Welcome!

By registering with us, you'll be able to discuss, share and private message with other members of our community.

SignUp Now!

ON Economic Fundamentals 2008-08

Newmarket businesses take on bright idea

Main Street, Newmarket is experiencing the province`s first power blitz.

A team of electricians descended on the historic stretch earlier this month as part of a Newmarket Hydro-Ontario Power Authority power savings retrofit program, free to Newmarket small business owners.

More than 50 businesses agreed to have their old light bulbs switched out for more energy efficient compact flourescents.

It could translate into about 700 of the light bulbs being installed and Main Street business owners saving 30 to 50 per cent, Newmarket Hydro`s distribution services director Larry Herod said.

http://www.yorkregion.com/News/Newmarket/article/79736
 
Developers hit for cash

The Toronto Catholic District School Board -- still under provincial control since its trustee spending fiasco -- now wants more cash from developers.

Residential development will cost $544 per unit while non-residential development will increase to 58 cents per square foot starting next week. That`s up from the $442 per unit and 22 cents per square foot charges set three years ago. Board spokesman Mary Jo Deighan said the fees have to go up because the price of land in Toronto isn`t going down and the board doesn`t have space for students in the growing areas.

http://www.torontosun.com/News/TorontoAndG...497461-sun.html
 
City going after Sunrise for cleanup cash

The city wants to be fully reimbursed for the Sunrise Propane explosion in North York but it isn`t clear how it will go about retrieving taxpayers` dollars.

Last week the propane plant -- adjacent to a residential neighbourhood -- exploded, sending toxins into the air, damaging houses and forcing thousands to be evacuated.

"We will work with the ministry of the environment for cost recovery because the cleanup is their (Sunrise) responsibility," city spokesman Rob Andrusevich said. "Working with the ministry to recover the money is a top priority."

http://www.torontosun.com/News/TorontoAndG...497486-sun.html
 
Condo-tower ruling sends `strong message`

An Ontario Municipal Board decision that rejects a controversial plan for a 21-storey condo tower in south Mississauga near Lake Ontario sets a new standard for how and where redevelopment and highrise intensification should occur, a councillor says.

The ruling, released just before the weekend, is a relief to some suburban ratepayer groups fearful of a growing crush of infill applications for tall towers next to their neighbourhoods and a setback for developers hoping to cash in on the condo craze.

http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/481005
 
Bottled water ban OK`d

London will become one of the first Canadian cities to ban the sale of bottled water at its municipal facilities.

City council voted overwhelmingly in favour of the move last night.

The phased-in ban will take effect Sept. 1 at city hall, Market Tower and the A.J. Taylor building and be extended by the end of next year to other city-owned buildings and facilities, including parks and golf courses, once an adequate supply of water fountains is provided.

"It`s time to begin to show some leadership," Coun. Bill Armstrong said. Most on council agreed -- only controllers Tom Gosnell and Bud Polhill and Coun. Paul Van Meerbergen opposed a ban.

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/Local/200...496571-sun.html
 
City to hold `open house` signs debate

City council has put off amending its sign bylaw, in the hopes more people will speak up about it.

St. Catharines councillors voted at Monday`s public meeting to hold yet another public meeting, this one "open house" style, to get residents, business owners and sign makers to state their opinions. The bylaw will determine the size, style and frequency of signs allowed on city streets and buildings.

The extra public meeting was requested by Grace Benjafield, a resident who said signs are becoming a blight. Many people did not know about Monday`s meeting, she said, because they do not follow the local media.

"I hope council will hold a real open public forum on this issue," she said.

The city is reviewing its sign bylaw, which was last updated in 1999. Staff presented some suggested amendments Monday. Among them were instituting fines for signs without permits, allowing billboards only on vacant land and banning bill posters on poles. Staff also recommended billboards be 300 metres apart and at least 100 metres from residential neighbourhoods.

http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/Article....aspx?e=1162738
 
Raising a new roof on Gretzky centre

Some sections of the pool at the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre will be closed over the next few weeks as renovations to the roof get underway.

Sandy Jackson, manager of aquatics, said most of the work will be done from outside the building to reduce the impact on pool operations. But some interruptions will occur.

"There will be some inconvenience but we`re hoping it will be minimal," she said.

The project, which has a price tag of $800,000 to $1 million, will see the exterior steel replaced with new steel and insulation. Vapour barriers and proper ventilation systems also will be added. The goal is to make the 35-year-old roof more energy efficient.

http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/ArticleDi....aspx?e=1162077
 
Hydro decision delayed

The lights have dimmed on any merger between Barrie Hydro and PowerStream.

After hearing an hour-long presentation, last night, on the union of the two electrical utilities, city councillors had more questions than answers about the merger.

All that was agreed upon was to seek input from Barrie residents on the merger, hold a public information meeting on Sept. 8 and ask the province for a two-week extension on the deadline for exemption from the transfer tax, which is Oct. 17.

Councillors were told that a Barrie Hydro/PowerStream merger could result in a 6.5 per cent reduction in electricity rates, a $25.7-million hike in dividends during the next decade, and a $25-million upfront dividend if Barrie Hydro merges with Power- Stream.

http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/ArticleDi....aspx?e=1162001
 
City`s airport to get $1.2M fix-up

Council agreed Monday to begin $1.2-million in repair and replacement upgrades at the Windsor Airport terminals.

Much of the planned improvements is focused on the airport`s west terminal, including the departure lounge, security system and washrooms.

Approval was given to a tender for $667,836 awarded to Piroli Construction to carry out the bulk of work. Other funds previously approved under the 2008 city budget will go toward security system improvements, architect fees and other construction-related costs.

http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/sto...1b-443206152250
 
Solar park OK`d by town council

Amherstburg council has given the green light to a $300-million solar park by approving changes to the town`s official plan.

On Monday, town council unanimously approved the change for three pieces of property to be developed on three General Chemical sites.

Toronto-based Helios Energy is teaming up with Sunpower Energy Systems Canada for a 35-megawatt park to produce enough elecricity to power 5,000 homes a year.

http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/sto...46-86f3fc8bfed4
 
Boon or bust, `you live with it`

Ex-goers file through the Glebe in droves, but business owners say that doesn`t mean they stop to shop. Matthew Pearson reports.

It`s just after 11 a.m. and a crowd of anxious SuperEx-goers has gathered at the gates of Lansdowne Park, waiting to be let loose.

Craig Buckley sits on the patio of Kettleman`s Bagel Co. nearby and watches as a steady stream of people head toward the park.

Mr. Buckley, a co-owner of the 24-hour bagel café, said SuperEx brings his business increased exposure, but not necessarily increased business. It might also cause some troubles in his parking lot -- located a dart`s throw away from the park -- but he seems to take it all in stride.

"You live with it," he said. He`s had 16 years of business at the corner of Bank Street and Holmwood Avenue to get used to it.

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/c...2f-cc4374d45c1d
 
Westboro condo development wins approval with 8 storeys

A condominium development in Westboro won unanimous approval from Ottawa council`s planning and environment committee last night, despite concerns from neighbours about height.

The committee approved the Westboro Station development, with an eight-storey height limit, though some members of the community wanted the development limited to six storeys.

The property, almost two acres owned by the Bourk family and bounded by Richmond Road, Roosevelt Avenue, Byron Avenue and Golden Avenue, will see businesses on the ground floor and condominiums above.

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/c...91-45cc5c71b861
 
Destructive insects threaten city trees

Hamilton trees are threatened by two new foreign insect invaders -- the emerald ash borer and sirex wood wasp -- just as gypsy moths appear to be under control.

The wasp -- recently found in Scotch pines on Royal Botanical Gardens property -- is considered a serious threat to all pine species and other softwood trees.

But more worrisome is the ash borer -- a beetle that attacks all ash species -- whose presence in Oakville and Mississauga was confirmed last month. It had already been found in the Turkey Point area of Norfolk County, which is under a federal quarantine order limiting movement of lumber, firewood and nursery stock.

http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/421093
 
Growing energy in fallow fields

NORTH DUMFRIES

Construction of Waterloo Region`s first solar power farm starts in November.

"All we need is a building permit," said Jan van der Woerd, sales manager at Arise Technologies in Waterloo.

Yesterday, township council approved the rezoning needed for the installation of $14 million in solar panels in an asparagus field along Kings Road, near Highway 401.

Farmer Tim Barrie will lease 6.3 hectares of his 49-hectare farm to Arise to install the equipment, fencing and transformers. The project will generate about three megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 1,500 homes.

http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/401229
 
Guelph transit riders happy with 20-minute bus service changes

GUELPH

At 4:36 p.m. yesterday, the bus driver for No. 52 Kortright stood beside his bus at St. George`s Square smoking a cigarette and reading.

Two minutes later a customer approached and asked when the bus was leaving. The driver responded and the man lit up his own cigarette. At 4:39 p.m., the driver stamped out his cigarette, jumped on the bus, started the engine and waited for the customer to board the bus before closing the door. At twenty minutes to five, the bus pulled out of the square.

One month since the implementation of the 20-minute transit service, customers are finding that, give or take a minute, buses are convening downtown every 20 minutes Monday to Friday from 5:40 a.m. until 6:20 p.m. without much of a hiccup. In the evening, buses run every 30 minutes.

http://news.guelphmercury.com/News/article/369610
 
Making all that`s old new again

DURHAM -- When Mike Pennington wanted to start his own landscaping company he realized there was going to be a lot of competition.


"If you search `Durham landscaping` you get over 12,000 responses," he said. "We knew we had to find a niche market."


So Mr. Pennington and his business partner, Kazim Mohammed, started Holman Landscape Restoration. Their business is based on making old patios, walkways and driveways new again. The company`s focus is taking old interlocking stones and re-laying them to make a new design.


That means customers get charged for minimal materials, just a few stones to replace broken ones or enough stones to make a new border around the perimeter of the old ones. Sometimes the old bricks were laid decades ago. In other situations, they will re-lay bricks when the previous contractor has not done the job the customer wanted.

http://newsdurhamregion.com/news/featured/article/105753
 
Firm sought expansion

Before it burst into a massive inferno, the Sunrise Propane facility was poised to get almost eight times bigger with the blessing of the city`s building department and the province`s Technical Standards and Safety Authority.

Documents obtained by the Sun yesterday show Sunrise Propane had been working since at least November 2006 to expand its Murray Rd. location from two 2,000 US water gallon tanks to a massive tank holding 30,000 USWG -- or 113,550 litres. When the facility caught fire Aug. 10, it was still only permitted to store 4,000 gallons of propane, TSSA officials said. Fire officials are still investigating the cause of the fire.

http://www.torontosun.com/News/TorontoAndG...510081-sun.html
 
Tenants doubt they`ll be home by month`s end

For the 900 displaced residents of 2 Secord Ave., the end of their ordeal may soon be in sight.

Now one month into their displacement following an explosion in an underground hydro vault below the apartment building, the residents were told they would be allowed back home near the end of August.

"That`s the target," confirmed Danny Roth, a spokesperson for the Preston Group, which owns the building. "To say that we will or will not hit it ... it`s speculation."

The end-of-the-month target was reached last week when the fire marshal`s office turned control of the building back over to the landlords, allowing them to move on with cleanup and repairs.

http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/481818
 
Not time to sign home-heating contract

Natural gas prices soared earlier this year. This led Ontario`s two major utilities to put through hefty rate increases on July 1. But both Enbridge Gas Distribution and Union Gas say they expect prices to start dropping – at least a little – by Oct. 1.

This is good news for customers who haven`t locked into a long-term gas contract at a fixed price.

A 20 per cent boost in gas bills may be tolerable in summer, but can cause great pain when you turn on your furnace in the cooler months.

Natural gas prices had been pushed up by the rising price of crude oil on commodity markets even though the supply and demand for gas is mainly in North America, rather than worldwide.

http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/481743
 
Waterfront park lacking a final piece

As the president of the Mimico Residents` Association takes a reporter on a tour of Toronto`s newest waterfront park, he proudly points out its most impressive features – cobble beaches, sand dunes, a hemlock boardwalk, and best of all, long-sought access to the waterfront. It`s perfect, says Bob Polden, except for one thing: almost half the park is missing.

The owners of three walk-up apartment buildings on this stretch of Lake Shore Blvd. have refused to sell a strip of the shoreline at the south end of the property to make way for the park. They are perfectly within their rights not to sell. But as a result, a 400-metre gap separates the western edge of Toronto`s Waterfront Trail from the four-week-old Mimico Waterfront Park.

http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/481844
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom