Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - August 23, 1996, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free press business Angus Jeff free press am wireless Wendy Greg Boyd Centre and Jan Samborski with microwave City firm gets the Green Light to install wireless traffic system by Martin Cash business reporter traffic jams in Las vegass famed Casino District May become a thing of the past thanks in part to a Small Winnipeg technology am wireless Hughes aircraft former Winnipeg is proving once again that geography has nothing to do with Quality and Early next am is shipping a million microwave based communications system for a ground traffic control system to Las in an Effort to unclog traffic congestion on the the Nevada department of transportation will become the first administration in North America to use a wireless but am officials believe it wont be the Janice amps general manag we believe that the potential is Good that this can be a Market in the which was created after Hughes aircraft spun off several smaller no aerospace units in a manage mantled buyout in had been build ing and Selling microwave systems used by Cable television companies around the but because of new television delivery systems and the maturity of the microwave there is a lot of Competition in that Market these we needed to find a new Magazine while casting about for that new a brainstorming session with an Engineer ing consultant came up with the traffic control savings am is serving As a subcontractor to traffic control experts Fischbach and Moore traffic system based out of while Fibre optic cables have become the preferred and most Reli Able conduit for digital its use requires the laying of in most cases a very costly Jim Fischbach and Moores a wireless form of communication for this application pro Vides substantial the savings come primarily because Cable does not have to be Houston has been working on a Fibre optic based traffic control system for five said amps project Greg the infrastructure costs alone will be about a consultant told me that had they used a microwave it would be half the am now a unit of the Pri Vatel owned Palomar technologies in will continue to make and sell microwave systems for Cable television providers As it has done for about 30 the technology was imported to Winnipeg in the Early 1990s from a sister company in Magazine and the 34 other people who work at am wireless Murray Park Plant Hope the successful operation of the Las vegas system will draw the interest of other company officials believe the association with Fischbach and Moore will be a fruitful one for the since that firm is considered the preeminent one of its kind in North Gonyeau and am officials Are confident that the technology will work its actually been around for a Long Gonyeau but the problem has been that departments of transportation dont like to veer away from the Secu Rity of hard outlets launch last Sale its the beginning of the end for Manitoba eight distributing stores As Mer Chandise goes on Sale today at clearance which is closing 119 of its 216 stores across it Selling off compute sporting Home Tain ment goods and More at discounted its All part of the company restructuring plan to avoid bankruptcy by operating stores Only in Ontario and Quebec the Sale is being bandied by the american group which is acting As the agent for con the Sale begins today in All Consumers stores outside of Ontario and i think the Sale will go very said Mark spokesman for Ameri can Richard a Ironto based spokesman for said two of its Winnipeg stores at 3570 Portage Avenue and 3900 Grant Avenue will cease business at closing time on other stores will remain open As Long As there is although Wertheim said As the Saie winds Down stores will close and merchandise will be consolidated at fewer Consumers distributing is million in debt and sought court Protection from its creditors in the closing of Consumers seven Winnipeg stores and one Brandon outlet will put 37 full time and 86 Par time employees out of Canadian airlines to slash prices for Sale Canadian press c v by the Success of its weekend getaway promotion last Canadian airlines International has fired another Salvo in the airfare the Calgary based Carrier announced yesterday it will slash fares by As much As 85 per cent on flights to 133 cities in the United states and Europe Between 7 and the promotion requires departure on a saturday and return on the following monday or an extra Day is allowed for flights to the full fare on a return trip Between Toronto and London is but on the seat Sale its others examples include Calgary to for and Toronto to Miami for these fares Are Good for travel on Days that Are traditionally Low travel Days so we expect they will stimulate travel that have happened said Canadian spokesman Paul Canadian expects its Montrea based rival air Canada to match the Canadas two National carriers have engaged in sea Sale competitions for years in an attempt to lure customers and improve their Bottom John 6977264 b3 Bank primes rate pump feeble Economy prompts lenders follow quickly by Vic Parsons Canadian press 0 Ottawa the fee ble Economy has been administered another dose of sweetened Medicine in the shape of lower inter est the Bank of Canada sought to reinvigorate con Sumer demand yesterday by cutting its Bank rate by a Quarter percentage Point to per the biggest chartered Banks moved slashing their prime rates to favoured customers to per cent from six per some variable mortgage rates Fol those changes Are effective the second largest said it will trim the rate it charges on outstand ing balances for most of its visa credit cards by one percentage Point on depending upon the those rates will fall to or per More cuts could i think youll see other rates fall in said Tim chief economist with the Bank of the Central Bank slashed the the 16th consecutive Cut since May in spite of the strongest monthly gain in retail sales in nearly a year during consumer spending that month was More vigorous than expected and some analysts had Felt that might Dis courage a but what carried More weight was a deeper than anticipated Cut to european interest which combined with the Stan Pat Atti tude of the Federal Reserve earlier this week left room to the fact the Bank moved clearly indicates that it is unequivocally oriented toward said you have an environment source Bank at Canada up where the Bank has been unpleasantly surprised by the degree of weakness in the Canadian Economy in the first half of this most importantly on the Domestic an interest rate Cut under current circumstances was said Mario senior economist with mrs inter nation theres now enough easing in the pipeline to Gener ate sustained growth in he adding it would be difficult to squeeze future cuts Windfall Sherry chief economist with Nesbitt said the Benefit to House holds from rolling Over their mortgage and consumer debt into lower interest rates Over the next year could be As High As even if half that Windfall is it would still add a full percentage Point to retail sales Consumers spent Bil lion in retail stores in with the biggest increases in general merchandise stores and at Auto they bought More drug store and items from a variety of unclassified but less furniture and if you read Fine print h having grown up a car i would love to do an article on cars or great features to look for in a new this is the dollars and sense so we will talk instead about the Best Way to pay for the darn thing once you have found your Best bet is to pay Cash if you unless you will be using the vehicle for business and therefore be Able to deduct some of your costs from taxable income As a business there is no Point in paying interest at eight to 12 per cent on a loan while collecting Between two and six per cent on your that is the Type of behaviour that provides a profit margin for financial there is also the alternative of Leas this looks extremely As the monthly payments Are significantly lower than with a this could look even More attractive to a who can show you How affordable it can be to drive the Model you really wanted but dont fall into the trap of so How is it that leasing appears cheaper is the interest rate on the financing lower dollars and sense David Christiansen on the it is usually the secret is that with a you Are Only borrowing to pay for the use of the car while you have it on in other you dont buy the whole you Only buy part of at the end of the you dont own the car unless you buy the rest of it at that lets look at an say you can get your dream car for a 36month loan will have monthly pay ments of at today average rate of 10 per Well ignore the Down taxes or other total payments therefore Are and you own the the Friendly salesperson then Points out that they can arrange a lease for you with monthly payments of Only plus Post and in three its pointed you can simply Trade your car for a Brand new Model or buy your car from the Leas ing company for total pay ments were to this for a total Cost of to own the car plus interest on the if you have to you can give the car Back to the leasing As Long As you have kept within the Kilometre allowance and there is no excessive Wear and the arrangement is at an end As is any buildup of any people will simply give this car Back and Start again on Brand new if you return your car at the end of the then the dealer or leasing company will sell it to someone else for a markup above the if you Are a Low mileage Driver and you have taken great care of the then it might be a bargain to Purchase it for the most prudent financial move May be to buy someone else lease especially if it is a 12month or 24month the most significant depreciation happens in the first so you May be Able to get a late Model car for 20 to 30 per cent less than a new there currently Are two Strong trends in the automobile the growth of leasing is and the growth in sales of used cars versus new ones is the previously owned in my allow peo ple to get More value for their while sacrificing that new car when comparing leasing with buy you want full disclosure on both sides and a proper financial analysis to compare the implicit interest rate this allows you to do an apples topples comparison of the financing leases Are available through Pri vate and car manufacturers leasing and now at certain credit shop around for read the Fine print and ask a lot of ques and always consider buying the car that your monthly budget will even if you have to Settle for used or less than your your financial plans will David Christianson is senior adviser with Shymko in he is the director of ethics for the Canadian association of Finan Cial planners and a former president of the Manitoba chapter of his column appeals ;