Canada column for Sunday, Sept. 29/19
THE CANADIAN REPORT
(c) By Jim Fox
The controversy surrounding
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in blackface – being called “brown face” in
Canada – continues to drag down his re-election campaign.
Time magazine first
carried the 18-year-old photo from a school yearbook and Trudeau has repeatedly
apologized for the oversight while admitting it wasn’t the only time he did it.
He donned the
blackface look for an Arabian Nights party when he was a 29-year-old teacher at
West Point Grey Academy in Vancouver.
The photo was given
to Time by Michael Adamson who said he was “motivated solely by the belief that
the Canadian public had a right to see it.”
Adamson’s family
has a connection to one of the Time reporters responsible for publishing the
photo.
Some people
attending the party said they did not consider Trudeau’s actions racist as it
was in keeping with the theme as others dressed as belly dancers or wore saris
or veils.
Trudeau said he “had
a blind spot because of his privilege and he deeply regrets behavior he now
recognizes as racist.”
---
On the federal
election campaign for the Oct. 21 vote, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said
the Trudeau Liberals have botched spending for numerous infrastructure programs
that have failed to deliver for commuters.
He promised to
prioritize infrastructure spending on projects intended to cut commuting times.
They would be part
of initiatives to redistribute billions of dollars to upgrade bridges, roads,
highways and transit systems.
In particular,
Scheer said the George Massey Tunnel replacement in the greater Vancouver area
would be high on a Conservative government’s priority list.
---
News in brief:
- Hundreds of
thousands of students left their classrooms on Friday to join a massive
world-wide environmental protest. Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old Swedish
activist known for her global crusade to save the planet, met with Prime
Minister Trudeau in Montreal. Claims of climate leadership in Sweden and Canada
are “just empty words,” she said. Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer didn’t join
the march but mocked Trudeau for doing so against his government’s climate
record.
- Two Canadian
teenagers died in a “suicide pact” after they killed three people in northern
British Columbia, police said. The Mounties released details of their investigation
into the deaths of Kam McLeod, 19, and Bryer Schmegelsky, 18, in northern
Manitoba. They recorded videos of themselves after killing tourists Lucas
Fowler from Australia, his American girlfriend Chynna Deese and University of
British Columbia Prof. Leonard Dyck in July. They expressed no remorse.
---
Facts and figures:
The Canadian dollar
is higher at 75.49 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.324 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.
Canadian stock markets were lower with the Toronto
exchange index at 16,694 points while the TSX Venture index was 569 points.
The average price for gas in Canada is $1.15 a
liter or $4.37 (Canadian) for a U.S. gallon.
Lotto Max: (Sept. 24) 3, 22, 26, 32, 38, 42 and
43; bonus 8. (Sept. 20) 9, 15, 26, 36, 39, 41 and 47; bonus 37.
Lotto 6/49: (Sept.
25) 16, 25, 28, 29, 39 and 47; bonus 17. (Sept. 21) 1, 2, 4,32, 38 and 39;
bonus 21.
---
Regional briefs:
- In three months,
Michael and Georgina Parsons will be the sole residents of Little Bay Islands,
off the northern coast of Newfoundland. They’ll be living off the grid when the
provincial government abandons the tiny island. The 54 permanent residents
voted after years of debate to take government assistance to relocate to the
mainland. The government will spend $8.7 million to help them move away in
order to save $20 million over 20 years by not providing services.
- Montana and
Washington state will be sharing the first major snowfall of the coming season
with Canada’s prairies. Some areas could receive more than two feet (60
centimeters) of snow during the weekend through Monday, the Weather Network
said. “Expect severe impacts to travel, agriculture and recreation,” meteorologist
Doug Gillham said, noting a “high risk” for power outages and tree damage.
-30-
Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com
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