The Thursday DB linked to a web.uwaterloo post revealing a concept for Waterloo’s new website design.

A delegation from White Whale Web Services has been on campus this week to talk with key committees about the new design they’re developing for the university’s web presence.
— Some light on photovoltaics, lasers and more UW DB 18 Mar 2010

The post shows a screenshot of a large photo with a slogan that “captures Waterloo” with navigation along the top and a concept of helping people, like prospective students, find things without needing prior organizational knowledge.

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I started budgeting and tracking my expenses at the beginning of January to make sure I was spending money according to my priorities and I am still doing it.

By being frugal I have managed to keep my monthly expenses significantly below my income — by more than $1,000. The money I save goes to debt repayment and savings, but also to pay for larger expenses over the course of the year.

I call it my capital budget, but it really is for major expenses that I can’t finance in a single month.
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Last week’s 2010 federal budget announced that the government would pursue legislation to allow credit unions to incorporate federally and operate nationally.

Creating a Federal Framework for Credit Unions

Canada is home to a strong and vibrant credit union industry that provides financial services to millions of Canadian consumers and small businesses. To promote the continued growth and competitiveness of the sector and enhance financial stability, the Government will introduce a legislative framework to enable credit unions to incorporate and continue their operations as federal entities. Allowing credit unions to grow and be competitive on a national scale will broaden choices for consumers by helping credit unions to attract new members and improve services to existing members across provincial borders.
— Busdget 2010: Chapter 3.3: Building on a Strong Economic Foundation

This could be a big deal. Currently banks are governed by the federal Bank Act and credit unions are regulated provincially under provincial acts.
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I have been putting some more thought into what different functions the Waterloo Banking Project organization would have.

I’d like to have a vision of what things the organization would do before we start creating it, so there is something to reconcile decisions with and stay true to our vision and mission.
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We beat Doon with a key save and a key goal in the final few minutes of our indoor soccer match last night.

Different than usual, our regular goalkeeper wasn’t there and we had more than a couple subs. Ben stepped up to tend goal and we committed to run hard because of our deeper bench. Normally we have to be focused on the whole game as our opponents often have full lines to change.
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The winter term is the time for a lot of Waterloo students to look for rental accommodation and signing leases for the next school year. Landlords often take advantage of these tenants’ inexperience to put egregious clauses in the contracts.

Some friends were considering a place to rent and showed me the lease. It had a few things that were against the law.

The property management company was asking for a deposit of two month’s rent plus a security deposit.

a) $_____ as deposit to be applied as prepaid rent towards the last and first months’ rent of the term of this Lease. Due at signing of this Lease.
[...]
b) $200.00 EACH as a refundable deposit for all keys/furniture/appliances/security deposit. Due at the signing of this lease and made out to [...] (post-dated to the start date of your lease).

It is against the Residential Tenancies Act 105.(1) to charge a deposit of more than the cost of one month’s rent. Nor can landlord require post-dated cheques (108.(a))

The lease also required 255 days notice for termination at the end of the lease.

The tenant may, up until DECEMBER 15, 2010, give written notice to terminate the tenancy as of _AUGUST _ 27th, 2011.

This is also against the act. Notice of termination can only be given under the provisions given in the law (Termination only in accordance with Act 37. (1)). And tenants can, most commonly, terminate a lease at the end of the term of the lease with 60 days notice given on the last day of the month (a href=”http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_06r17_e.htm#BK50″>Period of notice, monthly tenancy 44 (2).).

They also have a clause with false information about the local smoking bylaw.
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