Montreal Yo-Yo Gas Prices Unjustified

It's good to see gas prices down, but those annoying spikes that see prices jump by ten cents in a day seem a bit over the top. This price volatility doesn't seem justified and I set out to see if it exists elsewhere. The people over at gasbuddy have all sorts of graphing tools and I've created one that compares Montreal gas prices to those in Syracuse and Miami. Aside from the striking difference in price look how stable and gradual price movements are in the US. The pattern here is a large jump followed by a gradual decline. My research indicates that this pattern occurs all across Canada, but not in the USA. I think our retailers have some explaining to do...
You can beat these spikes by filling up regularly when the price is stable. Then you can ride out the couple of days after a spike, until the price falls.
If you use 'Super' gas, ULTRAMAR gives you a 3 cent break on Thursday, regardless of price. If you have a Costco card, the downtown location at Bridge street now sells gas at prices that are always at least 5 cents cheaper.

Montreal Canadiens Management No Saints

While I understand Montrealer's love affair with the Canadiens, I don't understand how the team's management is seen in such a positive light. Over and over again we are reminded that they are a classy and civic-minded bunch. This idea has successfully permeated the entire league and nary a word of criticism is ever heard.
The Canadiens management has successfully fostered this myth with a willing, jock-sniffing press corps acting as their messenger. The unpleasant truth is that they are a ruthless money-making machine that charges monopolistic prices. The $4.50 bottle of water sold at the Bell Centre would make a crack dealer blush. I don't fault them for charging what they can get, I do however object to them claiming piety.
Last month I attended one of those 'memorable' nights celebrating the 100th anniversary of the team. Oversized tickets were printed and a 'special' night was promised. The ticket (jacked up by $50, for the event), promised a ceremony at 7:00 followed by the game against the Maple Leafs at 7:30. Sensing that it might be a special occasion I insisted that my wife, a reluctant fan, attend with me. At any rate 7:00 came and went. Nothing. We sat in our seats and twiddled our thumbs. At 7:30 the red carpet was rolled out and a brief puck dropping ceremony was held. I hope Jean Beliveau gets an appearance fee for his efforts, they seem to trot him out for every ceremony. I swear when he dies the Canadiens will stuff his body and put a hinge on his elbow so that he can continue to fulfill his ceremonial duties. Now if you've seen one puck-dropping ceremony, you've seen them all, pretty boring stuff. The difference with this one was that it cost me a hundred bucks and incredibly, nobody I talked to seemed to mind the rip-off.
I then realized that everything the Canadiens do, including the 100th anniversary is about making money. I'm surprised that they don't charge the volunteers of the Saint John's Ambulance crew to attend the games.
Forbes magazine reports that the team makes George Gillett over 40 million dollars a year and that doesn't include profits from the Bell Centre itself. Considering that he bought the team with 10 million dollars in cash and a balance of sale, it has to rank alongside the purchase of Manhattan as the deal of a century.
As I considered these thoughts during the first intermission, something else struck me.
Why on earth is Hydro Quebec advertising on the Zamboni ice-cleaning machines. Hydro is a monopoly and advertising their name is of no benefit to them or customers. They didn't even use the advertising space to promote an energy program, they just dressed up the machine with their logo and added a penis-looking plug on the front of the truck. Hmmm.
I like watching hockey and will pay a big premium to do so. But I don't have to admire or respect those who exploit their position.

Plains of Abraham Debate: Perception or Reality. Does It Matter?

The French press continues it's fascination with the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in view of the scheduled re-enactment next year. It is a common perception by most Francophones that the battle was the tipping point that lost New France to the English. While most historians object to this interpretation, it continues to remain a popular concept amongst nationalists. An article in La Presse, written by Philippe Navarro, paints a different picture and dispels the current myth.
Notwithstanding articles such as these, there is little chance that the urban myth surrounding the battle will be discarded. The idea of the conquest of the French by the English is just too good a story to pass up.

Curbside Recycling Disaster Looming

The fall of the commodities market due the world financial meltdown has led to the virtual collapse of the value of recyclable materials. Here are two articles in the Montreal Gazette and on CBC News summarizing the sad situation. China, the world's biggest customer for the stuff has stopped buying and the local companies who are buying, are paying a pittance. Companies that signed contracts with the city of Montreal (and everywhere else) are on the verge of collapse and are requesting a huge bailout program.
Picking up recyclables curbside no longer makes any economic or environmental sense. The stuff is practically unsellable and recycling costs are now astromonical compared to the returns. Giving the recycling companies money to survive will not change the basic equation and as long as the commodity market is in the toilet, the stuff will continue to pile up. Officials are scratching their heads. If it costs much less to produce new and with less environmental impact, what's the point of recycling old? When the temporary warehouses now being used to house the overflow become full, the garbage is going to have to be disposed of.
Even in a good economy, curbside recycling doesn't really have a positive impact on the environment or lessen greenhouse emissions, a fact environmentalists refuse to accept. In light of today's market reality, it makes even less sense today. Recycling remains more an act of faith than anything else. Read the excellent article, Recycling is Garbage from the New York Times.

The unpleasant truth is that soon most of the blue box material will end up in landfills. If that comes to pass, will the government have the political will to temporarily stop expensive curbside pickups?

Caisse de Depot's Giant Gamble Goes Bad

The Caisse de dépôt is the agency of the Quebec government that invests taxpayer money to fund our old age pensions. Their job is to invest it wisely, so that when it comes time for us to retire, the government has money to pay out our pensions. There is no doubt that the fund, along with every other similar fund took a hit in the recent financial meltdown, but the scope of the losses at the Caisse are colossal.
It was suggested by Mario Dumont, the then leader of the ADQ, that one of the reasons that Jean Charest called the December election was avoid facing the debacle over at the Caisse. The Caisse usually reports on it's activities in the Spring and the Premier refused to comment on the swirling rumours, deftly swatting aside inquiries as to the state of finances at the Caisse.
In an brilliant article in the Globe and Mail, KONRAD YAKABUSKI describes the sordid details. The article is long, but worth a read if you want a clear understanding of what happened.
The fund which was pegged at over 155 billion before the meltdown is said to have suffered losses up to 25 billion dollars. It seems that they bet heavily on the mortgage market in the United States.
Most Quebeckers don't seem perturbed about the loss. They should be. Demonstrators took to the streets when the Ottawa cut a paltry 40 million dollars from the artist's travel budget. The loss at the Caisse is over 600 times as high. Will the public react? I predict they won't.
Premier Charest correctly understood that Quebeckers were too uniformed to understand the depth of the problem. It's too bad.