Honda Canada recalls around 7,800 vehicles to deal with potential braking problem
March 14th, 2013 | Comments (0)
Around 7,800 vehicles are being recalled by Honda Canada to repair a potential malfunction that could affect braking. The problem stems from an electrical component of the Vehicle Stability Assist system, who on some vehicles, could have been damaged. The automaker says the issue could apply a small amount of brake force without the brakes being touched or apply too much brake force when the brakes are used. So far, no crashes have been reported due to the malfunction. The recall covers 3,200 Honda Pilot vehicles, 700 Acura RL vehicles and 3,800 Acura MDX vehicles from the 2005 model year, and 100 Acura MDX vehicles from the 2006 model year. Owners can learn more about the issue by clicking here.
Metrolinx holds roundtable at Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce
March 14th, 2013 | Comments (0)
Metrolinx is getting input from the business community on a planned transit expansion. A roundtable was held at the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, where the company looked at various revenue tools including property tax, highway tolls, parking space levies and sales tax. Projects currently underway for the region include new GO Bus and GO Train maintenance facilities, improvements at GO stations, like pedestrian bridges, along with a 30 kilometre enhanced bus service from the University of Toronto’s Scarborough campus to Oshawa. For more information, click here.
Strong housing starts across the province, last month
March 10th, 2013 | Comments (0)
Housing starts across Ontario were a strong in February, trending at over 61,000 units according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Regional Economist ted Tsiakopoulos says starts were supported by apartment demand, particularly in the Toronto area. The Toronto metropolitan area had 38,500 starts, which recovered January’s low level. In the Oshawa CMAa, which includes Whitby and Clarington, new home construction has flattened due to slower sales and a lower number of apartments and starts came in at just over 1500 units, which was down from January.
GM investing $250-million in Ingersoll plant
March 8th, 2013 | Comments (0)
General Motors is investing $250-million in its assembly plant in Ingersoll. GM says they will be installing new equipment and tooling that will allow the Cami plant to build a wider range of vehicles at a lower cost. Construction is expected to begin within the next few weeks.
Canadian economy cranks out over 50,000 jobs in February, keeping the unemployment rate at 7%
March 8th, 2013 | Comments (0)
Statistics Canada has released February job numbers and things appear to be looking back up. The Canadian economy, which has been in a slump for about half-a-year, beat expectations by cranking out 50,700 jobs. The increase helped keep the unemployment rate at 7%, which is a four-year low. If there was a weak link it came in manufacturing, which continued its losing streak of the past few months. Positive news on the job front in Oshawa last month as well, with the rate dropping two-tenths to 9.4%. Not such a rosy picture in Toronto however, where unemployment went up two-tenths to 8.4%.
Region of Durham gets Triple A credit rating
February 18th, 2013 | Comments (0)
The Region of Durham has something to be proud of, after being awarded another triple “A” credit rating from Moody’s. The region is among eight Canadian municipalities to receive this ranking, and Regional Chair Roger Anderson says it shows that Durham is a leader in fiscal responsibility, and it’s something worth bragging about. Durham was rated at the high end of the communities listed, and as a part of the report, Moody’s highlighted the region’s strong, local and diversified economy.
Chrysler recalls over 63,000 vehicles in Canada
February 15th, 2013 | Comments (0)
A major recall has been announced by Chrysler. Officials say the recall involves 370,000 Ram and Dakota pickup trucks and Aspen and Durango SUVs, including 63,000 in Canada. The cause is because a nut can come loose, causing a rear axle to lock up. The company says the problem has been related to 15 accidents, but thankfully no injuries. For more details, click here.
Honda Accord named Car of the Year
February 14th, 2013 | Comments (0)
The Canadian Automobile Journalists have voted the Honda Accord as the Car of the Year. It beat out the Porche Boxter and the Hyundai Elantra G-T after thorough testing including 40,000 data points gathered by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada. The Best Utility Vehicle award went to the Hyundai Sante Fe.
Woodbine Entertainment Group cuts jobs to keep pace with revenue reduction
February 14th, 2013 | Comments (0)
Ontario’s horse-racing track operator says it’s being forced to slash hundreds of positions to keep pace with a reduction in revenue. Woodbine Entertainment Group says it’s cutting 109 salaried jobs at its Woodbine and Mohawk racetracks. The company says it’s also cutting a significant number of hourly jobs, converting many roles to seasonal positions and reducing the amount of hourly work available at the tracks. The company says it’s been losing money ever since the provincial government pulled slot machines from the tracks.
Canadian Independent business owners caught in too much red tape
February 14th, 2013 | Comments (0)
A new survey by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business shows some disturbing results when it comes to the cost of government red tape. Executive Vice President Laura Jones says $31-billion is spent a year on regulations, and of that, 9 billion is unnecessary red tape that should be cut out, and used to stimulate the economy. She says Canadian businesses spend 40% more than American businesses for regulations. Jones says the survey also found that one third of business owners would not have gone into business had they known the total cost of government regulations.
Whitby’s building permits stats show January was a soft month
February 9th, 2013 | Comments (0)
January was a bit of a down month for building permit sales in Whitby. Officials say a total of 42 permits were sold last month, 30 of them for residential development, compared with 73 in January 2012. Total construction value also fell more than 76 per cent to just over $4.6-million.
Massive turnaround in Canadian sales for the Big 3
February 8th, 2013 | Comments (0)
The Big 3 North American automakers saw a massive turnaround in Canadian sales last month. According to Desrosiers Automotive Consultants, Chrysler sales rose 2.7 per cent while GM sales were up 6.2 per cent and Ford sales jumped 8.1 per cent, from the same month last year. The Big 3 also saw market share climb from 45.6 per cent in January 2012 to 49.2 per cent last month. As far as imports go, Toyota sales fell 12.5 per cent while Honda sales dropped 26.5 per cent.