Congratulations to the 2014

Trails of Light Winner! The

rear yard at 32 Cooper’s

Heights was a delight to be-

hold. From the charming

characters “playing” in the

snow to the lights on the

house, the trees, and the fence,

the yard told an enchanting

story full of Christmas spirit.

In a letter to the Cooper’s

Crossing Residents’ Associa-

tion, the homeowners ex-

pressed “surprise” and were

“honoured” to be the recipi-

ents of the title and the

$100.00 gift card to Il Forno.

Like so many residents in

Cooper’s Crossing, “the appeal

of the walking pathways of

Cooper’s Crossing was one of

our major factors in making

the decision on Airdrie…we

were quite delighted to see

many people stopping and

looking at all the lights etc.

from the pathway. We look

forward to living in Airdrie

with all its’ attractions and en-

joying the trails that the com-

munity offers.”

Thank you to the many resi-

dents who showed their com-

munity and festive spirit by

lighting up the trails in

Cooper’s Crossing for the 5th

year in a row!

2014 also marked the first

Trails of Light “Tour”.

Thanks to all those who

showed up on December 12

with their children, strollers,

travel mugs, and good humour

to walk the trails and lend a

hand with the very tough selec-

tion of the “best light” display.

Community spirit is alive and

thriving in Cooper’s Crossing!

5th Annual Trails of Light Winner

Resident Association fees are

paid annually and are due at

the beginning of each calendar

year. The purpose of the fees

is to help fund community

enhancement projects and

events as determined by the

CCRA.

For questions about or pay-

ments for resident association

fees, please contact Astoria

Asset Management Ltd. at 403-

948-0337.

Astoria will be moving to their

brand new office space located

at 202 150 Edwards Way SE.,

Airdrie, AB. T4B 4B9 in the

very near future.

Due to Astoria’s pending

move, CCRA fee invoices will

be sent out mid February with

payment due upon receipt.

Please note, this year’s resident

association fees will include

GST.

CCRA Fees Are Due

Winter/Spring

Volume 9, Issue 1

Community News

Follow us and pin your

favorite spaces and

places

coopersairdrie

CoopersCrossingAirdrie

Coopers Crossing

Name That School 2

Real Estate News 3

CCRA Frequently Asked Questions

4

Thank You Neighbour 5

Mortgage Insurance 7

Inside this issue:

Page 2 Community News Volume 9, I ssue 1

The CCRA would like to encourage all residents to recommend a name

for our new K-4 public school in Cooper’s

Crossing .

(NC) Each year, thousands of Canadian students earn schol-arships that help them offset their education costs. Surpris-ingly, over $15 million of the $70 million available each year in scholarship dollars goes unclaimed, according to indus-try estimates.

“Scholarships are a good source of education funding – one that you don't have to pay back,” advises Melissa Jarman, director of student banking at RBC Royal Bank. “Don't write yourself off as an unqualified candidate. In addition to fund-ing school with your savings, a part-time job, or a student loan, you could receive an un-expected top-up. Even smaller scholarships will help out with your expenses.”

Scholarships are available throughout the year, so here are five tips to help you ex-plore your options:

1. Research: Check your col-

lege or university's financial aid

department. If you are in high

school, check to see what

scholarships are available to

graduating students. Take ad-

vantage of online resources

such as studentawards.com and

scholarshipscanada.com that

match you to available scholar-

ships.

2. Be optimistic: If you're not

a straight-A student, be aware

that not all scholarships are

based on academic standing.

Some of them reward civic

engagement, leadership experi-

ence, your heritage, affiliations,

or a particular skill.

3. Tap your network: You

may find scholarships are of-

fered by your employer, sports

league or your bank. Ask your

parents if their employers offer

funding to children of employ-

ees.

4. Plan ahead and start early:

Be prepared to devote time

towards fulfilling scholarship

criteria. There are often essays,

questionnaires and school tran-

scripts to submit, so allot your

time wisely for maximum im-

pact.

5. Be conscientious: Proof-read your application and en-sure you followed all the in-structions. Ask friends and family to review your applica-tion before you send it.

Jarman says that RBC provides over $550,000 in annual schol-arships, including the Students Leading Change Scholarships, the Aboriginal Student Awards Program and Scholarship Pro-gram for the Children of RBC Employees.

More information is available online at scholarships.rbc.com.

5 Secrets For Winning A Post-Secondary Scholarship

What’s in a name, you say? A

name marks the beginning of

the recorded existence of a

person, place, or thing, and

here in RVS there are three

‘things’ without one.

Set to open in September 2016,

the three new RVS facilities – a

K-8 school in the Sunset Ridge

community of Cochrane, a K-4

school in the Cooper’s Cross-

ing community of Airdrie, and

a K-5 (K-8) school in the

King’s Heights community of

Airdrie – are ‘nameless’.

Now here's where you come

in. RVS is launching a contest

to select a name for each of its

new facilities. To submit

an entry, indicate the proposed

school name and why you

think it’s appropriate, along

with your name and contact

information. Refer to Policy

FF Naming of Facilities,

which outlines the parameters

guiding the process.

Entries should be emailed to

Lisa Sandberg, lsand-

berg@rockyvie.ab.ca, mailed to

her attention at the Education

Centre, 2651 Chinook Winds

Drive SW, Airdrie, T4B 0B4,

or faxed to 403.945.4011.

Deadline for entries is Mar. 2,

2015. School Naming Commit-

tees will review the entries and

send recommendations to the

Board of Trustees who will

make the final decision, with

the winner's name inscribed on

a plaque at the school.

Remember, it all starts with a

name … the rest is history!

Replay-February 3, 2015, RVS Weekly News. rockyview.ab.ca/publications/news

Name That School!

Cooper’s Crossing Real Estate News

Welcome to 2015. It is hard to

believe another year has come

and gone. Cooper’s Crossing

saw a lot of action in 2014.

The community welcomed

many new families with a great

selection of new and re-sale

homes being sold throughout.

Sod was also turned in late

2014 for the much anticipated

Public Elementary School with

a projected opening of Septem-

ber, 2016.

In 2014, the benchmark price

overall in Airdrie increased by

10% as compared to 2013.

Total sales (units) were 28%

higher in 2014 than in 2013.

From October 1st to December

31st, Cooper’s Crossing record-

ed 23 single family home sales.

Homes were on the market for

an average of 48 days. In com-

parison, Airdrie, as a whole,

recorded 226 single family

home sales with an average 44

days on market.

Overall, the average sale price

for single detached homes in

Airdrie was $438,552. When

you look at Coopers Crossing

individually, the average sale

price came in at $555,513. The

lowest recorded single family

sale price was $443,750 and the

high came in at $807,000.

Currently, Cooper’s Crossing

has 21 active listings, with pric-

es ranging from $449,900 -

$1,350,000. Our community

has homes in every size, style,

and budget for those seeking

to join this fabulous

community.

These statistics were compiled by Cooper’s

Crossing resident Nancy Harris of Manor

Real Estate

Page 3 Community News Volume 9, I ssue 1

Page 4 Community News Volume 9, I ssue 1

The Cooper’s Crossing Resi-

dents’ Association (CCRA)

would like to take this oppor-

tunity to welcome you to the

community and the Residents’

Association.

As a condition of purchase,

every homeowner in Cooper’s

Crossing is obligated to pay

regular fees to the Association.

The Association is a private,

not-for-profit corporation of

all residents of Cooper’s Cross-

ing and has its own board of

directors. The Board currently

consists of three WestMark

appointees. For as long as it is

actively developing Cooper’s

Crossing, WestMark will be

responsible for providing over-

all management of the Associa-

tion.

Why do I have to pay an

annual Resident’s Associa-

tion fee and what is it for?

The mandatory annual fees are

stipulated in a caveat registered

against the title of each lot sold

in Cooper’s Crossing. The

purpose of the fees is to help

fund community enhancement

projects and events as deter-

mined by the CCRA. This

includes such items as the pro-

duction of a community news-

letter, installing Christmas

lights at the community en-

trance, organization/

advertising of the annual gar-

age sale. On occasion the

CCRA chooses to pay for addi-

tional park maintenance over

and above the regular mainte-

nance performed by the City of

Airdrie Parks department.

How much is my annual

fee? When is it due?

In 2015 residences adjacent to

public greenspace will pay

$70.00 + GST per year with all

other residences paying a rate

of $53.00 + GST per year.

These rates are subject to in-

crease for inflation based on

the annual consumer price

index for the City of Calgary

on January 1st of each year.

Resident Association fees are

paid annually and are due at

the beginning of each calendar

year.

Who do I pay my Resident

Association fee to?

Astoria Asset Management

Ltd. has been hired to adminis-

ter the collection of annual

fees. Payment should be made

out to the “Cooper’s Crossing

Residents’ Association” and

sent to: Astoria Asset Manage-

ment Ltd., 202 150 Edwards

Way SE., Airdrie, AB T4B

4B9 Phone: 403.948.0337

Can I get a copy of the an-

nual CCRA budget?

A copy of the current years’

budget may be obtained from

Astoria Asset Management

Ltd.

Do my fees include road/

park maintenance?

Roads and parks in Cooper’s

Crossing are owned and main-

tained by the City of Airdrie.

Contact the City of Airdrie

Public Works department at

403.948.8415 for questions

regarding maintenance and

snow removal on roads.

For traffic issues such as park-

ing or speeding on public roads

contact Municipal Enforce-

ment at 403.948.8892.

Contact the City of Airdrie

Parks department at

403.948.8400 for questions/

concerns regarding snow re-

moval on pathways, weeding,

grass/trees, and irrigation.

Are there other caveats reg-

istered against my lot?

In addition to the Residents’

Association caveat, homeown-

ers in Cooper’s Crossing

should be aware that there is

also a permanent caveat regis-

tered against every lot in

Cooper’s Crossing regarding

fencing and sheds. This caveat

is to ensure a consistent stand-

ard of fencing and sheds is

maintained throughout the

community and to reduce con-

flicts between neighbours over

fencing along common proper-

ty lines.

How do I obtain more infor-

mation on the caveats for my

lot?

For specific caveat information

pertaining to your lot, you can

obtain a copy of all the caveats

registered against your proper-

ty from a registrar’s office, the

lawyer who handled your prop-

erty purchase or contact West-

Mark at 403.948.5300.

What happens with the

CCRA obligations/caveats if

I sell my house?

Should you sell your house in

the future, all obligations/

caveats will remain on title.

CCRA Frequently Asked Questions

Be a respectful and

thoughtful

neighbour, shovel

your snow and

encourage others to

do the same. Keep a

watch for people in

the neighborhood

who have difficulty

moving snow and

lend a hand by being

a snow angel.

Property owners are

reminded snow and

ice must be removed

from the sidewalk

along your frontage

within 48 hours of

the beginning of a

snowfall. In keeping

with section 401 of

Airdrie Bylaw No.

910 “Regulating the

use of all highways,

sidewalks and public

places,” residents are

not permitted to

place snow removed

from sidewalks and

driveways onto the

roadway or any

public place.

Be a Snow

Angel

Page 5 Community News Volume 9, I ssue 1

Are Your CCRA Fees In Arrears?

Thank You Neighbour

We have been advised by Asto-ria Asset Management Ltd. that there are several households in Cooper’s Crossing whose resi-dent association fees are in arrears.

All owners should be aware

that failure to pay the CCRA fees may result in a caveat reg-istered against the title of your home. You may also be re-quired to repay the CCRA for any caveat or legal expenses incurred to collect amounts

outstanding. Interest charges will continue to be applied to the balance in accordance with the by-laws of your Associa-tion.”

The Cooper’s Crossing Resi-

dents’ Association would like

to acknowledge and say a

heartfelt thank you to the

Cooper’s Crossing resident

who, having seen the gazebo at

the central pond on fire, took

action to not only dial 9-1-1,

but who also doused the

flames before the fire spread.

It is neighbours like you who

make Cooper’s Crossing a

great place to live.

Anyone with information is

asked to call RCMP at 403-945

-7200 or Crimestoppers at 1-

800-222-8477.

“Let’s dive in with some gluten free

cream of “wheat” topped with dairy

free whipped cream!”

Page 6 Community News Volume 9, I ssue 1

(NC) Post-secondary education

is expensive. Every semester

starts with paying tuition and

buying textbooks. You may

need a new laptop and school

supplies – and don't forget

about all the coffee you'll need

to survive the all-nighters

cramming for exams. These

costs can pile up which may

push you to sift through the

couch cushions for all the

coins you can find.

The solution? Even though

you may not have any income

to report, you may be able to

take advantage of some tax

savings to put some money

back in your pocket. Here are a

few tips to help you out:

File your taxes

To take advantage of the tax

credits and benefits available to

you, such as the GST/HST

credit, you have to file your

taxes. Do it online – there's a

wide range of software, includ-

ing some that's free.

Sign up for direct deposit

When you combine online

filing with direct deposit into

your bank account, you can get

your refund in as little as eight

business days.

Claim your tax credits

• Tuition fees – Most tuition

paid to a post-secondary insti-

tution in Canada can be

claimed. You may also be able

to transfer or carry-forward

any unused credits.

• Education amount – You

can claim $400 for each month

you are enrolled in eligible full-

time studies and $120 for each

month you are enrolled in eligi-

ble part-time studies.

• Textbook amount – If you

are eligible for the education

amount, you can claim this too.

You can claim $65 for each

month you are enrolled in full-

time studies, and $20 for each

month you are enrolled in part

time studies.

• Public transit amount –

Generally speaking, you can

claim the amount you spent on

a monthly public transit pass,

but not tickets or daily passes.

• GST/HST credit – You can

get payment of up to $70 every

three months to help you keep

on top of your expenses.

You can find more information

for students at www.cra.gc.ca/

students.

Students: Take Advantage Of Tax Credits And Benefits

Cream of “Wheat”

1 cup almonds 2 cups cashew or coconut milk ½ cup pecans or other nut 2 tea of cinnamon 1 banana Pinch of sea salt

If using raw nuts, soak overnight first (discard water). Place all ingredients in the blender and

blend until desired thickness or until smooth. Pour into saucepan and heat over medium low until

thick, stirring constantly to avoid burning. Top with coconut whip cream and berries.

Coconut Whip Cream

Can of coconut milk, chilled 2 TB of maple syrup (or other sweetener)

Put coconut milk in fridge and chill. Once chilled, it will separate. Take the thick part off the top

and reserve the juice for another recipe. Put coconut milk in a bowl, bring to room temperature

and beat on high with maple syrup until desired thickness.

Recipes To Warm You A new year has brought some

new changes. Maybe for you

this means self-care or a

change in diet. At Little

Chewz, we have added some

new classes! Along with learn-

ing about how to make healthy

choices and recipes, we will

now be learning a variety of

new skills in the kitchen and at

home, including gluten-free

recipes, healthy cake pops, self-

care and the basics of nutrition.

Let’s dive in with some gluten

free cream of “wheat” topped

with dairy free whipped cream!

This recipe will keep you warm

on those cold mornings in

winter!

Submitted by Cooper’s Crossing resident Lisa

Trout, CHC, Bed. Little Chewz

Common deductions and credits for

students include tuition, education,

textbooks, interest paid on student

loans, moving expenses, and public

transit.

www.cra.gc.ca/students

Page 7 Community News Volume 9, I ssue 1

Who Is Your Mortgage Insurance Protecting?

If you own a home, chances are you have a mortgage. And your bank has probably asked you to buy their mortgage in-surance, which is really life insurance designed to pay off your mortgage in the event of your death. But have you considered the many benefits of purchasing life insurance from your insur-ance company, rather than through the bank?

With a policy from your insur-ance company:

• You own and control the policy. It stays in effect if you switch lenders, and only you can cancel it.

• Your coverage does not de-crease. Traditional mortgage insurance covers only what you owe on your home.

• Your renewal is guaranteed regardless of your health condition.

• You can select the features that best meet your needs.

• Your loved ones receive the benefits, not the bank. They can choose to pay off the mortgage or for any other financial need.

Submitted by Cooper’s Crossing resident Michael Acheson, Financial Advisor, Rockyview Insurance Services

The opinions expressed within any published article, report or submission reflect those of the author and should not be considered to reflect those of the Cooper’s Crossing Residence Association. The information contained in this newsletter is believed to be accurate, but is not warranted to be so.

The CCRA does not endorse any person or persons advertising in this newsletter. Publication of these ads should not be considered an endorsement of any goods or services.

DISCLAIMER

“Traditional mortgage

insurance covers only what

you owe on your home.”

Community Bulletin Board • Do you have a service or event you wish

to announce?

• Are you a babysitter?

• Looking to earn money doing odd chores?

Send us your announcement/information to ccra@westmark.ca and we will publish it in the newsletter free of charge.

Don’t forget to post your announcement on the Cooper’s Crossing bulletin board located at the tot park.

7 Cooper’s Close

Airdrie, AB T4B 2XI

Phone: 403-948-5300

Fax: 403-948-5340

E-mail: ccra@westmark.ca

Cooper’s Crossing Residents’ Association

Mark Your Calendar

Feb 14…………………….………………….……….Valentines Day

Feb 22, 12-4 pm………..………Airdrie Wedding Event at Airdrie T&C

Feb 25………………………………………………...Pink Shirt Day

Feb 24, 7-9 pm……………………Budgeting Basics at Community Links

March 2……………………………..RVS Name That School Deadline

March 8…………………………………………...…Daylight Savings

March 14………………………...Airdrie Food Bank Shamrock Shimmy

April 5 ………………………………………………..Easter Sunday

April 25-26…………. ………….……Airdrie Home and Lifestyle Show

May 30…………………Cooper’s Crossing Community Wide Garage Sale

Looking for other ideas? Visit the events calendars available at

www.totallyairdrie.com; www.discoverairdrie.com; www.airdrie.ca

Looking for volunteer opportunities? Visit www.volunteerairdrie.ca