BC Lags Behind Other Provinces in Life Satisfaction

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by activeStick

Are you very close to your ancestral roots? When you were young, did your parents and family strongly value ensuring their culture's traditions continue with you? Do you continue now to celebrate whatever customs and traditions (like holidays, meals, etc) are important for your ancestral country?

It was a big part of my family life growing up. Most of my family still lives over there and we maintain close contact. My siblings are my only blood relatives here, aside from my daughter. We lived in a small remote rural area, so we weren't part of a larger expat community. We certainly didn't have cultural associations and institutions that bigger cities and larger immigrant ethnic communities in Canada have. As a Chinese Canadian, you are probably better to answer the question, but does a Chinese person moving to Canada having access to many of the cultural features from home, make it easier to identify as Canadian, or does it make it more difficult? From my perspective, Chinese culture is woven deeply into the Canadian tapestry pretty strongly, particularly in large cities and the province of BC. It seems like it would be a pretty organic transition these days, but probably wasn't at all for the older generations. Aside from the original colonial powers and Indigenous Peoples, Chinese and Indo-Canadians probably make up the next largest and influential builders of Canada.

With my family, it started off as a temporary asylum situation, so for years my parents didn't know if they were staying or not, so I think it prevented them from getting totally immersed and starting over as Canadians. I know the plan originally was to go back eventually if things were safe, but by the time they were, the ship kind of sailed.

[mikephoen]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

My foster parent training sessions always start with at least a 5 minute list of acknowledgements as to who's land we knicked that were on, the zoom meetings can have 7 or 8 bands acknowledged and can take 15 minutes now due to the geographic scope of the participants

Personally I always felt that stealing something by force, not giving it back and then thanking the person that you stole it from for 'letting you have it' is just rubbing salt into the wound.

Imagine how long these meetings would take if the people in the Mediterranean followed the same practices! Some areas there have forcibly changed hands up to 100 times over the last 5000 years.

Actually, I guess I don't entirely know how these acknowledgements work in Canada... when we acknowledge the Tsuut'ina do we also mention that they took this area from the Blackfoot? Some wikipedia reading says that the Blackfoot took this area from the Shoshone and/or Arapaho. I'm guessing we don't actually acknowledge them, or do we?

Ok, I did some more reading, and according to the Calgary Foundation, this is the current acknowledgement:

In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge that we live, work and play on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut’ina, the Iyarhe Nakoda Nations, the Otipemisiwak Métis Government of the Métis Nation within Alberta District 6, and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.

So we do recognize the Blackfoot and others, but we don't go as far back as the Shoshone and Arapaho. Maybe at a Siksika meeting they recognize that they're meeting on land once held by the Shoshone.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by mikephoen

Imagine how long these meetings would take if the people in the Mediterranean followed the same practices! Some areas there have forcibly changed hands up to 100 times over the last 5000 years.

Actually, I guess I don't entirely know how these acknowledgements work in Canada... when we acknowledge the Tsuut'ina do we also mention that they took this area from the Blackfoot? Some wikipedia reading says that the Blackfoot took this area from the Shoshone and/or Arapaho. I'm guessing we don't actually acknowledge them, or do we?

Ok, I did some more reading, and according to the Calgary Foundation, this is the current acknowledgement:

In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge that we live, work and play on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut’ina, the Iyarhe Nakoda Nations, the Otipemisiwak Métis Government of the Métis Nation within Alberta District 6, and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.

So we do recognize the Blackfoot and others, but we don't go as far back as the Shoshone and Arapaho. Maybe at a Siksika meeting they recognize that they're meeting on land once held by the Shoshone.

How much does Spain pay in reparations to most of South America? Portugal?

England to India and Africa?

Belgium to the Congo?

[mikephoen]

Originally Posted by Locke

How much does Spain pay in reparations to most of South America? Portugal?

England to India and Africa?

Belgium to the Congo?

We don't really pay reparations either. These acknowledgments are in lieu of payment.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by mikephoen

We don't really pay reparations either. These acknowledgments are in lieu of payment.

I'm going to try that the next time I need to pay for gas.

[fotze2]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I'm going to try that the next time I need to pay for gas.

I acknowledge the T-Rex that this petroleum was harvested from.

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by rubecube

I'm trying to understand what you're saying here. Are you implying that a social contract can't exist without a distinct, identifiable, and universally-shared nationalist identity?

I understand why it read that way, but it's not really what I meant. What I meant is kind of the inverse: in the absence of a distinct, identifiable, shared-identity with our neighbors, we need strong and robust institutions that prop up the social contract. Canada's institutions are becoming weaker and not making the task, and Canada already lacks and seemingly has no desire to form the shared identity mentioned. As a consequence, it's my belief that the general basis for a social contract is weak or non-existence in the resulting environment, and is why we are potentially seeing larger societal tears forming (e.g. more homelessness/ drug use, more violence in public and especially on transit, more obvious social stratification, formation of foreign gangs.)

I think the void gets filled by other stronger sub cultures with pre existing identities. The post above mine is a great example, where immigrants hold on to their birth cultures ferverently. Well, this is pushing even into 2nd generation landed and born canadian immigrants. This opens the door to foreign cultural institutions (like gangs) taking route in the void as well.

[activeStick]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

It was a big part of my family life growing up. Most of my family still lives over there and we maintain close contact. My siblings are my only blood relatives here, aside from my daughter. We lived in a small remote rural area, so we weren't part of a larger expat community. We certainly didn't have cultural associations and institutions that bigger cities and larger immigrant ethnic communities in Canada have. As a Chinese Canadian, you are probably better to answer the question, but does a Chinese person moving to Canada having access to many of the cultural features from home, make it easier to identify as Canadian, or does it make it more difficult?

It's nice to hear that your family still stays in touch and are close. It's important and something many people don't have. As for new Chinese immigrants to Canada, based on what I've observed, identifying strongly as a Canadian eventually or less is really up to the individual and their circumstances. In large cities such as Vancouver/Toronto/Calgary new Chinese immigrants can go through all 365 days without needing to speak a word of English. They could also, on the flip side, barely speak a word of Chinese outside of their Chinese circle. While many are quick to judge those in the first scenario negatively, saying they should force themselves to integrate, there are other factors that may drive them to have a tougher time integrating such as personal factors, low confidence to learn a new language culture, certain family situations, etc. Those who don't integrate aren't arrogant snobs all the time here only to drain the country of what's there to offer yet provide nothing back in return. The good thing about the large cities is that the paths are there and available to everyone.

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

With my family, it started off as a temporary asylum situation, so for years my parents didn't know if they were staying or not, so I think it prevented them from getting totally immersed and starting over as Canadians. I know the plan originally was to go back eventually if things were safe, but by the time they were, the ship kind of sailed.

I'm sorry to hear about your family's situation. Hopefully, things have ended up positive for them and your family overall in Canada. It's just my own opinion, but given your family sounds like they hold their roots and culture very close still to them today and as a result, you do as well, that part, at the very least is a positive outcome. I believe my life is a million times more rich and satisfying because I am so close to my ancestral roots, culture and customs when I look at other people I know who aren't.

[ThisIsAnOutrage]

I think the term the BC government is looking for is "British Columboans" which translates to, "people who wear trench coats and have just one more thing"

[Winsor_Pilates]

New Anti Flipping Tax added to books:
https://vancouversun.com/business/re...-worth-trouble

Home owners who sell their property in the first 2 years will be subject to the tax (with demising amounts from 1-2 years); even on federally exempt principal residences.

Should further reduce home supply in the province, which will be great for prices.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

New Anti Flipping Tax added to books:
https://vancouversun.com/business/re...-worth-trouble

Home owners who sell their property in the first 2 years will be subject to the tax (with demising amounts from 1-2 years); even on federally exempt principal residences.

Should further reduce home supply in the province, which will be great for prices.

This is actually one of the few taxes I agree with. Under the current system, a speculator can buy a property, declare it their primary residence, and sell it 6 months later for profit, having never set foot in it. The result is no taxes on what is clearly a commercial enterprise.

IMO this move will have a bigger effect on decreasing demand from flippers than it will on supply. How many people who genuinely live in a place are flipping it within two years? The only people who are doing that are likely people who are forced to sell the house due to changes in life/financial circumstances, which is going to occur regardless of this tax.

[activeStick]

The new law only impacts degenerate flippers and not truly wealthy people who can hold for 2+ years. Which is one step still, to protect idiots from themselves.

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by blankall

This is actually one of the few taxes I agree with. Under the current system, a speculator can buy a property, declare it their primary residence, and sell it 6 months later for profit, having never set foot in it. The result is no taxes on what is clearly a commercial enterprise.

IMO this move will have a bigger effect on decreasing demand from flippers than it will on supply. How many people who genuinely live in a place are flipping it within two years? The only people who are doing that are likely people who are forced to sell the house due to changes in life/financial circumstances, which is going to occur regardless of this tax.

Those people should be exempt IMHO. Are they under the new law?

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Lubicon

Those people should be exempt IMHO. Are they under the new law?

Don't think so. The new tax only applies to capital gains, so 50% of increases in value. There's sliding scale between 1-2 years ownership. So if you bought a house, and it went up in value by $300k in a year, and you have to pay 25% on $150k, I don't feel that badly for you. Walking away with $37.5 less of the $300k. The rest is tax free.

If you lost money, you don't pay any tax.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by Lubicon

Those people should be exempt IMHO. Are they under the new law?

I believe they are exempt (divorce, illness, work relocation were among reasons listed IIRC). Not sure on the mechanism to prove it

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by blankall

This is actually one of the few taxes I agree with. Under the current system, a speculator can buy a property, declare it their primary residence, and sell it 6 months later for profit, having never set foot in it. The result is no taxes on what is clearly a commercial enterprise.

If you flip you primary residence in the first year, you are subject to capital gains already.

Secondly, this example doesn't actually happen in any meaningful volume.
With transfer tax on the way in and real estate commission on the way out, it's nearly impossible to make a profit flipping a place in 6 months.

On a million dollar property, you have $18,000 in PTT + $29,500 commission in those 2 costs alone, not including lawyer fees and anything else.
So if you somehow got a 5% increase in 6 months (way above any recent market increases), you'd be making no profit already.
Then you'd have capital gains, so you're actually at a loss.

If a bunch of flippers are making 10%+ profits in 6 months all of the place, I'd be with you, but that's not actually happening. The tax seems derived out of thin air, I guess for political reasons.

IMO this move will have a bigger effect on decreasing demand from flippers than it will on supply. How many people who genuinely live in a place are flipping it within two years? The only people who are doing that are likely people who are forced to sell the house due to changes in life/financial circumstances, which is going to occur regardless of this tax.

Actual short term flippers are usually renovators who turn a crappy home into supply the market actually wants.
Most buyers don't have the tools to do that on their own or the financing since you can't mortgage your reno. So renovators/flippers serve a purpose in the market and this will hurt them no doubt.
That finished supply will also be removed from the market.
Flipping without improvement of the property just isn't profitable in the short term and a problem that doesn't exist.

But the real big risk here is how they implement this on pre construction condos. Those require 60-65% units presold to get built and rely on investors to make up a chunk of those sales.
There's simply not enough end users willing to wait 3-5 years who can buy all of the presale condos that need to get built.
If investors are pushed away from these, they won't get built and supply from new homes with be crushed.

We don't have all the details on exemptions yet, so hopefully they take the early industry feedback and address these things but immediate release of the information does not look good.

[chemgear]

As some expected.

https://nationalpost.com/news/opiate...ss-canada-rcmp

B.C.'s 'safe supply' drugs being sold by organized crime across Canada: RCMP

Thousands of opiate pills obtained by prescription through a “safe supply” harm reduction program have been seized by police in Prince George, B.C., after they were found to have been diverted to organized crime groups reselling them across Canada, the RCMP said.

“Many of the pills that were seized had been prescribed to specific individuals but were found all collected together, no longer belonging to those individuals,” she added. “It might mean how we regulate our safe supply might need a sober second glance.”

Some of the recipients of the safe supply narcotics are apparently not satisfied with the government’s products.

“Our drug users are looking maybe for something more potent or something more specific than what they’d been prescribed,” said Cooper.

Search warrants by the RCMP’s Street Crew Unit have uncovered several drug trafficking groups dealing in safe supply drugs.

The RCMP investigation confirms fears of some who are opposed to safe supply as a way to curb spiking opiate addiction and drug-related deaths.

“If these are getting into the hands of our youth or young adults who may think this is a safe way to get high, it is concerning to us.

“It’s also concerning that it’s another way for organized crime groups to make money very quickly with little to no effort on their part,” Cooper said. “This is only perpetuating and possibly exacerbating the problem.”

[White Out 403]

Put the junkeys who these pills belong to in prison

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by White Out 403

Put the junkeys who these pills belong to in prison

You need to have some compassion for these people because they have a disease. They just need free drugs and UBI and it will make everything better.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

You need to have some compassion for these people because they have a disease. They just need free drugs and UBI and it will make everything better.

This post is something.