A historical piece of Calgary architecture has been denied historic designation.

In April, the CREBNow real estate news reported Alberta’s Culture Minister Heather Klimchuk was intending to make an order that the Barron Building on Eighth Avenue SW be designated a Provincial Historic Resource.

“The reasons for the designation are as follows: The Barron Building has heritage significance as an excellent example of early high rise architecture in Alberta and for its incorporation of both Moderne and early International styles,” stated the Alberta Gazette, a Government of Alberta newspaper.… Read More

Barron Building denied historical designation is a post from: CREBNow

Here is your Morning News Rundown for Tuesday, July 15:

Canadian homes 20% overvalued, says U.S. agency – Calgary Herald

Government to close flood trailer camp near High River – Calgary Herald

Canadian home prices in June up almost 7 % to $413,215 average – CBC

Canadian home sales rise 0.8% to highest in four years – Financial Post

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

Morning News Rundown is a post from: CREBNow

Historic Albertan town a stone’s throw from Calgary, chock full of community spirit

Strathmore’s roots dig deep into Alberta’s history.

In 1883, during the eastward construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, the tracks ended at a small hamlet. That hamlet would come to be known as Strathmore, reportedly named by Scotsman James Ross, who was in charge of the rail project.… Read More

Staying in Strathmore is a post from: CREBNow

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

Here is your Morning News Rundown for Wednesday, July 2:

‘HGTV Effect’ Pushes Home Renovation Spending To Record $63-Billion – Financial Post

Canadian Dollar Rises Above 94 Cents To 2014 High – CBC

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

Morning News Rundown is a post from: CREBNow

Community gardens not a new trend in Calgary

* Part two of the three-part series YYC Grows

While community gardens may seem to be a new trend in Calgary, they’ve actually been around a century.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Calgary Vacant Lots Garden Club’s first meeting.

“It started because they were really interested in getting town planning information and the goal behind it was they realized they kind of had a produce crisis,” said Gael Blackhall, co-ordinator for the Community Garden Resource Network of the Calgary Horticultural Society.… Read More

Making a comeback is a post from: CREBNow

Sanitary infrastructure capacity impacting NW development

Rapid population growth in the city’s northwest is creating new challenges for planners on how to
best manage the quadrant`s already strained sewage infrastructure system.

The West Memorial Sanitary Trunk – which extends from the communities of Bowness to Rocky Ridge and impacts 24 communities overall – is, and has been for at least two years now, operating at capacity in certain areas. 

“There’s a portion of the trunk within Bowness that has a capacity constraint,” said Francois Bouchart manager of infrastructure and planning with City of Calgary Water Resources, noting the area the trunk serves has seen a 30 per cent population increase over the last decade.… Read More

Full of it 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

With National Environment Week in full swing, Built Green Canada has issued a challenge to municipalities across the country to encourage green building as part of their policies.

Built Green, in a release, explained municipalities that incent builders to construct with more sustainable means using programs like Built Green reduce the load on civic infrastructure such as water, electrical, waste and more. 

“While energy efficiency is a fundamental component of these programs, integrating the EnerGuide label through Natural Resources Canada, built green Canada goes beyond energy efficiency moving the industry toward a more holistic approach to sustainable building practices,” said Jenifer Christenson, Build Green Canada executive director.… Read More

Built Green Canada challenging municipalities is a post from: CREBNow

Residents in Cochrane who live in condos, apartments and townhouses will soon have access to home recycling.

In a release, the Town is changing its Waste Management Bylaw to include multi-family complexes.

“The revisions to the bylaw help multi-family complexes include recycling in their waste service,” said Sharon Howland, manager of waste and recycling.… Read More

Multi-family recycling in the works for Cochrane is a post from: CREBNow

Here is your Morning News Rundown for Thursday, June 5:

City Narrows List Of Communities Due For Skate Parks – Calgary Herald

Bow River Forecast To Crest On Flood Anniversary…But Not At Flood Levels – Calgary Herald

In Toronto’s Housing Market, ‘$2-Million Is The New $1-Million’ – Financial Post

McKenzie Towne Eyes New Recreation Facility To Fill Widening Community Gap – Metro Calgary

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

Morning News Rundown is a post from: CREBNow

Calgarians are invited to learn about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies of all kinds at the fifth annual Disaster Alley May 4.

Hosted by the Calgary Emergency Management Agency (CEMA), Disaster Alley gives Calgarians the opportunity to learn disaster preparation as well as what takes place when first responders prepare for emergencies and disasters such as floods, tornadoes, train derailments and more.… Read More

CEMA hosts fifth annual Disaster Alley is a post from: CREBNow

New listings improve for all product types in the city

Following a slow start to the year, improved weather and price gains supported new listings growth.

New residential listings in April totaled 3,754 units, an eight per cent increase over the previous year. Meanwhile sales activity totaled 2,545 units for the month, a seven per cent increase over April 2013.… Read More

Price gains encouraging new listings is a post from: CREBNow

Here’s your morning news rundown for Thursday, May 1.

• Calgary MLS sales and prices rise from last year – Calgary Herald 
• Real Estate Expert Joanna Josephson of AZ Provides Tips for… – Digital Journal
• Real estate: Tips for buyers and sellers – Appeal-Democrat
• Harsh winter can’t keep Canadian economy down – Vancouver Sun
• Canada’s economy weathers harsh winter with strong February growth – Calgary Herald

Morning news rundown is a post from: CREBNow… Read More

Morning news rundown is a post from: CREBNow

Richard, you have made our “Journey of Our Life” a reality. Thank you, you are the best!

Barb and Lawrence

Imagine flying over the downtown core and below you is a checkerboard of green gardens and oasis’. Sound improbable in our highly populated inner city? Calgary has a surprising amount of wasted open space. In the densely packed downtown core including the areas of Eau Claire, West Downtown and the Beltline, prime real estate space atop roof tops is given too little consideration in a city that values each square foot so highly. These unused spaces can offer extensive benefits to city dwellers, developers and concerned citizens alike when retro-fitted as “green roofs”.

A green roof consists of a waterproof, root-repellent membrane, drainage system, filter cloth, lightweight growing medium and vegetation ranging from grasses and plants to trees. A few of the benefits green roofs offer include:

• Providing much needed amenity space for building users
• Increasing the roof life span
• Reducing storm water run off
• Providing noise insulation
• Filtering pollutants and CO2 out of the air
• Providing locally grown food (from roof-top vegetable gardens)
• Increasing habitat for birds in built-up areas
• Reducing heating (by adding mass and thermal resistance value) and cooling (by evaporative cooling) loads on a building
• Reducing the urban heat island effect

For the vast majority of people, emerging technologies and new ways of thinking need to make economic sense in order to be embraced. True, the construction of a “green roof” can be as much as twice the cost of a conventional roof, even though the public and private benefits are numerous. Successful “Green Roof” initiatives in Toronto, Chicago, Portland, Minneapolis and New York have implemented incentives for developers to incorporate at least 75% coverage of new building roofs as “green” in exchange for increased zoning density. Other initiatives could include tax incentives to retrofit existing buildings to “green roofs”.

Could this type of policy driven change be adopted in Calgary? Calgarian’s are quick to apply the spirit of “because we can” to a situation to improve it for the better. Our cities high rates of volunteerism is a great example of the “Because We Can” spirit so prevalent here. Why should our city’s stakeholders look to green the rooftops of Calgary? Simple answer:

“Because We Can!”

Recently I worked with a client looking to purchase a condo in the Beltline area. My client, a lawyer from Ontario, has had significant experience in condo living, serving on the condo board in the building where he lives in Toronto. After viewing many properties, the decision came down to one of two units in two different buildings.

Both buildings were nearly identical in age, number of units, style and size of units and parking (part indoors and part outside). The first building was located in a very desirable area with many amenities such as shops and restaurants steps from the door and offered a strong reserve fund, but had outdated common areas. The second building was in an emerging neighbourhood, with substantial construction of upscale condos and amenities in the works, but currently not as good a location as the first building and it did not have as strong a reserve fund. The suite in the first building was a penthouse and the suite in the second building was not.

While in different buildings, each condo met the client’s needs in terms of size, layout and number of bedrooms and price point. Which one to choose? After much research on my part it may surprise you that the client chose the unit in the second building with the less superior location and smaller reserve fund! Here’s why.

The sale statistics for the building he chose showed a trend of buyers repeatedly paying more for units in this building than in the first building which offered the better location and large reserve fund. It was obvious from first entering the chosen building that the owners and management had invested a lot of time, money and effort into their building. The elevator had been replaced, the lobby updated with new, longer lasting materials in contemporary colours, new window coverings were in the lobby, hallway lighting had been improved, silver hardware replaced the older brass style, there were updated fire exit signs, new parkade lighting installed and the parkade had been painted. In addition, after reviewing the condominium documents it was revealed more improvements where scheduled. It was evident the owners were proud to call this building home by wisely spending money to update and maintain the structure and common areas of their building.

Although the reserve fund was not as strong as the first building, it was clearly demonstrated that the owners in this building were actively involved in maintaining and increasing the collective value of each owner’s investment. The proof of higher value in the second building was demonstrated through sales of $20,000-$40,000 more for the same type of condo as compared to the first building. Through research and analysis my client bought a condo in a superior building which will protect and increase his investment in the future.