scrubbedexpat091

That was cool. Crazy how they can send these things to far off planet and man that is some clear video.

Maybe I will live long enough to see them successfully send humans to Mars now that would be something else.

scrubbedexpat091

Sucks being in the 30 to 55 age group and childless sometimes, at least when it comes to BC Housing. So frustrating.

I am just thinking how hard it must be to be a CRA worker who has to try and collect from people, due to all the scams that use CRA to try to extract money from people, its getting harder too as the scammers are getting good.

I am locked out of my account due to last weeks lock down CRA did to a good chunk of people, and they sent out this weird email that explained nothing and seemed very scam like, then last night I got an email that looks pretty good, like the scammer did an excellent job, which makes me think CRA isn't being truthful in their accounts were not hacked we just locked them as a precaution because this scammer had my business account number and other info, they really made the email look good, except if you google the number it's not CRA and the email its sent from isn't CRA but this could snag some people.

Danny B

Buttergate: Why are Canadians complaining about hard butter?

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56175784

scrubbedexpat091

There has always been a difference to me between US butter and Canadian, I don't like the Canadian and in my experience doesn't soften well, pain to bake with because of this.

I used to mostly buy all my cheese, butter, and yogurt in the US when I lived in Abbotsford, never found anything comparable to Tillamook in Canadian stores.

scrubbedexpat091

I think New Brunswick labor minister is a bit more mindful of business needs rather than workers needs.

"New Brunswick’s labour minister said he is “mindful of the financial realities” of employers and employees as he announced a five-cent increase in the province’s minimum wage on Tuesday."

BristolUK

Hard to believe but there was a time when NB and BC minimum wage rates competed with each other. They each went up at different times of the year - something like one province in April and the other October - and when it was NB's turn to go up for a few months the NB rate was higher than BC.

Siouxie

https://www.retailcouncil.org/resour...e-by-province/
April and June this year
BC is even higher than Ontario now - and a shade under $3 more than NB!

scrubbedexpat091

During the BC Liberal years there wasn't much movement on min wage during most of their reign or very little movement, NDP started the trajectory to $15.20 a couple years ago with annual increases until $15.20, not entirely sure what the plan is once it gets tp $15.20 though if there will be annual increases or if it will sit there.

This was posted yesterday BC min wage since 1965 under various governments, interesting graph anyhow I think,




By January next year California will be at $15 US$ (about $19 CAD$ at current exchange rate), so really BC should probably be closer to $20 per hour considering the higher cost of living overall (food, gas, clothing, most services etc cost more.) Plus at min wage in California one would qualify for subsidized healthcare and possibly a small amount of CalFresh funds for food to offset the cost of food, but $100 can get almost twice as much food in So. California vs BC, when I visit my mom, its insane how much food she gets for so little compared to what we get in BC.

scrubbedexpat091

I think after the pandemic settles down, I will relocate to California.

I cannot see a viable way to stay in Canada, rents are simply too high, and there isn't any relief coming and incomes too low. I can find an apartment cheaper in the San Diego area than in Kelowna or really anywhere in BC that isn't a small town nowhere with nothing.

scrubbedexpat091

https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/...b60e3ed48b601f

scrubbedexpat091

Man in Vancouver living near the homeless camp in Strathcona Park collects garbage and junk from the park and delivers it to city hall as a form of protest from lack of action.


Hopefully things in that park will improve once the old Army & Navy Store and some warehouse the city owns are converted into homeless shelters, of course some in the park may be unwilling to relocate to a shelter for various reasons. Not sure if the park board offices are at city hall, but I believe the park board is responsible for parks in Vancouver and not the city itself?





Photo taken at the park last month, also from the article.

scilly

The Park Board offices are on Beach Avenue on the outskirts of Stanley Park, well away from City Hall.

Just so you know, the Park Board is the only elected Park Board in Canada, and City Council has no control over what they do, even though the funding comes via city hall. Every time we vote, ie every 4 years, there is a referendum for how much money can be allotted to the Parks Board for maintenance and development of parks and community centres in the city.

When we get our City Tax Bill, the percentage of the amount we pay to Parks is itemised.

Dumping the garbage at City Hall will not put any pressure on the Parks Board .......... and City Hall also says they are cleaning up at that park, this guy is just not happy with how much is being done.

It's a bit strange ......... parks board staff are responsible for cleaning parks, emptying garbage bins, etc, inside park boundaries, and running Community Centres, swimming pools, etc.

City Hall is responsible for cleaning streets, garbage cans, etc in public places. Plus collecting garbage from homeowners. but not apartment and condo buildings which have to get in private companies.

So ......... dumpsters are put at Strathcona. Who empties them??????

The split in responsibility is why City Council has been unable to order Strathcona, and before that Oppenheimer Park, cleaned up .......... they have no authority to do so. Instead, they have to talk to the Park Board and persuade them what is the right thing to do.

This Parks Board has been particularly resistant ........ a result of the political affiliation of most of the Park Board members vs City Council and especially the Independent Mayor.

scrubbedexpat091

Taco Bell has an interesting idea/proto type restaurant they plan to build in Minnesota.

No dining room
Kitchen will be above where the cars are
4 lanes total including one lane for over sized vehicles
No order window, your food is lowered down on dumb waiters.

Its not been built yet, but the plans were submitted to the city and sounds interesting and may never get built.

Now I want Taco Bell lol

beckiwoo

Just renewed my UK passport online - paid £105 so I’m off to FedEx the old passport and a full colour copy of my entire Canadian passport tomorrow - still don’t know why they want that and not just the bio page...

the photo doesn’t get rejected. It didn’t online but who knows.

let’s hope it’s the easy process everyone seems to say it is

spouse of scouse

I thought this might be a good video to put here. I'm not sure if you have Lidl supermarkets in Canada, but for those who aren't familiar with them they're a cut-price supermarket where you have to pack your own groceries (very quickly!). And they don't deliver....