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A ‘watershed year’ for Canada-U.S. relations, but guess who’s lurking in the wings?

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:17:23 GMT

WASHINGTON — Two years ago, the new United States ambassador to Canada arrived in snowbound Ottawa for the first time, thinking he knew all about America’s rock-ribbed relationship with its trusted northern neighbour. But David Cohen soon noticed something was amiss.“As I began to travel around Canada, I was surprised to learn the pervasiveness of the loss of trust, on Canada’s part, of the United States,” Cohen told business leaders last month in the national capital.“The constant refrain was, ‘What has happened to our relationship with the United States? Have we done something wrong?'”South of the border, Cohen’s boss in the Oval Office was acutely aware of the lingering foreign-policy scars his sharp-elbowed predecessor, Donald Trump, left among some historically close U.S. allies.That is how Kirsten Hillman came to encounter a surprise of her own. It was early 2023, and Hillman — Cohen’s counterpart in Washington — was at the...

Canada learned lessons from Trump’s first term — and vice versa, says ambassador

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:17:23 GMT

WASHINGTON — It’s a truism in foreign-policy circles that the world learned some hard lessons from Donald Trump’s volatile first term as president.But as the prospect of a second term looms, could it also be true that the notoriously stubborn Trump and his advisers left the White House with a better grasp of Canada’s relationship with — and importance to — the United States?“Yeah, I think so — I do,” said Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s envoy in Washington.For starters, there was the arduous 18-month renegotiation of NAFTA, in which even America’s self-proclaimed champion dealmaker has long suggested Canada proved a more worthy adversary than he expected.But Trump was also president in early 2020, when COVID-19 was beginning to flourish on North American soil, soon to blossom into a global crisis that showed the U.S. a thing or two about its largest trading partner.“When we restricted movement on our border, it took less than a day for peopl...

Outgoing Norad commander says Canada, U.S. too slow to adapt to threats

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:17:23 GMT

OTTAWA — In a world of uncertainty, there is one critical mission the North American Aerospace Defence Command can count on every year: tracking Santa Claus. On Sunday, millions of people will log onto the specialized website and social media channels that depict the jolly old elf’s magical journey as he and his reindeer visit children around the world. More than 60 years after it began, the Santa tracker is a beloved holiday tradition and a powerful public-relations opportunity for the binational agency dedicated to defending North American airspace. Informing the public about Norad’s mission the rest of the year has been a priority for commander Gen. Glen VanHerck, and in that regard, the dramatic start to 2023 came with an unexpected opportunity.On Jan. 27, Norad learned that a high-altitude surveillance balloon from China was heading toward North America. It was detected entering Alaskan airspace the next day and tracked as it passed over Canada on Jan. 30 and 31.Nor...

Canada faces green Christmas as El Nino follows warm summer, head climatologist says

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:17:23 GMT

Canada’s chief climatologist says if you don’t already have it, the song is only white Christmas you’re likely to get.David Phillips of Environment Canada says most of the country has been unusually dry and warm this year.That adds up to a green Yule, since the snow hasn’t had a chance to fall and when it does, it melts.Phillips says it’s the result of a strong El Nino pattern this fall coming after a spring and summer that was already unusually warm. He says Canadians are still likely to face some serious winter yet.But he says some parts of the country — especially the West — are likely to face serious drought and wildfire weather in the coming year unless some snow falls.   This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 21, 2023. The Canadian Press

Holiday travel angst lingers as airports, airlines gear up for holiday rush

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:17:23 GMT

MONTREAL — Michael Morrow is sitting poolside in Cancun, a Corona lager in hand, but with the faintest of knots in his stomach.“To have a trip cancelled due to the airline is painful, but to have it happen at Christmas — when that is the only possible time to have the trip — is much more painful,” he says, referring to a holiday excursion to Mexico last year that was cancelled due to crew constraints.This year, he’s slated to fly back to Thunder Bay, Ont., from Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula on Dec. 25. He and his family have built in some buffer time for their holiday plans in case of delay. But his experience lingers in his mind, along with other tales of travel nightmares from 12 months ago, when thousands of passengers saw their flights delayed or cancelled largely due to poor weather.“I would always be nervous if I had something important,” he says.Though the forecast looks favourable, airports and airlines are gearing up for the prospect of travel snarls as the holidays appr...

‘Very different Christmas’ for those affected by B.C. wildfires this season

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:17:23 GMT

British Columbia’s 2023 wildfires were a life-changing disaster for many, and their impact has echoed into the holiday season.The fire season was already breaking records by mid-August when forecasters warned that dry lightning and strong winds on the way were a recipe for catastrophe. Thousands were forced to leave in the southern Interior ahead of fast-moving wildfires. Fire officials described a ferocious fight to save homes, but hundreds were burned to their foundations in the Okanagan and Shuswap regions.From fire chiefs, to those who lost their homes, to Pumba the pig, here’s how some affected by the emergency are spending their holiday season: ___‘I DON’T THINK WE’VE EVER BEEN STRONGER’Paul Zydowicz is among 13 members of the Wilson’s Landing Fire Department who lost their homes when a wildfire tore through their small community on the shores of Okanagan Lake in August.The fire chief said the disaster “eclipsed” everything...

Daily horoscope for December 21, 2023

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:17:23 GMT

Moon Alert: Avoid shopping or important decisions from 9:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. EST today (6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. PST). After that, the Moon moves from Aries into Taurus.Happy Birthday for Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023:You are energetic and strong-willed; however, you are also secretive and private, especially about your feelings. You work hard to achieve your goals. In fact, this has been a year when you have worked very hard. In 2024, you will experience exciting changes and increased personal freedom.ARIES(March 21-April 19) ★★★★With the Moon in your sign dancing with your ruler Mars, you have lots of energy today to go after what you want. Talk to bosses, parents, teachers and authority figures about projects from the past that you want to resurrect. Perhaps you want approval or permission. Expect success today. Tonight: Check your possessions.TAURUS(April 20-May 20) ★★★Behind-the-scenes projects, especially related to shared property, banking or inheritances, might come together today. This...

EU’s agricultural labour productivity down by 7% in 2023

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:17:23 GMT

According to the first preliminary data for 2023 from the economic accounts for agriculture (EAA), the index of agricultural labour productivity in the EU is estimated to have decreased year-on-year by 6.6%, after growth between 2019 and 2022. This downturn was underpinned by a 7.9% decrease in the real value of the income generated by units engaged in agricultural production activities (factor income) and a further reduction (-1.4%) in the volume of agricultural labour (as measured by annual work units, representing full-time labour equivalents). This information comes from data on agriculture published by Eurostat today.Most EU countries (19) registered lower agricultural labour productivity in 2023 (as measured by the index of the real income of factors in agriculture per annual work unit). The steepest rates of decline were for Estonia (-57.9%), Sweden (-31.7%), Ireland (-30.3%), Lithuania (-30.2%) and Bulgaria (-28.6%). Nevertheless, there were higher levels in 7 EU countr...

Harriette Cole: The 3 lists and one calendar you need for your 2024 life strategy

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:17:23 GMT

DEAR HARRIETTE: This year, I made a conscious decision to prioritize my professional life, and it has seen significant growth. However, this focus has come at the expense of my personal life.Related ArticlesAdvice | Harriette Cole: There’s only so much I can do for this Plain Jane Advice | Harriette Cole: I don’t want to offend my friend but I can’t stay in this house Advice | Harriette Cole: An audience makes my roommate more irritating Advice | Harriette Cole: He’s finally single, but his ex brainwashed him. How can I get through? Advice | Harriette Cole: How do I tell this nice girl I sent the text by mistake? I’m finding it challenging to balance both aspects, as the majority of my time and energy goes into work-related commitments.How can I maintain a healthy equilibrium without losing momentum in my career or neglecting my personal relationships?— Seeking Balance...

Miss Manners: I had an awkward exchange with the friends I discarded

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:17:23 GMT

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My wife and I have a wide circle of friends and an active social life. The vast majority of our friends are very considerate guests and hosts.Related ArticlesAdvice | Miss Manners: I try to make draft dodgers feel bad. Is this wrong of me? Advice | Miss Manners: People are noticing my watch and it’s making me uncomfortable Advice | Miss Manners: Snow shoveling has created an awkward situation with my neighbors Advice | Miss Manners: Our houseguests canceled abruptly and implied we were running a frat party Advice | Miss Manners: If you’re the best man at this wedding, brace for embarrassment But we have one group of friends with a very relaxed approach to socializing. These friends will give noncommittal responses to invitations, accept invitations but cancel at the last minute, or arrive alone and state that their spouse could not make it.In our book, these were not friend...