AB Economic Fundamentals 2008-07

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Construction slowdown? It depends who you ask

Despite the high demand for housing in Wood Buffalo, construction starts from January to June are down significantly compared with the same time last year due to municipal staff shortages, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, or CMHC.
Between January and June in 2007, a total of 1,249 housing unit foundations were poured in Wood Buffalo, while in 2008 just 664 units was started in the same time period, a drop of about 47 per cent, a recent CMHC report states.
Those figures include everything from single-family homes to multiple-unit dwellings such as apartment buildings.
The CMHC collects its data by asking the municipality for the total number of permits issued, said Ian Moore, CMHC`s principal of surveys for the Prairie region. From there, the CMHC creates a survey list with the addresses for each permit and sends surveyors into developing areas to check for poured foundations after waiting a month.

http://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com/Local%20News/410617.html

 

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Development limits lifted for some in Gregoire Lake Estates

"You`re not going to poison your own backyard."
That was the argument rural resident David Platt presented to council Tuesday night as part of his plea to have the Gregoire Lake Area Structure Plan amended, allowing him and his neighbours to further develop their properties.
The public hearing, discussion and debate took more than two hours at Tuesday`s council meeting. In the end, council went against the advice of administration and voted in favour of amending the plan.
"I have to trust that the people who live out there will take that to heart," said Coun. Sharon Clarkson referring to Platt`s statement.

http://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com/Local%20News/410618.html

 

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CPS trailer to be placed in Legacy Park

A temporary office space on skids that will house staff for Fort Saskatchewan`s community and protective services will be erected in Legacy Park, city council decided Tuesday in a 6-1 vote.

Five options were posed for the site, but council decided the location next to the parking lot on the south side of 100th Avenue in Legacy Park was best, despite some hesitation.

http://www.fortsaskatchewanrecord.com/News/410627.html

 

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City hopes to cash in on public transit funding

The provincial government won`t announce until the fall which municipalities will get how much of the proposed $2 billion to improve public transit in the province, but Mayor Dwight Logan expects Grande Prairie will get its fair share when the announcement finally comes through. "We have public pressure from several new neighbourhoods for increased GP Transit service so we`re facing increased capital costs for supplying the buses and the other elements that make up transit, so we would hopefully get a reasonable portion of it," he said. The city is in the middle of reviewing its public transit system and some big changes are in place, which Logan believes makes Grande Prairie an ideal candidate for funding.

http://www.dailyheraldtribune.com/ArticleD....aspx?e=1110845

 

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Forestry sector continues to hurt

The outlook continues to be bleak for Alberta`s forest products industry as the first-quarter results for 2008 show a continued decline in the value of shipments, which could potentially lead to more mill shutdowns and job curtailments. "The market is not good so it`s definitely having an impact on our operations," said Weyerhaeuser spokesman Wayne Roznowsky. Alberta Forest Products Association members shipped $565.7 million of lumber, panelboard, pulp and paper during the quarter – a decrease of over $156 million from the first quarter of 2007. The strength of the Canadian dollar and the housing market crisis in the United States have combined to hit the forestry products hard the past couple of years, with sales declining across the country and in the United States as well. The result has been mill closures, cutbacks and curtailments across the industry, but smaller markets have been hit particularly hard.

http://www.dailyheraldtribune.com/ArticleD....aspx?e=1107356

 

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New company invests in Peace oilsands

An upstart Calgary company is throwing its hat into the Peace Country oilsands ring. Blacksteel Tar Sands Inc. spent June 23-26 touring the area, and speaking to town residents and some councillors from Peace River and Manning about plans for well construction in the area. The company, created during the summer of 2007, has purchased leases and oil mineral rights on tracts of land near Shell`s Carmon Creek facility in Northern Sunrise County, and the Municipal District of Northern Lights on the Whitemud River. Altogether, Blacksteel hopes to be creating wells on what they have estimated to be 1.4 billion barrels of original bitumen – 104.8 million of which could be potentially recoverable.

http://www.dailyheraldtribune.com/ArticleD....aspx?e=1107208

 

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Upgrades at GP Airport

The Grande Prairie Airport received more than $470,000 through the Airports Capital Assistance Program Tuesday to improve its snow-removal capabilities. The Airports Capital Assistance Program is a federal fund used to finance airport capital projects related to safety, asset protection and operating cost reduction. The money will be divided in two, with $105,414 going toward the purchase of a sand truck and truck-mounted sander, while the remaining $366,570 will cover the cost of a replacement snowblower. An additional $277,495 will go to the High Level airport for the purchase of a front-end loader and attachments. "We`re going to have increased capacity in snow removal, that`s the basic thing," said Brian Grant, Grande Prairie Airport CEO.

http://www.dailyheraldtribune.com/ArticleD....aspx?e=1107350

 

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Commuter train gains steam

The whistle of a commuter train is
another step closer to being heard in High River, after a $4-billion provincial
announcement Tuesday.
At a news conference in Calgary,
Premier Ed Stelmach announced $4 billion to fund green initiatives in the province.
Half of the monies will go to advance
carbon capture and storage projects, while the other $2 billion will look into energy-
saving public transit in the province,
Stelmach said.
“We’re tackling both sides of the
emissions challenge on behalf of Albertans and all Canadians.”
The $2 billion invested in public transit would help “reduce the impact from our tailpipes,” the premier said.

http://www.highrivertimes.com/News/410664.html

 

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Town bus will stay on the road

Hinton has become, and looks likely to remain a transit town.
Hinton town council has endorsed making the current Hinton Transit System pilot project a permanent Town service, accepting both the benefits and the subsidized cost as worthwhile.
Administration began hammering out details of the permanent plan, including examining any changes to the pilot program system, after the June 24 decision.
“How many communities of 10,000 have a transit system?” said Dan Pagely, community services director.
He said Hinton has been one of the few rural communities that has been able to sustain a scheduled bus service.
More than 1,5000 riders have ridden the bus every month in 2008, with a peak ridership of about 2,200 in May, the last month of statistics offered with the report to council. Ridership has increased by about 100 people every month in 2008.

http://www.hintonparklander.com/News/409824.html

 

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Local coal property sold

A coal property located 19 kilometres northwest of Hinton has been purchased by East Energy Corp.
The 2,784 hectare property was sold for CA$1 million and royalties of five per cent of net profits from coal sales from the property.
The company has also agreed to award a finder`s fee of 50,000 shares in common.
An East Energy press release stated that the volatile, low sulphur coal on the property is suitable for international export in the thermal-coal market.
The coal deposits on the property are surface mineable and are part of the Coalspur Formation.
The company is currently "reviewing the best approach to monetize this resource," said the release.
The company cited the property`s proximity to Highway 40 and the Alberta rail network as some of the benefits of the property that was purchased.

http://www.hintonparklander.com/News/409826.html

 

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Beaumont offers lot grading inspections

Flash storms causing flooding and rapid spring melting can cause major headaches for homeowners, as well as sending them in a scramble for help. One area community is finally doing something about it. By offering services for both lot grading inspections and soil, in an effort to solve drainage issues, the Town of Beaumont is taking preventative measures to improve conditions. Oh, and the inspections are free. The town will come out to inspect lots for proper drainage (excluding new home construction), will compare lots to their original design and offer steps to enhance upgrade property drainage. They`ll even provide free soil
when required.

http://www.leducrep.com/News/410477.html

 

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Construction to be started for Strathmore biofuels project

A biofuels project that will be constructed just north of Strathmore announced that they have received all the key permits to proceed with their integrated biofuels complex last week.
"With all key permits in place and a sufficient supply of water, this is an exciting time for the company," said Gordon Hart, president and CEO of CR Fuels in a press release. "Now that we are past this milestone, we are looking to the next phase of engineering and to beginning construction in quarter one of 2009."
CR Fuels received approvals under the Provincial Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act and the Alberta Energy Resources Conservation Board; and Alberta Environment Water Diversion License; a Municipal Development Permit and an Alberta Infrastructure and Transportation Road Side Development Permit.
"CR Fuels and other bioenergy companies are the new generation of Alberta energy pioneers," said Mel Knight, Alberta`s Minister of Energy. "The continued development of a strong bioenergy marketplace provides Albertans with real benefits, both economic and environmental."

http://www.strathmorestandard.com/News/410441.html

 

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Water treatment plant to be upgraded

The final stage of upgrades to Whitecourt`s water treatment plant is slated to begin in the fall and will ensure the plant can meet the town`s water demands until at least 2025.

Brad Webb, a municipal engineer with Stantec Consulting, the firm retained by the town to oversee the upgrades, said the first phase of upgrades, which took place in 2005 and 2006, improved the quality of Whitecourt`s water by installing state-of-the-art filtration membranes that can handle about 18,000 cubic metres (18 million litres) of water per day when they`re running at maximum capacity.

http://www.whitecourtstar.com/News/410147.html

 

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Recycling depot considered

Residents of Whitecourt and Woodlands County who don’t qualify for curbside recycling pickup might be able to drop off their recyclables at the Whitecourt Transfer Station as early as August.

Rick Twach, director of infrastructure for Woodlands County, said the Joint Liaison Committee of the town and county has given both councils a green light to discuss the possibility of making the transfer station a recycling drop-off.

“Because of what’s happened recently, we are looking … at the option of having a joint recycling facility at your transfer station that would cover all of Woodlands county residents as well as apartment buildings in the Town of Whitecourt or commercial operations in the Town of Whitecourt,” he said.

http://www.whitecourtstar.com/News/410146.html

 

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Stony Plain sees its future in the past

EDMONTON - Murals have been part of Stony Plain since the day the town manager returned from a 1990s trip to B.C., breathless with stories about the village of Chemainus on Vancouver Island, which had reinvented itself by creating its own mural project.

The idea was to engender a sense of pride among townspeople by preserving local history through art, to revitalize the downtown core, and to develop a tourist attraction.

Stony Plain has accomplished all three, and more, earning the fast-growing community west of Edmonton the nickname The Town With the Painted Past.

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news...2d-1cd90f28f91c

 

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Tourism Calgary wrestles with change

As Calgary`s hospitality industry enters its most lucrative season and the city`s marquee tourist event -- the Calgary Stampede -- draws to a close, Tourism Calgary, the city`s primary promotional agency, is struggling to find its equilibrium.

The combination public-private agency that receives more than $2 million annually from the City of Calgary is in the search for its third chief executive in a year, following the sudden departure on May 22 of Alex Graham from the organization`s top job.

Graham`s was the latest exit in a series of departures that stretch back to the spring of 2007, when longtime chief executive Joe Fardell left the organization.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/c...fb-bb9c3f331af3

 

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Culture minister hands out $1.15 million

Lots of visitors to Athabasca spent lots of money over the Canada Day weekend, bolstering the local economy.

But no one spent nearly as much as Alberta Culture and Community Spirit Minister Lindsay Blackett, who left $1.15 million in Athabasca.

At a breakfast reception last Monday at the Athabasca Golf & Country Club, Blackett presented cheques totalling $1.15 million to three local organizations.

http://www.athabascaadvocate.com/news/2008/0708/news2.htm

 

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Motorists playing with fire in illegal parking

Illegal parking may very will be a gold mine for the Lac La Biche County Protective Services but peace officer Chris Cleave said it`s getting to the point where peoples lives and homes are at risk.

In the last few months, Cleave said he noticed a high-number of vehicles parked in a lot designated for the volunteer fire department. In a three-month period he wrote more than 100 warnings to motorists who fail to obey the "Fire Department Parking Only" signs. But now the education portion is over and motorists are getting ticketed.

"This is a zero-tolerance enforcement policy," Cleave said. "It will be an automatic ticket and a tow. There will be no warnings."

http://www.laclabichepost.com/news/2008/0708/news3.htm

 

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Group asks Town to take conservation to new level

The Town of Okotoks is known as a leader in sustainability and environmental initiatives and now a group of Okotoks residents is asking town council to take its conservation efforts to a new level.
Members of the Citizens for a Sustainable Okotoks committee presented a list of proposals and initiatives to council on June 23. Group member Nancy Ginzer said the main focus should be on water and energy conservation – both of which are critically connected.
"In the end, the way we use energy, if it`s greenhouse emitting energy, that does affect water because it contributes to the melting of our snow packs and glaciers," she said. "Energy use is tied in closely to water depletion."
The group made a number of recommendations in five different areas including water, energy, transportation, hazardous substances and recycling and building codes. Specific recommendations include:
• Encourage xeriscaping with tax incentives for current yards and mandating it for front and side yards of new buildings.
• Provide rebates for compost bins or dual flush toilets, with a goal of mandating them in the future.
• Lobby the provincial government for a commuter rail and purchase hybrid electric buses.
• Create an anti-idling bylaw.
• Ban pesticides, plastic bags and Styrofoam.

http://www.westernwheel.com/news-conservation.htm

 

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MD council seeks Turner Valley`s input on development

MD of Foothills council wants input from the Town of Turner Valley before making a decision on a proposed development on the town`s west border.
MD council heard details of the proposed development, located on the south side of Secondary Highway 549 immediately west of Turner Valley, at its July 3 meeting. The proposal would see 12 residential lots ranging in size from about half an acre to 1.95 acres, on a 24-acre piece of land.
Nine residential lots would be accessed off 208 St. W and three from Blacklock Way in Turner Valley.
"We feel the lots we`re proposing is a good use for this area," said Leo Kyllo, planner and agent for the landowner.
The area in question is also the site of a water reservoir for Turner Valley, which is currently accessed across the land.
Kyllo said there is a tentative agreement with the Town of Turner Valley for the town to provide water and waste water service to the area in exchange for proper access to the water reservoir through the development. Confirmation from the Town of Turner Valley about the provision of services and access requirements to the reservoir could not be obtained before press deadline.

http://www.westernwheel.com/news-input.htm