HST SWEEPING THE NATION?

Taylor Made for a Tundra – You Could Be Next! Owen Sound resident Chris Taylor was surprised to learn he was the grand prize winner of a 2009 Toyota Tundra while making a routine visit to his local Home Hardware Building Centre. Chris entered a ballot for the contest in January while in attendance at Home Hardware’s Tough as Nails Contractor Show in Orangeville with local business Steve Doherty Construction of Owen Sound. While visiting Smith & Hladil Home Hardware Building Centre to pick up some supplies, Chris Taylor was greeted by Dealer-Owner Ken Smith, Joe Jacklin, Contractor Communications Manager of Home Hardware Stores Limited and Sam Tantsis of Toyota Canada who were there to announce the good news and award Chris with the prize. “It’s rewarding to be able to say thank you to our customers in such a big way and we’re thrilled to have the grand prize winner at our store,” said Ken Smith, Dealer-Owner of Smith & Hladil Home Hardware Building Centre. Toyota Canada Inc. and Home Hardware recently announced a multiyear business relationship, with Toyota as the official vehicle of Home Hardware and Home Hardware as the official home improvement

YOU COULD WIN A 2010 TOYOTA TUNDRA Name: _______________________________________________________________________ Address: ______________________________________________________________________ City: ____________________________________________________ Prov.: _______________ Postal Code: __________________________ Phone: ( __________ ) __________ - ___________ e mail: _______________________________________________________________________

Owner

Employee

Type of Business: Customer Home Builder Drywaller Kitchen and Baths Property Management

Large Home Builder (20+ Homes) Plumber Electrcian Roofer Decks and Fencing Siding Finisher Other

Other

Chris was in the market for a new truck and had been researching pickups on the internet in the previous weeks before his big win. “ I honestly had my choice narrowed down to a Tundra because I needed a crew cab to haul my 3 year-old twins around comfortably and have the weight and tow capacity for work” Chris adds, “ I needed the truck to be in a certain price range, and now it is!” To see Chris’ big win and his reaction to the big win, visit www.homehardware.ca Now it’s your chance to become a winner of a 2010 Toyota Tundra! See below for your chance to drive Home a Tundra.

Enter for a chance to win a Toyota Tundra 2010 Tundra 4X4 Double Cab SR5 5.7 L Long Box • Automatic Transmission • Silver Sky Metallic • Black Interior • CY5F1T B 01D6 Upgrade Package: Steering Wheel Audio Controls • Bluetooth Capability • Integrated XM Satellite Radio • USB Audio Input • Power Sliding Rear Window • Front & Rear Clearance Sonar • Bed Rail System • Tie-Down Cleat (Set of 4) • eft Deterrent System Compliments of:

Home Builder (5 to 19) Painter Doors/Windows/Trim Framers

Check if you would like to receive informative e-mails and special messages from Home Hardware. I have Read andAgree to the Rules and Regulations below. Signature: _____________________________________________________________________ 1. No purchase necessary to enter. 2. Mail your entry to "Toyota Tundra Sweeps" c/oTOP NOTCH Rewards, P.O. Box 329, Stouffville ON L4A 7Z6, attn: Kelly Snowdon. One entry per person. 3. The odds of winning depend on the number of entries received. Prizes must be accepted as awarded.There will be no cash equivalent awarded. Contestants are required to correctly answer a skill testing question. See contest rules for full details. 4. Contest closes November 15, 2009. Entries must be postdated no later than November 24, 2009. 5. Contest is open to residents of Canada who have reached the age of majority in the province or territory in which they reside. 6. For a complete set of rules, mail a SASE to "Sweeps Rules" at the address shown above. To receive valuable e-mail promotions and discounts please include your e-mail address.

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VOLUME 8, ISSUE 3 2009

retailer of Toyota. Through this partnership, Toyota Canada and Home Hardware work together on marketing promotions, such as the Win the Truck that’s Tough as Nails contest, in stores, at trade shows and in promotional materials.

Business Name: _________________________________________________________________ Your Position:

In this Issue: Win a 2010 Toyota Tundra • Are you next? • IFC Efficient Expansion

FOR POSITION ONLY

ToughAs Nails Contractor Club News • 34 Henry StreetWest, St. Jacobs, Ontario N0B 2N0, Attn: Joe Jacklin • [email protected]

HST SWEEPING THE NATION? Ontario and BC introducing HST in 2010 It took many years, but it appears that the rest of the provincial governments are catching up with the Atlantic Provinces. The introduction of a Harmonized Sales Tax was announced in the Ontario government’s 2009 budget where it proposed to harmonize its 8% provincial retail sales tax (RST) with the 5% federal goods and services tax (GST) to create a single, valueadded HST at a 13% rate, effective July 1, 2010. More recently, British Columbia has laid out plans similar to Ontario’s combining for a 12% HST (5% federal and 7% provincial) effective July 1, 2010 as well. What does this mean to your contracting business if you are in Ontario or B.C.? Atlantic contractors would mostly agree that, on the positive side, there should be a significant reduction in the ‘paper work’ side of your business. On the negative side, however, you will face pricing challenges like never before.

New home construction and renovations in Ontario will be subject to the HST. However, there have been some modifications to the proposed budget that will help ease the pain of new home buyers. As originally announced, for new homes priced under $400,000, the rebate would equal 75% of the provincial component. The rebate would be reduced for new homes priced between $400,000 and $500,000 and would not be available for homes priced at more than $500,000. Under the enhanced rebate announced on June 18, 2009, the $500,000 threshold to qualify for a rebate will be eliminated. As such, new homes purchased as primary residences across all price ranges will qualify for a rebate of up to $24,000 of the 8% provincial component of the HST. Continued on next page

Continued from the cover

The rebate will be 75% of the provincial portion of the HST payable on the purchase of a new home, up to a maximum rebate of $24,000 (i.e., $400,000 × 8% provincial component = $32,000 ×75% rebate = $24,000). New home buyers may also be eligible for the federal GST new housing rebate, which generally equals 36% of the tax paid on the first $350,000 of the purchase price. The amount of the GST rebate is phased out on a straight-line basis for homes priced between $350,000 and less than $450,000. Although not set in stone as of yet, British Columbia appears to be employing the same rebate scenario as Ontario. On the renovation side, there is great concern for a rise in the “cash” contracting. Adding another seven or eight percent to a renovation may ignite an underground economy and put an even further strain on those working above the table. The Ontario Home Builders Association has had success convincing the government to modify the new home construction tax and allow a rebate for homes valued over $500,000 where this was not the case just a few months ago. The OHBA will continue to “raise the flag” concerning taxation of any renovation work in the months to come before the HST is in place. The HST is spreading like wildfire across the country, and if you live outside of Ontario, B.C. and the Atlantic provinces, you may think you will escape this taxing epidemic. Unless you live in Alberta, where there is no provincial sales tax, it has been rumoured to hit all of the provinces in the near future.

Congratulations to our recent winners! Chad Kusisto of Sorrento BC is the winner of the $500 Home Hardware Gift Card and Brian Hope of Walkerton Ontario won the Rockwell Jawhorse

ADVANTAGE ICF MAKES FOR AN EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT EXPANSION Built with the Advantage ICF block, a new Home Building Centre opened its doors to the neighborhood of Apsley, Ontario. When Kim & Joyce Dunford realized they needed to expand their retail business, they also realized the most cost effective way to grow was to convert their old building into storage as part of their lumber yard, while constructing a new building with one of the products they carried on their shelves – Advantage ICFs. The Dunfords were familiar with the ICF building system as they were local builders prior to purchasing their lumber yard.

conditions. The nearly 20-foot-high walls were completed in just two pours thanks to 14 courses of Advantage block, and no extra time spent insulating the walls made the building process exceedingly efficient. A local contractor handled the build with two engineers and one architect also being involved in the project. The team solved building challenges for the project such as stabilization

Secondly, the Advantage ICF walls allowed for radiant floor heating to be the only heat source for the building. With a slab on grade that was provided by Legalett, the retail store is comfortable and energy efficient. When asked why they selected the Advantage ICF system, the Apsley Home Building Centre owners cited the long term trade off of energy efficiency of the system as compared to traditional building methods. “We’re pleased with the overall end result, and satisfied that we went with ICF for the construction.” – Kim Dunford, Owner.

As a Home Building Centre owner and a distributor for the Advantage Insulating Concrete Forming system, the Dunfords were able to utilize the benefits of the product during their build and in daily operations. The project began in mid-December, making for some unique building challenges in the Ontario winter. The Advantage ICF blocks served two functions during the build. First the speed of construction was very good, even with the large amount of snow and poor building

of the land and a drainage plan. The engineer who inspected the project was familiar with the ICF product and was impressed by the whole job and the ICF system.