This week in Canada.

**ex-powderbroker** · 07-05-2023, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by riser4

I've been to an A&W in Canada a few times. I prefer over a bunch of other drive thru.

the thing that got me in here was their "zero dechet" campaign. i hate all of the trash with fast food, so sitting down for a plate and a glass just felt kind of radical when i first went in. Since then i've been back a lot after long xc days or whatever after "earning" it. the burgers are pretty good too!

**riser4** · 07-05-2023, 01:54 PM

Originally Posted by ex-powderbroker

the thing that got me in here was their "zero dechet" campaign. i hate all of the trash with fast food, so sitting down for a plate and a glass just felt kind of radical when i first went in. Since then i've been back a lot after long xc days or whatever after "earning" it. the burgers are pretty good too!

Now that you mention it, I think I do recall a plate and a glass when I went inside one on the A20 somewhere half way south of Quebec City.

**waxman** · 07-05-2023, 03:07 PM

A&W rules the prairies that is a fact. Our local one has had some issues with staffing since before covid and lost the curmudgeon coffee crew to McDonalds when they reduced hours.
It will be interesting to see what happens as Wendy's and Edo of Japan just arrived in town recently.

**Dromond** · 07-05-2023, 03:15 PM

Dear Canada,

I took a family trip to the Sunshine Coast in BC this weekend. It was pretty, and a nice place to visit. Out of curiosity, we checked local real estate prices and our jaws just about hit the floor, because there wasn't much for less than $1M CAD and lots of regular houses at 2. I'm still trying to understand how anyone with a local job will be able to live there in the coming years. Is the problem as simple as Vancouver RE prices inflating/infecting every other appealing small town in the province - supercharged by COVID WFH? It seems like a much more insane version of what we have seen in Washington.

**bad dancer** · 07-05-2023, 09:29 PM

Originally Posted by Dromond

Dear Canada,

I took a family trip to the Sunshine Coast in BC this weekend. It was pretty, and a nice place to visit. Out of curiosity, we checked local real estate prices and our jaws just about hit the floor, because there wasn't much for less than $1M CAD and lots of regular houses at 2. I'm still trying to understand how anyone with a local job will be able to live there in the coming years. Is the problem as simple as Vancouver RE prices inflating/infecting every other appealing small town in the province - supercharged by COVID WFH? It seems like a much more insane version of what we have seen in Washington.

So many people in Van just cashed out of thier already overly inflated prices or borrowed against and moved up the coast. With limited supply, priced went ape shit. Try being a service worker or normal person in this area. Cant afford to live and work. It's sad for so many.

**garyfromterrace** · 07-05-2023, 10:01 PM

I think covid was a real incentive for folks to cash out in vcr and environs but that just added to the price rise. It's been a very steady increase from the mid 2000's.

**Dromond** · 07-06-2023, 08:37 AM

I know prices have been climbing for 20 years, and this must have just poured gasoline on the fire. I was talking to someone in a shop who said their partner bought a tiny 1BR house 9 years ago for 250 that is valued at nearly 1 million. I imagine those service jobs will soon become impossible to fill, or seasonal businesses will need to offer housing like some resort towns do. BC is an amazing place - sorry to know it’s such a financial struggle for many. It’s a similar story in WA, but less severe or just more delayed in some ways due to lower prices/costs.

**garyfromterrace** · 07-06-2023, 09:04 AM

Bang on Dromond. What's the answer? Subsidized housing, universal basic income, more social programs? Not sure, but cutting social programs or an "every man for himself" strategy ain't it.

**Ted Striker** · 07-06-2023, 09:05 AM

It's also geography. Vancouver is the warmest city in Canada that isn't on an island. It's hemmed in by mountains, ocean, and the US border. And it's one of the only Canadian cities with direct flights to southeast Asia.

The quality and quantity of mtb riding is off the charts. There are three ski areas within an hour, and six within two. And if you don't like that stuff, there's a great restaurant scene - or just great scenery everywhere.

All that adds up to huge demand for a relatively small area. The island has been getting the spillover for years, and I guess it's the Sunshine Coast too now.

**garyfromterrace** · 07-06-2023, 09:17 AM

Originally Posted by Ted Striker

All that adds up to huge demand for a relatively small area. The island has been getting the spillover for years, and I guess it's the Sunshine Coast too now.

This.
Terrace/Smithers is seeing the effects in the last 15 years, more so in the last 5.
Can't afford the Comox valley, Victoria, north van, squampton or nelson? - c'mon up north..
We love you

**Dromond** · 07-06-2023, 09:48 AM

I was considering the “warmest climate” issue as well which is easy to overlook from the states with our plethora of warm/hot/sweltering locations. Can we work out a deal? Perhaps a time share, swapping Arizona for interior BC Jan-April?

Slashing social programs doesn’t seem to help as we already do that here and suffer for it in ways. Limiting development and the number of housing units doesn’t work either, both Seattle and Van have a lot of low density housing, although our level of building here seems laughable when I drive by the multitudes of apartment towers on my way to the sea to sky.

**Kenny Satch** · 07-06-2023, 10:31 AM

Sorry to go political but this Liberal Government has fucked things up beyond repair. We let in far too many immigrants during Covid and scheduled for another million or so in the next 4 to 5 years. Where do most go? City centers or the burbs. This drives up rental affordability and availability. Young families are are now paying a lot more for everything and save less or nothing. Now most will never be able to buy a home close to their work. Incomes are not keeping up people will eventually be relying more on social assistance and eventually UBI.
Yup nothing will stop this because if you speak up about the influx you're labelled all kinds of bullshit. Immigration is necessary but there are limits when there isn't enough housing to handle the demand.

sb · 07-06-2023, 10:46 AM

Sounds familiar, no easy solutions.

I have a small place near an outdoor paradise. Some people cashed in, i did not. Would be extremely difficult to replace it now. Probably will liquidate it one day when i can not enjoy it any more.

Call it paradise and kiss it good bye.

**apex dave** · 07-06-2023, 10:46 AM

Originally Posted by Dromond

I was considering the “warmest climate” issue as well which is easy to overlook from the states with our plethora of warm/hot/sweltering locations. Can we work out a deal? Perhaps a time share, swapping Arizona for interior BC Jan-April?

I live in Penticton in the Okanagan. Personally I wouldn't lose a ski season to sit in the sun in Arizona. Pickle ball isn't my sport (yet) Between October and the end of April Penticton is basically empty and because it is tourist town it has lots of motels. You can get cheap monthly off season rentals quite easily. This does not apply to Kelowna. You would be reasonably close to several ski areas and even Seattle for that matter.
Apex 40 minutes
Big White and Silver Star <2 hours
Revy, Sun Peaks, Whitewater, Red 4ish hours depending on weather

**Ted Striker** · 07-06-2023, 10:57 AM

Vancouver was going to overpopulate no matter what. It's literally the only actual city on the west coast. When I lived there, at least half of the people I knew (well enough to know where they were from) were from other parts of Canada.

It's like saying politics did (whatever) to California. People still want to be there more than the entirety of middle America.

**riser4** · 07-06-2023, 11:01 AM

Originally Posted by Kenny Satch

Sorry to go political but this Liberal Government has fucked things up beyond repair. We let in far too many immigrants during Covid and scheduled for another million or so in the next 4 to 5 years. Where do most go? City centers or the burbs. This drives up rental affordability and availability. Young families are are now paying a lot more for everything and save less or nothing. Now most will never be able to buy a home close to their work. Incomes are not keeping up people will eventually be relying more on social assistance and eventually UBI.
Yup nothing will stop this because if you speak up about the influx you're labelled all kinds of bullshit. Immigration is necessary but there are limits when there isn't enough housing to handle the demand.

Speaking as a Gringo from south of your border, looks like the solution can't be cheap, easy, and quick. Pick two. And we got our own issues here. However, I caution all Canadians against the "throw the bums out" approach. You have your own right wing "Christian" nationalists just salivating in the wings.

**ex-powderbroker** · 07-06-2023, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by Kenny Satch

Sorry to go political but this Liberal Government has fucked things up beyond repair. We let in far too many immigrants during Covid and scheduled for another million or so in the next 4 to 5 years.

bro, you sound like you’re rolling coal with the maple leaf upside down going right past me. they did let in some extra immigrants but blaming the housing crisis on an extra 100k in a country of 40M is just not accurate. is it a factor? sure. but to pin it on immigrants sounds kind of i am not sure what the word is. something german?

**riser4** · 07-06-2023, 11:08 AM

Originally Posted by ex-powderbroker

bro, you sound like you’re rolling coal with the maple leaf upside down going right past me. they did let in some extra immigrants but blaming the housing crisis on an extra 100k in a country of 40M is just not accurate. is it a factor? sure. but to pin it on immigrants sounds kind of i am not sure what the word is. something german?

Or maybe Italian?

**garyfromterrace** · 07-06-2023, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by Kenny Satch

Sorry to go political but this Liberal Government has fucked things up beyond repair. We let in far too many immigrants during Covid and scheduled for another million or so in the next 4 to 5 years. Where do most go? City centers or the burbs. This drives up rental affordability and availability. Young families are are now paying a lot more for everything and save less or nothing. Now most will never be able to buy a home close to their work. Incomes are not keeping up people will eventually be relying more on social assistance and eventually UBI.
Yup nothing will stop this because if you speak up about the influx you're labelled all kinds of bullshit. Immigration is necessary but there are limits when there isn't enough housing to handle the demand.

So, yeah Kenny. You going to work at Timmies? Perhaps pick up the mop and vacuum and do my office bldg?

Yeah, nah. Didn't think so.

Oversimplifying this and saying we have a housing crisis because we let too many immigrants in is idiotic.

**Kenny Satch** · 07-06-2023, 11:17 AM

Originally Posted by riser4

Speaking as a Gringo from south of your border, looks like the solution can't be cheap, easy, and quick. Pick two. And we got our own issues here. However, I caution all Canadians against the "throw the bums out" approach. You have your own right wing "Christian" nationalists just salivating in the wings.

That's why any voice of reason will be bunched in with that group. Not against immigration. Just want it to make sense for the housing market. I'm more of a socialist free enterprise kinda of person. I like seeing people prosper whether they be new to Canada or grew up here.

Originally Posted by ex-powderbroker

bro, you sound like you’re rolling coal with the maple leaf upside down going right past me. they did let in some extra immigrants but blaming the housing crisis on an extra 100k in a country of 40M is just not accurate. is it a factor? sure. but to pin it on immigrants sounds kind of i am not sure what the word is. something german?

This is why bringing up this subject up gets you labelled.
Not rolling in that racist circle at all.
I'm a 1st gen Canadian and i thank my lucky stars my parents came here.

**ex-powderbroker** · 07-06-2023, 11:20 AM

Originally Posted by Kenny Satch

This is why bringing up this subject up gets you labelled.
Not rolling in that racist circle at all.
I'm a 1st gen Canadian and i thank my lucky stars my parents came here.

so bring some facts before you point fingers?

**Kenny Satch** · 07-06-2023, 11:21 AM

Originally Posted by garyfromterrace

So, yeah Kenny. You going to work at Timmies? Perhaps pick up the mop and vacuum and do my office bldg?

Yeah, nah. Didn't think so.

Oversimplifying this and saying we have a housing crisis because we let too many immigrants in is idiotic.

Ok. Have your moment. Fine.
I'm not blaming them. I'm blaming the government!
Read what I wrote.

**riser4** · 07-06-2023, 11:29 AM

Fwiw, I took Kenny's statements to mean Canada has some problems that need to addressed and there should be some discussion before things are made worse. He admitted up front that there's a fine line to such a nuanced issue. And it's easy to be viewed as over the line.

**Kenny Satch** · 07-06-2023, 11:41 AM

Originally Posted by riser4

Fwiw, I took Kenny's statements to mean Canada has some problems that need to addressed and there should be some discussion before things are made worse. He admitted up front that there's a fine line to such a nuanced issue. And it's easy to be viewed as over the line.

Thanks. I didn't mean to offend or cross any line.