Calgary's retail market is expected to remain vibrant over the next 12 months due to an improving economy and rising consumer confidence.

A report by Colliers International in Calgary says the shopping centre vacancy rate in the city is expected to drop slightly from 3.21 per cent to three per cent while streetfront vacancy rates are expected to stabilize and hover around the current rate of 5.75 per cent.

"We are still the number one province on a per capita retail (spending) basis by a significant amount above the national average," said Robert Walker, senior vice-president/partner with Colliers International in Calgary. "That still shows me that despite the vast number of layoffs downtown, the people who are employed are still spending money.

"Our average weekly income is still the highest in the country by a longshot. So they're still spending money."

Parks are especially important in densely developed downtown

"Quality, not quantity" is how City of Calgary parks manager Keath Parker characterizes green spaces in Calgary's downtown core, an area that's not only home to tall office towers, but residential neighbourhoods as well, including the Beltline (Connaught and Victoria Park), East Village and Eau Claire.

Parker explains it wasn't until the mid-1960s that the province's Municipal Government Act (MGA) gave municipalities the authority to take up to 10 per cent of a development for open public space. Residential neighbourhoods developed prior to that tend not to have as much green space as those created after the MGA.

However, Calgary's downtown is still far from a cold, concrete jungle. In fact, there are 24 parks in the downtown area covering roughly 65 hectares of open green space, according to the City.

Calgary's new lake communities experience tremendous growth

Evan Spencer enjoys the benefits of lake community living every day.

Not only does his young family – which includes his wife Anna and their two kids, Sarah and Micah – take advantage of all the recreation opportunities around Mahogany's lake, the 34-year-old doesn't need to step outside his neighbourhood to go to work.

Spencer works in the not-for-profit sector, and has called Mahogany home – and home office – for three years. Since moving from northwest Calgary into the growing southeast community that will have more than 20,000 residents by final build-out, he has signed on as volunteer social committee chair for the Mahogany Homeowners Association.

"It is an inclusive place to live your life," he said. "And the lake just draws people together. It is so important to have that 'third' place (outside home and business) where people can gather. I often say 'do you want to meet up for coffee, or for a walk along the wetlands?' "

Gas stoves offer more control to home cooks

If your trusty old stove is on its last legs, it might be time to consider a switch to a range powered by natural gas.

"All your chefs use gas ranges. It's so easy to control your heat for cooking. It's instant on and instant off," said Peter Voelk, owner of Lone Star Plumbing and Heating. He explains that over time there are also cost savings from using natural gas for cooking instead of electricity.

"We've had a gas stove for years in our home and we just love it. I wouldn't know what to do with an electric stove anymore," he said.

Voelk adds many styles of ranges are available that exclusively use gas for all cooking functions. There are also dual-fuel ranges with gas stovetop burners but a traditional electric element oven.

Mortgage company helps fight kidney disease with fundraising program

Dave Kelly set out to help his friend raise money for charity in Lethbridge.

But within a few months, his idea – the Kidney Mortgage, a fundraiser for the Kidney Foundation of Canada – had grown bigger than he ever imagined.

"It started off as something small," said Kelly, a mortgage associate with Dominion Lending Centre Mortgage Excellence in Lethbridge. "But the idea has really been taking off."

Tim Logel and Ryan Ockey team up to bring Logel Homes to life

For more than three decades, Tim Logel has worked at Cardel Homes, and for the past 17 years he has been a 50-50 partner with Ryan Ockey in Cardel Lifestyles, the company's successful multi-family division.

Now, the two have teamed up again to bring Logel Homes to the Calgary marketplace and to continue to offer affordability and quality in their product.

"Logel Homes has been two years in the making," said Logel, president and COO of Logel Homes. "I approached Ryan with the idea and he thought the same as I did, that Logel Homes would provide an opportunity to grow market share."

But, for Logel, there was another reason for reaching out with the idea of creating the new multi-family entity.

"It is time to SHIFT or get off the pot!" That's the call to action Pathways 2 Sustainability – Alberta's Sustainable Communities Initiative – has issued in advance of its upcoming conference, SHIFT, which takes place June 15-17 at the St. Louis Hotel in Calgary's East Village.

SHIFT promises attendees an opportunity to "Experience the Future of Calgary – the SHIFT to a resilient society and new economy and what it means for our city."

"We have a changing political landscape in Alberta and Canada that's moving to adopt climate resilience in the ways in which we build, design and manage communities and community systems, including food systems, energy systems and transportation systems," said SHIFT co-ordinator and Pathways 2 Sustainability executive director, Lisa Fox.

Solar's appeal is growing for Calgary homeowners due to falling costs, and rebates

With the cost of solar power generation dropping, and a provincial rebate program launching, it's a pretty good time to be living in the sunniest city in Canada.

More homeowners are investing in solar as it becomes more economically viable.

In the past, many who embraced it traded the wallet shock for the feel-good vibes of reducing their ecological footprints.

That's the original reason Michael Betzner added solar to his Bowness home about eight years ago.

Bragg Creek forges its own identity in Calgary's shadow

For more than 100 years, Bragg Creek has existed in the shadow of the ever-expanding city of Calgary.

Yet the hamlet, located a 45-kilometre drive west of the city, has managed to maintain its enviable lifestyle in a beautiful location along the edge of the Rocky Mountains.

Resident and local business owner Mark Kamachi says he and his wife moved to Alberta from Vancouver 20 years ago to work at a Calgary advertising agency, and they chose to live in the city at first.

However, they found themselves spending many weekends hiking and biking in the mountains near Bragg Creek. Fifteen years ago, they decided to make it their new home.

Snapshots of Calgary's lake communities

Life at the water's edge may not be the defining Calgary experience. But for thousands of Calgary homeowners, life by the lakeside was a key reason they chose to buy in one of the city's many man-made lake communities. Here's a look at each of the Calgary neighbourhoods with a blue jewel of H2O at its heart, making them among the most desirable communities in
the city.