Illinois-based A. M. Castle & Co announced the opening of its Canadian subsidiary’s newest facility in Edmonton. This new facility was built to support Castle’s Canadian oil and gas business and replaces Castle’s existing facility which it has occupied since 1996. The 50,000 square foot facility provides a broad range of services including metal distribution and processing. The company currently has 15 management, sales and operations employees at the facility.
Read more : A. M. Castle opens new facility in Edmonton

Ontario is supporting the next phase of the transformation of the Ford Essex engine plant, which is expected to create and retain up to 757 new jobs over five years. The initiative, called Project Renaissance, combines industry-leading flexible manufacturing with the establishment of a North American Centre for Diesel and Advanced Powertrain Technology, Research and Innovation. The provincial support provides Ford with an opportunity to increase its investment in the project, up to $736.4 million. The plant will produce a fuel-efficient 5.0L V8 engine that will be used in the Ford Mustang. Ford’s new R&D centre will work closely with University of Windsor’s forthcoming Centre for Engineering Innovation, in addition to other universities and private sector partners.
Read more : Ford continues growth at Windsor plant

Canada’s Technology Triangle is organizing a trade mission of local business and institutional representatives to China in May. The main purpose of the mission is to recruit new business and investment to Waterloo Region. Delegates will visit four cities – Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Chongqing. Delegates will be sought from key industries such as science, technology and advanced manufacturing.
Read more : Canada’s Technology Triangle going on trade mission to China

Nova Scotia’s Premier, Darrell Dexter, completed a series of meetings with key members of President Barack Obama’s administration, American governors, senators and members of Congress. Discussions centered Nova Scotia’s tidal energy opportunities. It was also a chance to gain a better understanding of the United States’ policy and legislative landscape, which will impact business opportunities for Nova Scotia’s tidal and wind energy in American markets. Research suggests that the Bay of Fundy is the best site for tidal power generation in North America. It is an enormous tidal resource located next to an existing transmission grid and potential consumers.
Read more : Nova Scotia premier promotes province’s tidal energy to key congressional leaders in Washington

UPS announced the official opening of its new distribution centre at the Calgary International Airport. The hub will provide businesses with direct access to the U.S. and international markets. The cost to build the facility represented an investment of $ 30 million. The 150,000-square-foot distribution facility has been under construction since June of 2008 and will allow UPS to double its package processing capability. The facility also will serve to boost the local economy by employing more than 400 Calgarians and contributing to the transportation sector.
Read more : New UPS hub connects Calgary to the world

Israel has signed on to open a trade office in Calgary in the spring, its first in Western Canada. The office is part of a pilot project aimed at increasing Israel’s trade relationship with the western provinces. The country already has offices in Toronto and Montreal. Canada and Israel signed a free-trade agreement in 2001. Trade currently consists primarily of foodstuffs, plastics and chemicals. Israel wants to increase trade in areas such as high-tech and telecommunications.
Read more : Israel to open trade office in Calgary

Canada is gearing itself to become a leader for the coming the coming century. Canada’s banking system remained strong during the global credit crisis. With no bailouts, it is the soundest system in the world, marked by a steady and responsible continuation of lending and profits. Canada, with its relatively small population of 34 million, has the lowest debt burden of any G8 country. The Canadian economy, the world’s 10th biggest, is endowed with natural resources increasingly valuable in this century, like potash and uranium. New technologies allow for the vast development of the Athabasca tar sands in Alberta, helping make Canada’s oil reserves the world’s second largest. The opening of arctic sea lanes in the north is providing the opportunity to search for new natural resource deposits. Canada just hosted the G7 finance meeting and will host both the G8 and G20 conferences later this year.
Read more : Canada gearing up to be a global leader over the next century

Belgium-based Agfa HealthCare, a provider of diagnostic imaging and healthcare IT solutions, announced the construction of a new research & development facility in the Research and Technology Park at the University of Waterloo in Ontario. The company announced that the building will create 40 jobs for local professionals and help the company deliver on its commitment to bring industry leading technologies to the healthcare community that will improve the delivery of patient care in Canada.
Read more : Agfa HealthCare bolsters investment in healthcare IT innovation with new R&D centre at the University of Waterloo

The Ontario Centres of Excellence has signed an agreement with Germany’s OptoNet, a cluster that specialises in optical tecnology. OptoNet is made of 92 companies that includes research and educational organisations, investment companies and public institutions. The two parties will work together to strenghthen technological and industrial development in the optical technology sector.
Read more : Ontario Centres of Excellence signs agreement with Germany’s OptoNet to collaborate on optical technology

A combined-heat-and-power (CHP) biomass gasification system to be installed on the University of British Columbia campus in Vancouver will generate 2 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 1,500 homes. The UBC Bioenergy Research and Demonstration Project is a partnership with Vancouver-based Nexterra Systems Corp. and GE Energy.
Read more : University of British Columbia project to generate clean energy and new knowledge