Ontario Economic Fundamentals

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Ontario snags $100M centre

TORONTO -- Ontario has snared a $100-million deal from vaccines giant Sanofi Pasteur to develop life-saving vaccines in Toronto.

It is a major coup for the province, which has been bleeding manufacturing jobs and highlights the Liberal government`s plan to boost economic stability by establishing Ontario as a biopharmaceutical research and development hub.

http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/bus...f3-9adfbfefafd4

 

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City yanks $10 million in loans for core revival

The city is pulling back $10 million in loans for downtown projects that have been axed or postponed.

The largest is the planned renovation of the former federal building at Main and Caroline. The city committed $4 million from its downtown residential loan program in 2004 to turn the building into condos.

Owner Darko Vranich still plans to develop the vacant property, but wants to focus on his neighbouring hotel project at the former HMP auto dealership site first, said Gord Moodie, co-ordinator of downtown municipal incentives.

http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/355019

 

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Rural plan halted over Caledonia dispute

The Caledonia native land dispute is spilling into Hamilton`s planning department.

The province has delayed approving the city`s rural official plan since fall 2006 because of failed attempts to consult with the aboriginal community.

Tim McCabe, general manager of economic development and planning, said the city is considering legal action or asking the provincial facilitator to intervene.

http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/355036

 

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Metronauts pave the way of the future

Metrolinx is releasing a long-term regional transportation plan this fall, and the transit body wants to know what you think about it.

It`s launched a new project called Metronauts to include the general public in transportation discussion and planning.

Metronauts is a joint effort between Metrolinx (formerly the Greater Toronto Transportation Authority) and the Toronto Transit Camp community, a grassroots movement that started online with the goal of improving the TTC, then organized its own brainstorming event last year.

http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/355155

 

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Brant pushes ahead with $880,000 project; Residents voice objections to new watermain, sewer along cedar street in Paris

Brant County will spend $880,000 to install a new watermain and sanitary sewer along Cedar Street in Paris, despite pleas from residents who spoke out against the project.

Politicians made the decision during a meeting of council on Tuesday, following a presentation by two Cedar Street residents against the plan.

"That makes me ill," Linda Schott said of council`s decision. "We were told not even to come here and waste our time because it`s a done deal."

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

 

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Invest in Brantford, says real estate expert; City ranks among top 10 places to settle

Who cares about crime stats? Anyone owning a home in Brantford should be quite happy. And years from now, they`ll be even happier, says real estate expert Don Campbell.

"I don`t put much stock in per capita crime stats," Campbell said in a telephone interview from his Vancouver office. "Brantford is still a pretty small community and all it takes is one or two serious crimes and the numbers get blown all out of proportion.

"I wouldn`t be too concerned about it and I`ll bet you next year that Brantford isn`t even on the list."

In fact, Brantford recently ranked fifth on Campbell`s Top 10 list of Ontario towns for real estate investors. The city made the list for the first time last year. This year, it held its position, tied with Hamilton at No.5.

Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge took the No.1 spot for real estate investment. Other communities in the Top 5 include Barrie and Orillia, tied at No. 2, Whitby, Ajax and Pickering at No. 3 and Markham at No. 4. Also on the list are Brampton, Ottawa, Toronto, Oshawa and Whitchurch-Stouffville.

http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/ArticleDi...th=Vincent+Ball

 

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Surprise windfall lowers tax hike; Councillor`s push for zero percent increase fails to garner support

Ramara ratepayers will be getting a tax rollback thanks to some unexpected funding received by the municipality, but the break is not as much as some councillors would have liked.

Debate at Monday night`s general committee meeting resulted in a 4-2 vote to bring the municipal tax rate down to three per cent (from 4.63 per cent) using a portion of the funding while designating the rest to projects and reserve funds.

Originally set at more than seven per cent, the Ramara Township portion of taxation was lowered after industrial assessment in the township came in higher than anticipated.

Coun. Bill Kahler was adamant council should use the additional funds to erase the municipal tax increase.

"For once, let`s do something for the people," he said.

http://www.orilliapacket.com/ArticleDispla...Courtney+Whalen

 

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Backward-flowing creek floods Lake St. John properties; Spring melt boosts lake levels by as much as three feet.

While flood waters recede along the Severn River, water levels continue to rise on Lake St. John, forming ponds on low-lying properties and lapping at sandbagged door- steps.

Most of the time, the small lake in Ramara Township drains northward through the St. John Creek into the Black River.

This spring, however, the Black, swollen with melt water from a massive snowfall in southern Muskoka, is pushing water backwards up the creek bed, surging upstream over a dam that normally flows the other way.

"It`s like the reversing falls," said Jack Alexander, director of canals with the Trent-Severn Waterway.

The water spilling the wrong way over the dam pours into Lake St. John, where it will be trapped until the Black drops below the level of the lake once again, said Alexander.

http://www.orilliapacket.com/ArticleDispla...uth=Colin+McKim

 

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Barrie Agricultural society pitches new location; facility being built in Essa Township

The Barrie Agricultural Society (BAS) is inching towards its move to Essa Township. It held an open house in Ivy last night to reveal the society`s plans.

It was not an official township public meeting.

Last month, the BAS announced it had purchased a 100-acre property just east of Ivy on the northeast corner of the 10th Line and 20th Sideroad of Essa, about five kilometres southwest of Barrie. A proposed complex on the site would include pavilions and event facilities for year-round use.

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

 

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Phosphorus limits set for north Durham

DURHAM -- Growth in north Durham`s communities is limited to just hundreds of new residents in order to comply with interim limits for phosphorus discharged into Lake Simcoe from sewage treatment plants. The Province has set a limit of 7,310 kilograms of phosphorus to be discharged into the lake between April 1, 2008 and March 31, 2009. Of that, 440 kilograms-- accounting for six per cent-- would come from Durham`s four sewage plants located in Uxbridge and in Brock Township in Beaverton, Cannington and Sunderland.

http://newsdurhamregion.com/news/durham/article/97109

 

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Councillors not all fired up about residential sprinklers

CLARINGTON -- Forcing new home builders to install residential sprinkler systems may not be a burning issue, say Clarington councillors.

A request from the City of Mississauga asking council to join it in calling on Ontario`s Solicitor General to legislate the requirement, was tabled Monday, pending further information from fire department staff. According to a report, there have been 33 fire deaths in Ontario so far this year. About 18 years ago, the City of Vancouver made mandatory installation of residential sprinkler systems, and since then, "there have been no fire deaths in a home that was sprinklered," said the staff report.

http://newsdurhamregion.com/news/clarington/article/97122

 

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Construction moving quickly on Conant Complex

OSHAWA -- What used to be a vacant elementary school in south Oshawa is quickly taking shape as a state of the art community centre. Construction is humming along on the new Conant Complex located on Grassmere Street and officials say the facility is on target to open this summer.

http://newsdurhamregion.com/news/oshawa/article/97060

 

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City puts brakes on new green fire hall

WATERLOO

A long-awaited fire hall for the Eastbridge community in Waterloo is on hold.

The "green" fire hall project is $1 million over budget, councillors learned this week. They sent the budget back to staff for paring.

"I have serious reservations of approving this,`` Coun. Ian McLean said. "I can`t in good conscience spend $1 million without barely breaking ground.``

http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/337565

 

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City prepares for complaints after seeking higher assessments

CAMBRIDGE

City hall is hoping to collect more taxes from 41 private property owners this year and pay lower taxes itself on a city-owned property.

Every year, city staff look over provincial assessment documents, looking for properties that have a value higher than the assessed value, which property taxes are based on. The higher the assessment, the higher the taxes a property generates.

http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/337554

 

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Canada losing high-quality manufacturing jobs

Canada is losing tens of thousands of its best and most productive workers in the manufacturing slump caused by stiff foreign competition, the high dollar and the U.S. recession, says a new bank report.

The Toronto-Dominion Bank estimates Canada lost 130,000 factory jobs in 2007 and will likely lose more this year as conditions worsen for manufacturers, particularly in Ontario and Quebec.

http://news.therecord.com/Business/article/337545

 

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Growth targets unrealistic: county

WELLINGTON COUNTY

Much like its urban neighbour, the County of Wellington says it won`t be able to meet the province`s growth targets.

The Ontario government has mandated that Wellington County and the City of Guelph grow to 321,000 by 2031. For now, there are no individual targets. But the municipalities agree that neither can sustain such a huge influx of people.

http://news.guelphmercury.com/News/article/317399

 

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Brewing up business

GUELPH

It`s been a heady year for Planet Bean, a coffee-based worker co-op that saw considerable growth in both its retail and wholesale operations in 2007.

"As we continued to grow there was considerable demand build up with our brand," chief executive and president Byron Cunningham said. The company sold 82,000 pounds of coffee last year.

http://news.guelphmercury.com/Business/article/317451

 

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Mississauga council to cut controversial levy to 1%

Mississauga councillors voted yesterday to cut the city`s controversial new infrastructure levy to 1%, insisting they never really meant it when they approved a 5% levy in principle last fall. "It was a little bit of politics from us to get people`s attention," said Councillor Carolyn Parrish. "I think it was the smartest thing we ever did," said Mayor Hazel McCallion. "We wanted to get the public involved."

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/t...-levy-to-1.aspx

 

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Property tax battle begins anew

Fairness is an elusive maiden – especially when the issue is property taxes. The poor downtowners and waterfront dwellers have one more summer of peace before they gird for battle once more and rail against the vagaries of a property tax system based on market value.

By fall, there will be weeping grannies, hard-done-by cottagers and a lineup of widows aghast that their home and retirement nest egg has skyrocketed in value, pushing up their property taxes.

http://www.thestar.com/GTA/Columnist/article/415433

 

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Enrolment boom has universities looking at cuts

Ontario universities say skyrocketing enrolment is forcing many of them to look at cutting courses and not replacing retiring faculty.

Paul Genest, with the Council of Ontario Universities, says the increase in student enrolment has exceeded expectations.

http://www.thestar.com/News/Ontario/article/415174