26. January 2010 by Kari Calder.

Abandoned cars, low visibility, out of hand snow piles…reminds us us of the infamous blizzard in Saskatoon in January of 2007.  From Friday afternoon until Monday morning there was 25 cms of snow dumped on the city.

Living in Stonebridgein Saskatoon has been a challenge as in my particular phase of Stonebridge it is so new and there is a lot of open space that the snow tends to drift right up to my front door! The city of Saskatoon has admitted in an article in the Star Phoenixthat some of the worst hit areas in the city are Stonebridge, Willowgrove and Hampton Village as we don’t have anything to stop the blowing of the snow into huge drifts.

The snow crews are apparently cleaning around the clock, yet it is still nearly impossible to show houses for sale in the residential areas of Saskatoon. Even downtown Saskatoon, which was supposed to be a priority Monday night, looked pretty messy today.

And move your car if youa re parked in a “Snow Route” as your car will be ticketed and then impounded as crews are trying to remove the snow this week. Around residential homes in Saskatoon parking is a challenge.

I have a few first time home buyers in Saskatoon who are anxious to get out and look at houses and condos for sale in Saskatoon but with the road issues right now we have had to wait, even with driving an SUV it is just too questionable if we are going to make it back out! There have been 53 accidents/collisions on the streets in 3 days so we need to slow down.

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22. January 2010 by Kari Calder.

As a real estate agent in Saskatoon I spend plenty of time on the road and sometimes am in a rush to meet clients to view houses for sale in Saskatoon and can be guilty of driving too fast, but yesterday’s tragedy on Circle Drive is a reminder to slow down.

Around 10am Thursday morning a young woman was killed on the freeway and a 30 year old man was seriously injured. The northbound vehicle on Circle Drive lost control and crossed the ditch into the southbound lanes and caused a head on collision.

According to the Saskatoon Star Phoenix article, investigators had to close down the southbound lanes on Circle Drive and the northbound lane was restricted to one lane until about 6:30 pm.

There were 7 accidents yesterday in and around Saskatoon according to MD Ambulance.

It is an unfortunate reminder of how precious life is and how you can’t take a moment for granted. Our hearts go out to the friends and family members of those involved in yesterday’s accident.

Kari Calder
Residential Real Estate Specialist
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd
Saskatoon
www.karicalder.com

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14. December 2009 by Kari Calder.

With the big chill set in winter has officially arrived in Saskatoon. Temperatures here today will climb to -26 with a windchill that makes it feel more like -43. Edmonton smashed cold records over the weekend with a low of -46.1 C.

That didn’t stop Saskatoon home buyers from looking to buy houses for sale Saskatoon. I was showing townhouses for sale in Saskatoon to 3 different first time home buyers in Sasktaoon, including 2 individuals who recently moved to Saskatoon from China.

Saskatoon is said to be the fastest growing city in Canada in 2010 and I can see why! All 3 buyers I showed townhouses for sale in Saskatoon with this weekend were relatively new to the city. I will be showing houses for sale in Warman and Martensville to another couple from Vancouver this week.

So if you are looking to buy a house for sale in Saskatoon or surrounding area, contact Kari for more information on the current market and to help make the process an easy one. I work in the warm and the cold!

Kari Calder
Residential Real Estate Specialist
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd. Saskatoon
www.karicalder.com

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11. November 2009 by Kari Calder.

Officials say that Saskatoon will finally have a mandatory recycling program. At the rate Saskatoon is growing and producing waste, we will need a new landfill in 12 years at the cost of $75 Million.

Almost half of all waste going to the landfill in Saskatoon right now is organic material (43.5%). This is compostable waste that could be processed into fertilizer. A new organics facility in in the pre-design phase and is estimated to cost $7.2 Million. If all of this waste was diverted we would get an additional six to nine years of life out of the current landfill.

I am very supportive of the PRIVATE “Curbside Recycling Program” but it is a bit disappointing that this is a private program. Saskatoon is far behind so many other cities and the lack of mandatory recycling is unfortunate. Even cities like Prince Albert have 2 bins; one for household waste and one for recycling material. While it is not ‘mandatory’ per se, it is at least accessible for all households and easy to use. In other cities around the country and around the world they use clear plastic bags and each household is only allowed so much waste. By using the clear plastic bags, it can be monitored to show what people are throwing out and, if someone throws a cardboard box in the clear plastic bag, there are cities that will refuse to pick up the garbage that day. Saskatoon does have a long term waste diversion plan which would involve ‘user fees’  based on the amount of waste generated by each home and include this on a utility bill instead of in your taxes.

As a real estate agent in Saskatoon, one of the things I include in my ‘buyer’s pack’ upon possession (when a client gets possession of their new house in Saskatoon and area) is a flyer for Saskatoon Curbside Recycling. The other thing that I do to help the environment is I do not send out unsolicited flyers in the mail or contribute to junk mail.

I have tenants who moved from Ottawa to Saskatoon and one of their first questions was how to handle household waste. They were very accustomed to ‘green bins’ and they explained their city’s program to me. We could learn a lot from Ottawa and other municipalities that are doing such a good job of diverting garbage from the landfills. Lets hope that Saskatoon gets on board sooner than later and that the Saskatoon home owners cooperate to make our city a cleaner and greener city which is more attractive to people looking to move to Saskatoon.

Kari Calder
Residential Real Estate Specialist
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd.

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4. November 2009 by Kari Calder.

The government of Saskatchewan has good reason to be happy with their efforts to attract Fortune Minerals Ltd. Edmonton and Winnipeg were also in the running to host the facility, but the interest expressed by Saskatoon and Saskatchewan was what tipped the scales and convinced the Ontario based company to base its gold, cobalt, bismuth and copper refinery here.

The proposed site is just east of Langham, which is about 30 kms from Saskatoon. It is near the main Canadian National line and is close to a major national highway and services such as power, water, and natural gas.

This refinery will process ore from Fortune’s NICO project in the NWT. They expect the project will be completed and up and running in 2012.

What this means for employment in Saskatoon is 85 highly skilled positions such as chemical and metallurgical engineers during NICO’s projected 15-20 year life. Why those chose Langham area: they wanted to be close to a city but far enough away as it is an industrial site. It is an easy commute from Saskatoon to Langham if workers prefer a larger city.

This is just another example of our booming province and it reinforces the strength that Saskatchewan continues to show.

Kari Calder
Residential Real Estate Specialist
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd.

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19. March 2009 by Kari Calder.

Saskatchewan Potash is projected to generate more money for the Saskatchewan economy than all other natural resources combined.

Potash is a pink mineral and it has 3 main purposes: fertilizer (95% of the world’s potash is used in fertilizer), livestock feed supplements and industrial processes. In fertilizer, potash is what enhances water retention of plants, increases crop yields, and increases plants’ disease resistance. In feed supplements, the key function of potash is to contribute to animal growth and milk production. In industrial production potash is used to produce glass, ceramics, soaps, etc.

Potash in Saskatchewan is expected to generate $1.9 billion for the province in the 2009-2010 fiscal year and is estimated to make more money than provincial income tax.

Finance critic, Harry Van Mulligen, says that we should be cautious and he questions the economic assumptions behind the potash revenue projections and he points out that the projected sales volume was initially 10.3 million tonnes but that is supposed to decrease by about 10% since the budget papers went to print. Spokespeople for Agrium said that the recent production cutbacks will not be an important factor when it comes to how much money the province takes in.

Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd.

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7. May 2008 by Kari Calder.

If you are familiar with my blog or know me, you know that I am very passionate about the environment and am always looking at ways to do my part.  I enjoy providing all of my Saskatoon real estate clients and everyone else information on being more environmentally friendly.  Most times, being environmentally friendly also means that you will save money in the long run as you often use less energy, water, etc.  With the recent increase in gasoline prices I thought it would be a perfect time to provide some tips on saving gasoline.

• A lot of people like to drive over 100km/h on the highway these days but the Canadian Automobile Association claims that driving 120 km/h burn approximately 20% more fuel than when you drive at 100km/h.  In turn driving 90km/h will save you an additional 10%, although I don’t recommend driving below the speed limit as it tends to upset some people.
• Cruise control is your friend on the highway.  If you have cruise control use it as much as possible as it will keep your speed constant and save fuel.
• If at all possible don’t run your AC in your car while driving.  It takes a lot of extra energy to run your AC and can eat up an additional 20% of your fuel consumption as a result.
• Ensure your tires on your car have proper air pressure.  Under inflated tires is a big cause of reduced fuel efficency.
• Remove unnecessary weight from your car.  I know that many people tend to leave heavy objects in their car even when they are not using them.  I don’t know how people I know that keep sand bags in their trunks year round for winter driving.  The extra weight will eat up your gas mileage.
• If you have overdrive on your automatic vehicle, be sure to use it at higher speeds.
• Avoid idling your car for long periods of time.  It takes less fuel to start your car than it does to leave your car idling for 10 seconds.  If you are in a drive thru that is taking a long time, shut off your engine or even if you are just running in somewhere for a quick second.  Do not turn off your car though while in traffic.
• Plan your trips and avoid areas where you know there will be delays in traffic.  A good example is if you know there is going to be construction on your regular route to and from work, go online and look at alternative routes.  They could possibly save you time and gasoline.

I am always interested in hearing more ways to help the environment and do your part.  If you have any tips be sure to contact me and I’ll post them on my blog.

Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd.

Posted in Environment | 1 Comment »

25. April 2008 by Kari Calder.

After the weird Saskatoon weather we have been getting, I think we all notice how global warming is impacting our country and planet.

One of the things I like to do for my Saskatoon real estate clients if give them the information on how to sign up for a recycling program here called Saskatoon Curbside Recycling. I use it myself and love it, so I like to introduce 

I just listened to an interesting story about how plastic water bottles are impacting our environment. Did you know that 90% of these end up in the landfills!

By getting a water filter on your tap a person will keep approx 300 bottles out of the landfills each year.

Most people can’t distinguish the difference during taste tests, the taste tests actually had very surprising results, many people preferred tap water!

Get an under counter system and a reusable bottle each day

Save money and help the environment!

Check out this websitewhich was made by Brita and Nalgene

Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd.

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25. March 2008 by Kari Calder.

Unlike many places in North America, Saskatoon has 4 very distinct seasons.  As a result there are many things you as a Saskatoon home owner can do to lower your utility usage and save money.  Below are a list of 10 ways for you to save money in your day to day lives.  As you know owning and operating a home can be expensive at times especially in the winter heating it and in the summer cooling it.  Why not take a bit of extra time and follow the the tips below to not only save you money but to also contribute to saving the environment.

• Make an effort to turn off all lights and appliances when you leave a room and they are not in use.  Many people often leave on lights as they travel through their home without turning them off.  Another big one is the television.
• In the winter at night or during the day when you are not at home, turn down your thermostat to 18 degrees celsius.  This will make a significant difference in your heating bill in the winter.
• Take advantage of Saskatoon’s sunny winters and during the day in the winters be sure to keep your blinds open.  Although it’s -40 outside the sun will provide a bit of additional warmth in your home.  During the summer be sure to keep your blinds and windows closed.
• Regularly clean your furnace filters, vacuum them once a month if you can.  This will provide better air flow for your furnace which means it will have to work less.
• Plan out your trips prior to leaving the house when driving.  If you can make your trips out in your car multi-purpose trips this will lower the amount you need to drive and will lower the amount of gas your car consumes.
• When washing cloths use cold water and ensure you wash full loads of laundry.  Every store now carries cold water detergent so by using this and cold water to wash your cloths you will see a difference in your utility bills.
• Try not to let your car idle for more than 10 seconds at a time unless you are in traffic.  Starting your car uses less fuel than letting it idle for 10 seconds.
• Unless it is an extremely cold Saskatchewan night try to only plug your car in for a couple hours before you intend to drive it.  Block heaters do consume a lot of energy.  If you have a garage it is definitely worth insulating it as this will reduce the time your car will need to warm up.
• When cooking try to use small appliances for smaller meals.  Microwaves, toaster ovens or slow cookers are a good substitution for a single meal than using the entire oven.
• When cooking food on your stove be sure to use pots that cover the entire stop-top element.  Many new stoves have the ability and technology to switch the cooking surface.  By using a pot that covers the entire surface you will save energy.

These are just a few tips to save you money in your day to day living.  As a Saskatoon Realtor I will continue to provide information to people on how to lower your utility costs.  If you are like me saving money is always a good thing! 

Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd.

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24. March 2008 by Kari Calder.

It is amazing how fast technology has changed over the past 30 years.  I still remember being a little kid watching a TV that was so heavy that 1 person wouldn’t be able to move it themselves and it only had a dial that would allow you to switch between UHF and VHF.  Technology has been integrated into our day to day lives.  This includes anything from the TV’s we watch or the computers we work off everyday.  I have several friends that work in the Information Technology industry and when I recently upgraded to a new laptop I asked them where can I recycle my old computer?  My computer actually broke down and found out it wasn’t fixable.  I originally thought about donating it but found out that it was so old that most organizations that accept donations have minimum limits that they accept as well.  I was surprised to hear from my friends that only over the past couple of years, Saskatoon recycling programs have started to develop for old computers and other types of technology.  As a Saskatoon Realtor I often walk into people’s homes and see piles of old computers, televisions, stereos, printers and everything else you can imagine.  I have experienced this myself in my own home as I recently also bought a new television.  My friends were able to direct me a website called www.sweepit.ca which is an electronic recycling program put on by Sarcan.  The types of things you can recycle with Sarcan include:

• Desktop computers including mouse, keyboards and cables
• Notebook computers
• Monitors – CRT and flat panel
• Desktop printers, fax machines and all in one devices
• Televisions – CRT, flat panel (plasma or LCD) and rear projection

Be sure to visit the sweepit.ca website to find out more information about what you can recycle and locations you can drop off your items.

Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd.

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