B.C.’s exports surge 14 per cent in first half of 2011
Led by strong gains to Asia and Europe, British Columbia’s exports for the first half of 2011 are up by nearly 14 per cent compared with first six months of 2010. Figures released by Statistics Canada show that B.C.’s international merchandise exports from January to June were worth $15.9 billion, compared with $14 billion last […]
BC Hydro to cut proposed rate increase in half following government review
A government review panel has painted a picture of a bloated B.C. Hydro Corp. which is overstaffed by up to 1,200 employees. Panel member Cheryl Wenezenki-Yolland, acting deputy minister of advanced education, said Thursday that the Crown corporation is overstaffed in the communications, human resources and engineering departments. The panel responded to Hydro’s proposed rate […]
Why the U.S. debt crisis is just the tip of the melting iceberg
By Boyd Cohen, Triple Pundit I am from the U.S. and have lived in Europe and, most recently, Canada for the 10 years since getting my Ph.D. at the University of Colorado. While I am no economist (my Ph.D. is in business), I believe that the recent U.S. debt crisis and the complete and utter […]
Residents of Midway edge towards their $800,000 goal
There has been $60,000 raised towards the goal of $800,000 needed to pay off an American lender as the village of Midway attempts to save their sawmill, reports The Vancouver Province. Residents of Midway, two hours west of Nelson, came together in January to buy their mill, shut down in 2008 by Fox Forest Products […]
Worry deepens as markets continue to plummet
North American stock markets witnessed another massive sell-off on Monday as investors grew increasingly worried about the health of the global economy. In Toronto, the S&P/TSX composite index closed with a loss of 491.21 points, or roughly four per cent, at 11,670.96. It has now lost 1,145 points over three trading days. In New York, […]
Co-gen a no-go for Interfor
International Forest Products Ltd. (Interfor) will not be proceeding with its plan to develop a co-generation plant in Grand Forks after they received news that their bid to B.C. Hydro was unsuccessful. On August 2nd, Interfor announced that its proposal under Hydro’s Phase 2 Power Call to construct a 20 MW power plant at Grand […]
Boundary Sawmills scrambles for $1 million to close mill purchase in Midway
With a target in sight of $1 million, Stephen Hill is literally hitting the pavement in Vancouver to raise the money needed to complete the purchase of the Midway mill site for Boundary Sawmills Inc. (BSI). “I’m handing out brochures asking for assistance to pay off our deal with Fox,” said Hill. Hill has been […]
West Kootenay-Boundary jobless rate rises to 8.6 per cent
The unemployment rate in the West Kootenay-Boundary still high as the figure for rose to 8.6 per cent in July. Although that number is down from nine per cent in July of 2010, there are 1,200 less people that have jobs in 2011, according to Statistics Canada. Canada’s unemployment rate dipped to 7.2 per cent […]
B.C. HST ballot deadline looms
The decision to keep or nix B.C.’s controversial harmonized sales tax leaves the public’s hands after 4:30 p.m. PT Friday afternoon. That’s when Elections BC starts carefully verifying ballots are from registered voters and tallying up the results. Ballots can be dropped off at any of Elections BC’s five collection centres in the Lower Mainland, […]
Loonie drops and markets nosedive on fears of global recession
Keep building that bunker, the global economy is teetering on the brink of another recession as markets took a nosedive Thursday, the Financial Post reports. A 3.40 per cent drop in the Toronto Stock Exchange was coupled with a $5.30 drop in West Texas Intermediate crude oil to $86.63 U.S. a barrel, while the loonie […]