Imperial Oil approves $2B expansion at Cold Lake oilsands

Calgary-based Imperial Oil Ltd. says it will go ahead with a $2-billion expansion of Cold Lake oilsands operation in northeastern Alberta.

Sittler applauds Gagner’s 8-point night
Hockey Hall of Famer Darryl Sittler was happy for Sam Gagner after the Edmonton Oiler’s offensive explosion on Thursday, and he doesn’t rule someone one day matching his longstanding record of 10 points in one game.

Alberta, Canada launch joint oilsands monitoring system
Monthly water testing is part of a new $50 million ‘world class’ federal-provincial environmental monitoring plan for the Alberta oilsands.

Downtown safety forum at CBC Edmonton
CBC Edmonton hosted an hour-long public forum Friday looking at the issue of safety in downtown Edmonton.

Gagner’s big night inspired by the ‘Great One’
Sam Gagner joined Gord Stellick and Tim Wharnsby on Hockey Night in Canada Radio to talk about his spectacular eight-point performance against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night .

St. Albert teens robbed at gunpoint
Six teens in St. Albert were robbed Tuesday at gunpoint, say RCMP.

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U.S. travel fee proposal criticized by Harper

Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he doesn’t think much of a new border tax that’s being proposed by the United States, calling it a cash grab designed to help a budget crisis.

Bell class action suit approved by Que. court
A Quebec Superior Court judge has authorized a class action lawsuit to go ahead against Bell Mobility.

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Iqaluit woman nearly freezes to death

A 59-year-old woman was found face down in the snow with severe frostbite early Wednesday morning.

RCMP warn of deadly ecstasy pills
RCMP say a form of ecstasy laced with PMMA is responsible for six deaths in Alberta in the last month, and 18 deaths in B.C. in the last six months.

Iqaluit bed bug problem began months ago, says government
The Government of Nunavut has confirmed that bed bug problems in Iqaluit began more than a year ago.

Four N.W.T. election candidates face fines
Elections NWT has fined four candidates from the Northwest Territories election last fall $250 for not filing the financial reports for their campaigns.

WestJet to offer service to Whitehorse
WestJet airlines announced its plans Monday to break into the Whitehorse market this spring with a $99 flight to Vancouver.

Nunavut hires more government liaison officers
The Government of Nunavut has hired eight new community liaison officers to be the first point of contact for government programs and services.

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Long-distance phone call problems hit Iqaluit

Iqaluit residents had trouble making long-distance phone calls for a couple of hours Tuesday afternoon. Northwestel said it overpowered its satellite, which caused some service problems.

Watson Lake helps choose its new RCMP commander
For the first time, residents in Watson Lake, Yukon, had a say in choosing the community’s new RCMP detachment commander.

Iqaluit students get world-class music lessons
The National Arts Centre is putting on a special three-day music program in Iqaluit this week. The program is called ‘Music Alive’, and its goal is to help enhance music education in remote communities.

U.S. group wants trade ban on Canada for polar bear hunt
A U.S. conservation group is calling for trade sanctions against Canada because of an increase in polar bear quotas in the Western Hudson Bay region.

Northern aboriginal leaders attend Crown meeting
More than 400 chiefs from across the country gathered in Ottawa Tuesday to hear presentations from the Prime Minister. But many northern leaders are skeptical the one-day meeting was enough time to make a dent in some serious issues.

N.W.T. says no to Northlands
There is more bad news for the people who live in Yellowknife’s Northlands trailer park. The territorial government just said no to the city’s request for an interest-free loan for the struggling subdivision.

N.W.T. minister hopes to reintroduce wildlife act
The Northwest Territories’ Environment and Natural Resources Minister said he hopes to reintroduce the embattled Wildlife Act changes to the legislature this fall.

Iqaluit to tackle loose dog problem
Iqaluit’s bylaw officers said they plan to patrol areas near schools at key times of the day in order to prevent attacks from loose and stray dogs.

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Stocking e-books a hurdle for B.C. libraries

B.C. libraries say they’re having a hard time adding e-books to their collections because publishers are worried about their own bottom line.

Softwood lumber agreement with U.S. extended
A softwood lumber agreement that settled a long-running dispute between Canada and the U.S. is being extended by two years, the governments announced jointly.

Appointment to the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority – Transport Canada
 OTTAWA The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, and the Honourable Steven Fletcher, Minister of State (Transport), today announced the appointment of Lieutenant-General (retired) Angus Watt of Ottawa as chief executive officer (CEO) of the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) for a five-year term, effective January 3, 2012.

2 Cuban players missing from CONCACAF Olympic women’s qualifier
Two players were missing from Cuba’s lineup for its game against Haiti at the CONCACAF Olympic women’s soccer qualifying tournament Monday in Vancouver.

Ottawa – Harper government announces faster, more convenient air travel to the United States for passengers and their baggage – Transport Canada
OTTAWA Following the Beyond the Border announcement made by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and U.S. President Barack Obama earlier this month, Pierre Poilievre, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, and for the Federal Economic Agency for Southern Ontario, announced today that travelling to the United States (U.S.) by air will be easier for Canadian travellers.

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Plunging gas prices drive sharp drop in inflation

A combination of Christmas sales and falling gasoline and food prices contributed to one of the biggest one-month drop in consumer prices in years in December, Statistics Canada said Friday.

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Westside Road Interchange to benefit Kelowna area, Okanagan

WESTBANK Construction of the Westside Road Interchange will begin in early August, announced Premier Gordon Campbell, Westbank First Nation Chief Robert Louie, Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Shirley Bond, and the Honourable Stockwell Day, President of the Treasury Board and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, during a groundbreaking ceremony held at the construction site today.

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CAA campaign gives pros, cons of electric vehicles

CAA Manitoba has launched “Get Current,” an educational campaign about the pros and cons of owning an electric vehicle, just as a winter cold snap began on Tuesday.

Crashes fill Winnipeg morning commute
Winnipeggers faced a chaotic morning commute on Wednesday as slippery roads led to crashes across the city.

Brandon petition protests tax hike proposal
Some residents in Brandon, Man., have signed a petition expressing their opposition to a proposed tax increase.

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N.W.T. thief crashes truck, parks it at auto shop

The owner of a truck that was stolen over the weekend in Hay River, N.W.T., told CBC News the strange details of the theft.

Some Nunavut hamlets still without emergency plans
Many hamlets in Nunavut, including Arviat, Rankin Inlet and Igloolik, still do not have their plans in place even though the deadline was Dec. 31.

RCMP investigate Yukon miner s angry letter
The RCMP are investigating a miner who has threatened to make war against government inspectors.

N.W.T.’s first Dene Supreme Court judge sworn in
The N.W.T.’s legal community gathered Friday to recognize the first Dene person to be appointed to the territory’s Supreme Court.

Massive Iqaluit water leak cause unknown
The massive water leak in Iqaluit Friday has long since been contained but the city is still unsure as to what caused the leak.

Arctic Winter Games needs 700 more volunteers
With less than two months to go, organizers of the 2012 Arctic Winter Games in Whitehorse are still short about 700 volunteers.

Parks Canada targets large cities as visits decline
With fewer people visiting the country’s national parks and historic sites, Parks Canada has hired a consultant to help boost its flagging brand.

Army exercise planned for February in N.W.T.
About 1,500 military personnel will arrive in the Tlicho region of N.W.T. next month for a winter army exercise.

City of Yellowknife releases draft harbour plan
The City of Yellowknife’s Harbour Planning Committee released its draft plans for the harbourfront in the Old Town area.

Whitehorse snowshoers recovering in hospital
Four people who didn’t come back from a weekend adventure in the Whitehorse area have been located and are being treated for frostbite-related injuries at Whitehorse General Hospital.

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Shell Arctic drilling permit affirmed

Royal Dutch Shell’s quest to drill exploratory wells in Arctic waters has received a boost with the affirmation that its U.S. air permits for the Chukchi Sea were properly granted.

Many Canadians’ retirement plans in dire need of reality check
Canadians need to revisit their retirement planning calculations using more realistic expectations for long-term portfolio returns, experts say.

Natural gas price slump deepens
The price of natural gas continued to drop Thursday after the government said U.S. supplies are well above normal for this time of year.

RIM’s PlayBook update ‘nifty,’ but ‘too little too late’
While tech experts and analysts are impressed with Research In Motion’s long-awaited update to its PlayBook tablet, many aren’t optimistic it will be enough to prop up the troubled BlackBerry-maker, which has been hard hit by outages, product delays and a plummeting stock price.

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