Here’s some interesting headlines from the last few weeks. I’m still getting my feet on the ground after a great weekend in Edmonton.
- Things in Fort McMurray are always done in a big, huge, gigantic, enormous way
Maybe everything isn’t bigger in Texas, after all….Gina Dobie, events and tours co-ordinator for Fort McMurray tourism, won that admission from an old Texan who looked on in awe of the monstrous mining machines on display at the Giants of Mining exhibit outside this booming city.
- What will $10,000,000 get you in Calgary?
"Calgary is now a ‘have’ city compared to Toronto and Vancouver. Real estate values have been going up. Toronto just sold a $25-million penthouse. Vancouver just sold an $18-million penthouse. Calgary is the economic hub of Canada right now, so a $10-million penthouse certainly isn’t unrealistic," said Gerry Mendyk, president and director of Arcus Developments, which is building the luxury condo tower in the 900 block of 10th Avenue S.W.
- Red Deer makes developing more green space a priority
City Councillor Cindy Jefferies said the importance of public spaces to the city’s residents is among the themes that are emerging early as efforts get underway to update the Greater Downtown Action Plan.
- Edmonton Transit considers better 24-hour service
"Poor late night transit is costing people job opportunities," said Brian Gould, spokesman for the rider’s union. "There’s a surprising number of jobs, if you think about it, that actually require transit service outside of what is being provided now."
- Alberta’s $4.6B surplus inspires calls for more cash for the Heritage Savings Trust Fund
Finance Minister Iris Evans announced Tuesday that Alberta’s treasury continued to overflow with $4.6 billion in surplus revenues in the 2007-08 fiscal year ending last March… with even bigger surpluses on the horizon because of the meteoric rise in oil prices, voices from across the political spectrum demanded the government pump more cash into the Heritage Savings Trust Fund.
- Edmonton’s proposed $950-million LRT line from downtown to NAIT came under fire Tuesday from residents and Legion members worried about the impact on their community.The tracks are set to run at street level north from Grant MacEwan College, but some homeowners want the route put underground through Central McDougall to save houses, reduce noise, improve traffic flow and reduce neighbourhood disruptions.
- Realtors get more paperwork
Under a new federal law that came into force Monday, real estate agents will ask to see your driver’s licence, or other government-issued ID, to make sure they know who they’re dealing with before closing a deal.
They’ll also need to keep personal information identifying their clients, such as occupation and birthdate, on file for five years and write reports anytime money changes hands during a real estate deal.
- Alberta looks East for more workers
Six Western Canada companies looking for skilled labour at the job fair Monday are hedging their bets there are many more Windsorites like the Petersons willing to relocate for work. In two days, the six companies are hoping to fill about 500 positions.
And that’s the news!
