A made in Canada recession is definitely a possibility IMO. Debt=bad.

 

The liberals are downright uneducated when it comes to basic economics.

 

A significant portion of the workforce in Canada has never experienced boom times and it seems unlikely any time soon. Ontario seems especially farked. You'd have to be crazy to start an enterprise in this anti-business environment. And the longer this malaise continues the more skills are lost to atrophy and age.

 

That's a pretty pessimistic view. I'm not sure where you've been for the past 20 years but there have been a heck of lot of great years for many Canadians including Ontario. Just about anyone on this forum can't be complaining about our economy. Ontario has its issues but it's a great place to live and raise a family in peace and with so many opportunities. I really hope that we never lose the entrepreneurial spirit because then we will really be in big trouble.

 

I guess my expectations must be too high. Maybe I should move to Ottawa.

 

At mid-career, after 20 years of busting my ***, taking risks, betting the farm a few times and putting in more hours and enduring more stress than most will never endure I have to admit the recent gov rhetoric, private corporation tax changes and crippling personal tax rates (not to mention hydro, property taxes, fees, levies etc.) have got me sitting on my hands for now and perhaps forever. We'll just do what we do, pay down debt and stop expanding, taking risks, leveraging, hiring etc. The bar for a justifiable return for the risk and exposure is just that much higher now.

If someone asked me if I would do this again, I think I'd say no. If my kids asked me for advice about being an entrepreneur I'd suggest they do so in the US. In Canada, best game in town from an overall quality of life with little if any risk, certainly Ottawa, is a gov job. Or teaching.

With the amount of risk involved, my house is on the line, the current business climate in Ontario is pretty discouraging.

 

More nanny state, literally:
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/opinion-dollar22b-daycare-announcement-is-kathleen-wynne-at-her-wynnest/ar-BBKMGu4?li=AAggFp5&ocid=spartandhp

 

<RANT>
The problem right now in Ontario for many small businesses is finding people to do the work. We can't hire people to fill positions, there just aren't enough qualified people. The people we do find don't stick around long enough to get good at what they do. I actually think the problem is going to get worse as the population ages. I don't think that AI or Robotics will fill all the holes.

Part of the problem is that our universities are churning out undergrad and graduate level students with total disregard for the market for their skills. Toronto is opening a third law school when new lawyers from the first two are having a hard time finding articles to get their licence. At least the CPSO has the right idea by creating a slight artificial shortage so all of it's members can get jobs.

In my humble opinion, the only way forward for Ontario is to spend on the right infrastructure. Get people out of their cars (sorry guys) and into trains and subways so that goods can move on the 401 corridor. Fill in the surface level parking lots in downtown cores with places for people to live.

FIX THE ROADS. Seriously. Mexico City has better roads than we do.

</RANT>

 

Where is this 3rd law school opening? Ryerson?

 

Ryerson.

 

Skills are one thing but there is also the fact that a lot of people really don't want to work.

 

And why should they? There is not much incentive to try harder. Socialism is destroying this great country and its people and kindness is the preferred tool.

 

Pretty much.

We are very, very careful hiring now. Assessments ... contracts ... Given the competitiveness of the marketplace and costs squeezing margins anybody we employ has to produce. The good thing is most everyone we have does produce and those that don't stick out like sore thumbs, don't fit in, and either leave quickly or have their futures freed up for them.

 

I use this chart quite a bit when discussing geographical asset allocation risk.

It says it all...

 

Socialism does that to a country.

My taxation is the only reason I don't work harder and will retire earlier.