Canadian provinces have dealt with COVID-19 in different and unique ways. In the early stages of the pandemic, Atlantic Canada provided a glowing example with a very low case count and stern travel restrictions. Other governments opted to enact different measures, which have varied from region to region even within a province.
This month, the emergence of new variants of the disease forced the cancellation of in-person voting in the Newfoundland and Labrador provincial election and led to renewed discussions about ways to manage economic activities. Quebec has implemented nightly curfews. In Ontario, a plan to reopen the province is underway. Since November, British Columbians have been urged to partake in minimal activities outside their homes, with the promise of massive vaccination before the end of the year.
In May 2020, Research Co. and Glacier Media studied the early pandemic perceptions of British Columbians. At the time, 62% of the province’s residents favoured reopening the economy slowly to ensure that COVID-19 infection rates remained low, while 35% opted to reopen the economy quickly to ensure that no more jobs were lost.
Over the past few months,“COVID-fatigue” has emerged as a convenient justification of ill-advised personal behaviour that was not the standard last year. Calls to do away with specific rules and regulations have found fertile ground on social media.
Some would assume that B.C. residents are now ready to forget that the pandemic is here. This is not the case. When we asked British Columbians again, a slightly higher proportion than what we saw nine months ago (64%) want to reopen the economy slowly. Notably, 29% of survey respondents want to reopen the economy quickly, six points lower than what was registered in May 2020.
British Columbians aged 55 and over are more likely to favour a slow reopening (74%) and are joined by majorities of those aged 35 to 54 (59%) and 18 to 34 (56%). Regionally, Vancouver Island leads the way in favouring caution (73%), followed by northern B.C. (67%), Metro Vancouver (64%), southern B.C. (56%) and the Fraser Valley (also 56%).
There are also no major differences when it comes to political allegiance. More than seven in 10 British Columbians who voted for the BC New Democratic Party (NDP) in October (73%) want to move slowly, along with 62% of those who cast ballots for the Green Party of BC and 60% of those who supported the BC Liberals.
There are some British Columbians who are distraught by the current situation, willing to ignore all warnings and go back to the way their lives were a year ago. However, significantly more want to continue to deal with the pandemic gradually.
Across the province, 60% of British Columbians say they would not be comfortable going back to a gym or fitness facility until they are vaccinated against COVID-19. Even larger proportions are unwilling to go to a concert at a music venue (64%) or attend a live sporting event as a spectator (65%) without inoculation.
Half of the province’s residents (51%) will not visit a community centre without a vaccine.
Finally, about a third of British Columbians are not ready to eat at a restaurant indoors (35%) or at a patio (33%), visit the library (also 33%) or the barbershop or salon (also 33%) if they have not been vaccinated against COVID-19.
As we are about to reach the first anniversary of the original state of emergency executed by the province, there are still milestones to be attained. The federal government has vowed to have enough doses to vaccinate every willing Canadian by the end of September, a prospect that split views when we asked earlier this month. At this stage, at least a third of the province’s residents will not partake in specific activities until they have been inoculated.
There are components of the provincial economy that will not benefit if a drastic reopening is ordered, simply because residents are not ready to become clients, fans and enthusiasts once more. The pandemic has been mentally draining for all British Columbians, but the voices of those who do not, or cannot, understand the gravity of the problem are in the minority •
Mario Canseco is president of Research Co.
Results are based on an online survey conducted from February 14 to February 16, 2021, among 800 adults in British Columbia. The margin of error, which measures sample variability, is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
OTTAWA – Canada’s unemployment rate held steady at 6.5 per cent last month as hiring remained weak across the economy.
Statistics Canada’s labour force survey on Friday said employment rose by a modest 15,000 jobs in October.
Business, building and support services saw the largest gain in employment.
Meanwhile, finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing experienced the largest decline.
Many economists see weakness in the job market continuing in the short term, before the Bank of Canada’s interest rate cuts spark a rebound in economic growth next year.
Despite ongoing softness in the labour market, however, strong wage growth has raged on in Canada. Average hourly wages in October grew 4.9 per cent from a year ago, reaching $35.76.
Friday’s report also shed some light on the financial health of households.
According to the agency, 28.8 per cent of Canadians aged 15 or older were living in a household that had difficulty meeting financial needs – like food and housing – in the previous four weeks.
That was down from 33.1 per cent in October 2023 and 35.5 per cent in October 2022, but still above the 20.4 per cent figure recorded in October 2020.
People living in a rented home were more likely to report difficulty meeting financial needs, with nearly four in 10 reporting that was the case.
That compares with just under a quarter of those living in an owned home by a household member.
Immigrants were also more likely to report facing financial strain last month, with about four out of 10 immigrants who landed in the last year doing so.
That compares with about three in 10 more established immigrants and one in four of people born in Canada.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
The Canadian Institute for Health Information says health-care spending in Canada is projected to reach a new high in 2024.
The annual report released Thursday says total health spending is expected to hit $372 billion, or $9,054 per Canadian.
CIHI’s national analysis predicts expenditures will rise by 5.7 per cent in 2024, compared to 4.5 per cent in 2023 and 1.7 per cent in 2022.
This year’s health spending is estimated to represent 12.4 per cent of Canada’s gross domestic product. Excluding two years of the pandemic, it would be the highest ratio in the country’s history.
While it’s not unusual for health expenditures to outpace economic growth, the report says this could be the case for the next several years due to Canada’s growing population and its aging demographic.
Canada’s per capita spending on health care in 2022 was among the highest in the world, but still less than countries such as the United States and Sweden.
The report notes that the Canadian dental and pharmacare plans could push health-care spending even further as more people who previously couldn’t afford these services start using them.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
As Canadians wake up to news that Donald Trump will return to the White House, the president-elect’s protectionist stance is casting a spotlight on what effect his second term will have on Canada-U.S. economic ties.
Some Canadian business leaders have expressed worry over Trump’s promise to introduce a universal 10 per cent tariff on all American imports.
A Canadian Chamber of Commerce report released last month suggested those tariffs would shrink the Canadian economy, resulting in around $30 billion per year in economic costs.
More than 77 per cent of Canadian exports go to the U.S.
Canada’s manufacturing sector faces the biggest risk should Trump push forward on imposing broad tariffs, said Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters president and CEO Dennis Darby. He said the sector is the “most trade-exposed” within Canada.
“It’s in the U.S.’s best interest, it’s in our best interest, but most importantly for consumers across North America, that we’re able to trade goods, materials, ingredients, as we have under the trade agreements,” Darby said in an interview.
“It’s a more complex or complicated outcome than it would have been with the Democrats, but we’ve had to deal with this before and we’re going to do our best to deal with it again.”
American economists have also warned Trump’s plan could cause inflation and possibly a recession, which could have ripple effects in Canada.
It’s consumers who will ultimately feel the burden of any inflationary effect caused by broad tariffs, said Darby.
“A tariff tends to raise costs, and it ultimately raises prices, so that’s something that we have to be prepared for,” he said.
“It could tilt production mandates. A tariff makes goods more expensive, but on the same token, it also will make inputs for the U.S. more expensive.”
A report last month by TD economist Marc Ercolao said research shows a full-scale implementation of Trump’s tariff plan could lead to a near-five per cent reduction in Canadian export volumes to the U.S. by early-2027, relative to current baseline forecasts.
Retaliation by Canada would also increase costs for domestic producers, and push import volumes lower in the process.
“Slowing import activity mitigates some of the negative net trade impact on total GDP enough to avoid a technical recession, but still produces a period of extended stagnation through 2025 and 2026,” Ercolao said.
Since the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement came into effect in 2020, trade between Canada and the U.S. has surged by 46 per cent, according to the Toronto Region Board of Trade.
With that deal is up for review in 2026, Canadian Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Candace Laing said the Canadian government “must collaborate effectively with the Trump administration to preserve and strengthen our bilateral economic partnership.”
“With an impressive $3.6 billion in daily trade, Canada and the United States are each other’s closest international partners. The secure and efficient flow of goods and people across our border … remains essential for the economies of both countries,” she said in a statement.
“By resisting tariffs and trade barriers that will only raise prices and hurt consumers in both countries, Canada and the United States can strengthen resilient cross-border supply chains that enhance our shared economic security.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
