Canada column for
Sunday, April 28/19
THE CANADIAN REPORT
(c) By Jim Fox
Thousands of people
have been forced from their homes after massive flooding in eastern Ontario,
Quebec, southern Manitoba and New Brunswick.
The flooding of
swollen rivers from rain and melting snow has led to states of emergency being
declared in Ottawa, Montreal and numerous cities and towns.
The real culprit is
climate change, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said after touring the flood-stricken
areas along the Ottawa River where paths behind the Parliament Building are under
water.
It’s the second
time in three years homeowners are trying to protect their properties as weekend
storms were expected to make water levels rise rapidly.
Hard-hit Quebec has
more than 6,000 houses underwater or surrounded as soldiers have arrived to
help sandbag and assist.
With so many flooded
houses in Quebec, Premier Francois Legault said the province will offer disaster
relief of up to $100,000 to homeowners or up to $200,000 for those who decide
to move away from flood-prone areas.
As flood levels
drop in New Brunswick, there are still more than 80 roads closed including a
portion of the TransCanada Highway.
---
Voters in Prince
Edward Island elected a minority Conservative government headed by Premier-elect
Dennis King.
For the first time
in dumping the two-party results, the Green Party with leader Peter Bevan-Baker became the official
Opposition.
The vote was
postponed in Charlottetown-Hillsborough Park after the death of Green candidate
Josh Underhay and his son in a boating accident on the Hillsborough River.
The election will
be held in the next three months.
---
News in brief:
- Canada’s central bank kept its trendsetting interest rate steady at
1.75 percent while noting the economy slowed at the start of the year. Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz said he
expects the slowdown to be temporary at which time higher interest rates might
be considered. Economic concerns include lower oil prices, global trade impacts
and a weaker housing sector.
- Free rides on public transit buses are being considered in Victoria,
British Columbia to encourage more riders and fight climate change. Mayor Lisa
Helps said as well as free rides, the transit commission will be asked to
expand bus service to meet an anticipated increase in demand.
---
Facts and figures:
The Canadian dollar
has slipped lower to 74.22 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.347 Canadian
before 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 16,613 points while the TSX Venture index is 610 points.
The average price for gas in Canada is up to $1.33
a liter or $5.05 (Canadian) for a U.S. gallon; $1.25 a liter in Ontario.
Lotto 6/49: (April 24) 6, 10, 16, 17, 41 and 43; bonus 18.
(April 20) 11, 15, 32, 34, 44 and 47; bonus 3. Lotto Max: (April 19) 2, 16,
21, 33, 39, 42 and 47; bonus 1.
---
Regional briefs:
- Sobeys Inc. is
making a foray into Western Canada with FreshCo, for its first discount grocery
store there. The new store in Mission, British Columbia will be followed by 11
more stores by the end of the year to increase market share after its troubled
acquisition of the Safeway chain. Sobeys operates more than 1,500 retail stores
across Canada.
- Canada is being told to come and pick up its garbage rotting in Manila
where 100 containers of waste were improperly shipped in 2013 and 2014 by a
Canadian company. Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte said if Canada doesn’t
take back the tons of trash, he would ship the containers back and maybe dump
some at the Canadian embassy in Manila. “Celebrate because your garbage is
coming home – eat it if you want to,” he said. Environment Minister Catherine
McKenna said Canada is “working very hard to address the issue.”
-30-
Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com
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