The degree of degradation of Canadian values (my definition: blue-cap UN peace-keeper) under this government over the last four years has been amazing!!! Nowadays, we glorify contemporary wars (which I believe are more imperialist in nature than keeping the peace); identify professional soldiers as heros. Why don’t we see that the sacrifice of our soldiers isn’t about bringing justice to the world, but has only innocently be used as political tools by political parties to score cheap political points? Why can’t someone have the gut to say it out that soldier is also a JOB that people CHOOSE to join, because they like it just like any other jobs? Their genuine love of the job has fallen into prey of cheap domestic politics and lowly party agenda. In addition, Canada now asks immigrants to study our military history in order to get the Canadian citizenship. And NOW THIS?? I want MY Canada back!

Nanos-SUNY(UB) Five Year Study (2009)

This week at the Association for Canadian Studies in the United States (ACSUS) conference in San Diego Nik Nanos, a research associate professor at the State University of New York in Buffalo, will present the findings of a five year study in Canada-US relations. The study includes two parallel samples of 1,000 Americans and 1,000 Canadians on a series of key measures.

The five year longitudinal study shows that, in the first wave of research since the election of Obama as president, there is a growing level of acceptance of free trade between Canada and the US. The countries differ in terms of how they regard the other on several dimensions. Canadians are more likely than Americans to be aware of the importance of the Canadian-American relationship.

Canadians have consistently been more likely (62.0%) than Americans (52.8%) to support a unilateralist position “even if this leads to conflict with other nations.”

The US is perceived by over half of Canadians as the closest country in terms of business values (53.4%), while only one in five Americans chose Canada as the closest country in terms of business values. Americans more frequently named Japan as the closest country in terms of business values (31.7%), followed by Britain (21.0%).

Relatively few Americans are concerned about goods entering the US from the northern border (3.6%). Canadians on the other hand are comparatively more likely to feel that products and people coming into Canada from the US should be thoroughly inspected, though that proportion has declined from 2005 (24.4%) to 2009 (11.2%). This difference may be explained by the fact that a vast majority of Canadians live close to the US-Canada border, while only 1/3 of Americans live in states that border Canada. Both countries expressed more concern to goods and people coming from Mexico and China, motivated by recent US media related to lead poison in toys from China, etc.

A majority of Canadians and Americans believe there should be closer cooperation between Canada and the US in national security policy and priorities, though the level of support is comparatively higher among Americans (69.7%) than Canadians (59.6%). The majority of Canadians (83.9%) and Americans (86.4%) feel it is very important to work together to develop an integrated energy policy to remove any dependence on Middle East oil.

To chat about this poll join the national political online chat at Nik on the Numbers. The detailed tables and methodology are posted on our website. You can also register to receive automatic polling updates.

Methodology

Nanos conducted a random representative online weighted sample of 1,006 Canadians and 1,001 Americans between August 31 and September 25, 2009.

Unilateralist Position Question: : Canada should follow its own interests, even if this leads to conflict with other nations? (5 year change in brackets)

[Canadian response]

Strongly agree 16.5% (-5.3%)
Agree 45.5% (+6.2%)
Neither agree nor disagree 20.5% (+2.5%)
Disagree 13.6% (-1.7%)
Strongly disagree 2.5% (-1.0%)
Can’t choose 1.5% (-0.5%)

[American response]

The US should follow its own interests, even if this leads to conflict with other nations? (5 year change in brackets)

Strongly agree 21.2% (+2.7%)
Agree 31.6% (+0.1%)
Neither agree nor disagree 21.7% (+1.5%)
Disagree 15.8% (-4.5%)
Strongly disagree 6.3% (-1.1%)
Can’t choose 3.5% (+1.4%)

Business Values Question: Thinking about Canada in relation with the countries below, could you please identify the first and second ranked countries that are closest with Canada in terms business values? [first ranked response - Canadian respondents] (5 year change in brackets)

[Canadian response]

The US 53.4% (-9.7%)
Britain 15.7% (-1.1%)
Japan 12.6% (+3.8%)
Germany 6.5% (+3.0%)
China 6.4% (+3.4%)
France 4.3% (0.0%)
Mexico 1.1% (+0.6%)

[American response]

Thinking about the US in relation with the countries below, could you please identify the first and second ranked countries that are closest with the United States in terms of business values? [first ranked response - American respondents] (5 year change in brackets)

Japan 31.7% (-7.5%)
Britain 21.0% (-4.9%)
Canada 18.9% (+0.9%)
China 17.0% (+8.5%)
Germany 7.6% (+2.1%)
France 2.0% (+0.7%)
Mexico 1.8% (+0.4%)

Inspecting Foreign Goods Question: Thinking about when a package or shipping container of goods enters Canada from one of the countries below, please rank the first and second country that Canadian customs officials should thoroughly inspect the shipment? [first ranked response] (5 year change in brackets)

[Canadian response]

Mexico 47.0% (+8%)
China 36.6% (+8.5%)
The US 11.2% (-13.2%)
Japan 2.0% (-0.6%)
Germany 1.6% (-1.4%)
France 0.9% (-0.7%)
Britain 0.8% (-0.5%)

[American response]

Thinking about when a package or shipping container of goods enters the US from one of the countries below, please rank the first and second country that American customs officials should thoroughly inspect the shipment? [first ranked response] (5 year change in brackets)

Mexico 48.0% (-1.3%)
China 36.1% (+8.3%)
Canada 3.6% (-1.5%)
Japan 3.5% (-1.4%)
France 3.3% (-2.9%)
Germany 3.2% (-0.7%)
Britain 2.4% (-0.4%)

National Security Policies and Priorities Cooperation Question: In terms of national security (i.e. NATO, the United Nations), should Canada and the United States be moving towards greater and closer cooperation or should they be maintaining separate national security policies and priorities? (5 year change in brackets)

[Canadian response]

Much closer cooperation 23.5% (-6.3%)
Somewhat closer cooperation 36.1% (+1.6%)
Stay the same/no change 15.5% (+4.2%)
Somewhat separate 14.9% (+2.8%)
Completely separate 6.9% (-2.9%)
Can’t choose/don’t know 3.1% (+0.6%)

[American response]

Much closer cooperation 30.2% (-7.0%)
Somewhat closer cooperation 39.5% (+4.0%)
Stay the same/no change 13.3% (+2.0%)
Somewhat separate 6.1% (-0.6%)
Completely separate 5.8% (0.0%)
Can’t choose/don’t know 5.1% (+1.6%)

Integrated Energy Policy Question: In your opinion, how important or unimportant is it for Canada and the United States to work together to develop an integrated energy policy to remove any dependence on Middle East Oil? (5 year change in brackets)

[Canadian response]

Very important 52.0% (-5.1%)
Somewhat important 31.9% (+4.3%)
Neither important nor unimportant 6.7% (+1.1%)
Somewhat unimportant 4.0% (+0.2%)
Very unimportant 2.4% (-1.0%)
Unsure 3.1% (+0.6%)

[American response]

Very important 58.0% (-6.7%)
Somewhat important 28.4% (+4.1%)
Neither important nor unimportant 6.3% (+1.6%)
Somewhat unimportant 1.3% (-0.5%)
Very unimportant 1.5% (-0.4%)
Unsure 4.4% (+1.7%)

BCREA release – The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) has just released its Fall 2009 Housing Forecast. BC Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) residential sales are estimated to increase 20% to 82,900 units this year from 68,923 units in 2008. Residential sales in 2010 are forecast to increase a further 8% to 89,600 units. The ten-year average is 82,800 units.

Full story.

“A sharp rebound in consumer demand turned a potentially dismal year into a very strong year for home sales,” said Cameron Muir, BCREA Chief Economist. “Vancouver and Victoria, in particular, are posting near record unit sales this fall.”

BC interior housing markets are also experiencing robust consumer demand as low mortgage rates and stronger market confidence drive home sales higher.

The average annual MLS® residential price in the province is expected to post a new record this year, rising 2% to $463,200 and is forecast to climb an additional 4% to $482,800 in 2010.

“Recovery in the BC economy will unfold gradually next year,” added Muir. “With sales prices in some markets flirting with record highs, affordability constraints will limit home price inflation over the next year.”

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HOUSING MARKET REBOUND

Residential unit sales on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in BC are estimated to increase 20% to 82,900 units this year. A sharp rebound in consumer demand, particularly in Victoria, Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, has pushed home sales beyond expectations earlier in the year.

Pent-up demand, low mortgage interest rates and attractive home prices are key drivers in the market.

Consumer confidence is also playing a large role as recovery in the economy is on the horizon.

Prominent differences in regional markets exist. A dramatic rebound in consumer demand on the south coast is in contrast with a more gradual, and arguably sustainable, increase in demand in the interior of the province. Despite weak economic conditions, home sales in Vancouver have recently trended near historically high levels.

Further improvement in consumer demand is expected in the interior and Vancouver Island (outside Victoria).

Housing demand in the major metropolitan markets of the Lower Mainland and Victoria is expected to moderate from the recent highs as a pent-up demand is expended.

The average annual BC MLS® residential price is estimated to increase 2% to $463,200 this year, a record high. However, the increase is largely the result of a greater proportion of home sales this year occurring in BC’s higher priced markets. Next year, a modest increase in the BC MLS® residential prices are forecast, climbing 4% to $482,800. Tighter market conditions in many BC regions will contribute to the gain.

BC’s housing markets have faired extremely well since the beginning of the year. However, higher prices are again eroding affordability in some markets and by all accounts growth in the economy is expected to be at a modest pace next year.

Greater stability in BC’s housing markets is forecast through 2010.

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK

The BC Economy is expected to expand in 2010 after contracting an estimated 2.6% this year. Weak demand for commodities, a strong Canadian dollar and tepid consumer spending will set the stage for the slowest postrecession recovery since the early 1980s. Continuing economic malaise in the US will continue to retard economic growth as imports from BC continue to trend below long term averages.

Total employment in the province is estimated to decline 2.5% this year on an annual basis. Particularly hard hit is the goods producing sector where employment contracted 11% January through October, compared to the same period last year. Manufacturing and construction employment is down 12% over the same period.

Service sector employment is fairing relatively better, declining just 0.2% through October. However, transportation and warehousing employment, part of the service sector, is down 10%, largely the result of its reliance on goods producers. Total employment in BC is forecast to increase a modest 1.6% in 2010.

Once the overhang in US new home inventories draws down, housing starts south of the border should increase from a pace of 500-600k per annum to approximately 1.4 million in order to keep pace with household formation.

However, the increase is likely not to manifest until late in 2010. Demand for commodities is also expected to increase next year, but at a pace equivalent to the slow recovery in the global economy.

A dramatic rebound in home sales would suggest a corresponding increase in retail sales. However, retail sales have improved only modestly, signaling overall consumer demand has yet to return to normalcy. After declining an estimated 6.7% this year, retail sales are forecast to grow by a relatively modest 4.5% in 2010. Home sales on south coast are expected to moderate from current record levels, as waning pent-up demand and eroding affordability come into play next year.

Broad recovery in the BC economy is expected to be a rather slow and arduous affair. As a result, the economy could be many quarters out of a technical recession before there is any significant decline in the unemployment rate.

Net migration is not only an important component to the economy, but vital to new construction activity, the resale and rental markets. A positive natural rate of increase (births minus deaths) has little impact on household formation until decades after the fact. The largest component of migration stems from international origins. These migrants comprise approximately 90% of all net migrants to the province. Net international migration is forecast to decline 4% to 52,500 individuals this year, and then increase 6% to 55,900 individuals in 2010. Inter-provincial migration is largely influenced by the relative strength of provincial economies. The current economic climate has made employment opportunities relatively scarce in all provinces. Net inter-provincial migration is forecast to decline 32% to 5,700 this year and increase 9% to 6,200 individuals in 2009.

HOUSING STARTS

BC housing starts were on track earlier in the year to record their worst performance since 1962. However, recent increases in new construction activity are estimated to boost the annual total to match the year 2000. The sharp pull-back in housing starts corresponded with the financial crisis and the global recession. A sharp decline in consumer demand, rising inventories of complete and unoccupied units and tighter credit conditions virtually stalled building permits during the first half of the year.

Low mortgage interest rates combined with price adjustments contributed to a recent surge in home sales and many builders are now experiencing a decline of their inventories.

While housing starts are expected to climb next year, as builders respond to the stronger market conditions, the overall level of new construction activity will be relatively low compared to the past several years. Consumer demand can change quickly and new home construction typically lags market changes. This is particularly prominent with large condominium projects.

Housing starts in the province are estimated to total 14,400 units this year, a 58% decline over 2008. The sharpest decline is in multiple starts, where a 65% decline is expected. Next year, BC housing starts are forecast to increase 46% to 21,000 units. However, this level is considerably less than the 34,321 units started in 2008.

REAL ESTATE BOARD OF GREATER VANCOUVER

The Vancouver housing market experienced a dramatic rebound this year. MLS® residential sales increased threefold January to October on a seasonally adjusted basis, and is trending on record levels. A marked increase in affordability during the spring induced many potential buyers into the market and the resulting momentum quickly turned a buyer’s market into a seller’s market with upward pressure on home prices.

Rising home prices are again eroding affordability and the demand that welled up last winter during the height of the financial crisis is now largely expended. This means the pace of home sales recorded this autumn will likely moderate over the coming months. However, despite some moderation in consumer demand, home sales in Greater Vancouver are expected to remain relatively strong through 2010. After posting an estimated 41% increase to 35,500 units this year, home sales are forecast rise an additional 5% to 37,100 units in 2010, well above the ten-year average of 33,000 units.

The annual average MLS® residential sales price in Greater Vancouver is estimated to decline 1% to $586,000 this year. This reflects the cyclical low recorded early in the year and the recent price acceleration. The average annual price is forecast to rise 6% to $620,000 in 2010.

However, much of the increase will have occurred by the end of this year, with greater stability in home prices expected next year.

Housing starts in the Vancouver CMA are estimated to fall to their lowest in more than four decades this year. A sharp decline in units under construction and inventory levels that peaked at a relatively low level is setting the stage for home builders to ramp up production in 2010. The lag between conception and completion of new housing may create a period of under-supply in the new home market. This condition will help underpin price levels in both the new and resale markets in Greater Vancouver.

Related articles:

BCREA revises housing forecast: price fall stops, house sales to surge 10% in 2010

Forecast: Vancouver home prices to fall 13% in 2009

To clearly stand out a guest blogger entry, all such headlines will begin with [GB].

The BC Liberals often claimed that economic development and management are their strengths but this bubble is bursting right in front of our eyes.

BC’s economic performance record was second last in Canada last year and the number of jobs we are losing also leads the rest of the country. Well, the Liberals might try to shed the blame on the financial tsunami but the question is, why do other provinces which also suffer from the global economic downturn do better than us?

The bigger question is, why is it that after spending $7 billion to host the Olympics with all the big tag constructions, our GDP was negative and trailed behind other provinces?

PriceWaterhouseCooper has recently released their report commissioned by the federal and provincial governments with the brief to find out the economic benefits brought about by hosting the Olympics. Boy, it’s quite a contrast to what the Liberal government was telling us. Before the election, Gordon Campbell said the Olympics’ economic benefit would be $10 billion. The finding of the PwC is that in the 6 years between 2003 and 2008, being host to the Olympics generated $680 million to $880 million of economic benefit. The report said the Olympic economic benefit is insignificant. It only added 0.1% to BC’s GDP, i.e. one-thousandth of our GDP! The report also found that the effect of job creation was an increase of a mere 0.1%.

So the huge economic benefits of the Olympics claimed by Premier Campbell and Finance Minister Hansen year after year are either all bluff or a colossal mismanagement of the economy of the Olympics. They have simply screwed up the once-in-a-life-time Olympic opportunity.

The Liberal government said the tourism industry would be greatly benefited by the Olympics before, during and after the games. It would attract a great many tourists and bring in $500 million of revenue. The conclusion of the PwC report is that the Winter Games gave no help to tourism. What the government boasted simply “did not materialize.” “The 2010 Winter Games have not had a measurable impact on tourism’s gross domestic product and share of the economy.” The report stated that during that period, the total number of international inbound travelers to Canada declined by 22%.

And what about the Liberal government’s claim that hosting the Olympics would promote our convention and exhibition business?

The PwC report states: “The number of attendees to conventions actually declined 40 per cent in the period… More facilities to host meetings, more upgrades to existing infrastructure, increased industry capacity…” have “no impacts.”

The government spent almost $900 million to expand the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre three times its old capacity, while our convention business is dropping.

And what about the claim that hosting the Olympics would help diversify BC’s economic development? Again, the report concluded that there is no impact.

The PwC report is yet another reflection on whether Gordon Campbell is trustworthy (especially when you compare what he and his government said before and after the election). It has also shown the Liberals’ capability in terms of management and economic development. The actual economic benefit is merely one-tenth of Mr. Campbell’s $10 billion claim. The $500 million tourism benefit ended up between $1 to $5 million; that is 0.2% to 1% of the Liberals’ original target. This kind of management capability is truly amazing. If Gordon Campbell and his team work in a private company, they will either get fired or the company goes bankrupt.

The more stunning part is this: the period of time that PwC looked into was a time when the global economy was rosy and the US economy red hot. Not only have the BC Liberals not made good use of the Olympics to diversify our economy or boost our tourism, but our tourism and convention businesses have gone downhill instead. Spending $7 billion to host the Olympics but our GDP still falling behind other provinces’ — what can it be if not bad management and lousy economic development?

While we are talking about tourism, Guangzhou is currently running the huge Guangdong Cultural and Tourism Festival. Although our sister province has eagerly invited BC to participate, the Liberal government has declined the great promotion opportunity. No wonder BC’s tourism has been struggling, and the Liberals are responsible.

If BC implements HST next year, our tourism industry will receive an even bigger hit. According to the latest report of the Council of Tourism Associations, the HST could mean the loss of 10,000 jobs and $540 million revenue.

BC’s tourism industry hasn’t been doing well since the Liberal got into power. The $500 million Olympic benefits promised by the Liberals have never materialized. Recently, several cruise ships have left Vancouver out from their ports of call. Next year, the HST would cost the tourism industry a reduction in revenue of half a billion. The government is truly reckless. Is this how it should treat this province’s fourth biggest industry?

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Disclaimer: Views expressed by guest bloggers are theirs and may not represent those of CIV.

By inviting guest bloggers to write here, I’d like to see us grow together with more diverse ideas and perspectives. If anyone believe the idea is cool, please don’t hesitate to submit your stuff to me. We use real names and identities here. Thank you.

Asians have the least desire to migrate

About 45 million people would like to move to Canada and make a new life here, a global poll on migration desires showed.

Those yearning for Canada are among 16% of the world’s adults or roughly 700 million people who would like to move to another country permanently if they could, according the latest Gallup’s Potential Net Migration Index.

The Gallup poll conducted in 135 countries between 2007 and 2009, concludes that if all adults actually moved to their desired destination country today, some countries would suffer tremendous losses and others would be overwhelmed.

The poll also shows that the global economic recession has not curbed the desire of the world’s poor to seek a better future by migrating, Gallup Inc. said.

The top tier of most desired destinations was led by the United States, with about 165 million people, followed by Canada (45 million), United Kingdom (45 million), France (45 million), Spain (35 million), Saudi Arabia (30 million), Germany (30 million) and Australia (25 million).

The second tier includes countries chosen by 1 million to 5 million as their most-desired migration destinations. Some countries included in this tier are China, Indonesia, India and Mexico.
The last group – where fewer than 500,000 marked as their most-desired migration destinations – includes Vietnam, the Philippines and Bangladesh, among others.

The report said that implications of hundreds of millions of people harboring desires to migrate are on government leaders in both countries of origin and destination to develop immigration policies and development strategies.

“If all adults who desire to move to another country permanently actually moved to their desired destination country today, some countries would suffer tremendous losses in human capital and others would be overwhelmed,” the report said.

“In most countries, people’s desire to relocate did not decrease meaningfully after the global economic crisis hit in 2008,” said Neli Esipova, the polling agency’s director of research for global migration.

Almost eight of ten respondents who said they would like to emigrate were in a developing country, the poll showed. The vast majority of the latter said they would like to live in a developed country.

If all the would-be migrants acted on their desire, some rich countries would see their population swell and some poor ones would be depleted, Gallup said.

The population of Singapore would more than triple and the population of Saudi Arabia, New Zealand and Canada would swell by 180, 175 and 170 percent respectively, according to the poll.

Countries like Sierra Leone, Haiti and El Salvador would lose about half their population, according to the poll.
“But reality does not match desires,” Esipova said.

Migrants’ theoretical wishes often come up against barriers such as visa requirements which force them to move to countries that are not their first choice.

Gallup’s Potential Net Migration Index is the number of adults who want to move out of a country subtracted from the number who would like to move to it.

Countries with a higher Potential Net Migration Index have high potential population gains. At the top of this list is Singapore (+260 percent), while the Democratic Republic of the Congo posts the highest negative PNMI (-60 percent).

Of the 700 million that would like to move to another country, Gallup found that citizens of sub-Saharan African countries have the highest desire to do so. About 165 million people, or 38 percent of the population, said they’d migrate internationally if the opportunity arose.

On the flip side, people living in Asian countries have the least desire to migrate internationally. Only 10 percent of the population said they would like to move permanently to another country.
Interestingly, the United States, which is the top desired destination among all potential migrants, does not make the top five in terms of potential net population growth.

The United States’ net migration value of +60% places it farther down the list, after Canada and several other developed nations that dominate the top of the list.

Developing countries, in contrast, dominate the bottom of the list. The countries with the highest negative Potential Net Migration Index values are the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa) (-60%), Sierra Leone (-55%), and Zimbabwe (-55%), Haiti (-50%), and El Salvador (-50%).

While Gallup’s findings reflect people’s aspirations rather than their intentions, the implications of what could happen if hypothetical desires became reality are serious considerations for leaders to think about as they plan development and migration strategies now and in the future.

Gallup plans to continue to monitor trends in desired migration, and will publish an updated index that includes more countries in early 2010.

Where migrants want to go to Countries with highest PNMI*

1. Singapore (+260 per cent)
2. Saudi Arabia (+180 per cent)
3. New Zealand (+175 per cent)
4. Canada (+170 per cent)
5. Australia (+145 per cent)

* The PNMI is the estimated number of adults who wish to leave a country permanently subtracted from the estimated number who wish to immigrate to the country, as a proportion of the total adult population.

Top destinations (by country)

1. United States
2. Canada
3. Britain
4. France
5. Spain

Top sources of potential migrants (by region)

1. Sub-Saharan Africa
2. Middle East and North Africa
3. Europe
4. Americas
5. Asia

And, the more such photos appear, I feel more connected to the Games each day. :)

The men's eight Olympic gold medalists carry the Olympic Flame on their boat during the Olympic Torch Relay in Victoria, B.C., Friday, Oct. 30, 2009. The Olympic Flame which travelled from Olympia in Athens will now start a 106 day cross country relay which will end in Vancouver on Feb. 12, 2010 to mark the start of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games. (CP)

Men's eight Olympic gold medalist teammate Kevin Light of Sidney, B.C., right, passes on the Olympic Flame to the coxsain of the junior team during the Olympic Torch Relay in Victoria, B.C., Friday, Oct. 30, 2009. The Olympic Flame which travelled from Olympia in Athens will now start a 106 day cross country relay which will end in Vancouver on Feb. 12, 2010 to mark the start of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games. (CP)

Surfer Raph Bruhwiler, right, falls as he receives the Olympic flame from surfer Ruth Sadler (centre), 72, after she walked into the Pacific Ocean to meet him during the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games torch relay in Pacific Rim National Park near Tofino, B.C., on Sunday November 1, 2009. Bruhwiler then surfed to shore. (CP)

Ruth Sadler, left, hands off the Olympic Torch to Raph Bruhwiler as he surfs at Long Beach in Pacific Rim National Park located near Tofino, B.C., Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009. The Olympic Flame which travelled all the way from Olympia in Greece is now on a 106 day cross country relay which will end in Vancouver on Feb. 12, 2010 to mark the start of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games. (CP)

Torchbearer Percy Williams is seen in a Haida canoe as he arrives to a blessing ceremony in Skidegate, B.C. Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009. The Olympic Flame which travelled all the way from Olympia in Greece is now on a 106 day cross country relay which will end in Vancouver on Feb. 12, 2010 to mark the start of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games. (CP)

Torchbearer Martha Benjamin carries the Olympic Flame on a dogsled in Old Crow, Yukon, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009. The Olympic Flame which travelled all the way from Olympia in Greece is now on a 106 day cross country relay which will end in Vancouver on Feb. 12, 2010 to mark the start of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games. (CP)

Torchbearer Erika Tizya-Tramm, hugs Allan Benjamin after she passed the Olympic Flame on to him in Old Crow, Yukon, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009. The Olympic Flame which travelled all the way from Olympia in Greece is now on a 106 day cross country relay which will end in Vancouver on Feb. 12, 2010 to mark the start of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games. (CP)

Torchbearer Annika Trimble, left, passes the Olympic Flame off to Mark Lee Orbell who is traveling in a snow grooming machine in Inuvik, NWT, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009. The Olympic Flame which traveled from Olympia in Greece is now on a 106 day cross country relay which will end in Vancouver on Feb. 12, 2010 to mark the start of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games. (CP)

A man wears Olympic mittens as he photographs the Olympic countdown clock displaying 100 days until the start of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, B.C., on Wednesday November 4, 2009. (CP)

2010 Olympic torch relay warms up frigid Yukon village

THE CANADIAN PRESS

OLD CROW, Yukon – The 2010 Olympic torch warmed up this frigid Arctic community Wednesday as it was carried into a town celebration on a dogsled.

Residents of the Yukon village north of the Arctic Circle waved and smiled as the Olympic flame was carried off the plane into the -36C winter air.

Relay organizers were bundled into a sled pulled by snowmobiles as they travelled into Old Crow to prepare for the community celebration.

Meanwhile, the flame was transported by four torchbearers. Two of them ran with the flame, before passing it off to a torchbearer on snowshoe.

At one point, the flame went out when the fuel cannister ran dry. Relay organizers have discovered the flame can burn only about half as long in the extreme cold.

The torch was re-lit with the original flame, which is carried in a specially made miner’s lantern along the relay route, and the run proceeded.

The flame was then zipped into town by another torchbearer, Martha Benjamin, a 1964 Canadian cross-country ski champion.

She was on a dogsled pulled by a team of yelping, barking dogs that charged past several historic buildings on the picturesque route toward a community feast and aboriginal blessing ceremony.

The torch relay is taking the 2010 Olympic flame to some of the most extreme places in Canada during its trip to the North, including a stop Sunday in Alert, the northernmost inhabited community on the planet.

Earlier Wednesday, the torch was taken through Dawson City, where Australian ski champion Alisa Camplin carried it.

Camplin made history in 2002 when she became Australia’s first female Olympic Winter Games gold medalist. She won for aerials at the Salt Lake City Games, then won bronze in the same event in Turin in 2006.

Camplin is one of 15 international torchbearers in the 106-day relay.

REBGV release – Strong demand has led to a steady rise in Greater Vancouver home prices compared to last year.

Over the last 12 months, the MLSLink® Housing Price Index (HPI) benchmark price for all residential properties in Greater Vancouver increased 6.8% to $553,702 from $518,668 in October 2008.

“While home prices have been rising in 2009, they have not eclipsed the peaks reached in early 2008,” Scott Russell, Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) president said. “We’re coming off several months of unseasonably high sales levels, which has allowed for a gradual increase in home values this year,”

The REBGV reports that residential property sales in Greater Vancouver totalled 3,704 in October 2009, an increase of 4.1% from the 3,559 sales recorded in September 2009, and an increase of 171.6% compared to October 2008 when 1,364 sales were recorded. Looking back two years, last month’s sales increased 22.3% compared to October 2007 when 3,028 sales were recorded.

“High confidence and low mortgage rates are continuing to drive the activity we’re seeing in the housing market today,” Russell said.

New listings for detached, attached and apartment properties in Greater Vancouver totalled 4,977 in October 2009. This represents a 2.3% increase compared to October 2008 when 4,867 new units were listed, and a 13.4% decline compared to September 2009 when 5,764 properties were listed on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in Greater Vancouver.

At 12,084, the total number of property listings on the MLS® decreased 4.1% in October compared to last month and declined 37% from this time last year.

Sales of detached properties increased 201.6% to 1,487 from the 493 detached sales recorded during the same period in 2008. The benchmark price, as calculated by the MLSLink Housing Price Index®, for detached properties increased 7.7% from October 2008 to $749,808.

Sales of apartment properties in October 2009 increased 148.4% to 1,607, compared to 647sales in October 2008. The benchmark price of an apartment property increased 6.3% from October 2008 to $380,975.

Attached property sales in October 2009 are up 172.3% to 610, compared with the 224 sales in October 2008. The benchmark price of an attached unit increased 4.6% between Octobers 2008 and 2009 to $468,798.

To clearly stand out a guest blogger entry, all such headlines will begin with [GB].

A recent book against Asian immigrants published by the right-wing research organization, the Fraser Institute, has raised concerns among the general public, to such a point that federal Immigration minister Jason Kenney had to draw a line publicly to distance his government from the writer who was an MP of the Reform Party.

What the Chinese media is concerned about is that not only has the book denied the contribution of immigrants, but that the publisher of the book is the Fraser Institute. This research institute has a great influence on today’s Canada and on the B.C. government. Whether it’s the Conservative Party’s environmental policy or B.C.’s HST, there is a connection with the institute. The think tank also has a strong presence in the media, e.g. the editor responsible for the major English newspaper’s editorial and opinion pages used to work at the institute.

The Fraser Institute’s anti-immigration stand is nothing new, but the stand was not given a high profile in the past. What this book says, however, is that immigration does no good to our economic development: it is a burden to our society, and would increase government expenses and lead to a hike in taxes. The book also claims immigrants have lowered the living standard of Canada and have a negative effect on the sovereignty, culture and social structure of the country.

The timing of the publication of the book reflects the institute’s tactic to get maximum effect. The book is published at a time of worsening economic downturn, when people worry about job loss and taxpayers are concerned about government raising taxes. The purpose of the book is to attack Canada’s immigration policy and to defame immigrants.

Nevertheless, immigration is not the only target of the Fraser Institute. The right-wing think tank also hosted movie screenings and invited oversea speakers to challenge the consensus of the world’s top scientists that the human factor contributes to climate change.

The Fraser Institute’s action denying climate change and its stout defence of the oil industry’s interest are being criticized by local scholars and the independent media. It has been revealed that big oil companies have handed out millions of dollars to North American right-wing think tanks, which include the Fraser Institute.

Likewise, when the Campbell government was under immense pressure because of the HST, the Fraser Institute stood up, together with representatives of big corporations, to support the new tax.

If one examines the so-called “research” of the right-wing think tank, one will see that it’s all about the interests of big businesses.

I once read a Fraser Institute report comparing the health care systems of Canada and other countries. It was quite biased and figures were manipulated in order to produce the desired result. The Fraser Institute has long been advocating privatizing Canada’s health care and bringing in American big private medical corporations. Again, this is to serve the interests of big businesses.

Last year the Fraser Institute released a report attacking public auto insurance. On its press release, it said: “Independent study after independent study come to the same conclusion: public auto insurance is more expensive on average than competitive, private models, despite contrary claims by government auto insurers.” It sounds so authoritative, but is it true? Well, if one goes to the website of the Canadian Consumers’ Association (http://www.consumer.ca/1525), one will find that the independent organization has done many studies on this same topic, which include a very comprehensive study comparing over 7,000 auto insurance quotes from 40 cities in 10 provinces. The conclusion of all these studies is this: “Public auto insurance systems offer the lowest rates for consumers.”

The Fraser Institute’s so-called “study” not only found a contrary conclusion, it also totally neglected all the studies conducted by the Canadian Consumers’ Association.

So who is more trustworthy? Who is working for the interest of the public and who is serving big business. I will leave it to the readers to draw their own conclusion.

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Disclaimer: Views expressed by guest bloggers are theirs and may not represent those of CIV.

By inviting guest bloggers to write here, I’d like to see us grow together with more diverse ideas and perspectives. If anyone believe the idea is cool, please don’t hesitate to submit your stuff to me. We use real names and identities here. Thank you.