October 2023 Newsletter

Hello Ward 6!

As an elected official I am always grateful that you chose me as your representative. October was a month for true reflection and thankfulness, which started at our Ward 6 Open House where we saw our highest ever attendance. Our goal in facilitating this open house was to address resident concerns, communicate City updates, plans and results, all while ensuring residents had their voices had been heard. I hope that all who attended had a chance to have their concerns heard, whether by myself, the Ward 6 office or various City departments. I want to thank the numerous City employees who participated and engaged with residents. Your collaboration was invaluable.

In this edition of the newsletter, you will read about roadside signage, transit safety strategy, partners in planning and much more.

COUNCIL UPDATES

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Event Centre One Step Closer

I am delighted that Calgary is one step closer to breaking ground on a new Event Centre, which advances our progress on building the Culture + Entertainment District (C+E District). All four parties have formally signed the final agreements, which gives the project a green light to begin the design and construction phase.

The signed agreements signify the partnership between The City of Calgary, The Province of Alberta, Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation, and Calgary Stampede to deliver the Event Centre project and support the continued momentum in the District.  It’s well underway through Calgary Municipal Land Corporation’s (CMLC) leadership of the Rivers District Master Plan. It’s a commitment that supports Calgary’s downtown revitalization and growing a vibrant and welcoming city.

More than an Event Centre, this project includes new community amenities and infrastructure - downtown’s only community rink, new public plazas and gathering places, new mobility connections and streets and public realm improvements. These community improvements make this project a generational investment in Calgary’s future - a vibrant C+E District for Calgarians to experience, a new community for more people to live in, and even more reasons for Calgary’s downtown to be a destination for visitors, businesses and investors.

Beginning this fall, the development manager, CAA ICON, will begin utility and site preparations to make room for the community rink, public plazas and event centre. They will also begin work for the development permit process, which includes designing the community rink, Event Centre and public gathering spaces on the Event Centre Block. The permit process is expected to be completed in 2024, followed by construction beginning the same year.

The City of Calgary is committed to being as open and transparent as possible. As with all business agreements, they need to be first reviewed for proprietary and financially sensitive details before The City releases the primary agreements publicly, which we expect by the end of fall 2023.

 You can find more information on the Event Centre Block, the C+E District improvements and next steps on Calgary.ca/eventcentre.

Roadside Signage

The Ward 6 office has received many roadside signage complaints over the years. The City has noted that thousands of temporary signs placed along local roadways are non-compliant with City bylaws. The Mobility department will look to achieve a balance between allowing advertising by small businesses, community groups and election campaigns, while ensuring the signage doesn't affect sight lines for drivers or the esthetics of public spaces.

Council has approved the new bylaw, which has transferred responsibility to the City's Mobility department and away from bylaw officers, who often don't have the resources to effectively respond to multiple calls about illegal signage.

Mobility will use their existing field operation resources capacity to provide a consistent level of boulevard maintenance, significantly reducing the clutter caused by illegal signs. The amendment also raises fines for offenders, with specified penalties for each infraction under the bylaw being raised to at least $300.00 and doubled for repeat offences within 24 hours. A minimum penalty of $200.00 could also be levied in the case of a guilty plea.

Transit Safety Strategy

On October 17, 2023 Council approved the Public Transit Safety Strategy. This strategy includes:

• An integrated response between Calgary Police Service and Transit Peace Officers, who will be strategically stationed along the transit line, resulting in quicker response time to calls for service.
• An increase in the number of Transit Peace Officers on the transit system.
• Enhanced authorities for Transit Peace Officers to respond to safety incidents within a targeted response time.
• Coordinated dispatch of calls of services through Calgary 9-1-1.
• Improved station experiences for riders through standards of cleanliness and community engagement that focuses on building positive environments.
• Measures to ensure transit is used for its intended purpose of getting Calgarians where they need to be.
• Measures to help connect Calgarians experiencing vulnerabilities on and around the transit system to supportive resources.

 Next steps:

• With the one-time operational budget of $8.7 million that was approved by Council in June, we have already begun moving towards an integrated customer and safety service delivery model.
• This fall, our evolution to a district model will further progress with the opening of a third transit safety hub at Whitehorn.  
• While The Public Transit Safety Strategy have been approved, implementation is subject to Council approval of the attached $15M budget during budget adjustments in November 2023. 
• Administration will report to Community Development Committee on progress made against the strategy.

For details on the Public Transit Safety Strategy refer to Calgary.ca/TransitSafety

DID YOU KNOW?

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Roadway Activities Map

While traveling around our city do you wonder why they are doing construction on the roadway. You can view all the details on our Calgary Roadways Activities Map.

Calgary’s Parks Plan

Calgary’s Parks Plan is now in phase 2. Parks is focused on the following:

• Reporting back to Calgarians on the results of the first round of engagement completed in Spring. More details on the first phase of engagement can be found on the Engage Portal (Engage.calgary.ca/parksplan).
• Asking Calgarians if we heard their priorities, opportunities and concerns correctly.
• Ensuring that Calgarians understand:
  • What policies we’re proposing based on that feedback
  • How the implementation of those policies will be reflected in their community

Why are we doing this?

The current Parks Plan was adopted by Council on July 22, 2002, and last amended on March 3, 2003. Calgary has since gone through significant demographic and geographic changes. We know Calgarians are passionate about parks, which consistently shows as a Top 5 issue for Calgarians in our Citizen Satisfaction Surveys.

What do we want from Calgarians?

• We want to validate your feedback from the first phase of engagement.
• We want you to be aware of what policies we’re designing based on your feedback.
• We want you to understand what Calgary’s parks will look like based on these new policies and to be aware of our next steps and timelines leading up to future changes.

Why is this public feedback important?

We are basing our new 20-year Parks plan on many feedback streams, one of which is public engagement. As people who enjoy, use and are affected by public spaces in our city, we want Calgarians to be part of the conversation that will shape the future of Calgary’s parks. In addition to public feedback, we are ensuring our plans are aligned with Council priorities, legislation, best practice and approved City policies like the Municipal Development Plan.

Ward 6 Connect

When: Oct 13, 2023 - Oct 26, 2023

Location: Edworthy Park

Event type: Sounding Board

Session details: A sounding board with information about the Connect: Calgary's Parks Plan and the second phase of engagement.

ERU Contact: rebecca.melenka@calgary.ca

Visit Engage Page

Partners in Planning

The Partners in Planning program (PIP) is a free, award-winning certificate program offered by the Federation of Calgary Communities in partnership with The City of Calgary. The program is geared towards helping the public to develop skills for effective participation in the planning process. You can learn more at calgarycommunities.com/partners-in-planning.

What Not to Flush

 Pee, poo and toilet paper are the only things that should be flushed down your toilet. Anything else can result in clogged pipes and unnecessary repairs to your home and The City’s wastewater system.

• Wipes that claim to be flushable aren’t. Toilet paper will disintegrate after it’s flushed, but so-called “flushable” wipes retain their shape and strength, causing blockages in pipes.
• Paper towel and facial tissue also don’t break down when flushed. Anything used as toilet paper should be bagged and put in your black cart.
• Trace amounts of pills and medication can remain in the water, potentially harming fish and wildlife. Take unwanted medication to a pharmacy for disposal.
• Dental floss, cotton swabs, feminine hygiene products, condoms and cosmetics should be put in your black cart.
• Hair is a small thing that can cause big problems! Hair build-up in our treatment plants can result in equipment being shut down for manual cleaning. Put hair in your green or black cart.
• Cleaners, disinfectant, chemicals and paint thinners are considered household hazardous waste and should be taken to a designated drop-off location for safe disposal.

Visit calgary.ca/whatnottoflush for more information.

EVENTS

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Remembrance Day Commemoration

Please join the Ward 6 office and the King’s Own Calgary Regiment on Saturday, November 11, 2023, at 10:45 AM for our annual Remembrance Day ceremony at Battalion Park. Originally named Camp Sarcee in 1915, Battalion Park commemorates the soldiers who trained in Calgary for the trench warfare of World War I. Your attendance at this notable ceremony is appreciated as we participate together in a community moment of silence to reflect on the sacrifices made by the brave Canadian Armed Forces.

Coach Hill/Patterson Heights (CHPH)- www.chph.ca

The Coach Hill Patterson Heights Community Association is very excited to present a 50/50 cash draw!

Funds raised will go towards expanding our programming such as Learn to Skate, and building our permanent Outdoor Activity hub located at 6840 Coach Hill Rd SW. The Community Association strives to create a meaningful area space where residents find a sense of belonging, and participate in recreational activities. Thank-you for all of your support!

https://www.rafflebox.ca/raffle/ch-phca

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Glendale/Glendale Meadows - 4500 25 Avenue SW https://myglendale.ca/

ANNUAL FAMILY HALLOWEEN DANCE
Friday, October 28, at the Hall 
5 to 9 pm 
Purchase your tickets online today through your profile! $5 per family, if you are a member; $10 per family for non-members. Please include number attending. Concession for food and beverages is available.  This is a fun event for everyone!  Dress up in your Halloween best.  Mark your calendars and watch for details in the Thumper, website and enews.

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