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Ambassadors from Canada and U.S. launch town hall meetings to allay USMCA fears

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Mounting concerns on both sides of the border are prompting the U.S. and Canadian ambassadors to meet with businesses in the wake of a new trade deal between the United States, Mexico and Canada.

In an interview with CBC Radio’s The House, U.S. Ambassador Kelly Craft said she and her Canadian counterpart, David MacNaughton, will embark on a series of town hall meetings to assuage fears from investors over the USMCA.

Craft also relayed a message for Canadians.

« I understand your frustrations, » she said of the fallout from sometimes fractious trade talks, while standing in the famous University of Kentucky athletics centre named after her coal magnate husband, Joe Craft.

The tensions created by the upheaval of the North American Free Trade Agreement and the birth of a new provisional pact (called the USMCA by U.S. President Donald Trump) have ignited uncertainty among investors.

Craft explained she and MacNaughton will travel around Canada and the U.S. speaking to cross-border industries and small businesses about the USMCA in an attempt to let them know the governments are listening.

The current plan is for two meetings each month, starting in December.

‘It’s not finished yet’

Touted as a solid deal for Canada by Trudeau government officials, Trump also hailed the USMCA as a big win for the new era of « America First. »

While both governments sort out the details and look for ways to use the deal to beef up their eventual re-election campaigns, businesses are still confused by what this means for them.

The USMCA still is not a « done deal, » said Ed Webb, the president and CEO of the World Trade Centre Kentucky. « It’s not finished yet. »

Canada is Kentucky’s largest foreign trading partner, with exports totalling almost $8 billion a year — more than the state’s next two largest partners combined.

But many investments have been halted until the new trade deal comes into effect and stability is re-established. That’s frustrating businesses in Kentucky  — and beyond. 

We need to be patient, we need to trust this will change.– U.S. Ambassador Kelly Craft

The state was also carefully targeted with retaliatory tariffs on products such as steel, playing cards and bourbon after Trump’s spring announcement that Canada would be subject to steel and aluminum tariffs.

Imposed by the U.S. administration on national security grounds, steel and aluminum tariffs became intertwined with the NAFTA negotiations, but Canadian officials failed to secure an exemption in the new text of the USMCA.

For the ambassador, it’s about playing the long game.

« We need to be patient, we need to trust this will change, » she said.

« The tariffs will at one point lessen. »

Car concerns

It’s not just the retaliatory tariffs Kentucky is concerned about. As in Canada, the possibility of a future bite from 25 per cent tariffs on autos is a staggering thought for the car industry in the Blue Grass state, which swaps millions of vehicles and parts across the northern border every year.

« We’re definitely concerned about how it affects our business with Canada, » Bruce Breitholle, the vice president of business operations at ATech, a company that builds training modules for auto manufacturers, told The House.

That concern was so overwhelming that it overtook the conversation at a business dinner Breitholle attended at the Kentucky Governor’s residence last month. The discussion quickly shifted to reassuring the Canadian attendees there was no animosity and that the Canadian market is a keystone of life in the southern state.

ATech automotive builds training modules for vehicle manufacturers. The company is concerned about what the USMCA will mean for their industry. (Elise von Scheel/CBC News)

ATech’s anxieties confirm the fears of Janet Harrah, a trade professor at Northern Kentucky University. She explained business is up in the state, but much of the growth is likely just inventory that was built up in anticipation of long-lasting tariffs — and that will harm Kentucky.

« If the cost of doing business here gets too high, people go somewhere else to do business, » she said.

Though the president has given Canada an exemption on auto tariffs — for now — it doesn’t come without conditions. If the U.S. moves forward with the imposition of worldwide Section 232 national security tariffs on autos, those would also apply to Canada.

Ottawa has effectively scored a temporary exemption, because Canada would still be able to export cars and parts tariff-free up to a certain amount well above what Canada currently sends south of the border.

Laura Dawson, Director of the Canada Institute at the Wilson Center speaks with CBC News Network about the new USMCA. 7:31

Even if the auto sector escapes punitive tariffs, the remaining steel and aluminum duties will drive up the cost of vehicles.

Cars are Kentucky’s biggest export to Canada. Auto manufacturing employs nearly 95,000 people in the state, according to the Kentucky Automotive Industry Association. The sting of new auto tariffs would be felt on both sides of the border, as about 130,000 jobs in Canada are based on vehicle manufacturing.

The Trump factor

As the U.S. leader throws jabs at Canadian officials, some in Kentucky’s business community expressed their embarrassment at the president’s behaviour.

« We don’t want to be seen as that big bad country, » Breitholle said.

« That’s the arrogance coming from way at the top. »

Despite the strain created by more than a year of negotiations, both Webb and Breitholle were optimistic no permanent damage would be dealt to the Canada-U.S. relationship.

The economic impacts, however, will be unavoidable.

How that trickles down and when those consequences will hit is the next big worry, Webb cautioned.

The USMCA still has to be approved by Congress, and ratified by all three North American nations.

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Anglais

Nostalgia and much more with Starburst XXXtreme

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Get a taste of adventure with Starburst XXXtreme based on the legendary NetEnt Game. The nostalgic themes are sure to capture fans of the classic version as they get treated to higher intensity, better visuals, and features. The most significant element of the game is its volatility. Patience will not be an essential virtue considering the insane gameplay, and there is a lot of win potential involved. It retains the original makeup of the previous game while adding a healthy dose of adrenaline. 

Starburst Visuals and Symbols

The game is definitely more conspicuous than before. The setting happens over a 5-reel, 3-row game grid with nine fixed win lines, which function if a succession from the left to the right reel is present. Only those players that that attain the highest win per bet line are paid. From a visual standpoint, the Starburst XXXtreme slots illustrates lightning effects behind the reels, which is not surprising as it is inherited from the original version. Available themes include Classic, Jewels, and Space. The game is also available in both desktop and mobile versions, which is advantageous for players considering the global pandemic. According to Techguide, American gamers are increasingly having more engaging gaming experiences to socialize to fill the gap of in-person interaction. Starburst XXXtreme allows them to fill the social void at a time when there is so much time to be had indoors. 

Starburst XXXTreme Features

Players get to alternate on three features which are Starburst Wilds, XXXtreme Spins, and Random Wilds. The first appears on reels 2,3, or 4. When these land, they expand to cover all positions while also calculating the wins. They are also locked for a respin. If a new one hits, it also becomes locked while awarding another respin. Starburst XXXtreme offers a choice between two scenarios for a higher stake. In one scenario with a ten times stake, the Starburst Wild is set on random on reels 2,3, or 4, and a multiplier starts the respin. The second scenario, which has a 95 times stake, starts with two guaranteed starburst wilds on reels 2,3, or 4. it also plays out using respin game sequence and features. The game also increases the potential with the Random Wilds feature to add Starburst Wilds to a vacant reel at the end of a spin. Every Starburst Wild gives a random multiplier with potential wins of x2, x3, x5, x10, x25, x50, x100, or even x150.

The new feature is sure to be a big hit with the gaming market as online gambling has shown significant growth during the lockdown. AdAge indicates the current casino customer base is an estimated one in five Americans, so Starburst XXXtreme’s additional features will achieve considerable popularity. 

What We Think About The Game

The gambling market has continued to diversify post-pandemic, so it is one of the most opportune times to release an online casino-based game. Thankfully Starburst XXXtreme features eye-catching visuals, including the jewels and space themes. These attract audience participation and make the gameplay inviting. The game also has a nostalgic edge. The previous NetEnt iteration featured similar visuals and gameplay, so the audience has some familiarity with it. The producers have revamped this version by tweaking the features to improve the volatility and engagement. 

That is characterized by the potential win cap of 200,000 times the bet. Starburst XXXtreme does not just give betting alternatives for players that want to go big. The increase of multipliers also provides a great experience. If the respins in the previous version were great, knowing that multipliers can go hundreds of times overtakes the game to a new level. 

Players should get excited about this offering. All of the features can be triggered within a single spin. Whether one plays the standard game or takes the XXXtreme spin route, it is possible to activate all of the features. Of course, the potential 200,000 times potential is a huge carrot. However, the bet size is probably going to be restricted and vary depending on the casino. It is also worth pointing out that a malfunction during the gameplay will void all of the payouts and progress. Overall, the game itself has been designed to provide a capped win of 200,000 times the original bet. 

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Anglais

‘We’re back’: Montreal festival promoters happy to return but looking to next year

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In downtown Montreal, it’s festival season.

In the city’s entertainment district, a musical act was conducting a sound check on stage Friday evening — the second day of the French-language version of the renowned Just For Laughs comedy festival. Tickets for many of the festival’s free outdoor shows — limited by COVID-19 regulations — were sold out.

Two blocks away, more than 100 people were watching an acoustic performance by the Isaac Neto Trio — part of the last weekend of the Festival International Nuits d’Afrique, a celebration of music from the African continent and the African diaspora.

With COVID-19 restrictions continuing to limit capacity, festival organizers say they’re glad to be back but looking forward to next year when they hope border restrictions and capacity limits won’t affect their plans.

Charles Décarie, Just For Laughs’ CEO and president, said this is a “transition year.”

“Even though we have major constraints from the public health group in Montreal, we’ve managed to design a festival that can navigate through those constraints,” Décarie said.

The French-language Juste pour rire festival began on July 15 and is followed by the English-language festival until July 31.

When planning began in February and March, Décarie said, organizers came up with a variety of scenarios for different crowd sizes, ranging from no spectators to 50 per cent of usual capacity.

“You’ve got to build scenarios,” he said. “You do have to plan a little bit more than usual because you have to have alternatives.”

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Anglais

MELS new major movie studio to be built in Montreal

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MONTREAL — MELS Studios will build a new film studio in Montreal, filling some of the gap in supply to meet the demand of Hollywood productions.

MELS president Martin Carrier said on Friday that MELS 4 studio construction will begin « as soon as possible », either in the fall or winter of next year. The studio could host productions as early as spring 2023.

The total investment for the project is $76 million, with the Quebec government contributing a $25 million loan. The project will create 110 jobs, according to the company.

The TVA Group subsidiary’s project will enable it to stand out « even more » internationally, according to Quebecor president and CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau. In the past, MELS Studios has hosted several major productions, including chapters of the X-Men franchise. The next Transformers movie is shooting this summer in Montreal.

Péladeau insisted that local cultural productions would also benefit from the new facility, adding that the studio ensures foreign revenues and to showcase talent and maintain an industry of Quebec producers.

STUDIO SHORTAGE

The film industry is cramped in Montreal.

According to a report published last May by the Bureau du cinéma et de la télévision du Québec (BCTQ), there is a shortage of nearly 400,000 square feet of studio space.

With the addition of MELS 4, which will be 160,000 square feet, the company is filling part of the gap.

Carrier admitted that he has had to turn down contracts because of the lack of space, representing missed opportunities of « tens of millions of dollars, not only for MELS, but also for the Quebec economy. »

« Montreal’s expertise is in high demand, » said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, who was present at the announcement.

She said she received great testimonials from « Netflix, Disney, HBO and company » during an economic mission to Los Angeles in 2019.

« What stands out is that they love Montreal because of its expertise, knowledge and beauty. We need more space, like MELS 4, » she said.

There is still not enough capacity in Quebec, acknowledged Minister of Finance, the Economy and Innovation Eric Girard.

« It is certain that the government is concerned about fairness and balance, so if other requests come in, we will study them with the same seriousness as we have studied this one, » he said.

Grandé Studios is the second-largest player in the industry. Last May, the company said it had expansion plans that should begin in 2022. Investissement Québec and Bell are minority shareholders in the company.

For its part, MELS will have 400,000 square feet of production space once MELS 4 is completed. The company employs 450 people in Quebec and offers a range of services including studio and equipment rentals, image and sound postproduction, visual effects and a virtual production platform.

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