15:47:27

Loonie, what have you done for me lately?

You've by now tracked the rise in the dollar (trading at 93.36 cents US this morning). As bullist analysts are calling for parity by year's end, consumers may be hurting for a shopping trip down south to take advantage of the mighty loonie.

But if you're looking to capitalize on home ground, The Financial Post's
Jacqueline Thorpe and Hollie Shaw have some bad news for you:

The 50% rise in the currency in the past five years has brought little joy at the till for the average consumer.

Some examples:

After converting the Canadian price into U.S. dollars, the gap between Canadian and U.S. prices still averaged 8%. Canadians pay 10% more for an Economist magazine and 20% more for a sample of five birthday cards.

20:17:52

Thunder To Host Environmental Awareness Fair This Saturday

(Trenton, NJ) - The Trenton Thunder, the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, will host an Environmental Awareness Fair at Waterfront Park this Saturday, June 30 from 5:30 until 7:30. The Thunder vs. Harrisburg (Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals) game that night is scheduled for 7:05 with a fireworks display courtesy of the United States Postal Service to follow.

This event will feature exhibits and demonstrations from Earth Share of NJ member organizations and eco-friendly businesses on the approach outside of Waterfront Park. Such organizations include: Honda, Whole Foods Market, Terra Cycle, Tech Terra Organics, and Shaklee, Inc.

Tickets to the game are available for $10 each with a portion of each ticket sold by Earth Share of NJ being donated back to the organization.

8:52:32

The 85th annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

The 85th annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is something of an American institution in the same way that the Daytona and Indianapolis events are part of USA racing folklore. BMW Motorrad is returning to this years race which takes place on Saturday 21July with two missions: to win the event outright and to break the outright speed record for the climb up the famous hill. And in order to achieve this, BMW Motorrad Motorsport will be fielding a team of four American riders and will also be showcasing the new HP2 Megamoto machine in this historic and arduous race.

The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is a long-standing tradition in Colorado Springs and the second oldest motorsport event in the United States. The hill climb itself started in 1916 and is run on a 12.4-mile course that begins at 9,197 feet and rises to 14,100 feet up a tight twisty Colorado Rockies mountain road with numerous tight hairpins.

14:00:07

Too Much CAFE Makes Cars Smaller, More Expensive: Doron Levin

And don't blame Detroit for buying advertisements designed to scare motorists over talk about adopting tougher mileage standards.

From the automakers' perspective, tighter fuel-efficiency rules will force them to build smaller cars and trucks, perhaps tipping a financially shaky industry over the brink.

If federal Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards, or CAFE, rise anything like the 4 percent a year over the next 10 or 15 years outlined in a U.S. Senate bill, pickup trucks, minivans and sport utility vehicles might become scarce or disappear from America's highways. The CAFE for cars and trucks now is a combined average of about 25 miles per gallon; that would rise to 35 miles per gallon by 2020, with more increases through 2030.

Bye-bye Chevrolet Avalanche.