Measuring Energy Conservation - It's Elementary

Do you know how much electricity common household appliances use? The Energy Patrol students at Monsignor E.L Doyle Elementary School sure do and they’ll gladly share all the energy saving strategies they learned with you.

Their Showcase School Project for the 2012 Mayor’s Environment Expo focuses on conserving energy. A grant from Enmax provided each student an electronic energy meter to measure the amount of energy used by common household appliances at home and around the school.

The Energy Patrol was then challenged to reduce the amount of electricity on their power bills. Students recorded their energy consumption patterns for three months. During class, they discussed actions to conserve energy. Actions such as wearing a sweater instead of turning up the heat, purchasing a low-flow shower head and using natural sunlight instead of turning on the lights, led to reduced energy bills.

“Kids are consistently making positive choices to conserve energy on a regular basis,” says teacher, Don McLaughlin. “And they are excited to share their understanding of energy conservation with their peers, the school and the community through initiatives such as the Mayor’s Environment Expo.”

Each day, the Energy Patrol students shared their energy saving strategies with their peers during the morning announcements. Fun campaigns such as “Turn off the lights to save the polar bears” and “National Sweater Day” created awareness throughout the school and quite the hype to join the action.

Join us at the 2012 Mayor’s Environment Expo, June 5-7 at the Municipal Building and be inspired by today’s youth leaders.

Read about what other showcase schools are doing to protect land, air and water.

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The Mayor’s Environment Expo thanks Encana and Calgary Transit for their partnership in the Showcase School program. Encana is sponsoring a $250 grant exclusive to the Showcase Schools. Calgary Transit is providing Showcase Schools with free transportation to and from the Expo.

City-wide seniors' week activities

Events are taking place throughout Calgary for Seniors’ Week. Be sure to check your local seniors’ organization for more events.

Government of Alberta, Seniors' Week website

Friday June 1, 2012 
Music Connecting the Generations 
Scandinavian Centre, 739 20th Ave. N.W.
1:00 pm – 4 pm
Join LINKages Society of Alberta on June 1 to celebrate and bring awareness to Intergenerational Day. Bring the whole family to join in the fun as youth, adults, older adults and seniors are all invited to attend free of charge. Enjoy entertainment, activities, beverages and snacks. The event is wheelchair and stroller accessible. Transportation can be arranged for groups. Please e-mail info@link-ages.ca, call 403-249-0853 or log on to: www.linkages.eventbrite.com to register or for more information.

Saturday, June 2, 2012 
Aging & Active Living Expo (formerly known as the Seniors Resource Fair) 
Atrium of Calgary Municipal Building (City Hall), 800 MacLeod Trail S.E.
9:30 am - 3:00 pm
Join us in celebrating our 25th anniversary and visit almost 100 exhibitors who will be showcasing their services, products, care and support available to help Calgary and area mature residents lead healthy, active, and independent lives. Presented by the Calgary Chapter - Alberta Association on Gerontology. For additional information contact expo@ccaag.com or call 403-370-5251.

Monday, June 4, 2012 
The City of Calgary and Fort Calgary Kick-off to Seniors’ Week 2012 
Fort Calgary, 750 - 9th Avenue SE
9:00 a.m. – 5 pm
Free admission for seniors 65+. Visit Fort Calgary's Interpretive Centre - learn about Calgary’s history and experience interactive exhibits and special activities. Join us at 9:30 a.m. or 11:00 a.m. in the theatre for a welcome by special guest Darrel Janz, and presentation by Deputy Mayor Gord Lowe (9:30 am), followed by musician and entertainer Barry Luft, and a cappella singing group Collage. Experience an interpretive tour of the facility, participate in seniors’ Tai Chi or an art activity, or learn more about the diversity in your community by listening to Calgary Public Library Living Books volunteers. Visit the theatre to relax and enjoy an afternoon movie. Free parking is available at Fort Calgary. Public transit stops are located on 9th Avenue within one block east and west of the Fort. For further information call Fort Calgary at: 403-290-1875 or e-mail info@fortcalgary.com

Tuesday, June 5, 2012 
Seniors’ Active Living Fair 
Westbrook Mall,1200 37 Street S.W.
10 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. 
Come join us at the Seniors’ Active Living Fair. This event will feature a variety of social and recreational programs available in South West Calgary. Enjoy activities, entertainment and much more. Learn more about living a healthy and active life! Brought to you by Westside Interagency Seniors Subcommittee & Westbrook Mall.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Glenbow Museum, 130 9 Avenue S.E.
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m
Free admission for seniors 65+. Join us at Glenbow Museum for free admission on June 5! Purchase or renew a Glenbow senior membership or senior couple membership during Seniors’ Week and receive $10 off the regular membership price. Celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Calgary Stampede with Glenbow’s limited engagement of Charlie Russell and the First Calgary Stampede, recreating Russell’s exhibition that appeared at the 1912 Stampede. For more information, call 403-268-4100 or e-mail glenbow@glenbow.org

Friday, June 15, 2012 
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day: Telling the Stories
Kerby Centre Gymnasium, 1133 7th Avenue SW
9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Learn more about elder abuse and the help that is available in Calgary. Hear stories from both older adults whose lives have been impacted by abuse and professionals in Calgary’s new Elder Abuse Response Team. Please call Jennifer at 403-473-1311 to RSVP.

Share your vision for Calgary's Centre City at upcoming open houses

The Centre City Urban Design Guidelines Project is about making Calgary’s Centre City a great and robust place to live, work and play.

“Greater emphasis on design quality and public and private investment into the public realm in recent years has made Calgary’s Centre City a safer and more exciting place to be, and this is only the beginning,” said David Down, Coordinator for Urban Design & Heritage at The City of Calgary.

Now’s your chance to share your ideas on how to make our Centre City even better for everyone. Tell us about your favourite street, favourite place, or favourite building in the Centre City. What makes a street great? What would make it excellent?

Here's how to get involved:

• Leave a comment or post a photograph of your favourite Centre City spot on the Calgary Centre City blog
• Attend one of two upcoming Open Houses:
  
  Public Open House/Workshop – Thursday, May 31, 2012
  University of Calgary Downtown Campus, 906 – 8 Avenue S.W.
  5  to 6:30 p.m. Open house
  7 to 9 p.m. Workshop
  
  Public Open House/Workshop – Saturday, June 2, 2012
  Hotel Arts – Spectrum ½, 119 – 12 Avenue S.W.
  8:30 – 10 a.m. Open house
  10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Workshop

• Download Open House Invitation
• Pre-registration is required for the workshop portion of each Open House. Please RSVP to Loretta Sequeira 403.268.2249 or Loretta.Sequeira@calgary.ca

Visit calgary.ca/ccdesignguide to learn more.

Onward/ Make Calgary a more beautiful, memorable city with a commitment to excellence in urban design.

Adoptable pets aplenty at the Animal Services Centre

If you’ve been considering adopting a pet, now is the time to act.

As of Monday, the pet shelter at the Animal Services Centre has 49 adoptable cats and 62 adoptable dogs impounded at the shelter. One of the cats has been in care since November.

“The shelter is intended to be a temporary residence but for some of our animals, especially cats, it has become a longer term refuge,” said Bill Bruce, director of Animal & Bylaw Services. “We still have plenty of capacity to hold more pets, but these animals deserve a forever home with caring owners.”

The fees for adopting a cat are only $150 and a dog can be adopted for just $200. Citizens aged 60 or older can qualify for the Seniors for Seniors program: 60 per cent off the adoption fees for an animal aged seven years or older.

The fees include:  Spay or neuter surgery (if required), a microchip for identification, a six-month licence, the first set of vaccinations (excluding rabies), de-worming of animals under six months, testing for feline (cats) leukemia, a complimentary six-week trial of Petsecure pet health insurance, a bag of pet food, an adoption kit and a I Heart My Pet rewards card for discounts at over 60 local vendors.

See all our adoptable animals at www.calgary.ca/animalservices or by downloading the City of Calgary Pets app for your smartphone.

Adoptable animals can also be viewed in person at the Animal Services Centre located at 2201 Portland St. S.E.

For more information call 3-1-1.

Onward/ All adoptable homeless pets are given a chance at finding a loving home. | 2020 Sustainability Direction: By 2020, no adoptable pet is euthanized.

Discover how you can change the world at the Mayor’s Environment Expo

The Mayor’s Environment Expo invites you to bring your lunch to our very special noon hour presentation.

Environmental Innovation – The Power of One by Simon Jackson, founder of the Spirit Bear youth Coalition.

• Wednesday, June 6, 2012
• Noon – 1:00 p.m.
• Calgary Public Library, John Dutton Theatre

Simon - one of Time Magazine's Heroes for the Planet – says that the most important lesson he learned was that anybody can make a difference in the world.

Hear his story and be empowered with a plan to become a Calgary agent of change.

Click here for more event details.

Join us at the 2012 Mayor’s Environment Expo, June 5-7 at the Municipal Building and be inspired by today’s youth leaders.

Understanding the bigger picture - turning garbage into gold

Potatoes, beets, carrots, peas and zucchini are only some of the vegetables St. Rose of Lima School will be feasting on come this fall.

As part of their Showcase School project for the Mayor’s Environment Expo, a team of Grades 7-9 students are reducing their environmental impact by growing an edible garden and producing organic compost!

Over the course of the year, the students have been collecting food waste such as fruit and vegetable peels. By using two indoor vermi-composting bins and two outdoor composting bins, they turned this waste into “gold” for their spring garden.

“The classroom has learned a lot about conservation and what they can do themselves to help the environment,” explains teacher, Mrs. Leung. “By diverting organic food from the landfill, we are reducing waste while growing high quality, organic crops.”

This Showcase School is really looking forward to this year’s Expo especially because they get to show off their worms. Their plan is to use the worms to help youth understand the bigger picture of their actions and how taking simple actions like composting, greatly impact the environment.

Join us at the 2012 Mayor’s Environment Expo, June 5-7 at the Municipal Building and be inspired by today’s youth leaders.

Read about what other showcase schools are doing to protect land, air and water.

~~

The Mayor’s Environment Expo thanks Encana and Calgary Transit for their partnership in the Showcase School program. Encana is sponsoring a $250 grant exclusive to the Showcase Schools. Calgary Transit is providing Showcase Schools with free transportation to and from the Expo.

Pets of the Week - Five charismatic canines

Animal & Bylaw Services is featuring five charismatic canines:

• Dash (A528923) - 1 year old neutered male Collie/German Shepherd mix 
• Stella (529128) - 1 year old spayed female Pit Bull Terrier mix 
• Oscar (529281) - 1 year, 7 month old Siberian Husky/German Shephed mix 
• Lucky (529298) - 1 year old spayed female Labrador Retriever mix 
• Sport (528897) - 1 year old neutered male Yellow Labrador Retriever mix 

To adopt one of these awesome dogs, call 3-1-1 to make an appointment to view them at the Animal Services Centre (2201 Portland Street S.E.).