October 2012 Newsletter

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October is upon us. Those of you who read my monthly column on a regular basis will recall mention of my Ward 14 Communities BBQ. As you read this edition, the Ward 14 Communities BBQ has also come and gone. I must submit my column weeks in advance, so I can't tell you whether or not Sept. 22 (the date of my BBQ) was a warm, sunny day because as I write this, it hasn't happened yet. What I can tell you is that I am certain the BBQ was successful in its objective - supporting and raising awareness of Ward 14 Community Associations - because of the support of some very generous sponsors.

I want to thank those sponsors, starting with Southcentre Mall for providing us with a location and financial support. A BBQ wouldn't be much good without food, so I also want to thank those who provided nourishment. M&M Meat Shops (with locations in Deer Valley Shopping Centre and Willow Park Village) provided the burgers and cooked them up for free. Thanks to Cobs Bread (in Willow Park Village) and Calgary Co-op (in Deer Valley Shopping Centre) for providing the buns. Safeway of Southcentre Mall donated the beverages. These businesses all gave up their time and resources so that those in attendance could have a free lunch.

There were a number of businesses who helped out in other ways. Thank you to Canyon Creek Toyota, Jack Carter Chevrolet Cadillac Buick GMC, Genstar Development Company, Totem Building Supplies, Trico Homes, and United Communities who all chipped in to make the BBQ possible. The Trico Centre also helped out with spreading the word and some goodies to give away.

Finally, I want to extend a special thanks to the Community Associations of Ward 14, the volunteers who gave their time and all of The City of Calgary employees who represented their respective business units. Thanks to everyone who participated.

If you came to the BBQ you may have noticed a table set up there with blocks of Lego on it. It might have brought you back to your childhood, but was actually set up by The City of Calgary's Land Use Planning & Policy (LUPP) unit to educate Calgarians about a type of development called Transit Oriented Development (TOD). Those of you in Willow Park and Maple Ridge may be familiar with this concept since Anderson station was designated as a TOD priority station by Council in 2007. You may have also attended the Anderson TOD Community Workshop on June 16. If you didn't, or want to investigate further, I strongly suggest reading up on the TOD concept to get an idea of how future plans may impact the surrounding communities. I would also encourage those in the surrounding communities to attend the fall public engagement session that is scheduled for November. The exact date will be posted shortly.

If you ever have concerns about Anderson TOD or anything else that has to do with The City of Calgary, I am always here to listen. I can be contacted at 403-268-1653 or contact my office.

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Have a wonderful October!​​