[aerius]

Quote:

Originally Posted by r3cc0s The safest big city and the richest in Canada Calgary

The StatsCan Crime Statistics report disagrees. See the chart at the bottom of this page. Toronto has a significantly lower crime rate than Calgary.

 

[schwarzenneger]

i'm from montreal,quebec.

 

[pne]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chase I think I am the only one from edmonton on the board

nope! me too!

 

[no1likesme]

i am close
i live in sault ste marie, Mi
i can see canada from my dorm room

 

[BillyC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sduibek Actually I would call that upper class unless you have kids or are supporting a spouse. If that's income for a single person that's definitely upper class. The only reason people would think otherwise is because the greed of countries (*cough* US *cough*) skewing things. If that's one income for two people then i agree, upper-middle.

I think that this has been dealt with but I'll ring in with my 2 cents. 70k is not upperclass, I wouldn't even call it upper middle class, even if the government defines it as such.

I am in that ballpark salary range, and I still cannot afford a detached house here in Ottawa and I can make a large downpayment. I cannot believe that middle class can now be defined as scraping by with a condo or townhouse and a car payment. We have too much space to be living like sardines, and this is not how the middle class has ever lived in the past. Has anyone ever been to the Glebe or Westboro? Sure they are ridiculously priced now, but they were middle class neighbourhoods once upon a time.

70k might be middle class in most of the country but it is not even close in Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, or Calgary.

 

[philodox]

I make 50k and my wife makes around 35k-40k. I would count us as middle class based on where we live [Hamilton], but if I moved to Toronto I would be POOR.

 

[Zanth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sduibek Actually I would call that upper class unless you have kids or are supporting a spouse. If that's income for a single person that's definitely upper class. The only reason people would think otherwise is because the greed of countries (*cough* US *cough*) skewing things. If that's one income for two people then i agree, upper-middle. I think that this has been dealt with but I'll ring in with my 2 cents. 70k is not upperclass, I wouldn't even call it upper middle class, even if the government defines it as such. I am in that ballpark salary range, and I still cannot afford a detached house here in Ottawa and I can make a large downpayment. I cannot believe that middle class can now be defined as scraping by with a condo or townhouse and a car payment. We have too much space to be living like sardines, and this is not how the middle class has ever lived in the past. Has anyone ever been to the Glebe or Westboro? Sure they are ridiculously priced now, but they were middle class neighbourhoods once upon a time. 70k might be middle class in most of the country but it is not even close in Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, or Calgary.

Wow so very VERY true. Relating specifically to the Glebe, my father grew up in the Glebe. My grandparents bought a good sized house there for 25k in the early 50's (good sized=large but not mansion sized). Anyhow, they sold for just over a million in the early 80's. It would be double that now. Insanity. I rent a single home, the rent is ridiculous but the crazy thing is that my friends are renting 1 bedroom apartments for not much less than what I am paying for a full home on Main St. I can't get a mortgage because I'm a student, but dang I hope that once I graduate I can get a decent enough paying job. If I can get a teaching position at a university in town, I'll start mid 50's I guess, then I will have to consult to bring me up to 6 figures, but that means 60-80 hour work weeks. Not exactly a great deal. Ottawa is stupid expensive to live in and the housing market just keeps climbing. From what I recently read, though it is not the most expensive, it is the fastest in rising costs. That in itself is VERY scary.

 

[chase]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pne nope! me too!

do i smell super mini meet!?!!?

 

[false]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillyC 70k might be middle class in most of the country but it is not even close in Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, or Calgary.

I totally agree. Salary and location have a lot to do with living class. If I lived in Kelowna or Kamloops and made what I am making in Vancouver I would live like a king. Unfortunately, my chosen profession (computer animator) requires me to work in Vancouver/Burnaby. I still live fairly well for a single 20 something guy, but in no way would I say I'm well off.

As for Canadian vs US salaries, my US equivalent would be around $100,000+ USD a year. Let’s just say I don’t quite make that much.

 

[lovebell]

Ｉam in edmonton.maybe I can meet some head-fier at gramophone store.
they sold the RS-1s couple weeks ago,I guess some head-fier took it..
tell me who?

 

[AlanY]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillyC I think that this has been dealt with but I'll ring in with my 2 cents. 70k is not upperclass, I wouldn't even call it upper middle class, even if the government defines it as such. I am in that ballpark salary range, and I still cannot afford a detached house here in Ottawa and I can make a large downpayment. I cannot believe that middle class can now be defined as scraping by with a condo or townhouse and a car payment. We have too much space to be living like sardines, and this is not how the middle class has ever lived in the past. Has anyone ever been to the Glebe or Westboro? Sure they are ridiculously priced now, but they were middle class neighbourhoods once upon a time. 70k might be middle class in most of the country but it is not even close in Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, or Calgary.

70k is a solidly middle class salary anywhere in Canada except Toronto and Vancouver. A lot of people have a skewed perspective about how much other people are making. The median household income in Canada in 2000 for families with two or more people was just $55,016 (source ). That's total household income, across two adults! A household with at least one member making 70k and the other person working is going to be pulling in at least 100k total, or nearly double the median household income. That's middle class by any reasonable definition.

If someone can't eke out a decent life making twice as much as the median household income in Canada, their priorities or lifestyle warrants re-examining. A person can live an average life on the median income.

 

[BillyC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlanY 70k is a solidly middle class salary anywhere in Canada except Toronto and Vancouver. A lot of people have a skewed perspective about how much other people are making. The median household income in Canada in 2000 for families with two or more people was just $55,016 (source ). That's total household income, across two adults! A household with at least one member making 70k and the other person working is going to be pulling in at least 100k total, or nearly double the median household income. That's middle class by any reasonable definition. If someone can't eke out a decent life making twice as much as the median household income in Canada, their priorities or lifestyle warrants re-examining. A person can live an average life on the median income.

I guess I can agree with this. Maybe I have a skewed view of what middle class was in the past. I'm pretty sure that in the fifties and sixties a one income family could afford a single house and a car and live a relatively comfortable lifestyle. Sure they didn't have the creature comforts that we do, but they had title to a piece of land. They didn't own a piece of the sky, or have to negotiate with a neighbour when it was time to do the roof.

Anyway this is way off-topic. My appologies.

I live in Ottawa, IMO the city with the worst weather in the country. It's either too hot or too cold.

 

[zeppelin2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillyC I live in Ottawa, IMO the city with the worst weather in the country. It's either too hot or too cold.

I live in Ottawa as well =0. Didn't know there were this many Head-fiers that lived in Ottawa. I find that kinda neat

As for weather, you forgot to include rain! Mind you, I'd imagine the weather has been wet in most other places as of late because of the hurricanes, etc.

 

[pne]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chase do i smell super mini meet!?!!?

yes, complete with my measly budget setup of ksc 75's and er6i's

..seriously though, I'd love to do one, even though I am more of a speaker guy.

 

[Zanth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillyC I live in Ottawa, IMO the city with the worst weather in the country. It's either too hot or too cold.

Seriously. Beautiful city. Quite safe. But the weather? Bloody horrible. Super humid/hot in the summer, nasty wet and chilly in the fall and just downright abominable in the winter. Take Ottawa, move it south about 1750 km and I'm all good to stay here for life