AB Economic Fundamentals 2008-09

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0908EDTN
Taking back the street

The prostitutes and drug dealers who frequent 118 Avenue have a new threat on their turf.

It came yesterday in the form of groups of people who sipped coffee on sidewalks, happily chatted in front of stores and even played Scrabble on street corners in an effort to "take back" the rough-and-tumble avenue, now also the target of a city revitalization effort.

"It`s about working with the community to step up and be a positive role (model) … and show our strength," said Chris Hayduk, the founder of Community Response to Urban Disorder and organizer of the peaceful attempt at disrupting the daily activities of prostitutes, johns and drug dealers. It was dubbed the "avenue take over."

http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Edmonton/2...837746-sun.html

 

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0908CALG
Parties of all stripes struggle for office space downtown

In the hunt for elusive campaign office space in the downtown, NDP hopeful Tyler Kinch took what he could get -- all 210 square feet of it.

Securing real estate anywhere in the core is difficult at the best of times, with the vacancy rate around four per cent, and even more challenging when you`re only looking to rent it for a few months during an election race.

"We did have quite a bit of trouble finding it," Kinch, the NDP candidate for Calgary Centre, said about his cozy campaign digs. "Trying to convince somebody to rent to you for two months is quite difficult."

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/s...18-e42d39b83f40

 

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0908REDR
Lakefront`s lure shines in boom

Jerry and Sharon Williamson are two of the friendliest people you`ll ever meet.

But when talk turns to their longtime home-away-from-home, the retired Calgary teachers clam up.

"Do we really have to talk about it, so all the people in Calgary can find out where we are?" says Jerry with a chuckle. "We don`t want anyone else to know we`re here."

So far the Williamsons, who have been summering at their lakefront cabin since the early 1970s, have managed to keep their home 20 kilometres northwest of Red Deer under wraps.

Thanks to county regulations, the Village of Gull Lake, Alberta`s first incorporated summer village, hasn`t grown in decades; the 280 properties allowed on the land situated at the southern edge of the lake (which is technically a slough) haven`t seen any newcomers for as long as people can remember.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/c...28-217354ffa7eb

 

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0908REDR
Project moves ahead

The Red Deer Subdivision and Development Appeal Board gave a stalled townhouse project the go-ahead at a meeting this week.

Developer Al Laplante`s proposed 65 multi-family condominium development was shot down by the city development officer because the proposed site at 5835 Kerry Wood Drive used to be a scrap yard.

City bylaws stipulate that the development officer cannot approve any developments within 300 metres of an existing or non-operating landfill or dry waste yard.

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

 

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0908REDR
Penhold rec centre project stalled by dispute over land

A dispute over the value of some farmland is stalling the Town of Penhold`s plans to build a new recreation centre.

Mayor Julia King says the town had previously offered to purchase and is now preparing to expropriate a 70-to-75-acre parcel that it has been eyeing for a number of years. The parcel comprises the west side of a quarter section straddling Waskasoo Creek at the northeast edge of town and immediately south of Hwy 42.

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

 

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0908REDR
Top marks for city

Canadian Business magazine has ranked Red Deer 25th among the top 40 places in Canada to do business.

The top three spots overall — and in French-speaking Canada — went to communities in Quebec. Sherbrooke was in first spot, followed by Lévis and Quebec City.

Top position for English-speaking communities went to Kitchener, Ont. — which was fourth overall. Edmonton was 31st and Calgary was 38th.

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

 

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0908ALTA
Oilsands sector still healthy, says lobbyist

CALGARY - The multibillion-dollar cost jump that has hit the Fort Hills oilsands development is not representative of other proposals in the industry, which is struggling to deliver projects on time and on budget, the new head of Canada`s main oil and gas lobby said Monday.

Still, cost pressures that have plagued the industry haven`t disappeared, raising the possibility that more developments could be delayed and the forecast for Canadian oil production reduced again, said David Collyer, who took over as president of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers last week.

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news...90-4423416ff7c8

 

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0908EDTN
Shoppers eyes Whyte Avenue location

EDMONTON - The southwest corner of Whyte Avenue and 109th Street could be the site of a new Shoppers Drug Mart.

An application for a development permit for 10907 82nd Ave. has been submitted to the City of Edmonton by Quinn Young Architects Ltd.

The application lists a retail Shoppers Drug Mart store with an underground parkade.

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news...db-c077677402eb

 

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0908CALG
West-End affordable housing approved

Development - City council gave a thumbs-up Monday to an affordable housing complex in a still-developing west-end community.

The city will pay $1.8 million to buy enough land from a developer for 75 affordable housing units in West Springs, near 89th Street and Old Banff Coach Road S.W.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/c...df-05d288704534

 

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0908ALTA
Alberta retail sales fall in July

Alberta was the only province in the country in July to see year-over-year retail sales drop into negative territory, according to data released Monday by Statistics Canada.

The federal agency said retail sales in this province declined by 0.9 per cent from July 2007 to July 2008 while at the national level retail sales have increased by 4.9 per cent.

Saskatchewan led all provinces with a 12.4 per cent annual hike.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/c...f4-1f094bc82854

 

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0908CALG
Southeast rec centre on hold


Attempts by a pair of aldermen to get an industry-backed recreation centre for Calgary`s southeast will have to wait while the city hammers out a new public private partnership strategy. Aldermen Ric McIver and Andre Chabot attempted yesterday to look to the private sector to bid on building a new recreational facility in the Great Plains Industrial Park near Glenmore Tr. and 52 St. S.E. But with council taking strides towards building a policy for P3s, the plan will be on hold awhile longer.

http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/2008/0...848461-sun.html

 

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0908CALG
Council puts brakes on bike-sharing proposal

City council has put the brakes on plans to explore a bike-sharing program that would provide an armada of publicly accessible cycles. Ald. Druh Farrell called on her council colleagues yesterday to look into providing public bike depots for those looking to get around the city on the two-wheeled vehicles, but fears over the city using taxpayer dollars for the plan saw it scuttled on a tie vote.

http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/2008/0...848456-sun.html

 

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0908REDR
Not much help in housing report

A proliferation of secondary suites in homes is causing parking headaches and running down property values in West Park, say a Red Deer couple who attended Monday`s city council meeting.

George and Alice Hornaday estimated six or seven houses in their immediate area are divided into suites. Many of these revenue properties have been allowed to deteriorate, George added. "There`s no upkeep."

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

 

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0908REDR
Work expected to start

Homes are expected to begin rising in the Sunnybrook South subdivision late next month.

Melcor Developments Ltd., which is developing 89 of the 153 acres between the Bower and Inglewood subdivisions, sold lots for 24 single-family homes and 40 semi-detached units last week, said Guy Pelletier, Melcor`s vice-president and regional manager.

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

 

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0908EDTN
U of A reveals roadmap to reach top 20 by 2020

EDMONTON - The University of Alberta could become one of the world`s top-20 public universities by 2020, says Indira Samarasekera, who first proposed that bold vision when she took over as president three years ago.

Samarasekera remains confident that goal can be reached. Not only has the school mapped out a path to the top, she says, but significant progress has already been made.

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news...75-d140378af11c

 

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0908EDTN
Oilsands community gathers to share tips, recruit workers

EDMONTON - The world`s largest oilsands show, which opened Tuesday at the Agricom, is turning into more than a showplace for 700 exhibitors with the latest in pumps, valves and other vital equipment.

It`s now about jobs too.

With 10,000 registered visitors and exhibitors, it seems every firm has people on the ground. For job hunters, even from overseas, that`s a golden opportunity to comparison shop.

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news...b3-e2532f9f3865

 

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0908CALG
Suzuki slams Calgary

Famed environmental activist David Suzuki deemed Calgary an "ecological disaster" yesterday while blasting a lack of debate surrounding Liberal Leader Stephane Dion`s proposed carbon tax.

Both criticisms were fired before Suzuki`s keynote presentation at the Canadian Urban Forest Conference, a speech that centred on urban forest health and the importance of nature in cities.

http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/20...859346-sun.html

 

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0908CALG
Calgary back as country`s inflation king

Higher fuel prices sparked Canadian inflation to its highest level in five and a half years in August at 3.5 per cent, while higher natural gas costs lifted Alberta`s rate back above the four per cent mark, Statistics Canada said Tuesday.

In Calgary, inflation jumped a full percentage point to 4.3 per cent in August from 3.3 per cent in July on fuel and electricity costs that were nearly 31 per cent higher than August of 2007. That gave Calgary, once again, the dubious distinction of having the fastest pace of price increases among the largest Canadian cities.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/c...8d-bec69d70835f

 

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0908REDR
Internet on fast track in Pine Lake

Pine Lake residents are a step closer to high-speed Internet access.

The Red Deer County Municipal Planning Commission gave the green light on Tuesday to a 27-metre-high communication tower at Whispering Pines Golf and Country Club.

The tower will provide high-speed Internet access to hundreds in the Pine Lake area, but the proposal was met with some resistance from councillors.

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

 

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0908REDR
Western RV Country takes gamble with zoning

With the 2009 sales year at stake, Western RV Country has decided to take a bit of a gamble.

The recreation vehicle retailer, which has affiliate dealerships in Airdrie, Leduc, Wetaskiwin, Calgary, Lethbridge and Sherwood Park, has commenced work on a 25,000-square-foot building in Queens Business Park.

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