That may be, but the reason to wear a 'white hat' was to keep your head cooler under the sun. Or rather, a light colored or even brown; rarely black. Least as I understand it but *shrugs*.
WE really need to get rid of this guy
- Thread starter Retired_Can_Soldier
- Start date
That may be, but the reason to wear a 'white hat' was to keep your head cooler under the sun. Or rather, a light colored or even brown; rarely black. Least as I understand it but *shrugs*.
Sombreros or derbys. No Stetsons.
They came later from NWMP (RCMP) and Teddy Roosevelt 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry who just happened have a pile of Mounties in the ranks.
Upon Returning to Depot in Regina they formed the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
They came later from NWMP (RCMP) and Teddy Roosevelt 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry who just happened have a pile of Mounties in the ranks.
Upon Returning to Depot in Regina they formed the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Never could wear one. I could wear a helmet, a hard hat, scull-cap, a hairnet, many bandanas (Schampa are my favourite), but ball caps? Just couldn’t do it.
Myself either, hats drive me nuts even if necessity.
I never go anywhere without one. I just don't like seagull shit in my hair. I even have one that is approved for shop use. It tends to make your head sweat though.
Ford government seems to be helping Metrolinx hide incompetency
Secrecy from Metrolinx, Ford government hiding why and how bad decisions were made on UP Express
Author of the article:Brian Lilley
Published Aug 25, 2024 • Last updated 12 hours ago • 3 minute read
Requests made to Metrolinx and the equally secretive Ford government about the UP Express have frequently been stonewalled.
Incompetency and secrecy are a dangerous combination, but they both appear to be core to how Metrolinx operates. The provincial agency that oversees regional transit across southern Ontario has been trying to block the release of basic information for four months now.
The simple requests made to Metrolinx and the equally secretive Ford government were attempts to find out why they announced changes to the UP Express train one day and reversed course the next.
“For those travelling to and from the airport, every second UP Express train will soon be non-stop between Union Station and Pearson airport,” Premier Doug Ford said enthusiastically on April 15.
Perhaps the enthusiasm was due to him using a government announcement to campaign during the Milton byelection. Perhaps it was a poorly designed policy with no data to back it up and Ford didn’t know it was in the package of changes he was announcing.
Either way, we don’t know because neither Metrolinx nor the Ford government is willing to release the reasons they reversed course and cancelled the UP Express changes a little more than 24 hours after making them.
The morning after the announcement, Transportation Minister Prab Sarkaria was on TV defending and explaining the changes. By suppertime, he was backtracking and announcing the changes would not happen.
The speed of the reversal was enough to give anyone watching whiplash.
Surely there had to have been a good reason for the government to bring in the changes. Someone must have looked at data and said making every other UP Express train non-stop to the airport would be offset by expanded GO Train service.
Assuming the government was making fact-based decisions, we submitted a number of freedom-of-information requests – one to Metrolinx, one to the Ministry of Transportation and one to the Premier’s Office.
“Provide copies of any documents provided to the provincial government showing statistics on Metrolinx ridership and any analysis in support of UP Express plans. Timeframe: January 01, 2023-April 17, 2024,” the basic request said.
That should have been easy to answer. Sadly, that’s not the case.
Immediately, Metrolinx responded that they were transferring this request to the Ministry of Transportation and would not be answering. Shortly after that, the Ministry of Transportation replied that they were transferring the request to Metrolinx and would not be answering.
Only after protesting did both Metrolinx and the ministry agree to follow the law and answer the requests.
On May 13, Metrolinx sent a letter asking for $225 in search fees to cover six hours of searching and one hour of preparation. The ministry followed on May 15 asking for $120 in search fees to cover four hours of looking for these documents.
After agreeing to pay the fees asked for by both Metrolinx and the ministry, they both took a 30-day extension into June. On May 17, the Cabinet Office, which represents the premier, replied that they would need an additional 30 days to find those documents.
The Cabinet Office later came back with a demand for $15 in search fees to release the documents.
Bottom line: It is late August, we have paid $360, waited more than 130 days and we don’t know what information the decision to change the UP Express was based on.
How does it take more than four months to give details on a decision that lasted less than 36 hours?
So far just four pages of documentation from the Cabinet Office have been released, almost all of it redacted and none of it revealing any insight. Metrolinx has promised to release information soon after more than four months, but warns it too will be redacted under section 13 of the legislation, which covers advice to government, and under section 18(1), which is a catch-all for anything them deem to be in the “economic and other interests of Ontario.”
This is nothing but obfuscation, a desire by Metrolinx and the Ford government to keep the public in the dark. This is not how government should work; this is not how freedom of information should work.
Given the record of Metrolinx and the Ford government hiding anything that would reveal their incompetence when it comes to the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, we shouldn’t be shocked they are hiding their incompetence on this file.
torontosun.com
Secrecy from Metrolinx, Ford government hiding why and how bad decisions were made on UP Express
Author of the article:Brian Lilley
Published Aug 25, 2024 • Last updated 12 hours ago • 3 minute read
Requests made to Metrolinx and the equally secretive Ford government about the UP Express have frequently been stonewalled.
Incompetency and secrecy are a dangerous combination, but they both appear to be core to how Metrolinx operates. The provincial agency that oversees regional transit across southern Ontario has been trying to block the release of basic information for four months now.
The simple requests made to Metrolinx and the equally secretive Ford government were attempts to find out why they announced changes to the UP Express train one day and reversed course the next.
“For those travelling to and from the airport, every second UP Express train will soon be non-stop between Union Station and Pearson airport,” Premier Doug Ford said enthusiastically on April 15.
Perhaps the enthusiasm was due to him using a government announcement to campaign during the Milton byelection. Perhaps it was a poorly designed policy with no data to back it up and Ford didn’t know it was in the package of changes he was announcing.
Either way, we don’t know because neither Metrolinx nor the Ford government is willing to release the reasons they reversed course and cancelled the UP Express changes a little more than 24 hours after making them.
The morning after the announcement, Transportation Minister Prab Sarkaria was on TV defending and explaining the changes. By suppertime, he was backtracking and announcing the changes would not happen.
The speed of the reversal was enough to give anyone watching whiplash.
Surely there had to have been a good reason for the government to bring in the changes. Someone must have looked at data and said making every other UP Express train non-stop to the airport would be offset by expanded GO Train service.
Assuming the government was making fact-based decisions, we submitted a number of freedom-of-information requests – one to Metrolinx, one to the Ministry of Transportation and one to the Premier’s Office.
“Provide copies of any documents provided to the provincial government showing statistics on Metrolinx ridership and any analysis in support of UP Express plans. Timeframe: January 01, 2023-April 17, 2024,” the basic request said.
That should have been easy to answer. Sadly, that’s not the case.
Immediately, Metrolinx responded that they were transferring this request to the Ministry of Transportation and would not be answering. Shortly after that, the Ministry of Transportation replied that they were transferring the request to Metrolinx and would not be answering.
Only after protesting did both Metrolinx and the ministry agree to follow the law and answer the requests.
On May 13, Metrolinx sent a letter asking for $225 in search fees to cover six hours of searching and one hour of preparation. The ministry followed on May 15 asking for $120 in search fees to cover four hours of looking for these documents.
After agreeing to pay the fees asked for by both Metrolinx and the ministry, they both took a 30-day extension into June. On May 17, the Cabinet Office, which represents the premier, replied that they would need an additional 30 days to find those documents.
The Cabinet Office later came back with a demand for $15 in search fees to release the documents.
Bottom line: It is late August, we have paid $360, waited more than 130 days and we don’t know what information the decision to change the UP Express was based on.
How does it take more than four months to give details on a decision that lasted less than 36 hours?
So far just four pages of documentation from the Cabinet Office have been released, almost all of it redacted and none of it revealing any insight. Metrolinx has promised to release information soon after more than four months, but warns it too will be redacted under section 13 of the legislation, which covers advice to government, and under section 18(1), which is a catch-all for anything them deem to be in the “economic and other interests of Ontario.”
This is nothing but obfuscation, a desire by Metrolinx and the Ford government to keep the public in the dark. This is not how government should work; this is not how freedom of information should work.
Given the record of Metrolinx and the Ford government hiding anything that would reveal their incompetence when it comes to the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, we shouldn’t be shocked they are hiding their incompetence on this file.
LILLEY: Ford government seems to be helping Metrolinx hide incompetency
Requests made to Metrolinx and the equally secretive Ford government were attempts to find out why they announced changes to the UP Express.
Embattled Trudeau dodges suggestion he follow Biden's example and bow out
Author of the article:Bryan Passifiume
Published Aug 26, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 2 minute read
Facing months of devastating poll numbers, Canada’s embattled prime minister tossed cold water on those hoping for a Joe Biden-esque departure.
During a Monday morning press conference ahead of the federal cabinet retreat in Halifax, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ducked pointed questions on his future as he faces record-low polling and the Liberals’ conspicuous loss in June’s Toronto-St. Paul’s byelection.
“You say you plan to stay on, despite persistently bad polling, despite the byelection loss in Toronto that your party lost for the first time in three decades because you want to ‘continue to deliver,'” asked Globe and Mail reporter Marieke Walsh.
“Isn’t that what Joe Biden insisted on?”
Questions over the U.S. president’s capacity to handle another election campaign against Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump prompted the 81-year-old commander-in-chief to drop out of the Democratic presidential race in July, paving the way for Vice-President Kamala Harris to run in his stead.
While Biden and his supporters spent weeks after June’s disastrous televised debate rebuffing calls to step aside, he eventually acquiesced after pressure from members of his own party and several high-profile figures — including former president Barack Obama.
In response to Walsh’s question, Trudeau outlined his government’s priorities — insisting their investments and policies will leave Canadians better off.
“Canada has built one of the strongest economies in the G7, in the world right now, because we’ve been there to invest in the middle class and people working hard to enjoy it,” he said, continuing to list recent programs and initiatives put forth by the Trudeau Liberals.
“But you just made the Joe Biden argument, that his record justifies him staying,” Walsh said in her follow-up question to Trudeau, who appeared visibly annoyed by the comparison.
“The electorate is saying they don’t want you, they want change. Your polling is worse than your party’s.”
Trudeau ducked the question again, again extolling the virtues of his government’s policy and programs, telling reporters he spent the summer “talking to Canadians” about the future of the country.
“We’re going to go into this next election putting a very clear choice for Canadians,” he said.
“But we’re still a year-plus away from the election, I’m focused on making sure we’re delivering through that election the kinds of things that Canadians need.”
Cabinet shuffles, announcements and a summer of surprise and unscheduled photo-ops have done little to resurrect Trudeau’s image in the eyes of Canadians.
An Abacus Data poll released last week show the Conservatives continue their domineering lead over the Liberals, with respondents saying their dislike of Trudeau far outweighed their opinions of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
Angus Reid’s Trudeau Tracker suggests voters’ appeal for the PM are at record low levels, while his disapproval ratings steadily increased after the 2021 federal election to levels rarely seen in Canada.
bpassifiume@postmedia.com
On X: @bryanpassifiume
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Bryan Passifiume
Published Aug 26, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 2 minute read
Facing months of devastating poll numbers, Canada’s embattled prime minister tossed cold water on those hoping for a Joe Biden-esque departure.
During a Monday morning press conference ahead of the federal cabinet retreat in Halifax, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ducked pointed questions on his future as he faces record-low polling and the Liberals’ conspicuous loss in June’s Toronto-St. Paul’s byelection.
“You say you plan to stay on, despite persistently bad polling, despite the byelection loss in Toronto that your party lost for the first time in three decades because you want to ‘continue to deliver,'” asked Globe and Mail reporter Marieke Walsh.
“Isn’t that what Joe Biden insisted on?”
Questions over the U.S. president’s capacity to handle another election campaign against Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump prompted the 81-year-old commander-in-chief to drop out of the Democratic presidential race in July, paving the way for Vice-President Kamala Harris to run in his stead.
While Biden and his supporters spent weeks after June’s disastrous televised debate rebuffing calls to step aside, he eventually acquiesced after pressure from members of his own party and several high-profile figures — including former president Barack Obama.
In response to Walsh’s question, Trudeau outlined his government’s priorities — insisting their investments and policies will leave Canadians better off.
“Canada has built one of the strongest economies in the G7, in the world right now, because we’ve been there to invest in the middle class and people working hard to enjoy it,” he said, continuing to list recent programs and initiatives put forth by the Trudeau Liberals.
“But you just made the Joe Biden argument, that his record justifies him staying,” Walsh said in her follow-up question to Trudeau, who appeared visibly annoyed by the comparison.
“The electorate is saying they don’t want you, they want change. Your polling is worse than your party’s.”
Trudeau ducked the question again, again extolling the virtues of his government’s policy and programs, telling reporters he spent the summer “talking to Canadians” about the future of the country.
“We’re going to go into this next election putting a very clear choice for Canadians,” he said.
“But we’re still a year-plus away from the election, I’m focused on making sure we’re delivering through that election the kinds of things that Canadians need.”
Cabinet shuffles, announcements and a summer of surprise and unscheduled photo-ops have done little to resurrect Trudeau’s image in the eyes of Canadians.
An Abacus Data poll released last week show the Conservatives continue their domineering lead over the Liberals, with respondents saying their dislike of Trudeau far outweighed their opinions of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
Angus Reid’s Trudeau Tracker suggests voters’ appeal for the PM are at record low levels, while his disapproval ratings steadily increased after the 2021 federal election to levels rarely seen in Canada.
bpassifiume@postmedia.com
On X: @bryanpassifiume
Embattled Trudeau dodges suggestion he follow Biden's example and bow out
The PM appeared visibly annoyed at reporters asking if he planned to follow Joe Biden's example and gracefully exit
Ex-politician convicted in 2022 killing of Las Vegas reporter sentenced to life
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Ken Ritter
Published Aug 28, 2024 • 4 minute read
LAS VEGAS — A Democratic former Las Vegas-area politician is guilty of murder and has been sentenced to life in prison with parole eligibility at 20 years for the killing of a journalist who wrote articles critical of his conduct in office, a jury in Nevada ruled Wednesday.
Robert Telles hung his head, shaking it slightly from side to side as the guilty verdict was read. Jurors deliberated for nearly 12 hours over three days after hearing eight days of evidence in his trial, which began Aug 12.
Telles, 47, has been jailed without bail since his arrest several days after Las Vegas Review-Journal investigative reporter Jeff German was found stabbed to death in a side yard of his home over Labor Day weekend 2022.
During a break from the proceedings, defense attorney Robert Draskovich said Telles intends to appeal.
Jurors then heard testimony from German’s and Telles’ family members and began deliberating Telles’ sentence.
Sentencing enhancements that Clark County District Court Judge Michelle Leavitt can add on Oct. 16 could have Telles face a minimum of 21 years to life in prison and a maximum of 28 years to life.
Draskovich had asked the 12-member jury for “an element of mercy … an element of hope.”
Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said outside the courtroom that he was surprised by the length of time the jury deliberated before the verdict but was confident jurors carefully considered evidence.
“The jury … hit a home run by getting the right verdict,” Wolfson said.
Wolfson, an elected Democrat, said German “had a stellar reputation in this community” and called it “a crying shame, literally and figuratively that he’s no longer with us.”
Wolfson also dismissed as “ludicrous” Telles’ claims that a broad conspiracy of people — including Wolfson — framed him for blame for German’s killing in retaliation for his effort to root out corruption he saw in his office.
“I am not the kind of person who would stab someone. I didn’t kill Mr. German,” Telles had told the jury last week from the witness stand. “And that’s my testimony.”
Telles’ wife, ex-wife and mother were called as character witnesses during the penalty phase.
Tears welled in Telles’ eyes as his wife, Mary Ann “Mae” Ismael, described him as a “great” provider during their 14 years of marriage for their “blended” family of her son, his daughter and their daughter.
“I would love to have the chance for the kids to have their father back” after prison, Ismael said.
Telles’ ex-wife, Tonia Burton, noted the oldest child, a daughter she and Telles had together, is 16.
His mother, Rosalinda Anaya, said she accepted the verdict but told the jury, “I ask if you could please give my son a chance at parole.”
In their first public comments since the killing, German’s brother, Jay German, and two sisters, Jill Zwerg and Julie Smith, described him as a loving brother and uncle to their children.
“He was the older brother that we all leaned on,” Jay German said. He called the murder “devastating.”
Zwerg said her oldest brother — a dedicated reporter and author who moved to Las Vegas from Milwaukee and loved his job — used to tell her why he rejected offers by other newspapers to move to other cities.
“‘This is Las Vegas, Sin City,”‘ she said he told her. “‘This is where I need to be.”‘
German, 69, spent 44 years covering crime, courts and corruption in Las Vegas.
Prosecutor Christopher Hamner told jurors during closing arguments Monday that finding Telles guilty would be like “connecting the dots” based on overwhelming evidence they heard _ including DNA that matched Telles found beneath German’s fingernails.
Hamner maintained that German fought to the death with his attacker and that Telles blamed German for destroying his career, ruining his reputation and threatening his marriage.
Telles, an attorney who practiced civil law before he was elected in 2018, lost his primary for a second elected term after German’s stories appeared in the Las Vegas Review-Journal in May and June 2022. They described turmoil and bullying at the Clark County Public Administrator/Guardian office and a romantic relationship between Telles and an employee.
Prosecutor Pamela Weckerly presented a timeline and videos showing Telles’ maroon SUV leaving the neighborhood near his home a little after 9 a.m. on Sept. 2, 2022, and driving on streets near German’s home a short time later.
The SUV driver was seen wearing a bright orange outfit similar to one worn by a person captured on camera walking to German’s home and slipping into a side yard where German was attacked just after 11:15 a.m.
A little more than 2 minutes later, the figure in orange emerged and walked down a sidewalk. German did not reappear.
Evidence showed Telles’ wife sent him a text message about 10:30 a.m. asking, “Where are you?” Prosecutors said Telles left his cellphone at home so he couldn’t be tracked. Telles told the jury he took a walk and then went to a gym in the afternoon.
Katherine Jacobsen, U.S., Canada, and Caribbean program coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists, issued a statement within minutes of the verdict being read. It mourned German’s death and said the verdict “sends an important message that the killing of journalists will not be tolerated.”
“It is vital that the murder of journalists should be taken seriously and perpetrators held accountable,” Jacobsen said.
German was the only journalist killed in the U.S. in 2022, according to the New York-based committee. The nonprofit has records of 17 media workers killed in the U.S. since 1992.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Ken Ritter
Published Aug 28, 2024 • 4 minute read
LAS VEGAS — A Democratic former Las Vegas-area politician is guilty of murder and has been sentenced to life in prison with parole eligibility at 20 years for the killing of a journalist who wrote articles critical of his conduct in office, a jury in Nevada ruled Wednesday.
Robert Telles hung his head, shaking it slightly from side to side as the guilty verdict was read. Jurors deliberated for nearly 12 hours over three days after hearing eight days of evidence in his trial, which began Aug 12.
Telles, 47, has been jailed without bail since his arrest several days after Las Vegas Review-Journal investigative reporter Jeff German was found stabbed to death in a side yard of his home over Labor Day weekend 2022.
During a break from the proceedings, defense attorney Robert Draskovich said Telles intends to appeal.
Jurors then heard testimony from German’s and Telles’ family members and began deliberating Telles’ sentence.
Sentencing enhancements that Clark County District Court Judge Michelle Leavitt can add on Oct. 16 could have Telles face a minimum of 21 years to life in prison and a maximum of 28 years to life.
Draskovich had asked the 12-member jury for “an element of mercy … an element of hope.”
Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said outside the courtroom that he was surprised by the length of time the jury deliberated before the verdict but was confident jurors carefully considered evidence.
“The jury … hit a home run by getting the right verdict,” Wolfson said.
Wolfson, an elected Democrat, said German “had a stellar reputation in this community” and called it “a crying shame, literally and figuratively that he’s no longer with us.”
Wolfson also dismissed as “ludicrous” Telles’ claims that a broad conspiracy of people — including Wolfson — framed him for blame for German’s killing in retaliation for his effort to root out corruption he saw in his office.
“I am not the kind of person who would stab someone. I didn’t kill Mr. German,” Telles had told the jury last week from the witness stand. “And that’s my testimony.”
Telles’ wife, ex-wife and mother were called as character witnesses during the penalty phase.
Tears welled in Telles’ eyes as his wife, Mary Ann “Mae” Ismael, described him as a “great” provider during their 14 years of marriage for their “blended” family of her son, his daughter and their daughter.
“I would love to have the chance for the kids to have their father back” after prison, Ismael said.
Telles’ ex-wife, Tonia Burton, noted the oldest child, a daughter she and Telles had together, is 16.
His mother, Rosalinda Anaya, said she accepted the verdict but told the jury, “I ask if you could please give my son a chance at parole.”
In their first public comments since the killing, German’s brother, Jay German, and two sisters, Jill Zwerg and Julie Smith, described him as a loving brother and uncle to their children.
“He was the older brother that we all leaned on,” Jay German said. He called the murder “devastating.”
Zwerg said her oldest brother — a dedicated reporter and author who moved to Las Vegas from Milwaukee and loved his job — used to tell her why he rejected offers by other newspapers to move to other cities.
“‘This is Las Vegas, Sin City,”‘ she said he told her. “‘This is where I need to be.”‘
German, 69, spent 44 years covering crime, courts and corruption in Las Vegas.
Prosecutor Christopher Hamner told jurors during closing arguments Monday that finding Telles guilty would be like “connecting the dots” based on overwhelming evidence they heard _ including DNA that matched Telles found beneath German’s fingernails.
Hamner maintained that German fought to the death with his attacker and that Telles blamed German for destroying his career, ruining his reputation and threatening his marriage.
Telles, an attorney who practiced civil law before he was elected in 2018, lost his primary for a second elected term after German’s stories appeared in the Las Vegas Review-Journal in May and June 2022. They described turmoil and bullying at the Clark County Public Administrator/Guardian office and a romantic relationship between Telles and an employee.
Prosecutor Pamela Weckerly presented a timeline and videos showing Telles’ maroon SUV leaving the neighborhood near his home a little after 9 a.m. on Sept. 2, 2022, and driving on streets near German’s home a short time later.
The SUV driver was seen wearing a bright orange outfit similar to one worn by a person captured on camera walking to German’s home and slipping into a side yard where German was attacked just after 11:15 a.m.
A little more than 2 minutes later, the figure in orange emerged and walked down a sidewalk. German did not reappear.
Evidence showed Telles’ wife sent him a text message about 10:30 a.m. asking, “Where are you?” Prosecutors said Telles left his cellphone at home so he couldn’t be tracked. Telles told the jury he took a walk and then went to a gym in the afternoon.
Katherine Jacobsen, U.S., Canada, and Caribbean program coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists, issued a statement within minutes of the verdict being read. It mourned German’s death and said the verdict “sends an important message that the killing of journalists will not be tolerated.”
“It is vital that the murder of journalists should be taken seriously and perpetrators held accountable,” Jacobsen said.
German was the only journalist killed in the U.S. in 2022, according to the New York-based committee. The nonprofit has records of 17 media workers killed in the U.S. since 1992.
Ex-politician convicted in 2022 killing of Las Vegas reporter sentenced to life
A Democratic former Las Vegas-area politician is guilty of murder and has been sentenced to life in prison for the killing of a journalist
Before it was China vs Canadian Canola & Pork over Hauwei amongst other things, & two years later it’s China vs Canadian Canola over EV tariffs…
China launches anti-dumping investigation into Canada’s canola imports in retaliation for EV tariffs — The Globe and Mail
Last year, Canada exported $5-billion worth of canola, used for food and biofuel, to China
Two years after China lifted a ban on Canadian canola imports, Beijing is launching an anti-dumping investigation into the crop, after Ottawa’s imposition of tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.…and the political interference in our elections by the Chinese Communist Party are finally being acknowledged….& these whole Chinese “Police Station Outposts” things are now being discussed….so that’s all progress.
Why is Canada banning Huawei from participating in the country’s 5G network?
Here’s a primer on what led to the decision to ban Huawei from involvement in Canada’s 5G network and what you need to know about this next-generation wireless technologywww.theglobeandmail.com
Strangely, the above scandal got buried in so many other scandals that nobody can keep track of this stuff it seems. Last year, Canada exported $5-billion worth of canola, used for food and biofuel, to China.
In a statement Tuesday, the Chinese Commerce Ministry said exports of Canadian canola – also known as rapeseed – had risen 170 per cent year-over-year amid a “continuous decline in prices,” which it said is evidence of potential dumping behaviour, whereby imports cost less than products on the domestic market, harming local producers.
“Affected by unfair competition from the Canadian side, China’s domestic rapeseed-related industries continue to lose money,” it said.
Ottawa gave a similar justification for its imposition of 100-per-cent tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles, after an identical move by the U.S., which ministers said were necessary to protect the burgeoning Canadian EV market.
The previous canola ban was introduced in March, 2019, months after Beijing detained Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig in retaliation for the arrest in Vancouver of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou on a U.S. extradition warrant. The Canola Council of Canada estimated the suspension of licences for two of the country’s biggest exporters, Viterra and Richardson International, may have cost the industry as much as $2.35-billion between the introduction of the ban and August, 2020.The "interference" is likely a reference to a Nov. 7 Canadian media report that cited intelligence officials saying they suspected China of meddling in the 2019 election. Also, an employee at Canada's largest electricity producer was arrested and charged by police on Monday over allegations of trying to steal trade secretsfor China.
China exposed as world bully at G-20 summit - Washington Examiner
Some analysts are wrongly pointing to the tenor of President Joe Biden's meeting with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping as a sign of detente. The reality is that U.S. relations with China will continue to worsen because China's main ambition is to expand its influence and displace the U.S.-led...www.washingtonexaminer.com
The Chinese statement made clear that Tuesday’s move was in retaliation for the EV tariffs, referring to them as “discriminatory unilateral restrictive measures” and reiterating a promise to take the case to the World Trade Organization. Canada also sought remedy from the WTO over the 2019 canola ban, but it was lifted before the international organization weighed in.
Chinese-Canadian relations have been in a deep freeze since the arrest of Ms. Meng. Even though she and the two Canadians were released in September, 2021, there has been little improvement in bilateral ties owing to alleged Chinese interference in the Canada’s political system.
Last year, Ottawa expelled Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei – and Beijing responded in kind – after The Globe and Mail reported that China had targeted Conservative foreign affairs critic Michael Chong and his relatives in Hong Kong in an attempt to gain leverage over the MP.
There did seem to be some progress in recent months, with Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly making her first visit to China in July in a bid to reopen diplomatic channels.
Ms. Joly said Canada was “committed to engaging pragmatically with a wide range of countries to advance our national interests and uphold our values.”
After her visit, Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi said he and Ms. Joly had discussed the “difficulties and twists and turns” in the Sino-Canadian relationship, adding that Beijing also wanted to “inject momentum into the restoration” of normal ties.Xi in translation: If you want trade and cooperation, you had better stop resisting my national security policies, even when they directly affect Canadian interests. Be more like our German puppets and less like our American rivals.
Why did Xi scold Trudeau? Maybe because Canada spent years helping China erode human rights
Xi Jinping thought he could chastise Justin Trudeau because this is the lesson the Jean Chrétien and Stephen Harper governments had conveyed: Don’t take us seriously when we talk about rights.theconversation.com
Years later….not surprised, as he still hasn’t answered the question, but that’s gotten buried underneath so many many other scandals that nobody can keep track of them.
That progress seems to have been dashed, however, by the EV tariffs, which China’s embassy to Canada denounced as “trade protectionism” and a “politically motivated decision” that goes against “Canada’s traditional image as a global champion for free trade and climate change mitigation.”It also did not respond to a question on the need for tighter federal rules against foreign influence on Canadian politics.
Canadian intelligence warned PM Trudeau that China covertly funded 2019 election candidates: Sources - National | Globalnews.ca
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was warned that China has allegedly been targeting Canada with a vast campaign of foreign interference, according to Global News sources.globalnews.ca
Well, for the EV tariff announcement this week, at least we know what the motivation is this time around:
The below news story, not even ironically, is under the category of “Electric Cars.”
Canada’s decision to impose tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) last week was a predictable move. Ottawa fully anticipated retaliation, which came swiftly as China announced an anti-dumping investigation into Canadian canola exports. While there is no evidence of actual dumping, the facts are largely irrelevant in this case.
China will proceed with sanctions regardless of the explanations provided by the Canola Council or Canadian diplomatic channels. Much like in 2019, when Canada faced a similar impasse, we could see borders close again for Canadian agricultural exports.
Canola holds a special place in Canada’s agricultural identity, and targeting it first is a calculated move by China. The crop was developed in Canada, and its very name — derived from “Canada” and “ola” (referring to oil low in acid) — underscores its deep national significance.
As the world’s largest exporter of canola, Canada plays a pivotal role in both global food markets and biofuel production. Conversely, China is the largest oilseed importer, with half of Canada’s canola exports destined for its market. By hitting canola, China sends a clear message: it can disrupt a key Canadian sector anytime political tensions escalate.
Farmers in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba — where the vast majority of Canada’s 43,000 canola producers are located — are already feeling the impact. Yesterday, canola prices dropped nearly 5%, and further declines could mirror the prolonged downturn of 2019. The symbolism of canola makes it a prime target. Whenever Canada moves against China’s interests, Canadian agricultural commodities such as canola are the first to be leveraged.
apple.news
The stated rationale for the tariffs is, according to Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, that the “Chinese are trying to corner the North American EV market by dumping subsidized vehicles into it” and that “China has an intentional, state-directed policy of overcapacity and oversupply designed to cripple our own industry” so “we simply will not allow that to happen to our EV sector.”
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Canada’s decision to impose tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) last week was a predictable move. Ottawa fully anticipated retaliation, which came swiftly as China announced an anti-dumping investigation into Canadian canola exports. While there is no evidence of actual dumping, the facts are largely irrelevant in this case.China will proceed with sanctions regardless of the explanations provided by the Canola Council or Canadian diplomatic channels. Much like in 2019, when Canada faced a similar impasse, we could see borders close again for Canadian agricultural exports.
Canola holds a special place in Canada’s agricultural identity, and targeting it first is a calculated move by China. The crop was developed in Canada, and its very name — derived from “Canada” and “ola” (referring to oil low in acid) — underscores its deep national significance.
As the world’s largest exporter of canola, Canada plays a pivotal role in both global food markets and biofuel production. Conversely, China is the largest oilseed importer, with half of Canada’s canola exports destined for its market. By hitting canola, China sends a clear message: it can disrupt a key Canadian sector anytime political tensions escalate.
Farmers in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba — where the vast majority of Canada’s 43,000 canola producers are located — are already feeling the impact. Yesterday, canola prices dropped nearly 5%, and further declines could mirror the prolonged downturn of 2019. The symbolism of canola makes it a prime target. Whenever Canada moves against China’s interests, Canadian agricultural commodities such as canola are the first to be leveraged.
CHARLEBOIS: 'Charging' ahead, canola be damned — Toronto Sun
Most anticipated China’s retaliation against Canada, but the decision to target canola first is not coincidental. 'Canada's oil,' canola, holds deep symbolic value, making this move more about sending a political message than inflicting purely economic damage.
GREEN: Trudeau’s tariffs undercut Trudeau’s EV mandate — Toronto Sun
Seemingly every week, Canada’s electric vehicle (EV) transition policy framework grows more incoherent. The goal of Canada’s EV policy is to ensure all new light-duty vehicle sales in Canada are zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), with a strong emphasis on battery-electric vehicles, by 2035. The...
A spokesperson for the NDP/Liberals told CBC News the plan to end the agreement had been in the works for the past two weeks — and that the party would not inform the Liberal/NDP government of its decision until an hour before the video was scheduled to go live online, etc…
….so…
So what? Will it change anything (?) or does it just mean Justin & Jagmeet aren’t going steady at this point & are opening up their relationship to other prospects?
….so…So what? Will it change anything (?) or does it just mean Justin & Jagmeet aren’t going steady at this point & are opening up their relationship to other prospects?