The US hitting its debt ceiling is hardly anything new. The cynical me mostly look at it as an opportunity for the GOP and Dems to square off and bicker over nothing for the sake of bickering. Of course, there is the very real consequences of government shutting down, and that's how either party wrings for concessions in Congress.

Demand for USD is automatic in times of instability. As the war in Ukraine drags on, and China's overt threat against Taiwan continues, USD will continue to be desirable in the foreseeable future in the grand scheme of things.

That said, the US economy is facing a lot of inflationary pressure. Unemployment rates continue to stay low; consumer spending and demand for goods and services also remain strong for certain segments of the population. If the US gov and the Fed aren't able to control that, high inflation could certainly cause a lot of issues for the US.

At least that is "official" position that economists want you to believe, and there is certainly a lot of truth in that.

But for all of that explanation, I still don't know how an escalating US interest rate would affect us if BoC lags behind on our interest rate hikes. I kind of expect BoC to only partially follow suit on our interest rate hikes. But how that growing difference in interest rates will affect us here in Canada is something I don't know.

Speaking of interest rates, there is definitely a widening of class divisions here in Canada. The Bank of Canada has to balance this widening gap with its interest rate decisions.

Escalating food costs are getting a lot of attention in the media and food banks are facing shortages. Lots of people are struggling and you're seeing it in other channels, like Reddit or Facebook community groups.

On the other hand, you can't book a table at the new Earls Brentwood, unless you want to settle for an off-peak time. I visited the restaurant this weekend for brunch service. Two tables beside us were groups of millennial families, with newborns in tow enjoying raw oysters. I doubt the impact of rising inflation is hitting those families particularly hard. When we had newborns and were down 1 income, we didn't have a lot of room in our budget for eating at restaurants where costs are up 30-40% over the last 2 years.

An overwhelming portion of those Brentwood towers seem to be mainlanders who were told to park their money there. Lots of customers who can barely answer their phones in English living in those towers

Not here out in Coquitlam.

The new gigantic Cactus Club at Coq Centre is packed every weekend, and from what I saw, most spoke english fluently with no accent whether as their first or second language. Especially people who drive latest model, fully-loaded pickup trucks that are spotlessly clean.

Edit: Oops I misread thinking you were referring to Brentwood Earls, not the Brentwood towers.

They best enjoy those oysters before daycare costs kick in:QQ:

A growing class divide is inevitable, regardless of interest rate decisions. The simple fact that there is an interest rate means the class divide can only grow.

Enjoys aphrodisiac prior to daycare costs
Aphrodisiac creates horny feelings
Makes another child
Pays daycare costs + more daycare costs on the way
No more enjoyments
Dies

Mainlanders don't go to Earls. The families at those tables were CBCs, one of whom was a mixed race family.

Another set of families was beside them with daycare-aged kids as well.

swingers club from westwood plateau :troll:

I can totally see that happening, especially on the Pomo side

My 12 YO nephew and his friends have birthday parties at cactus/browns/earls lol. Under parental supervision of course.

I read that as "Porno" side... :okay:

Lol fuck what has the world become

12 year olds having birthdays at earls so they can IG their bacon cheddar burgs? Lol fuck

My office is near the food bank on Terminal and I've walked by a few times recently and it's pretty grim - even in freezing cold weather there's a solid 60-80 people lined up outside waiting to get food.

re: BOC's role in the widening of class divisions - I think the BOC would argue (and I would agree) that it's not their problem. That's the government's problem and it's one hell of a problem which we have ignored for a long time. The same thing is happening in the US but even worse.

I can confirm, I live right across the street and see this often.

Tons of mainlanders have moved into those towers, I see them navigating on the daily. Driving around Brentwood makes me feel like I'm in Richmond nowadays, especially with the shitty drivers.

What I find really interesting is the change in family demographics. I've grown up in North Burnaby since I was a child, most of the families I see pushing around prams are Asian nowadays, it's a fascinating change from even 10 years ago in this area.

They seem to be the only ones able to afford to start a family out here :lol

They're adults at 10 now man... internet changed errrything!

No more Boston Pizza believing in Santa till you're almost old enough to drive

Birthday parties at Red Robins, bottomless strawberry lemonades and fries. :tears:

Ugh. Earls and Cactus Club. The restaurants that you go to if you care more about image rather than the quality of the food you're eating.

The last time I was at a Cactus Club has been years ago, only because someone gave me a gift card. It was so unenjoyable, playing some way too fucking loud shitty music that made me wonder if I was in a nightclub or a restaurant, could barely hear my wife on the other side of the table. I just kept thinking to myself "Fuck good thing I have a gift card, because I would not pay for this shit"

/End old man rant

lol this was my exact experience and reason for going to the new Cactus Club last week.

The seating setup in the dining room is terrible, they have 2-top tables right next to other 2-top tables only separated by a planter less than a foot wide, and so you could hear everything the table next to you said. Clearly a tactic to squeeze more seats into the same amount of space.

I kept thinking to myself why the fuck this 'certain type' of people were getting all dressed up to eat this shitty food in this shitty environment. Do they think this is fancy? Maybe it's the definition of suburban middle-class fancy.

I remember just out of highschool there was a group of idiot women who were like “yea we’re going clubbing!” Asked where they were going and the answer was Cactus lol.

Cactus food isn’t bad, they can do a decent steak most of the time

To some people cactus club is "fancy" so is the Keg. RS is really going all white lotus and showing it's privilege.

I went to go to that Cactus at Coq center this past weekend, 90 minute wait. Said fuck that went to go to earls down the road, that was a 45+ minute wait. Said fuck that and went to red robin (not kidding). Red robin is godawful, I should have gone to five guys.

Cactus club is average at best, there's nothign wrong with it, but it's not particularly great, but for people who come from out of town, or dont go out to eat often, it can absolutely be a treat.

EDIT: but to get back to the point regarding inflation, and people cutting spending, I keep hearing talk about this, but whether it be going out DT, to the casino, to eat, events, whatever. I dont see anyone in this city that seems to be cutting back out of those people I see going out. And it sure is a lot of fucking people any night of the week try to get a table at a restaurant in DT, or any place really, and there's usually a wait. I'm not saying there isn't some struggling ass people out there, but there sure seems to still be plenty of people ready to spend a fuck of a lot.

It's not even privilege, people are spending as much at cactus club as they would at l'abbatoir!

Just down the street from the new Cactus Club in Coquitlam there's a new independent restaurant On + Off that is fantastic, at around the same price range, but the food is miles beyond and the ambiance is worth fancying up for. But nope, they go to cactus club.

Exact same thing I see as well. No one seems to be cutting back spending and all the mid to fancy restaurants seems to be packed with long waits or fully booked. I really don't understand and it's puzzling, especially when you hear that everyone is cutting back spending due to inflation, int rates, reecession, etc etc. It sure as hell doesn't seem like it!

It's the age old disparity of where you typically hear more negatives about something than positives.

People doing OK aren't broadcasting it online, or to others. And if they do on forums like Reddit, they get downvoted by people sour that someone is doing better than them.

Reddit is the new Facebook, a circle jerk of comment wars, ultra low IQ posts, and butthurt group admins. I log onto my account every 6 months, waste 20-40 hours draining brain cells to burn time, then end up deleting the app again

So anyways, this thread is dying.....

Entry level condos in pomo/van are down about 15% since peak (actual solds)
My buddies place in Langley (newer townhouse) is also down 15% since peak.

I'm still hoarding my cash moneys in hope of further discounts, not that buying at today's rates make any sense....

Looking forward to what summer says about the market.

I'm sure there's still plenty of people who are locked in for a few more years at dirt cheap rates and since their mortgage hasn't gone up $1000 a month life has not changed a whole lot for them.