Sherwood Park Property Blog

Strathcona County, Alberta Economy Doing Well

The global economic situation may have put a slight damper on the province’s fiscal picture, but in Strathcona County things are still humming along. The Alberta government is preparing the budget for 2012 and is seeing a few challenges come up.

As an example, for the fiscal second quarter for the 2011-2012 budget, $36.8 billion in revenues were collected. At the same time expenses came to $39.9 billion, largely due to emergency and disaster responses. The result is a deficit forecast of $3.1 billion, which means a decrease of $341 million from the budget.

Even so, notes Ron Liepert, Alberta’s Finance Minister, the province is in much better shape than Europe and the United States. The province has eliminated its debt and also holds a short-term savings account, something that helps with a budget deficit. At the same time, taxes are still low. But with the increasing cost of health care and education services, it is possible that taxes my have to go up in the near future. The 2012 budget needs balanced and money has to be put back in that savings account so it may be used again if need be.

The energy industry, both oil and gas, are continuing to do well. That is trickling down into other businesses, making them more profitable. One example is a company in town that sells snow-blowers. Last year the company sold four before the first snowflakes fell. This year that same business sold 134. Snow-blowers are not usually considered a necessary item, after all there are shovels. But enough people have sufficient disposable income to splurge on something that will make getting through the winter season that much easier.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

2012 Looking to be Good Year for Edmonton Area Housing Starts

It looks like 2012 is shaping up to be a good year for Edmonton housing starts. The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, or CMHC, has already released its forecast for the coming year. During 2011, single-family home starts were slowed somewhat during the first part of the year. But since mortgage rates are still unbelievably low and the economy is seeing more job creation, the CMHC is expecting a complete reversal.

In 2012, housing starts are expected to be 11 percent higher than in the current year for the greater Edmonton area. This translates into approximately 10,100 new homes being built, as opposed to the predicted 9,100 predicted by the end of 2011. If this holds true, then 2012 will show the most starts since 2007.

This housing mini-boom is being triggered by more people coming into the area in search of jobs, which because of the resurgence of the oilsands, are plentiful. This in turn creates income growth, and once the sales begin, lower inventories of homes, which triggers new building. Richard Goatcher, who is a senior analyst from CMHC, expects all of this to create a balanced residential real estate market.

A good part of the increase in housing starts will come from multiple dwellings. For the first time since the boom year of 2008, starts for multiple dwellings are expected to top the 4,000 mark. Condos are selling quite well and the inventory on this type of property is expected to dwindle faster than the single family homes.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

Mayor Linda Osinchuk Looks Back At First Year in Office

Mayor Linda Osinchuk just finished her first year at the helm of Strathcona County. At a recent speech at the county’s Chamber of Commerce breakfast, the mayor recounted some of the events of the past year and also talked about hopes for the future. Osinchuk’s first anniversary was October 18th.

One of the improvements Osinchuk was most proud of was the increasing use of social media to keep residents informed on what was going on in their community. It has opened up two-way communication, even with those living in the most rural areas. Twitter and Facebook are two of the mayor’s most effective communication tools and plans are to use them even more in the future. The mayor also mentioned the opening of the Strathcona County Community Center nearly a year ago, which is becoming a well used venue. Osinchuk then thanked council for all their hard work and support.

Looking forward, the discussion turned towards the branding issue, a priority for the county. That is supposed to be finished by the end of November. The idea is to give the county a readily recognized identity that will encourage new business, residents and tourism. As the population of Strathcona County continues to grow at roughly 3.5 percent per year, there is a need for new retailers, service industries and homes. Osinchuk is also hopeful of attracting new industries to the area, which will provide more job opportunities.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

Photo Radar Tickets Thing of Past in Strathcona County

In a split vote, the Strathcona County Council eliminated mobile photo radar units from the RCMP’s arsenal of traffic controlling tools. Now the force has to find new ways to enforce traffic laws, thanks to Coun Brian Botterill’s initiative that wiped out a tool that has been used for the past 14 years. Some local residents are no doubt pleased, insisting that they were just a way of generating revenue.

To help with enforcing traffic, the council will be hiring an additional five peace officers to help patrol roads throughout the county. Wally Henry, a constable and the media liaison with the RCMP in Strathcona noted that this will not only help with the speeding issue but with other items that fall under the Traffic Safety Act.

This all puts more responsibility squarely on the officers within Strathcona County. These five new officers will be assisting with impaired driving violations and the new distracted driving laws that went into effect throughout Alberta. That means they will be on the lookout for cell phone use and other distracting behaviors while driving.

Those pleased that the photo radar machines have been done away with may be in for a surprise. Photo radar tickets did not add demerits to driving records. Tickets generated by a living, breathing officer do, unless the ticket is overturned in court, or the guilty party is eligible for driving school.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

Strathcona Community Hospital Holds Open House

The new Strathcona Community Hospital is underway and this past Wednesday members of the community were invited to preview the facility. A mock-up of the entire complex was available, since the building is currently in Phase 1, meaning that the building is framed, windows are going in and the brickwork on the exterior is near completion. Work on the loading docks is near complete as is the roofing and concrete work for the mechanical room.

All that is left for Phase 1 is the interior. The framing, dry-walling, flooring, electrical and mechanical work, the lighting, hardware and final painting are in progress. Once finished, this section will house a full service emergency department complete with urgent care and related health services, open on a 24 hour basis. Physical therapy, occupational therapy and rehabilitation services will also be in this main section.

This is a full service medical facility, not just a clinic. Also onsite will be different types of ambulatory clinics, offering orthopedic, pre-natal and tobacco reduction therapies, to name a few. The hospital will have the latest in CT and ultrasound equipment, onsite community lab and X-ray services, as well as an assortment of specialists offering clinic services and specialized education classes. And after the issue was brought to light a few weeks ago, the original plan to have a complete obstetrics unit will go through.

Phase 1 is scheduled to be online in 2013. Phase 2, which adds more hospital beds, operating theatres, day and minor surgery units, on-site pharmacy and other services is set to open by 2016.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

Strathcona County Looks at Transportation Plan For the Future

The council of Strathcona County has approved the beginning of the consultant phase of a Transit Master Plan, intended to eventually bring light rail transit, or LRT to Sherwood Park and surrounding areas. This consultation phase, which begins on September 26th, will give residents a chance to voice their views on the subject.

Also in the plan is the intent to start a specialized transit system, or SCAT, which will make it easier for the physically challenged to get around. This includes making all of the 200 to 300 bus stops located in Sherwood Park accessible to wheelchair users. This means adding a concrete pad and a ramp leading to that pad. These work best with sidewalks. The SCAT service, using specially fitted vehicles, will be available to those unable to use the regular public transit system.

Other items being considered include new park and ride locations and expansions of existing ones. An example of the latter is the lot on Baseline Road at Strathcona Station, which is overcrowded. Options such as feeder buses and bike lockers are also under consideration.

Probably the most ambitious part of the plan is connecting Edmonton to Sherwood Park with an LRT line. The location is still being plotted out. Though this option is more expensive, and perhaps not needed until far in the future, it does bear consideration. The community and surrounding areas are seeing vast increases in population, and there will be a time when using typical bus service become impractical.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

Back to School Means Back to School Days Traffic Laws

It’s almost time for kids to head back to school in Strathcona County. That means that the local RCMP will be out enforcing all the traffic rules that go along with this annual event. The organization’s media liaison, Const Wally Henry gave an overview of what the police will be looking out for in the days ahead.

In school zones, the speed limit goes back to 30 kilometre per hour between 8am and 9:30am, again between 11:30am to 1:30pm and finally between 3pm and 4:30pm. These times are only in effect when school is in session. They roughly coordinate with the times kids get to school, go for lunch and then leave for the day. On weekends and stat holidays the speed limits go back to normal.

RCMP officers will also be keeping an eye on young people who are driving in and around school areas. Teenagers are not only novice drivers, but also have a tendency to want to show off when they are behind the wheel. Parents who drop their children off at school are being looked at as well. Parking is limited in front of most schools and if so many cars show up at once that could mean a potentially dangerous traffic hazard. Police will be asking parents to park a ways from the school and walk their children to the front door, rather than blocking traffic.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

Sherwood Park Gets Much Needed New Retail Center

Sherwood Park’s shopping options are about to get a big boost. A Super Wal-Mart will be moving in by late 2011 or early in 2012, and then by May of 2013, retail giant Target will be setting up shop. The United States based conglomerate got its foot into the Canadian market by buying up 220 Zellers store leases back in January of 2011. The Zellers in Sherwood Park would be replaced by the new Target.

Joe DeMont, who is manager of the Sherwood Park Mall, is pleased with the addition. He notes that they are a successful brand in the States with quality merchandise at reasonable prices. Strathcona County manager of development Randy Richards noted that the addition of more retail outlets was based on results from a recent retail market survey. The January 2011 analysis revealed that the county could use another 34,000 square feet of retail space.

Emerald Hills shopping mall, where the new Target will be located, has over 500,000 square feet of space. Richards hopes that when retailers set up shop, local residents won’t be as ready to head into Edmonton to do their shopping. Sherwood Park residents also tend to spend some 16 percent more of their income on retail items than in neighboring areas, which makes this area a delight for retailers. There is so much potential for business that the existing Wal-Mart will stay open even after the much larger store opens.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

Higher Costs Meant Less Home Renovations in 2010

A recent survey on home renovations across Canada showed that there were fewer projects completed in 2010 than in 2009. Ten major population centres across the country were targeted by the Renovation and Home Purchase Survey. In 2009, 2.1 million homeowners completed renovations, about 50 percent of the total group. In 2010, that dropped to 1.9 million homeowners, which represented 42 percent of the number of owned homes.

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, who performed the survey, did not report a definite cause for the decline, but here were hints that higher construction costs may have been a factor. In 2009 the average cost of a renovation project was $12,000. In 2010 that went up to $12,972. These figures were nationwide.

Regionally, Vancouver came in with the highest renovation costs, going from $13,457 in 2009 to $15,709 average in 2010. Winnipeg had the lowest costs for renovations in 2010, at an average of $10,339. But that locale had one of the highest jumps in costs, since in 2009 the average was $8.023. That is a 28.9 percent increase.

Of the ten population centres surveyed, St John’s had the largest percentage of renovations per home, at 48 percent. Halifax and Ottawa tied for second at 47 percent and Calgary, at 39 percent, was the lowest of the group.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

Strathcona Council Approves Grant Application for Waste Recycling

Strathcona County already has a program to keep 66 percent of its residential waste out of the landfills. The council just approved the creation of something similar to deal with its commercial and industrial waste. It approved a $180,000 grant application submitted by the Capital Region Waste Minimization Advisory Committee. The grant application goes to Alberta’s Municipal Affairs Regional Collaboration program.

Information presented to council showed that the county would find the program beneficial. It would let different communities share thoughts on how to divert waste created by industry and commercial firms. It would also increase communication between municipal and provincial governments. The goal would be to divert 80 percent of solid waste matter from the landfills by the year 2020. The project is called the Regional Solid Waste Management Strategy.

Devon, another Alberta town, applied for similar grants and was turned down twice by the Capital Region Board. A few of the councilors from Strathcona County felt Devon was trying to take a short cut. Despite that, all agreed that something needed to be done, but not all thought this was the correct way to go about it. Coun. Vic Bizinski and the mayor, Linda Osinchuk both thought Strathcona’s method was the same as Devon’s, another back-door approach. The two voted against the proposal.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

Sherwood Park Chamber of Commerce Has a New Leader

This past Tuesday, Greg Douglas stepped down from his stint as the 2010 -2011 president of the Chamber of Commerce in Sherwood Park and its District. Peter Court, who had already been sworn in last week at a chamber luncheon over at Festival Place, is taking over the reins.

Douglas gave his farewell speech and noted some of the accomplishments over the past year. He named some of them, including the advances in advertising, marketing and networking. Douglas also mentioned some of the events taken on, such as a golf tournament, trade fair, business awards and the Canada Day parade just around the corner. The curling fun spiel was also held in Sherwood Park this past year, a first for the city.

Douglas is pleased with what the chamber managed to accomplish. That includes increasing the membership, which now numbers 1,069. Growth in membership is moderate, but steady. Under his watch the local chamber was awarded Chamber of the Year by the Alberta Province Chapter of the Chamber of Commerce. That honour was shared with prior president Chris Dugan.

Court was then officially sworn in by Linda Osinchuk, Mayor for Strathcona County. At one time she served as president of the chamber. As he gave his first speech, Court expressed appreciation and a positive attitude for the future. That includes Sherwood Park hosting the May 2012 AGM for the province wide Alberta Chamber of Commerce.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

Sherwood Park Company Fined $100,000

Tiger Calcium Services Inc, based in Sherwood Park, is looking at a $100,000 fine for not living up to its obligations to Alberta Environment. The Provincial Court of Alberta issued the fine because it did not properly perform the groundwater testing at the Keg River Plant, nor did it properly forward those results to Alberta Environment. That was part of the deal to get their license approved.

Suspicion arose when there were discrepancies between the data submitted by Sherwood Park and that supposedly from the plant. An employee has admitted falsifying the data and has since been terminated. Richard Kolodziej, who is Tiger Calcium’s CFO, advised that the company did not knowingly submit inaccurate information. He did state that the water test results were not reported annually, as was required.

Tiger Calcium will pay $25,000 as a fine. The balance, $75,000 will go the University of Alberta’s Institute of Health Economics, where it will be used to fund research on work related mental health issues. The decision of the court to put part of the penalty towards scientific research made the $100,000 fine easier for Kolodziej to swallow.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

County Council Sets Goals for Local Issues

Strathcona County council is looking at four objectives that they came up with at its meeting this past Tuesday. The items include revamping the strategy for the Industrial Heartland, deciding a rural strategy, solidifying a procedure to take an accurate organization-wide review and creating additional governmental policies. The only thing left to complete from the November 2010 objective list is the review of job classifications.

Bonnie Ridell, Jacquie Fenske and Linton Delainey, all councilors from rural zones, were happy that their areas were getting attention. The latter offered to help the county by contacting prominent people in Ward 6, his zone. They were all pleased with the inclusion of strategies for the Industrial Heartland.

One of the four new strategies aims at priority funding for each councilor and how that money is donated or granted to various individuals or organizations in a particular riding. Also being targeted are policies that relate to communication, the use of social media and issues about elections. The social media issue was already addressed at a prior meeting.

As far as the rural strategy, the plan is to talk to county residents and see what they need. The Industrial Heartland plan is to continue developing the county’s role in the industrial sector within Strathcona County, including the area known as Refinery Row which is west of Sherwood Park.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

Strathcona County Fire Ban Due to Dry Weather Conditions

Strathcona County Emergency Services (SCES) has declared a fire ban for the entire county including Sherwood Park, villages and rural areas. The conditions at present are very dry and windy, making the area ripe for wildfires. One has already broken out this past Wednesday at Range Road 212 and Township Road 560 and it burned roughly 100 acres of the rural landscape.

This is the largest of the incidents that have been responded to so far. Grass and tree fires are normal this time of year, but the weather has changed enough that the ban is needed. What this means is that no outdoor fires are allowed until the ban is lifted. This includes recreational fire pits, burning barrels, fireworks and charcoal barbeques. Propane barbeques are allowed. There will also be no more fire permits issued while the ban is in effect.

Those found violating the ban could be charged for the cost of the emergency services response. Deputy fire Chief Ken Jones with SCES doesn’t feel non-compliance is a big problem in this county. People more often than not report offenders. The ban won’t be lifted until weather conditions improve.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

Strathcona County Lays Out Transportation Plan

Strathcona County’s 2010 budget included money set aside to create a Transportation Master Plan. The last transportation study was done back in 2000, noted the manager of Engineering and Environmental Planning, Mike MacGarva. Stantech Consulting’s Dean Cooper was with MacGarva at the presentation to the council. Both stressed that they wanted to go beyond just a ten year revamping of the old plan, but wanted to create something that would be more effective. The pair laid out specific goals they wanted to accomplish.

The new plan should work in concert with the sustainability pillars already decided upon for Strathcona County, those that affect the economy, the social aspect and environmental issues. Efforts should be made to promote the fact that public transportation is healthy and safe. The plan should work alongside the regional initiatives already in progress, including those implemented by the City of Edmonton, Alberta Transportation and the Capital Region Board. Effective transportation ideas would work in concert with Land Use Planning. Public Transit needs to be improved, and there should be more of a choice when it comes to that public transport.

Cooper emphasized that in order to work, the goals must be treated as non-negotiable. The subject of public transportation in rural areas was brought up by Coun Jacquie Fenske, along with the idea that putting stores in more out of the way locales would benefit both the environment and the residents. The plan is a work in progress, scheduled to be on paper by this fall.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

Sherwood Park’s Garnett Genius to Run for Riding Seat

Garnett Genius is only 24 years old but he already has a passion for the political system. In 2008 he spent a summer working in the Prime Minister’s office while he was a student at Carlton University in Ontario. He was then hired in that office through January of 2009 then moved to the ministry of Industry and then communications. Currently finishing up at the London School of Economics, Genius now wants to run for office in the Sherwood Park riding under the Wildrose Party banner. His experience in the parliamentary system gives him experience and an insight into the process.

In Grade 9 Genius was already posting political columns for the Sherwood Park News, something he continued earlier in 2011, but which he will have to give up in order to run for office. He was also a member of the Library Teen Advisory Committee in Strathcona County while still in junior and then senior high. Genius prefers the Wildrose party because it has a better, conservative handle on how to solve current problems.

Items on that fix-it list include a revamping of Alberta Health Care to be more like the European system with both public and private options. The Wildrose Alliance is also against the Heartland Transmission Project and wants that power line project shut down. Genius is also in favour of a recall process so that MLAs who are not performing can be taken out of office, as well as fixed election dates. The lagging in the building of the Strathcona Hospital and the provincial budget are also hot items.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

EICS Technology Program Highlighted in National Publication

Elk Island Catholic Schools currently has an innovative technology learning program in its schools. At the very time where it looks like the recently approved budget might cut funding for most if not all of that program, two of the EICS employees had an article accepted in the “Leaders and Learners” magazine, published by the Canadian Association of School Administrators.

The authors, Jeannette Bobrowsky, a technology consultant, and Maureen Duguay, the assistant superintendant for instructional services, penned the article along with Dr. Margaret McVea from Concordia. Entitled “Bringing 21st Century Approaches to Teaching and Learning in Elk Island Schools” explains the technological advances and the benefits that the schools have reaped.

The computerized classrooms have sparked interest with students and teachers, ultimately leading to more understanding, learning and better test scores. The lack of funding would mean the very teachers needed in the enhanced technology classrooms would be gone. Without teachers, there is no program.

The article both highlights the successes in the EICS program and what would happen if the grant funding is curtailed. At least now the article is drawing nationwide attention to learning aids such as the Smart Board, an interactive touch screen that the kids have embraced. Perhaps the Alberta Government should read it.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

Strathcona County has Productive Family Day

Family Day was a day set aside for families to get together and enjoy each other’s company without the TV, computer or any other piece of technology in the mix. The day after participants were asked to log in and tell about their experience and how long they remained unplugged. The town of Beaumont took top honors by logging in 13,495 technologically free hours. Second place went to Strathcona County that logged in 913 hours collectively reported by 300 people. Leduc came up with 317 hours.

Mayor Linda Osinchuk was pleased, noting that families spent time going to dinner, going out for a meal or even going skiing at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre. She also noted that family time improves overall mental and physical health and the quality and outlook on life.

Jill Curtis, with the Strathcona County Family & Community Services, agrees. Curtis also noted that kids that spent more quality with their families were less likely to get involved in unwanted behaviour. She also cited a study done in the United States that showed that elementary aged children usually spend about eight hours a day using some sort of technology. The average for children of all ages was 11 hours.

In all 10 municipalities logged more than 15,000 technology free hours. Other communities that took part are Sturgeon County, Stony Plain, St Albert, Spruce Grove, Gibbons, Fort Saskatchewan and Bruderheim.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

Strathcona County to Fight Placement of Heartland Transmission Lines

The Heartland Transmission Project, entailing the building of power lines able to transport 500 kV of power from the electric plant at Wabamun is still stirring up debates. Currently the project’s preferred route runs east along Sherwood Park in an existing utilities corridor. But Strathcona County council, opposing overhead power lines that carry more than 240 kV near their community, prefers the alternate route that runs west of Spruce Grove and St. Albert.

Linda Osinchuk, County Mayor, is prepared to fight. The preferred route is too close to schools, hospitals daycares and homes than the alternate route. A motion passed by the council in March of 2009 opposed putting the lines in the utilities corridor unless they were buried underground. Bruch Johnson who is president of the Responsible Electricity Transmission for Albertans notes that the lines should be buried no matter the route.

Sturgeon County is pushing for the lines to be put in the utilities corridor since it is farther away from its homes and schools. Strathcona will be taking their case to the Alberta Utilities Commission on the 28th of February. A hearing on the matter will be held on April 20th in Sherwood Park. The routes and the feasibility of burying the lines, and the cost of doing so, will be discussed.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

Fence Funding and Land Purchase on Strathcona County Council Agenda

The February 8th meeting of the Strathcona County council was a busy one. First thing on the agenda was concerning a land purchase. Council approved $1.6 million for a transaction that it must keep under wraps to keep the price of the land from going up. If that happens, the taxpayers will end up paying a bigger bill.

Another item brought up was funding for building a sound barrier fence. At 10 Cranberry Drive an eight foot tall fence was installed as part of a local improvement petition. The cost of the fence was estimated at $80,000. It actually came in at $99,735. This means that the bylaw will have to be amended. That will occur in spring when the interest on the borrowed funds is calculated and the new amounts are equally billed to those petitioning the fence.

Also on the agenda was the rewriting of some municipal polices to make them more reader friendly. Among those policies with revised text are the Disposition of Surplus Non-Reserve Real Property, Road Dedication, Municipal Land Licensing Program and the Land Acquisition Policies. They have all had their new versions approved. This is done on average every three years.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

Gerry Gabinet Outlines New Business Plans for Strathcona County

The Sherwood Park and District Chamber of Commerce held their regular luncheon this past January 19th and welcomed Gerry Gabinet as their guest speaker. His is head of the Economic Development and Tourism Department for Strathcona County and he updated the group on the various projects in the works for 2011 and beyond.

Strathallen, a redevelopment project at Broadmoor Boulevard and Baseline Road could be going in a whole new direction. The owners are considering moving the Save-On-Foods to another locale, but plans are still in the development stage. Millennium Ridge, another new project is slated to house Mexican, Japanese and Vietnamese restaurants as well as an optometrist, chiropractic clinic and liquor store. Another area north of Costco in the Buckingham area is slated for development. The owners have been marketing the space nationally and there is interest. The parcel should net somewhere between $24 and $27 million.

Another item underway is the second phase of Salisbury Village on Wye Road, set to add some 35,000 square feet of available leasing space. Emerald Hills, south of Highway 16 and just to the west of Clover Bar Road is adding more residences as well as a retail sector. The retail area is slated to host the Royal Bank of Canada, a Co-op Gas Station, Sobeys, Subway and Tim Horton’s. Sobeys will be the last to open, in roughly two years.

Healy Ford is moving and changing its name to Sherwood Ford, with that move scheduled to be completed in the next six weeks. Car dealers in this area are doing quite well. The Sherwood Park Mall, with one of the lowest vacancy rates in the Edmonton area will welcome Goodlife Fitness in the spring of 2011.

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Harvey Heck from Sherwood Park Wins $2 Million in Oilers Lottery

Harvey Heck has been buying lottery tickets for the past 35 years. He only bought tickets to support charity and only from a select few outlets. One was STARS. Another was the Oilers organization that supports a different charity each year. Then there was sometimes the Stollery Children’s Hospital or maybe the Boys or Girls Club. He never expected to win.

He did. The ticket he bought form the Oilers Choice Lottery offered him a home or $2 million in cash. Heck took the money and all in his family are thrilled. Retired from his 36 years at ATCO Gas and already receiving a decent pension, this windfall has turned out to be bonus money.

Heck expects to invest some of it, take more trips and enjoy his win, after he gets over the shock and disbelief at his luck. He wasn’t even home when the Oilers office called. Since Heck’s wife did not have her name on the ticket, the company sort of beat around the bush during the two phone calls she answered.

Once they started asking about a lottery ticket with a house as a prize she started to get real excited. Mrs. Heck just had to wait for her husband to get home from curling to find out exactly what those phone calls were about. It must have been the longest curling match in history.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

Driving Without Insurance Can Cost You Almost $3,000 in Fines

It is common practice for the Strathcona County RCMP to set up traffic checks during the Christmas holidays with the intent of discouraging drinking and driving. But what those traffic stops revealed was that people were driving without having proper insurance on their vehicles. Between December 3rd and December 17th there were seven people ticketed for such an offense.

The fine for driving without insurance is $2,875. Those who are insured but don’t have the required documents in the vehicle usually face a less expensive fine. Sometimes people let the coverage lapse by accident; others may have problems paying for insurance. Const. Wally Henry, the media spokesperson for the RCMP in Strathcona recognizes that both scenarios are possible.

The fact remains, that accident or no, if a driver is involved in a collision and does not have coverage, they are opening themselves up for a civil law suit. They are still responsible for any financial obligations as a result of that crash. Keeping these facts in mind, and as a result of finding so many drivers taking the no-insurance risk, Strathcona RCMP will hold periodic traffic stops during the year checking for insurance documentation and compliance.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

Alberta’s New Health Care Plan Is Out, Addresses Key Issues

Alberta’s new five year health care plan sounds impressive. Changes include decreased wait times for surgeries such as cardiac, hip and knee replacement and cataracts. It promises a 70 percent reduction in the time a patient waits for cancer treatments. It increases the child immunization rate by 32 percent, as part of an increased vigilance in keeping Albertans healthy. It also promises an increase in hospital beds, extended care beds and the hiring of 65 additional mental health workers by 2012.

It also addresses the ER situation. Goals there include having at least 90 percent of patients with less serious issues being seen, treated and discharged within a four hour time frame. And, 90 percent of those with more serious problems are to be admitted within eight hours. During 2009, the goal for the less serious patients was reached only 38 percent of the time.

But as with all things governmental, there is controversy. Brian Mason, leader of the NDP party, questions the timing of the reports release by Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky. Mason wondered if the report was to draw attention away from the resignation of the head of the Alberta Health Services, Stephen Duckett and an additional four board members.

Not so, per Zwozdesky. He stated they have been working on the plan for months and would have preferred it be done earlier, but other events got in the way. That includes some of those same resignations. Zwozdesky also refuted suggestions that the delay in the report and the possible reasons for the resignations was an underlying effort to bring more private health care into the province.

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Alberta Looking Towards A Profitable Future

The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) is predicting that oil sands production has nowhere to go but up, and that is good for Alberta’s economy. The current production stands at 3.8 million barrels a day. By 2025, that production number is expected to go to 4.3 million barrels per day.

The oil production increases will have a trickle-down effect. There will be growth in supporting industries, and increased immigration into the province to support that workload. Diego Carducci, the CEO of Aecon and Lockerbie Ltd, a major player in the oil industry, believes in module production to make the most of the trickle-down economic effect.

A module is a building like structure, measuring about 100 feet long by 24 feet wide and 25 feet tall. It has all the electrical, piping and equipment needed to help in the production of energy. More and more of these modules are being installed in Fort McMurray, and every one of them provides work not only for those doing the installing, but for those making the pipe, steel, wire and other materials needed for that installation.

A module yard is being considered, sort of a grouping of these modules that is within a 15 to 20 minute drive of Strathcona. This would bring more employment to Strathcona County and Sherwood Park.

Carducci also commented on the fact that since the recession, business owners have learned to manage their money more effectively. Rather than just throw money at a problem for a quick solution, more thought and investment is done while still in the engineering phase of a project. The more knowledge you have up-front, the less likely you will run into problems, at least major costly ones, down the road.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

VIP Tour of Strathcona’s New Library and Career Centre For Employment Minister

Strathcona County’s new library got a VIP visit before it officially opened last Friday. Thomas Lukaszuk, the Minister for Employment and Immigration as well as councilors Iris Evans and Dave Quest all got their own private tour of the new facility, including the new career centre. Lukaszuk verbally praised the centre staff for trying to put Albertans back to work.

At present there are about 40,000 people that are on social assistance in the province. At least half of these people are willing and able to get back into the work force. Career centres can provide training and leads to potential job offers. The Strathcona Centre is also open nights and weekends, giving those in school or already employed the chance to train and/or seek better paying careers.

A special area for children keeps them entertained while mom or dad works on a resume or searches the job database. The library, which has already helped one business owner get back on track when he lost an important program, also provides limited business services, workshops on items such as resume writing and materials in simple English for those immigrants still learning the language. The original plans included a bank of computers, printers, a fax and phone but provincial funding did not go through for those items.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

New Faces, Incumbents Win Strathcona County Elections

Strathcona County will see some changes in leadership, per the results of the recent municipal election. Ward 1 retained Vic Bidzinski, as he defeated Murray Hutchinson with twice as many votes. Bidzinski has been a strong supporter of Linda Osinchuk, the Ward 3 representative who ran – and won – the mayoral contest.

Replacing Osinchuk is Brian Botterill, a 22-year-old who narrowly defeated Keith Peterson. Neil Sarnecki also ran for the councillor spot in Ward 3, but withdrew from the election after he decided to accept a job from the City of Calgary.

Ward 6 has a new councillor in Linton Delainey, who displayed a notable victory over Alan Dunn, the two-term incumbent. Delainey captured 1,307 votes, while Dunn gained 982. Sharon Bishop was another contender in the ward race.

Three people ran to replace Glen Lawrence, the retiring Ward 7 councillor. Bonnie Riddell, chair of the Elk Island Public Schools’ board of trustees, beat Don McPherson and Colin Bonneau. Riddell edged out McPherson by fewer than 100 votes, as she garnered 915, and McPherson earned 826. Riddell credited her experience on the school board as one of the key reasons for her victory.

Ward 8 voted to keep its current representative, as Jason Gareipy defeated Dave Cherniawsky. Gariepy earned 2,412 votes, while his challenger had only 1,356 votes. Although Cherniawsky’s campaign focused on Gariepy’s absences at meetings and alleged treatment of personnel, it failed to make the desired impression on voters.

Representatives in three wards went unchallenged: Roxanne Carr (Ward 2), Peter Wlodarczak (Ward 4) and Jacquie Fenske (Ward 5) will return for three-year terms in their respective areas.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

STARS Air Ambulance Service Celebrates 25 Years In Flight

STARS is the emergency air ambulance service that saves lives. In a country as large as Canada, particularly in provinces like Alberta where there is plenty of rural and wilderness spaces between cities, they respond to auto accidents, fires, work related incidents, anywhere they are needed. In Alberta they run five helicopters, two out of Calgary, two from Edmonton and one based in Grande Prairie. The PK1-17 choppers have a range of 250 kilometres, and between the five, have flown almost 20,000 missions in Alberta.

One person from Strathcona they saved was Glory Yorgason. She and her husband were driving on Highway 14 and they hit a moose. The animal crushed the windshield and pinned Glory to the door post. She suffered brain, wrist and knuckle injuries and was in such serious condition that her heart stopped. STARS got her to the hospital in time.

Since that time, Glory has gotten to know her rescuer, paramedic Brenda Barr, quite well. Every year Brenda gets a birthday cake and the station is remembered at Christmas time with a home cooked meal. Some patients, after their emergency ride, have trouble setting foot in the helicopter hangar, but since Glory has no memory of her ride, she has no problem when she visits.

STARS held an open house this past Saturday and invited past patients, community partners and some of the local media. A new logo was unveiled to celebrate the 25 years the air ambulance service has been in operation. STARS wanted to thank the community for the quarter century of support.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

Chris Diachuk Appointed As EICS Superintendent for A Second Term

Chris Diachuk has been the Elk Island Catholic School’s superintendent for three years and the school board just gave him the nod for a second term. His original term does not expire until June of 2011, but because of regulations in the School Act, he must re-apply long before the current term is up.

EICS board appointed Diachuk, the paper work was taken care of and sent off to the Department of Education for Dave Hancock’s signature. It is expected that the Minister of Education will do so without a hitch.

Part of the reason that the school board wanted Diachuk for a second term is because he is in tune with the modern, digital world. He wants the school system to embrace current technology by upgrading schools and the way classes are taught. One way to do this is to help parents, who may not be as tech savvy as their kids, to understand computers and digital technology. Even parents who are comfortable in the digital world can benefit by learning ways to keep track of what their children are doing on the Internet.

Diachuk’s course “Digital Citizenship” helps students, parents and teachers get the most out of their computers, safely. Some items addressed are identity theft, cyber bullying and internet stalking. Parts of the course give pointers on how to prevent these very real, but unpleasant, things from happening. EICS parents tend to be involved in their children’s school experience, but every little bit helps.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

The Strathcona Community Hospital Is a Hospital, Not a Clinic

Sherwood Park’s new medical facility is a hospital, make no mistake about it. The Strathcona Community Hospital is being built in stages, beginning with Phase 1. It is also being built to stricter hospital standards rather than the somewhat more relaxed codes required for medical clinics.

These stricter guidelines include reinforced rooms for areas that used medical gasses, such as operating rooms. Floors, walls, ceilings, literally all surfaces must be made of easy to clean materials that won’t harbour bacteria. As an example, corners in a hospital setting must be coved, or curved, so that bacteria can’t hide. Rooms must have more sophisticated temperature and humidity controls. Some rooms need more ventilation and others might need a negative pressure system. Hospitals must also have an upgraded fire alarm system and a supplemental power supply to insure uninterrupted electricity during a power failure.

Iris Evans and Dave Quest, both MLAs from the district, reminded those who would listen that it is wrong to label the new medical facility anything but a hospital for these reasons. They emphasized that it is not the same as, to use an example, the Northeast Community Health Centre that is in Edmonton.

Some of the council members are in disagreement and are stating that naming the new project a hospital is a political move. Marianne Stewart, Vice President of the Alberta Health Services Edmonton Zone was quite vocal about that fact.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

Happy 20th Strathcona County Youth Council

The Strathcona County Youth Council is celebrating their 20th anniversary. That is a big achievement for an organization that specializes in getting young people involved in city affairs. The youth voice is important because it gives city council and others in government an idea of what young people need and want and how they think.

As part of the milestone celebration, the youth council is thinking about a new logo. Starting in January of 2011, a design contest will be held for kids in grades 7 to 12. A special year-end barbecue that will be held next summer will invite former council members to attend. The current council has 26 members.

The youth council participates in community service and charity issues. One project was Operation Goat, in which they raised $1,200 for families in developing countries so they could purchase goats. Another was Operation Lunchbox. The group collected $2,400 in food that was contributed to the county food bank. Members get practice in public speaking, effectively working in group situations and in leadership skills.

The group seems to accomplish all this by having fun. The meetings are low keyed but efficient and there is no pressure to get involved in a particular project. Members are encouraged to bring forward ideas and projects that are of interest to them and to follow through on their ideas. The 20 year anniversary reunion will no doubt ignite more than a few ideas to ponder.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

Ethiopian Kids Adopted Last Year Adjusting Well to the Canadian Lifestyle

Adoption takes a huge amount of adjustment, both for the kids and the new parents. Multiply that adjustment ten fold when the children come from a different country, are a different race and have lived through hardships that those who are lucky enough to live in Canada can hardly imagine.

Sharla and Mark Kostelyk adopted two children from Ethiopia in August of 2009, bringing their family number to a nice healthy nine. Sedaya, age 4 and Elijah, age 7 took a while to get adjusted to their new life, but today, roughly a year later, they are flourishing. Both have gained weight, are gradually learning English and participate in art classes, take swimming lessons and play soccer. Quite the difference from the life they had at the orphanage where there was little attention and they only received one meal a day.

Gaining the children’s trust was a big issue. The Kostelyks spent time in Ethiopia getting to know them, but even with that the plane ride home, a 40 hour flight, was a bit much. But now the trust has been established and the bonding between Sedaya and Elijah and their new parents is quite strong. The Kostelyks are homeschooling the pair. This makes the learning experience less stressful while they are learning English.

The Kostelyks mission to help those in need is not finished. In November Mark is heading back to Ethiopia with his 15 year old son to see what else they can do to benefit local communities.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

Canadian National Railway Sneaks Railway Yard Next To Strathcona Residential Area

It seems that sometime in the early 1900s the Canadian National Railway selected a site in rural Strathcona to build a railway yard. Roughly 100 years later, the land, coincidentally leased to Imperial Oil, is showing signs of that railway yard being built. The 5.2 acre site will eventually hold 225 empty petroleum rail cars that will be constantly moving in and out of the yard.

The problem is that 100 years ago, the site had no neighbours. Now the proposed rail yard is almost in the backyard of residents. These residents are upset that they were given no notice and that the entire project came as one big surprise. Canadian National Railway could have done the math and figured out that the chances of anyone being alive to remember such an agreement is pretty slim.

Instead of assuring neighbours, Cando Contracting, the firm hired to do the work, just pulled out the age old documents and explained that in certain areas the railway right of way expands from the normal 100 feet to 350 feet to account for rail yards. And that, as far as they are concerned, is that.

Residents are understandably upset. The rail yard is being built not only in their backyard but next to two nature preserves. Who knows what effect all the noise, vibrations and possible air and ground pollution will have on wildlife or residents. Protests have been filed with several branches of the federal government, including the environmental sector.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

Double-Lung Transplant Recipient Overcomes H1N1

Edmontonian Michael Cunningham is calling himself amazingly lucky. The 52-year-old ex-commercial real estate appraiser has alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency, a genetic disorder that impacts lung and liver cells.

Cunningham’s airways became blocked after developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a condition that includes asthma, bronchitis and emphysema. In November 2009, Cunningham was the recipient of a double-lung transplant, but on the day of his operation, he developed flu-like symptoms.

As a precaution, he received anti-viral medication and testing for H1N1, and staff then went ahead with the operation. Doctor Atul Humar, the University of Alberta’s Director of Transplant Infectious Diseases, said the hospital proceeded with the operation because Cunningham needed the lungs. Humar said transplants are a matter of weighing the risks of waiting against the benefits of the surgery.
The following day, Cunningham’s results showed positive for H1N1, and his new lungs also tested positive for H1N1. The donor’s test results were negative for H1N1.

The case is being called unique and was published in July 2010’s circulation of the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation.
Since the operation, Cunningham’s H1N1 virus has cleared and Cunningham says his new lungs make him feel reborn. The only signs of his operation now are the scars on his chest. Cunningham said he tells people the four-inch sized marks of the surgery tubes are bullet holes, to make for a more interesting story.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

Sherwood Park Places In top 10 Of Alberta Venture Magazine Community Analysis

Alberta Venture Magazine has given Strathcona County a top ten ranking in their analysis of which communities are the best to do business in. The rapidly growing locale has strong ties with the energy industry, a great location with large amounts of available industrial acreage and a healthy, mobile population.

The panel at the magazine took several factors into account. Among them were tax rates, leasing and land costs, and ready availability of land. The recent recession has also caused potential employers to consider lifestyle, education and recreational concerns when choosing to locate a business venture. This also was used for the ranking. Even though the communities considered were of different sizes, the magazine did their best to make a fair comparison.

Strathcona has been in the top ten for four years running, so it appears they are doing something right. The Chamber of Commerce has over 1,000 members, quite a feat for a community that is not one of the largest. They are one of three in Alberta with this many members.

Surveys and ranking such as this are intended to make it easier for businesses and potential residents to make an educated choice about moving to an area. Competition is getting tighter across the province and that is spurring Strathcona and other communities to up their game on the attraction playing field.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

New Archbishop Jordan Catholic High School to Open September 2012

Work is afoot on the new Archbishop Jordan Catholic High School set to open in Sherwood Park in the fall of 2012. Plans for the school, which will accommodate up to 1,400 students, have been on the table for over three years. The pouring of foundations began this past spring, with the formal groundbreaking and blessing ceremony held last Friday.

The site was blessed by Bishop David Motiuk, a member of the Catholic Edmonton Epachy. Future students along with members of the Elk Island Catholic School board took part in the symbolic shovel turning and members of the current ABJ choir performed.

The original Archbishop Jordan Catholic High was built to hold 900 students and is at capacity. There are expected to be 1,100 students attending the new school in the first year. The new building will carry the same name of the Edmonton archbishop who served the community when the original school was constructed.

The school project is one of 14 to receive provincial funding. The location of the school, near a man made lake and close to the site of the future Sherwood Park Hospital has set precedence for new community friendly school design. The grounds of the school as well as a fitness facility will be shared with the general public.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

Young Science Conference Sparks Young People’s Imaginations

If you want kids to learn about math and science, you’ve got to make it fun…and in this modern world of computer everything, relevant. It is so much more thought provoking to use equations to build a robot or to build a solar powered car than to watch letters and numbers move about on a blackboard.

This past weekend, 170 students from the Elk Island and Sturgeon school districts stepped away from that blackboard and into the real world of science. In addition to the solar car and robot, students studied banana DNA, how to make computer circuits and what it takes to create a sonic boom. Some students even participated in a forensic science workshop including blood analysis and footstep tracking.

The Young Science Conference at the University of Alberta in Edmonton was the scene of the enlightenment. This annual gathering, which has been going strong for 19 years, has inspired many young people to go into fields such as palaeontology, robotics, wildlife science and environmental studies. Science, good science, is part textbook, part experimentation with a healthy dose of creative inspiration thrown in. Without that creative spark, would Thomas Edison even have tried to talk to someone an ocean away? Perhaps. Perhaps not.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

Alberta Game Farm to be Reborn as Wild Splendour Resort & Wildlife Sanctuary

Tigers and rhinos and bears, oh my! There once was a place in Strathcona County where you could go and see such creatures wandering about. The Alberta Game Farm, an Edmonton area icon through the 1960s and 1970s, was a popular school and family outing destination. Closed since 1978, it appears this provincial treasure just may be getting a new lease on life, and that Edmonton will be getting a world class resort in its backyard.

Tod Oeming, son of Al Oeming, the creator of the Alberta Game Farm wants to build the Wild Splendour Resort & Wildlife Sanctuary. The $60 million creation with its 510 guest units would welcome visitors to hike, bike ride, horseback ride, golf or bird watch. The property would also conserve 120 acres of environmentally sensitive land, including old growth aspen and black spruce forests and Lost Lake. This part of the resort would be managed by the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

Oeming notes that there are 173 identified species of birds and 43 species of mammals that are native to this area. The trick is to be environmentally friendly in the gradual construction/conservation of the 924 acres so that the resort will attract guests and be profitable yet have minimal impact on the natural world.

The key for both issues is to go slow, so the project will be built in stages with the first stage set to begin in 2012 if financial backing can be found. Oeming is offering founding partnership units to investors for this initial phase. So far only Edmonton investors have been approached, but Oeming is expected to travel across western Canada to promote his vision. Oeming has had experience in the hotel trade, and is already in negotiations with a major hotel chain to manage the hotel portion of the project.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

Mum Was The Word On The Promised Sherwood Hospital

Attendees of the Progressive Conservative Association’s annual meeting in Ardrossan this past Tuesday kept waiting to hear news about the promised Sherwood Park Hospital that was to begin construction this April. The month is almost over.

Gene Zwozdesky, Alberta’s new health minister, gave a 26 minute speech covering the plans to improve the province’s health care over the next three years. He spoke of the $2.5 billion allocated to that cause. But not a word on that hospital.

Until, in the question and answer period, the subject was brought up. The response? There will be more information in three to four weeks. That the project is going forward and Phase One is about to start. That the project just might require more money than in the current budget. It’s not just building the hospital; it’s running the facility after it is built.

Zwozdesky said to not lose hope, it will happen, but more slowly than originally promised. Iris Evans, the Sherwood Park MLA and the former finance minister was the person who made the April construction date promise.

The focus of the meeting was Alberta’s Health Care in general. Zwozdesky defended the province’s decision to amalgamate the nine health authorities into one entity, citing huge financial savings that could be funnelled back into the system. Other items that were discussed were senior drug programs and the intent of Alberta Health Care to encourage more doctors to live in rural settings.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

Edmonton, Sherwood Park Housing Markets Stabilizing

Despite an increase in mortgage rates and a decrease in inventory by 700 units, Edmonton and its surrounding area’s real estate market is stabilizing.

In the latest price survey, Edmonton and Sherwood Park both displayed signs of price increases over 2009 in various types of housing.

Standard two-storey house prices showed the highest city-wide increase in price by 5.2 per cent to $343,571. Standard condominium prices increased city-wide by 4.9 per cent to $208,833 and detached bungalow prices increased city-wide by 1 per cent to $308,857.

In Riverbend/Terwillegar, detached bungalows rose 2.6 per cent from $385,000 to $395,000, standard two storey homes rose 7 per cent from $346,850 to $370,000, and standard condos rose nine per cent from $200,000 to $218,000.

Clareview showed the highest prince increase two-storey homes of 27.9 percent, up to $390,000 from $305,000. Condos rose three per cent from $165,000 to $170,000, but bungalows remained stable at $250,000.

The Castledowns area and Sherwood Park both remained stable when compared to 2009. Castledowns detached bungalows stayed at $260,000, two-storey homes stayed at $315,000 and condominiums stayed at $195,000. Sherwood Park two-storey homes remained stable at $340,000, as did condominiums at $280,000.

I believe that the increases and stability show that buyers are becoming more confident in the market, a positive trend for Canada’s recovering economy.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

Alberta Looks Into Campaign Contribution Legislation For Local Governments

Political candidates that are intending to run in one of Edmonton’s municipal elections later this fall may have some new rules to contend with. They are facing possible caps on the amount of money an individual could contribute to a candidate’s campaign.

If Bill 9 passes in the provincial legislature then the Local Authorities Election Act would be changed. Individual monetary contributions would be limited to $5000. The bill, introduced by MLA Jeff Johnson from Athabasca-Redwater, is the second attempt at provincial control over local elections.

The first go round, initiated last spring, angered some local politicians such as Mayor Stephen Mandel of Edmonton, because they weren’t consulted prior to the bill being presented. After certain issues, such as an agreement that time contributed by volunteers does not count toward a monetary contribution, were addressed, Mandel is now fine with the current version of the bill. Up until this point, the province has not initiated caps in local elections. Some communities may have implemented their own.

One part of the bill will be tabled until December of 2011 simply because it would be too difficult to implement before this coming October’s election period. This calls for unused contributions to be held in trust and then if not used by the candidate for re-election, they would be distributed to charity or local governments. This is to insure that the money collected serves a purpose other than personal gain.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

Bulls VS. Bears in Stock Market Debate

Financial analysts are working overtime trying to predict which way the stock market is going next. Late January saw a plunge almost to 11,000. That was not good.  But this last Friday, the market closed at 11,975. That was good.  Very good.  It almost matched Toronto’s high of 12,000 briefly held in January of this year.

Now that the market is back in the high numbers, investors are considering their options.  Should they take their profits as they stand now, or hold on to see where the ride might take them?  The debate continues.

Those who believe it is a bear market think another crash is coming.  Jobless numbers are still high; stimulus programs are due to end and consumers will just stop spending. Some technical analysts see equity indexes indicating they have reached a holding pattern with little or no movement. That could be problematic.

On the other hand, we have the bulls that believe the stock market will keep going in the upward direction even if it does have to weather a few minor setbacks.  They believe that the low interest rates and the slowly recovering economy will boost the market along, even if it is at a snail’s pace.

No matter which side of the financial fence you are on, there is agreement that it has been difficult to make money in the market since the beginning of 2010. Those who have made a good selection of stocks at the right time have been mildly successful.

Gains have been small.  Toronto’s index saw a 1.9 percent increase since the 1st of January.  The Dow Jones had a 1.3 percent gain and the S&P 500 Index showed a 2.1 percent increase.  Not astronomical numbers, but at least they are going in the right direction, for now.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

Sherwood Park Resident Paul Boisvert Donates 600 Pints – Of Blood and Plasma

Have you donated blood? Once? Twice?  Well, Paul Boisvert or Sherwood Park has calmly taken the needle in the arm 600 times to donate that number of bags of blood and plasma to Canadian Blood Services.

After his record setting donation, given at an office near Edmonton’s University of Alberta Hospital, he was rewarded with a cake in celebration of his achievement. Boisvert wasn’t even aware that it was his 600th donation.  It was just another blood donation to him. Nor does he plan to quit.

His latest gift makes him 12th in the nation’s list of top blood donors.  The all time leader is a fellow Albertan who has, to date, donated 900 times.

Donating blood makes some people dizzy, but not so for Boisvert.  He has been donating since 1970.  Back then it was whole blood. He switched to donating plasma, which can be done once a week, in 1982.  Boisvert was encouraged to donate by his father, Roland.

The plasma collection process is a little different than that for whole blood. The donor’s blood is taken from the body and filtered through a machine that separates the blood cells and the plasma. The plasma is sent to a holding bag and the blood cells go back into the body to continue doing their work.

Plasma is very versatile. It has a high protein content and is routinely used to treat cancer patients, hemophiliacs, burn victims and in the operating room. Plasma has the ability to help the body fight against infections.
 

Sherwood Park Property Blog

New Homeowners Having to Pay Axiom Homes Contractors…Twice

It seems that some home owners are facing the prospect of paying twice for work contracted out by Axiom Homes to complete their custom made houses.  Various contractors, apparently not being paid by the contract management company, are going after the homeowners directly and filing liens against their property.  This, after these same homeowners have paid a $35,000 fee to Axiom to oversee the construction and subsequently forward payment to the contractors.

Axiom, founded by Danielle Addington in 2003 is not living up to its agreements. The company is also not responding to emails or phone calls from clients now having to deal with contractors seeking payment.  Clients are not receiving their refundable “float” fee back either.  This $15,000 fee was paid to cover unexpected expenses that may occur during construction of their homes.  Clients venturing to the Axiom office were allowed to view their files, but not photocopy any of the information.

As of November of 2008, 28 liens had been filed against properties built under management of the Axiom Homes Company.  In some cases, lien amounts have reached $33,000.  Homeowners, understandably frustrated, are trying to negotiate with equally frustrated contractors in hopes they can reach an agreement without having to pay twice for the same work.

When contacted, Lyle Bartfelt, the General Manger of Axiom Homes stated that the firm was restructuring and in the process of moving to offices in Calgary.  Further attempts at contact found the man unavailable.

It is possible that if Axiom Homes promised a service and did not deliver, they could be guilty of misrepresentation under the Unfair Practice code of Alberta’s Fair Trade Act. More information on the matter would be needed before an investigation is initiated. In the meantime, homeowners are hoping the various contractors, in the interest of fairness, drop the liens until an investigation can take place.

New Sherwood Park Gym Opening For Residents

Sherwood Park residents will soon have a new 24 hour gym. Snap Fitness at 201-101 Granada Blvd., has a targeted opening date of October 16th. The new owners are Sara and Wes Secrist.

The October opening was targeted to correspond with Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Members who run on the special pink treadmill will earn a 6 cent donation for every kilometre run from the facility’s equipment supplier. The donation will be matched by Snap Fitness.

Snap Fitness originated in Minnesota. The company has expanded to include gyms throughout Canada, India and Australia as well as throughout the United States. In Canada, the company has 40 locations, 8 of which are in Alberta.

Membership is on a month to month basis and that membership is good at any Snap Fitness facility. Members also have access to online personal websites to keep track of their progress and get meal planning advice. Supplements may also be ordered online.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

Several Canadian real estate agencies are seeing an upswing in home sales. This is leading many to claim that the hard-hitting and rapid real estate recession is essentially over. Home sales are rebounding so well, in fact, that some agencies are seeing home prices exceed even the highest prices of 2008.

The healthy sales prices seem to be due primarily to an increase in buyers without an equal increase in desirable residential listings. Well-placed and priced homes are selling faster than expected. It is not unusual for one listing to have several offers with at least one of those offers being higher than the asking price. Real estate agents in areas such as Hamilton and Burlington are reporting that solid properties under $250,000.00 to $300,000.00 are selling particularly well. Government incentive programs seem to be helping market recovery, especially with first-time home buyers.

The average home price nationally has been leveling out around $312, 585. This represents a 0.5 percent increase over last year. Home prices holding steady in a recession is a big enough feat. An increase of any magnitude is close to amazing. This has taken more than one housing analyst and economist by surprise.

Sherwood Park Property Blog

With relatively stable prices and a recovering economy, prices in the Sherwood Park area appear to be stable.  The Edmonton area is showing some pretty wild fluctuations, however Sherwood Park appears to be immune from them.  Compared with the market last year, Sherwood Park is looking very healthy.

During the month of July, there were 94 homes sold in the city of Sherwood Park.  The average value of the sale was $425,644.  Over the course of 2009, 674 homes have sold in the city.  The average price is down a little from the same time last year (last year at this time the average home value was $430,223) but compared with the beginning of the year it’s recovered quite nicely.  In January, the average sale price in the city was $376,545.

The amount of properties being bought and sold is up this year, with many people deciding the time is now right to get back into the market.  Low mortgage rates and a strong economic base are telling factors in the recovery of the market.

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