Peace Bridge: Do we need another pedestrian bridge?

Like many Calgarians, I've been wondering about whether we really need another pedestrian bridge, particularly in the Eau Claire area. A quick look at The City's bike and pathway map shows that there are already several pedestrian bridges over the Bow River and one would assume that those existing bridges would be able to handle the existing pedestrian and bike traffic.

According to Don Mulligan, director of Transportation Planning, pathway traffic into and out of the downtown core continues to grow and Peace Bridge is needed to handle this increased pedestrian and bicycle traffic, particularly in the Eau Claire area.

The location of the bridge, at approximately 7 St S.W., was selected because the area sees the most pedestrian and bike traffic of any portion of the 660 km of paved pathways in the city. According to The City's Transportation Department, more than 13,000 pedestrians and cyclists cross the Bow River daily using the Louise Bridge, the LRT bridge near 10 Street S.W. and the Prince's Island bridge.

Once Peace Bridge is completed, it's expected to transport more than 5,000 people a day, or 1.3 million people per year. While that's a relatively impressive number, Mulligan says that the Peace Bridge will truly be of asset to Calgarians as the downtown core grows - another 60,000 jobs are anticipated in the downtown core by 2025. That's on top of the 120,000 Calgarians that presently work downtown and the 30,000 that live there.

Mulligan adds that an additional 30,000 people are expected to be living in the core by 2025 with a number of high density residential projects scheduled to be built in the Eau Claire, East Village, Hillhurst-Sunnyside and The Bridges communities. These high density projects are expected to have a large impact on the number of citizens entering the downtown core using the pathway system.

Check out my interview with Don Mulligan, The City's director of Transportation Planning below.

River rafting this weekend?

We’re gearing up for a beautiful long weekend, and literally thousands are expected to take in a time-honoured tradition – rafting down one of Calgary’s rivers. But before you go, remember these quick tips to save you fines, and potentially save your life.

Animal & Bylaw Services Director Bill Bruce says that there are a few things to keep in mind for any rafting trip – put on the life jacket, leave the alcohol at home and use the proper “facilities” for getting rid of your garbage and relieving bodily functions.

• Life jackets must be on you, not sitting next to you in the raft. Why? “In an emergency, you won’t have time to put it on … if you get ejected or fall overboard, the boat will be gone before you realize it … and then you’re stranded.”


• As in any other public space, alcohol can’t be open or consumed on the river. On a hot day, effects of alcohol are “greatly magnified … and accidents tend to happen.”


• The fine for littering is $500. Unless you have a lot of spare change, it’s not worth it – just bring the garbage back with you and dump it in the nearest trash can.


• Urinating in public isn’t cool, don’t do it. You could get slapped with a $300 penalty.

Other tips?

Don’t forget the water. Dehydration on the river can happen very quickly.

When you see the signs telling you that you’re getting close to the weir, make your way to shore ASAP. The weir’s extremely dangerous, and so is a rescue. The last spot to safely get off the river is just past the Inglewood bridge, which is just past the Calgary Zoo – watch for the “portage” sign on the riverbank to your right.

And have a plan – “know where you put in, know where you’re taking out; take a cell phone in the event of an emergency.”

Check out my interview with Bruce below (and please forgive my shaky hand!).

The City partners in sold out Folk Festival

Almost 50,000 poured into Prince’s Island Park on the weekend to take in the four-day Calgary Folk Music Festival, and it was a huge success, the toughest decision being what you’d have to miss.

This year made history with a complete four-day sell out of the event, the first in the 30 years it’s been going on. The Festival sold 12,000 tickets each day for a total of 48,000. Since this is the park’s capacity, organizers are looking at ideas for growing the event.

Moving these 48,000 people into the area sounds like a challenge, but it wasn’t a problem, says The City’s Beth Gignac, manager of Arts & Culture. It’s less than the number of people who commute into downtown for work, and it helps that event attendance is scattered throughout the day.

The City partners with events like the Calgary Folk Music Festival, providing support in areas like grounds keeping, security, logistics and production services (like tents, staging, power and gear). The Festival also receives funding from The City via Calgary Arts Development.

Gignac says that the Festival is “one of the best run events in the city, and it always is.” Working with the festival organizers demonstrates the benefits to the community when The City works together with community organizations.

An emphasis of the event was partying responsibly – recycling stations, including composting bins, were placed throughout the park, and water bottles were nowhere in sight. People were encouraged to bring their own bottles and fill them up at water stations provided by The City.

Get a sense of this years’ event – and look ahead to next year’s – by checking out the video below. And then gear up for this weekend’s Calgary Fringe Festival, starting on Friday!

City unveils design for Peace Bridge

The City has unveiled the design for Peace Bridge which will be Calgary's newest pedestrian bridge into the downtown core. The bridge will be built over the Bow River west of Prince's Island Park - connecting the Hillhurst-Sunnyside and Eau Claire areas. Copyrighted images of the design are available from The City's website.

Peace Bridge was designed by award-winning architect Santiago Calatrava, who was selected as a result of his past design work and The City's desire to create a unique landmark while meeting the functional needs and environmental goals for the project. Santiago Calatrava LLC Architects and Engineers will be working with local firm Stantec to design, engineer and manage the construction of the bridge. The construction, environmental review and landscaping work will be issued for competitive tender.

As with any City project, the environmental impact played a key role in the design of the bridge. To reduce impacts on the Bow River, the bridge is designed as a single span structure - without any piers in the river.

There's no doubt that there's a need for an additional bridge into the downtown core: more than 13,000 pedestrians and cyclists cross the Bow River into the downtown core every day. If these commuters were in cars rather than on the pathways, The City would need two additional lanes of traffic during the morning commute.

Upon completion, the new bridge is expected to handle 5,000 pedestrians and cyclists daily, which is 1.3 million people a year. By 2025, more than 60,000 additional employees are forecast to be working in the downtown core with the number of Calgarians living in the downtown core expected to double to 60,000.

Funding to build the bridge comes from the Province's Municipal Sustainability Initiative, which is a 10-year funding commitment to enable municipalities to meet the demands of growth.

Citizen safety program considered for downtown Calgary

People say that the heart of a city is in its downtown, and with all of the summer events and festivals going on in Calgary’s core, it’s easy to see. Protecting the spirit of Calgary, then, means keeping our downtown clean and safe, something those living and working in Centre City discussed at a public meeting yesterday.

“If people don’t feel safe here,” said Maggie Schofield, executive director of the Calgary Downtown Association (CDA), “they won’t come.”

That’s what was happening in a Dallas, Texas neighbourhood before they launched the Safety Courtesy Ambassador Program.

Schofield described how the program helped the community grow from virtually no population in 2000 to over 1,000 in 2009 and reduced crime by an impressive 60 per cent.

How? A courtesy team, wearing bright yellow golf shirts and out on the streets 24 hours a day, got to know the people in the neighbourhood and worked co-operatively with the police to transform the community into a healthy, vibrant centre.

And she wants to bring it to Calgary.

Schofield envisions a local program based on the same concept, with ambassadors out on our streets, in the Plus 15 system and near businesses and residential areas 24 hours a day, and that includes a safe walk program. They would complement the role of security officers by adding more eyes and ears on the streets, helping to reduce crime and improve how comfortable people feel downtown.

This would expand on CDA’s existing summer Hospitality Outreach Safety Team (HOST) program – you’ve probably seen them, wearing bright red shirts and white cowboy hats and adding a friendly vibe to the core.

Even with the increased security presence, Schofield explained, this program is necessary in Calgary because of the sheer size of the downtown area.

The Calgary Downtown Association is currently meeting with business safety executives in Centre City to get three-year funding commitments to support the program. They need a minimum of 10 partners and already have interest from over 30. Schofield hopes to start hiring in six months.

To stay up to date on issues specific to Centre City, check out the Centre City Talk blog.

McNabb Wing of Holy Cross Hospital one step closer to historical designation

While Calgary may be a relatively young city, particularly when compared to European cities, we still have a number of historic buildings and sites that are protected under the Alberta Historical Resources Act.

Yesterday morning the Standing Policy Committee on Land Use Planning and Transportation took a step towards adding to this list in unanimously recommending that the McNabb Wing of The Holy Cross Hospital be designated a municipal historic resource. City Council will review this recommendation in September.

If it were to receive this designation, it would prohibit any alterations (other than routine preservation) without receiving written approval from City Council - essentially ensuring that the building's historic architecture will be preserved for years to come.

The Holy Cross Hospital was founded in 1891, a year after the first medical facility in Calgary - the Calgary General Hospital. The McNabb Wing was built between 1928 and 1929 as an extension to the original building that was built in 1906. Upon its completion, The McNabb Wing became the focal point of the facility as it served as the main entrance to the facility and contained many of its principal quarters.

According to Darryl Cariou, Senior Heritage Planner with The City, the McNabb Wing is of historic significance for a number of reasons, including its concrete and brick exterior, Ionic columns and its main staircase that features limestone treads and risers, iron balustrades, oak handrail, and mosaic tile stringers.

The City's Heritage Planning Department is dedicated to protecting and preserving Calgary's history and heritage resources and maintains the inventory of evaluated historic resources in Calgary.

City census shows strong 10-year growth

Mayor Bronconnier released the results of the 2009 civic census this morning, and the results say that Calgary’s still growing, and at a consistently rapid pace.

Over the year, Calgary’s population grew by 22,563 people, increasing from 1,042,892 in April 2008 to 1,065,455 in April 2009. Of this increase, 12,920 more people moved here than moved away (net migration) and there were 9,643 more births than deaths (natural increase).

In terms of housing, growth is down and vacancy is up. In the past year, an additional 5,666 housing units were built – compare this to 12,686 new units that were built between April 2007 and April 2008. Calgary’s vacancy rate as of April 2009 is 3.08 per cent, up from 2.23 per cent last April.

So what does this mean? Even though Calgary’s built less housing, there are more empty units in the market.

In the press conference this morning, the Mayor stated that this continued growth is part of a very strong 10-year trend. Over the past decade, Calgary’s seen a growth of over 230,000 people – that growth alone would represent Alberta’s third largest municipality.

Check out The City’s website for full census information.

New ward boundaries provisionally set

Last week City council gave first reading to a bylaw that, after receiving second and third readings, would alter the ward map for the 2010 municipal election. A Microsoft Word copy of the submitted bylaw is available from the City's website here.

If approved, 30 communities in all quadrants of the city, outlined below, would change wards starting on election day in October, 2010.

City Council may pass this ward boundary bylaw provided that the City Clerk does not receive a petition signed by more than 10% of Calgary's population by October 1, 2009.

The rules around petitioning bylaws are provided by the Municipal Government Act which applies to every municipality in Alberta.

Community	From Ward	To Ward
Royal Oak	1	2
Royal Vista	1	2
Dalhousie	2	7
Edgemont	2	4
Castleridge	3	5
Country Hills	3	4
Evanston	3	2
Falconridge	3	5
Cambrian Heights	4	7
Highwood	4	7
Queens Park Village	4	7
Rosemont	4	7
Rosscarrock	6	8
Spruce Cliff	6	8
Westgate	6	8
Wildwood	6	8
Rutland Park	8	11
Erin Woods	9	10
Forest Lawn	9	10
Southview	9	10
Vista Heights	10	5
Parkhill/Stanley Park	11	9
Rideau Park	11	9
Roxboro	11	9
Acadia	12	9
Haysboro	12	11
Maple Ridge	12	14
Riverbend	12	9
Willow Park	12	14
Southwood	13	11

City's credit card rebate program saves big bucks

A city audit report on credit card spending says that a new corporate-wide credit card rebate program has saved The City of Calgary about $900,000 in the first 10 months of the credit card program being looked at in the audit.

As reported in the Calgary Herald, a shift to the corporate-wide credit card saw 150,000 transactions for more than $56 million worth of goods and services.

Additionally, according to The City's acting chief financial officer, Eric Sawyer, there has been no misuse from the almost 2,000 credit card-carrying employees.

There is however room for improvement according to the city auditor; more money could be saved if individuals purchased more goods from vendors with contracts with the city thereby receiving price advantages.

West LRT project moves forward

As a Calgarian living on the west end of the city, I’m probably paying more attention to the progress of the West LRT than some Calgarians.

Beyond the removal of some of the homes that had been purchased to make way for the West LRT, one of the most noticeable aspects of the project has been construction on the Shaganappi Golf Course, which started the week of April 13.

As part of the construction process, the golf course is being reconfigured as westbound Bow Trail will run along what used to be parts of the first nine holes. According to Christian Cormier, Public Engagement Strategist with the West LRT project, work on the course is well under way with most of the work expected to wrap up by the end of August.

Next up for the West LRT project is the selection of a design build team (Wikipedia definition of design build here) to design and construct the West LRT line. There are two more steps in the selection process - the presentation of technical submissions by July 17 then a financial submission (where the bidders state their total cost to design and build the West LRT) by September 10.

The winning bidder will then be announced with construction work expected to start shortly thereafter to ensure that the West LRT will be fully operational by December 2012.

The West LRT website has all the details on the project, including the conceptual designs of all the stations and an animation of the alignment as it runs from downtown to the end of the line at 69 Street SW.

Take your dog off-leash

Where do you go when you need to take your dog for a walk? If you’re like me, you usually go where you’ve always gone. You know the route, the dog knows the route, and you get the job done quickly and efficiently.

But what about those beautiful sunny days when you want an excuse to roam?

The City launched an interactive online mapping tool earlier this month that can help – it links you quickly and easily to all of the 138 off-leash areas in Calgary. Search by location to see what’s close by or see them all at once if you want to check out something new. An interesting tool is the “i" button at the top – hover over the paw of choice and get the park’s address.

I spoke with Joanne Hahn, Animal & Bylaw Services’ manager of policy development & public education, who said that another phase is in the works for the mapping tool that’ll give you more details for off-leash areas, like its size and amenities. Go to calgary.ca/parks and check the map out for yourself!

Since this spring, Hahn’s team has been collecting citizen feedback on what we want to see as standards for off-leash areas. They’ve had over 4,400 online surveys completed and more than 150 people come out to open houses – you can see a summary of the feedback at calgary.ca/animalservices. Just yesterday they finished a phone survey, done independently, to make sure they got a random sample of all citizens’ opinions – not just of dog owners. They’ll release the results when they get them at the end of August.

Right now, all of the 138 off-leash areas are located inside multi-use parks. One of the concerns raised by citizens so far is how this impacts safety, whether it’s someone not controlling a dog or cyclists going too fast. That’s one of the considerations that’ll be part of the recommendations going to Council in October.

Litter bins for butts

Starting today 30 brand new small litter bins will greet people as they stroll down Calgary’s downtown streets.

Passersby are encouraged to use the small litter bins for small litter items like gum and cigarette butts.

The pilot project is a result of a centre city spring litter count that revealed cigarette butts as the number one commonly found piece of garbage on inner-city streets. The pilot will be reviewed in early 2010 to gauge its effectiveness and determine if new bins should be added.

Small litter bins are meant to be a reminder to citizens that small litter needs to be tended to and is the number one cleanliness issue in the centre city.

The pilot cost under $5,000 for all the bins ($165 plus GST each with two given free). The City hopes to eventually get about 200 on City streets like our Edmontonian neighbors to the north. Here are some other clean intitiaves from around the world:

1. Keep America Beautiful


2. Keep Britain Tidy


3. Britain's war on Cigarette Litter


4. City of Edmonton's Litter Management Program

"Warning" stickers put on downtown pay phones

People conducting illegal business deals on inner city pay phones may be met by "WARNING" stickers as a reminder that pay phones are for public use and not to be misused for illegal activities - and if the phones are being used for illegal purposes, police may obtain a warrant applying for the call records to investigate drug-dealing activities.

Beginning 2009 July 15, warning stickers are being placed on 30 public telephones in 10 neighbourhoods downtown. Citizens are encouraged to call 3-1-1 if they have concerns.

A number of problem phone booths have already been removed due to rampant illicit use or poor site lines. The City is, however, working with TELUS and the protective services agencies and community to maintain telephones in the public realm that are available for both tourists and citizens.

This pilot project is an initiative from Clean to the Core, Focus on Safety, which is an "all fronts" multi-business unit program to increase pride in Calgary's Centre City.

To date, there have been eight telephone booths removed because of the high crime volume. Citywide, Calgary has 168 public telephones.

This editorial in the Calgary Sun from 2008 aptly explains why the City is taking a tough stance on public telephone crime.

Calgary to develop 'Stampede Trail'

Now that the 'Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth' is done for another year, developers have announced that Stampede visitors will have a different experience in a few years time, with the development of Stampede Trail.

Stampede City will develop retail space, restaurants, shops and office space along what is currently Olympic Way from 12th Ave. S.E. to the existing Stampede gates in time for the Calgary Stampede's centennial in 2012.

According to Alberta Development Partners, LLC, the new mixed-use development area will mix western with modern by preserving and advancing the Calgary Stampede’s western heritage and values. Jimmy Buffett's restaurant Margaritaville will be the marquee attraction among "a procession of activity all along Stampede Trail will include a fire pit, architectural monuments, chiming carillon bells, a dramatic sculpture fountain, a plaza for gathering and majestic entry gateways."

Inspired by the travels and songs of Jimmy Buffett, Margaritaville blares the beats of island party music in a dockside atmosphere. The Calgary restaurant will offer steaks, great regionally inspired specialties, Volcano Nachos and the signature “Cheeseburger in Paradise”. Of course, Margaritaville also serves up great margaritas and unique boat drinks.

In formally announcing the $170 million Stampede Trail development, Don Provost, Principal of Stampede Trail LLC said, “With almost 100,000 square feet of restaurants combined with an additional, 165,000 square feet each of retail and office space, all housed in a total of six different buildings . . . Stampede Trail will become the iconic entertainment and shopping district in Calgary."

There will also be 10,000 square feet of outdoor patio space for visitors to sip a summery cocktail, including of course, Calgary’s own spicy Caesar or Jimmy Buffett's iconic fruity and salty Margarita.

“Margaritaville is a perfect fit for our vision of Stampede Park as a gathering place that attracts all types of visitors, in all times of the year,” says Doug Armitage, vice-president of Business Development, Calgary Stampede. “Alberta Development Partner’s Stampede Trail project is key piece of transforming Stampede Park into year-round destination for Calgarians and visitors.”

Click here for Margaritaville Calgary.

Local artists showcase their work on LRT platform

OPEN SPACES: Window to a View - The City of Calgary Public Art Program that provides local artists with the opportunity to exhibit their work in a highly visible downtown location. Ten artists have been chosen to provide an installation for the windows to enliven and add interest to this busy transportation hub.

The first artists to share their work are Mandy Stobo and Christine Nagel from now until August 21, 2009. A total of 10 artists will showcase their work in the windows in eight-week blocks until April.

Mandy Stobo is an emerging Calgary-based artist who has shown throughout western Canada. She works mainly with the concept of visually creating images that reflect our reality and the subtext within each realm. Her constant experimentation with colour, composition and its relative subject matter has become a visual signature for the young artist. Aside from her personal painting work, she also has been bringing art to many in the city with her corporate painting parties, live painting events and various charity events in and around the city.

Christine Nagel was born in England and immigrated to Canada to teach in 1957. She admits her “love of the landscape was slow in coming but when [she] began to really ‘see’ it, [she] started painting.” Nagel’s images are representational, and while they may not fit “the modern scene”, she enjoys the pleasure they bring to people and hopes they not only provide an interesting contrast to the more modern artists showcased in the windows, but also bring back good memories for some passersby.

Open Spaces Art Display from The City of Calgary on Vimeo.

Calgary Transit celebrates 100 years

It was a double birthday bash for two centenarians today as both Calgary Transit and long-time rider Bennie Panaro celebrated their 100th birthday.

Panaro is a long-time Calgary Transit customer who even today, at the age of 100, still rides the bus. She said that she has seen big changes in Calgary Transit over the years - from street cars, to trolley buses to the LRTs.

To assist with the celebration, Calgary Transit chartered a bus to take Mrs. Panaro to the Montgomery Community Centre where her family and friends gathered in her honour.

Calgary Transit Director Fred Wong said, “We are happy and honoured to celebrate our centennial with Mrs. Panaro as she celebrates her 100th birthday.”

Calgary Transit says 280,000 people ride the CTrain every weekday.

Visit Calgary Transit for a brief history and photogallery of our city's public transportation over the past century.

Calgary's cops to volunteer at Vancouver Olympics

Seventy-five of our City's finest will be reporting for volunteer duty in Vancouver for the 2010 Olympic Games.

According to this Calgary Sun article, the officers will use their own vacation time and policing will not be affected in Calgary nor will it be on taxpayer's dime.

Additionally, RCMP say hundreds of their Alberta officers -- about 600 or 25% of the province's force -- will work security at the Vancouver Olympics in February.

It's great to see those in uniform giving their time for a good cause.