Artesia in Heritage Pointe merges luxury and landscape

Ordinarily, luxury and sustainability are not exactly two peas in a pod. However, Artesia at Heritage Pointe is no ordinary community. Situated just outside Calgary city limits south of the Bow River, the development combines urban and rural living, offering more space to roam, less maintenance and a tremendous sense of community, not to mention spectacular views.

"Our vision is to create a lifestyle community in the Heritage Pointe tradition that functions in tandem with the natural landscape and focuses on sustainability," said Bill MacDonald, project manager for land development at Heritage Pointe Properties.

New water heater technology and incentives are making tankless systems feasible for more Calgarians

here's nothing better than being in plenty of hot water. Not the metaphorical kind, the real stuff. If you've ever felt the shower go cold while you're still covered with soap and shampoo, you know what I mean.

But new water heater technology is helping reduce the likelihood you'll run out of the hot stuff, while providing environmental and money-saving benefits.

Water conservation top of mind for developers and municipalities as usage could exceed supply in coming decades

There's more than meets the eye to a lake at the heart of Harmony, the much-talked-about community by Bordeaux Properties and Qualico Communities west of the city.

When the massive water feature project is completed this spring, it will not only be Alberta's deepest man-made lake. It will also be a key part of the development's water conservation plan, an initiative that is among the most progressive in the Calgary region, said Bordeaux president and CEO Birol Fisekci.

City of Calgary using new techniques in pavement construction, rehabilitation

The City of Calgary is going green in its effort to provide drivers with a bump-free commute.

The City's Transportation Department has completed testing two new environmentally friendly techniques in pavement construction and rehabilitation that use different techniques and alternative materials to create asphalt at a reduced cost.

Cold In-Place Recycling (CIR) is a seven-step process that produces a layer of pavement by cold-pressing reclaimed asphalt and mixing it with raw virgin materials such crushed stone, sand and gravel.

Don't forget to breathe ... and water

It's summer and fields of waving wheat make you smile as you bike down the Cowboy Trail south of Cochrane. You love this image so much you seriously consider selling your condo in the city and buying a farm.

As you arrive home later in the day reality hits. Your plants have wilted in their hot, black pots on the patio. Superbells lay limp and are probably dead. Petunias wilt. Snapdragons droop. Maybe you can't buy the farm until someone starts watering for you in town.

To water or not to water in Calgary's early spring, that is the question

Perennial plants close to buildings were popping up in the heat wave a couple weeks ago, but my shovel clunked into ice just below the surface.

It reminded me winter is still transitioning into spring in Calgary. Our mild winter with yo-yo temperatures and light snow cover makes it both tricky for outdoor plants and stressful for gardeners such as Marilyn Brown, who was worried about her Columnar Blue Spruce and wanted to know if she should water it.

Calgary City Council continued it's budget talks for Action Plan 2015-2018 today.

This morning council continued its discussion on the city's utilities and environmental protection, including Calgary's water services.

"The numbers are extraordinary and I start to worry that we are building a system in water and wastewater we will just not be able to afford in future generations," said Mayor Naheed Nenshi to city staff.