2021 Fall Newsletter

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Welcome to the fall edition of our quarterly newsletter! In this edition, we’re excited to share that the Foundation:

  • – is ready for your Letter of Inquiry for our 2022 Grant Programs!
  • – funded $446,920 in 6 projects through our Investment Grant Program at our September Board meeting
  • – funded $1,370,000 in 5 projects through our 30th Anniversary Legacy Grant Program at our September Board meeting
  • – hosted the Board of Governors and Staff Team in a Strategic Planning Retreat informed by What We Heard from you
  • – welcomed Janice Resch, incoming Chair. We look forward to announcing changes to our Board of Governors in the New Year
  • – posted new resources developed for real estate professionals and Albertans with our funding
Read the Newsletter

We share our funding opportunities and how our investments are strengthening Alberta’s communities. Subscribe to our seasonal newsletter.

City-building research positioned to catalyze downtown reinvention

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Civic Commons Catalyst pilot proposes strategic interventions for downtown Calgary and attracts participation of three Albertan municipalities

Published on November 30, 2021 in UCalgary News.

Download the PDF version.

Calgary, AB ­– A hyperloop station, a waste-to-energy facility, a Calgary Airport-Downtown-Banff Rail, crypto-mining farms, hydroponic facilities, an innovation district, and an artist/rainbow village. These are just a few of the interventions that the Civic Commons Catalyst is proposing to reinvent downtown Calgary’s vacant public spaces and spur economic recovery and investment. The Civic Commons Catalyst is transdisciplinary research partnership under the Center for Civilization between the University of Calgary’s School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape (SAPL), the School of Public Policy (SPP), Evergreen, the City of Calgary — and funded by the Alberta Real Estate Foundation.

“The goal of Civic Commons Catalyst is to create a more resilient future for Calgary’s vacant downtown spaces. Our phase one research culminated in 20 strategic recommendations for unique spatial projects that will transform downtown Calgary, and help spur economic recovery and investment.”
– Alberto de Salvatierra, assistant professor, SAPL, UCalgary and director and founder, Center for Civilization

Phase one of the Civic Commons Catalyst’s research culminated in a list of 20 recommended strategic interventions for Calgary. The proposals catalyze underutilized spaces across the city into positive assets for the public, allowing communities to pioneer an innovative future backed by data and design-at-scale. Six research areas, including interviews, horizon scanning, public policy, finance innovation, geospatial data and urban design, along with the support of 13 UCalgary graduate students, were used to gather the data and determine the interventions.

While navigating the challenging circumstances presented by the pandemic, de Salvatierra has secured nearly a million dollars in project support from a range of organizations, including a grant from the Alberta Real Estate Foundation. This funding allows the project to move into phase two with an expanded team of 25 researchers and will focus on bringing stakeholders, such as building owners and operators, developers, policy makers, community associations and civic leaders, together to facilitate these 20 recommendations and turn them into reality. Currently, the Civic Commons Catalyst is encouraging interested parties to reach out to collaborate on these interventions.

“The Civic Commons Catalyst drives the transformational and long-term change we were looking for through our one-time legacy grant program. We’ve heard from our stakeholders that to navigate this emerging world, we need to be intentional about fostering a future that contributes to healthy, vibrant Alberta communities. The ripples of this project will be felt in Calgary’s downtown economic recovery and the real estate industry throughout the province. We are thrilled to fund this critical work.”
– Patti Morris, executive director, Alberta Real Estate Foundation

As Calgary moves into phase two, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and Okotoks will start phase one research. Currently, select existing phase one work is viewable until December 30 in the Create Space at the Central Library in the interactive exhibition “Comple(x)ity: Data, Discovery and Design.” In 2022, this research on Alberta’s innovative approach to downtown revitalization will be shared in a series of knowledge mobilization activities. The project’s work will also be available to the public through lectures, exhibitions and a regional/national forum hosted by Evergreen.

“This project has the potential to radically transform the landscape of available strategies to address the 30 per cent vacancy in Calgary’s downtown core and to provide a model for other cities to leverage their underutilized civic assets. Embedding this in UCalgary leverages the institution’s significant intellectual and creative capacity, and helps de-risk innovation for municipal governments. It’s exemplifies the kind of forward-looking innovation that is gaining momentum and having an impact in communities across the country.”
– Robert Plitt, associate, Evergreen

The project is part of Urban Alliance, a strategic partnership between The City of Calgary and UCalgary to promote the seamless transfer of cutting-edge research for the benefit of all of Calgary’s communities. The initiative is supported by, and leverages, Evergreen and Future Cities Canada’s history of convening networks and incubating social labs and participatory design practices for complex urban issues.

Download “Civic Commons Catalyst 2021: Strategic Interventions” briefing report

Parties interested in collaborating on this project can email de Salvatierra at alberto.desalvatierr@ucalgary.ca.

 

Media Contacts

Vita Leung
School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape
University of Calgary
403-220-5323 | vita.leung@ucalgary.ca

Teigan Kopec
Alberta Real Estate Foundation
403-923-8346 | tkopec@aref.ab.ca


About the University of Calgary
The University of Calgary is a global intellectual hub located in Canada’s most enterprising city. In our spirited, high-quality learning environment, students thrive in programs made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. Our strategy drives us to be recognized as one of Canada’s top five research universities, engaging the communities we both serve and lead. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca. Stay up to date with University of Calgary news headlines on Twitter @UCalgary. For details on faculties and how to reach experts go to our media center at ucalgary.ca/newsroom.

About School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape
The School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape at the University of Calgary is one of the top design schools in Canada. Founded in 1971, SAPL celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Since its inception, the School has demonstrated a commitment to challenging the status quo with holistic design thinking. For more information, visit sapl.ucalgary.ca. Follow @ucalgarysapl on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

About the Civic Commons Catalyst
The Catalyst is an interdisciplinary research and innovation platform embedded within City Building Design Lab at the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, University of Calgary. Partner faculties include the School of Public Policy and Haskayne School of Business. It is funded by the Alberta Real Estate Foundation.  The project is part of Urban Alliance, a strategic partnership between The City and the University of Calgary to promote the seamless transfer of cutting-edge research for the benefit of all of Calgary’s communities. The Catalyst is part of the Future Cities Canada collaborative platform, and is supported by Evergreen.

About the Alberta Real Estate Foundation
Created through the Alberta Real Estate Act, the Alberta Real Estate Foundation is a nonprofit organization that makes purposeful impact-oriented grants and investments that make a difference to the real estate industry and for all Albertans. We contribute to thriving Alberta communities and a stronger economy through our grant programs, benefitting homeowners, landowners, tenants, and real estate industry professionals. We do this by funding real estate-related education initiatives, law reform, research, and industry and community innovation activities. We connect people and share knowledge in collaboration with real estate industry and public stakeholders. Since 1991, the Foundation has invested $26.5 million in grants to over 665 initiatives across Alberta. For more information, visit www.aref.ab.ca. Follow @arefabca on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

About Future Cities Canada
Convened by Evergreen, Future Cities Canada is a national cross-sector initiative with the mission to accelerate innovation to transform cities for the benefit of all. Drawing on the expertise of its founding organizations – The McConnell Foundation, TD Bank Group, Evergreen, Maison de l’innovation sociale and Community Foundations of Canada – and together with a diverse and growing network of partners, Future Cities Canada collectively strives to address the challenges facing cities and city-dwellers to reimagine cities that are equitable, regenerative and prosperous. www.futurecitiescanada.ca

 

Image: Civic Commons Catalyst 2021: Strategic Interventions briefing report

30 Seconds on 30 Years with Brent Alexander

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In celebration of our 30th Anniversary, we (virtually) sat down with a few of our past chairs to take stock of their time with the Foundation, and the impact the Foundation has on the real estate industry and Alberta.

Hear from Brent Alexander, Chair of the Board from 2017 to 2018, and current Vide Chair with Affirm United/S’affirmer Ensemble and Lead Coordinator at the Glen Rhodes Food Bank:

How many years were you involved with the Foundation?

I was involved for six years, from 2012 to 2018.

Why did you get involved?

A friend shared the posting for a community member. Having been involved in many not-for-profit organizations, I was intrigued to be part of a Foundation. I have always had a great interest in urban and real estate issues, including having completed a certificate program in Urban Design. The intersection of the Foundation with many of my interests almost forced me to apply.

Do you have any favorite projects funded in your time as Chair?

There were many, but two, in particular, stand out: our guide for Tenants and Landlords on rights and responsibilities for each and our resource for Acreage owners.

From your perspective, what is the Foundation’s greatest accomplishment over the years?

The Foundation has always maintained a high level of grants on an annual basis, hitting far above its weight relative to other foundations of far greater size. The Foundation has the willingness to be first in, to help applicants attract further funding from other funders.

What impact has the Foundation had on Alberta and the industry?

I think the Foundation has been an honest broker between all players within the industry, providing resources and expertise to assist in the continuing professionalization of brokers and agents, while being keenly aware of the consumer and their needs.

 

Thank you, Brent!

New Canadian houses found to have much higher radon gas levels than those in Sweden

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UCalgary research correlates radon levels to increased lung cancer rates

By Weston Jacques, Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute

This collaborative work was supported by funds from the Alberta Real Estate Foundation, Health Canada, and the Robson DNA Science Centre Fund at the Charbonneau Cancer Institute.

Published on November 23, 2021 in UCalgary News

A multi-disciplinary team of Canadian architects and cancer researchers has found average radon gas levels in new homes in Canada are 467 per cent higher than in Sweden.

The researchers predict that without intervention, by 2050 the average radon level of a new Canadian home will increase another 25 per cent over current levels, which are already third highest in the world.

“It is important to acknowledge that prevalent, unsafe radon exposure is a relatively recent, human-made problem rooted in the design of our built environment,” says Joshua Taron, the associate dean (research and innovation) and associate professor with the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape at the University of Calgary. “Canadian construction and design practices in the last 40 years have produced residential, commercial and industrial buildings that capture, contain and concentrate radon to unnatural and unsafe levels.”

Radioactive radon gas inhalation is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers and is responsible for about 88,000 cases of lung cancer in Canada since 2001. Lung cancer rates in Canada are currently 163 per cent higher than in Sweden, despite smoking rates being essentially the same.

The researchers, part of the Evict Radon national study involving teams from across Canada, used artificial intelligence tools to analyze long-term radon tests and buildings from more than 25,000 Canadian and 38,000 Swedish residential properties constructed since World War II.

The researchers chose to compare Canada to Sweden because of the similar climate and available data dating back decades. While Swedish properties in the 1950s had higher radon versus those built in Canada, the situation has changed dramatically over the years. From the 1970s to 1980s, Canadian and Swedish properties had essentially the same radon risks.

However, since 1980, radon levels have consistently risen in Canada while falling in Sweden. The causes for this change are complex, with no single, decision or event responsible for reducing or increasing radon in either country.

According to Dr. Aaron Goodarzi, PhD, the Canada Research Chair for Radiation Exposure Disease and an associate professor in the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary, “Considering the 10- to 30-year latency period for lung cancer — the time between exposure and the detection of cancer — one plausible explanation for the disparity between Canadian and Swedish lung cancer incidence is differences in exposure to residential radon.”

Given the scale of the problem, and with the same trends found across every Canadian province and territory, the team calls for proactive radon mitigation systems to be included in all new residential properties constructed using the 2025 Building Code.

Goodarzi says, “We can’t afford to wait. The lives of tens of thousands of Canadians are on the line here, not to mention tremendous amounts of health-care dollars that we will never need to spend if we work toward prevention today.”

 

Joshua Taron is the associate dean (research and innovation) and associate professor with the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape at UCalgary.

Aaron Goodarzi is the Canada Research Chair for Radiation Exposure Disease and an associate professor in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Cumming School of Medicine. He is a member of the Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute.

About the Evict Radon national study
Evict Radon is working toward educating Canadians about the harmful effects of radon gas. By testing your home with one of our research-grade radon test kits and enrolling in our UCalgary-based research study, you are helping Evict Radon-aligned researchers from across Canada to understand radon exposure and develop new ways to protect ourselves and loved ones. Learn more. Follow @evictradon on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

The Evict Radon study is supported by grants from Health Canada and the Alberta Real Estate Foundation and represents a confederation of Canadian scholars with expertise in radon biology, architecture, population health, geology and communications.

About the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape
The School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape at the University of Calgary is one of the top design schools in Canada. Founded in 1971, SAPL celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Since its inception, the school has demonstrated a commitment to challenging the status quo with holistic design thinking. Learn more. Follow @ucalgarysapl on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

The Calgary Cancer Centre Campaign is on a mission to OWN.CANCER by raising $250 million in support of improved research, treatment and care at Calgary’s new world-class cancer centre. This game-changing initiative is backed by three trusted community institutions: Alberta Health Services, Canada’s first and largest fully integrated provincial health system; the University of Calgary, a globally recognized leader in medical research and home to tomorrow’s health-care professionals; and the Alberta Cancer Foundation, the official fundraising partner for all 17 cancer care centres across the province. Currently under construction, the Calgary Cancer Centre will open its doors in 2023 as the largest, most comprehensive cancer centre in Canada. To donate or learn more, please visit owncancer.ca.

About the Alberta Real Estate Foundation
Created through the Alberta Real Estate Act, the Alberta Real Estate Foundation is a nonprofit organization that makes purposeful impact-oriented grants and investments that make a difference to the real estate industry and for all Albertans. We contribute to thriving Alberta communities and a stronger economy through our grant programs, benefiting homeowners, landowners, tenants, and real estate industry professionals. We do this by funding real estate-related education initiatives, law reform, research, and industry and community innovation activities. We connect people and share knowledge in collaboration with real estate industry and public stakeholders. Since 1991, the foundation has invested $26.5 million in grants to over 665 initiatives across Alberta.