Over the past two months, City of Calgary Transportation has been hitting the local malls to talk to Calgarians about programs, services and funding options.

"It was great to speak with so many Calgarians and hear what's on their mind, how we can improve their commute and where they think we should focus our energies and money in the future," said Transportation general manager Mac Logan of the roughly 700 Calgarians engaged during the five mall events.

There is finally progress in the vacant lot that has scarred the Mission district in southwest Calgary for more than a decade. Referred to by some as Mission's "hole in the soul," the long-awaited commercial development at the corner of 4 St. and 20 Ave. S.W. moved one step closer to completion recently.

With a ceremony celebrating the final pouring of concrete on the site, the last major milestone has been cleared before the six-storey, 140,000 square-foot building is fully unveiled in late spring, 2013.

A stretch of Memorial Drive in the community of Parkdale is about to get a little artsier.

The sculpture, by New York artist Brian Tolle, will be integrated into an existing storm water outfall along the Bow River pathway system. The intent of the piece is to heighten public awareness of the interface between Calgary's storm water infrastructure and natural landscape.

Calgary and Alberta continue to be the exception to the rule when it comes to the Canadian housing market.

"Alberta and the rest of the country are clearly on different train tracks when it comes to the housing market," said ATB senior economist Todd Hirsch. "Back when Alberta's home prices were booming, the explanation was pretty straightforward: very high in-migration combined with strong wage growth and the introduction of 40-year mortgages."

Construction has begun in the town of Cochrane on a corridor that will link the downtown with the Quarry, the future site of retail shopping, community gathering sites and residential development.

"Bringing this project to fruition required the contribution of many," said Cochrane mayor Truper McBride at an opening event for the corridor. "(We're celebrating) the first of a number of key milestones that will be met to ensure the success of this project.