Canada report

Snow storm snarls traffic, elates skiers

Most of eastern Canada was assured a white Christmas after a major winter storm dumped piles of snow and causing numerous travel delays but joy in ski country.

The storm last Thursday, packing moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, roared across the Ohio Valley and into Ontario, Quebec and eastern Canada, leaving behind from one to several feet of snow. Squalls and flurries continued on Christmas Eve.

The season's first major snowfall affected 200 flights at Toronto's Pearson International Airport because of a backlog in de-icing planes. It happened on one of the busiest travel days of the year with about 60,000 incoming and outgoing passengers.

Police said slippery highways resulted in hundreds of crashes across southern Ontario, but no deaths were reported. A bus carrying 54 visitors from California hit a patch of ice on Highway 401 en route to Montreal and flipped over in the ditch. Injuries were mostly cuts and bruises.

Children on their first day off school for the holidays were delighted, as were skiers.

"The two-week Christmas break got off to a great start in ski country, with all major alpine and cross-country centers offering some excellent early season conditions," said Jack Lynch of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism.

On the Prairies, a deep freeze plunged daytime temperatures in Winnipeg to below zero (Fahrenheit). while Calgary was in the single digits.

Canada's Maple Leaf flag has been removed from provincial buildings in Newfoundland and Labrador over failed offshore oil revenue talks.

Premier Danny Williams ordered the national flags taken down. He said: "They're slapping us in the face - they're insulting us. I'm not willing to fly that flag any more in the province."

The decision came after Williams broke off talks with Finance Minister Ralph Goodale over how the province and Nova Scotia would share their oil revenues with the Canadian government.

Prime Minister Paul Martin called the action disrespectful, saying the flag "should not be treated as a tool for partisan politics."

Ontario plans to enact a provincewide ban on smoking in all workplaces and public places, including bars, restaurants, casinos and legion halls. Health Minister George Smitherman said the law would be effective in May 2006 and also restrict store displays of tobacco products. The only exemptions are designated smoking areas for residents of long-term care facilities and smoking accommodations at hotels.

Stan Koebel, 51, a former water utilities manager found responsible for an E-coli contamination that killed seven people and sickened 2,500 in Walkerton, Ontario, was sentenced to one year in jail. His brother, Frank, 46, the former utilities foreman, received nine months' house arrest. They had failed to properly monitor the town's water supply that became contaminated after heavy rains washed manure from a farm field into a well.

The Canadian dollar ended the week higher at 81.17 cents U.S., while the U.S. greenback was $1.2319 Canadian before bank exchange fees.

The Bank of Canada key interest rate is steady at 2.5 percent while the prime lending rate is 4.25 percent.

Canadian stock markets are higher, with Toronto's composite index at 9,235 points and the Canadian Venture Exchange 1,775 points.

Lotto 6-49: (Wednesday) 11, 17, 35, 38, 43, 47; bonus 42. (Dec. 18) 3, 18, 27, 32, 37 and 40; bonus 42; (Dec. 15) 1, 17, 32, 35, 38, 48; bonus 26.

The Supreme Court of Canada has been asked to overturn a Nova Scotia Court of Appeal ruling that the term "Kemosabe" wasn't overtly racist when addressing an aboriginal woman. The Human Rights Commission made the request in the case of Dorothy Kateri Moore, 38, a Mik'maq Indian. She objected to being called by the name used by Tonto of the Lone Ranger television series by her boss at a sports store in Sydney.

Murray Smith, Alberta's former energy minister, has been named the province's representative in Washington, D.C. Opposition politicians called it a blatant patronage appointment by Premier Ralph Klein for a friend. Klein said Smith is highly qualified to deal with key issues such as energy, economic development and reopening the U.S. border to Canadian cattle after the mad cow incident in Alberta.

Parking scofflaws lined up before dawn in four British Columbia cities, hugging teddy bears and dolls as they awaited a chance to erase their sins. Parking lot operator Impark forgave fines in exchange for new toys for needy families. Impark offices in Vancouver, Kelowna, Kamloops and Prince George took part in the toy drive.

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