Capital Report~October 16, 2009
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Premier Gordon Campbell helps unveil the gold, silver and bronze medals for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The new design drew inspiration from the mountains, ocean and snow.

2010 Olympic and Paralympic Medals Unveiled

This week Premier Campbell helped unveil the gold, silver and bronze medals for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The medals feature West Coast First Nations artwork of the Orca and Raven, designed by Aboriginal artist Corinne Hunt.

  • The design of the medals was a collaborative effort between Canadian Aboriginal designer/artist, Corinne Hunt, internationally renowned industrial designer, Omer Arbel, the Royal Canadian Mint, Teck Resources Limited, and VANOC’s in-house design team.

B.C., Canada Partner to Renew Social Housing

The Governments of Canada and British Columbia announced 101 renovation and retrofit projects totalling approximately $177 million, which is cost-shared under the Housing Renovation Partnership, a jointly funded program to renovate and retrofit social housing over the next two years creating an estimated 1,130 jobs.

  • Overall, the Economic Action Plan includes more than $2 billion for new and existing social housing, plus up to $2 billion in loans to municipalities for housing-related infrastructure.
  • The majority of the Housing Renovation Partnership funding, approximately $164 million, will be directed toward repairs at 81 social housing developments.

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Transition Rules Give Clarity to Businesses, Consumers

The Government of B.C. has released proposed general transitional rules to help guide businesses and consumers in a smooth changeover to the proposed Harmonized Sales Tax (HST).

  • The transitional rules set out which tax applies – the current Provincial Sales Tax (PST) or the B.C. portion of the HST – for transactions that straddle July 1, 2010.
  • The general transitional rules do not include transitional rules for new residential real property. The Province is currently finalizing these transitional rules and will be releasing them in the coming months.
  • In total the HST will remove about $2 billion in costs from B.C. business which will enhance competitiveness, encourage investment and ultimately create more jobs.

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Saturday October 17, 2009

Burnaby-Lougheed Harry Bloy will be a guest on Constituency Report on Shaw Cable 4 Lower Mainland at 8:30am to 5:30pm.

Monday October 19, 2009

Premier Gordon Campbell will be a guest on NBC TV – The Today Show at 8:30am EST (will likely be tape-delayed and run at same time PST) topic of discussion will be the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Quotes This Week

“What an exceptional honour for our city. Condé Nast Traveler is one of the premier travel publications in North America, and their readers are discerning and well traveled. Winning such a prestigious designation is a great compliment for Vancouver, and furthers the work that we do to raise the profile of our destination."
Rick Baxter, chair of Tourism Vancouver. Vancouver Sun, October 16, 2009. (Regarding Vancouver’s selection as Best City in the Americas by Condé Nast Traveler Magazine for the fourth time in six years)

“B.C. was the notable leader [amongst Canadian provinces]. Employment up 14,000. I think this is terrific news. I think it does show that the recovery is for real.”
Derek Burleton, director of Economic Analysis, TD Economics. CHNL Radio, October 9, 2009.

“Premier Gordon Campbell did not disappoint with his Oct. 2 UBCM speech and richly deserves the standing ovations he received from B.C.'s municipal leaders.”
Patrick Smith, Political Science Professor, Simon Fraser University. Vancouver Sun, October 6, 2009.


Did You Know?

  • Building on another record year for lumber sales into China, Forestry Innovation Investment (FII) has increased funding for China marketing by 17 per cent and sharpened the focus of its joint market development strategy with industry and the federal government. B.C. softwood lumber exports to China in 2009 have already hit an all-time annual high, 860 million board feet to the end of July, with five more months still to go in the sales year.
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  • Luxury vehicles seized as tools for criminal activity under the Province’s civil forfeiture law are now on the auction block. This is the third time the Province has auctioned vehicles seized under civil forfeiture.
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  • The Province is providing $1.5 million for Round Two of the Connecting Citizens Grant Program, to assist in bringing Internet service to citizens in rural and remote British Columbia locales.
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