Business in Winnipeg

[blueandgoldguy]

How about something in-between? A Canadian dollar between .80 - .85 US. Could we call that the Goldilocks zone for the Canadian dollar?

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by esquire

I'll take the current CAD, please. Business can more easily acquire the goods, services and equipment they need to be competitive and raise productivity.

A low CAD just encourages Canadian business to act like a big maquiladora that focuses on supplying cheap labour and goods. Canada is better off with a dollar closer to par with the USD than with the 60 cent dollars of 12-14 years ago.

I'll second that, the myth that Canada needs a lower dollar to compete is bunk, increasing productivity and NOT hiding behind a low dollar is what companies need to strive for. How a country can prosper by hoping for a devaluation of its currency is plain LOONIE!

[h0twired]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

I'll second that, the myth that Canada needs a lower dollar to compete is bunk, increasing productivity and NOT hiding behind a low dollar is what companies need to strive for. How a country can prosper by hoping for a devaluation of its currency is plain LOONIE!

When you are selling commodities on an exchange that uses USD as its trading currency a low loonie is actually pretty nice.

During 2009 I was working for a VERY large Canadian oil and gas company and they were looking to cut costs to the tune of one billion dollars for the following year. As it worked out the dollar dropped by a few cents that year and covered about 850 million of that 1 billion.

A low dollar also encourages more people to buy Canadian made products instead of higher priced imports from the US.

The lower dollar also encourages foreign (namely US) investment as their dollar goes further here.

There are lots of positive impacts that a lower CAD has for Canada.

[esquire]

^ No question that a low $ is nice if you're in the commodities export biz. But that is a rather narrow view of what is beneficial for the entire country.

[h0twired]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ No question that a low $ is nice if you're in the commodities export biz. But that is a rather narrow view of what is beneficial for the entire country.

You might want to take a look at what sectors make up a large portion of the Canadian economy.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by h0twired

You might want to take a look at what sectors make up a large portion of the Canadian economy.

I'm not convinced that relying on the extraction and sale of non-renewable resources at the lowest possible price is the best path to long-term prosperity.

[steveosnyder]

Originally Posted by esquire

I'm not convinced that relying on the extraction and sale of non-renewable resources at the lowest possible price is the best path to long-term prosperity.

Well then, don't apply for any jobs with the Alberta provincial government, nor the federal government.

[rypinion]

Originally Posted by esquire

I'm not convinced that relying on the extraction and sale of non-renewable resources at the lowest possible price is the best path to long-term prosperity.

Don't forget agriculture.

[h0twired]

Originally Posted by esquire

I'm not convinced that relying on the extraction and sale of non-renewable resources at the lowest possible price is the best path to long-term prosperity.

Lowest possible price? Care to elaborate?

Selling commodities through venues like the CME, NYMEX or ICE would indicate that you are selling at the lowest AND highest possible price.

We sell a LOT of renewable resources as well.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by h0twired

Lowest possible price? Care to elaborate?

Selling commodities through venues like the CME, NYMEX or ICE would indicate that you are selling at the lowest AND highest possible price.

We sell a LOT of renewable resources as well.

Price of production, not market price. A low dollar will certainly help encourage energy production but in the long run there is more to be gained by a higher dollar that lets Canadian businesses acquire the equipment and talent they need to be more competitive on a global basis.

Relying on a depressed dollar as a de facto protectionist measure is a pretty banana republic kind of way to build your economy. Canada should aim a little bit higher than that.

[StNorberter]

A low Canadian dollar discourages innovation and breeds lazyness if you are a manufacturer.

I remember working for a Mfr. when the dollar was $0.60. We were forever worried about hedging and exchange. In one year the net income was pretty much what we made off exchange gain. The dollar went up and the company had to downsize and almost closed their doors because they couldn't compete on a level playing field.

As a re-seller, a high canadian dollar is preferred as that means the input costs are less.

[vid]

Originally Posted by esquire

Relying on a depressed dollar as a de facto protectionist measure is a pretty banana republic kind of way to build your economy. Canada should aim a little bit higher than that.

We should. But that would take effort. It's much easier to sit back, unemployed, and wait for the US economy to do well again so our dollar will drop and we can get back to producing simple, non-innovative products for them at our well-paying factory jobs with our grade 10 educations.

This is of course coming from someone in a region that "thrives" on a low dollar (even though we hit our economic low point at the same time the Loonie did) so I might be biased.

[Komatiite]

If you consider what Canadians are actually good at, I'm skeptical that trying to compete with the US, Germany, and China at a high dollar is a good idea in the present time. In fact, it strikes me as naive and almost dangerous since Canadian 'innovation' in the face of globalization pressure is to move operations to another country, or downsize to the point where domestic investment throws up their hands and practically gives the company to a foreign investor.

Unfortunately, what I would like to see - exploiting what we are good at to boost research and subsidize long-term comparative advantage - is limited by both our decentralized government and Canadians' tendency to want the stale doughnut.

[cheswick]

201 portage for sale

http://globalnews.ca/news/1133914/sk...on-the-market/

[1ajs]

be interesting to see what happens being it has a surface lot next to it

[DonaldSmith]

Originally Posted by cheswick

201 portage for sale

http://globalnews.ca/news/1133914/sk...on-the-market/

Very good time to sell, especially since it is almost fully leased.

[Riverman]

Originally Posted by DonaldSmith

Very good time to sell, especially since it is almost fully leased.

What went in the top where Canwest was?

I remember way back Midland Walwin had the top floor.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Riverman

What went in the top where Canwest was?

I remember way back Midland Walwin had the top floor.

RBC Dominion Securities ... that's what got them signage rights to the building.

[1ajs]

Winnipeg company nears production on projection toy 0

BY DAVID LARKINS ,WINNIPEG SUN
FIRST POSTED: SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 08, 2014 05:26 PM CST



Less than five months after revealing an ambitious project its creators boldly believe is an industry revolution, a local company is now one giant leap closer to having its product on toy-store shelves.

Winnipeg's Po-Mo, Inc., which last September revealed an interactive projection toy that could virtually turn a room into a playground, has been invited to Highway 1, a hardware accelerator program in San Francisco designed to help companies turn their prototypes into retail realities.

Po-Mo, Inc., CEO Meghan Athavale, along with a team of hardware developers with the company, will head to California for a four-month session starting March 10, with the goals of having their LUMO toy on shelves by Christmas.
http://www.winnipegsun.com/2014/02/0...projection-toy

[h0twired]

They have had something like that at Cross Iron Mills mall in Calgary for years now.

Not sure what makes that one something new?