Concerns raised over Canada’s enforcement of organic rules
As much as eight per cent of organic produce tested by Canadian inspectors has so much pesticide residue that experts say there is a strong indication synthetic chemicals were deliberately used, a CBC News investigation has found.
Health Canada sets a maximum residue limit (MRL) for food products, representing the most that is expected to remain on food when a pesticide is used according to label directions.
Pesticide residue found on nearly half of organic produce
Friday, 10 January 2014
Another Leak At CNRL's Cold Lake Operation
COLD LAKE, Alta. - The Alberta Energy Regulator is investigating another leak from a Canadian Natural Resources (TSX:CNQ) bitumen well near Cold Lake.
The regulator says 27,000 litres of crude bitumen were released underground on Jan. 3 at the company's troubled Primrose field.
But agency spokesman Darin Barter said the leak has been stopped.
"There was no release to surface," Barter said Friday. "There's no aquifers that have been impacted by this incident."
Barter said the release has been definitively attributed to a failed well casing, setting this leak apart from an earlier one in the same field last summer that also remains under investigation.
In that leak, more than a million litres of bitumen has so far seeped to the surface. The spill continues, although cold weather has slowed the amount to almost nothing.
CNRL has said the earlier leak was also due to a well failure.
"We don't necessarily share that view of the incident," said Barter.
The regulator is investigating whether the bitumen escaped through cracks in the rock above the deposit and was driven to the surface by high-pressure steam pumped underground to soften it before being extracted. The company has been ordered to reduce the pressure of the steam it uses.
The first leak remains the subject of a $40-million cleanup effort from CNRL.
Barter said there's no indication when the regulator's report on that leak will be complete.
There were also bitumen leaks at the Primrose field in 2009. The regulator concluded those leaks were at least partially caused by high volumes and high pressures of steam.
Mike Hudema with Greenpeace Canada said it is "incredible" that CNRL is still allowed to continue its operations.
"If the Alberta government is serious about protecting Alberta's environment, it has to pull CNRL's approval for their Cold Lake operations," Hudema said in a release.
"How many more spills will it take before we see real action?"
The regulator says 27,000 litres of crude bitumen were released underground on Jan. 3 at the company's troubled Primrose field.
But agency spokesman Darin Barter said the leak has been stopped.
"There was no release to surface," Barter said Friday. "There's no aquifers that have been impacted by this incident."
Barter said the release has been definitively attributed to a failed well casing, setting this leak apart from an earlier one in the same field last summer that also remains under investigation.
In that leak, more than a million litres of bitumen has so far seeped to the surface. The spill continues, although cold weather has slowed the amount to almost nothing.
CNRL has said the earlier leak was also due to a well failure.
"We don't necessarily share that view of the incident," said Barter.
The regulator is investigating whether the bitumen escaped through cracks in the rock above the deposit and was driven to the surface by high-pressure steam pumped underground to soften it before being extracted. The company has been ordered to reduce the pressure of the steam it uses.
The first leak remains the subject of a $40-million cleanup effort from CNRL.
Barter said there's no indication when the regulator's report on that leak will be complete.
There were also bitumen leaks at the Primrose field in 2009. The regulator concluded those leaks were at least partially caused by high volumes and high pressures of steam.
Mike Hudema with Greenpeace Canada said it is "incredible" that CNRL is still allowed to continue its operations.
"If the Alberta government is serious about protecting Alberta's environment, it has to pull CNRL's approval for their Cold Lake operations," Hudema said in a release.
"How many more spills will it take before we see real action?"
THE MOST & LEAST STRESSFUL JOBS OF 2014
Most Stressful Jobs Of 2014
10. Taxi driver
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 46.18
Average Median Salary: $22,820
Projected Job Growth: 20%
9. Police officer
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 46.66
Average Median Salary: $55,270
Projected Job Growth: 7%
8. Newspaper reporter
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 46.75
Average Median Salary: $35,870
Projected Job Growth: -6%
7. Senior corporate executive
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 47.46
Average Median Salary: $168,140
Projected Job Growth: 5%
6. Public relations executive
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 48.52
Average Median Salary: $54,170
Projected Job Growth: 21%
5. Event coordinator
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 49.93
Average Median Salary: $45,810
Projected Job Growth: 44%
4. Airline pilot
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 60.28
Average Median Salary: $114,200
Projected Job Growth: 11%
3. Firefighter
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 60.45
Average Median Salary: $45,250
Projected Job Growth: 9%
2. Military general
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 65.54
Average Median Salary: $196,300
Projected Job Growth: N/A
1. Enlisted military personnel (most stressful)
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 84.72
Average Median Salary: $28,840
Projected Job Growth: N/A
THE LEAST STRESSFUL JOBS OF 2014
10. Drill-press operator
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 11.32
Average Median Salary: $35,580
Projected Job Growth: 6%
9. Multimedia artist
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 10.94
Average Median Salary: $61,370
Projected Job Growth: 8%
8. Librarian
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 10.58
Average Median Salary: $55,370
Projected Job Growth: 7%
7. Medical records technician
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 10.5
Average Median Salary: $34,160
Projected Job Growth: 21%
6. Dietitian
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 10. 24
Average Median Salary: $55,240
Projected Job Growth: 20%
5. Seamstress / tailor
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 9.5
Average Median Salary: $26,280
Projected Job Growth: 1%
4. Tenured university professor
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 8.43
Average Median Salary: $64,290
Projected Job Growth: 17%
3. Jeweler
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 7.26
Average Median Salary: $35,350
Projected Job Growth: -5%
2. Hair stylist
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 5.41
Average Median Salary: $22,700
Projected Job Growth: 14%
1. Audiologist (least stressful)
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 3.35
Average Median Salary: $69,720
Projected Job Growth: 37%
CANADA'S MOST STRESSFUL JOBS
Source: Adzuna
10. Nurse
Stress Score: 48
9. Field Sales Executive
Score: 49
8. Surgeon
Score: 53
7. Courier
Score: 61
6. Long-haul Truck Driver
Score: 62
5. Fireman
Score: 62
4. Journalist
Score: 65
3. Pilot
Score: 68
2. Doctor
Score: 70
1. Oil Rigger
Score: 74
Least Stressful Jobs In Canada
10. Marketing Manager
Score: 31
9. Bar Manager
Score: 30
8. Accountant
Score: 27
7. Tattoo Artist
Score: 25
6. Hairdresser
Score: 23
5. Charity Worker
Score: 21
4. Secretary
Score: 20
3. Translator
Score: 16
2. Librarian
Score: 15
1. Receptionist
Score: 14
10. Taxi driver
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 46.18
Average Median Salary: $22,820
Projected Job Growth: 20%
9. Police officer
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 46.66
Average Median Salary: $55,270
Projected Job Growth: 7%
8. Newspaper reporter
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 46.75
Average Median Salary: $35,870
Projected Job Growth: -6%
7. Senior corporate executive
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 47.46
Average Median Salary: $168,140
Projected Job Growth: 5%
6. Public relations executive
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 48.52
Average Median Salary: $54,170
Projected Job Growth: 21%
5. Event coordinator
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 49.93
Average Median Salary: $45,810
Projected Job Growth: 44%
4. Airline pilot
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 60.28
Average Median Salary: $114,200
Projected Job Growth: 11%
3. Firefighter
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 60.45
Average Median Salary: $45,250
Projected Job Growth: 9%
2. Military general
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 65.54
Average Median Salary: $196,300
Projected Job Growth: N/A
1. Enlisted military personnel (most stressful)
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 84.72
Average Median Salary: $28,840
Projected Job Growth: N/A
THE LEAST STRESSFUL JOBS OF 2014
10. Drill-press operator
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 11.32
Average Median Salary: $35,580
Projected Job Growth: 6%
9. Multimedia artist
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 10.94
Average Median Salary: $61,370
Projected Job Growth: 8%
8. Librarian
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 10.58
Average Median Salary: $55,370
Projected Job Growth: 7%
7. Medical records technician
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 10.5
Average Median Salary: $34,160
Projected Job Growth: 21%
6. Dietitian
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 10. 24
Average Median Salary: $55,240
Projected Job Growth: 20%
5. Seamstress / tailor
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 9.5
Average Median Salary: $26,280
Projected Job Growth: 1%
4. Tenured university professor
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 8.43
Average Median Salary: $64,290
Projected Job Growth: 17%
3. Jeweler
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 7.26
Average Median Salary: $35,350
Projected Job Growth: -5%
2. Hair stylist
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 5.41
Average Median Salary: $22,700
Projected Job Growth: 14%
1. Audiologist (least stressful)
Jobs Rated Stress Score: 3.35
Average Median Salary: $69,720
Projected Job Growth: 37%
CANADA'S MOST STRESSFUL JOBS
Source: Adzuna
10. Nurse
Stress Score: 48
9. Field Sales Executive
Score: 49
8. Surgeon
Score: 53
7. Courier
Score: 61
6. Long-haul Truck Driver
Score: 62
5. Fireman
Score: 62
4. Journalist
Score: 65
3. Pilot
Score: 68
2. Doctor
Score: 70
1. Oil Rigger
Score: 74
Least Stressful Jobs In Canada
10. Marketing Manager
Score: 31
9. Bar Manager
Score: 30
8. Accountant
Score: 27
7. Tattoo Artist
Score: 25
6. Hairdresser
Score: 23
5. Charity Worker
Score: 21
4. Secretary
Score: 20
3. Translator
Score: 16
2. Librarian
Score: 15
1. Receptionist
Score: 14
Canada's Unemployment Rate Spikes To 7.2%
For the first time in years, Canada has a higher unemployment rate than the U.S.
The last time the U.S. had a lower unemployment rate than Canada was in 2008.
Economists were expecting Canada to create about 14,000 net new jobs in December, but the country actually lost 46,000, StatsCan said Friday morning.
The unemployment rate jumped to 7.2 per cent, up from 6.9 per cent, where it had sat for the past few months.
The biggest losers were Ontario (down 39,000 jobs) and Alberta (down 12,000 jobs). By industry, education saw the biggest drop (18,500 jobs lost), while hotels and restaurants lost 16,000 jobs and construction jobs were down 14,000.
Here's what happened provincially (previous month in brackets):
_ Newfoundland 10.8 (12.3)
_ Prince Edward Island 11.5 (11.4)
_ Nova Scotia 9.2 (8.8)
_ New Brunswick 9.7 (9.7)
_ Quebec 7.7 (7.2)
_ Ontario 7.9 (7.2)
_ Manitoba 5.5 (5.6)
_ Saskatchewan 3.9 (4.1)
_ Alberta 4.8 (4.7)
_ British Columbia 6.6 (6.7)
The last time the U.S. had a lower unemployment rate than Canada was in 2008.
Economists were expecting Canada to create about 14,000 net new jobs in December, but the country actually lost 46,000, StatsCan said Friday morning.
The unemployment rate jumped to 7.2 per cent, up from 6.9 per cent, where it had sat for the past few months.
The biggest losers were Ontario (down 39,000 jobs) and Alberta (down 12,000 jobs). By industry, education saw the biggest drop (18,500 jobs lost), while hotels and restaurants lost 16,000 jobs and construction jobs were down 14,000.
Here's what happened provincially (previous month in brackets):
_ Newfoundland 10.8 (12.3)
_ Prince Edward Island 11.5 (11.4)
_ Nova Scotia 9.2 (8.8)
_ New Brunswick 9.7 (9.7)
_ Quebec 7.7 (7.2)
_ Ontario 7.9 (7.2)
_ Manitoba 5.5 (5.6)
_ Saskatchewan 3.9 (4.1)
_ Alberta 4.8 (4.7)
_ British Columbia 6.6 (6.7)
Sunday, 5 January 2014
Stephen Harper's 13 Fails of 2013
THE TYEE
13. Global leadership flop
This year marked another dismal performance at the UN climate change conference in Warsaw, where Canada was awarded a special Lifetime Unachievement Fossil Award.
Speaking of the UN, the Conservatives refused to back an international arms trade treaty to keep weapons shipments away from extremists. Worse, they parroted the talking points of the National Firearms Association, citing concern for domestic gun owners, to justify their decision.
And don't forget about Canada's new "economic diplomacy" so all diplomatic assets "are harnessed to support the pursuit of commercial success by Canadian companies and investors."
12. Rebranding Canada
Building on a concerted effort to intertwine conservative values with government icons, the Canadian Museum of Civilization is now the Museum of Canadian History. Its new mandate is to focus on the country's history and identity; promoting a "critical understanding of human cultural achievements and human behaviour" is gone.
This freshly rebranded museum convinced Big Oil to help fund one of the new exhibits, to be called "1867." The million-dollar donation from the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers is the largest ever to the museum, which is not far from the newly rebranded Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway. The scenic route running along the Ottawa River was renamed in 2013 after the Canada's first PM, a Conservative.
11. Cutting off debate
The Conservatives repeatedly used "time allocation" in 2013 to shut down debate in the House of Commons and force an early vote on legislation.
The same instinct was at work when the PMO came up with the idea of an enemies list for new ministers in the summer cabinet shuffle, including bureaucrats "to avoid" and "friend and enemy stakeholders."
The Parliamentary Budget Office wasn't named as an enemy, but Harper neutered that office in 2013. After waiting months to name a successor to the fiercely independent and effective Kevin Page, the office is now a shadow of its former self, reduced to filing access to information requests to get answers from the government to simple questions.
10. Creating low-wage jobs
Between November 2012 and November 2013, all of the net new jobs created in Canada were in the lowest paid and most insecure occupational group: sales and service jobs.
There were just 172,400 new jobs created over this period. But sales and service employment rose by 191,700. These jobs pay an average of just $16.50 per hour, giving the lie to the Harper government's claim that our economy is doing just fine.
Tell that to all the manufacturing workers, with good middle-class wages, who learned in 2013 that their plant would be shutting down.
9. Reopening the abortion debate
The social conservatives in the Conservative Party spent 2013 making sure abortion was back on the Parliamentary agenda.
Conservative MP Mark Warawa got things started with his push to condemn sex-selection abortion, and caucus colleagues Stephen Woodworth and Maurice Vellacott picked up the ball and ran with it.
Their two motions to reopen the abortion debate aren't exactly the same, but the Conservative MPs want a special committee of the House of Commons in 2014 to study the "legal protections" accorded to "children before birth."
So much for Harper's promise not to reopen the abortion debate.
8. Two omnibus budget bills
Harper used to loath these massive bills because, in his words from 1994, they aren't "in the interest of democracy." Now, he's a big fan of them, burying bad ideas in omnibus budget legislation so they don't get debated.
The first in 2013 was 128 pages long. The second ran 322 pages, and included amendments to 50 laws, many that had nothing to do with budget implementation.
7. Failing First Nations
The year began with the historic Idle No More movement and a meeting between chiefs and Harper. Since then, there have been no signs of a new nation-to-nation relationship.
Instead, we've seen the opposite from the Conservatives: refusing to call a public inquiry into 582 missing and murdered aboriginal women, proposing a First Nations education bill that's been panned and pressing ahead with the expansion of the tar sands despite treaty rights and objections of First Nations.
6. Attacking collective bargaining rights
The Conservatives continued their war on workers with dozens of amendments to weaken the Canada Labour Code and the Public Service Labour Relations Act. That's not all.
The government had the back of two backbenchers who are promoting bills (C-377 and C-525) that have one goal: attack unions so they can't fight for fair wages.
5. Abandoning veterans
Soldiers and veterans spent a good chunk of the year raising concerns about inadequate support and shabby treatment by the Canadian military after returning from combat. Then Conservatives announced plans to close nine Veterans Affairs offices throughout the country.
Before year's end, four Afghan veterans took their own lives in the span of a few days, shining the light on how we're failing our men and women in uniform.
4. Not taking safety seriously
It's the government's job to keep people safe. The Conservatives record on rail safety shows they've failed that test.
The deadly runaway train disaster in July carrying crude oil in Lac-Mégantic was a brutal reminder of problems with the system. A few months later, the auditor general's report on rail safety showed longstanding systemic problems with the oversight of Canada's rail system.
The audit found "significant weaknesses" at Transport Canada, including inadequate inspections, poor training for inspectors, weak oversight from management and sloppy record-keeping.
3. Do-nothing on climate change
Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq is the fifth minister in that portfolio in eight years to promise regulations aimed at curbing climate-warming emissions. 2013 was supposed to be the year, but nope. By year's end, Harper confirmed we'll have to wait a few more years.
Meanwhile, the Conservatives continued to approve the expansion of the tar sands without any plan to reduce climate pollution. This will add to the 250 million litres of liquid toxic waste currently created by the tar sands every day.
2. Deepening democratic deficit
Count' em: four Conservative MPs found themselves in hot water in 2013 over campaign spending. Dean Del Mastro is facing charges, while Peter Penashue resigned after irregularities surfaced. The other two -- Shelley Glover and James Bezan -- are still standing.
If that were all...
The Conservatives continued to stonewall an Elections Canada's voter-suppression investigation, hampered by a weak law that prevents the agency from compelling testimony. This obstructionist approach means only one person was charged in 2013: a low-level party guy named Michael Sona, who maintains his innocence and says he's being scapegoated by the party.
1. PMO cover-up
Harper rode into power with a promise to clean up corruption after the Liberal sponsorship scandal. That narrative crumbled in 2013 when the Prime Minister's Office became the subject of a police investigation after Harper's closest advisors meddled in an internal spending probe in the Senate.
"What began as a secret deal to buy a senator's silence has progressed through several additional layers of deception," National Post columnist Andrew Coyne wrote at the end of the fall parliamentary session. "I may have missed a stage, but I believe we are now at the cover-up of the cover-up of the cover-up."
13. Global leadership flop
This year marked another dismal performance at the UN climate change conference in Warsaw, where Canada was awarded a special Lifetime Unachievement Fossil Award.
Speaking of the UN, the Conservatives refused to back an international arms trade treaty to keep weapons shipments away from extremists. Worse, they parroted the talking points of the National Firearms Association, citing concern for domestic gun owners, to justify their decision.
And don't forget about Canada's new "economic diplomacy" so all diplomatic assets "are harnessed to support the pursuit of commercial success by Canadian companies and investors."
12. Rebranding Canada
Building on a concerted effort to intertwine conservative values with government icons, the Canadian Museum of Civilization is now the Museum of Canadian History. Its new mandate is to focus on the country's history and identity; promoting a "critical understanding of human cultural achievements and human behaviour" is gone.
This freshly rebranded museum convinced Big Oil to help fund one of the new exhibits, to be called "1867." The million-dollar donation from the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers is the largest ever to the museum, which is not far from the newly rebranded Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway. The scenic route running along the Ottawa River was renamed in 2013 after the Canada's first PM, a Conservative.
11. Cutting off debate
The Conservatives repeatedly used "time allocation" in 2013 to shut down debate in the House of Commons and force an early vote on legislation.
The same instinct was at work when the PMO came up with the idea of an enemies list for new ministers in the summer cabinet shuffle, including bureaucrats "to avoid" and "friend and enemy stakeholders."
The Parliamentary Budget Office wasn't named as an enemy, but Harper neutered that office in 2013. After waiting months to name a successor to the fiercely independent and effective Kevin Page, the office is now a shadow of its former self, reduced to filing access to information requests to get answers from the government to simple questions.
10. Creating low-wage jobs
Between November 2012 and November 2013, all of the net new jobs created in Canada were in the lowest paid and most insecure occupational group: sales and service jobs.
There were just 172,400 new jobs created over this period. But sales and service employment rose by 191,700. These jobs pay an average of just $16.50 per hour, giving the lie to the Harper government's claim that our economy is doing just fine.
Tell that to all the manufacturing workers, with good middle-class wages, who learned in 2013 that their plant would be shutting down.
9. Reopening the abortion debate
The social conservatives in the Conservative Party spent 2013 making sure abortion was back on the Parliamentary agenda.
Conservative MP Mark Warawa got things started with his push to condemn sex-selection abortion, and caucus colleagues Stephen Woodworth and Maurice Vellacott picked up the ball and ran with it.
Their two motions to reopen the abortion debate aren't exactly the same, but the Conservative MPs want a special committee of the House of Commons in 2014 to study the "legal protections" accorded to "children before birth."
So much for Harper's promise not to reopen the abortion debate.
8. Two omnibus budget bills
Harper used to loath these massive bills because, in his words from 1994, they aren't "in the interest of democracy." Now, he's a big fan of them, burying bad ideas in omnibus budget legislation so they don't get debated.
The first in 2013 was 128 pages long. The second ran 322 pages, and included amendments to 50 laws, many that had nothing to do with budget implementation.
7. Failing First Nations
The year began with the historic Idle No More movement and a meeting between chiefs and Harper. Since then, there have been no signs of a new nation-to-nation relationship.
Instead, we've seen the opposite from the Conservatives: refusing to call a public inquiry into 582 missing and murdered aboriginal women, proposing a First Nations education bill that's been panned and pressing ahead with the expansion of the tar sands despite treaty rights and objections of First Nations.
6. Attacking collective bargaining rights
The Conservatives continued their war on workers with dozens of amendments to weaken the Canada Labour Code and the Public Service Labour Relations Act. That's not all.
The government had the back of two backbenchers who are promoting bills (C-377 and C-525) that have one goal: attack unions so they can't fight for fair wages.
5. Abandoning veterans
Soldiers and veterans spent a good chunk of the year raising concerns about inadequate support and shabby treatment by the Canadian military after returning from combat. Then Conservatives announced plans to close nine Veterans Affairs offices throughout the country.
Before year's end, four Afghan veterans took their own lives in the span of a few days, shining the light on how we're failing our men and women in uniform.
4. Not taking safety seriously
It's the government's job to keep people safe. The Conservatives record on rail safety shows they've failed that test.
The deadly runaway train disaster in July carrying crude oil in Lac-Mégantic was a brutal reminder of problems with the system. A few months later, the auditor general's report on rail safety showed longstanding systemic problems with the oversight of Canada's rail system.
The audit found "significant weaknesses" at Transport Canada, including inadequate inspections, poor training for inspectors, weak oversight from management and sloppy record-keeping.
3. Do-nothing on climate change
Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq is the fifth minister in that portfolio in eight years to promise regulations aimed at curbing climate-warming emissions. 2013 was supposed to be the year, but nope. By year's end, Harper confirmed we'll have to wait a few more years.
Meanwhile, the Conservatives continued to approve the expansion of the tar sands without any plan to reduce climate pollution. This will add to the 250 million litres of liquid toxic waste currently created by the tar sands every day.
2. Deepening democratic deficit
Count' em: four Conservative MPs found themselves in hot water in 2013 over campaign spending. Dean Del Mastro is facing charges, while Peter Penashue resigned after irregularities surfaced. The other two -- Shelley Glover and James Bezan -- are still standing.
If that were all...
The Conservatives continued to stonewall an Elections Canada's voter-suppression investigation, hampered by a weak law that prevents the agency from compelling testimony. This obstructionist approach means only one person was charged in 2013: a low-level party guy named Michael Sona, who maintains his innocence and says he's being scapegoated by the party.
1. PMO cover-up
Harper rode into power with a promise to clean up corruption after the Liberal sponsorship scandal. That narrative crumbled in 2013 when the Prime Minister's Office became the subject of a police investigation after Harper's closest advisors meddled in an internal spending probe in the Senate.
"What began as a secret deal to buy a senator's silence has progressed through several additional layers of deception," National Post columnist Andrew Coyne wrote at the end of the fall parliamentary session. "I may have missed a stage, but I believe we are now at the cover-up of the cover-up of the cover-up."
Harper Silencing Scientists
The Silence of the Labs
In the past few years, the federal government has cut funding to hundreds of renowned research institutes and programs. Ottawa has dismissed more than 2,000 federal scientists and researchers and has drastically cut or ended programs that monitored smoke stack emissions, food inspections, oil spills, water quality and climate change. Now some scientists have become unlikely radicals, denouncing what they call is a politically-driven war on knowledge. In 'Silence of the Labs', Linden MacIntyre tells the story of scientists - and what is at stake for Canadians - from Nova Scotia to the B.C. Pacific Coast to the far Arctic Circle.
THE FIFTH ESTATE
In the past few years, the federal government has cut funding to hundreds of renowned research institutes and programs. Ottawa has dismissed more than 2,000 federal scientists and researchers and has drastically cut or ended programs that monitored smoke stack emissions, food inspections, oil spills, water quality and climate change. Now some scientists have become unlikely radicals, denouncing what they call is a politically-driven war on knowledge. In 'Silence of the Labs', Linden MacIntyre tells the story of scientists - and what is at stake for Canadians - from Nova Scotia to the B.C. Pacific Coast to the far Arctic Circle.
THE FIFTH ESTATE
What's Driving Chaotic Dismantling of Canada's Science Libraries?
Scientists reject Harper gov't claims vital material is being saved digitally.
Wednesday, 1 January 2014
Are CEOs paid too much?
Top Canadian CEOs earn annual worker's salary by lunchtime on Jan. 2
The review found the average compensation among Canada's top 100 CEOs was $7.96 million in 2012. This compared with the average annual Canadian worker's salary of $46,634.
Economist Mike Moffat pointed out that “More NHLers earn 6 million+ a year than Canadian CEOs do.” And while sports commentators and fans sometimes roll their eyes at the astronomical salaries top athletes currently command, they’re not exactly taking to the streets in protest.
So why are people so outraged by executive compensation, but not by the salaries of sports figures?
Where’s the public outrage over sky-high CEO pay?
Business Financial Post
Richest CEOs earn 189 times average Canadian
Top 100 executives earned about $8.38M each in 2010
TORONTO -- By the time you finish lunch on Thursday, Canada's top paid CEOs will have already earned the equivalent of your annual salary.
It may be hard to swallow, but according to an annual review by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, by 1:11 p.m. on Jan. 2, the average top paid Canadian CEO will have been earned as much as the average full-time worker's yearly income.
The review found the average compensation among Canada's top 100 CEOs was $7.96 million in 2012. This compared with the average annual Canadian worker's salary of $46,634.
So why are people so outraged by executive compensation, but not by the salaries of sports figures?
Source: Canadian Business
Why we pay CEOs too much, and how we can stop
The Globe And Mail
Recently, a group representing Canada’s biggest pension plans stood up and voted “no” at the Barrick Gold Corp. annual meeting. When asked to approve a pay package for its CEO and board of directors, shareholders voted 85.2 per cent to reject the high-priced plan.
Barrick is only the second Canadian publicly traded company to lose a say-on-pay vote. Last year, pharmaceutical company QLT Inc. lost a similar vote. While non-binding, these votes do serve as advice from the company’s investors.
Business Financial Post
Richest CEOs earn 189 times average Canadian
Top 100 executives earned about $8.38M each in 2010
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