‘A big change’: Calgary’s proposal to build more housing near future Green Line station - Global News

A proposal from the City of Calgary that would make way for more housing near a future Green Line LRT station is also expected to bring significant change to the southeast community of Riverbend.

That proposal would see close to 15 acres of vacant city-owned land on the east end of the neighbourhood redeveloped to build what’s called “transit-oriented development.”

Five sites are set to be re-zoned to allow for the development of three-storey townhomes and six-storey multi-residential buildings within walking distance of the future South Hill LRT station.

A rendering of the proposed redevelopment in Riverbend. City of Calgary

The proposal would see the construction of up to 600 units and would be home to an estimated 1,100 people.

“The majority of the land is owned by the city. There’s existing utilities, existing roads,” said Mike Carnegie, a project manager with the City of Calgary. “So this was one of the lower hanging fruit, transit oriented development opportunities.”

However, the plan would also include impacts to Riverstone Road Southeast, a quiet street with a barrier leaving it unconnected to the city-owned land, as well as the nearby 24 Street Southeast.

A map outlining the proposed changes from the City of Calgary on the east side of Riverbend. Global News

The plan would open up the road as a connector for traffic as well as transit coming from the South Hill LRT station.

“There’s a bit of anger, but mostly concerns. Safety concerns, traffic concerns, things like that,” said Jason Wingate, who lives adjacent to where the street would be opened. “People have been here a long time, a lot of the people have been here 20 years.

“It’s a big change in a really short amount of time.”

According to the proposal, traffic mitigation on Riverstone Road S.E would mean removing on-street parking on one side of the road, as well as an expansion of the road and sidewalks.

Wingate told Global News that many residents who live in the area don’t have parking outside of a spot on the street. He said he’s also heard concerns about the potential increase in traffic flow coming from the LRT station and proposed development.

“We’re talking 1,000 more people,” he said. “It’s a lot of traffic and they’re going to build more infrastructure by the C-Train station as well, so this (street) will just be busier, busier and busier.”

2:06 Omission of north leg of Green Line LRT in Alberta mandate letters draws frustration

The City of Calgary has held three information sessions with residents, including two targeted to gather feedback from residents on Riverstone Road S.E.

According to Carnegie, more mitigation efforts are being explored with community feedback also set to be included in the city’s application to redevelop the area.

“Folks are concerned, rightfully so, about increases in traffic and new transit route safety,” he said. “The city does take take those concerns seriously.”

Ward 11 Coun. Kourtney Penner said her office has also heard concerns, adding there are opportunities with flexibility around traffic flow on the street if the proposal gets approved at city hall.

“Safety is top of mind. We know there’s residents and kids, and so how we manage and mitigate for all of that is going to be important,” Penner told Global News. “I think once we know, and have a little bit better direction, on what we want to do in terms of who the street gets open to, that that will be there.”

5:32 Green Line LRT forces Calgary artists to search for new studio space

Although construction on the Green Line LRT is still years away, Penner said she believes there will be similar multi-residential development proposals along the line as the project progresses.

“People often talk about how we redevelop the city and this is one of those great opportunities,” Penner said. “I think we’ll see more of this come along with the Green Line and that’s a good thing.”

An understandable move for Wingate, who said he hopes there are reassurances the community’s concerns are being heard.

“I understand the need for the infrastructure,” he said. “I just think they need to keep in mind the people who have lived here and have been paying property taxes for decades.”

There will be another engagement session on the proposal for residents in Riverbend on Sept. 21, after which the city said it will submit the proposal for a review.

A decision on the proposed redevelopment is expected by city council sometime early next year.

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PFL sells minority stake, plans expansion into Saudi Arabia - ESPN - ESPN

• 

  Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterAug 30, 2023, 12:46 PM ET

SRJ Sports Investments, a company launched earlier this month by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, has acquired a minority stake in mixed martial arts promotion Professional Fighters League, it was announced Wednesday.

As part of the agreement, SRJ will also be an investor in a new regional league called PFL MENA, which will launch in 2024, and will support PFL's expansion into Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. The upcoming PFL pay-per-view Super Fight events will be held in Saudi Arabia.

SRJ's commitment to the PFL is worth more than $100 million, sources confirmed to ESPN after a report from Sportico. One source told ESPN that the deal "could be worth substantially more" than that number in the future.

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The first Super Fight will be in the first quarter of 2024, the PFL said in its announcement. It mentioned that former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou and YouTuber-turned-prizefighter Jake Paul will both fight for PFL on pay-per-view next year.

"PFL's mission is to become the global co-leader in MMA with our fighter-first mission and disruptive sport-season format," PFL founder and chairman Donn Davis said in a statement. "This investment by SRJ continues the monumental growth that PFL has experienced throughout the world, and there is no better partner in global sports than SRJ."

This is Saudi Arabia's first official foray into mixed martial arts, although it has been active in combat sports over the past several years, hosting and financing major boxing and WWE events. The country has been aggressive in its investments in soccer, golf, Formula One racing and cycling, among other sports.

According to the release, PFL plans to launch six international regional leagues by 2026, what it called the first "Champions League of MMA." PFL Europe started earlier this year, and PFL MENA will launch in the second quarter of 2024 with a "four-event sport-season format" schedule announced in the fall.

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A million more non-permanent residents live in Canada than official figures, ministers told - The Globe and Mail

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Benjamin Tal, deputy chief economist of CIBC Capital Markets, told the Liberal government gathering in Charlottetown that the undercounting in the official statistics means Canada is underestimating the number of new homes required to meet the country’s increasing housing needs.Tijana Martin/The Globe and Mail

A leading economist warned federal ministers at their cabinet retreat last week that there are around one million more non-permanent residents living in Canada, including foreign students, than government estimates suggest.

The warning came in a briefing from Benjamin Tal, deputy chief economist at CIBC Capital Markets. He told the Liberal government gathering in Charlottetown that the undercounting in the official statistics means Canada is underestimating the number of new homes required to meet the country’s increasing housing needs.

Mr. Tal said in an interview that the government estimate of the number of non-permanent residents in the country in 2021 was around one million. But his analysis found there were closer to two million. The main reason for the discrepancy, he said, is that the government is not counting people who remain in the country after their visas expire.

Mr. Tal said Statistics Canada assumes that temporary resident visa holders, including international students, leave the country 30 days after the expiries of their visas. “Their software, their coding, makes the assumption that 30 days after your visa expired you left the country, despite the fact you have not left the country,” he said.

He said a majority of temporary residents don’t leave in this timeframe, and many apply to extend their stays in Canada.

Canada has changed its permanent residence selection process. Here’s what to know

In a report on his findings, published Wednesday, Mr. Tal says “the practical implication of that undercounting is that the housing affordability crisis Canada is facing is actually worse than perceived, and calls for an even more urgent and aggressive policy action.”

The federal government has increased its immigration targets to historically high levels. It is now aiming to admit about 500,000 new permanent residents this year, and in each of the following two years. But those numbers don’t include foreign students on visas or people on temporary work permits.

There is currently no federal limit on the number of student visas issued each year. At last week’s cabinet retreat, Housing Minister Sean Fraser told reporters the government should consider a cap on the program, which he said has seen “explosive growth” and placed pressure on housing markets.

The high cost of renting and buying housing has become a fraught political issue. The federal Conservatives have argued that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals need to do more to address housing shortages.

Mr. Tal told The Globe and Mail that Statistics Canada’s practice of assuming holders of expired visas leave the country after 30 days accounts for only about 750,000 of the million or so non-permanent residents he estimates are absent from official numbers.

Another 250,000 – mostly international students – are missing from census data, he said. The most recent census forms said students should submit their information if they were living in their main residences. But they were told not to fill out the census if they return home to live with their parents during the year.

Mr. Tal said the system was confusing for students, and that not all of them filled in the census, in some cases because they believed their main residences were abroad.

“This is why even Statistics Canada believes that the census continues to undercount NPRs with valid visas in Canada,” he said, using an abbreviation for non-permanent residents.

He said the shortfall in the census has implications for housing policy, because the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the federal Crown corporation responsible for housing, uses census data to make its forecasts, which are widely relied upon by planners throughout Canada.

“If your starting point is too low, your forecast will be far too low, resulting in a suboptimal planning process,” Mr. Tal said.

His report on the findings says its figures are conservative.

A briefing paper by Henry Lotin, the founder of Integrative Trade and Economics and a former federal economist, agrees with Mr. Tal’s findings. It says “upwards of one million persons are missing in the official population, largely due to expired visa holders remaining in Canada awaiting new visas.”

Statistics Canada should change its counting methodologies to include holders of expired visas, Mr. Lotin’s paper says.

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A million more non-permanent residents live in Canada than official figures, ministers told - The Globe and Mail
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A million more non-permanent residents live in Canada than official figures, ministers told - The Globe and Mail

Open this photo in gallery:

Benjamin Tal, deputy chief economist of CIBC Capital Markets, told the Liberal government gathering in Charlottetown that the undercounting in the official statistics means Canada is underestimating the number of new homes required to meet the country’s increasing housing needs.Tijana Martin/The Globe and Mail

A leading economist warned federal ministers at their cabinet retreat last week that there are around one million more non-permanent residents living in Canada, including foreign students, than government estimates suggest.

The warning came in a briefing from Benjamin Tal, deputy chief economist at CIBC Capital Markets. He told the Liberal government gathering in Charlottetown that the undercounting in the official statistics means Canada is underestimating the number of new homes required to meet the country’s increasing housing needs.

Mr. Tal said in an interview that the government estimate of the number of non-permanent residents in the country in 2021 was around one million. But his analysis found there were closer to two million. The main reason for the discrepancy, he said, is that the government is not counting people who remain in the country after their visas expire.

Mr. Tal said Statistics Canada assumes that temporary resident visa holders, including international students, leave the country 30 days after the expiries of their visas. “Their software, their coding, makes the assumption that 30 days after your visa expired you left the country, despite the fact you have not left the country,” he said.

He said a majority of temporary residents don’t leave in this timeframe, and many apply to extend their stays in Canada.

Canada has changed its permanent residence selection process. Here’s what to know

In a report on his findings, published Wednesday, Mr. Tal says “the practical implication of that undercounting is that the housing affordability crisis Canada is facing is actually worse than perceived, and calls for an even more urgent and aggressive policy action.”

The federal government has increased its immigration targets to historically high levels. It is now aiming to admit about 500,000 new permanent residents this year, and in each of the following two years. But those numbers don’t include foreign students on visas or people on temporary work permits.

There is currently no federal limit on the number of student visas issued each year. At last week’s cabinet retreat, Housing Minister Sean Fraser told reporters the government should consider a cap on the program, which he said has seen “explosive growth” and placed pressure on housing markets.

The high cost of renting and buying housing has become a fraught political issue. The federal Conservatives have argued that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals need to do more to address housing shortages.

Mr. Tal told The Globe and Mail that Statistics Canada’s practice of assuming holders of expired visas leave the country after 30 days accounts for only about 750,000 of the million or so non-permanent residents he estimates are absent from official numbers.

Another 250,000 – mostly international students – are missing from census data, he said. The most recent census forms said students should submit their information if they were living in their main residences. But they were told not to fill out the census if they return home to live with their parents during the year.

Mr. Tal said the system was confusing for students, and that not all of them filled in the census, in some cases because they believed their main residences were abroad.

“This is why even Statistics Canada believes that the census continues to undercount NPRs with valid visas in Canada,” he said, using an abbreviation for non-permanent residents.

He said the shortfall in the census has implications for housing policy, because the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the federal Crown corporation responsible for housing, uses census data to make its forecasts, which are widely relied upon by planners throughout Canada.

“If your starting point is too low, your forecast will be far too low, resulting in a suboptimal planning process,” Mr. Tal said.

His report on the findings says its figures are conservative.

A briefing paper by Henry Lotin, the founder of Integrative Trade and Economics and a former federal economist, agrees with Mr. Tal’s findings. It says “upwards of one million persons are missing in the official population, largely due to expired visa holders remaining in Canada awaiting new visas.”

Statistics Canada should change its counting methodologies to include holders of expired visas, Mr. Lotin’s paper says.

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Angels salary dump: Why Lucas Giolito, Hunter Renfroe, more were reportedly placed on waivers and what's next - CBS Sports

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The Los Angeles Angels have placed starting pitcher Lucas Giolito, relief pitchers Matt Moore, Dominic Leone, and Reynaldo López, and outfielders Hunter Renfroe and Randal Grichuk on waivers, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. Trades are not allowed after the Aug. 1 deadline for players who have appeared in the majors this season, meaning that the Angels will not receive any compensation if/when other teams claim those players. In other words, this is a potential mass salary dump.

The Angels had just acquired Giolito, López, Leone, and Grichuk one month ago at the trade deadline in hopes of making a postseason run. Murphy's law has since applied to the franchise. Impending free agent Shohei Ohtani tore his UCL, ending his season as a pitcher; star outfielder Mike Trout returned from injury for a single game before going back on the shelf; and so on. The Angels have amassed a 7-18 record in August, pushing them well outside of the playoff picture.  

To make sense of why the Angels did what they did and what comes next, below CBS Sports has answered five pertinent questions about this surprising development.

1. Why would the Angels do this?

To save money. Provided other teams claim these players, the Angels will essentially trim their big-league payroll as well as their luxury tax number. That second part is likely crucial to owner Arte Moreno, since going over the tax line means that the team in question has to pay an overage fee. (Teams who pay the luxury tax are also penalized when it comes to compensatory draft picks, an important point if the Angels lose Shohei Ohtani in free agency.)

The official Competitive Balance Tax calculations aren't computed until the end of the season, and the publicly available estimates tend to vary. Some sites, like Spotrac, have the Angels over the tax line by $5 million. 

If that number is correct, then the Angels can duck under the line if several of the players are claimed.

2. Are these players likely to be claimed?

The smart money is on yes for most, if not all of them. Sure, some of the players, including Giolito and Grichuk, have performed poorly since joining the Angels. But there is a reason those players were in demand at the trade deadline. Besides, it's rare that teams get the opportunity to add external veteran talent of any magnitude at this point in the season, and the financial costs associated with those players are trifling for most teams compared to the money the franchise would earn if they find themselves playing in October.

3. How do waivers work?

Simply, the waiver order is the inverse order of the standings. The worse a team's record is, the better their priority. The best teams, meanwhile, are at the end of the line, giving them the worst chance at landing any of these players. Lest anyone wonder, there is no "back of the line" aspect at play here, like there are in some fantasy leagues. A team remains in whatever spot corresponds to its record no matter how many of its claims are successful. 

4. Which contenders could benefit the most?

Again, the teams best positioned to add some of these players are largely those who are furthest back from a playoff spot. Coming into Tuesday, here's the waiver priority order for every team within six games of a playoff spot who would not make the postseason if it were to begin tomorrow. 

1. Miami Marlins 
2. Cincinnati Reds
3. San Francisco Giants
4. Boston Red Sox

Do note that the Toronto Blue Jays are actually behind three squads who would make the playoffs: the AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins and both the Chicago Cubs and the Arizona Diamondbacks, who are holding onto NL wild card slots.

5. Players remain playoff eligible

You might wonder if these players are just regular season rentals, or if they'll be able to suit up should their next teams make it to October. The answer is the latter. Should these players help their new teams reach the playoffs, they will be able to enjoy the fruits of their labor by partaking in the games.

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Premier Smith says Alberta needs more energy following grid alert - rdnewsnow.com

The grid alert was cancelled just after 8:00 p.m. as the AESO said the grid was once again stable and working as normal.

Smith said Alberta relies almost entirely on natural gas to power homes and businesses, supplemented with wind and solar.

“It is critical that Alberta add more base-load power from natural gas and other sources to our electricity grid to protect the reliability and affordability of power for Albertans,” said Smith.

On August 3, 2023, the Government of Alberta announced a seven-month pause on approving any new wind and solar energy generation projects over one megawatt, saying that it will use that time to review all policies and procedures related to renewable power.

The Pembina Institute estimated that as many as 188 projects are impacted by the pause.

The Alberta Utilities Commission said it will continue to receive and process applications for new renewables during this time, but will not be able to approve them until after the moratorium has been lifted, which is expected to happen at the end of February 2024.

READ MORE: Alberta to pause new renewable energy permits while reviewing policies

READ MORE: Smith and Neudorf talk healthcare, renewables pause during Whoop-Up Days

Kathleen Ganley, Alberta NDP Critic for Energy (Oil and Gas, Minerals and Hydrogen), made the following statement in response to the AESO issuing a Grid Alert:

“Price spikes and unreliable electricity supply in Alberta are the result of the UCP’s botched handling of the provincial grid.

“Albertans are facing unprecedented energy bills, and unprecedented wildfires, while Danielle Smith bans the development of renewable energy. Her actions will limit the supply of electricity, while increasing costs and the emissions that drive climate change.

“Alberta families and businesses need an immediate emergency rate cap, and public hearings into both skyrocketing prices and Danielle Smith’s sabotage of the renewable energy sector.”

by David Opinko

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Police raid suspected gay wedding in Nigeria and arrest more than 200 people - CNN

Abuja, Nigeria CNN  — 

Nigerian police arrested more than 200 people at a wedding on Monday, in one of the biggest mass arrests in recent years targeting the country’s LGBTQ community.

A police spokesperson in the southern Delta state told reporters Tuesday that 67 people will be prosecuted for “allegedly conducting and attending a same-sex wedding ceremony.”

Same-sex relationships are criminalized in Nigeria, and its penal code approves a punishment of up to 14 years in prison for people who are convicted of entering into a same-sex civil union.

In a live broadcast on Tuesday, a police official described the event as evil and “we cannot copy the western world… we are Nigeria and we must follow the culture of this country.”

Behind him were the suspects, some of whom told journalists in the live broadcast that they were not gay and were models and fashion designers.

Amnesty International Nigeria condemned the situation as “a witch-hunt.” It called on Delta state police to release the detained people, who were “arrested and paraded to the media” and to “put an immediate end to this witch-hunt,” in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“In a society where corruption is rampant, the law banning same sex relationships is increasingly being used for harassment, extortion and blackmail of people by law enforcement officers and other members of the public. This is unacceptable,” the human rights group added.

Police said a video recording of the wedding party and alleged prohibited substances were obtained during the raid.

Hiding in a safe house in Accra, Ghana, Joe, a homophobic attack victim describes to CNN how a group of men kidnapped him and physically and mentally abused him for being gay.

CNN

How a US group with links to the far-right may have influenced a crackdown on Ghana's LGBTQ community

“The venue of the illicit event was searched, and the following items were recovered at the scene: one codeine bottle, three cups of refined Canadian loud, five sachets of SK, one sachet of tramadol, four tablets of molly drug, one crusher, gay marriage ceremonial dresses,” a police statement said.

The statement added that police got wind of the event after operatives on routine patrol stopped an attendee late Sunday. “He had claimed to be an actor, the statement said.

“Upon interrogation, he confessed that he is a member of a certain gay club and that he was on his way to join his fellow members for a gay marriage ceremony,” the statement said.

This latest arrest comes five years after 57 men accused of homosexuality were arrested during a police raid on a hotel in Lagos in 2018.

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