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Road closure near Co-op Refinery part of police plan to 'make the site safe' – Regina Leader-Post

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The RPS said the “temporary” road closure is needed to “make the site safe and remove materials (that) could potentially be used to create an illegal barrier.”

Unifor national president Jerry Dias believes the only chance Local 594 has of getting a fair deal at the bargaining table is through binding arbitration.

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“The simple reality is: Co-op is very comfortable, that they have a government that really has suggested a special mediator but gave him no powers,” said Dias, at a news conference in Victoria Park on Friday afternoon. Shortly after barricades were built around the refinery on Jan. 20 Dias said the playing field was closer to level, as the pickets were affecting the Co-op Refinery Complex’ (CRC) ability to make money.


National Unifor president Jerry Dias speaks to members of the media at a news conference held in Victoria Park in Regina, Saskatchewan on Feb. 7, 2020.

BRANDON HARDER /

Regina Leader-Post

But late Thursday night police closed 9th Avenue N. from Winnipeg Street to McDonald Street and maintained the closure into Friday, allowing Co-op fuel trucks to pass through a police checkpoint as officers checked the drivers’ names.

Two police cruisers were parked at the intersection of Winnipeg Street and 9th Avenue North on Friday morning. Officers restricted both foot and vehicle traffic through the area. However, reporters on scene observed Co-op fuel trucks pass through the blockade after the drivers’ names were checked by police.

“Vehicles not related to the operation of the businesses in the area will not be permitted,” the Regina Police Service (RPS) said in its release.

By late Friday evening, Unifor pickets could be seen delaying fuel trucks attempting turn onto 9th Avenue North from Winnipeg Street.

Pickets walked around in a circle in the middle of 9th Avenue North as each truck approached them. A representative would then approach the driver and explain the union’s position. 

Trucks were delayed for varying periods, generally a few minutes. In an exchange witnessed by the Leader-Post, they soon allowed the driver to proceed when he asked.

Lana Payne, Unifor’s secretary-treasurer, said the pickets were fully complying with the December court order limiting delays.

“We decided that the court injunction says we can stop trucks and talk to them up to 10 minutes. That’s our constitutional right to be able to pick it and that’s what we’re doing right here,” said Payne.

But the picket still prompted a small traffic jam as fuel trucks lined up on the off-ramp from Ring Road to Winnipeg Street

Payne faulted police for doing the work of “the boss.”

“Obviously they’re the ones that blocked the gate and this is the only space that we had here to set up our picket line,” she said.


Pickets walking in front of a Co-op fuel truck on 9th Avenue North on Feb. 7, 2020 in Regina.

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The RPS said the “temporary” road closure is needed to “make the site safe and remove materials (that) could potentially be used to create an illegal barrier.”

Police said Friday that pickets would be allowed to walk freely in the area with signage and other informational materials when the area is cleared of structures and debris. Structures such as warming huts, heaters and portable toilets have been a part of the picket line since workers were locked out on Dec. 5.

Criticizing the RPS action, Dias used the words “police state,” contending if the police were following the court’s orders, there was no wording specifying heaters, warming structures and toilets had to be removed from public property.

“It is crystal clear that the police are an arm of the corporation,” Dias charged — an allegation the RPS has consistently denied. “It is a complete coordinated effort to shut down the picket line to ensure that the Co-op refinery can continue the lockout.”

According to police, the action is “part of a plan to restore a safe physical environment” that will “support peaceful, lawful and safe picketing by members of Unifor Canada, Local 594 and their supporters, in accordance with the Dec. 24, 2019 Queen’s Bench Court Order by Justice J. McMurtry.”

It’s a move celebrated by Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) that said the “removal of the illegal barricades” means emergency services and fuel trucks have access to the refinery site.

Fences erected by police, coupled with cruisers, effectively prevented any foot or car traffic from entering the area.

Scott Doherty, lead negotiator and assistant to Unifor’s national president, said no union members were allowed to return to their picket lines after police blocked off part of the road around 11 p.m. Thursday.

Doherty said Co-op security guards took down barricades erected by the union. As a response, all pickets have relocated to Unifor’s central barricade at Gate 7.

“Co-op has full access to the refinery. We’re not entirely sure from RPS if our members try and walk through their barricade to get to the various gates, that we’re legally allowed to be picketing at, that they’re not going to be arrested,” Doherty said Friday morning.

In an emailed statement, Dias said, “Blocking access to picket locations at the bidding of Co-op Refinery is a clear violation of Charter rights.”

Doherty said all of this could have been avoided if the government returned the union’s calls on Thursday, the same day the two sides met in Regina’s Court of Queen’s Bench for a marathon contempt of court hearing. The judge has reserved decision.

In a news release sent Friday, Minister of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety Don Morgan reiterated the government’s position to appoint a special mediator, “contingent on the removal of the illegal blockades,” is still on the table.

“This dispute now has the potential to not only affect the Saskatchewan economy, but the safety and security of Saskatchewan families,” Morgan said in the release.

“While Unifor members have the right to take legal job action, they do not have the right to erect illegal blockades. We continue to encourage all parties to respect the law and we continue to expect the Regina Police Services to enforce the law.”

But Unifor has a counter proposal. While its plan included the prospect of an immediate end to the pickets, it also called for the immediate departure of replacement workers and a mediator with the power to issue a binding settlement.

Both points are terms the company has rejected in the past.

CRC spokesman Brad DeLorey said the company will not negotiate while barricades remain in place, even with police opening up access to the refinery.

NDP leader Ryan Meili called on Premier Scott Moe to recall the legislature to bring in legislation that would allow for binding arbitration to take place.

“If the Premier is willing to introduce fair and balanced legislation, New Democrats would work to pass this legislation in one day, said Meili in an emailed statment. “This dispute needs to end.”

— with files from Mark Melnychuk and Arthur White-Crummey

alsalloum@postmedia.com

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Regina Police Service officers approach a Co-op fuel truck stopped in front of their controlled checkpoint at the intersection of Winnipeg Street and 9th Avenue North on Feb. 7, 2020.

BRANDON HARDER /

Regina Leader-Post


Regina Police Service officer returns identification to a Co-op fuel truck driver stopped in front of their controlled checkpoint at the intersection.

BRANDON HARDER /

Regina Leader-Post


Members of the Regina Police Service completely shut down 9th Avenue N. from Winnipeg Street to McDonald Street in Regina on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020.

TROY FLEECE /

Regina Leader-Post


The road closure started late Thursday night.

TROY FLEECE /

Regina Leader-Post

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Calgary breaks all-time record in housing starts but increasing demand keeps inventory low – CBC.ca

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Soaring housing demands in Calgary led to an all-time record for new residential builds last year, but inventory levels of completed and unsold units remained low due to demand outpacing supply.

According to the latest report from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), total housing starts increased by 13 per cent in Calgary, reaching a total of 19,579 units with growth across all dwelling types in the city.

That compares to a decline of 0.5 per cent overall for housing starts in the six major Canadian cities surveyed by CMHC.

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Calgary also had the highest housing starts by population.

“Part of the reason why we think that might have happened is that developers are responding to low vacancies in the rental market,” said Adebola Omosola, a housing economics specialist with CMHC.

“The population of Calgary is still growing, a record number of people moved here last year, and we still expect that to remain at least in the short term.”

Earlier this year, the Calgary Real Estate Board also predicted that demand, especially for rental apartments, wouldn’t let up any time soon. 

Industry can cope with demand, expert says

According to numbers from the report, average construction times were higher in 2023 for all dwelling types except for apartments.

The agency’s report suggests the increase in the number of under-construction residential projects might mean builders are operating at or near full capacity.

However, there’s optimism the construction industry can match the increasing need.

Brian Hahn, CEO of BILD Calgary Region, said despite concerns around about construction costs, project timelines and labour shortages, the industry has kept up with the demand for new builds.

Demand is expected to remain robust, but the construction industry can keep up, according to BILD Calgary region CEO Brian Hahn.
Demand is expected to remain robust, but the construction industry can keep up, according to BILD Calgary Region chief executive officer Brian Hahn. (Shaun Best/Reuters)

“I’ve heard that kind of conversation at the end of 2022 and I heard it in 2023,” Hahn said.

“Yet here we are early in 2024, and January and February were record numbers again.”

Hahn added he believes the current pace of construction will continue for at least the next six months and that the industry is looking at initiatives to attract more people to the trades.

Increase in row house and apartment construction

Construction growth was largely driven by new apartment projects, making up almost half of the housing starts in Calgary in 2023.

The federal housing agency says 9,034 apartment units were started that year, an increase of 17 per cent from the previous year. Of those, about 54 per cent were purpose-built rentals.

Apartments made up around two-thirds of all units under construction, CMHC said, with the total number of units under construction reaching 23,473.

Growth, however, was seen across all dwelling types. Row homes increased by 34 per cent from the previous year while groundbreaking on single-detached homes grew by two per cent.

“Notwithstanding challenges, our members and the industry counterparts that support them managed to produce a record amount of starts and completions,” Hahn said.

“I have little doubt that the industry will do their very best to keep pace at those levels.”

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Ottawa real estate: House starts down, apartments up in 2023 – CTV News Ottawa

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Rental housing dominated construction in Ottawa last year, according to a new report from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

Residential construction declined significantly in 2023, with housing starts dropping to 9,245 units, a 19.5 per cent decline from the record high observed in 2022. But while single-detached and row housing starts fell compared to 2022, new construction for rental units and condominiums rose.

“There’s been a shift toward rental construction over the past two years. Rental housing starts made up nearly one third of total starts in 2023, close to double the average of the previous five years,” the report stated.

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Apartment starts reached their highest level since the 1970s.

“The trend toward rental and condominium apartment construction follows increased demand in these market segments due to population growth, households looking for affordable options, and some seniors downsizing to smaller units,” the CMHC said.

Demand from international migration and students, the high cost of home ownership, and people moving to Ottawa from other parts of Ontario were the main drivers for rental housing starts in 2023. The CMHC says rental and condominium apartment starts made up 63 per cent of total starts in 2023, compared to the average of 37 per cent for the period 2018-2022.

There was a modest increase in rental housing starts in 2023 over the record-high seen the year prior and a jump in new condominiums. The report shows 5,846 new apartments were built in Ottawa last year, up 2.1 per cent compared to 2022.

Housing starts in Ottawa by year. (CMHC)

Big demand for condos

The CMHC said condo starts reached a new high in 2023, increasing 3 per cent from 2022 numbers.

“As of the end of 2023, there were only 13 completed and unsold condominium units, highlighting continued demand for new units,” the CMHC said.

Condominum starts increased in areas such as Chinatown, Hintonburg, Vanier and Alta Vista, as well as some suburban areas like Kanata, Stittsville, and western Orléans. Condo apartment construction declined in denser parts of the city like downtown, Lowertown and Centretown, the report says.

Taller buildings are also becoming more common, as the cranes dotting the skyline can attest. The CMHC notes that buildings with more than 20 storeys accounted for nearly 10 per cent of apartment structure starts in 2022 and 2023, compared to an average of 2 per cent over the 2017-2021 period. The number of units per building also rose 7 per cent compared to 2022.

Apartment building heights in Ottawa by year. (CMHC)

Single-detached home construction down significantly

The number of new single-detached homes built in Ottawa last year was the lowest level seen in the city since the mid 1990s, CMHC said.

“The Ottawa area experienced a slowdown in residential construction in 2023, driven by a significant decline in single-detached and row housing starts,” the CMHC said.

Single-detached housing starts were down 45 per cent compared to 2022. Row house starts dropped by 38 per cent compared to 2022, marking a third year of declines in a row.

“Demand for single-detached and row houses also declined in 2023. Higher mortgage rates and home prices have led to a shift in demand toward more affordable rental and condominium units,” the report said.

There were 1,535 single-detached housing starts in Ottawa last year, 208 new semi-detached homes and 1,678 new row houses.

The majority of single-detached and row housing starts were built in suburban communities such as Barrhaven, Stittsville, Kanata, Orléans and rural parts of the city.

“Increased construction costs resulting from higher financing rates and inflation that occurred in 2022 and 2023 contributed to the decline in construction in the region,” the CMHC said. 

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Trump’s media company ticker leads to fleeting windfall for some investors

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A man looks at a screen that displays trading information about shares of Truth Social and Trump Media & Technology Group, outside the Nasdaq Market site in New York City, U.S., March 26.Brendan McDermid/Reuters

Possible confusion over the new stock symbol for former President Donald Trump’s Truth Social (DJT-Q) saw some investor brokerage balances briefly jump by hundreds of thousands of dollars on Tuesday, the first day Trump’s “DJT” ticker traded.

Several people complained on social media about briefly seeing the value of their DJT stock holdings on Charles Schwab platforms inflated to figures more in line with what they would be worth if the shares traded at the level of the Dow Jones Transportation Average.

Some users said they faced a similar issue in pre-market hours on Morgan Stanley’s E*Trade trading platform.

Shares of Trump Media & Technology Group opened Tuesday at $70.90, while the Dow Jones Transportation Average started the session at 15,937.73 points.

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For one trader, the Schwab brokerage balance jumped by more than $1 million due to the error, according to a screen grab shared on social media platform X. Reuters was unable to contact the trader or independently verify the brokerage balance.

“It sure was nice seeing millions in the account, even if it wasn’t real,” another person, going by the username @DanielBenjamin8, who faced the issue in his E*Trade account, posted on X.

Two X users and one on Reddit surmised that the inflated balances were due to the ticker symbol for the company being nearly identical to the index.

A spokeswoman for Charles Schwab said that certain users on some of Schwab’s trading platforms saw their brokerage balances briefly inflated due to a technical issue.

The issue has been resolved and investors are able to trade equities and options on Schwab platforms, she said. Schwab declined to describe the exact cause of the issue.

E*Trade did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside of regular business hours.

Trump Media & Technology Group and S&P Dow Jones Indices, which maintains the Dow Jones Transportation Average Index, did not immediately comment on the issue.

While social media users said the issue appeared to have been resolved, many rued not being able to cash out their supposed gains from the error.

“I better go tell my boss that I’m actually not retiring,” the trader whose account balance had briefly jump by more than $1 million, wrote on X.

Trump Media & Technology Group shares surged more than 36% on Tuesday in their debut on the Nasdaq that comes more than two years since its merger with a blank-check firm was announced.

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