Archive for Going “Greener”
THIS “DREAM HOME” IS GREEN!
After a two-year absence, the Lions Club Dream Home has made a green return to the Capital Ex grounds. The environmentally friendly house is built with sustainable materials like bamboo wood and features a super-efficient furnace and hot-water heater. The fully furnished, 2,002-square-foot, two-bedroom home is worth approximately $825,0000.
Click here to read the full article.
Source: Edmonton Journal Aug 2 2010, Julianna Cummins
Contributed by Kathy Schmidt, Broker Owner, Schmidt Realty Group Inc
Edmonton LRT and the Cost of Going Greener…
According to a recent article in the Edmonton Journal, Edmonton home owners may be looking at an increase of approximately $30 a year in taxes to pay for the continued expansion of the LRT. This increase may continue for the next six years and may begin well in advance of the additional LRT lines being ready for riders. Some might say this is an unfair levy on those who don’t use public transit, but it seems to me this is a small price to pay to keep Edmonton a city that is getting “greener” day by day.
Click here to read the full article and to view a short video about rider safety on the LRT system.
Submitted by Kathy Schmidt, Broker Owner of Schmidt Realty Group Inc.
Help Local Charities by Donating your Old Electronics
If Santa was extra good to you and brought you a new laptop, you may be wondering what to do with the old one. The Electronic Recycling Association of Canada has locations in Edmonton and Calgary and provide lots of excellent options for disposing of those unneeded items safely. In Edmonton, they are located at 11404 – 143 Street and are open 9-5 Monday through Friday. Visit ERA’s website to watch videos about ERA and for information on charities who are in need of electronics.
Click here for a full list of items ERA will accept. If you live in Edmonton and have electronics you would like to donate but can’t get to the ERA during their hours of operation, call our office at 780-437-2030 and arrange to deliver your items to us by January 31st. We’re open 9-9 Monday-Friday and all day Saturday! We’ll gather up all the items and take them over to ERA.
Contributed by Kathy Schmidt, Broker Owner of Schmidt Realty Group Inc
Local Organization Helps Homeowners and the Edmonton Food Bank!
Our neighbour was on CBC radio this morning talking about a new organization called OPERATION FRUIT RESCUE EDMONTON! Rather than letting fruit go to waste, if you have fruit in your yard that needs picking, call this group!
One third of the fruit goes to the homeowner, one third to the volunteer fruit pickers, and one third to the food bank! I love it! Here is the link to learn more http://ofre.wordpress.com/about/
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Fruit Tree/Fruit contacts – Jessica Roder and Sarah Cashmore will be the contacts for fruit-owners through a central email. Jessica’s phone number is 780-757-4978 and email is: ofredm@gmail.com.
Pickers: for those interested in being pickers, please email ivormack@telusplanet.net or Jessica Roder at ibreathewater@yahoo.ca.
Contributed by Kathy Schmidt, Broker Owner of Schmidt Realty Group Inc.
Smart Choice for Today’s Environmentally Conscious REALTOR
Watch for it on the streets of Edmonton this spring…
It’s a small (green) world after all…
Metropolitan Edmonton may now be over one million people, but it is still in many wonderful ways a big small town! Six degrees of separation is often more like one and a half degrees at SCHMIDT and today brought another example of how we are all connected.
Larry Schmidt does a daily media review searching local and national news websites for articles that relate to real estate. Today he came across this article about a “net zero energy” home under construction in Edmonton. Utilizing solar awnings this home collects energy during the day and allows the owners to be extremely self-sufficient in heating their home. It turns out I know the owners, Conrad and Rechel, and the house is built on a lot I helped them purchase a few years ago. I immediately contacted Conrad to congratulate him and proceeded to invite myself and another team member, Chris Miller, to have a tour one day as I know that Chris is extremely interested in energy efficient construction. Conrad, being the gracious fellow he is, assured me we would be welcome anytime and then mentioned that Chris’s wife, Andrea Jones, is involved in an open house at the property this weekend. Andrea is the owner of Raising Spaces - a web based company that sources out ”green” building products. Andrea has contributed to our blog in the past and yes, she is indeed married to one of our team members.
Yes, it is a small world after all. And since it really is quite small, all the more important we take care of it . Congratulations Conrad and Rechel on the contribution you are making to take care of our beautiful and not-so-big world after all…
Learn more about the construction of this unique home and get details on the open house at 9805-84th Avenue being held this Saturday March 14th.
Contributed by Kathy Schmidt, Broker Owner of Schmidt Realty Group Inc.
PS CBC News picked up the story – read it here!
Edmonton Goes Online with Trip Planner for Public Transit
Using public transit in Edmonton just got a little easier. If you’re like me, your Blackberry is already one of your best friends. Well that handy device is now more helpful than ever! Thanks to an investment of staff time by the City of Edmonton, you can now plan your public transit route before you leave home, or use your PDA while on the run. Just log on and enter the address or even a business name and start planning an environmentally friendly trip to your destination!
Contributed by Schmidt Realty Group Broker Owner, Kathy Schmidt
Housemaster Home Inspections Newsletter – Feb 2009
Housemaster Newsletter – February 2009 issue:
- Insulation and your energy bill
- Preventing future problems
- Fire hazards
- Test your home owner IQ
- Q&A
The Community of Parkallen raises the bar for eco-mobility!
Local Motion is a month long Community Demonstration Project which will set an example for cities around the world!
(Edmonton.ca Public Information Officer, Office of Environment & Energy, January 30 2009)
Over the course of the next few months, the City’s Office of Environment & Energy, Community Services, Transit and Transportation departments will work with the Parkallen community to transform it into a neighbourhood where a variety of elements of eco-mobility are brought together. This exciting initiative will put Edmonton on the world map once again!
Contributed by Schmidt Realty Group Broker Owner, Kathy Schmidt
The City of Edmonton Recognized for Environmental Sustainability
We live in a fantastic city! In addition to being known for our beautiful river valley and lively festivals, Edmonton is now recognized as a city that is working hard to reduce its environmental footprint. The City of Edmonton reported Janary 29 2009 that Edmonton is the number one sustainable large city in Canada!
“The City of Edmonton is proud of its environmental record, and pleased with this acknowledgement of our efforts. This is a significant accomplishment, of which all Edmontonians ca be proud,” said Mayor Stephen Mandel. “Edmontonians are some of the most environmentally-conscious people in the world and the City continues to gain national and international recognition for our leading environmental practices.”(Edmonton.ca, Nikki Booth, Public Information Officer, Office of Environment & Energy January 2009)
