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New cruise ship restrictions will mean big hit to B.C. economy, industry says – CBC.ca

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There will be no cruise season in Canada this year, an industry representative says, after the federal transport minister announced new restrictions on vessels’ ability to sail in Canadian waters.

On Friday, federal Transportation Minister Marc Garneau announced further limits on vessels and extended restrictions until October as a measure to limit the spread of COVID-19.

“It’s obviously disappointing news,” said Barry Penner, legal advisor to Cruise Lines International Association — Northwest and Canada. “There won’t be a cruise season in Canada, at all.”

“This announcement will be acutely felt in coastal communities, small towns, bigger centres, everywhere from Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick,  Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and especially British Columbia.”

The Diamond Princess cruise ship in February, quarantined in Japan. The ship was the scene of a major coronavirus outbreak earlier this year. (Mayuko Isobe/Kyodo News/The Associated Press)

Penner said the cruise ship industry contributed over $4.1 billion to the Canadian economy in 2018 and led to 29,000 jobs. Over $2.3 billion of that economic activity and over 15,000 of those jobs are in B.C. 

The employment figures include spin-off jobs in businesses like hotels, restaurants and taxis serving cruise ship customers on shore, as well as suppliers producing goods for vessels, Penner said.

310 Vancouver port calls cancelled

B.C. health officials have already said cruise ships will be allowed to stop for refuelling in the province’s ports but passengers will not be permitted to disembark.

Dayna Miller, director of global partnerships with Tourism Vancouver, said her organization understands the decision by the federal government.

“I think we were not entirely surprised,” Miller said, especially with large gatherings on hold in B.C.

Princess Cruises’ Emerald Princess arrives at Canada Place in Vancouver in March 2019. Some cruise ships begin or end their voyages in Vancouver and some make port calls on their way to Alaska. (Gian-Paolo Mendoza/CBC)

However, she said, 310 cruise ship calls were expected in Vancouver this season, which would have brought about 1.2 million visitors to the city. Each call, she said, generates about $3 million in economic activity.

“It’s a vital industry as a whole,” she said.

Global problems

The coronavirus pandemic has been devastating to the cruise industry globally.

Experts have said cruise ships, with hundreds or thousands of people in close proximity, present virus transmission risks. 

There have been reports that even once cruises are given the OK to begin operations again, fewer customers will want to set sail over health fears. Some have speculated the pandemic will mean the end for at least some cruise lines.

In February, a high-profile outbreak on the cruise ship Diamond Princess led to hundreds of passengers testing positive for the disease. 

“I think everybody’s been learning, as fast as they can, around the world,” Penner said.

Penner said the pandemic has been a “vexing” problem for governments and health authorities and the cruise industry is working with both to find best practices to contain viral risks.

But cruise lines aren’t alone, he said. Airlines and movie theatres face similar issues, for instance.

His industry is making some changes to increase consumer confidence, such as making cancellations more flexible for travellers booking in 2021.

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Economy

Canada’s unemployment rate holds steady at 6.5% in October, economy adds 15,000 jobs

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OTTAWA – Canada’s unemployment rate held steady at 6.5 per cent last month as hiring remained weak across the economy.

Statistics Canada’s labour force survey on Friday said employment rose by a modest 15,000 jobs in October.

Business, building and support services saw the largest gain in employment.

Meanwhile, finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing experienced the largest decline.

Many economists see weakness in the job market continuing in the short term, before the Bank of Canada’s interest rate cuts spark a rebound in economic growth next year.

Despite ongoing softness in the labour market, however, strong wage growth has raged on in Canada. Average hourly wages in October grew 4.9 per cent from a year ago, reaching $35.76.

Friday’s report also shed some light on the financial health of households.

According to the agency, 28.8 per cent of Canadians aged 15 or older were living in a household that had difficulty meeting financial needs – like food and housing – in the previous four weeks.

That was down from 33.1 per cent in October 2023 and 35.5 per cent in October 2022, but still above the 20.4 per cent figure recorded in October 2020.

People living in a rented home were more likely to report difficulty meeting financial needs, with nearly four in 10 reporting that was the case.

That compares with just under a quarter of those living in an owned home by a household member.

Immigrants were also more likely to report facing financial strain last month, with about four out of 10 immigrants who landed in the last year doing so.

That compares with about three in 10 more established immigrants and one in four of people born in Canada.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Health-care spending expected to outpace economy and reach $372 billion in 2024: CIHI

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The Canadian Institute for Health Information says health-care spending in Canada is projected to reach a new high in 2024.

The annual report released Thursday says total health spending is expected to hit $372 billion, or $9,054 per Canadian.

CIHI’s national analysis predicts expenditures will rise by 5.7 per cent in 2024, compared to 4.5 per cent in 2023 and 1.7 per cent in 2022.

This year’s health spending is estimated to represent 12.4 per cent of Canada’s gross domestic product. Excluding two years of the pandemic, it would be the highest ratio in the country’s history.

While it’s not unusual for health expenditures to outpace economic growth, the report says this could be the case for the next several years due to Canada’s growing population and its aging demographic.

Canada’s per capita spending on health care in 2022 was among the highest in the world, but still less than countries such as the United States and Sweden.

The report notes that the Canadian dental and pharmacare plans could push health-care spending even further as more people who previously couldn’t afford these services start using them.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.

Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Trump’s victory sparks concerns over ripple effect on Canadian economy

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As Canadians wake up to news that Donald Trump will return to the White House, the president-elect’s protectionist stance is casting a spotlight on what effect his second term will have on Canada-U.S. economic ties.

Some Canadian business leaders have expressed worry over Trump’s promise to introduce a universal 10 per cent tariff on all American imports.

A Canadian Chamber of Commerce report released last month suggested those tariffs would shrink the Canadian economy, resulting in around $30 billion per year in economic costs.

More than 77 per cent of Canadian exports go to the U.S.

Canada’s manufacturing sector faces the biggest risk should Trump push forward on imposing broad tariffs, said Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters president and CEO Dennis Darby. He said the sector is the “most trade-exposed” within Canada.

“It’s in the U.S.’s best interest, it’s in our best interest, but most importantly for consumers across North America, that we’re able to trade goods, materials, ingredients, as we have under the trade agreements,” Darby said in an interview.

“It’s a more complex or complicated outcome than it would have been with the Democrats, but we’ve had to deal with this before and we’re going to do our best to deal with it again.”

American economists have also warned Trump’s plan could cause inflation and possibly a recession, which could have ripple effects in Canada.

It’s consumers who will ultimately feel the burden of any inflationary effect caused by broad tariffs, said Darby.

“A tariff tends to raise costs, and it ultimately raises prices, so that’s something that we have to be prepared for,” he said.

“It could tilt production mandates. A tariff makes goods more expensive, but on the same token, it also will make inputs for the U.S. more expensive.”

A report last month by TD economist Marc Ercolao said research shows a full-scale implementation of Trump’s tariff plan could lead to a near-five per cent reduction in Canadian export volumes to the U.S. by early-2027, relative to current baseline forecasts.

Retaliation by Canada would also increase costs for domestic producers, and push import volumes lower in the process.

“Slowing import activity mitigates some of the negative net trade impact on total GDP enough to avoid a technical recession, but still produces a period of extended stagnation through 2025 and 2026,” Ercolao said.

Since the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement came into effect in 2020, trade between Canada and the U.S. has surged by 46 per cent, according to the Toronto Region Board of Trade.

With that deal is up for review in 2026, Canadian Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Candace Laing said the Canadian government “must collaborate effectively with the Trump administration to preserve and strengthen our bilateral economic partnership.”

“With an impressive $3.6 billion in daily trade, Canada and the United States are each other’s closest international partners. The secure and efficient flow of goods and people across our border … remains essential for the economies of both countries,” she said in a statement.

“By resisting tariffs and trade barriers that will only raise prices and hurt consumers in both countries, Canada and the United States can strengthen resilient cross-border supply chains that enhance our shared economic security.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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