Canada column for Sunday, July 12/20
THE CANADIAN REPORT
(c) By Jim Fox
Concerned about
pandemic outbreaks in the United States and the threat of more tariffs against aluminum
imports, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau skipped a free-trade meeting in
Washington.
But President
Donald Trump and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador went ahead to
celebrate the launch of the three-country free trade deal at the White House.
“We'll have a
separate day with Canada – they're coming down at the appropriate time,” Trump
said about Trudeau’s absence at the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement gathering.
Trudeau dismisses
claims that Canada has exceeded limits on aluminum exports to the U.S., saying
“it’s a little bit difficult to understand.”
It’s all for the
best that Trudeau stayed home, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said.
“Usually when
Justin Trudeau leaves the country, it hurts Canada’s position on the world
stage,” he said.
---
Opinions are mixed
over when the Canada-U.S. border should be reopened and could remain closed
until next year, a leading doctor says.
The border is
closed to all but essential travel and commerce with the order extended to July
21 for review.
The border should stay
closed unless “something miraculous” happens to lower COVID-19 rates south
of the border, said Dr. Isaac Bogoch, a Toronto infectious disease specialist.
“The U.S. does not
appear to be 'getting this epidemic under control,” he added.
With some 50,000
new cases daily across the U.S., that compares with Canada’s fewer than 500 cases
for the past month.
---
News in brief:
- Canadian
university students in the U.S. are concerned they might have to leave the country
if their classes are only taught online this fall. They could also transfer to
another school with in-person instruction. That is being considered along with
a Trump administration work visa ban. One benefit has been Canadian tech
companies are able to recruit more workers now barred from the U.S.
- Prime Minister
Trudeau is being investigated for possible ethics’ violations after his
government gave a now-canceled $950-million contract to the WE Charity. It was
part of the new Canada Student Service grant program but the organization has
personal ties to the Trudeau family. His brother and mother were each paid fees
to promote the charity that was to have administered financial aid to students.
- Canada’s economy
is starting to roar back from the pandemic as almost one-million jobs were
created last month. Statistics Canada said 953,000 jobs were added as the
unemployment rate fell to 12.3 percent from its record-high of 13.7 percent in
May.
---
Facts and figures:
The Canadian dollar
is lower at 73.5 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.36 Canadian before
exchange fees.
The Bank of Canada’s
key interest rate is steady at 0.25 percent while the prime lending rate is 2.45
percent.
Canadian stock
markets are higher with the Toronto index at 15,713 points and the TSX Venture
index 684 points.
The average price
for gas in Canada is higher at $1.05 a liter (Canadian) or $3.99 for a U.S. gallon.
Lotto Max: ((July 7) 9, 20, 21, 22, 25, 26 and 37;
bonus 3. (July 3) 3, 4, 21, 33, 38, 44 and 45; bonus 32.
Lotto 6/49: (July
8) 11, 26, 28, 35, 37 and 47; bonus 8. (July 4) 15,20, 27, 34, 38 and 42;
bonus 47.
---
Regional briefs:
- Police are following
up threats to damage indigenous totem poles at a high school north of
Vancouver. Someone hung a banner containing a spray-painted threatening message.
It was tied to two poles at Harbor Secondary School. It warned that “totems
will start falling” if statues such as those of first Prime Minister John A.
Macdonald are removed.
- The Canadian Air
Force base in Cold Lake, Alberta is looking for some hungry recruits. It wants
to bring in goats and sheep to graze on overgrown vegetation. It’s something
that worked well at Canadian Forces Base Comox. The rugged terrain is easily
handled by the critters but not by mowing machines, said Captain Mat Strong.
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Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com
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