Toronto police are investigating "incel" possible involvement in horrendous van massacre

   Canada column for Sunday, April 29/18

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   By Jim Fox

   Toronto police are investigating whether a recently graduated college student was inspired by a California mass murderer after a speeding van ran down and killed 10 people and injured 16 others.

   Alek Minassian, 25, of suburban Richmond Hill, faces first-degree murder and attempted murder charges in the incident on the sidewalk of busy Yonge Street in North Toronto.

   The victims, eight of them women who appeared to be targeted by the driver, ranged in age from 22 to 94 years old.

   Police homicide Inspector Bryan Bott said a “cryptic” message on a Facebook profile just moments before the incident began refers to “incel,” an online community of the “involuntarily celibate.”

   It draws inspiration from Elliot Rodger, 22, who killed six people in California in 2014 after posting a video angered about his rejection by women and sexual frustration.

   After trying to flee from the van, Constable Ken Lam confronted the driver who challenged him to shoot claiming he had a gun.

   Lam is being praised for his cool action in ordering the man to surrender without a shot being fired.

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Record high gas prices could follow pipeline fallout, dollar dip in Canada

   Canada column for Sunday, April 15/18

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Canadian drivers could be paying record-high gas prices – even hitting $2 a liter out west – this summer as a dispute over a crude oil pipeline project heats up.

   Also at play, says Dan McTeague, an analyst at Gas Buddy, are rising global oil prices and a lower-valued Canadian dollar.

   “The world is getting its oil fundamentals back in balance and supply and demand are looking a lot closer,” McTeague said.

   With gas prices topping an average of $1.30 a liter, or $4.94 (Canadian) for a U.S. gallon, it’s almost 18 cents a liter higher than a year ago.

   A major concern is the Alberta’s government threat to reduce the flow of crude oil to neighboring British Columbia in a feud over the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline.

   Environmental protesters have been hampering progress on the pipeline work to west coast ports even though it has been approved by the federal government.

   The British Columbia government is also opposing the project, leading owner Kinder Morgan to suspend work until the end of May and to threaten to cancel the project.

Possible breakthrough in NAFTA talks makes Canadian prime minister "cautiously optimistic"

   Canada column for Sunday, April 8/18

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is “cautiously optimistic” of a breakthrough in free trade talks with the U.S. and Mexico.

   Speaking in Quebec City, Trudeau said negotiations for a revamped North American Free Trade Agreement are making “good progress” in spite of challenges.

   “I believe we’re in a moment where we’re moving forward in a significant way,” Trudeau said, even as U.S. President Donald Trump has been dampening expectations for a breakthrough in the coming week.

   While Trump predicted the three countries would have something to announce “fairly soon,” he added: “We get it done right or we’ll terminate (NAFTA).”

   The talks are now involving higher-level players as Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland met Friday in Washington with U.S. trade representative Robert Lighthizer and Mexican Economy Secretary Ildefonso Guajardo.

   There’s speculation there could be an announcement when Trudeau, Trump and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto meet in Peru at the Summit of the Americas, April 13 and 14.

Canadians rankled by President Trump's comments on pipeline, trade deficit: Fake news

   Canada column for Sunday, April 1/18

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Canadians are trying to be good neighbors to its United States’ ally in spite of more “questionable” comments by President Donald Trump.

   Mild-mannered Canadians tend to let things go but the latest “misinformed” comments have rankled many over the planned Keystone XL pipeline.

   “Trump tells another tall tale,” said the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. after he said he wasn’t thanked by the head of TransCanada for approving the controversial line to the U.S. from Alberta.

   “The boss of whatever the hell company it is never actually called me to say thank you,” Trump said in a speech promoting his infrastructure spending plan.

   “But that’s OK, we’ll remember,” he added.

    Not true, the Canadian Press news service reported, noting that when Trump signed an executive order for the project, TransCanada’s Russ Girling was next to him in the Oval Office and he thanked him twice, videos show.

   “Thank you, Mr. President. This is a very, very important day for us, for our company,” Girling said.

   Also in March, Trump boasted that he made up facts about a (not true) U.S. trade deficit with Canada while speaking to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

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Canada to crack down on gun sale practises and firearm crimes

   Canada column for Sunday, March 25/18

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   The Canadian government plans to get tough with people buying guns and crimes.

   While not an epidemic in this country, gun crimes are increasing with 223 firearm-related deaths in 2016, up 44 from a year earlier.

   A wide-ranging firearms bill outlined in the House of Commons would assist police in investigating gun trafficking and other crimes, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said.

   At a time when a survey finds 69 percent of Canadians support an outright ban on guns in urban areas, the government wants to also respect law-abiding firearm owners.

   The bill would tighten Canada’s firearms law with enhanced background checks for anyone seeking a firearms license and mandatory record-keeping for gun sellers.

   Police would conduct a more extensive background check and follow-up to include criminal, mental health, addiction and domestic violence records.

   Canadian crime rates have been declining for more than 20 years but firearm offenses – homicides, domestic and gender-based violence involving guns, criminal gang activity and gun thefts – are up significantly, Goodale said.

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Trudeau assures steelworkers as President Trump says he tried to "mislead" Canada

   Canada column for Sunday, March 18/18

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has assured steelworkers that he “has their backs” in the event of punishing tariffs threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump.

   Trudeau’s assurances came during visits to steel plants in Hamilton and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan.

   Canada and Mexico have been temporarily reprieved from worldwide tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum as the North American Free Trade Agreement negotiations continue.

   Trump, however, now admits trying to mislead Canada by insisting to Trudeau that the U.S. has a massive trade deficit with Canada.

   In a fundraising speech, Trump said he “had no idea” of the numbers, adding: “I said, ‘wrong, Justin’ . . . I didn’t even know.”

   Figures from the 2018 White House Economic Report signed by the President says the U.S. has a trade surplus of $2.6 billion with Canada on a balance-of-payments basis.

   Canada sells about 85 percent of its steel and aluminum to the U.S. as the country’s largest foreign provider.

Trans Mountain pipeline expansion will go ahead despite protests: Trudeau says

   Canada column for Sunday, March 11/18

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   * News Update *

   Doug Ford wins Ontario Conservative Party nomination for leader.

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   The $7.9-billion expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline will be built despite widespread protests in British Columbia, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says.

   The Kinder Morgan project, approved by the Trudeau government in 2016, would triple the amount of crude oil shipped to the west coast port of Burnaby from Edmonton, Alberta to 890,000 barrels a day.

   “This project is in the national interest and it will get built,” Trudeau said.

   “We will continue to ensure that we are protecting the environment while growing the economy and working across the country to ensure the projects that are in the national interest move forward,” he added.

   Permit disputes and environmental concerns have delayed construction as political leaders from both provinces warn of trade-war sanctions.

   British Columbia said it will not allow increased oil shipments until it does more research on pipeline safety and responses to possible spills.

   Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said there has been a loss of millions of dollars in revenue and thousands of jobs due to bottlenecks in the existing pipeline.

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