Canada column for
Sunday, Feb. 16/20
THE CANADIAN REPORT
By Jim Fox
Passenger and
freight rail service has been virtually suspended across Canada due to Native
protest blockades while police stand by and “monitor” the situation.
Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau said the disruptions must be resolved “through dialogue,” not by
ordering in the police.
“We are not the
kind of country where politicians tell the police what to do in operational
matters,” he added.
The blockades began a week ago over an injunction against Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs and
supporters at the Coastal GasLink natural gas pipeline construction site in
British Columbia.
A major concern is
a blockade of the Canadian National Railway main line near Belleville, Ontario
that has halted VIA Rail passenger trains and freight.
Members of the
Mohawk Nation met over the weekend with Indigenous Services Minister Marc
Miller but couldn't resolve the 10-day protest there.
---
Google is expanding
its Canadian presence with plans to open three new offices by 2022 to accommodate
5,000 employees.
It will build new
facilities in Waterloo, Ontario near its existing offices and replace others in
Montreal and Toronto.
The company employs
1,500 people including engineers, sales leaders and researchers in the three
cities.
Its Sidewalk Labs
affiliate plans to build a “waterfront smart city” in Toronto.
---
News in brief:
- Canada continues
to press for compensation for the families of victims in last month’s Ukrainian
jetliner crash. “We will continue to work tirelessly on behalf of the victims
of this tragedy until justice is rendered for all,” said Foreign Affairs
Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne. There were 57 Canadians among the 176
deaths when Iran’s military fired two missiles at a Ukrainian passenger jetliner.
- Canadian
journalist and author Christie Blatchford has died in Toronto of lung cancer at
age 68. The feisty writer who at one time worked for all four of the city’s daily
newspapers said her most meaningful work was as a war correspondent in
Afghanistan.
---
Facts and figures:
The Canadian dollar
is higher at 75.45 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.325 Canadian before
exchange fees.
The Bank of Canada’s
key interest rate is steady at 1.75 percent and the prime-lending rate is 3.95 percent.
Stock markets are mixed
with the Toronto Exchange index up at 17,848 points while the TSX Venture index
is lower at 570 points.
The average price
for gas in Canada is steady at $1.10 a liter or $4.18 for a U.S. gallon.
Lotto Max: (Feb.
11) 14, 15, 19, 22, 31, 36 and 39; bonus 23. (Feb. 7) 21, 24,
26, 31, 36, 48 and 49; bonus 39.
Lotto 6/4:(Feb. 12)
16,
20, 24, 33, 36 and 47; bonus 4. (Feb. 8) 8, 28, 30, 39, 41 and 43; bonus 45.
---
Regional briefs:
- Health
authorities suggest misplaced fears over the COVID2 outbreak centered in China
have caused a huge drop in business in Canada’s Chinatowns. There are only four
people infected in Canada, with three in Toronto and one in British Columbia.
“We must not allow ourselves to stigmatize or stop patronizing the businesses
or treat differently any group of people,” said Health Minister Patty Hajdu.
- Car dealer Nav
Bhatia, known as the Toronto Raptors Superfan, has been honored by the
Basketball Hall of Fame at this weekend’s NBA all-star
activities. Bhatia, who hasn’t missed a home game since the team’s founding
in1995 and many on the road, was named to the new Superfan Gallery, along with
the late actor-director Penny Marshall.
- Firefighters in
St. Catharines, Ontario have been told to turn down the heat on their steamy
annual calendar. The annual charity fundraiser shows firefighters stripped down
and flexing their muscles. They’ve been told to either cover up or not wear
their uniforms to “uphold standards of respect and dignity in the workplace,”
said Deputy Chief David Oakes.
-30-
Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com
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