It's the end of line for the Trailer Park Boys sitcom. It is not expected back for another season, say creators Mike Volpe and Barrie Dunn, though a new special is in the can and another feature is in the works...

New management will be in place at Wendy’s as the owner of Arby’s buys control of the company. Breakfast seems to be number one on the list of menu changes. I think they have been working on a breakfast menu for at least a year. A new coffee and wraps. Breakfast has been a sticky issue at Wendy’s because Dave Thomas, the founder and TV spokesperson for all those years, didn’t want to serve it. Breakfast is a certain possibility but you have to do something different and creative like Tim Hortons did with their breakfast sandwich. We have such a well managed Wendy’s operation in the Interior we don’t see any of the problems that may have been developing in the United States chain...

As the world faces its first global food crisis since World War II, even North American consumers are starting to feel the pinch. Media reports are starting to trickle in about grocers limiting some food purchases, while Costco Wholesale Corp. is seeing a higher than usual demand for staple foods such as rice and flour as consumers appear to be stocking up. Costco Chief Executive, James Sinegal told Reuters news service in an interview that the Issaquah-based wholesale company is managing the situation. "If we run out, we're usually back in stock the next day," he said.

The food price crisis is not something Canadians should be in a panic about. Food prices are definitely rising but there is no reason for Canadian consumers to be hoarding food. Our food in the Valley is always more expensive but you have the ability to buy specials every week from your favorite grocery store and now is the time to shop that flyer for the best buys and plan meals accordingly. The food executive I spoke with said there are going to be price increases on a number of items from time to time but they are all manageable. Like we have been writing about for months, we are going to see increases in the low single digits and in the grains, double digits. The strong Canadian dollar has really insulated us against high prices. This is our big plus as we have one of the most retail competitive markets in the world.

Such problems here pale in comparison to what is happening in desperate countries. The World Food Program says that rising food prices, and a corresponding food shortage, threaten 20 million of the planet's poorest children. Food prices have risen 40 percent on average since mid-2007, and have led to riots in the Caribbean, Africa and Asia...

I am told every day that so many people are down south looking for real estate to buy. Some real estate agents in Phoenix and Palm Springs are looking north for those good Canadian dollars to sell some of the bank-held property in those areas. There are discounts of up to fifty per cent. You have to be very careful in this situation because before anything happens you should be aware of the neighborhood where the property is located. Read everything handed to you very carefully and involve legal services...

I was reading a very interesting story on the 100 year old Quilchena Hotel and it got me thinking about Ernie Cowan our old friend who is no longer with us. Ernie came to me one year to tell me he was going back into the hotel business to help out the family that owned the legendary hotel. He was going to be the manager there for the summer. Ernie had been the manager of the Capri Hotel in Kelowna and the Kelowna Golf and Country Club before he retired. He wanted us to come up and see the hotel and the gun shot holes in the bar. You should drop in on this hotel. Take a drive up there to have lunch. Take the Coquihalla Highway fifteen minutes north of Merritt on Highway 5A...