Canada column for Sunday, Oct. 10/21
THE CANADIAN REPORT
By Jim Fox
Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole said he expects to stay on in the job even as members of his party are reviewing their options.
This follows a crushing election defeat last month when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals were returned to office with a minority government.
There were 159 Liberals elected while the Conservatives ended up with 119 members, two fewer than under former leader Andrew Scheer.
O’Toole said he is confident he will remain the leader and said the party increased its share of the vote in Ontario and new members in Atlantic Canada.
Within the party there’s a petition with several thousand signatures to review O’Toole’s leadership earlier than scheduled in 2023.
“We must learn the lessons of the election, share constructive feedback and remain united,” said.
The election loss was due to Trudeau “using the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to divide Canadians,” he added.
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Taking a family vacation at an expensive resort in Tofino, British Columbia “was a mistake and I regret it,” Prime Minister Trudeau said.
He apologized for snubbing invitations to be at events on the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
The new national holiday is “an important moment for all of us – Indigenous and non-Indigenous – to reflect and to remember,” he said, noting abuses of native people from years ago.
His office said that he earlier spoke at a sombre ceremony on Parliament Hill as residential school survivors shared stories and by phone.
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News in brief:
- Health officials are advising Canadians to be cautious around events to mark our Thanksgiving on Monday due to the pandemic.
This includes limiting the number of people gathering and being aware of those who are not fully vaccinated .
It is also best to do as much as possible outdoors and to wear masks while inside and keep your distance from each other, they advise.
Children are urged not to crowd around doors and wearing masks for Halloween.
- A wave of terminations is expected due to mandatory workplace vaccine policies nationally.
The number of employers requiring workers to be fully inoculated against COVID or risk losing their jobs continues to grow.
This includes governments, institutions and companies with deadlines to be fully vaccinated or face firings and unpaid leave.
Public service workers, air travel and rail employees must be fully vaccinated by the end of this month.
The mandate mirrors provincial policies, such as in Nova Scotia where school and health-care workers are required to have two doses of a vaccine by the end of November.
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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’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 20,460 points and the TSX Venture index 877 points.
The average price for gas in Canada is higher at $1.43 a liter (Canadian) or $5.40 for a U.S. gallon.
Lotto Max: (Oct. 5) 2, 10, 18, 19, 25, 42 and 48; bonus 21. (Oct. 1) 4, 8, 15, 39, 40, 42 and 48; bonus 5.
Lotto 6/49: (Oct. 6) 7, 18, 19, 38, 42 and 46; bonus 31. (Oct. 2) 8, 17, 18, 19, 48 and 49; bonus 26.
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Regional briefs:
- The British Columbia government will proceed with construction of an eight-lane tunnel under the Fraser River between Richmond and Delta. Costing $4.15 billion, it will replace the George Massey Tunnel that has frustrated drivers for decades and will connect the cities on Highway 99 by 2030.
- A lost camera mounted on a seal has been recovered after three years on the Nova Scotia ocean floor. The “trove of research data ” includes hours of video and was recently dragged up in fishing gear. It shows its lifestyle along with ocean conditions around Sable Island.
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Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com
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