Canada column for Sunday, Sept. 1/19
THE CANADIAN REPORT
(c) By Jim Fox
Former Canadian
Prime Minister Kim Campbell has apologized for an insensitive tweet “rooting
for a direct hit by Hurricane Dorian on Mar-a-Lago,” President Donald Trump’s
Florida resort.
The tweet sparked
outrage around the world until it was finally removed on Friday, two days after
it appeared, with Campbell back tracking.
Responses included
calling her “disgusting” and pointed out the path of the hurricane could put it
on a densely populated area of Palm Beach, while accusing her of wishing death
on others.
“I have deleted my
tweet about the hurricane and Mar-a-Lago and sincerely apologize to all it offended,”
Campbell tweeted.
“It was intended as
sarcasm and not a serious wish of harm,” wrote Campbell, 72, who was Canada’s
leader for just four months for the Conservatives in 1993.
She is a frequent
Twitter user and often criticizes Trump on issues including his climate change
denials.
“Throwaway lines
get a life of their own on Twitter. I should know better. Mea culpa,” the
apology concluded.
---
Police have so far
released few details about a boat crash that killed two people, including a
Florida man, and involved Canadian and U.S.TV personality and businessman Kevin
O’Leary.
Gary Poltash, 64, of
Belleair Beach, Fla. and Susanne Brito, 48, a mother of
three young children from Uxbridge, Ontario were killed in the Saturday night
crash.
Three other people were
injured and received hospital treatment after the two pleasure craft collided
on Lake Joseph, north of Toronto.
O’Leary and his wife Linda were on one of the
boats but were not injured.
Ontario Provincial
Police have seized the two boats as part of the investigation that will be
extensive before further information is available, said Staff-Sergeant Carolle
Dionne.
---
News in brief:
- A review is being
made by Canada’s telecom overseer of cellphone financing plans. The Canadian
Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission wants to know when customers
cancel their phone plans if they are charged a fee for any remaining balance on
their device. The rules were revised in 2017 to help customers better
understand their cellular contracts, prevent bill shock and switch service
providers easily.
- Election billboards
that were considered “offensive” concerning immigration are being removed in
major cities across Canada. They supported Maxime Bernier, head of the new
People’s Party of Canada. They stated “Say NO to mass immigration” and included
Bernier’s photo. True North Strong & Free Advertising Corp. paid $60,000 to
put up the billboards.
---
Facts and figures:
The Canadian dollar
is slightly lower at 75.06 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.33 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 up, with the Toronto exchange
index at 16,442 points and the TSX Venture index 589 points.
The average price for gas in Canada is steady at
$1.16 a liter or $4.40 (Canadian) for a U.S. gallon.
Lotto Max: (Aug. 27) 5, 7, 19, 28, 32, 35 and 44;
bonus 46. (Aug. 23) 5,
6, 8, 15, 22, 46 and 47; bonus 31. Lotto 6/49: (Aug. 28) 1, 10, 18, 39, 43 and 47; bonus 26.
(Aug. 24) 3, 7, 8, 14, 20 and 24; bonus 31.
---
Regional briefs:
- Post-tropical
storm Erin has drenched Nova Scotia and washed out rural roads with as much
rain that’s normal in all of July and August. More than six inches of rain fell
in just a few hours, with the Annapolis Valley and the Fundy shore receiving
the most. About 100 appointments were postponed at Halifax Victoria General
Hospital due to water damage from two inches of rain.
- The iconic Toronto sign at Nathan Phillips Square, ranked one of
the most “Instagrammable” spots, will be refurbished. Spelling out the city’s
name, the sign was erected in 2015 when the city hosted the PanAm Games. Its
popularity – more than 122-million
social media impressions in its first six months – meant it had to stay, said
Mayor John Tory. It has cost $400,000 in maintenance costs and the city is
looking for “philanthropic contributions.”
-30-
Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment