Canada’s federal debt is expected to hit $585.4-billion, yes! that was what I read a minute ago while I know that back home we have a reserve of like $13 billion if I am not wrong. 1 billion is already a lot of money – to owe $585 billion – now that can only mean one thing – that the country is going down.
For the last one year – the entire town has been in debate – some more actively than others and some care more than others – some couldn’t care less but some pretend to care for their own gain. *shrug* but I can’t really blame them can I? Most people would say – to each his own – we take care of our own first. Is that your assumption too? Is that your stand too?
I think the boss must think I’m mad sometimes – for being so passionate about what’s going on in this town – after all – truthfully I’m really not from here. So why you asked am I sometimes so pissed off? especially when we are doing a lot better than when we had the ferry and tourists. Some may think that I’m crazy and spending too much time in trying to make things better but I’m thinking not for myself only but for the rest of the people in town and the kids and the future of this town. What has this town gotta offer the younger generation?
Christmas is tomorrow – and as I reflect on the many hours I spend reading up the forum and FB pages – I think next year – I’m going to give it a rest and concentrate on what matters most first. My kid and the store – and the rest is going to have to wait till I’m free. So for now – debate or not – the above cartoon tells you how I feel about the situation in this town but not at our business or life. We are doing pretty well – despite everything. I think the town had ignore the signs for far too long – so this is where we ended up.
The government or rather the provincial government here never fails to amaze me – while I know that the local hotel here needs money – so do all of us here – the small businesses. If the government is giving $1 million to the hotel – surely they can spare some change to the small business owners – like the golf store that is closing down and a few others as well. We are all struggling to stay afloat – so why is the hotel the only one getting any money? I guess since the hotels have other hotels in the province – the government need to keep their own boys happy right? don’t worry about the small flies around – they can die and rot for all the government care.
You would think that with birth rate so high in this town – someone would try to bring a Gynecologist Center into this town. But nope we haven’t seen anything like that in this town – and we certainly could use one – for I remembered when I had my kid – there was no gynecologist in town except for one. I was indeed worried and I wished that each time I had to see a doctor – they would have at least the fetal doppler to check on my baby even though they didn’t have the ultrasound machine in the pre-natal clinic. It was really a time when I was so frantic about the health of my baby especially when I came from a country who is so advanced medically. Back home 3D ultra-sounds were already introduced.
While it was just announced that the provincial government is giving a million dollars to the hotel for upgrades and keeping jobs because of the lost of the ferry. I think if they would spend it on giving us a well equipped gynecologist center – for the woman/girls here – it would definitely be a plus. Keeping the jobs is important – but the health of these women having babies and having women problems need to be address too. I vote for a new Gynecologist center anytime – or an upgrade in equipments like a 3D ultra sound machine and many fetal doppler for the pre-natal clinic. This Christmas – my wish for this town is a better gynecologist center for this town.
While we won’t have the ferry back next year in town – another store has opened in town and their US office had just called today to ask if we would like to do some work for them. Now that’s really good news because we had wanted to do something like that with the other existing company in town – but they had been such slackers and never took our offer.
I’m just glad that we had the foresight to do anything that will make money in this town – had we stuck ourselves to do only one thing – we wouldn’t have survived for 12 years. I’m happy that we are beginning to see a lot of new customers coming in and realizing that we do so many things. But like usual – people still feel that we should be able to match the big chain store and even when we explained to them – they still go to the big chain stores for certain stuff. But I cannot complain much – despite all the things that is happening in this town – we are still holding up pretty well.
We started dressing up the store for Halloween – even though we haven’t dressed up the store during Halloween last year. But I guess this year is different – because things at the store and our personal life is just going so well and smooth. So we have taken time to go shop for some Halloween decor for the store. Say hello to my new sitting partner at the store – there he sits quietly as I type away and yak with the customers. I haven’t given it a name yet – you have any ideas?
We were up in Halifax a few weeks ago – and had gone looking for breakfast nearby the hotel. Who wants to pay $25 for breakfast right? And look what we found! the Halifax Mac store! I’ve known about it for a long time now – but never got a chance to visit and it was within walking distance of the hotel we stayed in – how nice right? So you asked did we visit the store? Nope ! no time still – I’m just curious to see the setup – since all the Mac store around the whole is so huge and you know – everything so Mac like. I’ve been to the one in New York, Japan as well as the one in Madrid – so you can understand why I wanna see what it is like in this Mac store right. Maybe next time.
Well, we thought we were getting Hurricane Irene for a visit – but it was downgraded to a tropical storm – what a disappointment – for we canceled our trip to the city because of her. Oh well – at least nothing got torn nor did we lose any power – so I’m happy despite the fact that we didn’t get to go anywhere. I wasn’t going to risk it at all.
No – we are nowhere near Gilligan’s island – but we could use a better location – but better location doesn’t necessary means better business – because you never know. We saw a location open up on Starrs Road and had been thinking about it. Sure we had to move – sure we hate to loose that foot traffic – but Starrs Road is the happening area – especially during the holidays – be it Christmas or public holidays – I think moving to Starrs Road with the right price – is where we are heading. The boss had been asking for more space and a lot of times of late – so lets hope we can get a better location and increase its business.
It’s that time of the year – where we have to renew our membership for CFIB – but this year – we have to stop temporary our membership – for we are trying to be frugal and save wherever we can. I feel bad that we have to do this – but without the ferry and without the tourist – the money in this town is trickling and the boss and I feel that we should save wherever we can and not wait till the worst happens. Hopefully, when the town takes a turn to be better – maybe then we can join again and support the CFIB.
The ferry issue came up again recently – where the people placed in charged said that it was complex and challenging. First they paid someone in this town – to sit on the board for 2 years to work out the details – and nothing happened. I don’t know if the new team is paid for what they are doing – but still nothing seen. 2 years without the ferry – every small business hoping against hope that something can be done – but nope. While the government is spending all sorts of money in Digby – we are getting nothing – besides some miserable funding. As far as I can see it – we are not getting one for a long time yet.
So it’s like the 3rd week that the Farmer’s Market moved downtown and from what I saw today – I would say it’s a big success. You see it was raining since morning and the downtown Farmer’s was still sold out of a few things by the time we were there. So the person who said he won’t go downtown had to eat his own words – because guess what – he was campaigning for people to sign on his petition and the town councils said nope – we want it downtown and there it is downtown and more vibrant than I’ve ever seen. But the Farmer’s Market in downtown – is very good looking right now – with showcases and all for their food – you’ve gotta love it. If you haven’t been downtown to the Farmer’s Market – what are you waiting for?
A few years ago – we’ve heard about a mystery shopper in town from Microsoft and that was how the other computer stores got shut down because they were selling pirated software and that Microsoft had sued them for like half a million bucks. Little did we know that we too were paid a visit by this mystery shopper from Microsoft till we received this letter today. Woohoo!!! Microsoft just certified that we DO sell only legitimate copies of Microsoft software – and you see it certainly pays to be honest and truthful – we’ve never sold anything illegal and I’m so glad we don’t !
So it’s the Federal election tomorrow – and we were having lunch with some friends who asked us who we are going to vote for? First of – you have to be a Canadian citizen to vote for the Federal elections and yes – it is important to vote for someone – but what will the outcome be? Well, it’s politics and truth be told – everyone is for themselves. So are we going to waste time and vote? Oh by the way – it’s not a public holiday like it is back home – where it is declared as a public holiday and it’s compulsory to go vote.
A few weeks ago – the town councils and the local hospitals administration called an emergency meeting with regards to the long wait time in ER. Although the hospital defended itself by saying that there isn’t enough ER doctors – it can still be painful to sit for 6 – 8 hrs just to see a doctor – especially it’s because there is just not enough family doctors for this town. While other businesses may be going bankrupt - healthcare jobs are a plenty in this town – doctors just don’t want to come to this town for various reasons. So if you have a doctor or a registered nurse who wants to come work in Canada – please tell them that healthcare/hospital/nursing jobs are a plenty here.
There wasn’t any solution from what I’ve seen – the doctors in the hospital were defending themselves furiously and the councils weren’t able to give them a solution. So the meeting as far as I am concern was a waste of everyone’s time. In my humble opinion – i think before the councils were to point fingers – they should offer some kinda help and incentive for health care provider to come and stay in this small town. And as of the doctors, they weren’t any better too – surely they can all spare a few hours a day of their life doing volunteering work for their own hospital – but I guess everyone for their own here.
I never have to do my own taxes ! thank God! the boss does it for me – but that doesn’t mean that I’m not worried about it – because he procrastinate till the last minute. At times I wished I could do mine and the store’s but when it comes to money matters – it seems that he has a better head than I do. So I leave it to him everyday – yes! i’m terrible this way. For those in business I think you have till the end of the month to do it. Before when we did have employees – I liked to give it to them by the end of January. Yes! i’m super efficient – now that we don’t have an employee – i became pretty relaxxxx!!
So I guess the NDPs are jerks and trying to jerk around with this town? that was the general consensus of the town people now. I listened to how Percy Paris answered to Churchillès question about the $3million funding for the ferry – and Paris said he knows nothing of it – now how ridiculous is that! It was all over the news here – and printed too I think at some point. I hope it is not only now that people realized that the provincial government never had any intention to do anything for this town – due to political reasons. Even the blind can see that! they had been jerking us around for years now. It is really sad that the NDP government insist that it has not affected this town – and any other – they know and I don’t know what their intentions are.
So the government is stepping in on the payday loans around the province it seems – so those taking out loans from these places need only pay $25 extra for every $100 they borrow instead of the $31 max that these financial institution had charged. But what about the places that charges 29% per annum – the bank for instance on credit cards? are they not going to step in on that too? There are definitely the pros and cons in pay day loans – sure their interest are high – but many a times – for those who borrows from these places – it’s because the banks – with low interest wouldn’t loan them anything. So for cases like that – who else can they turn to right? But of course, if you are those that borrow for the sake of a smoke or a drink – then you ought to be paying a lot more.
Yesterday we were doing some shopping in downtown area – and like always we try our hardest to support the downtown area. But looking at the empty store of Clover – a supermarket that had been downtown for as long as I had been in Canada – it just suxs big time. It really hit me hard then – a lot of downtown business had been closing its door and moving away. From the music store downtown to a fine dining restaurant – that just up and left without any notice whatsoever even to its employees.
I am afraid to say that I don’t see any ferry in 2012 – for the government is still refusing to do anything thus far – it’s like talking to a door knob. I feel bad for the newly elected MLA – but on the other hand – I feel like smacking the old town councils and the old mayor – obviously they knew what was going to happen. And this wouldn’t have happened if not for some really weird things going on up there in the office.
Is this a dying town? I don’t know – if the NDP continues to be the ruling party here in Nova Scotia – we can forget about a thriving town – and kiss everything good bye. The ferry not only affect our town but all the surroundings. So is it time to move on – and look for other industry to come into town? a lot may not agree with me – but hopefully, hopefully – someone – somewhere in this town will step up.
Like many small business owners – we worried about the minimum wage raise again. In fact, minimum wage had been steadily raising even though the economy in this town has gone from bad to worst. When I first came to this town – minimum wage was like $5.65 and now – it is going to be $10. Sure I can understand that the cost of living has gone up – but a small business like us – how can we afford to pay someone $10/hr just to man our store – with no special skill?
With no ferry, no tourists, no help from the government and yet they want to increase minimum wage – so what do i think about it? well, I’m not worried because we ain’t hiring no more – and with the increment – that just goes to confirm our decision was right – and to work ourselves. Sure we can’t have so much holidays and we need to close the store in case of emergency – but that’s the way it has to be – so that we can keep our bills low and pay the government more taxes. JOY!
