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John Thomson  

Rumours and things

That completed highway to Summerland is a beauty. I know there were lots of problems in the construction of that section of the highway but the finished work is perfect, well done and a beautiful thing.

Arthon Contractors should be very proud of the job they did under some very trying circumstances I’m sure. Their finished product and the way they handled the inconvenience for travellers over that long period of time are commendable.

Their staff and crew did amazing work and are commended for their major contribution to the project. It is such a pleasure to drive south.

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That nemesis of the fruit industry, cold weather in the spring, has harmed the apricot crop and the harvest is light. The industry total will be about twenty per cent lower than last year. The quality certainly seems okay to me in the one we have purchased and from the one tree we have on the grounds.

The cold weather meant the bees were not active during the development season and bees are needed during blossom time in order to pollinate the trees.

The average drop of apricots produces a bottom line of just less than one million kilograms of fruit and just under $900,000 in sales. There are about 300 growers and 240 hectares of orchard land in apricot production.

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I was sitting in my doctor’s office reading a magazine that had aged well. I always wonder if you should be carrying a small pack of Purell with you because everyone that has read the Readers Digest I had in my hands was sick, that’s why they were there. Anyway I picked up this joke I just have to use from Peter Rogers in Winnipeg.

A fellow is having computer problems at work so he calls the IT department. A technician arrives and asks the man for his password.

“My password is MickeyMinnieGoofyPlutoHueyDewyLouisDonald Berlin,” the fellow replies.

“Why is it so long?” the technician asks.

“Because,” the man replies. “I was told it had to be eight charters and a capital.”


Good grief!
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No panic folks, the experts and there are plenty of them, are predicting a turnaround of sorts for the housing industry in this province before the year is out.

The drop in demand had changed the market considerably. Supply remains
strong compared to the current pace of home sales. At the moment it is a buyers market and the offers being received reflect that trend.

I believe the continued strengthening of the economy and the employment picture will lead to a definite turnaround in the housing market itself before this year is out.

People still want to live here for all kinds of reasons and more and more are just retiring to the area, as they will be doing in great numbers in the next few years.

There are some good deals out there.

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We always knew that for many years Canadian Tire stores have been the biggest retailer in Canada for hockey equipment of all kinds, from beginners to the seniors.

The competition for Canada’s $400 million a year market for hockey equipment is about to get a little rougher.

The National Hockey League announced that Canadian Tire has signed a partnership agreement with the NHL® to become the League's Official Sporting Goods Retailer of the NHL in Canada. The agreement includes a hat trick of exciting announcements: a five-year NHL partnership, the launch of the NHL-powered Canadian Tire Hockey School (CTHS) and the naming of Stanley Cup winner and Olympic Gold Medalist Jonathan Toews as CTHS founding member and official spokesperson.

In addition to becoming an Official NHL Partner in Canada, Canadian Tire will now be designated as an Official Partner of the NHL Heritage Classic™, NHL All-Star Game, Stanley Cup® Playoffs, Stanley Cup Final and NHL Face-Off™.

Meanwhile, the boys from Wal-Mart Canada Corp. say it has added leading brand Bauer equipment to its lineup for the first time this year — though the deal doesn’t include Bauer skates. They are talking discounts of 10 to 30 percent.

Families think it’s going to cost $1,000 to equip a kid who wants to play hockey, but a house league starter kit for a younger child can start at $250 on average.

Mom and Dad are under a lot of pressure these days with rising costs for everything and their disposable income has slipped in some cases below normal. They will be looking for quality, safe products and the right price.

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Now I know it's the Christmas season - we got our Christmas Wish Book catalogue form Sears! Do you remember when you were growing up and the Simpson’s and Eaton’s Christmas catalogues would arrive and immediately you would get a piece of paper to make your list of the things you wanted for Christmas. It never did work out - it wasn’t the same list Santa was working from.


More John Thomson articles

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About the Author

John Thomson is the Okanagan's pre-eminent business columnist writing his column, Rumours and Things, for over 24 years. Plugged in to the valley's who's who, John keeps his readers coming back for more with his straight talk and optimistic perspective on where we are headed next.

When John is not writing his column, he runs a sixteen year old think tank called the Executive Roundtable and holds his popular "Thomson Presents" quarterly business speaker seminars.

Have a comment, question, or tip for John? 

E-mail John at
[email protected]
or send him a fax at 250-764-8255.

 



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The views expressed are strictly those of the author and not necessarily those of Castanet. Castanet does not warrant the contents.

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