Canada rules! maybe I want to become a Canadian If you guys had a city/town that has nice weather and which is more affordable than a comparable city/town in US, I would move up there.
Vancouver has gorgeous weather! (part of the year anyway) but the cost of living may soon rival Manhattan.
Going point through point about the positive things in Canada, you could say the exact opposite about Japan. Funny thing is, I would bet an investment in japanese shares pays off more handsomely than an investment in canadian shares over the next 2,5, and 10 years.
May 11, 2011 - Flaherty Vows to Use Parliament Majority to Erase Budget Deficit by 2014 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-...-to-keep-canada-on-deficit-cutting-track.html Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said his governing Conservative Party will use its decisive election victory last week to ensure the nation erases its budget deficit in three years. Harper pledged to balance Canadaâs budget with a review of government spending to find C$4 billion ($4.3 billion) in annual savings. The Conservative platform, which commits to reintroduce measures from the 2011 fiscal plan that wasnât passed before the election was called, projects a C$2.8 billion surplus in the fiscal year that begins April 2014. Goldcorp Inc. Chairman Ian Telfer said at the summit he expects commodity prices to rise this year. He said he is âbullishâ on the price of gold, which he said will reach $2,000 per ounce by the end of 2011. He also predicted copper averaging $4 to $4.50 per pound and uranium around $65 to $70 per pound over the same period. His Vancouver-based company is the worldâs second-largest producer of gold. âOne of the realities of minority governments is you have to run two tracks at the same time,â Flaherty said referring to the need to formulate policy while ensuring at the same time the government can retain power. The Conservative platform projects a 2011-12 deficit of C$30.3 billion, C$20.1 billion in 2012-13, and C$7.7 billion in 2013-14. The federal governmentâs fiscal year begins April 1.
On a related note: http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/Canadian-exports-continue-capress-4289049810.html?x=0 May 11, 2011 OTTAWA - Canada's trade surplus with the rest of the world almost doubled in March, suggesting the strong loonie may not be as much of a drag on exports as feared. Statistics Canada said the value of Canadian exports outpaced imports by $627 million during the month, up from a $356-million surplus in February. In volume terms, Canadian exports have risen 12.4 per cent in the first three months of 2011, following a 16 per cent surge in the final quarter of last year, despite the persistent and growing strength in the loonie. "The high-flying Canadian dollar doesn't appear to be dampening enthusiasm for Canadian exports," said economist Benjamin Reitzes of BMO Capital Markets. "Overall, the rebound in international trade activity is very encouraging after real (gross domestic product) contracted in February." Preston said her bank had projected a strong, 3.8 per cent expansion in the economy in the first quarter, which ended in March, and now may be over four per cent.