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CALGARY - The Elbow River Casino in Calgary, owned for many years by entrepreneur Sam Switzer, has been sold. The new local owners, who are not being named, bought the casino at 218 18th Ave. S.E.

MLS sales and average sale prices so far this month have shown some pretty impressive gains from a year ago. According to the Calgary Real Estate Board, from June 1 to 28, total MLS sales in the city of 2,019 are up 13.11 per cent from the same period a year ago while the average sale price has jumped by 4.55 per cent to $443,096.

Standing ovations. Spontaneous genuflections. A we-can-change-the-world lecture. This must be what's it like to live in a Communist state. Funnily enough, the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra, who we were saying goodbye to last night in the final concert of their four-day Southbank residency, already do.

"How can Buddhist police officers use force? The typical view in Buddhism is complete non-violence, but I look at it as non-aggression. "I do not believe in killing, maiming, or hurting someone because of anger, retribution, or revenge, but if I needed to use force on someone in order to reduce someone else's suffering, to protect someone else or myself, I believe I can do it."

A spokesperson for the Judicial Office said: "HHJ Cotter QC found the defendant guilty of contempt for failing to release Aziz Lamari having undertaken to do so. "There was no penalty imposed for the contempt - the finding in itself is serious."

Mark Reckless, the Rochester MP who sits on the Home Affairs Select Committee, added: "With this European Court trying to give prisoners the right to vote as if they can override the will of Parliament, it is an insult that it brings the begging bowl to Britain for them to make more decisions to erode British democracy and freedom."

The most high-profile is Lord Prescott, the former Deputy Prime Minister, who will stand in his heartland of Humberside. In 2009 The Daily Telegraph disclosed that he had used his parliamentary allowances to fit "mock Tudor boards" to the front of his constituency home, and to refit two lavatory seats, but he was not required to repay any public funds.

CALGARY - Short-term and long-term expectations for housing starts in the Calgary census metropolitan area are positive, according to the Conference Board of Canada. In a report released Monday, the board said the seasonally-adjusted annual rate of starts in the Calgary region was 10,724 units in April, up substantially from 7,720 a year ago.

CALGARY - Strong economic conditions will continue to push the Calgary region's housing market in an upward direction this year, according to a new report released Thursday by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. In the CMHC's Spring 2012 Calgary Housing Market Outlook, total housing starts in the Calgary census metropolitan area are forecast to reach 11,600 units in 2012, up from 9,292 units in 2011.

He went on: "It is without question a step-change in terms of the direction of travel of that part of the Government structure." He said that when he served in Northern Ireland, he would regularly turn to HM Inspectorate of Constabulary for advice on problems such as terrorism.

CALGARY - The level of confidence among Alberta small business owners in May fell for the second straight month, knocking the province from its top ranking in the country. According to the latest Business Barometer Index released Wednesday by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, Alberta led the country for five consecutive months until May as the index dropped to 72.0 points, down 1.3 points over April.

The next few days will see a wave of royal fervour and nostalgia sweep the United Kingdom such as few have ever seen. Hot on the heels of a massed military parade will come a river pageant and musical spectacular on the River Thames with 1000 boats, 20,000 participants and watched by one million people on the river banks.

CALGARY - MLS sales in Calgary ballooned in May as residential transactions in the city were up by nearly 32 per cent compared with a year ago. According to the Calgary Real Estate Board, total MLS sales during the month in the city reached 2,385, an increase of 31.77 per cent from May 2011, and the average sale price rose by 2.83 per cent to $445,334.

CALGARY - Average weekly earnings of non-farm payroll employees in March rose by 3.3 per cent year-over-year in Alberta, pushing the level to the highest in the country, says Statistics Canada. The federal agency reported Thursday that average weekly earnings in the province have increased to $1,056.87.

CALGARY - Although sales for the food services and drinking places industry dropped in March in Alberta, they were still ahead of the national pace on a year-over-year basis, says Statistics Canada. The federal agency reported Thursday that sales in the province dipped by 0.1 per cent from February to $629.3 million.

CALGARY - Calgary-based First Calgary Financial has recorded its 74th consecutive profitable quarter. For the first six months ending April 30, First Calgary Financial reported unaudited adjusted net income from operations before taxes of $8.9 million - its best half year in corporate history.

CALGARY - A new poll on debt says 75 per cent of Albertans hold some form of debt but 52 per cent made at least one lump sum payment to bring down their balances in the last 12 months.

CALGARY - Canadians are planning to scale back plans for home renovations this year amid rising concern about household debt, says the annual BMO Home Renovation Report released Monday. The report said 51 per cent of Canadian homeowners plan to renovate their homes in the next year, compared with 62 per cent in 2011.