July 2023 Newsletter

Hello Ward  6!

July was a very busy month with the Calgary Stampede and my council activities. I hope you were able to enjoy some time at the greatest outdoor show on earth!  In this month’s newsletter we want to inform you on addressing noisy vehicles on Calgary streets, Ward 6 ENMAX Project update, reintroduction of fluoride update and much more.

COUNCIL UPDATES

In this section we’ve provided Council updates on all the items that were approved at Council this past month.

Addressing Noisy Vehicles on Calgary Streets

The Ward 6 office receives numerous emails and phone calls regarding excessively loud vehicles. A program was approved by Council 14-1 to provide relief to Calgarians who are experiencing negative effects due to loud vehicle noise. Administration has been directed by Council to work with Police and the Alberta Government to draft amendments to the Calgary Traffic Bylaw. An update to this work will be presented at Community Development Committee in Q2 2024.

New changes to the Residential Parking Permit (RPP)

In response to resident concerns, and to accommodate requests to review parking signage, parking permit user fees will not be charged until Monday, December 4, 2023. Until then there is only a fee to obtain a Market Permit or Low-Income Market Permit.

Important: Calgarians only need a parking permit if they want to park on-street where there are parking restriction signs on their block.

If parking restrictions are no longer required on your block, please call 311 or submit an online service request. Requests made by Monday, July 31, 2023 will be reviewed by December 4, 2023 to determine if restrictions can be modified. You will be notified if you do not have to renew your permit. 

Catalytic Converter Theft

Catalytic converter theft has been on the rise in the City of Calgary. In 2021, there were 1,560 reported incidents of catalytic converter theft. In 2022, that number rose to 3,439 reported incidents. In the first quarter of 2023 (Jan. 1 to March 31), there were 994 reported thefts.

I was happy to vote in favour of new bylaw amendments that will help with prevention. As part of the approved amendments to the Business Licence Bylaw, salvage collectors, auto wreckers and salvage yard businesses will now have to keep a comprehensive record including the seller’s details, buyer’s details and the VIN, make, model, colour and year of the car the catalytic converter originated from. All businesses are required to maintain the sale records with the above information for a period of one year.

Under the amended bylaw, buyers cannot purchase catalytic converters when the required information is not provided and are prohibited from removing or defacing any of the existing identifying markings on the catalytic converter before or at the time of sale. Salvage yards, auto wreckers and salvage collectors are required to implement the new requirements effective immediately. Failure to comply with the licensing requirements can result in fines up to $3000 per offense. 

More information about the new requirements is available at calgary.ca/catalytic.

ATTN Discovery Ridge: Updated Waste Bylaw Wildlife Amendments

I was happy that my Council colleagues supported the Waste Bylaw Wildlife Amendments at Community Development Committee this morning.  The purpose of these amendments is to supplement communication and education efforts in managing waste with wildlife in mind. The new bylaw, if approved at Council on September 12, prescribes communities such as Discovery Ridge, who live in a “wildlife affected area”, to store residential carts and extra waste in a garage or secure enclosure and set waste out for collection no earlier than 5:00 a.m. on collection day. For more information go to Calgary.ca/bearsmart

​​​​​​​DID YOU KNOW?

Parks Wayfinder: Map shows amenities in Calgary parks

Summer is in full force and it’s the perfect time for Calgarians to enjoy the outdoors by visiting the many parks in the city. The Parks Wayfinder Map shows amenities owned by Calgary Parks. You can search for the nearest washroom, drinking fountain, waste/recycling disposal, firepit, picnic table, off leash area, sports field, park vendor and other amenities available in City parks.

Visit the Parks Wayfinder Map at https://maps.calgary.ca/ParksWayfinder/. To view more City of Calgary maps, please visit the Map Gallery at https://mapgallery.calgary.ca.

Measuring Main Streets

Successful main streets bring people together. To help understand how Calgary’s main streets are doing, The City of Calgary is conducting the annual Main Street Metrics Program, which will collect and track data related to how our main streets:

• Support a social and healthy environment.
• Facilitate improved mobility and functionality.
• Demonstrate a unique character and identity.
• Create areas of economic vitality.

Help us measure Calgary’s Main Streets!

• Public Survey – Do you visit main streets? Take this survey to share insights about the user experience, such as how safe you feel, what types of businesses you visit, and more.

• Business Survey – Do you own a business on a main street? Take this survey to share information about your business to help us understand the economic vitality of the street.

As someone who uses our main streets everyday or just occasionally, your insights are very valuable to this process! These inputs will be used alongside other types of data to help paint a comprehensive picture of the current successes and challenges of each main street.

To find the survey’s and learn more about Calgary's Main Streets, visit calgary.ca/mainstreets.

Feeling Safe: Phone Numbers to Know

A safe community means feeling comfortable wherever you are, at all times of the day. We all deserve to feel safe, no matter where we live, work, learn or play. This list below will help you connect to local teams that can help you when you are presented with situations that could make you feel unsafe. Save it in your Contacts on your cell phone and keep a physical copy in a visible place in your home for your family.

Fluoride Re-Introduction Project Status Update

In the 2021 election Calgarians voted to re-introduce fluoride into our drinking water. Here are key recent and pending project milestones on the re-introduction of fluoride at The City of Calgary’s two Water Treatment Plants (Bearspaw and Glenmore).

• 2023 January – Detailed engineering design completed for required infrastructure at the Bearspaw and Glenmore water treatment facilities.
• 2023 April – Request for Proposals (RFP) closed for construction contract.
• 2023 May – Evaluation of RFP proposals by Project Team.
• 2023 July – Project Team intends to award the construction contract to the successful proponent.

For more information on fluoride visit https://www.calgary.ca/water/drinking-water/fluoride.html

EVENTS

Stampede Recap

I had a wonderful time out in the community celebrating Stampede. Thank you to WSCR, Prominence Way Retirement Centre, CHPH, Westside Rec, ARBI’s, Silvera, Tsuut’ina and Glendale Community Association for holding such successful Stampede Events.

CHPH- chph.ca

Movie in the Park is September 8!

Bring a lawn chair or blanket and join the community for our 4th Annual Movie in the Park. Pets on leash welcome too! Snacks and drinks available thanks to our partners.

This event is free for everyone, but donations are greatly appreciated! This is also a great time to renew an expired membership (or get a new one) as the they will be valid an extra 3 months until December 2024.

When: Friday September 8

Where: Prominence Park (Patterson Boulevard and Patina Drive)

Time: Food Trucks and Entertainment starting at 4:30 pm

Show Time at 7:15 pm

Help pick the movie by voting here

Discovery Ridge- https://discoveryridge.com

Music in the Park

It will be held on Saturday, September 9, from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm in our green space next to the rink and tennis courts. For anyone new to this event, it is an afternoon of music, tasty food, and a beer and wine garden. Admission is free! Bring a lawn chair and come join us for a fun/musical afternoon.

For our event to run, we need the help of our community volunteers. The Music In The Park committee needs help with set up and take down, serving (must be ProServe certified), ticket sales, and gate security. Last year the shifts were two hours each. With more volunteers, the shifts could be shorter.

To volunteer for Music in the Park, contact Lillian at volunteer@discoveryridge.com or complete our Volunteer Form.

Springbank Hill CA- https://springbankhill.org/

Movie in the Park

It will be held on Saturday, August 26, 2023 at the Tremblant Terrace Playground in the Montreux subdivision. More details to come. Follow them on Facebook or go to their website. 

Glenbrook CA- 3524 45 St SW, https://glenbrook.community/