Canada column for Sunday, April 3/16
THE CANADIAN REPORT
(c) By Jim Fox
Canadians might
want to prepare to welcome millions of fleeing Americans should polls be
correct that Donald Trump might win the presidency.
A survey conducted
by Vox.com of 2,000 registered voters showed 28 percent claimed they’d likely
“consider moving to another country, such as Canada” with a Trump victory.
And, they wouldn’t
be hampered by a large wall at the border between the U.S. and Canada.
Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau said claims of Americans wanting to move to Canada occur after
every U.S. election.
It happened,
however, when George W. Bush was elected in 2004, with immigration to Canada
doubling by 34,000 Americans in a decade.
With Trump’s
campaign promises and popularity, searches online about “how to move to Canada”
have surged, according to Simon Rogers of Google.
The Canadian technology
industry that has long lost talented workers to the U.S. is fighting back seeking
Silicon Valley, California talent over concerns about Trump.
Sortable, a
Kitchener, Ontario tech company, has been running Facebook ads featuring a
photo of Trump with the tag line: “Thinking of moving to Canada? Sortable is
hiring.” http://sortable.com/careers-at-sortable/
Cape Breton, Nova
Scotia radio host Rob Calabrese has set up a website called
“CapeBretonIfDonaldTrumpWins,” offering to provide a new home for anyone
seeking refuge.
---
Canada’s
lower-valued dollar, now at 76 cents U.S., has been a benefit for most businesses,
the Bank of Canada says.
The central bank
found that most companies polled in a business outlook survey reported
increasingly tangible benefits since falling oil prices drove the dollar down.
The weaker dollar
makes Canada’s products less expensive on the world market.
As well, the survey
found some of the companies have had less competition from U.S. businesses and
others have benefited from increased tourism to Canada.
The negatives
include having to pay more for equipment and products priced in U.S. dollars
and businesses in the energy sector.
---
News in brief:
- Marco Muzzo, 29, of
Vaughan, Ontario was sentenced to 10 years in prison for a drunk-driving crash
that took the lives of three children and their grandfather. Superior Court
Judge Michelle Fuerst said his decision to drink and drive last Sept. 27
“decimated an entire generation” of the Neville-Lake family. He will be
prohibited from driving for 12 years after his release from prison, possibly on
parole in as soon as three years.
- The Quebec
government has decided it will only pay about $50,000 of the cost of the
funeral for Rene Angelil, late husband of singer Celine Dion. The final
bill for the January funeral attended by 2,000 people was about $700,000. The
government had offered to host a state funeral but it ended up costing about 10
times the usual price for such events. It’s not yet known who will pay the
rest.
---
Facts and figures:
Canada’s dollar has
advanced to 76.68 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.304 in Canadian
funds, before bank exchange fees.
The Bank of Canada’s
key interest rate is steady at 0.5 percent while the prime-lending rate is 2.7
percent.
Markets are lower, with
the Toronto Stock Exchange index at 13,383 points and the TSX Venture index 577
points.
The average price for
gas nationally has risen to 96.6 cents a liter or $3.67 (Canadian) for a U.S.
gallon.
Lotto 6/49: (March 30)
14, 27, 28, 30, 45 and 46; bonus 44. (March 26) 9, 11, 20, 22, 37 and 46; bonus
47. Lotto Max: (March 25) 1, 6, 15, 32, 42, 45 and 46; bonus 44.
---
Regional briefs:
- Canada’s two
largest chicken barbecue restaurants – Swiss Chalet and St-Hubert – will soon
have a common owner. Cara Operations, operator of Swiss Chalet, will pay $537
million to take over the Quebec-based St-Hubert with 117 restaurants. Cara is
Canada’s third-largest restaurant company with 1,010 franchised and corporate
units.
- The federal
government will spend $3 billion over five years for infrastructure, heritage,
visitor, waterway and highway improvements at national historic sites, national
parks and marine conservation areas. That includes $39 million for Banff
National Park, established in 1885 in Alberta, to aid species at risk and
improve the forest ecosystems.
-30-
Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com
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