Canada’s superiority – a decade of fiscal responsibility

Canada’s sound fiscal management has been another major factor contributing to the country’s economic superiority. Prudent management has given Canada a balanced budget throughout the entire last decade.
(read the whole article)

UBC Enrolment Numbers are Rising

Thanks to a significant surge of students from outside British Columbia, the University of B.C.s first-year class of 2008 will be more geographically diverse than ever, even as the number of B.C. Grade 12 students declines in some areas.
UBC?s Vancouver campus will welcome 5,405 first-year students up from 5,035 in 2007 which includes increases of 50 per cent from Ontario, 36 per cent from Alberta, and 48 per cent from other Canadian jurisdictions.
The number of first-year international students is up by 19 per cent on the Vancouver campus and 27 per cent on the Okanagan campus, compared to 2007.

Canadian Economy Likely To See Moderate Recovery in 2010

Canadian Economy Likely To See Moderate Recovery in 2010
Domestic demand seen growing slightly faster than GDP as more prudent mortgage lending practices help Canada avoid longer-term adverse effects that continue to plague the U.S.

Arlington, VA January 13, 2010 The Canadian economy withstood the global recession in 2009 better than most G7 nations, including the United States, and is poised to see marginal improvement in 2010, according to a new Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI report.

In the report, “Review of the Canadian Economy, 2009-2010,” Jeremy A. Leonard, MAPI economic consultant, writes that Canada was spared the worst of the 2008-2009 global recession due to its relatively sound banking sector and strong improvements in its terms of trade, the latter buoyed by robust demand for its natural resources.
(read the full article)

Best Quality of life – Canada 4th in UN ranking

Canada was listed fourth, well ahead of the United States which was in 13th place.

“Most migrants, internal and international, reap gains in the form of higher incomes, better access to education and health and improved prospects for their children,” said the report. “These gains often directly benefit family members who stay behind as well as countries of origin indirectly.” (read the full article)

Number of sales and average prices, will continue to rise in 2010.

The association revised its sales outlook twice during the year to reflect the stronger activity. It suggests the number of sales and average prices, will continue to rise in 2010.

Meanwhile, the surge in activity has begun to spread to new homes as well. While new home prices in November 2009 remained below those of November 2008, prices have begun to rise on a month-to-month basis. And Statistics Canada reported a surge in starts of new homes for December 2009. (read the whole article)

Canada a Good Place to Buy Property!

“Canada’s property market has survived the global economic storm relatively unscathed, and now positive data about the nation’s economy and its prospects look set to add more fuel to Canada’s real estate fire!”

” Canada ended 2009 on a high in terms of its property market, with 72% gains recorded in terms of the amount of property sold specifically in December 2009 compared with December 2008.  The nation is also of strong and strengthening appeal with Britons seeking a new life and a new home abroad – with the real estate portal property-abroad.com revealing that Canada has gone up a place in terms of its rankings on their site and is now the 5th most sought after nation with their readership”

It’s no wonder therefore, that the positive news that Canada’s economy is on track for positive advancement even in the face of its own domestic issues, has served as a further feather in the nation’s cap – and one that will doubtless attract new levels of interest in not only Canadian property, but Canadian immigration too.

Source: “Shelter Offshore” “Wealthier living abroad”,a website that offers expatriates financial services.

Stephen Harper gets upstaged by Dashan

The Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper,  popped into a Yu Garden teahouse, en route to a meeting  with the Shanghai mayor, where he shared a cup of tea with his wife and Mark Rowswell, Commisioner-General of Canada’s Pavilion, for the 2010 International Expo.

The toronto Sun quoted the shopkeeper as exclaiming, “Hey, I know him! That’s Dashan”!

Source: “City weekend Magazine”, Shanghai, January 2010.

Chinese are flocking to the Olympics in Vancouver

Amid the millions of non- canadian residents that are fighting to get tickets to the winter Olympics in Vancouver are the last years Olympic host, China

China residents can buy tickets from the China International Sports Exchange Center (TEL: 010 6712 2480).

How to get there? Air Canada, China Eastern, and Air China all fly to Vancouver.  Return flights from Shanghai are around  RMB 7,500 to 9,000 depending on departure dates.

For more info routes, scheduleas and fares, visit www.canadaline.ca or use the TransLink trip planner to get around at www.translink.ca where you can enter information to plan the best route for your trip.

“The Chinese Love British Columbia”…and they are comming!

“Beautiful British Columbia”- its the motto on every vehicle’s license plate in Canada’s westernmost province, and Vancouver’s breathtaking views of beaches, snow-capped mountains and waterfront forests. This city certainly has it good. Source: Talk Magazine Shanghai, January 2010.

Canadian economy will return to positive growth in 2010: RBC

Canadian economy will return to positive growth in 2010: RBC
After a challenging and difficult year, the Canadian economy is set for a nationwide recovery in 2010, according to a new report from RBC Economics.
Although the Canadian economy contracted at an average of 2.5 per cent in 2009, RBC says, “the stage is set for a return to positive growth in 2010.”
“With the financial crisis behind us and the U.S. economy on the mend, Canada?s economic growth is expected to rise steadily throughout the next year,” said Craig Wright, senior vice-president and chief economist at RBC.
“While challenges remain, a peak in stimulus and infrastructure spending across the federal, provincial and municipal governments, along with low interest rates, should result in a sustained recovery.”
RBC says the Canadian economy is set to grow in 2010, with real GDP rising by 2.6 per cent, and will continue to expand in 2011, at 3.9 per cent.
The report indicated that the peak of stimulus spending will occur in 2010, with improving credit conditions fuelling growth both in 2010 and 2011.
“The price tag for the stimulus is high with large budget deficits, but it is still lower, relative to GDP, than the peaks reached in the early 1990?s,” Wright said.
“Low mortgage rates and a limited supply of homes have led to an impressive rebound in housing resale activity, which should be seen as proof that consumers are feeling more upbeat, even in areas that were hit hard by the recession like Ontario, B.C. and Alberta.”
Consumer spending, however, is still being weighed down by the 8.7 per cent unemployment rate, which the report anticipates is likely to edge higher by year’s end. (read full article)