Sonia's Real Estate Blog

When you think of a library you most often think of a librarian sitting at a desk shushing those who walk by. You think of a dark room with fluorescent lighting and the smell of super old books surrounding you. You may envision people sitting around, barely speaking a word for fear of being told to be quiet. What you are picturing is the typical library scene from almost any movie that has been made. However, did you know that there is tons of fun to be found at the Strathcona County Library? And better yet, most of these activities are free!

So, what kind of programs can you expect to find at the Strathcona County Library? This all really depends. However, one thing is for sure, you must have a library card to access these activities. Do not fret, as a library card is completely free. A few of the activities that are seen at local libraries may include:

1. Summer Reading Games – The Strathcona library offers incentives to keep kids reading. From spinning the wheel to read messages from the many animals that reside in Crittertree Park, to exploring faraway intergalactic civilizations in the city of Meliora, there are many incentives and prizes to help encourage reading throughout the summer.  It is all meant to help kids continue to read and do their best!
2. Various presentations are given at Strathcona County Library by some of the experts in your area. For example, a great upcoming event to check out is The Strathcona Writers’ Circle on June 5th. Hone your writing skills, share ideas, and be inspired by other local writers. This is a great re-occurring event that happens the first Tuesday of each month!
3. Our wonderful library has three dozen PC workstations across both floors of the library including wifi service. You can make use of these workstations for up to an hour each day for free! Need to print off your research or an important article you found online? The library has you covered with easy to access printing services.
4. Family Storytime is offered in the mornings for younger kids and their an older sibling/parent where they explore the world through stories, songs, and other fun activities. It is a time that kids look forward to as the person reading often makes this great fun!
5. The Strathcona library also offers various programs and activities for adults – from the Diehards Evening Book Clubs and Scrabble nights, to the Historical Ride Along where you get to enjoy a guided bicycle tour to a historical site in Strathcona County lead by your very own Library staff.

The Strathcona County Library is more than just a place to grab a book and read. It is becoming the best place for adults and children who want to spend their time enriching their lives and learning about new items or experiencing new activities. That is why, when you are new to the area or simply looking for something to do, do not be too quick to dismiss the fun that you can have your local Strathcona County Library.

Interested in moving to Sherwood Park and want to know more about the community? You can read all about Sherwood Park and the benefits of buying and selling with RE/MAX Elite’s #1 Agent – Sherwood Park & Edmonton (2017), Sonia Tarabay! Ready to sell? Get your FREE HOME EVALUATION today!

It’s official! Summer is here! If you’re like me, you love to make the best of our fabulous summers because, as we all no, they always seem to be much too short. Here’s a top 10 list of great things to do in Sherwood Park!

This past Saturday marked the second annual Strathcona County SAFFRON (Sexual Assault) Centre Walk and Fun Run, which I was very honoured to sponsor and participate in along with my family. This Sherwood Park event was a chance for our community to come together to raise money for an excellent local organization, with all of the funding going directly to support victims of sexual assault, abuse and sexual violence, as well as their families.

This is an important cause in our community and one that I’m very proud to support. We were very thankful for the amazing weather we had on Saturday and for all the great people in our community who came out and walked and ran. They would have come out rain or shine, but it was nice to have a beautiful spring day!

Thank you to the SAFFRON Centre for hosting this event and for all the work they do for Strathcona County residents. Let’s hope that together we can help stop this horrific thing from happening to anyone!

Warm regards,

Sonia

If you ever need a reminder of how special Strathcona County or how inspirational its people, all you need to do is attend the Great Canadian Trade Fair and Sale, which was held last weekend at Millennium Place.

Walking through the Trade Fair, I got a sense of all of the incredible things that people are doing in Strathcona County. There are so many passionate people in this community doing what they love and all of that positive energy is invigorating.

This was my sixth year as an exhibitor at the Trade Fair and it’s a date I always circle on my calendar. One of the best things about the event is seeing all of the familiar faces, from clients who I have bought or sold houses for, to all the members of this tight-knit community that I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know over the years.

It’s also an excellent opportunity to meet knew people and I had a blast making new friends over the weekend, and talking about why they call me Sherwood Park’s Real Estate Tiger. I also enjoyed connecting with my fellow Chamber of Commerce members and with the members of Strathcona County Council.

I’d like to extend a huge thank you to the Chamber and all of its volunteers who once again did a fabulous job organizing the show. Also, thank you to the great restaurants, which brought their tastiest dishes to Taste of Strathcona and to the more than 300 exhibitors. I’m already looking forward to next year’s event!

Warmest regards,

I was very excited to get involved in one of the great Christmas traditions in Sherwood Park – the annual Festival of Trees hosted by Festival Place. It’s a celebration that raises money to support The Cultural Arts Foundation. It helps children and youth which is a wonderful cause. We have so many talented people in Sherwood Park and area and they need our support!

For the first time, I donated a tree and of course I put my own brand on it. With the help of my daughter Alexa, who purchased the tree and all of the ornaments, we designed the “Leopard Love Tree” and it turned out great as it was pretty east to spot! It truly was an incredible way to kick off the Christmas Season.

Sherwood Park is our home and it has also been an amazing community to do business in. I’m very fortunate for all the supportive I’ve received from people in Strathcona County, so I love giving back whenever I can. Thanks to all of the others who donated trees and wreaths and to everyone who attended this event and bid on the beautiful creations!

Warmest regards,

Sonia

It’s almost easy to take the freedom we have for granted in Canada today. We have freedom of speech, freedom of religion and the freedom of free thought. Everyone over the age of 18 has the right to vote and elect people who represent us. Thankfully, many Canadians have never lived in a world where it has been any other way.

It’s important to recognize those freedoms and it’s just as important to recognize the brave men and women who fought to help protect them. Since 1914, nearly 115,000 people died while representing Canada in the two World Wars, in various peacekeeping operations and in Korea and Afghanistan. Many of these people were very young, with much of their lives still ahead of them. On November 11, Remembrance Day, we have the opportunity to pay our respects to all of those who have served for the greater good.

In Sherwood Park, schools throughout the community will host ceremonies and observe a moment of silence to remember the fallen. There will also be the annual Remembrance Day service at Millennium Place on Nov. 11 starting at 10:30 a.m.

It warms my heart to see so many people in Sherwood Park who are proudly displaying their poppies in front of their heart. If we all remember the sacrifices that have been made, we can stop these tragic wars from happening again in the future.

Warmest regards,

Sonia

What an amazing weekend at The Great Canadian Trade Fair & Sale in Sherwood Park! Every year I look forward to participating in this joyful event. This was my 6th year in a row as an exhibitor! It’s an absolute pleasure to support local businesses at the trade fair and since I love community involvement, it’s always extra fun to meet old and new friends!

I especially love seeing my clients visit me year after year. We have a good chat, a few laughs of course, and they always walk away with a “Sonia Surprise”. This year I was giving away some pretty cool magic mugs and tiger teddies for the kids. Everyone loved them!

One of the highlights of this trade show’s event was being interviewed by Shine 105.9 FM. It was great to be able to talk about the Sherwood Park community, Sherwood Park real estate, and of course, my love for the Stollery Hospital.

Thanks to all of my clients and new friends for their support and a very special thank you to our local chamber of commerce for organizing this awesome event. It’s never been more fun working and playing in Sherwood Park!

Warmest regards,

Sonia

This weekend is the Great Canadian Trade Fair & Sale at Millennium Place in Sherwood Park, and I’ll be there all weekend at booth #217. I’ll be easy to spot: just look for the animal print and jungle-themed booth!

I’ll have “sweet gifts” on hand for all existing clients, and everyone can enter their name to win one of the coveted “Sonia throw blankets”. Whether you’ve got a real estate question or just want to stop by and say “hello”, I’m looking forward to seeing everyone there!

Not sure what The Great Canadian Trade Fair & Sale is? Read my previous blog post to learn more!

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Once again, I’ll be participating in The Great Canadian Trade Fair & Sale on April 11-13 at Millennium Place, a fantastic event put on every year by the Sherwood Park & District Chamber of Commerce. And every year we have more and more fun meeting old and new friends!

I’ll be set up at booth #217. In true Sonia fashion, I’ll make myself easy to “spot” in the crowd: look for the animal print and the jungle-themed booth, and you’re guaranteed to find me there! Existing clients are invited to pop by for a visit and pick up their “sweet gift”. Of course, everyone is welcomed to come by and chat with me about real estate or just stop by and say hello! Everyone can enter their name to win one my fabulous door prizes including the very soft, very lovely “Sonia throw blankets”. Just ask my clients: They’ll tell you they love these throws!

If you’re thinking about buying or selling a Sherwood Park home, please feel free to pop by for a low-key chat, to ask questions, or set up a future time for a consultation. I’d love to meet you, and talk about how I can help you sell or invest in the Sherwood Park real estate market!

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Happy Canada Day!

Did you know Sherwood Park and the Strathcona County have a long list of family-friendly events you can attend? Whether you’re looking for something to do at Broadmoor Lake Park, or want to attend the Chamber of Commerce Canada Day Parade, there’s something here for everyone.

So here’s how it works, you can buy a wristband before June 30th for only $5 and it will grant you automatic, unlimited access to any ticketed activities. This includes: pony rides, wagon rides, laser tag, remote control monster trucks, rock climbing wall, zip line and more! For more information on the exciting Canada Day Festival click here.

I hope to see you at any of these exciting Canada Day activities!