1008CATH

Improvements proposed in fight against sewage overflows

Niagara Region estimates old pipes overwhelmed by rain spew more than 1.3 billion litres of watery sewage a year into Niagara's waterways and lakes.

And that's an estimate that excludes the winter. Regional sewer modelling doesn't take into account snowmelt.

"I suspect you could double that number if you included winter months as well," said Peter Baker, Niagara's associate director of water and wastewater engineering.

http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/Article....aspx?e=1274874

1008ONTR

Report says easy ride over for Canadian auto sector

Deep price cuts and increased sales of subcompact cars have kept the Canadian auto market afloat so far this year, in contrast to the slump in auto markets in other countries, but it will be tough sledding in the year ahead, according to an Scotiabank analysis released yesterday.

Purchases this year have advanced by 1.4 per cent through September, compared with a 13-per-cent slump in the U.S. and a five-per-cent fall-off in Western Europe, the report noted.

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/b...a9-75da94640aa2

1008OTWA

Mayor of Beijing visits Ottawa under tight security, strict protocol

Security was tight and protocol was strictly formal yesterday as the mayor of Beijing visited Ottawa.

Jinlong Guo arrived at City Hall with a police motorcade late in the morning, met with Mayor Larry O'Brien and senior city officials, then walked a flag-lined red carpet through the mayor's office to a luncheon at the councillors' lounge.

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/c...9d-d951972a3bea

1008HAMN

'Can't ignore city's plea for LRT'

The head of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce's transport committee is confident the city will get its funding for rapid transit from Metrolinx sooner rather than later.

Hamilton is not as far along as other municipalities in the GTA and it has been hinted it will receive funding for transit in the latter years of a 2009-2013 budget.

http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/458728

1008KWCG

Balsillie behind city's bid for Biennale

CAMBRIDGE

RIM co-founder Jim Balsillie is behind efforts to bring the world's premier architectural event to the banks of the Grand River in Cambridge.

Mayor Doug Craig intentionally dropped Balsillie's name during his state of the city address last night.

It's the first time the co-chief executive of the BlackBerry maker has been publicly tied to the city's $80,000 study looking at bringing a North American expansion of the Biennale here, Craig said.

http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/437047

1008KWCG

City strong despite weak economy

GUELPH

The Royal City might be better-equipped than many other Ontario municipalities to handle a downturn in the economy, a senior Statistics Canada official said at a breakfast meeting yesterday.

Doug Newson, director of the agency's central region, said the 2006 census results reveal Guelph has a relatively low unemployment rate and one of the highest median household incomes in the province.

http://news.guelphmercury.com/News/article/398410

1008DSCG

Scugog home values soar

SCUGOG -- Scugog's civic leaders are bracing for a barrage of phone calls next week when it's expected the majority of local property owners opening letters from the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation will learn their home values have soared, sparking fears of matching tax increases.

Notices from the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) regarding Scugog homes are expected to be dropped into the mail on Nov. 3 and, according to some Scugog councillors, it's expected that some property owners may be picking their jaws up off the floor when they see how high their homes have jumped in value in three years.

http://newsdurhamregion.com/news/scugog/article/111776