Alberta Economic Fundamentals

[joeiannuzzi]

Ont. city wants to fly workers here

EDMONTON - Mayor Stephen Mandel welcomes an idea that would see unemployed auto workers from his former home- town commute to work in Alberta.

The idea was proposed this week by Windsor, Ont., Mayor Eddie Francis as part of his plan to deal with that city`s serious unemployment problem.

Mandel said Francis contacted him and the mayors of Calgary and Saskatoon about the idea.

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news...19-9384009e44a3

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Alberta will top Ontario`s economy: TD

Alberta will beat Ontario in economic performance by a wide margin this year, TD Bank Financial Group predicted Wednesday.

Ontario economic growth will be an anemic one-half of one per cent this year while Alberta gains two per cent, said a new forecast by the bank`s economists.

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news...4b-69711d6aa2f5

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Shaw centre may triple in size

Shaw Conference Centre could triple in size if demand keeps growing with the economy, Edmonton Economic Development Corp. CEO Ron Gilbertson said Wednesday.

"It`s the busiest (conference centre) in Canada and it`s at capacity," Gilbertson told the EEDC`s annual luncheon.

"It`s a major challenge to expand it to meet the market."

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news...cc-6b95fd3ec183

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Input on secondary suites

The City of Red Deer is looking for public input on secondary suites in Red Deer.

Based on changes to the Alberta Building code, upcoming changes to the Alberta Fire Code standards and recommendations in the 2006 Affordable Housing Strategy, the City is undertaking an analysis of secondary suites in Red Deer.

http://www.reddeerexpress.com/express/edit...3/news-013.html

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Social housing plan for core

EDMONTON - The city is planning a major 900-unit housing development called Boyle Renaissance to serve homeless and at-risk people in the downtown area.

City staff are trying to buy land in a two-block site east of Edmonton police headquarters to create an area where non-profit agencies could establish housing and other services.

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news...a6-8f0d4c101b59

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Retail revolution coming to city centre

The future of shopping in downtown Calgary includes an upscale grocery store in a redeveloped Eau Claire Market and a proposed multimillion dollar facelift for Calgary Eaton Centre-TD Square.

The two planned projects are signs that Calgarians have a "huge appetite for retail" in the downtown, said Maggie Schofield, executive director of the Calgary Downtown Association.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/s...8a-0be50f03366c

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Central park due for major revamp

The redevelopment of historic Central Memorial Park will begin next month, with most improvements completed in time for Remembrance Day.

On Thursday, the planning commission got a look at the design of the site, which includes three fountains, gardens and the potential for a cafe.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/c...84-305e38b93fe3

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Enmax plans $1B plant for city`s southeast edge

Calgary`s southeast Shepard Industrial park will be home to a new 1,000-megawatt, $1-billion-plus natural-gas-fired electricity generating facility, city-owned Enmax Corp. announced Thursday.

"This plant will become the template for future plants in Alberta because it is cleaner than coal and can be located closer to customers," said Enmax president and chief executive Gary Holden. "As Calgary`s electricity demand continues to grow, we need to build cleaner generation facilities that are closer to the city."

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/c...b9-1d9fd1e61d5a

 

[MONEY]

QUOTE (joeiannuzzi @ Mar 21 2008, 03:22 PM) Social housing plan for core

EDMONTON - The city is planning a major 900-unit housing development called Boyle Renaissance to serve homeless and at-risk people in the downtown area.

City staff are trying to buy land in a two-block site east of Edmonton police headquarters to create an area where non-profit agencies could establish housing and other services.

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news...a6-8f0d4c101b59
Why don`t they just buy buildings that are already on the market like Calgary did to assist the homeless NOW!

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Regional airport does have plan

The Red Deer Regional Airport Authority has a solid long-term plan that includes expanding passenger service and lot development, says its chairman.

Randy Preece said the authority is working towards bringing more growth to the airport and its surrounding businesses.

Preece refutes much of a critical improvement plan report by the Red Deer Regional Airport Business Association.

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

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Parking pressure

More office space in Red Deer will mean even more downtown parking congestion.

So the timing`€™s right for a new downtown parkade, said Laura Turner, executive director of the Downtown Business Association.

`€œParking availability is a big issue for clients and staff in the downtown,`€ said Turner.

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

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Inner city `worried` about housing project

EDMONTON - Everywhere she goes, people ask Teresa Spinelli what she knows about the Boyle Renaissance project.

"On the street, in the store, if I go for coffee somewhere, they`ll talk about it," says Spinelli, a business owner who has earned a reputation as the unofficial mayor of Edmonton`s Little Italy.

"People come to see me specifically about it. Some people wanted to sell their houses because they`re worried about this project coming in -- they wanted to know if I wanted to buy them. Those kinds of things."

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news...f2-6cc488acb1ea

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Feds give $1.5 million for Port Alberta

EDMONTON - The federal government has anted up $1.5 million to help launch Edmonton`s Port Alberta project.

Western Economic Diversification Minister Rona Ambrose said developing Edmonton as a major inland trade and transportation hub is one of her priorities, and the money will help fund an industry-led council to bring it to reality.

The goal of the initiative led by Edmonton Airports, Edmonton Economic Development Corp., and Edmonton Chamber of Commerce is to develop a major warehousing and air, road and rail distribution hub linking Asia and North America through the port of Prince Rupert.

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news...33-1edc6c5698f5

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Calgary`s resale market suffers deepest decline

Calgary wasn`t alone in reporting a decline in resale activity in February, but it did suffer the deepest cut, a national survey shows.

Among 20 major centres in Canada, the 2,162 sales recorded in Calgary was a decline of 35.4 per cent from the same month a

year ago, says the Canadian Real Estate Association.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/n...d6-98e9a8db5ab5

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Demand for rental units expected to soften in city

Apartment hunting, I would think, isn`t a fun thing to do at any time.

Thrashing through the classified ads, stomping the streets and knocking on doors is what hundreds and hundreds of people are doing month to month -- looking for shelter in a city that has higher house prices than Toronto.

But the situation isn`t as gloomy as the current low vacancy rates might suggest, says Gerry Baxter, executive director of the Calgary Apartment Association.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/n...eb-69596fc74209

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Choice of neighbourhood affects quality of life

When it comes to choosing your next home, one of the biggest questions is deciding where you want to live.

Whether you choose an old or new development, urban or suburban, a big city or a small town, the neighbourhood you live in will affect your quality of life and what impact you have on the environment for years to come.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/n...70-b0c84b7ae3cf

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Construction pace lowest since 1996

Comparing construction of single-family homes so far this year with what occurred in the previous two years might be like comparing apples with oranges.

"The danger is comparing what has happened this year with 2007 and 2006," says Jim Moir, executive vice-president of housing for Jayman MasterBuilt. "They were anomalies."

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/n...62-d9a0b46590e5

 

[joeiannuzzi]

A high-speed rail link could weld Alberta

Lord Strathcona had the honour of driving the last spike at Craigellachie, Eagle Pass, B.C. A plaque marks the spot where Canada was connected coast to coast.

Perhaps Premier Ed Stelmach will duplicate that honour. Only this golden spike would be driven to honour the bullet train that links Calgary, Red Deer, and Edmonton with Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat. That plaque could celebrate welding Alberta north to south.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/t...14-064883cc7552

 

[MONEY]

QUOTE (joeiannuzzi @ Mar 22 2008, 11:31 AM) Demand for rental units expected to soften in city

Apartment hunting, I would think, isn`t a fun thing to do at any time.

Thrashing through the classified ads, stomping the streets and knocking on doors is what hundreds and hundreds of people are doing month to month -- looking for shelter in a city that has higher house prices than Toronto.

But the situation isn`t as gloomy as the current low vacancy rates might suggest, says Gerry Baxter, executive director of the Calgary Apartment Association.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/n...eb-69596fc74209

You know the rental market is softening when you see the current ads from the big players offering move-in incentives, and reduced Security deposits.

 

[joeiannuzzi]

Replacing relic with a region

The very notion of Greater Edmonton becoming one big happy city - an area roughly bounded by a line connecting up Wabamun, Legal, Redwater, Elk Island Park, New Sarepta, Pigeon Lake and back to Wabamun - sure sets the cat among the pigeons.

Guess what? All municipal boundaries evolve and change.

Premier Ed Stelmach and Municipal Affairs Minister Ray Danyluk have options to deal with the region`s governance logjam, the favoured being the resurrection of a regional planning commission. With teeth.

But the provincial government could, in its wisdom, create one big city. Or reduce Greater Edmonton down to six big municipalities with a regional overlay.

http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Columnists...057981-sun.html