Freedom '58' for most Canadians

   Canada column for Sunday, July 27/14

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Canadians are working towards being mortgage-free by age 58, a national survey has found.

   The poll conducted for the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce by Angus Reid put the age one year later than in a similar survey a year ago.

   Across the country, there are some variations as homeowners in British Columbia – with the highest real estate prices in Canada – expecting to pay off their mortgages at age 66.

   Neighboring Albertans said they should be mortgage-free at 55 while it is 56 in Quebec, 57 in Ontario and Atlantic Canada, and 58 years in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

   Helping become debt free were 55 percent saying they are taking advantage of low interest rates to pay down their mortgages quicker.

   The bank said small efforts can add up to big savings such as making payments more often, increasing the amount paid and lump-sum payments.

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Suspended senator faces charges of fraud, breach of trust and bribery

   Canada column for Sunday, July 20/14

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Suspended Senator Mike Duffy is facing 31 counts of fraud, breach of trust and bribery in connection with the so-called “expenses scandal.”

   The former television news broadcaster was appointed to Canada’s upper chamber by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2009.

   His arrest involves claims for housing expenses, travel costs not associated with the Senate business and fraudulent contracts, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Assistant Commissioner Gilles Michaud said.

   The investigation concerns more than $200,000 in expenses claimed by Duffy, 68, he added.

   Duffy was suspended from the Senate last November along with Patrick Brazeau and Pamela Wallin over expense claims.

   Former Senator Mac Harb resigned last August after paying back $231,000 for ineligible housing and travel expenses.

   Police earlier proceeded with fraud and breach-of-trust charges against Brazeau and Harb while they continue to investigate Wallin’s expenses.

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Maritime provinces cleaning up after remnants of Hurricane Arthur

   Canada column for Sunday, July 13/14

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Power is gradually being restored across Canada’s Maritime provinces after a hit last weekend by the remnants of Hurricane Arthur.

   The storm cut electricity to more than 250,000 residences and businesses, with New Brunswick and Nova Scotia receiving the most damage.

   There are more than 1,000 power workers repairing blown-down lines and cutting away broken trees and limbs brought down by the storm.

   In New Brunswick, the hardest-hit areas were around Fredericton and in the southwestern part of the province, with thousands of felled trees and downed power poles.

   About 80 percent of the service has been restored with work continuing over the weekend, said Meghan Gerrish of New Brunswick Power.

   The provincial government opened 33 reception centers assist those without electricity as the Emergency Measure's office said Arthur was so powerful it pulled down trees that would have withstood a typical storm.

   Bob Hanf, president of Nova Scotia Power, said damage was as severe as that done by Hurricane Juan in 2003.

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Traveling Canadians to be monitored more by the authorities

   Canada column for Sunday, June 29/14

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   The cross-border travels of Canadians will come under additional scrutiny beginning Monday.

   It’s part of an expanded security plan by the Canada Border Services Agency to include information-sharing on all travelers.

   The tracking system involves exchanging entry information collected at the Canada-U.S. land borders so that data on entry to one country would serve as a record of exit from the other.

   This will allow the Canadian government to use the data for such things as catching unemployment insurance cheats to ensuring people ineligible to stay in Canada have left the country.

   Canada also wants to begin collecting information on people leaving by air, which is already done by the United States, by requiring airlines to submit passenger manifest data for outbound international flights.

   The first two phases of the program were limited to foreign nationals and permanent residents of Canada and the U.S., but not citizens of either country.

   The entry-exit initiative is a key element of the perimeter security deal intended to help ease the passage of travelers and cargo across the Canada-U.S. border while bolstering continental security.

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Ontario's Liberals re-elected to form a majority government

   Canada column for Sunday, June 15/14

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   The Ontario Liberal government – despite a recent history of scandals including one that is said to have cost taxpayers $1 billion – has decisively won re-election.

    Voters gave the government of Premier Kathleen Wynne another chance, endorsing her spending plans as opposed to the Conservatives’ get-tough austerity proposals.

   Wynne, the province’s first lesbian premier, was able to put behind her the setbacks of her controversy-plagued predecessor, Dalton McGuinty, since she was appointed his successor last year.

   The unexpected majority win gave the Liberals their fourth straight mandate after a campaign that had the Conservatives and New Democrats accusing the government of corruption and incompetence.

   Labor unions turned against the Conservatives after leader Tim Hudak vowed to eliminate 100,000 government jobs and impose wage freezes to reduce the deficit.

   Hudak resigned as leader when his Conservatives only had 27 members elected while the Liberals had 59 and the New Democrats 21.

   Wynne had to defend the Liberals for the cancelation of two gas plants under construction at an estimated cost to the public of $1.1 billion in order to win the last election.

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Gun-rights obsessed man arrested for killing three Mounties in Moncton, N.B.

   Canada column for Sunday, June 8/14

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   A young man said to be obsessed with gun rights, global conflicts and anger for the police was arrested for killing three Mounties and wounding two others in Moncton.

   Justin Bourque, 24, was captured by heavily armed police in the backyard of a home in the New Brunswick city of 70,000 residents.

   It ended a 30-hour manhunt by 300 officers for the man described by friends as an intelligent, laid back, home-schooled guitar enthusiast.

   The officers were shot Wednesday night as they answered a call about a man dressed in army fatigues walking along a street carrying two high-powered rifles.

   He fled into the woods and eluded capture as the police asked residents to stay in their homes while schools and businesses were closed for the day.

   Bourque was unarmed when he surrendered saying, “I’m done,” but weapons were found nearby.

   The slain officers were Constables Fabrice Gevaudan, 45, Douglas Larche, 40, and David Ross, 33. Wounded were Constables Darlene Goguen and Eric Dubois.

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Canada's economy slows during harsh winter

   Canada column for Sunday, June 1/14

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Bullish predictions about Canada’s economic recovery were dimmed somewhat after a tough winter that slowed spending.

   The economy surprised the experts as it dipped to 1.2-percent growth in the first three months of the year, the slowest pace since the fourth quarter of 2012.

   The output slowed in numerous key sectors and was partially blamed on the harsh winter weather – a similar situation as in the United States where the economy contracted by 1 percent in the first quarter.

   Economists had predicted Canada’s growth at 1.8 percent while the Bank of Canada had expected 1.5 percent.

   Central bank governor Stephen Poloz had called on business owners to make new investments and improve productivity to push the economy into the next phase of the recovery.

  Instead, investment in machinery and equipment fell by 1.5 percent, spending on computers was down 4.1 percent and exports fell 0.8 percent.

   The report is expected to be another factor for the bank to keep the key interest rate and borrowing costs low.

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