Canada column for
Sunday, March 11/18
THE CANADIAN REPORT
(c) By Jim Fox
* News Update *
Doug Ford wins Ontario Conservative Party nomination for leader.
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The $7.9-billion
expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline will be built despite widespread
protests in British Columbia, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says.
The Kinder Morgan
project, approved by the Trudeau government in 2016, would triple the amount of
crude oil shipped to the west coast port of Burnaby from Edmonton, Alberta to
890,000 barrels a day.
“This project is in
the national interest and it will get built,” Trudeau said.
“We will continue
to ensure that we are protecting the environment while growing the economy and
working across the country to ensure the projects that are in the national
interest move forward,” he added.
Permit disputes and
environmental concerns have delayed construction as political leaders from both
provinces warn of trade-war sanctions.
British Columbia
said it will not allow increased oil shipments until it does more research on
pipeline safety and responses to possible spills.
Alberta Premier
Rachel Notley said there has been a loss of millions of dollars in revenue and
thousands of jobs due to bottlenecks in the existing pipeline.
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The
Canadian government will continue its “team” effort to have threatened U.S.
tariffs permanently lifted.
Foreign Affairs
Minister Chrystia Freeland made the comment as President Donald Trump imposed
tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum while temporarily
exempting Canada and Mexico as free-trade talks continue.
The initial victory
for Canada, which is the top seller of both products to the U.S., resulted from
a “true Team Canada effort,” she added.
That included Prime
Minister Trudeau speaking with Trump and political leaders along with Canadian
diplomats and politicians lobbying U.S. officials.
---
News in brief:
- Canada’s economy
added 15,400 net new jobs last month as the jobless rate dipped to 5.8 percent.
Statistics Canada said the gains were from a surge in part-time work,
offsetting a drop in full-time jobs. Average hourly wage growth remained at 3.1
percent.
- Paul Bliss, a
prominent TV broadcaster, is no longer employed after sexual misconduct
allegations against him from 2006. Bliss, who was bureau chief at the Ontario
Legislature for CTV Toronto, is “no longer with the company,” owner Bell Media
said. CTV reacted to allegations made in a blog post by Bridget Brown of
Calgary, a former CTV employee.
- Canada’s two
largest internet service providers are boosting rates. Rogers Communications
will raise prices by $8 a month and $4 for lower-speed plans on Monday. Bell
Canada will raise its prices in April by $5 a month in Ontario and $3 in Quebec,
along with higher internet overage charges to “help fund improvements.”
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Facts and figures:
The Canadian dollar is higher at 78.02 cents
U.S. while the U.S. greenback returns $1.281 in Canadian funds before exchange
fees.
The Bank of Canada’s key interest rate is
steady at 1.25 percent while the prime-lending rate is 3.45 percent.
Stock markets are higher, with the Toronto
exchange index at 15,564 points while the TSX Venture index is 828 points.
The average price for gas in Canada is down to $1.195
a liter or $4.54 (Canadian) for a U.S. gallon.
Lotto 6/49: (March 7) 6, 30, 33, 38, 45 and 46; bonus 40.
(March 3) 12, 17, 25, 30, 32 and 39; bonus 47. Lotto Max: (March 2) 7, 25,
26, 28, 32, 36 and 37; bonus 2.
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Regional briefs:
- Vancouver was
hardest hit as Corus Entertainment laid off 21 employees among 80 jobs lost in Global
TV newsrooms. The restructuring to boost online coverage will result in 50 new
positions for local news websites. The Halifax studio will no longer produce regional
news in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick as it was shifted to Toronto.
- Four teenagers
were late for an appointment the driver told police who stopped him for speeding.
The 19-year-old was pulled over for going 100 mph in a 50 mph zone near London,
Ontario. When asked where they were headed, he replied to a driver licensing
bureau to take their road tests. Instead, the car was impounded and he faces a
substantial fine.
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Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com
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