Canada
column for Sunday, Nov. 30/14
THE CANADIAN REPORT
(c) By
Jim Fox
Canada is losing some of its innocence with new armed security planned
for the Parliament buildings after a terrorist gunman’s deadly rampage last
month.
Security is being tightened with the arming of guards, heightened
checking of visitors and ending public tours during caucus meetings.
The changes are “a crucial step towards achieving the improvements
required of an open and secure Parliament,” said House of Commons Speaker
Andrew Scheer.
Armed gunman Michael Zehaf-Bibeau gained access to Parliament’s Center
Block after killing soldier Nathan Cirillo who was standing guard at the nearby
National War Memorial.
Zehaf-Bibeau ran down a hallway shooting a rifle near rooms where Prime
Minster Stephen Harper and Members of Parliament were in meetings.
The gunman was shot and killed near the library by Kevin Vickers, the
Commons’ Sergeant-at-Arms.
Parliamentary
security officers who work inside will be trained to carry firearms while armed
Mounties continue to secure the grounds.
The buildings will now be locked after business hours and enhanced
security will be given as needed at politicians’ constituency offices.
---
The Canadian government is monitoring any impacts on the economy by the
big drop in oil prices but has factored that into its fiscal forecasts, Finance
Minister Joe Oliver said.
As
a major oil-producing nation, the forecasts already factored in a belief that prices
“would stay at the low level,” he added.
A
world oil glut has dropped prices to less than $70 a barrel, a 4½-year low.
The Conservative government has predicted that Canada will post a budget
surplus of $1.9 billion next year, about $4.5 billion short of earlier
projections due to plans for expanded income-tax cuts and benefits for families
with children.
---
News in brief:
- Fired
Canadian Broadcasting Corp. radio host Jian Ghomeshi, 47, has been arrested on
four counts of sexual assault and one involving choking. Nine women and a man
said they were assaulted or harassed by Ghomeshi. The police investigation
began when three women made formal complaints. He has since dropped a $55-million
lawsuit against the CBC over his dismissal.
- Montreal-based
retailer Reitmans said it will close 107 Smart Set clothing stores over the
next 18 months to “refocus its sales and merchandising efforts.” Another 76 of
the stores will be converted to other Reitmans’ brands. Tough competition,
including an influx of U.S.-based stores, also led to women’s retailer Jacob
closing 92 stores.
---
Facts and figures:
Canada’s
dollar has dropped to 87.53 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.1423 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 unchanged at 3 percent.
Stock
markets are lower, with the Toronto exchange index at 14,816 points and the TSX
Venture index 743 points.
The average price of a liter of gasoline is lower at $1.1248 (Canadian).
Lotto 6-49: (Nov. 26) 5, 10, 11, 12, 32 and 33; bonus 39. (Nov. 22) 5,
7, 20, 24, 37 and 49; bonus 32. Lotto Max: (Nov. 21) 6, 18, 19, 26, 37, 39 and
47; bonus 21.
---
Regional briefs:
-
Vancouver is ranked the worst city in Canada for highway gridlock, according to
a study by TomTom, a GPS products company. The study found the average commuter
in Vancouver experienced 87 hours of delay time a year, based on a 30-minute
daily commute. The next most-congested cities were Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal,
Calgary, Quebec City and Edmonton.
-
The Transportation Safety Board is calling for flammable liquids to be shipped
in new, stronger railway tanker cars. It called the abundance of older tank
cars the greatest risk to transportation in Canada. The board noted the
disaster last year in Lac-Megantic, Quebec when 47 people were killed by the
crash of a runaway oil tanker train.
-
Last year’s challenging winter in many parts of Canada could be “more or less
repeated” this coming season, said chief meteorologist Chris Scott of the
Weather Network. The pattern of warmer-than-normal conditions is expected in
British Columbia and the Northwest Territories, near normal in Alberta and the
Atlantic provinces, and colder through Saskatchewan to New Brunswick. “Seasonally
average” snowfalls are expected.
-30-
Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com
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