While a slowdown in national residential construction will play a role in moderating growth for Canadian businesses in 2013, a pickup in office/retail construction, combined with increased population density in major cities provide excellent opportunities for entrepreneurs, according to a special report from Sherry Cooper, chief economist for BMO Financial Group.

"The boom in non-residential construction represents a clear example of where opportunities lie for Canadian business," said Cooper.

The holiday season has come a little early at one of Calgary's most historic sites with Lougheed House's Christmas All Through the House Nov. 17-25.

For the fifth year, The Calgary Design Group — a group of 10 local designers who meet on a regular basis to talk the trade, its products and how they can best work with their clients — have collaborated with Lougheed House creating a variety of holiday themed design throughout the house.

The mayors of Canada's biggest cities are pledging to match new federal and provincial government funding dollar for dollar in an attempt to procure more funding from the federal government.

Modernizing Canada's "crowded and rapidly-aging transportation networks" was cited as a major reason behind the need for increased funding.

According to the the 22-member big city mayors' caucus, one out of every four roads is congested, with 50 per cent in need immediate repair.

Buoyed by net migration, job prosperity and low mortgage rates, MLS® sales in Calgary this year are expected to reach their highest level since 2007, before increasing even further in 2013.

As outlined in the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's (CMHC) annual Calgary Housing Outlook Conference, which took place Nov. 20 at the BMO Centre, Richard Cho, CMHC's senior market analyst for Calgary, said sales in Calgary should increase by almost 16 per cent in 2012 to 26,000 units, rising by another 500 units in 2013 to 26,500.

"Today's youth are growing up in an era of complexity and uncertainty. Changes have delayed, or even destroyed, the landmarks that once signaled a transition from one phase of life to another."
-vitalsignscanada.ca

The dream is to own a home. You work really hard to graduate college or to learn a trade and then you save up enough for a down payment on your first home, sounds simple enough. However, buying a home gets tricky. If you live in Calgary it's a challenging task, becoming more challenging in the last five years or so.

MARK on Tenth, a $100 million condominium project by Qualex- Landmark has been announced for Tenth Avenue and Eighth Street SW in Calgary.

The first stage in construction has commenced with crews beginning to dismantle the existing building on the site, which was formerly West Canadian Graphics.