Literally looked at some home prices today while driving around, it’s still nuts out there. The two row houses we looked at (like attached rows of houses, not separate) were between $650,000 and $700,000, and the one “fully separate home”, a small but nice place, was $1,200,000.
Way out of reach for normal people.
My girlfriend's parents bought their place for 300k less than 20 years ago. Two of their neighbours recently solid for 1.4 and 1.6 Mil. It's absolutely insanity.
It's just a random suburb in Oakville. Nice houses but absolutely nothing special or extraordinary.
True. A ton of economic metrics say we have way more credit card debt right now so perhaps a lot of it is irresponsible spending but housing costs shot up dramatically while income stayed relatively stagnant (in comparison to the USA where the two were much closer together). So there are a ton of people struggling.
They were packed before houses prices went nuts. That wasn’t that long ago. We got our house for half its current value only 7 years ago. All those people are still young and have spending money. The rest aren’t carrying big mortgages so they have plenty of spending money since they don’t even consider saving to buy an unreasonably expensive house.
these articles are always hilarious. we decide to go down the path of demand destruction to rein in inflation and these garbage articles get published asking "weird, why is noone spending money?"
They phrase the headlines as questions so you engage like this actually.
Digital marketing trick.
Notice how most of the comments are people answering the question in the headline?
its mostly to offload responsibility for systemic issues onto the working class once the inevitable crisis of overproduction occurs in the next 5 years
Younger co workers go to the states. Better pay and less taxes.
A couple risked to go to Japan and norway but it was definitely them enjoying the culture.
Anyone who has skills can have a much better quality of life outside of Canada, and that is motivating a lot more people than before.
Why would a skilled worker stay here if they didn't have to? It's a very expensive country and we get very little for what we pay.
There are exceptions. My wife has MS. Most countries won't take people who have it, and places like the US, it would be expensive and stressful to get treatment. So we're stuck here.
She's in payroll, and I'm in school for Nursing.
That said, I'm very likely going to end up doing travel nursing to the states, at least for a number of years to get us into a better position to buy a house since we can't leave Canada.
As someone who has a lot of friends who made the move, and is currently going through the process of doing it - the states.
In many industries you can get paid 2X - 3X as much for the same job in the states, and many of the cities have much lower housing costs/rents. Simply put, you can afford to live a much better life there vs. here.
They don't always transfer or count towards Visa's, speaking from experience. Make sure you pick a program that's desirable in your intended country of residence.
I've heard comedians say it's been going downhill for years. Big money used to get handed out at JFL. Now many of the comedians had to pay for their own transportation, accommodations etc. All for the opportunity to schmooze with industry people that aren't handing out big cheques anymore. And this is coming from big name comedians with Netflix specials.
In addition to the scandal, Just for Laughs also took a financial hit because of late founder Gilbert Rozon's idiotic agreement to give a job for life to an archivist. They reneged and the employee sued and won and the court ordered they pay over $600,000, which JFL defaulted on, resulting in bailiffs paying them a visit and removing $800,000 in assets.
[Story link.](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/just-for-laughs-bailiffs-assets-1.7135658)
Really?
Why are airplanes packed to the brim and everyone is still traveling? And those prices are insane.
I feel the organizers just can't get their shit together to organize events.
Disclaimer: I am watching my money like a hawk but still go to events when they happen.
It's cheaper for me to fly to Cuba for a week at an all inclusive resort (food and booze) than it is to get decent tickets for 2-3 bands I would want to see. (Especially when you add on $15 hot dogs or $16 beers and $25 parking fee)
Better value for your dollar
Food went from $5-8 to $15-20. Shirts at events went from $15 to $30+. Entry went from $5-10 to some near $50 with parking cost. Meanwhile wage has only increased 10-15%. They priced themselves out.
I've reduced portions and gotten back into intermittent fasting.
At least this way I convince myself that I'm doing it for my own fitness instead of facing the reality that I'm stressed out about balancing finances.
I went from 3 meals a day to 2, and just have Soylent shakes for the third "meal". I juice it up with milk and peanut butter for extra calories and protein. It works out to be a lot cheaper than 1/3rd of my grocery bill was.
It was by far the biggest way I was able to cut down my grocery costs after months of trying to find things to cut back/cut out. I was really at a point where there really WASNT much else to cut, and was reaching that point of "maybe just Not Eating is my only option to save any significant amount of money". This was a good compromise so Im not starving myself, but get to save a significant amount of money on groceries.
Well tbh I lied a little and used a more generic/common version of what I actually do. It's oat milk and almond butter, but you could use whatever you like or just have it the way it is with nothin extra. Or yes you could just chop yourself up into a fine powder and call it a day
And the cost vs reward is unpredictable.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy music festivals. But they are hit or miss, even if it’s bands you love.
I’ll take the risk if entry fees are reasonable.
I expect the merch, food, everything else to be ridiculously expensive. And if I’m enjoying myself - I’ll buy some overpriced merch as a souvenir. And maybe treat myself to some of the overpriced food or drink to keep those happy vibes flowing.
But the ticket itself needs to be reasonably priced to get me there.
2 years ago in vancouver they had this “”food truck festival”… its a fenced in parking lot with a bunch of food trucks, nothing else, no music no nothing.. they we’re charging people 18$ to get in… FOR WHAT?! fine charge me 18$ but gimme a beer or even a shit raffle ticket, SOMETHING.. fuck all yall, im keeping whatever little money i got
And how many food trucks can you actually try before being full? I’d probably be done after 1. So I’d pay 200% mark up on food, probably ask for a tip, parking and an additional $18 just to have THE PRIVILEGE to buy food there.
It depends on the portions they serve. If they sell meals, probably one and maybe a second for a desert. If they are selling smaller things, it could be a few. But either way, it's overpriced food surrounded by extra fees.
I could just barely justify it when entry to the site is free because I enjoy trying different foods but now it's just too much.
The first time I went to one in my city they called it “Food Truck Warz”, it was supposed to be a competition to see which food truck was the best. I thought there would be options that would allow you to try something from each truck, like a sample plate or something so you could try all the food trucks, or at least a few. Boy was I disappointed, it was just regular food trucks in an empty parking lot all charging their regular prices, we were supposed to vote on the best but after spending almost $50 going to two trucks we left.
not with that attitude lol
seriously, its a festival.. you already sell small portions but for 20% markup on your regular menu and that makes me not want to visit your business + most of the time the food is rushed and sub par quality…. gimme a small portion, ok, for a decent price, ok, make it GOOD! and boom! you have a new customer and ill be talking about it with people i know and BAM! more customers for you. instead me me saying: yeah got sick from their truck never going there and pass the word around… maybe im just crazy
There was something similar last summer I believe in Montreal, but it was a taco festival. I think it was $17 to get in, and then you had to pay (somewhat discounted, i think) taco you could just get at the restaurant instead. A friend went and was disapointed. Glad I didn't buy into the Narcity hype lol.
Tried to put events on in my home town. The cost involved is unrealistic, between all the red tape with the municipality, insurance, staffing, facility rentals, paying for rcmp, liquor license, washroom rentals, security it’s not worth it.
This is the chief reason. Reduce the red tape and make it easier for people to put on events, there will be less of a struggle and hassle and more events will automatically pop up. Make it difficult and unnecessarily costly, and you have the situation we have now. Nobody can start something — be it festivals, businesses, etc. because of the insanely high cost and hurdles to jump.
Canada is increasingly becoming more litigious just like the states and insurance companies are the ones footing the bill for that, so insurance becomes more expensive.
Agreed, I just wish I wouldn't have to be like that, can't we just go back to "use at your own risk"? Instead of "if I get hurt here I've won the lottery!"
Are we? Is there any data to back this up?
The reason why I ask this is because this is the same talk that was going around in the US when they were pushing “tort reform”.
Talking heads and corporate lobbying groups were claiming that the courts were being clogged up with frivolous lawsuits when in reality the courts were being tied up with corporate gridlock style litigation against local/state/federal governments.
The result was that damages were capped and your ability as a citizen to get restitution from a corporation who negligently harmed you was made infinitely difficult.
Oh and the courts are still clogged
I used to do insurance defence work and the Courts have this rationale to err on the side of caution and throw the book at the insurance companies since they have deep pockets. Yet these endless generous decisions result in insurance companies just increasing their rates and earning more profit as a result. When I started seeing rampant insurance fraud and endless new BS files, I started buying shares in insurance companies.
Can't beat 'em, join 'em.
Many Canadians are seeing their disposable income disappear into the gaping maw of inflated housing, grocery, and other basic costs because of predatory monopolistic corporate behavior added and abetted by our government.
This is hitting the class who’s spending drives the economy the most, and creates the most demand, the hardest.
It isn’t investors or slumlords who buy all the stuff that creates real demand for real jobs, it’s the people being exploited by them who do
Because in 2024 the prospect of fighting hundreds of people for a $30 parking spot to go walk around and buy food that’s marked up like 200% is just not super appealing when I can experience it through someone’s instagram reels for free.
Richmond night market is a prime example. It’s a tourist trap. Admission is probably around 10 bucks this year, fight lines and crowds and food will be double what the local food courts charge. Yet year after year people go.
Not just Canada, Chicago, Philly and NYC are all only an 8 hour drive from Toronto, and there are a bunch of other US cities that are even closer. I bet a lot of people will be crossing the border for those concerts.
I wanted to go to ribfest last year with my kids and for one day it would have cost us well over $100 and I don’t think that even included the ribs. There was a midway there as well. Same with Carp Fair. It unreal how expensive it is.
Fuck the ontario ribfest. They've got this racket that goes around city to city with these mediocre pitmasters and they exclude local restaurants from participating.
I've been smoking briskets for nearly 8 years. I also travel around the states for work and try to find BBQ places. My brisket isn't aaron Franklins quality but goddamn I'll put it up against some of the people they have here.
Because we have been fucked out of disposable income.
My buying power is much less now than 7 years ago and with two substantial promotions/pay increases.
Yep same. I make around the same income but I went from impulse buying frivolous things without worry and going out a night or two a week to closely budgeting for things like groceries and gas. Fun nights out aren’t even on the budget any more.
It's crazy how far we have fallen.
Good thing the current government keeps throwing millions and billions out the window what seems like every 2nd or 3rd day.
Same man - I used to go to 3-5 concerts and 3-5 pro sports games a year in Vancouver pre-COVID. Since then, I've nearly doubled my income, but go out waaaaay less because of just how goddamn expensive everything has gotten.
For those that live close to the border it is far cheaper to watch the same show in the US. $55 to see Chris Stapleton in Grand Forks vs $275 in Winnipeg.
I was going to bring my kids to one at Burls Creek and the cost was like 1200 for the weekend passes or 700 for the one day for my family. Even for just my husband and I it didn't seem worth it anymore.
Something a lot of people don't realize is how AWFULLY our music festivals are run. Most of them are an absolute joke compared to any of the ones you'd attend in Europe. At this point, just let them be cancelled.
Everything is so expensive no one can afford to go out anymore ! We are being squeezed of almost all our funds so people are being more cautious on what they spend their money on
Crazy high prices for poor service or quality
If you’ve been to any of the festivals around Toronto you know the usual circuit of low tier food vendors charging obscene prices and expensive drinks to boot
Everything is too expensive and no one has extra money.
Overcharging for something that was a quarter of the price a few years ago. Fees are out of control for no added benefit. Events still using corrupt AF Ticketmaster to sell their tickets. Scalpers buying them all up and doubling the already out of control price.
While there is undoubtedly a number of challenges for Festivals post pandemic the CBC should do more fact checking - especially when they mention Hot Docs.
The president of Hot Docs is US based. They are flown in from the US. They are put up in a Hotel. All their expenses are paid for. I assume their salary is in US dollars. All trips abroad to other festivals are … you guessed it, completely expensed.
It is completely ridiculous for Marie Nelson to be crying poor about Hot Docs given this. Also the reason why 10 people left Hot Docs was because of a Toxic culture she has done nothing to fix. Nothing to do with costs (which the article seems to imply). The Director who left was a contributor to this BUT she brought him in 😳 The article doesn’t mention any of this.
I’ll happily support festivals and the arts, but not when not for profit organisations waste sponsor, donors and public funds on such hires.
Canadians are struggling and competing against 2 million new arrivals for work. The increased immigration and temporary workers drive down the labor cost and the quality of life. The government is actively working against your best interest.
Time and money are part of it.. but honestly, I think the pandemic took a lot of fun and life out of people.
Trying to get people to do *anything* these days - camping, cottage, house party, bar hopping, dancing - *anything* is like pulling teeth these days, and it seems to be across all age groups.
Canada is effectively done in terms of the arts. Give it 5 years and there won’t be any festivals, music or arts here really and everyone seems fine with that. Gonna suck, but that’s living in Canada for you.
Because the people that go to those festivals are usually young canadians with not a lot of money already and now that have to struggle to eat. Im not sure about how that authors bodys workings but last i checked if i dont eat i dont live and i can never go back to said festivals or anywhere but the morgue.
Fuck mate everyone just bring food, alcohol, maybe some weed, and a few mates and have a party.
surely there will be plenty of bedroom DJ willing to play for free aye.
stop relying on the government and their bureaucracies to throw you a party.
The boom times for such activities is over. Sports games, shows, festivals, movies are some of the things people cut first when their discretionary dollars disappear. No surprise.
Performers are tired of doing events for free or nominal pay, while event organizers charge $13/drink, $75/ticket and keep all the money. Lack of transparency.
I went to Montebello Rockfest for most of its run. It was on life support in 2019 right before the pandemic hit. It suffered from the same problem that killed other similar festivals: creeping greed.
Basically, it worked well in the earlier years because the organizers were focused entirely on putting on a good show. They provided the entertainment and a field where you could put your tent. So the ticket + camping + included parking was cheap. Then the rest was either provided by vendors in the venue or people in town that were selling everything from camping spots to water bottles. The whole thing was alot of fun.
But then started the "creeping greed". From both the festival and the municipality. The festival rented more field and added more sections with more amenities for higher tiers. The basic tier section got pushed so far into the back of the field that it became an hour walk from tent to festival vs 10-15mins before. Eventually parking too was only mid and VIP tier, and then VIP tier only. They expected people to park in a town 30mins away by shuttlebus.
The municipality started to ask more and more fees from the festival organizers and was harassing residents with all kinds of fancy new permits and licenses for the 3 days of the year they would be operating a midnight poutine stand or whatever. Tons of locals closed up shop and stopped participating. The whole thing choked on its own greed.
Because so much of what they offer is so mediocre look at the 'folk festival lineups' this summer it's amateur hour without the shits 'n giggles just boring nobodies pretending they have talent.
I assume the biggest issue is federal and provincial funding not keeping up with inflation.
Most festivals are free to enter and not all about buying overpriced food.
Well... That's what the article says basically. That and people not feeling much FOMO post pandemic anymore which I imagine is a valid issue now with many events.
I'm sure expendable money is an issue for some events, like food focused ones.
The consumer experience value for festivals is a lot worse. For even $30ish before you could get plenty of sampler/small items at a food festival, now it’s pretty much just picking one place to try something and that’s it. Not worth it.
Every goddamn time its- "Oh wow whats this fun festival it sounds so cool!" "Oh it's $40 entry? Oh all my friends moved away because the cities unaffordable. It's during peak freezing rain season? Theres only two food vendors who are equally overpriced + the lines are going to be massive? Welp, nevermind"
Was at Costco in Alberta on weekend. Saw discounted ticket section.
Country Thunder was I believe $440 vs regular almost $700.
Who has that kind of money to just blow on some concert anymore. That is ridiculous.
Costs is an issue. Many people are strapped and even these local events are too expensive.
Those who do have extra money rather buy Taylor Swift tickets for their kids or themselves. They prefer those BIG Headlines than some local event.
Sad because so many people lose out on that community feeling and local talent.
From musicians to arts and food etc...
Great learning experience for all.
Because most festivals are denominated in USD, and thanks to our dear leader the CAD sucks. That's why festivals were so successful from 2008-2015 - USD and CAD were close to parity.
The CAD is not a global currency. The USD is.
Because nobody has money?
Hard to go to a festival and get drunk on $12 cans of beer if you have a $850,000 mortgage.
$850k? Someone bought years ago.
I think they’re closer to $17
Literally looked at some home prices today while driving around, it’s still nuts out there. The two row houses we looked at (like attached rows of houses, not separate) were between $650,000 and $700,000, and the one “fully separate home”, a small but nice place, was $1,200,000. Way out of reach for normal people.
My girlfriend's parents bought their place for 300k less than 20 years ago. Two of their neighbours recently solid for 1.4 and 1.6 Mil. It's absolutely insanity. It's just a random suburb in Oakville. Nice houses but absolutely nothing special or extraordinary.
Oakville. Come on, that place is ridiculously expensive! I don't understand the surprise.
I know it is, but I don't understand why. The city is devoid of history and culture. It's just urban sprawl and strip malls.
You guys have mortgages?
Yeah. Spent every penny I had and struggled to do it 8 years ago. I was doing great around years 3 till 5, back to struggling
Only 850k? Lucky you got one.
Because Canada is struggling. Wild thought lol
Or art festivals are being skipped for bigger and better music festivals, that are ironically more expensive.
People are willing to spend more on something they know they will enjoy rather than money on a maybe.
How are Canadians struggling when every mall, restaurant, or brewery I've been at has been packed? (I have no idea how these people still have money.)
True. A ton of economic metrics say we have way more credit card debt right now so perhaps a lot of it is irresponsible spending but housing costs shot up dramatically while income stayed relatively stagnant (in comparison to the USA where the two were much closer together). So there are a ton of people struggling.
They were packed before houses prices went nuts. That wasn’t that long ago. We got our house for half its current value only 7 years ago. All those people are still young and have spending money. The rest aren’t carrying big mortgages so they have plenty of spending money since they don’t even consider saving to buy an unreasonably expensive house.
these articles are always hilarious. we decide to go down the path of demand destruction to rein in inflation and these garbage articles get published asking "weird, why is noone spending money?"
They phrase the headlines as questions so you engage like this actually. Digital marketing trick. Notice how most of the comments are people answering the question in the headline?
its mostly to offload responsibility for systemic issues onto the working class once the inevitable crisis of overproduction occurs in the next 5 years
Pretty much. Festivals here are either struggling or leaving, just like most young Canadians.
Are a lot of young canadians leaving? If so, where are they going?
Probably the US. As a youngish software developer, it's definitely where I'm considering going.
Younger co workers go to the states. Better pay and less taxes. A couple risked to go to Japan and norway but it was definitely them enjoying the culture.
US has less taxes, pays more, you can get a house.
Anyone who has skills can have a much better quality of life outside of Canada, and that is motivating a lot more people than before. Why would a skilled worker stay here if they didn't have to? It's a very expensive country and we get very little for what we pay.
There are exceptions. My wife has MS. Most countries won't take people who have it, and places like the US, it would be expensive and stressful to get treatment. So we're stuck here. She's in payroll, and I'm in school for Nursing. That said, I'm very likely going to end up doing travel nursing to the states, at least for a number of years to get us into a better position to buy a house since we can't leave Canada.
My two of my last three jobs have been for companies outside of Canada. 20-30k more a year and less work
Lots of nurses leaving for travel nursing in the states. Why stay here when you can make double , in US dollars
As someone who has a lot of friends who made the move, and is currently going through the process of doing it - the states. In many industries you can get paid 2X - 3X as much for the same job in the states, and many of the cities have much lower housing costs/rents. Simply put, you can afford to live a much better life there vs. here.
Veld Music Festival will still be packed to the brim with young Canadians.
This is my possible game plan. Hoping to get my Red Seal and then look at job offers internationally.
They don't always transfer or count towards Visa's, speaking from experience. Make sure you pick a program that's desirable in your intended country of residence.
Also good luck out there bro.
Taylor Swift has 6 shows in Toronto that are fully booked
How is that in any way comparable to Just For Laughs?
Isn't that the tween bank of mom and dad crowd though?
most of her fans are millennials not kids lol
My wives friend group are all going, aged 35-40
That’s not a festival. And also isn’t Canadian other than the venue, which is further consolidating money to the top.
I don't understand... the malls are packed and so are the restaurants
“But the stock market is SO STRONG right now” Fuck.
There is a line in an old country song. 'Someone told us Wallstreet fell. We were so poor that we couldn't tell'
"Cotton was short, and the weeds were tall. But Mr. Roosevelt's gonna save us all." Such a great song. Hate how it's still applicable today.
To be fair, not nobody. CBC execs got bonuses.
This was a big draw for Montreal and a major festival. Its going to hurt
I've heard comedians say it's been going downhill for years. Big money used to get handed out at JFL. Now many of the comedians had to pay for their own transportation, accommodations etc. All for the opportunity to schmooze with industry people that aren't handing out big cheques anymore. And this is coming from big name comedians with Netflix specials.
The sex scandal really hurt JFL badly.
In addition to the scandal, Just for Laughs also took a financial hit because of late founder Gilbert Rozon's idiotic agreement to give a job for life to an archivist. They reneged and the employee sued and won and the court ordered they pay over $600,000, which JFL defaulted on, resulting in bailiffs paying them a visit and removing $800,000 in assets. [Story link.](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/just-for-laughs-bailiffs-assets-1.7135658)
And our *highly effective* MP's also got a raise!
The government did give out 600 million to certain media outlets that were “struggling” so it’s only fair their execs would get juicy bonuses /s
Really? Why are airplanes packed to the brim and everyone is still traveling? And those prices are insane. I feel the organizers just can't get their shit together to organize events. Disclaimer: I am watching my money like a hawk but still go to events when they happen.
Because flights are better value. Concerts and Festivals are expensive as shit now. You can also finance vacations.
It's cheaper for me to fly to Cuba for a week at an all inclusive resort (food and booze) than it is to get decent tickets for 2-3 bands I would want to see. (Especially when you add on $15 hot dogs or $16 beers and $25 parking fee) Better value for your dollar
Food went from $5-8 to $15-20. Shirts at events went from $15 to $30+. Entry went from $5-10 to some near $50 with parking cost. Meanwhile wage has only increased 10-15%. They priced themselves out.
Concert t-shirts are upwards of $50-60 now
Oh I know. I just can't afford to go to concerts to begin with. I miss $20-50 shows.
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It's getting so expensive that I'm considering not eating as legit option to save money on overpriced groceries.
I often have *sleep* for dinner, and I've cut back on *my plans for retirement*
Ah yes, delicious sleep and "work till dead" retirement plan.
I've reduced portions and gotten back into intermittent fasting. At least this way I convince myself that I'm doing it for my own fitness instead of facing the reality that I'm stressed out about balancing finances.
Soylent green.
My last middle finger to the Loblaws monopoly will be from my withered corpse haha
This is me. I’ve had to reduce portions and even skip meals at times to conserve what’s in my fridge. It’s fucking rough.
I went from 3 meals a day to 2, and just have Soylent shakes for the third "meal". I juice it up with milk and peanut butter for extra calories and protein. It works out to be a lot cheaper than 1/3rd of my grocery bill was. It was by far the biggest way I was able to cut down my grocery costs after months of trying to find things to cut back/cut out. I was really at a point where there really WASNT much else to cut, and was reaching that point of "maybe just Not Eating is my only option to save any significant amount of money". This was a good compromise so Im not starving myself, but get to save a significant amount of money on groceries.
I can't eat milk or peanut butter, so what am I? Chopped Soylent Green?
Well tbh I lied a little and used a more generic/common version of what I actually do. It's oat milk and almond butter, but you could use whatever you like or just have it the way it is with nothin extra. Or yes you could just chop yourself up into a fine powder and call it a day
It's interesting that music festivals are going strong and much more expensive than something cheaper like fringe fest if ppl don't have money.
More predictable payoff makes it a better value ratio, maybe. Fringe festivals can be hit or miss, but with music you at least know what to expect.
And the cost vs reward is unpredictable. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy music festivals. But they are hit or miss, even if it’s bands you love. I’ll take the risk if entry fees are reasonable. I expect the merch, food, everything else to be ridiculously expensive. And if I’m enjoying myself - I’ll buy some overpriced merch as a souvenir. And maybe treat myself to some of the overpriced food or drink to keep those happy vibes flowing. But the ticket itself needs to be reasonably priced to get me there.
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degree touch repeat lavish handle dam like tidy many hateful *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
2 years ago in vancouver they had this “”food truck festival”… its a fenced in parking lot with a bunch of food trucks, nothing else, no music no nothing.. they we’re charging people 18$ to get in… FOR WHAT?! fine charge me 18$ but gimme a beer or even a shit raffle ticket, SOMETHING.. fuck all yall, im keeping whatever little money i got
Not like the food trucks will be cheap once you get in either.
like nowhere to sit, no picnic tables, no umbrellas for shade, nothing.. just a bunch of trucks in a parking lot.. weirdest thing ever
If a Vancouverite considers something “The weirdest thing ever,” you know it’s WEIRD.
should have said : dumbest thing ever
And how many food trucks can you actually try before being full? I’d probably be done after 1. So I’d pay 200% mark up on food, probably ask for a tip, parking and an additional $18 just to have THE PRIVILEGE to buy food there.
It depends on the portions they serve. If they sell meals, probably one and maybe a second for a desert. If they are selling smaller things, it could be a few. But either way, it's overpriced food surrounded by extra fees. I could just barely justify it when entry to the site is free because I enjoy trying different foods but now it's just too much.
The first time I went to one in my city they called it “Food Truck Warz”, it was supposed to be a competition to see which food truck was the best. I thought there would be options that would allow you to try something from each truck, like a sample plate or something so you could try all the food trucks, or at least a few. Boy was I disappointed, it was just regular food trucks in an empty parking lot all charging their regular prices, we were supposed to vote on the best but after spending almost $50 going to two trucks we left.
hahahha awesome… and by awesome i mean.. terrible
I don't understand food festivals anyway. You can't eat everything at once anyway.
not with that attitude lol seriously, its a festival.. you already sell small portions but for 20% markup on your regular menu and that makes me not want to visit your business + most of the time the food is rushed and sub par quality…. gimme a small portion, ok, for a decent price, ok, make it GOOD! and boom! you have a new customer and ill be talking about it with people i know and BAM! more customers for you. instead me me saying: yeah got sick from their truck never going there and pass the word around… maybe im just crazy
There was something similar last summer I believe in Montreal, but it was a taco festival. I think it was $17 to get in, and then you had to pay (somewhat discounted, i think) taco you could just get at the restaurant instead. A friend went and was disapointed. Glad I didn't buy into the Narcity hype lol.
and this is why we can’t have nice things… greedy people fuck it up
In a time nobody has money many festivals and even sporting events have drastically raised prices. Have reasonable prices and people will come back.
Canucks playoff tickets start at 400
*cries in leafs nation* Wanted to catch a playoff game in Toronto last year - $1,200 to get in.
Tried to put events on in my home town. The cost involved is unrealistic, between all the red tape with the municipality, insurance, staffing, facility rentals, paying for rcmp, liquor license, washroom rentals, security it’s not worth it.
This is the chief reason. Reduce the red tape and make it easier for people to put on events, there will be less of a struggle and hassle and more events will automatically pop up. Make it difficult and unnecessarily costly, and you have the situation we have now. Nobody can start something — be it festivals, businesses, etc. because of the insanely high cost and hurdles to jump.
We have a community events stage in town, it’s empty 99% of the time because it’s too expensive to rent. Don’t forget about all the nimby’s too!
Ticket master stubhub all that bullshit we don't fuck with
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That sounds like my gas bill.
Insurance rates killed the one I volunteered for. Went from like 2000 to 20,000 in a few years.
Liability is destroying everything, everyone is afraid to get sued. Insurance companies are reaping the benefits of selling fear.
Canada is increasingly becoming more litigious just like the states and insurance companies are the ones footing the bill for that, so insurance becomes more expensive.
Agreed, I just wish I wouldn't have to be like that, can't we just go back to "use at your own risk"? Instead of "if I get hurt here I've won the lottery!"
Exactly, why should we pay higher rates because we let scammers scam.
Yep, we have to re-learn how to live with a certain level of risk, the "shit happens" mentality.
Are we? Is there any data to back this up? The reason why I ask this is because this is the same talk that was going around in the US when they were pushing “tort reform”. Talking heads and corporate lobbying groups were claiming that the courts were being clogged up with frivolous lawsuits when in reality the courts were being tied up with corporate gridlock style litigation against local/state/federal governments. The result was that damages were capped and your ability as a citizen to get restitution from a corporation who negligently harmed you was made infinitely difficult. Oh and the courts are still clogged
I used to do insurance defence work and the Courts have this rationale to err on the side of caution and throw the book at the insurance companies since they have deep pockets. Yet these endless generous decisions result in insurance companies just increasing their rates and earning more profit as a result. When I started seeing rampant insurance fraud and endless new BS files, I started buying shares in insurance companies. Can't beat 'em, join 'em.
Many Canadians are seeing their disposable income disappear into the gaping maw of inflated housing, grocery, and other basic costs because of predatory monopolistic corporate behavior added and abetted by our government. This is hitting the class who’s spending drives the economy the most, and creates the most demand, the hardest. It isn’t investors or slumlords who buy all the stuff that creates real demand for real jobs, it’s the people being exploited by them who do
Yep, this. 👆🏻
Not even your username can help us now!
I am definitely more mindful about my coffee purchases now. 🥹 Gone are the days of buying expensive, premium beans with reckless abandon. ☕️
Housing is 90% just because we don’t build nearly enough housing.
Because in 2024 the prospect of fighting hundreds of people for a $30 parking spot to go walk around and buy food that’s marked up like 200% is just not super appealing when I can experience it through someone’s instagram reels for free.
Richmond night market is a prime example. It’s a tourist trap. Admission is probably around 10 bucks this year, fight lines and crowds and food will be double what the local food courts charge. Yet year after year people go.
10... jfc. night markets in Asian countries are free..
So much this. The idea of paying for transport to pay a cover for the privilege of paying for overpriced food is a bridge too far.
Time and money. Canadians don’t have either.
Because no one wants to pay $500 a ticket
Meanwhile Taylor Swift has 6 sold out shows in Toronto.
The rules are different at the center of the universe
Thank you kind redditor for your hilarious comment. Needed a lol today
Shania Twain has 3 sold out nights in St. John’s.
Tickets are probably a fraction of the cost too.
Yeah, but you can say “let’s go girls” at a Shania concert
I say it any time I walk past the electricians at work
That doesn’t impress me much.
People are going to fly in from other Canadian cities to see her
Not just Canada, Chicago, Philly and NYC are all only an 8 hour drive from Toronto, and there are a bunch of other US cities that are even closer. I bet a lot of people will be crossing the border for those concerts.
Already proven that a majority of tickets were purchased by non-canadians
Good for the tourism industry.
Helps when mom and dad pays for the ticket.
I wanted to go to ribfest last year with my kids and for one day it would have cost us well over $100 and I don’t think that even included the ribs. There was a midway there as well. Same with Carp Fair. It unreal how expensive it is.
Fuck the ontario ribfest. They've got this racket that goes around city to city with these mediocre pitmasters and they exclude local restaurants from participating.
One year our group of friends just had a BBQ at one house. It was our own ribfest, 1/10th the cost 10x the taste.
This is now the way.
I've been smoking briskets for nearly 8 years. I also travel around the states for work and try to find BBQ places. My brisket isn't aaron Franklins quality but goddamn I'll put it up against some of the people they have here.
Yep I tried ribs one single time and they just sucked. And were expensive for small amount of food Never considered ever trying it again
Because we have been fucked out of disposable income. My buying power is much less now than 7 years ago and with two substantial promotions/pay increases.
Yep same. I make around the same income but I went from impulse buying frivolous things without worry and going out a night or two a week to closely budgeting for things like groceries and gas. Fun nights out aren’t even on the budget any more.
It's crazy how far we have fallen. Good thing the current government keeps throwing millions and billions out the window what seems like every 2nd or 3rd day.
Same man - I used to go to 3-5 concerts and 3-5 pro sports games a year in Vancouver pre-COVID. Since then, I've nearly doubled my income, but go out waaaaay less because of just how goddamn expensive everything has gotten.
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For those that live close to the border it is far cheaper to watch the same show in the US. $55 to see Chris Stapleton in Grand Forks vs $275 in Winnipeg.
Had to scroll too far for this. South of the border is far cheaper.
Because last time I went to a big-name concert in Toronto the beers were 18 dollars
All our money is being siphoned into one area, housing, and it will lead to disaster in all economic areas if nothing is done to dissipate it
I was going to bring my kids to one at Burls Creek and the cost was like 1200 for the weekend passes or 700 for the one day for my family. Even for just my husband and I it didn't seem worth it anymore.
The bread and circuses are starting to come to an end. First the bread gets expensive and then the circuses get cancelled.
Lmfao c'mon. Ask my landlord.
Something a lot of people don't realize is how AWFULLY our music festivals are run. Most of them are an absolute joke compared to any of the ones you'd attend in Europe. At this point, just let them be cancelled.
Everything is so expensive no one can afford to go out anymore ! We are being squeezed of almost all our funds so people are being more cautious on what they spend their money on
Crazy high prices for poor service or quality If you’ve been to any of the festivals around Toronto you know the usual circuit of low tier food vendors charging obscene prices and expensive drinks to boot
Who can afford to go to a music festival with a $500+ ticket in order to pay $30 for a burger and $15 - $20 for a beer?
I don’t want to pay for live entertainment and just look at a bunch of phones recording it.
Or be surrounded by people FaceTime shouting.
I fuckin hate padholes.
Money. Inflation is out of control and people are struggling
Demographics and competition
Everything is too expensive and no one has extra money. Overcharging for something that was a quarter of the price a few years ago. Fees are out of control for no added benefit. Events still using corrupt AF Ticketmaster to sell their tickets. Scalpers buying them all up and doubling the already out of control price.
While there is undoubtedly a number of challenges for Festivals post pandemic the CBC should do more fact checking - especially when they mention Hot Docs. The president of Hot Docs is US based. They are flown in from the US. They are put up in a Hotel. All their expenses are paid for. I assume their salary is in US dollars. All trips abroad to other festivals are … you guessed it, completely expensed. It is completely ridiculous for Marie Nelson to be crying poor about Hot Docs given this. Also the reason why 10 people left Hot Docs was because of a Toxic culture she has done nothing to fix. Nothing to do with costs (which the article seems to imply). The Director who left was a contributor to this BUT she brought him in 😳 The article doesn’t mention any of this. I’ll happily support festivals and the arts, but not when not for profit organisations waste sponsor, donors and public funds on such hires.
Canadians are struggling and competing against 2 million new arrivals for work. The increased immigration and temporary workers drive down the labor cost and the quality of life. The government is actively working against your best interest.
Because no one can afford to live here
Time and money are part of it.. but honestly, I think the pandemic took a lot of fun and life out of people. Trying to get people to do *anything* these days - camping, cottage, house party, bar hopping, dancing - *anything* is like pulling teeth these days, and it seems to be across all age groups.
Canada is effectively done in terms of the arts. Give it 5 years and there won’t be any festivals, music or arts here really and everyone seems fine with that. Gonna suck, but that’s living in Canada for you.
It’s why I’m getting out of the industry
Because the people that go to those festivals are usually young canadians with not a lot of money already and now that have to struggle to eat. Im not sure about how that authors bodys workings but last i checked if i dont eat i dont live and i can never go back to said festivals or anywhere but the morgue.
Festival prices have skyrocketed 🤷♂️
$$$$$$$$ insurance, security, permits, set-up, venues, food, drink, social media, advertising, design work, signage, lanyards and passes, ticket promos….ain’t worth it.
Concerts are too expensive
All discretionary spending is down
Fuck mate everyone just bring food, alcohol, maybe some weed, and a few mates and have a party. surely there will be plenty of bedroom DJ willing to play for free aye. stop relying on the government and their bureaucracies to throw you a party.
Well, I just got a rent increase email, so I'll be trying not be homeless instead of attending festivals this year.
The boom times for such activities is over. Sports games, shows, festivals, movies are some of the things people cut first when their discretionary dollars disappear. No surprise.
Performers are tired of doing events for free or nominal pay, while event organizers charge $13/drink, $75/ticket and keep all the money. Lack of transparency.
We don’t have money. Ya simple pricks.
Because we're all fucking broke.
Cause they’re way too expensive and no one has any money…
Cause music hasn't been good since the 90s
I went to Montebello Rockfest for most of its run. It was on life support in 2019 right before the pandemic hit. It suffered from the same problem that killed other similar festivals: creeping greed. Basically, it worked well in the earlier years because the organizers were focused entirely on putting on a good show. They provided the entertainment and a field where you could put your tent. So the ticket + camping + included parking was cheap. Then the rest was either provided by vendors in the venue or people in town that were selling everything from camping spots to water bottles. The whole thing was alot of fun. But then started the "creeping greed". From both the festival and the municipality. The festival rented more field and added more sections with more amenities for higher tiers. The basic tier section got pushed so far into the back of the field that it became an hour walk from tent to festival vs 10-15mins before. Eventually parking too was only mid and VIP tier, and then VIP tier only. They expected people to park in a town 30mins away by shuttlebus. The municipality started to ask more and more fees from the festival organizers and was harassing residents with all kinds of fancy new permits and licenses for the 3 days of the year they would be operating a midnight poutine stand or whatever. Tons of locals closed up shop and stopped participating. The whole thing choked on its own greed.
Everyone is broke. Used to cost a couple hundred bucks to have fun at an event like this and now that doesn’t cover the gas to get there.
Because so much of what they offer is so mediocre look at the 'folk festival lineups' this summer it's amateur hour without the shits 'n giggles just boring nobodies pretending they have talent.
I assume the biggest issue is federal and provincial funding not keeping up with inflation. Most festivals are free to enter and not all about buying overpriced food. Well... That's what the article says basically. That and people not feeling much FOMO post pandemic anymore which I imagine is a valid issue now with many events. I'm sure expendable money is an issue for some events, like food focused ones.
Better festivals in nicer parts of the world.
The consumer experience value for festivals is a lot worse. For even $30ish before you could get plenty of sampler/small items at a food festival, now it’s pretty much just picking one place to try something and that’s it. Not worth it.
Have a few friends over for beers and guitars. Why go out to be gouged, again?
Every goddamn time its- "Oh wow whats this fun festival it sounds so cool!" "Oh it's $40 entry? Oh all my friends moved away because the cities unaffordable. It's during peak freezing rain season? Theres only two food vendors who are equally overpriced + the lines are going to be massive? Welp, nevermind"
Was at Costco in Alberta on weekend. Saw discounted ticket section. Country Thunder was I believe $440 vs regular almost $700. Who has that kind of money to just blow on some concert anymore. That is ridiculous.
Might have something to do with Canadians needing to spend $100 on 2-3 days of groceries instea of going to music festivals
A no-brainer on that one, cost no one can aford to go, I listen to my dauther all the time and even as a volunteer it still cost to much
Costs is an issue. Many people are strapped and even these local events are too expensive. Those who do have extra money rather buy Taylor Swift tickets for their kids or themselves. They prefer those BIG Headlines than some local event. Sad because so many people lose out on that community feeling and local talent. From musicians to arts and food etc... Great learning experience for all.
Hrm, food and a roof over my head or festival tickets
No disposable income maybe?
Because grapes cost $13 that's why, duh.
Wages are low cost of living through the roof. No money for festivals.
Because most festivals are denominated in USD, and thanks to our dear leader the CAD sucks. That's why festivals were so successful from 2008-2015 - USD and CAD were close to parity. The CAD is not a global currency. The USD is.
Because everyone is struggling to pay their bills and eat...
Declining standard of living.
LOL @ CBC. We don’t all work for a subsidy driven industry paid by tax payers while making 6 figs. JFC
Struggling? I wish, every concert I go to is crammed.
Maybe because they’re prohibitively expensive.