Canada column for
Sunday, June 18/17
THE CANADIAN REPORT
(c) By Jim Fox
Canada’s decision
to hike its defense spending by $14 billion over 10 years can be summed up in a
name: Trump.
That’s what the
Toronto Globe and Mail commented when reporting that Canada will be making major
investments in the military.
This is the
promised response to the presidency of Donald Trump, aiming at a less United
States-centric Canadian foreign policy, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia said.
“To rely solely on
the U.S. security umbrella would make us a client state,” Freeland added.
Defense Minister
Harjit Sajjan said the Liberal government vision for expanding the Armed
Forces would include spending $60 billion over 20 years.
The plans include
adding 5,000 personnel to the Armed Forces and modern capabilities for
cyberattacks and armed drones for unmanned airstrikes along with new warships
and fighter jets.
“We’re
serious about our role in the world and we must be serious about funding our
military,” Sajjan said.
As well,
Canada will spend an additional $198 million on health and wellness in
the next decade to better support military personnel, especially the
ill and injured, as well as family members.
---
There’s growing
concern over the threat of cyberattacks on Canada’s elections.
The Canadian spy
agency said steps must be taken to counter the threat while it reviewed
questions about Russia’s role in the last U.S. election.
The agency said “hacktivists
and cyber criminals” made low-level attacks during Canada’s 2015 election but
they had no discernible impact and there are no indications that foreign
countries were involved.
Among the concerns ahead
of the 2019 election are that hackers and others could attempt to suppress
voter turnout, steal information from parties, discredit candidates and spread misinformation.
---
News in brief:
- Victoria Mayor Lisa
Helps is calling on residents to open their homes to the homeless who sleep in
parks or cars because they can’t afford or can’t find accommodation. Calling it
a “crisis,” Helps said housing is in short supply and city residents did this
before when opening their homes to workers during the Second World War.
Advocates say all levels of government need to provide more social and rental
housing.
- Canada has a new
$2 coin, commonly called a “toonie,” that glows in the dark with an iconic
design of the Northern Lights. The Royal Canadian Mint is releasing a special
set of coins to mark the country’s 150th birthday on July 1. The coin’s glow
comes from a “new pad-printed process and a new ink formulation containing
luminescent material” and is the first colored, bimetallic coin in the world.
---
Facts and figures:
Canada’s dollar has
advanced to 75.54 cents U.S. as the U.S. dollar is worth $1.323 Canadian before
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.
Stock markets are lower, with the Toronto
exchange index at 15,135 points while the TSX Venture index is 771 points.
The average price for gas in Canada is down at
$1.05 a liter or $3.99 (Canadian) for a U.S. gallon.
Lotto 6/49: (June 14) 17, 24, 26, 27, 35 and 49; bonus
33. (June 10) 3, 4, 21, 31, 33 and 48; bonus 26. Lotto Max: (June 9) 7, 11,
20, 21, 22, 37 and 47; bonus 38.
---
Regional briefs:
- Ontario is
looking into what is calls “potentially ground-breaking clean train technology”
to power its GO Transit commuter network. The Liberal government said the $13.5-billion
upgrade will also include all-day, two-way GO service on the busiest parts of
the regional rail network in and out of Toronto by 2025. The government is also
studying hydrogen-powered passenger trains.
- Daredevil trapeze
artist Erendira Wallenda performed a daring, eight-minute “aerial ballet”
hanging by her teeth from a helicopter over Niagara Falls. Erendira, 36,
performed moves to music over the roaring falls. The stunt coincided with the
fifth anniversary of her husband Nik Wallenda’s historic tightrope walk into
Canada from the New York side of Niagara Falls. In accordance with state labor
law, she was tethered to the helicopter while performing the stunt.
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Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com
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