With spring finally appearing on the horizon, Calgary's construction season will soon be kicking into high gear. Along with all the new homes breaking ground, contractors around Calgary will also be busy helping to undo the damage done by the June floods that struck the city.

With more than 2,600 buildings impacted as a result of the floods, the City has launched a safety campaign aimed at ensuring all the work is completed in proper fashion.

"We want to ensure property repairs and construction work is done safely and meets all safety codes and standards, resulting in a safe building," notes Kevin Griffiths, chief building official, Development & Building Approvals. "Creating a safe property for our families, tenants or customers requires construction work to meet the standards and requirements of all applicable codes and City bylaws."

As costs keep increasing to provide infrastructure to new communities, the City of Calgary is considering re-evaluating the feasibility of creating new communities.

A proposed plan was announced by the city's finance committee recommending that Calgary concentrate new infrastructure between 2015 and 2018 to two undeveloped sectors in Calgary's northeast and deep southwest.

Contained within the City of Calgary's Municipal Development Plan, the phrase "The city will face significant capital and operating shortfalls over the next 10 year period if it continues to provide the same services, in the same way, with the same revenue" sets the stage for a significant debate.

Alberta, along with British Columbia, posted the largest national advances in building permits in January, mainly as a result of higher construction intentions for residential buildings. Led by a 31.6 per cent increase in residential construction permits, the total value of permits issued in Alberta in January was $1.7 billion, a 31.6 per cent increase over December.

Residential building permits in the province jumped from $825 million in December to nearly $1.1 billion in January, a new all-time high.

Living in Calgary gives the big city feel, but the city offers so many easy ways to find nature. Nose Hill Park is just one of the many vast open parks found within city limits.

Located along 14 Street NW, Nose Hill Park spans 11 square kilometres and is surrounded by 12 Calgary communities. The park
was created in 1980 and it is believed the name comes from the fact that from certain areas with some imagination the hill can look like a nose.

Calgary resident, Pamela Chapman loves taking her dog to spend time at Nose Hill Park.