Mr. Hodgson:

How much money was acquired by the government in taking over property of old age pensioners in each of the years 1947, 1948 and 1949, by provinces?

Mr. Marlin:

The question implies that provincial pension authorities which administer the Old Age Pensions Act take possession of property owned by pensioners when pension is granted. Actually no pension authority takes possession of either real or personal property. Under provincial legislation, however, a pension authority may be authorized to control real property owned by pensioners.

At the death of a pensioner a pension authority may file a claim for recovery out of the estate of the pensioner of the amount of pension paid to the pensioner. In making its decision the pension authority must apply section 9(2) of the Old Age Pensions Act, which provides that ". . .no claim shall be made for the recovery of any such debt directly or indirectly out of any part of the pensioner's estate which passes by will or on an intestacy to any other pensioner or to any person who has, since the grant of such pension or for the last three years during which such pension has continued to be paid, regularly contributed to the support of the pensioner by the payment of money or otherwise to an extent which, having regard to the means of the person so having contributed, is considered by the pension authority to be reasonable." In the agreements made under the Old Age Pensions Act the pension authorities are given discretion 55946-209

to disregard estates where the net value is less than $2,000 or the first $2,000 of any estate.

The amounts recovered by provincial pension authorities from the estates of deceased pensioners and the federal share of such amounts for the fiscal years 1946-47, 1947-48 and 1948-49 were as follows:

Province

Alberta

British Columbia..

Manitoba

New Brunswick ..

Total

Federal

share

Nova Scotia [DOT] 4,384.95 3,288.71Ontario . 179,880.74 134,271.80P. E. Island . 2,855.27 2,141.45Quebec . 56,066.60 42,049.95Saskatchewan ... . 38,897.67 29'022.47Province 1947-48 Total Federal shareAlberta . $ 20,493.15 $ 15,369.86British Columbia. . 93,009.60 68,828.28Manitoba . 55,496.42 40,795.94New Brunswick . Nova Scotia . 10,856.67 8,142.50Ontario . 153,465.75 114,907.46P. E. Island . 1,726.09 1,294.57Quebec . 61,268.43 45,951.32Saskatchewan ... . 40,298.20 30,209.38Province 1948-49 Total Federal shareAlberta . $ 31,950.45 $ 23,962.84British Columbia. . 77,657.91 57,418.69Manitoba . 61,416.03 45,847.11New Brunswick . . 165.57 124.18Nova Scotia . 4,389.61 3,292.21Ontario . 164,609.01 123,235.98P. E. Island . 1,163.28 872.46Quebec . 41,186.40 30,889.80Saskatchewan ... . 45,634.30 34,189.05

1. Did the Canadian National Railways cease operations on any of their branch lines during the year 1949?

2. If so, in what provinces did they discontinue these operations?

3. How many miles of line were removed from the system in each province?

Questions

Mr. Chevrier:

The Canadian National Railways advise as follows:

1. No.

2. See answer to No. 1.

3. 9-49 miles in the province of Alberta, operation of which ceased in 1948.

Mr. MacLean (Cape Breton North and Victoria):

Has a master's foreign-going certificate of competency always been demanded1 for the position of superintendent of pilots in the Sydney pilotage district?

Mr. Chevrier:

No. However, the former superintendent of pilots at Sydney, Nova Scotia, the late Captain Norman Noel, held a master's coasting certificate issued before the Canada Shipping Act, 1934, came into force. This form of certificate, which is no longer issued, enabled the holder to sail as master of a ship of Canadian registry anywhere on the coasts of North America excepting only voyages through the Bering strait, and anywhere on the coasts of South America as far south as 40 degrees south latitude. The holder of such a certificate retained the rights and privileges thereof after the Canada Shipping Act came into force, but the same privileges required thereafter the holding of a foreign-going certificate.