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Explore Net Zero living at 2022 SRHBA Parade of Homes

  • November 1, 2022

Visit the 2022 SRHBA Parade of Homes and learn how Net Zero adds up to a better living experience. Have fun while you explore the parade homes and enter to win great prizes!

Publishing date:

Sep 20, 2022  •  September 20, 2022  •  3 minute read

Selkirk Developments is one of two Certified Professional Home Builders who are participating in the 2022 SRHBA Parade of Homes with a Net Zero demonstration home located at 108 Forsey Ave. in Aspen Ridge. Loaded with luxury features, the home delivers the ultimate in energy efficiency. Photo: Jeannie Armstrong
Selkirk Developments is one of two Certified Professional Home Builders who are participating in the 2022 SRHBA Parade of Homes with a Net Zero demonstration home located at 108 Forsey Ave. in Aspen Ridge. Loaded with luxury features, the home delivers the ultimate in energy efficiency. Photo: Jeannie Armstrong

The Saskatoon & Region Home Builders’ Association (SRHBA) has opened the doors to its member showcase event of the year: the 2022 Parade of Homes.

Now through October 16, the public has the opportunity to tour and explore 19 incredible model homes, designed and constructed by 12 of the association’s Certified Professional Home Builders (CPHB). Participating builders include BelleMaison Development Corporation, Boychuk Homes, Edgewater Development, Ehrenburg Homes, Hometown Homes, Lexis Homes, North Prairie Developments, North Ridge Development Corporation, Pacesetter Homes Saskatchewan, Selkirk Developments, Westbow Construction Group and Warman Homes.

The 2022 Parade of Homes, presented by the Saskatoon & Region Home Builders’ Association, is comprised of 19 model homes, designed and constructed by 12 Certified Professional Home Builders in eight different neighbourhoods. Pacesetter Homes Saskatchewan has two show homes in the parade, including this stylish two-storey located at 1026 Childers Court in Kensington. SUPPLIED
The 2022 Parade of Homes, presented by the Saskatoon & Region Home Builders’ Association, is comprised of 19 model homes, designed and constructed by 12 Certified Professional Home Builders in eight different neighbourhoods. Pacesetter Homes Saskatchewan has two show homes in the parade, including this stylish two-storey located at 1026 Childers Court in Kensington. SUPPLIED

The parade extends through seven different neighbourhoods in Saskatoon, including Aspen Ridge, Rosewood,

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Chippewas partner with London agency to teach job skills, build homes

  • October 31, 2022

Affordable housing built by the community, for the community is the concept behind a new project underway at Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, about 30 kilometres southwest of London.

Author of the article:

Calvi Leon  •  Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Publishing date:

Sep 20, 2022  •  September 20, 2022  •  3 minute read  •  Join the conversation

John Weekes takes direction from an instructor while participating in a hands-on home construction program on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022, at the site of a new affordable housing project at Chippewas of the Thames First Nation. Weekes is one of 19 members helping to build two micro-homes that will be used for housing on the First Nation. (Calvi Leon/The London Free Press)
John Weekes takes direction from an instructor while participating in a hands-on home construction program on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022, at the site of a new affordable housing project at Chippewas of the Thames First Nation. Weekes is one of 19 members helping to build two micro-homes that will be used for housing on the First Nation. (Calvi Leon/The London Free Press)

Affordable housing built by the community, for the community is the concept behind a new project underway at Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, about 30 kilometres southwest of London.

The First Nation and Pathways Employment Help Centre, a London employment agency, are tackling the First Nation’s housing shortage and developing capacity with a new program that teaches college-level construction skills while building “micro-homes” for individuals in the community.

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New doors, new colour, new style: Beautify your cabinets for less

  • October 2, 2022

The efficient, affordable and eco-friendly option you didn’t know about

Author of the article:

Aly Laube  •  Postmedia Content Works

Publishing date:

Sep 16, 2022  •  September 16, 2022  •  2 minute read

180 Kitchens 1
After Greg and Lisa Porcellato brought in 180 Kitchens to reface their kitchen. SUPPLIED

When Greg and Lisa Porcellato knew it was time to spruce up their kitchen cabinets, they were unsure whom to trust with the job. Replacing their entire setup seemed extensive, and they wanted to avoid huge bills and long construction periods, so they had to choose carefully.

After working with 180 Kitchens, the happy couple says they “got lucky!”

“No request was

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Get to know the Furniture Family of Saskatchewan

  • September 30, 2022

“Our goal has always been to give our customers the best quality at the best prices,” says Kristy Sorensen, general manager of Furniture World.

Author of the article:

Jenny Gabruch  •  Postmedia Content Works

Publishing date:

Sep 20, 2022  •  September 21, 2022  •  3 minute read  •  Join the conversation

Furniture World has served Saskatchewan for more than 30 years, under the successful ownership of the Sorensen family. Pictured here (left to right) are Kristy, Julie, Kris and Jeff Sorensen. Photo: D&M Images/Elaine Mark
Furniture World has served Saskatchewan for more than 30 years, under the successful ownership of the Sorensen family. Pictured here (left to right) are Kristy, Julie, Kris and Jeff Sorensen. Photo: D&M Images/Elaine Mark

It’s a business philosophy that has served the family well over the years — as well as its customers.

 From modest beginnings, Furniture World has grown to become one of Saskatchewan’s largest — and most prominent — home furnishings ventures, with retail outlets covering the province.

“Our goal has always been to give our customers the best quality at the best prices,” says Kristy Sorensen, general manager of the family-owned venture.

 Indeed, it’s a concept that Furniture World has long embraced, offering a world of choice to consumers at affordable prices — without sacrificing quality or style.

It all comes down to the company’s retail model that has been there from the very beginning: by lowering margins — including overheads and non-commissioned sales — they can pass along those savings to customers.

“That’s been the way we’ve done business, and it’s worked,” says Kristy.

Many staff members have been with Furniture World for 20 or 30 years, so there are always familiar faces at the store to greet customers. Photo: D&M Images/Elaine Mark
Many staff members have been with Furniture World for 20 or 30 years, so there are always familiar faces at the store to greet customers. Photo: D&M Images/Elaine Mark
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Come home to cottage style

  • July 10, 2022

Make the most of your time away with simple yet luxurious comforts.

Add nighttime sparkle at the cottage. Solar LED Outdoor String Lights, $17, homesense.ca. HomeSense
Add nighttime sparkle at the cottage. Solar LED Outdoor String Lights, $17, homesense.ca. HomeSense

Over the summer, many people will visit a cottage, chalet or cabin — those special places that epitomize easy living and help us unwind in nature. For many, it’s a ritual, and for others it’s a newly discovered way to escape the city, breathe fresh air, soak up the sun and have fun in the water or on a hike.

Whether you’re roughing it or are treating yourself to a stylish five-star cottage, having a few comforts of home can make your time away a little cosier. This column is packed with ideas on how to make cottage life more comfy. So, load up the trunk of the car with mod cons from home for cooking, lighting and even furniture, and then relax, cottage style!

Let there be light

One luxury of cottaging is spending time outside at night beside a campfire or playing cards on the deck in the cool air. I always like to bring a few forms of lighting with me just in case. On my packing list is a lantern for late-night excursions to the dock for stargazing, tabletop candles for lingering over long dinners that stretch past dusk, and a set of LED lights to string along a deck rail or even hang in a cottage bedroom.

Even better, opt for LED solar-powered string lights. I found a very stylish set at HomeSense for the best price of under twenty dollars. The solar panel gathers up the rays during the day and in return adds sparkle to your nights. Hang them through the tree branches and they’ll twinkle like

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Vintage photos with vintage, contemporary pieces in Vancouver exhibition

  • July 1, 2022

A trio of giant photos of Led Zeppelin and the Mission Raceway are face-mounted onto coloured acrylic.

Photographer Greg Girard at Inform Interiors in Vancouver, BC Tuesday, June 21, 2022.
Photographer Greg Girard at Inform Interiors in Vancouver, BC Tuesday, June 21, 2022. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG

A couple from Madrid was recently in Vancouver for their honeymoon. Walking down Water Street in Gastown, they came across an arresting vision in the window at Inform Interiors — a cool pad that mixes vintage and contemporary furniture.

Pulling it all together was the art on the wall, a trio of giant photos of Led Zeppelin and the Mission Raceway, face-mounted onto coloured acrylic. The Zep photos were in blue, the Raceway in orange.

They went inside to inquire about them, and were directed to the Monte Clark Gallery in Railtown. And they wound up going home to Spain with a smaller version of a Led Zeppelin photo, which captures the rock legends in concert.

Vancouver, BC: JUNE 21, 2022 –Photographer Greg Girard at Inform Interiors in Vancouver, BC Tuesday, June 21, 2022. Girard took the picture of Led Zeppelin that hangs in the background when he was 17.(Photo by Jason Payne/ PNG)(For story by John Mackie) [PNG Merlin Archive]
Vancouver, BC: JUNE 21, 2022 –Photographer Greg Girard at Inform Interiors in Vancouver, BC Tuesday, June 21, 2022. Girard took the picture of Led Zeppelin that hangs in the background when he was 17.(Photo by Jason Payne/ PNG)(For story by John Mackie) [PNG Merlin Archive] Photo by Jason Payne /PNG

It was taken by the acclaimed local photographer Greg Girard, and is part of a show running concurrently at both the

and Inform.

Both the Led Zeppelin and Mission Raceway photos were taken in 1973, when Girard was a budding photographer. When he decided to put them

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B.C. minister Josie Osborne denies conflict-of-interest allegations

  • July 1, 2022

B.C. Liberals have asked conflict-of-interest commissioner Victoria Gray to look into whether there’s any conflict concerning Josie Osborne.

Publishing date:

Jun 30, 2022  •  6 hours ago  •  2 minute read  •  8 Comments

Land, Water and Resource Stewardship Minister Josie Osborne.
Land, Water and Resource Stewardship Minister Josie Osborne. Photo by CHAD HIPOLITO /THE CANADIAN PRESS

In the face of conflict-of-interest allegations, Land, Water and Resource Stewardship Minister Josie Osborne’s office has provided a timeline to show she was not involved in a decision to approve a $15-million grant to a non-profit group that purchased her husband’s investment property.

In April, the Land, Water and Resource Stewardship Ministry announced that a $15 million stewardship fund would be given to the MakeWay Charitable Society, formerly known as Tides Canada, to co-ordinate watershed restoration projects led or co-led by First Nations.

Osborne’s husband, George Patterson, sold the Tofino Botanical Gardens to the MakeWay Charitable Society for $2.3 million on Sept. 17, 2021, according to land title documents. The 12-acre waterfront property on the Pacific Rim Highway was initially listed for $3.75 million.

The B.C. Liberals have asked conflict-of-interest commissioner Victoria Gray to look into whether there’s any conflict. They insist the optics aren’t good.

“How are British Columbians able to have confidence that the purchase of the property did not play a role in the award of the $15 million fund or that MakeWay did not leverage this purchase to gain influence with the minister’s office?” Lorne Doerkson, B.C. Liberal critic for Land, Water and Resource Stewardship, asked in a statement.

However, Osborne’s office said she didn’t participate in

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Can upscale renovations price your home out of the resale market?

  • June 24, 2022

Find out which renovations give the best return on investment when selling a home.

Even though they can improve a home's sale price, do renovations primarily to enjoy them, says realtor Doug Smilski.
Even though they can improve a home’s sale price, do renovations primarily to enjoy them, says realtor Doug Smilski. Photo by Syda Productions /Shutterstock

A kitchen renovation provides the most bang for your buck when increasing a home’s potential resale value, a new survey has found.

Yet a local realtor suggests homeowners think twice before paying tens of thousands of dollars to upgrade their kitchen or undergo other costly renovations if their intention is to maximize the sale price of their home.

“On the whole, renovating your home is not a bad idea,” says Doug Smilski, realtor with Royal LePage Noralta Real Estate in Edmonton.

“But when you do a renovation, you should know that you may not see a comparable return on investment when you sell your home, so a big renovation should really be more about enjoying it while you live there.”

Still, the recent Royal LePage Home Renovation Return on Investment survey of more than 400 real estate professionals found a newly remodelled kitchen could on average add 20 per cent to a property’s total value.

That’s the highest return on investment among all renovations on the survey’s list of 13 improvements, which included everything from pools to home offices and eco-upgrades.

“Most homeowners would like to know where they should invest in their home and what renovations offer the best return

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Top 5 reasons to visit Montreal this summer

  • June 21, 2022

With the curfews and COVID-19 restrictions lifted it’s the perfect time to discover Montréal.

City view on the old Port of Montreal.
City view on the old Port of Montreal. Photo by Getty Images

Montreal is one of the most exciting cities in the world. Known for it’s cuisine, nightlife, festivals, sunny terraces, and cultural diversity it’s a city that begs to be explored.  Here are five reasons to visit this summer.

1) The Draft Party

Montréal loves it’s hockey and this year the National Hockey League draft of the best young hockey players takes place at the Bell Centre July 7 and 8.  And The Canadiens have the No. 1 pick. NHL executives, scouts and coaches will be present and thousands of fans are expected to attend.

The National Hockey League draft takes place in Montreal at The Bell Centre July 7 and 8.
The National Hockey League draft takes place in Montreal at The Bell Centre July 7 and 8. Photo by FRANCOIS LACASSE/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES FILES

2) Festivals

Montréal is known as a festival city—and this summer there are lots to choose from:

Festival International de Jazz de Montréal
Every summer, music lovers from around the world flock to downtown Montréal for the incomparable Festival International de Jazz de Montréal. 2022 offers opportunities to experience the likes of Jean-Michel Blais, Woodkid, Bebel Gilberto, Gregory Porter, Jesse Cook, Ôlafur Arnalds, Pat Metheny, Alicia Moffet and George Thorogood & the Destroyers.

Francos de Montréal
Bringing the best in French-language music to Montréal’s core, Francos de Montréal boasts over 250 performances in ten song-filled

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