The lobbyist on the other end of the phone laughed. I’d just asked a question about Canada’s so-called de minimis threshold, a subject which, even in wonky Ottawa, provokes glances at heaven and condescending grins. As in: “Oh, that again. When will you understand that no one understands it and nobody cares?” Well, that might be true. Canadian media dislike complex trade issues, and Canadian consumers are largely a supine, uninformed, apathetic bunch, inclined to do whatever they’re told and behave like the milk cows they’re treated as, by government…
Read MoreCategory: Canada
Canadian Cars Turning Electric Without Government Forcing The Issue: Industry – NEWS 1130
OTTAWA (NEWS 1130) – Great Britain and France intend to bar outright the sale of any gas powered vehicles by 2040 but even one of the biggest proponents of electric cars in Canada says that’s likely an impossible goal for this country. France announced its policy in early July, followed by Britain this week, joining Norway and India as the only countries in the world with a plan to entirely phase out the sale of gas or diesel powered cars and trucks. The Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate…
Read More‘Energizer Bunny’ Loonie To Peak Near 80 Cents US: Experts | CTV News
Two leading Bay Street strategists expect the Canadian dollar’s steady climb over the last two months will start to top out at about 80 cents US, a level it flirted with on Monday amid signs of an increasingly robust economy. The loonie, which ended Monday with an average trading price of 79.92 cents US, up 0.23 of a cent, has packed on more than seven cents since early May — a surge largely fueled by the vote of confidence earlier this month from the Bank of Canada in the form…
Read MoreTrump Asked Ottawa To Drop Duties On e-Commerce Under NAFTA. Canadians Should Cheer, Say Experts – National | Globalnews.ca
Canada has been fretting over U.S. President Donald Trump’s objectives for the upcoming NAFTA renegotiations. The administration published its wish list on Monday, ahead of the Aug. 16 date set for the start of the trade talks. But at least one of those asks should have Canadian consumers cheering. The U.S. requested that Ottawa raise the value of goods that Canadians can buy online without paying import duties and taxes to US$800 (C$1,011 ), up from its current level of C$20. That would be “unambiguously good for consumers,” Daniel Schwanen, vice-president…
Read MoreU.S.-Bound Travellers To Face ‘Enhanced Security Measures’ At All Canadian Airports – Toronto – CBC News
Airline passengers travelling from Canada to the United States will face a new battery of “enhanced security measures” now required by the Department of Homeland Security. The new measures will be enforced starting July 19 and include: WestJet and Air Canada are advising passengers to arrive at the airport at least two hours before their scheduled departure to accommodate the enhanced screening process. Faster airport security? New automated checkpoints may have you sailing through Enhanced airport security could end U.S. laptop ban. Read full story here: U.S.-Bound Travellers To Face ‘Enhanced…
Read MoreMortgages Won’t Be Only Problem For Many Canadians As Rates Rise – Business – CBC News
With the Bank of Canada set to raise lending rates, mortgage holders have been warned to expect more expensive debt than they’ve become used to. But other forms of debt are even more vulnerable to the tiny rate hikes to come. Traders are about 90 per cent certain of a rate hike at 10 a.m. ET Wednesday, with the bank’s benchmark rate expected to inch up to 0.75 per cent from 0.50 per cent. And a major impact of that move is likely to be felt entirely outside the mortgage market.…
Read MoreDreams Of A Gender-Neutral O Canada Are Over — For Now – Politics – CBC News
Canadians will not be singing a gender-neutral national anthem on Canada Day after a bill before Parliament to officially change the lyrics has stalled. The House of Commons overwhelmingly passed a private member’s bill last summer that would alter the national anthem by replacing “in all thy sons command” with “in all of us command” as part of a push to strike gendered language from O Canada. Although the bill sailed through the House with government approval, Conservative senators opposed to the changes have scored a victory in the Red Chamber. A yearlong campaign successfully punted…
Read MoreCanada’s Airline Rankings Pale In Comparison To Global Competitors – National | Globalnews.ca
Air Canada sits below 28 other airlines on Skytrax’s annual world’s 100 best airlines‘ ranking — but the same survey also names it as North America’s best carrier. The ranking, which bills itself as “the Oscars of the aviation industry,” was created using data from an online survey taken by 19.9-million people. It asked consumers to rank airlines on a variety of topics. The first topic, “ground/airport,” asked about services such as websites, check-in times and airport staff. The second, “onboard product,” inquired about aspects such as seat comfort, food quality, cabin…
Read MoreAre You Being Prompted To Tip 20%? Consumers Grapple With Tip Inflation – The Globe and Mail
Are You Being Prompted To Tip 20%? Consumers Grapple With Tip Inflation – The Globe and Mail When Alexander Koury took his cats to get groomed a few weeks ago, he got a bit of a shock at the checkout counter. The Phoenix financial planner brought his five-year-old orange tabbies Frankie and Scotch in for bathing, clipping and shaving, which cost $150. But then the payment system asked whether he wanted to tack on a healthy tip: Either 20, 25 or 30 per cent. “Ridiculous,” says Mr. Koury, 36, who…
Read MoreNearly Half Of Canadians To Develop Cancer In Their Lifetimes: Cancer Society | CTV News
Nearly half of all Canadians are expected to be diagnosed with some form of cancer in their lifetime, according to new numbers from the Canadian Cancer Society. For men, the lifetime risk of developing cancer is 49 per cent; for women, it’s 45 per cent, according to the Canadian Cancer Statistics annual report for 2017. That’s a big jump from the 2016 report, which found that only two out of five Canadians could be expected to develop cancer in their lifetimes (45 per cent of men and 42 per cent…
Read More