British Columbia

Western Coal Corp. is flying high thanks to continued demand for metallurgical coal in Asia.

The fury of the sub-prime crisis had yet to hit, the market crash and crisis in development financing was a year away and the recession that pounded international trade was yet to come. But looking back, the numbers have largely held up.

B.C.'s 46 ski resorts have seen a drop in average overnight rental revenue, with income falling sharply last season and little recovery expected this winter, according to a BC Stats survey. The survey looked at almost 500 rental properties at B.C.

Since April, overall Greater Vancouver housing prices have decreased 2.8 per cent compared with the all-time high reached in April when the residential benchmark price was $593,419, according to the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver.

The B.C. government announced plans to inject $115.6 million into the province's northeast gas sector last week just days after a Calgary-based investment dealer slashed its stance on the commodity.

Despite fears of a housing construction slump after the introduction of B.C.'s harmonized sales tax, new-home starts have more than doubled from a year ago in some markets.

Metro Vancouver's office market is posting an 8.4 per cent vacancy rate, up from 6.9 per cent a year ago, as rising subleases and new suburban construction adds to the inventory of vacant space.

Canadian investors are finding super low house prices in Phoenix, Arizona, and experts say rising foreclosures will keep prices low for some time.

Experts and industry watchers come at the question from every possible angle, but the underlying theme, the common thread uniting them all, is the belief the market of 2010 remains solid for the long-term investor.

Vancouver developer Howard Meakin hopes to "kick-start" waterfront development in Mission with a restaurant, marina and floatplane dock.