Canada column for
Sunday, Sept. 18/16
THE CANADIAN REPORT
(c) By Jim Fox
The integration of
foreigners, including Muslims, into Canadian society is nothing new and will
take some time, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says.
Since last
November, Canada has “resettled” 30,647 Syrian refugees and more
continue to arrive.
Trudeau told a
conference in Montreal, hosted by the “progressive think-tank” Canada 2020,
that being fearful of immigrants is “nothing new” here or around the world.
There were similar
circumstances when the Italians and Greeks settled in Montreal in the 1950s and
they faced “tremendous” discrimination and distrust, Trudeau said.
Canadians shouldn’t
be “overly impatient” with integrating newcomers as the “first generation is
always going to have challenges,” Trudeau said.
In a panel
discussion, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said Canada is a “beacon of how a civilized
G7 country should treat those who are vulnerable and need help.”
He praised Trudeau
for his “progressive” politics and said his election last October inspired him.
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The Toronto real
estate market is red hot while Vancouver has cooled due to a tax on foreign
buyers.
The Canadian Real
Estate Association said activity in Toronto climbed 2 percent last month, up
22.7 percent in 12 months, while sales in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland,
including Vancouver, dropped 18.6 percent in August.
In order to cool
down the Vancouver-area market, the provincial government enacted a 15-percent
foreign home buyer’s tax, leading to a 24.5-percent year-over-year drop.
While the average
price of a single detached house in Vancouver and Toronto tops $1 million,
nationally the average price is $456,722.
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News in brief:
- The West Block of
Canada’s Parliament buildings in Ottawa, is getting an $862.9-million
refurbishment. Expected to be ready in time for the fall sitting of Parliament
in 2018, the work is largely in line with its previous iconic imagery. It’s the
most complex rehabilitation project ever on Parliament Hill, with about 80 percent
of the original stone re-used to keep the facade as it was when constructed in 1859.
- The so-called
“Beyonce Bounce” has helped Atlantic Canada’s lobster fishermen return to
profitable days. Since seafood chain Red Lobster said its sales surged 33
percent on Super Bowl Sunday and attributed it to singer Beyonce Knowles’ song
“Formation” that alludes to her taking a man to Red Lobster after sex, sales
for the troubled industry have boomed. As well, the lower-valued Canadian
dollar, growing demand from China and a shift in consumer tastes are also
credited.
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Facts and figures:
Canada’s dollar is lower at 75.70 cents U.S.
while the U.S. dollar returns $1.3209 Canadian, before exchange fees.
The Bank of Canada’s
key interest rate remains at 0.5 percent while the prime-lending rate is 2.7
percent.
Stock markets are lower,
with the Toronto exchange index down at 14,455 points while the TSX Venture
index is at 799 points.
The average price for
gas in Canada is steady at $1.01 a liter or $3.83 (Canadian) for a U.S. gallon.
Lotto 6/49: (Sept.
14) 3, 5, 17, 18, 35 and 46; bonus 10. (Sept. 10) 6, 13, 22, 39, 40 and 41; bonus
27. Lotto Max: (Sept. 9) 4, 10, 11, 27, 29, 32 and 41; bonus 42.
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Regional briefs:
- The fight between
Walmart Canada and Visa over merchant fees is escalating with the retail giant
says it will no longer accept the credit card at any of its Manitoba stores
starting next month. Three stores in Thunder Bay, Ontario stopped taking the
cards in July but all stores will take cash, debit, MasterCard and American
Express. Walmart warned it would drop Visa at its 405 Canadian stores because
it is “unfairly” charged $100 million annually in fees.
- In a move sure to
“ruffle some feathers,” the Canadian Geographic Society wants to choose a national
bird for Canada’s 150th birthday next year. An online survey has the pecking
order down to five contenders, ranging from urban regulars to boreal forest
ghosts. The list has three official provincial birds – Ontario’s loon, the
snowy owl of Quebec and the black-capped chickadee from New Brunswick. The
others are the gray jay, commonly known as the whiskey jack, and the Canada
goose. The winner will be announced Nov. 16.
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Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com
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