***** Canada Business News *****

[saki]

Immigrant marriage fraud crackdown urged


A Toronto area MP is calling on the federal government to make changes to national immigration laws in order to make it harder for immigrants who enter into marriages of convenience so they can live in Canada.

The most common type of fraud occurs after Canadians sponsor foreign spouses to live with them. After being granted permanent residence, the new arrival lands in Canada and abandons the sponsor.

"It's a big problem here," said Bramalea-Gore-Malton Liberal MP Gurbax Singh Malhi. Malhi estimates that within his riding — home to a large South Asian community — he hears about two or three such cases every month.

"This is very unfortunate ... it's a shame for all the people here," he said at a packed Brampton town hall meeting called to address the issue on Thursday night.

'The law is not hard. It's easy to break in.'— Ashpreet Badwal
Ashpreet Badwal, a 35-year-old Brampton resident, is a victim of one of these marriages.

Badwal — who uses a wheelchair because of polio — met her future husband, Indian national Manjit Shahi, on an online forum four years ago. After corresponding with him for a year, she flew to India in November 2007 and married him.

Upon her return to Canada, she tried unsuccessfully at first to sponsor Shahi as a Canadian citizen but that bid was rejected. After spending thousands of dollars appealing the decision, Badwal eventually prevailed. Shahi was granted a permanent residence visa on June 26.

Immediate deportation requested
But Badwal said that when Shahi flew to Toronto's Pearson International Airport earlier this month, he called to say he wasn't going to meet her. She hasn't seen him since, she said. Shahi is believed to still be in Canada.

"The day he was supposed to arrive, everybody was in my home — my friends, my family. But everything was just a dream I guess," Badwal said.

She said those looking to enter a "marriage of convenience" in Canada are after nothing more than a "free ticket."

"The law is not hard. It's easy to break in."

Under Canada's current immigration laws, Badwal is legally responsible for Shahi for up to three years, possibly affecting future sponsorships.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada said earlier this year it is concerned some people are taking advantage of the current system through marriages of convenience.

It proposed amendments that would allow immigration officials to refuse visas to applicants if they suspect a marriage of convenience.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada said the amendment could go into effect next year.

Malhi has sent a letter to Immigration Minister Jason Kenney requesting Shahi's deportation "immediately."

"The longer he is permitted to remain in Canada the more powerful legal arguments he will be able to build in order to either remain permanently or, at the very least, considerably delay his removal," the letter says.

Malhi also said he would like Canada to adopt a system similar to the one in place in countries like Australia and England, where the sponsored person isn't given full permanent resident status until he or she has lived with a spouse for three years



Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2010/07/16/immigration-marriage-fraud541.html#ixzz0u1YZ3Mbu

 

[saki]

Higher income earners more rattled about vacation planning: Survey

OTTAWA — It might not be surprising to learn of survey results showing that, despite vacations being a way to escape stress, the planning process for travelling actually adds to Canadians' anxiety levels.


What might raise more eyebrows about the poll, done on behalf of credit-card company Capital One, is that those with more income are more likely to feel overwhelmed when planning their escape from everyday reality than those with less.


The survey, carried out by Angus Reid, showed 72 per cent of respondents experience stress when planning holidays. For people earning more than $50,000 a year, that proportion was 75 per cent. For people making less, it was 69 per cent.


Capital One spokeswoman Laurel Ostfield reasoned that higher income earners might have more trouble planning vacations because they have more choices.


"It could be a question of having too many options sometimes," she said. "When you've got the world at your fingertips, sometimes people get worried about making the wrong choices."


Some of the various details that more affluent travellers must sort out, Ostfield noted, include where to go, how to get there and how to best take advantage of any travel-rewards programs they're involved with.


Joshua Zuchter, a Toronto-based life coach, said people with more income also have more assets that need to be taken care of when they're gone, such lawns in the summer and driveways in the winter.


He added that people with more income have higher expectations for their vacations, which leads to more stress when planning them.


"There's less likelihood of someone with a higher income saying, 'Oh well, we'll see how it goes,' " Zuchter said.


The survey also found that women get more stressed out about vacation planning than men: 76 per cent of women said such planning troubles them, compared to 68 per cent of men.


Ostfield said this might be due to the fact that while many women work full time and take care of their families, they are also often the ones doing the bulk of the vacation planning.


"That's not always the case with everyone, but women take a lot of those responsibilities on themselves, and (vacation planning) is adding another layer of things that they're responsible for, especially if you bring children into the mix," she said.


Zuchter agreed that not only are women often the primary planners of vacations, but when they do make arrangements, they are more diligent about it than men.


"Women tend to be more conscientious about details," he said. "Even for that simple reason, women would get more stressed."


There was also a higher positive response rate in the survey from women, at 21 per cent, when it came to wanting to bring their children on trips with them, compared to 10 per cent of men.


As well, fewer women, at 45 per cent, expressed an interest in bringing their significant others on vacation, compared to 68 per cent of men. When it came to bringing friends on vacation, 21 per cent of women said it was something that appealed to them, compared to 13 per cent of men.


"If (women) are looking at vacation as an opportunity to disconnect from those day-to-day responsibilities, taking family along is almost an extension of those stresses," Ostfield said. "Maybe it's a question of completely getting away from that, and friends might offer that opportunity to them."


The online survey was taken of 1,021 Canadians between June 25 and 30. The results are considered representative of the general population within 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

 

[saki]

Crime rate drops, but attempted murders and drunk driving are up

TORONTO — Canada's crime rate continues to drop, but the number of attempted murders, firearms and drunk driving offences increased last year, Statistics Canada said Tuesday.


Nearly 2.2 million crimes were reported to police in Canada in 2009, approximately 43,000 fewer than were reported in 2008, Statistics Canada said.


The crime rate, a measure of the volume of crime reported to police, fell three per cent in 2009 and was 17 per cent lower than a decade ago.


The Crime Severity Index (CSI), a measure of the seriousness of police-reported crime, declined four per cent in 2009 and stood 22 per cent lower than in 1999.


But violent crimes — everything from harassing phone calls to murder — accounted for one in five crimes last year.


"Police-reported violent crime in Canada is also declining, but to a lesser extent than overall crime," Statistics Canada noted.


Police recorded about 443,000 violent crimes last year. Some types of violent crime actually increased year over year — for example, there were 806 more attempted murders in 2009 than 2008. The homicide rate, however, held steady: 610 were reported in 2009.


The number of drunk driving cases also went up. Statistics Canada reported.


Following 25 years of general decline, impaired driving offences increased for the third consecutive year, up three per cent in 2009.


In July 2008, new legislation came into effect enabling police to conduct mandatory roadside testing and assessment of suspected drug-impaired drivers. Of the 89,000 incidents of impaired driving in 2009, just over 1,400 were reported by police to have been drug-impaired driving.

Source: http://www.canada.com/news/Canada+crime+rate+drops+drunk+driving/3300011/story.html

 

[saki]

No 'preordained path' for interest rate increases: Carney

OTTAWA — The Bank of Canada may have let the cat out of bag on interest rates Thursday, analysts say, when it indicated that "gradual" hikes are forecast to keep inflation near its preferred two per cent target.


The suggestion, described as a "candid moment" by one analyst, was contained in the central bank's latest economic forecast, which indicated economic growth petered out sharply last quarter and a slower pace of expansion is set to continue through next year.


In discussing its projection on consumer prices — in which core inflation is expected to be near two per cent from now until the end of 2012 — the central bank said the forecast "includes a gradual reduction in monetary stimulus consistent with achieving the inflation target."


The governor, Mark Carney, told reporters in Ottawa this shouldn't be construed as a clue to future rate decisions. "Risks around the projection are elevated and there is no preordained path for interest rates in this country," he said.


Some economists had a different view.


"In the context of 'nothing is preordained,' to me this is sort of an add-on — nothing is preordained except the path is toward higher interest rates," said Craig Wright, chief economist at Royal Bank of Canada. "Just how quickly and how high are up for discussion."


In raising its key policy rate this week to 0.75 per cent, the central bank said "considerable uncertainty" in the global economic outlook would force the bank to "carefully" weigh future rate decisions. Plus, the statement's cautious tone led markets to temper expectations for further rate hikes this year.


"While the Bank is being purposely ambiguous about near-term policy prospects, the longer-term prospects are unambiguous," Michael Gregory, senior economist at BMO Capital Markets, said following the release of the central bank's outlook. "The Bank of Canada has a bias to tighten."


Gregory added reference to "gradual" removal of stimulus was not in the last economic outlook, which leads him to believe the central bank wanted to "properly anchor" expectations among Canadians for higher rates — especially those with higher debt-to-income ratios.


Uncertainty about further rate hikes this year crept in after the central bank revealed the output gap, or the amount of slack in the economy, would not close until the end of the year, or six months later than expected. Markets had priced in just a 50-50 chance of a rate hike at the next meeting of the governing council on Sept. 8, but that has since risen to a two-thirds probability as of Thursday.


The outlook expanded on the scaled-back growth forecast the central bank now envisages. After posting annualized growth of 4.9 per cent in the final quarter of last year and 6.1 per cent in 2010's first quarter, the central bank forecast GDP to expand just three per cent for the three-month period ended June 30 — down from its original call of 3.8 per cent. Quarterly growth maintains that three per cent annualized pace in the second half of the year, versus the originally expected 3.5 per cent expansion.


All told, growth expands 3.5 per cent this year and 2.9 per cent in 2010, down from previous expectations, due to a renewed focus on budget cutting in advanced economies. Despite the downgrade, Carney said the odds of a double-dip recession — as some watchers have warned — are "very low."


And while the outlook, much like the rate statement, expressed caution over the direction of the economy, it also suggested upside surprises could be in store. Household spending could exceed expectations, it said, should confidence remain robust and credit conditions continue to be "favourable." And business investment in machinery and equipment is expected to weigh in as a major contributor to Canadian growth as companies take advantage of credit conditions and large cash positions. Recent data suggest this trend is underway.

 

[saki]

New research examines voluntary plan to boost retirement incomes

OTTAWA — Creating large, regulated and economically efficient voluntary pension plans could be a good recipe for boosting retirement incomes in Canada, says a new research paper released Thursday.


The study concludes, however, there is "no convincing evidence" such voluntary pensions plans should be developed by governments rather than the private sector.


The paper, written by Professor Norma Neilson for the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy, seems likely to fuel the already strong opposition within federal and provincial government circles to the idea of government-sponsored voluntary plans to complement Canada/Quebec Pension Plan.


Indeed, federal and provincial finance ministers agreed at a meeting in Prince Edward Island last month to take that option off the table.


A majority of ministers decided they would rather explore the idea — advanced by federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty — of a mandatory, modest and gradual increase in CPP/QPP contributions to ensure higher benefits at retirement.


Officials have been charged with working out details on possible scenarios for boosting the contributions by the time the ministers meet again this fall. Changes to the CPP require the support of two-thirds of the provinces and two-thirds of the population.


The governments have been struggling for more than a year on how to address what many analysts see as a looming shortfall in the retirement income for those earning between about $30,000 and $110,000 a year.


Though the finance ministers have ruled out government-established supplemental plans, the idea of encouraging the private sector to establish such plans has not been shut down.


Neilson says voluntary pension plans, if harmonized across provinces, would offer such advantages as economies of scale for administration and asset management, enhanced pension portability and labour mobility and an easing of pension strain on employers.


"Some employers have argued that their involvement in the management of pension plans takes attention away from their primary business of delivering goods and services to customers," Neilson writes.


Ultimately, she says, the market will determine whether the option of a voluntary pension plan is needed, and whether it is offered in terms that make it more attractive than the other available alternatives for enhancing retirement incomes.

 

[saki]

Migrant ship expected to reach B.C. early August: reports

VANCOUVER — A vessel believed to be heading to the British Columbia coast with more than 200 migrants could arrive in Canada as early as next week.

The MV Sun Sea, suspected of carrying 213 asylum seekers, is expected to reach Canada within the first week of August, said the Colombo-based Sunday Observer, citing defence sources.

Sightings of the 59-metre Thai-registered cargo ship indicate a slow, steady route from Southeast Asia to the Western Hemisphere.

The vessel was spotted in the Gulf of Thailand by the Philippine Coast Guard in May, then was seen off the coast of Guatemala on July 17, said the Asian Tribune.

On Friday, the U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Division based out of San Francisco confirmed a sighting of the Sun Sea to a Canadian media outlet, but would not comment on its exact whereabouts.

The Canadian Coast Guard referred inquiries to the Department of Foreign Affairs, which refused to say whether Canadian officials have spotted the vessel or are monitoring it.

Spokesman Alain Cacchione said Canada is “aware” of media reports of an incoming vessel and reiterated the agency’s official stance that the government’s strategic approach with respect to migrant vessels include efforts to stop them from points of departure abroad — even though that ship has already sailed.

“This is the only information available at this point in time,” said Cacchione. “We will not comment on operational details.”

The vessel is believed to have been originally headed for Australia before changing course en route.

Australia, which has already processed more than 80 boat-loads of asylum seekers this year, has begun clamping down on suspected people-smuggling ships, boarding them on the high seas to turn them away.

As a result, Canada may become the next best option for some asylum seekers, said Royal Roads University security and peacebuilding expert Kenneth Christie.

“Canada is in quite a difficult position,” said Christie.

“If it lets the Tamils in, it might be seen as a ‘soft’ option, but if they send them back to Sri Lanka, Canada might be seen as complicit to human-rights violations because it would be sending them back to a place that has been accused of war crimes.”

Christie said Canada can intercept the ship while it is still in -international waters and force it to turn back: “It’s possible. It’s been done before . . . but I’m not sure if they will do that. It’s -likely to be the last resort.”

Once the ship enters Canadian waters, a 20-kilometre jurisdiction off the B.C. coast, it will be protected by the international Refugee Convention and its passengers will be processed as refugees, he said.

Speaking generally, Canadian Coast Guard spokesman Dan Bate said: “If such a vessel were to enter into Canadian waters, the Canadian Coast Guard could be asked to assist, but only at the request of other lead agencies (such as the) Department of National Defence or Canada Border Services Agency.”

There have been unconfirmed reports members of the Tamil Tigers are onboard the Sun Sea.

Last year, the Ocean Lady arrived off B.C.’s coast with 76 Sri Lankan asylum seekers. Immigration officials had voiced concerns they might be Tamil Tigers, but the men have been released and are awaiting refugee-board -hearings.

Vancouver Province

 

[saki]

G20 police shot rubber bullets, woman says

A 20-year-old environmental activist from B.C. is suing the Toronto Police Service, claiming she was hit by two rubber bullets during a G20 summit protest.

"I hit the ground. It's hard to describe how it feels getting shot," said Natalie Gray of Maple Ridge, B.C., about 40 kilometres east of Vancouver.

Gray was one of about 150 protesters who marched on a police-approved route to a former Toronto film studio that was converted into a temporary detention centre on June 28, the final day of the G20 meetings.

The protest and police reaction were captured on video by the media.

Half an hour after protesters arrived at the jail, police moved in. As the demonstrators were shouting their slogans, a pair of unmarked vans suddenly appeared and screeched to a stop.

A picture of Natalie Gray showing a wound on her elbow that she said was from a rubber bullet. (Submitted by Natalie Gray)Two squads of plain-clothed officers leaped out, moved into the crowd and pushed two young people to the ground.

Some demonstrators panicked and ran, while others got angry and tried to hold their ground. Then two more police groups rushed in.

Fearing for her safety, Gray backed away down Eastern Avenue. But she said she suddenly saw a police officer drop to one knee — holding the biggest gun she had ever seen.

"And my friend hears a cop order coming from the back: 'The girl with the blue hair, the girl with the blue hair.' And that was when I got shot," said Gray, who had two blue ponytails sprouting from the top of her head.

She said the first blast hit her in the chest, breaking the skin and knocking her to the ground. The second hit her in the left elbow, she said, tearing off a chunk of skin.Natalie Gray shows a wound to her chest that she said was also caused by a rubber bullet. (Submitted by Natalie Gray)

As she tried to get up, uniformed police moved in, slammed her face into the pavement and knelt on her back.

"I have never been so terrified in my life," she said. "I immediately lost control of my bladder and the officers are yelling at me, 'Stop resisting, stop resisting.' And I'm saying, 'I'm not resisting. Please be gentle. Please be careful.'"

Gray was later charged with obstructing a peace officer, one of nearly 1,000 people arrested before or during the G20 summit.

Police claimed the shots were "muzzle blasts" — harmless blanks meant to scare protesters, not hurt them. They deny using rubber bullets.

But photographs of Gray's wounds taken by an emergency room doctor show she was indeed injured in the chest and arm.

"It hurt so much when it first happened and then nothing. And I was just kind of paralyzed. But as soon as I got shot, there was an incredible amount of pain in my abdomen."

Gray has hired high-profile human rights lawyer Clayton Ruby, who said he's launching a lawsuit against the police department.

Toronto lawyer David Midanik also said he has a client who is suing, claiming he was shot in the face by a rubber bullet. There is also reported to be a class-action suit in the works.

The police are advising anyone with an abuse allegation to file a report with the Office of the Independent Police Review Director.



Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2010/07/24/g20-rubber-bullets.html#ixzz0umxm6CDK

 

[igbehinadara]

Saki,

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Ig

 

[saki]

Saki,

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Ig

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Cheers
Saki

 

[saki]

Young drivers in Ont. to face stiffer rules

The Ontario government announced new rules Monday for young and novice drivers that include tougher restrictions on blood-alcohol levels.

Under the rules, which come into effect on Aug. 1, drivers 21 years old and under must have zero blood alcohol levels while behind the wheel, regardless of their licence category.

Under the current system, the zero tolerance policy only applies to those with a G1 or G2 class licence.

Metabolizing alcohol

How your body gets rid of alcohol you have consumed depends on a variety of factors, including age, gender, body size, how much you drank and the health of your liver.

It generally takes an hour to metabolize 15 millilitres of alcohol, about the amount in a standard serving of spirits, wine or beer. But that's only a very rough estimate.

The liver deals with 95 per cent of the alcohol you consume. The rest is eliminated through excretion in breath, urine, sweat, feces, milk and saliva. Your breath and urine are of particular interest to officials looking to determine whether you are impaired.

If you consume four drinks over the course of an hour, it will take about seven hours for your body to get rid of all the alcohol. You can expect to register a blood alcohol content of approximately .05 per cent — regarded as significantly unsafe for driving — four hours after you stop drinking.

If you've had two drinks, your blood alcohol content should peak at just under .05. It will take around 4½ hours for your body to eliminate all the alcohol.

If you're a 59-kilogram (130-pound) woman who's breastfeeding, it will take your body just under five hours to get rid of all the alcohol in two drinks.

Sources: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
"What we're trying to do is introduce sanctions that will educate drivers right up front so they get into good practices early on," Transportation Minister Kathleen Wynne told CBC News.

Anyone caught breaking the new rules will have their licence suspended immediately for 24 hours and could face a further suspension of 30 days, plus a fine of up to $500.

Repeat offenders targeted
The new rules also include a system of escalating sanctions for novice drivers who repeatedly violate traffic rules, Wynne said.

Under the new rules, novice drivers who accumulate four or more demerit points will be given a 30-day suspension for their first conviction, Wynne said.

"On second conviction, it's a 90-day suspension, and then potentially the novice licence could be cancelled and they'll have to start all over again," Wynne said.

"Just telling people things, just saying that you shouldn't drink and drive isn't enough," Wynne said. "We've got to educate people about these dangers, and these sanctions are part of the education."

Wynne said drivers aged 19 to 21 are nearly 1.5 times more likely to be involved in drinking and driving accidents that involve death or injury.

"It will save more lives than any other piece of legislation at a provincial level," said Mothers Against Drunk Driving Canada CEO Andrew Murie.

The zero tolerance for drinking and driving for people 21 and under was passed after the Liberal government backed off another initiative that would have limited teenage drivers to having only one other teen passenger in their vehicles.

There are further sanctions dealing with novice drivers who have too many people in vehicle or are caught for certain speeding offences.

Also effective Aug. 3, eligible drivers convicted of an impaired driving offence for the first time will be able to reduce their licence suspension if they agree to have an ignition interlock device installed in their vehicle, at their expense.

The initiative is aimed at helping impaired drivers change their behaviour to prevent them from becoming repeat offenders, the ministry said in a statement



Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2010/07/26/ontario-drivers-licence.html#ixzz0usW8nec4

 

[MSMirza]

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[saki]

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Thanks Mirza appreciate it.

Cheers
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[saki]

Apple to sell unlocked iPhone in Canada for $779

OTTAWA — Apple Inc. has announced it will sell an unlocked version of its new iPhone 4 when it goes on sale in Canada on Friday.


The unlocked version of the phone, which will be sold by Apple directly on its website and through its Apple Stores, will allow consumers to pick which cell company they want to sign up with and negotiate a monthly plan that suits them.


The unlocked phones will be sold in addition to iPhone 4s that are tied to specific wireless carriers, such as Rogers and Bell.


The unlocked versions of the iPhone 4 will sell for $659 and $779 for the 16-gigabyte and 32-GB versions, respectively,


It is expected that the models that are tied to a carrier will be cheaper then the unlocked versions, as they will be subsidized by the carriers and require longer-term contracts.


Typically, signing a long-term contract with a carrier gets consumers a bargain on the handset. Those willing to sign a three-year term with Rogers or Bell can buy the older iPhone 3Gs, with eight gigabytes of internal memory, for $99. That's a $450 saving over its non-subsidized price.


Tony Olvet, a telecommunications analyst with IDC Canada, said the costly unlocked version of the phone will appeal only to a small segment of the market in Canada. He said the price makes it one of the three most expensive phones available to Canadian consumers.


"Canadians have become very used to having a portion of their phone subsidized," he said.


"History has shown that Canadians are willing to give up some freedom by signing a contract in order to get something in return, and that is a highly subsidized phone."


Olvet expects the new iPhone to meet fierce competition. Google's Android operating system continues to make inroads on various cellular phones, and Research In Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerry devices are still selling well.


As well, he said, technical issues with the phone may temper some of the enthusiasm and force consumers to ask more questions before opting to buy the device.


A day after it launched in the United States, buyers started complaining that the phone drops calls when held a certain way.


Apple has acknowledged that the phone has antenna issues and is giving away free rubber cases that the company claims will improve reception.


"Consumers will think twice and ask a few more questions. It was a major headline," said Olvet. "That will make Canadians, who are typically more conservative, take further steps to qualify the purchase."


Despite the reception problems, more than 3.5 million iPhone 4s have been sold in the U.S. since the launch of the latest model on June 24.


Canada is among 17 countries that gets the iPhone 4 on Friday.

 

[saki]

Soaring crime rate pushing Nunavut's judges past limit

IQALUIT, Nunavut — Nunavut Chief Justice Robert Kilpatrick says the territory's court system faces an "impending crisis" and desperately needs two more judges to handle a constantly rising rate of violent crime.


"The court's present complement of four judges cannot service the existing volume of violent crime without additional assistance," Kilpatrick wrote in a letter to Justice Minister Rob Nicholson.


Nunavut has four permanent judges, compared with five in Yukon and nine in the Northwest Territories.


Yukon's population is roughly the same as Nunavut's and the N.W.T.'s is slightly larger, but Nunavut's violent crime rate is easily the highest in Canada.


"For the last decade, the Nunavut Territory has experienced an unrelenting and accelerating rate of serious violent crime," Kilpatrick wrote.


Kilpatrick pointed out that in 2009, four citizens were charged with murder, two with manslaughter, 16 with attempted murder and 40 with aggravated assault.


"There are now more homicides pending in the Nunavut Court of Justice than in the other two territories combined," he wrote. "These trials will consume a significant amount of the court's limited resources due to their size and complexity."


In 2009, there were 285 charges of common sexual assault laid in Nunavut, about 10 times the national per capita average once Nunavut's small population size is factored in.


Since the territory's creation, the number of charges laid against Nunavut residents has increased every year, even faster than the increase in population.


Kilpatrick argued that judges in Nunavut are overworked and that the court doesn't have the resources to operate for enough weeks of the year to process all the serious cases that come through it.


Nunavut needs not one but two more judges just to keep up, he maintained.


There is a limit to what can or should be expected from the resident judiciary. This limit has now been reached," he wrote.


"Nunavut's judiciary is moved to seek additional assistance by a sense of urgency, and a perception of impending crisis. With a complement of only four judges, this court is not equipped to address the demand now being made upon its services."


Nunavut's chief federal prosecutor, Barry McLaren, agrees with Kilpatrick's assessment.


He said the territory's federal prosecution service is chronically understaffed and constantly trying to fill vacancies.


Of 15 Crown prosecutor jobs in Nunavut, only nine are staffed.

 

[saki]

Average Canadian gas price highest in two months: MJ Ervin

OTTAWA — The average price of gasoline has risen to its highest level in more than two months, according to data released Tuesday.


A weekly survey by energy consultancy group MJ Ervin & Associates put the average rate for regular gas at $1.043 a litre, up 1.4 cents from a week earlier. That's the highest reading for gas prices at since an averaged of $1.052 on May 4.


The most expensive market among the 60 measured by MJ Ervin was Vancouver, where the average price rose 1.1 cents to $1.19 a litre. Typically, the most expensive location is a more remote market like Yellowknife or Labrador City, N.L.


The biggest weekly gain was 6.6 cents in Montreal, putting the average rate at $1.101 a litre.


The least expensive market is Edmonton, at 86.4 cents a litre. The 2.2-cent decline from last week was the biggest downward movement among the communities measured.


Looking at some of the other major markets:


The average gas price stayed at $1.12 a litre in Victoria; Calgary was down 0.8 cent to 91 cents; Regina was even at 99.9 cents; Saskatoon was down two cents 99.9 cents; Winnipeg remained at 93.9 cents; Toronto was down 0.1 cent to $1.035; Ottawa was down 0.2 cent to $1.022; and Windsor, Ont.'s average rate was up 0.2 cent to 94.8 cents a litre.


A year ago, the average price of gasoline was 98 cents a litre, according to MJ Ervin's records. At that time, crude oil was selling for just less than $70 U.S. a barrel. On Tuesday, oil closed at $77.50 U.S..