This top ten is less investment focused this week as I touch on some important topics and I included a great speech.
Jim Thorne was on BNN this week and he continues his bullish outlook.
Peter Zeihan’s work it getting better known and he provided a summary of what Canada’s 5 problems are and how they all effect real estate.
-the first one is geographic and political….people are jammed along the US border and provinces have a lot of power. Provinces do more trade with the US than other provinces.
-the second is strategic….we had NAFTA 1 and many trade benefits we had were jettisoned with NAFTA 2.
-the third is geography…..big cities are constrained to grow and there is not the options like there is in the US.
-the fourth is demographics/immigration….people getting older with less kids, Alberta is the only one doing well. Also, smart building strategies; the people coming are buying real estate, not living in it and not working.
-the fifth is capital…the country does not have the capital like that of the US and may not be able to attract the workforce.
BMO produced a chart which shows we have that exodus of people out of our three big cities.
On the carbon capture series I am focused on, John Ivison explains the reasons everyone has to embrace it and even the environmentalists.
A big announcement for our entire energy industry in BC took place this week as the government came to an agreement with the Blueberry River First Nations. NBF provided an overview which is attached.
The layoffs continue in the tech sector as CNBC explains.
The people at GPF provided a good summary of some ‘water’ issues around the world and I was told soon after that here in Canada, we should not take things for granted. I also included a chart showing how China is the clear leader in the manufacturing area of many critical metals.
A speech is included that should be helpful to the students out there. This week had MLK Jr Day, and I highlighted a lesser-known speech he made in 1967 to a high school. His message is so important to young people.
Bruce Dowbiggin explains the costly issues of producing NHL players these days and I would be interested in any comments.
Number 1 - S&P 500 to rally 20% in 2023 on rate cuts, soft landing: Strategist
Jim Thorne, chief market strategist at Wellington-Altus Private Wealth, joins BNN Bloomberg for his bullish view on the markets. Thorne says the credit market is not buying central banks’ narrative that inflation is caused by wages and the private sector. Thorne says supply issues and fiscal policy are the factors responsible for it.
Number 4 - John Ivison: Carbon capture is the major lever to get to net zero. Environmentalists must recognize that
Idealists who think Canada can achieve net zero without carbon capture or nuclear should refer to the data.
Number 8 - Manufacturing by Country
Source: The Daily Shot. @jessefelder, @WSJ
Number 9 - What is Your Life’s Blueprint?
On MLK Jr Day, I share a speech that does not get the same attention as the “I Have a Dream” one. This speech is titled “What is Your Life’s Blueprint?” and he spoke to the students at Barratt Junior High School in Philadelphia on October 26th, 1967
Dr King has some important messages for a life’s blueprint:
“a deep belief in your own dignity, in your own worth: you must have the determination to achieve excellence, and be the best at what you are doing: must be a commitment to the internal principals of beauty, love and justice”
Number 10 - The High Cost Of Stardom: It's A Money Thing
One of the striking observations from the otherwise uneventful #nhldraft2022 was how homogenous the kids were from a social POV. These weren’t humble farm boys and blue-collar sloggers. This wasn’t J.C. Tremblay, one of 13 kids from Bagotville, Quebec, or Gordie Howe from tiny Floral, Saskatchewan. These prospects were middle-, upper-middle class products of a multi-million dollar development process. It’s not a sport for paupers.
As we asked in August of 2021 , “Are today’s superstars a product of more than talent? Are they also the products of an expensive, exclusive grooming process that leaves the Bobby Hull farm-boy archetype in the dust?
