Nova Scotia’s premier is reiterating that the province is not taking a phased approach to reopening the economy, despite outlining a five-step approach to reopening two weeks ago.
At the legislature Thursday, Premier Stephen McNeil said the province “very clearly” said it will not be opening the economy with a phased approach, despite other provinces opting for it.
“When we open up the economy, it won’t be that we’re going to do one thing today and have other sectors of our economy wait three weeks,” he said. “We will be opening it up with the strict guidelines. You need to have public health protocols approved, and then you can go to work.
“I’m not sure why that has been difficult for people to understand.”
But about two weeks ago, Dr. Robert Strang, the province’s chief medical officer of health, presented an initial five-step reopening plan outline to business groups based on federal guidelines.
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There were few details on each phase, except to say that low-risk businesses could open first, then medium- and high-risk businesses. Each phase would increase the group gathering limit.
At the time, Strang said they were working with business associations to determine when they could open, and that even industries considered “high risk” could potentially open up sooner if they presented a solid safety plan that was approved by public health.
2:05 Nova Scotia officials holding closed doors consultations with industry groups
Nova Scotia officials holding closed doors consultations with industry groups
On two different occasions now, the province has eased some of the restrictions that were put in place in March, when the province declared a state of emergency.
Parks and trails reopened first, as well as sportfishing, driving ranges and people were given permission to go to their cottages.
Then, a week later, came the loosening of restrictions on archery, equestrianism, golf, paddling, sailing/boating and tennis.
Each time, Strang highlighted the importance of waiting for one to two incubation periods to watch the epidemiology before deciding if they could lift further restrictions.
And despite claiming the province would not be using a phased approach, McNeil said Wednesday the province is currently in the “phase” of communicating reopening protocols with businesses.
“We were very clear we’re through a process right now, a phase right now where step one is making sure we go out and communicate to organizations that represent businesses across the province,” McNeil said Wednesday. “We’re currently doing follow up with them now to make sure they are communicating that back to their respective association members.
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“When we’re ready to open up the economy, the economy will open. It will be up to business owners to decide if they want to open in the new normal.”
The premier has said the hope is to reopen the economy sometime in early in June, something about which the leader of the province’s opposition is critical.
“The fact of the matter is the premier says on the one hand we’re just going to flick the switch and everything’s going to open sometime in June, but that’s not a plan,” he said.
“In the second breath the premier says, ‘well, people need to know what are the protocols and when.’ That’s exactly what people want to know. What are the protocols? When can they expect to reopen?
“Just blurting it out at the 3 o’clock press conference that people can now golf, it created a lot of issues for (golf courses) to make sure they’re prepared.”
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
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To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.
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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 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.
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.
