Two bombers sought after 15 hurt in blast at Toronto-area Indian restaurant

   Canada column for Sunday, May 27/18

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Three people remain in Toronto-area hospitals with “critical injuries” after a crude bomb was detonated in an Indian restaurant.

   Twelve other diners injured in the blast were treated at hospitals and released after the incident at the Bombay Bhel restaurant in Mississauga during two birthday celebrations.

   Videos showed two men who had their faces covered entering the restaurant and detonating a bomb and then running away.

   Police said so far there is no indication the explosion was an act of terrorism or a hate crime.

   “Every police resource available” is trying to track down those responsible for this “horrendous act,” said Peel Regional Police Chief Jennifer Evans.

   The owners of the well-known and popular restaurant called the bombing “extremely horrific and sad.”

   The Consulate General of India in Toronto has opened a helpline to assist.

   Consul General Dinesh Bhatia said those injured were Indian or Indo-Canadian and long-time residents of Canada.

Canadian leader pitches NAFTA in New York visit

   Canada column for Sunday, May 20/18

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made his best pitch yet at Yankee Stadium for an agreement on a revised North American Free Trade Agreement.

   As Canada, the United States and Mexico looked for a speedy resolution of the talks, Trudeau was making a commencement speech to New York University graduates at the ball park.

   It was the 16th time Trudeau has taken a working trip to the U.S. since becoming prime minister in 2015 to tell his audiences that the Canada-U.S. trade relationship is critical for both countries.

   Despite his best efforts and optimism that a deal was close, Trudeau also spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump who earlier threatened to end the agreement.

   The U.S. then rebuffed Trudeau’s hope for deal for the pact first signed in 1994 and for which negotiations to modernize it began last August.

   U.S. trade czar Robert Lighthizer said a deal wasn’t imminent due to differences on intellectual property, agriculture, online purchases, energy, labor, rules of origin and other issues.

   While in New York, Trudeau received an honorary degree from the university.

Flights to Caribbean islands to resume in time for the winter by Canadian airlines

   Canada column for Sunday, May 13/18

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Canadians airlines are heading back to the Caribbean after repairs to airports and key infrastructure from devastating hurricanes.

   Air Transat’s seasonal flights will return to St. Martin/St. Maarten and San Juan, Puerto Rico from Montreal and Toronto before Christmas for four months.

   Transat’s Debbie Cabana said the destinations are mainly embarkation ports for cruises.

   Air Canada expects to operate its normal schedule to the winter destinations along with WestJet while Sunwing wants to get back early next year to St. Maarten where many of the hotels are being repaired.

   Islands hardest hit by the storms were Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, St. Barthelemy, St. Martin, St. Maarten, Barbuda, Cuba and Dominica.

   Places with less damage such as Grand Cayman, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines benefited with additional visitors.

   A study said the hurricane season resulted in a loss of 826,100 visitors to the Caribbean and about 740 million in spending.

Canada trying to cope with massive asylum-seeking migrants at border

   Canada column for Sunday, May 6/18

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Some critics are suggesting that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asked for what he is seeing with a massive refugee influx.

   Trudeau said last year: “To those fleeing persecution, terror and war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength.”

   Since then, the illegal refugee influx at the U.S./Canada border, largely in Quebec, is becoming unmanageable.

   There are so many – 4,000 migrants crossing into Quebec recently – that the Mounties are having to build a police station along the border to cope.

   More than 80 percent of the immigrants are going through the U.S. from Haiti, with the rest including people from India, Mexico, Colombia and Turkey.

   In the past year, there have been more than 20,000 illegal border crossings into Canada by those seeking asylum.

   Those entering the country illegally are subject to arrest but are released to await hearings and appeals to stay in Canada while they are allowed to work, have access to “free” health care, schools and receive welfare payments.

   With the arrival of warm weather, the number of border crossers in Quebec alone, near Champlain, N.Y., is expected to reach more than 400 a day.

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.