Government’s Pipeline Safety Act has gaps, largely discretionary, critics say
On first read, the government’s newly introduced but yet-to-be-debated Bill C-46, the Pipeline Safety Act, proposes much-needed amendments to Canada’s current statutory liability regime for pipelines. But critics say there are some holes that soften the legislation’s overall potential impact by leaving many of the changes up to the discretion of Cabinet and the National […]
Canadians are ready for national carbon tax conversation, opposition MPs say
When it comes to Canadian attitudes toward climate change and the carbon tax conversation, recent numbers indicate the population is moving ahead of where the federal government is on environmental policies. Critics agree that the conversation is shifting. It is no longer a question of if carbon pricing should be implemented nationwide, but rather when […]
Innovation
Canada’s global innovation standing continues to drop, says World Economic Forum
Expanding the nation’s capacity to innovate, enhancing business competitiveness and further industry, government and post-secondary collaboration on research and development is needed if Canada wants to see improvements to its global competitiveness ranking, which has fallen once again. Canada was outpaced in the latest World Economic Forum’s (WEF) competitiveness rankings, falling to 15th place of […]
Federal scientists to mount ‘evidence-based’ campaign against government cuts, being muzzled
The upcoming election is going to be the most important election for science that Canada has seen, say the NDP and Liberal science and technology critics. NDP MP Kennedy Stewart (Burnaby-Douglas, B.C.) and Liberal MP Ted Hsu (Kingston and the Islands, Ont.) both said they think science is set to become a bigger election issue […]
Canadian entrepreneurs in good shape, more cooperative than U.S. counterparts
The government and banking industry in Canada are doing a good job at providing financing to entrepreneurs but are failing at properly communicating to the public about how to access that money, experts say. “I think it’s more of an information gap than a financing gap,” said Allan Riding, Deloitte Professor in the Management of […]
GAPP looking at funding shortfall
Genome Canada is attempting to address a funding shortfall for innovative commercial products in health, agriculture, fisheries and forestry through its Genomic Applications Partnership Programs (GAPP), with a third round of funding set to be announced this month. The fund, started in 2013, is involved in many innovations, including trying to bring to market various […]
NRC’s fleet program works on industry fuel consumption
The National Research Council is using its expertise and facilities to pair up with industry to improve costs and reduce fuel consumption in ground fleet vehicles for the trucking industry, the military and public vehicles. “Fleets require a more complex approach to things, because when you talk about a fleet and you talk about maintenance […]
Stakeholders looking for industry element to feds’ new science and tech strategy
While the government is working on a renewed federal science and technology strategy, stakeholders are wondering if it will make a strong move toward intertwining business and academia or if the final document will just be new language around old policies. The move is to update the 2007 government strategy, Mobilizing Science and Technology to […]
Canada’s success depends on a strong, competitive, innovative aerospace industry
The following is Industry Minister James Moore’s speech to the Canadian Aerospace Summit in Ottawa on Nov. 19. The speech has been edited for length and style. I was pleased to join Prime Minister Stephen Harper [recently] in China to strengthen trade and investment between our two nations. China is Canada’s second-largest trading partner, with […]
