Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivered a speech before a business audience in Guangzhou, China Friday. He told his listeners that Canada wishes “to sell our energy to those who wish to buy our energy.” He warned that Canada will not be deterred by “foreign money” from  “unstable places” from pursuing this program. It was a clear warning to middle east oil producers, most notably Saudi Arabia, to stop meddling in Canada’s energy marketing. Harper touted trade and cultural ties between the China and Canada and the importance of “Canadian values” such as human rights within the growing relationship between the two countries. See  the full speech at our sister blog, Mostly Media, embedded courtesy of the CBC. 

Tell us again why this place is smart? The architecture of the SmartCentres outdoor commercial site at Laird Drive and and Wicksteed Ave. has been much criticized. Now SmartCentres is applying to develop the land it owns north of Wicksteed and is promising to do a much better job of making the new development attractive and livable.  Many will be skeptical. The feeling is widespread that Toronto bought a turkey when it approved the present centre. The architecture is neo-Soviet. Altogether it has as much charm as a prison yard.  The city should tell SmartCentres to start over . 

The major parties have now nominated their candidates for the by election in Toronto-Danforth set for March 19, 2012.  The election will pick a successor to the late Jack Layton. The Liberals tonight picked advertising executive Grant Gordon (left)  as their candidate. He has been seen as a lacklustre choice as has been the Conservative nominee Andrew Keyes (right). The conventional view, which may be wrong, is that local affection for the late Mr. Layton will work to get  NDP candidate Craig Scott (centre) elected.  In winning the Liberal nomination, Mr Gordon  trounced Trifon Haitas, a Greek-Canadian journalist who describes himself as pro-life. There were concerns that the Liberals might be seen in this riding as a one issue party if Mr. Haitas has, by some chance, been nominated. 

Over at Bayview Ave and Moore Ave that prime billboard owned by CBS has exploded with a comic book ad for yogurt. It’s eye catching. Our limited knowledge of this graphic form suggests that the two red blips to the right of the young lady’s head are fairly standard comic book code for emotion or love. The things we write about. 

The popular Tassimo one cup at a time coffee maker is being recalled in Canada after complaints that it spayed hot liquid and coffee grounds onto users.  Some 900,000 Tassimo coffee makers are being recalled here and another 835,000 are being recalled in the U.S.The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says there have been 140 reports of problems with the Tassimo single-cup brewers dousing people, including 37 cases involving second-degree burns.In one incident, a 10-year-old girl from Minnesota was hospitalized with second-degree burns to her face and neck.The commission also says the coffee maker’s “T-disc” — the plastic disc that holds the coffee or tea — can burst while brewing and spray hot liquid.

Canada and China have reached reached agreement  on a deal that will protect investments by Canadian companies in China. It’s the first of many pre-prepared agreements that will be announced during Stephan Harper’s visit to China.  The two countries said they had successfully concluded negotiations of a Foreign Investment Protection Act. Both countries will now conduct a legal review of the agreement and then ratify. Ratification in Canada will include a review by Parliament.  Mr. Harper also announced a new Canadian tourism marketing campaign in China. It will urge Chinese travellers to spend their tourism dollars in Canada. Harper launched the new tourism campaign — which highlights Canada’s West, including the Calgary Stampede — at the official opening of the Canadian Tourism Commission’s newly outfitted marketing centre in the heart of Beijing.