Canada, China each warn their citizens about trravel

   Canada column for Sunday, Jan. 20/19

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Canada is warning against travel to China after a death sentence given to an alleged Canadian drug smuggler and the detention of others.

   The Chinese government is complaining about political interference by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who has expressed “strong dissatisfaction” of the recent events.

   Hua Chunying of the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Trudeau should “respect the rule of law, respect China's judicial sovereignty, correct mistakes and stop making irresponsible remarks.”

   Trudeau said China is “acting arbitrarily” by changing Robert Schellenberg’s original 15-year prison sentence to the death penalty for a conviction of being an accessory to drug smuggling.

   Chinese officials have complained that Canada has “arbitrarily detained” a Chinese national, telecommunications executive Meng Wanzhou in British Columbia, at the request of the United States.

   In a political tit-for-tat, China is urging its citizens to approach travel to Canada with caution while Canada warns of the risk of travel to China in the “arbitrary enforcement of local laws.”

   With Canada not having a death penalty, Trudeau said the government will “do all it can to intervene on Schellenberg's behalf.”

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   After a relatively snow-free and warm winter, that is changing across the country.

   Canadians can thank the U.S. for sending the “Colorado low” this way that’s expected to dump up to eight inches of snow over the next few days.

   This is coupled with a “polar vortex” that is bringing extreme cold as low as -22F.

   Environment Canada’s storm watch for Montreal and area warns of dangerous driving conditions associated with heavy wind and snow.

   In the west, Edmonton, Alberta recorded 3F while Winnipeg (nicknamed Winterpeg) and parts of northern Ontario have -50 wind chills.

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   News in brief:

   - University and college students will be getting a 10-percent reduction in tuition fees – no longer a free ride for many. The Ontario government will now provide grants only to students from low-income families. The Conservative government said Student Assistance Plan grants are unsustainable. To make up for the lost fees, the institutions must absorb the loss starting in the next academic term.

   - Three Canadian government workers were identified as those killed when an Ottawa transit bus crashed into the side of a shelter on Jan. 11. They were Anja Van Beek, 65, Judy Booth, 57, and Bruce Thomlinson, 56. The Transportation Safety Board is helping investigate what happened to cause the double-decker bus crash that also injured 23 commuters.

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   Facts and figures:

   The Canadian dollar is higher at 75.46 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.325 Canadian before bank exchange fees.

   The Bank of Canada’s key interest rate remains at 1.75 percent while the prime-lending rate is unchanged at 3.95 percent.

   Stock markets are mixed, with the Toronto exchange index up at 15,303 points while the TSX Venture index is down at 595 points.

   The average price for gas in Canada is steady $1.02 a liter or $3.87 (Canadian) for a U.S. gallon.

   Lotto 6/49: (Jan. 16) 4, 10, 11, 34, 46 and 48; bonus 23. (Jan. 12) 10, 13, 21, 30, 46 and 48; bonus 23. Lotto Max: (Jan. 11) 8, 15, 21, 28, 29, 30 and 39; bonus 23.

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   Regional briefs:

   - Police have arrested a suspect after fires were set at four churches in Merritt, British Columbia. An unnamed local man faces four counts of arson. One fire destroyed the 150-year-old Murray United Church, the oldest church in the area made from local Nicola Valley lumber. The other churches were not as seriously damaged.

   - There’s a battle of the elks over who has the world’s biggest moose statue. Mac the Moose has stood proudly for 31 years in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Now the 33-foot-high Mac has been dethroned by Norway’s Stor-Elvdal at 33.7 feet. Moose Jaw Mayor Fraser Tolmie said money is being raised to reconstruct a bigger Mac, while ideas include placing a hat on him, giving him skates, a hockey stick or sculpting larger antlers.

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Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com