Maydays can get quite large. Very few new home lots would be suited to a Mayday. There is a great booklet you can pick up at any nursery, "Trees and Shrubs for the Prairies" or something like that, it gives a good run-down of trees hard for this area.
Check out this as well:
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$departm...sf/all/opp4045