With demand for mental health supports skyrocketing in Alberta during the COVID-19 pandemic, the launch of the Foothills Hospital Home Lottery couldn't come at a better time. Proceeds from this year's lottery will go towards enhancing urgent and critical mental health services in the province.

For many, this is the time of year for decorating the tree, hanging stockings, baking delicious goodies and, finally, climbing a ladder to the roof to complete the most frustrating (and, perhaps, dangerous) holiday task: putting up outdoor lights.

Regardless of your thoughts on how soon is too soon for setup, hanging Christmas lights remains one of the most inconvenient tasks in a homeowner's holiday checklist. However, in recent years, permanent outdoor smart lights have been surging in popularity. These lights, controlled via smartphone apps and installed by professionals, can significantly outlast standard holiday lights and provide more versatility for use in all seasons.

Historic West Hillhurst still embodies can-do spirit of its founders

Residents in the inner-city, northwest community of West Hillhurst cherish the values of yesteryear – community, connectedness, family friendly programming and volunteerism.

"There is such a great camaraderie here," said longtime resident Chris Koper. "There are so many older community members that love to tell stories that connect us to the past."

Residents of Calgary's dynamic campus communities benefit from youthful energy and added amenities

Bob Benson fondly recalls many a Bermuda Shorts Day – the University of Calgary's annual end-of-academic-year celebration – at the Benson home in the northwest community of Varsity.

"We'd host a Bermuda Shorts Day breakfast with ham and pancakes. Kids would congregate at our place at 8:30 a.m. or 9 a.m. and then head over to the university," said Benson, adding he and his wife moved to Varsity in 1988 with the hope that the community's proximity to the university would make it easier for his four children to attend. Apparently, it worked – three of Benson's children studied there.

Varsity is one of several Calgary communities that borders a post-secondary institution. That proximity comes with all the pros, and the occasional con, of living near a large body of students.

Calgary's collection of decades-old malls are getting much-needed facelifts

Consumer demand is driving a wave of commercial real estate development in the city with several major shopping centres poised to get major makeovers this year and next.

Deerfoot Mall in the city's northeast, as well as Northland Village Mall and Stadium Shopping Centre in the northwest, are all in the planning or development stages of redevelopment.

Michael Kehoe, an Alberta-based retail specialist with Fairfield Commercial Real Estate Inc., said the collective changes reflect landlords' attempts to breathe new life into decades-old retail hubs, of which there are plenty in the city.