Canadian government to vote on whether to pass controversial Emergencies Act to deal with Ottawa protest riot

    Canada column for Sunday, Feb. 20/22

    THE CANADIAN REPORT

   By Jim Fox

    The Canadian government will decide on Monday whether it still needs to pass a controversial Emergencies Act to deal with anyone still at the illegal occupation of Canada’s Parliament grounds in Ottawa or coming back.

   A massive congregation of police officers from across Canada and the Mounties began arresting protesters one-by-one and seizing their trucks and cars on Friday that had occupied the capital the past three weeks.

   Despite orders to leave, hundreds of protesters in the trucker convoy were being arrested and vehicles seized and towed.

   In what started as anti-virus mandate protest to “take back their freedom,” the participants refused to leave until Canada’s government is replaced.

   Similar protects closed the Ambassador Bridge linking Windsor, Ontario with Detroit that lasted six days and other smaller protests across the country.

   People who have given money in the millions of dollars to support the blockades and protests should be concerned, including Americans who have given the majority of the cash through social media sites, said Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland.

   Financial service providers have started freezing bank accounts of people associated with the trucker activities and those supporting the illegal occupation, she said.

    ---

    Just in time for the mid-March Spring Break week, Canada is loosening its border virus test rules.

   As of Feb. 28, vaccinated travelers will no longer need a molecular COVID-19 test to enter Canada but instead can opt for the much-less expensive and easier-to-use rapid test.

   The tests need to be managed by a laboratory, health care or telehealth provider.

   Some fully vaccinated travellers might still be randomly selected for a molecular test at the airport, but they need not quarantine while they wait for the result.

   As well, unvaccinated children younger than 12 and traveling with vaccinated adults will no longer have to isolate from school, daycare or other public places for 14 days after they arrive in Canada.

    ---

    News in brief:

   - Teen-aged violence has police and parents concerned in Toronto. A 14-year-old boy was arrested for murder and attempted murder in a shooting at David and Mary Thomson Collegiate. Another boy was arrested for “aggravated assault” after a Toronto transit driver was stabbed over a fare dispute with a group of youths. It was the second stabbing of a transit worker in a week, with a 30-year-old man facing charges of assault with a weapon.

   - Charles Juravinski, a businessman and philanthropist, who supported health care across Hamilton, Ontario, has died. He was 92.

   - The new Hurontario Light Rail Transit line will be named after Mississauga, Ontario’s former Mayor Hazel McCallion, to mark her 101st birthday.

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    Facts and figures:

   Canada’s dollar is steady at 78 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.28 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 lower, with the Toronto index at 21,094 while the TSX Venture index was 849 points.

   The average price for gas in Canada is at a record high at $1.56 a liter (Canadian) or $5.92 for a U.S. gallon.

   Lotto Max: (Feb. 15) 19, 26, 28,36,40,42 and48; bonus 6. (Feb. 11) 1, 10, 12, 30, 33, 34 and 36; bonus 4.

   Lotto 6/49: (Feb.16) 2, 8, 30, 31, 40 and 44; bonus 11. (Feb. 12) 1, 25, 26, 37, 40 and 43; bonus 3.

    ---

    Regional brief:

   - Anti-pipeline protesters have caused “millions of dollars” in damage at the Coastal GasLink project in Houston, British Columbia. Mounties said about 20 people attacked security guards where the 500-mile natural gas pipeline is under construction. They blocked the road and damaged heavy machinery and buildings. No serious injuries were reported.

 thecanadareport.blogspot.com

 

Anti-vaccine truckers to face stiff fines and time in jail if they don’t remove their “freedom rallies”

    Canada column for Sunday, Feb. 13/22

    THE CANADIAN REPORT

   By Jim Fox

   After two weeks of blockading Canada’s capital city, Ottawa, to protest vaccine mandates, truckers now face stiff fines and time in jail if they don’t remove their “freedom rally” from downtown streets and U.S.-Canada land border crossings.

   In what started out as a virus mandate-protest to “take back their freedom,” it became a demand for Canada’s government to be overthrown.

   Ontario Premier Doug Ford said in an emotional address there appears to be one alternative – a court injunction with fines up to $100,000 and a year in jail.

   This is the third weekend of the parked convoy of hundreds of big rigs and thousands of people who have taken over Ottawa.

   It has grown to include blockades of the Canada-U.S. border’s Ambassador Bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor, Ontario along with other smaller crossings.

   This has led to layoffs at the many auto plants and demands from the U.S. government to do something quickly.

   The protesters say they will remain until their anarchist demands are met, including dropping all vaccination mandates.

   So far donations to support the truckers in the “freedom rally” protest – many from Americans – have topped $18 million, now under court review.

   “We’ve heard you; now go home,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the protesters at a news conference but he still refuses to meet with them.

   ---

   The Canadian government plans to announce changes to COVID-19 measures at its borders in the next week.

   The announcement by Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos comes as Canada still advises against non-essential international travel.

   The worst of the latest wave of the pandemic is over and “measures will be tweaked accordingly,” he said.

   He’s expected to remove mandatory pre-arrival PCR COVID testing for Canadians who are fully vaccinated and who travel outside the country.

   Now anyone travelling within Canada by plane, passenger train or boat must be vaccinated against COVID-19 and international travellers are subject to COVID test requirements.

   ---

    News in brief:

   - Quebec is changing its isolation guidelines for those who caught COVID-19 in its fifth wave and believe they’ve caught it again. Quebec Public Health says contact with a positive case makes it unlikely they have been reinjected at this time. The new guidelines apply to people showing symptoms now or have been in contact with someone who has it. Quebec also has a new COVID-19 self-assessment tool to help people determine whether someone needs to isolate. These people don’t need to isolate unless they have a fever and should do so until they have been fever-free for 24 hours.

    ---

    Facts and figures:

   Canada’s dollar is higher at 78 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.28 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 21,450 while the TSX Venture index was 866 points.

   The average price for gas in Canada is at a record high at $1.55 a liter (Canadian) or $5.89 for a U.S. gallon.

   Lotto Max: (Feb. 8)16, 29, 32, 34, 38, 39 and 47; bonus 18. (Feb. 4) 5, 15, 19, 22, 37, 46 and 47; bonus 1.

   Lotto 6/49: (Feb. 9) 12, 14, 19, 28, 32 and 36; bonus 17. (Feb. 5) 2, 9, 12, 14, 23 and 24; bonus 10.

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 Regional briefs:

  - A huge avalanche blocked a major highway in British Columbia. Traffic was stopped for several days after the snow cascade on Highway 37A near Stewart. There were no injuries but the province has had several avalanches in recent weeks with one death and two people seriously injured in the Whistler area.

   - Pandemic restrictions were given as the reason Elton John’s “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour will bypass Canada next month. John’s website expressed “great regret” for the cancellation of four shows in Toronto and Montreal. Ontario and Quebec limit venues to 50 percent seating capacity but plan to lift their limits on March 14 after the show dates. Shows planned for Toronto and Vancouver in the fall are still planned.

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 thecanadareport.blogspot.com

 

Anti-vaccine trucker protests grow across Canada

    Canada column for Sunday, Feb. 6/22

    THE CANADIAN REPORT

   By Jim Fox

    The trucker protest anti-vaccine in Canada’s capital is in its second weekend as protests are growing across the country.

   It started with convoy of hundreds of big rigs from across Canada and thousands of people converging on Ottawa and calling for the federal government to resign or be forced out of office.

   They are demanding that all COVID-19 vaccine, mask and lockdown mandates be dropped.

   The truckers organized the rally to fill downtown streets with days and nights of protests, horn honking and some lawlessness, after Canada and the United States stopped non-vaccinated truck drivers from crossing the border.

   Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is in quarantine with the virus has refused to meet with the protesters and police have been mainly observing the ruckus so as not to inflame the situation although numerous fines have been issued.

   There’s little financial concern as the “freedom rally” protest has raised more than $10 million in GoFundMe donations now under review.

   Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly said the demonstrators “remain highly organized, well-funded, and extremely committed to resisting efforts to end the demonstration safely. This remains a very volatile and very dangerous demonstration.”

   Support is growing as protests are also planned for Quebec City, Toronto and Kitchener, Ontario this weekend as well as a border blockade at in Alberta.

    ---

    A day after meeting with Ottawa trucking protesters and giving them the “thumbs up” endorsement in photos, Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole is out of a job.

   He was abruptly removed as party leader in a secret vote by his caucus.

   Many in his party were unhappy about O’Toole especially after the Conservatives were second to the Trudeau Liberals in last year’s federal election.

   Candice Bergen, a Member of Parliament from Manitoba, was chosen to be the interim leader for the party.

   O’Toole, 49, said the job was “the honor of a lifetime” and that he will remain as member representing Durham, Ontario.

   There are reports Bergen encouraged O’Toole to meet with the truckers as “there are good people on both sides.”

    ---

    News in brief:

    -  Stricter public health rules aimed at slowing spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant were blamed for the loss of 200,000 Canadian jobs in January but they are temporary, economists say. The number is the biggest job loss since January of last year when 207,800 jobs disappeared, Statistics Canada said. The number of lost jobs pushed the unemployment rate to 6.5 percent last month compared with 6.0 percent in December. It reflected the number of people temporarily laid off or scheduled to start a job soon and one in 10 workers who were off sick.

    ---

    Facts and figures:

   Canada’s dollar is lower at 75 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.27 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 mixed, with the Toronto index down at 21,330 on Friday while the TSX Venture index was up at 853 points.

   The average price for gas in Canada is at a record high at $1.52 a liter (Canadian) or $5.80 for a U.S. gallon.

   Lotto Max: (Feb. 1) 9, 14, 24,26,29, 39 and 49; bonus 42. (Jan. 28) 3, 7, 8, 10,  34, 43 and 47; bonus 16.

   Lotto 6/49: (Feb. 2) 3, 7, 9, 23, 26 and 32; bonus 42. (Jan, 29) 10, 14, 25, 29, 33 and 44;bonus 40.

   ---

    Regional briefs:

   - The leaders of several Canadian provinces are indicating they will end some or most of the remaining COVID-19 health restrictions. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney plans to announce in the next week a date to end Alberta’s vaccine passport and a phased approach to ending almost all health restrictions by the end of the month. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says he’s committed to ending all COVID restrictions soon, even while related hospitalizations are at their highest level of the pandemic.

 -30-

 thecanadareport.blogspot.com

 

Convoy of cross-Canada trucks protesting mandatory vaccine requirements at border descend on Parliament Hill in Ottawa

   Canada column for Sunday, Jan. 30/22

    THE CANADIAN REPORT

   By Jim Fox

    Looks like we got us a convoy.

   Truckers are sitting on a pile of cash in the millions of dollars as their anti-vaccine protest rolls into Canada’s capital.

   Tens of thousands of trucks have seen much support – amounting in $6 million in GoFundMe donations to support the cause.

   Their cross-country cavalcade targets the Canadian government in Ottawa this weekend to show opposition to the latest Canada-U.S. cross-border order that truckers in both countries must be vaccinated against COVID-19 to cross.

   Truck drivers warn this will lead to food and product shortages and is a violation of their rights.

   They have been mobilizing all week from all parts of the country as far as British Columbia and some from the U.S. to oppose all public health mandates.

   Called the Freedom Convoy 2022, they made their way to Parliament Hill for the weekend showdown.

   Mike Millian, president of the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada, said the group’s original message has been hijacked by far-right and extreme rhetoric.

   “It’s a fringe minority in the truck convoy with unacceptable views that don’t represent Canadians,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.

    ---

    Canada’s central bankers have decided not to raise the trend-setting interest rate now but the time is coming.

   Bank of Canada Governor Macklem said there is a shift in monetary policy to avoid tackling rising inflation with a rate increase from 0.25 percent where it has been for two years.

  The annual inflation rate is 4.8 percent, the highest in 30 years.

   He cited the ongoing uncertainty around the Omicron variant during the pandemic means the bank isn’t ready to make a move yet.

   But it signals that “interest rates will now be on a rising path” later this year,” Macklem said.

   With the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, rates were kept low to ensure that consumers and businesses had access to low-rate loans to keep the economy afloat.

   ---

   News in brief:

   - The Public Health Agency of Canada has detected more than 100 cases of a new Omicron subvariant known as BA.2, doubling. This is twice the number of infections from the virus detected earlier. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said the BA.2 subvariant is being “watched closely” and most of the cases involve international travelers. Some researchers say it could be more contagious but little is known about it yet.

   ---

   Facts and figures:

   Canada’s dollar is lower at 78 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.28 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 lower, with the Toronto index at 20,559 on Friday while the TSX Venture index was 834 points.

   The average price for gas in Canada is nearing a record high at $1.48 a liter (Canadian) or $5.62 for a U.S. gallon.

   Lotto Max: (Jan. 25) 11, 13, 18, 20, 23,30 and 40; bonus 37. (Jan. 21) 10,14, 21, 26, 28, 36 and 50; bonus 41.

   Lotto 6/49: (Jan. 26) 5, 22, 25, 30, 32 and 46; bonus 45. (Jan.  22)   7, 12, 27, 31, 37 and 44; bonus 35.

   ---

   Regional briefs:

   - The cleanup is continuing into its second week to remove three-decade record snowfall from Toronto streets. Work crews removed 100,000 tons of snow from main roads and residential side streets after the blizzard dumped two-feet of snow on Jan. 17.  The snow was replaced by bone-chilling Arctic air with temperatures below 0 F.   Nova Scotia and eastern Canada are preparing for a fierce winter storm with high winds and snow moving up the Atlantic Seaboard.

   - Burnaby, a neighbor to Vancouver, has signed a global treaty that recognizes the climate crisis and an urgent need to eliminate fossil fuels City council voted unanimously to endorse a treaty calling on governments and corporations to speed up the transition to clean energy. Mayor Mike Hurley said it supplements a climate emergency declaration in 2019. “To avoid the worst effects of climate change, it is clear that the global community must support a rapid and just transition away from fossil fuels,” he said.

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 thecanadareport.blogspot.com