The Good City

A new report from Equifax Canada reveals more than half a million Canadians have fallen behind on their various credit payments.
This has fuelled a 19 per cent rise in the average national delinquency rate in the one-year period ending May 31, 2009.
The credit bureau has called the jump alarming and reasons much of the trouble is due to missed payments on credit card bills.
A Senate committee has urged the federal government to take action to shield Canadians from rising interest rates and fees in the credit and debit card markets.
If the government is to get involved in personal money matters a good place to start is to teach people some self restraint.

Brampton Chrysler workers will head back to work tomorrow after a long hiatus.
“People are happy to get back to work— big time,” said Leon Rideout, president of Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) Local 1285.
Chrysler’s Brampton assembly plant had been operating on and off the last few months while the automaker sorted out its future.
The company has struggled over the last few years and managed to stave off financial ruin by securing a deal with Italian auto firm Fiat and governments in Canada and the U.S.
Chrysler will commence a new chapter in its history and workers now are looking ahead, Rideout said.
“We got new owners and now we want to show them the quality work that we can do,” Rideout continued.
The agreement reached between Chrysler and various stakeholders will see Fiat secure up to 35 per cent of the new company in exchange for sharing technology for smaller, fuel-efficient vehicles.
Some of that technology will likely end up in vehicles produced in Brampton, which are the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger.
It has also been suggested that Brampton will land production of the Alfa Romeo 169 model by 2011.
Rideout said the nearly 3,000 Brampton assembly employees will spend the next little while becoming familiar with “the new Fiat system.”
After months of disruptions and hardline negotiations, company officials and employees are looking forward to a bit of normalcy, Rideout suggested.
“The mood is really upbeat. This is positive,” Rideout said.

It’s going to get worse before it gets better.
At least that is the case for Canada’s auto parts sector, according to a report released by the Conference Board of Canada recently.
The Ottawa-based think-tank says auto parts makers will shed one third of their workforce in Canada (about 37,000 jobs) as the North American car industry restructures.
Ontario will be hard hit by the job losses as many parts companies are situated here.
This also spells bad news for Brampton, which boasts a huge manufacturing sector tied to the auto industry.
A lot of the job loss is due to closures and work stoppages at vehicle assembly plants in Canada and the United States, said Sabrina Browarski, economist and report author.
“Conditions will be undeniably difficult in 2009, and many small and medium-sized firms could potentially go out of business,” Browarski said.
There is a ray of hope though. The report also states Canadians should expect a rebound in the parts sector in the not so distant future as efforts to salvage the North American auto industry pay off.

This is an e-mail I receive today regarding the issue some downtown restaurant owners have with the city operating a fully licensed patio at Rose Theatre. It’s from Mr. Richard Smith. A link to the story can be found here

Dear Peter,
I am a regular at the Rose Theatre and I found the article regarding the patio very disturbing. Mr. Edgar’s of Nexus sense of entitlement is immensely disappointing. I frequent Nexus, its menu is premium and service is excellent, I have celebrated my anniversary there, I direct visitors to Brampton to that restaurant as one of the finest in this city. However, one fact that is omitted in his complaints is the lack of a patio. This is not competition, its developing citizens into patrons.
The Rose Theatre has put Brampton on the map, not just to visitors but to Bramptonians as well. An outdoor patio will only increase the buzz and bring more visitors to the downtown core. These people will obviously find their way to various restaurants for a proper dinner etc.
My biggest issue is the city bowing to the vocal minority. Under Mayor Fennell the city has developed from a tiny boring downtown into a vibrant and exciting place to be. One small-minded small business owner can put a halt to that?
Would Nexus be able to sustain itself if not for the Rose Theatre?
One point that I will give Mr. Edgar is that the Rose should work in tandem with the local restaurants. I believe The Rose would jump at that chance.
I believe the Guardian was irresponsible in not reporting the views of other local businesses. I am curious as to the opinion of Julie’s Ice Cream, Tracks, Fanzorellis, and The Mini Mart or is the world spinning on its axis around nexus?
If this patio remains shut down I for one will not darken Nexus’ door again. This is not a case of David vs. Goliath its a case of the dog biting the hand that feeds him.

Good day

Your’s with extreme respect

Research firm IHS Global Insight reports Brampton will build the Alfa Romeo 169 on the same LX platform that produces the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger. Production will begin in November 2011 for the 2012 model year, the firm said.
John Wolkonowicz, automotive analyst with IHS Global, was quoted today saying the Alfa 169 would be a top-of-the-line sedan selling at around $60,000.
Fiat secured its stake in Chrysler this week after several weeks of negotiations and court dealings.
News of the vehicle follows a Guardian story in April quoting a union official who said Fiat would likely produce an Alfa Romeo model at Chrysler’s Brampton facility.

“Buy American” provisions outlined in U.S. economic recovery plans have unsettled local businesses concerned that protectionist measures will hurt their bottom line.
In response, Brampton has thrown its weight behind a Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) resolution calling for a return to fair and open trade between the two countries.
Proposed legislation would give priority to U.S. steel, iron and other manufactured goods for use in public works and building projects funded with government stimulus money.
One Brampton-based company that is keeping an eye on American trade policies is Brannon Steel.
Al Brannon, company owner, said a significant portion of the company’s business is tied to the U.S. market.
Brannon Steel manufactures and supplies parts for off road equipment (like tractors) and manufacturing restrictions on Canadian products could impact business by as much as 60 per cent.
“It would impact us greatly,” Brannon said.
Same goes for Bryan Dawson, president of Brampton’s Aircraft Appliances and Equipment Limited (AAE).
AEE builds equipment for the U.S. military and a Buy American policy would hit the company on two fronts.
“Not only could we not sell our products in the United States we would still be required to buy U.S. components because it’s the only thing that is available in the market,” said Dawson noting a lot of the components that go into AAE military machines come exclusively from the United States. “So it would be a double-whammy.”

The Guardian’s Web site hit a milestone today. Our Internet audience, it seems, is wholeheartedly behind Mayor Susan Fennell’s idea to bring a hotel and convention centre to the downtown. There were more than 1,100 votes cast on our web poll, which typically generates 300 votes (on a good week). Mayor Fennell is a fun lady and very passionate about this city, and now I have a better idea of the lengths she will go to to outwit her opponents (namely those who argue expanding city hall using public money is the key to stimulating the local economy and revitalizing the city’s core). I have nothing to back this up of course, but something tells me the mayor had a part to play in this virtual turnout. Not that we’re complaining.

There was an entertaining exchange between Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion and former Ontario Premier Bill Davis at the regional general committee meeting yesterday.
Without providing too much background, McCallion and Davis share a long, and at times tense, history.
Davis was behind the creation of Peel Region in the 1970s, much to the consternation of McCallion who has pushed hard during her tenure to end Mississauga’s association with Brampton and Caledon.
Appearing before council on a completely separate matter, Davis poked fun at McCallion.
He has often said publicly that he feels somewhat responsible for igniting McCallion’s political career.
And I think she was the one to give him the nickname “Brampton Billy.”
“It’s amazing how it (Peel Region) survived,” Davis began.
“And listen, I have to congratulate you on your new building,” said Davis, referring to the new addition to Peel Regional headquarters in Brampton.
McCallion responded:
“Brampton has all the beautiful buildings; we (Mississauga) have the water and sewer plants.”
(Audience laughs)
Sheridan College, which operates a campus in Brampton, has announced it will now add a site in Mississauga.
McCallion added:
“You took Sheridan College out of Mississauga and now we are getting it back. Isn’t that wonderful?”
(Audience laughs)
Davis: “You see, you always told me everything came to Brampton but Mississauga is pretty good these days. Now you have Sheridan College. Listen, what more can one do for Mississauga?”

The plight of unemployed residents has reached Mayor Susan Fennell’s doorstep— literally.
“I have people dropping off their resumes and notes in my mailbox at my home,” Mayor Fennell told councillors at Thursday’s regional general committee meeting. “That’s real anguish if you could read (those letters), and I read every one.”
Mayor Fennell’s comments followed a presentation by United Way of Peel CEO Shelley White pointing out the gaps in funding for health and human services offered locally.
She spoke about the impact the teetering global economy is having on Brampton residents, and was among the chorus of politicians calling on senior levels of government to fork over more cash to municipalities for services.
“If you (governments) are allocating money, give it to us. We know how to plug into where you will get the maximum return on human investment,” said the mayor adding, “People are suffering. We have more people coming to us every single day asking ‘how do I get a job at the city, or at the region?’”
A report to council revealed Peel’s economic health has taken a real hit in recent months, in large measure due to losses in the auto and manufacturing sectors.
At 10.9 per cent in the first quarter of 2009 (ending in March), Peel’s unemployment rate was about two percentage points higher than the Ontario and Toronto Census Metropolitan Area rates (8.7 and 8.8 per cent respectively).
The report said the social assistance caseload is steadily increasing and has reached 12,306 for April.
At this rate, region staff figures the social assistance caseload in Peel will reach 13,172 for 2009, or a net cost increase of $5.6 million.
The total cost for economic downturn impacted programs is estimated to reach $9.3 million, according to the document.
“The negative impacts on Peel of the economic downturn are accelerating,” the report handed to councillors stated. “This is strongly confirmed by key economic indicators, notably increasing unemployment rates and social assistance caseloads.”
Region employment figures come as politicians in Ottawa tussle over Employment Insurance (EI) reform.
Federal opposition parties have threatened to topple Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government unless the Conservatives reform the EI system to make it easier for workers who lose their jobs to access insurance payments.
The Liberals want the government to establish a national threshold of 360 paid hours of work for people to qualify for EI during the economic downturn.
Currently, it takes between 420 and 910 hours of paid work to be eligible for EI depending on where someone lives.

Speaking at her annual business breakfast yesterday, Mayor Susan Fennell took the opportunity to hammer home the message that efforts to inject new life into the downtown core should be left to the private sector and not taxpayers.
The mayor’s comments were in reference to a heated discussion currently circulating council chambers over whether Brampton should invest millions of dollars in expanding city hall.
The debate centres on those who say this is a bad time to invest in an expensive project like the city hall expansion, while others argue the project would be ideal (given the low rate banks will charge to borrow cash) to revitalize downtown Brampton and stimulate the economy.
Mayor Fennell seems lukewarm on the idea of expanding city hall as a means to restore the city centre.
Rather, the mayor argues a convention centre and hotel would be exactly what Brampton needs for the Four Corners area.
The event’s keynote speaker was Jean Perrault, Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) president and mayor of Sherbrooke Que., a community that coincidentally is also in the process of attracting a big name hotel to its downtown.
Mayor Fennell (something leads me to think it was deliberate) used that “common thread” to present her vision for the downtown core.
“We happened to be chatting about revitalizing the downtown and Mayor Perrault is in the process of attracting a hotel and convention centre (to that community), of course a top priority for the mayor of Brampton as well,” Fennell said.
City council is staring down the barrel of a June 24 deadline on what to do with the overflow of employees currently working in rented office space and alternate city-owned buildings around Brampton.
The municipality outgrew its current city hall in 2002 and has been leasing space ever since.
Also, officials have projected Brampton will need even more legroom by the time the city reaches build-out in the next 20 years.