This Thursday the Ottawa Hospital announced the launch of the Emergency Department Reporting System at www. ontariowaittimes. com.

The local hospitals have also welcomed other provincial initiatives including the Wait Times Strategy, the Aging at Home Strategy, Tele-Health and Health-Care Connect, in an attempt to strengthen emergency wait time performance.

"Our government is creating an unprecedented level of transparency and accountability in hospital emergency care with the public reporting of time spent in the ER," said Health and Long-Term Care Minister David Caplan.

Leon's Furniture managed to off set the effects of recession and posted a growth of 7.4 per cent in fourth-quarter profits and higher overall sales.

On Thursday, the company announced income of $23.2 million during the last three months of 2008, an escalation from $21.6 million in the same period last year.

Profits were worth 33 cents per basic share, up from 31 cents a share in the same time frame.

The revenues also showed a growth, up to $269.9 million from $185.9 million, partially on the acquisition of Appliance Canada in January 2008.

According to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. the slump in the economy will drive new home construction to a nine-year low in 2009. This prediction comes in stark contrast to what the Crown Corporation was saying in November.

In defense, Bill Clark, senior economist with CMHC, said that it was not possible last quarter to predict the economic decline we are now witnessing its impact on the economy.

Three months back CMHC conjectured that there would be 177,975 new homes built this year. On Thursday the figure was attuned to 160,250 a_" a level not seen since

Home renovation supply retailer Rona has taken the hit due to the fading consumer interest as a result of recession. It will build less than half of its previously planned stores this year and is skeptical about its financial performance over this year which might be falling well short of its earnings objectives for 2009.

"Given the current financial, economic crisis, we will remain very, very prudent and selective with our development projects, focusing on the projects with the highest return on investment," said Chief Financial Officer Claude Guevin, in a conference with the analysts.

Washington, Feb 20 : American auto racing driver Danica Patrick has recently revealed that actress Jennifer Aniston would be too old to portray her in a movie, and that she would not mind if actress Angelina Jolie did it.

When the question came up as to who she would like to portray her in a movie, Patrick, 26, did not hesitate in choosing the Tomb Raider star.

"I've always said Angelina Jolie would be great because she''s an action star," Us magazine quoted her as telling a group of Canadian bloggers.

The whole of Canada seems to be gearing up with great zeal for Obama's visit to Ottawa. People are driving for hours through the cold and snow to get a glimpse of Obama when he lands at Ottawa and give him a grand Canadian welcome.

Obama T-shirts, Obama specialty coffee beans and Obama burgers are flying off the shelves in the wake of arrival of the U. S. President. The police raised barricades yesterday even as the well wishers planned rallies to greet the president.