Something very special is being created on the east side of Spruce Grove.  You may not have heard about it because it’s not quite finished, and the City of Spruce Grove isn’t promoting it yet, but Jubilee Park in Spruce Grove is now open for public use and well worth a visit.

If you are a citizen of Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, or Parkland County, you know that one of the things that makes Spruce Grove so memorable and family-friendly is the large number of neighborhood parks and playgrounds, sports parks and facilities (such as the Fuhr Sports Park west of the Tri-Leisure Centre and the Henry Singer ball park south of the railroad tracks), and the gem running right through the centre of town in the form of ParticiPark, that huge stand of trees and nature trails.  But all of these are about to look almost ordinary compared to what will be officially open to the public in 2012. 

Jubilee Park is a 60-acre parcel of land located at 510 Grove Drive, east of Spruce Village.  This land is being transformed into a wonderland of urban recreational and cultural opportunities.  The City of Spruce Grove website  says that the park “will offer the community the best passive and unstructured recreational opportunities in the city.  From paved walking and bike trails, to picnic areas, an open air performance area, sliding hill and playground, Jubilee Park will provide families with a multitude of outdoor pleasures.”

Features of the park, most of which are now in place, include

• Picnic areas
• Picnic shelter
• Plaza
• Open games area
• Fire pit
• Multi-purpose paved walking and biking trails
• Play structure and “tot lot”
• Disk golf
• Recreational skating
• Sliding and tobogganing hill
• Multi-purpose building
• Amphitheatre and open air performance area
• Formal gardens
• Wetlands
• Natural woodlands
• Paved parking

See the map of the proposed development. 

The City of Spruce Grove suggests several benefits of this park:

• Community gathering place
• Promotes social well-being and health
• Family-oriented spaces
• Connects to Heritage Grove trail system
• Natural interpretive education opportunities
• Preserves natural woodlands

Spruce Grove has not had a place for the community to gather in large numbers for special events, especially those focused on culture.  The sports fields at Spruce Grove Composite High School have been the venue for Canada Day celebrations for a few years, but without adequate amenities such as parking, seating and the like.  Imagine the uses of this incredible new facility.  Imagine a place for open air summer concerts and other performances, winter and summer games, community picnics and celebrations, festivals to rival those of neighboring communities, family play, get-togethers and reunions, wedding photos, block parties, and just hanging out and enjoying nature with your family and neighbors…. 

From a real estate perspective, this park is very good news for current and future residents of the nearby neighborhoods of Spruce Village and Grove Meadows.  Green space of any type tends to increase the desirability and perhaps value of properties located in the vicinity.  Expect only positive outcomes from this wonderful new facility!

Your comments and questions are always welcome!  Call me at 780-910-9669, email me at barry@barryt.ca, or contact me here. 

Finding homes in Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Parkland County and the Edmonton area is what I do for a living, and I think of myself as pretty good at it, but I learned a few new things about the process recently.  The being in need of a home was not a person, but a cat who decided my home was a good place to live!

I like cats, and dogs too, but because both my wife and daughter have severe allergies, we’ve never been able to keep a pet.   This sweet little cat arrived at our door and showed no signs of leaving, especially after we fed her, and it seemed as though we’d have to keep her, even though my wife Paulette was covered with hives.  What to do?

After the cat had been hanging around our house for a few days, becoming more skittish and scruffy-looking, I asked my cat-loving assistant if she wanted to adopt another cat.  Regrettably, no, but she had a few suggestions.  The cat has to belong to someone in your neighborhood, she said, so why not put a sign on the mailbox at the end of the street?  Ring doorbells up and down the street and ask if anyone’s lost a cat.  Put an ad in the local paper.  Contact local vets or the local pet store to see if anyone’s reported a missing cat.  Contact Parkland County Animal Control to report finding a cat.  When I told her Paulette and our daughter Devan were on their way to deliver the cat to the Edmonton Humane Society, she was horrified.  I was under the impression that the Humane Society tries to find new homes for cats.  That’s true, she said, but many don’t find homes and are euthanized. I immediately phoned Paulette to get her to change her plans.

If the old legend of cats having nine lives is true, then this cat had at least one of her lives saved that day!   Paulette had decided to take the cat to one of the veterinarians in town to see if they could help.  The vet checked the cat and discovered that it had been tattooed.  What’s more, the vet was able to match the tattoo information with the name and address of the cat’s owner.  It turned out that the owner of the cat had recently moved to our neighborhood so the cat had not yet gotten used to its new surroundings.  Lots of happiness all around when the cat was reunited with her family.

 So, what did I learn from this experience? 

• If you are a pet owner, don’t let your pet outside without supervision.  This is especially true if you are new to your neighborhood.  Cats in particular may act independent but they still need to be looked after.  They should not be allowed to run free because there are many dangers to pets on their own:  vehicles, toxic substances, other animals, people who don’t like animals.
• Get your pets tattooed or microchipped.  If your pet should become separated from you, this increases the likelihood of it being returned to you.  Because dogs are licensed, they usually wear collars, often with contact information, but many cats don’t so some other identification method is very important.  Check out PetWatch’s website to learn about microchipping.  You can also read the Wikipedia article about microchip implanting.
• The Edmonton Humane Society does incredible work in rescuing lost, abandoned or homeless animals but sometimes they have a hard time keeping up with the demand.  In May 2011, there was a 25% increase in admissions to the humane society compared to spring 2010.  Between 40 and 50 animals, three-quarters of them cats, arrive daily at the shelter, with homes being found for 20 to 25 animals each day.  Last September, the shelter was caring for about 500 cats, and that is a situation that strains all the resources.  If you are looking to adopt a pet, the Edmonton Humane Society is a good place to start.  Visit their online adoption centre.  Check out also the Parkland County Animal Shelter’s Gallery of Found & Adoptable Pets.
• If you find a lost animal, it probably has not strayed far from its home.  Do what you can to make the animal comfortable and then be prepared to knock on doors in your neighborhood.  Taking it to a shelter really should be a last resort.

Comments or questions about this article?  Call me at 780-910-9669, email me at barry@barryt.ca, or contact me here.  

After the long hard winter we’ve had, most of us can’t wait to open all the windows in our Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Parkland County and Edmonton area homes and acreages to let in that great spring air and clean out the mustiness of winter.  But before you rush off to the store to stock up on the latest expensive chemical cleaners that promise to make your home cleaner and fresher than last year’s products, consider going green this spring, just in time for Earth Day on April 22.

Long before commercial cleaning products were available, people cleaned their homes with a few simple but effective ingredients.  These products are readily available, much less toxic to people and the environment, and easy on the wallet too!  A little caution though:  These products may be (mostly) “natural” but that doesn’t mean you can go nuts with them!  Vinegar and lemon juice, for example, being acidic, will not be kind to marble; use plain water instead.

A couple of dirty little secrets about cleaning that the makers of chemical cleaning products don’t want you to know:

1. There is no magic formula or product that will make things clean.  Most cleaning comes from friction; that is, the application of good old elbow grease.
2. If you clean as you go, wiping up spills as they occur, washing off grime before it has a chance to build up, you can leave those expensive and toxic chemical cleaners on the store shelves.

Here is what you’ll need to clean green:

Baking Soda

White Vinegar

Salt

Borax

Lemon Juice

Club soda

Olive oil

Toothpaste

Rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol

Castile Soap [a plant-based soap, containing olive, palm and/or coconut oils; available from natural foods stores.  Look for Dr. Bronner’s brand.]

Microfiber cleaning cloths, sponges, lint-free rags

Glass and mirrors:

• Slightly dampened microfiber cloths work better than the blue stuff!
• Or, mix equal parts water and vinegar in a spray bottle.  Wipe with clean, lint-free rag.  (Some eco-cleaners suggest using newspaper for wiping but our experience says this just makes a mess!)
• Or, spray windows with club soda; wipe with clean, lint-free rag.

All-purpose cleaning:

• Mix vinegar with salt; scrub with sponge
• Or, pour some baking soda and vinegar on a damp sponge to clean and deodorize kitchen and bathroom surfaces.
• Plain full-strength vinegar is a great defense against mildew and its odors.  Works well on grease too.
• Another recipe:  Combine ½ cup of pure soap, such as Castile, with one gallon of hot water and ¼  cup of lemon juice
• Or try this:  Combine 1 tbsp Borax, 2 tbsp lemon juice and 1 cup hot water in a spray bottle to clean bathroom and kitchen surfaces.

Furniture polish:

Combine ½ cup olive oil, ¼ cup vinegar and 2 tsp lemon juice in a spray bottle.  Spray liberally on wood surfaces and wipe dry with a soft cloth.

Sinks and bathtubs, including tile:

• Combine equal amounts of salt and baking soda; scrub with sponge.
• Rust and other stains on porcelain can be handled by rubbing with a mixture of lemon juice and salt.
• Spray vinegar full strength on soap scum and crusted scale from hard water.  Let soak and scrub off.

Faucets: 

• Clean with toothpaste and an old toothbrush.  Rinse and wipe dry.
• Or, spray with full-strength vinegar to remove soap scum and hard water stains.

Drain cleaning:

Pour ¼ cup baking soda down the drain, followed by ½ cup vinegar.  Cover immediately, or close drain, and let sit 15 minutes.  Flush with hot water.

Toilet bowl cleaner:

• Pour 1 cup vinegar into the toilet bowl; let stand for 30 minutes.  Sprinkle baking soda onto toilet brush and scour.  Flush.
• To keep the bowl fresh, pour 1 cup of vinegar (or 1 cup of Borax) into the toilet bowl once or twice a month and let stand overnight.

Floors of all types:

Add ½ cup vinegar to a gallon of hot water.  Dirty floors may need to be scrubbed with a brush; most will only need to be mopped or wiped with a rag dampened in the mixture.  If cleaning hardwood or laminate floors, make sure your mop or rag is only slightly damp, as these types of floors don’t love excess moisture.

Hardwood floor cleaner:

Mix ½ cup lemon juice, ½ cup rubbing alcohol and ½ cup olive oil into a gallon of warm water; wipe with slightly dampened mop or rag.  This mixture also works great on wood furniture and kitchen cabinets.

Laminate floor cleaner:

Combine 1 cup vinegar, ½ cup lemon juice, 1 tbsp. mild dishwashing liquid and 1 gallon hot water; wipe with slightly dampened mop or rag.

Tips for appliances:

• Run an empty dishwasher with a cup of white vinegar to remove food residue, limescale, built up detergent and grease.
• Equal parts water and white vinegar boiled in a kettle or run through a coffee maker will remove limescale build-up.  Run another cycle using plain water to remove any trace of the vinegar.
• Burned on food, whether on pots and pans or on the floor of an oven, can be removed with baking soda.  Make a paste of baking soda and water, spread it liberally over the area to be cleaned, let sit for at least 30 minutes.  Scour and rinse.  Or, try mixing 1 part cinnamon with 6 parts salt; pour on oven spill as soon as it occurs.  Wipe clean when oven is cool.
• Oven cleaning:  Mix together 2 tsp. Borax, 4 tbsp. white vinegar, 2 cups water and 2 tbsp. castile soap in a spray bottle.  Spray all over the oven walls and floor.  Cover the wet surface with baking soda.  Follow with a second layer of your homemade cleaner.  Let sit overnight and wipe clean in the morning.
• Spills on glass stove-tops can be scoured off using baking soda and a slightly dampened sponge or non-scratching plastic scouring pad.
• Clean your microwave by combining 2 tbsp baking soda or lemon juice or vinegar with a cup of water in a bowl.  Microwave for 5 minutes or until mixture boils and condensation builds up onside the microwave.  Wipe down.
• Freshen the inside of your refrigerator by wiping it down with a mixture of equal parts vinegar and warm water.

Comments or questions about this article?  Please phone me at 780-910-9669, email me at barry@barryt.ca or contact me here.

It is always my goal to provide the best service and the utmost in value for my clients.  If you are moving, especially if you are moving into a home or acreage in the Spruce Grove, Stony Plain and Parkland County region, these guides are for you.  I hope you will find them useful.

The Moving Guide:  A comprehensive package of information to guide you through every step of your move.  This guide consists of 3 sections.  The introduction provides links to websites of moving companies and others with a wealth of tips to make your move as free of stress as possible.  The second section is a checklist of all the tasks that need to be completed from 2 months before the move right through the phase of settling in to your new home.  The final and longest section, the Moving Tip Sheet, expands on the Moving Checklist with explanations, suggestions and tips of all kinds.

The Welcome Home Moving In Package is a list of helpful resources for home and acreage buyers in the Spruce Grove / Stony Plain / Parkland County area.  Here you will find the names of mortgage specialists, home inspectors and lawyers I frequently recommend to my clients, as well as a list of insurance companies in Spruce Grove and Stony Plain, plus all the information you need to get connected to utilities and services such as water, sewer, garbage collection and recycling, power, natural gas, telephone, television and internet.  (Look for even more community information in my Community Connections Business Directory.)

If you have any comments or questions about these guides, or if you have suggestions for other guides, I’d love to hear from you.  Contact me here, phone me at 780-910-9669, or email me at barry@barryt.ca.

If you are one of those rare people who travels light through life, this article may not be for you.  But if you are like most people, and you’ve been in your home for a while, the thought of downsizing has probably crossed your mind, especially if your family and life circumstances have changed since you first moved into your home, whether in Stony Plain, Spruce Grove, Parkland County, the Edmonton area or elsewhere.

 There are many good reasons to downsize:

• saving money on home upkeep, insurance, taxes and utilities
• unloading some of the “stuff” most of us can’t help accumulating on our life’s journey but which we find we no longer need
• lessening our impact on the environment
• simplifying our daily routines to save time for more interesting and enriching activities
• preparing for a time when someone else may have to look after our affairs and possessions

Before you can downsize your home to a smaller place, you will probably need to downsize inside your home first, getting rid of many everyday objects found there.  This can be extraordinarily difficult.  The truth is that downsizing and de-cluttering often come with a huge pile of emotional baggage.  Making the decision to part with property and possessions you’ve used and loved for a long time, each item attached to memories, can be a wrenching experience.  Sometimes the sheer volume of physical and emotional “stuff” can be so overwhelming that it’s hard to even begin.

Most experts will tell you to start with a small space, like a closet or even a small room.  They suggest you remove everything from the area and sort items into several piles, with the ultimate goal being to throw away the trash, give away or sell things you no longer need or want but which still have some value, and keep only those items you really love and use.  Sounds sensible and simple enough, right?  Most of these experts will also provide you with all kinds of motivational prods to force you to get past your objections (“My grandmother made that old quilt!”  “I might have a use for that tool some day!”), along with questionnaires to help you decide what kind of hoarder you are and which pile something belongs in.

The fact is that none of this advice is going to be worth much until you are sure that you need or want to downsize in the first place.

A thought-provoking article published in the Montreal Gazette (“Boomers upsizing their downsizing plans”) suggests that maybe we shouldn’t be too hasty in automatically assuming that downsizing is for everybody.  Baby boomers once again are doing things a little differently from previous generations.  Some people when they reach a certain age are discovering that it actually makes sense to move into a bigger home, albeit one with a floor plan more geared to their current and future physical needs (for example, a bungalow with an open floor plan rather than a multi-level home), while others decide to keep the family home but renovate it to accommodate changing situations.  There are a number of reasons for this interesting trend:

• Family dynamics have changed. Children are taking longer to leave the nest, or are returning to the family home after relationship break-ups and the like. There are also many people in late middle age who find themselves raising their grandchildren.
• Work lives have changed. Some people realize they don’t want to retire in the way previous generations did. Instead they decide to modify their work so that more is done from home. This creates the need for a home work space.
• Many older adults have the money to continue to enjoy the quality of life that comes from living in a larger private space. This might include making room in the home for hobbies, exercise, more entertaining, etc.
• Keeping a house rather than moving to a condo or some other kind of communal living space may make good economic sense as equity in homes continues to rise.

So … to downsize or not?  Maybe our reluctance to part with possessions has less to do with procrastination and more to do with the need to make practical, realistic life choices.

If you’ve made the decision to downsize and you are interested in looking at smaller properties in the Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Parkland County or Edmonton area, please contact me here, email me at barry@barryt.ca, or phone 780-910-9669. 

It’s no secret that the Edmonton area has world-class shopping, but some of the best items for sale are not found in any mall.

If, like me, you’re a big fan of fresh, locally grown produce and home-made goodies, you’ll be happy to learn about the Farmers’ Markets, U-Pick farming operations and market gardens found in the Tri-Municipal area of Spruce Grove, Stony Plain and Parkland County.  At all of these venues, consumers have the opportunity to make personal contact with the people who actually produce the goods.

(Google Maps feature is available for some addresses below:  Click on the addresses for a map of the location of the facility.) 

Local Farmers’ Markets

Farmers’ Markets are not just a great place to get some of the best and freshest fruits and vegetables; they are also the spot to find home baking and wonderful fruity jams and other preserves (organic, no chemicals, no preservatives), along with special hand-crafted gift items.  A little tip about Farmers’ Markets:  For the best selection, it is always a good idea to get there early!  The “regulars” know which vendors sell the best in each category, and those vendors are usually among the first to sell out.

Spruce Grove Farmers’ Market:  Located at the Grain Elevator on the south side of Highway 16A :  120 Railway Avenue, Spruce Grove.  Saturdays, 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM.  In 2010, operates indoors from April 17 to December 18.  For more information contact:  Lisa Lohr, ljscreations@yahoo.com.  Phone 780-960-9380.

Heritage Farmers’ Market:  Toby Kazeil Pavilion, 4202 – 50 Street, Stony Plain (Stony Plain Exhibition Grounds).    Saturdays, 9 AM to 1 PM.  In 2010, operates indoors from March 20 to October 9.  For more information contact:  Lisa Wood, lisa@multicentre.org.  Phone 780-963-2777.

Stony Plain Farmers’ Market:  Located in the Stony Plain Community Centre, 5008 – 51 Avenue, Stony Plain.  Saturdays, 9 AM to 1 PM.  In 2010, operates April 10 to December 18.  For more information contact Joanne Blicq, jblicq@hotmail.com.  Phone 780-963-3028.

U-Picks

Tips from U-Pick veterans:

• For berries, bring your own plastic 4-litre ice cream pails with handles and lids (light, easy to carry, handle can loop over a wrist or be tied onto a belt to leave hands free for picking).
• Always phone ahead to make sure field conditions are right for picking.
• Wear a hat and proper footwear, and remember your bottled water, sunscreen, bug repellent and cash (many U-Pick operations are not set up for debit/credit cards). You may wish to bring gardening gloves and wear long sleeves to protect against scratches from prickly bushes.
• Bring a cooler with ice packs for transporting your freshly picked produce.
• Many U-Pick farms can accommodate large groups and often have picnic and barbecue facilities; phone and ask.
• A website with more useful tips:  PickYourOwn.org

Grove Berry Patch:   52430 Range Road 265, Spruce Grove (1.5 km south off Highway 16A on Spruce Valley Road aka Range Road 265).    Kameron and Carol Jones welcome you to their 20 acres of saskatoon bushes and 1 acre of raspberries, chokecherries, black currants, high bush cranberries and vegetables.  Open daily 9 AM to 6 PM and evenings by appointment.  Open 9 AM till dusk during saskatoon season (July and August).  Wheelchair accessible.  Phone ahead to check on conditions and availability:  780-962-5824.

Roy‘s Raspberries:  26421 Hwy 16A, Acheson:   located just east of Spruce Grove, south of Hwy 16A on Range Road 265.   20 acres of raspberry bushes, 10 varieties of red raspberries, 2 varieties of golden.  Open daily 8 AM to 8 PM until Labour Day; after Labour Day, open reduced hours until severe frost.  For more information contact manager Harvey Boyko at 780-962-3959 or email roysrasp@xplornet.ca.

Dunvegan Gardens:  Located at 215 St (aka Winterburn Road) and 23 Ave, Edmonton.  Raspberries, saskatoons, black currants.  No pesticides used.  Open May to August Monday to Friday 9 AM to 8 PM, Saturdays 9 AM to 6 PM, Sundays noon to 5 PM; September to April Monday to Saturday 9 AM to 6 PM.  Also operates a greenhouse and garden centre.  For more information phone 780-470-0565 or email info@dunvegangardens.ca.

Saskatoon Valley Orchards:  Box 19, Site 502, RR 5, Stony Plain:  6 km south of Stony Plain to Secondary Hwy 627; 13 km west on 627 to RR 22; 1 km south.  11,000 saskatoon bushes:  Smoky, Northline, Thiesson, Honeywood varities.  Open July and August, 8 AM to 9 PM.  For more information phone 780-963-8311 or email pktmogan@msn.com.

Happy Acres U-Pick:  1 52225 Range Road 273, Spruce Grove:  5 km south of Spruce Grove on Golden Spike Road.  Chemical-free strawberries, raspberries, saskatoons, rhubarb, apples, currants, Nanking cherries + wide variety of vegetables.  Also offer farm eggs and honey.  Open Wednesday to Sunday 10AM to 9 PM.  Phone 780-968-0099, or email  happyacresdebbie@hotmail.com.

Market Gardens

Inspired Market Gardens:  Located at 52207 Range Road 25 near Carvel (35 minutes west of Edmonton).  Specializing in culinary herbs, edible flowers, and salad greens raised using all-natural growing conditions and sustainable agriculture methods, and naturally organic pastured poultry.  Hours for 2010:  May 1 to June 27, Wednesday to Saturday 10 AM to 5:30 PM, Sunday noon to 5 PM.  July to September, Saturdays noon to 5 PM.  Home of the World Bassett Hound Races!  For more information phone 780-968-4648 or 1-877-874-4455, or email info@inspiredgardens.ca.

B.A.’s Market Garden:  Box 31, Site 460, RR 4, Stony Plain:  ½  mile south of Stony Plain, west on 524, follow to the end. At the entrance to Hasse Lake Park.  Barry Altheim markets fresh vegetables all year round.  Phone 780-963-0574.

Garden Valley Organic Orchards:  27212 SH 627, Spruce Grove:  3 km west of Edmonton on Hwy 16A; 10 km south on Hwy 60; 9 km west on secondary hwy 627 (Garden Valley Road), or 10 km south of Spruce Grove on Golden Spike Road aka secondary hwy 788 to secondary hwy 627; 1 km east.  Available for u-pick:  strawberries, raspberries, saskatoons, apples, chokecherries, black currants, rhubarb + wide variety of fresh vegetables.  Spring/summer Monday to Saturday 9 AM to 8 PM, Sunday 9 AM to 3 PM.  Phone 780-963-9370.

Home Grown Food & AgriProducts:  10 – 19 Granite Drive, Stony Plain.   Phone 780-963-5305.  Open Monday to Saturday, 10 AM to 6 PM.  While technically not a “market garden”, this health food store is included in this list because of its commitment to fresh, locally grown, organic products.  From their website:  Homegrown Foods is here to provide you with the finest quality fresh, natural, organic, whole foods, nutritional products, body care products and health information in a fun comfortable clean, safe environment. We also have an extensive gluten free product line along with organic/hormone free meats & a large assortment of wild fish. 

 Did we miss some facilities that should be included in this list?  Phone me at 780-910-9669, email me at barry@barryt.ca or contact me here.