As word spread that attempts to save Niagara`s last fruit-canning plant had failed, peach grower Ken Andres had already started the grim job of ripping out a large chunk of his Niagara-on-the-Lake orchard.
Andres began using a bulldozer to clear about 25 acres of clingstone peach trees Friday morning at the same time that management at CanGro Foods Inc. in St. Davids told employees the plant will shut down for good June 27.
A controversial project planned for Port Dalhousie will blend in nicely with the historic flavour of the lakeside community, says the planner hired by the Port Place developer.
A streetscape setting with storefronts facing Lock Street will be maintained, Tom Smart of BLS Planning Associates in St. Catharines told an Ontario Municipal Board hearing Wednesday.
A 17-storey residential condominium tower, proposed as part of the project, is "compatible with existing buildings in the environment," Smart testified.
Thorhold developer agree on sewer, waterlines; City opts out of sharing cost for larger pipes
Work on what could be Niagara`s largest residential development is expected to get rolling by the end of the year.
And when construction of Rolling Meadows does get underway, it will be Glen Gordon footing the bill for the water and sewer pipes.
Thorold councillors decided Tuesday night to take the Rolling Meadows developer up on his offer to only install infrastructure large enough to service his land holdings - enough to accommodate 400 homes - in the proposed mini-city that could one day be home to 10,000 people.
In doing so, the city will not be chipping in to extend oversized pipes to the Rolling Meadows boundary - another option Gordon had asked councillors to consider.
The McGuinty government has reinforced its commitment to protect drinking water in Southwestern Ontario with a $1.37-million announcement.
The money will be distributed among conservation authorities from Woodstock to Sarnia and from Stratford to Chatham-Kent, says Chris Tasker, source protection project manager for the Upper Thames River Conservation Authorities.
The portion coming to Sarnia-Lambton will be used to monitor drinking water sources in Lake Huron, which serves the majority of local residents, he said
Blue Water Brdige site of survey; data to be used in new bridge plans
Thousands of cars were stopped for a quick survey at the Blue Water Bridge Thursday by officials wanting to know where they were going and what route they were taking.
Transport Canada spent 24 hours on the bridge plaza conducting 1,300 to 1,400 surveys, said spokesperson Mark Butler.
Similar surveys were done at the Windsor tunnel in order to generate financial information for a possible public-private partnership when a new bridge is built across the Detroit River.
Fort Erie receives funding for brownfield redevelopment plan
The Town of Fort Erie has received $37,500 from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to fund a $75,000 study into brownfield redevelopment in the region`s southernmost community.
The funds will be matched by contributions from the Town, the Region and the economic development agencies of both governments – the Economic Development and Tourism Corp.and the Niagara Economic Development Corp., said David Heyworth, the Town`s senior policy planner.
Fort Erie Mayor Doug Martin said the plan will allow the Town to leverage other funding opportunities.
1Mayor Ted Salci was one in a billion last week. One in 1.6 billion, actually. The "mayor for all the people" spent four days in China, the world`s most populous country, attending a conference of more than 200 mayors from around the world.
Talk about "out of the frying pan and into the fire." China might be the only place in the world more controversial than Niagara Falls city hall right now. No doubt there was a bit of culture shock for the mayor, who left a budget committee meeting a week ago where there`s an abundance of free speech, and 24 hours later found himself in one of the most repressive regimes in the world.
Water rate review could shift burden from homeowners to business
Reducing water bills for homeowners by shifting the burden to businesses is "a step in the right direction," says Ed Bielawski, who has been leading a one-man crusade to have city hall restructure its water and sewer rates.
Bielawski, a semi-retired engineer from Niagara Falls, said he liked changes city council is considering that would make its rate structure more fair, but he wants savings for residential customers even greater than a report proposed.
On all cylinders; Red-Hot construction industry to set a new record in 2008
If you`re looking to get a building project done in 2008 that requires hiring a contractor or construction company, get moving.
That`s because there`s a tremendous amount of building activity underway in the city, thanks in large part to the current nickel mining boom.
Guido Mazza, Greater Sudbury`s director of building services, expects an increase in the $373 million of construction activity recorded in 2007, which was itself a record.
Website pushes for Barrydowne plan; Councillor wants project combined with Maley Drive extension
The drive to build the Barrydowne Road extension is kicking into gear.
Thanks to a petition by 3,100 Valley East and New Sudbury residents over the last two years, a website is now up and running to add even more push for the proposed Barrydowne Road extension, which would connect New Sudbury with Val Caron and Hanmer.
"What we are looking for is to have the Barrydowne extension on the priority list," said Ward 6 Coun. Andre Rivest, at a press conference Thursday at the Lasalle Boulevard/Notre Dame Avenue intersection.
Apologizing for missing the 4 p.m. deadline for negotiations, TTC Union Chief Bob Kinnear announced his union "can live with" a tentative deal with the city to avoid a strike. In other words, your train/bus/streetcar will be there for you Monday.
Georgetown GO expansion remains stalled in its tracks
It is the GO Transit service improvement that everyone agrees is sorely needed and no one appears to be against, yet it has been stalled for the past 18 months.
The expansion of the Georgetown South rail corridor, which goes through Brampton and brings thousands of commuters each day down to Union Station, has been on hold since the terms of reference for an environmental assessment remain with the provincial Minister of the Environment.
If Wal-Mart is any indication, most of the stuff we hear about branding is utter nonsense. It may be the biggest retailer on Earth, but it`s also widely despised. No surprise, then, that the prospect of Wal-Mart coming to the core of Toronto has set off alarm bells across the city, especially in Leslieville, where the store would be located.
For the people at SmartCentres, the development firm that hopes to build an 7.5-hectare shopping centre at Leslie and Eastern , the experience has been a nightmare.
A community group fears the province is waiting for new environmental assessment rules to become law so it can force a high-speed rail link between Union Station and Pearson airport through its neighbourhood.
"The fact they`ve been sitting on it for so long makes me believe ... they want to start again with the new rules so we won`t be able to have any say," charged Mike Sullivan, chair of the Weston Community Coalition.
After years of arguing, city council is to decide this Wednesday whether Manotick will get a major new sewer line.
At stake, depending on whom you ask, are the city`s planning principles, Manotick`s character as a small village, millions of dollars in city money, and the well-being of a neighbourhood whose residents are desperate to replace failing septic systems.
Facing a drastic drop in the number of customers wanting new homes and a glut of resale housing on the local market, an award-winning local contractor is branching out into commercial construction and renovations.
"We`re looking for small projects because I don`t want to get in over my head but you have to do what the market wants and right now, commercial is busy compared to the residential market," said Scott Babister, of The Bungalow Group.
Hamilton could be on track for more passenger trains beyond expanded GO service.
Hamilton and Welland officials are pushing an idea with CP Rail of having some type of rail service return to the former Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway line that runs between the two communities and passes through Smithville, Grassie and Fenwick. Passenger service ended in 1981.
Architectural firm moving to city; Offices in Simcoe and Cambridge will close
A long-standing architectural firm in downtown Simcoe is preparing to leave Norfolk.
The Ventin Group Ltd. will vacate its headquarters on Peel Street at the end of August. Plans are to relocate to Brantford.
The move affects 22 employees in Simcoe. Another 14 employees at the firm`s Cambridge office will also relocate to Brantford.
The firm is named after architect Carlos Ventin, 68, a native of Argentina who moved to Canada in the 1960s. During his career, Ventin earned a reputation as a world-class restoration architect. He is one of five partners in the company.
Turbine talk in the wind today; Jackson`s plan up for discussion at meeting
Plans for a high, large wind turbine in south-Barrie are already facing hot air from neighbours.
It`s being proposed by Jackson`s Toyota, a Mapleview Drive West automotive dealership, but area landowners and businesses say the location is wrong and they also have concerns about its safety and size.
"Our understanding of this project is that the length of each blade would be similar to the length of a Boeing 737, and the area swept by the turbine blades equals the area of three hockey rinks combined," said Michael Hassey of Hassey Development, which owns, or co-owns, about 50 acres of land near the dealership.
