Entries by Teigan Kopec

We’re Seeking a Public Appointment to our Board of Governors

We are seeking a Public Appointment to our volunteer Board of Governors for a two year term beginning this November. We are seeking the kind of person that: • Thrives on being a connector • Makes an impact beyond their reputation • Brings people together in a collaborative way • Cares about shared results • […]

2023 Summer Newsletter

Welcome to the summer edition of our seasonal newsletter. Learn about: – Our recent grant recipients! – Our call for Letters of Inquiry to our Investment Grant Program – Our 2021-2022 Annual Report and impact highlights – Projects that are strengthening Alberta’s real estate industry Subscribe to our seasonal newsletter.

Telework is changing the real estate industry in Alberta

By SAIT and RFS Energy Like the rest of the world, Alberta has experienced many changes, big and small, since the COVID-19 pandemic. To name just a few, we’ve experienced shifts in work demands, living circumstances, work-life balances and our personal time, both alone and with others. As our schedules and lifestyles shifted, so too […]

AMBA’s Broker-Owner course is now live

Read on www.amba.ca The Alberta Mortgage Brokers Association (AMBA) is proud to announce the launch of our Broker-Owner course. Designed for practicing mortgage professionals who are interested in starting their own brokerage, it is the first and only course of its kind approved by the Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA). The Broker-Owner course is an advanced […]

New Home Upgrades Program now offered in Calgary to help homeowners struggling with their energy bills

Read the Calgary news release on www.albertaecotrust.com June 19, 2023 Alberta Ecotrust Foundation and Kambo Energy Group launch Alberta’s only program to provide lower income homeowners with education and home upgrades to help reduce their energy costs. Alberta Ecotrust Foundation, a charity that leads urban climate change action through their Climate Innovation Fund, is partnering […]

Partnering in change: Our 2021-2022 Annual Report

Following two years of deep listening, reflecting, and reviewing, we are excited to share that the Foundation had a successful year one implementing our new 2022-2025 Strategic Plan. Grounded in our legislated Mandate, this new plan clarifies the Vision, Mission, and Values of the Foundation, and reflects the understanding we gained through the conversations with […]

Real estate professionals are important stewards in a watershed

When considering property near a lake, engaging with a real estate professional who can share stewardship information with you will positively impact the lake and your property value. Welcome to the Lake is a program developed by the Pigeon Lake Watershed Association (PLWA) to engage real estate professionals in the Pigeon Lake area as healthy-lake […]

Creating career pathways in commercial real estate

Creating Career Pathways in Commercial Real Estate (CCPCRE) is a partnership comprised of Oteenow Employment and Training Society (OETS), Tribal Chiefs Employment and Training Services Association (TCETSA) and the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) Edmonton, with the purpose of building capacity for Indigenous inclusion in the Commercial Real Estate (CRE) industry. Recognizing that real […]

Grant embeds Indigenous ways of knowing in SAPL’s first bachelor’s degree

Read on www.ucalgary.ca. Through a $120,000 grant to the University of Calgary’s School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape (SAPL), the Alberta Real Estate Foundation (AREF) aims to take tangible steps toward reconciliation, while using that positive momentum to strengthen real estate-related professions and the province’s real estate industry overall. The grant, which is in support […]

Rural Development Network enables housing choice across Alberta

The Rural Development Network’s Sustainable Housing Initiative’s (RDN SHI) Enabling Housing Choice project has scaled to partnerships with six municipalities in Alberta. The Enabling Housing Choice project seeks to: To identify policy recommendations that increase housing choice in Alberta municipalities. To meaningfully engage with community members to best understand each communities’ housing needs. To consult […]

Digital home energy labels now available in Edmonton and Calgary through Lightspark Engage, helping homeowners assess their home’s energy efficiency

Read the release on www.albertaecotrust.com March 23, 2023 Alberta Ecotrust Foundation today announced the launch of a first-of-its-kind-in-Canada pilot, Lightspark Engage — a free and user-friendly online platform that allows homeowners to assess their energy use, identify potential cost savings, and show how they could reduce their home carbon footprint. “We’re excited to support the […]

Call for Applications to our Investment Grant Program

This year, the Foundation is holding two rounds of Investment Grants. The deadline to apply to our first round is on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. About Investment Grants The Foundation’s Investment Grant program supports and advances education, research, law reform, and other activities related to real estate across our three focus areas of Real Estate Leadership, Built […]

2023 Winter Newsletter

Welcome to the winter edition of our quarterly newsletter. This edition is all about our funding opportunities and how you can access them! Learn about: – the upcoming Investment Grant deadline on Tuesday, April 18 – what we look for, how to apply, and how to discuss your initiative with our team – examples of […]

Land Access Strategies for New Farmers in Alberta

By the Young Agrarians Farming in Alberta is facing a significant renewal crisis. With the average age of farming increasing every year and fewer and fewer farm children returning to the farm, it is no wonder that only 1 in 12 farms in Canada has a written succession plan. Many of the older farmers that […]

CPLEA invites your feedback on a new course for homebuyers

The Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta (CPLEA) is launching a free home-buying course for Albertans called Nested! CPLEA is seeking feedback from the real estate community about the self-directed course. Let the CPLEA team know what you think! To register, send an email to: webmaster@cplea.ca with “Nested” in the subject line to provide your […]

Building Capacity for Land Matching in Alberta

By the Young Agrarians In the spring of 2022, Caitlyn and Melissa officially launched their new farm, Good Thyme Gardens on leased land near Leduc. Caitlyn and Melissa both had farming and business experience and were looking to start their own small vegetable and herb farm to grow food for their local communities and to […]

Introducing Green Building Education for Real Estate Professionals

By Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) As an industry-leading research team, SAIT Green Building Technologies (GBT), under the Applied Research and Innovation Services (ARIS) group with funding from the Alberta Real Estate Foundation created a series of 5 educational videos to educate real estate and other industry professionals on green building science, technologies, and […]

2022 Fall Newsletter

Welcome to the fall edition of our quarterly newsletter! In this edition, we’re excited to share that the Foundation: – funded $246,990 to three projects through our Investment Grant Program in our last grant round of the year – will have two Investment Grant rounds in 2023, with deadlines on April 3 and August 28 […]

2022 October Investment Grants

The Board of Governors of the Alberta Real Estate Foundation approved $246,990 in our third round of Investment Grants of the year. The Alberta Real Estate Foundation invests in real estate policy, research, practices, and education that strengthen Alberta’s communities. Under the Real Estate Act, whenever a consumer deposits money in trust through a real […]

Remembering Charlie Ponde

Charlie Ponde, former Governor and Chair of the Foundation, passed away on October 4, 2022. Charlie sat on the Foundation’s Board of Governors for six years, joining in 2012 as an appointee of the Alberta Real Estate Association. He then served as our Board Chair in 2015-2017. For nearly 30 years, Charlie was a proud […]

The Digital Home Energy Label Pilot Project Attracts New Partnership

We had the pleasure of attending the REALTORS® Association of Edmonton’s annual conference & tradeshow this September, along with Alberta Ecotrust Foundation and Lightspark Software Inc., recipients of our 2021 30th Anniversary Legacy Grant.   This was a fantastic opportunity for Alberta Ecotrust and Lightspark to introduce the project and software to REALTORS®. Digital energy labeling […]

Celebrating the Civic Commons Catalyst

The Foundation joined the University of Calgary’s School of Architecture, Landscape and Planning, and the City of Calgary to announce a $350,000 investment by the City to the Civic Commons Catalyst initiative. The investment will support the researchers as they focus on innovative solutions for economic recovery, downtown reinvention, and impactful investment to transform underutilized […]

Supporting Diversity through Inclusion in Commercial Real Estate

Last year in our 30th Anniversary Stakeholder Engagement Sessions, we heard that there is underrepresentation of people of colour in all aspects of the real estate industry. To the credit of our stakeholders, they also acknowledged that this wasn’t strictly an issue of diversity, they recognized that there were issues of equity and a need […]

2022 Summer Newsletter

Welcome to the summer edition of our quarterly newsletter! In this edition, we’re excited to share that the Foundation: – funded $483,000 to five projects through our Investment Grant Program in our second grant round of the year – is ready for your Letter of Inquiry to our third and last grant round of 2022 […]

Seeking an External Committee Member to Join our Governance Committee

Created through the Alberta Real Estate Act, the Alberta Real Estate Foundation (the Foundation) is a non-profit organization that oversees, supports, and advances the real estate industry, and protects the public interest. We do this by funding real estate-related education initiatives, law reform, research, and industry and community innovation activities. We connect people and share […]

Responding to Community Opposition to Affordable Housing

By Civida Despite the known benefits of affordable housing and the negative aspects of housing inequality, the supply of social and affordable housing in Canada is lacking. One challenge to increasing the supply of affordable housing is community opposition, often described as NIMBYism or Not in My Backyard opposition. While most people support affordable housing […]

2022 June Investment Grants

The Board of Governors of the Alberta Real Estate Foundation approved $423,000 in our second round of Investment Grants of the year. The Alberta Real Estate Foundation invests in real estate policy, research, practices, and education that strengthen Alberta’s communities. Under the Real Estate Act, whenever a consumer deposits money in trust through a real […]

Enhancing rural properties: Taking time to walk the land

By Robert Underschultz, Environmental Technician, Agroforestry & Woodlot Extension Society View the PDF. The uplifting fragrance of spruce and pine, the gentle applause of aspen in the wind, and the musical chorus of wildlife; these are the joys of treed landscapes. Walking the land and taking in the wonderful sights and sounds of forested areas […]

2022 Spring Newsletter

Welcome to the spring 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 $88,000 to 2 projects through our Investment Grant Program in our first grant round of the year – revealed our 2022-2025 […]

2022 March Investment Grants

The Board of Governors of the Alberta Real Estate Foundation approved $88,000 in our first round of Investment Grants of the year. The Alberta Real Estate Foundation invests in real estate policy, research, practices, and education that strengthen Alberta’s communities. Under the Real Estate Act, whenever a consumer deposits money in trust through a real […]

Enabling Housing Choice Project launches with an Alberta-wide survey

February 8, 2022 For Immediate Release Download the PDF. The Rural Development Network’s (RDN) Sustainable Housing Initiative (SHI) announces the launch of its Enabling Housing Choice project. This project, funded by the Alberta Real Estate Foundation (AREF), will help enable communities across Alberta to reduce barriers to diverse housing development through policy changes. This project […]

Making our homes safer: Researchers work to own cancer by ridding Canadian houses of dangerous radon gas

“An odourless, cancer-causing gas is building up in many Canadian homes. A University of Calgary radon research team, fuelled by renewed funding from the Alberta Real Estate Foundation to the OWN.CANCER campaign, is working to change this — owning cancer through prevention and partnership.” Read the recent media release New Canadian houses found to have […]

2022-2025 Strategic Plan

We’re excited to share our 2022-2025 Strategic Plan with you. This plan is informed by What We Heard from you during our 30th Anniversary Stakeholder Engagement Sessions in the Spring of 2021, and an extensive internal review of the Foundation. We look forward to undertaking this work, guided by our Strategic Priorities and Goals, and […]

Healthy Homes & Communities: What matters when it comes to wellbeing?

The COVID-19 pandemic and related public health measures have drawn our attention to how important our homes, neighbourhoods, and communities are to our health, wellbeing, and overall quality of life. Our environments shape where we live, work, play, and how we interact. Opportunities in these different settings create and strengthen community vitality, resiliency, and wellbeing. […]

30 Seconds on 30 Years with Doug Leighton

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 Doug Leighton, RPP MCIP MRAIC, Chair of the Board from 2020 to 2021, and […]

Seeking a Community Investment Manager

We are seeking a Community Investment Manager who is inspired by our mission, demonstrates a high level of motivation, is willing to accept new challenges, ideally brings a strong connection to rural and remote Alberta, has a background in community investment and outcome measurement and evaluation, and is a team player. The Community Investment and […]

30 Seconds on 30 Years with Jim Saunders

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 Jim Saunders, Chair of the Board from 2018 to 2019, and REALTOR® in Lethbridge. […]

Calgary & Edmonton homes to get digital home energy labels

January 10, 2022 For Immediate Release Alberta Ecotrust Foundation has partnered with Lightspark to launch the “Uncovering Real Estate Value through Digital Home Labels” pilot project that will automatically provide the first-ever digital home energy labels for all homes in Calgary and Edmonton. Alberta Ecotrust Foundation, a charity that leads urban climate change action through […]

2021 Fall Newsletter

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 […]

City-building research positioned to catalyze downtown reinvention

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 […]

30 Seconds on 30 Years with Brent Alexander

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 […]

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

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 […]

September 2021 Community Investment

The Board of Governors of the Alberta Real Estate Foundation approved $446,920 in Investment Grants at their most recent Board Meeting. In total, the Foundation funded $901,920 through ten Investment Grants in 2021! The Alberta Real Estate Foundation invests in real estate policy, research, practices, and education that strengthen Alberta’s communities. Under the Real Estate […]

30 Seconds on 30 Years with Charlie Ponde

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 Charlie Ponde, Chair of the Board from 2015 to 2017, REALTOR® of the Year […]

September 2021 30th Anniversary Legacy Investment in Our Community

The Alberta Real Estate Foundation’s 30th Anniversary Legacy Grants program supports distinctive and high-impact projects which drive transformational long-term change to advance the real estate industry in Alberta. To celebrate our thirty years of impact, we mobilized an additional $2M in community investment! This spring, the Board of Governors invested $943,000 through the Legacy Grants […]

30 Seconds on 30 Years with Gary Willson

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. Here’s what Gary Willson, Chair of the Board from 2013 to 2015, RPP MCIP, and Principal […]

Alberta Real Estate Foundation Partners with Empower Me to Bring Energy Efficiency Education to Multilingual Homeowners

October 6, 2021 For Immediate Release Canada is celebrating Energy Efficiency Day – the people, the organizations, and the industries delivering more comfortable homes, more prosperous businesses, healthier schools, and bigger energy savings. “This year, as Alberta celebrates Energy Efficiency Day and recognizes the multiple benefits of energy savings, we are happy to announce our […]

Seeking a Public Appointment to our Board of Governors

The Foundation is seeking a Public Appointment to join our Board of Governors for a two-year appointment starting this November 2021. As described in the Alberta Real Estate Act Regulations, the Foundation’s volunteer Board of Governors is constituted by industry and public representation. The Foundation is seeking a candidate to fill the position of Public […]

Our Impact | Grant Recipient Olds College Shares Findings from Phase 2 of their Floating Island Technology Project

Join us at a webinar hosted by Olds College showcasing their innovative floating island technology on Thursday, October 7 at 11 am. Water contamination is a critical problem within agricultural, and urban areas across Alberta and Western Canada. Past research has proven that wetland plants are effective in capturing nutrients to effectively clean water while […]

Our Impact | New Resource | Paths for Housing Co-operatives

Co-op housing is an essential piece of the housing continuum in Alberta and Canada, however, as government subsidies continue to dwindle and current co-op assets face increasing maintenance costs, the inventory of units is threatened. This project assesses the financial needs of current co-ops, explores research solutions, and shares recommendations for new co-op housing models. […]

2021 Summer Newsletter

Since we were last in touch in the Spring, the Foundation: Funded $455,000 in 4 projects through our Investment Grants Program Funded $943,000 in 3 projects through our 30th Anniversary Legacy Grants Program Hosted 4 engagement sessions to help chart our future This summer, we are getting ready to: Receive applications from the community and […]

June 2021 30th Anniversary Legacy Investment in Our Community

The Alberta Real Estate Foundation’s 30th Anniversary Legacy Grants program supports distinctive and high-impact projects which drive transformational long-term change to advance the real estate industry and real estate across Alberta. To celebrate our thirty years of impact, we have mobilized an additional $2M in community investment! Our Board of Governors have made a great […]

Join us to celebrate 30 years & chart our future

To celebrate 30 years of service to the province, we want to hear from you! You can help chart the path we’ll follow together into the future. As part of our celebration, we are holding a series of virtual gatherings to explore challenges and opportunities for Alberta’s real estate industry and the Alberta Real Estate […]