Canada's Liberal government forms an alliance with the socialist New Democrats

   Canada column for Sunday, March 27/22

    THE CANADIAN REPORT

   By Jim Fox

    It’s a case of strange bedfellows as Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has formed a coalition government of sorts by an alliance with the socialist New Democratic Party (NDP).

   The arrangement ensures Trudeau’s minority government will stay in power for at least three more years until the next election by being propped up by the NDP.

  The two political parties will support each other as both fell short of a majority last year.

   It’s a slap against the Conservative party that is the official opposition as it seeks to find a new leader.

   Canada’s Parliament has 338 members, with the Trudeau Liberals having 159 elected and the Conservatives 119 to form another minority government.

   The deal with 25NDP members will allow the Liberals to pass bills unheeded and rule.

   Otherwise should a major bill fail to pass, the government could fall in a non-confidence motion and an election must be held.

   “They've cooked up a backroom deal that would see Justin Trudeau get the majority power that he tried desperately to get last fall in the last election, but he failed to get,” said interim Conservative Leader Candice Bergen.

   “Voters did not vote for a Liberal-NDP government,” she said.

    There was a similar deal in 2017 in British Columbia with the NDP and Green parties.

 

   ---

 

    Oil-rich Alberta will stop collecting its fuel tax on April 1and offer a $150 electricity rebate in an effort to help Albertans deal with rapidly rising fuel and energy costs.

     Rebates are also to be offered in Nova Scotia and now Quebec will also provide some help to people coping with high gasoline and food prices.

   The spring budget includes a one-time payment of $500 to every adult earning $100,000 or less to help offset the impact of inflationary price increases.

   Finance Minister Eric Girard said it will be transferred directly into Quebecers’ bank accounts after they file their 2021 income tax returns.

   The payments are to “help Quebecers weather significant inflation that the government expects will reach 4.7 percent this year.

   It will be paid to 6.4 million people at a cost of $3.2 billion.

 

   ---

   News in brief:

   - Unifor national president Jerry Dias has resigned amid an investigation into $50,000 given to him by a supplier of COVID-19 rapid test kits. He then promoted the kits to employers of union members, said secretary-treasurer Lana Payne, calling it against the code of ethics. Unifor is the largest private sector union in Canada.

   - Toronto Mayor John Tory said he will seek a third term in the Oct. 24 municipal election.  Tory said he is seeking another term because the city “needs an experienced leader” who will continue to make Toronto “a more livable and more affordable place to live, to work and build a future.”

 

   ---

  

   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 steady at 0.5 percent while the prime lending rate is 2.7 percent.

   Canadian stock markets are higher, with the Toronto index at 21,937 while the TSX Venture index is 883 points.

   The average price for gas in Canada is higher at $1.76 a liter or $6.68 for a U.S. gallon in Canadian funds.

   Lotto Max: (March 22) 14, 16, 20, 26, 33, 36 and 48; bonus 1. (March 18) 5, 7, 12, 18, 26, 29 and 46; bonus 25.

   Lotto 6/49: (March 23) 8, 11, 12, 23, 29 and 36; bonus 49. (March 19) 4, 7, 26, 36, 42 and 47; bonus 32.

 

   ---

 

   Regional briefs:

   - The organizers of the “Freedom” truck convoy that jammed Ottawa, Canada’s capital city for almost a month, now jointly face more mischief, intimidation and obstructing charges. They are now being heard by the courts, with those arrested out of jail on bail. The rally with hundreds of parked trucks and thousands of demonstrators against pandemic rules cost the city and police services $36.3 million and restitution is being sought for the losses.

 

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Canada relaxes border rules to no longer need a virus test as of April 1

    Canada column for Sunday, March 20/22

    THE CANADIAN REPORT

   By Jim Fox

   There’s good news for travelers as those vaccinated will no longer need to show a COVID-19 test to enter Canada as of April 1.

   Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said the more-lenient border policy is possible because of Canada’s high vaccination rate and fewer cases of the virus being detected at the border.

   The change comes at the start of the tourist season and as the pandemic has declined with fewer cases since mid-January.

   The positivity rate at airports was about 10 percent in January and has fallen to 1 percent now, Duclos said.

   Arriving tourists still must be vaccinated and need to upload their information to the ArriveCan app.

   Travelers could still be subject to random molecular tests when they arrive at Canadian airports and land border crossings.

   For those taking cruises, they will still need to be tested before boarding but will not need to take a test to get off the ship, said Transport Minister Omar Alghabra.

   “Canada's tourism sector is ready to ensure the safety of travelers, employers and the communities in which they operate,” said Tourism Minister Randy Boissonnault. “They are ready to welcome back the world.”

   Unvaccinated traveler rules are unchanged with the need for a negative rapid antigen or molecular test upon arrival and eight days later and quarantine for 14 days.

    ---

    The oil-rich province of Alberta will help drivers coping with record-high gas prices.

   Premier Jason Kenney said his government is working on a plan with rebates that would “provide immediate relief for the growing gasoline prices.”

   As well, Kenney said he wants to “ensure the Alberta treasury receives additional royalties from these higher prices, with some passed on to consumers.”

   The higher prices, with gas selling for more than $1.50 a liter ($5.70 for a U.S. gallon in Canadian funds) in Alberta, are “eating into people’s wallets and ability to pay the bills,” Kenney said.

   ---

   News in brief:

   - Two Canadian students were the only survivors of a two-vehicle crash that killed nine people in Texas. Dayton Price, 19, of Mississauga, Ontario and Hayden Underhill, 20, of Amherstview, Ontario were seriously injured in the crash between a pickup truck driven by a 13-year-old boy and a van with members of the University of the Southwest Golf Teams. Six students and their coach and the two people in the truck were killed in the fiery crash.

    --

     Facts and figures:

   Canada’s dollar is higher at 79 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.2 6in Canadian funds, before exchange fees.

   The Bank of Canada’s key interest rate is steady at 0.5 percent while the prime lending rate is 2.7 percent.

   Canadian stock markets are mixed, with the Toronto index up at 21,771 while the TSX Venture index is down at 851 points.

   The average price for gas in Canada is lower at $1.75 a liter or $6.65 for a U.S. gallon in Canadian funds.

   Lotto Max: (March 15) 3, 7, 12, 17, 23, 38 and 40; bonus 27. (March 11) 5, 7, 12, 22, 28, 43 and 47; bonus 1.

   Lotto 6/49: (March 16)1, 3,8,14, 15 and16; bonus 33. (March 12) 3, 8, 20, 24, 37 and 47; bonus 31.

    ---

    Regional briefs:

   - Western Canadian farmers say they will face a ““catastrophic” crisis shipping their products should there be a strike or lockout by3, 000 CP Rail workers at midnight tonight (Sunday).

Negotiations have been ongoing since September by the railway and Teamsters Canada. Workers have voted to go on strike and the railway said a lockout could happen “to bring this uncertainty to an end,” said CP Chief Executive Keith Creel. The main issues are wages, pensions and work rules.

   - Automotive parts companies in Windsor, Ontario are looking to hire up to 500 Ukrainian refugees to help address a shortage of workers in the city across from Detroit. The Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association wants to open up employment opportunities, said Larry Koscielsk of CenterLine (Windsor) Ltd. He is the son of Polish immigrants who came to Canada during the Second World War.

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Long-distance car trips are out for many Canadians over soaring gas prices

    Canada column for Sunday, March 13/22

    THE CANADIAN REPORT

   By Jim Fox

    Many Canadians are scrapping long-distance highway trips as gasoline prices reach record highs, exceeding $2 a liter ($7.50 a U.S. gallon in Canadian funds).

   “It means vacations postponed,” for spring road trips and this week’s March school break, said federal politician McTeague, president of Canadians for Affordable Energy.

   He puts out a daily prediction of where gas prices are headed across Canada.

   Now that the pandemic is easing, people were looking to get away but are faced with super-high pump prices for gas.

   It’s also translating into a one-week national average gas price increase of 26 cents a liter ($1 a U.S. gallon to $1.85 a liter ($7) by Sunday, McTeague said.

   “As fuel prices filter their way through the economy, it’s likely to raise the price of everything else substantially, he added.

   Gas prices reached $2 a liter in Vancouver and Montreal, $1.75 in Toronto  and $1.67 in Halifax, said Natural Resources Canada.

   “Gas prices continue to be headed north towards record territory,” McTeague said.

    ---

    The Ontario government plans to remove most mask mandates on March 21 and end remaining public health orders in April.

   Canada’s most populous province will shift the onus of protection from COVID-19 to people, said Premier Doug Ford.

   “We’re going to move forward cautiously and if someone wants to keep a mask on, good for them,” he said.

   The announcement came as 1,974 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Ontario on March 9.

   “Improving health indicators, such as a stable test positivity rate and declining hospitalizations, as well as Ontario’s high vaccination rates and the availability of antiviral treatments, allow for mask mandates to now be lifted, said Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health.

   Up next on Monday will be the end of the mandatory vaccinate-or-test policies for workers in schools, child-care settings, hospitals and long-term care.

   Masking requirements in most settings will be removed – including schools and child-care settings – except for public transit and health-care settings such as long-term care facilities.

    ---

    News in brief:

   - Former Quebec Premier Jean Charest is expected to be among the candidates to enter the race to succeed Erin O'Toole who resigned as leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. Charest, 63, is also a former leader of the Quebec Liberal and federal Progressive Conservative parties. The only declared candidate is Pierre Poilievre, said to be known for “extreme conservative views and fiery rhetoric in Parliament.” The candidates must declare by April 19 and the leader will be decided on Sept. 10.

    ---

    Facts and figures:

   Canada’s dollar is slightly lower at 78 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.27.3 in Canadian funds, before exchange fees.

   The Bank of Canada’s key interest rate is 0.5 percent while the prime lending rate is 2.7 percent.

   Canadian stock markets are higher, with the Toronto index at 21,581 while the TSX Venture index 855 points.

   The average price for gas in Canada is at another record high of $1.87 a liter or $7.10 for a U.S. gallon in Canadian funds.

      Lotto Max: (March 8) 10,12, 13, 18, 25, 26 and 37; bonus 39. (March 4) 2, 4, 14,18, 24 ,46 and 47; bonus 23.

   Lotto 6/49: (March 9) 16, 25, 31, 34, 40 and 42; bonus 15. (March 5) 5, 9, 10, 32, 38 and 40; bonus 44.

    ---

    Regional brief:

   - A huge container ship, the length of two football fields, is adrift off the west coast of Newfoundland. The Canadian Coast Guard said the half-mile-long MSC Kim reported engine problems and is being towed 50 miles to Port au Port. There were no reported injuries or pollution problems. The vessel is sailing under the flag of Panama and owned by Switzerland-based Mediterranean Shipping Co.

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Canadian gas prices near an all-time high

    Canada column for Sunday, March 6/22

    THE CANADIAN REPORT

   By Jim Fox

    Drivers are paying dearly for gasoline – nearing $2 a liter ($7.60 Canadian for a U.S. gallon).

   Canada has the third-largest oil reserves in the world and relies on Canadian companies to refine most of its own crude oil but demand is running higher as the pandemic wanes.

   Canadians consume tens of billions of liters of oil each year but rely on imports of crude oil from other countries to meet demand.

.   big setback was the decision by U.S. President Joe Biden to scrap the under-construction Keystone XL oil pipeline for environmental reasons.

   It would have carried 830,000 barrels a day of oil sands crude to Nebraska from Alberta.

    ---

    News in brief:

   - After remaining steady since March 2020, Canada’s central bank has raised its trend-setting interest rate by 0.25 percent to 0.5 to contain inflation.

   The record low was among efforts against the economic fallout at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

   Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem said this is the first of several rate hikes to “avoid a problematic economic scenario that could be more costly to households than the double-whammy of higher inflation and interest rates.”

   - Christine Elliott, the Ontario government’s face, guiding the most-populous province through the pandemic, has announced her resignation. This is in advance of the June 2 provincial election.

  Elliott, who is also Deputy Premier, will, however, remain as Ontario Health Minister until the election. After which, she said: “I am looking forward to what the next chapter will bring.”

    ---

     Facts and figures:

   Canada’s dollar is higher at 79 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 up 0.25 at 0.5 percent while the prime lending rate is 2.7 percent.

   Canadian stock markets are higher, with the Toronto index at 21,250 while the TSX Venture index is 849 points.

   The average price for gas in Canada is at a new record high of $1.70 a liter or $6.46 for a U.S. gallon in Canadian funds.

   Lotto Max: (March1) 5, 6, 28, 36, 40, 46 and 50; bonus 27. (Feb. 25) 2, 4, 17, 28, 35, 44 and 46; bonus 5.

   Lotto 6/49: (March 2) 11, 12, 39, 41, 42 and 49; bonus 14. (Feb.26) 6,8 ,12, 16, 24 and 35; bonus 26.

    ---

    Regional briefs:

   - Nova Scotia will be easing COVID-19 restrictions and changing isolation requirements as the Atlantic  province enters Phase 2 on Monday and Phase 3 on March 21. Gathering limits, social distancing and mask restrictions will be lifted. “We are now encouraging Nova Scotians to also use rapid tests as a way to help protect vulnerable people in our communities as we move toward a state of living with COVID-19,” said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief Medical Officer of Health.

Canadian trucker rally finally ends in Ottawa

    Canada column for Sunday, Feb. 27/22

    THE CANADIAN REPORT

   By Jim Fox

    The trucker “freedom” rally that resulted in an encampment that clogged Ottawa, Canada’s capital, with hundreds of parked big rigs and thousands of protesters for four weeks has ended as bail hearings against those arrested has begun.

   Police forces from across Canada were able to finally end the protest with the arrests of almost 200 people and the towing of hundreds of cars and trucks.

   Prime Minister Trudeau gave the police special powers to clear the streets and end the protest that started as anti-virus mandate rally.

   The government decided to withdraw a motion to enact the controversial Emergencies Act after a weekend of all-night debates by Parliament as the crisis was winding down.

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

    ---

    News in brief:

   - Canadians having a snack attack might have some trouble finding their favorites due to a price dispute between Frito-Lay and Loblaws Canada, one of the country’s largest grocers with

2,400 stores nationally. Loblaws refused its latest shipment due to a higher price it said is needed to cover higher costs of expenses such as shipping, ingredients and packaging. For now, the chip maker has stopped shipping to Loblaws that said higher prices from suppliers will lead to “difficult conversations” on offering some products.

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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 20,761 while the TSX Venture index is 826 points.

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

   Lotto Max: (Feb. 22) 3, 13, 26, 27, 28, 36 and 45; bonus 50. (Feb. 18) 2, 3, 8, 11, 12, 37 and 49; bonus 36.

   Lotto 6/49: (Feb.23) 4, 10, 28, 31, 33 and 43; bonus18. (Feb. 19) 4, 16, 30, 32, 37 and 44; bonus 35.

    ---

    Regional briefs:

   - Three months before an Ontario election, Premier Doug Ford said he has found a way to inject more money into the economy – by eliminating license plate renewal fees. In the case of cars and pickup trucks, the saving each year amounts to $120 per vehicle. Gone is the requirement to have a license plate sticker for passenger vehicles, light-duty trucks, motorcycles and mopeds, effective March 13. All license plate sticker fees paid between March 1, 2020 and March 12, 2022 for vehicles owned by individuals is to be refunded.

 

 

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