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Wednesday November 29, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday November 29, 2017

Reluctant province willing to let City of Hamilton run LRT

The province’s transit agency is leaving the door open for Hamilton to run a planned new LRT line even as it urges council to abandon the idea.

October 18, 2017

Months ago city council got on board with a local union campaign to ask the province to reconsider plans to contract out operations and maintenance of a $1-billion, 14-kilometre LRT line.

The late request temporarily derailed plans by provincial transit agency Metrolinx to put out a tender call for consortiums to design, build, finance, run and maintain the project. It also left LRT supporters worried a contract award would be delayed beyond the Ontario election in June.

But the city now has its answer: a reluctant yes — with plenty of warnings and a January decision deadline.

In a Nov. 24 letter, Metrolinx president Phil Verster appeals to council to let the private tender process go ahead.

November 4, 2017

“I strongly recommend that the project continue to be delivered using the (privately run) model,” he writes. “However, if the City decides it is not willing to proceed with this model, Metrolinx is prepared to remove operations from the current procurement and work with the City.”

Verster warned the HSR would be forced to shoulder a list of onerous responsibilities and legal obligations as part of a local operations agreement. He also ruled out the idea of the city taking over responsibility for LRT maintenance.

A companion report from city staff also identifies “immediate and ongoing costs” to the taxpayer if council commits to a locally run system — including $750,000 a year for the next seven years for a new five-person team dedicated to LRT operation matters.

LRT Cartoon Gallery

Those costs would not be covered by the $1-billion in provincial funding, the report says.

Switching gears on LRT operations would also delay procurement by up to five months because Metrolinx would scrap a completed pre-qualification process for bidders and start again.

Mayor Fred Eisenberger said Monday he was relieved to get an answer, but added council “will have to grapple” with the cost implications of the looming decision. (Source: Hamilton Spectator) 

 

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Friday October 27, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday October 27, 2017

Sears Canada pensioners demand shortfall be paid off first

The law firm representing Sears Canada pensioners has issued a letter to the agency overseeing the liquidation and all other creditors, asking that the pension deficit be paid first and as soon as possible, as money from liquidation sales becomes available.

October 12, 2017
Canada, retail, employment, taxes, rvenue, CRA, Sears, layoff, bankruptcy, tax fairness

“Our clients . . . are entitled to first priority recover for those amounts,” according to the letter, from Koskie Minsky’s Andrew Hatnay, citing a prior Supreme Court of Canada decision.

The letter is addressed to the monitor assigned to the case, FTI Consulting, and to the service list, which includes lawyers representing every party to the insolvency.

If Hatnay’s position is accepted by the creditors lining up to be paid, the pension’s $270-million deficit would be paid first, although pensioners would not receive other benefits – dental benefits and life insurance benefits, which were discontinued at the end of September.

If the other creditors refuse to allow the pensioners to be paid first, the matter could end up before the court, according to Hatnay.

The legal letter was sent Thursday, a day after Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains said the federal government will consider legislation to protect employees’ pensions when a company goes bankrupt.

While there’s no plan for the government to introduce legislation at the moment, he said it will carefully examine two different private member’s bills on the subject, put forward by a New Democrat MP and a Bloc Quebecois MP. (Source: Toronto Star)

The Telegram, St. John’s Newfoundland

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Thursday August 25, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Thursday August 25, 2016 New permit for Nestle water-taking at low rate 'inappropriate': Wynne Bottled water companies in Ontario may soon have to pay more and take less water as public outcry over revelations that the province charges them just $3.71 for every million litres triggered a government review. There is a difference between taking water for agricultural or industrial use and taking it to sell bottled water, Premier Kathleen Wynne said Wednesday. Some of the conditions of the permits for bottled water use are outdated, she said. "There's the issue of the quantity of water that's taken, there's the issue of the cost of that water," Wynne said. "Also, there's an issue around the timing. As we all know, it's been a dry summer and so I think we need to look at what are the right triggers in place in terms of quantities that are allowable given the conditions.Ó Wynne has asked Environment Minister Glen Murray to review permit conditions for bottled water companies. It will look at whether there is a sufficient price on removing water, he said. "I think for some of the folks that are removing it and taking it away, that they got a really sweet deal," he said. "Maybe too sweet a deal.Ó Environmental group Wellington Water Watchers is urging Ontario not to renew a permit for Nestle Waters in Aberfoyle, Ont., that expired on July 31. It's upset that the company has been allowed to keep extracting water from a local well in the midst of a severe drought in the province. A water-taking permit remains in force if a renewal application is made at least 90 days before it expires. "Quite frankly, that window gives us an opportunity to look at what should change, rather than issuing a new permit under the same parameters as the former permit, which I think would not be appropriate," Wynne said. Times have changed, she said. "Thirty years ago, we wouldn't have envisioned an industry that took water a

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday August 25, 2016

New permit for Nestle water-taking at low rate ‘inappropriate’: Wynne

Bottled water companies in Ontario may soon have to pay more and take less water as public outcry over revelations that the province charges them just $3.71 for every million litres triggered a government review.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Thursday June 23, 2016 Waukesha, Wis., plan to tap into Lake Michigan called 'wrong decision' Leamington, Ont., Mayor John Paterson is irate after a group of eight U.S. governors voted Tuesday to allow a small Wisconsin town to draw its drinking water from Lake Michigan. A panel representing governors of the eight states adjoining the Great Lakes unanimously approved a proposal from Waukesha, Wis., which is under a court order to find a solution to radium contamination of its groundwater wells. The city says the project will cost $265 million Cdn for engineering studies, pipelines and other infrastructure.Waukesha is only 27 kilometres from the lake but just outside the Great Lakes watershed. That required the city of about 72,000 to get special permission under the compact, which prohibits most diversions of water across the watershed boundary. Paterson immediately took to Twitter to denounce the decision. His peninsula town, the self-proclaimed Tomato Capital of Canada and home to hundreds of greenhouses, is surrounded by Lake Erie. "This should not be allowed," Paterson told CBC News. "I'm really disappointed it happened. That was unexpected. I actually thought the governor of Michigan was going to side with us. He even bailed.Ó The Michigan Senate adopted a resolution last month opposing Waukesha's request. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder went against that and voted in favour of Waukesha's plan Tuesday. A 2008 pact established a potential exception for communities within counties that straddle the line. Waukesha is the first to request water under that provision. "There are a lot of emotions and politics surrounding this issue, but voting yes Ñ in co-operation with our Great Lakes neighbours Ñ is the best way to conserve one of our greatest natural resources," Snyder said. Snyder also took to social media, to defend his decision.(Source: CBC News) Canada, USA, United States, Great Lakes, water, di

June 23, 2016

There is a difference between taking water for agricultural or industrial use and taking it to sell bottled water, Premier Kathleen Wynne said Wednesday. Some of the conditions of the permits for bottled water use are outdated, she said.

“There’s the issue of the quantity of water that’s taken, there’s the issue of the cost of that water,” Wynne said.

“Also, there’s an issue around the timing. As we all know, it’s been a dry summer and so I think we need to look at what are the right triggers in place in terms of quantities that are allowable given the conditions.”

Wynne has asked Environment Minister Glen Murray to review permit conditions for bottled water companies. It will look at whether there is a sufficient price on removing water, he said.

“I think for some of the folks that are removing it and taking it away, that they got a really sweet deal,” he said. “Maybe too sweet a deal.”

Environmental group Wellington Water Watchers is urging Ontario not to renew a permit for Nestle Waters in Aberfoyle, Ont., that expired on July 31. It’s upset that the company has been allowed to keep extracting water from a local well in the midst of a severe drought in the province.

A water-taking permit remains in force if a renewal application is made at least 90 days before it expires.

“Quite frankly, that window gives us an opportunity to look at what should change, rather than issuing a new permit under the same parameters as the former permit, which I think would not be appropriate,” Wynne said.

Times have changed, she said.

“Thirty years ago, we wouldn’t have envisioned an industry that took water and put it in plastic bottles so that people could carry it around,” Wynne said.

“I mean, we didn’t drink water from plastic bottles 30 years ago. We turned on the tap and the fact is our tap water in Ontario is among the best in the world.”

Nestle Canada has two permits to take up to 4.7 million litres of water every day for bottling. Other bottled water companies with large water-taking permits in Ontario include Gold Mountain Springs, Gott Enterprises and St. Joseph Natural Spring Water. (Source: CTV News)

2016-08-25tearsheet

 

Tuesday February 26, 2008

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday February 26, 2008

Sludge in the City

East Hamilton could end up with two sludge incineration plants if the city proceeds with plans for a $60-million burner at the Woodward Avenue sewage treatment plant, while the $120-million Liberty Energy Centre is built a short distance away on Strathearne Avenue.

The city plant, still at an early planning stage, would just burn sludge, while the Liberty centre would also use wood waste as fuel, enabling it to produce electricity for sale to the Ontario power grid.

Some councillors argued last August that it might make more sense for the city to use the Liberty Energy power plant and asked staff to investigate the cost.

* Hamilton now spreads 53,000 tonnes of sludge a year — about 1,250 truckloads — on farm fields in surrounding municipalities. It predicts it will cost $158 million to continue over the next 30 years, if sufficient land remains available. It puts the cost of incineration at $134 million and says that would also reduce trucking and the resulting air pollution.

* The Liberty Energy Centre is designed to handle about 400,000 tonnes of sludge and 150,000 tonnes of wood waste a year. It would be built in two stages, each capable of producing five megawatts of electricity. Together, they would burn 1,200 tonnes a day of sludge and 480 tonnes of chipped trees, lumber and other biomass, producing enough power for 8,000 homes. For further information, go to libertyenergy.ca.  (Source: Hamilton Spectator)