LATITUDE
from falling oil prices, thanks to strong economic and investment growth since 2009. He told the Edmonton Journal in January that there’s still pent-up demand for things like housing and rental accommodation. “That’s going to keep us going for a while, but if low oil prices persist, it’s going to hit us. There’s going to be a significant moderation in our growth, but there’s no sense that we’re looking at a recession scenario — yet.” On top of this, Statistics Canada data show the city gained 2,500 new jobs in December, causing unemployment to fall from 5.3 to five per cent.
-Caitlin Crawshaw
CALGARY TARGETS NEIGHBOURHOODS WITH WHITER, MORE EFFICIENT AND LESS POLLUTING LIGHT Calgary is being brighter about light, thanks to new LED systems being installed in its communities. The city is retrofitting all of its street lights, switching from high-pressure sodium to energy-efficient LED technology. The LED street lamps provide a whiter light, and the new design directs it downward, onto the actual roads and sidewalks that need it. The old system spreads the light all over, including upwards. The city says the lighting is better for neighbourhoods and roads, but notes that there are other benefits, too — including up to 55 per cent less electricity consumption, lower maintenance costs and less light pollution. Installations will be completed by 2018, the city estimates.
-Jacqueline Louie
PEACE RIVER HYDRO PROJECT AWAITS A BETTER ECONOMY
Calgary-based TransAlta has halted its proposed Peace River hydro plant until market conditions improve. In January, the company informed the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) of its decision to withdraw an application for the 100-megawatt, run-of-river project near Dunvegan in northern Alberta. The $600-million plant has been in development for more than a decade and
54 | PEG SPRING 2015
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