1026 replies to this topic

[phx]

The article talks about Victoria being a "next" city, so looks toward the future potential.

I won't pretend that Victoria is perfect, but I'm more optimistic than some about the future.

[spanky123]

Deleted.

[spanky123]

BC Government lays off 203 employees. Another 1,400 at risk.

http://www.timescolo...1272/story.html

Hate to see this happen but I think that it is finally bringing a sense of reality to the local economy.

[mat]

if this is any indication of where Victoria and CRD muni's may be heading - I for one am terrified. Our local economies are slow growth potentials, many 'offices' need to coordinate. When you hear the likes of Lynn Hunter talking about raising taxes to fund all sorts of projects - no wonder business is reconsidering local expansion.

From the Vancouver Sun.-

Metro Vancouver predicts the average homeowner will face a 50-per-cent increase — or $661 — in their tax bill in five years as the region grapples with providing sewage, water and garbage pickup services to a growing population.

The increased taxes for regional services are in addition to property tax increases imposed by individual municipalities.

[spanky123]

Funny the article doesn't mention the $100M bailout of the Olympic Village that the City undertook and will soon have to pay for.

[yodsaker]

We were living in Montreal in the run-up to the '76 fiasco, er, Olympics.
City services crumbled (snow removal, garbage pickup, craters in the streets etc) and taxes went up. The funds were siphoned off to pay for the 2-week blow out. Most people couldn't afford tickets, stadium was full of pols, suits, toadies, corporate weasels and NGO types.
Nil nisi novum sub solum est as the Romans use to say (and they knew about games).

[spanky123]

In this case I think that the Vancouver teachers have it right with their "Teaching 2010 Resistance" program.

[Bob Fugger]

We were living in Montreal in the run-up to the '76 fiasco, er, Olympics.
City services crumbled (snow removal, garbage pickup, craters in the streets etc) and taxes went up. The funds were siphoned off to pay for the 2-week blow out. Most people couldn't afford tickets, stadium was full of pols, suits, toadies, corporate weasels and NGO types.
Nil nisi novum sub solum est as the Romans use to say (and they knew about games).

I wouldn't complain too much about the Montreal Olympics: I understand that most of the buildings in downtown Montreal were built with Olympic Stadium concrete.

As I understood it, the mafia owned all of the cement contracts in Montreal. So what would happen is that the trucks would drive onto the site full of cement, drive around and then drive right back out to another site - still full of cement. Two paying customers supplied with half the cement.

[LJ]

Funny the article doesn't mention the $100M bailout of the Olympic Village that the City undertook and will soon have to pay for.

Well the theory is that the city will make that back and more when they sell the village condos to the public.

With Rennie doing the marketing they will probably break even or better, especially with the housing market heating up again.

[Holden West]

^I think they're hoping to break even.

"If the market does bounce back, and it's strong, and we are able to sell all these units in the next year or two, we could recoup our costs and break even on this project," [Mayor] Robertson told a city hall news conference.

[spanky123]

^I think they're hoping to break even.

Breaking even is best case according to the Mayor.

When Rennie is ready to start selling units next summer they should be just about in time for this http://www.dailypaul.com/node/111775.

[LJ]

Breaking even is best case according to the Mayor.

When Rennie is ready to start selling units next summer they should be just about in time for this http://www.dailypaul.com/node/111775.

That's the US not Canada, and certainly not Vancouver.

[rjag]

That's the US not Canada, and certainly not Vancouver.

Oh yeah right, its different here.

[G-Man]

Omg another bubble aghhhh!!!!!!!!!!!

[spanky123]

BCstats announced this morning the labour force statistics for the month of October http://www.bcstats.g...lfs/lfsdata.pdf

You would think a report showing a seasonally adjusted unemployed rate jump to 8.6% would be worthy of mention somewhere in the news. For years BC has been touting lower than average unemployment and now the corner has finally turned and BC has one of the higher unemployment rates in Canada.

After all, the TC ran a glowing report yesterday stating that the Olympics had generated nearly $1B in revenue for the BC economy between 2003 and 2008 and positively impacted employment in the Province.

[mat]

Google news has over 400 listings for that topic - so it has been reported

CBC - B.C.'s unemployment rate jumped nearly a full percentage point last month to 8.3 per cent, but the province's minister of economic development minister says there is still reason for optimism about the provincial economy.

B.C. lost 13,000 jobs last month, second only to Alberta, which led the nation with 15,000 lost jobs, according to the latest figures released by Statistics Canada on Friday.

But despite the increase, B.C.'s unemployment rate remains below the national average of 8.6 per cent, which increased of 0.2 per cent in October as Canada lost 43,200 jobs nationwide. [ ]

[spanky123]

Google news has over 400 listings for that topic - so it has been reported

Thanks Mat,

I got my columns reversed but the point is that the TC didn't report it even though 1 day earlier they were glowing about the economy and job gains due to the Olympics.

[Bingo]

...WHILE THE REST OF CANADA CREATES JOBS

Dec 4, 2009

VICTORIA CONTINUES TO BUCK THE NATIONAL UNEMPLOYMENT TREND -- IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.

NATIONALLY, THE JOBLESS FIGURE FELL TO 8.5 PER CENT IN NOVEMBER AS 79-THOUSAND JOBS WERE CREATED.

BUT, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE LOOKING FOR WORK IN VICTORIA GREW, HITTING 7.1 PERCENT IN NOVEMBER, UP FROM 6.4 PER CENT THE MONTH BEFORE.

B-C'S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE WAS UNCHANGED. STATISTICS CANADA SAYS B-C CREATED JOBS IN NOVEMEBER, BUT MORE PEOPLE CAME TO THE PROVINCE LOOKING FOR WORK.

THE PROVINCES THAT DID MAKE GAINS WERE ALBERTA, ONTARIO AND QUEBEC.

- RYAN PRICE - CFAX 1070

[victorian fan]

MORE PEOPLE CAME TO THE PROVINCE LOOKING FOR WORK.

Those people certainly skews the numbers.

[spanky123]

The 7.1% unemployment rate is significant as it is the highest unemployment rate that Victoria has experienced in more than 10 years.

Again this month I note that one day after running an article on the real estate and economic pospects for Victoria, the TC fails to report (I see no mention on the website) the employment rate statistics.