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Economic conference indicates expansion mixed with caution Views from the business community in Thunder Bay, ‘Poronto and Kitchenerâ€" Waterloo during the Valballs Economic Conferences held during the week of May 9 show business people to be expansionâ€"minded. the stock market crash six months ago. A healthy degree of caution also appears to be widespread, however. Strategic business plans generally aim at expansion rather than consolidation. The percentage of respondents planning for exrpansion ranges from 60 per cent in Kitchener to 67 per cent in Thunder Bay and 69 per cent in Toronto. Mmmmmgumaxm. In Toronto, 68 per cent of the respondents indicated that they expect a recession this year or next. This compares with 43 per cent in Kitchener and 20 per cent in Thunder Bay. Views are mixed on inflation. There is about a 50â€"50 split on whether inflation will be above or below 5 per cent over the next 12 months. Industrial land prices in the Northâ€" land industrial park should be raised by more than Business Development Commissioner Gerry O‘Neil recomâ€" mends because the city needs to build a "cushion‘" to protect against inâ€" creasing costs when it purchases Shortreed told council recently. A motion by Shortreed to increase land values by 11 per cent this year â€" which would result in prices from $72,000 to $80,300 an acre â€" was defeated in a tie vote. The matter has been deferred until the May 30 counâ€" cil meeting so three counciliors missâ€" ing May 16 could vote. O‘Neil had recommended a six per cent increase which would have seen land prices from $68,500 to $76,500 an acre. The current price varies from $64,000 to $72,000 an acre. Council was presented with three scenarios which predicted the rate at which the city would run out industrial park. The most optimistic scenario, which predicted sales of 30 acres yearly, called for land running out by 1991. The second scenerario, at 20 acres a year in sales would result in no land left in 1992. With predicted sales of 10 acres yearly, the third scenario called for 28 acres to be left at the end of 1993. Shortreed told council that when the currently available cityâ€"owned land runs out "I think it will cost in excess of $3 million to purchase 40 acres and service it." _ Despite figures supplied by O‘Neil and the finance department which showed Waterloo‘s industrial land cost more than that of neighboring "When you compare one of our sites to St. Agatha â€" 747â€"1313 ‘"*MIDNIGHT WIND®‘ _ This Friday and Saturday The price of land is a "judgement call" O‘Neil responded. He added 80 percemofhndq:}esqetoum-ll their way. "We spend a lot of time catering to these businesses because they are the ones that are going to grow. We know that right across the country it‘s they who create the new jobs." At least seven businesspeople are waiting to buy about $500,000 worth of industrial land at the park, O‘Neil "that have made (@) Tue O1d Kitchen Cupboard ‘ NATURAL FOODS MANY MORE SPECIALS 745â€"7765 MANUFACTURERS OUTLET BUY DIRECT AND SAVE SPECIALS AS LOW -99 sq. 1. _ on ommeymeamentmegrmcepeny repanntpenpenpetrmmnpmeprepep ies t WHEN PAVING IS REQUIRED â€" DON‘T SETTLE FOR LESS! D. Barnett & Co. Ltd. _ ____ feft Weber Street between King and Albert) OPEN: 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Saturday (C;m'e and siee'ourrr beautiful Show Garden) 60 Schaster St., Waterioo GARDEN EOGEâ€"LOC SCALLOPED 94 King St. S., Waterioo (across from Waterloo Town Square) THAT INTERLOCKS (21"«8"x2") all colours 746â€"KIDS BoOks »â€"~»oâ€"â€" MAY 25, 1988 $1.99..