The topic: City of Vancouver is looking for new location for Pacific Spirit Regional Park service yard.

What’s new:

Metro Vancouver has had a service yard for Pacific Spirit Regional Park on University Endowment Lands since 1990. The service yard consists of facilities and storage for equipment to service and maintain the regional park. The University Endowment Lands are owned and administered by the province of British Columbia, so the city has been leasing the land.

The current service yard is made up of repurposed trailers and outbuildings that are nearing the end of their life span and the city wants more permanent buildings. Metro Vancouver approached the province to seek a longer lease, however the province denied their request and advised Metro Vancouver that they would need to vacate the current site.

Why it’s important:

According to the Metro Parks Committee Report, of the 6 sites that were initially being considered only 4 remain: the Sedgewick Fill Site, 16th Ave Parking lot, 16th Ave Homestead North of Reservoir, and Chancellor Boulevard.

Building on these sites would mean taking land out of the Pacific Spirit Park which in turn could mean logging and clearing in Vancouver’s busiest regional park.

What the government says:

David Eby, is the NDP MLA representing Vancouver-Point Grey — the riding next to the University Endowment Lands. He’s been writing to both the Minister Steve Thomson of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources Operations and the Minister Peter Fassbender of Community, Sport and Cultural Development since July 2016 to find out why the province will not extend Metro Vancouver’s lease.

In a response to Eby’s initial letter, received through Freedom of Information request, Minister Fassbender confirmed that the province will not be extending Metro Vancouver’s lease, he also pointed out that the city has had facilities in the regional park in the past – making it a viable option for future locations.

What others say:

While Eby is concerned that the locations being considered for a new service yard would take away public green space, he’s more concerned that the province won’t reveal the reason they won’t extend Metro Vancouver’s.

“More troubling to me is the province saying that there is some sort of alternative use for the site that’s under discussion internally that they refuse to disclose to the community,” said Eby.

In his letters with the province, Eby has been trying to get an answer from the province – a point that he wants addressed.

The province did not provide Eby with a direct response as to their intention for future of the current site, and according to Eby he’s filled freedom of information requests to find out that have come back heavily redacted.

“All they will say is that there is an alternative use for the site currently under discussion and that it’s not under discussion with the community,” said Eby. “It’s under discussion somewhere in the bowels of government.”

What’s next:

Eby plans to continue advocating for his constituents – especially with the upcoming election.

“We’re going into an election in May, so I’m certainly not hesitating to let everybody in the UEL know the high-handed manner with which the provincial government is treating their community assets — which is this park and this public asset — which is this works yard and their plans for it,” said Eby.

Metro Vancouver plans to review the remaining 4 sites. Once complete, they say they will engage the public, Musqueam First Nation, park partners and community groups.

The city plans on the implementing the new service yard next year.

The number of firefighters in Ottawa earning over $100,000 more than tripled between 2014 and 2015.

The sunshine list – the annual disclosure list of public employees making more than $100,000 a year – showed 403 Ottawa firefighters on the list in 2015. Considering the number of firefighters in the Ottawa Fire Services at the time, this means that over a quarter (28 per cent) earned over $100,000.

This increase in earnings is also reflected in the city’s own reporting. Actual expenses reported by Ottawa Fire Services in their 2016 annual budget showed an increase of 63 per cent in overtime costs between 2014 and 2015 – an increase of $1.4 million.

On the surface, this may seem alarming, but according to Ottawa Fire Chief Gerry Pingitore, several factors have contributed to this jump in earnings including staff reductions.

“With our staffing reduction, of course our overtime is going to go up because we have less people on duty that day,” said Pingitore. “Our overtime budget will increase but our savings as a result of reducing some staff over the last number of years is still saving.”

Pingitore points out that while the staffing ratio, the ratio between the number of people on duty and off duty, has decreased, the minimum number of staff required remains unchanged. The impact of the staff reductions is that when there are multiple calls, there are fewer people to call on, leading to off duty firefighters being called in and a resulting increase in overtime costs.

The City of Ottawa has been reducing its workforce since 2012 for budgetary reasons.

Though staffing reductions can touch all departments, city reports show that there were no reductions in the staffing levels of firefighters between 2014 and 2015. In fact, there was an increase. According to Ottawa Fire Services annual reports, between 2014 and 2015, 42 career firefighters and 30 volunteer firefighters joined Ottawa Fire Services.

The other factor that can contribute to the jump in firefighters on the sunshine list in 2015 is the number of fire incidents responses. Fire incidences encompasses house fires, explosions, and outdoor fires.

Firefighters respond to several types calls, ranging from medical, rescue to hazmat situations, however the 2015 Ottawa Fire Services annual report showed a 22.3 per cent increase in “fire incident responses” from the previous year (921 fire incidents in 2014 compared to 1,126 fire incidents in 2015).

Though Pingitore admits such an increase is not typical, he says it’s too soon to call it a pattern.

“I would say that it’s not a trend yet, but certainly very concerning,” said Pingitore. “The fires have risen in the last two years, so we’d like to see another year before we start to be really concerned.”

Though he’s careful in calling the rise in fire incidences a trend, he’s not shy about discussing the type of fires that he sees as contributing it.

“Where the fires are increasing, those fires are the result [of], or suspected to be, improperly discarded cigarettes,” said Pingitore.

Pingitore says that Ottawa Fire Services is planning on developing more fire prevention campaigns about unattended fires and the damage they can cause.

The 2016 Ottawa Fire Services annual report is expected in the next few months.

2015 Ottawa Fire Services fire incidences by ward.

Despite high retail sales, Hudson’s Bay Company reported a net loss of $125 million in the third quarter of 2016.

The Canadian-based retailer, which operates under many banners including Hudson’s Bay, Lord & Taylor, and Saks Fifth Avenue, reported a net loss of $125 million the third quarter of 2016 compared to net earnings of $7 million the year before. This represents an 1,886 per cent decrease in earnings, according to an analysis of its third quarter results.

“During the third quarter we continued to execute our all channel strategy in the face of a retail environment where there were challenges in the women’s apparel, department store and luxury segments,” said HBC’s governor and executive chairman officer Jerry Storch in a statement that accompanied the third quarter results. “To address this we are continuing to move aggressively, making specific improvements both in our digital and brick and mortar operations that will allow us to better serve our customers.”

According to the HBC’s statement, the primary reason for the net loss was the creation of joint ventures and the additional rent expenses associated with business acquisitions.

HBC has reported a business strategy based on growth through acquisitions. In May 2016, the retailer announced plans to expand to the Netherlands with up to 20 new stores over two years and in September, HBC announced long-term leases for 13 locations.

While reporting a net loss in earnings, HBC also reported retail sales of almost $9.86 billion in the first three quarters of 2016 compared to $6.68 billion the year before. This represents a 47.6 per cent increase.

Doug Stephens, business advisor and founder of Retail Prophet, said that in the face of higher sales, the factors that are playing into the operating loss are either higher operating costs or lower than expected gross profit margins.

“I would argue that HBC has rapidly trained their shoppers to expect to buy at a discount,” wrote Stephens in an emailed response. “Discounting sets off a viscous cycle where deeper and deeper discounts become necessary to hold market share, which of course results in lower profits and cuts into operating costs including staff.”

HBC also reported that while earnings were impacted by retail acquisitions, these same acquisitions increased retail sales.

HBC’s Stock Prices by atera on TradingView.com

According to Stephens, many in the industry believe that the recent acquisitions have less to do with buying retail businesses and more to do with buying real estate. Indeed, HBC has a real estate strategy.

“The Company has demonstrated a history of leveraging value from its substantial real estate holdings,” reported HBC in its report that accompanied the financial results. “The Company’s valuable real estate portfolio also serves to strengthen the Company’s balance sheet and operating business and provides the Company with increased financial flexibility.”

Stephens says that one-time costs associated with acquisitions could temporarily impact net earnings, but he doubts the strategy could work long term.

“Even as a retail strategy, acquisition can only work for them in the short term. At some point they will run short of acquisition opportunities and have to grow organically on a comparable store basis,” wrote Stephens.

On Friday, the Wall Street Journal reported that HBC and U.S. based company Macy’s have entered into preliminary deal talks. One deal option involves HBC taking over Macy’s real estate.