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Is Canada a World Leader on Climate Change?: Olive

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Will the world follow Canada’s example in fighting climate change?

It should, according to the editorial board of Bloomberg News.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ruffled feathers last week by giving the provinces and territories two years to sharply cut carbon emissions to achieve targets to which Canada committed itself at last year’s global-warming conference in Paris.

Fortunately, even those Canadian jurisdictions at odds with Trudeau seemingly acting by fiat last week have impressive CO2-emission reduction schemes underway. Ottawa has no desire to interfere with those. The PM does realize that nothing big is achieved without a deadline.

In its editorial, “Canada Sets the Trend on Climate,” Bloomberg said Trudeau’s approach (a) signals to the world Canada is serious about meeting its Paris obligations, (b) shows that even a fossil-fuel producing jurisdiction can summon the will to tax carbon, and (c) is revenue neutral, not a tax grab.

Ottawa’s modest schedule for carbon-tax increases, to $50 (Canadian) per tonne in five years, won’t get Canada anywhere near our stated obligations. That would require a carbon tax of about $200 a tonne, perhaps more.

But the hardest thing is to make a start. “The first and most difficult step is to put a price on carbon,” Bloomberg says. “Canada is about to do that, and other countries should do the same.”

A Mark Carney job switch on the horizon

Britain’s tenderfoot PM, Theresa May, appears intent on pushing Mark Carney out of his job as governor of the Bank of England (BOE).

Her public criticism late last week of Carney’s easy money policies, which actually kept the U.K. economy humming after the shocking outcome of the June 23 “Brexit” vote, is a violation of the crucial independence of central banks from elected governments.

Unlike May (and just about everyone else) Carney foresaw an anti-EU Brexit vote. His four months of planning for a worst-case scenario went off without a hitch, keeping the pound strong (it has since plunged on May’s stated resolve to quit the EU) and London’s reputation as one of the world’s two leading financial capitals (with New York) intact.

But May is intent on distancing herself from predecessor David Cameron, now regarded as among the worst PMs in British history — and Carney is a high-profile Cameron appointee.

Carney, regarded as possibly the world’s best central banker when he headed the Bank of Canada, has 90 days to decide whether to serve his full BOE term to 2021 or leave in two years, as originally planned.

That decision should be easier now, especially when the top job at Goldman Sachs Group Inc., of which Carney is an 11-year veteran, might be waiting for him.

Ten years on the job, Goldman CEO Lloyd Blankfein, among the arsonists of the Wall Street meltdown of 2008, is overdue for retirement. And the prudent but market-savvy native of Fort Smith, NWT would be an ideal replacement. Blankfein, paid $22.6 million (U.S.) last year, is in Hillary Clinton’s crosshairs as one of the unpunished malefactors of the Great Recession, whose lives she has vowed to make difficult.

Carney she would likely take on as a confidante.

The big lesson for business from Samsung’s perfect storm

Crucial problems with outsourcing and supply-chain management are the untold story of the Samsung Note 7 smartphone explosion on a Southwest Airlines plane last week.

The faulty battery at the heart of the problem was made by one of only two substantial suppliers in the industry, the Samsung supplier being the much larger of the two.

Industry had an early warning about the dangers of overreliance on a sole supplier when Ford Motor Co’s Explorer SUV franchise, then the company’s biggest money-maker, was sabotaged by faulty Bridgestone/Firestone tires.

Yet reliance on one of very few suppliers became the norm after waves of consolidation in one industry after another had reduced the number of suppliers.

Most of the world’s major automakers have been reliant on Takata Corp. for airbags, there now being only two makers of consequence, and Takata, with more than half the global market, being much larger than its rival.

Takata’s faulty airbags, traced to several deaths, can send shards of metal into driver’s faces when they deploy. That prompted a massive recall by almost every major automaker, which predictably has overwhelmed Takata. That has made the recall process absurdly slow.

The Samsung case might actually be worse, given that it was a replacement, and ostensibly improved, Note 7 that burst into flames in last week’s incident, burning through the carpet and scorching the floor of the confined space of an airliner.

When suppliers become sole-source providers of critical components, or close to it, the customers become hostage to the one super-supplier.

Watch for more industries to revert, as several automakers have begun to do, to a version of Henry Ford’s vertical integration model, in which engineering and production of key components is brought back in-house and no longer outsourced.

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Beauty Week is back at Hudson’s Bay in Toronto and it’s time to get glam

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Beauty enthusiasts rejoice! Beauty Week at Hudson’s Bay is back in Toronto for another year. It’s time to stock up on all of your fall essentials and, maybe discover some new ones. 

From Friday, August 18 to Sunday, August 27, you can expect a truly elevated beauty experience in-store with incredible special offers, limited-time gifts, and exciting activations. 

If you’re a diehard beauty lover, you’ll already know that Hudson’s Bay is the place to shop thanks to its extensive range of over 195 skin and makeup brands from both luxury labels and masstige brands — including Tata Harper, Estée Lauder, YSL, Nars Cosmetics, Bobbi Brown, and so much more.

Throughout The Bay’s Beauty Week, visitors can take in some at-counter activations and interactive expert-led tutorials, where there will be chances to get makeup touch-ups from top-tier brands, try a spritz of the most alluring fragrances, and sample tons of new products.

This year’s Beauty Week highlight is the ‘Best in Beauty’ tote, a meticulously-curated selection of 30 deluxe samples from an array of top-tier brands like Dr. Barbara Sturm and Shiseido spanning skincare, fragrance, and makeup — all in a super sleek bag.

The tote, which is valued at over $300, is retailing for just $39 and is a fantastic way to explore new products (without breaking the bank). However, there is a limited quantity, so if you want to get your hands on one, you’ll need to be fast.

Wondering exactly what Beauty Week’s free gifts with purchases entail? If you spend over $95 at Lancôme, you will receive a six-piece set valued at $130. Or, you can get an Estée Lauder gift valued at $170 with purchases over $80. (And that’s just to name a few.)

If you’re a Hudson’s Bay Rewards member, you’ll also get $20 in Hudson’s Bay rewards when you spend over $100 on beauty.

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The Canadian Armed Forces are hiring for several non-combat military jobs

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The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have several non-combat jobs, some of which do not require a college degree or past work experience.

Life in the forces has several benefits, such as paid education plans (college, university and graduate-level programs), 20 paid vacation days, health and dental coverage for you and your family, maternity and paternal leave, and pension plans. You can learn more about the benefits in detail here.

And to make it easier to gauge if you qualify, the listings also include related civilian jobs to see if it’s your ideal role.

Financial services administrator

Related civilian jobs: Financial records entry clerk, financial manager, accounting technician, bookkeeper, budget officer, cashier clerk, business planner technician, and verification manager.

Description: You’ll help budget resources for all military activities besides providing financial assistance.

Education: You need to have completed Grade 10.

Duties: As a financial services administrator, you’ll be responsible for bookkeeping and managing budgets. You’ll also provide support in accounts payable and accounts receivable.

Work environment: Those in this role work at CAF bases, on ships or overseas. You might also be expected to help special operation units, recruiting offices, schools, and medical organizations.

Postal clerk

Related civilian jobs: Mail clerk, mail sorter.

Description: You’ll provide postal services to members and their families at bases and establishments.

Education: Grade 10. No previous work experience or related career skills are required.

Duties: As the postal clerk, you’ll handle mail duties.

Work environment: Besides a postal office, you may work on a ship or a mobile postal van. You might be expected to serve with Royal Canadian Navy, the Army, and the Royal Canadian Air Force in Canada and abroad.

Dental technician

Related civilian jobs: Dental assistant, dental hygienist.

Description: You’ll be helping dental officers provide dental services to CAF members, their families, and dependents.

Education: Level II dental assisting diploma from an accredited college or a National Dental Assisting Examining Board (NDAEB) certificate.

Duties: Those in this role will be responsible for various responsibilities, including disinfection and sterilization of dental equipment, applying rubber dams, placing cavity liners, and controlling bleeding. In addition, you’ll assist in laboratory procedures like creating casts, custom trays, and mouthguards.

Work environment: This role will require you to work in a military dental clinic, a Mobile Dental Clinic, an Air Transportable Dental System, or onboard a ship. You might be expected to work on a base in Canada or other operations in other parts of the world.

Human resources administrator

Related civilian jobs: Records administrator, data entry supervisor, receptionist, office manager, executive assistant, payroll clerk, and information management technician.

Description: Provide administrative and general human resources support.

Education: Grade 10. No previous work experience or related career skills are required.

Duties: In addition to human resources administration and services, you’ll be handling pay and allowances, managing automated pay systems, and maintaining personnel records.

Work environment: HR administrators work at all CAF bases in Canada. They also work on ships and overseas to support the Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy, or Royal Canadian Air Force operations.

Medical assistant

Related civilian jobs: Emergency medical responder, ambulance and first aid attendant, registered nursing assistant, licensed practical nurse, and hospital orderly.

Description: Successful candidates will help treat the sick and injured in CAF units. You’ll be assisting and supporting nursing and medical officers.

Education: Minimum of Grade 11 biology, Grade 10 physics or chemistry, and Grade 10 math.

Duties: You’ll provide initial care and essential life support treatments in trauma cases. You’ll help with health assessments (hearing and vision tests, perform basic lab procedures, etc.) and initiate and manage medical records and reports. You’ll also be expected to provide support and first aid during training exercises.

Work environment: Medical assistants may serve with the Royal Canadian Navy, the Royal Canadian Air Force or the Canadian Army as part of the Canadian Forces Health Services Group. Those in this role are exposed to the same risks as the forces they support.

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Porter’s new loyalty program promises to match Air Canada’s Aeroplan status

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Porter Airlines is once again stirring the pot among Canadian airline rivals, now going after Air Canada’s Aeroplan members by offering to match their loyalty status to an equivalent of their own.

The beloved airline, which recently ranked as having the best cabin service in North America, challenged the competition for the second time this year, after previously deploying a similar tactic against WestJet in the spring. 

Earlier in April, Porter presented customers with a limited-time offer to match the loyalty status of WestJet’s patrons with VIPorter levels.

Now, they’re offering Aeroplan members to seamlessly transition to an equivalent VIPorter Avid Traveller status based on their existing membership tier.

Members can then take advantage of an array of travel perks that come with flying Porter, including seat selection, baggage, and flight changes.

For those currently holding an Aeroplan membership, there are two ways to acquire the Avid Traveller status for the rest of 2023:

Status-Based Match:
  • Aeroplan 25K members = VIPorter Venture
  • Aeroplan 35K members = VIPorter Ascent
  • Aeroplan 50K, 75K, and Super Elite = VIPorter First
Flight Segments-Based Match:
  • 5 flight segments = VIPorter Passport
  • 8 segments = VIPorter Venture
  • 17 segments = VIPorter Ascent
  • 28 or more segments = VIPorter First

Members will have to first submit their applications on Porter’s website. Registration will remain open until September 6, 2023.

In order to maintain their membership level through 2024, customers will have until the end of 2023 to reach the following reduced qualifying spend (QS) targets:

  • Passport = $500 in QS
  • Venture = $750 in QS
  • Ascent = $1500 in QS
  • First = $2500 in QS

Over the past year, Porter has launched an aggressive expansion strategy, including everything from introducing longer flights on newly-purchased jet planes flying out of Toronto Pearson, free WiFi, and a new all-inclusive economy experience.

With Canadians losing both Swoop and Sunwing as WestJet incorporates both into their mainline business, Porter’s direct competition is welcome to keep prices competitive.

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