Oil's swoon sparks Alberta schadenfreude in rest of Canada

What comes around goes around. Gloating and deriding regions that are struggling, no wonder people aren't that sorry for Albertans. Too bad JJ's banned - he's exactly the typ of Albartan that deserves a comeuppance.

Really? I don't hear it around me at all ... not a peep.

I did have a conversation on Sunday afternoon with a cousin about another cousin ( rig worker) who was just laid off. there is some concern about how long this is going to go on ... but "anti Alberta"?

The only thought along those lines that comes to mind is that there are an inordinate number of populist arseholes in the boondocks there who generate their political power and capital by saying divisive things. I just don't consider them to be very Canadian, all-in-all.

These same people don't realize how much Alberta sends them in transfer payments. When the payments drop off who will pick up the tab?

As has been pointed out, other provinces are getting a shot in the arm. BC, for instance, has forestry pick up, and expects tourism and movie making to boom with the low dollar. Ontario may see an upturn in manufacturing. Overall, what I've heard, is that the oil drop is a net loss for Canada, but it's not nearly as much of a loss as just taking Alberta's downturn out of the economy with no upturn elsewhere. Since we had a touch of Dutch disease from the high oil prices, if low oil continues for some time, it may actually benefit Canada by allowing other industries to flourish.

This is why we should be doing what Norway does - investing the money outside of the country to not cause inflation, and not just going wild hog where you have high oil revenues and still run a deficit because people want to party now and fuck the future. Maybe it will reduce expectations in Alberta a bit, which also a good thing. Like that ad talked about (posted in jokes) trade in your F350 on an old Chevy. Still gets you where you're going.

Manufacturing doesn't just "switch on" and most of what as been lost is the sort of widget making that we haven't a hope in hell of competing against the Chinese for. I wouldn't make too much of the "manufacturing boom" that Ontario is supposed to experience. If there is one, there will be several years of ramping up to it as new markets are developed and the place re-tools. There may be a bit of an upswing in auto assembly but the parts manufacturing component that was a serious economic engine around here a quarter century ago, has departed these shores for ever.

It's not as if all of Ontario's manufacturing is dead. Firms still around will be able to ramp up quickly as our low dollar makes them more competitive. Manufacturing widgets, that's gone, it's leaving China as well. But there's the more high quality stuff we can still compete in.

Another plus is that Canadians have more money in their pocket, but that money is worth less for travel or buying imported good. So there should be more money circulating in our economy.

During the recession, German govt paid workers part EI so that companies could afford to keep them on. That meant as soon s demand started to pick up, German industry was in place to quickly ramp up again. Why oh why can't we have industrial strategies like that, instead of the govt chasing whatever boom happens to be going at the time.

I'm just glad that me losing my job, my home, most of my money, and pretty much every last bit of hope I had left has brought such joy to my fellow Canadian citizens, including the venomous jackass that got the first post in on this thread.

Want to find genuine stupidity? Go find a social conservative. Want to find some genuine hatred, misanthropy, and some ugly grasping meanness of spirit? Go find the nearest ideological liberal.

What a stupid article. Completely fabricated divisive tripe. Sure there are people Alberta got hit hard. Those people are known as "assholes."

I'm not glad you're struggling. But be honest, you were struggling while Alberta was still booming. You couldn't pay your bills and finally another CKA member found you a job. So maybe you should be looking at other reasons than what's happening in Alberta for your troubles. And lashing out at others might make you feel better for a bit, but not for long. I was talking about JJ (and Albertans like him - he's not the only one) - didn't mention you at all. Forestry is picking up in BC. The wages won't be anything like the oilpatch, and it's hard, dangerous work, but it is an honest living in an industry with a proud history. Crispie Clark has invited BC workers to come home from Alberta, maybe a few Albertans can make the move too. Or you could work at Tim Horton's, since apparently I've lost my job there and am now homeless.

Yeah, everybody that's hurting is an asshole.

I honestly thought you were better than that.

I don't think he meant that at all. He forgot the word glad or such, would be my guess.

Jeez, people here don't seem to know their fellow posters at all, maybe take a step back when somebody says something totally out of character. Probably karma for zip's little snit at me for taking something the totally opposite way.

Yeah, everybody that's hurting is an asshole.

I honestly thought you were better than that.

99.99999% sure that there was one of Zippy's trademark typos in there, like he forgot to put "who are glad" in the third sentence, as in "Sure, there are people who are glad Alberta got hit hard.". That's probably the extent of it. I've known him for over ten years now and he just isn't that kind of a black-hearted or malicious person. He might have been pissed and/or high when he was typing but there's nothing else more fucked up than that in what he intended to say.

Sure a lot of folks got hit hard. Some moreso than others. The majority of their financial problems are of their own doing. When you are making 10 k/mo you don't spend 10k/mo! Put some of it away. Do you really need an $85,000 5th wheel/Mastercraft speed boat/couple of seadoo's, matching Harley Davidsons/ Big old E350 with all the gadgets, $500,000 home? The list goes on. If they didn't have the common sense to plan for this at all then I too have no sympathy for them. The oil industry is cyclical. Always has been always will be. One of my relatives is going thru bankrupty right now. Again! He is 69 yrs old. Selling his house & they have taken a job managing apartment complex. His motto WAS, "Nothing but the best"!

I work for one of those and we have certainly seen our margins increase as we sell a large part of our output in the States. Still, there are fewer little machine shops, etc. around than there were during the last cycle peak. Ontario's economy is gradually morphing into being more and more service sector based .. which s a shame because service sector jobs are notoriously lousy payers.