Here is your Morning News Rundown for Monday, Nov. 24:

Calgary budget: Don’t expect much change to 4.7 per cent tax hike, Nenshi says – Metro Calgary

Education, residential mix eyed for Calgary’s Booth Centre in East Village – Metro Calgary

Forget city living: Canadian seniors are moving to the suburbs, study finds – Financial Post

How to co-buy a home with your friend in Canada’s expensive market – Financial Post

Turning hotel into affordable housing no easy feat for Drop-in Centre – Calgary Herald

Morning News Rundown is a post from: CREBNow… Read More

Morning News Rundown is a post from: CREBNow

It is time to plug in the vehicle for many of us when it gets really cold at night.

A Calgary man warns to check electrical cords before plugging-in.

On Nov. 14 around 11 p.m., someone knocked on Andrew Newton’s door and said his garage was on fire.

Newton ran outside to find his 2003 Ford Winstar on fire inside.

“There was some flame and there was quite a bit of smoke coming out from the undercarriage on the driver’s side because the tires were already starting to burn,” said Newton.

He called 911, and the fire department put out the fire before the garage burned down.

They traced the fire to the block heater cord in the vehicle.

“We had some maintenance done about a month, or month-and-a-half, ago and we actually called the guy that did some work on it, and he said he hadn’t looked at the block heater at all,” said Newton.

“But he said he has heard of block heaters causing issues like that before.”

There are not any statistics on block heater fires in Calgary, but according to investigators, exposed or frayed electrical cords cause most fires.

Many auto shops include them on a winter inspection checklist, but mechanics say beyond that, they’re ignored.

Over time, salt, water and heat from the engine can damage the connections, and the older the vehicle, the greater the potential for damage.

“Just over time and continual use plugging in, the cord becomes frail and brittle over time and they can break,” said Dave Dansereau from Lad’s Auto.

“They get closed in hoods and the cord gets broken. We’ve seen them pulled out from somebody forgetting to unplug them, and they get yanked on and then they get pinched.”

Newton is still waiting for the insurance company to settle his claim.

He said when he gets a new vehicle, he will check the block heater connections regularly.

According to the fire department, drivers should only use extension cords designed for outdoor use when plugging-in their cars outside.

CALGARY- RCMP have revealed details about a dramatic arrest near Carstairs on Thursday.

They say on Thursday night, a man allegedly shot a gun at a driver to steal their vehicle on highway 2A near Carstairs.

They say the suspect drove south when Mounties began to pursue him.

The vehicle made a full stop in a field west of Beiseker and after a brief standoff, the suspect surrendered.

They say three guns, brass knuckles, and drugs were found in his possession.

39-year-old Jody Dullian of Drayton Valley now faces nearly two dozen charges including discharge of a firearm, flight from police, and sexual assault.

Dullian will appear in Didsbury provincial court on Monday.

CALGARY- Friends and family gathered to remember well-known Calgary-based political strategist Rod Love at a memorial service in the southwest Saturday.

The service was held at the Calgary Golf and Country Club.

Attending the ceremony was premier Jim Prentice, opposition leader Danielle Smith and former Ontario premier Mike Harris.

Love died on Sunday at the age of 61. He had been battling pancreatic cancer.

Love served more than 30 years as a political consultant and was chief of staff in all three levels of government.

He is perhaps best known for serving as Chief of Staff for former premier Ralph Klein.

Love is survived by his wife Charlene, son James, and daughters Katie and Haley.

Dozens of people gathered Saturday at the first of many sunrise ceremonies set to take place along Memorial Drive. At 8:30 A.M. three flags were raised at the Field of Crosses Memorial Project while people sang the Canadian national anthem.

This year, there are more than 3000 crosses lined up. Each cross represents a fallen southern Alberta soldier and is inscribed with the age, name, rank and regiment of the person who died.

“Every cross tells a story, a humans story. A father lost, a son lost, families that would never be the same again because one man went to fight for what we have now,” Murray McCann said, the founder of ‘Field of Crosses’.

The Field of Crosses runs every year from November 1st to 12th and it coincides with the Calgary Poppy Campaign and the Annual Veterans and Seniors Food Drive. The food drive is in its 8th year and cash and food donations can be made at the Crown Surplus store in Inglewood.

The official kick off took place Saturday afternoon, when several dignitaries were present including representatives from the Armed Forces.

Field of Crosses goes up along Memorial Drive.

Alberta’s chief medical health officer doesn’t believe health workers returning from West African countries where Ebola is prevalent should face suspicion or isolation.

“To make it clear, these people are true heroes,” said Dr. James Talbot, Chief Medical Officer of Health.

“They’re putting their lives on the line for the rest of us, and they recognize that none of us are safe – and in any country in the world none of us are completely safe until the people in those three countries are safe,” he added.

But Alberta health officials do have the power to enforce a quarantine, and have in the past.

It’s legislated under the public health act, and was used earlier this year during measles outbreaks in several parts of the province.

“For measles we do have that ability to quarantine people and restrict their activities, and that has been done when there has been a case of measles in a school for non-immunized individiuals for instance,” said Dr. Judy MacDonald of Alberta Health Services.

Last month, Alberta Health sent a letter home to parents warning them any children without immunity to diseases like measles may be barred from school for up to 21 days if they are exposed.

Health officials have the power to lay charges for anyone defying such orders.

“There is that possibility because the public health act is law, and the regulations that accompany it, including the communicable diseases regulation, is law,” added Dr. Macdonald.

When it comes to Ebola, officials maintain the risk to Canadians is low, since he disease is not airborne and people are only infectious while they are experiencing symptoms.

As debate starts at City Hall on a proposed four-year budget plan, some Calgarians worry the added costs will leave them behind.

Calgary leads the nation in economic growth, salaries and population increases, and now the city’s budget calls for big hikes in taxes and fees to pay for it all.

Troy Johnson spent his adult life providing for those in need, but the likely tax increases leave him wondering who will look out for him.

“Us folks in the front line working with disabled folks in Calgary, due to government cutbacks on funding and what not, (mean) every penny is super important for us,” said Johnson.

“We just have to really put a lot of work into our budgeting, and make sure we can make it through every week and every month.”

Budget plans include a 4.7 per cent tax increase for each of the next four years.

They also call for significant increases in utilities, including water and waste/recycling fees.

By the end of 2018, the average homeowner will have paid an additional $900 to the city.

However on Monday, councillors claimed it’s a tight, no-frills budget.

“It’s been a part of the conversation that we’ve had on council throughout this whole process, how do we keep the taxes as low as we possibly can while also maintaining some services for those same Calgarians who need them?” said Evan Woolley, councillor for Ward 8.

Calgarians could also pay more for annual transit passes. Tammy Poirier appeared before city council on Monday calling for a freeze on low-income passes.

“Right now with the rent and food increase, it’s going to be impossible for me to be able to afford my bus pass and to get around,” said Poirier.

Disability Action Hall said projected increases may be small, but to many struggling below the poverty line, it could mean staying home and doing without.

“We want to see those low-income transit passes frozen until September 2015 when the data is there to actually make an educated decision on financial impact,” said Colleen Huston with Disability Action Hall.

Huston said it does not make sense to add more buses to transit lines if they will just be passing by poor people, leaving them behind.

The city has set aside two weeks for the budget debate.

City Council started talking budget today, starting with a presentation on Calgary’s Action Plan for 2015-18 by Chief Financial Officer Eric Sawyer.

The Action Plan, released Nov. 4, shows the City has a budget of roughly $22 billion for the next four years.

“Over 50 per cent of the capital program you’re seeing here is going towards growth and new development,” said Sawyer.… Read More

Action Plan: City council budget talks begin is a post from: CREBNow

Looking to Calgary’s future growth, the City’s Main Streets initiative will both engage citizens and utilize economic research.

At present, the initiative is gathering local perspectives about main streets issues through a number or workshops throughout the city. There are 24 main streets currently in Calgary, according to the Municipal Development Plan, many of which were formed along historic streetcar lines.… Read More

A look at Calgary’s Main Streets initiative is a post from: CREBNow

Part three of a three-part series looking at the sinister and spooky side of Calgary’s haunted housing history.

Serving as a place of work for more than 140,000 Calgarians, it may go unnoticed that the majority of this city’s historic buildings also reside downtown.

Lurking among the plethora of glass-and-steel towers representing the core’s newer additions are buildings that have managed to withstand the test of time.… Read More

Supernatural city is a post from: CREBNow

Do you believe in ghosts? If you’re a non-believer, Calgary Ghost Tours just might change your mind.

Around for eight years, the company started organizing tours around the historic communities of Inglewood and Kensington – as well as downtown and even Banff – in the search for signs of the dearly departed.… Read More

Pop the Question: Johanna Lane is a post from: CREBNow

Family transforms its home for scares and charity

Not satisfied with simply adorning their lawn with a few pumpkins, one Calgary family continues to take its Halloween decorating to the next level.

For the past 27 years, the Campbell family has annually transformed its otherwise-unassuming Rocky Ridge home into a haven for all things horrifying.… Read More

Their very own scream home is a post from: CREBNow

Once destined for freeway construction, historical community now a local jewel

* Old neighbourhoods, new Calgary: A look at some of Calgary’s earliest communities and how they’re evolving with the times 

Few neighbourhoods in Calgary can match Inglewood’s storied history. From its beginnings in 1875 as the city’s first main street to its more recent resurgence as a hot spot for boutique shopping, fine dining and live music, the inner-city community has reimagined itself to keep pace with an evolving landscape.… Read More

Inglewood is a post from: CREBNow

Making holiday wreaths from nature’s bounty

* photo courtesy Rocky Mountain Wreaths

It’s that time of year, when the days grow short, your windows need scraping and your plastic sparkly wreath comes out from storage for its repeat seasonal appearance.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.You could start cutting greens in your own landscape and bring the rich evergreen smells of the season into your home.… Read More

‘Tis the season is a post from: CREBNow

Motion to provide 18-month window under review

Calgary homeowners with existing illegal secondary suites could have an 18-month window to get city approval if a current motion by council is approved.

On Monday, Ward 10 Coun. Andre Chabot suggested establishing a year-and-a-half “relaxation” for homeowners with current suites to meet with city officials and determine if their suites are legal or apply to make them so.… Read More

Council undecided on relaxation of suites is a post from: CREBNow

How the future of oil and gas in Alberta will affect Calgary’s housing market

The plummeting price of oil is unlikely to affect Calgary’s housing market in the immediate future, but a prolonged slump could eventually leave its mark on the local landscape, say Canadian economists.

“If the recent slide in oil prices turns down the migration taps, construction activity could begin to soften again in Calgary,” said BMO senior economist Robert Kavcic, noting that, in the interim, Calgary’s housing market remains red hot.… Read More

Power of the pump is a post from: CREBNow