Ontario Economic Fundamentals

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McGuinty open to Pan Am Games bid

Premier Dalton McGuinty is game for a proposed local bid for the 2015 Pan American Games.

"We think it`s worth taking a good look at. We haven`t seen any details yet, don`t exactly know what it would involve, but we think it`s something that we should closely examine," McGuinty told reporters this morning at Queen`s Park.

http://www.thestar.com/News/Ontario/article/407922

 

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The ups and downs of stairs

In a city reaching for the sky, they`ve become vertical alleyways.

From low-rise to high, every public building has at least one stairwell. No one seems able to give an exact number for Toronto but officials say it`s well into five figures.

They`re both essential fixtures and nuisances. People smoke in them, urinate in them, deal drugs in them, dump garbage in them, scrawl obscenities in them, sleep in them and sometimes die in them.

http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/407776

 

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Builders reject higher charges; Think increases to development would hurt city

City developers have given a collective thumbs-down to dramatically increasing Barrie`s development charges in June.

At last night`s public meeting, dozens of developers were at city hall, and many voiced their displeasure at the higher rates.

Rob Nicholson, of Aerarium Development, said the higher fees won`t allow Barrie to compete against its neighbours for industrial tenants.

"Their development charges are a fraction of what we are facing in Barrie," he said. "We need to become competitive, something we are not currently."

"It`s a significant disincentive to job creation and development in the city of Barrie," said Ron Richards, of Park Place developer North American.

http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/ArticleDi...auth=BOB+BRUTON

 

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Stay high and dry in flood, says chief; Homeowners urged to take precautions before water levels rise

People living in low-lying areas prone to flooding should take precautions, says Severn Township fire Chief Eric Dowell.

"Don`t wait for the flood to start to happen," said Dowell, who also serves as community emergency management co-ordinator.

So far this spring, the thaw has been gradual, with daytime temperatures barely topping zero, followed by night-time freezes.

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

 

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Payday loan legislation rolled out

Ontario introduced legislation yesterday to crack down on payday loan companies in order to protect the province`s "economically vulnerable." While those in the industry applauded the move, they took exception to how the Liberal government categorized their clientele.

The proposed law seeks to limit how much payday loan companies can charge customers and enhance consumer protection by licensing all operators.

http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/348007

 

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Businesses jump to be attached to new four-pad arena

Local businesses moved quickly to get their names attached to the Bob Gale Complex, the city`s proposed four-pad arena, says the head of corporate fundraising campaign.

All four ice pads are named after local companies, said Mick Wolfe, the chairman of the committee trying ot raise $2.4 million by selling naming rights for the $40-million city-owned facility.

Wolfe made that announcement at Monday`s city council meeting, less than three months after Bob Gale, the owner of a chain of gas stations, donated $1 million.

http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/ArticleDi...=COREY+LAROCQUE

 

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Everyone urged to be vigilant for debit-card fraud.

The recent debit card skimming scam that hit more than 300 people in Brantford should serve as a wake-up call to everyone living in small and medium-sized communities, says a spokesman for Canada`s retailers.

"I think people have to realize that this type of thing doesn`t just happen in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Edmonton," Derek Nighbor, of the Retail Council of Canada, said Monday. "It doesn`t matter if you live in a community of 100,000 or 1,000, this type of thing can happen anywhere.

"We all need to be vigilant because we have seen that the crime rings have been going out of the big cities and into the smaller communities."

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

 

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New immigrants to GTA choosing suburbs over city, U of T study finds

Almost all new immigrants to the Toronto area are settling in its suburbs, according to a new study that differentiates between two groups of newcomers based on where they can afford to live.

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/to....html?id=413157

 

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Life after the hospital is gone; Queenston Street citizens planning for future of their neighborhood

The eventual closure of St. Catharines General Hospital has potential to breathe new life into the downtown neighbourhood surrounding it, a public forum was told Monday night. "How do we improve the area?" asked Robbie Davidson, chairwoman of the Queenston Street Advisory Committee.

"We want to bring in an entire community with a good mix of people that will hopefully bring the area up."

Davidson was speaking to an audience of about 50 people at Westminster United Church hall who wanted to hear about conceptual plans for the redevelopment of the Queenston Street hospital.

http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/Article...+Standard+Staff

 

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City staff ponders rural transit levy

As if on cue for this Saturday`s Rural Summit part 2, city transportation staff quietly tossed a hand grenade into the state of rural-urban relations, with an attempt to charge rural residents a rural Park and Ride transit levy.

Exploding with all of the political popularity of the snow removal levy, it would have every rural taxpayer contribute to the cost of maintaining park and rides, whether they use them or not.

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/c...9d-944c7c6c1664

 

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High provincial business taxes hurt competitiveness: think-tank

An Ontario-government-funded think-tank has echoed federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty`s call for the provincial government to cut its corporate taxes.

High provincial tax rates on business investment are among the reasons Canadians are less productive and less prosperous than Americans, the Institute for Competitiveness & Prosperity said.

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/b...c0-3bfaf125426f

 

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Building permit values continue to plunge

The value of building permits issued by the City of Windsor remains well behind the figures from one year ago, according to a report from the building and development department.

http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/sto...89-43de11a29b0a

 

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Big 3 take beating

The Detroit automakers took another drubbing again in the March sales race, collectively losing market share in Canada to the overseas carmakers and suffering double-digit sales declines in the U.S.

As a group, Detroit`s Big Three sales were down by 6.9 per cent in Canada in March, compared to the same month last year, while sales of the foreign-based carmakers gained by 6.2 per cent.

http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/bus...09-190af478b348

 

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Subway setback a $192M writeoff

TORONTO - Bombardier Transportation, the rail unit of Montreal-based Bombardier Inc., took yet another multimillion-dollar hit Tuesday stemming from its investment in troubled Metronet Rail BCV Ltd.

Metronet is a consortium that was commissioned to upgrade two-thirds of the London Underground transit system before massive cost overruns forced it into bankruptcy protection last year.

http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/bus...2f-d420c7dc4e35

 

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Hamilton ups ante in Pan Am push

Hamilton`s role in a southern Ontario Pan American Games bid is gathering steam. It`s now on the fast track, with the Ontario government taking the lead in finding a way to win the 2015 showcase.

"I`m pumped, this is as good a bid proposal involving Hamilton has looked at this stage of the game," said sports activist Dr. Gene Sutton.

http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/348487

 

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Paperwork, stress contribute to Ontario doctor shortage

Stress on the job. Too much paperwork. Cash bonuses to locate in remote areas that haven`t been increased in 30 years.

These are some of the reasons that there are so few doctors in Ontario, says the president of the Ontario Medical Association.

The doctor shortage is getting worse, and Waterloo Region residents feel it deeply. There are 30,000 people in Kitchener-Waterloo, and another 20,000 in Cambridge, who have no family physician. Across Ontario, 1.1 million people have no family doctor.

http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/330833

 

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Council holds off on part two of harbour PR campaign -- for now

OSHAWA -- The wait continues. It`s been more than a month since David Crombie finished his highly anticipated report on the future of Oshawa`s waterfront, but local stakeholders still have no idea what it says or whether the federal government will act on it.

The frustration was palpable at Monday night`s council meeting, as politicians discussed whether to have patience -- or turn things up a notch by approving part two of a public relations campaign designed to pressure the feds to act.

http://newsdurhamregion.com/news/breaking_news/article/96227

 

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Provincial grant means more sweating space

PICKERING -- A $1-million grant from the Province is being used by the City to expand the Pickering Recreation Complex.

The expansion is going to cost $4.5 million and the work includes two doubles squash courts and three fitness studios.

Sharon Milton, the supervisor, facility programs, said the 18,000-square-foot expansion will increase the size of the complex to 243,000 sq. ft.

The two-storey addition will be along the north wall, near one of the original entrances. About one row of parking will be lost, she noted.

http://newsdurhamregion.com/news/pickering/article/96130

 

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It`s time to call it quits on West St.

It`s time to abandon the West Street brownfield as a site for Orillia`s multi-use recreation facility.

That`s a tough admission for this newspaper to make. The Packet & Times has repeatedly supported the site as the best possible location, in planning terms, for a recreation complex.

The city had the best intentions when it identified the polluted site - redeveloping a huge section of wasteland in the core of Orillia. To that end, city staff, councillors and many volunteers have devoted countless hours with the best intentions.

http://www.orilliapacket.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=968075

 

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Burford seeks to stem decline of its downtown

Much has changed in downtown Burford since newspaperman Bill Johnston moved to the Brant County village in 1983.

"It`s pretty shocking, the difference between then and now in terms of the downtown," Johnston, publisher of the Burford Times weekly, said during a recent interview. "My worry is, if the decline continues, how much longer will we have our schools, our doctors offices, our businesses?"

Johnston isn`t the only one worried about Burford`s future. A perceived economic decline in the village recently led 65 residents - including Johnston - to come together and form the Burford Revitalization Committee.

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