#tf canada

Notes from this article:      U.S. newspapers are sounding the alarm that they face having to raise subscription prices, reduce the frequency of publication or even be forced to shut down in some cases after the Department of Commerce imposed duties on Canadian newsprint.      The U.S. Commerce Department will be slapping preliminary countervailing duties averaging 6.53 per cent on most Canadian producers of uncoated groundwood paper, such as newsprint, likely effective next week. The countervailing rate could increase in mid-2018 and there will also be a determination by the department in March on whether to place anti-dumping duties on Canadian groundwood.      Groundwood from Canada is subsidized and being dumped at less than fair value, according to complaints filed to the Commerce Department in August by U.S. producer North Pacific Paper Co., also known as Norpac. Based in Longview, Wash., Norpac argues U.S. paper makers are being hurt by Canadian shipments of groundwood south of the border.      Norpac played down the countervailing tariff's impact, estimating that it would amount to less than 5 U.S. cents on average for a copy of printed newspaper.      The News Media Alliance has almost 2,000 members, including large dailies such as The New York Times and The Washington Post, but the main concern of publishers and newsprint producers is the fate of newspapers in towns and small cities across the United States. More than 1,100 small and mid-sized newspapers – members of the alliance – signed a letter in December to warn Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross that punitive duties on Canadian newsprint would have a devastating impact.     Despite such warnings, the Commerce Department decided on Tuesday night to impose countervailing duties. The move will harm 21 Canadian mills, including 12 in Quebec and three in British Columbia, according to the Forest Products Association of Canada. There are two groundwood mills in Ontario while Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Alberta each have one mill.--Steven H MacDowallJoin my Blog ‘The Thursday File’ every week. My next posting > January 18, 2018 > The Thursday File #707 - sign up today! > www.thursdayfile.com

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Anger is brewing over Tim Hortons' response to Ontario's minimum wage hike The Globe and Mail - January 10 2018 - by Justin Giovannetti Photo I: Protesters demonstrate outside the Tim Hortons on Division Street in Cobourg, Ont. on Jan. 10, 2018. - by Fred Lum //     Rallies took place across Ontario to protest the actions of several Tim Hortons franchisees. A social-media campaign is also encouraging people to boycott Tim Hortons to show solidarity with employees. Staff at two locations owned by the son and daughter of the chain's founders were told their paid breaks would be cut and that they'd have to start covering at least half the cost of their health benefits. Some other locations have allegedly told employees to hand in their tips or pay for their own uniforms. The minimum wage hike, from $11.60 to $14, has been criticized by business groups who say the increase happened too quickly.     Here's economics expert Michael Farren's take on the issue: "Most of the time, the minimum wage's effect is hard to see. It's usually hidden in shorter employee hours and increased workloads, price increases and cost-cutting by reducing the quality of service provided. In this case, however, the company that owns Tim Hortons limits franchise owners' ability to raise prices and hasn't lowered the cost of the supplies that franchises have to purchase. So instead, franchisees' short-term alternative is to push down labour costs. In this case, it means eliminating free uniforms, ending paid breaks and even reducing what they contribute for employee medical insurance." > from the article >  https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/labour-groups-protest-tim-hortons-response-to-ontario-minimum-wage/article37553813/ Note:      Here's a look at the numbers behind the controversial measures that have some of the franchisees and the parent company playing the blame game:      $2.40: The jump in minimum wage in Ontario for most employees starting Jan. 1. It is set to go up another $1 at the start of 2019.      $243,889.10: How much the increase will cost the average Tim Hortons franchisee, according to the Great White North Franchisee Association, a group representing about half of the country's Tim Hortons franchisees. on another note:      $1.5-million: The required net worth of anyone applying to purchase a Tim Hortons franchise, according to the company's website. Applicants must have an additional $500,000 in liquid assets to qualify.      4,613 restaurants: The number of Tim Hortons locations in Canada as of Dec. 31, 2016, according to the company's most recent annual report. Only 29 of these were owned by the company, while 4,584 were franchised. -- 10 cents is also how much a cup of coffee cost when the chain was founded in 1964. At the time, a doughnut also cost a dime. -- Steven H MacDowall Join my Blog ‘The Thursday File’ every week. My next posting > January 18, 2018 > The Thursday File #708 - sign up today! > www.thursdayfile.com

'It doesn't get any rarer than this': Mistle thrush could be continent's first Bird watchers converge on Miramichi after mistle thrush lands on resident's lawn by Elizabeth Fraser, CBC News - December 11, 2017 Photo I: This mistle thrush has been a hot topic for bird lovers from the Maritimes and the United States. - by Alain Clavette // Photo II: A mistle thrush landed on a Miramichi lawn over the weekend and has been feeding on nearby berries. - by Peter Gadd // Photo III: Deana and Peter Gadd say crowds haven't stopped since they reported the rare mistle thrush on their property. - by Peter Gadd       A "mega-rarity" bird blew into Miramichi over the weekend, and it's attracting bird lovers from across Eastern Canada and the U.S. who've never seen one in North America before. Peter Gadd said a European mistle thrush landed near a mountain ash tree on his lawn and has been drawing crowds ever since. "I saw a bird and thought, 'OK, that's a little different,'" said Gadd, who spotted the bird on Saturday. Gadd and his wife, Deana, have been active birders for more than four years. After spotting the bird and carefully studying its features, Gadd tried to find something similar in one of his several North American bird books. Nothing seemed to match. So he sent photos to bird experts, who quickly recognized the rare bird. "It doesn't get any rarer than this," said Jim Wilson, a New Brunswick-based birder and naturalist, who visited the Gadd residence. The bird has been feeding on the berries from the tree in Gadd's yard and comes and goes as it pleases. "This is the very first time a mistle thrush has ever been seen and recorded in North America … it will draw people from all over the continent to come and see it if it hangs around," said Wilson. The bird is widespread in Europe and has also been found in Iceland.  This one was likely brought to the East Coast by heavy winds and separated from its flock, Wilson said. "It's really quite amazing how far these migratory birds can fly in a single flight," he said.   "It's a long way from home." The bird is about the size of a robin and has a brown-greyish back with pale underparts. It also has dark spots on its breast from the throat to its belly. The eyes are large, which keeps the animal alert. "It basically looks like a washed-out robin," said Wilson. What happens next? Gadd said he hopes the bird will survive and remain in the area throughout the winter. "Once it finds a food source it will aggressively protect it," Gadd said. "If it does do that with our mountain ash (tree) it could be here for some time." Gadd said he even has raspberries, blueberries and plums on hand if it runs out of berries from the mountain ash tree. As long as the bird can get a regular supply of food, it will likely survive. Species of thrushes are often described as "hardy birds," Wilson said. For the birders Wilson said people all over Canada and the U.S. are heading to northern New Brunswick, including a birder who's flying to the area from Michigan and a couple driving up from Boston. "There was a birder here yesterday who said he would like to have a week in this area to see if there are other birds … that may have come over in the same system," said Gadd. Wilson said it's important observers make sure the bird isn't too disturbed. People should also be respectful of the neighbourhood, he said. They should park somewhere close to the site, walk quietly to the address and stay on the street, rather than lingering on the property. "Hopefully, the welfare of the bird will always be at the forefront of everybody's mind," said Wilson. Gadd said people have their binoculars, scopes and cameras ready just to get a glimpse. His wife has even brought out hand warmers for those standing outside for long periods of time. "This little bird has no idea how popular it is," said Wilson. -- Steven H MacDowall My next TF blog posting > December 14th > The Thursday File #703 - sign up today! http://www.thursdayfile.com

ticktock, ticktock - when did we start setting our clocks back in autumn? Clocks fall back an hour in the U.S. and Canada on Sunday — after having done so last week in Europe — with the end of daylight saving time. Clocks in parts of Australia have moved, too, in the opposite direction. The reason for the shift is contentious and confusing. (It isn’t for farmers, as you may have learned in school.) Historians have traced the notion for daylight saving time to Benjamin Franklin, who realized he was sleeping through some daylight hours while visiting Paris in the 18th century. But the first idea to actually move the clock hands came from William Willett ( http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20160310-the-builder-who-changed-how-the-world-keeps-time ), who unsuccessfully proposed daylight saving time to the British Parliament in 1908. Germany, seeking cost savings during World War I, heard the idea and enacted it in 1915. Three weeks later, the British followed, and other world powers were close behind, including the U.S. in 1918. Despite the common belief that U.S. farmers supported the change, they were actually the strongest lobby against it because it disrupted their schedules, said David Prerau, the author of “Seize the Daylight.” “I don’t know how that ever became a myth, but it is the exact opposite,” he said. You can find out more about daylight saving time here: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/12/us/daylight-saving-time-farmers.html Photo by Sandor Ujvari -- Steven H MacDowall www.thursdayfile.com

Terrorism charges pending in Edmonton attacks Suspect had been investigated in 2015 but wasn't deemed a threat, RCMP says Photo I: A U-Haul lies on its side near 100th Avenue and 107th Street in downtown Edmonton after a high-speed chase with police Saturday night. by Zoe Todd // - CBC News - October 01, 2017 Terrorism-related charges are pending against a man accused of stabbing a police officer and deliberately plowing a cube van into pedestrians in Edmonton on Saturday night, the RCMP says. -- Background: - Abdulahi Hasan Sharif is the man accused in the attacks. - He is a Somali refugee. - In 2015, after a complaint was made to the Edmonton Police Service that the man was displaying signs of extremism, members of the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET) launched an investigation - The suspect was interviewed by members of INSET, but there was "insufficient evidence" to make an arrest and the suspect was deemed "not a threat," Marlin Degrand said. -- The 30-year-old suspect in the attacks was apprehended following a high-speed chase just before midnight through streets filled with bar patrons and Edmonton Eskimos football fans. Police have said they believe the man acted alone. The chase came to an end after the white U-Haul van he was driving struck four pedestrians and flipped on its side. 'Broken arms to brain bleeds' The injured police officer was taken to hospital and treated for non life-threatening injuries. Four pedestrians were injured, with injuries that ranged from "broken arms to brain bleeds," police Chief Rod Knecht said during Sunday's police news conference. One person who was listed in critical condition has been upgraded to stable. Two others have been released from hospital. The fourth victim suffered a fractured skull but has regained consciousness, said Knecht. ------------------------ Steven H MacDowall www.thursdayfile.com

Moncton's new Downtown Centre scores $1.4M scoreboard Price is $400,000 over original budget, but some money will come out of contingency fund Photo I: Greg Turner // Photo II: Bryan Butler by Tori Weldon, CBC News Posted: Sep 21, 2017 At a special meeting Thursday, Moncton city council approved the purchase of a $1.4 million digital scoreboard system for $112 million Downtown Centre still under construction. The original budget, in 2014, for the sports and entertainment centre allotted $1 million for a four-screen scoreboard. But council was warned last year that more money would be needed to buy a system good enough for the centre. At the time, council gave city staff permission to spend up to $400,000 more. On Thursday, Greg Turner moved the motion to buy the equipment. "This facility has been about five to six years in the planning stages and in that time the technology has moved ahead quite a bit." He said council decided the extra cost was worthwhile. "For another $400,000 we can add a few more features plus a higher degree of quality … to the board and be in line with other arenas in a similar nature." The extra money will come out of the centre's $7.2 million contingency fund. The fund is already being used to pay for an outdoor plaza, priced at $4.3 million. Coun. Bryan Butler voted against the purchase, citing concern about the warranty. "$1.4 million and we got a warranty for two years," he said. "I mean you buy a car, you get a warranty for five, and a hundred thousand kilometres." Tanya Carter, purchasing manager with the city, said an extended warranty is available for three to seven years but it would cost extra. Citing confidentiality issues, Carter said she couldn't give an exact figure, but, "it's in the ballpark of $50,000." Butler said the extra cost would make sense, and he brought forward a motion recommending city staff come back to council with other warranty and repair options and the associated costs. The motion passed unanimously. Daktronics was awarded the scoreboard contract. Turner said that as part of the price, the company will train staff at the centre during the first few events that take place after the centre opens. The building is expected to be completed in September 2018. -- Steven H MacDowall www.thursdayfile.com

Rare 1954 tractor sold at busy Hanwell auction Gary McLean, a Nova Scotia farmer, scooped up the bright red machine for $7,000 by Ben Silcox, with files from Joe McDonald - CBC News - August 17, 2017 Around 500 people flocked to an auction in Hanwell on Thursday to bid for 52 tractors, including a rare gem: a 1954 Farmall Super M. The bright red tractor was the only one in production that year, the auctioneer said, before he sold the machine to Gary McLean (see photo I & II above), a Brookland, N.S. farmer, for $7,000. "We'd just come to the sale, this happened to be here," McLean said after the auction. He described the tractor as a "good, tough, old tractor." "A good old tractor all the way around," he said. John Jardine, the auctioneer, said 47 of the tractors at the event came from a retired Nova Scotia farmer. Getting all of them to Hanwell and fuelled up for the big show was no easy task, he said. "We started this seven weeks ago," Jardine said. "We had to get them here, identify which ones needed fresh gas, and make sure they were in a running condition." Some tractors that remained "pre-restoration" had to sit idle as they were bid on, he said. In addition to the crowd of 500 people that showed up at the auction, another 200 people bid online. Some of them were from Australia, Europe and Maine, said Jardine. McLean added that he's happy with his purchase, which won't just sit in his barn to collect dust. "Just like a hobby, just like if you go boating, or go golfing, I go Farmallin'," he said. -- "I find this article lacking in some ways - Questions I thought might come up > Of the 52 tractors up for auction, how many sold? Did anyone buy from Australia or Europe? What was the retired Nova Scotia farmer doing all these years with his 47 tractors?" - Steven -- Steven H MacDowall http://www.thursdayfile.com