Too Much, Too Late for "‘Massive effort’ underway to create database that will shed light on Canada’s housing market": It is Known Where the Additional Housing Demand Has Come From and only a 15% Tax Was Placed on it

http://business.financialpost.com/personal-finance/mortgages-real-estate/massive-effort-underway-to-create-database-that-will-shed-light-on-canadas-housing-market/wcm/7b6aff4d-0bff-4223-a2cc-bc0207ff9e89

Finally this is being done; however, it is too late. The cat is out of the bag.  Despite data being released that only one in 10 or one in 20 buyers are "foreign", this does not account for many housing transactions purchased by a Canadian funded by a "foreigner", nevermind Permanent Residents (PRs), Visa entries and other classifications involved in these transactions.  In Vancouver, the headlines and real estate chatter is full of these examples.

Essentially, Toronto (and other major cities in Canada) are bidding against the world, not just the couple of million residents in their own city borders.  Why? There are no restrictions on "foreign" buyers (this has not been defined by any media source or real estate body - is it a non Canadian? a non Canadian passport holder? a non permanent resident?), unlike other countries such as Australia (only new construction is available by foreign purchasers).  Foreign purchasers, whether becoming PRs or Canadian Citizens or no interest in any status, want the security of law and title as well as having an eye on education (which is significantly cheaper compared to world standards, and Canada does not appreciate it).

If Justin and his merry band of Liberal taxation experts want to close loop holes, protect the middle class and raise more tax dollars, then instead of a provincial 15% foreign buyer tax:

i) Increase property taxes that would benefit directly those who have been able to enter this housing frenzy and reduce directly their follow on expenses like annual property taxes or improve the infrastucture for which property taxes are raised and used. This would be a more accountable and direct method for a housing tax rather than going to the provincial (Kathleen's) coffers. 

ii) Increase tuition fees for those not in any citizenship application process.  Canada's universities and colleges are world class and this standard of education is coveted around the world - especially at the price Canadians (and foreign students) pay!  So much so, that as witnessed from many resumes I have read at my prior firm, many are only applying and graduating under one final semester of the program (while credits from a previous international university are transferred).  This "appears" as a graduation with a (as an example) full UBC degree (far from the full represntation).  The US is charging astronomical amounts for education to its own American Citizens (nevermind foreign students).  In Canada, this education is a bargain (just don't tell the red path kids in Montreal, they may protest again).

http://business.financialpost.com/personal-finance/mortgages-real-estate/massive-effort-underway-to-create-database-that-will-shed-light-on-canadas-housing-market/wcm/7b6aff4d-0bff-4223-a2cc-bc0207ff9e89

Sports and Finance: Reiterating Professional Sports as a Business....and Canada's Unfriendly Tax Breaks for Business

(My favourite overlapping of topics....professional sports and finance...)

Easy to abuse, and many do it, but the spirit of expensing such items is much harsher here in the Great White North.

http://business.financialpost.com/personal-finance/the-bruins-couldnt-beat-the-sens-but-heres-how-they-scored-on-the-irs/wcm/db345006-a5d1-4d26-816a-66e4bf6072e4

Finally an App for Long Term, Financial Sense: Preparing for Retirement Years, Could be Impacted by your Coffee Purchases

I have neither used, demonstrated nor promoted this app; however, an interesting approach on how all purchases reduce savings and impact your nest egg when fast forwarding to retirement years....yes, even those daily guilty pleasures - Starbucks ("Fourbucks") coffee purchases.

Some people I know or have worked with voyage down into those food courts or must enter a higher end, corner coffee shop a few times a day.  Not only are they spending say $8 to $12 on coffee every day (let's say, weekdays), this is in addition to the $20 to $25 in parking per day (convenience of your own car versus public transportation or walking or cycling), and the $15 to $20 in lunch and Timbits (again, let's assume on a weekday).

Adding these items up could range from $43 to $57 per day or, excluding weekends, $215 to $285 per week!

I don't own a car, but unable to escape car and car financing commercials, these expenditures would be able to finance one from what I've seen.  In other words, if you already have car payments, then behaving like this would be the equivalent of paying for two cars in terms of the money in your wallet at the end of the day.

Nevermind all those minutes in a coffee line at 930am and 2pm each day!


http://business.financialpost.com/personal-finance/retirement/your-money-will-a-countdown-clock-to-retirement-help-you-save/wcm/7eaf82b7-32fb-4c1b-a71c-994979857e39

Omar Khadr: One Too Many Apologies - This One May Actually Cost the Liberals

Will The Justin and his merry band of self-righteous, feel-good Liberals apologize for apologizing too much?  This time, was not only the subject of the apology a controversial figure; but the payout was an astronomical amount that reminds one of the phrase "does crime pay?"

Not only did the apology raise eyebrows throughout the country the wife of the deceased US soldier that was killed rightfully so wanted to appeal and block this payment, yet the Liberals, under the dark of night, handed the funds over already (unconfirmed, but where there is smoke, there is fire) avoiding any legal repercussions, and giving the US President real evidence (the opposite of fake news) to point the finger of blame, softness and unaccountability at Canada for the way it handles traitors.

In a country (in particular, certain provinces) where the Liberals can do no wrong, no matter approval ratings, costly green initiatives, massive energy and power gaffes, reduced military and foreign policy initiatives, never ending tax increases, ad scams, forgetting provinces' names (yes, Alberta)...voting Canadians every time drink the kool aid and forgive and forget, usually voting this band of incompetence in again.

However, this one Canadians may remember for a while.

http://nationalpost.com/news/politics/government-has-already-paid-omar-khadr-10-5m-source/wcm/a3f3e172-d72a-4bf4-8cfc-fb6ce3bd163c

The Justin's Messaging and Responses Must be Better Designed by his Puppeteers

I cannot believe the childish (and these were of course rehearsed) answers that the Justin and his advisors have decided to roll out knowing these questions are going to be asked.

Not only are the Liberals "governing by undoing", but now the construed answers and turned around responses must even make Liberal voters cringe.....


http://nationalpost.com/news/politics/justin-trudeau-electoral-reform-broken-promise/wcm/213e6355-448d-4b97-b633-865159102643

Canada's 150th Birthday: 150 of my Favourite Things....

My 150 Greatest (and Favourite) Things about Canada (no particular ranking, other than alphabetically)....

1 1967 (Canada's 100th, Leafs win the Stanley Cup, Expo....)
2 "Eh"
3 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver
4 Affordable college and university education (ok, settle down Quebec)
5 Alexander Graham Bell (b. Scotland)
6 Algonquin park
7 All Four seasons
8 Almost every Conn Smythe trophy winner (~95% are Canadian)
9 An anthem that has two languages and are entirely two different songs
10 April Wine
11 Arctic Char
12 Backs of cereal boxes in two languages
13 Banff Naitonal Park
14 Bay of Fundy
15 Beaver tails (yes the pastry)
16 Beavers
17 Bilingualism/le Bilingualisme
18 Blackberry
19 Bob and Doug McKenzie
20 Bruce Trail
21 Butter tarts!
22 Canada Day in Ottawa (or anywhere!)
23 Canada Goose (the animal and the parka)
24 Canada-Russia ‘72 Summit Series
25 Canadian Club rye whiskey
26 Canadian Pacific Railway and the "Last Spike"
27 Canadian spelling
28 CANDU reactor technology
29 Canoes and kayaks (preferably inflatable)
30 Carnaval de Quebec (Quebec)
31 CFL
32 Chateau Frontenac (Quebec)
33 Cirque de Soleil
34 CN Tower
35 Cod tongues
36 Colbie Smulders (hubba hubba)
37 Concept of Standardized Time zones (thanks Sir Sanford Flemming – the travel industry loves you when they push their jet lag and 7 day minimum trips)
38 Confederation Bridge
39 Cottage country
40 Cross Country Skiing
41 Curling
42 Cycling through Eastern Townships
43 Darryl Sittler (hey I met him!)
44 Don Cherry
45 Downhill skiing (Whistler, Mt. Tremblant, Big White, Cypress, Grouse Mountain, Blue Mountain)
46 Drinking a Ceasar
47 East coast lobster dinner…in a church basement in PEI
48 Every province and territory
49 Five dollar note with the kids playing hockey on the back
50 Geddy Lee
51 George street festival (St. John’s)
52 Giant nickel in Sudbury
53 Gordon Korman (author)
54 Gordon Lightfoot
55 Green Saskatchewan Roughrider fans
56 Grey Cup week….in any Canadian city
57 Hockey
58 Hockey Hall of Fame
59 Hockey Night in Canada
60 Hotel de Glace (Quebec)
61 Hudson's Bay Company (the world's oldest incorporated company)
62 Incredible camping!
63 incredible hiking! (Joffre Lakes, Elphin Lakes, Whistler)
64 Insulin (Banting and Best)
65 Jacques Cartier (honorary Canadian)
66 Kitsilano Beach
67 Klondike Gold Rush
68 La Citadelle de Quebec
69 La Francophonie
70 Lacrosse
71 Lake Louise
72 Long and McQuade
73 Manon Rheaume
74 Maple Syrup
75 Maple syrup festival (Elmira)
76 Marcia McMillan (hubba hubba)
77 Member of the Commonwealth and yes, we have a Queen for that
78 Montreal “establishments”
79 Montreal smoked meat
80 Moosehead beer (the last of the Canadian independents)
81 Mountain Equipment Co-Op
82 Mr. Dee
83 Newfoundland accent
84 Niagara falls
85 Northern lights
86 Okanagan wine (LCBO please wake up!)
87 Our banks (great dividend payers)
88 Outdoor skating…on a pond
89 Pacific and Atlalntic Salmon
90 Parliament Hill (although I don't always agree with what goes on there or who is running it)
91 PEI Potatoes
92 Pierre Berton's books
93 Pizza Pizza
94 Plentiful and cheap electricity (until Wynn f$%&ed it all up)
95 Polar Bear viewing in Manitoba
96 Portaging from lake to lake (in Algonquin)
97 Poutine
98 Rideau Canal
99 Roch Carrier
100 Rush
101 Saguenay River Fjord (Quebec)
102 Saint Joseph’s Oratory (Montreal)
103 Samuel de Champlain
104 Santa in the North Pole = Canadian
105 Screeched in (Nfld)
106 Shinny hockey
107 Signal hill, St. John's
108 Silver Dart
109 Sir Alexander Mackenzie
110 Sir Julian Byng (although British), Lady Byng (as in the trophy) and more importantly "Byng's Boys" whom he lead at the battle of Vimy Ridge
111 Skating on the Rideau Canal, Ottawa
112 Snow shoeing
113 Some really really really Great Lakes
114 Sortilege maple whiskey, Pinnacle Ice Cider, Coureurs du Bois maple Irish Cream, Caribou or any booze from Quebec
115 St. Hubert
116 Stanley Cup
117 Stompin' Tom Connors
118 Street hockey
119 Sunsets in Whitehorse
120 Swimming in a lake (cold or not)
121 Swiss Chalet
122 Tecumseh
123 Terry Fox
124 Thanksgiving (and although the Americans may not like to hear it, Sir Martin Frobisher may have held the first in 1578 in Nfld.)
125 The ability to one day be a “Snowbird”
126 The Avro Arrow
127 The Blue nose
128 The Calgary Stampede
129 The Canadian Flag
130 The Group of Seven
131 The names of our change
132 The Rocky Mountains
133 The Tragically Hip
134 The Trailer Park Boys
135 The Trews
136 Tim Horton and the franchises with his name on them (there is only one Tim Horton, but for some reason it is pluralized)
137 Time zones invented by Sir Sanford Flemming
138 Toques and the word “Toque” (I just love saying it)
139 Toronto Argonauts - North America's OLDEST professional sports team
 140 Toronto patios (well, anywhere really)
141 Tourtiere
142 Trans Canada Highway (amazing road trips and a lot of nothing)
143 Uranium (yes I said it, we are good at mining it and using it properly)
144 VIA Business class between Toronto and Montreal
145 Vimy ridge
146 Wayne Gretzky (I met him!)
147 We have a Queen (like it or not!)
148 Wheat fields of Saskatchewan
149 Whistler
150 White water rafting near Ottawa (Forrester's Falls)

....and a whole bunch of others I left out.

BANANA and NIMBY Groups: The World Wants Canadian Oil and Gas...If this was the Marijuana Industry, Government Would be Bending Backwards

If any industry in the world (nevermind the controversial marijuana industry) had i) such positive demand and positive supply economics, ii) the word's best practices and standards, iii) the rule of law and lowest political risk for foreign and domestic investors, iv) high barriers to entry and v) was producing such a non-luxury product that fuelled transportation, energy, heating homes, manufacturing and GDP, governments would be bending over backwards to foster that industry.

As an example to measure the standard of "bending over backwards", I would use the provincial Liberals in Ontario of what yoga experts they are in "bending over backwards" to shut down coal fired plants, cancelling contracts, instigating wind energy at all costs (and all tax breaks), approving less-than-cost power agreements with NY and other neighbouring jurisdictions and saddling all Ontarians with bills that are five to eight times larger than what they need to be thanks to unnecessary debt charges and delivery charges on top of the cost of electricity and over a decade of energy gaffes, starting with its previous leader Dalton McGuinty.

But nooooooo, the vocal and persistent leftist BANANA ("Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Nobody") and NIMBY ("Not In My BackYard") groups have head-locked, if not tricked, the media into siding with the "big, bad, dirty" side of anything not on their approved list and as such whenever someone mentions oil on a news cast, the accompanying image behind the broadcaster is one of shock and horror.

Of course, the answers from the naysayers to this would be "But IF and WHEN there is a spill...we should not have new pipelines and reliance on oil".  Based on this argument, we should not have roads because there are cars that can have accidents and spill their chemicals on the road and burn into the air; we should not have airports, because "what if there was an accident?" like crashing into an urban centre, we should not have railways, because if the train derails that could kill dozens of people or the train's cargo may spill.  LET'S STOP ALL TRANSPORTATION AND GO BACK TO HORSE AND BUGGY BASED ON "WHAT IF THERE WILL BE AN ACCIDENT".

From the article, "...let’s build the safe, clean infrastructure we need to transport products that are essential and in demand. And let’s allow the whole world to benefit from Canadian energy and expertise."  For an unbiased contemplation on this statement, remove "energy"from the sentence, and it is purely the Canadian thing to do.  

http://business.financialpost.com/opinion/a-new-poll-shows-the-world-prefers-canadian-oil-and-gas-over-other-exporters-so-lets-start-getting-it-to-them