Ottawa Insider

Natasha Bulowski reports from Ottawa with a slant on how federal policy is impacting British Columbians.

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808 Articles

Most mechanics 'scared' to work on electric vehicles, industry veteran says

“Electric cars are coming fast, and we need to be prepared. The automotive industry, in my mind, is not prepared for it,” says a Maple Ridge, B.C., mechanic, trainer and instructor.

Carl Meyer

November 3rd 2020

Majority want feds to move now on inequality, racism, climate change: poll

A new poll demonstrates support for continued federal spending as the Liberals reportedly consider whether to set aside billions of dollars in annual permanent funding for new social programs.

Carl Meyer

November 2nd 2020

New report questions Trans Mountain expansion’s ‘Asian markets’ rationale

Canadian oil producers would be taking a loss of US$4 to $6 per barrel if they sold to Asian refineries through TMX compared to selling to U.S. refineries, says the Canadian Centre For Policy Alternatives’ B.C. office.

Trans Mountain

Carl Meyer

October 30th 2020

O’Regan says he will ‘monitor’ methane rules. Critics say it’s time to strengthen them

“This issue lies at the feet of the federal government. They now have regulations that are too weak,” said Dale Marshall, national climate program manager at Environmental Defence Canada.

Carl Meyer

October 30th 2020

Quebec lawyer wins Nature Canada award for lifelong commitment to climate justice

Michel Bélanger's work as an environmental lawyer and advocate recently earned him Nature Canada’s pre-eminent 2020 Douglas H. Pimlott Award.

Yasmine Ghania

October 30th 2020

Transport Canada failed to follow up on dangerous goods violations: report

Transport Canada did not follow up on a number of violations made by companies transporting dangerous items like crude oil, according to the latest audit by Canada’s federal environment commissioner.

Carl Meyer

October 28th 2020

Canada urged to develop national plan to limit shipping emissions

NDP environment and climate change critic Laurel Collins says it’s time Canada put in place a formal framework for shipping emissions reduction, complete with specific targets and federal funding for carrying out monitoring and other related tasks.

Carl Meyer

October 27th 2020

In Canada, Biden oil remarks seen as demonstrating grasp of climate finance shift

Alberta Labour president, climate finance researcher say the Democratic presidential nominee gets what the climate crisis will mean for American and Canadian workers

Race Against Climate Change

Carl Meyer

October 23rd 2020

Here’s how you can find every wind turbine in Canada

Natural Resources Canada has published the Canadian Wind Turbine Database, which contains the precise latitude and longitude of every turbine, along with details like its dimensions, its power output, its manufacturer and the date it was commissioned.

Carl Meyer

October 23rd 2020

Building codes development under scrutiny as climate goals loom

The consensus-based process means hundreds of people involved in developing new building codes must come to an agreement in order to move forward.

Carl Meyer

October 22nd 2020

Parallels drawn between police action over B.C. pipeline fights, Mi'kmaq fishers

The Sipekne’katik First Nation was exercising its constitutionally protected rights when it opened a self-regulated lobster fishery in September. Despite this, Mi'kmaq fishers have faced violence and intimidation.

Carl Meyer

October 21st 2020

New building codes under review not tough enough on energy efficiency, report warns

According to the report from Efficiency Canada, the energy components of the new codes are now "largely finalized" and expected to be published in December 2021, yet they are so far missing some significant requirements like mandatory air leak tests.

Carl Meyer

October 20th 2020

Will there be someone to fix the electric vehicle you just bought?

The British Columbia Institute of Technology has launched its own EV maintenance training program. This week, a coalition of environmental and conservation groups recommended that the federal government provide funding for a national version.

Carl Meyer

October 16th 2020

Green coalition says more federal action needed for habitat, wildlife protection

The Green Budget Coalition published a roadmap Wednesday for a federal green recovery that it says can capitalize on this “defining moment in history.”

Carl Meyer

October 15th 2020

Here’s where parties stand on LNG projects in B.C.

The BC NDP has offered qualified support for LNG development, saying that any such effort must fit into the provincial climate plan, while BC Greens say the province must stop building fossil fuel infrastructure.

Carl Meyer

October 14th 2020