Caring for and Protecting Pets on Hot, Sunny Days

With the onset of warmer weather, The City of Calgary Animal & Bylaw Services and the Calgary Humane Society would like to alert pet owners of the risk of heatstroke to pets that are left unattended in parked cars on hot, sunny days.

“People don’t realize how quickly a parked car heats up,” says Bill Bruce, the Director of Animal & Bylaw Services. “This is why Calgary’s Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw states that pets can’t be left unattended in a vehicle if the weather conditions are not suitable. The bylaw protects pets by including days where the temperatures are either too hot or too cold.”

For example, on a day where the outside temperature is 29 degrees Celsius, it takes only ten minutes for the interior of a vehicle to heat up to approximately 39 degrees Celsius. However, within 30 minutes, the temperature inside of that same car can reach a staggering 49 degrees Celsius.

Part of the concern is related to a dog’s physiology. While humans have sweat glands to cool their body, a dog primarily cools down by panting. This is far less efficient than sweating. In a very short period of time, a dog with a high body temperature can suffer critical damage to his nervous system, heart, liver and brain.

Provincial laws also place the responsibly with pet owners. The Alberta Animal Protection Act states that animals under an owner’s care must be protected from injurious heat or cold.

“We currently have responded to 48 cases so far this summer, and that total does not include the multiple people we have referred to the Calgary Police Service or those that have been responded to by Animal & Bylaw Services,” says Brad Nichols, head of Protection and Investigations for the Calgary Humane Society.

“The Humane Society encourages the public to call our Peace Officers, Animal & Bylaw Services by calling 3-1-1 or the Calgary Police non emergency line to help animals that are in distress.”

Animal & Bylaw and the Calgary Humane Society suggest that on hot days, pet owners leave their dogs safely at home where they are comfortable. On cooler days, if a quick errand results in a dog being left for a short period of time unattended in a vehicle, the windows of the vehicle must be left open to allow suitable ventilation. The windows must not be open so wide that the dog has contact with people outside of the vehicle.

These precautions can protect pets and help prevent heatstroke.

Heritage Day Long Weekend 7 Avenue CTrain Service Disruption

Calgary Transit will provide a Sunday level of service on Heritage Day, Monday, Aug. 2.

Additionally, Calgary Transit will be conducting a series of construction and maintenance activities on 7 Avenue downtown starting at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, July 30 through Monday, August 2. The work is part of ongoing efforts by Calgary Transit to improve the transit system.

There will be no CTrain service into the downtown past Sunnyside Station, Erlton-Stampede Station and Bridgeland-Memorial Station.

Shuttle bus service will replace CTrain service between Sunnyside Station and Erlton-Stampede Station; Sunnyside Station and Bridgeland-Memorial Station; and Bridgeland-Memorial Station and Erlton-Stampede Station.

To accommodate the work, 9 Street SW between 6 Avenue and 8 Avenue will be closed starting Friday at 7 pm for the transit upgrades.

Calgary Transit will provide express bus service to the Calgary Stampeders game on Saturday, July 31 to and from McMahon Stadium. Express buses will leave from Bridgeland-Memorial Station and Erlton-Stampede Stations and return to those stations after the game.

The 7 Avenue closure is necessary to further enhance and improve the CTrain system. It will facilitate much-needed maintenance including track rehabilitation, station and canopy cleaning and installation of a canopy on the new 4 Street West Station.

Regular CTrain service will resume on Tuesday, August 3.

For more information please visit www.calgarytransit.com or phone Calgary Transit’s customer service at (403) 262-1000.

Municipal Building Community Food Garden Volunteers Present the “Veggies” of Their Labour

Thanks to many hours of City employee volunteer labour and some help from Mother Nature, seniors at the Edwards Place Senior Centre received their first batch of produce from the Municipal Building Community Food Garden at the inaugural harvest today.

“We chose Edwards Place because they are our neighbours,” said Lindsey Teare, a City enviornment specialist and garden co-ordinator. “Quite a few of the seniors have come to see the garden and they are really appreciative of our project.”

Bert Martin swaps gardening tips with schoolchildren

The Municipal Building Community Food Garden is run by a team of 60 employee volunteers. With planters built by our internal carpentry shop, space donated by Corporate Properties & Buildings and Parks, and seeds from Environment & Safety Management, Parks and volunteers, the project has been a collaborative effort.

The garden, located on the 9th Avenue side of the Municipal Building, has also had help from children from the City Hall daycare, who were on hand to present the garden’s first harvested crop of Swiss chard to the seniors.

“The kids have two planters in the garden, where they’ve been growing healthy snacks,” said Teare. “It’s a great outdoor learning opportunity for them and they’re excited to get to do what the grown-ups are doing.”
Besides donating fresh vegetables to the seniors and teaching children about healthy eating and gardening, the project has been a learning experience for volunteers.

“I’ve always had an interest in local food, but was afraid to try gardening on my own,” said volunteer Ivy Smith, a summer student with Environment & Safety Management who recently started her own small garden at home.  “It’s nice to be part of something bigger and to see the results of months of our work is so rewarding.”

With over 30 species of plants in the garden and a team full of excited and energetic volunteers, this was the first of many harvests.

“This is only our first year,” says Lindsey. “I’m already looking forward to what we’ll be able to accomplish next year.”

For more on this event, watch the video or visit calgary.ca/footprint to learn more about locally-grown food.

The Lions Have Left the Building - Announcing the 2010 CHA Lion Award Recipients

The Calgary Heritage Authority (CHA) presented eight Lion Awards in six categories for heritage preservation on Wednesday night at the Water Centre, with four additional projects receiving honourable mention, as well as a special recognition award.

More than 170 Calgarians turned out to celebrate the Lion Awards, a biennial event that recognizes and celebrates heritage initiatives on any scale in Calgary.

“We are extremely excited about the community interest and participation in the Lion Awards.  Grass-roots projects really demonstrate the passion and sincerity that people have for heritage initiatives,” said Gerry Meek, Calgary Heritage Authority Chair.  “While the quality of submissions we received on large-scale projects has continued to be tremendous, the community-based ones are growing dramatically and demonstrate the value placed on heritage for its role in creating great communities.”

2010 CHA Lion Award Recipients

Building Restoration

• de Waal Block   
• Calgary Public Building
• Heritage Park Historical Village ENMAX Streetcar System Restoration and Expansion (Honourable Mention)

New Building Design

• Connaught School (Honourable Mention)

Landscape

• Central Memorial Park

Community Revitalization

• The Montgomery History Committee:  A Hunt for History, Montgomery Memories
• Stanley Jones School ‘Route to Roots’ Historical Garden Project (Honourable Mention)

Advocacy and Awareness

• SWERVE Magazine
• Calgary Public Library Community Heritage and Family History Blog
• The Little Synagogue on the Prairie Project
• Nellie McClung School‘s ‘Exploring Our Story’: Inglewood Community Emersion (Honourable Mention) 

Heritage Tradespeople/Craftspersons

• Janet Jones 

Special Recognition

• Sheila Moore Johnston

This year’s Lion Awards also provided the opportunity for the announcement of the Bob Etherington Heritage Trades Scholarship.  Bob Etherington was a journeyman carpenter and joiner and later a building inspector with The City of Calgary. Bob's dedication to the construction industry in Alberta throughout his career, along with volunteer work with the Alberta and Canadian Building Officials Association and his deep appreciation of history, exemplify the ideals promoted by this scholarship.

This scholarship is designed to develop the heritage trades in Alberta by encouraging tradespersons to hone their technical skills and further their understanding of the challenges and complexities of heritage conservation work.

For more information on The Lion Awards, visit:  www.calgary.ca/lionawards

Shaganappi Point Golf Course Open - Golf Lesson and Subsidy Info

Here is an interview with April Tanner, The City's Golf Course Guru discussing some of the changes golfers will see to Shaganappi Point Golf Course. Terry Carter, The City's chief Golf Pro with the National Golf Academy also explains golf lesson and the fee subsidy program.

For more information please go to calgary.ca/golf.

The annual "Just for Fun" EJ Justice Junior Golf Tournament

On Friday, August 20, 2010, youth aged 8-14 who are not members of a private club or part of an organized golf club are welcome to participate in the annual EJ Justice Junior Golf Tournament.

• prizes awarded by age category: 8-11 and 12-14 years
• $30 entry fee
• 9 holes and lunch provided
• In-person registration at Lakeview Golf Course begins July 2.

Here is a video interview with The City's Golf Guru April Tanner. For more information, please visit calgary.ca/golf.

Corporate Records, Archives donate pots and pans to YWCA Mary Dover House

Here is a video of staff from The City of Calgary's Corporate Records, Archives, Department donating pots and pans to the YWCA Mary Dover House to help women in need.

City of Calgary Heritage Day 2010 Holiday Hours of Operation

The City of Calgary is adjusting its hours of operation for services and facilities on Heritage Day, Monday, August 2, 2010.

City Administrative Offices

All administrative offices are closed on Heritage Day, Monday, August 2, 2010 and will reopen Tuesday, August 3, 2010.

Calgary Transit

Calgary Transit will provide a Sunday level of service on Heritage Day, Monday, August 2, 2010. Regular service will resume on Tuesday, August 3, 2010.

For information and schedules, please visit www.calgarytransit.com, call Teleride at 403-974-4000, or Calgary Transit Customer Service at 403-262-1000.

Waste & Recycling

Residential collection schedules and pickup at community recycling depots are not affected by the Heritage Day holiday on Monday, August 2, 2010.

All landfills will be open 7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Animal Services Centre

2201 Portland Street S.E.

Heritage Day, Monday, August 2, 2010: Closed

Tuesday, August 3: Open 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Recreation

Arenas/Athletic Parks 

All arenas and Athletic Parks will be closed, but available for bookings. For facility bookings call 403-268-3800 in advance.

Aquatics and Fitness Centres

All 12 City of Calgary Aquatics & Fitness Centres will be closed on Heritage Day.

Southland Leisure Centre

Facility open from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Water Park - Open

Arenas – Closed

Village Square Leisure Centre

Facility open from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Water Park - Open

Arenas – Closed

Art Centres

Wildflower Arts Centre and North Mount Pleasant Arts Centre will be closed to the public on Heritage Day, Monday, August 2, 2010, and will be reopen on Tuesday, August 3, 2010.

City of Calgary Parks

Inglewood Bird Sanctuary 

Inglewood Bird Sanctuary Nature Centre will be closed to the public on Heritage Day, Monday, August 2, 2010.

The Inglewood Bird Sanctuary trails will be open from sunrise to sunset.

Natural Environment Parks

Trails open from sunrise to sunset

Devonian Gardens

Closed for renovations

Other Facilities

Fort Calgary

Open 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Heritage Park 
Heritage Day Celebrations, Monday, August 2, 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

The First 500 guests who pay regular admission and arrive between 9:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. will enjoy a complimentary pancake breakfast. Entertainment and activities throughout the day.

Deane House 
The Deane House will be closed on Heritage Day, Monday, August 2, 2010.

Calgary Zoo

Open 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. daily. 

TELUS World of Science

Open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Heritage Day, Monday, August 2, 2010.

Community gardens growing in Calgary

If you’re a farmer, right now you’re making hay and if you’re a community gardener, right now you’re about to harvest your first crop. And if you’re Maggie Thompson, division superintendent with Parks, you’re reaping the fruits of your labour. 

That’s because in addition to being one of many City of Calgary employees who has an interest in gardening and community building, Maggie was responsible for developing The City’s guidelines for community gardens.

“Gardening is a wonderful recreational activity but the best part about community gardens is what sounds so simple – that community building aspect - it’s neighbours coming together to meet neighbours “.

Interest in community gardens has been growing in many North American jurisdictions and Calgary is no exception. While community gardens have existed in Calgary informally for some time, these gardens were so successful that it became necessary to formalize guidelines around community gardens.

Now the community gardens are operated in a way that promotes good neighbour relations. The food is donated to local organizations, communities have a collaborative recreational area and the local green spaces have countless new advocates.

To find out more about community gardens in your area or gardening initiatives in Calgary, visit The Calgary Horticultural Society’s web site or The Eco Footprint Project

Flags at Half-Mast at City Hall - Thursday, July 29, 2010

Flags will be at half-mast at Historic City Hall on Thursday, July 29, 2010, from sunrise to sunset to honour Sapper Brian Collier, an Alberta-based soldier who was killed in Afghanistan earlier this month.

Our heartfelt condolences go out to friends and family of Mr. Collier.

McKnight-Westwinds Pedestrian overpass in place

Here some images from the McKnight-Westwinds Pedestrian overpass that was installed on Saturday.

Staples for Education: Giving Youth the Tools to Succeed

Getting children ready to go back to school is hard enough without worrying about how to pay for school supplies.

That’s why for the fifth year in a row, Community & Neighbourhood Services has partnered with Staples stores to ensure youth have the supplies they need to succeed in school.

“We get letters from families that receive the backpacks saying how much they appreciate the help,” says Carmen Marquez, a youth social worker with The City who has been involved in the program since its launch. “When you are struggling to get by, it makes a big difference, especially in homes with multiple school-aged children.”

Through community agencies and other connections, the Staples for Education program receives requests for support from low income Calgarians. Staples stores then collect cash and school supply donations that are put into backpacks and given out at the beginning of the school year.

In 2009, volunteers filled more than 2,000 backpacks with supplies; double the number filled in 2008.

“Staples for Education is definitely growing,” says Marquez. “Our goal this year is to fill 3,500 backpacks, but we also want to connect families-in-need to other resources in their communities.”

For information on how to register a family for the program, call 3-1-1.

The deadline to register is August 13. To learn more about this program, please visit Calgary.ca/staplesforeducation or your local Staples store.

City Recruiting Workers for October 18 Civic Election

Interested in civic politics but not quite ready for the Mayor’s seat? You can still get involved, say officials, as The City of Calgary announced it is looking for people interested in working as Deputy Returning Officers this fall on Election Day, October 18, 2010.

“We are looking for community-minded individuals who want to experience the inner workings of a municipal election” said Barb Clifford, The City’s Returning Officer. “This is a big day, where Calgarians will choose the future stewards of the city we live in. We need a lot of people to help ensure we collect votes in a timely and efficient manner.”

The 2010 General Election will see eligible Calgarians having a say on who fills the offices of Mayor, Aldermen, Public School Trustee and Separate School Trustee..

The City hires approximately 3,000 people to work on Election Day. All positions are paid positions. Most workers will be assigned to the 163 voting stations and special voting stations located in communities in and around Calgary. A large number of stand-by workers are also hired to ensure all positions are filled should a cancellation occur.

In order to apply to be an Election Worker, a person must be:

• 18 years of age or over;
• A resident of Calgary;
• Available to attend a 1-2 hour daytime training session in September; and
• Available to work extended hours on Election Day (October 18).

Anyone who meets theses qualifications and would like to be a part of the election team, is asked visit the Election and Information Services Office between July 26 and September 17, 2010, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. to complete an application. Applications must be made in-person and take approximately 15 minutes to complete. The Election and Information Services Office is located at 1103 - 55 Ave NE. Deputy Returning Officers and stand-by positions are filled as applications are received. For more information call 403-476-4100 (Option 2).

For more information interested applicants can visit calgary.ca/election

STARS presents Mayor Bronconnier with a Red Ring For Life

Today, Mayor Dave Bronconnier was presented with a Red Ring For Life (RRFL) by STARS flight paramedic Mike Lamacchia.

The Red Ring For Life is part of STARS 25th anniversary campaign, with the goal of increasing awareness of STARS in a new generation of Albertans as well as to continue generating financial support for their life saving work.

The RRFL symbolizes the many hands involved in a life saving mission, a sense of community, and the continuation of support from one generation to the next.

Calgary was the first city in Alberta to have a base for the STARS Air Ambulance and as a city, has been an active supporter of STARS for 25 years. Over the course of those 25 years, STARS has made over 19,000 missions, which means that 1 in 10 Albertans has been or knows someone who has been flown by STARS.

For more information visit:

http://www.redringforlife.ca/
www.facebook.com/starsairambulance

Calgary Fire Department boasts new training facility, water reclamation project

Today, the Calgary Fire Department’s (CFD) Training Academy introduced new training capabilities to further support its world-class training operations when it announced the opening of both its Water Re-use Project and ATCO Village - a scenario-based one-of-a-kind ‘community,’ in partnership with ATCO Gas.


Through the development of a naturalized water treatment and re-use system, the Fire Department’s Training Academy is essentially removing its water-use footprint from its training exercises, saving up to 150 million liters of water annually.

Another welcome addition to CFD’s training facility is the opening of ATCO Village. Created in partnership with ATCO Gas, ATCO Village is a cluster of vacant single-family  homes positioned on a street-like setting to facilitate real-life scenarios and training opportunities, including: detecting indoor and outdoor natural gas leaks, responding to gas lines that have been hit, locating buried gas lines, and carbon monoxide situations as well as a multitude of Fire Department related emergency simulations.

“Pooling resources and facilitating joint emergency training is expected to produce better results, increase training frequency and reinforce our commitment to public and employee safety,” says Daryl Kong, Vice President, Calgary Operations, ATCO Gas. The installation of natural gas mains, services and meters as well as household appliances means ATCO Village has some of the most realistic training scenarios available, which will significantly enhance employee skills.

The Calgary Fire Department is also mindful of the environmental impact of its training operations and has found a way to greatly reduce its environmental footprint through its water re-use project. Housed at its southeast training facility, the water re-use project consists of a series of ponds that will capture, treat and put water used in training exercises back into an internal hydrant system.

“This pond filtration system is a first of its kind in Canada,” says Fire Chief Bruce Burrell. “Instead of spraying potable water all over the facility’s grounds and watching it ice up, run down drains, or evaporate, contaminated fire run-off will be retreated and reused,” he adds.

As part of the landscaping portion of the water re-use project, which began construction in June 2009, 125 trees were planted to commemorate the Fire Department’s 125th anniversary in 2010. The City of Calgary Parks Department, which assisted in the design of the treated wetland and associated infrastructure, will operate the water treatment system, as well as oversee the irrigation and maintenance of the grounds.

Bart the horse retires

The Calgary Police Service Mounted Unit retired its longest-serving horse after this year’s Calgary Stampede.

Bart, a 14-year-old Canadian, turned in his badge after 12 years of service with the CPS. He will spend his remaining years with the Opening Gaits Therapeutic Riding Society of Calgary, which provides horse riding experiences to people with physical and mental challenges.

As one of his last duties as a member of the CPS, Bart helped train a rookie member of the Mounted Unit, Stryder, who Chief Rick Hanson rode in this year’s Stampede parade.

The Calgary Police Service has used horses for patrol since the turn of the century with the formation of the current Mounted Unit in 1978. Members are required to spend four years in district patrol before applying for the Unit. They are chosen based on their work ethic and riding ability. The horses used in the unit come from farms and ranches throughout the province, and are chosen based on their personality, size and colour. Mounted patrol duties include public relations, patrolling the streets and pathways, and search operations in parks and along riverbanks.

We at The City wish Bart many happy trails.

City's Transportation boss talks about airport runway tunnel

Here is a letter from Mac Logan, The City of Calgary to the Calgary Herald Editorial Board about Council’s decision not to proceed at this time with a tunnel under the new airport runway. This was published today.

On Monday City Council decided not to build a roadway tunnel together with the Calgary Airport Authority’s new runway. This was a thoughtful decision based on numerous realties.

The Airport has long planned an additional runway and The City has always intended for a transportation link under the runway. Within the year, The Airport will close the section of Barlow Trail on Airport lands, so that construction can begin and the runway open in 2014. On Monday, I advised Council that our opportunity to prebuild a tunnel was about to expire. A thorough debate ensued.

The reality is, The City does not have the available funds to add this project within that timeframe. And neither the Authority nor other levels of government are able/willing to provide new funding to immediately assist. A tunnel today made sense as shared project but doesn't make financial sense for The City alone.

Air travellers currently use several major roadways to reach the terminal. The Authority’s new runway will cut off only one of those access roads.

Will the closure of a portion of Barlow Trail be an inconvenience? Yes, to some. Will it add time getting to and from the airport? Yes, a bit however; Barlow Trail only carries about 1,000 vehicles to and from the terminal during afternoon rush-hour. Will it gridlock northeast Calgary? Absolutely not. There is a significant infrastructure program in place.

For example, this year, The City will improve the condition of 36 St. NE along the east side of the airport and add traffic signals at 36 St. and Country Hills Blvd. The Authority will connect 48 Ave. to 36 St. NE to improve access to businesses and Rotary Challenger Park.

Next year, Metis Trail North will be completed so commuters can connect to Country Hills Blvd. to easily access the airport. Over the next several years, Country Hills Blvd from Barlow Tr. to the ring road will be upgraded from a 2 lane rural road to a 6 lane arterial roadway. We will also add a link to Stoney Tr. at 96 Ave. NE.

In 2012, The City will extend Airport Trail west of Deerfoot Trail, adding a direct connection for northern communities like Harvest Hills and Beddington to the airport terminal area.

And in 2013, the Province will complete the southeast portion of the ring road so commuters from the deep south can easily reach the north end of Calgary without once venturing onto Deerfoot Trail.

Diverting money from other approved road construction projects has financial and business consequences that City Council must consider. Those projects, like a new interchange on the Trans Canada Highway at Canada Olympic Park, are part of The City’s long range transportation plan and are critical to support development that is underway or recently approved by Council.

The bottom line is that while it would be ideal to build a tunnel now, it requires money the taxpayers simply do not have today. Council exhaustively debated the issue and rightfully decided not to go it alone and prebuild something where the benefit lies many years into the future. Instead, The City will continue to find additional ways to provide affordable, accessible transportation options for all Calgarians.

Mac Logan, P. Eng. MBA
General Manager
The City of Calgary’s Transportation Department

City of Calgary CFO and Calgary Fire Chief Discuss 2011 Budget

City of Calgary Chief Financial Officer Eric Sawyer and Fire Chief Bruce Burrell addressed the media yesterday to discuss what adjustments to the 2011 budget may mean for the Calgary Fire Department.

While making changes to an annual budget has always been a part of the three-year budget process, with these annual adjustments providing flexibility to accommodate changes in the economy demand for City services, what's different for the 2011 budget is the need to address an estimated $60 million gap between forecasted revenues and expenses.

"As part of this process, we've asked all of our departments, as well as our agencies to identify the implications of any budget reductions so they can be put forward to Council," said Sawyer.

In an attempt to address some of these budget reductions, Burrell said a second hiring class of firefighters has been deferred until a later date and that a plan to include a second unit in Saddleridge had been postponed.

"It was our desire to put a second unit in Saddleridge. Is it critical that we do that? No, and we certainly do not believe that by not putting a second unit in that station that we're putting anybody or anything at risk," said Burrell.

All budget adjustments will be presented together to City Council in November, 2010.

Calgary's population hits 1,071,515 - Civic Census Results

***Barbara Clifford, The City's returning officer discusses the 2010 Civic Census results.

The 2010 Civic Census results from April 2009 to April 2010 show that Calgary’s population has reached 1,071,515.

This is an increase of 6,060 residents - a population growth of 0.57 per cent the smallest percent growth since 1984 when the overall population decreased by 0.14 per cent.

Highlights from the Civic Census

Community Growth:

• Panorama Hills was the only community that had a population increase over 1,000, it increased by 1,455 residents.
• 7 communities grew by 100% or more. The substantial percentage growth of these communities reflects their overall small population. The communities are:
• Skyview Ranch (2638% or 686 residents)
• Mahogany (2245% or 247 residents)
• Sage Hill (165% or 440 residents)
• Foothills (100% or 285 residents)
• Walden (100% or 210 residents)
• Sunridge (100% or 73 residents)
• Legacy (100% or 12 residents)
  

Net Migration and Natural Increase:

• From April 2009 to April 2010, 4,154 more people moved away from Calgary than moved to Calgary. The last time Calgary experienced a negative net migration was 1992 when the net migration was (-853).
• Natural increase (the result of births over deaths) continued to be a source of growth at 10,214, up 571 from last year’s figure of 9,643.
  

Housing

• The number of housing units, both existing and under construction, increased to 445,455 up from 438,663. This is an increase of 6,792 from April 2009.
• The number of vacant dwelling units in Calgary increased from 13,012 in 2009 to 16,929 in 2010. The overall vacancy rate in the city is 3.93%, up from 3.08% in April 2009.
• There are now 414,185 occupied dwellings. Of this number, 292,627 or 70.65% are owner-occupied. In 2009, the comparable percentage was 71.14%.

The Civic Census Results Book (re-designed for 2010) will be available online at calgary.ca/census.

What is the Civic Census?

The Civic Census is the official count of dwelling units and the population who are living in these units, by the door to door physical collection and recording of data. This count of dwellings and residents may be supplemented yearly with other information such as the periodic age/sex distribution data, etc. This additional data is pertinent to the use and interpretation of the population statistics.

The City of Calgary first conducted a Civic Census in 1931 and continued periodically until 1958 when an annual count of population started and has continued since.

Why is the Civic Census taken?

The annual Civic Census information is used by The City for a variety of planning and program service delivery purposes, and by the Province for the determination of grants if available. The information is also used by a variety of outside agencies such as communities, businesses, charities, researchers, etc.

***Mayor Dave Bronconnier takes a break from talking about the Civic Census to discuss his fishing trip: "I caught a trout that was this big . . ."

TAGS anti-graffiti conference coming to Calgary

Canada’s premier anti-graffiti conference is coming to Calgary this fall.

The Anti Graffiti Symposium or TAGS, is an annual conference open to individuals working for municipalities, law-enforcement agencies, departments of justice, schools, community groups, businesses and other agencies affected by graffiti vandalism.

The purpose for attendees is to share and gain knowledge in the area of graffiti-vandalism prevention, enforcement, investigations and charging.

“We’d like people to understand this subculture which can lead to the successful completion of a graffiti charge,” says Dave Ladic, the graffiti coordinator with the Calgary Police Service.

Graffiti, says Ladic, is much more harmful than just a few splashes of paint on the side of a wall, it can perpetuate other crimes.

“This isn’t just a person painting a symbol – it has a social and economic cost,” says Ladic. “We have to send a message that our communities are being cared for.”

TAGS website states “as intelligence is gathered from various groups in their respective locations, it is important to communicate and strategize with like-minded groups in order to work together to address this ongoing issue.”

In Calgary, graffiti continues to be of a high cost to taxpayers in terms of property damage and cleanup, investigations, and in some cases, negative emotional and psychological affects. In act, this year, the Calgary Police Service laid its first hate crime charge in relation to graffiti-vandalism.

It is anticipated that through the knowledge shared at this conference, ours and other municipalities will be better equipped to deal with this issue.

TAGS 2010 is a two-day conference from Tuesday, Oct. 19 to Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2010, at the Coast Plaza Hotel & Conference Centre, 1316 33 St. N.E. Calgary, Alberta.

The Calgary Police Service and The City's Animal and Bylaw Services are encouraging people to register soon to get a special early-bird rate.

Here is a related blog post: Citizens say 'no' to graffiti in their community

Folk Musicians Entertain on the CTrain

Here's Calgary's own Dojo Workhorse performing on the CTrain. Dojo Workhorse will be playing at this year's Folk Festival.

As part of Calgary Transit’s popular Musicians in Motion program, local artists will be riding and performing on various CTrains starting Monday, July 19 until Friday, July 23 to celebrate and promote the Calgary Folk Music Festival.

“We hope our customers will enjoy some of the great local talent we will have on our CTrains,” said Calgary Transit spokesman Ron Collins. “Calgary Transit is a keen supporter of the arts and culture in our great city.”

Kenna Burima, the Calgary Folk Music Festival’s Artistic Associate said "it's sometimes easy to forget about the outside world when we are down on Prince's Island. By having festival artists playing on the CTrain, we 'd like to think we're bringing our festival to all corners of the city."

Calgary Transit invites the public to join them by riding in the middle car of each of a number of CTrains between 9:30am and 11:30am.

For the complete schedule please click here.

Beverly Pepper's Sentinels at Ralph Klein Park

A Beverly Peppers interview can be found at the 3 minute mark of this video.

A large-scale land art sculpture by world renowned artist Beverly Pepper is in the final days of completion at Ralph Klein Park.

"The result is astonishing because it looks like it was born here." said Pepper from the Ralph Klein Park dedication ceremony.

Her two-year project has two pyramids jutting out of rolling prairie with three steel ‘sentinels’ looming over. It is perched on a hillside looking over Ralph Klein Park’s Environmental Education Centre.

“The monoliths at Ralph Klein Legacy Park are meant to herald the uniqueness of the wetlands,” said Pepper. “I believe my work offers a place for reflection and contemplative thought within the context of active urban environments.”

"Another benefit that came that was absolutely gratuitous, the third sculpture, the smaller one - it sings, it's absolutely astonishing, I'd like to say I planned it, but that was something that was given to me," said Pepper.

Pepper painted from 1949 - 1960, then turned to sculpture, and has worked extensively with public sites creating numerous environmental works and sculptures in the United States, Europe and Asia.

The inspiration for this public art project comes from the award-winning Utilities & Environmental Protection Department Public Art Plan (2007) founded on the principle that public art, in collaboration with other disciplines, can create remarkable places that encourage sustainability and stewardship of the environment.

In the six years since the City approved its Public Art Policy, the Public Art Program has impacted Calgary’s visual environment by installing 22 public artworks through the Per Cent for Public Art Funding Strategy. A further 27 installations are currently planned for various locations throughout the city, including LRT stations, parks, public buildings and with civic partners such as the Westside Recreation Centre.

You can see more Beverly Pepper work here.

Public Safety Communications raises money for military families

Yesterday, the Public Safety Communications (PSC) team donated $2000 to the Calgary Military Family Resource Centre (CMFRC).

The PSC staff have been wearing red to raise funds and show their appreciation of military personnel and their families. Employees could ‘purchase’ a red epaulette with a donation to the CMFRC to wear on the left hand side of their uniform on Fridays.

“As a retired Air Force officer, I know the sacrifices made by the military and their families and we were happy to show our support for them not just by wearing red but also by raising money to help the families,” said campaign organizer Noel Murphy, an Emergency Communications Officer with PSC.

Steve Dongworth, PSC Manager, said he was very proud of the contributions of our employees to this cause.

“Emergency services have a long history of support for the military and we are pleased to be carrying on that tradition,” said Dongworth.

Public Safety Communications is the call-evaluation and dispatch centre for all emergency calls to 9-1-1 for Police Fire and EMS and covers a region of approximately 7,500 square kilometers, including Calgary, the municipal districts of Rocky View and Bighorn.

The CMFRC is a non-profit, charitable organization governed by an independent, volunteer Board of Directors comprised of community members. Their mission is to enrich the lives of military families.

Image: Noel Murphy presenting a cheque to Colleen Rowe from the CMFRC.

Ralph Klein Park makes history

Ralph Klein today became the first Mayor in Calgary’s history ever to see a City Park named in his honor.

The new 30-hectare park is located within a 200-hectare constructed wetland in east Calgary off of 84th Street south of Glenmore Trail S.E.

“The park provides a mix of upland, wetlands and open water habitat for wildlife and nature enjoyment. When it opens this fall, the Environmental Education Centre will offer state-of-the art environmental education programming with an emphasis on teaching, learning and training for a sustainable future,” said Parks Director Anne Charlton.

The park wetlands use natural vegetation to treat storm water before it is discharged into the Bow River. Several other energy conserving strategies and design concepts have been implemented such as the use of alternate energy sources for building heating and the use of green technology and materials during site construction.

The park also houses an Environmental Education Centre recreational spaces and public art.

The $32M park development, which started construction in early 2009, was made possible by funding from the ENMAX Parks Program through the ENMAX Legacy Fund.

“The name Ralph Klein is synonymous with Calgary - the two are inseparable," said Mayor Dave Bronconnier. "As Mayor he led our city through good times and bad, and spearheaded initiatives like the northeast LRT construction, building the new city hall and hosting the 1988 Winter Olympics. As an avid outdoorsman, this park is a very fitting tribute to a man who gave much to serve Calgarians.”

Bronconnier and Charlton unveiled a plaque dedicating the park to Ralph Klein, which will be placed in the park once construction is complete. Both the park and Environmental Education Centre will open to the public in the fall.

More information on Ralph Klein Park can be found on the Parks website at calgary.ca/parks.

Hoarding has never looked so good

How do you make a construction zone in the Municipal Building as appealing as possible for visitors and employees over the summer?

That was the challenge facing Corporate Properties & Buildings when they realized how many pieces of construction plywood, also called hoarding, would be needed in the atrium while the escalators are being modernized.

They chose to team up with 300 City Hall School students from grades 3-6, Urban Youth Worx, All Nations Theatre, and an artist to create a mural celebrating what makes Calgary a great city.

“Every day we get a lot of traffic in the atrium, and we saw this as a great opportunity to partner with our neighbours, City Hall School, and Urban Youth Worx to showcase the creative talents of our youth for City staff and visitors to see,” says Bill Grey, buildings supervisor.

With the assistance of professional artist, Daniel Kirk, students from seven Calgary schools worked to transform the 2.5 metre high pieces into murals illustrating what makes Calgary unique.

For Diane Murray, co-ordinator of City Hall School, the project was a fitting way to end another successful year.

“City Hall School is all about helping kids become active and engaged citizens and we spend a lot of time talking about what makes Calgary special, so this project was the perfect way for them to show their pride,” She said.

Celebrating its 10th year this fall, City Hall School allows teachers to relocate their classes to the Municipal Building for a week, where students have the opportunity to learn about government from experts at The City and participate in customized programs.

“The teachers were thrilled to be involved in this project and the kids were delighted,” said Murray. “They saw it as a way to say thank you to The City for hosting them this year.”

The painted hoarding will be on display for the duration of the Municipal Building Escalator Modernization project, which is scheduled for completion in October 2010.

For more information on City Hall School visit the Campus Calgary website.

A year in the life of Community Services and Protective Services: 2009 Annual Reports go to City Council

The City of Calgary’s Community Services and Protective Services (CS&PS) group provides services to the citizens of Calgary, and includes Animal & Bylaw Services, Community & Neighbourhood Services, Fire, Parks, Police, Public Safety Communications and Recreation.

For the first time, CSPS is reporting their results to Council and the public via video – making the results faster and easier to obtain. Divided by business units, each of the five videos provide a top level briefing of last year’s achievements. The information has also been “chaptered” (or broken into topics) so people can easily find the information they’re most interested in. Directors of these business units selected some of the most important points to present on video, however, the complete reports are also available online for people who prefer to dig deeper and look at specific achievements and numbers.

Animal and Bylaw Services Report



Community and Neighbourhood Services Report



Calgary Fire Department Report



Public Safety Communication Report



Recreation Report

Calgarian Awarded Governor General’s Certificate of Commendation

Calgarian Liam Davies received a Governor General’s Certificate of Commendation this morning in council chambers for heroically saving his best friend’s life while hiking last fall.

“We are honoured to acknowledge Liam today for his critical thinking and heroic actions in responding to the situation – you are very deserving of this recognition,” said Mayor Dave Bronconnier, speaking on behalf of Governor General Michaëlle Jean.

On October 12, 2009, Liam, a first year Paramedic student at SAIT, and his best friend Mike Alison, were on a day hike at the top of King’s Ridge in Kananaskis Country. Snow levels for that time of year were deeper than expected and made travel down the ridge very dangerous and slippery.

While making their way down the ridge through the trees, normally an easy walk, Mike slipped on some rocks and fell over a four-meter cliff. Picking up speed as he tumbled head-over-heels, Liam watched as Mike fell over a second cliff, in excess of three meters finally stopping 45 meters from where he had initially fallen.

In trying to reach his friend, Liam also slipped and fell over the first cliff but managed to stop himself before going over the second cliff. Upon reaching his friend, who was not breathing, Liam cleared debris and snow from Mike’s mouth. Once Mike began to breathe on his own, Liam began the assessment of both of their injuries which included broken bones, lacerations; profuse bleeding as well as Mike having two open skull wounds.

From his training as a Paramedic student, Liam knew getting out of the back country to attend to Mike’s serious wounds was paramount. After using his shirt to control the bleeding from the two skull wounds, Liam used a backpack to drag Mike down the rest of the mountain slope. For the next five kilometers, Liam used a long stick made into a mock crutch or at times he carried Mike on his back until they could reach their car and drive to the EMS hall at Nakiska Ski Resort for help.

Both Mike and Liam were transported to Foothills hospital where Mike was treated for two serious compound fractures to his skull and a broken thumb while Liam was treated for a large laceration to his calf and a broken leg.

Upon receiving the award, Liam said he’s just happy to be able to go hiking with his buddy Mike again.

In 1993, the Governor General (Ramon John Hnatyshyn) approved the creation of a Certificate of Commendation to be issued to those who have made a significant contribution by providing assistance to another person in a very selfless manner. The Certificate of Commendation is signed by the Governor General and is intended for candidates whose actions are deemed notable by the Canadian Decorations Advisory Committee. The commendation is not automatic; eligible candidates are selected through a voting process.