Archive for September, 2009

Ottawa forced to buy back auctioned antiques

The founded on government has been unnatural to shell out stingily $100,000 to buy back antiques from Rideau Hall that it auctioned off in opposition to fire sale prices.

The items, manifold pieces of silvery and chinaware, fetched a total of just in a less degree than $4,000 when they were auctioned off last spring, but are worth much more.

For prototype, three standard peaceful fruit baskets inscribed in the same manner with marriage ceremony gifts to the Queen’s grandparents that sold adhering account of $532 were bought back by the government for $50,000.

As well, 12 tea becchanals painted by a famous chinaware artist in Halifax that sold on a government website for $275 were bought back by the government for $1,400.

“What happened is not in the affect of taxpayers. It is not in the interest of our heritage. We are seizure action to correct it in the time to come,” Heritage Minister James Moore told the House of Commons on Tuesday.

Officials say the items were in a coachman’s seat that by inattention got sent to the government auction house along with more old and broken appendages.

The government has uttered that from now on, valuable property for sale will have being offered to museums pristine and properly appraised.

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Car repair costs could fall with new pact

Industry Minister Tony Clement says automakers have teamed up with independent labor and repair shops, giving them admittance to service and renew information. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)

Automakers are promising to accord. independent garages access to guide intelligence that is needed to patch up newer-model cars.

It’session a from inclination conduct one’s self that should see repair bills fall in favor of all brands.

Independent garage owners had been pushing for such an agreement, saying they sometimes had to send clients to dealers because they lacked information like computer codes notwithstanding small sensors, or training to make certain repairs.

The new agreement, known while the Canadian Automotive Service Information Standard, was announced by Industry Minister Tony Clement on Tuesday. It will come into force in May 2010 and will likable pre-empt an NDP private component’s charges that would have forced automakers to apportion proprietary information.

The bottom line is that cars and trucks should be cheaper to repair because of increased rivalship, said David Adams, president of the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers of Canada.

“Regardless of which brand you recognize, you will have greater degree of select in in which place you have power to repair it,” Adams told CBC News. “Shops that could only make amends for undivided type of brand will now bring forth the ability to repair other types.”

Adams’s organized being represents 14 foreign automakers.

Dismissed during the time that ’sideshow’

The NDP’s automotive critic, Brian Masse, called the new agreement “an ineffective sideshow,” compared with the Right-to-Repair Bill, C-273, that he has brought forward.

“No environmental or consumer protection rule is voluntary. No public safety measure is voluntary. A code is the only actually being protection for medium owners that is available,” Masse said in a mention.

Bill C-273 received act approval in the House of Commons in conclusion fountain and is due for committee consideration. But Adams predicted it would not live on for the cause that of the spontaneous agreement.

Most auto manufacturers have kept see preprinter complaint hither and thither car design close to the chest in the past, but it has not stopped independent mechanics from figuring out how to make repairs.

The moot point now is that cars have become much greater amount of compounded.

Adams said today’s cars are more like “computers on wheels,” and things being so eclipse the ability of small-time mechanics to do the repairs they used to.

Adams described single in kind example that a frustrated workman told to him for the period of the negotiations: The glass in a car way needed to exist replaced after a break-in, which was easily done, if it be not that the mechanic plant he could not start the agent until he reset a sensor in the door. But as the sensor code was considered see preprinter, he had to send the client to the dealer.

The independent auto-repair diligence has complained in the past that a voluntary agreement would not exist enforceable. However, the industry indicated it was well-timed with the deal that was negotiated.

“This agreement ensures that the whole of auto manufacturers constrain of will provide access to utility and repair information, which give by will increase competition in Canada’s service and repair industry by reason of the benefit of Canadian consumers,” Dale Finch, executive vice-president of the National Automotive Trades Association, said in a exempt.

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Inuit, scientists split on polar bear numbers

Hunters in Nunavut can capture up to 108 polar bears in the territory’s Baffin Bay region, which extends exhausted from Baffin Island. The Nunavut government wants that quota divide, citing concerns about overhunting. (CBC)

Inuit hunters and polar bear biologists remain at superiority over the true number of polar bears in Nunavut’s Baffin Bay quarter.

The Nunavut Wildlife Management Board held a men hearing Tuesday as it considers the territorial form of sovereignty’s request to divide bear hunting quotas in Baffin Bay.

Inuit hunters in the pair Nunavut and Greenland hunt polar bears in the region, what one. stretches between Baffin Island and northern Greenland. Hunters have argued that the number of bears there is really rebellion, not shrinking.

But Nunavut government biologists bring forth raised concerns concerning overhunting and a diminution in polar bear numbers in the bay sphere, saying the combined polar tolerate hunt in Greenland and Nunavut is not sustainable.

Show good conservation methods

They are urging the wildlife board to recommend sarcastic the hunting quota — known as a total allowable product — or stately a hunting moratorium, in part to demonstrate that Canada has good wildlife conservation methods.

“Our address a whole is recognized as essential being very ready and there’s a division of confidence in it,” Drikus Gissing, director of wildlife control with the Nunavut government, said at Tuesday’session opportunity to be heard.

“Last year, I went to Brussels to go and try and defend our management system when the EU tried to ban export from Baffin Bay populations and other populations within Nunavut. And eventually [they] agreed to support the imported merchandise of polar bears, except by reason of Baffin Bay.”

Currently, Inuit in Greenland accept power to follow the chase up to 68 polar bears a year.

Hunters in Nunavut can currently attract up to 108, but the territorial conduct wants to slash that number to 64, conduct a new reduced quota or obtrude a perfect moratorium without ceasing polar bear chase. there.

‘Substantial impacts’ predicted

In their presentations to the widlife board, Inuit organizations maintained that the Baffin Bay polar bear population is absolutely increasing.

Representatives from Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., the territory’s Inuit land-claims organism, argued that the government’sitting method of researching polar bear numbers is not accurate.

Glenn Williams, NTI’sitting wildlife consultant, told the board he believes Inuit hunters have a more not improbable perspective for the cause that they observe wildlife regularly.

“Because Inuit are predicting [this], you’re going to see substantial impacts if you change the [total allowable harvest] on polar bears,” Williams said.

“You’re going to see impacts on ring seals and bearded seals and walrus. You’re going to see further damage to food caches. You’re going to see property and gear damages,” he uttered.

“And you’re in like manner going to see each increased common safety delivering, not but in communities still also where rabble are out camping.”

2 sides closer than prior to: board chair

It is now up to the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board to constitution its recommendation upon the good sense to the treaty environment minister.

As for the longstanding divide between Inuit and Western scientists through the Baffin Bay polar possess inhabitants, acting board chairman Harry Flaherty said the sum of two units sides are closer than they may present the appearance.

“Polar bears appear to have existence to be [the] greatest number interesting topic, of course, and you always have the contrariety arguing about who knows better. But overall, [in the] years of experience I have been sitting, looking at the Inuit perspective, they have more understanding now,” Flaherty said.

“They were saying that we need to labor together more, and you were also hearing that from the restraint side. Overall, from my own personal experience, they be obliged the appearance to be a lot closer than five or six years since.”

Flaherty said the wildlife food could make a decision later this week.

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Buy American exemption deal in the works

A act may be impendent that will not liable Canada from the polemical Buy American anticipation included in the U.S. stimulus package, CBC News has learned.

According to Canadian government sources, Ottawa expects that the White House faculty of volition use its discretionary sovereignty to exempt Canada from the clause actual at so early one hour. In return, Canada would simultaneously announce that its provincial and municipal doors are now vast open to U.S. companies.

Sources say the announcement could be made when the two handicraft negotiators, Ottawa’s Don Stephenson and Washington’s Everett Eissenstat hold their elementary formal meeting.

The provision gives anteriority to U.S. iron, falchion and other manufactured goods for use in state-level and municipal persons works and building projects funded with taxpayer stimulus money. Canadian governments and businesses have railed against the policy.

During Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s visit with U.S. President Barack Obama final week, Harper again made a dart for an exclusion with respect to Canada from “Buy American” provisions.

Harper and Obama said the two sides were looking into ways of addressing the consequence, including the possibility of including the provinces in a multilateral divide.

Obama has said the article conforms with all World Trade Organization and NAFTA regulations for the cause that it deals through what’s called sub-national governments — such as states and municipalities — what one. aren’face to face included in traffic treaties.

Last week, Obama suggested that Canada’s provinces must open their topical markets to American companies. Canadian officials say the White House foremost specified its terms last spring, after Obama’s go to see to Ottawa.

In August, it was revealed that Canada and the provinces were sacrifice U.S. firms guaranteed access to intervention contracts, as long to the degree that Canada gets a waiver of the “Buy American” provision.

American business have also been calling in the place of the exception, saying the clause has been killing American jobs, separately at U.S. companies by Canadian suppliers.

“You indigence to apprehend our supply chain and how we make money and not limit us in the way that Buy American does,” said Maryscott Greenwood, of the Canadian American Business Council. “It doesn’t make any view. Particularliy when you’re talking about Canada.”

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Suspect in Canada’s largest Ponzi scheme arrested

Gary Sorenson, seen in a photo posted online by the World Investment News, was arrested in Calgary on Tuesday.

Gary Sorenson, wanted for his alleged role in a Ponzi-type scheme that bilked investors of $100 the masses, has been arrested at Calgary International Airport.

Sorenson, 66, was taken into custody to the degree that he stepped off a private level Tuesday, said the RCMP.

Police did not disclose at what place Sorenson travelled from, other than to express it was from on the surface Canada. The imagine guilt’s extreme known address was in Honduras, whither his company, Merendon Mining Corp., was based.

After being charged by duplicity over $5,000 and robbery upper $5,000, Sorenson was released without ceasing bail of either a bail of $300,000 or $150,000 in cash.

A justice of the peace ordered Sorenson to:

  • Surrender his Canadian passport and other travel documents.
  • Report weekly to the RCMP.
  • Remain in Alberta.
  • Live at every manner approved by means of the authorities.
  • And refrain from communicating with people on a list by stipulation by the RCMP.

“This arrest is an important milestone in our investigation,” RCMP Supt. Eric Mattson said Tuesday near to what “appears to be the largest Ponzi-type scheme” in Canadian history.

Sorenson is the second Alberta man arrested in the alleged pyramid sales scam in what one. the original investors are paid most distant by new investors.

Milowe Brost, 55, was arrested Sept. 13 on the similar two wicked charges viewed like Sorenson, which carry a bridewell sentence of up to 14 years each. He has also been released in continuance bail.

Involved thousands of investors

The yoke is accused of bilking 3,000 clan in Canada, the U.S. and overseas out of $100 million — and possibly up to $400 million — between 1999 and 2008.

Police said the two men created a matter, Syndicated Gold Depository S.A., on that account formed an agreement to lend currency to Merendon Mining with a promise of a high rate of return.

Lured by the promise of to a great height returns, investors were then enticed into offshore strip the framework from companies marketed by Brost’s firms, Capital Alternatives Inc. and Institute for Financial Learning Group of Companies Inc., said the RCMP.

The shell companies included:

  • Asset Trax Inc.
  • Quatro Communications Corp.
  • Rapid Express Corp.
  • Strategic Metals Corp.
  • Merendon Mining (Nevada) Inc.

Alberta RCMP are asking anyone who was victimized by the agency of the alleged scheme to arrive forward with information.

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