August Starts Up in the St. Catharines-Niagara Census Metropolitan Area

September 11, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Hey Bloggers,

In summary, St. Catharines detached homes are down 13 percent from this time last year but, like the Niagara Region, row houses and apartments make the numbers look good with an overall increase of 7% since last year. Here’s the August report: 2008_09_09_0815_eoc.pdf

Previous CMHC reports can be found on my Blog here.

T.

Timothy Salisbury
Broker
The Salisbury Team
Royal LePage Niagara Real Estate Centre Inc., Brokerage
Toll Free – 1-800-467-8498
Office – 905-937-6000
View My Website at www.timothysalisbury.com
When Buying or Selling, please remember me!

Filed Under: In The News

It’s Pumpkin Festival Time at Howells!

September 10, 2008 By Leave a Comment

It’s Pumpkin Festival Time at Howells

 From September 20 to October 31, 2008

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Featuring Fun Things To Do:

Super Corny Cobb’s Maze Adventure with Nighttime Flashlight Maze, Hay Wagon Rides, New Bucking Cow Wagon Ride, Train-o-saurus Wagon Ride, Haunted Barn, Straw Jump Barns, Scenic Nature Walk, Bunnyville, Animal Petting Areas and Duck Races

Awesome Entertainment:

Ghost Truck Show, Singing Chickens and Frogs, Pumpkin Eating Dinosaur, New Chickens to Market Show, New Skeleton Band, Scarecrow Displays and New Pig Races And New This Year “Sir Howells Alot with Nessy”

Great Food:

Pumpkin Donuts, New Strawberry Donuts, Strawberry Funnel Cakes, BBQ Pumpkin Sausage, Hot Dogs, Pumpkin Pie, Candy Apples, Carmel Apples, Diced Apples, Pumpkin Muffins, Fudge , Carmel Corn, Coffee, Drinks and Snacks

Loads of Farm Produce:

Thousands of Pumpkins, Giant Pumpkins, Mini Pumpkins and Gourds, Bales of Straw, Corn Stalks, All Kinds of Squash, Really Good Sweet Corn and Luxury Strawberries

Go and have a “Howling Good Time” at Howell’s! Click here to learn more.

For directions, click here.

Filed Under: Local Events

To Go?? or To Stay?? Your Safety Depends on the Right Decision

September 5, 2008 By Leave a Comment

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Your fire safety is your responsibility! If you live in an apartment or condominium, your safety also depends on the actions of the building management and other residents. Every fire is potentially dangerous and unpredictable, so do not underestimate the risk to your life. Fire and smoke move very quickly, and the conditions in any part of the building may change in an instant. Smoke can spread throughout a building and enter your suite even when the fire is many floors away. During an emergency, you will not have much time to decide what to do. Make sure you know what to do ahead of time.

Q. Some information I have read tells me to evacuate immediately in case of fire. Other information says that I will be safer if I stay in my suite. Which is correct?

A. To go or to stay … the decision is yours. Each option involves a major commitment on your part. Your choice will depend on the circumstances at the time of the emergency. You should understand the consequences of this important decision. Most of the time, the best thing to do in a fire is leave the building as soon as possible. If you let this opportunity pass, you must be prepared to protect yourself from smoke and other effects of fire until you are rescued or told by the fire department that it is safe to leave. This may take a long time and the conditions in the building may deteriorate. Do not try to leave your suite a long time after the fire alarm has sounded. The longer you wait to evacuate, the more risk there is that heavy smoke and heat will have spread into the stairways and corridors. Your chances of survival are significantly reduced. The following information will help you to make the right decision and to develop a personal fire emergency response plan ahead of time.

Q. When should I go?

A. Evacuation is appropriate under any of the following conditions:

As soon as possible when you hear the fire alarm or discover a fire. The earlier you leave, the better are your chances of getting out safely no matter where you are located in relation to the fire area. It is extremely rare for stairways and corridors to be contaminated by smoke in the early stages of a fire. Proceed as quickly as possible to the outside.

- When the fire is in your suite. You are in immediate danger and should ensure that everyone who is in your suite leaves with you. If you have physical limitations, plan ahead to ensure that you can get the assistance you need to evacuate quickly. Close the suite door behind you. Activate the fire alarm system and warn other residents located on your floor as you exit the building. Call the fire department when it is safe to do so.

- When the fire is on your floor or the floor below you. You are at high risk and should evacuate as quickly as possible if you have reason to believe that the fire is on your floor or on the floor immediately below you. Activate the fire alarm system (if the bells are not yet ringing) and warn other residents located on your floor as you exit the building.

Q. When should I stay in the suite?

A. Remaining in the suite is appropriate under any of the following conditions:

- If you encounter smoke in the corridor on your floor. This may be an indication that the fire is in an advanced stage or is located on your floor. If you cannot safely reach an exit stairway, return to your suite as quickly as possible. Take actions to protect yourself from smoke. Call the fire emergency number and provide details of your situation.

- If you encounter smoke in the exit stairs. The fire may have breached the stairway enclosure. Do not travel through smoke. Do not go to the roof. Re-enter the floor area immediately. If the corridor is free of smoke, try an alternate exit stairway. Otherwise, seek refuge in a suite on that floor as quickly as possible. Take actions to protect yourself from smoke. Call the fire emergency number and provide details of your situation.

- If instructed to remain in the suite by fire department personnel handling the fire emergency. Attempting to evacuate at this stage may expose you to smoke unnecessarily and may impede fire fighting operations. If you are located on the fire floor or on the floor immediately above the fire floor, you are at high risk and may require rescue. Take actions to protect yourself from smoke. Call the fire emergency number and provide details of your situation.

- If you are physically unable to use the stairs. Take actions to protect yourself from smoke. If you are located on the fire floor or on the floor immediately above the fire floor, you are at high risk and may require rescue. Call the fire emergency number and provide details of your situation.

Q. What else can I do to prepare myself before a fire emergency occurs?

A. Become familiar with the fire safety features provided in your building. For example, the effects of fire will be significantly reduced in a fully sprinklered building. This is an important consideration if you are unable to use stairs to evacuate the building during a fire emergency (e.g. physical disabilities, medical condition, etc.) or where the fire department has limited capacity to carry out rescue.

Learn the location of the exit stairways and practice using them. Know which floors you can use to cross from one stairway to another. Familiarize yourself with the fire alarm signal. Identify the location of fire alarm manual pull stations and read the instructions about how to operate them. If your building has a voice communication system, learn how it will be used by supervisory staff during an emergency. Get a copy of the fire emergency procedures from your building management and read them carefully. They may also be able to provide you with other important information. Keep this material in a prominent place and review it periodically. Contact your fire department for more information or to request a fire safety presentation for all residents.

Q. How can I identify the location of a fire when I hear the fire alarm?

A. In some buildings, the fire alarm system may have different tones (evacuation and alert signals) which will assist you to identify when immediate evacuation is required for your floor. If the building is equipped with a voice communication system, supervisory staff may be appointed to provide information on the location of the fire to the building occupants. Find out if these features apply to your building by becoming familiar with the building fire safety plan and emergency procedures as discussed above.

Q. What actions can I take to protect myself from smoke entering the suite during a fire?

A. The following steps can be taken to protect yourself from smoke entering the suite during a fire emergency:

- Make sure that you have a roll of duct tape readily available. Duct tape can be purchased in most hardware stores.  Use duct tape (masking tape may also be effective) to seal cracks around the door to your suite and place wet towels at the bottom. Seal vents, air ducts and other areas where smoke is entering the suite in the same manner.

- If smoke is worse in one room (e.g. bathroom), close the door and seal off the room with tape and wet towels as noted above.

- If the suite fills with smoke, move to the balcony (if you have one) and close the doors behind you. Take a cordless or cellular phone with you if available. Call the fire emergency number and provide details of your situation. Also, take warm clothes or blankets if the weather is cold. If you do not have a balcony, go to the most smoke-free room, close the door and seal it with tape and towels. Open the window for fresh air but be prepared to close it again if this makes the conditions worse. Never break the window to get fresh air or you will not be able to seal it off if conditions change.

- Keep low to the floor where the air is cleaner.

Q. I have read that most people die trying to evacuate during a fire. Is this true?

A. Experience shows that people who evacuate in the early stages of a fire can safely reach the outside. Most people die because they attempt to leave the building through smoke-filled corridors and stairs in the advanced stages of a fire. Although the conditions are different for each fire, this could occur as early as 10 minutes after the start of the fire. If you made the decision to stay in the suite during the fire emergency, do not change your mind and attempt to evacuate later. Please refer to question No. 1 for details of when evacuation is and is not appropriate. If you encounter smoke during evacuation, look for an alternate route that is clear of smoke, return to your suite or seek refuge with other occupants on the nearest floor. Do not use the elevator for evacuation (except under direction of the fire department) and never go to the roof since it is not designed as an exit.

Q. What else should I know?

A. Many people are reluctant to evacuate unless they are certain that there is a real fire. This problem is made worse by nuisance alarms. Remember, a real fire grows for every minute that you delay and you may lose the only opportunity to evacuate safely. For this reason, all occupants who are able should begin evacuation procedures immediately upon hearing the alarm. If you made an initial decision to stay in your suite when a fire emergency occurs, do not attempt to evacuate in the advanced stages of the fire. You cannot outrun the effects of fire and smoke and will be placing yourself in extreme danger. Each suite is designed as a fire compartment and will afford you a degree of protection during the fire emergency. However, smoke spread into your suite is very likely, so be prepared to protect yourself from smoke for the duration of the emergency. This may be a long time.

Filed Under: Safety

Home sweet home…More options for Brock University and Niagara College students living off campus

September 3, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Hey Bloggers,

Thinking of buying an investment property? This article was published in the St. Catharines Standard last week while I was away and I just wanted you to be aware if looking at this as an option now or in the future.

The Salisbury Team has listed and sold investment properties over the years (especially around Brock University) so should you have any questions or comments regarding this article or on being a landlord, please feel free to comment.

We presently have 340 Glenridge Avenue listed for sale. Click here to see the home and all its details.

Timothy Salisbury
Broker
The Salisbury Team
Royal LePage Niagara Real Estate Centre Inc., Brokerage
Toll Free – 1-800-467-8498
Office – 905-937-6000
View My Website at www.timothysalisbury.com
When Buying or Selling, please remember me!

andrewmarshall.bmp

Andrew Marshall, a first-year Brock University communications student, takes a break from painting in his new digs in Thorold. Bob Tymczyszyn “One of the major things oversupply does is there’s no reason for a student to feel pressured to take the first place they see,” says Brad Clarke, Brock University’s manager of student/community outreach, shown in front of the school’s DeCew residence.
Julie Jocsak

Home sweet home…More options for Brock University and Niagara College students living off campus
Posted By Samantha Craggs
Standard Staff

With two weeks to spare and a $500 budget, Andrew Marshall has found the perfect room.

It is 300 square feet and L-shaped, giving the illusion of two rooms. It is clean, comfortable and in the home of a young landscaper Marshall got along with immediately. It comes with Internet access, satellite TV, air conditioning, a parking spot and, most importantly, solitude on demand.

“I’m thinking I could put the bed over here,” explained Marshall, 21, standing in his new basement digs on Devine Crescent in Thorold this week. “Over there I might put a couch.”

Marshall found his new home on three tries, without scouring bulletin boards or finding For Rent signs. Using a new Off Campus Living Program website run by Brock University and Niagara College, he merely posted an ad saying he needed a place to live. In the first week, he received 30 e-mails and 20 phone calls.

Marshall, a first-year Brock communications student, has heard horror stories. He has friends who are crammed into houses of six students or more, fractious households where roommates unexpectedly unplug the refrigerator or leave dirty dishes everywhere. An only child who has two rooms at his parents’ Burlington home — one for him, one for his music equipment — his priority was space.

He hasn’t met two of his three future roommates, he said. But even if there is drama, he can retreat to a spacious room.

“If you’re going to be stuck in a tiny room,” he said, “it’ll drive you nuts.”

These days, student housing is a buyer’s market. Slowly fading is the era when students, in the late August crunch, were forced to live in fire

traps or dank, windowless bedrooms.

The website for the two schools shows 90 landlords vying for 40 student tenants. In the past year alone, the number of landlords advertising to Brock students has doubled, said Brad Clarke, Brock’s manager of student/ community outreach.

By orientation week last year, he said, there were nearly 400 places still available for student renters.

“It means there’s lots to choose from,” Clarke said. “One of the major things oversupply does is there’s no reason for a student to feel pressured to take the first place they see. They can keep on looking and find the perfect place for them.”

That has not always been the case. Clarke, who was president of the Brock University Students’ Union in 1999, remembers when the search was more frantic, and less attention was paid to the conditions in which students were living. But in the last five years, resources have slipped into place.

The creation of Brock’s off-campus housing office in 2003 provided students with a listing service and the Community Connections program, which gets students involved on campus and in the greater community. A volunteer “welcome wagon” will again visit high-density student areas in September, Clarke said, delivering information about municipal services and campus programs.

St. Catharines has established a student liaison committee, and Thorold has a similar Town and Gown committee. Thorold staff is drafting a licensing bylaw, to be presented to city council in September, that will treat student housing landlords like businesses, with similar accountability and annual compliance checks.

Jeff Menard, Thorold’s chief building official, heard enough complaints from upset parents to know something needed to change.

“We’ve seen bedrooms that were basically a furnace room,” Menard said. “A lot of times it’s the parent that calls. They rented the place without seeing it, over the Internet or over the phone, and came to drop their son or daughter off and saw they were living in a room the size of a closet.”

Brigitte Chiki, Niagara College director of student services, has heard of students living in homes that didn’t meet fire safety standards, or absentee landlords who wouldn’t fix toilets or leaky ceilings.

The Off Campus Living Program, launched in July, provides students with information on rental scam alerts, the Residential Tenancies Act, fire safety laws and other empowering information. It is one of many recent efforts to alleviate what was at one point a crisis, Chiki said.

“Students often look at the bottom line,” she said. “They want the cheapest place. We worry sometimes. But good things come from crisis, and landlords and students are becoming more knowledgeable.”

The housing search is old hat to Susan Cunningham of Paris, Ont.

She found a suitable home for her 17-year-old daughter, Kellie, in one trip to St. Catharines last week. Cunningham looked at four places, two of them acceptable, and after one afternoon, “I think I’m done now,” she said.

Cunningham wrote Kellie’s profile on the Off Campus Living Program site, describing her as “energetic, well-liked” and “also adorable.” As with Marshall, the landlords flocked to Cunningham.

“This is my third kid, so I’ve seen all kinds of housing along the way,” she said. Her son Brian, for example, had a hot water heater explode and for a time lived in a dining room.

But this search was painless, she said. Kellie, who will study arts and culture at Brock, will have a clean home on a bus route with a handful of older roommates.

“The (Off Campus Living) board works exceptionally well,” Cunningham said. “Now I have to figure out how to take her name off the list.”

Blake Davies, 18, of Hamilton also had a painless search. He’ll live with two roommates on Baxter Crescent in Thorold. The only

question is whether they will enjoy his frequent violin playing.

“I didn’t see any places that were horrible,” said the first-year Brock student “The landlords e-mailed me. I didn’t have to worry about it too much.”

The flush student housing market is likely money-driven, Menard said. Many families are renting out parts of their homes to help pay mortgages.

“Last year, we saw a large number of For Lease or For Rent signs long after the start of school, which is an indicator of a saturated market,” Menard said. “It’s allowing students to be a little more picky and not take that tiny room in the basement.”

But Clarke also sees the friendly market as a sign that Niagara is shifting to welcome its students.

“I truly believe that,” he said. “For all the negative stories we’ve heard, we hear just as many stories from students about the wonderful landlords they have. With as many students as we have from outside the region, it’s important for them to see this as their second home.”

Marshall’s neighbourhood is home to mostly young families, which he prefers to the infamous party neighbourhoods. After juggling work and part-time classes at Brock for the past year, attending full time and living four minutes from the school will be relaxing, he said. And now, he has the space.

“I don’t have any commitments,” he said, “other than school and keeping myself alive.”

Filed Under: In The News

Labour Day – September 1, 2008

September 1, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Here are some interesting facts about Labour Day. The holiday is now so much a part of our culture that Canadians rarely pause to consider its true purpose and meaning.

Today, Labour Day is often more associated with fairs and festivals, and a last summer weekend at the cottage, than with what it was meant to be – a heartfelt celebration of workers and their families? That’s too bad, but perhaps not surprising. In a way, the holiday has become a victim of the labour movement’s enduring success in improving the lives of working Canadians.

Today we take paid holidays, safe work places, medical care, unemployment insurance, fair hours, union wages and “the weekend” for granted. But how many of these advances would have happened if it were not for the long-forgotten heroes who fought so hard to make unions, and Labour Day, a reality in the first place?

Labour Day began in Canada on April 15, 1872, a mere five years after Confederation. On that historic day the Toronto Trades Assembly, the original central labour body in Canada, organized the country’s first significant ‘workers demonstration.’

‘Criminal conspiracy’

At the time trade unions were still illegal, and authorities still tried to repress them, even though laws against “criminal conspiracy” to disrupt trade had already been abolished in Britain.

Despite the obstacles, the assembly had emerged as an important force in Toronto. It spoke out on behalf of working people, encouraged union organization and acted as a watchdog when workers were exploited. Occasionally, it also mediated disputes between employers and employees.

By the time the landmark parade was organized in 1872 the assembly had a membership of 27 unions, representing wood workers, builders, carriage makers and metal workers, plus an assortment of other trades ranging from bakers to cigar makers.

One of the prime reasons for organizing the demonstration was to demand the release of 24 leaders of the Toronto Typographical Union, who had been imprisoned for the “crime” of striking to gain a nine-hour working day.

The event took on a life of its own and was one that authorities could not ignore.
10,000 people throng the streets

Held on Thanksgiving Day, which was then observed in the spring, the parade featured throngs of workers and a crowd estimated at 10,000 Torontonians who applauded as the unionists marched proudly through the streets, accompanied by four bands. In speeches that followed, trade union leaders demanded freedom for the ITU prisoners and better conditions for all workers.

It was a defining moment in Canadian labour history, opening the door to the formation of the broader Canadian labour movement over the next decade and sowing the roots of what is now an annual workers’ holiday around the world.

The Toronto parade inspired leaders in Ottawa to stage a similar event. A few months later, on September 3, 1872, seven unions in the nation’s capital organized a parade more than a mile long, headed by an artillery band and flanked by city fireman.
The ‘Old Chieftain’ kept his word. Before the year was out the hated laws were gone from the statute books in Canada.

Around the world today Labour Day is celebrated at different times.

Here are few events within the region:

20th Annual Marshville Heritage Festival August 30, 31 – September 1, 2008

Celebrates the rural heritage of the Village of Wainfleet (formerly Marshville) circa 1850. There are 14 buildings restored by the volunteers of the Marshville Heritage Society Inc. During the Festival visitors may tour these buildings, see many hands-on demonstrations of yesteryear, and shop at the 100+ crafter venues. Also an antique car show on Sat & Sun. Lots of entertainment throughout the weekend.

You can visit their site here: Marshville Heritage Festival

Lincoln County Fair September 5, 6 and 7, 2008

A historical fair featuring 3 days of livestock and 4-H competitions and demonstrations; agricultural education displays; quilt, food, craft exhibits; antique tractor pull; family theatre; nightly entertainment; demo derby; midway; food and vendors.

You can visit their site here: Lincoln County Fair.

38th Grimsby Festival of Art September 6, 2008

The Grimsby Festival of Art is a one day celebration of over 100 fine artists and artisans from the Niagara Region and beyond who exhibit and sell original, handmade creations. It is one of Niagara’s premiere juried art events. Funds raised by the Festival are used to support the work of Community Living – Grimsby, Lincoln & West Lincoln and the Rotary Club of Grimsby. The festival takes place on the street of Nelles Boulevard in Grimsby and in front of the Seniors Centre on Livingston Ave. Children 12 and under are free.

The Grimsby Festival of Art information can be found here.

Hope you’re enjoying the long Weekend!!

Filed Under: Local Events
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