Allowances - Post Living Differential (PLD) [MERGED]

[MJP]

Yes but rents in the entire area have matched the rise in the price of real estate.  Living in Alberta isn't as cozy as everyone thinks.  Yes Provincial taxes are lower and gas is a bit cheaper, but hell usually Winnipeg is roughly the same as Edmonton (or at least it did) for gas prices and I don't recall too many refineries there.  Food,sundries and all other services are the same as anywhere else.

The biggest reason I think they should review PLD is the bloody price of a Timmies DD.  I pay less out here on course here in Gagetown then I do in Edmonton.  That is a crying shame if you ask me.

 

[casing]

Molson:  How much Alberta pays on provincial taxes again?

Max

You should make sure of your numbers before spouting off some stereotypical garbage like that.  For the 2006 tax year I paid more taxes as a resident of Alberta than I would have as a resident of Ontario.  And sure, there might not be a PST in Alberta, but it's just built into the price of the goods.  Things are not as cheap there as everyone likes to believe.

 

[aesop081]

Do any one know what all the other bases are collecting for post living allowances??

Comox = $0
Greenwood = $0

 

[HItorMiss]

Here just to give you a valid idea Max

Edmonton
http://www.places4rent.com/finder.asp?LOCID=97

Petawawa/Pembroke
http://www.places4rent.com/finder.asp?LOCID=621


Now that is just rent...get it now?

 

[MJP]

ACCORDINGLY, THE FOLLOWING ARE THE REVISED PLD RATES (READ IN FOUR COLUMNS: LOCATION/FULL PLD RATE/SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT RATE/EFF DATE):

ALDERGROVE/190/143/1 JAN 06
BORDEN-BARRIE/86/65/1 JAN 06
BRANTFORD/113/85/1 JAN 06
CALGARY/21/16/1 JAN 06
CAMBRIDGE /84/63/1 JAN 06
CHATHAM/0/0/1 JAN 06
CHILLIWACK/0/0/1 JAN 06
CORNERBROOK/83/62/1 OCT 05
DUNDURN-SASKATOON/0/0/1 JAN 06
GANDER/0/0/1 JAN 06
GRAND FALLS-WINDSOR/133/99/1 OCT 05
GUELPH/245/183/1 JAN 06
HALIFAX/374/280/1 OCT 05
HAMILTON/347/260/1 OCT 05
KAMLOOPS-KELOWNA/68/51/1 JAN 06
KENORA/0/0/1 JAN 06
KINGSTON/16/12/1 JAN 06
KITCHENER//170/127/1 FEB 06
LONDON/46/34/1 JAN 06
MEAFORD-OWEN SOUND/0/0/1 JAN 06
MONTREAL - NORTH SHORE/495/371/1 OCT 05
MONTREAL - SOUTH SHORE/404/303/1 OCT 05
NANAIMO/6/4/1 JAN 06
NIAGARA-ST CATHARINE/174/130/1 JAN 06
NORTH BAY/6/4/1 JAN 06
OTTAWA-GATINEAU (NCR)/196/147/1 OCT 05
PETERBOROUGH/68/51/1 JAN 06
PRINCE ALBERT/0/0/1 JAN 06
QUEBEC CITY-VALCARTIER/189/141/1 OCT 05
ROUYN-NORANDA/0/0/1 JAN 06
SARNIA/0/0/1 JAN 06
SAULT STE MARIE/0/0/1 JAN 06
SEPT-ILES/112/84/1 JAN 06
SHERBROOKE/0/0/1 JAN 06
SHILO/0/0/1 JAN 06
ST JOHN S/308/231/1 OCT 05
ST-HYACINTHE/24/18/1 OCT 05
ST-JEAN-SUR-RICHELIEU/0/0/1 JAN 06
STRATFORD/206/155/1 JAN 06
SUDBURY/0/0/1 JAN 06
THUNDER BAY/0/0/1 JAN 06
TIMMINS/0/0/1 JAN 06
TORONTO - AREA 1/1586/1189/1 OCT 05
TORONTO - AREA 2/669/502/1 JAN 06
TORONTO - AREA 3/542/407/1 JAN 06
TORONTO - AREA 4/1005/754/1 OCT 05
TORONTO - AREA 5/1377/1032/1 OCT 05
TRAIL/0/0/1 JAN 06
VANCOUVER/517/387/1 JAN 06
VICTORIA-ESQUIMALT/464/348/NO CHANGE
WINDSOR/331/248/1 OCT 05
WINNIPEG/0/0/1 JAN 06

 

[camochick]

When the heck did gas become cheap in Alberta?  If you don't want to live in cracktown you're paying a decent chunk of change for rent here, and don't even think about getting a pmq, the list is so long you'll be waiting until retirement. Alberta is great for somethings, but don't be fooled, it's just as pricey as the rest of the country, taxes or not.

 

[Strike]

Wow.  How does Kingston end up getting more than Edmonton?

 

[BernDawg]

Wow.  How does Kingston end up getting more than Edmonton?

Well Kingston is close to Ottawa and that is the center of the universe (as far as NDHQ is concerned) so it must be more expensive than "out west".
I think it's time the pine pilots at NDHQ that set the rates and policies took a road trip and did some real world research.

 

[SupersonicMax]

You should make sure of your numbers before spouting off some stereotypical garbage like that.  For the 2006 tax year I paid more taxes as a resident of Alberta than I would have as a resident of Ontario.  And sure, there might not be a PST in Alberta, but it's just built into the price of the goods.  Things are not as cheap there as everyone likes to believe.

Then how come all my friends with equal salary have more money in their bank account at the end of the year than me?  They don't pay nearly as much taxes as I pay in Manitoba.

Max

 

[HItorMiss]

Then how come all my friends with equal salary have more money in their bank account at the end of the year than me?  They don't pay nearly as much taxes as I pay in Manitoba.

Max

your going to listen to I am surOr they budget better? seriously there can be a myriad of reasons but none of which matter as the issue is why Edmonton I beleive will soon be getting a high rate of PLD. As I showed in a pervious post look at the cost of renting an apartment in Edmonton vs Petawawa and that is just the tip of the iceberg.

EDIT: to make sense

 

[SupersonicMax]

your going to listen to I am surOr they budget better? seriously there can be a myriad of reasons but none of which matter as the issue is why Edmonton I beleive will soon be getting a high rate of PLD. As I showed in a pervious post look at the cost of renting an apartment in Edmonton vs Petawawa and that is just the tip of the iceberg.

EDIT: to make sense

I was referring to the net amount they received last year as opposed to the net amount I received last year.  The got much more than me, and got returns from moving from Ontario to Alberta (I moved from Ontario to Manitoba at the exact same tiem as them, and we are on the exact same salary).  Yet, they get (much) more money every paycheck than I do.

Max

 

[HItorMiss]

I give up...clearly it's a conspiracy for them to make more money then you...that's right they don't deserve it and the cost of living there is no more then anywhere else in Canada......

 

[SupersonicMax]

I don,t say it's a conspiracy, but nor is the fact that they doN,t get PLD...  I think much smarter people get to decide what the PLD rate is

Max

 

[geo]

there might not be a PST in Alberta, but it's just built into the price of the goods.  Things are not as cheap there as everyone likes to believe.

NO! retailers might take advantage of the fact that there is no PST and jack up their prices, but it's not "built into the price".

 

[BernDawg]

NO! retailers might take advantage of the fact that there is no PST and jack up their prices, but it's not "built into the price".

Yes things are expensive out there but it is directly related to the oil boom.  When the patch can pay a HS grad $20 to swamp out trucks and clean up sites the service industry has to bump their wages to get and keep employees.  Timmies here starts at $9.50-$10.00/hr to work at the counter.  XL DD is $1.75 and they can't keep their people because you have to baby them or they move on to a better paying position somwhere else.  The only un-employed people in AB are the ones that don't want to work.  So as a result prices for goods and services go way up. Teen combo at A&W is $8.09.  We took the kids out for supper after their spring concert Wed  night and it was over $60 at a local sit-down place (2 adults 3 kids).
It's a bit of a ramble but I think I've laid it out OK.

 

[niner domestic]

We have friends and family in Alberta who at the moment, are praying that they can stay put for a while longer as the house prices for them, have gone up from approx 210K to over 700K.  They know if they ever leave Alberta that if they are posted/transferred back they will never be able to afford a house.  I can see a number of folks instead of selling their homes, just renting them out while they wait to go back. 

 

[Wookilar]

Having spent 13 years out west and having moved back east two years ago, I know what impact taxes, user fees, rent/sale prices, groceries (etc, etc) have on a family:

My house here in Kingston is assessed for the same amount my last house in St.Albert (I bought early, was on advance party from Calgary, it wasn't like it is now): my property taxes are half here in Kingston.
School fees for my youngest: Alberta = about $530 (includes bussing); Ontario = NOTHING!!!
Medical Taxes/User Fees: Alberta: good lord, I don't want to think about it; Ontario: dental is half of that in Alberta, meds are more (about 1/5th more). %'s recovered through the health plan remain the same.
Income Tax Return (fed and prov combined of course): Alberta: my spouse and I regularly got about $2k back; Ontario: last year $2.4k, this year $1.8k.
Groceries: Alberta = meat is MUCH cheaper, but milk/bread/veggies are more (not a lot, but noticeable on a budget).
Gas: about the same.
Sporting Activities: Hockey costs almost 50% more in Alberta.

That's about all I can think of right now. One or two thousand one way or the other over the course of a year can have a big impact on families, especially if you only have one wage earner. Single people probably would make more money in Alberta vs Ontario (can't comment on other provinces)

Wook

 

[George Wallace]

Well Kingston is close to Ottawa and that is the center of the universe (as far as NDHQ is concerned) so it must be more expensive than "out west".
I think it's time the pine pilots at NDHQ that set the rates and policies took a road trip and did some real world research.

You by any chance trying to get posted to Ottawa?  (Where the PLA is the lowest in the CF.)

 

[MJP]

Ottawa the lowest?

OTTAWA-GATINEAU (NCR)/196/147/1 OCT 05

There are many many bases that are lower, much lower.

 

[PO2FinClk]

I would recommend reading this thread about PLD: http://forums.navy.ca/forums/threads/57673.0.html

Point is that I was briefed (as well as MARPAC) last fall that PLD as a whole would be canceled/removed and not replaced as it ran its course and that the funding envelope had been over expended. Granted without message traffic it does not bear the weight desired, but this is nonetheless info from an official source. Others have since come across info which states that change is possibly coming Fall 07.

That being said I would not expect to see any review to the current rates until such a time as official direction  of PLD is released.

PS: Do not confuse PLD with PLA, 2 very distinct allowances which have no bearing to one another. PLA is intended for pers posted outside Canada as detailed under Foreign Service Directives & MFSI's.