At a time when it's common to be shut in, Calgary's business improvement areas (BIAs) are reaching out to help entrepreneurs through the challenges of COVID-19.

According to Calgary Economic Development, Calgary has the potential to become an industry leader in the burgeoning Canadian video game and "immersive media" sectors.

I guess it's fitting, then, that Calgary has actually appeared in a handful of video games over the years, whether by design or thanks to the efforts of a few creative players.

We've all heard that Rome wasn't built in a day. Neither was Calgary, which continues to undergo an urban renaissance. Over the next five days, CREB®Now will present a series where it has sat down with five influencers who have helped develop the city as we know it today.

The lure of lasting value

He leads a Calgary-based company with assets of $3.2 billion and 1,100 employees in 12 different North American markets.

In its 57-year history, the company has developed and built in 62 Calgary neighbourhoods in all four quadrants of the city.

But while Alan Norris's Brookfield Residential Properties has been successful developing communities throughout North America, the president and CEO also leads what may be his biggest task yet: to end homelessness in Calgary.

Now 88 years young, the ol' potlicker himself, Jim "Bearcat" Murray, long ago passed into the realm of legend hereabouts.

Nearly a quarter-century since retiring from the Calgary Flames as the only NHL athletic trainer with his own fan club (boasting Boston and Montreal chapters), Murray – recognizable by his bald head, generous moustache and ready grin – continues to be an icon.

The year is 1960. Calgary's population sits at 234,428. Completion of the Trans-Canada Highway is still two years away. A new $1-million terminal at McCall Field welcomes airline passengers, with the first non-stop, transatlantic flight from Calgary to Amsterdam still a year away. The first two buildings on the new University of Calgary campus open and the newly minted community of Brentwood sits on the very edge of the city.

How times have changed.

For many, home is the place where they feel the safest and most at ease. However, there are many hazards within the average house or apartment that can have dangerous, and even deadly, consequences if left unchecked. Luckily, most of these threats are easy to identify and even easier to avoid with just a little bit of knowhow.

Here are 12 common household hazards and how to eliminate them:

Calgary-area REALTORS^® Herb Styles and Ray Pfob are celebrating 50 years in the business this year – an impressive milestone by any measure.

Both entered the industry somewhat by happenstance, but five decades later, neither man would trade his time in real estate – including all the stories and bits of wisdom collected along the way – for anything.

Calgary's new-home construction market has been challenged this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Year-to-date, up until the end of August, there were 5,400 total housing starts in the Calgary census metropolitan region compared with 6,400 for the same period in 2019.

Homebuilders across the city have adopted new health and safety protocols for potential homebuyers when they are searching for a home. They've also upped their game when it comes to their digital presence.

Total residential sales in August were relatively stable compared to last year with year-over-year gains in the detached and row sectors.