Candidates spar at CREB® mayoral forum

Calgary's top three mayoral candidates discussed a variety of issues on Sept. 21 at CREB®'s Courageous Conversations, an exclusive forum focusing on housing-related issues critical to REALTORS® and the city.

Candidates Andre Chabot and Bill Smith joined incumbent Naheed Nenshi in CREB®'s W. Frank Johns Auditorium as the candidates took verbal jabs at each other over several issues.

The forum was hosted and moderated by CREB® CEO Alan Tennant.

Calgary's top three mayoral candidates discussed a variety of issues on Sept. 21 at CREB^®'s Courageous Conversations, an exclusive forum focusing on housing-related issues critical to REALTORS^® and the city.

CREB®Now looks back on 2016 with Calgary mayor

CREB®Now had the chance to sit down with Mayor Naheed Nenshi to get his birds-eye view on some of the city's most pressing issues over the past year, including who he believes is Calgary's hero for 2016. Here's what he had to say:

CREB®Now: There has been a lot of discussion regarding the cost of doing business in this city, both in the core and the suburban areas. What is the city doing to minimize their burden in the current economic climate?

Uber's impact already being felt in community development, say local officials

While ride-sharing giant Uber has yet to re-enter the Calgary market – a move that could come before the end of the month, and dependent on city council approval of amendments to the ride-share bylaw – the company's influence is already being felt locally, and not just within the transportation industry.

The rise of ride-sharing businesses are causing planners, developers, builders and city officials to rethink how cities are designed. From developers designing neighbourhoods that emphasize walkability to entrepreneurs imagining alternative uses for parking garages, the possibilities are plentiful, said Chris Blaschuk, manager of the transportation strategy division in the City of Calgary's transportation planning department.

Proposed bylaw looks to add stricter regulations

Airdrie's decision to follow suit with other municipalities in the province and regulate controversial ride-sharing services is redundant, costly and unnecessary, said opponents to the proposed amended taxi bylaw.

Earlier this month, the City of Airdrie unveiled the amendment that would require app-based ride-sharing companies like Uber to follow similar regulations as traditional taxi companies.

The change would require all vehicles to undergo 134-point inspections, more involved licensing upgrades requiring Class 1, 2 or 4, background/criminal records checks and hefty commercial insurance rates.

Company says Calgary too cost-prohibitive

Calgary city council voted Monday 14-1 in favour of new ride-sharing regulations that will require more rigorous licensing, background checks and inspections.

Yet U.S.-based Uber said the model is cost prohibitive and that the draft bylaw will run the company out of Calgary.

"It's a really unfortunate day for riders and drivers in Calgary," Ramit Kar, Uber's general manager for Alberta, told reporters. "For riders, there's no longer going to be an option that they've been asking for to get transported around the city."

In a statement on Twitter Monday night, the company added that, "it's unfortunate to see #yyccc vote for regulations that prevent the return of ridesharing to Calgary. "We'll continue to advocate for solutions that create jobs for drivers & affordable transportation options for the public. "

Alternative forms of transportation dominates headlines in 2015

Joe Starkman was contemplating buying a car for his daughter while she attended university in Halifax. To his surprise, she wasn't interested.

"That twigged us," said Starkman, president of Knightsbridge Homes, the builder behind N3 in East Village, Calgary's first carless condo. "We started to do some research, and our research showed there's a market in that Generation Y demographic for which car ownership is not a priority.

"We're not trying to change the world, we're just responding to a world that's changing."

Sharing economy proving controversial in Calgary and beyond

Share and share alike: for better or worse, it might be Calgary's new unofficial slogan.

Whether it's a home, room, or even a parking spot, Calgarians are proving to be big believers in divvying up their assets, with the controversial Uber car-sharing app and several other share-based service-providers gaining footholds in the local market.

Yet despite offering revenue-generating opportunities, services like AirBnB and Uber, also present some risks to providers, warn legal experts.

City seeks regulatory direction on ride-sharing service

The City of Calgary has been conducting a covert operation to catch local drivers subscribing to the controversial Uber ride-sharing app.

The news, reported by several new agencies Friday, came shortly after City staff presented a report to the Taxi and Limousine Advisory Committee that asked for input on how to regulate private for-hire transportation companies.

City administration will present those options to council in mid November on ways to regulate private for-hire transportation companies.