AB Economic Fundamentals 2008-07

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Local rental market opens up

For those looking for rental digs in Calgary, it`s not going to wear out as much shoe leather this year as it did last, says the federal housing agency.

In its semi-annual rental market survey taken in April but just recently released, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. has reported a quadrupling in the number vacant apartments in the city compared to a year ago -- to two per cent from 0.5 per cent.

In actual numbers, in a rental market of nearly 38,000 apartments there were 763 vacant apartments citywide this year compared with just 203 in April of last year, when the number of rental apartments totalled more than 39,500, says senior market analyst Lai Sing Louie of CMHC.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/n...77-300fdab075bd

 

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Calgarians flock to little slice of heaven

It`s recently become one of the favourite spots for vacation homes and retirement nests, written up in magazines such as Forbes and USA Today.

Barbara Walters recently referred to it as "a little slice of heaven."

But Calgarians have known what Coeur d`Alene, Idaho, has to offer for years.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/s...b2-832f836d8adf

 

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Addressing and fire permits focus of county open house

Residents of the County of Lethbridge will want to mark Tuesday, Aug. 5 on their calendars.
Residents of the County of Lethbridge will want to mark Tuesday, Aug. 5 on their calendars.
The county will host an open house that evening from 4 to 7 p.m. at the county office in Lethbridge to introduce the new municipal addressing program and the fire permit program.
Both programs are covered under county bylaws, both of which have received the first of three readings, and could receive final approval at the Aug. 7 council meeting.
County Fire Chief Darryl Beaton said because the municipal addressing program is such as big undertaking for the county, it was important to introduce the program to the public before it is given final approval by council.
The open house will not only introduce residents to how their properties will be addressed but will also field questions about the program.

http://www.sunnysouthnews.com//index.php?o...9&Itemid=60

 

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Housing plans

The three-year Affordable Housing Plan for the City of Camrose has been completed and the city will be handing out more than $1.5 million to projects in the next several years. The plan was approved by city council and is now awaiting approval from the minister of Alberta housing and urban affairs.
The plan had to be outlined and submitted prior to June 30 in order to secure funding that had been given to the City of Camrose.
"The province is providing municipalities with affordable housing funds," said city manager Brian Hamblin. Although the money is set-aside for Camrose, the province must approve the projects that will ultimately receive the money. After approval, cheques can be made out to organizations.

http://www.camrosecanadian.com/News/409158.html

 

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Rebate for upgraded low-flow toilets

Flushing is on the mind of the City of Camrose Engineering department lately. They are introducing a rebate program for homeowners to replace existing high-volume toilets with newer, low-flow ones.
The offer is one rebate cheque of $80 to the first 150 applicants to the program. While applications are being accepted until the end of July, residents are encouraged to apply early.
In order to qualify, the city must receive the address in which the toilet is to be installed, receipt of purchase of a new, approved low-flow toilet, pictures of the washroom before and after installation and evidence that the old toilet was made non-functional.

http://www.camrosecanadian.com/News/409173.html

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Town offers look at water treatment plans

The Town of Cochrane`s plans for its water treatment plant were on display during an information session and open house June 26 to inform residents of the new upgrades it will undergo, and the disruptions it may cause.

In an effort to maintain an adequate supply of potable water to the residents of Cochrane, the town`s water treatment plant will undergo over $16 million in upgrades over the next few years.

The upgrades will allow the plant to provide 30 million litres of water to the town per day, up from 8 million that they can currently provide by installing a new intake pump from the Bow River and install a new filtration system.

The upgrades will be constructed in three phases.

http://www.cochranetimes.com/News/409177.html

 

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MD looks to transfer 12.5 acres to Springbank Links

The beginning steps towards the sale of a municipal reserve parcel to the Springbank Links Golf Course started on Tuesday.

Preliminary approval was granted by the MD of Rocky View council to transfer the 12.5-acre parcel, located off the southwest corner of the golf course and stretches from the existing property line to Lariat Loop.

The price of the parcel has yet to be determined, and will need to be appraised by a third party.

Springbank Links Golf Course representatives were unavailable for comment at press time.

http://www.cochranetimes.com/News/409179.html

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Residents updated on highway twinning

Cold Lake residents were given a chance to check out what the twinning of Highway 28 will look like during an open house June 24.
UMA/AECOM, the firm behind the project, set up design drawings showing how the road will be expanded to accommodate the increasing traffic in the north end of the city.
According to a timeline on display, there are still a number of things to happen before the twinning will be completed. Included on that timeline are:
• June to Dec. 2008 – right of way land acquisitions
• June 2008 to March 2009 – engineering design
• March 2009 – tender for construction goes out
• April 2009 – tender awarded

http://www.coldlakesun.com/News/409080.html

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Community involvement needed for new medical clinic

With the Lakeland region desperately crying out for more doctors, city councilors and members of the community met on Wednesday to discuss building a new medical clinic.
The council was approached by Dr. Heydenrych, chief of medical staff, about the pressing need for clinical space but told them assistance is needed to get a clinic as soon as possible.
"We realize as physicians that we need to do more in other ways, in terms of getting more physicians, getting more space because we realize that the way we`re running right now isn`t good," said Dr. Heydenrych. "We can`t take any more physicians because there`s no space."
At the present time, approximately half of the population in Cold Lake and the surrounding areas do not have a family physician.
"We really would like to give every patient a family doctor, that is the ultimate goal."

http://www.coldlakesun.com/News/409085.html

 

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Inter-municipal development plan on hold

The inter-municipal development plan (IDP) between Cold Lake and the MD of Bonnyville has been put on ice -- for now.
The two governments have been working together over the last few years to come to an agreement to guide development in the city and the MD so everything falls in a neat line. For example, the plan would make sure the MD doesn`t build a big industrial park on land next to where the city has approved a large residential development.
All of that work was put on hold after a meeting between representatives from both councils last Monday.
A comment from MD councillor Delano Tolley during a MD meeting last week signaled the plan not be as solid as once thought.

http://www.coldlakesun.com/News/409096.html

 

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Local calling a possibility: council

Citizens of Pincher Creek and the Crowsnest Pass may soon be able to call each other without incurring long distance fees, if a joint venture between the Municipal District of Pincher Creek and the Crowsnest Pass goes through.
A motion to petition Telus to expand the local calling zone further east along Highway 3 was carried by council, setting the stage for a future of toll-free calling to our neighbours to the east.

http://www.crowsnestpasspromoter.com/News/409407.html

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Coal Valley looking at new pits

If all goes according to plan, mining will continue next year and beyond, says Coal Valley Mine`s engineering manager.
The mine, owned by Coal Valley Resources Ltd., which started operations in 1978, is running out of coal in its existing pits and needs to expand west to adjacent properties and seams it already owns.
"As we finish mining in these areas we need to expand into the adjacent coal leases," Les LaFleur said.
The two new mining areas they`d like to move into are Mercoal West, near the hamlet of Mercoal and Yellowhead Tower, further northeast, near the former hamlet of Coalspur.
"We`re building a road -- a bypass around the community [of Mercoal] to access the pits on the other side."

http://www.edsonleader.com/Local%20News/408958.html

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Council passes contentious bylaw

After heated discussion in town council chambers, Edson`s elected officials made their final decision last week to push ahead with the 63rd Street paving project.
Abutting landowners will now be responsible for splitting the estimated $2,350,000 price tag with the town.
Some 63 Street residents attended council`s regular meeting June 24 to voice concerns to councillors about the proposed local improvement levy, which was later given three readings and unanimously approved by council.
Landowners` individual contributions will be less than was originally calculated, because the total tender cost was lower than the anticipated $2.9 million initially quoted.
Also, the interest rate will be 5.5 per cent, not the 6.5 per cent residents were quoted earlier this year.
Council will pay its portion using both a provincial grant and town reserves, the room heard

http://www.edsonleader.com/Local%20News/408959.html

 

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Bruce Power updates Town, MD councils on project

Bruce Power was in town June 25 to update both MD and Town councils on their proposed power project.
At the MD briefing, MD Walter Doll bluntly told the Bruce delegation that he is in favour of nuclear power, but not the Lac Cardinal location. He had two reasons, one being the risk to drinking water for a large number of people, the other being the lack of sufficient cooling water at the site. He suggested that they would be better off with a site closer to water where they wouldn`t have to build such a long pipeline. He admitted a real need for power development in the area if the iron deposits in the Clear Hills area are ever to be exploited. Doll told the Bruce representatives that this area also needs the Glacier power project to go ahead, if only for the assessment it would bring the MD and asked that they not object to Glacier`s project, telling them he would commit to supporting the Bruce project in writing if they would do the same for Glacier.

http://www.fairviewpost.com/News/409411.html

 

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`Scary numbers` for civic square project

City council rolled out the red carpet last Thursday inviting taxpayers to "get informed" about the civic square project which could now cost up to $52.1 million, including a $12.1 million underground parkade.

Council proposed two concepts for the downtown building during a 75-minute presentation at Pioneer House.


http://www.fortsaskatchewanrecord.com/News/409757.html

 

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Bracing for a boom

Fort St. John – which bills itself as ``The Energetic City`` – will be able to avoid many of challenges that have become synonymous with the oilsands boomtown of Fort McMurray the B.C. city`s mayor says.Two enormous natural gas finds in northeastern B.C. – the Montney Trend and the Horn River Basin – have piqued the interest of a number of big U.S. and Canadian oil and gas names and sent a massive amount of investment pouring into the region. ``I think we`ll see a direct impact. It`s hard to say how big, but I feel it`s good for us,`` Mayor Jim Eglinski said. ``We are the service sector of the B.C. Peace Country.

As both of these plays are in the northeast, we should get some good spinoffs.`` The city of 18,000, about a 15-hour drive from Vancouver and about half that distance from Edmonton, will probably not see the same breakneck population growth as Fort McMurray, since many of the oil and gas workers commute from Alberta, Eglinski said. ``I don`t think that we, as a city, will be impacted harshly regarding needing extra housing or accommodating workers,`` Eglinski said.

http://www.dailyheraldtribune.com/ArticleD....aspx?e=1100763

 

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City to start taking tenders on aquatics and multiplex facility later this month

Construction companies will be able to start bidding on the city`s largest-ever infrastructure project – the aquatic and wellness multiplex facility – in late July. Tenders on the roughly $89-million project will start July 28 and last five weeks, said Felix Seiler, the City of Grande Prairie`s community development co-ordinator.

The tenders will be opened Sept. 1, with construction expected to start four to five weeks later. The multiplex is expected to open in late 2010 or early 2011. "We have now given the OK to go to tender," he said. "The construction companies who are going to be doing this have to be a certain size.

http://www.dailyheraldtribune.com/ArticleD....aspx?e=1100767

 

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Keyhole cul-de-sacs a growing concern for city

The City of Grande Prairie`s mayor wants the development industry and home builders to be involved in the city`s new keyhole cul-de-sacs guidelines.



Mayor Dwight Logan said keyhole cul-de-sacs, which are small cul-de-sacs with narrow lot frontages, pose a problem in terms of parking and snow removal.



He added the city is considering only allowing cul-de-sacs that have adequate lot frontages.

http://www.dailyheraldtribune.com/ArticleD....aspx?e=1100766

 

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City seeking input on development plan

If you`ve ever wanted to be directly involved in shaping the way Grande Prairie will look for generations to come, your chance is now.



The city`s strategic planning process to update its municipal development plan is underway and officials are giving residents a chance to provide input through an online survey and upcoming open houses.



The survey is aimed at finding out what residents want to see changed in Grande Prairie.

http://www.dailyheraldtribune.com/ArticleD....aspx?e=1095352

 

[joeiannuzzi]

County Internet services better than average

Surfing the web and downloading music and videos on a high-speed connection is a reality for many Albertans but an advocacy group said rural residents are being left behind.



The Alberta Council of Technologies released its Alberta rural broadband status report earlier this month and it concludes the promises of rural broadband are too important to be left to market forces alone.



The council`s president said broadband access in rural areas is "exceptionally important," but the access to SuperNet is not yet complete in some areas.



"Highway travel takes a long while. People want to be connected through a world of change and Internet has become that highway," said Perry Kinkaide from Edmonton. "In some areas, the economy does not support market forces. There isn`t enough money to create suppliers. It would end up just creating one or a monopoly."

http://www.dailyheraldtribune.com/ArticleD....aspx?e=1095346