In 2014, City Council appointed an independent Ward Boundary Commission (WBC) to consider how the current ward boundaries need to be revised to accommodate recent population changes and projected future population growth in Calgary to achieve better representation by the respective Councillor.

With two possible revised boundaries, which would come into effect on Election Day 2017 (October 16, 2017), several Calgary communities could find themselves in a different ward.

The Ward Boundary Commission is holding open houses to hear from residents of Calgary on possible changes to ward boundaries. Calgarians are being encouraged to visit an open house between July 21 and August 4 to learn about proposed changes and provide feedback.

Summer sun shines spotlight on Alberta's energy supply

With temperatures in Calgary and across the province soaring for much of July, Alberta's power industry is beginning to kick into high gear.

Earlier this month, Alberta set a new record for energy consumption in the province. According to the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO), usage on July 9 hit 10,520 megawatts, topping the previous record of 10,419 MW set last July.

While summer demands for energy are less than those seen in winter — when demand can top 11,000 MW — the numbers are still enough to provoke some caution from the province's energy operator.

"Due to the significant generation added to the grid, we haven't had an issue meeting the demand," said Angela Anderson, spokesperson for AESO.

Amenities rank high for lake community residents

A cottage lifestyle within Calgary: that's how local urban expert Richard White described Calgary's lakeside communities.

"I know several people who love the idea of cottage life in the city. They'll invest more in a house, because they don't need to buy a house and a cottage," said White.

Buyers are not only focused on the inside of their homes, but also on the outside, added Scott Hamilton, marketing and communications director for Hopewell Residential, the developer behind Mahogany in the city's southeast.

"People are looking for recreational amenities that are convenient...Calgary is not lake country traditionally, so to have a lake is really attractive," he said.

When it comes to natural disasters, know the risks to your home – and how to mitigate their impacts

In the insurance industry, it's commonly referred to as CAT season, short for catastrophic — that all-too familiar time of the year when hail, rain, fire and brimstone wreaks havoc on our homes.

While the June 2013 floods provided perhaps the most extreme example, every year has been littered with examples — hail that leveled half of Airdrie in 2015, forest fires in northern Alberta in 2011 and so on.

And every year, insurance companies are in the news as homeowners lament that the most recent damage won't be covered by their current policies.

Long-awaited development to house up to 800 units 

Over a decade in the making, Airdrie's controversial Midtown development is finally poised to take the next step and fill in yet another blank on the city's growing landscape.

Currently being actively graded, the 16-hectare Midtown lot along Eighth Avenue W. and bordered by MacKenzie Pointe to the north and Luxstone to the south is labelled for 600 to 800 residential units.

The plan calls for a maximum of 305 single-family lots, 115 townhouse units and more than 300 low- and medium-density lots.

The original Neighbourhood Structure Plan (NSP) was first adopted by Airdrie city council in 2009, but construction stalled through the original developers.

Quebec City is taking a gazebo music pavilion in the heart of their city and replicating it in Calgary's East Village.

"I'm honoured to unveil plans for a new public space we can all enjoy," said Mayor Naheed Nenshi at the announcement. "It is an honour to receive this gift, on behalf of all Calgarians, from our sister city and its citizens."

In 2008 during Quebec City's 400th anniversary, Calgary presented the city with the sculpture Do Re Me Fa Sol La Si Do by Canadian artist Joe Fafard, which was placed on Boulevard Champlain along the banks of the St. Lawrence Seaway. Identical sculptures can be found in downtown Calgary.

A closer look at ATB economic outlook

With the province now halfway through a thus-far turbulent year, ATB Financial has released its economic outlook for the forthcoming third quarter.

Providing "the most up-to-date portrait of the province's economy" and ATB's best estimate of what we can expect for the remainder of this year, the latest outlook shows that, at the very least, this year won't be the worst economic year in our recent history.

"While some forecasters continue to call for a recession in Alberta, ATB Financial remains confident that our province will see some growth this year (albeit small)," said ATB economist Nick Ford." But despite the differences in opinion, all of the major forecasts for the province have one thing in common; economic expansion is expected to hover around zero per cent this year."

Stampede event highlights continuing urgency to house Calgarians in need

With the Calgary Stampede shining a spotlight on our city's sense of community, an event held during this year's Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth highlighted the continuing needs of some of our community's most vulnerable citizens.

As part of Stampede Week, Horizon Housing – one of several local organizations dedicated to housing the city's most vulnerable residents – held a barbecue, with residents on hand from the organization's properties.

Serving tenants with a variety of special needs – including those with mental health challenges, physical disability, families and seniors living below the poverty line and the working poor – Horizon Housing executive director Kim O'Brien said while the current state of Alberta's economy is debatable, it hasn't changed the willingness of Calgarians to give to a good cause.

Calgary inventory levels ease

Despite the 18 per cent year-over-year decline in June home sales, for a total of 2,183 units, transaction levels remain only five per cent below the 10 year average for June and three per cent above levels over the past five years.

"We've seen less concern from consumers lately," said CREB® president Corinne Lyall. "One of the main reasons is that we haven't seen the worst case scenarios play out in the energy and housing sectors.

"Consumers who were waiting for wide-spread price declines have been surprised to see that it just hasn't happened yet, and so they've decided to take advantage of the improved selection and lower lending rates.

Protecting your yard from overabundant foliage

Walking down the street this morning, I saw a sign on a tiny house: Bramble Cottage. The house with the cute name had a hedge so wildly overgrown, it blocked the view of the property, scaring away potential buyers and potentially attracting criminals.

No one deliberately plans for an overgrown garden. School children bring home evergreen trees from Arbour Day and plunk them in the front yard. Birds drop seeds when the house is new, which later sprout into seedlings a foot away from the foundation. Blooming shrubs offer a sweet scent by the window, but can turn into a unwieldly mock orange over time.