What has room for two cars and a multitude of lifestyles? It’s not much of a riddle, as the answer can only be the double-attached front-drive garage home, or FDG home for short.

The FDG home is as ubiquitous as the suburbs they are generally found in. They are at the apex of the home-buying cycle. It is the home most everyone who has lived in an apartment suite, a duplex, or a townhome, aspire to live in eventually. Especially when they have children, and they see their families grow.

FDG homes come in many forms. In Calgary, they are usually two storey homes with three-bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, and a basement development options, and of course, a garage to fit two cars — or more.

They are the best fit for multi-generational households, and homebuilders have noticed a new trend of building a main floor bedroom with full bath for elderly parents of the homeowners. FDG homes with private access to basement suites have also become popular to realize the home’s potential for rental income.

Best of all is the convenience they offer as they are generally the largest of the traditional home types and have a higher level of finish, says Trico Homes area manager for Belmont, Will Jorgensen.

“They held their value better than any other home type during the downturn in 2020 immediately following COVID; there is a certain prestige to owning a front drive home among new homeowners,” he adds. “Many families moving up from apartments or rentals want to skip the intermediate laned/townhome stage and move right to front drive single family.”

Read more at NextHome.

Trico Homes’ show home in Midtown, Airdrie, showcases a comfortable and spacious family home.

Since 1993, the Distinguished Business Leader Award has been presented to outstanding leaders in the Calgary business community. The prestigious award, co-presented by the Haskayne School of Business and the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, honours individuals whose vision and ethical leadership, sound business sense and commitment to community have marked them as role models for future generations of business leaders. This year’s award gala, held June 23 at the Hyatt Regency, honoured the 29th recipient, Andrea Robertson and the 30th recipient, Wayne Chiu.

Read more at the Calgary Herald online.

We’re incredibly proud to announce that our CFO, Eleanor Chiu, is one of eight people who will become members of the Alberta Order of Excellence in 2022.

The Order is the province’s highest honour a citizen can receive and is an official part of the Canadian Honours System.

“These extraordinary citizens have dedicated themselves to lifting up others and to strengthening the quality of life we all enjoy. They remind us of the enduring and essential place that resilience, innovation and compassion hold in the story of our province and country, and they inspire us all in our own efforts to be of service.”

Lt.-Gov. Salma Lakhani

Wayne Chiu was recognised tonight as the 30th recipient of the Haskayne School of Business & Calgary Chamber’s Distinguished Business Leader Award. It is auspicious that Chiu is the 30th recipient of the Distinguished Business Leader Award in the same year that he is celebrating the 30th anniversary of Trico Homes. Since its establishment in 1992, Trico has become one of the most successful home builders in Calgary.

The Haskayne School of Business and Calgary Chamber believe that ethical leadership is essential to the enduring success of our city and business community. In Wayne’s words “to me ethical leaders need to be compassionate, empathetic and caring. These three characteristics define what ethical leadership means to me.”

The Calgary Board of Education (CBE) would like to advise of the following school designations for students residing in Glacier Ridge. These school designations will become effective for September 2022 and access to transportation services will not be available until that time. Between the date of the notice and the end of June 2022, any students that register and attend the designated schools will not be able to access transportation services and families will be responsible to get students to and from school.

Regular Program

General information regarding transportation services, fees and walk zones are available on the Calgary Board of Education’s website www.cbe.ab.ca and at the schools.

Information Regarding Transportation Services for Regular Programs

Until yellow school bus service is added to new communities, we provide a stop as close as possible in a neighbouring community. The initial bus stop location may not fall within the current CBE guidelines for travel distance to a bus stop. Stops and services are reviewed as conditions change in a new community. For any questions, please contact transportation@cbe.ab.ca.

New communities are regularly assessed for their suitability for transportation services. We ensure there is a consistent and safe path that is clear of obstructions which are frequently caused by construction supplies and equipment in newer communities. We need city maintained roads for the yellow school bus to enter, maneuver to pick up students and safely exit the community. Next, we look for an appropriate place for a bus stop that will allow for consistent safe loading and unloading of passengers. Once there is a safe path and a safe stop location, we add yellow school bus service to new communities.

Alternative Programs at the CBE

The CBE also offers many alternative program choices for our students. For information regarding designations to other CBE programming opportunities visit Program Options.

The following chart outlines Glacier Ridge designations for alternative programs

Information Regarding Transportation Services for Alternative Programs

Students attending Alternative Programs may be designated to general transportation under the congregated bus stop model, or to Calgary Transit.

Congregated stops are used when students from the same or multiple communities congregate or gather at one stop to take a bus to their chosen school.

The bus stop may be well beyond reasonable walking distance from a student’s home. Families are responsible for student safety to, from, and at the bus stop and may be required to arrange for transportation to and from the congregated stop.

Information regarding students in Grades 6 and up who are designated to Calgary Transit is available on the Calgary Board of Education’s website www.cbe.ab.ca/transportation.

If you have questions, concerns, or require additional information, please contact the Area 1 office at 403-777-8710 (extension 0) or Area1@cbe.ab.ca.

Qualico Communities Calgary is excited to announce the highly anticipated release of Phase 3 lots in the NW Calgary community of Ambleton. 

Pre-sales in this brand new phase have begun and will offer Front Garage Homes from Shane Homes, Sterling Homes and Trico Homes as well as Laned and Duplex Homes from Broadview Homes and Jayman Built. 

“There has been so much interest in Ambleton since it first launched in 2021. It is exciting to bring on the third phase of the community already,” says Nina Wulder, Marketing & Communications Coordinator, Qualico Communities Calgary. 

Phase 3 will complement other great features that are currently being completed this year. The Ambleton Owners Association is fully operational and has been put in place to preserve the long-term value of the community. The first park area will be complete this fall, and will include space for an Owners Association-operated outdoor skating rink. The highly anticipated completion of the storm pond will also happen this fall, which will act as a hub for the community. The pond will feature pathways, gazebos, and gathering places. 

“There is so much to look forward to with this community,” says Wulder. “It’s great to see so much interest in Ambleton and to watch it grow.” 

Ambleton comprises approximately 160 acres and once complete will have 8 phases with over 1200 homes. 

Seton is south of Seton Urban District and the South Health Campus Hospital in southeast Calgary. Brookfield senior development manager, Deb Glover, says homes have been selling quickly and more land will soon be released.

“The homeowners’ association in Seton will be a stunning facility, set to break ground in June with an expected opening of spring 2023,” she says. “We are incredibly humbled that Seton has been recognized two years in a row. We are passionate about creating and building healthy communities where residents feel at home and put down roots. It’s an honour that others are able to see it, too.”

Seton has condos by Cedarglen Living, Rohit Communities and Logel Homes; townhomes by Avalon Master Builder, Jayman Built and Rohit Communities; duplex and laned homes by Brookfield Residential; laned and front garage homes by Trico Homes; and front garage homes by Jayman Built and Cedarglen Homes.

Founder & CEO, Wayne Chiu, and CFO, Eleanor Chiu, of The Trico Group have been named inductees into the Alberta Business Hall of Fame – Southern Alberta for 2022. The Alberta Business Hall of Fame honours our most esteemed business leaders for their life achievements and service to the economy, community and our future.

Read more about this year’s inductees at the Alberta Business Hall of Fame online.

Three women will head the 2022 Alberta Business Hall of Fame’s southern Alberta class.