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ON Economic Fundamentals 2008-08

Expensive gas, rainy days good for local attractions

The Hamilton Conservation Authority is hoping to entice residents to stay close to home for their next vacation.

The authority has seen fewer people using their sites because of the amount of rain over June and July.

But officials hope by reminding people about the pain of gassing up to go on a long road trip, it may have the opposite effect on tourists the rain has had, said Garnet Cowsill, manager of marketing and communication for the Hamilton Conservation Authority.

http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/416398
 
Big party planned to open park

A new Thornhill park is opening in style, with a full-blown community festival Aug. 17.

Construction of the park, at 19 Beverley Glen Road, is just being completed right now, said Vaughan councillor Alan Shefman.

There are many unique things about the as-of-yet unnamed park, he said.

"We`ve designed this as an urban park ... This park is being built in a very high-density area," Mr. Shefman said. "There are no single family homes on that block."

http://www.yorkregion.com/News/Thornhill/article/79435
 
`We`re still out here`

Two days after they fled their house as a propane-fuelled fire raged across the street, many families still can`t go home.

Standing close enough that they could see their house, Larry and Kathy Grierson weren`t allowed to cross the police tape and walk the few metres to see how much damage Sunday`s fire at Sunrise Propane did to their Murray St. home. "We`re still out here today," a frustrated Larry Grierson, 51, told the Sun behind the police tape blocking off his street. "We have no home and no one is telling us anything."

http://www.torontosun.com/News/TorontoAndG...420066-sun.html
 
Insurance claims could be in the millions

Homeowners, businesses and insurance companies were tallying the damage yesterday after a massive propane explosion in Toronto over the weekend that could wind up costing millions of dollars in damage and lost business.

While it`s too soon to estimate how much the cleanup will cost, the price tag will likely run in the millions of dollars from damaged homes and companies, retail shutdowns and other interruptions caused by the explosion. The blast at Sunrise Propane Industrial gases early Sunday morning forced the evacuation of a neighbourhood that houses about 12,000 people and several businesses.

http://www.torontosun.com/News/TorontoAndG...420096-sun.html
 
Housing starts tumble

London`s residential building boom appears to be over, with construction starts down 26 per cent this year over last.

The July area figures, released yesterday, were especially dismal -- 155 starts, down a whopping 56 per cent from the same month in 2007.

The figures account for all kinds of housing -- single-detached homes to apartments and condos -- and can vary widely month-to-month as big projects are started. But the London-area trend is worse than Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. had predicted for the market, amid disagreement by some analysts over the slump`s cause.

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/Local/200...419546-sun.html
 
Site of overpass rekindles old arguments

London city hall appears on the verge of pressing senior government levels for money to build a railroad overpass -- but politicians were split yesterday over which crossings should be on the wish list.

For years, the debate over building overpasses has been strident but moot. While London has rail delays many resident complain about, it can`t afford costly overpasses on its own and other partners haven`t come to the table. But that last issue may have been solved when last month the federal and Ontario governments said they`d provide $6.2 billion to municipalities for needed public works.

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/Local/200...419576-sun.html
 
Biogas plant to arrive

Construction will soon begin on Ontario`s largest bio-gas plant, in the south London industrial area.

Toronto-based StormFisher Biogas is building the $15-million plant on an 4.4-hectare site on Green Valley Drive, near the Casco Inc. plant.

The plant will process organic waste from food processing plants and manure from area farms. The waste will be fed into an anaerobic digester, a sealed tank that will draw off methane gas from the waste and burn it to generate 2.8 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 2,800 homes.

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/Business/2008/...419521-sun.html
 
School inches closer to reality

A signature on the site plan is all that`s needed to move the new school at the Lions Oval forward.

"The site purchase was finalized and after that we did receive Ministry (of Education) funding rather quickly. Tender is out -- the only thing that`s left is the site-plan approval and building-permit process," said Lou Brandes, associate director with the Simcoe County District School Board.

He was on hand at Monday night`s council meeting along with trustee Debra Edwards and a representative of the architecture firm designing the two-storey, 50,671- square-foot elementary school.

http://www.orilliapacket.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1152619
 
To build or not to build

This city requires new police headquarters in south-central Barrie to meet its law enforcement needs until 2030, city councillors heard last night.

The $45.3-million, 130,000-square-foot facility should sit on seven acres of land and have 350 parking spaces, according to a study by CS & P Architects. It would be three stories in height, with underground parking.

"Barrie`s growth has made this necessary," said Police Chief Wayne Frechette. "It took off far faster than most people thought."

He said the current Sperling Drive location is both too small (50,000 sq. ft.) and in the wrong location.

"Where we are now is just as suited to serving Orillia," Frechette said.

He said a new police headquarters should have quick access to Highway 400, north and south, be located south of downtown Barrie, but not as far south as near to Innisfil.

http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/ArticleDi....aspx?e=1152230
 
Newcomers transform city

Architect Ian Chodikoff took a good hard look at the neighbourhoods surrounding Toronto`s core and found more than the stereotypical bland subdivisions and big-box retail outlets.

He learned that immigrants, many of whom have settled in the inner and outer suburbs for housing and income reasons, are leaving an indelible imprint on the "built form" in those communities.

Places of worship, commercial and industrial complexes, community centres, sports fields – they`re all being transformed by newcomers, says Chodikoff, curator of the exhibit called Fringe Benefits: Cosmopolitan Dynamics of a Multicultural City.

The exhibit, currently on display at Toronto`s Design Exchange, explores through videos, maps, photography, essays and art, the ways immigrants and various ethnocultural groups are shaping the suburbs.

http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/476681
 
Wi-LAN shares surge on news of RIM deal

Shares prices of Wi-LAN, an Ottawa technology licencing company, surged 24 per cent yesterday after it announced a patent settlement with Research in Motion and predicted strong growth in profits.

Wi-LAN predicted profits will rise as much as 90 per cent above high-end forecasts for the current fiscal year.

It is now forecasting revenue of $24.5 million to $25.5 million compared to previous guidance of $15 million to $20 million for the fiscal year that ends in October.

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/b...dc-b7fa090e6258
 
We`re not as hungry for electricity

Windsor has reduced peak electricity demand by nearly twice the provincial average, but we can`t take all the credit for being good energy conservationists.

A combination of cooler spring and summer weather, increased conservation and efficiency measures and reduced power consumption because of factory closures is behind the trend, experts agree. Windsor stands out compared to other jurisdictions because of our economic conditions, they said.

Peak demand periods correspond to times of the day when the most energy is required. Windsor`s average peak demand from January to the end of June was 10.65 per cent lower than last year, according to Enwin Utilities.

http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/sto...e8-761c73f9a79e
 
Building permit values continue to lag, city says

The value of building permits issued by the City of Windsor remains well behind the figures from one year ago.

So far this year, $75,925,900 in permits have been issued compared to $104,827,005 by this time last year.

Government and institutional permits have fallen from $53.3 million to $19.8 million and residential have dropped from $33.2 million to $22.7 million.

http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/sto...41-f27bf2b76be8
 
Chipping away at City Hall reno bill

Hamilton has a concrete plan to get its city hall renovation back on budget -- lose the expensive stone exterior.

Councillors are looking to trim $8 million from the project to bring it back to the approved target of $50 million for construction.

Yesterday, a subcommittee axed plans to replace the heritage building`s marble facade with limestone. Downgrading to pre-cast concrete panels will save $2.5 million.

The city will save another $1 million by using aluminum for window trimming instead of the existing stainless steel.

http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/417075
 
Downpours have upside for businesses

Not everybody is complaining about the weather.

Cab drivers are rejoicing about all the rain, and so are mall vendors and gardeners.

In the soaking the city has seen this summer, the list of beneficiaries is short but sweet.

The number of people taking taxis this summer is up a hefty 30 to 40 per cent over last year, said Hamilton Cab president Ron VanKleef.

"When it starts raining, the phones light up within 10 minutes," VanKleef said.

http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/417060
 
High sewer bids put homes on hold

CAMBRIDGE

A billion dollars worth of homes will remain on hold until at least next year, when councillors will again look to find someone who will build a big sewer pipe at a price the city can afford.

Bidders on a city contract to build the Moffat Creek sanitary sewer came in at $7.8 million to $17.3 million from seven companies. That`s well above the latest $4.5 million estimate for the pipe needed to take waste from 4,000 homes planned for southeast Galt, on the land bounded by Main Street, Dundas Street and the east city limits.

http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/397188
 
Residents` group seeks expert input for Lafarge hearing

GUELPH

A neighbourhood group against a proposed commercial development is looking to strengthen its argument by hiring experts and raising funds to pay for them.

The Howitt Park Neighbourhood Residents` Association wants expert opinions from people opposed to proposed development of the former Lafarge lands.

The triangular piece of land is bordered by the Hanlon Expressway and railway lines between Paisley Road and Waterloo Avenue.

http://news.guelphmercury.com/News/article/365716
 
Planning for a growing city

OSHAWA -- Slowly but surely, Oshawa`s suburban landscape is changing.

They city`s population is expected to increase by 6,000 people in the next eight years and jump to 182,000 by 2031.

As in many other municipalities in Durham and across Ontario, City planners are wrestling with how to preserve precious green space, keep traffic flowing and build enough services and housing for all those new people in a finite amount of space.

One thing is certain -- things have to change. The Region of Durham is updating its Official Plan and Oshawa will be doing the same in 2009.

http://newsdurhamregion.com/news/oshawa/article/105030
 
Flooded families frustrated

AJAX -- A dozen frustrated families on a southside street are mopping up after becoming three times unlucky in eight years with overloaded sewers deluging their basements.

They`re not alone.

Floods struck 100 homes Monday here, in Pickering and in Whitby, Durham Region`s works commissioner said.

"It was heavier than a one-in-a-hundred-year storm," Commissioner Cliff Curtis said. "We`ve had three floods like this in eight years, but the weather is getting a little more severe." Frustrated after many meetings with municipal officials, Lawrie St. residents blame redesigned sewer linkups, catch basins and curbs installed after a nearby water plant was built in 2000.

http://www.torontosun.com/News/TorontoAndG...431076-sun.html
 
Mall in for makeover


Say goodbye to Galleria London and hello to Citi Plaza.

The downtown London mall is in for a $20-million to $25-million redevelopment.

The highlights include:

- A grocery store could move into the former Rockwaters restaurant. - Tim Hortons will move out.

- New retailers, including a food retailer for the Tim Hortons location, will move in. - A new facade will be developed for a portion of the Wellington Street exterior.

Galleria general manager Lucas Blois said a national retailer is eyeing the former Rockwaters.

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/Local/200...432551-sun.html
 
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