Canadian current events

This page deals with current events in or of interest to Canada and/or involving Canadians.

April 20 2005

• Prime Minister Paul Martin requests that the national networks provide him with five minutes of airtime to speak directly to Canadians about the sponsorship scandal. CBC Newsworld and CTV Newsnet will carry the live address at 7:45 PM Eastern Daylight Time Thursday evening. CTV say they will immediately carry a response from Conservative leader Stephen Harper, while the CBC has not yet said if it will carry the opposition leader's response. NDP leader Jack Layton demands equal airtime on both networks. (CTV) (CBC)

• In Bountiful, British Columbia, a group of women defend their lifestyle to the media and say they are not being abused. The town is populated by a fundamentalist Mormon sect which practices polygamy. (CTV)

• In Oslo, Norway, Canadian Inuit leader Sheila Watt-Cloutier wins the 2005 Sophie Prize for drawing attention to the impact of climate change and pollution on the traditional lifestyles of the Arctic's indigenous people and others. The prize will be presented on June 15 at a ceremony in Oslo. (AP)

April 19 2005

• A multiple sclerosis painkiller, Sativex , is approved for prescription use in Canada. The drug is delivered as a spray under the tongue and each dose will carry 2.7 milligrams of THC. (Independent)
• In Alberta, the provincial government imposes a 6% reduction in auto insurance for non-high-risk drivers after only 13 of Alberta's 70 private insurance companies voluntarily lowered their rates at the request of the government. The cuts will be effective as of July 1. (EdmontonSun)
• Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment announces plans to build a $350 million entertainment complex beside the Air Canada Centre. They expect the project to be complete by 2009. (CBC)
• Air Canada and Air China are agreeing to triple the amount of direct flights between the two countries. (Bloomberg)

April 18 2005

• The Liberals cancel an opposition day scheduled for the Conservatives on Wednesday, April 20 in order to delay an expected motion of no confidence that the Tories planned to table. In response, the Tories say they will no longer co-operate in order to keep the govenment afloat. [1]
• The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Joe Volpe announces proposed immigration reforms that include allowing international students at public post-secondary institutions to work off-campus while completing their studies, allowing students to work for two years, rather than one year, after their graduation, and spending $72 million over two years to increase processing of parent and grandparent applications and to cover integration costs once they arrive in Canada. (HindustanTimes)
• General Electric pays $1.4 billion cash and assumes $1 billion of debt from Bombardier as part of the deal for Bombardier Capital's Inventory Finance Division, whose four main units provide financing for snowmobiles, boats, trailers, recreational vehicles and manufactured housing. (MartketWatch)
• As part of Prince Rupert's port expansion, CN Rail is increasing its upgrades from $15 million to $30 million and acquiring $125 million in new locomotives and rolling stock. (Edmonton Journal)
• Telus is beginning lock out measures against the Telecommunications Workers Union despite four years of negotiations which included federal conciliators and mediators. (CP)

April 17 2005

• Albertan transportation minister Lyle Oberg announces plans to require truck drivers to train as professionals. The 37-week pilot program will be run through Red Deer College in central Alberta . (CP)

April 16 2005

• Calgary police have begun a letter campaign which they hope will help address the increasing problem of road rage. When incidents are reported by citizens a letter is sent to the alleged offender they are still accountable for their actions. This has raised some concern over privacy and potential abuse of the system. (CBC)

April 15 2005

• In Vancouver, an agreement on sharing gas tax revenue is signed by PM Paul Martin, B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell and the Union of British Columbia Municipalities . The deal will bring about $630 million to BC municipalities. However, Vancouver mayor Larry Campbell warns that the deal must first be approved by the Cabinet and the Treasury Board and a federal election might kill the deal. (CTV) (CP)
• The Boston Globe retracts a story about the opening of the seal hunt on the east coast where the reporter Barbara Stewart falsely reported events of the day. (CBC)
• In Prince Rupert, British Columbia, the federal government and provincial government are each putting $30 million towards expanding the port facilities to cope with the surge in trade with China. The New Jersey-based port operator will put $60 million towards the project and CN Rail will spend at least $15 million to match their facilities to the upgrades. (CP) (Globe&Mail)
• U.S.-Canada softwood lumber dispute: Minister of International Trade (Canada) Jim Peterson announces that the federal government will give $20 million to Canadian softwood lumber associations for its legal expenses in fighting its trade dispute with the United States. (CBC)

April 14 2005

• Influential writer Jane Jacobs wins the fifth annual Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing from the Writers' Trust of Canada for her book Dark Age Ahead. (CBC) (CTV)
• A member of Canada's elite military unit Joint Task Force 2, who disappearred several years ago, reappeared at a Canadian embassy in Bangkok. His disappearance was of special concern because of his special knowledge of explosives, mines and booby traps. (CBC) (Globe&Mail)

April 13 2005

• The Albertan Government's 2005 budget is tabled in the Albertan Legislature by finance minister Shirley McClellan . The debt-free government expects a $1.5 billion surplus in the coming fiscal year, although that could increase if energy prices reach expected levels. (CP)
• Prominent white supremacist and founder of the Heritage Front, Wolfgang Droege, is shot to death in his apartment. One suspect is arrest at the scene. (CTV)
• The Liberals present its Kyoto Protocol plan to the House of Commons. (CBC)
• David Kilgour, the Liberal MP representing Edmonton-Beaumont quits the Liberal Party of Canada. He will sit as a Liberal-leaning Independent. (OttawaCitizen)
• Through the Canadian Debt Initiative , Canada is cancelling the debt owed to it by the highly-impoverished nations of Rwanda, Zambia and Honduras. (Dept. of Finance)
• A study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal shows that Aboriginal Canadians are four times as likely to suffer a serious injury and twice as likely to die from them than non-native Canadians. The study considers status-only Aboriginal. (Globe&Mail)

April 12 2005

• Same-sex marriage in Canada: the government's Bill C-38 survives a vote, 164-132, on a wrecking amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman, introduced by the Conservative Party of Canada. (CBC), (365gay.com)
• Kelly Ellard Trial: In her third trial Kelly Ellard is found guilty of second-degree murder in the 1997 death of 14-year-old Reena Virk. The court still has to decide how long she will have to serve before being eligible to apply for parole. (CBC)
• The B.C. Supreme Court awards $130,000 in compensation to a pedestrian who, while crossing at an intersection, was hit by a cyclist. (CBC)
• A former inspector for the United States Department of Agriculture testifies to a Canadian House of Commons committee that officials in the U.S. are covering up mad cow disease incidences. (Globe&Mail)

April 11 2005

• The roster for Team Canada at the Men's World Championship of hockey is announced. (TSN)
• The B.C. Supreme Court rules that a 14-year-old girl, who is a Jehovah's Witness, cannot refuse a blood transfusion as part of her cancer treatment even if it is against her religious beliefs. (CTV)
• A new Ekos poll estimates the Conservatives to have the support of 36.5% of decided voters, while the Liberals are down to 25%. The New Democratic Party was at 20.5% support while the Bloc Quebecois was at 12.6%. The poll represents the lowest level of support the Liberal Party has had since taking office in 1993, and is the first time the newly-merged Conservative Party has had a statistical lead. (Reuters)
• Four class-action lawsuits are being coordinated against the government of Canada and an Australian-based feed maker seeking $7 billion on behalf of 100,000 farmers in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Quebec. The suit claims a federal monitoring system lost track of 80 imported cattle, one of which was infected with mad cow disease and later ground into feed for other cattle. The suit targets the Australian-based feed maker for selling feed that was possibly contaminated and also targets Canada for allowing the Canadian farmers to buy feed that contained ground cattle brains and spinal cords. (MacLean's) (CBC)
• A Quebec shock jock is being ordered to pay $340,000 in moral damages, punitive damages, and legal fees after losing a defamation lawsuit brought on by a weather reporter who was disrespected on-air. The original lawsuit lawsuit sought $750,000. (CTV)

April 10 2005

• After finishing in a six-way tie for first with an 8-3 record, Canada won the Men's Curling Championship with a 4-0 playoff record. Scotland placed second with Germany in third. (World Curling Federation)
• Certain 128 mL President's Choice Baby Foods jars are being recalled due to a problem with the seals. (Halifax Live)

April 9 2005

• At the 2005 Women's World Ice Hockey Championships, after going undefeated in the tournament, Canada lost the gold medal match to the United States in a shootout with a score of 3-1. The 60 minutes of regulation and 20 minutes of overtime ended scoreless 0-0 which forced the shootout. Canada had not given up a single goal before the shootout. (CBC)

April 8 2005

• After adding 4400 new jobs in March, Canada's unemployment rate fell to a 4-year low of 6.9%. However, the new employment is almost solely part-time jobs and the drop in the overall rate is attributed to fewer people looking for employment. (CBC)
• In a study of 22 national governments by Accenture Consulting, the Government of Canada is ranked first in terms of customer service in egovernment services. (itWorldCanada) (Accenture)
• A class-action lawsuit against the federal government, the province of Ontario, and the City of Toronto is being heard. The suit seeks $600 million in damages based on the decision to lift anti-SARS measures shortly after the World Health Organization issued a travel advisory against the city. (CP)

April 7 2005

• Scotiabank is suing Argentina for US$650 million claiming the Argentine Central Bank discriminated against the Canadian bank during Argentina's banking crisis. (CBC)
• The CBC will cease its operations with Newsworld International on July 31, 2005. The news channel was bought by a group led by Al Gore and will be rebranded to target Americans aged 18-34 years old. (CBC)
• An eight year study on public health and obesity in Canada is published. It ranks Vancouver as the slimmest city and Saskatoon as the most overweight city. (CBC) (Globe&Mail)
• Representatives of the government of Canada withdraw from a business conference with Iran in protest of the case of deceased journalist Zahra Kazemi. Kazemi died in Iranian police custody and Iranian refugee doctor Shahram Azam says that she had extensive injuries and had been tortured. Iranian officials deny the charges. Canada has unsuccessfully demanded return of Kazemi's body (CTV) (IranMania) (IranMania) (BBC)

April 6 2005

• Conservative leader Stephen Harper says he will not join the Bloc Quebecois and New Democratic Party and defeat a Liberal budget bill later this month. Such a defeat would have constituted a vote of no confidence and forced the 39th Canadian federal election. (CP)

April 5 2005

• The Drug Expenditure in Canada: 1985-2004 report released today says that Canadians are spending 500% as much money on drugs today than in 1985 and 8.8% more than one year ago. About 80% of drug expenditure goes towards prescription drugs while the other 20% is spent on non-prescription drugs. (NewsWire Group)
• Canadian federal budget, 2005: Conservative Members of Parliament are pressuring leader Stephen Harper to join the Bloc Quebecois and New Democratic Party and defeat a Liberal budget bill later this month. Such a defeat would constitute a vote of no confidence and force the 39th Canadian federal election. (CP)
• The Royal Canadian Geographical Society and the Canadian Geographic magazine have launched a free, bilingual, web-based atlas of Canada. (Globe&Mail) (Canadian Geographic)

April 4 2005

• Sponsorship scandal: Over the weekend testimony from Jean Brault that was under a publication ban was published on American blogs. Justice Gomery has no jurisdiction over these blogs, but Canadians who go so far as to publish the blog's web address could still face prosecution and jail time. (Winnipeg Sun)

April 3 2005

• Former immigration minister Judy Sgro launches a new legal action against deported pizza store owner Harjit Singh, whose allegations of influence-peddling caused Sgro to resign and sue Singh for defamation. Sgro is challenging Singh's right to quietly sell his upscale home to his daughter and son-in-law - she is seeking $50,000, along with a court declaration annulling the property transfer. Sgro claims the sale was a fraudulent attempt to hide Singh's assets. (CP)

April 2 2005

• Quebec student strike: The government and the main student federations come to an agreement whose adoption is strongly recommended to individual associations, who will vote on during the week. Radio-Canada(fr)

April 1 2005

• Cuba reopens its border to Canadian cattle after being closed for two years. (CBC Calgary)
• Ontario and Quebec are joining Manitoba in their opposition to a water diversion project in North Dakota that could contaminate the north-flowing Red River. (Globe&Mail)
• A man in Calgary is in a hospital with non-life threatening injuries after jumping off the roof of a 40-storey building and smashing windows on the 24th and 5th storeys on the way down. (CTV)

News collections and sources

• Wikipedia:News collections and sources.
• Wikipedia:News sources - This has much of the same material organised in a hierarchical manner to help encourage NPOV in our news reporting.