Welcome To My Sherwood Park Realtor Blog®

In this section of the website I like to provide my clients with up to date information about the Sherwood Park market.  Included is real estate information and local tidbits.  If you have any input or would like to comment, please feel free to drop me an e-mail at info@jodiedrew.com.
 

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Monday, July 5, 2010 - Residents Unhappy with School Application

Rural residents southeast of Sherwood Park are not happy with the idea that their quiet, country subdivision could be once again disturbed. The corner for Township Road 520 and Range Road 225 used to be home to Word of Life Tabernacle Church until it burned down in 2002.

Residents were disturbed by roadside parking, blocked intersection sight lines, speeding cars and increased traffic. Now that Aurora Learning Foundation has applied to build a 6,000 square-foot, 22-foot tall school on the property, residents are worried it will be déjà vu.

Aurora Learning Foundation is a private Christian school that currently operates in Edmonton with less than 30 students attending grades three through 12.

The foundation’s treasurer, Bill Clippingdale, is confident that the school and the traffic won’t affect the lives of residential neighbours. The upcoming school year estimates only 22 students will attend with six employees onsite. Clippingdale said the school doesn’t rent its facilities out and would only use six to eight days or evenings for parent-teacher meetings and fundraisers.

The permit was submitted in the first week of May, but residents said they weren’t aware of the application until they saw construction equipment onsite.

Planning and Development Services has a maximum of 40 days to approve or reject the application. Residents wrote an eight-page long letter to county officials expressing their concerns.

The county will notify residents of the decision which is an unusual formality for permitted use.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Thursday, June 24, 2010 - Oilsands Being Reclaimed, One Hectare At A Time, By Oil Producers

The oil industry has not been getting the best press lately. Syncrude Canada Ltd will be getting its own bit of black ink later this week when a judge decides if the firm is guilty of violating provincial and federal environmental laws. In April of 2008, more than 1,600 birds died when they landed on one of their settling basins north of Fort McMurray.

Syncrude and Suncor, the two companies that have been operating in the oil sands the longest are working on reclaiming some of the land used for mining since the latter half of the 20th century. Suncor has started by filling in a tailings pond near the Athabasca River that will eventually turn into a new piece of woodland. The two acre former pond has been filled with sand, solid tailings, covered with topsoil and will have small trees, shrubs and barley grasses planted. It is the first step in keeping a promise made by the company years ago.

Syncrude has reclaimed 46 square kilometres of its old oil sand mines and has more projects in the works. Money for such projects comes from an $800 million fund put together by the oil companies for this use, but environmental officials are not sure this is enough. There are about 60,000 hectares of oil sands that need to be reclaimed and this works out to about $12,000 per hectare. The concern is that public taxes will eventually have to pay for the clean up. Not something that the public, or the oil companies, want to consider.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Wednesday, June 16, 2010 - Eye Injury Does Not Keep Canadian Soldier From Wanting A Third Tour in Kandahar

Cpl. Siobhan Parr was injured in Kandahar in 2006. Even though the rocket that barely missed her destroyed the muscles in her right eye, she wants to go back. Initially Parr had trouble reading and with depth perception but has adjusted. She received the Sacrifice Medal this past month recognizing the injury received while serving Canada.

Cpl. Parr did return to Kandahar in 2008. She worked as a radio operator during both tours as she does now at her current assignment at the 408th Tactical Helicopter Squadron in Edmonton. Parr enlisted when she turned 19 and has seven years of service behind her. She takes after her father, who was with the British army before the family moved to Medicine Hat when she was a teenager of 14.

Downplaying the incident, and the injury, Parr considers herself very lucky. She is also hoping to go back to Afghanistan for a third tour of duty next year. Leaving the military and the work she loves is just not an option.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Thursday, June 10, 2010 - Local Trees Suffer From Ten Years of Drought Conditions

The evidence is abundant in Kinnaird Ravine: Poplar and aspen trees are dying and already dead, grim reminders of a longtime drought that has affected every part of the area’s ecosystem. According to Michal Silzer, who is an ecological planner with Edmonton’s Office of Natural Areas, some 30 percent of urban natural areas are going through dieback, in which an abnormal quantity of dead branches appear on living trees.

Dieback starts at the top of a tree, and green leaves are not found until the lower portions. At one point, the tree ceases to produce energy and succumbs. Because it can impact a tree’s immunity, drought can also result in insect or fungal infestations.

Although the area has dealt with droughts before, the years since 2000 were more dry than any in a long time. The years 2008 and 2009 marked the driest consecutive years since Edmonton started keeping records in the 1880s. Some of the trees are poplars and aspens, which are not known for their longevity under normal conditions.

Deputy Fire Chief John Lamb said that the increasing amount of deadwood is becoming a fire hazard. He advised that access to Edmonton’s ravines and river valley can be a challenge, given the bulky size of typical firefighting equipment. The fire department contended with some 800 brush fires in 2002, and since then has improved the ways it deals with these blazes.

One area that has been subjected to fires is the Mill Creek ravine. A house near the ravine was devastated by fire in 2002, and another fire occurred in May, near 93rd Avenue and 98th Street. Residents near the ravine are aware of the blazes, but seem to be confident in the ability of Edmonton’s firefighters. Resident Ray Harper expressed his concerns about the area’s trees, and believes that a loss of these unusual natural areas would be tragic.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Wednesday, June 2, 2010 - Ardrossan Junior/Senior High Teacher Rebecca Gustafson Recognized for Excellence

Rebecca Gustafson, a 9th and 10th grade teacher at Ardrossan Junior/Senior High School is among 20 teachers from across Alberta selected to receive the 2010 Excellence in Teaching Award. This gives Gustafson a cash fund of $4,000 to use towards classes or other means of professional development. She has yet to decide how she will put that money to use but a university course is a good bet. Gustafson has been at Ardrossan since 1997 and is a math teacher.

The prize recipients are nominated by students and/or their parents. Teachers must show that students have improved in areas such as emotional, intellectual and social development as well as in their physicality. The fact that her students and their families supported her has meant the most to Gustafson. She makes a point of always being available to her math students even at night or on the weekends. Lunch time tutoring sessions are commonplace.

Once nominated, teachers are selected for the award by a committee which includes the Alberta Teacher’s Association, the College of Alberta Schools Superintendents and Alberta Education. This year there were 400 teachers nominated with 136 reaching the semi final round. The award ceremony was held in Calgary on May 29th.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Friday, May 14, 2010 - Stratchona County Proposing New Rural Roads Master Plan

Strathcona County is trying something new. Instead of repaving and repairing roads to schedule, the work will be done on an as needed basis. In theory this makes a lot more sense. This decision was made after a public survey in which there was a significant amount of displeasure with the state of Class 1 rural roads. The other concern with the in-place road work plan is that some roads have been over-layed so much that they are getting narrower.

The Sustainable Rural Roads Master Plan covers roughly 1,300 kilometres of the county’s roadways. Of these roads, 940 kilometres are the grid type, 330 kilometres are residential that fall within the county’s 202 sub-divisions and the remaining kilometres belong to residential roads that are in the eight rural villages.

Prior to this plan, there was no real study of the economic requirements for maintaining the entire rural road system. Alan Dunn, councilman for the district supports the recommendation because it allocates funds where needed. It makes the best use of budgetary funding yet has flexibility to make changes if something unforeseen should come up that needed immediate attention. Other council members were in agreement with the proposal.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Friday, May 7, 2010 - Strathcona County Museum Gets Makeover, Re-Opens

It’s out with the ”old” old and in with the “new” old at the Strathcona County Museum and Archives. The museum celebrated a grand re-opening April 29 to show off its renovations that have modernized it and enhanced its security. The museum now has interactive display facilities as well as vignettes of movies. In addition, the museum’s staff has embarked on an extensive project to enter the county archives into a database.

The museum now has improved its security and fire protection capabilities. It is freshly painted, and the flooring, which was “vintage” when the museum took over the space from the RCMP in 1975, has been replaced.

Mayor Cathy Oleson, one of the participants at the museum’s ribbon-cutting event, lavished praise on the museum’s management and its many volunteers. She said that hours put in by volunteers since 1975 equal nearly $750,000 in what would be compensation. She commented that the museum has been able to successfully integrate new technology with history.

The improvements at the museum were funded by government endowments as well as financial support from Strathcona County.

Starr Hanson, the museum’s manager and curator, said that the facility has undergone many changes since she started working there. She advised that every room had to be emptied for work to begin. The renovation took four months to complete but it now has a brand-new feel. She is grateful for the enhanced security, especially since the museum now has so many improvements. Hanson expressed her gratitude for the support provided by the county over a 12-year period. She said that right after the museum received its grant, the county stepped in to provide help.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Wednesday, April 28, 2010 - New Surgery Strategy Criticized by Opposition

Opposition members are criticizing the Conservative government over their management of the new cataract surgery strategy. Gene Zwozdesky, Alberta’s Health Minister, promised to make more extensive consultations with eye surgeons before the next contracts are made.

In March, the Conservative government moved to have cataract surgeries in Alberta performed at only two facilities each in Edmonton and Calgary. Surgeons scrambled to reschedule their operations from their centres to the clinics with only days to spare. Additionally, some ophthalmologists were forced to lay staff off and shared concerns about performing surgeries with unfamiliar equipment in unfamiliar clinics.

Zwozdesky met with ophthalmologists on Saturday, April 24, 2010, to discuss the decision and said they would meet again before the next contracts are completed.

The province expects to see a savings of $1.4 million with the new contract and estimates that 1,500 more surgeries would take place in Calgary and 600 more would take place in Edmonton. The second contract is expected to allow up to 1,000 more cataract surgeries.

Zwozdesky said that every surgeon may be eligible for the new contract, even those who didn’t win the year contract.

David Swann, Alberta’s Liberal leader said that Calgary’s public surgeries would create a check-and-balance for the system and called the implementation poorly planned and implemented.

Danielle Smith, Wildrose Alliance leader, called the Conservative party’s decision rash and doesn’t believe it will benefit patients or providers long-term.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Wednesday, April 21, 2010 - Strathcona County and Fort Saskatchewan Showing Healthy Home Start Numbers

Housing starts for the month of March in Fort Saskatchewan and Strathcona County are showing numbers that are shooting towards the stratosphere. Percentage wise, Fort Saskatchewan showed a 212.5 percent increase and Strathcona County showed a 357 percent increase over March of 2009.

This translates into 25 starts this March compared to eight last year and 64 for Strathcona County compared to 14. Out of those numbers Fort Saskatchewan had 21 single family homes and Strathcona had 44. The rest were multi family structures. Year to date the two areas have 82 and 149 starts year to date, respectively.

This meteoric rise in starts was predicted earlier this year after the economy appeared to be mending nicely. Those numbers are expected to cool as 2010 progresses and mortgage rates inch up and the new mortgage laws take effect.

In the greater Edmonton area, there were 813 new starts (513 of these were single family) this past March. In March of 2009 there were only 135 starts with 105 of those being single family homes. In the first three months of 2010, the area has shown a total of 2,032 home starts, up from 761 from the same time period in 2009.

Alberta’s housing starts as a whole are healthy particularly in Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer and Lethbridge. Positive numbers in those areas have offset the declines in places such as Medicine Hat, Wood Buffalo and Grande Prairie.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Thursday, April 15, 2010 - House Price Survey Shows Housing Prices Moving Up

Things are looking up in Sherwood Park's real estate market. As the year 2010 takes hold,a recent house price survey shows that all housing types in the city are increasing in value quite nicely both in the first quarter of the year as well as when compared to stats for 2009.

The largest price increases in the city proper were seen in standard two storey homes which showed a 5.2 percent increase from 2009, coming in at an average of $343,571 per unit. This was followed by condominiums which increased 4.9 percent to an average price of $208,833 and then by bungalows that went up one percent to $302,857 per unit.

The largest increase in two storey home prices was seen in the Riverbend/Tervilliger area where a home price jumped form $346,850 to $370,000, a 7 percent increase. Condos in the same area jumped 9 percent in value, from $200,000 to $218,000. Sherwood Park saw a 10 percent increase in prices, $300,000 to $330,000 for detached bungalows. Some areas of the city, such as Castledowns and Claireview saw little upward movement in prices in their respective markets.

As the economy improves, more people are getting into the market, especially those mindful of the expected increase in mortgage costs. It is also being reported that the real estate market is currently balanced, creating a fairer playing field for both buyer and seller. Resale homes are also moving, aided by first time buyers taking the plunge into home ownership.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Wednesday, April 7, 2010 - Group Questions Need for New Power Line

The group known as Responsible Electricity Transmission for Albertans, or RETA, is demanding that since there has been a significant reduction in the quantity of bitumen upgraders in the Industrial Heartland, the prospective transmission line should be re-evaluated. Bruce Johnson, president of RETA, notified Premier Ed Stelmach in writing to ask that the 500-KV transmission line be reviewed in the manner that oil and gas royalties have been examined.

At the time the line was deemed necessary in 2007, nearly nine upgraders were proposed for Fort Saskatchewan. However, at present, only two upgraders remain, and their future is uncertain, Johnson said. In his letter to Stelmach, he noted that one consequence of the reduction in the building of upgraders is a lessened need for new electricity provisions. Johnson noted Stelmach’s admonition to review actions consequent to the recent changes in oil and gas royalties, and said the transmission line situation deserves the same scrutiny.

Johnson contended that even if a smaller transmission line is necessary, it needs to be buried when in proximity to residences, schools and other areas where people could be affected. He also pointed out that an overbuilt electricity line could reduce Alberta’s competitive advantage in business.

According to the Alberta Electric System Operator, the transmission line would cost some $400 million but could rise to $750 million if even ten KM of line were to be underground. The price could skyrocket to $1 billion in the event that 20 KM of line were to be buried.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Tuesday, March 30, 2010 - Festival Place Parking Structure Gets Go Ahead Despite Flack Over Pay Parking

The residents attending the Strathcona County council had no concerns about building a new parking lot at the Centre in the Park. But on the matter of paying to use that parking lot, the debate was quite lively. Many feel that Festival Place, also site of the public library, should not have paid parking. Considering that many workers at the library are volunteers, this is a valid point.

Plans were discussed on how the limited spaces would be distributed, if any would be free and for the paid lots, how much would be charged. When the plan for Centre in the Park was created some ten years ago, the intent was to create a pedestrian friendly centre that would encourage the use of public transit.

Charging parking fees might get people into the habit of using public transport, but what happens to those who live in rural locations that are outside of the service area? Parking fees would also pay for the building and maintenance of the Parkade. But citizens are wondering how much of that monetary support would be generated by parking tickets. Would these parking tickets be generated by additional workforce needed to perform such duties? Is this not somewhat of a Catch 22?

Since there were several council members absent from the meeting, there was an attempt to delay the vote. That attempt was defeated and the decision to proceed with the roadway changes was made. No doubt the Parking Management Plan will receive more scrutiny and perhaps needed tweaking at a future meeting.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Wednesday, March 24, 2010 - Comic Talent Neil Grahn’s New Production Combines Theatre With TV-Pilot Potential

Neil Grahn is taking advantage of the wealth of comic talent in Edmonton with his new production, Pilot Season. A major TV director in Alberta, Grahn’s comedic roots go back to Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie, an innovative and wacky comedy group. In his work, he takes the unusual step of transforming sketch acts into full-length plays.

Pilot Season consists of two plays. One, The Realtor, looks at a down-on-its-luck real estate office. The other, Out and About, is about an upscale gay couple whose lives are turned upside down when the widowed and homophobic dad one of the partners moves in.

Both plays will be filmed and marketed as pilots for a TV series. Grahn said that taping the plays will give them a competitive reaction with network decision-makers, as they will easily see the interaction between the characters as well as with the audience.

Chris Craddock, Grahn’s writing partner, is enthusiastic about this prospect, as well as with his projects with Grahn. He said he respected Grahn’s work as a Troll. Although the pair does not agree on every proposed idea, their collaboration works with a lot of negotiation. Grahn and Craddock contend that today’s best comedy is on network TV, with shows such as 30 Rock, Modern Living and Curb Your Enthusiasm setting the standard for best laugh-getters.

The production hosts a cadre of veteran performers, including Donovan Workun, Sheldon Elter, Jessie McPhee, Davina Stewart, Brian Dooley, Ryan Parker, Trevor Schmit and Jesse Gervais. Co-directing with Grahn is Bradley Moss.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Tuesday, March 16, 2010 - New RONA Helps Make Home Renovations Easier and Environmentally Friendly

RONA has opened a new super store in Sherwood Park, Alberta. Located at 301 Wye Road, the 52,000 square foot store offers a vast assortment of hardware and building items for both the professional builder and the weekend warrior. RONA has invested $16 million in this new location and has also provided 72 local employment opportunities.

The demand is there. Sherwood Park faithfully supported the now retired store at 222 Baseline Road and this new next generation of RONA stores is a just reward. The new store is brighter, bigger and has a wider range of products. It has been designed to be more shopper friendly. The only things that remain the same are the friendly staff and the competitive prices.

This new RONA store also aims to be a leader in environmental affairs. It is the first in the company’s product line to apply for a LEED certification. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification is awarded to retail outlets that make a specific effort to offer eco-friendly products.

Shoppers will find 9,500 square feet devoted to an outdoor garden centre, an indoor lumber yard covering 22,000 square feet and an outside yard of 68,000 square feet. This RONA super store will offer more than 22,000 different items.

Sales staff will be on hand to offer renovation advice, help customers choose eco-friendly alternatives where possible, all with the intent of making a home project more builder-friendly. Services include a special cut shop as well as a sales desk dedicated to contractors.
 

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Tuesday, March 9, 2010 - The Olympic Games Are Over, Now What?

The calculations now begin as the 2010 Olympic games in Vancouver have wrapped up; while we remember the human stories of these games, and recount our medals it’s also time to determine the lasting financial legacy of Vancouver’s winning bid.

The tragic death of the Georgian luger on a practice run at the Whistler Sliding Centre prior to the opening ceremonies had many wondering if the ominous beginning of the games would carry through. On Sunday, however, when Canada’s men’s hockey team defeated the Americans in overtime, it was clear that our Gold medal victory, and Canada’s Olympic record for the most Gold’s ever won by any nation ended the games better than many Canadians ever would have expected.

So what does it all mean in terms of dollars and cents? Will the buildings that were home to the stories of tragedy, elation, defeat and glory also be financially victorious in the end? While the athletes fought for victory on the slopes, Fortress investment Group LLC was fighting to save Whistler-Blackcomb, an asset of its subsidiary, Intrawest ULC, from foreclosure during the Olympic games. Whistler itself has projected a surplus after the municipality for hosting the games.

It also will benefit for years to come from the infrastructure that is left as the games conclude. So, the story is not over after all. The legacy remains to be determined. One thing is certain, however; we Canadians have much to be proud of.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Saturday, February 19, 2010 - Sherwood Park Resident Celebrated for 600 Blood, Plasma Donations

A resident of Sherwood Park has given more of himself than any other donor, quite literally.  Last week, Paul Boisvert donated an incredible 600 bags of blood and plasma to the Canadian Health Services.  Boisvert made his incredible contribution February 16 at the organization’s office near Edmonton’s University of Alberta Hospital.

As his blood flowed into a bag, Boisvert had no idea of his milestone until staff at Canadian Blood Services notified him.  To celebrate his contribution, a cake awaited him after his donation.  

Lori Bosko, Canadian Blood Services’ coordinator of community development, lauded Boisvert’s significant effort, saying that few can match his accomplishment.  The 600 donations from Boisvert currently rank 12th in Alberta’s north area.  At the head of the donor list is a person from Alberta with an astounding 900 contributions.  

Boisvert has no intention of quitting, saying that his father finally stopped being a donor when he reached the age of 65.  He said that he first began to give blood some 40 years ago, at the behest of his father.  He started by contributing whole blood, but not plasma.   He decided to switch to plasma donations in 1982, because plasma can be donated once a week.  Blood can only be donated once in each 56 days.  

Boisvert’s father encouraged all of his children to donate, but only two of them have contributed on a regular basis.  Boisvert is urging his sons to participate, but they have not done so yet.  

Bosko reported that there is currently a good supply of blood and plasma, saying that the service would always have a healthy inventory if everyone registered to donate would do so twice yearly.
 

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Friday, February 19, 2010 - Sylvan Lake’s Lyndon Rush Going for Gold

A gold rush in Sylvan Lake? Who knew?  The people of the town near Red Deer are brimming with excitement over their favourite son, Olympic bobsleigh pilot Lyndon Rush.  Signs that read “Go L.D. Rush” are found all over Sylvan Lake, promoting Lyndon Daniel Rush, whose “day job” consists of selling real estate with his father and brother in Central Alberta.    

Rush, who goes by “L.D.” among his family and friends, won his first World Cup victory in bobsleigh this past winter.  The 30-year-old has only participated in the sport for five years.  His father, Jerry, said that Lyndon was always athletically inclined.  He excelled in hockey as a child, and then discovered football.  Young Rush starred as a linebacker and place kicker in high school and at the University of Saskatchewan.  

Not long after Rush graduated university, he was invited to try out for the national bobsleigh team.  He was taken aback by the surprise phone call, but made the team, and specialized in piloting the sleigh.  

Most of Rush’s five siblings will be cheering him on in Vancouver this week.  His younger brother is serving as a volunteer at the Olympics.  

Jerry Rush said of his son that when Lyndon was around four years old, he asked his father about what the fastest thing in the world would be.  Jerry surmised that a fighter jet would hold that title.  Young Lyndon decided that he would want to be an athlete that pilots a fighter jet.  As it happens, fighter pilots must have the endurance to deal with forces that are at least five times the force of gravity.  Ironically, those are the qualifications necessary for a bobsleigh pilot. 

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Monday, February 15, 2010 - Local Youth Participates in Global Warming Conference

A local teen girl, Sherwood Park native Tina Bylinski, participated in the world-wide Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.  She and a few other youth represented Kiribati, a small island nation in the central Pacific.

The youth helped the small nation of Kiribati by attending conferences and taking notes since the nation did not have enough government representatives to attend all of the meetings, many which were simultaneously happening.

The corresponded with members of the island nation through email to keep them up to date about the conference.  Each week they also met with Kiribati officials face-to-face to exchange notes.  The group of youth worked under the name of their online blog, UN Fair Play.  They helped many other small, developing nations by forwarding notes to state officials.

Unfortunately, the youth say that the meetings they attended moved quite slowly, accomplishing very little progress with regards to global warming.  She says the poor organization of the meetings and the poor rate at which items were discussed made her and her peers really question the effectiveness of the conference.

She met the other members of the blog in Wales, where she moved for two years to study at United World Colleges' Atlantic College campus.  At first, she says she was skeptical of global warming, but it became blatantly obvious to her that there were major problems across the globe.  She now intends to make a difference in the world by being a major advocate of climate change education.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Monday, February 8, 2010 - Visitors Provide Praise and Criticism for Re-Opened Art Gallery

Two nuns were among the first people to gain entry into the newly refurbished Art Gallery of Alberta when it opened for the grand re-opening January 31.  Sisters Germaine Chalifoux and Jeannette Filthaut were part of 10,000 people who received free tickets.  Filthaut said her secret to getting the complimentary ticket was to be early.  She went online before the announced distribution time of noon on January 18.

Despite the cold weather, thousands of people waited in line to enter the gallery for the 9 a.m. entry slot.  Workers at the gallery engaged in a countdown before shouting a hearty welcome to the visitors, and opening the glass entry doors.

The visitors received time slots of approximately one hour to visit exhibitions featuring works by Edgar Degas, Yousuf Karsh and Francisco Goya.  The gallery also features works from George Bures and Janet Cardiff, both artists from Canada.  

Visitor Steve Knish commented that the space felt bright, open and comfortable.  Grace Lee, a painter from Edmonton, commented that the gallery resembled a jewel.  Eight-year-old Suraj Gill approved of the building with its curved roof.

Others outside the gallery were not as enthusiastic, believing that money spent on the gallery’s renovation could have been used to help the poor.  A visitor leaving the gallery said he felt rushed during the tour, which was conducted by a museum guide.

According to Oksana Gowin, a spokesperson for the AGA, the grand re-opening had been designed to give visitors a taste of the gallery, and to encourage them to return soon. 

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Friday, January 29, 2010 - Alberta Set to Welcome 24 Haitian Orphans

A woman from Fort Saskatchewan will meet the 22-month-old Haitian girl she is adopting, as the toddler arrives on a flight from the earthquake-stricken country   Bonnie Winarski has waited 21 months to adopt her daughter Sarah-Marie, who survived the January 12 catastrophe.  

Winarski and her fiancé are among the 21 families from Alberta who will welcome 24 adoptive children from Haiti this week.  The children are being flown from Haiti to arrive in Ottawa and Montreal.  After waiting for so long to adopt her daughter, Winarski says that the past two weeks have been even more traumatic.  She says she has not been able to sleep since hearing of the earthquake that killed more than 150,000 people.  

After Winarski and fiancé Mark Matichuk return to Fort Saskatchewan with Sarah-Marie, the family will be assisted by a doctor who specializes in providing care for children of international adoptions.  

The earthquake did not damage God’s Littlest Angels, the Haitian orphanage housing 20 of the 24 orphans heading for Canada.  Located near Port-au-Prince, the orphanage also housed 81 children that are being adopted by families in the U.S.

The Canadian government is expediting Haitian adoptions that were already underway when the earthquake struck.  So they can gain legal entry into Canada as soon as possible, temporary permits for residency are being issued to the children.  Glenn Thamer, vice president and chairman of God’s Little Angels, said that people have been clamoring to adopt Haitian orphans since the earthquake occurred.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Friday, January 22, 2010 - Proposed Route for Transmission Line

Epcor and AltaLink have chosen the utility corridor of Highway 216 as the route of preference for the 500 kV transmission line that the companies plan to build.  If they cannot find approval for the preferred route, they have chosen a second-choice route, which would bring the transmission line north past Spruce Grove and then have the line turn east once it has passed north of Morinville.

There have already been multiple routes that have been turned down.  These proposed routes east of Ardrossan and west of Edmonton have been removed from consideration.

The project consists of above-ground towers that will hold giant electrical lines, which would be erected over 50 meters high.  The two companies estimate that construction on the project will begin in 2011.  The company's preferred route for the transmission line would be the Anthony Henday ring road from southwest Edmonton to the northeast.  They would like it to pass through Strathcona County along Highway 216.

The companies say they have talked to thousands of residents over the past year, and they have found that the east TUC route would create the least amount of environmental impact.  Leigh Clarke, AltaLink vice-president, is also quick to point out that there are not schools, hospital, or day-cares within 150 metres of the main line.

There is also a proposed underground route that in being considered, and there is presently a study being conducted by the Alberta Electric System Operator to determine if the underground route is technically feasible.

Responsible Electricity Transmission for Albertans has been a major opponent of the project since its introduction to local officials.  They also are fighting to make it known about the harmful health effects of power lines.

At this point, Epcor and AltaLink have made an announcement that they are happy to just have the proposed route considered, and they will support any decision reached by the local counsel.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Monday, January 18, 2010 - Suspects Named in Million Dollar Prank

Alcohol may have been the root cause of two men stealing a large piece of construction machinery and parking it on the middle of CN railway tracks near Clover Bar Road in Strathcona County in July of 2008.  

Miraculously no one was hurt.  This in spite of the fact that the 11,000 kilogram machine was T-boned by an 85 car train and 13 of its cars derailed.  By sheer luck the train cleared a highly travelled overpass before the derailment occurred.

Eighteen months later the police finally have suspects. Edward Arthur Vallee was arrested and charged with the crime by Strathcona County RCMP. He is currently out on bail with a court date of February 1st. His alleged partner, Ian Douglas Gillie, has had an arrest warrant issued with his name on it.  Police are hoping that the media attention will cause Gillie to turn himself in.

Both of the suspects face charges of theft over $5000, mischief over $5,000 and mischief endangering life.  The cost of clean-up and related issues for the incident was over one million dollars. The engineer, conductor, emergency responders and investigators all agree that the damage to property and loss of human life could have been catastrophic.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Tuesday, January 12, 2010 - Cpl. Zachery McCormack Laid to Rest in Sherwood Park

Nicole Brisson, fiancée of Cpl. Zachery McCormack, delivered the eulogy at his Sherwood Park funeral. The services were attended by hundreds. Many were friends and family, others were members of the public wanting to show respect to the soldier killed on December 30th by a roadside bomb south of Kandahar in Afghanistan. The 21 year old was later interred at Glenwood Memorial Gardens.

The deadly roadside blast also took the lives of fellow soldiers Sgt. George Miok, age 28, also of Sherwood Park, Pte. Garret Chidley, age 21 of Cambridge, Ontario, and Sgt. Kirk Taylor, aged 28 from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Michelle Lang, a 34 year old reporter from the Calgary Herald, was also killed in the explosion.

Brisson, who became engaged to McCormack while on a cruise, shared memories of the man she met when they were both only 15 years old. They intended to marry when each finished their educations. Brisson is studying to be a nurse and McCormack was working on becoming an electrician.

McCormack was remembered as being fun loving, bright, athletic and having a passion for roller coasters. He now will also be remembered as a hero that died in the service of his country.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Sunday, November 29, 2009 - Sturgeon River Watershed Initiative May Disband

The Sturgeon River Watershed Initiative, awash in internal conflicts, may disband in December. The group is one of some 150 committees that assembled after the 2003 creation of the Water for Life initiative. Starting at the east of the Pembina River and terminating at the river’s entry to the North Saskatchewan River, the watershed is a significant component of the fight to protect the Sturgeon River.

According to a source on the Watershed Initiative’s board of directors, the group has devoted six months trying to determine its objectives without having reached any kind of consensus. Part of the inability to reach common goals is that the group is composed of members from six organizations with varying opinions. People from environmental organizations and municipal factions, for example, have widely divergent views on how to help the watershed.

City of St. Albert committee representative Leah Jackson commented that discussions abounded regarding the need for regulatory actions, or controlling impact from towns and real estate developers. However, she noted, those conversations diverted from the Initiative’s original goal to develop strategies and not to discuss specific issues. Environmental activist Elke Blodgett, who had previously served on the board, said that the mining of sand and gravel in the watershed continues unabated. She believes that people responsible for such activities do not seem to be interested in proposed regulations.
 

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Saturday, November 21, 2009 - Strathcona County Health Centre Providing Vaccines

This week, over 3,000 people received H1N1 vaccinations from the Strathcona County Health Centre in Sherwood Park, and the centre also administered about 2000 seasonal influenza vaccines. In Edmonton, over 13,500 H1N1 vaccines have been administered to citizens, as well as over 5,500 seasonal influenza vaccines being given to who ever wanted one.

So far, efforts to prepare for the H1N1 outbreak have been smooth, with over 38,000 people across the province receiving the H1N1 vaccination on the last Monday in October.  People waited in line for over three hours to receive these vaccines, so it shows that there is a demand for the shot.  Similar demand was the same throughout the region, and on October 27, the Albertan government made an announcement that even more clinics would be opened to meet the growing demand.  So far there have been 87 deaths from H1N1 in Canada.

The Strathcona County Health Centre will be administering the vaccine to the general public on Mondays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
 

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Monday, November 16, 2009 - Canadians Generally Agree With Government H1N1 Response

While following some of the most recent polls on Canadian responses to how various entities have responded to the H1N1 issue, I was frankly amazed to discover that reactions to those responses were not what I had expected. Overall, most Canadians seem to give high marks to the way all levels of government have handled the pending crisis – but media did not fare so well.

It’s almost amusing when you think about it. Day after day, I’ve watched various politicians attack their opposition and the various governments for the way that the H1N1 virus has been handled. The media, of course, has been right in the mix – criticizing all levels of government for not reacting quickly enough to stem the tide of the pandemic.

The public, however, seems to see things a little differently. In fact, a sizeable majority of the public rate the government response at the territorial, provincial, and municipal level as somewhere between fair and good. Only about a third indicated that government officials’ response to the crisis was poor.

Of course, those feelings were not uniform across the country. In Alberta, for instance, nearly two thirds of respondents believe that actions at the provincial level have been far too slow to be effective in dealing with the crisis. Looking at the data more closely, I couldn’t help but notice that many of the people polled resented the way certain groups – like the families of professional hockey players – received the vaccine for the virus even as members of the general population waited in line for vaccinations that never came.

One of the elements of the poll I found most interesting centered on the difference in attitude between older and younger Canadians. In general, younger people seemed to give the government higher marks than did their older counterparts. It would seem that the virus’ disproportionate impact on the young has left those younger people feeling some sense of gratitude for the efforts that the government has taken to protect them.

Alas, for the media’s role in covering the crisis, there are few admirers.

Nearly two thirds of Canadians polled indicate their belief that the organizations that bring them the news have sensationalized the H1N1 virus and led many people to overreact. Moreover, there seems to be no split among age groups on this issue – young and old alike have been seriously disappointed with how the media has covered this situation.

The only slight difference seems to be between the opinions of Conservatives who were more likely to disapprove of the media coverage than their opponents in the Green, Liberal, or New Democratic parties.

As I read the poll numbers, I take heart in seeing that Canadians feel less apprehensive about the future of the H1N1 pandemic. That feeling alone is perhaps one of the surest signs that Canadians are comfortable with the way the crisis has been handled.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Thursday, November 5, 2009 - One Of The Best Quarters For Canadian Home Resales

Despite being faced with recession, an official statement that was released by the Canadian Real Estate Association stated that re-sales of homes have been the strongest so far in this quarter yet. Even though the financial market may not be looking so good in recent months, the property market has definitely picked up and is expected to remain this way.

Looking at the statistics shown in the report, it clearly states that Canada’s realtors reached an amazing 135,182 sales in the third quarter alone. This is an increase of about 20% from the previous quarter in itself. In looking at year over year gains, this year alone has already broken the previous record that took place in the year 2002. This clearly shows the stable nature of the market regardless of the state that the financial system is going through.

There are many theories behind why such an increase was suddenly seen in the real estate market. The Association president, Dale Riplinger said it was due to low interest rates that have been introduced through the government and how the confidence of the people is gradually coming back. With the numbers rising of houses being sold, the average price value of a house has also seen a drastic increase as well. In the previous month alone we saw an increase of about 14% which equates to $331,602 for a house on average.

The option of getting back on track would not be possible until and unless consumer confidence was restored. As we can see today from various quotes of prestigious individuals and news headlines, the trend of consumer confidence is gradually returning.

Even though there has been a significant amount of increase in the amount of house re-sales due to low interest rates, it is expected that the figure could fall in the future. The reason being is that as more homes are being sold and the financial cash flow is slowly being restored, interest rates will gradually peak to the point they initially where. This could mean that we would be at square one again.
 

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Tuesday, October 26, 2009 - Strathcona Community Hospital In On The Way

Iris Evans, Alberta’s Minister of Finance and Enterprise, announced that the Strathcona Community Hospital is finally entering its final stages of design, and she claims the government has assured her that construction of the project will begin as soon as the designs are approved.

Construction on the project was supposed to begin in 2008 and be finished by the end of the year, but because of deficit problems in Alberta, the project has been delayed. Alberta has seen its deficit grow to $50 billion in light of the recent economic downturn. Evans claims that although the deficit seems horrible, the premier has already reduced the providence’s expenditures to line up with its revenues within three years. The new budget will help the providence surpass the deficit problems it faces.

The new budget plan will save money for the providence through a number of new policies, such as freezing the wages of city workers, while investments in infrastructure will keep 70,000 jobs in the providence. These are just two ways the city has planned to overcome its deficit.

Although there has been a string of negative stories in the press about Alberta, many positive events have been taking place, such as the creation of over 15,000 new housing spaces and emergency shelters for senior citizens.
Evans believes that with community support, the providence will have no problem making it through these touch times.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Monday, October 19, 2009 - Snap Fitness to Open Gym in Sherwood Park’s Glen Allan

Snap Fitness is launching a 24-hour health club in Glen Allan, offering residents the ability to work out at their convenience. The club, located at 201-101 Granada Blvd., is scheduled to open October 16. Sara and Wes Secrist of Fort Saskatchewan are managing the facility. Sara Secrist advised that monthly Snap Fitness memberships are a reasonably priced alternative to clubs with pricey features such as swimming pools and racquet courts.

In addition to its cardio workouts and strength-building exercise equipment, the club provides members personal websites, which will allow them to monitor their fitness goals and utilize meal-planning services.

The grand opening of the Sherwood Park Snap Fitness coincides with October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The Secrists purchased a pink treadmill for the facility to honor family members affected by the disease. The treadmill’s manufacturer (Cybex) will contribute six cents for every kilometer run on the machine. The Secrists will match this donation.
 

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Thursday, October 8, 2009 - Municipal Waste to Heat Sherwood Park

As part of the Canadian initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Enerkem GreenField Alberta Biofuels has been awarded a $7.45 million grant to construct the nation’s first commercial municipal solid waste-to-biofuels plant, at the old Cloverbar landfill, to heat 1600 homes in Sherwood Park, Alberta.

Enerkem has pioneered the process of turning waste that cannot be recycled or composted into biofuels and green chemicals. The management of waste that otherwise would turn into methane in the landfill is crucial to improving waste control, reduce GHG, and create new fuels and chemicals to replace those made from fossil fuels.

Sorted municipal waste will create a low-grade waste heat through Enerkem’s gasification process. The heat will be captured and transferred to the community energy system in Strathcona County, replacing natural gas currently fueling hot water boilers, which produce heat that travels to local homes and businesses through a system of insulated, underground pipes.

The Enerkem process of gasification of solid waste has the ability to convert one tonne of raw material into 360 litres of cellulosic ethanol, which would enable one to drive approximately 2500 kilometers. The process will lower greenhouse gas emissions by about 7,000 tonnes per year, when fully developed.

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Monday, September 21, 2009 - Mixed Blessings Filmed in Sherwood Park

Sherwood Park and areas surrounding the park has been the filming site for the APTN comedy series, Mixed Blessings. The series depicting a blended family from differing cultural backgrounds has used the park for taping scenes for its third season. Set in Ft. McMurray, Mixed Blessings has used Strathcona County as its filming site for this season.

In August, the outlying streets at Sherwood Park were lined with the trailers of the cast and crew of Mixed Blessings. Earlier this week trailers were relocated to the News building where actors used the space to undergo costume changes for scenes taped at the Baseline Crossing Shopping Center. Some residential homes in outlying areas were used in taping as well.

Cast and crew have been on site to prepare for taping as early as 4:30 a.m. Actor, Big Daddy Tazz, who plays a friend of the family, told reporters that taping the show required them to work crazy hours. Tazz indicated that the show didn’t have the type of set that some of the most popular comedies which made the show unique in its own rite.
Actress Michelle Thrush indicated that the crew would end taping at Sherwood Park late next week.
 

Sherwood Park Realtor® Blog - Friday, September 11, 2009 - Price of Food Increases, Where is Farmers’ Share?

As the price of food increases, people start wondering why the farmers are driving up the prices. However, they are doing no such thing. In fact, their earnings are even less than before.

In a recent study, it was found that food enough to feed a typical family with four members cost almost twenty dollars more today than it did approximately a year ago. In one year, the cost of food has risen more than 3%, but farmers receive almost 2% less profit.

How can this happen? Farmers are being pushed out by processors. Their share of the profit is being eaten away by the various steps the food takes on its journey from the farmer to the consumer. Consumers now eat more processed foods. These cost more because they go through more hands as they become processed. Soon, you have to divide the cost of the food item by the number of hands it goes through; the farmer is not the only one who wants a share of the profit.

To cut down on the price of food, simply buy more unprocessed food. While it may take longer to cook and prepare, consumers can be sure that they are not falling into the processed food trap.
 

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