One thing we must keep in mind when we roll into the service station to fill is that our station operator is not racking up big profits. Gasoline retailers actually make less money when the prices go up. Their margins decline. They average about five or six cents a litre. Also their credit card fees have gone up. The high price of gas at the pumps has also affected their convenience store business and that certainly will have an impact on their bottom line. I have written about this before because I always get emails saying, "look at the profits the dealer is making." This is not true...

I was sitting at Prospera Place waiting for the beginning of the Cirque du Soleil show when a friend of mine, a local businessman, came over and told me of a hot rumour that Elton John was building a home here. There are supposed to be some family connections locally as we have all heard before. It is a good rumour and joins the likes of John Mellencamp and Arnold Schwarzenegger building homes on the lake...

Recent data from Stats Canada shows that beer remains the number one beverage of choice but wine continues to grow at a much faster pace. Particularly red wines. Three-quarters of all red wine is imported...

Canadian rocker Feist will be the first headliner in the South Okanagan Events Centre. The released line up of talent for the new facility will feature the Monster Trucks in October and the band Chicago. The building is scheduled to open in September...

The basement has to be poured before it is counted as a new home project with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. So the latest figures on housing starts in May were solid. 397 for Kelowna, 58 in Kamloops, 48 in Vernon and 43 in Penticton. Penticton was the largest jump from eight last year in May...

One of the major banks that seems to be following their reorganization plans quite closely is the TD Canada Trust who are opening new branches all over the country. They are sticking to their longer hours more than any other financial institution. People still like the idea of going to the branch and speaking with a real person. I know I do...

How would you like to be trying to sell ex-heavy weight champ Evander Holyfield’s Atlanta home? Only 109 rooms, 54,000 square feet, seventeen bathrooms and a bowling alley. The boxer can’t make the mortgage payments. He has grossed $167 million in winnings. We knew when he built that mansion that we would see this happening because there was always just too many people hanging around him all needing handouts...

The B.C. Fire chiefs are fed up with false alarms because they’re frustrating and costly for them. People are having their smoke detectors wired to automatically call them...

Our daughter Brenda was speaking at the National Scientific Congress at Grand Okanagan a couple of weeks ago. The hotel was full of recruiters trying to steal anyone’s employees they could. Even the Canadian Forces were there offering jobs in their labs. Brenda manages one of the larger labs in the province...

Best Buy is definitely looking for space for a new store here although I think you will see them moving into the Orchard Park Mall with one of their smaller stores to tackle the phone business. They want to be where the young people are because that is where they are buying their mobile phone equipment...

A new internet restaurant is scheduled for the corner of Cooper Road and the Highway where the Chinese Laundry was located for years. I understand 200 computers is what they are aiming for...

Riding in a taxi in B.C. just got more expensive as there will be a temporary fuel surcharge of 3.5 per cent effective July 16...

Our dollar gained parity with the U.S. dollar eight months ago and still we are paying a premium as shoppers of about 18 per cent. A large cup of Tim Hortons and a donut costs more in Canada than it does in the U.S. The game Monopoly is twenty dollars in Canada and fifteen dollars in the U.S. - same game, same manufacturer...

Here is another border situation you may find yourself in. Word from the Union says that border guards are upset with the way their contract dispute is being handled and they could be making border waits longer because they will work to rule from time to time. Customs officers have been without a contract for a year. This is not good news for B.C. This could shut off the American tourists that are left still traveling across the border to Vancouver.