The Canadian Parvasi- Issue 62

The International News Weekly cANADA
September 21, 2018 | Toronto
05
Canada's Justin Trudeau urges some US
flexibility in Nafta, talks seen as slow
WASHINGTON/OT-
TAWA : Canadian Prime
Minister Justin Trudeau
said on Wednesday (Sept
19) he wanted to see flexibility
from the United
States if the two sides are
to reach a deal on renewing
Nafta, which Washington
insists must be finished by
the end of the month.
Ottawa is pushing back
against increasing pressure
by the administration
of US President Donald
Trump and its allies to
make the concessions they
say are needed for the trilateral
North American
Free Trade Agreement.
"We're interested in
what could be a good deal
for Canada but we're going
to need to see a certain
amount of movement in order
to get there and that's
certainly what we're hoping
for," Trudeau told reporters
in Ottawa.
Canadian Foreign Minister
Chrystia Freeland
met US Trade Representative
Robert Lighthizer for
their fourth set of talks in
four weeks in Washington
with the two sides still disagreeing
on major issues.
Freeland told reporters
the talks had been
constructive and said she
would meet Lighthizer
again later on Wednesday.
"We are a country that
is good at finding compromises
and that's a talent
our negotiators certainly
demonstrate. At the same
time, our core objective...
is to defend the national
interest," she said.
Trump has already
wrapped up a side deal
with Mexico and is threatening
to exclude Canada
if necessary. Canadian
officials say they do not
believe the US Congress
would agree to turn Nafta
into a bilateral treaty.
An influential Canadian
private sector union
leader, in Washington for
consultations with Freeland's
team, on Wednesday
played down the chances
of an imminent agreement.
"Do I believe there
will be a deal this week? I
don't think so," Unifor boss
Jerry Dias told reporters,
saying the United States
would need to move on
some major files.
Trump and Trudeau
spoke by telephone late
on Tuesday and discussed
Nafta, the Canadian prime
minister's office said in a
brief statement.
The Republican chairman
of the US House of
Representatives Ways and
Means Committee, Kevin
Brady, told CNBC on
Wednesday that "Canada
needs to really step up here
this week" to meet the Oct
1 deadline set by Washington.
But US Chamber of
Commerce President
Thomas Donohue said it
would be extremely complicated,
if not impossible,
for the administration
to pull off a Mexico-only
agreement.
"If Canada doesn't
come into the deal there
is no deal," Donohue told a
media breakfast in Washington.
The Chamber, the most
influential US business
lobby, wants Nafta to be
renegotiated as a tri-lateral
agreement, citing how
highly integrated the three
member nations' economies
have become since
the pact came into force in
1994.
Officials are arguing
over cultural protections,
dispute resolution, and a
US demand for more access
to Canada's protected
dairy market.
Dias said negotiators
had spent much of the last
day talking about the agricultural
sector. Sources
say Ottawa has made clear
it is prepared to make
dairy concessions, which
would anger the influential
industry lobby.
"For American farmers
the Canadian market is a
drop in the bucket. For us
it's our livelihood," Dairy
Farmers of Canada vice
president David Wiens
told reporters in Ottawa.
Concessions in past trade
deals had already hurt Canadian
farmers, he said.
Celebrates reopening of
Earl Bales Community
Centre in Toronto city
Man killed in machete attack in Toronto’s north end
Toronto : Police say a
man who was stabbed with
a machete in north-end Toronto
on Wednesday has
died in hospital.
Toronto police said
emergency crews were
called to the Yonge Street
and Wedgewood Drive area,
north of Finch Avenue East,
after 8 p.m. with reports
someone was seriously injured.
Toronto Paramedics
said the victim, a man who
is believed to be in his 40s,
had multiple injuries. A
spokesperson said he was
taken to hospital in critical
condition. Police said early
Thursday morning the man
had succumbed to his injuries.
Police said a male
suspect, who is described
as being approximately
5’10” and having a medium
build, short dark hair, was
last seen running into an
alley. Officers said the suspect
was last seen wearing a
navy blue t-shirt. The homicide
unit has taken over the
investigation.
TORONTO : The Mayor of Toronto joined the councillor
for Ward 10 York Centre, members of the community
and City staff to celebrate the official reopening
of Earl Bales Community Centre at a ribbon-cutting
ceremony today. Residents toured the new facility and
took part in activities including basketball, cooking,
arts and crafts and musical demonstrations and performances.
"This centre has been an integral and wellloved
part of this community for quite some time," said
the Mayor. "I'm glad we have been able to make this
major upgrade including a new gymnasium for all our
residents to enjoy."
The centre reopened after work was done to expand
and enhance facility operations, programming
and services. The revitalized centre includes a new
gymnasium with basketball and badminton courts,
change room improvements, mechanical upgrades
and accessibility enhancements.
A number of sustainability upgrades were also
included in the renovation. The centre has a new cool
roof that reduces energy use by lowering the building
temperature as well as stormwater diversion features
and energy-efficient lighting.
Toronto is Canada's largest city, the fourth largest
in North America, and home to a diverse population
of about 2.8 million people. It is a global centre for
business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently
ranked one of the world's most livable cities.