AB Economic Fundamentals 2008-11

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1108ALTA
Tories losing battle on the homefront

Premier Ed Stelmach is a calm sort of guy, but you can almost see him spitting his coffee across the office when he saw the numbers on Alberta`s environmental image.

In a major survey, only 16 per cent of Albertans say they can describe the province as a good steward of the environment.

Even more appalling, just three per cent of Canadians say the province does a good environmental job.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/s...cf-5fdc869e300e

 

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1108CALG
Memorial Drive regaining its stature

On a warm November afternoon, workers race to finish building the new medians along a section of Memorial Drive, battling both the encroaching winter and the growing irritation of drivers crawling along a section of the city`s high-volume, east-west corridor.

They tuck fresh blankets of loam around small elm trees planted in the medians between Centre Street and 5A Street N.W. and rake mulch around young poplars lining the roadway`s south bank.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/c...7f-9736f810620e

 

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1108REDR
Canal plan dries up

A proposal to build an elaborate system of canals as a tourist attraction has been scuttled in a draft update to the Greater Downtown Action Plan sent to city council and staff Monday.

"We had a lot more people say, `No, we don`t want canals` than say, `Yes, we do want canals,`" said project consultant Lorne Daniel, of the project championed by Red Deer Chamber of Commerce`s tourist committee.

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

 

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1108REDR
No deal without us: Sylvan council

Sylvan Lake insists it be at the table for discussions on changes to the boundaries of Sylvan Lake Provincial Park.

At Monday`s town council meeting, councillors approved a letter being sent to Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation Minister Cindy Ady saying the town wants to be part of discussion on the province`s plan to remove a small section of land from the park, including a narrow strop of shoreline in front of Chateau Suites and underwater land between the pier and the water park.

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

 

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1108EDTN
Halal consortium hopes to hit it big

It may sound a bit like trying to sell fur coats in the Caribbean, but an Edmonton company is part of a consortium that has just opened an office in Dubai to sell Halal (Islam approved) foods in the Middle East.

"We don`t expect results overnight, but our research shows us Canadian products, especially beef and chicken, are highly regarded there," says Noorudin Jiwani, owner of Aliya`s Foods in Sherwood Park.

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news...b1-672e6f140c42

 

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1108ALTA
Turner Valley hails province`s move to clean up historic well site

The Alberta government is asking for bids to clean up a 94-year-old gas well in Turner Valley that still flares sour gas, a move residents say could go a long way to addressing environmental concerns.

An engineering report commissioned by the government raises red flags about water contamination and longtime sour gas venting at the site about 45 kilometres south of Calgary.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/c...c6-8c50907b3337

 

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1108CALG

Wal-Mart plans massive new store in city`s southeast


Giant retailer Wal-Mart Canada Corp. is poised to open a massive store in the city`s southeast, where mammoth shopping outlets have cropped up over the years. The Calgary Planning Commission is slated to hear tomorrow the proposed project from developer Kellam Berg Engineering at 1 p.m. at city hall.

http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/2008/1...382431-sun.html

 

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1108ALTA

Canadian Natural says it`s not a good time for new refineries


Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. would be open to investing in new refineries if the right opportunity presented itself, an executive said yesterday.

"It`s not something that we must do and it`s not something that we are indifferent to," Real Cusson, senior vice-president of marketing, told an investor open house in Calgary. "It has to be the right build, the right number and especially the right economics."

http://calsun.canoe.ca/Business/2008/11/12/7382326-sun.html

 

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1108ALTA
Website puts the spotlight on Realtors

EDMONTON -- Realtors have now joined hotels, professors, lawyers and books with their own website where customers can praise, or criticize, their performance.

What-Customers-Say.com is a site where clients can rate the real estate agent who worked on their deal.

It was created during intervals of spare time as an experiment by four Edmontonians, who work day jobs at Intuit, but believed there was a need for a place to review realtors online.

http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonis...b5-daf644d6f4c9

 

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1108REDR
Business owner urges town to be cautious over marina project

The owner of Chateau Suites is cautious about the Town of Sylvan Lake getting involved in marina expansion.

At Monday`s town council meeting, councillors approved a letter be sent to Alberta`s Tourism, Parks and Recreation Minister insisting the town be part of discussion on the province`s plan to remove a small section of land from Sylvan Lake Park, including a narrow strip of shoreline in front of Chateau Suites and underwater land between the pier and the water park.

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

 

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1108EDTN
Stall the sprawl

City council is being urged to put the brakes on urban sprawl and take drastic steps to get more Edmontonians using public transportation.

That not only includes previously discussed measures like jacking up downtown parking rates, but also limiting parking in key areas of the city - which officials believe would increase transit use.

http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Edmonton/2...393701-sun.html

 

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1108ALTA
Eddie sells Alberta to Holland

If it`s Wednesday this must be Holland, as Ed Stelmach`s whirlwind European vacation continues.

Yesterday he was telling a roomful of Dutchmen in The Hague don`t worry, be happy, about the Alberta economy.

OK, worry a little, because no place is totally "immune from the global economic forces" which are "creating havoc."

Except not here. At least not yet.

http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/20...393736-sun.html

 

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1108CALG
Gloom not doom


Should Calgary worry?

Commodity prices are tanking. Oilpatch players say they`ll prudently guard their dollars as the economy is teetering on the brink of a recession. Moreover, Alberta is on the verge of a new royalty regime that will up the government`s take. And our neighbours continue to woo Alberta`s energy companies, trying to lure investment dollars.

http://calsun.canoe.ca/Business/2008/11/13/7394866-sun.html

 

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1108EDTN
City of the future stirs public debate

EDMONTON - Almost 600 people packed City Hall on Wednesday as planners laid out a vision of Edmonton 30 years into the future, in which LRT lines extend throughout a denser, walkable city where cars are no longer king.

The transportation master plan and the municipal development plan are intended to provide long-range guidelines for a city expected to be home to as many as 1.2 million people by 2040. The plans outline how land should be used and the ways people should move around. The city`s current population is about 770,000.

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news...76-377cf4abd9f6

 

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1108ALTA
NAFTA OK with U.S. envoy

OTTAWA - It would be a bad idea for the U.S. to retreat into protectionism, Washington`s envoy to Canada said Wednesday as he defended the North American Free Trade Agreement.

"This is simply no time for my country to disengage from you, our best friend and ally, or from the rest of the world," said Ambassador David Wilkins.

"We are not going to solve any problems ... by retreating into protectionism."

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news...66-4f04d07d01bb

 

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1108CALG
City, province vow to keep on building

At a time of sub-$60 oil and continuing economic gloom around the world, the philosophy at Calgary city hall and the Alberta legislature is still build, baby, build.

Calgary Mayor Dave Bronconnier and provincial Treasury Board president Lloyd Snelgrove both said Wednesday they won`t scale back or delay their multibillion-dollar construction budgets.

It mirrors the federal government`s promise this week to accelerate spending on bridges, roads and other projects Canada-wide to help support economic activity.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/s...cf-63fe12974ce6

 

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1108ALTA
Landowners fight sour gas plan

Wendy Cartwright can`t avoid the issue of a sour gas pipeline and wells proposed for land southwest of Longview -- her husband Gordon even worriedly talks about it in his sleep at night.

"He knows once the development starts, there`s no stopping it," Cartwright said.

The well-known Cartwrights of the historic D Ranch, along with about 20 other local landowners, took notes and muttered amongst themselves Wednesday as they listened to Petro-Canada`s project presentation at a High River hotel.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/c...63-3904b08f7c35

 

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1108ALTA
Demand for oil downgraded in latest long-term forecast

High prices have dented world oil use, which is expected to grow by only one per cent a year until 2030, the International Energy Agency said Wednesday, down from last year`s estimate of 1.3 per cent.

The price of oil hit a record above $147 a barrel in July before collapsing by more than 60 per cent due to the economic crisis and consumer reaction to prices at the pumps.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/c...07-8a62a207dc38

 

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1108REDR
New shops open at Parkland Mall

The retail void that resulted when Sears Canada left Parkland Mall in August has been filled in time for the Christmas shopping season.

Urban Planet and Labels have quietly opened their doors in the space previously occupied by Sears: Urban Planet on Oct. 24 and Labels last Friday. They were scheduled to commence operations in November and December respectively, but conducted soft openings earlier.

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

 

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1108ALTA
Popular weed killer pulled

EDMONTON - The province`s decision to ban weed-and-feed style products will force homeowners to take a more environmentally friendly approach to lawn care, garden centre operators say.

"There will be some initial panic, especially from people who have relied on good old weed-and-feed, and are used to just throwing pellets on their lawn every spring, but after a little education, I don`t see it being a big problem at all," Greenland Garden Centre manager Tina Burback said.

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news...8b-ea8aa9fe104e