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Canada report

Older cows still can't be sold to America

By JIM FOX
Published February 13, 2005

The decision by the United States to only partially reopen its border to Canadian beef next month has the industry reeling with losses exceeding $7-billion over mad cow disease.

The good news is that U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns, who has been under increasing pressure from some legislators and ranchers, is continuing with plans to accept young live cattle from Canada starting March 7.

But he decided to delay resuming trade in Canadian beef products from older animals after the discovery of two more cases of the disease in Alberta.

In his historic appearance before an inquiry into the sponsorship scandal, Prime Minister Paul Martin provided little in the way of new information.

Martin, the first sitting prime minister to testify publicly in 130 years, said he knew little about the ill-fated program. An auditor-general's report says Liberal-friendly ad agencies were improperly given $100-million for little work.

Martin said that as finance minister under then-Prime Minister Jean Chretien, he was out of the loop.

Chretien gave lively and sometimes comic testimony, saying that while some "mistakes" were made, the program's aims were noble and necessary to save the country from the threat of Quebec separation.

Screeners at Canadian airports seized 800 explosive items from passengers who tried to take them aboard planes last year, the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority said in a report. The items were mainly ammunition, blasting caps and fireworks and were among more than 738,000 prohibited objects intercepted. Hunters and construction workers often do not realize they cannot carry such items aboard planes, the authority said.

Social Development Minister Ken Dryden is working on a promised national child care deal that could cost $5-billion initially. First promised by the federal government 12 years ago, for-profit child care centers that meet federal standards would be eligible for public funds, Dryden said. Unions are urging shoppers to boycott Wal-Mart after the decision to close a Quebec store where workers became unionized. About 160 workers in Saguenay are out of work after Wal-Mart said the store was closing for financial reasons.

Canada's dollar dipped briefly below 80 U.S. cents at midweek but regained to 80.78 cents on Friday. The U.S. dollar returned $1.2379 Canadian, before bank exchange fees.

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

Stock markets are higher, with Toronto's composite index at 9,561 points and the Canadian Venture Exchange at 1,863 points.

Lotto 6-49: (Wednesday) 10, 15, 21, 23, 28 and 37; bonus 41. (Feb. 5) 11, 17, 26, 31, 46 and 48; bonus 1.

Olympic wrestling gold medalist Daniel Igali said he will seek election to the British Columbia Legislature for the Liberals in the May 17 vote.

New Brunswick's 7,200 schoolteachers are planning to strike within the next month after last-minute talks failed to reach a contract settlement with the provincial government.

Alberta Premier Ralph Klein said his government plans to raise the minimum wage in the province to $7 an hour from $5.90. The province had the lowest minimum wage.

Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com

[Last modified February 13, 2005, 01:09:06]