Canadian Household Debt By Region
Number represents the average among those households that carry debt. Source: Statistics Canada
6. Atlantic Canada: $69,300
5. Quebec: $78,900
4. Manitoba & Saskatchewan: $84,900
3. Ontario: $124,700
2. British Columbia: $155,500
1. Alberta: $157,700
Tuesday, 7 October 2014
Most Attractive Countries, Cities For Work
Decoding Global Talent
200,000 Survey Responses on Global Mobility and Employment Preferences
Percentage of respondents willing to move there.
10: Sweden - 23%
9: Italy - 25%
8: Spain - 26%
7: Australia - 28%
6: France - 29%
5: Switzerland - 29%
4: Germany - 33%
3: Canada - 35%
2: United Kingdom - 37%
1: United States - 42%
10: Rome - 3.5%
9: Singapore - 3.9%
8: Toronto - 4.2%
7: Barcelona - 4.4%
6: Berlin - 4.6%
5: Madrid - 5%
4: Sydney - 5.2%
3: Paris - 8.9%
2: New York - 12.2%
1: London - 16%
200,000 Survey Responses on Global Mobility and Employment Preferences
Percentage of respondents willing to move there.
10: Sweden - 23%
9: Italy - 25%
8: Spain - 26%
7: Australia - 28%
6: France - 29%
5: Switzerland - 29%
4: Germany - 33%
3: Canada - 35%
2: United Kingdom - 37%
1: United States - 42%
10: Rome - 3.5%
9: Singapore - 3.9%
8: Toronto - 4.2%
7: Barcelona - 4.4%
6: Berlin - 4.6%
5: Madrid - 5%
4: Sydney - 5.2%
3: Paris - 8.9%
2: New York - 12.2%
1: London - 16%
Stores That May Disappear From Canada
Target Canada
You were probably expecting to see this one on the list, so we put it first. Target has so far lost $1.5 billion on its foray into Canada, largely on consumers’ disappointment in its Canadian pricing and complaints about empty shelves. Many retail analysts are urging the company to bail on the Great White North and focus on its home market, the U.S., but Target says it’s in Canada for the long haul. We shall see.
Jacob
A few months ago it looked like Jacob was already gone, with the Quebec-based fashion boutique filing for bankruptcy and announcing plans to close all 92 stores. But a Quebec court has given the retailer until later this month to come up with a plan to save some of its stores.
Sears Canada
The Canadian division of Sears has been bleeding money and has tried to stanch it by selling off leases to some of its highest-profile locations, not to mention layoffs by the thousands. But those moves didn’t stop the retailer from doubling its losses in the most recent quarter. The chain’s Chicago-based parent company is mulling selling the Canadian division. But in this era of big box department stores struggling against online retailers, it’s hard to see who would buy Sears Canada.
Reitmans
Montreal-based Reitmans said a few years back it wasn’t worried about Target’s arrival in Canada -- it had survived Walmart and The Gap, after all. Two years later, the retailer that owns numerous fashion chains, including Smart Set, Addition Elle, RW & Co. and Penningtons, is shrinking. The company last year opened 25 new stores, but closed 58. that still leaves it with 878 stores. Profits for the 2013 fiscal year shrank by nearly 60 per cent.
Chapters Indigo
If you've stepped into an Indigo recently, you can be forgiven for wondering whether the retailer still sells books. With e-books and online book retailers putting big-box bookstores under pressure, Indigo is busily diversifying its product offerings to include "lifestyle items" such as candles and gifts, but will it work? Indigo is growing its online sales by the double digits, but they still only account for some 10 per cent of total sales. The U.S. big box bookstore Borders closed a few years back. The idea that Canada's last remaining big box book chain could follow seems less unthinkable with every passing day.
Aeropostale Canada
Aeropostale was a growing brand in Canada until about 2012, opening an average of nine new stores per year. But last year it began shrinking, and now has 51 stores in Canada, down from 58. The chain appears to be suffering from a potentially fatal problem: Teens don't think it's cool anymore.
Best Buy Canada
Layoffs at Best Buy Canada and its sister chain Future Shop have numbered in the thousands over the past few years. The CEO of the Minnesota-based company described Canada this spring as a "very, very soft" market for electronics. Best Buy doesn't break out numbers for Canada, but its international division (Canada, Mexico, China) saw sales plunge 10.5 per cent in the first quarter, with same-store sales down 5.8 per cent. The chain is one of the most prominent victims of "showrooming" -- customers coming in to check out products, then buying them at lower prices from an online competitor.
Le Chateau
Le Chateau is shrinking. The chain opened one store last year, and closed seven. It now has 228 retail locations, down from 243 in 2011. The company's shares were trading at $15 as recently as 2010; they are now hovering around $1.50.
You were probably expecting to see this one on the list, so we put it first. Target has so far lost $1.5 billion on its foray into Canada, largely on consumers’ disappointment in its Canadian pricing and complaints about empty shelves. Many retail analysts are urging the company to bail on the Great White North and focus on its home market, the U.S., but Target says it’s in Canada for the long haul. We shall see.
Jacob
A few months ago it looked like Jacob was already gone, with the Quebec-based fashion boutique filing for bankruptcy and announcing plans to close all 92 stores. But a Quebec court has given the retailer until later this month to come up with a plan to save some of its stores.
Sears Canada
The Canadian division of Sears has been bleeding money and has tried to stanch it by selling off leases to some of its highest-profile locations, not to mention layoffs by the thousands. But those moves didn’t stop the retailer from doubling its losses in the most recent quarter. The chain’s Chicago-based parent company is mulling selling the Canadian division. But in this era of big box department stores struggling against online retailers, it’s hard to see who would buy Sears Canada.
Reitmans
Montreal-based Reitmans said a few years back it wasn’t worried about Target’s arrival in Canada -- it had survived Walmart and The Gap, after all. Two years later, the retailer that owns numerous fashion chains, including Smart Set, Addition Elle, RW & Co. and Penningtons, is shrinking. The company last year opened 25 new stores, but closed 58. that still leaves it with 878 stores. Profits for the 2013 fiscal year shrank by nearly 60 per cent.
Chapters Indigo
If you've stepped into an Indigo recently, you can be forgiven for wondering whether the retailer still sells books. With e-books and online book retailers putting big-box bookstores under pressure, Indigo is busily diversifying its product offerings to include "lifestyle items" such as candles and gifts, but will it work? Indigo is growing its online sales by the double digits, but they still only account for some 10 per cent of total sales. The U.S. big box bookstore Borders closed a few years back. The idea that Canada's last remaining big box book chain could follow seems less unthinkable with every passing day.
Aeropostale Canada
Aeropostale was a growing brand in Canada until about 2012, opening an average of nine new stores per year. But last year it began shrinking, and now has 51 stores in Canada, down from 58. The chain appears to be suffering from a potentially fatal problem: Teens don't think it's cool anymore.
Best Buy Canada
Layoffs at Best Buy Canada and its sister chain Future Shop have numbered in the thousands over the past few years. The CEO of the Minnesota-based company described Canada this spring as a "very, very soft" market for electronics. Best Buy doesn't break out numbers for Canada, but its international division (Canada, Mexico, China) saw sales plunge 10.5 per cent in the first quarter, with same-store sales down 5.8 per cent. The chain is one of the most prominent victims of "showrooming" -- customers coming in to check out products, then buying them at lower prices from an online competitor.
Le Chateau
Le Chateau is shrinking. The chain opened one store last year, and closed seven. It now has 228 retail locations, down from 243 in 2011. The company's shares were trading at $15 as recently as 2010; they are now hovering around $1.50.
Sun News History
Under pressure?
Controversy surrounding the Sun News Network began even before the network went on the air in April, 2011. The Globe and Mail reported in the summer of 2010 that CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein was under pressure from the Prime Minister's Office to resign, in order to pave a smooth path for Sun News to be granted a licence by the regulator. Finckenstein denied the allegations.
'Stop Fox News North'
With concerns swirling about the possibility of a PMO-driven political agenda at Sun News, the activist site Avaaz launched "Stop Fox News North," a campaign to pressure the CRTC to deny a licence to the news network. The network responded by citing Avaaz's U.S. roots and noting that left-wing billionaire George Soros has contributed to the group, in an apparent effort to discredit the petition as a "U.S. import."
Soros Threatens To Sue
Future Sun News personality Ezra Levant went further than most in his criticism of Avaaz and its links to George Soros (pictured above). Levant suggested in a column that Soros, who is Jewish, aided the Germans in the Holocaust as a teenager. After receiving a letter from Soros' lawyers threatening to sue, the Sun newspapers ran a retraction.
Art attack!
Sun News was on the air for only about six weeks when its first major controversy erupted. The CRTC received a record 6,676 complaints from viewers after host Krista Erickson aggressively challenged dancer Margie Gillis over the issue of whether artists should receive taxpayers' money in the form of grants. The Canadian Broadcasting Standards Council eventually ruled Erickson was within her rights to express her opinions during the interview.
Controversy surrounding the Sun News Network began even before the network went on the air in April, 2011. The Globe and Mail reported in the summer of 2010 that CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein was under pressure from the Prime Minister's Office to resign, in order to pave a smooth path for Sun News to be granted a licence by the regulator. Finckenstein denied the allegations.
'Stop Fox News North'
With concerns swirling about the possibility of a PMO-driven political agenda at Sun News, the activist site Avaaz launched "Stop Fox News North," a campaign to pressure the CRTC to deny a licence to the news network. The network responded by citing Avaaz's U.S. roots and noting that left-wing billionaire George Soros has contributed to the group, in an apparent effort to discredit the petition as a "U.S. import."
Soros Threatens To Sue
Future Sun News personality Ezra Levant went further than most in his criticism of Avaaz and its links to George Soros (pictured above). Levant suggested in a column that Soros, who is Jewish, aided the Germans in the Holocaust as a teenager. After receiving a letter from Soros' lawyers threatening to sue, the Sun newspapers ran a retraction.
Art attack!
Sun News was on the air for only about six weeks when its first major controversy erupted. The CRTC received a record 6,676 complaints from viewers after host Krista Erickson aggressively challenged dancer Margie Gillis over the issue of whether artists should receive taxpayers' money in the form of grants. The Canadian Broadcasting Standards Council eventually ruled Erickson was within her rights to express her opinions during the interview.
Sun News vs. CBC
Sun News has made the CBC's public funding a signature issue, repeatedly attacking the network for taking $1 billion per year in taxpayers' money while competing against private-sector broadcasters.
But the CBC is fighting back. It put out a press release noting that Quebecor, Sun's parent company, enjoyed $500 million in subsidies over five years, and argued that -- unlike the CBC -- it is not publicly accountable to taxpayers.
'Chinga tu madre'
Ezra Levant got himself in trouble again in December, 2011, when he responded to Chiquita Bananas' declaration it wanted to avoid oil from the oil sands. "Chinga tu madre," Levant said to Chiquita -- a phrase that translates as "f--k your mother." The Canadian Broadcasting Standards Council declared Levant's outburst a violation of ethics standards.
Fake Citizenship Ceremony
Canadian journalism reached an embarrassing nadir in the spring of 2012 when it emerged that a citizenship reaffirmation ceremony broadcast on Sun News had been partially staged. Six federal bureaucrats had posed as newly-sworn Canadians during the event that had been reportedly requested by Immigration Minister Jason Kenney. Kenney's office apologized to Sun News. Government officials later alleged Sun News was aware of the bureaucrats posing as new Canadians.
In your home, like it or not?
Sun News applied for a "mandatory carriage" licence in the fall of 2012 that would require cable and satellite operators to carry the network as part of their basic cable package. Though neither CBC News Network nor CTV News Channel currently enjoy mandatory carriage, they did when they first started out, as Sun News has pointed out.
Millions in losses
Sun News reported in January, 2013, that it lost $17 million in 2012, due to weak revenue because the channel is only carried in 40 per cent of Canadian homes. Parent company Quebecor is saying the network will continue to lose money unless its request to the CRTC for mandatory carriage on basic cable is granted.
'The Jew vs. the Gypsy'
Sun News personality and well-known right-wing pundit Ezra Levant issued a formal, on-air apology after a September, 2012, segment in which he declared that the Roma were not a race, and were rather "a shiftless group of hobos" who "rob people blind" and whose "chief economy is theft and begging."
The Toronto police reportedly even launched a hate-crimes investigation into the segment, at the request of a local Roma group.
Denied Mandatory Carriage
In August 2013, the CRTC, Canada's telecom regulator, rejected Sun News' application for mandatory carriage. The network had asked the CRTC to make them a mandatory part of all basic cable services, arguing it would not survive financially without it.
Though the CRTC rejected the Sun News application, it also launched a review of the rules surrounding cable news networks. Among the possible outcomes are a realignment of channels so all news channels are grouped together on the dial, and the possibility of a "must-carry" order for Sun News, which would mean that all TV service providers would have to at least offer the network.
Sunday, 5 October 2014
Canadian Politicians Who Tried Pot
Rob Ford
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford says he has had his fair share of marijuana.
"Oh, yeah. I've smoked a lot of it."
Justin Trudeau
The federal Liberal leader opened up to HuffPost about his experience with marijuana in August.
"Sometimes, I guess, I have gotten a buzz, but other times no. I’m not really crazy about it.”
Tom Mulcair
The Opposition leader's office told HuffPost this summer that Mulcair has smoked in the past but not since he was elected to office. Mulcair was elected to the National Assembly of Quebec in 1994.
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford says he has had his fair share of marijuana.
"Oh, yeah. I've smoked a lot of it."
Justin Trudeau
The federal Liberal leader opened up to HuffPost about his experience with marijuana in August.
"Sometimes, I guess, I have gotten a buzz, but other times no. I’m not really crazy about it.”
Tom Mulcair
The Opposition leader's office told HuffPost this summer that Mulcair has smoked in the past but not since he was elected to office. Mulcair was elected to the National Assembly of Quebec in 1994.
Marc Garneau
The Liberal MP and Canada's first astronaut said he tried marijuana as a student in the 1970s in England.
"It's not my thing. I stopped because it wasn't doing anything for me."
Kathleen Wynne
The premier of Ontario said she smoked pot decades ago.
"I have smoked marijuana but not for the last 35 years."
Darrell Dexter
Said the former premier of Nova Scotia:
"Like every other person I knew back in the '70s when I went to university, some of whom are actually in this room, I would have tried it, the same as other people at that time."
Christy Clark
Said the premier of British Columbia:
"I graduated from Burnaby South Senior Secondary in 1983 and there was a lot of that going on when I was in high school and I didn't avoid it all together."
Tim Hudak
The leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario admitted he's puffed in the past.
"I was a normal kid, I had a normal upbringing, a normal life in university. I experimented from time to time with marijuana. It’s a long time ago in the past and in the grand scheme of things."
Paul Martin
The former prime minister of Canada told CTV News:
"The answer is: I never smoked. I never smoked anything, but there was an earlier time, years ago, when (my wife) made some brownies and they did have a strange taste."
Kim Campbell
The former prime minister admitted while running for the leadership of the Progressive Conservatives that she tried weed.
"And I inhaled the smoke."
Jack Layton
Said the former NDP leader:
"Yes, and some might say I never exhaled."
Dalton McGuinty
The former premier of Ontario said he experimented in his teens, but only twice.
Brad Wall
The premier of Saskatchewan said he was an "infrequent" user back in university.
"It didn't really do anything for me, luckily, because for some, it does lead to other things."
Canada's Least, Mopst Popular Premiers
Source: Angus Reid online survey, June, 2014
NOTE: Prince Edward Island was not polled.
Nova Scotia premier McNeil in virtual tie with Saskatchewan’s Wall for most popular
9. Greg Selinger, Manitoba (NDP)
Approve: 26%
Disapprove: 66%
Unsure: 8%
8. David Alward, New Brunswick (PC)
Approve: 29%
Disapprove: 59%
Unsure: 12%
7. Kathleen Wynne, Ontario (Liberal)
Approve: 33%
Disapprove: 59%
Unsure: 7%
6. Christy Clark, British Columbia (Liberal)
Approve: 37%
Disapprove: 56%
Unsure: 7%
5. Dave Hancock, Alberta (PC) (Interim)
Approve: 39%
Disapprove: 38%
Unsure: 23%
4. Philippe Couillard, Quebec (Liberal)
Approve: 59%
Disapprove: 35%
Unsure: 7%
3. Tom Marshall, Newfoundland and Labrador (PC) (Interim)
Approve: 59%
Disapprove: 28%
Unsure: 13%
2. Stephen McNeil , Nova Scotia (Liberal)
Approve: 66%
Disapprove: 23%
Unsure: 11%
1. Brad Wall, Saskatchewan (Saskatchewan Party)
Approve: 67%
Disapprove: 28%
Unsure: 5%
NOTE: Prince Edward Island was not polled.
Nova Scotia premier McNeil in virtual tie with Saskatchewan’s Wall for most popular
9. Greg Selinger, Manitoba (NDP)
Approve: 26%
Disapprove: 66%
Unsure: 8%
8. David Alward, New Brunswick (PC)
Approve: 29%
Disapprove: 59%
Unsure: 12%
7. Kathleen Wynne, Ontario (Liberal)
Approve: 33%
Disapprove: 59%
Unsure: 7%
6. Christy Clark, British Columbia (Liberal)
Approve: 37%
Disapprove: 56%
Unsure: 7%
5. Dave Hancock, Alberta (PC) (Interim)
Approve: 39%
Disapprove: 38%
Unsure: 23%
4. Philippe Couillard, Quebec (Liberal)
Approve: 59%
Disapprove: 35%
Unsure: 7%
3. Tom Marshall, Newfoundland and Labrador (PC) (Interim)
Approve: 59%
Disapprove: 28%
Unsure: 13%
2. Stephen McNeil , Nova Scotia (Liberal)
Approve: 66%
Disapprove: 23%
Unsure: 11%
1. Brad Wall, Saskatchewan (Saskatchewan Party)
Approve: 67%
Disapprove: 28%
Unsure: 5%
How Big Are Cabinets Across Canada?
How Big Are Cabinets Across Canada?
Earning a spot in cabinet is an honour and privilege for any federal or provincial politician.
But as more and more governments focus on belt-tightening, some are questioning just how bloated the team surrounding a leader needs to be.
Here's how big cabinets are in different governments across the country (including the prime minister and premiers).
Federal Cabinet
Members: 39 (including Prime Minister Stephen Harper)
Thirty-nine of Harper's 160 Conservative MPs (or about 24 per cent) currently sit in cabinet.
Ontario Cabinet (Liberal)
Members: 27
Total number of Liberal MPPs: 58 (of 107)
Percentage of Liberal MPPs in cabinet: 46.5%
Est. provincial population: 13,537,994
Quebec Cabinet (Liberals)
Members: 27
Total number of Liberal MNAs: 70 (of 125)
Percentage of Liberal MNAs in cabinet: 38.5%
Est. provincial population: 8,013,000
British Columbia Cabinet (Liberals)
Members: 20
Total number of Liberal MLAs: 49 (of 85)
Percentage of Liberal MLAs in cabinet: 40.8%
Est. provincial population: 4,610,000
Manitoba Cabinet (NDP)
Members: 19
Total number of NDP MLAs: 36 (of 57)
Percentage of NDP MLAs in cabinet: 52.7%
Est provincial population: 1,208,268
Saskatchewan Cabinet (Sask. Party)
Members: 18
Total number of Sask. Party MLAs: 49 (of 58)
Percentage of Sask. Party in cabinet: 36.7%
Est. provincial population: 1,122,588
New Brunswick Cabinet (Progressive Conservatives)
Members: 18
Total number of PC MLAs: 41 (of 55)
Percentage of PC MLAs in cabinet: 43.9%
Est. provincial population: 755,464
Alberta Cabinet (Progressive Conservatives)
Members: 17
Total number of PC MLAs: 58 (of 87)
Percentage of PC MLAs in cabinet: 29.3%
Est. provincial population: 4,025,074
Nova Scotia Cabinet (Liberals)
Members: 16
Total number of Liberal MLAs: 33 (of 51)
Percentage of Liberal MLAs in cabinet: 48.5%
Est. provincial population: 940,789
Newfoundland and Labrador Cabinet (Progressive Conservatives)
Members: 15
Total number of PC MLAs: 33 (of 48)
Percentage of PC MLAs in cabinet: 45.4%
Est. provincial population: 525,378
Prince Edward Island Cabinet (Liberals)
Members: 11
Total number of Liberal MLAs: 23 (of 27)
Percentage of Liberal MLAs in cabinet: 47.8%
Provincial population: 145,855
Earning a spot in cabinet is an honour and privilege for any federal or provincial politician.
But as more and more governments focus on belt-tightening, some are questioning just how bloated the team surrounding a leader needs to be.
Here's how big cabinets are in different governments across the country (including the prime minister and premiers).
Federal Cabinet
Members: 39 (including Prime Minister Stephen Harper)
Thirty-nine of Harper's 160 Conservative MPs (or about 24 per cent) currently sit in cabinet.
Ontario Cabinet (Liberal)
Members: 27
Total number of Liberal MPPs: 58 (of 107)
Percentage of Liberal MPPs in cabinet: 46.5%
Est. provincial population: 13,537,994
Quebec Cabinet (Liberals)
Members: 27
Total number of Liberal MNAs: 70 (of 125)
Percentage of Liberal MNAs in cabinet: 38.5%
Est. provincial population: 8,013,000
British Columbia Cabinet (Liberals)
Members: 20
Total number of Liberal MLAs: 49 (of 85)
Percentage of Liberal MLAs in cabinet: 40.8%
Est. provincial population: 4,610,000
Manitoba Cabinet (NDP)
Members: 19
Total number of NDP MLAs: 36 (of 57)
Percentage of NDP MLAs in cabinet: 52.7%
Est provincial population: 1,208,268
Saskatchewan Cabinet (Sask. Party)
Members: 18
Total number of Sask. Party MLAs: 49 (of 58)
Percentage of Sask. Party in cabinet: 36.7%
Est. provincial population: 1,122,588
New Brunswick Cabinet (Progressive Conservatives)
Members: 18
Total number of PC MLAs: 41 (of 55)
Percentage of PC MLAs in cabinet: 43.9%
Est. provincial population: 755,464
Alberta Cabinet (Progressive Conservatives)
Members: 17
Total number of PC MLAs: 58 (of 87)
Percentage of PC MLAs in cabinet: 29.3%
Est. provincial population: 4,025,074
Nova Scotia Cabinet (Liberals)
Members: 16
Total number of Liberal MLAs: 33 (of 51)
Percentage of Liberal MLAs in cabinet: 48.5%
Est. provincial population: 940,789
Newfoundland and Labrador Cabinet (Progressive Conservatives)
Members: 15
Total number of PC MLAs: 33 (of 48)
Percentage of PC MLAs in cabinet: 45.4%
Est. provincial population: 525,378
Prince Edward Island Cabinet (Liberals)
Members: 11
Total number of Liberal MLAs: 23 (of 27)
Percentage of Liberal MLAs in cabinet: 47.8%
Provincial population: 145,855
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