Government may take action on Toronto strike

Toronto's reputation as a clean city is being tarnished as a strike by municipal workers has trash piling up in parks.

Residents are taking their trash to areas set up in parks where the garbage rots in 90-degree temperatures.

The Ontario government has drafted legislation that would force workers to return to their jobs if public health officials determine the strike is a hazard.

"We have a great image of Toronto as being a very safe, friendly and clean city," said Tricia Hosking of Tourism Toronto.

The strike is the largest by municipal workers in Canadian history as the city's 18,000 inside workers on Thursday joined the walkout by 6,800 outside workers that enters its third week.

Some events have been canceled, but the Indy race this weekend -- expected to attract 1-million people -- continues, along with World Youth Day 2002 and a visit by Pope John Paul II this month and the Caribana Festival extending into August.

The main issue in the strike, which has closed day care centers, canceled restaurant inspections and shut public swimming pools, is job security.

"What they want is jobs for life," said Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman. "And the thing is once you give it, you can't take it away."

Military board dismisses soldiers' health concerns

Complaints by some 35 Canadian soldiers who say they've had unexplained health problems related to their time in Bosnia in the mid 1990s were dismissed by a military board of inquiry.

The soldiers were interviewed as part of an inquiry into concerns raised by the death of Warrant Officer Michael Peace of Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, New Brunswick. He died of a brain tumor in October 2000.

The complaints ranged from persistent headaches, vision and memory problems, and mysterious bleeding. All are symptoms that have also been reported by veterans of the Gulf War.

Names in the news

The Dalai Lama, spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhists, will visit Toronto in the spring of 2004. The Dalai Lama will conduct a ritual for world peace -- known as the Kalachakra, or Wheel of Time -- during the two-week tour. It's the Nobel Peace Prize winner's fourth visit to Canada.

Howard Grafftey, 73, a former cabinet minister in the short-lived Conservative government of Joe Clark, is considering a leadership bid. Grafftey said he'll seek to lead the party if Clark, 63, loses a leadership review vote next month in Edmonton.

Singer-songwriters Joni Mitchell and Bruce Cockburn are among 99 appointees to the honorary Order of Canada. Others include former Supreme Court Judge Peter Cory, activist and feminist author Doris Anderson and Roger Blais, an engineer, scientist, teacher and entrepreneur.

Mel Cappe, former clerk of the federal Privy Council has been named Canada's high commissioner to Britain. Cappe, 53, succeeds Jeremy Kinsman in London.

Facts and figures

There's speculation interest rates will be raised again this month by the Bank of Canada to curb inflation. The key rate is 2.5 percent while the prime lending rate is 4.25 percent.

Statistics Canada reported Friday the unemployment rate dropped to 7.5 percent in June from 7.7 percent in May.

Canada's dollar rose to 65.66 U.S. cents Friday after dropping earlier in the week. The U.S. dollar is worth $1.5229 Canadian before bank exchange fees.

Stock markets were lower Friday, with the Toronto exchange index at 7,046 points while the Canadian Venture Exchange closed at 1,134 points.

Lotto 6-49: (Wednesday) 25, 27, 28, 36, 37 and 40; bonus 17. (June 29) 8, 22, 41, 43, 48 and 49; bonus 46.

Regional briefs

Three fired Videotron employees were arrested for sabotaging the cable company's lines in Levis, Quebec. The three were fired last month after Videotron said they were scrambling TV signals. They were members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees involved in a strike-lockout with the company.

Nurses and doctors won their showdowns with the Manitoba government and now 10,000 health care support workers are threatening to strike for higher wages. So far, no strike date has been set and bargaining is expected to resume.

A series of severe storms swept across the Maritimes on Thursday, knocking out power to 10,000 customers in New Brunswick and pounding Prince Edward Island with torrential rain. Meanwhile, hundreds of people forced to leave two small communities in Labrador because of a forest fire were able to return Friday.

A man accused of taking an Edmonton court prosecutor hostage for several hours was ordered to undergo a psychiatric examination. Victor Lealand, 52, was arrested after walking into the prosecutor's office and saying he had a bomb strapped to his body.

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