Local Business
Fixing Up Your Home: Protect Your Housing Investment
Your home is an investment in living as well as in savings. If neglected, it will pay no dividends. If properly maintained and improved, it will pay a high yield in comfort and usefulness for your family and in avoidance of costly repair bills. Home improvements also tend to raise neighborhood standards and, as a result, property values. From an economic standpoint, home improvements mean higher employment, increased markets for materials and home products–and therefore a more flourishing community.
If You Do It Yourself
If you are handy with tools and have the experience, you can save money by doing many jobs yourself. But unless you are skilled in wiring, plumbing, installing heat systems, and cutting through walls, you should rely on professionals for such work.
When you buy the required materials, it pays not to skimp. Good materials are not necessarily the most expensive. What you need are products that look good, are easy to maintain, and last a long time. Buy only from reliable dealers.
If You Use a Contractor
If you plan to use the services of a dealer or contractor, take care to choose one with a reputation for honesty and good workmanship. There are several ways to check on a contractor:
- Consult your local Chamber of Commerce, the Better Business Bureau, or Local Consumer Protection Agency.
- Talk with people for whom he has done work.
- Ask your lender about him, if you plan to finance the project with a loan.
- Check his place of business to see that he is not a fly-by-night operator.
- Find out, if you can, how he rates with known building-product distributors and wholesale suppliers.
- Ask friends and relatives for names of firms that they could recommend.
Compare Contractor Offers
Before deciding on a contractor, you may want to get bids from two or three different firms. Make sure that each bid is based on the same specifications and the same grade of materials. If these bids vary widely, find out why.
Many contractors offer package plans that cover the whole transaction. Under such a plan the contractor provides all materials used, takes care of all work involved, and arranges for your loan.
Your contractor can make the loan application for you, but you are the one who must repay the loan, so you should see that the work is done correctly.
Understand What You Sign
The contract that both you and the contractor sign should state clearly the type and extent of improvements to be made and the materials to be used. Before you sign, get the contractor to spell out for you in exact terms:
-
- How much the entire job will cost you.
- How much interest you will pay on the loan.
- How much you will pay in service charges.
- How many payments you must make to pay off the loan, and how much each of these payments will be.
After the entire job is finished in the manner set forth in your contract, you sign a completion certificate. By signing this paper you certify that you approve the work and materials and you authorize the lender to pay the contractor the money you borrowed.
Beware of Fraud
Most dealers and contractors conscientiously try to give their customers service equivalent to the full value of their money. Unfortunately, home improvement rackets do exist. Here are a few common sense rules to follow:
- Read and understand every word of any contract or other paper before you sign it.
- Never sign a contract with anyone who makes fantastic promises. Reputable dealers are not running give-away businesses.
- Avoid wild bargains. The best bargain is a good job.
- Never consolidate existing loans through a home improvement contractor.
- Do not let salespeople high-pressure you into signing up to buy their materials or services.
- Be wary of salespeople who try to scare you into signing for repairs that they say are urgent. Seek the advice of an expert as to how urgent such repairs are. High-pressure and scare tactics are often the mark of a phony deal.
- Avoid salespeople who offer you trial purchases or some form of bonus, such as cash, for allowing them to use your house as a model for any purpose. Such offers are well-known gimmicks of swindlers.
- Never sign a completion certificate until all the work called for in the contract has been completed to your satisfaction. Be careful not to sign a completion certificate along with a sales order.
- Proceed cautiously when the lender or contractor demands a lien on your property.
The Downtown Business Association (DBA) Board of Directors has made the decision to wind down the Association’s operations at the end of 2025.
The Board determined that the Association is no longer able to operate sustainably under the financial framework available for 2026. After exploring all reasonable alternatives, the Board concluded that it could not continue without reducing services to a level that would no longer provide meaningful value to levy-paying businesses.
The DBA does not receive any operating funding from City Hall in a regular year, all funds raised are through Business Improvement Area Levy that consists of a mandatory levy placed on all businesses operating within the Business Improvement Area. These funds are legislated under the Municipal
Government Act, to be used to promote the Business Improvement Area, which is achieved through marketing and event initiatives along with providing advocacy support primarily to local government on behalf of the business community.
In recent years, the DBA has been a committed advocate for re-examining the approach to Downtown Governance. The Board has consistently maintained that the responsibility for funding downtown initiatives in such a socially charged environment should not rest solely with the business community.
Despite their efforts, the DBA recognized that the funds generated through the Business Improvement Area Levy were insufficient to effectively address the growing challenges of the current operating environment. This ongoing financial strain highlighted the need for a more equitable and sustainable
model to re-establish the downtown as a safe and welcoming heart of the city.
At the annual DBA budget presentation to City Hall, the DBA requested the essential funding needed to implement the Greater Downtown Governance Committee’s recommendations — work that the DBA is uniquely positioned to lead and has been delivering despite depleting resources for many years. The request was not approved. Instead, The City offered a one-time $100,000 Grant-in-Lieu, paired with a proposed 60% increase to the Business Improvement Area levy in 2026.
After careful analysis, the Board concluded that increasing the levy would place undue strain on already challenged businesses and compromise the DBA’s role as a trusted advocate. Operating with the reduced funding of $225,000 would require further staff reductions in an already under resourced environment and a significant reduction in programs, making it impossible to deliver the level of support that downtown businesses deserve and vitally need.
Beginning January 1, 2026, the City of Red Deer will become the primary contact point for matters previously supported by the DBA, including downtown support programs, business-district coordination, events, safety and cleanliness support, and stakeholder engagement. The DBA will work with City staff to support a smooth transition.
The DBA will continue to provide Clean Team services through the delivery of the City-funded environmental contract until February 1st, 2026.
Quote from CEO, Amanda Gould:
“To our business community, we have always operated with your best interests in our heart, continually driving the vision of a thriving downtown environment that serves every member of our community. The changes ahead will have a significant impact on downtown, as there will no longer be an organization dedicated to ensuring the downtown remains top-of-mind, leading events, marketing initiatives, or advocating on your behalf. It is likely you will experience less coordinated support and collective representation.
After 13 years of service to you and our beautiful downtown, it is with great personal sadness that we find ourselves here, but our message remains clear – addressing the unique challenges of our downtown should not rest solely on your shoulders. We cannot, in good faith, collect a levy that does not enable us to provide the essential services needed for our evolving downtown landscape”.
Quote from DBA Board Chair, Brandon Bouchard:
“The incredible staff at the Downtown Business Association have consistently delivered on their mandate with outstanding dedication and effectiveness. Through their efforts, they have successfully promoted the downtown area, organized impactful marketing and event initiatives, and provided steadfast
advocacy support for the business community. Their work has extended well beyond the legislated requirements, as they have proactively responded to the evolving needs of downtown businesses, adapting to challenges and supporting operations within a complex and changing environment.
Despite the staff’s relentless commitment to positioning the DBA as an effective leader for downtown interests, the absence of a sustainable funding model has made it impossible to continue delivering meaningful support. The Board cannot, in good conscience, propose a levy that does not enable the
Association to meet the required level of service, address the shifting priorities of the business community, or respond to the continually evolving needs of the downtown”.
From Community Futures Central Alberta
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Georgia county admits illegally certifying 315k ballots in 2020 presidential election
ICYMI: Largest fraud in US history? Independent Journalist visits numerous daycare centres with no children, revealing massive scam
Alberta project would be “the biggest carbon capture and storage project in the world”
While Western Nations Cling to Energy Transition, Pragmatic Nations Produce Energy and Wealth
-
Energy6 hours agoRulings could affect energy prices everywhere: Climate activists v. the energy industry in 2026
-
Digital ID7 hours agoThe Global Push for Government Mandated Digital IDs And Why You Should Worry
-
Bruce Dowbiggin6 hours agoThe Rise Of The System Engineer: Has Canada Got A Prayer in 2026?
-
International1 day agoTrump confirms first American land strike against Venezuelan narco networks
-
International6 hours agoMaduro says he’s “ready” to talk
-
Opinion2 days agoGlobally, 2025 had one of the lowest annual death rates from extreme weather in history
-
Business1 day agoHow convenient: Minnesota day care reports break-in, records gone
-
Business1 day agoThe great policy challenge for governments in Canada in 2026