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Transcript of DHT Spring Home
Call 780-532-1110 • dailyheraldtribune.com
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
2 Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune • Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Christine Tam Herald-Tribune staff
It ’s t i me to leave t he c old, dark winter months behind and embrace spring with a fresh per-spective. The f lowers may not be blooming outside yet, but there are plenty of easy ways you can bring the brightness of spring into your home.
Cathi Hobbins and Karen Seaton of Grande Prairie’s Chiks Design Group are interior design experts with an eye for creating beautiful spaces that incorporate their cli-ent’s personal style, personalities and life.
The fashionable duo recom-mends l iven i ng up homes for spring with a few simple ideas that won’t break the bank.
Seaton said that this year, design t rends a re mov ing away f rom modern inf luences and towards a warmer, comfortable aesthetic. She said that injecting rooms with accent colours is one of the easiest ways to update a room.
“Bright accessories in hot pink, really bright turquoise, dark deep purples, nav y blue paired with crisp white,” Seaton said. “I think
this is because we have such a long, dreary winter in the north in Grande Prairie, we need colours to brighten up our spring and bring some life back into things.”
H o b b i n s s u g g e s t s b u y i n g smaller items in accent colours and leaving paint and large furni-ture in neutrals such as grey.
“When we talk about the bright accent colours, we never suggest painting in them,” Hobbins said. “But accessorizing in those col-ours and adding a few accessories is all you need.”
Following the rule of three is a safe way to ensure that you don’t overdo it.
“Usually if you bring a new col-our into your room you should do it in three places, that’s the rule of thumb,” Hobbins advised. “A cou-ple of toss cushions on your furni-ture, maybe a vase, or fresh tulips
or some artwork. Lamps, candles, a throw or little accessories.”
C le a r i ng out t he c lut t er i s another way to re-energize your home. Hobbins and Seaton said that there are also stress-relieving benefits that come along with sim-plifying and streamlining.
“We’ve heard the saying, less is more so many times and we can’t say it enough,” Seaton said. “Take everything off the walls, take all the furniture out, even the big pieces and start with a blank can-vas. If you’re wanting a do-it-your-self approach, empt y out your rooms and start fresh. When you do it, it’s like a breath of fresh air. It’s a weight lifted off your shoul-ders and all of a sudden you feel lighter when it’s done.”
Hobbins said that clutter can also cause anxiety.
“It impacts your life when your h o u s e i s c l u t-tered,” Hobbins said. “You should b e a b l e t o g o home and relax and have a space w here you c a n live and breathe. That’s where you h ave you r re s t time. If you have too much st u f f around it causes anxiety.”
Hobbi ns a nd Seaton special-i z e i n d e s i g n-ing homes t hat a r e b e a u t i f u l yet comfortable a nd r e f l e c t i v e of people’s per-sonal style. They said that notic-ing what a client likes to wear is a good indicator of styles they would l i ke to have i n their home.
S o i f y o u ’r e
stuck on how to update your own home, take a look inside your closet.
“Home décor t rends a lways fol low fa sh ion t rend s,” Hob-bins said. “When you see some-thing on the runway – colours and prints – it takes about a year and they’ll come into your home. So we always say ‘if you’re comforta-ble wearing it, you’ll feel comfort-able living in it’.” Once you have an idea of the colours you like, one of the most cost effective ways to give your home a facelift is to buy a can of paint and spend a weekend with a paintbrush and roller.
“If you’re doing it yourself you can change your entire room in a weekend,” Hobbins said. “It’s probably going to make the most amount of impact for the least amount of money.”
If your budget is a l it t le big-ger, renovations can make a tired house look brand new again.
“In an economy that maybe is not as strong as it has been in the past, rather than building or buy-ing a new house, some people are staying where they’re at and doing renovations,” Seaton said.
Seaton suggests replacing old, worn carpet with hardwood. She said one of the newest trends is to use old reclaimed wood such as driftwood or barn wood - or wood that’s made to look like it’s old.
“The whole idea behind that is recycle, reuse, repurpose. The
authentic way would be to use reclaimed wood, but a lot of the manufacturers have pieces that give us that look without having to go find an old barn,” Seaton said.
Finding eco-friendly products, green appliances and materials that are made from natural fibres is a growing trend that will only get more popular.
“You can always look to nature for colours in decorating and you’ll always be right,” Hobbins said. “Not only things made of recy-cled products, but things made in a really environmentally friendly way. There’s so many companies who are really trying to make their carbon footprint smaller in their production and manufacturing processes.”
Seaton said that no matter what is fashionable right now, how you design your house always comes down to your personality and your individual lifestyle.
“When we meet with clients, we look at their lifestyle and the way they want to live, their passions, their likes and dislikes and their family needs,” Seaton explained. “We work really closely with that. Some people aren’t concerned with keeping up with the trends. T hey just wa nt t hei r home to reflect their lifestyle and their per-sonality, and we work with that.”
For more information on Chiks Design Group visit www.chicksde-sign.com or call 780-814 4545.
Home design defined by personal lifeIn an economy that maybe is not as strong as it has been in the past, rather than building or buying a new house, some people are staying where they’re at and
doing renovations.”
Karen Seaton from Grande Prairie’s Chiks Design Group
courtesycathi Hobbins and Karen seaton look at their clients’ personal lifestyle before starting any design job.
Make the shiftand check out
www.dailyheraldtribune.comevery day
2 Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune • Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Draw Date: April 16, 201 TAKE PARTTAKE PRIDE
dreamEnter our draw for a makeover in your front yard
green
Draw Boxes for Entries can be found atCity Hall, the Eco Cente & Dunvegan Gardens
Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune • Tuesday, April 12, 2011 3
Some of us are born decorators. We love experi-menting with paint shades. We have a natural eye for colour.
I’m not in that group.Then there are others who
don’t fuss about decorating but who always have a put-together-looking house with no glar-ing colour abominations.
I’m not in that group either.Finally, there are those of us
for whom choosing a colour pal-ette is a hideously unnatural act. It can take us years, even dec-ades, to successfully choose paint for all of the rooms in a house.
That’s my group. We’ve never found our happy place on the colour wheel.
Experts insist: “Simply choose a cushion or swatch of fabric to define your colour scheme.”
Come on. That’s not sim-ple. You still have to isolate and identify the precise wave-lengths of those shades from 60 billion known paint chips.
And if you’re off by a hue or two (or 20), you get post-nuclear-green kitchen cupboards or a din-ing room with distinctly poop-
coloured walls. I have proof.There was some relief when
paint stores began installing $16,000 spectro-photometers,
which are able to detect a wave-length from a chip or piece of cloth and derive the correct formula to create the matching shade of paint.
Unfortunately, spectro-pho-tometers have a hard time with multi-coloured patterns and nappy fabric, cushions or car-pet. So you’re back to sorting through paint chips, trying to decide between “Florid Asper-sion” and “Phlegmatic Grouse.”
Scan by meThat’s why I was excited to get
my hands on the Dulux Inspira-tions colorimeter, a new hand-held electronic tool that easily sorts and reads colours in tex-tured fabrics, carpet and uphol-stery – even in heavily pat-terned samples like wallpaper.
And it’s blazingly fast. In less than three seconds the device scans your sample and gener-ates seven or eight colour choices, including dramatic, harmoniz-ing, complementary or neu-tral effects. ICI Paints’ interna-tional colour designers know what works, so you don’t have to guess.
The hues are easily findable in the Dulux fan deck. Now you just have to decide between those
seven or eight shades. If you want to go lighter or darker than a sug-gested shade, just click on the colour navigator and the device offers you seven or eight more sug-gestions, still within the colour scheme dictated by your swatch.
The reason the colorime-ter can measure wavelengths so successfully, even in heav-ily textured samples, is that the device has nine LED lights that illuminate the sample from dif-ferent angles, thus eliminating the shadows that confuse tradi-tional spectro-photometers.
I scanned more than 20 sam-ples, flabbergasted at the ease of using the device. I designed col-our schemes based on a burgundy dragon plant, birch bark, sam-ples of exotic hardwoods from my workshop, a favorite sweater, my skin tone and the cat’s fur (I’m not the first either – her fur registered “Grey Tabby” on the colorimeter).
You can record voice tags with each scan as you browse for inspi-rational fabrics in stores (e.g. “Vic-torian velvet cushion at Home-Sense on March 11”), so it’s eas-ier to sort through your data-base of scanned materials.
If you drop in to your nearest ICI paint store (there are about 230 across Canada; visit www.ICI-paints.ca to find one), you can see for yourself how it works. Scan as
many samples as you want for free.Or you can buy a colorimeter
to use wherever you go. It retails for $499; it recharges via USB cable; and the included sync-ing software can be installed on both Macs and PCs.
Brad Elkins, senior brand man-ager for Dulux and Glidden, told me that real estate agents are huge enthusiasts of the device because they often have to advise clients on repainting a home before putting it on the market. The device short-
ens the decision-making proc-ess by days and lets the client choose neutrals that will comple-ment and harmonize with exist-ing carpet, floors and trim.
Architects, artists, design-ers, decorators and student-painter companies have also embraced the device to help clarify choices for clients.
Painting is the cheapest and most effective way to refresh a home, and now the hardest part – choosing the colour – is a snap.
InterIors by tool GIrl
Paint relief: An end to the agony of colour-choosingMag RuffmanSpecial to QMI Agency
qmi AgencyScan anything that inspires you – a cushion, a favourite sweater or even a particularly beautifully hued cat – and this device will suggest paint colours.
News Canada
First impressions are impor-tant. It’s a tenet that guides what we wear, what we say, and how we behave when meeting someone for the first time. It also influences the design of a building lobby, a res-taurant, or shop, establishing the image of a business. So, when you open the front door of your home to guests, what impression does
your entrance make? What does it say about you, your family, your personality, and your style?
“A home’s entrance is the exten-
sion of the welcome mat,” said Benjamin Moore Paints colour expert Sharon Grech. “So, whether it’s a postage stamp size that’s just a step in from the outdoors, a long narrow corridor, or a grand and spacious foyer, don’t neglect it in your decorating plans. Even if there’s no room for a lick of furni-ture, give careful thought to your colour choices, because that can set the tone for all that’s inside the
hub of your life.”L et a cheer f u l g reen g reets
guests, such as pear green 2028–40. According to Grech, it’s a crisp, bright hue on the cool side of the colour spectrum that also can take on a sunny glow. A bold blast of colour like this also can help announce that your decorating style is very daring and bold.
In the tiniest of entries, Grech suggested one colour is best for
both walls and ceilings. While most people end up using
the same colour in the entry that adds continuity with the other interior colours, Grech advised to think about what’s on the other side of the door. “If you live by water, go w it h a blue or ot her calming watery hue ref lective of what’s in view. Or, if you’re sur-rounded by woods, think about an earthy tone.”
Let colour express welcome in an entry or foyera home’s entrance is the extension of the welcome mat.”
Benjamin Moore Paints colour expert Sharon Grech
Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune • Tuesday, April 12, 2011 3
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4 Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune • Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Joanne RichardSpecial to QMI Agency
Renovating is not for the faint of heart, says design maven Jennifer Brouwer, but nor is moving.
Both require lots of thought, e� ort and due diligence, says Brou-wer. “I won’t sugarcoat it – reno-vating can be painful at times, but well worth it too. Older homes were built better and you’ve likely acquired some equity, therefore it may be more cost e� ective to ren-ovate and get what you want by investing in your current home.”
Few people are not ever 100% satisfied, even when they’re mov-ing into a brand new home, as it costs to � nish it to their standards, says Brouwer, of www.decorbyjen-nifer.com.
The bottom l ine: No home or space is perfect, and it’s not whether it’s new or old, it’s what works for you and your family.
“There is no right answer – just your answer,” said Brouwer.
According to Calgary design con-sultant Arlene Ladner, “sometimes moving is a quick � x but not neces-sarily better.”
New homes are further out, have smaller yards and sometimes bad design layouts, said Ladner, of Bronco Gray Design. “On the other hand, lots of people can’t live through a renovation, or have the opportunity to move out during the renovations.” Plus older homes can have ‘surprises’ that blow budgets.
Homeowners need to weigh out the pros and cons to both moving versus renovating, keep an open mind and pick a home that best suits their family’s lifestyle, she says.
Ladner leans towards making the most of what you have: “By renovat-
ing you can rearrange your home’s configuration that best suits you. Living in the home for several years gives you a chance to know what works and what doesn’t.”
While a flawed house setup can cause some to feel confined and want to upsize, Ladner said that “with a few modi� cations, furniture choices and de-cluttering, you may actually enjoy living in the home.”
But sometimes families outgrow their space. “Best to evaluate what you do in your home, how you use it, what you want to do in it and then see if that is accomplished in either moving or renovating,” says Ladner, of www.broncogray.com. “Big doesn’t always mean better.”
Avoid costly mistakes by plan-ning and researching, advises Brouwer. Figure out what kind of investment you’re willing to make, and establish the value or equity within your home – “no point in owning a million dollar home on a $500,000 street.”
Get a quote on what it will cost to modify and get your “musts,” not “wants.”
Be sure to call in the reinforce-ments, including design profes-sionals, said Brouwer. Various per-spectives are invaluable, even if there’s a fee involved.
Come to the table with ideas: Watch programs such as HGTV, read magazines and books, and check out websites about renova-tion and design.
It’s essential to be prepared and avoid surprises at all costs.
“Have the job priced. Get ref-erences. Devise a spreadsheet,” including all costs. Don’t forget to factor in delivery fees, inspection permits.
If you’re renovating the kitchen, “you have f loor ing, l ighting,
counters, appliances, furnishings, backsplash, window treatments, painting, demolition, installation, cabinetry, hardware, sinks/faucets, accessories and more,” said Brou-wer.
Whether renovating or moving, it costs! Brouwer sees a huge number of people who over-invest. “When they move, they over-buy and can be stuck with an unfurnished or unaddressed house for years.
“With renos I see so many home-owners trying to save or cut cor-ners. � ey avoid hiring profession-als who could have saved them thousands in the long run by help-ing plan it out.”
Meanwhile, if it’s more property you’re looking for, then oftentimes moving is the only answer, adds Brouwer. But keep in mind, you don’t have to go big or go home when it comes to moving. “You must plan for the future and invest wisely. Retirement is something so few people give thought to.”
BEFORE CALLING AN AGENT OR RENOVATOR, PONDER THESE POINTS:• What’s the biggest reason I feel the need to move?• Do I love my neighbourhood?• Is my home spacious enough?• Can I achieve my goals through renovating?• Can I manage/survive a renova-tion?• Will there be a return on my investment?• Will I be able to afford finishing the new space?
HERE’S WHERE TO PUT YOUR MONEY:• Kitchens• Baths• Basements
Stay or go? Yes or no?It’s a daunting decision: Renovate and love it, or look elsewhere and list it
News Canada
We all want the finer things in life, but while many of us have expensive tastes, we don’t always have such lavish budgets. And, when it comes to updating the kitchen, many items can have large price tags that we won’t be able to recoup. Luckily, in today’s mar-ket, with a little creativity you can achieve a cost–conscious kitchen remodel that achieves maximum enjoyment on a minimal budget.
FINISHED LOOK FOR LESSDoes your kitchen have shiny
brass light fixtures? If so, updat-ing these can instantly make your home look more current and styl-ish. Home improvement retailers offer a wide variety of stylish and affordable choices in popular fin-ishes, such as stainless steel or old world bronze. Or, for an even more economical choice, turn your cur-rent lighting � xtures from brass to beautiful by spray painting them with a new contemporary � nish.
FASHIONABLE, FUNCTIONAL FOCAL POINT
Most kitchens have a basic faucet – but as the focal point and most–used item in the kitchen, updat-ing this mainstay can create a func-tional and fashionable change that everyone will take notice.
When selecting a new kitchen faucet, look for models such as the Moen Dorsey eco–performance faucet that feature a single–han-dle pullout design – with the added bene� t of up to 32% water savings. The multi–function wand offers both a fast–fill stream for filling pots, as well as two eco–perform-ance sprays that conserve water while allowing you to complete
everyday tasks such as washing dishes or preparing foods – all with the same great performance.
SENSATIONAL SHELVESNothing can make a kitchen look
worse than cluttered countertops. But when it comes to storing neces-sities or displaying decorative items – there often is no other spot. While adding new cabinetry can solve your storage issues, it can be costly. Instead, build exposed shelves to give your kitchen a more updated look and an open, airy feel.
Home improvement retailers offer a variety of pre–made wood shelving in many materials and � n-ishes, or, if you are handy, you can build your own to save even more. Once they’re complete, utilize them for a mix of decorative and func-tional kitchen items and be sure to keep everything neat and clean for a polished look.
BREATHTAKING BACKSPLASHAdding ceramic tile in your
kitchen can add colour, texture and a high–end appearance, but upgrading your entire floor or countertops can be very pricey. Instead, adding a tile backsplash can make a dramatic change – with minimal cost and e� ort.
Whether you’re an experienced DIYer or not, there are many online step–by–step guides or classes at home improvement retailers to learn how to complete this simple project. And, in no time at all you’ll have a beautiful tile masterpiece that will accent – and protect – your walls.
With a few updates, your kitchen will look great and be more func-tional…all without breaking the bank. More information about Moen products can be found online at www.moen.ca.
Luxury updates on a frugal budget
COURTESY News CanadaSomething as minor as installing a new faucet can make a dramatic impact on the feel of your home.
4 Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune • Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune • Tuesday, April 12, 2011 5
Linda WhiteSpecial to QMI Agency
When money is no object, the sky is the limit in pool design. Homeowners deter-mined to create a private backyard oasis are pushing the demand for fountains, water-falls, grottos and elaborate lighting systems. Infinity-edge designs are among the trends making a splash.
“Pools and spas are being designed with infinity edges on one or more sides, includ-ing curved edges,” said Roger Rizzo of Aloha Pools in Burnaby, B.C., where west coast views of forest and ocean lend themselves to this trend.
Zero-entry pools and spas – where the water is level with the surrounding deck – are also growing in popularity. “Terminating at an infinity-edge provides seamless integra-tion with natural spaces beyond,” Rizzo said. “Natural forest settings permit the use of real and faux rock to integrate a pool or spa into the landscape to create spectacular grotto effects.”
The integration of water features such as fountains, waterfalls and spillways into pools and spas – including sheer descent waterfalls – is another growing trend.
Other must-haves: Swim spa systems, lam-inar jets with fibre-optic lighting, underwa-ter sound systems and multi-colour light-ing effects. Saltwater systems, and ultraviolet and ozone purification systems are becom-ing increasingly commonplace as owners discovers options that have varying impacts on the environment.
Thanks to advances in technology, some pool owners are embracing the ultimate con-venience: Control systems integrated into home automation systems.
“The ability to monitor and control a pool, spa or water feature remotely from an iPhone or other computer was science fiction a few years ago, but is now becoming more com-mon,” said Rizzo. “Simply turn up the heat for your spa on your way home and it's ready for you when you arrive.”
Those concerned about the environmental footprint of pools and spas can choose more efficient heating options. “Heat pumps, geo-thermal systems and heat exchangers oper-ating from high-efficiency boilers that sup-ply both home and pool and spa systems are becoming more common than traditional gas-fired heaters,” said Rizzo.
Custom-designed concrete spas integrated into a poolscape are also increasingly pop-ular, said Mark Wideman of Betz Pools in Toronto, Ont. They can be designed so the homeowner can put their pool to bed for the winter and enjoy their spa year round.
The rectangular pool remains a classic design.
“It’s timeless because it’s a pure shape and in the right setting is still a great shape,” said Wideman. Pool designers are playing with traditional dimensions that dictate the width of the pool should be half its length and cre-ating a skinnier version of the rectangle that’s very sleek.
Smaller backyards have resulted in crea-tive designs that include ‘spools’ – a combi-nation spa/pool – or plunge pools. In such cases, some pool owners are opting for swim jets so they can swim against the current for exercise.
“Instead of spending money on a second property such as a cottage they use only on weekends, many homeowners are instead spending some of that money on creating a backyard they can enjoy at the end of the day as well as weekends,” said Wideman.
Their wish lists include things like outdoor kitchens for entertaining, decorative caba-nas, water features and night lighting. Diving boards and slides are few and far between due to safety concerns.
Safety covers are also evolving. They gen-erally require a rectangular-shaped pool but there are alternatives for other shapes, such as cantilever deck designs or deck-mounted systems. “Sealed floating covers provide almost limitless design options as the cover will mysteriously float out from a hidden wall chamber or up from a hidden door the floor of the pool,” said Rizzo.
In the swim of things
Courtesy of Betz PoolsNo effort was spared in the creation of this fabulous hillside 16 x 32 pool, which merges beauti-fully with the home’s multilevel terraces.
Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune • Tuesday, April 12, 2011 5
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6 Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune • Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Joanne RichardSpecial to QMI Agency
Let's talk dirt – and dust, cobwebs and grime too.
Winter buildup takes its toll, and if your home has gone from cozy to clutter, from fresh to filthy, you're not alone. Hey, few of us like to clean – but we all like to live in a clean home.
So time to let the sun shine in. Revitalizing and refreshing your home is a rewarding ritual, albeit one few embrace.
According to Frank Turco, of Home Depot, “spring cleaning is a tedious, but an essential require-ment for everyone regardless of whether they live in a house, apart-ment or condo.
“The winter months can be tough on a space. With windows and doors closed all the time and the furnace running almost constantly, dust is constantly building up,” says Turco, adding that cleaning a place of all that winter build-up is critical to living a healthy life.
Take Turco’s tips and clean up:
• Replace or wash filters.• Clean the duct work and fur-
nace.• Take down drapery and give it a
good wash and cleaning.• Move appliances to clear out
dust bunnies that have built-up.• Paint - nothing refreshes a space
more than a fresh coat of paint.
• Wash all the floors and carpets.• Repair cracks in moulding that
may have been created by the dry winter air.
• Adjust doors and windows that may have shifted due to changes in temperatures.
• Use microfibre dusters and cloths to remove dust.
Meanwhile, l ighten your heavy-duty chores with these new products and gadgets:
Clear the air with the new Dyson Air Multiplier fan. Streamlined and attractive, this fan is bladeless and features cool technology that ampli-fies air by 15 times so it expels 405 litres of air every second. No grimy blades to clean; $379-$549, available at www.dyson.com, The Bay, Home Outfitters, Sears, Future Shop, Best Buy, Canadian Tire.
Get Martha Stewart to clean. The domestic diva offers a green clean, up all-natural cleaning solutions that are safe for families, pets and every surface in the house. All prod-ucts are 99% plant and mineral-based plus all packaging recycla-ble. No fragrances or colours, only natural cleaning agents. Martha Stewart Clean products include All Purpose Cleaner and Wood Floor Cleaner to Carpet Spot Remover, Toilet Cleaner and Laundry Deter-gent; $4.99 - $24.99, Loblaws and The Home Depot.
Look out, crumbs. Swiffer's got a sweeper and vacuum all in one. Swiffer's new SweeperVac com-
bines the dry sweeping cloth with a cordless vacuum so wood, tile and vinyl floors shine. Beats a broom and doesn’t require vacuum bags. A dirt cup collects dirt, dust and pet hair – just empty with the push of a button; $49.99, and 16-count refill for dry coths are $5.99, at Lob-law stores, Walmart, Canadian Tire, Costco and Shoppers.
If you're a clean freak, get attached to the cordless Dyson DC34. Not only powerful and lightweight, this slim and attractive upright features adjustable suction power modes plus handy detachable cleaning wand to reach high places; $349.99, available at The Bay, Home Out-fitter, Bed Bath & Beyond, Future Shop, www.bestbuy.ca.
Dust bunnies beware! Swiffer Duster 360 grabs dust and dirt and won't let go. No flying dust at all. Fluffy fibres attract and attack in corners and crevices - no space is safe from the Swiffer 360 with extendable handle; $5.99, six-count refill is $10.99, at Loblaw stores, Walmart, Canadian Tire, Costco and Shoppers.
Garages have never looked so good. No more digging deep for gardening tools, camping equip-ment and golf clubs. Gladiator GarageWorks brings order to your garage with an attractive and super efficient system that organizes and declutters. Choose from a number of zones, from workshop with tool organizers, to gardening work sta-tions and sports equipment lock-
ers and shelving; available at Sears.ca, Lowe’s stores, and www.gladiatorga-rageworks.com
Store in style: D e c o rat i v e s t o r-age baskets are a great way to organ-ize and tuck away items while enhanc-ing your décor at the same time. The PC Home line by Lob-laws offers attractive woven storage solu-tions for bathroom toiletries and mag-azines too; $12.99-$29.
Don’t be a dirty cleaner – go green with award-winning Earth Friendly Products. Conven-ient six-pack Safeguard Kit of all-natural cleaning products, includ-ing Parsley Plus All-Surface Cleaner, Dishmate Hand Dishwashing Cleaner, ECOS All-Natural Laundry Detergent, Wave 100% Natural Auto Dishwasher Gel, Eco Breeze Fab-ric Refresher and Window Cleaner. Available at Canadian Tire; for other retailers check out www.ecos.com.
Add these new products to your cleaning crew: Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Bath Scrubber, Bounty Extra Soft Paper Towels, Mr. Clean with Febreze Disinfecting Liquid and Spray; Febreze Noticeables
pluggable air freshener, and Cas-cade All-in-1 ActionPacs for dish-washers.
Worth the wait. Give carpets a deep-cleaning massage in late spring. The new Hoover MaxExtract eats up dirt and grime in no time. This line of deep cleaners power washes surfaces with pressurized water and an automatic detergent system, combined with spin scrub brushes, and then finishes up with a pressurized heated drying. They clean carpets, upholstery and adjust speed for various floor surfaces, including sealed wood floors and tiled floors too; $299.99, available at Sears and Home Hardware by June.
Shake the wintery cobwebs out of your house
qmi AgencyDon’t be a dirty cleaner, go green with award-winning earth Friendly Products.
News Canada
When looking for a natural prod-uct, the Natural Products Asso-ciation (NPA) – the nation’s old-est and largest non–profit agency dedicated to the natural products industry – suggests you consider whether your product fits into one of these four categories: Natural,
safe, responsible and sustainable.Natural: Is the product you are
choosing made with at least 95% natural ingredients? Choosing products made of mostly natural ingredients can help keep your house free of unwanted chemi-cals.
Safe: The Nat ura l Products Association recommends avoiding
products that contain a suspected risk to human health or the envi-ronment.
Responsible: Choose products that are safe for everyone – even animals. Look for cleaning prod-ucts that don’t test on animals during the formula development process.
Sustainable: Look for products
that are made with biodegrad-able ingredients and with envi-ronmentally sustainable packag-ing to ensure that your products stay green long after you are done using them.
Products certified by the Natu-ral Product Association allow you to rest easy knowing your clean-ing products are made with natu-
rally–derived ingredients. If you’re unsure if a product meets these stringent standards, look for the NPA seal, which can be found on products like many of those found in the Green Works family of prod-ucts.
The full line up of products cer-tif ied by the NPA can be found online at www.npainfo.org.
Green cleaners mean more than just cleaning your home
6 Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune • Tuesday, April 12, 2011
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Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune • Tuesday, April 12, 2011 7
Home sales jump 29% in January; third straight increase
Sharon SingletonQMI Agency
More young Canadians are turning to the Internet for advice on buying a home, and the growing use of online tools is likely to challenge the grip of the MLS system, experts say.
According to a survey by RBC, 55% of younger Canadians, aged 18 to 34, are more likely to turn to real estate websites when buying a property.
That’s a big difference from the older gen-eration, with 71% of those aged 45 and older saying they would turn to a real estate agent, rising to 74% for buyers over 55, the survey found.
Although the increased use of the Internet in the real estate market doesn’t spell the end of the current system through which 90% of Canada’s homes are bought and sold, it does provide a window of opportunity for those able to capitalize on the growing use of new tools to gain market share.
“That number is eroding and will continue to erode,” John Andrews, director of Queen’s University’s Executive Seminars on Corpo-rate & Investment Real Estate, said about the number of properties sold through MLS. “New technology will be absolutely key.
“Most of the technology we need is already out there and I cannot think of any other industry that can make better use of it than
real estate.”Andrews points to GPS technology in
smartphones as one example, giving poten-tial homebuyers instant access to the infor-mation and location of properties in an area they may be interested in, coupled with loca information on schools and transit and other neighbourhood details.
ComFree, formerly know as ByTheOwner.com, launched an iPhone app in 2009 which was updated in February due to popular demand.
Some of Canada’s larger brokerages also offer similar services, though the market is still seen as underserved compared with the U.S.
ComFree, a commission-free brokerage, which offers an alternative to the MLS sys-tem, said almost half of its customers were in the younger, under-44 age bracket.
The company, which has traffic of about 2.5 million to its Internet site each month, said 35% of those are in the 18 to 35 -year age bracket. That’s greater than the proportion in general society as a whole, where that group makes up 22%.
“Many, many of our customers are in the younger generation,” comFree general man-ager Pat Sullivan said “I think it speaks to the level of comfort they have with the Internet.”
Sullivan said sales at the network, which was launched last September, are picking up, without giving further details.
Remo Zaccagna Herald-Tribune staff
New mortgage rules that came into effect in mid-March are unlikely to dissuade first-time homebuyers from purchasing a home, say those in the local hous-ing industry.
Changes included a reduction of the maximum amortization period to 30 years from 35 years, with a down payment of 20%.
Additionally, the borrowing limit using a home as equity was reduced to 85% of the total value from 90%.
The lead-up to the March 18 deadline was a busy one for brokers and realtors alike, as people rushed to get in before the changes.
According to figures released by the Grande Prairie & Area Associ-ation of Realtors (GPAAR), home sales jumped 29% in January, rep-resenting the third consecutive year-over-year increase and the fourth-highest January on record.
That is partly attributable to peo-ple trying to beat the deadline for the rule changes, association presi-dent Lesley Craig said.
But with the rules now in effect for a week, she doesn’t see that
activity dropping off significantly as a result, at least in the short term.
“Now the spring rush is going to start, too, so I think we’re going to see a kind of a level playing field across the board,” she said.
Melanie Bell-Fournier, a bro-ker with Epic Mortgage Solutions Inc., said a number of people have called to inquire about the new reg-ulations, but has not known any-one to waiver in their desire to pur-chase as a result of the rules.
“It won’t make a difference right now to most new home buyers. I haven’t seen any impact so far, we’ve just had a week, of course, but so far I haven’t had a lot of peo-ple come in that are concerned or haven’t qualified because of the changes,” she said.
“So I don’t know that it will really scare anyone off that’s already look-ing at purchasing a home.”
Ho w e v e r, l i k e C ra i g , B e l l -Fournier has noticed an increase in activity over the last few months, so in that regard the new rules have had some impact, she said.
“We had a really busy month and last week was quite busy. Anyone that had their mortgage formally approved by March 17 did get the 35-year amortization,” she said. “I
would say that it did impact and we can see that in the fluctuations of the MLS listings. They’ve dropped dramatically and (the new rules) certainly I think was part of it.”
The new rules mean on an aver-age mortgage of $250,000, the shorter term would amount to a payment increase of approximately $100 per month.
“It might just mean that some-one can’t spend quite as much on a house as what they going to or what they could have before the dead-line,” Craig said.
“But all the other market factors are still in place for a strong buy-ing position. Interest rates are still really low, there is still lots of inven-tory on the market, so there’s lots to
choose from.”The new rules come at a time
when some Canadian households are taking on too much of a debt burden, and as such the rules are designed to curtail credit.
Fang Qin, a Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. market analyst for the Prairies and Territories, said there would be added benefits as well.
“We’re going to see people pay-ing lower amounts of interest charges over the lifetime of the mortgage, so this basically allows homeowners to build up equity a little bit quicker than otherwise would be the case,” she said.
Over the long term, the rules are not expected to have an impact on the Grande Prairie market, she said.
“We’re looking for the Grande Prairie and area to stabilize this year and for a moderate pickup leading to 2012, and that hasn’t change substantially.”
Young homebuyers hit the web for property advice
courtesy News Canadaeven with new mortgage rules coming into effect in March it doesn’t look like it will have a major impact on house sale numbers.
Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune • Tuesday, April 12, 2011 7
Commercial & ResidentialWindow Coverings
www.sheerillusions.com#1, 10404-100 Street • 780.532.1001
8 Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune • Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Tips on saving energy and reducing your monthly utility billNews Canada
Canadians everywhere are con-cerned about the rising cost of energy. Though many are looking to cut this expense, they are also concerned about the e� ect making these changes will have on their lifestyle. According to Kathy Buck-worth, mother of four and award w inning w riter, saving energ y and reducing energy costs doesn’t have to be cumbersome – it can be as easy as making a few simple changes. Below, Buckworth pro-vides tips on ways to save energy and money without changing your lifestyle.Replace old appliances
You can reduce ref r igerator energy use up to 40% by replac-ing a 1993 or older unit with a new, energy–e� cient model. When buy-ing a refrigerator it is important to select the right size for your needs. A model that is too big wastes both money and energy. Pick the right support products
Today, many companies are pro-
viding products that help Canadi-ans use less energy to lessen their impact on the environment. When at the grocery store, look for prod-ucts like those in P&G’s Future Friendly line–up that can help you reduce your impact on the environ-ment while still using the products you know and trust. Chances are, you’re already using some of them.Turn o� the lights
Are you, or someone in your fam-ily, guilty of leaving the lights on? � is is the easiest habit to � x – sim-ply turn off the lights as you leave a room and you’ll ease your energy consumption. Try leaving Post–its on your light switches for the first month to remind yourself and soon it will become second nature.Replace your ancient bulbs
Incandescent light bulbs are not environmentally friendly, and they consume more energy. Replace any incandescent with � uorescent compact bulbs to see immediate results.Invest in EnergyStar appliances
Greener technology is readily
available and many of your favour-ite brands are selling state of the art appliances that help reduce water and energy use. When you’re look-ing for your next upgrade, choose appliances with the EnergyStar rating.Wash in cold water
Your biggest sav ings can be found by simply using cold water for your laundry. Try using deter-gents specially designed to clean in cold water conditions, like Tide Coldwater, which provides a great clean without the heat. Turn it o� and save
When you go for a coffee break or leave the office for a short time – consider turning o� the monitor. � at alone will save 60% of the total energy used by the computer.Enjoy the fresh air
Try opening your east and south facing windows during the day instead of blasting the air condi-tioning. And for the days where you’ll be using your air condition-ing, use a programmable thermo-stat that can automatically adjust
the temperature setting for those times you know you’ll be out. By slightly adjusting the temperature, you can experience signi� cant sav-ings on your monthly energy bill.
More information on the sim-ple steps you can take to help save energ y can be found online at www.futurefriendlybrands.ca.
COURTESY News CanadaA successful home includes a number of small fragments that must be considered when it comes to your endless bills.
8 Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune • Tuesday, April 12, 2011
www.dailyheraldtribune.com
..................
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Today
Mainly sunny
High -8° Low -7°
Tomorrow
Flurries
High -3° Low -3°
Sunrise: 9:20 a.m.
Sunset: 16:39 p.m.
AU
X
ANY CORRECTIONS not provided by 3:00
to publication become the full responsibili
I have proofed the information including address
& phone # and approve the ad as indicated:
Printed: 05.21.2010
Document Name: DHT Win Earlug TFN
User Name: Vaughn
Ad Rep: Karyn
2010 Publication: DHT
Ad Heading:
Proof: 1st,pdf
entertainment
Looking forward has always
been important to me.
I love to remember the good
old days and even take time to
cry over memories that have
become bittersweet throughout
the years because memories
have their significances.
Living in the moment is won-
derful and refreshing and I try to
spend as much time as possible
here.I arrived in Grande Prairie at
the beginning of October. We
had a fabulous fall according to
the people I have had the oppor-
tunity to meet and the staff here
at the DHT.
I have spent the past couple
of months learning the ropes
both at the paper and in the
community.
Spending some of my youth
in Northern Alberta, including
starting my career at the Peace
River Record-Gazette, has given
me an attachment to this land
and a tolerance to this climate.
So the snow and I have a rela-
tionship even though at times it
is somewhat dysfunctional.
I thought I would take this
time and this space to tell you
about some of the things I am
looking forward to, and some
of the things that you and your
families can look forward to
from us in the coming year.
The Daily Herald-Tribune has
big plans for 2011; in this ever-
changing world we have plans
to offer you bigger and better
service.
We will be delivering our
product to our readers on
the platform of their choice.
They will be able to access us
when they want us where they
want us. We will start working
towards decreasing our carbon
footprint by offering full edition
subscriptions online.
Video, blogs, podcasts will all
be part of our content package.
Corporately, we will be seeing
the launch of Sun TV, integrating
all of our resources and informa-
tion sources coast to coast and
delivering a strong and indepen-
dent voice of commentary on
issues we all share as Canadians.
We will be delivering our
advertisers’ messages both in
print and online. We will have
targeted products for readers
and advertisers to help bring
together the seller and con-
sumer.
Partnerships this coming year
will include working closely with
the community to find out what
our readers, advertisers and the
business community need and
expect from us.
Everyone’s input is important
to us. We encourage everyone to
tell us what they want from us,
because we essentially belong
to you.
We want to make it as easy as
possible for you to give us your
opinions and you are able to do
that by sending us letters, faxes,
emails, or even by picking up
the phone and calling.
The DHT brings you live news
online and you should sign up
as a Facebook fan so you can
get the Grande Prairie and area
news the minute it becomes
news.
Do you tweet? Be sure to
follow us on Twitter too. Our
reporters are tweeting live while
they are covering local events.
We will keep you informed and
up-to-date.
So what can you expect
from the DHT in 2011? Just a
few things include: Up-to-date
news delivered to you through
Facebook and twitter, full online
subscriptions to the DHT, and a
bigger interest in you, who you
are, what you want. All of this
and some untold treats you will
enjoy along the way.
Change is inevitable, being
part of it is a gift, presenting it
well is a talent.
On behalf of myself and
my talented staff we hope the
coming year delivers you much
happiness.
We are looking forward 2011.
The first baby born in Grande
Prairie in 2011 bided his time
entering the world.
But to mother Valerie Long,
he was a beautiful surprise.
“He had a head full of
hair and he looked perfectly
healthy,” she said Sunday.
Cooper Long was born at the
QEII Hospital at 6:41 a.m. Sat-
urday, weighing seven pounds
and one ounce.
He was born to parents Val-
erie and Cameron from Dawson
Creek.
Cooper is their third son,
joining brothers Hunter, 6, and
Jaxon, 2.
Valerie said it was exciting for
Cooper to be the first baby born
in the city.
“We didn’t realize it was the
first because it was 20 to seven
in the morning so we just
assumed there was already one
so it’s kind of exciting news,”
Valerie said while in the hos-
pital with the rest of her family
Sunday.
And he wasn’t supposed to
be a New Year’s baby at all: His
due date was Jan. 28, about four
weeks later, she said.
Valerie spent most of the
Christmas period in the hospi-
tals, starting Dec. 22.
She was at the Dawson Creek
Hospital for pregnancy-induced
hypertension, a condition
related to high blood pressure.
“My doctor was going away
on vacation so they trans-
ferred me (to Grande Prairie on
Dec. 28) to the care of another
doctor,” she said. “Then they
induced me on Friday.”
The couple decided on the
name Cooper since it was the
only one they could agree on
after months of debate, she
said.
Another male joining the
Long brood is a good thing
since the family is all set up for
boys, she said.
“We have everything we
need,” Valerie said.
When asked if they’ll try for a
girl, she laughed and said that
they were done.
The Long family were to drive
back to Dawson Creek today.
Valerie said she’s excited to go
back home. While their family
is in Nova Scotia, she’s looking
forward to showing the new
family addition to friends and
their nanny.
Six-year-old Hunter said
it’s good to have another little
brother, but he doesn’t plan on
teaching him hockey.
“I don’t want all my brothers
to be playing hockey because
they’re all be wanting to go on
the rink and I won’t be able to
play with them,” he said.
While Jaxon didn’t have any-
thing to say, he nodded to being
happy and excited to playing
with his new brother.
Alberta Health Services com-
munications spokesman Scott
Seymour said Cooper’s birth
is probably later than normal,
versus a stroke-of-midnight
welcome to the world.
“It’s always up to the baby
ultimately,” he said. “Let nature
do its thing …
“It’s always a good time to cel-
ebrate anyways.”
Meanwhile, the first baby
born in the Peace Country for
2011 was in the Northwest
Health Centre in High Level.
Kai Gerbrandt was born at
3:07 a.m. Saturday and weighed
eight pounds and 11 ounces.
He was born to parents Daniel
and Beverly Gerbrandt of High
Level. Kai has two siblings –
five-year-old sister Taylor, and
three-year-old brother Kaden.
josephine@dailyheraldtribune.
com
A peace bond application
sought against Wiebo Ludwig,
son Benjamin Ludwig and
neighbour Richard Boonstra has
been stayed indefinitely, less
than a month before a sched-
uled hearing.
The peace bond was filed last
February on behalf of Encana
Corporation, Canadian Supe-
rior Energy and Seaview Energy
out of fear of potential injury to
their employees or damage to
their property.
After several delays, the hear-
ing was put off to Jan. 24-28,
2011, but now that hearing will
happen at an undetermined
time in the future, if at all, a
spokesman for Alberta Justice
said.“Basically since there’s been
no incidents in those 10 months
with Mr. Ludwig, there wasn’t
really a likelihood that a court
would grant the peace bonds.
So right now it’s unnecessary to
proceed with the hearings,” said
Josh Stewart from Edmonton.
“(But) if there’s anything that
were to change in the future
with the defendants, we could
certainly recommence the pro-
cess.”The defendants fought the
peace bond application from
the start, filing an appeal in
May and entering a nine-page
response to the summons, call-
ing the entire process “charac-
teristically misleading” and “a
desperate act of calumny.”
Ludwig said he was relieved
he can now put the process
behind him, but expressed dis-
appointment in not getting his
day in court.
“I was kind of hoping it would
not be dropped at this point,
even though I asked them ini-
tially in May when I presented
a n i n e - p a g e
rebuttal to the
summons as
to why they
shouldn’t pro-
ceed with it,”
the patriarch of
the commune-
style Tr ickle
Creek farm near
Hythe said.
“I had some
very interesting stuff I wanted
to do and make some real peace
instead of a silly little peace
bond.”
Ludwig, 68, said he, son Ben-
jamin, 29, and Boonstra, 54,
have been working hard on the
file but does not plan to pursue
the matter further.
In 2000, Ludwig was convicted
of vandalizing several natural
gas well sites and was sentenced
to 28 months in jail.
Last January, he was briefly
taken into police custody as
part of an investigation into six
Dawson Creek-area bombings
in 2008 and 2009 but was subse-
quently released.
There have been no charges
laid in connection with the
bombings.
www.dailyheraldtribune.com
................................
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TodayPartly cloudy
High -24° Low -31°
TomorrowLight snowHigh -21° Low -24°
Sunrise: 7:45 a.m.
Sunset: 6:30 p.m.
money
Canada’seconomic growth
topped forecastsin the fourth
quarter, led by surging exports
of energyand other products
,
reviving talk of an early interest
rate hike.
GDP expanded by 3.3% in
the fourth quarter, with exports
rising 4%, StatisticsCanada said.
The export ofenergy products
surged by 17%. The govern-
ment alsorevised upwards its
estimates for growth in the third
quarter to1.8%.
Economists had been expect-
ing GDP to increase by an annu-
alized 3% in the period.
The figures follow a lackluster
third quarter inwhich Canada’s
economic growth fell behind
that of the U.S. as exports suf-
fered from the strong loonie and
the housing market stag
nated.
In the fourth quarter, all major
sectors, apart from
manufactur-
ing, boosted their output w
ith
the biggest contribution
coming
from mining and oil and gas
extraction.
“With growth handilyout-
pacing the Bank of Canada’s
expectations, this upbeat re
port
begins to tip the balance back
in favour of earlierrate hikes,”
BMO deputy chief economist
Doug Porter said in a note. “We
had been looking for the Bank
to wait until their July meeting
before restartingthe rate hike
process,and are still com
fort-
able with that call, but, if there
is
a surprise to our rate call, it now
looks likethe Bank w
ould go ear-
lier, ratherthan wait longer.
”
Final domestic demand rose
by 1.2% as consumer spending
—QMI Agency, Reuters
More than half of Canadians
are switching banks because
they are unhappywith the cus-
tomer service they are getting,
accordingto a new survey.
An Ernst & Young poll found
75% of Canadians have the same
or a greater level of trus
t in their
financialinstitutio
n following
the recession, yet 64%
have —
or are planningto — take their
business elsewhere.
Thirty-four percent
of respon-
dents said they receive either
occasional or absol
utely no per-
sonalizedattention
from their
bank.Th e v a s t ma j o r i t y
o f
Canadians, 73%, believe
they
shouldn’thave to pay for finan-
cial advice, and that it sho
uld be
includedas part of th
e service
they already receive
.
“Canadian banks came out
of the financialcrisis relatively
unscathedas compared to most
of their global cou
nterparts. As
a result, banks here have seen
the level of trust remain steady
or even improve,”said Paul
Battista, financial s
ervices advi-
sory leader at Ernst & Young
Canada.“But our survey
clear ly
shows that the trust factor isn’t
what drives dissatisfaction in
Canadians’ banking
relation-
ships. It’s the lack of person-
alized attentionand service
issues.”Banks with advanced
mobile
Mounting tensions in the oil-
rich Middle East andbad crop-
growing weather are pushing
up global commodity prices.
That could be good news for
Canadianexports, b
ut bad news
for consumers at the checkout
counter.The Scotiaban
k Commodity
Price Index, which measures
price trends for 32 of Canada’s
major exports, rose for the sev-
enth straight month in January,
by 2.7%.“Overall commodity prices
will likely edge higher again in
February, though
momentum
has shifted late-month from
strengthin base metals to oil
and preciousmetals, given
growing politicalunrest in
Libya, Algeria and parts of the
Middle East,” said Patricia M
ohr,
commodity market specialist
and vice-president of e
conom-
ics at Scotiabank.
The agricultural sub-inde
x
led the January gains, surging
5.5% on the strengthof grains
and oilseeds, livestock and fish.
Spot canolaprices have
jumped 55% year-over-year on
strong demand for vegetable
oils, especially in China and
India.Adverse
weather conditions
and the growing proportion of
land being used to grow crops
for biofuelsare pushing
up
global food prices.
Scotiabank said grocery-s
tore
Equinox Minerals has offered
to buy LundinMining for $
4.8 bil-
lion to expand its Africancopper
assets, a move that co
uld trigger a
bidding war with InmetMining.
Equinoxowns Africa’s third-
biggest copper mine by produc-
tion, theLumwana facility in
Zambia, Thomson Reuters data
shows.The cash and stock bid comes
about a month after Lundin and
Inmet agreedto join forces and
form a Canadiancopper m
ining
major calledSymterra.
Analysts had expecteda rival
suitor to emerge becausethe
Inmet bid offered no premium
to Lundin’s investors.
—Reuters
NEW YORK — A JPMorgan
Chase & Co. technology fund is
in talks to buy a substantial stake
in Twitter, theFinancial
Times
reported Sunday.
Accordingto the report,
JPMorgan’s Digital Growth fund
hopes to acquire 10% of Twitter
for $450 million, valuing the
company at $4.5 billion.
The FinancialTimes said the
fund eventually plans to raise
$1.3 billion from a maximum of
480 investors.It hopes to invest
a third of the fund in another
private Internetcompany like
online gaming company Zynga
or telephony company Skype,
accordingto the report
.
—Reuters
picked up, it said. Canadians
went on a spendingspree for
durable goods in the quarter,
with purchasesin that categ
ory
rising by 2.9% and far outstrip-
ping the 0.9% gain in the previ-
ous quarter.
Spendingon services
rose
1.3%, while new and used auto
sales jumped 3.8%, compared
with 1.4% in the third quarter,
StatisticsCanada said. Spen
ding
on furniture, furnish
ings and
household equipment also
gained after two quartersof
declines.
Some economists said the
continued strong domestic
growth will pose a dilemma for
the central bank, pointi
ng to the
need for higherinterest ra
tes at
a time when the improving trend
in exports still needs further
confirmation.
“Rate hikes would attract
unwanted attention to an
already robust Canadian dollar
and risk squelching net trade
,”
HSBC economist Stewart Hall
said.“The real ques
tion for where
the BoC takes policy is really a
question as to whether ornot the
pick up in net tradein Q4 was
the onset of an steadily improv-
ing trend.”
The strong rebound in exports
helped shrink Canada’scur-
rent account defici
t by $5.9 bil-
lion to $11 billion in the quar-
ter. The improvement was not
as big as economists had been
forecasting.
The trade balance returnedto
a surplus of$0.5 billion after the
biggest ever quarter
ly deficit.
For the year 2010as a whole,
real GDP grew 3.1%, following a
2.5% decline in2009.
prices will likelyrise on both
sides of the border, as strains
on commodities make their way
through the supply chain.
The oil-and-gas sub-secto
r
posted a surprisedecline in
Januaryafter repairs
on a
Canadiancrude pipeline
left
excess supply at Superior, Wis.
The trend isn’t expected to con-
tinue. WTI and Brent oilprices
hit $103 and $120, respectively,
last week, fuelled by fears civil
unrest inthe Middle East coul
d
spread to other major oil-pro-
ducing nations.
“The world is much better
preparedto handle an oil-
supply crisis today than in
mid-2008, when WTI o i l
prices skyrocketed to a record
$147.90US alongsid
e strong
global demand and dwin-
dling OPEC spare capacity,”
Mohr said, adding the stability
of Saudi Arabian supply is
critical.In the metals and minerals
industry,prices gained 3.9% in
January, and producer
s can look
forward to even strongerfertil-
izer and choking coal demand.
The forest products
sub-index
posted a 2.5% rise in the month
despite the weak U.S. housing
market.Demand for magazine-g
rade
paper and lumber from China
are underpinning the sector, the
bank said.
—QMI Agency
applications have a
leg up on the
competition, Ernst & Young sai
d.
Only 29% of Canadians polled
were happy with their mobile-
banking services.
“The banks that findinnova-
tive ways to effectively deliver
high-quality, perso
nalized ser-
vice will, in the long run, provid
e
a strong base for greatlyimprov-
ing customer loyalty,”Battista
said.The survey found that 48%
of
Canadians do business w
ith just
one bank, while another37%
bank with two.
—QMI Agency
Home sales were up in Janu-
ary in Grande Prairie, pointing
to a turnaround in the local real
estate industry that was red-
hot a few years ago, but was hit
hard when the financial crisis
took hold in late 2008.
According to figures released
by the Grande Prairie & Area
A s s o c i a t i o n o f R e a l t o r s
(GPAAR), home sales jumped
29% in January, representing
the third consecutive year-over-
year increase and the fourth-
highest January on record.
A s s o c i a t i o n p r e s i d e n t
Lesley Craig said that increase
is attributed to two factors:
An economic recovery and
changes made by the federal
government to mortgage regu-
lations that take effect March
18. “I guess part of that is
because of the new mortgage
rules,” she said. “A lot of buyers
that thought they maybe had
a lot of time to go and find a
house might have moved faster
so that they can get locked in
with a 35-year amortization
instead of a 30-year.
“It’s just going to be a higher
payment because it’s a five-year
shorter term.”
Another factor is the econ-
omy picking up again – “get-
ting a little bit more active and
employment rates are good, so
it all plays together,” she said
The number of residen-
tial listings in the MLS system
increased 10% in January to
420 and there were 1,639 active
residential listings, up 2% from
January 2010.
“The number of listings
went up and the number of
sales went up, too, so we’re
not seeing it turn into a worse
buyers’ market than it was
before, because they kind of
equal each other out,” Craig
said.
The average price stood at
$257,401, down 3 % from a year
ago, while the average in the
rest of the province increased
to $348,488.
Total home sales were $30.1
million in January, a 24%
increase from a year ago.
“That’s starting to make it
look like a trend that things are
starting to kind of level out, that
they may even start to improve
as far as pricing goes in the
future,” she said.
For a guy who’s supposed to
be having the worst vacation of
his life this week, Breen Taylor
was pretty upbeat Monday
morning.
Starting at 7 a.m. Monday and
until noon Saturday, Taylor is
camping out in the parking lot
of Atco Electric in Grande Prai-
rie, where he works as a power
line equipment operator, to gen-
erate some community atten-
tion and try to raise $10,000 for
Kev’s Kids.
It is a little colder this week
than he anticipated, but Taylor
is not backing out.
“It’s an idea that was spawned
from my young five-year-old
daughter, Brooke,” he said.
“Basically what she came to
me asked, in a five-year-old
sense, is why some kids don’t
necessarily get what I have and
why some kids are less fortu-
nate … “It’s a tough question to
answer when you’re explaining
it to a five-year-old.
“What I said was even though
you may not be able to help
every single person … you can
make a difference in your com-
munity, and possibly make
somebody’s life maybe a little
bit different.”
He said it is “really critical
stuff,” teaching such lessons to
children as they grow up.
Loaded up with firewood, a
space heater and extra layers
of clothing and sleeping bags,
Taylor will live outdoors the
entire time.
He will eat, sleep and find
ways to entertain himself with-
out ever leaving the parking lot;
he even has a port-a-potty set
up.“I do have three pairs of boots
just inside the door, because I
want to make sure that my feet
aren’t going to freeze. Other
than that, I’m staying outside,”
said Taylor.
“If you’re setting the wheels
in motion it’s important to go
through with your work.
“Up until last Friday, no kid-
ding, it was supposed to be
(warmer than) -15 for the whole
week, and then it changed and it
dropped to -29 for like the week
… (but) I do like challenges.”
Challenges indeed! It was
-34 at 7 a.m. today. The high-
est it’s forecast to get in the next
several days is -14 (normal is
-3). Lows will sag close to -30
(normal is -14).
And five centimetres of snow
is predicted Wednesday.
Taylor has stocked up on extra
magazines and has a hockey net
to get some exercise.
If that fails, he said there is
lots of shovelling he could do.
He will also maintain a daily
journal – something he plans to
look over later with his daugh-
ter.There is no real surprise
among co-workers that Taylor is
seeing this through.
“He’s a pretty gung-ho kind
of guy,” said Clyde Blackburn,
Atco’s customer service super-
visor in Grande Prairie, noting
that the company is completely
behind Taylor.
“Atco Electric, in its efforts to
support its employees, we have
a donation matching program
that we offer to employees who
contribute to health and welfare
organizations,” he said.
“So all of these contributions
that are made by employees will
be matched.”
While Atco Electric handles its
employee donations, the public
can give by going to local radio
station Rock 97.7’s website www.
rock977.ca and clicking the link.
“We’re looking for some awe-
some support, and I hope we do
it – it is a big goal,” said Taylor.
“I think we can do it. We’ll
see!”
Alberta Health Services
has to do a better job of get-
ting patients out of emergency
rooms quicker, admits its boss.
The comment comes on the
heels of new figures that show
AHS is failing to meet its own
ER targets, trumpeted by offi-
cials in October.
“We’re not close to meet-
ing performance targets,” Dr.
Chris Eagle, AHS acting presi-
dent and CEO acknowledged
Monday.
“When people come to emer-
gency rooms they expect to be
seen in a timely basis.”
Eagle told reporters he’s
“not confident in where we are
today,” adding “we have to do
better.”AHS had set a March target of
seeing, treating and discharg-
ing 70% of ER patients with less
serious conditions within four
hours.In Edmonton during the
last full week of February, that
target was met at only one of
the five hospitals – Miseri-
cordia, although the Stollery
Children’s Hospital came very
close.In Calgary, the goal was met
at only one of four hospitals –
the Alberta Children’s Hospital.
AHS also had a March goal of
admitting 45% of patients who
require a hospital stay within
eight hours.
That wasn’t met at any of
Edmonton’s hospitals during
the last full week of February.
In Calgary, it was met at the
Children’s Hospital. Three hos-
pitals came close.
Statistics for the Queen Eliz-
abeth II Hospital in Grande
Prairie were not immediately
available.
The hospital’s ER has been
undergoing a $9 million over-
haul, expected to be completed
by the end of this year, to meet
overloads.
He a l t h M i n i s t e r G e n e
Zwozdesky said he directed
AHS to develop the protocols
in response to concerns in
October from emergency room
doctors.“Those new protocols are
working,” Zwozdesky said.
“They’re not working as quickly
as I’d like, in terms of the four-
hour and eight-hour waits, but
they’re having an enormous
impact.”Zwozdesky admitted he
doesn’t know if the targets will
be met “bang on” by the end of
March, as intended.
The target by March 2015 is
to deal with 90% of ER patients
within either four or eight
hours, depending on the sever-
ity of the case.
Liberal Leader David Swann
said now is not the time for
excuses.“This is an example of a gov-
ernment that really is scram-
bling to show signs that it
understands the health-care
system and can manage it,”
Swann said.
“The evidence is pretty
strong that they cannot. They
continue to miss their targets.”
Elsewhere, Zwozdesky said
there’s been a 40-70% reduc-
tion in emergency in-patients,
who are in emergency depart-
ments waiting for a hospital
bed, backing up the system.
He said more detailed statis-
tics will be released shortly.
The Grande Prairie
Daily Herald-Tribune in its true
printed format from anywhere
in the world.
eedition.dailyheraldtribune.com
The City of Grande Prairie
could soon release the f irst
portion of its funding commit-
ment to the River of Death and
Discovery Dinosaur Museum.
The genera l government
services committee recom-
mended Wednesday that coun-
cil give $500,000 – one-third
of its $1.5 million pledge over
three years – to the project.
Pipestone Creek Dinosaur
Initiative executive director
Brian Brake said he’s pleased.
“This is the payment for 2011
which is due and the commit-
tee just wanted to ensure that
the project is moving forward
in a positive way and that the
money they’re allocating is
going to be used in a meaning-
ful way,” he said.
A portion of it will go toward
hiring a construction engi-
neering company to assist
architects. A tendering call for
a construction manager is due
to go out in the next couple
of weeks. He hopes they’ll be
able to hire a local firm, but
it depends on the price and
the capability of the firm, he
added.
T he $ 26.4 m i l l ion proj-
ect that will be located along
H ig hw ay 43 i m me d iatel y
north of Wembley still needs
to confirm about $19 million
in funding.
Com m it tee cha i r woma n
Coun. Helen Rice voted against
motion Wednesday due to the
money concerns and the lack
of an asset acquired, she said.
“I would like a majority of
the funding secured before the
project proceeded,” she said.
“I just prefer hard product
or to have a commitment for
the full funding before we pro-
ceed.”Mayor Bill Given said he was
confident that the initiative
would reach its funding target.
“Certainly I believe that it
was important council looks
very closely at this because we
want to ensure any funds we
release is going towards con-
struction and they’re going
towards an investment that
wouldn’t be lost i f for any
reason the project didn’t go
forward,” he said.
“Ultimately (with) any proj-
ect, these are a marathon race
rather than a sprint.
“As a local community we
need to show our faith and
commitment to the project
and that will bring the provin-
cial and federal partners in.”
Br a ke a s su re d c om m it-
tee members that 100% of the
$500,000 would go towards
capital costs rather than oper-
ating costs.
“Our strategy has been to
move forward as the funding
is confirmed,” he said.
“I think (Coun. Rice’s) con-
cerns are very, very valid and
if we had to wait until all of the
funding for this project was in
place before we started doing
anything then nothing would
ever get done.”
Meanwhile, phase one of the
initiative, which includes an
access road to
the Pipestone
C r e e k b o n e
bed sout h of
Wembley from
t he mu s e u m
and a vehicle
and pedestrian
bridge, is set to
be complete in
two weeks.
It will be cel-
ebrated March
17 with a ribbon-cutting cer-
emony with Lt.-Gov. Donald
Ethel and his wife, followed by
a public dinner at the Wembley
Rec Centre.
During this event, Roy Bick-
ell, who was named Volunteer
of the Year for his assistance
with the dinosaur initiative
last December, will have his
name enshrined on one of the
bridges.
About 300 tickets have been
sold for the event, Brake said,
and those interested can con-
tact the Tow n of Wembley
(780-766-2269) for ticket infor-
mation.
The evening would celebrate
the work done, but also engage
oil and gas companies along
with others who have employ-
ees and families in that area
who w i l l benef it f rom t he
improved lifestyle, he added.
Toronto-based Teeple Archi-
tects’ design work is about 95%
done, which is a part of phase
two.“The part they’ve got to do
now is the confirmation of all
the engineering system work,
and then once they’ve got that
in place and they’re satisfied
… then they will start prepar-
ing the tendering documenta-
tion,” Brake said.
The engineering company
that needs to be hired will
oversee the architect’s work
and hopefully they’l l move
into preparing the tendering
documents and into phase
three, which is building the
museum, Brake said.
www.dailyheraldtribune.com
..................
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TodaySunny
High -23° Low -25°
Tomorrow
Flurries
High -7° Low -11°
Sunrise: 7:58 a.m.
Sunset: 6:20 p.m.
money
Prices at Tim
Hortons are set
to rise as the restaurant
chain
passes on soari
ng commodity
coststo custo
mers, the compa-
ny’s president
and chiefexecu
-
tive said Wedne
sday.
Canada’s coffe
e giant is
reviewing price
s countrywide
due to big jumps in the cost of
raw materials such
as coffee,
wheat,oils a
nd sugar.
I n a c on f e r en c e
c a l l
Wednesday,
Tim Hortons presi-
dentDon Schro
edersaid
the
company’s pricin
g committees
are meeting with resta
urant
ownersacros
s the country to
determine how much price
s will
go up and whichmarkets
will be
affected.
Prices in U.S.
TimHorton
s
restaurant
s went up by 3% last
week, he said
.
“I amsure
theywill do
this
beingmindfu
l of their
guests,”
he said,refer
ringto poten
tial
pricehikes
by the franchise
operators.
Coffee, coco
a andsuga
r
prices are
all trading
nearthree
-
decade highs
as a combination
of bad weathe
r, poor prod
uc-
tivityand politi
cal unrest
have
damagedcrops
and disrupted
supply.
Wheatand
foodoil price
s
havealso jumped.
“Theprice
increases
are a
necessary
evil becau
se of the
costincre
ases,not ju
st us,but
the wholeof the indu
stryis
experienc
ing,”Tim
Hortons’
chieffinan
cial officer
Cynthia
Devinesaid.
“We just canno
t absorb these
kindof pri
ce increase
s.”
In thepast six y
earsCanada
has
made acomplete
180 degree
turn
goingfrom
worst to best
when
it comes tax competitivene
ss
among G7 countries,
according
to a newset o
f global ran
kings
published
by the University
of
Calgary’s Sc
hool of Publ
ic Policy.
Evenamong emergin
g econo-
mies, Canad
a’s marginal eff
ec-
tive tax rateon capit
al isstill
better on avera
ge.
“Thisremarkab
le change in
Canada’s
tax competitivene
ss
must bemaintai
ned inthe co
ming
years,as cou
ntriesare co
ntinually
reducing their
business ta
xation”
despite the reces
sion,the repor
t
by economists D
uanjieChen
and
JackMintz sa
id.
—QMI Agency
Canadians
are more awareof
financial f
raudthan
theywere
a yearago and are takin
g more
stepsto prote
ct themselve
s,
according
to two pollsmarkin
g
fraudpreve
ntionmonth.
About 82%
of Canadia
ns say
they now shieldtheir
PINscom-
paredwith 62% last y
ear, while
58% stay away fromunfam
iliar
ATMs, one poll b
y TD Canada
Trustfound
.
A separate
survey by Visa
Canada foun
d ve r yf ew
Canadians
are nowengag
ing in
riskybeha
viour, with only
14%
saying they
sharetheir
PIN and
11%send
ing theircredi
t card
details by e
-mail.
According
to RCMP statis
tics,
losses from
fraudulent
credit
cardappli
cations fell 57.26
%
in 2009,while fraud
relating to
e-commerce,
telephone
and
mail rose 9.4%. The
number of
counterfeit
credit card
s in circu-
lationdropp
ed about 20%
.
“Canadians
are becoming quite
savvywith t
heir payment ca
rds and
it’s paying off —
creditcard fraud
rates are at h
istoriclows,”
saidGord
Jamieson,head
of payment sy
stem
riskwithVis
aCanada.
Overal l , the
number
of
Canadian
s concerne
d about
fraudhas dippe
d slightly, with
79% saying it was
a worry com-
paredwith 82%
in 2010.A fur-
therthree
quarters
saidthey
wereconce
rnedabou
t being vic-
tims of phishing
or vishing,
two
scams which
trickcons
umers
into providing p
ersonal info
rma-
tion,the T
D poll found.
“There are tools
and informa-
tionavail
ableto help
protect
Canadians a
nd combat fraud, b
ut
the vast majorit
y of fraud can be
avoided if peo
ple are proactive
and followsome sim
ple tips, suc
h
as shieldin
g theirPIN and being
careful with
theirperso
nal infor-
mation,” said
JustinHwan
g, asso-
ciatevice-p
resident of f
raudman-
agement fo
r TDCanadaTrus
t.
—QMI Agency
Ontario’s main secu
rities
regulator i
s planning
to step up
enforcement o
f marketregul
a-
tionsand may consi
der the use
of whistleblowers an
d immunity
agreements t
o bringviolat
ors to
justice.
HowardWetston
, chair of th
e
OntarioSecur
ities Commission
,
madethe anno
uncement in
remarksprep
aredfor a lun-
cheonspeec
h.
As of theend of Jan
uary,the
OSC had 56 casesunde
r litiga-
tion,with 49 befor
e the com-
missionand seven
before the
OntarioCour
t of Justice.
Thisyear,
the regulator
is
likelyto launc
h threetimes the
number of case
s as it didthree
yearsago.
“I amencou
ragedto see such
significan
t enforcem
ent activ-
ity, but le
t’s faceit —
we can
always try to do better in this
area,” he said
in a speech to
be delivered
to the Economic
Clubin Toron
to. “Ihave
asked
our director of enfor
cement,
TomAtkin
son,to inten
sify our
enforcement ef
forts.”
While Canada has w
on global
praise for the regul
ationof its
banking sy
stem, critics say
over-
sightof th
e securities
markets
falls woeful
ly short.
“Financial
fraudhas affect
ed
some 10% of Canadia
ns and the
systemis sim
ply not effecti
ve at
protecting
consumers, p
unish-
ing fraudsters
or compensa
ting
victims,” Ermanno
Pascutto,
executive direc
tor of investo
r
rightsgroup
, FAIRCana
da, said
in a report on Cana
dianfinan
-
cial scanda
ls released
last week.
—Sharon Single
ton, QMI Agen
cy
Officials from
Japan and
Canada will m
eet inMarch
to
launch a joint
studyon a pos-
siblenew
tradeagree
ment,
Labour M
inister Lisa
Raittsaid
Wednesday,
confirming repor
ts
by QMI Agen
cy a day ear
lier.
Thetwo coun
triesshare
a
longtrade
history, bu
t thecur-
rent arrang
ement isfar fro
m free
trade.
Japan, for
instance,
restricts
importsof Cana
dianbeef
to
protect its
cattlefarmers, w
hile
Canada imposes
a 6% tariffon
Japanese-m
ade cars.
“A comprehensive
and ambi-
tiousagree
ment between
Canada
and Japanwould
include more
thanjust f
ree trade,” Raitt
said
fromToron
to.
TradeMiniste
r Peter Van
Loan
made asimilar an
nouncement in
Vancouver.
“It wouldopen
oneof the
world’slarge
st and wealthiest
markets to Cana
dianexpor
ters,
encourage
economic grow
th
and create jobs
in bothof ou
r
countries.”
David Worts,execu
tive direc-
tor of the JapanAuto
mobile
Manufacture
rs Associatio
n of
Canada, s
aid he welcomes the
study.
He said the tariffon Japan
ese
vehicles shou
ld be scrapped
to “level the
playing field”
with
European and Korea
n carmakers
.
—StefaniaMoretti,
QMI Agency
Canada’s Joe Fresh
is taking
its spotat the
centre of fas
hion
with a newstore
on FifthAve.
in New Yorklater
this year,the
retailer an
nounced Wedne
sday
afterweeks
of speculati
on
the cheap and chee
rful brand
was headed
south.
Thecloth
ier thatmade
its debut in Lobl
aw grocery
stores five years
ago will open
its firstinter
national f
lagship
s to rein the
fa l la t the
corner of Fi f th
Ave.and
4 3 r dS t .
n e a rB r y a n
t
Park.Last
monththe company
announce
d plans to open
20 standalon
e stores acros
s
Canada.
—QMI Agency
Canada’s e
thnicconsu
mer will
be vitalfor co
mpanies to stave
off the nega
tive sideeffec
ts of
inflation and to the succe
ss of
America’s retail
invasion north
of theborde
r, experts s
ay.
East Asians
and SouthAsian
s
are the two
fastest grow
ing groups
in the country and along
with
othervisibl
e minorities could
account fo
r 70%of th
e growth
in purchasing
power in the next
decade, said
CIBC’s Perr
yCaicco.
“ForAmerican
retailers com
ing
to Canada (s
uch as Target), t
hat is
a key thingthey’v
e got tofigure
out fast,” C
aiccosaid after
wrap-
pingup the bank’
s annual R
etail
& Consumer Conf
erence in
Toronto on
Wednesday.
—QMI Agency
Many of TimHorton
s’ com-
petitors have
already moved
to
raisetheir
prices.
In late September, S
tarbucks
saidit was no longe
r ableto
swallowthe addit
ionalcosts
andwould
needto adjus
t its
pricing stru
cture.
Lastyear,
Kraftraise
d U.S.
prices on some type
s of Maxwell
Houseand Yuba
n coffee, an
d
Smucker’s put u
p the priceof
most ofits Fo
lgersand Dunkin
’
Donutscoffee
.
TimHorton
s is hoping to
smoothout ups and
down in
prices of ra
wmaterials by b
uying
up supply for t
he year ahe
ad.
Thatpolic
y has helped
in the
company’s bak
ed goods sect
ion,
as it hasalrea
dy bought m
uch
of thesugar
it needs for
the year
at lower pri
ces, which
has offset
some of theincre
asesin other
raw materials.
The companyrepor
ted that
its fourth-qu
arterprofi
t rose
to $377.1 million
from$91
millionin the same perio
d of
2009,helpe
d by a one-time gain
fromthe sale of its
Maidstone
Bakeries un
it.
Salesat sto
res openfor m
ore
thana year
increased
3.9%in
Canada and were
up 6.3%in the
U.S.Tim Horton
s is seeing same-
storesales
risebetw
een3%
and 5% in Canada this y
ear and
expects gro
wth in the U.S. to be
similar toyear-
ago levels.
Devinedecli
ned to say how
muchof the Cana
diansales
growth would
be the result of
the projec
ted priceincre
ases.
At theend of the
quarter, Ti
m
Hortons had 3,750
restaurant
s,
including
3,148in Cana
da and
602 inthe U
nitedStates
.
sharon.sing
leton@canoe
.ca
The Grande Prairie
Daily Herald-Tribune in its true
printed format from anywhere
in the world.
eedition.dailyheraldtribune.com
Alberta’s newly-minted finance
minister won’t be wearing new
shoes for today’s budget, a finan-
cial blueprint he describes as
practical and responsible.
Lloyd Snelgrove said his wife
will be the one with new foot-
wear.Instead, Snelgrove said he will
wear a pair of black leather shoes
he sets aside for special occa-
sions. New shoes are a tradition
among many Canadian finance
ministers.
Snelgrove said the Tory finan-
cial blueprint will be a “practi-
cal budget that reflects the plan
we’ve had in place for Alberta.”
He also described it as “respon-
sible.”It’s expected to be Alber-
ta’s fourth consecutive deficit
budget.
“(It’s) a plan that reflects the
business environment that we’re
in today,” Snelgrove said.
Liberal Leader David Swann
said he wants to see a budget
with a “strong commitment to
people programs” while down-
sizing government and clamping
down on wasteful spending.
Swann said he fears the Tories
will instead cut back on pro-
grams that will hurt the most
vulnerable.
NDP Leader Brian Mason said
he expects the Tories will pro-
tect funding for health care, but
warned “the rest of it is on the
chopping block.”
Mason said he’s going to be
watching closely to make sure
areas like the environment, edu-
cation and the protection of chil-
dren are funded adequately.
Wildrose Alliance Leader
Danielle Smith said her party
is expecting “a train wreck of a
budget.”
“The government seems to
be intent on blowing through
every last penny we have in the
Sustainability Fund before they
get serious about taking some
of the measures they’re going to
need to take to be able to get the
budget balanced.”
She said that includes “ending
all these corporate welfare hand-
outs” and spreading out infra-
structure spending over a longer
period of time.
Snelgrove said he’s heard criti-
cism that Alberta is both spend-
ing too much and not enough on
infrastructure.
“We’ve had to re-profile, in the
last couple of years, some of the
projects, but we haven’t had to
not do projects, and that’s strictly
because of us having a savings
account to be able to carry us
through.”
FAIRVIEW – What is believed
to be the continent’s rich-
est source of the strategic
metal vanadium continues to
be explored by Calgary-based
Ironstone Resources, which will
update area municipalities on
the prospects next week.
Ironstone president and CEO
Barry Caplan is scheduled to
visit the company’s drilling
operations in the Rambling
Creek area of the Clear Hills,
about 70 kilometres north of
Hines Creek, west of Fairview.
Ironstone holds a 100% inter-
est in 15 metallic and indus-
trial mineral permits and leases
that cover 80,000 hectares in
the Clear Hills, identified as an
iron ore source more than half
a century ago.
But Ironstone, which com-
pleted its first drilling program
on the Rambling Creek block
in 2008, says it’s discovered the
largest vanadium resource in
North America, an estimated
323,000 tons. Known global
resources are an estimated 63
million tons.
Assays indicate there is an
average of 0.22% of vanadium
oxide (V2O5) in the rock
Ironstone is hoping to find
similar levels across the entire
iron deposit, but more drill and
core evaluation must be done
first. In the North Whitemud
River block, south of the Ram-
bling Creek block, Ironstone is
drilling 152 diamond core holes
in 2011.
Vanadium is used in the pro-
duction of high-quality metal
alloys. Its most common uses
are in high-strength steel, in the
aerospace industry, and chemi-
cal uses for the production of
catalysts, ceramics, glasses and
pigments, electronics and bat-
teries.V a n a d i u m i s w i d e l y
researched, with many new
applications in various phases
of development. One new
development close to fruition
is for use in the next generation
of vanadium redox batteries to
power electric vehicles.
Unlike other commodities,
there is no market quote for
vanadium; it is traded by con-
tract, directly between the pro-
ducers and consumers.
Vanadium is not found
by itself. It is a trace mineral
within other ore bodies and is
therefore mined as a byprod-
uct of other operations. Sources
include magnetite (iron oxide)
deposits and carbon-rich
deposits such as coal, oil shale,
and oilsands.
The Grande Prairie regional hospital is one step closer to reality, with the province pick-ing architectural-engineer-ing firm Dialog to design the $520-million centre.The project will include a
state-of-the-art cancer centre, 200 acute-care beds, and a health-care training facility in partnership with the Grande Prairie Regional College.Edmonton-based Dialog
starts design work this month; construction is expected to begin by fall on the bypass site just north of Service Plus Inns on land donated by the college.
Some health-care services at the new facility should be avail-able by late fall 2014.Tom Sutherland, Dialog’s
managing principle and senior designer, said Thursday the project appealed to the firm on a number of levels.“Our firm does an awful lot of
health care, so this project was right up our alley,” he said.
“It’s up north and we’ve done work up north before very suc-cessfully and we saw it as a real opportunity for innovation.
“It’s got a schedule that’s outside the box, it’s got an approach that people want to take that’s outside the box. Everything about it is set up to be something that is really leading edge.”
In f ra s t r u c t u re Mi n i s t e r Ray Danyluk said his depart-ment looked at 29 firms before making its decision. “We felt it was the firm that
knew what to build what was necessary for cancer treatment, for incorporating the education portion of it. And also the firm has specific expertise that is necessary to accomplish that, so that’s why we chose the firm we did,” he said.“Grande Prairie is not going
to be getting a hospital once every two, three, or five years. This is going to be a regional hospital that’s a once-in-a-life-time opportunity and we have to make sure it’s right.”Danyluk also said Alberta
Infrastructure will be hiring a construction manager in a pro-cess closing March 10.Sutherland said design work
would begin shortly.“We have already notified our team members, we are starting mobilization, we have our first meeting with the government on Monday morning, every-body is going to spend next
week getting their ducks in a row as we plan out the details of the approach,” he said. “We’re going to have boots on the ground in Grande Prairie pretty darn quick.”
The design firm announce-ment was met positively Thurs-day.
“We’re really pleased,” said GPRC president Don Gnatiuk. “The next step for us is we con-tinue to meet with the Alberta Infrastructure folks, and we will start meeting with the next architectural firm soon, and we want to continue to build our relationship with the QEII (Hospital) folks because we really believe in building a strong partnership with them.”
Joan Libsekal, QEII vice-pres-ident , said she looks forward to being a part of the consultation process.
“This means for us that we’re going to be proceeding on the project and starting our next phase of design and develop-ment involving our physicians, staff and community,” she said. “The next steps will be starting to look at what are our needs and how we’re going to plan that facility.”Wayne Drysdale, Grande
Prairie-Wapiti MLA, said the announcement creates “a point of no return,” and after years of debate the project is going
ahead.“They’ve signed the contract,
so there’s no stopping it now. Once we start signing contracts, you can’t go backwards. The money is in the budget, con-tracts are signed, and it’s going
forward,” he said.“I think it’s great news for Grande Prairie; we’ve been waiting for this for quite a while.”
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The Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune in its true printed format from anywhere in the world.
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The tiny mountain pine beetle has cost Alberta taxpay-ers $255 million since 2005 and as much as $8 billion would be on the line if the insect wasn’t stopped in its tracks.The province this year
plans to cut and burn a record 170,000 infested pines in the Peace Country and west-cen-tral Alberta as the battle against the tree-killing pest continues, according to figures obtained by QMI Agency.That’s up from 150,000 trees
removed last year and 73,000 the previous year.“It’s in good control but we
can’t let up,” warned Premier Ed Stelmach. “We have to allow more resources and continued resources into the future.”The trees are being cut in an
area between Lesser Slave Lake, Grande Prairie and Hinton. They were identified last year
as being infested, said Duncan MacDonnell, a spokesman for Sustainable Resource Develop-ment.
“That’s where we’re concen-trating our efforts,” he said.
The pines are burned to kill the beetles and prevent them from spreading and destroying other pines.While this year’s target would
be a record, MacDonnell said it’s not “significantly higher” than 2010.He said it’s the result of a
large in-flight of beetles from B.C. in 2009, caused by strong winds. The beetles have devas-tated huge swaths of pine for-ests in that province.There are huge dollars at
stake if the problem gets worse in Alberta: It’s estimated the six million hectares of pine forest is worth $8 billion in commer-cial timber alone.If all were destroyed, the
province would lose $420 to $600 million a year in economic
activity.Ma c D o n n e l l s a i d m o re
importantly, swaths of dead trees can result in more water flowing into streams and rivers, overwhelming reservoirs and harming fish and wildlife habi-tat.
Dead trees are also most susceptible to forest fires. As well, tourism can take a hit as a result of an infestation.“People don’t really want to
go and camp out in a big, grey forest,” MacDonnell said.The province has spent $255
million since 2005 battling the mountain pine beetle, accord-ing to provincial figures.Liberal Leader David Swann
said the beetle is a “huge” con-cern for Alberta.“It’s only going to get worse
if we don’t deal with it in an as effective way as we can as human beings,” Swann said.
“The climate has a lot to do with whether we’ll actually suc-ceed.”
It’s unclear how many how many beetles have been able to survive the winter. The prov-ince does an annual survey every spring.MacDonnell said fluctuating
temperatures may result in a high mortality, but it’s too early to tell.
Prolonged periods of extreme cold can also kill the pests.
“As much as I’m frustrated with the cold weather every other day, I’m sure it will help us hammer the beetle a little more,” Stelmach said.There haven’t been any in-
flights of the beetles from B.C. in the last two years, which has helped matters, MacDonnell said.
The beetles did not appear in Alberta in any significant num-bers until 2006.
It has become sort of a cliché for some, but RCMP say respect-ing the old adage that “if it seems too good to be true, it probably is” remains an effec-tive way to avoid becoming a fraud victim.March is Fraud Prevention
Month, and numerous law enforcement, government and community groups have banded together to raise awareness on what has become big business for criminal organizations.
“It’s awareness because the best prevention for fraud is people not succumbing to the fraud initially,” said Sgt. Glen Demmon of Calgary.“So you encourage and you
promote and you get people to do their homework and use their diligence.” The RCMP Commercial Crime
Branch estimates fraud costs Canadians between $10 billion to $30 billion annually.Fraud crimes constitute any-
thing from identity theft, phish-ing, online shopping, social networking and credit and debit card fraud. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, also known as Phonebusters, has found
that organized crime commits almost 80% of these crimes.
Cpl. Carol McKinley of the Grande Prairie RCMP said in 2010 there were no complaints from local businesses of com-promised point-of-sale termi-nals or other frauds leading to the loss of customer account or banking information.“There were no reports of
organized debit card skim-ming. We had two complaints of potentially cloned debit cards or skimmed account information,” she said.
“Based on available intelli-gence, we experience a relatively low amount of financial crime in 2010, which would include fraud.”
The top fraud schemes reported by Canadians are classed as “service,” “prize” and “emergency.” Some exam-ples include home renovation, sweepstakes, lottery and charity or disaster relief.“The most common in Alberta
tends to be the work-from-home type scheme, where you’re con-tacted, and for a fee they’ll send you information on how to work from your home and make money,” Demmon said.
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sports
entertainment
OTTAWA — New DemocratJoe Comartin has a gamblingproblem.It’s not that the NDP justice
critic can’t stop, his problem isthat “outdated” sports bettinglaws have pushed the billion-dollar industry underground andinto the arms of organized crime.On Friday, he introduced a
private member’s bill to amendthe criminal code to allowpeople to bet on single sport-ing events, instead of the current
minimum of three.As it stands, the law prohibitswagering on, “any race or fight,or on a single sports event orathletic contest.”“It’s silly now. You can bet onthree CFL games, but you can’tbet on just one,” Comartin said.“Some of this (betting laws) goesback hundreds of years when theKing had a problem with his sol-diers gambling too much.“We need to bring it into the21st century.”What’s worse, just becausethe law prohibits gambling ona single sporting event doesn’t
mean Canadians don’t do it,only now it’s facilitated by orga-nized crime.“Spo r t s gamb l ing i s amultimillion-dollar industrywhich operates undergroundand unregulated throughoutCanada,” Comartin said, citingillegal internet gambling sitesbased in the Carribean as a bigpart of the problem. “This billwill help take a large chunk ofrevenue out of the hands of orga-nized crime.”While the federal governmentcan change the laws, it’s up tothe provinces to regulate gam-
bling and Comartin hopes, if hisbill passes, the provinces wouldonly allow it at legitimate casinosand not at corner stores.Not only would it make thecasinos an even bigger attrac-tion — a particular concernfor Comartin, who representsWindsor and its large casino —but it would also create somejobs and better allow the prov-inces to profit from the wager-ing, money that Comartin wouldwant reinvested in services forproblem [email protected]
Bemy valentine, Valentine.Canadians have a roman-
tic soft spot when it comes tonames, genealogical experts say.Digging up census results
from 1861, Ancestry.ca officialsdiscovered 580 people had thefirst name Valentine, and 100others shared the surname.They also found 14 people had
the first name Amor, while 18had it as their last name.And there were also dreamynames like Love Bully, CupidMartin and Venus Antahia.Other romantic names inthe country’s history includeLove Burns, a 13-year-old fromHarbourville, N.S., during the1871 census. There was alsoLover Woo, who arrived inCanada from China in 1907 andlived in Humboldt, Sask., at thetime of the 1911 census.Then there was Bad HeartLasuisse, a 70-year-old widowerwho lived with family membersin the Territories in 1901.“These records show thatCanadians throughout his-tory have had a penchant forromance,” managing director forAncestry.ca Roger Dunbar saidin a release.—QMI Agency
nationalnews
Canada’s largest producer of natural gas has proposed to sell half of its interests in a Peace Country formation to a state-owned petroleum cor-poration in China, pending approval from the federal gov-ernment.
Encana announced the pro-posed sale of half the rights in the 635,000-acre Cutbank Ridge formation along the Peace Country’s Alberta-Brit-ish Columbia border. PetroChina offered $5.4
billion for the resource-rich area, and both parties await approval from the Canada’s Minister of Industry.“Fundamentally this is an
endeavor to accelerate the development of our enor-mous resource potential,” said Encana spokesman Alan Boras. “We are going to continue to work to develop the strong and
large natural gas reserves that we have in this region.”Encana states that Cutbank
Ridge contains the equivalent of one trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and PetroChina’s interest would produce a daily amount of 255 million cubic feet, including small amounts of liquid gas that can be con-verted into butane, methane and propane.Discussions between the two
corporations began several months ago, and the next stage in the acquisition is review under the Investment Canada Act, a federal law used to determine if a foreign invest-ment of over $299 million will benefit Canadians. Under the act Industry Min-
ister Tony Clement recently blocked a $40-billion takeover when Houston-based BHP Bil-liton attempted to buy rights to Saskatoon’s Potash Corp.
This is not PetroChina’s first move into Canada’s energy
reserves; in 2009 the Asian company acquired 60% of the Athabasca Oil Sands Corpora-tion’s interests in the MacKay River and Dover projects.
Encana is optimistic that the Cutbank Ridge deal will follow through.
“We believe that the federal government will look favour-ably on this,” said Boras. “The joint venture is intended to be 50/50. Encana is intended to be the operator, and so as a result of that, Encana and Canadians will play an instru-mental role in this develop-ment over the long term.”
The announcement comes as Encana suffers from the effects of a drop in domestic market prices for natural gas. It recently reported its revenue for the fourth quarter of last year, after paying royalties, at $1.4 billion, a drop of $400 mil-lion from the 2009 results.
There are current ly no means in place to allow for
the export of natural gas out of North America, but Boras said that PetroChina has shown interest in a natural gas ter-minal developing in Kitimat, on the west coast of British Columbia. The Kitimat plant would have the ability to cool natural gas to a liquefied form, allowing large quantities to be transported across the Pacific Ocean.
“I suppose that they may have that intent down the road, there is a proposed facil-ity in Kitimat that is working its way through seeking some regulatory approvals,” Boras said. “They want to learn about how to develop unconven-tional natural gas, I think that’s they’re strong interest, and they want to make an invest-ment to earn a return.”A decision from Ottawa on
the proposed acquisition is expected this [email protected]
p
After more than three weeks of a virtual rollercoaster ride of emotions for the local Egyptian community that veered back and forth from inspiration and hope to despair, and from isola-tion to desolation and back to motivation, Sunday night was time for a celebration.What they lack in numbers –
at least four families – Grande Prairie’s Egyptian popula-tion came together with fellow members of the Muslim com-munity to celebrate Friday’s resignation of Hosni Mubarak, Egypt’s president for the last 30 years and the end of his auto-cratic regime.Traditional Egyptian food
was served to those who came for Sunday night prayers at the Islamic Association of Grande Prairie to mark what Mohamed Khalaf called a historic event for his homeland.“They asked ‘why don’t we
make some food, be happy and celebrate’,” said Khalaf, who runs Cairo Pastry out of the Farmers’ Market and has been in Grande Prairie three years.
Street protests in opposition to Mubarak’s regime began in Egypt on Jan. 25. On Friday, vice-president Omar Suleiman announced Mubarak would be stepping down as president, sending thousands of protes-tors in Cairo’s Tahrir Square into jubilation.That sense of elation was felt
amongst the Egyptian diaspora
in Grande Prairie.“Nobody expected it that fast,” said Yasser Amer, a human
resources manager at an oil company who moved to Grande Prairie seven months ago.
Amer said every time he would return to his native Cairo, he “sensed some things were
not going well there” and felt that the instability being felt by the country’s youth would soon boil over.
“There’s a lot of poverty among the youth, while some others get richer, and the gap is getting very wide,” he said.
Khalaf echoed his sentiments.“For 30 years (Mubarak)
controlled everybody and everybody wasn’t happy, their income was low – 40% of Egyp-tian people are very poor…and now with the change everybody is happy.”
Amr Awad’s brother, a profes-sor of nuclear physics at a Cairo university, was right in the thick of the protests in Tahrir Square.
The general manager of the Best Western in Grande Prairie kept tabs on his brother, who he said was kidnapped and later released, and family on a daily basis.
“So he was there always and I used to phone him,” said Awad, who moved to Toronto in 2007 and then Grande Prairie two years later.While admitting that he has
a “mixed feeling” about Muba-rak’s resignation, Awad said he could tell things were deterio-rating.
“We realized this five years ago that he’s coming down somehow, somewhere,” he said. “And that’s one of the reasons why I’m here in Canada, that’s why I decided to immigrate, because I didn’t know what would happen next.”
Peace Country canola farm-ers can expect an increased demand for their crops after the federal government’s announce-ment of new regulations requir-ing the use of biofuels.Canola is considered the
most efficient source of biofu-els, a low-pollutant alternative to diesel or petroleum. To put Canada in a better international standing in regards to green-house gas (GHG) emissions, the government will require all diesel fuel sold to have a 2% bio-fuel component as of July 1.
“I think that canola producers
are going to be pleased that it’s finally a reality,” said Jody Klas-sen of Mayerthorpe, chairman of the Alberta Canola Produc-ers Commission. “We’ve been excited about the possibility of it for a long time and its been talked about for years and years.”
The regulation for diesel fuel follows a federal ruling that took effect last December, requiring all gas sold in Canada to have a 5% ethanol component. Like biofuel, ethanol is an alternative to oil.
Gordon Quaiattini, president of the Canadian Renewable Fuel Association in Ottawa, predicts that the 2% inclusion of biofuel,
along with the ethanol regula-tion, will save the environment 4.2 million tonnes of GHG emis-sions each year.“That’s the equivalent to
removing a million cars off the road every year,” he said. Each litre of biofuel used in
an engine produces far fewer pollutants that contribute to the greenhouse effect, such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane.“On a per-litre basis, etha-
nol reduces greenhouse gases by some 62% compared to unleaded gasoline,” Quaiat-tini said. “On the biodiesel side, depending on the feedstock that is used to produce the biodiesel,
that number can be anywhere from 85% to 99% of greenhouse gas reduction on a per-litre basis compared to traditional diesel fuel.”
Biofuel can be produced from farm products, such as beef fat (tallow) and low-grade canola that would otherwise have little value as food. “Biodiesel will especially help
for the off-grade market,” Klas-sen said of canola with a low market value.Canola is decreased in qual-
ity by spoiling in storage bins, when crops produce too much heat, and frost. “An early frost is the most
common source of frustration
for a producer,” Klassen said. “When the canola is not fully matured it will freeze and lock in green or chlorophyll in the seeds. That’s the most common problem for us.”Growing canola for biofuel is
also easier on the environment in the production process, as the amount of pollutants emit-ted during the extraction of petroleum is far greater.“In producing canola for
biodiesel, there’s a positive in reducing greenhouse gases by 90% compared to the entire pro-duction cycle of normal diesel,” Klassen said.
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sports
entertainment
Skiers and snowboarders
didn’t stay away from the back-
country this weekend, despite
a special avalanche warning
issued for most of Alberta and
B.C.The Canadian Avalanche
Centre issued a special ava-
lanche warning for this past
weekend encouraging people to
avoid areas due to a high risk of
snow slides.The bulletin came a week
after three Albertans were killed
in two avalanches.Brothers Rob Glaser, 53, of
Bragg Creek and Mark Glaser,
54, of Calgary died in a slide Jan.
15 while backcountry skiing in
the Burstall Pass area of Peter
Lougheed Provincial Park in
Kananaskis Country.And on Jan. 16, Manfred
Rockel, 46, of Calgary was
buried in an avalanche during a
ski trip with friends in Kokanee
Glacier Provincial Park in B.C.
But despite the dangerous
conditions and recent fatali-
ties, Jeremy Mackenzie, public
safety specialist in Kananaskis
Country, said people still ven-
tured into the backcountry this
weekend.“We noticed there were still
backcountry skiers, but less
than normal for a regular week-
end,” he said.He said he ran into a few
people while actually out doing
avalanche forecasting in the
area.“It’s up to them,” he said of
their choice to venture out in
the backcountry.“But we are encouraging them
to check the avalanche bulletins
at www.avalanche.ca.“There are trails in the back-
country where you can limit
or eliminate the risk of an ava-
lanche but you have to know
how to do that.”He said snow slide activity
was high over the weekend even
though it’s the end of the natural
avalanche cycle.“Several days after the storm
it tapers off,” he said, referring
to the storm that closed high-
ways last week.“It’s normal for the hazard to
go up and down.
“Now we’re starting to see it
improve a little bit ... it’s a slow
improvement.”The Sunday avalanche bul-
letin for the area said a few iso-
lated slides were spotted up to
size 1.5 out of north and east
slopes of Alberta.Mackenzie said the condi-
tions are still being monitored.
“When we have weak layer
from earlier in the winter and
a week long of storms that
becomes the perfect recipe,” he
said.
Mike Holmes had barely left
the TEC Centre stage Friday
afternoon before the post-mor-
tem over last week’s two-day
economic development went
into full swing.In a few days, the various host
partners – the County and City
of Grande Prairie; the North-
west Corridor Development
Corp.; Grande Prairie & District
Chamber of Commerce; and
the Northern Alberta Devel-
opment Council – will meet
to compare notes on how the
second annual Growing the
North conference went.But in the minutes follow-
ing the forum’s conclusion
on Friday, organizers said the
event was a success, both in the
number of high-calibre speak-
ers and capacity attendance.
“I think the conference was
spectacular. We saw record
attendance, and the speakers
were excellent. We had a good
range of speakers and we dealt
with numerous topics that were
very relevant to the region,”
said Dan Dibbelt, executive
director of the NADC.“I think one of the good signs
from getting this kind of quality
of speakers is that they’re listen-
ing to us and they see the North
has real potential,” he added.
“And that’s why they’re will-
ing to come up here, because
they’re here to make money
in the end. And if they can see
that there’s value up here, they
will be here.”Executives from some of
Canada’s major forestry, rail,
and energy companies, as
well as experts in the diamond
and transportation industries
shared the stage, knowledge
and their vision for the future.
Premier Ed Stelmach was
the guest speaker on Thursday
night.“We actually went into orga-
nizing this conference with the
thought that this is going to be
a national conference held in
Grande Prairie. This isn’t just a
Grande Prairie conference, it’s
a national conference and we
went in with that focus,” Dib-
belt said.“I think it was excellent,” said
chamber chairman Dave Cook.
“I was really, really amazed by
the quality of speakers and the
diversity of topics. I’ve attended
conferences in Vancouver and
they weren’t as good as this.”
Wayne Drysdale, MLA for
Grande Prairie-Wapiti, said he
appreciated the presence of the
speakers. “People seemed enthused,
I had lots of good comments
about it. And it was real col-
laboration from the region and
everything tied together well
and I think it was a great con-
ference,” he said.Word of mouth from last
year’s attendees, as well as the
number of quality speakers,
contributed to a spike in atten-
dance this year, Dibbelt said.
Nearly 400 people registered for
the conference and some had
to be excluded.“It’s sad when you have to
turn people away from your
conference, but it’s also really
nice when you know you’ve
reached the maximum number
that you can hold,” he said.
The attendance from regis-
trants and speakers was a mild
surprise for Dibbelt, given the
amount of snow the region has
received in the days leading up
to the conference.“We were sweating big time.”
he said. “We were astounded
that everybody came. There
were delays with planes, but it
didn’t affect the speakers.”
The City of Grande Prairie is
looking to have its own Snow
Angels.Not the ones where you
jump into the snow and leave
an imprint, but residents who
assist in clearing the snow and
ice for a senior or a person with
disabilities.The program is done in both
Edmonton and Calgary, where
they are recognized for their
efforts.Grande Prairie is looking to
adopt a similar campaign.Michelle Gairdner, the Take
Part Take Pride committee
chairwoman, was looking to
implement it, but she was beat
to the punch.Dale Tiedemann, the city’s
community youth facilitator,
investigated the program about
a year ago and it has garnered
interest within the Youth Coun-
cil.“(There’s) some interest of
teens to look into this further,”
he said.“I think what we’ll do is look
into how we can potentially
implement the campaign and
what the best course of action
would be.”Two options are to start
a pilot project within certain
areas of the community or
work in conjunction with the
schools, he said.Tiedemann hopes to imple-
ment a test run this winter, he
added.“I think that by encourag-
ing youth to get out and get
involved in their community
is important,” he said. “Some-
thing like Snow Angels is a really
good opportunity for youth to
get involved in the community.
This is about the recognition.”
In Edmonton, Snow Angels
receive a pin along with a letter
from the Mayor.But it also helps link two pop-
ulations that might have per-
ceptions about the other group,
Tiedemann added.“By partnering these two
groups together they’re going
to be able to work with one
another and see the other isn’t
necessarily bad,” he said.The committee decided to
allow the Youth Council to take
the lead on this initiative and
an implementation plan will be
brought back to the Take Part
Take Pride Committee “The Snow Angel program is
a really great program because
it recognizes people working
together … within their com-
munities,” Gairdner said.“Anytime we’re encouraging
residents to know who else lives
in their community and help
out their community is always
beneficial for the community
as a whole.”josephine@dailyheraldtri-
bune.com
With the majority of roads now cleared,
how well do you think the city did?
Have your say on our Online News Poll.
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moneyTORONTO
—The Canadian
dollar retreatedfrom
a three-
year highagainst the U.S. cur-
rencyTuesday
morning
and
short-dated bond prices perked
up after the Bank of Canada left
interest rates unchangedand
gave no signal it plans to raise
themsoon.
The loonie fell as lowas $0.9735
to the U.S. dollar, or $1.0272, after
the bank’s announcement from
$0.9714, or $1.0294, just before,
a level that matchedMonday’s
North American close.
Early in the day it rose as high
as $0.9684 to the U.S. dollar, or
$1.0326, its highest level since
November 2007. Inthe
early
morning, it was at $0.9725 to the
U.S. dollar, or $1.0283.
Theinterest rate-sensitive
two-year bondturned
posi-
tive, edging up 4 cents to yield
1.824%.“The dollar is certainly weak-
ening. I think you’re seeing a
little bit of giveback insome of
the (yield curve) short end but
mostlyit’s a
Canadiandollar
story at this point,” saidDavid
Tulk, chief Canada macro strate-
gist at TDSecurities.
TheBank
of Canadamain-
tained its benchmark rate at 1%.
It alsorepeated
thelanguage
that it usedin
its January rate
announcement, saying
that
whileconsiderable
monetary
stimulus remains in place, “any
further reductionin
monetary
policy stimulus wouldneed
to
be carefully considered.”
“Theysl ightly
upgraded
their outlook for the Canadian
economy, acknowledging that
—QMI Agency, Reuters
Insuranceassociations say
Canada is unlikely to followthe
EuropeanUnion
inbanning
gender-based pricing, whichis
forecast to push up life and car
insurance costs for millions of
women across the Atlantic.
The European Court of Justice
on Tuesday said insurers will no
longer be able to take account of
gender when pricing insurance
policies fromDecember 2012.
The ruling ends a decade-long
battlebetween
theinsurance
industry and regulators and fol-
lows adecision
by California
to bangender-based pricing in
healthinsurance from
January
this year.It will mean that insurers can’t
take account of known risk fac-
tors, which tend to mean young
female
driversobtain
lower
life insurance because they are
known to have fewer accidents.
When
it comes to
lifeinsur-
ancewomen
alsopay less as
they have longer life expectan-
cies, while they receive less in
pension annuity income for the
same reason.
“I amconfident that while
some may look at Europe, we
wouldhave to reflect long and
hardbefore
changingsom
e-
thing that was so fundamental
inidentifying risk,” said
Frank
Zinatelli, vice president of legal
services at the Canadian Life and
HealthInsurance Association.
“The systemthat is used in the
life insurance industry tries to
reflect risk, so the use of gender
is important.”
Canadaallows
insurersto
take gender into account when
pricing life insurance products,
though the rules for auto insur-
ance vary across the country.
Accordingto
theInsurance
Bureauof Canada it is prohib-
ited to use gender inconsider-
ing rates for auto insurance in
five provinces, with Alberta only
allowing its use for private poli-
cies and not through the govern-
ment mandated scheme.
Insurance Bureau spokesman
Mark Klein said he was unaware
of any movement to change the
status quo here.
Insurersin
Europehave
slammed the ECJ decision saying
it will result in significant uncer-
tainty and higher costs.
TheAssociation
of British
Insurers said women under the
age of 25 couldsee insurance
premiums rise by an average of
25%, while women’s life insur-
ancemay
riseby
20%. Men
wouldbe more likely to
ben-
efit, seeing a drop of 10%in life
insurance premiums, but they
would also see a drop in income
fromannuities of about 8%, it
said, citing research carried out
by Oxera in autumn.
“It wouldhave an
impact as
its suchan
important factor in
identifying risk,” Zinatelli said,
referring to the impact on costs
here if Canada were tofollow
suit.California joined 11 other U.S.
states that prohibit gender rating
inthe
individual insurance
market, according to anarticle
bythe
CaliforniaHealthcare
Foundation’s Centre for Health
Reporting.California found that women
generally paidmore thanmen for
the same coverage in states that
allowgender rating. A
40-year
oldwoman
paidbetween
10%
and 39%more than a man of the
same age, it said.
Insurance analysts say being
able to clearly identify risks and
calculateprices
accordingly
can bring down overall industry
TORONTO—
Banko f
Montreal’s first-quarter profit
rose 18%due to
loangrowth,
wider interest margins, and
improvedinvestment banking
fees, Canada’s fourth-largest
lender said Tuesday.
BMO
earned$776
million,
or $1.30ashare, in
the fiscal
first quarterended
Jan. 31.
That compared witha profit of
$657 million, or $1.12 a share, in
the year-before period.
Onacash
basis, thebank
earned $1.32 a share, it said.
Analysts polledby Thomson
Reuters I/B/E/S hadexpected,
onaverage, a profit of $1.31 a
share.Profit was driven by increased
lending at wider margins, and
stronger trading and underwrit-
ing fees at its investment bank
unit.Unexpectedstrong
loan
growthand
investment bank-
ing revenue led to better-than-
expectedresults
fromrivals
CanadianIm
perial Bankof
Commerceand National Bank
of Canada last week.
Analysts have predictedthat
retail loangrowth
wouldslow
this year as borrowers tryto
reduce debt levels in anticipation
of higher interest rates. Business
loangrowth
is expectedto
be
more robust, partially making up
for the shortfall.
Profit at BMO’s midwest U.S.
bank slid 17%due to impaired
loans.
BMO
hasoperated
the
Chicago-based Harris bank for
years, andlast fall it agreed
to
buy troubled Wisconsinlender
Marshall &
IlsleyCorp
for
around $4.1 billion.
BMO’s revenue
rose10.6%
to $3.3 billion, while provisions
for loanlosses
fell 25.6%to
$248 million.
A steady decline in loan losses
sincethe
financial crisis has
helped boost bank profits over
the past year.
BMO’s
shares, whichhave
slightly outperformed Toronto-
listedfinancial stocks with
a
7.8%rise so far this year, closed
at $61.96 Monday.
—Reuters
The Desjardins Credit Union
banner will almost completely
disappear inOntario
asthe
financial co-opprepares
to
merge the majority of its assets
withfellow
Ontarioco-op,
Meridian Credit Union.While
independentfrom
Mouv em
en tD e s j a r d i n s ,
Desjardins Credit Unionhas
been affiliated with the company
since 2003. Its assets under man-
agement are worth$1.4 billion
and it has 50,000 members.
Themerger
must still be
approvedby
themem
bers
of bothco-ops and
regulating
authorities. The result of the vote
will be revealed in April.
—QMI Agency
the recovery has been proceed-
ing slightly faster than expected,”
said Paul Ferley, assistant chief
economist at Royal Bank
of
Canada.“However, they still expressed
concerns about challenges pre-
sentedby persistent strength
inthe
Canadiandollar
and
Canada’s poor productivity per-
formance. On balance it suggests
no imminent rate move.”
Ferley said he still expects the
central bank to lift rates in May,
matching the median viewin a
recent Reuters poll on Canadian
interest rates.
Overnight index swaps, which
tradebased
onexpectations
for the key central bankrate,
showedinvestors see a 92.2%
probability that rates will stay on
hold at the Bank of Canada’s next
policy announcement date on
April 12, up slightly frombefore
theannouncement. Views of
the chances of a May hike fell
slightly as well.
Analysts had been geared up
for stronger language fromthe
central bank onthe Canadian
e conomi c
ou t l o oka f t e r
Monday’s fourth-quarter GDP
data exceeded forecasts.
The data signaled momentum
inthe economy, and
hadbol-
stered the viewthat the central
bank will resume hiking interest
rates in the first half of the year.
B e f o reTue sday ’s
r a t e
announcement, the Canadian
dollar hit its highest level since
the start of the global financial
crisis as its U.S. counterpart
came under broad selling pres-
sure on expectations that inter-
est rates would rise more quickly
in other parts of the world than
in the United States.
In the near term, analysts said
there are fewtechnical barriers
stand in the loonie’s path, while
firmoil prices are a supporting
factor.
DETROIT —General Motors’
andNissan’s sales surged
in
Februaryas incentives drove
shoppers to dealerships.
GMsales were up 46%, more
than double the expected growth
for the industry as a whole. Sales
for Nissan jumped 32%.
Fordand
Chrysler lagged,
with sales gains of 14%and 13%,
respectively.
The boomfor GM
and Nissan
came onthe back of stepped-
up incentives for car buyers and
dealers ina traditionally slow
month for vehicle purchases and
at a time when rising oil prices
have emerged as a threat to the
industry.—Reuters
Grande Prairie is just a vote
away from having an affordable
housing master plan.
Robyn Newton Research and
Consulting presented the com-
pleted plan to city council’s
community development com-
mittee Tuesday.
“The most important parts of
the plan are probably in some
ways the principles, and it’s that
the community is going to con-
tinue to need a variety of hous-
ing types and that they inte-
grate affordable housing with
market housing throughout the
community,” said Newton.
“There’s a lot of things that
the community is already doing
that we say continue to do,
like leasing land for affordable
housing to continue to work
in partnership with the devel-
opment industry and housing
providers.”The $62,000, 145-page docu-
ment took about a year to pro-
duce by the consulting com-
pany based in Burnaby, B.C.
It focuses on developing and
retaining affordable housing
within Grande Prairie.
The document will come up
for discussion at city council
Monday.“I think people have a per-
ception that this is a very
affluent community and it is,
but there also is disparity in
income,” Newton said.
“What I would see happening
10 years down the road is the
municipality had been able to
fulfill its targets so you actually
wouldn’t have people in core
need.“That’s extremely ambitious.
If they come anywhere close
to that I think they can be very
proud.”The plan has 39 recommen-
dations over a 10-year period,
from 2011 to 2021.
There are three which should
be handled first.
One is hire more permanent
full-time housing staff to help
implement the plan.
“They’re working on home-
lessness as well as afford-
able housing, which in many
ways are quite different issues
and have quite di f ferent
approaches,” she said.
The city should also estab-
lish its own affordable hous-
ing comm
ittee which would
include community stakehold-
ers such as people within the
construction industry and
housing providers.
“They can bring on expertise
on those committees ... (and)
they would have the task of
looking at the plan, looking at
the comm
unity and coming
up with priorities for council,”
Newton said. “So essentially
coming up with a work plan for
the next year that would go to
council for approval and they
could oversee that.”
Members of this committee
could also help with the third
recommendation, she added,
which is establish a Municipal
Housing Corporation which
would be a separate non-profit
foundation or housing trust.
It’s suggested that the city
undertake this role on a short-
term basis.With the city’s hiring freeze
there may be challenges, but
the city’s economic slowdown
is a good time to accomplish
goals within the strategy, she
added.Mayor Bill Given said he’s
happy to see the plan come to
fruition.“The steps that are outlined
in the plan I think are very pro-
gressive and would build a great
future for affordable housing in
the community,” he said.
Now, it’s up to council to
resource the plan and those
discussions are likely to happen
at budget next year, he said.
“But there are some steps
that we can take between now
and then to address the goals
and objectives that are outlined
in the plan and I hope we see
those come to committee in
the next while,” Given said.
Examples of steps that might
not affect the budget include
the creation of an affordable
housing committee or explor-
ing the development of the
affordable housing corpora-
tion, he added.
josephine@dailyheraldtribune.
com
nationalnews
Ask and ye shall receive –
sometimes even if it is the 11th
hour.After a last-minute of fer
by the federal government,
city council is being asked to
pony up $60,000 for the city’s
emergency operational centre
(EOC).The federal government will
match it if it’s OK’d.
“Back in 2009 we applied
for a joint emergency pre-
paredness program grant,
for upgrading our emergency
operational centre, which is
the same room as our training
centre at the fire department,”
said Bill Walker, director of
protective ser-
vices.“ T h e t o t a l
c o s t e s t i -
ma t e d
wa s
$ 1 2 0 , 0 3 2 . 8 5 .
Basically, what
we had applied
for was half of
that being paid
by the federal
and provincial
government ... We were turned
down for that grant. So we
have not done any work on it.”
But Walker got a call last
week, re-offering the funding.
“The challenge is it has to be
spent by the end of March,” he
told council’s protective ser-
vices committee Tuesday.
“The funding source for
our portion would be the fire
reserve. We put money away
for upgrading that equip-
ment for the EOC. We’d like
to expend $60,000 out of that
reserve to match the funds the
federal government is going to
provide.”The money would purchase
four laptops, 16 personal com-
puters and five SmartBoards
as well as associated technol-
ogy.Right now, there are two lap-
tops in the EOC. It has been
wired for additional machines.
“It will actually change the
whole training room func-
tionality, (and) it will allow us
to do some stuff that the fire
department, moving to three
stations, is already wanting
to do – it very neatly ties into
where we’re going with that,”
said Walker.
Coun. Kevin McLean voted
against the proposal.
“We’ve got a new fire hall –
there’s a lot of money going to
the fire department,” he said.
“I do believe that it was
brought up just, ‘boom, here,
let’s pass it.’
“We have to have more time
to look at stuff like this, as a
city.”McLean also noted the pro-
posal comes at a time when
both the city and the province
are in debt.
“T h i s $ 60,000 t hat we
already have sitt ing in the
bank isn’t new money, and is
intended for these kinds of
things,” said Mayor Bill Given.
“I feel th is would com-
plete the (EOC) facility, and
that is something that we
haven’t been able to afford to
this point,” said Coun. Kevin
O’Toole.“(And) we’ve got the oppor-
tunity to get it for 50 cents on
the dollar.”[email protected]
The Grande Prairie
Daily Herald-Tribune in its true
printed format from anywhere
in the world.
eedition.dailyheraldtribune.com
Allegations that some Alberta
physicians were paid mil-
lions of dollars in hush money
while cancer patients died on
wait lists is “unbelievable,”
says Health Minister Gene
Zwozdesky.
Zwoz de sk y
called on inde-
pendent MLA
Raj Sherman of
Edmonton to
either provide
proof or with-
draw the com-
ments, which
he made this
week in the leg-
islature.But Sherman
called on the government to
bring in whistle-blower legis-
lation, protecting health-care
workers who want to share
their stories.
“When the m
inister says
show me the proof, that’s quite
disingenuous,” Sherman said.
“Show me the protection for
health-care workers and we
will show you the proof.”
Sherman, a former Tory MLA
who also works as an emer-
gency room physician, said he
will table documents in the
legislature Monday related to
his health-care concerns.
“It’s a feature of the legisla-
ture that you can say anything
you want without fear of ret-
ribution and there’s nothing
wrong with that in theory,”
Zwozdesky said.
“But in this particular case,
I think this has gone so far and
the allegation that physicians
were quote, paid out in mil-
lions to buy their silence — an
allegation like that against the
medical fraternity, I find very
unbelievable.”
Zwozdesky said Sherman
is “going to have to live up” to
the comments “one way or the
other.”Sherman had told the legisla-
ture that 250 patients had died
on a wait list for lung surgery,
many with lung cancer. He said
it happened under the watch of
former health ministers Gary
Mar and Iris Evans.
Sherman also alleged Sheila
Weatherill, former CEO of the
old Edmonton-based Capital
Health Region, and Dr. Trevor
Theman, the current registrar
of the Alberta College of Phy-
sicians and Surgeons, were
aware of the
situation.In a follow-up
comment, Sher-
man sa id it ’s
also come to his
attention “that
physicians who
ra i sed t hese
i s s u e s w e r e
either punished
or driven out of
the province or
paid out in millions to buy their
silence.”Zwozdesky said he’s asked
the College of Physicians and
Surgeons about the allega-
tions, as well as the two former
health ministers, and none had
any knowledge of wrongdo-
ing. Theman has also denied
any knowledge of the deaths in
question or any sort of cover-
up.Evans said she was taken
aback by Sherman’s comments.
“I was rather shocked to hear
there were allegations,” Evans
said. “I have no idea what
they’re about.”
Evans said she has never
done anything “deliberate or
willfully damaging.”
NDP Leader Brian Mason
said the government needs to
answer whether there was a
major delay in life-saving sur-
geries, and whether cancer
patients died as a result. But
Mason said Sherman needs to
provide more information as
well.“In my view there is an onus
on Dr. Sherman to provide
some evidence of this and I
trust that he has some,” Mason
said.
www.dailyheraldtribune.com
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sports
LOS ANGELES —The King’s
Speech won a key award from
Hollywood directors Saturday,
four days after the British royals
drama picked up a leading 12
Oscar nominations.
The film’s director, Tom
Hooper, was named winner of
the union’s prize for outstand-
ing achievement in feature film
at a ceremony in Hollywood,
beating a field that included
another Oscar favorite, The Social
Network director David Fincher.
TheDirectors Guild of America
race also included Christopher
Nolan for Inception, Darren
Aronofsky for Black Swan and
David O. Russell for The Fighter.
The latter two also receivedOscar
nominations, along with Joel and
Ethan Coen for True Grit, who
were overlooked by the DGA.
Only six times in 62 years has
the winner of the DGA prize not
gone on to claim the best director
statuette at the Academy Awards.
The last mismatch was in 2003,
when RobMarshall won the DGA
prize for Chicago but lost at the
Oscars to The Pianist director
Roman Polanski.
With fourweeksuntil theOscars
are handed out in Hollywood
Feb. 27, the race appears to be
a tight one between The King’s
Speech andThe Social Network.
The King’s Speech was named
best picture by the Producers
Guild of America last weekend,
although that group’s track record
as an Oscar barometer is not as
strong as the DGA’s.
The Social Network picked up
the best film anddirecting awards
from the reliable Critics Choice
Movie Awards and the increas-
ingly erratic GoldenGlobes.
“I love the fact that the whole
award thing is getting more
unpredictable,” Helena Bonham
Carter, co-star of The King’s
Speech, told Reuters. “This is
going to make it more interesting
to everybody, I think.”
Other DGA winners included
thefinancial-meltdowndocumen-
tary Inside Job, directed byCharles
Ferguson, as well as episodes of
the sitcom Modern Family and
drama Boardwalk Empire in the
television categories.
—Reuters
Michael Buble is putting
down roots in Britain after the
Canadian crooner purchased
a mansion for himself and his
fiancee in England, according to
new reports.TheHomehitmaker is believed
to have paid $4.5 million for the
sprawling Webb Estate in Purley,
Surrey, where he hopes to spend
part of the year with his future
bride, Argentine actor Luisana
Lopilato.A source tells Britain’s The
Sun, “Michael’s bought a really
smart house. He’s getting mar-
ried this year... and hopes to
spend six months a year here.
He wants it to be a proper
home.”
—WENN
A lawyer has ended a dispute
with Leonard Cohen after agree-
ing to sell off footageof the legend-
ary folk singer shot in the 1970s.
Showbiz attorney Steven
Machat is handing over 294
filmreels, which follow the
Hallelujah singer on stage and
behind-the-scenes of his 1972
European tour.The tapes had been missing
since 1980, but Machat rediscov-
ered them in 2009 and they were
used to create a documentary
about the Canadian rocker, enti-
tled Bird on aWire.
Now Machat, who once rep-
resented Cohen, has settled his
feud with the star by offering up
the reels to fans for $1,500.—WENN
PARK CITY, Utah —Jeremy
Piven doesn’t need to hug it out.
As he nears the end of HBO’s
Entourage, the Emmy winner
says he’s at peace with retiring
Ari Gold — along with the pro-
portionate bark and bite — and
reminding people he can play
more than near-rabid, motor-
mouthed narcissists.
“I think people unfortunately
have a reference for me playing
this Ari Gold character,” he says.
“It’s not interesting to me to keep
doing the same thing. I remem-
ber when I did this Neil LaBute
play, Fat Pig, off-Broadway — it’s
an everyman who stutters and
is self-conscious and has trou-
ble finishing sentences. And I
remember people were like, ‘It’s
a magic trick. How does he do it?’
It’s really exciting to play these
other roles.”For example, at this year’s
Sundance film festival, Piven was
chatting up I Melt With You, a
drama about four friends, each
experiencing a mid-life crisis. It’s
a subject the 45-year-old actor
says he can’t relate to personally.
“There’s something very
charmed about an actor’s life.
We’re very lucky in how we get
to be in this state of play for our
life’s work. And so it keeps you
very child-like. So I’m not very
tied to numbers. I know other
people are.“I think we’re in a society
that’s very, very distracted by the
golden child and making it huge
at a very early age. And you can
never compare or contrast your
career to anyone else’s. Success is
different for everyone.”
Case in point: The star-making
role of Ari Gold came relatively
late in his career. “It was the first
character I’ve ever played who
was in a position of power. The
roles that were available for me to
audition for were the acerbic best
friends.”Originally Ari was conceived
as “a fringe player or to use
their words, ‘a secret weapon,’ ”
he remembers. “So I had been
doing TV and film for a couple
decades and had been lucky
enough to be a regular on The
Larry Sanders Show and Ellen
and a bunch of other shows, and
went into this new series the
elder statesman with the small-
est role in the cast, billed last, at
about 20% of my rate as an actor
and you just go, ‘This is perfect.’
That’s just another great lesson
about putting your ego aside and
taking the job and making the
most of it.”Now with the eighth and last
season shooting in April, does he
have any ideas about how things
should end for his uber-agent
alter-ego?“Well I think (creator) Doug
Ellin has done a perfect job of
setting it up for a really great last
season because the one thing
that’s kept Ari sane and rooted is
his family and his wife, and he’s
losing her. So he planted those
seeds and all I can do is hope he
continues to keep that storyline
going.”Whatever happens, pre-
sumably one thing that won’t
change is the show’s skewering
of Hollywood players. Has Piven
heard from actors upset about
how they were portrayed?
“I’ve heard stories. Kevin
Connolly has told me he’s seen
people who have been angry or
whatever. You have to remem-
ber Entourage is written by Doug
Ellin and I think people realize
we don’t take these personal ven-
dettas out against them.Hewrites
it andwe have to say it and I think
people understand that. And my
character is such an equal oppor-
tunity offender, I think they get it
that it’s just a character.
“I hope they do.”[email protected]
LOS ANGELES —Anthony
Hopkins led the North American
box office on the weekend with
the exorcismthriller The Rite,
while newly minted Oscar nomi-
nees such as front-runner The
King’s Speech enjoyed a boost in
business.The Rite sold about $15 million
worth of tickets in the three days
since it opened across the United
States and Canada on Friday, dis-
tributorWarner Bros. said.
Even though critics lambasted
themovie, the openingwaswithin
the studio’s expectations. The film
cost $40million tomake.
Also new was a remake of
the assassination thriller The
Mechanic , starring English
action hero Jason Statham,
which tied at No. 3 with former
box office champion The Green
Hornet, each reporting about
$11.5million.Last weekend’s champ, the
Natalie Portman-Ashton Kutcher
romantic comedy No Strings
Attached, slipped to No. 2 with
$13.7 million, taking its 10-day
total to $39.7million.
The King’s Speech , which
received 12 Oscar nominations
on Tuesday, saw a 41% boost
in business from last weekend,
grossing $11.1 million. But with
two new releases ahead of it, the
royals drama slipped one place
to No. 5.Among other Oscar nominees
in the top 10, True Grit (10 nomi-
nations) fell one place to No. 6
with $7.6 million, a 4% increase
from last weekend; Black Swan
(five nominations) dropped two
spots to No. 8 with $5.1 million,
off 13%; and The Fighter (seven
nominations) slipped one place
to No. 9 with $4.1million, up 3%.
—Reuters
PARK CITY, Utah —Stories
about romance and death
won top honours at this year’s
Sundance film festival.
The long-distance love story
Like Crazy picked up the jury
award for best drama at a cer-
emony Saturday night.
The movie stars Anton Yelchin
and FelicityJones as ayoung couplewhose rela-
t ionshipis
tested whenthey’reforcedto live apart.F o r
h e r
p e r f o r -
mance, Joneswas also rec-ognized witha special juryprize.The award for best docu-
mentary went to How to Die in
Oregon, which explores assisted
suicide.Two other films won the
audience awards, voted on
by festival-goers themselves.
Circumstance, about Iranian
teens, was named best drama
while Buck, about the man who
inspired The Horse Whisperer,
was recognized as favourite
documentary.The world cinema prize for
drama went to Happy, Happy,
about a sex-starved house-
wife, while the world cinema
jury prize for documentary was
claimed by the Afghanistan-
themed Hell and Back Again.
Two Canadian directors,
Michelle Latimer and Jerome
Sable, won honorable mentions
earlier in the week for their short
films, Choke and The Legend of
Beaver [email protected]
entertainmentnationalnews
Teachers will get a raise in
September after informal talks
between the provincial govern-
ment, their union and school
boards ended Friday.
P re m i e r E d St e m a c h’s
announcement last week that
he will be stepping down as
leader following the spring leg-
islative session created uncer-
tainty, said Education Minister
Dave Hancock, adding to his
decision to suspend the talks.
The three sides sat down to
discuss Hancock’s recent sug-
gestion that teachers give up
planned raises over the next
two years in exchange for con-
siderations on how much time
they’ll be required to spend in
the classroom.
But with a provincial budget
looming, Hancock said he was
forced to call an end to the
talks.“One of the tasks I had been
asked to do by colleagues in
government and on the Trea-
sury Board was to determine
whether or not there was an
opportunity to renegotiate (the
raises) particularly,” he said.
Teachers will now get a raise
Sept. 1 in line with the average
weekly earnings adjustment in
Alberta, currently predicted to
be about 4.3%.That would mean an increase
of roughly $180 million to the
provincial budget.
ATA communications head
Dennis Theobald said while he
is disappointed the talks ended,
there won’t be job action as a
result.“Parents really don’t have to
worry about the state of affairs,
at least in terms of the possibil-
ity of a lockout or a teacher’s
strike for a year-and-a-half,” he
said.The current collective agree-
ment negotiated by the prov-
ince expires Aug. 31, 2012.
Country star Paul Brandt
packed the Beaverlodge Arena
with his music but it may have
been his on-stage chemistry
with the UFA Small Town Hero
that stole the show Saturday
evening.Town resident Doris McFar-
lane, 88, was responsible for
bringing the famous interna-
tional country star to the com-
munity west of Grande Prairie.
McFarlane earned the UFA
Small Town Heroes Award in
September. Two individuals
are chosen from across Alberta
who made a difference in their
rural communities. With the
accolade came a cheque of
$2,500 for a charity or cause of
her choice. But most significantly, her
hometown won the right to
host a Brandt concert.
“The crowd was just ener-
gized,” said Mayor Leona
Hanson, who watched in
delight when the resident of
more than 60 years stood on
stage with the country star.
“Doris was the highlight of
evening. Paul Brandt was just a
gentleman and he was so kind.
They just clicked. They had
some very funny moments.
“All around it was just great.”
All proceeds from the con-
cert including merchandise,
a signed Brandt guitar, sealed
bid auction and McFarlane’s
cheque will go to the construc-
tion of the new $11.6 million
Beaverlodge pool.
Hanson said it will be a few
days before the final number
comes in but she hopes at least
$30,000 will be dropped in the
piggy bank. “We were actually sold out
the first week tickets went on
sale back in December,” said
Hanson. “Then we had some
tickets that came back to us
from UFA so we had 34 that
went on sale at 1 p.m. on
Thursday and by 1:15 p.m.,
they were gone.
“There was a lineup out the
door and as long as it took to
sell a ticket, that’s how quickly
they were sold.”
Seating at the show was
capped at 1,100. Hanson said
the cost of the tickets is one
part of the proceeds and all the
other items need to be tallied
before a final number can be
announced. “I am hopeful we are going
to be over the $30,000,” she
said. “It’s really hard to say
right now. It would be nice if
we are in that range. It would
be a huge boost to our fund-
raising.” At last estimates, the fund-
raising reached a little over
$100,000. Hanson said the goal
is to raise $1 million locally.
The County of Grande Prai-
rie has committed $5 million
to the project and the town is
putting in the other $5 million.
“So we’re making some good
progress,” said Hanson. “We
still have a long way to go of
course.”The old pool was closed in
August and was demolished
last fall. A completion date
has been tagged for May 2012.
“We’re about a quarter way
there,” said Hanson.
“They hoard everything in
and they are waiting for steel.
We just had a meeting Monday
night and they are just wait-
ing for the steel to arrive. They
are just full speed and going to
town. You drive by there and
there’s actually stuff coming
out of the ground now and it’s
happening.”Next up for fundraising is a
CD release party around the
beginning of March. In April
there will be an authentic
Ukrainian dinner.
In May, the town will host
the one-year kick-off anni-
versary of when it started the
project.“We are shooting hard for it,”
said Hanson. “There are also the opportu-
nity for people to donate out-
side of that. It all counts. We
are very appreciative for the
support of the community.”
The County of Grande Prairie
will not subsidize an increase
in water and sewer rates for its
residents but it was not for lack
of trying by two councillors.
Under Aquatera Utilities’ two-
year business plan, starting in
March residents in Clairmont
will pay $4.06 (20% increase)
and in Sexsmith residents will
pay $4.39 (25% increase) more a
month for water and sewer.
The monthly rate increases
again in 2012 to $4.88 in Clair-
mont and to $5.88 in Sexsmith.
Coun. Sharon Nelson, Divi-
sion 2, introduced a motion to
ask administration to prepare a
report on industrial utility use
and residential utility use and
to ultimately consider “cushion-
ing” the proposed rate increase
for Clairmont residents.
“Aquatera identified it was the
use of industry use for wastewa-
ter (the reason there) needed to
be a significant increase,” said
Nelson. “I think the ratepayers in the
Hamlet of Clairmont are being
burdened with this increase of
over $4 a month. That’s a sub-
stantial amount.”
The motion was defeated.
Nelson was disappointed coun-
cil did not have an interest in
the information or further dis-
cussion on assisting taxpayers.
“It is a large increase for the
people who live in Clairmont,”
said Nelson. “Most of them are
young families and seniors. It is
going to have an impact on their
budget. That’s for sure.”
Following that decision, Coun.
Leanne Beaupre, Division 3,
introduced a
motion to ask
administration
to bring back
the dividend
i n f o r m a t i o n
from Aquatera
– how much
t h e c o u n t y
receives, and
w h e re i t i s
being directed,
particularly with the rate
increases. “And if there was an opportu-
nity, if there was money going
into general reserves, if there
was an opportunity to subsi-
dize the costs or the difference
between what the rate is today
and what the rate increases will
be in March,” she said.
“Then council would have a
better idea of whether or not
they are able to (subsidize) when
it came to final budget delibera-
tions.”Beaupre said with two new
councillors, she thought it would
be a good opportunity to look at
Aquatera and how the county
receives dividends as a share-
holder. Her bid also failed.
“I am a little disappointed,”
said Beaupre. “I think I under-
stood somewhat better than
maybe some of my other council
members what direction, what
we were using the dividends
for. I think everybody should
have the opportunity to be well-
informed.”Within the contract with
Aquatera, the county must pay
the rates set by the Aquatera
board. The option to subsidize
the costs is also in the contract.
“It’s a very difficult decision
to subsidize a specific part of
the county,” said Reeve Everett
McDonald, who voted against
the motion. “I think that is where the dis-
cussion would lead. If you are
going to subsidize Clairmont,
why not the residents in Hythe
and close to those areas?”
Sexsmith water bills will
increase in March by $1.17 a
month for 2011 and by $1.21 a
month in 2012. The increases
are due to the rise in cost of
utilities, supplies, maintenance
and capital upgrades. Accord-
ing to Aquatera’s business plan,
the cost of replacing one part of
the sewer main costs as much as
the revenue from the entire Sex-
smith sewer system for one year.
Clairmont water bills also
increase by $1.17 a month as of
March, and $1.21 in 2012 for the
same reasons. But it is the sludge removal
at the Clairmont lagoon which
is one of the factors driving the
20% spike in the hamlet’s sewer
rates. “We want to make sure each
of the three wastewater systems
are self-supporting from a rev-
enue perspective,” said Bernd
Manz, Aquatera CEO. “We found
the Clairmont system hasn’t
been achieving that and so we
are proposing rate increases so
we can recover the costs of ser-
vice.”Manz said in recent years
Aquatera has experienced sub-
stantial operating costs partic-
ularly around the lagoon area
where an aeration system has
doubled the capacity of the
lagoon but the power costs
are substantial and need to be
recovered.
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...............................................
TodayPartly cloudy
High 3° Low -1°
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money
Toronto-listed Vista Gold Corp.
has hit back at what it calls mis-
leading media criticism of its
plans to mine gold in a part of
Mexico near a place Jacques Cou-
steau liked to call the “world’s
aquarium.”Denver-based Vista came out
Monday in response to what it
calls misleading media coverage
in Baja California Sur, Mexico.
Vista is trying to get regula-
tory approval to blast an open-
pit mine in Baja’s Sierra la Laguna
mountain range, a United Nations
biosphere reserve.
The UN says Sierra la Laguna
is important because of its fresh-
water supply — a rarity in mostly
arid Mexico — and because its
water basin drains into sea turtle
spawning grounds. Whales also
rely on connected estuaries.
Last week, a reported 9,000 peo-
ple gathered on a local beach and
formed a human SOS in protest
of Vista’s plans for the Concordia
mine.But Vista said Monday Concor-
dia complies with federal mining
and environmental laws as well
as all statutory obligations and
responsibilities.
The proposed mine is sitting
atop an area once set aside specif-
ically for mining, a Vista spokes-
man told QMI Agency earlier this
month.Fred Earnest, Vista’s president
and chief operating officer, said
in a release the company has had
an ongoing dialogue with state
authorities and is “confident” of
the company’s legal right to a per-
mit.“We are actively pursuing all
avenues to advance the project
through the remaining permitting
stages,” he said.Concordia was designed to
meet not only Mexican legisla-
tion but the “highest international
standards for the protection of the
environment and the health and
safety of the proposed workforce
and members of the local com-
munities” as well.
The company said it plans to
invest more than $200 million US
to build a modern mining facility
that would provide between 400
and 600 construction jobs and
another 300 full-time positions
for the mine itself.
Vista also said it plans to con-
struct a desalination plant to meet
its water needs without compro-
mising the quality and supply
of water for local communities.
Open-pit mines can lead to a run-
off of cyanide, an agent used to
treat gold that threatens drinking
water and wildlife.
The region is the main source
of drinking water for as far south
as Los Cabos — a popular Cana-
dian tourist destination.
After the 10-year life of the
mine, the desalination plant
could become a long-term, fresh
water source, Vista said.
RBC Capital is Vista’s fourth
largest institutional investor
behind three U.S. Funds.
Meanwhile, Pediment Gold
Corp. held a special sharehold-
ers meeting in Toronto Monday
morning to approve a plan that
would see it become a wholly-
owned subsidiary of Canada’s
Argonaut Gold Inc.
Together, the pair plan to
extract some 1.2 million ounces of
gold from the proposed San Anto-
nio project in Baja.
— ReutersCanada should streamline
standards on goods and ser-
vices when hashing out its trade
agreements with the European
Union and other jurisdictions,
according to a new report.
The Conference Board of
Canada points to the European
Union where officials and
manufacturers have standard-
ized mobile-phone chargers as
a practical example of saving
people money and hassle.
As a relatively small economy,
Canada has a lot to gain from
similar regulatory co-ordination
but little progress has been
made, said the report entitled,
Regulatory Cooperation: A
Practical Action Plan.
Th e re p o r t , p e n n e d by
Kathle en Macmi l lan, was
published for the Conference
Board’s International Trade and
Investment Centre on Monday.
“Persistent differences between
national standards — many of
which are so inconsequential that
they are essentially meaningless
— interfere with the movement
of goods, services, capital, and
people,” Macmillan said.
Canada should focus on trade
with countries that share similar
health, safety and environmental
protections, such as the United
States and Europe, she said.
Canada already has a free
trade agreement with the U.S.
and is currently ironing out the
details of a free-trade pact with
the EU. Ottawa is also looking to
ink a deal with India.
Almost half of Canadian inves-
tors aren’t aware of the basic
cost of holding mutual funds in
their RRSPs, even though they
are still the most popular retire-
ment product, an Angus Reid
poll found.Forty-five percent of respon-
dents had no idea of the fees
involved in a mutual fund, with
28% unable to say what they
would consider to be a fair
charge. Since the recession, more
Canadians have begun to
question whether they have
the right product mix in their
portfolio, with 39% saying it’s a
concern.Nearly a quarter of respon-
dents said they’re looking for
a simpler way to finance their
retirement, the survey found.
“ I t ’s c o n c e r n i n g t h a t
Canadians are unaware of the
high fees they pay for mutual
funds, especially since these are
the most popular investments in
most retirement portfolios,” said
Peter Aceto, president and chief
executive of ING Direct Canada,
which commissioned the poll.
“These high fees coupled
with the typical performance
of an actively managed mutual
fund vs. the benchmark index
means many Canadians’ retire-
ment portfol ios are being
C A L G A RY — Sp a c e o n
Canadian oil pipelines will
remain tight through at least the
end of February, as Enbridge
Inc. and Kinder Morgan Energy
Partners both said Monday their
lines can’t ship as much crude
next month as customers have
requested.Enbridge, whose lines carry
the bulk of oil shipments to the
U.S. from Canada said five of its
lines in the Lakehead system
would be apportioned, or
rationed, in February
Capacity on Canadian oil pipe-
lines has been tight since this
summer, when two of Enbridge’s
lines in the U.S. ruptured.
— Reuters TOKYO — Toyota kept its spot
at the top of the global sales rank-
ing in 2010, outselling GM by less
than 30,000 units as the U.S. rival
achieved faster growth in the
world’s two biggest markets.
Toyota’s global sales grew 8%
to 8.418 million vehicles, it said
in a statement, helping it keep
its No.1 standing for the third
straight year.GM said its sales climbed
12.2% to 8.390 million vehicles
last year, with deliveries in China
and the U.S., the top two mar-
kets, both exceeding 2 million.
Toyota’s sales suffered last year
from a recall of at least 10 million
cars.— Reuters
shortchanged.”Almost 60% of respondents
said choosing a fund for an RRSP
is not as simple as it could be.
Just over a third said the process
is frustrating and stressful.
The online poll of 1,062 adults
was carried out Dec. 14-15. The
margin of error is 3.1 percentage
points, 19 times out of 20.
— QMI Agency
CN Rail and the Canadian
Auto Workers have reached a
tentative agreement on a new
contract, averting a strike set for
midnight Tuesday.
The accord comes after a
48-hour negotiating session in
Montreal and will still need to
be ratified by members, CAW
said in a release. Local union
leadership will review the deal in
Montreal on Thursday, and then
there will be nationwide ratifica-
tion meetings.“This is a hard-won collective
agreement and I commend the
master bargaining committee
for their perseverance and dedi-
cation to resolving the issues
important to our members right
across the country,” said CAW
national president Ken Lewenza.
CN has been bargaining with
unions since last September to
replace contracts that expired at
the end of December.
The union gave the company
notice on Sunday that it planned
to strike if an accord wasn’t
reached.— QMI Agency
Australia and New Zealand
have negotiated their own agree-
ment, making them a good fit for
Canada as well, the report said.
Macmillan said she’s not call-
ing for an end to regulation but
for greater predictability and
uniformity.“Canada’s best chance for
success lies in a practical plan
of co-operative self-interest,”
Macmillan’s report said.
Cutting red tape in the food
and agriculture, trucking and
motor vehicle sectors would
offer the greatest economic
advantages for Canada, she said.
Biotechnology, information
and communications technol-
ogy, therapeutic drugs and pro-
fessional licensing also stand to
benefit.Streamlining could come in
the form of fully harmonized
standards, mutual recognition,
joint assessments and/or infor-
mation sharing between over-
sight bodies.“Where differences are incon-
sequential or pose little risk to
Canadians’ health or well-being,
Canada could simply adopt
foreign standards. Maintaining
unique regulations should be
a rare exception, and the onus
should be on Canadian regula-
tors to justify distinct standards,”
Macmillan said.— QMI Agency
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City council is moving ahead
in its development of the York
Hotel and/or Germain Park
sites.Councillors unanimously
voted Monday to proceed with
accepting Requests for Infor-
mation (RFI) from interested
developers for 60 days.
Administration will now
work towards putting together
a package that can be picked
up or downloaded from the
city’s website,
said Mayor Bill
Given.T h e p a c k -
age will pro-
vide guidance
t o d e v e l o p -
ers along with
details such as
the size of the
site and avail-
able utilities, he
added.The RFI proposals must
address five principles:
the Downtown Enhancement
Plan and the Municipal Devel-
opment Plan; benefit to the city;
from start to finish;
-
including ability to complete
and proven financial expertise; -
sity of the proposal and impact
on activity in the downtown.
“This really is the next step
to moving forward with devel-
oping on the site,” Given said.
“It’s a very open process which
I think is the right direction to
go. “In the past council had
either put in too many restric-
tions or too few restrictions.”
This method allows council
to see a broad range of ideas
and learn some specifics, which
strikes a balance, he added.
Given expects the city will
start accepting proposals
within the next few weeks and
the tentative submission cut-
off is April 8, he said.
“Council would review the
proposals and would have the
option to work with any of the
proposals that council had
some interest in,” he said.
“We could accept any of them
outright, we could deny them
all or if there was something
we were interested in and we
felt had merit we have the flex-
ibility to work with the person
who submitted the proposal to
develop it further.”
josephine@dailyheraldtribune.
com
Grande Prairie residents will
pay higher utility rates at the
beginning of March.
Council passed amendments
to Aquatera Utilities’ bylaws to
accommodate the increases
in an 8-1 vote Monday. Coun.
Kevin McLean was the lone dis-
senter.The rate hikes apply to waste-
water, water and garbage collec-
tion, ranging from 3% to 9.7% in
2011 and 2012.The residential curbside recy-
cling charge will take effect Sept.
1 starting at $4.39 and will likely
rise to $4.52 in 2012 to accom-
modate the increased cost of
providing the service.
The city’s recycling program
will not see any increases in
the next two years, but will be
reviewed in 2012.
The rate changes are needed
to accommodate continued
growth and $61 million worth
of capital upgrades of which $45
million will be used to enhance
the wastewater plant as required
by the province, Bernd Manz,
CEO of the company, told coun-
cil. McLean voted against the
bylaw amendments because he
felt users recently saw increases
in their taxes and Aquatera rates
were raised about a year ago, he
said.The city could receive grant
monies from the government
to assist in paying for the waste-
water upgrades and he wants
to wait until that is determined
before raising the rates, he
added.“I don’t like that we’re getting
the increase and I voted against
it. I wish it wouldn’t have been
passed,” he said.
“I think we’re the highest
already in paying Aquatera
bills.”Including the curbside recy-
cling charge this year, this will
increase bills by an extra $10 per
month, he said.
Coun. Helen Rice said coun-
cillors had to decide between
the user paying or covering
costs from general revenue.
“I think this council has con-
sistently held the position that
the user pays, not only with
Aquatera, but with other city
facilities; that the user pays is
the fairest system,” she said.
position that we’ve followed in
the past in various other things.
“(Taking from general rev-
added into everyone’s tax bill as
opposed to being reflected in
proportion to how much people
use.”Aquatera also presented its
two-year 2011-12 business plan
to the County of Grande Prairie
earlier Monday.
Meanwhile, Edmonton-firm
Stantec Consulting Ltd. is work-
ing on detailed designs of the
wastewater treatment upgrade.
Current estimates are $45 mil-
lion, but those are based on a
master plan, Manz said.
“As that design work pro-
ceeds we’ll get better infor-
mat ion and those costs
can be refined,” he said.
“Our hope is it’ll go down and
we’ll look at ways that we can
or potentially defer elements of
it so we can spread that cost of
it over a longer period of time.”
Updated figures should be
available between six to eight
months, he said.
But for most of the upgrades,
Aquatera plans to borrow
money to cover the cost.
“I think it’s always appropriate
to look at borrowing as one way
people can use it,” Manz said.
“This upgrade to our wastewa-
ter treatment plant will meet
to 25-year period and it’ll take
us about that long to pay for it.”
Changes to the shareholder’s
agreement made last August
will allow the company to retain
earnings in the future, he said.
“As time goes on we’ll have
our own money to be able to
reinvest in new infrastructure,”
he said. “In the meantime,
much of the new cost of infra-
structure will be paid for by bor-
rowed money.”
josephine@dailyheraldtribune.
com
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The Grande Prairie Gym-
nastic Society may not get the
financial forgiveness it’s look-
ing for.
A City Hall administration
recommendation that the city
deny the Gymniks’ request to
clear a total of $338,555.80 in
interest owed on a 15-year $1.6
million loan was backed in a
3-1 community development
committee vote Tuesday.
Committee chairman Coun.
Alex Gustafson was the only
naysayer.
The issue now goes to city
council.
The money was borrowed by
the city on the organization’s
behalf in 2005 to help in com-
pleting the gymnastics centre
at the Community Knowledge
Campus.
T he g roup’s repay ments
a mount to a lmost $ 97,000
t w ice a yea r, in June a nd
December.
T h e G y m n i k s h a d
approached the community
development committee last
November, asking the city to
reallocate the interest already
paid to its mortgage payment,
and forgive all the interest on
the loan.
The interest paid to date now
totals $261,066.51.
“First and foremost we don’t
have $261,000 sit t ing any-
where that would allow us to
fund that,” said Kylee Haining,
Grande Prairie’s recreation
and community development
manager.
“We would have to basically
cut prog ra ms somewhere,
other recreational programs,
(and) that would have to come
out of the community services
budget.
“There isn’t leeway to find
the money to do it for this
year.”Another option could be to
bill that amount to ongoing
budgets, but there is no way
to meet the demand this year,
she said.
“The other rationale is that
the Gymniks also receive a sig-
nificant amount of assistance
in their operations,” Haining
said. “We funded them in the
amount of about $232,000
towards their operations (and)
because we’re already funding
them to a significant amount,
my rationale was to deny the
loan.”
Mayor Bill Given, a commit-
tee member, said he voted for
administration’s recommen-
dation to reject the request to
allow council to debate it.
He had suggested a motion
where administration would
work with the Gymniks on
other options like a sponsor-
ship initiative to help the facil-
ity sell naming rights to offset
the cost.
“I think the Gymniks is a
unique association. There’s no
other community group who
has ever come to the city with
multiple millions of dollars to
build a facility,” he said.
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TodayFlurries
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money
Ottawa has d
oled out million
s
in cashrebat
es to Canadian
drivers in an attem
pt toget o
ld
gas-guzzle
rs off the road
and
stimulatenew car sa
les, but the
program has turne
d out to be
something of a
dud,exper
ts say.
Thefeder
al government’s
Retire Your
Rideprogr
am will
crossthe finish
line on March 31
aftertwo years
.
To date,Ottawa has paid
out
upwardsof $34.8
millionin
cashin return
for some 127,4
00
clunkers an
d it’s done ab
solutely
nothing to
spur car sal
es orvehi-
cle production
in Canada, in
de-
pendent a
utomotive
consultant
DennisDesRos
iers said.
Theprog
ramoffer
s a $300
cashrebat
e or a discount o
n a
newcar, t
ransit pas
s in select
cities, bicyc
le or a member-
shipto a car-sh
aringservic
e in
exchange
for a 1995or older
model-year
vehicle. Re
sidents
in B.C.,Quebe
c and Manitoba
were eligible for sligh
tly more
thanks to top ups from
provin-
cial govern
ments.
Giventhe progr
am’s limited
resources
theydid a good
job
of getting
a few “smokers” off
the road,DesRo
sierssaid.
Of
the some 20 millioncars
on
Canadian
roads, nea
rly 5 mil-
lionwere made
before 1996
under less string
ent emission
s
standards.
“Did it stimulatethe econ
-
omy? Absolutely
no evidence of
that in any way,
shapeor for
m,”
DesRosiers s
aid.
Fromthe w
ord go, itreally
was
an environmental
program, said
the Summerhillgroup
’s Retire
YourRide n
ational dir
ectorCarla
Kearns.
“We’ve surpassed
our goals,”
she said.
Backin 2009,
Ottawa inclu
ded
the program
in its response
to the standing committee
on
industry, s
cience and techn
ol-
ogy’sstudy
of the crisis
in the
auto sector.
In the U.S.,Genera
l Motors,
Chrysler,
Ford, Honda
and
Toyota all said
the roughly
$2 billion spent
by the Obama
administration
on the far more
ambitious Cash
for Clunkers
program, which
offered up to
$4,500 toward the purch
ase of
a new car, was cri
tical in gettin
g
production
backup to speed
.
Thesame can’t
be saidfor
Canada.
Autoprodu
ctionand sales
in
this country are still w
ell below
pre-recess
ion peaks, data
from
Scotiabank
shows.
AndRetir
e YourRide
just
wasn’tentic
ing enough to limit
the scaleof the
industry declin
e
the way similar programs in
Asia,Euro
pe and the U.S. did,
Canadian
AutoWorker
s econo-
mist JimStanf
ord said.Germ
any,
for instance,
offered a rough
ly
$5,000 ince
ntive.
For more than
99% of vehicles
on the road, Re
tire Your R
ide isa
bad deal,DesRos
iers echoed
.
Roughly 85%
of Canadian-
made vehicles ar
e sold southof
the border.
“In a way our industry
in
Canada benef
ited more from the
U.S. Cash for C
lunkers progr
am
thanfrom
a Canadian
one,”
Stanford said.
“At theend
of theday,
(Canada’s)
program was funda
-
mentally flaw
ed,” DesRos
iers said,
adding the
best way to g
et oldpol-
lutersoff the
road is to forcethem
off with an inspe
ctionprogr
am.
stefania.moretti
@canoe.ca
— Reuters
Ontariois set to
become just
one of three provi
nceswithou
t
tax credits for
labour-spo
nsored
investment f
unds, a finan
cing
vehicle critic
s say has costthe
government d
earlywhile prov-
ing littlebene
fit toinves
tors or
business.
T h e O n t a r i og o v e
r n -
ment has invested more than
$600million
in the program,
whichwas desig
nedto help
provide finan
cing for small bu
si-
nesses in the provi
nce. The pro-
vincial gove
rnment had offere
d
a 15% tax breakon inves
tments
up to a maximum $5,000, wh
ich
comes inaddit
ion to a 15% fed-
eral credit
to attract fund
s.
In phasing out th
e credits by
the end of this year
, Ontariowill
join Alberta and Princ
e Edward
Islandas the
onlyprovi
ncesnot
to offerlocal
government in
cen-
tivesto such
investments.
Otherprovi
ncesoffer
tax cred-
its of 15%, with Saska
tchewan
and Nova Scotia offer
ing 20%
on a maximum inves
tment of
$5,000. In
British Colum
bia, the
maximum investment is
higher,
meaning the poten
tial tax break
is among the most generou
s in
the country
.
Manitoba has three
labour-
sponsored
funds, and
the gov-
ernment provi
dedtax credi
ts
worth$459
,000in 2008
and
$395,000 in
2009.
Critics say the schem
es have
proven costl
y, provided
low
returns for
investors a
nd charge
highmanagement fe
es.
“No, thishas
def ini te ly
not been a succe
ssfulinves
t-
ment vehicl
e — you couldsay
it has beena terrib
le invest-
ment vehicle,” said
Douglas
Cumming,a prof
essor of
finance and Ontari
o research
chairwith York
University’s
Schulich
School of
Business.
“They do not w
ork in any of the
various dimensio
ns either for
business o
r investors.
“They have
grossly unde
r-
performed and have
not earned
ratesof ret
urnshigh
enough to
covertheir
fees.The only r
eason
they haveaccum
ulatedso much
is through the ta
x credits.”
Cumming said
the manage-
ment expense ratio
s for the
fundstypica
lly run at more than
5%, compared
with between 2%
and 2.5%for a norm
al mutual
fund.Inves
tors are gener
ally locked
in for aperio
d of atleast
eight
years.
Canada’s
Venture Capit
al &
Private Equit
y Association
said
the retail fun
ds helpprovi
de
much-need
ed financing
for
small busines
ses ata time when
access to such
capital ha
s been
dwindling.
“They prov
ideanyw
here
between 25% to 45% of the
total
in the industry, s
o it’s quitesiz-
able,”said CVCA
executive d
irec-
tor Richard
Remillard.
“Ninetyperce
nt ofthe funds
goesinto high-
tech firms, which
havetroub
le qualifying
for debt
financing.”
However,a 2008
studyby the
Montreal Econ
omic Institute
found that
funds were only
investing
about 40%
of the
moneythey have
gathered since
2001.Remillard
saidpart
of the
problem
is thecons
traints
imposedby gover
nment requir-
ing fundsto keep
a certain pro-
portion of the
ir capital in
readily
liquidassets
.
Cumming said the rulesgov-
erning the fund
s alsotend
to
mean that fund manage
rs need
to invest large
inflows of fu
nds in
a short-perio
d of time, withou
t
doingthe nece
ssarydue-
dili-
genceor follow
up monitoring,
and that’sa key reaso
n for their
underperfo
rmance.
“Thetax sy
stemdistor
ts, soit’s
possible to be OK as an inves
-
tor, though ultim
atelywe’re
all worseoff beca
use of this
scheme, wh
ich crowds out
other
private inv
estors,” he s
aid.
sharon.sing
leton@canoe
.ca
An Onta ri o judg
e has
approved a $750
millionclass
action again
st General Motors
of Canada
and its partner law
firmover
the mass closures of
GM dealership
s in 2009,lawye
rs
representi
ng the plaintiffs said
Wednesday.
The classactio
n on behalf of
more than200 former GM
auto
dealers alle
ges that the
company
breached provi
ncialfranc
hise
laws and seeks$750
millionin
damages.
“Theeliminatio
n of thedeal-
ers was a man-m
ade disaster fo
r
hundreds o
f family-ow
ned busi-
nesses forc
ed to pay the pric
e for
GM’s financial p
roblems,” said
David Sterns, one
of thelawye
rs
for the lead
plaintiff.
“As a result of t
his decision,
the dealers now
havea chan
ce
to put the piece
s backtoget
her
and mounta recov
ery of their
own.”The suit a
lso names Cassels
Brock & Black
well LLP,the
law firmappo
intedto act for
Canadian
GM dealers in antic
i-
pation of the
companyrestru
c-
turing. Th
e firmalso
actedon
behalf of th
e federal go
vernment
in connectio
n with the auto
sector bail
out.
The disgruntle
d dealers say
thisrepre
sentsa confl
ict of
interest sin
ce one of thecond
i-
tionsfor G
M to access billio
ns
of governm
ent funding
was the
elimination of a large
number of
GM dealers.
Thesuit
alsosays
the vast
majority of G
M dealers acc
epted
a terminatio
n package in May
2009and that t
hey were unable
to negotiate
as a groupdurin
g
the two to fourbusin
ess days
theywere given
to consider th
e
offer.“It is
not realistic
to thinkthat
an individual
franchisee
, who
has experi
encedthe loss o
f their
business, i
s financially
or psy-
chologicall
y equipped to engag
e
in protracted
, complicat
ed and
veryexpe
nsivelitiga
tionwith
one of thelarge
st corporat
ions
in NorthAmerica
and a major
Canadian
law firm,” Justice G.R.
Strathy said
.
Strathy also
saidCass
el’s
involvement r
aises“importa
nt
issuesconce
rninglawye
rs’ duties
to theirclien
ts, particu
larlyin
the context
of group retain
ers.”
—QMI Agency
TopU.S. office s
upplies ret
ailer
Staples Inc. r
eported a lower-
than-expec
ted quarterly p
rofit as
inclement w
eather in many o
f its
marketskept s
hoppers aw
ay.
“While the fourthquart
er was
challenging
primarilydue to the
impactof winter
storms, sal
es
haverecov
ered in the first qua
rter
of 2011,” chief
executive office
r
Ron Sargent sai
dWednesday.
Net income rose
to $274.7 mil-
lion US, or38 cents
a share, in
the fourthquart
er that end
ed on
Jan. 29 from
$233.9 million
, or 32
centsa sha
re, a year ea
rlier.
Excluding
a restructu
ring
expense, St
aplesearne
d 39 cents
a share, missing
the analysts’
average est
imate of40 ce
nts.
—Reuters
FordMotor
Co. has recal
led
morethan
34,000 vehic
les
worldwide spann
ing eightvehi-
cle modelsdue to the risk of a
fuel leak or
electrical is
sues.
Theauto
makeris recal
l-
ing 25,000 2010
FordRang
er
trucks, inc
luding 23,68
8 in the
U.S.,becau
se an engine fuel l
ine
couldbe a r
isk toleak.
Fordalso said it would
recall
9,100vehic
lesworldwi
de because
theirelectr
ical systems may sho
rt
and resultin a vehic
le fire. This
includes 8,0
22 vehicles i
n the U.S.
The modelsaffect
ed include:
FordEdgecr
ossover; Lin
colnMKX
crossover; th
e F-150, F-25
0, F-350,
F-450andF
-550pickup
trucks.
No injuries
have been repor
ted.
—Reuters
The Grande Prairie
Daily Herald-Tribune in its true
printed format from anywhere
in the world.
eedition.dailyheraldtribune.com
Hospitals are failing to meet
goals set by Alberta Health
Services for shorter emergency
room wait times, but Grande
Pra i r ie’s Queen El i zabet h
II Hospital is an exception,
according to its vice-president.
AHS acting president Dr.
Chris Eagle of Calgary admit-
ted this week that most Alberta
hospitals aren’t close to goals
for ER waiting times. Last Octo-
ber, AHS set the goal of seeing,
treating and discharging 70%
of ER patients with conditions
deemed less serious within
four hours by the end of March.
Although most hospitals are
falling short of these expecta-
tions, the Queen Elizabeth II
exceeds the goals.
“The last report that we have
available indicates that (with)
about 75% of our patients we
were meeting that target,” said
vice-president Joan Libsekal.
She refers to a Decem-
ber ranking that put the QEII
fourth among A lberta’s 16
major hospitals in regards to
the wait times. It measures
at least 9% higher than the
six metropolitan hospitals in
Alberta.
Eagle also said most hospitals
were failing to meet treatment
goals for more serious patients
who are admitted as inpatients
from the Emergency Room.
AHS set the goal of admitting
45% of these patients within an
eight-hour period of waiting in
the emergency room.
The QEII passed that test too.
The December report states
that 58% of serious cases were
fully admitted within eight
hours, 20% higher than the
average for Alberta’s busiest
hospitals.
“Over the last couple of years,
I would think that our waiting
times have been the same or
improved,” Libsekal said.
She ha s seen a g reater
number of emergency depart-
ment volumes in past years
when Grande Prairie experi-
enced a surge in the oil and gas
industry.
“When we were a booming
economy, there was a lot of
people here who didn’t have
family doctors, and so when
they got sick, they would go to
emergency,” Libsekal said.
T he latest resu lt s were
attained with an aging emer-
gency department built in the
early 1980s to serve 20,000
visits annually from Grande
Prairie and the surrounding
areas.“In our depa r t ment, we
handle about 50,000 visits a
year,” Libsekal said.
“When you have those people
coming in, there’s just a lack of
stretcher space to put them in.”
ER staf f dea l w ith these
limited facilities by opening
additional beds in the nursing
department, if the need arises.
“Our nursing managers meet
every morning,” Libsekal said.
“They review the patients that
are in emergency waiting for
admissions. (Nursing manag-
ers assess) how many patients
are being expected to be dis-
charged in the nursing units to
see how we can accommodate,
and (they) get those patients
into their beds as soon as pos-
sible.”To save space, the hospital
also uses Urgent Care Chairs
i nstead of beds for some
patients receiving treatment.
“They might be waiting for
lab results, or they may be get-
ting some type of a treatment
where they’re able to sit in a
chair as opposed to laying on a
stretcher,” Libsekal said.
A $9-million overhaul of the
emergency department, pro-
viding nearly double the capac-
ity, is expected to be complete
this September.
It could be that come budget
time, city RCMP will be look-
ing for more municipal support
staff.Mounties received roughly
9,982 court documents, such as
warrants and orders for prohibi-
tions and probations, last year.
These all need to be entered
into the Canadian Police Infor-
mation Centre (CPIC).
It takes 30-45 minutes per
file.Also in 2010, 6,233 criminal
record checks were completed,
at 20 minutes per check.
And about 3,000 incidents
came into the detachment, and
each one takes about 30 min-
utes to process.
To keep up with this level of
support, the detachment spent
$467,918. Of that, $166,521 was
for overtime and $301,397 for
casual shift employees.
It would be cheaper to hire
full-time employees, city coun-
cil’s protective services com-
mittee was told this week.
The overtime and casual shift
costs still fall within the support
staff budget “but it’s stretching
us,” said Eldon Wyant, office
administrator for the local
detachment.
“When we receive court
documents, all of those have
to be entered into a computer
and accuracy is of the utmost
importance. It is not just the
fact that the work has to be
done.“The court system and
everything else that’s involved
depends on the accuracy.
“There’s no use going out and
arresting somebody if there’s
no way that you can prosecute
them. We have to make sure
that everything is done, that
everything is done in a timely
fashion and that everything is
done perfectly.”
Even with the overtime and
casual shifts, there are 172 war-
rants and 49 court orders still
waiting to be entered into CPIC.
Insp. Peter Puszka said he
hopes committee members
have a greater awareness of
the challenges local police are
facing, and that there may be
a request for staff – probably
seven people.
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nationalnews
A pair of high-profile resigna-
tions in the ruling Progressive
Conservative party this week
has turned provincial politics
on its ear, with debate within
caucus over the scheduled Feb-
ruary budget at the centre of the
rift. On Tuesday, Premier Ed Stel-
mach announced he would
not be seeking re-election and
would be resigning after a new
party leader is chosen.Speculation among politi-
cal observers that day was that
rumblings that Finance Min-
ister Ted Morton was ready to
tender his resignation Tuesday
prompted Stelmach’s decision.
On Thursday, a day after pub-
licly stating that he would sup-
port the upcoming budget (but
did not say if he would table
it in the legislature), Morton
announced he was also resign-
ing from his post but remain
within the Tory caucus.Treasury Board president
Lloyd Snelgrove takes on the
finance portfolio and would,
presumably, table the budget.
All of that has made for a sur-
prising – but interesting – week
in Alberta politics, said Dawn
Moffat McMaster, a political
science instructor at the Grande
Prairie Regional College.“The PC Party in Alberta
has kind of been facing some
struggles for a little while for
sure. I think they’ve really tried
to downplay the influence of
the Wildrose Alliance, but it’s
hard to do when some of your
members have left and joined
another party,” Moffat McMas-
ter said.“That said, I don’t think any-
body was expecting this kind of
level of upheaval this quickly.
Premier Stelmach resigning has
come, from what I can tell, as a
surprise to a lot of people, even
people lower down within the
party, even people who follow
politics.”At the heart of the division
with the Conservative caucus
is an apparent philosophical
difference in approach with
regards to the budget. With the deficit potentially
reaching in excess of $5 bil-
lion for the current fiscal year,
and Stelmach recently admit-
ting that the books would not
be balanced until the 2013-14
fiscal year, Morton, who has a
reputation as a fiscal hawk, was
reported to be pushing to table
an austerity budget with deep
cuts in order.“Given Morton’s background,
that would probably be a fair
assumption to make,” Moffat
McMaster said.Stelmach reportedly wanted
a more even-handed approach
and to maintain spending on
infrastructure and services.“With the last budget that
came down, a lot of political
observers said it wasn’t really
Morton’s budget, it was that of
his predecessor and he just kind
of presented it,” she said.“Now the assumption would
have been that this budget then
would have been his budget.
“Obviously by the fact that
he’s resigned, I think he’s giving
himself that room to be able
to distance himself from this
budget and set himself up as his
own kind of philosophical posi-
tion as a leadership candidate.”
Now Morton, who ran for the
party leadership in 2006 only to
lose to Stelmach, is poised to
take another run at the top job,
which is why he’s remaining in
caucus, Moffat McMaster said.
“And that would be standard,
because my assumption would
be that he’s planning to run
for the leadership of the party
and if they do that they have to
resign from their cabinet posi-
tion. I don’t think it’s really a sur-
prise that he still has leadership
ambitions as far as that goes.”
She said she doesn’t know
who might step forward to chal-
lenge Morton for the leadership,
stating she has heard names
thrown around, such as former
federal Environment Minister
Jim Prentice who, as of Jan. 1,
took on the position of vice-
chairman and senior vice-pres-
ident of the Canadian Imperial
Bank of Commerce.“Part of the reason that Stel-
mach gained the leadership is
that he was kind of the middle
person. We had a group or fac-
tion that was more to the right
and a faction that was more to
the left,” she said. “Now Morton again is that
kind of right-wing candidate of
that portion of the provincial
party. So I would suspect there
will be someone coming up
from the centre-left of the party
to fill that other spot.”
The snowfall that walloped
the Peace Country this month
has helped the region, ravaged
by years of drought, reach
normal snow pack levels for
this time of year.
The normal mid-November
to mid-January total, according
to Alberta Agriculture, ranges
from about 55 to 65 millime-
tres worth of precipitation.
So far th is winter, i t ’s
between 65 and 85 millimetres
as of Jan. 20.But Ralph Wright, head of
the Soil Moisture Unit with
Alberta Agriculture, said that
amount of snow is an anomaly
when compared to the last 12
or 13 years.“Let’s put this into perspec-
tive,” he said from Edmonton.
“You’ve had about 74 centime-
tres in the form of snow. Since
1998 there’s only been one year
that you had more snow than
this, and that was 2007 where
you had about 120 cm by this
time.“It’s very possible that people
are thinking, ‘my God, look at
all this snow.’ But it’s been so
many years since you’ve had a
decent snow.”In the last 12 years, Wright
said the Peace Country has
had just three winters where
there has been normal-or-bet-
ter snowfall by Jan. 20.
A day after mocking report-
ers for asking if he’d resign, ex-
Alberta Finance Minister Ted
Morton did just that Thursday,
kicking off the race for the
province’s Tory leadership.In a letter t o P r e m i e r Ed Stelmach, Morton said the decision to step down from the pow-erful post was m a d e w i t h ethics and the i n t e re s t s o f his party and Albertans in mind.
“The impending leader-
ship contest would be a seri-
ous distraction from the pro-
cess of governing, particularly
the passage of the upcoming
budget,” said Morton, who the
day before asked “why should
I resign,” when questioned
about reports of a threatened
resignation over the budget.He praised outgoing premier
Ed for being the first candidate
to step down to enter the 2006
leadership race.“At the time, I was one of
many Albertans who admired
the principled position he
took,” said Morton.Although several other Tory
MLAs and cabinet ministers
have expressed interest in run-
ning, Stelmach said no other
members of his team have
offered their resignations.Morton said there was dis-
agreement on the upcom-
ing budget, but added that’s
almost inevitable.“I wasn’t completely happy
with last year’s budget and I’m
sure the premier wasn’t either,”
he said.The announced departures
of both a premier and finance
minister in the same week is
unprecedented and a symp-
tom of a party is distress, said
Wildrose Alliance leader Dan-
ielle Smith.“This a real signal of a gov-
ernment in disarray ... I can tell
you this is not sending a signal
of stability,” she said.His departure as finance
minister, said Smith, can’t
absolve Morton of his role in
directing his party to its cur-
rent unpopularity.“He was at the cabinet table
for the past four years and is
complicit in its policies,” she
said.Vermil l ion-Lloydminster
MLA and President of the Trea-
sury Board Lloyd Snelgrove will
assume Morton’s position.Snelgrove, said Stelmach,
will ensure “continuity and
competence” in the crucial
finance [email protected]
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here,
“We have to have more time the dollar.”
Sherman, a former Tory MLA emer-
gency room physician, said he
will table documents in the
legislature Monday related to
his health-care concerns.
“It’s a feature of the legisla
ians
were quote, paid out in mil-
lions to buy their silence — an
lions to buy their silence — an
lions to buy their silence —
allegation like that against the
medical fraternity, I find very
unbelievable.”
Zwozdesky said She
is “going to have to live up
the comments “one way or
other.”Sherman had told the legisla
ture that 250 patients had
on a wait list for lung surgery,
many with lung cancer. He sai
aware of the
situation.In a follow-up
comment, Sher
Trevor
Theman, the current registrar
of the Alberta College of Phy-
sicians and Surgeons, were
paid out in millions to buy their
Zwozdesky said he’s asked
the College of Physicians and
Surgeons about the allega
tions, as well as the two former
health ministers, and none had
any knowledge of wrongdo
ing. Theman has also d
any knowledge of the deaths i
question or any sort of cov
aback by Sherman’s commen
“I was rather shocked
there were allegations,” Evans
said. “I have no idea what
they’re about.”
Evans said she has neve
done anything “deliberate or
willfully damaging.”
NDP Leader Brian
said the government needs to
answer whether there w
major delay in life-savi
geries, and whether c
patients died as a res
Mason said Sherman needs t
The County of Grande Prairie
will not subsidize an increase
in water and sewer rates for its
residents but it was not for lack
of trying by two councillors.
Under Aquatera Utilities’ two-
year business plan, starting in
March residents in Clairmont
will pay $4.06 (20% increase)
and in Sexsmith residents will
pay $4.39 (25% increase) more a
month for water and sewer.
The monthly rate increases
again in 2012 to $4.88 in Clair
introduced a
motion to ask
administration
to bring back
the dividend
i n f o r m a t i o n
from Aquatera
– how much
t h e c o u n t y
receives, and
be met “bang on” by the end of
The target by March 2015 is
to deal with 90% of ER patients
within either four or eight
hours, depending on the sever-
Liberal Leader David Swann
said now is not the time for
“This is an example of a gov-
ernment that really is scram-
bling to show signs that it
understands the health-care
tics will be released shortly.
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