Alberta Fact Check: If separation talk is killing investment, why is Alberta leading the country?

https://www.rebelnews.com/alberta_fact_check_if_separation_talk_is_killing_investment_why_is_alberta_leading_the_country

Liberal MP Corey Hogan says Alberta's independence debate is creating uncertainty that will lead to job losses, declining productivity and weaker economic growth.

The evidence says otherwise.

According to Hogan and the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, discussing Alberta independence is bad for business. They warn that investors will flee, jobs will disappear and economic growth will suffer.

If that's true, Alberta's economy appears not to have noticed.

Statistics Canada data shows Alberta has led Canada's largest provinces in employment growth for much of the past two years. Alberta continues to attract billions of dollars in private-sector investment in energy, petrochemicals, data centres, hydrogen, electricity generation and critical minerals.

The claim that investors are fleeing Alberta because Albertans are discussing their constitutional future simply does not match reality.

In fact, Alberta's strong performance undermines the argument entirely. Continue…

Alberta Fact Check: Has talk of independence already driven away investment?

https://www.rebelnews.com/alberta_fact_check_has_talk_of_independence_already_driven_away_investment

Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas said talk of Alberta separation drives away investment during his speech at the Global Energy Show in Calgary; the evidence so far points in the opposite direction.

While Alberta has been debating sovereignty, constitutional reform, equalization, and even outright independence more intensely than at any point in decades, companies continue to announce some of the largest private-sector investments in Canadian history.

Here are just a few examples: Continue…

$200 billion for the Alto train? Parti Quebecois says 'no'

https://www.rebelnews.com/200_billion_for_the_alto_train_parti_quebecois_says_no

PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon says Quebec cannot afford to fund another massive infrastructure gamble while facing record deficits and crumbling public infrastructure. Continue…''

Government defends denying EI benefits to workers fired over COVID vaccine mandates

https://www.rebelnews.com/government_defends_denying_ei_benefits_to_workers_fired_over_covid_vaccine_mandates

The federal government is standing by its decision to deny Employment Insurance benefits to workers who lost their jobs after refusing to comply with employer COVID-19 vaccine mandates, arguing that such refusals can constitute "misconduct" under the Employment Insurance Act.

In a written response to Conservative MP Garnett Genuis, tabled June 10, Employment and Social Development Canada said workers who "willfully refuse" to comply with a mandatory vaccination policy and are subsequently suspended or dismissed may be found ineligible for EI because their unemployment resulted from their own actions.

"A fundamental principle of the Employment Insurance program is that clients must lose their employment through no fault of their own," the department wrote, adding that a finding of misconduct can be established when there is a clear connection between a worker's refusal to be vaccinated and the loss of employment.

The government also revealed that Service Canada issued guidance to EI officers on October 19, 2021, directing them that employees who quit or were terminated for refusing mandatory vaccination policies would generally not have "just cause" unless they qualified for exemptions such as medical conditions or religious beliefs protected by the Charter. The guidance was updated again in January 2022.

Despite defending the policy, the department admitted it cannot accurately say how many EI claims were denied specifically because of vaccine mandate disputes. Ottawa said employers were not required to specify vaccination status when filing Records of Employment, making it impossible to produce a comprehensive count without manually reviewing individual files.

The government further stated it has not conducted any targeted review of EI decisions related to vaccine mandates, although standard quality-control monitoring continues.

The response also notes that several court challenges brought by workers denied EI benefits over vaccine mandate non-compliance have failed. The government cited decisions in Hickey, Sturgeon, and Arnold, as well as the Supreme Court of Canada's refusal to hear an appeal in Cecchetto.

The written response comes years after federal and provincial governments, Crown corporations, and many private employers implemented vaccine mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to thousands of suspensions, terminations, and workplace disputes across Canada.

Feds scrapped 19,000 pandemic ventilators, sold some for as little as $6

https://www.rebelnews.com/feds_scrapped_19_000_pandemic_ventilators_sold_some_for_as_little_as_6

The Liberal government scrapped more than 19,000 surplus COVID-era ventilators, selling many of the taxpayer-funded machines as scrap metal for pennies on the dollar.

Blacklock's Reporter was first to report that the ventilators were purchased as part of Ottawa's $1.1 billion pandemic procurement program, much of it through sole-sourced contracts. One of the largest beneficiaries was Frank Baylis' company, Baylis Medical, which received a federal contract to manufacture ventilators during the pandemic. Baylis served as a Liberal MP for Pierrefonds—Dollard from 2015 to 2019.

According to newly disclosed Public Health Agency documents, the National Emergency Strategic Stockpile disposed of more than 19,000 unlicensed ventilators in 2024. Access to Information records previously revealed some machines that cost taxpayers roughly $22,000 each were sold for as little as $6 while still unopened in their original packaging.

A 2024 government divestment plan estimated average returns of just 14 cents per pound.

While more than 600 ventilators were donated to Ukraine through Canadian charities, the vast majority were scrapped.

Conservative MP Cheryl Gallant previously called for an Auditor General investigation, warning that selling unopened ventilators as scrap metal represented a significant destruction of taxpayer value.

Internal records also showed former health minister Jean-Yves Duclos approved the scrapping plan without informing Parliament.

Documents show extensive lobbying efforts behind $210 million Nova Scotia spaceport

https://www.rebelnews.com/documents_show_extensive_lobbying_efforts_behind_210_million_nova_scotia_spaceport

The federal government has committed more than $210 million to the proposed Nova Scotia spaceport project, according to newly released documents that also reveal extensive lobbying and direct access to cabinet ministers, chiefs of staff and senior bureaucrats.

The disclosures come from responses to order paper question Q-1127, tabled in Parliament on June 10.

The largest contribution comes from the Department of National Defence, which confirmed a funding arrangement worth $200 million over 10 years. The agreement provides an initial payment of $20 million, followed by quarterly payments of $5 million every three months for a decade.

In addition to defence funding, the project received $120,000 from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and $10 million in financing from Export Development Canada (EDC).

That brings total identified federal support to more than $210 million.

The records also show company representatives secured meetings with a long list of influential federal decision-makers while pursuing support for the project.

Among those contacted were then-housing minister Sean Fraser, ministerial chiefs of staff, senior ACOA officials, deputy ministers and other federal bureaucrats involved in economic development and innovation files.

The extent of the access raises questions about how a project that has yet to launch a commercial rocket secured more than $210 million in federal backing.

The Department of National Defence has argued the funding supports Canada's sovereign launch capabilities and contributes to national defence objectives.

However, questions arise as to whether taxpayers are receiving adequate value for a project that remains largely aspirational while receiving a level of federal support that many established industries could only dream of.

Carney government spent nearly $1 million on in-flight catering in first year

https://www.rebelnews.com/carney_government_spent_nearly_1_million_on_in_flight_catering_in_first_year

The Carney government spent nearly $963,000 on food and catering aboard government aircraft during the prime minister's first year in office, according to newly released documents from the Department of National Defence.

A response to Order Paper Question Q-1111, submitted by Conservative MP Scot Davidson, shows catering bills totaling $962,633.24 on official trips between March 2025 and March 2026.

The biggest catering bill came during a January 2026 trip that included stops in Vancouver, Beijing, Doha and Zurich, costing taxpayers $175,248.48. Another November 2025 trip to Greece, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa and Spain racked up $159,781.24 in catering costs alone.

Among the more eye-catching expenses were two relatively short trips to Washington, D.C.

A May 2025 visit carrying 64 passengers generated a catering bill of $21,158.60, while a second Washington trip in October 2025 cost $7,376.02 for food and beverages aboard the aircraft.

Other notable catering bills included: Continue…

Regina's $34 million electric bus fleet comes with no winter performance guarantees

https://www.rebelnews.com/regina_s_34_million_electric_bus_fleet_comes_with_no_winter_performance_guarantees

Taxpayers have spent nearly $34 million on Regina's new fleet of electric buses and charging infrastructure, but government documents show there are no contractual guarantees the buses will actually perform in Saskatchewan winters.

The details were revealed in response to Order Paper Question Q-1122, submitted by Conservative MP Michael Kram.

According to the response, the City of Regina has purchased 20 electric buses, all of which are now operational, using federal funding from the Zero Emission Transit Fund.

The largest contract went to Nova Bus, which received $27.5 million before tax for 20 low-floor zero-emission buses awarded through a competitive request-for-proposals process.

A second contract worth $6.2 million before tax went toward charging infrastructure supplied by Siemens and Heliox equipment, including 20 charging dispensers, 40 overhead pantographs, and two pre-assembled electrical rooms.

Together, the contracts total $33.7 million before tax.

Despite the substantial investment, the government confirmed there are no additional guarantees, penalties, reimbursement provisions, or performance standards related to cold-weather operation or battery degradation beyond standard warranties.

Nova Bus provides a one-year comprehensive warranty and a battery warranty lasting six years or 500,000 kilometres. The manufacturer guarantees only that the batteries will retain at least 77 per cent of their original capacity during the warranty period. If battery capacity falls below that threshold, the company is expected to repair or replace the battery.

Notably absent are any guarantees that the buses will meet specified range targets during Saskatchewan winters, maintain service levels in extreme cold, or compensate taxpayers if winter performance falls short of expectations.

The charging infrastructure comes with an even shorter warranty. Siemens provides a two-year warranty covering major equipment, provided the city follows prescribed maintenance schedules. The agreement contains no additional penalties or reimbursement provisions if equipment underperforms.

The federal government announced $26.1 million in funding for Regina's electric bus project in February 2024, promoting it as part of Canada's transition to zero-emission public transit.

Alberta sits on more oil than Russia and the U.S. combined — so why is Ottawa still holding it back?

https://www.rebelnews.com/alberta_sits_on_more_oil_than_russia_and_the_u_s_combined_so_why_is_ottawa_still_holding_it_back

David Knight Legg tells the Buffalo Roundtable that Alberta shouldn't have to fight its own federal government for market access while sitting on massive oil reserves. Continue…