Seema Dhawan

Alberta House Prices: The Cheapest Houses For Sale (PHOTOS)

2013-05-15T15:42:15-04:00

Home prices increased by 1.3 per cent versus a year ago in Canada, bringing the average price to approximately $380,600, according to a new report by TD Economics.

Home sales also improved in some cities including Calgary and rose by 0.6 per cent in April compared to the previous month. However, on a year-over-year basis sales were down by 3.1 per cent.

While average home prices rose to $380,600, here's a look at the opposite end of the spectrum.

Read more:

LOOK: Most Expensive Houses For Sale In The Oilsands

LOOK: What $600,000 Will Buy In Alberta

LOOK: What $350,000 Will Buy In Edmonton

Cheap houses in Alberta are often found in smaller cities and vary in cost from a few thousand to a few hundred thousand dollars.

From character homes to studios, there's many to choose from.

Here's a look at some on the cheapest houses for sale in Alberta:

'Top Chef Canada': Calgary Destination For Season 3 Finale (PHOTOS)

2013-05-14T15:38:50-04:00

'Top Chef Canada' is ending its third season with a delicious finale in Calgary.

Connie DeSousa, finalist on Top Chef Canada's first season and co-owner of CHARCUT Roast House, is a guest judge on the show. Juno Award winning singer Jann Arden and Rush Restaurant owner Lance Hurtubise will also join as guest tasters.

"As one of Canada's most innovative dining destinations, Calgary truly is an ideal backdrop for the season finale," said Barb Williams, SVP Content of Shaw Media in a press release.

For the Quickfire Challenge chefs will create their very own food truck concept at Calgary's Prince's Island Park.

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The Elimination Challenge - at Rush Restaurant and Bar in the city's downtown - will see chefs sweat it out in the kitchen to create a stellar five-course meal.

"Calgary's history with food is as diverse as the landscape that surrounds the city," said John Brunton, Executive Producer at Insight Production Company Ltd.

"From their famous pancake breakfasts at the Stampede to cutting edge fusion restaurants that are getting national recognition, Calgary is the perfect place to end another great season of Top Chef Canada."

There are currently two chefs from Calgary still in the running for Top Chef: Geoff Rogers, 31, executive chef at MARKET and Nicole Gomes, 34, chef and proprietor of Nicole Gourmet Catering.

The finale episode airs on June 10, at 7:00 p.m. MST on Food Network Canada.

YYC Burger Week: Meet Calgary's Bacon-Suit Wearing Unofficial Judge

2013-05-10T12:52:08-04:00

While the love for bacon might be reason enough to wear a bacon suit, Trevor Gibbons decided to participate in Calgary's burger week wearing one.

"My friends always ask me where the best burger is," says Gibbons, so he declared himself an unofficial judge and ate every participating burger in the challenge.

Calgary's burger week is a culinary battle between 16 restaurants, all looking to win the title of Calgary's best burger. Each restaurant has partnered with a charity and a dollar from every burger sold is donated to it.

Gibbons has tried almost half the burgers in the bacon suit and when he's at work opts for "meat socks," to represent his love for hamburgers.

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"There is such a thing as meat sweats," he says about his week-long endeavour. "It's not a rumour."

Gibbons has eaten many burgers at the participating restaurants and occasionally gets them delivered to work. Still quiet about his favourite burger, he wanted to wait until he's tried them all to be fair, he says.

"They've all been phenomenal so far," he says, "Some restaurants I never thought of have a spectacular burger."

While he initially joked about taking "before" and "after" photos after eating so many burgers, he says eating those made with top quality meats and often with fresh ingredients has actually meant eating better.

Calgary burger week ran from May 3-10. Burger lovers can vote for their favourite burger online to crown Calgary's best burger.

Reddit Canada Users Some Of The Most Hooked Across The World

2013-05-09T15:32:49-04:00

You know who loves Reddit? Canada.

Canadian cities ranked among some of the top users of Reddit across the world in the past 12 months.

Maybe it's the long cold winters or the NHL lockout that inspired the obsession, or maybe Canadians just can't get enough of the clicky, social news site.

And out of all the Reddit-obsessed users in the country, it's those cowpokes in plucky Alberta that are leading the herd.

Calgary came in second place based on page views per capita, followed by Edmonton in third place, Toronto in fourth and Vancouver in fifth.

The number one place on that list went to Austin.

Top non-english speaking cities included Montreal and Stockholm.

Toronto also came in second for total visits, placed right between New York at number one and London at three.

Here's a look at the cities across the world most obsessed with Reddit.

YYC Burger Week: Calgary To Host Battle For The Best Burger

2013-05-01T15:35:46-04:00

It's a burger lover's dream come true.

An entire week, dedicated to finding the best burger in Calgary, with dishes created to impress.

Calgary burger week puts 16 restaurants across the city to the test. Running from May 3-10, the initiative lets food enthusiasts vote online for their favourite burger, after sampling the selection across town.

Organizer Sabahat Naureen says she noticed other cities in Canada hosting burger weeks and decided to bring it to Calgary.

"We've got a lot of positive response," says Naureen.

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All the featured burgers have been created especially for the event and a wrap-up party is being planned to announce the final winners after the week.

Restaurants participating include Loungeburger, Dairy Lane Cafe and the Ship & Anchor Pub.

A dollar from every participating burger sold also goes to a local charity.

Will you be participating in Calgary's burger week? Tell us on Twitter at Huffington Post Alberta or in the comments below.

Calgary Craigslist Pickup Truck Ad Is Honest And Hilarious

2013-04-30T17:16:36-04:00

A Calgary Craigslist poster is taking the "honesty is the best policy" rule to heart.

Selling a 1993 pickup truck, the poster warns its "ugly as f***," but "it runs forever," balancing the good and the bad about the vehicle.

There's a crack right across the windshield, says the ad, but, "it doesn't interfere with vision. Unless you're a midget."

Selling for $499, the truck even comes with its own Hello Kitty steering wheel cover. "No one will ever steal this truck," says the ad, especially since it doesn't even look like it runs.

The post has no photos of the truck, perhaps an ode to its lack of beauty. Really ugly pickup truck, what more needs to be said, the ad asks.

Designed to get attention the ad has succeeded says the poster. No word on any sale being made yet though.

Here's a look at what more the hilarious ad had to say:

Calgary's Pay It Forward Day Movement Picks Up Steam

2013-04-25T17:36:45-04:00

Calgary celebrated its first ever Pay It Forward Day on Thursday and the movement quickly picked up steam across the city.

Calgarians took to social media to share how they paid it forward, which included buying coffee for people and handing out chocolates around town.

"I bought 2 people breakfast. And probably lunch later, too," said Mandy Christina on Twitter. "Have you done your part?" she asked, encouraging Calgarians.

An event was organized at Olympic Plaza by two brothers, Andrew and Gordon Moffat, who hoped it would inspire a long term movement. The event included a DJ, free hugs, a dance competition and a microphone set up for anyone willing to share a compliment.

April 25 was also officially proclaimed Pay It Forward Day in Calgary by Mayor Naheed Nenshi.

People in Calgary are sometimes skeptical of random acts of kindness said Andrew. He handed out free hot chocolate in the city's downtown last year and found it hard to give all of it away.

"[I] want to change that about the city," he added, saying he wanted people to be less suspicious.

Did you participate in the Pay It Forward movement in Calgary? Tell us about it on Twitter or in the comments below.

Calgary's Pay It Forward Day Included Free Hugs And Smiles

2013-04-25T15:59:52-04:00

Calgary celebrated its first ever Pay It Forward Day on Thursday, joining in on a global movement to fuel positive energy and acts of kindness that ask for nothing in return.

The event was held at Olympic Plaza and had a DJ, a dance competition, free bottles of water and a microphone set up for anyone willing to share a compliment.

Organized by two brothers, Andrew and Gordon Moffat, April 25 was officially proclaimed Pay It Forward Day in Calgary by Mayor Naheed Nenshi.

"A lot of people have this in their heart but they feel alone," said Gordon, when talking about paying it forward. It's like being the first person on a dance floor, somebody just has to start it, he added.

Over a hundred people stopped by the event in the afternoon, including a few new immigrants to Canada, who took to the microphone to share what they love about Calgary.

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The event also had a scavenger hunt, where volunteers gave out free hugs, bottles of water and Tim Horton's gift cards to military veterans, police officers and firefighters and thanked them for their service.

"We want to share with people [that] individual choices are going to change things," said Andrew, who heard about the event over a year ago and decided to bring it to Calgary. Over 52 countries currently participate in the global movement.

"I think it resonates with people to be good inside," said Andrew.

Calgarians were encouraged to keep paying it forward, with wrist bands and brochures being handed out, hoping to inspire a long term movement.

A day of service is also planned for April 27, where volunteers will tear down and rebuild a community garden at Maranatha church.

"It's a way of getting the city and community involved," said Carol Wright who stopped by the event and decided to participate.

"A lot of people just need that extra smile once in a while."

Frederik Dekker Charged With Voyeurism After Camera Found In Taber Gas Station's Washroom

2013-04-19T14:15:32-04:00

Police have charged Frederik Dekker, of Burdett, Alta. after a customer found a video camera in a washroom at a Taber gas station.

The public played a huge part in the investigation, police say.

"Without the tips we received from the community at large, we would not have been able to identify this person," said Insp. Graham Abela, with the Taber Police Service.

The camera was found at a 7-Eleven convenience store on Highway 3 in Taber and an investigation revealed it was used to record people.

Videos contained within the camera showed people using bathrooms in unknown locations and included public and private facilities, police said.

However, police don't believe any recordings actually occurred in the Taber washroom.

“It does not appear that the camera was operating in Taber, it may be that it was accidentally dropped or the perpetrator was interrupted and panicked," said Sr. Cst Andrew Evanson.

"We believe the private washroom was his own home."

Local business operators have raised their level of vigilance to ensure the expected privacy rights of their patrons was protected, police said.

Dekker has been charged with one count of voyeurism and more chargers are pending.

Inflation Rate Alberta: Province Sees Lowest Inflation Rate Across Canada

2013-03-27T16:04:33-04:00

The rate of inflation in Alberta was the lowest across the country for the month of February, a slight increase for a province that experienced deflation in January.

Last month's rare deflation meant that the price of foods and services actually dropped in Alberta.

But across the nation, February actually saw an increase to the Canadian annual inflation rate to 1.2 per cent, reversing a trend that had reduced annual inflation to 0.5 per cent in January, the lowest in more than three years, Statistics Canada reported.

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Monthly consumer prices in Canada also jumped by a strong 1.2 per cent in February, as a big hike in gasoline helped fuel the biggest month-to-month pop in inflation since January 1991 when Ottawa introduced the GST.

"Consumer prices in Alberta rose 0.9 per cent in the 12 months to February following a 0.5 per cent decline in the previous month," Statistics Canada said.

The smallest increase in consumer prices was in Alberta and British Columbia, while the largest increase was in Newfoundland and Labrador, Statistics Canada reported.

The agency said inflation rose at a faster pace last month in all 10 provinces, with Newfoundland and Labrador topping the list at 2.3 per cent.

With files from the Canadian Press

Calgary Co-Op Set To Become First Grocer In Canada To Phase Out Eggs, Pork From Confinement Cages

2013-03-14T15:36:39-04:00

A vote by Calgary Co-op members on Wednesday set the chain on the path to becoming the first major grocer in Canada to phase out eggs and pork produced from pigs and chickens kept in confinement cages.

Members present at the general meeting voted in favour of phasing out, over the span of five years, the sale of eggs and pork produced from animals kept in those conditions.

Approximately 90 members voted in favour and 40 against the proposal brought forward by Co-op member Clint Robertson. However, the motion won't be implemented until it's approved by the board of directors.

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Roberston, who saw the vote as a victory, took to Twitter after members approved the motion.

"A success today! Coop members voted to phase out caged eggs/pork within 5 years (instead of 3)," he said, adding that the Calgary Co-op will be the first major Canadian grocer to do so.

A success today! Coop members voted to phase out caged eggs/pork within 5 years (instead of 3) Will be first major Canadian grocer to do so
— Clint Robertson (@ClintRobertson_) March 14, 2013

"We have zero tolerance for animal abuse," said Cindy Drummond, Manager of Communications at the Calgary Co-op.

Read more:

The End of Cowshwitz: Will Ethical Bacon & Eggs be Coming to Cowtown?

Co-op does offers a selection of free-range choices, she said, and Co-op encourages consumers to be informed.

As pressure builds on the food industry to change the hen housing practice and "as industry standards change, there will be a greater selection on our shelf," she said.

Roberston encouraged people on Twitter who approve the decision to write to Co-op sharing their support.

Jump On Flyaways, Calgary-Based Airline To Launch On-Demand Charter Service

2013-02-28T15:10:08-05:00

A new air travel initiative will see jetliners currently sitting idle, after ferrying labour to and from the oilsands during the week, offering a cheap, on-demand international flying option on the weekends.

Jump On Flyaways and Enerjet have partnered to provide a sort of on-demand charter service, that will see planes currently sitting on tarmacs from Friday to Sunday offering what the partnership is calling cheap and direct flights to sun destinations such as Las Vegas and San Francisco.

“Canadians are tired of paying high airfares, taking indirect flights or flying at inconvenient times to get a better price,” says Roger Jewett, CEO of Jump On Flyaways.

“As the aircraft are often idle on weekends, they agreed to provide all flight related operational services for weekend getaway charters at discounted weekend rates. Jump On Flyaways promotes the charters and sells low cost tickets to consumers through our custom booking engine.”

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Travelers interested in the service will log onto the company's website, www.gojumpon.com, and sign up for e-mail alerts. When a flight is planned, an alert will be sent out, giving prospective travelers the chance to see if that week's flight is something they're interested in, the company explains.

A Jump On flight only takes off when approximately 80 per cent of seats are sold. If enough Calgarians "jump on" payments of all passengers are processed and the flight is a go. All passengers also pay the same cost for the flight, the company adds.

Enerjet's fleet of 149-seat Boeing 737 aircraft, which are normally used for workforce transportation from Monday to Thursday, will be used to deliver the sun destination flights, said Jewett.

The first Jump On flight is to Vegas and the airline expects to add on departure cities, including Edmonton and other destinations such as Vancouver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Palm Springs, San Francisco and New Orleans.

Martin Sheen's Portrait By Alberta Artist Patrick LaMontagne Scooped Up By Emilio Estevez (PHOTOS)

2013-02-01T16:28:01-05:00

When Alberta artist Patrick LaMontagne painted a portrait of Martin Sheen and shared it on his social media account, he did not expect his work to find its way to Sheen himself.

But when Sheen's son Emilio Estevez, who was tagged in LaMontagne's mention on Twitter, saw the painting of his father's character from the movie 'The Way' he reached out to LaMontagne immediately.

Estevez asked LaMontagne for a print of the painting, one he could give his dad for Christmas, the Canmore painter recalled.

"The image is gorgeous and you've captured my father in a way that few have," said Estevez in his initial e-mail to LaMontagne.

The digital painter said he was skeptical as first. "I was wondering which one of my friends was playing a joke on me," he says.

He said he decided to have faith in the words he read and wrote back.

Being too close to Christmas and wanting to perfect the portrait before sending a print to Estevez, LaMontagne said he finally sent the portrait to the actor in January.

The actors received the painting on Friday. Sheen was thrilled and delighted, Estevez told LaMontagne.

"Mission accomplished," he said.

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Inspired by the movie 'The Way,' LaMontagne said he painted a portrait of Sheen's character to take a break from commercial work.

LaMontagne said he was inspired by the closed off character portrayed by Sheen in the film, a character who grows, throughout the movie, and gradually opens up to realize he is part of a larger community.

The artist did not take payment for the portrait, saying it would have tainted the whole experience.

"My gut instinct said 'if you sell it you ruin what you got back,'" which was enjoying painting again.

LaMontagne said he won't try to duplicate the experience but will continue to paint characters who inspire him.

Estevez also took to Twitter to thank LaMontagne, saying "Thank you Patrick. Wonderful painting. Wonderful story. Martin was thrilled."

Manning Centre, Conservative Training Ground Opens In Calgary (PHOTOS)

2013-01-23T17:34:46-05:00

Calgary is home to a new centre designed to help conservatives win elections.

Preston Manning launched the new Manning Centre in Calgary on Wednesday, a training facility primarily for those who subscribe to conservative values.

The facility will train those involved in various aspects of politics and campaigning including candidates, volunteers, campaign managers and staff.

Parties are having difficulties providing resources that are needed to win elections and run a good government, said Manning, and the facility provides a permanent home for strengthening intellectual and human resources of the conservative movement.

"We hope to increase the skill level of grass roots people," he said. The centre will provide courses and wants to be a school of practical politics, covering topics such as campaign management and advocacy. It aims to provide a steady stream of advice and to strengthen the knowledge, values and participation for conservatives.

The centre will have room for all types of conservatives, says Manning and the focus is more intellectual than ideological.

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If a liberal member wanted to participate however, they would have to "subscribe to conservative values and principle," he said, adding that he'd be happy to provide those to the Liberals or try to convert them.

Two organizations will be housed at the center, the Manning Foundation For Democratic Education and Manning Centre For Building Democracy, the former of which has charitable activities.

The building is housed with high-tech equipment aimed at increasing involvement and efficiency, and hopes to be a place where conservatives can drop in to touch base.

"We kind of want to make it a tourist attraction," said Manning.

The centre opens at a time when the Progressive Conservative movement is on the rise in Alberta. Alison Redford became Alberta's first female premier by defeating the Wildrose in Alberta's last election.

Conservatives had a close win in Calgary Centre's last by-election, and Joan Crockatt's narrow win was a wake up call for many.

Crockatt captured about 37 per cent of the popular vote , the lowest for an MP-elect in Calgary Centre since the inception of the riding in 1968.

Manning says it's important for Conservatives to not think they're a natural governing party.

"Liberals got into that," he said.

"Everybody better be doing this if you want to improve the democratic system," he said, referring to the Centre and its training.

He also had advice for Alberta's Premier Alison Redford, saying that the province should be balancing it books.

"If you're in fiscal trouble you can't get of it fast enough," he said.

PETA Protest Calgary: Activists In Green Bikinis, Bodypaint On Stephen Avenue Ask Calgarians To Go Vegan (PHOTOS)

2013-01-08T15:18:51-05:00

PETA protesters, wearing nothing but green bikinis and body paint, took to Stephen Avenue Mall on Tuesday to tell downtown Calgary passersby to go vegan.

The pair handed out leaflets that read "Meat's not green," and "Live Green. Go Vegan."

"Between polluting the soil, water, and air and gobbling up our natural resources, the meat industry is as toxic to the earth as it is to human health, said PETA executive vice president Tracy Reiman in a press release. "PETA wants Canadians to know that each of us can personally fight climate change - and save animals - simply by going vegan."

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While many people stopped by the lunchtime protest to have pictures taken with the bikini-clad women, some expressed concern over the chilly weather.

"It could be worse, we could be animals in the slaughter house," said Shelby Kilbride, a PETA member for more than two years.

The response to the protest was a positive one, said Emily Lavender, a PETA member involved in the animal rights organization's International Grassroots Campaigns.

People are compassionate and support the environment, she said, and the protest is a fun way to get the message across.

Lavender says she instantly became vegan after watching PETA's film called Glass Walls, a video about slaughterhouses, and has been a PETA member since.

Not everyone was supportive of the protests though. Some walked by politely while one passerby said, "I like my meat."