Heard from a friend today, In the industrial equipment repair business. Nothing is coming in the door. No one has ever seen it this quiet. The staff are looking at each other trying to figure out when the lay offs are coming and who will get the axe. Last week when I was in Edmonton I noticed how quiet the stores were.
Was in a smaller town today and the same thing, at the Canadian Tire store you could have rolled a ball down the aisle and not hit a customer.
Its not because Alberta has locked down, we havnt,.We have a "snow trump" governing Alberta so nothing will be done. I suspect a lot of people must be looking at the numbers and be staying home voluntarily.

Heard a newscast while in the truck, there was a story about something I observed last spring. The shortage of puppies for adoption, apparently its continuing. Someone being interviewed said the shortage has now gone all the way back to breeders who now have multi year waiting lists from people wanting dogs. Looks like I was very lucky to get mine when I did, I was just ahead of the curve.

It all makes perfect sense. With all the unemployed since the early spring still there and growing, savings long since eaten with a few outings in the summer, zero hope that this will end well into next year, one would expect nothing less then reduced spending.

It’s my guess that governments are trying to hold off shutdowns until after Christmas, they shut down before and you can kiss malls, restaurants... ta ta. It’s not just the employees and businesses but the lost tax revenue from Christmas sales they are worried about.

Feds just announced they have a “stay the same course of activity” numbers of 20,000 cases a day in canada by December and I am guessing that this does not include what will occur with test numbers we will see in January from the Christmas meals and New Years events! They mention 60K a day if people increase contacts.

Good luck with economy with those numbers! The numbers in the states will go crazy two weeks after their thanksgiving. What will happen to our oil prices in the new year if all but a few cars are parked from mid December till next June? We thought the spring was rough, ha!

What happens to stock market in January or February?

The happy, happy talk of we are in this together and vaccines will be the cure can only be believed for so long. What happens when third wave starts to appear later in 2021? No international travel and damage to hotels, conference centers, airlines... all become al gores inconvenient truth. Those are very big industries both here and abroad. Pensions are invested in these.

When office tower owners say to municipal governments, we want our taxes reduced because property isn’t worth half it was when last assessed? Here in ottawa the city is bleeding revenues from less bus fares.......and looking to province for money, hilarious because they and feds have none because it’s us paying the dime and if unemployed, there is no dime to be had.

No covid may be the trigger but it’s what is coming out of the barrel that will hurt.

Well Toronto and peel region are going into lockdown on Monday, supposedly for 30 days or so. Retail is pickup or delivery only. So good luck with Christmas sales keeping you going into the new year, no Restaurent Christmas parties... hang onto your tuque, the ride is about to get real interesting

While I think we will see that K effecting Christmas as its effecting everything this year.. I have friends in landscaping that are putting up christmas lights and so on.. they are booked crazy, and they are charging crazy and they are selling full on "insane" whole house packaging..

Those that dropped 20,000 to 50,000 on whole back yards, new decks, hot tubs and so, are putting out thousands and in at least a few cases 10 thousand plus to go whole hog out for the holiday lighting up .. gosh the power bills..

Locally, the sales are huge to my girfriends that are small local company's be it handmade or even the buy it company's.. best season ever for like 4 of my tupperware girls,.. they all just earned cars.. wood working and knitting and wool and more.. Heck even the 10 year old is making homemade stickers and is so back logged it will take a couple weeks yet to make my order..

and then there is online black friday coming.. those with money are spend.. spend.. spend.. on some of the things we are hoping to do.. I talked to company's that have their full working crews and they are booking into 2022.. not 2021.. but 2022 already..

It really really depends on what you are doing for work.. on the flip side.. this week alone.. at least half a dozen friends have told me they are laid off and no idea when going back or trying to find work..

as for the lock downs.. come on.. we all knew that was coming! and if I have one more person post about the covering of stuff in stores in MB.. hello.. did you forget they did the same thing in the first big lock down.. whole rows locked off, whole area's of stores blocked off..

If you really need something.. use the curbside pickups.. otherwise, no you can not stroll though walmart christmas shopping in the heavy duty, get your rear home lockdown.. shakes head..

Ps. I am interested to see how the quebec offer of .. stay home for a week.. then have 4 days of family christmas but only with 10.. then stay home for a week.. will go..

Yes, use curbside and just use ones brains.
It is interesting to see the two sides of who is getting hit. Those in the gov are good, lots of people working from home. Know a person who has only put 100.00 in gas in the car since April!
Not taking vacations.... so ya some people are going hog wild with fluff purchases. Not me, it’s been stocking up and on new garden.

Quebec will be interesting but I can’t see them doing that with likely dramatic increase in cases as Christmas shopping picks up, stuck indoors more... but it is an interesting “carrot type” angle to get people to behave.

Ski hills and other sports are going to hurt, but cross country... sounds like it’s doing well/ the new RV craze to get people out this winter.

Ski hills and other sports are going to hurt, but cross country... sounds like it’s doing well/ the new RV craze to get people out this winter.

Guilty... sort of. We bought snowshoes to do outside fun away from crazies, which also includes snow hills.

Heading to lloyd Tuesday, Will spend the day butchering deer. I expect to be in serious pain Wednesday my back cant take standing all day like it used to. I am hearing that there seems to be more hunters out and about. I am only hearing that anecdotally so dont know if it is so but may be a indication of harder times keeping meat on the table, though meat prices have fallen back to more reasonable levels than they spiked to in the spring.

per hunting, snowshoeing... i can see a number of people who are inclined to do outdoor activities who due to family, work.. may not have done as much as they would have liked but are now having the time or desire. its all good news and like those who started with a tiny garden last spring, may be seeing the benefits and that's good for folks like us.

Well for Alberta as I look into my crystal ball I see great pain coming. Our provincial government early in the year decided to give 1.5 billion away of Alberta tax dollars, gave it to who ?, who else, Pipe line companies, The same one Biden said he will shut down if elected. Kiss good by to that money. But it gets better, he guaranteed billions more loans for said pipline (keystone xl). I dont know if some of that can be recovered but I suspect not, Likely gone as well.
We have the most incompetent PM in Alberta that I have ever seen in my life. Never run a business of any type, no education to speak of.
I am seriously thinking Alberta is heading fast into a depression level economy, and a lasting one, at least 5 years, maybe another 5 on top of that just do to the damage and salted earth policies of this government.

I got mine, I live well below my means, and can deal with whatever is dealt, but for any young professional starting out in your professional career in this province, especially if you are just coming out of School, get the hell out to any other province. This Province does not value those in the fields of Health Care, most certainly not education, In fact that field is being compromised as I type.
I will say it again, I suspect at a minimum, 5 year depression level economy in Alberta, but think/fear it may be 8-10

Peppercorn, I have to agree with the bulk of your statement. But as for education... I’m married to a teacher and have lived in 4 different provinces and 1 US State. Of those 5 locations, AB has the best education system and teachers are the most valued in this province compared to others. That includes considerations to class size, pay/benefits, curriculum, access to technology and frankly, access to a job.

Yesterday we headed into town and the plan was to be fast with lists in and out on 5 stores.. hubby made three, i made two and we did not make the last two stores.. So lets just say that peaple in my area at least are all out lined up and shopping..

Every store had someone at the door counting, directing and so much staff on.. two out of the three stores in order to prevent browsing? you were given your own staff to help you.. that really add to the buy it and move out!

honestly some of the best detailed customer service I have had in years that way when I think about it.. So here is one area that is not hurting at this point.. The pet store..

I wanted to do pick up a few on sale items at the big fish place, my old standbye was having a issue at the top, i hope to be able to clean it really well and reseal that one issue spot.. but regardless lots and lots of work life left in that tank even if I need to use it differently.

They had a bigger tank for a knock down sale price (gosh I miss my second hand shops) but of course the lid was not on sale.. however my sales person was like if you want the kit, you can have it for 10 less then the empty tank and lid.. it was a full kit, so now I have backup water pump, back up heater and so on from the kit..

The line ups at that store were crazy.. line up to get in.. line up to get in the fish room and so on.. I was visiting with the staff as I waited, never been busier, best year yet for sales etc.. for hire signs at the door and again at the fish room. Friends of mine that breed dogs or cats have waiting lists for upwards of two years at this point..

Livestock prices are all over the place.. small stock, sheep and goats are crazy high as are piglets but you can snap up a good in milk cow for half the price of normal and for horse's.. its a bad year to be a horse.. the prices are very low if you are really looking.

Was in Edmonton today. Friday afternoon at rush hour, though there was no rush, traffic was light. All the stores I was in had very little shoppers for a couple weeks before Christmas. I like it.
Lots of retail space for lease everywhere you look.

2000 pink slips are supposed to be going out Friday, This province is taking a beating, cant say its not deserved. When you dont save, or diversify you only have yourself to blame.

2000 pink slips are supposed to be going out Friday, This province is taking a beating, cant say its not deserved. When you dont save, or diversify you only have yourself to blame.

I can’t find anything in the news about this.... where is it at?

Its not in the news yet.