Well, I'm 57 and I seem to remember the Canadian buck being worth more than $1.25 US. I'm betting there's a number of people here that have quite a few years on me and remember it worth quite a bit more.

I recall also $1.20 or so when I was a kid travelling with my parents thru the US in the early 70's.  No clue if there were disparities at that time with items sold in Canada versus the US though, I simply wasn't a consumer at that age, nor do I recall my parents - now deceased - making mention of such, but then, back then most folks in Canada bought US items because they simply weren't available in Canada versus being simply being more economical from what I recall.

It's now been a prolonged time that the CDA has been relatively at par with the Greenback (fiveyears or so now largely), yet there are still overly significant price discrepencies in some items that would suggest to me that some items are simply being non-adjusted downwards for the resons of either; they don't have to and are enjoying the extra profits - this would be especially true of US based retailers who operate also in Canada to lessen their overall downward incomes/profits due to the US consumer lacksaidisical market.  They may in fact change their pricing in Canada as they see fit with an improved US operations increase in sales over time; They are in a highly ridgidized market situation, such as the automotive industry, and can't simply drop prices in line with US prices without derailing their Canadian distribution systems/network, especially without a colusion being implemented with their competitors which in itself would be illegal; They truly have to have higher prices, such as companies with limited distribution facilities and services beyond the US border which create ancilliary costs in distributing to Canada from bases that are largely or solely in the US, as well as being subject to custom and duties (potentially) and additional transportation costs in shipping into to Canada as well as additional costs in maintaining support and service/warranty for the Canadian customers......Gee!  Sounds like the later might be why Festool has higher prices in Canada.

Despite that last scenario, I still think that Festool prices in Canada.......are still a little too high in relation to their prices in the US.  I can still see a justifiable premium, just not what it is right now.  I'm just glad we don't pay comparitively what they do in the UK.  What's that all about?