GST holiday draws mixed reviews

The early hours of Dec. 14 were, for Clinton Skibitzky, a mad scramble.

He and staff raced to change their point-of-sale system, effectively removing the GST sales tax from certain items, before opening Across the Board Game Café to the public. More than a week later, he’s finding it hard to tell whether the tax break has made a difference to the Winnipeg business.

He’s not alone.

“Our sales are what they were,” said Skibitzky, Across the Board’s co-owner. “(The exemption) can’t hurt, but I don’t think there’s been a strong effect.”

Mayor 2 puts positive spin 3 on city’s less-than-edsfxpected share of federal housing fund

The city will receive $122 million in federal government housing money, falling about $70 million shy of the municipal government’s original request. However, Winnipeg’s mayor stressed the amount is substantial and should leverage millions of dollars of additional investment.

City sued over sewage plant deal 3

A four close 5 company hired to conduct repairs at Winnipeg’s north end sewage plant is suing the city, alleging poor administration g of the project resulted in the firm’s contract being cancelled and leaving it out of pocket.

The repairs, to power transformers at the site, are among a series of massive, complicated upgrades that continue to be delayed and balloon in cost.

The plant is the largest and oldest of the city’s three sewage facilities.

The wider upgrades, first called for in 2003 and initially expected to be completed early last decade, are meant to reduce nitrogen and phosphorous in the water released by the city’s sewage system to protect the health of Lake Winnipeg and are required under a provincial Environment Act licence.