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Nothing ‘exclusionary’ in focus on ‘vulnerable’ would-be refugees: Harper

OTTAWA — Canadians voted at advance polls and two more party platforms were released in full Friday, but the real drama of the race to form Canada's next government continued to revolve around the three Rs — religion, race and refugees.

With 10 days to go before the Oct. 19 election, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper asserted there is nothing "exclusionary" or political about his government's decision to focus on accepting refugees from the most vulnerable religious and ethnic minorities in the Syrian and Iraqi conflict.

"The minority religious and ethnic groups in the Syria and Iraq area are in fact being targeted by ISIS (Islamic militants) and its allies for extermination," Harper said on the campaign trail in Richmond, B.C.

"And that is why we put a higher priority — it's not exclusionary — but obviously why that is an important factor in making our refugee selection decisions."

News this week that the Prime Minister's Office quietly halted some Syrian refugee processing this summer while it conducted an "audit," ostensibly for security purposes, has become the latest flashpoint in an election that's been repeatedly roiled by allegations of xenophobia and Muslim-bashing.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau angrily denounced Harper's political operatives Friday for what he characterized as partisan-motivated interference in the refugee application and approval process.

"To know that somewhere in the Prime Minister's Office, staffers were poring through their personal files to try and see whether these families, or find out which families, would be suitable for a photo op for the prime minister's re-election campaign? That's disgusting," Trudeau said in Toronto before flying to Yellowknife.

"That's not the Canada we want; that's not the Canada we need to build."

Trudeau's incendiary charge mirrored some media reports, but is being hotly denied by the Conservative campaign.

Of the 11,300 Syrian refugees the government has committed to resettling since the start of the Syrian war, the vast majority are being resettled by private groups, mostly churches. 

But the PMO audit that was carried out in June focused only on government-assisted refugee cases, including those already in Canada and those still in the queue, forcing a halt to processing those files for several weeks.

In the context of vicious Middle East factional fighting that has become an unlikely backdrop to Canada's federal election, the PMO has effectively prioritized refugees of Christian and other minority faiths over the vast bulk of displaced families who are Shia or Sunni Muslims. An estimated 90 per cent of refugees in the region identify as Muslim.

Muslims make up roughly three per cent of Canada's population.

Coming after weeks of bruising, divisive debate on Muslim face coverings at citizenship ceremonies, which in turn followed an emotionally charged allegation that a drowned Syrian toddler's refugee family had aspired to come to Canada but was rebuffed, the latest flare-up sends the campaign teams into the crucial Thanksgiving holiday weekend in fighting form.

"What we've learned in the last couple of days is that, despite his emoting when we saw the lifeless body of that child Alan Kurdi on a Turkish beach, Mr. Harper and his Prime Minister's Office were in fact intervening to ensure that the neediest on earth — those Syrian refugees — would not make it to Canada," NDP Leader Tom Mulcair charged in Montreal.

"This is the same Stephen Harper who has been playing the race card non-stop in this campaign .... He's exploiting divisions among us."

All but lost in the highly charged claims and counter claims dealing with race and religion was the release Friday of the full NDP and Conservative campaign platforms, not to mention new unemployment figures that showed Canada's jobless rate rose slightly in September to 7.1 per cent.

Management of the economy was supposed to be the ballot box question this October as Canada struggles through years of slow growth and a technical recession in the first half of 2015 sparked by plunging global oil prices.

Harper continues to push the message that the choice for voters a week from Monday is between Conservative prudence and "reckless" Liberal spending with "immediate tax hikes" and deficits.

"I think when Canadians look at the cold, hard choices, they know which way we need to go to keep our economy on track," Harper said.

 

Bruce Cheadle, The Canadian Press

‘I offer my unreserved apologies’: text of Marcel Aubut statement

MONTREAL — Marcel Aubut, the former president of the Canadian Olympic Committee who resigned after sexual-harassment allegations, read out a statement to reporters on Friday, apologizing for his behaviour.

The following is a translation by The Canadian Press of his remarks, which were delivered only in French:

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for being here. I will read a statement and not take any questions.

I made the decision at noon yesterday (Thursday) to make this statement.

For the last 10 days or so, I have been living in turmoil.

The crisis brought on by my behaviour has also plunged into turmoil my family, my friends, my associates, employees and everyone who has been hurt by this behaviour.

Today, to all those people and to all the others who have been outraged by what they have seen or heard in the last several days, it is from the bottom of my heart, the bottom of my heart, and with all the sincerity I am capable of, that I offer my unreserved apologies.

In 45 years of professional life, I have always lived at 200 kilometres an hour and, this, without stopping.

And never did I question myself about about my behaviour in society. It has taken a crisis like the one I am going through and the one I am putting those close to me through to force myself to take a timeout and enter into deep reflection.

Today, the wake-up call is brutal. I have an enormous, an enormous, lots of, lots of, sorrow. I infinitely regret having hurt so many people who certainly did not deserve it. I hope that one day these people will be able to forgive me.

Today, I am taking a timeout during which I will carry out true introspection.

I have already begun consulting the best experts who will help me to change my behaviour and become a better person.

Thus, I informed my associates at the BCF law firm yesterday (Thursday) of MY decision to leave the firm. It saddens me to no end because my associates and colleagues at BCF have shown me a lot of openness and great empathy since the beginning of this crisis.

I want to thank them, sincerely, very sincerely, for this support and, especially, for their understanding.

I am convinced that the interests of the firm must come before mine. I have no doubt that BCF will continue its dazzling growth and will remain a law firm of great stature.

I especially want to thank my family, particularly my wife and three daughters who have comforted me and convinced me that the love that unites us is simply indestructible.

I also want to thank all those in the Olympic family who have supported me in my mission to boost the presence of our Olympic athletes, who, by the way, will always remain my heroes.

All throughout my career, I have worked unfailingly to carry through the projects that were close to my heart. I am proud of what I have accomplished and I intend to continue to have an active and fruitful professional life.

But I will have to do it with the determination and the energy I am known for while reminding myself that society has changed and that it demands greater respect between individuals, more specifically between men and women.

I assume full responsibilty for my actions. I have nobody else to blame but myself. Again, to all those I have hurt or disappointed, I reiterate my unreserved apologies and promise to do everything to become a better person.

Thank you.

The Canadian Press

Numerous side deals to accompany final TPP trade agreement, say officials

OTTAWA — The final text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership will be accompanied by a series of side deals for Canada, potentially on a range of issues, government officials said Friday.

But those side agreements, which will take the form of letters, won't be done in time for the government's planned release of a preliminary TPP text in the coming days.

On Thursday, Trade Minister Ed Fast promised to release a provisional copy of the agreement in the next few days.

Fast also said the deal would be accompanied by at least one side letter between Canada and Japan on processed and unprocessed forestry products.

A senior government official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Canada would be signing additional side letters — individual agreements between countries.

But the source said it was too early to say which specific sectors would be covered by them, and that along with the side letter on forestry, they would only be finalized when the final TPP text is completed.

The Canadian Press

U.S. senator asks US regulators to stop Montreal’s sewage-dumping plan

ALBANY, N.Y. — U.S. Senator Charles Schumer asked U.S. environmental regulators Friday to work with Canadian officials to stop the city of Montreal from dumping eight billion litres of raw sewage into the St. Lawrence River.

Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre said the weeklong sewage dumping would start Oct. 18 and is necessary as the city rebuilds a riverside expressway. The sewage will head away from New York, but it has drawn condemnation from U.S. officials.

Schumer urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to work with the Canadian government and the State Department to devise an alternative plan.

"If this plan is allowed to move forward, this sewage could severely impact the river ecosystem and wildlife, and the St. Lawrence County tourism industry on which the North Country depends," Schumer said.

The EPA released a statement Friday saying it has no regulatory authority in Canada.

"While EPA thinks it's a really bad idea to discharge 8 billion litres — over 2 billion gallons — of untreated sewage into any water body, the EPA does not have any jurisdiction over this matter because these discharges will not have an impact on U.S. waters," the agency said in a statement released by spokeswoman Mary Mears.

The St. Lawrence River flows from Lake Ontario northeast into the Gulf of Lawrence and borders the United States for 114 miles in New York state, but the river lies entirely in Canada downstream of Montreal.

The environmental group Save the River says there must be a way for the city to dispose of its sewage that's not potentially harmful to human health and wildlife.

"While our portion of the river is not downstream of where the city plans to release this massive amount of raw sewage, it is part of the river we work every day to protect," said Lee Willbanks, executive director of Save the River. "This is unacceptable and in this day and age we can and must do better."

Montreal officials say the sewage dump is needed so that workers can relocate a snow chute, a large opening that brings water from melting snow to a wastewater treatment plant.

Coderre said this week that city officials have selected the best option in terms of time and cost and believe drinking water for downstream communities won't be affected.

 

Mary Esch, The Associated Press

Man passes away after being struck by vehicle

Mock emergency exercise to be performed in Taylor Wednesday morning

Seattle Mariners fire manager Lloyd McClendon after 2 seasons in charge

SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners fired manager Lloyd McClendon on Friday after two seasons as new general manager Jerry Dipoto chose to bring in his own field boss.

Seattle announced the decision less than a week after the Mariners concluded a disappointing 76-86 season. Seattle started the year with expectations of contending in the AL West and reaching the post-season, but instead finished in fourth place in the division.

Dipoto was hired to replace Jack Zduriencik the final week of the regular season and said he would take his time evaluating whether McClendon would return. McClendon was under contract for the 2016 season.

"I have a great deal of respect for Lloyd, as a person and as a manager," Dipoto said in a statement. "It is a credit to his professionalism that the team continued to play hard through the final day of the season. However, after extensive conversations it became clear to me that our baseball philosophies were not closely aligned."

The Mariners said hitting coach Edgar Martinez and infield coach Chris Woodward have been invited to remain with the Mariners staff. Pitching coach Rick Waits and coach Chris Prieto have been invited to remain with the organization in different roles. All other coaches on the major league staff will not return.

McClendon raised hopes of a turnaround in Seattle after the Mariners went 87-75 in his first season and missed the playoffs by one game. But Seattle could not sustain the success from the first season and, combined with Zduriencik's firing, McClendon's status was in doubt once Dipoto took charge.

McClendon was 163-161 in his two seasons with the Mariners and was the only black manager in baseball. Dipoto's decision means Seattle will have its 10th manager — full-time and interim — since the club's last playoff appearance in 2001.

"I look in the mirror every night and I know I gave it everything I had every day," McClendon said on the final day of the regular season. "And, I said this earlier, my players gave me everything they had every day. Some nights it was good enough, some nights it wasn't very good. But, the effort was always there."

Dipoto came to Seattle after leaving behind a rocky relationship with the Angels and manager Mike Scioscia, who was already entrenched when Dipoto was hired in Los Angeles. Rather than try to force a relationship in Seattle, Dipoto will now be able to bring in someone he wants to work with.

McClendon was well-liked by his players in Seattle, specifically Robinson Cano. But the success of the first season — when Seattle had a lacklustreoffence but outstanding pitching — couldn't carry into the second year. Seattle's bullpen regressed significantly, the offence slogged through the first half of the season led by the struggles of Cano, and the Mariners could never recover from a 2-9 homestand in late May and early June.

Seattle was McClendon's second chance as a manager. McClendon was the manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2001-05, going 336-446. Pittsburgh never won more than 75 games or finished higher than fourth in the NL Central during his tenure and he was fired in early September of the 2005 season.

Tim Booth, The Associated Press

Trudeau lashes out at Conservatives over PMO’s role in refugee resettlement

OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Stephen Harper is insisting that while his government's refugee policy focuses on the most vulnerable religious and ethnic groups, it does not do so at the expense of others.

Speaking at a campaign event in Richmond, B.C., Harper says Canada's resettlement policy is focused on those minorities from Syria and Iraq that are being targeted by militants in the Middle East.  

But he insists it's not exclusionary, nor biased towards Christians.

He says Muslim minorities are also being targeted by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, also known as ISIL or ISIS.

Earlier today, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau angrily denounced the Prime Minister's Office for what he characterizes as politically motivated interference in the refugee application and approval process.

Trudeau says the PMO was making sure it could take political advantage of those families that were being accepted, something he calls "disgusting." 

He says a Liberal government would "absolutely not" prioritize religious and ethnic minorities.

The Conservative government ordered a review of some cases this summer as a result of intelligence reports that warned of possible security threats.

"We prioritize the most vulnerable people in terms of our refugee acceptance policies," Harper told a campaign event in Richmond, B.C.

"The minority religious and ethnic groups in the Syria and Iraq area are in fact being targeted by ISIS and its allies for extermination ... it's not exclusionary, but that is obviously why that is an important factor in making our refugee selection decisions."

Those minorities "are not exclusively Christian by any means," he added.

Media reports suggest the Prime Minister's Office was actively discouraging the Department of Citizenship and Immigration from accepting Sunni or Shia Muslims.

Trudeau says a Liberal government would "absolutely not" prioritize religious and ethnic minorities.

"To know that somewhere in the PMO, staffers were poring through their personal files to try and see which families would be suitable for a photo-op for the PM's re-election campaign, that's disgusting," he said.  

"That's not the Canada we want; that's not the Canada we need to build."

Of the 11,300 Syrian refugees the government has committed to resettling since the start of the Syrian war, the vast majority are being resettled by private groups, mostly churches. 

But the audit that was carried out in June focused only on government-assisted refugee cases, including those already in Canada and those still in the queue, forcing a halt to processing those files for several weeks.

The Canadian Press

US judge OKs $338 million settlement for victims of oil train disaster that killed 47

PORTLAND, Maine — A U.S. bankruptcy judge on Friday approved a $338 million settlement fund for victims of the fiery 2013 oil train derailment that claimed 47 lives in Quebec, clearing the way for payments to victims by year's end.

Judge Peter Cary announced his approval after Canadian Pacific dropped its objection to the settlement plan and after a Canadian judge gave conditional approval Thursday. He praised attorneys for working together to get a substantial settlement in place as quickly as possible.

Barring any surprises, payments could be made to victims by the end of November or by year's end at the latest, said Robert Keach, the U.S. bankruptcy trustee. About $83 million, or about $110 million in Canadian dollars, is being set aside to settle wrongful death claims.

"We don't pretend to suggest that we made up for everything that happened. But within the limits of the civil system, this is substantial compensation for the victims and they deserve it," Keach said.

A runaway train with 72 oil tankers derailed on July 6, 2013, in Lac Megantic, Quebec, setting off powerful explosions and causing fires that wiped out much of the downtown.

The disaster led to greater regulatory scrutiny of the use of trains to transport crude oil amid a production surge thanks to new technologies including hydraulic fracturing.

On Friday, the judge described the devastation from the fires as "vast and complete."

"My thoughts and good wishes go to the good town of Lac Megantic and the victims' families," Cary said after announcing he would sign the settlement.

After the fires were doused, the train's operator, Maine-based Montreal, Maine & Atlantic, filed for bankruptcy, and the settlement fund is tied to those bankruptcy proceedings in the U.S. and Canada.

The fund, worth $446 million in Canadian dollars, was the product of negotiations with about two dozen companies with potential liability. In addition to settling wrongful death claims, money will be used to compensate government entities and others for destruction and environmental damage.

Canadian Pacific owned the track where the crude oil shipment originated and contended it bore no responsibility, since the train that derailed had a Montreal, Maine & Atlantic locomotive and crew and was operating on MMA rail.

But Keach argued Canadian Pacific bears some responsibility for failing to properly classify the Bakken region crude oil, which was as volatile as gasoline.

Canadian Pacific isn't contributing to the settlement fund, and the railroad had contended the plan would have hampered its ability to defend itself from lawsuits, because the agreement provided legal immunity only to companies that do contribute.

But the altered amendment calls for a "judgment reduction provision" that would take into account the full settlement paid by others if Canadian Pacific is ordered to pay damages in the future.

"Although CP was not at fault in the derailment, we have been working with the trustee for a solution that protects CP interests and allows payments to be made to victims as soon as possible," said Canadian Pacific spokesman Martin Cej.

___

Follow David Sharp on Twitter at https://twitter.com/David_Sharp_AP

David Sharp, The Associated Press

Marcel Aubut apologizes for behaviour, quits law firm

MONTREAL — A seemingly repentant Marcel Aubut apologized on Friday for his behaviour amid widespread allegations he sexually harassed several women.

"For the last 10 days or so, I have been living in turmoil," he said in a statement he read out to reporters.

"The crisis brought on by my behaviour also plunged into turmoil my family, my friends, my associates, my employees and everyone who has been hurt by this behaviour.

"Today, to all those people and to all the others who have been outraged by what they have seen or heard in the last several days, it is from the bottom of my heart, the bottom of my heart and with all the sincerity I am capable of, that I offer my unreserved apologies."

Aubut, 67, stepped down as president of the Canadian Olympic Committee last weekend after women accused him of sexual comments and unwanted touching.

He also said in his statement he is leaving the BCF law firm and seeking counselling.

Interim COC president Tricia Smith said this week the organization's board was not aware of "any specific interactions that would be construed as harassment.''

La Presse and the Globe and Mail both reported a letter written to Aubut in 2011 indicated high-ranking people in the organization were uncomfortable with Aubut's conduct toward women.

Smith insisted the board did not know about the letter but said an independent body has been asked to look into the circumstances of the June 2011 letter.

An employee lodged a harassment complaint with the COC, but withdrew it with Aubut's resignation. Smith said the COC is fielding no other official complaints at this time, but other women have given interviews to Quebec media accusing Aubut of sexually harassing them.

The Canadian Press

B.C. Lions looking to keep momentum going against Winnipeg Blue Bombers

VANCOUVER — The B.C. Lions feel like things are finally starting to click.

After three roller-coaster months, the Lions put together their most complete performance of 2015 in last weekend's 46-20 demolition of the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

The offence under the direction of rookie quarterback Jonathon Jennings looked the best it has all season, while a defence that has struggled at times held an opponent to less than 300 passing yards and 100 rushing yards for a third straight outing.

The Lions (5-8) will look to keep those good vibes going when they host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (4-10) on Saturday in another critical matchup in the CFL's West Division playoff race.

"The team chemistry and work ethic all year long has been really good," said B.C. head coach Jeff Tedford. "I think we've grown in a lot of phases of the game. We've grown with some of our young guys."

The most obvious example is Jennings, who was thrust into the starter's role after both Travis Lulay and John Beck went down with injuries. The 23-year-old threw for 364 yards and four touchdowns against Saskatchewan in his second professional start, while also catching another TD pass on a trick play.

"Things are starting to develop and we're starting to gain a lot of positive momentum, a lot of confidence as a team," said Lions defensive back Ryan Phillips. "We can't let a team come into our place and go ahead and disrupt that or disrupt where we're trying to go."

The Lions are currently two points up on the Blue Bombers for third place in the West with a game in hand. A victory on Saturday would give B.C. some breathing room, while a loss would tighten things up heading down the final stretch.

Winnipeg is coming off a devastating 24-23 defeat last weekend to the Edmonton Eskimos where kicker Lirim Hajrullahu missed four field goals and an extra point.

The 25-year-old will be on the roster for Saturday's game handling punting duties, but head coach Mike O'Shea said international kicker Sergio Castillo will line up for field goals.

"It didn't make sense to trot (Hajrullahu) out there again right away," O'Shea told reporters in Winnipeg this week. "Let's give him a bit of time to clear his head.

"He's still a good kicker. He had a not-so-good day."

Winnipeg quarterback Matt Nichols has looked more comfortable since arriving in a trade with Edmonton last month and had a 320-yard performance through the air against his former team.

"They've got a good offensive scheme in the way they use their guys," said Lions linebacker Adam Bighill. "They do it well and we just need to make sure we limit that."

The Blue Bombers — this year's Grey Cup hosts — will have three games left on their schedule after Saturday and still believe they can make a run for a playoff spot.

Any realistic chance of that happening will have to start this weekend.

"You have no choice, it's either have hope or give up," said Winnipeg slotback Nick Moore. "We're not going to give up."

Notes: Lulay, who injured his left knee in a game last month, has practised the last two weeks and will be on the active roster behind Jennings. ... Winnipeg beat B.C. 23-13 at home on July 30. ... After Saturday's game, the Blue Bombers visit the Ottawa Redblacks on Oct. 16, while the Lions travel to take on the Eskimos on Oct. 17.

---

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Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press

Chamber of Commerce luncheon to focus on advantages of inclusive workplaces

Students complete Nunavut greenhouse in effort to combat hunger, high costs

TORONTO — A handful of university students have completed the construction of a greenhouse in Nunavut to grow cheaper food for the locals.

Ben Canning, a Ryerson University student, just returned from Naujaat where he helped build the igloo-like structure in a week.

Locals had been skeptical about the project, the 20-year-old Canning said, viewing it as "more white people" coming to help them. But once the students began toiling away on the greenhouse, he said their skepticism melted away.

Now the locals have dubbed it the "green igloo," said Canning, 20.

"They started to make it their own and that really put a smile on my face," he said in an interview Friday.

The "green igloo" is a geodesic dome, a modular sphere made with triangular polycarbonate panels. The team of four students will head back to Naujaat in March to complete construction on the inside of the dome and set up the hydroponic system needed to grow the plants.

Then in April, they will plant food, including tomatoes, cucumbers and potatoes. Nieto has begun organizing a women's collective that aims to bring women together on a regular basis in a cooking club using the greenhouse's bounty. And Grades 9 and 10 students from Tusarvik School will also use part of the greenhouse for their studies.

The final week of exterior construction was the culmination of two years of work for Canning and Stefany Nieto, both business students at the school's Ted Rogers School of Management. They wanted to tackle a social issue affecting Canadians, and after some research, settled on food scarcity in the North.

Food is outrageously expensive in places like Naujaat, which changed its name from Repulse Bay on July 2. It is difficult to produce locally so much of it comes in by boat or plane.

"The cost of food is a major problem," Naujaat's mayor Solomon Malliki told The Canadian Press this summer, adding that four apples cost him $13.

Starvation is a real threat in places like Naujaat, located on the Arctic Circle in central Nunavut.

The greenhouse-building team is part of Enactus, an international organization that connects students, professors and business experts with the goal of using entrepreneurial action to raise living standards.

Nieto went to Nunavut for a month in August to prepare for the greenhouse's construction. She said they've lined up a local woman to run the greenhouse full-time — although they are still working on finding grant money to be able to pay her salary.

The project, known as Growing North, is a non-profit operation and, if all goes well, they hope to expand to nearby communities in the next few years.

"I'm so, so excited and the community seems to have really embraced it," said Nieto, 21.

It wasn't an entirely smooth build. Construction was delayed a month because the ship with all their supplies had to wait for the thick sea-ice to melt. And, like any construction site, problems arose.

Canning said they only had access to two drills, a problem that can be easily solved for most Canadians with $60 and a trip to the local hardware store.

But that $60 drill, Canning said, sells for $450 in Nunavut. So they were stuck with two drills, tossing it back and forth as needed to screw the greenhouse together. It got done, even after a snowstorm dropped about 45 centimetres one day.

"It was hectic, but it worked," Canning said.

Follow @liamdevlincasey on Twitter

 

Liam Casey, The Canadian Press

Huskies not taking Vipers lightly heading into home opener

Labatt Breweries buys craft brewer Mill Street; hopes to the brand’s reach

TORONTO — Mill Street Brewery, one of Canada's leading makers of craft beers, is being swallowed by Labatt Breweries — the formerly independent industry giant that now belongs to the world's largest brewing group.

The acquisition of the privately held Toronto-based company will help Labatt market the craft label in new areas, including Quebec — the only province that currently doesn't have any distribution of the Mill Street brand.

"We think that this partnership will really help expand awareness of craft across the country," said Charlie Angelakos, Labatt's vice-president of corporate affairs, in an interview Friday.

"The folks of Mill Street have built a great business and we want to continue to help them foster that growth."

Labatt didn't announce how much it's paying for Mill Street but said it will invest $10 million into the company's existing brewery operations, as Mill Street tries to keep pace with its growing popularity.

Over the past few years, Mill Street has seen average sales growth of more than 15 per cent annually, according to data provided by the company.

"Many craft brewers in Ontario are experiencing this huge surge just to keep up with demand," said Mill Street co-founder Steve Abrams.

"This immediate infusion of capital will assist us in getting tanks and more equipment."

Mill Street was started in 2002 with modest aspirations by its three founders, but its success pushed them to move its facilities to a larger space four years later that could handle the rising supply demands.

Since then, the company has amassed an array of accolades, including Canadian brewery of the year at Canadian Brewing Awards for three consecutive years starting in 2007.

Mill Street has attacted a loyal following of beer drinkers, and some of them took to social media on Friday morning to express their concerns over the craft brewer being gobbled up by a large conglomerate.

Labatt — once an independent giant in Canada's beer industry — was bought in 1995 by a Belgian group that has continued to grow by buying and merging with other companies around the world. The group, now called Anheuser-Busch InBev, is currently attempting to buy the world's second-biggest beermaker SABMiller.

"Goodbye to craft. Hello average," posted @Simmsation on Twitter shortly after the announcement was made.

"Oh no! What a shame, I liked Tankhouse. I need to find a new beer," added user @nfitz1.

Others decided to take a more creative approach, considering ways that Labatt could mesh its Labatt Blue line with the Mill Street brand.

"Might I suggest 'Mill Street Blues' as their first hybrid ale?" suggested @jeremysale.

The popularity of craft breweries has been on the rise across Canada in recent years.

According to recent findings from data research company NPD Group, the consumption of beer declined by six per cent in 2014, but craft beer servings were up seven per cent.

Overall, the study found craft and microbrew beers accounted for 17 per cent of all beer consumed at casual dining restaurants.

Labatt has already been playing in the craft brew market with a relatively low profile. The company owns Shock Top, which is sold in the microbrew department at liquor stores.

"Craft beer in Ontario has gotten to the point where everyone is noticing," said Abrams. "This will hopefully bring it up to a whole other level."

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David Friend, The Canadian Press

Blatter associate says the FIFA president expects to get back to work within 10 days

LONDON — Suspended and shamed, Sepp Blatter is still hoping to return to power as FIFA president within the next 10 days.

Blatter was banned for 90 days on Thursday, essentially ending his 17-year reign as the leader of soccer's governing body. But Klaus Stoehlker, a close associate of Blatter, told The Associated Press on Friday that the Swiss official is aiming to be back at work very soon.

"He has made an appeal and everybody hopes there will be a decision in the next 10 days," Stoehlker said. "He is very, very tough ... he is sure he will have the right to be back. He doesn't feel he is out of the job. That's a huge misunderstanding."

Both Blatter and UEFA President Michel Platini were given 90-day bans in the wake of a Swiss criminal case investigating financial misconduct at FIFA.

Blatter has lodged an appeal, his lawyers said Friday, and has asked for the ethics committee to release the reasons for the suspension. Platini has also said he will fight the decision.

Even if Blatter's appeal fails, he could be back to work before the emergency presidential election scheduled for Feb. 26. Platini, however, would likely be forced out of the running to succeed Blatter if his expected appeal fails.

Given the extent of the crisis, however, the election could be postponed. That would be a decision for the FIFA executive committee, which is expected to meet on Oct. 20.

"We have to discuss this among ourselves and then we decide," Cypriot executive committee member Marios Lefkaritis told the AP. "It's not something automatically (to say) 'Yes or no.' It's a very important topic item."

One option could be to shift the election to the annual congress, which is due to be held in Mexico in May.

The acting FIFA president is Issa Hayatou, the head of the African soccer confederation. Hours after taking over as president on Thursday, Hayatou defended himself from accusations of corruption, denying that he and another former FIFA executive committee member received bribes of $1.5 million from Qatar at a meeting in Angola in early 2010.

"Someone said he was there when we were given $1.5 million each in Angola?," said the 69-year-old Hayatou, who is from Cameroon. "It's cash. How do you give each of us $1.5 million in Angola?"

Hayatou has said he will not stand in the upcoming election, leaving the field wide open.

Presidential contenders have to submit their candidacies by Oct. 26 to the FIFA ethics panel, which will assess whether they pass integrity checks. As it stands, Platini would almost certainly be deemed ineligible — even though his ban his due to expire before the election.

UEFA's 54 members, who are due to meet on Thursday in Nyon, Switzerland, are still backing Platini.

"We need to discuss (calls for an election postponement) in more detail and understand the timeline and implications for those involved, including Mr. Platini," Scottish FA chief executive Stewart Regan said. "Only then would we be able to make a balanced judgment."

It has been two weeks since Swiss investigators turned up at Blatter's office at FIFA headquarters and interrogated him. The criminal case centres on whether Blatter misused FIFA money by making a $2 million payment to Platini.

In a separate FIFA corruption case, Switzerland's justice ministry granted an American request to extradite Costas Takkas, a former assistant to CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb and the former general secretary of the Cayman Islands Football Association.

Takkas was among the seven officials arrested on May 27 in Zurich. He is accused of accepting bribes in exchange for awarding marketing contracts.

Rob Harris, The Associated Press

Business sentiment tepid in Canada: central bank outlook survey suggests

OTTAWA — Canadian business sentiment remains tepid overall, according to the latest business outlook survey by the Bank of Canada.

The survey suggested that the expectations of companies are diverging as they adjust to weaker commodity prices and a lower Canadian dollar.

The central bank says forward-looking indicators of business activity have improved, supported by a generally positive outlook for the U.S. economy and a weaker loonie.

However, persistent weakness in commodity prices are continuing to work their way through the economy, dampening the outlook for firms tied to the resource sector.

The survey found fewer firms anticipated difficulty meeting an unexpected increase in demand, while indicators of labour shortages remain at low levels, pointing to slack in the job market.

Overall, companies reported credit conditions tightened somewhat over the past three months, in particular for those exposed to the energy sector.

The Bank of Canada has cut its key interest rate twice this year in an effort to boost the economy, which has been hurt by the drop in oil prices.

The central bank's next rate announcement is set for Oct. 21 when it will also update its economic projections in its latest monetary policy report.

The Canadian Press

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