Keith Vincent

In the spring of 1912, 30 British immigrants who were unable to obtain green time on any of the city's golf courses decided that they needed to build another course to accommodate the growing popularity of the sport in what was the young city.

They formed a group, elected Justice Short as their first president and began searching for suitable land.

After viewing many Calgary areas, they decided that the rolling hills and natural spring-fed lands of Riley Acres, on the city's northwest outskirts, would be an ideal location for a new golf course.

According to the History of St. Andrew's Heights by former resident Audrey Miklos, the owner of the land, H. Riley agreed to lease a quarter section of his estate for $1,000.

It was the beginning of a yet-to-be named golf course, but also the proud history of one of Calgary's greatest communities.

The new course was christened St. Andrew's, after one of the oldest golf courses in the world: the Old Course at St. Andrew's in Scotland where duffers have being golfing since the 1500s.

With its panoramic views of the city and mountains, the new St. Andrew's Golf Course was a favourite among Calgarians for many years.

The golf course operated from 1912 to 1927, hosting two provincial championships.

By 1942, however, memberships began to decline, and in 1945 the course was finally closed.

The site soon came to be called St. Andrew's Heights because of the soaring views the location offered to the rest of the city.

In the fall of 1953 the first families began moving into the community with homes scattered along 11th and 12th Ave. N.W.

The community currently houses approximately 1,500 residents, many of whom use the areas extensive parks and pathways to discover some of the city's best panoramic views.

St. Andrew's Heights is characterized by its curvilinear streets, which take advantage of the excellent views in the area and add to the community's character.

The community is close to many of Calgary's amenities, including Foothills Hospital, McMahon Stadium, the Foothills Athletic Park, the University of Calgary and a number of malls and restaurants.

The Trans-Canada Highway was built through the community in 1960 and completes its border on the north side of the community.

The Bow River also flows immediately south of the neighbourhood. The community is mostly single-family homes, with some multi-unit condominiums as well.

The community also boasts one of the best locations for brave tobogganers in the winter, who can slide down the snowy slopes off University Drive, and another across the Bow River in Edworthy Park.

The community is served by several schools including Branton Junior High and Queen Elizabeth Junior and Senior high public schools, as well as University Elementary and Rundle College.

The St. Andrew's Heights community association also plays a large role in the lives of the residents and offers many programs including a soccer, a seniors' group, an arts group and fitness classes. The community centre is also used by a number of other groups, notably the Bow Valley Calligraphy Guild.

St. Andrew's Heights Community Profile

• Total population in 2006: 1,588

• Median household income 2000: $59,489

• Unemployment rate for age 25 and over in 2001: 4.4%

• Total persons living in family home in 2001: 1,315 or 79.5%

• Total married people 755 or 53.7%

Housing

• Total occupied private dwellings 2001: 720 or 100%

• Single detached: 390 or 54.2%

• Semi-detached: 0%

• Row house: 15 or 2.1%

• Apartment: 305 or 42.4%

• Total owned: 52.8%

• Total rented: 46.5%

Source: City of Calgary

-Dan Leahul is the Calgary Real Estate News resident reporter.

The Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB®) was recognized in a ceremony last week for making a difference in the local community with the Crestwood affordable housing development. The Alberta Real Estate Association (AREA®) awarded CREB® with a Quality of Life award at AREA®'s annual general meeting on January 25 in Edmonton.

The award is given out annually to REALTORS® and real estate boards that encompass the Quality of Life award core beliefs throughout the year, including ensuring Alberta economic vitality, providing housing opportunities, preserving the environment, protecting property owners rights and building better communities.

The Calgary Real Estate Board Charitable Foundation teamed up with the City of Calgary in 2006 to develop plan for an affordable housing complex in the Ogden-Millican area of southeast Calgary. In January, the Crestwood project, a 60-unit, four storey multi-family building officially opened its doors and looks to provide affordable rents to low-income households with children and people with difficulties.

"The members of the Calgary Real Estate Board stepped up and showed their commitment to Calgary by playing such an active role in supporting the Crestwood housing project," said Anna Kauffman, Manager, Communications and Member Services for AREA®. "There is a real need in Calgary for affordable housing and their support helped make this project a reality."

The focus of recent fundraising efforts, in particular the Home at Last campaign, has been real estate board member commitment, participation and support.

April 2006 to September 2007, the Home at Last campaign for Crestwood raised almost $1.3 million. The Calgary Real Estate Board was the campaign's lead donor with a gift of $100,000 to kick start the campaign.

In addition to this significant financial support, the board supports the Foundation through promotional means, fundraising events and internal and external communication.

Through the Every Member Campaign, the Foundation has received direct campaign donations and pledges from 9.5% of the membership, for a total to date of $417,500. Those numbers do not include members who have participated by way of event registration or other means such as 50/50 draws, auctions, raffles, etc.

Funds have been primarily raised by REALTOR® volunteers who have done office visits, telethons, one-on-one meetings and more to encourage their peers to give generously to Crestwood. In addition, CREB® staff has contributed $20,000 to the Home at Last campaign, with a participation rate of over 65%.

"REALTORS® are active contributors to their communities and the Quality of Life Board Award is a way to recognize that generosity and those contributions," said Kauffman.

The awards, given out for 2007, marked the second time that the Quality of Life REALTOR® awards and board Award have been given out. In 2006, the Board Award was won by the Edmonton Real Estate Board for its support of Edmonton's BrightNights Family Festival.

-Dan Leahul is the resident reporter for the Calgary Real Estate News

Braving the arduous waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Thomas Edworthy landed on the banks of Canada from Devonshire, England nearly 150 years ago in 1872. At the young age of 16, he worked on a farm in Muskoka, Ontario for 11 years before coming west to settle in Calgary.

After arriving in Calgary he met the woman who would become his wife, Mary McArthur Ross, the widow of Alex Ross, who was Calgary's first photographer.

Along side his neighbour John Lawrey, Edworthy soon established a profitable garden market in a piece of land south of the Bow River, and supplied fresh fruit and vegetables to railway crews and homesteaders.

After discovering large deposits of sandstone in his property, Edworthy operated three large quarries for the construction of many of the buildings in Calgary's downtown core. The lucrative quarry business allowed Edworthy to purchase more land and he soon became an established cattle farmer.

After Edworthy's unfortunate death in 1904 during a typhoid epidemic, the land was used by another well-known settler W.J. Tregillus, who operated a retail dairy and brick manufacturing plant on the land. In 1913, Tregillus helped establish the Alberta Farmers Co-operative Elevator Company.

Not only is the community of Wildwood in Calgary's southwest practically swathed in some of the region's richest pioneer history, it is also home to one of the city's best greenspaces-#8212;named after the man who made his living in the area: Thomas Edworthy.

Edworthy Park is arguably the city's best, and for the residents of Wildwood, it's just outside their backdoor.

One of Calgary's finest natural gems, Edworthy Park is a treasure. Encompassing 128 hectares of natural parkland, located right on the Calgary northwest-southwest border, Edworthy is fascinating historically and environmentally. In the past, the area was also used as a bison kill site and tipi camp for early aboriginal tribes.

Today, the park is mainly used by family picnickers, cyclists and rollerbladers, on the extensive concrete trail, and hikers on trails that stretch throughout the woodland.

The Douglas Fir Trail leads through a woodland of fir trees, some older than 400 years. Other indigenous flora includes native grassland, shrubland, mixed coniferous forest and sedge wetland. The spectacular hiking trail can be expected to take an hour and a half to walk, but time will easily slip by with the frequently stunning views of the passing Bow River.

Much of the homes in Wildwood were developed in the 1950s, on a plateau to the south of the Bow River valley. Most of the homes in the area are single detached bungalows on wide lots with rear laneways.

The community remains relatively exclusive with only 2,621 residents living there, with a median household income of $74,415. The community prides itself on a sense of autonomy, tucked away in a slight meander of the river, accessible by only Bow Trail SW and 37th Avenue SW.

-Dan Leahul is the Calgary Real Estate News resident reporter

Published here with permission.

The ongoing effort to increase affordable housing in the city took a step forward with the grand opening of the Crestwood Affordable Housing Development last week.

The newly completed development in Millican-Ogden is a $13.2-million, 60-unit, four storey, multi-family housing development that will provide affordable rent to low-income households with children and also Calgarians with mobility difficulties.

"The Calgary Real Estate Board Charitable Foundation, its member REALTORS® and industry business partners are thrilled to be involved with the City of Calgary and other levels of government on the Crestwood development," said Dave Hiley, president of the Charitable Foundation. "The foundation looks forward to continued involvement in the development of creative and sustainable solutions for our community's shelter-related needs."

Funding for the project included $5.4 million in capital funding from the federal and provincial governments under the Canada-Alberta Affordable Housing Partnership Initiative (AHPI), $6.3 million (land and capital funding) from the City of Calgary, and $1.5 million from the Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB®) Charitable Foundation.

"Our government is delivering on its commitment to create affordable housing in Alberta and across Canada for those who need it most," said Nosehill MP Diane Ablonczy. "This investment will provide safe, affordable and quality housing for working families and persons with mobility difficulties in Calgary southeast so they can begin to build safer, stronger and better futures for themselves."

Calgary REALTORS® and the CREB® Charitable Foundation played a major role in the Crestwood development, many contributing both time and money to make sure the project happened. The foundation became involved with Crestwood because of a desire by CREB® members to create a signature project and because they saw a critical need in the community, and simply put, the opportunity was there to address it.

The foundation largely relied on individual donations, most coming through the Every Member Campaign and Real Estate Broker Campaign, which were comprised of REALTORS® in the community who believed in the project from day one and were willing to donate.

The foundation also raised money through their Ninth Annual Building Hope Golf Tournament, which raised nearly $50,000 alone. Money was also raised through the board's fundraising casino night and annual online auction.

The foundation will be working with the Canadian Real Estate Association and their REALTORS® Care Foundation in 2008.

The type of private sector donation to a City-owned affordable housing asset sets an important and impressive precedent in Calgary. The foundation's grass roots fundraising success with the development should provide a glimmer of hope for other organizations doing their own work to help fight Calgary's affordable housing crisis.

"We are very pleased to have contributed funding towards the City of Calgary's Crestwood Affordable Housing Development. The project will provide quality, sustainable and affordable housing for those Albertans who need it most and will allow them to start a new page in their lives," said municipal affairs minister Ray Danyluk. "This government remains committed to working closely with all of our partners to increase the supply of affordable housing in Calgary and throughout the province."

According to Statistics Canada, over 58,000 low-income households in Calgary have difficulty affording adequate housing. Many of these households often spend a majority of their income just to cover the costs of housing, with little money remaining for other necessities such as food and clothing.

The Calgary Housing Company's waiting list is always changing, but at last glance between 1,750 and 2,000 households were on the list. Many of these families are currently housed in sub-standard accommodations, or are sharing space with other families and often paying exorbitant rent.

"It's another step towards the bigger picture," said Hiley. "Even though there are about 2,000 names on the Calgary Housing Company's waiting list, a dent's a dent. For now it's just a matter of keeping the ball moving forward."

Construction for the Crestwood development began in June of 2006. The complex was designed by Sahuri and Partners Architecture Inc. and features 60 units between 800 and 1000 sq. ft. The building was constructed by Stuart Olson Construction.

Every aspect of the building design reflects a long-term sustainable housing development by utilizing construction materials that ensure the building is an asset in the community while maintaining manageable construction costs.

Energy efficient and water saving products including low-flush toilets, low-water showers, and other green features were incorporated into the design. Durable quality finishing materials were used to extend the life of the building and reduce the costs of maintenance.

"I think the building is better than anybody expected," added Hiley.

"It looks very modern, it feels comfortable."

The Calgary Housing Company has selected the families to live in the Crestwood development, most of whom will move in by the end of February or early March.

Located in close proximity to schools, parks, shopping and a community centre, the Crestwood development has convenient access to downtown and southeast industrial employment areas.

The Crestwood site was chosen because it met location requirements for automobile-orientated families and single persons with disabilities.

Between 1999 and 2003, Ogden's population decreased by 11.5% or almost 1,200 residents. Adding 60 families to the community will make a big difference in the area schools, community association and local workforce, added Hiley.

"This development is a real boost to the Ogden community, providing new and affordable homes for working families and disabled people, new students for Ogden schools, and further support for local businesses and other community services," said Deputy Mayor and Alderman Joe Ceci. "The Crestwood project is a great example of all orders of government working together with the private sector to open doors to new affordable housing options for Calgarians."

The Crestwood development will not require any operating subsidies. It will operate on a break-even basis to ensure operational sustainability and net social benefit over the long term. The Calgary Housing Company will operate and manage the facility.

Ten units will be at market rent and 50 will be subsided. Of the 50, eight will be designated for "extremely low" income earners and the remaining 42 will be designated for "very low" income earners. Rents will be as low as $295 per month of an accessible unit and up to $825 for a market unit.

All rents include heat, water and sewer, laundry, security, indoor parking, residence assistance program, use of amenity areas and bicycle parking.

-Dan Leahul is the resident reporter for the Calgary Real Estate News

More than 1,700 REALTORS® and real estate professionals attended the Calgary Real Estate Board's fifth annual forecast breakfast last week to hear newly appointed president Ed Jensen's outlook for the new year and an overview of the roller-coaster ride that was 2007.

The 2007 commercial market was positive, as there was a 2.8% increase in sales with 955 properties sold, compared to 928 in 2006. The total dollar volume of commercial property sold was $4.9 billion in 2006, and in 2007 that number rose over the $5 billion mark, a 0.7% increase.

Last year saw an increase in Calgary industrial sales and a decrease in office sales, but retail and multi-family sales were on par with 2006.

"You don't drive too far downtown to notice the commercial construction activity with tower cranes back dropping every street corner," said Jensen. "According to Calgary Economic Development, Calgary is entering into a period of normalized growth in the commercial sector."

New sub-lease space and office complex completions will increase both retail and office availability in 2008, said Jensen.

Industrial leasing continues to be very competitive with a two-year average vacancy rate of only 1.1%.

Suburban office space increased above 3% for the end of 2007 and downtown lease space is increasing due to the availability of sub-lease space and new building completions. Land sales in the southeast quarter accounted for over 55% of sales in the city.

Total rural MLS® dollar volume was $847 million in 2007 and the average sale price per parcel was $780,861 and averaged 31.6 acres per sale.

Last year, there was a 4.5% decrease in dollar volume over 2006, with an 18.6% decrease in the number of sales. There was a 17.3% average price increase in 2007 over 2006.

There was also a definite interest in bedroom communities, whether it is a price point or lifestyle choice, said Jensen, as the average price jumped over 28% from December 31, 2006 to December 31, 2007.

Listings were up in 2007 from a combination of record new home sales, sellers listing their pre-owned homes, investors cashing in and high prices, which tempted a number of homeowners to list and test the market for various reasons.

Single family and condo average sale price both had generous increases in the early part of 2007 and then saw a correction in the latter half of the year, finishing with good yearly results.

"(There is a) growing percentage of homeowners interested in the condominium lifestyle," said Jensen. "The percentage of condo listings to single family listings is growing steadily and has climbed over 30% of total sales activity in Calgary.

"This trend should continue to climb, as we move into the future, with all the new condo starts in 2007 as well as those planned in ‘08," he added.

2007 as a whole had inventory levels that looked high but are more in line with record sales over the last few years; 2006 was the anomaly, said Jensen.

"Our statistics show an overall price appreciation for the year. Sellers need to have a REALTOR® interpret all the variables to come up with the right value to sell, in each specific market. Over 80% of the communities saw prices increased, some greater than others," said Jensen. "20% of the communities did not go up in value. This may also mean there is opportunity here for buyers, who need to call their REALTOR® for more details and to analyze the local market."

"I expect to see the first part of 2008 continue to be a bit of a roller-coaster ride, with listing levels going up and down until we get through the last part of this inventory adjustment period," he said. "Seeing a solid Alberta economy, strong employment, predictions of movement to past levels of net migration, I see the Calgary market moving closer to normal market conditions. As normal as Calgary can be."

For 2008, single family and condo listings and sales volumes will both go down 5%. In terms of average prices, 2008 will see a rise of 5% across the sectors, said Jensen.

The condo average price is the only anomaly and will rise by 6% this year to $335,300, as demand will increase in this sector through out 2008.

Average rural prices and average prices in surrounding towns will also see an increase in 2008, to an average of $875,600 and $396,000, respectively.

-Dan Leahul is the resident reporter for the Calgary Real Estate News