Canada column for
Sunday, March 24/19
THE CANADIAN REPORT
(c) By Jim Fox
It’s been a week
for political rancor that even got petty when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had
to apologize for eating a chocolate bar.
Angry Conservatives
delayed presentation of the federal budget and then for an hour drowned out Finance
Minister Bill Morneau.
He couldn’t be
heard over loud heckles, stomping and chants until the Conservatives stormed
out to protest the government’s handling of the SNC-Lavalin issue.
The Conservatives
then staged a 31-hour filibuster, accusing Trudeau of political interference for
trying to help the Montreal-based engineering company avoid a criminal trial
for bribery.
During the first
hour of the voting marathon, Trudeau was noticed eating – which is against the
rules in the Commons.
“Indeed Mr.
Speaker, I apologize. It was a chocolate bar,” Trudeau said amid chuckles.
There was more lack
of decorum when Ontario Premier Doug Ford called Essex politician Taras
Natyshak “a coward” for questioning him about political appointments.
Ford then challenged
him to “step outside” to settle their differences.
---
A truck driver who raced
through a stop sign, crashing into a Saskatchewan hockey team bus and killing
16 people and injuring 13, was sentenced to eight years in prison.
Saskirat Singh
Sidhu, 30, of Calgary pleaded guilty in January to 29 counts of dangerous
driving in the crash a year ago.
“Families have been
torn apart because of the loss,” said Judge Inez Cardinal in Melfort.
She said the
collision was avoidable and Sidhu “had ample time to react had he been paying
attention.”
The transport truck
loaded with peat moss slammed into the Humboldt Broncos’ team bus.
It’s expected Sidhu
will be deported to India after he serves his sentence, immigration lawyer
Lorne Waldman said.
---
News in brief:
- Father Claude
Grou, rector of Montreal’s Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal, had only
minor injuries when stabbed in the chest Friday while delivering morning mass.
A man in his 20s was wrestled to the floor by security guards after rushing toward
the priest with a knife. The Montreal diocese said his condition is stable and
“all of our prayers are with him.”
- There are not tax
cuts in the federal budget that promises billions of dollars for job retraining, services for seniors and
incentives for first-time homebuyers. The budget projects a continuing annual
spending deficit of $18 billion. It will
lower interest rates on student loans and there is money to help pay for
zero-emission vehicles, retrofitting houses to be more energy efficient and to
assist news media organizations. A national drug agency will be established and
aid given to help cover the costs for drugs for people with “rare diseases.”
---
Facts and figures:
The Canadian dollar
has dropped to 74.5 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.342 Canadian before
bank and credit card fees.
The Bank of Canada’s
key interest rate is unchanged at 1.75 percent while the prime-lending rate is 3.95
percent.
Stock markets are mixed, with the Toronto
exchange index down at 16,089 points while the TSX Venture index is higher at
637 points.
The average price for gas in Canada is higher
at $1.20 a liter or $4.56 (Canadian) for a U.S. gallon; $1.14 a liter in
Ontario.
Lotto 6/49: (March 20) 2, 8, 17, 21, 22 and 26; bonus 5.
(March 16) 9, 12, 15, 20, 25 and 45; bonus 16. Lotto Max: (March 15) 6, 11,
25, 31, 36, 41 and 49; bonus 47.
---
Regional briefs:
- A former Miami
building contractor who settled on Nova Scotia’s infamous Oak Island to search
for buried treasure, has died. Dan Blankenship, who was 95, came to Canada in
1965 and lived on the island while searching for the fabled treasure that remains
hidden. He was a well-known cast member on the History Channel show “The Curse
of Oak Island.”
- Seniors at a
community lunch in Whitestone, Ontario were really enjoying their lunch dessert
of chocolate brownies but soon had symptoms of “feeling high.” Now, the police
are trying to determine how marijuana-laced brownies got onto the menu. Police
Constable Miles Loach said 10 seniors sought medical attention but none had any
lasting effects.
-30-
Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com
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