1) Canada's economic strength is based on their money being less valuable than the U.S.
We watched a show on (public) TVO on the economic future of Canada. It wasn't surprising that much of the consensus hinged on the U.S. economy; it was surprising that the Canadian dollar being lower than the U.S. would be an economic advantage, since the U.S. (and also other countries) would then import more from Canada.
2) "Buy online... with debit!"
One of my favorite laughs these days is the "Buy online with Visa debit" commercial. "How to buy online with debit", the announcer says, and various antics ensue with carrot cake ingredients, before an Amazon.com page is shown, with someone entering their debit card information to buy a cookbook. This is a classic example of the 10-year Canadian delay. Whereas debit cards have been equivalent to credit cards in the U.S. since roughly 2004 (according to my memory), Canada is apparently just catching up to the trend.
3) Polar vortex non-sensation
My sample size is small - about half a dozen Toronto friends - but their reaction to the Polar Vortex of early January, with temperatures nearing -40 C/F (when temps get that low, we're the same), was pretty nonplussed. Sure, it was cold, but nothing to check the news about. This surprised me, since Toronto is on the warm side for Canada. I chalk it up to most Torontonians having lived in Ottawa, Winnepeg, or some other cold-as-balls city earlier in their lives. According to a friend, some Toronto schools shut down, but many remained open. Compared to Northeast Ohio, where every public school, several government offices, and a handful of private companies closed preemptively for two whole days, and it would appear Toronto folks are pretty cold-hardy.
Oh, and we still have milk in bags. That's all for now folks!
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