of Outremont. The win marked just the second time that the NDP had won a seat in Quebec.

But, more than 100 years earlier, another member of Mulcair's family represented a different Quebec riding.

Honoré Mercier

Mercier, Mulcair's great-great-grandfather, was briefly a Liberal MP from 1872 to 1874 in the Quebec riding of Rouville.

Mercier later went on to become the ninth premier of Quebec.

Dominic LeBlanc

Liberal MP Dominic LeBlanc was first elected in the New Brunswick riding of Beauséjour—Petitcodiac in 2000.

It likely didn't hurt that his father was one of the most accomplished politicians in the country.

Roméo LeBlanc

Roméo LeBlanc, Dominic's dad, was a Liberal MP from 1972-1984 in the New Brunswick riding of Westmorland—Kent, which was replaced by the riding his son now represents.

LeBlanc was also appointed to the Senate in 1984, where he later became Speaker.

And, from 1995-1999, he served as the 25th Governor General of Canada.

Geoff Regan

Liberal MP Geoff Regan was first elected in the Nova Scotia riding of Halifax West in 1993. Though he lost his bid for re-election in 1997, he returned to the House in 2000 and has been there ever since. He also served as minister of fisheries and oceans.

Like Trudeau, both Regan's father and grandfather also served as Grit MPs.

Gerald Regan

Gerald Regan, Geoff's dad, was also an MP for Halifax on two separate occasions. He was first elected in 1963, but resigned in 1965 to become leader of the Nova Scotia Liberals.

Regan would go on to serve as Nova Scotia premier from 1970-1978. He returned to Ottawa as an MP in 1980 but was defeated four years later.

John Hornby Harrison

Harrison, the grandfather of Geoff Regan and father-in-law of Gerald, served as a Liberal MP for the Saskatchewan riding of Meadow Lake from 1949-1958.

Paul Dewar

NDP MP Paul Dewar was first elected in the riding of Ottawa Centre in 2006.

He ran for the leadership of the NDP in 2012 and currently serves as his party's foreign affairs critic — a role that would likely make his mother proud.

Marion Dewar

Marion Dewar, Paul's mom, was elected as an NDP MP for the riding of Hamilton Mountain in a 1987 byelection after serving as president of the NDP for two years. She was defeated in the 1988 election.

Marion Dewar served as mayor of Ottawa from 1978-1985. In 1993, she ran in Ottawa Centre — the riding her son now represents — but lost.

Mark Strahl

Conservative MP Mark Strahl was elected in 2011 in the B.C. riding of Chilliwack--Fraser Canyon, a seat held for years by none other than...

Chuck Strahl

Chuck Strahl, Mark's dad, was first elected under the Reform Party banner in the B.C. riding of Fraser Valley East in 1993.

The riding later became Chilliwack--Fraser Canyon, which he represented until his retirement in 2011. He served as minister of agriculture, minister of Indian affairs and northern development and minister of transport.

The spat between Mr. Harper and Ms. Wynne

Stephen Harper was asked why he’s not met with the Ontario Premier despite her much-publicized requests for face time.

Stephen Harper said:  Kathleen Wynne should focus on the challenges in her province and “not on confrontation”.

Ed Broadbent: Time for a Third Way?

Child Poverty

Conservatives Refuse to Support NDP Motion to End Child Poverty

25 years ago, federal NDP leader, Ed Broadbent, tabled a motion in the House of Commons to achieve the goal of eliminating poverty among Canadian children by the year 2000.

Ed Broadbent, then leader of the federal New Democratic Party, put forward the motion back in 1989. Today, the 78-year-old says it’s unlikely he’ll see the end of child poverty within his lifetime.


“There’s no question we failed,” says Broadbent. “The desire was there for a while. But it didn’t persist, and I have my own theory about that and my own theory is that kids don’t vote. Adults vote.”

IN QUOTES: Hill Harassment Allegations

Justin Trudeau, On Suspending His 2 MPs

"I am aware of how difficult it is for people to come forward. I believe strongly that those of us in positions of authority have a duty to act upon allegations of this nature."

Read his full statement 


Liberal MP Massimo Pacetti's Statement (Nov. 5)

"At 9:30 this morning I was informed by Justin Trudeau, Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, that I have been suspended from caucus, based on allegations against me of 'personal misconduct.'

I have not been provided with the specific details of the allegations that led to this suspension. House Speaker Andrew Scheer has been asked to conduct and independent investigation, which I intend to cooperate fully, and which I am confident will exonerate me.

Until such time, I will sit in the House of Commons as an independent Member, and continue to represent the citizens of my riding of Saint-Léonard/Saint-Michel, which I have represented with integrity and dedication since May 2002."

Liberal MP Scott Andrews' Statement (Nov. 5)

"Today, Judy Foote MP sent a letter to the Speaker of the House of Commons requesting an independent third-party to investigate an allegation of harassment.

While I understand there is an established process to deal with harassment between Members of Parliament and staff, there is no process to deal with allegations between MPs themselves, and therefore I encourage the Speaker or Board of Internal Economy to establish an appropriate process without delay. I believe that our Parliament needs to be a workplace free of harassment, for both staff and MPs

I intend to fully cooperate with answering any and all questions from an independent third-party investigator. However, it would not be appropriate for me to answer questions prior to a non-partisan process being established and being provided with the specifics of the allegation. I am confident such a process will find that no harassment has occurred.


NDP Whip Nycole Turmel, On Her Reaction To Liberal Suspensions

"The persons involved, the alleged victims of this harassment or misconduct, didn’t know that this would be coming. So imagine, they are victims and they are victimized a second time."


NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair, On Why He Didn't Pursue Complaints

"Our No. 1 concern was to make sure that they got the help they needed and that their wishes were respected. Those wishes included a very strong desire to keep this confidential. That was their request and we were not about to override that and make them victims a second time."


NDP MP Craig Scott, On His Allegation Grits Breached Confidentiality

"I attended a meeting with the Liberal Whip at the request of, and in order to help and support, a friend and colleague.

My good faith contribution to this meeting was confidential. This good faith has been breached, and confidentiality deliberately broken in a way that further disrespects and puts pressure on the victim. At the same time, these actions continue to completely ignore the rights of former Liberal MPs.

I got involved to help a colleague, with one cardinal rule: respect the wishes of the victim. For those who still do not understand: one must respect victims rights, whether the issue is civil, criminal or disciplinary. Unlike others, I do not believe there is any virtue, let alone an ethical duty, to act contrary to victims' wishes.

For Liberal backroom operators to claim that somehow I am responsible for Justin Trudeau's decision is simply laughable.

I will therefore not dignify this spin with any further comments."

Senator Larry Campbell, On Why Alleged Victims Must Speak Up

"As far as I'm concerned, right now we have nothing more than a smear here.

NDP MP Breaks Silence To HuffPost
In an interview with The Huffington Post Canada, one of the alleged victims shed some on the allegations that may have gotten Pacetti booted from the Liberal caucus.

The MP, who was not named in the story, said she and Pacetti had sex "without explicit consent" that hurt. She later complained directly to Trudeau.

Sources Shed Light On Andrews Allegations
Sources also spoke with The Canadian Press about the accusations surrounding Andrews, who spent time socially with the other alleged NDP victim.

From the story: "According to sources, the woman alleges that Andrews followed her home, forced his way through her door, pushed her against a wall, groped her and ground his pelvis against her. She ordered him to leave. He did.

Afterwards, sources say the woman alleges that Andrews repeatedly verbally harassed her, calling her a 'c-kteaser.'"

Andrews' lawyer denied the MP behaved improperly.

Pacetti Responds With Statement (Nov. 25)
"I am troubled that the complainant chose to air these allegations in the media as this is inconsistent with statements conveyed through her party that privacy and fairness must be respected for both sides," the statement continued.

As with media reports of this nature, in this instance many questions remain unanswered and there is no way to evaluate the veracity of the claims being made. If need be, this matter should go through a confidential process mediated by an independent third party as was proposed by the Speaker of the House of Commons. Canadian standards of fairness and the presumption of innocence can then be maintained to arrive at the truth.

I reaffirm my innocence and I will not comment on this matter in the media any further."

Tory MP, On 'Consorting Without Protection'

After the NDP MP's interviews, Tory MP Peter Goldring sent an eyebrow-raising press release warning MPs about the dangers of "consorting without protection." He later retracted the statement below and apologized.

"It will not be good enough to simply say that your intentions were honourable and you were just inviting a colleague to your apartment at two in the morning to play a game of Scrabble at the end of a day of playing sports and drinking. MPs must learn, as I have from encounters with authority figures in the past, that all do not tell the truth. I now wear ‘protection’ in the form of body-worn video recording equipment. I suggest that others do so too, particularly because some accusers hide behind a shield of supposed credibility which many times is not,  and sometimes even hide behind a cloak of anonymity, which conceals their shameful indiscretion and complicity."

What is Tory MP Peter Goldring talking about?

8 Facts About Tailings Ponds

Source: Pembina Institute

Alberta's Oil Sands Tailings

Tailings Ponds - Oil Sands Today 

Oilsands 101: Tailings | Oilsands | Pembina Institute 


Tailings are a waste byproduct from the oilsands extraction processes used in mining operations.Tailings consist of a mix of water, sand, silt, clay, contaminants and unrecovered hydrocarbons and are toxic.

Syncrude's Tailings Dam near Fort McMurray, Alberta is one of the largest dam in the world.

Duck Deaths
There have been at least 2,150 deaths of ducks related to tailings ponds in Alberta.

Bird deaths reported on Alberta oil sands tailing ponds


There are currently more than 170 square kilometres of tailings ponds in Alberta. Even when tailings ponds covered 50 square kilometers they were big enough to be seen from space.

Tailings management remains one of the most difficult environmental challenges for the oil sands mining sector.

Tailings are stored indefinitely in open lakes that cover an area approximately 50 per cent larger than the city of Vancouver.

Tailings lakes increase in volume at a rate that would fill the Toronto Skydome on a daily basis.

Tailings lakes seep. The exact amount of seepage is either not known or has not been made public.

Highlights: Auditor General's Fall 2014 Report

Auditor General Michael Ferguson's 2014 fall report points to big issues with Veterans Affairs Canada, National Defence, Library and Archives Canada and other government departments.

Read the full report:

2014 Fall Report of the Auditor General of Canada


Here are the highlights from The Canadian Press.

Veterans Affairs Failing Vets
Veterans Affairs is not providing veterans with timely access to mental health services; the disability benefits program has a complex and time-consuming application process and some vets are forced to wait as long as eight months to find out if they can receive benefits.

Many veterans must endure long delays in obtaining medical and service records from National Defence and long wait times for mental health assessments.

Nutrition North Not Working
The Nutrition North program, which subsidizes the high cost of healthy food in northern communities, does not properly distribute subsidies or ensure savings are properly passed on to consumers.

Nutrition North, which was intended to foster healthy eating, also subsidizes foods of dubious health value, such as ice cream, bacon and processed cheese spread.

No Way to Know How Automakers Benefitted From Loans
It's impossible to fully assess the effectiveness of $13.9 billion in loans Canada and Ontario provided to Chrysler and GM's Canadian subsidiaries in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis due to a lack of comprehensive reporting to Parliament.

Massive Departmental Records Backlog
Library and Archives Canada doesn't know which departmental records should either be disposed of or archived, and has a backlog of 98,000 boxes of material waiting to be archived -- some of it dating back to 1890 -- with no plan for how to deal with it.

Sex Offender Registry May Be Incomplete
Canada's national sex offender registry may not include some Canadians convicted of crimes abroad because the RCMP doesn't have access to Foreign Affairs information on convicts released from prisons in other countries.

Water Purifiers Produced Less Than Expected
Canada's reverse-osmosis water purifiers, long a marquee element of the Canadian military's disaster relief efforts, produced only 65 per cent of projected output in the wake of last year's Typhoon Haiyan disaster in the Philippines, and only 73 per cent of that was ever distributed.

Military Moving Program Needs Better Oversight
The military's Integrated Relocation Program, which compensates members when their work requires them to move, requires better oversight and review.


Auditor General Michael Ferguson hands down fall report

Auditor general report findings downplayed by Stephen Harper

Nutrition North's impact on northerners uncertain, auditor general says

$15M Library and Archives Canada system never used
Future generations may not be able to enjoy Canada's recorded heritage — including photos, maps and important documents — because Library and Archives Canada is not collecting all of the material it should from federal agencies, the auditor general says.

Joe Oliver's $800-per-table fiscal update

New Democrat finance critic Nathan Cullen is right by saying that Finance Minister Joe Oliver's decision to deliver his fall economic update in front of a $800-per-table Canadian Club crowd could constitute contempt of Parliament.

"As legislators, MPs must have access to this information to be able to do their job," Cullen told the House of Commons Monday. "We must be able to analyze the state of the finances of this country."


By sharing the details of those finances at a private lunch, Cullen said, the minister not only "impeded our access" to the information, but also "flouted the democratic principle stating that elected officials should have access to this information before bankers and other financiers."

Brigette DePape's "Stop Harper!" campaign

Brigette DePape is a Canadian activist from Winnipeg, Manitoba who came to Canadian national attention on June 3, 2011.

While a participant in the Canadian Senate Page Program in 2011, DePape stood in protest during the Throne Speech in the Senate, silently holding up a sign that said "Stop Harper!" This action led to her prompt dismissal, for breaching the non-partisan nature of the page position and disrupting the Governor General in Parliament.

Page Brigette DePape stands in the middle of the floor of the Senate as Governor General David Johnston delivers the Speech from the Throne in the Senate Chamber on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Friday June 3, 2011.

A few days after her protest in the Senate chamber, Michael Moore offered DePape a job. DePape stated that she had also received job offers from the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Council of Canadians.

On June 8, 2011, DePape announced the creation of a "Stop Harper Fund" to support "organizations and individuals engaging in creative non-violent direct actions against the Harper government's agenda." The fund planned to organized an advisory committee to direct funds to selected organizations, and legal and fiscal governance to ensure the donations were spent in accordance with the fund's stated mandate.

She was photographed holding a sign reading "Stop Harper's Gang" when Danielle Smith (leader of the Wildrose party) cast her vote.

Former Commons page Brigette DePape holds up a sign as Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith leaves a polling station with her husband David Moretta, left, in High River, Alberta to cast her ballot for the Alberta election Monday, April, 23, 2012. DePape disrupted the federal throne speech last year with her "Stop Harper" sign. 

Brigette DePape speaks to reporters as Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith's bus leaves a polling station in High River, Alta., Monday, April, 23, 2012. 

The Council Of Canadians
Brigette DePape's blog

Canadian Cities By GDP

Per capita GDP, 2009.
Source: StatsCan

20: London, Ont. - $40,905
19: Kingston, Ont. - $40,968
18: Saguenay, Que. - $41,398
17: Montreal - $41,505
16: Winnipeg - $41,810
15: Moncton, N.B. - $41,995
14: Sudbury, Ont. - $42,138
13: Halifax - $43,471
12: Quebec City - $43,559
11: Kitchener-Waterloo - $43,989
10: Guelph, Ont. - $44,217
9: Vancouver - $44,249
8: Victoria, B.C. - $46,763
7: Toronto - $48,532
6: Saskatoon - $49,213
5: St. John's - $49,844
4: Ottawa - $55,506
3: Edmonton - $59,941
2: Calgary - $61,246
1: Regina - $65,404

The agency’s analysis of gross domestic product (GDP) for Canada’s 33 major metro regions shows St. John’s, Nfld., is now richer than Toronto.

Which Canadians Take The Most Sick Days?

Source: Canadian Taxpayers Federation

10: Alberta
Private sector: 5.6 sick days
Government workers: 9.1 sick days

9: Ontario
Private sector: 5.8 sick days
Government workers: 8.8 sick days

8: Prince Edward Island
Private sector: 6.3 sick days
Government workers: 11.3 sick days

Nationwide
Private sector: 6.7 sick days
Federal government workers: 17.9

7: Saskatchewan
Private sector: 6.9 sick days
Government workers: 11 sick days

6: New Brunswick
Private sector: 7.1 sick days
Government workers: 10.7 sick days

5. Manitoba
Private sector: 7.1 sick days
Government workers: 12.1 sick days

4: British Columbia
Private sector: 7.4 sick days
Government workers: 12 sick days

3: Newfoundland and Labrador
Private sector: 7.9 sick days
Government workers: 10.7 sick days

2: Nova Scotia
Private sector: 8.4 sick days
Government workers: 12 sick days

1. Quebec
Private sector: 8.5 sick days
Government workers: 12.2 sick days

Some 1 million Canadians will call in sick on either Black Friday or Cyber Monday in order to go shopping, according to a new survey from IPG Mediabrands

That’s bad news for most employers but good news for retailers, who can expect to see $13.4 billion in sales on the two days ($6.8 billion on Black Friday and $6.6 billion on Cyber Monday).

That could actually more than offset the cost of the lost work days. A Conference Board of Canada report looking at 2012 found absenteeism costs Canada’s economy about $16.6 billion, and that's for an entire year.
.

5 PMs Who've Served Longer Than Harper

Stephen Harper is now the sixth longest-serving prime minister in Canadian history.

On November 13, 2014 -- his 3,203-rd day on the job -- Stephen Harper leapfrogged former PM (and fellow Conservative) Brian Mulroney to become the sixth longest-serving prime minister in Canadian history.

But he still has a ways to go to catch the five former leaders ahead of him.

In his acclaimed 2013 book, 'The Longer I'm Prime Minister: Stephen Harper and Canada, 2006 –,' Paul Wells equated Harper's endurance, in part, to his discipline. Wells wrote that Harper has avoided chasing after bold projects that can blow up in a leader's face and has not allowed a rival from within his ranks rise to the point of challenging him.

"Harper brings a temper and a vengeful streak to office, but he is also awesomely clear-eyed," Wells wrote. "Because he is temperamentally the most conservative Canadian prime minister of his lifetime, he will not ever run out of ideas for conservative things to do. So on any day he has a choice: he can do the big conservative thing that would be the end of his career, or he can do some of the small conservative things that won't. He is amazed that earlier leaders had a hard time choosing."

Political historian Jack Granatstein said that length of time in office is a "serious measure" of a PM's success.

"You have to keep winning elections. You have to keep your party quiet, happy and satisfied. And you have to manage the affairs of the country and its dealing abroad. Anyone who can do that for almost nine years is somebody who is very effective," Granatstein said.

"It doesn't mean you’re popular – God knows the dislike of Harper is extreme and widespread – but he is effective."


Tories are hoping Harper can win at least one more time when Canadians head to the ballot box next year. The party's main slogan, which has appeared in messages to supporters and in a campaign-style ad released in September, is "We're Better Off With Harper."

5. Jean Chretien - Liberal

Days in office: 3,689

4. Sir Wilfrid Laurier - Liberal

Days in office: 5,564

3. Pierre Trudeau - Liberal

Days in office: 5,642

2. Sir John A. Macdonald - Liberal-Conservative

Days in office: 6,934

1. William Lyon Mackenzie King - Liberal

Days in office: 7,837

Canadian Environmental Bill of Rights

LINDA DUNCAN INTRODUCES LANDMARK ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS BILL

Private Member’s Bill

Canada fares surprisingly poorly when it comes to protecting the environment. In 2013, the Conference Board of Canada ranked us 15th out of 17 countries based on a wide range of environmental metrics. Tens of thousands of Canadians die prematurely each year because of environmental hazards such as air pollution, and millions suffer illnesses.

Source :  No Breathing Room
               National Illness Costs of Air Pollution



NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair says the private member’s bill introduced by Edmonton MP Linda Duncan would safeguard the right of present and future generations to have a clean environment.

Duncan says the bill also gives people the right to take the federal government to court when those rights are denied. It’s the second time Duncan has tried to enact an environmental bill of rights. She says the Conservatives and Liberals shot down her first bill five years ago.

Source

World's Most Prosperous Countries

Legatum Prosperity Index, 2014



20. Hong Kong

19. Japan

18. Singapore

17. Belgium

16. Luxembourg

15. Austria

14. Germany

13. United Kingdom

12. Ireland

11. Iceland

10. United States

9. Netherlands

8. Finland

7. Australia

6. Sweden

5. Canada

4. Denmark

3. New Zealand

2. Switzerland

1. Norway

Canada has fallen one spot on a ranking of the world’s most prosperous countries, but is still doing better than it was just a few years ago.

5 Key Ontario Liberal Scandals

Kathleen Wynne hoped Ontario voters can look past these five scandals when they cast their ballots on June 12.

And they have so it seemed.

Let's not forget these scandals.

Ornge

Ontario's publicly funded air ambulance service has been under fire for almost two years over sky-high salaries, financial irregularities and corruption allegations. A legislative committee has been probing the service's complex structures and pay scales in detail, and opposition parties have been alleging wrongdoing with nearly every revelation. The auditor general has criticized the governing Liberals for failing to oversee  Ornge, despite giving it $730 million over five years and allowing it to borrow another $300 million. The Liberals insist Ornge went rogue with a web of for-profit companies and questionable business deals, as well as exorbitant salaries and lavish expenses.

Cancelled Gas Plants

Scandal has swirled around the government's decision to cancel the construction of two Toronto-area gas plants ahead of the 2011 election, in which the government then led by Dalton McGuinty was reduced to minority status. The cancellation costs have now been pegged at $1.1 billion, but opposition parties have accused the Liberals of actively trying to cover up that figure. Ontario's privacy commissioner has concluded that staff working for McGuinty and a former energy minister broke the law by deleting emails pertaining to the project. Ontario Provincial Police are also investigating the document deletions, seizing government computers at both Queen's Park and beyond.

eHealth

The provincial agency was given a $1-billion budget to develop electronic health records, but wound up building themselves a bad reputation. A lot of the eHealth money went for untendered contracts given to highly paid consultants who then billed taxpayers for additional expenses in a scandal that cost former health minister David Caplan his job. In 2009, the auditor general said the agency had very little progress to show  for its efforts, and opposition parties have alleged further financial mismanagement since then.

Windsor Parkway

The government has taken heat for not immediately acting when it learned a $1.4-billion infrastructure project didn't live up to safety standards. The Liberals were told that questionable materials were being used on the support beams on Windsor's Herb Gray Parkway in December 2012, but didn't halt the project until July. More than 500 support beams are being replaced by the project overseer at no cost to the tax payers,  but the NDP has accused the Wynne government of trying to cover up the affair and only backing down when threatened with media exposure.

PanAm Games

Premier Kathleen Wynne has hailed the 2015 games as a cause for celebration, but opposition parties call it just another scandal. The $1.4-billion budget for the games does not include some key expenses, like the $700 million athletes' village. The government has also come under fire for $7 million worth of bonuses paid out to 64 executives.

Liberal government releases previously leaked ORNGE report

Ont. gas-plant probe running out of gas

What Gets More Expensive When Oil Prices Rise

Plastic

About 40% of an oil barrel yields gasoline; the rest generates a variety of other petroleum-based products, according to the Department of Energy. Anything made out of plastic is derived from petrochemicals--chemical products made from petroleum--and therefore, its production depends on the price of that barrel.


The How's and Why's of Replacing the Whole Barrel

Petroleum-based products are around us, in us


Health Care

Besides delivery charges, the cost of manufacturing certain medical products depends on oil prices. Heart valves, artificial limbs and other kinds of medical equipment contain petroleum-based plastics. Antihistamines, antibiotics, antibacterials, analgesics and many other items found at pharmacies and hospitals use petrochemicals. 

Medicine After Oil

Cosmetic And Household Products

Deodorants, soaps and lotions are all made from petrochemicals. Vinyl flooring, floor wax and lots of house-cleaning supplies also contain oil. If manufacturers need to pay more to produce these products, their prices at retail stores will likely increase as well.

Petroleum Products
Products Made From Oil

Shipping

It might make sense to buy things online and have items delivered to your front door instead of burning gas on shopping trips. But shipping companies also use planes, trucks, ocean vessels and railroads--all of which require oil. FedEx and UPS make customers pay fuel surcharges in addition to regular shipping costs in order to offset increases in the price of oil.

FedEx : Fuel Surcharges

UPS : Fuel Surcharge

Shopping

Unfortunately the items you see in stores don't grow on shelves. Most products were once on a truck. As gas prices go up, so do delivery costs. Shop owners will offset an increase in costs by charging you more for their goods.

Small firms prep for rise in gas prices


Things That Grow From The Ground

Farmers need fuel to run their tractors. This means you'll be paying more for fruits and vegetables. You'll also be spending more to maintain your home landscaping--lots of lawn equipment burns fuel. 

Fabric

Nylon and polyester are made in part from petroleum-based fibers. This means the cost of your workout attire might be affected by the price of oil.

Plane Tickets

Deutsche Bank analyst Micheal Linenberg recently predicted that to offset higher fuel costs, airlines will be increasing fares and decreasing the number of flights and sale offers. If you are thinking of vacationing anytime soon, book your plane ticket now.

Car Maintenance

Petroleum-based lubricants--such as transmission fluid, grease and motor oil--are what make your automobile function properly. High petrol prices mean that these materials will likely cost more to produce. When you go to the repair garage, don't be surprised to see higher fees for maintenance costs. 

Public Transport

If you live in a city, then you probably expect to pay a certain rate for using public transport. Increased oil prices will likely affect that fare in the long run.

Once-Peaceful Canada Turns Militaristic

Once-Peaceful Canada Turns Militaristic; Blowback Follows

Long-awaited anti-terror legislation introduced today by the Conservatives would strengthen protection of intelligence sources, but it stops short of shielding an identity crucial to proving someone's innocence.

As expected, the government bill also gives the Canadian Security Intelligence Service more latitude to obtain a court-ordered warrant authorizing security investigations abroad.

In addition, the legislation tweaks the CSIS Act to prohibit the naming of individuals who might be involved in covert operations in the future.

http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=5712979

CSIS powers beefed up under new bill tabled by Steven Blaney

Experts cautious about boost in powers for spy agency

13 Weird and Wacky Facts About Toronto's Mayors

Rob Ford, you'll never out-weird your predecessors

6 Toronto mayors who behaved badly before Ford

List of mayors of Toronto

William Lyon Mackenzie

Toronto's first mayor helped lead the Upper Canada Rebellion against the colonial regime that dominated the country in his day. Rebels marched down Yonge Street with plans to reach the home of Lt.-Gov. Sir Francis Bond Head. Mackenzie and the rebels were intercepted at Montgomery's Tavern and defeated. Future mayors would rob his home and try to shoot him.

George Gurnett
Toronto's fourth mayor tortured an opposing candidate by having him stripped, beaten, tarred and feathered. The feathers were so stuck to the candidate's body that he had to peel off his own skin to get them off.

John Powell
Toronto's fifth mayor had been involved in putting down the Upper Canada Rebellion. He killed a rebel, then tried to shoot William Lyon MacKenzie, Toronto's first mayor, but the gun jammed. He was elected anyway.

George Monro
How many times has a sex scandal vaulted a mayor INTO office? That was true of George Monro, Toronto's sixth mayor, who won the job after it turned out that the incumbent, John Powell, had rented out a property to be used as a brothel.

Henry Sherwood
Poor William Lyon MacKenzie. Not only had John Powell tried to shoot him, but Toronto's seventh mayor, Henry Sherwood, broke into the man's house! He led a drunken mob, which proceeded to destroy a printing press at MacKenzie's newspaper office and throw it into the harbour.

William Howland
And you thought Rob Ford's crusade against graffiti was puritanical. Hogtown's 25th mayor came up with the motto "Toronto the Good" and campaigned against liquor, gambling and prostitution. It was like having "Boardwalk Empire's" Nelson van Alden as your mayor.

Ernest Macdonald
Can't fault a man for trying. Toronto's 30th mayor finally landed the job after running for public office 17 times. Ernest Macdonald's reign was brief (one year) but eventful: he was boorish with city commissioners, who refused to hand over documents that would allow him to deliver his inaugural council address. He died of syphilis after losing a bid for re-election.

Thomas Church
Toronto's 37th mayor (at left) despised bilingual money and was mocked by Ernest Hemingway.

Pretty Mean City

A new “biography” charts the dark side of Toronto’s prosperity

Thomas Foster
Toronto's 40th mayor was so tight with money that he preferred to pay back robbery victims rather than add to Toronto's police force.

Sam McBride
Toronto's 41st mayor helped to create the Toronto Transit Commission. He was also known for taking swings at council members, even smacking them with agenda packages. He even slammed a councillor's head against a wall. Oh, and he also cheated on his taxes.

Allan Lamport
Rob Ford wasn't wrong about city hall excess, he was just several years too late. Allan Lamport (right), Toronto's 50th mayor, spent an estimated $373,000 of taxpayers' money on booze, cigars, dinners and room service at the lavish Royal York Hotel.

He was also known for bizarre quotes such as, "The only thing you'll catch swimming in Lake Ontario is dead fish" or "If anyone's going to stab me in the back, I want to be there."

Meet a Toronto Mayor: Allan Lamport

Mel Lastman
It's tough to know where to begin with Mel Lastman, Toronto's eccentric 62nd mayor. For now, let's just recall that he welcomed famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma to city hall with — what else? — a yo-yo.

Pretty Mean City 


David Miller
David Miller, Toronto's 63rd mayor, went to school with Prince Andrew.

Why David Miller doesn't read the papers