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With the global epidemic showing signs of continued growth, there is some help available to those who want it.  Alberta has vaccinations on hand and is opening clinics on Monday to offer flu shots to those who wish to receibe them.  They are specifically requesting that high risk individuals are the first to take advantage of it, the Chief Medical officer of Alberta believes everyone should get one.

 

I am not a big fan of vaccinations and much prefer to focus upon natural health and keeping a strong immune system to fight off illness without medical intervention.  Here is the article though:

 

 

 

Alberta to begin swine flu vaccinations

Albertans should be able to line up for swine flu shots at mass vaccination clinics across the province on Monday, health officials have announced.

The free H1N1 influenza shots will be available to every Albertan over six months, with anyone at risk of developing a more severe illness encouraged to get their shot early. The shot will be initially offered through mass vaccination clinics and won't be available in settings such as doctors' offices or workplaces until mid-November.

"While there are higher risks groups that are encouraged to get the vaccine first, I urge all Albertans to get this vaccine," said Dr. André Corriveau, Alberta's chief medical officer of health on Wednesday.

"Not only to protect themselves but to protect those that are around them that may be at higher risk and to do as much as we can to stop the spread of the virus as soon as possible over this coming season."

The vaccine has undergone rigorous testing processes and clinical trials around the world and is established to be safe, he said.

Alberta experiences 2nd flu wave

Alberta is in the first week of a second wave of H1N1 influenza, said Dr. Gerry Predy, Alberta's senior medical officer of health.

Most people are experiencing mild illness and are being treated at home. So far this year, H1N1 influenza has sent about 160 people to Alberta hospital, with eight people dying. Since students returned to the classroom last month, 25 schools across the province have reported absentee rates of more than 10 per cent.

Information about the mass vaccination clinics will be available on Alberta Health Service's website.

"We want them to be patient because they may have to wait in line for a while," said Predy. "What we are trying to do here is protect as many people as possible in a short a period of time."

By Monday, Alberta should have 400,000 doses of the vaccine available and with more shipments coming in every few days, health officials say there will be enough to vaccinate everyone who wants the shot. Predy hopes to see between 65 and 70 per cent of the population immunized.

Alberta's flu season isn't over until mid-April.

The federal government has also ordered 1.8 million doses without the adjuvant for pregnant women and young children, but health officials in Alberta said those won't be available until Nov. 9. Corriveau said he would encourage pregnant women not to wait and get the shot with the adjuvant.

Seasonal flu shot will still be available

Alberta began offering a free seasonal flu shot on Oct. 13. The original plan was to stop offering that shot once a vaccine against H1N1 became available, but health officials said Wednesday that both shots will be offered where possible.

As long as each shot is given in a different arm, the H1N1 and seasonal shots can be administered in the same visit, said Corriveau. The H1N1 vaccine won't be fully effective until two weeks after the shot is given.

Earlier Wednesday, federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq announced that the H1N1 vaccine has been approved for rollout across Canada. The approval only applies to the form that contains the adjuvant.

The federal government had already shipped more than two million doses of the H1N1 influenza A vaccine across the country in anticipation of the approval.

Canadian public health officials are urging those most vulnerable to serious complications from the virus — such as pregnant women, young children, people living in remote and isolated communities, and adults with chronic conditions — to consider getting the vaccine as soon as it becomes available where they live.

The following article is a warning from the Edmonton Sun regarding certain species of fish found in certain specific places in Alberta that have recently been found to contain unhealthy levels of mercury.  While this issue only affects a small number of people, any matter regarding public health should be taken seriously.  And, since Alberta is well known as having some of the finest fishing in the world, this is important to spread the info around.  Here is the  article:

 

Safety Warning over Fish

 

CALGARY — Health officials are warning seafood lovers to avoid eating certain species of fish caught in Alberta after tests found high amounts of mercury.

A public health advisory has been issued by Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Andre Corriveau recommending people limit or avoid eating walleye, sauger and goldeye caught in some places in Alberta to reduce any heath risks.

Women who are pregnant or of child-bearing age and children are encouraged to avoid or limit eating walleye caught from Pine Coulee, Red Deer River at the mouth of the Blindman River or the South Saskatchewan River at the Bindloss Ferry and Medicine Hat.

People should also beware of northern pike from Twin Valley Reservoirs in southern Alberta, and sauger and goldeye from the South Saskatchewan River at the Bindloss Ferry and Medicine Hat.

“While levels of methylmercury identified do not pose an immediate health threat, limiting consumption is the best way to reduce any long-term health risks,” Corriveau said.

“I recommend people who eat fish frequently from these bodies of water either avoid or limit their weekly consumption.”

Mercury converts to methylmercury by bacteria or chemical reactions once it reaches a lake, and then fish absorb it from water as it passes through their gills, or from the prey they eat.

Large predatory fish like walleye and northern pike accumulate more methylmercury as they consume smaller fish.

katie.schneider@sunmedia.ca

 

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Alberta Capital Bonds Announced

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The Alberta government has announced in a bit more detail the launch of Alberta Capital Bonds.  These bonds will offer Albertans a chance to invest their money in an investment that will be used to build Alberta projects and provide an above average return.

 

It has been decades since these have been available, but consumers are looking for security in these economic times and these Alberta bonds are expected to be a huge success.

 

I will post more details and links to the Building Alberta Bonds, as it is released.

 

 

UPDATE: November 18, 2009

 

Just received a notice from the webmaster for the Alberta Government finance website that the link and information on Alberta Bonds has been updated.  The direct link to The Government of Alberta Capital Bonds information is:

http://www.finance.alberta.ca/business/savings/index.html

 

Check out that website for the latest info on Alberta Bonds.  Previous information from the old link remains below and is content redacted from the Alberta Government website.  Hope this information is helpful and useful to you!

 

Here is info from the Government of Alberta Website about previous bonds:

 

For specific information regarding Alberta Savings Certificates and Alberta Capital Bonds please contact:

Treasury Management
Alberta Finance and Enterprise
302 Terrace Building
9515-107 Street
Edmonton, AB T5K 2C3
(780) 427-4281 (call 310-0000 for toll-free access)

Background

The Alberta Government first issued Alberta Capital Bonds in the Spring of 1987. The money was used to pay for certain capital projects and to help offset budget deficits. In 1993, the province stopped running deficits, but continued to sell the bonds.

In 1996, the name was changed from Alberta Capital Bonds to Alberta Savings Certificates. By 1997, the Alberta Government had raised $5.7 billion through the bonds and certificates, but we stopped selling the certificates because we developed even more cost-effective ways to raise money.

Redeeming Alberta Capital Bonds

The last issue of Alberta Capital Bonds matured on June 1, 2000. To redeem your Alberta Capital Bonds, contact Treasury Management for instructions. Once the bond has been verified, a cheque will be issued and you may present this to your financial institution where you do your normal banking.

Redeeming Alberta Savings Certificates

Redeeming savings certificates is different than redeeming capital bonds. A feature of the Alberta Savings Certificates is that principal and interest is automatically deposited to the owner’s bank account on due date. If you did not receive the final principal and interest payment, you should contact Treasury Management.

Redeeming the bonds and certificates of someone who has died

When the registered owner of Alberta Savings Certificates or Alberta Capital Bonds passes away, the executor or administrator of the estate may either have the bond redeemed or transferred to a beneficiary of the estate. The Executor of the Estate must endorse (sign) the confirmation of purchase or bond certificates and submit them to Treasury Management with specific instructions and other documents that may be needed such as a copy of Letters Probate, the Death Certificate, and a declaration of transmission.

Replacing damaged, destroyed, stolen or lost bonds and certificates

Bonds are valuable documents and should be kept in a safe place. If lost, stolen or destroyed, they can be replaced. The registered owner should contact Treasury Management. To replace bonds issued in 1995 or earlier, the registered owner will be required to fill out an Affidavit of Loss and purchase a Bond of Indemnity.

Getting your T5 slip for your income taxes

T-5s were issued annually for tax reporting purposes. If you have any questions regarding a T5, please contact the Treasury Management Division.

 

If you are a citizen of a country other than Canada and are interested in moving to Alberta Canada to work, there are a few great resources available to you.  In recent years, the number of foreign workers who have immigrated to Canada and more specifically Alberta is amazing.  The majority of these immigrants seem to prefer the large cities of Edmonton and Calgary, due to their sizable ethnic populations offering a bit of familiarity and comfort.

 

In recent years though, many immigrants have travelled to Alberta to work in agriculture processing, oil field related industries, and also academics.  We have had a substantial number of highly trained people who wish to come to Canada and work here.

 

Here are a couple of great links that give info for those who are interested in this topic:

Temporary Foreign Workers
Process Overview of hiring a Temporary Foreign Worker

Hiring Foreign Workers in Alberta
Information for Employers who are considering recruiting and hiring temporary foreign workers.

 

 

There are also now mortgage products specifically designed for immigrants or those who are new to Canada.  This helps to make the transition into Canadian culture complete for many people and often fulfills a life long dream.  If you are a foreign citizen and thinking of coming to Alberta to work, feel free to make contact with me via email.  I have access to mortgage services and advice in many different languages thanks to the large size of my office and our diverse staff.

 

Alberta has long been known as a region that eradicated all RATS many years ago.  Neighboring provinces still suffer from problems and recently the news has been full of stories about the current outbreak in Saskatchewan.  How did Alberta get rat free and how do we manage to keep these pests out?  Read this great article from the CP:

 

By Sandra Farias (CP) – 4 hours ago

EDMONTON — The sketch of the rodent looks menacing.

"You can't ignore the rat," the caption reads. "Kill him."

The poster dates back to the 1950s when, for 10 straight years, the rat was the public enemy No. 1 in Alberta and citizens united behind the cause of preventing an infestation.

It was a push that led the province to proclaim itself the only rat-free jurisdiction in North America - a distinction that was threatened this week after a few rats were spotted in a Calgary neighbourhood.

As the province currently struggles to maintain its rat-free status, researchers at the University of Alberta say one of the main reasons spotting a rat in the province is big news today is because the rodents were so vilified in the campaign six decades ago.

"The rat-free idea became a very important part of the Alberta identity," says visual culture master's student Jingjing Zheng, who along with art design professor Lianne McTavish, has done a visual analysis of the provincial government's decade-long campaign against rats, which started in 1950.

"These visual materials played a very important role constructing community identity," Zheng said.

Material collected from the time has a distinctly propaganda feel.

Posters were mostly about defending the province's boundaries from "an enemy" and shaping "an identity." Citizens were taught to be alert and able to spot "enemy activity," McTavish said. The posters touted the Alberta Rat Proofing and Rat Control Act and were put up at hundreds of government buildings and schools around Alberta.

"We were surprised to see how many posters showed the enemy as a rat," McTavish said.

The province also distributed 1,500 anti-rat pamphlets to citizens each year.

The study also found Norway rats portrayed as Second World War enemies - the Japanese and Nazis.

"We find them fascinating and very funny too," McTavish said. "They were very complicated, multi-layer images - almost like cartoons - sending a mix of messages."

But the campaign was about more than messaging.

The province hired pest control officers to patrol the Saskatchewan boundary and paid a Winnipeg company thousands of dollars to "poison proof" a 250-kilometre stretch, blowing 60,000 pounds of rat contact powder along the boundary.

At the time, farmers also received free rat poison and rat corpses - imported from Winnipeg - were posted at government offices, schools and public events to re-enforce the message that the best rat was a dead rat.

Rats have always been linked to poverty and diseases, so the government played on people's sense of citizenship, Zheng said.

There was also an emphasis on the family values, McTavish said.

"A beautiful farmstead and a happy family were the social values behind these posters," she said.

"They presented a certain view of Alberta as distinctive within North America and populated, for the most part, by citizens who were devoted to these values of keeping out these vermin rats."

Today, governments are more cautious about using the rat-free label, opting instead to say the province is "basically or essentially rat-free."

The rodents surface in the province from time to time, like they did in Calgary earlier this week.

"It's pretty much impossible to say that there is not a single rat in Alberta," McTavish said.

"That's pretty unlikely."

<!-- google_ad_section_end(name=article) -->

Copyright © 2009 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Here in Alberta, our recent economic boom was spurred by commodity prices increasing, especially oil.  The oil boom brought a lot of corporate money into the province, lots of exploration, lots of production, and lots of employees.

Now that corporations are feeling the financial crunch of a slowing global economy.  Many of them are cutting back on any excessive spending and cutting corners where they can.  As a result, lots of them are giving up expansion plans and instead consolidating and shrinking down their physical size.  As they get smaller, their footprint on the economy of Alberta also shrinks.

They lease less office space, emply less people, spend less money.  Vacancies go up on office space, vacancies go up on residential properties, prices go down on office space, prices go down on houses.  The effect is very logical.

With that being said, these corporations still need to exist and to operate.  Their employees still need to live, eat, and survive in these cities.  There is a realistic bottom to these things.  Are we there yet?

 

 

 

Here is an article from the National Post that sums up alot of what is happened.

 

Alberta is leading a widespread jump in office vacancies across Canada because of a dramatic loosening in Calgary’s tight commercial real estate market in the last three months.

In Calgary, demand for commercial space continues to be impacted by sliding energy prices.

Total overall vacancy rates in the city jumped to 8.1% in the 90-day period to mid-March 2009 from 4.3% in the previous corresponding period, according to the National Office and Industrial Trends First Quarter Report from CB Richard Ellis Ltd., released Thursday.

"Capital investment in the province’s energy sector has been scaled back, while Alberta’s first provincial deficit in years contributed to business uncertainty in the first quarter," CBRE said in the report, which it uses to record trends and forecasts for clients.

A spokesman for CBRE said the figures are unlikely to be adjusted for the period between the middle and the end of the month and that allows the firm to refer to the report as a quarterly one.

The dramatic increase in Calgary vacancies means the Alberta city has gone from having the lowest percentage of available commercial real estate among Canada’s largest cities to one of the highest.

The figures will be watched closely by developers who are committed to building billions of dollars worth of new office construction in the city. H&R Real Estate Investment Trust had been struggling to finance the huge 58-storey Bow tower, EnCana Corp.’s future headquarters, but appears to be pressing ahead with the project.

Challenging economic conditions in the manufacturing, retail and resources sectors -- coupled with access to capital constraints -- all contributed to rising commercial real estate vacancy rates across the country in the first quarter of 2008.

Commercial real estate vacancy rates in both downtown and suburban markets rose from 6.3% to 7.5%, year-over-year.

Meanwhile, net absorption, aided by increased commercial inventory and rising unemployment, continued to decline, from 2,642,611 to 2,013,229 square feet, year-over-year.

"The residual effects of the Canadian economic downturn continued to impact first quarter commercial real estate market conditions," said John O’Bryan, vice-chairman, CB Richard Ellis. "In almost all cases, vacancies remained broadly based -- a trend we expect to continue for the balance of 2009 -- while more news regarding the slowing Canadian economy continues to surface."

Sublet space during the first quarter also increased, from 3,827,568 to 6,329,040 square feet, year-over-year, as more companies nationwide have begun "reconsidering their need for underutilized office space," said CBRE.

Western Canada, which has been harder-hit by falling energy prices and a decline in the resource sector, saw a steeper rise in vacancy rates, while Central Canada, with its more mature commercial real estate market, saw much less vacant office space, said the report. Several factors, including the completion of several landmark developments in Toronto and the continuing uncertainty in Ottawa’s tech market, are expected to boost vacancy rates in those cities in the coming quarters.

 

 

Here are a few of my favorite past articles from my Lethbridge real estate and mortgage blog you might have missed or wish to recommend them to a friend.

WANTED: Single Women: - Single women are a hot mortgage market
Common Financial Problems - Avoid these financial mistakes
Get Your Credit Score UP - Invaluable insight into your credit score
Mortgage Guidelines Get Tighter - Harder and harder to borrow money
Is Your Mortgage Company Out of Business in 2009? - What to do when your bank goes broke
What is wrong with MLS - Is your info being abused?
Survivor - Real Estate Edition - Let's vote a few more off the island

Robert May is a Realtor, as well as the broker and owner of Rainbow Realty of Lethbridge Alberta. He is also a licensed mortgage broker   and mortgage financing expert with Canada First Mortgage of Calgary Alberta. He has been in the lethbridge real estate industry since 1993 and offers full MLS services to the Lethbridge real estate market and surrounding area.. He can be found online at www.LethbridgeLoans.com

Let me share my 15 years experience in the local Lethbridge real estate and financing market with you! It is the first step towards making a profitable real estate decision

 

 

 

 

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Canada's Mortgage Industry Welcomes Federal Budget Announcements

Earlier today, federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty tabled the federal budget. Several measures affect Canada's housing and mortgage industry.

Temporary home renovations tax credit of up to $1,350 for eligible home renovations and alterations

Increase in the home buyers RSP plan, withdrawal limit increased to $25,000 from the current $20,000

A new first time home buyers tax credit that will provide up to $750 in tax relief for closing costs

Broad based personal tax reductions including an increase in the personal exemption and increases to the limits for the two lowest tax brackets

The Government also bought tens of millions of dollars worth of existing mortgage paper from the banks, freeing up more capital for lending.

Robert May is a Realtor, as well as the broker and owner of Rainbow Realty of Lethbridge Alberta. He is also a licensed mortgage associate and financing expert with Canada First Mortgage of Calgary Alberta. He has been in the real estate industry since 1993 and offers full MLS real estate services to Lethbridge and surrounding area, as well as mortgage financing, refinancing/renewals, preapprovals, and home equity financing to Lethbridge and Southern Alberta. He can be found online at www.LethbridgeLoans.com

Let me share my 15 years experience in the local Lethbridge real estate and financing market with you! It is the first step towards making a profitable real estate decision.

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