The conversion of Sierra Place, the downtown office tower that formerly housed Dome Petroleum, into 82 affordable housing units is set to increase vibrancy in Calgary's core.

Growing without a plan is like driving without a map: You may reach your destination, but don't count on it. As it charts a course for growth, the City of Calgary is counting on its Guide for Local Area Planning to help communities find their way forward.

Calgary is a city brimming with natural beauty and vital ecological corridors. Here, prairie grasslands and verdant river valleys are interspersed with ancient stands of aspen trees – some almost 4,000 years old – and 600-year-old forests of Douglas fir.

Despite urbanization and climate change, these forests have thrived and grown. These days, one can also find a selection of non-native tree species, planted by early settlers, current residents, developers and the City, all of which contribute to Calgary's urban forest.

Prior to COVID-19, the economic challenges in our city created an environment of weak resale housing demand. When adjusting sales relative to the population from 2018-19, it was the slowest sales per capita on record. Over this same period, the housing market was struggling with excess supply and declining prices.

The third and final phase of public engagement for the Calgary Metro Region Board's (CMRB) growth plan launched late last week.

The growth plan will determine how the CMRB's 10 member municipalities and counties will work together to plan for their next million residents, including considerations of transportation, water management, land use, services and recreation.

Year of Construction: 1912

Address: 802 Prospect Ave. S.W.

Community: Upper Mount Royal

Architectural Style: Georgian Revival

Oddly enough, the most famous owner of this stately brick home in Calgary's upscale Mount Royal neighbourhood never actually lived there. As the house's modern moniker suggests, that owner was R. B. Bennett, Canada's 11^th prime minister and a man who, despite growing up in New Brunswick and spending his final years in England, is indelibly linked with Calgary's history.

When it comes to crowning Calgary's most eclectic park, it would be tough to top the assortment of activities and opportunities offered at Prairie Winds Park.

For more than a decade, most of Victoria Park has languished, abandoned and checkered with asphalt parking lots after the city expropriated land from about 200 property owners to allow the Calgary Stampede to proceed with expansion plans.

But, a few new residential hi-rises have cropped up around its edges, signaling that investors and buyers find promise in the area's future.

Calgary's land agency recently added fuel to that promise by hiring a team of urban designers and architects to create a master plan for the area as part of its Rivers District Revitalization Plan mandate.

Longtime Acadia resident Diane Darragh has been nurturing a colourful perennial garden in the backyard of her home for more than 20 years, adding plants, carving new beds and enjoying sunny days spent under shady flowing branches of Willow trees.

"I really love this neighbourhood," she said, especially the mature trees and the sense of community. "It's just so connected here."

It could be said that until recently, this southeast community was flying under the radar. But Avenue Calgary put it on the charts in 2015, when the community ranked third overall on the magazine's list of Calgary's top neighbourhoods – it dropped one spot to fourth overall in the 2016 rankings. The area is peppered with 1960s bungalows, most of them original. Tall, mature trees line the quiet and scenic streets. And with an abundance of schools within its boundaries, including Lord Beaverbrook High School, plus a variety of pubs and restaurants, the area holds appeal for both families and singles alike.