Supercharged loonie takes flight against the dollar

    From the Buffalo News:

    The Canadian dollar has soared to its highest value in 30 years, and experts predict it soon may be worth as much as its American cousin.

    That’s bad news for area residents who rely on the strong American dollar to lower the real cost of the Chinese food, theater tickets and ice wine they purchase in Ontario.

    But it’s great news for retailers in Erie and Niagara counties, because a robust Canadian dollar makes American goods more attractive to shoppers from Canada.

    “As the Canadian dollar has gotten stronger, we have seen more Canadian shoppers visit Walden Galleria with more frequency,” said James L. Soos, general manager of the the mall in Cheektowaga.

    The Canadian dollar has risen as the relationships between residents and businesses on the two sides of the international border undergo fundamental changes.

    More Canadians than ever are shopping at Walden Galleria and flying from Buffalo Niagara International Airport, also in Cheektowaga.

    But fewer Americans are golfing at Legends on the Niagara and visiting the Mints Lounge, an adult-entertainment club.

    The dollar “has an immediate psychological impact,” but there’s a number of reasons why Americans aren’t visiting, said Chris Lansdale, general manager of Mints. “It’s a list as long as my arm, and they’ve been accumulating since 9/11.”

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