Real estate numbers are transitory, but value is forever The only `news` that matters: the metropolitan population increases 50,000 annually Real estate news can mean different things to different people. A headline announcing either a dramatic drop or a wild increase in real...

Western farmers see hope in wheat prices The surging price of wheat could provide a boost for Canadian Prairie farmers facing losses because of recent flooding – but only for those who were able to get a crop in the ground. Wheat prices are up by about a third in the past six weeks...

Control your debts, central bank tells Canadians That`s the odd reality today for Canadians trying to make sense of what`s happening in the financial world. On one hand, there`s a growing sense that global economic growth is slowing. On the other, there`s the Bank of Canada`s decision to...

Mark Carney hikes rates, but cuts outlook The Bank of Canada Tuesday raised its benchmark lending rate for the second consecutive month while cutting its forecast for economic growth this year and next as austerity measures in Europe and economic fits and starts in the United States...

Foreign investment in Canada sets record high OTTAWA - Foreigners snapped up a record $23.16-billion in Canadian securities in May, nearly double the amount bought the month before, data showed yesterday, as federal government bonds drew strong investor interest because of their perceived...

Oil sands campaign a smear The campaign against Alberta`s oil sands was escalated last week by a group calling itself Corporate Ethics International, which is neither international nor ethical. If this group were ethical, they wouldn`t have stated that the oil sands sprawled across an...

Oil sands campaign a smear The campaign against Alberta`s oil sands was escalated last week by a group calling itself Corporate Ethics International, which is neither international nor ethical. If this group were ethical, they wouldn`t have stated that the oil sands sprawled across...

Canada`s oil-sands companies get boost from BP`s Gulf gusher Suncor Energy Inc. and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., two of the largest oil-sands producers, rank among the biggest winners as a U.S. halt on new Gulf of Mexico drilling leads investors to alternative crude sources...

Shaw Tower`s $12.88 million mansion in the Vancouver sky The 41st floor of the Shaw Tower on Coal Harbour is a veritable "mansion in the sky" with 7,500 square feet with luxury touches such as Carrera marble in the master bath and 360-degree views. It will soon test the top of...

Surrey housing complex now Western Canada`s largest solar power development Greenbrook complex had $21.8-million renovation METRO VANCOUVER - A social housing complex in Surrey has become Western Canada`s largest solar energy development and model for sustainable housing. A...

Why the West is Different Andy Russell, a Lethbridge, Alta.-born trapper, grizzly-bear hunter, photographer, trail guide, rancher and writer, loved the mountains of southern Alberta. In a description of the morning sunrise at the foothills of the Rockies, written in 1973, he...

Bank of Canada raises key interest rate to 0.75 per cent OTTAWA — The Bank of Canada raised its benchmark policy rate Tuesday by 25 basis points to 0.75 per cent, even though it scaled back its growth outlook on the belief budget cutting among households and governments in advanced...

Rental-housing plan turns into lightning rod Program creates needed rental units, city official says The rental housing construction program at the centre of Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson`s outburst last week isn`t limited to the West End, where two tall towers have been...

B.C. is homebuyers` territory Active listings sit at the highest level since March 2009, economist says When Maple Ridge`s Monika Novosadova went house hunting this spring, she faced an embarrassment of options, looking at 28 homes before putting an offer down on a...

Investment in commercial, industrial construction up in Q2 OTTAWA — Investment in non-residential building construction reached $10.1 billion in the second quarter of 2010, up 1.2 per cent from the previous quarter, Statistics Canada said Friday. It was the first quarterly increase...

Manufacturing lifts economic performance OTTAWA — A key indicator of Canada`s economic performance rose more than expected in June, led by the manufacturing sector, Statistics Canada said Friday. The composite leading index increased by one per cent during the month, following an...

Consumers worried about strength of recovery: Survey OTTAWA — Lingering concerns over Canada`s long-term economic performance are stifling chances of a sustained consumer-led recovery, according to a monthly national survey released Friday. "Canadians are worried and wary when it...

Universities team up with private sector to solve student housing woes Canadian universities are turning to the private sector to solve their campus housing problems. They are looking at adopting an American trend that has seen dozens of schools partner with private equity firms to...

Trouble Ahead? U.S. Housing Inventory Rises in Many Markets in June The number of homes listed for sale grew in many U.S. cities in June, a month that typically brings a slowdown in listings. Inventory grew amid signs that demand plunged after the expiration of the home-buyer tax credit...

China`s latest export: home buyers Half a world away, a handful of Chinese citizens are feverishly planning a Canadian real-estate shopping excursion. A farmer, an engineer, a furniture maker and a caterer are among the 30 hopeful investors who have paid $5,500 each to take a real...