Canadian Crossing

Celebrating Canada Day 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect the tentative agreement of Toronto and Edmonton to be the NHL hub cities.

Today marks the 153rd anniversary of the founding of the Dominion of Canada with Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick aka Canada Day.

Newfoundland and Labrador honours Memorial Day on July 1, going back to 1917 for the loss of approximately 700 soldiers of the 1st Newfoundland Regiment at Beaumont-Hamel during World War I.

Quebec celebrates July 1 as Moving Day.

The Canada Day Daytime Show and Canada Day Evening Show will be broadcast on CPAC, the Canadian Heritage Facebook Page and the Canadian Heritage YouTube page.

CBC will carry Canada Day Together | La Fête du Canada Ensemble with hosts Serena Ryder and Pierre Yves Lord. Performances will include Corneille, The Jerry Cans, Avril Lavigne, Sarah McLachlan, Haviah Mighty, Alexandra Stréliski, and The Sheepdogs. The program runs at 8 pm local time (8:30 pm in most of Newfoundland).

Canada Day is normally filled with outlandish ceremonies. There will be fireworks just not officially.

Canadian travel bubbles could boost tourism within Canada

Where to visit Canada in 2020

Those in Atlantic Canada might be spending their Canada Day packing for a trip within the region. The coronavirus travel bubble kicks in Friday for Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick. They can travel within the region without any self-isolation.

The areas where I have been in those provinces are so beautiful. A Cape Spear sunrise. Hopewell Rocks when you can explore the ocean floor and then watch 40 feet of water show up. The red sand beaches of Prince Edward Island. Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia is a spot where I want to go.

Manitoba is allowing travelers from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Northwest Ontario without a 14-day quarantine. 

Canadian sports notebook: Toronto and Edmonton still NHL hub city options

We covered a lot of ongoing sports stories on Monday. The hub city count is down to 4 with Los Angeles reportedly out of the running.

There is a tentative agreement for Toronto and Edmonton to be the NHL hub cities.

Minor league baseball will not have a 2020 season. Sadly, Canada only has a single MLB-affiliated minor league team: Vancouver Canadians of the Class A Northwest League, an affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Canada Day is traditionally when the NHL free agent frenzy begins. This is a very different Canada Day.

CanadianCrossing.com journalism coverage

Wendy Mesley was suspended from hosting The Weekly on June 9 for using the n-word twice in editorial meetings for the show. In one reference, Mesley quoted the title of a 1968 book by Quebec journalist Pierre Vallières that includes the n-word. The rest of the show's season was cancelled June 12.

We generally like Mesley but she was absolutely wrong for what she did. Being a journalist means understanding words and the power that they have. When you are the boss of a TV show, you hold extra power over your employees. The power of words combined with your power makes using such language even worse than a casual conversation in an office.

For the longest time, we knew of the incidents but didn't officially know what word was being used.

I grew up hearing the n-word a lot from white people, some of whom I am related by blood and marriage. I knew as a child not to use that word.

The power of words is knowing when to use those words. Otherwise, you don't. Everyone knows what you mean when you say the n-word.

2019 Canada Day notebook: More delays with edibles

How to celebrate Canada Day 2018

My path down the TIFF Top 10 Canadian films of all time (2017)

The 2020 Junos were scheduled to be in Saskatoon in March. Like the Canadian Screen Awards, the Junos had a virtual awards ceremony. The ceremony ran on Monday night on CBC Gem, CBC Music Facebook, YouTube and Twitter pages, as well as CBCMusic.ca/junos.

Celebrating Canada Day 2016

McDonald's Great Canadian Taste Adventure needs more Canadian (2015)

Thoughts about Canada on Canada Day 2014

"There were 19 new cases of the virus in B.C. on Wednesday. Only 15 people in the province of 5.1 million people are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19."

This quote comes from a story from last Thursday on Vancouver taking itself out of the running to be a NHL hub city. Imagine how many hundreds and hundreds of American hospitals that have well more than 15 COVID-19 hospitalisations right now. The 15 number isn't Vancouver or Victoria or Fort St. John or Penticton or Terrace. This is 15 in the entire province.

Those Canadian numbers are amazing compared to the United States, even the good ones.

CanadianCrossing.com travel coverage

CanadianCrossing.com television coverage

A couple of food-related TV suggestions that takes in the bounty of Canada. Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner with David Chang has a chapter on Vancouver with Seth Rogen. Chang and Rogen travel to the Granville Market and Richmond among other places on Netflix. Rogen knows his way around his native Vancouver.

Bizarre Foods: Delicious Destinations debuted its last episode on Monday from Nova Scotia on Cooking Channel. Andrew Zimmern does the stand up from the Halifax Seaport Farmers Market. Yes, I can tell. The episode features lobster, donair, and blueberry grunt from wild blueberries (different from blueberries).

Celebrating Pride with Canadian films and television

Quebecois films to watch on Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day 2020

Drive-ins are making a comeback: Here are some Canadian films to show

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

We did have a bit of fun last week spotlighting Canadian film (and television) within categories. You can celebrate Canada without having to go outside or worry about social distancing.

In lieu of sports and politics, we have devoted a lot more space to covering film and film reviews. We like sports and politics but we love writing about film.

Canada milk producers threatened with invasion of cheaper American milk (BalanceofFood.com)

Canada secretly passes heavily flawed CUSMA during the COVID-19 corornavirus pandemic

In a cruel sense of timing, the dreaded CUSMA | USMCA trade deal debuts today. The economic damage from the obnoxious tariff battle switches over to economic damage in a lopsided trade deal. You can get more details in the link above as part of our coverage on the deal.

Deal in place to (finally) lift damaging #steel #aluminum #tariffs on #Canada. Do not let that be a reason to consider ratifying #CUSMA #USMCA https://t.co/Y8mPU8cl8K #cdnpoli #cdntrade

— Chad Rubel (@canadian_xing) May 17, 2019

The debut of the new trade deal also comes on the heels of the threat of aluminum tariffs against Canada, something the new trade deal was agreed upon to avoid the tariffs. Sounds like I am calling Donald Trump untrustworthy and a liar. Yes.

This is one of many reasons why Canada should not have agreed to such a lopsided trade deal.

photo credit: Exclaim.ca
Twitter capture: @canadian_xing

Canadian travel bubbles could boost tourism within Canada

The Maritime provinces as well as Newfoundland and Labrador are looking into a travel bubble. Nunavut and Northwest Territories are planning a travel bubble for themselves.

The idea behind a travel bubble is that Canadians in those areas could cross provincial and territorial borders without the need to quarantine from the pandemic.

I haven't been to a Canadian territory but I have visited the Atlantic provinces in the summertime. I have been in Newfoundland and Labrador in late July, Nova Scotia in August, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island in September. So much seafood, driving without obnoxious billboards, a lot of walking, and tons of water.

A lot of Canadians out west haven't been to this area of Canada. Costs are normally prohibitive even before a pandemic: cheaper to fly to Las Vegas to London then to travel to Halifax or St. John's.

A travel bubble, combined with relatively cheaper gas, allows Canadians from that region to enjoy the splendid beauty of the region without as many tourists as normal. The Bay of Fundy, Peggy's Cove, Cape Spear, the red sand PEI beaches, Cape Breton, Hopewell Rocks, and so many more travel destinations./p>

The Atlantic provinces have been doing really well with COVID-19 with Nova Scotia being the slight outlier. This doesn't obscure the fact that people have suffered and died from the COVID-19 coronavirus. Even though the numbers have been good, provincial premiers want to be sure this is done safely.

I loved the Hockey Day in Canada coverage from Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories back in February. Having seen the Iqaluit film made me more excited about seeing the Nunavut capital.   

CanadianCrossing.com New Brunswick coverage

CanadianCrossing.com Nova Scotia coverage

CanadianCrossing.com Prince Edward Island coverage

CanadianCrossing.com Newfoundland and Labrador coverage

CanadianCrossing.com territories coverage

Like Americans, Canadians are allowed to travel freely within their own country. Provinces have stepped up during the pandemic to limit travel in their provinces. British Columbia provincial parks are closed to non-residents. There has been some animosity against cars with Alberta licence plates in B.C.

Those in the 6 other provinces could discover the travel jewels in their own province. Those in Alberta can drive the Icefield Parkway with fewer tourist cars around. British Columbians can explore the interior and Vancouver Island.  

I've been to Regina and had an amazing Saskatoon berry pie. I would love to visit Saskatoon. Winnipeg is truly more fun than you might expect. Ontario and Quebec offer numerous options for those who live there.

Where to visit Canada in 2020

CanadianCrossing.com travel coverage

We have heard that while land crossings are out for American travelers, some have been able to fly into Canada without issue. They would need to do a 14-day quarantine.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau slightly loosened the U.S.-Canada border last week allowing some family members to cross into Canada, provided they have no sign they might have COVID-19 and no reason to believe they might have caught it. The 14-day quarantine still applies.

Everything we saw last week said the border closing extension will run until the end of July. That could leave August if you want to be hopeful. Don't make plans until the border opens. Even then, you want to be careful. Masks and social distancing are smart, regardless of whether rules are in place.

We had hoped 2020 would bring more Canadian travel adventures from your humble narrator. There is a lot of pain in not being able to see Canada first hand these days.

photo credit: @VisitNovaScotia

Canadian film review: Meat the Future

Meat the Future is a Canadian documentary about cloned meat. The idea is to create meat from animal cells so you don't have the multiple level of costs associated with the harvest of animals.

Since cloned meat is a poignant topic to our sibling blog, BalanceofFood.com, we reviewed the film for that audience. Since the film is a Canadian film, we wanted to present the review here to the Canadian Crossing readership. This review is published with complete permission of BalanceofFood.com.

Canadian film review: Meat the Future

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

Meat the Future was scheduled to be a part of the 2020 Hot Docs Film Festival in Toronto. The film aired as part of Hot Docs at home on CBC television and the documentary Channel in Canada.

video and photos credit: Meat the Future film

CUSMA passes through U.S. Congress

Today is a federal holiday in the United States with the impeachment trial resuming tomorrow morning.

Even without those elements, the U.S. Congress passing the CUSMA | USMCA still would have little attention. The Senate voted 89-10 last week to approve the deal. The U.S. House passed the legislation 385-41 last month.

NAFTA 2.0, er, USMCA is a nightmarish trade deal for Canada

"Canada's existing cultural exemption is preserved under the new deal. This is in place to protect Canada’s cultural institutions from being bought out by U.S. business interests. Though as we’ve seen, U.S.-based hedge funds dominate control over Postmedia, the largest private newspaper company in Canada, with a reported 98% ownership level by U.S.-based hedge funds."

We go into garish length to say why this is a horrible trade deal for Canada. Victory is being defined as not losing important issues such as Canada's cultural exemption.

U.S. gets more access to Canada on the milk, eggs, chicken, and turkey markets and introduces the artificial growth hormone recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST) allowed in American milk but banned for Canadian milk.

Clause 32 deals with any attempt by Canada to negotiate with a “non-market country” (i.e., China) and how Canada would have to keep the United States up to date in obnoxious detail. A cornucopia of petty for the U.S. and against Canada.

Just to be clear, Canada doesn't gain anything of advantage from the United States.

How Justin Trudeau 2.0 will impact Canada-U.S. relations

How the 2018 U.S. midterm elections might affect Canada

Trump threat to withdraw from NAFTA should lead back to original Canada-U.S. free trade agreement

Despite childish threats by Donald Trump, Canada should hold out for a good NAFTA deal

The Trudeau Government has said good things about the trade deal. You have to smile when you are being extorted and sign a trade deal under the threat of bullying. Not an idle threat with the tariffs that came down. Still have a tariff on Canada on softwood lumber, which wasn't solved with NAFTA 2.0.

Canada is the only country that hasn't passed the trade deal. The prime minister has a minority government. The Liberals wouldn't get votes from the NDP and Greens. The Bloc Quebecois aren't likely to support the deal because of Quebec's aluminum industry, dairy industry, or both.

The Conservative Party could help get the trade deal over the threshold. Can't believe we're saying this, but the Conservatives would do Canada a great favour by refusing to accept the deal. Someone would have to translate what a minority government has to confront to Donald Trump.

CanadianCrossing.com trade coverage

CanadianCrossing.com Canadian politics coverage

CanadianCrossing.com Donald Trump coverage

The Trudeau Government argued against a sunset clause, which could trigger uncertainty in trade. Canada has been living with uncertainty since 2017, which is part of the anguish of signing a bad trade deal. There is a sunset clause in this trade deal: a 16-year sunset clause. The deal is also subject to a review every 6 years. That is a long time to wait to fix a really horrible trade deal.

Parliament is back in session on January 27. Laws and regulations have to be adjusted based on elements in the new trade deal. The Senate will likely take its sweet time, as they are required to do. The new trade deal kicks in 90 days if Canada approves the deal. 

photo credit: Government of Canada

Opening Day (finally) for marijuana edibles in Canada

Only a year and 60 days after Canada introduced legal marijuana, Canada now has legal edibles with the emphasis on legal.

Technically, edibles have been legal since October 17, the one-year anniversary of legal marijuana in Canada. The timelines in the cannabis regulations didn't allow for edibles, extracts, and topicals to be available in that 60-day window.

Canadians might not be able to get them today, even with the legal status, depending on availability.

There will be no gummy bears or anything youth-oriented in the edibles. THC-infused drinks are a real option. Health Canada has limited the THC content of cannabis edibles to 10 mg per package.

Having edibles opens up possibilities for tourists and others to enjoy marijuana in public since they bypass the smoking of the product. If you are considering that option, keep in mind that provincial laws and often local laws are in force on public consumption.

If you are new to edibles, less is better than more. We might poke fun at how slow Canada has been on edibles, but each individual should learn how much they can handle.

Having 2.5 mg as an initial dose might be a good place to start. Don't let experts with a higher tolerance steer you otherwise. You can always try a higher dosage as you experiment.

A reminder that 30 mg is the maximum amount you can carry on your person in Canada. Don't bring anything marijuana into the United States from Canada.

2019 Canada Day notebook: More delays with edibles

What marijuana tourism in Ontario will look like on Opening Day

Being in Canada where cannabis is legal but nowhere to be found

Opening Day for legal recreational marijuana in Canada

Marijuana tourists to Ontario will have to wait awhile

Our guide to legal marijuana in Canada

23 consecutive workdays, 7,296km driven and 16 Cannabis Pro stories filed, #CannabisAcrossCanada is now complete.

In year one of post-prohibition Canada, my goal was to learn what went wrong. Here is how to make it right in year two. #Elexn43 #cdnpoli https://t.co/7KEYXw38Kr

— Jameson Berkow (@grassreporter) October 19, 2019

Jameson Berkow from The Globe and Mail traveled across Canada to get a sense on how well or poorly the selling of marijuana depending on where you are in Canada.

We have read some incredible numbers that legal marijuana has not worked out as well in the first year. Those numbers are really problematic for those who invested a lot of time and money in marijuana. The lack of edibles could have a lot to do with those numbers.

The black market will remain strong in Canada, especially in Ontario. Having legal edibles brings in a more casual market that might not have a dealer on speed dial. We might have to wait another year to see how well Canada is really doing with legal marijuana.

The black market could be a larger factor in Quebec since the minimum age will go up from 18 to 21 on January 1. The minimum cannabis age in Canada is 19, except in Alberta where the legal age is 18.  The contrast is more stark since the Quebec drinking age is 18.

What's Tempting: Marijuana edibles (BalanceofFood.com)

Your Guide to Canada's Edible Pot Rules (Front Burner CBC Radio)

Individual states are also taking their own paths to marijuana legalisation. Michigan allowed the sale of recreational marijuana on December 1. On the state's opening day, there were 6 locations in the entire state where you could buy pot: a location each in Evert and Morenci. Evert is southeast of Cadillac in the lower finger part of the state while Morenci is southwest of Ann Arbor so close to the state line you can likely smell Ohio from the parking lot. The other 4 locations are in Ann Arbor with 0 in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing. Battle Creek, Traverse City, Flint, Saginaw, and Bay City combined.

I happened to be in a car going east on Liberty Street in downtown Ann Arbor on the morning of December 1. The long line was to get into Arbors Wellness on East Liberty Street.

John Sinclair was at the front of that line. Sinclair was given a 9½-10 year prison sentence for giving 2 marijuana joints to an undercover cop in 1969. "They gave him ten for two — what else can the bastards do?" were lyrics from the John Lennon song John Sinclair.

The Michigan Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional the state's marijuana statutes and Sinclair was released from prison in December 1971. The star-studded John Sinclair Freedom Rally pretty much led to the annual Hash Bash rally.

The Michigan story is to remind people that not every place is as well organised on marijuana as Alberta or Colorado. Michigan is getting a lot more locations soon, sooner than Ontario did. As a contrast, Michiganders are allowed to keep 10 oz. of marijuana (versus 30 grams on one's person in Canada) at home and grow up to 12 plants (4 in most of Canada, but 0 in Quebec and Manitoba).

Marc Emery is the most prominent Canadian marijuana activist. Emery, Sinclair, and lots of lesser known people fought and made sacrifices with a goal of legal marijuana. Their sacrifices should be noted.

video credit: CBC News
photo credit: me
Twitter capture: @grassreporter

Canadian ads from fall 2019 NHL Center Ice free preview

Now that Canada election 2019 is out of the way, let's take a look at some cool Canadian ads from the fall 2019 NHL Center Ice free preview that don't mention politics.

Real Canadian Superstore is not in my normal Canadian lexicon. Canadians do love buying cheap things because they can't afford to behave otherwise. The shoppers going overboard for points is a fun dynamic. The reaction to them is also part of the fun. Can you buy lobsters at Real Canadian Superstore? I have no idea. The Catherine Reitman cameo is subtle and beautiful simultaneously.

Eggs for breakfast make sense. Eggs for lunch? The brother thinks eating eggs for lunch is weird. The sister thinks eggs for lunch is fine. Then again, the sister thinks her brother's girlfriend looks like their mother. That might be a little weird. Eggs anytime is fine.

Another Tim Hortons trading cards zamboni ad with Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon is not that exciting. What is exciting is the new addition to the ads. Recently retired NHL Hockey Night in Canada legend Bob Cole is the voice of the Tim Hortons ad. You have to love that Cole is 1) still working; and 2) is still a part of the NHL even via an ad for a donut shoppe. Take that, Rogers.

"If food matters to you, you're a food lover."

Food lovers might not be into canned cranberry sauce. The Loblaw's ad lets us know you can be a food lover who is into canned cranberry sauce. Aimed for Canadian Thanksgiving, the ad can work for the American readers for the U.S. Thanksgiving.

Jon Hamm thinks he is a real Canadian in this latest incarnation for Skip the Dishes. Hamm thinks he is now a Canadian citizen and wants to celebrate by having food delivered.

Turns out Hamm's citizenship was denied even though he bought a Moose Jaw, Yellowknife, and a Sault Ste. Marie (whatever that is). These ads have been hilarious. Hopefully, more Americans will find out Hamm is funny.

Countries outside the United States have an identifier on its Web sites. For Canada, the domain is a .ca, such as cbcnews.ca. Choose.ca helps Canadian find a worthy URL for their Web sites. The price for a .com in Canada? You have to watch the ad to find out the penalty.

How the [bleep] did Pepsi get the rights to the old Hockey Night in Canada theme? TSN/Bell Media got the rights to the song when the CBC let the rights go free. Having the song play in a soft drink ad reduces the impact of the song when played for real. We see what Pepsi gets from it but Bell Media's motive can't just be money. If the song had to play in an ad, that song should run in a Canadian company commercial.

Canadian political ads from fall 2019 NHL Center Ice free preview

CanadianCrossing.com advertising coverage

The relatively low standards of North American fast food is the platform where Harvey's can brag about being the first national fast food chain to offer 100% Canadian beef in an angus burger with no antibiotics, steroids, or added hormones.

I haven't had a Harvey's burger for a very long time, mostly because I haven't found a location lately. I would likely want to find a place, such as one I found in Toronto, where I could get all of that AND have the burger cooked medium-rare (because they grind their own beef). In a pinch, I might try this burger.

At Wendy's Canada, you can get jalapenos, onion tanglers, and avocado on any dish. This concept is aimed at burgers but French fries with onion tanglers sounds really good. Onion tanglers look like what Americans would call onion strings. Cliff's Notes and Cole's Notes are the same idea but the former is American while the latter is Canadian. You can go over those notes while at Wendy's with a jalapeno burger.

videos credit: all the respective companies
photo credit: Choose.ca

Canada election 2019: Diary of an 'insurance broker'

Andrew Scheer has a funny way of saying “I lied about being an insurance broker”#cdnpoli #elxn43 pic.twitter.com/njwpW9No4G

— Canadian Poli 🇨🇦 (@cdnpoli_memes) October 2, 2019

Andrew Scheer self-identified as a former "insurance broker." Saskatchewan doesn't legally allow people to say they are a broker if they aren't licensed. If you need a licence to be a broker, and you leave before you get the licence, you aren't a broker.

Scheer worked in an insurance office for 6-7 months and definitely not as a broker. The Globe and Mail published the original story.

The Toronto Star reported Scheer only completed one of four courses to become a broker, according to the Insurance Brokers Association of Saskatchewan.

We also found out that Scheer is a dual citizen with the United States and Canada. Scheer said he started the process in August to renounce his citizenship.

In 2005, Scheer sent out a questionnaire to his constituents about whether they would be concerned that Michaëlle Jean had Canada-France citizenship. The follow-up question was whether they would feel better if her other citizenship was in the United States. Jean was a candidate for Governor General, which she later became.

His party attacked Stephane Dion (Liberal leader in 2008) and Tom Mulcair (NDP leader in 2015) for having dual citizenship with France. The party also attacked Michael Ignatieff (Liberal leader in 2011) for working in the United States.

Being a dual citizen isn't the issue; hiding that information and waiting too late to rescind the U.S. citizenship are significant concerns.

We don't know if Paul Wells, MacLean's, or Rogers/Citytv were watching Wednesday night. If not, they missed how a debate should run.

TVA did a great job of running a debate with good lively chats, working to get everyone involved, no commercials and lame cutaways. 

The debate covered 3 different topics: immigration and social policies; economy and the environment; and gouvernance and Quebec within Canada.

We heard a lot of class moyenne (middle class) in the debate. 

There was talk of a "Netflix tax" on web giants. There seemed to be a consensus between all the leaders on the stage. Yves-Francois Blanchet (Bloc Quebecois) talked about a penalty as opposed to a tax, according to the translation. 

I learned that Quebec fills in 2 tax returns while other provinces only 1 return. Andrew Scheer and Blanchet were in favour of 1 return; Justin Trudeau and Jagmeet Singh were not, but not sure why either way.

Scheer said the Conservatives, who have been ranting against how Trudeau negotiated NAFTA 2.0, would ratify the deal.

We learned that Scheer was the only one who didn't purchase carbon offsets for his campaign plane.

Marijuana came up as a question. The highlight ended up being Scheer once again accusing the Liberals of wanting to decrminialise harder drugs. “Not right away,” Trudeau responded (translated) focusing on expanded safe injection sites and harm reduction.

As we noted last week, Canada still doesn't have legal edibles.

Blanchet was the best French speaker in the bunch. Could not tell from the translation whether Blanchet was struggling or whether the translator couldn't figure out what he was saying.

Scheer made a lot of faces in reaction shots. Wasn't sure if he didn't know there would be reaction shots or he did know and that is why he made faces. Trudeau, Blanchet, and Singh had good reaction shots.

Trudeau is stronger speaking in French than English. His pauses in English weren't there in the French debate. 

Scheer's French was easier to follow. Credit to him for being as good as he is. Forced him to speak more plainly, which works well for his speaking style.

I did see Tom Mulcair on the TVA panel before the debate. Mulcair was the NDP leader in 2015.

I watched the debate live on TVA Nouvelles and later on tape delay on CPAC.

Canada election 2019 is underway and food policy should be discussed

New Canada Food Guide offers true steps to better nutrition and eating

BalanceofFood.com Canada food policy coverage

Our sibling blog, BalanceofFood.com, helped us out with a look at food policy and how that applies to the Canadian election. Food policy almost never comes up in debates.

Canada doesn’t have a national school lunch program. Is that good or bad? What about Nutrition North? What about obesity levels and health care costs to the provinces?

The story talks about opportunities to ask MP candidates about these and other food-related questions.

Canada election 2019 debates preview

The Leaders Debates Commission debates are on tap with the English debate on Monday and the French debate on Thursday. The format will be slightly different with 5 different moderators (all female) in the English version and moderator and 4 questioners in the French debate.

You can stream the English language debate over a CBC property. As for the French version, CBC News Network should have an English translation as well as CPAC.

Even if you can't follow along, I do enjoy listening to the party leaders en Francaise. If you know a little French, you might understand some of what they are saying.

CBC tried something different in getting to know the major party leaders. Each of the party leaders talks with 5 undecided voters for 5 minutes. Host Rosemary Barton then asks follow-up questions based on what the voter has brought up.

Debates have their place but you really get a sense of the leader when no one is trying to take a shot or talk over someone.

Maxime Bernier aka People's Party of Canada was invited but declined due to scheduling issues. Seems like a difficult opportunity to pass up for Bernier.

Each segment takes about 45 minutes. CBC ran highlights on The National but ran the the full-length version after the local news. We linked to the YouTube versions.

• Justin Trudeau session
• Andrew Scheer session
• Jagmeet Singh session
• Elizabeth May session

Scheer and May got undecided voters that were thisclose to voting for the party. Neither was particularly challenged by the voters but Barton made up for that lack of uncertainty.

Trudeau got challenged pretty well but that is the legacy of running on a record.

Scheer got voters who didn't seem all that undecided or challenged the Conservative leader. A softball characterization undersells how easy the questions were for Scheer.

Trudeau has a voter who wondered if governments cared about single voters. We would agree with that question. Trudeau mentioned the Canada Workers Benefit. He also got an intriguing questioner on supply management. That was tougher than any person who addressed Scheer or May.

The pattern kept questioners to areas that weren't in their wheelhouse. Trudeau got no questioner east of Toronto. Scheer didn't get any from the prairie provinces. 3 of the 5 for May came from Ontario. Singh got 3 from Toronto as well as Abbotsford B.C. and Montréal.

As part of our running series, we are posting ads from the major parties. This is a Conservative ad.

Canada election 2019: The impact of Tout le monde en parle

Canada election 2019: Make room for 6 at the commission debates

Canada election 2019: MacLean's, Citytv big losers in the first debate

Jagmeet Singh was at the Atwater Market in Montréal before the TVA debate. Singh was talking to a older man who told Singh to "cut off his turban." Singh deals well with the disturbed individual in the exchange.

This man should have known he will be caught on camera with such deplorable behaviour. Asking Singh to remove the turban would have been bad enough, but the act of cutting the turban added a violent element.

This sample shows us why we need a larger conversation. The leadership commission debates are also in Quebec in Gatineau, across the river from Ottawa. Bill 21 was a shadow over the TVA debate in Montréal.

2019 Canada election preview

Looking back at 2015 before the 2019 Canadian election

We didn't have a foreign policy debate on Tuesday. The USMCA | CUSMA topic deserves some debate. The Liberals are defending an awful agreement for Canada. The Conservatives would have done worse. The NDP and Green Party would want changes made to the document.

Given the U.S. House push toward impeachment, the Dem-led House won't be focused on passing the trade agreement. U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi says they are going forward. A number of Dems in the House want changes to the trade deal.

The urgency is lessened because NAFTA still exists.

Andrew Scheer announced on Tuesday that a Conservative government would cut foreign aid by 25%. Scheer promised to redirect $700 million to countries that he said would need it most. Canada currently has a $6.1-billion foreign aid budget.

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh wants foreign aid set at 0.7% of gross national income. Currently, Canada stands at 0.28% of gross national income.

This analysis refutes Scheer's charge that the Trudeau Government sends $2.2 billion of foreign aid to middle- and upper-income countries.

Daily Show explores why refugees are fleeing U.S. for Canada

We talked earlier in the campaign about the numbers of refugees crossing at illegal border crossing points. This article focuses mostly on the Roxham Road crossing (the one highlighted on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah).

There are overall statistics of note.

"Of the more than 50,000 who've come into Canada at irregular crossings since 2017, about one-third have been processed under the national refugee system. About half — 55 per cent — who have had their cases heard have been accepted as refugees. The other 45 per cent have been rejected. But two thirds of the applicants' cases are still pending."

This has resulted in about 8,000-9,000 new refugees in Canada since 2017 and 7,000-8,000 applicants turned away. Whatever you might think of the numbers, we should have the information to make more viable arguments.

Canadians will feel loss of satirists such as Rick Mercer in the 2019 Canadian election

Laura Lynch to take over The Current through the federal election on CBC Radio One

Tom Power on Q pointed out that the 2019 election was the first time in 26 years and 8 federal elections that Rick Mercer wasn't on television. Mercer was on Q talking about how the voting age should be lowered to 16.

"You can join the Canadian military at 16 … you can drive farm equipment, we expect you to follow the laws of the land and to understand them, so 16-year-olds have responsibility."

Mercer was part of Two Shows, One Stage, Your Vote where Q combined with The Current for an election town hall in front of a live studio audience in the Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto.

"Voting is a learned behaviour and it's addictive," Mercer said.

Just Ask is a way for Canadian content creators to talk to politicians

Justin Trudeau (Liberal) and Andrew Scheer (Conservative) have tax proposals to save money on the bottom portion of what Canadians make.

Trudeau says Liberals would raise the personal income tax deduction from $12,069 to $15,000 for people earning less than $147,000.

Scheer says Conservatives would cut the rate on the lowest income tax bracket from 15% to 13.75%. However, the 13.75% wouldn't kick in until 2023.

CBC business reporter Peter Armstrong pointed out that 66% of Canadians make less than $46,000/year and that 91% are in the lowest 2 tax brackets.

Factoring in that $46,000 goes farther in Red Deer than Edmonton or Calgary, those numbers sound depressing. No wonder Canadians think and feel that they are financially struggling. A 2-income household would be a requirement in most urban settings.

CanadianCrossing.com Canadian politics coverage

Vote Compass got a couple of CBC promos on last night's Hockey Night in Canada game with the Montréal Canadiens in Toronto. The game was available on CBC, NHL Center Ice free preview, and the NHL Network. Vote Compass is a CBC News service where you could log on to see how your views compared to party leaders at votecompass.cbc.ca.

Twitter capture: @cdnpoli_memes
photos credit: Andrew Scheer; TVA, TVA, CBC News
video credit: YouTube/Conservative Party of Canada

Canadian notebook: Celebrating Victoria Day 2019

Editor's note: The column was updated to reflect the impact of the detention of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig in China in the struggle with Canada and the United States.

Happy Victoria Day 2019. The day theoretically applies to Queen Victoria's birthday falling on the Monday before the actual birthday (May 24). In reality, this is the start of Canadian summer.

CanadianCrossing.com NBA coverage

Staying up later to watch the Toronto Raptors win their first game of the NBA Eastern Conference finals 118-112 in double overtime was easier if you didn't have to go to work today. The Raptors are now 1-0 in double OT in the NBA playoffs.

This was Milwaukee's first road loss in the playoffs. Milwaukee only has 2 playoff losses this season. Game 4 is Tuesday night at 8:30 pm Eastern on TSN in Canada and TNT in the United States.

The New York Times introduces Americans to butter tarts and more Canadian food

IFC should applaud the unique drink that is a Caesar

Celebrating the Caesar

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Caesar. Dan Aykroyd in the Toronto Sun video above talks about how the Caesar is Canada's drink and you would have a tough time arguing otherwise.

Read the stories above. Watch the video. Google a recipe or two. You don't have to be at the cottage to enjoy a Caesar. The drink is a taste of Canada.

The opposite of that might be Mayochup, a combination of mayonnaise and ketchup from Kraft Heinz. The U.S. product recently came into Canada.

The product doesn't sound all that great. You could combine the two without having to buy a specific separate product.

The funny part comes with the name Mayochup, which in the Cree language isn't so funny. The rough translation of Mayochup is "shitfaced" or "shit is on my face."

If you are having a picnic, bring both condiments separately and let your guests make up their own minds.

Trump threat to withdraw from NAFTA should lead back to original Canada-U.S. free trade agreement

NAFTA 2.0, er, USMCA is a nightmarish trade deal for Canada

Despite childish threats by Donald Trump, Canada should hold out for a good NAFTA deal

Deal in place to (finally) lift damaging #steel #aluminum #tariffs on #Canada. Do not let that be a reason to consider ratifying #CUSMA #USMCA https://t.co/Y8mPU8cl8K #cdnpoli #cdntrade

— Chad Rubel (@canadian_xing) May 17, 2019

Let's start with the good news: the U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs — 25% on imports of steel and 10% on aluminum — are gone as are Canada's retaliatory tariffs.

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland is still worried about future tariffs from the United States. "Eternal vigilance is required."

The steel and aluminum industries aren't the only ones to feel the wrath of the angry toddler. There were the 292% tariffs against Bombardier over its C-Series aircraft. The only reason why that isn't an issue any more is that the U.S. International Trade Commission ruled unanimously that "100- to 150-seat large civil aircraft from Canada do not injure U.S. industry."

Boeing has had other issues lately rather than fighting the Canadian airplane industry.

The softwood lumber tariffs are the centre of a battle Canada is fighting with WTO and NAFTA.

The Trudeau Government is going "full steam ahead" — in Freeland's words — to ratifying the new USMCA | CUSMA trade deal. Canada was diligent in not considering the approval of the trade deal without the lifting of the steel and aluminum tariffs.

Parliament almost certainly won't approve the deal before the summer recess. We argue that Canada should receive considerable concessions to consider ratifying the trade deal, despite the lifting of the specific tariffs, especially when there isn't a guarantee that the tariffs won't return.

A long-term softwood lumber deal would be a start. The deal would have to be thorough and reasoned, traits that haven't existed in the U.S. trade delegation.

A no-more-tariffs promise would be ideal, though the current U.S. administration can't be counted on to keep a promise. A name change to the deal would help symbolically. An apology for the steel and aluminum tariffs is less likely than a pipe dream.

Though a short-term deal isn't a lot against long-term trade damage, the U.S. putting pressure on China to release Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig would be helpful. The United States is the reason why Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Canada and the reason why Spavor and Kovrig were essentially kidnapped.

Canada's passage means nothing if the Democratic legislators in the U.S. House don't approve the deal. Canada's passage of the deal, even if it doesn't go into effect, shows tremendous weakness. No one will come along to bail Canada out of the horrible USMCA | CUSMA trade deal.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. brings a lot of excitement to Toronto Blue Jays

CanadianCrossing.com MLB coverage

I saw Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the first time in person. His fourth HR of his career, the first one not to dead centre field, gave the Blue Jays a 3-1 lead on the way to a 5-2 win. I saw his father play for the Montréal Expos in the same ballpark on the South Side of Chicago. Good memories on both sides of the family equation.

Billy McKinney (solo HR) and Danny Jansen (2-run HR) contributed to the offence to give Toronto a split in that series. MLB Network in the United States will have the Blue Jays this afternoon at 1 pm Eastern; Rogers Sportsnet carries the game in Canada.

Xavier Dolan is back with a new film at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival

La femme de mon frère | A Brother's Love has already played at Cannes. Xavier Dolan's Matthias et Maxime makes its world debut Wednesday at 4 pm local time. (10 am Eastern).

photo credit: me
video credit: Toronto Sun
Twitter capture: @canadian_xing

New Canada Food Guide sidesteps food lobbyists for better nutrition perspective

The revision of the Canada Food Guide took 12 years but brought some significant changes. The new guide focusing on protein options and de-emphasizes meat and dairy. The guide encourages water as a beverage of choice. More importantly, the approach also doesn't suck up to food interests, either from growers or food companies.

Cooking at home is also encouraged.

The Trudeau Government has promised that revisions won't wait another 12 years.

The meat and dairy people aren't thrilled with the new guide. You can consume meat and dairy and lentils and tofu. You can even get protein from vegetables and plant-based foods.

The fruit juice people aren't thrilled with the new guide. Doesn't mean you can't get an occasional glass; just be more conscious about your fruit juice consumption. One of my favorite tricks is to mix 50-50 of water and juice. A great way to get flavor with your water and less juice consumption.

BalanceofFood.com Canada food coverage

For more on this topic, check out the story from our sibling blog, BalanceofFood.com.

photos credit: Health Canada; CTV/Health Canada

The art of the double double

We are sorry if you came to this article looking for NBA basketball or if you were chasing an In-N-Out burger with 2 beef patties with 2 slices of cheese.

This double double is about something truly Canadian. For those not familiar, a double double is a coffee with 2 creams and 2 sugars at Tim Hortons. The fun part is that they put in the cream and sugar so you get the drink without the extra work.

During the 2018 Windsor International Film Festival, I decided to be a part of that Canadian experience. To give some perspective, I am not a coffee drinker. If you are looking for someone to tell how great anyone's coffee is, you are on the wrong blog post.

I ordered the Simply Sausage biscuit, 2 chocolate Timbits, and a small double double. I did order the drink to get the hockey trading cards too.

Canadian ads from fall 2018 NHL Center Ice free preview

My double double was quite hot. I opened the little flap but couldn't get it to close properly. I brought the drink into my first film of 6 films that day, so the caffeine would be helpful.

I did let the coffee cool off a bit. When I went back to the coffee, the drink was warm but not hot.

The double double was pretty satisfying though a bit on the sweet side. I could drink the coffee, which isn't always true for a black coffee. In the future, I might want to play with getting a double single (2 creams, 1 sugar) or a double (2 creams). The Double Double did accomplish what few cups of coffee can do: mask the taste of coffee so I could drink it.

Tim Hortons poutine donut serving up bad Canadian stereotypes to Americans

There are non-coffee ways to feel Canadian. They don't always involve donuts or poutine or donair but often they do. Eating ketchup chips or all-dressed chips or having fries with gravy are gateways to feeling Canadian. Lamb burgers seem Canadian. A double double might be the quickest and cheapest way to feel Canadian.

photo credit: me