TC Energy launches $500M Alberta natural gas projects to boost NGTL capacity

https://www.westernstandard.news/news/tc-energy-launches-500m-alberta-natural-gas-projects-to-boost-ngtl-capacity/75222

TC Energy has announced that two newly built projects have begun service in western Alberta.

The Calgary-based company says its Valhalla North and Berland River projects represent a $500 million investment in TC’s vast NGTL System and “support growing natural gas production” from the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB).

“Valhalla North and Berland River represent more than new infrastructure—they reflect the commitment and expertise of our people and our continued investment in Alberta's energy future,” Trevor Ebl, TC Energy’s President of Canadian Natural Gas Pipelines, said.

“These projects strengthen the NGTL System and help meet the growing needs of our customers by expanding the network required to move natural gas safely and reliably to market.”

Valhalla North is a 33-kilometre pipeline located northwest of Grande Prairie, with Berland River being a 30-megawatt electric-powered compressor station northwest of Edson.

Together, the two are part of TC’s roughly $15 billion investment in the NGTL System and are projected to boost capacity by approximately 400 million cubic feet per day.

In its statement, TC said that more than $24 million was awarded to local indigenous businesses for the construction of both projects, with 775 jobs created during peak construction, as well as $4.4 million in annual property tax revenue being generated for Grande Prairie County, Saddle Hills County and the MD of Greenview, to help support local public services.

Alberta Fact Check: French mandate for Alberta businesses despite fewer than 2,200 French-only speakers in Calgary and Edmonton

https://www.rebelnews.com/alberta_fact_check_french_mandate_for_alberta_businesses_despite_fewer_than_2_200_french_only_speakers_in_calgary_and_edmonton

The Carney Liberals have proposed new regulations under the Use of French in Federally Regulated Private Businesses Act that would require federally regulated employers with more than 100 employees in designated regions, including Calgary and Edmonton, to provide services in French and give employees the right to work in French.

The rules would apply to federally regulated sectors such as banks, airlines, airports, railways, interprovincial trucking and bus companies, telecommunications, broadcasting, ports and other federally regulated employers. They would not apply to most provincially regulated businesses.

But do the numbers support expanding these requirements into Alberta?

According to the 2021 Statistics Canada census:

• Edmonton: Approximately 1,280 residents speak only French as their official language, while about 67,000 people know French. That means the overwhelming majority of Edmonton's French speakers are bilingual and already speak English.

• Calgary: Approximately 825 residents speak only French as their official language, while more than 86,000 Calgarians know French. Again, virtually all French speakers are also able to receive services in English.

Combined, fewer than 2,200 people in Alberta's two largest cities speak only French, despite a combined population of 4.5 million. In practice, employers covered by the legislation will have a strong incentive to hire bilingual English-French workers for many customer-facing and service positions, potentially putting the vast majority of Albertans who do not speak French at a disadvantage when applying for those jobs.

Montreal candidate's death threat case quietly dropped?

https://www.rebelnews.com/montreal_candidates_death_threat_case_quietly_dropped

A former Montreal city council candidate who posted messages calling for people and politicians to be “murdered” says he was arrested, charged and placed under a gag order — only for the case to later disappear without any public explanation. Continue…

Justice Meaghan Conroy orders prison to install air conditioning after decades of extreme heat complaints

https://www.rebelnews.com/justice_meaghan_conroy_orders_prison_to_install_air_conditioning_after_decades_of_extreme_heat_complaints

A Federal Court judge has ordered Correctional Service Canada to begin the process of installing air conditioning in a secure unit at the Edmonton Institution for Women, ruling that prison officials failed to adequately address extreme heat despite complaints stretching back two decades.

In a July 16 decision, Justice Meaghan Conroy found that Correctional Service Canada had known for years about problems regulating temperatures in the secure unit but had failed to implement an effective solution.

"The excessively high temperatures have caused inmates to suffer panic attacks, psychological distress, and sleep deprivation," Conroy wrote. "It is a long-standing problem."

The court heard evidence that one inmate housed in a corner cell known as "the oven" experienced temperatures exceeding 40 C, while another affidavit described severe discomfort caused by prolonged heat. Continue…

Justice Watch: Lawyers accuse Canada’s judge-policing system of being secretive, unfair and ineffective

https://www.rebelnews.com/justice_watch_lawyers_accuse_canada_s_judge_policing_system_of_being_secretive_unfair_and_ineffective

A Toronto law firm is challenging the system used to investigate misconduct allegations against federally appointed judges, arguing the Canadian Judicial Council protects “abusive outliers” through a process that is secretive, ineffective and fundamentally unfair.

The constitutional challenge was launched by Breana Vandebeek, a partner at Gorham Vandebeek LLP, after complaints were filed against three judges of the New Brunswick Court of King’s Bench: Justice Frederick Ferguson, Justice Darrell Stephenson and Justice Thomas Christie.

The allegations have not been tested in court, according to reporting from The Globe and Mail.

According to the application filed in Ontario Superior Court, some judges allegedly harass litigants and lawyers, unnecessarily complicate proceedings and contribute to miscarriages of justice while facing little meaningful accountability. Continue…

Most Canadians want Carney to scrap lifetime expense accounts for former governors general: poll

https://www.rebelnews.com/most_canadians_want_carney_to_scrap_lifetime_expense_accounts_for_former_governors_general_poll

A strong majority of Canadians want Prime Minister Mark Carney to eliminate the taxpayer-funded expense account available to former governors general, according to a new Leger poll commissioned by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

The poll found 71 per cent of Canadians support ending the lifetime expense account, while just 13 per cent want to keep it. Another 16 per cent were undecided. Among respondents who expressed an opinion, 85 per cent favoured eliminating the benefit.

The findings come as Carney has pledged to review the program after reports that former governors general claimed more than $550,000 in taxpayer-funded expenses last year.

Under current rules, former governors general can claim up to $206,000 annually for eligible discretionary expenses for the rest of their lives, in addition to receiving a taxpayer-funded pension. The program even allows eligible expenses to be reimbursed for up to six months after a former governor general dies.

"Canadians are delivering a clear message with this poll: It's time to end this taxpayer-funded perk for former governors general," said Canadian Taxpayers Federation Federal Director Franco Terrazzano.

"Taxpayers shouldn't be on the hook for up to $200,000 every year in discretionary expenses."

The poll follows early signs of reform at Rideau Hall. Newly appointed Governor General Louise Arbour has already informed Members of Parliament that she is giving up the governor general's clothing allowance, according to Blacklock's Reporter.

Terrazzano said Arbour's decision should be followed by broader changes.

"Carney should eliminate this outdated expense account once and for all," he said. "Arbour has already shown a willingness to reform Rideau Hall and should continue that work by ending the expense account for former governors general."

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has long argued the expense account is an outdated entitlement that cannot be justified at a time of persistent federal deficits and rising costs for taxpayers. Carney has not yet announced whether his government's review will result in changes to the program.

From private jets to $16,000 hotel bills, Ontario's spending scandals keep piling up

https://www.rebelnews.com/ford_government_waste

Noah Jarvis from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation says Queen's Park politicians are cashing in while delivering less value than their U.S. counterparts. Continue…

70% of Canadians say taxes are too high, yet Liberals remain popular

https://www.rebelnews.com/70_percent_of_canadians_say_taxes_are_too_high_yet_liberals_remain_popular

While an overwhelming majority of Canadians say they're paying too much in taxes and getting too little from the government in return, Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Liberals continue to remain popular, according to a new poll. Continue…

Public Health Agency of Canada failed to connect the dots on COVID

https://www.rebelnews.com/public_health_agency_of_canada_failed_to_connect_the_dots_on_covid

Newly uncovered emails reveal Canada’s so-called ‘top doctor’ forwarding alarming Chinese reports internally, while reassuring the public there was 'nothing to worry about' — even as soldiers returned sick from Wuhan. Continue…