calgaryism
Calgary among Top 10 IN THE WORLD FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Cody Battershill is the founder of Calgaryism and a top-producing realtor at Re/Max House of Real Estate. He also sits on the condominium task force at the Calgary Real Estate Board. He can be reached at 403.370.4180 or calgaryism.ca
by CODY BATTERSHILL
THE CITY OF CALGARY HAS AN EXCITING STORY TO TELL, A
story of North-West Mounted Police and whiskey traders, of cowboys and outdoor rodeos, of city-wide fires and sandstone mining operations, and much more recently, a story of top awards from leading research institutions and media groups around the globe. Being born and raised in Calgary, it’s exciting to see my home town receive such prestigious awards and continue to push the boundaries it has set for itself over and over again. After all, it isn’t an insignificant task to be named the fifth most livable city in the world for four years in a row. It also isn’t easy to rank as the top city to raise a family and live in Canada, considering how many other wonderful cities our nation has. But wait… did you hear we are also at the top of the charts for economic development? GLOBAL CITIES REPORT PUTS CALGARY AT THE TOP Calgary has been named one of the top 10 leading cities in the world for economic development. The Global Cities report, released by the University of Toronto’s Martin Prosperity Institute in August 2013, evaluates the “3 Ts of economic development” – Tolerance, Talent and Technology, along with Quality of Place. It placed Calgary as ninth overall. Here are the three Ts and Quality of Place, as explained by the Martin Prosperity Institute: Tolerance – Places that are the most accepting of new ideas tend to attract a skilled workforce from around the world, resulting in more talented, capable workers and technological advances. Talent – Entrepreneurial, skilled and motivated workers are a key element of economic development. Technology – Another integral part of economic growth is technology. Quality of Place – The unique attributes of any given place that make it desirable and an appealing place to live. High-ranking cities offer a broad range of these places for people from all walks of life. It’s no mystery that Calgary is an extremely tolerant city, with more than a quarter of its population foreign born; is technologically advanced, with innovative new technologies in a wide range of industries; and is a talented city, with its labour force having one of the highest levels of educational achievement in the world, according to Calgary Economic Development. 22 NEW HOME GUIDE | OCT 11 - NOV 8, 2013
World recognition as a city has opened up many doors for Calgary real estate. Now is a great time to buy, as our consistently strong economy continues and tens of thousands of migrants move to Calgary every year, increase the demand for both property rental and ownership opportunities. A BRIGHT FUTURE If the past is any indicator of what’s to come for Calgary, it’s safe to assume that there will be many more awards and recognition in the years ahead. Let’s not forget that we are part of that bright future, and reap the benefits of living in such a wonderful city. So let’s keep on doing our parts and set the bar higher, again and again. See you next time Calgary!