Calgary vacancy rates having little effect on university residence applications
CALGARY — Saving a few bucks is taking a backseat to the complete collegiate experience, say city schools. High vacancy rates and low rents aren't deterring this year's crop of first-year university students from living on campus says Mark Keller, Mount Royal University’s director of resident services. “Our numbers of new applicants were actually quite high,” he said, adding MRU’s student residence occupancy rate is around 96 per cent. “Our returning students were a bit lower
World confidence in Alberta oil sector falling: study
CALGARY — Low energy prices aren't the only struggles facing Alberta's oil industry, says a recently-released study. Unveiled Tuesday, the Fraser Institute's ninth annual survey of the world's petroleum industry suggests policy changes made by Alberta's NDP government are causing investors to lose confidence in the province's oil and gas industry. "Since the 2015 provincial election in Alberta, the new government has implemented a number of oil and gas sector policies that ma
Shaw call centre expansion affects 1,000 Calgary workers
About 1,000 workers at Shaw's Calgary call centre will be affected by a national customer service reorganization, the media company announced Wednesday. Chethan Lakshman, Shaw's vice-president of external affairs, said the move will consolidate call centre operations across Canada. "It's an expansion of our call centres in Victoria, Vancouver, Winnipeg and Montreal," he said.
"About 1,600 people from our Calgary, Edmonton and Kelowna operations -- their roles will be relocat
No fossil fuels by end of century: summit
G7 nations will abandon fossil fuel use by the end of the century, world leaders pledged Monday. This comes in a communiqué issued at the conclusion of the two-day summit in Elmau, Germany where world leaders announced goals to limit global temperature increases to below 2 C.
"We emphasize that deep cuts in global greenhouse gas emissions are required with a decarbonization of the global economy over the course of this century," the communique read. Leaders invited other cou
Anger over NDP candidate's oilsands comments
Controversial oilsands development comments have a star NDP candidate facing gushing wells of criticism from her federal and provincial counterparts. Appearing as a panellist on CBC's Power & Politics broadcast Friday, NDP Toronto-Centre candidate Linda McQuaig suggested Canada should dial back Alberta's oilsands development to address environmental concerns. "A lot of people recognize that a lot of the oilsands oil may have to stay in the ground if we're going to meet our cl
Cautious optimism after NDP election win
Alberta’s NDP sweep was met with cautious optimism from the province’s oil-and-gas sector. With premier-elect Rachel Notley’s message of energy reform resounding with voters, Alberta’s energy industry says it's prepared to play ball with the province’s first-ever NDP government. “At the end of the day, Albertans have spoken quite clearly, and we have to respect their choice,” said Jeff Gaulin, vice-president of communications with the Canadian Association of Petroleum Produce
Prentice taking Keystone to Washington
Premier Jim Prentice reaffirmed Friday he will take the case for Keystone XL to Washington next month, hours after the Nebraska Supreme Court removed an important hurdle and one-half of the US Congress gave its nod to the pipeline. "I will be traveling to the U.S. the first week of February to discuss Alberta's commitment to the environment and what safe pipeline and job creation can mean on both sides of the border," Prentice told media. "The rigorous studies of the project,
Falling oil puts cancer center expansion under review
Declining oil revenues have the province taking a second look at what's spent on capital projects, according to one ministry spokesman. Denying reports of the cancellation of the much-needed expansion of Calgary's Tom Baker Cancer Centre — which would have been the first victim of plunging oil prices — Health Ministry spokesman Steve Buick told the Sun the project would be one of several up for assessment. "(The Minister) did not say anything, definite or specific, about the
New schools needed to keep pace with growth: CBE
Keeping pace with increasing school enrolment will require six to seven new schools per year, says Calgary's public school board. Revising an estimate he made in October, Calgary Board of Education (CBE) Superintendent of Facilities and Environmental Services Frank Coppinger said growing student populations are taking their toll on the city's already overcrowded classrooms. "I now believe we need six to seven new schools, not five to six," he said. "The numbers we expect to a
Positive outlook for Ironstone Lookout
Perched on a plateau on the cusp of Coleman, Ironstone Lookout is one of the first developments in the Crowsnest Pass to actually put shovel to dirt and begin construction. With their first major open house drawing thousands to the development during Rum Runner Days, Ironstone has already pre-sold a considerable number of units,and garnered interest in potential buyers from across Alberta and BC. "We are selling to Calgarians, Edmontonians, people from Lethbridge," said John
