Canada

An Ontario man caught smuggling nearly 40 turtles in his trousers while crossing into Canada has been given a two year probation with a fine of $3,500 and banned from owning any turtles for 10 years. The Globe and Mail reports: Dong Yan of Windsor, Ont., was convicted earlier this month of illegally importing reptiles into Canada that were transported in contravention of a foreign state’s law. During an inspection at the Niagara border crossing on June 11, 2014, Canada Border Services Agency officials discovered 38 turtles strapped to Yan’s legs.

Cape Breton Island in Canada’s Nova Scotia is inviting weary Americans to make it their new home should Republican real estate billionaire Donald Trump win the White House in November. The Hill reports: “Hi Americans!” a statement on a tourism website for Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, reads. “Donald Trump may become the next president of your country.

Two weeks ago we asked if, in the aftermath of the dramatic selloff suffered by European banks over commodity exposure concerns, whether Canadian banks would not be next in line. The reason was that according to an RBC report, while US banks had already taken significant reserves against future oil and gas loans, roughly amounting to 7% of their exposure, Canadian banks were stuck in denial.

2015 was not a good year for job creation in Alberta.

In fact, the net 19,600 jobs the province shed marked the worst year for job losses since 1982.

Alberta is of course suffering from the dramatic collapse in oil prices, which look set to remain “lower for longer” in the face of a recalcitrant Saudi Arabia and an Iran which is hell bent on making up for lost time spent languishing under international sanctions.

It was just last month when we profiled Canada’s “other problem”: record high household debt.

Canada is struggling to cope with falling crude prices which have put enormous amounts of pressure on some parts of the country, most notably Alberta, where suicide rates are on the rise, as is property crime and foodbank usage.