Public Safety and fire preparedness in Calgary’s core received a major boost today with the opening of the Louise Fire Station in west downtown.
Mayor Dave Bronconnier and Fire Chief Bruce Burrell officially opened Louise Fire Station No. 6 at 360 – 8th Street S.W, with the Mayor ringing the fire bell.
Louise Station will house a fire engine and an aerial ladder truck as well as the Aquatic Rescue Team, providing closer access to the Bow River.
The station will accommodate future increases in density and population in Calgary’s city centre. This includes an anticipated 61-per cent increase in the downtown residential population and a 23-per cent increase in downtown employment over the next 25 years.
The station was developed through a public-private partnership between The City and LaCaille Group, and is part of a larger complex that includes affordable and market-priced housing.
“Over the past several years, Calgary has experienced record-breaking increases in the size and density of development in the city core,” says Fire Chief Bruce Burrell, who added this has put great pressure on the two existing downtown fire stations.
“Calgary’s newest fire hall will address public safety issues and improve response times,” he said. “Louise Station is in the best available location to meet the needs of Calgarians in west downtown.”
Students from Cappy Smart Elementary School, named after the Calgary Fire Department’s longest-standing fire chief, James Cappy Smart, were on hand to help celebrate the grand re-opening.
“The re-opening of the Firefighters Museum of Calgary in a larger facility with interactive exhibits is indeed something to celebrate during our 125th anniversary year,” says Acting Fire Chief Ken Uzeloc.
“We especially want to appeal to school children so we can promote fire safety, which is part of the elementary school curriculum.”
To help celebrate the occasion, about 70 Cappy Smart students from Grades one to six, were divided into four Platoons and participated in a Jr. Combat Challenge.
Possessing a key role in the preservation and restoration of the Calgary Fire Department’s history, the older museum facility to the south of the site will continue to operate as part of the expanded museum.
“We’re thrilled to have a venue to house this amazing history,” says Chief Uzeloc. “It showcases our heritage in such a way that it can be enjoyed by fellow Calgarians and generations to come.”
Thousands of people enjoy using Calgary’s extensive pathway system and rafting down our beautiful rivers each year. This year, however, some major construction is taking place over the Bow River—the building of Calgary’s Peace Bridge. Safety is crucial in-and-around construction sites, and The City of Calgary is taking several measures to assist in the safety of Bow River pathway and water users.
Transportation Communications Strategist Conrad Hild provides further details in this video.
The new eco-city ranking identifies cities with the best eco-ranking based on water availability and drinkability, waste removal, quality of sewage systems, air pollution and traffic congestion.
“Calgarians can be justifiably proud that the world recognizes the quality of Calgary’s water and waste management systems,” says Dave Day, The City's Director of Environmental & Safety Management.
“At the same time, we must not rest on our laurels in pursuing equally challenging environmental goals, including realizing Council’s expectations for waste management and air quality.”
The report shows that standards of sustainability is essential for city living and forms a very important part of its inhabitants’ quality of living.
The City of Calgary has well-established sustainability goals for Calgary’s land, air and water, and the recent opening of The Pine Creek Wastewater Treatment Centre recognizes another significant commitment to protect public health, and the environment.
Mr. Parakatil, Senior Researcher at Mercer, said: “A high-ranking eco-city optimises its use of renewable energy sources and generates the lowest possible quantity of pollution (air, water, noise, etc). A city’s eco-status or attitude toward sustainability can have significant impact on the quality of living of its inhabitants.”
Calgary is at the top of the eco-city index (score 145.7), followed by Honolulu in second place (score 145.1) and Ottawa and Helsinki in joint third (score 139.9). The index uses New York City as a base, with a score of 100. The worldwide rankings are produced annually from the Worldwide Quality of Living Survey, conducted by Mercer. Mercer’s database of cities contains more than 400 cities.
According to its website, Mercer is a leading global provider of consulting, outsourcing and investment services. Mercer works with clients to solve their most complex benefit and human capital issues, designing and helping manage health, retirement and other benefits.
Gripping a coffee and some work folders in one hand, you struggle to unlock the car door with the other. Once inside, you start the engine and pull out onto your street. Within a couple blocks you’ve joined a line of traffic leaving your community.
A few kilometres later, the car ahead of you stops quickly, causing you to spill coffee on your newly pressed pants. After dabbing at the stain with a piece of Kleenex, you look up to find the gas light is on again and you think “already?”
Arriving downtown, you circle the block looking for parking. Once, twice, three times. Finally, you throw the car into park in the lot and fumble for your credit card to pay the meter. Gathering your folders, keys and coffee mug you scramble across the street to the office.
Like that reoccurring dream where you’re making a presentation in your underwear, mornings can be a nightmare. According to Transportation Planner Ron Schafer it doesn’t have to be this way.
To combat the terrible morning commute, The City encourages Calgarians to consider alternatives to driving to reduce traffic congestion and emissions.
“We’d like to reduce the number of single-occupant vehicle trips,” explains Schafer. “We promote all commuting alternatives that decrease the amount of traffic in the core.”
Cycling is one option. A 2006 cyclist survey showed that there are over 3,000 cyclists travelling to the core on a weekday morning. That's the equivalent to the number of vehicles that enter downtown via the Centre Street Bridge during the morning rush hour.
“Doubling that number could have a significant impact,” says Schafer.
The City’s Park ‘N’ Bike sites are a system of free parking lots located close to downtown along Calgary’s pathway system. They’re located 5 – 8 kilometres from downtown on a reasonably flat route – so you don’t need to be as fit as Lance Armstrong.
“We understand that some barriers to cycling to work may be the distance or the difficulty of the route, but the Park ‘N’ Bike sites are located close enough to downtown for a comfortable ride into the core,” says Schafer.
There are seven Park ‘N’ Bike sites in all different quadrants of the city, accessible via major roads. And now, planning your trip is easier than ever using the interactive Pathways and Bikeways map.
Cycling to work not only helps you bypass traffic, it also saves you from having to pay for parking while incorporating exercise into your daily commute. Whether you’re looking to make a lifestyle change, or just looking to change it up – The City’s Park ‘N’ Bike sites can help you get from A to B.
To plan your trip, or for more information, visit calgary.ca.
The centre, which is being recognized as one of Canada’s most technically advanced and environmentally friendly waste water treatment plants in the country, is expected to meet Calgary’s future population growth of up to 1.75 million people.
“Pine Creek is using one of the newest tertiary filtration systems in the world. It allows us to remove even more of the phosphorus and other impurities than ever before in a very efficient way,” says Jennifer Sharp, Wastewater Treatment Manager for Water Services.
Pine Creek can treat up to 100 million litres of wastewater per day, with infrastructure in place to expand in future years to a capacity of 700 million litres a day.
The Pine Creek project received a Gold rating under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental design (LEED) Program. The entire Centre was also used as a model in developing standards for the Canadian Green Building Council’s Campus and Multiple Building Application.
In keeping with its environmentally friendly design, 50 per cent of the energy to the plant is wind power, with methane gas being captured and utilized to heat the buildings.
“We’re producing some of the country’s most highly treated wastewater to protect the water quality in the Bow River as well as public health and fisheries downstream. It’s a win for the entire southern Alberta region,” says Sharp.
Pine Creek joins Calgary’s two other wastewater treatment plants, Bonnybrook and Fish Creek, in using some of the most advanced wastewater treatment technology to clean the city’s wastewater before returning it to the Bow River.
Ninety-five fusia gopher's are popping up all over Olympic Plaza to go along with giant foam trees and wooden pink picnic blankets.
The installations are part of The City of Calgary Parks’ 100th anniversary celebrations. transforming the downtown place into a unique, interactive and fun space.
These installations, called ephemeral, or temporary, gardens, are popular features around the world and a new experience for Calgary.
The six "Celebration Landscapes" are showcased including pink Richardson’s Ground Squirrels, soaring birds, large foam trees, pergola music, interactive “picnic blankets” and a grove of aspen tree “trunks”.
If you'd like to check out these art pieces, Gopher-it! For more information about Parks 100th, please visit calgary.ca/parks
Here is a video of the unique 'Gardens' in Olympic Plaza with Parks Director Anne Charlton.
Tax bills for approximately 425,000 residential (houses, condos and apartment buildings) and non-residential properties (commercial sites and industrial land) were mailed today.
Property owners should receive their property tax bill within the next week. Property taxes are due Wednesday, June 30. A seven per cent penalty will be applied to any unpaid portion of property taxes on July 1 and October 1. Further penalties of one per cent will be added to any portion remaining unpaid after December 31.
The deadline does not apply to property owners who pay monthly through The City’s Tax Installment Payment Plan (TIPP). More than 219,000 property owners pay their taxes monthly through TIPP. Property owners can join TIPP at any time by calling 3-1-1 to request an application or visiting the Web site at www.calgary.ca/propertytax .
Help is available to assist eligible low-income homeowners who meet maximum income guidelines and eligibility criteria, regardless of age. The City of Calgary may provide a credit to residential property owners experiencing financial hardship for up to the increase in 2010 residential property taxes over 2009.
Property taxes are an essential source of The City’s overall revenue necessary to help fund local services including:
Police and emergency services
Public transit, roads, street cleaning and road maintenance
Care and maintenance of parks, pathways and playgrounds
Bylaw Enforcement
Land use planning
Garbage collection service provided to households on a weekly basis
Environmental promotion and protection
Contributions to operating costs of cultural and recreational facilities, including the Calgary Zoo, Heritage Park, Epcor Centre for Performing Arts, Telus World of Science, Calgary Economic Development, libraries and City-owned pools, arenas, art centres, fitness facilities and sports fields
This year the tax requirements for municipal and provincial purposes produce a combined property tax rate increase of 3.9% for residential property owners. The 2010 provincial property tax requisition on The City is $602.1 million, up $24.2 million or 4.2% from 2009.
The overall impact of the combined increase on the 2010 median assessed residential property valued at $374,000 amounts to approximately $6.80 per month, or an annual increase of $82. Of this amount 53.4% remains in Calgary to meet municipal needs, while 46.6% will be sent to the Province.
For more information visit our website at www.calgary.ca
Although no “indicators of fraud and misuse,” have been found to date, systemic problems in how The City awarded contracts were reported yesterday as The City’s Auditor presented her Procurement Process review to committee.
Tracy McTaggart, The City of Calgary's Auditor, said that of all the contracts looked at over the two-year audit, they did consider “indicators of fraud and misuse and did not find any.”
Statistically however, due to the size of the organization it is possible there is some form of dishonesty.
“In a corporation of this size, I can guarantee you that there will be fraud,” said McTaggart.
City Manager Owen Tobert said he is aware of a small number of situations related to procurement that are being investigated.
“Are we perfect? No, we are human, and we are huge – as an organization,” said Tobert.
“While The City is probably like other large complex corporations, because of the magnitude of our operations and the number of people who work here, we do everything we can to reduce the risk that something can go wrong,” said Tobert. “That’s why our Code of Conduct, Conflict of Interest and Whistleblower program is so important.”
Tobert said management is implementing changes begun last year related to improving procurement policies and adherence to them, educating staff involved in the process and enhancing the documentation that must follow the award of contracts. The City conducts its procurement activities under the auspices of several regional and national trade agreements, including the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT) and the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA).
The Audit Committee approved and added a number of recommendations that will go on to Council for consideration on June 7. *** An interview with City Auditor Tracy McTaggart after presenting the Procurement Audit Policy report to the Audit Committee.
The City of Calgary 2010 Mayor’s Environment Expo team is pleased to announce that the grand prize winner of this year’s High School Photography Contest is Grade 11 student Cynthia Quan of John G. Diefenbaker High School. She captured first place with her stunning shot in the natural community category of a housefly atop a brilliant green leaf, entitled “Inconspicuous existence.”
This is Quan’s second year taking grand prize in the contest. She won in the very first Mayor’s Environment Expo High School Photography Contest in 2009.
“I truly enjoy photography as I believe life is full of joys and special moments, and there is no better way than using camera to capture all of these,” said Quan. “I felt that this submitted photo gives me or others a lot of inspiration and a new view and conception of the natural environment.”
Taking second and third grand prizes are:
Gregary Groeneveld, Crescent Heights High School – second prize (Natural Community category)
Elizabeth Shaw, Lord Beaverbrook High School – third prize (Community in Action category)
First and second grand prize winners were awarded with a digital camera and third grand prize with a digital picture frame at an awards presentation at the Triangle Gallery of Visual Arts on May 20. The 12 finalists and two honorable mentions received an enlarged copy of their photograph on canvas.
Seventy photos were submitted by Calgary students in the four categories of natural community, community in action, green architecture and community projects. They were narrowed down to the finalists in each category and the grand prize winners by a panel of six judges on April 29, following specific criteria. The panel of judges included City of Calgary employees and 2010 Mayor’s Environment Expo sponsors and partners.
“The photos were phenomenal,” said Sarah Dmytryshyn, contest judge and Suncor Energy representative on the Expo organizing committee. “A lot of creativity went into the photos, that was obvious. There was a really high calibre of talent.”
As part of the Mayor’s Environment Expo, the photography contest encourages high school students to consider the environmental community that surrounds them and to take action to protect it. The resulting photographs give insight into how our future leaders look at our environment.
New banners have been placed along downtown’s Barclay Parade (3 Street S.W.) in partnership with the Calgary Downtown Association to symbolize growth of a city and growth of a garden.
This is the first time that this location has been part of the downtown banner program. The project, “GROWTH,” ties in with Park’s 100th anniversary.
Installing these colourful banners is the first step in making Barclay Parade a vibrant gateway linking the commercial core to the river and positioning Barclay as a key art walk of the downtown area.
“This is yet another step in revitalizing this area and complements the community gardens and stone sculptures situated along the sidewalks,” says Maggie Schofield, executive director of the Calgary Downtown Association.
These brightly coloured banners are designed by local artist, Tara Griffiths, in the style of the Japanese art of Shibori. Shibori means ‘to bind’, and is kind of like a fabric version of the Japanese paper art of Origami. These paired banners will progress through five basic designs from simple to complex and five different colors from Citrus Orange near 9th Avenue to deep blue as you walk down Barclay Parade from Stephen Avenue Walk to Eau Claire Festival.
Seven of the bridges into downtown, as well as Barclay Parade and Olympic Plaza will be updated throughout May and June, with the installations to showcase local artists work and contribute to a more vibrant downtown.
“The goal is to provide a unique opportunity for local artists to display their work, while at the same time create inviting places for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers in and around the centre city,” says David Down, coordinator of Centre City Development and Heritage at The City.
In 2010, the Downtown Banner Program will celebrate two Centennials - Calgary Parks and Calgary Chinatown, with unique banner series for each by renowned local artists. In addition to Barclay Parade, artists will create new banners to celebrate Aboriginal month in Olympic Plaza, and to recall 135 years of history at Fort Calgary.
To honour Private Kevin Thomas McKay an Alberta-based soldier who was killed in Afghanistan earlier this month, flags at Old City Hall will be flown at half-mast from sunrise to sunset on Friday, May 21, 2010 the day of Private McKay's funeral.
We at The City would like to offer our hearfelt condolences to the McKay family and friends.
In the past few days, several Calgarians have expressed their concerns about why The City is removing goslings from Prince's Island Park.
According to Michael Kenny, The City’s Parks Manager, West Division, there are a few reasons that The City has undertaken this process. The City of Calgary’s actions mirror those currently in place in many municipalities across North America to contend with large goose populations.
Firstly, when large numbers of geese are living in a small area, the geese can become very aggressive to people, including young children or the elderly who may get too close to these large birds. In the past, geese at Prince’s Island have been known to charge and attack people, especially when goslings are present.
Secondly, large numbers of geese in a small urban area translates into a big problem with excrement. "In other words too many geese at Prince’s Island means pathway users slip on the droppings and park visitors are unable to sit on the grass to enjoy the many festivals and beautiful summer days," says Kenny.
Lastly, a large non-migratory goose population in a confined area is at risk of contracting disease, which can be highly contagious and devastating for the bird population.
According to Kenny, The City takes every precaution to ensure the health and well being of these birds. Once removed from Prince’s Island, a provincially licensed expert rears the goslings for three to four weeks until they are old enough to survive on their own.
These geese are then released into rural wetlands, such as Ducks Unlimited lands, where the young birds join migratory flocks in a more natural environment.
In case you've missed it, The City of Calgary has launched two new iPhone apps.
One App called Build-a-Pass, helps Calgarian’s create a Recreation pass tailored to their needs, another is a public art tour for the iPhone, iTouch or iPad.
“We are excited to provide innovative ways for Calgarians to access Recreation programs and services; the iphone app is a new way for us to do this,” says Kurt Hanson, director of Recreation.
The Build-a-Pass has been available on the iTunes store since April 3, 2010. It helps people decide the location, the term and which family members to include in each customizable Recreation pass – the app calculates the price.
On May 2, The City’s Downtown Public Art Circuit app was made available on the app store. It will include photographs, audio and written details about each piece and the artist who created it. A geospatial component allows users to locate an individual installations plotted on a map of the downtown, and/or pinpoint their real-time position on the circuit tour.
“The 16 art installations included in the tour span a four block radius in Calgary’s Centre City,” said Dianne Quan, program co-ordinator for the Public Art Program. It takes about one hour to complete the walking tour the old-fashioned way and guided tours continue to run every first Thursday of the month. “The iPhone app lets people do the tour on their own time. It’s another way to engage citizens with the art.”
If you have a chance to take a look at the apps please let us know what you think. We’d love to hear your feedback, and ideas for future apps.
This year, as has been the case in past years, The City of Calgary received very strong credit ratings – DBRS ranks The City of Calgary as an AA (high) with a stable outlook and Standard & Poor’s ranked The City as AA+ also with a stable outlook. These are among the highest ratings for municipalities across the country and serve as a good indication that the City’s financial position is strong.
The City of Calgary’s Chief Financial Officer, Eric Sawyer, says that these positive credit ratings mean that The City is well positioned to continue to deliver the services that Calgarians rely on every day, despite increased demand for these services.
Central Memorial Park will be officially re-opened on Friday, at 5 p.m. marking a significant redevelopment of one of Calgary’s oldest and most treasured parks.
Originally completed in 1912, Central Memorial Park has been redeveloped to offer year-round usage, day and night, in a vibrant and safe setting.
The initial park design was in 1908 by HG Burrows (one of the founders of the Calgary Horticultural Society). In 1911/1912 William Iverson, Parks Superintendent at the time, redesigned the park when the Library was constructed. William Reader became Parks Superintendent in 1913 and this is when he began to develop the flora design in the park.
The park will accommodate activities such as festival events and offers new park amenities including a garden-side cafe, additional seating, pathways, an on-site office, public washrooms, lighting, illuminated fountains and two outdoor reading rooms with wireless internet connections.
“One of the primary park re-development objectives was to ensure that we maintained the historical significance of the park,” said Anne Charlton, Parks Director. “The park rejuvenation has restored many significant Calgary monuments, has brought new attention to the historic Memorial Park Library, and has renewed many of the characteristics from the original designs.”
Special guests in attendance included Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet of the Netherlands with her husband and Professor Pieter van Vollenhove to thank Calgarians who helped liberated the Netherlands 65 years ago.
The Calgary Highlanders carry on the proud and courageous traditions of the WWI 10th battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. A tradition that engaged combatants in WWII and was actively involved in the battle for Walcheren - a key victory for the liberation of the Netherlands. War heroes from this legacy will be present to assist the Princess. Together with the Dutch community of Calgary and surviving veterans she will pay homage to Canadian liberators who fought so valiantly and gave their lives in the battle for the freedom of her country.
The $11.5M revitalization of the park was made possible in part by funding from the ENMAX Parks Program through the ENMAX Legacy Fund.
More information on the park and Parks’ 100th anniversary celebration events can be found at calgary.ca/parks. Here is a map of the Park.
A new automated lane reversal is in operation on Memorial Drive between 9 Street and 14 Street N.W. during afternoon rush hour from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday to Friday.
This lane reversal means the westbound lanes increase from two to three, to allow for increased traffic leaving the downtown core.
Remotely controlled and visible from The City's Traffic Management Centre, this system consists of motorized gates and overhead LED lane control signals.
The Memorial Drive lane reversal pilot project was initially a manual operation utilizing pylons and barricades. Beginning in 2006, it serves over 440, 000 vehicles per year saving westbound traffic up to 3 minutes during the evening peak period, an eternity to those stuck in traffic.
On Saturday May 8th, The Calgary Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) held its first Disaster Alley event.
Disaster Alley showcases about 27 local, provincial, national and international agencies that respond to potential catastrophe that could affect The City of Calgary.
Calgarians who attended the event saw demonstrations of the skills and equipment available for rapid disaster response. The focus of the event was to encourage citizens to think about what they might need to do in the event of a large scale emergency and suggest that they prepare a 72 hour home emergency kit. CEMA believes that only one in three Calgarians are prepared to survive without basic utilities for three days.
The Emergency groups at Disaster Alley were Police, Fire and EMS, but the event also included many of the unsung heroes; Water Services showcased emergency water supply equipment; ATCO had their backhoes; STARS brought air ambulances and ground support vehicles and Alberta Health Services set up an emergency field hospital.
If you’re sad you missed it, don’t worry, you can attend next year’s event. Just don’t wait that long to get your 72 hour survival kit together.
Here's an example of how an emergency kit was credited with saving two people's lives during the 2009 Philippine floods.
The 23rd annual Exhibition of Children's Art is being showcased at The Triangle Gallery until May 19 and The City of Calgary's Centre City blog team attended the opening night.
The city run event takes place at Prince's Island Park and Olympic Plaza on July 1 and will feature live music a family stage, food and merchandise vendors, interactive activities and a spectacular fireworks display.
Event Co-ordinator Stephanie Barnett has been involved in planning The City’s celebration since 1995 and has seen it grow in popularity.
“It has gone from a single site event to an event that drew more than 100,000 people last year,” says Barnett.
There are more than 200 volunteer positions to fill such as working at the temporary tattoo tent or being part of the water trailer team.
“Volunteering for this kind of event shows the pride we have for our country,” says Barnett, adding, “this event gives people an opportunity to continue to learn and meet new people.”
If you would like to volunteer to be a part of the celebration, please visit calgary.ca/recreation.
Almost each and every day, for the past six years, Ingrid Roxas sticks to her evening routine - at about 6 p.m. local time, she cosies up to her computer, logs onto Skype and calls her mom and 12-year-old ‘baby sister’ to wish them a good morning in the Philippines.
It was during one of these daily chats, in September 2009, that Ingrid’s mother spoke about her preparation for the upcoming rainy season; the roof had to be mended and windows resealed - regular annual maintenance stuff.
There was also talk of a storm brewing at sea. This was a concern in Manila, but not overly – rain and wind were nothing new in a country accustomed to the seasonal onslaughts of nature.
“Each year we get crazy typhoons, and there’s always floods. We knew a storm was coming, but we didn’t know how bad it was going to be,” said Ingrid, from her City of Calgary office, where she works as a business analyst with the Water department.
Weather reports indicated a violent tropical storm was approaching, and fast. But the furious winds that caused a deluge of flooding were expected to be more violent than usual.
Back in Calgary, Ingrid relayed her concerns to workmates. One of them, Jared Serviss, an Emergency Management professional, encouraged her to email The City of Calgary’s ‘Flooding in Calgary’ guide to her family because, he said, it was chock-full of “potentially life-saving information,” such as how to assemble an emergency kit.
That next evening, Ingrid was relieved to hear her mother had not only assembled an emergency kit for herself from the Calgary flood guide, but also for Ingrid’s grandmother and uncle’s family, who live together 45 minutes away from their family home, in an isolated, industrial part of Manila.
The day after that, on September 26, 2009, the Philippines’ wettest, most violent typhoon in memory hit land.
More than a month’s worth of rain fell in 12 hours as what was called Tropical Storm Ketsana slammed ashore, gulping-up entire islands and triggering one of the worst floods in decades, submerging much of Manila.
“I was frantic with worry – I couldn’t get a hold of anybody. I only got information from news on the TV and Internet,” whispered Ingrid, still upset from the ordeal.
News images showed vehicles being swept away and people scrambling to gain purchase atop cars, rooftops, or in a tree. Those who lived in the hardest hit areas perched on rooftops that appeared to float in the filthy sea water, desperately attempting to grab the hand of a neighbour caught in the tides, waving their arms frantically for help.
After a few days, Ingrid noticed her sister had made brief cell-phone updates on Facebook with pleas for people to contact the Philippine Red Cross for rescue and life boats they needed help or if family members were missing.
“I was worried my family was trapped on the roof or in the attic. We’re they even at home?” she asked. Ingrid was beside herself worrying about her aging, frail grandmother, who lived with a diabetic uncle’s whose mobility was limited by a wheelchair, and his family.
What Ingrid learned a few days later both horrified and relieved her. Her mother and sister were safe on the second floor of their home, able to eventually communicate with authorities and in relatively good spirits despite losing their life’s possessions that were left soaking wet and caked with mud on the ground floor.
Her uncle and grandmother on the other hand lived through a nightmare. They were able to muster the strength to assist each other to the third level of their home, escaping the rush of water on the lower levels. Their children (and grandchildren) were nowhere to be found - as it turns out, one was trapped at work and the others at the university - all safe and sound. For two days, Ingrid’s grandma and uncle were trapped in the attic, without food, limited water and no contact with the outside world.
“And all they could do was blow a whistle and hope for a rescue,” said Ingrid, explaining how the emergency kit was hauled up from the second level to the attic, narrowly beating the approaching water.
Two days later, Red Cross workers, scouring the area in a paddle boat, heard the high-pitched sound of a whistle.
“My Grandma said that nobody would have found them if it wasn’t for that whistle,” said Ingrid. “Now my whole family uses the City’s Flood Guide checklist and keeps an emergency kit in each home on the top floor.”
Over 300 people were left dead by the storm with billions of dollars damage. According to a CBC article, in the storm’s aftermath, the National Disaster Co-ordinating Council said the homes of almost 1.9 million people were inundated by flood waters, with nearly 380,000 people brought to schools, churches and other evacuation centres.
Ingrid is sharing her story, with hopes this information can help other people understand the importance of preparing for an emergency.
The City of Calgary broke ground on the final phase of the downtown CTrain station redevelopment – bringing the 7 Avenue Refurbishment project one step closer to completion.
The final phase includes the two “gateway” stations on the east and west ends of downtown. These twinned stations will have platforms on both sides of 7 Avenue and will be both visually attractive and functional. It will also include the permanent closure of 3 Street S.E. and Olympic Plaza stations.
The final phase’s details were unveiled at an official celebration on May 7th, which included maps, models, speeches and a time capsule, set to be opened in 2040. It’s been almost 30 years since the first leg of the Calgary LRT opened and in 30 years the time capsule will be opened to commemorate this phase of construction.
To date five stations have been completed downtown: 1 Street S.W., 7 Street S.W., 6 Street S.W., 8 Street S.W. and 3 Street S.W. The 4 Street S.W. Station is now under construction and is expected to be finished in early 2011.
Three levels of government have participated in the modernization of the transportation corridor, each providing funding and expertise. Overall, this project has improved the levels accessibility, safety and comfort that riders will experience while using the CTrain system.
Hear and see more about this project in the video below.
** An artist rendition of the future look of 4 St SW Station **
The Calgary Fire Department has launched a 125th anniversary book showing how it’s grown since its inception in 1885 as the Hook, Ladder and Bucket Corps.
“Some of these landmarks and events in the book may very well have touched Calgarians personally,” says Fire Chief, Bruce Burrell.
The book covers a significant part of the Calgary Fire Department’s growth from servicing a small town to a city of more than a million people.
The book explains how Calgary’s Fire Department was formed in part because of a fire 125 years ago which citizens tried to extinguish by throwing snowballs at it.
The drama-filled coffee table book, Yours for Life: 125 Years of Courage, Compassion and Service from the Calgary Fire Department takes readers from the days of horse drawn fire vehicles, through many of the city’s major fires, to today’s modern firefighting methods and challenges.
“It’s a privilege to be able to share the fire department’s history with Calgarians,” says Burrell.
Thousands of Calgarians forewent cars, trucks, busses and trains to hop on their bikes and cycle to work as part of the fourth annual Bike to Work Day.
Converging on Eau Claire Market, cyclists dined on a pancake breakfast and took advantage of free bike tune-ups.
Here is a video from today. Please click here for a previous blog post about the event, visit bikecalgary.ca for more information and if you want to know where to cycle in Calgary, here is a Calgary Bike and Pathway Map.
Today, thousands of Calgarians are celebrating Arbor Day, just like their brothers and sisters, parents and grandparents before them.
In May 8, 1905, Mayor Emerson and nine City Aldermen planted 10 trees in Victoria Park as a symbol of Calgary’s commitment to urban forestry. Since then, Arbor Day has become one of Calgary’s longest standing traditions.
At the turn of the century in Calgary, businesses closed and neighbours came together on Arbor Day to plant trees at their homes and in their parks.
“It was so important to Calgarians in the early part of the century that it was declared a bank holiday,” said Russell Friesen, Urban Forestry coordinator for The City.
On May 2, 1922, Arbor Day took on a deeper meaning with the planting of trees along Memorial Drive in honour of Calgary’s First World War fallen.
In 1958, Calgary’s Arbor Day started a new tradition whereby grade 1 students from Calgary’s Catholic and public school districts received a tree seedling to bring home and plant in their yards. To date, 400,000 seedlings have been given to students by Alberta Sustainable Resource Development.
According to Friesen, it’s not uncommon for Calgarians to visit their trees every Arbor Day to reminisce or just to see how the trees are doing.
“I think every Calgarian who went through the school system here has an Arbor Day story,” said Friesen.
As part of the school Arbor Day program, a school is chosen each year as the official Arbor Day host school where an environment themed celebration takes place and a tree is planted on school property. This year’s host school is Father Scollen Elementary and Junior High School.
Arbor Day is The City’s longest standing green initiative. According to The City of Calgary Parks, tree planting is an important part of City planning.
Trees reduce erosion of topsoil by wind and water, cut the cost of heating and cooling our homes by providing shelter, clean the air and are home to wildlife. Trees in the city also increase property values and enhance the economic vitality of business areas.
In Calgary, Arbor Day has special significance because trees do not grow easily here.
“We only get about half the natural rainfall that’s needed to support a tree,” explained Friesen. “The real strength of Arbor Day is the relationship it builds between Calgarians and their environment,” said Friesen. “It’s that respite, that bit of nature, that we relate to so strongly here in Calgary.”
For more information about Arbor Day and The City’s trees, visit calgary.ca/trees.
To some Calgarians, flooding evokes images of cars driving through a foot of water or riverbanks overflowing. They might also think flooding only occurs in the spring and summer months, or that it only affects certain areas.
However, according to The City’s Water Services, flooding can strike any community in any season and there are a number of causes.
Jared Serviss of Water Services says there are lots of causes of flooding that aren’t related to river levels.
“There could be a plug in the sanitation system, which could back up into the basement or debris could cause eaves troughs to overflow,” says Serviss.
“You don’t have to be located on a flood plain to experience flooding.”
Calgary is in a unique position when it comes to flooding. There are several factors that put Calgary at a higher risk of natural flooding.
“Our snow melt season comes at the same time as our rainy season,” explains Serviss. “With the steepness of the surrounding terrain, runoff can be quite quick. With two main rivers running directly through our city, Calgary has a higher flood risk.”
The City of Calgary prepares for flooding year-round. A city-wide plan includes monitoring runoff and river levels, snow pack levels, temperature and precipitation. It also includes educating citizens and City staff about the risks of flooding, how to prevent it, and how to recover from it.
“We provide information through The City’s website, public service announcements and community associations as well as field questions through 3-1-1,” says Serviss. “We raise public awareness where ever we can.”
The City encourages Calgarians to take steps to prevent flooding, including improving yard drainage, pointing downspouts away from the house and keeping eaves troughs and gutters clear of debris.
So remember, despite your best efforts, flooding can happen at any time. The City’s website has information about the steps to take before, during and after a flood to keep you, your family and your property safe. For more information including a flood preparedness handbook, visit calgary.ca/flooding.
Every spring concerned Calgarians attempt to rescue baby wildlife.
“Well-intentioned Calgarians try to save young wildlife but in most cases, the young do not need rescuing,” says Bill Bruce, the Director of The City of Calgary Animal & Bylaw Services. “The young have not been abandoned by their parents. People are unknowingly interfering with nature.”
Indeed, babies are often left unattended while parents forage for food. Members of the deer family hide their young to protect them. Young birds learning to fly can safely fall out of a nest.
If people disturb young wildlife or nesting sites, they could potentially meet a protective, angry parent. They could also be creating a situation where the young will now be abandoned.
Calgarians should also call 9-1-1 if they come across a moose, cougar or bear within the city.
Another risk to wildlife is people who feed them. This makes wildlife, including coyotes, dependent on humans and greatly reduces their chances of survival.
Remember that pet food, birdseed or water in a back yard will attract unwanted wildlife. Similarly, ensure that garbage is stored in an animal-proof container and not set out until after 7 p.m. the night before collection.
Homeowners can also protect wildlife by being proactive and ensuring that their porches, decks, balconies or storage sheds are sealed and do not become den sites.
Dog owners can play an active role in protecting wildlife by keeping their dogs leashed or away from natural areas, ravines and nesting areas along with removing any dog waste.
This Friday Calgarians are encouraged to park their vehicles, keep their bus pass in their pocket and Bike to Work.
The City of Calgary and Balbi & Company Legal Centre are hoping Calgarians will try a healthier, cheaper, and greener form of transportation on May 7, 2010 during the fourth annual Bike to Work Day.
“Cycling is a positive, environmentally friendly means of commuting to and from the office,” says Lonny Balbi, the Bike to Work Day event organizer, adding it’s also a great way to save money and stay fit.
Thousands of Calgarians are expected to turn out for the annual event. Six Energy Pit Stop Stations will be set up around the downtown core where cyclists can stop for free beverages, snacks and giveaways. Bike mechanics from participating bike shops will also be onsite at the Energy Pit Stop Stations from 6 a.m. – 9 a.m. to provide free bicycle tune-ups to commuters.
If fitness, saving money or the environment isn’t incentive enough, a free pancake breakfast and complimentary Starbucks coffee will be provided to participants between 6:30 a.m. – 9 a.m. at Eau Claire Market. One lucky commuter will also win a brand new bike at Eau Claire Market during the breakfast celebrations, courtesy of The Bike Shop.
The City of Calgary encourages new and experienced cyclists alike to take part in Bike to Work Day.
“It is a great way to try out cycling to work for the first time using Calgary’s extensive pathway system, including approximately 700 kilometres of pathways and 290 kilometres of on-street bikeways,” says Azim Jivraj, Transportation Solutions Manager with The City.
“Make your commute easier with a new online pathways and bikeways map to plan your trip or to locate one of seven park and bike locations for cyclists commuting from the edges of the city.”
See you all Friday – I’ll be the guy sporting a bike with training wheels, baseball card in the spokes and streamers flowing off the handle bars.
A three tower affordable housing development, called Lumino, in the community of Manchester will create affordable housing through market units, both for rent and ownership.
The three-tiered market option of this project is intended to allow residents to progress from affordable rental to affordable ownership within the complex, thus contributing to a long term solution for affordability.
The first phase of the project will see construction of 88 affordable rental units by 2010. Construction of Lumino is one of many projects that will help the province reach its goal of creating 11,000 affordable housing units by 2012.
A dedication ceremony on the 30th of April unveiled a large engraved flagstone dedicated to the project and to be displayed in the children’s play area of the Lumino complex.
Join The City's transportation team on the plus 15 level of The Core shopping centre for a public information session on Friday, May 7, between 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. to see design concepts for the new "gateway" stations on the east and west ends of downtown.
The 7th Avenue Transit Corridor extends from 4 Street S.E. to 11 Street S.W. in the heart of downtown Calgary. The Avenue has functioned for more than 25 years as the central east-west spine for Transit service.
There are currently 10 single direction CTrain platforms in service along 7th Avenue, as well as several major bus routes.
The high concentration of movement generated by CTrains and buses in the area has resulted in 7th Avenue becoming the most heavily used pedestrian area in downtown. The stations and sidewalks are quickly reaching the end of their lifespan with respect to size and capacity, functionality, appearance, and ability to absorb further growth.
Replacing the CTrain Stations on 7 Avenue is an essential step towards accommodating ridership growth and introducing future four-car trains to Calgary's LRT system. The 7th Avenue Corridor upgrades will also create a more pedestrian friendly environment, with wider sidewalks integrated directly into each platform, improved lighting, and enhanced streetscapes between stations.
The City of Calgary began work today on two "gateway" stations on the east end of 7th Avenue, between Macleod Trail and 3 Street S.E.
Two new "twinned" stations will be constructed by June 2011; one in front of the Calgary Public Library, and one across The Avenue, in front of City Hall.
The West end of downtown's 10 Street S.W. station will be removed and two new "twinned" stations will be constructed on 7 Avenue, between 10 Street S.W. and 11 Street S.W.by 2012 to tie-in with the West LRT.
The three finalists include Gordon Pengilly for Metastasis and Other Plays (NeWest Press), Carolyn Pogue for Gwen (Sumach Press) and Bob Stallworthy for Things That Matter Now (Frontenac House).
Metastasis and Other Plays is a collection of dramas that highlight the core of human tragedy, paranoia, and violence. True to the tendency of human nature, these characters attempt to redeem themselves - but often discover it’s too late. Gordon Pengilly was raised on a farm near Lethbridge and currently resides in Calgary.
In Gwen, the year is 1895 and a twelve-year-old “Home Girl” is put aboard an English ship bound for Canada, her head full of adventure, poetry and lively curiosity. The story takes the reader along her journey as she dreams of a life on the stage. Carolyn Pogue grew up on a small farm in Ontario and resides with her husband in Calgary.
Things That Matter Now examines how reactions to persons and events change with age; how memories lose their power to control and how there is choice in those things one reacts to – in short, the things that matter now. Bob Stallworthy is a transplanted Maritimer who has lived in Calgary for 25 years.
The City of Calgary established the W.O. Mitchell Book Prize in honour of the late Calgary writer W.O. Mitchell to recognize literary achievement by Calgary authors. The $5000 prize is awarded each year for an outstanding book published in the award year. The 2008 recipient was Andrew Nikiforuk for Tar Sands: Dirty Oil and the Future of a Continent.
The winner of The City of Calgary W.O. Mitchell Book Prize will be recognized at the Calgary Awards presentation on June 9, 2010. The Calgary Awards will be televised live on Shaw TV.
The Calgary City News Blog is written by a team of City of Calgary employees and will focus on City of Calgary related stories. We will provide Calgarians with the facts about City of Calgary programs and initiatives. Please ask questions or post comments about The City and we will respond promptly and try our best to facilitate conversation.
0 – 8th Street S.W, with the Mayor ringing the fire bell.
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