Canada column for
Sunday, June 9/19
THE CANADIAN REPORT
(c) By Jim Fox
Canadian veterans
made a somber return to Normandy, France to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day, the
Allied invasion that was a turning point in the Second World War.
They walked and were
wheeled along the surf at Juno Beach where the landings on June 6, 1944 were
the largest seaborne invasion in history.
Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau was on the spot where 14,000 Canadian troops stormed ashore in
the battle to overthrow Nazi Germany.
It was there that
359 Canadians were killed and 700 wounded and captured.
“We know there will
always be challenging times in the world but by remembering moments of the past
we can always do better as we look to the future,” Trudeau said.
On the beach,
General Jonathan Vance said it was a “touching moment” to see the veterans,
most of them in their 90s, to be there once more.
The ceremonies
included artillery delivering a salute while C-47 Dakota transport planes with
invasion stripes flew overhead.
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Canada’s jobless
rate has plummeted to a 43-year low of 5.4 percent as the economy added 27,700 full-time
jobs last month.
This followed a
gain of 106,500 jobs in April, the best month on record.
Statistics Canada said
the unemployment rate dipped from 5.7 percent as the economy showed signs of
strength.
Along with a rise
in imports, the Bank of Canada predicts the economy will continue to pick up
through the rest of the year.
Leading the gains
were Ontario with 20,900 jobs and British Columbia with 16,800.
---
News in brief:
- The British Columbia government has issued a “drought warning,”
requesting voluntary reductions of water use by residents, on farms and in
industry. It’s especially dry on Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and in the northeastern
part of the province. There are concerns several important salmon streams are
approaching critical conditions for ecosystems and fish.
- Canada’s oldest
citizen, Ellen “Dolly” Gibb, has died at age 114 at a senior’s home in North
Bay, Ontario. Born in Winnipeg in 1905, she was also the world’s ninth-oldest
person and the oldest born in North America, according to the Gerontology
Research Group. Her husband, Dave Gibb, died in 1968 and they had two
daughters.
---
Facts and figures:
The Canadian dollar
is higher at 75.34 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.327 Canadian before
exchange fees.
The Bank of Canada’s
key interest rate is steady at 1.75 percent while the prime-lending rate is 3.95
percent.
Stock markets are mixed, with the Toronto
exchange index up at 16,230 points while the TSX Venture index is down at 596
points.
The average price for gas in Canada is lower at
$1.20 a liter or $4.56 (Canadian) for a U.S. gallon; $1.16 a liter in Ontario.
Lotto 6/49: (June 5) 6, 21, 35, 46, 48 and 49; bonus 14.
(June 1) 16, 29, 34, 35, 47 and 49; bonus 10. Lotto Max: (June 4) 7, 19,
22, 28, 34, 41 and 42; bonus 12. (May 31) 6, 29, 34, 39, 42, 47 and 50; bonus 22.
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Regional briefs:
- Cooler weather
with rain and snow have eased wildfire risks in northern Alberta. Several
evacuation alerts were lifted including the Slave Lake area. The snow included Calgary
and west towards Canmore and Banff. There are five fires still burning out of
control including near High Level where 5,000 people were forced from their
homes last month.
- One of the three
hidden chests of gold and silver worth $100,000 has been found in a secluded
area of Calgary while the treasure hunt goes on in Edmonton and Vancouver. A
company called GoldHunt, made up of a group of anonymous business donors, said
the first winner was Jeff Lerue of Edmonton. The unemployed man paid $45 for a
map with clues.
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Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com
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