Category: Canada

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Canada

The Government of Canada Welcomes Poplar Hill First Nation’s Step Forward to Design and Build a Community School

November 10, 2014 – Poplar Hill First Nation, Ontario – Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada

Natural Resources Minister and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario, Greg Rickford, today attended a sod-turning ceremony at the Poplar Hill First Nation, marking an important partnership with the Government of Canada in building a new school for the community.

Slated to open in September 2016, the new, high quality, sustainable school will be a 2,309 square metre facility designed for an enrollment of 173 students Kindergarten to grade 9. It will be built in a cost-effective and efficient manner, bundling design and construction under a single contractor, with construction set to begin shortly after the design phase.

Funding for this project follows a commitment made in Economic Action Plan 2012, with the Government of Canada providing funding for the design and construction phase of the new school.

Quick facts
Poplar Hill First Nation has a registered on‐reserve population of 591 and is located in northwestern Ontario, approximately 125 kilometers north-northeast of the town of Red Lake.
Between April 1, 2008, and March 31, 2013, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada invested approximately $613 million for 372 education facilities projects, including new construction, additions, renovations and minor upgrades of existing on-reserve education facilities.
The contract for building the school has been granted to the design/build team of Number 10 Architectural Group and NDL Construction Limited. 
For more information on the Government of Canada’s investment in First Nations’ school infrastructure, please visit the online Education Facilities Progress Report – April 2008 to March 2013.
Quotes

“I’m pleased to join the Poplar Hill First Nation in turning the first shovel of soil as an official launch of what is to be an exciting time in building a new school for the community. We remain committed to ensuring that Aboriginal children have a quality learning environment. We are working in partnership with Poplar Hill First Nation on a cost-effective and innovative design-build approach to ensure their youth has the same educational facilities as those enjoyed by other students in Canada.”

– Greg Rickford,
Minister of Natural Resources and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario

“The community of Poplar Hill has been working on this project for more than ten years. The school is an extremely important facility in our community since it provides our children with an environment where they can learn, grow and work toward a future filled with hope and success. We applaud the government for presenting us with an innovative option that has allowed this important project to move forward.”

– Chief Alice Suggashie,
Poplar Hill First Nation
Associated links
Contacts

Erica Meekes
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
819-997-0002

Media Relations
Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada
819-953-1160

Follow us on Twitter: @AANDCanada

Source:: http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?nid=902579

      

Categories
Breaking News Canada

Quebec Train Derailment Leaves Conductor Missing

Quebec, train derailment
Quebec, train derailment

A train derailment in Quebec has resulted in a conductor missing, and the train was pulling empty cars or the result of the derailment could have been much worse. The Quebec North Shore and Labrador locomotive jumped the tracks on Thursday morning, and the train plunged down a steep embankment and ended up in the river at a location close to Sept-Iles. There was aerial footage of the accident, and this footage shows that the engine plus at least seven of the cars that were attached to the engine had left the railroad tracks and went over the edge. The cause of the train derailment in Quebec is believed to be a mudslide, which came down from above the tracks and caused an impact with the train.

The locomotive that was involved in the Quebec train derailment was located in the Moose River, where the engine was submerged. According to the Iron Ore Company of Canada “ The conductor is unaccounted for and his family has been notified. Our first priority is locating our employee.” The name of the conductor has not been released. The train derailment occurred in a remote area, and divers were sent to the location in order to search for the missing conductor but they have had no luck so far. It is not known so far if there were any other employees on the train or if anyone was injured in the accident. The tracks where the train left the rails is very difficult to get to, and the train tracks are basically the only transportation in the area.

Categories
Alberta Canada Politics

Joe Oliver, the Finance Minister, is hopeful for Keystone Pipeline Approval After Recent Election in the USA

Keystone pipeline approval, recent election in the USA
Keystone pipeline approval, recent election in the USA

With the results of the recent election in the USA there is new hope for the Canadian government that there will be a Keystone pipeline approval announced soon. According to Joe Oliver, the Finance Minister, he has hope that the Republicans who took control of the United States Senate will give approval for the Keystone XL project which has been stalled by the Democratic Majority in the Senate until now and the current presidential administration. The US Ambassador to Canada, Gary Doer, expressed hope that the win by the Republicans will get the Keystone pipeline project back on track and help it move forward once again. Ever since the project was stalled the Republican lawmakers in the Senate and House of Representatives in the United States have tried to push the project forward by applying pressure to President Obama to issue a Keystone pipeline approval.

A Keystone pipeline approval because of the recent election in the USA would be a boon to Canada and the USA, and the Canadian government has long supported the project. It is a $5.4 billion project, allowing a TransCanada pipeline to be built which will connect Texas refineries to the Athabasca oilsands in Alberta. President Obama has continuously pushed back Keystone pipeline approval because he was pressured by environmentalists. Things have changed now that Republicans control both congressional chambers, and things will hopefully start to get done with the change in political parties. Republican lawmakers have already stated that the Keystone XL project is a priority once the new session of Congress begins in January.

Categories
Canada Politics

Allegations of Personal Misconduct by Liberal MPs Costly for Those Accused

sexual harassment, personal misconduct by liberal MPs
sexual harassment, personal misconduct by liberal MPs

Parliament Hill has recently been rocked by allegations of sexual harassment and personal misconduct by liberal MPs, and the actions of Justin Trudeau has let everyone know hoe he feels about this type of conduct. Two of Trudeau’s male MPs have been suspended when two female MPs made allegations against the males. The two who were kicked from the caucus were Newfoundland and Labrador MP Scott Andrews and Montreal MP Massimo Pacetti, who both deny the allegations and proclaim they are innocent. Justin Trudeau did not wait long after finding out about the allegations before he lowered the boom. When asked about this Trudeau commented “As a leader, I have a responsibility — a duty — to act and when I heard these serious allegations from other MPs, I realized that one of the things that we need to do [is] to encourage and protect people who come forward with allegations like this and that’s why I acted. [I] must give the benefit of the doubt to those who come forward.”

The female MPs who claimed personal misconduct by the liberal male MPs were not available for comment, but some have speculated and even reported that the complainants were not expecting the actions taken or that Trudeau would make the matter public so fast. According to NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair “We’re deeply saddened by these serious allegations. Everyone who works in these place has a right to be in a secure environment free of harassment.” Time will tell whether the allegations can be proven or not.

Categories
Canada Health

Health Canada Says Wind Turbines No Link to Poor Health

Health Canada, wind turbines, poor health
Health Canada, wind turbines, poor health

According to Health Canada there is no link between poor health and wind turbines, a decision that some still disagree with. The conclusion by the agency is that wind turbines can cause stress, but that there is no direct link that shows these items actually cause poor health. In order to come to a conclusion federal scientists conducted the most comprehensive study of this kind so far, and many communities which host wind farms in the area were studied by the federal scientists to see whether the health of the populations were affected by the turbines. The researchers studied a total of 1,200 participants, all of whom lived within 2 kilometers of wind turbines in the Ontario and P.E.I. areas. The researchers did caution that the results of the Health Canada study only applies to the populations in the two areas that were used for the study, and do not necessarily apply to other areas.

The Health Canada study that looked for links between wind turbines and poor health did note that individuals in these areas did report some stress, which was reported as headaches and sleep disruptions, but the study results concluded that there is not anything which shows that these stressors resulted from wind turbines. An official with Health Canada stated “If someone indicated a higher level of perceived stress, (in some cases they) did have higher cortisol levels (a hormone released when an individual experiences stress). However, these (were) not related to wind turbine exposure.” Whether people believe the study results remains to be seen.

Categories
Canada Politics

MP Dean Del Mastro Convicted of Election Act Offenses

MP Dean Del Mastro, Election Act offenses
MP Dean Del Mastro, Election Act offenses

The former parliamentary secretary for the prime minister, MP Dean Del Mastro, has been found guilty on charges that he committed Elections Acts offences when he was campaigning in 2008. The convictions against Del Mastro included filing an incorrect return to Elections Canada, overspending, and under reporting. Each of the convictions that were given carries a maximum fine of $2,000 and the possibility of up to a year in prison. With three convictions this means that Del Mastro is facing a maximum of $6,000 in fines and 3 years in prison. The charges against MP Dean Del Mastro involved writing a check to cover work performed for the election in the amount of $21,000, but then claiming a payment of just $1,575 once it was realized that the full $21,000 would put Del Mastro over the spending limit for campaigns.

Because4 MP Dean Del Mastro has been convicted of Elections Act offenses there have been some calls for him to step down from his current position however he has refused to do so. Richard McCarthy, who acted as Del Mastro’s accountant at one time, was also convicted on two of the three charges that were brought against him for the actions involved in the case. When the case was reviewed the investigator found that Del Mastro obfuscated the evidence, and refused to answer a number of key questions that were asked of him while the matter was being reviewed. Under the Elections Act calls for anyone who has been convicted of offenses under the act to be completely barred from serving any office until a minimum of five years have passed since the conviction.