March « 2004 « Les Twarog Vancouver Real Estate and Condo Blog

Archive for March, 2004

Reusing cartridges provides the missing ink

Wednesday, March 10th, 2004

Refilling kiosks save money and reduce waste, B.C.’s Island Ink-Jet Systems says

Andrew Mayeda
Sun

Robert Belanger, manager of an Island Ink-Jet kiosk in Ottawa, poses with a selection of cartridge refill kits.

CREDIT: Pat McGrath, The Ottawa Citizen

If there is a blot on the reputation of ink-jet printers, it is the relatively high cost of replacement ink cartridges and the millions of empty cartridges that end up in landfills each year.

A B.C. company has a solution it claims saves customers up to 60 per cent on the cost of a new cartridge and stems the flow, at least temporarily, into landfill sites.

Island Ink-Jet Systems has opened a refilling kiosk in Ottawa where customers can drop off empty cartridges and have them replenished in less than in an hour.

These days, it’s easy to find a basic ink-jet printer for under $100. But replacement cartridges can set you back well over a third the cost of the printer itself.

Island Ink-Jet Systems can refill cartridges for no more than $19.19, said Alex Schulz, the company’s area developer for Ontario. On average, the cost of refilling works out to one-third the price of a cartridge, he said.

The system works on 95 per cent of cartridge models and allows cartridges to be refilled three to five times, he added. Customers can get a refund if they are unsatisfied with the results. The company also sells a refill kit that can save up to 90 per cent on printing costs.

Island Ink-Jet claims it kept over a million cartridges from going straight to landfills last year. According to Lyra Research, 780 million toner and ink-jet cartridges went that route worldwide last year, while a recycling industry magazine estimates the annual figure for North America is 300 million cartridges.

Printer giant Hewlett Packard, for its part, has taken steps to ease the environmental burden of its ink-jet cartridges. Customers can send the cartridges back to the company, which grinds down the cartridges and separates the metals and plastics for reuse.

“HP is the only [original equipment manufacturer] that offers an ink-jet recycling program,” said Anthony Faga, ink-jet category manager.

He said recent research has shown that refilled cartridges are far less reliable than new ones. “Our cartridges are manufactured with single use in mind, and from a reliability perspective we stand behind our product,” he said.

The issue of refilling or remanufacturing cartridges has roused the ire of some of the big printer makers.

In the United States, Lexmark International has been embroiled in a legal battle with re-manufacturer Static Control Components over a computer chip that matches Lexmark toner cartridges with its printers. Static Control claims the chip unfairly closes it out of the market, while Lexmark contends its technology is protected under copyright laws.

Gilles Brassard, communication chair at the Imaging Technology Council of Canada, said printer giants have adopted a model similar to that used by Gillette, which basically gives away its manual razors and makes money off disposable blades.

“For them [re-manufacturers] are an annoyance. At first they thought we would disappear as an industry, which didn’t happen,” said Brassard, who also operates a re-manufacturing business.

Hewlett Packard and Lexmark are being probed by the European Union competition commissioner for allegedly charging artificially high prices on ink cartridges. An official at Canada‘s Competition Bureau said the agency is aware of that investigation but does not publicly confirm or deny the subjects it is examining.

Including the Ottawa kiosk, Island Ink-Jet Systems has 32 locations in Ontario and 142 in North America.

Posted in Technology Related Articles | Comments Off on Reusing cartridges provides the missing ink

Coming next to wireless

Wednesday, March 10th, 2004

Jim Jamieson
Province

Wireless guru Andrew Seybol sees prices falling as markets widen

Imagine a group of teenagers at the mall a couple of years from now. One of them sees something for sale, snaps a picture with his camera cellphone and e-mails it to a few friends.

Then, moments later, he hits a button on his phone and begins a group “push-to-talk” session with those friends to discuss the prospective purchase.

It’s this kind of instant messaging for voice that wireless guru Andrew Seybold sees as the Next Big Thing in the cellular-communications world.

“It will transform the voice cellphone area,” said Seybold, a California-based analyst and industry newsletter publisher.

“By mid-2005, everybody is going to have push-to-talk. There are lots of things coming, such as buddy lists, so you can see who’s on. The after-school crowd, instead of going home to sit at the computer to do Instant Messaging, will be using push-to-talk.”

The push-to-talk technology — which provides users with a walkie-talkie-like connection from anywhere within a network — has been available in Canada from Telus Mobility’s Mike brand for several years.

But it is not cheap — cost includes a monthly fee and a per-minute charge for push-to-talk connections. Typical customers are in sales, construction and the oil-and-gas industries.

But Seybold predicted that pricing will come down as markets widen.

Bell Mobility has already announced it will be launching a push-to-talk service sometime this year. It is already offered by four U.S. networks and in Europe.

“We are going to have cross-network push-to-talk, which is going to be pretty cool,” said Seybold.

Seybold’s other predictions:

– As new wireless spectrum goes up for auction in the U.S., we will see, for the first time, companies such as AOL, Microsoft and Intel as bidders.

– There will be a big shift in wireless device vendors, away from the traditional makers such as Nokia, with new players from Disney, MTV and even Yahoo!.

Posted in Technology Related Articles | Comments Off on Coming next to wireless

Wood panel prices soaring

Monday, March 8th, 2004

Tough for builders to stick to estimates when cost can double in months

Michael McCullough
Sun

Wildly fluctuating prices for wood panel are creating trouble for home builders and buyers — and forcing some to try creative solutions.

The wholesale price for oriented strand board (OSB), the most common panel in residential construction, rose to $15 US from $6 per sheet between May and September last year, the U.S. National Association of Home Builders reported in a briefing letter released last month. The price collapsed to $7 US in December, but has since rebounded to $15 again — extraordinary for mid-winter.

“The volatility and tightening supplies of plywood and OSB have continued to be a significant problem for many builders, defying attempts to estimate final project costs, schedules and profits,” the NAHB said.

In B.C., the same four-by-eight-foot sheet that sold for $8 (Cdn) a year ago now costs $22.

Local builders, who enjoy a 12-month outdoor building season, worry the price could spike still higher once the building season restarts in the American Midwest and Northeast, and the rest of Canada in April. Building supply prices typically peak every year between May and July.

It’s becoming hard for builders to stick to their estimates when the price can double in a matter of months, before a house is finished.

“We start a project, we tell people it’s going to be around a certain price and I want to be able to keep that,” said Brad Hughes, who owns Park Ridge Homes in Surrey.

Hughes bought a six-month supply of OSB and plywood when the market took a dive in December, but most builders could not afford to do that even if they had the foresight, he said.

“I know I’m going to be framing 30 houses between now and July, so we committed to buy it at a certain price,” he said.

“People are costing out their jobs and there’s no assurance that the prices will be there or will be the same,” said Peter Simpson, executive vice-president and chief operating officer of the Greater Vancouver Home Builders Association. “It’s a concern for us of course because the market is fairly buoyant for us right now.”

The OSB sector is operating at full capacity and will see no more than two per cent growth in production this year, the Washington, D.C.-based NAHB said.

“The key problem seems to be that demand is exceeding capacity, prompting some panic buying and speculative inventory swings that only exacerbate the issue,” the association newsletter said.

The situation is not much different for plywood, which years ago was displaced by the cheaper-to-make composite panel for most household applications.

“Right now OSB is [at a] higher price than plywood, so builders are switching to plywood,” said Chris Coakley, general manager of Port Coquitlam Building Supplies. However, the production capacity for plywood is even more constrained than OSB, so its price will likely shoot past OSB’s in short order.

The $14 increase in the price of a panel in the past year adds around $2,800-$3,500 to the price of a 3,000-square-foot house, Coakley said. But the way things are going it may become less a problem of price and more one of availability. Some building projects could be delayed as builders wait for their orders to be filled.

Coakley has started to examine alternative materials. The first one B.C. builders will consider are one-by-10-inch boards, “what used to be called shiplap,” he said. The trouble with shiplap is it takes more time to install and raises labour costs.

“The framers, they have to nail each board up individually, whereas they can cover 32 square feet at a time with plywood,” he explained.

Coakley is also considering carrying other composite wood and polystyrene panels that have come on the market. Unfortunately, these too come in smaller sizes that hike the labour component.

“The industry has been forced to look at alternatives because of cost and supply,” Simpson said.

Hughes believes cost increases above the rate of inflation will further raise the cost of new homes — which will ultimately dampen demand and let some air out of the current building bubble.

“It’s already enough pressure with the drywall and other things. From the municipality’s building permit fees right to the final cleaning contractors, everybody’s going up a little bit and it’s pushing affordability.”

– – –

LIST OF ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS TO STRUCTURAL PLYWOOD AND OSB

Concerned about the price and availability of structural plywood and oriented strand board, the U.S. National Association of Home Builders’ research centre in Washington, D.C. provided members with a list of alternative materials. (Prices are in U.S. dollars):

– Impregnated fibreboard, aka blackboard, greyboard or buffaloboard. Made of: wood, other plant and/or recycled fibres, binding agents. Currently used for: wall sheathing and floor underlays. Upside: cheap. Downside: not as strong as OSB. Cost per 4X8′ sheet: $4.73.

– Cementitious board. Made of: Portland cement reinforced with fibreglass mesh. Currently used for: backerboard for ceramic tile. Upside: has been used for exterior sheathing under stucco. Downside: not structural, needs corner bracing. Cost per 3X5′ sheet: $15.

– Fiber cement. Made of: wood fibre and cement. Currently used for: siding, sheathing and cladding. Upside: available untextured or textured. Downside: high cost, local building codes may require corner bracing. Cost per 4X8′ sheet: $25.

– Exterior gypsum. Made of: gypsum with paper, glass, cellulose or perlite. Currently used for: backing for stucco or brick veneer. Upside: fire resistant. Downside: requires careful handling. Cost per 4X8′ sheet: $15.68.

– Foil or paper faced insulative board. Made of: various materials. Currently used for: sheathing. Upside: comes in large sheets, does not require corner bracing. Downside: paper faces should not be exposed to moisture. Cost per 4X8′ sheet: $9.

– Foam sheathing. Made of: extruded polystyrene, expanded polystyrene or polyisocyanurate. Currently used for: insulation. Upside: comes in all sizes and thicknesses, most insulative of all sheathing options. Downside: not structural, requires bracing. Cost: $9-10.60.

– Wood boards. Made of: wood. Currently used for: restoration, selected uses. Upside: heritage look. Downside: high cost, labourious to install, inconsistent strength. Cost: varies.

– Imported OSB and plywood (from Brazil, Chile, Europe). Made of: wood fibre, resin. Currently used for: siding, sheathing and cladding. Upside: strength, durability. Downside: “Due to shipping costs and the commodity nature of wood structural panels, prices may mirror or exceed domestic panel prices.”

Posted in Other News Articles | Comments Off on Wood panel prices soaring

Farm boy with an extraordinary project

Sunday, March 7th, 2004

Danny Guillaume, founder and owner of West Coast Video, then Petcetera, takes on a new challenge — Storyeum, an interactive museum to be built underground in Gastown

Lena Sin
Sun

You know you’ve got a great interview when (a) the subject volunteers half the answers before you’ve even asked the questions and (b) the photographer asks the other half for you.

So if I were being completely honest, this profile wouldn’t have my byline on it at all. Most of the work was done by our subject Danny Guillaume and Province photographer Les Baszo, who was so engrossed that he couldn’t help but assume the role of reporter.

But such is the draw of Guillaume, the brainchild behind Storyeum, a $22-million interactive museum experience.

He’s a 42-year-old entrepreneur who calls himself a “farmboy from Saskatchewan,” who waves his arms in excitement when he speaks, bores easily but exudes the kind of curiosity normally reserved for children.

As Baszo put’s it, “he’s infectious.”

Guillaume refers to it as his “gift.”

So if there’s anybody in this city who can make B.C. history interesting, it’s Guillaume, which is exactly what he’s attempting to do with Storyeum, due to open this June. The space, being constructed under Water and Cordova Streets is the equivalent of six hockey rinks. It will be like nine movie sets all glommed together, with live actors retelling the story of B.C. natives, before Capt. Vancouver and the Chinese who built the railroad.

No doubt this will be big, but before we go running to put this man on a pedestal, Guillaume asks that we don’t. Because the way he sees it, he is just “an average Joe whose had extraordinary opportunities.”

So how risky is this?

Other people perceive it that way but for me, I get lots of homework done, do lots of research, do the studying, come up with the plan that makes sense, make sure that it resonates clearly with me, make sure that I love it. You know, I’m really going to enjoy what I’m doing because that’s a real risk eliminator.

What was the trigger for Gastown?

History. It’s the historic area in Vancouver. It needs economic redevelopment, which is a big thing for me. I have a philosophy that the more value you can spin-off to other people into society, the less risk it is for you because people want you to succeed.

Have you ever failed?

At lots of things. I’ve probably failed more than most people. I mean, I fail everyday. I’m not perfect in any way.

You call yourself a farmboy from Saskatchewan, what did you envision yourself doing when you were young?

From how old? Give me an age.

Well, from the time you first started thinking about what you wanted to do.

I’m from a farm 20 miles outside of Moose Jaw, that’s where I was born and raised. And obviously my dad was my greatest hero. Well, not obviously, but he was. He was very strong, honest, had huge integrity, community was front and foremost in his mind and he passed away when I was 12. And that probably had a great impact. Because I really paid attention even more after he died. You know, because I missed him so much and the things I admired were things I wanted in myself. I thought he was a leader . . . I still carry his briefcase today, I have all my life.

So, you wanted to be like your dad.

I think I got the business from him. I think I got the idea that you could do what you wanted to do if you believed in yourself and you have responsibility to be your best to your community . . . that sense of responsibility is a big part of who I am. So that’s entrenched. I think back in Grades 1

and 2 and I went to school with a briefcase. I was the only kid.

Did you end up ever going to business school later on?

No, never studied business. Never took any business classes. It was always kind of natural or innate for me. I studied agriculture because I thought I was going to be a farmer in Saskatoon. I was a farmer for five years.

How did you go from being the founder and owner of West Coast Video to Petcetera to now this?

It’s a good question.

Do you have a short attention span?

Probably. I get bored easily.

How did I go from one to the other? I think partly by accident. A lot of it was my self-confidence and self-esteem. Coming from a farm, I wanted to move to a city. So I went looking for cities to move to and I did lots of research on where cities were going to grow and where there’d be economic development. And I chose Vancouver.

And what was that like?

I was scared moving here. I mean, I was petrified. I never really lived in a city before, not this size. And your confidence. You think everybody’s smarter than you. You start out thinking you really don’t know anything, and you think you’re this goofy, clumsy farm kid and that’s how you feel until you make an accomplishment. So I had to take on a business that was achievable for me.

Hence the video business?

Well, the video-rental business is not particularly challenging. I did a business plan and worked at and got the belief that I’d be good at it and then became good at it. And then I looked for a little more sophistication in business because I made good money and sold to Blockbuster and another independent. I wanted to do something more extraordinary.

Pet food seems to be an odd choice.

I’d never really experienced what 100 per cent effort from me had been because I’d never really had to give absolutely everything flat out and I wanted to know where the wall was. I decided to be the largest retailer in Canada and the pet industry sounded like a big audacious goal and it really got my attention. It was like wow, if I did that, I’d really have to learn. I’d have to become a much bigger person and so that’s how I looked at it.

You seem pretty fearless.

Well, I’d hate to give you that impression. I gained the confidence that I could break through my fears. Because the fear stops you. So when I feel fear, I have to go into it.

Do you have one thing you’re most afraid of?

I don’t get fear where it stops me. I mean, Sunday morning, I’m going to be afraid to read your article. That’s about the level of my fear. It’s usually smaller things.

Posted in Other News Articles | Comments Off on Farm boy with an extraordinary project

Builders worried about untested Green Regulations

Saturday, March 6th, 2004

Bob Ransford
Sun

More than two years ago, I wrote about the emerging interest in applying green building and sustainable development standards to homebuilding.

I asked then whether or not home buyers would be prepared to pay extra for a home that is built using techniques and materials that are healthier and more respectful of the environment.

Homebuilders are now asking that same question. But they are asking it with some urgency as actual green building regulatory standards are beginning to emerge on the scene and no one is really sure of the impact they will have on residential development.

There’s one thing that is certain, builders don’t want to embrace new green building standards that may call for untested construction methods new to our particular local environment and west coast climate.

The horror of leaky condos is fresh enough on everyone’s mind. No one wants to repeat past mistakes. Before any new building standards are adopted, developers want to see them thoroughly tested in the field.

However, there is a feeling that the train has left the station when it comes to green building standards as many municipalities, including the City of Vancouver, are quickly jumping on the green building bandwagon.

Most are beginning to look to one particular green building rating system. They are talking about using this standard to regulate how homes are built and renovated in the future.

That standard is called the LEED Green Building Rating System. (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and it was developed and launched in the U.S. in 2000 to define green building by establishing a common measurement that recognizes environmental leadership in the building industry.

LEED emphasizes strategies for sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality

The U.S. Green Building Council has licensed a counterpart Canadian organization to promote the standard across Canada and B.C. now has its own Green Building Council.

The LEED standard is uses a point system to certify projects. A project must prove that it has met a certain number of points in six identified categories and the amount of points achieved will determine which level of LEED certification the project is awarded. There are 69 possible points and four certification levels.

The problem with this point system is that it was designed for commercial, institutional and high rise residential buildings and not townhouses and other wood frame buildings, like single family homes. Although work in under way to adapt the system for the residential sector.

Another problem is that to certify a LEED building, points need to be earned during the “commissioning” of a building, after it is built and occupied. This works when the developer of the building is the owner and is operating the entire building as a landlord.

When condo units are sold in a highrise residential tower it doesn’t work because no one owner has control over how the building is commissioned and operated.

For example, a project can earn a LEED point if the building operated as a non-smoking environment. However, once a condominium home is sold, no one can regulate whether or not the owner allows someone to smoke in the building.

If smoking occurs in a private suite, how do you prevent the second-hand smoke from moving into common areas, like hallways, without costly and complicated ventilation systems?

The LEED rating system is heavily weighted to the energy efficiency issues, especially in buildings that have full year-round air conditioning. LEED standards were developed in the U.S. and they do not take into account our milder, wetter climate, causing another concern for local developers.

Every developer today wants to be seen as embracing the concept of sustainable development. No one wants to be branded as an environmental menace. However, there is considerable fear in the residential development industry that the LEED standard will be adopted without reasonable modifications and applied as a regulation requiring mandatory green building

Bob Ransford is a public affairs consultant with COUNTERPOINT Communications Inc. He specializes in urban development issues. He is a former real estate developer and serves as a Director of the Urban Development Institute-Pacific Region. You can contact him at [email protected]

Posted in Real Estate Related | Comments Off on Builders worried about untested Green Regulations

BC leading national house-building boom

Friday, March 5th, 2004

Province

OTTAWA — It looks as if Canada‘s house-building boom will continue into 2004 even if other construction sectors aren’t faring as well.

“Overall, builders took out $4.4 billion in building permits in January, down 0.9 per cent from December, and 1.4 per cent below the value of permits issued in January 2003,” Statistics Canada says.

However, “the momentum from last year’s record level of building permits for housing has spilled over into 2004,” the agency said.

“Municipalities issued almost $3 billion worth of building permits for housing in January, up 1.1 per cent from the previous high in December.

“This augurs well for a busy spring for workers in the residential construction sector, as permits are a leading indicator of building activity.” Low mortgage rates, employment strength and a high level of consumer confidence were cited as reasons.

In B.C., residential permits issued jumped by a record 19.4 per cent to $720 million. And the 12-month increase was 38.1 per cent. However, non-residential permits in B.C. also increased — by 55 per cent to $208 million.

Nationally, the value of non-residential permits fell by 4.9 per cent to $1.4 billion, as industrial, commercial and institutional all retreated — the third decline in the last four months.

“Demand remained high for single-family dwellings as municipalities authorized 10,740 new units,” the agency said. “This was higher than the monthly average of 10,200 units in 2003.

“On a year-over-year basis, permits for single-family dwellings were up six per cent from January 2003, while those for multi-family were up 17.7 per cent.

“In January alone, permits for 9,175 new multi-family units were issued, significantly higher than the average monthly level of 8,350 in 2003. A vast majority of the January permits were for new apartments and condominiums.”

Posted in Real Estate Related | Comments Off on BC leading national house-building boom

We’re to blame for the rising tide of spam

Thursday, March 4th, 2004

study: People ‘keep opening spam,’ encouraging those who send it

Peter Wilson
Sun

E-mail spam is burying Canadians under a relentless and rising digital deluge — and we largely have ourselves to blame, says an Ipsos-Reid study released today.

On average, Canadian Internet users get 197 e-mails a week, up 60 per cent from last year, and of those e-mails a whopping 134, or 67 per cent, were spam.

That’s more than double the amount of spam reported in the last quarter of 2002 and more than four times the amount from the last quarter of 2001, according to information contained in the report “Email Marketing 2004: Being Heard Above the Noise,” to be presented in Vancouver today at a meeting of the B.C. Direct Marketing Association.

And yet Canadians continue to open spam, thus encouraging those who send it to blast out even more.

More than a third of the 2,000 Net users surveyed by telephone and online in late December 2003 and early January 2004 said they had opened spam in the past week — with the average number of spam e-mails opened in a typical week being seven. That’s up, said the survey — co-sponsored by Vancouver‘s Forge Marketing — from five the year before.

The most popular reason given for opening spam was “curiosity” (60 per cent) followed by “thought it was a legitimate e-mail” (40 per cent) and “wanting to know about the product or service” (37 per cent).

Despite the findings that 59 per cent of us say we don’t want spam under any circumstance, a substantial number of Canadians differ.

“Nineteen per cent say it’s no big deal, I can delete them if I want,” said Ipsos-Reid senior vice-president Steve Mossop. “And we also have 22 per cent saying, hey, you know what, it depends on who sends it.”

One bright note for spam haters is that fewer online Canadians visited an advertiser’s Web site as the result of spam (22 per cent versus 38 per cent in 2002). However spammers are still able to get their message across, said the report.

So amazing were the numbers — especially on the amount of e-mail flowing into our in-boxes — that Ipsos-Reid went back and took a second look at the data and then eliminated respondents who had remarkably high amounts of e-mail.

“Even so, the numbers are pretty astounding,” said Mossop, who added that all the previous surveys he’s seen have shown the level of spam at about 50 per cent.

“The most we’ve ever seen are in the 50 to 60 per cent range and our numbers are even higher than that,” said Mossop.

It’s no wonder then, that only 54 per cent of us now say our efficiency is increased by the use of e-mail, down from 85 per cent. As well, forty-eight per cent of Net users now say they wish people would pick up the phone rather than send e-mail.

Mossop said the principal message he takes away from the survey is that for all the complaining we do about spam, we have to point the finger at ourselves.

“We are opening unsolicited e-mail at an alarming rate. Forty-eight per cent of us are opening at least one e-mail per week and the average is seven. That’s outstanding. What direct marketer can claim the same numbers?”

Last time the survey was released Mossop said he thought people would sit up, take notice and change their behaviour by not opening e-mails or using spam filters.

“What’s apparent is that this is not the case,” said Mossop. “The threshold has not yet been reached and I’m not sure when that is and I’m reluctant to predict when it might be, but it’s clearly not yet.”

Strangely enough, even the users of spam filters aren’t immune to the lure of unsolicited e-mail. Thirty-six per cent of them open as many as four pieces of spam a week and they give the same reasons — curiosity, mistake and wanting to know more — for doing so.

And only 62 per cent of spam filter users say they don’t want unsolicited e-mail under any circumstance.

As well, spam filters can be a bother with 35 per cent of users sometimes having legitimate e-mail blocked by the filters.

The good news for permission-based e-mail marketers — those who ask us to opt-in for things like newsletters — is that this end of the business remains successful.

Seventy-seven per cent of Canadian Net users have registered with a Web site to get e-mail.

The average number of sites we’ve registered with has risen from seven in 2002 to eight in 2003.

Sixty per cent of those who did register said they went on to enter an advertiser’s contest. Fifty-three per cent visited an advertiser’s web page.

Interests have risen in the areas of hobbies, lifestyle and culture as well as computers and technology. Interest in news and information has dropped slightly.

The overall results of the survey are considered accurate, plus or minus 3.1 per cent, 95 per cent of the time.

Posted in Technology Related Articles | Comments Off on We’re to blame for the rising tide of spam

Deadline looms for bridge over Fraser

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2004

The six-lane toll bridge is expected to open during 2007

Gerry Bellett
Sun

The three international groups bidding to build the $600-million Fraser River crossing to link Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge to Langley have until the end of the month to submit proposals.

The Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority (TransLink) will announce the successful bid in November, says media official Debbie Cox.

“The consortia are combinations of international and local companies,” she said.

The new six-lane toll bridge is expected to open in 2007 and will ease congestion on the overtaxed Port Mann Bridge, where commuters experience major delays during rush-hour periods.

The new bridge will cross the Fraser following the alignment of 200th Street in Langley and will land near the boundary of Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge.

TransLink chair and Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum said the short list of companies vying to build the bridge was of “high quality.”

“We’re confident that the three short-listed teams have the financial capacity and the best technical capability to proceed to the request-for-proposals phase of the selection process,” said McCallum.

The successful bidder will design, build, operate, maintain and rehabilitate the crossing for a period of 20 years.

TransLink has decided that tolls on vehicles — cars could be charged between $2.50 to $3 — will be used to recover operating and capital costs for the new bridge.

The following is a list of the consortiums:

FRASER RIVER VALLEY CONSTRUCTORS:

This consortium is led by Peter Kiewit and Sons of Nebraska., Tidewater Shanska Inc., of Virginia, HBG Flatiron Inc. of Colorado and the Canadian company, Miller Paving Ltd.

Kiewit is a large North America construction company with a Canadian division. Kiewit built the parallel runway at Vancouver International Airport and is currently building part of the Benicia Bridge in California.

Tidewater and HBG Flatiron are currently involved in building a $650-million bridge in South Carolina. Flatiron did the Port Mann Bridge widening and a $890 million toll road in California.

Other companies involved in this bid are:

– Hatch Mott MacDonald Ltd.

– ND Lea Consultants Ltd.

– ECL Envirowest Consultants Ltd.

– UMA Group Ltd.

– Thurber Engineering Ltd.

– DMD and Associates Ltd.

– Catherine Barris Associates Ltd.

– JJM Construction Ltd.

– Cornerstone Planning Group.

GATEWAY CONSTRUCTORS:

This bid is led by the German company Bilfinger Berger, one of the world’s largest design and construction companies which built the $1.2-billion Taiwan high speed rail system and a subsidiary, Fru-Con Construction Corporation, a St. Louis-based construction company.

Other companies involved in this bid are:

– AMEC Engineering of Florida.

– Capilano Highway Services

– Buckland and Taylor

– Columbia Bitulithic Ltd.

– Bel Construction

– Imperial Paving Ltd.

– Jack Cewe Ltd.

– McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd.

– Trow Consulting Engineers Ltd.

RIVERLINK:

This consortium is led by Fluor Canada Ltd. and Egis Projects of France.

Fluor Construction, a California company, is one of the world’s largest publicly owned construction companies that built the $1.3-billion Highway 130 in Texas.

Egis is currently working on 600 projects world-wide including the Melbourne City link, a 25 kilometre urban tollway.

Other companies involved in this bid are:

– Klohn Crippen Consultants Ltd.

– R.F. Binnie and Associates Ltd.

– Urban Systems Ltd.

– CWMM Consulting Engineers Ltd.

– BA Blacktop Ltd.

– Mainroad Contracting Ltd.

– Levelton Engineering Ltd.

Posted in Other News Articles | Comments Off on Deadline looms for bridge over Fraser

February home sales prompt optimism about year ahead

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2004

Wyng Chow
Sun

Greater Vancouver realtors are bracing for another potential record-breaking year for residential property transactions, as the latest Multiple Listing Services show sales in February rising 11.1 per cent over the same month a year ago.

A total of 3,066 detached houses, townhouses and condominiums sold last month, compared to 2,760 units in February 2003.

Year-to-date, 5,029 properties have sold, up 6.2 per cent from 4,734 sales during the first two months of last year.

“There is no doubt that we are still experiencing a strong market,” said Bill Binnie, president of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver.

With the region’s sizzling housing market continuing to be driven by rising demand amid dwindling inventory, combined with interest rates as low as 4.4 per cent on a fixed five-year term, the current level of activity suggests 2004 sales could easily exceed last year’s record 37,901 homes sold.

“Sales activity is higher than normal for this time of year,” Binnie said Tuesday. “Consumer confidence remains strong, and we continue to see first-time buyers and investors stepping into the market.”

Binnie noted the recent move by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. to relax the rules regarding the minimum five-per-cent down payments will further motivate young first-time purchasers.

In February — as has been the case virtually every month for the last couple of years — condos continued to be the hot ticket with 1,263 units sold, up 19 per cent from 1,061 sales the previous year.

The year-over-year average condo price in Greater Vancouver rose 16 per cent to $235,900 last month, as the number of available units kept shrinking, with active listings dropping 22 per cent to 2,488 units, compared to 3,214 units in February 2003.

Vancouver‘s west side, which includes the downtown area, continued to boast the region’s hottest condo market, with 436 units sold, up from 410 units. The west side’s average condo price rose 22 per cent to $336,500.

Among townhomes, 534 units sold on the MLS last month in Greater Vancouver, compared to 406 units the previous year, an increase of 31.5 per cent. February’s average townhouse price of $300,200 was 16.3-per-cent higher than $258,100 a year ago.

Sales of detached properties totalled 1,269 units last month, dipping 1.9 per cent from 1,293 units in February 2003. However, the average year-over-year detached price climbed 16 per cent to $504,400, as active listings fell 21 per cent to 3,543 units from 4,519 units.

Over all, there were 7,049 active residential listings in Greater Vancouver as at the end of February, a 20-per-cent drop from 8,820 units a year ago. North Vancouver was one of the few areas where detached sales climbed last month, with 118 houses sold, up 9.3 per cent from 108 units the previous year.

February’s hot spots for townhouse sales included Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Richmond, and both the Vancouver east and west side.

In addition to the city’s west side and downtown, condo markets were also brisk last month in Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, North Vancouver and New Westminster.

In the six Fraser Valley communities, February MLS sales in the three main housing categories totalled 1,634 units, a 28-per-cent increase over 1,277 homes the previous year.

Detached homes in the valley sold at an average price of $324,800, up 10.7 per cent from $293,300 in February 2003. The townhouse average was $213,800, up 11.7 per cent from $191,400, while the condo average was $125,700, up 5.6 per cent from $119,000.

“The real estate market in the Fraser Valley is not slowing down,” said Delta realtor Moss Moloney, newly elected president of the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board. “There’s little doubt we are looking at another strong year.”

As of March 1, Canadian home buyers are allowed to obtain up to 100-per-cent financing to purchase a property, since CMHC has dropped its previous condition that required people to come up with a minimum down payment of five per cent from their own resources, rather than borrowed funds.

Posted in Real Estate Related | Comments Off on February home sales prompt optimism about year ahead

Archive for March, 2004

Wood panel prices soaring

Tough for builders to stick to estimates when cost can double in months

Farm boy with an extraordinary project

Danny Guillaume, founder and owner of West Coast Video, then Petcetera, takes on a new challenge — Storyeum, an interactive museum to be built underground in Gastown

Deadline looms for bridge over Fraser

The six-lane toll bridge is expected to open during 2007

Pages

Categories

Archives