MD of Foothills Feature
AFFORDABILITY
GARDEN PARTY
Housing groups look to get creative
Giving your yard some TLC
INDUSTRY A7
Celebrating region’s ranching roots
DONNA BALZER A11
A8 – A9 FREE july 24 to july 30 2015 issue 05-28 editorial 403-781-1324 advertising 403-263-4940 crebnow@creb.ca
real estate news from industry experts
CALGARY’S
CITIES DEAD OF THE
PHOTO BY WIL ANDRUSCHAK, FOR CREB®NOW
Plans for a new cemetery in the southeast aims to bring burial into the 21st century, serving as more than just a repository for the departed JOEL SCHLESINGER for creb®now
S
tretching over rolling hills, a 65-hectare plot of land adjacent to Ralph Klein Park is an idyllic refuge from the frenetic energy of urban life.
Yet the parkland on the edge of Calgary’s southeast quadrant is intended to be much more than a place to take the dog for a walk amongst spectacular mountain vistas. It’s the site of the city’s newest cemetery, the first to be constructed in more than 75 years. Yet to be officially named, it represents a 21st century approach to death,
MLS® MONTH END INVENTORY* JUN ‘13 – JUN ‘15
JUN13 4343 JUL13 3931 AUG13 3597 SEP13 3616 OCT13 3388 NOV13 2743 DEC13 1765 JAN14 2181 FEB14 2641 MAR14 3033 3820 APR14 4528 MAY14 4759 JUN14 4678 JUL14 4591 AUG14 4559 SEP14 4162 OCT14 3826 NOV14 3213 DEC14 4655 JAN15 5474 FEB15 5693 MAR15 5579 APR15 5342 MAY15 5070 JUN15
CITY OF CALGARY
aimed at making an important-butoften-underused public space in a rapidly growing urban environment into a vital hub for the communities it serves. “It certainly will have a more multipurpose use,” said Jim Klimes, the lead architect for the City of Calgary on the project. “We don’t want it cut off from society; we want it integrated into the community.” To that end, the city sought plenty of public input on what the cemetery should be prior to developing a plan. What the city heard during consultations held last year is a design should maintain the landscape’s natural beauty while protecting existing wetland and maximize mountain views. Yet equally important is the new
*All statistics based on monthly data compiled by CREB via MLS activity. Includes detached, attached and apartment. ®
®
A Creek Runs By It
Choose Your Own Country Retreat 288205 PARKINS RD W
BANK OF CANADA LOWERS BENCHMARK RATE CREB® STAFF
CANYON CREEK
City of Calgary cemeteries superintendent Gary Daudlin believes cemeteries are valuable-but-oftenoverlooked green spaces within the city.
Fred Valentine, an architect and adjunct faculty member in the Faculty of Environmental Design at the University of Calgary, notes Calgary’s cemeteries are situated on prime real estate surrounded by intense development. Yet somewhat ironically they are underused and largely forgotten. “We really push death aside,” he said.
CEMETERIES A3
CONTENTS NEWS BRIEFS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 FIVE THINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4 Providence
MUNICIPAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A6
R
esponding to rising inflation and lagging economy, the Bank of Canada has lowered its benchmark rate to 0.5 per cent. The move, which was widely anticipated by financial analysts, was accompanied by an updated outlook that contained some less-than-optimistic language regarding Canada’s flagging economy. “Global economic developments have been quite disappointing, and these have led to a significant downgrade of our estimate of Canadian economic growth for 2015,” said Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz.
INDUSTRY A3
$749,000
A rare combination of property and setting! Solid bungalow with walkout basement. A country valley paradise backing onto 3/4 acre section of crown land, offering nothing but captivating beauty from the new wrap-around deck and stone patio. Peace and quiet all day long. Extensive rock retaining walls, rock staircase, and a beautiful split rail fence, with cross fencing encompassing the entire property. The inside of the home features a large vaulted open design through the kitchen, eating nook, and living room; a spacious master with a bay window opening onto the large deck; and a large guest bedroom, 3 pce bath, and great recreational area in the lower level. Includes a detached oversized garage and horse shelter. MLS®C4013410
Lee Edwards 403-540-0540
cemetery must serve a multitude of uses besides burial. Respondents wanted biking and walking paths to encourage regular visitors beyond those paying respects to the deceased. And they wanted a multi-faith community centre to be used for celebrations as well as funerals. The extensive input from the public is aimed to make the approximately $10-million project — expected to be complete in 2018 – a much more utilized space than the city’s five existing cemeteries, said Klimes. “When they were built, they were basically warehouses. You didn’t go there unless you had to,” he said. “But now the theme is to integrate cemeteries into the community with various uses.”
Big data and traffic
EVENT LISTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A6 WEEKLY FEED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A6 MORTGAGE RATES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A10 INDUSTRY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A10 Latent vs patent
HOME SAFETY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A11 Backyard care
MAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1 OPEN HOUSES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B19 @crebnow
Woodland Retreat
31 ELK VALLEY BA
/crebnow
crebnow.com
$789,000
Fine finishings and a private location. The tree-lined driveway circles past the over-sized, heated, detached garage & the covered, wrap-around verandah at the front of the home. A spacious great room invites gathering around the unique Tulikivi soapstone fireplace & bake oven, while offering a serene view through the 2.5 storey banked prow windows. Custom kitchen features upper-end stainless-steel appliances, a commercial sized gas stove, solid Cherry cabinets, granite countertops, & a snack counter. A guest bedroom, bath, & laundry room complete the main level. Upstairs, a loft overlooks the great room, & the huge master includes a modern ensuite. A family room, exercise room, wine room, sauna, & steam shower are developed on the lower level. MLS® C4017889
lee@braggcreekrealestate.com