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Saturday November 22, 2014

November 21, 2014 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday November 22, 2014

Snow-covered Buffalo area faces risk of roof collapses, flooding

A snowfall that brought huge drifts and closed roads in the Buffalo area finally ended Friday as the looming threat of rain and higher temperatures through the weekend and beyond raised the possibility of floods and more roofs collapsing under the heavy loads.

More than 30 major roof collapses, most involving farm and flat-roof buildings, were reported overnight, officials said Friday, after snow Thursday brought the Buffalo area’s three-day total to an epic two metres or more.

The forecast called for a chance of rain on Saturday and more through Monday, along with temperatures of about 15 C.

The U.S. National Weather Service issued a flood watch for Sunday through Wednesday, and meteorologist Jon Hitchcock said there might be trouble with drainage as snow and the uncollected autumn leaves underneath blocked catch basins.

As towns and villages began preparing for potential flooding, stir-crazy homeowners — some stuck inside since Tuesday — and store employees around the region climbed onto roofs to shovel off the snow and reduce the danger of collapse.

“Five hours yesterday and that’s just the beginning,” John Normile said Friday of the effort to clear snow from the roof of his Lake View ranch-style home. He, along with his daughter and her boyfriend, had knocked about 180 cm off the back of the house and planned to be back at it for a second day.

“We’re getting really concerned about the weight of it,” Normile said. “We’ve got to do it before the rain comes.” (Source: CBC News)

Saturday, March 2, 2013

March 2, 2013 by Graeme MacKay

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday, March 2, 2013

How U.S. spending cuts can hurt Canada

The billions in automatic spending cuts in the U.S., which come into effect today, could have an impact on cross-border trade with Canada as well as contribute to a general economic slowdown.

“It’s very hard to say,” Ambarish Chandra, assistant professor of economics at the University of Toronto, said of the potential effects here.

“I think even within the U.S. it’s not clear where the axe will fall. There is so much uncertainty about exactly what programs are going to be cut and which ones aren’t.”

President Barack Obama and a bipartisan group of congressional leaders failed to reach an agreement during a meeting on Friday.

Given the sheer size of the cuts — the plan involves slashing $1.2 trillion in federal spending by 2021, including $85 billion this fiscal year — the sequester will undoubtedly have some impact, particularly with respect to cross-border travel and trade.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said earlier this week that her department would be slashing 5,000 border-patrol agents if the cuts go through, and that would ultimately slow some of the busiest crossings between Canada and the U.S.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is also preparing to reduce its work hours by the equivalent of 2,750 inspectors as well, meaning cargo inspections at the border could drag on.

That will undoubtedly have an impact on the approximately $1.6 billion worth of goods and 300,000 or so people crossing the U.S.-Canada border each day. (Source: CBC News)