I would need to see more sources for that info including responses from mp's being asked if it so and to what end before I will comment

How about this source: directly from the Department of Finance, Canada, released Mar 3 2016. Footnote 1: "The Government of Canada sold 21,851 ounces of gold coins for settlement in February. On February 29, gold holdings stood at 77 ounces. The valuation is based on the February 29, 2016, London p.m. fix of US$1,234.90 per ounce. Gold holdings: zero."

http://www.fin.gc.ca/n16/16-030-eng.asp

I never seen this ball bouncing, but it looks like this is old news, in checking around it looks like we sold off most our gold long ago, starting in the 1980s, we have had little to speak of since about 2003...so its been that way for some time...my roof doesn't leak, my firewood doesn't go bad, the sun still shines, and it looks like a bumper year for rabbits....I think I will be ok...as a another thought, lots of it was sold to Canadians so I suspect if the government ever needs some they can just nationalize its possession 😮 Now I ofcourse would have counseled the government, at the time, to "hold it if you have it" but by the mid 80's my phone calls weren't being returned.

Here is the graph http://www.pennyminingstocks.com/canada-sells-43-3-official-gold-reserves/

I think Canada has diversified its investment. There are lots of other commodities and assets besides gold. Its odd to me (as a Canadian) to see a government completely abandon gold...but in today's massive economy where there simply isnt even enough gold to maintain the "gold standard" even if we wanted to....is it really a serious concern? Is Gold still the steady ship we think it is?

Hmmm…. Not trying to foment or incite, but it appears from some of the responses over my concerns of a government with weak and shabby assets, may be ungrounded. Obviously no one on this site needs my take on why I think gold is money, and currency is paper with a government promise. Yesterday BNN reported: for every 550 ounces of gold that is traded in ETF’s, there is only 1 ounce of physical gold to cover that 550 ounces. Yikes!

Well Peppercorn, I really hope you are right. I’m really very happy that your roof doesn’t leak, and if your firewood ever gets wet, you can always burn worthless Canadian currency to keep the bunnies warm. Just sayin’.

Thecrownsown: What commodities were you referring to? I scoured the Department of Finance - Canada website, and the only “assets” that were listed, were US dollars, Euros, Pounds Sterling, Yen, Special Drawing Rights and some IMF debt. Are these the diversified investments you spoke of? The only commodity listed was GOLD, which has a big fat ZERO next to it. No oil, no silver, no platinum, no uranium, no other precious metals, no base metals. Canada now stands in 100th place in the world with their 77 ounces of gold, right after Haiti, one of the poorest countries on planet Earth, but before Albania. The top 10 financial powerhouse nations are continually amassing gold. It’s assumed that China and India just purchased the gold that was sold by Canada. What am I missing?

Hmmm…. Not trying to foment or incite, but it appears from some of the responses over my concerns of a government with weak and shabby assets, may be ungrounded. Obviously no one on this site needs my take on why I think gold is money, and currency is paper with a government promise.

I do not disagree with you. If I had my way we would still be using paper money that says "will pay to the bearer" and the change in my pocket would be of pre 67 composition....but I don't have my way...and long ago learned the futility of trying to get it (wrt government policy).
What I (or anyone can) do is achive the same effect by negating the effect of money, in other words let the country inflate/deflate the currency, let it collapse, and rise again or not I don't care...I can heat my home by dropping a tree at my back door, I do and have more ways to make power than I have fingers. My evening walk lead me to 3 moose just 2 hours ago, I know the local butcher and get my meat as its cut from the cow, I can grow a little or ramp up to a lot, I wont starve ( I might get cranky though). So if I have a home, can heat it , and power it, and to a large measure if needed supplement my food needs (I wouldn't poach unless starving) then I am just not getting twisted up about how they screw things up financialy...I expect it, that's why I prepare.
I will give a damn and take government seriously when my only allowed contribution to it is greater than the 10 seconds it takes to vote every 5 years.

( Qualify that remark...fingers on one hand)

Wow! 3 moose on an evening walk! I gotta get off this island. We call ourselves lucky if we see a racoon or an occasional black squirrel. I appreciate the comments and candor.

Spot them regular as clock work, fall winter and spring, in a week of evening walks, three days will spot moose (or mooses), 2 days deer (or deers) rabbits and squirles everday right now as the snow left early so the bright white rabbits stand out. In Summer the moose and deer are still there but once the leaves come in things get harder to spot, Though I could track them down if hungry

Within bow range on all the pics, as my camera zoom does not work, I only see the game on foot, those that go about on quads see nothing.

Very cool! I believe mooses is correct. I know we are all concerned about our OPSEC, but can you give us a wee clue as to your general area. No need to worry, I'm sure I would be way down the list to ever get a moose tag, not to mention my terrible bow skills.

You said the island ? I know it well. If it doesn't have deer now it wasn't always so. I myself seen (and caught, a baby one ) them in the 70s right between Victoria and Metchosin (I might be spelling that wrong), and people I know complained of them getting into their gardens in Sooke where they were thick.
I left long ago but returned maybe 4 or 5 years ago for a visit. I could not believe the density of people now, I found the same liquor store I used underage on Esquimalt road, still in (government) business after all these years!, but the people! where did they all come from? its packed now! and I mean packed with people compared to before, I wont return again. The innerharbour used to have house boats, and by that I mean houses that people built to float. It was cool as hell. A frames or other such things floating on barrels, and I don't mean 1 or 2 but whole docks of such interesting things....and they loved to show you what they had built if you asked, even to a dumb kid, all gone now.......if your anywhere near the southern end of that island get the hell out of there, Seriously its completely different than it was......
.it just occurred to me that maybe its not that many more people, maybe its that the area is so small and maybe it just took a few more people and that's why it seemed so congested? I don't know but the place seemed packed as hell to me, I will never go back not even for a visit, not even with the good pills..

What the what? I have been ignoring this post. Someone mentioned Mechosen and Sooke. I have lived in both places. Now I have to go back, read this and form an opinion. Damn. I am busy causing trouble somewhere else.

I was young, but sooke was considered up island and my grandfather on my dads side lived there, he grew every single vegtable he ate in his back yard. He never spent a penny he didn't have too, (Irish).

Do you remember the docks in Esquimalt? The concrete swimming pool that was blasted from solid rock? I lived on Wishburn ave, not even a block from the base, not sure if I am spelling that right as it was the 70's if you know what I mean, And what do you mean you have been ignoreing this post? Puck your opinion,... everything I say is important god damn it!! get to bed.

If you knew it in the 70S early 80s don't go back......I am serious...I am rarely so....its sad to see now...even with fake ID, or access to lab grade chemicals.

Did you get boredom pay for living in Sooke???

In every way, cash money (and it's variations) has become the new gold.
Where as gold coins with specific weights were once traded for goods and services, paper money is now used.
We give a shopkeeper a piece of paper with a number on it and in turn we receive food.
The shopkeeper then takes the paper he has collected, purchases more food for sale and buys clothing for his family.
The clothing company takes some of this paper and buys raw materials and pays it's employees, who in turn, go to the shopkeeper to trade it for food.
It's the same rotation, just a different medium.
In this rotational system, precious metals aren't needed to back the paper. So long as the other world leaders accept what our government claims the paper is worth...
Now, I've been told that the economy would collapse countless times over the past years, yet it continues to go on albeit at a limp.
Could it be that currency no longer requires physical goods to support it?
The only hook in the system is the banks who continue to "create" more money at an endless pace.