Archive for July 13th, 2010

Alberta couple’s disappearance devastates family

Marie Ann McCann, 77, and Lyle Thomas McCann, 78, left Alberta on account of B.C. attached July 3 and have not been seen by the agency of their subdivision of an order since. (RCMP)The family of one Alberta couple missing conducive to more than a week is devastated by their disappearance.

Lyle Thomas McCann, 78, and his wife, Marie Ann McCann, 77, left St. Albert on July 3 headed for B.C. They were driving a 1999 green and white Gulf Stream Sun Voyager recreational vehicle and towing a light-green Hyundai Tucson.

“Our all group of genera is just devastated by this,” their son, Bret McCann, said at a news colloquy in Edmonton Tuesday. “It’sitting just devastating to us all. It’sitting just unbelievable, really. We’re a really close-knit tribe.”

RCMP confirmed Monday that the McCanns’ motorhome was found on passion at the Minnow Lake campground within a little of Edson, Alta., in continuance July 5. Their SUV, bearing Alberta licence plate ZPK 289, has not been found.

Bret McCann said that he wants the public to know his parents have none displayed any signs of confusion or loss of intellect. (CBC)The McCanns were headed to Abbotsford, B.C., to meet their daughter at the airport attached July 10 but none showed up. The family reported the couple absent in succession July 10.

Bret McCann said his parents were experienced travelers who would expend several months in the U.S. during the winter.

McCann’s male parent, a long-haul truck driver for much of his working life, spent a lot of era driving end Alberta and B.C.

“They were in their long delayed 70s, but they were totally vigorous,” McCann uttered, adding that the family was comfortable with their vigor to travel.

Ground search underway

Since July 10, the RCMP have performed an air search of 259 square kilometres, interviewed witnesses, searched the couple’s cellphone records and used a police dog in the search, RCMP Sgt. Patrick Webb said at a advice conference Tuesday.

Police are looking on this account that this light green Hyundai Tucson SUV by an Alberta licence layer ZPK 289. (RCMP)Police furthermore checked the McCanns’ bank accounts, that showed nothing extraordinary, Webb said.

Webb added in that place is a ground search being carried deficient in Tuesday in the area where the burned motorhome was found. Civilian search and rescue teams from Brazeau, Parkland and Hinton are taking part.

The RCMP’sitting forensic identification division is also involved in the investigation.

“At this point, the focus is on finding the McCanns,” Webb related. “We need the national’s hinder in doing this.”

Bret McCann, who has started a Facebook group to try to assist find his parents, is trying to keep decisive.

“We’re very hopeful that the public have power to help us, end this SUV, find our parents,” he reported.

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U.S. do-not-call list puts Canada’s to shame

Canada’sitting do-not-call list has collected $250 in fines while the U.S. equivalent has collected $22 million. (iStock)

While Canada’sitting do-not-call list has proven to be costly and ineffective when it comes to collecting fines, a like system in the U.S. has collected outer $22 the masses from telemarketers and shut down various fraudulent operations.

Last week, Canadian Senator Percy Downe revealed that only $250 in fines had been paid in the two years because the list was initiated.

A report issued to Industry Minister Tony Clement last year revealed that the do-not-call method had cost Canadians more than $15 the multitude like of March 31, 2009.

‘We are not giving interviews on the … [do-not-call list] at the moment.’—CRTC spokesperson

Of 23 fines issued since 2009, CBC could discover no record of any life paid. The fines ramble from $2,500 to $10,000. Decisions listed on the CRTC website show enforcement actions have been largely ignored.

After repeated requests for more parley, a spokesperson towards the CRTC, that operates the combination of parts to form a whole, regular, “we are not giving interviews on the D.N.C. at the moment.”

U.S. violators requite hefty fines

Meantime. a speaker for the Federal Trade Commission in the U.S., what one. operates that country’s do-not-call think fit, told CBC News that of 60 complaints that led to legal motion, all but one has been settled.

In some cases, the settlements led to consumers being repaid money that was dissolute through telemarketing fraud.

The spokesman said that while the FTC does not be favored with authority to levy fines on its own, an agreement with the U.S. Justice Department gives the commission the teeth to pursue violators, amass onward the fines issued and shut down unwanted activity.

The U.S. list has existed since 2003.

According to a report to Congress, “the FTC brings actions seeking preliminary projection to immediately halt deceptive telemarketing, violations of do-not-call requirements and other legal conduct.

“Such actions generally decision in a final judgment that includes a permanent injunction against misconduct through the defendants, an grant of equitable monetary relief, including consumer redress.

“If the subject of a confiscation order fails to pay, the FCC may asker the DOJ [Department of Justice] to collect the forfeiture from one side a trial de novo [new trial in the authorized body] in Federal District Court.”

The largest unadulterated issued for do-not-call violations in the U.S. was $5.3 million contrary to DirectTV.

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BP set to test new oil spill cap

A new containment cover is lowered onto the locality of the Deepwater Horizon oil pour out in the Gulf of Mexico forward Monday. (BP/Reuters)

BP planned gradual tests starting Tuesday to see if a new tightly fitting cap can stop oil from pouring into the Gulf of Mexico instead of the first time in nearly three months.

The cap would be just a temporary solution, but it offers the best hope yet beneficial to cutting off the crude that has fouled the Gulf since the Deepwater Horizon rig leased by BP exploded April 20, killing 11 workers.

Engineers will slowly shut three valves that let oil flow through the 68-tonne capping evasion to see if it can withstand the pressure of the erupting crude and whether leaks spring up in many in the well. Thad Allen, the retired Coast Guard admiral commanding the national reply to the blowout, reported the process of closing the valves, common by one, would start later Tuesday.

If pressure within the cap stays in a target range during roughly six hours after the valves are closed, there will be more dependence the exceed be possible to contain the oil, Allen told a news briefing at BP’s U.S. headquarters in Houston. That mark range is 8,000 to 9,000 pounds by means of square twelfth part of a foot (55,000 to 62,000 kilopascals), he uttered. Anything lower could indicate any other leak in the source.

Allen and BP officials repeatedly cautioned there are no guarantees about the delicate labor 1.6 kilometres below the infinity surface. Allen urged Gulf Coast residents vigilance the possible fasten evolve to have existence patient.

“They ought to be interested and concerned, on the other hand granting that they hold their instant they’ll run out of oxygen. I won’t be,” Allen said.

The tests could finally from six to 48 hours, Allen and BP said.

‘It’sitting not neat stuff’

Kent Wells, a senior vice-president at the oil giant, declined to talk about BP’s nearest steps till the test results are in hand. “It’s not unembellished stuff. What we dress in’familiarily be lacking in respect of to work out is reflect about it,” Wells aforesaid in a BP news briefing.

The cap’s installation after three days of undersea preparations was good news to wear out residents of the coast from Texas to Florida, who have waited for BP to gain friendly on its promise to clean up the dish. Even if the oil follow is stopped, the consequences are far from over.

“I ain’t excited about it till it’s closed on the farther side completely,” related James Pelas, 41, a shrimper working forward his boat at a marina in Venice, La. “Oil’s scattered all through the place.”

BP expects no oil will be released into the ocean during the tests, but remained careful about the success of the system.

Pipes can be hamate to the peak to funnel oil to recover from surprise ships if BP decides the surpass be possible to’cheek by jowl take the stamp of the gusher, or if low pressure readings indicate oil is leaking from elsewhere in the useful.

Even if the cap works, the blown-out well must after that be plugged. A permanent fasten bequeath have to wait until unit of two relief wells inmost nature drilled reaches the penitent well, which will then have being plugged with drilling mire and attach. That may not happen to the time when mid-August.

© The Canadian Press, 2010

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Body in submerged truck recovered in Sask.

Three men in a pickup truck were swept into the Whitesand River onward Sunday. (CBC)

The dead body of a 73-year-old man has been recovered from a submerged pickup trade near Springside, Sask., the RCMP says.

The vehicle carrying three men was swept off the road by the swollen waters of the Whitesand River on Sunday night.

Around noon Tuesday, the truck was removed from the river and the man’sitting body was found inside.

Another man is still absent and believed to have been swept downstream.

The RCMP has a dive team on the site and is using a remote-operated camera to assist in the search.

The third part liege, who is 65 years old, managed to pass unobserved in succession Sunday.

He was arrested and released Monday afternoon. Police place of safety’t said wherefore he was arrested not at all more than reported in that place will be no charges.

All three men are from Yorkton in the east-central part of the province. Police haven’t released in any degree names.

Springside is round 200 kilometres northeast of Regina.

More to come

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National securities agency to have no HQ

The founded on government unveiled a plan for a public securities regulator Tuesday that proposes the new agency would not have a principal part post.

The move is expected to draw protests from the Ontario government, which in its speech from the throne last March, outlined plans to make Toronto an “elite” global financial midst with the renovated securities regulator based in the city.

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, shown in April, has led the charge to create a national securities regulator. (Lefteris Pitarakis/Associated Press)

A transition office set up through the government recommended that the operation take the form of a digit of regional offices. It set July 1, 2012, for the reason that the targeted launch date.

Spreading control in the midst of several offices is the latest attempt to by settled in opinion a conflict that has gone on for 40 years outer what cast the recently made known agency should take.

Quebec and Alberta have led repugnance to the idea of a pure regulator, saying it intrudes on the rights of provinces’ to manage their allow affairs and that a public operation would deficiency the necessary knowledge of local businesses, such as the oil and gas industry.

Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has uttered the gratuity system is lacking in efficiency and creates barriers to investing..

Quebec and Alberta are expected to use arguments the latest tender would not be substantially divers from the current regime of having 13 different agencies, one in each province and territory.

The Supreme Court is due to give heed to arguments later this year on the constitutionality of Ottawa’s offer.

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