Obama, Harper stay apart on pipeline issue, ink other agreements
Washington, D.C., United States (AHN) – The visiting Canadian leader and the American president on Wednesday remained noncommittal on a controversial oil pipeline linking the two countries but signed a border deal.
Addressing a joint press conference at the White House, with Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper, U.S. President Barack Obama said, “With respect to the politics, look, this is a big project with big consequences.”
Asking for a assessment for environmental impact, Obama said, “We’ve seen Democrats and Republicans express concerns about it. And it is my job as president of the United States to make sure that a process is followed that examines all the options.”
Harper, on the other hand refused to be drawn into any controversy saying, “You can appreciate that I would not comment on the domestic politics of this issue or any other issue here in the United States.”
Harper added that Obama had an “open mind” on the project, but wanted a full assessment carried out. “He’s indicated to me, as he’s indicated to you today, that he is following a proper (process) to eventually take that decision here in the United States, and that he has an open mind in regards to what the final decision may or may not be,” Canadian leader said about the 1,600-mile pipeline that would run from Canada to the Texas coast.
“My position, the position of the government of Canada on this issue, is very well known,” said Harper, hinting at his backing for the Keystone XL plan, which is projected to create jobs in the U.S. and in Canada and to enable oil from the Canadian province of Alberta to reach the world market.
The two leaders announced signing of a trade deal and perimeter security agreement, which would allow easier access to ports and increase harmonization of security checks and procedures at land borders.
“Together, they represent the most significant steps forward in Canada-U.S. cooperation since the North American Free Trade Agreement,” Harper said.
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Ontario joins growing clamor for Ottawa to mend diplomatic ties with UAE
Toronto, Ontario, Canada (AHN) – Ontario has joined the growing list of Canadian provinces that are urging the federal government to mend broken diplomatic ties with the United Arab Emirates. Alberta made a similar call early this month.
Ontario Minister of Economic Development and Trade Sandra Pupatello warned Tuesday that the dispute with Dubai over landing rights for UAE-owned carriers could result in lost contracts and missed opportunities for the province. To repair the diplomatic impasse, Pupatello flew to Dubai to meet with UAE businesses and officials.
She led a delegation of 20 Ontario health companies that are interested in tapping into the Middle Eastern region’s growing healthcare market.
The minister criticized Ottawa for being protectionist in refusing UAE’s request for more landing rights in Toronto, while pushing for open markets in other sectors such as telecommunications. Pupatello opined that Air Canada could handle the competition from Etihad Airways and Emirates.
However, federal officials have not made any efforts to fix the broken ties, worsened by UAE’s decision to slap dollar rates on Canadians seeking tourist visas to the emirates, while charging nationals of other countries dirham rates.
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Alberta in trade talks with UAE
Calgary, Alberta, Canada (AHN) – Despite the worsening diplomatic impasse between Canada and the United Arab Emirates, Alberta will send an official this week to Dubai to attend trade meetings.
Alberta International and Intergovernmental Minister Iris Evans is scheduled to leave Friday for UAE in a bid to expand trade between the oil sands-producing province and the oil-rich emirates. Evans said Calgary could not wait for Ottawa and Dubai to settle their difference.
From 2005 to 2009, Alberta exports to UAE averaged $153.4 million a year, mainly canola seeds, machinery and wheat. For the same period, Alberta imported from the emirates an average of $2.61 million yearly, mainly surveying equipment, machinery, precious stones, and iron and steel products.
In the field of energy, Alberta Energy signed in January 2010 a Memorandum of Understanding with the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company on carbon capture and storage, while Abu Dhabi committed $22 billion to an initiative that would transform the UAE into a top developer and producer of clean energy technologies.
Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach even attended in 2009 the World Future Energy Summit hosted by UAE.
The diplomatic row between Canada and UAE was recently a hot topic again in Canadian and UAE media because of Liberal MP Bob Rae’s personal visit to the emirates in a bid to heal the wounds due to Ottawa’s rejection of more landing rights requested by UAE for state-owned Etihad Airways and Etihad.
The past two months saw the UAE government taking action for the rejection by kicking out the Canadian troops stationed at Dubai’s Camp Mirage in November and charging dollar rates beginning Jan. 2 to Canadians seeking tourist visa to UAE, while collecting dirham rates from other nationals.
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Bell Canada call center employees win $50 million lottery jackpot
Toronto, Ontario, Canada (AHN) – Nineteen call center employees of Bell Canada started 2011 by winning the $50 million jackpot in the Lotto Max.
It is the largest jackpot in the province ever won by a single ticket, according to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission.
The commission declined to identify the 19 lucky millionaires, except to confirm that they are employees of Bell Canada assigned at the company’s call center near the Scarborough Town Center shopping mall.
The lottery was drawn on Dec. 31. On that day the 19 were at the office celebrating New Year’s Eve, but they left by mid-afternoon.
A women validated the winning ticket before 9 a.m. Monday at a gas station. Although the OLG office was closed on Monday, the commission had someone wait for the winners to claim their prize money. The group is expected to claim their millions later this week.
It is the second largest group jackpot win in Canadian history. The largest, $54 million, was won in the 2005 Super 7 draw by oil and gas workers in Alberta.
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Flaherty gives Canadian provinces 2015 deadline to wipe out deficits
Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada (AHN) – Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty on Monday gave Canadian provinces until 2015 to wipe out their budget deficits. He encouraged the provinces to address their financial problems to avoid facing a debt crisis similar to what some European Union nations are grappling with.
Most Canadian provinces have already made plans to achieve balanced books within the next five years. Ottawa, however, has an eight-year timetable to remove its projected $18.7 billion deficit. Although Ontario accounts for 40 percent of Canada’s economy, Flaherty said the largest province’s fiscal situation does not place Canada’s economy at risk.
To help provinces cope with decreasing revenues and increasing expenses, Ottawa hiked transfers for 2011-12 to $56 billion, which is $2.2 billion higher than the current year’s transfers. The federal transfers are allocated for delivery of front-line services such as health care and social programs.
Flaherty added that he ordered a one-year protection of federal transfers to provinces in which there would be no reductions in major transfers for next year. The move costs Ottawa $1.1 billion.
In the same meeting of finance ministers, the group agreed to Flaherty’s proposal to establish a new private-sector retirement savings fund that will provide Canadians more retirement savings options. The fund will be open to small Canadian firms, employees whose companies do not want to participate and self-employed workers.
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More Canadian Businesses Oppose BHP Billiton Buy-in Of Potash Corp.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada (AHN) – Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper faces a tough decision on whether to give his final blessing to the $40 billion offer from BHP Billiton to buy Potash Corporation.
A day after Investment Canada gave its tentative approval of the sale, several Canadian businessmen expressed their opposition to the sale. Saskatchewan also plans a constitutional challenge to the sale if Harper favors the deal.
Alberta business leaders said they oppose the sale to BHP because four Canadian premiers have already said they are against the deal. They warned the sale could divide Canadians and repeat a 1980 national energy program that got Albertans angry.
Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall led an unsuccessful lobby to stop Investments Canada from approving the deal because of the potential revenue losses of the province from the current terms offered by BHP. Legal experts said Saskatchewan’s planned constitutional challenge may not necessarily result in stopping the sale, but may get the province more concessions, delay the sale or make BHP withdraw its bid.
A University of Saskatchewan law professor said a legal challenge is a risk factor for any takeover.
Another factor that Harper has to consider is that several Conservative seats are at stake in Saskatchewan if he approves the BHP buy-in. The prime minister has to make a final decision on the sale Wednesday.
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NASA Scientist Urges Canada Not To Touch Oil Sands
Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada (AHN) – Another nail was driven into Alberta’s oil sands industry on Tuesday after a top NASA scientist advised the province to leave the tar fields alone. James Hansen of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies gave the advice to a panel reviewing the proposed Total E&P $9-billion plan to build the Joslyn North Mine.
Hansen said that while the oil sands appear to be a money maker for Alberta and the world needs sources of energy, exploiting unconventional fossil fuels such as tar sands and tar shale would release more carbon dioxide into the air and it would cost $200 to $500 per ton to suck the CO 2 out of the environment.
Hansen said because of the income tar sands bring to the government, he does not expect Ottawa or Alberta to slow down on oil sands projects. He said green groups should instead pursue legal action to stop more oil sands projects from being pursued.
As early as February 2009, Hansen had spoken against the tar sands projects in an article at the Ottawa Citizen timed with the first Canada visit of new U.S. President Barack Obama.
Aside from Hansen, “Avatar” director James Cameron had spoken against the oil sands. Ottawa also created a six-member panel to review Alberta’s oil sands industry.
The oil sands are being blamed for the rise in the number of deformed fish catch and the high mercury level of birds eggs in the Athabasca River, which is downstream of Alberta’s oil sands industry.
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