This is a project that has been years in the making and many people thought that it would never materialize.  Although the plant is relatively small, it will serve as a great example of what can be achieved.  I am a big fan of this technology of using argicultural waste products and turning them into energy and belive it will be a massive success.   Here is the article from todays Lethbridge Herald.   Biogas plant construction to begin in spring Written by Sherri Gallant    Wednesday, 28 January 2009 After nearly eight years of research and regulatory trailblazing, ECB Enviro North America Inc. announced plans Wednesday to begin construction of its 3.2-megawatt Lethbridge Biogas plant this spring. Construction is expected to take between nine and 12 months.The  plant will be built in th... 01/28/2009

Several times this month I have viewed the membership updates that are sent out by my local Lethbridge real estate board and the official Real Estate Council of Alberta membership notices and changes.  It seems that each time a new update has arrived, there are more members leaving the industry.   The most interesting thing about watching these industry members throw in the towel, is that most of them are members who have been in the industry for less than 5 years.  I would have thought with the trend towards technology that the real estate industry has taken, that the first members to have grown tired and frustrated with it would have been the 'older' members who have been in the industry for 10+ years.  Heaven knows, the average age of a Realtor in Canada is still over 50 and creeping... 01/28/2009

I first posted this article in May of 2008 and since then, our city has grown and a few of the other statistics have changed. Here is an updated version!   If you are considering moving to Lethbridge, Alberta here is some information that may help you make your decision. Overview As of January 2009, our city's population is just under 84,000 and growing steadily. The city is divided into three main areas, namely South Lethbridge, North Lethbridge and West Lethbridge. Lethbridge is situated roughly an hour and a half drive south of Calgary, AB which is home to the Calgary International Airport (YYC), and roughly an hour and a half north of the Montana, US border. Weather There is a saying about the weather in Lethbridge, AB... if you don't like it, wait an hour and it will change! Althou... 01/28/2009

If you were to ask this question to a real estate professional, they would say "Of course they exist!" But the same question posed to a member of the general public might get a much different response, likely one clouded with uncertainty. Why is it that this little tidbit of information is common knowledge to real estate professionals, yet many home purchasers out there seem baffled by the notion of "Buyer Agency"? Let's unravel this mystery by first sorting through a few common human emotions: 1. Fear of Looking Stupid: It is human nature to hide the fact that we don't know something that we feel we should. For example, the first time I purchased a vehicle, I really didn't want the salesman to know that I knew nothing about cars! Why? I thought that would make me look stupid and give h... 01/27/2009

  Canada’s Mortgage Industry Welcomes Federal Government’s Decision to Support Home Owners Ottawa (January 27, 2008) - The Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals (CAAMP), representing Canada’s $900 billion mortgage industry, welcomed several announcements contained in the federal budget tabled by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty earlier today. CAAMP supports three housing announcements that will increase consumer confidence: 1. Temporary home renovation tax credit, up to $1,300 for home renovations and alterations 2. Change in home RRSP plan, with increased withdrawal limit of $25K from $20K 3. A new first time home buyers credit for closing costs that will provide up to $750 in tax relief During these uncertain times, the measures help to address the concerns of Canadi... 01/27/2009

Canada's Mortgage Industry Welcomes Federal Budget Announcements Earlier today, federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty tabled the federal budget. Several measures affect Canada's housing and mortgage industry. Temporary home renovations tax credit of up to $1,350 for eligible home renovations and alterations Increase in the home buyers RSP plan, withdrawal limit increased to $25,000 from the current $20,000 A new first time home buyers tax credit that will provide up to $750 in tax relief for closing costs Broad based personal tax reductions including an increase in the personal exemption and increases to the limits for the two lowest tax brackets The Government also bought tens of millions of dollars worth of existing mortgage paper from the banks, freeing up more capital for lending. ... 01/27/2009

The first ripples of the stumbling economy hit our community with the first major layoffs. Although not large by national or international standards, it is a rare thing to happen in Lethbridge that any major business decreases in size. Here is the story for today's local news paper: Tough global economic times force layoffs at Sun Life Financial Written by Gerald Gauthier Friday, 23 January 2009 A major Lethbridge employer has trimmed its workforce, blaming the situation on the global recession. Sun Life Financial issued permanent layoff notices earlier this week to a handful of employees at the company’s call centre in the W.T. Hill Business Park. A company official in Toronto declined to say exactly how many people were let go locally but suggested it was fewer than a dozen of the cen... 01/26/2009

UPDATE: the integration of IDX into the blog can now be done. I just need to find a real estate partner in Calgary and Med Hat who would like some of the traffic I have been generating. I keep getting clicks for MH and Calgary as I am the localism sponsor for those cities. This is a test blog post to see if it is possible to integrate an IDX search box into an active blog listing and have it work. Of course I am much more experienced with real estate and mortgage financing than I am at coding in html, so bear with me if this doesn't work or looks like crap. It may take me a few tries to get this right as I am trying to make software from 3 different developers work together. Almost Impossible, almost! Here you can access Lethbridge and area MLS listings. If something catches your eye, c... 01/26/2009

Today the National Post reported on the current situation happening in the Canadian credit market. Largely due to the drop in commodity prices and the fallout of being intertwined with the US economy so tightly, our economy is being hit pretty hard. Our local fundamentals remain fairly stable, but the relentless string of bad news stories from the US media makes things seem ever worse. Most real estate markets find themselves with a surplus of properties and a lack of buyers with the confidence to take the plunge. Until they regain their confidence things will continue as they are. Here is an article whick appeared in todays NP relating to the economic factors that are behind much of the current situation. Robert May ------------------------------ Canada finds itself in a 'credit deadl... 01/20/2009

According to globeandmail.com, Bank of Canada is preparing to decrease its key interest rate this week in order to provide stimulus to the economy. With unemployment on the rise and inflation quickly diminishing, economists widely expect the Bank of Canada to cut its key rate by half a percentage point tomorrow. Market analysts will then pore over the central bank's new economic outlook, to be released Thursday, for clues about whether the B of C will take rates even lower, perhaps even to zero. Note: An adjustment to the Bank of Canada key interest rate will affect variable /adjustable rate mortgage products which are tied to this rate.* Fixed rate mortgages are not immediately impacted by adjustments to the B of C rate as mortgages of this type are tied to bond rates. *Although many C... 01/19/2009

I was speaking with a 'new' real estate agent today whom told the tale of his latest client.  The client contacted him via the internet and apparantly selected him because he like the fact that he was young. (probably a warning sign right there, lol).  The client claimed to be very open in what they desired to purchase and that the property could be ANYWHERE within 20 minutes of the City of Lethbridge.   Now our market is not the largest in the country, but 20 minutes in any direction works out to be a square about 40 miles square, for a total of 1600 square miles.  There are several towns, villages, and devemopments located within that distance and it encompasses literally hundreds of listed properties.  The young real estate salesperson was quick to meet the 'buyer' (and I hesitate to... 01/18/2009

Today I finished off the stage/seat riser on my home theatre.  I started off with 3 leather seats, then went to 5, then added a 3 seat recliner with cup holders in the front and moved 4 of the existing leather seats to the back and one of them out of the room.  In the end, I have 7 seats in there now, with the front 3 being leather recliners and the back 4 being seperates which are now on a 8 inch riser.   To get back to the point of the story, I discovered that one of the time saving things that I can do to save time and avoid a big mess at home is to have my measurements in hand when going to the lumber store and have it cut before bringing it home.  An added benefit is that the lumber is more managable when cut and easier to haul in the SUV.  Our local Home Depot has an absolutely be... 01/15/2009

The global economy may be hurting, but locally things are not nearly as bad as much of the media would have you believe. Total number of homes being constructed in the City of Lethbridge declined, but this is offset partially by numerous homes being built in surrounding towns and villages. In addition, there have been several commercial and industrial construction projects which have added stimulus to the local economy. Aside from the slow down towards the end of 2008 and the small decline in prices, the real estate market remains active for those who are out there still trying to make a go of it. For those who wish to buy or sell real estate, make sure you surround yourself with people who are aware of the current marketplace, market trends, and market prices. Those who fall victim to... 01/13/2009

Often in the comments that I receive from others all across North America, the most frequently asked questions are: 1. how is the real estate market in Lethbridge? 2. how are the home prices in Lethbridge? 3. how is the employment market in Lethbridge? Now while I don't think that any of these people have a vested interest in the answer to these questions, there is a curiosity by industry members to know a little bit about all other markets so that they can place in perspective relative to their own market. In short, at the start of 2009, the Lethbridge real estate market is doing suprizingly good. There are a few pessimistic Realtors out there who complain far too much, but for those who do more working and less whining, there are buyers and sellers who need to buy or sell. Home price... 01/10/2009

  Often in the comments that I receive from others all across North America, the most frequently asked questions are: 1. how is the real estate market in Lethbridge? 2. how are the home prices in Lethbridge? 3. how is the employment market in Lethbridge?   Now while I don't think that any of these people have a vested interest in the answer to these questions, there is a curiosity by industry members to know a little bit about all other markets so that they can place in perspective relative to their own market.   In short, at the start of 2009, the Lethbridge real estate market is doing suprizingly good.  There are a few pessimistic Realtors out there who complain far too much, but for those who do more working and less whining, there are buyers and sellers who need to buy or sell.  Hom... 01/10/2009

Why use a Mortgage Broker? •·   Power of professional negotiating expertise. •·   One stop convenience for access to numerous mortgage products. •·   Unbiased knowledgeable advice. •·   Access to unadvertised rates. •·   Work for you, not the Bank. What is the Homebuyers Plan? •·   Home Buyers Plan is a federal government program that allows homebuyers to use $20,000.00 for each purchaser from his/her own RRSP. •·   You must not have owned a principal residence within the last 5 years. •·   You must intend to occupy the home as a principal residence. •·   Minimum repayment is 15 equal annual installments. This schedule can be accelerated. •·   The funds to be withdrawn must have been invested into the RRSP for a minimum of 90 days prior to withdrawal. •·   You must complete a Form T1036... 01/09/2009

      Housing affordability is one of the top issues on the minds of Albertans these days.  Although interest rates are at historically low levels, prices are still near historic highs.  Those prices combined with tightening lending requirements has placed home ownership out of range for many your people with dreams of buying their first home.  It has also impacted many homeowners, whom would find themselves unable to requalify should they sell their house to purchas a different one.   The unfortunate result of the inablility for new buyers to enter the market and the reduction in the number of existing homeowners who are able to move up or down the real estate ladder as they wish is causing market stagnation.  There are still buyers who have the credit and money to buy and sell, but no... 01/09/2009

I took some time today to take some advice from a fellow Activerainer today and created a Facebook group for my community (Copperwood - Lethbridge). This is a very good idea in order to create a network of locals from the same community to discuss neighbourhood news and events, get to know our neighbours a bit more and perhaps even foster a few new leads in the process. Facebook really is an amazing tool to not only network with friends, colleagues and former school-mates. It is becoming a habit for almost any daily user of the internet. The possibilities are endless. people can chat about safety issues, yard sales, home values and more.  You could create a page for your book club or your bowling league -- the possibilities are endless! Hopefully you will be able to use this information... 01/08/2009

The Lethbridge High Level Bridge is the most significant piece of human construction in Southern Alberta.  Located in Lethbridge Alberta, the bridge spans the river valley from the west side coal mines to the east side of the coulee.  Constructed of steel in the years 1907-1909, the bridge remains the largest railroad structure in all of Canada.  As one enters Lethbridge from the west, the ominous structure looms overhead to the south and always amazes those who see if for the first time.   The bridge is still in use today and carries with it much folklore.  There are stories of many men who lost their lives during the construction, but in truth only 1 man is recorded having fallen during the construction and another 2 passed away in an accident during excavation.  Still, the facts of ... 01/05/2009

A hidden gem in the City of Lethbridge, Alberta, and tucked away on the west end of Henderson Lake is 4 acres of Japanese beauty.  The Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens is now almost 42 years since it was conceived and built, yet many local area residents drive by it on a daily basis without knowing or seeing the beauty that lay beyond the walls.   View it online at: www.nikkayuko.com/index.asp "Established during Canada’s Centennial in 1967, Nikka Yuko was built to recognize contributions made by citizens of Japanese ancestry to the multi-cultural community of Lethbridge, Alberta, and as a symbol of international friendship. Its name was created from the Japanese words Ni (from Nihon meaning Japan), ka from Kanada or Canada, and Yuko, which translates as "friendship" to mean “Japan-Canada f... 01/05/2009