Maritime region: The Halifax economy is humming along, attracting jobs and people from the rest of the Maritime region, Glen Hodgson,, according to The Chronicle Herald. As a result, the city will have a stable, not spectacular but maintainable moderate growth of more than two per cent for the next five years, he said and Nova Scotia is sputtering along on two different gears, which could leave its economy stuck in neutral if changes are not made, an economist says. senior vice-president and chief economist with the Conference Board of Canada, said Friday in a telephone interview from Ottawa. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Ottawa: OTTAWA - Ottawa's finances got off to a rocky start in the current fiscal year, posting a $2.7-billion deficit that was nearly $1 billion more compared to the same period last year. , according to Winnipeg Free Press. The 2012-13 fiscal year ended with an estimated $25.9 billion shortfall for the government the first year Ottawa failed to make significant progress in reducing its deficit since the recession. Finance Minister Jim Flaherty holds the 2013 budget on March 21, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Patrick Doyle The shortfall was larger than the $1.8-billion deficit recorded in the April and May period a year ago, the Finance Department reported Friday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

OTTAWA Ottawas: OTTAWA Ottawas finances got off to a rocky start in the current fiscal year, posting a $2.7-billion deficit that was nearly $1 billion more compared to the same period last year, according to The Chronicle Herald. The 2012-13 fiscal year ended with an estimated $25.9 billion shortfall for the government the first year Ottawa failed to make significant progress in reducing its deficit since the recession and The shortfall was larger than the $1.8-billion deficit recorded in the April and May period a year ago, the Finance Department reported Friday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

provincial premiers: This time, for once, the premiers are all on the same page, according to The Chronicle Herald. With each premier needing to craft requests to Ottawa based on satisfying the often varied needs of the folks back home, it has been easy for Ottawa to point to provincial bickering as an excuse to stick to the federal game plan and What excuse will the Harper Conservatives come up with now? The complaint used by successive federal governments to push aside demands from provincial premiers has been disagreement among the provinces on hot-button issues, most frequently health care. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Quebec Premier Pauline Marois: Such measures could have helped prevent the derailment of an oil-bearing train that decimated the town and killed at least 47 people, Quebec Premier Pauline Marois said Friday as the premiers wrapped up their two-day Council of the Federation conference, according to CTV. The final joint statement from the premiers noted that there was a "clear lack of information" on hazardous materials travelling by train and NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, Ont. -- Canada's provincial and territorial leaders want Ottawa to set up a monitoring system to track trains carrying hazardous materials and tighten insurance rules in the wake of the deadly disaster in Lac-Megantic, Que. "We can also, if we have the right information, present our demands to the federal government about the regulations of the railway transportation," she said. "So we can work on specific issues in a better way than we did until now." (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

UN Security Council: The advance came amid a wide offensive by President Bashar al-Assads forces and as Syrias Western-backed opposition group met for the first time with the UN Security Council. More Related to this Story, according to Globe and Mail. Diplomats test waters on UN Syrian aid resolution Syrian government troops gained ground in clashes Friday in two rebel-held neighbourhoods in the central city of Homs, edging closer to a historic mosque and closing in on opposition fighters in the area, state television and activists said. Death toll in Syria passes 100,000: UN (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Treasury Board President Tony Clement: The Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers, the union representing the officers, said Friday that Treasury Board President Tony Clement had rejected its offer of binding arbitration because the union wouldn't accept the conditions Clement attached to the offer, according to CBC. "Effective Monday, in order to persuade the government that binding arbitration remains the responsible way forward to resolve our dispute, PAFSO members will withdraw all services until further notice at Canada's fifteen largest visa processing centres abroad," PAFSO said in a statement and Striking foreign service officers are withdrawing all services at Canada's 15 biggest visa processing centres abroad starting Monday, following a failed attempt to go to arbitration to settle the bitter contract dispute with the government. The union began staging rotating job actions in the spring at different embassies and visa processing centres at different times, which has slowed down work abroad but not completely stopped it. Now the union is stepping up its pressure on the government. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Jose Canseco: Stop using drugs, he said, addressing the allegations Mayor Rob Ford has been caught on video smoking crack-cocaine. Just so you know, according to CBC. I ve got allegations of steroid use. So what? he said and Former home run king and Blue Jay slugger Jose Canseco once considered running for mayor of Toronto . But on a promotional visit to the city on Friday, Canseco only offered political advice. Canseco, speaking from the patio of Belly Buster Submarines, a sandwich shop on King Street West, didnt think much of the recent drug accusations. Canseco signs autographs and talks politics over a couple submarine sandwiches. Joshua Errett/ (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

Queen St. W.: Starting at 8 p.m. Friday evening, the intersection at York St. and Richmond St. will be closed until Aug. 17 for repairs to the streetcar track, according to The Star. Between 6:30 a.m. and noon Saturday morning, Yonge St. from Gould St. to Queen St. W. will be closed for the Live Green festival. Drivers are encouraged to use Bay St. as an alternative and Transit repairs and a handful of summer festivals will lead to road closures in Toronto this weekend. The Beaches International Jazz Festival will shut down Queen St. E. between Woodbine Ave. to Beech Ave. on Friday and Saturday from 6 p.m. to midnight. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

President Barack Obama: Lonnie Snowden has not had direct communication with his son since he fled to Hong Kong and then Russia, but sent a letter to President Barack Obama on Friday defending his sons actions as similar to acts of civil disobedience. More Related to this Story, according to Globe and Mail. Snowden gets copy of Dostoyevsky, but no leave to enter Russia, lawyer says The father of fugitive U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden on Friday criticized Congress for failing to rein in a sweeping surveillance program made public by his son and accused the Obama administration of pursuing him with a zeal to punish. U.S. House votes to continue NSA surveillance program (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.