Ontario Economic Fundamentals

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Hamilton`s transportation revolution

Transit users rejoice -- car junkies brace yourselves, for a Hamilton transportation revolution.

The city is working on a new rapid transit system it hopes will pull up to 20 per cent of cars off the road over the next few decades.

This spring, the public can comment on two options: a rapid bus system or light rail transit line.

http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/352795

 

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Ancaster BIA `not city tax grab`

Momentum is gaining behind a bid to form a Business Improvement Area in Ancaster.

"This is the right thing to do for Ancaster," said Councillor Lloyd Ferguson, who is spearheading the effort.

He says area businesses should take advantage of city incentive programs for BIAs currently available to the downtowns of Stoney Creek, Dundas and Waterdown, as well as nine districts in the old city.

http://www.thespec.com/News/Business/article/352766

 

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Most Durham College grads find jobs

DURHAM -- Durham College showed an upward trend in the employment rate of its graduates in 2007, to 90.7 per cent from 90.2 per cent in 2006 and slightly above the provincial average of 90.5 per cent, according to recently released statistics from Colleges Ontario.

http://newsdurhamregion.com/news/breaking_news/article/96811

 

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Victoria Avenue project off the books

The centrepiece of this year`s roads budget will be put on hold after Brock was denied funding by the Province.
The Township had applied for more than $1.24 million to rebuild a section of Victoria Avenue in Beaverton under the Province`s Municipal Infrastructure Intiative, but the application was unsuccessful.
"Even though there isn`t sufficient funds to complete the project this year, we will be moving ahead with utility re-location," said works director Judy Avery.

http://newsdurhamregion.com/news/brock/article/96861

 

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Manufacturers need to boost productivity: economist

OSHAWA -- Canadian manufacturers must boost investments in new machinery to be more competitive on the world stage or risk continuing on a downward spiral, said a leading Canadian economist with the Toronto Dominion Bank. "The manufacturing sector will have to be more capital -- and R and D -- (research and development) intensive," said Don Drummond, senior vice-president and chief economist at TD Bank Financial Group.

http://newsdurhamregion.com/news/durham/article/96887

 

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Scugog council briefs

SCUGOG - Scugog`s works crews got a half-million-dollar boost on Monday when Township officials endorsed a purchase of four new vehicles.

In total, councillors approved the $519,221.92 expenditure request put forward by Gene Chartier, the Township`s commissioner of planning and public works, which will see a new loader, grader and two pickup trucks added to the municipality`s fleet. Each of the new vehicles will replace aging and worn out equipment already owned by the Township.

http://newsdurhamregion.com/news/scugog/article/96802

 

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Highway 400 widening stuck in the slow lane; Road work not part of Ontario`s five year plan.

A plan to widen Highway 400 through Barrie has apparently swerved into the slow lane.

The Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) held public information sessions several years ago as part of its Highway 400 Planning and Preliminary Design studies.

Despite opposition, the MTO received environmental clearance in July 2005 for Highway 400 improvements between the South Canal Bridge and Highway 89 and in July 2006, it received clearance for improvements between Highway 89 and Highway 11.

However, just when those improvements will take place remains to be seen.

"Highway 400 widening through Barrie and Innisfil is not currently on the five-year Southern Ontario Highways Program," MTO spokesperson Bob Nichols said this week.

http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/ArticleDi...uth=IAN+MCINROY

 

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City, Brant utilities talking merger

Brantford Power and Brant County Power are negotiating a potential merger that would streamline operations of the municipal utility companies, county and city officials revealed during interviews this week.

"There`s talks going on with a number of (companies), including Brantford Power," said Deborah Sleeth, CEO of Brant County Power. "We are looking at all options."

Sleeth said Brant power formed a steering committee last fall to explore potential mergers. The committee is looking at ways to lower rates for consumers and increase financial returns to the municipality, the utility`s lone shareholder.

http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/ArticleDi...ohn+Paul+Zronik

 

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Labour deals with 150,000 teachers set to expire

BRAMPTON - Labour agreements for more than 150,000 teachers, as well as many other staff in Ontario schools are set to expire in a few months.

Existing collective agreements with about 15,000 teachers at elementary and high schools at the Peel District and Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board are among those scheduled to expire at the end of August. Contracts with an array of school support staff such as supply teachers, social workers, custodians and secretaries also come to an end. The approaching expiry date of labour peace in Ontario schools has the Ministry of Education laying the groundwork for contract talks at school boards around the province.

http://www.thebramptonguardian.com/news/article/46678

 

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Subdivision construction already causing damage, Hespeler residents say

CAMBRIDGE

Residents who live beside a contentious subdivision project say their homes are already being damaged by construction -- and blasting hasn`t even begun yet.

At a tense public meeting last night, homeowners said they`ve found cracks in their walls and had dishes flying off their shelves because of work on the neighbouring Mill Pond development, near Guelph Avenue.

http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/335226

 

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Tim Hortons closing shop at Market Square

KITCHENER

The Tim Hortons outlet in Market Square in downtown Kitchener will be closing in May after TDL Group Corp., the operators of the chain, decided not to renew the lease in the mall and office building managed by Cora Group Inc. at King and Frederick streets.

"That store is over 20 years old, and has limited space and resources for us to be able to provide our customers with the full product line that we would like to offer," said Len Graham, the franchisee.

http://news.therecord.com/Business/article/334734

 

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City approaching its critical mass

GUELPH

Guelph might reach population capacity in 2031, a city committee heard yesterday.

That would mean the city wouldn`t be able to grant any more building permits.

"Every draft plan of subdivision has conditions, and one condition is . . . that there is adequate services to supply additional growth," said environmental director Janet Laird. "There have been municipalities that haven`t at certain points."

http://news.guelphmercury.com/News/article/315720

 

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Calls grow for Toronto to sell power utility

As Mississauga takes its first steps toward the possible sale of its power utility, there are fresh calls for Toronto to consider doing the same.

"If you look at other cities, Chicago, which we always like to compare ourselves to, has a privately run utility company. So does New York. So does Boston," said Denzil Minnan-Wong, councillor for Don Valley East.

He said the city should "seriously" look at selling part or all of Toronto Hydro, and he urged Mayor David Miller to bring to council a report by a blue-ribbon panel he convened in the midst of the city`s last budget crunch.

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/t...er-utility.aspx

 

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Renovating Rosedale

When the moving signs went up in the windows at All The Best Fine Foods in Rosedale this month, it is safe to say the shop`s customers freaked out.

"It caused immediate widespread panic and stir," laughs chief operating officer Susan Bowman last week.

The panic is a testament to the unparalleled loyalty of customers to the Five Thieves -- a term of endearment for a block of shops on Yonge Street south of Summerhill subway station.

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/to....html?id=440417

 

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Home price up 4.4% in Toronto

OTTAWA–Statistics Canada says growth in new house prices slowed in February, but was still running well above the inflation rate and was in double digits in parts of the West and on the East Coast.

http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/413750

 

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Beware if you`re purchasing new to flip

A recently discovered policy of the Tarion Warranty Corp. could have an enormous impact on the thousands of buyers of new homes and condominiums who resell the properties without moving in. The policy was brought to my attention by Vidas Augaitis, a colleague who practises real estate law in Collingwood.

In April 2005, two of his clients, whom I will call Deb and Chris, bought a new house in Wasaga Beach from Pinevalley Developments Corp. On closing, the buyers received a Certificate of Completion and Inspection and a warranty certificate from Tarion confirming that the house was enrolled under the warranty program.

http://yourhome.ca/homes/article/413122

 

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A tale of two Danforths

It is the best of Toronto; it is the worst of Toronto. Danforth Ave. is one of those streets that reminds us of how much the city has to offer. But it`s also one of those streets that does enormous damage to the city. Starting at Broadview Ave., Danforth is a fully cosmopolitan artery, busy but still full of pedestrians and human-scale development. Indeed, most of the buildings that line Danforth are two and three storeys tall. In fact, they could – maybe should – be taller. This, of course, is Greektown, a neighbourhood so successful in its own way that it verges on being touristic. But so far it hasn`t crossed over that line; the locals are still there.

http://yourhome.ca/homes/article/412623

 

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Entry permission notice should include specifics

Q: Window washers were allowed by management to enter my unit in my absence to clean the exterior of the windows overlooking my balcony. When I complained, the property manager advised that I had received notice that entry would be made in the near future and that it was not necessary for the exact date to be specified. Is that correct?

http://yourhome.ca/homes/article/412617

 

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Don`t throw out the front-loader with the wash water

Thumping and rattling like a bumper car, your old top-loading washing machine is crying for replacement. Those sleek front-loading jobs, priced anywhere from $700 to upwards of $3,000, seem to be all the rage, but you`ve heard bad things about them: mildew buildup, excessive noise, premature failures. What to do?

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/h...db-72f3800c0add

 

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Rideau River has already hit peak, flood risk minimal, officials say

City officials say the worst flooding along the Rideau River should be over by today as long as no more rain than expected falls.

However, they won`t be able to determine what will happen along the Ottawa River for some time because it`s expected to crest two to three weeks from now. Meanwhile, they are asking residents to stop pumping basement water into the sanitary sewer system because it is at capacity.

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/c...7c-4a3d74a9d6df