Calgary's downtown office vacancy rate is going nowhere but up.

By the end of this year, that rate is projected to jump to 29.5 per cent, and it will climb even higher moving into 2021, says Greg Kwong, regional managing director with commercial real estate company CBRE.

Dear Santa,

My oh my, it certainly has been an interesting and challenging year, with the COVID-19 pandemic impacting almost every part of our lives.

Today marks the end of REALTORS^® Care Week, an annual event that provides the Realtor community with an opportunity to raise awareness of housing and shelter-related issues and causes. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of the home as a place of safety and refuge. However, thousands of Canadians are homeless or at risk of losing their home, a situation that has only been made worse by the coronavirus, making this year's event especially significant.

Third-quarter activity was far better than original expectations, as sales activity in the city improved by nearly 12 per cent over last year's levels.

Some of the shift in the third quarter reflects activity that likely would have occurred in the second quarter. The housing market also benefited from easing lending rates and previous price declines. Gains were driven by all property types except apartment condominiums.

After a four-month application and selection process, the CREB^® REALTOR^® Community Foundation has officially announced the recipients of its 2020 Community and Transformation grants.

As governments and individuals around the world work to combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus, it has become clear the epidemic will have far-reaching impacts for Calgary's residents, businesses and economy.