Canada column for
Sunday, July 22/18
THE CANADIAN REPORT
(c) By Jim Fox
Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau reaffirmed the value of a renegotiated North American Free Trade
Agreement as President Donald Trump again attacked Canada’s dairy tariffs.
There are
suggestions a deal might be reached between the U.S. and Mexico before one with
Canada’s involvement.
Trudeau said,
however, an agreement with the three partners is preferred as being the best
for all involved for “ensuring prosperity for workers across North America.”
Mexican government
officials will be in Washington next Thursday to resume talks but there is no
plan for Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland to join the
discussion.
Trudeau told
reporters on Friday that a renegotiated NAFTA “is at the centre of everything
we do” to create jobs and expand the economy.
The U.S. steel and
aluminum tariffs imposed on Canada were in response to the tariffs of up to 270
percent on dairy, Trump said.
Under Canada’s supply-management
system, there are domestic production quotas on dairy, eggs and poultry to keep
prices stable and guarantee farmers a steady income.
---
The Canadian
government is investigating whether it can find a solution for the potential
loss of bus service in western Canada.
Greyhound Canada says it will end passenger and
delivery services in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, northwestern Ontario and
rural British Columbia in the fall.
The company blamed
a drop in riders and reduced revenue as well as ridesharing emerging as a threat.
Prime Minister Trudeau has asked Transport
Minister Marc Garneau to work with the provinces, communities and Greyhound to
see if anything can be done.
---
News in brief:
- A cabinet shuffle
for the Liberal government is viewed as preparing for next year’s federal
election. The retooled cabinet signals the government’s intent to ease
trade dependence on the U.S., address concerns about border control and bolster
political forces in key regions, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported.
Among the changes are the naming of Bill Blair, a former Toronto police chief, to
become minister of border security and organized crime reduction.
- Canada’s
provincial premiers are calling for the federal government to step up its
warnings of the dangers of cannabis. New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant said
the provinces need more resources as recreational marijuana use becomes legal in
Canada on Oct. 17. The goal is to “get cannabis out of the hands of our youth
and the proceeds out of the hands of criminals,” he added.
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Facts and figures:
Canada’s dollar is
higher at 76.08 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.314 in Canadian
funds (bank exchange fees extra).
The Bank of Canada’s key interest rate is 1.5
percent while the prime-lending rate is 3.7 percent.
Stock markets are lower, with the Toronto
exchange index at 16,435 points while the TSX Venture index is 712 points.
The average price for gas in Canada is lower at
$1.316 a liter or $5 (Canadian) for a U.S. gallon.
Lotto 6/49: (July 18) 3, 14, 16, 19, 44 and 48; bonus 1.
(July 14) 8, 10, 12, 17, 22 and 37; bonus 29. Lotto Max: (July 13) 1, 4,
5, 22, 25, 32 and 34; bonus 27.
---
Regional briefs:
- Wildfires ripping
across British Columbia’s Okanagan region have forced residents of about 1,000
houses to flee or be ready to leave quickly. There is a cluster of fires
between Kelowna and Penticton, said Chief Fire Information Officer Kevin Skrepnek.
The popular tourist area’s wildfires were started by a lightning storm. Across
the province, there are 123 fires in the area and in central and southeast
British Columbia.
- Life has changed
in a good way for five Ottawa-area friends who won the tax-free $60-million
cash jackpot in Lotto Max. The IT professionals have been buying lottery
tickets together for 10 years and hit the jackpot on the sometimes unlucky
Friday the 13th. All said they will continue working and not make any “big,
rash purchases” with each of their $12 million.
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Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com
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