Alberta

Transit Riders Challenge Edmonton City Councillors To Take The Bus

The Transit Riders' Union of Edmonton has challenged city councilors in Edmonton, Alberta to give up their private vehicles. Four councilors will rely exclusively on public transit for the next week.

November 20, 2007 - CBC News

Environment Faces Sacrifice As Alberta Explores Oil Reserves

Oil reserves in Canada have the mouths of investors watering, and many Canadians willing to accept the vast environmental degradation that will result from the oil's extraction.

October 25, 2007 - OnEarth

Banff's Eco-Courtyard

The Bison Courtyard development in Banff Alberta is more than a "green" building: its "enlightened merchants" have been encouraged to engage in numerous experiments in eco-economics.

October 23, 2007 - The Globe & Mail

Oil-Rich Calgary As 'Climate Change Crusader'?

Sprawling Calgary, Alberta, may have the biggest ecological footprint of any city in Canada -- and no municipal recycling program -- but will soon supply 75% of its energy needs through wind power.

September 30, 2007 - The Globe & Mail

Mistakenly Low Census Count Results In Loss Of Funding

A Canadian city suspicious about the low population count reported in the national census decided to do its own count. The city found 2,000 more people than the census -- a figure that would have equated to $600,000 more in federal grant money.

August 26, 2007 - CBC

Tent City On Its Way Out Of Edmonton

The homeless population of a government-sanctioned tent city has slowly dwindled to less than half its original size as officials in the Canadian city of Edmonton move forward with plans to close the impromptu squatter settlement.

August 17, 2007 - CBC

Landlords Find Loophole To Ease Condo Conversion

In the Alberta Province of Canada, a loophole in a law meant to protect tenants from being evicted for condo conversions has been discovered that allows landlords to legally raise the rents as high as they want, effectively pricing tenants out.

August 9, 2007 - CBC

The High Cost Of Alberta's Black Gold Rush

An oil boom is bringing news jobs and strengthening the economy but also harming the environment.

July 9, 2007 - The Los Angeles Times

Reviving 'Deadmonton'

Despite a booming oil economy and a population of almost a million people, Alberta's capital city of Edmonton finds "place branding" a struggle.

June 19, 2007 - The Globe & Mail

Alberta's Oil-Driven Construction Boom

The pace of construction in oil-soaked Alberta is so intense that projects dogged by labour shortages are drawing inexperienced workers from across the country -- and complaints about shoddy construction.

June 3, 2007 - The Globe and Mail

Planning And Public Health Scholars Working Together To Tackle Sprawl

Researchers at the University of Calgary are investigating whether the costs of physical inactivity and obesity could justify stronger regulation to halt sprawl.

May 27, 2007 - Christian Madera

The World's Cleanest City

A new survey has named Calgary the cleanest and most sanitary city in the world.

April 3, 2007 - The Globe and Mail

Boomtown Looks To Hire Lots Of New Planners

The Municipality of Wood Buffalo is looking to fill 49 new positions in its planning and development department to cope with the area's incredible growth -- a result of the tar sands boom in northern Alberta.

February 8, 2007 - Wood Buffalo Communications

Alberta Communities Not Benefitting From Oil Sands Revenues

Alberta's inability to provide the necessary municipal and social infrastructure to keep pace with oil sand developments is beginning to make life in the north "intolerable."

January 17, 2007 - Rabble

Infrastructure Can't Keep Pace Alberta's Oil Sands Development

In an unprecedented move, the Province of Alberta's energy regulator has issued a warning that time is running out to put in place the infrastructure -- including roads, schools and health care -- needed to keep pace with oil sands development.

November 15, 2006 - The Globe and Mail

Downtown Calgary's Mean Streets

Despite its booming growth and the recent announcement of a world-class office tower, downtown Calgary is suffering from a lack of human-scale planning, writes Lisa Rochon.

November 9, 2006 - The Globe and Mail

The Tallest Skyscraper in the West

Canadian energy giant EnCana and the City of Calgary hope that the corporation's new headquarters, scheduled for completion in 2011, will put Calgary on the "architectural map."

October 16, 2006 - The Globe & Mail

Calgary Suffering From Its Excess Of Riches

The fallout from a local oil boom has Calgary scrambling to address shortages of labor, housing, office space, and just about everything else.

August 31, 2006 - The Wall Street Journal

Housing, Infrastructure Can't Keep Up With Alberta's Oil Economy

Alberta's surging oil economy is growing so quickly that service industries can't compete, budgets for infrastructure projects can't keep up with rising labour and material costs, and oil companies are building their own housing projects.

August 22, 2006 - The Globe and Mail

Sprawling Calgary Faces Increased Pollution, Car Dependence

With a footprint as big as New York City but with a tenth of the population, and with no natural limits on growth, Calgary struggles to rein in suburban sprawl.

June 7, 2006 - The Globe and Mail

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