As expected, Calgary sales activity similar to last year

The new year opened predictably, with monthly figures close to the Januarys of the past three years.

With new mortgage rules and rates officially in effect, sales activity in January remained comparable to last year, as rising sales for attached properties were not enough to offset declines in both the apartment and detached sector.

Silverhorn acreage development focuses on conservation and enhancement of nature

For 25 years, Mark Kwasnicki has not only been living in the Bearspaw area on the doorstep of Calgary's northern boundary, he has also been building large, custom homes for some who would become his neighbours.

He knows what people want when it comes to acreage homes – including the high-end construction specs, impressive designs, and all the bells and whistles – but he also knows what they want from the development itself.

The games are gone, but its legacy lives on

While the Olympic flame may be long extinguished, warm memories and many benefits of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary are alive and well 30 years later.

"The best thing about the Olympic experience was the forethought that went into its legacy," said Dale Oviatt, senior manager of communications and stakeholder engagement for WinSport.

On Sept. 30, 1981, WinSport, formerly known as the Calgary Olympic Development Association (CODA), successfully won the bid from the International Olympic Committee for Calgary to host the XV Olympic Winter Games in 1988.

Calgary's established, inner-city communities shine on screen

It has posed as part of the brutal, snow-covered plains of Minnesota, the demon-riddled streets of Purgatory, and the hospital corridors of a ranching saga.

Fargo, Wynonna Earp and Heartland have all filmed in one of Calgary's oldest neighbourhoods: Bridgeland. The community's quaint main thoroughfare and surrounding streetscapes can reflect different eras and different small towns, says Ali McMillan, Bridgeland-Riverside Community Association planning director.

High River and Okotoks are burgeoning film hubs

Even for those who don't watch CBC's family-drama series Heartland – now in its 11th season – the town of High River has become synonymous with the show.

"Heartland has become a part of the community," said Irene Kerr, the curator and director of High River's Museum of the Highwood. High River poses as the town of Hudson on Heartland. One of the show's most well-known locales, Maggie's Diner, is a building right along High River's Main Street.

"We noticed a shift around 2015, when people who were visiting High River stopped asking about the 2013 flood and wanted to see where they were filming Heartland," said Kerr.

Grow what you need to make the best homemade pizza

"Are you the gal who left the free tomatoes outside your gate last week?"

My "Free – help yourself," sign last summer had invited everyone to take home gorgeous, fresh tomatoes, and I thought the man was stopping by to thank me.

Priddis provides picturesque, rural lifestyle in Calgary's shadow

Ed Osborne, the president of the Priddis Community Association and a former agricultural consultant, recalls when he relocated from the Calgary community of Woodbine to Priddis some 15 years ago.

"I grew up on and off my uncle's farm in Manitoba. I always wanted to live in the country," said Osborne, adding the allure of rural living is what drew him to the tiny hamlet about 10 kilometres west of Calgary's city limits.

Carbon monoxide safety measures for homeowners

Recent, heart-wrenching news stories about deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning, including a young boy in Airdrie, have people thinking about CO safety in their homes.

"Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless, tasteless, non-irritating gas that is poisonous," said Carol Henke, public information officer with the Calgary Fire Department.

Calgary region has rich history and bright future on film

You're watching a movie or TV show when something catches your eye.

"I know that place!" you exclaim, as a character enters a pizza place on a city street, or rides a horse through a wheat field with a majestic mountain backdrop.

Calgary and its surrounding areas are becoming increasingly popular as filming locations for major movie and television productions – making famous places that Calgarians know well.

"We have 100 years of history here," said Luke Azevedo, Calgary film commissioner and CEO of the Calgary Film Centre. "We're one of the oldest locations outside of Hollywood for production."

Finding the right home in a welcoming community

When Chris and Carly Dykstra sold their home in Victoria's Oak Bay neighbourhood last spring, they debated what their next step would be. They had lived on the West Coast for close to 10 years, raising their three girls who are six, 10 and 11. But when push came to shove, the Dykstra family decided to move back to Calgary, where Chris had started his career and the couple's two eldest girls had been born. They found their perfect home, one that would accommodate three children, three Golden Retrievers, a cat and a bunny – a 4,500-square-foot, open-concept, custom home in the family-friendly neighbourhood of Watermark in Bearspaw.