Penny saved...

Image courtesy of CBC

The new federal budget arrived yesterday...  budget day for me is never really interesting but in my previous employment counselling work, budget day often was the first inkling of upcoming change (spending = more client services while cutbacks = less). In yesterday's announcement, only one thing really interested me. I was really sad to hear that this year's budget will leave all Canadians penniless.

I know that Britain, Australia, New Zealand have survived just fine without their 1 cent coins, but I somehow feel that the Canadian penny, emblazoned with our signature maple leaf, carries a bit of national identity with it. I'm going to be sorry to see it go. Jeff is far less romantic about this than I am, reminding me that it costs more to produce a penny than it is actually worth. And in our cashless society, it won't really matter. 

I'm not so sure... it's hard to imagine that our baby nephew will grow up in this country putting only silver coins in his piggy bank. We'll have to save him a few lucky pennies.