The hope was that by taking a week off, the world would be a better place when I returned to this pathetic blog.
Didn’t work.
Well, Adele’s concert series was canceled, so there’s that. And cops punted some disruptors off the Ambassador bridge. Nice. Otherwise, pffft.
Here, IRL, on the ground, we remain in the crosshairs of change. It’s only February, but who can dispute that 2022 is bringing a metamorphosis. Recall some of the things we said would happen: Lots more inflation. The 100% certainty of fat rates hikes. Starting March 2nd here and in the States on the Ides. Spring rutting season real estate insanity. The messy endgame for Covid.
It’s all coming true. We ignore it at our peril.
The big news in the last few days was a 7.5% inflation rate in the US – even where houses cost 40% less than in the land of maple and Timbeibs. This is the biggest number since 1982 and it immediately pushed US ten-year bonds passed that pivotal 2% hurdle for the first time since 2019, when we were all so naïve.
In response, stocks tanked because investors know what’s coming. Central banks have blown it, and are now far behind the curve – still pumping out cheap money when there’s already too much flying round, exploding asset values. The Vix shot up 20%. Bond prices plopped. The market is giving 85% odds the Fed will raise its benchmark rate 50 basis points (half a per cent) on March 15th, then quarter-point hikes in May and June. This hasn’t happened in 21 years – when the Millennials were still dealing with zits. By December, the Fed rate could hit 1.6% – an incredible trip from the 0.25% now. It all got real when Fed insider James Bullard told Bloomberg: “I’d like to see 100 basis points in the bag by July 1.”
So, there ya go. Our guys cannot stand pressure like that. Canadian rates will also swell. Be ready.
Meanwhile, the impact of cheap credit and FOMO is staggering. In Kelowna, houses hyperinflated by 10% last month. The average SFD – if the current trajectory holds – will be at the $2 million mark by Christmas. And this is a smallish, touristy city full of retired people. Sheesh.
In Whitby, traditionally the affordable, butt-end of the GTA, the average house sold for $640,000 before the pandemic. Now it’s $1.35 million. The cheapest property sale recently was just under a million. In fact last week realtors were swooning at news a place changed hands for $1.1 million – above asking. This is what happens when a virus meets monetary largesse. But it won’t last.
There’s more.
Just before I left the building this blog said it was a “sad and confusing time for Conservatives.” The convoy did that. Then Erin O’Toole was dumped by his caucus cabal. Con leaders took selfies with the truckers before thinking better of it. Then cunning Pierre Poilievre decided to officially bring Trumpism to Canada and threw his leadership lot in with the freedom-patriot-occupiers who came to Ottawa officially seeking regime change. We are being shredded politically. Every leader is damaged goods.
Wow. Market turmoil. Currency destruction. Rate ruckus. Property madness. Political insurrection. And it’s but mid-February, when we’re supposed to be hibernating with the rodents and worrying about our nuts.
We haven’t even mentioned Putin, of course. Or the US mid-term electoral slaughter facing Joe Biden. Or Trump. Or omincron. Now that civil disobedience has flamed across our nation, led by the anti-vaxers, no government can impose lockdowns, restrictions or quarantines again. So what’ll we do if a new variant comes to town? Yikes.
Uncommon days. So plan your next moves carefully.
It’s a good time to stop buying stuff, eschew new debt, pay off low-rate variable borrowings and be liquid. That doesn’t mean cash, since it’s devaluing fast. Instead consider a nice balanced portfolio of high-liquidity, low-cost ETFs. And understand what rising rates for the next two years will do to financial assets (more on that in a couple of days).
Back off the property market. There are no bargains. Listings are scant. Vendors are voracious. Outsized jumps in valuations are a hallmark of a market that cannot last. If you’ve been thinking of cashing out, how could this be a better moment? Sell with a long close and you might be shocked how the world looks in six months,
In five words, live quietly among the masses.
Finally, a few words on the truckers. The freedom convoy. The self-avowed patriots have absconded our flag and might be financed in part by the US conservative movement. The disrespect shown to the nation’s capital city has been historic. It may not end well.
But have you noticed the demographics? Yup, mostly white. Mainly guys.
On the surface this may be centred on vaccines and ‘freedoms’ but it’s really about disenfranchising and exclusion. Covid has exacerbated the wealth divide. The white-collar WFH crowd has been in the bedroom, employed, tapping on a laptop for two years watching their real estate equity grow. The rest have been handed the dirty end of the stick. On top of this economic injustice are governments whose diversity and inclusion policies have favoured certain groups (women, indigenous, racialized) while others (like white dudes in trucks) feel left out. Have you seen a TV commercial for a Canadian bank lately that portrays such a person? Me neither.
We’re playing with fire right now. Prudent people will do what the cops on the bridge said. Stand back.
About the picture: “My brother recently sold his way overpriced house in Chilliwack, that he bought 4 years ago for 500k for a whopping 1.8M – sight unseen and with no conditions,” writes Dan. “Basically the market is insane! He and his young family have taken your advice and plan to to invest the proceeds and move into a rental in Kamloops!! He is an avid reader of your blog as well and all credit goes to you. Here is a picture of our pug/border terrier mix Grizzle. He is a pug/terrier mix and has brought us years of happiness. Not a day goes by that we don’t take time to think about how awesome dogs are and how lucky we were to have found him.”
234 comments ↓
Welcome back, alpha dog!
I love that – “live quietly among the masses” As always, thanks for your perspective.
Trudeau’s Canada
Here we call people that are 90% vaccinated and 30% non white “Racist antivaxers”
Don’t see myself getting a mortgage anytime soon, but just in case, I will keep practicing forging Stephen Harper’s signature that was printed on my Citizenship Certificate…
M47BC
“On top of this economic injustice are governments whose diversity and inclusion policies have favoured certain groups (women, indigenous, racialized) while others (like white dudes in trucks) feel left out. Have you seen a TV commercial for a Canadian bank lately that portrays such a person? ”
++++
There was a black actor being interviewed the other day on Canadian television that is starring in a new tv series.
He commented,
“Employment opportunities have exploded for people of color in tv, commercials and movies….it’s never been a better time to be working.”
Apparently,
The WOKE meter is far to the Left these days.
It’ll be interesting to see if Trudeau can change his stripes to appeal to the centre in the next election…
Welcome back. I noticed the attempt at sympathy, but I don’t buy it. I’m a white male on the dirty end of the stick, but my heart pumps purple piss. They’re spoiled children who’ve been handed everything and now brown people and women are eating their lunch. They’re having a violent tantrum like babies do, but they’re on the losing side. The Filipinos who own the Tim’s in my shitty little prairie town don’t hire white people. Too spoiled and lazy. The only question is how much destruction they can wreak before the rest of us ask them grow up or kick them out.
The country needs a political party that represents the majority of Canadians, which is in the political centre. The cons are reacting instead of leading. The left have gone so far into inclusion and diversity that they have actually become racist. For the past 4-5 years, this country has not had a party that doesn’t score points without demonizing certain groups. Add to that communist countries funnelling money to groups to help destabilize the west. Way past time to make internet companies responsible for disinformation, and financially penialized for the spread of disinformation. Until then, our democracy will continue to erode. Jan 6, now freedom rally. Only a matter of time before full scale collapse, if not properly addressed.
I thought the ‘Shwa was the end.
I know the world is a scary place right now my friend.
But it’s going to get a lot worse.
Great post. I agree that the protests are a symptom of disenfranchisement of a specific group of people. Many people are extremely unhappy with the current life and economic circumstances and it is funnelling through this anti-mandate “cause” which is feeding on itself.
I am not a supporter, of course these protests are further harming the economy, but I see clearly why people are angry. Inequality is ripping apart the social fabric while politicians and central banks cover their eyes and blame racists and deplorables.
Welcome back! It wasn’t until you left that I realized how much I really depend on this blog for financial advice. Does everyone else feel the same?
Question: When does it make sense to seek a pro to manage your investments? 500k or 1M?
They want everyone tagged like cattle with a QR code.
This is to rollout our version of China’s social credit system as individual ESG scores. Your ability to secure credit, get a job, spend money will all be contingent upon your ESG score.
https://id2020.org/
Kinda strange that Freeland and Carney are both on the board of the WEF?
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/authors/mark-carney
https://www.weforum.org/people/chrystia-freeland
Bring in the Central Bank Digital Currencies and you can monitor every transaction and every individual.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyCpAjH-5dc
Nevermind that Epstein was running a blackmail honeypot operation with kompromat on the brother of our future king. Who was he working for? Ghislaine Maxwell was the daughter of Robert Maxwell who was a well known double agent for every intelligence organization out there and ultimately murdered by his bosses.
Two units in our townhouse complex in Port Moody recently went up for sale at almost the same time. The Open House event was a madhouse as both units were hosted the same weekend. The constant parade of people was not to be believed.
Both units are a little over 1390 sqft, and both sold over-asking in less than a week (18% over and 26% over). One Realtor didn’t even have time to put a For Sale sign up. One unit went for $970K and the other $990K… and you don’t even own the dirt underneath.
This is complete madness. Hopefully there will not be blood in the streets in five years time when mortgage renewals come due.
Hibernating? Not on Van Isle! Beautiful sunny weather, shirtless trail runs, crocuses and daffodils sprouting everywhere. Can’t believe anyone would choose to voluntarily drive across the country this time of year.
Some good results from the protests:
1. Illegal blockade enforcement precedent has been set. Finally. No more blocking. No matter the political or special interest stripe.
2. Police did a proper job. No more ‘defunding’ garbage. Support.
Next? Ford needs to applaud the police. Trudeau needs to applaud the police and Ford. Protesters declare a win and the country moves forward as a unit. Never confuse defiance for disloyalty.
Hi Garth, welcome back!
live quietly among the masses????? NOT! Sorry, can’t do it. I looooove being out there….attracting attention…if ya got it, flaunt it!! Dopamine is my wonder drug. Oxytocin my kryptonite.
wait, yur talking about sitting back and ignoring the noise or something, right? Nevermind above.
Og
I think Garth I found all the cheap high div ETFs, ETNs there are out there that suit me.
Tech, Nasdaq getting slammed, e.g., last 12 months
Feb 11, 8:00:00 PM UTC-5
TSLA +8.01%
FB (META) -19.86%
Nasdaq 100 -1.82%
and so is my Nasdaq 100 ETF. So much for covered calls helping out (-13.17%). Still, it throws off dividends of 11.7% paid monthly so I’m keeping it (I think).
But
yeah oil:
ETN +7.95% (33.38% dividend paid monthly)
ETF +36.28% (9.54% dividend paid quarterly)
and
yeah Canada ETF:
+63.87% (17.07% dividend paid monthly)
————————–
Agree with everything you said Garth. Down low. Buy cheap ETFs, liquid. Only thing I would add on the ETFs if retired:
high dividend yield, paid monthly.
Growth will come from that this year (so far).
—-
Glad you didn’t get shot down South of the Black Sea (or any Sea for that matter).
Welcome back My Liege!
Maybe the destruction of actual blue collar unions was a bad idea /s.
Unions do more than negotiate working conditions. They also control worker behaviors. Now, most unions in Canada are for middle-class, white collar government workers, which is why they’re populated by such totalitarian woke whiners.
No government wants to re-live the 80’s Solidarity protests where workers actually united to deliver their message, so the government helpfully tells white collar union whiners who to hate in the service of perpetual division.
No unions control the angry dudes on the blockade, and these guys have now set the bar for labour protests in future.
#13 Pylot Project on 02.13.22 at 1:04 pm
This is complete madness. Hopefully there will not be blood in the streets in five years time when mortgage renewals come due.
____________________________________
Invest in blue tarp futures.
They are all Canada will be able to afford when existing roof shingles fail and leak.
I have sat on the fence politically for several elections now. One reason I don’t vote is that my riding is a safe riding. Another is that I have seen both parties in the past do reasonably good things as far as fiscal responsibility is concerned.
Recently Trudeau has turned me into a voter again.
Against him.
I won’t forget his comments and his cowardly response to the protesters.
That was unforgivable.
I do support their right to protest. I also think that it was within the power of Trudeau to defuse them and send them home with a partial deal.
So when they escalated who was the real escalator? Trudeau labeled them and refused to meet? I would be pissed also if I was in their camp.
Very undemocratic is all I have to say.
On top of this economic injustice are governments whose diversity and inclusion policies have favoured certain groups (women, indigenous, racialized) while others (like white dudes in trucks) feel left out.
Thank you for stating that. It is a point lost on everyone. I do not support the protests. However, I get that these protests aren’t just about vaccine mandates. Like much of the support for Trump, they are driven by real frustrations and feelings of exclusion, from a demographic that has been told for 30 years that “YOU ARE THE PROBLEM”. And when they disagree, they’re dismissed with “check your privilege.”
Privilege is based on income and social class, not race. But the wokees will never, ever see it that way, because universities define everything in terms of race, gender, “colonialism” and “historical grievances”. This current mess is the result. To call someone “privileged” just because they are a white male, while in fact that person may never have had a pot to pee in their entire life no matter how hard they worked, is an insult. To then demonize that same person when he dares to disagree is dehumanizing. If the protesters and their demands seem irrational and unreasonable, it’s because they are. But an irrational and unreasonable response is exactly what you get after spitting in someone’s face too many times.
PRE-EMPTIVE RESPONSE: Before some SJW claims that I am trying to position white males as victims, save yourself the trouble of typing. I’m not doing anything of the sort. I’m simply saying that this demographic is neither the oppressor nor the barrier to your own success that your professors convinced you it is. They’re citizens of the same Canada that you are, with their own unique challenges and obstacles that they face every day as individuals, without the benefit of membership in some designated victim group.
Friends Daughter, mid 20s just listed in the Fraser Valley . Owned for 2 years. Already stupid bully offers. Gonna be a 5-600k windfall , They have already moved to a rental and waiting for bid day to see how much the greater fools are willing to pay.
Gonna be some serious buyers regret when interest rates pop and the payments start to crush highly leveraged, hanging on by the fingernails family budgets.
Gotta believe we are very close to a tipping point
@#13 Pylot
“This is complete madness. Hopefully there will not be blood in the streets in five years time when mortgage renewals come due.”
+++
The reversal of the real estate market in the early 1980’s in the Lower brainland was like throwing a light switch.
Crazy one day…the next day… crickets….for several years.
PS on the truckers, how it’s done in Europa:
https://www.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=2380910&jwsource=twi
[CTV dropping hints last night]
———————
And Mother Nature’s gift that keeps on giving:
Omi + Delta was not a scarion after all. UK investigating it as a variant of public health interest (apparently not their yet per GISEAD sequencing… but just in case?).
https://twitter.com/Gab_H_R/status/1492517768738058243
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sars-cov-2-variants-of-public-health-interest/sars-cov-2-variants-of-public-health-interest-11-february-2022
[Delta x Omicron Recombinant (UK)]
For the details hungry, a Reporter dishes out as much as is know (which isn’t much):
https://twitter.com/EnemyInAState/status/1492529796731002886
And finally on the subject of COVID-19 no longer a ‘socially critical disease’ as of Feb 1 Denmark:
https://ourworldindata.org/explorers/coronavirus-data-explorer?zoomToSelection=true&time=2020-03-01..latest&uniformYAxis=0&pickerSort=asc&pickerMetric=location&hideControls=true&Metric=Cases%2C+hospital+admissions%2C+ICU+patients%2C+and+deaths&Interval=Cumulative&Relative+to+Population=false&Color+by+test+positivity=false&country=~DNK
Judge for yourselves.
Thank you
Houses in my neighborhood, which I actually thought were reasonably priced in today’s market, just sold for $700K and 1M over asking.
Gas is $$$$
Grocery store checkout causes anxiety
Not sure how this will end well
Saved and lived like a pauper virtually my entire adulthood, invested B&D and working hard, nearing 400k invested now, turned 40 this year.
Someone half your age (before the ageist FHSA is implemented)sells a house they were in for 3 years, bank a cold million tax free.
And people wonder why the plebs are angry….
I know comparison is the thief of joy, but its very hard to not feel put out by the current system.
#73 IHCTD9 on 02.13.22 at 11:17 am
Looks like Trudeau will be saved by Ford. 100K fines and permanent revocations of CVOR’s, plus up to a year in jail. That should get some attention. Only 4K protestors showed up this weekend, so I’m calling it done some time this week as the Police will have a manageable crowd size. It would be sweet if they all just up and rolled out in unison, of their own initiative – before they’re told to pack up. The protesters couldn’t have hoped for a better outcome with this rally, hopefully they don’t make a scene (a globally watched one) when it’s time to go. They made their point, caused damage to Trudeau’s rep, fractured a few Libs off the party narrative, received global coverage and financial support. Mission accomplished, it’s high time to head home while it’s still a win. Trudeau brought pathetic verbal accusations, but Ford is rolling out the howitzers…
===
Very well said, I agree 100%.
Too long a link prior comment on Denmark…here is a snapshot.
https://i.imgur.com/hHvilje.png
Official MSM from there all sugar and spice, everything nice.
Medical people there not so happy with Gov Denmark decision, per Twitter (livid is more like it).
I think they pulled the plug too early on the no longer a ‘socially critical disease’. A repeat of the blunder they made last Sept?
We’ll see, time always tells.
Others lifting all restrictions, or in progress, are Sweden (Twitter medical people from there pissed to livid about doing the same as Denmark) and Norway. Sweden, Norway hospital and deaths rising. Case counting suspended in Sweden.
And of course the 192K cases per day UK. Cases counting suspended there as well, ZOE still counting.
EU so far resisting what Nordic Noir + Brexit are doing. I agree.
It’s too early to drop all restrictions, e.g., Deltacron???
#5 crowdedelevatorfartz on 02.13.22 at 12:40 pm
“There was a black actor being interviewed the other day on Canadian television that is starring in a new tv series.
He commented,
“Employment opportunities have exploded for people of color in tv, commercials and movies….it’s never been a better time to be working.”
Good for him, I know a white middle aged actor who hasn’t worked for 2 years. Surprise surprise he’s now leaning more towards the alt right movements.
I also heard that being a white middle aged male film maker in Canada now means you won’t get any funding.
This should end well.
I personally only watch movies up to the early 2000’s
Can’t be arsed by the woke [email protected]
Is Jean Charest going to throw his hat in the ring?
#22 CEF
What happened after the crickets in Van RE for a few years?
It’s a shame there is no G20 meeting going on in Windsor. The white trash domestic terrorists would be laying face down in the snow hogtied.
Ive never seen so many white people in one place in Canada before. Where is the diversity within the FREEDUMB nutter occupation.
University education stats a metric of the underlying issue
Gradates- female 56.5 % male 43.5 %
https://ca.yahoo.com/news/police-move-break-remaining-protest-131918817.html
Trudeau should have sent in the troops from day one to stop this US-funded mayhem. It is a matter of national security.
Glad to see you back Garth, albeit in these darkened times. But we knew inflation would romp and we knew the Fed would be found in error and we knew the chatter would turn from fear of an inverted yield curve to the knowledge that every other time, the Fed has raised rates to fight inflation in turn causing recession.
Of course, that’s the point.
And we knew the markets, having the attention span of a gnat, would finally get it and slowly return to fundamentals. So, here we are with the Fed still buying bonds with a rate at .08 (long as we are at this number, we can still drive right?) while inflation is romping at 7.5%.
What could go wrong?
And we knew that Clarisa (Fed vice chair) dropped the ball and retired early because he had to and the Fed is way late on this and we knew that Pollieve and company would take selfies with dumb truckers (readers can trust, the smart ones were somewhere else) and we knew that too, when we weren’t fooling ourselves “but Pierre made such a good critic” right? (if only it was so easy)
But we knew.
Adele cancelled, did not know that, though one should have known in this current cancel culture. But through it all, I find myself still trying to protect my nuts!
https://time.com/4871540/infertility-men-sperm-count/
The link above is 5 years old (with sperm counts down more than 50% world wide). Today, it’s down around 2/3rds.
“One possible explanation is that men residing in Western countries over the last decades were exposed to new manmade chemicals during their life course, and there is more and more evidence that these chemicals hurt their reproductive function,” he says. “We don’t know for sure why this is happening, but our findings should drive massive scientific effort to identify the causes and modes of prevention.” – link
Still waiting. Forever chemicals anyone?
Here’s more recent spin:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/mar/18/toxic-chemicals-health-humanity-erin-brokovich
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2021/02/27/falling-sperm-counts-threaten-humanity-chemicals-blame-book-says/6842950002/
Yes, these are darkened times and we should protect our nuts especially in winter but there is evidence out there that this too, comes late. I never thought I would say this, (with head down, sad, avoiding eye contact) but “me too”. :(
#11 HonestEnD on 02.13.22 at 12:58 pm
Welcome back! It wasn’t until you left that I realized how much I really depend on this blog for financial advice. Does everyone else feel the same?
Question: When does it make sense to seek a pro to manage your investments? 500k or 1M?
——————-
Who was it that said there is no such thing as a silly question?
Why not $2M?
Welcome back. I appreciate the guest blogs, but I did miss you. Although I may not always fully agree with all the points you make, I respect everything you say. I come to this blog for perspective, wisdom, insight, sanity and humor. This is not just a MSU either. I mean it. I’m a daily reader. Thankyou Mr. Turner.
Garth’s final stanza today got me reflecting on my journey the last two years.
March 2020, I was doing what I had been doing pretty much ever since I arrived here in the early 2000’s, working on luxury real estate on the Westside and taking as many breaks in between projects the keep the flame from burning out.
Spring Break 2020 break got canceled at last minute, contractors started getting flaky, homeowners started getting scared about having workers around the house.
Haven’t been out of Vancouver since.
I tried to proceed with my usual stubbornness, but after around six months I knew I needed to come up with a new plan to try and have a little less disruption and slightly more protection in the new world that was being forced upon me.
I felt vulnerable and isolated, but scribbled on a piece of a paper a plan that had risks, but also enough reward to make it worth the effort.
Step one, go and see a surgeon and get six screws taken out of foot that was protecting one side of foot but making it harder to go to work day in a day out.
Step two, focus on securing a more regular paycheque, same trade, that didn’t involve going into peoples homes, in case they got freaked out by a news report that night and canceled at the last minute.
Step three, applied for one small time government job and was successful in my application.
Step four, bed into new job, forget about travel for a while, start paying into pension fund, embrace the enforced savings, and give both hemisphere portfolios a Financial Facelift.
Yeah the last 2 years have sucked for a renter, blue collar bum, who has a penchant for budget travel, but I’ve never been interested in playing the victim and I know a lot of folks have had it tougher than I.
I grabbed that dirty stick with both hands, but not before I put my boxing gloves on and tried to fight back…
M47BC
First up… Anti-Vaxers
Now that we know how to paralyze the country…
Next up… Anti-Taxers? (and there is a LOT of them)
Welcome back, Turner!
@#31OKD
“What happened after the crickets in Van RE for a few years?”
++++
A house I rented in 1981 was purchased a few months before I moved in for $250k
The landlord sold it in 1983 ( after I moved out) for $80k.
The same house eventually crawled back up in price to $240k in 1991.
That was fairly typical.
Housing prices remained fairly flat from 1991 to about 1997 then took off.
So if you bought the house in 1981 for 250k and held…it was 10 years before it regained most of its price…another 10 years before it almost doubled again.
The latest price jumps of 10, 20, 50% in a few months to one year are ludicrous.
FOMO before flame out.
“In five words, live quietly among the masses.“
—- –
Welcome back G! There are those words again, seems like even better advice today than they were last time. Canada has big issues, and no one wants to tackle them. The truckers may be the fist of many more to come if the current game plan in Ottawa persists.
Trudeau doesn’t have a clue what he’s doing, so things will keep getting worse until something blows. Simple as that.
Hence, LQAM it is. Simplification, liquidation, minimalism. Maybe even some RE $ realized, that’ll be on the QT though of course. Come the spring, I’ll own a lot less stuff, have a nice little pile of spare cash, and hopefully wood prices will be good enough to resume the honey-do list we put on the back burner in 2020.
Welcome back to this crazy world Garth!
Doug, Sinan, and Ryan did nice job while you were away.
Garth,
Glad to see the week off has let you focus a bit more on the underlying issues causing the angst. Too bad the elites have no intention of changing course.
The CB’s constant money printing will cause harm to working people for another decade, just like the ’70’s.
Jr. could end this in two minutes by getting rid of the totally unnecessary border hassles, but he won’t. The power has gone to their heads.
Not sure how many times you’ve crossed the border in the last year, but it involves uploading an app that allows the govt. to download data from your phone. Comply or you can’t cross. They won’t be giving up this power until PP takes over as PM.
Why did our ancestors fight the wars?
When you get rid of the ancient Christian principles of equality, it is not surprising that the side that gets vilified decides to fight back.
One wonders if the elites want this to end? I don’t think they do. They see the conflict as an opportunity to further conquer, but I don’t see it working out that way.
Matt Tiabbi had a good piece on the fall of Romania and how the whole ruling class didn’t see it coming, didn’t have an escape plan, couldn’t believe that they weren’t loved 4 days before being put up against the wall…
The convoy is not about the pandemic restrictions.
Even I can figure that out.
The economy is on fire, you can get a job even if you go to the interview without brushing your hair or teeth, stock market dashing, homeowners “earning” doctor’s income through home equity while sleeping.
Interest rates so low that even if they were to double, they would still be low.
Yet something “smells in the state of Canada”.
I guess next recession we will find out what is actually bothering people.
They say that the animals look at each other differently when the watering hole starts to dry up.
Tick Tock, Tick Tock
Yes Folks, on a cold Ottawa morning there he was flipping flapjacks , who you might ask? Max Bernier that is who, the sore loser from the conservative party leadership race, trying to win over some more voters.
Yes, the timing might be right for a new progressive centrist party, as Max and Pierre fight over the right wing voters. Who in their right mind would vote Conservative after this s**t show?
Hoping this occupation does not descend into a Waco Texas event, as gasoline, hay bails and young children do not mix.
@#33 Tremblant
“University education stats a metric of the underlying issue”
++++
Sadly, what counts as an “education” in the politically correct “degree factories” …..amounts to zero useful work experience in the real word.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg21_0POyZM
Unless , of course you become a mid level bureaucrat in the politically correct civil service.
The gender neutral business cards are the icing on the pension cake as you root out all things you consider harmful, sexist, racist, colonialist, etc., etc., etc….
This is Canada and is what keep us busy.
#WhitePrivilege looks like:
Stockpiling cans of gas & propane tanks near govt buildings without consequence
Blockading a main international bridge for days without immediate consequence
Breaking laws for a week and only being warned about getting arrested on day 8
If this had been Indigenous and Black protesters instead of “(white dudes in trucks)” this all would have been resolved a long time ago with a different outcome.
I wrote of causes, not consequences. – Garth
Third up…
Anti-Government Surveillancers
Anyone who has had to complete the Arrive Canada form or even the Nova Scotia safe check in (I just did so) knows what I mean.
Eventually most of us may reach a point where we feel a need to protest something.
…The big news in the last few days was a 7.5% inflation rate in the US
….Fed will raise its benchmark rate 50 basis points (half a per cent) on March 15th
************
In my opinion, Fed will raise its benchmark rate next week. Fed will have special meeting about inflation and rate next week as was announced.
News from healthy economy:
The Bank of Russia raised its key interest rate to 9.5% and lowered its inflation forecast for 2022. Due to the accelerated price growth, the regulator has chosen the maximum step taken recently for the second time in a row
Remember that in factories, there are quotas and they have to risk getting COVID by working onsite. Many factory workers don’t own a home. They rent and don’t gain equity.
Meanwhile, a teacher can do Zoom sessions in underwear, take off their shirt for their Grade Six students, and get paid C$100,000 a year while the unions defend that teacher’s actions.
#39 Shawn on 02.13.22 at 2:25 pm
First up… Anti-Vaxers
Now that we know how to paralyze the country…
Next up… Anti-Taxers? (and there is a LOT of them)
————–
Next time we’re prepared:
Anti-Everythingers, no hospital bed and UBI for you.
And by the way, which country is/was paralyzed?
Not the one I live in.
#38 Flop… on 02.13.22 at 2:19 pm
Re: life changes
———
Good work and good luck!
If there is a war in Ukraine and Oil prices go to $150….inflation will be sky high.
Will interest rates go up or down??
So to sum it up it’s just as well that I’m a lot closer to the end than just starting out?
Nice to see the losers blocking the ambassador bridge have been dealt with. maybe they can give Ottawa some tips.
Looking at investing for real estate in the USA any advice?
Oh and it’s very disheartening to see the number of people who think it’s wise to bring small children and dogs not well suited to the cold temperatures to these “protests”.
The current Trudeau regime is looking increasingly illegitimate. What are the probabilities of a non-confidence motion being forced?
>Now that civil disobedience has flamed across our nation, led by the anti-vaxers, no government can impose lockdowns, restrictions or quarantines again. So what’ll we do if a new variant comes to town? Yikes.
The right thing to do is to ask the population to do the right thing. You can scoff, but an overwhelming majority of Canadians — including me, a supposed “anti-vaxxer” — made the choice to take a risk and take a rushed vaccine based on experimental technology before vaccine mandates took the choice out of our hands, because we were convinced it was the right thing to do.
You know what else? While Trudeau and Fauci were not only not mandating masks but telling people they didn’t work, I chose to wear an n95 mask on planes, because I perceived that my routine flights were a high risk of catching COVID and I didn’t want to catch it.
Just because something is illegal doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad, and just because something is legal doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good. You can pour gasoline all over your legs and light a match — pretty sure that’s legal, but nobody in their right mind is going to say that’s a good idea.
All that being said, I do want to thank you for your years of excellent advice. Just because I disagree with you on one philosophical point or another doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate your work and I think you’ve helped me position myself to protect my family in the upcoming financial crisis (the inevitable interest rate reset I think is going to be starting this year) better than any other commentator I’ve read.
We’re both Canadians, a core value of our shared culture is tolerance — that we can disagree and say we disagree and then head out and have a cold one afterwards.
Welcome back Garth – we’ve missed you:) Grizzle looks like one happy pup – not a grizzle in sight!
Awaiting with bated breath the official inflation number for Canada next week. Given how inflation has been romping upward south of the border, can not imagine Canada’s official number still being under 5%. The USA is still our main trading partner so price increases there have to affect what we pay for stuff here. As for the trucker blockade(s), given the additional disruption to supply chain presumably at least some goods will see price increases to add to the inflation fire.
The 100% certainty of fat rates hikes.
———————————–
Disagree on the “fat” part. March 0.25 hike a certainty followed by another 0.25 in June.
Those are the only “certain” rate hikes in my opinion. After that, it will depend on the markets. I can very easily see the central banks stopping at that point.
Of course not. Four increases in Canada are baked in. Markets expect more in 2023. – Garth
I’d like to see 5% mortgages that’s all
Is now a good time to buy real estate in the U.S.?
If so where?
Just as a reminder the there are two peaks in flu season a year.
The winter peak is usually between Jan. 8th to Jan. 12th.
In 2021 it was Jan. 8th.
In 2022 it was Jan. 11th.
The mandates were just theatre. Nothing was flattened whatsoever except public morale and small businesses.
The spring flu season peaks between April 15th to 17th.p
2021 was April 15th.
2022 remains to be seen.
Testing is nonexistent. Mandates have become untenable. Vax rates are high. Natural immunity is way higher than normal given how contagious Omicron was.
This can go one of two ways. The government is relaxing mandates only to reinstate them once a spring surge starts. Or the government and general population has turned the page as the genie can’t be put back into the bottle as skepticism and Covid fatigue is at an all time high.
Either way, the damage has been done not only to public institutions but public trust in general and civility.
Trump is too far right. Trudeau is too far left. Both are equally divisive and have caused a tremendous amount of damage in both countries. I agree both parties need to “pivot” mire to the center.
@#48 The Danada
“If this had been Indigenous and Black protesters instead of “(white dudes in trucks)” this all would have been resolved a long time ago with a different outcome.”
+++
Absolutely.
Trudeau would have met with them, apologized profusely and offered Billions more in taxpayer money to re “right” history and rename even more roads, buildings, schools, while setting up more government agencies to retrain endless legions of impressionable kids (WE Charity acolytes ?) about the horrible colonialist leaders of Canada and all the wrongs they committed ( and continue to commit) over the past 500 years….
All in the name of politically correct Woke-ism.
Anything ….. for a bump up in the polls.
Pathetic.
I don’t agree with the protestors or their actions. Part of the silent majority that support public health mandates. I don’t blame the people I disagree with. I think they would be most impacted if their actions are successful. Right wing politics isn’t looking out for the blue collar works. I worry our public healthcare and our current pension and unemployment programs are at risk. Who suffers most then.
Interesting to note, the only time I see white men who may be truckers on T.V. are on pick-up truck commercials…
Although it was definitely new to see a south asian and white woman commenting on Olympic hockey too
Are there still people out there thinking of how one can short the housing market? There’s nothing to short. 500,000 new immigrants a year will make sure of that. You know JT will keep his promise on that. It’ll be 700,000 a year if JAG ever wins. Then it’ll be $2M two bedroom condos.
#69 Lee on 02.13.22 at 3:45 pm
Are there still people out there thinking of how one can short the housing market? There’s nothing to short. 500,000 new immigrants a year will make sure of that. You know JT will keep his promise on that. It’ll be 700,000 a year if JAG ever wins. Then it’ll be $2M two bedroom condos.
__________________
Well said, Lee.
The diversity of our immigrant population will continue to be an enormous benefit to Canada.
Even the trucker population is now massively diverse and comprised of many non-white newcomers.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-almost-one-in-five-canadian-truckers-is-south-asian-but-many-dont-see/
The coming explosion in immigration to Canada will only accelerate home values and strengthen real estate as the biggest part of our economy.
Canadians will look very different in the decades ahead, but home values will be consistently a benchmark of a successful life in Canada.
If you’ve been thinking of cashing out, how could this be a better moment?
– – –
I’ve long been thinking about it. With $400k in real estate equity and only in our mid 30s, it’s certainly tempting. But then what? Everything else is wildly inflated and rental options are virtually non-existent in small town Ontario. Is there something I’m missing?
The truckers have nothing to lose.
Under the globalist climate change Great Reset agenda their jobs will soon be simply replaced by automated vehicles and robots.
They will be irrelevant – placed on UBI and given drugs. Their movements and online activity tracked for dissent. Fed a constant diet of meaningless distractions.
The next crisis will only enable further restrictions to further the goal of global government control. The technocratic utopian prison.
I actually did notice how white and male the protest crowd seems to be. The sooner this is over the better.
Daniel Bulford, a former R.C.M.P officer who was on the prime minister’s security detail, is the convoy’s head of security? Hmmm. ..Tom Quiggin, a former military intelligence officer who also worked with the R.C.M.P. and was considered one of Canada”s top counter-terrorism experts, also shares a leadership role? Interesting. Police on Guard, formed during the pandemic, has endorsed the convoy. They include 150 mostly retired police officers and more than 50 former Canadian Forces soldiers who are named on their site. Coup attempt, anyone?
Well we are in a Mess, and I for one, am perplexed. I have often wondered, why aren’t our Politicians, trying to help Canadians.
For example, a major once a century Pandemic comes along,… a good set of Leaders might have suggested, that in an imminent emergency, we put Party Politics, aside, and have a vote for all MPs, who actually represent the people, who elected them and then put it to a vote… Pandemic lockdowns, yes or no, Income Support yes no… etc… for some of the Nation changing decisions. Think of the Protests… it would have made common sense to do this… Masks.. yes or no… every MP actually canvases their constituents, and votes and we arrive at a consensus, not life changing decisions, to be left to leaders who only represent 32% of the population.
How about engaging the Citizens, for Mask making, include the Boy Scouts, and Girl Guides, prior to Lockdowns, Home Economics, in High Schools, etc… Some creativity to engage and include… not too bad an idea.. Have citizens, participate, and engage them in the outcomes…
Or How about Energy Self sufficiency and also using our Natural Energy advantage, to help our citizens, with ya imagine, reasonably priced fuel, and natural gas… Think of the cost savings, for Farmers, New startups, Manufacturing, etc…
It would be interesting to hear Garth’s comments, on why the paternalistic stance, and frankly almost confrontational and destructive…posturing by our current Elected Representatives, why not Digital Democracy…. Why are we keeping these folks, in power… Why?
Welcome back, Garth.
Nova must be delirious that you and Dorothy are back.
But I’m glad you both had a break…well-deserved.
Was hoping to see a pic of Garth wearing a Dishdasha…
#33 Tremblant 110 on 02.13.22 at 2:01 pm
University education stats a metric of the underlying issue
Gradates- female 56.5 % male 43.5 %
———
That’s only half the picture.
What are the employments for university graduates? Is it still 56.5% and 43.5%?
Meanwhile, the ‘Muricuns and the Military Industrial Congressional Complex, lust for war. The very companies that some of you invest in. Profits are more important than peace for some people, I guess. Crank up the fear porn on the msm. Their sons and daughters won’t be picking up a rifle. Sad.
For those looking at buying real estate in the United States, I would have a quick gander at this real estate visualization folder boxed up from howmuch.
https://howmuch.net/real-estate
Some of it has a crust on it, but it is an easy way to get the lay of the land in about 5 minutes with a few different scenarios.
Still have a recurring nightmare, in which I’m awoken in my hotel bed by my wife in Corpus Christi, Texas, circa Christmas 2019, and she proceeds to tell me that it’s time to go to the airport and fly back to Vancouver, and by the way there’s a once in a century global pandemic coming in a few weeks…
M47BC
You are wise Garth
You see that there are more vectors of tension currently than just “vaccine mandates”.
Worker remnants of a middle class barley holding on vs the stablishment.
– Basic shelter costs are making people nervous in a place where it can be -30 below.
– Food and Fuel Inflation is becoming noticeable.
– These people do not get to “work” from home and experienced actual income disruptions.
– The MSM constantly pushing racial division and highlighting racial frictions. A top down propaganda campaign to sow group division.
– The demand to inject medicine or lose your job is the step too far for people raised to take pride that they were “citizens” of a virtuous Democracy and not subjects of a Technocratic Elite.
– The Establishment talking down to the population, and seemingly distant or in hiding .
I would say that a significant working segment of the population has lost confidence in our Establishment , an establishment that holds them as outsiders in contempt.
Haven’t truckers been in high demand and fully employed throughout the pandemic, receiving more appreciation than usual as “frontline workers”?
#71 NeoLiberal Millennial on 02.13.22 at 4:13 pm
You’re not missing anything. You’re right! You need to get creative (google it). There ARE places you can rent for cheap in Canada if you decided to cash out. First things first – You are duped…admit that first, then juices may flow.
Og
#45 Quintilian on 02.13.22 at 2:39 pm
The economy is on fire, you can get a job even if you go to the interview without brushing your hair or teeth, stock market dashing, homeowners “earning” doctor’s income through home equity while sleeping.
Interest rates so low that even if they were to double, they would still be low.
————————————-
True for the laptop class.
Not so for the working class, especially those under 40.
And to state the obvious, higher wages are little to cheer when living costs go up by an even greater percentage.
I am still curious at which level of vaccination rate will the mandates stop: 90%, 95%, 100% ?
What you are saying Garth makes sense as well, but most of the support for the protests that I’ve seen from regular (centrist) folks was coming from the concern that the mandates will never end (once everyone is at 100%, let’s up the bar to 3 doses for being fully vaccinated; vaccinating children is now optional, let’s make it mandatory and so on). My dad was diagnosed with COVD-19 about 2 weeks ago. He has plenty of health issues and had a hearth attack a few years ago. He chose not to be vaccinated. It took him less than a week to recover and he is now back to work (he also chose not to retire). I get it that many other people are not as fortunate and whoever feels they need to, should get the vaccine, but this never ending harassment to get everyone one jabbed needs to stop.
@#74 T-man
“Coup attempt, anyone?”
+++
Spare me.
Former govt employees aren’t allowed to volunteer?
Voice an unpopular opinion?
The fact that these people are ALL retired speaks volumes.
Did they leave voluntarily or were they hounded out because they weren’t the right politically correct gender, color or race?
Trudeau created this WOKE disaster and now he gets to live with its fallout.
Dropping in the polls like a fumbled cellphone in an outhouse.
Squirming everywhere to appoint blame.
Avoiding unpopular, tough decisions.
Looks good on him.
About time.
#12 EpsteinsIsland
“Kinda strange that Freeland and Carney are both on the board of the WEF?”
———————–
Klaus Schwab of the World Economic Forum bragged that he has Justin Trudeau and half of the Canadian cabinet in his back pocket. Also our Socialist princeling Jugmeat Sing is also member. We can see who really runs this country !
https://youtu.be/tHOl_9vrXZg
Meanwhile, the impact of cheap credit and FOMO is staggering. In Kelowna, houses hyper-inflated by 10% last month. The average SFD – if the current trajectory holds – will be at the $2 million mark by Christmas. And this is a smallish, touristy city full of retired people. Sheesh.
The market is giving 85% odds the Fed will raise its benchmark rate 50 basis points (half a per cent) on March 15th, then quarter-point hikes in May and June. This hasn’t happened in 21 years
We’re sitting on the biggest housing bubble in history. If the US Fed does raise rates 50 points and the Bank of Canada follows that would pop the housing bubble right there.
Racism anecdote time.
I know a mid 20’s “white guy”, graduated from an engineering program last year.
Few from the program have found field employment, for him the stakes are high, everything in his life going forward may depend on him realizing a career in the next few years.
He is well aware of “woke” race based HR hiring policies, also aware that a few of the BIPOC students in his class did get jobs in the field….
We are playing with fire when we abandon merit based selection for even the impression of race preferences for hiring.
Should he fail, as a profoundly embittered 30 year old he could come to some bad conclusions. Then we will have a serious and active racism problem in this country
“Racism does not have a good track record. It’s been tried out for a long time and you’d think by now we’d want to put an end to it instead of putting it under new management. ” ― Thomas Sowell
Naturally, the common people don’t want war…but after all it is the leaders of a country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a facist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country. Hermann Goring ; Yur with us, or Yer with the t”rrists Dubya
#46 Tinpot Economist on 02.13.22 at 2:41 pm
Yes, the timing might be right for a new progressive centrist party, as Max and Pierre fight over the right wing voters. Who in their right mind would vote Conservative after this s**t show?
—————————–
1. Working class
2. Small business owners (overlap with first group)
3. Young people without rich parents
4. Libertarian and classical liberal-leaning people
5. Sound money advocates (okay, that group is admittedly tiny)
6. Anyone disgusted with the obscene wealth inequality that this government and its puppet central bank have done to the country
According to a recent Ekos poll, the demographic currently holding up the Liberals is wealthier, university-educated Boomers.
#87
No it wouldn’t. Ether Tiff Macklem blames Putin for the Bank of Canada keeping interest rates low for eternity, or Adam Vaughan does his magic to ensure that foreign money laundromats get their anticipated double digit rate of returns.
Garth. You deserve a longer vacation. That break was a little short.
Welcome back. However, the state of affairs in this country is worse over the past week, and now hopefully Russia will not invade Ukraine to put the icing on the cake.
Can’t have truckers blocking the main Ontario-US gateway for weeks on end, and they had to be removed. Glad it was done peacefully. The large groups in Ottawa and those striking up elsewhere in the country will be more challenging to deal with, as many of the Ottawa protestors are just average folk. Quelle mess!
My 34 year old daughter (who is 6 months pregnant) is likely going to join in on the protests in Victoria as her 8 year career as a physio is in jeopardy now by the new vaccine mandates in BC. Will take early mat leave and hope that the mandate is gone when the Mat leave ends, otherwise she will likely be forced to move to Alberta.
It is clear that we are not all in it together and T2 will not budge. With rampant price escalation of housing, a very large (and under-reported) inflation numbers, and huge debt, the policies of his GOVT have largely screwed over young people trying to get a footing in this country. His Gov’t needs to start dismantling some of the mandates (why do we still have a PCR test at the border) and start focusing on the core economic problems that citizens are concerned with.
“It’s a good time to stop buying stuff, eschew new debt, pay off low-rate variable borrowings and be liquid.”
Nope. It’s time to buy all the things, except houses. The debt part is right though.
In a world of 7.5% inflation and supply constraints, whatever it is you need, it isn’t going to get any cheaper.
Look at the used vehicle retention index. Now reassess your silly statement. – Garth
Crosshairs? Latest clip from the PM: BANKS are monitoring your bank accounts to see that you are not funding the “Wrong” causes. Comrade do you support The Party or not?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-N3einAnoU
—
– Once again this WW3 is for our MINDS. In Kanada we have tens of thousands of people being fired. Doctors nurses, radio show hosts et al. Their crimes are ThoughtCrimes and WrongSpeech.
.”VIA Rail wants more bailout money after firing 1000 workers over mandates. After laying off a third of its workforce over vaccine mandates and receiving $187.5 million in pandemic bailouts, VIA Rail is now asking the federal government for more taxpayers’ money,”
https://tnc.news/2022/02/13/via-rail-wants-more-bailout-money-after-firing-1000-workers-over-mandates/
—
— Life in Fizer world – A pandemic so deadly that health care workers must be fired.
I mean when I see a doctor the first thing I do is quiz them on the dates, types of shots they had right??
.NYC: Mayor Adams: no exceptions on COVID vaccination deadline as 4K NYC workers risk losing jobs (nydailynews.com)
.Greece to fire health care staff if not vaccinated by March 31 – considers mandatory vaccination every year (aa.com.tr)
— Remember there no longer is any news only the manufacture of consent. Here we go, global WW3 rages on.
.Two-thirds of Canadians support military force to end Ottawa protests: poll(toronto.citynews.ca)
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This country needs change badly – if someone doesn’t step up that can be a strong leader then we are heading to the dustbin
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When in Corpus Christi I walked through this neighborhood next to downtown to have some of the best budget bbq you could ever dream of.
Vacant block of land to build house on 16k.
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2413-John-St-Corpus-Christi-TX-78407/28849651_zpid/
Like everywhere else, not as much inventory as last time I looked but you only need one.
Mid range price, just had to do a price cut, 210k.
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3114-Topeka-St-Corpus-Christi-TX-78404/28780257_zpid/
And if you want to have a real laugh, you can buy a whole 4plex there for under 400k.
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/829-Indiana-Ave-Corpus-Christi-TX-78404/28824178_zpid/
Not for me, imagine trying to take a break from this blog and being shacked up with Faron, Sail Away and Ponzie…
M47BC
governments whose diversity and inclusion policies have favoured certain groups (women, indigenous, racialized) while others (like white dudes in trucks) feel left out.
—————————_
Ya like me, the old white guy that pays a lot of tax and is continually told his lot are racist and responsible for all the socials ills in the country. I am trying hard to remain economically/fiscally consecutive and socially progressive. But when I am repeatedly accused of being racist/misogynist/homophobic/anti-environmental I might start to begin to believe it. And if I start to believe I might start to listen to those politicians put a laser focus on my demographics. Not good for Canada, this is what “wokism” is doing to otherwise middle of the road white male socially tolerant Canadians.
Good to see you posting again, Garth. I hope you had a nice break.
I disagree with Polievre on much, but he’s one of the few hammering home the housing crisis. Not like he has proposed any solutions yet, mind you, but voicing the issue is a welcome step.
Fascinating to hear Trudeau and the Liberals complain so readily about foreign money behind the protests. And yet it’s been decades and no one has yet done anything about foreign money in housing. Yes, we can disagree about the magnitude of the impact of foreign investors and money launderers on housing, but it does have some tangible impact. The fact the Liberals won’t do anything about it speaks volumes.
The policies we have seen since 2009 – financial repression, corporate welfare, etc. are recipes for populism. We saw it in the states with Trump, have seen it elsewhere in western democracies, and are starting to see it more in Canada (PPC, trucker convoy, etc.). While I don’t condone it, when you continually poke people with ever bigger and pointier sticks, what do policymakers expect? Just wait until the majority of young people realize they’ll be paying 50% of their income to rent a 400 sqft shoebox until they die…
Garth says
But have you noticed the demographics? Yup, mostly white. Mainly guys.
————————————————————————————————
60% of Truckers are Punjabi’s Canadians I know demographics White Guys
https://www.thecanadianbazaar.com/how-punjabis-came-to-dominate-trucking-industry-in-canada/
Seems those folks are trucking. The white dudes are protesting. – Garth
Garth, you nailed it again, in the last paragraph of the blog.
Why are people angry to the point of protesting for weeks? It has little to do with vaccines or pandemic restrictions, but because they feel they “have been handed the dirty end of the stick”. Those truckers have kept our stores stocked and our industries going, and what have they received in return? I bet many of them neither have a Turner-style B&D portfolio nor a house to ride up their wealth, but they are facing skyrocketing rent, food and fuel costs.
We have tried Obama, Trudeau, and now Biden. And has the wealth distribution become fairer? Quite the opposite. Central banks, by not quenching inflation early, have allowed the rich to get richer while drenching the savings of those who have little. Now we’ll reap the hate we have sown.
Who do you read, Garth? I know who you’re critical of within the investment community. But who are the rock-solid people you read or follow? Know one with any insight navigates this world alone. Well, none of the people I read or subscribe to.
It ain’t him. He’s crackers. – Garth
#32 Lorg Garth of Izar on 02.13.22 at 1:59 pm
……
Ive never seen so many white people in one place in Canada before. Where is the diversity within the FREEDUMB nutter occupation.
___________________
Them’s people went to the FREELOADER occupation. You know … free unemployment … free welfare … free medical.
There is an enormous blow top coming.
I see it in the rental data.
In the low end (2B1B and under) only the basements are moving. And at eye popping prices. $1600 through $2200. I just checked rentals in Toronto. It is clearly more accessible by choice and price now than this small city.
The mom/pop condos are queuing up in 1B1B through 2B2B group. Newly built and more coming online.
How long can they hold on without any rental income or dropping significantly?
Finding qualified tenants is getting tough – hence these units are moving more into MLS and out of the kijiji/craigs/rentals sites, where agents have to hustle for their rental commissions.
Uncle Thomas #86
Notable members and alumni of young global leaders of the W.E.F.
Jacinda Ardern: P.M. of New Zealand
Anderson Cooper: C.N.N.
Leonardo Diario: actor
Ashton Kutcher: actor
Emmanuel Macron: President of France
Mark Zuckerberg: Metaface
Ya, YOU will own nothing, and you’ll be happy.
This isn’t all the vermin who have been indoctrinated there. They lurk in the shadows, waiting for their marching orders.
45 North,
Even 100 points won’t crash housing. Remember that people qualify at much higher than the interest rate they borrow at. They also renew at 75% principal. Most people are smart enough they won’t buy if they can’t handle a 1% increase. Most people are responsible borrowers. I don’t however expect big increases from here for a while. But $1.4 million simple towns in Richmond Hill are here to stay.
Rates are not going 1% higher. Double that. No sane person is forecasting a housing crash, but a protracted period of flatlining would be torture for many recent, over-extended buyers. Even worse for investors with negative cash flow on their rental units. Thus, more listings. More supply. That’s what lowers prices. – Garth
#107 T-Man
Uncle Thomas #86
“Notable members and alumni of young global leaders of the W.E.F.”
……………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Total Control and full out Totalitarianism.
Civil war before that in NA.
It will come eventually, ruling with an iron fist throughout the world aside from the communist hordes. Canada and the US will have ceased to be sovereign nations by then.
Ottawa Police Services is either outnumbered, outsmarted, incompetent or complicit. Maybe all four.
Regardles, Ottawa residents are taking matters into their own hands and have accomplished more in one day than OPS have in 16 days.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/covid-19-counter-protest-trucker-protest-1.6349936
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/covid-19-counter-protest-trucker-protest-1.6349936
No covid at super bowl. No masks
T2s a piece of S@@t
Cant alow a trucker to cross the boarder?
Really!?
Do you see the logic in his crooked ways?
The scams up.
T2 goes down :)
Im WITH THE ALBERTANS AND THE TRUCKERS
A business owner I know, in STEM, applied for a federal grant to hire a new employee ( scientific professional). Got a phone call from the ministry ( nothing in writing, of course) to tell them the grant was approved if the new hire is an indigenous female. Likely approved if it was a racialized female. And then they came right out and said there would be no grant money if the hiree were a white male.
This is a despicable display of racism and sexism against ALL of the candidates. The overt discrimination against the white males, and the tokenism be “gifted” to the racialized and females.
#94 Look at the used vehicle retention index
…………………
Well on the road to stagflation now.
I think it’s pretty funny that we all being distracted by a bunch of Bridle Path people in Bayview mansion hot tubs and Liberals bbq in Ottawa when the real crime is how we’re being Justinflationed by gas prices.
You’re all being purposely being turned on each other while housing, inflation, natural gas, gasoline, food, all aspect of life are getting exponentially expensive. It’s one of the oldest tricks in the book and you’re all falling for it.
This Ukraine crises is all about oil and gas. If Russia attacks Ukraine Europe’s energy could be disrupted. Not since the Iran revolution in 1979 has the world had to deal with something like this.
FYI Trudeau has stopped the Northern Gateway Pipeline and Energy East. Biden has stopped the Keystone XL. Think about that next time you pay $100 + to fill up your gas tank.
If freedom is the right to self-determination, is it any wonder that after 2 years of confused, arbitrary, ineffectual rule-making, citizens have had it?
Other countries have wisely acknowledged that the cost-benefit ratio of COVID restrictions is no longer positive or helpful, but Canada’s feds are stuck in an intransigent and increasingly indefensible position.
Worse: demonizing, belittling, isolating citizens instead of engaging and trying to resolve things by dialogue, compromise, and leadership (which ironically, they tell Russia and Ukraine, and others to do).
It is no longer about the vaccine, or covid restrictions anymore, but about the realization that our federal government has failed the country, is unable to solve crises, and has damaged democracy and the rule of law by allowing illegal “woke” protests go unchallenged in the recent past. This government values tokenism and talk over action and leadership. Where were the feds when dozens of churches were burnt in Canada last year? What charges were laid? Was there a national commission set up to investigate the targeting of a religious group?
Statues got toppled, vandalized, nationwide, while police watched and politicians remained silent. No charges were laid, no consequence to the vandals. No Canadian political leader takes a stance against illegal responses to legitimate grievances anymore, and we are surprised that this is once again playing out?
Who truly cares about the colour of the Ottawa protesters? This is distracting from the biggest problem, which is that a deaf, inward-looking, ineffectual federal government no longer defends democracy and the rule of law, but rather divides, demonizes and diminishes ordinary citizens (of all colours), like you and I, beginning with the Prime Minister himself.
I am triple vaccinated, along with my entire family. I disagree with the methods and aims espoused by the protesters and have lots of sympathy for the citizens in Ottawa who are suffering under the “occupy” movement. I wish for this insanity to stop, but not by silencing, marginalizing and ignoring fellow citizens. This is a political crisis and must be resolved by federal politicians, our elected government, and NOT by unelected police or armed forces.
To try to starve, freeze, or wait out the protesters is not only cowardly, but betrays our federal leaders’ willing disconnect with the ordinary citizenry, the former’s manifest incompetence, and lack of legitimacy to lead this once law-abiding and democratic country.
Canadians are not alone feeling this tragic sentiment. Citizens in Australia, New Zealand, the U.S. and other nations who see the damage to democracy and the rule of law that their own governments presided over, are no longer happy to sit on their hands. There is no foreign interference in all of this, to say so is a convenient red herring, which lacks evidence. Democratic citizens, used to freedom, competence, true leadership and trust in their goverments, are tired with their failures on full display and need change!
Over the centuries, coming to Canada was, for so many adopted daughters and sons, a dream come true. Living in a free, democratic, and just society, where the rule of law was respected and upheld was a blessing, unimaginable under their former lives. In the past decade, all these attributes have deteriorated, while citizens watch in silence, and fear the consequences of “a government that does not govern and an opposition that does not oppose.”
I despise what is happening in downtown Ottawa. It is shameful and degrading to our nation’s once sterling reputation. I am not politically involved at all, and prefer to work hard instead of complaining and playing a victim. Canada is a great country and its people are (normally) decent, well-meaning, reasonable folk. YES, even the truckers and those who are hesitant to vaccinate: a Canadian is a Canadian, is a Canadian, as per our Prime Minister.
But I think many of us now feel the urge to speak up against the damage to our country, which has gone beyond irreparable finances, now into political chaos and undemocratic government actions. This government is jeopardizing the future that many generations of Canadians, from all over the world have worked so hard for over 150 years and we cannot turn a blind eye to this anymore.
Mr. Prime Minister, stop the division-ism, the condescension and selective inaction of your government, and listen to those whom you were elected to serve, even if you disagree with them. Please seek dialogue and compromise, and evidence-based policies. Our country needs leadership and unity, wisdom and courage to get out of this crisis.
If you have what it takes, now is the time to show it, for the benefit of our nation and to heal its wounds, before it is too late.
Garth, thanks for this forum. Been here since 2008-9 and I hope it will remain, as our country navigates its uncertain and likely darkened future.
No kidding on the long term damage the inevitable backlash from Woke may cause, setting up fertile ground for fascism. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Garth is back! Missed you buddy!
Starved for a good greater fool. Thank-dog for Garth return. We are in a community apartment complex in suburban Tucson where the landlord gives the tenants up to “five days after the first of the month” to pay the rent. There are rules and regulations for the landlord and tenant. Fortis owns Tucson Electric.
>#101 Concerned Citizen
If “balance the budget, shrink the federal government, give more power to the provinces and money for healthcare, work to promote interprovincial trade and follow the constitution” is populism, then I’d be happy to be a populist any day of the week, because that’s what I wanted in the first place.
There are no protests if everyone is making money and living fat.
Unfortunately, there is massive economic problems and the housing market is the epitome of this.
I look at housing as a cost, not an investment. How much is it costing you for housing whether you rent or own? If you can afford your bills as an owner I would say continue owning because this hedges against huge inflation happening in housing. It is not about how much your place is worth, it is about how much your cost of living is and how happy you are with that standard of living.
Rents are going exponential right alongside house prices and as a renter you have no control of this.
On the other hand, if you don’t own and can’t afford too, don’t bother trying to pretend it might happen. Either look to move where you can make it happen or see where future rents take you and invest like crazy into stock markets to try and keep up.
You either hedge in housing and keep your living costs low or stock markets to offset the increase of expenses or both if you can. Doing none of this will lead to poverty, then anger, then protests. The financial game isn’t changing and you either learn to play it or suffer the financial consequences for not participating as you will be left behind. You don’t have to like it, but you can’t ignore it without financial recourse.
Canada isn’t an easy place to live anymore. The low hanging fruit was picked a long time ago and the perpetual squeeze is not going away in anyone’s lifetime or ever – it is how the financial system works.
And with this financial system, crashes will happen along with recoveries. Look at these events as opportunities and constantly keep assessing your lifestyle and balance sheet. Switch it up if the numbers don’t work. There is always opportunity somewhere.
This blog can be so depressing. If you have to dig for positives …just do it.
-FAA won his first ATP tournament today
-Canada beat China in Mens Hockey, thats right its a victory
-OPP/RCMP/Ottawa Police form new command centre in Ottawa, thank god
-Mayor of Ottawa MAY have brokered a deal to get a few hundred trucks moved from residential areas – one can dream
-its Super Bowl Sunday
-JayLo and Ben are at the Super Bowl rockin it
-tessa virtue and scott moir reunite behind the mic at the Olympics
-and the beat goes on……………
What I don’t get about this “woke” stuff is that they don’t even realize how exclusionary it is and how it’s actually working against any semblance of a cohesive society. Honestly since it’s all started recently (and fanned by Trudeau) it’s created more division, hostility, racism etc. than I’ve ever seen before……. Probably intentional to keep the EDI people working.
I really didn’t think negatively about people of different races until I was forced to go to multiple work sessions run by “diversity consultants” telling me how I’m “privileged” because I’m white and that I (and Canada) oppresses everyone who is “racialized” (stupid term). Basically I was made to feel guilty even though I never have done anything racist against anyone. The “racialized” people were made to feel that white people were oppressing them and they needed to dismantle our apparent privileges. Since those sessions I’ve seen so much hostility in the workplace and self-segregation…..it’s REALLY sad and has drastically affected productivity….not sure if that was the company’s intent!
I had a live and let live attitude towards transgender people until my work tried to force me to put gender pronouns in my email signature and introduce myself with them in meetings. I refused on both counts and simply said “that’s not a practice I participate in.” People have a right to express themselves and be respected, but it stops when they try to force me to believe something I don’t or change language that we all commonly use.
I valued, respected, and found Aboriginal culture amazing until my work and almost every other event started doing land acknowledgements ad nauseam (seriously we are talking every work meeting and even before a birthday party! ridiculous!). Which make me feel that the land I was born in is “unceded” and I have no right to be here. Aside from this they are done so frequently now that the words are meaningless to me (look up semantic satiation…as that’s what has happened)
So yeah forcing people to think or believe certain things and threatening your job and livelihood if you don’t is not a smart way to persuade people. Much more likely to make people resist….it’s human nature…..something the woke obviously don’t get. Doesn’t surprise me there’s a bunch of angry white guys around; we’ve been the punching bag of society for the last couple of years whether we’ve deserved it or not by our individual actions just because we are a certain colour…..sounds kinda racist eh?
I am not sure what is worse: the smell of crap and the migration of it into the drinking water in Chilliwack or the toxic pollution and rotten egg smell from the pulp mill in Kamloops.
Trains and big power grids also run through these areas.
Not exactly healthy.
If push came to shove I would probably pick Chilliwack, but there are much better places to live, like Parksville, BC or anywhere on Vancouver Island. Free of wildfire smoke, fresh ocean air and mild temps year round.
#16 Soren Angst
“ and so is my Nasdaq 100 ETF. So much for covered calls helping out (-13.17%). Still, it throws off dividends of 11.7% paid monthly so I’m keeping it (I think).”
QYLD….love it, keep it.
“yeah oil. ETN +7.95% (33.38% dividend paid monthly)”
USOI….got this one as well. Insane dividend this month. Like handholding fireworks though. Credit Suisse could very easily delist this like REML….game over no money back.
“yeah Canada ETF +63.87% (17.07% dividend paid monthly)”
Guessing DGS. Very happy with the divi’s that churns out.
Welcome back Garth, spring sunshine still isn’t here.
Four increases in Canada are baked in. Markets expect more in 2023. – Garth
_________________________________
If this happens house prices will be correcting upwards of 30% in price by 2023. This is math – not opinion.
Welcome back, Garth! – we really missed you.
@#20 Victor Maitland on 02.13.22 at 1:23 pm
Great post – very well said.
@#116 Two-thirds
Well said.
#11 HonestEnD on 02.13.22 at 12:58 pm
Welcome back! It wasn’t until you left that I realized how much I really depend on this blog for financial advice. Does everyone else feel the same?
Hum, what do you mean? We’ve had a whole week of quality financial advice despite Garth being away!
Welcome home Garth!
Hi Garth great to have you back. You said “no sane person is expecting a housing crash but a prolonged flatlining”. How does this help anyone 35 and under who has not purchased a house especially in Toronto, might as well not even work then unless you have a 1% income job. house prices in most of Ontario and BC are not overvalued they are way over valued, prices would have to crash before even these first timers would ever get a chance to buy. And Grantham has so far been right on the stock market.
You neglected the rest of that sentence. – Garth
#47 crowdedelevatorfartz on 02.13.22 at 2:43 pm
@#33 Tremblant
“University education stats a metric of the underlying issue”
++++
Sadly, what counts as an “education” in the politically correct “degree factories” …..amounts to zero useful work experience in the real word.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg21_0POyZM
Unless , of course you become a mid level bureaucrat in the politically correct civil service.
The gender neutral business cards are the icing on the pension cake as you root out all things you consider harmful, sexist, racist, colonialist, etc., etc., etc….
This is Canada and is what keep us busy.
– —————
Back ranting.
Who do you think developed the BionTech vaccine?
A couple from Turkey, who emigrated to Germany and earned their PHD.
Any plumbers ever earned a PHD and saved the world.
It ain’t him. He’s crackers. – Garth
Who you talkin’ about Willis?
You still left the question unanswered.
Great post Garth and welcome back.
As good as your post is, the comments are better about WOKE-ISM.
You have lit a fire my friend, and thank you for doing so. Trudeau makes me sick. Enough!
The Bengals are winning because we know how to cheat!
Lesson learned?
In Mexico the prime rate 6 %. Why Canada is 0.25 %. The government and CB hate you and want you to pay high taxes, high inflation and be enslaved with high housing costs. Ask yourself can Canadians continue on this path since 2009 ?
@#13 Ponzie’s Politically correct Plumber Paradigm
“Any plumbers ever earned a PHD and saved the world.”
++++
No.
Butt ( pun intended ) I can assure you that every PhD and Nobel prize winner on the planet has called a plumber to save them at one time or another.
;)
My God can you at least pick a more peaceful time next time?
We all felt lost and confused :)
@ #166
Right on…J’d be happy to bear your children even though I’m 65 and male
Thanks for the lucid elaboration!
Emergency Federal Reserve meeting tomorrow. Really? Is this necessary? The last time they pulled that kind of stunt was during the Crash of 2020.
Are we being set up for a “Valentines Day Massacre” in the markets…
I’m not very good at all this new-wave woke stuff.
I was scared I was going to slip up at my recent government job interview when they got to the race and gender questions.
When they asked me what I identify as, I said I identified as a government worker.
It worked…
M47BC
Caucasian convoy is winding down. I despise what Canadians have become.
A new record high price for fuel in the Lower Brain land.
$1.80.9 per liter for regular gas.
Inflation?
What inflation?
#94 Nonplused on 02.13.22 at 5:22 pm
“It’s a good time to stop buying stuff, eschew new debt, pay off low-rate variable borrowings and be liquid.”
Nope. It’s time to buy all the things, except houses. The debt part is right though.
In a world of 7.5% inflation and supply constraints, whatever it is you need, it isn’t going to get any cheaper.
Look at the used vehicle retention index. Now reassess your silly statement. – Garth
_____________________________________
The chip shortage has kept us from buying.
I expect by the time GM has a barrel of spare chips in stock, the government will be begging the last guy standing with cash, to be patriotic and buy a car for jobs sake.
Big discounts at times like that, just like November 2001, when we got our last new car, custom ordered for eighty three cent on the window sticker dollar.
That car is showing patina.
Live quietly among the masses…best advice I’ve heard in months…thanks for coming back…
@#123 Caddywhack
“…..until my work tried to force me to put gender pronouns in my email signature and introduce myself with them in meetings. I refused on both counts and simply said “that’s not a practice I participate in.” People have a right to express themselves and be respected, but it stops when they try to force me to believe something I don’t or change language that we all commonly use.
I valued, respected, and found Aboriginal culture amazing until my work and almost every other event started doing land acknowledgements ad nauseam (seriously we are talking every work meeting and even before a birthday party! ridiculous!)…..”
++++
Dare I go out on a limb and assume you work for the federal govt?
All the people that embrace the new doctrine are younger than 40 and take every chance to remind everyone how racist and sexist Canadians are?
All other long timers have too much to lose career and pension wise if they speak out?
Keep the head down and count the years to retirement.
Breakfast in bed is luxury.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner in bed is depression.
Some of you all, way too many actually, need to follow Garth’s lead and take a break.
If you can no longer understand or even manage a changing world at least understand this: most of us are coping, adapting quite well.
Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. Ranting about brown people being in your bank commercials is neither of those. Focus.
#86 Uncle Thomas on 02.13.22 at 4:57 pm
#12 EpsteinsIsland
“Kinda strange that Freeland and Carney are both on the board of the WEF?”
———————–
Klaus Schwab of the World Economic Forum bragged that he has Justin Trudeau and half of the Canadian cabinet in his back pocket. Also our Socialist princeling Jugmeat Sing is also member. We can see who really runs this country !
https://youtu.be/tHOl_9vrXZg
———————–
And Doug Ford:
https://www.weforum.org/people/doug-ford
#143 crowdedelevatorfartz on 02.13.22 at 9:28 pm
A new record high price for fuel in the Lower Brain land.
$1.80.9 per liter for regular gas.
Inflation?
What inflation?
———————
It’s only inflation, if you let it be.
If you drive 5% less.
No inflation.
Free will, my friend.
#71 NeoLiberal Millennial on 02.13.22 at 4:13 pm
If you’ve been thinking of cashing out, how could this be a better moment?
– – –
I’ve long been thinking about it. With $400k in real estate equity and only in our mid 30s, it’s certainly tempting. But then what? Everything else is wildly inflated and rental options are virtually non-existent in small town Ontario. Is there something I’m missing?
—————————————
Nothing! Just pull a Conrad Black. Sell your mansion with a clause that you get to continue renting it. When I originally read about this years ago, I was stunned. Pure genius!
#27 Michael in-north-york on 02.13.22 at 1:41 pm
#73 IHCTD9 on 02.13.22 at 11:17 am
Looks like Trudeau will be saved by Ford. 100K fines and permanent revocations of CVOR’s, plus up to a year in jail.
*********
Trudeau is a coward and won’t be elected in the next election. The Liberals are in big trouble thanks to Trudeau.
Ford…. well he’s a coward too. He didn’t talk to the protesters. It’s a strange behavior. When in the province and Toronto monuments to outstanding people of Canada were destroyed and federal property was destroyed no prison laws were passed and 100,000 dollars in fines and moreover no one was punished.
Truck drivers who protested peacefully and did not destroy anything but only wanted to reach some compromise in the current situation will be severely punished. This is a wake-up call to everyone who can protest peacefully- you will be punished if government don’t like you. In opposite – You can destroy federal property with impunity. Just need to make too much noise. Think about it!
I’m thinking Trudeau and Ford finished they political careers and will not be elected anymore. All they did was pissed off a lot of people.
#149 Ponzius Pilatus on 02.13.22 at 9:47 pm
#143 crowdedelevatorfartz on 02.13.22 at 9:28 pm
A new record high price for fuel in the Lower Brain land.
$1.80.9 per liter for regular gas.
Inflation?
What inflation?
———
It’s only inflation, if you let it be.
If you drive 5% less.
No inflation.
Free will, my friend.
———
Incisive, Ponz. Deep.
Good thing fuel isn’t used for anything else.
149 Ponz
“If you drive 5% less.
No inflation.”
—————————–
My one year odometer is just about up. Havent looked at it lately. Will let ya know how it goes……
Yeah, too bad about that Pierre Poilievre thing. I fear it will blow up in his face. Chantal Hebert wonders why he would align himself with such a risky, volatile mess. Me too. And just when I was really starting to like the guy.
@ John in Mtl on 02.13.22 at 8:12 pm
Hum, what do you mean? We’ve had a whole week of quality financial advice despite Garth being away!
Welcome home Garth!
________________________________
Agreed. Definitely quality advice. I meant to say that it just recently clicked to me that I am a blog addict…that’s all. I sucked up and absorbed everything Ryan and Sinan had said. Where else on the internet can you free quality financial advice?
Cheers,
#12 EpsteinsIsland
on 02.13.22 at 1:02 pm
Bring in the Central Bank Digital Currencies and you can monitor every transaction and every individual.
@EpsteinsIsland
Oh and if you are a business paying and receiving payment from your clients? Forget about trying to hide those GST/HST from flowing up to the man? That’s right! NO worries, since they are your bank? Kachink! Kachink! goes the forgotten GST/HST payment to your govt the banker for that transaction from your client? (auto repair? hair cut?). “Psst, pay me in cash and you don’t have to pay the HST!”. Oops! Kachink! The possibilities are limitless.
#33 Tremblant 110 on 02.13.22 at 2:01 pm
University education stats a metric of the underlying issue
Gradates- female 56.5 % male 43.5 %
——————————-
Ok, but now look at STEM (Science, technology, engineering, math). Not all university degrees are created equal.
And it’s not like the ladies can’t go into STEM, but by a number larger than 56.5-43.5=13% they choose not to, for reasons of their own. And it’s not like there is any discrimination going on, the administration is trying to cram the ladies into the engineering department with every kind of enticement they can think of, because the numbers don’t look good when Trudeau does his “equity” evaluations.
The fact is not everybody wants to be an engineer. I for the life of me can’t figure out why but I am sure some of the commenters will be able to offer their insightful observations.
“That doesn’t mean cash, since it’s devaluing fast.”
This is an extremely common fallacy repeated in just about every financial column. A CPI of 7.5% (which is actually understated due to the ridiculous OER) refers to just that – consumer prices. It doesn’t mean your investment cash is losing the same amount (or any amount), since you are not planning on purchasing consumer items with it.
If a financial asset you wish to purchase is at near all-time highs (ETF or whatever), but it declines in price by 20% as the Fed tightens causing is some moderation – then your cash is not *declining* by anything. Cash in your investment account is gaining by 20%.
Don’t conflate CPI with having some cash to buy a good dip – completely different worlds.
Take a month off Garth, I did. Take more.
Stopped reading news, watching news, made a rule that if the network mentions anything related to pandemic or Covid I change channel immediately. I live my life now. Revolutionary. TV doesn’t tell me what to do. Politicians don’t tell me what to do. It’s amazing.
Sooo much better. No comment about that crap on here either as you well know.
Anyhow…also…watched like 8 seconds of olympics…flipping by only. Not going to support that regime or the crooks running that racket anymore.
Watched Titanic yesterday. It’s crazy how good that movie is. Make it count Garth!
Those apartment buildings for black and indigenous make me so sad. I read the other day that the definition of racism has now been changed to exclude white people. It’s not possible for a white person to suffer from racism anymore, which explains why developments like this are legally allowed. I don’t really understand it personally. As a landlord, I couldn’t post an apartment for rent and say “Only asians allowed” could I? I thought that was illegal? I also don’t think I could say “Only blacks and indigenous” that would be illegal wouldn’t it? So how come the governments are allowed to do it? Also, this convoy… I saw the other say RCMP went on private property and disabled 3 excavators and when I say disabled I mean fully disabled, huge damage to them. The RCMP admitted it. How can they go on private property and do this? I guess there’s some loophole in the criminal law to allow RCMP to enter private property if they think a crime is going to be acted out? It’s all honestly so confusing. We are headed in a really bad direction and the end result will be bad for everyone.
You nailed Garth, but it ain’t just white folks. Had coffee this morning with my trucker buddy just back from Alberta. There was a holdup in Golden while they did some avalanche blasting. Ten drivers had a conflab. 3 Punjabis, 1 Afghani, 1 Russian, 1 Eastern European & 4 crusty white mountain men. Their making big money now, so no dying on this vaccine hill. But they all said they would park their truck. Their tired of getting talked down to. The DOT regulation book keeps growing. Irritating, arrogant, chickenshit enforcement by the Feds.
Came back all day through B.C, Saturday. Every small town had a convoy. Truckers know who their friends are when their tractor breaks down on some slippery B.C. mountain.
Don’t fret my fellow bloggie doggies, As long as the money keeps coming in, everything will be all right.
#13 Pylot Project on 02.13.22 at 1:04 pm
This is complete madness. Hopefully there will not be blood in the streets in five years time when mortgage renewals come due.
*******************
Remember, there are lots of variable rate mortgages out and about in the general pop that made the monthly payments lower.
What about the rates on all those helocs used to buy other investment properties, vacations, car, trucks, camper trailers etc?
@ Garth. Nice to have you back Garth, the lads did well, very informative. I’m getting the popcorn ready, should be an interesting next 6 months.
@#65 Neo
“trudeau is too far left”
While I agree with this statement, trudeau is not left enough for most of canada these days. Compared to many NDP, Bloc, and Green positions, he’s basically right wing.
You think white guys no longer showing up in TV commercials is the basis for the Ottawa protests? You think the protestors are just a bunch of angry white guys? You’re delusional.
Some say Mr. Justin Trudeau will not be elected AGAIN.
Well that is what they said last time. He has been elected
THREE TIMES as prime minister. We hope to see him
run against Pierre should be very interesting sit back
relax all will be fine with some speed bumps.
#151 VladTor on 02.13.22 at 10:14 pm
Trudeau is a coward and won’t be elected in the next election. The Liberals are in big trouble thanks to Trudeau.
Ford…. well he’s a coward too. He didn’t talk to the protesters. It’s a strange behavior. When in the province and Toronto monuments to outstanding people of Canada were destroyed and federal property was destroyed no prison laws were passed and 100,000 dollars in fines and moreover no one was punished.
Truck drivers who protested peacefully and did not destroy anything but only wanted to reach some compromise in the current situation will be severely punished. This is a wake-up call to everyone who can protest peacefully- you will be punished if government don’t like you. In opposite – You can destroy federal property with impunity. Just need to make too much noise. Think about it!
I’m thinking Trudeau and Ford finished they political careers and will not be elected anymore. All they did was pissed off a lot of people.
===
While I have a sympathy for the Freedom Convoy cause, the affected residents have a reason to be unhappy. Imagine if big trucks and big crowds moved into your neighborhood and stayed there for many days in a row, instead of just 30 min or 2 hours like the majority of public actions.
The blocades of major trade routes cannot be allowed indefinitely, either. When the lefties blocked the railroad back in 2020, the government cleared them out eventually.
On the future of Trudeau and Ford – its is hard to make predictions these days, but I expect that Ford will keep his job after the coming Ontario elections. People who think Ford “isn’t a Concervative enough” do not have any party to vote for. He will lose in 2026 to a Liberal contender, when the fatugue factor kicks in.
Trudeau is going to lose. If he remains at the helm of the Libs, then they will be bleening support both ways; to the Cons and “Berniers” on the right, and to the Dippers and the Greens on the left. And what they are left with won’t be enough to retain their plurality, let alone win the majority. Trudeau knows that, and he might even decide to resign prior to the elections and let the federal Libs run with a new face at the helm.
Some great posts tonight.
A couple corrections. There were several arrests for church burnings and at least one for toppling Sir John A. Also the definition of racism was not rewritten to exclude white folks. Gotta be careful what you’re buying on the www…
Most of whatever racial tensions existing in Canada would drift into the void if we could somehow muzzle Trudeau and the CBC. They’re the source of just about all of it. They live for that stuff, and almost no one wants to hear it day in and day out. I’m sure non whites are sick of hearing woke doctrine too. Folks that live for baiting their fellow country peoplekind with ism’s and ist’s are the dregs of society. An actual fringe minority.
The much bigger issue is where Canada has pointed her bow since Trudeau came to power. I get the feeling future Canada just won’t be worth the effort or the cost. That’s a massive problem that will affect everything and everybody. I already see the effects in my industry where supply chains have been amalgamating and shrinking steadily since the GFC as the need here for their products wanes, and the cost of doing business keeps going up. Big manufacturing is a dead duck, but the corpse is still warm. We just can’t compete, and it’s slowly slipping away.
It’s also clear we’re heading for a massive class divide. Old vs Young. The cut is probably around 40. It’s shaping up to be a real doozy of a gap too. Then there’s the mountains of debt amongst the citizenry, and the government. Guess which age group gets to foot the bill here? Which one is already loaded to the gills? How is this situation even workable? 20 years max and we should have an idea.
I dunno homies, something’s gotta give.
#152 Sail Away on 02.13.22 at 10:32 pm
#149 Ponzius Pilatus on 02.13.22 at 9:47 pm
#143 crowdedelevatorfartz on 02.13.22 at 9:28 pm
A new record high price for fuel in the Lower Brain land.
$1.80.9 per liter for regular gas.
Inflation?
What inflation?
———
It’s only inflation, if you let it be.
If you drive 5% less.
No inflation.
Free will, my friend.
———
Incisive, Ponz. Deep.
Good thing fuel isn’t used for anything else.
————-
Yeah,
Don’t buy the ugly plastic bubble coat that eventually will disintegrate and end up polluting the oceans.
Fuel is also in the plastic toys that your kids got last x-mas and are now rotting in the basement closet.
It is indeed a very sad time when a Canadian can work hard for years, save into a pension, invest in stocks, fill their RSSP and follow Garth’s advice to the 100th degree by renting their homes and still financially fall behind as folk with owned homes are making half a million a year tax free in their sleep. No wonder the houseless are boiling mad. How divisive for the country. How is in possible for the under 40s to support Trudeau’s policies.
I am now regretting the house I sold in Cambridge, Ontario in 1992 to move to England! I should have rented it out! Probably a 2 million dollar bungalow now.
“Look at the used vehicle retention index. Now reassess your silly statement. – Garth”
Ok. Look first:
https://www.blackbook.com/black-book-index/
Now reassess:
I suppose one could argue that used cars cannot possibly stay as high as they are, to which I would agree, they will come down again sooner or later (probably later). But MSRP on new cars will continue relentlessly higher, and right now I wouldn’t buy used because the value just isn’t there. You don’t save enough money. You are better off to just finance the difference and buy new. If you can find the new car you are looking for, that is.
But ya, not a good time to buy a used car. If you need a new car though (need being the operative word), and can find what you are looking for, go ahead and buy one. I don’t think they will get cheaper. And financing certainly won’t.
But I didn’t mention used cars specifically in my comment. I’m talking “new” goods in general. Inflation never goes backwards, at least not for long.
#160 Adam on 02.13.22 at 11:37 pm
Those apartment buildings for black and indigenous make me so sad. I read the other day that the definition of racism has now been changed to exclude white people. It’s not possible for a white person to suffer from racism anymore, which explains why developments like this are legally allowed. I don’t really understand it personally.
———————————
In a diabolical kind of way, somehow we have found ourselves right back to segregation. I mean, what else would you call a BIPOC only school if you didn’t have someone there to tell you that they were keeping the white kids out for equity reasons, and not the other way around? It is the strangest thing.
#132 Ponzius Pilatus on 02.13.22 at 8:41 pm
Any plumbers ever earned a PHD and saved the world.
=====================================
Total fool. The reference wasn’t to STEM degrees.
And proper sanitation has saved exponentially more lives than all vaccines put together.
Gotta try better if you’re just gonna stir the pot.
#152 Sail Away on 02.13.22 at 10:32 pm
#149 Ponzius Pilatus on 02.13.22 at 9:47 pm
#143 crowdedelevatorfartz on 02.13.22 at 9:28 pm
A new record high price for fuel in the Lower Brain land.
$1.80.9 per liter for regular gas.
Inflation?
What inflation?
———
It’s only inflation, if you let it be.
If you drive 5% less.
No inflation.
Free will, my friend.
———
Incisive, Ponz. Deep.
Good thing fuel isn’t used for anything else.
——————————-
Ponzie, my friend, “shrinkflation” is the same thing as inflation. It doesn’t matter whether you drive 5% less because you can’t afford it or whatever you are arguing the motivation is, you get less for the same money. Chicken instead of beef. 400 grams instead of 500. It’s all the same thing.
#148 All the people that embrace the new doctrine are younger than 40 and take every chance to remind everyone how racist and sexist Canadians are?
All other long timers have too much to lose career and pension wise if they speak out?
Keep the head down and count the years to retirement.
—-
Yup. In my workplace one fellow spent an entire day trying to figure out how to put the special accents on the letters of first nations land acknowledgement into his signature file…. He got it figured out and wanted to show me…. told him gently that I am trying to write papers with my students so that they have good job prospects and I’ll take a raincheck on this trivia…. must be careful how I phrase it and navigate the landscape lest I run afoul of current doctrine…. at this stage I take it year by year until I exit stage left…
#135 Cincinnati Cheaters on 02.13.22 at 8:52 pm
The Bengals are winning because we know how to cheat!
Lesson learned?
_____________________
Not quite.
Obviously not even good at cheating!
Can you expand as to why the homeownership grant in BC was increased from 1.25M properties to almost 2 Million? Should a homeownership grant exist? Should we be subsidizing owners of 2 M homes?
I guess it would be an unpopular move to remove it since homeowners are majority of the voters, (70%).
@146 crowdedelevatorfartz
I can neither confirm nor deny ;)
Don’t want to say much more as I’m in a non-woke demographic who needs at least another 5 years to get a decent pension amount. Although if this stuff doesn’t die down it’s unlikely I’ll make it another 5 years without going on medical leave.
#90 Howard on 02.13.22 at 5:04 pm
Yup, right out of the Fox News playbook.
0https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/peoples-party-leader-maxime-bernier-hands-out-freedom-pancakes-looks-to-steer-freedom-convoy-his-way
Garth, I’ve followed this blog religiously for years. I have tremendous respect for what you’ve achieved throughout your career, and gratitude for the information and insight you provide.
However, I disagree with you strongly on a number of points. In no particular order:
– Poilievre is not responsible for bringing Trumpism to Canada – that lies squarely with the woke crowd on the radical left and in the mainstream media who will not stop calling everyone and everything “racist”.
– the participants in the freedom convoys are not anti-vax. They are anti vaccine mandates. Big difference.
– research is showing that some of the vaccines are not nearly as safe as their manufacturers have advertised them to be.
– you claim we haven’t lost any freedoms; when a government declares a state of emergency; when a government tells its people they can’t leave their homes, or operate their businesses to earn an income; if we are forced to “choose” between getting a vaccine and losing our jobs (which isn’t really a choice), we most certainly have lost our freedoms.
– the protests have been nothing but peaceful; contrast them to the protests of last year.
– if another variant emerges, we carry on with life as usual – there will always be a new variant. The economic and social cost of shutting down the entire world for 2 years far outweighs any harm the virus could have ever done.
– people hospitalized with COVID have, on average, 4 co-morbidities.
– the official number of deaths caused by COVID has been wildly inflated.
Make no mistake – Trumpism and Wokeism are the two holy terrors plaguing society today. The way to get rid of both is to create spaces for honest conversation, and to stop shaming people out of hand for having opposing views.
So is denialism. Covid has killed 34,000 of us. Have a heart. – Garth
Hi old friend. It’s great to see you back. I hope you are feeling a bit rested. We appreciate the work you do on this blog.
#169 Jane24 on 02.14.22 at 12:53 am
It is indeed a very sad time when a Canadian can work hard for years, save into a pension, invest in stocks, fill their RSSP and follow Garth’s advice to the 100th degree by renting their homes and still financially fall behind as folk with owned homes are making half a million a year tax free in their sleep. No wonder the houseless are boiling mad. How divisive for the country. How is in possible for the under 40s to support Trudeau’s policies.
———————————-
By and large they aren’t.
Liberal polling numbers are now held up by upper-income Boomers. Ekos and other polling firms have shown this. Without the Boomers, the Liberals would be in mid-20s support and Trudeau’s personal approval would be in the tank. Young people have shifted to the NDP and I suspect Poilièvre’s energy will attract many to the CPC should he win the leadership.
Trudeau gave Boomers 30% yoy tax free gains on homes they bought for a can of soup in 1978, and they are repaying the favour.
#178 Tinpot Economist on 02.14.22 at 6:51 am
#90 Howard on 02.13.22 at 5:04 pm
Yup, right out of the Fox News playbook.
0https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/peoples-party-leader-maxime-bernier-hands-out-freedom-pancakes-looks-to-steer-freedom-convoy-his-way
———————————–
This might surprise you but concepts like civil liberties and opposition to government overreach existed well before Fox News and in many more countries than the US or Canada.
The last time the curve was this flat one month before the Fed was expected to hike was February, 1997. The Fed hike once, paused and then eased in 1998. Debt is also multiples higher at every level of society this time around ..
@#161 fishman
” But they all said they would park their truck. Their tired of getting talked down to. The DOT regulation book keeps growing. Irritating, arrogant, chickenshit enforcement by the Feds.”
+++
Yep.
I occasionally have to drive a 1 ton van with a pallet of dangerous goods to a trucking company to be shipped out.
That company was audited by the Dept of Transport.
and the DOT called us up to come by.
No problem.
Two guys in a Canadian govt van. One driving mask on. one sitting in the very back bench seat with a mask on like some emperor.
They get out. Wearing DoT uniforms that make them look like cops. They put Hard Hats on, safety vests, clipboards, etc.
To walk into our office……
DoT Business cards handed to us with the politically correct ( He, They, Them) in brackets after their names.
( What was the cost to replace ALL federal govt employee business cards to that special safe place?)
They then proceeded with the audit.
1st thing was my DOT personal wallet sized, cardboard, permit. I showed it to them.
Then they wanted to see my expired permit? WTF?
“By Law you are required to carry your EXPIRED DOT permit for TWO YEARS after expiry.”
I said, “I don’t carry my expired drivers license why would I keep my expired DoT permit ?”
My first citation.
This sh!tshow of bureaucracy went on for an hour. Wanted to see our shipping records, our WHIMIS sheets, our storage, our packing decals…on and on and on.
Pissant bureaucrats and the pissant rules.
And as I explained to them.
I never had to deliver our dangerous goods until about a year ago when the second last trucking company decided the govt rules and regs were to onerous and they stopped dealing with dangerous goods. That company used to pick up from our warehouse direct and ship.
Now?
The last company demands we drop off to them because…they’re the last company.
Yep, the Trudeau govt has done a bang up job creating more rules, more bureaucrats, more inspections to make us allllll safer…..but they havent.
Even our international supplier is having a hard time finding trucking companies to cross the border for deliveries due to the canuck rules and regs.
I noticed during Covid the truckers in Vand are starting to push back.
The Port of Vancouver has decided they will not allow any large rigs older than 10 years to acces the ports.
Safety?
Nope.
Old truck pollute more.
Hurray! The Vancouver Port Authority did their bit for the environment and the ships sit and sit and sit in the Harbour spewing tons of dirty oily bunker C because….there are no trucks to clear the container docks!
We are screwed in this country but…those rainbow sidewalks look great don’t they?
Welcome back Mr. Garth.
You were missed. Thank you for today’s topic.
@#177 Caddywack
“Don’t want to say much more as I’m in a non-woke demographic who needs at least another 5 years to get a decent pension amount. Although if this stuff doesn’t die down it’s unlikely I’ll make it another 5 years without going on medical leave.”
+++
My sympathies.
I have several friends who are “suffering in silence” at the federal, provincial and municipal troughs.
They all have less than 5 years before the gold plated pensions.
They all say it is absolutely demoralizing what has happened in their govt depts.
Staff quitting and the younger staff being hired either a) do nothing or as little as possible or
b) are smart enough to realize its a back stabbing cesspool of politically correct WOKEsters and they quit after a few months ( 35 years of this? see ya…..).
So the HR depts are constantly hiring, and moaning that they cant find anyone to fill the pc agenda.
No one will make a decision for fear it may come back to bite them.
Everything is grinding …..to….. a….. halt.
I deal with govt people daily.
They never answer emails or phone messages( no one “picks up” because they might have to actually make a decision immediately) any more.
Total gridlock
One govt guy has three years to go and 1.5 years of banked sick leave and has every intention of going on stress leave to use it up.
@#123 Caddywhack
“…..until my work tried to force me to put gender pronouns in my email signature and introduce myself with them in meetings. I refused on both counts and simply said “that’s not a practice I participate in.”
———————————————-
This is happening in Healthcare too. And I am sorry, a ‘them, they’? Shouldn’t it be an ‘it’?
@ Sail Away and Nonplused
Explaining common sense to Ponzie is like telling him the sky is blue.
Facts don’t matter.
He just wants to argue and fight.
Reminds me of Putin.
The King thanks you for his service. You are a loyal obedient subject.
You can sit at the long table and be proud with the other fellow citizens. Smiles and nods all around. Fist pumps and elbow smashes. Critical thinking conversation abound in the room.
#123 Chaddywack
“People have a right to express themselves and be respected, but it stops when they try to force me to believe something I don’t or change language that we all commonly use.”
—————————————————————————————————–
Right you are!
That straightforward, logical sentiment is what brought Jordan Peterson into the limelight, and ultimately allowed his greatness to flourish and propelled him to global fame and reverence.
The truth hurts, sometimes.
DB
He/him/sir/hey you/bwana/buddy/grasshopper
#188 crowdedelevatorfartz on 02.14.22 at 8:37 am
@ Sail Away and Nonplused
Explaining common sense to Ponzie is like telling him the sky is blue.
Facts don’t matter.
He just wants to argue and fight.
Reminds me of Putin.
——————-
What are the facts?
It’s raining today.
And sometimes is foggy.
And then often pollution turns the sky grey.
Which one is it?
disenfranchising and exclusion….
Really? People protest and rally because they are victims of a skewed system injust to them…… Well isn’t that a first.
and just how many job openings are there in Canada at the moment?
On the surface this may be centred on vaccines and ‘freedoms’ but it’s really about disenfranchising and exclusion.
*******************
I have been saying this from the beginning, and T2’s comments calling them everything from racist to transphobic only poured gasoline on the fire… and then the convoy rapidly grew.
This has morphed into a movement of the working class against the “Lap-Top” class, and more and more anger is brewing. Look at the people who mostly oppose the trucker movement across the country…. it’s mostly urban, educated liberals (if you exclude the people living at Ground Zero). Most of the protesters are vaxxed. This may be about mandates and restrictions on the surface, but beneath this, it’s about class. And Trudeau is the most divisive leader in decades. This whole situation is a ticking time bomb on all sides, and it is 100% Canadian made, decades in the making.
DELETED
#182 Howard on 02.14.22 at 7:58 am
This might surprise you but concepts like civil liberties and opposition to government overreach existed well before Fox News and in many more countries than the US or Canada.
*******************************
Yes, and it is called Democracy.
#179 Jason
if another variant emerges, we carry on with life as usual – there will always be a new variant. The economic and social cost of shutting down the entire world for 2 years far outweighs any harm the virus could have ever done.
– people hospitalized with COVID have, on average, 4 co-morbidities.
– the official number of deaths caused by COVID has been wildly inflated.
———————-
Are these facts, or are you just making these up?
Like so many posters here.
It’s rumored a local sole proprietor lone plumber just saw his liability insurance jack from $1600 to 10 grand!
Ponzius Pilatus on 02.14.22 at 12:47 am
…
———
Incisive, Ponz. Deep.
Good thing fuel isn’t used for anything else.
————-
Yeah,
Don’t buy the ugly plastic bubble coat that eventually will disintegrate and end up polluting the oceans.
Fuel is also in the plastic toys that your kids got last x-mas and are now rotting in the basement closet.
=============================
Anytime I read a reply like this I hear a small dog yapping.
There is a great movie about a white guy being a chauffeur for a black guy.
“The Green Book”.
A reversed “Driving Miss Daisy”.
Watch it.
Well worth your time.
Garth et al
Looks like Martial Law comes to Canada. What a joke! What a waste of money? Like any traveller will want to jump on a plane and come to the land of martial law ! That is just wonderful for businesses. Bravo. Give our elected leaders another raise. Great job. Convetsation costs nothing, but martial law, well that costs money. Let’s spend a bunch more. Total joke.
FINALLY – is garth finally leaning left?
There is strong correlation when people get more educated they tend to lean more left. Just think about that stat for a minute.
Generally, I chalk up the majority of conservatism due to lack of education and an inability to empathize with groups outside your immediate circle. So common we see conservatives suddenly support gay rights, for example, when one of their kids comes out as gay. Funny that.
For the conservatives out there look at these trucker convoys. The co-opting of the Canadian flag for their purpose and maybe understand that yeah, liberals suck but they are FAR FAR better than the Cancer that is inside the conservative party and growing. Choosing the lesser of two evils is much more important that choosing the better of two goods.
Conservatives: “We have met the enemy and he is us”
Generalize much? It is entirely possible to embrace fiscal conservativism, prudence and good economic management and be socially aware and progressive. That was the essence of the Progressive Conservative party. Its demise has helped Canada reach this sorry point. – Garth
Ponzius Pilatus on 02.14.22 at 10:53 am
#179 Jason
if another variant emerges, we carry on with life as usual – there will always be a new variant. The economic and social cost of shutting down the entire world for 2 years far outweighs any harm the virus could have ever done.
– people hospitalized with COVID have, on average, 4 co-morbidities.
– the official number of deaths caused by COVID has been wildly inflated.
———————-
Are these facts, or are you just making these up?
Like so many posters here.
=========================
Hi Ponz,
Jason may have got the info from the Gov’t of BC CDC website. It is full of good data. Try pedalling through the mortality stuff and see how it works out…
The BC coroner’s site has good info too if you want to get really morbid.
Try the second tab named “Top 15 causes of death” (link for it won’t paste)
https://bccdc.shinyapps.io/Mortality_Context_ShinyApp/
And B.C. hospitalization rates:
https://bccdc.shinyapps.io/covid19_global_epi_app/
Then ask yourself, “If the pandemic is waning and other medical treatments are being postponed or cancelled, then where should B.C. health care priorities lie?”.
Cheers, R
176 Mill
“Should a homeownership grant exist? Should we be
subsidizing owners of 2 M homes?”
——————————-
Just change the perspective. Let the standard be for owner occupied principal residences of less than $2M.
Then ADD the “grant” back onto that for all other
properties but call it something different (maybe the
flipper, speccer, landlord, absentee owner, rich person
premium).
It’s all just baked into the tax that needs to be collected.
Feel better?
#20 Victor Maitland
Spot on. Could not have said it better myself.
#202 Russ
So, you also think the CPI numbers compiled by the government are correct?
There are discussions about its usefulness, because so many major items are not in the basket.
I’d like to believe that numbers reported by a government are usually skewed one way or another.
And we just don’t talk about China here.
And remember, if you you torture a number or stat long enough, it will tell you what you what you wanna hear.
One question:
Do you think we should have just let COVID rip?
And let it take its course.
As for your question:
If a life saving operation for me or my one of my loved ones would have been postponed, I’d be furious.
But one has to realize, the system is set up to take the affect of decisions on the whole population in account, not the individual.
Triage can be cruel, but I think it’s the best system.
#166
“Trudeau is going to lose.”
——————————
We can hope.
But…replaced by whom?
#193 Jesse on 02.14.22 at 9:59 am
On the surface this may be centred on vaccines and ‘freedoms’ but it’s really about disenfranchising and exclusion.
*******************
I have been saying this from the beginning, and T2’s comments calling them everything from racist to transphobic only poured gasoline on the fire… and then the convoy rapidly grew.
This has morphed into a movement of the working class against the “Lap-Top” class, and more and more anger is brewing. Look at the people who mostly oppose the trucker movement across the country…. it’s mostly urban, educated liberals (if you exclude the people living at Ground Zero). Most of the protesters are vaxxed. This may be about mandates and restrictions on the surface, but beneath this, it’s about class. And Trudeau is the most divisive leader in decades. This whole situation is a ticking time bomb on all sides, and it is 100% Canadian made, decades in the making.
———————————-
Just wanted to compliment you on a perfect encapsulation of what’s going on. I agree entirely.
You’ll also notice the #IStandWithTrudeau foot soldiers on Twitter and elsewhere on social media doubling down on insults directed at the working class. I wonder when the Liberals will figure out that there are more working class voters than wealthy ones with PhDs.
Please do not put your dogawful canines “in the crosshairs”.
That would be vicious and cruel. There are for more humane ways to rid yourself of these pests.
Welcome back. Hope you had a nice break.
Great post. An excellent assessment of our current state of affairs.
Here is another insightful Nikiforuk piece:
“I wanted to see the angry truckers more clearly. So I called a therapist”: https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2022/02/09/Did-Not-Grieve-Pandemic-Now-Fighting/
I will admit to being a concerned Canadian who has sent the PM several emails over the past 10 days asking him to take a breath and calmly deal with the protestors.
Yesterday, I wrote him another e-mail to that effect, and considered include advisements against his enacting the War Measures Act as his father did during the FLQ Crisis.
In the end, I decided against adding the anti – War Measure Act urgings, as I thought that there was no way that our Prime Minister would be so ignorant, self-absorbed and tone-deaf to enact the War Measures Act to get himself out of self-inflicted petty personal political squabbles.
I stand corrected. I am the ignorant one.
But have you noticed the demographics? Yup, mostly white. Mainly guys.
————————————————————
Suspect this blog has similar demo’s
#193 Jesse on 02.14.22 at 9:59 am
On the surface this may be centred on vaccines and ‘freedoms’ but it’s really about disenfranchising and exclusion.
*******************
I have been saying this from the beginning, and T2’s comments calling them everything from racist to transphobic only poured gasoline on the fire… and then the convoy rapidly grew.
This has morphed into a movement of the working class against the “Lap-Top” class, and more and more anger is brewing. Look at the people who mostly oppose the trucker movement across the country…. it’s mostly urban, educated liberals (if you exclude the people living at Ground Zero). Most of the protesters are vaxxed. This may be about mandates and restrictions on the surface, but beneath this, it’s about class. And Trudeau is the most divisive leader in decades. This whole situation is a ticking time bomb on all sides, and it is 100% Canadian made, decades in the making.
_____
Yep, if class-riots ever appear in Canada – we can point the finger right at Trudeau and the CBC. Trudeau is the most divisive PM **of all time**.
But what to do? If Canadians (30 some percent) want this kind of country where everyone is divided and suspicious in accordance with the doctrines preached in the Church of the CBC.ca, eventually we will have to accept it, and make plans to deal with it. That can only really look like moving somewhere else.
For me employing LQAM and exiting southern Ontario seems like a great start. If all goes well, I’ll fit right in my new northerly hamlet and the cashflow will be way more than enough. The kids will still get all the family and financial support they need – and at their age, they may see a day when it’s apparent the time to leave Canada altogether has come. Nothing lasts forever.
Not much more that can be done. If voting with your ballot doesn’t work, then you are left with your feet. Tuning out in a small off the beaten path town in beautiful northern Ontario, ATV, fishing boat, ice hut, wood pile, LCBO. Pay almost nothing in taxes and watch the meltdown from a safe distance. That’s about as much reparations anyone could ask for.
#206 Barb on 02.14.22 at 12:23 pm
#166
“Trudeau is going to lose.”
——————————
We can hope.
But…replaced by whom?
Disclosure:
I am a Liberal, but did not vote Liberal last election.
But here are some suggestions for the Cons:
Stockwell Day
Jason Kenney
Rich Coleman
Bill Maher had an interesting comment on the convoy. As he pointed out, the people opposing the actions of the convoy tend to be people who worked from home during the pandemic, and made money whilst in their pyjamas pecking on an iPad and ordering stuff from Amazon and Skip-the Dishes.
People who got cold and dirty delivering the iPad peckers Amazon orders and preparing their Skip-the Dishes meals are more sympathetic to the truckers.
#207 Howard on 02.14.22 at 12:24 pm
You’ll also notice the #IStandWithTrudeau foot soldiers on Twitter and elsewhere on social media doubling down on insults directed at the working class. I wonder when the Liberals will figure out that there are more working class voters than wealthy ones with PhDs.
——–
Luckily, PhD and influential voice of reason Dr. Jordan Peterson recognizes this and expresses it widely and eloquently.
Alberta RCMP officers have arrested 11 people and seized a number of weapons including guns and body armour at the Coutts border crossing blockade.
The arrests happened early Monday morning after investigators became aware of a small group of people within the larger Coutts protest that had access to a cache of firearms and ammunition, RCMP said.
“The group was said to have a willingness to use force against the police if any attempts were made to disrupt the blockade,” RCMP said in a Monday news release.
“This resulted in an immediate and complex investigation to determine the extent of the threat and criminal organization.”
Officers searched three trailers and arrested 11 people.
During the execution of the search warrants, police said the following items were seized:
13 long guns;
Handguns;
Multiple sets of body armour;
Amachete;
Alarge quantity of ammunition; and
High capacity magazines.
https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/alberta-rcmp-arrest-11-people-at-coutts-border-blockade-seize-weapons-1.5780676
#205 Ponzius Pilatus on 02.14.22 at 12:21 pm
If a life saving operation for me… would have been postponed, I’d be furious.
——
Briefly
#186 crowdedelevatorfartz on 02.14.22 at 8:33 am
@#177 Caddywack
“Don’t want to say much more as I’m in a non-woke demographic who needs at least another 5 years to get a decent pension amount. Although if this stuff doesn’t die down it’s unlikely I’ll make it another 5 years without going on medical leave.”
+++
My sympathies.
I have several friends who are “suffering in silence” at the federal, provincial and municipal troughs.
_____
Hehe, the vast majority of my extended family works for government. Over Christmas the discussion turned to retirement. They are all planning on bailing out at 55. Every single one. Not even a question about it. Just about all my in-laws are moderate lefties. There was raucous and unanimous agreement that they will absolutely be gone at 55 LOL! The jobs suck, but the pay and pensions are good. They’ll tough it out as long as they need to cash out – but not a day more than that.
#218 IHCTD9 on 02.14.22 at 1:26 pm
Hehe, the vast majority of my extended family works for government. Over Christmas the discussion turned to retirement. They are all planning on bailing out at 55. Every single one. Not even a question about it. Just about all my in-laws are moderate lefties. There was raucous and unanimous agreement that they will absolutely be gone at 55 LOL! The jobs suck, but the pay and pensions are good. They’ll tough it out as long as they need to cash out – but not a day more than that.
———————–
The golden handcuffs.
Looks the (white dudes in trucks) won’t feel left out anymore.
There about to “feel” what it’s like to be protesting when you have dark skin.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has told his caucus he will invoke the never-before-used Emergencies Act to give the federal government extra powers to handle anti-vaccine mandate protests across the country, sources say.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-premiers-cabinet-1.6350734
My ex-girlfriend’s mom has a detached house in Kelowna.
I guess I shouldn’t have dumped her!
Trudeau’s a crooked globalist. (See great reset)
If you had partook in some of his conflicts of interests you would be in jail.
Wake up.
Mask and jab up trucker to cross the boarder.
But ok to fill a stadium in USA.
Ponzius Pilatus on 02.14.22 at 12:21 pm
#202 Russ
So, you also think the CPI numbers compiled by the government are correct?
…
One question:
Do you think we should have just let COVID rip?
And let it take its course.
As for your question:
If a life saving operation for me or my one of my loved ones would have been postponed, I’d be furious.
But one has to realize, the system is set up to take the affect of decisions on the whole population in account, not the individual.
Triage can be cruel, but I think it’s the best system.
===============================
Hi Ponzius,
A bit of delay this morning. I took the missus out for a Valentine’s Day breakfast.
The CPI question seems like a strawman position from you. The links provided earlier include raw data for anyone to draw a conclusion based on best info offered.
I do not entertain the position that we “should have” let COVID rip.
In the beginning there was too much conflicting info and insufficient data. However, we have a good handle on data now and for over a year & a half and our representatives are still making deficient choices.
Of all the areas in the world, I believe Dr. B. Henry has done the best out of the lot of them and led us well.
The best is not good enough.
Dr. John Campbell has been crying for his government to fund proper vitamin D3 and co-morbidity studies going on 20 months now. Crickets. He does present a few studies though. I suggest you become acquainted with his daily YT work.
Now, in the present time, I believe we can let Covid rip.
– personal anecdotes have its current form as mild, manage like a cold
– the vaccine is freely available
– the hospital capacity is acceptable
– the C-19 patients (unvaxx’d) do not spend much time in ICU (note death rate curve of BCCDC link)
– vaccinated people are spreading the virus, so the “passport” is rendered useless
I know dozens of people that have gone through C-19 but only have one first hand death. A relative who was unvaccinated, by choice, and with a number of co-morbidity, as in diabetes, hypertension & obesity.
Cheers, R
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7 year old grandson had his second vaccination on Friday.
I said “good for you”.
“And you and Opa,” he replied, “so you don’t die.”
Be still, my heart.
Let me rephrase that.
Warm heart.
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#217 Sail Away on 02.14.22 at 1:11 pm
“Luckily, PhD and influential voice of reason Dr. Jordan Peterson recognizes this and expresses it widely and eloquently.”
:( :( :(
Are you serious?
I can sound smart too when I’m a high narcissist.
Conservatives: “We have met the enemy and he is us”
Generalize much? It is entirely possible to embrace fiscal conservativism, prudence and good economic management and be socially aware and progressive. That was the essence of the Progressive Conservative party. Its demise has helped Canada reach this sorry point. – Garth
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Nice try. Everyone is fiscally conservative. People actually do want to pay their bills. The vast majority of people I see wanting handouts are the privileged and entitled.
Only differences I see is that people differ on fairness and some things are worth paying for.
Modern conservatism is much more about “I got mine” and/or used to hurt other people. Trumpisms is a very natural and easy progression from the foundations of conservatism – it just has the mask off to show it what it really is.
That’s the real benefit of Trump – he actually said all the things you’re not supposed to out loud.
Interesting week
T2 about to invoke the successor to the war measures act, apparently because he faces an imminent loss in Parliament on a Conservative motion, which seems to have the popular support of the House, to end all pandemic measures including, in the words of the sexy interim Con leader “forcing shots on people who don’t want them ”
Is today the day democracy dies in Canada?
The day a democratic house of commons representing the will of the Canadian people is shut down by a single man determined to hold onto his power at any cost?
T2 finally out does his father.
The motion is theatre. Chances of passing: zero. – Garth
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Yes, the protests, events that have put our country on the map in recent times. Besides the makeup of white and mostly male, I noticed something else. At the Ambassador Bridge I wonder, where were the other 400,000 people that live in Windsor and surrounding area? In downtown Ottawa I wonder, where are the other 1.1 million people that live in Ottawa-Gatineau? As for the blockade on the Highway 402, where are the other 100,000 people that live in Sarnia and Lambton County? The point I’m trying to make is the vast majority of us understand the need for these mask and vaccine mandates even if we find them awkward. I think rather than protesting they should be asking health care workers or those frustrated people waiting for various surgery operations what THEY think of measures to try and control this virus.
I always liked the Liberals but do think Trudeau has gone too far left in recent times. The reason he’s still Prime Minister is the Conservatives have gone too far right. They probably lost a lot of support recently by being on side with the protesters. I’ve said it multiple times, they need to be more progressive with leaders like Joe Clark, Brian Mulroney, or Bill Davis. Even someone like Mike Harris, who many people didn’t like because of the cutbacks of his government, would be preferable. At least he kept away from the social conservative rubbish. In this last election, it’s not so much that the Liberals won but the Conservatives lost.
As for Doug Ford, taking charge of the situation was the right thing to do, but I think he had no choice. His phone was ringing steadily with complaints from businesses and governments on both sides of the border when the Ambassador Bridge was blocked, and that demanded quick action.
“Pierre Poilievre decided to officially bring Trumpism to Canada and threw his leadership lot in with the freedom-patriot-occupiers who came to Ottawa officially seeking regime change. We are being shredded politically.”-GT
Another thing that came to Canada: Fake News. Or, maybe it started here, I don’t know.
I’ve watched press conferrences by the organizers of the Convoy and they never said this. They want dialogue as to how to resolve the mandates (which, they believe with just cause, violates their rights, as per Charter).
Why are you making things up Garth?
Read their MOU. – Garth
One things Garth, if a correction happens by 10-20% and it will definitely happen, but with the rise in prices in real estate over the past two years, this unfortunately will not change anything, the property will remain unaffordable.
When it comes to raising interest rates, watch what the central banks do, not what they say they are going to do. Anyone with basic common sense understands that there is no way rates will get even close to where they should be in “normal” times. Central banks are not in existence to put governments into default. This will happen if the Fed raises rates much above the current rate. 3% rate and look out economy not to mention the billions in additional interest due on insane deficits. Anyone who does not understand this and decides to wait to buy a house is going to have a stressful life seeing rent go up year after year after year while real estate continues to inflate.