MB Economic Fundamentals 2008-09

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0908PORT
Councillors look at plan to treat dirty water

The City of Portage la Prairie is considering a request from BFI Canada to allow the company to treat leachate waste – the liquid that accumulates under landfills – at the city`s Water Pollution Control Facility.

At Monday night`s city council meeting, the city`s waterworks committee reviewed BFI`s request to have an impact assessment done by a registered engineering firm.

http://www.portagedailygraphic.com/Article....aspx?e=1212106

 

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City eyes pedestrian/bike span

Cyclists are ecstatic but northeast Winnipeg politicians are fuming over the latest Disraeli Freeway reconstruction plan, which calls for a new pedestrian-and-bike bridge but no guarantees motorists won`t be stuck in construction traffic for as long as 16 months.

After mulling over three Disraeli design options, city bridge engineers have chosen to forge ahead with a four-lane, single-span structure that will keep the price down to $140 million by reusing existing concrete foundations and steel girders.

The design, which comes before city council`s public works committee today, calls for a single sidewalk, wider curb lanes to allow vehicles and cyclists to share the road and a brand-new pedestrian/cyclist bridge that would connect Elmwood with North Point Douglas several blocks to the east.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/sto...p-4870634c.html

 

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Sector impresses

On an annual basis the Manitoba Home Builders Association hosts the Parade of Homes, which gives the public an opportunity to get see the quality workmanship of home builders in the province. This fall they have 32 builders displaying 95 homes that have a combined value of $35 million in 30 different subdivisions throughout Manitoba, and for those that take the time to get a firsthand look at some of these homes there are a number of other things that also become clearly evident.

http://www.winnipegsun.com/Business/2008/0...845991-sun.html

 

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0908MTBA
Your buck is losing its bang

High gasoline and natural gas prices, plus rising food and shelter costs, led to the biggest annual bump in Manitoba consumer prices in close to four years last month, Statistics Canada said Tuesday.

The province`s consumer price index (CPI) rose 3.4 per cent in August, the biggest 12-month jump since December 2004 (when it also went up 3.4 per cent).

Nationally, the CPI went up 3.5 per cent between August 2007 and August 2008, the largest increase since March 2003, when it rose the 4.2 per cent.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/subscribe...p-4871152c.html

 

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Turning an idea into reality

If you aren`t certain what is meant by the term inland port, you shouldn`t feel too badly -- you`re not alone.

As one well-regarded expert in the transportation business recently said to me, in his mind it could mean everything from a glorified industrial park to a modern centre of trade and commerce for the 21st century.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/subscribe...p-4871715c.html

 

[joeiannuzzi]

0908PORT
Portage candidate`s debate may not happen

With the upcoming federal election less than three weeks away, voters from Portage la Prairie may be forced to drive to Morden it they want to watch the riding`s candidates debate each other.

The Portage and District Chamber of Commerce, who normally sponsor candidate`s debates in Portage, are struggling to ready a forum this year, and might not have time to get a debate organized in town.

http://www.portagedailygraphic.com/Article....aspx?e=1218379

 

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Council directs hotel-tax windfall

THE city has decided how to spend the proceeds of a new hotel tax that`s already raked in more than $1.8 million for the city.

On June 1, Winnipeg became the last major city in Canada to create a hotel tax to help fund marketing efforts when it began levying a five per cent accommodation tax on overnight stays.

Mayor Sam Katz has said two out of those five points will be devoted toward the future expansion of the Winnipeg Convention Centre, while the remaining three percentage points will be used to lure major events to the city and help fund marketing agency Destination Winnipeg.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/sto...p-4872305c.html

 

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0908MTBA
Tundra adds oil-treating facility to cope with booming production

MANITOBA`S largest home-grown oil-drilling company will hold a grand opening for its newest oil battery north of Whitewater Lake on Oct. 1.

"This is state-of-the-art," Tundra Oil & Gas production manager Dave Jordan said. "It`s bigger than anything in the immediate area, and designed for future expansion."

Significant well-drilling activity has been going on this year in the Regent and Whitewater fields to the north and south of the lake, located in the southwest corner of the province.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/subscribe...p-4872329c.html

 

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Dion sacks city-area candidate

Manitoba Liberals suffered a huge blow Friday on a day they were supposed to be showcasing their candidates and trumpeting their election campaign platform.

The release of the Grit action plan for Manitoba at an noon-hour event was completely overshadowed by the Liberal leader Stéphane Dion`s sacking of Kildonan--St. Paul candidate Lesley Hughes.

The net result is that the Grits have now handed victory to incumbent Tory MP Joy Smith while the party is left trying to do damage control with the mess Hughes has left.Dion asked Hughes to step down as Liberal candidate over a column she wrote in 2002 claiming Jewish businesses in the World Trade Centre had prior knowledge of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/sto...p-4872906c.html

 

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Manitoba Small Town Updates: 2008-09-28

 

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Retail revival bolsters Sherbrook Street

THE business district on Sherbrook Street in Wolseley is showing signs of rejuvenation.

A new two-storey commercial/residential building is going up on a vacant lot at Sherbrook and Westminster Avenue. A few doors to the north, popular Stella`s Café and Bakery is constructing a three-metre-by-18-metre patio after acquiring an adjacent property. And a new sushi restaurant is coming to the strip.

These new developments, along with the increased traffic created by the new Nygard Fashion Park on West Broadway, have made local business owners and the West Broadway Biz more upbeat about the future.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/subscribe...p-4873648c.html

 

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0908MTBA
Northern grain exports down

GRAIN exports this season through the Port of Churchill are projected to reach 450,000 tonnes, down from the 640,000 tonnes shipped last year, according to the Churchill Gateway Development Corp.

Bill Drew, executive director of the corporation, said Canadian Wheat Board shipments will account for all this year`s exports through the northern Manitoba port.

For the second straight year, no non-board grains are being marketed through Churchill.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/subscribe...p-4874107c.html