Meanwhile in Canada… Let’s Talk Dollars and Dreams

 💵🇨🇦 Meanwhile in Canada… Let’s Talk Dollars and Dreams 🍁

I saw a post on “Meanwhile in Canada” that said:

“💬 The value of the U.S. dollar against other currencies dropped 11% in the first half of this year — the biggest decline in more than 50 years.”

I checked — and ✅ it’s true!

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🌍 What’s Happening With the U.S. Dollar

According to Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan, and The Guardian, the U.S. dollar (measured against a basket of major currencies called the DXY Index) fell about 10.7–11% in the first half of 2025 — its worst six-month performance since 1973!

📉 What’s behind it:

• 🇺🇸 Concerns about U.S. trade policies and tariffs
• 💰 Market expectations that the Federal Reserve may cut rates
• 🌐 Shifts in global confidence toward other currencies

💪 Many currencies have strengthened this year:

• 🇪🇺 Euro
• 🇯🇵 Yen
• 🇬🇧 Pound Sterling
• 🇨🇭 Swiss Franc
• 🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (up ~14–15%)
• 🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (up ~12%)

🪙 Interestingly, the Canadian dollar hasn’t gained as much this time — but that got me thinking…

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🍁 When the Canadian Dollar Was Stronger Than the U.S. Dollar

Did you know there were two times in history when our loonie actually flew higher than the U.S. dollar?

1️⃣ Mid-1970s (especially 1974)

• Canada had just switched to a floating dollar 💧
• The loonie briefly climbed to about US $1.04 in 1974 — stronger than the greenback!
• High resource prices (oil ⛽ and metals ⚒️) and investor confidence helped it soar.

2️⃣ Early 2010s (2011 – 2012)

• Oil was booming 🌊 (over $100 a barrel).
• The U.S. was still recovering from the 2008 crash 💥.
• The loonie reached around US $1.03 – 1.06 in 2011–2012, before slipping again when oil prices crashed in 2014.

Since then, it’s hovered mostly around US $0.72 – 0.76, depending on oil prices and trade conditions.

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🌱 Reflective Questions for Canadians

💭 What would it take for Canada’s economy to shine like that again?
💭 Could our future strength come from clean energy, innovation, and fair trade, not just raw exports?
💭 What’s one “nice thing” you’d love to see happen for Canada — economically, socially, or environmentally — in the next few years?

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🌈 Whether our dollar is up or down, Canada’s true value isn’t measured in currency — it’s in our kindness, creativity, and resilience. ❤️🇨🇦