Provincial Government received the results of the HST referendum today.
The outcome was decisive, with just under 55% of voters choosing to extinguish the HST and return the province to a system of taxation using both the PST and GST.
The government says no changes will occur until at least May 2013. There is no information yet on what the details of the tax system will look like at that time.
In terms of what this means to you and your clients, the HST is still in place and will be until at least May 2013.
Excellent Northwest facing corner suite with spectacular view of downtown. This unit is a 1 bedroom & den, insuite storage & open kitchen. Bright & spacious layout with a good size balcony to enjoy the view. Full amenities includes 24 hrs concierge, indoor pool, hot tub, sauna, steam room, gym, yoga room, media room & party room. One parking is included.
Tens of thousands of Canadians have written to me in recent weeks to wish me well. I want to thank each and every one of you for your thoughtful, inspiring and often beautiful notes, cards and gifts. Your spirit and love have lit up my home, my spirit and my determination.
Unfortunately my treatment has not worked out as I hoped. So I am giving this letter to my partner, Olivia, to share with you in the circumstance in which I cannot continue.
I recommend that Hull-Aylmer MP Nycole Turmel continue her work as our interim leader until a permanent successor is elected.
I recommend the party hold a leadership vote as early as possible in the new year, on approximately the same timelines as in 2003, so that our new leader has ample time to reconsolidate our team, renew our party and our program, and move forward towards the next election.
A few additional thoughts:
To other Canadians who are on journeys to defeat cancer and to live their lives, I say this: please don't be discouraged that my own journey hasn't gone as well as I had hoped. You must not lose your own hope.
Treatments and therapies have never been better in the face of this disease. You have every reason to be optimistic, determined and focused on the future. My only other advice is to cherish every moment with those you love at every stage of your journey, as I have done this summer.
To the members of my party: we've done remarkable things together in the past eight years. It has been a privilege to lead the New Democratic Party and I am most grateful for your confidence, your support, and the endless hours of volunteer commitment you have devoted to our cause.
There will be those who will try to persuade you to give up our cause. But that cause is much bigger than any one leader. Answer them by recommitting with energy and determination to our work. Remember our proud history of social justice, universal health care, public pensions and making sure no one is left behind. Let's continue to move forward. Let's demonstrate in everything we do in the four years before us that we are ready to serve our beloved Canada as its next government.
To the members of our parliamentary caucus: I have been privileged to work with each and every one of you. Our caucus meetings were always the highlight of my week. It has been my role to ask a great deal from you. And now I am going to do so again.
Canadians will be closely watching you in the months to come. Colleagues, I know you will make the tens of thousands of members of our party proud of you by demonstrating the same seamless teamwork and solidarity that has earned us the confidence of millions of Canadians in the recent election.
To my fellow Quebecers: On May 2nd, you made a historic decision. You decided that the way to replace Canada's Conservative federal government with something better was by working together in partnership with progressive-minded Canadians across the country. You made the right decision then; it is still the right decision today; and it will be the right decision right through to the next election, when we will succeed, together. You have elected a superb team of New Democrats to Parliament. They are going to be doing remarkable things in the years to come to make this country better for us all.
To young Canadians: All my life I have worked to make things better. Hope and optimism have defined my political career, and I continue to be hopeful and optimistic about Canada. Young people have been a great source of inspiration for me. I have met and talked with so many of you about your dreams, your frustrations, and your ideas for change.
More and more, you are engaging in politics because you want to change things for the better. Many of you have placed your trust in our party. As my time in political life draws to a close I want to share with you my belief in your power to change this country and this world.
There are great challenges before you, from the overwhelming nature of climate change to the unfairness of an economy that excludes so many from our collective wealth, and the changes necessary to build a more inclusive and generous Canada. I believe in you. Your energy, your vision, your passion for justice are exactly what this country needs today. You need to be at the heart of our economy, our political life, and our plans for the present and the future.
And finally, to all Canadians: Canada is a great country, one of the hopes of the world. We can be a better one - a country of greater equality, justice and opportunity. We can build a prosperous economy and a society that shares its benefits more fairly. We can look after our seniors. We can offer better futures for our children. We can do our part to save the world's environment. We can restore our good name in the world. We can do all of these things because we finally have a party system at the national level where there are real choices; where your vote matters; where working for change can actually bring about change. In the months and years to come, New Democrats will put a compelling new alternative to you.
My colleagues in our party are an impressive, committed team. Give them a careful hearing; consider the alternatives; and consider that we can be a better, fairer, more equal country by working together. Don't let them tell you it can't be done.
My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we'll change the world.
More than 1.5 million homes are burglarized in Canada and the U.S. each year. That’s the bad news. But there is good news too. You can cut the chances of your home
being broken into by 50% by simply ensuring that all exterior doors, including the patio door, have a deadbolt Lock.
We are proud to announce that this Aug 21st, 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM we will be hosting an Open House at 7360 CORONADO Drive in the Montecito neighborhood, Burnaby North. This is an opportunity to visit this excellent Townhouse for sale in beautiful Montecito.
Please come with any questions you may have. In the meantime you can take a virtual tour of this Montecito Townhouse for sale.
As always please do not hesitate to give me a call at 604-737-8865 if I can answer any questions before the open house, or if you would like to book a private showing.
We are proud to announce that this Aug 20th, 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM we will be hosting an Open House at 1080 PACIFIC Street in the West End VW neighborhood, Vancouver West. This is an opportunity to visit this excellent Condo for sale in beautiful West End VW.
Please come with any questions you may have. In the meantime you can take a virtual tour of this West End VW Condo for sale.
As always please do not hesitate to give me a call at 604-737-8865 if I can answer any questions before the open house, or if you would like to book a private showing.
What a difference a few weeks makes. It was only a month ago, on the heels of the Bank of Canada’s last interest rate announcement made in July, that many had predicted a rate hike was all but certain in the fall. In fact, many even pointed to Mark Carney himself suggesting a rate hike- in the form of the language he used during the rate announcement as a signal of things to come. Now, a few short weeks, later there has been major global financial turmoil in the form of renewed European debt crisis and US debt downgrading, and a major roller coaster ride on the international markets. The end result is we are in much the same place we were before. Many, including BMO, TD, Scotiabank and RBC, are modifying their rate forecasts to suggest that rates will hold through to 2012- to Q2 at least. Mixed economic data, excessive volatile movement in the markets, and global uncertainty that has reached new heights have all contributed to an economic malaise, and has economists circling their wagons. To further support this notion, the US Federal Reserve took the unprecedented move of announcing an extended hold on rates, pledging to keep them low for at least the next couple of years- in an effort to keep the economic machinery grinding in the country. While many economists in this country expect rates to hold, very few expect rates to drop though- so it is likely going to be a case of status quo in the foreseeable future. Source: property wire Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network. Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.
While the balance between home buyer and seller activity remains in an equilibrium range in the Greater Vancouver housing market, last month’s home sale total was below the 10-year average for July.
The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential property sales of detached, attached and apartment properties on the region’s Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) reached 2,571 in July, a 14 per cent increase compared to the 2,255 sales in July 2010 and a 21.2 per cent decline compared to the 3,262 sales in June 2011.
“We’re seeing less multiple offer situations in the market today compared to the last few months, but our members tell us that homes priced competitively continue to sell at a relatively swift pace,” Rosario Setticasi, REBGV president said. “It’s taking, on average, 41 days to sell a property in the region, which is unchanged from June of this year.”
New listings for detached, attached and apartment properties in Greater Vancouver totalled 5,097 in July. This represents a 23.2 per cent increase compared to July 2010 when 4,138 properties were listed for sale on the MLS® and a 12 per cent decline compared to the 5,793 new listings reported in June 2011.
Last month’s new listing total was 8.6 per cent higher than the 10-year average for July, while residential sales were 17.3 per cent below the ten-year average for sales in July.
At 15,226, the total number of residential property listings on the MLS® increased 0.8 per cent in July compared to last month and declined 7.3 per cent from this time last year.
“The number of homes listed for sale in the region has increased each month since the start of the year, which is giving buyers more selection to choose from and more time to make decisions,” Rosario Setticasi, REBGV president said.
The MLSLink® Housing Price Index (HPI) benchmark price for all residential properties in Greater Vancouver over the last 12 months has increased 9.2 per cent to $630,251 in July 2011 from $577,074 in July 2010.
Sales of detached properties on the MLS® in July 2011 reached 1,099, an increase of 21 per cent from the 908 detached sales recorded in July 2010, and an 31.9 per cent decrease from the 1,614 units sold in July 2009. The benchmark price for detached properties increased 13.3 per cent from July 2010 to $898,886.
Sales of apartment properties reached 1,040 in July 2011, a 6.2 per cent increase compared to the 979 sales in July 2010, and a decrease of 39.1 per cent compared to the 1,708 sales in July 2009. The benchmark price of an apartment property increased 4.5 per cent from July 2010 to $405,306.
Attached property sales in July 2011 totalled 432, a 17.4 per cent increase compared to the 368 sales in July 2010, and a 45.5 per cent decrease from the 792 attached properties sold in July 2009. The benchmark price of an attached unit increased 6.9 per cent between July 2010 and 2011 to $524,909.
