EDMONTON DEVELOPMENT - Media Article Repository

[atlas_inc]

The purpose of this thread is to keep a repository of all Newspaper Articles, Editorials, Press Releases and any other pertinent information regarding Edmonton development.

If you see an article, please post it here in addition to whatever thread you want (such as the "Edmonton Construction" thread)

I believe this is a good way to keep us all in the loop when it comes to media releases and to also take a look into the past as to what people were saying months ago.

Remember, this is a repository only. Try and keep the postings related to articles only. :cheers:

[atlas_inc]

City 'No. 1' for long-term investment
Real estate guru Don Campbell bullish on capital region

Ron Chalmers, The Edmonton Journal
Published: Wednesday, June 20, 2007

"Edmonton is the No. 1 place in North America for long-term real estate investment," says Don Campbell, president of the Real Estate Investment Network, and he expects the value of apartment buildings to especially rise where renters are near improved public transit.

The southern extension of the LRT will boost the value of revenue properties south of the University of Alberta, Campbell said Tuesday.

He also likes the outlook for northeast Edmonton, near the sites of proposed bitumen upgraders, each of which will employ up to 4,000 people during construction.

On Friday, Campbell will lead a nine-bus tour of 495 members of his Real Estate Investors Network to locations in Edmonton, Sherwood Park, Fort Saskatchewan and the "industrial heartland" area -- with lunch at Josephburg, near Fort Saskatchewan.

About half of the participants are coming from beyond Alberta, including a few from outside Canada, Campbell said. This will be his 12th annual tour of the Edmonton, Calgary or Red Deer areas.

"Our goal is to show investors who want to develop or buy properties some of the regions with the best potential for strong equity appreciation," he said.

"We will focus mostly on transportation changes, and show where the jobs are."

Campbell said his advice is based on the work of eight researchers. He does not sell real estate.

"Most of our members are average mom-and-pop investors, for whom we take the hype out of the market," he said.

Campbell also is holding a daylong real-estate investing conference on Saturday, for which 650 delegates have registered.

Campbell said he advises revenue-property investors not to raise rents quickly.

"The relationship with tenants is the most important part of investing," he said. "If you have quality tenants paying decent rent for decent property, there is no need for $500 rent increases."

Campbell said some participants in his tour and conference will be property developers who may build new rental properties -- helping to ease the pressure on rents.

At a similar conference last week in Calgary, where Real Estate Investment Network is based, delegates gave $30,000 to the Edmonton chapter of Habitat for Humanity, Campbell said. He hopes for similar contributions this Saturday.

Campbell is the author of two best-selling books, Real Estate Investing in Canada and 97 Tips for Canadian Real Estate Investors, with more than 55,000 combined copies in print.

He donates their royalties to Habitat for Humanity.

rchalmers@thejournal.canwest.com

BEST BETS

Alberta's top places for real estate investment

1. Edmonton

2. Grande Prairie

3. Calgary

4. Red Deer

5. Sturgeon & Strathcona

6. Lacombe

7. Sylvan Lake

8. High River

9. Devon

10. Fort McMurray

Source: Real Estate Investment Network

© The Edmonton Journal 2007

[Coldrsx]

Edmonton on track to future
CN chief says city can expect jobs and rail operation growth as Rupert opens

David Finlayson, The Edmonton Journal
Published: Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Edmonton will be a key link in CN's growth as Western Canada becomes the hot market area, CEO Hunter Harrison said Tuesday.

The city is perfectly positioned to become a major transportation hub as the Prince Rupert container port comes on stream and Chicago continues to be gridlocked, Harrison told the chamber of commerce.

"The difference between Edmonton and Chicago is we can get through Edmonton and we can't get through Chicago."
CN president Hunter Harrison says Edmonton will be a key player in the railway's growth plans.

"So all of the growth from Prince Rupert and the return business to Prince Rupert, as well as growth in Vancouver, is going to flow through Edmonton. We're going to see job creation, capital investment and probably yard expansion." Western Canada business grew eight per cent year over year, while Eastern Canada was down a couple of points, Harrison said.

"The future is bright in Western Canada and we are spending a billion dollars on infrastructure to prepare for it."

The railway is building a $32-million Fort Saskatchewan oil and gas distribution centre, and a $1.6-million east Edmonton facility for train to truck transfer of liquid products such as methanol, biodiesel and drilling mud will open later this year, Harrison said.

The $160-million Prince Rupert first phase will be sold out before it even opens this fall, and the partners will move into phase two as quickly as possible, he added.

Financing for the $600-million second phase-- a concern for the port authority earlier this year -- is now in place, he said. "There are some other hurdles, but not financing hurdles. From a financing standpoint its a done deal."

Prince Rupert is 36 hours closer to the vital Asian markets than any other U.S. or Canadian port.

CN is also building a $20-million transload operation and intermodal rail terminal in Prince George to tap into wood and other resource-based export products in northern B.C.

Harrison also said the railway is changing its culture so it's safer for workers and communities after a series of "unfortunate" incidents in the last couple of years, including the Wabamun Lake spill. "It's not about bottom-line dollars. It's the right thing to do."

Harrison spent two days meeting with his board here this week and will receive an honorary law degree from the U of A. today.

"For someone who as a 17 year old worked in the grease pit oiling boxcars that is quite an honour," he said.

dfinlayson@thejournal.canwest.com
© The Edmonton Journal 2007

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