Tuesday October 4, 2011 - Real Estate in Canada Continues to Grow in Value

Canada’s home prices continue to rise, as they have been for the last eight months. The highest increase was in July, when prices were 1.3 percent higher than in the previous June. A report released this past Wednesday, known as the Teranet National Bank House Price Index, noted that prices in 2011 were 5.3 percent higher than in 2010.

In July, Calgary saw a 2.3 percent increase in average home prices, followed by Toronto at 1.7 percent, Ottawa at one percent, Vancouver showing 0.9 percent and Montreal with a 0.5 percent increase. Halifax prices went down 0.9 percent. Out of the six metropolitan areas surveyed, five showed record high numbers.

Vancouver actually had a ten month run of price increases, the longest price run in Canada. In Calgary, despite having the highest July increase is still showing prices 8.8 percent lower than the boom days of August in 2007. The market had a pre-correction peak in 2010, and the current prices are still 0.9 percent below that.

Canada’s real estate market is considered to be balanced. A few markets, such as Toronto with its tight inventory because of non-resident buyers, are exceptions. Prices in Toronto for 2011 are 4.8 percent higher than a year ago. Vancouver’s prices are up 8.5 percent when comparing the two time periods. The average price of a home in Canada runs $360,000 nationally, more than twice the value of the average home price in the United States.

Tuesday October 4, 2011 Edmonton Getting Two New Schools Honouring Forward Thinking Albertans

Edmonton will soon have two new schools, with two very special names. Michael Strembitsky School was named after a Canadian of Ukrainian decent who was superintendent of a still young Edmonton School District. While serving as such, he came up with the innovative idea of having the parents and kids decide which school they wanted to attend.

This was unthinkable at the time, controversial still. But it worked, and Edmonton has one of the most democratic public school systems in the country. There are few private schools, because the public schools offered better education, a stronger staff and actually had to compete for students. Also a reach at the time was the introduction of language classes beyond French. This gave descendents of immigrants a change to learn their heritage language. Strembesky also included the Talmud Torah, a Jewish private school into the Edmonton Public School System. Other religious schools followed.

The Bessie Hoskings Nichols School is named after a politician. Arriving in Edmonton in 1903, she taught at the then Alberta College. After that, she studied law at the University of Alberta, only the third woman to ever do so at the time. In 1912, Nichols broke ground again, becoming the first woman voted into public office in Alberta. Women didn’t even get to vote until 1916, with a few exceptions. The Alberta legislature even had to alter the rules to allow Nichols to serve as a school trustee.

Both schools are slated to open sometime in 2012. The Bessie Nichols School will be located in the Grange/Hamptons District on the western end of the city. The Michael Strembitsky School will be in the Ellerslie/Summerdale area, in south-central Edmonton.

Edmonton Home and Interior Design Show - Sept 30 - Oct 2, 2011

EDMONTON HOME AND INTERIOR DESIGN SHOW - SEPT 30 - OCT 2, 2011 at the Edmonton  EXPO Centre.  Are you thinking about renovating your existing home?  Or just trying to get it ready to sell?  Make sure to attend this great event for wonder tips and ideas when it comes to everything home decor!  For more information visit http://www.showswork.com/EFHSpress06.html

Wednesday September 14, 2011 - City of Edmonton in the Real Estate Game

The City of Edmonton makes money from other sources, rather than depending on property tax revenues to keep itself in the black. In fact, these other sources of income do keep your property tax rate down. Surprisingly, the city appears to have many different cash making possibilities up its sleeve.

Of special importance is the role Edmonton plays in real estate. The city sells, leases and rents out property. They also do so without using a real estate broker. Actually, they act as their own broker, even having a listing in the MLS, or Multiple Listing Service, system. This allows them put their offerings in the MLS. Only properties that can be sold to the general public are listed on MLS. Only land that has been declared surplus can be sold.

The city also maintains a website the lists all the bare land it has for sale. (www.edmonton.ca/landsales) This is where you find anything from small city lots suitable for a handful of single or multi-family homes to acres of land destined to become subdivisions or office complexes.

Those larger plots of land are so in demand that Edmonton holds a twice-yearly lottery for interested parties. Those who win the first lottery get to participate in the second. Win the second draw and you get a chance to buy one of the city’s super-lots. Developers prefer buying city-owned lands because they have more flexibility in what they can build.

Thursday August 26, 2011 - CMHC Predicts Stable Housing Prices Through 2012

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation is predicting that housing prices will see a slow but steady rise over the next couple of years. By the end of 2011, the average home price is expected to be $367,500. By the end of 2012 that figure should reach $374,172, an increase of 1.3 percent. The number of home sales peaked in the first three months of 2012 and slowed down during the second quarter. Sales are expected to have moderate increases during 2012.

While global financial markets are in question, factors within Canada, including reduced mortgage rates, increases in employment and resulting immigration have keep the real estate market stable. Employment is expected to see a 1.7 percent increase nationwide in both 2011 and 2012. Alberta will lead the pack with 2.8 percent and 2.4 percent yearly increases, respectively. CMHC’s prediction also considers that the mortgage rates will remain relatively flat over the next few years as well.

As far as housing starts, CMHC has revised its predictions as well. In 2011, the thinking is that there will be 183,200 starts by years end, compared to the 179,500 previously predicted. The expectation for 2012 is 183,900 starts. Manitoba, British Columbia and Alberta are expected to lead the field in the number of housing starts per province. Saskatchewan and Ontario are expected to see moderate growth in starts.

Thursday, August 26, 2011 - Preventive and Primary Medicine Would Cure Alberta’s Ailing Health Care System

The debate over offering private health care in Alberta continues. Dr. Raj Sherman, who is also an MLA, advises that concentrating on preventive health care and good primary care will do a lot to fix the provinces ailing health system. By getting children looked at and vaccinated before they go to school, adding more family doctors and primary care physicians, the public health service would benefit.

Sherman also noted that the government was spending money putting up new hospitals and more senior centres while existing hospitals had wards that were empty. That is not a good use of public funds. Rather, that money could be used to hire more doctors and nurses for the existing facilities. Other ideas would be to start with the schools, encouraging healthy eating and incorporating some preventive health services with the education system. All of these ideas would save money.

Homecare is another issue. Sometimes seniors end up back in the hospital because of a lack of homecare staff and services, further taxing the system. Sherman also suggested that universities target some 70 percent of their graduating classes going into family practice, pediatrics, general internal medicine or gerontology. Those graduating doctors should expect a support team of nurses and health care workers that are better managed.

If there is no other option than initiating private health care, Sherman insists that there should be a non-profit private health care insurance plan to go along with it. Premiums would be based on ability to pay.

Wednesday July 20, 2011 - Edmonton Bank of Montreal Building to be Torn Down

Edmonton’s older Bank of Montreal building will be demolished, with no additional support or input from the city’s government. The 48-year-old structure, which is located at the corner of 101st and Jackson, has been abandoned. Last month, a permit was issued for its demolition. Plans are set to replace the landmark bank office tower with a two-storey “podium” building that would contain underground parking.

This news has raised the ire of many residents, as well as a few in City Hall. Coun. Ben Henderson said that the Bank of Montreal structure was never meant to be a temporary building, and that Edmonton seems to have a propensity to consider its architecture to be temporary in nature. He commented that when banks construct major buildings, they are meant to last.

Nicholas Lagopoulos of building owner GE Capital Real Estate said that a major tenant plans to rent a 30,000-square-foot section of the new-construction podium. The company is also in the final stages of renting some 7,000 square feet in space to a national retailer. Additional negotiations are underway with three other possible tenants, he said. Lagopoulos noted that all of the tenants, both on-board and prospective, are interested in the proposed podium design, not the current building.

Gordon Harper, an Edmonton artist, said he tried to speak with city councillors about not demolishing the building. He contended that the construction of a relatively minor, two-storey building does not justify tearing down the landmark bank building, particularly on a significant street corner.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011 - Playground Planning, Construction is the Responsibility of Neighbourhoods

Getting a playground built in a community is not as easy as it seems. As an example, the Brintnell neighbourhood is currently on its second committee to organize and construct a playground. The first committee in the eight-year-old community dissolved due to the scarcity of volunteers.

T.J. Shin, who is the new president of the playground society, said that he and his group have a journey ahead of them. Shin said that most homeowners are not aware that it is their own responsibility to construct playgrounds. Although developers install most of the amenities of a new neighbourhood, such as sewer lines, roadways and electricity, they do not include playgrounds as part of their work.

According to Kelly Jeffrey, who is on a committee to build a playground in the MacTaggart neighbourhood, planning and building the structure is a long-term venture. She estimates that her three-year-old child will not be able to see the playground come to fruition until the child is eight.

Jeffrey said she is willing to volunteer, but her efforts are often hampered by city staff. She said that the city had provided a preliminary estimate of getting the playground built by next summer. However, the facility continues to be pushed aside in favor of other projects. She said she wished that developers were under obligation to install the most basic elements of a playground in their planned communities. Jeffrey noted that such a structure would help to establish the new communities and provide a meeting place for families.

Residents have been responsible for initiating playgrounds since the 1980s. When residents do organize, the city assists by assigning an architect as well as a community support employee. Matching grants are often available, but the planning and fundraising must be initiated by neighbourhood dwellers.

Friday June 24, 2011- Epcor Digs Up Wrong Lawn, Sews Grass Seed and Discontent

Usually, having an address similar to your own is not an issue. Sure, you may get the odd piece of redirected mail, or the pizza man may show up with a pie not ordered, but that’s not even worth worrying about. What about if the local water service started to dig up the lawn in front of your house, instead of at the correct one? That could be a problem.

Barbara Feys did have this exact situation. Epcor, the hydro company in Edmonton, dug up her lawn, shut off her water and attempted to turn off her power. They were at the wrong address. A new home, built just five years ago, was given the same address as hers, except that her address ended in NW and the other house had SW. Mail mix-ups were a common, almost laughable issue. This was not. The people in the house with the SW at the end didn’t pay their bill.

Feys got her water turned back on after the mistake was discovered. Now she wants Epcor to put her lawn back to the way it was, specifically, lush, green and with no unsightly hole. Epcor’s solution was to fill in the hole and add lawn seed. Not good enough. After the mistake was made public, Epcor advised that the hole would be fixed properly.

The company also suggested that she change her address. The cost and hassle would make this solution impractical. Feys believes the city should fix the problem, but that’s not likely to happen. Edmonton uses a quadrant system adopted some 20 years ago. Issues with similar addresses happen all the time. This just happened to be one of those times that the problem was bigger than just the accidental delivery of a pepperoni pizza.

Friday, June 24, 2011 - Lotto Win in April, Money Paid in June after Court Case

Mike Hayduk was lucky enough to win $33 million at Lotto Max back on April 28th. But the man faced not only the combined shock and delight of becoming instantly wealthy, but had to contend with six people who claimed the ticket he had was either lost or stolen. It wasn’t until this past Wednesday that the last of these claims was dismissed and the money was given to the rightful winner. Denny Thomas, a Justice with the Court of Queens Bench dismissed that claim.

Now Hayduk plans on taking some time off from his oilfield job to de-stress. His lawyer, Mark Oliveri, advised Hayduk was overwhelmed with both the trial and how he was going to handle all that money. Hayduk is married, and has two kids and really could use the cash. As far as the other claims, some were honest mistakes.

One claimant thought he left the ticket in someone’s car, another two thought they had thrown it out. Two more were part of a lottery pool at work and were afraid that the person in charge of that pool pulled a runner when he didn’t come into work right after the draw. All of these dropped out of the case before it went to court. Ted Baltoussen was the last claimant. He noted that he had taken his ticket to a Mac store and the clerk was acting nervous, and gave him a non-winning ticket.

But Baltoussen couldn’t remember where his ticket was purchased. Nor had he filled out the proper court documents. Case dismissed. Thomas wasn’t pleased with the Western Lottery Corporation, for bringing such a flimsy case to court. But apparently claimants, especially on big wins, are a common occurrence. Best thing to do is to just sign the ticket when you buy it.

Friday June 17, 2011 - Retailers Find Edmonton an Attractive and Profitable Prospect

Retailers know that Edmontonians have more disposable income than almost anywhere else in North America, thanks to the resurgence of the oil industry in the northern part of the province. They are also coming to realize that all those oil workers in Fort McMurray come to Edmonton to do their shopping because other than the oil sands, there is not much serviced real estate in that area.

One of the places that these shoppers come to is the West Edmonton Mall, one of the largest shopping malls and entertainment centers on the continent. This is where Victoria Secret and the Apple Store made their Alberta debut not too long ago. Apple, which has been part of the mall since 2008, is planning on doubling the size of their store. Other well known retailers are also flocking to the mall, including Simons, Steve Madden and J Crew.

What makes this mall particularly attractive to those coming from afar is not only its selection of stores and restaurants, but its indoor amusement park including a roller coaster, the World Waterpark, a mini-golf course and decadent, creative rooms at the Fantasyland Hotel. Suddenly that shopping trip becomes a mini-vacation for the entire family.

Local Edmonton residents are also enticing retailers to set up shop in town. The city is number four on Canada’s fastest growing municipal market list, showing a 2.3 percent average in growth since 2005 and increasing its population by about 17,500 per year. Calgary comes in at number three on that same list. It has a growth rate of 2.9 percent and a yearly population growth of almost 29,700.

Friday, June 17, 2011 - Wildfire in Northern Alberta Largest Seen in Recent Memory

Firefighters in northern Alberta are fighting a blaze that is the largest seen in the province in recent memory. The wildfire covers a slice of back-country that is larger that the entire city of Edmonton. It is called the Richardson fire, and that blaze merged with the Mackay fire this past weekend. The combined fire now covers roughly 10,000 hectares. No homes are at risk, even though the flames are being fanned by west winds. Fire crews are holding their own on the southeastern edge of the blaze. So far the cause of the fire is unknown.

Roughly 780 firefighters are working to control the blaze with the aid of 40 helicopters and some 96 pieces of heavy ground equipment. Alberta has received help from firefighter that have come from British Columbia, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario and even as far away as Mexico. Alberta has mutual aid agreements with all these locales.

So far the weather has not been cooperating. Alberta has been in a dry spell during the past week and that along with the winds hasn’t helped. But according to Environment Canada, some relief might be in sight. The prediction is for rain, starting as early as Tuesday. Over 570,000 hectares have already been consumed by the blaze. In the entire fire season last year, 84,570 hectares were burned within the entire province. The cost of fighting the fire has not yet been fully determined.

Thursday June 2, 2011 - Edmonton Housing Market Will Be Better in 2012

Local housing starts in Edmonton are slowing down a bit. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) figures some 9,250 homes will be started this year. That is seven percent less than during 2010. Of course last year saw a remarkable come-back with a 56 percent increase in starts over 2009. But the CMHC is optimistic about 2012, expecting some 10,100 units to be started in that year, an increase of 9.2 percent. This is because of the anticipated economic growth, more jobs and the expected inflow of residents looking for those jobs. Senior marketing analyst Richard Goatcher predicts that 2012 will be the strongest year for the homebuilding industry since back in 2007.

Multi-family home starts are expected to number about 3,750 units during 2011 in the Edmonton area. That is a four percent drop from 2010. Last year was a banner year though, showing a 56 percent increase in multi-home starts over 2009, thanks to the number of apartments built that year. In 2012, the number of starts is expected to reach 4,100, a nine percent increase over this year.

The resale market is expected to remain fairly flat as far as activity in the Multiple Listing Services system goes. Sales in 2010 showed a 14 percent drop over the previous year. Goatcher expects the demand to improve later in the year and that by 2012, MLS sales will see about a four percent increase, numbering some 17,200 homes. Home prices are expected to go up 0.1 percent in 2011 to an average of $329,000. In 2012, the expectation is a 2.4 percent increase, bringing that average up to $337,000.

Thursday, June 2, 2011 - Edmonton Using Graffiti Audit to Combat Taggers

Edmonton is getting on top of its tagging problem by taking a closer look at the graffiti signatures, otherwise known as auditing. Photos are taken of the different sites and an auditor, a third party professional that specialized in the examination of graffiti, examines them. The auditor is looking for style, wording, and composition, anything that would tie different graffiti sites with one another.

In 2010, 1,978 graffiti tags at 646 locations were photographed, logged and audited. These were in 20 different Edmonton neighborhoods. The auditors determined that almost half of the unwanted artwork was created by ten different taggers. Last fall the auditing resulted in the arrest of one tagger responsible for 23 separate incidents. He was convicted, fined $1,000 and given 150 community service hours. Also, victims of his crimes were to receive payments totalling some $6,000 for restitution.

Almost 75 percent of the graffiti found was on private property. The most affected parts of the city are Central McDougall, Boyle Street, Strathcona and the downtown core. Of interest is the fact that murals, like that on the Salvation Army building, remain untouched. The latter mural was painted in 2003. Perhaps it is the tagger’s show of respect for artwork? Studying why murals deter taggers may enable authorities to get inside the mind of these vandals, and perhaps turn their detrimental artwork into something more esthetically pleasing and welcomed.

Wednesday May 18, 2011 - Home Sales Across Canada Fall in April

Home sales across the country fell this April, compared with figures seen in the prior month. The Canadian Real Estate Association just released its latest report this past Tuesday. Sales were 4.4 percent lower in April than they were in March. That’s if you seasonally adjust the figures. If you don’t the difference is 14.7 percent.

Last April was a hot month for a variety of reasons. One was that people were tying to get into the market before an expected change in mortgage lending rules. There was also a probable hike in interest rates. And, in British Columbia and Ontario, there was the implementation of the new Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) in the summer of 2010.

This year even more mortgage rules went into effect in March, also causing a greater dip in sales for this April and widening the sales gap even further between both years. Average home prices did rise in April, roughly 8 percent to $372,544 per home. This is the third month in a row this has happened. This figure is slightly skewed by some multi-million dollar home sales in parts of Vancouver. The number of listed homes rose 1.3 percent in April over the prior month, but the ratio of sales to newly listed homes dipped to 52.5 percent. In March that ratio was 55.7 percent.

Wednesday, May 18th, 2011 - Canada to Soon See Faster Wireless Technology

The race is on between mobile media giants Bell Mobility and Rogers Communications, Inc to see which company will introduce the next generation of faster, more efficient, wireless technology. Bell is intending to launch its Long-Term Evolution, or LTE services for short, before the end of 2011 in certain markets. Rogers has similar intentions for its own program.

This new technology allows mobile devices with compatible software to transfer online data much faster than the current network allows. This means devices will be able to transfer large data files requiring more bandwidth, as well being able to efficiently handle continuous video streaming.

The first launch will be in metropolitan areas. Plans for the more rural parts of the county will depend on the carriers being able to pick up the 700-Megahertz band, now being abandoned by television broadcasters in favor of new technology in their field. Carriers want this band because it can transmit over huge distances and even through walls and other obstructions better than the higher frequencies currently in use.

Ottawa is making the decision whether to auction the airwaves as a whole or divide them up to generate more competition. If Ottawa divides them, then smaller carrier such as Wind Mobile or Quebec’s Videotron can get into the race. Bell and Rogers are in favor of an all or nothing sale. Canada is doing its best to keep up with the wireless race south of the border.

Monday May 2, 2011 - Fuel Prices Lead to Long-Term Thoughts on Suburban Sprawl

For Edmonton residents, the price of gas is causing concerns, not the least of which is the consequences of urban sprawl. Thirty years ago, when gas was cheap, there was no thought given to the building of development after development on the prairies surrounding the city.

According to a study released last year by the Pembina Institute, the majority of housing surrounding Edmonton and Calgary was constructed after World War II. Public transportation gave rise to increasing auto ownership, and land was relatively inexpensive. With population growth came the influx of suburban community development.

Edmonton’s expansion in terms of sheer acreage has far outpaced that of other major Canadian cities. The Edmonton Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) occupies the biggest area of land of the country’s top six urban centres. The CMA exceeds Toronto’s area by 60 percent. It also has the distinction of being the lowest percentage of residents living in medium to high-density neighbourhoods. Single-family homes are far less expensive in Edmonton and Calgary than they are in markets such as Vancouver.

Edmonton is also the top market in terms of usage of personal autos, with more than 80 percent of its commuters resorting to private transportation.

Fuel is still relatively inexpensive, at about $1.15 per litre. However, the price of gas is bound to increase, as are longer commutes due to more vehicles on the road. With the long-awaited LRT expansion, perhaps more people will choose to leave their cars in the garage as they head for work.

The price of gas may also lead both the government and private sector to reconsider how residential communities are developed and sustained.

Monday, May 2nd, 2011 - Nothing Deters Canadians From Waving Flag at Royal Wedding

Crowds, noise and impending rain could not deter intrepid Canadians from being part of the throng at the April 29 wedding of Britain’s Prince William and Kate Middleton. Canadians of all ages and backgrounds traveled to London days in advance, hoping to take part in the celebration.

While people from across the globe camped out overnight to get the best positions near Buckingham Palace, some Canadians did so with a real purpose. A group of 45 people who live throughout the country planned to display 16 large Canadian flags when the royal couple engaged in the traditional wedding kiss while standing at the palace’s balcony. They made the trip by way of the Monarchist League of Canada.

Sheree Zielke, a romance novelist, who lives in Edmonton, said that given her career choice compelled her to be part of the fairy-tale wedding celebration. She planted herself in front of Westminster Abbey two days before the wedding. Her only gear included a folding chair, and a sign that proclaimed she was a “crazy Canadian.” Zielke later received a sleeping bag, inflatable mattress and food from fellow campers. She referred to her companions as “angels.”

Marie-Helene Julien, a Quebecer who lives in London, said she was awed by the party atmosphere. She said she wanted to skip the crowds and view the ceremony on television.

Bernadette Christie, who lives in Grande Prairie, Alberta, arrived in London last Sunday. She set up her tent near the wedding site on Tuesday. Although sleep-deprived because of the constant traffic, Christie was excited about the wedding. She said since the 1960s, she has watched royal proceedings on television. Her parents were among the thousands cheering at the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth, and her children shook hands with the late Princess Diana on two occasions.

Wednesday April 20, 2011 - What Is The Most Expensive Real Estate Market Compared to Rest of Canada?

Real estate markets across most of Canada are humming along quite nicely. If you seasonally adjust the resale activity, as the Canadian Real Association has done, you find that the first quarter of 2011 saw an increase in sales of 4.5 percent compared to the last quarter of 2010. That same first quarter also saw higher sales volumes than anytime in the last 12 months. Resale prices in March of 2011 also came out 8.9 percent higher than in March of last year.

But it is true that Vancouver’s high priced properties did inflate that figure somewhat. If Richmond and West Vancouver, the areas with the priciest housing, were taken out of the calculations, the increase in this current March would be a still healthy 4.3 percent. That only proves that the Vancouver residential market operates differently than anywhere else in Canada.

To illustrate that, let’s look at the three priciest places to live in Canada. Vancouver, number one, had home prices that were 59 percent higher than second place Victoria on nearby Vancouver Island. Those Vancouver prices were also 72 percent higher than Toronto, which came in third on the list.

In Halifax, an average home would cost one-third of what it would in Vancouver. Looking at buying a home in Fredericton or Saint John, both in New Brunswick, and you would spend one fifth of what you would lay out in Vancouver. There is a bit of sibling rivalry in Alberta, where currently a home in Calgary will cost you 22 percent more than that same home in Edmonton.

Wednesday, April 20th, 2011 - Special Needs Children Flying Off To Disneyland to Visit Mickey and Friends

Most of you have probably seen the commercials on TV when parents tell their kids they are going to Disneyland. The reactions vary from stunned, to jumping up and down crazy to happy, happy, happy. This very smile generating announcement was just delivered to 137 special needs kids. They and their families will be heading to the land of The Mouse.

At first there was not much of reaction, but then Mr Mickey and his proverbial partner Minnie showed up and the excitement rippled through the place. Dreams Take Flight, a non-profit organization has done it again. May 4th will be the 18th trip this organization has taken to Disneyland, taking children from parts of Alberta as well as the Northwest Territories on the trip of their lives. They range in age from 6 to 11 and were nominated for the trip by organizations such as Big Brothers, Big Sisters, the Zebra Child Protection Centre and Kids with Cancer.

It’s a quick 24 hour trip, costing some $200,000, and having sponsors that include Air Canada, Shell Canada and the Edmonton International Airport. The kids suffer everything from emotional disorders to cancers such as childhood leukemia. This trip to the land of make-believe is a respite from the challenges they face, day in and day out. Disneyland bills itself as “The Happiest Place on Earth.” For these kids, it certainly will be.

Tuesday April 5, 2011 - Edmonton Housing Starts Down So Far in 2011

Edmonton housing starts are still on the decline, and have been for the last five months. In February of 2011 there were 489 housing starts for all types of structures. A year ago that number was 642. Single family home structures saw the largest decrease, only 360 this year, 26 percent less than in 2011. Taking January and February together there were 881 starts, or 36 percent less than the same two months in 2010.

Richard Goatcher, from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, advises that this year there are more homes already in inventory, thus less of an incentive to build. Last year, 2010, was a very hot sales year and builders were trying to keep up with the volatile inventory. Why build when you don’t have any idea when the homes would sell?

As far as the multi-family home market, in February there were 129 apartments, townhouses and semi-detached units started this year. Combining January and February, there were 287 starts this year, compared to the 338 in 2010. That is a 15 percent decrease.

Tuesday, April 5th, 2011 - Nanaimo, British Columbia Artist Exhibit Brightens Up Edmonton

Paul Jorgenson, an artist from Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, loves color. His paintings are bold, bright and use almost every shade on the color palette. His paintings, in a show called “Up Down All Around” are on exhibit at the West End Gallery on Jasper Avenue in Edmonton until April 14th.

The works are a feast for the eyes after gazing out at winter white for the last few months. They are also a way to visit some of the most picturesque parts of the world, in Canada or elsewhere. Jorgenson’s paintings include scenes from Vancouver Island, San Francisco, California and Cinque Terre, a small harbour town in Italy.

After studying at the Emily Carr Institute of Design in Vancouver in the 1970s, the Tofino born Jorgenson set off for Mykonos, Greece. He spent nine months painting before returning home and opening a restaurant. But he continued to paint in his spare time.

Now he paints full time in his Nanaimo studio. His inspiration comes from traveling, digesting what he has seen and then eventually committing his vision to the canvas. Sometimes that vision incorporates quite a bit of imagination, giving the neighborhoods a quirky new look. That imagination and the playing around with composition and perspective create colorful and personable skylines that draw viewer in, smiling all the way.

Thursday March 31, 2011 - Office Space Finding More Tenants in 2011

The vacancy rate in Canada’s industrial and office real estate market is coming down. During the first quarter of the year the national office space rate dropped to 9.3 percent which is down from the 10.1 percent seen during the same time period in 2010. This year 704,431 feet of space was leased, compared to last year’s 441,310. As far as industrial space, this year saw a vacancy rate of 7.3 percent compared to 10.1 percent in 2010. More industrial space was coming on line as well, with 5.6 billion square feet of space created this year compared to 2010’s 3.8 million square feet.

John O’Bryan with CB Richard Ellis notes that the first quarter was rather uneventful, but the decreasing vacancy rate does indicate a steady growth in the rental market. Lower rents, improved amenities and in some cases incentives have drawn tenants into new spaces. Once enough space is leased out, the landowners will feel comfortable raising rental rates. O’Bryan believes Canadian firms are feeling comfortable about acquiring new assets because the interest rates are still low and Canada’s economy is on the upswing.

Across Canada, various cities were showing different rates of recovery. In Vancouver, one of the hottest markets at the moment, the vacancy rate went from 10 percent in 2010 to 9.4 percent in 2011. Calgary went from 15 percent last year to 12 percent this year, with sublets showing an even bigger decrease. Edmonton was virtually unchanged, 10.7 percent for 2011 and 10.6 percent last year.

Thursday, March 31, 2011 - Paul Henderson and His Hockey Jersey Visit Edmonton

Paul Henderson scored the winning goal in the 1972 Canada vs. Russia summit game series on September 28, 1972. Almost 40 years later the famous player and the jersey he wore that day paid a visit to Edmonton. The city was one stop on the Henderson Jersey Homecoming Tour.

After the game, Henderson gave the jersey to Joe Sgro, the trainer for Team Canada. Over the years the jersey has had several owners including an American that recently put the historic shirt up for auction. The jersey made it back to Canada after being purchased by Mitchell Goldhar, who owns SmartCenters and is a billionaire. He paid $1.25 million for the item. Goldhar’s intention is that the jersey should remain in Canadian hands. After all, the game of hockey originated here and is Canada’s iconic sport.

Henderson, who is touring with the shirt, is signing autographs and chatting with fans that show up, many of which weren’t even born when his famous game was played. But it is a good way to learn about hockey history. City Councilperson Karen Leibovici declared March 26th to be Paul Henderson Day. The jersey and Henderson head for Leduc next, and after that it’s on to Surrey B.C. for a visit on April 1st.

Monday March 14, 2011 - Marriot Edmonton Downtown Sold To California Firm

A California investor has just purchased a little bit of downtown Edmonton. MIG Real Estate, based in Newport Beach just bought Marriott’s Courtyard property located next to the Shaw Conference Centre. The property is 11 stories tall and offers 177 rooms, some overlooking the river valley. This is MIG’s first hotel purchase outside of the United States. It currently operates two hotels in Phoenix and Denver.

MIG is looking to expand not only its physical presence in key locales, but wants to expand its appeal to a wider range of travelers, both business and leisure. Concord Hospitality Enterprises out of Raleigh, North Carolina will manage the Edmonton property. This same firm manages such well known hotel brands as Sheraton, Hilton, Crown Plaza and Renaissance.

The Courtyard Marriot Downtown changed hands in 2004 when it was known as the Thornton Court Hotel. At that time it remained in Canadian hands, being purchased by Edmonton CY GP Inc. The owners at that time, Sunrise International located in Spruce Grove, bought it at auction in 2000 for $3.75 million. Before serving as a hotel, the property was an office tower and considered one of ugliest buildings in all of Edmonton.

The Crown Plaza Chateau was also sold this past August for a cool $47.8 million to an Edmonton developer. Another deal on the Sutton Place Hotel Edmonton fell through and that property is back on the market.

Monday, March 14, 2011 - Housing Starts in Edmonton Slow During First Part of 2011

Housing start numbers this past February decreased for the fifth month in a row when compared to the same months in the previous year. Edmonton showed 489 starts this year compared to 642 in February of 2010. That is a 24 percent decrease. Starts are also down if you take the first two months of 2011 and compare them to 2010, 852 to 1,219 respectively.

Single detached home starts were down 26 percent with only 360 on record. Comparing the first two months of this year with last, the numbers are 565 for 2011 and 881 for 2010. Multiple unit home starts also saw an 18 percent decrease with only 1,286 being started so far in 2011.

The depressed numbers are due to the fact that last year’s real estate market was very hot and the inventory of available houses was significantly less. The MLS listings are higher this year and builders already have enough new homes completed. Adding any more inventory would only create more of a buyer’s market and might significantly affect home prices.

Province-wide there was an 18 percent drop in housing starts in the first two months of this year in seven of Alberta’s largest population centres. Grande Prairie and Wood Buffalo saw gains, while Calgary, Edmonton, Medicine Hat and Lethbridge saw decreases.

Thursday March 3, 2011 - Strong Loonie, Low Real Estate Prices in the U.S. Tempt Canadian Investors

It’s happened. The Canadian Dollar is worth more than its United States counterpart. Combine that with the fact that real estate in the United States is at its lowest price point in decades and it is not out of the question for people to go house hunting south of the border. But you might want to consider the tax implications before you go.

If you are just buying a home in the States for personal use, say a vacation home, then you don’t have to worry about paying either U.S. or Canadian income tax on the properties. Once you rent out that property, then you must file an income tax return in the U.S. Any expenses, within reason, may be deducted from the reported rent. The forms are due on June 15th following the year that you received the rental income. As an example, you rent out the house in 2011; you must file by June 15th of 2012. Depreciation must be taken into account, which may mean you owe no taxes, but you still need to file the form.

If you sell your property, you may have to file a tax return with whatever state your home is in. The Federal Government may also withhold a ten percent tax on the proceeds. If you sold your property at a loss, you must file separate forms to get that ten percent back from the government. You also have to worry about estate tax if your entire estate is worth more than $5 million or $10 million if you are part of a couple. All this aside, the low real estate prices and the high value of the loonie may make this the perfect time to do a little south of the border shopping.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011 - Alberta Health Services Approves Tykerb For Edmonton Woman’s Cancer Treatment

Kelly Mah is suffering from breast cancer, particularly from the ten months of chemotherapy she had to endure. Add to all this, the stress of knowing that there was a drug out there that could help her, but that it would cost $4,000 a month. Rather than curl up in a ball in some corner, Mah wrote to the Edmonton Journal explaining about Tykerb, the drug that has been proven effective in treating stage four breast cancer.

Mah did this in order to vent, but she ended up doing an interview on the nightly news. Shortly after that the Alberta Health Minister contacted Mah and advised that the drug had been approved by the governmental boards. Gene Zwozdesky noted that $750,000 was set aside, per year, to treat 48 women in Alberta, and provide hope for them and their families.

Mah, who is only 42, is hopeful that doctors in Alberta will prescribe the drug for women with similar cancer issues. Now that Mah no longer has to worry about choosing between her wallet and her life, she can focus on fighting the cancer. Mah now has hope.

Thursday February 17, 2011 - Habitat Project in St. Albert to Be Called “Aurora Place”

Habitat for Humanity of Edmonton will be building a development in St. Albert at 70 Arlington Drive. This last Wednesday the organization unveiled the name of the 30 unit duplex development, calling it Aurora Place. The name is meant to inspire hope, as is the intention behind Habitat of Humanity.

It took a while for them to come up with something suitable because St. Albert has a tradition of using the letter “A” for all development names. Aurora can mean many things, besides the bright lights in the Alberta night sky called the aurora borealis. The dictionary says it means new beginning.

Construction is set to start in June or July, after the water and sewer lines have gone in. Some of the building will be done off-site at Habitat’s fabrication shop in Edmonton. Buildings at the actual site would most likely start to go up in September. The company hopes to finish five units this summer, an additional eight during the winter season, then the rest by the end of 2012. Habitat is accepting applications from families interested in the homes and is looking for volunteers.

It hasn’t been all smooth sailing for Habitat regarding this development. It’s taken more than a year to get approval. Nearby residents were upset that instead of a school being built next door, they were getting low cost housing. The fear was that property values would go down. The town remains divided, but once the project is underway and people move in things should settle down.

Thursday, February 17, 2011 - Envision Fighting City Hall over Petition Rejection

The issue of whether or not to close Edmonton’s City Centre Airport is still a virtual hot potato. Last summer a lobbyist group circulated a petition and gathered 92,000 signatures, all validated and submitted by late August. Despite this fact, City Council went ahead and approved the phased closure of the airport. The city clerk had ruled the petition invalid because it was 5,000 names short and over a year past the deadline.

This past Thursday, Janice Agrios, lawyer for Envision Edmonton, stated that the petition was to initiate a new bylaw, not an amendment. The 60 day rule under the Municipal Government Act does not apply. The petition was not late. Justice Neil Wittmann with the Court of Queens Bench must decide on the issue. He is questioning Agrios’ interpretation, stating that not enforcing the time limit could lead to abuse of the system.

One of the city’s lawyers says the time limit is necessary so that municipalities would not be wasting time putting together legal agreements only to see them go out of date or be overturned when a petition comes in last minute.

Envision may or may not win this latest battle. It they do then the petition will go to another hearing to decide if there were enough signatures. That will take time. Envision is also asking the city to provide copies of all documentation they have concerning the petition, including copies of the signatures that were deemed invalid. Meanwhile the work to begin development at the airport goes on.

Wednesday January 26, 2011 - Canadians Carrying Large Amounts of Household Debt

Canadian households are carrying a boatload of debt. Scott Hannah runs a New Westminster firm called Credit Counselling Society that offers help to those that just can’t keep up with the bills. Clients that come into his British Columbia office average about $25,000 to $50,000 owing on usually seven credit cards. Clients can barely keep up with paying the monthly minimums, and they are only a pay check or so away from financial disaster. The average age is mid 40s.

Nationwide, the average household debt stood at 148 percent of the annual disposable income during the third quarter of 2010. That is only going to get worse in 2011 because interest rates are expected to rise, most likely mid-year.

While it is true that the economic climate in Canada is improving, it is this individual household debt that is cause for concern. Hannah is seeing a 25 percent increase in business compared with November to January in 2009-2010. Often times people in such a situation can take five years or more to get back on their feet.

People carrying large mortgages will get another wake-up call later in the year when interest rates are expected to rise. Those wanting to refinance will find that they will only be able to borrow up to 85 percent of the value of a home, rather than the current 90 percent.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011 - Edmonton’s Heavy Snow Fall Playing Havoc on Flat Roofs

Flat roofed buildings sometimes don’t hold up well under mounds of snow. Habitat for Humanity in Edmonton found that out the hard way. They had to close its ReStore, located on Yellowhead in the north side. The building they use is 46 years old with a flat roof that almost collapsed.

Employees were in the store when they heard the beams cracking. Alfred Nikolai, president of the charity was in the building and feels blessed that everyone got out OK. Clark Builders stepped up and installed 32 tele-posts to keep the roof from collapsing. Williams Engineering is evaluating the roof and trying to determine the best way to fix it.

Unfortunately the north side store will have to remain closed until everything is repaired. The ReStore on the south side, at 76th Avenue and 69th Street, remains open and Nikolai is hoping that people will patronize that location. These stores take in and resell new and used building/construction items. The money goes towards building homes for the underprivileged.

Other companies are having issues with snow accumulation. Theresa Dykes, the owner of Top Notch Performance Horses had part of her barn roof give way on Sunday, luckily no one, horse or human, was injured. The city’s school board is also sending out workers to clear snow from school roofs, as well as inspect them for damage.

Tuesday January 18, 2011 - Ottawa Looking At Condo Mortgage and Sales Rules, Details Not Confirmed by PM

Canada’s mortgage market is getting the eye from Prime Minister Stephen Harper. This fact was confirmed this past Friday when Harper was in Montreal. He would not confirm a story previously run in the National Post stating that the condominium market would be the focal point of the study.

The article stated that Ottawa was going to try and make the rules tougher for those wanting to buy any condo or high-rise apartment unit. Part of the changes being considered was the inclusion of all condo fees in the equation of expenses verses income that indicates mortgage affordability. The other consideration is whether to increase the down payment from the current five percent to perhaps six or seven percent.

The aim is to decrease debt load, which in the third quarter of 2010 came in at some 148 percent of disposable income. That debt is considered by the International Monetary Fund to be the greatest risk to Canada’s economy. Harper did stress that the Canadian housing and mortgage market were and are viable. This study is meant to improve on that viability. But Mr. Harper did not go so far as to confirm the details of the study, some of which he referred to as rumours.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011 - Chris Mooney Elected President of Realtors Association of Edmonton

Chris Mooney became a realtor just like his dad Patrick. Again following in the elder Mooney’s footsteps, Chris is serving a year term on the Realtors Association of Edmonton. Patrick served as the organization’s president back in 1987. Real estate is very much the established family business.

Chris Mooney has been a realtor since 1996 when he graduated from Concordia University in Alberta with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He noted that the real estate market in Edmonton is one of the more stable in the nation. Even during the recent recession, Edmonton seemed to hold up pretty well.

The younger Mooney is married and works as an associate broker at the family run Pat Mooney Real Estate in the city. He is the father of four year old twins. This coming Wednesday he will be announcing his forecast for housing prices and sales, one of the first acts in his new presidential role.

Tuesday December 21, 2010 - Canada’s Resale Home Market Getting Back to Normal

The Canadian Real Estate Association is convinced that the housing market across the country is getting back to normal. One indicator is the resale home market which saw sales increase this past November for the fourth month in a row. Sales increased by 4.8 percent over those in October, numerically speaking 37,658 compared to 35,936.

Out of Canada’s ten most active markets, eight showed increases. Greater Vancouver showed the most gains, at 11.3 percent followed by Montreal at 8.2 percent. Edmonton took third place with 6.9 percent, then Toronto at six percent, Ottawa posting 4.2 percent and Calgary at a 2.6 percent gain. Sales are still down from the hot November of 2009 by 9.3 percent, but 19.5 percent higher than in July of 2010 which was this year’s low point.

Home prices are creeping up as well. In November, the average price of a home in Canada was $344,268 per unit more than in November of 2009. Statistics Canada, citing Toronto and Vancouver with the largest increases, noted that new home prices showed increases in August, September and October

ReMax realtors predicts 441,000 homes will change hands in 2011 with prices increasing by about three percent by year’s end. Average home prices are expected to be about $350,000 per unit.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010 - Kids with Disabilities Work On Their Walking By Playing the Cube

Who says video games are bad for you? Not always. When used in a therapy device called The Cube, they engage kids in what would otherwise be boring bouts of repetitive motion. Canadian company Gesture Teck put a projector and a computer on a walking therapy device and turned it into a game.

The projector, encased in a black box, shines an image on the floor. The child steps on the image and a motion sensor sends a message back to the computer, changing the picture. Sometimes it is a picture of rippling water, others it is billowing smoke or secret images. A child’s natural curiosity to see what will happen makes them get through their therapy sessions much easier.

Since The Cube is more play than work, and keeps the child engaged, they work harder and longer and ultimately make more progress in their ability to walk. Their endurance also improves. Since there are roughly 70 different games that can be programmed into The Cube, the boredom factor is eliminated and kids look forward to their therapy sessions.

Dean Kopfensteiner, who is six and has cerebral palsy, is a regular player of The Cube. One of his favorites is the hockey game which he says leaves him exhausted. But it is a happy tired. And that is a good thing.

Thursday December 9, 2010 - LRT Extension Discussed At Public Hearing, Concerns Voiced Over Route Choice

One of the LRT expansion routes in Edmonton passes right through the historic Chinatown district. The route takes the trains right by two senior apartments and there is concern about pedestrian safety as well as access for emergency vehicles. These views and others were expressed at a public hearing this past Wednesday at Edmonton’s city hall.

The low-floor trains will run from west Edmonton to Mill Woods, via the downtown core. Councillors are expecting feedback from about 60 people about the plans that were unveiled at the meeting. These plans show not only the route, but planned station locations.

Those representing the Chinese community in Edmonton are unhappy about the section of the track that follows 102nd Avenue. Drawings of the proposed station/track in that area show that the architects have taken the locale into consideration. A pagoda style tri-roof keeps the Oriental flavour intact. But safety and security concerns seemed to outweigh aesthetics.

One of the groups pleased with the LRT proposed extension was the Grant MacEwan University representatives. They advised councillors that the selected route is an excellent choice for students.

Thursday, December 9, 2010 - Sports Mortgage Idea for Edmonton Arena Sparks Interest

Residents of Edmonton would probably enjoy getting a new arena that would become the new home of the city’s Oilers and host headline events. It certainly would give that section of downtown a face lift. But taxpayers have no interest in paying for the new digs. It is estimated that it will cost between $450 to $500 million to replace the aging Rexall Place with a sports complex that includes restaurants, shops, office and living space. Face it, the new arena is really more than an arena. But paying for it is still a problem.

One idea has surfaced recently, called the “sports mortgage.” A certain number of seats is sold long term, usually 40 to 50 years. The money raised would go towards construction cost. As an example, if 1,000 seats in the arena would be sold for $100,000 each. That would raise $100 million dollars, a good start on construction fees. The owners of the seats would be entitled to free seats for the duration of the term for whatever events are included in the deal. Owners would be able to sell their seats on the open market, just like selling a lease on a timeshare or selling a home.

This is a fairly new idea, but one that has already been implemented in the United States. The University of California-Berkeley needs a new stadium and has already sold 1,800 seats and raised $160 million towards that goal. They want to sell a total of 3,000 seats. The concept is a bit different than a personal seat license, which lets fans buy a specified season ticket year after year.

The city is looking into the idea, but that may be a moot point. The Katz Group, the original proposers of the arena and who have promised $100 million in funding, is not interested in the sports mortgage idea. Bob Black, the vice-president of the organization does not feel this is financially viable for the Oilers, also owned by the group.

Thursday November 29, 2010 - Canada is the Most Expensive Place in the World to Do Business – Tax Wise

Canada has the highest commercial real estate tax rate in the world, a whopping 53 percent of the mortgage payment. It is this reason that is keeping many investors from buying up property. The tax advisory service Taxand, based in Luxemburg, released a report citing this perhaps surprising tax figure.

The United States came in second, at 41 percent. That is 12 percent lower than Canada. Norway came in third, showing a 36 percent tax rate. The least expensive place in the world, tax-wise, is Norway, with commercial rental income taxes coming in at 8.99 percent.

Property tax rates for commercial buildings are four times higher than for private homes. Perhaps the Taxand report should not have come as a surprise, since investors have been vocal about Canada being an expensive place to do business for quite a while now. Even so, the firm is getting some backlash, stating that the 53 percent number is too high. The doubters include the company’s Canadian branch.

One possible reason for the high number was that Toronto was used as the example. The city has an additional land transfer tax that was approved in 2007 and is the only municipality in the nation to have such a tax. But still, it would take a really big mistake to pull Canada out of the number one slot.

Thursday, November 29, 2010 - Edmonton in the Sporting Doldrums

The Grey Cup has been decided. Football season is over. Or is it? If you are in Edmonton, where the big game was played, and are an Edmonton Eskimo fan, you might have a case of football blues. You see, the Eskimos didn’t make it to the Grey Cup. You were forced to watch two competing teams go for the trophy. Hmmm….

Eskimo owner Eric Tillman is looking for a new head coach and has a list of 12 potential candidates. No doubt this list well be pared down to a select three or four, but there is really only one person Tillman wants, Kent Austin, a former coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Best not place any money on that signing. Eskimo fans will just have to be a little more patient, and a bit more optimistic about finding the right man to head the team.

The Oilers have not given hockey fans much to smile about either. They currently sit dead last in the Western Conference and are second to last in the entire NHL. This is only good for one thing, being in a good position at the next draft to pick up some promising talent. But the draft doesn’t happen until after the Stanley Cup, which Edmonton would much rather get their hands on.

Edmonton is very good at hosting parties and sporting events. The 2012 World Junior Hockey Championships will play in both Edmonton and Calgary from December 2011 into January of 2012. But even here, the medal round games will be played at the Saddledome in Calgary. The 2011 sporting season is already looking like a case of always a bridesmaid, never a bride. Best look forward to the Women’s Baseball World Cup in 2012. By then the Oilers may have gotten some new blood as well and may be chasing the Stanley Cup in earnest.

Thursday November 18, 2010 - Edmonton Region Could Use A Monetary Kick-Start From Provincial Government

The new LRT lines and the Anthony Henday Drive extension are just two of the construction projects being considered for the Edmonton capital region. It would be nice to get them started sooner than later considering that the area is going through one of the slowest construction periods it has faced in some time. Currently the region has been designated one of North America’s weakest construction markets.

But it is all about the money, or lack of to be more specific. If the provincial government would supply funding, the backhoes and cranes would once again be humming and things in Edmonton would actually be getting built. Such is the opinion of Paul Douglas, a panelist on an Economic Forum held this past week in the city. He is also a top executive with PCL Constructors Inc.

Douglas noted that while many parts of Edmonton are seeing improvements in the economy, the construction sector is not one of them. Both residential and commercial markets have been agonizingly slow. The only breath of fresh air is the heavy industrial market which is seeing activity.

While his firm was able to sign $800 million in new construction starts in 2008, in 2010 that number has decreased to $100 million. He suggests that the government step in and invest in infrastructure while construction costs are low. Otherwise, firms may have to close their doors. This is bad for the firms, but equally bad for the city. When the government or the private sector decides to start building again, costs will go up because there is less competition. What is now a buyer’s construction market may well turn into a market that favours the contractors.

Thursday, November 18, 2010 - Bad Money Being Used To Do Good for Victims of Crime in Alberta

It looks like the provincial government of Alberta has found a way for crime to pay…for the victims that is. Assets belonging to criminals are routinely seized and so far the province is in possession of more than $19 million in high end cars, fashion accessories and even drug money stuffed into Lululemon bags. Some is taken as evidence and some taken off the bodies of the offenders that decided to fight rather than surrender, and lost.

Some of that money is now being allocated to the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters in the form of a $150,000 grant. Alison Redford, the province’s Justice Minister announced the move and explained that it is part of a pilot program intended to help victims of domestic violence, particularly in the outlying areas. Coming from the Civil Forfeiture Fund, it is part of property seized under the Victims Restitution and Compensation Payment Act passed in 2008.

The act is a controversial one because it allows for the seizure of assets even if in the end no criminal charges are filed. All there needs to be is reasonable proof that the items were obtained through illegal gain. Critics vie that the law is in violation of civil rights laws. A similar law was challenged in Ontario and the government won.

Alberta’s Civil Forfeiture Office has about a dozen attorneys currently working roughly two hundred cases in various stages of appeal. But since, so far, the lawyers have won more cases than lost, more money is being brought in that is needed to fund the office. On a good note, if the pilot program is a success, more of that tainted money will be used to help crime victims.

Thursday November 4, 2010 - Toys “R” Us Launches Temporary Stores in Edmonton Area

Many types of stores exist in the retail industry. Some are perennial successes, others bound for extinction. However, “pop-up” or temporary stores are filling a marketing niche, particularly for highly seasonal items.

Four Toys “R” Us Express stores are opening within the Edmonton region, at locations including Mill Woods Town Centre, Bonnie Doon Shopping Centre, St. Albert Centre and West Edmonton Mall. These temporary stores are among some 30 similar outlets that Toys “R” Us intends to launch throughout Canada. They will open in mid-November and will be in operation through the end of January. The company opened a number of temporary stores in the U.S. during the past several years, and tested its first pop-up location in Toronto last year. Although the Toronto store was scheduled to be closed after the holiday season, its success prompted management to keep it open.

Although the toy giant already has three big-box locations in Edmonton, the company wanted to make its merchandise available to people who live far from the conventional stores. Toys “R” Us spokesperson Victoria Spade advised that the pop-up stores carry the same lines of products as the larger stores, but on a smaller basis. If the temporary stores do well during the holiday season, there is a possibility they will remain open, said Spade.

The temporary store at Bonnie Doon measures 5,000 square feet, in comparison with a standard store of more than 30,000 square feet.

Paul McElhone, who is the executive director of the School of Retailing at the University of Alberta, said that the pop-up store concept is growing. He noted that Toys “R” Us is leveraging a season in which there is the highest demand for their products, and it is sensible for the retailer to have as many outlets as possible during the holidays.

Thursday, November 4, 2010 - Airport Information Prank Draws Lawsuit from Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel

An American pseudo-journalist going by the name of Grant Bristow is being sued by the newly elected mayor of Edmonton. Stephen Mandel, who just won his third term in office, filed a complaint asking for $500,001 in damages, all of which will be donated to charity if the suit is won.

The exact details of the suit are protected by a court order but the guess is that Mandel is suing Bristow over allegations of the mayor’s improper interest in the project intended for the airport lands. It is also a logical conclusion that Mandel is seeking out others involved in what the defendant is calling a prank, or in his words “Radio Shack espionage.”

Grant Bristow is not a stranger to controversy. He is also known as Nathan Black who at one time was an undercover agent in the Heritage Front organization, a white supremacist group. He then got interested in political activism in Alberta with the latest target being the controversy over Edmonton’s downtown airport.

Bristow called Mandel and others involved in the airport development plan using a devise that hid his identity and the call origin. He claimed to be a reporter from Seattle and was seeking detailed information about Mandel’s involvement in airport plans. His belligerent, unprofessional manner ultimately gave him away.

Tuesday October 19, 2010 - Real Estate: Is It Too Risky Right Now for RRSP Investing?

As the stock market has been chaotic for the past few years, investors are skeptical as to the financial vehicles they use for their RRSPs. An alternative might be to consider investing one’s assets in real estate in an RRSP.

The idea of investing in real estate, whether within one’s RRSP or with non-registered funds, has received much publicity lately. Companies are promoting new residential and commercial developments for such investments. According to financial experts, this idea is not new, and is not an advisable strategy for retirement accounts.

Can real estate investments be included in an RRSP? Yes. However, such investments should not be considered as a viable element of a diversified portfolio. While such a strategy might have yielded significant returns during the real estate boom years before 2008, the market is currently experiencing uncertainty. There are other investment options, particularly for retirement purposes, that are considerably less risky and carry better short-term value.

When properties remain on the market for much longer than they did a few years ago, real estate cannot possibly be thought of as a liquid asset. Selling costs remain high, and eat into whatever profits may be achieved.

Certain mutual funds focus upon real estate. They carry less risk than individual real estate investment, but still are not as stable as other investment vehicles, especially for consumers that do not have a varied collection of assets. Anyone considering acquiring investment properties needs to do so with a long-term perspective. The days of flipping properties for fast money are long gone, and may not be seen for a long time.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010 - Bus Transport to Edmonton International is Approved by Province

People traveling to Edmonton International Airport now have a new way to get there: A new line of transit will take commuters between the airport, Edmonton and Leduc County. The “C-Line” costs only $5.00 each way, and $4.00 for seniors and youths. Additionally, discounted monthly tickets and ticket books will be available. Stops along the way include Century Park, Nisku, as well as 13 locations in Leduc.

Service is expected to begin within the next four weeks, and will operate during prime commuting times such as early morning and late afternoon. The first run starts just after 5:30 a.m., and proceeds directly to the airport. From there, it will go to Nisku’s Leduc County office, and go through Leduc before it returns to Edmonton.

One company that objects to the new service is Greyhound Canada, which also provides service between Leduc and Edmonton. Greyhound contends it is unable to compete with service that is government-standardized. In a hearing that ended the week of October 4, the new transit line received official favour.

Bonnie Bastian, a Greyhound spokesperson, said that her company is now contemplating appealing the results of the hearing to Federal Court. She said that Greyhound, as a for-profit company, is unable to compete with a government-run service that does not necessarily have to achieve profitability. Bastian said that Greyhound is already losing revenue because the provincial government requires it to provide services in communities that have experienced continuing ridership declines.

The new C-Line is funded by both Leduc County as well as the City of Leduc. The route will run, via contract with Edmonton Transit, for three years at a price of $490,000 per annum.

Thursday September 23, 2010 - Edmonton’s West End Is Growing…And Growing

The western edge of Edmonton is a magnet for those looking to own a home. Developments are springing up out of the one time lonely stretches of farmland and attracting young families with children looking for some breathing space. Even through the recession the area remained the city’s top real estate draw.

The nearly finished Anthony Henday freeway is one of the reasons for the flourishing of the west end. It is almost ready. People will be able to live in the suburbs and still be in easy reach of their Edmonton jobs or classes at the universities. Two developments, the Hamptons and the Lewis Estates have grown immensely over the last five years.

City council just approved two new developments in the area near Big Lake and the Lois Hole Provincial Park. Developers will be using environmentally friendly home designs, appropriate given the natural surroundings.

The west end has diversified its housing markets to accommodate a range of incomes and needs. Single family homes and multiple family condos can both be found. Karen Leibovici, Edmonton city counselor, admits that the city’s positive growth is a good thing. She also knows that sometime in the future, the city may have to come up with more creative ways to build up, rather than out. Doing that with Mother Nature in mind is also a necessity.

Thursday, September 23, 2010 - Habitat for Humanity Finding St. Albert Not Very Welcoming

Habitat for Humanity travels the globe building homes for those who have been suffering from hard times. These homes are not a gift. The recipients must pay for them, albeit at a reduced rate, but they also must put in sweat equity. That is, they must put in so many man hours in the building of the home as well as homes for others. This organization wants to build a 30 unit apartment complex in St. Albert and it is causing quite a stir.

Neighbours complain that the project is too high in density. Others believe that low income people moving in will increase the crime rate. Public meetings have been held and another one is scheduled for Monday before St. Albert council makes the vote. Just in case council doesn’t see things their way, 14 residents have filed a lawsuit against the Protestant school that is selling them the land.

The lawsuit states that the school bought the land in 1970 for the price of $1.00, therefore it is still city land and they have no right to sell. Funny, I did see the word “bought” in that sentence. One would think the price would be irrelevant. If the school, some 40 years later gets the chance to sell that same piece of land to Habitat for Humanity for some $840,000 than that is good for the school system and its students. If any private party managed that we would praise him for having good business sense.

The lawsuit whether it has a firm basis or not, may be enough to at least delay the project. Which, basing everything on who actually filed the suit and their vocalizations against the project, appears to be the original intent.

September 10, 2010 - ING Sells Canadian Real Estate Holdings At A Bargain

Alberta Investment Management Corp and KingSett Capital are buying 400 industrial properties from the international financial magnate ING Group. The European firm decided to sell this part of their Canadian portfolio because the value dropped over $1.2 billion over the last four years. The two Canadian purchasing firms got quite the bargain.

Even with that, ING sold the portfolio for close to book value, so their loss was not significant. The Amsterdam based financial giant purchased the Summit portfolio in 2006. This was a couple of years before the credit crisis. It was ING’s intent to invest in even more Canadian properties, including those outside of the industrial market. Now, after the economic downturn, the firm is returning to its banking and insurance roots and is divesting itself of Summit real estate holdings.

ING was forced to use some of its emergency funds and divest assets in recent months, as have other European banks. On that continent, it is the Greek debt crisis that is taking its toll on European confidence in their economy system. This is on top of the European recession that mirrored that in the United States.

The Summit portfolio was an enviable acquisition for the two Canadian firms. They automatically gained control over industrial real estate properties across the nation. Regulatory approval is pending and it is anticipated the deal will be sealed during the fourth quarter of 2010.

Friday, September 10, 2010 - Housing Starts Slow, But Still Way Over Recession Numbers

Housing starts are slowing down across Canada. When you look at the numbers we are still ahead of where we were in the beginning of 2009 when the bottom fell out of the economy and the real estate market. As an example, there were roughly 183,000 starts this past August across the nation. That is slightly lower than July, at 189,000 and June at 192,000. But, all of these figures are considerably higher than the 115,000 in February of 2009, or the 112,000 of April of that same year.

Certain factors have caused housing sales to slow, and that was expected. Implementation of the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) in Ontario and British Columbia added to the lower numbers in two of Canada’s hottest real estate markets. Those two provinces, as well as the rest of the country are also seeing the effects of tougher mortgage lending regulations and the increased mortgage rates.

The Bank of Canada has raised mortgage rates three times, each time adding 25 basis points to the rate. This means that since June 1st, mortgage rates are .75 percent (less than one percent) higher than at their lowest point. Real estate loans are still very reasonable, especially when compared to historic figures.

Canada’s economic outlook has improved but we are still being influenced by the troubles south of the border. The United States is still struggling to create jobs for the more than eight million people left without work because of the recession. We in Canada are in much better shape so there is no telling how much of this influence is psychological.

Wednesday August 18, 2010 - Commercial Real Estate Markets in Alberta’s Two Largest Cities on the Rebound

The Edmonton commercial real estate market was rather sluggish in 2009. The first half of 2010 is experiencing a nice rebound according to recent numbers. The national investment report, put out by CB Richard Ellis showed that during the first half of this year 161 properties changed hands for a total of $754 million. In 2009, 120 properties were sold adding up to $547 million.

Calgary’s numbers also showed an improvement. In the first half of 2009 there were 149 commercial properties sold totaling $471 million. Fast forward one year and the numbers sold reached 188 translating into $680 million.

In both cities, the sales totals were below that of the high water mark of 2007. During that year in Edmonton 167 sales translated into $870 million and 289 Calgary properties brought in $2.9 billion. Still, we are moving in the right direction. Both cities had the most interest and sales from local private investors. Foreign investment was down.

Across Canada there was $7.8 billion worth of sales during the first half of 2010, over a 60 percent gain from the first six months of 2009 which netted $4.9 billion. In the former there were 2,243 sales, in the latter 1,565. Since commercial real estate activity seems to increase in the latter part of the year, it is expected that markets will finish with strong, stable numbers.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010 - Victoria’s Secret Opens Its First Lingerie Boutique at West Edmonton Mall

The purveyor of sexy lingerie that has flavored many a male fantasy has finally found a home in Canada. West Edmonton Mall has the honors of hosting the first Victoria’s Secret outlet. On opening day, customers and perhaps curiosity seekers were lined up outside the mall’s entrance. Some got there as early as 5:30 am even though the store didn’t open until 10:30 am. By the time Victoria’s Secret’s doors opened, over 300 customers were waiting, almost all women under the age of 30.

The ribbon cutting ceremony was headlined by Candice Swanepoel, a South African model that is one of the Victoria’s Secret Angels. She signed autographs later that afternoon. Customers who splurged $100 or more at the sexy clothing store got VIP treatment and a shorter wait to meet the supermodel.

Even though the only way for Canadians to buy the titillating attire was through catalogues or hopping the border to the United States, there is quite the following. Ontario is home to six stores carrying the Pink store label, but to many Victoria’s Secret is still queen of the ultra feminine lingerie retailers.

The Edmonton store’s opening also coordinated with the launch of the new “Incredible Bra” at Victoria’s Secret. Now instead of doing a quick border run to see this newest creation in person, Edmonton shoppers just have to go to their local mall.

Tuesday August 3, 2010 - Lone Business Hindering Edmonton Area Revitalization

Before the Yellowhead Highway began rerouting traffic from 118th Avenue, the area was busy and thriving. Gradually, real estate values began dropping and basic retail shops like grocers shut down. Prostitutes, pimps, gangs and drug dealers moved into the area, and so did businesses that sold dangerous goods—like machetes.

After an encounter last year with a 12-year-old concealing a machete, the community campaign, “We Believe in 118” was created. The campaign encourages local businesses to rid their stock of products like machetes, crack pipes, drug paraphernalia and knives to help revitalize the area. Only one of the six businesses didn’t comply, Canadian Dollar Produce and Grocery Store, and continues to sell products like pipes, measuring scales, baggies, knives and decorative axes.

An employee said the store had $10,000 in bladed weapons and drug utensils inventory with no intention of throwing it out.

Campaign members and council members are frustrated with this attitude, but are still focused on revitalizing the area.

Mayor Stephen Mandel recommended not buying from stores that don’t share Edmonton’s vision of revitalization, while the area’s business association Executive Director, Joe Holtz, hopes the educational approach will help communicate the message.

Over $45 million has been put into the area to fund new asphalt, lighting, trees and wider sidewalks, and with real estate becoming attractive and new businesses moving in, it seems the campaign is beginning to see progress.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010 - Edmonton Airport Improves in Efficiency, Now Ahead of Calgary in its Class

Edmonton International Airport is now ahead of Calgary in being Canada’s most efficient in terms of small airports. Per research from British Columbia’s Air Transport Research Society, Edmonton achieved a 144-percent increase in revenue not related to aeronautics between the years 2001 and 2008. This rise in income enabled the airport to jump ahead of airports in Calgary and in Ottawa.

Edmonton International now ranks fifth in airports in North America that serve fewer than 15 million passengers each year. In terms of large airports in North America, Vancouver achieved fifth place in terms of efficiency.

The report indicates that non-aeronautical income can improve airports’ efficiency, possibly resulting in lower airport fees and the attraction of new aviation-related business. The research assessed the price-competitive aspects of 142 different airports based in North America, the Asia-Pacific area and Europe. Data used in the report came from the fiscal year of 2007-2008.

Tae Oum, president of ATRS, said that airports are successfully growing their income by way of peripheral revenue-generating devices. These devices include parking lots, retail businesses, and even commercial real estate and golf courses. By offering a diverse array of income-producing operations, airports are better able to improve efficiency and survive recessionary periods.

Traci Bednard, a spokesperson for Edmonton Airports, said that non-aeronautical income helps stabilize the fees and rates that are passed along to passengers. She said that Edmonton has not increased airline fees in several years.

The number of food, beverage and retail businesses at the airport has doubled during the past few years. A 7-Eleven convenience store, golf course and gas station, all on airport-owned land, have helped to improve the airport’s efficiency.

Monday July 26, 2010 - Funding Cut Short for Edmonton Housing Project

An Edmonton project that would provide affordable housing for 14 men may not be completed unless the city provides $459,000 in funding. Mike Brown, who chairs Safe Harbour Homes, told City Council he feels victimized that this money has been withheld from the project.

The controversy stems from a report issued in May by David Wiun, city auditor. In the report, Wiun contested the grant of $918,000 to construct the duplex-style residence, saying that the building’s value would be about 50 percent of the amount originally estimated.

Wiun said that in reviewing the grant application, he saw no guarantees that the building would operate as Brown described. He also had concerns about the size of the rooms. City planning experts and residents are worried that the building would operate mainly as a boarding house.

As a result of Wiun’s report, Walter Trocenko, housing branch manager, halted the advance of the $459,000 until he could address the concerns raised in the report. Brown, who initiated Safe Harbour Homes in 2005, was a longtime city employee. He acknowledged that the city often makes mistakes in auditing processes, but said he felt as though he were stuck in a bureaucratic mess.

Nearly 90 percent of construction is complete on the 97th Street duplex. The building was to be ready for occupancy by May 31. Brown said he is prepared to enter arbitration if funds are not released in the near future.

Brown said that the residence would provide single private rooms, plus common areas for kitchen, laundry and other facilities. Rent is $500 per month. The occupants are projected to be men employed at low-income jobs. Brown is confident about the building’s safety in the neighbourhood, noting that his organization operates another facility for men in addiction programs and has never had a problem in its five years of existence.

Monday, July 26, 2010 - Alberta United Way Launches Tools for Schools Backpack Campaign

The United Way has launched its sixteenth annual Tools for School program, which supports the collection of school supplies for needy students. Per a United Way press release, there is a great need for backpacks and other equipment. An estimated 8,300 children in the area would benefit from supplies.

Kristy Jacklin, who coordinates the Discovery program for the United Way’s Alberta Capital Region, said that the students who have the fewest amount of supplies are at the elementary school level. She remarked that United Way statistics show that one of every eight children in school live in a household with an annual income of $20,000 or less. Jacklin said that adults in continuing-education programs are also the beneficiaries of school supplies.

Leduc Food Bank Executive Director Gert Reyner said that families receiving school supplies are able to focus their energy in other important areas. The Food Bank assists in distributing the supply-filled backpacks.

Every year, principals the region’s public schools prepare estimates, outlining the amount of backpacks and supplies their respective schools will need. Karen Sand, an Elk Island Public Schools spokesperson, said that her division has requested 275 of the estimated 8,500 backpacks to be donated and filled.

People are invited to participate by donating supplies at a number of locations in Sherwood Park at which school supplies are sold. Suggested items include binders, backpacks, pencils, pens, erasers, non-toxic markers, geometry kits, lined loose-leaf paper, glue sticks, exercise books, as well as USB memory sticks. Volunteers, who are needed to pack the backpacks, may call Lindsay Herrick: 780-443-8380.

School families may request filled backpacks by calling the central office of the EIPS, at: 780-417-8225.

Monday July 5, 2010 - Edmonton Focuses on Spending, Saving

Edmonton city councillors are in disagreement over tax increases. Tax hikes in 2010 averaged 4.9 per cent, and early estimates figured a property tax hike in 2011 would hit 10.5 per cent. However, proposed higher revenue and spending cuts would reduce that number to five per cent.

In 2011, the city aims to reduce spending to $76 million, a drop of $22.1 million, and increase revenue by $25.5 million. Borrowing costs total approximately $18.9 million for projects including widening the Quesnel Bridge, building the Terwillegar recreation centre and building new zoo enclosures.

The city budget also plans to raise $1 million from transit ads, parking meters and fines, raise $2 million from red light cameras and photo radar fines, and getting rid of 37 positions.

Higher taxes would be divided between two per cent to repair neighbourhoods and three per cent to provide city services.
Increased transit fares would also add to revenue. In 2007, a five-year plan was adopted to increase the fares. Annual senior passes, fares and adult passes are supposed to rise in cost in 2011. Adult passes are intended to rise to $89 by 2012 and cash fares from $2.50 to $3. These raises would help cover transit costs.

Some councillors disagree with the hikes, believing that the increases would deter transit goers when the city is trying to encourage them most. Other councillors believe tax increases need to be higher to reflect reality.

Monday, July 5, 2010 - Edmonton, Calgary Among New Monopoly Cities

Edmonton can now boast ownership of property worth $3 million.
Hasbro Canada is releasing Monopoly: Canada, and announced Edmonton as one of the Canadian cities that was voted onto the board. Edmonton’s Monopoly property is next to the “Go to Jail” space, part of a trio of green properties which are the second-most valuable collection of properties in the game.

Cities were awarded property values based on the number of votes they received. Edmonton placed fifth overall in the votes with 3.1 per cent of more than a million votes cast, and boasts Calgary, Alberta and Sarnia, Ontario as its fellow green property neighbours.

Edmonton’s property spot in the original Monopoly game belongs to Pacific Avenue, a funky, university-influenced street in Santa Cruz, California.

Hasbro Canada spokeswoman, Marisa Pedatella, said the green properties are a great place to be. Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel agreed. Mandel said Edmonton’s spot on the green strip is natural, and due mainly to Edmonton’s environmental initiatives and green energy campaigns. He himself was a Monopoly player and said he’ll purchase the Canadian version.

Other cities that made it onto the Monopoly board include North Bay, Vancouver, Montreal, Banff, St. John’s and Kelowna.

Hasbro gave Boardwalk and Park Place to two wildcard cities that were not included in the original list of Canadian cities but added in by voters. On the Monopoly: Canada board, Park Place is now Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, and Boardwalk is Chatham-Kent, Ontario.

Sunday June 6, 2010 - “Peter Puck” Is Out of Luck - Again

In Edmonton Peter Pocklington will forever be known as the man who traded Wayne Gretsky from the Oilers to a team not even within Canadian borders, the Los Angeles Kings. The city was not pleased. Edmonton was already upset with the man because he brought in replacement workers to his Gainers packing plant to break the union. So the man once known as “Peter Puck” because of the Oilers’ stellar success under his ownership (five Stanley Cups within a decade), went south.

He bought a home in Palm Springs, California and left behind a mountain of debt and a score of unhappy people, including the Alberta Government. In 1988, the province loaned Pocklington $2 million to save his meat packing company. Today, with interest, the amount owed is $13 million.

Now Pocklington is in trouble with the Internal Revenue Service in the United States for tax evasion. He filed for bankruptcy and failed to properly disclose his assets and income. Pleading guilty to a charge of perjury, and faced with having to file three years of back tax forms, Pocklington is hoping to get away with home detention and probation as a sentence. He is not a U.S. citizen, so deportation is a possibility, but considering he owes the IRS and others in the States, not likely.

Friday, June 4, 2010 - Edmonton Real Estate May Have Peaked Already –Second Quarter Will Tell

Edmonton’s real estate market may have peaked. Sales of homes throughout the area fell 26 percent when comparing May to this past April. In May there were 3,670 listings in the residential market and 1,682 sales as reported by the Realtors Association of Edmonton. In April, 1,740 homes were sold. The difference is a negative 3.3 percent.

Many home buyers wanted to get into the market before the new real estate laws went into effect in mid April and before the mortgage rates went up any farther. Some increases in mortgage rates have already been seen, with more expected, or promised by the Bank of Canada, by June 1st.

Since the second quarter in Edmonton is usually the busiest for real estate sales, agents are hoping for a rebound which will insure a stable market for the remainder of this year. To date there are 16,048 MLS listings, higher than in the 2007 boom year when the listings came in at 15,488.

So far real estate prices have not taken any dramatic dips. Prices for a single family home in May averaged $390,583 which is up just under one percent from this past April and 6.5 percent over May of 2009. Average prices in condos dropped by two percent, coming in at $248,526 per unit.

Friday April 23, 2010 - Mortgage Rate Honeymoon Almost Over

Mortgage holders have been enjoying interest rates that have not been seen in decades and most likely will not be seen again in the foreseeable future. Well, as they say, the honeymoon is over. Get ready for a healthy dose of reality as those teeny tiny mortgage percentage figures gradually become figments of the imagination.

New mortgage rules, already in effect, mean that buyers must qualify for a five year fixed rate mortgage even if they sign the dotted line on a lower cost package. That is unless you can come up with a 20 percent down payment. The old rules only required 5 percent down and qualification on the loan that you actually sign.

While most people are focusing on the real estate market and how the increase will affect home sales and affordability, it seems the bond market also bears watching. That market has already upped its lending rates an average of 6/10 of a percent at most banks in anticipation of the mortgage rate increase. The bond traders are the ones that govern the fixed rate mortgages. The Bank of Canada’s mortgage rates affect variable mortgages.

No one knows exactly what the effect of a high dollar will have on Canadian inflation or how much mortgages will increase over the next few years. The only certainty is that the increases, and higher mortgage payments, are on their way.

Friday, April 23, 2010 - Edmonton Takes Steps To Encourage Subsidized Housing In More Neighbourhoods

Edmonton tends to put its subsidized housing all in the same place, namely in the inner city sections. Consequently, these sections struggle with the issues of homelessness, a high crime rate and a population with a high number of residents living in poverty. City council agrees that this trend cannot continue, but knows the change to more evenly distribute subsidized housing throughout the city will not be easy.

Social agencies and concerned citizens, tired and worn out from trying to cope with the constant influx of the poor and ill mannered into their communities, are asking for a moratorium on adding any more housing projects in the inner city. This proposal morphed into a flexible cap option that allowed for certain circumstances where subsidized homes could be built.

Among the exceptions are small structures that replace properties that are beyond repair and those homes funded by Edmonton’s Housing First program. This program is part of Edmonton’s target to end homelessness within ten years. Projects proposed under these parameters will each be assessed and the community will be able to have a say in what goes up, and what does not.

Edmonton patterned this flexible option after a program in Portland, Oregon which is called the Location Policy. The goal is to discourage concentration of low income housing in one area of a city, but rather to more evenly integrate these homes.

Tuesday March 30, 2010 - York Hotel Lounge Closes Its Doors - For Good

The York Hotel tavern is closed for good. Despite having a loyal following, some of whom have been coming to the pub at 10401 96th Street for well over 25 years, the pub’s chequered past has finally caught up with it. There was just one too many bar fight causing one too many police visits and as they say, that was that.

In 2007-2008, the York Hotel tavern was visited by police, fire, ambulance staff as well as liquor license and fire inspectors 1.226 times. That is more than all of the businesses at the giant West Edmonton Mall put together. Needless to say, city officials are glad to see the doors close.

The head of Edmonton’s public safety team, Sgt. Nicole Chapdelaine is glad the lounge is finally closed. She had been trying since January to shut it down because of the high number of assaults on the property. The York has been operating since then pending an appeal that was supposed to have been heard this April. An offer by the city to purchase the property to become part of the Boyle Renaissance housing project was accepted at the last minute by the owners and they dropped the appeal.

The city had asked the bar owners not to announce the sale, fearing patrons would riot or in other ways show their displeasure. It wasn’t until after the fact that regulars found out they would have to find another place to socialize and drown their sorrows. No doubt among those sorrows would be lamentations about the home away from home that abruptly closed it doors without a proper send-off.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010 - Edmonton’s Office Vacancy Rate High in 2010’s First Quarter

Despite the fact that Edmonton’s commercial real estate market vacancy rate is the second highest in the nation, after Calgary, the opinion is that the market is still healthy. Vacancy rates did rise in the first quarter of 2010, up to 10.6 percent compared to 6.5 percent from the first quarter of 2009. But there is renewed interest in the oil sands and the energy markets, which can only trickle down to the rest of Alberta’s economy.

Rental rates have decreased between 15 and 20 percent, but still the prices per square foot are higher than five years ago. Even with that, the vacancy rate is expected to hold steady through the rest of 2010. There is also the possibility of vacancy rate increases, but not to the same levels as predicted in Calgary. Part of Calgary’s increase will be due to two large developments coming on line in the next 18 months adding 2.7 million more square feet of available apace.

Nationwide, office markets in both downtown and suburban areas have been oversupplied throughout 2009 with an average vacancy rate of 10.1 percent. Though employment and subsequent leasing conditions are improving things are expected to be slow going throughout 2010. As representatives of some firms have pointed out, with the decrease in rental rates and the excess availability, it is at present a tenant’s market. That in itself may be enough to encourage more pens to find their way to that leasing dotted line.
 

Monday March 15, 2010 - Survey: Edmonton Faces Moderate Hiring Environment

The Edmonton job environment is still unstable, as results from a new survey indicate an increase in the number of employers planning staff cuts or hiring freezes.  The Manpower survey, released March 9, shows that intent to hire for the second quarter has decreased by nine percent versus intent for the first quarter.  

Per survey information, 16 percent of all employers expressed the intention to hire people between April and June, but 12 percent predict they will reduce staff.  This results in a net positive outlook of four percent.  This outlook is marginally better than that of the same period of a year ago, when the net outlook represented three percent.  

Manpower Alberta Region CEO Randy Upright remains optimistic, saying that in spite of the modest net amount of hiring, there is stability in the number of companies that anticipate adding people to their payrolls.  

Upright also noted that hiring is historically slower during the second quarter.  Many of the drivers of key commodity segments are less active during this time period.  

Of the ten business sectors surveyed in Western Canada, employers in the mining and education areas displayed the highest propensity to hire, with net outlooks of 15 percent for both.  Next in line was the construction segment, showing a 10-percent net outlook.  

Results from the questionnaire involving 1,900 companies throughout Canada indicate that workers are contending with a modest hiring arena with a seven-percent net outlook.  As with Edmonton, employers across the country are a bit less positive than they were during the first quarter, but more encouraged than they were a year ago, by a total of six percent.

Monday, March 15, 2010 - Edmonton Home Prices Not Keeping Pace With 33-Percent Sales Increase

Despite a jump in real estate sales, price increases in the Edmonton region failed to keep pace, per data released by the MLS March 2.  The average price for a single-family home, $369,573, increased by 1.4 percent in February versus January, and rose by 5.6 percent over February 2009.  The median sales price for a single-family residence was $355,000, representing a six-percent hike over February 2009’s median sales price.

Sales of condominiums decreased by 3.8 since January, with an average selling price of $231,530 last month.  That price is up a scant 0.8 percent versus a year ago.  However, prices for town home and duplex units grew by 3.3 percent, to $315,390 last month versus January. 

Actual sales information indicated significant increases over January and a year ago:  Home sales in February totaled 1,184, up nearly 34 percent and 7.6 percent over January and a year ago, respectively.  Realtors Association of Edmonton President Larry Westergard said that the heightened sales pace represents proof that demand for housing continues in the area.  He also noted that February’s upswing in sales is likely due to homebuyers’ wanting to make purchases before interest rates inevitably rise and mortgage regulations become tighter.

The addition of 2,505 homes for sale in February is helping to alleviate any concerns over a low inventory for the important spring selling season.  By the end of February, a total of 5,449 homes were on the market, with a decrease in the average market time from 49 to 47 days. 

Monday March 1, 2010 - Goldring’s Incendiary Comments About Riel Unearth Age-Old Dissent

More than 125 years after he was executed on charges of high treason, Metis leader Louis Riel is still stirring up controversy in the government’s Conservative faction.  Last December, a questionable newsletter was sent to constituents by Peter Goldring, who is Edmonton East’s Conservative MP.  In the letter, Goldring castigated Riel as a political incendiary and killer.  

The newsletter’s content may have been prompted by a bill from Pat Martin, Winnipeg NDP MP, who initiated a campaign to pardon Riel, albeit posthumously.  Goldring claims there is a movement afoot to sanitize Riel’s exploits, comparing it to efforts in contemporary Japan to remove the country’s World War II atrocities from schoolbooks.

Although Goldring sent his newsletter last December, retorts have not been forthcoming until recently. Metis leadership in Manitoba and Alberta has denounced Goldring.  Shelley Glover, Manitoba’s Conservative MP also joined in the fray.  Glover is Metis.  A statement was issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, disavowing connection to the newsletter.  Some in the media have branded Goldring a racist, and the Metis Nation of Alberta is seeking disciplinary steps against him.

Gerhard Ens, a Western Canadian history professor at the University of Alberta, was critical of what he described as a manifesto from Goldring.  However, he also said the newsletter is illustrative of an ongoing chasm in Canadian beliefs.  Ens said that factions continue to exist: One wants Riel to be exonerated, and the other continues to vilify him.

Riel is remembered for his leadership of the Prairie Metis, with Big Bear and Poundmaker, in the ill-fated Northwest Rebellion. 

Monday, March 1, 2010 - Puppies Arrive in Edmonton From Winnipeg, Need Homes

Edmonton is going to the dogs, or in this case, the dogs are going to Edmonton.  The Winnipeg Humane Society sent a truck containing 22 large and medium-breed puppies to Edmonton’s Humane Society February 21.  When the dogs have received necessary medical care and have undergone behaviour testing, they will be ready for adoption.

According to Bill McDonald, director of the Winnipeg society, there have been fewer pet adoptions recently, and for no discernible reason, more puppies are being delivered to his shelter.  He noted that in order for puppies to become physically and emotionally stable dogs, they need the environment of a family home, with individualized training and care.

Last month, 112 small-breeds were flown to Edmonton via private jet from Fresno, California.  Of those dogs, well beyond 90 percent have been adopted.  

Since Edmonton’s society had been successful in its recent efforts to find homes for dogs sent from California shelters, McDonald asked if Edmontonians could possibly adopt the surplus of dogs from Winnipeg, commenting that Edmonton has a reputation for being animal-friendly.

Shawna Randolph, a spokesperson for Edmonton’s society, said that the dogs’ journey from Winnipeg was funded by local businesses and society volunteers.  Cochrane’s Automotive Repair provided service for the society’s truck to ensure it was ready for the 1,700-kilometre road trip.  A Lexus dealership in the city’s west end donated $2,500 for gasoline.  Society volunteers Les and Sandy Raubenheimer drove the truck, and paid their own way.  

Leaving Edmonton February 18 and arriving in Winnipeg on the 21st, the Raubenheimers collected the puppies.  After an overnight stay in Saskatoon, where the local SPCA sheltered the dogs, the truck arrived in Edmonton February 22. 

Saturday February 6, 2010 - Poll: Albertans Support Stronger Building Code to Increase Energy Efficiency

Alberta residents have a deep interest in being energy-efficient, and strongly support updates to the province’s building code.  According to results of a survey commissioned by NAIMA Canada, the Pembina Institute and the Consumers Council of Canada, 96 percent of those polled indicated that conserving energy and achieving efficiency in their dwellings is very important (a 59 percent response), or important (a 37 percent response).  Some 87 percent support government implementation of higher standards regarding energy efficiency for new-construction homes.  

Jesse Row, who is a Pembina Institute director, said the poll results indicate that Albertans have overwhelming support for increasing home energy conservation and efficiency.  He noted that the research findings show that updating the building code would not be a politically risky move.

The poll revealed that 87 percent of those surveyed would agree with the implementation of legislation establishing stronger energy efficiency standards for households.  The average EnerGuide rating for new Canadian homes is 76, while the current average for Alberta is 71.  Albertans will be able to assess the performance of their politicians during the planned review of the province’s building code, as British Columbia has a rating of 77 and Ontario’s ratings are between 78 and 80.

Don Mercer, president of Consumers Council of Canada, says that consumers expect a heightened level of energy efficiency in new-construction homes.  He noted that people are concerned about the impact of high energy prices, and that they are looking for ways to lower their energy bills and improve the environment.

Saturday, February 6, 2010 - Animal Rights Group Sues Edmonton to Remove Elephant from Zoo

A lawsuit was filed to move the Edmonton Valley Zoo’s only elephant to a sanctuary. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) initiated litigation to relocate 34-year-old Lucy, who has been a resident of the zoo for the past 32 years.  The group claims that Lucy is isolated at the zoo, and needs to engage with fellow elephants.  The organization also claims that her habitat is not large enough and that Edmonton’s weather is too cold for her.

Lucy, an Asian elephant, once had the companionship of an African elephant, Samantha.  When Samantha’s trunk was accidentally severed three years ago, she was transferred to an animal sanctuary.  Lucy lives in an environment designated as “open-contact,” with interaction with zookeepers.  At present, she is the only elephant in Canada to live by herself in a zoo.

Contrary to PETA’s assertions that the elephant is depressed and bored, a November 2009 City of Edmonton report notes Lucy has bonded with the zookeepers.  Also in the report was notation that Lucy suffers from an undisclosed ailment, and that a move could threaten her life.  In the report are the details of a recovery program developed by Dr. James Oosterhuis, an elephant veterinarian.  Consulting with Dr. Milton Ness, Lucy’s veterinarian, Oosterhuis detailed that the elephant is affected by obesity, foot infections and arthritis.  Along with other animal rights organizations, PETA contends that these conditions are typical of those experienced by elephants living in zoo conditions.

According to the Valley Zoo, Lucy has been both pigeon-toed and bow-legged since birth, resulting in an uneven gait.  She engages in physical therapy sessions and is on a diet-food regimen.  The elephant also has a nasal problem that necessitates the use of medications. 

Thursday, January 28, 2010 - Inaccurate Letters from TUC

There has been a major error on the part of the Heartland Transmission Team in sending notices to the residents that live along the eastern Transportation Utility Corridor on the side of Sherwood Park.  The letters tell residents that the route along their property is no longer be considered.

In all actuality, the information is totally false, and it can be looked upon as a malicious attack on the residents to undermine their attention to the proposed routes.  For the residents to receive such a letter when the route is the proposed and most practical and popular of the proposed routes is quite shady.

Officials in Strathcona County are also extremely upset with the situation.  Of course the spokesperson for the Heartland Transmission Team is blaming the error on mixed-up postal codes.

He says that the TUC mailed out thousands of notices to residents along all routes to inform them of the status of the project.  The TUC wants to gain approval to construct its 500kV power line that will run from Wabamun to the Heartland.

Anyone who lived within 800 meters of any proposed route will receive updates from the TUC.  While some say the false letters are a scheme, the TUC stands by its mistake and says there was no ill intentions.  The false letters definitely impacted the number of residents who attended recent meetings about the routes of the new transmission line.

Thursday January 28, 2010 - Education Minister to Replace Board

A rep from the Northland School Division says that efforts by the Education Minister to disband a local board of trustees will not nearly fix huge, systemic issues in the area's education system.

Although critics are harsh on the board of trustees, local representative of Red Earth Creek School says that former trustees were totally aware of problems and were trying to inform parents to help make the needed changes.  She says that the school and the district have unique problems that will not be simply fixed with the change of government.

A probe into the problems has recently appointed one official trustee, Colin Kelly, to replace the division's twenty-three member board.  There has been a three person team appointed to investigate why the 2,900 children have such low test scores.

The school cites high rates of turnover among teachers, above-average drop out rates, and absenteeism as major issues plaguing the school's students.

Supporters of the schools say that the data is flaw due to geographical locations of the schools.  There are over twenty-three schools in the district, so they say some children are excelling while others have problems with the work.

Also, officials cite students for the lack of attendance, which can only be controlled by the parents and the students themselves.  If they chose not to come to school, they will suffer academically.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010 - Olympic Torch Relay Route Edmonton 

The city of Edmonton recently announced the route for the Olympic Torch Relay, which will pass through the city on January 13, 2010.

A fourteen kilometer route will see over fifty torch bearers carry the Olympic flame through the city.  The procession will officially begin at Hawrelak Park at 5 p.m.  From there, Edmontonians are encouraged to cheer and watch the procession of the torch.

From Hawrelak Park, the torch will travel past the University of Alberta’s main campus, down Whyte Ave.  The route will cross the Walterdale Bridge, and proceed to the Alberta Legislature, then down Jasper Avenue.  The procession will conclude at Churchill Square.  Local Olympian Doreen Ryan, who competed in speed skating in the 1960 Olympics, will be on site to help light the community cauldron around 7 p.m.

The event will wrap up with a celebration concert, where locals can enjoy music and food.  Citizens are encouraged to participate in the event by wearing red or decorating their homes with the color red.

Organizers of the event hope to see over 20,000 people line the route in order to create a parade-like atmosphere.

Thursday, November 19, 2009 - Edmonton Police on the Hot Seat

Policemen are known for serving a valuable purpose in society but Edmonton could be on the verge of losing many men and women that are trained to protect and serve the community; according to what city counsellors are saying.

Recently city counsellors got a bird’s eye view of their 2010 financial statement and it’s requesting that city departments put a lid on budget increases by at least 3% in hopes that it would limit the tax hike that’s expected next year for homeowners by 5%; however, the Edmonton Police Commission is suggesting that in order to facilitate the delivery on the announcement, millions of dollars will be taken out of the pocket of policemen/women, and according to the Chief of Police, Mike Boyd, this will definitely cause a reduction of service on the streets of Edmonton.

Based upon what was revealed in the final analysis, at least 80% of the Police Department’s budget concerns people and if anything’s going to be cut; it will be people. Mr. Boyd goes on to say that losing hundreds of positions would severely impact the type of service that’s being performed on the streets because the lost of these position would significantly impact the presence of service in the streets. This gave way to the police commission calling on the city council to increase the budget of department by 10% for the upcoming year in order for service in the streets to be business as usual.

Not only will we be witnessing police layoffs but the council is warning that policing levels must meet local requirements are risk losing some 105 more positions. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that this could cause mayhem in the streets of Edmonton and some members of the council are suggesting that higher ranking officials in the police department are pulling out scare tactics to get what they want including Mayor Stephen Mandel.
In the event the drafted budget is passed taking the request of police in consideration, it creates the possibility of the average homeowner paying an additional $94 on the tax bill of their property next year which could cost every bit of $1,525; however, if the council were to approve things based upon the 3% tax hike for other departments, we could be looking at a reduction of $20 on annual increases.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009 - Renovations That Are Cost-Effective

If you are thinking about selling your home someday, there are a number of home improvements that can improve your home’s saleability, as well as the rate of return you can expect on these modest investments. Among the improvements you can make that will offer the highest rate of return are an upgrade of the bathroom or kitchen – each of which can see a rate of return of between 75 and 100 percent, and interior and/or exterior painting that can see a return of anywhere from 50 to 100 percent.

At the mid-range level of return are improvements such as replacing the roof, furnace, or heating system (50 to 80 percent return); finishing the basement, or installing a fireplace or hardwood floor (50 to 75 percent return); adding a garage or deck, or upgrading doors and windows (also 50 to 75 percent); or adding central air conditioning for the home (25 to 75 percent rate of return).

Even at the lower end of the rate of return scale, additions and upgrades can dramatically improve the attractiveness of your home. Various landscape elements, including adding paving stones to the driveway, can net a return of anywhere from 25 to 50 percent – as can the addition or upgrading of a fence. An asphalt driveway can return from 20 to 50 percent, while a swimming pool can help you see a return of between 10 to 40 percent. Finally, the return rate for adding skylights can range from 0 to 25 percent.

A careful review of your home’s current state, as well as the features available in similar homes in your area, should help you to determine exactly which areas you would like to focus on in your attempt to upgrade your home to improve its chances for selling quickly.
 

Thursday, October 15, 2009 - Mortage Fraud Continues Despite Real Estate Slowdown

Mortgage fraud, an ugly component of the once-booming real estate market, continues to plague a softened realty environment. Among those committing the crime were several Canadian lawyers. Some were convicted, others not. Affecting many transactions, mortgage fraud robs victims of millions of dollars.

The most attractive real estate areas and high-end properties tend to be mortgage fraud targets, according to legal experts. Lorne Shuman, who directs legal services for Ontario-based First Canadian Title, commented that mortgage fraud occurs most frequently in Ontario, but British Columbia is also affected.

Although many homeowners buy title insurance, they are not risk-free as a result. An opportunity for fraud may easily be found by way of the voluminous paperwork, accessible data and the many people involved in any mortgage transaction. Ontario’s fraud laws have been strengthened in the past few years, making it less likely for the initiation of criminal activity. However, the problem has not been completely eradicated.
 

Tuesday, September 29, 2009 - Growth in the Canadian Realty Market

The Canadian home market remains strong despite a slight decline in August home sales. Overall, home resale figures are 18.5% higher than sales figures reported for the same time last year. Demand in the housing market is expected to continue to grow as consumers gain confidence in the economy and interest rates remain low.

British Columbia and Vancouver saw the greatest growth in home sales while sales in Quebec and Alberta were slightly down. However, the combined total sales were higher than economists’ expectations and could be seen as a sign that the market is beginning to show signs of recovery.

However, other economists see the numbers as a distorted indicator of housing market health. Millan Mulraine of the Toronto-Dominion Bank notes that figures for sales are based on houses already on the market and new market listing have actually declined. He states that gains in the market are only “relatively tepid” compared to the overall state of the housing market.

While the overall Canadian home sale figures may appear murky, growth in the higher-end market sales are quite clear. Figures from the country’s higher priced markets show a clear gain in sales and increased home prices.
 

Friday, September 11, 2009 - Recession Starting To Hit Home

Although recent reports say the economy is rebounding, a Harris-Decima poll revealed almost 500,000 more Canadians are unemployed this year than during the same time period last year, which means a whole lot more hungry people could show up at the Edmonton District Labour Council’s Labour Day Barbecue.

Dennis Mol, president of the Canadian Union of Public employees plans to hand out food and drink at the 20th annual barbecue which is seeing more and more more unemployed and underemployed Canadians each year. Mol also plans to entertain children who may not have a home to return to after the festivities.

On a more positive note, the poll, which was conducted by the online employment site Monster.ca last month, said that 46% of Canadian employees feel more secure in their work environment than they did last year. Additionally, it revealed that 88% felt satisfied about their conditions of employment.

Unfortunately, union officials commented that those who are employed are fighting to keep pension benefits and stave off other attempts by employers to cut costs and save money during the economic crisis.
 

Saturday, August 22, 2009 - Con Artist Targets the Elderly

Police in Edmonton are on the lookout for a suspect who defrauded two elderly women. The man pretended to be a security officer at a local bank and convinced the two victims to hand over $6,300. This was not an average theft; the suspect somehow knew delicate financial data about the two women. Most disturbing, the man convinced the two women to meet him in person to hand over the cash. Luckily, neither woman was physically harmed.

The women were contacted by telephone on June 8 or 9 by a man posing as a security employee at their bank. He convinced them that he needed their help to catch a dishonest banker at the institution. They were to take thousands of dollars from their accounts and meet him in person. The victims were assured that the money would be returned to their accounts that day. Neither woman was reimbursed as promised, so the incident was reported to the police.

This swindle has been perpetrated across Canada for two years. The criminal is an older, professional-sounding white man of average height and weight with brown eyes. In the last incident, he was unshaven and wore dark colored clothing and a hat.

Monday, August 10, 2009 - Provinces Unemployment Rate Expected To Rise

More economists are predicting a higher provincial unemployment rate, as figures from the last few months are worse than previously anticipated.  It’s been noted in multiple reports that the unemployment rate is the worst that it has been in around 13 years, but some are saying the worst is still to come in the province.  At 7.2% the amount of unemployed people in the province is at a rate that has not been seen since 1996.

The country as a whole lost 45000 jobs last month, when most were anticipating 20000 for the month.  Alberta lost around 3700 jobs in July, compared to last month when the province increased it’s labour force by 5600 or so.  More full time positions were lost or changed into part time positions, again a tell tale sign of a poor labour market. 

So how will this affect the housing market?  More than likely we are going to see more and more foreclosures in the market, which could lead to some interesting deals being available for consumers.  Buying power could be lowered for many, however many feel the economy and the housing market in particular in on a recovery footing.

I wouldn’t get too worked up about these reports, we all knew the recession wouldn’t leave the country overnight.  It’ll be interesting to see how it affects the housing market, however the Edmonton economy is extremely resilient.