FACILITYCalgary, a compilation of news items & commentary of interest to people who have a real estate, infrastructure, construction, oil & gas or general interest in Calgary, brought to you weekly by MaxComm Communications, keeping you up to date on issues affecting 'business in Calgary'.
FRESH TODAY - Monday, February 18, 2008
+ Barclays Plc took US$3.1 billion further write-down of assets due to credit market turbulence
+ Credit Suisse taking US$2.85 billion of writedowns on asset-backed securities will cut first-quarter profit by about US$1 billion. ; Qatar buying US$1.8billion in shares in Credit Suisse to shore up capital
+ crude oil prices @ 5:10AM, MST Feb. 19 as posted by Bloomberg.com; Nymex Crude Future US$97.60/barrel, Dated Brent Spot US$96.39/barrel, WTI Cushing Spot US$95.50(Fri, close)/barrel; prices rose for a 4th day after Iran's oil minister said OPEC may reduce production when it meets Mar. 5; meanwhile worries over tight supplies overshadowed concerns a US recession will dent demand, quarrel between Venezuela & Exxon Mobil expected to have little impact
+ Family Day Holiday in Alberta
+ Fidel Castro resigned as President & Commander- in-chief of Cuba, leader since taking power in a 1959 revolution that overthrew the Batista dictatorship
+ Northern Rock Bank being nationalized by British government following $49 billion bailout & rejection of private bids
+ Presidents Day Holiday in U.S.A.
+ Phil Mickelson won the PGA Northern Trust Open played at the Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades, California; he shot a 12-under 272 to win by 2 strokes, first prize money US$1,116,000
+ Canadian Spirit Resources Inc. closed $5.6 million equity financing
+ Citigroup Inc . to inject US$3.3 billion into its structured investment vehicles, to shore up their credit ratings & protect creditors
+ Enerplus Resources Fund & Focus Energy Trust completed their merger arrangement
+ GMX Resources Inc. closed US$105 million debt financing
+ Nabors Industries Ltd. closed US$575 million debt financing
+ SNC-Lavalin ProFac Inc., awarded 5 yr. contract by BMO Financial Group for Facility Management services for its Canadian retail branch network
+ Stratic Energy Corporation secured US$150 million debt financing facility
+ Tanganyika Oil Company Ltd. announced a US$206 million 2008 capital expenditure budget
+ UBS revealed US$26.6 billion in exposure to risky U.S. mortgages distinct from subprime loans
+ U.S. recession watch: rise in prime delinquencies, while less severe than the one in the subprime market, pose a threat to the battered housing market & weakening economy; specialists say US is in a recession or headed for one; Morgan Stanley cut 1,000 mortgage jobs; ratings downgrade for bond insurer FGIC; Alan Greenspan says U.S. is clearly on the edge of a recession; Citigroup barred investors in one of its hedge funds from withdrawing their money, while a new leveraged fund lost 52 percent of its value in its first 3 months
+ XTO Energy Inc. agreed to acquire producing properties from multiple sellers in the Woodford, Fayetteville & Barnett shales for US$1 billion
SHAKERS + Movers on the Move
+ Bernal Ulsifer to Chairman @ Alberta Construction Association
+ Bradley Giblin to VP Finance @ Winstar Resources Ltd.
+ Colin Ludwig to Partner @ Avison Young Commercial Real Estate [Alberta]
+ Claes Palmgren to VP Reservoir Engineering @ Oilsands Quest Inc.
+ Donald Gardner to CEO @ Canadian Spirit Resources Inc.
+ Georgi Sizeland to Pres. @ Calgary Downtown Association
+ Ian Gilhooley to Pres. & CEO @ The Canadian Depository for Securities Limited
+ Jack Zedlitz to Dir. Corporate Communications @ GreenHunter Energy Inc.
+ Kirk Morrison to Pres. & CEO @ Cimarron Engineering Ltd.
+ Livio Barone to Partner @ Stebnicki + Partners
+ Peter Riggin to Pres. Healthcare Real Estate Div. @ Northwest Healthcare Properties
+ Robyn Ewing to Chief Administrative Officer @ Williams Cos.
+ Tara Rappel to Mgr., Environment @ Engineered Drilling Solutions Inc.
MARK Your Calendar; Business Events, Functions etc.
Feb. 20; 7th Annual RealCapital Conference, Metro Toronto Convention Centre North Building, Toronto; info/register: http://www.realestateforums.com/realfinance/mission. html ; co-chairs: Andrew Phillips, Managing Director, Investment Banking, TD Securities Inc.& Karen Weaver, CFO, First Capital Realty Inc.
March 5; OPEC - 148th (Ordinary) Meeting of the OPEC Conference, Vienna, Austria; info: http://www.opec.org
March 6 - 7; Houston Technology Center 4th Annual Energy Technology Venture Capital Conference, Marriott Houston Westchase; info/register: http://www.houstontech.org/en/cev/?634
March 197; Calgary Real Estate Board, Annual General Meeting, Greenwood Inn, Calgary
Apr. 1; 10th annual Montreal Real Estate Forum, Chaired by Philip O'Brien, CEO, Viger DMC International, Fairmont Queen Elizabeth, Montreal; info/registration: http://www.realestateforums.com/mtl/mtl/frame.html
Apr. 29; 14th Annual Vancouver Real Estate Forum; Hyaty Regency Hotel, Vancouver, info/registration: http://www.mmpiwest.com/realestateforumswest/vanc ouver/
July 7-9 ; 34th G8 Summit, Tokyo, Japan
MARK Your Calendar; Annual & Special Meetings
Feb. 29;
Algonquin Oil & Gas Limited, Calgary, Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders
National Bank of Canada, Annual Meeting of Common Shareholders, Montreal
Mar. 4;
Bank of Montreal, Quebec City, 190th Annual Meeting of Shareholders
Bank of Nova Scotia, Edmonton, Annual Meeting of Shareholders
Mar. 6; Panhandle Oil and Gas Inc. ; Annual Meeting, Oklahoma City, OK
Mar. 11; FP Resources Limited; Special Meeting Of Shareholders, St. Johns, Nfld.
Mar. 18; ONEOK Inc.; Annual Meeting, Tulsa,OK.
Apr. 8; First Calgary Petroleums Ltd.; Annual & Special Meeting of Shareholders, Calgary
Apr. 10; Nav Canada, Annual Meeting of Shareholders, Moncton
Apr. 22; TransAlta Corporation, Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders, Edmonton
May 5; Enbridge Income Fund, Annual Meeting of Unitholders, Calgary
May 8; Apache Corporation, Annual Meeting, Houston, Texas
MARK Your Calendar; 2008 Charity & Industry Golf Tournaments
July 14; 8th Annual Ronald McDonald House Southern Alberta Charity Golf Classic, Silvertip Resort, Canmore; Lawson Projects is the Presenting Sponsor; info/registration: lorne@lawsonprojects.com or colleen@rmhsouthernalberta.org
note: if you are sponsoring / supporting a charity tournament in the Calgary area in 2008 we are happy to list them early here; just send your tournament data and contact information to: research@maxcomm.ca
INFRASTRUCTURE News / P3 / Go Green
+ PLANDFLEX CORPORATION will develop and or acquire commercial and institutional properties: Public Private Partnerships (P3), development for governments, NGOs, school boards, hospital boards, municipalities etc., build-to-suit developments for strong credit tenants location focus is smaller & major communities in Western Canada. Inquiries and/or property offerings to:
PLANDFLEX CORPORATION
Attn: Mark Kolke, President
Suite 1000, 888 - 3rd Street SW
Calgary, AB T2P 5C5
Phone: 403-444-6939
e-mail: mark.kolke@maxcomm.ca
+ Calgary Zoo's science centre due to open in 2011; the $160 million project required a $40 million injection from the province which was announced by Premier Stelmach; a similar $40 million commitment is being sought from the Federal government . . no announcement yet
+ the City of Edmonton issued a proposal call for 'innovative transit oriented development' in NE Edmonton adjacent to the Belvedere LRT station; RFP for Station Point Lands closes March 31
"Nothing truly valuable arises from ambition or from a mere sense of duty; it stems rather from love and devotion towards men and towards objective things." - Albert Einstein
"First, have a definite, clear practical ideal; a goal, an objective. Second, have the necessary means to achieve your ends; wisdom, money, materials, and methods. Third, adjust all your means to that end." - Aristotle
Quotes with keywords > O > OB > objective 1-10 Quotations of 65Objective quotes "Nothing truly valuable arises from ambition or from a mere sense of duty; it stems rather from love and devotion towards men and towards objective things." Albert Einstein quotes (German born American Physicist who developed the special and general theories of relativity. Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921. 1879-1955) Similar Quotes. About: Ambition quotes. Add to Chapter... "A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better." Jim Rohn quotes (American Speaker and Author. He is famous for motivational audio programs for Business and Life. ) Similar Quotes. Add to Chapter... "First, have a definite, clear practical ideal; a goal, an objective. Second, have the necessary means to achieve your ends; wisdom, money, materials, and methods. Third, adjust all your means to that end." Aristotle quotes (Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scientist and Physician, 384 BC-322 BC) Similar Quotes. About: Goals quotes. Add to Chapter... "A set definite objective must be established if we are to accomplish anything in a big way." John McDonald quotes Add to Chapter... "All men seek one goal : success or happiness. The only way to achieve true success is to express yourself completely in service to society. First, have a definite, clear, practical ideal-a goal, an objective. Second, have the necessary means to achie" Aristotle quotes (Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scientist and Physician, 384 BC-322 BC) Similar Quotes. About: Success quotes, Happiness quotes, Men quotes. Add to Chapter... "Show me a man who claims he is objective and I'll show you a man with illusions." - Henry Luce
"Men nearly always follow the tracks made by others and proceed in their affairs by imitation, even though they cannot entirely keep to the tracks of others or emulate the prowess of their models. So a prudent man should always follow in the footsteps of great men and imitate those who have been outstanding. If his own prowess fails to compare with theirs, at least it has an air of greatness about it. He should behave like those archers who, if they are skilful, when the target seems too distant, know the capabilities of their bow and aim a good deal higher than their objective, not in order to shoot so high but so that by aiming high they can reach the target." - Niccolo Machiavelli
"I bear solemn witness to the fact that NATO heads of state and of government meet only to go through the tedious motions of reading speeches, drafted by others, with the principal objective of not rocking the boat." - Pierre Elliott Trudeau
"In teaching man, experimental science results in lessening his pride more and more by proving to him every day that primary causes, like the objective reality of things, will be hidden from him forever and that he can only know relations" - Claude Bernard
"Saying that a great genius is mad, while at the same time recognizing his artistic worth, is like saying that he had rheumatism or suffered from diabetes. Madness, in fact, is a medical term that can claim no more notice from the objective critic than he grants the charge of heresy raised by the theologian, or the charge of immorality raised by the police." - James Joyce
"Chasing an objective, stretching for a goal needs to be mitigated with recognition there are no guarantees anything today or tomorrow will be in any way like yesterday shocks us now and again - headline shock - then we wiggle back into our comfortable seats of familiarity." - Mark Kolke
"The fundamental problem with golf is that every so often, no matter how lacking you may be in the essential virtues required of a steady player, the odds are that one day you will hit the ball straight, hard, and out of sight. This is the essential frustration of this excruciating sport. For when you've done it once, you make the fundamental error of asking yourself why you can't do this all the time. The answer to this question is simple: the first time was a fluke." -Colin Bowles
"As you walk down the fairway of life you must smell the roses, for you only get to play one round." -Ben Hogan
"Putts get real difficult the day they hand out the money." -Lee Trevino
"There are three ways of learning golf: by study, which is the most wearisome; by imitation, which is the most fallacious; and by experience, which is the most bitter." -Robert Browning
"They say 'practice makes perfect.' Of course, it doesn't. For the vast majority of golfers it merely consolidates imperfection." - Henry Longhurst
"I simply do not understand someone who hits a ball that lands behind a tree and can look at it and say 'well, that's golf''." - Simon Hobay
MaxComm Communications - Writing Services
Innovative strategies, inspiring work plans and cutting- edge initiatives; we are writers, editors and business communicators who help you frame your message right the first time, on time.
www.frameyourmessage.com is our website - featuring information on services, writer credentials - writing, speaking, coaching -
We have established a presence in Houston, Los Angeles and Maui - staffing up in each market with well credentialed writers in those markets with subject area expertise and availability. Our work is 99% English content for audiences in Canada, US, UK, Australia:
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Mark Kolke writes a daily column (posted at http://markmusing.com ) Musings, after his morning walk. To subscribe (free) to receive his daily musings, write to mark@markmusing.com Musings are e-mailed daily to subscribers and are posted/archived on his blog http://markismusing.blogspot.com & on his Musing site:
+ our objective is to feature information and links to articles which provide insights, ideas and services to help our readers access useful resources to help employees at all levels build on their skills.
+ the Toastmasters program offers an opportunity to improve professional skills; public speaking, leadership training, confidence building - a great way to give your career a boost as you climb the ladder. Toastmasters International - 210,000 members in 90 countries; 65 Toastmasters clubs in Calgary. Toastmasters offer a supportive environment, networking opportunities & a proven program to help people overcome their worst fear - public speaking.
+ Spoken Word Toastmasters . . meets every Tuesday at 5:30 PM at North Hill COOP community room (basement), 540 - 16ave., NE, Calgary, AB; contact club president for further info: nelson.keung@siemens.com . . next meeting February 19; http://members.shaw.ca/spoken_word
+ Singles and Friends Toastmasters, offers a 'singles only' format - opportunity for socializing & speaking; meets every Wed. @ 7 PM. Info: http://singlesnfriends.freetoasthost.info next meeting February 20
+ MVP Advanced Toastmasters Club, meets @ 7 PM, 2nd & 4th Thursday of the month @ Fluor facility in south Calgary; a club for experienced Toastmasters wishing to hone their skills in a place where the bar is set high; contact club President for further info: Mark.Kolke@frameyourmessage.com or Gerda.Timm@Fluor.com .. next meeting Feb. 28, 7PM http://mvpadvanced.freetoasthost.net
FACILITYCalgary, a MaxComm Communications publication, e-published every Monday. Subscription is free. To subscribe, write to: facilitycalgary@maxcomm.ca
+ the election campaign is half done, Stelmach will hold a majority, the PC party will have had a good scare, Liberals will realize that Taft is not going to ever get them into government, Mason will buy a suit that fits; urban rural balance will, for that last time ever, rule Alberta as upcoming re-drawing of boundaries will put the seats where the votes are, so Calgary-Edmonton & mid size cities will call the tune like never before; too soon to call the biggest blunders of the campaign because they are likely still ahead; good-bye scud- stud Arthur Kent who clearly could not play for anyone's team - yes, Arthur politics is a blood-sport, but it is firstly a team sport . . as you've noticed, there is no KENT in team
+ looking around & looking south it is difficult to believe the politicians, bankers & Wall Street types who say the U.S,. will avoid recession let alone ignore the obvious result which will be significant impacts on Canada; what galls me is the Harper government, Mr. Flaherty in particular, failing to notice reality as it encircles him. Our dollar, soaring, does us little good that way. Our goods are not competitive on world markets, our resources are not competitive & our productivity continues to lag. Mr. Harper seems so focused on out-gaming Mr. Dion in arranging an election that his government is looking less right every day . . so smarten up Stephen, it is time for a new finance minister, a new look at our fiscal situation; while there is little risk you'll be overrun by Liberals as long as Stephane Dion leads them, don't get too comfortable . .
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