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        <title>Real Estate Blog</title>
        <link>https://www.airdrierealestate.ca/blog/2015-11/</link>
        <description></description>
<item>
    <guid>https://www.airdrierealestate.ca/blog/airdrie-wins-more-awards-for-good-business.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.airdrierealestate.ca/blog/airdrie-wins-more-awards-for-good-business.html</link>
        <title>Airdrie wins more awards for good business</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
Airdrie’s a great place to do business.


Alberta Venture Magazine has named Airdrie as one of our province’s Top 12 Great Communities for Business.


The November issue of the magazine which is an editorial authority on Alberta’s current business and entrepreneurial climate contained the Top 12 communities that have created a vibrant atmosphere for the private-sector.


Some of the criteria which communities must meet in the magazine’s view include:




Barrier-free and inclusive atmosphere.


Friendly regard for investors and start-ups by local business, residents and local government.


Programs which promote and encourage business development.


Programs which recognize the importance of a healthy business community.




Airdrie’s friendly attitude toward commerce is reflected in a local program called SMARTStart. It’s a training program that provides entrepreneurs with practical business skills and one-on-one advice for those starting up a new business.  SMARTStart is a collaborative program offered by Airdrie Economic Development, the local Chamber of Commerce and Community Futures Centre West.


There are more than 1,800 licensed businesses based in the city. Of those registered to do business in the community, 99  have less than 100 employees and 86 have less than 10.  Just over half of Airdrie businesses are home-based and about a quarter of those home-based operations have indicated that someday, they would like to move their small enterprise to a storefront.


SMARTStart is designed to get small businesses in Airdrie through the very crucial first few years.  Studies have shown that only 35 of start-ups survive the first three to five years.  However, with education and mentorship, that figure can change to a staggering 80 to 90 success rate.


The SMARTStart program delivers information through webinars, live seminars and a mentoring partnership for those businesses that are less than three years old.  New entrepreneurs receive approximately 40 hours of valuable education and advice over an eight month period.


Mentors are business owners in the community that share both their mistakes and their successes to strengthen a fledgling entrepreneur’s education and resolve. Those mentors are owners or managers who have been in business for themselves for more than three years.  The time commitment is approximately 20 hours over an eight month period.


The editor of Alberta Venture, Michael Ganley, commented via press release that no one single thing makes a community such as Airdrie a great place in which to do business.  Of all communities which made Alberta’s Top 2, all had made a conscious decision to support local business and encourage the development of new business, providing a welcoming atmosphere for investors, all because they recognize the important of all business in their community.


Airdrie has earned national recognition in the past for the business-friendly atmosphere, due to the efforts of the Airdrie Chamber of Commerce and the city’s economic development team. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business recently appointed Airdrie as the best place in Canada to start a business.  It’s the third year in a row that the city has been put in the number one spot.


Applications for those business owners interested in taking program or in being a mentor are now being accepted through the SMARTStart Website.
 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Sat, 28 Nov 2015 13:55:00 -0700</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.airdrierealestate.ca/blog/new-water-treatment-plant-for-windsong.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.airdrierealestate.ca/blog/new-water-treatment-plant-for-windsong.html</link>
        <title>New water treatment plant for Windsong</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
With addition of a new water treatment plant in Airdrie’s south west community of Windsong, the city can now accommodate adequate water for a population of 80,000 residents.


The facility cost $11 million, but the City of Airdrie engineering department is happy that the increased capacity generated by the new plant will serve the municipality for the next 12 to 16 years.


Three years ago, a line was brought up from Calgary to assist with Airdrie’s growth and increased demand.  At this time, city council had just approved annexation for more than 12,000 acres of land from the Municipal District of Rocky View.


The funding for this line and for the new Windsong plant came from levies assessed to land developers in Airdrie. Every new development, residential, commercial and industrial, has paid to serve the needs of Airdrie residents.


The budget for the Windsong plant was $12 million and to the delight of city council, it came in well under.


The new water treatment plant was built in accordance with the Airdrie City Plan, which is a statutory document that outlines how the city should be configured and serviced.  Since the document has projected the city’s population to hit 90,000 residents between 2027 and 2031, the new plant should stand Airdrie in good stead for up to 16 years.


The physical building in which the water treatment plan is housed was designed and built to blend into the community so that it wouldn’t detract from the esthetics of the community.  The residential area was brought into consideration, including future lots on the south side of the plant and lots interfacing with the building on the west side.  When imagining it integrating into the Windsong neighbourhood, every consideration was given to the height of the structure and the exterior cladding. 


This brings the number of water treatment plant in Airdrie to four.  The facilities are monitored 24 hours a day by staff on-site or remotely by computer from at least one of the locations.


About Windsong


The South West community of Windsong is west of 8 St SW and north of 40 Ave SW.  There are more than 1,000 families which have moved into this new community.


It is connected to adjacent communities with a pathway system, part of the 80 km pathway routes built by the City. From this neighbourhood, residents enjoy views of lush, green meadows and mountains to the west.  In fact, many homes in Windsong have been constructed with large windows to bring in natural light and the pastoral scenery.  Front porches and balconies encourage neighbourliness in Windsong.  


More amenities are coming to Windsong in the future.  Spaces have been reserved by the developer for schools in the future. In the meantime, elementary, middle schools, junior high and senior high schools are more accessible to students in Airdrie than in many areas of the big city to the south.  Schools in Airdrie come under the jurisdiction of Rocky View School District for public school students and the Calgary Catholic School Board for separate school students.
 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Fri, 20 Nov 2015 10:41:00 -0700</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.airdrierealestate.ca/blog/announcing-a-new-neighbourhood-for-airdrie.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.airdrierealestate.ca/blog/announcing-a-new-neighbourhood-for-airdrie.html</link>
        <title>Announcing a new neighbourhood for Airdrie</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
The City of Airdrie has given their stamp of approval on a brand new subdivision.


Lanark Lake was given the green light earlier this month.  Melcor Developments presented its Neighbourhood Structure Plan (NSP) for stage one of Lanark Lake and was approved unanimously.


What’s Planned for Lanark Lake?


Located in the south eastern corner of the city, Lanark Lake will offer home buyers a mix of single-family detached homes and multi-family dwellings.  Nearly 165 acres of land has been set aside for this community, with a total of 1,218 resident dwellings.  According to the NSP, the density will be 7.4 residential dwellings per acre of land.


Plans, of course, call for a lake, plenty of green space and a new school.


The new neighbourhood will be due east of the developing community of King’s Heights and south of the Ravenswood development, also under construction.


Melcor spokespeople assured Airdrie council members that Lanark Landing will blend seamlessly into the neighbouring areas and with the surrounding prairie geography.


Traffic Concerns


Before the motion to approve was carried, council initiated discussion concerning the increased traffic the Lanark Lake project would create.  With another 3,300 future residents, the extra vehicular traffic could further choke nearby Yankee Valley Boulevard and the off ramps from Queen Elizabeth II Highway in peak hours.


A traffic consultant was engaged and traffic assessment undertaken when King’s Heights and Ravenswood were in the planning stages, suggesting Lanark Landing could reach a capacity of 75 before unacceptable levels of traffic occur on these roadways.


An interchange is planned for 40 Avenue.  In the meantime, traffic headed to the QEII Highway can take the alternate routes of RR292 and Highway 566.


Once Lanark Lake is 25 constructed, the 40 Avenue extension will be completed.


In addition, the City of Airdrie has been in discussion with the Province of Alberta which is charge of the construction and maintenance of the QEII Highway.  City officials want the province to widen the off ramps from the highway onto Yankee Valley Blvd. 


Living in South East Airdrie




Nearby King’s Heights already has a population of 3,900 residents and like the proposed Lanark Lake community, it offers a mix of single family, semi-attached and multi-family dwellings.  Homes in King’s Heights are moderately priced.


Lanark Landing will reflect similar designs in King’s Heights, which are primarily Tudor, Georgian Colonial and Craftsman styles.


King’s Heights also offers water features as part of the community charm and storm water management. Reflecting ponds attract ducks, geese and marsh birds.


Lanark Lake will also offer pathways which will connect to the 100 km paved pathway network that wind throughout the city.


Lanark Lake residents will enjoy the shopping centre in King’s Heights, with its drug store, hardware store, restaurants and medical centre.


Genesis Place is located in south east Airdrie on East Lake Boulevard.  Close by is Bert Church High School and next door, Bert Church Theatre.


Other schools close to the future Lanark Lake neighbourhood include Meadowbrook Middle School.


 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2015 17:13:00 -0700</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.airdrierealestate.ca/blog/is-wallpaper-back-in-style.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.airdrierealestate.ca/blog/is-wallpaper-back-in-style.html</link>
        <title>Is wallpaper back in style?</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
Nothing dresses a wall like wallpaper.  Designers love it because it adds interest and style to every room of your home.  Wallpaper just might be the quick fix if you’re freshening up your home and preparing it to sell.  Many of today’s contemporary home stylists swear by it.


Invented in the early 1800s and made more popular with the advent of industrialization, wallpaper was a fixture in modern homes until late last century.  With paper’s tired designs and fussy application methods, consumers in the 1990s seemed to tire of it. But with today’s cool designs and neat adhesives wallpaper just might stick around.


What’s Hot


Wallpaper is modern and high tech with bold, fresh colours, interesting textures and contemporary patterns.  Geometric shapes are very popular for 2015. Botanicals, modern florals in oversize prints are also brightening up today’s homes.  Another popular type of wallpaper is metallic print, like chrome, brass, silver and gold.  Some wallpapers have been reproduced to mimic the appearance of materials like leather or hemp.


Installation


Forget paste and brushes.  Today’s wall papers are very simple to use.  They’re lighter and adhere to the wall much more easily.  Many wallpapers are peel and stick.  And what goes on the wall also comes off the wall just as easily.  No more scraping wall paper or steaming it to get it off the wall.   Papering the wall takes much less time than painting.


Wallpaper Methodology


How we use wallpaper has also changed with time.  Our grandmothers may have papered every wall in a the room.  Some very old homes may even have wallpaper on the ceiling in an attempt to keep plaster from falling off.  Today, wallpaper is perfect for a feature wall in a living room, one side of a hallway or accent wall in a bathroom.  Some may still paper a ceiling to achieve a certain affect.  By using wallpaper on just one wall, you can create depth or add new life and interest without completely overwhelming your room.  There are no rules really for wallpaper.  If you find a paper you love, cover the room.  It’s your home and your style.


If part of your plan is to hide flaws in an existing wall with your wallpaper, choose a textured wall paper. A lighter paper may accentuate any bumps or holes under the paper.  Even small nail holes will be noticeable under smooth paper.


You can do some nifty special effects with wallpaper.  If you want the ceilings to appear higher, choose a paper with vertical stripes.  Conversely, a room will look wider with horizontal stripes.


How much… and… how much


Wallpaper is generally available whereever paint is sold.  Hardware stores, big box stores and  paint dealers should stock wallpaper, or you can even buy exotic wall paper online from dealers anywhere in the world and have the rolls shipped to you.


You may be able to find clearance wallpapers for as little as $4 a roll, or specialty paper straight from the designer at $100 a roll or even more.  The median price falls in the $20 to $30 a roll range.


To find out how many rolls you require, especially if you’re ordering online where no sales person is present to assist you, multiply the width of the wall or walls by the height. Take that number and divide by 50.  A typical double roll should take care of 56 square feet of wall, but we suggest dividing by 50 to account for waste.


Should you DIY?


If you have never hung wall paper before or fearful of putting up expensive wall paper, call a professional.  As easy as it may sound to apply, there is some matching you have to do.  There should be no gaps in the seams, patterns should match up and have continuity and there could still be bubbles if you haven’t applied the paper square to the wall.  Estimates are in the $2 per square foot of wall for a pro.
 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2015 16:57:00 -0700</pubDate>
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