Snap general election avoided by vote in Canada's Parliament

    Canada column for Sunday, Oct. 25/20

    THE CANADIAN REPORT

   By Jim Fox

    A challenge by Prime Minster Justin Trudeau to force a snap election in the midst of a growing pandemic had no takers in the opposition parties.

   A last-minute decision of support for Trudeau by the socialist New Democratic Party kept the minority Liberal government alive and survive a non-confidence vote.

   The Conservative bid to bring down the government failed and averted the threat of a general election.

    Joining the Liberal vote were Green and Independent Members of Parliament.

   The Conservative bill that failed to pass was to create an anti-corruption committee to look into an alleged conflict of interest involving the WE Charity.

    It would have investigated the government using pandemic relief programs to give a now-revoked multi-million-dollar contract to WE.

   The company in the past paid speaking fees to Trudeau and his family and a family trip to former Liberal Finance Minister Bill Garneau.

    ---

     Modest hopes are is for a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the year or early in 2021, Prime Minister Trudeau said.

   The news came as Canada reached an all-time high for the virus.

   There are total cases of 211,732 with 177,879 recovered or resolved and deaths of 9,888.

    Canada is spending $214 million toward the development of a vaccine with biotech firms Medicago of Quebec and British Columbia’s Precision NanoSystems.

   There are also agreements with several other companies in the global race to produce a safe and effective vaccine, Trudeau said.

   U.S. firms Moderna and Pfizer have asked Canada to review their products that are undergoing clinical trials.

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    News in brief:

   - Canadian fashion chain Le Chateau is going out-of-business, closing all of its 123 stores and with the loss of 1,400 jobs. The Montreal-based business said its assets will be liquidated. Management said the stores have suffered through the virus outbreak and demand for holiday party and occasion wear, a core business, has been impacted.

   - Inflation increased by 0.5 percent last month as the central Bank of Canada continues with its low-interest stimulus measures. Food prices were up 1.6 percent, motor-vehicle prices up 2.7 percent and housing was up 2.6 percent. There were signs of ongoing weakness in the economy with a drop of 4.1 percent in back-to-school clothing and footwear prices.

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    Facts and figures:

   The Canadian dollar has advanced to 76.1 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.31 Canadian before exchange fees.

   The Bank of Canada’s key interest rate is steady at 0.25 percent while the prime lending rate is 2.45 percent.

   Canadian stock markets are lower with the Toronto index at 16,304 points and the TSX Venture index 718 points.

   The average price for gas in Canada is lower at $1.01 a liter (Canadian) or $3.83 for a U.S. gallon.

   Lotto Max: (Oct. 20) 8, 27, 30, 44, 46, 47 and 50; bonus 32. (Oct. 16) 1, 4, 8, 10, 12, 17 and 41; bonus 19.

   Lotto 6/49: (Oct. 21) 26, 28, 32, 37, 40 and 47; bonus 10. (Oct. 17) 7, 8, 9, 24, 25and 34; bonus 14.

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    Regional briefs:

   - Police are seeking two suspects who set fires causing a total of $1.2 million damage largely to stock inside three Walmart stores in Kitchener, Ontario. Fires were set in the toilet paper and paper towel aisles of the stores in an attack similar to that at three Walmarts in Winnipeg in the summer. Police said they are not aware of the motive. A social media tweet suggested taking action against Walmart over its mandatory wearing of masks.

  - The Canadian Federation of Independent Business says a poll shows Canadians intend to spend 66 percent of their holiday shopping at major big box retailers, or online, with sites such as Amazon. Only one-third of holiday shoppers plan on going to small, independent businesses that have often had to close while big box stores could stay open during the pandemic, said CFIB president Dan Kelly. “Small businesses really need a good holiday season to even things out,” he added.

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 Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com

Pandemic surge leads to tighter rules for Canadians

       Canada column for Sunday, Oct. 18/20

    THE CANADIAN REPORT

    By Jim Fox

    A surge in COVID-19 cases across Canada has led to tighter restrictions in virus hotspots.

   The national daily count is climbing by an average of 2,300 cases, with an average of 20 deaths.

   There are 194,000 confirmed cases in Canada and 9,721 deaths.

   “We’re seeing a rapid increase in the rate of infection,” said Ontario Premier Doug Ford as he reluctantly imposed tighter restrictions on Toronto, Peel and Ottawa, the nation’s capital city.

   These include limited visits allowed at long-term care homes, banning dining in restaurants, closing health clubs, reducing hours for bars and limiting the numbers at public gatherings and wearing face masks.

   Quebec, where “red zones” for the virus include Montreal and Quebec City, along with Manitoba and other areas, are being targeted with new restrictions.

   Canadians are also being urged to get flu shots to ease the burden on the health-care system.

    ---

    A very Canadian idea of having a virus-safe Halloween is to use hockey sticks to hand out candy to keep a safe distance.

   Dr. Theresa Tam said trick-or-treating should be possible as long as little ghosts and goblins take precautions to prevent the virus spread.

   Canada’s chief public health officer said parents should listen to local authorities for advice on their community activities.

   Polls show people are about evenly divided for taking part in normal activities after scaling back events for last Monday’s Canadian Thanksgiving.

   Tam suggests a mask can be incorporated into a costume and to respect physical distancing, using hand sanitizer and ensuring that treats are prepackaged.

    ---

    News in brief:

   - Nine employees of former Senator Don Meredith will receive a total of $498,000 in compensation for harassment and $30,000 in legal fees. An investigation found inappropriate behavior that included demeaning and humiliating staff members, kissing, touching and intimidation. Meredith was appointed to the Senate by former Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2010 and resigned from the upper chamber in 2017.

   - Scotiabank Arena isn’t being used for U.S. voter registration due to pandemic concerns. The facility, home to last year’s NBA champs the Toronto Raptors, was being considered to assist Americans living in Canada. Rising virus case numbers in Toronto and Ontario province, and restrictions on indoor gatherings were behind the change. There are about 650,000 Americans living in Canada.

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    Facts and figures:

   The Canadian dollar is lower at 75.8 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.31 Canadian before exchange fees.

   The Bank of Canada’s key interest rate is steady at 0.25 percent while the prime lending rate is 2.45 percent.

   Canadian stock markets are lower with the Toronto index at 16,438 points and the TSX Venture index 725 points.

   The average price for gas in Canada is lower at $1.02 a liter (Canadian) or $3.87 for a U.S. gallon.

   Lotto Max: (Oct. 13) 3, 10, 13, 19, 21, 45 and 49; bonus 12. (Oct. 9) 4, 6, 12, 30, 32, 33 and 34; bonus 29.

   Lotto 6/49: (Oct. 14) 10, 18, 20, 38, 39 and 44; bonus 40. (Oct. 10) 6, 23, 24, 29, 36 and 38; bonus 25.

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    Regional briefs:

   - Advancements in DNA technology have led police to now-deceased family friend Calvin Hoover they say raped and murdered Christine Jessop, 9, in Queensville, Ontario in 1984. Police said this confirms that Guy Paul Morin, a neighbor of the Jessop’s, was wrongly convicted. He was released from prison in 1995 on early DNA evidence after serving 18 months.

   - Many Canadian “snowbirds” who head south to warmer climates for the winter are waiting it out in British Columbia, hoping the land border to the U.S. will soon open up. Coastal British Columbia RV parks are full, says the B. C. Lodging and Campground Association. Hard-hit tourism businesses are also offering traditional hotel rooms and other spots that offer parking, power and other amenities for the winter.

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 Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com

Canadians should stay at home with family over Thanksgiving; Halloween and Christmas: health officials warn over virus

    Cnada column for Sunday, Oct. 11/20

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   By Jim Fox 

   Health and political authorities are urging Canadians to stay at home and keep family gatherings small this Thanksgiving weekend due to the pandemic.

   A recent spike in positive cases in Canada’s largest cities is causing concern, especially in Ontario and Quebec where stringent lock downs of businesses have been enacted.

   Canadians area being urged to keep their activities for Thanksgiving on Monday to just those living in the same house or apartment.

   Renewed measures include closing restaurants and bars serving liquor earlier and prohibiting dining in. Schools and day-care centers remain open.

   Ontario is at a record 939 new daily cases with tighter measures in Toronto, neighboring Peel Region and Ottawa while Quebec has consistently been above 1,000 new cases a day.

   “Canada is at a tipping point in this pandemic,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.

   He announced emergency payments for food banks, groups serving vulnerable communities and businesses that are having trouble paying their rent.

   “I know this is discouraging, especially going into Thanksgiving weekend, but remember this: when things were at their bleakest during the first wave, Canadians pulled together and flattened the curve,” he said.

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    The restaurant owned by hockey superstar Wayne Gretzky in Toronto has closed after 27 years in business.

   The landmark in Toronto’s Entertainment District served up sports bar staples and attracted sports celebrities and movie stars.

   Known as the “Great One,” Gretzky announced its impending closing last summer to make way for a high-rise condo development.

   The restaurant served its final beer and wings on Thursday in the space that was filled with memorabilia providing “an incredible inside look into the remarkable life of Number 99 on and off the ice,” said Toronto Sun’s Joe Warmington,

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    News in brief:

   - Two federal by-elections to fill vacancies in the House of Commons will be held on Oct. 26. Prime Minister Trudeau said the votes will take place in two Toronto districts despite the ongoing pandemic. They are to replace former Liberal finance minister Bill Morneau and Liberal Member of Parliament Michael Levitt.

   - The Green Party of Canada has selected Toronto’s Annamie Paul to be its new leader. She won in the eighth round of voting defeating Dimitri Lascaris. Paul, who is black and Jewish, said she is a descendant of slaves and an ally of those and Indigenous people who are fighting for justice.

    ---

    Facts and figures:

   The Canadian dollar is higher at 76.2 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.31 Canadian before exchange fees.

   The Bank of Canada’s key interest rate is unchanged at 0.25 percent while the prime lending rate is 2.45 percent.

   Canadian stock markets are higher with the Toronto index at 16,562 points and the TSX Venture index 732 points.

   The average price for gas in Canada is steady at $1.03 a liter (Canadian) or $3.91 for a U.S. gallon.

   Lotto Max: (Oct. 6) 4, 5, 9, 19, 28, 34 and 44; bonus 8. (Oct. 2) 7, 12, 16, 26, 40, 45 and 49; bonus 20.

   Lotto 6/49: (Oct. 7) 4, 5, 12, 13, 18 and 19; bonus 34. (Oct. 3) 12, 22, 24, 37, 39 and 43; bonus 16.

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    Regional briefs:

   - Lawyer Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, 43, has been named the new leader of the separatist Parti Quebecois. The party is in fourth place in Quebec and its history includes bringing the province to within a few thousand votes of separating from Canada in 1995. “The dream is not over; it’s about to be renewed,” he said.

   - Boys at several Quebec high schools wore skirts to school to protest against sexism and discrimination against women. The movement in Montreal and on the South Shore followed a wave of Instagram posts to support the cause. “This is to fight against the hypersexualization of women’s bodies, to allow them to wear what they want and break the codes of our society,” student Colin Renaud, 15, said.

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 Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com

Canada-U.S. land border remains closed but new compassionate rules offered

    Canada column for Sunday, Oct. 4/20

    THE CANADIAN REPORT

   By Jim Fox

    More compassionate rules will allow extended family members to cross the land border into Canada from the United States.

   This move was announced as the seven-month border lockdown was extended to Oct. 21for Americans and until Oct. 31 for travelers from other countries due to the pandemic.

   Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino said family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents will now be eligible to enter the country.

   “The pandemic is an ongoing threat and we need to continue to be cautious and restrictive about who can enter into Canada,” he said.

   “We recognize, however, that these restrictions should not keep loved ones apart,” he added.

   Starting Oct. 8, those eligible for entry include adult children, siblings, grandparents and those who have been in a “committed relationship” for at least a year with a notarized declaration.

   There is also a compassionate-entry program for those wanting to see an ill relative along with an exemption from the current 14-day quarantine requirement.

   For all others, allowing entry into Canada is for commerce and essential travelers only.

   No one should make travel plans until they’ve been authorized under the new program.

   “This disease is not going away any time soon. Countries will be struggling for a very long time,” said Health Minister Patty Hajdu.

    ---

    Canada’s Parliament has enacted a bill authorizing new benefits for workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

   This replaces the Canada Emergency Response Benefit that has given displaced workers $2,000 a month.

   Recipients of that program are being transitioned to a “more flexible and generous employment insurance” program.

   Called the Canada Recovery Benefit at $500 a week, it also includes those who don’t qualify for Employment Insurance payments and includes sick leave and caregiver benefits.

    ---

    News in brief:

   - Hundreds of Canadians have answered the call to help battle U.S. wildfires. The U.S. requested help battling the blazes in California and other states. Three 20-person crews from Quebec are in Boise, Reno and deployed to the North Complex fire and Plumas National Forest in California. There are also calls for help from Australia as the summer bushfire season starts.

   - Canada’s economic comeback continued in July with the gross domestic product growing by 3 percent compared with 6.5percent in June. All 20 industrial sectors it tracks had increases while agriculture, utilities, finance, insurance and real estate sectors recouped losses since the start of the pandemic. Accommodations and food services jumped by 20.1 percent while manufacturing grew 5.9 percent. Health care and social assistance rose by 3.7 percent.

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    Facts and figures:

   The Canadian dollar is higher at 75.1 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.333 Canadian before exchange fees.

   The Bank of Canada’s key interest rate is unchanged at 0.25 percent while the prime lending rate is 2.45 percent.

   Canadian stock markets are higher with the Toronto index at 16,199 points and the TSX Venture index 708 points.

   The average price for gas in Canada is steady at $1.03 a liter (Canadian) or $3.91 for a U.S. gallon.

   Lotto Max: (Sept. 29) 4, 6, 9, 15, 22, 24 and 28; bonus 44. (Sept. 25) 1, 7, 9, 28, 38, 48 and 50; bonus 13.

   Lotto 6/49: (Sept. 30) 13, 16, 20, 21, 27 and 48; bonus 15. (Sept. 26) 8, 27, 29, 33, 40 and 49; bonus 2.

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    Regional briefs:

   - Atlantic Canada provinces remain in their “bubble” to counter the pandemic. The four provinces have an enviable record at eliminating community transmission of COVID-19 as cases grow elsewhere in Canada. There are just 13 of Canada’s 14,490 daily cases, while Quebec alone reported 933 new daily infections with Ontario at 653 and British Columbia 161. Restrictions on who can visit and limited travel are working, said Chris Goodyear, president of the New Brunswick Medical Society.

   - A prominent landmark containing the word squaw near the summit on Mount Charles Stewart in the Alberta Rockies is being renamed. Stoney Nakoda women elders said the name of the peak near Canmore was “racist and misogynistic” and had to go. The new name is actually its original one: Anu katha Ipa or Bald Eagle Peak.

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 im Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com

Canadian general election averted with New Democratic support for the Liberal government

    Canada column for Sunday, Sept. 27/20

    THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

    The threat of an imminent federal election has been averted through a deal to further support workers during the pandemic.

   The opposition New Democrats are supporting the minority Liberal government’s legislation to continue aiding displaced workers.

   As a result, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government has the support needed to survive a confidence vote on the throne speech outlining the Liberal plans.

   New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh said the agreement includes its demands to widen access to sick-leave benefits during the pandemic.

   It also raises the benefits for people left jobless to $500 a week from the planned lowering to $400 weekly.

   Without the party’s support, the government might not have survived a non-confidence vote that would have caused the government to fall and an election held.

    ---

    With a dramatic increase in cases of COVID-19 health officials suggest Canadians should limit Thanksgiving activities on Oct. 12.

   The second wave of the virus is “already underway,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.

   There are 1,100 new cases a day compared with 380 a day in August.

   “It’s all too likely we won’t be gathering for Thanksgiving, but we still have a shot at Christmas,” he said.

    ---

    News in brief:

   - Prime Minister Trudeau paid tribute to the late former Liberal Prime Minister John Turner as a “strong advocate for equality and a champion of our democracy.” Trudeau and representatives of the other political parties gathered in the House of Commons to honor Turner, who died at age 91.

   - Bonnie Henry, British Columbia’s top doctor, says she’s received death threats and abuse over her actions during the pandemic. The provincial health officer said she had to have security at her home and has been targeted with threats, along with abusive letters and phone calls to her staff. She has become a national figure leading the COVID-19 response. Shoe designer John Fluevog has even named a pair of shoes after her.

   - Online services still aren’t back to normal at Revenue Canada more than a month after a major cyberattack. The federal tax collection agency said a number of services remain unavailable and can’t say when it expects its online services to fully return to normal. A forensic analysis continues into the incident involving 48,000 accounts.

    ---

    Facts and figures:

   The Canadian dollar is lower at 74.7 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.332 Canadian before exchange fees.

   The Bank of Canada’s key interest rate is unchanged at 0.25 percent while the prime lending rate is 2.45 percent.

   Canadian stock markets are lower with the Toronto index at 16,065 points and the TSX Venture index 695 points.

   The average price for gas in Canada is steady at $1.03 a liter (Canadian) or $3.91 for a U.S. gallon.

   Lotto Max: (Sept. 22) 8, 9, 37, 38, 40, 43 and 49; bonus 28. (Sept. 18) 2, 11, 22, 25, 32, 40 and 44; bonus 27. 

   Lotto 6/49: (Sept. 23) 11, 17, 28, 29, 36 and 39; bonus 15. (Sept. 19) 5, 15, 31, 35, 42 and 46; bonus 17.

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   Regional briefs:

- The remnants of Hurricane Teddy made landfall in eastern Nova Scotia and blew across southern Cape Breton with 60 mph winds. There were numerous power outages but little major damage when the then tropical storm came ashore near Sheet Harbour east of Halifax, the Canadian Hurricane Center said.

   - It was a sticky situation as the Supreme Court of Canada agreed to hear a case involving fines and compensation of $10 million for a massive maple syrup heist. Richard Vallieres of Quebec, called the ringleader, was found guilty of fraud, trafficking in stolen goods and theft. More than 9,500 barrels of maple syrup, valued at $18 million, were stolen from a Quebec warehouse in 2011 and 2012. The Quebec Court of Appeal ruled the fine was excessive and lowered it to $1 million.

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Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com