Alberta

National park community sees investment as brakes eased on hotel, retail regulations BY DAVE HUSDAL Banff developers are poised to consume some precious commercial development allotments for projects that have been proposed for years.

The City of Leduc is growing by leaps and bounds these days. The latest census data from the Edmonton-area suburb show Leduc grew by 6.9 per cent from 2012 to 2013, hitting a population of 27,241. The one-year 6.

While growth in the overall area hasn't exactly been stellar in the past few years, the local economies have benefitted from a recent upswing in the resource sector and that growth is reflected in the numbers.

After more than four years tied up in receivership, lands connected with Three Sisters Mountain Village (TSMV) in Canmore have been sold to its former owners.

The firm in control of almost 1,500 acres of Canmore development land has decided to abandon its plans to obtain a new area structure plan for the massive Three Sisters development.

Edmontonians living south of the North Saskatchewan River and working downtown will have a new bridge to drive across in early 2016, if all goes well.

City of Airdrie figures show the community was close to $200 million in building permits for the first half of 2013. New-permit values hit $198.7 million, up over 23 per cent from 2012 and almost double the same period in 2011.

Colliers International concludes in recent reports that the Edmonton and Calgary office markets are heading in different directions.

The provincial government is selling more land to accommodate new development in Fort McMurray.

"Many are still saying, 'You know what, we're going to stay here and we're going to hopefully get rebuilt,'" he said. "I don't see a huge willingness for High River folks to pull up stakes and move.