Canadians rankled by President Trump's comments on pipeline, trade deficit: Fake news

   Canada column for Sunday, April 1/18

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Canadians are trying to be good neighbors to its United States’ ally in spite of more “questionable” comments by President Donald Trump.

   Mild-mannered Canadians tend to let things go but the latest “misinformed” comments have rankled many over the planned Keystone XL pipeline.

   “Trump tells another tall tale,” said the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. after he said he wasn’t thanked by the head of TransCanada for approving the controversial line to the U.S. from Alberta.

   “The boss of whatever the hell company it is never actually called me to say thank you,” Trump said in a speech promoting his infrastructure spending plan.

   “But that’s OK, we’ll remember,” he added.

    Not true, the Canadian Press news service reported, noting that when Trump signed an executive order for the project, TransCanada’s Russ Girling was next to him in the Oval Office and he thanked him twice, videos show.

   “Thank you, Mr. President. This is a very, very important day for us, for our company,” Girling said.

   Also in March, Trump boasted that he made up facts about a (not true) U.S. trade deficit with Canada while speaking to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

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   It’s not just coffee that’s getting roasted but the popularity of the iconic Tim Hortons’ coffee and doughnut shop chain as well.

   Things haven’t gone well since the company – now owned by the U.S. Restaurant Brands International – was reported to have cut employee benefits when Ontario raised its minimum wage to $14 an hour.

   This led to protests outside stores to support workers, with some people boycotting the chain as it raised prices.

   Now the company wants franchised owners to help pay for $700 million in renovations to modernize the shops.

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   News in brief:

   - Four Canadian diplomats have been expelled from Russia in the dispute over the suspected poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter. The Foreign Affairs office said the diplomats were declared “persona non grata” by the Russian government in retaliation for the expulsion of four Russian diplomats from Canada. Russia has denied any involvement in the attack.

   - Sharp declines in oil production and real estate prices have led to Canada’s gross domestic product unexpectedly shrinking in January. There was a contraction of 0.1 percent and the slower growth is expected to push any interest-rate increases by the Bank of Canada to the summer. As well, new mortgage qualification rules resulted in a 13-percent drop in house sales.

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   Facts and figures:

   Canada’s dollar has advanced to 77.5 cents U.S. while the U.S. greenback returns $1.29 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 mixed, with the Toronto exchange index up at 15,367 points while the TSX Venture index is down at 796 points.

   The average price for gas in Canada is up to $1.26 a liter or $4.79 (Canadian) for a U.S. gallon.

   Lotto 6/49: (March 28) 11, 12, 19, 24, 28 and 46; bonus 39. (March 24) 9, 11, 28, 30, 45 and 49; bonus 5. Lotto Max: (March 23) 7, 12, 15, 23, 35, 43 and 49; bonus 19.

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   Regional briefs:

   - The Ontario Liberal government is offering some goodies in advance of the June provincial election including free pre-school child day care. Should the Liberals be re-elected, there would be billion-dollar spending that includes free prescription drugs and home maintenance money for seniors and expanded mental health services. Money is planned for new schools and hospital upgrades and high-speed rail between Windsor and Toronto, along with some tax increases.

   - Ancient footprints found deep below a sandy beach in British Columbia have been confirmed as the earliest known in North America. Researchers at the University of Victoria’s Hakai Institute said the 29 footprints on Calvert Island hold clues to life for some of the continent’s earliest humans. The findings have been corroborated to be about 13,000 years old.

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Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com