Experience Wildwood!
Wildwood Conservation Area wants you to step into nature and experience
Wildwood for free on Saturday, May 26th.
When: Saturday, May 26, 8 am – 8 pm
Where: Wildwood Conservation Area
What: Staff will give orientation sessions for Canoeing/Kayaking,
Geocaching, and
Biking and Hiking Trails:
• 9:00 am –
Canoe and Kayak demonstration and introduction to rental program at the
Marina
• 10:00 am –
Geocaching demonstration and introduction to GPS loaner program at the Visitors
Centre
• 11:00 am –
Biking and hiking trails presentation at the Visitors Centre
Wildwood Conservation Area is a wonderful regional attraction for outdoor
enthusiasts. The 25 km Wildwood Lake Trail meanders around Wildwood Lake through
lush forests and past vistas over the water. The trail is fantastic for
geocaching, mountain biking or hiking. The 10 kilometre long lake is ideal for
paddling and boating. Come out and discover great outdoor adventure close to
home.
Friday evening kicks off with a group ride down Ontario Street in Stratford ending up at downtown's Market Square for a Show 'n Shine, good eats and some entertainment.
New this year:
A pre-registration table is available Friday night at the Show ‘n’ Shine
Driver Education Demonstrations at Market Square by volunteers of Conestoga College
Silent auction
Early check-in and registration for the ride
Discount tickets for only $39* are offered to participants of the Forbidden Ride to the performance of The Matchmaker at the Stratford Festival Theatre May 25 at 8pm.
Book your theatre tickets online at stratfordshakespearefestival.com or by calling 800.567.1600 – Be sure to quote Promo# 42326
About the Play: With his eye ever fixed on the bottom line, wealthy merchant Horace Vandergelder can’t see the value of love – even as he searches for a wife. His matchmaker, Dolly Levi, however, is making her own plans for him, while his clerks pursue their hearts’ desires in the big city.
*Offer may expire without notice. Prices do not include the taxes. This offer is available for the performance of The Matchmaker on May 25 at 8pm only. Excludes A seats. Offer valid on new orders only.
On Saturday morning, participants are encouraged to visit one of our many fantastic restaurants for a delicious breakfast. Then be sure to browse through some of the unique shops before heading to the Perth County Welcome Centre and Artisan Market in Shakespeare to begin the Forbidden Ride. The cost to participate in the ride is $30.00 for the first rider and $20.00 for a passenger, with a portion of the proceeds being donated to the Perth County Big Brothers and Big Sisters organizations.
The Forbidden Ride will take you all over the countryside, with bikers stopping in at least 5 different towns to collect stamps on the “roads less travelled”. You will stop at various attractions to explore the exciting landscapes and forbidden finds we have to offer! It will end with a savoury local full course BBQ meal at Milt Dunnell Field (the "Flats") in St. Marys featuring local foods, a 50-50 draw, and a silent auction. Live music and great prizes will await you.
The annual Forbidden Ride event also promotes the “Ride Huron-Perth Motorcycle Map” that guides motorcyclists to motorcycle-friendly roads, restaurants and accommodations in the county.
Royal Bank of Canada trimmed 0.1 of a percentage point from its five-year fixed closed mortgage, bringing the rate down to 5.34 per cent.
The new rate takes effect Thursday, the bank said.
RBC was the first of Canada’s big banks to change its benchmark mortgage rate Wednesday. It was unclear whether the other banks would match the decrease.
Rates for five-year closed mortgages are typically set by the bond market, while variable rates are directly tied to the Bank of Canada’s benchmark interest rate.
Investors have been clamoring for the safety of Government of Canada bonds because of worries about Greece and the European sovereign debt crisis.
That’s pushing up prices for bonds and, as a result, yields are falling.
This week, the five-year yield fell to 1.4 per cent on Wednesday for the first time since the since the beginning of March.
At the beginning of May, the yield was 1.6 per cent.
“The benchmark Government of Canada bond yield has dropped significantly this month,” said Kelvin Mangaroo, founder of RateSupermarket.ca.
“The turmoil in Europe has been a continuing concern for investors, as well as the U.S. economy and the recovery.”
The banks have recently been locked in fierce competition for new homebuyers and existing home owners as the real estate market slows.
Bank of Montreal set off a fierce round of competition earlier in the spring by offering a five-year rate of 2.99 per cent.
The time-limited offer was soon matched by other banks, but then discontinued, with banks arguing the rock-bottom rate was unsustainable.
The offer also raised eyebrows in Ottawa, where Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney have repeatedly warned Canadians to pay down record-debt levels before interest rates increase.
Carney said last month that interest rate increases may be necessary as growth and inflation outpace his earlier projections, and as slack disappears from the economy.
The Bank of Canada’s benchmark rate, which affects variable-rate mortgages, has remained at 1 per cent since September, 2010.
Economists expect the central bank to begin raising rates later this year or in early 2013.
Above article direct from moneyville.ca
|
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
St. Marys, Perth County
-
We invite everyone to visit our open house at 30 Homefield Court on
April 28
from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Property information
St. Marys, Perth County
-
Announcing a price reduction
on 529 Queen St E, a 2 bath, 3 bdrm single storey. Now
MLS®
$219,549
- Basement Potential.
Property information
Buying a home can be such an exhilarating and nerve-wracking experience for first-timers that they often overlook the true costs.
“They’re so emotionally charged that they forget the cost of the house isn’t just what they need to account for,” says Farhaneh Haque, director of mortgage advice with TD Bank. “There are ancillary costs you need to budget and save for.”
We asked experts what first-timers should expect to pay when purchasing a home, and the costs of ownership over time.
Related: How we paid off our house in three years
Begin with a budget:Before you begin house hunting, examine your income and create a budget to determine a monthly mortgage payment you can live with. The basic rule of thumb is that your total housing costs shouldn’t exceed one-third of your gross income.
Short-term pain: Initially you’ll need money for a down payment. A typical down payment ranges from 5 to 15 per cent of the home purchase price, or appraised value, whichever is less. The more you put down up front, the less you’ll pay in the long run.
You’ll need a home inspection as part of the condition of purchase agreement: this can cost up to $500.
Then there are closing costs, which can run between 1.5 to 2 per cent of your purchase price.
There’s the provincial land transfer tax and, for homes in Toronto, an additional municipal land transfer tax. On a $400,000 home, that’s a combined one-time payment of $8,200.
Notary and legal fees should be factored in; about $1,000 to $1,300. You’ll also pay $200 to $300 for your title insurance fee.
Dizzy yet? Wait, there’s more! A few other costs to consider:
If you’re buying a condo, you might need to pay for a status or estoppel certificate from the condo corporation.
And if you’re purchasing a new house from a developer, or one that’s been significantly renovated, you’ll likely be paying HST on the transaction.
Finally, there are the costs associated with the actual house move and furnishings to spruce up your new digs.
Not surprisingly, experts recommend establishing a decent-sized financial cushion ahead of time.
Related: 10 ways to avoid buying the wrong house
“I always tell my clients not to cut themselves short,” says Frances Hinojosa, a mortgage specialist at BMO. “Create a buffer in there for any incidentals, such as moving costs or upgrades to your property; maybe you want to paint or get window treatments.”
Ongoing obligations: Notwithstanding the mortgage payments, there are several other ongoing, long-term costs associated with operating a home.
There are property taxes, which in the GTA are usually about 1 per cent of a home’s purchase price and are based on the assessed value of the home. (Total taxes on a $400,000 home in Toronto are about $3,000 a year.)
A condo will have maintenance fees, which tend to increase over time.
And if you’re buying a house, there will be the ongoing cost of utilities and maintenance.
A home inspection will give you a basic sense of its state of repair, “but something like a furnace can go out overnight,” Haque notes. “So having a little bit of a safety net set aside for that is a good idea.” $100 a month for home maintenance is a safe bet.
Also be mindful of interest rates, which are currently at all-time lows. It’s wise for first-time buyers to account for roughly a 2- to 3-percentage point increase in this rate and provide for that in their budget, says Haque.
Budget stress test: Once you’ve accounted for your housing costs and determined what your new monthly budget will be, experts recommend subjecting your finances to a stress test.
If you’re currently renting, put the difference in the monthly costs into a savings vehicle. “So you actually get used to carrying that expense on a month-to-month basis,’ Hinojosa explains.
“That’s what my husband and I did when we bought our first home; even when we moved up to a second property,” she says. “When the purchase closed and we had to pay (that amount), we’d already been paying it. So there wasn’t this feeling of, ‘Oh my goodness, I can’t afford this.’ ”
Above article from www.moneyville.ca
The Bank of Canada kept its trend-setting Bank Rate at 1.25 per cent on April 17th, 2012. While this was the 13th consecutive policy meeting in which borrowing costs have been left unchanged, it was the first time since last September that a policy announcement has included a reference to the possibility of a rate hike.
The Bank reiterated a number of the more positive developments it first mentioned in the March 8th announcement. These include a stronger profile for U.S. economic growth, as well as reduced risk emanating from Europe, which the Bank now expects will “emerge slowly from recession in the second half of 2012.”
The Bank also noted that “improved global economic prospects, supply disruptions and geopolitical risks,” are keeping oil prices up which if sustained could prove a risk to the improvement in economic momentum.
In Canada the Bank again declared the biggest risk to be high household debt, adding that it expects households will continue to add to their debt burden as “private domestic demand will account for almost all of Canada’s economic growth over the projection horizon.”
That said, with economic momentum in Canada remaining firmer than the Bank had expected back in January, the forecast for growth this year has been lifted. The Bank now expects the economy will grow at 2.4 per cent this year, up from the 2.0 per cent forecast in January.
At the same time, the Bank lowered its forecast for 2013 to 2.4 per cent from 2.8 per cent, and also extended its forecast out to 2014 with a prediction of 2.2 per cent growth.
The Bank also noted that the amount of slack in the economy had decreased. As such, the Bank now expects the economy will return to full capacity “in the first half of 2013,” which while intentionally vague is still sooner than the previous prediction for a return to full capacity by the third quarter of next year.
The Bank ended the announcement by hinting, for the first time since last September, that it may have to raise rates, stating “In light of the reduced slack in the economy and firmer underlying inflation, some modest withdrawal of the present considerable monetary policy stimulus may become appropriate, consistent with achieving the 2 per cent inflation target over the medium term. The timing and degree of any such withdrawal will be weighed carefully against domestic and global economic developments.”
Further clarification as to when these “modest” rate hikes may be expected will no doubt be the subject of the various speeches and remarks given by the Governor and his deputies between now and the next announcement on June 5th, 2012.
As of April 17th 2012, the advertised five-year lending rate stood at 5.44 per cent. This is up 0.2 percentage points from 5.24 per cent on March 8th, when the Bank made its previous policy interest rate announcement.
Above article direct from www.creanews.ca
Concert
Listing for 2012 For The Black Angus of St. Marys
April 20th
Laurindo Full menu available until 7:30pm. Concert starts
at 8:30pm, $10.00 concert with Dinner reservation
April 28th Gary
Boyle Canadian Country Baladier Full menu to 7:30 $10.00 Concert
begins at 8:30 p.m. With Dinner Reservation
May 5th Black Rapids Gold Full menu
available until 7:30pm. Concert starts at 8:30pm, Free concert with
Dinner Reservations
May
11th Mind Games Show starts at 9:00 Full menu
available until 7:30pm. $20.00 show starts at 9:00 show Seats will be
reserved for Dinner reservation only
June 1st One with Him concert Money being raised will be going to help
Habitat for the new home build. $10.00 concert begins at 8:30 full menu to 7:30
June
2nd Caroline Burchill Full menu available until 7:30pm. Concert
starts at 8:30pm, $10.00 concert with Dinner reservation. http://www.carolineburchill.com/
June 9th Alan Gerber $20.00 concert starts at 8:30 full menu to 7:30
reservations needed to reserve seats for show
June 23rd Al Lerman 2
X Juno award winner Full menu available until 7:30pm. $20.00 Concert
starts at 8:30pm, Concert Seats will be reserved for Dinner reservation only
July 14th Jimmy
Bowskill Concert 8:30
full menu to 7:30 dinner reservations needed for seats to the show tickets are
$20.00 for the show only
August
18th Jack London Concert Full menu to
7:30 $10.00 Concert begins at 8:30 p.m. With Dinner Reservation
August 25th
The Blues
Daddies Full menu
available until 7:30pm. Concert starts at 8:30pm, Free concert with
Dinner Reservations http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIZtEFZ7i5M
September 15th
Donna Fawcett Concert 8:30 Full menu to
7:30 dinner reservation needed for this free concert writing as Donna Dawson http://www.donnafawcett.comDinner is prior to the shows and dinner will be
completed by 8:00 p.m. so the show will begin approximately at 8:30.
Remember you need to call for reservation: 519-284-0666 Dinner guests will be
seated on the upper level closer to the stage. Thanks for your following Trevor
& Susan
Commercial Building for sale
• 3 storey
-
MLS®
$290,000
- Building only for sale
St. Marys, Perth County
-
Building only for sale in historic downtown St Marys. Retail space on main level, 3 bedroom apartment on the second & third floor. Both spaces rented. Very well maintained building with many recent updates- roof, facade, heat system, a/c, wiring, drywall & awning. Upper apartment in excellent condition with 3 bedrooms, large kitchen, formal dining room & living room. Upper patio/deck off apartment. Ample parking at rear of building. Apartment newly renovated one year ago.
Property information
|
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Wellburn, Thames Centre
-
We invite everyone to visit our open house at 23591 Wellburn Road on
April 21
from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM.
Property information
|
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
St. Marys, Perth County
-
We invite everyone to visit our open house at 30 Homefield Court on
April 21
from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM.
Property information