0109BCBC B.C., Canada sign partnership pact B.C. and the federal government are teaming up to bolster the economy through a $50- million partnership. This is the first of four agreements being announced in Western Canada this week, Lynne Yelich, Minister of State for Western Economic...

0109VICT Price tag for dump cleanup in Highlands keeps rising Sixty years ago, Millstream Meadows in Highlands was a dump site. Today, to those in charge of cleaning it up, it looks more like a money pit. Regional politicians will soon wrestle with how much extra cash to sink into the...

0109CALG Towns using city service told to pay Municipalities on Calgary`s periphery that enjoy city utility and emergency services will have to pay the piper or be forced to find their own solutions, says Mayor Dave Bronconnier. Council will meet today for a special strategic planning session...

0109ALTA Alberta producers to feel pinch F alling commodity prices, weak credit markets and poor refining profits will slash quarterly earnings for Canada`s oil and gas producers, which could result in yet more cutbacks for the struggling sector. Fourth-quarter earnings for Canadian energy...

0109CALG Senior sentenced to prison for Ponzi scam A Calgary senior who bilked 35 investors out of $615,000 he claimed was destined for educational programs will do jail time. James Hester, 68, was sentenced to a three-year prison term Monday after Justice Peter McIntyre rejected a defence...

0109CALG Mount Royal `99.9 per cent` of way to university status Mount Royal College will hit a pivotal milestone next week in its long quest for recognition as a degree-granting university, when a national organization`s officials visit Calgary to consider admitting the school as one of its...

0109EDTN Basement dwellers Edmonton home renovators expect the renovation market to stay steady over the next year. A survey released yesterday by TD Canada Trust says that despite the current global financial crisis, the majority of Canadian homeowners, 53%, plan to proceed with or expand...

0109SASK Sask. oilpatch to slow in 2009 Saskatchewan`s oilpatch is going to feel the impact of plunging world oil prices in 2009, but exactly how much remains to be seen, industry experts said Monday. "Saskatchewan is a very oil-weighted energy producer,`` said Gary Leach, executive director...

0109SASK Sask. cities lead GDP growth Regina placed second in the country for GDP growth in 2008 and is projected to retain the second-place position for 2009, according to the Conference Board of Canada. Regina`s GDP grew by 4.9 per cent in 2008 -- the best performance in 11 years -- and is...

0109SASK With Obama at helm, Wall sees benefits for province Premier Brad Wall appears to have taken the "audacity of hope" to heart as he considers the potential impact on Saskatchewan of Barack Obama, who will be sworn in today as the United States` 44th president and the first...

0109WNPG Big Ikea site has big ideas in the works A 500-unit condominium building, a 100-room hotel and a 16-screen movie theatre may join four big-box stores and "numerous smaller retail stores" at the $400-million Ikea development planned for Kenaston Boulevard at Sterling Lyon Parkway. More...

0109BAOR New Wal-Mart Supercentre opens its doors After months of watching it grow into a massive merchandise mecca, thousands of shoppers got their first look at Orillia`s new Wal-Mart Supercentre on Murphy Road Saturday. From food on one side to tire and lube on the other, this huge store...

0109TNTO GTA Winning bid for Pan Am games would be a loss for city If you believe the promoters of the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games Committee, snagging the athletic gala will prove an enormous shot in the arm for the city. For starters, the committee claims the Pan Am Games could generate close...

0109ONTR Got old paint? Take it back to store New homeowner Sarah Daly was in a quandary over where to dispose of her half-empty paint cans. She knew she could – but shouldn`t – throw the cans in the trash or her home recycling bin. "We were at a loss of what to do with them," said the...

0109VANC City could remove village developer Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson said Sunday "everything is on the table" as the city negotiates a plan to complete the troubled Olympic village -- including finding new lenders and removing the current developer from the project. The city is armed...

0109VANC Wall project joins condo turbulence The future of another False Creek condominium project is in limbo. Work on Wall Financial Corp.`s four-tower Wall Centre False Creek will likely be delayed. The 414-unit complex is across the street from Vancouver`s embattled Olympic Village, a...

0109VICT Mayor Fortin touts suite incentives for Victoria Victoria homeowners who create secondary suites in their houses might be eligible for grants of up to $5,000 under a program proposed by Mayor Dean Fortin. The goal of the $250,000 grant package would be to create more affordable...

0109CALG Key Calgary transit projects wrapping up in `09 After years of manoeuvring around construction nightmares, Calgary drivers should be in for a reprieve in 2009 as the city wraps up a number of major road projects and shifts its construction focus to transit. While work continues on...

Low interest, inflation rates likely Recession-wary consumers can probably expect a further cut in interest rates and news of another drop in the inflation rate this coming week, but with both at or heading toward record lows, there`s not much room for further relief on either front. And that...

0109WNPG Zimmer abandons river development A $10-million downtown development proposal spearheaded by local Liberal Senator Rod Zimmer has been shelved due to concerns over the current economic crisis. Last summer, city hall approved a proposal by Zimmer`s Gatehouse company to build a...