Canada column for
Sunday, June 16/19
THE CANADIAN REPORT
(c) By Jim Fox
Thousands of people
are expected for the parade and fan rally Monday to cap the cross-country
celebrations for National Basketball Association champions, the Toronto
Raptors.
The Raptors battled
to a 114-110 win over the Golden State Warriors in Game 6 and became the first
team outside the United States to win an NBA title.
The big question
now is whether Kawhi Leonard, named the NBA finals MVP and led the Raptors all season,
will stay in Toronto as his free-agent status looms.
After the final
game in Oakland, head coach Nick Nurse and the team made a side trip to
celebrate in Las Vegas.
All of Canada got
behind the team and crowded public squares where the game was shown on large
screen monitors, including at “Jurassic Park” outside the Toronto arena.
The parade makes
its way from Exhibition Park to city hall and Nathan Phillips Square for a fan
rally and then a viewing party at Coronation Park.
The team will ride
in open-air double decker buses along with the NBA Larry O’Brien
Championship Trophy.
---
A decision is
imminent by the Canadian government on whether the controversial Trans Mountain
Corp. pipeline expansion will go ahead.
Federal politicians
say the pipeline twinning to carry Alberta crude oil to west coast ports in
British Columbia will inject $7.4 billion into Canada’s economy.
Protests by
environmental groups and the British Columbia government have been ongoing,
prompting the federal government to buy the pipeline and expansion project for
$4.5 billion.
One new voice in
opposition is David Anderson, a former Liberal environment minister, who said there
is no economic basis or “significant market for Alberta bitumen.”
---
News in brief:
- A Leger public opinion poll shows that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
and his Liberal party have closed the gap slightly with the Conservatives in
advance of the Oct. 21 election. Some recent dissatisfaction with Trudeau has eased
a bit, it said. The poll also found the Liberals are favored to form the government.
- Mirvish Productions won’t attempt the world’s largest “screech-in” at
a Toronto performance of “Come from Away” over complaints from Newfoundlanders.
They said it should only be held for tourists visiting the province. The traditional
welcoming ceremony involves downing a shot of Screech rum, kissing a codfish
and reciting local expressions.
---
Facts and figures:
The Canadian dollar
has dropped to 75.54 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.341 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 mixed, with the Toronto
exchange index up at 16,301 points while the TSX Venture index is down at 587
points.
The average price for gas in Canada is lower at
$1.18 a liter or $4.48 (Canadian) for a U.S. gallon; $1.16 a liter in Ontario.
Lotto 6/49: (June 12) 22, 23, 31, 38, 47 and 48; bonus 10.
(June 8) 9, 12, 15, 20, 24 and 43; bonus 36. Lotto Max: (June 11) 18, 23,
28, 32, 34, 44 and 50; bonus 29. (June 7) 4, 8, 13, 23, 25, 33 and 39; bonus 17.
---
Regional briefs:
- It’s being said
that Quebecers are “regaining a sense of pride” as the provincial government plans
to enact a secularism bill that bans public sector workers from wearing
religious symbols. Premier Francois Legault said the bill “applies to a very
few people but allows us to send a message that we want to protect our values
and our way of life” in the largely French-speaking province.
- The 100-year
anniversary of the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean is being
celebrated in St. John’s, Newfoundland. British aviators John Alcock and Arthur
Brown started their historic voyage on June 14, 1919 and flew 16 hours through
harsh conditions before landing in Ireland. Aviation historian Gary Hebbard
said the flight shaped international air travel as it is known today.
-30-
Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment