Welcome to Canada's economic powerhouse

mentalfloss

Prickly Curmudgeon Smiter
Jun 28, 2010
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Welcome to Guelph, Ont., pop. 121,688 and Canada’s jobs powerhouse

The folks at the Vienna Restaurant in downtown Guelph, Ont., were too to busy to talk to me when I phoned around brunch time yesterday to get some information about the diner, asking me nicely to call back later.

I could tell from the background noise alone.

But that told me a lot about what I already suspected were the good times in this small city about an hour away from Toronto, depending on how fast you drive.

It’s a cute city, crime is low and there are a lot of university kids. And, notably, it leads the country on the jobs front.

Guelph has generally had lower unemployment. But a rejigged ranking of Canadian cities by BMO Nesbitt Burns puts it in top spot, with jobs growth of more than 9 per cent in December compared with a year earlier, an employment rate of 72 per cent that’s the best in the country, and a jobless level that is among the lowest and now down almost a full percentage point from late 2014.

“Guelph tops the list with robust job growth, population inflows, a puny 4.2-per-cent jobless rate and the highest share of the population that is working,” BMO senior economist Robert Kavcic noted as he released the rankings after Statistics Canada’s latest labour market report on Friday.

As The Globe and Mail’s Rachelle Younglai reports, that national report showed Canada churned out almost 23,000 new jobs last month, though unemployment held firm at an uncomfortably high 7.1 per cent.

Ontario gained about 35,000 jobs, and its unemployment rate eased to 6.7 per cent.

Welcome to Guelph, Ont., pop. 121,688 and Canada’s jobs powerhouse - The Globe and Mail
 

captain morgan

Hall of Fame Member
Mar 28, 2009
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A Mouse Once Bit My Sister
Ohhh, how impressive! The entire province is hiring dishwashers and waitresses to sling hash to all those mfg sector workers.

The word powerhouse might just be a little too optimistic dontcha think?
 

mentalfloss

Prickly Curmudgeon Smiter
Jun 28, 2010
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It blew away Regina, and we know how desperately petros covets his home capital.
 

petros

The Central Scrutinizer
Nov 21, 2008
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Low Earth Orbit
On a per capita basis an ON worker creates $20,000 less GDP per year than a SK worker.

$30,000 less than AB
 

mentalfloss

Prickly Curmudgeon Smiter
Jun 28, 2010
39,778
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Cash for few people is meaningless.

We're talking about real economic performance here, not poker chips for CEOs.

Brad Awall can't lead a province with a real population.
 

davesmom

Council Member
Oct 11, 2015
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Southern Ontario
Guelph is a University town. Some small industry and excellent health care facilities. It's about 15 min. from where I live.
You won't hear much about it in the news. Low crime rate.
Guelph once had the 'Prison Farm' for offenders with '2 yrs less a day' sentences. The prison was self supporting, taught inmates trades and had a high rehabilitation rate. The Ontario Government closed it down recently putting a lot of people out of work.
True to their nature, the Government is letting this abandoned structure sit empty and deteriorate when they could be doing something with it.
 

mentalfloss

Prickly Curmudgeon Smiter
Jun 28, 2010
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Poor Sasquatcheans...

 

CDNBear

Custom Troll
Sep 24, 2006
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Ontario
WooHoo! Guelph. Thanks General Dynamics (Ya I know Flossy, nobody commutes to Kitchener, lol).

Oh wait, lol.
 

Ludlow

Hall of Fame Member
Jun 7, 2014
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All that good fishing and hunting up thar and you pricks sittin on a firkin computer talkin about the fliggin economy. Ye remind me of those saggy balled old codgers who'd go to Charles Scwabb office in Scottsdale and sit with their cods hangin watchin a fawkin telestrater all damn day.