BC Economic Fundamentals

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Councillors approve farm worker housing bylaw following hearing

Delta farmers are one step closer to being able to house migrant farm workers on site.

After listening to a dozen speakers at a public hearing Tuesday, civic politicians incited faint applause by giving a bylaw that would allow farmers to establish housing for migrant workers conditional approval.

http://www.canada.com/deltaoptimist/news/s...2c-0fa378a34c0d

 

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Safety, beauty and commerce top priorities for Aldergrove

The fate of Aldergrove was the subject of a Township council meeting on Monday afternoon.

Council cleared all other business from its schedule, to concentrate on the recent Aldergrove Task Force report`s 120 recommendations.

After going through the report section by section, each councillor chose three priorities from the report, said Mayor Kurt Alberts. There was a great deal of overlap.

http://www.canada.com/langleyadvance/news/...9d-57b909a8a67d

 

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Well-heeled developer announces city council bid

If his biography is any indication, Michael Geller has led a charmed life.

He`s been successful in business, travelled the world and lives in a nice home on a tiny island off the tip of Point Grey Golf and Country Club.

So what was the 60-year-old architect-planner-developer doing walking the streets of the Downtown Eastside Tuesday?

http://www.canada.com/vancouvercourier/new...5b-b8f04603230c

 

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Waterfront village closer to completion

The waterfront village in South Bonson is starting to take shape.

The Waterfront Commons Park is now open to the public and includes an open green area with surfaced paths and benches.

Plans for a waterfront non-denominational chapel, community hall, restaurant, and pier still lack a set timeline, but Mosaic`s development manager, Andrew Sims, said construction will likely take place in 2009.

http://www.bclocalnews.com/business/Waterf...completion.html

 

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Region tightens tap on watering

If your lawn sprinkler is on, quick -- put down this paper and go shut it off.

Lawn watering restrictions kicked in Thursday, despite the fact that the reservoirs are full and a chilly, damp spring has more people wondering whether their winter wood stocks will hold out than thinking about watering the lawn.

http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonis...60-d2bf2d2d5089

 

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Denser development key to Saanich strategy

The seemingly dry document that will set the tone for the next decade of development in Saanich -- 30-storey towers anyone? -- goes to a public meeting this week.

The draft official community plan is the long-term vision for a community, giving the broad outlines of how it sees itself and more tangibly, how it will grow.

http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonis...96-0a1af500cc79

 

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Huge condo sells out in four hours

Quattro, which bills itself as Surrey`s largest-ever residential and commercial project, sold 109 suites on the weekend in a one-day sale totalling $23 million.

http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/sto...98-ec731c4e710d

 

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Business immigration falls short of target

When B.C. first started trying to attract business immigrants through its so-called provincial nominee program, it set a very high bar, believing that candidates, with a minimum net worth of $2 million and at least $1 million to invest, would flock to life in lovely Lotusland.

But that did not happen.

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/bu...d7-7fddb62c82d7

 

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Province puts cash on table to build Asia links

While in Prince Rupert last week to announce funding for improvements to Mariner`s Park, British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell also presented the city with $50,000 to build better twinning relationships with Asian communities.

"We`re encouraging local governments here in B.C. to explore relationships in the Asia Pacific region, as the advantages are tremendous," said Campbell.

http://www.canada.com/cityguides/princerup...ca-3f24c0726518

 

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Developers forced to stop selling condo units

Two Bear Mountain condominium developers have been barred from marketing their properties because they broke a key rule under the province`s Real Estate Act.

A cease marketing order was issued April 28 by the province`s superintendent of real estate, under the Real Estate Development Marketing Act, for the Highlander and Soaring Peaks projects, where foundation work is taking place inside the $2.4-billion Bear Mountain development on Skirt Mountain.

http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonis...d1-8f9d3e7d70e6

 

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Multiplex an option to help economy

A new multiplex is one option being considered for Campbell River as a way to meet community needs and help diversify its economy in light of downturns in the forest industry.

Council expects to hold a referendum this fall at the same time as municipal elections.

http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonis...61-1708d5f3dab8

 

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ICBC shopping for real-estate hotshot to invest our cash

The Insurance Corp. of B.C. is searching for a real-estate hotshot to help buy $100 million in property -- almost half of it in Ontario.

But the move was slammed yesterday by Maureen Bader, B.C. director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

"It`s one thing to be investing your own money in real estate and another to gamble the taxpayers` money," said Bader. "ICBC lost a lot of taxpayers` money on the Surrey Central City project. Taxpayers should be very concerned."

http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/sto...cc-71f95dc38cc2

 

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Development proposal goes to third hearing

A controversial proposal by Vancouver Giants owner Ron Toigo to put houses on farmland is headed to another public hearing.

The Delta public hearing, the project`s third, is needed because the city wants to remove 11.4 hectares from the region`s green zone.

"It`s a very involved process," Toigo said yesterday.

http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/sto...db-7bcfcfd9c2c2

 

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B.C. forest workers seek aid

Hard-hit forest workers met with the B.C. government yesterday against the backdrop of a crisis in the forest industry.

Members of the United Steelworkers union asked Premier Gordon Campbell and Forests Minister Rich Coleman to help the beleaguered industry.

http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/mon...6d-30ce16a894e2

 

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Cascadia: Naive dream or the next frontier?

SEATTLE -- I first heard about the idea of changing the name of the Strait of Georgia to the Salish Sea in this American city.

It was a month before B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell made headlines by asking citizens to consider the switch as a gesture of respect to aboriginals, whose ancestors lived here before the 49th parallel was created.

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/st...e2-03b1789c6049

 

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Memo to B.C. employers: Help is on the way Headlyne 50pt hasdfasdfasdfyre

The number of B.C. youths registered in apprenticeships and trades training has increased nearly five-fold since 2004, and exceeds the provincial Industry Training Authority`s 2007-08 target by 37 per cent, according to a survey released Monday.

"This reflects a growing recognition on the part of new entries into the workplace that this is where the opportunities are going to be," ITA chief executive Kevin Evans said in an interview on Monday. "But no matter what we do, we`ll still do not have enough people."

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/bu...a6-ded9dece64c3

 

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Telus hopes to free funds for rural Internet

Telus is seeking to overturn a Canadian Radio-television and Communications Commission ruling that limits it from using all the funds in a specially mandated CRTC account to deliver high-speed Internet services to rural communities.

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/bu...6e-1c673e6ae162

 

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First ever REIN meeting



Hello everyone. At a recent REIN meeting in Calgary, Russell suggested we leave our home provinces and attend an event in BC or Ontario to see what other real estate markets are like. With that in mind, I am looking forward to meeting you all on Thursday evening as I attend my very first ever REIN meeting in BC. Please note that your daily edition of BC Economic Fundamentals may be cancelled on Friday but will definitely be back on Saturday. Just between you and me, BC REIN Members are the best! Please keep this confidential.

http://www.reincanada.com/upcomingevents.aspx

 

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Cooling off forecast in real estate sector

The B.C. Real Estate Association is predicting a slowdown for Prince George and the entire province.
In a forecast released Tuesday, the BCREB predicted the average price for a single-family home in the city will increase by three per cent during each of the next two years, to $248,000 and $256,000, respectively, compared to a 22-per-cent jump to $240,442 experienced in 2007.

http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/2008050...ate-sector.html

 

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Victoria has priciest gas in Canada

Victoria had the dubious honour of having the highest gas prices in Canada yesterday afternoon, and prices are expected to go higher still.

They will likely reach $1.40 to $1.50 a litre by Victoria Day, when the holiday driving season begins, said Jason Toews, of the Gas Buddies Organization.

His company tracks gas prices and saw them jumping yesterday from Victoria to Charlottetown.

http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonis...3f-fb568b46a7db