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Gasket, Gunther and
Goliath. Edmonton Humane Society
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THE CANADIAN REPORT
(c) By Jim Fox
Now that marijuana
use is legal across Canada, the government is moving to pardon Canadians with previous
convictions of simple pot possession.
Business was brisk
and parties and celebrations were numerous when the law changed on Wednesday.
For those still
puzzled over why the Liberal government is allowing pot use, Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau said the rationale is to “protect our kids and to keep the
profits out of the pockets of organized crime.”
The provincial government-run Ontario Cannabis Store had 100,000
online orders in the first 24 hours that marijuana was legal.
Unlike other places,
Ontario – Canada’s most populous province – will have no brick-and-mortar
cannabis stores until April 1.
For now, online is
the only way to legally obtain pot, with orders delivered by the Canadian post
office in about three days.
The government is
also planning to waive the fee of about $631 and waiting periods for pardons.
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There are reports
of more name-calling by officials of the Donald Trump administration about
Canada’s prime minister.
Canadian newspapers
said the Washington Examiner referred to comments by an “unnamed” U.S. official
who said Trudeau is “that little punk kid running Canada.”
Larry Kudlow,
Trump’s chief economic adviser, recounted the comment made a dinner hosted by
the American Spectator magazine.
Trump and his
aides, including Kudlow, had made public insults about Trudeau during the
free-trade negotiations.
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News in brief:
- Canada could be
facing a strike by postal workers starting as soon as tomorrow (Monday). The
Canadian Union of Postal Workers has given notice to Canada Post that workers
could leave their jobs to begin rotating strikes. The union represents 50,000 workers
and is seeking improved job security, an end to forced overtime and better
health and safety measures.
- Convicted
“school-girl killer” Paul Bernardo has been refused day or full parole after
serving 25 years in prison. The Parole Board of Canada also wouldn’t remove his
dangerous offender status. Bernardo is serving a life sentence for the murders
of three teenaged girls and the rapes of others in Ontario.
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Facts and figures:
Lower gas prices
led to a slowing of the annual pace of inflation last month to 2.2 percent as
economists expect the central bank to raise interest rates by 0.25 per cent
this week.
Canada’s dollar is
lower at 76.32 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.31 Canadian before bank
exchange fees.
The Bank of Canada’s
key interest rate is unchanged at 1.5 percent while the prime-lending rate is 3.7
percent.
Stock markets are mixed, with the Toronto
exchange index up at 15,470 points while the TSX Venture index is lower at 682
points.
The average price for gas in Canada is lower at
$1.23 a liter or $4.67 (Canadian) for a U.S. gallon.
Lotto 6/49: (Oct. 17) 10, 32, 37, 45, 46 and 47; bonus 6.
(Oct. 13) 25, 27, 31, 41, 44 and 45; bonus 16. Lotto Max: (Oct. 12) 18, 31,
38, 45, 46, 47 and 48; bonus 16.
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Regional briefs:
- Montreal’s
beloved bagel shops and Portuguese grilled chicken restaurants are feeling the
heat over a bylaw to end the burning of wood in the city. A law against wood
burning in houses came into effect Oct. 1 except in the most efficient,
cleanest-burning stoves or fireplaces. Meetings are now being planned for next
year to try to resolve the issue with businesses.
- With a combined
weight of 350 pounds and eating $300 in food monthly is an inseparable trio of
Saint Bernards, adopted by a Calgary family. The Edmonton Humane Society got a
worldwide response after putting out an urgent message to find a home for
Gasket, Gunther and Goliath. The male littermate trio couldn’t stand to be
separated but the society found a Calgary family with a large fenced yard who
wanted to give “these three dogs their forever home together.”
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Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com
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