1981

I began the Connolly Report in 1981 while still teaching Business. It evolved from my lesson plans. I rarely used approved texts. Nine of the people I taught with back then still subscribe. The knew me, had faith in my work and are my most precious subscribers.
Interest rates were very high. An American would say 'real' high. A Nova Scotian might say 'right some' high.
My four leaved dollar-sign lucky shamrock was designed in 1984 by my former brother-in-law.
The idea of dividend growth also developed in 1984 from a letter to the editor of the Financial Times.
My list began in 1985 with 19 common* stocks). It included the seven telcos (Newtel on top at 7.4%), four big banks (not TD or NA, BMO was highest yielding bank at 6.7%), gas utilities like Union and Nova, Newfoundland Light and Power 6.3% (now Fortis) TA and CU. All these stocks had yields higher than the rate on Canada savings bonds that year: 8.5% adjusted for the dividend tax credit (8.5 / 1.5 = 5.6). BCE was on the bottom of the list at 5.6%.. TransCanada, popular at the time, missed to cut off yield. Captial gains were tax free.
* Never preferred as there's no capital growth, although in those early days I mentioned retractable preferreds with yields close to 20%.

In 1981 . . .
Ed Schreyer was Governor General
IBM 5150 personal computer with 16 k of memory
(I typed my first reports on an IBM Selectric)
the first Terry Fox run - he died in 1981
The Canada Act, formalizing the repatriation of the Canadian Constitution, was passed
Lech Walesa - Lenin shipyard in Gdansk, Poland - Soladarity

Anthony von Mandi buys Mission Hill winery . Mission Hill make some good wine

Porky's - the highest grossing, teen comedy, Canadian film
Ordinary People - Redford's first Academy Award
Indiana Jones
Endless Love by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie
Chariots of Fire

Andre Desmarais and France Chretien marry
Charles and Diana wed
Luke and Laura get married on General Hospital - the first time:-)

Pope was shot
Reagan was shot
John Lennan was shot

Thomson Corp begins paying a dividend

The Brixton riots of South London
Bobby Sands died of hunger in a British prison
Hostages were released from U.S. Embassy in Iran…with Canadian help.
The word 'outsourcing' was first used in 1981
Roch La Salle voted against patriating the Constitution
Le Matou by Yves Beauchemin in 1981 - best-selling Quebec novel ever

The Connolly Report has been around:
six years longer than our dollar (Loonie) coin (1987)