This year’s Homes by Avi Stampede Rotary Dream Home takes on urban eateries and foodie fanatics

While kicking up their heels and tasting the latest deep fried treats, visitors to the Calgary Stampede also have a chance to win the home of their dreams while supporting a good cause.

In its 19th year, the Homes by Avi Stampede Rotary Dream Home is the major funding initiative for the Rotary Club of Calgary South.… Read More

A dream home of your own is a post from: CREBNow

May sales activity highest ever recorded for Calgary

There were 2,948 sales in Calgary in May, a 16 per cent increase compared to the same time last year.

The numbers are the highest recorded in Calgary for that month, ever.

“Strong sales activity is a reflection of improving fundamental conditions such as a growing population, favourable lending rates and rising wages,” said Ann-Marie Lurie, CREB’s chief economist.… Read More

May day is a post from: CREBNow

New rules will see spending capped, more people on art jury

The City of Calgary is making changes to its public art policy following a controversial $471,000-project Mayor Naheed Neshi has called “awful.”

Under the old policy, the city’s “per cent for public art” was calculated at one per cent of the total capital project costs for City capital budget projects over $1 million.… Read More

Changes coming to public art policy is a post from: CREBNow

Calgary builders team up to bring assisted-living facility to Beltline

Calgarians lacking a proper place to call home are set to be given a helping hand thanks to a collaborative effort from 12 Calgary-area builders.

Stepping Stone Manor, which will be the first of eight apartment buildings to be constructed in the next four years, will be a 30-unit facility in the Beltline community.… Read More

Stepping Up is a post from: CREBNow

Take a walk this weekend and learn a little, or a lot, about the city of Calgary.

The Calgary Foundation is hosting the seventh annual Jane’s Walk May 2-4.

Jane’s Walk is a global movement of free, locally led walking tours inspired by Jane Jacobs. Jacobs (1916-2006) was an urban writer and activist behind community-based approaches to planning.… Read More

This weekend: See Calgary with Jane’s Walks is a post from: CREBNow

Some garden tips for Calgary’s spring season

Spring dashes in and out of Calgary like a mouse checking for crumbs at the cabin. Winter is gone and the earth is warming. Suddenly, winter is back again with flurries and frost.

As the snow melts, jobs in the garden include raking the lawn, cleaning leaves off outdoor beds and making compost.… Read More

Hurry up and wait is a post from: CREBNow

The City released the 2014 Civic Census results yesterday. Mayor Naheed Nenshi announced Calgary had its biggest year of growth ever increasing by 38,508 residents to 1,195,194 total.

Here’s a few of the things the mayor had to say about the census:

“Calgary experienced this year, its greatest single year of growth in population, as a matter of fact in my time in this job we have experienced three of our four largest years of population growth.”

“As you all know, the long term goal under the MDP (Municipal Development Plan) is to have half of development in existing parts of the city and half in new areas of the city.

… Read More

In Quotes: 2014 Civic Census is a post from: CREBNow

CREB’s first female board director discusses her life and her craft

Grace Turley was never one for barriers.

As a small child she would escape her family yard in order to explore the surrounding town of Ochre River, Manitoba. That sense of curiosity would lead her to the world of real estate years later when she settled with a family of her own in Calgary.… Read More

Ninety-nine and counting is a post from: CREBNow

CALGARY – Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. is seeking approval to resume crude extraction from the part of its Primrose East oilsands property where a bitumen-water mixture was found oozing to the surface last year.

But the Calgary-based company said it’s planning to use a different steaming method that it says would avoid the problems that may have led to the high-profile leaks in eastern Alberta, which are still being investigated by the province’s energy watchdog.

Canadian Natural filed an application to the Alberta Energy Regulator last week asking for permission to inject steam at low pressure in a technique known as steam flooding.

READ MORE: 2 provinces, 2 environmental disasters, 2 very different responses

Previously, Canadian Natural had injected steam at high-pressure using a technology known as cyclic steam stimulation, the safety of which has been questioned by environmental groups. With that method – often described as “huff and puff” – a well alternates between injecting steam and drawing the softened bitumen to the surface.

On a conference call with analysts Thursday, Canadian Natural president Steve Laut says it’s “not possible” for steam flooding to create the same conditions that led to the Primrose East leaks.

Cyclic steam would enable production to ramp up more quickly, but rates over the long term are expected to be the same if steam flooding is used instead, said Laut.

“I wouldn’t see much of a drop in overall yearly average production from a steam flood at this stage versus a cyclic program at this stage,” he said.

The AER has said it won’t allow steaming to resume until it’s convinced all the risks have been addressed.

Last month, the energy watchdog said it had a better idea of what went wrong at Primrose. It said the main issues centre around Canadian Natural’s steaming strategy and on old wellbores around the site that have provided paths for fluids to flow to the surface.

Once a final report has been completed, Canadian Natural said it will apply to use cyclic steam on other parts of the Primrose East property. The section of Primrose East where the leaks took place, and where the company wants to use steam flooding, is a “unique area geologically,” said Laut.

Some 1.2 million litres of the bitumen-water emulsion have been recovered and 20.7 hectares have been affected. The company said on Thursday that clean-up is complete.

READ MORE: Steaming may have caused endless Alberta oil spills, CNRL admits

Thermal oilsands production for this year at Canadian Natural is expected to come in lower than previously anticipated, with the bottom end of the range lowered to 112,000 barrels per day from 120,000.

Some of that is due to the fact that it’s taking longer than expected to start steam flooding at Primrose East. As well, mechanical issues at Canadian Natural’s Kirby South steam plant are causing production to ramp up more slowly than planned.

Earlier Thursday, Canadian Natural said it more than doubled its second-quarter net earnings, helped by increased sales and higher prices.

The Calgary-based oil and natural gas producer reported profits of $1.07 billion, or 97 cents per share, versus $476 million, or 44 cents per share a year ago.

Adjusted profits were $1.04 per share, which beat analyst expectations by six cents a share, according to Thomson Reuters.

Company-wide production for the three months ended June 30 grew 31 per cent to 817,471 barrels of oil equivalent per day.

Realized prices for its crude oil averaged $87.03 per barrel, up nearly 16 per cent from the same period a year earlier.

Product sales rose to almost $6.11 billion from $4.23 billion.

Shares of the company were down more than 2.5 per cent at $44.68 in afternoon trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

A quartet of spills in northern Alberta has been oozing bitumen emulsion for more than a year with no sign of stopping, and the provincial regulator’s latest report finds the oil company’s own extraction method could be partly to blame.

A massive tailings pond breach sends a wall of potentially toxic mine waste flooding through central British Columbia.

Which garners more outrage?

The second one – by a long shot.

Mount Polley mine‘s tailings pond breach in B.C. has sparked a state of emergency as residents’ tap water is deemed unusable and provincial authorities scramble to determine just how toxic the spilled wastewater is, where the sludge went and what’s in the suspended solids.

Mine owner Imperial Metals has seen its share prices tank about 40 per centin the days following the breach.

Canadian Natural Resources Limited, on the other hand, has been barely bruised by the months-long series of spills at its Cold Lake site, even after an Alberta Energy Regulator report concluded the company’s high-pressure steaming is just too much for the rock, causing it to fracture and leak bitumen.

That conclusion’s a big deal, said Dinara Millington, vice-president of research with the Canadian Energy Research Institute: It suggests the operation itself is unsound, and has implications beyond these four spills, or even CNRL’s operations in that area.

“The regulator has been called by the public and Pembina Institute and other environmental institutes to  undertake a study where they would be looking at [cyclical steam stimulation] in general, and whether it’s even appropriate in a place where CNRL is,” she said.

“It will set a huge precedent for anyone who wants to get into that area.”

But shareholders don’t seem concerned: CNRL’s share price sits at about $44 now, compared to $31 a year ago.

And the public outcry in the days following B.C.’s tailings spill so far exceeds any outrage connected to Alberta’s ongoing bitumen spills.

Calgary billionaire Murray Edwards is Imperial’s controlling shareholder, as well as CNRL’s chairman and founder.

Why the divergent responses?

From a shareholder perspective, it could be a simple evaluation of risk, Millington said.

“CNRL, as a company, has large reserves, large assets large capital invested into various projects …  they could, for example, if the regulator says to walk away from the [Cold Lake] project, they have options.”

The sharply different reaction for Imperial Metals, she said, “Is directly related back to the concept of social licence: whether the company has that social licence, whether they’ve been able to obtain it and retain it. … You need to continue with what you said you were going to do, which is being the environmental steward of the land that you’re occupying. “

And the intimation from both the B.C. government and former employees that there were problems with the tailings site that should have been addressed earlier likely doesn’t inspire confidence, she said.

The tailings breach also has a more immediate and more visible human impact than the months of bitumen seeping from what is, effectively, a weapons range that’s a fair distance from even more remote First Nations communities.

But that just makes its effects more insidious, she said.

“We don’t know what the long-lasting impact can be – the emulsion can be seeping into the underground water resources or reaching small lakes and rivers and streams.”

TORONTO — A feature film starring Leonardo DiCaprio will be shot in and around Vancouver and Calgary beginning next month.

The Revenant, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu (Babel), also stars Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises), Will Poulter (We’re The Millers) and Domhnall Gleeson (Dredd).

The film, based upon Michael Punke’s novel The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge, stars DiCaprio as 19th century fur trapper Hugh Glass, who seeks revenge on the men who left him for dead after a Grizzly bear attack.

Cameras are scheduled to roll September through March.

In Calgary, an open casting for extras is being held Aug. 9 at the Marlborough Mall. Boys between 10 and 18 years old with long hair and adult males with facial hair are being sought, as well as adult Native people with long hair.

Casting agents are also looking for people with amputations, scars and other unusual characteristics.

OTTAWA – Federal health officials have announced recalls of two products due to concerns about listeriosis and a third recall due to possible E.coli.

Concord Premium Meats Ltd. is recalling Marc Angelo brand Genoa Salami in 100-gram packages with a best-before date of Dec. 01, 2014.

A package of Marc Angelo brand Genoa Salami, recalled due to Listeria monocytogenes, is pictured in a handout photo released on Aug. 6, 2014. T

The salami was distributed in Ontario and Quebec.

Avina Fresh Mushrooms brand Sliced Crimini Mushrooms in 454 gram packages are also being recalled due to possible Listeria monocytogenes.

Avina Fresh Mushrooms brand Sliced Crimini Mushrooms in 454 gram packages are also being recalled due to possible Listeria monocytogenes.

The mushrooms are sold in Alberta and B.C.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is also recalling certain brands of La Fromagerie Hamel brand French cheeses in Quebec due to possible E. coli.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is also recalling certain brands of La Fromagerie Hamel brand French cheeses in Quebec due to possible E. coli.

Consumers with any of these products are advised to throw them out or return them to the store where purchased.

The CFIA says no illnesses associated with these recalls have been reported.

Watch above: Wind and rain is wreaking havoc around the Capital Region, including at the Edmonton International Airport, where dozens of flights have been cancelled or diverted. Fletcher Kent reports.

EDMONTON – Officials with the Edmonton International Airport say they are working to get back on schedule after approximately 48 flights were cancelled or diverted due to high wind conditions Friday.

Shortly before 5:30 p.m., EIA said the high wind weather event was subsiding. However, flight delays may continue as the airport works towards normal operations.

Earlier in the day, Heather Hamilton, a communications officer with EIA, said there were wind gusts of up to 95 km/h Friday.

In addition to the 48 flights that were cancelled or diverted, many flights experienced delays.

Jody Moseley, director of communications for the Calgary Airport Authority said 11 flights were diverted to Calgary. Passengers are being bused from Calgary to Edmonton.

People on other flights scheduled to leave from Edmonton are being transported to Calgary by bus to catch their flights there.

The airport is operating under high wind conditions which continued for most of the day.

READ MORE: Wet, blustery weather across Edmonton and Central Alberta 

The EIA is still operating and the runway is open. Some flights continue to arrive and depart.

“The decision to divert or cancel flights is guided by airline policy, and at the discretion of the pilot in the interest of passenger safety,” said EIA in a statement.

Passengers whose flights have been cancelled should contact their airlines for rebooking.

Flying to/from @FlyEIA today? Please check your flight status at http://t.co/8rVRBIwc58 before coming to the airport. #YEG

— WestJet (@WestJet) July 25, 2014

Travellers are asked to check the EIA’s website for flight information before leaving for the airport.

Passengers scheduled – or rebooked – for flights Friday night and Saturday are being asked to arrive at least two hours before their scheduled flights.

Recreation properties offer a scenic and serene home away from home

The dip of a paddle in the lake, the sizzle of a steak on the barbecue, the haunting hoot of a Great-Horned Owl: welcome to recreational living.

In a recreation survey conducted by the Alberta government, the top three favourite leisure activity of respondents was walking, golf and camping.… Read More

A little rest and relaxation is a post from: CREBNow

Town offers country-style living with room for plenty of recreation

Situated on the banks of the Sheep River, approximately 18 kilometres south of Calgary, Okotoks offers country-style living just a short drive from the big city.

Charlie-Mae Marlatt, an Okotoks resident of three years said, “I like living in Okotoks because it is family oriented, family focused, has a small town community feel and it is 10 to 15 minutes away from the city.”

Marlatt’s favourite pastimes include running on the pathway system, going to the coffee shops in Olde Towne Okotoks and shopping on Elizabeth Street.… Read More

So much in Okotoks is a post from: CREBNow

High River remains resilient as recovery ramps up

One year after floods ripped through High River, the town is ready to turn the page.

On June 20, High River Mayor Craig Snodgrass joined deputy Premier Dave Hancock, fellow
dignitaries and hundreds of residents to commemorate the resilience shown by those living in and
around the area during the June 2013 floods, as well as the recovery now well underway.… Read More

Blue skies ahead is a post from: CREBNow

Discover hidden gems a stone’s throw from the hustle and bustle of Calgary

For those who call the area home, the MD of Foothills is a welcome reprieve from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Comprised of rolling hills, golden wheat fields, leafy woodlands and mountain vistas, the 3,600-square-kilometre area south of the Calgary city limits surrounds the towns of Okotoks, High River, Turner Valley and Black Diamond as well as the village of Longview and Eden Valley Indian Reserve.… Read More

Feature: MD of Foothills is a post from: CREBNow

CREBNow’s three-part series examining the news, community and culture of cycling in the city.

April 28 saw Calgary’s city council voting in favour of a downtown cycle track pilot.

The 8-7 vote comes on the heels of months of planning, community forums and debates on whether the track would be a feasible idea for downtown Calgary.

The pilot originally called for tracks on First Street S.E., Fifth Street S.W., Eighth Avenue W and Stephen Avenue, Ninth Avenue E, 12th Avenue and Eighth Street.… Read More

Cycle pilot approved is a post from: CREBNow