Spring is my favorite season of the year! It's the time of the year when the sun is shining and everyone comes out of a winter hibernation. If your looking to buy a home during a spring frenzy, it can seem to be difficult. Seeming like every time you make an offer, somebody else beats you to it!  Although, spring can be the best time to buy a home for all the same reasons! To increase your chances of buying the home you want, it’s important to have a strategy that will give you an edge when many other buyers are in the market. Let me help you create that strategy, so your home buying process is flawless. 
- Graham Ogden

As the weather warms and Canadian families go from home-bound hibernating to springtime sun-seeking, it’s important to make sure that the weather changes do not damage our homes.

Protecting the quality of your home, especially during spring runoff in a heavy-snowfall region, requires a bit of foresight, planning and support. Here are some tips from the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) that will help you take preventative measures.

• Inspect the grounds. Check to see if driveways, sidewalks, decks, around your basement, and patios have the appropriate grading to direct water away from your home.
• Check your eaves and downspouts. Ensure they extend away from your basement wall to allow the water to drain away from your home and out toward the backyard, back lane, or street.
• Check that your sump pump is correctly working. A functioning sump pump can prevent flooding in your home so be sure to check that it is in working order. Consider adding back-up battery power so that your sump pump continues to work in the event of an electricity outage. If you live in an area prone to flooding and you don't already have a sump pump installed it may be something to consider.
• Consider installing backflow valves. In the event of a main sewer backup, backflow valves will automatically close to prevent water and sewage from entering your home. Backflow valves are to be installed on your basement sewer connections such as drains and toilets and are a good preventative measure.

Family Day is a chance for us to make deeper connections with our loved one. Family Day may be a leisurely day off from work and school, but it’s meant to be an opportunity to reflect on the importance of spending quality time with our families, and feeling gratitude for the deep bonds and connections we share with one another. I hope all of my clients and friends have an amazing long weekend with their loved ones - Graham Ogden

Family Day Sleigh Rides
We are so excited to have Dick Laurin Hay & Sleigh Rides BACK in Elmwood! Join us for sleigh rides, skating, snowshoeing (children and youth ONLY), games, snow painting, comfort food and cocoa! We will be cooking bannock over the fire from 1-2! Elmwood Community League Members – $10/family up to 5 people, $1/additional person.
https://www.facebook.com/events/558365284608794/
 

Free Admission to Royal Alberta Museum
Feed your curiosity from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Journey through millions of years of history and see thousands of objects, from dinosaurs and mammoths to tiny insects and glowing gems. See how Alberta’s Indigenous communities share knowledge and values through generations, and meet the people who shaped our province. Plus, visit thousands of live critters and have fun in our Children’s Gallery, complete with an archeological dig pit. Get ready to discover a history of Alberta you won’t find anywhere else.
http://www.raisingedmonton.com/get-free-admission-to-royal-alberta-museum-on-family-day/
 

Family Day at the Legislature
Family Day is the perfect excuse to spend quality time with your loved ones. Enjoy FREE family fun at the Alberta Legislature on Monday, February 18, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
https://www.facebook.com/events/296253097703757/
 

Highlands Family Day
Join us on Monday, February 18th for our Annual Family Day event. The event is FREE with donations going to the Mustard Seed. Enjoy tobogganing, ice skating, sleigh rides, face painting, marshmallow roasting, BBQ, and hot chocolate.
https://www.facebook.com/events/2250971265190747/
 

Family Day at the Edmonton Valley Zoo
Bundle up your family, beat the winter blues and “Get Closer” this Family Day! Indoors or outdoors, enjoy “arctic” activities and games throughout the zoo. Cosy up next to a campfire, learn to kick sled and snowshoe or visit the free photobooth to capture a family memory! Learn why the Edmonton Valley Zoo is an Arctic Ambassador Centre for Polar Bears International and how animals adapt to life in cold climates. Regular admission rates apply.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1885759858188829/