Saturday, June 26, 2010

多倫多三百年來大地震兩次六級:這次只有五級


台灣有很頻繁的地震,移民來多倫多之後就再也沒有經歷過任何有感地震,欣喜不用再面對像921大地震那樣的恐怖,結果星期三下午兩點左右就經歷了這第一次,不過只有五級,讓我非常興奮。


地震來的時候我正好在八樓的電腦面前工作,一開始的晃動我馬上警覺,然後大聲告訴同事"有地震",我那些老外同事還不知道這就是地震,等天花的燈跟書架上的檔案開始晃動,有些人還驚慌的還想往外逃生,不過一下子就平靜下來,有些在走動的人還完全不知道發生什麼事,這突來的插曲讓辦公室突然沸騰起來,人人爭相分享當時的感受,身為台灣來的移民,我很驕傲的告訴他們這種"大"地震在台灣是家常便飯,我還很懷念。


我記得921大地震的時候我帶著家人從內湖的公寓衝到街上,驚慌的開車到空地上,大概待了兩個鐘頭才敢回家睡覺。我的大女兒還很不高興被我叫起床,當時她竟然完全沒有感覺,到現在我們還會偶爾嘲笑她,就是這樣天塌了也還醒不過來。


報導上說上次像這樣規模大的地震是在1935年(6.1級),再更早將近三百年前的1732(6.2級),所以說五級地震也是非常少見的。


住在多倫多其實很少有天災,大概除了從佛羅里達上來的颶風之外,只有北邊偶爾發生的龍捲風。所以說住在這裡還是很安全的。



Saturday, June 12, 2010

換裝高效能中央冷暖氣機


住在加拿大,居家修繕我都儘量自己來,做一些簡單的項目,但是有時間,安全,與技術上的限制,還是要找專家代勞,這些無法避免的花費需要謹慎,我最近更換了中央冷暖氣機,學到一些經驗,希望分享給有需要的人參考。



(我的中效率舊中央暖氣,其實只有15歲左右)


居住在加拿大冬天一定要有取暖的設備,這是生死相關非常嚴肅的課題,相對於台灣只要有窗型冷氣,這裡的住家需要有中央冷暖氣系統,冬天取暖,當房子大,房間多,在每個房間設置個別的暖氣有火災與氣體中毒的危險,電熱器相對安全,但是成本高過用天然氣的兩倍,因此比較經濟可行的方式是集中設置一個燃燒天然氣的暖氣機,老式也有用燃油的,然後用風管運送熱空氣到每個房間取暖,夏天需要的冷氣設備就靠設置在一起的冷凝管線,聯繫到戶外的散熱與壓縮設備,這樣冷暖設備共機連接到風管系統就是一個中央冷暖氣系統,另外配合微電腦控制準確的溫度,例如設定家人回家前房子已經冷暖適中,半夜睡覺或白天無人在家時則自動降低冷暖氣的負載,現代的住房都需要這種設備,老舊的房子沒有這種設備的都需要升級,這也是政府提供補助的原因。


一個中央冷暖氣系統設置不當的房子會造成很大的浪費,改正成本不低,朋友圈中有人在High Park 附近買到這樣的房子最後賠售,因為拆開天花,重新配風管系統,更新機房的防火與排風,替換冷暖氣機,加裝溫控,加濕,濾清等設備,然後重新裝潢,費用很難在5萬元以內,如果房子還有室內高度的限制,無法架設風管,或是需要換裝窗戶,屋頂牆壁與地下室等的絕緣等等,那費用就難以估計了。


根據上次的能源查核,我已經先完成壁爐的改善,接下來是替換略嫌老舊的中央冷暖氣機具,根據政府補助的要求,兩者都必須是高效能機種,補助金額按照暖氣的年效能決定,效能超過92%的省與中央各別補助$375,超過94%則增加到$790。至於冷氣也有補助,按照效能指數SEER超過14.5 ,省跟中央各$250,但是這些高效能冷暖氣的成本較高。



(我的低效能舊冷氣,其實它是個Heat Pump,工人說已經看不出來有多老,他們猜至少25年)


這些補助在2010三月之後聯邦政府的部分已經停止,還好我已經完成能源查核,所以還有資格申請,否則現在只剩安大略省的補助,數額等於減半,而且明年可能完全停止。所以說,在加拿大申請政府補助都要及時,否則預算很容易受政黨對抗影響而被刪減。



(新的高效能暖氣)


雖然高效能冷暖氣機節約能源,但是設備成本高,是否划算視使用的程度而定,按多倫多的氣候,我計算發現效益與費用大概相抵,加計政府補助才變得有利。高效能暖氣節省天然氣,以95%的高效能跟82%的中效能暖氣相比,若一年六個月的暖氣使用$900的天然氣取暖,一年可以節省$120左右,另方面高效能17 SEER冷氣大概可以比中效能13 SEER節省22%電費,一年估計可省約$30,總計一年節省$150,以冷暖氣的20年壽命來說,大概也只折合現值$2000元,這回收只夠補償高效能機種較高的售價。但是加上政府補助就完全扭轉,以我為例,另外取得$2050的政府補助讓換新冷暖氣變得非常划算。



(新的高效能冷氣)


七月一日安大略省實施兩稅合一,省稅(PST)與聯邦稅(GST)要合而為一(HST),原本換裝冷暖氣只需要付5%的GST變成要繳13%的HST,為了躲避額外的8%,我也趕在實施前換裝,雖然說廠商因為這項稅制的實施可以減低稅賦,可能會將省下的成本分享給消費者,但是基於人性的貪婪,我很懷疑消費者會分享到顯著的利益。


今天兩位工人從早上10點左右一直忙到下午5點左右才完工,工程的品質我很滿意,接下來就要準備做能源查核的完結報告,申請政府補助,這需要屆時再續。


我找的商家是 Mississauga HomeComfort ,905- 615-0880 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              905- 615-0880      end_of_the_skype_highlighting 幫我服務的是 Eric Bakhiary。我們的機種是Carrier Performance 96 (80K BTU) and Carrier Comfort 17 (2.5 Tons)。



Saturday, June 5, 2010

加拿大經濟好轉

最近報紙上就是這個好消息,加拿大經濟開始明顯好轉,雖然不確定可以維持,但是相較於最近一年令人沮喪的大環境,還真是令人神清氣爽。



加拿大統計局上週五報告說延續四月份增加工作10.8萬之後,五月份又增加了2.5萬個,雖然增加的量緩和,但是包括抵消減少的4.3萬個兼時工作,所增加的都是實實在在的全職工作,而且主要來自安大略與亞伯特省,特別讓住在多倫多的我感到快樂,真希望這一切榮景可以持續下去,可惜加拿大總是看美國吃飯,美國不幸還在掙扎,同月增加的工作還主要是政府人口普查的臨時工。




加拿大央行順應這些變化,如大家所預料,上週已經把隔夜拆款利率調升,相信這會全面影響各方面的利率水準,不過歐洲國家債信危機而且美國經濟又還沒有起色,相信這些加息的措施會很保守穩健。




希望我們從台灣來的新舊移民都能漸入佳境,工作更順利。






Canadian employment growth beats expectations; 24,700 jobs added in May




Fri Jun 4, 10:41 AM


Julian Beltrame, The Canadian Press


By Julian Beltrame, The Canadian Press




OTTAWA - The Canadian economy keeps outperforming expectations and most of the industrialized world in its ability to create jobs.




Statistics Canada reported Friday that another 24,700 jobs were added to the labour force last month, about 10,000 more than economists had forecast. After April's shower of jobs — 108,000 — the May flowering may appear modest but underlying the headline was a string of positives, economists said.




Full-time employment increased by 67,300, the private sector added 43,400 workers and employers added 52,800 jobs, basically taking 28,000 out of the self-employment ranks.




The loss of 42,500 part-time jobs was also likely a positive indicator because the larger pick-up in full-time work suggests that employers are adding on hours as they ramp up production.




"This is very, very solid. There's no other way to characterize it after a record April," said economist Benjamin Reitzes of BMO Capital Markets.




"It just highlights the domestic strength in the Canadian economy despite all the stuff going on all over the world, the weakness in financial markets and continued worries out of Europe ."




Even the summer labour market for students showed signs of normalizing, with 54,000 more students aged 20 to 24 finding employment last month, an increase of 3.1 percentage points compared to May 2009 when the economy was in the throes of a deep slump.




The Canadian data looks even better compared to the United States , where employment grew a disappointing 431,000 — almost all accounted for by temporary hiring of census takers.




The bottom line is that Canada has now recouped 310,000 of the total number of jobs it lost during last year's recession, or about 75 per cent, while the U.S. has only begun to make a dent in the 8.5 million jobs that disappeared.




Last week, Statistics Canada reported that Canada 's economy had expanded by 6.1 per cent during the first quarter, and April and May's numbers suggest growth is continuing.




"The strong report provides further evidence that the labour market is getting back to health and warrants tighter monetary policy," said Krishen Rangasamy of CIBC.




Earlier in the week, Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney became the first among G7 central bankers to move off record-low interest rates, although he hedged whether he would continue to tighten in upcoming months.




Though Rangasamy added that the ongoing U.S. weakness coupled with withdrawal of stimulus likely portends of slowing of economic and job growth in Canada later this year.




Canadian shouldn't expect to see the unemployment rate to show dramatic improvement from the current 8.1 per cent, where it was last month as well, over the rest the year, he said. May's job growth did not move the jobless rate because more Canadians are returning to the labour market in the expectation that work is now available.




If there was a soft spot in the May numbers it was that the goods-producing sector, including construction and manufacturing, was relatively flat, although both had experienced gains of late.




"All said, the latest employment data confirms a relatively strong domestic economic recovery that has begun to mature — where incremental gains diminish while becoming self-sustaining," said TD Bank senior economist Pascal Gauthier.




The Canadian dollar was unmoved by the good news, dropping 0.76 cents to 95.28 cents US over concern about the European debt crisis and dipping oil prices.




The government agency said the key gains last month came in the transportation and warehousing industries, as well as health care and social assistance, and public administration.




There were setbacks in the accommodation and food services sector, information, culture and recreation, and in natural resources.




Regionally, Quebec, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Prince Edward Island saw employment fall back, although only the last two by significant amounts relative to their population. Big job gains occurred in Ontario , 17,700 gain, and Alberta , 14,700.