Now that the loonie has reached parity with the U.S. dollar, a significant number of Canadians are planning more and longer vacations as well as cross-border shopping sprees, while others are mulling over their investment decisions, an Investors Group Inc. study has found.

Almost half of those polled (44%) say they will be able to take more holidays outside of Canada and 41% say they will be able to stay away for longer periods now that C$ has soared to heights not seen since the 1970s. More than one-quarter (29%) say they will cross the 49th parallel more often for shopping and entertainment.

In well, 34% plan to spend winter in warmer climates.

Meanwhile, two in five of those with an investment portfolio aren’t sure if the value of the dollar will affect their investment decisions.

According to John Wiltshire, senior vice president of product and financial planning at the Winnipeg-based fund giant, even though currencies wax and wane, it washes out over the long run. “It’s more important to have a balanced portfolio,” he says.

Nevertheless, Wiltshire says, seeing the loonie reach parity with the greenback is an important event for consumers. IE