Toronto is one of "safest cities," police chief says

   Canada column for Sunday, Dec. 30/18

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Toronto remains one of the safest cities in North America even as the city set a record for killings this year, Police Chief Mark Saunders says.

   There were 95 killings, “hopefully just a blip,” with most handguns used in crimes being sourced from the United States.

   The number eclipsed the previous record high of 89 homicides in 1991, with 50 of the latest caused by shootings, up 28 percent from last year.

   The chief, Mayor John Tory and the Greater Toronto Area’s 6.5-million residents have been concerned about public safety as the homicide rate steadily climbed – mostly involving gang members.

   The most shocking news in the city once known as “Toronto the Good,” were two large-scale attacks.

   A man now awaiting trial for murder drove a van into people walking along busy York Street, killing 10 in April and two people were killed when a gunman opened fire in July in the Greektown neighborhood before killing himself.

   Police resources were also strained investigating the ongoing case of alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur, accused of killing eight men from the city’s gay community over seven years.

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   Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in his year-end message, is crediting his Liberal party for creating economic prosperity with 700,000 new jobs over the past three years.

   “Right now, we have (one of) the lowest unemployment rates in recorded history in Canada,” he added.

   The jobless rate dropped to 5.6 percent from 7 percent when the Liberals took office, the best since Canada had 5.4-percent unemployment in 1974.

   In analyzing Trudeau’s claims, the Canadian Press newswire said the comments are a stretch as “no government can take full credit for all the good economic news.”

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   News in brief:

   - Citing harmful polluting effects, Montreal councillor Dominic Perri is calling for a ban on oil-burning furnaces in Montreal. The city in October banned wood-burning stoves and Perri’s motion would immediately outlaw oil used to heat new buildings and give older ones time to switch. There would also be a Quebec subsidy of up to $1,245 to convert to electric heat. The city is upgrading its municipal buildings to natural gas from oil.

   - A popular professor at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia has been found dead in Colombia. Ramo Gencay was found near Medellin where the economics professor had gone to attend seminars at a local university. He was last seen at a salsa night club on Dec. 6. Canadian consular officials are in contact with local authorities to gather additional information.

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   Facts and figures:

   The Canadian dollar continues at lowest level in 18 months at 73.33 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.363 Canadian before bank exchange fees.

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

   Stock markets are higher, with the Toronto exchange index at 14,222 points while the TSX Venture index is 552 points.

   The average price for gas in Canada is steady at $1.03 a liter or $3.91 (Canadian) for a U.S. gallon.

   Lotto 6/49: (Dec. 26) 2, 14, 27, 36, 38 and 48; bonus 40. (Dec. 22) 11, 16, 17, 22, 25 and 33; bonus 40. Lotto Max: (Dec. 21) 7, 21, 23, 25, 31, 34 and 45; bonus 37.

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   Regional briefs:

   - More than 1,000 people are still without electricity in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley after freezing rain and a buildup of ice brought down trees and power lines on Thursday night. As well, there were travel advisories this weekend for the Coquihalla Highway and heavy snow was forecast between Merritt and Kelowna with up to 10 inches expected. Abbotsford and Mission initially had 40,000 customers without power.

   - In Calgary, they’re spraying beet brine to keep streets clear of snow and ice. This eco-friendly mixture works wonders even in conditions as cold as -5F. The sugary carbohydrates in beet juice help the brine stick in place. The pilot project is to keep streets safe as well as to use less salt that is corrosive to vehicles.

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Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com