Canada column for
Sunday, May 10/20
THE CANADIAN REPORT
By Jim Fox
The impact of the
COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the loss of three million jobs in less than
two months across Canada.
Statistics Canada
reported almost two million people lost their jobs in April on top of the one
million in March.
This pushed up the
unemployment rate to its second-highest level on record at 13 percent from 7.8
percent in March.
As of this weekend,
there have been more than 66,000 cases of COVID, with 4,500 deaths.
Concerning
reopening the economy, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said no one should be
asked to work in unsafe conditions.
Lifting
restrictions will occur “very, very gradually” and transmission of the disease
will be carefully monitored, he added.
Trudeau is also
pointing to the billions of dollars in aid to laid-off workers including $2,000
a month for those unable to find jobs while employers are offered wage subsidy funds
to keep jobs.
---
Families of victims
of the mass shooting that killed 22 people in rural Nova Scotia are suing the
estate of the dead gunman.
The rampage that
was Canada’s largest mass killing ended when police shot and killed
Halifax-area denturist Gabe Wortman on April 19.
Attorney Robert Pineo
said so far nine families have joined the proposed class-action lawsuit seeking
compensation.
It isn’t a case of
wanting money but “to get answers and to see a form of justice against the
gunman, even if it’s through his estate,” he said.
The incident began
after Wortman beat his former common law wife and shot his victims in their
homes and while driving a replica police car and wearing a uniform.
---
News in brief:
- Greyhound is
temporarily parking its fleet of buses in Canada due to the loss of riders over
the pandemic. The company will abandon all routes affecting 400 workers
effective Wednesday until passenger demand recovers. Greyhound previously
reduced its operations twice but passengers have since dropped by 95 percent.
- Quebec police
have arrested a man and woman in connection with a series of cellphone tower
fires. They were arrested in Saint Adele, northwest of Montreal, after two more
fires were set. Police believe the incidents might be linked to people holding
conspiracy theories about fifth-generation technology for cellphones.
---
Facts and figures:
The Canadian dollar is
higher at 71.36 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.40 Canadian before exchange
fees.
The Bank of Canada’s
key interest rate is steady at 0.25 percent while the prime lending rate is
2.95 percent.
Canadian stock
markets are higher with the Toronto Stock Exchange at 14,966 points and the TSX
Venture index492 points.
The average price
for gas in Canada has climbed to 87.3 cents a liter (Canadian) or $3.31 for a
U.S. gallon.
Lotto Max: (May
5) 25, 28, 32, 41, 42, 44 and 45; bonus 18. (May 1) 3, 12, 25, 36, 37, 42 and 49;
bonus 9.
Lotto
6/49 (May 6) 6, 29, 34, 36, 45 and 49; bonus 3. (May 2) 15, 18, 26,
34, 43 and 45; bonus 42.
---
Regional briefs:
- Training is set
to resume for Canadian professional sports teams at club facilities. The
Ontario government is anticipating a return to sports in the “not-too-distant
future.” Minister of Sport Lisa MacLeod said work has been ongoing to “return
to play when it is safe to do so.” This would include the NBA champion Toronto
Raptors, Toronto Blue Jays, Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Argonauts and the
Ottawa Senators.
- Canadian Star
Trek actor William Shatner has come to the aid of a teenaged girl who was
injured when knocked to the ground by police while wearing a Star Wars costume.
Shatner said Lethbridge, Alberta police had their guns drawn at the girl who
worked at a Star Wars themed restaurant. “Rifles drawn for a plastic toy
Cosplayer,” he said. Police had responded to complaints about someone in a
storm trooper costume carrying a gun.
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