Real Estate Blog

It’s an advantage of living in a smaller community like Okotoks.  Good medical care now made better with the opening of Pinnacle Medical on Southridge Drive and four new physicians.

Pinnacle has clinics Calgary and other satellite communities and held the official grand opening of their Southridge Clinic recently, showing off the large family practice.

The clinic has 18 private examination rooms and will be a full-service clinic with room for expansion.

The current physician is Dr. Troy McKibbon who is now taking new patients in Okotoks.  He told Okotoks media that more family doctors have been hired by the clinic and are on their way.

Dr. McKibbon says there are two female physicians who have been hired from Ireland who will also be looking

Don’t you just love a Farmer’s Market?  Fresh produce, interesting crafts, lovely jewelry and organic meats.  There’s something about an open air market and supporting local vendors and agriculture that appeals to us. It’s an ancient ritual that we love.

That’s why Okotoks residents are thrilled at the new Davisburg Farmer’s Market which just opened last week, running through to after Labour Day.  The market is located at the Davisburg Community Hall east of Okotoks.

The group of local producers and Southern Alberta artisans is small but mighty.  Community organizers say 21 vendors have signed up for the season with some who will come and go on a drop-in basis.

Michelle Balog of the community association is the manager of the Davisburg market and

The first Downtown Thursday of the summer was a hit for Okotoks residents as they gathered in the centre of town to celebrate Okotoks culture, recreation and events.

The Okotoks Art Gallery was front and centre as they launched this year’s edition of Art on the Lawn, a creative showcase of the works of Southern Alberta artists on the front lawn of the art gallery.

Guest performers and even residents were invited to spontaneously step up to an open microphone. There were kids activities and hang out at the Family Fun Zone in Triangle Park.  There was outdoor fitness at the Plaza and each week a new activity or type of fitness will be featured with the public invited to join in.

Downtown Thursdays throughout the summer months will be an excellent

There’s only so much land on which to build in the Town of Okotoks.  With unprecedented growth and future projections looking somewhat overwhelming, the Town and Foothills County have finally pieced together an understanding regarding annexation. 

The understanding in principle between the two municipalities means that as much as 2,000 acres of prime building land is within reach, as approved by Town Council.  The annexation concept and proposal was presented and passed at Council’s final meeting in June.

Land will be expropriated to Okotoks communities on the south west and north east side of town. In the final proposal, land south east of town, south of the Sheep River, was removed from the proposal.

Council and the annexation committee has

Whether it’s tyke or junior hockey, the search for more ice time can be an exhaustive one.  Which is why the news of expansion at the local arena is always exciting.

Town council recently gave the nod for a $15 million expansion for Okotoks’ Pason Centennial Arena on Community Way, with construction planned to begin as early as this fall.   Funding for the construction project is coming from a $12 million grant for municipal initiatives and the balance will come from the Town of Okotoks savings accounts.  $2.2 million is in reserve for recreational facilities with the balance in a reserve fund for public facilities of any kind.

While Town Council has planned for this, the price tag for expansion is now $1 million above the quote from last year which

Okotoks is already one of Southern Alberta’s most attractive communities in which to live but the town isn’t stopping there.

Town council recently upped the ante by approving a fresh new brand and a snappy new slogan to promote the municipality south of Calgary as a place where innovation is part of the town’s philosophy.  The approved jargon for the new slogan is “Join the Innovation”.  A development committee prepared the report to council over the winter in partnership with Roger Brooks International.  Roger Brooks is known as the “Dr. Phil” of tourism.

The decision came with careful consideration and a long debate in council chambers, as the project scope is likely going to cost $500,000 which is not in the current fiscal year’s budget according

They’re not just coloured with sidewalk chalk. The yellow fish that suddenly appeared on Okotoks streets at the end of May were painted on the road with environmentally safe paint to safeguard sensitive aquatic ecosystems in Southern Alberta.

The Yellow Fish Road project was launched in 1991 by Trout Unlimited Canada to create awareness of urban storm water drains. The fish were painted the last weekend of May by Okotoks Guide Guides and Pathfinders as part of this project to garner attention for the dangers of polluting our roadways.

The schools of small yellow painted fish are all painted close to Okotoks storm water drains and are there to remind residents that contaminates such as oil, antifreeze, detergent and fertilizer should be kept off

They’re called Little Free Libraries and they have become a global phenomenon. In this digital age, book lovers are doing whatever they can to share the love of traditional books published in paper and ink. 

Okotoks will soon have seven Little Libraries scattered throughout the town, including in public parks, thanks to an initiative by the Okotoks Public Library.

The program will launch the first week of June when five Little Libraries will open in locations like the Okotoks Recreation Centre, the Okotoks Food Bank and three town parks.

While the town’s library is opening the Little Free Libraries, the program is being financed by Okotoks Family and Community Support Services (FCSS).  The organization came up with $5,000 for materials and labour

This early dry spring – emphasis on dry – has certainly illustrated the need to be conscious of conserving water.  Every resident of Southern Alberta should be diligent and the Town of Okotoks is rewarding residents for being water wise.

The Residential Water Conservation Rebate Program is an annual program offered by the Town to put money back in the pocket of participating residents as they strive to keep water use down to a minimum.  It’s not just being mindful of the amount of water that comes out of the spout – it’s also about the appliances and other items used in the home that helps in the process.

There are certain items that the town promotes that are WaterSense certified.  That includes toilets that are low-flow and rain barrels that

In the first three months of 2016, housing starts were slower than normal in the Town of Okotoks. The positive news is that homes are still continuing to sell in town, and the total value of new construction projects has actually gone up.

This past quarter, the Town of Okotoks handed out 30 permits to build new residential structures which is 17 fewer than the 47 permits issued in the first quarter of 2015.  When the Town of Okotoks was preparing its 2016 budget, the prediction was 200 permits for the entire year so projections are off by six or seven permits a month so far.

In looking at non-residential or commercial construction so far, the numbers far a bit better.  New buildings, improvements or renos in the first quarter total $28 million which