Cineplex, Landmark to close theatres

TORONTO — Canada’s largest movie theatre chain, Cineplex, says it’s closing all of its 165 theatres until at least April 2 in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

CEO Ellis Jacob says Cineplex leadership has closely monitored the escalating spread of COVID-19 in Canada, while taking measures that included cleaning surfaces more frequently and selling fewer tickets at each screening to encourage social distancing.

“The health and safety of our employees and guests is paramount,” Jacob said. “The time has come for us to do more.”

Cineplex represents about 75% of the Canadian market.

Landmark Cinemas, the country’s second-largest movie chain with 46 theatres, followed shortly after Cineplex’s announcement saying it would close all of its locations across the country, which span Western Canada, Ontario and the Yukon.

A number of smaller movie chains and independent movie houses had already announced plans to close their cinemas in recent days.

3 convicted in case of Syrian boy Kurdi

VANCOUVER — The aunt of threeyear-old Alan Kurdi says she has mixed feelings after three people were sentenced in the human smuggling case that resulted in the deaths of her nephew, his brother and mother as they fled Syria in 2015.

Tima Kurdi said Monday the sentences bring cold comfort.

“What can I say? Yes, I am very happy,” said Kurdi, who lives in Coquitlam. “But it’s not going to help. It’s not going to bring my family back.”

The official Turkish news agency, Anadolu, reported Friday three organizers of the human trafficking ring linked to the Kurdi case were each sentenced to 125 years in prison.

Kurdi said she heard the news about the sentencing from her brother in Iraq.

“He was very sad to hear about it,” she said. “He recognized one of those three. It took him back to that time when he was trying to pay the smugglers.”

A photo of Alan’s tiny body washed up on a beach in Turkey focused global attention on the Syrian crisis. His five-year-old brother and mother also died when their boat capsized as they tried to make their way to Greece.

Kurdi said her brother paid smugglers $4,000.

Home sales, prices climb in February

OTTAWA — February home sales were up sharply compared with a year ago when sales hit a decade-low for the month, the Canadian Real Estate Association said Monday.

However, TD Bank economist Brian DePratto said conditions have changed due to COVID-19 and the market could slow substantially in the near-term, if not retrench.

“That said, sales are well-positioned to make a strong recovery once the impact of the virus dissipates, helped by an ultra-low interest rate environment,” DePratto wrote in a report. “With resale markets generally tight, we expect a rebound of sales activity that brings strong price growth once COVID-19 is convincingly in the rearview mirror.”

Mortgage rates have fallen in recent days in the wake of rate cuts by the Bank of Canada. The central bank has cut its key interest rate target twice to bring it down to 0.75%, and has said it is ready to make further changes if required to support economic growth and control inflation.

Sales for February, which included an extra day due to the leap year, were up 26.9% compared with February 2019.

The increase in the number of sales came as the national average price for homes sold last month rose 15.2% compared with 2019 to $540,000.

Excluding Vancouver and Toronto, the national average price was about $410,000, up 10.5%.

Manitoba continues standoff in chamber

WINNIPEG — The Manitoba government’s budget, which was supposed to be tabled last Wednesday, continues to be held up by a political standoff inside the legislature.

The Opposition New Democrats have been using delay tactics to halt proceedings. They say they are trying to prevent the government from introducing some 20 bills that could be passed into law this spring.

If the holdup continues through to this Wednesday, those bills may not pass until the fall. Last week, the NDP offered a compromise, saying it would allow the government to introduce its budget, but not the bills.

Tory house leader Kelvin Goertzen says he won’t agree to that and is calling on the NDP to let the normal business of the legislature go ahead.

The Canadian Press