A short history of Calgary and the Canadian Pacific Railway

When construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) reached Calgary in 1883, the company built a train station on its land west of the Elbow River in present-day downtown.

The only problem was that most Calgarians in the small community already lived on the east side of the river, now Inglewood.

Local historian Doug Coats says, try as it might, the CPR could not convince Calgarians to move onto its land, so a plan was devised.

A crash course in Calgary bridges

Most Calgarians probably don't stop to think about the city's bridges every time they cross over them by car, by bike or on foot. However, many of these important structures have interesting backstories or architectural designs that make them special.

Sampling the 17th Avenue restaurant scene

Crossing the city from east to west, 17th Avenue is both thoroughfare and destination. Cleaved by the Elbow and Bow rivers, it's not a direct route, but the two halves are sides of the same coin, bonded by street name and a string of restaurants worth seeking out. Whether east or west, expect to find restaurants that celebrate and reflect Calgary's well-crafted and culturally diverse culinary scene.

High hopes for high-speed hyperloop

They might not see eye-to-eye on much, but Calgary and Edmonton are united by their interest in the latest effort to bring high-speed transportation to Alberta. The hyperloop concept consists of pressurized aluminum pods travelling in tubes. Using magnetic propulsion and levitation, the system can exceed speeds of 1,000 km/h. Calgary to Edmonton in less than half an hour, anyone?

Plans for Anderson Station transit-oriented development approach final approval

A new outline plan and land use application for the lands surrounding the Anderson LRT Station was approved at the Calgary Planning Commission in February and will now go before city council on April 16 for final approval.

Doug Cassidy, director of real estate and development services for the City of Calgary, said Anderson Station has many characteristics that make it viable as a transit-oriented development (TOD) site.

Proposed Inglewood condo tower will stand tall, but hurdles remain

A proposed 20-storey, mixed-use condo development for Inglewood would be the first of its kind in the neighbourhood, but has also raised concerns among some of the community's residents.

B&A Planning Group has been hired to consult on the project on behalf of a group of investors, and launched a community engagement process last year with brochures, open houses and town hall meetings.

The project plan includes 180 condo units, plus 14 townhouses and small-scale commercial spaces at its base.

HGTV star Todd Talbot shares advice from 20 years in real estate at the Calgary Home and Garden Show

At the age of 22, Vancouver actor Todd Talbot bought his first home, paying his mortgage with the help of a rent-paying friend.

It was a unique occurrence among his theatre colleagues.

"(As an actor) you don't make a ton of money and you are pretty transient," said Talbot, who, as a teenager, appeared on the Hillside TV series with fellow Vancouverite and current Hollywood heavyweight Ryan Reynolds.

However, it was this initial foray into real estate – $190,000 for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo two blocks from Kitsilano Beach – that sparked Talbot's second career as an entrepreneur, leveraging one piece of property for another, and then another, and eventually leading to ownership of several real estate companies.

Unique Upper Mount Royal "castle" house continues to generate buzz

In most instances, the saying "a man's home is his castle" isn't meant to be taken literally.

But for those familiar with one rather imposing dwelling in Calgary's Upper Mount Royal neighbourhood, the saying couldn't be more apt.

Classic timber-frame and log homes are the perfect fit for many Alberta acreage properties

Attractive acreage properties lend themselves beautifully to some classic building methods: timber-frame construction and natural log homes.

Each has its own appeal, and while the homes come at a premium cost, Alberta specialty builders say the results are worth the money.

Silverhorn acreage development focuses on conservation and enhancement of nature

For 25 years, Mark Kwasnicki has not only been living in the Bearspaw area on the doorstep of Calgary's northern boundary, he has also been building large, custom homes for some who would become his neighbours.

He knows what people want when it comes to acreage homes – including the high-end construction specs, impressive designs, and all the bells and whistles – but he also knows what they want from the development itself.