UPDATED: Regional Roundup

Energy tax extended

(Aug. 5) - B.C. is continuing its Innovative Clean Energy (ICE) Fund for an additional year, after using the $25 million raised so far to fund alternative energy projects around the province.

The ICE was established in the 2007 B.C. Energy Plan. It tacks on 0.4 per cent to electricity, natural gas, grid propane and fuel oil, but doesn't affect vehicle fuel.

15 projects will receive funding, including $3 million for a biogas recovery project at Metro Vancouver's Lulu Island wastewater treament plant and $1.96 million for Lignol Innovations in Burnaby to develop a cellulose ethanol process.

Surrey keeps building

(Aug. 5) - Another building record may be broken this year in Surrey, but cooling markets could be a sign that it would be the last one for a while, according to Surrey staff's 2008 quarterly report.

Last year, Surrey shattered another building record, reaching close to $1.5 billion in permit values.

If staff projections are correct, it will be the fifth year in a row the city has surpassed the billion dollar mark in building permits.

However, the more preferable industrial and commercial construction has dropped in the first half of this year, compared to the same period last year.

Against the current

(Aug. 5) - This year's Fraser River sockeye salmon has been drastically downgraded, ruling out any further sport or commercial fishing.

The 2008 sockeye run was expected to be at 2.9 million – down from 10 million a year ago – but is now expected to be just 1.6 million.

Only aboriginal fisheries for food, social or ceremonial purposes will still proceed. The results mean 94 native bands along the Fraser and two on Vancouver Island – 65,000 First Nations people – won't have as much salmon stockpiled for the winter as they were promised.

However, enough fish are still expected to make it upriver to fully meet spawning requirements.

Setting the pace

(Aug. 5) - Abbotsford will have the highest growth rate among 14 small and mid sized cities across the county this year, according a recent report by the Conference Board of Canada.

Growth will primarily be seen in the non-residential building sector.

In the first six months of 2008, the value of building permits rose by 75 per cent. Total value of all building permits was $235.6 million compared to $134.7 million for the first six months of 2007.

The report forecasts a 6.6 per cent rise in construction output in 2008 that will keep Abbotsford's economy ahead of the national average.

Surrey on tap

(Aug. 5) - B.C.'s Russell Brewing Company is expanding into Surrey, acquiring 7,000 sq ft of office and warehouse space in Newton at 81 Ave. and 130 St.

The location will be used for storage of finished goods and as a logistics and distribution center for B.C.

The Russell Brewing Company in B.C. and the Fort Garry Brewing Company in Manitoba are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Russell Breweries Inc.

Hectare hex

(Aug. 5) - B.C.'s agricultural land reserve shrank by 632 hectares during the year ended March 31, as applications to the Agricultural Land Commission rose for a fifth consecutive year.

The net exclusion is only a tiny fraction of 4.7 million hectares protected in the land reserve, but the commission notes that population and economic growth continues to put pressure on for other uses of the agricultural land base.

The commission's regional panels hear applications to add land to the reserve, remove it, create subdivisions within it and allow non-farm uses.

Sorrows drowned

(July 25) - The B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch sold $2.7 billion worth of alcoholic beverages in the fiscal year ended in March, up 9.2 per cent from the previous year.

The increase was attributable to a growing population and 23 new private retail stores added during the year.

Wine was the fastest growing category of sales, up 12.2 per cent overall. Domestic wine sales rose 24 per cent, a sign of success for the province's rapidly expanding industry.

Beer continues to be the biggest seller, with more than $1 billion in sales.

A little less transportation

(July 25) - WestJet has cancelled its scheduled Las Vegas flights from Abbotsford, which were due to begin in September.

Despite the move, WestJet still stresses that it sees Abbotsford as a viable location.

Public relations manager Robert Palmer said that the company determined the route would not be profitable despite a "significant verbal indication of demand."

WestJet hopes flyers will now take more advantage of its flights from Vancouver to Vegas.

Top pay revealed

(July 18) – A severance payout to fired B.C. Lottery Corp. CEO Vic Pleschuk made him the highest paid government employee in the province for the fiscal year ended March 31, according to a recent provincial report.

Poleschuk was paid $929,027 for the year, although his base salary was $275,000. He was bought out of his contract following a report by B.C. Ombudsman Kim Carter that revealed a potential for retailer fraud in lottery ticket sales.

The report also shows that the highest salaries typically go to senior managers in government-related corporations and agencies such as health authorities and universities.

Yours to Discover

(July 18) – The first section of Abbotsford's Discovery Trail has been completed with support from the province, local businesses and many individuals.

The initiative was put in place through a $1.1 million provincial Local Motion grant to promote increased fitness and mobility levels among citizens. The city also matched the province's $1.1 million contribution.

The 10 km portion connects five Abbotsford parks through trail development, greenway re-alignment, site excavation and construction of boardwalks and bridges.

Klein defends oil

(July 18) – Speaking to 100 members of the Surrey Board of Trade at Eagleguest Golf Club on July 15, former Alberta premier Ralph Klein insisted the oil indusry is doing what it can to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Klein also acknowledged the environment was a concern, as Alberta oilsands are producing one million barrels per day, with estimates of five million barrels per day by 2050.

On a different note, he also recalled the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary when he touched on the upcoming 2010 Games in Vancouver/Whistler.

"The greatest legacy, in my mind, was the human legacy," he said, noting that as a city and a host you want to present an experience that will bring people back in the future.

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The Great Escape

(July 18) – While Greater Vancouver's economy has done well over the last year, a new report by the Chartered Accountants of B.C. shows that the region is not immune to troubles in the forests sector.

According to the report, Southwest B.C. has enjoyed a buoyant economy, led by a booming construction sector, strong consumer demand and solid business activity.

Altogether, total estimated capital project for the region were $53.1 billion, while 2007 saw another increase in the number of business incorporations, as well as a decline in business bankruptcies.

However, B.C.'s forest sector is going through another tough year, and several temporary and permanent mill closures over the last two years have caused the number of large business establishments to decline.

Paying your way

(July 15) – It is expected that independent truck drivers who drive their own rigs will be among those hardest hit by B.C.'s new carbon tax.

The average long-haul owner-operator who burns up 70,000 litres of diesel a year will pay $3,000 in carbon tax over the next 12 months, according to the B.C. Trucking Association.

However, retrofits to make trucks more aerodynamic, installing anti-idling devices and switching to low-rolling resistance tires could improve fuel efficiency by up to 30 per cent.

Job market prevails

(July 15) – Employers in the Lower Mainland expect a steady hiring pace for the third quarter of 2008, according to the latest survey from Manpower Employment Outlook.

The survey's data shows that 22 per cent of employers plan to hire for the upcoming quarter, while three per cent expect to reduce their workforce.

Another 69 per cent of employers intend to maintain their current staffing levels, while the remaining six per cent are unsure of their staffing intentions.

Of the 10 surveyed sectors, the mining sector reports the most active quarterly results with a net employment outlook of 22 per cent.

Merchant say

(July 15) – Local merchants will have the opportunity to raise concerns about running a business in White Rock in meetings planned this summer with Vann Struth Consulting Group.

Vann Struth has been hired to created the city's Economic Development Strategic Plan, and has previously also made Surrey's economic plan.

Consultations will be held with four groups: at-home and office space businesses, arts and culture related businesses, business on the waterfront and businesses uptown.

Making the scene

(July 15) – Langley-based GreenScene Pellets Inc., working with Dr. Susan Thompson of Crescent Stables Ltd., has built the first full-scale manure drying and shredding plant of its kind in Canada.

On the company's Ladner farm, horse manure is recycled with technology that converts fly-laden waste into dry, sterile, pathogen-free byproduct for use as bedding material or fuel in a carbon-neutral process.

With 400,000 tonnes of manure produced in the Lower Mainland annually, GreenScene is also working with the B.C. Horse Council and local horse farms to provide long-term solutions to the animal waste problem in the GVRD.

Construction employment

(July 15) – Construction employment in the remains high in spite of a very modest downturn from the record high numbers in May, according to Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey.

Construction employment in the Lower Mainland-Southwest region dipped 2.6 per cent in June from May, but has increased 12.9 per cent in the first six months of 2008 compared to 2007.

In the first six months of this year, employment has increased 11.1 per cent in Metro Vancouver, 4.2 per cent in Abbotsford and 12.1 per cent in the province.

SouthWestJet

(July 15) – Calgary-based WestJet Airlines and Dallas, Texas-based Southwest Airlines have forged a codeshare partnership, marking a key boost for WestJet's expansion plans and its stock.

Under the agreement, the two airlines will sell seats on each other's flights, which means both get access to new customers with lower marketing costs.

On the day of the news last month, WestJet shares rose 11 per cent to $14.10. The stock had dropped 19 per cent in the 12 months before the agreement.

TransLink tally

(July 15) – The former TransLink board of 12 elected mayors and councillors collected a total of $126,000 for overseeing the transportation authority last year before a rich new pay package was created for their successors.

TransLink financial statements show Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie, then the chair of TransLink, received the most: $43,524.

Surrey Coun. Marvin Hunt, the vice-chair, got $12,750 and all other directors received less than $9,000 each, based on fees of $200 per meeting.

Future mold

(July 15) – The City of Surrey's sustainability charter is attempting to provide at least one job for every person, and those people will live in a safer, greener and prettier community.

The final draft of the plan was approved at a stakeholders meeting with representatives from different community groups last month.

It is hoped that the charter will guide Surrey's booming economic development so people will enjoy living in the city 50 years from now.

And this includes encouraging more businesses to locate in Surrey to prevent it from being a "bedroom community" for workers who drive to other cities for work.

Faux pas fashions

(July 15) – Wynnie Lee Fashion must pay record-setting damages after being caught selling counterfeit goods.

It has been ordered to pay $980,000 in damages to Louis Vuitton Canada Inc. by the Supreme Court following a trial.

The French fashion house sued Wynnie Lee for selling its accessories, and the suit named Wynnie Lee and her daughter Francisca Hung-Yee Ngan, as well as Lisa Le Dung Tran and a pair of numbered B.C. companies, in its lawsuit.

Scary stop

(July 15) – Surrey Central is by far the scariest stop for SkyTrain riders who fear for their personal safety, according to a new poll conducted by TransLink.

The combined online and telephone survey found 21 per cent of respondents named Surrey's station as the one where they have the most concern about their security, followed by Broadway Station at seven per cent and Metrotown at six per cent.

About a quarter of respondents didn't name a station but said they worry about the entire system, and a quarter also said they have avoided using the SkyTrain at times because they feel unsafe.

Back to school

(July 15) – Canada has received relatively negative marks in the Conference Board of Canada's annual report on the country's quality of life.

The report, which compares 16 of the wealthiest countries in the world, gives Canada 'B' marks in economy, education and skills, health and society, but also a 'C' in environment and a troublesome 'D' in innovation.

Innovation has been low for decades in Canada, the report states, but has been masked recently by good fortune and its respected scientific production.

CFIB stated that Canada's performance is slipping in almost every major category of socio-economic performance, causing it to fall behind countries that are its peers, partners and competitors.

Carbon controversy

(July 15) – The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is urging B.C. to reconsider next year's increase in fuel taxes in light of unexpectedly high oil prices an deteriorating economic conditions.

CFIB reports that the majority of small business owners support going green but do not support the carbon tax. 83 per cent of these owners have taken steps to become "greener" without a tax because they personally believe it is important.

The carbon tax took effect July 1, and added 2.34 cents a litre to the price of gasoline and 2.69 cents a litre to diesel. Further hikes are planned each year until 2012.

Sustained surplus

(July 15) – The province posted a surplus of $1.1 billion in fiscal 2008, according to a new report from Statistics Canada.

B.C.'s surplus was the second-highest of all provincial governments in Canada in 2008, although it was far behind Alberta's surplus of $4.9 billion. Local governments in B.C. posted a deficit of $801 million.

Nationally, the fourth consecutive combined surplus for all Canadian governments hit $28.1 billion in 2008, which was just below the record surplus of $28.6 billion in 2001.

Revenues rose 5.1 per cent between fiscal 2007 and 2008, below the 5.5 per cent growth rate in spending, resulting in a surplus that was down $285 million from last year.

August rush

(July 15) – Surging prices for gasoline and fuel oil will peak before August and decline after that, according to the latest forecast from Credit Union Central of B.C.

Gas prices have recently marched upward towards $1.50 a litre and beyond, due to a combination of the soaring world crude oil price and the beginning of the high-demand summer vacation.

B.C.'s carbon tax is scheduled for July 1 and will add 2.4 cents per litre to existing provincial and federal fuel taxes. It is scheduled to increase to 7.2 cents on a litre of gasoline by 2012.

Sunken Spirit

(July 15) – A narrow vote of four-to-three against White Rock's Spirit Square has shut down the $1 million project that was to be built across from the White Rock Pier.

The city will now have to bid adieu to the $500,000 provincial grant announced last year by Surrey-White Rock MLA Gord Hogg.

The planned public square was to include the parking lot east of White Rock Museum and Archives, and the move had raised the ire of several Marine Drive merchants.

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Grave expectations

(July 15) – The CFIB Business Barometer, which reflects how well business owners expect their own firms to perform over the next 12 months, now stands at 105.2 in B.C.

While this is the 20th consecutive quarter ahead of the national average, it's also the third straight quarter experiencing a decline in B.C's index.

Provincial labour market conditions should continue to remain strong in the year ahead, with 29 per cent of small- and mid-sized businesses planning to increase their number of full-time employees.

National expectations among SMEs took a sharp tumble in June to 100.7 from 104.0.

CFIB's Chief Economist Ted Mallet said the drop is due to the run-up of fuel prices, as well as the continued weakness in the U.S. export markets.