Yes, Virginia there IS a Sunshine Tax

[Catri]

Hey, so it turns out it does exist, in spite of so many local folks who dismiss it as a myth.

https://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/2 ... -earn-less

[Glacier]

What a dumb study. My costs are half in the Okanagan what they were in Vancouver, largely due to housing costs. I would have to make at least double to afford a house down there.

There's simply no such thing as a sunshine tax. Calgary gets way more sunshine than the Okanagan and wages are higher. Halifax also gets more sunshine than the Okanagan, and wages are about the same.

Don't these people know that wages and costs go up as the size of your city goes up? Don't these people know that the Thompson-Okanagan is largely made up of smaller cities. Comparing to Vancouer, Calgary, and Halifax is misleading if not outright dishonest. Why not compare us to the Cariboo or Prince George or Vancouver Island? Because it doesn't fit the narrative that we're getting screwed, that's why.

[Urban Cowboy]

Don't quite agree with you there Glacier.

I took a four dollar an hour hit when I moved here from Saskatchewan in 88, plus lost the benefit of driving a company paid vehicle, for doing exactly the same job.

In addition housing cost was higher here, as well as vehicle insurance, to the tune of like three times as much, and that with the full discount.

Conclusion for me is that yes there is a penalty for living here, but I knew that coming in, so it's not that I'm complaining, but rather confirming that yes there is a sunshine tax, or if it suits you better call it a more desirable climate tax.

Calgary is a poor comparison given that they may well have more sunshine, but they also have snow in July.

Overall the Okanagan has about the best climate offering in Canada, and those who wish to partake of it, pay the price.

[What_the]

If so many retirees and "sunshine" Albertans didn't drive the price up....

And local employers paid nationwide...sorry, third largest city in B.C....sorry, hick town Canada besides Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary... sorry, average wages...

Yup. Albertans and retirees

[Graphite]

Yea. Guess it sucks getting paid less for the same job hey? Women have been dealing with that forever.

[Glacier]

Yea. Guess it sucks getting paid less for the same job hey? Women have been dealing with that forever.

No they haven't.

No one is paid less for the same work when everything else is equal. Getting paid less for the same work means that if you and I move to Winnipeg for the same job, you get paid less because you're a woman. It simply doesn't happen, at least statistically speaking.

There is no sunshine tax. Only a bunch of spoiled rotten brats would think there is. No one in Bella Coola (where I used to live at one time) complains about a "sunshine tax" even though they could move to Vancouver or Vegina, Saskatchewan, for more money. They just know about basic economics. Every place has its own wages based upon supply and demand. Unlike people in the Okanagan that complain about getting paid less than some poor sucker working in Yellowknife, they are so happy to be living where they're live that they don't care what people make in Yellowknife.

[Graphite]

Then why do statistics say it is true?

[Urban Cowboy]

Then why do statistics say it is true?

Personally I think it has more to do with some objecting, or arguing the semantics, of the label itself, if you will.

It's referred to by most as the sunshine tax, but has nothing to do with how many hours of sun we get here.

Perhaps they should have called it the favorable weather tax.

[Glacier]

Then why do statistics say it is true?

If you're talking about women's wages, watch the short video in the link.

[Woodenhead]

The term kinda sucks as it is a bit misleading and people take it to mean a few different things, but it generally exists.

But anybody can pull out a bunch of statistics etc. to prove either side, so whatever.

[dirtybiker]

In agreement with Old Techie.

Moved from Sask in 90/91, took a huge hit in wages for same field of employ, a
little more than 50%.

In part, every time you start at a new company, you start back at the base.

It has now taken over 20 yrs to get back up to making 20% less take home than I was
in the late 80's.

(26 yrs later, still less take home)

Just the facts, less take home, less bugs, less wind, less dust, less cold, less travel to recreation.

I hate this subject, it just put an un-wanted negative tone in the air where there are so many
positive attributes out there.

[Urban Cowboy]

Just the facts, less take home, less bugs, less wind, less dust, less cold, less travel to recreation.

I agree. I loved the people in Saskatchewan, but the 10 months of winter some years seemed to have got a bit old.

I knew income would take a hit relocating to the Okanagan but I don't regret it. I never get bored looking at the scenery here, unlike Saskatchewan where all I had was flat and an endless sea of wheat fields.

I've also never had to endure temperatures of -57°C in the Okanagan.

I view life as a series of trade offs and choices.

[KelownaCrackinCrew]

wow in 1987 my father was making $18 an hour a few hours out of kelowna, Spoke no english.

[the truth]

Yea. Guess it sucks getting paid less for the same job hey? Women have been dealing with that forever.

bs , it all evens out, were i work women make the same wage as the men and work less, case closed

[60-YEARS-in-Ktown]

Where you work does not open or close the case.
It just means that is what it's like at that particular place. Dies not change every other.
Let me guess small factory repetitive jobs that can be done by male or female.