This should be in a sports thread lol ...

 

The Federal Government shuts down the Northern Gateway Pipeline today that would have seen oil go from Hardisty to Kitamat on the BC coast but would have gone through a rainforest. The rejection is final.

It did approve two others including "Line 3" that goes through Manitoba into the USA, it will place the existing line. The other one travels to west coast ports through the Trans Mountain pipeline.

continued in next post ...

 

Trans Mountain
The controversial Trans Mountain expansion project will nearly triple the capacity of an existing pipeline to 890,000 barrels a day.

This $6.8-billion, 1,150-kilometre twinned pipeline will move a mix of oil products from Edmonton to a terminal in Burnaby, B.C., near Vancouver, where it will be exported to markets in Asia. Some of the product is also destined for Chevron's Vancouver-area refinery.

Kinder Morgan's $6.8-billion, 1,150-kilometre Trans Mountain pipeline will move a mix of oil products from Edmonton to a terminal in Burnaby, B.C., near Vancouver, where it will be exported to markets in Asia.

If constructed, the expansion will lead to a marked increase in the number of tankers travelling through the area — from approximately five to 34 a month — prompting concerns diluted bitumen could be released into an ecologically sensitive area.

Trudeau said the government expects Kinder Morgan to "meet and exceed" the 157 conditions the NEB imposed on the project in April, including spill-mitigation plans. He also pointed to the a $1.5-billion ocean protection plan he announced earlier this month to improve responses to tanker and fuel spills in the Pacific, Arctic and Atlantic oceans.

"If I thought this project was unsafe for the B.C. coast, I would reject it. This is a decision based on rigorous debate on science and evidence. We have not been, and will not be swayed by political arguments, be they local, regional or national," the prime minister told reporters.

Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr appointed a ministerial panel to review Trans Mountain in June — a process separate from the NEB — and commissioned Environment Canada to study the project's upstream GHG emissions.

• Keystone XL approval not essential, Liberals say
• Prime minister announces $1.5B ocean protection plan

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency estimates that the new capacity will result in roughly 13.5 to 17 megatonnes of additional GHG emissions each year.

When fully operational, the pipeline will produce 20 to 26 megatonnes of emissions, the report concludes, although, it also suggests those numbers could be lower if oil prices hover below $60 a barrel, as growth in oilsands production could be curtailed.

"The approvals raise grave doubts how these and additional pipelines, including Keystone XL and Energy East, can fit with Canada's commitment to the Paris climate agreement," Patrick DeRochie, the director of Environmental Defence, said Tuesday. "Much bigger cuts in other emission sources must be made to compensate for more oil-based emissions."

First Nation says pipeline threatens 'survival'
Activists have been lining up to oppose the project, with one B.C. First Nation near the project's route warning its construction could threaten the community's very "survival," and it has not ruled out protests and court action.

Other First Nations, including 39 in B.C. and Alberta, have signed "mutual benefit agreements" with the project's proponent, U.S.-based Kinder Morgan. Those deals will deliver money and jobs to First Nations communities. The company also told CBC News in a statement that it has reached agreements with all First Nations communities where the project crosses a reserve.

Trudeau said he doesn't expect all Canadians to agree with the decision, and indeed environmentalists lined up shortly after the announcement to denounce the approvals.
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May said she would be "willing to go to jail" to stop Trans Mountain's construction.

continued in next post ...

 

The Enbridge-backed 1,177-kilometre Northern Gateway pipeline would have run from a terminal in Bruderheim, north of Edmonton, to Kitimat, B.C. The federal cabinet killed the project Tuesday. (CBC)

"Apparently Justin Trudeau's sunny ways mean dark days ahead for climate action and Indigenous reconciliation in Canada. With this announcement, Prime Minister Trudeau has broken his climate commitments, broken his commitments to Indigenous rights, and has declared war on B.C.," Mike Hudema, a campaigner for Greenpeace, added in a statement.

"If Prime Minister Trudeau wanted to bring Standing Rock-like protests to Canada, he succeeded."

Community opposition has "never been stronger," Jessica Clogg, senior counsel at West Coast Environmental Law, said in a statement to CBC News. "As we've seen with Northern Gateway, that's what will prevent this pipeline from ever being built."

There have already been 11 judicial reviews launched over the NEB review, and more court challenges are expected in the coming days.

Despite the opposition, Kinder Morgan forecasts the expansion will create 15,000 jobs a year during construction, and a further 37,000 direct and indirect jobs for every year of operation. It also estimates expanded operations will deliver an additional $46.7 billion in government revenues for all levels of government in the first 20 years. The bulk of that money, $19.4 billion, would flow to Alberta.

Construction of the expansion is slated to begin next September, with a tentative start date of December 2019.

Trudeau kills Northern Gateway
In a largely expected move, cabinet killed the Enbridge-backed Northern Gateway, a proposed 1,177-kilometre pipeline that would have carried oil from Bruderheim, Alta., to an export terminal in Kitimat, B.C.

"It has become clear that this project is not in the best interest of the local affected communities, including Indigenous Peoples," Trudeau said, describing the local area as the "jewel" of B.C.

"The Great Bear Rainforest is no place for a pipeline and the Douglas Channel is no place for oil tanker traffic."

The Federal Court had previously overturned the Harper government's approval of the $7.9-billion project, as it found Ottawa had not adequately consulted First Nations along the project's route. Trudeau opted Tuesday not to pursue further consultations.


Line 3 is the largest pipeline project in Enbridge's history. The 1,659-kilometre project would carry oil from a terminal near Hardisty, Alta., through northern Minnesota to Superior, Wis. (CBC)

Interim Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose said she was disappointed to see the government take the project off the table and "kill 4,000 jobs," suggesting the terminal could have been moved farther north toward Prince Rupert.

"Today, what we saw was one project be rejected, and another project, sadly, be approved but with very little chance of being built," she said.

"Approval [of Trans Mountain] is just the beginning, but now he needs to use his political capital to see this project get built, and I don't think he has enough of it."

Line 3
Although Enbridge's Northern Gateway is effectively dead, Line 3, the largest pipeline project in the company's history, will now move ahead after Tuesday's decision.

It has attracted considerably less attention, with fewer activists setting their sights on stopping the 1,659-kilometre project that will carry oil from a terminal near Hardisty, Alta., through northern Minnesota to Superior, Wis.

The NEB signed off on a new Line 3 in April, but with 89 conditions for the segment that runs from eastern Alberta to Gretna, Man., near the Canada-U.S. border.

The $7.5-billion Line 3 project would nearly double the existing pipeline's volume to 760,000 barrels a day. It would funnel oil into Enbridge's crown jewel, the mainline system that collectively carries three million barrels a day into the U.S.

The existing line, constructed in the 1960s, has been a source of spills in the past, and the company has voluntarily dialled back capacity to address mounting maintenance issues while it pushes ahead with a replacement.

"We're pleased by the federal government's decision to approve the Line 3 replacement program, an essential maintenance project that will ensure the safe and reliable delivery of Canada's energy resources to market," Enbridge said in a statement. "We have strong support for the project from our communities along the route, including Indigenous communities."

 

Rest In Peace Captain Thomas McQueen ... and godspeed.

 

Toronto boy planned attack on massacre anniversary - police

A Canadian teenager has been charged with planning to attack a school on the 27th anniversary of a massacre at a Montreal college.

The 17-year-old Toronto boy, who cannot be named because he is a minor, was charged with uttering threats of bodily harm and death.

Toronto police said they seized a machete, a hatchet, two swords, four knives, and arrows from him.

They said they became aware of a "potential threat" last week.

• Montreal massacre

The boy was allegedly plotting "some sort of attack" against Oakwood Collegiate Institute, a public high school in Toronto, on 6 December.


This date has been infamous in Canada since 6 December 1989, when gunman Marc Lepine stormed the Ecole Polytechnique engineering school in Montreal and killed 14 women.

Lepine claimed he was "fighting feminism".

The massacre is marked every year with remembrance ceremonies across Canada.

 

Edmonton police lay 1st charges in relation to dangerous use of a drone 3 months after incident
For the first time in Edmonton, police have laid charges in relation to the unsafe and dangerous operation of a drone.

On Wednesday, Sept. 7, an officer noticed a drone flying in a “dangerous manner” downtown in the area of 105 Avenue and 104 Street. Police said the drone, or Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), was being flown over buildings, roads, the MacEwan LRT Station and around Rogers Place.


“Guidelines issued by Transport Canada deem this type of operation to be hazardous to persons on the ground,” Edmonton police said in a media release Wednesday.

“The UAV was operating too close to the Royal Alexandra Heliport, which STARS uses for transporting patients for medical emergencies.”

WATCH: The dos and don’ts when it comes to flying a drone

On Monday, police charged Bennett Alexander Hojka, 23, with operating a model aircraft without a permit on parkland and flying a model aircraft in a manner that is hazardous to aviation safety.

With drones being a popular item on many Christmas lists, police are using the incident as a way to warn drone operators that the onus is on them to know where they can and cannot fly the devices.

“There are regulations for its use and that users should be familiar with and follow the Transport Canada guidelines,” Const. Binoy Prabhu with the EPS said.

READ MORE: New drone rules coming next year: Transport Canada

Transport Canada has several rules and regulations when it comes to flying drones, including not to fly them closer than nine kilometres to any helipad or airport. Drones must also be flown at least 150 metres away from people, buildings and vehicles, according to Transport Canada.

Scott Currie, a drone expert at Hobby Wholesale, said he sees interested drone buyers in the store about every 20 minutes this time of year, but admits many don’t know the rules.

“There are many people that just decide they want to do it off their picnic table in their backyard instead of driving out of the city where they possibly should be,” Currie said, adding he tries to education people so they know where they can and cannot fly.

“I would say 90 per cent of the people coming in would be newbies and they don’t know the rules and regulations but they sure leave knowing.”

Here is a full list of the dos and don’ts of flying a drone, according to Transport Canada:

Do:

• Fly your drone during daylight and in good weather (not in clouds or fog)
• Keep your drone in sight, where you can see it with your own eyes – not only through an on-board camera, monitor or smartphone
• Make sure your drone is safe for flight before take-off. Ask yourself, for example, are the batteries fully charged? Is it too cold to fly?
• Know if you need to apply for a Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC).
• Respect the privacy of others – avoid flying over private property or taking photos or videos without permission

Don’t:

• Fly closer than nine kilometres from any aerodrome (i.e. airport, heliport, helipad or seaplane base, etc.)
• Fly higher than 90 metres above the ground
• Fly closer than 150 metres from people, animals, buildings, structures or vehicles
• Fly in populated areas or near large groups of people, including sporting events, concerts, festivals and firework shows
• Fly near moving vehicles, highways, bridges, busy streets, or anywhere you could endanger or distract drivers
• Fly within restricted and controlled airspace, including near or over military bases, prisons and forest fires
• Fly anywhere you may interfere with first responders

 

Bundle up fellow canucks, mother nature is on a rampage and she is PISSED lol.

 

I want to give a shoutout to a guy that deserves some recognition for his hard work as well as a group of people that helped bring this project from the drawing board to reality and is Alberta's newest anthem. I can't add the video since it contains underage content but you can google "Resonate" on YT and listen for yourself. I especially like the night drive across the High Level Bridge (Edmonton) all decked out in it's colors as well as other local scenes ...

Resonate - by Ben Spencer
words by Michelle Stead


I find my way back home by the birds and bones

By the westbound sun, to a place I’m known

The streets will remember, even if I don’t

I’ll find my way back home



What would an Alberta version of Amazing Grace sound like?

That was one of the questions the team tasked with building a new brand platform for ATB tried to answer earlier this year. They had settled on the ATB Listens idea and they knew the music would matter. There was a plan for something big that they began referring to as an anthem.

That anthem is now real. It’s a song called Resonate and it’s very much an Alberta song. But we’ve got to go to Montreal to find out where it came from.

Ben Spencer was living there in November of 2015. The native Edmontonian had been in Quebec for a decade when he accepted a position with ATB as a creative writer.

“I started writing a song about finding my way back home, which was a very literal sentiment at the time,” said the singer-songwriter in an interview at ATB Place in Edmonton.

Months later, back in Alberta, Ben is a full-fledged member of ATB's Reputation and Brand team entrenched in the brand work. His role had him searching through licensing websites where music is available for advertisers to buy.

“One thing we were sure about was that we didn’t want to be jingly, we didn’t want stock music.”

That’s when his own song came to mind.

His humility kept him from believing it was what they were looking for. But when you’re doing creative work you bring everything to the table. He was thinking the song they needed was something “like” his song.

But the rest of the team thought it hit all the right notes.

“The lyrics are a perfect love song about home, about Alberta,” said Jacqueline Comer, Associate Creative Director.

Even after hearing it hundreds of times during recording, production and editing work, the song hasn’t lost its meaning for Ben.

“It’s obviously super nostalgic and sentimental in some ways. Resonate means to sound again. And coming back home is to re-experience Alberta and all the things that I left behind. But at the same time to sort of rejuvenate.”

Ben is quick to credit all the other musicians and artists who’ve made the anthem what it is. He’s also adamant about what it’s not.

“I can’t emphasize enough that when I was writing this, I wasn’t in an advertising frame of mind. This was really just a song.”

Perhaps that’s what makes it feel so genuine. A fitting soundtrack for the ATB Story.

 

Montreal tourism campaign says 'sorry' to Toronto
Campaign apologizes in advance for noise from city's upcoming 375th birthday celebrations in 2017

Torontonians looking up this morning have been met with a confusing sight: a plane with a "Sorry Toronto" banner flying over the city.



In a bout of wishful thinking, some hoped that it was Toronto's public transit service apologizing for a delay-ridden morning commute.

Turns out, it's part of a new campaign from Tourism Montreal called Sorry, apologizing to Toronto in advance for all the noise the city is expected to make during Montreal's 375th birthday celebrations, which run through 2017.

Along with the banner, a video was released of Montrealers knocking on doors in Toronto and handing out tickets for free trips to Montreal.


Montreal's 375th birthday is set to be feted with a wide array of projects and events, such as a new downtown skating rink and a light installation added to the Jacques Cartier Bridge. The city has set aside $329 million for capital works projects for the anniversary.

If you thought Toronto was confused, just wait: the "sorry" campaign will visit New York in 2017.

 

If you get a chance to take in the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train as it rolls through your town/city, take it, it is a treat and a worthwhile way to spend a night with the entire family as live bands play from certain cars that open into a stage during the performance and there are a bunch of other fun things that it holds as it lights up the night skies ...



You may notice that it flies both Canadian and American flags as it also services parts of the USA as well as most of Canada.

 

LMAO, fuck this made me laugh ...

 

There will be an announcement in a few minutes as to the woman that will be featured on the next circulation of the Canadian Five Dollar Bill (Cinq dollars Canadiens).

Edit: The woman chosen is Viola Desmond.

 

My apologies, it is the Ten Dollar Bill that Viola Desmond will grace ...

I will feature her shortly as I put a profile together on this great Canadian in history.

 

BMO latest Canadian bank to seek no-contest settlement with regulators over ‘excess’ fees

Bank of Montreal is the latest Canadian bank seeking a settlement with regulators after discovering some retail fund clients were charged “excess” fees over a period of years.

A hearing is to take place Dec. 15 at the Toronto headquarters of the Ontario Securities Commission where commissioners will consider whether it is in the public interest to approve a no-contest settlement with Bank of Montreal subsidiaries including BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc.

The respondents in the case include BMO Private Investment Counsel Inc., BMO Investments Inc., and BMO InvestorLine Inc.

A statement of allegations filed by the OSC late Monday said BMO “promptly self-reported” inadequacies in its systems of controls and supervision that resulted in certain clients paying excess fees, either directly or indirectly, that were not detected or corrected by BMO in a timely manner.

The statement says staff at the regulator found “no evidence of dishonest conduct.”

BMO joins a list of Canadian financial institutions including Toronto-Dominion Bank and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, and Bank of Nova Scotia in seeking a no-contest settlement with regulators after discovering that some clients had paid more in fees than they should have.

A no-contest settlement does not require an admission of wrongdoing.

In an October no-contest settlement, CIBC said it would pay clients of its investment dealers more than $73 million as reimbursement for charging them excess fees, in some cases for more than a decade.

In July, three wealth management companies owned by Bank of Nova Scotia agreed to pay $20-million to clients. TD agreed to pay $13.5 million in November of 2014 after at least 10,000 client accounts were charged excess fees on investments.

In BMO’s case, some clients with fee-based accounts paid excess fees between January 1, 2008, and Apr. 30, 2016, because embedded trailers fees were also included in account fee calculations, according to the statement of allegations.

In other cases, some clients were not advised that they qualified for a fund series with a lower management expense ratios (MER).

The statement of allegations did not include the number of clients affected, or quantify the excess fees paid.

“The BMO registrants either have already taken or are taking corrective action, including implementing additional controls, supervisory and monitoring systems, to prevent the re-occurrence of the control and supervision inadequacies in the future,” the OSC said.

 

Alberta oilpatch optimistic after pledge to restrict global supply
Major producers are attempting to buoy prices by limiting how much oil reaches market

A dramatic jump in oil prices linked to the promise of lower global production is fuelling hope that the Canadian oil sector may soon recover from a two-year economic slump.

Observers say they are optimistic that Saudi Arabia, the top exporter in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, is committed to cut exports to reduce a global oil glut that has depressed prices and contributed to thousands of layoffs in Western Canada.

They are also taking heart from news on the weekend that 11 producers from outside OPEC, including Russia, have agreed to reduce output.

More investment
Scott Saxberg, CEO of Calgary-based Crescent Point Energy, said he is already working on ways to remind his company's investors that spending to grow production is back in vogue after two years of cutting costs and limiting drilling.

Crescent Point recently announced a $1.45-billion budget for 2017 to grow output by about 10 per cent — but Saxberg said it will spend even more to add more wells in the second half of the year if benchmark prices remain above US$50 per barrel.

"Every dollar change in WTI (West Texas Intermediate crude) adds $50 million of cash flow, so it really positions us to add to that growth depending on the effect of these cuts," he said.

Precision Drilling CEO Kevin Neveu said North American drilling budgets are starting to rise on oil price optimism, although much faster in the United States than in Canada.

"We are bullish and commodity prices rising do help," he said.

"It appears that OPEC and even non-OPEC countries have the intention to push the price firmer."

He said the Calgary-based company now has 72 drilling rigs working in Canada, up from about 60 at this time last year, which translates into about 250 more jobs.

Saudis committed to price inflation
Martin Pelletier, a Calgary-based money manager with TriVest Wealth Counsel, said the Saudis are fully intent on inflating the oil price.

"You can see that in their actions and OPEC and non-OPEC co-ordination," he said.

He said a Saudi plan to sell shares in 2018 in the national oil company, Saudi Aramco, provides plenty of motivation for it to avoid the cheating that has derailed previous agreements on production cuts.

Benchmark U.S. oil prices rose on Monday to spike at over US$54 per barrel for a time, exceeding recent price assumptions published by some Canadian oil and gas companies.

Suncor Energy, for instance, forecast US$52 per barrel in setting its 2017 capital spending budget at about $5 billion. Cenovus Energy is basing its budget of $1.3 billion on a price of US$47.25 per barrel.

In its recent quarterly update, the Alberta government raised its 2016-17 WTI forecast by US$3 to US$45 per barrel.

The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers estimates at least 44,000 direct jobs have been lost in Canada's oil and gas industry since the downturn started in 2014.

 

Here is a feel good story ...

Engineer, conductor rescue miracle cat that hitched cold train ride in Alberta
'I see this little cat underneath the second engine above the wheels on a platform, frozen in snow and ice'
A tabby cat is expected to make a full recovery after nearly freezing to death while hitching a ride on a CN train — and the conductor who rescued the cat may have found its original owners.

A train crew happened to find the feline under the engine deck of their train in Wainwright, Alta. on Sunday.

Train conductor Brad Slater and engineer William Munsey were called early Sunday morning to take CN train Q199 from Wainwright to Edmonton. It was bitterly cold — almost –40 C with the wind chill, and the train was delayed.

A priority train was coming through Wainwright, and it's protocol for other train crews to wait for and inspect these trains coming by. Slater decided to kill time and walk past the train's two engines, inspecting them in the morning darkness with a flashlight to ensure everything was safe.

One engine had stopped working and was frozen solid.

"All I heard was the angriest, saddest cat cry," Slater said. "So I'm shining my light and there I see this little cat underneath the second engine above the wheels on a platform, frozen in snow and ice."

Slater called over Munsey, who said he expected the worst.

"I thought the previous crew had run over somebody or he found an arm or leg or something," Munsey said. "I've heard that voice before, and it's not very good."

Upon seeing the cat Munsey said he didn't think it would live. But Slater said he'd keep it if it did. And when he called to it, the cat jumped right into his arms.

'It was almost as if it knew how close it had been to dying and knew exactly which human had saved it.' - William Munsey, locomotive engineer
The men brought the male cat into the train with them and warmed it with a T-shirt. Initially, it sat there with its eyes wide open. It was crying, but no sounds were coming out of its mouth, Munsey said. It was missing part of its right ear, one tooth, and its paws were dotted with frostbite.

Slater offered the cat water and small, ripped up pieces of beef jerky. The cat happily devoured the food and settled into the middle seat between both men for the remainder of the journey to Edmonton.

"Within five hours it was curled up on his lap … he was pushing his face against Brad's arm," Munsey said. "It was almost as if it knew how close it had been to dying and knew exactly which human had saved it."

Frostbitten but affectionate
Slater named the cat Q199, after the train — Q, for short. It's now with him, his wife and three other cats in Edmonton. A veterinary checkup on Monday showed Q might lose his other ear due to frostbite, Munsey said.

But despite his ordeal, he's affectionate and purrs nonstop.

"He's more lovable and cuddly and affectionate than any of my cats I've ever had," Slater said. "He knows who saved him."


Q199 is recovering nicely at Slater's Edmonton home. (Supplied/Brad Slater)

Slater has been trying to find the cat's owners. Since CBC first ran this story on Monday, he said numerous people have reached out to him.

He initially believed the cat boarded the train in Saskatoon. But after speaking with an engineer who drove the train to Melville, Sask., he now thinks the cat may have climbed aboard there, when the train stopped briefly.

The engine may have attracted the cat as a warm place to sleep.

He said a couple from Melville have sent him photos of their cat, Tiger, who went missing from their home in late November. Though the photos look remarkably similar to Q, Slater said he might meet with the couple to determine whether the cat remembers them.

The couple has offered to pay the vet bills incurred so far, Slater said. He said he's willing to return the cat to its rightful owners.

"It's the right thing to do. It's going to be tough ... [but] they used to work for CN, I believe, too," Slater said.

"From what I hear, they have grandkids that are very upset."

Munsey said he doesn't know how the cat survived when the engine stopped and the deck froze. They found the feline by chance — the men never really had a reason to go outside in the cold to check the train, and animals certainly aren't allowed inside the train.

But maybe it was just meant to be, he said.

"I'm not a sentimentalist but ... we kind of thought it was the right thing to do."

 

Edmonton woman told sports bra inappropriate for city recreation centre

Coral Wiebe had just finished a two-hour treadmill run at the Meadows Community Recreation Centre when a staff member approached her.

"The woman said walking around in a sports bra is not acceptable, and we have a policy on that."

Wiebe was stunned. A long-time runner and frequent visitor to city recreation facilities, she was dressed in her typical workout attire: a grey sports bra and a pair of capri running tights. She had taken off her tank top while running but had put it back on by the time the staff member spoke to her.

"I was shocked. And then I was angry. I felt like we had just taken a step back, like, 50 years. I thought the whole idea was to stop objectifying women."


Coral Wiebe in the sports gear she was wearing when staff at a city recreation facility told her the attire was "inappropriate" for the facility. (CBC)

The encounter at the south-side rec centre turned into an extended conversation with city staff, and Wiebe remains unsettled by the message she has heard. On various occasions, she said she has been told the policy is about maintaining a family friendly environment, respecting the cultural values of all gym members, and safety.

None of those reasons sit well with Wiebe.

"I feel like I can be a responsible person and dress myself appropriately for the gym," she said. "I don't need it mandated. I don't think I need a policy to tell me how to dress.

• City of Edmonton reviewing what type of clothing is acceptable at gyms
  

"I don't think it's OK for staff to be trained to go up to women at the gym and tell them they have to cover up or leave."

Fitness centre guidelines on the City of Edmonton website state that "appropriate, clean attire and indoor closed toe footwear is mandatory" and that "clean, dry and appropriate apparel must be worn at all times."

In an email to CBC, a city spokesman said those guidelines are "currently interpreted" to mean that men must always wear shirts, that women and men must cover their midriffs and that closed-toe shoes are required.

What about pro athletes?
Wiebe, 42, has been an avid runner for about 15 years and has been competing since 2007. She has competed in races such as the Blackfoot Ultra Marathon, the Death Race and various triathlons.

She said her outfit was within the realm of normal attire for any of those events. She said she has worn the same outfit to that gym many times and wonders what the policy means for track runners who train at the Kinsmen Sports Centre, or the volleyball teams, or marathoners.

Wiebe has three children, including a young daughter. She said she feels a responsibility to bring the issue forward, and younger women might not have the same confidence to speak out against such a policy.

The city did not respond to requests for an interview, but a spokesman said apparel policies have long been in place. Wiebe said she was told several times the policy direction is new and city staff were being trained to enforce it at gyms across the city.

Wiebe wants the city to "remove themselves from that whole issue."

Asked whether men should be prohibited from going shirtless or wearing revealing shorts, Wiebe said it's easy to pose questions about "worst-case scenarios."

"I've been going to the gym for decades and I've never seen a guy walk in in a Speedo, never seen a woman walk in in something inappropriate, either," she said. "We can all do what we need to do to work out and go home."

 

If you are an Albertan you might want to read this PDF having to do with the new Carbon Tax coming in ...
https://www.policyschool.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/carbon-tax-rebate-winter-dobson1.pdf

The government is now paying some to be fucked in the ass by them, the rest of us still take it for free lol. I am soooo glad I am self sufficient.

WHO IS GETTING A CARBON-TAX REBATE?

The Alberta government tabled its 2016/17 budget on April 14th, and a big question on people’s minds (or at least our minds) was what the government intended to do with the carbon-tax revenue. When the carbon tax was announced in November 2015, one of the components was a household rebate, although who would get it and how much the rebate would be was not explicitly defined. The budget (and the subsequent Bill 20) has cleared things up somewhat, but we are sure people still want to know exactly who will get a rebate.
According to the government’s website, six in 10 Alberta households will be eligible for the full rebate, and an additional six per cent of households will receive a partial rebate. The rebate schedule (eligibility is determined by 2015 income tax filings



If you are entitled to 199 or less it will be a January payment. 200-399 in 2 payments January and July. 400 or more in four payments Jan, Apr, Jul, Oct.
Revenue Canada is doing the Alberta Governments dirty work through the income tax/gst rebate system.

 

Donald Trump has signed an executive order paving the way for the Keystone XL pipeline, the President’s first concrete step on U.S.-Canada relations and a move that makes good on his pledge to make it easier for the oil industry to do business. Mr. Trump signed the orders greenlighting Keystone and the Dakota Access Pipeline at the White House Tuesday shortly after 11 am.
The main point of my post is to highlight this sentence of the article ;

Under original negotiations it was stipulated that at least 50% of the pipe needed be American .