Gabe Menezes wrote: >You have economies of scale having a giant neighbour next door. >Things here in the U.K. are much more expensive, notwithstanding >your 'Black Friday' sales. I guess you are happy to be living in >Canada as most of us Goans are happy to be living in the U.K.
Gabe, While you may feel consumer items in Canada cost less than in of the UK, the prices of the exact same items will be 15 to 25% cheaper in the US. Like the UK, we pay a lot of consumption taxes. It helps pay for all the social and health services, several levels of government here provide. >We grumble non stop but which other Country gives Seniors a free >travel pass like we have any where in London and our transport is >second to none. For instance I live in West Wimbledon and my stop >is at the Methodist Church in Raynes Park. We get 10 buses >travelling towards Wimbledon in 30 minutes! I agree that the London transport system is the envy of the world. As far as seniors are concerned, perhaps Canada has an envious system too. The City Government or perhaps the Government of Ontario offers seniors a 47% discount on the Toronto transit system. The Govt of Canada offers seniors an allowance of $1,200+ per month - no questions asked on where you spend it. >I have visited Toronto and can honestly say your Transport is not >as good as ours! No car and people are stuck at home, we do not >have that problem here in London. Perhaps you are confusing the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) with Toronto. Buses run every six minutes during rush hour in Toronto. It takes me 55 minutes, door to door, to get to work downtown. Buses run every (I am guessing) 15 minutes when its non-rush hour. Lastly, the route operates 24 hours a day. Now if you want to live in the GTA, you get twice as big a house for the same amount of money. The problem is that you have to 'itch till the authorities decide to provide you with better public transport. And they will do that - in time. Such are the prices of things in Canada. Mervyn
