Canada Day Events: Banff & Canmore

Canmore Canada DaySchedule of Events 2009

http://www.canmore.ca/

• 8am - 10am: Rotary Pancake BreakfastSilver Collection - Help Rotary support the community with your donations!B.Y.O.P&C - Help reduce your impact on the environment and bring your own plates and cutlery!
  


• 9am: Family Fun Run Begins3km & 8km Family Fun Run & Kid's Obstacle Course (5 years and under). Centennial Park.Register online at http://www.zone4.ca/ or in person at Ultimate Fit Centre Running Store, 1302 Bow Valley Trail. Visit http://www.canmorenordic.com/ for more information.
  


• Noon: Canmore Canada Day ParadeThe parade start at Main Street and Railway Ave., Be There!To participate in the Canada Day Parade fill out the attached parade waiver and fax it to 403-678-6661.**Railway Ave. will be closed from 10am - 2pm on Wednesday, July 1st for the parade and access to the downtown core will be restricted. **
  


• 1pm-2pm: Mass Band Field PresentationCome feel the music at Centennial park
  


• 1:30pm: Children's Games and Petting ZooLots of fun games for the kids at Centennial Park!
  


• 2pm-5pm: Stan Rogers Stage OpensLive, local entertainment for the whole family! - 2pm: Ronnie & The Bag Boys - 2:40pm: La Jazz - 3:20pm: Treehouse - 4pm: "Canmore Idol" Brigitte Brophy with Jenna Strautman - 4:20pm: Open Road
  


• 10:30pm - Dusk: Canada Day Fireworks!Finish the day off with a BANG with fireworks at Millenium Park!
  

Main Street will remain closed after the Canada Day Parade for a Street Fair.
Wander among the street vendors, enjoy buskers and do a bit of shipping from 2:00 pm until 10:00 pm. Join us for Live Music at 5:00 pm and a Fashion Show at 7:00 pm.
Sponsored by The Canmore Downtown Business Association.

Celebrate with us in Banff on Wednesday, July 1st, 2009:

http://www.banff.ca/

• 9 - 11 a.m. at Banff Canada Place


• 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. in Banff's Central Park


• 5 p.m. Canada Day Parade
  

The Town of Banff in the middle of the majestic Canadian Rockies is the perfect place to celebrate Canada's birthday on July 1st of each year.
This year’s line up of Canada Day activities in Banff is not to be missed.
Start off your day at Canada Place with the annual Parks Canada Pancake Breakfast. Then amble back downtown to Central Park for an all day party with entertainment on the Louis Trono Gazebo and Stampede stages.
The 2009 Parade runs the length of Banff Avenue starting promptly at 5:00 p.m.

• After the parade, head back to Central Park for an evening of great entertainment by the “Local Legends”, a musical review of the Bow Valley’s finest professional bands. Performances run until


• 11:00 P.M. when the day’s events end with our always spectacular fireworks show.
  Remember that entry into Banff National Park is free on July 1st.
  Parking in the townsite is limited, so plan accordingly.

Please take advantage of our Roam public transit bus system to get you around town.

Canmore Real Estate Market Update - June 2009

Banff Real Estate Density Open House

By Cathy Ellis - Rocky Mountain Outlook
Published: June 25, 2009 9:00 AM

Town planners continue this week and next to be out and about in the community to get residents’ opinions on plans to increase residential density, but they are also expanding their public consultation.

In addition to the tent meetings in neighbourhoods throughout the community, the Town of Banff will host two public open houses in July to wrap up the first phase of the land use bylaw review.

An online survey has also been launched to get feedback on proposals to increase density to meet a housing shortage.

“Part of our outreach is to try to not only get out into the public, but also allow people who can’t make it out to give feedback online,” said Darren Enns, the Town’s senior planner and the project leader on the land use bylaw review team.

“We want to use the public open houses as a conclusion step for phase one. The idea is, we had informal outreach events and now we’re trying to do some wrap up in advance of presenting to council.”

The planning and development department will draft regulations over the summer based on the feedback they’ve heard in May, June and July. The proposed bylaw amendments will be brought to council in September.

The key drivers behind the Town of Banff’s plans to increase density include adapting to a townsite that has seen its population, now at 8,800 residents, grow by more than 15 per cent since 1998 and the loss of 60 acres for potential housing.

Town officials say the population is growing at a rate well above the national average and the availability of housing in town has not kept pace with that residential growth.

It is estimated Banff’s current housing shortfall is about 400 units. In addition, there are currently about 170 names on the Banff Housing Corporation’s waiting list for people wanting to buy homes.

The Town is looking at a range of ways to increase density, including changes to setbacks, building heights, adjusting floor area ratios, increasing site coverage, and the creation of more secondary suites.

But one of the biggest issues on which the town has been receiving feedback is potential rezoning of public service, public parkland and environmental protection lands to residential.

Planning and development officials say the idea behind this is that rezoning would help to alleviate development pressure on the existing neighbourhoods, but would often involve the conversion of parkland and green space to residential uses.

The review team will be out at Glen Avenue tonight (June 25) from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.; at Bison Courtyard on Saturday, June 27, from 10 a.m. to noon and Middle Springs Playground next Tuesday, June 30 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

As well, the Town will host open houses on Tuesday, July 7 at the YWCA from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and on Wednesday, July 8, at council chambers from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. To take the online survey, go to www.Banff.ca

Banff Leads the Way As An Early Adopter of Green Technology

In the heart of one of the world’s most pristine forests, not just any recycling will do.
So this Canada Day, the town of Banff will store its bear-proof trash bins away and replace them with — count ‘em — four types of blue boxes: for glass, paper, plastics and organics.
In between balloon twisting, kids’ games and sidewalk painting at Central Park, food vendors serving up meals for charity will use biodegradable packaging only; no plastic bags, plates or packaging will be allowed. Volunteers milling around the festivities will remind everyone to recycle.
And that’s just for starters. Banff was singled out recently as one of Canada’s greenest employers for 2009, the only municipality to make research firm Mediacorp Canada’s prestigious annual list.
Tourists and townspeople get around town on an all-hybrid bus fleet. There are organic waste drop-offs throughout the community, whose contents are processed into compost used to reclaim decommissioned landfills, mines and construction sites. There is a commitment to build new public buildings to at least “silver LEED” certification, a measure of sustainable design. Homeowners are given $150 rebates if they book an energy efficiency audit. And the list goes on.
Mayor John Stutz says his council routinely fields requests from companies interested in pilot-testing new products. One of those is the German firm Osram, which partnered with Banff recently to install LED street lighting that has reduced light pollution (streetlight can be directed better to where it’s needed) and electricity consumption by 30 per cent.
Banff has “no problem being an ambassador and an early-adopter” of green technology; the municipality is carving a template for other towns and cities to follow, Stutz explains.
“The fact that we’re a town in a national park within a UNESCO heritage site comes with certain responsibilities,” he says. “We’ve embraced those.”
— Sarah Staples, for Canwest News Service
© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald

Exciting Weekend in the Bow Valley

There are four exciting events in the Bow Valley this weekend. They feature something for everyone with history, speed, and art. While not running around the events take a moment to see some of the open houses in Canmore this weekend. Real Estate has been picking up in the Valley and we are seeing multiple offers.

Back to Banff:

Sponsored by the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, brings generations of Banffites together to share memories and have some fun. This year the Warden Service Alumni will also be involved celebrating 100 years of Canada's National Park Warden Service.
http://www.whyte.org/programs/index.html

Banff Bike Fest:

Come see some of North America's fastest cyclists as they race through Banff National Park. Races include time trial, crit, road race, hill climb and road sprint.

http://www.banfflakelouise.com/events-and-festivals/bike-fest

Cause Canada Cup Mountain Bike Race:

After watching the road races on Friday come on up the the Canmore Nordic Centre for the Canada Cup on Saturday; again featuring some of Canada's top cyclists. A spectator friendly event with a challenging and technical course this is an exhilarating event.
http://www.cause.ca/2009CanadaCup

Canmore Arts Speak:

This weekend features Bow Valley and area artists from a multitude of disciplines. Music, movies, photography, galleries, and the festival atmosphere. This weekend showcases some exceptional talent.

http://www.artspeakcanmore.com/

Don't Handcuff Your Mortgage

By Garry Marr, Financial PostJune 13, 2009

Would you like to pay an extra $300 per month on your mortgage? Not likely. That hasn't stopped a number of Canadians, with the deal of a lifetime on a variable-rate mortgage, from switching over to a more expensive fixed-rate product and paying the extra freight.

A fear of rising rates is driving the rash decision. But if you've finally managed to pin your banker to the ground, why on Earth would you let him off the mat?

More than 28% of Canadians have a variable-rate product tied to prime, according to the Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals (CAAMP). If you negotiated a deal before October of last year, chances are you are now borrowing money for as little as 1.35%. That's based on deals that at one time saw the banks giving 90 basis points off prime. Prime is now 2.25%.

The average sale price of a home last month in Canada was $306,366. Based on a 25% down payment and a 25-year amortization, your monthly payment would be $962.61 at 1.35%. Convert that to a five-year fixed-rate term and you're probably going to have to consider a 4% mortgage rate and a monthly payment of $1,289.04.

Rates are rising fast. Most major banks upped their five-year rate by 40 basis points this week, although discounters were still offering 4% this past week.

"It's not a mass rush yet, but we are starting to see ... people locking in. But variable rates are still so good," says Joan Dal Bianco, vice-president of real estate-secured lending at TD Canada Trust. She stops short of questioning why a consumer would pull out of these "deals" that are no longer available on the market.

Try to get a variable-rate mortgage today and the best you can probably hope to get is 60 basis points above prime, or 2.85%.

The landscape changed dramatically in October during the credit crunch. As the Bank of Canada lowered rates, the major banks reluctantly lowered prime because of the massive amount of customers with variable-rate products negotiated under the old, higher terms.

"Bonds' yields are going up rapidly and people are starting to realize the rates are going to go up," Ms. Dal Bianco says. Throw in the fact the Bank of Canada used the weasel word "conditional" (on inflation rates) when it promised not to raise rates until June, and you can understand why some people think today's record-low prime rate might not hold.

But if you're someplace between 60 to 90 basis points below prime, the rate is going to have to go up pretty fast to justify locking in today at 4%, even though that is just slightly above the all-time low hit last month for a five-year term.

"I don't understand why you would lock in," says Jim Murphy, chief executive of CAAMP. "Sure, if they start to rise, but [Bank of Canada governor Mark] Carney says they won't rise, so you've got another year at that prime-minus rate."

Don Lawby, chief executive of Century 21 Canada, says even when rates do start to increase they are not going to jump significantly right away. You are not going to get 4% on a fixed rate again, but double-digit rates seem unlikely. "The only logic to locking in would be for someone very sensitive to any rate change and they just want to be secure," Mr. Lawby says.

But at what price? If you're using the "feeling secure" logic, why not go for the 10-year fixed-rate product? Rates on that product can be locked at 5.25%, ridiculously low by historical standards. Yet fewer than 10% of Canadians consider a 10-year product.

There are some compromises you can make. For starters, there is nothing to prevent consumers from having a blended mortgage at most Canadian banks.

Some banks will let you take half your outstanding debt and lock it in. Diversity is preached for stock portfolios, but few people seem to adhere to the same philosophy when managing their debt.

Consumers might want to take their cue from business. Few companies would want all of their debt coming due at the same time -- it presents too much risk. The other option is knocking down principal: Make payments based on a 4% rate and have that extra $300 go straight to your principal every month.

The bottom line: Is if you've got a deal on your mortgage, why would you give it back? Dusty wallet Double check your credit card statements. DW is in a bit of a skirmish with Visa over a taxi cab bill. Of course, DW is too cheap to use cabs, but does succumb to them to get to and from airports on vacation. Last trip, the family took an airport limousine and paid the $56 charge. Guess what? The same amount was billed a month later. So far, the taxi cab company has yet to produce a second receipt. In the interim, DW had to pay the second $56 charge.

gmarr@nationalpost.com
© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald

Banff Land Use Change for Residential Real Estate

Banff Crag & Canyon - 9 June 2009

By Larissa Barlow Larissa@thecrag.ca

Residential density might be the most controversial part of this phase of the Land Use Bylaw review, but it’s just one aspect of the plan that will shape the town for years to come.

Residents got a chance to look at the plan Saturday outside Nesters during the first of the many neighbourhood consultation sessions the planning department is holding to reach more people and get more input into the process.

With some of the proposed changes senior planner Darren Enns said they want as much input as possible, though there’s no doubt residential density and some rezoning plans will cause a lot of debate.

“We understand this could be pretty controversial,” Enns said. “But it’s better to have debate than not have it at all.”

These ideas aren’t new however. Everything the planning department has come up with to update the Land Use Bylaw comes from the Banff Community Plan, which was approved in February.

But that doesn’t mean the rezoning plan won’t cause a stir. There are sections of the town that they propose to change the zoning to residential to encourage more homes to be built.

The vacant lot on Banff Avenue next to the Banff Hockey Academy house, which is currently zoned as public service lands, could become residential.

A forested area on Marmot Crescent and a single lot on Grizzly Street could also become residential.


A section of Park Avenue that has no homes on one side of the street could be rezoned as well. That land belongs to Parks Canada, so it would be subject to their approval.

There could also be development on the Bow River side of Glen Avenue that has the potential for 50 to 80 new units. And the industrial compound is being eyed as a good place for development, as there’s a large chunk of land right at the entrance that could be used for housing.

“We certainly know there’ll make for a lot of discussion, which is what we want,” manager of planning and development Randall McKay said.

The proposed changes are following the Banff Community Plan’s guidlines, which states the town should “monitor and adjust the densities in residential areas to provide for a sufficient number of dwellings to satisfy the community need.”

“It’s not about density for density’s sake,” Enns said.

Studies have shown the town has a housing shortfall and that’s reinforced by the 150 families on the Banff Housing Corporation’s wait list waiting for homes.

“Anecdotally you can just stand at the (park) front gate and watch people drive in from Canmore to work in Banff,” Enns said.

In order to increase residential density in other ways, the planning department is proposing to relax some of the bylaw’s strict development guidelines.

Those include easing up on the setbacks placed on developable land. Setbacks now, which determine how far you have to be from the road and your neighbour, take away about 50 per cent of the area you can build on. In some cases it would give people just a few extra feet to work with, “that might seem a very small change for people but now you have more space to play with,” Enns said. The change could mean adding an additional bedroom to a home.

There are also plans to allow houses to get a little taller. Banff Avenue buildings will be used as a the upper threshold of what can be done, and homes adjacent to the town’s main street could be allowed to be three storey’s high. In other areas, they could be 2.5 storey’s high.

Other more technical changes includes relaxing the floor area ratio regulations, site coverage changes and an unique take on heritage protection, where any unused density from a small historically significant home could be transferred as an incentive to not demolish the building.

Secondary suites are also on the list to make it legal throughout town in single family or duplex homes.

Parking standards and construction standards are also up for discussion during this phase of the process.

“What we want to do is create a complete community,” Enns said. “We want people to live in Banff at every stage of their life.”

For more information on the bylaw review, visit banff.ca/ourlanduse.

A helpful article from the Calgary Herald. For property management companies in Canmore try PEKA or Asset West. We also have a number of professional mortgage brokers here in town who can assist you with all of your second home financing needs.


Several choices for rec mortgages

Calgary Herald June 6, 2009

Some advice for owners of recreation properties, as well as for people considering making a purchase:

Financing

From RBC Royal Bank Canada at www.rbc.com:There are three main financing alternatives for purchasing a vacation home:

-A conventional mortgage allows you to finance up to 75 per cent of the purchase price of the home, thus requiring a down payment of at least 25 per cent.

-An insured mortgage makes it possible to finance up to 95 per cent of the value of a second home.

If you happen to already own a cottage that has no debt on it, then you can also refinance that existing property for up to 90 per cent of its value and get an insured mortgage to purchase another vacation home.

-A home equity line of credit makes use of the equity built up in your primary residence to let you borrow up to 75 per cent of the value of the home less the debt still owing on it.

You will need to have an up-to-date appraisal done to determine the home's current value.

Renting

From High Country Properties Management Ltd at www.highcountryproperties.com:-There are three main ways to rent out your recreational property. If you buy a condominium, it's likely there will be an onsite rental program.

Simply sign up, make a list of when the property is available for rent and you will receive a cheque, either monthly or quarterly, for revenue less expenses and a management fee.

-You can also arrange for the services of an outside property management company that specializes in vacation rentals.

Again, you will need to come up with a schedule of when you want to use your vacation home.

Then, the management company will look after marketing your property, handling reservations and payment, providing linens, cleaning and maintenance, and send you a cheque for rental revenue, less expenses and a management fee, usually about 40 per cent.

-You can do it yourself, but first you will need to make sure zoning bylaws allow short-term rentals in your area.

Then, arrange appropriate insurance and keep suitable accounting records.

Also, arrange for someone to handle cleaning, emergency repairs, or any check in difficulties that your guests may experience.

Security

Many of the same tips that apply to home and property security in the city also apply to recreation properties in the country.

-Install timers to turn lights and radios or TVs on and off periodically.

-Ask a neighbour (or the property's private security, if applicable) to check in on the site occasionally. Just as in the city, mowing the grass and shovelling the walk gives properties that lived-in look. The neighbour can also check for property damage or signs of mishaps such as waterline leaks.

-Reinforce windows with metal grates, and install sturdy doors. The more work a thief faces to break into a property, the more likely they will give up and choose an easier target.

-Turn off water and electricity before leaving a property for an extended period.

-Don't leave valuables in an unattended property. Also avoid leaving items such as liquor, hunting rifles and expensive equipment behind.

-If possible, install an alarm system that is either monitored or programmed to notify you in the event of a break-in or other emergency.

-Consider joining--or starting-- a crime prevention program such as Rural Crime Watch.
© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald

Wondering About the Smoke in the Valley?

Parks is currently working on some prescribed burns in Kananaskis, Banff, and Canmore area. It has made the valley a little hazy over the past week and given the towns a nice camp fire smell. The best part has been the stunning sunsets. Last night the skies were orange, red, and yellow and the sun was an amazing red globe.

Banff Crag and Canyon - June 2, 2009
By Larissa Barlow

The Mount Nestor prescribed burns started last weekend with mixed conditions for fire crews.

On Friday, poor conditions caused smoke to fill the Town of Canmore.

Fire operations specialist Brian Low said they stopped the burns, “As soon as it became abundantly clear that smoke was going to be a problem.”

By Saturday and Sunday, conditions were much more favorable, and the smoke raised up in a column, dissipating into the sky.

“The weather has been extremely cooperative,” he said. “It doesn’t get much better than that in terms of smoke impacts.”

Six helicopters are being used as part of burn operations, with two out by the Ya Ha Tinda Ranch. Around 40 people are part of the fire crew.

Parks Canada’s priority has been to burn the northern area to clear that zone before moving south. With that area burned, it acts as an anchor for the rest of the burn, so that if the fire got out of control it would be much easier to control a blaze should it travel further than expected.

If conditions remain favourable, 3,000 hectares will be burned by October. Around 400hectares has already been burned.

The burn is being done in conjunction with the province and Sustainable Resource and Development will be taking care of all fire operations south of the Charlie Horse Pass.