Real Estate Blog - Bowness Calgary Real Estate

Day 20: Celebrating Alberta this Canada 150

This year we decided to launch a blogging series to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday. We featured each province's history, how they celebrated Canada 150 in their unique way, and a list of some of the best places to check out the next time you visit that province. We hope you have enjoyed learning more about Canada and have been filled with a sense of wanderlust; we sure have!

In conclusion of this series, we are featuring our home and native land, Alberta. Like the rest of Canada, Albert has a rich history that long pre-dates any European contact. Aboriginal groups such as the Blackfoot, Blood, Peigan, Gros Ventre, Kootnay, Crow, Tsuu T'ina, Beaver and Slavey inhabited present day Alberta. Their first contact with Europe was not through explorers,…

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Day 13: Celebrating Ontario this Canada 150

Ontario and Alberta have a complicated relationship; particularly in Calgary, one of the country's main Oil and Gas hubs. Though we may have our differences, we are also similar in some ways! Our buyer's agent, Sapna Sharma, moved to Calgary from Toronto and has noted how some of our inner-city and downtown neighborhoods remind her of Toronto.

As part of our continuation of the Canada 150 blogging series, here is a brief history of Ontario:

The area of present day Ontario, Canada was originally inhabited by the Algonquian, Iroquois and Huron aboriginal tribes. Samuel de Champlain was a French explorer who reached Lake Huron in 1615 and prompted French missionaries to established ports around the Great Lakes. The Native American tribes of Ontario…

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Day 6: Exploring Manitoba this Canada 150

The end of our Canada 150 series is being amalgamated into our Christmas Advent blogging. Today we are talking all about Calgary's friend to the east, Manitoba. Learn all about this beautiful province and some of its unique attractions!

Turtle Mountain, part of which resides in present day Manitoba, was the first area of land to be exposed following the ice age. This made it an ideal spot for First Nations groups to settle. European explorers first came to Manitoba via the Hudson's Bay--named after explorer Henry Hudson whose crew abandoned him. The Hudson's Bay Trading Post was swiftly established, and soon, much like what happened in the rest of Canada, European immigrants flooded in. 

Manitoba was the fifth province to join Canada on July 15th,…

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New Tenants Rights

Last night "approximately 125 people were forced out of a building in Kensington ... after it was determined it was at risk of collapsing... Residents at Kensington Manor had only 15 minutes to gather their belongings before leaving" (Global News Calgary). As the tenants and landlord of this building grapple with this potentially devastating situation, we are all reminded that renting is not always picture-perfect. 

Many people pursue investment properties that they can rent as a form of supplementary income. Real estate is a wonderful place to invest your money and (potentially) see a massive return. However, renting a property is not as simple as finding a tenant and signing a lease. 

Others turn to rental properties as a place to live before they…

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Saskatchewan || Canada 150

Our Canada 150 series is still going! This week's highlighted province/territory is Saskatchewan, our neighbor to the east. 

It is important to recognize that the Europeans did not discover a new land when they stumbled upon present day Saskatchewan. The Canadian Encyclopedia notes, "evidence of Aboriginal peoples in Saskatchewan can be traced to at least 10,000 BCE, when hunters followed the migratory herds of bison, leaving behind arrowheads and ashes." European settlement did not really begin to boom until the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were established, at which point Saskatchewan became an agricultural hub. Today, many residents can trace their ancestry back to the Ukraine or to original native inhabitants such as the Metis. 

Saskatchewan…

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Quebec || Highlights

Quebec is rich with history and unique sights. When you plan your next visit, make sure to include the following highlights: 

Montreal's Unique Buildings: Sitting on the water's edge in an industrial area of Montreal is a unique housing structure that has drawn people from all over the globe: Habitat 67. This complex "was designed by Moshe Safdie as his graduate thesis while an architecture student at McGill University" (Atlas Obscura). Each single unit is now worth millions of dollars, offering some of Montreal's most sought-after luxury living. There is also a giant orange on the Montreal horizon "that stands a monstrous 3 stories high and 40 feet wide... [It] started out as nothing but an ambitious 'casse-croute' with a quirky, mysterious…

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Bowness Real Estate Community Activities & Developments

There is lots happening in the community of Bowness right now! Here are some of the highlights:

• On December 2nd the Bowness Community Association will be hosting their annual Christmas Dinner. Make sure you have your tickets (note: there is a limit of four tickets per Bowness resident). The BCA is in need of volunteers for this event, which is a fantastic way to serve the community and spread a little Christmas cheer. Click here to find the online volunteer application. Pictured on the right is Ken (far left) and Vivian (far right) volunteering at last year's event!
• On November 25th Bowness is hosting Shop Local Saturday. This event is aimed at showcasing local shops on Main street Bowness and encouraging people to support small business owners.…

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Quebec || Canada 150

Quebec was originally inhabited by the Algonquian, Iroquois, Inuit and Mohawk people. Some of these groups were nomadic, following their food supply. Others, like the Iroquois, settled along the St. Lawrence to farm. When Jacques Cartier arrived in present day Quebec, via the St. Lawrence, the Iroquois met him with furs to trade. This proves that they had contact with Europeans before Cartier. Cartier claimed the land as a French colony, opening the doors for mass European immigration to Canada. 

Quebec City was the first city in Quebec to be established as a permanent settlement, not simply a trading post. It was founded by Samuel De Champlain in 1608, and today is home to some of the oldest buildings in Canada. Although the British eventually seized…

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Remembrance Day Ceremonies 2017

Remembrance Day is this weekend on November 11th. In honor of this significant day in Canadian history, this week on the blog we are featuring blogs on Why We Remember, The Significance of the Poppy, and today's blog on Remembrance Day Ceremonies. 

There are many opportunities to remember those who have bravely fought for Canada's freedom, and to thank those who are currently active in the military. Take a moment out of your weekend to pause and reflect on the sacrifices of Canadians past and present. Here is a list of all of the events happening around Calgary:

• Field Of Crosses Memorial Project || November 1st - 11th || Memorial Drive between 3rd & Centre St. NW || 3000 crosses have been set up along memorial drive, each "inscribed with the…

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Post-Halloween Tips 2017

Halloween was last night and in classic Calgary tradition, today it snowed. With winter waving autumn a chilly farewell, here are some ways you can say farewell to Halloween:

1). Recycle your pumpkin. Now that the compost bins have rolled out across the city, recycling your leaves and pumpkins is easier than ever. Simply cut the pumpkin up into smaller pieces and throw it in your bin. Cover the remains with coffee grounds to help prevent odor (if you don't have any, you can get some from your local Starbucks for free). Sprinkle any leaves you have on top and say hello to less waste and more fertile compost!

2). Donate or reuse extra Halloween candy. Places such as food banks and shelters accept donations of extra Halloween candy, just call ahead to…

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