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Westrich McKernan-Belgravia | 22m | 6s | Westrich Pacific Corp. | JS Architect

I am liking the current renders compared to those on page 1. They now have only 3 types of cladding instead of 5, and they seem to go together better. High-visibility bike racks added in front of the CRU as well.

This might turn out quite nice!
Fairly nice materials, complimentary colours and good size windows. Yes, if it ends up like this, I think they've got it!
 
it is my past understanding that compared to some other cities across Western North America, Edmonton has historically had a comparatively large cohort of renters. Not a judgement, just a statement.

Don't forget that renting can be an optimal choice for some. It's not a dead-end. For many, it can be a lifesaver. (Said this renter.)
Yes, a lot of rental buildings were built in Edmonton during past booms, which is why we see so many of those three story walk ups in our central areas.

They have actually served people here very well to provide decent, affordable and often fairly well located accommodation, however they are getting older and not all are being well maintained.

So a few have even been torn down in recent years to provide bigger, newer buildings. We also have a number of older condos which compared to other cities are very affordable, overall not much different in price compared to renting. Rents have gone up a lot in recent years, so people may again start to look at them more.
 
I suppose it depends where you buy or what you invest in. Some other parts of Canada over the last two decades had real estate prices increasing at a higher rate than the market

That didn't happen here, but that seems to be over for them although still room for appreciation here. Hopefully they did not put their money in Bitcoin in 2025.
 
Hidden costs of homeownership are also an issue. For some people, it's much more financially viable and responsible to rent and invest, rather than dropping their net worth into housing.
100%. People who take out a mortgage need to consider the opportunity cost of that as opposed to renting + investing in a broadly diversified low-cost portfolio. Canadian real estate has not uniformly beat out our domestic stock market over the last two decades as many would assume - the picture is much more nuanced. Many home owners are also not religiously tracking the amount they pay in terms of property taxes, insurance, and maintenance when talking about the appreciation in the value of their home.

Moreover, I also like the idea of having a mix of renters and owners in a city as it provides more choice for families. Many young people are not ready to put down roots while studying, moving around for new jobs, etc., and so renting is often a great choice that provides flexibility for them.

There's a paywall for this globe article but I would highly recommend reading it for any subscribers.

 
100%. People who take out a mortgage need to consider the opportunity cost of that as opposed to renting + investing in a broadly diversified low-cost portfolio. Canadian real estate has not uniformly beat out our domestic stock market over the last two decades as many would assume - the picture is much more nuanced. Many home owners are also not religiously tracking the amount they pay in terms of property taxes, insurance, and maintenance when talking about the appreciation in the value of their home.

Moreover, I also like the idea of having a mix of renters and owners in a city as it provides more choice for families. Many young people are not ready to put down roots while studying, moving around for new jobs, etc., and so renting is often a great choice that provides flexibility for them.

There's a paywall for this globe article but I would highly recommend reading it for any subscribers.

Bypass the paywall: https://archive.ph/DtJmo
 
IMG_20260301_141149717_HDR.jpg
 

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