Home PSEPC Daily Brief DOB05-213

PSEPC Daily Brief

The PSEPC Daily Brief is a compilation of summaries of publicly available and PSEPC information concerning critical infrastructure protection and emergency management.

DOB05-213 - November 7, 2005

News

Global health officials meeting to discuss influenza pandemic threat
This week in Switzerland, global human and animal health experts are holding discussions aimed at lowering the risk of a human influenza pandemic and accelerating response planning in case those efforts fail. This summit is an unprecedented attempt to bring human and animal health experts together to address the threat posed by the avian influenza strain H5N1.

The World Bank has told summit participants that an avian influenza pandemic that causes a similar amount of disruption as the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak could cost the world economy as much as CDN$950 billion in lost growth. The World Bank added that a more severe pandemic would end up costing even more as manufacturing ground to a halt and service industries closed.
(Source: CBC News, November 6-7, 2005)
Click here for the source article
Click here for the source article

This summit is being cosponsored by the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Organisation for Animal Health and The World Bank.

For more summit information from the World Health Organization, click here.

To view The World Bank’s report on the impact of a human influenza pandemic, click here.

In brief

Transport Canada orders CN Rail to limit length of trains in B.C.
On November 4, Transport Minister Jean-C. Lapierre announced that a Notice and Order has been issued to the Canadian National Railway Company (CN Rail) to limit the length of their conventional trains to 80 rail cars while operating northbound between Squamish and Clinton, B.C.
(Source: Transport Canada, November 4, 2005)
Click here for the source article

CN Rail has been the focus of scrutiny over its safety measures due to recent derailments in B.C. For more information, go to PSEPC Daily Brief DOB05-212.

Telus and TWU reach tentative agreement
Further to PSEPC Daily Brief DOB05-211, on November 6, Telus announced that it has reached a tentative agreement with the Telecommunications Workers Union (TWU). The TWU is recommending that its members accept the agreement, of which details have not been released.
(Source: GLOBEANDMAIL.COM, November 7, 2005)
Click here for the source article

For more information on the tentative agreement, see the Telus News Release.

Sustainable development projects announced in Quebec
On October 28, two new projects in Quebec under the Moving on Sustainable Transportation program were announced by Transport Minister Jean-C. Lapierre. The Government of Canada is investing $60,000 in these projects. The organizations selected to receive funding are the Canadian Urban Transit Association and Vivre en Ville.
(Source: Transport Canada, November 4, 2005)
Click here for the source article

Cyber risk assessment

Over the course of the past 72 hours, the Canadian Cyber Incident Response Centre (CCIRC) has not detected any significant new threats or vulnerabilities. No significant incidents with the potential to affect critical infrastructure have been reported. Accordingly, based on the information available to CCIRC, the cyber risk facing Canadian critical infrastructure is assessed as low. Personnel responsible for information, systems and network security should continue to apply appropriate security precautions and monitor their systems.

Recent cyber alerts and advisories issued by CCIRC can be viewed under “Recent analytical releases” at www.psepc.gc.ca/ccirc.

See also...

• The Weather Office
• FAC - Travel Updates

Note to readers

Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada (PSEPC) collects information related to cyber and physical threats to, and incidents involving, Canadian critical infrastructure. This allows us to monitor and analyze threats and to issue alerts, advisories and other information products. To report threats or incidents, please contact the Government Operations Centre (GOC) at (613) 991-7000 or goc-cog@psepc-sppcc.gc.ca by e-mail.

Unauthorized use of computer systems and mischief in relation to data are serious Criminal Code offences in Canada. Any suspected criminal activity should be reported to local law enforcement organizations. The RCMP National Operations Centre (NOC) provides a 24/7 service to receive such reports or to redirect callers to local law enforcement organizations. The NOC can be reached at (613) 993-4460. National security concerns should be reported to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) at (613) 993-9620.

Links to sites not under the control of the Government of Canada (GoC) are provided solely for the convenience of users. The GoC is not responsible for the accuracy, currency or the reliability of the content. The GoC does not offer any guarantee in that regard and is not responsible for the information found through these links, nor does it endorse the sites and their content.

Users should be aware that information offered by non-GoC sites not subject to the Official Languages Act, and to which the PSEPC Daily Brief links, might be available only in the language(s) used by the sites in question.