Consumer Education
Consumer education involves empowering individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to make informed decisions about real estate and their role as a homeowner, condo owner, landlord, tenant, or rural property owner.
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Water Innovation Lab Alberta 2019
This project will support the foundations for a robust Water Innovation Lab 2019 program, with diverse partners and content across Alberta. Water Innovation Lab Canada 2019 (WIL2019) will bring 100 young water leaders and 25+ resource guests from across Alberta and Canada together for 7 days of leadership training, community/industry visits and local action projects in Autumn 2019. WIL2019 is designed to accelerate collaborative innovation, fast track regional and global water knowledge sharing, showcase local leadership and bring water talent closer to employers. Goal at WIL2019 is to build long-term skills for the sector and support multiple seed funded teams from WIL2019 for teams to test, pilot, prototype water innovation projects.
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Use of Native Wetland Plants and Floating Islands Systems for the Remediation of Contaminated Water
Water for Life is the key ingredient and vital for human survival throughout the world but remediation, preservation and conservation has become cost prohibitive. Environmentally sustainable management of stormwater, wastewater, filtering runoff and water from snow melt through a changing climate to ensure a continuous fresh water supply is the focus of this project. The use of native wetland plants and cost effective floating island technology to clean the water prior to safe release into natural waterways, preserves aesthetics and enhances natural functionality of water sources, as well as providing a medium for additional food production. Research, education, and demonstration through proof of concept are key components to change and success for a healthy environment and resulting land stewardship.
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Smart Ag Digital Story Map
The creation of a multimedia Smart Ag Digital Story Map showcasing the application of science and technology for greater efficiencies in land use and water management, thus improving quality and quantity of food production (Smart Ag) at Olds College. With agriculture and agrifood production predicted to be the top drivers of Alberta’s future GDP growth, there is a need to tell the story of the learning, success and implementation of Smart Ag practices at Olds College to the wider Alberta community.
ResourceSubsidiarity in Action: Effective Biodiversity Conservation and Municipal Innovation
This report examines the important contribution that municipalities can make to biodiversity conservation in Alberta where amendments to the Municipal Government Act empower, and indeed require, Alberta’s municipalities to enhance their environmental protection efforts. An examination of these changes, assessed using the principles of subsidiarity, environmental governance, and biocultural diversity, reveals that municipalities, both large and small, urban and rural, can innovate with novel legal initiatives to improve their biodiversity related conservation actions. Concurrently, while municipal innovation is possible, improving local biodiversity conservation action also requires innovations in funding, citizen engagement, and regional environmental governance. Municipalities are already recognized contributors to biodiversity conservation and great strides have been made at the municipal level to increase habitat connectivity. Current municipal conservation efforts need to be augmented to harness new statutory powers, capitalize on local knowledge and initiative, and enhance citizen education and engagement.
ResourceLaws for Landlords and Tenants in Alberta
The Residential Tenancies Legal Information Program operates the Laws for Landlords and Tenants in Alberta website, which provides plain language information on housing law in Alberta. Staff also conduct presentations across the province on landlord and tenant rights, answer reference questions, and develop information booklets and sample agreements.
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Advancements in Irrigation Agriculture for Economic/Community Development and Environmental Stewardship in Alberta
Irrigation agriculture provides the foundation for economic and community development as well as environmental stewardship in southern Alberta. This study will focus on the adoption of recent important advancements in irrigation agriculture (commonly referred to as ‘precision agriculture’) and implications for the ongoing benefits of irrigation in southern Alberta.
ResourceEnergy Efficiency Savings Opportunities for Alberta’s Homeowners
The Alberta Real Estate Association (AREA) has partnered with the Pembina Institute to educate REALTORS® and their clients on the value of energy efficiency. As a collaboration, the project will leverage AREA’s expertise on the needs of REALTORS® and homeowners and the Pembina Institute’s expertise on clean energy, climate change and energy issues to transform how Alberta’s REALTORS® understand and serve homeowners on this topic of increasing importance.
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Fundraising Diversification
Capacity building around fundraising and diversification of funding sources.
ResourceSmart Home Series: Part 2 - Deep energy retrofits
Have you ever dreamed of living in a net-zero home? According to Peter Darlington, that dream may be closer than you think.
ResourceCanadian Rental Housing Index
The Index is a comprehensive database that compiles rental housing statistics for cities, regions, and provinces across Canada. See how much rent Canadians are paying in different parts of the country, compare affordability measures and find out where residents are overcrowded and severely overspending on housing.
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Westman Centre for Real Estate Studies
Typically individual social service agencies have addressed housing and affordability issues specific to the population they serve. The missed opportunity is understanding the ways in which housing affordability as a whole could offer a positive collective impact for all Calgarians. To facilitate a more collaborative and effective way to tackle housing affordability, the Westman Centre is an active partner on Calgary’s Community Housing Affordability Collective (CHAC). CHAC is a joint initiative that was formed between the public, private and social sectors to address housing issues in a collaborative manner. The Westman Centre’s role is to provide applied research oversight and leadership for key deliverables outlined in the CHAC strategic plan, thereby enhancing housing affordability along all points of the housing spectrum.
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SpaceFinder Alberta
Expand SpaceFinder Alberta beyond Calgary and Edmonton, in partnership with Arts Habitat Edmonton, giving all Albertans access to this innovative online marketplace linking organizations with space to rent with those who need space.