Canada
column for Sunday, July 7/13
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THE CANADIAN REPORT
(c) By
Jim Fox
A
Canadian man and woman are behind held in jail after an attempted terrorist
attack in Victoria that was eerily similar to that in Boston.
The
Mounties said they foiled the attack motivated by an "al-Qaida
ideology" that involved three pressure-cooker bombs set to blow up outside
the British Columbia legislature during Canada Day celebrations last Monday.
After arresting John Nuttall, 38, and Amanda Korody, 30, police showed
photos of what they said were homemade bombs in pressure cookers similar to
those that killed three people and injured more than 260 during the Boston
Marathon two months ago.
"This self-radicalized behavior was intended to cause maximum impact
and harm to Canadian citizens at the B.C. legislature on a national
holiday," said Assistant Mountie Commissioner Wayne Rideout.
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service informed the force of the
plot five months ago that resulted in the arrests of the two suspects in
Abbotsford.
Investigators said the police ensured the bombs posed no public threat
as they contained only “inert” explosives that couldn’t be detonated.
The pressure cookers had been filled with rusty nails, screws and
washers designed to kill and maim bystanders.
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Two weeks after massive flooding forced more than 100,000 people from
their homes in Alberta, Calgary has lifted its state of emergency.
The province’s largest city with 1.1-million residents continues with
recovery and relief efforts as flood damage estimates in Alberta head toward $1
billion.
Mayor Naheed Nenshi said the city is again welcoming tourists and the
famous Calgary Stampede is now on although some events have had to be canceled
due to flood damage.
Days
of heavy rain caused the Elbow and Bow rivers to overflow their banks, causing
flooding across southern part of the province.
Rebuilding is just beginning but some 900 Calgarians might be forced to live
in temporary homes for at least a year, Nenshi said.
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News in brief:
-
Two children have died in separate incidents after being trapped inside
overheated vehicles for hours. Maximus Huyskens, 2, of Milton, Ontario, died being
found inside the family car outside his home while in the care of his grandmother,
police said. It was believed that Tsitsi Chitekedza, 3, of Edmonton died after
getting into her family’s unlocked van on her own that was parked in the
driveway.
- As
Prime Minister Stephen Harper prepares to shuffle his cabinet, two Alberta
Conservative Members of Parliament have said they won’t be running in the 2015
election. Diane Ablonczy, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, from Calgary
and Ted Menzies, the Minister of State for Finance, from Macleod said they will
be leaving politics.
- Sen.
Marjory LeBreton has said she will leave her job as Government Leader in the
Senate. LeBreton, who will be required to retire in two years at age 75, said she
will remain as a Conservative senator for Ontario. Former prime minister Brian
Mulroney named her to the Senate in 1993.
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Facts and figures:
Canada’s dollar is lower at 94.39 cents U.S. while the U.S. greenback is
valued at $1.0593 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 mixed, with the Toronto exchange index lower on Friday at 12,115
points and the TSX Venture index up at 881 points.
Lotto 6-49: (July 3) 16, 17, 19, 22, 40 and 43; bonus 10. (June 29) 4,
11, 12, 14, 25 and 37; bonus 36. Lotto Max: (June 28) 2, 7, 15, 38, 43, 44 and
47; bonus 1.
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Regional briefs:
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Toronto Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday said he will run for the Conservatives in one
of five by-elections on Aug. 1 to fill vacancies in the Ontario Legislature.
Liberal Premier Kathleen Wynne has set the unusual summer election date ahead
of a long weekend. They will be held in two Toronto districts as well as in London,
Ottawa and Windsor to replace five Liberals who resigned since Wynne became premier
in February.
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The Quebec government is forcing striking construction workers back to their
jobs on Tuesday, ending a two-week conflict. After 15 hours of debate, a bill
was passed by the minority government to impose a contract on 77,000 workers in
Quebec's industrial, institutional and commercial construction sectors. Workers
in other sectors, including residential construction and road work, reached
deals earlier.
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Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com
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