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Fostering Innovative Thinking

Government supports Shad Valley youth enrichment program

FREDERICTON, NB and WATERLOO, ON - Funding of $200,000 to support the development of New Brunswick high school students, who have been identified as top performers, innovative thinkers, and future leaders, was announced today by Education Minister Kelly Lamrock.

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Labour Force Survey March 2008

Following two months of large gains, employment edged up slightly in March 2008

Statscan - A surge of entrants into the labour market caused the unemployment rate to move up 0.2 percentage points to 6.0%. Canada's participation rate reached a new record high of 68.0% in March.


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Occupational Health Violation

Stelco Inc. fined $400,000 for occupational health and safety violations

HAMILTON - Stelco Inc. pleaded guilty and was fined $400,000 for three occupational health and safety violations in the Ontario Court of Justice, April 2, 2008.

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Migration Habits of U-Haul Customers

U-Haul Names Toronto as Top 2007 Canadian Destination

PHOENIX - U-Haul released results of the 2007 U-Haul National Migration Trend Report titled "The 2007 Top 25 Canadian Destination Cities Report." According to moving data reflective of nationwide statistics for calendar year 2007, Toronto was ranked No. 1 for the sixth year in a row, while Calgary came in at second for the fourth year in a row. Montreal took third place this year, with Edmonton following closely in fourth place. Ottawa, Vancouver, London, Kitchener, Hamilton and Victoria rounded out the top 10.

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Media - Innovative Collaboration

MastersGolf.ca Mobile Campaigns Powered By Industry Leaders

Carlson Marketing Canada, iLoop Mobile and Jambo Mobile partner with Graham Sanborn Media to deliver End-to-End Mobile Interactive Services

Toronto - Graham Sanborn Media Ltd., announced that Carlson Marketing Canada, iLoop Mobile and Jambo Mobile have collaborated to deliver s full suite of mobile interactive services for MastersGolf.ca. The highly-innovative collaboration effort will enable Graham Sanborn Media, in association with Carlson Marketing Canada, to offer professional golf tournament properties around the world a fully integrated Internet and mobile solution to enhance their television broadcast coverage in the Canadian market.

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Letter to the Editor

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Book Review

Good Behavior by Decree? How a Simple Contract Can Motivate Employees to Create a Kinder, Gentler (More Prosperous) Workplace

Yes, you can legislate good behavior.

Quint Studer, author of Wall Street Journal bestseller Results That Last, explains how to create and use a Standards of Behavior contract that boosts morale, customer satisfaction, and profitability.

Hoboken, NJ — Consider the things your employees do that you wish they wouldn't. Allison, for instance, chews gum—loudly—when she's on the phone with customers. Calvin consistently forgets to turn off his cell phone at critical times.

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Predictive Analytics Innovation

New CEO Predicts Growth beyond Marketing Services

McKinsey Consultant Charts Strategy to Take Automatic Prediction to Financial Services, Web 2.0, Disease Management

TORONTO - Generation5's new CEO, David P. Freese arrives with a strategy to take Generation5's innovative prediction technology into adjacent markets. Through a decade's investment in research and development, Generation5 mathematicians have perfected a unique, automatic approach to customer predictions that is dramatically faster and more accurate than traditional predictive analytics.

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Innovative Intergrated Community

Corix Utilities and West Capital Developments Reach Agreement to Provide Vital Infrastructure for Canada's Premier Airpark

VANCOUVER/OTTAWA - The Corix Group of Companies and West Capital Developments have reached an agreement for Corix to be responsible for the water and wastewater infrastructure for a 1,000 acre airpark development within the City of Ottawa.

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Inclusive Community

Waterloo Community Action Forum to Focus on Inclusion

Waterloo - Waterloo Mayor Brenda Halloran in partnership with the Social Planning Council of Kitchener Waterloo will be hosting a one day forum geared at enhancing the City’s focus on inclusion.

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Innovation - Hydrogen Competition

Two Canadian Universities Among Finalists in International Hydrogen Design Competition

OTTAWA – Project teams from the University of Waterloo and McMaster University in Hamilton are among the five finalists in the international Hydrogen Student Design Contest being held in the United States. Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) provided $5,000 in support for the contest.

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Tourism Hotel Industry

Strong dollar diminishes hotel industry profits

OTTAWA - Canada's hoteliers can expect profits to drop by almost 26 per cent to $822 million in 2008, due to the continued decline in spending by American tourists, according to the Conference Board's Canadian Industrial Outlook: Canada's Accommodation Industry - Winter 2008.

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Financial Award Recognition

Investors Group wins Lipper(R) Award for best international equity fund

WINNIPEG - For the second consecutive year, Investors Group has been recognized for industry-leading fund performance at the prestigious Lipper(R) Fund Awards ceremony.

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Education Funding

Campaign Waterloo raises $100 million in private donations

WATERLOO - The University of Waterloo has passed a major milestone in its efforts to meet the needs of the next generation of students and researchers, joining a small list of Canadian universities that have raised $100-million in one year.

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Managing Diversity

KPMG Named One of Canada's Best Diversity Employers

TORONTO - KPMG in Canada ("KPMG") has been recognized by Mediacorp Canada Inc. as among the best employers to promote diversity in the workplace. KPMG shares this honour with 25 other employers across Canada, and is proud to be a leader among their peers in creating a workplace that welcomes and celebrates diversity in its various forms.

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Tourism Statement

Latest National Tourism Indicators Another Encouraging Sign for Canada's Tourism Industry

OTTAWA - The Honourable Diane Ablonczy, Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism), issued a statement in response to a positive Statistics Canada report on Canada's tourism industry.

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Ratified Agreement

Sysco workers ratify new collective agreement, ending lock-out

PETERBOROUGH - Workers at Sysco have left the picket line and ratified a new collective agreement. The deal was reached this afternoon by CAW Local 414 and the company.

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Aquisition

Moneris Solutions Announces Strategic Acquisition of Keycorp Canada Inc.

TORONTO - Moneris Solutions, Canada's largest processor of credit, debit and gift card payments, announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Keycorp Canada Inc. (KCI). The deal is expected to close at the end of April.

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Water Management

New England Water Works Assoc. Joins EPA’s WaterSense Program Group Will Promote Simple Ways to Save Water

Boston, Mass. - At its Spring meeting, the New England Water Works Association today joined forces with EPA to work with their thousands of members to help educate consumers on how to conserve water for future generations and reduce costs on their water bills.

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Florida Deals

Coldwell Banker’s Peter Benninger Attended International Brokers Forum in Orlando, Florida

Event Highlighted International Interest in Florida Property

Kitchener – Coldwell Banker’s Peter Benninger attended an international broker’s forum at the company’s annual business conference held at the Gaylord Palms Resort Hotel and Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

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Environment Education

Have a tree planted in your classes’ honour!

Hamilton - Elementary school classes in the Hamilton and Halton Boards of Education have been invited to participate in the to the Ontario Garden Show’s Green Team Challenge.

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Education Growth

CFI Invests $620,000 in U of G Research

Guelph - The University of Guelph Kemptville Campus is getting a state-of-the-art animal science laboratory, and the Ridgetown Campus will be home to a new soil fertility and plant nutrition facility, thanks to the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI).

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Bio Fuel

Brazil biodiesel sputters on social, green goals
By Raymond Colitt

IRAQUARA, Brazil (Reuters) - Booming demand for biodiesel has become a lifeline for some poor farmers who plant oil seeds in Brazil's dry northeast but critics say the fuel is not as clean, equitable and bountiful as the government boasts.

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Lifestyle Market Purchasing Power

In Canada, two million gays and lesbians represent a market of 100 billion dollars, according to a study of the IGLCC unveiled in a world premiere

MONTREAL - A non-homogeneous population which has a great purchasing power, a market segment still under exploited, consumers faithful to their favourite brands and which have a higher discretionary income than the population in general... these are some of the conclusions drawn from the first overall portrait of the socio-economic situation of the gay and lesbian community (LGBT) throughout the world which was unveiled yesterday in a world premiere in Montreal.

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New Online Health Claims Adjudication

The Co-operators Launches New Health and Dental Claims Solution

REGINA, SK - Co-operators Life Insurance Company is pleased to announce the successful launch of a new platform for drug, dental and extended health claims adjudication.

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Biotech Industry

Biotech Avoids Fall Out From Tough Quarter for Capital Markets

SAN FRANCISCO - The biotech industry came through a very turbulent first quarter relatively unscathed with the Burrill Biotech Select Index, a price-weighted index tracking 20 of biotech's "blue chip" companies, finishing unchanged compared to the Dow, which closed down 7.5% and the Nasdaq, whose value dropped 14%.

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Brewers New Chair and Board

Brewers Association of Canada Announces a New Chair and Board Members

OTTAWA - The Brewers Association of Canada (BAC) is pleased to announce the election of Bruce McCubbin as Chair of its Board of Directors.

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Entrepreneurship

$100,000 Business Incubator Challenge - Taking Entrepreneurs to the Next Level

TORONTO - Canadian entrepreneurs have a unique chance to take their business to the next level if they win the $100,000 Business Incubator Challenge, presented by The Globe and Mail and Cisco.

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Union Disruption

CAW Fight-back Against Sysco Foods

PETERBOROUGH - The CAW brought together hundreds of local leaders and activists from across Ontario as part of a co-ordinated effort to disrupt operations at Sysco Foods and have the company return to the bargaining table.

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Bio Fuels - Europe

EU members set to demand tougher biofuel standards

Europe - Member states look set to demand stricter sustainability criteria for biofuels made from agricultural crops in a bid to avert negative environmental side-effects linked to their mass production, according to a draft paper circulated by the Slovenian Presidency.

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Importing and Distribution

Harper Power Products Inc. adds DEUTZ engines to their product portfolio

Company now has an unrivalled engine line-up

TORONTO - Paul and Steve Harper, owners of Harper Group Inc., the parent company of Harper Power Products Inc., are pleased to announce the addition of the DEUTZ engine line to the Harper Power Products Inc. portfolio.

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Exporting - Bio Fuel

US subsidies hurt UK biodiesel
By William Surman

Subsidised biodiesel from the United States is undercutting UK production and threatening the growth of the domestic industry, biofuel experts have warned.

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Energy - Manaufacturing

EPA Report Profiles Energy Star Partners for Significantly Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Washington, D.C. - Energy Star award winners, Lowe's Cos. Inc., PepsiCo, Food Lion, LLC, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Inc., Marriott International Inc., and 3M, are among those showcased in a report released today by EPA for reducing greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency.

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Book Review - Leadership

THE LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE FROM INDIVIDUAL SUCCESS TO ORGANIZATION SIGNIFICANCE
by Ron Crossland & Gregg Thompson

“The net result of our research and experience is both simple and confounding: leading organizations is getting harder, not easier, to do.”

– Ron Crossland & Gregg Thompson in The Leadership Experience

In today’s flattened, porous, networked, multicultural business world, with baby-boomers retiring and new green leaders coming up through the ranks, organizations are in desperate need of people at all levels who understand how to be both individual and organizational leaders.

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World News

WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM ON AFRICA CONVENES IN CAPE TOWN IN JUNE 2008

Geneva, Switzerland, 2 April 2008 – The World Economic Forum on Africa will be held in Cape Town, South Africa, from 4 to 6 June 2008.

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2008 March New Car Sales

Chrysler Canada Celebrates 20 Straight Months of Sales Success

- Sales growth streak continues
- March sales up 3.5 per cent
- Jeep(R) brand sets new March record up 25.8 per cent
- Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan Minivan continue to thrive
- Dodge Caliber, Jeep Compass and Jeep Patriot up 29.2 per cent

WINDSOR - Chrysler Canada announced today a sales increase of 3.5 per cent, reaching 20 months of consecutive sales growth.

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2008 March New Car Sales

FORD F-SERIES DRIVES TRUCK SALES INCREASE FOR FORD OF CANADA

March 2008 Highlights:

Ford F-Series sales increase 12.4% in March
Ford Edge sales increase 15.8%, for the best March on record
Ford Escape sales rise 13.1%, marking its best March on record

OAKVILLE – The venerable Ford F-Series line of pick up trucks continues to deliver segment-leading results for Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited with a 12 per cent sales increase last month. Record March sales were also marked for the Ford Edge and Ford Escape.

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2008 March New Car Sales

Volkswagen Canada March 2008 sales results

AJAX - Volkswagen Canada has announced that its sales totalled 3,531 new units for March 2008 representing a 2.4% decrease compared to March 2007. Touareg and City Golf sales rocketed, with an increase of 95.7% and 83.0%, respectively.

Tuesday April 1, 2008

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Prospertity Potential

Canadians should set their sights on achieving Canada’s future prosperity potential

Ontario - Despite some concerns about an economic slowdown, Canadians have excellent opportunities to redouble their efforts at tackling a long-term Prosperity Agenda to reach our economic potential by 2020.

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Lifestyle - Hockey

KITCHENER-WATERLOO PROVINCIAL WOMEN’S HOCKEY LEAGUE EXPANSION TEAM NAMED “KITCHENER-WATERLOO RANGERS” AND ANNOUNCES COACHING STAFF.

Kitchener-Waterloo - Waterloo Girls Minor Hockey Association (WGMHA) and Kitchener Minor Hockey Association (KMHA) have agreed to a sponsoring partnership with the Kitchener Rangers OHL Hockey Club.

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Collections Music Manuscript

Laurier acquires 500-year-old medieval manuscript

WATERLOO – Wilfrid Laurier University is adding a rare 500-year-old hymnal to its University Archives and Special Collections. The 15th-century manuscript, originally from northern Italy, will be unveiled at a reception April 3, where members of Laurier’s Chapel Choir will bring some of the hymnal’s songs to life.

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Reopen Ford Essex Plant

Ford Essex Still Needs Feds to Put in Their Share, says CAW President

WINDSOR - The CAW is celebrating today's announcement by the Ontario government and Ford Canada of an investment needed to re-open the Ford Essex engine plant.

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CRTC Approval

CRTC Approves Rogers Acquisition of channel m

TORONTO - Rogers Media announced that the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has approved the agreement under which Rogers Broadcasting, a Rogers Media subsidiary, will acquire Vancouver's free over-the-air ethnic station, channel m (CHNM-TV) from Multivan Broadcast. The transaction is expected to close on April 30, 2008.

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Laurier Expands

Laurier explores opportunity to create a university campus in Milton

MILTON, ON. — Wilfrid Laurier University has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Town of Milton to explore the possibility of establishing a university campus on 150 acres of land on the southwest side of the community, adjacent to the Niagara Escarpment.

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CANADIAN FEDERATION OF STUDENTS

McGuinty Government Stonewalls on Prohibited Ancillary Fees

Questions from Students and Politicians Go Unanswered

Toronto - During question period in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario this afternoon, the McGuinty government dodged opposition questions about the $50 million per year that Ontario's public colleges continue to unfairly charge students in violation of the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities' 'Binding Policy Directive'.

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Tourism - Places to Stay

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELER CELEBRATES AUBERGE SAINT-ANTOINE AS ‘HOTEL YOU’LL LOVE’

The world’s most widely read travel magazine selects hotel for its prestigious “Stay List”

Quebec City – Auberge Saint-Antoine, the 94-room boutique hotel located in Quebec City’s majestic Old Port, renowned for its perfect blend of modernity and cultural heritage has been included in the National Geographic Traveler’s esteemed “Stay List – Hotels you’ll love.”

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Report US Taxbreaks

New Report Exposes Multi-Billion Dollar Handout for Corporate Homebuilders Who Helped Cause the Housing Crash and Mortgage Crisis

Under the Foreclosure Prevention Act, Taxpayers Will Pay as Much as $33 Billion to Reward Those at Fault

Washington, D.C. – US Corporate homebuilders – including those responsible for the mortgage and housing crisis – would receive billions of dollars in tax breaks under a provision of the Foreclosure Prevention Act currently pending in Congress, according to a report released March 31, 2008.

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Morning Column

Take Action on Your Future!
By Douglas Vermeeren

Be honest ... by now you've long forgotten the New Year's resolutions you promised to uphold this year. You know from experience that those resolutions won't stick, so stop wasting your time on them! If you really want to succeed, you need a clear-cut plan and the commitment to follow it. Only then can you finally achieve the success you've always wanted.

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Teamsters' Comment on Closure

Quebecor World Closes the Magog Plant

MONTREAL - The management of Quebecor World's Magog plant announced the closure of its facilities to its 350 employees thie morning of March 31, 2008.

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Abuse of Dominance

NHL Ownership Transfer and Relocation Policies Reviewed by Competition Bureau

The Bureau found no evidence that the NHL engaged in any anticompetitive acts.

OTTAWA - National Hockey League policies on ownership transfers and franchise relocations do not contravene the Competition Act, the Competition Bureau announced March 31, 2008 after the conclusion of an investigation.

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Media Newspaper publishers

Canada's newspaper publishing industry experienced modest growth and stable profits in 2006, as rising revenues and profits among publishers in the Western provinces compensated for slower results in the East.

Statscan - Operating revenues in the industry amounted to $5.34 billion in 2006, up 2.6% from $5.21 billion in 2005.

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Information Ranking

Cyberplex Ranks Third on the 2007 Branham 300 Listing

TORONTO - Cyberplex Inc. has been named one of the top three Movers and Shakers on the 2007 Branham 300, an independent annual ranking of the 300 largest information technology (IT) companies in Canada.

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Lifestyle - Exhibition

Monday March 31, 2008

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Education - Digital Media

Ontario Funds Skills Training For Next Generation Jobs

Ontario Government Funds New Digital Media Lab At OCAD

TORONTO- Ontario is investing $9 million to help the Ontario College of Art & Design (OCAD) train the next generation of digital media designers and entrepreneurs.

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Waterloo Region Infrastructure

ONTARIO INVESTS IN WATERLOO REGION INFRASTRUCTURE, JOBS

McGuinty Government Building Stronger Communities

Waterloo Region - Ontario is investing in water, sewer and other municipal infrastructure projects, including over $15 million for municipalities in the Region of Waterloo, to help communities give families a good quality of life with real opportunities.

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Health Care Appointment

New Executive Director of KW Cancer Support Facility

Waterloo - The Board of Directors of HopeSpring Cancer Support Centre is pleased to announce the appointment of Marion Neisen as Executive Director, effective immediately.

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Advance Animal Health

Province Invests $56 Million in U of G

Guelph - President Alastair Summerlee welcomes the news that the McGuinty government will be investing an additional $56 million in the University of Guelph to advance research, animal health and the Ontario Veterinary College.

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Education Sector Salaries

UW lists $100,000 salaries for 2007

President David Johnston tops list at $458,571.58

Waterloo - UW released a list of the 688 employees who were each paid more than $100,000 during 2007.

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Gross domestic product

Gross domestic product (GDP) was up 0.6% in January, as the economy bounced back from the 0.7% decline registered in December 2007.

Statscan - Growth was broadly based, with wholesale trade and manufacturing leading the way. Growth in manufacturing in January was widespread, with almost one-third of the gain attributable to the partial recovery in motor vehicle manufacturing.

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Request for Information

CAW and Rideau Institute seek release of information by Industry Minister Jim Prentice on MDA deal with ATK

TORONTO/OTTAWA - The Canadian Auto Workers union and the Rideau Institute publicly released a letter written by their legal counsel calling upon Industry Minister Jim Prentice to release information regarding the purchase of MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates' (MDA) important Canadian space information systems

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Food Philanthropy

Volunteers Grow Community – National Volunteer Week

Canstruction Waterloo Region Award

Waterloo - Five awards will be awarded by Waterloo Regions Food Bank Canstruction Waterloo Region Award. On March 29, four were decided by the judging panel, and one chosen by the public at large.

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Environment Travel Water

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Proposes Aircraft Drinking Water Regulation

Washington, D.C. - Aircraft passengers and crews will be able to drink safer water under new regulations proposed Friday March 28, 2008 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

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Transportation - Rates

Canada's First Web-Based Freight Rate Benchmarking Tool Launched

GUELPH - Trans-Lucent Markets (TLM) is pleased to announce the launch of the AccuFreight Index (AFI), Canada's first web-based freight rate benchmarking tool. Effective April 2, 2008, shippers, carriers and third party logistics companies (3PLs) that subscribe to the service will be able to benchmark, easily and quickly, freight rates for shipping lanes within Canada, and between Canada and the US.

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Tourism - Wine Festival

The 2008 Bordeaux Wine Festival: A new vintage full of colour and innovation!

Montreal - In order to mark the tenth anniversary of the Bordeaux Wine Festival, the Bordeaux Town Hall and the Tourist Office have decided to offer visitors from all over the world a new setting for the celebration.

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Global Business Challenge

HEC Montreal Wins the Gold Medal at the International MBA Case Study Competition in Singapore

MONTREAL- HEC Montreal is bringing home the gold, winning first place in the finals of the National University of Singapore (NUS) Global Business Challenge, held at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Singapore on March 28.

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Transportation - Air

Porter Airlines launches service between Toronto and New York

Ceremonial first flight arrival to be marked by traditional water salute at Newark Liberty International Airport

TORONTO - Porter Airlines introduces new and innovative air service between Toronto and New York. The standard-setting carrier will acquaint New Yorkers with the airline's unique premium short-haul air travel model committed to convenience, speed and service.