AB Economic Fundamentals 2008-08

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Hope on Avenue`s horizon as neighbours band together

Ultimately, I would like to see it be a healthy, vibrant street that people feel safe on. And I think it definitely has significant potential to be that." Sean Douglas, president of Queen Mary Park community league

Sean Douglas is tired of people bad-mouthing his neighbourhood.

He`s president of the Queen Mary Park community league, one of two neighbourhoods along the Avenue of Nations. It`s an area known for its problems more than its attractions.

But the area is special, too, Douglas says. "People always talk about how bad 107th Avenue is, (but) on the other hand, there is so much to do here. There is tremendous diversity in terms of the shops and businesses that are here, as well as the people."

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news...dc-935c3c604907

 

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Garage sale permit fees may soon be dropped

For a long time now one of the most expensive items at a garage sale was the permit needed to hold it -- a situation Coun. Kim Krushell would like to change.

The city currently charges $19 for a garage sale permit.

A complaint from one of Krushell`s constituents last year prompted her to look into the fee.

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news...eb-165c8674e960

 

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Tourism numbers heading south

Rising fuel costs, a strong Canadian dollar and a sagging United States economy have Alberta tourism operators feeling the squeeze of shrinking numbers of American visitors this summer.

Calgary and Banff are both seeing their numbers slide, while smaller communities are feeling the pain of big drop-offs.

Kurt Schroeder, director of sales and market development for Banff Lake Louise Tourism, said U.S. tourism in the national park has decreased to the point where they are considering shifting marketing to attract more overseas visitors.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/s...11-5109d514ba8b

 

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Calgary families still drawn to the suburbs

Despite the city`s recent efforts to deal with sprawl, Calgary continues to grow out rather than up.

A new report titled Accommodating Growth: Monitoring Growth and Change notes residential growth has taken up another 2,739 hectares of land -- or 27.39 square kilometres -- in new suburban communities between 2003 and 2007.

In the same period, the city`s population grew by 114,955 people.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/s...1d-5afdc20bb74d

 

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Cochrane condo hit with big repair bill

Condo owners in Cochrane are paying up to $38,000 each to construct a $4.5-million retaining wall after a series of small landslides.

As work progresses to prevent further erosion, residents of the Villas of GlenEagles are investigating who should be responsible for footing the bill.

"It`s been very stressful for all of the homeowners because there`s nothing we did to cause this," said condo owner Cheryl Walker, who has lived in a condominium overlooking the Links of GlenEagles golf course for three years.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/c...f6-fb6163874cb5

 

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Booming Cochrane retains its charm

The majestic Rocky Mountains offer an awe-inspiring backdrop for Cochrane.

For years, the natural beauty has been a major attraction of the community west of Calgary, and that scenery has been a motivation for people moving there both to live and to set up businesses.

The owners of MacKay Cochrane Ice Cream, an institution in the community, have seen an explosion of growth in the Calgary bedroom community, and despite that, the small-town charm is still what defines Cochrane, whose roots are firmly planted in its ranching heritage.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/c...61-05a0c266bf09

 

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Event centre information at city council

The public will find out from tonight`s council meeting what location the city`s steering committee is recommending for Medicine Hat`s Regional Event Centre.

In advance of that announcement, the Medicine Hat News took to the streets to gauge public opinion – and it seems there is still no clear consensus.

Mike Koenig believes the Box Springs location – one of the two front-running proposals under consideration – is the most logical.

http://www.medicinehatnews.com/content/view/40005/65/

 

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Pipeline from Alaska will ease energy woes: Obama

WASHINGTON - Democratic presidential hopeful Senator Barack Obama said Monday that completing the Alaska Gas Pipeline with Canada would help ease the U.S. dependency on oil.

The Illinois senator mentioned the multibillion-dollar pipeline project -- which would be built across Canadian territory, possibly by Alberta-based TransCanada Corp. -- as he unveiled a sweeping new plan to deal with the soaring price of oil and its impact on the buying power of American families.

In a speech in Lansing, Mich., Obama called the U.S. "addiction" to foreign oil, the "most dangerous and urgent threat" his country has ever faced.

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news...cb-a04542399456

 

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West-end hall `the heart of the community`

EDMONTON - The Willowby community hall is a small, grey, nondescript building in the city`s west end. It is set far back from the road, beyond two parking lots -- one for itself and one for Ormsby Elementary School next door.

Although the hall is easy to miss, it serves more than 11,500 people who live in the communities of Jamieson Place, Ormsby Place, and Dechene.

"It`s the heart of the community," said Alla Ternikova, vice-president of the Willowby community league board.

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news...2e-66055bfc2c44

 

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Reaching far for needed skills

The new reality for Canadian companies looking to recruit workers increasingly means casting a wider net across the world while government and education leaders head the charge overseas in the face of economic restraints.

"I believe with the shortage of labour in Canada, more and more companies will be going abroad not only to India, China and the Philippines, but also Eastern Europe," says Kirk White, recruitment co-ordinator with OPTI Canadian Fort McMurray.

His company took part earlier this year in a recruitment drive to India organized by the Alberta government and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Edmonton.

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news...c7-bdd6ffba95e2

 

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Higher costs, red tape limit soaring oilsands spending

Oilsands spending has doubled in three short years, but energy companies are having a harder time putting even more money into the ground to take advantage of record commodity prices.

Labour shortages, regulatory delays, uncertainty over climate change and soaring costs for materials such as steel are preventing oil companies from further boosting spending to ramp up oilsands production.

Oilsands players spent $17 billion on capital projects in the Fort McMurray area last year, up from $14.3 billion in 2006 and $10.4 billion in 2005, according to the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/s...33-3a85faee442c

 

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PM set to OK cash to finish highway twinning

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is today expected to announce money to finish the twinning of the precarious stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway just east of the British Columbia border.

Government sources say an official announcement scheduled for this morning at the gates of Banff National Park will cement plans to make Canada`s national highway four lanes through the whole of the province.

"It would make my day," said area MP Myron Thompson, who has been pushing for the twinning for 15 years. The highway has "taken a lot of lives."

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/s...3a-ef9bfad269a9

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Natural gas prices set to soar

The United States` pain is once again expected to be Canada`s gain when it comes to energy.

A report from CIBC World Markets Inc. says electricity and natural-gas prices will surge as North American utilities shift from coal-fired generation to cleaner burning natural-gas generation. While that will drive consumer prices for gas-fired electrical power higher, it should also fatten further the wallets of Alberta gas producers and the provincial government.

With 20 per cent of Alberta`s generation gas fired, the province is the most gas-dependent jurisdiction for power generation in Canada, says the study.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/c...91-9b10d9c37638

 

[joeiannuzzi]

School division surplus growing

Wild Rose School Division has a $54.8-million budget for the 2008-09 school year.

Wild Rose trustees gave final approval last week to the budget that is $3.3 million more than 2007-08.

"We know what our funding is going to be. We have all collective agreements in place. So it`s a pretty straight-forward budget," said secretary treasurer Gord Majeran.

http://www.albertalocalnews.com/reddeeradv...us_growing.html

 

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Two local buildings designated as historic

A pair of local buildings will live out their senior years in comfort after being designated municipal historic resources by city council Tuesday.
The two structures — the Annandale residence and the old Spudnut shop — are the first in Lethbridge to be protected under new provincial law. Jean Johnstone, chair of the city`s Historical Advisory Committee, says the group plans to return to council with more nominations in the fall.
"These are our first," she adds. "We expect to have more later."
Historical information is being prepared for about 25 local sites, she said before council met Tuesday. Most are in the city`s downtown core.

http://www.lethbridgeherald.com/article_11586.php

 

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Council to make final decision for new event centre location

independent committee chose the Lansdowne site, and last night the city`s steering committee recommended Box Springs. It will now be up to council to make a final decision on the location of Medicine Hat`s new regional event centre.

The city`s steering committee — made up of aldermen Jamie White, Jeremy Thompson, and Graham Kelly along with several members of the public — presented their recommendation to council last night for information only. Because all council members were not in attendance last night, council tabled discussion on the issue until the Aug. 18 meeting.

http://www.medicinehatnews.com/content/view/40226/65/

 

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U of A appeals ruling on renaming Bay LRT station

The University of Alberta has filed an appeal after a city committee turned down its request to rename the Bay LRT stop Enterprise Square Station.

The satellite Enterprise Square campus, housing the extension faculty, the School of Business executive program, business family institute and TEC Edmonton, opened in the former Bay store at Jasper Avenue and 103rd Street last September following a $100-million renovation.

University officials tried to convince Edmonton`s naming committee last spring that the designation for the LRT station should be updated, but the request was denied in June, city planner Cory Sousa said Tuesday.

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news...bd-121d58ffcef2

 

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12-year-olds should be allowed to work: survey

A majority of respondents to a provincial employment standards survey believe Alberta youth aged 12 to 14 should be allowed to get jobs.

Forty-two per cent of employers and 49 per cent of employees surveyed agreed that 12-, 13- and 14-year-olds should have the chance to work.

Meanwhile, 37 per cent of employers and 29 per cent of employees felt anyone under the age of 15 is too young to be employed.

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news...43-f1b30e659aaa

 

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Housing market shows signs of life

EDMONTON - July home sales spiked 14 per cent over the same month last year as Edmonton`s cooled-down market showed signs of roaring back.

Buyers purchased 1,784 homes in July, compared to 1,565 in the same month last year, according to Edmonton Multiple Listing Service numbers released today.

Only MLS sales in July 2006 -- 2,230 -- were higher.

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news...c6-954a37ec609c

 

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Petro-Can to revamp refinery

Motorists won`t be left with empty tanks as Petro-Canada is closing parts of its Edmonton refinery over the next two months as part of a planned conversion of the facility.

"We`re operating at a fairly limited capacity," said Petro-Canada spokeswoman Kelli Stevens.

"When you have a turnaround booked, you start making arrangements for supply from other areas." The refinery, one of two refineries Petro-Canada operates in Canada, has a capacity of 135,000 barrels per day.

http://calsun.canoe.ca/Business/2008/08/06/6363361-sun.html