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Positive news about Canada

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13 May 2009

On 11-13 May 2009 several news sources in Canada have indicated positive trends as seen in the following reports from The Canadian Press, Agence France Presse, and the Globe and Mail. It is a joy for Global Good News service to feature this news, which indicates the success of the life-supporting programmes Maharishi has designed to bring fulfillment to every field: education, government, business, culture, and science.

The Canadian Press - Police report hate crimes declined in Canada (13 May 2009) Police services reported 785 crimes motivated by hate in Canada in 2007, down from 892 in 2006.

From the Statistics Canada report: The census metropolitan area of Montreal recorded 43 fewer hate-motivated crimes in 2007, a drop of about 50%. . . . In both 2006 and 2007, mischief offences, such as acts of graffiti on public property, accounted for about half of all police-reported incidents of hate crime.

The Canadian Press - Monthly trade surplus widens to $1.1B (12 May 2009) Canadians got another morsel of encouraging economic news Tuesday as the country's monthly trade surplus with the world increased to C$1.1 billion. This was quadruple the upwardly revised C$262-million surplus in February, which had followed deficits in December and January. The March surplus was more than double the C$500 million expected by economists.

From a Bloomberg News report on this: Imports fell 4.4 per cent in March to C$31.4 billion, while exports fell 1.8 per cent to C$32.5 billion. The report supports the Bank of Canada's April prediction that imports will decline faster than sales abroad this year, leading net exports to contribute 0.9 per centage points to gross domestic product in 2009.

The Globe and Mail- Business failures decline, bucking trends (12 May 2009) Business failures have declined in Canada, defying the pattern of past recessions. Indeed, the decline in the number of business bankruptcies is the surprise story of this recession, said economist Benjamin Tal of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. Because the recession hit the U.S. before Canada, businesses were able to take pre-emptive measures to cut costs, said Laurie Campbell, executive director of the credit counselling organization Credit Canada.

From a Canadian Press report on this: There were 507 business bankruptcies nationally in March, down 10.3 per cent from a year earlier.

From a Globe and Mail report on this: In the first quarter of this year, business bankruptcies Canada-wide were down 13.8 per cent from the first quarter of last year, to a total of 1,430, the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy Canada said in its quarterly report.

The Financial Post - Vehicle sales jump in March (13 May 2009) Sales of new vehicles jumped in March by the largest amount in 14 months, Statistics Canada reported. Sales were up 6.3 per cent to 122,194 units in March, which was the biggest increase since January 2008. Sales of new trucks showed the biggest jump, at 11 per cent to 60,577 units. Passenger car sales were up two per cent to 61,617 units. Sales of passenger cars have been increasing slowly for three months. Ian Pollick, economics strategist at TD Securities, called the report 'positive' and, following Tuesday's better-than-expected trade surplus numbers, 'raises the tentative possibility of an outright positive print for March GDP.'

From a Canadian Press report on this: The number of new motor vehicles sold in March rose in all provinces, with Quebec the main contributor, rising 10.4 per cent. Ontario sales were up for the third straight month, rising 5.8 per cent.

From an Ottawa Business Journal report on this: New Brunswick had one of the largest percentage increases of 9.6 per cent. Monthly sales are expected to stay strong in April, according to preliminary industry data.

The New York Times - Montreal inaugurates continent's most ambitious bike-sharing program (13 May 2009) Gerald Tremblay, the mayor of Montreal, inaugurated North America's first large-scale bicycle-sharing system on Tuesday. The computer-chip based, solar-powered, WiFi-enabled base station that's the heart of the Bixi system worked flawlessly when Mr. Tremblay set off on a ceremonial first ride. Bixi is nothing if not ambitious. The service is starting out with 3,000 of the specially designed bicycles distributed among 300 closely-spaced stations in its downtown core. The bikes are quite well equipped and include LED headlights and taillights.

From a National Post report on this: The vehicles turning heads on Montreal streets these days aren't Ferraris but bicycles. They're called Bixis - from 'bicycle' and 'taxi' - and they are marking the city's emergence as the North American pioneer in a bike-sharing movement that originated in Europe. Montrealers can pay annual memberships for C$78 or a daily rate of C$5. The pricing after that is designed to encourage short hauls, so the first half hour is free but the cost escalates for additional time. Users can pick up a bicycle at one station and leave it at another. The solar-powered bike stands are no more than 200 metres apart. 'We are dreaming of a new city, one where we can walk and ride bikes, one that is more human-scale . . . It adds a new dimension to the city,' explained city executive committee member Andre Lavalle. He noted New York and London are looking at the Bixi as a model for their programs.

Agence France Presse- Montreal launches major public bicycle system (12 May 2009) Montreal launched North America's largest public bicycle transportation system, based on systems set up in France and several other European cities. Given current environmental challenges, 'we needed concrete examples of change,' Mayor Gerald Tremblay announced at its launch. Time magazine praised the Montreal system for its environmental and social stewardship, as well as the design of the bicycles. It placed 19th on the Time list. Some 700,000 area cyclists, according to Velo Quebec (Cycle Quebec), already ride the city's 450 kilometers of bike trails. And 100 kilometers of new trails are being added this summer, said officials.

From a CJAD AM (Montreal) report on this: The Bixi was launched with an appeal for Montrealers to walk, or pedal, away from their beloved cars. The equation is simple: promote alternatives to the car to reduce the use of cars, and thus slash greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in a better quality of life. Mayor Gerald Tremblay looks forward to expanding the Bixi network. The mayor says alternatives to the car are the wave of the future, and a must if we are to improve the quality of life on the Island of Montreal.

The Globe and Mail - Quebec moves to adopt cap and trade system (13 May 2009) Quebec became the second province to move toward adopting a cap and trade system. British Columbia enacted legislation last year enabling it to move toward the system, and Ontario and Manitoba will soon follow suit. Together the four provinces represent 80 per cent of the Canadian population and 75 per cent of the country's gross national product. Along with seven American states, the four provinces are part of the Western Climate Initiative, which seeks to set up a regional cap and trade system by 2012. The first emission caps will be issued between 2012 and 2015, at-first targeting only electricity-producing companies and major industries that emit more than 25,000 tonnes a year of greenhouse gases. After 2015, the second phase will target, among other sectors, transportation as well as home and commercial heating companies. Efforts by businesses that invest now to reduce greenhouse gases will be taken into account at the time carbon credits are issued.

From a CBC News report on this: The Quebec government tabled legislation to set up a carbon trading market. Environment Minister Line Beauchamp introduced the bill Tuesday. It is designed to allow Quebec to participate in the Western Climate Initiative, a carbon trade agreement between four Canadian provinces and seven U.S. states. The initiative calls for a 20 per cent reduction from 2005 emission levels by 2020. Beauchamp said Quebec's reduction targets are actually to reduce emissions to 1990 levels.

The Toronto Star - Cannon's visit signals closer ties to China (11 May 2009) 'We want to do a lot more than the C$50-billion-a-year trade between both of our countries,' Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon said Monday in an interview after emerging from a 40-minute meeting with Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping.' He also spent two and a half hours in a working lunch earlier with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi. He characterized discussions with both as 'frank, friendly and forward-looking.' Cannon stressed that there was a 'friendly' atmosphere that presided over discussions and the Chinese were pleased at Canada's compassionate and sizeable contributions in the aftermath of last year's Sichuan earthquake. Charles Burton, a former Canadian diplomat who has served in China and now teaches political science at Brock University in Ontario, called Cannon's meeting with the Chinese vice-president, 'extraordinary.' Burton noted: 'Judging by the duration . . . both Canada and China are highly motivated and committed to improve and intensify relations.'

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