By Rebecca Wissink

When society and culture shift, often slowly but sometimes rapidly when reacting to a global pandemic, these changes impact every area of life, including housing. Almost two years into the COVID-19 pandemic the real estate and housing market has undergone radical changes. Prices soared in some markets, people moved to places that traditionally see little growth in population, and a new trend emerged - Baby Boomers choosing to age-in-place. Rather than downsizing into a condo or moving into a group living situation, Baby Boomers are refusing to give up their larger homes. However, this is actually a continuation and variation of a pre-pandemic trend that was already being documented back in 2018. Pre-pandemic, millennials who could…

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By Rebecca Wissink

If you consume any amount of media you likely saw a lot of headlines about rising interest rates and the spring housing market recently. That’s because on January 26, 2022 the Bank of Canada (BoC) was announcing an interest rate decision. Most of these headlines were doom and gloom scenarios that have now disappeared given the BoC held its lending rate at 0.25%. The next scheduled date for the bank to announce a change is March 2, 2022. You can except headlines to ramp up again in the week or so prior to this announcement.

Why would the BoC change its overnight or “policy interest rate?” To meet the institution’s policy requirements to maintain inflation around 2%. In a nutshell, in response to the economic shocks of the COVID-19…

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By Rebecca Wissink

Recent data from the moving company U-Haul suggests more people moved into Alberta in 2021 than any other province. In fact, Alberta jumped from being the third most moved-to province in 2020 to overtake British Columbia for top spot. And the number one city in the province for U-Haul arrivals last year was Calgary! Calgary’s bedroom community of Airdrie was also a destination of choice, ranking 24th nationally, which was a drop from its 19th place the year prior. In 2021, the communities of Red Deer and Medicine Hat also received a significant influx of U-Haul trucks, ranking 8th and 15th respectively, which again is remarkable as neither city placed in the top 25 the year prior. These smaller locations that are experiencing an…

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URBAN ATHLETE – Where Members are Friends, not Numbers

By Carla Grundison

Urban Athlete is a locally-owned, one-of-a-kind fitness studio in Kensington. The goal is to help people ‘reach their fitness goals in a welcoming, community focused and supportive environment’ says Kohl Kehler, of the gym he co-owns with Karly Renman. Having previously owned contracting and painting businesses together, the two have found that Urban Athlete aligns well with their lifelong passion for fitness. Although smaller in square footage than some gyms, don’t be deceived by its size. It packs in enough high-end equipment, stellar fitness classes, as well as talented trainers and instructors – yet somehow maintains an atmosphere that never feels overcrowded. Kohl…

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AI - A Blessing or a Curse?

By Simon Rose

Artificial intelligence or AI is often discussed these days in the media, and even during the pandemic humans continue to make technological advances. Science fiction, whether on screen or in print, often features powerful computers. Some of the stories from decades ago were set in eras that at the time were far into the future, but these are now much closer to when we’re currently living.

Technological advances aren’t always for the best, or at least can sometimes be a double-edged sword. This can happen even if the original inventors weren’t thinking ahead, wondering if their invention might one day be used for something that wasn’t good. Think of the pioneers of aviation, who most likely weren’t…

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