More than 100 years ago a dam was built east of Calgary in order to provide irrigation for area farmers, with time "Alberta's Oasis" was born.

Chestermere Lake has become a thriving lake community just 10 minutes away from Calgary. The town started out as a "pleasure resort" and The Cabin Owners of Chestermere Lake organized in 1959. Back then, people were able to lease their lots with the opportunity to buy initiated in 1975.

Habitat for Humanity Southern Alberta held a celebration Aug. 21 for two families who received new homes in Airdrie.

Ground was broken on the semidetached homes in October 2011 in the community of Bayside. Through Built Green Canada, the project is certified platinum and will reduce the overall water and utility costs for the homes.

Calgary, along with Toronto and Oshawa, was a "top contributor" to a 0.2 per cent increase in Canada's New Housing Price Index (NHPI) for June.

According to Statistics Canada, "improving market conditions" along with increased material and labour costs were the main reasons for the rise.

Some neglected lots around the city could be getting a bit of a facelift thanks to a little reorganization at The City of Calgary.

Vacant land or underutilized spaces in Calgary have the potential to be transformed into vibrant places – which the City is dubbing "Pop up Places" – that add to community vitality such as parks, plazas, markets and art exhibits.

According to a report by Laurentian Bank Securities economic growth within Alberta and Saskatchewan is expected to outpace Canada's other provinces and territories.

The Provincial Monitor stated the two Prairie Provinces will be the driving force behind the national average while the central and eastern provinces will report a weaker performance than the national average.

Calgary's long-awaited west LRT line will transform the neighbourhoods that border its eight-kilometre stretch – and mostly for the better, city officials say.

Scheduled to open in early 2013 after first being approved in 1988, the $1.4 billion project will bring LRT service to an area of the city expected to grow from its current population of 105,000 to approximately 120,000 in the next 20 years.

In the midst of Historic Calgary Week (July 27 – Aug. 6) , one of the city's most influential buildings as far as the oil industry, and one of the most memorable for theatregoers, announced it is shutting its doors for good.

"The Uptown has made the business decision to cease operations of the Uptown Stage and Screen and Marquee Room and is vacating the Barron Building," said The Uptown Stage and Screen on their Facebook page Aug. 1.

Calgary's Avenue Magazine recently released its third compilation of Calgary's Best Neighbourhoods with the northwest community of Varsity taking the number one spot.

The magazine surveys its readers, asking them to share what is most important in a neighbourhood that makes it's residents want to remain living there.

Calgary's commercial market is expected to continue at its brisk pace through 2012 according to a special report by TD Economics.

Commercial vacancy rates in the city currently sit at about 7.5 per cent, a number that is forecast to decrease to seven per cent in 2012. The current vacancy rate is a significant drop from 2010's posted 11.8 per cent vacancy. Industrial vacancy rates are even lower with a forecasted three per cent vacancy in 2012 compared to 3.1 in 2011.

When touring the sights at Heritage Park, the building dedicated to the life of early Calgary resident W.G. MacKay might look like any other log cabin. However, the small building has gone through several incarnations, including serving for a time as a Calgary bakery.

"Our records state the cabin was built in approximately 1884 or '85 out of logs salvaged from an abandoned mine," said Barb Munro, communications specialist for Heritage Park.