Topic Environmental
B.C. not effectively overseeing safety of dams: auditor general
September 15, 2021 by The Canadian PressVICTORIA – The British Columbia government has not effectively overseen the safety of the 1,900 dams it regulates, says the auditor general. Michael Pickup said the Ministry of Forests, Land, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development has not adequately verified…
Intact Centre, Insurance Bureau react to latest Liberal election promise
August 19, 2021 by Greg MeckbachWednesday’s Liberal election promise answers a call from Canada’s property and casualty insurance industry for a national standard for scoring properties on their resilience to weather-related disasters. In a speech in British Columbia Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised a…
Most Ontario wildfire evacuees headed home, one First Nation still evacuating
August 13, 2021 by The Canadian PressDRYDEN, Ont. – Most residents of First Nations in northwestern Ontario who were evacuated due to the threat of nearby wildfires are heading home. The province says hundreds of members of three communities — Pikangikum First Nation, Deer Lake First…
B.C. officials urge caution as third summer heat wave blankets parts of the province
August 12, 2021 by The Canadian PressVANCOUVER – British Columbia officials are reassuring residents that health and emergency services are ready to help people get through another heat wave this week. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth says Emergency Management BC is working with communities to ensure…
New report sounds the ‘death knell for coal and fossil fuels’
August 9, 2021 by Christopher Reynolds - THE CANADIAN PRESSOTTAWA – The secretary-general of the United Nations says a new report “must sound the death knell for coal and fossil fuels,” raising renewed questions about Canada’s climate plan and the long-term viability of its traditional energy sector. The UN…
Doctors, lawyers want B.C. to track injuries after record heat wave
August 3, 2021 by Camille Bains - THE CANADIAN PRESSVANCOUVER – Two groups focused on environmental issues are calling on the British Columbia government to come up with a plan to track “heat dome injuries” following record-setting temperatures that are also linked with 570 deaths in the province over…
Severe drought expected to cost Alberta $1 billion in insurance payouts
July 23, 2021 by Jason ContantCrop insurance payouts in Alberta will likely reach about $1 billion later this year due to hot, dry weather that is contributing to severe drought conditions, Alberta’s Minister of Agriculture and Forestry said Thursday. “This year’s crop insurance claims will…
At least 70% of vehicle sales must be zero-emission to achieve Ottawa’s emissions plan: report
July 22, 2021 by The Canadian PressOTTAWA – The C.D. Howe Institute says 70 to 75 per cent of Canadian passenger auto sales will have to be zero-emission vehicles by 2030 in order to achieve the federal government’s emissions targets. The think tank says about 7.7…
Ontario imposes restrictions on industrial operations in northwest as wildfires burn
July 20, 2021 by The Canadian PressNORTHWESTERN ONTARIO – Ontario is imposing new restrictions on the mining, rail, construction and transportation industries in the province’s northwest to reduce the likelihood of human-caused fires. The move comes as 107 active wildfires burn in the region, with 32…
Drought ravages crops and pastures across the Prairies
July 19, 2021 by Amanda Stephenson - THE CANADIAN PRESSCALGARY – Farmers are calling for emergency disaster relief as drought ravages crops and pastures across the Prairie provinces and beyond. Scorching temperatures and little to no rainfall have left crops in poor condition across wide swaths of Alberta, Saskatchewan…
How green technology can leave insurers seeing red
July 13, 2021 by Adam MalikOlder green energy equipment is not equipped with the latest technology to protect it from increasingly severe weather events, meaning more claims activity for insurers, according to an expert in the area. Insurers have been seeing the effects of climate…
B.C. premier says he will lobby PM to enlist military for wildfire prevention duty
July 9, 2021 by Dirk Meissner, The Canadian PressCOQUITLAM, B.C. — British Columbia Premier John Horgan says he will lobby Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to deploy Canada’s military to help clear fire danger zones to prevent future wildfires. Trudeau and Horgan met Thursday with local government and First…