Posts Tagged ‘Calgary’

Snow Routes- If you live or work along one – you better sign up for updates!

Tuesday, December 6th, 2011

This winter is the first year of a trial program run by The City in an effort to clear our streets of snow and provide us with safer roads on days we receive significant snowfalls.  If you live on a street declared a Snow Route you will see the big blue signs along the street with the large snowflake on them.  The City website has a very comprehensive and technologically advanced information system to keep us all updated on declarations of Snow Events, snow route parking, road conditions maps, and more.  You can even download an iPhone app providing real-time information on current road conditions to help driviers navigate the winter roads and will allow you to view: Priority 1 routes, Priority 2 routes, traffic cameral locations, as well as plow and sander locations!  (To download this app go to the App Store and search for ‘City of Calgary Road Conditions’ ). City residents (whether you live on a snow route or not); may want to sign up to receive updates from The City and get instant up to date information when a Snow Event is declared and removed.  You can do so through this link.

Water use in the Home – How does your usage fare?

Tuesday, December 6th, 2011

Typical Home Water Use in Calgary

I just moved. How do I get keys to my Community Mailbox?

Monday, December 5th, 2011

– You have moved into a newly developed area and need keys to your Community Mail Box

If the residence you have moved to is brand new, contact Canada Post and they will assign you a Community Mail Box.  They will then leave a Delivery Notice Card on your front door indicating the Post Office whree you can pick up your keys.

– You moved into an exsisting development less than 60 days ago.

If you have moved into a previously exsisting residence and would like new keys, contact Canada Post and they will change the lock and issue new keys.  They will then leave a Delivery Notice Card on your font door indicating the Post Office where you can pick up your keys.

When you pick up your keys- bring the Delivery Notice Card and gevernment-issued photo identification.

Contact Canada Post by phone at 1-866-607-6301 or save time and REQUEST NEW KEYS ONLINE.

Calgary’s Best Christmas Light Displays!

Monday, December 5th, 2011

Do you have so much holiday spirit that airplanes mistake your home for a landing strip?!  If you or someone you know, love to light up the night with Christmas cheer, then enter your home in the network of light displays. 

If you prefer to take a more passive approach and just enjoy everyone else’s lights, then you MUST check out this site.  www.lightenupcalgary.com is dedicated to showcasing Calgary (and areas) best Christmas light display locations.

The market for Calgary office space is expected to be the tightest in the country by the end of next year.

Friday, December 2nd, 2011

Calgary is expected to experience the tightest office market in the country by the end of 2012, with Class A vacancy “scraping the bottom of the barrel at 1.2%,” says a report released earlier this week by Cushman & Wakefield. 

The report says the City’s office market is once again in the midst of a boom cycle and competition for skilled labour is becoming “fierce.”

Bob MacSougall, senior managing director for C&W Calgary, said high oil prices, combined with strong continued capital investment in heavy oil products in northern Alberta have been the primary drivers behind the strong office demand.

 

There’s a lot more to a name than you thought!

Wednesday, November 30th, 2011

Did you know you can’t just go throwing around name suffixes such as ‘road’, ‘street’, and ‘mews’.  There are rules about these things.  Lots of rules.  Strict rules.  Here are some of the policies that guide the fomatting of street suffixes, from the City of Calgary’s “Address Reference Guide.”

The City moves trade permit appliaction and payment options online

Tuesday, November 29th, 2011

The City has launched a new online service that will allow trade contractors the ability to receive trade permits online. This is the first online payment system for services related to planning, building and development in Calgary.

What does this mean for you, the home owner and your plans for renovations, basement and garage development?  Click to find out more.

Council approves 6% property tax hike for next year

Tuesday, November 29th, 2011

After seven days of deliberations, City Council has finally approved it’s operating budjet for next year. The vote was 13-2 in favour of a 6 per cent property tax hike.

Calgary Weather! Blink and it changes!

Monday, November 14th, 2011

Well! THAT blizzard was not in the forecast this morning!

Canada Ranked Top Spot For Biz

Thursday, October 20th, 2011

Canada is the top global destination for business, according to a new Forbes ranking that touts this country’s economic resilience as much of the world battles major financial woes.

The top ranking marks a jump for Canada from fourth place in the ranking last year, which was due in large part to scores in the tax category.

In this year’s index, Canada is ranked ninth in the tax burden category, a stark contrast to 2010, when Canada placed 23rd. The report noted the adoption of the HST in Ontario and British Columbia, which has since voted to eliminate the new tax structure.

Canada was among the top tier of countries when it came to protecting investors and dealing with red tape, with the report saying it is relatively easy to start a new business in Canada.

The Forbes ranking described Canada as “an affluent, high-tech industrial society in the trillion- dollar class,” and said Canada and the U.S. had many similarities, inclusing its “market-oriented economic system, pattern of production and affluent living standards.”

It stressed “while the U.S. is paralyzed by fears of a double-dip recession and Europe struggles with sovereign-debt issues,” Canada has stayed cool in terms of its economy, with a jump of 3.1 per cent in 2010 and more growth expected in 2011.

The Forbes ranking of business destinations factored in 11 criteria for more than 130 countries.  among them were: technology, corruption, personal and financial freedom, stock performance, property rights and taxes.

The United States ranked 10th in the listing.

However, another report, released in September, stated Canada has a less rosy projection on the international business scale.

The World Economic Forum said in a report Canada had fallen out of the top 10 rankings of global competitiveness as the country loses ground to fiercer Asian rivals.

Canada dropped two places over the previous year in that report to 12th spot of 142 competitor nations.  It is the third straight year Canada has slipped in the rankings, having held ninth spot in the 2009 review.

Forbes’ top 10

1. Canada, 2. New Zealand, 3. Hong Kong, 4. Ireland, 5. Denmark, 6. Singapore, 7. Sweden, 8. Norway, 9. United m, 10. United States

Source: Forbes