As a cyclist, do you follow the rules of the road? According to a University of Colorado Survey, about eighty-five percent of cyclists do obey the law when riding. Almost three quarters of the scofflaws who break the rules claim to do so for their personal safety – saying they are simply getting … [Read more...]
Bringing Clarity to Passenger Compensation Rules
The last time Ottawa decided to make some noise about air passenger rights, in 2000, they brought an ex-NHL referee to a news conference. Bruce Hood, the newly minted air complaints commissioner, pulled out a whistle and blew it. Literally. If you’re looking for the highlight of Ottawa’s past … [Read more...]
Impaired Boating is Just Like Impaired Driving
Who Boats Boating is BIG in Canada. The Canadian Safe Boating Council estimates that approximately 40% of Canadians participate in boating and that there are about 5 million boats in Canada. The boating season in Canada, especially for the in-land lakes and rivers, is typically between May and … [Read more...]
Travel and Taxation
In his 1966 song “Taxman”, then-Beatle George Harrison sang the line “if you drive a car, I’ll tax the street”. While that may exaggerate our tax system, taxation of travel takes many forms. One form of travel taxation is via road tolls. Highway 407, Ontario’s only Express Toll Route, is not … [Read more...]
How Long-Term Car Loans are Causing Bankruptcy
The days of buying a vehicle with cash are long behind us. Car loans and leases are now commonplace. It’s feasible to have a 3-5 year car loan, pay it off, then own the car. It’s a reasonable timeframe for the average consumer and also ensures that an affordable loan is borrowed. However, problems … [Read more...]