Vancouver Island is poised to have a stable business environment during the coming year. While affected by the global recession that started late in 2008, industries such as real estate rebounded sooner than expected.
There are a number of reasons why the Island was less affected by the economic debacle than the rest of Canada. The Island enjoys relatively healthy business conditions, better weather than most of Canada, as well as low crime rates. It also attracted a lot of attention during the 2010 Olympics, enhancing its reputation as an attractive place to reside.
It appears that retail sales showed considerable improvement in the pre-Christmas season. However, retailers may face a letdown this month as consumers pay their credit card bills.
The construction market may pick up, with the Cable Bay/Oceanview resort set to be built this year. Other new-construction projects are on the books, and are in the process of receiving necessary local approvals.
Although Vancouver Island fared better than much of the country during the recession, it experienced a few setbacks during the fourth quarter of last year. Many companies had to face the obvious fact that their sales could not possibly replicate those that occurred before the Olympics. Other companies scrutinized their plans to expand operations. Still others saw that the end of 2010 signaled the end of a years-long string of successes.
Veteran businesspeople have survived recessions, and witnessed their companies’ ultimate survival. Their tips: Debt is the enemy in bad economic times. Get rid of it, or at least reduce it as much as possible. Review all expenses, and cut where necessary. Be cautious, but do not skimp on marketing operations. Many organizations that cut back on advertising run the expensive risk of re-establishing brand awareness when the recovery occurs.
Having a house fire is an extremely stressful situation and we all hope we never have to go through it. We all think “it will never happen to me” but every year in Canada thousands of house fires happen, some if them fatal. So what can we do to protect ourselves from this sometimes deadly occurrence? And what do we do when it happens? From your smoke detectors to home insurance, you need to be prepared.
Be Prepared… Just in Case
When you purchase your home, you will be required to purchase home insurance and your insurance provider will cover these basic steps:
- Have a working fire extinguisher in your home.
- Take inventory of your and your family’s personal possessions. A video recording is the easiest thing to do, but an item by item list with your estimated values is even better. (Store these off of the premises in a safety deposit box or something similar.
- Have working smoke detectors.
- Have an evacuation plan.
- Follow proper fire safety rules.
If you do not follow these steps, you may not qualify to be covered under your home insurance policy. Many people say they will make certain efforts when they sign their home insurance forms, but then go home and forget about the necessary steps.
Fire Safety Rules
In every home, people should practice fire safety and be aware of the everyday dangers that cause fires. In 2002, over 9000 house fires in Canada were started by cigarettes or “smoking apparatus”. Look around your home and make sure that you are taking the following precautions:
- Never overload outlets or power bars and always use the correct pronged plugs for each outlet.
- Never have anything electrical near heat or water.
- Always clean out your dryer’s lint screen and make sure it is vented to the outside of your home.
- Have your furnace checked and regularly maintained.
- Never leave a hot stove unattended or leave dishtowels near the elements.
- Never leave lit candles burning unattended or near open windows or loose material / clothing.
- Check your smoke detectors at least once per month to see if they are in good working order.
- If you are a smoker, be sure to properly extinguish your cigarettes, matches and lighters. It is best to use an outdoor container with water and sand.
- Keep all matches and lighters away from children.
- If you have a wood-burning stove, make sure it is properly installed and far enough away from your walls.
What to Do if You Have a Fire
If a fire starts in your home the first rule is get everyone out of the house. Follow your evacuation plan if possible and get as far away as possible. Once you have gotten out of the home, go to a neighbour’s and call 911. Never go back into a burning house. Remember to stay low, cover your mouth and nose with your clothing and test doorknobs before you grab them. And always remember the important instructions: Stop, Drop and Roll!
If by some chance you are trapped in your house, put as much distance between yourself and the fire as possible. Cover your face with a wet towel if you can and take your cordless or cell phone with you if you can to call for help and guide rescuers to your location.
After the Fire
The most important step after a fire is to call your home insurance provider. Because of the severity and urgency of a house fire, insurance companies tend to make fire claims their top priority. Your home insurance provider can refer fire restoration companies who can complete the initial cleanup and drying process. You should also discuss what is covered in your policy and what isn’t.After your house has been through the first cleanup, you can then move on to a contractor who can restore your house. Have your contractors fill out the proper insurance forms and keep an open line of communication with your insurance provider throughout the restoration process.
It is also necessary to contact the bank where you have your mortgage or your mortgage broker to notify them of the fire and damage as well.
Lilly Gordon is a freelance writer and web publisher. She is currently researching fire safety and home insurance in Edmonton.
Most people think of a will as something to fear or something that needs to be done later in life. Unfortunately situations do occur; situations that can leave a person incapacitated or worse. These are the types of circumstances that require discussion of wills, trusts and estates – the types of circumstances that not nearly enough people are prepared for. When something unforeseen happens, or untimely death occurs, a will and other legal documents can ensure that a person’s estate is protected, that their family is taken care of and that their wishes are carried out exactly as specified.
What is a Will?
A will is a legal document that carries out a person’s last wishes. It is a typed or handwritten statement with directions as to how to distribute an estate. A person’s estate consists of any assets that are legally owned, including cash.
Used for hundreds of years by the Ancient Romans and refined by the British, wills have been long used to bequeath estates to benefactors that are specifically chosen by the writer of the document. The have been used to fight against royalty, save families and have been known to save thousands of animals with well-meaning donations and bequests.
Why Have a Will?
Creating a will is one of the most important things a person can do in their lives… and the sooner, the better. Talking about death or unfortunate circumstances seems to leave people with a sick feeling. The reality of life is, death; there’s nothing more certain. Writing a will doesn’t speed up the process, it simply leaves a person prepared for the inevitable; which could be the best decision they ever make.
A Legal Will can:
- Protect your family: By personally directing your assets to your spouse, children or family, you can ensure that they thrive.
- Name an executor: By naming an executor in your will, you can be sure that someone you trust is dealing with your precious possessions.
- Help carry out your last wishes: Whether you always dreamed of having your ashes spread in the ocean or that the local humane society inherits your whole cash estate, your will can see to it that your dreams can come true.
- Avoid long delays in settling your estate: When you have a legal will, there isn’t much to dispute.
- Help you recognize your loved ones: If you always wanted to leave your cherished coin collection to your best friend, your will can ensure that it happens.
- Appoint a guardian: Through your will you can state exactly who you would like to have raising your children in the event of you and your spouses’ inability.
- Name your own beneficiaries: Your will can state exactly who gets what and how much. Without a will, your whole estate will go to a court appointed beneficiary and in some cases, this may not be your wish.
Without this simple legal document, many of these decisions will go through the court system which can cost our loved ones and family time, effort, money and emotional well-being.
Be safe instead of sorry and prepare your will today.
Lilly Gordon is a freelance writer and web publisher. She is an avid researcher and is currently studying Alberta Family Law.
Moving to a new town can be a challenging experience, no matter where you are going. Finding out where you fit in, what kind of community it is, where the best neighbourhoods are can all be tricky issues to figure out. This is especially true of Guelph, simply because there are so many facets to this town. From bedroom community, to industrial hub, to cultural centre, to University town, Guelph truly has it all.
To try to explain this town and make suggestions about where one individual person should live would be silly. I lived in Guelph for most of my adult life, and experienced it on many different levels, from student, to care-free young adult, to urban professional, to mother. As a result, I have lived in many different pockets of this town, and think it is important for people who are moving here to have an understanding of where they are coming to. It is one thing to move to Guelph, but if you are a young urban-ite interested in nightlife, you may not want to move to the south end. On the other hand, if you are a young family that commutes to Toronto, you probably don’t want to move downtown. Guelph is such an amazingly diverse town, that living in different sections can result in very different lifestyles and thus very different experiences of the same town.
The south-end of Guelph is one of the fastest growing communities in southern Ontario. Where there were farmer’s fields and mini-put courses a few years ago, there is now streets of houses and strip malls. Infrastructure is expanding at a good pace, and some of Guelph’s best restaurants are now in the south-end. Commuters find living in the south-end attractive as there is quick (enough) access to the 401. The population density is quite high south of Stone Road, with new neighbourhoods and condo’s being built at a steady pace.
The University area between Stone and Gordon has a mixture of, as you might imagine, students and University staff. There are some gorgeous older homes in the area that have been lovingly kept, and some others that have been not-so-lovingly kept that are student rentals. The fascinating thing about Guelph is that there is such a diversity of houses and people not just neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood, but street-by-street and even by sections of streets.
What is known as the downtown of Guelph could be considered the most lively. A fair concentration of University students, young adults and young families inhabit the neighbourhoods in and around the downtown core. Living right in the downtown often means renting above shops or bars and is not for the faint of heart. The nightlife is busy and loud, and fun for many, but not for all! The annual Guelph Jazz Festival is held right in the downtown core every summer and there are many award winning restaurants and fun boutiques to choose from. There are some beautiful older homes around the downtown area, and you will find young, urban-ish families make great communities in this area, including the areas around Exhibition Park, Sunny Acres Park and St Georges Park’s. These pockets of town can be higher priced and move quickly.
The area known as “The Ward”, has long been known as the up-and-coming area of town. Again, it has many pockets of it that have lovely old, well looked after houses, some areas of not-so-looked after rentals, and some great young family neighbourhoods. A lot of university student’s live in The Ward, and a lot stay long after they finish university! The Ward is home to the Italian Canadian Club, where the annual Guelph Italian Festival is held, popular for all! It is not unusual to see houses with HUGE backyards, accommodating large vegetable gardens and even chickens! There are also some industrial sites in the Ward, all of which is important to consider when looking for homes in the area.
The East End of town is also an older section of town, like The Ward, and has some lower income pockets, some new building happening and some great family neighbourhoods. The West and North ends of town have some family housing, some rentals and some family neighbourhoods. As mentioned, the intriguing thing about Guelph, and particularly these areas in particular, is the diversity not just by neighbourhoods, but by sections of neighbourhoods.
This variety of neighbourhoods makes it crucial to be working with a REALTOR when purchasing a home in Guelph, especially if you are not very familiar with Guelph and/or moving from out-of-town. I will be happy to get to know your needs and preferences and be able to suggest areas of town that would suit you better than others. I know what parts of what streets, in The Ward for example, are best avoided, what areas are going to be built up quickly, in the south-end for example, and which neighbourhoods are the best for you. Please call me if you are looking to relocate to or within Guelph, I would be happy to point you in the right direction.
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