By Haddon Libby
To help our most favorite of snowbirds from the north to a little bit more at home, let’s take a look at news from Canadia this week.
On February 27th, Canada welcomed their 25,000th refugee from Syria since November. Half of these people will have all living costs covered by the government for the first year while the remainder will receive some support from the private sector as well. For comparison, the United States has accepted about one-tenth as many refugees. Given concerns voiced by many in America about the risk of terrorism from Syrian refugees and the open border between the United States and Canada, will the Republican nominees for President propose building a wall at the Canadian border like that being proposed with Mexico?
Renowned American chef, Timothy Maslow, was arrested at the border on February 26th when returning to the United States as he had 22 1/2 pounds of marijuana edibles in his possession. <Insert your own joke here>
Back in Canada, drugstore chains are currently looking at ways to sell marijuana and related edibles. The Liberal government, led by Prime Minister Trudeau, is currently working on the framework to do this. Canada was the first country to legalize marijuana for medical use in 2001. Trudeau’s government is currently looking at the possibility of legalization for recreational use.
While marijuana is on track for full decriminalization in Canada, the criminal polar bear population is on the rise. In Manitoba, bears being held in ‘polar bear jail’ in Churchill, has grown from 26 in 2013 to 65 in 2015. Human encounters with polar bears at Hudson Bay were 251 in 2015, a record level. No reasons were given for this rise in polar bear incidents although I’m guessing it is related to food and humans infringing on bear habitat.
Skinny Cable is ready for roll-out in Canada due to a ruling by the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission that requires cable and satellite television providers to offer a ‘skinny’ pick and pay option to customers that costs $25 or less.
Fat bikes are gaining traction in Canada just in time for global warming. Fat biking is the use of customized mountain bikes that use much larger tires than is normal for a bike. For those of us here in the Coachella Valley, fat bikes are effective at traversing desert sands as well.
While the Canadian economy continues to sputter due to the fall in oil prices, in Quebec, maple syrup producers are frustrated by their version of OPEC – the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Providers. Canada’s share of the maple syrup market has fallen from 80% to 71% in recent years as the Federation caps maple syrup output as part of their efforts to keep prices high for their 13,500 sap farmers. Over the last fifteen years, one pound of syrup has grown from C$1.55 to nearly C$3.00. As demand has risen for maple syrup products, Canadian farmers have been prevented from increasing output. The primary beneficiary from this output limit is Vermont.
No article on Canada would be complete without an update on Toronto councilman and former mayor, Rob Ford. You may remember him from exploits that include drunken stupors and crack cocaine smoking. Ford was diagnosed with pleomorphic liposarcoma of the abdomen, an aggressive form of cancer that is often confused with fat cells. He completed treatment for the cancer last May and had a recurrence in November. Ford, who is currently going through a fourth round of chemotherapy, is very concerned by the rapid return of the cancer.
On a personal note, my investment management firm, Winslow Drake, can handle investment accounts for Canadians as well as other foreign visitors. To learn more, drop us a note at WinslowDrake.com or call 213.596.8399.
