Gas prices in Victoria - 5 · Thursday May 17, 2007 by colin newell
In a remarkable turn of events, I have just been mailed a list of future gas prices in the Victoria area.
This is truely incredible. It appears to have come from an industry insider… an obviously confidential document… describing sceduled price increases for the Victoria area right down to the decimal point…
Wow. Check this out readers:
May 25, 2007 – 131.5 / litre regular
May 31, 2007 – 134.9 / litre regular
June 7, 2007 – 136.9 / litre regular
June 21, 2007 – 142.5 / litre regular
Geepers. I could go on… but it would not be in my best interest to reveal more… this document uncovers what the gas prices in Victoria will be through the summer right into September.
I would be putting my life in danger by telling you what the gas price will be in the first week of September.
On a more serious note… CAA insiders claim that these all too obvious pre-long-weekend gas price increases are more than a little suspicious.
Cathy Hay, senior gasoline market analyst at MJ Ervin and Associates in Calgary, said most gasoline markets are pretty close to peak prices and the notion that gas prices jump prior to a long weekend is an urban myth.
An urban myth huh? Right..
Right…
Speak out [4]
Welcome aboard... papers please! · Wednesday April 4, 2007 by colin newell
Random security checks of B.C. Ferries passengers and vehicles are a possibility as the corporation continues to beef up security measures, says Ferry CEO David Hahn.
Random security checks
On a public highway system?
Performed by staff from the B.C. Ferries, a private partnership?
In the meantime, B.C. Ferries has already embarked on a program of enhancing security at terminals.
“We’ve installed cameras. We’ve put on more locks. We’ve got a stronger and more enforced employee identification program. We’ve got new uniforms for our employees so they stand out. We’re going to do a lot more around general security measures.”
New uniforms huh? My my, I am feeling so much more safe now.
Fact is, I never felt in danger on any B.C. Ferry.
The only fear I have is the headlong rush towards Orwellian attacks on our civil liberties we seem to be making.
Now that is the real terrorism.
I can tell you my response when asked at a B.C. Ferry terminal… to look in the trunk of my car:
“No search warrant? Then up yours!”
Randomly picking out cars for inspection is like buying a lottery ticket once a week hoping the windfall will sustain you throughout your life.
It’s bad enough that I pay for the privilege of actually getting a space on the Ferry to Vancouver (the fee based reservation system) – but to hear that I may be subject to random search:
That is complete and utter bullshit (not to mention a charter rights violation.)
Anyway – for those who love giving up their civil liberties, all I can say is…
Papers please! Papers!
Canadian jobs...gone · Wednesday March 7, 2007 by colin newell
TORONTO — As many as 700 workers at Air Canada’s Vancouver maintenance facility will lose their jobs because of a decision by Delta Air Lines Inc. to move work on its jets to China to take advantage of cheaper labour costs.
Air Canada Technical Services (ACTS), a division of Air Canada parent ACE Aviation Holdings Inc. said today that Atlanta-based Delta, has decided to terminate its contract and relocate airframe work on about 100 wide-body Boeing 767 jets.
Cheaper labour costs huh?
My wife was in a series of meetings in Vancouver not too long ago that included neo-con guest-speakers from the likes of the Fraser Institute (Conservative think-tank run by rich old businessmen…), British Columbia Liberals and other high-rollers.
This was at a time when the Liberal government in B.C. just finished gutting the apprenticeship programs – figured we didn’t need apprenticeship programs anymore. Right.
Various neo-cons were getting up and rah-rahing the Liberal party for their right-thinking… no pun intended.
Then one of my wife’s bleeding-heart left-leaning fuzzy thinker friends stood up and said…
Sir. How did you get here today? By plane you say? Indeed. Now, as your jet is screaming down the runway… thousands of pounds of airplane and thousands of pound of thrust… defying the laws of gravity… Would you rather have a B.C. certified and Federally certified journeyman aviation mechanic maintaining that aircraft or some minimum wage hump from some third-world outsourced back-water? Well?
There was a modest round of applause for the fuzzy-thinker.
And it is my point exactly: We need to be careful that we do not give away too much…
before there is nothing left.
Big Banks shrink staff to enhance obscene profit margins · Monday February 5, 2007 by colin newell
Bank of Montreal, Canada’s fourth- largest bank, plans to cut about 1,000 jobs, or almost 3 percent of its workforce, to reduce costs as profit growth slows.
I hate big banks.
The bank will post a one-time cost of C$88 million ($74.8 million) in the fiscal first quarter to cover the job cuts, the Toronto-based lender said today in a statement. Bank of Montreal reports earnings on March 1.
We owe it to our customers, our employees and our shareholders to have lean, efficient support functions, simplified processes, fewer layers and to eliminate duplication across our enterprise,’‘ Chief Executive Officer Anthony Comper said today in the statement. Comper, 61, is stepping down as CEO in March.
Right. I hate banks.
The job cuts would be the biggest by a Canadian lender since Royal Bank of Canada, the country’s biggest bank, eliminated 1,660 jobs in 2004. A year later, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, the No. 5 bank, cut 950 jobs.
Hate banks. hate banks.
Bank of Montreal will cut head office positions and fire support staff who don’t deal directly with customers in cities including Toronto, Montreal and Chicago, spokesman Ralph Marranca said in an interview. Most of the cuts will happen by November.
Reminds me of two experiences with the Bank of Montreal.
BMO closed a branch in the Okanagon region of B.C. and forced thousands of seniors to drive the extra 75 miles (one-way) to the remaining branch in the region.
When asked (by CBC radio), the regional manager of BMO said they closed the branch to better serve the seniors.
I hate banks.
I had a BMO account from the time I was 11 years old… 20+ years in the same location. I had over-draft protection on my account and all my retirement investments with them. When they closed my branch to serve me better, I got a collections notice within 5 days for the 250$ of over-draft on my account.
When the biddie manager of this soon-to-close branch asked why I was pulling all my investments, I replied…
To serve you better!
I hate banks. Hate ‘em.
Downsize me... [1]
