I will do something similar to what is in the HALO project.
I am attempting to contact that project owner, although it looks like he is now in California (which is ironically closer to me than when he lived in Canada. We're big… we've got… HUGE TRACKS of LAND!!!)

I also have to give props to MrScienceMan on #highaltitude for indroducing me to his project.
APRS looks like it's an excellent way to go in the long run. For now though, I don't want to be limited by not being a Amateur Radio operator.

I've decided to use the following components for my first balloon.

• Styrofoam Container
• Parachute (75g) w/ Radar reflector
• GMRS radios (license Free!) (110g with battery 80g w/o battery)
• GumStix w/ GPS
• Totex Balloon
• Batteries (Energizer Lithiums 4x = 50g)
• Electronic wiring

Total weight so far:

With the Radio set to VOX (Transmit when talking), the GumStix can communicate without any PTT interface.

I won't know exactly how big a balloon I need until have the Payload built. If I can get everything built for under 250g, then I can get a cheaper balloon.

I've enlisted a friend in Calgary to help me. I will be sending him the components and he will be launching and retrieving them for me.
I know this sounds like I'm stripping myself of the true joy of HAB: finding one's payload. Believe me though, that at these beginning stages there's a very REAL risk that that would not happen in my home province of British Columbia.
If it goes West: Ocean
If it goes North: You're hiking uncut brush past the first 10km
If it goes South: It's in the US and border chasing is not fun since there's an hour long line from 9-5 most days.

Your best option locally is to wait until the winds go East, and then you risk going into residential.

Calgary is a lot closer to vast areas of open, accessible land. The University there also has a HAB program.

He also has a small child who is in need of Science-ing.