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Ontario's surplus power giveaways could be nearing end The days when customers in New York or Quebec get paid to use Ontario electricity may be drawing to a close. The Independent Electricity System Operator will consider halting the practice when its board meets next week should save Ontario electricity ratepayers — who now collectively pick up the bill for the payments — about $10 million a year. While out-of-province customers will no longer enjoy the "negative prices," big industrial customers inside Ontario would still be able to use the better-than-free power when it's available. "This rule would eliminate those negative price exports, so in essence you're not paying someone else to use your power. Paying customers to use power sometimes happens when Ontario Has surplus power.Nuclear power plants and some of the big hydro-electric stations tend to churn out the same amount of power all the time, no matter how low demand falls. The market price can colla

 Apr. 27, 2012 – Say the word “tax” and most Canadians roll their eyes in dismay. But with the deadline for filing our income tax returns around the corner, we’re forced to temporarily think about taxes. The deadline, after all, is a sharp reminder of how much income tax we paid throughout the year. While some gladly pay their share – thinking of the numerous government programs these tax dollars finance – others feel their income tax burden is too high. No matter where you fall in this debate, to truly gauge whether you’re getting value for your tax dollars, you must have a complete understanding of all the taxes you pay – in addition to income taxes. Income taxes only the beginning.For that, you must look beyond your income tax returns because income taxes form only a portion of the total tax bill imposed on us by all levels of government (federal, provincial, and local). In 2011, a Canadian family with average income of $74,233 paid $9,137 in income taxes. Personal income taxes are

As a country, we provide universal access to medically necessary hospital care, diagnostic tests and physician services based solely on need. If s a point of national pride. But Canadian "medicare" — as it is affectionately known — ends as soon as a patient is given a prescription to fill. Provincial drug plans cover only limited populations, such as seniors or social assistance recipients, or limited costs (such as costs exceeding "catastrophic" deductibles). Private drug insurance is a perk not easily obtained by Canadians who are retired, self-employed or employees of small companies.when the asthma gets out of control. Canada's health insurance system was developed in stages, starting with the components of health care that were the most important at the time. Coverage for hospital care and diagnostic tests was established in the 1950s, followed by coverage for medical care in the 1960s. The fathers of our medicare system intended that pharmacare and home-ca

Under the most likely current budget scenario, Medicare spending for the typical 66-year-old would rise to $9,600 in 2030, or about 75 percent more than now, the Congressional Budjet Office projected. But under Ryan's plan, spending would rise more slowly to $7,400, or about 35 percent more than current levels. That difference would result in a cost shift of thousands of dollars to individual retirees, critics say. Under the previous version of Ryan's plan, a typical 65-year-old retiree would have been responsible for about two-thirds of his or her health care costs in 2030, according to the budget office. That translates to a cost increase of $6,350 a year, says the Obama campaign. Ryan's proposal for turning Medicaid into a block grants program for the states would also have far-reaching consequences. It sharply reduces the future size of the program relative to the overall economy, the CBO said.