Since the novel coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown began in March, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet have regularly unveiled new ways to offer financial support to Canadians.
The measures have been directed at students, small businesses, workers and now large companies. The scope of the financial package recipients shows how monstrous the economic consequences of the pandemic are.
It also highlights another trend — that Canadians aren’t good at saving money. Saskatoon-based financial planner Janea Dieno said that’s because we live in a culture dominated by consumerism. “We’re flooded with ‘buy this, buy that.’ You go to the grocery store for a jug of milk and a loaf of bread and you come back with new shoes,” she said.