Canadian Personal Finance Blog

According to Stats Canada at least, if you are looking at the Canadian Economy. In their Review of the Canadian Economy in 2006 , their main statement was that Canadians seem to be able to deal with quickly changing economic environments.

The biggest economic Canadian story in 2006? The resurrection of Alberta as Canada’s economic engine (stealing that title back from Ontario (the good)). As can be seen by the graph on the right, the amount of migration to Alberta has sky rocketed in this past year, thus causing price increases in things like houses in Alberta and shortages in that area as well. What caused this? Beautiful winters in Edmonton? No, the price of Oil going through the roof and it’s associated in flux of money to the Saudi Arabia of Canada (written bitterly as all Ontarians would).

So this study is published in it’s entirety on the Canadian Economic Observer if you wish to read it all. It does make the odd statement that consumers were unfazed by sky rocketing gas prices. Speaking as a consumer, “BOVINE FECES!”, it has been a royal pain in the azimuth, and I think it is going to lead us into an inflationary spiral very soon, so I don’t agree with this finding at least.

I was also very glad to see that the number of women going into the work force is increasing in Canada (while decreasing in the U.S.). Good for you ladies (spoken as the father of daughters), keep picking up the slack that those aging baby boomers are creating.

The price of housing in Canada continues it’s upward pace with the cost of a new house up 0.5% from January to February. Quick name the two cities with the highest year over year new house price increase? Tick, tick, tick… times up! Edmonton and Calgary, like you didn’t know that one. The next two on the list surprised me, Regina and Saskatoon, I guess Corner Gas is doing a lot for the economy out there (yes, I know they have oil as well, and other natural resources, etc., not to denigrate Saskatchewan (any more than any other province)).