ON Economic Fundamentals 2009-01

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0109BAORIn spite of everything, tenants should always pay their rent: advocate

When the water tap in the shower blew out, dousing her face and arms with scalding water, Wilma Adriaans had enough. This was her breaking point after experiencing an endless stream of water problems while living in her rented Lankin Boulevard townhouse, she said.

"Every time it rains there`s half an inch of water in the basement. At first it was every time it rained. Now, because they replaced the roof, if it rains really hard for a couple of hours... it starts to leak again," she said.

http://www.orilliapacket.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1374335

 

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0109WIND
Permit total drops by half in `08

A sluggish economy, looming job losses and poor consumer confidence have combined to reduce the value of building permits issued by the City of Windsor in 2008 by more than 50 per cent compared to a year earlier.

Bill Jean, deputy building official for the city, said the economy and a major drop-off in government and residential permits are to blame for the lowest total in more than a dozen years.

http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/sto...b2-6f77d8fb8c2d

 

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0109OTWA
Transit workers vow to strike `as long as it takes`

Ottawa`s four-week transit strike is set to enter a dangerous phase after hundreds of OC Transpo workers poured out of a meeting yesterday promising to stay out even longer.

The view wasn`t unanimous, but after union leaders told the workers that the city`s latest offer is no different from the one they voted down before the strike began, and made an emotional appeal for unity, most left the three-hour meeting defiant and promising to reject that offer in a vote Thursday.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Business/Tran...6002/story.html

 

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0109HAMN
City urged to buy school land

Buffeted by demands that it must save greenspace as schools close, the city is poised to buy two former school sites for parkland.

Mountain Councillor Scott Duvall said the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board`s sale of old school sites brings a backlash to the city as land used as parks vanishes.

"It`s frustrating because it`s the board`s decision but the city bears the brunt of it," he said, noting residents call councillors expecting the city to buy the sites as parkland.

http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/491314

 

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0109KWCG
Solution to New Hamburg flooding too costly to consider

NEW HAMBURG

Wayne Roth knows there`s something that could prevent much of the flooding that`s inundated New Hamburg twice in the past year.

It`s an idea that`s been bandied around for decades -- a reservoir on the Nith River.

"If the Nithburg dam had been built, it would probably eliminate flooding in New Hamburg and Ayr," said Wilmot Township`s mayor.

http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/467585

 

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0109YGEO
Construction on Hwy. 404 extension begins next year

It`s been a long road already, but the Hwy. 404 extension to Georgina is coming together.

Updates on engineering and construction are part of a report going to the region`s transportation and works committee Wednesday. The Ministry of Transportation is working with the region on the extension which takes the highway from its current terminus at Green Lane up to Woodbine Avenue/Ravenshoe Road by 2012.

http://www.yorkregion.com/News/Regional%20News/article/86426

 

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0109YMAR
Council backs widening part of Hwy. 7 to six lanes

Markham council has endorsed the widening of a portion of Hwy. 7 to six lanes.

The Region of York has been working to clear the way to increase Hwy. 7 between Montgomery Court and Sciberras Road from four to six lanes. This project will be combined with the creation of dedicated transit lanes in the area. But earlier this year, Markham directed staff to review the need for six lanes and report back this month.

http://www.yorkregion.com/News/Markham/article/86377

 

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0109DURH
GM still No. 1 despite sales decrease

DURHAM -- Despite a sinking U.S. auto market, the Canadian market managed to stay fairly steady in 2008, says a leading auto analyst. "For the full year, Canada performed quite well, with sales declining only 1.1 percent to 1,635,986 units," Dennis DesRosiers, CEO of DesRosiers Automotive Consultants, said in an e-mail.

http://newsdurhamregion.com/news/durham/article/116774

 

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0109TNTO
Sewer fix will take 18 months

According to engineers, the Coxwell St. Trunk Sewer, which carries the sewage of 750,000 Torontonians, has "failed."

A 60-metre section of the huge sewer, buried about 40 metres beneath Barbara Cres. just north of Coxwell Ave. and O`Connor Dr., is cracked and chipping.

http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/562774

 

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0109ONTR
Electricity sellers face fines over claims

Ontario`s energy regulator says it intends to fine two electricity retailers for misleading consumers and failing to follow market rules.

It would be the first time since 2003 that the Ontario Energy Board has issued financial penalties to companies that typically use fleets of door-to-door salespeople, some of them quite aggressive, to sell long-term electricity and natural gas contracts at a fixed rate.

http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/562808

 

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0109TNTO
Realtor foresees dip in Toronto

The average price of a house in Canada is likely to decline by 3 per cent this year as sales activity continues to cool, according to Royal LePage Real Estate Services.

The number of residential resales is forecast to decline 3.5 per cent across Canada, though the national realty firm expects there will still be local warm spots.

http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/562731

 

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0109LNDN
Harbour mess `ignored`

Environment Canada has likened Port Stanley to the Sydney tar ponds, the country`s worst toxic waste site.

And also to toxin-laden Hamilton harbour, which like Sydney has attracted tens of millions of dollars from both federal and provincial governments to clean them up. The connection comes as concern grows that Transport Canada is near a deal to offload the contaminated harbour at Port Stanley onto the local municipality without involving the province and without cleaning it up.

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/Local/200...941631-sun.html

 

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0109BTFD
Brant moving ahead with own arena plan

Brant County would move forward with plans to construct a twin-pad arena in Paris even if the city built a new sports complex nearby at Oak Park Road, a county councillor said Tuesday.

"We`ve done a lot of work and are closer to being ready (for construction)," said Coun. Murray Powell, vice-chairman of the county`s twin-pad building committee. "I think in the county, we`d still go ahead with our plans."

http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/ArticleDi....aspx?e=1375951

 

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0109BTFD
OLG says it plans to proceed with $26M casino upgrades

Brant MPP`s Dave Levac`s pitch to build a new casino on quarry lands at Oak Park Road and Highway 403 and turn the current downtown gambling hall over for university expansion is raising the consternation of Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp.

An OLG official called The Expositor on Tuesday to give a statement that directly contradicts some comments made by Levac, particularly that an imminent plan to spend $26 million in upgrades to Casino Brantford could be put on hold while a possible new facility is considered.

http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/ArticleDi....aspx?e=1375902

 

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0109WIND
Bridge, city rap border plan

The environmental assessment for a proposed route to a third border crossing has "fatal flaws" and must start over, the president of the Ambassador Bridge said Tuesday.

Dan Stamper said the EA filed Friday could be the target of legal action by the bridge, which has a competing proposal to build the next Windsor-Detroit crossing.

http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/sto...de-6bdf103f7978

 

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0109WIND
Essex holds lid on taxes with 2009 budget

With help from big increases in senior government grants, Essex taxpayers got a belated Christmas present Monday of a municipal tax freeze for 2009.

A 1.4 per cent increase in the municipal tax rate is more than offset by the average 1.7 per cent drop in residential assessments calculated by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation for the town, treasurer Donna Hunter told council.

http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/sto...6b-adce53aea29e

 

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0109OTWA
City council united against striking transit union

OTTAWA — Don`t count on us to blink.

That was the message from Ottawa Council Tuesday as it met in emergency session over the strike that has halted public transit service since Dec. 10.In an orchestrated show of solidarity, councillors said they were squarely behind the offer that will be voted on by the 2,300 members of Local 279 of the Amalgamated Transit Union on Thursday.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Business/City...7332/story.html

 

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0109OTWA
Home sales drop in local market

There were fewer home buyers in the city in 2008, but those who did purchase property paid more for it on average than the year before, reports the Ottawa Real Estate Board. Members of the board sold 13,733 houses and condominiums last year, down from the record-setting 14,565 of 2007, but the average price for all of 2008 was $289,766, an increase of 6.3%.

http://www.ottawasun.com/News/OttawaAndReg...939761-sun.html

 

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0109HAMN
Sorry, lot, er port, is full ... almost

The Port of Hamilton is almost out of parking space for ships.

Ten Great Lakes bulk cargo carriers and two tugboat-barge units are wintering here this year, occupying all but two of the port authority`s piers. Four big lakers are at Eastport, close to the Queen Elizabeth Way, and eight on the other side of the harbour at piers north of Burlington Street. That`s up from six to eight vessels in the past few years.

http://www.thespec.com/News/Business/article/491879

 

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0109KWCG
City considers making sacrifices to reduce proposed tax hike

CAMBRIDGE

Two big cultural projects should be delayed to lower property taxes in 2009, a pair of city councillors say.

It`s also time for Cambridge to scrap its debt-free halo and borrow money to reduce taxes, others say.

"Cut, cut, cut as much as possible," said Coun. Linda Whetham.

"Shelve any thought of Biennale. Shelve Drayton."

http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/468050