Shake Those Winter Blues

Feeling the winter blahs yet?

Although technically the days are starting to get longer, here in Durham we are in definite need of some sunshiny days. With hydro bills soaring and temperatures falling, everyone is in need of some relief from the winter blues. Here are some ways to help you get out of that mid-winter funk:

A New Vision For Whitby

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Whitby’s long awaited plan to revitalize its downtown core has taken one step closer to becoming a reality. Over the next few years, plans are in place to make over Whitby’s downtown district and give it a new identity.

Durham Region Foodies Rejoice

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What’s better than two days of Food Truck Frenzy in Whitby? How about three days? Yes the Rotary Club of Whitby has announced that this year’s Food Truck Frenzy, which takes place from May 13^th to the 15^th, will have an extra day added as well as longer hours and more variety of trucks.

Warning Issued to Durham Residents

The Regional Municipality of Durham is warning residents about new and aggressive water treatment sales tactics that are being used in the region. Many residents have been calling into the Region regarding door-to-door salespersons asking to see residents’ water meters and to test their water. The problem is, the region doesn’t sell, nor does it endorse, the use of water treatment filters or equipment.

Negative Interest Rates and their effect on Canadian homes

There has been a lot of talk and some controversy about the recent news that Canada’s central bank is open to the possibility of negative interest rates. Financial industry professionals have been panicking and making many different statements about this possibility. If you don’t know what negative interest rates exactly mean, don’t worry, as we will be explaining that. What interests us the most is the effect negative interest rates can have on the local housing market.

Durham Region Property Taxes Are Going Up

The Durham Region Council has approved the 2016 Regional Business Plans and Budgets, and much like the collective blood pressure of region’s residents, property taxes will be going up.

Beer and Curry at Brock St. Brewery

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The continuing economic development in the Durham Region is becoming more and more evident every day. The 407 ETR is nearing completion, the housing market is as strong as ever, and perhaps more importantly, we now have a brewery! Yes the Brock Street Brewing Company is open for business.

Durham’s Transit System – En route to the right destination

The language used by people who live in the Durham Region for DRT (Durham Region Transit) can best be referred to as ‘colourful’. It was notorious for getting you to your destination late, but now things are changing. DRT is improving and is en route to becoming a great transit system; it just took longer to reach this point than it should have. The reality is that it was very hard for some people to rely on any form of public transport.

It just wasn’t dependable

Durham Region Takes Technology to the Curb

Like most of citizens of this planet, I have a smartphone. And on that smartphone I have apps. Apps that crush candy, give me yardage on the golf course, and the daily weather. I even have an app to manage all my apps. But recently, I downloaded an app that I had no idea would save me so much aggravation.

Will increasing property values in Durham Region mean more taxes for you?

The number of people who hate property taxes is much more than the number of people who understand property taxes. The mistake most people make is that they think property taxes work just like other taxes; however, the reality is that property taxes are very different from any other type of tax. The housing market is a growing at an unprecedented rate right now and this could end up having a large effect on your property taxes. Let’s go through what Property Taxes are and how they work.