Environment

Environment


Canada’s spy agency now shares intel with corporations — thanks to a push from TC Energy

Editor’s note: This story is a collaboration between the Investigative Journalism Foundation and The Narwhal.A Canadian oil and gas firm successfully pressed Canada’s spy agency to start sharing government intelligence with the country’s wealthiest companies, something advocates say will protect critical infrastructure but that critics worry could infringe on civil rights.  TC Energy, a major […]

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Nova Scotia government gives Whale Sanctuary Project approval to build coastal refuge

Organizers behind a plan to establish North America’s first coastal refuge for captive whales say the Nova Scotia government has granted them approval to start construction on the province’s eastern shore. The U.S.-based Whale Sanctuary Project announced Tuesday that Premier Tim Houston’s cabinet had granted the organization a 20-year lease for 83 hectares of Crown […]

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Canada’s scientific study of oceans may be vulnerable to foreign adversaries: report

Canadian ocean research is among the scientific fields that could be vulnerable to foreign espionage, theft or misuse because people overlook its value to adversaries, says a report commissioned by the federal government.  The Council of Canadian Academies report says the risks associated with ocean studies have received far less attention in policies and guidelines […]

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Ontario is subsidizing an energy project in Georgian Bay despite expert advice

The Ontario government pushed forward TC Energy’s proposal to build a large pumped storage project on Georgian Bay, despite early expert advice it would be costly and not meet the province’s current energy needs. That advice was shared by the provincial Crown corporation responsible for the supply and demand of energy, the Independent Electricity System […]

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Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority approves asset management plan

The Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority has released the highlights of its board meeting from September.   Revisions to the Procedures for the Implementation of the Conservation Authorities Act and Associated Regulations:                                                    […]

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Marineland says its belugas shouldn’t go to Nova Scotia’s Whale Sanctuary Project

Marineland says it has more than a dozen reasons why none of its remaining 30 belugas should be sent to a proposed whale sanctuary in Nova Scotia. The shuttered Ontario theme park, which is trying to sell the whales to avoid bankruptcy, made headlines last week when Federal Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson denied Marineland’s request […]

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Climate change could impede work of this Canadian regulatory agency

The federal agency responsible for checking and regulating measurement of everything from gas pumps to electricity meters is identifying climate as a risk to its highly specialized operations. The agency — Measurement Canada — may sound boring, but if you have ever pumped gas, paid an electricity bill or bought vegetables at a self-checkout, you […]

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Marineland decries Ottawa decision to bar export of remaining beluga whales to China

Marineland says it is “profoundly” disappointed by the federal government’s decision to deny its request to ship 30 belugas to China and the park has “no ability to pay” for their care — with sources adding that means euthanasia is a real possibility. Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson announced Wednesday morning the federal government would not […]

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Electronics dropoff planned next week

Fort William First Nation residents will have three days next week to unload unwanted electronic equipment at a special depot. The depot at the community’s youth centre parking lot will accept computers, printers, mobile phones, light bulbs and electric cables, a FWFN community event bulletin says. It’s going be available Monday to Wednesday, the bulletin […]

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Billions in federal buildings, roads and other assets at risk from climate change

Canada’s auditor general wants to know whether the federal government is doing a good job protecting its assets — including dams, buildings, vehicles and more — from the increasingly severe impacts of climate change. The Department of National Defence received a notification letter — obtained by Canada’s National Observer through an access to information request […]

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First nation leads effort to monitor orca-threatening ship noise

Underwater noise is a serious threat to endangered Southern Resident killer whales, as ship and ferry traffic intensifies through some of the busiest waters off Vancouver Island. With ship traffic surging following the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline — and set to grow even more following a port expansion at Roberts Bank, south of […]

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Deep Blue Data: Canada’s G7 ambitions on AI and Oceans

Canada wants to leverage its G7 presidency to shape international objectives on the use of artificial intelligence to understand oceans, documents obtained under the Access to Information Act show.  Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) hoped to host meetings in the fall to develop shared priorities and a global blueprint for action in advancing AI to […]

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