Transport Canada stalls aviation safety

First Air Flight 6560 claims twelve lives, TSB
Our thoughts are with those who lost loved ones in Resolute Bay, Nunavut on Aug. 20.  This issue of Aviation Safety News also covers aerodynamic stalls - Continental Connection Flight 3407 and Air France Flight 447 - do pilots need more training?

The issue includes selections from stories filed by top journalists about:
Transport Canada deep sixes floatplane safety
FAA nixes Sikorsky S-92A dry-running requirement  
$2 billion awarded by CATSA in airport passenger screening contracts
Webster Memorial Trophy, Kevin Aalders is Canada's top amateur pilot
Pilot fatigue regulations stalled in the US (where are Canada's?)


Consumer protection lags in Canada
Only 78% of Canadian summer flights on time
Air Canada fined for misleading advertising in the US
Canadian misleading advertising law waits for cabinet approval

The lead investigator into the Cougar Helicopters crash makes a call for a strong regulator.
"I envisage a safety regulator for the offshore as having a mandate to learn about the background of any equipment being used or to be used in the offshore, including helicopters. It should have the knowledge and authority to say when additional measures are needed and the duty to pursue improvements.”
Justice Robert Wells, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Aviation Safety News is a project of Transport Action Canada and the Public Interest Advocacy Centre. Public Interest Advocacy Centre monitors aviation legislation. PIAC has standing before the Canadian Transportation Agency and the courts. Transport Action Canada is represented on the Canadian Aviation Regulation Advisory Council. The Aviation Safety News readers’ group includes top aviation safety authorities, industry and civil service professionals.

The Canadian Press, Four killed in Quebec helicopter crash near Quebec City

Chris Krepski, a spokesman for the safety board, said they were still trying to determine the cause of the accident. Investigators will also examine the aircraft maintenance records, the weather at the time of the crash, and whether there was any communication between the pilot and air traffic control, Krepski said. He said the helicopter, a Robinson R44 that seats four people, was not required to have a black box. The aircraft was destroyed but there was no post-crash fire, he said.
The Canadian Press, Aug. 28, 2011

Macleans, Cockpit crisis, loss-of-control accidents

Statistically speaking, modern avionics have made flying safer than ever. But the crash of Flight 1951 is just one of several recent, high-profile reminders that minor problems can quickly snowball into horrific disasters when pilots don’t understand the increasingly complex systems in the cockpit, or don’t use them properly. The point was hammered home later that year when Air France Flight 447 stalled at nearly 38,000 feet and ended up crashing into the Atlantic, killing all 228 on board. … That’s what happened on Feb. 12, 2009, aboard Colgan Air Flight 3407.
Chris Sorensen, Macleans, August 24, 2011


Nunatsiaq Online, First Air Flight 6560 Resolute Bay

Authorities investigating the crash of First Air flight 6560 say it’s too soon to determine what exactly caused the Boeing 737-200C to crash into a hill near the Resolute Bay airport Aug. 20. … Mark Clitsome, director of air investigations for the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, said investigators will comb through the records of the flight data and cockpit voice recorders and interview the flight’s three survivors. He said it could take up to 60 days to produce a preliminary report and a year or more to issue a final version.

The plane’s manufacturer, Boeing, is helping in the investigation along with the engine manufacturer, Pratt & Whitney, Clitsome said. The 737-200C, which is built to carry both passengers and cargo, was more than 35 years old, according to Planeregister.com, an online database of commercial aircraft. It made its first flight in May of 1975 for Wien Air of Alaska.
Nunatsiaq Online, Chris Windeyer, Aug. 22, 2011


Anti-spam regulations, navigating convergence, lawful access

For consumers
Public Interest News today reports on anti-spam regulations, copyright protection, ma limite de crédit, Bell,  Telus and more. Public Interest News is produced by  J. Goss + Associates for the Public Interest Advocacy Centre and Option consommateurs.

Please make a tax-deductible contribution  to the Public Interest Advocacy Centre

PIAC agenda, Lawful access, copyright and privacy law reform

The upcoming session of the 41st Parliament is expected to give first reading to a number bills of importance to Canadian consumers. PIAC will be paying close attention to bills on lawful access, copyright protection and privacy.

This fall the Ottawa-based consumers group plans to release reports on virtual world payment systems, returns of goods bought online and data breaches.  PIAC lawyers and researchers are studying wireless data roaming rates and advertised broadband speeds. The group is also working on frameworks for: regulation of the financial planners, a national securities regulator and spectrum auctions.

With the Canadian Consumer Initiative, PIAC continues to monitor the enforcement of the National Do Not Call List and Canada's new Anti-Spam Legislation.

Anti-spam, PIAC to comment on draft regulations

In early July two sets of draft regulations to enforce the new anti-spam law were published. The deadline for submissions of comments is Sept 7. PIAC intends to submit comments on both the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission's and Industry Canada's draft regulations.

PIAC is also urging individual to consumers make submissions to Industry Canada  and CRTC.

In December a PIAC report called on the CRTC, which is primarily responsible for the fines and penalties spammers now face in Canada, undertake “intense enforcement efforts” in the early days of the law to send a message to violators of the new law and to bolster Canadians’ confidence in using online commerce.

Augmenter ma limite de crédit peut-il améliorer ma cote ?

DRIC, voies réservées, TransLink on Jack Layton

Hill Times ad Aug. 22
Jack Layton and public transit, No DRIC please, Un réseau de trolleybus, Transport Action BC campaign for Seattle-Vancouver train and more in today's Transport Action Canada hotline.

Make a tax deductible donation to Transport Action Canada.



Jack Layton, Doug Kelsey, TransLink Chief Operating Officer 

“It’s safe to say that we could not have brought in as many improvements as we have over the past six years if not for Jack Layton’s work,” notes TransLink Chief Operating Officer Doug Kelsey. “His Bill C-66 brought over $105 million to British Columbia for transit capital projects, and TransLink got $40.3 million of that. In fact, he used his party’s balance of power in Parliament to make sure that funding was included in the federal budget – which shows how willing he was to use whatever influence he had for the betterment of his country and its people.”

TransLink reported, "As president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Mr Layton played a key role in establishing the federal Gas Tax Fund, which returns monies to regions so they can pay for transit improvements and supporting infrastructure. Money from Bill C-66 and the Gas Tax Fund has enabled TransLink to replace and expand the fleet of buses and SkyTrain cars and build the third SeaBus, all at a time when the Metro Vancouver region was expanding beyond anyone’s expectations. "

110 millions, Congestion routière à Montréal, Transport 2000 réagit favorablement

« Un mois gratuit à l'achat d'un abonnement annuel au transport en commun, ajout de 40 kilomètres de voies réservées et stationnements incitatifs additionnels. Voilà les principales mesures annoncées hier par le ministre des Transports du Québec, Sam Hamad, pour tenter de décongestionner le réseau routier montréalais »  Jeanne Corriveau a rapporté pour le Devoir le 25 août.

SRC a rapporté « Normand Parisien, directeur général de Transport 2000, réagit favorablement aux mesures de Sam Hamad. Il salue particulièrement les mesures incitatives en faveur de l'utilisation du transport en commun. »

« Plusieurs des mesures dévoilées hier n'entreront pas en vigueur pour la rentrée scolaire. Certaines seront mises en place au cours de l'automne, alors que d'autres ne s'appliqueront que l'an prochain. Au total, ce cocktail de mesures nécessitera des investissements de 110 millions »  le Devoir a rapporté.

No DRIC, Transport Action Ontario Hill-Times ad says

Webster Memorial Trophy, La crème des aviateurs


Kevin Aalders is Canada's top amateur pilot. Aalders won  the Webster Memorial Trophy in a competition at Grondair, in St. Frederic, Quebec, this weekend. Aalders flies out of the Centennial Flight School, Edmonton, Alberta.  The 2011 runner-up is Justin Mailman from Moncton Flight College, Moncton, NB.

Amy Foy says."The Webster Team and our sponsor, Air Canada Flight Operations, wish to congratulate Kevin, Justin and all the regional finalists for their excellent performance and an extraordinary competition."

Aalders captures 2011 Webster Memorial Trophy
Wings Magazine, Matt Nicholls

Kevin Aalders, Wings Magazine
Aug. 23, 2011, Quebec City, Que. – For Kevin Aalders, capturing the 2011 Webster Memorial Trophy as Canada’s top amateur pilot is more than simply the culmination of a wonderful journey. It’s a testament to the fact that good things really do happen if you believe in your dreams and do whatever it takes to make them happen. “It’s wild, I really don’t know what to say,” the 29-year-old told Wings shortly after capturing the coveted award as Canada’s Top Amateur pilot. “It’s great, because I’ve really worked hard to get here.”

Wings Magazine reported: "The 2011 Webster Trophy Ceremony was held Aug. 20 at the Delta Quebec Hotel in Quebec City and featured an impressive array of industry heavyweights in attendance, from current and retired pilots, Transport Canada officials to past winners. It was the fitting conclusion to a spirited week of competition and learning for the nine regional finalists selected from a pool of 105 applicants – the most in the competition’s history. The event was brilliantly hosted by Grondair in St. Frederic, Que., as all elements went without a hitch – thanks to the careful planning and execution of ceremony stewards Wayne and Amy Foy."


La crème des aviateurs à Saint-Frédéric
Edition Beauce, Hubert Lapointe, le 18 août 2011
Du 17 au 20 août, l'Aéroport Grondair de Saint-Frédéric a été l'hôte de la « Webster Memorial Trophy Competition ». Commandité par Air Canada, l'événement rassemblait les meilleurs pilotes amateurs de neuf régions du Canada.

Joshua Shea et Matthew Duplan.

Train de l'Est, Metrolinx Advertising Standards Canada

Stories about, Montreal rail commuters stiffed, PIE IX, transit courtesy starts with offering your seat, what is traffic gridlock and more in today's edition of the Transport Action Hotline.

Make a tax deductible donation to Transport Action Canada.


Transport Action Ontario, Sept. 8 pre-election public meeting

Transport Action Ontario will hold a public meeting called "Ontario Political Parties on Transportation Policy: A Dialogue with Voters" on:  
Thursday, September 8, 2011, 7:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Metro Hall, 55 John St., Toronto, Rooms 308/09

Discussion Panelists include: 
Cheri DiNovo, MPP for Parkdale-High Park and candidate for re-election.  Current NDP Critic for Public Transit.
Frank De Jong, former leader of the Ontario Green Party and Green Party candidate for Davenport. 
Frank Klees, MPP for Newmarket-Aurora and candidate for re-election.  Current PC Critic for Transportation and Infrastructure. 
The Liberal Party of Ontario has declined our invitation.    

Questions and comments from the floor and from across the province are welcome.  Please consult the Transport Action Ontario website for more details as they become available. 

Transport 2000 Québec, Service rapide par bus sur le boulevard PIE-IX

Montréal, le 16 août 2011 – L’association Transport 2000 Québec dénonce les obstacles que dressent certains intervenants dans le projet d’implantation d’un service rapide par bus dans l’axe du boulevard Pie-IX à Montréal et à Laval.  L’abandon du service dans la voie réservée à contresens de 1990 à 2002 avait pourtant été suivie de nombreuses études et consultations, avant que la ministre des Transports du Québec – madame Julie Boulet – ne rende une décision qui aurait pour effet d’améliorer considérablement l’image de marque du transport en commun et du service d’autobus à Montréal et à Laval dès le mois de décembre 2009.  Son potentiel d’attraction s’en trouverait amélioré considérablement selon les études disponibles.

Transport 2000 considérait ce dossier non seulement comme une priorité nationale mais comme une urgence nationale !  L’organisme rappelle que le service d’autobus sur le boulevard Pie-IX transporte autant de passagers que toutes les lignes de trains de banlieue réunies.  Ça va faire !  

Rising costs derail Train de l'Est

"The Quebec government has suspended Montreal's long-awaited Train de l'Est project because of skyrocketing costs that have driven the estimated price of the commuter train line up to $665 million. The bill is about $200 million more than the $478-million price tag put on the project by the Agence métropolitaine de transport (AMT) last August - and it's far more expensive than the $300-million budget that was initially calculated for the project in 2006,"Alison MacGregor reported for the  Montreal Gazette on Aug. 13.
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/todays-paper/Rising+costs+derail+Train+project/5244428/story.htm

Train de l'Est, Il est impératif de ne pas compromettre le projet

Sheppard Subway, Ontario Urged to Dismiss Funding Request

Karl Junkin, Transport Action Ontario
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford yesterday asked the Ontario government to divert $650-million from the Eglinton-Scarborough Crosstown to an extension of the Sheppard Subway.

Transport Action Ontario urges the Ontario Government to dismiss this request.  

"The TTC's annual operating subsidy is likely about to be cut by tens of millions of dollars. It makes no sense to build unjustified subway extensions that will require a large additional subsidy when the existing subsidy is being cut.  This is a recipe for either financial disaster or draconian service cuts in other TTC services," Karl Junkin Transport Action Ontario board member says. 

The Sheppard Subway is an unjustified line that would load more riders onto the TTC’s already overstressed Yonge Line.  David Gunn, former TTC Chief General Manager, rightly derided the Sheppard proposal as such.  

"Even with the new trains and other upgrades, Yonge still has far too little room to grow.  That endangers the sustainability of the entire subway system.  Our interpretation of the TTC’s own figures suggest the Yonge Subway will run out of capacity in 20 years if there is no system expansion – and in markedly less time if there is system expansion," Junkin says. 

Union newsletter in the mail


  • IBEW puts railway safety first
In the latest of edition of the Communicator the IBEW urges Canadian railway and communications workers to put safety first. Senior General Chairman Brian Strong writes, "If you are being pressured by the RTC or the track programs supervisor to hurry up simply, and politely, inform him that you require more time. If necessary contact your supervisor so that he is kept abreast of the situation. We are confident that no discipline will be assessed to you if you are following the safety procedures."

J. Goss + Associates assists the IBEW in the production of the Communicator

Canada's top amateur pilot competition begins tomorrow

The Webster Memorial Trophy Competition takes place at Grondair in St. Frédéric, Que.  from Aug. 17–20. The Webster Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to Canada's top amateur pilot.


This year's contestants include:

British Columbia: Michael Wieclawek, Pacific Flying Club
Alberta:  Kevin Aalders, Centennial Flight Centre
Saskatchewan:  Lindsay Bowers, Regina Flying Club
Manitoba: Cody Neill,  Harv’s Air
Western Ontario: Matthew Duplan,Waterloo-Wellington Flying Club
Central Ontario:  Oliver Darroch,  Spectrum Airways                  
Eastern Ontario:  Joshua Shea, Ottawa Flying Club      
Quebec: Mathieu Beaumier, Cargair
Atlantic:  Justin Mailman, Moncton Flight Centre           




For more information: Wayne Foy, E-mail

Webster Memorial Trophy Competition, Web site 

Leader-Post, Lindsay Bowers is competing in a national competition for young pilots

It was at one of the Regina Flying Club's annual summer open houses that Lindsay Bowers glimpsed her future. She'd long been fascinated by aviation, so she and her parents used a visit to the club's open house to find out about the practical requirements for learning to fly.

The Londoner, John Webster was a talented amateur pilot 

The competition was established in 1932 by the late Dr. J.C. Webster of New Brunswick, in honour of his son John. John lost his life in 1931 in an aircraft accident in St. Hubert, Quebec, while practicing to represent Canada in an aerobatic flying competition. A month before his death, John had represented Canada in the King's Cup Air Race in England.

Leader-Post, Regina re-established the competition 

Interrupted by the Second World War, the competition took place annually until 1952, when financial pressure forced its suspension. But it was revived in 1982 and has taken place annually since then, with the 1997 competition at the Regina Flying Club - which trained the 1982 winner, Brian Shury.

The Londoner, Flying to new heights

When he was a kid on a flight with his family, Matthew Duplan went up to the cockpit to visit the pilot and get a taste of what it is like to fly a plane.  His training to be a commercial pilot started with the University of Waterloo's Geography and Aviation program.

New Brunswick Business Journal, Moncton pilot in running for trophy

Justin Mailman of the Moncton Flight College is in the running for this year's Webster Memorial Trophy, which is awarded each year to Canada's top amateur pilot. He is Atlantic Canada's finalist and will compete against other pilots from across Canada in Quebec in August.

Canadian Wheat Board mass meetings, 17,000 telephone town hall

The Canadian Wheat Board is now holding mass meeting across the prairies. It held a telephone town hall on Aug. 3 with over 17,000 farmers. On Sept. 9 the CWB will announce the results of a plebiscite which looks like it will express strong support  for the CWB as it exists.

CWB, It's your decision

The federal government plans to remove the single desk on wheat and barley by August 1, 2012, without a vote by farmers. The Canadian Wheat Board Act states that any changes to wheat and barley marketing need to be approved through a farmer plebiscite. Polls show that three-quarters of Prairie farmers want to decide this question themselves.

The facts are clear. The CWB is controlled by farmers. It's paid for by farmers. Farmers want to decide its future.
The Canadian Wheat Board 

CWB, Plebiscite deadline is fast approaching

Farmers have just over one week left to vote in the CWB plebiscite. "Only a few days remain to cast a ballot," said plebiscite coordinator Ian Craven of MNP, a chartered accounting and business advisory firm. "Prairie grain producers interested in having a say on the future of the CWB are encouraged to return their completed ballot."

Ballots must be postmarked by Wednesday, August 24 to be admissible. Ballots must be returned to MNP in the accompanying official postage-paid envelope -- ballots returned in any other envelope are inadmissible. MNP will tabulate the results on September 8 and 9. Results will be announced September 9. For more information on how to vote, call MNP at 1-877-780-VOTE (8683) or visit www.cwbvote.ca.
CWB, August 15, 2011

SRC Manitoba, Fin du monopole de la CCB : le gouvernement commande un audit

Le fédéral s'apprête à étudier l'impact financier de sa décision de mettre fin au monopole sur la vente de blé et d'orge de la Commission canadienne de blé (CCB). Cette révélation a engendré d'autres accusations que la décision du gouvernement, qui pourrait modifier le prix payé aux fermiers pour leurs grains, a été prise plus par principe que sur base de preuves.

« Cela met en évidence tout ce que nous avons dit à propos d'une décision prise strictement sur base d'une idéologie conservatrice », a indiqué jeudi le ministre de l'Agriculture du Manitoba, Stan Struthers.  Stan Struthers et d'autres défenseurs de la CCB arguent qu'elle ne pourra pas survivre dans un marché ouvert sans ligne de chemin de fer, silos à grains ou d'autres grosses infrastructures. Il lui faudra acheter ces équipements ou payer leur accès à la concurrence, des compagnies céréalières qui n'auraient aucune raison d'aider la commission, selon eux.
SRC Manitoba le vendredi 12 août 2011 

SRC Saskatchewan, CCB : rencontres sur les conséquences de la fin du monopole

De nombreux agriculteurs ont mis de côté leur machinerie lundi soir pour discuter, à Regina, de l'avenir de la Commission canadienne du blé (CCB). Environ 300 personnes ont entendu des directeurs élus de la CCB décrire les conséquences probables du démantèlement du comptoir unique annoncé par Ottawa. Ces derniers affirment que l'organisation ne pourrait pas survivre à la fin du monopole de mise en marché du blé et de l'orge. Ils disent que les fermiers devront alors faire eux-mêmes les démarches pour vendre leurs grain, ce qui pourrait entrâiner une augmentation des coûts.

Selon Edward Sagan, qui cultive ses terres depuis environ 50 ans à Melville, la CCB vend des grains à 70 différents pays. Il soutient préférer se concentrer sur ses récoltes plutôt qu'essayer d'imaginer où il devrait vendre son grain. « Nous voulons que la CCB demeure pour continuer à travailler pour les agriculteurs comme elle fait depuis 75 ans », déclare Gilbert Ferré, un fermier de Zenon Park qui appuie le monopole de la CCB.
SRC Saskatchewan,  le 9 août 2011

CWB: Federal government in violation of Canadian Wheat Board Act
Section 47.1 of the Canadian Wheat Board Act
Central Plains Herald-Leader, QMI Agency, Glen Hallick, Aug 13 201

Bloomberg, Canada Spring Wheat Yields Rise as Dry Weather Boosts Prospects

Spring wheat yields in Manitoba and Saskatchewan may improve as hot weather dried up flooded areas and created “optimal crop-development conditions,” the Canadian Wheat Board said in a report today. Floods that delayed seeding of winter wheat were followed by hot weather in July that dried flooded areas and provided sun and warmth needed to promote crop growth, according to the report. Spring wheat is now more developed than earlier planted varieties, the wheat board said.
Bloomberg, Tony C. Dreibus,  Aug 12, 2011 

Winnipeg Free Press, Many faces of the CWB debate

From the grizzled veteran who's seen many a crop, to cocky smartphone-toting 20-somethings, the debate over the Canadian Wheat Board has many faces. … While many of those who are most adamant they want to be free of the board's interference in their marketing operate big farms, there are also large-scale farmers who passionately support the Canadian Wheat Board's single desk. Likewise, not everyone who favours the board's single desk for selling their wheat, barley and durum is over the hill. A more accurate defining line between the two solitudes might be their world view.

As these two faces duke it out over the government's plans to eliminate the single desk, one face that isn't well-represented in the debate so far is the taxpayer. For the most part, the CWB doesn't cost the rest of us anything; it's paid for by farmers. That could change. A government order winding down the world's largest wheat and barley marketing company by Aug. 1, 2012 could prove very expensive indeed.
Winnipeg Free Press, Laura Rance,  Aug 13 2011

Packed 401, empty rail line

Ontario Ministry of Transportation and refrigerated rail cars, Montreal crumbles, Toronto budget cuts and more in today's Transport Action Canada Hotline 1126. 
Empty rail line, packed 401 

"When the federal government gave $923 million to VIA Rail for capital investment, part of the money was for the rebuilding 3 rail diesel cars (RDC) for new service on the North Main Line (NML Sarnia-London-Stratford-Kitchener-Guelph-Toronto). This decision was in line with VIA Rail’s stated Corporate Plan for improvements to the North Main Line.  … Unfortunately this is not going to happen. So what happened and why does no one care?" Paul Langan wrote for High Speed Rail Canada on July 31. 

"Goderich Exeter Railway (GEXR), owned by Rail America, leases the CN north mainline. Its relationship with VIA Rail is one of conflict. They are in disagreement about the price VIA  should pay to be on the line.  Two times GEXR had complaints with the Canadian Transportation Agency to fight VIA Rail. Both times the decision went against GEXR yet there have been no increase in service or rebuilt RDCs. The bottom line is GEXR doesn’t want VIA on their sparsely used freight line. They do not want to maintain the line to passenger rail speeds. CN the owners of the line have previously stated their disdain for passenger rail service on their freight line," Langan wrote.

"Let us not forget the root cause of all these issues. It can never be stated enough that we have a federal government that has no plans for passenger rail service in this country. The government grossly under funds VIA Rail.  The end result of no policy on passenger rail in Canada is that it gives freight railway companies like GEXR (Rail America) the opportunity to run roughshod over VIA and has lead to the tragic demise of VIA Rail passenger rail service along the North Main Line,"  Paul Langan wrote for High Speed Rail Canada.

CN cuts VIA speeds in New Brunswick 

On Aug. 2 Transport Action Atlantic's  John Pearce wrote: "Another example of problems for VIA created by short lines, CN, and lack of federal support for VIA, is the 61 miles of slow order between Bathurst, Miramichi, and south 18 miles to the hamlet of Collette. This well-ballasted and mostly straight track has had zone speed lowered from 60 to 30 mph after CN repossessed the track from N.B. East Coast Railway last year. 

"This has lengthened the running time of VIA's Ocean by one full hour, breaking feeder bus connections from Saint John, PEI, Cape Breton and the South Shore and Annapolis Valley of NS, lowering passenger traffic especially in the critical low season (late fall and winter, early spring).

"VIA threatens to cut the schedule frequency in half from 6 to 3 times weekly. CN wants VIA/the feds or the nearly bankrupt province of NB to pay for (unnecessary?) upgrades to the track. Inquiries through Transport Canada re track quality confirm that CN has the sole right to lower track speeds below Transport Canada standards. The slower running also makes for unreliable connections in Montreal and down the line in Toronto. (e.g. train 55 to trains 75, 87, and 95 in Toronto). Passengers are being shifted by VIA to GO trains and buses, chartered buses, taxis, and later trains)," John Pearce wrote.     

Projet Montréal somme le maire de dévoiler les rapports d’inspection

«Cinquante-six structures sont déficientes ou critiques à Montréal. Il est temps de savoir lesquelles et quelles sont les mesures qui sont prises pour les rendre sécuritaires», a déclaré le chef de ( Projet Montréal), Richard Bergeron," Jennifer Guthrie a rapporté pour Métro le 4 août. 

"Projet Montréal a également soulevé un problème d’investissement dans les infrastructures montréalaises. Selon les données fournies par le parti, il faudrait investir 45 M$ par années pour garder les infrastructures en bon état. Or, l'enveloppe budgétaire accordée à la Division des ponts et tunnels s'élèverait à 16 M$," Métro a rapporté.

Ingersoll Times, First refrigerated rail car load arrives 

Canadian Wheat Board works, agriculteurs furieux

Grain News, www.cwbeyeswideopen.blogspot.com


CWB board chair Allen Oberg has recently begun a blog. Other information, including a short video featuring Oberg on his farm, is also posted on the CWB Web site at www.cwb.ca.
Falher Smoky River Express. Jul 27, 2011

La Terre de chez nous, La CCB joue une dernière carte

La Commission canadienne du blé (CCB) a décidé de lancer une consultation de l'ensemble des agriculteurs concernés afin de se prononcer sur le monopole de l'organisation sur le commerce du blé et de l'orge dans l'Ouest canadien. La CCB entend cependant profiter de la loi actuelle, qui prévoit qu'un "plébiscite" (référendum) doit être tenu avant toute modification majeure à la structure en place. La consultation bat son plein cet été. "Le gouvernement affirme que les élections fédérales équivalent à un mandat de changement des agriculteurs des Prairies. Nous ne sommes pas d'accord. Un plébiscite juste va trancher cette question", a déclaré Allen Oberg, agriculteur et président de la CCB. Depuis la mi-juillet, des bulletins de vote ont été acheminés à 68 000 agriculteurs. Deux questions sont posées afin de distinguer le blé de l'orge. Dans chaque cas, les producteurs auront le choix entre le monopole actuel de commercialisation par la CCB ou le libre marché. Le vote prendra fin le 24 août.
Thierry Larivière, La Terre de chez nous, le 4 août 2011

Falher Smoky River Express, CWB Farmer Directors to Hold Producer Meetings

"As farmers, we are at the 11th hour and facing a monumental change," said CWB board chair Allen Oberg, who farms near Forestburg, Alberta in a release. "In a matter of weeks, the government intends to introduce legislation that will permanently remove the single-desk marketing structure for wheat and barley. As elected directors of the CWB, we have a duty to ensure that our stakeholders - the farmers of Western Canada - are as fully informed as possible, so we can all face the future with eyes wide open."
Regina, Aug 8, Travelodge 7 p.m.
Saskatoon, Aug. 9, 7 p.m. Saskatoon Inn.
Oak Bluff, Aug 10, 7 p.m. Oak Bluff Recreation Centre
Dauphin, Man. Aug. 11, 7 p.m.Ukrainian Orthodox Auditorium, 8th Ave.
Medicine Hat, Aug 15, 7 p.m. Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede (Higdon Hall), 2055-21st Ave. SE
Cammrose, Alta, Aug. 16, 7 p.m.,Camrose Regional Exhibition (CRE)- Gold Room, 4250 Exhibition Dr.
Falher Smoky River Express, Jul 27, 2011 

Regina Leader-Post, So many questions
 
What about producer cars, which give farmers 40 cents a bushel more - $1,200 per car? What happens to the towns that now provide those facilities? How many rail lines will close with no grain cars? With more trucks hauling grain further, who pays for the damaged roads and highways? What happens to shipping out of Hudson Bay? Will this close? How many more country rail lines will close? … Here's a suggestion: let the so-called free enterprisers who don't like the board's single desk make their choice to deal with American dominated grain companies. Those farmers would have to express their decision before seeding and anyone withdrawing from the CWB would have to stay out for at least four years.
Roy Nelson, Regina Leader-Post, August 2, 2011 (Nelson is a former farmer and one-time Liberal MLA for Assiniboia-Gravelbourg)


Guelph Mercury, Quality Canadian grain could lose out in post-wheat board era

One of the biggest changes ever in Canadian agriculture is pending as the federal government prepares to dismantle the Canadian Wheat Board by next summer. Wheat is our biggest agricultural export, and for the past 75 years, every grain of wheat grown on the prairies and headed for markets abroad has been sold by the wheat board. It’s the law. But the federal government thinks prairie farmers shouldn’t be bound by a single selling agent, such as the wheat board. They should have options, according to Ottawa. So, it’s charging ahead with its plan, and in a relatively short time prairie farmers will have to fend for themselves when it comes to selling grain. … Who’s standing in the shadows? Private companies, some of which are Canadian. But others are American or international, and huge. Candidly and honestly answering a reporter’s question recently, a spokesperson for a U.S. grain company said his firm was anxious to get access to world-class Canadian wheat, which is renowned for quality. Critics of the board’s dismantling called him something akin to a predator. But from a business sense, it’s a strategic move … provided, of course, there’s a buyer.
Guelph Mercury, Owen Roberts, Urban Cowboy, Aug 1 2011

Regina Leader-Post, CWB review biased
 
Re: "Working group established to plan for open market", Leader-Post, July 26.
The only people on this working group are industry-funded cheerleaders. Little wonder, when farmers, producer car loaders and others with in-depth knowledge of the West's very successful grain export business have long recognized that without the wheat board's single desk, Ritz's idea of a strong and viable wheat board is just a fantasy. Of course, with only four meetings scheduled until Parliament resumes, there really isn't a lot of time to consider details; little things like how this will affect people - yes, real people - not just corporations.
Regina Leader-Post, Bill Gehl, Aug 2, 2011 (Gehl is chairperson of the Canadian Wheat Board Alliance)


Calgary Sun, Wildrose calls for agriculture reforms