<p>Here is a discussion from the CBC about Canadian consumer prices. </p>
<p>[Your</a> Interview: The price gap and your consumer rights](<a href=“http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourinterview/2007/11/the_price_gap_and_your_consume.html]Your”>http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourinterview/2007/11/the_price_gap_and_your_consume.html)</p>
<p>My personal experience with living in Canada (25 years past) is that it is that businesses are not as flexible in their pricing as in the US. Perhaps this comes from the economies of scale of a country with a population of only 30 million or so, perhaps businesses deal with a different tax structure then in the US, or perhaps there is just not the desperate drive to make a buck. As an American living in Canada, I found it frustrating and felt ripped off a lot of the time. Not only the prices were higher, but the sales taxes were much higher, also. Now the sales taxes are even higher. But perhaps having things more expensive means that you are wiser with spending and take more care with money in general. For many in the US cheap goods have not seemed to do much more then create the desire for more cheap goods.</p>
<p>That being said. It would be really lovely if the C$1 went back down to US$.65. We stayed in some great hotels in those days and going out to eat was glorious. My poor d., who earned her spending money is $US, is feeling the pinch right now. Fortunately, most of the tuition/room & board money was already in $C, but next year is a different story.</p>