Budget Day. This won’t take long, despite the fact the doc ran more than 720 pages and took two years to arrive.
The feds are addicted to spending. No wonder grey Bay Streeter Bill Morneau couldn’t hack it any more. Chrystia and Justin are taking deficit and debt to levels nobody ever thought possible. The red ink in the last year (spending over revenues) was $354 billion. Next year the shortfall will still be $154 billion. In fact half a decade from now (best case scenario) it will still be $31 billion a year. If interest rates increase in the meantime (they will), this gets worse.
Recall that under Mr. Trudeau (the younger) our nation will accumulate more debt than all of the 22 former prime ministers (including Trudeau the older) combined. The ratio of federal debt to the economy will rocket to 51%. With provincial debt added it’s 100%.
New spending is $101 billion. A big chunk of that is for child care which will add $8 billion a year in new, forever, program spending. That’s in addition to the $24 billion a year currently sent to parents, so you can guess where the Libs are looking for support.
Where does the money come from? Borrowing, not taxes.
There’s no GST hike, no capital gains tax inclusion increase, no new tax bracket for rich bloggers, no wealth tax, no jump in corporate taxes – nothing but the previously-announced hits on digital platforms and the luxury car/boat tax.
And what about the bubble real estate market that’s made homes unaffordable to so many?
Too bad, kids. Not only do you inherit a fat trillion in debt, but you get to rent forever, or move to Elliot Lake and raise elk. Not a single thing to cool off speculation other than the 1% foreign-owner tax we heard about long ago – before the foreigners bailed out. In fact, the feds are giving $40,000 interest-free loans to homeowners in yet another greeny retrofit program worth over $4 billion.
Conclusions: the housing market runs hotter. Your financial portfolio grows fatter. The wealth divide expands. The vote-buying goes vertical. It won’t be long now.
______________________________________________________________
“So,” I said, baring a toned, athletic and muscular upper shoulder, “how many have you jabbed today?
“Six hundred and forty-one,” she said. And in went number 642. I asked her if she was a volunteer or a health care professional. A family doctor, she replied. Then we talked about what life must be like for her colleagues in distant, diseased Ontario. Turns out her best bud is a gynecologist who has been pressed into emergency service in the ICU of a major Toronto hospital. “Whatever it takes,” she said. “So glad we are here.”
The squeeze and I got the Pfizer stuff on the weekend. Dorothy had spent the previous few days watching TV images of pop-up clinics in TO hoods where hundreds of people waited four or five hours for their chance to be vaxxed. It looked chaotic, disrespectful, disorganized and worrisome. Things weren’t helped much when some friends came by the house and relayed the experience of their high rise-living daughter in one of the “hot” Toronto postal codes.
A vax van arrived one day last week and announced over loudspeaker that 400 doses were on board, first come-first served. It was, she said, a desperate stampede.
Well, the inoculation centre in Halifax was in a hockey arena with a big sign outside telling people not to arrive until five minutes before their appointment. There was no line. But there was a greeter who thanked us for coming, then an iPad checkin, then the jabs, then 15 minutes in a recovery area patrolled by a nurse. Then out – twenty minutes in total.
Five minutes later the vax receipt arrived by email, along with confirmation of the hard appointment for the second dose, 105 days hence.
Side effects? A sore arm for a day, then nothing. “That means the antibodies are being created as your defence against Covid-19,” said the literature we left with. So now I’m full of these little suckers.
It’s been four months since I flew out of Toronto just as that city was shutting down for four weeks. It hasn’t opened since. Now things have devolved amid chaotic and conflicting policies and government announcements. Infections are at a pandemic high, the hospitals are seriously stressed and a five-year backlog for elective surgeries has evolved. Don’t get breast cancer or be in a car crash, in other words. There are over 50,000 active Covid cases in Ontario with 2,000 people in the hospital and over 700 in ICUs, the majority on vents.
NS is far smaller (one million compared to 14.5), but the numbers are tiny: 49 cases in total, two people in hospital, none in intensive care. There were 7 new cases on the weekend, which was kind of high. While my fancy corporate offices on the 53rd floor of a bank tower at King & Bay have been silent for more than a year with colleagues stuck at home, my wee bank by the sea has been full of employees and community groups. We shuttered for three weeks last April, but soon realized that was extreme.
So why has Covid – now decimating the Main Street economy of our biggest province – been a non-event in the East? How can people in NS be casual and decent about the vaxxing process when folks are treated like cattle in the Big Smoke?
Simple. Quarantines. For more than a year now (with the exception of a few months the Atlantic Bubble was in place) nobody can enter Nova Scotia without spending 14 days eating storm chips and watching Oprah in isolation. No shopping. No visitors. No walking around the block. It’s a total pain in the butt. And it’s been a defensive measure which kept the slimy little pathogen at bay. Now people are proud of it.
So far this year, as a result, one elderly woman died of the virus. In Ontario, sadly, two dozen perish each day. Premier Ford blames the feds for a vaccine drought. The prime minister argues back that doses have run 50% ahead of schedule. It’s political. Sad. Businesses across the province are on life support. It will be a miracle if any hair salons or restaurants are left standing by the time they’re allowed to reopen – maybe in May. Perhaps longer. The events of last weekend when the premier had to walk back provisions on Saturday that were announced on Friday only added to the confusion.
Well, as far as your money, investments, portfolio go, Ontario, BC, Saskatchewan and other places still crippled by Covid don’t much matter. The reopening of the American economy and the inevitable spread of vaccines across the world have pushed financial assets to record highs, amid massive government stimulus and central bank coddling. That will continue. Stay invested.
Meanwhile let’s come out of this long shadow understanding what we did right, and wrong.
About the picture: “This is our puppy Maggie – she will be 10 years old this summer!,” says blog dog Andrea, in Waterloo. “Maggie enjoys long walks around our neighbourhood and watching the bunnies hop through our backyard as our neighbour sold her house for $151K over asking. She wonders how much her dog house is worth these days?”
189 comments ↓
I expect nothing more than a self promoting self preservation budget from this PM. Nothing will be fixed and debt will balloon.
Fortunately, my vaccination experience in Toronto was much the same as Garth’s.
A notice to arrive 5 minutes before. iPad check in. Immediately ushered to the doc who administered the shot. 15 seconds of small talk. Then a 15 minute wait to see if any adverse effects occurred. Vaccine receipt handed to me in person. Then 4 weeks later, same-same.
My wife’s experience was the same.
The problem in Ontario is that there is zero consistency to the vaccine administration program.
Some people get good information.
Some areas are better organized.
It seems like it’s every man for himself for the most part.
Mayhem ensues.
Thanks for sharing your story, Garth.
Israel removed its mask mandate over the weekend after embarking on a massively successful vaccination campaign that drove cases down to negligible levels.
We will get there, too. Together.
Same here.
Got the shot in a large converted warehouse.
Everything went smoothly.
Got the Moderna. No waiting out in 30 minutes.
Thank you all health care workers and volunteers, who do the almost impossible, day in and day out.
Wow, the legend of Garth was all a lie. He’s just a regular John after all. Reminds me of when I found out Santa uses drones instead of reindeer.
‘Just watch me’?
https://www.mccarthy.ca/en/insights/articles/covid-19-can-they-do-part-ii-emergencies-act
“With respect to severity, the threshold for proclaiming a “national emergency” could be that “deal[ing] with” the emergency must be beyond at least one province’s “capacity or authority”, such that the provinces cannot collectively “deal with” the situation.”
Well that stupid leaked document does mention a bunch of stuff.
— Why is Ontario the focus? What do we have? Back in 2019 two elatively tapped-in people, totally seperate times, told me Water now is the key. What does Ontariowe have? Why ALL the Great Lakes
— Checkpoints are here Comrade. More chaos.
https://twitter.com/CBCOttawa/status/1384109520331304965?s=19
The backup on the westbound Highway 50 is about 10 kilometres, past Montée Paiement, on the first morning of the border checkpoints.
———-
— Anyone in Calgary? Ready for the new A.I. running our lives?
“”Predictmedix” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce deployment of Safe Entry Stations at 4 key office towers in downtown Calgary and Edmonton ….
Safe Entry Stations are powered by artificial intelligence (AI). Military-grade multispectral cameras use thermal imaging and a proprietary hardware configuration to capture data patterns that are analyzed instantly. They provide an immediate assessment of individuals looking to access shared spaces by screening for multiple symptoms associated with infectious diseases, such as COVID-19.
Get the AZ jab at a pharmacy at UBC, arrived 15 min early no one else there, in and out in 15 min. Pretty much all of my 55+ peers are either done or scheduled.
Ahh yes, the budget. “Hold the deficit to 400B”, Brilliant, just effing wonderful. selling the country and Canadians out, kick the can, nothing to see here folks, move along. Special place in hell for these opportunistic, sanctimonious financial incompetents.
Thanks I feel better now…….till this aft.
Garth, that is just a small example of how living outside of the big smoke differs. No NHL, NBA, CFL or any of that other stuff best viewed on TV with out the $35.00 beer is well worth the sacrifice of isolated locale living.
Halifax is just a Hamilton sized place, which is no substitute for GTA, if that is what people think they need, but at the end of the day, we all eat, bathe and sleep in our private abodes no matter where they are.
Life outside of the abode in the big smoke is just herd noise. I’m glad to have been out of there since my early 20’s in the mid ’70’s, all the while living on low income, which is not a problem here.
A backyard 240’X8000′ is better than a balcony anyway.
Inoculations for my age group start next month… but I admit that it bothers me that the timing for the second shot has been politicized and pushed out past the recommended window.
I may wait till they are done trying to plump the numbers… or I may go as soon as I can… still haven’t decided.
Was it worth it?
We will never know. What is the cost of a human life?
Or the cost of saving a life.
Billions were spent to fight WW2.
Was it worth?
Most would say it was.
To do what is right, always comes at a cost.
Success
Social Cohesion + Technical\Managerial Competence in government + Good Leadership + Vaccine Supply
Good to hear Garth. It’s no small treasure to witness people one cares about get taken safely out of a game that they had no interest in playing. It all lightens the heart a little each time the vax tale is told.
Truly a feat for our global society to go from zero to vaxxed in 1.5 years. It truly boggles the mind. Proof that we are far from done for as a species. We all know what at least one of the next big challenges for us is. It, likewise, wont be pretty, but I think we are up for it.
HAPPY B-DAY, BOOMERS!
***This is just the beginning of enormous changes in treatment of wealth and taxation needed to address the pandemic, social inequity, and the climate disaster that lies ahead.
Forget everything you thought you knew from the old days.
Those days are SO OVER.
Be part of the change.
Or be run over by it.
(Feel free to make your choice by 4 p.m. Maxime Bernier will love to get your angry support, and so will millennials be thrilled to see that – nothing like a divided, crumbling opposition to help make the needed dramatic changes in the next decade!)
This is just the start, Boomers. Be something. Or be irrelevant.
Garth, your description of the experience was a “deja-vu” moment for me. Here on V.I. it was exactly as you described. ( I only rated a nurse) but otherwise, Bingo.
Now the wait is on for “vu” two.
Had a “fun” call yesterday. My tax accountant called to get the final “must ask” questions before submission.
Like myself he is from ON. WOULD NEVER GO BACK to stay. Just a visit with relatives and old friends, but never go back to stay.
To much smoke in the BIG SMOKE.
Over on the housing front…
Probably one of the best views on the current state Canada’s housing predicament by mortgage broker Ron Butler. Very refreshing to hear someone call it like it is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmhbi-p5mhU
Easterners have been more conformist on the covid issue. Politicians are politicians. It’s the fault of the people of Ontario to point the finger at. I live in Niagara and there’s still a flood of GTA tourists coming down during lockdown to sightsee. Duh.
Unfortunately, with glowy testimonials about the East, there will be a migration forthwith. And next crisis, we shall see GTA behaviour in the East as well.
There’s lots of vax. Just do it.
On the topic of B+D investing. Here’s a great thread describing how easy it is to get lured into a modified form and screw things up:
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1383954970341380100.html
Doing the lockdown correctly than tracking and tracing has been a main component for success in all the countries that have had cases drop to practically nothing. By summer we will probably be mostly past this however poor policy means the end to many politicians careers this year.
“Well, as far as your money, investments, portfolio go,
Ontario, BC, Saskatchewan and other places still
crippled by Covid….” – Garth
BC crippled?? No problem getting groceries. Ditto haricuts. Everyone working at my old digs. Having problems getting qualified people actually. Trail parking lot was jammed with hikers, bikers and the horsey set yesterday. 24C.
Gym still open, though I haven’t been for over almost 2 years now. I do miss it, but I have the blowflex and yardwork to keep me going. Many solo bike rides, but still a weekly group ride of several buddies.
I don’t go to pubs much, so no worries there.
Toronto condos – will the State become buyer of last resort, one day?
https://storeys.com/toronto-buys-2-buildings-affordable-rental-units/
Toronto Buys 2 Buildings That Will House Over 300 Affordable Rental Units…will be dedicated to women, Indigenous residents, racialized groups, seniors, people with disabilities and people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
— Gee is this to help pay for the UBI or broke provinces?
Alberta is proposing to change the way you are treated by the legal system. The Administrative Penalties Act will mean you are guilty until you prove your innocence at your expense and based solely on the administrators rules not the established rules of law. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXHF_fULvwA&feature=emb_title
https://www.stalberttoday.ca/beyond-local/provincial-administrative-penalties-act-changes-rules-for-first-time-impaired-drivers-3142987
“It’s shocking what’s in there, frankly shocking. I hope that the courts, if this goes through, will overturn this. This is essentially trying to upend the traditions of justice and fair trials and the presumption of innocence,” said Runkle in the video.
……..
They don’t want us healthy at all. Once you get this it all makes sense.
Seen elewhere this picture, Exercise equipment @ Dollarama is blocked off, it may not be sold to you.
Turn to the black market Comrade, everything old is new again.
https://tinyurl.com/d5yr58w7
–Similar. Targeting the Children. TWO years in a row
.Ontario Baseball Association has gone ahead and canceled ALL tournaments for the season.. season hasn’t even started because of @fordnation ridiculous shut down of youth sports. If we were in BC or the USA, youth sports would still proceed.
My Toronto experience of vaccination – at St Mike’s – was the same as Garth’s happy to say. It sounds like the pop-up clinics being set up in some hotspots are the chaotic ones, primarily because they’re operating as first come, first served rather than taking appointments.
Well, if a dilapidated garage can sell for over $1 million, I’d say Maggie’s doghouse would fetch a considerable sum:)
Congrats on getting the vaccine Garth. My partner & I were jabbed last Friday (1st dose). AZ, since we didn’t qualify for the Pfizer or Moderna shot – not yet, anyway. We decided it wasn’t smart to wait given how nasty Covid can be. Some protection is better than none at all.
#12 Faron on 04.19.21 at 12:19 pm
Truly a feat for our global society to go from zero to vaxxed in 1.5 years. It truly boggles the mind. Proof that we are far from done for as a species.
———
Said the dinosaurs.
Meanwhile, far, far away in the outer reaches of the galaxy, multiple freezing and thawing cycles opened a rock fault in a relatively mundane asteroid, causing a large portion of rock to break away. The instability wobbled the asteroid left, then right, before it re-established stability… now on a very slight deviation from its previous orbit…
Good you got the jab Garth.
– Your welcome from the European Union.
Meanwhile we are behind here so countries like Canada, UK, Israel, etc., and Covax (provided Trudeau doesn’t try steal some more doses from the World’s Poor) can get jabbed.
June ought to see a TSUNAMI of EU vax coming your way Canada. Italia will be getting 54M doses that month, news out today.
Only 1-1/2 mo away.
Hang in there Canada until then.
————————
“Dire Straits” Canada vaxing on weekdays. “Non-Dire Straits” Sat, Sun vaxing where 205K and 140K administered or about half of what they are Mon to Fri. You’d think those would be the peak days for vaxing?
2.5M doses unused, sitting somewhere in Canada.
[12,646,210 received, 10,102,190 administered]
…41,029,578 jabs to go.
JUNE Canada. It will be June.
Canada Day may yet be celebrated with the Mother Nature’s yoke mostly removed.
Garth, if you are going to be critical of Ontario (and there is lots to be critical of) at least be fair and accurate.
The Vax experience for my parents was identical to yours and I am sure the experience of anyone over 65 is the same in Ontario. A scheduled appointment at a well run vax clinic in a rec centre, hospital or other large public facility. My parents got the jab at the Crossroads Centre – home to 100 Huntley St in Burlington. This group is getting Moderna or Pfizer.
Everyone in our small office is scheduled to get the AZ jab this week at a clinic run by a pharmacy – by appointment. No lines, minimal waiting – restricted to anyone 40 and over as of this week.
What you describe is the Province’s attempt to vax any adult (no age restriction) in a hot spot by holding seemingly random, pop up clinics at the location of a vax outbreak. Personally, I would rather see them hold these pop ups at workplaces but with cases running high in Peel and Toronto I can understand their strategy.
My wife got her shot yesterday too. I drove.
Only tinny tinny tinny bit shot arm at site today. My Dr had both his shots he told me on Wednesday. A number of my friends and family have also had one.
What I don’t understand is why the health care system was not prepared for this? They had plenty of warning (14 months), knew this was coming (all flues have variants) and there could have been lots of money funneled into the system vs destroying the economy with SERB. Maybe it’s because of an inefficient, public, unionized business model?
You allege that the economy is collapsing in Ontario, but what explains the rapid increase in house and rental prices in Toronto and the Greater Toronto region?
People are paying $800,000 for a house in Windsor or Barrie.
“It’s been four months since I flew out of Toronto just as that city was shutting down for four weeks. It hasn’t opened since.”
I’ll be joining you around labour day. I cannot wait to leave Toronto, and I’m counting down the days. If this city is destined to be a city for the wealthy and their servant class, then let them have it, and rot.
I’ll head east, where my skills, youth and, yes, tax dollars are wanted and needed.
What we did ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ will be highly contentious, even politically poisoned.
I for one will be watching how New Zealand/Australia’s winter trends as coronaviruses are exquisitely seasonal.
To this end, Alberta’s third wave is fading already, and it looks like Ontario will soon follow suit. Get vaccinated folks so that COVID is a non-story in the fall.
Good post. Canada should have made a coordinated plan to try to go for Covid zero, like Austraiia and New Zealand rather than these on and off again efforts at mitigation.
https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2021/04/17/Canada-Crazy-Pandemic-Response/
The border has been too porous to international travel and the enforcement of quarantines by foreign travelers way too lax, leading many places in Canada to be a petri dish of all multiple variants that entered from abroad. Needed a much stricter border control iike Australia and New Zealand, although they had the advantange of their geography and isolation. The next few months will likely be grim in many provinced, but then hopefully we round the corner with enough people vaccinated. There will likely be more surprises in store for us.
#23 Sail Away on 04.19.21 at 1:32 pm
#12 Faron on 04.19.21 at 12:19 pm
Said the dinosaurs.
—
Ha, sure. And then said interplanetary rock near-missed Earth, but swiped clean one third of the Starlink constellation thus providing earthly inhabitants with a beautiful show of rare-earth metals burning up on re-entry and a billion+ people were unburdened from inescapable internet connectivity that was slowly and insidiously eating into their well-being whether they knew it or not.
Mass extinctions of all kinds happen every 5 to 25 million years. Exogenous events are even more rare with the dinos being the last example. Human demise will most likely be endogenous and is still some time off.
#19 Dr V
BC crippled?? No problem getting groceries. Ditto haricuts. Everyone working at my old digs. Having problems getting qualified people actually. Trail parking lot was jammed with hikers, bikers and the horsey set yesterday. 24C.
—————————–
Yeah sure, but you forgot to mention the droves of partying young bozos at English Bay & Kits Beach ignoring every health directive possible. On the other hand, they’re invulnerable to disease, as I once was.
Bill Maher slaps down Liberals.
https://citizenfreepress.com/breaking/bill-maher-stunner/
We all know what at least one of the next big challenges for us is.
Just like any balloon, prices floating higher and higher can’t stay up or keep going up forever.
Sooner or later the balloons pop and fall to the earth.
When listening to the “puffery” of the Liberal Party as a emetic agents refer to this chart.
https://www.bankofcanada.ca/rates/indicators/key-variables/monetary-aggregates/
#32 Faron on 04.19.21 at 2:34 pm
#23 Sail Away on 04.19.21 at 1:32 pm
#12 Faron on 04.19.21 at 12:19 pm
Said the dinosaurs.
—
Mass extinctions of all kinds happen every 5 to 25 million years. Exogenous events are even more rare with the dinos being the last example. Human demise will most likely be endogenous and is still some time off.
—————————————————————
Isn’t this why Elon started Space X in the first place? To advance human space exploration and eventually colonize Mars.
DELETED (Covid denier)
#28 Clueless Gen Z on 04.19.21 at 1:58 pm
You allege that the economy is collapsing in Ontario, but what explains the rapid increase in house and rental prices in Toronto and the Greater Toronto region?
People are paying $800,000 for a house in Windsor or Barrie.
———
Clueless stupidity and FOMO would be my guess.
Wifi got both doses of fizer, 1st in jan, and 2nd feb. With 1st dose she slept day and a half, i on a second she was milking it, whopping 3 days on my couch. But ill remember that.
And on a side note prlossible side effects, laser eyes used more often. Other than that it was more or less uneventful.
definitely i didn’t observe development of zombies traits, or wireless communications with Microsoft. ;-)
#24 Dolce Vita on 04.19.21 at 1:38 pm
2.5M doses unused, sitting somewhere in Canada.
[12,646,210 received, 10,102,190 administered]
____
But Ford says the only problem is lack of supply. And he wouldn’t just make something up…
#27 Axehead on 04.19.21 at 1:58 pm
What I don’t understand is why the health care system was not prepared for this? They had plenty of warning (14 months), knew this was coming (all flues have variants) and there could have been lots of money funneled into the system vs destroying the economy with SERB. Maybe it’s because of an inefficient, public, unionized business model?
_________________________________
Simple. And nothing to do with that usual trope about “unionized” workers – such BS.
The reason, Axehead, is because Paleo-Boomer Conservatives under Stephen Harper deliberated gutted Canada’s ability to prepare for a pandemic through research and innovation.
https://www.thespec.com/opinion/contributors/2020/11/29/here-is-why-we-dont-have-vaccine-production-capacity-in-canada.html
Paleo-Boomer-Cons, please just get the hell out of the way, for the rest of your short remaining lives. There are huge challenges now, environmental and social, facing those of us about to inherit fully the mess you have left behind. This epidemic is just a small example of the curse of Boomer-Con stupidity.
Thank you so much, Stephen Harper :(
(Maybe if you weren’t such a jerk, Stephen, you would have listened more to people like Garth, instead of ostracizing him or banning any independent thinkers from caucus)
Stephen Harper is the primary cause of Canada’s pharmaceutical unpreparedness for Covid-19.
Just like Mike Harris gave away so many provincial resources and propped up the despicable for-profit long term care factories.
Just like Doug Ford has done everything to avoid a smart Nova Scotia-style lockdown to keep people safe, in order to better serve his wealthy corporate friends.
Boomer Cons all of them. Your time is up.
Garth,
So your third jab scheduled for Jan. 31st?
Kudos to you and the missus for getting vaxxed and announcing it on your blog. Hubby and I are getting vaxxed this afternoon. Can’t wait!
Got the jab today – astra
But no follow-up like Garth – perhaps it’s the Rogers/Fido thing – no cell/data service period for me
I am imagining the backlog on that network – once it gets up again it will probably go down!
Here is the link for Ontario to see if you are eligible for the shot, and to book an appt if you are:
https://covid-19.ontario.ca/book-vaccine/
I daily tried the site until it said I was eligible.
Garth, would it be too forward of me to suggest a hard link on your website’s main page so that others could find it? Maybe with links for the other provinces and territories?
Watched an Aussie Rules football match the other day, they had a crowd of well over 50,000 allowed. This is not uncommon. They have also opened a travel bubble with New Zealand. How fortunate are they!! Wonder what lessons Canada can learn about how to deal with a pandemic. The contrast is very stark. Australia also has their vaccine supply problems. Leadership???
Why does Garth continue to approve Millennial Realist comments when it brings nothing of value?
Accumulating debt takes effort?
Hey J. Garth – congrats on getting a shot in the arm. Just wanted to point something out to you and the dogs. “Side effects? A sore arm for a day, then nothing. “That means the antibodies are being created as your defence against Covid-19,” said the literature we left with. So now I’m full of these little suckers.”
Actually, it takes about 10-12 days before a meaningful amount of antibodies are created, and this peaks about 20ish days after the shot, so please continue to be careful, mask, etc, etc. particularly for the first couple of weeks after until your body has a change to make those antibodies.
Alberta extending qualification to 40+ for Aztra Zenica vaccinations, starting April 20th. I’ll be there. I’d rather take on the (infinitesimal) risk of a blood clot than the much, much greater risk of contacting Covid-19 and all the complications thereof.
I’m in Alberta; my Dad, who is dying from two types of cancer is in Ontario. I traveled once already to help care for him, exited Ontario just ahead of the latest lockdown. Some jackass on my return flight claimed a medical exemption from wearing a mask, then as soon as the cabin crew were out of earshot, lectured all of us on how we were being ‘manipulated by the government’.
On Emerging from the shadow, and assessing what was done right, and what was done wrong, I would offer that the hand off between the federal and provincial vaccine roll-outs has been a major failure.
– Vaccine doses are expiring unused in storage (5 months after delivery) while jurisdictions dither on who should get priority. FAIL
– Vaccination stations host multi-hour outdoor lineups in freezing conditions for recipients aged 80+, ALL with pre-booked vaccination appointments. FAIL
– Relying on ‘pull’ from the public to figure out how to book appointments with some myriad patchwork of apps, websites and suitability criteria. FAIL.
Vaccinations should have been ‘pushed’ to recipients, coordinated in much the same way as a federal election: everyone 18 or older gets a card in the mail, telling them where and when to show up and be vaccinated. A to F one day, G to M the next, N to S, then T to Z.
Age, occupation, etc. are all N/A because we could have had herd immunity in this country in less than a week.
““Well, as far as your money, investments, portfolio go,
Ontario, BC, Saskatchewan and other places still
crippled by Covid….” – Garth”
No, they just had a big beach party, ignoring the BC’s rule to limit gatherings to 10 people. No arrests. The government is sending a strong message that they aren’t enforcing rules, even though deaths are increasing. Massive incompetence from Bonnie Henry and John Horgan.
I am furious at how this country has mangled what should have been a smooth response. We’ve seen how it could be in places where it was successful. But no, we’re governed by cowards.
Andrew Nikiforuk called it in his recent column at The Tyee: “This chosen “catastrophe” starts at the top with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Remarkably, he still does not consider the pandemic an emergency requiring national standards, national goals, national direction or a co-ordinated response. Right. That would require leadership and hard decisions.”
“Yaneer-Bar Yam and Nassim Nicholas Taleb, two brilliant experts on risk and complexity, have noted that governments really only have one true job: to uphold the collective safety of their citizens against systemic risk.
Failing that mandate of prudence by gambling with the lives of citizens is a professional wrongdoing that extends beyond academic mistake; it is a violation of the ethics of governing,” noted the experts last year in the Guardian.
For those interested, the link to the article that has made me furious this morning, one long painful year later is here: https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2021/04/17/Canada-Crazy-Pandemic-Response/?utm_source=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=190421
I would vote for Mark carney for PM. We would then get some adults in the room.
https://financialpost.com/news/economy/does-mark-carney-have-his-eyes-on-canadas-top-prize
Garth…..Dorothy had spent the previous few days watching TV images of pop-up clinics in TO hoods where hundreds of people waited four or five hours for their chance to be vaxxed.
*************
I’m surprised! I was vaccinated in Costco pharmacy in Etobicoke same day in 20 minutes after I came there. No line, no folk. When I was done came only one gentlemen. And to many other vaccination spots around me. Some of them just in 200 meters and less than 1 km from me. I guess people don’t know how many vaccination spots is open and just go to special clinics.
Can be only one reason. All this vax spots using AstraZeneka. If you want Pfizer – med clinics only.
In addition, what I’d like to recommend to readers this blog. Now vax providing for people elder than 55 years old. But soon will be for everybody. Since that time will start – trust me, line will be huge. Hurry up to save your time if you 55+
I’d like to thank all those anti-vaxers and those too fearful of the AZ vax. It allowed me to get an appt so much sooner. I read a story over the weekend that one clinic in North Vancouver was allowing walk-ins of the AZ vax, as so few people were signing up for appts.
I registered for the AZ vax on Friday afternoon. I got my text alert on Sunday to pick my appt time for Wednesday. I’m quite confident I will be perfectly fine taking the AZ vax. I have a greater risk of getting run-over in the clinic parking lot.
The federal government saying they will not exceed $400 billion for the deficit is like me saying I’m sticking with my diet and will not exceed 400 pounds.
Looking forward to your budget commentary, Garth. Glad you and Dorothy got your vaccines. Really enjoying the blog reader dog photos, the little stories accompanying them are enjoyable to read.
DELETED (Anti-vax)
Its always a cycle….wait for Covid cases to erupt, wait 2 weeks, put in a lock down after cases have plateaued, claim lock downs solved the problem.
Ontario has already plateaued.
Wife and I each received the Pfizer jab 2 weeks ago. We are now vaccine missionaries. We walk the hood and try to convince others to get the jab too. Some are going to wait to see what happens. I tell those guys to get their affairs in order.
Some of us received the jab joke about the anti vaxer theories out there.
All I can tell you is that I feel like Popeye the Sailor after he has taken his spinach. I can feel the spiked protein antibodies flowing through my body and looking for a fight.
Be a hero…do your part and get the vaccine…any vaccine because it will keep you out of the hospital and more importantly out of the ground.
“It looked chaotic, disrespectful, disorganized and worrisome.”
Like the Federal budget.
#33 ‘Dam’ – one of the many problems with getting folks to pay attention to public health measures is the (mistaken) belief that age = immunity from Covid. More specifically, death/complications/long term health effects from Covid. Call it the Covid trojan horse effect – no issues if you are young/healthy, don’t worry, no armed warriors ready to lay waste to the landscape here! Hence group get togethers, Covid ‘parties’ aka ‘Darwin Awards’.
Conservative fool Stephen Harper is directly responsible for Canada’s lack of vaccine preparedness.
https://www.thespec.com/opinion/contributors/2020/11/29/here-is-why-we-dont-have-vaccine-production-capacity-in-canada.html
If you care about the people in your life, stop voting for this ridiculous Paleo-party.
Be part of the change.
Or be run over by it.
A friend told me that a local pharmacy had appointments available for 55+ years old. Booked my appointment on their website and got my shot on Saturday. Now they’re advertising for 40+. It’s there if you look for it.
Yeah, last Thur we also got the jab. A week previously I got a call from the doctor’s office wondering if we would like to get vaccinated with the Moderna version. The appointment was set for the following week. We showed up at the clinic a few minutes early, and one person ahead of us was just finishing checking in—no one behind us. Had to go through a double screen, then quickly got the shot. The post-waiting area was only half full, and I remarked to my wife, that it looks like they could easily push through twice as many. When we got the paperwork, the 2nd shot is scheduled in August, same day of week, to the exact minute. When they say it can be stretched out to 4 months, they weren’t kidding.
This is Ontario! Main difference, this is small-town Ontario, not the Big Smoke.
Put a fork in Canada as we knew it.
We’re done. Well done.
We are averaging 1/3 of a Million Vaccines a Day in Canada Nothing in our history comes close to that.
Considering further that we don’t manufacture a single dose (yet) landing 14 Million vaccines (which we will have done by tomorrow) is also nothing short of amazing.
There have been bumps along the way, and Doug Ford has been inefficient in his roil-out. He still has a million vaccines in his freezer.
But by Victoria Day we will have done close to 60% of the adult population which, considering we were at 3% on March 1st is also amazing.
Once again Lucky to be Canadian.
re: Five minutes later the vax receipt arrived by email, along with confirmation of the hard appointment for the second dose, 105 days hence.
your experience sounds familiar to mine down here in Maryland but second dose was received in prescribed 3 weeks to the day
Be part of the change.
Or be run over by it.
—————————
mil realist, you are forgetting genx, you will be needed to serve us food and stuff for 30 or 40 more years.
I got Pfizer vax last Monday.
Booked appointment on line , got my time slot for spouse and I.
No line ups , was in and out in half an hour.
No pain , no side effects .
We have our august appointment for second shot scheduled when we booked our first appointment on line
#54 R on 04.19.21 at 3:56 pm
I would vote for Mark Carney for PM. We would then get some adults in the room.
—
I am ready to vote for him, too. But how can we get him there :)
Trudeau isn’t in any rush to retire, and he is 7 years younger than Carney.
Only two scenarios: the Libs lose, Trudeau steps down, Carney runs for the leader and wins, then the Libs come back to power; takes 4+ years in total. Or, Carney joins another party; but they all have leaders, which one is willing to step down?
Close the provincial borders, stay home and don’t have indoor parties. Not a secret formula and it works.
Going out, visiting friends and relatives (even in a garage), shopping trips at big box stores and eschewing AstraZeneca because of the 0.00004% clot risk will get you a 3rd wave.
The farther east you go, the reasonableness, friendliness and hospitality gets better and better. Nova Scotia is great for that…Newfoundland gets the trophy.
Yet we feel superior over Atlantic Canada.
Glad you got the jab, Garth.
I got my shot in the first 7th percentile of the country. True Story:
A friend of a friend said his Pharmacist has a small stash of prime Astra Zen, but only 100 shots. I called on a secure phone, and we arranged to meet.
No side effects except for a sore arm, and a strange yet unshakable desire to vote Liberal.
Just kidding about the Liberal part……….that is how Toronto Sun conspiracy theories get started.
Comrade H swings the hammer in BC. Roadside checks, ferry and hotel restrictions.
thank dog for the cottage. no pandemic out there. 7 orcas swam by for dinner viewing, a small pod of dolphins on the boat ride over and northern lights all on the first day out in full on summer waether.
on the downside tics seem bad this year, check your pets and self…bloodsucking parasites, they remind me of socialists.
MMT at it’s best.
Spend now. Someone will pay later.
Enjoy while the party’s on. Protect your wealth.
#66 Billy Buoy on 04.19.21 at 4:54 pm
Put a fork in Canada as we knew it.
We’re done. Well done.
—————
What?
Best Country on Earth!
According to USNews.
Google it.
#59 Ed on 04.19.21 at 4:23 pm
Its always a cycle….wait for Covid cases to erupt, wait 2 weeks, put in a lock down after cases have plateaued, claim lock downs solved the problem.
Ontario has already plateaued.
—
Possibly; and if so, that means we should either have locked down earlier, or not at all.
But, imagining myself in the Officer of Health’s shoes … the hospitals are filling up, the ICU beds and the nurses/technicians who can operate them are all in short supply, and there is no way to accurately predict the case counts for the coming 2 weeks.
Would I “panic” and advise a lockdown? Or remain optimistic/complacent, hoping that the cases will be going down without any actions?
The cost of choosing the first option and being wrong is less dramatic than the cost of choosing the second and being wrong. And here we are; I can’t blame them.
Freeland:
1. Extended Covid benefits, no EI qualified get cut in July, “only” $300/wk.
2. Empty or vacant home tax for foreigners, 1%.
3. Luxury car and boat tax.
4. +$4 a carton (evil smokers).
5. Muted Green Plan, not much.
6. Deficit “lower” than projected at $354.2 billion.
7. $15/hr min wage.
8. $10/day day care
9. > 75 yr olds OAS +10%
…and a partridge in a pear tree.
She forgot the kitchen sink. Election budget.
Speaking of debt:
My chart of Canadian Household Debt, GDP, Foreign Direct Investment and Balance of Trade is up with the latest data:
http://www.chpc.biz/household-debt.html
Net Trade Data: In the last 12.25 years, 82% of the monthly data have been negative.
10 Year Change in Canada:
Household Mortgage Debt: UP 69%
Total Household Debt: UP 58%
Net Trade: DOWN 44%
FDI Out vs FDI In: UP 633%
GDP: UP 15%
Speaking of the Pfizer Vaccine:
My spouse and I had the Pfizer shot on April 12th, and also a similar reaction… a sore arm muscle for a couple of days. We were advised that a 2nd shot may be available in 4 months. I continue to use a double mask when I do my weekly food shop.
I have been whining about how we allowed inter-provincial and international travel for a year now… and it still continues and in part is fueling this 3rd wave and spreading new variants.
We did not follow the basics in a global pandemic… test, trace, isolate and keep our borders closed.
Not everyone can do it, but a work from home lifestyle is a lifesaver.
Oh man, I didn’t even make it past the first paragraph… This is what this blog has been preparing us for for the last little while. As a true Green Ultra Leftwing Snowflake, all I can say is O’Toole 2021! This has to end.
#42 M R
Describes your feckless prattling to a T!
“If a man is not a socialist by the time he is 20, he has no heart. If he is not a conservative by the time he is 40, he has no brain.”
Carry on with your ageism and Enjoy Utopia, apparently they don’t call loans, bwahha
59 Ed on 04.19.21 at 4:23 pm
Its always a cycle….wait for Covid cases to erupt, wait 2 weeks, put in a lock down after cases have plateaued, claim lock downs solved the problem.
Ontario has already plateaued.
BINGO AND THAT’S HOW THE RETARDED CANADIAN LEMMINGS HAVE BEEN PLAYED FOR OVER A YEAR BY DIABOLICAL POPITICIANS
I HAVE YET TO SEE SO MUCH STUPIDITY IN THE GENERAL POPULATION AS I HAVE SEEN IN ONTARIO IN PARTICULAR AND CANADA IN GENERAL…
THEY TAKE THE TOP PRIZE!!
Well the money printing party continues…
Leave no Left Wing Activist Group behind!
Welcome to 2nd world nation status…
Apparently and so far, Cdns not that happy with the budget…well, on Sky is Falling Twitter:
BNN BLOOMBERG POLL: How do you feel about Canada’s economic outlook after the budget? 4:42PM EST
Better 15.1%
Worse 66.8%
Same 18.2%
870 votes
·
22 hours left
———————–
Liberal Spin Engine with a tough task ahead of it.
Maybe you can explain this to me Garth, how are the Liberals going to achieve the deficit numbers below over the next few years?
2021 −$354.2B
2022 −$154.7B
2023 −$59.7B
2024 −$51B
2025 −$35.8B
2026 −$30.7B
Kind of hard to believe esp. 2022 onwards.
Could not find anything concrete in the MSM so far on how Freeland plans to do it.
Maybe she is going to step down and let Paul Martin take care of it?
There is no collective “we” on this one. DoFo wears fully the disaster that is Ontario, right down to his soggy shorts. Pfizer juiced last Friday at provincial site at Grimsby YMCA. Fast, smooth, and well organized, thanks to Niagara Health.
#69 bdwy on 04.19.21 at 5:04 pm
Be part of the change.
Or be run over by it.
—————————
———
I prefer the following with grammatical correction:
mil realist, you are forgetting genx, you will be needed to serve as food and stuff for 30 or 40 more years.
Johnboy!? What ? No scotch?
#120 albertaguy shivering in ab on 04.13.21 at 9:40 pm
Yesterday got first shot of AZ. Woke up at midnight…heart rate 90, skin hot, not shivering but shuddering….got up..2 tylenol..giant glass of water…woke up at 7…achy and shivering….more tylenol and water…more sleep..up at noon….temperature down…not so shivery…back to sleep…up at 4..shower..2 more tylenol….hungry now….should be right as rain tomorrow
You forgot the scotch. – Garth
Here’s a news flash for you folks, The Deficit ? It doesn’t matter !!
Where’s the ballot box…it’s time for Trudeau and the Liberals to go.
Libs are in tough. Most governments won’t survive. And that budget believe it or not doesn’t do much for people. And I don’t think enough to heal the economy. Debt burdens are just too big.
Singh has the opportunity of a lifetime to speak to Canadians in a way that matters rather than big billions that seem to do nothing.
Thinking parliament gets even more fractured but I don’t have any clue about how Quebec will vote.
My 2 cents.
cigarettes: I know nobody who buys retail.
Everyone drives to the reserves …
another Zero generator
#79 Brian Ripley
Great chart. Something we can all guess at but the numbers don’t lie. The spending and debt fills the gap in the real economy. Which keeps going in the wrong direction.
Agree on your conclusions:
hotter, fatter, divide expands and vertical.
Went thru my mind.
Zen.
———————
Besides raising Elk at Elliot Lake, the kids can also:
Go do archeological and conservation work on the HMS Erebus & HMS Terror at $15M.
After that they can give TOURS as they will be familiar with 20,000 leagues under the Arctic, well, maybe just a few leagues.
Kind of like a Submarine Excursion NEMO tour.
https://www.viator.com/tours/Antalya/Submarine-NEMO-Excursion-with-transfer-from-Kemer/d586-9398P287
Still, there are many that underestimate this crafty little bug and feel the threat is a conspiracy theory, like a certain gym in Mississauga that recently got busted. A mindset built on emotion rather than rationale with the the potential of super spreading. Wonderful.
Roll up your sleeve at the soonest availability.
My hair style resembles Boris Johnsons, while distinguishing, it mats down in the summer and proves most annoying.
#84 Dolce Vita on 04.19.21 at 5:49 pm
Apparently and so far, Cdns not that happy with the budget…well, on Sky is Falling Twitter:
BNN BLOOMBERG POLL: How do you feel about Canada’s economic outlook after the budget? 4:42PM EST
Better 15.1%
Worse 66.8%
Same 18.2%
870 votes
·
22 hours left
———————–
Liberal Spin Engine with a tough task ahead of it
****************************************
I’d guess most BNN readers aren’t T2/NDP voters
Economic studies show that childcare pay for itself in an increased taxation base.
Affordable childcare gets two parents back to work instead of one…and the economy benefits from the massive increase to the labour force and productivity.
If you were to look at the calculations the feds have done to support the investment in childcare, you would see that this will directly increase the taxation base over time. It will reduce the number of families that take in net benefits and push them over the hump into the middle class that pays more taxes than they get back in benefits.
Quebec increased its taxation base this way already.
#84 Dolce Vita on 04.19.21 at 5:49 pm
Liberal Spin Engine with a tough task ahead of it
—
Getting 33% of respondents on BNN saying it’s fine or better than fine likely corresponds to 60% support in the gen pop. Think about who the readers of BNN are? Certainly more CPC than Libreal/NDP/Green.
Luxury tax for boats under $249,999.99 is not applicable.
Whew, that was close. But most boaters here should be able to squeak in under 250k when it’s time to upgrade.
What’s a new tugboat go for these days?
vacant home tax what a joke.
rent to a relative/friend/anyone1 for $1.
I heard somewere that the budget will balance it’s self. Could that ever be true? Enough Sarcasm.
Some might find these interesting.
Warren Buffett’s Life Advice Will Leave You SPEECHLESS (MUST WATCH) 13min Jan 4, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfP9OQhcwdY
An Imminent Threat from Artificial Intelligence | Aidan Gomez | TEDxOxford 13min Nov 12, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0rwZXt-C04
Get the Covid shot if offered/eligible.
My Mom passed away last March (2020) from advanced-stage intestinal cancer, just a few days before the first of the Ontario Covid lockdowns, PPE requirements, hospital visiting restrictions, elective-surgery cancellations, and all the other full-on preventative measures. We were tentatively preparing for Hospice care, but unfortunately she took a sudden turn for the worse and passed before it became necessary.
I was with her for most of her last days…As I left her room for the final time and just stood there with a bewildered look on my face and my eyes red and swollen, her nurse approached and gave me a comforting hug and some soothing words … in those pre-covid days, it was one of the best hugs I’ve ever received.
We consider ourselves very fortunate to have been with her in the hospital at the end, as hard as it was to know that she was slipping away. At 86 years of age, she had lived a good life, raised a fine family, and to our minds at least, was The Best Mom Ever.
I can only feel sorry for the thousands of people who could not see, or touch, or talk to, their loved ones during their final days due to the Covid restrictions.
Garth, keep on beating the Covid Vaccine drum…long, hard and loud! I went on my pharmacy waiting-list a week ago, and was notified today that my first shot is tomorrow morning. I am SO looking forward to it.
From ‘Game Over’ by George Papaconstantinou
The inside story of the Greek crisis.
‘Today I am no longer in politics. I am persona non grata in my own country, with many blaming me for the crisis we are in for and their personal difficulties. Rather than the man who too harsh but necessary decisions which avoided the worst possible outcome for Greece. I am the architect or the hated memorandum, to many a traitor to the country.
Greek society is desperately worried about its present and its future, having been let down by its self-serving political system and its broken institutions, with its values adrift. A large part of society is also buried deep in denial. It’s quick to blame the ones who stopped the partyin which so many were participating, very angry and looking for the fall guy, the convenient scapegoat. That turned out to be me. I was the one, who when the music stopped, turned on the lights and told everyone the party was over. Nobody likes that guy.’
What to say? Socialist Canada becomes more socialist.
A story that always ends well as we all know.
These people forget Canada came close to needing IMF in the 90s?
Unforgivable.
Recall that under Mr. Trudeau (the younger) our nation will accumulate more debt than all of the 22 former prime ministers (including Trudeau the older) combined.
……….
Reap what U sow, Canada
best wishes
Deficits are warm guns….
Bang bang shoot shoot
Deficits are warm guns… .
When I hold you in my budget (oh yea) and I feel my finger on your future.. I know no one can do me no harm.. because deficits are warm guns…don’t you know that happiness is a hot hot deficit
Bang bang shoot shoot
Popped into my head
OK, the dog fetish is out of control. We need a palette cleanser please.
Enough of these furry creatures pooping all over the sidewalks and grass our kids play on. Each with an owner who guaranteed doesn’t have a 100% record on the scooping part.
Let’s see…
A cat.
A horse.
A frog.
A pink flamingo.
A chameleon.
Something else but a dog! There are other animals in this world, let’s be a bit more aware of their existence and more inclusive. I can for animals diversity month!
OK, the dog fetish is out of control. We need a palette cleanser please.
Enough of these furry creatures pooping all over the sidewalks and grass our kids play on. Each with an owner who guaranteed doesn’t have a 100% record on the scooping part.
Let’s see…
A cat.
A horse.
A frog.
A pink flamingo.
A chameleon.
Something else but a dog! There are other animals in this world, let’s be a bit more aware of their existence and more inclusive. I call for animals diversity month!
Is it possible …just maybe that national debt doesn’t matter as much as we think it does? I have been reading more about new economic theory to try to see this from another perspective. My old school views on dept and economics are being challenged and I am wondering – maybe there is a better way for this time in human history. “The limits we confront are perceptual and intellectual. A human-centred theoretical framework reveals ample scope for policy changes that can achieve full employment, equitable and sustainable development for all. Moving the debate to the underlying driving values and away from the illusion of immutable economic laws will allow everybody to participate in the debate about the future of economy and our planet.” more here: http://www.neweconomictheory.org/content/need-new-theory
#106 Chameleon on 04.19.21 at 7:34 pm
OK, the dog fetish is out of control. We need a palette cleanser please.
_____
Wise words indeed. Obviously a cat lover.
The canine fetish here is truly dogawful.
Greetings! Congratulations on the 1st jab!
A budget focused on an expedited economic recovery/infrastructure plan would’ve been preferred (needed) in my opinion rather than an opportunity for the liberals to unveil an election platform (and buy votes from parents) – as stated by Garth. Too much pandering to parents! I wish a leader would would speak up for all Canadians (single, married divorced, kids, no kids). I wish O’Toole was more marketable/likeable!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hem8RG0tsUw
Well my Pfizer vax a week ago in the Big Smoke was easy peasy. Very organized. The media is in business to sensationalize, they run to the worst line in the city and broadcast that out as the norm.
“Conclusions: the housing market runs hotter.”
Will there ever be a greater fool?
BC announced today: People born 1981 and earlier (40+) can get the AstraZeneca vaccine at eligible pharmacies with vaccine supply in the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, the Interior and Northern B.C.
I checked with my local pharmacies and got our vaccination appointments for tomorrow.
“or move to Elliot Lake” and live with the wrinklies
Regret paying my taxes already.
Feel like a real galah…
M46BC
@#Millennial Realist
Montreal Simon would love to have you in his echo chamber……
https://montrealsimon.blogspot.com/
Or.
Perhaps.
You ARE Montreal Simon and dream of someday having a blog with this many intelligent commenters.
Keep dreaming.
Sorry to burst your bubble Garth.
But i distinctly recall you railing against the Covid restrictions in the Atlantic provinces; you claimed they were way over the top.
You don’t get to have it both ways– criticise Covid policies and paint them as undue restrictions on civil liberties, but then claim you supported them all along when things turned out well.
I was wrong. It was the correct decision. We’ve all learned a lot in a year. Not too late for you. – Garth
Classical Liberal Millennial wants to know “Why does Garth continue to approve Millennial Realist comments when it brings nothing of value?” Well maybe so he can put him in his place like he did in one of yesterdays final comments. So glad I had my “Thirstys” on!!
HAPPY B-DAY, BOOMERS!
Be part of the change.
Or be run over by it.
With $400 billion in deficit and $1.2 trillion in debt to be kicked down the road the tire tracks will be running right up your Millennial butt. – Garth
Mine is another anecdote about successful vaccination clinics in a rural area. Small town Ontario is doing its best.
Lots of people helping their friends and neighbours with online booking of appointments.
Lots of people driving others to the vaccine clinics 20-40 minutes away.
Lots of volunteers from various service organizations helping to run the site at a hockey arena.
The simple fact is that those jurisdictions that took a proactive and strict approach with controlling Covid, through border controls, supervised quarantine, snap lockdowns, masking, social distancing, and close contact tracing, have been the winners.
Canadian Atlantic provinces, Australia and New Zealand are all in this group. They correctly identified that there is no economy without controlling a pandemic– “balancing” the virus against the economy is a false dichotomy.
Meanwhile those jurisdictions that have tried to have it both ways, keep the economy running while continuing free population movements, unsupervised and short quarantine measures, continuous opening back up as soon as the curve started to flatten, little effective social distancing and half-implemented lockdowns, has resulted in a disastrous outcome that has allowed new variants to become embedded in the population.
The outcomes are irrefutable and are very clear for all to see.
Today Australia and New Zealand re-opened free movements between the 2 countries, without quarantines. With no Covid, Australian economy is running full heat, although tourism operators still hurting.
To all those anti-maskers and anti-lockdowners and anti-border control people– its time to face the facts. You were wrong. Now is the time to admit your failure and pivot to the correct scientific approach.
It’s a lesson for us all that we need to listen to scientific experts not ill-informed right wing or left wing populists.
DELETED
The line for covid jab in small village in Southwestern Ontario was short. Administrative folks and jabbers were all smiley and nice (most Canadians know what smiley and nice is…it’s a Canadian thing) and efficient and we were out of there quick with nothing but good vibes. I had forgotten what normal society was. It was so uplifting to see our world function in a normal and stress-free way. It’s the first normal act of going forward in my life in a year and seeing everyone ready to move off the covid ramp and taking back being human
“nobody can enter Nova Scotia without spending 14 days eating storm chips and watching Oprah in isolation. No shopping. No visitors. No walking around the block.”
Not entirely true. As one of the lucky few airline pilots still employed, I’ve flown into Halifax from outside the bubble. Exempt from quarantine I’ve walked around and gone for meals in local restaurants. I’ve also been flying to the US during the same time period. Yet I still can’t get a vaccine. Essential but not essential.
Canadian dollar hanging in there at .7985. Maybe not so bad after all.
Big Numbers Resonate. 151K over asking price. Sounds very impressive. Appraised home value? 4Million? Not so impressive. Why is investment related information always given in percentage terms? And Housing is always in Cave Man Dollars.
I was wrong. It was the correct decision. We’ve all learned a lot in a year. Not too late for you. – Garth
That’s the humble Garth we have been waiting for 10 years and more! Love it! Respect!
Hey Felix,
As we read here ad nauseam:
“Be part of the change.
Or be run over by it.”
Get fake dog ears and lick humans. Might save your butt.
Signed: your pal Woof.
@Steve French #120
Well said. Thank you.
#96 Just another parent on 04.19.21 at 6:39 pm
Economic studies show that childcare pay for itself in an increased taxation base.
Affordable childcare gets two parents back to work instead of one…and the economy benefits from the massive increase to the labour force and productivity.
If you were to look at the calculations the feds have done to support the investment in childcare, you would see that this will directly increase the taxation base over time. It will reduce the number of families that take in net benefits and push them over the hump into the middle class that pays more taxes than they get back in benefits.
Quebec increased its taxation base this way already.
———————————-
Care to cite your source? “Economic studies” don’t cut it here in this comments section.
I did my own study and determined all it did was give non-working parents more time to go to the gym and then for coffee or lunch.
It will be of great benefit to all those doctors and lawyers who currently use child care though. Except for the ones that have nannies, I don’t suppose they will be covered.
And what about older children who are in before and after care? Do they get a subsidy? What about people who have a day-home arrangement? Or is it only factory style child care in a strip mall that qualifies?
In any case the fundamental flaw with this proposal, aside from implementation problems, is that it fundamentally makes no sense to pay for daycare to put someone to work at a job that doesn’t pay enough to pay for day care. Gets votes though.
Re #13 by Millenial Realist
Every time I read one of your jealousy filled posts it makes me laugh. And you should be jealous. Us Boomers lived through the most fantastic time frame ever seen on this planet and we know it. The best girls, cars, music, movies…you name it. There is absolutely nothing you can do to even come close to hurting us and those memories. All you and your friends want to do is scowl and try to bring other people down. Ain’t gonna work with us Boomers. Suck it up buttercup.
doug ford is so over his head.
what a failure
“So why has Covid – now decimating the Main Street economy of our biggest province – been a non-event in the East? How can people in NS be casual and decent about the vaxxing process when folks are treated like cattle in the Big Smoke?” – GT….
It’s true that quarantine and the ‘bubble’ were successful , but it’s also true that the demographics of Nova Scotia support the ‘unity’ required to make those sacrifices and decisions. “Like mindedness”, if you like. Older population. Obedient boomers who understand that the ‘needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few”.
The places that have struggled with high case numbers are dense urban centres with young populations and ethnic diversity. This isn’t speculation, it’s been all over the news for more than a year. Montreal is a good example along with areas of the lower mainland and greater Toronto Area. Calgary and Edmonton, too.
Young populations in both those cities. There were many public closures, but the parties went on indoors, rules disobeyed. Congratulations to Nova Scotia, but I’m unconvinced it would have worked universally across the country given demography.
How about that budget? Freeland wore black for dramatic effect, but I keep the sound off as her voice and delivery drive me crazy.
More taxation of vacant homes owned by foreigners. Oh well, just reach into the duffle bag of laundered money to pay for it, I suppose. But how about that “consult” to take place in coming months to see if special rules need to be established for small tourism and resort communities? Whistler, Huntsville, and dog knows probably even Lunenburg must be protected for the rich and famous.
The real slap in the face was the taxation on luxury items. Just as I was about to cut a cheque for that DHC-6 Twin Otter I’ve had my eye on…..
I’m sure Freeland is a good presenter. I didn’t read the whole budget proposal, but what she presented intuitively does not look good: too vague. She should have done better if there is anything of substance. Looks more like a platform speech. I’m afraid the money will be spent with no good outcome. Childcare I support but as of now it’s hard to put trust in their ability to have it done.
My sister just sold her house in Delta today for 1.557 million – 107k over asking and it’s a basic house on a 1/4 acre lot in a subdivision.
Now she doesn’t know what to do, she hoped prices would drop and they would buy in lower. Wonder what will happen now to the market.
Poilievre did a good speech. Mildly annoying voice and speaks reason when criticizing others. I’m thinking of introducing him to my friend Pierre Delecto.
Looks like Trudeau hopes that the NDP vote against the budget
I got my Shot in Kamloops McArthur Park yesterday. It was a easy and no hassle experience. A nice RN.. Randi was friendly and professional and helpful. I want to Thank all the Volunteers, and Health Care professionals, that made my Vaccination a neighborly experience. Thanks to all those helping others.
#108 Watertower on 04.19.21 at 7:39 pm
Is it possible …just maybe that national debt doesn’t matter as much as we think it does? I have been reading more about new economic theory to try to see this from another perspective. My old school views on dept and economics are being challenged and I am wondering – maybe there is a better way for this time in human history. “The limits we confront are perceptual and intellectual. A human-centred theoretical framework reveals ample scope for policy changes that can achieve full employment, equitable and sustainable development for all. Moving the debate to the underlying driving values and away from the illusion of immutable economic laws will allow everybody to participate in the debate about the future of economy and our planet.” more here: http://www.neweconomictheory.org/content/need-new-theory
===
Please beware of the leftist tricksters, and don’t fall for their tricks. They can’t show any practical proof that their “theory” works, and they know that. How do they avoid admitting that? Easy – they use terms like “illusion” when describing existing economic theories that actually work.
And then they wrap the products of their own wishful thinking into meaningless pseudo-progressive buzzwords.
It is true that the modern monetary system is more resilient than the systems that existed 50, 100, 200 years ago, and can absorb more public debt before the inflation goes out of control. Some of the excess cash is absorbed by the “sponge” of bonds, held by private investors and big mutual funds for a long time. Some fuels the asset inflation; I believe the growth of house prices is part of it. As long as the prices of basic food and clothes are stable, no panic buying occurs and the inflation remains in the acceptable range.
That made the governments complacent, and happy to spend without taxing. Eventually they will accumulate more debt than all the containment mechanisms can handle, and the flooding (hyperinflation) will begin.
That’s not an if, that’s a when. May be 5 years from now, may be a few decades; hard to predict as we are in the uncharted waters. A perpetual motion machine can’t exist in the economy, just as it can’t exist in thermodynamics.
Australia is an only child.
It can do what it wants most of the time.
It has a cousin across the Tasman Sea named New Zealand.
Canada on the other hand is a Conjoined Triplet with the U.S and Mexico as siblings…
M46BC
So when does the impaling begin?
LOL at the entire budget–and everything else going on right now. History will dictate that this entire thing will prove to the biggest wealth transfer in history–and they did it in plain sight. Jim Cramer admitted as much last Fall. Here comes a magic potion and suddenly, all our troubles are solved…
Imagine that.
-When you’re born into this world, you’re given a ticket to the freak show. -George Carlin.
This budget announcement is designed for a ramp up to an election. The Federal NDP has been all over Trudeau on Child Care and Universal dental. I doubt the NDP will bring down the gov before an October vote. They need the time and money. Nobody seems to be concerned about the debt…fed, prov, municipal, household notta. The variants are proving the response to be warranted which plays well to a liberal reelection once most voters have received both shots.
I would wager that a majority will vote for the money and supports in troubling times.
I’ve got this troubling feeling we are might soon be known as the first domino of the next great world fiscal crisis.
It’s just a slight itch. Not a glaring, open, flesh wound.
Oh and note that at #129 I was careful not to say “working moms”, because as much as this is being billed as a “feminist agenda”, it also would apply to stay-at-home dads or dads who earn less than their spouse. things these days are not so simple and it is hard to bill anything as men vs. women anymore. But that is as it should be. Women’s rights are human rights, as they say, but human rights are also men’s rights. Good policy works towards equality.
In other news….
NASA successfully test flew their toy helicopter on Mars today, and the comments sections all over the internet were “but there is no air on Mars!” Remember these people vote. And prove once again that 50% of the population is below average intelligence. And completely uniformed.
Mars has an atmosphere, just a very thin one. The atmosphere on earth is very thin when you get up to where airplanes fly too, especially things like the SR-71, but there is some air, just not enough to breath. Mars does not have any oxygen though. It does have CO2, but no oxygen, making the prospect that there is life pretty slim. (Life as we know it converts CO2 into oxygen. Well, plant life anyway. So if Mars had oxygen it would be a pretty good indicator that it has life.)
Anyway great day for NASA and a sad day for comments sections everywhere.
I personally don’t believe that “ there’ll be a time to point fingers” is the right strategy. Being patient and complacent in the total lack of a coordinated federal response has killed tens of thousands and will kill thousands more.
Trudeaus Covid response has been incompetence personified and in another definition, nothing short of criminal. The absence of malice aforethought is arguable as Trudeau and his advisors received actionable information that deaths would occur if actions were not taken and Trudeau chose not to act and stated his policy supporting his negligence.
Any lawyer could present a case for involuntary manslaughter. The definition is unarguable. Trudeaus intentioned negligent action lead to the deaths of thousands.
That you live in a Liberal riding and received a vaccination is proof of Trudeaus intention. He has so far vaccinated only ridings and postal codes that support his voter pool. Furthermore his race and religion based distribution is disputable, internationally recognized as such.
I’m glad you’re safe(r), but you are because someone else isn’t. The nurses and doctors who haven’t been vaccinated aren’t celebrating your success.
Multi-Nationals given 100+ Millions in CEWS with no rules, then doesn’t claw back when they give out executive bonuses a la GFC and increase divvies.
Robbery, full stop.
Remember ex BC Premier Christy Clark is testifying at the Cullen Commission on money laundering Tuesday morning (today out east) at 9:30 am PST.
Re: Where’s My Money Gone Greedeau? To Multi-Nationals In The 100+ Millions! on 04.20.21 at 1:09 am
Oops forgot the website for Christy Clark testimony https://cullencommission.ca/webcast-live/
#95 Don Guillermo on 04.19.21 at 6:37 pm
#84 Dolce Vita on 04.19.21 at 5:49 pm
Apparently and so far, Cdns not that happy with the budget…well, on Sky is Falling Twitter:
BNN BLOOMBERG POLL: How do you feel about Canada’s economic outlook after the budget? 4:42PM EST
Better 15.1%
Worse 66.8%
Same 18.2%
870 votes
·
22 hours left
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Liberal Spin Engine with a tough task ahead of it
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I’d guess most BNN readers aren’t T2/NDP voters
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Funny how some Canadians did not vote Liberal or NDP., eh Don g? Pfft.. democracies!
“Pfizer CEO says third Covid vaccine dose likely needed within 12 months,” reads a recent CNBC headline. “Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said people will ‘likely’ need a third dose of a Covid-19 vaccine within 12 months of getting fully vaccinated,” we are told.
Not enough. We want to make sure we nail it this time so everybody PLEASE register for 2 years worth of shots.
Well, Garth, the budget was a big nothing-burger for housing. No speculation tax. No increase to the capital gains inclusion rate. Only a toothless foreign owner / vacancy tax that won’t come into effect for another 8 months and which won’t even be enforced.
I think it’s nice that the budget is 724 pages, and the increased debt will be 725 billion dollars. Makes the math nice and easy, about a billion dollars/page. What a bargain. Free schtuff for everyone, come and get it.
Obviously, the problem was not enough government control over the planning and distribution of the economy. Good thing they’re getting that fixed, I mean, “reset”.
As Trudeau or Freeland themselves say in their word-salad communiques (I’m paraphrasing):
“No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?”
Doubling an already record debt? Pfft. Who even cares any more.
I am sure Canadians are grateful to the Liberals for relieving the good folk of Canada of the burden of making decisions about their financial welfare for generations to come.
Not all Ontario vax centres are popups. My vaccine experience, in Toronto, was exactly as Garth’s was. Show up 10 minutes before appointment, greeted by the iPad person, get jabbed, rest for 15 minutes then leave with the receipt and next vax date. Oh, and it was in the gymnasium at CAMH. All of my vaccinated friends have had exactly the same experience.
#107 Chameleon on 04.19.21 at 7:34 pm
OK, the dog fetish is out of control. We need a palette cleanser please.
Enough of these furry creatures pooping all over the sidewalks and grass our kids play on.
Let’s see…
A cat.
A horse.
A frog.
A pink flamingo.
A chameleon.
____________
Haven’t spent a lot of time around horses, I see… (try following a group of them in a parade)
@# 147 Greedeau
“Remember ex BC Premier Christy Clark is testifying at the Cullen Commission on money laundering Tuesday morning ”
+++
I expect nothing of importance from former cheerleader Christie.
Zippy one liners and a million watt smile was her forte.
The Commission lawyers wont get anything of value.
I wait for former RCMpolice man and ex minister of Gaming Rich Colemans testimony.
Especially why he shut down the funding for the RCMP task force that specifically targeted money laundering almost immediately after their first report.
@#152 Billybob
“I am sure Canadians are grateful to the Liberals for relieving the good folk of Canada of the burden of making decisions about their financial welfare for generations to come.”
++++
We should all be grateful to Mr Butz.
Canada is now Cape Breton.
Tune up the fiddle.
@#145 Nonplussed
“NASA successfully test flew their toy helicopter on Mars today…”
+++++
Yes the billion dollar drone was impressive.
I was more impressed with the video of the machine landing on Mars a few months back.
Bringing a “car” sized lander from outer space and stopping it almost exactly where they intended after 175millon kms…impressive.
An autonomous hovering drone….. not so much.
I see them in the park almost weekly.
Good write up in this mornings National Post which nicely sums up our ‘Woke” budget:
https://pressreader.com/article/281590948400194
what a mess
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-outdoor-recreational-amenities-ban-covid-19-science-advisory-table-did-not-recommend-1.5993818
#154 Kato
____________
Haven’t spent a lot of time around horses, I see… (try following a group of them in a parade)
____________
I didn’t say I wanted to spend time around them. Just wanted to see one instead of a dog. Of course Garth will slap one in with a dog it, so it can try to steal the spotlight from the horse – like a dog even stands a chance against a horse. Last I checked, my Ducati power isn’t measured in dogs.
Horses look majestic, sell Mustangs and Ferraris, and make me want to have a beer.
There is nothing wrong with horses!
#82 Pro FLU VACCINE on 04.19.21 at 5:47 pm
59 Ed on 04.19.21 at 4:23 pm
Its always a cycle….wait for Covid cases to erupt, wait 2 weeks, put in a lock down after cases have plateaued, claim lock downs solved the problem.
Ontario has already plateaued.
BINGO AND THAT’S HOW THE RETARDED CANADIAN LEMMINGS HAVE BEEN PLAYED FOR OVER A YEAR BY DIABOLICAL POPITICIANS
I HAVE YET TO SEE SO MUCH STUPIDITY IN THE GENERAL POPULATION AS I HAVE SEEN IN ONTARIO IN PARTICULAR AND CANADA IN GENERAL…
THEY TAKE THE TOP PRIZE!!
********************************************
Look at this..
https://twitter.com/rubiconcapital_/status/1377437484422889475
Now look at a chart for Covid 19 cycles for the past year and draw your own conclusions…
https://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/health/coronavirus/tracking-every-case-of-covid-19-in-canada-1.4852102
Based on our peak last year falling on April 24th and generally around April 15th every year.
I can make a reasonable assumption we should peak between April 15th and April 24th regardless of government restrictions….Of course when that happens the “lockdowns” will be given credit….
DELETED (Anti-vax)
I just don’t see how this budget won’t be around our necks for generations.
What a disaster this budget is. Well, not really a “budget” the point of a budget is to match money coming in with money going out and all I see is $4.7 billion coming in to pay for $101 billion going out…On top of $350 billion already out the door that is completely being ignored.
#145 Nonplussed
Anyway great day for NASA and a sad day for comments sections everywhere.
———————-
There are many people, including myself, who think that cleaning up our planet is more important.
#132 The Jaguar
It’s true that quarantine and the ‘bubble’ were successful, but it’s also true that the demographics of Nova Scotia support the ‘unity’ required to make those sacrifices and decisions. “Like mindedness”, if you like. Older population. Obedient boomers who understand that the ‘needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few”.
————————————————————————–
Once, when walking out of a Walmart in Ontario, an unusually friendly dude started chatting with me. At forst I was skeptical – it’s not that common for people to randomly make small talk with strangers in the GTA – but then I realized he was a good old boy from the Rock. A nice Newfounlander.
We chatted about the weather, etc., but after 5 minutes, I knew his life story. An ex prison guard who recently got remarried to an Ontario woman after 25 years of a horrible first marriage. He showed me an ID card that proved he was disabled due to PTSD which entitled him to bring his dog into stores and restaurants, blah blah blah blah.
Then he says to me: “You know why nobody in Newfoundland is racist?”
“Because we’re all the same!”
To the Jag’s point.
#160 Chameleon on 04.20.21 at 9:06 am
Last I checked, my Ducati power isn’t measured in dogs.
——————
I should have said…
My 950S has 8869 chihuahuas of power!
SOUNDS impressive.
This budget is nothing more than a pre election vote buying budget. Once upon a time long, long ago the way out would be to vote Conservative. The trouble is, they can’t get their act together and may end up losing the next election, again. Meanwhile, nothing has been done to address the problem of housing costs. I see the end result will be more companies moving to the United States where the cost of doing business is more sensible. So how do you like that? The government of Trudeau2 will end up doing far more to make America great again that Trump ever did.
Cheer up everyone – the Make Believes are 0-4!
Sounds like Nova Scotia needs to up it’s immigration game. 1 million? Those are rookie numbers. We need to get that up to 5 million or more. It’s good for the economy. Let’s get moving NS. Your making all Canadians look racist
Well, no surprises there, the Trudeau Liberals choke on doing what’s right – again.
Just nail it down kids and immigrants, start planning around it – you’re not ever going to own a house in Canada. You will not prosper here unless you either own some residential RE or invest heavily into the markets – preferably both. It’s really too late though, the winners have already been declared. In post Trudeau Canada, a big education, high wages, and hard work will not save you – they’ll only make you a target. To win you need to own assets – or just forget about it.
What of those who are serious about making all the blood, sweat, and tears of their youth worth it in the end? It’s time to start doing the math. It don’t look very good. Canada is for folks who want a good standard of living while remaining unemployed, and for rich asset owning old stock Boomer/GenX/and elderly Mils – everyone else is just here to foot the bill. And what a bill it will be!
#165 Ponzius Pilatus on 04.20.21 at 10:36 am
#145 Nonplussed
Anyway great day for NASA and a sad day for comments sections everywhere.
———————-
There are many people, including myself, who think that cleaning up our planet is more important.
—
Had a great discussion about this with some friends last night. A massive amount of resources have been dumped into the space program and there have been many many side benefits. My view is that, had the superpowers decided that some other avenue was important, we would have had the same number of innovations and accomplished whatever it was that we set out to do and because the target was presumably here on earth there would have been much wider societal benefit.
As a scientist, I support unfettered investigation into all avenues because, channelling Rumsfeld, we don’t know what we don’t know until we know it. But, the choice of space was a purely military objective and somewhat arbitrary and, in my view, unfortunate. Perhaps because the heavens are captivating, shooting rockets was inevitable, but I’m too cynical to believe it was anything more than a pissing match in the ’50s and ’60s that needed a scientific justification at later stages.
On markets, the window of weakness that opened on the 12th is in full effect. All indexes are flat to down since then. Weakness doesn’t mean crash, but implies greater volatility which is what we are seeing. The past three options expiration periods have shown similar weakness indicating how the derivatives market is calling the shots. Worth paying attention to if only to steel one’s nerves when things get wobbly.
“or move to Elliot Lake” sometimes the torontonians are so full of themselves. Don’t worry, big city folks are just as ignorant as small town folks, but the latter are friendlier.
I’ve been there. Have you? – Garth
People in India are scared *hitless, with good reason. I talked to one today. So many Covid infected in his building he’s afraid to open the window or door. Yet Patty Hadju allows entire flights from Delhi contaminated with Covid Variant sick to fly into Canada. Why? Is this an example of how much power the Sihk vote bloc has over the Trudeau Liberals? When governments around the world, including India itself are shutting down the India Variant, why isn’t Trudeau? Thousands are sick and dying. Trudeaus is not the man for the job.
Governments around the world issued $222 billion worth of ‘green’ bonds and $165 billion worth of ‘social’ bonds in 2020. Canada finally decided to issue $5 billion worth of ‘green’ bonds in 2021 and is thinking about issuing ‘social’ bonds in the near future.
Nothing like being late to the socially responsible party!
Rarely read the comments section as they seem to overflow with hate and derogatory comments. Proved correct again today. PS was jabbed last week wit AZ, no wait time in Victoria, BC.
#157 …..“ An autonomous hovering drone….. not so much
I see them in the park almost weekly”
Consider this. What the helicopter is capable on Mars is fly to the equivalent of 90,000 ft on Earth, or about 3 times the average airliner altitude.
NASA had to design the rotors to spin at over 2000rpm, to get enough lift, but make sure the wing tips didn’t break the sound barrier.
So do you know any drones on Earth that can fly at 90,000 ft?
See folks, been saying this here for years now, these politicos will do what’s in their own best interest to get re-elected (or a majority) and with 70% ownership, supporting (by doing nothing) Canadian RE is the easiest votes they’ll ever get.
#172 Faron on 04.20.21 at 12:10 pm
As a scientist, I support unfettered investigation into all avenues because, channelling Rumsfeld, we don’t know what we don’t know until we know it.
———-
Unless Elon Musk is doing it of course. Check your cognitive dissonance, buddy.
Interesting nothing budget.
I have a strong feeling politicians will be courting me and my firms during the panicky recovery phase in a few years. I will, of course, be fully willing to help out in return for [ahem] favours. Thus is a dynasty born.
Here’s some free investing advice:
Today, and the last week’s market action is what is known as a ‘minor dip’.
You will notice that some sectors have dipped significantly more than others. If one was to purchase sectors that have dipped significantly for no fundamental reason, that may be known as ‘buying at a discount’.
#101 Dave from St. Thomas,
It’s unfortunate some are self absorbed. Sometimes we don’t appreciate what we have and the incredible advancements of science to deal with pestilence. Wow, there’s a vaccine for what ails? I don’t know if I should because I read somewhere on the internet this and that…
Ignorance still permeates society like a cult mentality worse than the suffering of individuals that tend to become victims as a result. That sucks.
Get Vaxxed! Everyone!
You must know the real estate market is made of many local markets and watch one made of many segments that don’t move in sync. Driving around midtown Toronto, what strikes me is the disappearance of the mid sized bungalows. Over the last few years, one quarter have been torn down to be replaced by multi-million dollar mansions. So let me see, less inventory and guaranteed more demand (migration + all the condo folks who crave one) for ever and ever (you know they don’t build any more of these). Now, what will prices do… anybody?
Wow, mistyping “watch” instead of “each” really makes my previous post hard to read. Too bad.
“or move to Elliot Lake” sometimes the torontonians are so full of themselves. Don’t worry, big city folks are just as ignorant as small town folks, but the latter are friendlier.
I’ve been there. Have you? – Garth
———————————-
No. The closest (of the tiny towns in Ontario) I’ve been is Chapleau and Gogama. Hopefully that counts as an equivalent exposure.
So then, is living in Elliot Lake is so horrible that it is a choice comparable to lifelong crushing debt?
Those are not the only choices. – Garth