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Morning Column

Outrage or Enthusiasm: The Choice is Yours!
By: Dr. Maurice A. Ramirez

Businesses large and small want happy customers, happy employees and happy vendors. Regardless of whether a multinational corporation or a "Mom & Pop" store, enthusiastic supporters are a marketing asset while a single outraged person is a liability. Studies have shown that the average "satisfied customer" refers five people while the average "dissatisfied customer" finds 11 people to chase away.

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Bank of Canada Statement

Addressing Financial Market Turbulence

TORONTO - More than seven months after financial market turbulence began, policy-makers and market participants are entering a new phase, where shortcomings in the current system are better understood and improvements are beginning to be made, Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney said today in a speech to the Toronto Board of Trade.

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Fire Fighters Decision

Arbitration board reaches decision on firefighters' contract

KITCHENER – An arbitration board has released its decision concerning a new collective agreement between the City of Kitchener and the Kitchener Professional Fire Fighters’ Association.

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Productivity

Labour productivity, hourly compensation and unit labour cost

Statscan - The labour productivity of Canadian businesses fell for the first time in more than a year in the fourth quarter 2007. This occurred as gross domestic product (GDP) growth slowed while hours worked continued to increase steadily.

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Globalization - Opinion

Globalization is Killing Canada: Fight for Your Freedom
by Paul Hellyer

Is Canada worth saving? Is democracy worth saving? These are the two fundamental questions we must address now - before it is too late. Canadian values are disappearing rapidly as we lose our independence and our sovereignty. The country is being dismantled after more than a century of nation building. We are losing control of our most important industries.

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Appointments

Priszm appoints Jeff O'Neill as Chief Executive Officer, Steve Langford as President KFC/Taco Bell, Steven Boyack as new Chief Financial Officer

John Bitove to assume role as Executive Chairman

TORONTO - Priszm Income Fund announced changes to its executive Leadership team. Effective at the Annual General Meeting on April 24, 2008, Jeff O'Neill, currently President and Chief Operating Officer, will assume the position of Chief Executive Officer for Priszm Income Fund. Mr. O'Neill has served as President and COO since May 2005.

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Cambridge Grows

Vacuum Technology World Leader Schmalz Opens in Cambridge

Cambridge - J. Schmalz GmbH of Glatten, Germany, announced the opening of its Canadian branch office in Cambridge, Ontario. Strategically located in Waterloo Region/Canada’s Technology Triangle, 90 kilometers west of Toronto. Schmalz is the world’s leading manufacturer of vacuum technology is poised to provide its Canadian clients with full support in sales and service, consulting, engineering, inventory, and emergency services.

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Appointment

Stratford Chefs School appoints Kimberley Payne as Executive Director

Stratford – One of Southwestern Ontario’s leading not-for-profit community developers is joining the Stratford Chefs School’s management team as the school embarks on its second quarter century of operation.

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Co-op Awards

Top students receive national, provincial and UW co-op awards next week

WATERLOO - The University of Waterloo, which launched co-operative education in Canada, will celebrate the achievements of six top co-op students next week, including one who will also receive provincial and national awards.

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New Dean

The University of Guelph has appointed a new dean of the Ontario Agricultural College.

Guelph - Robert Gordon, a professor and dean of research at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College (NSAC) begins a five-year term August 1.

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Waterloo Designates Heritage District

MacGregor - Albert Neighbourhood Designated as Waterloo’s First Heritage Conservation District

Waterloo - With the issuance of the Ontario Municipal Board’s Order on January 29, 2008, the City of Waterloo has received formal approval of its first Heritage Conservation District. The MacGregor Albert Neighbourhood, located in the Uptown area of the City, is now officially recognized as one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Waterloo.

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Energy - Crude Oil

Platts Survey: OPEC Pumps 32.33 million b/d in February, up 80,000 b/d

LONDON - The 13 members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) pumped an average 32.33 million barrels per day (b/d) of crude oil in February, an 80,000 b/d increase on January levels, according to a Platts survey of OPEC and oil industry officials just released.

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Ontario Housing

Slowing economy should improve Ontario's housing affordability

TORONTO- While Ontario's housing affordability deteriorated across all segments last quarter, the pace of deterioration has slowed, according to a new housing report issued today by RBC Economics.

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Climate Change

EU to set deadline for climate change package

BRUSSELS - Today EU leaders backed some ambitious targets to cut energy use and fight climate change. At the same time they stressed the package must not involve "excessive costs" amid an economic downturn.

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Media - Study

Canadians love HDTV even if they don't fully understand it

TORONTO - Canadians are buying High Definition TVs like never before, and never have they had more clarity, colour and definition available. However, according to new poll findings from Nanos Research (and commissioned by Sharp Electronics of Canada), they have yet to get the picture on the full array of features available to them.

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Media Newspaper Awards

Finalists announced for 2007 National Newspaper Awards

The Record of Waterloo Region gets 1 out of 63 in the finals
What's up with the long awkward name?

TORONTO - The Globe and Mail leads all newspapers in Canada with 15 finalists in the 59th National Newspaper Awards competition.

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Financial - Small Growth

Canadian banks manage 2.2% growth in 2007—real test is on its way

TORONTO — 2007 was a pivotal year for the banks. According to Canadian Banks 2008, PricewaterhouseCoopers’ (PwC) annual review of the banking industry, Canada’s big six banks combined 2007 net income was CDN$19.5 billion—a small increase in year-over-year growth of just 2.2%, compared to a record-breaking 50% increase in the previous year.

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ISO

Managing crises with new ISO standard for IT disaster recovery

From fires to earthquakes to pandemics, businesses and other organizations may become the victims of disaster at any time. In order to deal with the unexpected and safeguard the interests of their stakeholders, as well as their reputation, brand and value-creating activities, a new ISO/IEC International Standard will help them mitigate risks and be prepared to respond to crises.

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Climate Change

Leading expert explores global climate change

Waterloo - A leading environmental policy expert who has advised the Canadian and U.S. governments will give a public talk on the science and politics of global climate change next week at the University of Waterloo.

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Issues Not Filtering Through

Steelworkers find BC politicians unaware of extent of Forest Industry crisis: Ministers ask laid-off workers for solutions

VICTORIA - This week a group of rank and file forest workers knocked on the doors of provincial politicians to demand immediate government action on the large scale social and economic crisis that has gripped the BC Forest Industry.

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International Play

International wireless heavyweights, Weather and Novator, join Globalive syndicate to compete in Canada's wireless auction

Globalive attracts global investment and submits $235M deposit to enter auction

TORONTO - Globalive Communications Corp, parent of Yak Communications, announced that international wireless veterans, Weather Investments and Novator, have joined its syndicate to bid in the upcoming Advanced Wireless Services ("AWS") spectrum auction.

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2007 Annual & Quarterly Report

Industrial capacity utilization rates Fourth quarter 2007 and annual 2007

Statscan - Canadian industries reduced their use of production capacity in the fourth quarter, with the utilization rate falling to its lowest level in more than 10 years. The manufacturing sector, which continues to be hard hit by the appreciation of the Canadian dollar, was a major factor in this decline.

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Social Awareness Recognition

Engineering Students Win for Social Awareness

Guelph - University of Guelph engineering students won the Social Awareness Award in the Canadian Engineering Competition held this past weekend at the University of Waterloo.

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Dave House Memorial Ski-a-Thon

Chicopee hosts the Dave House Memorial Skiathon

Dave House Memorial Ski-a-Thon

Kitchener - The 3rd Annual Dave House Memorial “Ski Everest” ski-a-thon will take place Saturday March 15th 2008 at Chicopee Ski & Summer Resort. It provides an opportunity for participants to join in a fun event and a great day of skiing or snowboarding, along with the opportunity to win valuable prizes; all while raising funds for a noteworthy charity.

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Air Quality

EPA Strengthens Smog Standards to Better Protect Public Health and the Environment

Washington, D.C. – - EPA on March 12, 2008 met its requirements of the Clean Air Act by signing the most stringent 8-hour standard ever for ozone, revising the standards for the first time in more than a decade. The agency based the changes on the most recent scientific evidence about the effects of ozone, the primary component of smog.

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New Treasurer

City of Guelph hires new Treasurer - Margaret Neubauer to start May 12.

GUELPH – The City of Guelph is pleased to announce that Margaret Neubauer has officially been hired to fill the position of Director of Finance/City Treasurer and will begin on May 12, 2008.

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Carbon Market

Global carbon market expanded 80% to $60 billion in 2007: survey+

COPENHAGEN - Kyodo— The global carbon market expanded 80 percent in 2007 from the previous year to $60 billion, with the total traded volume growing 64 percent to 2.7 billion tons, according to a market survey report released Tuesday.

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Prosumer Consumer

Survey shows Canadians becoming even savvier shoppers

TORONTO - Canadians in the market for home durables products are visiting a greater number of retailers before deciding where to buy, according to recent results from global market research company Synovate and its Household Equipment Canada (HEC) survey.


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Quarterly Report

Globalstar, Inc. Announces Annual and Fourth Quarter Results for 2007

Key 2007 annual highlights included;

* Launch of eight satellites
* Acceleration of second-generation satellite deliveries
* Commitments to construct gateways in Asia and Africa
* Finalization of contract to launch second-generation satellites beginning next year
* Introduction of the SPOT Satellite Messenger
* Signing of ATC implementation agreement with Open Range Communications
* Continued subscriber growth

MILPITAS, Calif., - Globalstar, Inc. a leading provider of mobile satellite voice and data services to businesses, government and individuals, announced its financial and operational results for the three and twelve month periods ended December 31, 2007.

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Canada's Crime

Maclean's exclusive report: Most dangerous cities in Canada are in the West

Report ranks our cities from the most crime-ridden to the safest. With Victoria making the top 10, these results are startling.

TORONTO - Surprises emerged when Maclean's went searching for Canada's safest, and most dangerous communities. Toronto and Montreal, obvious crime-ridden candidates with their well-publicized racial tensions and gun and gang violence, rank well down a danger list of the 100 largest cities or regions in the country

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Quest for Space

CAW calls on government to renew commitment to space technology

TORONTO - As the Canadian-built Dextre module is being attached to the Canadarm2 at the International Space Station, the CAW is demanding that the federal government renew its commitment to space technology and development.

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Education Honorary Degrees

Six Distinguished Canadians to Receive Honorary Degrees at Trent University's 2008 Convocation Ceremonies

Internationally Renowned Fiddlers Natalie McMaster and Donnell Leahy among List of Those to be Honoured at Spring Convocation Ceremonies

Peterborough - On behalf of Senate, the President of Trent University announced today the outstanding individuals who will receive honorary degrees at convocation ceremonies on June 4, 5 and 6, 2008.

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Organic Growth by Aquisition

SunOpta to Close Acquisition of Tradin Organic Agriculture of Amsterdam, Expanding Global Organic Ingredient Sourcing and Processing Platform

TORONTO - SunOpta Inc. announced that it has finalized its due diligence and related documentation and expects to close the previously announced acquisition of the outstanding shares of The Organic Corporation B.V., operating as Tradin Organic Agriculture B.V. on April 1, 2008.

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Open Market Success

iPhone SDK Downloads Top 100,000

CUPERTINO, California - Apple® announced that more than 100,000 iPhone™ developers have downloaded the beta iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK) in the first four days since its launch on March 6. The iPhone SDK provides developers with the same rich set of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and tools that Apple uses to create its native applications for iPhone and iPod® touch.

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Urban Development

Waterfront Toronto announces selection of Steven Holl Architects to design District Energy Centre

TORONTO - Waterfront Toronto announced the selection of Steven Holl Architects to design the District Energy Centre in the West Don Lands, which will provide centralized heating and cooling to the first new waterfront neighbourhoods.

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Media New Ontario Student Paper

The First Province-Wide Student Newspaper

TORONTO - The Ontario Student Trustees' Association is excited to announce the first edition of the first province-wide student newspaper, The Papercut: The Student Voice.

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Education - Protest at McGill

McGill teaching assistants protest low pay and shabby working conditions

MONTREAL - McGill's 2,000 teaching assistants are protesting the University's stubborn refusal to reduce the huge salary gaps they face compared to pay for TAs at other elite research universities in Canada.

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Robotics Waterloo Style

High school robot enthusiasts participate in FIRST robotics contest at UW

WATERLOO - Robot enthusiasts from high schools across Ontario will compete next week in the first round of an international robotics competition at the University of Waterloo.

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Climate Change

Canada's big five banks rated on their climate change performance

TD and RBC lead the pack while BMO lags, in Ethical Funds executive brief

VANCOUVER - Canada's big five banks have all acknowledged the significance of global climate change, but all are moving at different rates to actually implement their environmental policies into concrete action plans, according to a new executive brief from The Ethical Funds Company.

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Community Infrastructure

Ontario Government Targeting Surpluses For Roads, Transit and Social Housing

TORONTO The Ontario government is proposing legislation that would dedicate additional surpluses to Ontario's communities. The proposed bill, which would be called the Investing in Ontario Act, would direct a portion of provincial surpluses to municipalities for infrastructure needs, such as improving roads and bridges, expanding transit and upgrading social housing.

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Tourism Festivals

Kitchener Blues Festival and Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest are also receiving cash to enhance programing

Kitchener - The Kitchener Blues Festival and Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest are receiving more than $315, 000 from the McGuinty government to help enhance programming, attract more visitors and boost the local economy, announced John Milloy, MPP Kitchener-Centre yesterday.

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Environment Philanthropy

Another rare Landmark Gets an Anonymous Helping Hand

North Dumfries/Cambridge - Rare thanks an anonymous donator for more than $1,000,000 donation, which brings community one large step closer to realizing the vision for a 913-acre parcel of land right in the heart of our fast-growing community.

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Unlikely Collaboration

Fairmont & EMI Music Collaborate to Offer Online Music Store

Fairmont Music Store To Debut in Spring 2008

TORONTO - Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, in partnership with EMI Music, announced the Fairmont Music Store, a new online retail initiative that will provide guests of the luxury hotel chain access to digital music exclusively from EMI Music's impressive catalog. Located at www.fairmontmusicstore.com, the leading-edge music boutique will be officially launched at a special event at the illustrious Plaza Hotel's stylish Rose Club in Spring 2008.

Earth Day Great Lakes

EPA's Great Lakes 2008 Earth Day Challenge: a prescription for healthy Great Lakes

Chicago - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Great Lakes region invites the public to join the Great Lakes 2008 Earth Day Challenge to collect at least 1 million pounds of electronic waste and 1 million pills. EPA is encouraging organizations, businesses and communities in the Great Lakes region to protect the environment by sponsoring collections of unwanted medicines and electronic waste around Earth Day, April 22.

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Economy Strategy & Planning

Time to plan for effects of U.S. recession, ‘Business Lifeguard’ tells SMEs

“Small and Medium enterprises fill an important niche in our system and right now, they need help”

TORONTO – With the U.S. spinning into a recession, executives at Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) are facing growing anxiety on how best to prepare for the fallout.

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Equity and Index Options

NASDAQ Options Market Receives SEC Approval

NEW YORK - The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. announced it has received approval from the SEC for rules associated with the launch of its equity and index options market, the NASDAQ Options Market.


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Communication Powerhouse

Mitel Joins Foundry's IronPowered Technology Alliance Program

Significant Market Presence and Winning Track Record Positions Mitel as a Strategic Alliance Voice Partner

SANTA CLARA, Calif. and OTTAWA-- Mitel(r), the new force in unified communications for the real world, and Foundry Networks(r), Inc., a performance and total solutions leader for end-to-end switching and routing, announced Mitel's inclusion in the Foundry Networks IronPowered Technology Alliance Program as a strategic voice partner.

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Canadian Expatriots

Study: Canadians living abroad 2004

Canadian emigration abroad is just as selective as incoming migration to Canada, according to a new report published March 13, 2008 in Canadian Social Trends.

Statscan - The report, "Canadians abroad," focuses on emigrants who went to five countries: Australia, Italy, Poland, the United Kingdom and the United States, using data on immigration provided by those countries.

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Quarterly Report

Canada's international investment position

Statscan - Canada's net international investment position continued to deteriorate in the fourth quarter, fuelled by the largest inflow of foreign direct investment in eight years. Net foreign debt rose by $13.3 billion in the fourth quarter to $156.3 billion at the end of 2007, representing 10.0% of Canada's gross domestic product (up from 9.1% in the previous quarter).

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Study: Loonie tunes:

Industry exposure to the rising exchange rate

Statscan - Construction profits the most of any industry from the rising loonie, as it reaps the benefit of lower prices for imported inputs while selling its output almost entirely in Canada, according to a new study published today in the Canadian Economic Observer.

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Growing Market Share

Vivo and RIM Launch New GPS-Enabled BlackBerry Curve 8310 With Vivo Co-Piloto Navigation Service

The new model is the first smartphone with Vivo Co-Piloto functionality available in Brazil

San Paolo, Brazil - Vivo and Research In Motion (RIM) announced the availability of the GPS-enabled BlackBerry® Curve™ 8310 smartphone for Vivo customers in Brazil.

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Skilled Trades - Entrepreneurs

Helping Skilled Trades Build their Business

New Set of Tools to Construct Solid Foundations, Raise Bottom Lines

TORONTO - Scotiabank announced the launch of the Scotiabank Blueprint for business(TM) Solutions package specially designed for skilled trades business owners operating in the construction industry and includes trades such as electricians and general contractors.

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Environment Pilot Project

Free for all EcoCab comes to Canada

Toronto - EcoCab is coming to Canada and Torontonians will be getting a free ride. The environmentally friendly, pedal-powered taxi known for reducing traffic congestion and vehicle emissions in many US and European cities will make its way on to Toronto streets this summer.

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Prosumer Consumer

Pointstreak Announces "Pointstreak Mobile" for BlackBerry Smartphones

Pointstreak launches "Pointstreak Mobile" - a custom application designed to record game information on BlackBerry smartphones and deliver real-time sports scores to designated websites

TORONTO - Pointstreak.com Inc., a privately-held company, announced today the launch of Pointstreak Mobile, a custom software application that enables Pointstreak users to record live game stats during sports events and immediately deliver game information to the Internet from their BlackBerry(R) smartphones from Research In Motion (RIM).

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Aquisition

Transcontinental acquires ThinData Inc.

MONTREAL - Transcontinental Inc. announced the acquisition of ThinData Inc., Canada's leading permission-based email marketing services firm.

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BioFuel Innovation

UM Invention Promises Major Advance in BioFuel Production

Maryland - University of Maryland research that started with bacteria from the Chesapeake Bay has led to a process that may be able to convert large volumes of all kinds of plant products, from leftover brewer's mash to paper trash, into ethanol and other biofuel alternatives to gasoline.

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Selling Your Home

Getting Your home ready to sell

OTTAWA - Most home buyers today are too busy to spend the time or money needed to carry out major renovations or improvements when they buy a house. However, if you're looking to sell your home, you may want to take care of all those little repairs and finishing touches if you want to sell quickly and at the best possible price.

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Equities Ranking

Deutsche Bank on Top; Renaissance Capital Close Behind

New York, NY - Deutsche Bank provides the best coverage of equities in the developing markets of Europe, the Middle East and Africa, according to participants in Institutional Investor's 2008 Emerging EMEA Research Team survey.

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Leaders Envisioning

Leaders Have Vision Worldwide Partner Conferences Highlight Success

World's Leading High Availability Organizations Convene to Discuss New Market Trends, Programs and Offerings

IRVINE, CA - Vision Solutions, the leading high availability and disaster recovery solutions provider in IBM Power Systems markets, is hosting global partner conferences to meet the needs of its ever-expanding partner and customer bases across the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific regions.

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Tax Tips -

Help Protect Against Tax Preparer Fraud

OTTAWA - With Fraud Prevention Month in full swing, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is warning taxpayers to stay away from return preparers who offer false tax deductions such as inflated charitable donations, child care expense claims, or even business expenses or losses.

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2008 Record Winter Squeeze

Weekend storm broke all-time snowfall record

Waterloo - The Big Snow of March 8, 2008 will go into the record books as the most snow ever to be dumped on Waterloo Region in a 24-hour period, reports Frank Seglenieks of the UW Weather Station.

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Biofuel South Dakota

US Bioenergy begins production at South Dakota plant

The plant has the capacity to produce around 110 million gallons of ethanol

USA - US Bioenergy, a Minnesota-based producer and marketer of ethanol, has begun production at its fifth ethanol plant. The US Bio Marion, located in Marion, South Dakota, was acquired by US Bioenergy in August 2007 while under construction.

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Packaging Innovation

New line of bags which are 100% oxo-biodegradable

MONTREAL - ECO II Manufacturing is proud to announce the launching of a very new line of bags which are 100% oxo-biodegradable. The main quality of these products is that they are totally degradable in less than 2 years at a temperature of 45-C, which is the average temperature of landfills, in accordance with ASTM D6954-04.

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Great Lakes Region

Chemical spill reporting violations: EPA settles with Chemsol Products Corp., Cleveland

CHICAGO - U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 recently settled an administrative case involving hazardous chemical release reporting violations by Chemsol Products Corp., Cleveland, Ohio.

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New Construction

Crescent Resources and Manulife Financial team up to build Phipps Tower in Atlanta

-- Construction begins on 20-story, LEED-designed office building on prime Buckhead site --

ATLANTA - Crescent Resources, LLC, in a financial joint venture with Manulife Financial, has begun construction of Phipps Tower, a LEED-designed 20-story office building on a prime Buckhead site.

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Environmental Education

CATHOLIC BOARD TO CELEBRATE "EARTH HOUR"

Schools Will Participate On Friday, March 28

Kitchener -- On Saturday, March 29, 2008 at 8:00 p.m. people around the world will turn off their lights for just one hour -- Earth Hour -- to show it's possible to take action on climate change.

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International merchandise trade

Potential World-Record Domain Sale - $10 Million

ROAD TOWN, BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS - Clek Media Inc. announced that it has brokered the world-record sale of the domain FUND.COM for US$9,999,950 in an all-cash transaction. Clek, a media consulting firm, represented the seller of the domain, assisting in both the negotiation and closing of the transaction.

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Prosumer Consumer

AirSprint Orders 23 Aircraft for Fractional Fleet

TORONTO - Judson Macor, Chairman and CEO of AirSprint Inc., Canada's coast-to-coast leader in the field of fractional aircraft ownership, announced that the company has placed an order for 23 aircraft with an aggregate retail value of US$116 million. AirSprint will take delivery of three Citation XLS/XLS+ jets and three Pilatus PC-12/47E

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Environmental - Japan

Japan Unveils Detailed Emission Cut Proposals.

"Japan on Monday unveiled a set of proposals that call for establishing sector-by-sector targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions under a new international framework to be put in place after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.

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Health Care - Women in Poverty

UW talk explores how to improve health of women and youth living in poverty

WATERLOO - Better access to physical activity and recreation can improve the health of women and youth living in poverty, says a former University of Waterloo professor who will deliver a Hallman Visiting Professorship Lecture this week at UW.

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Study Carbon Capture

Independent study confirms Carbon Capture and Storage as one of Canada's top carbon dioxide reduction opportunities

CALGARY - An independent study recently completed by The Delphi Group ranks carbon capture and storage (CCS) as one of Canada's most significant carbon dioxide reduction opportunities. The study also ranks the costs of CCS as competitive with renewable energy and other options. This analysis was done on a cost per tonne of carbon dioxide (CO(2)) reduced.

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Public Infrastructure

Study: Infrastructure capital 1960 to 2003

Public infrastructure such as roads, bridges and sewer systems gets most of the attention, but infrastructure in the private sector, such as pipelines, rail and generating facilities, is just as important to the economy, according to a new study.

Tuesday March 11, 2008

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Construction Housing Starts

CMHC REPORTS KITCHENER HOUSING STARTS BELOW AVERAGE

TORONTO – The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) released Kitchener’s preliminary housing starts data for the month of February March 10, 2008. Construction began on 150 homes in the Kitchener Census Metropolitan Area (CMA), down three per cent from the same month last year. While single-detached starts were higher, weaker apartment starts pulled new construction figures lower.

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Profile of Canadian exporters

Number of Canadian establishments that export merchandise fell for the second consecutive year in 2006.

Total value of their exports rose to a record high, according to the latest version of the Exporter Register.

Statscan - In 2006, 45,641 establishments exported merchandise, down 5.0% from 2005. However, this amount was 19% higher than it was in 1996 and slightly higher than in 2000.

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Climate Change

Leading expert explores science and politics of global climate change

WATERLOO - A leading environmental policy expert who has advised the Canadian and U.S. governments will give a public talk on the science and politics of global climate change next week at the University of Waterloo.

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Young Leaders

WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM ANNOUNCES YOUNG GLOBAL LEADERS FOR 2008

245 leading executives, public figures and intellectuals – all aged 40 or younger – were chosen from around the world

Geneva, Switzerland – The World Economic Forum announced the list of Young Global Leaders for 2008. This honour is bestowed each year by the World Economic Forum to recognize and acknowledge the top 200-300 young leaders from around the world for their professional accomplishments, commitment to society and potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world.

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Human Resources Hiring

HEALTHY HIRING CLIMATE EXPECTED FOR KITCHENER/CAMBRIDGE AREA

Kitchener – Kitchener/Cambridge area employers expect a healthy hiring climate for the second quarter of 2008, according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey.

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Entertainment Content

Fancast Tops 100 Video Content Providers Offering Content from Top Networks

Philadelphia, PA ­ ­ Fancast, Comcast Interactive Media¹s (CIM) online destination that enables users to watch, manage and find entertainment content wherever it is available, announced that it has video content from over 100 content providers.

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Human Resource - Frustration

Fight Frustration in the Office and Beyond: Tips for Creating Happier, More Productive Days
By Dr. Nancy D. O'Reilly

It doesn't take Monday morning traffic to cause extreme frustration at work. It can even be things as small as a co-worker showing up to a meeting late, or a client calling to cancel his latest order, or the coffee pot being empty in the break room.

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Digital Age Growing

New Study Forecasts Explosive Growth of the Digital Universe; Spotlights Worldwide Phenomenon of "Digital Shadow"

For First Time the "Digital Shadow" -- Amount of Digital Information Being Generated About People -- Surpasses the Amount They Create Themselves; Digital Universe Bigger Than Estimated Due to Explosion of Digital Cameras, Digital TVs, Surveillance Cameras and Social Networks.

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Philanthropy - Food Bank

THE Cambridge Self-Help Food Bank - EASTER FOOD DRIVE KICK OFF

Cambridge - The Cambridge Self-Help Food Bank kicks off this year's Easter Food Drive on the 14th of March at 10:00 a.m. at Forward Baptist Church 455 Myers Road, Cambridge.

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Tourism - Aquatic Park

The largest aquatic amusement park in Canada will be called Calypso Park

Recent announcement of an investment of over $50 M in the Ottawa region: Sunnyland changes its name

OTTAWA - It was with great pride that le groupe Village Vacances Valcartier announced today that the Sunnyland recreation-tourism complex will officially change its name to Calypso Park.

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WLU - Animal Rights Sway Purchase

Laurier's Food Services switches to cage-free eggs

WATERLOO — Some would call Mike Morrice a good egg. There’s no doubt he’s a stand-up guy, but it isn’t his personality that spawned the reference.

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New Housing Price Index

The cost of new housing accelerated for the second month in a row in January, the result of a strengthening housing market in the Atlantic and Prairie provinces.

Statscan - Nationally, contractors' selling prices rose 6.5% between January 2007 and January 2008, a faster pace than the year-over-year increase of 6.2% in December. These back-to-back increases followed 16 months in which the gains in new housing prices had been decelerating.

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International Growth

McVicar announces new acquisition and strengthens it's China Growth Strategy

TORONTO- McVicar Resources Inc. announces that its Chemical subsidiary, Zhejiang Hongbo Chemical Co. Ltd. ("Hongbo") has reached an agreement to acquire 80% of Luyuan Chemical Co. Ltd. ("Luyuan") in Xiangshui city, Northern Jiangsu Province, China.

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Financial - Tech Market

NASDAQ Announces February Market Share Performance Statistics

Matched Market Share in All U.S. Equity Share Volume Exceeded All Other U.S. Exchanges for the Eleventh Consecutive Month

Matched Share Volume in All U.S. Exchange Traded Funds
Surpassed All Other U.S. Exchanges

NEW YORK - The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. announced its consolidated market performance statistics for the NASDAQ Market Center for the month of February. Matched volume in all U.S. securities was 44.4 billion shares in February, as compared with 28.1 billion shares in February 2007.

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International merchandise trade

Canada's merchandise trade surplus with the world expanded by about $1 billion in January, as exports increased at their fastest pace in more than a year.

Statscan - Canadian companies exported $38.0 billion worth of merchandise, a 3.6% increase from December. Exports were on a downward trend through most of 2007. In terms of constant dollars, a method used to isolate volume changes, export prices rose 4.2%, while volumes edged down 0.6% in January.

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Education Women Trades

Conestoga Earns Funding for Technical Trades Opportunities for Women

Kitchener/Waterloo - Conestoga College will receive $290,000 in fiscal year 2008-2009 to provide continued opportunities for women to pursue education related to entering careers in the skilled trades. The funding comes via the Women in Skilled Trades program (WIST), administered by the Ontario Women*s Directorate.

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Environmental - Emerging Markets

SunOpta Announces Joint Venture for Refining Healthy Organic and Natural Vegetable Oils

TORONTO - SunOpta Inc. announced that it has entered into an agreement to establish a joint venture with Colorado Mills LLC ("Colorado Mills") of Lamar Colorado, to build and operate an organic and natural vegetable oil refining facility.

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All about Cheques

RDM announces MICR CMC7 font support

WATERLOO - RDM Corporation a leading developer of specialized software and hardware products for electronic payment processing and Remote Deposit Capture (RDC) solutions announced today support of MICR CMC7 font for international applications on the EC7000i(R) & EC6000i(R) series of check scanners.

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International merchandise trade

Construction Costs to Moderate in Ontario

- Construction cost increases in Ontario to moderate through 2011, resulting in more predictable housing prices for consumers

- Construction costs forecast to rise by 7% in 2008; 6% in 2009; 4% in 2010; and 4% in 2011

- Despite challenges in manufacturing, Ontario's construction sector will be driven by strong population growth and the replacement of aging infrastructure

- Larger and complex construction projects will have greater cost escalation than smaller projects >>

TORONTO - A new report released by BTY Group shows that construction costs are continuing to rise in Ontario, but at a more predictable pace.

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Social Networking

Social Networking Threats Addressed at MAAWG Meeting; Industry Advances to Combat Other Online Abuse

SAN FRANCISCO -- Initiating a dialogue with ISPs on how to protect social sites from exploitation, Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist, asked network operators to trust that users will voluntarily report abuse and to cooperate with sites in building a safe online environment at the Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group (MAAWG) general meeting in San Francisco held Feb. 18-20.

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Human Resource

Absence makes the team uneasy

Bosses, Employees Have Similar Comfort Levels With Remote Work Teams

TORONTO - Contrary to popular belief, employees don't relish time away from their bosses, according to new survey results.

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Investment in IPO's

Canadian listings on AIM during 2007 decrease 46% after record year in 2006

Toronto — The number of Canadian Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) on AIM, a market operated by the London Stock Exchange (LSE), decreased 46% during 2007, according to the 2007 Canadian AIM Survey released March 10, 2008 from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

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Communications Yakity Yak

Globalive's Yak communications submits application to officially enter Canada's wireless auction

Well positioned to become Canada's next national wireless carrier: Yak

TORONTO - Globalive Communications Corp., parent company of Yak Communications (Canada) Corp., announced that it took a major step in becoming Canada's only "no contracts, no gimmicks" national wireless provider.

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Climate Change

Government Delivers Details of Greenhouse Gas Regulatory Framework

OTTAWA - The Government of Canada published details of the Turning the Corner regulatory framework originally announced on April 26, 2007. The documents, posted to Environment Canada's website, provide additional details about how the Government of Canada will move forward with its plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

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Education Environment

Environmental education short-changes students

WINNIPEG - The Frontier Centre for Public Policy released a background paper on environmental education in the schools.

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Earth Hour

Lights out! Guelph powers down for Earth Hour - Community urged to reduce non-essential energy use on March 29

GUELPH, ON – The City of Guelph has joined the growing list of municipalities around the world taking part in the Earth Hour campaign to raise awareness about climate change. Guelph residents and businesses are encouraged to show their support by turning off all non-essential lights between 8 and 9 p.m. on Saturday, March 29.

Monday March 10, 2008

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Retail News

Retailers Offer Students More Than $50,000 in Scholarships through Retail as a Career Scholarship Program

Toronto – According to recent census results released by Statistics Canada, the retail industry is now the No. 1 career destination for both men and women in Canada, and the sector also saw the largest growth in absolute number of jobs between 2001 and 2006.

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Retirement Income

Study: Income security in retirement among the working population - 1983 to 2004

Statscan - On average, Canadian workers had family disposable incomes at age 75, when most are retired, that were 80% of their incomes at age 55, when they were working, according to a new study. However, the extent to which they maintained their income in retirement varied with their level of income.

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Housing Starts

Housing starts move higher in February

Urban starts registered an increase of 45.2 per cent in British Columbia, 26.2 per cent in Quebec, 16.9 per cent in the Atlantic region and 16.4 per cent in Ontario. The Prairies bucked the trend and registered a decline of 9.6 per cent in February.

OTTAWA - The seasonally adjusted annual rate(1) of housing starts was 256,900 units in February, up from 222,700 units in January, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).


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Biofuel News

Austria opens first cooperative biomass service station

Austria - The Austrian state of Carinthia, in the south of the country, has opened its first cooperatively managed service station for biomass. 7000 small farmers are members of the energy cooperative, which collects residual wood and turns it into finished products ready for combustion in large biomass power stations and small heating units.

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Clean Air Alliance Statement

Nuclear power handed monopoly

Ontario's Energy Minister Gerry Phillips announced today that the Government of Ontario has decided to give nuclear power companies a monopoly to supply up to 72% of Ontario's electricity demand.

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2008 Q1 Confidence Survey

TEC Canada Releases First Quarter 2008 CEO Index Results

CEO confidence at record low

CALGARY, ALBERTA- Canadian CEOs and business leaders project a worsening in economic conditions as we move through 2008. The first quarter CEO Confidence Index shows a downward slide from the previous quarter and a deep drop, over 17% change, in CEO confidence when compared to one year ago.

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Tax Tip: Become a Representative!

Did you know...

OTTAWA - That the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)'s Represent a client service has proven to be a fast, easy, and secure way for representatives to access their client's tax information online? More than two million individuals have authorized their representative to use this service.

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Environment - Decreases in Emissions

EPA Seeks Public Comment on U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory

Major finding overall emissions during 2006 decreased by 1.5 percent

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking public comment on a draft annual report that analyzes sources of greenhouse gas emissions. The report, Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2006, will be open for public comment for 30 days after the Federal Register notice is published.

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Education - Outstanding Students

Awards of Distinction dinner honours outstanding Laurier students

WATERLOO — Wilfrid Laurier University celebrated the achievements of 13 outstanding students at the annual Awards of Distinction dinner and ceremony recently.

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Energy from Biomass

U of M researchers discover key for converting waste to electricity

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL - Researchers at the University of Minnesota studying bacteria capable of generating electricity have discovered that riboflavin (commonly known as vitamin B-2) is responsible for much of the energy produced by these organisms.

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Communication - Encryption

Ontario Privacy Commissioner hails major advancement in a privacy-enhancing technology for voice biometrics

TORONTO - Today, the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, in conjunction with PerSay (Israel, www.persay.com) and Philips priv-ID (Netherlands, www.priv-id.com), is announcing a major advancement forward in developing a privacy-enhancing technology for biometrics - the successful combination of Biometric Encryption (BE) with voice biometrics.

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Business Debt load 2006

Survey of Suppliers of Business Financing

Statscan - The debt load held by Canadian businesses increased for the third consecutive year in 2006, and again larger borrowers were mostly responsible for the gain.

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Government and Poverty

Why is it so tough?

Kitchener - On Tuesday, March 18, the Community Conversation Series will provide an opportunity to explore the reasons why some people have such a hard journey to economic independence.

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Human Resources

Help Wanted - Concern over shortage of labour hits new high

Ottawa – Business owners’ concern over the shortage of qualified labour hit a record high in 2007, with 309,000 jobs remaining vacant for at least four months, according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).

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Manufacturing - Union

CAW Calls on P.M. to Act as Manufacturing Jobs Hit Record Low

TORONTO - CAW President Buzz Hargrove is calling on Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper to take immediate action in light of today's alarming job market statistics which show continuing loss of manufacturing jobs in Canada.

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Environment - Clean Up

Workshop with Calif. agencies will highlight Chromium investigation and cleanup work

SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency along with the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board and the Calif. Department of Toxic Substances Control will host a workshop for the public on San Fernando Valley.

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International Women's Day

Top 10 Reasons Why Harper is Turning Back the Clock on Women's Equality

Toronto - The CAW Women's Department, a women rights group organized within the organized CAW highlights 10 areas where Steven Harper regresses Women's Equality.

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Environment News

Scientists discover genetics of nitrogen fixation in plants - potential implications for future agriculture

Biopact - Some plants have the capacity to grow well in nutrient poor soils without additional fertilizers. This is the result of a very efficient symbiosis between either nitrogen fixing bacteria that interact with the plant's roots, or between these roots and mycorrhizal fungi.

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Energy at Home

Fuel cells move into homes

By Yuri Kageyama

HIRATSUKA, Japan - Masanori Naruse jogs every day, collects miniature cars and feeds birds in his backyard, but he's proudest of the way his home and 2,200 others in Japan get electricity and heat water - with power generated by a hydrogen fuel cell.

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Education Strike

Cafeteria Workers and Cleaning Staff begin Strike at Seneca College

Aramark workers demand fair first contract at Seneca's Markham campus

TORONTO - Foodservice workers and janitorial staff at Seneca's Markham campus, employed by the multi-national Aramark and members of UNITE HERE, set up picket lines this morning just north of Toronto, striking for a fair first contract.