Month: November 2017

Las Vegas Basics

My wife, Kathy, and I have been travelling together for almost 40 years.

We started going to Las Vegas on our 10th anniversary and have been returning for the last 25 years.  Our visits have numbered in excess of 50 and we have always worked within a budget. We have frequented most of the MGM property resorts and can offer some insight if you are planning a trip to Las Vegas. I will cover the hotels and shows in other  posts.  In this post I will discuss some basic planning considerations.

Basics for Las Vegas

  • Rental Cars

If you intend to leave the strip for shopping or sight seeing you may want to get a rental vehicle.  Las Vegas is quite easy to drive around, especially with access to a GPS or google maps.

Costco members can book cars online through the Costco Travel account (http://www.costcotravel.com) and all you need is your Costco membership number.  The savings are  significant and they provide car rental comparisons for up to four different rental car companies. They also include  a second driver at no extra charge.

There is a dedicated transfer bus system from the airport to the car rental terminal.  It takes less than 10 minutes.  Be sure to book online to save time. I have used Alamo and have been able to get pre-approved to “skip the counter” and go directly to the cars for pickup.

There is a Chevron gas station south of Mandalay Bay to fill you car before returning to the rental car facility.

  • Parking

The hotels now charge for parking. There is a way to have this covered when staying at MGM Resorts with the  Mlife players card discussed below.

  • Mlife Players Card

We are not big gamblers and rarely play slot machines.  We tend to play blackjack and we do stay a the MGM Resorts.

The Mlife players card is free and does track your play when you use the card in slot machines or provide it at the blackjack tables.  The second level of the card is “Pearl” and this is the level I seem to stay at.  This status gets us free parking at MGM Resorts. In addition, we book our rooms on the Mlife website and there are discounts on the rooms.  In the past we have had free night room offers sent to us as well.  These offers appear to have dried up.

You do hear of people who have their rooms comped and I expect their play is far higher then ours.  Las Vegas is not designed to be free so their play must justify the perks.

  • Blackjack 

If you are new to Blackjack, Las Vegas will be happy for you to learn at their tables.  Before hitting the tables, go to the nearest snack store in a hotel and spend $2.95 on a card showing the “basics of blackjack”.  You can go online and get the same information.  Once you have studied the basics, play at a machine to get the game down before you venture to the tables.  The other players will appreciate this and so will the dealers.

  • Tipping the Dealers

When it comes to the dealers, be sure to place a dollar in front of your bet for them when you are having good luck.  If you win, they win. If you lose, they lose as well.  They share these tips and most work hard at dealing and are helpful when you ask for advice.  I think it is embarrassing for a player to walk away with a nice profit and to have not given the dealer any consideration with tips.

  • Restaurants

Las Vegas has a wide variety of excellent restaurant options and the prices can vary.  Most of the hotels have high end restaurants with prominent chefs.  Expect to pay more.  We went to StripSteak at Mandalay Bay and it was good; however, for us, the price does not justify the difference in other restaurants.

We have found very good food at reasonable prices.  New York New York has the best restaurant options.  The Beerhaus on the walkway to T-Mobile Arena (between New York New York and Monte Carlo) has a good happy hour from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm everyday, other than days when there are events at the T-Mobile Arena.

We tend to go to the following restaurants and enjoy our experience.

New York New York – Beerhaus, Gonzalez y Gonzalez, America, Il Fornaio, Greenbergs Deli, Tom’s Urban, Broadway Burger Bar and Grill.

Luxor – Pyramid Cafe for breakfast.

Mandalay Bay – Burger Bar, Slice of Vegas, House of Blues, Fat Tuesdays for drinks.

Excalibur – Food Court for breakfast or snacks, Lick for a candy treat.

Planet Hollywood – P.F. Changs.

MGM Grand – Food Court for breakfast, Fat Tuesdays.

Flamingo – Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville for margaritas and wings and nachos.

Mirage – Carnegie Deli (share sandwich), LVB Burgers and Bar.

Treasure Island – Gilley’s BBQ.

Ellis Island – Off the strip and has a good BBQ deal.

IHOP & Black Bear Diner  – Both are south of Mandalay Bay in front of the Las Vegas Premium Outlets South.  Good for breakfast.

Boulder City – Southwest Diner.  Go here for breakfast when you go out to see Hoover Dam.

You will note there are no buffets listed.  We have not been to a buffet in years as we tend to eat more than is needed!

  • Shopping

There is shopping on the strip and it is quite expensive – Shops at Caesars Palace, Fashion Show Mall and Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood.

We tend to go to the Las Vegas Premium Outlets North and South.  The North Outlets have good parking and have outside access to each shop.  These are probably the best of any and are located off the I – 15, north of Circus Circus. The South Outlets are located south of Mandalay Bay and also have good parking. They have inside access to the shops.  You will need a taxi or car to get to either location.

  • Taxi, Uber and Lyft

The hotels provide good access for taxi’s.  More of the hotels are now providing dedicated spots for Uber and Lyft pickup and drop-off.

 

The best way to get to know Las Vegas is to get out and enjoy the warm weather and entertainment.  You will find things that work for you that may not be workable for other people.  Las Vegas will be happy to take your money no matter what your budget is – so ENJOY!

My second cup is now empty……………..

 

Las Vegas Hotels

My wife, Kathy, and I have been travelling together for almost 40 years.

We started going to Las Vegas on our 10th anniversary and have been returning for the last 25 years.  Our visits have numbered in excess of 50 and we have always worked within a budget. We have frequented most of the MGM property resorts and can offer some insight if you are planning a trip to Las Vegas. I will cover the Las Vegas basics and Las Vegas shows in other  posts.  In this post I will discuss the hotels we have visited.

Las Vegas Hotels

Take Note.  Be careful when you book hotels in Las Vegas because there are hotel fees that do not necessarily show up on your booking and are charged at the hotel on check-in.  These fees are in the $30 t0 $40 range per night.  If you book vacation packages or on travel websites, you may get a surprise when you arrive at the hotel.  Do not assume the fees are included.  Read the fine print!

Parking. The hotels now charge for parking so be prepared for a charge that was not there before.  See my November 29, 2017 post that talks about the MGM Resorts and the Mlife card that can waive your parking fees at their hotels.

Checkin.  Many hotels now offer a mobile check-in.  They request your checkin information including your credit card and time of arrival.  They email you when the room is available and you go to a separate place to print your keys and avoid the long check-in lines.  Works great.

  • New York New York

This is now our “go to” hotel in Las Vegas.  The New York New York has a good location towards the south end of the Strip and is on a corner with MGM Grand, Excalibur and Tropicana.  The parking is at the back with a walk directly into the hotel and down to the check-in.

The rooms are a good size and the King bed rooms are what we usually get.  The elevators to the rooms are centrally located so the walking is not bad in relation to many of the hotels.

The hotel has the best range of restaurants for us on the Strip.  Try the Beerhaus for happy hours and snacks.  There are good opportunities for Mexican food, burgers and pizza.  Try the chicken soup and share a sandwich at Greenberg’s Deli.

Walking inside and outside of the New York New York is excellent.  The hotel sits on the walkway to T-Mobile Arena, home of the Vegas Golden Knights.

The gaming tables are getting better because there seems to have been an improvement in dealers.  We never used to play blackjack here even when we stayed at the hotel.  That is changing as they have picked the place up a notch. You can find enough $10 blackjack tables.

Hotel room prices are going up as people have found the same things we have.

  • Monte Carlo

Next door to the New York New York and on the other side of walkway to T-Mobile Arena.  We stayed at Monte Carlo last year and will also be there in early 2018.  Good hotel but nearly as good as New York New York yet the pricing is about the same.

The parking is good at the back and the walkway takes you right in for check-in.

The hotel is currently undergoing renovations at the front so Diablos and 800 Degree pizza are now gone as are the restaurants inside the hotel at the front.  Do not expect the changes to be finished until late 2018.

Some of the hotel rooms have been renovated and they have separate rates for them as compared to the older rooms.

  • Excalibur

This is a lower budget hotel in the MGM Resort properties.  We stayed there many years ago and it started to slide over time.  Lately, it seems to have picked up and looks much cleaner.  If money is a little tighter, this is your best option to stay on the Strip.

Parking is easy and it is a good walk to check-in and then to your room.

Good Food Court upstairs and, if you take kids to Las Vegas, they have a kids game area downstairs.  Just a note – why would you take kids to Las Vegas?  It is NOT the place for kids at all.

You can get $5 blackjack tables here; however, they also come with players who do not know how to play.

  • MGM Grand

We have never stayed here because it always seems so big.   We do go over to play blackjack and catch a Fat Tuesday’s downstairs past the check-in.

It is getting harder to find a $10 Blackjack table so we may not be as frequent customers.

Ka is here and we have seen it twice.  One of our all time favourites.

  • Luxor

The Luxor is located between Excalibur and Mandalay Bay.  There is an inside walkway connecting all three hotels.  There is also a Tram running from Excalibur to Mandalay Bay, with a separate Tram from Mandalay Bay to Luxor.

We just stayed at Luxor and it was disappointing.  Clearly on a slide and needs some TLC in a hurry.  The pricing is starting to reflect the way it is going.  Check out other options, and that now includes the Excalibur, if the budget is getting tight.

Parking is good at the back; however, you must walk all the way to the front for check-in and then possibly to the back for the far elevators.  Once on your floor the walk can be long if your room is in the far corner.  We did this and hence the poor rating.

The Pyramid Cafe is good for breakfast and the Carrot Top show was excellent.

The gaming tables are not bad and you can find a few dealers that talk to you.

  • Mandalay Bay

Really nice hotel.  We stayed there twice and the rooms were excellent.  The price is top end for MGM Resorts. It is on the south end of the Strip and a bit out of the way.  Lots of walking or else consider taxi, Uber or Lyft.  Driving is usually out is you are having a drink or two.

Parking is good at the back and then you do walk to the front for check-in along the casino.  The elevators to your room are right by the check-in.

Lots of restaurants and the options are quite good, especially on the walkway to Luxor.  Burger Bar and Slice of Vegas are good.  Fat Tuesday’s has a nice slushy drink.  Add a shot to finish it off!

The Blackjack tables are at least $15 and this is a bit much for me.  I’ve never found Mandalay Bay as a place to sit and gamble.

  • Tropicana 

We have not stayed here for a long time.  They have renovated the rooms and casino and they all look good.  This is an independent hotel (not MGM Resorts or Caesars Group) and is in a good location.

The Laugh Factory is in the Tropicana and we have been to it many times as we did with the predecessor, The Comedy Stop.  Never had a bad show!

  • Mirage

The Mirage is located in the middle / north end of the Strip between Treasure Island and Caesars Palace.  We have stayed here a number of times and this is a MGM Resort.

Parking is good and the walk to check-in is not bad.  From check-in to the elevators you must walk through the casino which is weak.

The rooms are good and the price is comparable to New York New York. The restaurants are decent with huge sandwich at the Carnegie Deli.  Consider sharing with a bowl of soup.  The Terry Fator show and Love are excellent and we have seem them both twice.

I think the blackjack tables have slipped because the dealers do not seem as friendly anymore.  Overall, if we were going to stay this far down the Strip it would be at the Mirage.

  • TI, formerly Treasure Island

We only stayed at Treasure Island once and the junior suite we had was excellent.  This is an independent hotel (not MGM Resorts or Caesars Group).

The Gilley’s BBQ restaurant does not fit with the hotel theme but it is good BBQ on the Strip.

The gaming is good and when we are down at this part of the Strip we usually stop in for some Blackjack.

My second cup is now empty…………….

 

Retirement – Two Big Questions

The decision to retire can be difficult for many people and there are a number of important issues that must be considered.  Probably the most important is your partner.  Are they ready for you to retire?  Do not assume and do not take your partner’s thoughts for granted.

I retired at the end of December 2016 at age 57.  For almost 35 years I worked in public accounting as a CPA and for the last 24 years I was a business partner in a local firm.  We grew the firm from 15 people to 37 and a group of us were involved in constructing our own office building in 2012.

There were two fundamental questions that needed answering in order for me to retire. I believe these are the same questions all potential retirees face and I expect the process of arriving at the answers can vary from person to person.

Was I Mentally Ready for Retirement?

This answer came quite easy to me.  I was tired.  The volume of work and my level of client service reached a point where I knew it was time for me to retire.  My clients were an “A” group that was built carefully over many years.  They were a pleasure to deal with; however, I was getting wore out.  I also believed there was more to life than working and I wanted to spend good quality years in retirement.

There were people who doubted my ability to retire.  It was not that they did not believe in me – they just felt that I would not have enough to do away from my work.  From my perspective, I believed that if I put the same energy into retirement as I did in work then all would be good.  Eleven months in, so far so good!

I have had people tell me that they continue to work because they enjoy it or because they don’t believe they have enough other interests to fill their day. I have no judgement on other people’s decisions.  For me, it seems there must be more out there to explore and enjoy without having to use work as the reason for my existence.  I took the leap and do not intend to look back.

Do We Have the Financial Resources to Retire?

This question is placed second because, if your mind is not ready, you can have all the money you want and that will not prepare you for retirement.  Of course, even if this is the second question, it is still important to ensure you believe you have enough resources to retire.  In fact, it carries great importance  because this is a joint financial decision with your partner, whereas, the mental decision is yours alone.

Remember that you want to carry on a lifestyle that you have become accustomed to and not have to worry about making money your focus in retirement. Plan well in advance!

The financial aspects of retirement do not happen overnight.  They come with years of planning and the support of qualified investment advisors. It is very important to identify a good investment advisor to lean on as you ready yourself for retirement.

It was over three years before retiring when I got serious about projecting our resources that would be available for retirement.  The income projection was important; however, the projected spending in retirement was even more important.  As I always told my clients, each person’s retirement is different based on their lifestyle requirements.  Some people can retire on very modest incomes, whereas, other people need a lot of income because their lifestyle requirements are very high.

I think it is a fallacy to assume that you will reduce your spending in retirement.  Some expenses will go down and others will go up.  Expect business clothes and office entertainment to go down while travel expenses will likely go up. Get a handle on what you spend.  It will surprise you where the money goes.

When you go to your investment advisor to assist you with a retirement plan, you will need a detailed understanding of your expected spending amounts or your retirement plan may be misleading.  You will also be wise to build in a contingency for unexpected expenses.  Do not take this exercise lightly.  Take the proper amount of time to do this right as it is necessary to get good results.

I did the whole spending exercise myself as well as the income projections from our retirement savings.  I then took the information to our investment advisor for confirmation.  We had no pension fund and we depend on the variety of investments we made over the years.  Just a note – these investments accumulated and grew the most in the last working years.  The early working years were used to pay down the house mortgage and provide for our two children.  We were building equity in our house and business in the early years; however, it was in the last ten years that the investments significantly materialized.  This may be different for people with an annual pension plan.

In the end if you can answer “yes” to these two fundamental questions, and if your partner is on board with your retirement, then retirement may work for you.  So far I’m happy with the  journey!

My second cup is now empty……….

Las Vegas Shows

My wife, Kathy, and I have been travelling together for almost 40 years.

We started going to Las Vegas on our 10th anniversary and have been returning for the last 25 years.  Our visits have numbered in excess of 50 and we have always worked within a budget. We have frequented most of the MGM property resorts and can offer some insight if you are planning a trip to Las Vegas. I will cover the Las Vegas basics and Las Vegas hotels in other  posts.  In this post I will discuss the shows we have visited.

  • Cirque de Soleil

We have seen almost all the Cirque shows – Ka, Love, “O”, Zumanity, Mystere, Michael Jackson and Beatles (no longer showing).  We have not seen Criss Angel MindFreak.

Our favourites are Ka and Love and we have seen them twice.  They are all excellent productions and absolutely amazing.  Hard to go wrong going to any of them.  Zumanity is adult oriented if that is an issue for you.

All the seats are good and you will get a different perspective from the back or front.  We have sat close to the front in Love where the performers could touch you.  Very dramatic.

The price of tickets is up there; however, it seems that Mystere (the first  Cirque in Las Vegas) and Zumanity have some deals.

  • Comedy / Variety Shows

There is lots of variety when it comes to comedy shows.  We have been to the Tropicana to see The Laugh Factory, which followed the The Comedy Stop, and have never been disappointed.  Affordable.

Absinthe – we went last year and very funny.  Clearly adult oriented and not politically correct. We will go again. The price is around $100 US.

Jeff Dunham – good humour and glad we went once. Affordable.

Terry Fator – been there twice and no hesitation to recommend. I did not think I would enjoy a ventriloquist but I was wrong.  Fator came out the winner of “Americas Got Talent”.  Tickets in the $80 US range.

Carrot Top – we just went two weeks ago and he puts on a good show.  Very funny and he brings in some current events to keep the show fresh.  We will go again for sure. Tickets about $55 US.

Defending the Caveman – Basically 90 minutes of my life I will not get back. Better options out there.

  • T-Mobile Arena

Vegas Golden Knights – we went to a hockey game this month and it was great.  Entertaining from start to finish with a full, younger crowd. The team is doing well in their expansion season.  Tickets on Stub Hub for about $55 US.

Carrie Underwood – great concert and her voice was amazing.  Will easily go back to the T-Mobile for concerts.

  • Randoms

Le Reve – similar to a Cirque show and very well done.  Similar price to Cirque show.

Jersey Boys – one of the best shows we have ever seen in Las Vegas.  Highly recommend! Prices in $80 range and all seats looked good.

Blue Man Group – worth seeing but not your first show in Las Vegas unless you get a deal on tickets.

Elton John – we have been twice and would go again.  Simply the best.

Thunder from down Under – Kathy has been to the show three times with lady friends. Obviously, very good.  I stay away to avoid humiliation!

Tournament of Kings – Dinner show with Knights jousting and the King Arthur story.  Good entertainment if you get tickets for a good price.  Kids will also enjoy this show.

 

I do hope this gives a good feel for the Las Vegas shows!

My second cup is now empty…………………

 

Government Deficit Budgets

“The bank would lend me more money then I could ever repay.  I didn’t take it.”  Quoted from my Dad when he was a man and I was a boy.

My parents were simple people.  They were short on education and long on common sense.  My father and I discussed politics regularly and he was an avid CCF and NDP supporter.  He had several simple principles.

“If the Co-op doesn’t have it I don’t’ need it.”

“Assist those who cannot truly take care of themselves.”

“Be responsible for your actions.”

“Live within your means.”

“Only borrow money that you can repay.”

“Put back into the community.”

“Only rich people can afford to by junk, because they can buy it again and again.”

I don’t ever recall my dad talking about the ratio of debt to GDP or the world inventories of commodities and their affect on market prices.  He never delved into Keynesian economic theory or speculated on how a raise in the Bank of Canada interest rate would affect inflation.  He did not understand these things, and with all do respect, I’m not sure the people we put in charge do either.

The dust has now settled on the 2017 Federal and Provincial Budgets.

Investors reacted positively to the projected $28 billion Federal deficit as bank stocks rose nicely the day after the budget.  How sad is that when we applaud irresponsibility. Of course, the applause comes as no surprise because we were given exactly what was promised in the last Federal election.  You cannot blame the Liberals for making good on a direction they clearly laid out for the Canadian people.

In Saskatchewan, there is the typical hand wringing and outrage that comes when a budget is presented.  The sense of entitlement is front and center as we try and determine what is, or what is not in the budget, for me.  How sad is this for a Province that has produced some of Canada’s greatest leaders.  We want more services and yet we still have a 2017 projected deficit of over $685 million.  Irresponsibility is not just reserved for our friends in other Provinces.

Simple question – I can’t operate my life with deficit financing, so why can governments?  Answer – because the people demand it and vote for it.

I hear with considerable regularity that, “the government is wasteful, they squander resources, they don’t spend enough on this, they spend too much on that, they need to tax the rich more, it’s the government’s fault, the government needs to create jobs…..”  The fundamental flaw in these tirades is that this assigns the blame to the government, thereby, removing the responsibility from the people. In a democracy, the people elect the government and they govern at the behest of the people.

We live in an increasing global society that has embraced deficit financing to provide and enhance government services for the people.  We are paying for these services with debt that presumably must be paid off in subsequent years.  Our priorities are skewed and the current excessive entitlement priorities will have lasting affects in the coming years. As Canadians, we care about many causes and we demand the government finance them with debt and let someone else pay for them down the road.  This is a short term, selfish view that makes me wonder how we can blindly burden our children with this debt to satisfy our current wants.

Current deficit financing will ultimately affect the poor more then the wealthy.  People with money will always be able to access health care and other services world wide.  Not so for the poor.

We pride ourselves on the universal access to many services in Canada, not the least being health care.  These same universal services will be eroded if we are not responsible with our government spending today.  In the future, money that would otherwise be available for services will go to reduce debt.  Compound this with the fact we have an aging population that will require even more services and we are facing a colossal financial problem. For those who believe this is or should be someone else’s problem, then I must respectfully disagree. We have spending problems in this entire country and not revenue generation problems.

I always find it is helpful to review a few numbers to enlighten myself. The Canadian population is roughly 36,000,000 and the Saskatchewan population is roughly 1,100,000.  We make up about 3% of the Canadian population and I can only assume that is why we are sometimes viewed as irrelevant in Ottawa and Toronto.  The Saskatchewan population also includes our children and our friend’s children who didn’t have to go to Alberta to live and work in the last 10 years. Think about it – this is a big deal to our family and should be for yours.

It appears the accumulated national debt is about $636,000,000,000.  The accumulated provincial debt is about $7,600,000,000.  That’s a lot of zeros.  I had to bring out my fancy calculator to do the ciphering.

The following are the average debt amounts for EACH person in Saskatchewan.

2017 annual Federal projected debt – $778 per person.

Accumulated Federal debt – $17,667 per person.

2017 annual Provincial projected debt – $623 per person.

Accumulated Provincial debt – $6,909 per person.

Therefore, the combined Federal and Provincial debt accumulated to date is almost $25,000, and growing, for each person in Saskatchewan.  When you consider that there is a large segment of any population who has no ability to assist in paying this debt, it seems a bit daunting.

Now some of you may think it would be a good idea to pack your bags and move to another province to be part of a lower overall debt.  Best rethink that move because Saskatchewan has the lowest debt per person in Canada if you believe the following website that tracks both Federal and Provincial accumulated debt numbers.

http://www.debtclock.ca/

 

Life is about choices.  We can choose to pay our way now or we can leave it for our children to pay.  You decide.

My father was a simple man.  I miss him.

My second cup is now empty…………………

 

Omar Khadr Settlement

The Federal Government made a financial settlement for Mr. Omar Khadr in July 2017.  The announcement came after Parliament recessed for the summer and as the Prime Minister was leaving for the G20 Summit.  So much for accountability to answer questions.

The major problem I have with a government settlement is that Canadians did not get to hear why Mr. Khadr felt he deserved a financial settlement or what the various arguments were.  Mr. Khadr’s case for compensation deserved to be heard in a Canadian court.  This is important for transparency of the claim and more so to ensure we get a judicial decision and not a political decision.  Let the court make a judicial decision and if a settlement was warranted then at least the Canadian people can debate the merits of all the arguments.  The Liberal government did not allow this to happen and choose instead to make a significant financial settlement to a convicted terrorist.

My personal opinion is I find it difficult to justify how this country can pay money to a terrorist.

Prime Minister Trudeau recognized that Mr. Khadr is a convicted murderer and a convicted terrorist.  You can find these comments online as well as Prime Minister Trudeau advising that Mr. Khadr needs his rights and freedoms protected as any other Canadian. I thought criminals had limitations put on their rights and freedoms?

You can also view a video online, referred to in a National Post article, where Mr. Khadr wss making improvised explosive devices (IED’s).  I have to wonder who the victims were when these IED’s were detonated? I wonder how their rights and freedoms were protected?

The other problem I have with this quiet, political decision is that it intentionally ignored a United States court judgment against Mr. Khadr assets by the widow of the US soldier who died from a grenade that Mr. Khadr admitted throwing. Another US soldier was disabled in this same attack and was also a party to the successful US court judgement.  Mr. Khadr gets 10.5 million dollars, tax free, and these victims get nothing.  Not quite the way I would treat our US neighbor and ally.

My second cup is now empty………………….

Vimy Ridge – Canadian Pride

Vimy Ridge.  100 years ago, 4  Divisions of Canadian soldiers left their muddy trenches and moved forward to take Vimy Ridge from the heavily fortified Germans. The Ridge was geographically important as the Germans protected coal fields that were needed to fire their war machine.

Much has been written about Vimy and a couple of reading suggestions are “Vimy” by Pierre Berton and “Victory at Vimy” by Ted Barris. There is also a new book out by Tim Cook that I have not read.

Whether you believe or do not believe that Canada become a nation that day is irrelevant.  For me, it is about the World recognizing that Canada was a place of its own and was not just a colony of the British Empire.  In addition, Vimy showed that through detailed planning and training, great things could be accomplished.

The fact is the Canadians succeeded where the French and British troops failed. The French sent 20 Divisions to Vimy in 1915 and had 150,000 casualties.  The British fared no better. The Allied forces needed a win. They suffered unspeakable casualties at Passchendaele and the Somme. The Canadians faced German gas for the first time at Ypres and had to use urine covered clothes to breathe though. The Allied troops were being cut down by German machine guns as they used out dated tactics to move forward in battle.

Julian Byng, a British officer, commanded the Canadian troops at Vimy.  Along with Arthur Currie, a Canadian from Victoria, they produced a considerable different strategy to attack Vimy Ridge. Byng believed that all the troops should understand the entire battle plan in order to be able to execute and improvise as necessary in the field.  The Canadians trained for months on the detailed battle plan that included understanding every piece of the terrain and perfecting their timing for moving forward.

The Canadians dug tunnels to place explosives under the German lines.  These were detonated and the big guns pounded the German positions prior to the ground attack starting.  As the Canadians moved forward from the trenches, the Canadian artillery continued to fire over their heads at the Germans.  The timing had to be precise and for the Canadians who moved forward to quickly, they were killed by friendly fire.  This strategy allowed the Canadians to advance on the German positions as the Germans were pinned down by relentless cover fire. Almost 4,000 Canadians died at Vimy Ridge, although, this was far smaller then the Canadians who died at the Somme.

The Canadian Divisions were made up of battle hardened veterans of the previous battles in France and Belgium and new recruits who filled the places vacated by those men lost before them.  They were virtually all volunteers with 50% of the troops coming from Western Canada even though Western Canada made up less than 25% of the Canadian population. Western Canada had been opened for agriculture in the years before World War I and many of the immigrants came from Scotland and England.  The Scots and Brits signed up in droves to fight for “King and Country”.  The Scandinavians, Poles, French and other immigrants did not feel the same attachment and were generally less inclined to enlist right away. The Canadians were skilled in shooting, handling horses and fixing equipment and they used these skills to their advantage.

Before the War started, unemployment was high in Canada and some felt this was an opportunity for them to seek adventure. Others wanted a chance to see their homeland again.  Many were sure it would be a short campaign and they would be home before Christmas.  They were wrong.

I do not believe Vimy Ridge should be used as a justification for war or as a glorification of war.  These Canadians humbly went forward and did the job that was set before them.  They prevailed under difficult, horrific circumstances and sacrificed more than most of us can understand.  The best we can do is recognize and honor their sacrifices.  They deserve nothing less.

My second cup is now empty…………..

Holocaust Survivor Story

71592.  This is the number the Nazi’s assigned to Bill Glied at Auschwitz.

This past March Kathy and I attended the Holocaust Memorial Service at the Jewish Community Centre.

This annual memorial was very well done and it was our first time to join the Jewish community to remember the Holocaust where an estimated 6 million Jews were systematically murdered.  The information on the displays indicated 2 out of every 3 European Jews died during this horrific period.

There are people who feel there is no need to revisit the stories of the Holocaust.  For me, given the sheer magnitude of what happened, makes it very relevant for the Jewish community to host an annual memorial service.  One clear message I came away with was that there are still people who deny that the Holocaust happened and continue to spew hate messages in books, online in Internet blogs, and on Synagogue buildings and property. The memorial presenters were not speaking of  “feel sorry for us”.  They were asking people to be vigilant and to be vocal when people question the existence of the Holocaust.

Bill Glied was the keynote speaker.  Mr. Glied was almost 15 years old in 1944 when the Nazi’s took his family from Yugoslavia and sent them on a two day trip to Auschwitz by cattle car.

They left their town where their family operated a flour mill for 200 years.  In 1941, when the area was ceded to Hungary by the Germans, Jews were no longer permitted to walk on the sidewalks and had to walk in the middle of the street and they wore the yellow star.  Mr. Glied had to move to the back of his classroom and his best friend was no longer permitted to talk to him.  His passion for soccer diminished as he could no longer be an active player.  All their property and possessions were confiscated.

On the railway platform at Auschwitz, Mr. Glied’s mother, sister and grandmother were moved to a separate line and he never saw them again.  Mr. Glied and his father were deemed worthy to go to a work camp and were sent to Germany as slave laborers.

Their day started at 4:00 am with a cup of something that resembled coffee and then they marched to work for 12 hours.  After they were done, they marched back and were given a bowl of potato peel soup and bread.  The decision to eat all the bread at once versus saving some for breakfast was a big issue.  As the worker’s health deteriorated, there had to a determination if they could continue to work or not.  Every two weeks the workers were assembled and each worker had to climb up on a chair.  If they could perform the task, they continued to be worked to death as a slave laborer.  If they could not, they were sent to a death camp.

In the spring of 1945, Mr. Glied’s father could not climb on the chair and was sent to the death camp.  Mr. Glied was overcome with grief and asked to go with his father.  They went together and the conditions were even worse then they had just experienced.  They both contracted typhoid and Mr. Glied’s father died 9 days before liberation on April 29, 1945.  Mr. Glied received treatment and survived.

Mr. Glied returned to his home town in Yugoslavia and found that all his relatives and the other Jewish people were all gone.

In 1947, as a 17 year old, Mr. Glied came to Canada.  He married, started a business and they raised 3 daughters and now have 8 grand children.  He has testified at war crimes trials and speaks regularly to schools so they better understand the Holocaust.

His talk was pure and humble.  There was no sense of feeling entitled, vengeful or “woe is me”.

Mr. Glied now represents one of the few survivors of the Holocaust.  Their stories will soon have to be relayed second hand.  I feel privileged to have heard Mr. Glied’s story.

My second cup is now empty…………..

Sasktel – To Sell or Not To Sell?

SaskTel is a telecommunications corporation in Saskatchewan that is owned by the government.  It is typically called a “Crown Corporation”.
 The mere mention of Sasktel invokes considerable emotion these days and the political ideologies jump to the fore to justify either the sale of or the retention of the crown corporation assets.

At our house we use SaskTel services for cell phones, Internet and TV.  We recently dropped our telephone land line as it became outdated.  Does anyone under 30 have a land line anymore? Times are a changing.

Over the years, I have been involved in many business valuations and related business sale transactions or non-transactions. One thing that was common in determining business values was to try an remove the emotion from the decision.  To be fair the emotion related to SaskTel exists on all sides of the political spectrum and I do not see that going away anytime soon.

The purpose of valuing a business is to determine the underlying value of the tangible and intangible assets.  Tangible assets are the things you can touch, feel and smell, such as, land, buildings and equipment.  Intangible assets commonly relate to the goodwill of the business.  Goodwill can exist because of the business location, employees in the business, product line and proven profitability.

Fundamentally, a business has more overall value when it is profitable and a has a long history of profitability.  Keep in mind that a business is purchased based on the future ability to be profitable.  The past profitability is only used as an indicator of future profitability.  Current factors that affect future profitability are always considered in determining the overall asset value because it is the future profitability that will pay for the investment purchase.

I believe SaskTel is currently profitable and has a history of profitability.  It has also been on the leading edge of technology and Saskatchewan has received good value from SaskTel services.  These facts are probably not disputed by many Saskatchewan residents.  As with all business values, and the related decisions to purchase a business, it is the future expected profitability that is important in determining the overall value not the past profitability.

If SaskTel can maintain or enhance future profitability, then it makes sense to me to keep the crown corporation.  My concerns are that there are a number of considerations that will have a detrimental affect on future profitability and, therefore, will reduce the overall value of the SaskTel’s assets in the future.  In fact, one day the value could be seriously eroded in relation to the current value and it all has to do with profitability. A few questions in this regard.

  • How many people are reducing services by abandoning their telephone land lines?
  • How aggressive are other providers (Telus, Rogers, Shaw, ADT) trying to enter the Saskatchewan market?
  • How will SaskTel deal with global technology that continues to expand services and reduce service rates?
  • Given the pure competition, can a regional company like SaskTel continue to provide services at the same rates as the larger national and, eventually, international providers?
  • Can you think of any factors that exist that will enhance SaskTel’s profitability in the future and maintain the current asset value?

All of the above impact SaskTel’s future profitability and the related value of SaskTel’s assets.

I also have to wonder how many people who want to keep SaskTel as a crown corporation actually use the services of other providers like Telus, Rogers, Shaw and ADT?  If they are not supporting SaskTel services, then how can they argue for keeping SaskTel?  I take no issue with people making their own decisions in a competitive market; however, they can not have it both ways. They have effectively already made the decision to sell SaskTel by abandoning the SaskTel services.  Perhaps check with your friends and family to see what services they actually use.  You may find that the SaskTel market is shrinking or will shrink as a percentage of the overall Saskatchewan market

There has been talk that a referendum is necessary to decide whether or not SaskTel’s assets should be sold.  If this is done I expect we will be into a costly, emotional, political debate that can possibly lead to an uninformed decision.

Strong leadership, with the assistance of qualified professionals, is required to evaluate the business merits of selling or not selling the SaskTel assets. Given this process, I will be content with the decision either way!

My second cup is now empty……………….

2016 Rio Olympics – Canadian Women

I wrote this article in August 2016 and sent it to friends on email.

We just got back from Halifax and I had the chance to again walk the same ground that my grandmother, Rose, did when she arrived in Canada after the First World War.  She was about 16 years old and came with her mother and younger siblings.  Her father and older brothers were killed in their farm yard, in front of the family, during the war.  Gramma Rose did not smile much.  She was small, gentle and represented the toughness of the thousands of women who came to this country to make a better life for themselves and their future children.

Fast forward to the Rio 2016 Olympics.  At one point, Canadian women had won medals in 12 Olympic events and our Canadian men had yet to find the podium.  There appears to be a certain “toughness” about these Canadian women as they lead the way.

I’m not going to suggest the current Canadian women toughness compares to the hardship of the women who came before them; however, there does seem to be a level of determination around these women, especially in the swimming events.  As Canadians, we do not celebrate our successes as other countries do and we almost apologize for success.  Sorry, but it is true!

Every four years we get to see all our Canadian athletes compete.  They train in obscurity (I doubt many knew Penny Oleksiak’s name before the Rio games) and then take the stage, not for the spotlight, but for the pure thrill of doing their personal best.  Some get medals, yet the vast majority do not.  I have to believe the dopers and the cheaters are in the minority and that the clean athletes do prevail, even though they do not always get a medal.  There are some things higher in life than recognition of position.

I’m always impressed with the 10 meter diving.  I suggested to Kathy that I would like to try the backward twisting double back flip finishing out of the pike position.  Kathy thought my life jacket would get in the way!  I cannot swim.

So hats off to our Canadian women and continue to cheer them on.  If medals matter at all, the men will catch fire and perhaps there is a Greg Joy (Montreal 1976) or a Donavon Bailey (Atlanta 1996) just waiting to break out!

My second cup is now empty……………..