Tariff troubles
Who lies? Statistics Canada? Politicians?
“It is with regret that we take these countermeasures, but the U.S. tariffs leave Canada no choice but to defend our industries, our workers and our communities,” said Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland (in news reports).
Also announced on Friday was $2 billion in aid for the Canadian steel, aluminum and manufacturing sectors. Canada is the biggest supplier of steel and aluminum to the U.S., and exports nearly 90 per cent of its steel to the U.S. — more than any other country, according to the Canadian Steel Producers Association. Canada exports to the U.S. around 84 per cent of the 3.2-million tonnes of aluminum it produces annually, which represents two-thirds of America’s total aluminum imports, according to the Aluminum Association of Canada. There are around 8,300 jobs in the aluminum sector in Canada — and a majority of them are in Quebec.
No matter which methodology was used the $18.8 billion surplus estimated by Statistics Canada for 2016 is the smallest since 1994, the year NAFTA came into effect. Since then, Canada’s cumulative surpluses have totalled $1.2 trillion, the Statistics Canada figures show.
Why are there nine Aluminum smelters in Canada? The Canadian taxpayers are going to pay millions to protect jobs that shouldn’t be there in the first place.
Frederick Peitzsche, Innisfail
No racism in the pool
Re: Is racism alive in Red Deer? Advocate Friday June 29, 2018
I would like to react to Mr. Richards comments. There are always two sides to every story. I’m one of the older people in the aquafit class mentioned by him.
Our reaction to his being in the pool has nothing to do with being a minority. We all like the diversity of Canada’s people. I’m an immigrant myself and I don’t care what colour or religion other people have. I respect them all, as long as they don’t expect special treatment. We are all alike and shouldn’t start screaming “discrimination” right away when we don’t get our way.
We are a water exercise class with an instructor and he does not participate. We are mostly all older and all have our aches and pains, nobody requests special treatment except Mr. Richards.
The Collicutt Centre also has a special program for people with body problems “twinges and hinges”.
And as far as racism in Red Deer is concerned, frustrated people sometimes say things they don’t really mean and which they would never say when calm.
Beatrix Bakker, Red Deer County