Economy Thread - Page 46

jammer139 · #**901** Posted **Feb 4, 2023, 1:23 PM**

Yet another small ISP is purchased by one of the Big 3. London based Start.ca was acquired by Telus in January.

https://www.iphoneincanada.ca/carriers/t...es-altima-and-start-ca-independent-isps/

What that means for competition and pricing for Start.ca customers is yet to be seen.

One thing that is likely not going to happen now is the major renovation of their York St headquarters which they announced plans for a number of years ago. I think its a big question mark now if Telus sees any value in Start.ca Horton St headquarters going forward.

Djeffery · #**902** Posted **Feb 4, 2023, 2:15 PM**

Small correction, York St. Probably not going to do the corporate HQ idea, but I can see them still hanging on to the property, as Telus doesn't really have such an operation in this area. The warehouse probably will be needed, and I can see them closing the office across the road and moving it into this space.

jammer139 · #**903** Posted **Feb 15, 2023, 1:37 PM**

Italian pasta maker Andriani to build 50,000 sq ft factory in London Innovation Park. Sadly the location in the LFP article is not at all clear.

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/ital...-factory-north-american-office-in-london

Andriani supplies more than 40,000 tonnes of pasta a year to more than 30 countries. The company’s brands are Felicia, a gluten-free pasta, and Biori, made with organic grains.

jammer139 · #**904** Posted **Feb 21, 2023, 4:18 PM**

LFP article about the recent report showing the percentage of homes that are owned by investors. The really high number is with the condo sector.

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/investors-crowding-out-first-time-homebuyers-in-london-expert

jammer139 · #**905** Posted **Mar 1, 2023, 2:45 PM**

LFP article on the lack of skilled trades people causing higher prices. There has never been a better time to be a skilled trades person. If your young and love working with your hands you have a great opportunity to have a well paid career in the many skilled trades. Why aren't the school boards emphasizing this more?

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/work...me-renovation-costs-with-no-end-in-sight

ssiguy · #**906** Posted **Mar 1, 2023, 11:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jammer139

LFP article on the lack of skilled trades people causing higher prices. There has never been a better time to be a skilled trades person. If your young and love working with your hands you have a great opportunity to have a well paid career in the many skilled trades. Why aren't the school boards emphasizing this more?

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/work...me-renovation-costs-with-no-end-in-sight

Why?........the answer to that is quite simple, teachers and school trustees are exactly that, teachers and school trustees. In other words all of them have at LEAST a 4 year university degree under their belts and they bring their bias into policy, priorities, and the classroom.

They push the idea that in order to REALLY advance in both their financial and social status reguires going to university. If you are going to university then you are a professional while if you go to college than you are part of the working class regardless if you make more than a person with a degree.

This is why you have an increasing number of students going to college AFTER they get their degree. They know that unless you have a couple letters behind your name, you will always be viewed as a person with no real education and thus the stigma that comes along with it.

Djeffery · #**907** Posted **Mar 3, 2023, 10:19 PM**

Steel has started going up on the CAMI battery plant. As I speculated earlier, they are converting the former warehouse on the south side of the factory facing the 401 and building the addition onto the east side of that building. The building labeled as TFT Global in this map.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.0127877,-80.8830134,658m/data=!3m1!1e3

jammer139 · #**908** Posted **Mar 7, 2023, 9:36 PM**

Enforcement blitz finds over 360 unlicensed STA's listed in London.

https://london.ctvnews.ca/enforcement-bl...ort-term-rentals-in-london-ont-1.6302999

jammer139 · #**909** Posted **Mar 18, 2023, 2:37 AM**

Housing starts have slowed down to start this year.

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/london-area-housing-starts-plunge-in-first-two-months-of-2023

jammer139 · #**910** Posted **Apr 5, 2023, 5:10 PM**

Canada Life buys IPC. What impacts will London offices of Canada Life see in the future?

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/575m...ajor-player-in-personal-wealth-president

jammer139 · #**911** Posted **Apr 6, 2023, 1:01 PM**

T&T Supermarket which is part of the Loblaws group coming to London at Oxford and Wonderland.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/t-...avour-of-oxford-and-wonderland-1.6802670

jammer139 · #**912** Posted **Apr 17, 2023, 12:09 AM**

London rental rates have risen more then any other large city in Canada.

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/a-st...-spike-in-londons-apartment-rental-rates

Hopefully this spurs the many zoning applications to actually go to the next step and get building permits and construction started. Sadly I think we are seeing a pull back by developers who actually build at the moment. Will we have as many tower cranes standing at the end of 2023 as the end of 2022?

MolsonExport · #**913** Posted **Apr 17, 2023, 5:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jammer139

London rental rates have risen more then any other large city in Canada.

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/a-st...-spike-in-londons-apartment-rental-rates

Hopefully this spurs the many zoning applications to actually go to the next step and get building permits and construction started. Sadly I think we are seeing a pull back by developers who actually build at the moment. Will we have as many tower cranes standing at the end of 2023 as the end of 2022?

Best comment in the LFP comments section:

Quote:

Gee, I didn’t realize that Galen Weston was also in the apartment rental business.

jammer139 · #**914** Posted **Apr 20, 2023, 12:59 PM**

Housing starts have really slowed down as evidenced by the lack of activity in the London region and across the country.

https://globalnews.ca/news/9635151/interest-rate-home-construction-canada/

The interesting quote in the article:

"Most projects that started in 2022 had financing in place based on the low interest rates at the start of the year, making new builds more affordable and therefore financially viable, CMHC said in its report."

Djeffery · #**915** Posted **May 3, 2023, 10:22 PM**

Looks like the Bed Bath and Beyond stores on Wonderland South will have new life. Rooms + Spaces will move into the Bed Bath and Beyond location as the owner of several other rescued retailers is opening a new nameplate. Dave Putnam owns Toys R Us, as well as Sunrise records (which took over many HMV locations) and opened T. Kettle in many former David's Tea locations.

Canadian Tire is taking on 10 former BBB locations and opening new or relocated Marks stores as well as new Pro Hockey Life stores. Pro Hockey Life is moving into the former Buy Buy Baby location further south on Wonderland.

Djeffery · #**916** Posted **May 4, 2023, 10:24 PM**

Some confusion online about which store is going where. The news stories report Rooms + Spaces is going in the former Bed Bath and Beyond location in Westwood Centre but also gives the address as 3325 Wonderland, which is the building BuyBuy Baby is in, south of Bradley. It makes more sense to me for Pro Hockey Life to go in to the Bed Bath and Beyond so it can be right near it's family of stores at Atmosphere and Sport Chek.

Djeffery · #**917** Posted **May 6, 2023, 8:18 PM**

Swung by CAMI on the way home this afternoon. Steel is pretty much done and roof is going on. The white siding is from the original cross dock warehouse that is being expanded and converted to the battery plant. It was approx 175,000 sq ft originally, to give an idea how much bigger this battery plant is (which will still be a quarter of the size of the VW battery plant in St Thomas.

Djeffery · #**918** Posted **May 31, 2023, 3:39 PM**

Toronto based Nexus REIT has added to its London portfolio with the addition of the HCL Logistics warehouse on Robins Hill Rd. HCL itself was acquired by another Toronto company a couple years ago but still has a major presence in London. When they took over the GM Diesel plant several years ago, they did a major expansion of it and the new section is full of drywall and building supplies. The original warehouse is still mostly used for General Dynamics receiving. The warehouse sold on Robins Hill is full to brim with armoured vehicles coming back to London for refurb and going back out again. Not sure if that building was owned by HCL when they took that business over from TNT.

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/firm...gi0723EGFm-J8KQUncpz6qKPacudyarBT9J3uHrA

jammer139 · #**919** Posted **Jul 11, 2023, 1:13 PM**

Latest office vacancy report and LFP article.

Downtown vacancy rate climbs 2 points to 27.7%

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/down...-faces-new-challenge-suburban-workplaces

jammer139 · #**920** Posted **Jul 17, 2023, 3:54 PM**

Your morning laugh - CBC article on office vacancies downtown.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/lo...ate-development-homeless-crime-1.6904499