Tuesday, May 10, 2016

What Is The Interesting News


 

Over the last little while, there have been some very interesting stories that I have seen produced in the media. I'm going to write about a number of them below that I found interesting. 

You may have noticed that what I published over the last little while was much more personal than discussing media stories. But, that is the kind of column that I am writing now. I deliberately chose NOT just to write as if my website was only a news media outlet. It is not one of those anymore. 

Of course, I do like writing about interesting news events. That is after all what I find to be an important part of my life. I do not intend to ever give that up. However, it is not my total life at all. There are a lot of things going on that I would like to talk about that have no relationship to "news" events.  To be direct, I want people to know about matters that have impacted me, sometimes quite negatively, that could one day be important to one of my friends who reads my column. 

So please excuse me if you don't see the kind of column you may have always expected to see written by me. I will try very hard to make all of my columns of interest to you, dear reader, regardless of what the subject is. 

OVERSEAS MONEY BEING MADE 

It appears as if Canada may not be the only place for Canadian Pension Funds to invest their money that they get in every month from pensioners. I have no idea if this investment type will be a "key" one in the future either. Take a look at this story of the pension funds that have invested in the Oil Industry: 

"Canadian pension funds are bolstering their European private equity offices with a series of new hires as they look to increase their exposure to private equity in Europe... 

Meanwhile, Omers Private Equity, the private equity investment arm of the $77 billion Omers pension plan, also has plans to grow its European team. The team, which has largely done deals in the UK and Benelux, is broadening its investment remit to include companies in Germany. 

Mark Redman, executive vice president and global head of private equity at Omers Private Markets, said: “We have now reached the stage in Omers Private Equity’s development in Europe, some six years after we opened our European office in London, when a potential expansion to cover German-speaking Europe represents the next logical step in our strategy...” 

In addition, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, a Canadian institutional investor, has also bolstered its London team in 2016." (William Louch, Financial News May 9, 2016) 

With the storm that is going on in Western Canada now, it will be interesting to see how much money is needed by oil companies to fix up any disasters to their facilities out there. Will the Canadian Pension Funds be asked to provide those funds and if so, would they agree? 

MORTGAGE RATE DISCOUNT 

If you are an RBC DOMINION SECURITIES INC. customer, you might want to take a serious look at getting a mortgage through them especially if you're looking for one or your mortgage may have to be renewed shortly. What the heck, if you want to borrow cheap money, there are ways that it can be done using their mortgage: 

"RBC Royal Bank offers personal assistance from knowledgeable mortgage specialists who are here to help. As a RBC DS Client you get special discounted rates." 

I saw what a couple of the rates on a four-year and five-year deal are and I agree that the rates are pretty good. 

Give them a call and see if it make sense to you. 

I AM "FEELING THE HOPE," MS. JARVIS 

Actually, I've been feeling it for a very long time before, long before her column of May 8, 2016. And also attempts being made to suggest that steps should be taken to promote it in this area for the benefit of citizens so that unemployment would be reduced dramatically.  I frankly expected that Governments at the different levels would be of assistance and great success. However, I have not seen very much Government involvement to create this: 

"And now?  

The unemployment rate has plummeted to 6.4 per cent, lower than the national average of 7.1 per cent, lower than the Ontario average of seven per cent... We’re no longer the Unemployment Capital of Canada. We have the 12th lowest rate among the 34 cities that Statistics Canada tracks monthly. In a remarkable reversal of fortune, our unemployment rate is significantly lower than once-booming, oil-rich Calgary’s, which is 8.3 per cent... 

“Windsor’s unemployment rate is certainly dropping faster than anybody else’s in Canada. That’s without question,” said Western University economist Mike Moffatt. 

The number of people without jobs in this city has fallen for five straight months, down 3.5 percentage points since December, down five points from one year ago. The number of people working has risen for at least four straight months. Between March and April, 2,600 more people were working." (Anne Jarvis, Windsor Star, May 8, 2016) 

What is also interesting in her story is that, other than her reference to the more than 1200 jobs created in the Fiat Chrysler plant, she has not really told us how jobs are being created and by whom.  If she had, presumably it would have been a way to boost industry in our area even more. 

GUESS WHO WILL WIN THIS BATTLE IN WINDSOR 

I have no idea what is going to happen and who the winner will be but I will let you make your decision yourself, dear reader. After all, there were many articles about this site recently to help you assess the situation: 

"Fate of Abars hangs with looming city council decision


Both the heritage committee and council will be asked to either give approval for the bar-restaurant to be torn down or instead declare it a designated heritage site that would force its owners to make necessary repairs to preserve the 112-year-old building originally known as the Island View Hotel... 

Ambassador Bridge owner Matty Moroun purchased the property over a decade ago and allowed it to continue its food and drink operations. But he shuttered the bar earlier this year in a rental dispute with its business owners... 

After the heritage committee makes its recommendation Monday, Calhoun expects the demolition request will next be in front of council for a final decision a month later. 

If council decides to designate Abars as a heritage site, the process would take about three months to complete during which the bridge company could appeal to a provincial body that makes the final decision. 

Once designation is in place, Moroun would be forced to repair the building and its heritage features in accordance with the city’s bylaw property standards, Calhoun said." 

I wonder what your view is, dear reader, about who the winner will be. 


 

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