Canada
column for Sunday, June 23/13
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THE CANADIAN REPORT
By
Jim Fox
Massive flooding in Alberta has resulted in three deaths and led to more
than 100,000 people being forced from their homes.
Calgary
and dozens of communities declared states of emergency as rain-swollen rivers
overflowed their banks.
Entire communities including High River and Bragg Creek were under
mandatory evacuation orders on Friday while in Calgary, the downtown was
deserted as businesses and schools were closed.
The Mounties called in the military for assistance in removing people by
helicopters from their rooftops and where roads had been washed out.
The
Edmonton police force sent about 100 officers to help out in Calgary and
protect unoccupied neighborhoods.
Days
of heavy rain flooded the Bow River Basin causing problems in a wide area from
Banff and Canmore in the Rockies to Calgary and beyond in the north and south
to Lethbridge.
South
of Calgary, three people were killed in the high waters including two women swept to their deaths by the Highwood River.
Water levels on the Bow River were expected to begin subsiding over the
weekend, said Bruce Burrell of the Calgary Emergency Management Agency.
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Police
are now investigating a second senator in an expenses scandal.
The Mounties are reviewing property documents for Sen. Mac Harb who was
ordered to repay $231,649 in “improper” expense claims.
He
said he followed the rules and is asking to have the repayment order quashed as
is Sen. Patrick Brazeau who was asked to repay $48,745.
Police continue investigating Sen. Mike Duffy’s expense payments of
$90,172 as an alleged breach of trust.
He
repaid the money with a check from Nigel Wright who resigned as Prime Minister
Stephen Harper's chief of staff when the payment became known.
An
audit continues into Sen. Pamela Wallin’s travel expenses of $321,824.
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News in brief:
- Montreal's
interim mayor Michael Applebaum has resigned after being arrested in Quebec’s corruption
crackdown. He was arrested for fraud, conspiracy, breach of trust and corruption
concerning “bribes” in real-estate projects, anticorruption commissioner Robert
Lafreniere said. Former mayor Gerald Tremblay resigned earlier over the corruption
probe and Gilles Vaillancourt, former mayor of Laval, was arrested for fraud
and gangsterism.
-
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said he will compensate any group that paid him
speaking fees to participate in fund-raising events since he became a Member of
Parliament. Trudeau disclosed he received a $1.2-million inheritance from his
father, former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, and $1.3 million in speaking
fees.
-
Bob Rae, 64, a politician for 35 years, said he will give up his seat in the
House of Commons to work as a lawyer on behalf of Native issues. Now a Liberal,
Rae was once the New Democratic premier of Ontario.
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Facts and figures:
Canada’s inflation rate rose slightly last month to 0.7 percent with
slower consumer spending, a weaker global economy and increased competition
that kept prices lower.
Stock market volatility caused the Canadian dollar to drop to 95.64
cents U.S. Friday while the U.S. greenback was worth $1.0455 in Canadian funds,
before bank exchange fees.
The Bank of Canada’s key interest rate is steady at 1 percent while the
prime-lending rate is 3 percent.
Stock
markets are lower, with the Toronto exchange index at 12,020 points and the TSX
Venture index at 894 points.
Lotto 6-49: (June 19) 8, 23, 25, 28, 34 and 39; bonus 47. (June 15) 5,
8, 13, 14, 17 and 30; bonus 1. Lotto Max: (June 14) 2, 12, 15, 18, 21, 22 and
25; bonus 5.
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Regional briefs:
-
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that it would not hear an appeal into a
conflict-of-interest case that cleared Toronto Mayor Rob Ford of wrongdoing.
The issue involved having the mayor removed from office over an alleged
conflict that raised $3,150 for his charitable youth football foundation.
Meanwhile, police arrested Shannon Everett, 28, for assault after a frozen
drink was thrown at Ford.
-
Two women were killed in an explosion at a fireworks warehouse where they
worked in Coteau-du-Lac, Quebec. The blast leveled the BEM Fireworks building
southwest of Montreal. People nearby were forced to leave their homes as 150
firefighters battled the resulting fire.
-
A small-town Alberta councilor has resigned from his position after being
arrested on crack-cocaine trafficking charges. Wayne Niblow, 36, had served as
a member of the Irricana council.
-30-
Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com
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