In the waning days of the Great Depression, FDR Signed the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 into law, heralding a new era of growth and prosperity for the nation’s heartland. While electricity was generally available in cities and towns, it was nearly unheard of on farms, ranches and other rural areas. The REA brought electric power to these sparsely populated Midwest farms and ranches. Today the shoe is on the other foot, so to speak.

The Canadian markets started the trading week off mixed with a falling United States currency helping the gold miners, while the financials and metal miners gave back ground. For the tale of the tape, the TSX Exchange fell 2.13%, while the TSX Gold Index surged 7.1% and the TSX Venture Exchange, Canada’s largest junior exploration bourse, rallied 1.73% with the advancing issuers inching past the decliners by a 426 to 422 margin on volume of 135 million shares traded.