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A Key Test’: Canadian oil Executives Await Trudeau’s Grand Bargain on Pipelines

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Many in Canada’s business community will be watching if Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s pipeline decisions, expected as early as Tuesday, deliver on his “grand bargain” — carbon pricing for pipeline approvals.

“This is a key test of whether the Trudeau government is going to balance the needs of a resource-based economy with those of a climate agenda,” said John Manley, president and CEO of the Business Council of Canada.

If Trudeau does, there will be wrath – from environmentalists and aboriginals who will never compromise, to proponents and investors who didn’t get the infrastructure they needed.

But no better option than to seek a middle ground has emerged, and it goes some way to restoring the national interest as the key determinant of infrastructure decisions. At this time, the national interest involves supporting a resource-based economy that takes environmental protection seriously. Otherwise, the recession that is devastating Alberta and other resource producing regions will keep dragging down the country, and investment will keep moving elsewhere.

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According to widespread expectations, Trudeau’s Liberal government will rule this week on two proposed Enbridge Inc. pipelines – the replacement of the aging Line 3 and the future of the stalled Northern Gateway. A decision on whether the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain expansion, due by Dec. 19, could also come any day.

Line 3 and the Trans Mountain expansion are expected to get the green light. Northern Gateway could be permanently sidelined.

Manley said Canada’s business community, including the business leaders represented by his organization, have signed on to carbon pricing as long as it means getting resources out of the ground and to their customers.

“I would be very surprised if there were no pipelines emerging from this,” Manley said on the sidelines of last Friday’s Bennett Jones Business Forum in Lake Louise, Alta., where discussion about the future of energy infrastructure was front and centre. “Acquiescence to a price on carbon really is looked at as one side of a grand bargain that would see pipelines built in return.”

So far, however, Trudeau has shown a lot of enthusiasm for feel-good environmental initiatives, and little for controversial pipeline approvals.

Perrin Beatty, president of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, said there is a lot of curiosity among his members about Trudeau’s pipeline strategy and how it will be managed in the face of stubborn opposition.

David Vilder/Bloomberg

David Vilder/BloombergJohn Manley, president of the Council of Chief Executives.

“Certainly, there is a sense that the government is putting in place a series of building blocks that are part of a broader strategy than simply looking at each project on its own,” he said.

Those blocks include pricing carbon, restructuring regulatory processes, a marine protection plan, and a Northern Gateway denial to show not all projects will get approved.

“The stakes are so very high for Canada, not just for the groups that have been at the table,” Beatty said. “It is critical for us to resolve this issue. We need to move away from how we are going to move our resources to market, to how it’s going to be done.”

Beatty said energy consumers tell him they are interested in Canada’s oil and gas, but are concerned about Canada’s ability to deliver in a timely manner, so they are going elsewhere.

“Delay equals denial,” Beatty said. “For the business community, an early no is better than an indefinite maybe that simply drags you out forever as you continue to pump millions of capital into a project, only to find it can’t go ahead.”

The Chinese are among those customers. Chinese companies invested heavily in Canada’s oilsands with the understanding that pipelines to the West Coast would be built so they could export their oil.

Wenran Jiang, director of the Canada-China Energy & Environment Forum, said they would welcome a Trans Mountain expansion, even if Northern Gateway doesn’t move forward. Two top Chinese companies, Sinopec Corp. and CNOOC Ltd., are among Northern Gateway’s backers.

“The Chinese are still concerned about energy security, so any future energy import from Canada is still being seen in a positive way,” Jiang said, noting that the Chinese are willing to wait. With cheap oil readily available in an oversupplied market, imports from Canada are not as urgent.

But infrastructure delays have made it harder for the energy sector to withstand the oil price downturn of the last couple of years.

Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press

Darryl Dyck/The Canadian PressNorthern Gateway pipeline will likely be rejected, say some analysts.

Perry Spitznagel, Calgary managing partner and vice-chair of Bennett Jones, said energy leaders would be disappointed if a consensus isn’t achieved to allow pipelines to move forward.

“It hasn’t been a particularly positive business environment in the last 18 months, largely as a result of energy prices, but also as a result of government policies that are clearly not favouring the energy sector and making it a little more difficult for people to compete in a world market,” he said.

The carbon-price for pipeline-approval bargain would break new ground in the post-Paris climate change agreement world. Other political leaders, including former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper and U.S. President Barack Obama, wouldn’t pay the political price. Trudeau can show that environmental leadership requires building national wealth.

On Wednesday, Jim Carr, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, is scheduled to address Calgary’s business community with an update on market access for Canada’s energy products.

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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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