ON Economic Fundamentals 2008-08

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Director can`t conduct business in common area

Q: Our new president earns income by giving private tuition in a common elements room used for board meetings. He maintains the other two directors have agreed. Is this permissible?

http://www.yourhome.ca/homes/article/472920

 

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Pedestrians, traffic jockey for space along main drag

Yonge St. may be Toronto`s main drag but you`d never know it. Its status is something one understands without necessarily being able to see. To the uninformed eye, it`s just another city street. Drop a visitor in the heart of the city and it`s debatable whether or not they`d recognize the significance of Yonge. And although the street starts on the edge of Lake Ontario, for all intents and purposes, its real beginning is at Front St. South of that, it`s more highway than main street. In recent years, however, it has become a highway lined with residential towers – condos.

http://www.yourhome.ca/homes/article/472888

 

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Call centre offers glimmer of hope in Smiths Falls

New job opportunities will provide a glimmer of hope to Smiths Falls when a marketing firm opens up a new call centre in September.

With hundreds of area jobs recently cut, the news that the Responsive Marketing Group Inc. will be setting up shop at 2 Gould St. is welcome. The Toronto firm will occupy 3,000 sq. ft. of office space in the refurbished building, once a high school.

Andrew Langhorne, RMG chief operating officer, says there will be 25 "outbound call" positions available, and if there is considerable interest in such positions, he says there will be room to grow.

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/b...12-7811595ae87c

 

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Nine proposals for clinic site

LEAMINGTON - The Leamington and Area Family Health Team has received nine proposals for its new home.

"We were very pleased with the response," program manager Joanne Brown said Friday. "We`re quite confident we`re going to have a good site."

The health team, which has outgrown its temporary space at Leamington District Memorial Hospital, issued a request for proposals for a permanent site July 4. The deadline to receive the proposals was the end of July.

http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/sto...a3-205cafb43761

 

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Ford scraps 3rd shift

The delayed third shift at Ford of Canada`s Oakville Assembly Plant has officially been cancelled due to slowing auto sales, the company said Friday as it began informing new hires of the decision.

Deteriorating sales at most levels of the North American auto industry, especially in larger vehicles such as the Ford Edge and Ford Flex crossovers produced in Oakville, were cited as reasons for an indefinite delay to the start of the new midnight shift two weeks ago.

http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/bus...d8-325fb1f28720

 

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Sheraton hotel to get $10m facelift

The Sheraton Hamilton Hotel is set to undergo about $10 million in renovations after it changes hands next month.

Well-known developer Darko Vranich has confirmed his Burlington-based company, Vrancor Group, is set to close a deal to buy the hotel in mid-September.

"It`s a great asset in downtown Hamilton ... and I`m excited about it," he said.

Vranich was tight-lipped about what renovations to the hotel could entail.

Rumours about the sale have been swirling for months.

http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/415644

 

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Assessment map faces a change

If anyone can tee off on Hamilton`s golf courses, who should foot the cost of running the greens?

As it stands, only residents of the old city pay to operate the municipal courses. It`s the same tax policy across Hamilton.

Ancaster residents pay for their arena. Stoney Creek residents pay for Battlefield Park. And old city residents pay for the Farmers` Market and Dundurn Castle.

But probably not for long.

http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/415622

 

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When traffic-calming strategies go awry

There`s a street in east Kitchener where an attempt to improve traffic safety has gone wrong, causing more grief than relief.

Heritage Drive, between Ottawa Street North and Lorraine Avenue, is busy in part because it has an arena, high school and recreation centre.

The street is billed as the first in Kitchener with permanent traffic-calming.

In 1994, planners narrowed it in several spots by extending curbs into the driving lanes.

http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/395911

 

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Home construction could be delayed

CAMBRIDGE

Building thousands of homes along Dundas Street would be delayed until next spring, if Cambridge city council defers awarding a contract to build the Moffat Creek trunk sewer.

Bids on the project came in at two to three times the expected $4.5 million cost, so city staff will recommend to councillors Monday that they delay the project.

http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/395916

 

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Region`s jobless rate jumps

Waterloo Region`s normally resilient economy began to show cracks as the weight of job losses pushed the unemployment rate to 6.2 per cent in July, the highest in three years.

Statistics Canada said the number of people looking for work in the Kitchener census area, which includes most of Waterloo Region, jumped to 16,800 in July, from 15,000 in June.

That pushed the area`s unemployment rate up to 6.2 per cent, compared to 5.6 per cent in June. The last time the unemployment rate in this area was that high was in June 2005.

Across the country, 55,000 jobs were shed, the worst single-month drop since the recession of the early 1990s.

http://news.therecord.com/Business/article/395941

 

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YRP to construct new building in Aurora

York Region`s police chief is hopeful the construction of a building in Aurora that would house the investigative and support services units will begin this winter.

According to Chief Armand La Barge, the building`s construction costs are estimated at approximately $68 million while other costs, for items including land, permits and security are estimated at approximately $13 million, resulting in an estimated total cost of about $80 million.

http://www.yorkregion.com/News/Aurora/article/79357

 

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Newmarket`s new school on schedule

Alexander Muir Public School students will be in their new digs come September, but other students in the region aren`t as lucky.

With less than a month to go until the first day of school, the York Region District School Board is still working to complete two schools scheduled to open Sept. 2, according to the board`s capital strategy document covering 2005 to 2009. Parents passing the new Harry Bowes and Oscar Peterson public schools in Stouffville may notice the facilities are still under construction, which the school board chalks up to scheduling issues.

"We are still planning for the schools to be ready for use in September," board spokesperson Ross Virgo said. "There have been many instances where the final details and cleaning were being done literally the day before school."

http://www.yorkregion.com/News/Regional%20News/article/79420

 

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Cool, wet summer great for hydro users

Its been a dream summer for those charged with the task of keeping the lights on.

But trying telling that to sun worshippers, holding out hope for warmer days.

Talk of blistering hot summer conditions is often followed by dire warnings from power authorities, struggling to keep air conditioners cranking.

But that hasn`t been the case this year.

At Newmarket Hydro, it`s all calm, so far, said the company`s president Paul Ferguson.

Power consumption has dropped steadily during the summer months since 2006.

http://www.yorkregion.com/News/Newmarket/article/79419

 

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Neighbours cool to Dofasco plan to restart blast furnace

A plan by Arcelor Mittal to restart a Dofasco blast furnace next March to produce steel the company currently imports has neighbours calling instead for action on other emissions first.

Once up and running, the No. 3 blast furnace is expected to produce about 800,000 tonnes of steel per year -- increasing Dofasco`s present output by 20 per cent and creating about 40 permanent jobs.

Yet though company officials are promising upgrades will make the idled blast furnace`s emissions cleaner than ever, McAnulty Boulevard resident Lorna Moreau said she`s already concerned about Dofasco`s existing air pollution.

http://www.ancasternews.com/news/article/138736

 

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City purchases Stoney Creek land

Hamilton politicians agreed this week to spend nearly $1 million for 2.9 acres of property to develop the city`s long-proposed tourism welcome centre in Stoney Creek.

"I`m pleased with the decision," said Stoney Creek councillor Dave Mitchell. "There is no risk to the municipality (in the purchase)."

Politicians are expected to vote on the recommendation at their Aug. 7 council meeting.

In 2005 and 2006 councillors authorized the city`s real estate staff to purchase the land at the northeast corner of North Service Road and Baseline Road. The purchase price from the Ontario Realty Corporate, which owned the land, was $986,000.

http://www.stoneycreeknews.com/news/article/138692

 

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Toronto housing market continues to cool, economist blames new tax

Toronto`s vigorous housing market softened in July, and one economist attributes the weakening to the city`s new land-transfer tax.
According to figures released today by the Toronto Real Estate Board, sales have declined slightly over July, 2007, but average prices remain stable across the Greater Toronto Area.
July sales dropped 12% regionally from the best-ever record of a year ago, but are still up 10% over 2006. In Toronto sales dipped 14% while in the 905 sales were down just 11%.

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/t...es-new-tax.aspx

 

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Initiative to promote walking, cycling seeks input

BRAMPTON - Developing an action plan that will encourage more walking and cycling in Brampton is the focus of an initiative coming to the city this fall.

Walk&Bike for Life, a non-profit organization that aims to promote walking and cycling, will host two workshops for members of the public, area stakeholders, local community groups and city decision-makers to develop strategies for a more sustainable community.

Sarah Rotz, Walk&Bike for Life project manager, said the goal is to "encourage and support citizen participation in needs assessment, planning, communication and implementation strategies to create more liveable and active public spaces."

With $74,000 from the Ministry of Health Promotion as part of the Communities in Action Fund, Walk&Bike for Life will undertake this community engagement project in Peel, as well as Halton and Hamilton. Brampton a good choice

http://www.thebramptonguardian.com/news/article/54188

 

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Kennedy Road south slated for four lanes

BRAMPTON - Two additional lanes along the south stretch of Kennedy Road should relieve vehicular congestion between First Gulf Boulevard and the south city limit- but a two-lane bridge could still cause a snag in traffic.

The road widening project connects to a contract in Mississauga so Kennedy Road will be expanded as one continuous work, Brampton city council heard at its Aug. 6 meeting. Mayor Susan Fennell voiced concern with the traffic flow over the bridge crossing Highway 407 and asked whether it would be expanded as part of the project.

http://www.thebramptonguardian.com/news/article/54037

 

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Traffic calming approved for Clarence Street

BRAMPTON - As of this fall, drivers on Clarence Street will be forced to slow down.

The busy street is the first slated for the municipality`s traffic calming plan- an initiative outlined in the Neighbourhood Traffic Management Guide adopted by council in 2007.

Brampton city council gave consent to move forward with the project at its Wednesday meeting.

Measures to address traffic problems on the stretch of Clarence Street that connects Main Street South and Kennedy Road will be completed by fall, according to Michael Parks, Brampton`s manager of traffic engineering services. The approved plan includes lane narrowing by textured asphalt, raised median islands and curb extensions.

http://www.thebramptonguardian.com/news/article/54009

 

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Long-awaited Highway 10 widening underway

Drivers who travel Highway 10 through Caledon Village should brace themselves for delays. The long-awaited widening of the busy route from two to four lanes is underway, with construction occurring both south and north of the village.
"The McGuinty government is taking action to keep traffic flowing smoothly on this heavily travelled stretch of highway," said Transportation Minister Jim Bradley in a recent news release announcing the province awarded the $7.9-million construction contract for work through the village.
With 21,000 vehicles using this stretch of road every day, delays are to be expected, but ministry officials say work will be completed in stages and two lanes of traffic will be open during construction "to minimize inconvenience to drivers."

http://www.orangevillebanner.com/news/article/54095