Atop a hill overlooking the Rideau River on Ottawa’s Charlotte Street stood a mansion that had its share of drama. It saw a sensational spy scandal and a suspicious fire. One prime minister called it "a place of intrigue." It took KGB defections and the collapse of the Soviet Union to reveal the extent of Soviet skullduggery at 285 Charlotte. READ MORE
Every hometown has its triumphs and tragedies, but few produce writers as evocative as Professor Jonathan Vance of Western University, one of the most skillful Canadian historians of his generation. Vance chronicles his town’s collision with the First World War, a fascination born in Vance’s youth when he walked door to door as a hydro meter reader in the Township of East Flamborough and spoke to ordinary neighbours with extraordinary experiences. “The statistics say that about 8 percent of its population served in uniform and about 1 percent died – or , if you prefer raw numbers, 210 out of 2,400 served and 28 died,” writes Vance. “But how much do those numbers actually reveal?” READ MORE
Bonuses for federal executives averaged nearly $18,000 in 2024, according to figures detailed in a year-end briefing note. Updated numbers on 2025 bonuses are due shortly, said the Treasury Board: "How does it work in the public sector?" READ MORE
Federal job cuts will total about 40,000 by 2029, according to Treasury Board briefing notes. Board President Shafqat Ali has declined to specify actual numbers of layoffs since it “impacts those public service employees and not only them, their families." READ MORE
A Bloc Québécois MP is sponsoring a Commons petition to cancel all subsidies for halal and kosher meat processing in Canada. MP Martin Champoux (Drummond, Que.) earlier expressed outrage after the Department of Agriculture awarded a multi-million dollar subsidy to a halal butcher in Prince Edward Island: "It is not the government's job." READ MORE
The Department of Transport last year disciplined 58 employees for workplace misconduct. Violations covered “a wide range” of wrongdoing from rudeness to theft, said managers: "Even a single instance is unacceptable." READ MORE
Parliament should compel the Canada Revenue Agency to annually report on offshore tax evaders including successful prosecutions, says a labour submission to the Commons finance committee. The Commons seven years ago defeated a similar private bill: "Transparency is essential." READ MORE
When I was about to enter my first year of primary school, a specialist told me I would be unable to pass the first grade. I cried. Later I was able to get a four-year honours degree, to be published, to be in the labour market and travel to 50 countries all over the world. Perhaps it is sweet revenge. Everyone is different on the autism spectrum. We need to forge our path to happiness. Never give up.
