Liberal Minority Government 2025 - ???

[daftandbarmy]

I will be impressed when Canadians understand and embrace the words of JFK:

"ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country"

Canadians have not always been overly friendly to Catholics though

Anti-Catholic hate crimes rising faster than any other category combined – Catholic Saskatoon News

 

[Quirky]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/where-canadians-are-travelling-instead-of-united-states-1.7602862

No.

Yes.

Canadian consumers are buying less, including on credit cards, data shows - National | Globalnews.ca

Canadians are also spending less money using their credit cards, another report by J.D. Power and Associates released on Tuesday showed.

globalnews.ca

Canadians are spending less.

How much credit card debt does the average Canadian have? - MoneySense

How does your credit card debt stack up against the average Canadian’s? Find out as we dive into how we handle what we owe.

www.moneysense.ca

The average credit card balance for Canadians in the third quarter of 2024 was $4,562, according to TransUnion. This is up 6.97% from the previous year, putting credit card debt as the fastest-growing type of consumer debt over car loans, lines of credit and mortgages. Another source, Wealthsimple, reports a similar amount but a bit higher than TransUnion, at $4,787.

 

[Jarnhamar]

According to foodbanksCanada.ca in March 2024 there were over 2 million visits to food banks across Canada. The highest monthly total on record.

That’s close to a 90% increase compared to March 2019.

 

[IKnowNothing]

Yes.

Canadian consumers are buying less, including on credit cards, data shows - National | Globalnews.ca

Canadians are also spending less money using their credit cards, another report by J.D. Power and Associates released on Tuesday showed.

globalnews.ca

Canadians are spending less.

How much credit card debt does the average Canadian have? - MoneySense

How does your credit card debt stack up against the average Canadian’s? Find out as we dive into how we handle what we owe.

www.moneysense.ca

Actual TransUnion press release here.

Detailed Averages sum to 461k per person including auto, credit card, installment, LOC, and mortgage - the "average consumer debt load"
Total Consumer debt load given at 2.5 Trillion
Total Canadians with at least one financial product- 32.2 million
Total Canadians with at least one outstanding balance - 29.7 million

2.5 Trillion divided by 460k = ~5.43 million
alternatively
2.5 Trillion divided by 29.7 million = ~84k

The math isn't mathing.

Why- what the press releases don't show is the methodology, which you can only get (maybe) by providing contact info to receive the full report. I'm not doing that, but the only way I can think of to reconcile the difference is that the reported numbers are the averages of those that are reporting balances in each account class, excluding the many many many zeros from the average. Ex. $4562 is the average outstanding credit card balance... of Canadians who carry an outstanding credit card balance, NOT of all Canadians.

 

[Altair]

Yes.

Canadian consumers are buying less, including on credit cards, data shows - National | Globalnews.ca

Canadians are also spending less money using their credit cards, another report by J.D. Power and Associates released on Tuesday showed.

globalnews.ca

Canadians are spending less.

How much credit card debt does the average Canadian have? - MoneySense

How does your credit card debt stack up against the average Canadian’s? Find out as we dive into how we handle what we owe.

www.moneysense.ca

Be that as it may, it's not that Canadians aren't visiting the USA because they are broke. They are going on vacations elsewhere. Data bears that out.

 

[Eaglelord17]

Is this patriotism or is it because majority of canadians are broke?

Largely patriotism. I live in a border town. Cross border shopping was the standard for many families, used to go every week or two. Minimum once a month.

I haven’t been now since a bit before Trump was elected. I am definitely not going at the moment. When you decide to put my job at risk for your stupid political agenda you don’t deserve my money. Even if it is cheaper for me.

It costs more to shop in Canada than the states but I refuse to step foot in that country until they rectify how they have treated us. I am not the only one who feels that way.

 

[Cloud Cover]

Largely patriotism. I live in a border town. Cross border shopping was the standard for many families, used to go every week or two. Minimum once a month.

I haven’t been now since a bit before Trump was elected. I am definitely not going at the moment. When you decide to put my job at risk for your stupid political agenda you don’t deserve my money. Even if it is cheaper for me.

It costs more to shop in Canada than the states but I refuse to step foot in that country until they rectify how they have treated us. I am not the only one who feels that way.

Right. Bloody well right.

 

[Navy_Pete]

I had to argue with a guy at work as to why we couldn’t make the subs in house. The general public has this mythos as to our countries capabilities and capacities which do not align with reality on many things (such as the state of our military and industry).

There are some really good case studies with the AUS Collins class programme, and how sideways that went.

Not that we couldn't develop our own industry, but it's taken us about 15 years to develop the NSS and that's basic surface ship building, which is no where near the level of expertise and experience needed for submarines. There is a much smaller pool of people compared to surface ships, with no real commercial equivalent, so even hiring people to do it is a challenge as most are tied up behind security and NDA restrictions. Really one of those things where building overseas, and setting up enough for maintenance and support, in partnership with the nation of origin is really the best way to go about it. Even some maintenance/repairs is probably better off done by the OEM overseas.

Subs take airworthiness and pump it up on steroids, and I believe it's only marginally less complicated then the space shuttle engineering. Even just the facilities to properly bend and form the plate for the pressure hull, let alone weld it, isn't something you just order and get up and running right away.

 

[RangerRay]

An observation: air lines in Canada have a preponderance of short haul aircraft. Should this change in destinations persist it could totally screw up their fleet management plans. A320s and B737 aren't the aircraft of choice for long haul and their interior configurations are definitely not set up for distance travel

I flew on 737 from TO to Europe recently. I was surprised that was a thing. Not great, Bob.

 

[Brad Sallows]

It has nothing to do with 'being broke', in fact its costing them more by not doing so.

As expected. People would not normally have sought ways to spend more than necessary before, so almost by definition altering their purchasing patterns will (aside from occasionally discovering genuinely cheaper alternatives) cost more. The longer the burden of increased cost goes on, the more enthusiasm for it will diminish. Week 21 of a strike is always more muted than week 1.

 

[Brad Sallows]

You may deny it, but the facts are the facts. Canadians have no money and the economy is crashing.

No-one ever knows that until it actually is happening on a scale beyond notice, which isn't the case yet. By the time a major downturn is obvious, it's always too late to do much about it.

 

[Brad Sallows]

I flew on 737 from TO to Europe recently. I was surprised that was a thing. Not great, Bob.

Vancouver to points in Norway was a 737 flight in the '70s. 7 hours and in Europe from almost the westernmost part of Canada.

 

[Quirky]

No-one ever knows that until it actually is happening on a scale beyond notice, which isn't the case yet. By the time a major downturn is obvious, it's always too late to do much about it.

One thing I do notice is the insane increase in homelessness. Saskatoon, Regina, Calgary, Kamloops, Kelowna are cities I regularly travel through. The amount of people living on the streets has increased dramatically in the last 10 years. Coincidence related to the federal government of the past decade+? Maybe, maybe not. The overall situation is probably much, much worse.

 

[Remius]

One thing I do notice is the insane increase in homelessness. Saskatoon, Regina, Calgary, Kamloops, Kelowna are cities I regularly travel through. The amount of people living on the streets has increased dramatically in the last 10 years. Coincidence related to the federal government of the past decade+? Maybe, maybe not. The overall situation is probably much, much worse.

I can say the same for here.

However, the increase is still what appears to be the mentally ill or addicted types. I think that has more to do with the erosion of social and health care programs and infrastructure we have seen over the last 30 years or so. It isn’t just the last ten years.

What likely isn’t captured are the working homeless who live in cars, couch to couch etc

 

[MilEME09]

This should be an interesting week, with the Alberta government intending to use the NWC with 3 bills, ill be interested to see what statement the federal government puts out about it.

 

[daftandbarmy]

I can say the same for here.

However, the increase is still what appears to be the mentally ill or addicted types. I think that has more to do with the erosion of social and health care programs and infrastructure we have seen over the last 30 years or so. It isn’t just the last ten years.

What likely isn’t captured are the working homeless who live in cars, couch to couch etc

Ontario is 'top of the pops'....

Toronto's unhoused population reaches 'crisis' level, more than doubling in 3 years: survey​

Street Needs Assessment says homeless population estimated at 15,400 last fall, calls situation a 'crisis'​

Toronto's 2024 Street Needs Assessment homelessness survey, a point-in-time count of people experiencing homelessness, says the situation is one that "no single organization, sector, or level of government can address alone."

The survey, released on Monday, says the latest estimate from October 2024 is an increase from the 7,300 unhoused people estimated to be in Toronto in April 2021.

"When multiple systems such as affordable housing, health care, mental health, income support, and the justice system fail, people are left with nowhere to turn and the shelter system or staying in encampments becomes the option of last resort," the survey says.

Research shows the increase being driven by a lack of affordable housing, unmet health needs, inadequate income support and individual struggles with substance use, the survey says. It also says the increase mirrors trends seen in Ontario and across Canada.

Racialized people continue to be overrepresented in homelessness rates, according to the survey.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/street-needs-assessment-homeless-population-toronto-1.7580073

 

[kratz]

Ontario is 'top of the pops'....

Toronto's unhoused population reaches 'crisis' level, more than doubling in 3 years: survey​

Street Needs Assessment says homeless population estimated at 15,400 last fall, calls situation a 'crisis'​

Toronto's 2024 Street Needs Assessment homelessness survey, a point-in-time count of people experiencing homelessness, says the situation is one that "no single organization, sector, or level of government can address alone."

The survey, released on Monday, says the latest estimate from October 2024 is an increase from the 7,300 unhoused people estimated to be in Toronto in April 2021.

"When multiple systems such as affordable housing, health care, mental health, income support, and the justice system fail, people are left with nowhere to turn and the shelter system or staying in encampments becomes the option of last resort," the survey says.

Research shows the increase being driven by a lack of affordable housing, unmet health needs, inadequate income support and individual struggles with substance use, the survey says. It also says the increase mirrors trends seen in Ontario and across Canada.

Racialized people continue to be overrepresented in homelessness rates, according to the survey.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/street-needs-assessment-homeless-population-toronto-1.7580073

The GTA homeless population works out to 2% of the total population. (15K / 7million).
In comparison :

• HRM homeless population works out to 2% of the total population (1100K / 502K), and
• GVA homeless population works out to 2% of the total population (5200 / 2.7million).

 

[SeaKingTacco]

The GTA homeless population works out to 2% of the total population. (15K / 7million).
In comparison :

• HRM homeless population works out to 2% of the total population (1100K / 502K), and
• GVA homeless population works out to 2% of the total population (5200 / 2.7million).

I think your math is out by a decimal place.

 

[Remius]

Canada recognizes the State of Palestine: Carney

Canada has officially recognized the State of Palestine on Sunday, Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a statement posted on X.

www.ctvnews.ca

This should generate some discussion…

 

[Jarnhamar]

Canada recognizes the State of Palestine: Carney

Canada has officially recognized the State of Palestine on Sunday, Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a statement posted on X.

www.ctvnews.ca

This should generate some discussion…

I don't see what the big deal is when it comes to recognizing them as a state from day 1. Sure they're a state.

Canada's recognizing statehood cleverly comes with conditions, namely Palestinian Authority reforms. Holding elections in 2026 (excluding Hamas), demilitarizing, and improving governance.

Chances of Gaza holding elections, punting Hamas, and demilitarizing themselves seems pretty slim.