Isn’t it time we stopped deluding ourselves?

I mean really.  Isn’t it time we finally admitted to ourselves, and everyone else, that the Canadian economy is not good?  That it’s tanked?  That we’re really in a recession? And, for that matter, things are not that great in Toronto, either.  I know it’s a tough pill to swallow for folks around here, but it’s time we faced facts.

Every time I turn around another chain of stores is closing.  Big chains,
employing hundreds and sometimes thousands of people.  Independents are here one day and gone tomorrow, as are many restaurants.  Jobs are not plentiful either.

Last Friday I went to one of our largest department stores, The Bay.  I went to the Bloor Street store.  My first stop was the second floor.  I swear I walked from one end of the floor to the other without seeing one sales clerk.  Not one ‘service station’ had a human behind the counter.  Not one.  After 15 minutes I finally saw a stock guy arranging clothes on a rack and I asked him where I could find what I was after.  He told me to go to the third floor.

Same situation up there.  Again I walked the entire floor.  I have to say I was very tempted to take something off a rack and try to get out of the store with it, just to see if that brought anyone out of the woodwork.  Guess I’m just a wimp at heart and the prospect of potentially serving time for shoplifting wasn’t all that appealing.  So I kept searching.

Just as I was about to give up and leave I spotted a woman re-organizing some shelves.  Honestly I didn’t know if she was a staff member or a customer at first, but as I approached I could see she didn’t have a handbag, so I asked if she worked there.  She did.

Sarcastically, I asked her how it felt being a member of an endangered species.  When she stared blankly back at me I realized she didn’t get my little joke.  So I explained:  “I’ve now walked two entire floors from end to end and you are the first human I’ve run into it,” I said.  “No customers, no staff.  Does the Bay actually employ people or has this become a self-serve, take-whatever-you-want-and-make-a-run-for-it store,” I asked.

Why I bothered, I don’t know.  She didn’t give a shit.  And frankly, she didn’t seem all that thrilled about having to get me a dressing room and then cash me out, either.  I guess she’s gotten used to doing nothing and prefers it to actually having to work.

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but none of this bodes well.  But Stephen Harper, our Prime Minister keeps insisting our economy is robust, that nothing’s wrong.  Just like he insists there’s no such thing as climate change.

Never liked him.  Never trusted him.  Never voted for him.  Never changed my mind about him.  The man has got to go!  He cannot be re-elected for yet another term.  I’ll shoot myself, I swear.  And now’s our chance.  We have an election coming up in October.

Saturday’s Globe & Mail had the best front cover of any newspaper, ever.  Masthead at the top.  The rest of the page completely blank, save for a thin red border all around it and, in the top third, a small visual of a classified ad seemingly torn out of a newspaper.  Here’s what it said:

HELP WANTED.  G7 NATION seeks bold leader to rescue ailing economy.  Vision a must.  Prime ministerial experience an asset, but not required.  Housing provided; competitive compensation.  Start date:  Oct. 19.

Bloody f*cking brilliant!  Wouldn’t have thought they had it in them, tell you truth.  Didn’t think they had the balls.

Guess I was wrong.

If they keep this up I may have to re-subscribe.