Canada column for Sunday, June 19/22
THE CANADIAN REPORT
By Jim Fox
Almost half of working Canadian women say they are likely to quit their jobs if asked to return to the office full-time.
Surprisingly, 45 percent want the “flexibility offered during the pandemic to continue,” said Andrea Spender, CEO of the Prosperity Project.
The group was created to ensure Canadian women are not left behind in the COVID-19 recovery.
The project’s survey found fewer women are working full-time at 62 per cent, compared with 70 per cent before the COVID-19 pandemic while 91 percent would prefer most or at least part of their work to be done remotely in the future.
While 73 percent of respondents said that employers were more accommodating during the pandemic, a similar proportion, 72 percent, expect employers to put the priority on in-person office work in the future.
Nearly 60 percent feel they will have to choose between their career and their family – at a time when almost half, 46 percent, said the pandemic has increased their responsibilities at home.
“We learned important lessons about workplace flexibility during the pandemic and we must continue to heed those lessons,” said Pamela Jeffery, founder of the Prosperity Project.
---
Truckers’ Freedom Convoy protests will continue throughout the summer in Canada’s capital city, Ottawa, organizers say.
Events will rev up starting on the Canada Day, July 1, holiday and for the rest of the summer to protest remaining COVID-19 pandemic-era restrictions.
Another group, Veterans for Freedom, is planning a three-day conference in Ottawa this week.
The group is made up of Canadian veterans seeking to “restore fundamental freedoms for all Canadians and uphold our laws.”
Hundreds of protesters and an estimated 50,000trucks took over downtown Ottawa streets for three weeks starting in late January.
The veterans want remaining COVID mandates repealed and workers who lost their jobs be reinstated.
--
In brief:
- The Canadian government is repaying or forgiving $1.4 billion in loans it gave to Indigenous communities, many of them in British Columbia. This will allow them to participate in land claims negotiations and help “correct a mistake of the past” when land was seized to build railways and other non-native projects on their traditional lands,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.
---
Facts and figures:
Canada’s dollar is lower at 76 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.30 in Canadian funds, before exchange fees.
The Bank of Canada’s key interest rate is 1.5 percent while the prime lending rate at commercial banks is 3.7 percent.
Canadian stock markets are lower, with the Toronto index at 1,822 points while the TSX Venture index is 635 points.
The average price for gas in Canada is steady at $2.10 a liter or $7.98 for a U.S. gallon in Canadian funds.
Lotto Max: (June 14) 11, 17, 18, 25, 36, 41 and 50; bonus 34. (June 10) 8, 14, 16, 17, 19, 22 and 24; bonus 23.
Lotto 6/49: (June 15) 3, 5, 9, 12, 16 and 29; bonus 32. (June 11) 14, 15, 22, 25, 32 and 44; bonus 45.
---
Regional briefs:
- Canada-U.S. border mayors are calling for the federal government to end the mandatory ArriveCan app when entering the country. They say Canada’s stringent COVID-19 rules for international travellers are keeping would-be U.S. visitors to spend their tourist dollars instead at home.
Ontario mayors say they depend on cross-border tourism. Sarnia’s Mike Bradley and Jim Diodati of Niagara Falls are urging the government to stop requiring travelers to complete the preclearance process that many find frustrating and confusing.
- Toronto has been named a host city for soccer’s FIFA World Cup 2026. The city is among 16 cities that will host the much-sought-after games. Toronto events will take place at BMO Field for this North American World Cup Soccer event.
-30-
canadareport.blogspot.com
No comments:
Post a Comment