(Street Life is a regular feature that profiles what's playing in the stock market.)

Act I: Gold Star

* The Player: New Gold Inc. (TSX:NGD)

* Action: Up 54 per cent in a week (from $3.90 Sept. 15)

* Recent Price: $6

* 52-Week High/Low: $9.75/$3.42 With the recent turmoil in the markets, it's no surprise 17 of the top 20 percentage gainers on the TSX for the seven-day period ending Sept. 22 are gold stocks. But the lead and two other spots in the top 20 were taken by a single company: Vancouver-based gold producer New Gold Inc.

New Gold Class D warrants (TSX:NGD.WT.D) were the leaders of the pack, jumping 360 per cent in the week, up $1.87 to close at $2.39. Class A warrants (TSX:NGD.WT.A) took third place, up 87.88 per cent or $0.58 to close at $1.24. The company's main stock, TSX:NGD, settled into 16th place, up 53.85 per cent or $2.10 to close at $6.

New Gold, fresh off a merger with Metallica Resources Inc. and Peak Gold Ltd. (completed June 30), recently boasted results for its Mexican mine, saying gold sales increased 39 per cent during the quarter (to 22,190 ounces compared to 15,922 ounces in the first quarter of 2008) and silver sales were up 47 per cent to 300,728 ounces (from 203,973 ounces in the Q1 2008).

The company also has assets in Brazil, Australia, Alaska, Canada and Chile.

Act II: Letting The Garda Down

* The Player: Garda World Security (TSX:GW)

* Action: Down 67 per cent in a week (from $8.85 Sept. 15)

* Recent Price: $2.95

* 52-Week High/Low: $20.82/$2.70 Vancouver may have posted the week's best TSX performer, but a Montreal company was the worst.

Shares of Garda World Security, a consulting, investigation and security firm, dropped 66.67 per cent or $5.90 over the week, to close at $2.95. The company recently posted revenue for the quarter ending July 31 of $301 million, down from $319 million a year previous. The company's net loss was $1 million, compared to a $1.5-million loss in the same quarter of 2007.

The U.S. economic slowdown and the non-renewal of U.S. military contracts were mostly to blame for the lower-than-expected results, along with the strength of the Canadian dollar and high Canadian energy costs, says the company.

Investors hammered the stock down to less than half its value the day of the news release (from $8.85 to $4.05), and have pushed the price even lower since. The once acquisition-focused Garda has been forced to change gears, even announcing intentions to sell its armoured-car or cash-in-transit division.

Act III: Look Up. Look Waaay Up.

* The Player: Norsat International Inc. (TSX:NII)

* Action: Up 36 per cent in a week (from $1.05 Sept. 15)

* Recent Price: $1.43

* 52-Week High/Low: $1.60/$0.60 While the U.S. economy plagues some Canadian companies today, others are thanking our southern neighbours.

Vancouver-based satellite company Norsat International Inc. announced that its U.S. subsidiary has been awarded a US$5.5-million contract by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). The deal, which will be fulfilled over the next six months, is for portable satellite terminals, equipment, training and maintenance.

Norsat, which also has offices in the U.S., U.K., Sweden, Monaco, Italy and South Korea, announced an additional satellite system maintenance contract for the DoD worth US$600,000, to be fulfilled during this fiscal year.

Norsat shares jumped up 52 per cent (from $0.94 to $1.43) the day of the news.

Act IV: If You Water It, It Will Grow

* The Player: E.S.I. Environmental Sensors Inc. (TSXV:ESV)

* Action: Down one per cent in a week (from $0.32 Sept. 15)

* Recent Price: $0.29

* 52-Week High/Low: $0.42/$0.21 W.P. Kinsella's Shoeless Joe Jackson would have loved to hear a Canadian company's latest news.

E.S.I. Environmental Sensors Inc., a water specialist based in Victoria, has made a deal with the City of Los Angeles to help that city's "Field of Dreams" flourish.

The Field of Dreams, an old San Pedro landfill site converted to a soccer field, will soon be using E.S.I.'s GroPoint moisture-sensor products and equipment to help monitor and control the amount of water applied to the area.

E.S.I. says this soil moisture-based precision irrigation is the "most effective way to make every drop of water count and ensure plants and turf receive the precise amount of water that they require to flourish."

E.S.I. products are currently used in more than 40 countries, monitoring the presence and movement of water, managing irrigation, monitoring the integrity of landfill covers, and measuring the volumetric presence of water pumped during crude oil extraction.

NOTE: The above is not intended as investment advice to buy or sell any mentioned securities. Investors should do due diligence before investing. Quotes are based on results through Sept. 22, 2008.

(Nicole Strandlund can be reached at nicole@businessedge.ca)