Posts

Lorne Gunter: Council blindly bulls ahead with undemocratic infill policy (Edmonton)

The photo with this article is of a garbage-bin corral outside a west-end eight-plex. It was taken the day after — after — garbage collection in the neighbourhood and posted to social media this past weekend.     Read more: https://tinyurl.com/nh632wsv     

Alberta's population rises, even as the number of people in Canada declines (Alberta)

As Canada’s population continues to decline due to stricter immigration laws, Alberta remains an outlier, boasting more than 47,000 migrants — most of them interprovincial — in the last year.       Read more: https://tinyurl.com/yh3zd5sh     

Why mortgage brokers tend to favour variable rates over fixed (Canada)

Appetite for variable-rate mortgages keeps growing, depending on where you get your financing.       Read more: https://tinyurl.com/p295nvt7    

White: Is East Village's gentrification inevitable? (Calgary)

When East Village’s new vision was conceived more than 25 years ago, it was intended to be a model 21st century urban village where a diversity of Calgarians of different incomes could thrive together. There was to be no gentrification. However, now there is discussion that the Calgary Drop-In Centre will have to move, its programs decentralized.       Read more: https://tinyurl.com/yt37xxt7  

Highway 2 expansion meeting draws big crowd (Red Deer)

Widening Highway 2 outside Red Deer to eight lanes and designing it to a 130 km /h standard is not the answer to safety concerns, Alberta Transportation officials were told Thursday.       Read more: https://tinyurl.com/4svwrw7r     

Suncor mandating local residency for some oilsands workers (Fort McMurray)

In a move being described as a victory by local community leaders in Fort McMurray, Suncor Energy confirms it is requiring some maintenance workers contracted to work in the oilsands to be local residents.       Read more: https://tinyurl.com/yc6nrn92     

Are old buildings the solution to new homes in a housing crisis? (Australia)

Christian McGowan and Alison Baker fell in love with a building that was never intended to be a home.       Read more: https://tinyurl.com/yz4r2eat         

Some Calgary councillors pushback against high-density housing near transit stations (Calgary)

A plan for high-density housing near Calgary transit stations has prompted pushback from some on council who call it “blanket rezoning 2.0.”       Read more: https://tinyurl.com/2wfxvhwr  

Housing becomes less affordable in Calgary, except for one type (Calgary)

Canada’s housing market became more affordable this year, but Calgary was not among those markets where buyers saw improving conditions, with one exception. A new report from National Bank of Canada examining first quarter data for the year (ending March 31) found larger markets saw improvements in affordability, but Calgary became slightly less affordable.       Read more: https://tinyurl.com/2sytxcps     

5 things to consider before co-signing a mortgage (Canada)

More parents are helping adult children purchase homes. A recent report from the Bank of Canada found more parents in high-cost markets are co-signing on mortgages, allowing their children to purchase more expensive homes.         Read more: https://tinyurl.com/s248ekkb          

Edmonton's housing affordability is becoming more challenging (Edmonton)

Purchasing a home is never an easy financial milestone to achieve, and in Edmonton, it’s becoming even more challenging, making it an outlier among major cities in a new report.       Read more: https://tinyurl.com/5fbtmtyv     

Massive new industrial facility in the works outside of Edmonton (Edmonton)

A new fractionation facility is in the works just outside of Edmonton, eyeing a startup sometime in 2029.       Read more: https://tinyurl.com/29eekx8v  

Canada's fastest-growing luxury real estate market is not Toronto or Vancouver. It's Edmonton (Edmonton)

Denis Rowley sells luxury homes in Edmonton, but he was a mortgage broker and an appraiser first, and he still reads the market like one: he looks at who can afford to borrow, and what happens when they cannot.       Read more: https://tinyurl.com/svzkemu9  

Calgary records a drop in renter interest in new national ranking (Calgary)

Renter interest in Calgary is declining, with a new report showing that the city has slipped five positions in a national ranking.        Read more: https://tinyurl.com/3ajpyjzx