Design your landscape to suit your neighbourhood, yourself

For homeowners, their work is never done once they've found their dream home. In fact, it's often just the beginning.

During this time of year, most owners will turn their attention to the yard. My advice: please your neighbours in the front yard and please yourself in the back. Everything else is icing on your landscape cake.

Calgary distinctive in offering both metropolitan and acreage luxury

Calgary's housing market has evolved to include a luxury segment offering buyers just about anything their hearts desire, suggested a local industry expert.

"We have those individuals who want to experience the city life, so that's the downtown metropolitan living," said Mary-Ann Mears, managing broker with Sotheby's International Realty Canada.

Bridgeland Market shines while other corner stores are going the way of the dodo

Fresh-baked cookies, cheese from around the world and pints of organic ice cream are just a few of the treats visitors will find at Bridgeland Market, one of a vanishing breed of family-run corner stores slowly fading from the Calgary landscape.

Run by the Traya family, which also operates Tazza Deli & Grill across the street, Bridgeland Market, like Lukes Drug Mart a few blocks away, has actually grown with the times to become a community mainstay.

Calgary corner store a staple to Bridgeland community, more

Community Cornerstones series: A look at Calgary and area's rich history of both new and old corner stores.

Little did Jim Lukes know when he opened a drug mart on the corner of First Avenue and Fourth Street N.E. in Bridgeland, it would grow to span three generations and change with the community around it.

"The store was started in 1951 by my grandfather Jim Lukes. My dad (Bob) took over in about 1985 and I've been running it probably about six or seven years," said Gareth Lukes, calling from Vancouver where Lukes has just opened its fourth location (the other two are in Killarney and Renfrew).

Decreases to Alberta's education budget causing further concern for Calgary parents

Candice Collins is no stranger to long commutes. Growing up in the northeast community of Rundle, she had to navigate the city's public transit system for hours each day to attend William Abrehart High School in city's northwest, her designated French-immersion school.

Now in her 30s, Collins is worried her five-year-old son may face the same fate in getting to school.
"[I'm concerned] he's going to wind up with a super long commute. Because in order to find the programs and the atmosphere that I want, we might have to move around," she said.

"I have quite a few people who have told me they have to take their kid great distances every day. Maybe their elementary school is close, but then their junior high isn't close and their high school might be even farther."

A local REALTOR has spearheaded fundraising efforts for nine Calgarians whose four homes were affected by a two-alarm fire Monday night.

The fire broke out around 5 p.m. on April 20.

"When the fire happened, people in the community started phoning me," said CIR's Robyn Moser.

While some historic Calgary corner stores have gone the way of the wrecking ball, others are emerging as community cornerstones

You see them dotted around the Calgary landscape.

Some, a little rough around the edges, have been frequented by families for more than 60 years. Others have undergone transformations to become lynch pins of re-emerging communities in the city.

They're your neighbourhood corner store.

"Have you ever heard of Mary's? We used to go there all the time when we would go to [Bowness] Park," said Michelle Norman, 28.

The City's annual Spring Clean-Up kicks off April 13.

While the official start of the clean-up is Monday, some sweepers have already hit the streets taking advantage off the fair weather. Winter sweeping, as it's known, allows crews to get a head start on cleaning the 15,000 lane kilometres of roadway in the city reducing he amount of material that can get washed into the sewer system.

CREBNow offers some tips on staying out of your condo board's doghouse

With the many rules and regulations accompanying a condo purchase, it can be difficult to know just what is and isn't allowed. Add an animal to the mix and even the most devout pet lover will have second thoughts about their furry friends.

In addition to city bylaws that govern owning an animal, condo boards often have their own regulations that need to be taken into account. With that in mind, CREB®Now has compiled some helpful tips on making the transition process as friendly – and legal – as possible, both for you and your pet.

Off-leash parks provide freedom for pets and sometimes consternation for owners

Calgarian Alex Middleton and his four-legged companion Captain are familiar faces at the Britannia Slopes off-leash dog park, typically frequenting the southwest area of the city two to three times a day.

It's a home away from home for the pair – a fact not lost on Middleton.

"The reason I moved to Elbow Park was to be closer to Britannia Slopes," he said.

Middleton and Captain are not alone. When making a move from their condo, accessibility to off-leash areas was also a huge selling feature for Terri and LiShelle Trembath in purchasing a home in the northwest community of Hawkwood.