Our last newsletter had to be finalized before May 2nd which meant that we weren’t able to comment on the devastating fires that have ravaged our northern communities. Our hearts sank watching the damage take place and the mass exodus that followed. It was a feeling much like what we experienced during the Alberta Floods of 2013. While we don’t have clients who live right in Fort McMurray, we do have many who work up in that area and who were certainly affected by the fire. We’ve since taken in some fundraisers and were touched to see how much the Province and our Country supported those in need. Our thoughts are still with all those who were displaced and are now trying to re-build.
It sure has been a rough few years for Alberta. Natural Disasters have riddled the province and low Energy Prices have put our economy under a lot of pressure. As of this writing, the price of Oil is sitting just under $50. That’s a long way from the sub $34 prices we had in January & February but still lower than many producers would like to see it. The good news is that we seem to be trending higher and the Canadian Stock Market is now in Bull Market territory. Like I keep telling clients, January was awful but the rest of the year has been very good for Canadian Investors.
This summer is shaping up to be less busy than the last. I was involved in a couple of weddings in the summer of 2015 which had me outside of Calgary a number of times. It’s looking like this July & August will be a little more low key. I will be out of the office from June 24th to the 29th but other than that, we will likely spend most of our time close to home this year. We are looking to get back to Saskatoon in August but it will likely be closer to the end of that month.
There is a lot more news in regards to regulatory changes that will be coming in 2017. We’ll update you on those in the coming newsletters. Until then, enjoy the sunshine!
Bryce A. Borden