NAFTA negotiators try to "milk" a Canada-U.S. deal

   Canada column for Sunday, Sept. 9/18

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   c By Jim Fox

   An agreement to settle the dispute over revamping the North American Free Trade Agreement remains elusive as Canadian and U.S. negotiators try to “milk” a new deal.

   Dairy rules remain the big issue as Canada continues to resist allowing more access by the U.S. to its market.

   “The word that continues to block the deal is m-i-l-k,” said Larry Kudlow, director of President Donald Trump’s National Economic Council.

   His comments came just before talks between U.S. trade czar Robert Lighthizer and Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland ended for the week in Washington.

   “Let go milk, dairy, drop the barriers, give our farmers a break and we can fix some other things,” he added.

   For the Canadian dairy industry, protecting its business is particularly politically charged in Ontario and Quebec.

   Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada could be willing to be flexible on dairy but Kudlow said it wasn’t enough.

   Other differences include culture and the agreement’s dispute resolution mechanism.

Court overturns Canadian government's OK of Trans Mountain pipeline expansion

   Canada column for Sunday, Sept. 2/18

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Ruling that native groups were not consulted properly, the Federal Court of Appeal has overturned the Canadian government’s approval of the contentious Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.

   The three-member court’s unanimous decision was a major victory for environmentalists and Indigenous groups fighting the project.

   They ruled that the National Energy Board’s review of the proposal was flawed and the government could not rely on it to approve the expansion.

   The 710-mile Kinder Morgan pipeline carries crude and refined oil to British Columbia ports from Alberta.

   This means halting the recently started expansion and sending it back to the review phase to examine impacts of ship tanker traffic and consulting more thoroughly with First Nations.

   The decision comes as pipeline shareholders approved a deal to sell the pipeline and expansion project to the Canadian government for $4.5 billion, not including construction costs that could be as high as $9.3 billion.

   Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the government intends to have the pipeline expansion built “in the right way” and accepts the court’s criticism of the approval process.

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Politician Max Bernier says goodbye to the Conservative party; sets out to start his own

   Canada column for Sunday, Aug. 26/18

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

    (c) By Jim Fox

   Disgruntled politician Max Bernier has delivered a political bombshell with a scathing attack on his federal Conservative party.

   “This party is too intellectually and morally corrupt to be reformed,” said Bernier as he declared he was quitting.

   Bernier from Quebec was unsuccessful in his bid to become Conservative leader after a devastating election loss for the party in 2015.

   His startling announcement came at the party’s policy convention in Halifax when he announced he will start his own political party.

   “It is clear that Max never accepted the result of the leadership vote and seeks only to divide Conservatives,” said former Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

   “His decision allows the Conservative Party to move forward united behind our leader Andrew Scheer,” he added.

   Appearing unfazed, Scheer rallied the party members with attacks on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal policies in advance of an expected election next year.

   “He (Bernier) has decided that he is more important than his Conservative colleagues and indeed the party,” Scheer said.

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Snowbirds and Canadian sun-seekers can get hot deals from new Swoop airline

   Canada column for Sunday, Aug. 19/18

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Snowbirds taking flight to their winter sun destinations in Florida, Nevada and Arizona have a new “ultra-low-cost” way of getting there.

   Swoop, a subsidiary of WestJet Airlines, will become Canada’s super low-cost airline to fly to the United States starting in October.

   Airline president Steven Greenway said the goal is to use Swoop’s low fares to stimulate demand from people who don’t typically fly.

   It will also be a way of regaining business from some of the five-million Canadians who cross the border to fly out of U.S. airports to save money.

    Flights began initially in June to Canadian destinations of Abbortsford, Edmonton, Halifax, Hamilton and Winnipeg.

   Using Boeing 737-800 aircraft, Orlando, Tampa Bay, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas and Phoenix (Mesa) flights will begin in October.

   One-way fares from $149 (Canadian) include taxes and fees through April while 4,100 seats will be offered at $99 and $119 if booked online until Feb. 13.

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Fredericton rocked by four shooting deaths, including two police officers; suspect wounded

   Canada column for Sunday, Aug. 12/18

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   The idyllic Atlantic Canada capital city of Fredericton, New Brunswick was shattered with the shooting deaths of four people including two police officers.

   Constables Robb Costello and Sara Burns were the first two officers to rush to the aid of two people they found shot outside an apartment building early Friday.

   As they approached the victims, they were shot by someone inside the building.

   Police Chief Leanne Fitch said suspect Matthew Raymond, 48, of Fredericton was seriously injured in a shooting standoff with police.

   At a news conference Saturday, police said they were investigating a connection between the shooter and Donald Robichaud, 42, and Bobbie Lee Wright, 32, who were killed.

   Costello, 45, was a 20-year police veteran with four children, while Burns, 43, had been an officer for two years and was married with three children.

   Neighbors reported shots being fired at 237 Brookside Drive and called the police.

   The incident happened four years after three Mounties were killed and two were wounded in Moncton, New Brunswick by a man who had a hatred for the police.

   Kelly Craft, U.S. ambassador to Canada, said she was “shocked and troubled” to hear of the Fredericton shooting.

Canada trade surplus with U.S. rises; dips with the world

   Canada column for Sunday, Aug. 5/18

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Canada’s merchandise trade surplus with the United States rose in June to $4.1 billion with a record amount of goods shipped south.

   The U.S., which is Canada’s largest trading partner, received $37.1 billion in exports, an increase of 2.5 percent that was largely in cars and light trucks.

   At the same time, Canada’s imports from the U.S. rose 0.3 percent to $32.9 billion.

   Statistics Canada said the country’s merchandise trade deficit with the world dipped to $626 million, the smallest in 17 months.

   This improvement, up 4.1 percent in exports, to a record $50.7 billion was mainly because of higher exports of energy products and aircraft.

   Energy exports mostly in oil climbed 7.1 percent to $9.9 billion, the highest since October 2014.

   Overall, Canada’s imports were down 0.2 percent to $51.3 billion while transportation equipment and parts exports were 18.9 percent higher at a record $2.5 billion largely for business jets.

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Amazon creates buzz of activity by building, creating jobs in Canada

   Canada column for Sunday, July 29/18

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Amazon is on a tear across Canada creating new facilities and hiring thousands of workers.

   The latest announcement by the Seattle-based e-commerce retailer is a “fulfillment center” in Caledon, north of Toronto, to ship books, electronics and toys.

   It will cover one-million square feet and employ 800 people and is Amazon’s sixth facility in Ontario and ninth in Canada.

  It is expected to open by the end of next year along with a facility in Ottawa, adding more than 1,400 jobs to the province.

   Last April, Amazon said it will expand its Vancouver technology hub and create 3,000 new high-tech jobs.

   It will be in a new office tower on the site of the city’s old post office, opening in 2022.

   Amazon now employs 6,000 people at facilities in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, and Quebec.

   Awaited is the decision by Amazon for the location of its second North American headquarters, with Toronto among the 20 finalists.