Canadian Jets Repel Russians

Canadian jets repel Russian bombers
By BRIAN LILLEY, QMI Agency Parliamentary Bureau

Last Updated: July 30, 2010 9:00am

A CF-18 Hornet does a fly-by. (Dave Abel, QMI Agency file photo) OTTAWA - Canadian fighter jets scrambled to repel Russian bombers that made several attempts to probe Canadian airspace on Wednesday.

QMI Agency has learned that two CF-18s took off from CFB Bagotville to intercept two TU-95 long range bombers about 463 km east of Goose Bay, N.L.

Attempts by Russia to test Canadian airspace have been going on since 2007; military and intelligence analysts tell QMI Agency the frequency has been increasing since then, but one senior official described Wednesday's event as "not the usual s--t."

"The response as always was a rapid, effective deterrent," Defence Minister Peter MacKay told QMI Agency.

"They were in the buffer zone," said MacKay, stressing that although the planes did not enter Canada's sovereign airspace, the bombers did come inside the 300 nautical mile zone that Canada claims.

"They did not give us any advance notice," said MacKay, adding that NORAD fighter jets have intercepted between 12 and 18 Russian bombers per year since 2007. After the CF-18s made contact with the Russians the pilots shadowed them until the bombers turned northeast and headed out of Canadian airspace.

The TU-95 bomber, known as the Bear, is capable of carrying nuclear weapons and may have been loaded with warheads on this trip. One military analyst tells QMI Agency the Russians have been known to fly with nukes on board just to flex their muscle and prove to the world they are still a powerful country.

"We certainly weren't aware of what if any weapons were on board," said MacKay.

Canada is in a race with Russia and other Arctic nations to lay claim to the frozen territory that may hold untold treasures.

Geologists believe the Arctic shelf holds vast stores of oil, natural gas, diamonds, gold and minerals. A 2007 Russian intelligence report predicted that conflict with other Arctic nations is a distinct possibility, including military action "in a competition for resources." The United States, Norway, and Denmark (through Greenland) also lay claim to portions of the Arctic seabed based on their coastal waters.

China, which does not have an Arctic coast, has sent icebreakers and ships into the Arctic Ocean. A Chinese admiral said earlier this year since China has 20% of the world's population, they should have 20% of Arctic resources.

The incursion into Canadian airspace also comes as debate rages over whether Canada needs the next generation of fighter jets to replace the nearly 30-year-old CF 18s. The Harper government has committed to buying 65 F-35 stealth fighters at a cost of $9 billion. Critics have said such Cold War-type jets are no longer needed.

Rob Huebert of the University of Calgary's Centre for Military and Strategic Studies tells QMI Agency the Canadian Air Force needs to upgrade its fleet now that Russia is upgrading its bombers.

"The mere fact that the Russians are building the next generation of bombers means that we need something or we need to accept that the Americans will do it for us," Huebert said.

"This is about a Russian military resurgence, the Russians asserting their authority in the north," military analyst Mercedes Stephenson told QMI Agency.

Stephenson says that after the Cold War ended the Russian military was in a shambles but the last few years have seen a lot of money poured into restoring past glories, particularly in the air force.

Asked if he was playing up this Russian incursion to boost support for the F-35 purchase, MacKay said no.

"Surely even the most cynical, partisan person would not suggest that we engineered the visit of a Russian bomber to boost support for our air force," said MacKay.

Previous Russian incursions into Canadian airspace

February 2009: Hours before U.S. President Barack Obama's big visit to Canada, two Russian bombers were intercepted just outside the Canadian Arctic.

Two Canadian CF-18s were dispatched to signal the Russian aircraft to turn back to its own airspace.

The Russians called Canada's reaction "a farce."

General Walter Natynczyk, the chief of the defence staff, said, at the time, sporadic incidences of Russian incursions had started in 2007 after many years of no activity.

August 2008: Canadian jets scrambled during a visit by Prime Minister Stephen Harper to Inuvik in the Arctic to intercept an aircraft nearing Canada's airspace.

Defence Minister Peter MacKay said Russians were unwilling to notify Canada of planned military flights nearing our airspace.

September 2007: Russians boasted that two of their Tu-95 bombers flew along the coasts of Alaska and Canada and returned via the North Pole during a 17-hour flight. They said their flight was accompanied by NATO planes.

brian.lilley@sunmedia.ca

New Weymouth Library

From the Digby Courier

New Weymouth library a waterfront anchor
West Nova Greg Kerr MP, right, and Education Minister Marilyn More join municipal councillor Randall Amero and librarian Marguerite Thibault during the opening of the new Weymouth Waterfront Library. Karla Kelly photo
Published on July 30th, 2010
Published on July 30th, 2010
By Karla Kelly FOR THE DIGBY COURIER NovaNewsNow.com

Topics : Weymouth Waterfront Library , Environmental Design , Green Building Rating System , Weymouth
It was standing room only for the many who attended the official opening Thursday of Weymouth’s new Waterfront Library after thundershowers forced planned outdoor celebrations inside the new facility.

Municipal councillor Randall Amero expressed pride in representing the people of the area and said it was nice to see something added to the village since it had lost so much in recent years.

“It provides an anchor for the waterfront,” he said.

West Nova MP Greg Kerr said the planning, building and opening of the new 307 square-meter library reflected the fact that Weymouth was a community determined not to go backward any longer.

“Weymouth has suffered difficult economic times but the extraordinary commitment to complete this project reflects the change,” Kerr said. “It’s Weymouth moving forward.”



View the gallery
Federal, provincial and municipal funding for the Weymouth Waterfront Library, totalled $417,900. The building is environmentally friendly, meeting the silver standard of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.

Education Minister Marilyn More acknowledged the important contributions of both the federal and provincial governments and thanked the Municipality of Digby and the village of Weymouth for working so hard to make the library a reality.

“This beautiful facility would not be possible without the hard work of the Weymouth Waterfront Development Committee, the library staff and this community,” More said. “What a perfect place to build a library that will be the focal point of this community.”

What a perfect place to build a library that will be the focal point of this community. - Education Minister Marilyn More
Western Counties Regional Library director Trudy Amirault said she was pleased with the number of people who attended the opening.

“It is a real indication of the support for this project in the community as well as the future increase in library usage,” Amirault said. “We are pleased to provide 1,000 new books and materials as part of Western Counties Regional Library’s contribution to enhance library service in Weymouth.”

During the opening ceremonies, author Barbara Erjavec presented the library copies of her book ‘The Wit and Wisdom of Joe Casey’.

Refreshments were served and a walk through of the facility followed the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Buy Local Farmer's Products Campaign

NS: New marketing campaign helps people get to know their local farmers
By Chris Shannon, Transcontinental Media

Source: Cape Breton Post, Jul. 28/10

[SYDNEY, NS] – A new marketing campaign by the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture is aimed at introducing consumers to the men and women who produce the food on your local grocery store shelf.

The website, www.meetyourfarmer.ca, was officially launched in Halifax on Tuesday evening with the release of a report, in conjunction with the Ecology Action Centre, which shows Nova Scotians are buying less local foods than they did in 1997. The federation says the website is meant to “create and improve the relationship” between farmers and the consumer.

Beth Densmore, vice-president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture, says the website has an educational component because many people have no clue where their food comes from. She denies it’s an opportunity to improve the opinion of farmers among people who think the industry is too heavily subsidized by government.

“It’s not to draw on sympathy from the public. It’s the awareness side of it,” Densmore says. “They’re hoping to change (the website) over the coming months, so that (people) understand that farming is not just having sheep, it’s not just having lettuce. It could be all different aspects of it and hopefully put a face to these products.”

So far the website has seven farmer profiles from the Annapolis Valley and Hants County, as well as videos and stories about the farms. It also includes pictures of farm animals that children can print out and colour.

Co-ordinator of the project Wanda Hamilton says more content will be added in the coming months, along with stories from farmers in other parts of the province.

N.B. Power Rates Examined

NB: Electricity ratepayers to be better protected
By Staff, Transcontinental Media

Source: The Daily Business Buzz, Jul. 28/10

[SAINT JOHN, NB] – The provincial government is making a number of improvements that will better protect electricity ratepayers. Energy Minister Jack Keir, in making the announcement, said the changes will strengthen the regulatory framework of the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board (EUB).

“The New Brunswick government wants to ensure the EUB is equipped with the necessary tools to safeguard the interests of New Brunswick electricity ratepayers,” Keir says. “Combined with the recent decision to reintegrate the utility into a single company, these changes will mean NB Power will be a more transparent and accountable utility.”

Keir announced five key changes:
• all electricity rate increases, regardless of size, will need to be approved by the EUB;
• an appropriate form of regulatory oversight will be introduced for municipal utilities;
• cabinet will no longer be able to reverse or modify an EUB decision dealing with rates;
• utilities will be required to file annual capital spending plans to the EUB and obtain pre-approval from the board for projects that exceed certain spending limits; and
• the EUB will follow new policy objectives. They include reconciling the public interest, ensuring consumer protection and fair treatment of utilities, promoting sustainable development, promoting fiscal responsibility, promoting energy efficiency and promoting the use of electricity from renewable sources.

These changes were announced following public consultations that included the release on June 15 of an options paper, The New Brunswick Energy Regulatory Framework Options for Improvement. A review of those consultations, The New Brunswick Energy Regulatory Framework Options for Improvement – Summary of Written Submissions, was released yesterday. Both documents are on the Department of Energy website. The suggestions made in the summary document will help form the necessary legislative amendments to be introduced this fall.

“All electricity ratepayers in New Brunswick should feel absolutely secure knowing that any electricity rate increase has been thoroughly reviewed and found to be warranted by an independent board,” Keir says. “The EUB has demonstrated the necessary level of expertise, experience and independence to make well-reasoned decisions that affect both utilities and customers. Creating a stronger EUB means more protection for consumers.”

Biomass/Sustainability/Climate Change

NS: “Adventures in biomass” may lead to sustainability dead end
By Staff, Transcontinental Media

Source: The Daily Business Buzz, July 27, 2010

[HALIFAX, NS] — In a recent submission to the Nova Scotia Department of Energy’s Renewable Electricity consultation process, Scotian Carbon Services expressed its concern about the government’s thrust to promote biomass combustion as part of its renewable electricity strategy.

The carbon management consulting firm’s submission explains that most international protocols for greenhouse gas accounting dictate that emissions from biomass combustion is accounted for separately from all other greenhouse gas activities. There is a growing trend among jurisdictions in North America and Europe to exclude biomass from their renewable electricity totals.

“The government of Nova Scotia has gone to a lot of trouble to craft a renewable electricity plan that will help them reach the aggressive emission reduction targets in their Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act (EGSPA)”, said Gay Harley, manager of Scotian Carbon Services. “It would be a shame if a significant chunk of their investment could not be accounted for as creditable emission reductions.”

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) dictates that carbon dioxide emissions from biomass be reported separately from all other scopes in official National Inventories. As well, Nova Scotia’s Department of Environment promotes the accounting protocol used by The Climate Registry as their standard for greenhouse gas accounting. The Climate Registry meets the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) criteria for greenhouse gas inventories. In that standard, biomass combustion is reported separately from other forms of electricity generation.

Scotian Carbon Services said it is important that universal standards be developed for carbon accounting, so that reporting can be compared across jurisdictions and so that targets and emission reductions have credibility and result in genuine reductions. Nova Scotia must design its programs and targets to integrate with domestic and international accounting standards.

“With the global practice to exclude biomass accounting from general emission reduction inventory, Nova Scotia may be steering toward a sustainability dead end in their biomass policy. The money invested in promoting electricity from biomass in an effort to meet provincial emission reduction targets may simply be wasted taxpayer resources.”

Lewis Mouldings Grows!

NS: Lewis Mouldings increasing sales, adding new equipment
By Staff, Transcontinental Media

Source: The Daily Business Buzz, Jul. 28/10

[WEYMOUTH, NS] – Lewis Mouldings and Wood Specialties is finding new opportunities and higher sales halfway into 2010. The manufacturer of finger-jointed pine mouldings and other value-added products has survived the recent economic downturn that has seen other similar businesses shrink or close.

As market demand rebuilds for its products, Lewis Mouldings is working to fill customer needs and capture a greater share of the market.

“We continue to run a successful business by employing hard-working people and staying focused on producing high-quality, value-added products,” says Jamie Lewis, general manager. “We are a family company in Nova Scotia and couldn’t imagine operating anywhere else.”

The province, through Nova Scotia Business Inc. (NSBI), is supporting Lewis Mouldings’ efforts to position itself for growth. NSBI has provided a $100,000 term loan for new equipment, including a large wood grinder, which will help convert by-products to fibre fuel. NSBI has also signed a guarantee that will enable Lewis Mouldings to increase its operating line of credit by up to $300,000 with its bank.

“Greater productivity, new market growth, creating good jobs and growing the economy are priorities that our government is encouraging and supporting,” says Economic and Rural Development Minister Percy Paris.

“Lewis Mouldings is a great example of a Nova Scotia company finding opportunity in the global market and taking action to stay ahead of the curve,” says Stephen Lund, president and CEO of NSBI. “NSBI is working proactively with companies that are investing in market growth, productivity and competitiveness.”

Farmers in Crisis

NS: Nova Scotia farmers are in ‘crisis’
By Chris Shannon, Transcontinental Media

Source: Cape Breton Post, Jul. 28/10

[SYDNEY, NS] – Farmers across the province are in “crisis” with incomes dropping drastically and fewer young people entering the profession.

A report released Tuesday by the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture is a joint project with the Ecology Action Centre. It indicates that although total farm cash receipts have grown by 11 per cent from 1971 to 2008, net farm income has plummeted 80 per cent over the same period. In 2008, farmers in Nova Scotia didn’t have a net income.

“Support for new farmers, existing farmers, I think that would be our real challenge to make farming economically viable here in the province so that young people want to get into farming,” says Marla MacLeod of the Ecology Action Centre and co-author of the report, Are Nova Scotians Eating Local? The report took a close look at the cost of food and what it might take to make a more locally based food system.

Based on a survey of household spending conducted by Statistics Canada, Nova Scotians spent about $2.6 billion on food in 2008. The report’s authors estimated that in 2008 Nova Scotians spent 13 per cent of their grocery budget on food produced locally. In 1997, it was 17 per cent.

The study examined more than 60 products and found that, on average, the food products were travelling nearly 4,000 kilometres from the farm to the kitchen table.

“There is potential for reducing transport-related greenhouse gas emissions by switching to locally grown foods, provided they’re produced by methods of similar or increased energy efficiency compared with imports,” MacLeod says.

Joe King, manager of the vegetable division at Eyking Farms in Millville, says he has seen improvements in retailers keeping more locally grown products in stores across Cape Breton.

“There’s more ‘buy local’ over the last two years,” King says.

He says grocery chains such as Sobeys ship Eyking’s lettuce, cabbage and turnip to a main distribution centre in Debert, outside Truro, before returning to the island for sale in stores.

Among the report’s key recommendations is the need for consumers to ask their grocery stores, restaurants and institutions if they buy local. Farmers should “forge new, unconventional” alliances between health, environmental, social justice and anti-poverty organizations, the report says.

It also cites the need for retailers to begin competing to offer consumers more local options, and those companies should look to replace imported food items with ones that are easily grown in Nova Scotia.

The government should break down barriers related to provincial and federal meat inspection, and develop and adopt local, sustainable procurement policies that include targets.

In the beef industry, more than 90 per cent of the beef eaten by Nova Scotians is imported from elsewhere in the country, the report states. It says local beef production has “great potential” for improving soil quality and rejuvenating rural communities.

On average, 1.14 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions are created from trucks used in the transportation of every kilogram of imported beef. The report says the cost to the environment in beef imports is estimated at $30 million a year.

“People have gotten used to taking the first thing they see in the grocery store as opposed to shopping around to find some product that’s local,” says Donnie MacNeil, a beef producer in Point Aconi who sells his products directly to the customer.

A new seller at the weekly farmer’s market in Coxheath, MacNeil says it’s been historically cheaper to produce beef in central and western Canada due to lower grain costs. He says higher fuel prices will likely make it easier for small businesses to compete and make a profit.

“It’s going to get to the point where it’s just going to cost way too much to transport food. It’s going to make it a little bit more competitive for us with such a short growing season to compete.”