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Business watch
Building permit values differ
IT was a tale of two sectors for Manitoba's construction industry in June.
New building-permit data from Statistics Canada Tuesday showed a 23.3 per cent increase in residential permit activity in June was offset by an even bigger decline -- 25.4 per cent -- on the non-residential side of the market.
That left the total permit values for the month down by two per cent to $192.4 million from $196.3 million in May.
However, despite the weaker June, 2012 has still been a busy year for Manitoba's construction industry. Statistics Canada said year-to-date permit values were running 32.7 per cent ahead of last year's pace after the first six months -- $1.2 billion versus $889.8 million.
The bulk of the June decline in non-residential permits was for institutional projects. Permit values there were down by 64.9 per cent, compared to a drop of 11.2 per cent for commercial permits and a 36.8 per cent increase in industrial permits.
On the residential side, the biggest increase was for multi-family housing -- up by 60.7 per cent versus a seven per cent increase for single-family permits.
Farmers have pick of elevators
FARMERS can now deliver any wheat, durum and barley they contract with the Canadian Wheat Board to any elevator across the Prairies.
The board announced it has reached handling agreements with all western Canadian grain companies.
Board president Ian White said an agreement was finalized Tuesday with 10 companies.
There are now almost 20 handlers that have agreed to take grain for the wheat board.
The wheat board no longer has a monopoly on western wheat and barley sales.
More bus orders for New Flyer
NEW Flyer Industries Inc. said Tuesday the Washington Metro Area Transit Authority has ordered 95 heavy-duty hybrid diesel-electric buses.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Production is expected to begin immediately, with the buses being built at New Flyer's Winnipeg and Crookston, Minn., factories over the next seven months. All buses are expected to be delivered before February 2013.
New Flyer is a manufacturer of heavy-duty transit buses in Canada and the U.S. with manufacturing facilities in Winnipeg, Crookston and St. Cloud, Minn.
Apple nixes YouTube app
APPLE says the next version of its software for the iPhone and iPad won't come with a pre-installed YouTube application.
Users will be able to play YouTube videos in the web browser, said Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller. Google Inc., which owns YouTube, is also working on a downloadable app, she added.
Muller said Apple's licence to include the YouTube app has expired, but did not explain why it hasn't been extended.
Google has its own operating system for smartphones that compete with the iPhone. Apple has sued companies that use it, saying it copies features from the iPhone. In June, Apple said the next version of its operating system will replace Google Maps with an Apple app.
Ford touts new hybrid wagon
DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co. says its new C-Max hybrid wagon gets 5 litres/100 kilometres in both city and highway driving.
That beats its chief rival, the Toyota Prius V, which gets a combined 5.6 litres/100 kilometres.
Ford announced the fuel efficiency Tuesday after it was certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The C-Max is Ford's first hybrid-only vehicle. The C-Max starts at $25,200, which is $1,300 less than the Prius V.
-- from the news services
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 8, 2012 B4
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