Canada Culture and Traditions

Culture

Culture has always been a matter of the heart for Canadians as a means of creating their own identity in the shadow of the United States. The government and provinces annually invest large sums to promote Canadian film, music, theater and literature.

The country’s main scenes are in Montreal and Toronto. The most well-known theater director is Robert Lepage. A significant part of the film industry is located in Montreal. Famous filmmakers include Denys Arcand, Atom Egoyan, Jean-Claude Lauzon and David Cronenberg. Several young filmmakers have attracted attention in recent years, not least Xavier Dolan and Sarah Polley. Major film festivals are held annually in Montreal and Toronto.

In 1920, a group of artists in Toronto formed the “Group of Seven” with the intention of renewing Canadian visual art and showcasing the uniqueness of their country. The group had close ties to one of the country’s most famous visual artists, Tom Thomson.

Among the most interesting contemporary artists are Rebecca Belmore (the Anishinaabe people) and Edward Poitras (métis), who both represented Canada at the Venice Biennale.

The classic books about Anne at Grönkulla were written by LM Montgomery. William Kurulek has in several books described his upbringing on the prairie in Saskatchewan in the 1930s. Today’s most well-known author is Margaret Atwood. A TV series based on her novel The Handmaid’s tale from 1985 attracted a lot of attention in 2017. Other prominent authors are Yann Martel, Michael Ondaatje, Mordecai Richler (1931−2001), Margaret Laurence (1926−1987) and Alice Munro (Nobel Laureate in Literature 2013), as well as a younger generation such as Emma Donoghue, Naomi Klein, Patrick deWitt, Rohinton Mistry, Esi Edugyan, Lisa Moore and Shane Koyczan.

Other cultural profiles are the singers Leonard Cohen (1934−2016), Neil Young, Bryan Adams and Joni Mitchell. A new generation of stars includes Arcade Fire, Feist, Rufus and Martha Wainwright, Alanis Morisette, Alessia Cara, Diana Krall and Justin Bieber.

Ice hockey is the major national sport in Canada. The sport is said to have been born in the country, the first organized match was played in Montreal in 1875. Four years later the first club was formed: the McGill University Hockey Club. One student, JGA Creighton, is said to have put together the first formal rules for the sport. Professional ice hockey has been played in the country since 1908.

2020

July

Canadians warned of Hong Kong travel

July 1st

The Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issues a travel warning to Canadians who are in or planning to travel to Hong Kong. It is said that because of the new and controversial Security Act introduced by China in Hong Kong, they are now at risk of being arrested for arbitrary reasons and brought to mainland China.

• Countryaah: Overview of the capital city of Canada, including information about its population, economy, geography, history and map.

Canada extends travel restrictions

July 1st

According to Abbreviationfinder, Canada extends the ban on nationals other than the United States to make unnecessary trips to the country until July 31. This is happening at the same time as the EU is easing its restrictions and where Canada is now one of 14 countries that are no longer affected by travel restrictions.

The USMCA trade agreement enters into force

July 1st

The new United States-Mexico-Canada-Agreement (USMCA) trade agreement between Canada, Mexico and the United States, which replaces the 1994 Nafta agreement, will formally enter into force (see also December 2019). It includes, among other things, new agreements on intellectual property, digital commerce, financial services, labor law and the environment. It happens at a sensitive time, when the corona pandemic has hit hard on all three countries’ economies. In April, trade between countries was at the lowest level in a decade. A cloud of concern for Canada is that US President Donald Trump is threatening to raise US tariffs on Canadian aluminum.

June

Human Rights Watch criticizes Canada

June 30th

Human Rights Watch criticized in a report Canada that the country has done nothing more to take home Canadian citizens suspected of being linked to Islamic State (IS) from Syria. Of the 47 people involved, 26 are children. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defends the government, saying the lack of security in the region makes it difficult to intervene and Canada has no diplomatic relations with Syria.

Canada’s credit rating is lowered

June 24th

The credit rating agency Fitch lowers Canada’s credit rating from AAA to AA +. An important reason for this is the increased debt that Canada receives in the wake of the corona crisis. According to Fitch, the national debt will amount to 115 percent of Canada’s GDP in 2020, compared with just over 88 percent before the crisis. At the same time, the IMF has estimated that Canada’s GDP will decrease by 8 percent in 2020.

Prosecution of spy-accused Canadians in China

June 19

Two Canadians, former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor, who were arrested in China 2018 (see December 2018) are now being prosecuted in a Chinese court for espionage. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau regrets that there will be a trial against Canadians and again calls on Chinese authorities to release the men. The arrests are seen as revenge for a Canadian legal process against Meng Wanzhou, senior manager of Huawei’s Vancouver office, after the US requested her extradition for violations of US export laws and sanctions against Iran.

Deaths at elderly homes in Québec will be investigated

June 18

Québec’s highest forensic physician, Pascale Descary, is ordering an investigation into the many deaths that occurred in the province’s retirement homes due to covid-19 during the period March 12 to May 1. In Canada, about 8,300 people have died in the pandemic, of which more than half in Quebec. Eight out of ten deaths in the country have occurred in elderly homes. For a period, the military was deployed to cope with the staffing of the homes, when many of the staff became ill or did not come to work because they were afraid of being infected. The investigation will start in January 2021.

The border between Canada and the United States closed until July 21

June 16

The Canada-US border will be closed until July 21. This is announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Freight traffic across the border has been able to continue during the pandemic, but passenger traffic is estimated to have fallen by 95 percent, according to Canadian statistics. Usually, an average of 400,000 people cross the border every day.

Protests against racism in many places in Canada

7 June

More than 10,000 protesters gather in Montreal to protest racism and police brutality, both in the United States (then a black man, George Floyd, killed by police in Minnesota), and at home in Canada. The protesters object, among other things, to a statement from Québec’s Prime Minister François Legault in which he denies that there is any systematic racism in the province. Similar protests are being held in other cities in Quebec, but also in Toronto and a number of other Canadian cities.

Almost 7,500 dead in covid-19 in Canada

June 4th

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada is about to defeat the corona pandemic, but also that it should not let go of the readiness. To date, Canada has had nearly 94,000 confirmed cases of covid-19 and 7,495 people have died of the disease, the majority of which have been over 60 years. 82 percent of deaths have occurred in various nursing homes. The most vulnerable are the provinces of Ontario and Québec and there are also most new cases reported there, but the rate of increase has slowed down since mid-April.

May

Huaweichef setback in provincial court

May 27th

The British Columbia Supreme Court ruled that the process of extraditing Meng Wanzhou, a former chief executive of Huawei’s Vancouver office, can also continue as the daughter of the Chinese company’s founder to the United States. Judge Heather Holmes says the crimes that Meng Wanzhou is suspected of would also be considered crimes if they were committed in Canada. However, the outcome does not mean that it is clear that Meng Wanzhou will be extradited. The court will now decide whether there is sufficient evidence to justify an extradition, Meng Wanzhou and the company are accused of violating US export laws and sanctions against Iran. The case has led to problems in contacts between Canada and China (see January 2019)). The day after the court ruling, Canada, along with Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, criticized Beijing’s plans for a new Hong Kong security law that is believed to violate China’s international commitments.

Severe abuses in nursing homes, according to report

May 26

Military deployed in April to assist staff at five Ontario nursing homes is now targeting a reportto the Toronto provincial government sharp criticism of abuses there. The accommodation is said to have been dragged, not given enough food and otherwise treated poorly. The situation is said to be extraordinarily difficult at two of the homes, and the report points to poorly trained and finished staff, but also staff who failed to do what they should, but who also acted aggressively. The miscarriage is believed to have caused covid-19 to spread in the nursing homes. In these five nursing homes alone, 175 people have died in the disease. The fact that there were problems at the nursing home was known for a long time. Following the change of power in Ontario 2018, when the Progressive Conservative Party (PCP) took over, the number of inspections of the businesses has decreased significantly. Only on April 22, the provincial government banned staff from working in more than one nursing home.

Prosecution of terrorism for women murder

May 20

The charge against a 17-year-old boy, who in February murdered a woman at a massage parlor and stabbed two other people in Toronto, is being sharpened. The murder is now considered terrorism, since the perpetrator was inspired by the so-called incel movement (incel: woman-hostile person living in involuntary celibacy). The police believe that he has thus committed an ideologically motivated crime advocated by a violent extremist group.

Conservative critical of missed moments

May 17

During the corona pandemic, the Canadian parliament’s lower house meets via the web for deliberations. The decisions that are made concern all the ongoing crisis and are made by a small number of members who are present in Ottawa. However, outgoing Conservative leader Andrew Scheer is now criticizing Justin Trudeau for avoiding the recurring question hours in the House of Commons, making it difficult to put the prime minister in charge of government policy. Duff Conacher, one of the founders of the Democracy Watch organization, has also criticized this, as it undermines the official opposition while Trudeau can use his daily press conferences to advance the Liberals’ policies.

The border with the United States remains closed until June 21

May 19th

The Canada-US border will remain closed to all but necessary traffic until June 21. This is announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Usually, around 400,000 people cross the border every day, and goods worth $ 2.4 billion daily are transported.

Over 5,000 dead in covid-19 in Canada

May 12

The number of deaths in covid-19 has now passed 5,000 in Canada. Eighty percent of those who have died were elderly people who lived in nursing homes, especially Quebec and Ontario. The crisis in nursing homes has led to military personnel being deployed to assist the personnel. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says reforms are now needed to make nursing homes work better and the Ottawa government is doing its best to find the measures needed. He also announces that the country’s pensioners will receive a lump sum of 500 Canadian dollars to help them cope with the economy during the corona crisis.

Butchery Center for Contagion in Alberta

May 11

The largest outbreak of covid-19 in western Canada has been around a large slaughterhouse in Cargill, Alberta. There, 1,500 people connected to the slaughterhouse have fallen ill, of which over 900 employees, and three people have died. According to employees, the company has not followed the guidelines set by the authorities, and tried to get them to return to work even after being tested positive for covid-19. The health authorities had approved that the operation could continue even after several employees had fallen ill, but the slaughterhouse was then closed for two weeks after an employee died.

Unemployment is rising rapidly in Canada

May 8

Unemployment is rising rapidly in Canada in the wake of the corona crisis, reaching 13 percent, the highest level since 1982, from having reached 5.6 percent in February 2020. Some provinces are more vulnerable than others, in April, provincial government officials in Alberta says unemployment may rise to 25 percent. Three million jobs have been lost since the beginning of March.

Canada bans semi-automatic weapons

May 2

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces a ban on semi-automatic weapons (the rules include 1,500 different models and variants of weapons). The ban will take effect with immediate effect. This means that no one who has such a weapon can use it to sell or sell it, it is also prohibited to import such weapons. Those licensed for such weapons are introduced a two-year amnesty during which they will have to adapt to the new rules. Trudeau has long promised a ban on these weapons, but that is only now being realized after the worst mass shooting in Canada’s history, when a man in Nova Scotia shot 22 people in April. However, it is noted that the ban had hardly helped in the case when the perpetrator lacked a license for the weapons he used in the act.

April

Canada is starting to ease restrictions

April 27

As the first province in Canada, New Brunswick is beginning to ease the restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of the new corona virus, including by opening parks and beaches and allowing two families to meet. There are no new cases of covid-19 reported in just over a week. In Saskatchewan, some companies will be able to resume their operations on May 4. Both provinces that had relatively few cases of covid-19. Even the most severely affected provinces of Quebec and Ontario have presented plans on how to reopen society. Québec has had nearly 25,000 confirmed cases of covid-19 and 1 599 people have died in the disease, while the corresponding figures for Ontario are just under 15,000 cases and 1,002 deaths. A large part of the deaths in the two provinces have taken place in nursing homes.

Trudeau: Too early to open up the economy

More than a thousand people have now died in covid-19 in Canada, but the country’s state epidemiologist Theresa Tam says there are some reasons for optimism as the number of new cases does not increase as rapidly as before (they now double every ten days instead of every third day as the situation appeared at the end of March). So far, over 28,000 cases of covid-19 have been confirmed in Canada. Several provinces now say that it may be time to reopen the economy. In Québec, several industries have been added to the list of those deemed necessary for society and appeared to be about to reopen schools before May 4, but changed after bumping from parents and teachers. However, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says it is too early to abolish the restrictions now and it should take several more weeks before they can be lifted.

The IMF predicts that GDP will shrink by 6 percent in 2020

April 15

The Canadian economy shrank by 9 percent in March alone, according to new statistics from Statistics Canada. All in all, this means that GDP fell by 2.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2020. At the same time, a forecast from the IMF indicates that GDP will fall by more than 6 percent, and then grow by just over 4 percent in 2021. It is pointed out However, not all sectors have been hit as badly by the crisis, but the effects of falling oil and gas prices have not yet had a real impact.

Federal income grants ready to be paid

April 6

As of today, residents can apply for federal grants if they lose their income because of the corona pandemic. It’s about $ 2,000 a month for 16 weeks. It should take three to five days for the compensation to be paid. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says measures are also being planned for those who do not qualify for the grant, including students. The government also announces an exception to the travel ban for about 60,000 migrant workers who are temporarily needed in agriculture. However, those who come to Canada must be quarantined for two weeks before they can start working. Reservists are also offered positions in the armed forces to increase the opportunities to assist affected communities. To date, more than 15,500 cases of covid-19 have been reported in Canada, the vast majority in Quebec and Ontario,here you can follow developments in Canada).

March

Billion investment on health care equipment

March 31st

Canada will invest 2 billion Canadian dollars (1.43 million US dollars) on new medical equipment. These include, among other things, protective equipment for the staff that is already in short supply, but also 1,570 respirators ordered from companies in Canada, Europe and China. Efforts are also being made to obtain an additional 4,000 respirators. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says it may take a few weeks to get the equipment he needs. So far, 8,500 cases of covid-19 have been discovered in Canada and 100 people have died.

New restrictions on train and air travel

March 28

No Canadians who show symptoms of illnesses that may be covid-19 get companies any train or air travel. The restrictions will take effect on Monday, March 30. All passengers will undergo a health check before boarding a train or aircraft. The rules do not apply to commuter trains. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urges anyone who has the flu symptoms to stay home. In Canada, 5,100 people have been reported to be infected with covid-19, and 55 people have died from the viral disease.

Crisis packages for the economy are being expanded

March 27th

$ 200 billion Canadian dollars. So big is the crisis package that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is now launching to counter the effects of the corona crisis. That’s almost twice the amount announced just two days earlier. The money will, among other things, go to a 75% salary contribution to employees of small and medium-sized companies affected by the crisis, but it also includes new grants, tax relief and low interest rate loans to Canadian companies. At the same time, the central bank lowers the key rate to 0.25 percent. Forecasts now indicate that Canada’s GDP is likely to shrink by 5 percent in 2020. Low international oil prices are also hitting the economy, particularly hard hit by the province of Alberta. Over one million Canadians have lost their jobs in just one week.

Canada introduces mandatory quarantine for travelers

March 25th

Canada introduces mandatory quarantine for 14 days for all travelers returning home from abroad in order to reduce the spread of covid-19. The rules take effect at midnight. Anyone who violates the rules can face up to three years in prison or a fine of up to one million Canadian dollars (equivalent to 700,000 US dollars). Federal legislation was tightened as early as 2005, since 375 people in Toronto had contracted the viral disease sars, and 44 people died.

Ontario and Quebec tighten measures against covid-19

24th of March

Both of Canada’s most populous provinces, Ontario and Quebec, are now tightening their restrictions to prevent the spread of the new corona virus, and order all non-essential operations to be closed.

Parliament approves crisis measures

24th of March

The Canadian Parliament is reuniting and unanimously approving a series of crisis measures, worth $ 107 billion, but only 30 members are in the House. These include an extra payment of child allowance, a new crisis allowance of up to 900 Canadian dollars every other week to workers and the one-man company that cannot work because of the ongoing pandemic and who are not entitled to sickness or unemployment benefits, six months long deferral for reimbursement of tuition, extra money for homeless programs and emergency aid for indigenous peoples. The Canadian economy is also hit hard by a large fall in oil prices. At the same time, the authorities are preparing to try to bring in Canadians who are stranded abroad in Peru, Spain and Morocco, among others.

Canada jumps off summer Olympics

March 23rd

Canada’s Olympic Committee calls on the International Olympic Committee to postpone the Summer Olympics for a year due to the ongoing pandemic. It also announces that Canada will not participate if the Olympics are held in Tokyo this summer. The decision was made after the committee consulted with other Canadian sports associations and with the Canadian government. Canada will thus be the first country to withdraw from the 2020 Olympics.

New support packages from Ottawa

March 18th

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces a $ 27 billion support package to help businesses and workers during the ongoing corona crisis. He also postpones tax payments until August, costing the state $ 55 billion Canadian dollars. The aid package corresponds to 3 percent of the country’s GDP. To some extent, money will be provided through unemployment insurance, tax relief for families with children and compensation for workers who cannot work but who do not have sick pay.

Support actions for indigenous peoples

March 18th

The government announces a grant package of Canadian $ 305 million to the country’s indigenous peoples for measures to combat covid-19. Exactly how the money is to be distributed is not yet clear.

The Canada-US border is temporarily closed

March 18th

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and US President Donald Trump agree to temporarily close the border for all unnecessary travel between countries to prevent the spread of the corona virus that causes Covid-19. However, cross-border trade must continue. Trump says the limit may be closed for 30 days.

Provinces announce health emergencies

March 17

Several Canadian provinces, including Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and Prince Edward Island, have now announced health emergencies. Later, other provinces and territories follow suit. In Ontario, all restaurants and bars are closed and all public groups of more than 50 people are banned. Schools are closed throughout the country. The provinces use different storerooms for their health emergencies, which affects what measures the Pronunciation authorities can take.

Canada is closing the border for foreigners

March 16

Canada closes the border for most foreigners, exceptions are made for Americans. The measure is introduced since the number of cases of covid-19 increased to over 400 in two weeks and there are signs that there is general infection in the community. However, it does not apply to Canadian citizens or those who have a permanent residence permit in the country.

Ottawa advises against travel abroad

March 15th

The federal government now advises against all travel abroad, in an attempt to limit the spread of the new coronavirus causing the covid-19 disease. However, it is emphasized by the government that it is not a travel ban. At the same time, all Canadians who are abroad are advised to return home. It will also limit the number of airports open to international air traffic. To date, more than 300 cases of covid-19 have been reported in Canada. And it now has all ten provinces in the country.

Parliament approves free trade agreements

the 13th of March

The Canadian Parliament now approves the new Free Trade Agreement with the US and Mexico, the USMCA. This will be possible since the Conservative Party has withdrawn its opposition to the agreement. Later that day, the Senate also gives its approval. This is done before Parliament is temporarily closed until April 20, following the ongoing corona crisis. At the same time, the government is empowered to take financial measures to deal with the effects of the pandemic. All parties in the lower house agree on the decision. According to plans, the government would have presented a new budget on March 30. Later, Finance Minister Bill Morneau announces a support package of 10 billion Canadian dollars to be used for loans to, above all, small and medium-sized businesses.

Provinces take measures to prevent the spread of infection

the 13th of March

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will quarantine after his wife Sophie has been infected by the new corona virus. At the same time, several provinces face restrictions to prevent the spread of the virus. In Ontario, for example, all schools are closed for three weeks and, in addition, usually extends the week-long March holiday by two weeks. In addition, all new trials with jury are temporarily suspended. In Québec, all events are banned by more than 250 participants, with similar restrictions being imposed in several other places. Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu urges people to minimize their social contacts to limit the spread of infection, including staying at home during the upcoming March holidays. But there are differences between the provinces, while British Columbia does not advise anyone to cancel trips abroad, even to the United States, Ontario provincial leader Doug Ford believes Canadians should stick to their vacation plans despite the pandemic. The national hockey league NHL is also canceling its season. Peter MacKay and Erin O’Toole, who are favorites to become the new leader of the Conservative Party, are suspending their election campaigns. 117 people have contracted covid-19 in Canada, one of whom has died in the disease.

All blockades are lifted, criticism of Trudeau

March 5th

Now, the last of the blockades of rail traffic are being lifted by various indigenous peoples representatives in several locations in Canada to highlight their dissatisfaction with the construction of a controversial gas pipeline on wet’suwet’s traditional land in British Columbia. The blockades have become a costly history for Canada, how much it has cost will take at least six months to calculate, but according to calculations, costs correspond to 0.3 percent of Canada’s GDP. Opinion polls indicate that a majority of Canadians (61 percent) are critical of how Trudeau handled the crisis, but at the same time support for the Liberals has only diminished marginally.

Ottawa and the wet’suwet agree on preliminary settlement

March 1st

The Canadian government and traditional leaders from the wet’suwet agree on a preliminary settlement, both with regard to the disputed gas pipeline and previous land rights disputes. This will now be discussed by clans and other representatives of the wet’suwet. No details of what it contains have been published. It is also clear that the traditional leaders still oppose the gas pipeline and that the government persists in building it.

February

Conversation about controversial gas pipeline begins

February 27th

An opening in the conflict over gas pipeline in British Columbia may now come as talks begin between traditional leaders of the wet’suwet, who oppose the building, and representatives of the federal government and the provincial government.

New protests flare up after police intervention

February 26th

Police action against activists in Ontario does not lead to any increased calm in the protests against the gas pipeline in British Columbia (see February 24, 2020). Soon enough, the protests are on again, and stones and other things are thrown at trains and fires are lit on the tracks. This is criticized by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who believes that they put people at risk, not least because many train cars contain flammable goods. He stresses that attempts are being made to resolve the crisis, but also says in Parliament that the blockades must be stopped. At the same time, new protests are being launched in different parts of the country, and they are more and more about the general struggle for the rights of indigenous peoples. Since a lot of goods are being transported by train in Canada, the blockades have financial consequences and, among other things, have led to staff being released.

Proposal to extend the euthanasia law

February 25th

The Canadian government is proposing a legislative amendment that allows euthanasia to be allowed even in cases where a person is not close to death by natural means. If the proposal is approved, the ten-day reflection period will be removed and it will also not be mandatory for a patient to give the final approval. The latter is designed to prevent patients from deciding to end their lives sooner than they would like to fear that they would lose the ability to make their own decision.

Police intervene against train blockade, new blockades start

February 24th

Police now intervene and cancel the blockade of train traffic on the important east / west rail line in Ontario. There have been activists from tyendinaga mohawk who have been behind the blockade that has been going on for 18 days. It is a sympathy campaign for the wet’suwet in British Columbia, who are trying to stop the construction of a gas pipeline over their traditional lands. The activists have demanded that the federal police leave the wet’suwet’s areas of British Columbia. Ten people are arrested, but are released on promise that they will come to court the following day. However, new blockades are being launched elsewhere, both in Montreal in Quebec and in British Columbia, while protest marches are being held in Vancouver and Ottawa.

Companies back out oil sands projects

February 24th

Teck Resources is withdrawing its application to develop a large oil sand deposit in Alberta. The federal government would have made its decision whether or not to launch the so-called Frontier project this week. If the deposit were to be exploited, 260,000 barrels of oil per year could be produced there, but it would also generate carbon dioxide emissions of over 4 million tonnes per year, according to a study by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada.

Ottawa: The blockades strike Canada’s economy

February 23

The Canadian government is calling on activists to cease their blockade of train traffic support for the British Columbia’s wet’suwet, which is trying to stop the construction of a gas pipeline over their traditional lands, and resume dialogue with authorities. It emphasizes that the blockades, which have now been going on for 18 days in different parts of the country, are hitting the Canadian economy. The day before, the wet’suwet’s leaders set up a number of conditions for any calls: that the federal police should withdraw from their land and that all work with the gas pipeline should cease. At the same time, courts have given the police the right, in some cases, to intervene to lift the blockades, but this has not yet happened. In Ontario, police and railroad company CN Rail are calling on activists from another indigenous people, tyendinaga mohawk, to lift their blockades, and says that if they don’t, they risk being prosecuted. The issue is sensitive to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has reconciliation with the indigenous peoples as an important political goal.

Gas pipeline protests stop train traffic in eastern Canada

February 14th

New protests are breaking out in eastern Canada in support of the wet Columbia suits in British Columbia, trying to stop the construction of a gas pipeline over their traditional lands. To the east, another indian group, tyendinaga mohawk, is acting. A large part of the train traffic in the eastern provinces is stationary, both freight and passenger traffic are affected, and several ports have also been blocked. The Conservative opposition demands that the government order the police to intervene to lift the blockades, while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau insists on trying to resolve the dispute through continued dialogue, adding that Canada is not a country where the government should tell the police what to do. He adds a new crisis group for this and sets up a planned trip to Barbados.

Police intervene in protest against gas pipeline

February 8

Protests against a nearly 70-mile long pipeline for transportation of natural gas, Coastal GasLink, will be pulled over areas belonging to indigenous peoples to regain momentum (see January 2019). Traditional leaders of the wet’suwet, an Indian people in British Columbia, say that no new pipelines can be built on their land without first approving it. The legal situation is unclear, as no land agreements were concluded between British colonial power and the indigenous people of British Columbia. In addition, other local elected leaders for the wet’suwet have approved the construction of the gas pipeline to increase their ability to support themselves and reduce dependency on federal grants. All attempts to resolve the dispute show conversations have failed. Police now intervene to remove those who protest and try to prevent Coastal GasLink from resuming construction work. Several people are arrested and roadblocks set up by protesters are removed. This is done after a court order in late 2019. The company also has support from British Columbia’s head of government, John Horgan, who said in mid-January that laws must be followed and that Coastal GasLink has all the permits needed for pipeline construction. The pipeline will be built to transport natural gas to export markets via a new port in Kitimat, British Columbia. The port is built on another Native American people, haisla’s areas, and unlike the wet’suwet they are positive for the project. Read more about what the conflict is about and unlike the wet’suwet, they are positive for the project. Read more about what the conflict is about and unlike the wet’suwet, they are positive for the project. Read more about what the conflict is abouthere.

January

The process of approving the USMCA begins

January 29th

Canada’s lower house initiates the process of approving the USMCA, the new trade agreement with the United States and Mexico. In order for the government to get the Chamber’s approval, the agreement must be approved by at least one opposition party. In the first reading, the legislation is passed by 290 members, with only 28 votes against.

Trudeau wins the vote of confidence

January 27

Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government survives its first vote of confidence in the House of Commons after the parliamentary elections in October 2019. This is in connection with a vote on an addition to the budget on grants for several previously planned programs. The government’s proposal is supported by 205 members, while 116 vote against (all conservative members and one green member). All voting in the lower house that deals with money is seen as a vote of confidence in Canada. At the same time, a motion from the Conservative Party to establish a new committee on Canada-China relations is supported by all opposition members, only the Liberal members voted against.

Snow records in Newfoundland

January 19

An emergency permit is announced in parts of Newfoundland in eastern Canada following heavy snowfall. In less than a day, as much as 76 inches of snow falls in the provincial capital of St. John and wind speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour are measured.

The homicide of the victim makes demands

January 16

As a result of the shooting down of an airliner in Iran on January 8, the foreign ministers gather from the homicide victims in London. Ukraine, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Canada and Afghanistan request that Iran cooperate on the investigation of the incident, at all points. The countries concerned also demand that Iran pay damages to the families of those affected.

Iran admits accidental shooting

January 11

After several days of denials, Iran’s state leadership admits that the January 8 air disaster outside Tehran was caused by Iranian air defense fire. The concession is made with deep apologies, but also with accusations against the United States for causing the war threat that puts the nerves in decline. (One week after the disaster, the New York Times publishes a movie taken from a nearby rooftop; the movie indicates that the plane was hit by two robots.) Of the 176 people aboard the Ukrainian-owned plane, 138 were on their way to Canada. Of these, 57 were Canadian citizens and 29 were persons with permanent residence permits in Canada. There are at least 210,000 people of Iranian origin living in Canada. Since 2012, Canada and Iran lack diplomatic relations.

Trudeau accuses Iran of causing a plane crash

January 9

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accuses Iran of shooting down the Ukrainian-owned plane that crashed the day before. He says he has evidence of Iranian air defense firing the plane, but adds that it may have been in error.

Many Canadians are killed in a plane crash in Iran

January 8

A Ukrainian-backed aircraft crashes shortly after takeoff from Tehran and all 176 on board die. Among the passengers were 57 Canadian citizens, as well as 29 persons with permanent residence permits in Canada. Iranian authorities reject information that Iran shot down the plane with an air defense robot, by mistake. Canada’s Prime Minister calls for a thorough investigation into what caused the crash.

Canadian soldiers move from Iraq to Kuwait

7 th of January

After the US kills Qasem Soleimani, general of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards and commander of the foreign force al-Quds (“Jerusalem Force”) in Baghdad, Canada decides to temporarily relocate some of the approximately 500 Canadian soldiers stationed in Iraq to Kuwait. Iraq’s parliament voted this past weekend for a non-binding resolution urging all foreign troops to leave Iraq. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has returned from his vacation, is reported to have had contact with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Jordan’s King Abdullah II, among others. Canada also appeared to be close to its European allies and the hope that the nuclear deal with Iran will survive.