Senior citizens find their Snow Angels

The City of Calgary is hoping that the Snow Angels' 7th season proves to be the most successful yet – but it has a ways to go to surpass last year’s record breaker.

Snow Angels is a social marketing campaign run by Community and Neighbourhood Services, Seniors Services Division, which recognizes the efforts of Calgarians who shovel snow and ice from their older adult neighbour’s walkways. Snow and ice can be a potential safety hazard for older adults who want to remain in their own homes and the Snow Angels campaign is one of the several strategies that the City of Calgary, Seniors Services Division, supports to help address this concern.

With about 23,000 older adults (Or 26 per cent of all older adults) living alone in 2006, the Snow Angels program is proving to be necessary. The City of Calgary’s 2009 Civic census stated there were 98,572 citizens over the age of 65 residing in Calgary - approximately 95 per cent of which are living in the community. This number is expected to increase as baby boomers age in the upcoming years.

Since this year’s campaign began on Dec. 1, 2009, The City has received almost 500 calls or letters from people recognizing their Snow Angels – half of last year’s total. To date, there have been 4,000 nominations received since the initial start of the campaign.

Each nominee receives a Snow Angels Pin and a chance to win a WestJet voucher.

“The profile of the Snow Angels campaign has increased significantly since its initial launch. We continue to a receive phone calls from a variety of municipalities who are interested in creating a similar program,” said Ross.

Currently, there are 14 Snow Angel programs across Canada – each one unique with some matching volunteers to people in need.

For more information please visit Calgary.ca or call 3-1-1.

Video with The City’s Anna Ross who works with the Seniors Services Division, and Elena Tzanco with her Snow Angel, Mike Myroniuk.

Calgary Transit service lane staff assist with Haiti relief

Each year, Calgary Transit’s bus service lane employees collect thousands of bottles and cans that are left behind on transit vehicles. The empties are recycled and the refund donated to a charity of the staff’s choice.

The choice of which charity to support from the 2009 bottle and cans service lane recycling program was made easy by the devastation in Haiti.

A “Recycle for Relief” donation of $4,000 is being made to the Canadian Red Cross earmarked to assist in Haiti.

The Canadian Red Cross is mobilizing to support relief efforts in Haiti—providing medical support, clean water, food and shelter to people who have lost everything.

“What is also impressive is that the Canadian government will match our donation dollar for dollar so we feel we have maximized the potential of this year’s donation,” said Steve Sammartino, Calgary Transit’s service lanes coordinator.

"We're thankful to Calgary Transit for their generosity" said Andres Gutierrez, Fund Development Coordinator, Canadian Red Cross, Alberta. "People in Haiti are in desperate need of help and your support will truly make a difference."

Calgary Transit employs 68 service lane attendants, working at three transit garages, responsible for the daily cleaning and servicing of the 1,000 buses in Calgary Transit’s fleet. Calgary Transit’s service lane attendants have found a way to contribute to our community by cashing in recyclables. In addition to the newspapers, mittens and umbrellas often left behind by passengers, thousands of bottles and cans are separated from garbage every year, and the money is used to support a charity selected by the employees.

Donate to Haiti relief

Calgary's 9-1-1 call centre to track cellphones using GPS

Calgary’s 9-1-1 call centre is able to track cellphones within metres now that it has upgraded to new technology.

The upgrade will improve emergency response times in situations where the caller is unable to speak or identify where they are.

The new system uses global positioning technology and signals from nearby cellphone towers to determine a caller's whereabouts to within three to six metres. For calls in more remote areas or using phones without GPS capabilities the caller’s location won’t be as easy to pinpoint.

Nearly half of Calgary’s 9-1-1 calls are from cellphones. This service meets the Telecommunications Commission's Feb. 1 deadline to have this technology up and running.
The current system won’t work with pay-as-you go or on “roaming” services but Bell, Rogers, Telus and Wind Mobile costumers will be covered.

Centre Street fire update

PLEASE CONTINUE TO CHECK HERE AND calgary.ca FOR UPDATES. Transit updates here.

UPDATES AS OF January 26, 2010 6 p.m.

As of 16:30 hours the Municipal Emergency Plan has been deactivated with regard to the incident at 221 Centre Street South. Approximately 95 per cent of the residents that were evacuated yesterday have been resettled back into their suites.

The reception centre which has been open all day at the Chinese Cultural Seniors’ Centre is being closed now. Calgary Emergency Management Agency and DSS staff will be situated in the lobby of the apartment building to assist those returning home after 17:00 hours.

“This response required the coordination of a number of services to ensure the emergency was well handled, said the Director of CEMA Bruce Burrell. “This was one of the most coordinated responses we have seen, the responders, all of them, were just excellent”

The City would like to thank the evacuees for their patience and cooperation during this process. Further, we thank all Calgarians who have had to contend with road closures yesterday during rush hour. While the plan has now been deactivated, recovery efforts for the residents will be ongoing for some time.

UPDATES AS OF January 26, 2010 1 p.m.

Yesterday morning and well into the evening, a coordinated effort was made by the Calgary Emergency Management Agency, The Calgary Fire Department, Calgary Police Service, EMS, Roads, Water Services/Water Resources, Development and Building Approvals, Disaster Social Services, Calgary Transit, Alberta Emergency Management Agency and Alberta Health Services in response to a fire at 221 Centre Street S.

As a result of the fire, approximately 164 residents were evacuated from a nearby apartment building and provided overnight accommodations. Residents will be permitted back into their suites once the Fire Department has deemed it safe to do so.

The Calgary Fire Department has been investigating elements such as air quality of the building as well as the building’s mechanical systems. While there are no air quality concerns, mechanical crews are working on ensuring that the elevators in the building are in safe working order. At this time, there is no estimation as to when that will be completed, although crews are working diligently to try to complete necessary repairs today.

The investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.

Road Closures.
UPDATES AS OF January 26, 2010 8 a.m.

The City of Calgary is advising that 2 Ave. between 1st s.w. and Centre Street is now closed both ways for the duration of today, January 26, 2010.

Centre Street Bridge Closures.UPDATES AS OF 5:35 a.m. Tuesday Jan. 26

Centre Street and 2nd Ave SE have been re-opened. These routes had been closed yesterday and into last night due to the activity related to the fire at 221 Centre Street SW.

Please note that overnight, City Roads crews have salted and sanded Centre Street due to ice build up. Please use caution when accessing the area.

There may be additional road closures after the morning rush-hour commute due to the on going investigation by the Calgary Fire Department. We will communicate those closures later this morning.

Centre Street Bridge Closures.UPDATES AS OF 6:35 p.m. Monday Jan. 25

As a result of a fire that occurred early this morning at 211 Centre Street S.W., the building is currently in the process of being demolished.

Residents of the two apartment buildings adjacent to the fire are encouraged to register at the reception centre, which is located at the Calgary Chinese Seniors Centre, 111 Riverfront Ave. S.W., if they require temporary accommodations.

The registration centre will be open tonight until 11 p.m. and will reopen tomorrow morning at 9 a.m.

Inquiries can be directed to 3-1-1.

Residents will not be allowed back into their apartment buildings until the buildings are deemed safe; which is not expected to be resolved until at least 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Road closures are expected to remain in effect until tomorrow morning. Updates will be provided as information becomes available.


Centre Street Bridge Closures.UPDATES AS OF 2:55 p.m. Monday Jan. 25

The following road closures will remain in effect:

• there will be a temporary lane reversal from 15:30 – 19:00 on northbound Edmonton Tr. to allow for 3 northbound lanes between 3 Ave. N.E. and 12 Ave N.E. in an effort to accommodate extra traffic using this route leaving the downtown.
• Northbound Centre St. Bridge open via westbound 2 Ave. S.E. at 3:30 p.m. -- limited capacity available.
• Northbound Centre St. remains closed between 4 Ave. and 2 Ave. S.
• Southbound Centre St.remains closed at 7 Ave N.
• Riverfront Ave. will open to traffic exiting the downtown via the lower deck on the Centre St. bridge at 3:30 p.m.

Centre St. fire update
Mon., Jan. 25, 2:10 p.m.

Ten units from the Calgary Fire Department remain on the scene of a fire at 221 Centre St. S.W.

The fire is ongoing, but smoke has been reduced. Earlier in the day, two adjacent apartment buildings at 123 Centre St. S.W. and 233 Centre St. S.W. were ordered evacuated as a result of carbon monoxide levels that were approaching levels of concern for elderly persons.

A total of 54 people were evacuated.

A reception centre has been established at the Calgary Chinese Seniors Centre, 111 Riverfront Ave S.W.

The fire has required road closures and alterations to Calgary Transit service which may extend into the evening rush hour. Transit service on the following routes will continue but will be affected: Routes 2,3,4,17,301,403 and 433



PLEASE CONTINUE TO CHECK HERE AND calgary.ca FOR UPDATES. Transit updates here.

***Road Closures Map

Calgary Firefighter lives to tell about Haiti's tragedy

Calgarians are well known for their generosity and charitable spirit. With the recent troubles in Haiti, Calgarians are encouraged to lend their support to the relief efforts in Haiti...
Bruce Barrs knew he was going to the most impoverished country in the Western Hemisphere. What he didn’t know was that he was going to arrive the same day a massive 7.0-magnitude earthquake would strike.

“I had gone down to Haiti with my wife, Keri, and another Calgarian to research rural health care in remote areas of the country,” said Acting Lieutenant Bruce Barrs (No. 31 C-Shift). “We wanted to assess and capture footage of how people without access to modern medicine deal with diseases and other health care needs.”

Their work was part of a project with Calgary production company Nomadic Pictures that follows Keri George as she explores the extreme side of medicine and health care in remote and under-developed areas of the world. Keri is a nurse who has participated in many global humanitarian missions. Raising awareness about this type of work and their experiences has been a goal for her and Bruce for the past few years.

It was their research that probably saved the couple’s lives.

“We were in the basement of a two-storey house in Port-au-Prince when the earthquake hit. We were visiting a Voodoo priestess who works as a healer, and her house was one of the few left standing in the neighbourhood we were in,” said Bruce.

In the immediate aftermath of the quake, Bruce and Keri tried to help as many people as possible, but the situation was overwhelming.

“As a firefighter, you are usually used to dealing with one site, and having all the resources you need. In Haiti, they are dealing with thousands of sites – literally the whole city of Port-au-Prince is one large site – and it’s devastating.

“We helped as best we could – bandaged what we could with the limited resources we had. As soon as we tried to help someone we were inundated with requests to help several more. We helped for about an hour, and as night approached, we decided to return back to the hotel to assess its condition and the possibility of recovering our belongings.”

Unable to find their driver, they walked for an hour and a half back to the Hotel Montana. They found their accommodations reduced to rubble with no chance of retrieving any belongings. Luckily, a representative from the Canadian embassy was roaming around the ruins and accompanied seven Canadians, including Bruce’s group, back to the embassy to seek refuge.

“We spent the night outside because the embassy’s roof was compromised. The aftershocks were unbelievable they were so powerful – extremely unnerving. We slept inside one of the dozen or so armoured SUVs, while others slept on lawn chairs, under large tents, or on the tennis court,” said Bruce.

Upon arrival, Bruce offered to assist in any recovery effort needed and informed the Canadian ambassador of his and his wife’s work-related skills. The next day, their offer to help was accepted.

The couple became part of a search and rescue team that included Canadian Embassy staff. There had been reports of Canadians buried alive at an office building directly beside the Hotel Montana and Bruce’s group was to attempt to locate and rescue any survivors. Another team of six was to go on a reconnaissance mission to assess the status of the airport.

“We rescued two ladies who we located under concrete and rubble remains – one had been buried for 17 hours and the other for 21 hours. That gave us a pretty good feeling,” says Bruce.

That night they were evacuated back to Canada with approximately 100 others on a C130H Hercules aircraft that had arrived in Haiti to bring relief supplies.

“It was a terrible thing to go through. It takes time to initiate a response and we saw the despair, the look of hopelessness from [the Haitians’] side while they were waiting.

“One man assisting us at the office building had lost close family members and yet he came out to help people he didn’t know. . . It was good to see the rescue and recovery teams arriving and also how Haitians were helping each other.

“I still wish I could have done more.”

Bruce says the memory of feeling helpless and not able to assist in the way he is used to will stay with him for quite some time. Having seen the devastation, he knows Haiti not only needs our help now, but for years to come.

“Just getting Haiti back up to the standard of where it was when it was considered the poorest nation in the West will take a lot of resources and effort from outside the country,” said Bruce.

"Haiti desperately needs us.”

***photos are property of Nomadic Pictures – please contact them if you wish to re-produce.
***Post courtesty of Heather Hastie

City of Calgary Leisure Centres celebrate Family 'Month'

Families are pretty important to the folks at Calgary’s Leisure Centres, which is why they’ve decided to make February’s Family Day last the whole month.

As part of Family Month, Village Square and Southland Leisure Centres are offering special events and activities just for families.

Since 2005 Family Month has been keeping Calgarians active during what is traditionally one of the coldest months of the year.

“It’s a way to encourage people to stay active in the darker months,” said Recreation spokesperson, Tracy Luther. “We want to remind those landlocked Calgarians to escape to our water parks. It’s like a tropical vacation in your own community.”

Events like Village Square’s Family Fun Adventure and Southland’s Tropical Fish Scavenger Hunt invite families who purchase admission to enjoy the pool, games and each other’s company at a time of year when many of us feel like hibernating.

According to Luther, it’s not just about staying active.

“We’re providing opportunities for Calgarians to try new things and for families to play together,” she said. “Family month is a really big month at the Leisure Centres. It’s about togetherness and healthy living.”

After undergoing extensive renovations in 2008, Luther is confident the new water park features are going to dazzle and impress. New additions include Southland’s tropical beach themed AquaPlay structure and Village Square’s Safari Splash Zone.

The award-winning facilities have been recognized by several local organizations for their family focused programs and state of the art amenities.

For families wanting to stay dry, both facilities will be hosting a Family Skate Night with free hot chocolate and activities as well as free family-based games in the lobby with prizes.

The complete event schedule is available at calgary.ca/leisurecentres.

Governor General explores art as a tool for social change

Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, and Jean-Daniel Lafond will host an event to explore art as a tool for social change this Sunday at the Glenbow Museum.
Lafond will pose the question: “What is the power and purpose of using the arts to engage in social issues?”

The day will consist of panel discussions, performances and workshops to celebrate the end of the year-long initiative, This is My City, which provided art-making opportunities to members of the homeless community.

In January 2009, members of the homeless community were given the opportunity to work with artist mentors to develop their creative voices for expression, and to encourage public advocacy and dialogue. The multidisciplinary program included poetry, performance, personal narrative, drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography and video production.

The event will showcase the shared experiences of the This is My City artist-mentor team and the homeless art-makers and include a brainstorming session with community partners on using the arts to engage diverse communities.

This is My City does not pretend to be a solution to the homeless crisis - rather, the project is intended to enable the homeless to speak on their own behalf. This forum is part of the High Performance Rodeo.

The event takes place Sunday, Jan. 24, 2010, at the Glenbow Museum, Conoco Phillips Theatre. The Symposium will take place from 10:00 am – 1:30 pm. Art Matters will take place from 2:30 – 4:30 pm. Both events are free. RSVP is requested. Please call Jody Williams at 403-268-4545 to reserve your seat. For more information visit Calgary.ca or High Performance Rodeo.

***Image: Jean-Daniel Lafond

City salutes Olympic Torch Relay participants and supporters

Days 81, 82 and 83 of the Olympic Torch Relay passed through Calgary this week on the way to Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Olympic games.

The City of Calgary would like to thank our citizens for their volunteer efforts to make this run a success and the people who lined the streets to support the 12,000 runners who braved the wet and cold as the flame made its way across Canada.

Here is a video of City employee Dan Phelps running the torch. Dan was one of 10,000 volunteers at Calgary's '88 Olympic Winter Games and it's people like him who made this Olympiad's Torch Relay a success.

Canada's cities unite to rebuild Haiti

Canada’s largest cities are teaming-up to help the island-nation of Haiti recover from one of the most devastating earthquakes on record.

The Big City Mayors Caucus of Canada unanimously endorsed a proposal put forward by the cities of Calgary and Montreal to support the region by primarily reconstructing essential infrastructure.

The plan calls for the cities to create a “pool of expertise" and work in close collaboration with the Federal Government, Non-Governmental Agencies and Haitian authorities. Assistance would be offered according to needs on the ground in Haiti, ranging from areas such as protective services, civil engineering and construction, water and sewer services, etc.

"This is a tragedy of epic proportions,” said Mayor Dave Bronconnier, adding the skills and efforts of civic employees can help build infrastructure and get essential services running.

“We're eager to mobilize our people, and focus their skills and efforts to helping the people of Haiti."

Speaking on behalf of The City of Montreal, Counseiller Claude Dauphin said, "The relationship between our city and Haiti is very strong and very important to us. We have already sent police officers, doctors and nurses to help during recovery, and the Haitian people can count on Montreal and all of Canada's big cities to help them through this."

The Torch Shines bright as Calgarians celebrate Olympic spirit

The Olympic Torch Celebration at Olympic Plaza last night was an action-packed event attended by over 20,000 Calgarians.

The Torch has been on the move across the country since October, where it started in Greece and has made its way around Canada, and includes 12,000 torch bearers keeping the flame moving. The Torch convoy arrived at Olympic Plaza at 7 p.m. amid a warm reception and spirited fanfare. And as the cauldron was lit in honour of the 21st Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, a wave of nostalgia overcame the roaring crowd.

The celebration also had some great performances by Albertan musicians Crystal Plamondon and Terri Clark, and visitors were able to see a number of other singers, dancers and painters show their talents.

Calgarians also had a chance to meet with the Olympians who attended the celebration. The City’s Duff Gibson, a firefighter by profession but also a retired and successful Olympian in skeleton, was on hand to introduce Calgary Olympians from past Olympic Games.

“This was just an incredible experience for myself and all Calgarians,” said Duff after speaking to a crowd in the thousands. “It’s especially great for the kids to see this; it's these kinds of things that can inspire them to one day become Olympians themselves.”

Calgary Transit also had a bus parked along Macleod Trail near Olympic Plaza that was accepting donations fro The Calgary Foodbank.

Here is a photo gallery of Jan. 18, 2010's torch relay along Macleod Trail, courtesy of Duane Starr.

***Images from Olympic Plaza's Torch Lighting Ceremony on Jan. 18, 2010. First image of Mayor Dave Bronconnier, Robyn Ainsworth (formerly Perry who lit Olympic cauldron for 1988 Winter Games) and Jim Prentice, Member of Parliament.

City wins Emerald Award for Mayor's Environmental Expo

The City of Calgary received the Emerald Award for the 20th annual Mayor’s Environmental Expo yesterday in Council.

Originally presented to The City on June 16th 2009 in Edmonton under the category “non-formal education” the “Alberta’s premier environmental award” recognizes the environmental education of the more than 70,000 students and broader public who have attended the expo over the past two decades.

“This is one of the actions we’ve taken to collectively protect air, land and water” said Mayor Dave Bronconnier.

The first Mayor’s Environmental Expo was in 1997 with nine schools attending. In 2009 18 "showcase school" took part. The students aged 8 – 14 study everything from clean energy, to waste-free lunches to naturalization projects in their schoolyard throughout the year before presenting their findings at the expo.

Dave Day, Director of Environmental and Safety Management, upon receiving the award said, the expo is an “enormous opportunity for Calgary’s youth to effect changes in environmental values and behaviour as we forge a more sustainable community in the future.”

Here is a video from the Emerald Foundation’s website of Judi Vandenbrink manager of the Mayor’s Environmental Expo discussing the importance of the students who take part in green projects.




This is a video of a Anamika, The City's junior reporter at 2009's 20th annual Mayor's Environmental Expo.


The Alberta Emerald Foundation celebrates and showcases environmental leadership in Alberta. 2010's Mayor's Environmental Expo will be held from June 1 - 3 at the Municpal Building Atrium.

***Director Dave Day; Mayor Dave Bronconnier; Judi Vandenbrink, Manager of the Mayor's Environmental Expo; Jeff Reading, team lead for Community Energy Initiatives; Patrick Inglis, environmental specialist with Community Energy Initiatives; Amanda Brownlie, environmental specialist with Community Energy Initiatives.

Calgary Olympic Torch Relay begins today

As the Olympic torch crosses Canada, it has ignited community spirit and inspired initiatives that help and support people in those municipalities. Calgary is one of those communities.

Calgarians are encouraged to bring donations for the Calgary Inter-Faith Food Bank to the Olympic Torch Relay Celebration at Olympic Plaza today at 5 p.m. A Calgary Transit bus will be parked along Macleod Trail near Olympic Plaza with City staff accepting the donations.

The magic of sport and culture will be alive at this free family-friendly event. Enjoy live music and dancers, meet Calgary Olympians and watch as the cauldron is lit in commemoration of the 21st Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.

5:00 p.m. Performance by Crystal Plamondon
5:30 p.m. Speech from Olympian Duff Gibson and introduction of Calgary Olympians from past Olympic Games. The following Olympians from past Games are attending the Olympic Torch Relay Celebration;

• Susan Auch – Speed Skating (1988, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2002)
• Glenys Bakker – Curling (2006)
• Andre Benoit - Luge (1988, 1992)
• Michelle Cameron - Synchronized Swimming (1988)
• Jeff Christie – Luge (2006)
• Al Coulter - Volleyball (1984, 1992)
• Nathan Cunningham – Bobsleigh (2006)
• Arne Dankers - Speed Skating (2006)
• Kerry Dankers (Simpson) - Speed Skating (2006)
• Marie-Claude Doyon - Luge (1988)
• Sam Edney - Luge (2006)
• Kelly Anne Erdman - Cycling (1992)
• Jim Fisher - Cycling (2000)
• Nathan Gafuik - Gymnastics (2008)
• Karyn Garossino – Ice Dancing (1988, 1992)
• Rod Garossino – Ice Dancing (1988, 1992)
• Duff Gibson– Skeleton (2006)
• Ian Gordon – Track and Field (1972)
• Gaye Hass – Field Hockey (1992)
• Darin McBeath - Alpine Skiing (2002)
• Roselyn McLeod (McMann) - Rowing (2004)
• Susan Massitti – Speed Skating (1998)
• Cary Mullen – Alpine (1992,1994)
• Shayna Nackoney - Synchronized Swimming (2004)
• Jason Parker- Speed Skating (2006)
• Lori Radke - Wheelchair Basketball (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008)
• Scott Rand – Rowing (2008)
• Joshua Riker-Fox – Pentathlon (2008)
• Kathy Salmon – Luge (1988,1992)
• Kyle Shewfelt - Gymnastics (2004, 2008)
• Christina Smith – Bobsleigh (2002)
• Don Telfer - Rowing (1988, 1992)
• Peter VanderPyl – Field hockey (1964)
• Pauline Vanroessel - Rowing (2004)
• Greg Williscroft – Volleyball (1992)

5:45 p.m. Fanfare to begin Official Celebration
5:55 p.m. Encore by Crystal Plamondon
6:10 p.m. Entertainment provided by Olympic Games sponsors Coca-Cola and RBC
6:45 p.m. Performance by Terri Clark
7:00 p.m. Olympic Torch Arrives
7:30 p.m. Encore by Terri Clark

You can follow the Olympic Torch Relay live on CTV’s website.

You can also relive some of your 1988 Calgary Winter Olympic Game memories here and see the Calgary's Olympic Torch Route here.

Also you can follow the Olympic Torch on Calgary's Facebook page.


Here is a video describing Calgary's Olympic Torch Relay festivities.

*** Calgary '88 Opening Ceremonies, Robyn Perry Lighting the Olympic Flame on February 13, 1988. Photo courtesy of City of Calgary Corporate Records/Archives.

Options for donating to the Haiti Quake relief effort

Calgarians looking to make a donation to assist in the relief effort in Haiti in the wake of Tuesday’s earthquake have a number of options both locally and nationally.

The below charitable organizations are listed in alphabetical order and may not be a complete list of organizations completing relief work in Haiti.

Cell Phone Donations
On TELUS & Bell networks text HAITI to 45678 and $5 will be donated to the Salvation Army’s Haiti fundraising efforts. Alternatively you can text HAITI to 30333 to make a $5 donation to Plan Canada’s Haitian relief efforts.

Rogers Wireless and Fido customers can text HELP to 1291 to see $5 donated to Partners in Health: Haiti and other Haitian relief organizations. Rogers says that 100% of donations will be donated to relief efforts.

Canadian Red Cross
Donations can be made online or by calling 1-800-291-8979

Doctors without Borders
Donations can be made online.

The Humanitarian Coalition
The Humanitarian Coalition is a network of Canadian non-governmental organizations and currently has 4 members: Care Canada, Oxfam Canada, Oxfam-Québec and Save the Children Canada. Donations can be made online or by calling 1-800-464-9154.

Plan Canada
Donations can be made online or by calling 1-800-387-1418.

Salvation Army
Donations can be made online or by calling 1-800-725-2769

Samaritan's Purse
Donations can be made online or by calling 403-250-6565

SOS Children’s Villages
Donations can be made online or by calling 1-800-767-5111

Unicef Canada
Donations can be made online or by calling 1-800-567-4483.

United Nations World Food Programme
Donations can be made online

World Vision Canada
Donations can be made online or by calling 1-866-595-5550

Calgary '88 Olympics: Reliving the memory

The ‘88 Olympic Winter Games in Calgary was one of the pinnacle events in our great city’s history.

Twenty-two years ago, between Feb. 13 - 28, 1988, 1,423 athletes from more than 50 nations poured into Calgary.

The Games led to the construction of numerous sports and cultural facilities in our city, providing many athletic and recreational spaces that are still widely used today, including:

• The Saddledome
• Olympic Plaza
• The Olympic Oval
• Canada Olympic Park

This two-week period was also the culmination of one of the largest examples of volunteerism in the prairie town’s history.

Almost 10,000 volunteers played an integral role in what has been deemed one of the most successful Olympic Games in modern time. The opening ceremonies alone showcased roughly 10,000 of Calgary’s youth along with 40 social and cultural groups displaying their performances to the 60,000 thunderous spectators at McMahon (remember those dazzling purple full-body suits?).

Oh, and let’s not forget Hidy and Howdy, the quick-to-hug pair of polar bears that provided the face of the Olympics to the millions of people watching around the world.

As the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games approach, it’s hard not to feel nostalgic about our own city’s chance to host the world’s greatest winter sporting event, while celebrating with our friends to the west.

Do you remember the XV Winter Olympiad? Do you remember the Olympic Torch (fashioned after the Calgary Tower) relay’s “Share the Flame" theme? Did you collect Shell gas station pins? Did you choose a nation while playing intramural sports in school? Do you recall the David Foster Winter Olympics theme song? What about Eddie the Eagle, or the Jamaican Bobsled Team? Canadians adored figure skater Elizabeth Manley and her nail-biting, electrifying free program.

These are times we shared with the world more than two decades ago, but the memories remain fresh.

Where were you during the Games and how do you remember them?

We invite you to share your 1988 Calgary Olympics Winter Games stories.




***Images courtesy of The City of Calgary, Corporate Records, Archives

City searching for census takers and enumerators

The city is looking for people who like long walks and want a job that counts.

Census takers collect data which is used to determine per capita grants from the Province, to provide statistical information for the planning of a variety of City services, to forecast school enrolments, and to determine new school requirements. Enumeration data is used to determine eligible electors for municipal and school board elections, to assist in the planning for general elections and by-elections, and to improve service for voters on Election Day.

“It’s critical information,” said Wanda Seatter, Returning Officer with The City’s election office. “It’s very important that we have the people to collect this information.”

Census takers and enumerators are needed to visit homes in an assigned area to gather important information about Calgary’s population. Assignments vary in size but are generally between 400 to 600 dwellings.

Census takers and enumerators set their own schedule to complete their assigned area and may be required to work in the evenings and on weekends when most people are at home. In general, the data collection should take about 3 weeks.

“Calgary is unique because we collect this data annually. It’s important for forecast population movement and City services uses,” said Seatter.

Applicants will be required to complete a short written assessment test that takes approximately 30 minutes to complete.

In order to apply to be a census taker or enumerator you must be:

• 18 years of age or over.
• Able to walk in seasonable weather conditions.
• Available to attend a 2 hour daytime training session in March.
• Available to attend a ½ hour check-in and material review appointment in April.

If you would like to be a part of the team that collects this valuable information, apply in person at The City of Calgary, Election and Information Services office at 1103 55th Ave. N.E. before February 5, Monday to Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.

For more information, call 403-476-4100.

Calgary named Canada’s "most attractive" city

Calgary has been named Canada’s most attractive city to migrants, along with Waterloo, Ottawa, Vancouver, St. John’s and Richmond Hill according to a Conference Board of Canada report.

“Cities that fail to attract new people will struggle to stay prosperous and vibrant,” said Mario Lefebvre, Director of the Centre for Municipal Studies. “These six cities come out on top across all rankings, so they appear to have an overall winning combination that is attractive to migrants. Although it would be hard to imagine a more diverse group of cities, each has particular strengths that make them magnets to newcomers, both from within Canada and abroad.”

City Magnets II: Benchmarking the Attractiveness of 50 Canadian Cities, analyzed 50 Canadian cities based on 41 indicators including health, economy, environment, society, education, innovation and housing to rank the places most attractive to skilled workers and mobile populations.

Calgary finished first in terms of economy and innovation and second nationally for housing.

Calgary vies for MONOPOLY'S prime real estate

Calgary is vying to be the city that holds the hottest property on Hasbro’s new MONOPOLY Canada edition and Calgarians can make it happen by voting for Calgary.

On Monday, Hasbro launched a nationwide contest to find Canada’s 22 favourite cities that will be included on the new MONOPOLY Canada game board. The city that receives the most votes overall will be placed on the most valuable property, traditionally held by Boardwalk.
“Do not pass GO without giving Calgary your vote,” said Mayor Dave Bronconnier. “In international and national surveys, Calgary has been named the city with the highest quality of life and economic potential, safest city and cleanest city.

“Now is our chance to snap up the prime real estate on one of the most popular games in the world. What a great way to show Canada how much we love our city.”

Sixty-five cities have been pre-selected by Hasbro for the vote, and Canadians are being asked to cast their ballots for three cities every day until the poll closes. The city that receives the most votes will be placed on Boardwalk. The 20 cities with the highest number of votes will each have property featured on the game board. Two other cities will be selected as wild cards to occupy the low-rent property spaces traditionally held by Mediterranean Avenue and Baltic Avenue.

“It’s time to TAKE A CHANCE. We can vote every day until February 7 for Calgary to be Canada’s favourite city and MONOPOLY’s top property,” said Mayor Bronconnier. “I’m asking Calgarians to get on the website and vote early; vote often. Vote every day”.

You can make your vote at www.monopolyvote.ca

Download the 'Vote Calgary' Monopoly poster and encourage your friends and co-workers to vote.

National Music Centre Project makes big strides

The City of Calgary Standing Policy Committee on Community and Protective Services today approved for recommendation by City Council a financial commitment towards the building of a National Music Centre project at the site of the “King Eddy” in the East Village. Council still has to approve the funding, which could be as early as January 25.

"This is a proud moment for music in Canada,” said Beth Gignac, manager of Arts and Culture with The City. “As Calgarians, we should be equally proud to have an organization like Cantos in our community who have had the vision to recognize a significant gap in our national cultural community and have chosen to create this amazing new resource for Canadian music in Calgary."

If the funding is approved by Council on January 25th, the planned 80,000-square-foot facility on the site of the legendary King Edward Hotel, will integrate the world-renowned living Cantos Music Collection, the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame Collection, recording studios, education and public programming, performance space, public radio broadcasting space, seven-days-a-week live music venue, music and wellness research centre, artists-in-residence programs and more.

“We are ecstatic," says Andrew Mosker, executive director of Cantos. "This endorsement from the City gives our project the credibility and the momentum to bring the National Music Centre to fruition. We truly believe this is a monumental decision on the part of the City to build a strong, vibrant community that all Calgarians can be proud of and we commend them for their vision and their commitment to making Calgary a cultural leader in this country and for putting another piece of Calgary on the international map."

The City will release $2.5 million in "seed funding" that will allow design work to continue with the architectural team and allow for Cantos to continue building support and awareness across the country in 2010. The payment of the balance of the $25-million commitment is contingent on similar commitments from the provincial and federal governments as well as support from corporate and individual donors.

"This project is the first of its kind in Canada and the world," says Mosker. "It will be a hub for all things music in Canada that will not only tell Canada's national music story but celebrate and foster the creation, performance and preservation of music through a wide array of public programs."

***Calgary's National Music Centre as seen on Cantos.ca

The City of Calgary launches new newsroom

The City of Calgary is launching a multi-media newsroom today which will provide a user friendly environment to view news with links to applicable City content.

“We believe that this newsroom will make The City of Calgary a leader among municipalities in North America - there are very few municipal governments who have a newsroom of this quality,” said Jacob George, The City’s manager of Corporate Marketing and Communications.
“The newsroom will provide a more user friendly environment for citizens and the media while still offering a comprehensive look at City related stories,” said George.

This newsroom uses a third party vendor called iPressroom and offers several benefits compared to the old system, including:

• the ability to include images, maps, videos, audio clips and links to more information
• the categorization of news releases by topic, including Parks, Pools, Major Projects, Road Construction and Bylaws as well as Calgary Police Service and Calgary Fire Department releases
• allowing users to search for content and topics using key words as well as browse releases by category, month or year
• access to archived media advisories, which were not available in the old system
• utilizing “social media news releases” which are news releases in rich text format

You can access The City’s newsroom at http://newsroom.calgary.ca

NewsRoom.Calgary.ca from The City of Calgary on Vimeo.

Calgary Awards – The City’s citizen recognition program celebrates Calgarians

The City of Calgary’s Calgary Awards is one of the largest citizen recognition programs in the city. Established in 1994, the program was created to “celebrate and recognize outstanding achievements and contributions made by Calgarians.”

“It’s something special,” said Roger Jackson of being nominated in 2007, “because it’s from the heart of the community.”

Jackson received the Grant MacEwan Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to sports development in Calgary, Canada and internationally.

A gold medalist rower at the 1964 Olympic Games, Jackson continues to be involved as Chief Executive Officer of Own the Podium 2010, an initiative to improve performance at the Olympic Games.

According to his nominators at the Organizing Committee Calgary (OCC), Jackson is an outstanding Calgarian and “a tremendous asset to Calgary.”

Janet Crosby-Kerr, Citizen Recognitions and Protocol Advisor, says the 17 awards showcase The City’s priorities of community, the environment, accessibility, and arts and culture.

“These categories directly impact the quality of life of Calgarians. Efforts in these areas should be celebrated,” says Crosby-Kerr.

Nine Community Achievement awards are devoted to citizens whose contributions have improved the quality of community life in Calgary through art, commerce, volunteerism or education. The Award for Accessibility is awarded for buildings or facilities that exceed minimum building requirements for accessibility by persons with disabilities. Five Environmental Achievement awards recognize local efforts to protect and promote Calgary’s natural environment through technological advancements, education and stewardship. The Signature Award is presented to an individual whose personal and/or professional activities have brought significant recognition to Calgary. And finally, The City of Calgary W. O. Mitchell Book Prize is awarded for a literary achievement by a Calgary author.

The deadline for nominations is March 5, 2010 except for the Book Prize, which closed on Dec. 31, 2009. The City encourages Calgarians to look to their community for those who could qualify as recipients. Eligibility requirements vary among categories. Visit calgary.ca./calgaryawards for more information.

Calgary Fire Department kicks off 125th anniversary at International Airport

The Calgary Fire Department unveiled a new life-sized airport carousel display today to officially kick off its 125th anniversary in 2010.

"We've come a long way since 1885, when 22 firefighting volunteers made up the Calgary Hook, Ladder and Bucket Corporation," said Fire Chief, Bruce Burrell.

"Today more than 1,300 men and women are rescuing and protecting one million Calgarians from fires, floods and accidents."

The airport display uses larger-than-life mannequins to represent specialty team members carrying out a high-angle rescue, aquatic rescue, hazardous materials clean up and heavy rescue. It also shows firefighters in regular duty gear carrying out a vehicle extrication.

Members of the Fire Department’s Specialty Teams stood next to the airport mannequins in their rescue gear. The most popular guests were Sparky, the Dalmatian mascot and Laddie, a rescue dog whose primary function is to carry out searches in collapsed buildings.

Donated by the Calgary Airport Authority for 18 months, about 2 million visitors are expected to use The Fire Department’s 125th anniversary edition carousal in 2010.

You can learn more about the Calgary Fire Department's history on Calgary.ca/Fire.

***Sparky at the Calgary International Airport's new Fire Department 125 year anniversary carousel display.

Calgary’s City Blog helps patch holes in The City of Calgary's history book

The City of Calgary’s history books have received a valuable new entry after a Calgarycitynews.com reader contacted us about his aldermanic grandfather who sat on council at the First World War’s end.

In October, Jim Kerner of Athens, Alabama, left a comment on a blog post stating that his grandfather was a City of Calgary alderman from 1918-19 and that he wanted to speak with someone about our archives.

“Calgary is special to me because it is a part of my family’s history,” said Mr. Kerner.

“I knew that my mother was born in Canada in 1914 as she spoke of this fact often during my younger years. She left there as a young child to America with the family.”

Mr. Kerner explained that while rummaging through boxes of family memorabilia, he discovered an old photo of a house with the words ‘Calgary, Alberta’ scribbled on the back.

“With this bit of knowledge, I began searching every reference made to Calgary and my grandfather, James Bernard Creagan,” said Kerner. Upon finding The City of Calgary’s Archives, he noticed his grandfather’s biography was sparse and lacking a photo.

“I began by browsing (Calgary.ca) and eventually found your (Calgarycitynews.com) blog. I left a comment and within a day I was contacted by you,” he said.

We put Mr. Kerner in touch with Carol Stokes, A City archivist, who was elated to receive the photos and biographical information.

“It is wonderful as we do not have any photos or biographical information about this alderman,” said Ms. Stokes.

According to a 1918 newspaper clipping from the Glenbow Library, Creagan, an insurance broker and Alderman at the time, chaired The City's Industrial Committee and participated in the Victory Loan campaign during World War I, playing an integral role to the campaign’s success. Victory Loans were Canadian government appeals for money to finance the war effort in both WWI and WWII.

Mr. Kerner said that he and his family in the United States will continue scouring for information about his grandfather.

“I would like to know - and would like my children and grandkids to know - about the contribution that my grandfather made to Calgary. I really hope he did something significant and that this information is discoverable,” he said.

Ms. Stokes added that she is very pleased the public will soon be better able to access this sort of historical information online.

“Corporate Record, Archives, is very excited that a new process for posting updated biographies for the Mayors’ and Aldermanic Galleries will be implemented before the civic election in October of this year. This process will enable us to update our galleries in real time, providing immediate access to new information,” she said.

In the meantime, researchers can contact the Archives at 403-268-8180 or archives@calgary.ca to determine if a biography posted in the gallery has been revised. Alternatively, the public can come in person to the Archives to review a file, which may contain additional information about elected officials.

We at The City of Calgary and Calgarycitynews.com would like to Thank Mr. Kerner. It’s because of your historical donation to The City’s archives that Calgarians too can learn a little bit more about your grandfather, James Bernard Creagan, and others who have served our city.

***Images of Alderman James Bernard Creagan (1918-19) courtesy of his grandson, Jim Kerner.

Olympic Spirit to revisit Calgary: Olympic Torch route map

Thirty Seven days and counting until the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, and on January 16 at Olympic Plaza, the celebration will truly begin in Calgary.

“Calgary had the first successful Olympics in every way,” said Susan Auch, three time Olympic medalist and Honourary Chair of the Calgary Olympic Torch Celebration.

“Calgary’s leg of the torch run can be the biggest festival leading up to the Olympics,” she said.

Paving the way for the torch’s arrival is Snowblower, a free outdoor music and light festival on January 16 at Olympic Plaza. It is co-presented by One Yellow Rabbit’s High Performance Rodeo and The City of Calgary.

On January 18, the 81st day of the 106 day journey across Canada, the Olympic torch will arrive at Olympic Plaza. There will be live music by entertainers including Terri Clark and Crystal Plamondon along with dancers, painters and other performers. Past Calgary Olympians will be present and watch and Calgary’s Olympic cauldron will be lit in honour of the 21st Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.

“It’s critical to connect Olympic Athletes with Calgarians . . . It will help make this Olympics as successful as Calgary’s,” Auch said.

The relay will begin at Macleod Trail and Southland Drive at about 4 p.m. Torchbearers will then 2010’s website.

Mayor Dave Bronconnier said he’d like to invite Calgarians to come out and welcome the torch as it once again lights up our city.

“Wear your Olympic gear and join your fellow Calgarians as we rekindle the community spirit that ignited the ’88 Olympics and makes the Olympics a shared and memorable event,” he said.

The relay will begin at Macleod and Southland Drive at around 4 p.m. and torchbearers will then travel north on Macleod Trail to 17th Avenue SW where it should arrive by 6 p.m. The torch will then head north on 14th Street, east on 9th Avenue, and arrive at Olympic Plaza around 7 p.m. for the big party.

More details on the torch’s route and other community activities can be found on Vancouver

A City bus will be present to accept Food Bank donations.

***Image from Vancouver2010.com's interactive Torch Relay map
***Torch route's first, second and third day in Calgary (81,82,83 on Canada-wide route - beginning January 18th)
***Susan Auch with Calgary '88 Winter Olympic Torch

Calgary takes part in Artist Trading Card Cultural Olympiad

Calgarians are being encouraged to unite the country by designing and exchanging Olympic-themed art cards as part of The Artist Trading Card Cultural Olympiad.

The City of Calgary is teaming up with The City of Mississauga, Ontario, and accepting miniature works of art on trading cards with Olympic, friendship, sportsmanship or peace themes that will be displayed for the public before being exchanged for other cards from across the country.

“It’s a really cool concept and a fun thing to do,” said Lisa Tornack, a Recreation Program Specialist with The City. “It’s a way to involve youth with art and unite Eastern and Western Canada in the spirit of friendship.”

Participants must design their work of art on a 2.5 X 3.5 inch or 64 X 89 millimetre card of sturdy paper and then drop it off at Mount Pleasant Art Centre.

The cards will be showcased at Calgary’s Municipal Building on Jan. 18, 2010, and then sent to Mississauga. Mississauga’s cards will be displayed at the North Mount Pleasant Art Centre from February 13 – 27 and Calgary artists can pick their favourite card from the Ontario collection and keep it. Somebody from Eastern Canada will do the same with the Cards that originated here.

This is part of the larger Artist Trading Card concept which describes the card-trading venture as, “they are originals, small editions and, most importantly, self-produced -anybody can produce them. The idea is that you trade them with other people who produce cards, either at trading sessions or wherever you meet another (trader) in person.”

The project was initiated in 1997 by Swiss artist M. Vänçi Stirnemann.

***Image: A Calgary card from Artist Trading Card Cultural Olympiad

2010 Assessment Notices mailed out and Customer Review Period Begins

Close to a half million Property and Business Assessment Notices were mailed out today, thus beginning this year’s Assessment Customer Review Period.

The assessed values, which are used as the basis for determining property and business taxes, are prepared annually by The City of Calgary.

“Preparing assessments on an annual basis ensures property and business owners’ assessments maintain currency with changing market conditions and experience more stability in year to year property and business tax levels,” said Stuart Dalgleish, Calgary’s City Assessor.

“The market establishes the value of properties and businesses in Calgary - we simply measure that market value on July 1st each year.”

The 2010 Customer Review Period provides customers with the opportunity to review and ensure the accuracy of their 2010 assessment.

Dalgleish said that customers are encouraged to visit Calgary.ca/assessment to further review their assessment and compare with other communities. This year there is more property-specific information such as property influences, year of construction, building area, condition, updates and other attributes.

Compared approximately to the city-wide typical per cent change, if a property or business’ year-to-year per cent change in assessment is:

• Less – that property or business’ revenue neutral taxes will decrease
• The same – that property or business’ revenue neutral taxes will stay about the same
• More – that property or business’ revenue neutral taxes will increase

If customers have questions after reviewing their assessment, they can call the Assessment business unit at 403-268-2888 during the 2010 Customer Review Period to have their inquiries answered over the phone or to book an appointment with an assessor.

In 2010, The City of Calgary mailed 439,000 Property Assessment Notices to Calgary taxpayers, which is an increase of 8,000 from 2009. The total value of the 2010 Property Assessment Roll is $218 billion, compared to $245 billion in 2009.

As a result of the 2010 assessment, the typical assessment change between the 2009 and 2010 Property Assessment Rolls is -13 per cent for residential properties and -15 per cent for non-residential properties.

Due to the 2010 assessment, 92 per cent of residential properties’ revenue neutral taxes will be within plus or minus 10% of their 2009 taxes.

Over two-thirds of residential properties, will experience a revenue neutral tax decrease due to the 2010 assessment, while about one-third, will experience an increase in their taxes due to the 2010 assessment.

The 2010 median single residential assessment (excluding condominiums) is $374,000 compared to $427,500 in 2009. The 2010 median residential condominium assessment is $233,000 compared to $278,500 in 2009.

In 2010, The City of Calgary mailed approximately 25,400 Business Assessment Notices, which is an increase of 300 from the 25,100 Business Assessment Notices mailed in 2009.

As a result of the 2010 assessment, the typical assessment change between the 2009 and 2010 Business Assessment Rolls is -3 per cent. The total value of the 2010 Business Assessment Roll is $3.05 billion, approximately the same as in 2009.

Key 2010 Assessment Dates:

July 1, 2009 -Valuation date for 2010 Property and Business Assessment values
October 1 – November 13, 2009 - 2010 Advance Consultation Period
December 31, 2009 - Physical Condition date for 2010 Property Assessments
January 4, 2010 - 2010 Property and Business Assessment Notices mailed andstart of 2010 Customer Review Period
January 4 – March 5, 2010 - 2010 Customer Review Period
January 29, 2010 - 2010 Business Tax Notices mailed
March 5, 2010 - Deadline for filing an assessment complaint with the Assessment Review Board
March 31, 2010 - 2010 Business Taxes due
May, 2010 - 2010 Property Tax Notices mailed
June 30, 2010 - 2010 Property Taxes due

The 2010 Property Assessment values are based on a July 1, 2009 market valuation date and December 31, 2009 physical condition date as legislated by the Province of Alberta through the Municipal Government Act (MGA). The 2010 Business Assessment values are based on the July 1, 2009 typical net annual rental value of business premises.

For more information please visit Calgary.ca/assessment