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Written by Jon Ramer
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Friday, 10 August 2012 08:24 |
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Mike Allen is in Wisconsin today, representing Alberta and promoting cross-border trade between the American Midwest and Canada at a leadership symposium. The Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo MLA will be representing Alberta at the 18th annual Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development in Madison, Wis. Allen says, “Energy will be a main factor in trade talks and building relationships. The midwest is particularly important to our province,” he said. “We do trade worth billions of dollars with the midwest, with the United States in general, every year.”
Feeling the pressure from the Michigan oil pipeline leak in 2010, smaller incidents more recently and anti-oilsands activism, Canadian pipeline operators are fighting back. The Canadian Energy Pipeline Association said safety is its top priority as its members try to go from an average of three major incidents per year to none. CEPA president and chief executive officer Brenda Kenny said, “Our goal is zero the same way Air Canada’s goal is zero,”. Her defence of pipelines comes as she puts the spotlight on CEPA’s Integrity First program to promote best practices among pipeline operators for preventing accidents, responding to them, cleaning up afterward and educating the public.
Canadian Natural Resources Limited, the country’s third-largest oil company by market value, is reporting strong second-quarter earnings. On Wednesday, CNRL gained 6.1% to $31.37 on the Toronto Stock Exchange; its highest price since May 29. The energy company also announced that its Horizon oilsands plant’s average production was nearly 116,000 bpd during the second quarter. CNRL also announced that it is cutting its 2012 capital spending by $680 million to $4.8 billion, with most of the cuts at the Horizon project.
The Canadian economy experienced a decline in employment last month, pushing the national unemployment rate up by one-tenth of a point to 7.3 per cent. The latest labour force survey by Statistics Canada released today shows a 1.8 per cent drop in part-time work, representing 51,600 jobs. However the loss was offset by more full-time employment created in July with 21,300 new jobs. Average wages are currently 3.6 per cent higher compared to a year ago. Despite the rise in full-time work, economists were expecting more from the Canadian economy following two months of little change.
In Sports...
Paddling through the longest race of the London 2012 Olympic Games, Canada's Richard Weinberger of Victoria, B.C captured bronze in London's Serpentine Lake on Friday morning. His 10-kilometre open water marathon swim of one hour, 50 minutes and 0.30 seconds earned Canada its third swimming medal of these Games.
Stampeders over the Ti-Cats last night at Ivor Wynne 31-20.Cornish rushed for 170 yards and a touchdown while catching six passes for 47 more yards. Calgary improves to 3-3 with its first road win of the season while Hamilton falls to 3-3. |
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Last Updated on Friday, 10 August 2012 08:49 |
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Written by Jon Ramer
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Tuesday, 07 August 2012 08:07 |
59 new heated bus shelters will be added to all transit stops, and 16 shelters will be upgraded with radiant heaters. Shelter construction begins this week in Timberlea with the installation of electrical services via open trench and directional drill, as well as the shelter pad installations. The upgrades should be completed by December.
Macdonald Island Park announced yesterday details on the non-profit shared space to be a part of the $127 million expansion. The non-profit shared space will provide rental/lease accommodations for community non-profit organizations that are seeking affordable operating spaces within a professional and supportive environment. The non-profit shared space will be about 27,000 square feet and located on the second floor of the new facility. It will serve a minimum of 20% sports and recreation organizations, and 20% social or other community organizations. The design will be flexible to meet the needs of the organizations now and into the future. The planned move in date is September 2014.
Wood Buffalo RCMP have announced that they will be cracking down on impaired driving throughout the month of August. Local RCMP and Alberta-wide law enforcement agencies will be out patrolling to ensure roadways are kept safe from impaired driving, which continues to be one of the leading preventable causes of death. During the month of August motorists can expect to see increased police presence on all Wood Buffalo roadways, including several impaired driving check stops.
Health Minister Fred Horne says AHS’s former chief financial officer isn’t getting severance pay. That decision comes after the department looked at Allaudin Merali’s more than 300 thousand dollar expense bills when he worked for Capital Health as a consultant. Horne says his department will get to the bottom of it all. AHS has announced it’ll do an independent forensic audit of Merali’s expense accounts.
The deadly attack at a Sikh house of worship in Wisconsin has sent a shockwave through temples across Canada, as Sikhs come to grips with the shooting that left 7 dead including the alleged white supremacist gunman. Praying at a Sikh temple in Ottawa, many said the idea of a gunman walking in and opening fire like the shooter did Sunday morning, is unthinkable.
In Sports...
Alexandre Despatie will try for a perfect ending to his Olympic career on Tuesday afternoon, competing in his eighth-straight Olympic final. The 27-year-old diver breathed a sigh of relief after his final dive on Tuesday morning, finishing eighth in the three-metre springboard semi-final. Less than two months ago, his very participation at a fourth Olympic Games was in doubt. During a training session in mid-June, Despatie hit his head on the board in practice. He suffered a mild concussion and a gash across his forehead that required stitches to close.
Members of the Canadian women's soccer team and fans are questioning the officiating as the United States downs Canada in a semifinal match that denies Canada a chance at gold at the London 2012 Olympic Games. The U.S. moved on the gold-medal game with a 4-3 extra-time win over Canada on Monday, overcoming a hat trick by Canadian captain Christine Sinclair. The Canadian athletes weren't hiding their feelings. "We feel like we didn't lose, we feel like it was taken from us," Sinclair said. "It's a shame in a game like that that was so important, the ref decided the result before it started.
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 07 August 2012 14:09 |
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Written by Jon Ramer
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Wednesday, 08 August 2012 07:33 |
FIFA released a statement this morning saying there will be no disciplinary action taken against the Canadian women’s soccer team for actions following their semi-final loss to USA, prior to their bronze medal game against France. “In view of the elements currently at its disposal, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee considers that further investigation will be needed regarding incidents that occurred after the conclusion of the match between Canada and the USA on 6 August at Old Trafford." “The FIFA Disciplinary Committee is therefore not in a position to take any decision at present. Further information will be provided in due course, but not prior to the bronze medal match between Canada and France on 9 August.” Following the FIFA announcement on, the Canadian Soccer Association released a statement.
Don Scott will be making an announcement in the near future regarding Alberta Health Services hiring. This comes in the aftermath of the Allaudin Merali expense claims situation. Merali stepped down from his position as a senior executive with AHS after expense claims from his time as CFO of the former Capital Health Authority were made public. The MLA for the Fort McMurray-Conklin riding will be speaking about a further review of AHS hiring practices. The initiative will look at selection and contracting priorities.
Fall is just around the corning and so is registration at MacDonald Island Park. Aquatics, fitness and dance academy programs are available for viewing and sports, recreation and leisure programs will go online this Friday. Registration will be available exclusively online at macdonaldisland.ca/programs, Aug. 16 and in-person at the guest services counter starting Aug. 18.
In Sports...
Canada’s Adam van Koeverden won Olympic silver in the men’s K-1 1000m on Day 12 of the London 2012 Olympic Games. The 30-year-old from Oakville, Ont., had a powerful start and held the lead for the first 750 metres of the race, but a strong golden sprint by Norway's Eirik Veras Larsen was too much to hold off. Max Hoff won the bronze for Germany.
Canada's Mark Oldershaw won Olympic bronze in the men's C-1 1000m on Day 12 of the London Games; and he accomplished it in the same city where the Oldershaw Olympic legacy all started. His grandfather, Bert Oldershaw, began the tradition at the London 1948 Olympic Games. Mark's father and two of his uncles also competed in previous Olympics. Just before the race, the 29-year-old canoeist from Burlington, Ontario, rubbed the Oldershaw on the side of his canoe.
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 08 August 2012 08:11 |
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Written by Jon Ramer
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Thursday, 02 August 2012 08:45 |
UPDATE - The province has agreed on a conditional sale of more than 200 acres of land in Saline Creek to the Rotary Club. The land will be used for a new residential community with different types of buildings from town houses to single family homes. In March, when Alberta Infrastructure announced its schedule for land release, it had originally said that land would be sold by Spring of this year. The government says it will take a couple of months to finalize the sale so that work can begin. Wood Buffalo Council passed a development plan for that land at its final council meeting before the summer break.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper says his immigration minister played no role in granting Conrad Black a permit to live in Canada after the former media baron was released from a Florida jail. Harper says Jason Kenney took every step to ensure bureaucrats independently dealt with Black's file, and that it's not in the Conservative government's interest to get involved in the case. He also called allegations against Kenney "spurious." Harper's comments came after more than 80 lawyers signed an open letter challenging Kenney's claim that he wasn't involved in granting Black a temporary residence permit.
Starting next week, jobless Canadians will be able to pocket more of their employment insurance benefits if they find temporary jobs during their search for full-time work. A new pilot program announced in the Conservative government's spring budget gets underway Sunday. The two-year, $74-million pilot project will allow EI claimants to stay active in the labour market in their search for permanent employment. It will cut the current claw back rate in half for people who are collecting EI but who have found temporary work.
Egypt's new prime minister and his Cabinet were sworn in on Thursday, the first government since the election of a Muslim Brotherhood leader as the country's first freely elected president. Prime Minister Hesham Kandil asked Egyptians to rally behind his new government, promising it would represent all the people and trying to deflect the belief that the Cabinet will be solely under the Brotherhood's sway.
News for August 2nd
The population is growing in Fort McMurray. 147 babies were delivered at the hospital last month. That’s a new record. The average was fewer than 100 babies a month last year at this time. We’ve been setting records for eight months. A record 118 births in January of this year.
The Fraser Institute warns that Alberta’s deficit will be worse than previous predictions in a report today. They accuse the province of having unrealistic resource revenue and economic growth projections in the February budget. The right-libertarian think-tank thinks the Redford government will likely exceed the original spring $886 million deficit forecast.
Canada’s largest pipeline company, TransCanada Corp announced yesterday that it has been selected to construct a $660 million pipeline connecting two oilsands projects. The proposed pipeline will connect the future 190,000 bpd Fort Hills bitumen mine, 90 km north of Fort McMurray, to the Voyager upgrader proposed by Suncor Energy and Total.
Suncor says it produced 351 thousand barrels per day last month, that’s a 2 percent jump from June. Syncrude’s numbers are rebounding also. July production went up 38 percent to 262 thousand b-p-d. That’s after two consecutive months below the 200 thousand mark.
In Sports...
Canadian swimmer Sinead Russell qualified for her first Olympic final on Thursday, nabbing the eighth and final spot in the women's 200-metre backstroke. Russell, 19, finished third in her heat in two minutes, 08.76 seconds. It was almost three-tenths faster than her heats earlier in the day, and she struggled to catch her breath as she spoke with reporters.
The ink was not yet dry on Michael Phelps's 19-medal record when he picked up his 20th on Thursday night. Two nights after the American swimmer surpassed Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina to become the most decorated Olympian of all time, he won his first individual gold medal of the London 2012 Olympic Games in the men's 200-metre individual medley. With the win, Phelps set yet another record: he became the first male swimmer to win the same Olympic title at three consecutive Games.
The Canadian women's eights won Olympic silver in an exciting final race on Day 6 at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Four years after a heartbreaking fourth-place finish at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, the Canadian crew reached the podium and re-established Canada as one of the top women’s crews in the world. The Americans got the gold. The Netherlands won bronze
The Toronto Blue Jays will look to end a four-game slide tonight when they take on the Athletics for the beginning of a weekend series in Oakland. The Blue Jays lost a season-high five straight May 22-27. Their record has slipped to 51-53 and they are now five games behind Oakland for the second wild card spot. Henderson Alvarez is on the mound for the Jays tonight in Oakland.
Fort McMurray Oil Giants Midget AAA baseball team head into provincials today with a good chance of making it to the crossovers. The OGs are in pool A along with Okotoks, Spruce Grove, Edmonton 1 and Red Deer. Fort McMurray has won games against Edmonton 1 and Red Deer and could have won against Spruce Grove back in May, but gave away a six-run lead in the sixth inning. While Okotoks Black were the class of the league this year, they didn’t go undefeated and the OGs only have to finish third out of five teams in their pool to make it through.
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Last Updated on Friday, 03 August 2012 09:07 |
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