April 2010

[Ally]

B.C. mill to reopen with new owner

The mill, located about 155 kilometres north of Prince George in the Central Interior, will restart as soon as possible, and about 200 employees are expected to be called back to work, the government said

One of Asia`s biggest pulp companies, Indonesian firm Sinar Mas, and its Netherlands subsidiary Paper Excellence, are taking over the mill. It was shut down in June 2008, after the former owners Pope and Talbot went bankrupt, at least partly due to declining pulp prices.

Worthington Properties then bought the mill from Pope and Talbot, but in January 2009, the B.C. government stepped in to maintain the facility after the company failed to pay maintenance workers.

The government was worried about the possibility that frozen pipes would burst, releasing chemicals into the environment.

Read the full article here.

 

[Ally]

Vancouver council dumbfounded over backlash to rental program

Vancouver residents didn`t like the idea of packing more people into the city in order to save the planet when former mayor Sam Sullivan tried to sell the EcoDensity concept four years ago.

Now it appears they also don`t like Mayor Gregor Robertson`s idea of packing more people into the city to create what he and his councillors thought was much-desired rental housing.

In the past several months, the mayor`s Vision Vancouver council has had to deal with a mounting backlash to a plan to give developers an array of breaks for a short period ending December, 2011 – less required parking, lower fees, more building space on their land – if they would build rental apartments that would stay as rentals for at least 60 years. There was no requirement to rent at low rates.

Instead of being praised for helping create rental stock, as they expected, the councillors have found themselves on the receiving end of scorn and suspicion in the city`s high-density West End, where two of the first towers to be built under the new program are being proposed.

That`s a part of the city where Vision Vancouver, which promised to deal with an ongoing crisis of rising rents and evictions, was the most popular in the 2008 civic election.

Read the full article here.

 

[Ally]

B.C. goes ahead with massive Peace River dam project

Premier Gordon Campbell announced Monday that his government plans to move forward with the proposed $6.6 billion Site C dam project on the Peace River.

At a press conference staged at the historic W.A.C. Bennett Dam near Hudson`s Hope in northeast British Columbia, Campbell said Site C will be developed as a public project creating lasting benefits for northern communities and first nations.

The project is expected to generate 35,000 direct and indirect jobs, and is expected to come into service in 2020 — provided it passes independent environmental assessments by provincial and federal agencies, as well as gaining enough support from first nations to avert the risk of a protracted court challenge.

It would be the third dam on the Peace river, situated a few kilometres east of Fort St. John and downstream of the Bennett and Peace Canyon dams.

The 900 megawatt project would become the fourth-largest dam in Hydro`s roster of so-called `heritage` hydroelectric assets.

For many years, nine other sites have been available for consideration of large hydroelectric storage-dam projects, including two on the Peace River system. Although these sites have never been part of BC Hydro`s plan, they have remained legal options for consideration. The new Clean Energy Act will change this.

Read the full article here.

 

[Ally]

Province announces site C clean energy project

HUDSON`S HOPE – The B.C. government announced today that it will move forward with the Site C Clean Energy Project (Site C). The Site C project will be the third dam on the Peace River in northeast B.C., and will be a source of clean and renewable energy for over 100 years, producing enough electricity to power approximately 410,000 homes per year.

"Hydroelectric power helped develop our province and Site C will build on B.C.`s heritage of clean, renewable and affordable, power," said Premier Gordon Campbell. "Site C will be a publicly owned heritage asset and will ensure that British Columbia has reliable sources of clean electricity, while contributing to our goal of electricity self-sufficiency."

The government`s decision to advance Site C is based on the project`s benefits to British Columbians. These include:

- Site C will help meet B.C.`s future electricity needs by providing 900 megawatts of capacity and 4,600 gigawatt hours of electricity each year.

- Site C will produce among the lowest greenhouse gas emissions per gigawatt-hour, when compared with other forms of electricity generation. This will help B.C. further displace fossil fuel-generated electricity with clean energy.

- As the third project on one river system, Site C will generate 30 per cent of the electricity produced at the W.A.C. Bennett Dam with only five per cent of the reservoir area. <LI class=MsoNormal>Site C will contribute to the local and provincial economy by creating an estimated 7,650 direct construction jobs through the construction period, and up to 35,000 direct and indirect jobs through all stages of the project.

- As a source of firm energy, Site C will facilitate the development of clean energy projects by providing additional capacity to back up intermittent resources, such as wind, run-of-river hydro and solar."The Province and BC Hydro are committed to providing lasting economic and social benefits for northern communities, First Nations and all of British Columbia," said Blair Lekstrom, Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources.

"Site C will also energize our potential as a clean energy powerhouse, encouraging new investment, industry and jobs."

Read the full article here.

 

[Ally]

Translink looks at rapid transit options for Broadway corridor

VANCOUVER - Vancouver could see the return of the streetcar as TransLink considers options to improve rapid transit along the Broadway corridor to the University of B.C.

The regional transit authority is holding a series of discussions, which began Thursday and continue through mid-May, to seek public opinion on the UBC Line Rapid Transit Study.

Study options include extending the SkyTrain underground along Broadway or building a streetcar line like the one used during the Olympics.

Among the six options are three different technologies: rapid buses, with dedicated lanes; light rail, like the streetcar, which would run at ground level; and SkyTrain, the fastest option, but also the most expensive to build.

The study is looking at various routes. Proposed ideas include a streetcar line along the south side of False Creek, and a combination SkyTrain extension and light rail, which would run as a SkyTrain from Commercial-Broadway Station to Arbutus, where it would connect with light rail to UBC.

The rapid bus service would run from the Commercial-Broadway SkyTrain station to UBC via Broadway and West 10th Avenue.

Broadway business owners are in favour of a streetcar, with many opposing the construction of a SkyTrain.

Read the full article here.

 

[Ally]

Work on Site C begins in earnest

BC Hydro has amassed 35 key technical reports, and expects to produce lots more, for an unprecedented push to get the Site C hydroelectric megaproject built on the Peace River.

Premier Gordon Campbell said this week that Site C, bearing a tentative $6.6 billion price tag, is likely to be complete by 2020 — if the project goes as planned.

Studies posted this week on the Crown corporation`s website range from public consultation and dam and highway engineering reports to studies of fish species, recreation activity and water quality in the Peace — and there are many more in the works.

Hydro will spend another year of study and research leading to an environmental assessment in 2011 that will last two years.

Hydro expects to have a firm estimate of the cost of the project — including seismic improvements to the original design, by the time the assessment begins.

A seven-year period of detailed engineering work and construction would follow. That includes a 46-month diversion of the Peace River during excavation and dam construction, the filling of the reservoir and the 15-month commissioning and construction of a generating station.

The timeline is similar to those experienced by Hydro in construction of other large-scale hydroelectric reservoirs around the province — typically six to 10 years — starting with the W.A.C. Bennett Dam on the Peace River upstream of Site C in the 1960s.

Read the full article here.

 

[Ally]

North Vancouver council paves way for coach houses

Owners of single-family homes in the City of North Vancouver will soon be able to build a coach house on their property, subject to a set of regulations passed by council Monday night.

The vote brings an end to three years of study and deliberation on the issue.

Coach houses will be divided into two tiers, Level A and Level B.

Level A coach houses are allowed to reach 15 feet in height (one storey), and 800 square feet in floor area. However, the maximum coach house floor area allowed will be determined by the overall lot size and the amount of density left over from the main house, meaning many lots will not be eligible for the full 800 square feet.

Owners whose homes are already built out to the maximum allowable density would not be able to build a coach house at all. If they conform to the guidelines, Level A houses can be approved by city staff without council involvement, although the builder must demonstrate some community consultation to staff.

Level B coach houses are allowed to reach 22 feet in height. Their floor area could reach a maximum of 1,000 square feet, but many sites may not have the space or unused density to reach the maximum allowed. These houses will be considered by city council following a public meeting and a mandatory neighbourhood consultation.

Read the full article here.

 

[Ally]

Vancouver shifts $5.6 million in taxes from business to homeowners

Vancouver businesses, which the city acknowledges have long laboured under higher tax burdens than their counterparts in other Metro communities, won a small victory Thursday when city council agreed to continue shifting a portion of the tax levy to residential taxpayers.

The shift, in this case, is minute.

Business, which now pays 50 per cent of property taxes, will have that load trimmed by one per cent this year.

City staff estimate that the resulting increase on the average Vancouver residential property, valued at $781,000, will be $33. The decrease on the average non-residential property will be $156.

In real dollars, it`s just over $5.6 million this year moving from the commercial, industrial and utility sectors to homeowners on the city`s $567.25-million property tax base. This year`s municipal tax increase is 2.08 per cent.

But business leaders said afterwards that the amount, part of a five-year program to try to move nearly $24 million in taxes to the much larger residential base, is a welcome sign that the city and council understand they need to correct two decades of inequitable tax policies.

"It is not sustainable for eight per cent of the property owners in this city to be paying 50 per cent of the taxes," said Paul Sullivan, a member of the Vancouver Fair Tax Coalition, which has waged a long war to make business property taxes more affordable.

Read the full article here.

 

[Ally]

Resale home listings, prices on the rise in B.C. and across Canada

OTTAWA — The number of resale homes on the market is rising in Canada — and so are their prices, according to a report issued by the Conference Board of Canada on Friday.

The board`s Metro Resale Index shows home listings were up in March in 25 of the 28 markets measured — and by more than 10 per cent over March of 2009 in most of those areas.

Sales were also up in 25 of the markets over February, and outpaced March 2009 in all 28, the board said.

Meanwhile, prices had risen by more than 10 per cent in 16 of the 28 markets. According to the board`s calculations, only two cities could be characterized as having buyers` markets in March — Victoria and Regina. Thunder Bay, Ont., was the only city with a seller`s market. The other 25 markets are balanced, favouring neither buyer nor seller, which the board says should keep price increases down.

Quebec markets should see some of the biggest short-term, year-over-year gains in resale housing prices. Six of the eight markets expected to see seven per cent growth are in that province: Gatineau, Montreal, Quebec, Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivieres and Saguenay, as well as Edmonton and Saskatoon.

Read the full article here.

 

[Ally]

How Site C will turn northern B.C. into an economic powerhouse

The provincial government`s decision to proceed with the Site C clean-energy project will provide significant opportunities and economic benefits to northern British Columbia.

Site C will result in 7,650 person-years of employment during the construction phase and will produce 35,000 direct and indirect jobs during the life of the project. That means numerous opportunities, large and small, for northern communities and first nations.

Northern B.C. has an opportunity to be a global leader in the development of energy in all its forms, from gas to forest-based bio-energy to clean renewable power. Site C will be an important part of our portfolio of energy resources, and it will expand our province`s ability to provide a reliable backup to renewable new intermittent energy sources, such as wind, run-of-river, and solar.

Read the full article here.

 

[Ally]

Massive housing development being built in Richmond

METRO VANCOUVER — A 2,600-unit development of luxury housing is being built on a 28-acre site near the Richmond Olympic Oval, the developer said in a press release Monday.

Aspac Developments, which turned an old railyard into the Coal Harbour development on the Vancouver waterfront, said the River Green project in Richmond will take 10 to 15 years to complete.

"River Green will be one of the largest residential construction projects in Metro Vancouver history, and a spectacular legacy of the 2010 Winter Games," Aspac said.

The official launch of the development is being made Tuesday by Aspac and Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie.

Read the full article here.

 

[Ally]

Vancouver Mayor says $1.5 Million Olympic boost pays off in jobs, investment

An investment of $1.5 million to promote Metro Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Olympics as a place to do business has paid off in deals worth approximately $60 million.

Metro Vancouver Commerce was started by Vancouver, Richmond and Surrey in 2007 to take advantage of the region`s profile from hosting the Olympics.

The investment total announced Wednesday, just 60 days after the Olympics, was supposed to be the goal reached after 18 months.

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson was pleased with the progress achieved so far.

"By partnering with cities throughout Metro Vancouver, we`ve been able to capitalize on the Olympics to secure new jobs and investment in the region — and strengthen our economy in the process," said Robertson.

Robertson said the deals announced Wednesday would result in 300 jobs in the region.

Read the full article here.

 

[Ally]

West expected to resume leadership in economic growth

Commodity-producing provinces took the biggest hit to economic growth in the recession of 2009, Statistics Canada reported Wednesday.

But those mostly Western provinces are likely to return to top spot later this year, according to BMO Capital Markets economist Robert Kavcic.

Newfoundland and Labrador experienced the biggest decline, Statistics Canada said, with gross domestic product falling 10.2 per cent a result of lower offshore oil output and a protracted strike at Voisey`s Bay nickel mine, owned by Vale-Inco of Brazil.

"Western Canada was also hit hard with declines of 6.3 per cent and 5.1 per cent in Saskatchewan and Alberta, respectively, much deeper drops than initially estimated," Kavcic said.

"Lower exploration activity and construction (in both the residential and energy sectors) hurt in Alberta, while Saskatchewan saw potash output plunge about 50 per cent as export demand weakened. The more modest decline in B.C. was the result of pre-Olympics construction activity and strength in the real estate sector, though output still fell a significant 2.3 per cent," he added.

Read the full article here.

 

[Ally]

Oil sands bitumen to flow to West Coast by 2015: Enbridge

Enbridge Inc.`s (ENB-T49.320.300.61%) ambitious plan to build an oil sands pipeline to the West Coast will succeed despite opposition from first nations and environmentalists as well as concerns about pipeline overcapacity, the company`s chief executive officer says.

Enbridge plans to file next month for a permit from the National Energy Board to build the North Gateway project to Kitimat, B.C., says CEO Pat Daniel. He expects the NEB process to take two years and is confident the project will be approved.

If all goes according to Enbridge`s plans, Alberta bitumen would be flowing to Pacific Rim markets by 2015, even though industry observers are warning of a glut of pipeline capacity until at least 2018.

At a meeting with The Globe and Mail`s editorial board, Mr. Daniel stoutly defended the Northern Gateway project, saying it is crucial to open new markets and will lead to higher prices for oil sands companies.

"Producers feel that in order to be able to negotiate better pricing for their crude oil, they do need access to another market," the Calgary-based CEO said yesterday. He acknowledged, however, that diverting export volumes from the U.S. could drive up pipeline fees on those lines, because costs would be spread among fewer barrels of oil.

Read the full article here.

 

[Ally]

Richmond`s River Green project`s aim to anchor revitalized Fraser River waterfront

RICHMOND — With the unveiling of its biggest ever single development, the City of Richmond has begun what it hopes will be a reorientation of its downtown out to the Fraser River waterfront.

On Tuesday, Aspac Developments Ltd. showed off its detailed plans for River Green, a 2,600-unit master-planned community, with its first phase of construction to start in September and the total build-out to take 10 to 15 years.

And Aspac plans to start selling that first phase, 458 luxury-oriented units in six buildings, this June, with completion expected some time in 2012.

Prices for the units, however, ranging in size from 700-square-foot, single-bedroom apartments to 3,500-square-foot waterfront homes, were not unveiled at the media preview inside the project`s $9-million presentation centre.

"It was part of the original vision when we built the [Olympic] Oval and came up with the concept for it that we would have a vibrant new neighbourhood right on the waterfront," Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie said in an interview.

Read the full article here.

 

[Ally]

Why British Columbia, Ontario need HST

On July 1, the cost of becoming more productive and competitive will fall significantly in British Columbia and Ontario, as the harmonized sales tax replaces the provincial sales tax.

The provincial sales tax directly adds to the cost of machinery, equipment and the technology we need to invest in if our businesses are to become productive enough to survive in global markets. The new tax -- the HST -- can be deducted from the tax collected when the firm sells its final output. Not only will this save our industries billions of dollars, but it will also go a long way to helping us deal with a strong dollar and improve our economy and our lives.

Better than Americans?

Canadians think we are at least as good as Americans, if not better. We are more polite than they are. We say please and thank you more often. We don`t carry arms. And Canadian citizens, if not always Canadian teams, play the best hockey.

There are also many similarities. We speak the same language as our U.S. neighbours, shop in similar malls, live in the same kinds of houses and hold the same kinds of jobs. Moving south of the 49th parallel is not nearly as big a change for Canadians as moving to Asia, Africa or even South America or Europe.

Read the full article here.