Canada well-positioned for any Chinese volatility: BoC
The Bank of Canada says Canada is well-positioned to ride out any economic shocks from China—even though China has become this country’s second-biggest trading partner.
Senior deputy governor Carolyn Wilkins said in a speech to the Vancouver Board of Trade on April 5 that if growth in China’s economy comes in one percentage point lower than projections, then Canadian growth would slip one-tenth of a percentage point.
“Canada is not immune to the risks that China’s transition poses to the global economy,” Wilkins said. “It is nonetheless well-positioned to manage them.”
Mulcair heads to NDP convention in hopes of keeping job
OTTAWA—Tom Mulcair is hoping to silence naysayers at this weekend’s NDP convention in Edmonton, where rank-and-file members will determine his future as leader.
One of the loudest voices of late has been Hassan Yussuff, president of the Canadian Labour Congress, who says he won’t support Mulcair’s bid to remain at the helm. To make matters even more awkward, Yussuff is scheduled to speak at the convention on April 8.
NDP president Rebecca Blaikie has suggested Mulcair will need about 70 percent support to stay on as leader.
Plans for Arctic shipping lanes fall short, group says
Environmentalists say Ottawa needs to consider Inuit people and the marine animals they depend on when planning Arctic shipping lanes.
So-called low-impact shipping lanes for the Arctic were one of the promises made by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Barack Obama during their recent meeting. Canadian officials have been working on such proposals for years.
But Louie Porta of Pew’s Oceans North Canada says those plans ignore important areas for animals like whales and walrus, as well as how those waters are used by Inuit. Porta’s group has released its own set of corridors that cover 70 percent less area.
Vessel traffic through Canada’s Arctic has doubled since 1980.
Judge refuses to order homeless from grounds of Victoria’s law courts
VICTORIA—Cheers erupted at a homeless camp in Victoria on April 5 when residents heard British Columbia’s Supreme Court had rejected the government’s bid to take down their tent city.
The B.C. Supreme Court’s top judge refused the province’s request to grant an injunction forcing the estimated 100 homeless campers from the courthouse grounds.
Chief Justice Christopher Hinkson ruled the government did not prove it will suffer irreparable harm if an interim injunction to remove the camp was not granted. Hinkson also said he’s concerned that issuing an injunction would mean the homelessness problems would simply migrate to other areas of Victoria.
Gloom about oil price shock is overblown, BMO CEO says
TORONTO—The CEO of the Bank of Montreal says doom-and-gloom talk about the effects of the oil price shock on the Canadian economy is overblown.
Bill Downe says he expects the economy to grow by about two percent this year, in spite of the fact that the prolonged decline in the price of crude has had a “significant negative impact” on employment and consumer spending in certain regions.
That forecast contrasts with the Bank of Canada’s prediction of 1.4 percent economic growth this year, though that did not take into account new spending in the federal budget released last month.
When not to call 911: Edmonton police launch campaign
EDMONTON—Edmonton police say some of the 911 calls they get are so ridiculous that they are launching a campaign reminding citizens of when NOT to phone the emergency line.
They say one of the worst examples was a call from a driver who had nosed his vehicle part-way into a parking stall and was annoyed another driver wouldn’t give up challenging him for the spot.
Christine Lyseng, the supervisor of Edmonton’s 911 call centre, said people have actually called about late or non-existent pizza delivery; wanting police to check out noises from a fireplace; and a woman wanting help to move because she didn’t have a car.
With files from The Canadian Press
