This And That

Edmonton, Alberta: How Do You Heat Your Igloo? (Todd Millar) I replied in a lighthearted way that spending my money on sunsets and sandy beaches is what I do when I'm on holiday, not when I plan and weigh out an investment option. Sunsets sizzle, and when we imagine the lifestyle associated with them, emotion takes hold and reason leaves the room.

Quality-job creation: Another area where Canada outshines US
The bad news is that, like the United States, Canada's economy is shedding manufacturing jobs. The good news is that, unlike the U.S., Canada is replacing them with high-quality work in the public administration and energy extraction sectors.

Canadians vote like mad for Monopoly real estate
It may sound like fun and games, but some people are taking getting their cities into Monopoly's upcoming World Edition rather seriously. Full-blown campaigns on social site Facebook and other Internet sites have boosted the fortunes of Canada's three candidate cities vying for spots on the game board.

CPP buys big chunk of Scotia Place
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board has bought a 40-per-cent interest in Scotia Place at 10060 Jasper Avenue for $63.5 million.

"The Edmonton market is strong and getting stronger, and obviously has a long-term future," Graeme Eadie, CPP senior vice-president of real estate investment, said today.

Silver lining to expected slowdown
The Canadian dollar has, overall, surged in value for two reasons:

First, the demand for Canadian energy -- oil and natural gas -- continues to remain high. Second, the U.S. housing market has been hit by the sub-prime lending crisis, which has dampened confidence in the American economy, devaluing its currency against others -- including the loonie.

The immediate effects of a high Canadian dollar are felt in manufacturing, which has come to depend on the lower loonie and a strong U.S. economy for steady exports south of the border. In November, 16,000 jobs were lost in Canada's manufacturing sector, according to Statistics Canada.