St. Albert Property Report

St Albert Council Debates Industrial Land Use

St Albert is in the process of annexing more land, with much of that intended for industrial use. Chris Jardine, city manager, asked council members to come up with specific plans for the use of those lands, as well as putting more industrial properties on land already within the city’s boundaries.

Council did end up approving the use of already designated land for industrial use, but did request a four month delay on the project. That would give the city time to consult with the various experts involved as to the best use of the open space just west of the current city limits.

The postponement was requested by Wes Brodhead because of disagreement about a plan called Option 2B. This idea would add roughly 283 hectares to St Albert’s light industrial land inventory. Some of this space has already been designated light industrial, with one project for SAS Sports City already in the works.

Brodhead noted that there is too much conflicting information as to how much land is really needed. He fears on making a hasty decision, and in the process acquiring land that will sit idle for quite a while. Also brought up by administration was the use of land in the South Reil and South Campbell areas, which are already zoned for light industrial use. There is enough open space in these two areas to meet St Albert’s light industrial land needs for the next five years.

St. Albert Home Report

Real Estate Market in St Albert Expecting Increase in 2012

The real estate market in St Albert has been pretty flat throughout 2011. Those in the know are predicting that there will be an increase in activity beginning in 2012. Richard Goatcher, who is with Canada Mortgage and Housing, or CMHC, noted that as the economy within Alberta improves, the more people will be inbound and they will all need a place to live.

In 2011, so for there have been 22,000 new jobs created in the Edmonton area, most related to the energy industry, directly or indirectly. St Albert saw a bit of the overflow in residential sales, but at a slower pace than in 2010. This past October, 46 single-family homes sold in St. Albert, down from the 63 sold in October of 2010, and the 70 sold in the same month of 2009. The average price for this year’s October sales was $427,868.

Goatcher was a bit disappointed in the numbers, but it is possible that most of the incomers were choosing to rent until they got established. Since the fall rental report does not come out until December, everyone will have to see if that is the missing piece to the puzzle. CMHC does predict that the vacancy rate for October will be in the neighborhood of 3.8 percent, down from the 5.2 percent seen in April throughout the greater Edmonton area.

St. Albert Real Estate Report

St Albert Seeks Feedback on City Master Plans

St. Albert has put together two master plans for its community, one for recreation and the other dealing with cultural issues. Now that the drafts are completed, the city is asking residents to read and then complete some online surveys, in essence giving their opinions on the matter. The two items were released just before the Thanksgiving weekend, and can be viewed on the city website: click on the tab for “Community.” The reports will come up for discussion with council after the beginning of next year.

The recreational plan is the larger of the two, coming in at 96 pages. It outlines both the sports and recreational activities being considered. Strategic goals have been set, all intended to improve the health and well being of St Albert. Among the suggestions are the creation of a support centre for volunteers and the maintaining of a volunteer database by the city. City fathers are also being asked to be more pro-active about sponsorships for recreational activities, such as ads at sports fields. The city encouraging sports tourism would also help.

Coming in at 25 pages, the cultural plan is a shorter read, but it does cover a number of items. First, it proposes that St. Albert have a separate culture department, a first for the province of Alberta. This is to encourage and support local artists and groups so that they stay within the city, rather than take their talents elsewhere. Having a downtown store where people could purchase tickets to shows and other local event would be a big plus.

For more hands on information visit Progress Hall on November 1st at 6:30 pm for a preview of both plans.

St. Albert Property Report

Owners in New Business Condo Find Lack of Parking Makes Location Useless

When the business condo complex at 20 Circle Drive was built, on spec mind you, the subject of parking was not an issue. Now that there are actual business owners in those units, the fact that the number of parking spaces isn’t adequate is becoming more than obvious.

Businesses that moved in first and submitted their parking requests, they had no problem. But those who were the last in are finding they have no parking at all. That is not good for any business, not to mention the fact that will not be able to get a development permit or even sell their unit. No business is going to buy a unit without parking spaces.

The number of parking spaces allotted was calculated using the city’s bylaws. The city father’s look at the development’s square footage and how many employees the business employs, and from there calculates the number of needed spaces. If a business wants a development permit, and there are enough free spaces, then that business gets the permit and assigned spaces. The flaw in that system is that in cases, such as this, with limited parking, is that those who applied last, where there is no parking left, cannot get the permits. They are left with a space that can only be used for storage.

Guy Boston, who is the city engineering and planning manager, notes that the city has no way of knowing what type of businesses will move into a building sold on spec. He suggests the owners go to the condo association. One of the owners who cannot get a permit or a parking space is Carol Olivieri, who runs Blue Kettle Specialty Foods. She figures the city is just passing the buck and that they approved too large a building for the amount of space allocated for parking.

St. Albert Home Report

Alberta Getting Its Financial House in Order

Alberta took a big step forward in reducing its provincial debt load during the first three months of this fiscal year. The province managed to trim the deficit by $2.1 billion. That was managed due to more land sales enacted than expected as well as additional royalties. That leaves $1.3 billion left on the deficit, which is projected to be the figure when the fiscal year ends. The shortfall will be covered by the provincial sustainability fund.

Lloyd Snelgrove, who is the Finance Minister is pleased with the result, but stressed that the government still must manage funds reasonably to stay on track. He also believes that it is possible that Alberta will be back in black ink territory by the end of 2011.

Land sales brought in much of the additional revenues. In June alone, one large land sale brought in $842 million to government coffers. That was for a 270,000 hectare sale of lease rights. The oilsands bitumen production brought in another $773 million over what was expected. Instead of bringing in $72.02 per barrel, the actual price worked out to $76.34 per barrel. During the first three months the average was closer to $82.77 per barrel. All figures are in Canadian funds.

The additional funding was welcome because it helped offset the $159 million it took to fight the Slave Lake wildfire this past May. The government also will be sending additional funds so the town can be rebuilt. That will happen over the next few years. Another $456 million was spent on other fires, floods and agricultural recovery stemming from these disasters.

St. Albert Real Estate Report

St Albert Council Agrees to Borrowing for Ray Gibbons Drive Completion

Mayor Nolan Crouse is considering borrowing money to finance the final leg of Ray Gibbon Drive. This past Monday, city council took the initial step by passing the first reading on the issue. The amount in question is $15.9 million, all of which should be reimbursed by the province because the roadway must be built to the higher provincial standards. The roadway is slated to be renamed provincial Highway 2.

The next step is to advertize the intent to pass a borrowing bylaw, and allow 15 days for those that oppose the idea to come forward with an official appeal of opposition. The next council meeting won’t be until August 15th, after the summer break, and is when the second reading is scheduled to occur.

Crouse is in favour of borrowing the money because interest rates are low, as are construction costs at present. He also wants to borrow from a chartered bank, instead of using Alberta Finance Capital Authority to allow for an early repay of the loan without a hefty penalty. Coun. Cam MacKay is a bit more cautious. He wants to make sure the province will reimburse the city before making a move. This was part of his campaign platform.

St Albert has already spent $17 million to buy the land needed for the highway’s third stage, which is expected back from the province. Alberta has already paid the city for earlier parts of the project, in increments of $18.4 million, $14.4 million and just this past spring, $4.4 million.

St. Albert Property Report

Mayor Crouse Still Wants To Revitalize Downtown Core

St Albert’s mayor, Nolan Crouse, would really like to see that city’s downtown revitalized. For some time there has been talk of a downtown area redevelopment plan, also known as DARP. In 2009 a task force was formed to look into how to make that project work. The recently released report did outline specific objectives, but also noted that to accomplish everything would cost some $135.8 million over a time span of seven to eight years.

After taking a look at the monetary figures, Crouse conceded that it was unlikely the project would get going anytime within the next five years. He noted that it was never his intent to fast-track any type of improvement that would require the spending of significant amounts of public funds, which DARP would certainly require. Rather, Crouse sees a more gradual approach that would take up to 20 years to achieve the downtown’s needed face lift.

Of the projects targeted on the DARP report, there are four that collectively come to $42.4 million. These include building a parkade, replacing the central parking lot with a civic square, widening the sidewalk on Perron Street and connecting Tache Street with St Anne Street south of the court building by re-aligning the latter street. Nothing has yet been approved by council. One thing that got council a bit nervous was that the estimate had a plus or minus 50 percent variance. Another was how to pay for it all without increasing property taxes to an unfavourable level.

St. Albert Homes Report

Building Permits in St Albert off to a Slow Start

In St Albert the number of building permits issued during the first four months of this year is down compared to the first four months of 2010. Residential permits went down roughly 29 percent, commercial down 21 percent and permits in the commercial-industrial sector sunk 45 percent. Taken as a whole permits are down 32 percent from what they were in 2010. Single-family home permits, usually the hottest sector, only saw 50 permits issued so far this year, compared to 70 during the same period in 2010.

Larry Horncastle, who is with the city’s business and tourism division, noted that spring had a late start, so that may be part of the problem. He believes that the building will eventually pick up, even though single-family residential building is barely keeping up with last year and commercial building is virtually non-existent. Horncastle has attended various real estate forums and functions around the region and the general feeling is that yes, things will pick up, at least by early in 2012.

One project that is slated to start this year is in Erin Ridge North. Landrex Developments is currently working on getting a commercial corridor that runs along the St Albert Trail serviced. Another company, Triple Five, is in the approval process for a project on the western end of the St Albert Trail.

Alberta’s economy is doing well at the moment so things are bound to improve. One thing that may be slowing things down may be the over abundance of housing inventory created by the recession. At the time the province was experiencing an employment and housing boom and when the market dropped they were left with plenty of unsold properties.

St. Albert Real Estate Report

Melting Snow on Sturgeon County Roads Causes Flooding and Road Closures

All that snow from one of Sturgeon County’s fiercest winters has to go somewhere. And it is going, almost everywhere. Several roads are closed outright and others have pooled water and residents are being asked to avoid them if at all possible.

On the closed list is Highway 825 between Routes 643 and 37, which is diverting drivers to Highway 26A or the open portions of Route 643. Some of the local roads that have been shut down are Township Road 552 between Highway 825 and Range Road 225, Township Road 551 between Range Roads 250 and 245 and Township Road 555a that runs between Range Roads 230 and 225. The Sturgeon Industrial Park is seeing flooding on Estate Way from Range Road 225 and Park Lane, as well as on Range Road 251 from Poundmaker Road to 195th Avenue. All of these have been shut down.

On the flooded but not closed list are Range Road 261 from Highway 633 south, Township Road 540 from Range Roads 540A and 262, Range Road 231 where it heads south of Township Road 560, as well as Township Road 563 from Range Roads 240 to 241. Range Road 271 is also mostly under water between Township road 552 and Highway 37. One other problem spot is Range Road 225, north of the intersection of Township Road 552.

The county is working to get the drains and the roads cleared as soon as they can. It you spot a flooded area and/or a drainage problem, you can report it to 780 939 8252, Sturgeon County’s department of transportation.

St. Albert Property Report

St Albert Starting New Residential Garbage Pick Up System

St Albert is implementing a new waste collection system starting June 1st of this year. The difference is that residents will need to separate organic waste from regular household garbage. The city is providing each home with two plastic containers, one for the organics and the other for the more traditional garbage. The recycling program, using the blue bags, will continue in the same fashion.

The city has been doing research on the program by consulting Strathcona County which already has a similar program implemented. A session was held for the St. Albert councilors so they could learn what to expect. Strathcona County had the same problems with complaints from residents, thousands of questions about why, who, where, etc and general grumblings about the changes. But, advised the council, after a while the new system just becomes routine.

Even on the St Albert council there are those not sure about the change. Coun. Malcom Parker is one of the skeptics that is starting to come around to the idea. Coun. Cathy Heron is pleased that St. Albert is taking on a program that has already been tested in other communities. No need for the city to do a trial run; all that is needed is public education.

The organic waste will be taken to the Roseridge facility that is just east of Morinville, from which it has obtained a five year contract. St Albert also ordered five more garbage trucks that are specially designed to handle the residential trash.

St. Albert Homes Report

St. Albert Sees $575,000 Surplus from 2010 Budget

At a time when most cities are struggling to balance a budget and more than a few find they are at or near the red zone, St. Albert finds itself in the enviable position of having a surplus for 2010. Early estimates are that it is roughly $575,000. Gene Peskens, the city’s finance director is waiting for the audit before making that a firm number, but he believes it is very close. This past November Peskens had predicted a $326,000 surplus.

The city budget for 2010 was $116 million. Coming in at $600,000 or so under is about a 0.5 percent difference, meaning that the finance department did a really good job of managing. Investments the city made did better than expected which created the better than expected surplus. The final report is expected to be presented to council on March 14th. At that time recommendations will be considered as to what to do with the surplus.

Mayor Nolan Crouse, who is aware that some people would like to see a reduction in taxes, would rather put some of the money in the stabilization reserve and then put the rest towards the 2012 Special Olympics planned for next February. Those games would cost the city about $300,000. But the mayor is open to other options.

St. Albert Real Estate Report

Economy For 2011 and Beyond Can Be Affected By Interest Rates

At the Chamber of Commerce meeting in St. Albert this past week, National Bank Financial’s Angus Watt gave members some insight into the future of the area’s economy. He predicts that there will be such a demand for product, particularly energy from the oil sands, that there will be a labour shortage a few months down the road.

Watt noted that oil production in Alberta will need to make a leap from the current 1.5 million barrels produced per day to an almost mind boggling 5 million per day over the next ten years. Much of this is to fulfill China’s energy needs. Given this, by 2012, the province is going to be hard pressed to find skilled workers.
Alberta’s oil sands provide work for over 70,000 people province wide. That is 3.5 percent of the province’s population working either at the sands or in supportive and/or related fields. As more and more people go into the energy industry, that pulls talent from other fields in the labour force, so it is not just the energy companies that will be on the hunt for workers.

One of the things that could put a damper on this is a significant raising of interest rates. The magic number is seven percent. That is not as bad as the over 20 percent rates in the early part of the 1980s, but that is still much higher than is comfortable. Taking steps to get the debt load down now, by small increases in interest or tighter lending laws will help and perhaps prevent the financial disaster outrageously high interest rates could cause.

St. Albert Property Report

St. Albert Taking Baby Steps to Go Green

St. Albert climbed on the green wagon this past week. Council voted to decrease the city’s greenhouse gas emissions by a vote of six to one. The target is for those emissions to be 20 percent less than they were in 2008 by the time 2020 rolls around. A similar goal, but with only a six percent reduction target, was passed for the entire community.

There was a catch. Fearing that the agreements would not go through with the original wording, Mayor Nolan Crouse softened it a bit. Council voted to consider the targets, rather than outright approve them. Elke Blodgett, an environmental activist, believes the more ambiguous wording took the effectiveness out of the measure.

Council members were not in agreement. Coun. Malcolm Parker was worried about cost and the lack of a detailed plan. Coun. Cam MacKay wanted to postpone the issue altogether. Crouse defended his word change, saying that people were not really sure what they were voting on, but he wanted to make sure at least the first step was taken. The target for the community emissions was also reduced from ten percent to the six so the measure would pass. Now the city just needs to get busy and come up with a plan everyone can live with.

St. Albert Homes Report

Quail Ridge Up For Consideration at the CRB Once Again

The Quail Ridge subdivision, located just outside of St. Albert’s borders may get built after all. The Capital Region Board (CRB) will be meeting on December 2nd to decide the fate of the 90 country-residential lots that front the Sturgeon River along Sturgeon Road. The development has been in the works since 2008 with approval from Sturgeon County given in 2009.

The only hurdle left is the approval by the CRB, which must review the proposal because it is so close to St. Albert. The application was withdrawn in 2009 because Sturgeon County was advised it would most likely not go through.

The approval process requires two separate steps. First the members, consisting of board administrators and selected chief administrative officers must vote on the proposal. If the vote is not unanimous, then the proposal goes to the entire board, which includes an elected official from each affected municipality.

The Quail Ridge application is having a hard time getting through because according to the administrators, the application does not meet the targeted density requirements for that area. Since the density levels can be interpreted in different ways, the proposal was sent to the full board for approval. St. Albert and Edmonton initially voiced concerns about the development but neither municipality has indicated how they will vote. To pass the proposal must be approved by two thirds of representatives and 75 percent of the population from the municipalities involved.

St. Albert Real Estate Report

Wording on Proposed New Alberta Health Act Is Troublesome

Seniors United Now (SUN), a seniors group with at local chapter in St. Albert, is concerned with the wording of a proposed new Alberta Health Act. They aren’t the only ones, but this local chapter, headed by Dick Tansey, has sent a letter to their local MLA Fred Horne stating their displeasure.

Certain phrases in the act appear too ambiguous, whether than ambiguity is intentional or not. Instead of stating “public service” the phrase “public funded service’ is used. There are recommendations in the act that include creating a health advocate and the notification of Albertans when policies and/or regulations are set to be changed.

The fear is that this is the pre-cursor to private health care, something the SUN group, and others, do not want. Private health care is focused on making money and health care may suffer if certain procedures and/or treatments are not considered cost effective.

The Friends of Medicare have already stated that the new act would make it easier for the government to bring in more private health insurance companies. The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees president Guy Smith wants to see more specific wording in the act and a guarantee that public services will not be sacrificed. The new Alberta Health Act could be good for the province, but all of its rules, regulations and benefits must be clearly spelled out.

St. Albert Property Report

St. Albert Residents and Artists Enjoy StArts Fest

Given the diversity of art categories and performances at the StArts Fest, its organizers probably put in an incalculable amount of hours in its planning.

StArts Fest, which was held at St. Albert Place the weekend of September 17, is the localized version of Alberta Arts Days. The event included exhibits including painting, floral design, quilting, pottery, as well as performances in the areas of dance, music, literary chats, poetry readings and one-act plays.

Willie White, chef at the River House Grill, injected some creative flavor into the event with his cooking demonstration. The organic green vegetables he used in his presentation were from the St. Albert Farmers’ Market.

Peter Moloney, co-chair of the St. Albert Celebrates the Arts organization, said he was most satisfied with the event. He said that he and his staff believed that the town’s arts community was well represented, and that the community provided outstanding support.

Organizers were initially concerned about getting 80 people to fill Progress Hall for the eight one-act plays, but the auditorium achieved standing-room-only capacity the morning of September 18. Local talent in the newly organized St. Albert Theatre Arts Guild (SATAG) wrote and produced all the plays. Kelly Aisenstat, a member of SATAG, said that her group ultimately had to turn away attendees from the show.

Daniel the Dragon proved to be a popular art exhibit. Produced by local artisans Carol Rogozinsky and Julie Hage, the dragon’s body was created with the use of clay handprints from 130 people. The handprints were all collected at last year’s StArts Fest.

Music was provided by artists in the rock, jazz and folk categories. The St. Albert Ballet Company also performed.

St. Albert Homes Report

Ottawa Not Appreciating Injured Veterans Returning From Conflict Zones

Canadian soldiers that were and/or are veterans of World War II appear to be getting a better deal than the most recent returning soldiers from current conflicts. Injured veterans of World War II were guaranteed pensions for life. Those injured and/or returning from duty in later conflicts are offered a lump sum with no option for monthly payments.

This fact was uncovered more than a year ago in a study by the Veterans Ombudsman’s office. It appears that somehow the 77 page document was misplaced. Pat Strogan, a soon to be unemployed member of that organization, brought the study into the limelight and the Conservative government is not pleased. For his trouble, Pat Strogan’s contract will not be renewed.

The report outlined the fact that the Canadian system of veteran’s compensation is not as generous as that of other countries such as Britain and Australia. Nor does the one payment system benefit the veterans as much as the previous system. A monthly guaranteed payout insures that the returning soldiers will have a life long income.

The maximum payment for soldiers receiving the most serious injuries is $276,000. That may seem like a lot, but it’s not. Besides, few qualify for so large a settlement. Too many of the younger service members spend their usually smaller lump sums too quickly. Some buy cars, boats or other big ticket items. Once the money’s gone, that’s it.

The fact that the Conservative government buried the report, and that Canada does not sufficiently value and appreciate the service of its military forces is disturbing. So is the fact that Pat Strogan exercised his right to free speech trying to do the right thing and will be rewarded by being fired.

St. Albert Real Estate Report

St. Albert Projects Struggling to Keep Deadlines

Heavy rainfall in Alberta has slowed many of St. Albert’s construction projects, but sunny weather may help the city get back on track. In 2009, 80 millimetres of rain fell since June 1 while this year, 144 millimetres have already fallen, just 30 millimetres shy of the historical 174 millimetres.

Fowler Track began late due to rain. Crew members are digging the area in preparation of the new track, but the track itself can’t be laid until the rain clears and the ground dries. Otherwise, the track will be unable to set and cure correctly—another delay for the $200,000 project.

Phase one of Riel Recreation Park was also delayed by rain, but the site manager has phase two underway with demolition work.

Rain also creates other hazards that need to be considered for employee safety, like mud and wet grass. The unstable conditions can cause machinery and crew to slip and injure themselves.

St. Albert’s Director of Engineering, Tracy Allen, said she was unsure how the costs and timelines would work on the projects. With a drier August and September, though, she is confident that the city can catch up on the projects while performing interim work in the meantime.

St. Albert Property Report

St. Albert Business Group Spearheading Move For Fairer Business Tax Rates

Businesses across Alberta pay far more property tax than residents for properties of similar value. Calgary’s business to residential tax ratio is the highest, at 4.57 to one, followed by Edmonton at 3.12 to one. A small business group out of St. Albert, which has a 1.61 to one ratio, is taking note and wants to bring this issue to the forefront in time for municipal elections. Though St. Albert’s ratio is fairly low, they do have one of the highest tax rates overall. Residences pay $1,096 in tax for every $100,000 of assessed property value.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses or CFIB put the report together and noted that it is not fair to charge business owners more because they actually use less of the public services than residences. Businesses must pay for their own garbage pick-up and are less likely to spend more time using parks and libraries, all items covered under property taxes.

CFIB is asking for fairness in taxation and wants candidates running for office to commit to reducing the business/residential tax ratio. One idea may be to have users of city services actually pay for those services that are actually used. A future council could conceivably change the laws, after much study, research and head scratching of course.

St. Albert Homes Report

Rich Schuchard, Grandfather of Jarome Iginla, Passes Away At Age 88

Rick Schuchard, grandfather of NHL star Jarome Iginla, passed away last Friday at the age of 88. He was very much a father figure to the young hockey hopeful, taking him to practice and even to Iginla’s away games, no matter how far away they were from St. Albert. Schuchard apparently had an inkling the young player would do great things and gave him every encouragement. There is no argument that all that time and effort on both parts paid off.

Schuchard was involved in the St. Albert Minor Hockey Association and a reporter for the sports page of the St. Albert Gazette. He started to write a regular column about the St. Albert Cardinals, helping to get the team, and Iginla, more exposure.

He was well loved and active in the community. When approached about donating an Iginla hockey jersey for a fundraiser to build Servus Credit Union Place, he gave up one that Iginla had given him. He was originally from Oregon, having immigrated to Canada in the 1960s. He will be laid to rest on Friday, May 28th.

St. Albert Real Estate Report

Two New Judges For Alberta Provincial Court

Alberta’s Provincial Court has appointed Charles Donald Gardner and Donna Mildred Groves as judges. Gardner will serve the Edmonton Region beginning April 26 and Groves will serve the Criminal Court of Edmonton beginning May 3.

Groves graduated from the University of Calgary in 1990 and practiced privately with Hostyn Fontaine and Groves specializing in family and criminal law. She became a part-time presiding Justice of the Peace (JOP) in 1997 and an Administrative JOP in 2006.
She served part-time for the British government as Judge Advocate, began teaching business law at NAIT in 2008 and serves as the President of the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Club of Edmonton. She received from NAIT the Instructional Excellence Award in March 2010 and the Citizenship Award from the City of Calgary in 1983.

Gardner graduated from the University of Alberta in 1978 and practiced with Nickerson Roberts and Hilborn specializing in family and criminal law. He has practiced civil litigation, wills, real estate, estates and corporate law with Birdsell Grant Gardner LLP as a partner since 1991.

He serves as a Bencher with the Law Society of Alberta, Legal Education Society of Alberta and Legal Aid Society of Alberta. He is a member of the Board of Directors with the Alberta Law Reform Institute, Legal Archives Society and Legal Resource Centre Ltd.
Candidates are screened by the Alberta Judicial Council and interviewed by the Provincial Court Nominating Committee before being appointed.

St. Albert Property Report

Earth Hour Today - What Is The World Doing?

In 2009, over 10 million Canadians took part in Earth Hour. Gerald Butts, CEO and president of World Wildlife Fund Canada, hopes that more people will turn out their lights this year and think on how they can make Earth Hour every hour. Organisers would like participants to see that making a positive difference for the environment is possible.


Launching in 2007, Earth Hour saw 2.2. million Sydney, Australia homes and businesses turn off their lights. Only a year later, the event went global with 35 countries participating. This year, more than 200 cities and 105 countries are confirmed participants.
Lights on world-famous landmarks, including Toronto’s CN Tower, Egypt’s Sphinx and Paris’ Eiffel Tower, will go out for one hour. Cities across the world and all over Canada are also powering down.

Edmonton’s downtown lights will be shut off. Montreal’s participating municipal buildings will be shut off. And Vancouver’s Burrard Bridge flood lights, Library Square, city hall and the Vancouver Museum and Space Centre lights will also be shut off. Organisers would like to see one billion people participate in this Saturday’s Earth Hour, March 27 at 8:30 p.m. local time.
 

St. Albert Homes Report

Metis Owned Company Seeking Permit to Mine Gravel in the North Saskatchewan River Valley

Kanata Metis Cultural Enterprises Ltd paid $8 million for a piece of land in the North Saskatchewan River Valley with the intention to create a gravel mine.  The parcel sits in the south west corner of the City of Edmonton, and the proposal to put a mine within city limits is drawing opposition.  

The Kanata company, owned by Metis settlements in Alberta, wants to mine for four to five years and then turn the location into parkland with an onsite interpretive centre.  The proposal states that the mine could bring needed employment and revenue for the First Nations people in that area.  The president of the firm, Archie Collins, noted that a good portion of the land has already been scared by off road vehicles.

This proposal is in direct conflict with an amendment to Edmonton’s municipal development plan, which forbids mining in the North Saskatchewan River Valley. The amendment was passed this past September, after the Kanata company’s purchase of the land. Mr. Collins is requesting the development plan be redrafted so that his mining venture can proceed.  

The bylaw is awaiting capital region board approval this coming May.  No matter their decision, the Kanata company plans to apply for permits to proceed.  No doubt the debate between environmental concerns and city land use will continue.
 

St. Albert Real Estate Report

St. Albert to Launch North America’s Largest “Eco City”

A project that is being billed as the largest “eco city” in North America is currently in the planning stages in St. Albert.  The community will occupy approximately 135 hectares in recently annexed land, accommodating some 6,000 people at a price of approximately $1.8 billion.  The organizations backing this community are Dutch investment company Rampart Avenir Communities, as well as Ener Tech Capital of the U.S.  Also participating in the venture is the National Institute for Nanotechnology at the University of Alberta.  

David Bromley, director of the project, advises that people will be able to see the results of clean technology by viewing the achievements of this community compared with a marketplace using conventional methods.  He contends that there is no equivalent area in North America that showcases complete usage of green technology.   Bromley cited the experience of U. of A’s centre for nanotechnology and the Edmonton’s potential for growth as some reasons why St. Albert is the beneficiary of the project.  

Area businesses will have the responsibility to develop and implement the green technology.  For example, a local builder may be assigned to construct a house that uses zero energy.  Rampart Avenir, as well as its associates would provide funding for the residence.  If the unit is found to be viable for occupation, more units could be constructed and evaluated by both consumers and researchers.  Ultimately, the home could be mass-marketed throughout the world.

The approval process continues with St. Albert’s local government.  The site for the eco city, which is located between Carrot Creek and Ray Gibbon Drive, is owned predominantly by Rampart and Melcor.

St. Albert Property Report

Heritage Site in St. Albert is Underway

St. Albert’s city council recently authorized construction to begin on phase one of a five-stage heritage site that the city has decided to create.  The site will be a heritage-themed park, to be built along Meadowview Drive.  The first phase of the project will focus on repairing the city’s historic grain elevators. 

The majority of the funds for the cost of the project are included in the city’s 2010 budget plans that will be reviewed for approval in late December, but the council recently approved $295,000 to use in order to begin the first phase.

The city wants to complete the entire project for the celebration of the city’s 150th anniversary, in 2011.  Council member Lone Garritty has mentioned about the excitement surrounding the project, and he explains that it is a great accomplishment to finally see the plans become set in action.

The project focuses on the restoration of the two original grain elevators built in St. Albert in 1906 and the 1920s.
The Alberta Wheat Pool Elevator needs repairs to the foundation and crawl spaces to prevent water erosion. 

The other elevator, built by the Alberta Grain Company has a slight lean that must be address immediately to ensure the structure’s safety and integrity.  The city seems to have planned the project perfectly, securing repair costs that are $16,000 under the modest budget, and the city will be eligible for provincial funding once the projects are complete for the upkeep of city buildings.

These grain elevators are important to Alberta and Canada because they are some of the oldest remaining structures of the sort in the entire region.

St. Albert Homes Report

Water strategy group seems sunk

A group formed to monitor the Sturgeon River may, itself, be sunk by next month. The Sturgeon Watershed Initiative is one among about 150 groups that came to be after the province declared the Water for Life Strategy, back in 2008.

Apparently, the board of the Sturgeon River Watershed Initiative spent six months attempting to decide what their mission and values should be, but never reached an agreement. The group, I am told, has representatives from six different organizations with conflicting agendas.  Things are so bad that the board has called for a special meeting, to see if the water strategy group should disband.

They all seem to agree that they want to protect the Sturgeon River Watershed, which begins east of the Pembina River and continues to a point where it enters the North Saskatchewan River. They simply cannot agree on how to accomplish their mission.

It seems that, within the group, commercial, municipal, and corporate interests have pitted themselves against the environmental issues. The watershed is home to a lot of gravel and sand mining operations. There have been discussions on how to regulate the influence of industry and development pertaining to the conservation of the watershed. Some say, however, that this was never the purview of the organization and that the group was supposed to fulfill more of a planning and strategy role.

Whatever is decided at the special meeting, it is a shame that such a group could not grow into an advocacy role for the Sturgeon River Watershed. There is absolutely a need to manage rivers like the Sturgeon, but if you cannot even decide what the mission of your organization should be after six months of debate, I would suggest that you are pretty much already sunk.

St. Albert Real Estate Report

October 27th, 2009

Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore to Open Second Location

Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore is proving to be a win-win concept for needy people seeking to build or renovate homes. The first ReStore, located at 82nd Street and Yellowhead Trail, sells home-building materials that have been contributed by various businesses and individuals. The materials are then sold to customers at rock-bottom prices. The first location has been so successful, a second store at 6909 76th Avenue is scheduled to open in early 2010.

Alfred Nikolai, Edmonton’s Habitat for Humanity president and chief executive, noted that the first ReStore is often overstocked with donated merchandise. Not wanting to turn down any contributions, Habitat decided that Edmonton’s citizens would benefit from another location. Sales from ReStore have generated more than $1 million to help defray Habitat’s administrative costs in the Edmonton location. Cash donations to the store go directly to help build residences for people with annual household incomes between $32,000 and $54,000.

Habitat constructed 21 homes in 2008, and 30 in 2009. The organization’s goal for 2010 is to build 56 homes. Eligible families must put in 70 days or 500 hours in “sweat equity” to qualify for a down payment on the homes. In turn, Habitat offers no-interest loans for periods of 30 to 60 years.

 

St. Albert Property Report

September 22nd, 2009

Syncrde Enters Plea in Waterfowl Case

Synthetic crude oil producer, Syncrude entered a plea of not guilty on charges of negligence that led to the death several migrating ducks. Attorney for Syncrude entered the plea on behalf of the company in a St. Albert court on September 14, 2009.

Officials have allotted two months for trial. Trial is scheduled to convene in March of 2010 in St. Albert. Attorney for Syncrude, Robert White stated that the reasoning behind the not guilty plea was that the organization has implemented new safety measures to prevent the occurrence from happening in the future.

Kent Brown, prosecutor in the case told reporters he was glad that the company had taken preventative measures against such an event in the future, but felt that there should be some degree of accountability for the negligent act.

In mid-2008, at a pond near Fort McMurray that was used by Syncrude, ducks migrating northward were drenched with oil from the water’s surface causing them to sink to their deaths at the bottom. Original reports estimated 500 ducks suffered this ill fate, but in April reports surfaced with a count of approximately 1600 ducks. Deterrents were not launched due to bad weather according to Syncrude.

 

St. Albert Homes Report

September 8th, 2009

"Speed on Green" At Full Speed

The so-called “Speed on Green” program has gotten serious. On September 1st, the warning period ended, and now anyone who speeds through the targeted intersections will receive a ticket from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. This astounding ticketing accuracy is thanks to red-light cameras which have been in place for a few years.

The affected intersections are St. Albert Trail and Hebert Road/Gervais Drive and Bellerose Drive/McKenny Avenue and St. Albert Trail. These intersections were also part of speed on green’s warning period. During the warning period, the automatic ticketing system generated up to a whopping 75 tickets a day. Now that it’s “for real,” tickets are expected to drop to 50 a day and then drop further as motorists realize the program is in place.

The RCMP points out that even though the program is often called “speed on green,” tickets will actually be issued for all phases of the traffic light. In other words, it is not OK to speed when the light is green.

The tickets are expected to bring in $300,000 in fines for the first year of operation, but as the program progresses, that figure is expected to drop as more drivers lower their speeds.

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