An Airdrie-based company is building homes out of compressed hemp chip blocks, a sustainable building material that holds huge potential for reducing carbon footprint and emissions.

The Tsuut'ina Nation is developing Calgary's latest power retail centre with the Shops at Buffalo Run, which will feature the region's newest Costco store – the first ever location for the retail giant on First Nation land in Canada.

The health of Calgary's commercial real estate market is often defined by what's happening with the city's downtown office space, but it doesn't tell the whole story.

Throughout the past 39 years living in Calgary, I've always been fascinated by one roadway in the city: Elbow Drive.

It very well might be my favourite road to travel by vehicle, with its picturesque views of the river, parks, commercial development and interesting homes.

Anyone in the downtown area on the evening of April 18 was treated to a light show, as coloured LEDs on the new Telus Sky building recreated the aurora borealis in a test of a new art installation.

Artist Douglas Coupland's Northern Lights is just one of the features of Telus Sky – a new skyscraper in Calgary's downtown skyline and a sign that tough times in the city won't last forever.

The vibrancy of Calgary's downtown office market is a good indicator of the health of the city's economy, and since the oil price collapse that started in the latter half of 2014, they've both been struggling.

American businessman Keith Warner may have just become Calgary's – and, specifically, Inglewood's – biggest cheerleader, as his multi-million-dollar video game development company will open a studio in the community in May.

The construction machinery sprawled across a whole city block in Calgary's East Village tells a retail success story.

The 5th and Third development (named for its location at Fifth Avenue and Third Street S.E.) is being constructed and leased by RioCan. The project is two-thirds of the way towards completion and on schedule to open in 2020, says Terri Andrianopoulos, RioCan's national vice-president of marketing and communications.

A long-awaited effort to revitalize east Victoria Park is underway, with the first projects taking shape under the Rivers District master plan (RDMP) that was passed by city council in December 2018.

Led by the Calgary Municipal Land Corp. (CMLC), the plan spells out a vision of east Victoria Park as a cultural and entertainment centre with a residential component, fitting within the larger Rivers District that also includes the East Village.

If you have millions of dollars to invest, amassing multiple real estate properties is not a problem. If you aren't named Buffett or Gates, however, it's not usually an option.

Fortunately, the average investor has another option. Real estate investment trusts (REITs) are companies that own income-generating properties in a pool, allowing interested investors to add real estate to their portfolio without breaking the bank.