Home Blog Page 117

New ARTM public transit fare structure comes into effect on July 1

Martin C. Barry
-
0
New ARTM public transit fare structure comes into effect on July 1

Transit authority is harmonizing the cost of taking the bus, Metro, Exo and REM

The Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM), which oversees planning of public transit throughout the Montreal region, hopes do dispel confusion over transit fares by this summer with the introduction of a new system harmonizing the payment structure regardless of your point of origin or where you are headed.

Single fare stays at $3.50

The new fare system, which includes the REM electric train network which is scheduled to open in phases in the next few years, will be based on four zones (ABCD), covering the metropolitan Montreal region. Beginning on July 1, transit users travelling on the island of Montreal, or within Laval or other designated regions, will pay a flat $3.50 per fare whether they are taking the bus, Metro, Exo train or the REM (when it becomes available).

The price of a single fare in all the zones (including Montreal, Laval and Longueuil) will remain as it is now at $3.50. What is changing in the way the ARTM will be charging for public transit is that riders will pay primarily on a per-region basis, rather than on what mode of transit they take. The fare structure will be the same for users everywhere, including Laval, as long as they are travelling within their own region.

ARTM regions ABCD

“The tariff restructuring has already made life easier for a good number of people, although this year it will prove to be even more effective at a time when we all need it,” Benoit Gendron, general manager of the ARTM, said during a briefing for the media last week.

The four fare regions are as follows: A: Montreal. B: Laval, Longueuil, Brossard, Boucherville and St-Bruno-de-Montarville. C: North and South shores within the ARTM’s territory. D: Areas outside ARTM territory.

‘The tariff restructuring has already made life easier for a good number of people,’ says ARTM general manager Benoit Gendron

Transit fares and passes, which will continue to be uploaded onto Opus user cards, will be available for those wishing only to travel within their regional zone, or they can purchase a pass combining two or more regions, such as an AB pass to be able to travel in Laval and on the island of Montreal.

Some examples of new fares

A regular monthly pass for all modes of transit on the island of Montreal will cost commuters $94 a month beginning on July 1, with travel outside this zone costing extra. A single fare to travel between zones B (Laval) and A (Montreal) will cost $5.25 and the cost of a monthly pass will be $150. Zone C will cover the greater Montreal region’s North Shore and South Shore.

Public transit users from Laval will be able to access the Metro and bus services in Montreal at lower cost under the new fare system, according to the ARTM. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Newsfirst Multimedia)

A single fare allowing travel between Zones A, B and C will cost $6.50 and a monthly pass will be $184. The ABCD monthly pass, allowing travel anywhere within the Montreal metropolitan region, will cost $255. A single fare in the ABCD zone will be $9, compared to $18.25 now to take a regional bus, a train and then use the Société de transport de Montréal on Montreal Island.

Savings for Laval users

The ARTM’s restructured fare system offers savings for occasional users of the STM who live in areas such as Laval (Zone B). As it is now, Laval residents pay a $7 single fare to take the bus from their region, then transfer to an STM bus or to the Metro.

Also under the new system, the cost of a Société de transport de Laval monthly bus pass will rise from $101.00, as it is now, to $105.00 beginning on July 1.

The ARTM will be holding public information sessions on the new fare system on May 24 and 25. A comprehensive list of the ARTM’s fare changes can be found on the transit authority’s website: https://www.artm.quebec/en/fare-reform.

Mayor Boyer and Action Laval councillor agree on common goals

Martin C. Barry
-
0
Mayor Boyer and Action Laval councillor agree on common goals
Mayor Stéphane Boyer, left and Action Laval councillor for St-Vincent-de-Paul Paolo Galati have agreed to work together on several issues affecting east-end Laval, including the Old Pen (pictured behind them).

Laval mayor Stéphane Boyer and Action Laval city councillor for Saint-Vincent-de-Paul Paolo Galati say they have reached an understanding on two major dossiers affecting the east end of Laval – the future of the Old Saint-Vincent-de-Paul Penitentiary and the extension of Saint-Martin Blvd. East.

The Old Pen, which has been recognized by the federal government as a national historic site for a good number of years, has been falling into greater deterioration since it has stood vacant near the centre of the village of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul.

The Boyer administration and Action Laval have agreed that a working committee for technical issues will be set up by city council and will develop recommendations to municipal and federal leaders for the future of the former penitentiary site.

As for the extension of Saint-Martin Blvd. East, the City of Laval has been contemplating extending Laval’s heavily-trafficked main street eastward for years into the districts of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul and Saint-François.

For now, the plan, as agreed by the city administration and Action Laval, is to fast-track the dossier and consult higher levels of government on the possibility of implementing a type of transit system along the axis so as to unite Laval’s east and west sectors.

“It is a pleasure to work on the realization of major projects in a spirit of collaboration,” Mayor Boyer said in a statement about the new working relationship between the administration and Action Laval.

“I feel sure that by speaking with one voice, these priority dossiers will make their way more easily and more quickly. After all, it is the citizens who will come out as winners. Laval’s east end has great development potential and we agree to do this now.”

“I have been working for a very long time on this dossier,” said Galati. “By collaborating with the mayor, we are sending a strong message to the federal government to get this project going. As several solutions in the district are affected by this dossier, this is excellent news for all of east-end Laval.”

City’s public libraries hold first used book sale in two years

Last weekend, it was time for hundreds of book readers from Laval to get out to the Cartier Arena in Pont-Viau for the first sale of used books and other library materials and documents since 2019, just before the Covid pandemic started.

The municipal library’s most recent sale of used books and other materials took place last weekend.

From Friday April 29 to Sunday May 1, more than 100,000 items – a record, according to library officials – were up for sale. They included soft and hard cover volumes, comic books in French and English, CDs and DVDs. All were available for purchase at $3 per kilo, $1 per single item, and magazines at 10 cents a piece.

“Each year, the library sale is awaited with great anticipation by all Laval residents,” said Sainte-Rose city councillor Flavia Alexandra Novac, who is responsible for dossiers involving the municipal library. “It’s an occasion to make new cultural discoveries at a very good price, to update the home library, or maybe even to develop a passion for reading.”

Although library officials hadn’t calculated the numbers for this year’s sale, the 2019 event attracted more than 4,000 customers over three days, while 89 per cent of the books and other materials available were sold, and 4,200 books were remitted to non-profit organizations as donations.

STL strike cancelled after union, management reach agreement

The Société de transport de Laval and the union representing 625 STL bus drivers have reached an agreement in principle, thus averting an all-out strike that could have disrupted bus service in Laval this summer.

A strike that was set to take place this week has been cancelled, according to union representatives.

Bus in Laval Qc.

The drivers’ local of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) confirmed the decision last Friday, when final details remained to be worked out. The strike had been scheduled to take place from May 3 to 10.

Exact contents of the tentative agreement were not immediately revealed, as union officials said they wanted to consult the membership first. As it is, a general membership meeting will be held on May 12 to vote on the tentative agreement. The last collective agreement for STL bus drivers had expired in August 2019. The dispute was mainly about wages.

Ottawa’s Covid support programs for businesses end on May 7

Martin C. Barry
-
0
Ottawa’s Covid support programs for businesses end on May 7

Covid debt, rising costs challenge small business recovery, says CFIB

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business is calling on the federal government to help the hardest hit Small and Medium Enterprises across Canada deal with their COVID-related debt.

Canadian Federation of Independent Business president Dan Kelly says the federal government missed an opportunity in the 2022 budget to forgive at least a portion of loans Ottawa extended to Canadian businesses during the Covid pandemic.

Small businesses are not only facing a long and challenging road to recovery – only 40 per cent are back to normal revenues for this time of the year, according to new data from the CFIB.

The survey results show only a quarter of business owners (27 per cent) say they are fully recovered. Among the many obstacles standing in the way of a full recovery, says the CFIB, is the staggering level of fresh Covid-related debt small firms have had to take on during the pandemic.

Businesses in deep debt

“Two-thirds of small businesses (65 per cent) have had to take on debt, at an average of $160,000, just to survive the past two-years,” says CFIB president Dan Kelly. “For almost 900,000 business owners, up to $60,000 of this debt is in the form of a government-backed Canada Emergency Business Account loan.”

Kelly says Ottawa’s 2022 budget “missed an opportunity to forgive a larger portion of these loans for the most deeply affected small businesses.” All major Covid support programs end on May 7, 2022.

Rising business costs

The CFIB says a huge number of small businesses are also facing major challenges with rising costs for energy, inputs and insurance (90 per cent), as well as increases to government-imposed costs for carbon and payroll taxes (82 per cent). The federation believes this may explain why almost three-quarters (72 per cent) of small business owners failed to find the measures in the 2022 federal budget particularly helpful to their situations.

‘Two-thirds of small businesses (65 per cent) have had to take on debt, at an average of $160,000, just to survive the past two-years,’ says the CFIB’s Dan Kelly

Seeking debt forgiveness

As such, the CFIB is calling on the Liberal government to provide help to the hardest hit SMEs with their COVID-related debt by raising the forgivable portion of their CEBA loan to at least 50 per cent, while extending the repayment deadline beyond December 2023.

The CFIB is also asking the government to help new businesses that were excluded from the CEBA program and to forgive a portion of other federal COVID-19 loan programs like HASCAP. Small business owners can add their voice to CFIB’s petition calling for more debt relief at cfib.ca/covidpetition.

Liberals commit to making housing more affordable across Canada

Martin C. Barry
-
0
Liberals commit to making housing more affordable across Canada

Ahmed Hussen feels certain Ottawa is well-positioned to meet targets by 2024

Federal Minister of Housing, Diversity and Inclusion Ahmed Hussen says he is confident his ministry will be able to double the number of homes built in Canada in the next ten years, while being on target to meet quotas for new affordable and social housing by the time the Trudeau government’s current mandate comes up for renewal as early as 2024.

In a statement issued in early April with the Liberal government’s 2022 budget, the government said it recognized that it is becoming increasingly challenging in Canada to find a safe and affordable place to live.

An ambitious plan

An important part of the Trudeau government’s plan to boost the availability of affordable housing is a Housing Accelerator Fund, which will make $4 billion available to the country’s largest cities, facilitating their ability to accelerate their housing plans towards a target of 100,000 new mid-range homes by 2024-25.

According to the ambitious plan, the government wants to double housing construction over the next decade, with additional provisions that include a $1.5 billion investment to extend its Rapid Housing Initiative to create a minimum of 6,000 more affordable housing units across Canada.

Federal Minister of Housing, Diversity and Inclusion Ahmed Hussen tells Newsfirst Multimedia the Trudeau government’s latest plan to build the country’s supply of housing is on track to meet targets by 2024.

A range of measures

As well, the government wants to help out first-home buyers by introducing the Tax-Free First Home Savings Account to allow them to save up to $40,000; by doubling the First-Time Home Buyers’ Tax Credit to $10,000; by providing up to $1,500 in direct support to home buyers; by extending the First-Time Home Buyer Incentive to end of March 2025 to allow first-time home buyers to lower their borrowing costs; and by investing $200 million to help develop and scale up rent-to-own projects across the country.

In addition to these measures, the government says it wants to curb unfair practices that have been driving up the price of housing in the last few years, by imposing a two-year ban on foreign capital coming into Canada to buy residential real estate, as well as by taking steps to make property flippers “pay their fair share.”

Multifaceted approach

“We’re tackling speculation, we’re tackling foreign investment, and eventually all of those measures taken together will make a difference,” Hussen said in a phone interview with Newsfirst Multimedia. “Canadians understand that the housing sector is complex, and our tax system is also complex.

“So, we’re moving deliberately in a comprehensive manner to make sure that we’re addressing different aspects of this challenge. With that kind of approach, you begin to have an impact, because you’re not just tackling one thing – you’re tackling supply, you’re tackling speculation, you’re tackling demand, you’re tackling access, while also dealing with unfair business practices. Because we’re doing all of it, I believe it will have an impact.”

Help coming, says Hussen

Although the country’s residential real estate market still shows no signs of cooling off, Hussen said the Trudeau government remains “dead-focused on recognizing that Canadians need help to purchase their homes. They need help to access their due home-ownership and we need to take action to increase supply.

“The issue is not just about price increases,” he continued. “The issue is also just availability of housing supply. We’re taking leadership there, but we’re also been taking leadership on accessibility and fairness while cracking down on speculation and building more affordable housing. So, that’s what we’re focused on and hopefully all of those things will start to bring down prices and make housing more affordable for Canadians.”

“We’re tackling speculation, we’re tackling foreign investment, and eventually all of those measures taken together will make a difference,” says Hussen, seen here with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (second from right) during a housing announcement in Hamilton, Ont.

Not meeting demand

Hussen noted that Canada currently has the fastest growing population of the G7 countries (including France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the U.S.), although our supply of new housing has not kept up with the demand. “So, we have to take the initiative and do what we can to increase the housing supply in this country,” he said.

This year’s budget marked the third time since Justin Trudeau first became Prime Minister in 2015 that his government promised to provide Canadians with more affordable housing, but failed to deliver in the first two tries.

According to some real estate sector estimates, housing in Canada is now 100 per cent more costly than when Trudeau first moved into the Prime Minister’s Office, with the average price of a Canadian home now being $869,000, compared to $430,000 around seven years ago.

Unfulfilled pledges

Following earlier pledges to impose a two-year ban on residential real estate foreign ownership, the minority Liberal government had to back off, although the government may now well be able to follow through because of a deal they struck recently with the opposition NDP, who have pledged to support Liberal government initiatives until 2024.

In the meantime, Ahmed Hussen is sounding more confident than ever that the Trudeau government will finally be able to honor its long-delayed housing promises. “It is in our budget and we will be doing everything that we can to make sure that we move ahead on these measures which we promised Canadians,” he said.

Fans and colleagues pay last respects to Habs legend Guy Lafleur

Martin C. Barry
-
0
Fans and colleagues pay last respects to Habs legend Guy Lafleur

Gainey, Houle, Cournoyer among ex-teammates who paid homage to ‘The Flower’

The remains of former Montreal Canadiens legend Guy Lafleur lay in state at the Bell Centre earlier this week, as fans and former team colleagues paid a final tribute on Sunday and Monday to Lafleur who passed away on April 22 at age 70.

A national funeral was held on Tuesday May 3 at 11:00 a.m. at Mary Queen of the World Cathedral in downtown Montreal. Some of Guy Lafleur’s former teammates shared some special memories of the Hockey-Hall-of-Famer.

Shortly before the start of the Bell Centre tribute, they gathered to share their favorite memories of Lafleur. As reported on NHL.com, a few of the alums included Yvan Cournoyer, Lucien DeBlois, Bob Gainey, Rick Green, Réjean Houle and Chris Nilan.

Cournoyer remembers

“When I saw him for the first time in Verdun, I said, ‘Wow!’ I’d won five Stanley Cups before he arrived,” said Cournoyer. “I said, ‘With this guy, I’m going to win more Stanley Cups.’ And I was right.

Close family attended the wake of Former Montreal Canadiens great Guy Lafleur at the Bell Centre on May 1 in Montreal. Lafleur died April 22 at the age of 70. (Photo: Vitor Munhoz / NHLI via Getty Images)

“I’ve been thinking about Guy the last two years when he started to get sick and having problems with his health, but you don’t forget a guy like Guy,” added Cournoyer.

“I’m talking about the man. The man is so popular, but he deserves it. He’s a natural with the people. Guy loves everybody and everybody loves him. He’s just a natural guy. We were together for 40 years, and every time we see each other, we shake hands. I’m going to miss him everyday.”

Gainey’s memories

Bob Gainey shared this anecdote about the homecoming of Guy Lafleur after he joined the New York Rangers. “The first time the Rangers came to play at the Forum, he was not involved in the game, he was injured, so the expectation just built until he was going to make that appearance. At some point in the game, the score was tied and he had both New York Rangers goals.

Former Montreal Canadiens Yvan Cournoyer and wife Evelyne attended the wake of Habs superstar Guy Lafleur at the Bell Centre on May 1 in Montreal. (Photo: Vitor Munhoz / NHLI via Getty Images)

“There were still a few of us left on the team who had been playing with him, and so we weren’t quite sure whether to cheer or not cheer for him,” Gainey added. “Ultimately, the Canadiens won the game, but I thought it was just an incredible story of perseverance and still being able to show flashes of brilliance that used to be so common, but maybe aren’t so common now.”

Réjean Houle remembers

Réjean Houle said: “What I remember most about Guy is, when we weren’t playing well, which wasn’t often, Scotty Bowman divided us into two teams and made us practice 5-on-5, 4-on-4 and 3-on-3. At 3-on-3, nobody could rival Guy Lafleur. If he had space on the ice, you couldn’t catch him. He was a notch above everybody else. When it was 3-on-3, everybody skated to the bench quickly so they wouldn’t have to practice against him because he was so good.”

Montreal Canadiens fans paid tribute during the wake of Former Montreal Canadiens Guy Lafleur. (Photo: Vitor Munhoz / NHLI via Getty Images)

Fans wishing to honor Lafleur’s memory by contributing to the Guy Lafleur Fund for Cancer Research can make a donation in his name to the Fondation du Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM).

Laval News Volume 30-14

Laval News Staff
-
0
Laval News Volume 30-14

The current issue of the Laval News, volume 30-14, published on May 4th, 2022.
Covering Laval local news, politics, sports, and our new section Mature Life.
(Click on the image to read the paper.)

Front page of the Laval News.
Front page of the Laval News, May 4th, 2022 issue.

Trudeau issues statement following death of Habs legend Guy Lafleur

Martin C. Barry
-
0
Trudeau issues statement following death of Habs legend Guy Lafleur
This autographed Guy Lafleur Montreal Canadiens jersey was among the items auctioned off for the benefit of the Sir Wilfrid Laurier Foundation at one of their fundraisers. (Photo: Martin C. Barry, Newsfirst Multimedia)

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued the following statement Friday afternoon following the death of former Montreal Canadiens hockey legend Guy Lafleur.

“I was saddened to hear of the passing of hockey legend, Guy Lafleur,” Trudeau said. “He was unlike anyone else on the ice – his speed, skill, and scoring were hard to believe.

Guy Lafleur, left, seen here with former Laval mayor Marc Demers and property developer John Garabedian helped launch the Aquablu Phase 2 condo project in Laval in 2017.

“Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Mr. Lafleur enthralled fans across the country and throughout North America in the old Montreal Forum, winning five Stanley Cup championships while playing with the Montreal Canadiens. He went on to play with the New York Rangers and Quebec Nordiques, becoming only the second player to play in the National Hockey League after induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

“As a child, Mr. Lafleur loved the game so much that he would sleep in his hockey equipment so that he could jump on the rink as soon as he woke up. Later in life, his impressive shot and skating prowess earned him the nickname le ‘Démon blond’, and won his adversaries’ admiration, winning him three Lester B. Pearson Awards for most outstanding player, as decided by fellow players. To this day, he remains the all-time points leader of all those who have worn ‘la Sainte-Flanelle’ of the 24-time Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens.

Such was former Habs star Guy Lafleur’s stature in Canada that the country’s postal service issued a stamp in 2016 in his honor.

“In 1980, Mr. Lafleur was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada. He was also inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1996, and appointed a Knight of the Ordre national du Québec in 2005.

“On behalf of all Canadians, Sophie and I wish to express our deepest sympathies to Guy Lafleur’s family and friends. My thoughts are with all who are mourning this tremendous loss – in Quebec, across Canada, and around the world. We’ll miss you, Number 10.”

Massage therapist jailed seven years for sexual assault

Martin C. Barry
-
0
Massage therapist jailed seven years for sexual assault

Saying that she wanted to send out a warning to potential sexual predators, a judge last week sentenced a male massage therapist from Laval to seven years imprisonment and a lifetime on a list of sexual offenders.

In sentencing Jean-François Morrison, age 41, at the Laval courthouse on April 15, Quebec Court judge Sandra Blanchard followed a recommendation made by the prosecution that the accused be given a sentence that would be “severe” as well as “exemplary.”

Morrison was found guilty in February of sexually assaulting 20 women between 2015 and 2018, most of whom were massage clients. According to evidence presented during his trial, he had also posted a compromising photo on Facebook of another woman without her permission.

In a pre-sentencing report, the judge called Morrison a “predator” who lied about his qualifications as a massage therapist and who manipulated his clients.

Prosecutor Stéphanie Gilbert said the Crown felt it was necessary to send out a warning message to anyone who might feel tempted to act as Morrison did towards his victims – at least one of which was under the influence of alcohol or drugs when assaulted.

Statements heard in sexual assault by woman on boy

Impact statements were heard last week at the Laval courthouse in a case involving a 43-year-old woman who pleaded guilty last year to sexually assaulting an eight-year-old boy she had been hired to improve his grade-school marks.

According to a statement taken from the boy, he now suffers from insomnia, nightmares, learning difficulties, and obsessive-compulsive disorders, as a result of the sexual abuse by the woman, identified as Josianne Lévesque.

After two years, the boy decided to tell his mother what was going on, even though, according to testimony, Lévesque warned him that she could go to jail if he were to tell anyone about their relationship.

Lévesque had been the boy’s school teacher at a Montreal-area private school the year before the abuse started. She was later hired by the parents as an academic tutor for their son over a period of 17 months, according to evidence heard by Judge Serge Cimon.

Lévesque is scheduled to be sentenced in May. The prosecution is seeking a jail sentence of two years or more.

Construction industry’s underground economy steals billions every year

Martin C. Barry
-
0
Construction industry’s underground economy steals billions every year

‘Time to stand up and speak out,’ says Canadian carpenters’ union president

The United Brotherhood of Carpenters (UBC) held its 2022 Tax Fraud Days of Action (April 11-16) last week to raise awareness among Canadians about construction industry tax fraud.

The Winnipeg-headquartered UBC is not alone in complaining about the construction industry tax fraud phenomenon.

Construction tax fraud

United Brotherhood of Carpenters Canada president Jason Rowe.

In Canada, government taxation authorities at the federal and provincial levels have maintained for years that the highest levels of tax evasion and tax fraud they deal with take place consistently within the construction industry sector.

“The underground economy is thriving in Canada, especially in the construction industry, stealing billions of dollars every year,” says Jason Rowe, vice-president of the UBC’s Canadian district. “Tax fraud is robbing honest and hardworking Canadians and their families of the services they have worked for and deserve,” he maintains.

Evading responsibilities

The UBC says communities and Canadians suffer as funding for essential programs and infrastructure is lost to dishonest contractors who operate in the underground economy, while evading their tax responsibilities and breaking the law.

They say dishonest employers also intentionally misclassify workers as independent contractors or pay them in cash to ensure workers do not appear on official employer payroll records and are not covered by employment insurance and workers compensation.

According to the UBC, when employers shift their tax burden onto their employees, the employees are forced to pay their employer’s employment taxes, which places a substantial financial burden on working families.

Honest firms can’t compete

The UBC says construction industry tax fraud also punishes honest, fair-minded construction firms that cannot compete with fraudulent labour costs.

Statistics Canada says the underground economy accounted for $61.2 billion in economic activity in 2018 and that the most significant slice of Canada’s underground economy activity in 2018 was in the residential construction industry (26.2 percent or $16 billion).

The United Brotherhood of Carpenters points out that this represents billions of dollars in lost tax revenue that would otherwise be used to repair roads, bridges, schools, care for veterans, and fund other essential public programs.

Statistics Canada defines the underground economy as consisting of market-based economic activities, whether legal or illegal, that escape measurement because of their hidden, illegal or informal nature.

Impact on the economy

According to figures released by the federal agency in late 2020, the estimated gross domestic product (GDP) at market prices for overall underground economic activity in Canada reached $61.2 billion, or 2.7% of total GDP, in 2018.

The underground economy is thriving in Canada, especially in the construction industry

UBC’s Jason Rowe

However, the agency goes on to say that the Canadian underground economy decreased 0.8% in real terms in 2018 on a year-over-year basis, compared with a year-over-year growth of 1.9% in 2017.

Although the underground economy data published nearly two years ago pre-dated the COVID-19 pandemic, they provided an important benchmark to measure the full effect of the pandemic on the Canadian economy.

Residential construction

In 2018, four industries accounted for more than half of underground economic activity: residential construction (26.2%), retail trade (12.3%), finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing and holding companies (10.3%), and accommodation and food services (9.1%). These industries have been the main contributors to underground economic activity in Canada since this study began in 1992.

Wages and undeclared tips Of the $61.2 billion in unreported income in 2018, the largest share went to employees (42.4%) in the form of labour compensation. Wages that are not accounted for in payroll records and tips on undeclared transactions were $26.0 billion, equivalent to 2.3% of official compensation of employees.

The remaining portion of underground income went to unincorporated business owners (28.6%) and incorporated business owners (26.1%).

Canada will be doing its bit for space exploration on ‘Lunar Gateway’ project

Martin C. Barry
-
0
Canada will be doing its bit for space exploration on ‘Lunar Gateway’ project

Moon could soon be revealing its secrets, says Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen

Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen joined students from across Canada last week for ‘Let’s Talk Lunar: Exploring the Moon,’ a virtual event organized by Let’s Talk Science.

Canada’s space mission

Hansen was selected to join the CSA in the 2009 CSA selection of future Canadian astronauts. Let’s Talk Science, a non-profit educational venture, focuses on education and skills development for children and youth in Canada through science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) based programs.

Canada will be playing a key role in the upcoming Lunar Gateway development, says Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen.

During the 90-minute event on April 2, done in conjunction with the CSA, Hansen talked to more than 1,000 students from grades 9 to 12 about lunar exploration, including Canada’s role in the Artemis program, the Lunar Gateway and how astronauts are preparing for missions to the Moon.

Lunar Gateway project

Just as Canada has been participating for decades along with other countries in supporting the International Space Station (ISS) which is in low Earth orbit, Canada is also participating in the planned Lunar Gateway, another space station that will be placed in lunar orbit.

The current goal is to land humans on the Moon by 2024. The last time we were on the Moon was in December 1972, when the U.S.-sponsored National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) led the final mission of its Moon exploration program with Apollo 17.

Moon secrets revealed

“We learned a lot about the Moon in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, but we have a lot more to learn,” said Hansen, adding that when the Moon was explored that last time, it was only around the equatorial region. However, now because of improvements in technology, astronauts will be able to reach other locations, including shadowed craters and the Moon’s south pole because trapped water-ice is believed to be located there.

“We need to go back,” he said. “We want to learn more about the Moon to figure out where we can build bases in the future, where we can get resources to help us explore. We want to learn more about the geology of the Moon and how we can leverage that geology.”

We learned a lot about the Moon in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, but we have a lot more to learn

Tech advances in space

So, even though humans are returning to the Moon, Hansen said the technical advances made over the past 50 years are such that robotics will be playing an immensely more important role in the coming Moon mission.

“This human/robotic collaboration is super-important,” he said, noting the important contribution Canada made in the past to space exploration programs with development of the Canadarm1 robotic arm deployed on the Space Shuttle beginning in the early 1980s, followed by Canadarm2 in 2001 on the ISS, and Canadarm3 which will be fitted to the Lunar Gateway.

Goals important

After Canadarm 1 and 2, Canadarm 3 will be fitted to the future Lunar Gateway which will be in orbit around the Moon.

Hansen said that if there was one thing he hoped the web conference’s participants would take away, it would be the importance of setting goals. “I don’t necessarily want you to desire being a space explorer, but I want you to set goals. Short-term goals, long-term goals, to understand that if you set goals and share those goals with others, people will enable you to accomplish amazing things.”

Hansen said that as a youth, he wanted to be a space explorer. “But I didn’t get here because I was special or better than others. I got here because I was surrounded by people who lifted me up. And that’s exactly what’s happening with our program today: we set big goals and the team is coming together and we are accomplishing incredible things.”

1...116117118...315Page 117 of 315

Weather

Laval
scattered clouds
22.6 ° C
23.7 °
21.6 °
72%
0.9m/s
42%
Sat
27 °
Sun
26 °
Mon
26 °
Tue
25 °
Wed
22 °

Popular Categories