Peterborough Ranked 55th Best Places to LIve in Canada. 2012

Money Sense Magazine has release their report on Canada’s Best Places to live in 2012.  The report ranks 190 towns and cities in Canada using categories to compare the pros and cons of urban communities in Canada.

Peterborough ranked as the 55^th for 2012 as the best place to live in Canada. Comparing our rankings in 2011 where Peterborough was ranked 38^th and in 2010, Peterborough was ranked #17. 

I will discuss the criteria for 2012 below and the report does changed some if its 22 separate categories all having different weights given for the answer.  This does make it interesting and at the same time, it becomes a conversation piece as to why communities move up and down on the scale.

Categories and Points

WALK/BIKE TO WORK: Peterborough scored 10.15% ranked 35

7 points – This represents the percentage of people who walked or took their bike to work. Source: 2006 Statistics Canada reports.

WEATHER: Peterborough scored with 110 days of precipitation with 840.3 Mm/year and ranked 15th

 18 points – (6 for each : amount of precipitation, number of wet days, days below 0°C). Ideal volume of precipitation is considered to be 700 mm per year. Source: Environment Canada

AIR QUALITY: Ozone scored in at 27^th, ranked 6th

2 points – One point for parts per million of ozone and one point for levels of suspended fine particulate matter, both of which are major components of smog. Source: Monitoring stations in or nearest to each city as reported by the National Air Pollution Surveillance Network.

POPULATION GROWTH: Peterborough +2.1%, ranked 110

 10 points – Results are based on the average Canadian population growth rate from 2006-2011 of 5.9% plus 2%. Higher growth rates create problems as cities struggle to provide services to growing populations. Lower growth rates means less opportunities. Cities with negative growth received 0 points. Source: 2011 Statistics Canada figures

UNEMPLOYMENT: Peterborough scored 7.3%, ranked 100th

10 points – 2011 data from Statistics Canada when provided and 2012 estimates derived from Canadian Demographics.

HOUSING:Time to buy in Peterborough was 3.40 years, ranked 122

 15 points – (7.5 for average house prices and 7.5 for time to buy a house) House price averages from reports and listings by MLS, Canadian Real Estate Association, and the Real Estate Boards of Toronto, Fraser Valley, Vancouver, Edmonton and Quebec. Time to buy was derived from average price divided by average 2012 estimated household income sourced from Canadian Demographics.

HOUSEHOLD INCOME:Peterborough Average House Price was $257,400, ranked 97^th.

 4 points – Based on 2012 estimates. Source: Canadian Demographics.

DISCRETIONARY INCOME: Peterborough scored 27.75%, ranked 64

4 points – Discretionary household income as a percentage of total household income derived from 2012 estimates. Using a percentage figure adjusts for higher cost of living and tax factors. Source: Canadian Demographics.

NEW CARS: Peterborough scored 13.47, ranked 97

 4 points – 2009-2011 model year vehicles as a percent of total vehicles as per Canadian Demographics.

INCOME TAXES: Peterborough ranked 4^th,

2 points – Cities ranked (lower is better) according to the rate of combined federal and provincial (or territorial) income tax paid on a single person income of $50,000. Source: www.taxtips.ca.

SALES TAXES: Peterborough ranked 4th

1 point – Cities ranked (lower is better) according to the rate of provincial or territorial sales tax.

CRIME: Severity Crime, Peterborough scored 84.0, ranked 100, Violent Crime rate, Peterborough scored 1,040, ranked 66.  Totoal Crime rank, 6.396, ranked 73.

5 points – Violent crime rates (2 points), total crime rates per 100,000 people (2 points) and crime severity rates (1 point) for 2010. (Lower is better in all three cases.) Source: Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics.

DOCTORS: Doctors per 1,000, Peterborough scored 2.21, ranked 91^st.

6 points – Number of general practice and specialist physicians per community and converted to doctors per 1,000 people. Source: Canadian Medical Association

HEALTH PROFESSIONALS: Peterborough scored 3.49%, ranked 54

4 points – Percentage of people in each city who are employed in health occupations. Source: 2006 Census

TRANSIT: Peterborough came in at 2.46%, ranked 86th

5 points – Based on the percentage of the workforce utilizing public transit. Source: 2006 Census

AMENITIES: Peterborough has 1 Hospital, 1 College and 1 University

 3 points – One point each for a hospital, university and college. Cities in a CMA area received credit if a particular institution was located anywhere in the CMA.

CULTURE: Peterborough scored 1.36% and was ranked 69th

Bonus points – A city could receive up to 5 points based on the percentage of people employed in arts, culture, recreation and sports. Source: 2006 Census

Best Places to Live 2012 displays cities’ rankings in each category and total rankings out of 190 cities, not points.

All data and calculations are on this downloadable spreadsheet.

Good to know, especially since rumour has that Canada Post Customer service is headed to India before the New Year

A lot of us do not realize this option is open to us.

Any time you call an 800 number (for a credit card, banking, charter communications,
health and other insurance, computer help desk, etc. ) and you find that you're talking
to a foreign customer service representative (with an accent, difficult to understand
perhaps in India, Philippines, etc), Please consider doing the following:

After you connect and you realize that the Customer Service Representative is
not working in Canada (you can always ask, if you are not sure about the accent),
please, very politely this is not about trashing other cultures.

Say, "I'd like to speak to a Customer Service Representative in Canada."

The rep might suggest talking to his/her manager, But, again, politely say,
"Thank you, but I'd like to speak to a Customer Service Representative in Canada .."
YOU WILL BE IMMEDIATELY CONNECTED TO A REP IN CANADA .

That's the rule and the LAW.
It takes less than one minute to have your call re-directed to Canada .
Tonight when I got redirected to a Canadian Rep, I asked again to make sure
- and yes, she was from Calgary ....

Imagine what would happen if every Canadian Citizen insisted on talking to only
Canadian phone reps, from this day on.

Imagine how that would ultimately impact the number of Canadian jobs that would need
to be created ASAP.

If I tell 10 people to consider this and you tell 10 people to consider doing this -
see what I mean...it becomes an exercise in viral marketing 101.

Remember - the goal here is to restore jobs back here at home - not to be abrupt or rude
to a foreign phone rep. You will get correct answers, good advice, and solutions to your
problem - in real English.

1-999-910-0152

Received a call from 1-999-910-0152.  I was told that they were working together with Microsoft and that I had several bad viruses in my computer and it was about to crash.  I right away started to laugh on the inside. 

The lady of the phone sounded like she was calling from India.  Not being able to contain myself any longer I began to laugh out loud.  I asked how did she get my phone number and she told me when I set up my computer with Microsoft I gave them my phone number.  She would not allow me to phone back because there was no guarantee that I would get her on the phone.

I then asked is it not more important for me to remove the viruses then ensuring she would receive credit on the phone.  Did not matter, I had to deal with her and only her.

To make a long story short I told her that I had a Mac computer so what she has told me thus far was a complete lie.  Needless to say she hung up.

If you get a similar call, just tell them you have a Mac computer and they won't know what to do.
Cheers.

Hydro Smart Meters

If you like smart meters you’re going to love this - more smart meter tax

 
Soon you are going to have to pay for the privilege of having it    forced on you, plus, you guessed it, you are going to have to pay HST   on the extra fee. But not until next year – not something you are   suppose to know about before an election.
 
At least the smart meters were made in Ontario right? Nope made in Korea.   Korea IT Times.
  http://koreaittimes.com/story/15485/smart-meter-shipments-totaled-174-million-units-worldwide-during-1st-quarter-2011
 
 Buried on a footnote on page 1-102, of volume 2a of the 2010 Ontario    Public Accounts is a revelation that Dalton McGuinty’s Minister of    Energy quietly approved a request from the Independent Electricity Systems Operator to apply to the Ontario Energy Board for a new tax called Smart Meter Service Fees.

Page 13 of the Independent Electricity System Operator’s 2011-2013 Business Plan confirms that the Dalton McGuinty Liberals are already budgeting to collect $33 million per year in Smart Meter Service Fees beginning in 2012. Over the next four years, this would cost Ontario families $132 million to run the smart meter super computer.
 
This new Smart Meter Tax will be applied to smart meter hydro bills above and beyond the higher costs of ‘time of use pricing’. Already under Dalton McGuinty, hydro rates have gone up 84 percent and 150 percent for homes with a smart meter, not to mention the $1 billion ($200 per household) price tag that came with installing smart meters.
 
We all need to ask the questions and vote on Thursday October 6. 

Call Centres

Call Centres - The law in Canada
                 
Good to know, especially since rumour has that Canada Post Customer service is Headed to India before the New Year
             
A lot of us do not realize this option is open to us.
             
Any time you call an 800 number(for a credit card, banking, charter communications, health and other insurance, computer help desk, etc. ) and you find that you're talking to a foreign customer service representative(with an accent, difficult to inderstand/ perhaps in India, Philippines, etc),Please consider doing the following:
 
After you connect and you realize that the Customer Service Representative is not working in Canada (you can always ask,  if you are not sure about the accent), please, very politely this is not about trashing other cultures
 
Say, "I'd like to speak to a Customer Service Representative in Canada ."
 
The rep might suggest talking to his/her manager,But, again, politely say, "Thank you, but I'd like to speak to a Customer Service Representative in Canada .."
 
YOU WILL BE IMMEDIATELY CONNECTED TO A REP IN CANADA ..
 
That's the rule and the LAW.
 
It takes less than one minute to have your call re-directed to Canada .
 
Tonight when I got redirected to a Canadian Rep, I asked again to make sure - and yes, she was from Calgary ..
 
Imagine what would happen if every Canadian Citizen insisted on talking to only Canadian phone reps, from this day on.
 
Imagine how that would ultimately impact the number of Canadian jobs that would need to be created ASAP. Let’s slow down and possibly reverse some of our unemployment problems.
       
If I tell 10 people to consider this and you tell 10 people to consider doing this - see what I mean...it becomes an exercise in viral marketing 101.
       
Remember - the goal here is to restore jobs back here at home - not to be abrupt or rude to a foreign phone rep.  
           
You will get correct answers, good advice, and solutions  - in real English.
 
If you agree, please tell 10 people you know, and ask them to tell 10 people they know....etc...etc

Did You Know Nar Survey Of Realtors 2009

Typical REALTOR has 10 years experience
REALTORS in the business for 16 or more years reported that 23% of their business originated with referrals from past clients
Typical REALTOR is affiliated with an office with median of 23 agents
25% of REALTORS have spent 11 or more years with their present firm
60% of REALTORS are female
Median age increased in one year from 52 to 54 years of age
Typical REALTOR is 54 year old white female who attended college and is a homeowner
72% of REALTORS are married
Less than 50% of those surveyed reported that real estate was their primary source of household income
Typical real estate agent has 7 years of experience
82% of REALTORS specialize in residential brokerage
75% of REALTORS use a laptop computer, digital camera, or cell phone daily
Technologies in declining use by REALTORS are non-smart cell phones and fax machines
Technologies in rising use are Smart phones, Instant Messaging, Texting, GPS, and Social Media websites
Email has superseded the phone as the most common means of communication between REALTOR and client
60% of REALTORS have a personal website
35% of REALTORS use Social Media sites regularly although over half those surveyed planned to use Social Media going forward
Only 7% of REALTORS actively blog
REALTORS with 16 years or more experience reported 50% or more of their business from past clients and referrals
44% reported receiving some business from Open Houses
Typical REALTOR received 4 leads from their website in 2008
REALTOR income of $74,000 for those 2 years or less in experience
Typical REALTOR reported working 40 hours a week in 2008


It's Your Career - I'm Here To Support YOU!,

Constantine Isslamow

Real Estate Broker/Mortgage Broker/Manager

Century 21 United Realty Inc. Brokerage/CENTUM Core Financial Inc.

Independently Owned and Operated

www.Twitter.com/ConstantineC21

CENTUM Core Financial Inc. Brokerage License #: 10642 Constantine Isslamow License#: M08005391

Source: 2009 NAR Member Profile Survey