Canada column for
Sunday, June 21/20
THE CANADIAN REPORT
(c) By Jim Fox
Canadian protest
groups have been defacing and removing statues and monuments of historical
figures.
The incidents are
mounting across Canada against anti-black and anti-Indigenous racism.
The latest victims
are statues of Canada’s first Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald in Prince
Edward Island and the late Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau who was black
faced in a park in Vaughan, near Toronto.
Charlottetown Mayor
Philip Brown denounced the vandalism when Macdonald was doused in red paint but
said consideration is being given to removing the statue.
At issue was
Macdonald’s role in the creation of
residential schools where Indigenous children were taken from their homes and
parents.
Two years ago, Victoria
city council removed a statue of Macdonald that stood outside city hall and now
remains in storage.
Vaughan Mayor
Maurizio Bevilacqua said he is “deeply disappointed” at the vandalism.
Pierre Trudeau was
committed to fostering a fair and just society and the creation of the Charter
of Rights and Freedoms, he said.
Trudeau’s son
Justin, the current prime minister, said mistakes have been made with “entrenched
racism in policing agencies and public institutions.”
---
Canada’s Covid-19 cases
are slowing although the total this weekend reached 100,629 while the total
number of deaths is 8,346.
As is happening in
the rest of the world, Canadian divorces are expected to spike, passing the
average rate of 38 percent, once the pandemic has passed and restrictions are
lifted.
Social isolation,
job losses and a lack of variety in getting out are taking their toll, health
professionals say.
It’s a “triple
whammy” of financial stress, couples being quarantined together and having
children at home that’s affecting couples, said Toronto family lawyer Barry
Nussbaum.
---
News in brief:
- Via Rail is
requiring passengers to wear masks beginning Tuesday to reduce the risk of
spreading COVID-19 when physical distancing is not possible. The passenger rail
service said the policy is in line with Transport Canada guidelines for wearing
face coverings on airplanes, trains, ships and public transit. Masks must be
worn throughout trips, except when eating or drinking.
- Canada has failed
in a bid to win one of the seats on the United Nations Security Council. It’s
the second time Canada has missed out, this time to Ireland and Norway in a
vote by the 191-nation General Assembly. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the
loss will not deter Canada’s engagement on issues such as climate change and
gender equality.
---
Facts and figures:
The Canadian dollar
is lower at 73.48 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.36 Canadian before
exchange fees.
The Bank of Canada’s
key interest rate is unchanged at 0.25 percent while the prime lending rate is
2.45 percent.
Canadian stock
markets are higher with the Toronto index at 15,474 points and the TSX Venture
index is 567 points.
The average price
for gas in Canada has risen to $1.01 a liter (Canadian) or $3.83 for a U.S. gallon.
Lotto Max: ((June
16) 1, 3, 22, 30, 31, 37 and 40; bonus 6. (June 12) 1, 16, 24, 28, 30, 31 and
47; bonus 25.
Lotto 6/49: (June
17) 5, 10, 18, 29, 32 and 48; bonus 6. (June 13) 3, 31, 34, 38, 45 and 48;
bonus 12.
---
Regional briefs:
- A Grade 4 teacher
and her three children were killed by a suspected impaired driver that police
were trying to stop in Brampton, west of Toronto. Killed in the crash were
Karolina Ciasullo, 37, and her three daughters Klara, 6, Liliana, 4, and Mila,
1. Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown is blaming a reckless driver with a suspended
licence for the crash at a city intersection.
- Drinkers may be
saying goodbye to Old Sam as the Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corp. is
reviewing a locally bottled brand of rum that depicts a laughing black man as
its logo. The government corporation said it is reviewing the brand and whether
it fosters a “respectful, safe environment that values diversity and inclusion.”
For now, it has “delisted this product and is pulling it from our shelves”
pending the review.
-30-
Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com
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