Weekly News (Jan. 8th-14th)

Communications Governance in the News

Compiled by Charnjot Shokar

Research Assistant, Networked Communications Governance Lab

M.A. Candidate, Communication and New Media, McMaster University

Canadian News: Jan. 8-14, 2018

International News: Jan. 8-14, 2018

Press Releases and Decisions: Jan. 8-14, 2018

CRTC

  • [TELECOM] Telecom Order CRTC 2018-10: Determination of costs award with respect to the participation of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre in the application by TELUS Communications Inc. for forbearance from the regulation of billing and collection service – File numbers: 8640-T66-201608408 and 4754-544
  • [TELECOM] Telecom Order CRTC 2018-9: Streamlined Order – The Commission approves on a final basis the following tariff applications: 9315-1884 Québec inc. (formerly La Cie de Téléphone de Courcelles inc.) TN 46 and 9315-1884 Québec inc. (formerly La Compagnie de Téléphone de Lambton inc.) TN 62
  • [TELECOM] Telecom Order CRTC 2018-8: Determination of costs award with respect to the participation of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre in the application by Bell Canada for forbearance from the regulation of billing and collection service – File numbers: 8640-B2-201606245 and 4754-539
  • [TELECOM] Telecom Order CRTC 2018-7: Streamlined order – The Commission approves on an interim basis the proposed tariff pages filed in the following tariff application: Bell Aliant Regional Communications, Limited Partnership TN 514
  • [TELECOM] Telecom Order CRTC 2018-6: Streamlined Order – The Commission approves on a final basis the following tariff application: Saskatchewan Telecommunication, TN 343, TN 343A and TN 343B

Global Affairs Canada

  • [NAFTA] 2018-01-09 Foreign Affairs Minister advocates for Canada-United States trade in Washington: No two countries in the world share a stronger or more integrated economic relationship than the United States and Canada. The Government of Canada is working closely with the United States to strengthen our trade relationship and create new opportunities for workers, businesses and middle class families on both sides of the border.

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

  • [INTERNET] 2018-01-09 More than 100 rural communities in Manitoba will benefit from faster Internet: The Government of Canada is helping close the connectivity gap in Manitoba through a combined investment of $83.9 million that will enable 112 rural and remote communities to get online and access high-speed Internet. Of these 112 communities, 48 are First Nations and 21 are located in regions without year-round road access. This investment will allow all Manitobans to do business online, participate in distance education and take advantage of the opportunities afforded by the digital age.
  • [NAFTA] 2018-01-12 Minister Bains promotes strong and unified North American automotive sector to benefit both Canada and the U.S.: Minister Bains attends 2018 North American International Auto Show to promote NAFTA and trade January 12, 2018 – Ottawa Canada’s automotive sector is uniquely positioned to design, develop and produce the cars of the future.

Competition Bureau Canada

  • 2018-01-09 Competition Bureau reaches settlement with HarperCollins in ebooks case: The Competition Bureau announced today that it has reached an agreement with publisher HarperCollins which the Commissioner expects will restore retail price competition for ebooks in Canada. This agreement follows a Bureau investigation that concluded an anti‑competitive arrangement between HarperCollins, competing publishers and Apple ultimately led to higher prices for Canadian consumers

Democratic Institutions

National Film Board

Privacy Commissioner

Copyright Board Canada

  • Re:Sound Tariff 6.B – Use of Recorded Music to Accompany Fitness Activities (2013-2017) – STATEMENT OF ROYALTIES TO BE COLLECTED FOR THE PUBLIC PERFORMANCE OR THE COMMUNICATION TO THE PUBLIC BY TELECOMMUNICATION, IN CANADA, OF PUBLISHED SOUND RECORDINGS EMBODYING MUSICAL WORKS AND PERFORMER’S PERFORMANCES OF SUCH WORKS

Microsoft

Facebook

Amazon

Upcoming Events: Jan. 15-21, 2018

McMaster University

  • McMaster students are invited to attend the Communications Committee, a group to discuss current news regarding communications governance. Topics such as privacy, freedom of expression, and access to information will be covered, using current news as the conversation catalyst. Join us at noon on Thurs., Jan. 25 2018.  Location on McMaster campus TBA – watch for an update in the next newsletter.

Senate of Canada

  • The Senate sits on January 30, 2018

Canadian House of Commons

  • House reconvenes on January 29, 2018

Supreme Court of Canada

  • Agenda: January 2, 2018: The Supreme Court of Canada announced today the list of appeals that will be heard from January 8 to January 19, 2018. This list is subject to change.
  • [PRIVACY] Scheduled for 9:30 am on Jan. 16, 2018: Michel Ledoux c. Sa Majesté la Reine(Qc) (Criminelle) (Autorisation) (37779) (Oral hearing on leave application / Audition de la demande d’autorisation d’appel) Criminal law — Interception of private communications — Director of police force wiretapping certain rooms in police station in response to being harassed — Self‑defence — Whether Court of Appeal erred in concluding that defence raised by applicant was defence of mistake of law, not mistake of fact — Whether Court of Appeal erred in concluding that trial judge had erred in law by leaving self‑defence to jury.
  • [PRIVACY] Scheduled for 9:30 am on Jan. 17, 2018: Her Majesty the Queen in Right of British Columbia v. Philip Morris International, Inc.(B.C.) (Civil) (By Leave) (37524) Legislation – Interpretation – Civil procedure – Discovery – Evidence – Case management judge ordering production of anonymized individual-level data from provincial health databases – Did the British Columbia Courts err in ordering, notwithstanding the privacy protections of the  Tobacco Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act, S.B.C. 2000, c. 30, (the “Act”), production of the databases containing health care information of the residents of British Columbia – Are the health care databases either “health care records and documents of particular individual insured persons” or “documents relating to the provision of health care benefits for particular individual insured persons” and therefore not compellable under the Act – Does an order removing the names or other identifiers from the databases mean that they are no longer either “health care records and documents of particular individual insured persons” or “documents relating to the provision of health care benefits for particular individual insured persons” – Does a court have an overriding discretion, notwithstanding the privacy protections of the Act, to order production of the health care databases on the basis of “trial fairness”.

Global Affairs Canada

CRTC

  • Anticipated releases for the week of 15 to 19 January, 2018

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Parks Canada

 News