The British Columbia Thread!

I'm already seeing a slow down in restaurants here. I go into a bar and grill type place nightly. Higher liquor prices and our stiff penalties for DUI, will make people think twice about drinking while out. Earls closed their location in Abbotsford, as did Swiss Chalet. The competition is pretty stiff out here for somewhat "upscale" bars and grills. It will be interesting to see who else closes because of slow business.

 

The NDP and others have this illusion that Vancouver is some world class city that has tons to offer and everyone in the world wants to move here but in reality it has nothing to offer and not everyone wants to move here.
It rains 10 months of the year, there's homeless and drug addicts everywhere, gangsters roam free and have police immunity and there's nothing to offer in regards to high end dining, shops and what other major cities offer. What's funny to me is the politicians allowed Asian money to pour in after Expo to build this dump of a city and now they're going after the hand that feeds them. Thank god I only spend a few months here.

 

Well, Vancouver is not so crowded, the air quality is much better than LA or Paris or London, etc. And in the summer, it is actually the driest place in Canada. And it doesn't have random shooting cases. There are other quieter cities in Canada, but those are sooooo cold in the winter. Vancouver is the 2nd mildest after Victoria.
I think the problem is the housing affordability. Because so many people can't afford while thinking that since they grow up here, they are entitled to own a mansion or at least a house, some more the medias are adding fuel to the fire by creating opinion that those who are doing well must be either economic criminals or house flippers, then social conflict is on the rise here.
I sold my Ferrari, GT3 and Mercedes at once, because after the housing price has become so expensive, it looks like people are not so kind to super car drivers or anybody that look rich, anymore. Few times got brake check while driving Ferrari, saw so many middle fingers and angry faces for no reason, I came to a conclusion that this is not much different than the place where I came from : YOU GOT TO PRETEND POOR. Here you pretend poor so people don't hate you (and Pirates can't reach into your pocket), there you pretend poor so people don't rob you.
And so far it looks good. Driving cheap car, even you "make mistakes", people seemed to tolerate and just ignore you.

 

Local car, I like the spec...

 

I like the color combo.

 

Is there hatred towards Chinese in Vancouver?

 

My SIL is Chinese and she doesn't experience any negative attitudes in Vancouver or on the island. Brother lives in Nanaimo. She claims the negative attitudes is with the Chinese themselves. Guess there is a mainland and Hong Kong type deal here between Richmond and Vancouver's Chinatown's. My SIL likes grocery shopping in Vancouver over the more snobby attitudes she finds in Richmond.

 

Some random spottings this weekend.

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Guys, buy your next expensive car from AB dealer. They service you better because not so crowded there, more availability. And the most important, THE TAX IS MUCH MUCH MUCH CHEAPER. All you need to do is get a short term contract of an apartment (maybe airbnb will do). And if you get pulled over in BC, tell the cops or whoever : "I spend most of my times in BC, but this car is mostly kept and used in AB".

 

Are you doing this? Please explain how. Are suggesting you can get alberta plates without a permanent Alberta address or drivers license . I think if you have a BC DL this wont fly.

 

So far to my research, if accidents happened and involved huge amount, that's seems problematic. But just to get a plate is easy. Must talk to somebody very expert in this. Now I'm playing poor guy, so no expensive car at all. The driving experience is definitely not so good, but people seemed to love me more, the social experience is better.

 

My cousin has Alberta plates but he works there. He needed a permanent Alberta address and drivers license to register his truck there. He'd be out of BC all together, but he visits his four year old when he is off work. So he keeps a condo rental here.

The problem arises if you get in an accident and police get involved. They can go after you for tax evasion if they discover you don't live in Alberta. Least of your worries would be insurance covering the accident.

 

Be advised that most insurance policies become void if you leave your home province for more than 30 days, unless you notify your insurance company in advance. I found this out when I notified my AB Insurance Company about a temporary work gig in Chicago that I was preparing to do. It was not an issue, however, they did charge me about 2x my normal insurance rate because of the relocation.

The bottom line is tread carefully and do not make any assumptions when it comes to insurance policies.

Cheers,

Sam

 

I agree with Sam with some further comment. If you legitimately register and insure your car in one province and later (during the policy term) establish residency in another province, without notifying the insurer and/or registering the car in the new province within that province's requirements, you could be in "breach" of your coverage. There are some exceptions and allowances, but that's basically the rule in BC. The insurer could deny any first party claims (collision, comprehensive, all perils) and, while they wold be required to satisfy any third party claims against you (bodily injury, property damage), they would have the right to "recover" those costs from you. If you provide false information, e.g., residency, actual ownership, etc., in your initial application, it could constitute "fraudulent misrepresentation" and allow the to insurer to void your policy "ab initio" (they would refund your premium and walk away from you). Either way, you will end up without the benefit of insurance.

 

My cousins husband is RCMP... He was almost hit by a semi during a traffic stop. The semi wasn't properly registered and had major safety violations. He injured himself avoiding the truck. He sued the company and won $750k. So if you injure someone in an accident even slightly without insurance, it could cost you major cash!

 

Listen to Jon (SpyderGt)...he is THE authority on ICBC questions, he is being modest. Bottom line is, don't try to save a couple hundred dollars on your policy. We (in B.C) have amazing rates. I tried all the trickery with the BC/Alberta insurance etc when I was a kid....it's not worth it.

 

So it looks impossible to register in AB. Then guys, I urge you to just hold on to your current car. Just don't spend on anything. The NDP won't be long there, and they are trying to grab as much as possible in the short period. Let's don't give them any chance to steal from us. When there are many pick pockets around, it's best to hide your wallet.

 

I think barring any major scandals, the NDP and Greens are going to be in power much longer then people think. Could be stuck with them for decades. I wish we'd copy America in their selection of legislatures and leaders. We'd be better off. Our current system was designed to keep the crown in charge overall. Id bet a million Queen Elizabeth has no clue on BC politics and problems. If we directly elected our leader, we'd be better off. As we'd have a good chance of having a conservative in power. I know many people that voted liberal simply because the conservatives not in the last election.

 

I barely drive my 2010 California (6600km) and was thinking of selling to avoid the heavy maintenance costs at the dealership. If I keep the car, can I service the car elsewhere in Vancouver (such as oil changes), and what kind of maintenance do I need to do annually? In the past, I've just brought the car to the dealership and didn't really know exactly what maintenance they did each year.

 

Rare sighting in Monaco...

 

What is rare about it?

 

Rare to see a BC plated Ferrari in Monaco.

 

I did not know that. I dont spend any time there.

 

Was in Vancouver last weekend and took my 355 for a quick drive Sunday morn. Went across the Burrard street bridge, turned around and while going back across, had a little fun with a Dodge Demon Hellcat.....that thing was ridiculously quick.....I actually started laughing. I could be imagining this but each time he punched the throttle, has car literally rose up in the air a couple of inches...good thing he had traction control on. What a beast!!

 

And Mr. Mikes in Mission is now closed down..... Wonder who is next? On another note headed up to Harrison Hot Springs this evening. Cousin lives there and dropping off a bike for him. Plan is take the sort of girlfriend and have dinner up there. Should be a good time, as its sunny, hot and Friday night.....