Canadians are electing a new government on Sept. 20 as Prime Minister justin Trudeau seeks a majority government

    Canada column for Sunday, Aug 15/21

    THE CANADIAN REPORT

   By Jim Fox

    Canadians will have an opportunity to let the federal Liberals know how well they have handled the pandemic when they elect a new government next month.

   Prime Minister Justin Trudeau plans to visit with Governor General Mary Simon today (Sunday) to get formal permission to “dissolve” the 43rd Parliament and set the date for an election – a mere formality and which was granted.

      With polls showing the governing Liberal minority government leading, Trudeau decided now to seek a majority government.

   His minority government was elected on October 21, 2019.

   Under Canada’s Parliamentary system, the leader of the party electing the most members becomes the prime minister as there is no separate vote.

   In the case of a minority government, the opposition parties could combine their votes on a major bill to force an election at any time.

   Observers are suggesting that Trudeau will opt for a short 36-day campaign with an election on Sept 20, which is now under way.

   The main contenders are Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole and New Democratic Leader Jagmeet Singh who have opposed a snap election even as politicians have been campaigning all summer.

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    There were long lines of Americans waiting to cross into Canada at land border points as restrictions were eased on Aug. 9.

   It was a “first step” in allowing entry to American citizens and permanent residents, who are currently residing in the United States, and have been fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior to entering Canada for non-essential travel.

   On Sept. 7, “provided that the domestic epidemiologic situation remains favorable,” the border will be open to any fully vaccinated travelers who have completed the full course of vaccination at least 14 days earlier, the Public Health Agency said.

   The U.S. continues to keep its land border closed except for essential travel.

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    News in brief:

   - Ontario politician Bill Davis, who helped shape the nation and the education standards, has died at age 92. Called him a “pipe-chomping” Conservative titan, and Ontario’s “education premier,” he was leader from 1971 to 1985. He established the educational TVOntario channel and oversaw the creation of several new universities and the province’s community college system, Prime Minister Trudeau said in paying tribute to him.

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     Facts and figures:

   Canada’s dollar is higher at 80 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.25 in Canadian funds before exchange fees.

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

   Canadian stock markets are higher, with the Toronto index at 20,540 points and the TSX Venture index 922 points.

   The average price for gas in Canada is higher at $1.397 a liter (Canadian) or $5.30 for a U.S. gallon.

   Lotto Max: (Aug. 10) 14, 18, 19, 32, 35, 38 and 41; bonus 27. (Aug. 6) 14, 15, 24, 43, 44, 48 and 49; bonus 47.

   Lotto 6/49: (Aug. 11) 12, 15, 25, 40, 44 and 45; bonus 31. (Aug. 7) 10, 13, 15, 22, 29 and 46; bonus 3.

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    Regional briefs:

   - “Now is the time for a new leader,” Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister said as he announced he was “stepping aside” at the mid-point of his four-year term. “We need a new leader to take our province forward,” said the Conservative premier first elected in 2016. He has been criticized about his role in the pandemic fight and comments about the province’s indigenous issues but gave no particular reason for quitting.

   - In what has been known as “naturally air-conditioned” Canada, heat waves are popping up across the country. Temperatures have hovered in the 90sF, with humidex readings in the 100s in many places including southern Ontario and British Columbia. Southern B.C. is enduring its third wave this summer for the past week. Environment Canada has issued special weather statements for much of the region and southern Ontario.

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 Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com

 

Quebec to launch COVID-19 vaccine passports to allow services in the province

    Canada column for Sunday, Aug 8/21

    THE CANADIAN REPORT

   By Jim Fox

   Quebec Premier Francois Legault said his government will launch vaccine passports in order for residents to receive non-essential services.

   As well, Prime Minister Trudeau is considering making COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for some federally regulated workplaces such as airlines.

   The plan for Quebec, with a population of 8.5 million and where French is the predominant language, is due to a recent increase in COVID cases.

   Quebecers are at the start of the fourth wave of the pandemic with the most-recent daily infection number at 305 new coronavirus cases with 72 more under investigation, the highest daily increase since May 30, he said.

   Nationally, the government is in discussions with the public service about whether there are some categories where vaccinations should be made mandatory, Trudeau said.

   The announcement is significant as it’s the first time he has publicly supported any form of compulsory vaccine.

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   Niagara Falls, Ontario – called the “Honeymoon Capital of the World”— anticipates salvaging much of this year’s tourist season starting on Monday.

   That’s when the Canada-U.S. border opens to fully-vaccinated Americans.

   For more than a year, the streets, the two casinos, restaurants and the many attractions have remained closed due to pandemic rules.

   Mayor Jim Diodati has the welcome mat out in the city that gets one-quarter of its visitors from the U.S.

   Americans will still have to prove full vaccination, provide a negative COVID test 72 hours before crossing and be tested once they arrive in Canada.

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   News in brief:

   - Canada still has fewer jobs than it had at the start of the pandemic. Statistics Canada reported the economy added 94,000 jobs last month as it pushed the jobless rate down to 7.5 percent. Almost all of the new jobs came in Ontario, with 72,000 openings. Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island also added jobs, with other provinces and territories had fewer or were unchanged. Most of the job gains were full-time in the private sector but there were 246,000 fewer jobs than in February last year.

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     Facts and figures:

   Canada’s dollar is lower at 79.7cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.254 in Canadian funds before exchange fees.

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

   Canadian stock markets are mixed, with the Toronto index up at 20,416 points and the TSX Venture index down at 917 points.

   The average price for gas in Canada is higher at $1.396 a liter (Canadian) or $5.30 for a U.S. gallon.

   Lotto Max: (Aug. 3) 4, 5, 9, 15, 24, 36 and 48; bonus 50. (July 30) 4, 12, 18, 19, 22, 25 and 44; bonus 43.

   Lotto 6/49: (Aug. 4) 3, 8, 21, 38, 42 and 49; bonus 37. (July 31) 7, 30, 37, 43, 47 and 49; bonus 20.

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    Regional briefs:

   - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, fresh from a two-week vacation, joined Quebec Premier François Legault to announce a plan to add day-care spaces and improve working conditions for educators. This will be accomplished with a federal investment of $6 billion in Quebec over the next five years. The money is part of the pledge to establish a nationwide subsidized day-care program, with an average fee of $10 a day. Deals have been signed with British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Yukon, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland/Labrador .

   - With wildfires burning across British Columbia, neighboring province Saskatchewan leads the country with an “extreme fire risk.” This is according to a map generated by Natural Resources Canada showing the province’s hot spots. The area involved is almost all of southern and central Saskatchewan, and much of the north. The province currently has 129 active wildfires burning.

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 Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com

Canada's central bank urges calm over high pandemic prices

 

   Canada column for Sunday, Aug 1/21

    THE CANADIAN REPORT

   By Jim Fox

    Post-pandemic price increases in virtually everything in Canada has prompted the Bank of Canada to tell Canadians to remain calm.

   “You can be confident that we will keep the cost of living under control as the economy reopens,” said the central bank Governor Tiff Macklem.

   “The Bank of Canada remains firmly committed to keeping inflation low, stable and predictable,” he added.

   His comments followed a report showing Canada’s inflation rate slowed more than expected in June to 3.1 percent compared with a 10-year high of 3.6 percent in May.

   These inflationary pressures are due to temporary factors including supply constraints and comparisons with last year’s low-price levels.

   These factors, both caused by the pandemic, have temporarily driven prices up and Canadians “shouldn’t overreact to these temporary price increases,” Macklem said.

   Leading the way with higher prices are transportation, shelter and furnishings, clothing and footwear, health and personal care, recreation, education and reading and alcoholic beverages and smoking products and food.

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   Federal election watchers are suggesting Canada could soon be facing an election.

   Sure signs, they say, are the many cross-county trips and funding announcements from Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

   Some of the places he’s been recently including Alberta, Saskatchewan and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario where he announced a $420-million commitment for Algoma Steel to phase out coal and create jobs.

   What this represents, Trudeau said, is “it shows that we are getting things done.”

   “I've been taking advantage of the fact that our virus caseloads are now lower that people are getting vaccinated, with 80 percent of eligible Canadians having received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 50 percent having both doses.

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   News in brief:

   - A British Columbia man was fined $2,150 for setting his grass on fire during a time of wildfires and burning bans in the province. The man told police he decided not to cut the grass but to burn it instead. Passengers on a passing BC Ferries boat near Langdale saw the smoke and flames and called the police. Fire trucks were needed to put out the blaze He was fined for violating the fire ban and under the provincial Wildfire Act.

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    Facts and figures:

   Canada’s dollar is higher at 80 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.25 in Canadian funds before exchange fees.

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

   Canadian stock markets are higher, with the Toronto index at 20,311 points and the TSX Venture index 921 points.

   The average price for gas in Canada is steady at $1.38 a liter (Canadian) or $5.25 for a U.S. gallon.

   Lotto Max: (July 27) 5, 12, 13, 32, 36, 40 and 48; bonus 49. (July 23) 7, 8, 13, 21, 35, 38 and 45; bonus 15.

   Lotto 6/49: (July 28) 1, 4, 10, 14, 32 and 39; bonus 19. (July 24) 1, 5, 7, 19, 37and 45; bonus 35.

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   Regional briefs:

   - Veterinarians are warning dog owners to beware of their pets eating outdoor items contaminated by from blue-green algae. Stephanie Cross of King City, Ontario said her family’s one-year-old Doberman puppy named Zoe became suddenly ill and died of algae poisoning. It was found she had ingested pine cones coated in the algae in a back yard swimming pool.

   - Something else to watch out for is wild parsnip that has turned up in Ontario and Saskatchewan. It has sap that can burn skin and cause blindness when exposed to sunlight. The parsnip closely resembles other common, non-toxic plants such as dill, tansy and Golden Alexander.

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Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com