"Well, first of all the Dominion Bureau of Statistics made a survey in the spring of 1970, which showed that on balance the difference in the cost of living between Canadian cities and American cities was 5 % to the advantage, of course, to the Canadian cities"
About this Quote
The context matters: spring 1970 sits in the churn of inflation anxiety, cross-border comparisons, and labor’s ongoing struggle to translate paychecks into actual security. For an American labor leader, Canada can function as both foil and warning label: a nearby economy that seems to make life slightly more affordable, suggesting U.S. workers aren’t imagining their squeeze. The 5% is modest enough to feel credible, big enough to matter to a family budgeting rent and groceries.
“Of course” is the slyest word in the sentence. It pretends the conclusion is self-evident, turning a contested policy question into common sense. That little rhetorical wink tries to pre-empt rebuttals: if the data says Canada has the edge, then the burden shifts to opponents to explain why American workers should accept higher living costs as normal. Woodcock’s intent isn’t merely to inform; it’s to legitimize a labor argument with institutional authority, making economic grievance sound like fact, not complaint.
Quote Details
| Topic | Money |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Woodcock, Leonard. (2026, January 16). Well, first of all the Dominion Bureau of Statistics made a survey in the spring of 1970, which showed that on balance the difference in the cost of living between Canadian cities and American cities was 5 % to the advantage, of course, to the Canadian cities. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/well-first-of-all-the-dominion-bureau-of-114020/
Chicago Style
Woodcock, Leonard. "Well, first of all the Dominion Bureau of Statistics made a survey in the spring of 1970, which showed that on balance the difference in the cost of living between Canadian cities and American cities was 5 % to the advantage, of course, to the Canadian cities." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/well-first-of-all-the-dominion-bureau-of-114020/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Well, first of all the Dominion Bureau of Statistics made a survey in the spring of 1970, which showed that on balance the difference in the cost of living between Canadian cities and American cities was 5 % to the advantage, of course, to the Canadian cities." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/well-first-of-all-the-dominion-bureau-of-114020/. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
