Canada column for
Sunday, June 11/17
THE CANADIAN REPORT
(c) By Jim Fox
As Canada’s capital
prepares to mark the country’s 150th birthday on July 1, there are concerns
about potential terrorism.
“Could the events
in Britain happen here? Sadly, the answer is yes,” said Ottawa Mayor Jim
Watson.
One of the
fatalities from last weekend’s London Bridge area attack was Christine
Archibald, originally from British Columbia.
The 30-year-old
woman moved to Europe to be with her fiancé and was caught up in the deadly
attack in which seven people were killed and dozens injured.
Heightened security
measures are planned around Parliament Hill but no amount of preparation can
guarantee 100-percent safety, Watson said.
Liberal Member of
Parliament David McGuinty, head of a new national security committee, said the
government is consulting with Canadian communities about precautions for the celebrations.
In 2014, terrorist
Michael Zehaf-Bibeau was shot and killed by security and police officers
killing Corporal Nathan Cirillo, a soldier on duty at the National War Memorial,
and who then stormed the Parliament Buildings.
Last Jan. 29, six
were killed and eight injured in a shooting at a Quebec City mosque.
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Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau had a dinner date with former U.S. President Barack Obama at the
trendy Liverpool House in Montreal.
There’s no
word – or leaks – about what they discussed as they dined on oysters, shrimp,
halibut, steak, spaghetti lobster and strawberry shortcake, said restaurant
owner David McMillan.
“My
bonds with Canada are deep,” Obama said in a speech earlier to the Montreal
Board of Trade.
He has a
brother-in-law from Burlington, Ontario and spoke of hosting this “good friends,”
Justin and Sophie Trudeau last year in Washington.
On the celebrity
circuit, Trudeau can expect a mix of personal and political talk when he’s a
guest Monday on “Live with Kelly and Ryan” in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
---
News in brief:
- Cross-border
topics including “free trade,” taxes and infrastructure were on the agenda when
Canadian cabinet ministers met with U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin in
Ottawa on Friday. In a bid to keep the Canada-U.S. relationship strong, most
members of the Liberal cabinet have had discussions with their American
counterparts. Mnuchin also met with business leaders at an event hosted by the
Business Council of Canada.
- Canada’s labor
market remains hot as 77,000 new full-time positions were added to the
workforce last month. Statistics Canada said that even so the national
unemployment rate edged up 0.1 percent to 6.6 percent as more people were
seeking work. Provinces with the biggest job gains were Ontario, British
Columbia and Quebec. Hourly wages rose by 1.3 percent over a year ago.
---
Facts and figures:
Canada’s dollar has
advanced to 74.44 cents U.S. as the U.S. dollar is worth $1.343 Canadian before
exchange fees.
The Bank of Canada’s key interest rate is
steady at 0.5 percent while the prime-lending rate is 2.7 percent.
Stock markets are mixed, with the Toronto
exchange index up at 15,480 points while the TSX Venture index is down at 789
points.
The average price for gas in Canada is down at
$1.089 a liter or $4.13 (Canadian) for a U.S. gallon.
Lotto 6/49: (June 7) 16, 19, 23, 30, 33 and 40; bonus
46. (June 3) 7, 12, 32, 36, 40 and 44; bonus 45. Lotto Max: (June 2) 11, 12,
25, 28, 33, 41 and 43; bonus 36.
---
Regional briefs:
- British Columbia
Premier Christy Clark’s Liberal government continues to govern even though it
didn’t win a majority in the May 5 election. The “minority” government will
stay until potential defeat in a non-confidence vote on a major bill. New
Democratic Leader John Horgan said instead the province needs a working
government with a coalition of his party and the Greens. The Liberals had 43 elected,
New Democrats, 41, and the Green Party, 3.
- Judicial vote
recounts are being held in Nova Scotia where there were narrow margins of
victory. The Liberals and Premier Stephen McNeil won the May 30 vote with a
slim majority winning 27 seats in the 51-seat legislature. The Conservatives
won 17 seats and the New Democrats, 7.
-30-
Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com
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