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This is an example of economy in Canada

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The Canadian dollar strengthened to its highest level in nearly six weeks against its U.S. counterpart on Monday as the price of oil, one of Canada's major exports, rose and recent data bolstered investor confidence in the domestic economy.

At 3:57 p.m., the Canadian dollar was trading 0.1 per cent higher at 1.3160 to the greenback, or 75.99 U.S. cents. The currency, which last week snapped a seven-week losing streak, touched its strongest intraday level since July 31 at 1.3140.

Data on Friday showed that Canada's economy added 81,100 jobs in August. It followed data the previous week showing that gross domestic product expanded at an annualized rate of 3.7 per cent in the second quarter, even as other countries were being hurt by global trade uncertainty.

Recent data has indicated to investors that the Canadian economy "was weathering the geopolitical storm quite well," said Brad Schruder, director of corporate sales and structuring at BMO Capital Markets.

The Bank of Canada reinforced last week the rosy view on the Canadian economy when it left interest rates on hold, Schruder added.

Chances of a rate cut at the Bank of Canada's next interest rate decision on Oct. 30 have fallen to less than 20 per cent from about 70 per cent before last Wednesday's interest rate decision.

"I would suspect you see the Canadian dollar potentially appreciate another penny to a penny-and-a-half before it finds a short-term floor and starts to go the other way," Schruder said.

Since the beginning of 2019, the loonie has gained 3.7 per cent, making it the top-performing G10 currency.

Oil prices climbed on Monday after the new Saudi energy minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, confirmed expectations he would stick with his country's policy of limiting crude output to support prices. U.S. crude oil futures settled 2.4 per cent higher at $57.85 a barrel.

Canadian government bond prices were lower across the yield curve in sympathy with U.S. Treasuries as risk appetite improved amid easing U.S.-China trade tensions and expectations of less-aggressive action from the European Central Bank this week.

The two-year fell 11.5 cents to yield 1.551 per cent and the 10-year was down 60 cents to yield 1.345 per cent. The 10-year yield touched its highest intraday level since Aug. 6 at 1.352 per cent.
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Canadian dollar posts six-week high as domestic economy impresses investors

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The Canadian dollar strengthened to its highest level in nearly six weeks against its U.S. counterpart on Monday as the price of oil, one of Canada's major exports, rose and recent data bolstered investor confidence in the domestic economy. At 3:57 p.m., the Canadian dollar was trading 0.1 per cent higher at 1.3160 to the greenback, or 75.99 U.S.

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This an example of Art in canada

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Exit 67 ( French: Sortie 67) is a 2010 French-Canadian ( Quebec) film written and directed by Jephté Bastien.

The film was shot in French, English and Creole language and is set around Montreal's street gangs. In an interview with Montreal's La Presse columnist Rima Elkouri, director Jephté Bastien states that the death of his 16 years old nephew inspired him to make the film.

The film had its world premiere at the 2010 edition of Montreal's Fantasia Festival. It was named the winner of the Claude Jutra Award for the best feature film by a first-time film director, at the 31st Genie Awards.

The following description, was written by Simon Laperrière, a Director and Programmer at the festival, and translated by Rupert Bottenberg, a Montreal-based journalist, was featured in the festival's program catalogue:

"A life of crime seems inevitable for Jecko. A mixed-race Québécois with a Haitian background, he witnessed his mother's death at his father's hands when he was eight years old, an event that scarred him for life. Tossed from one foster family to another, Jecko finally finds the sense of belonging he's lacked when he starts hanging out with the young hoodlums of the St-Michel neighbourhood. They invite him to join their gang, promising him money and power, everything he's dreamed of but that he knows polite society will never offer him. For a teenager with few hopes for the future, one highly susceptible to influence, it's not an offer to refuse. Even if it means bending to the will of a violent and domineering gang leader. Even if his initiation is to kill a stranger. Several years later, crime and violence have brought Jecko to the pinnacle of an underworld empire. In this world where riches and respect are earned with a gun, he feels perfectly at home. A number of events, however, have him reconsidering the path before him. With the option of pulling one final crime, his father due out of prison shortly and hopes of building his own family, it's time for Jecko to grab the steering wheel of his destiny. But leaving St-Michel won't be so easy.

Henri Pardo as Ronald Paquet / Jecko

Benz Antoine as Brooklyn

Jacquy Bidjeck as Sonia

Alain Lino Mic Eli Bastien as Pakko

Edouard Fontaine as Zophe

Sylvio Archambault as Jocelyn Paquet

Natacha Noël as Candy

Anthony Clerveaux as Ronald - 15 ans

Lansana Kourouma as Pakko - 17 ans

Scott Jimmy Beaubrun as Zophe

Fabienne Colas as Magalie

Lynne Adams as Social worker

Franck Sylvestre as Ti-Boss

Yardly Kavanagh as Ginette

Stéphane Moraille as Jack

Danny Blanco Hall as Blade

Sophie Desmarais as Lola

Anatoly Zinoviev as Trafficker #1

Philippe Racine as Kaya

Miguel Mendoza as Latino

Florence Situ as Caissiere

Ralph Prosper as Max

Patricia Stasiak as Marie

Kwasi Songui as Max #2

Vanessa Uguru John as Naima

Jude Ferus as Fuyard

Jessica B. Hill as Sara

Marcia Leblanc as Barmaid

Le Voyou as Rappeur #1

Calvin Philips as Jeune Client

Shevon Jeremy Noël as Ronald

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Exit 67 ( French: Sortie 67) is a 2010 French-Canadian ( Quebec) film written and directed by Jephté Bastien. The film was shot in French, English and Creole language and is set around Montreal's street gangs.

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This is an example of art in Canada

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Last week was the North American premiere of Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson and composer Kjartan Sveinsson's "The explosive sonics of divinity." Held at the Théâtre Maisonneuve, this theatrical piece was narrated by an expansive visual treatment, supported by a full symphony, and perpetuated by an angelic choir.

This kind of drama was expected since the artists were inspired by Word Light, a novel by Nobel laureate, Haldor Laxness, and his never-ending quest for beauty despite experiencing truths and tragedies throughout life.

The group of women that Nichole Anderson, President of Business for the Arts, assembled that night were nothing short of spectacular. We sat at a rustic communal table at Bouillon Bilk and discussed everything from self development to the expected Montreal versus Toronto debate to arranged marriages... all of this while spectacular dishes were serenading our palettes. We walked across the street to the theatre, adding beautiful Montrealers to our group along the way and I didn't know what to expect being unfamiliar with these brilliant Icelandic minds.

As the curtains rose, there was an eagerness to learn about the talent that assembled before us. The piece began as delicately as it ought to have, establishing a comfort and trust between audience and the performance. But as the climate changed and the melody reflected a surge of pace, we fell wildly before the natural wonderments of devastation with a peaceful acoustic accompaniment. Between witnessing the different scenes, from wild waves rolling amidst rocks on the base of a cliff, to an obsolete forest with gentle snow dancing to the fingers of the composer, we, the audience, experienced nature as it is. Kjartansson and Sveinsson combined live performance with music so skillfully that they created passages for audience to walk alongside Haldor, while experiencing romance and destruction at the same time. Our minds tranced into a hypnotic state, a state of mind that shuttled me to a meeting I had earlier last week.

I met with widely-acclaimed hypno-healer Debbie Papadakis. Why? My investigation to learn about the conscious mind and abolish creative blocks brought me to her. In the consultation, Debbie explained that the mind is broken into three different states: the conscious, the subconscious, and the unconscious. She goes to say that the conscious mind stores experiences and memories, the subconscious minds stores emotions, and the unconscious mind stores wisdom. This breakdown brought clarity to my creative angst. I realized that there must be information stored in an area of my brain that prevents me to get past certain blocks, blocks that lead to anxiety, low self esteem, and a quarterly cycle of binge eating Cookie Dough Dynamo Häagen-Dazs.

I tried to photograph each scene of this theatrical piece so as to never forget it. I wanted to store it in any one of my mind's states because to me, this piece was my first ever experience of gesamtkunstwerk. The artwork, in its totality, occupied all of my mind.

Do I have any authority to comment on this artistic achievement? Not particularly. I don't have a degree in fine art history or theatre. And moreover, for my past two birthdays, two separate friends from two separate networks each gifted me a one terabyte external hard drive filled with relevant films, essays, and television series to familiarize myself with the present. Somehow, to date, I have yet to watch a full Simpson's episode.

I understand that my partial cultural backwardness can be viewed as a hindrance to fully appreciate art history and pop culture. But as I sat there, between a stylishly cultured crowd and a plethora of musical and artistic talent, I realized that my creative block was not established due to my obliviousness of general pop culture things.

Montreal is a hotbed of intellectual thinkers, dreamers, and overall badasses like Jean Francois Beaudoin and Christine Renaud. After the show, Nichole, Melanie Joly, Julie Arsenault, Antoine Ertaskiran, and I assembled in the Ragnar Kjartansson exhibit that housed his video installation, The Visitors (2012). An impressive nine-channel projection on a 1:1 scale shows musicians who are Kjartansson's friends and acquaintances (including Kristín Anna and Gyða Valtýsdóttir, sisters who were founding members of the legendary Icelandic group Múm, as well as Kjartan Sveinsson, keyboard player with the band Sigur Rós until 2012). And for nearly an hour, they interpret the melody of a song through various instruments and voice. Called Feminine Ways, the music was composed by the Kjartansson and the lyrics are a poem written by Ásdís Sif Gunnarsdóttir.

Presented collectively, the individual sound pieces create a powerful but subtle contrast and the viewer is positioned in the very middle of a continuous choral performance. While these melodic voices sang in tandem, I looked around and nobody was talking. We were taken by this new media audio visual collaboration that allowed us to voyeur into the private spaces of artists. Whether bathtub or bedroom, the screens were large enough to project a life size image of a girl playing the accordion in a pleasant dusty pink dress with bare feet. This type of exposure shed light on the bigger artists' anguish. One where they are alone and perhaps ironically, have a hard time connecting to people.

At this moment, I smiled to myself, realizing that my creative block is a self-imposed prison that has been constructed by me alone. And more formidably, there is a community of artistic weirdos out there that without ever meeting in person, I can connect to.
The exhibit is running at the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal until May 22.
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In Conversation With The Conscious, Subconscious And Unconscious Mind

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I met with widely-acclaimed hypno-healer Debbie Papadakis. Why? My investigation to learn about the conscious mind and abolish creative blocks brought me to her. In the consultation, Debbie explained that the mind is broken into three different states: the conscious, the subconscious, and the unconscious.

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This is an example of how some projects relating to infrastructure are being delayed.

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OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is becoming increasingly vocal in blaming Conservative premiers for stalling a long list of infrastructure projects, part of an ongoing dispute over Ottawa's $190-billion spending plans that has already delayed major new developments ahead of a looming federal election.

But the Conservatives are hitting back, denying they are causing delays and accusing Trudeau of forcing through legislation that will critically affect energy projects and hurt the Canadian economy. The rift plays into a larger battle between the prime minister and a newly-elected bloc of Conservative premiers on everything from carbon taxes to infrastructure spending.

Ottawa's frustrations over the delays come as the Federation of Canadian Municipalities called on party leaders on Tuesday to commit to doubling the Gas Tax Fund in their election platforms, which would effectively give the federal government more room to sidestep the provinces and deliver infrastructure dollars directly to cities and towns. The move would make permanent a one-year doubling of the program, up to $4.4 billion, that was announced in the 2019 budget.

Ottawa has blamed provincial leaders for causing much of the delays in its spending plans, while critics contend they are part of deeper structural shortfalls. The program was spread across more than 30 federal agencies and departments, which led to sizeable gaps in the reporting of which projects had been selected for funding.

Trudeau announced his roughly $190-billion spending plan as part of a 2015 campaign promise, aimed at boosting the Canadian economy by expanding roads, bridges, public transit, telecommunications lines and other infrastructure.

But frustrations have been mounting in Ottawa over delays in rolling out those plans, which federal officials claim is a direct result of dithering by provinces - particularly Quebec, Ontario and Alberta - due to a failure to approve proposed federal projects.

Earlier this month, Trudeau claimed that the office of Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has been slower to approve critical projects than the former NDP government, saying it "has not been as rapid on highlighting the infrastructure projects that it wants to see us move forward with."

"So it would be wonderful for the premiers to stop playing divisive politics and actually work collaboratively on the investments we want to make in their provinces," he said during public comments in Edmonton.

Kenney spokesperson Harrison Fleming pushed back saying Alberta has already submitted nine projects under the federal program, and will need time to sift through the 630 projects proposed since April 2018.

"It is, however, rich that the Prime Minister would accuse anyone of slow approvals when his government forced through their 'No More Pipelines' law Bill C-69 which will indefinitely delay all new critical energy projects that fuel the whole Canadian economy," he said in a statement.

In April, Trudeau also criticized Ontario Premier Doug Ford saying Ottawa was pressing the province behind the scenes to approve a long list of major projects. Ontario announced a 10-year, $30-billion infrastructure spending plan under Ford that federal officials say does not square with Ottawa's program.

"I am now saying it very publicly that the provincial government in Ontario is letting down Ontarians," Trudeau said during a funding announcement in Kitchener, On.

Projects that have not yet received provincial approval include a $100-million sports complex for the Canada Summer games, planned for construction in the Niagara region, and a $25-million twin arena facility in Sault Ste, Marie, On., according to federal infrastructure officials.

Ontario rebutted Ottawa's claims.

"Any suggestion by the federal government that Ontario has delayed infrastructure projects is categorically, unequivocally false," a spokesperson for Ontario infrastructure minister Laurie Scott said in a statement.

The Trudeau Liberal record when it comes to infrastructure is one of failure

The province has approved 15 major public transit projects in Toronto and other major urban centres, spokesperson Christine Bujold said, as well as another 144 road, bridge, air and marine projects.

In May the National Post reported that two major flood mitigation projects in Montreal had been met with extended delays after not receiving approval from the provincial government, as well as a number of other major federal contributions in the province. The flood wall projects have since been approved.

Infrastructure Minister François-Philippe Champagne met with his provincial counterpart in Quebec at the time in a bid to convince the province to move ahead with a package of more than six projects, totalling hundreds of millions in federal contributions, that had also been met with delays. The province has approved just 12 projects since premier François Legault took power in late 2018, while Ottawa has approved a total 682 projects in Quebec since 2015.

A report by the Parliamentary Budget Officer in 2018 suggested the total economic returns on the federal infrastructure program were far less than originally estimated by Ottawa. Another claimed that higher federal spending on infrastructure has likely caused provinces to likewise lower their respective infrastructure spending, in turn diminishing the overall impact of the $190-billion plan.

"The Trudeau Liberal record when it comes to infrastructure is one of failure," Conservative infrastructure critic Matt Jeneroux said in a statement to the National Post. "They have failed to work with our municipal and provincial partners to get shovels in the ground and deliver projects on-time and on-budget."

Jeneroux would not confirm whether his party is committed to accepting the call from municipalities to boost funding for the Gas Tax Fund, saying it would release an infrastructure platform later this year.

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities, which represents roughly 2,000 cities and towns across Canada, has long been lobbying Ottawa to boost funding for the GTF, saying it is the most efficient way to distribute federal dollars toward infrastructure projects at the municipal level, as it provides a steady flow of funding free from political meddling.

In a written statement, a spokesperson for the federal infrastructure ministry said the GTF top-off "ensured that infrastructure funding got to those who have shown they are willing and able to get projects done: our local and municipal governments."

Every year the GTF distributes around $2.2 billion to 3,600 municipalities. The program was originally linked to sales of gasoline and diesel fuel, but has since become a transfer from total federal revenues.
* Email: jsnyder@postmedia.com | Twitter: jesse_snyder

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Call for municipal infrastructure boost comes as Trudeau blames conservative premiers for delays

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OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is becoming increasingly vocal in blaming Conservative premiers for stalling a long list of infrastructure projects, part of an ongoing dispute over Ottawa's $190-billion spending plans that has already delayed major new developments ahead of a looming federal election.

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This is one of the many examples of technological advancements in Canada

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A historic drone flight carrying prescription medication from Vancouver Island to Salt Spring Island could pave the way for drone deliveries of life-saving medication to remote locations.

On Aug. 19, a drone delivered an EpiPen and naloxone from a London Drugs in Duncan to a resident on Salt Spring Island, about six kilometres away over the Pacific Ocean. Another drone made a second delivery to a local grocery store.

"It's the first in Canada, possibly North America, to deliver prescription drugs via drone," said Philip Reece, CEO of InDro Robotics.

The Salt Spring Island-based company, in partnership with Canada Post and London Drugs, conducted the country's first beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) flight carrying pharmaceuticals as part of Transport Canada's drone trials.

The drone flew itself most of the way, planning the route itself, and making adjustments as it encounters weather issues or other aircraft, said Reece. A pilot on Salt Spring Island monitored the flight in the background as a safety precaution.

Flying drones beyond visual-line-of-sight requires an additional level of safety in place. The drone was equipped with a camera, and the ability to listen out for other aircraft and send out alerts to nearby pilots to let them know an unmanned aerial vehicle is in operation.

The success of the trial flight could mean a change in the use of drones from tech toys or buzzing annoyances to an asset that could change the future of logistics and deliveries.

"It makes a huge difference," said Reece. "It opens up a huge opportunity for pharmacists to get aid quicker to those who need it."

It would be a boon to patients in remote areas who otherwise have to travel hours to get to a pharmacy, said Chris Chiew, general manager of London Drugs' pharmacy division. "In the very near future, we will be able to provide delivery of prescription medications to an abundance of areas not accessible by vehicle."

The drone flew at 50-60 km/h at about 75 metres above the ground. It can carry a maximum of 5.5 kilograms, though other models can carry up to 20 kg. When it reached the customer's home, it landed on an orange pad marked with an H the customer had put on the ground outside, indicating the landing zone.

The operational data obtained from the trials will be used by Transport Canada to inform BVLOS rules in the future.

Reece estimates such deliveries could be rolled out in about a year.
chchan@postmedia.com twitter.com/cherylchan

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Drone carries meds from Vancouver Island to Salt Spring Island in historic flight

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A historic drone flight carrying prescription medication from Vancouver Island to Salt Spring Island could pave the way for drone deliveries of life-saving medication to remote locations. On Aug. 19, a drone delivered an EpiPen and naloxone from a London Drugs in Duncan to a resident on Salt Spring Island, about six kilometres away over the Pacific Ocean.

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This is one example of politics in canada

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No federal leader has a clear advantage on the question of who would be best at leading an ethical government, according to a new poll conducted by Nanos Research for The Globe and Mail.

Twenty-three per cent of Canadians polled by Nanos Research said Green Party Leader Elizabeth May would be the best at leading an ethical government, followed by Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer at 20 per cent. Seventeen per cent said Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau would be best at this; 13 per cent said none of the leaders; 10 per cent said NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh; and 3 per cent respectively said People's Party Leader Maxime Bernier and Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet. Twelve per cent said they were unsure.

"No one is the clear winner on ethics. ... It doesn't matter who's in power, no one has a big advantage on the ethics front and it speaks to the cynicism that people have about any politician being ethical," said Nik Nanos, the founder and chief data scientist of Nanos Research.

Nanos Research surveyed 1,000 Canadians between Aug. 29 and Sept. 4. The poll has a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Respondents were also asked which federal party leader, if any, would be the best at helping the middle class and which leader would be the best at spending tax dollars wisely. They were asked which leader would be best at managing Canada's relationship with the United States, and which leader would be best at improving Canada's reputation in the world.

Mr. Nanos said the survey also shows that the federal election is a two-horse race between the Liberals and the Conservatives. "The NDP is realistically not in play and not a major factor," he said.

"No one has a significant upper hand. People are unhappy with all the choices and there is a significant amount of volatility," he said.

In June, a Nanos survey showed that ethics in government would be one of the biggest issues for voters in the election, after months of turmoil for the Liberals over the SNC-Lavalin controversy, which saw Mr. Trudeau put pressure on then-attorney-general Jody Wilson-Raybould to stop the criminal prosecution of the Montreal-based engineering firm.

There was also significant attention paid to Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's case. The then-commander of the navy was charged with a single count of breach of trust after being accused of leaking secrets involving a shipbuilding contract. The Crown prosecutor abruptly stayed the charge in May, fuelling opposition accusations that the Liberal government interfered politically in the case.

Mr. Nanos said Mr. Trudeau will "get hammered on ethics and he is going to realistically have to take a hit.

"It is the sweet stuff for the opposition. It is not to talk about how he is managing the relations with Donald Trump or on the middle class; it is basically ethics," Mr. Nanos said.

Thirty-one per cent of respondents said Mr. Trudeau would be best at helping the middle class, followed by Mr. Scheer at 21 per cent and Mr. Singh at 13 per cent. Nine per cent said none of them, and 6 per cent said Ms. May. Four per cent said Mr. Bernier would be best at helping the middle class and 2 per cent said Mr. Blanchet. Fourteen per cent said they are unsure.

Meanwhile, 25 per cent said Mr. Scheer would be best at spending tax dollars wisely, followed by Mr. Trudeau at 21 per cent, with 17 per cent of respondents saying none of the leaders. Eight per cent said Ms. May and 7 per cent said Mr. Singh. Six per cent said Mr. Bernier would be best and 1 per cent said Mr. Blanchet. Fifteen per cent said they are unsure.

Mr. Nanos said the "winning hand" for Mr. Trudeau is on the question of who can best manage the relationship with the United States.

Forty per cent of respondents said Mr. Trudeau would be best at managing Canada's relationship with the United States, while 25 per cent said Mr. Scheer would be best. Ten per cent of respondents said none, with 4 per cent saying Mr. Bernier would be best and 3 per cent each saying Ms. May and Mr. Singh. One per cent said Mr. Blanchet would be best, and 14 per cent said they are unsure.

"[Mr. Trudeau] has a pretty clear advantage on that, and he also has a strong advantage in terms of Canada's reputation around the world," Mr. Nanos said.

Forty-two per cent of respondents said Mr. Trudeau would be best at improving Canada's reputation in the world, with 21 per cent saying Mr. Scheer would be best at this. Ten per cent said Ms. May would be best, with 9 per cent saying none of the leaders and 6 per cent saying Mr. Singh. Two per cent said Mr. Bernier would be best and 1 per cent said Mr. Blanchet. Eleven per cent said they are unsure. ​

Mr. Nanos said it is interesting that in many of the surveys, Canadians say they are unsure or that none of the federal leaders would be good at managing these issues.

"This speaks to the volatility," he said.

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No federal leader a 'clear winner' on leading an ethical government: poll

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No federal leader has a clear advantage on the question of who would be best at leading an ethical government, according to a new poll conducted by Nanos Research for The Globe and Mail.