Two senators facing fraud, breach of trust charges over expenses

   Canada column for Sunday, Feb. 9/14

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Two disgraced senators are facing criminal charges for fraud and breach of trust over travel and living expense claims.

   The Mounties have arrested Patrick Brazeau, a suspended former Conservative senator, and Mac Harb, a former Liberal senator who resigned from the upper house last summer.

   “I can assure you that we continue our work on other significant files," said assistant police commissioner Gilles Michaud.

   He was referring to investigations of allegedly fraudulent expenses claimed by suspended former Conservative senators Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin.

   Police are also looking into the circumstances of $90,000 that Nigel Wright, former chief of staff to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, gave to Duffy to repay disputed expenses.

   The investigation into Brazeau and Harb concern allegations they improperly declared homes outside the nation’s capital as their principal residences, allowing them to receive expenses to live in Ottawa near the Parliament buildings.

   Harb has repaid the Senate $231,649, Brazeau refused to reimburse $48,000 and Wallin has returned about $150,000 in travel expense claims.

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Canada's Liberal senators have been "set free" by leader Justin Trudeau

   Canada column for Sunday, Feb. 2/14

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Canada’s Senate has been purged of its 32 Liberals who are now “independents” in the non-elected upper house.

   Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau took the action to remove the senators from the party’s caucus in a move to reform the scandal-plagued Senate.

   The now-former Liberal senators say they’ve been “set free” but suggest not much will change.

   “We have agreed that we will style ourselves as the Liberal Senate caucus," said James Cowan, leader of the official Opposition.

   The senators “will remain Liberal party members” and friends with elected Liberal Members of Parliament, he added.

   Trudeau said the move, called “bold and courageous,” will reduce partisanship that should restore the Senate’s role as “an independent chamber of sober second thought.”

   He has challenged Prime Minister Stephen Harper to do the same with the 57 Conservative senators.

   Harper said Canadians want an elected Senate, not “a better unelected Senate.”

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Canada's dollar lagging below 90 cents U.S.

   Canada column for Sunday, Jan. 26/14

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Canada’s slumping dollar – dipping to a six-year low of 89.5 U.S. cents – is making it more expensive to travel to warm-weather destinations.

   Several travel tour operators are immediately implementing a “currency surcharge” on vacation packages.

   Air Canada Vacations and Transat A.T. will add a $35 fee Monday to offset the decline of the dollar to destinations including Florida, California, the Caribbean and Mexico.

   Sunwing’s similar surcharge takes effect Thursday on flights and package vacations.

   The intent of the surcharge is to recover some of the added costs for fuel and hotels charged in U.S. dollars.

   Transat chief executive Jean-Marc Eustache said he didn’t expect the small amount would deter travel to sunny destinations.

   Sunwing passengers who booked before the surcharge begins are not affected while WestJet Vacations said it wasn’t planning to add a surcharge at all.

   Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said it’s not all bad news as a weaker currency spurs economic growth by boosting exports to help eliminate the government’s spending deficit.

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Petition calls on Canada Post not to end door-to-door mail delivery

   Canada column for Sunday, Jan. 19/14

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   A petition calling on Canada Post to reconsider its plan to end door-to-door mail delivery in urban centers has so far received about 130,000 signatures.

   Susan Dixon of Cambridge, Ontario started the online petition (www.change.org) saying that it will create a hardship for many people including those with limited mobility and the elderly.

  She has two sons, one with cerebral palsy who uses a walker or wheelchair to get around.

   “Canada Post’s decision would mean having to bundle them up and struggle through the snow with a wheelchair just to get our mail,” she said.

   In a cost-cutting move, the postal service plans to phase out delivery to the door in cities and towns and switch to group mail boxes that are now in use in many newer subdivisions.

   The post office projects an annual loss of $1 billion a year by 2020 if it continues without changes that include an increase in the price of stamps.

   “We know we need to be sensitive and understanding in our approach to changes . . . but the status quo is not going to change,” said Canada Post spokesman Jon Hamilton.

Toronto mayor's popularity soars; would defeat all challengers, poll says

   Canada column for Sunday, Jan. 12/14

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Celebrated Toronto Mayor Rob Ford’s popularity has spiked in opinion polls after his tireless response to the ice-storm crisis.

   Forty-seven percent of Torontonians surveyed by Forum Research Inc. approve of Ford’s work as mayor, up from 42 percent in December.

   Even more telling is that 41 percent said they will vote to re-elect him as mayor in October, easily defeating all of the expected opponents for the job.

   The massive ice storm that left more than 300,000 customers without power, some for up to eight days over the holidays, saw Ford on the front lines daily.

   “People saw him taking charge and will remember it,” said Forum Research president Lorne Bozinoff.

   Ford was stripped of most of his powers by city council after he admitted to buying and smoking crack cocaine.

   Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly, who was put in charge, had to apologize after it was reported that he left the city at the height of the crisis to spend Christmas in Florida with relatives.

   The city is asking for provincial and federal government disaster assistance as costs from the storm and cleanup are estimated at $106 million.

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   Canada’s dollar is under pressure against a stronger U.S. currency that could result in a higher price to get away or shop in the U.S.

   Economists suggest the dollar could drop to 90 cents U.S. after being equal to the U.S. currency last year.

   The dollar dropped below 92 cents U.S. Friday after jobless numbers rose and the trade deficit worsened slightly.

   With it costing about $1.12 Canadian with bank fees for each U.S. greenback, there has been little or no effect on trips to the sunny south, said David McCaig, president of the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies.

   “It's cold enough in Canada that everyone wants to get away,” he added, noting: “Most Canadians feel they have the right to have a holiday and they're going to take it.”

Ice-storm cleanup in Toronto could cost $75 million; food cards given to the needy who lost power

   Canada column for Sunday, Jan. 5/14

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   The cost of the ice-storm cleanup in Toronto could reach $75 million after 300,000 customers lost power – some up to nine days.

   City officials estimated that amount for work that could take eight weeks to remove the thousands of trees and limbs that fell during the storm.

   Hundreds of people lined up to get grocery gift cards of $100 for a family and $50 for a single person.

   The cards were provided by the Ontario government and retailers to help low-income residents replace food spoiled during the power outage.

   Electricity was restored to all by mid-week just before much of Eastern Canada went into another deep freeze with Arctic air plunging temperatures to below 0F.

   The same storm that hit the northeastern U.S. hard brought blizzards to Nova Scotia and severe wind chill temperatures across Quebec, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island.

   There was up to eight inches of snow in southern Ontario’s Niagara region and combined with the freezing temperatures led to numerous multi-vehicle crashes.

   The Prairies also set cold records, with temperatures around -20F in Regina and Winnipeg, while out west Calgary and Vancouver had above-freezing temperatures.

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Tens of thousands of Canadians still in dark and cold after massive ice storm

   Canada column for Sunday, Dec. 29/13

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   A massive ice storm has left about 56,500 homes and businesses in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick still without power after a week.

   Hardest hit was Toronto where hydro crews had reduced the number of properties without electricity in below-freezing temperatures to 32,000 on Friday, down from a peak of more than 300,000 last Sunday.

   At the start of the weekend, there were still about 40,000 customers in Ontario without power, 14,000 in New Brunswick and 2,500 in Quebec.

   The storm coated trees and power lines with a thick layer of heavy ice, bringing them down and cutting off power.

   The massive around-the-clock effort to clear trees and limbs to replace power lines and restore electricity has had utility companies in the three provinces receiving help from outside, including New York state and Michigan.

   Toronto Hydro focused on restoring power to the most people in the shortest amount of time, including two hospitals, and is just now getting to clearing debris and reconnecting individual homes, said chief executive officer Anthony Haines.

   Mayor Rob Ford, who has held daily news conferences since last Sunday and has visited “warming shelters,” said the city is “doing the best we can” at getting all the power restored.

   Authorities were warning against the use of generators and barbecues inside to keep warm as there have been reports of five people killed in Ontario and Quebec from carbon monoxide poisoning.

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