New HQ or not, e-commerce giant's impact is already being felt

Let's call it the "Amazon effect": the cascading economic stimulation that comes from one of the world's largest corporations taking up residence in your market.

It is an effect already being felt in the Calgary region after the announcement that the e-commerce giant will be opening a 600,000-square-foot distribution centre in Balzac – employing 750 full-time workers, and an additional 450 part-time or seasonally, by the end of 2018.

Selection, convenience and one-of-a-kind design continue to draw crowds to CrossIron Mills 

Bigger isn't always better. However, CrossIron Mills is a classic example of the perfect combination of quantity and quality. The ambitious retail development has enjoyed smooth sailing, even through periods of economic downturn, and become the go-to shopping centre for area residents and visitors alike.

Located in Rocky View County, just north of Calgary on Highway 2, CrossIron Mills occupies 1.4 million square feet across 674 acres of land. It offers 200 specialty stores and premium-brand outlets, as well as 17 large-format anchor stores.

While mall patrons sing its praises, some feared the timing of its launch in 2009 might start things off on the wrong foot.

Amy Shafer found her own private oasis in Watermark at Bearspaw

Amy Shafer grew up on a farm, so when it came to building her dream home, being immersed in nature on the doorstep of wide-open park space was a top priority. She and her husband, and their three children, had been living in Valley Ridge, but just didn't feel connected. Their search for the perfect lot brought them to Watermark in Bearspaw, where they purchased a 1.33-acre home site that backs on to an Aspen grove, a freshwater pond and walking trails. The community features 46 acres of parkland and 16 ponds, and brushes up against the Haskayne Legacy Park, with trails connecting to Calgary and Cochrane.

Rocky View's proposed gravel pit policy has local homeowners crying foul

Gravel hardly seems like a subject to stir controversy, but a proposed policy plan for gravel pits in Rocky View County has done just that.

Since the draft of Rocky View County's Aggregate Resource Plan was announced last year, it has raised the ire of residents in areas close to existing and possible future gravel operations.

Opulent housing segment continues to show staying power in 2016

The highest end of the home market is a unique beast. It's a sector in which a small percentage drop in price can equate to hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings – and where a minimal increase in sales volume can look like a huge boom.

Year to date the number of $1-million-and-up homes sold in Calgary and area has increased 30-plus per cent over 2015. But in real numbers, the growth was just 99 sales, from 329 up to the end of August last year to 428 for the same period this year. (To put those numbers into context, overall about 14,000 homes changed hands in that period.)

Opponents decry Rocky View County as CAVE men: 'Citizens Against Virtually Everything'

A far-reaching increase in off-site transportation levy could be a road to nowhere for business, according to a collection of Rocky View County developers and land owners.

Used to fund improvements in the transportation network, generally in subdivisions and new developments, County engineering services have offered a preliminary proposal of a 440 per cent increase in off-site levy over the next four years.

Out-of-town living resonates for those looking for laid-back lifestyle

Dusty Dancer likes his privacy – a natural evolution having owned an acreage property south of Calgary for nearly two decades.

So he gets the appeal of how some homeowners might be looking to leave the city for a little r 'n r.

"Some have their own nine-hole mini-golf course. You can make it whatever you want to be. You can't do that in the city," said Dancer, president of the DeWinton Community Association.

Satellite communities showing similar signs of strain; officials still optimistic

Feeling the pinch of a slowing economy, smaller satellite community housing markets have mirrored a downward drift in prices compared with Calgary but continue to be an attractive draw for buyers.

Depending on the region, CREB®'s mid-year forecast update has shown only a slight reduction in sales compared to long-term trends and actual growth in other outlaying districts.

Still buzzing with plenty of activity in new-home construction, Airdrie sales activity slowed in 2016 but hasn't dropped compared to five-year averages. A continual inventory build-up has kept new listings on pace with the past three years for Airdrie, which experienced a 5.37 per cent population growth since last summer and has recently surpassed 60,000 residents.

Urban developments are playing nice with rural areas, say experts

Responsible urban development currently taking place outside of Calgary proves that growth doesn't have to come at a cost, say local agriculture and planning officials.

As subdivisions push evermore into rural areas — with neighbourhoods bordering on fields of wheat and other crops — their impact on agricultural land has recently become a hot-button topic, said Tim Dietzler, an agricultural expert with Rocky View County.

"This is not a new issue in this area or any area in Alberta with development new agricultural land," he said. "But many municipalities now pay much more attention to the potential problems that can arise."

Acreage living brings unique challenges and opportunities 

Frankie-Lou Nelligan is no stranger to country life. She grew up on farms and acreages before returning to that lifestyle three years ago. Even so, Nelligan still experienced some maintenance surprises when, for example, she turned on her sink taps and the kitchen filled with the odour of rotten eggs. As she discovered, she needed to "shock" the well, or disinfect it with chlorine.

"My husband is a city mouse and I'm a country mouse. If you want to live on an acreage, you definitely have to have a country mouse," says Nelligan, who along with her husband and three children, live on five acres in Springbank.

"You're responsible for a lot more on an acreage. Every year, some kind of maintenance needs to be done on the septic tank or the well."