Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Saturday August 21, 2010 - New Wildlife Habitat Created In Strathcona County

Strathcona County has a new wildlife area. The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) just purchased two plots of land intended to be kept in an undeveloped state to serve as a protected wildlife habitat. The 148 acre Hicks property and the 315 acre Kallal property were acquired for a combined $1.7 million.

The additional acreage becomes part of the Cooking Lake Moraine Natural Area, established in the early 1900s. This natural area has been a rest stop for migrant birds and a year round home for mule deer, elk and moose. Red-tailed hawks also use the area as a breeding and hunting ground.

Hastings Creek, which runs through Cooking Lake Moraine Natural Area, will get another section added with the recent land purchase. This adds even more protected wetlands for migrating water birds, fish and other aquatic and land based animal species.

The Strathcona County wildlife area joins the ranks of Alberta’s existing wildlife parks including the Ministik Lake Game Bird Sanctuary, Blackfoot Grazing Wildlife Provincial Area and Elk Island National Park. Across Canada, the Natural Areas Conservation Program has set aside some 342,000 acres for the preservation of wildlife. There are 79 native species that are considered to be endangered or at risk.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Monday August 9, 2010 - Edmonton’s Station Point Condo Project Gets $481,000 In Provincial Research Funds

The Station Point condominium project destined to be built near the Belvedere LRT station just got some very good news. The 200 unit state of the art development is an experiment that combines eco-friendly building with affordable housing. Still in the research phase, the project, brainchild of the Communitas Group just got a $481,000 grant from the federal government.

Part of the money will go to researching alternate heating methods. Rather than a traditional furnace, it is hoped that simple baseboard heaters will do the job, even in Edmonton’s sub-zero winters. This will help with Communitas’ goal of having the condos show a 75 percent reduction in energy use over similar structures.

Communitas also plans to incorporate a water treatment plant, eliminating the need to hook into the city sewer system. The treatment plant would use organic filters rather than chemical. The water would go through a series of tanks filled with plants, fish and snails, all natural water filters. Though the province won’t allow the finished product to be part of the condo drinking supply, the treated water is potable.

The research phase will be finished in 2011 and then construction begins. This is one of six green projects targeted to get federal funding in the Edmonton area. The city is on its way to becoming more environmentally friendly while provided needed high-tech employment at the same time.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Friday July 23, 2010 - Heartland Association Begins Publicity Campaign on Upgraders

A public relations campaign is in the works for Alberta’s Industrial Heartland. The initiative aims to create awareness and provide positive spin for the oilsands project, which will include the addition of four upgraders.

Neil Shelly, the Heartland Association’s executive director, said that it was important to build a greater understanding of the organization’s activities and future direction. One focus of the campaign is to emphasize the importance of an upgrade to raw bitumen within Alberta instead of shipping the material abroad for refining.

Per information in the press release, the percentage of resources actually processed within Alberta will decrease from the current level of 70 percent to 40 percent by 2020. At present, the province refines the smallest percentage of its own resources of any North American jurisdiction.

Mayor Cathy Olesen noted that an increase in oilsands would result in economic growth for the region. She advised that Alberta needs to gain additional production in order to obtain the best prices for the resources. Olesen said that the revenue generated from upgrader taxes would aid existing community programs and possibly create new ones.

Shelly outlined additional benefits of the additional upgraders, saying that the high amount in taxes they would pay would relieve tax burdens in Strathcona County. He predicted that pending the extraction of two million barrels of bitumen, an additional $25 billion per year would pour into Alberta’s coffers.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Monday July 5, 2010 - Ways To Find Money In Your Real Estate Investment

Investing in real estate, though usually a wise decision in the long run can be expensive. Depending on the type of property you invest in, there are ways to bring in extra income that can offset some of your mortgage payments and other costs. Both city dwellers and rural property owners have viable options.

Creating a home office, whether it is for your own business or an extension of your regular workplace, is a great way to save money. Not only do you save on commuting costs, many items can earn you a tax deduction. It also does wonders for the psyche not to have to get up at the crack of dawn to scrape ice off the windshield and trundle on into town.

Getting a roommate to share your home is another option. Converting an unused basement to a separate living space with its own entrance is even better. You still make some cash, but retain a great deal more privacy. It is best to review local regulations and read up on landlord/tenant laws and relationships. If you aren’t inclined to share your living space, consider renting out your unused garage for storage space. Screening of potential tenants for both options is a must.

Parking is a premium in many urban areas and if your apartment or condo comes with a parking space you aren’t using you might want to rent it out. Likewise, if you have a big lot, RV owners may be interested in renting storage space. Be sure to check with your strata, apartment management for the former and on RV parking regulations for the latter.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Tuesday June 15, 2010 - Strathcona County Wants To Amend Historic Tree Protection Policy

Strathcona County wants to save its trees. In 2008 a policy was introduced that would protect heritage trees. These could be individual plants, parts of a grove and could be in tree gardens or arboretums or any site of ecological concern. Trees that were of advanced age, were on an endangered list, or simply were of local interest could be eligible.

This voluntary policy has been brought back to the table for possible revision to prevent the unauthorized removal of trees determined to be historic. Peter Wlodarscak, on town counsel, likes the idea of the amendment, but not a qualified arbourist determining penalties issued to those either ignorant or defiant of the law.

Public concern is that they will no longer have the right to cut down or alter trees on their own property. The municipality might also be limited as to what improvements it could make if it involves the removal of a protected tree. The county already has a reputation as a “tree hugger municipality.” There may be a concern of putting the trees before resident’s rights.

In truth, private property owners would have to decide to protect trees on their land under the heritage trees policy and even then an arbourist would have to determine if their trees qualified. That said, there is more to be debated upon with this issue and the policy has been sent back to administration for another look.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Friday June 4, 2010 - Gold Bar Plant Attracts National Experts

In 1956, Edmonton opened the Gold Bar wastewater treatment plant, the most advanced in western Canada. It began with 65 staff to serve 25,000 people and had two primary clarifiers, one grit tank, three secondary aeration tanks, four sludge storage lagoons, four digesters, a lab, a boilers and blower building and an administration building.

In 2009, the city made the controversial sale to Epcor, a deal worth $75 million in dividend payments and transfer fees and an estimated worth of $190 million over 10 years. The city has kept ownership of the collection system and argues that the sale makes growth outside Edmonton possible.

Now, experts across Canada are visiting the plant to learn how to improve facilities in their own cities. Edmonton and Calgary were the only Canadian cities to earn A+ on a sewage report card released by Ecojustice in 2004.

Edmonton’s plant is situated on 19.5 acres east of Edmonton and treats 310 million litres of sewage daily and approximately 100,000 million litres annually. On average, a residential customer creates annually 17.5 m3 of wastewater and pays $317.

Wastewater is collected from a home’s property line and transferred through 3,500 kilometres of pipes before it is treated and discharged into the North Saskatchewan River.

The staff of 140 now serves over 820,000 citizens in Edmonton, Beaumont, Nisku and Leduc. The plant spends around $30 million annually on construction updates, such as moving from chlorine to ultra-violet technology, and costs around $127 million in utility costs to operate.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Friday May 14, 2010 - Strathcona County Scheduled to Open Library November 1

Billed as a “community living room,” the new library for Strathcona County will be open November 1. Currently under construction in Centre in the Park’s Community Centre, the 64,000-square-foot library will be approximately twice the size of the existing library.

The new library will include a number of spaces geared toward the preferences of different kinds of readers. In addition to the requisite quiet area, the two-storey edifice will feature a teen zone, which will contain talking books, graphic novels and video games. The teen zone will also offer a “Best-Seller Express” area, in which popular series such as “Twilight” may be easily located. Cindy Mah, the library’s communications representative, said that the library needs to keep pace with current culture, noting the popularity of gaming and social media such as Facebook.

The new library will contain meeting rooms, an Internet café, a career centre as well as a fireplace lounge.

The kids’ section will continue to be a major component of the library, and it is being reformatted as “The Enchanted Forest.” The area, with an archway in its entrance, will have a cottage theme.

A budget of $4.46 million is in place for the new library, its equipment, shelving units and furniture. Much of its cost is underwritten, with $3 million coming from the municipality. However, $1.5 million needs to be raised by the organization’s Capital Campaign. Donations are sought among corporate and individual contributors. To date, the campaign has generated nearly $950,000. Glenda Sheard, who coordinates the fund, said she was happy with the contributions that been received, but reiterated the need to raise the entire $1.5 million amount.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Tuesday April 27, 2010 - RETA Questions Government on Need for Proposed 500KV Power Line

The smouldering debate on the 500KV power line proposed to run from Wabamun to Alberta’s Industrial heartland is getting its flames fanned by the Responsible Electricity Transmission for Albertans (RETA).

The environmentally conscious group has been lobbying for the lines to be placed underground, stating health concerns for those living near the high powered current conductors should they be placed on towers. Earlier this April, RETA sent a letter to Premier Ed Stelmach, Ron Liepert the Minster of Energy, Edmonton MLAs and other county officials, asking that the need for such a high power line be re-evaluated. The theory is that the needs of the Heartland have changed since the original proposal in 2007 and 500KV of power is no longer needed. They have not yet received a reply from the premier.

But Ron Liepert gave a statement to the news media, saying the premier did consult with him on the matter. Liepert disagrees with the group and states the high voltage line is indeed needed. Not only is the line intended to connect power from Fort McMurray to the Calgary area, but is a project intended to service the province for the foreseeable future.

RETA also let it be known that the Alberta government has the intent to require any future upgrader projects wanting to establish roots in the Alberta Heartland to use the 500KV line. RETA said this is not as cost effective, nor as ecologically sound, as allowing each upgrader to opt for self generation of energy, or a co-operative generation of energy between local plants in the area.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Thursday April 15, 2010 - First Mayoral Candidate Linda Osinchuk Enters the 2010 Election Race

The first candidate for the 2010 mayoral race has stepped up to the podium. Linda Osinchuk, the councillor for Ward 3 is running for mayor of Strathcona County. The announcement was made on Monday at Salvatore’s restaurant to an approving crowd of about 120 people.

Osinchuk has been an elected official for nine years and after looking at the needs of the community and the rapid pace in which the one time bedroom town is becoming an independent city in its own right, she decided it was her destiny.

Her husband Jim and four children, all adults, fully support her campaign. A native of Cudworth, Saskatchewan, Osinchuk comes from good rural stock. She and seven siblings grew up on a working farm. Later Osinchuk became a nurse. These two professions not only give her an insight into the mindset of those who love the land, but an innate respect and understanding of people in general.

Osinchuk will run on a platform supporting Strathcona County’s emergence into a self sustaining community. This includes tackling issues such as affordable housing, senior and youth recreational facilities and improved public transportation. She will also tackle the issue of getting energy transmission lines buried on a major power project currently being reviewed. Osinchuk would also like to see a new hospital and court house built as part of Strathcona’s new identity.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Tuesday March 16, 2010 - Atlantic Canada Offers Affordable Housing Choices

Owning a home in Atlantic Canada got a little less expensive during the last quarter of 2009. RBC Economics released a report that measures the proportion of a homeowner’s pre-tax income that is used to maintain a home. This includes the mortgage payments, the property taxes and the utility bills.

In Atlantic Canada this affordability measurement shows that to maintain a single family home it requires 31.1 percent of a family’s household income, down 0.6 percent from the third quarter of 2009. Similar drops were found in two storey homes, which maintenance average decreased 0.3 percentage points to 36.1 percent. Condos went down to 25.5 percent, a .01 percent drop and townhouses remained the same at 26.9 percent. Compared to most of Canada these figures are very attractive.

To compare, if we use the same affordability measure in Vancouver the figure is 69 percent, more than double. Vancouver’s numbers actually increased by 1.4 percent since the third quarter of 2009. Toronto measured at 49.1 percent with a 0.1 percent increase, Ottawa decreased by 0.3 percent to come in at 40.4 percent and Montreal, climbing 0.9 percent had a figure of 39.1 percent. Calgary at 37.1 percent and Edmonton at 32.9 percent were the most affordable major cities in Western Canada. Calgary increased by 0.1 percent and Edmonton actually dropped by 0.4 percent.

In some cities, such as Halifax, the report only considered the carrying cost for a mortgage in relation to incomes so that more cities across Canada could be accurately compared.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Wednesday February 10, 2010 - City of Edmonton no Longer a Bridesmaid, But a Full Fledged Bride

After a ten year courtship the City of Edmonton officially tied the knot with four other municipalities that make up the Alberta Industrial Heartland Association (AIHA). The ceremony took place in Fort Saskatchewan at the Dow Centennial Centre. The city now joins the Counties of Lamont, Strathcona and Sturgeon, as well as the City of Fort Saskatchewan in a partnership intended to ease legal wrangling in land use proposals.

Land developments currently being considered are the rezoning of 530 square kilometres just northeast of Edmonton to entice industrial development.  Edmonton itself is intending on industrial development adjacent to this parcel that sits within the boundaries of the other four association members.  Tentatively called Horse Hills Industrial Park, Edmonton hopes to use this opportunity to build up its tax base to offset some of the costs of running the ever growing city.

Before joining AIHA, Edmonton was consulted by the group on land improvement and use issues.  Now the five members can plan at the same table. This cooperative effort is a good sign.  Working together, they can put together attractive packages that will encourage investors to consider putting their money into AIHA development projects. That is indeed, progress.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Thursday January 14, 2010 - Heartland Project Power Line Route – Worst Kept Secret in Alberta?

The proposed route for the Heartland Project 500 kV power lines that are slated to follow the transportation utility corridor (TUC) east of Edmonton is considered one of the worst kept secrets in Alberta. It is slated to follow Anthony Henday Road from the southwest of Edmonton, run through Strathcona County and along Highway 216 until it reaches northeast Edmonton. An alternative route going north past Spruce Grove and then east is also on the application.

One glance at a map clearly shows that the TUC route is the best choice as much of it is on crown land and has less negative impact on private property owners. That does not allay the fears of those that believe the high power transport lines will cause health problems.

To ease those fears and show they have been listening to public opinion, the company’s proposal also lists an option to put the lines underground for a 20 kilometre stretch through Strathcona County. This county in particular has already stated it will not support overhead lines which will have towers that measure between 47 and 60 metres high and between 11 and 15 metres wide.

The Responsible Electricity Transmission for Albertans (RETA) has been one of the most vocal supporters of putting at least part of the line underground even though the cost is two to three times higher that the overhead lines. RETA is pressing for the line to be placed underground in all cases where it runs close to homes, schools, hospitals and sensitive businesses.

It is expected to take at least a year for the Alberta Utilities Commission to approve the route and the application is not expected to be complete until May of this year. That means that construction, at the earliest, would not start much before mid 2011.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Saturday December 12, 2009 - The Ranch Closed Indefinitely

The Ranch is a facility in Strathcona County that was designed to help troubled youth, but it closed its doors this past summer when two of the children staying there were charged with murder.

Since Bosco Homes opened the facility over twenty years ago, over 2,400 children and adolescents have lived at the facility at some point in their life.

Over 111 employees lost their jobs after they were laid off due to the closure, and there have been no plans developed for use of the 12-acre ranch.  The last option they want to consider it a sale of the property.

Co-executive and director of group care services, Bruce Armson, says he hopes to have some type of operational care program established on the property within the next year.

Former employees still live on the property to oversee its condition.  Armson even says that he wants the community to play a role in the decision of how the property will be used.

The Ranch really received a lot of negative attention when two of the children staying at the ranch ran away, and consequently committed murder.  It did not bode well for the quality of services that were being provided on the ranch.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Monday November 23, 2009 - Strathcona Health Centre Administering H1N1 Vaccines

Early November found residents of Strathcona County lining up at the Health Centre to receive vaccinations against H1N1 and seasonal influenza. Some 2,757 shots were administered on one day alone. With the Health Centre being open from 9:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m., an average of 4.1 vaccinations per minute were distributed on that day, to people of all ages.

High demand for vaccinations meant that people waited in lines for as long as three hours. Parking was at a premium as well, forcing people to walk long distances to get to the Health Centre. The Park Pentecostal Church provided assistance by permitting people to park in its lot. Church volunteers distributed coffee to people in the queue.

Ron Liepert, Alberta’s provincial health minister, announced that eleven additional health clinics would soon open to serve the thousands in need of swine flu vaccinations. Province politicians are also “taking shots” at the situation. Liberal leader David Swann characterized the situation at health clinics as being chaotic. Kevin Taft, Liberal MLA of Edmonton-Riverview, delivered a similar opinion.

As of November 20, 250 Canadians have died from complications of H1N1, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. Among those who died, 42 were from Alberta.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Monday November 16, 2009 - Conservation Agencies Collaborating to Buy Golden Ranches

With an ambitious goal to preserve the Golden Ranches, a group of conservation agencies is joining forces on a $12 million program. The land, comprising 1,509 acres, is located in the Cooking Lake Moraine Natural Area. Purchased by the current owners in the early 1950s, the land is contiguous to North Cooking Lake and close to the Blackfoot Grazing Reserve. The land is divided into 13 parcels, with 136 acres per parcel. To date, two of the parcels are sold, and two additional parcels will be purchased by late December.

Agencies collaborating in the preservation effort include Ducks Unlimited Canada, the Alberta Fish and Game Association, Nature Conservancy of Canada, Beaver Hills Initiative, Alberta Conservation Association, Edmonton and Area Land Trust and Strathcona County.

When the longtime owners of the ranch property displayed interest in subdividing it in the spring of 2008, conservation groups expressed alarm. The acreage is home to deer, moose and is utilized by rare species of birds. Potential residential development would interrupt the birds’ migratory patterns, and disrupt the deer and moose habitats. All parcels are expected to sell by May 2010. When this happens, the conservation agencies will develop and implement a plan to manage the ranch property.

 

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Wednesday October 28, 2009 - Evans: New Strathcona Hospital Construction to Begin Soon

Final designs are underway for Strathcona’s new Community Hospital, according to Iris Evans, Minister of Finance for Alberta and Sherwood Park MLA. Evans spoke to an enthusiastic audience at the Sherwood Park and District Chamber of Commerce’s October luncheon. She noted that the first phase of the hospital’s construction is imminent, pending documentation approval of the project.

Evans’ speech also focused upon the state of the Alberta economy. She advised that there could be a reduction or elimination of some projects, but that the province’s financial situation is essentially strong. Commenting upon Finance Minister Jim Flaharty’s announcement last July of a $50 billion deficit, Evans noted that the Canadian government is simply spending more than it is earning. She confirmed the existence of a $17 billion contingency fund, as well as $35 billion in additional assets.

Alberta is more fiscally fit than Ontario, Evans said. With $201 billion in debt, Ontario’s government engages in borrowing to stay afloat. Evans credited Alberta’s gas and oil businesses for helping to contribute to the province’s balance sheet. She noted that Canada’s minister of energy is striving to keep these key industries competitive with those in the rest of the world.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Wednesday October 14, 2009 - Strathcona County Addresses Signage Bylaw Revisions

Strathcona County administrators and business people continued to discuss possible revisions to sign bylaws. In an October 13 meeting that included a moderator, stakeholders, predominantly in the portable signage business, communicated their positions with respect to the latest bylaw draft.

Land Use Bylaw Coordinator Joyce Perkins described concerns outlined by some residents about signage deployed in other counties. The media under discussion include LED displays, building wraps and billboards. Perkins contended that although people would permit third-party charities to advertise with signage, they are not yet ready to allow business advertising in this capacity. She also acknowledged that, of the 25 to 30 meeting attendees, she was uncertain as to how many of the people were businesspeople versus homeowners.

Among the items addressed were logo size restrictions, bylaw enforcement on existing signs, as well as political poster regulations. County administrators hope to post a bylaw recommendation, as well as the results of the October 13 session, by November 10.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Thursday October 1, 2009 - Hamilton and Burlington, Ontario Bidding Wars

In Hamilton and Burlington, Ontario, bidding wars for homes are back in full swing. Inventory is low and a property that comes on the market and is well priced and in a good location sells quickly, sometimes for more than the asking price. Average home prices are exceeding the average for the same period in 2008.

Home prices are up across the country, including such key markets as Vancouver, Victoria, Edmonton, Regina, Toronto and Ottawa. The average national home price of roughly $312,585, is up 0.5% over this same period in 2008, before the stock markets slumped and the recession became a reality.

The recession is considered to be one of the mildest on record and had little impact on the Canadian housing market. The ReMax Bricks and Mortar survey did not include the Hamilton-Burlington area, but home prices have been steadily improving all year with the best sales month being June. The area fared significantly better than Calgary and Edmonton which saw a significant reduction in home prices early on.

Ottawa increasing the amount of withdrawal from RRSPs for first time home buyers from $20,000 to $25,000 and the implementation of tax credits for first time buyers and renovations has helped the market, as has the continued low interest rate.

 

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