Canadian dollar
After several years of heading down to the USA for a couple of months in the late winter, we have more or less decided we will not do it this year due to the poor exchange rate of the Canadian dollar....
Forum Discussion
Well, fortunately the world didn't come to an end when the Canadian dollar wasn't on par in 2008/9 and if you look at the prior decade plus going back from 2005 it surely wasn't.
As for the comments about Canadians wishing the dollar were back on par, are we really considering how badly this would impact our country right now especially with the global issues and oil prices we are all facing. Consider how much we are struggling now and that's allowing the higher exchange rate as oil producers are paid in US dollars per barrel!! It's going to cause further devastation at current barrel rates if the dollar drops right now.
Selfishly, I for one at my stage in life, but not for my working children, wish the Canadian/USA dollar were at par or better, for paying our USA non-homesteader property taxes, and our non-resident insurance rates and, and, and, but ........As the saying goes "be careful what you wish for".
I am not very aufait at all when it comes to political issues, so you can all have at her and leave me in the dust, but when everyone was dancing in the streets with lower at the pump prices (still nowhere near USA rates but ...) back in Fall 2014, I always responded about how it could be catastrophic for our oil industry so be careful what you wish for.
Whilst there is much news about Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary having extortionately priced housing right now, I am seeing folks, just as the USA did in the 2008/9 meltdown, distraught as their condos they are trying to sell are worth less than 10+ years earlier when bought in Alberta.
The grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence, and we should all be careful what we wish for. Albeit, when someone loses, another gains, and once in a blue moon it isn't always just the governmental agencies either (LOL).
IIRC isn't there deep concern right now as well that Canadians are holding over 75 billion dollars in cash that is not in circulation for economic benefits. I'm sure they said something like 60% of Canadians are holding their investments/retirement savings in cash, not trusting anything, which is a major concern as well.
Take a look at retail with what occurred with small established businesses as big box stores came into being on bulk and cheaper, and now with internet buying, Walmart's even shutting down stores. It's all fine and dandy wanting everything cheaper, but we watched a major icon 18+ years ago demise named Eatons, Marks & Spencers pulled out of Canada around the same period, then a couple years ago was bye bye Best Buy (just mobility kiosks left), now Sears that have been struggling for a long time are closing down many stores after much restructuring in the past decade plus. There's many many more. I want to know in a few years time, where I'll be able to try on a pair of shoes or a bra for healthy fitting and other items before purchase? Of course everything has it's window of opportunity, but we all seriously need to think forwardly on the impact of our actions today!
Talk on the street here en mass about who in their right mind voted for the current government in power. Well duh, with everyone bitching and moaning about it, some of them must have. No good shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted!
I just really wish that folks would look at the bigger picture in life and the longer term impacts our wishing and wants of today in such a NOW society will have after the fact. I also wish folks didn't have such short memories. ie; Early 90's fender stickers saying "dear lord send me another oil boom and I promise not to piss it away like I did the last one". Well, guess what? They got another one and what did they do? Evidence everywhere here in Alberta, but they've still got their dozen Rolex watches to pawn at least. Every day we've folks that were earning huge bucks in the oil and gas industry, but living high on the hog and are now crying about being able to keep roof overhead and food in their families stomachs. Amazingly others that never earned a quarter of their salaries, lived well but frugally, saved for a rainy day and aren't as stressed.
Of course generations behind us aren't going to know any different than what they experience during their life cycles, but they'll be facing other issues as change inevitably continues forward.
As for the comments about Canadians wishing the dollar were back on par, are we really considering how badly this would impact our country right now especially with the global issues and oil prices we are all facing. Consider how much we are struggling now and that's allowing the higher exchange rate as oil producers are paid in US dollars per barrel!! It's going to cause further devastation at current barrel rates if the dollar drops right now.
Selfishly, I for one at my stage in life, but not for my working children, wish the Canadian/USA dollar were at par or better, for paying our USA non-homesteader property taxes, and our non-resident insurance rates and, and, and, but ........As the saying goes "be careful what you wish for".
I am not very aufait at all when it comes to political issues, so you can all have at her and leave me in the dust, but when everyone was dancing in the streets with lower at the pump prices (still nowhere near USA rates but ...) back in Fall 2014, I always responded about how it could be catastrophic for our oil industry so be careful what you wish for.
Whilst there is much news about Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary having extortionately priced housing right now, I am seeing folks, just as the USA did in the 2008/9 meltdown, distraught as their condos they are trying to sell are worth less than 10+ years earlier when bought in Alberta.
The grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence, and we should all be careful what we wish for. Albeit, when someone loses, another gains, and once in a blue moon it isn't always just the governmental agencies either (LOL).
IIRC isn't there deep concern right now as well that Canadians are holding over 75 billion dollars in cash that is not in circulation for economic benefits. I'm sure they said something like 60% of Canadians are holding their investments/retirement savings in cash, not trusting anything, which is a major concern as well.
Take a look at retail with what occurred with small established businesses as big box stores came into being on bulk and cheaper, and now with internet buying, Walmart's even shutting down stores. It's all fine and dandy wanting everything cheaper, but we watched a major icon 18+ years ago demise named Eatons, Marks & Spencers pulled out of Canada around the same period, then a couple years ago was bye bye Best Buy (just mobility kiosks left), now Sears that have been struggling for a long time are closing down many stores after much restructuring in the past decade plus. There's many many more. I want to know in a few years time, where I'll be able to try on a pair of shoes or a bra for healthy fitting and other items before purchase? Of course everything has it's window of opportunity, but we all seriously need to think forwardly on the impact of our actions today!
Talk on the street here en mass about who in their right mind voted for the current government in power. Well duh, with everyone bitching and moaning about it, some of them must have. No good shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted!
I just really wish that folks would look at the bigger picture in life and the longer term impacts our wishing and wants of today in such a NOW society will have after the fact. I also wish folks didn't have such short memories. ie; Early 90's fender stickers saying "dear lord send me another oil boom and I promise not to piss it away like I did the last one". Well, guess what? They got another one and what did they do? Evidence everywhere here in Alberta, but they've still got their dozen Rolex watches to pawn at least. Every day we've folks that were earning huge bucks in the oil and gas industry, but living high on the hog and are now crying about being able to keep roof overhead and food in their families stomachs. Amazingly others that never earned a quarter of their salaries, lived well but frugally, saved for a rainy day and aren't as stressed.
Of course generations behind us aren't going to know any different than what they experience during their life cycles, but they'll be facing other issues as change inevitably continues forward.
