June 2010

[Amber]

Demolition of historic buildings begins in Brantford
Destruction goes ahead after council votes to raze 41 south-side structures

BRANTFORD—And the walls came tumbling down. Barely a dozen hours after city council voted to demolish a strip of 41 historic but deteriorated downtown buildings, the steel teeth of a huge excavating machine began tearing into the walls in a project that will take several months to complete.

About two dozen curious onlookers stood on a sun-splashed sidewalk across Colborne St. Tuesday, wondering if the demolition would actually begin. There had been talk that the questionable status of a $1.38 million federal grant to help pay for the project might temporarily put the brakes on.

But shortly before 11 a.m., a man on a scooter tugged at the brim of his pink ball cap and shouted to work crews, "Come on, you guys, get on with it."

Whether by design or coincidence, a huge orange machine fired up and began tearing chunks of brick and wood from the aging structure at the west end of the historic strip. Rubble fell like rain as a lone worker sprayed water to keep waves of dust in check.

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[Amber]

Windsor`s apartment vacancy rate drops but remains tops in country

WINDSOR, Ont. — Windsor`s apartment vacancy rate recorded the largest decline in Canada over the past year but still remains the highest in the country by a wide margin at 12.4 per cent.

It was 15.5 per cent in April 2009, according to figures released by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Elsewhere across Canada, the vacancy rate edged upwards slightly from 2.7 per cent to 2.9 per cent.

"Rental construction and competition from the condominium market added upward pressure on vacancy rates and historically low mortgage rates attracted renter households towards homeownership over the past year," said Bob Dugan, chief economist at CMHC`s market analysis centre.

In Windsor, which has the lowest average housing price of any major metropolitan centre, apartment vacancy rates have been the highest in Canada for at least three years.

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[Amber]

Employment Insurance claims up in Ontario

Since June 2009 beneficiaries have dropped 19.5 per cent, down 161,900 from peak numbers of 829,300


The number of Ontario residents receiving Employment Insurance rose slightly in April, following six consecutive months of declines as some out of work Canadians returned to the labour market but many exhausted their claims. Despite a flood of part time jobs in April, unemployment levels remained fixed and the number of Canadians not receiving benefit coverage remained high.

On Friday Statistics Canada reported that the number of Ontario residents receiving regular benefits rose by 2,600 in April. Since June 2009 the number of regular beneficiaries has dropped by 75,900, or 26.5 per cent, the fastest rate of decline in all provinces. In Toronto during that same period the number of people receiving regular benefits fell by 8,300 to 89,100.

National numbers showed little change from the previous month, with 667,400 people receiving regular benefits in April. Since June 2009 the number of beneficiaries has declined 19.5 per cent, down 161,900 from peak numbers of 829,300.

"In one sense, today`s numbers confirm what we already knew: April`s shower of jobs barely dented unemployment," said Erin Weir, an economist with the United Steelworkers in a note.

"Since the number of unemployed workers remained about the same, it is hardly surprising that the number of EI beneficiaries also remained about the same," he said.


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[Amber]

Daw: Flooding from cheap toilet hoses prompts court battles

Insurers aim to recover millions from hose suppliers

Check for a flexible hose under your toilet water tank.

You might have a bad one, with a plastic nut that could crack open at any time.

The result could be extensive water damage and months out of your home while repairs are completed.

Some quick detective work and a new hose certified by the Canadian Standards Association could spare you from such a major disruption to your life. If you replace the hose yourself, the cost would be a few dollars.

This warning comes to you from local forensic engineers.

They say that, between them, they have investigated dozens of Ontario insurance claims costing millions of dollars in total — all related to short, flexible hoses wrapped in a braided stainless steel mesh and topped with a cheap polymer nut.

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[Amber]

Toronto Hydro asks top court for freedom to raise rates

Toronto Hydro will ask Canada`s highest court to give it more latitude to increase rates so it can make dividend payments to the City of Toronto.

Hydro is seeking to overturn a ruling by Ontario Court of Appeal. The court had approved restrictions imposed by the Ontario Energy Board on the utility`s ability to jack up rates.

Toronto Hydro is now seeking leave to appeal that decision to the Supreme Court of Canada.

The City of Toronto, Toronto Hydro`s sole shareholder, is eager to cash in on hydro`s profitability because of the financial pressures the city faces.

The case in question dates back to 2004 and 2005, when the energy board had expressed concern over the amount of money that Toronto Hydro was paying the city.

Not only was hydro paying above-market interest rates to the city on a $981 million loan that the city had set up; hydro was also making big dividend payments to the city.

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[Amber]

Hume: Seniors` condo shows maturing of Mississauga

Not a city in the historical sense, Mississauga might best the understood as a series of communities connected by roads. Some of those communities have been around for awhile; others are brand new. Some are highrise; others are only two or three storeys tall. Though they all form part of Canada`s sixth-largest city, many have little in common beyond that fact. And given the mechanics of the post-war development industry, aided and abetted by the Ontario Municipal Board, the building of Mississauga was generally an ad hoc affair. Planning had little to do with it.

As Mississauga`s long-serving mayor, Hazel McCallion has pointed out on many occasions, running a municipality in Ontario is a deeply frustrating and thankless task. In this province, all roads lead to Queen`s Park, which has a history of self-service that has left Ontario`s towns and cities in the lurch.

And so Mississauga has become what it is without the benefit of some large overarching plan, what we like to call, a vision. But in the years and decades ahead, as the reality of climate change and diminishing energy supplies hits home, places such as this will become testing grounds for technologies and techniques of which residents are now barely aware. There will be tensions along the way; density, which lies at the heart of sustainable communities, remains a dirty word in the suburbs. Indeed, many residents moved there precisely to get away from what they perceive to be the evils of density.

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[Amber]

Weisleder: Do your research before renting out your space

It is important to conduct proper research in advance before renting any space to a residential tenant, whether it is a basement apartment in your home or an investment property. Being careful in advance can save you unnecessary lost rent, repairs and legal costs.

You must also be very careful when interviewing any potential tenant that you do not inadvertently violate any sections of the Human Rights Code.

In one case, a woman with three teenage boys was refused an apartment. She was able to prove that she was discriminated against for "family status" reasons. The judge accepted her statement of complainant that the superintendent told her that her application would probably be rejected because of her children and was told the landlord had trouble with teenagers in the past. She was awarded $4,000. It is clear that you must be very careful what you say to a tenant at any time in the interview process.

You are permitted to ask a tenant on a rental application if they smoke, whether they have pets and how many people will be living with them in the apartment. You cannot ask about their ethnic background, religious or sexual preference or marital status.

Trying to evict a tenant who is damaging the premises or interfering with the enjoyment of the other tenants can typically take two months, and that`s when there are no significant delays. Unfortunately, professional tenants who know how to work the legal system can delay proceedings by up to six months. Such tenants can cause severe financial hardship for landlords.

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[Amber]

Aaron: Case dismissed against sellers of house with hidden defects

Back in April, 2006, Walter and Shelley Cotton signed an agreement to buy their dream home in Brantford. After closing, the house turned out to be the worst nightmare they could have imagined, requiring them to spend more than $85,000 to bring it up to building code.

Before the Cottons signed the offer to purchase, they reviewed the Sellers Property Information Statement (SPIS) provided by the sellers, Gary, Laurie and Carey Monahan.

The Cottons and their agent went over each question and answer thoroughly. The form disclosed that extensive renovations had been done to the house by the sellers without any building permit.

Finding themselves in the midst of a "hot" real estate market, the Cottons instructed their real estate agent to submit an unconditional offer without a home inspection clause — despite the agent`s advice to the contrary.

It was only after the transaction closed that the buyers conducted a home inspection and an electrical safety inspection, both of which revealed numerous problems.

Eventually, the Cottons had to gut a significant portion of the house so repairs could be done. The house, they said, was "in chaos" for the next six months.

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[Amber]

Ontario rent increase guideline lowest in 35 years

Ontario`s rent increase guideline for 2011 will be 0.7 per cent.

The provincial government says it`s the lowest guideline in the 35-year history of Ontario rent regulation.

The guideline is the maximum amount a landlord can increase the rent of most sitting tenants without seeking approval of the Landlord and Tenant Board.

The 2011 guideline applies to rent increases that occur between January 1 and December 31, 2011.

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[Amber]

Neighbours protest Lawrence Heights plan

The half-century-old Lawrence Heights public housing complex near Lawence Ave. W. and Allen Rd. is worn out.

To replace the 1,208 units, built in the 1950s, would cost $350 million. To raise the money, the city-owned Toronto Community Housing Corp. plans to add 4,792 market-rent units to the 26-hectare site.

As many as 1,500 would be built on public land in the area, for a grand total of up to 7,500 new homes over the next 20 years.

While down from the 10,300 units originally suggested, the project is still just too big, say neighbours to the east, west and south, who were among 60 or so people who turned out to air their views at the North York community council Tuesday.

"I`m against this plan because I think it`s a flawed plan. There`ll be total gridlock," said Ron Singer, who`s running for the local council seat against longtime incumbent Howard Moscoe.

Resident David Nitkin recited a top-10 list of reasons to hold off for three months, including what he feels is the need to better integrate Allen Rd. into the plan.

Moscoe slammed a questionnaire circulated by neighbours who oppose the plan, including Nitkin, saying that of 2,500 questionnaires distributed, only 82 responses were gathered. He said there appeared to be little effort to poll Lawrence Heights residents.

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[Amber]

Sub-meter confusion leaves tenants in dark

After sitting in the dark in her two-bedroom apartment for more than 24 hours, Laurie Brown finally gave in. The mother of two small children says she had no choice but to pay $500 in hydro bills or risk being without power for days, possibly weeks.

Now the Toronto resident is wondering what she will do next month when another bill from third-party energy provider Stratacon shows up again at her door.

The monthly hydro bill at her 100 Sprucewood Court apartment, previously about $40 to $60 a month, had suddenly shot up to nearly $150 a month and she didn`t understand why. She still doesn`t.

"I was told by everyone not to pay, because the bills are illegal," she said. "But then I ended up in this position where it looks like I am irresponsible," she said. "It`s hard to know what to do."

Tens of thousands of Toronto tenants are still experiencing mass confusion over so-called smart sub-meters in individual apartments in the face of an ongoing dispute over who should pay for hydro costs while the province enacts legislation.

In an attempt to clear up the long-standing issue, the Ontario Energy Board, the province`s energy regulator, ruled last August that any sub-meters installed in apartments on or after Nov. 3, 2005 and up until its decision were unauthorized and "any resulting changes to financial arrangements respecting the payment of electricity charges by tenants to be unenforceable."

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[Amber]

New Habitat homeowners find their `happy place`

I am immensely proud of BILD`s community partnership with Habitat for Humanity Toronto. Each year, our association directly supports the building of a Habitat home for a partner family as a title home donor while encouraging our individual members to support the partnership through labour, material or cash donations.

I also have the honour of representing our association and industry at one Habitat ground-breaking ceremony and one dedication ceremony annually. At the former, I get to meet the partner family who will be moving into the home sponsored by BILD members while at the latter I get to turn over the keys. Both are moving events, literally and figuratively.

This past Tuesday, I participated in the ground-breaking ceremony for Habitat`s latest 29-unit townhome development in the city`s east end. As I arrived on the scene, the Habitat staffers were all business, but in a good way — they clearly enjoy these moments as much as the sponsors and partner families.

The event was kicked off by the inimitable Neil Hetherington, Habitat`s CEO. This guy is a leader and it takes leadership to build 89 decent, affordable homes in 2009, at the peak and in the aftermath of the global financial crisis.

Following Hetherington, John Mollenhauer, my counterpart at the Toronto Construction Association, took to the podium to say that he didn`t know if TCA had ever been a part of something more worthwhile. Based on my experience, I know it won`t be long before he makes that statement in the declarative as opposed to interrogative.

Next up was Antonio Garcia, who spoke on behalf of the 29 partner families who will eventually live in this development. "Home sweet home," he started out as he described the "awesome" feeling he had when informed that his family had been chosen as Habitat homeowners.

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