The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday edition that with gold at $4,550, up more than 70 per cent from a year ago, the precious metal is leaving its mark on Canada's economy and boosting stock market returns. The Globe's Jason Kirby writes that while gold's eye-popping price gain is boosting local communities around mines and filling government coffers, it has yet to translate into a broader economic boom for the country. Gold has become an increasingly influential part of Canada's export picture, accounting for close to 8 per cent of annual exports as of September. In fact, Canada now exports more gold than it does former top exports such as assembled passenger vehicles, forestry products, farm and fish products, and industrial equipment. For Timmins, Ont., which has produced more than 70 million ounces of gold since 1910, wealth from the new rush is visible everywhere, with seemingly everyone driving new trucks and cars. Discovery Silver, which acquired the Porcupine complex of mines from Denver-based Newmont earlier this year, has plans to spend heavily to upgrade existing mines, restart one shuttered mine and explore for new deposits in the area, with employment expected to double from the current 1,300 workers.