Terra Vista set for Pincher Creek

Pincher Creek Echo
By Debbie Houghtaling

A new housing project has been announced in Pincher Creek. The Fast Track Group and Fast Track Capital, is promising a new Terra Vista project in Pincher Creek, Alberta.
Fast Track Capital is partnering with Greenfield Development Corp (GDC), formally Pinchme Corp.

Now that the announcement has been made, fund-raising will shift into high gear.

The new project will cover 148 acres at the cross roads of Highway 6 and Highway 507, and will consist of 231 single-family lots, 27 duplex and 20 fourplex lots, a child care centre, a seniors complex, a multi-family condominium site and 60 acres of highway commercial frontage.

Pincher Creek Town Council has reviewed the Area Structure Plan for Terra Vista and the initial concept plan has been accepted, the physical phase of the project will now begin.

"We have looked at several communities in Alberta and Pincher Creek had the most opportunity," According to Jim Sand, President of the Fast Track Group,

"The development will sit adjacent to two major highways (6 and 507) and will be located directly across from Walmart. It's an ideal site and we're certain future tenants and residents of Terra Vista and nearby communities will agree."

The next step towards development will be the final permits, which they hope to receive from council in the next few months.

"We hope to start development in the first part of next year," said Sands.

As well as being a welcome addition to Pincher Creek, Sands is promising that the new development will also be affordable.

"We have looked at the housing market in Pincher Creek and believe we can offer a competitive price for these units."


note: More good news for Pincher Creek. Good for them! Maybe the Pass should consider amalgamating with Pincher as that would seem to be the only way development will ever come to the Pass. The MD and town seem to be light years ahead of us in this department, due in large part to their having councils and economic development departments that are 'proactive' in attracting and pushing forward economic development, while ours have been and continue to be asleep at the switch. Which goes to prove... "It's not healthy having all the same people making decisions all the time".

Once again, it is apparent we need a shake up of our leadership on council and Community Futures. Until that happens, we will continue to be the poor cousins of our neighbours to the east.


To see what is in front of one's nose needs a constant struggle.

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Municipal properties to go on MLS with Realtor

It has been reported recently in our local papers that municipal properties will soon be going on MLS with a local Realtor. What has not been reported is that in all likelyhood the Crowsnest Learning Centre (CLC) will be one of the first properties up for sale.

My concern is not that the CLC will be sold but that for the sake of a quick sale and a commission cheque our municipality will be short-changed, because of a lack of 'vision and a plan'.

In my opinion, simply settling for an increased tax base through the sale of this property is short-sighted. We should be sending out 'expressions of interest' to major Hotel/Casino operations with the intent to 'lease' out this property (similar to what the Fabro's did with Timmy's and Mac's) or at the very least retain some control by way of retaining an ownership interest (partnership). This in turn will not only increase our tax base but ultimately give us much more control and bang for the buck in the long term, so to speak.

The suggestion above, is only one idea. I'm sure there are more out there if people start putting their minds to it, which is what the intent of this post is. Let's hear what you have to say? After all, it is your property they will be selling.


Awareness leads you forward, while lack of awareness leads you nowhere.

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Vacancy rate hit decade-high in 2009

NATHEN GALLAGHER
Pass Herald Reporter

According to a provincial survey, rental units in the Pass are looking a little emptier than they have in the past.

The 2009 Apartment Vacancy and Rental Cost Survey, released recently by Alberta Housing and Urban Affairs, looked at 59 rural communities with populations between 1000 and 10,000.

While the average vacancy rate rose from 3.8 percent in 2008 up to 8.1 percent in 2009, the Crowsnest Pass vacancy rate rose from 10.8 percent to 20.6 percent –– the highest vacancy rate in the last ten years, and significantly higher than the 1.4 percent rate in 2007.

The survey looked at four-plex units, apartment buildings, row-houses, store-top units, and larger multi-plex units. It did not survey single family houses that may be for rent.

Chief Administrative Officer Gordon Lundy, presenting the survey results to council, said that he found it interesting that rental costs have not gone down even though the vacancy rate has risen.

The survey presented a list of weighted rent costs by bedroom type. One-bedroom units were at $522, up significantly from $433 in 2007. Two-bedrooms are listed at $554, up from $487 in 2007. Three-bedrooms rose from $546 in 2007 to $695 in 2009. Bachelor units rose from $350 in 2007 to $425 in 2009.

In 2007, at the height of local growth expectations and before the global economic troubles, the Pass had only a 1.4 percent vacancy rate, the lowest of any point in the past ten years.

A total of 68 rental units were identified and surveyed in the Pass. The vast majority of the units were more than 10 years old.

Between 2000 and 2005 the Pass vacancy rate hovered between 12.5 percent and 17.5 prevent. It fell to 6.9 percent in 2006 and 1.4 percent in 2007, before rising again in 2008 and 2009.

According to the survey, the Pass has the fourth highest vacancy rate of all the communities surveys. Only Elk Point at 40.2 percent, High Level at 22.8 percent, and Tofield at 21.8 percent were higher.

Bowden, Drumheller, Fairview, Provost, and Jasper were rated at a zero percent vacancy rate.

Council did not discuss the survey results at this time.


Note: More proof that we have been poorly managed and are desperately in need of a fix. A fix that will surely come this fall on the heels of an election. Our community of communities needs to let go of the past and get on with the future. In this regard, a new mayor and council, a revamping of Community Futures, and hard-nosed bargaining (e.g. River Run) and promoting of a Community Plan are what is in order here.

It has been said, Community development leading to economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being is usually initiated by individuals who have passion and vision. I am still waiting to hear some 'passion and vision' from current and potential leaders in our community?

Support structures are necessary to manage the community development process as well as the change it creates. We have seen that our local Community Futures over the years has become 'static' and no longer serves a useful purpose as a result. As someone on this blog recently pointed out... "It's not healthy having all the same people making decisions all the time"... This council needs to start the process of change by attacking the symptoms of our disease. A change of mayor and some members of council is only half the battle, the other half is changing our organizational structures i.e. Community Futures, so that it is allowed to fulfill its mandate of bringing economic development to our community by supporting local small businesses and entrepreneurs, and by acting as a catalyst to achieve economic diversification for our municipality.


The more original a discovery, the more obvious it seems afterwards.

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It Went Downhill After the Dude in the Funny Hat

From Rick Mercer

Usually I love a speech from the Throne. As far as politics go it's pure show business. Everyone gets dressed up. There's an actual throne for the Governor General and a little tiny chair for the Prime Minister to curl up in. And the whole thing starts when a dude in a funny hat marches up the hall and bangs on the door with an ebony rod, topped with the golden lion. Now unfortunately it all went down hill after that.

For starters it went on forever. Avatar was shorter. Now maybe it was the anticipation. After all, the Prime Minister closed down government for three months so he could "recalibrate". Sometimes it's hard to live up to the hype. Now when this happens in Hollywood they bring in experts at the last minute to insert some sex and violence, to distract the audience. Now unfortunately you can't just insert a car chase in a throne speech, so the Tories did the next best thing, they announced the creation of, wait for it... Seniors' day. Now that's good government! Because as we know the greatest problem facing senior citizens on a fixed income in this country is they don't have a day. Like, you know, secretaries do.

And then how about that twist at the halfway point, hey? The government announced the creation of a new award for volunteers called the Prime Minister's award, featuring, wait for it, the Prime Minister. How sexy is that?

And then of course, the climax of the entire piece – they announce they wanted to rewrite the lyrics to O Canada to appeal to more women. Well, that went over really well, didn't it? Especially on a week where the Minister in charge of the status of women, Helena Guergis, is so far off the rails she's not allowed within a hundred feet of an airport, let alone an open microphone.

So there you have it. They had three months to prepare and the best they came up with was Seniors' day, a Prime Minister's award and the only thing they tried to recalibrate was the national anthem; an idea that lasted two days.

That's not a speech from the Throne, that's a cry for help.

Note: "Humor is also a way of saying something serious." Harper, Helena Guergis and her husband Rahim Jaffer, and the rest of the Reform/Alliance/Conservative's are a joke, but nobody is laughing anymore! :-( We need a change... they got to go!!!

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Conservatives 'two-tiered justice system' is 'Justice for the Rich and the Law for the Poor'

The Harpercons are increasing prison spending by 43% in order to accommodate an influx of new prisoners (our kids), while at the same time keeping more people in prison for longer periods of time. Building 'super prisons' to house more people for longer periods of time, at a time when we have a declining crime rate and an aging population?

Ottawa to up prison spending to prep for inmate influx

Nothing the Harpercons do makes any sense? They are solely driven by politics and ideology. As such, they preach one thing and deliver another. Tough on crime (for you and me) while going easy on their establishment friends is the epitome of hypocrisy.

"A conservative government is an organized hypocrisy. "

Jaffer court case sparks outrage across Canada

As I have stated before, thanks to the conservatives, Canada now has a two-tiered justice system of Justice for the Rich and the Law for the Poor. Canadians faith in our institutions is at an all time low, and we are becoming no different than a third rate banana republic, where money and power talks and bullshit walks.

RCMP Officer Ducks Drunk Driving Charges

No jail in sight for Drabinsky

Class Warfare she is a comin'!!! The Harpercons know and are preparing for this and that is the real reason they are in such a hurry to build super prisons, and why Taser toting law enforcement (sic) agencies are running amok these days leaving dead bodies wherever they go, with impunity. And why Justice Ministers and provincial crown prosecutors say one thing while practising another. Obviously our justice system, RCMP and governing political party are out of control and corrupt to the core, and therefore, revolution is inevitable.

Maybe that is why this government recently signed an agreement with a foreign government (U.S.) to 'invade us' if the people here dare to rise up against their oppressors? Think about it! The Harpercon traitors are creating Canada's very own version of 'Fortress America', where the minority will be the 'have's' and the majority will be the 'have nots', with the middle-class wiped out of existence. Justice will be dispensed on the basis of how much money and influence you have, and the Law for everybody else.

From the examples above, that is pretty much what we have now. Expect more! Much more!!! And of course, you will learn to take it... because after all... "humans are fundamentally selfish and egoistic and they don’t care about society-as-a-whole." Well, you better start caring! Because the way things are going, sooner or later, you too will fall victim to the system... if you don't start standing up to do something about it. We need an election and we need it now! Anybody, but the Harper conservatives!!


The country had fallen into a state of moral putrefaction, with corruption running rampant throughout the government ranks.

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Brian Williams thank you note

This is from the NBC Olympic anchorman:

Leaving behind a thank-you note
Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor



After tonight's broadcast and after looting our hotel mini-bars, we're going to try to brave the blizzard and fly east to home and hearth, and to do laundry well into next week. Before we leave this thoroughly polite country, the polite thing to do is leave behind a thank-you note.

Thank you, Canada:

For being such good hosts.

For your unfailing courtesy.

For your (mostly) beautiful weather.

For scheduling no more than 60 percent of your float plane departures at the exact moment when I was trying to say something on television.

For not seeming to mind the occasional (or constant) good-natured mimicry of your accents.

For your unique TV commercials -- for companies like Tim Hortons -- which made us laugh and cry.

For securing this massive event without choking security, and without publicly displaying a single automatic weapon.

For having the best garment design and logo-wear of the games -- you've made wearing your name a cool thing to do.

For the sportsmanship we saw most of your athletes display.

For not honking your horns. I didn't hear one car horn in 15 days -- which also means none of my fellow New Yorkers rented cars while visiting.

For making us aware of how many of you have been watching NBC all these years.

For having the good taste to have an anchorman named Brian Williams on your CTV network, who turns out to be such a nice guy.

For the body scans at the airport which make pat-downs and cavity searches unnecessary.

For designing those really cool LED Olympic rings in the harbor, which turned to gold when your athletes won one.

For always saying nice things about the United States...when you know we're listening.

For sharing Joannie Rochette with us.

For reminding some of us we used to be a more civil society.
Mostly, for welcoming the world with such ease and making lasting friends with all of us.


note: Thanks to Stan McLeod for this. Thanks Stan! Canada's Olympics sure made us all feel proud, and this is just more icing on the cake, isn't it? Got to love it!!! :-)

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The Facts of Community Futures and W.E.D.

Here is a man from B.C. speaking out against the "two most corrupt organizations in Western Canada: Community Futures (CF) and Western Economic Diversification (W.E.D.)".

This man, who has been speaking out for years, has dealt with many of the issues and problems we in our community find ourselves now dealing with as well... The Facts on Community Futures

He too has seen millions of federal dollars come into his community only to disappear into the bank vaults of CF's, never reaching the people it was intended for i.e. local small businesses and entrepreneurs. How can this be you say? Well let me tell you!

W.E.D. is the federal agency in charge of this program and is of course run by 'bureaucrats', who turn a blind eye to what is really going on. Bureaucrats who care more about their own thing, than doing the right thing, and as a result there is little to no transparency or accountability. It's called 'willful blindness'.

So while communities like Fred's and ours see stagnation and decline all around us, W.E.D. paints a Potemkin village picture for their bosses in Ottawa that the money is getting out there. And it is, but not to the people it was intended for. Instead, it goes to the greedy and not the needy. While the bureaucrats tap themselves on the back and the politicians glow in the sunlight thinking they are doing good things, the reality is people (communities) are dying a slow death from starvation, neglect and want... in a land of plenty.


p.s. Thanks Fred for being a tireless crusader on behalf of the people against those who would exploit and use us for their own greedy and self-serving good, instead of ours, as it was intended and suppose to be.


As long as people will accept crap, it will be financially profitable to dispense it.

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