Tougher lock-down conditions imposed across Ontario as virus surges

    Canada column for Sunday, April 18/21

    THE CANADIAN REPORT

    By Jim Fox

   Ontario’s 15-million residents are being more severely locked down as the provincial government tightens its “stay-at-home” order to fight the pandemic surge.

   “We are losing the battle between variants and vaccine shortages and there are few options left with infection and hospitalization rates at record highs,” said Premier Doug Ford.

   The emergency order bans out-of-province travel for non-essential reasons and recreation activities including closing golf courses.

   Big box and food and drug stores can only operate at 25-percent capacity until at least May 20.

   Police and bylaw officers have the authority to ask why someone is away from home.

   All non-essential construction projects must stop, gatherings with people from another household are prohibited and crossing interprovincial borders between Quebec and Manitoba are limited to essential travel only.

   Church services are capped at a maximum of 10 people indoors.

   “We need to focus on those who are deliberately putting others at risk by ignoring the stay-at-home order,” Ford said.

    ---

    A peaceful demonstration against a pandemic curfew turned violent in Old Montreal, leaving dozens of businesses damaged and fires set.

   Some business owners said the police were not prepared and took too long to intervene.

   Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante said officers were there from the outset of the protest when the 8 p.m. curfew took effect and wanted to avoid further escalating the situation.

   So far, police have made seven arrests and issued about 110 fines, said Chief Cedric Couture.

   There were several dozen protesters who remained to defy the provincial government’s stay-at-home order.

    ---

    News in brief:

   - It has taken more than a year but people whose flights were canceled by Air Canada are finally getting their money back. That’s because the airline was told by the Canadian government the refunds are part of a deal to receive $6 billion in a financial support package. Other conditions are the airline will ensure that regional communities have connections to the rest of Canada, protect jobs, pensions and collective agreements, restrict executive compensation and buy back shares and dividends.

   - Canada has been ranked the No.1 country in the world in which to live. This is according to the 2021 Best Countries Report by U.S. News & World Report ranking 78 countries. Canada was tops in quality of life and social purpose with a good job market. Canadians were found to have concern over human rights, are committed to social justice, not corrupt and respectful of property rights. Next in the survey were Japan, Germany, Switzerland, Australia and the U.S.

    ---

    Facts and figures:

   Canada’s dollar is steady at 79.83cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar is worth $1.255 Canadian before exchange fees.

   The Bank of Canada key interest rate remains at 0.25 percent while the prime lending rate is 2.45 percent.

   Canadian stock markets are mixed, with the Toronto index up at 19,351 points and the TSX Venture index down at 944 points.

   The average price for gas in Canada is higher at $1.246 a liter (Canadian) or $4.73 for a U.S. gallon.

   Lotto Max: (April 13) 15, 16, 18, 19, 22, 44 and 47; bonus 28. (April 9) 1, 19, 28, 29, 31,33 and 43; bonus17 .

   Lotto 6/49: (April 14) 4, 6, 12, 23, 36 and 47; bonus 18. (April 10) 5, 16, 19, 24, 28 and 34; bonus 4.

    ---

    Regional briefs:

   - High winds almost blew a large trailer over the guardrails on the Seal Island Bridge in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Police said the wind caused a pickup truck hauling a trailer to become stuck sideways between the guardrails. It took about an hour to remove it and the trailer.

   - Two Ontario medical students studying in St. Vincent, devastated by the recent La Soufriere volcano, put final exams aside to help the island residents. Claire Matlock of Kitchener and Anna Vanhoof, from  Bowmanville, delivered food and supplies to displaced families.

    Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com

CDC tells Americans not to visit Canada over virus surge

    Canada column for Sunday, April 11/21

    THE CANADIAN REPORT

   By Jim Fox

    Americans should “avoid all travel to Canada,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests to avoid the risks of COVID-19.

   The unprecedented warning across the longest undefended border in the world by the CDC goes on to suggest this applies to those who are even fully vaccinated against the virus.

   “Because of the current situation in Canada, even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants and should avoid all travel to Canada,” the CDC said on its website.

  Even vaccinated travelers “may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants,” it added

   The center said Canada is ranked as a Level 4 health risk due to high levels of the virus and low vaccination rates.

   Canada is coping with a problem of delays in receiving vaccines and an efficient rollout of who should get them first.

   The number of new cases across Canada reached a high of 9,255 while the nation works to stop or slow the spread of multiple variants.

    ---

     The Canadian government is preparing to count how many people are living in the county in a census next year.

   It will “paint a portrait of Canada’s population and the places where we live,” said Statistics Canada, the agency in charge.

   The data will help planning for schools, daycare, housing, hospitals, emergency services, roads, public transportation, and employment skills training, it said.

   The current population is 37.6-million people.

    ---

    News in brief:

   - Canada will remember Prince Phillip as a man of “great service to others,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said of the Duke of Edinburgh’s passing. A frequent visitor to Canada and husband to Queen Elizabeth II, he was 99. “It was with deep sadness that I learned of his passing, Trudeau said.  He was Colonel in Chief of six Canadian military units, honorary general of the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force, and honorary admiral of the Royal Canadian Navy.

   - Canada’s central bank has again kept its trend-setting interest rate at 0.25 percent. It suggested it will stay there until the economy recovers and inflation is back at two percent, not likely until 2023. The Bank of Canada said the more transmissible variants of COVID-19 are the biggest risk to an economic recovery and could “restrain growth and add choppiness to the recovery.” The Canadian economy added 303,000 jobs last month as virus restrictions eased

    ---

    Facts and figures:

   Canada’s dollar returns 79.83cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar is worth $1.255 Canadian before exchange fees.

   The Bank of Canada key interest rate remains at 0.25 percent while the prime lending rate is 2.45 percent.

   Canadian stock markets are mixed, with the Toronto index up at 19,228 points and the TSX Venture index down at 960 points.

   The average price for gas in Canada is lower at $1.23 a liter (Canadian) or $4.67 for a U.S. gallon.

   Lotto Max: (April 6) 2, 14, 24, 25, 35, 44 and 45; bonus 11. (April 2) 30, 32, 33, 34, 37, 45 and 49; bonus 25.

   Lotto 6/49: (April 7) 23, 31, 34, 38, 39 and 41; bonus 12. (April 3) 12,13,19, 35, 42 and 47; bonus 28.

    ---

    Regional briefs:

   - The little piece of France – the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon in the Gulf of St. Lawrence near Newfoundland – wants to end the virus-enacted border closing. Residents of this last piece of French territory in North America, are cut off from the world due to travel restrictions. With virus numbers low, they want to join the Atlantic bubble set to open on April 19. This will allow quarantine-free travel between Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland/ Labrador.

   - The Liberals claimed a slim majority in Newfoundland and Labrador’s provincial election, as voters returned Premier Andrew Furey with 48 percent of the vote. The election had been delayed and due to virus outbreaks. The election costs both Conservative Leader Ches Crosbie and New Democratic Leader Alison Coffin their jobs. The Liberals took 22 of the legislature’s 40 seats after the 10 weeks of electoral delays.

    Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com

Ontario all locked down again for one month to fight pandemic

    Canada column for Sunday, April 4/21

    THE CANADIAN REPORT

   By Jim Fox

    Days after Ontario’s restaurants opened their patios and offered indoor dining; a blanket lockdown is keeping them closed to battle the pandemic.

   Doug Ford, premier of Canada’s most-populous province with 15-million residents, said advice from health and medical experts left him no choice but to enact an “emergency brake” at the start of the Easter weekend.

   Unlike previous lockdowns, this one covers the entire province for the next 28 days.

   Along with no patio dining as the warm weather has returned, the lockdown means restaurants can only offer pickup and delivery with no inside dining.

   The order, as the third wave of the pandemic takes hold, forces the closing of personal services such as hair salons, gyms and spas as well as tight customer numbers inside big box stores, grocers and for church services.

   Across Canada, other provinces are taking action of their own to deal with rising infection totals as vaccines dwindle in.

    ---

    The proposed $188.7-million deal offered by Air Canada to buy Transat AT Inc. airline has fallen through.

   Canada’s largest airline pulled out of the deal after being advised that it would face regulatory hurdles in Europe.

   Air Canada is reviewing its other options as this opens the way for other domestic companies to seek the Montreal-based tour operator.

   There were competition concerns covering numerous transatlantic routes with the proposed remedies called “insufficient.”

   Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said the two sides are “examining next steps.”

   As well, airlines have been in talks with the Canadian government about a possible aid package over the virus impact.

    ---

    News in brief:

   - Canada’s central bank said the economy is “proving to be more resilient than anticipated” to the virus with associated containment measures as it kept its key interest rate steady. The Bank of Canada’s trend-setting rate remains at 0.25 percent. It also said that consumers and businesses are adapting to containment measures and housing market activity has been much stronger than expected. There remains “considerable economic slack and a great deal of uncertainty about the evolution of the virus and the path of economic growth,” it said.

   - Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd.is offering $25 billion to buy Kansas City Southern railway. This would create the first rail network connecting Canada, the United States and Mexico. It would offer a single integrated rail system connecting ports on the U.S. Gulf, Atlantic and Pacific coasts with overseas markets, the railway said. The deal is subject to government regulatory approval.

    ---

    Facts and figures:

   Canada’s dollar returns 79.5 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar is worth $1.257 Canadian before exchange fees.

   The Bank of Canada 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 18,990 points and the TSX Venture index at 960 points.

   The average price for gas in Canada is higher at $1.245 a liter (Canadian) or $4.73 for a U.S. gallon.

   Lotto Max: (March 30) 12, 22, 25, 30, 37, 38 and 45; bonus 2. (March 26) 2, 4, 16, 24, 25, 27 and 49; bonus 29.

  Lotto 6/49:  (March 31) 3, 7, 8, 12, 37 and 40; bonus 41. (March 27) 15, 16, 17, 30, 36 and 40; bonus 34.

    ---

    Regional briefs:

  - Five people were injured when 70 cars and trucks piled up in wintry conditions on the Trans-Canada Highway in Alberta. The highway near Brooks was closed for hours during a blizzard with white-out conditions. Police said the crash happened at about 8 a.m. in the westbound lanes Drivers were warned to avid travel due to blowing and drifting snow, icy roads and poor visibility.

   - There was a happy ending in the search for a three-year-old boy missing in the woods for almost four days. Ontario Provincial Police Constable Scott McNames caught a glimpse of something bright blue on the ground in the forest. It turned out to be Jude Leyton, alive and well who had been missing near Kingston after wandering away from a fishing camp where his family was staying.

    Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com

Ontario doctor arrested for murder of patient

    Canada column for Sunday, March 28/21

    THE CANADIAN REPORT

   By Jim Fox

    Police are investigating a “number of suspicious deaths” after a doctor at a Hawkesbury, Ontario hospital was arrested for first-degree murder.

   Ontario Provincial Police said Dr. Brian Nadler, 35, who lives in the Montreal suburb of Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, was arrested after they were called about a death at the Hawkesbury and District General Hospital.

   The investigation “led police to look at more than one death,” said OPP spokesman Bill Dickson.

   The hospital is “reaching out to patients and their families and offering trauma counseling to staff,” he added.

   Further details were not given but police indicated the deaths “all occurred in a fairly recent time period.”

   The hospital said there is no risk to public or patient safety and the routine activity at the hospital will not be affected by the investigation.

    ---

    The Ontario government is again moving the city of Hamilton, Ontario and district into a lock-down after a concerning increase in COVID-19 cases.

      The area, with a population approaching 600,000 west of Toronto, faces the action on Monday.

   “Over the last week, we have continued to see some concerning trends in key health indicators in regions across the province," said Health Minister Christine Elliott.

      This would move the area to the lockdown zone from “red-control,” she said.

      The decision was made in consultation with the local medical officer of health and was “based on public health data.”

    ---

    News in brief:

   - Travel restrictions and pandemic periods of quarantine have resulted in the number of air passengers into Canada dropping by almost 97 percent this month. The Canada Border Services Agency said for the first week of March last year, there were 565,323 Canadian citizens or permanent residents entering the country by air. That compares with just 11,529 this year. There was also a significant drop in the number of U.S. citizens entering Canada (1,099) as well as foreign nationals (11,363) over that same period.

    ---

    Facts and figures:

   Canada’s dollar returns 79.3 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar is worth $1.26 Canadian before exchange fees.

   The Bank of Canada key interest rate is steady at 0.25 percent while the prime lending rate is 2.45 percent.

   Canadian stock markets are lower, with the Toronto index at 18,752 points and the TSX Venture index at 943 points.

   The average price for gas in Canada is lower at $1.23 a liter (Canadian) or $4.67 for a U.S. gallon.

   Lotto Max: (March 23) 5, 6, 12, 28, 29, 36 and 46; bonus 40. (March 19) 2, 7, 8, 26, 30, 43 and 48; bonus 25.

   Lotto 6/49:  (March 24) 3, 4, 27, 43, 45 and 48; bonus 44. (March 20) 9, 16, 25, 36, 39 and 43; bonus 49.

    ---

    Regional briefs:

   - WestJet Airlines plans to resume flights to five airports starting in June after the pandemic led to a suspension of service last fall. The Calgary-based airline will again fly to Charlottetown, Fredericton, Moncton, Sydney and Quebec City. There will also be a return on May 6 of its St. John’s- Halifax routes six times a week. Service to the Maritimes is being done “in a timely manner with consideration for the current travel recommendations and isolation guidelines of individual provinces,” said the airline’s Andrew Gibbons.

   - Bald eagles are making a comeback in Canada and now an effort is being made to send some to the U.S. from Atlantic Canada to try to help along the recovery of the birds there. They’re making a comeback in southern Ontario over the last decade after dying out because of the pesticide DDT. Biologists suggest there are about 100 nesting pairs. They have been seen across British Columbia, Alberta and in Ontario from Ottawa to Kingston and the Bruce Peninsula and along the shores of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.

    Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com

 

Americans "share" 1.5-million doses of pandemic vaccine with Canada

    Canada column for Sunday, March 21/21

    THE CANADIAN REPORT

   By Jim Fox

   “Thanks neighbor,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said to U.S. President Joe Biden for his offer to send Canada 1.5-million doses of COV1D-19 vaccine in a “sharing deal.”

   Canada has struggled to get the population vaccinated with some bottlenecks in the delivery of vaccine.

   “Vaccines are the path out of this pandemic,” Trudeau said as he reported he deal that will see the United States send doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Canada.

   “Canada and the U.S. are each other’s closest friends and most important allies and I know we’ll continue working to keep Canadians and Americans safe,” Trudeau said.

   The U.S. is ready to also release 2.5-million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Mexico from a stockpile of 7 million.

   Both countries want to immunize their populations quicker and so far about 10 percent, or 3.5-million Canadians have had their first of two planned doses.

   Canada expects to receive larger shipments of vaccines in the push to immunize everyone who wants to be by the end of September.

   ---

   It’s been a year now and the ban on non-essential travel will continue at the land border between Canada and the U.S.

   The restrictions, approved by both countries, are extended now to April 21 in a bid to reduce the spread of the pandemic.

   The border will “eventually open, but not today,” Prime Minister Trudeau said.

   “We're all eager to be able to travel again, but I think we're all going to wait patiently until such time as the health situation allows us to loosen border restrictions internationally,” he added.

   People flying home to Canada and others face having proof of being virus-free and face quarantine periods.

    ---

    News in brief:

   - Erin O’Toole put it bluntly to his Conservatives who have lost the last two elections saying that “new ideas” are needed. “We are never going to win over Canadians just by relying on Justin Trudeau to continue to disappoint,” he said at the party’s convention. “His scandals, as outrageous as they often are, will never be enough to defeat him,” he added.

   - Rogers Communications wants to buy Shaw in deal worth $26 billion that would combine Canada’s two largest cable providers and second-largest cellular company after Bell. The blockbuster deal is subject to government scrutiny and approval.

   ---

    Facts and figures:

   Canada’s dollar is higher at 79.8 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.25 Canadian before exchange fees.

   The Bank of Canada key interest rate remains at 0.25 percent while the prime lending rate is 2.45 percent.

   Canadian stock markets are higher, with the Toronto index at 18,854 points and the TSX Venture index at 995 points.

   The average price for gas in Canada is steady at $1.25 a liter (Canadian) or $4.75 for a U.S. gallon.

   Lotto Max: (March 16) 8, 15, 25, 27, 33, 39 and 44; bonus 20. (March 12) 5, 12, 15, 23, 28, 38 and 39; bonus 46.

   Lotto 6/49:  (March 17) 4, 9, 13, 25, 44 and 49; bonus 3. (March 13) 15, 24, 27, 29, 42 and 49; bonus 18.

    ---

    Regional briefs:

   - An easing of virus outbreaks in Atlantic Canada has resulted in the reopening of the border between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick this weekend. As well, remaining restrictions in Halifax and area are being lifted. “Now we look forward to reopening the entire Atlantic bubble,” Nova Scotia Premier Iain Rankin said.

   - A Sudbury, Ontario couple has won the top $70-million tax-free cash jackpot from the Feb. 26 Lotto Max draw on a $5 ticket. Retired mechanic Marc Meilleur and his wife Dorothy-Ann of Noelville said they plan to tour Canada in a new motorhome, buy houses for their kids and new vehicles along with supporting local charities.

    Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com

 

New Canadian jobs don't catch up with those lost due to pandemic

    Canada column for Sunday, March 14/21

    THE CANADIAN REPORT

   By Jim Fox

    Canada added 259,000 jobs to the labor force last month but the country remains a long way from a return to its pre-pandemic economy.

   Statistics Canada said there are still 599,000 fewer people working than a year ago.

   Last month marked a year of “unprecedented changes” in the Canadian labor market coping with the COVID-19 outbreak.

   Now there are 406,000 more people working less than half their usual hours with employment last month 3.1 percent below pre-pandemic levels.

   The number of new jobs added resulted in Canada recovering most of the jobs it lost in the previous two months during tighter pandemic restrictions.

   This pushed the jobless rate down to 8.2 percent from 9.4 percent, the lowest rate since March 2020, when the pandemic began.

   Among those working at least half their usual hours at locations other than home increased by 600,000 as schools and other work places reopened in several provinces, the report said.

   ---

   Amazon has decided not to locate the largest warehouse in Canada on a controversial environmental site at a protected wetland in Pickering, east of Toronto.

   The company said it is no longer considering the Duffins Creek land for its fulfilment center with four-million square feet of warehouse space.

   The Toronto Region Conservation Authority hadn’t agreed to allow property owner Triple Group of Companies to begin destroying the wetland.

   Mayor Dave Ryan said the next step would be to pause any immediate disruption to the land and lose this “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” for 2,000 jobs and revenue from development charges and taxes.

   ---

   News in brief:

   - As Canadian provinces, with the exception of Saskatchewan, entered Daylight Saving Time today, politicians are reviewing whether to continue the clock-changing ritual. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney is springing forward with a plan to hold a vote on ending the tradition. Ontario is also considering staying on daylight time forever. To make it work, politicians say bordering U.S. states would have to make a similar decision.

   - Canada’s central bank has kept its trend-setting interest rate steady at 0.25 percent. The Bank of Canada has said that’s as low as it will go during the pandemic. It expects the economy to grow in the third quarter of the year as government spending and lower interest rates are “buffering the impact of the shutdown” and creating the foundation for recovery.

    ---

    Facts and figures:

   Canada’s dollar is higher at 79.35 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.247 Canadian before exchange fees.

   The Bank of Canada 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 18,851 points and the TSX Venture index at 982 points.

   The average price for gas in Canada is higher at $1.25 a liter (Canadian) or $4.75 for a U.S. gallon.

   Lotto Max: (March 9) 3, 7, 16, 22, 29, 31 and 42; bonus 15. (March 5) 6, 9, 23, 25, 31,36 and 48; bonus 30.

   Lotto 6/49:  (March 10) 30, 31, 35, 36, 43 and 48; bonus 28. (March 6) 2, 14, 18, 21, 26 and 48; bonus 19.

    ---

    Regional briefs:

   - As Ontario is receiving more than one-million COVID-19 vaccine shipments a day, the provincial government is expanding the delivery to administer the shots. Across the province as of Friday vaccines can be received at pharmacies and primary care settings. This includes more than 325 pharmacies offering the AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD vaccine to Ontarians aged 60-64, by appointment in specific regions.

   - Vote counting has finally begun in Newfoundland and Labrador’s long-delayed COVID provincial election. The deadline for returning mail-in ballots has changed again to March 25 to be counted.  All in-person voting in the election was stopped earlier due to pandemic lockdown measures.  Another deadline passed due to concerns about weather and transportation disruptions to mail services. The winner might be known by April 1, election officials say.

 

Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com

 

More vaccine arrivals mean earlier shots for all in Canada

    Canada column for Sunday, March 7/21

    THE CANADIAN REPORT

   By Jim Fox

    Increased shipments of COVID-19 vaccine will allow Ontario to guarantee that by June 20 “every eligible person who wants it” can have their shot.

   Doug Ford, Premier of Canada’s most populous province, said shots will also be available to everyone over 60 by end of May – moving both date up by a couple of months.

   Helping the cause for vaccinations is the recent approval of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

   This is the first one-shot vaccine authorized by Health Canada, making it the fourth vaccine that can be administered to Canadians.

   It will especially boost British Columbia as it begins age-based immunizations and integrates the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine into its program.

   With virus numbers still high, Toronto and nearby Peel Region will move to the restrictive lockdown category on Monday while closings are easing in Quebec and eastern Canada.

    ---

    Tributes are pouring in for Canada’s iconic “hockey dad” Walter Gretzky who died at age 82in Brantford, Ontario.

   He was the father of hockey’s “Great One” Wayne Gretzky, and who taught him to skate and play hockey on their winter backyard ice rink.

   Walter was known for his far-reaching charitable efforts and getting kids interested in the sport and minor hockey.

   He continued to work for Bell Canada and live with his wife and family in their modest home even as Wayne, 60, became the National Hockey League’s star player.

   "Everything I am is because of him – it’s as simple as that," Wayne said in an earlier TV interview.

    ---

    News in brief:

   - Toronto Raptors’ basketball fans are wondering how long star player Kyle Lowry will stick around now that he has sold his Canadian home. The property that he paid $5.25 million for in Toronto has sold for $5.12 million. There is growing speculation that the veteran player aged 34 would want to play in his hometown of Philadelphia.

   - The housing market in Toronto is red hot, with the average house price topping $1 million for the first time. The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board said the average selling price for all houses was up 14.9 percent last month to $1,045,488, an increase from $910,142 in 2020. Sales during the pandemic aren’t keeping buyers and sellers out of the market, the board said.

    ---

    Facts and figures:

   Canada’s dollar is higher at 79 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar returns $1.27 Canadian before exchange fees.

   The Bank of Canada key interest rate is steady at 0.25 percent while the prime lending rate is 2.45 percent.

   Canadian stock markets are mixed, with the Toronto index up at 18,380 points and the TSX Venture index down at 918 points.

   The average price for gas in Canada is steady at $1.21 a liter (Canadian) or $4.60 for a U.S. gallon.

   Lotto Max: (Feb. 26) 11, 17, 19, 22, 27, 31 and 40; bonus 38. (Feb. 23) 3, 13, 14, 20, 30, 45 and 49; bonus 35.

   Lotto 6/49:  (March 3) 3, 11, 33, 34, 36 and 43; bonus 42. (Feb. 27) 11, 15, 16, 20, 46 and 49; bonus 17.

    ---

    Regional briefs:

   - Canada’s Atlantic Provinces and British Columbia rely heavily on cruise ship business but will have to miss this year. The Canadian government has announced a further one-year ban on pleasure craft in Arctic waters and cruise vessels in all Canadian waters. “These prohibitions will protect the most vulnerable among our communities and avoid overwhelming our health care systems,” said Transport Minister Omar Alghabra.

   - Cesar the dog has found his new forever “retirement home,” the Cape Breton, Nova Scotia SPCA reports. The society says someone has adopted the cane sorso mix who is 17 and in good health. The dog’s owner was unable to care for him. Posting his image and story on Facebook was all that was needed to find him a home. “We’re very sad to see him go as the staff has bonded with him quite a bit,” said SPCA’s Ryan Toomey.

 Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com