AB Economic Fundamentals 2008-07

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Merger control suggested for Deerfoot

Two aldermen leading a safety audit of Deerfoot Trail say they want signal lights added to ramps entering the freeway.

The signals, they say, would help control traffic flow and possibly reduce collisions.

"There are 93 access points to Deerfoot Trail," said Ald. Diane Colley-Urquhart. "We need something controlling the flow of people entering Deerfoot."

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/c...cd-26663452897e

 

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Airport Trail expressway project could cost $488M

The cost to build Airport Trail into an expressway with a tunnel under a new airport runway could run up to $488 million, a city planning committee was told Wednesday.

The Calgary International Airport is planning to expand to include a new taxiway and a 4,200-metre runway on the east side of Barlow Trail, with two more taxiways in the future.

The city is considering tunnelling under the new runways at Airport Trail to turn the road into an east-west corridor.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/c...fc-3d83eb1a6067

 

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Prime Calgary office rent highest in nation

Calgary has the highest rental rate in the country for prime downtown office space and is among the priciest commercial real estate in the world, according to a global rent survey by Cushman & Wakefield LePage.

The commercial real estate firm lists Calgary at 25th overall at $47.05 US per square foot per year -- tops in Canada.

Internationally, the company lists London`s West End as No. 1 at $233.33 followed by Hong Kong Island ($185.64), Mumbai ($144.48), Singapore ($135.48), and Russia and Paris ($109.00). Midtown New York is the priciest in North America and eighth overall at $78.85.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/c...5d-442e91c8f028

 

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Dawe renovations

Construction workers place survey stakes for underground excavation near an entrance to the G.H. Dawe Community Centre.

http://www.albertalocalnews.com/reddeeradv...enovations.html

 

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Flood of foreign workers leads nation

Temporary foreign workers are streaming into Alberta at breakneck speed to meet labour shortages, for the first time surpassing the province`s yearly intake of permanent immigrants, according to new figures from Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

The province is leading a national trend that has seen the number of temporary foreign workers grow as the influx of immigrants has stagnated, a change which some say is a major shift in Canadian immigration policy.

"It`s an admission that our immigration system isn`t working as planned," said University of Alberta sociologist Michael Haan, who studies immigration trends.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/c...5b-5b9ba6f0c5c3

 

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$40M stadium rec centre OK`d

EDMONTON - A $40-million field house set to be part of a new recreation centre at Commonwealth Stadium has been approved by city council.

The 7,300-square-metre structure will feature indoor artificial-turf space that could accommodate several sports, change rooms and a locker room, and offices for the Edmonton Eskimos, which will contribute $20 million to the project, according to a city report.

It will be built on the current practice field on the west side of the stadium.

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news...88-f31b29511617

 

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City hall hopes worst is over for runaway building costs

While many Calgary consumers are feeling the pinch of rising grocery bills, city officials say the runaway inflation rates that added tens of millions of dollars to civic projects in recent years may be levelling off finally.

In the past two years, city builders suffered inflationary increases on labour and materials that pushed costs for some multimillion-dollar projects to climb by as much as 50 per cent.

Construction costs are still growing, but not nearly by such breathtaking amounts. The city is preparing for inflation to rise 12 to 20 per cent next year, an additional 15 per cent in 2010 and another 10 per cent in 2011.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/c...68-a535836c7680

 

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Calgary home prices dip $43,000

A year ago, Calgary`s residential real estate market set a record for the highest ever monthly average sale price for a single-family home at $505,920 in July.

But the market has changed and, according to the Calgary Real Estate Board website on Thursday, the average MLS sale price for single-family homes in the Calgary area for the past 30 days was $462,778.

Also in the past 30 days, the median sale price was $410,000, while a year ago in July it was $435,000.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/c...d3-929117c64edf

 

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Project making hive of Calgary-Airdrie corridor

The busyness of the Calgary International Airport and the amount of traffic already using the Queen Elizabeth 2 Highway between Calgary and Airdrie surely justifies a good look at a high-speed rail link between the two cities. When the Cross Iron Mills shopping centre at Balzac is open, which will employ several thousands and no doubt attract many visitors, there will be even more reason to provide some kind of rapid public transit.

That stretch of road has become a major business corridor and is slated to get a lot busier with several new projects on the drawing boards within that area of the Municipal District of Rocky View.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/c...55-f5757b002d24

 

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Offices head to the `burbs due to rent, lack of parking

Growing rental costs downtown as well as parking problems are contributing to a continued demand for suburban office space in the Calgary commercial real estate market, with over three million square feet of space currently under construction.

According to commercial real estate firm CB Richard Ellis, the significant trend in today`s suburban market has been the rise and success of office and mixed-use multi-building employment centres.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/c...8e-697c7d147f25

 

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Suncor profit jumps to $829M

Higher oil and natural gas prices allowed Suncor Energy Inc. to beat analyst expectations for the second quarter despite ongoing production problems at its oilsands operation at Fort McMurray and poor refining margins.

Suncor posted net earnings of $829 million, or 89 cents per common share, for the three months ended June 30, compared with $738 million, or 80 cents per share, for the second quarter of 2007.

Earnings were artificially buoyed by $179 million thanks to an inventory accounting change in the refining and marketing division.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/c...bb-d14f22e0351c

 

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Memorial makeover in works


Memorial Drive is getting a makeover.

Towering trees, ornamental street-lights and raised planters in medians along the historic road are all part of this summer`s planned improvements for the area.

The work is to begin Monday.

The first phase of the $31-million plan to revitalize the green space that winds along the Bow River focuses on a 10-km stretch from Prince`s Island to Kensington and will see trees cloned from the original poplars planted there between 1922 and 1928, which honour troops who fought in the First World War. Seven aging poplars that pose a safety risk will have to be removed, but will be replaced with crab apple and ash trees to keep the lush corridor rich with tall sentinels.

http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/2008/0...262011-sun.html

 

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`Burban growth gives birth to challenge

According to the City of Calgary`s new census data, our population increased 22,950 between April last year and April this year -- 12,441 from net migration and 9,695 from natural growth (births over deaths).

The bulk of the growth is in 14 newer communities in six different wards at the edge of the bureaucratic universe -- the city limits -- which has a few city hall bureaucrats in a flap.

David Watson, general manager of planning, told the Sun this week it makes it more difficult to provide services. "Certainly, the numbers show that most growth is still in the suburban areas and that is a challenge," said Watson.

http://calsun.canoe.ca/Business/2008/07/25/6261881-sun.html

 

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Toilet rebates flowing

More than 35 Red Deer residents have received rebates on their utility bills after installing low-flow toilets this month.

On July 1, the City of Red Deer launched its toilet rebate program to encourage people to install toilets that use less water. So far, 36 applications have been successful and two have been rejected.

Pam Vust, environmental initiatives co-ordinator, said she wasn`t sure what the reception would be in the first few weeks of the program.

http://www.albertalocalnews.com/reddeeradv...es_flowing.html

 

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Co-op grand opening this weekend

Canmore Community Co-operative Workshop organizers are inviting the public out to a grand opening to introduce residents to their multi-purpose creative space, a venue that anyone and everyone can use.

Chairman and founder Geoff Hill has been hard at work moving the idea forward since last September and is excited to open the space to the public for the first time this week.

"We are going to be working like mad dogs to get it ready," Hill said. "I am hoping we will get lots of people through to check out the Co-op."

http://www.albertalocalnews.com/rockymount...s/25852749.html

 

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Construction on lift replacement set to go ahead at Lake Louise

Construction is poised to go ahead on a replacement ski lift for Lake Louise as the public comment period closes on the resort`s development permit today

(July 24), despite the ski area`s long-range plan still being in the works.

Resorts of the Canadian Rockies said it would begin construction immediately to replace the fixed-grip Ptarmigan quad chair in exchange for a lift with identical capacity, but greater safety and less energy consumption.

http://www.albertalocalnews.com/rockymount...s/25852694.html

 

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Parks willing to explore housing options for Banff

Parks Canada appears willing to come back to the discussion table on potential development sites within the town boundary to help solve the municipality`s affordable housing woes.

In the last round of talks, the federal agency identified three areas for potential development by the Banff Housing Corporation, two of which were deemed to be not particularly viable.

The housing corporation settled on six lots on Cave Avenue, but following a council decision to put off consideration of increased density in that land-use district, the future of that below-market housing project is now unclear.

http://www.albertalocalnews.com/rockymount...s/25852669.html

 

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Residents questioning Hospital Hill redesign

Tempers continue to run high on Canmore`s Three Sisters Drive and MacDonald Place, despite assurances that paving is to start today (July 24) on that section of the road that has been under construction for more than a year.

A sign urging the town to make Three Sisters Drive, otherwise known as Hospital Hill, a "Swale-Free Zone" has been erected on one resident`s fence, while someone else anonymously distributed a single-page handout Sunday night (July 20) asking for the "resignation and termination" of the mayor, council and municipal engineering department "for the double murder of Three Sisters Dr. and MacDonald Pl." The paper was issued by "Citizens for a Comon (sic) Sense Approach to Street Design."

http://www.albertalocalnews.com/rockymount...s/25852624.html

 

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New funding available for water projects

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development has announced that applicants could make use of some federal funding if they have a major project to improve their water supply.

A statement from the Ministry said the "Canada Alberta Water Supply Expansion Program" (CAWSEP) was now accepting applications for the 2008/09 year. "

According to the statement which was released only last week, the deadline for the applications is July 25 and two types of projects are eligible for CAWSEP assistance:

http://www.albertalocalnews.com/stettlerin...s/25809294.html

 

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Landowners to challenge government on gas

Alberta`s provincial government could soon have to defend its right to own some gas resources of the province in a court of law if a campaign by landowners can reach its goals.

In a recent press release, the United Landowners of Alberta (ULA) announced that it would challenge the Alberta government`s ownership of Renewable Biogenic Gas (RBG) commonly referred to as Coalbed Methane.

The organization said the provincial government held no ownership of Renewable Biogenic Gas and that all rights to the RBG belong to all landowners.

http://www.albertalocalnews.com/stettlerin...s/25806254.html