The Canucks are Coming!

Strange tales are coming out in the news, tales of thawing Canucks venturing forth from their cabins and crossing the border to a land of better deals. They are attracted by tales of cheaper gas, cheaper smokes, and lower sales taxes. They are heading to…the U.S.A?!

We short-attention-span Americans are whining about the sagging U.S. dollar, but let’s all stop and think about the Canadians, who have been dealing with a sagging currency since 1978. Yes, the “loonie” Canadian dollar is now worth more than 90 U.S. cents, a level it hasn’t hit since 1978–when the Bee Gees ruled the music charts.

Compare that to the early half of this decade, when the loonie was only worth between 60 and 70 U.S. cents. Chalk it up to rising commodity prices, a booming Canadian economy, and too many problems to list on the southern side of the border.

Those Canucks may be a little obsessed with their maple leaf backpacks, but they’re no dummies. They are venturing across the border in droves this summer to New England and Washington State, enjoying price disparities that only government subsidies, tariffs, and behavior-modification penalties can produce.

My dear Canadian friends, bring some kind bud over with you and the apple pie is on me.