The popular song tells us that children are the future, but it doesn’t seem like Canadians are paying too much attention that mantra. As more and more people put off marriage (let alone raising a family) until later on in life, there just isn’t as much time be a breeder. More specifically, you’ll find that the cost of living in Vancouver is quite high — as I’ve mentioned in a previous post about the housing market — and as such, people are having a tougher time simply sustaining a certain lifestyle. There just isn’t the money there to have a baby and raise him (or her) right.


But I digress. I came across an article in the paper the other day, in the “Working” section, telling me how difficult it is for immigrants to find jobs that pay well and suit their skills. After all, there are many people who enter this country with university degrees, perfectly capable of running complex machinery, overseeing the operations of a multinational company, and yes, even caring for our young.

As fewer Canadians have children and as more baby boomers retire, more and more we will have to turn to immigrants to fill those skilled jobs. There will always be plenty of entry-level gigs available — McJobs, as some people call them — but it’s not possible to raise a family on that kind of income. How can you afford to hold a baby shower, raise a couple of kids, and live comfortably in your retirement years?

Having a child is supposed to be one of the proudest and happiest moments in a person’s life, but to many Canadians, it’s starting to seem like an unnecessary financial burden. Like me. I’m not ready to have children. Far from. Maybe I’ll just have to settle for having a cute bunny named Roy.

Happy Halloween. Give other people’s kids their due… or a Snickers bar. Whatever.