June 2024 Newsletter

June 10, 2024: Boil Water Advisory lifted for Bowness, but water restrictions and fire ban for Calgary continue. Assessment of the damaged pipe also continue. 

June 11, 2024: Robots deployed into pipe to inspect and assess other sections. 

June 12, 2024: Crews weld repairs on the access hatches along the inspected section of the pipe. The new section of the pipe was completely disinfected in preparation for being lowered into place. 

June 13, 2024: Work temporarily paused as two workers were injured in an accident related to the repair. A safety investigation and thorough post-incident is required to resume the repair work. In the meantime, the removed pipe was transported to another location for additional failure analysis.

The indoor and outdoor water restrictions, and fire ban, are expected to continue until next week. 16 Avenue remains closed at Home Road N.W until the new pipe is installed.

For more details on the watermain and water conservation tips, visit calgary.ca/16avewatermain.

On May 28, 2024, Council unanimously approved the new Winter Maintenance Policy, bringing significant changes for Calgarians. One of the most significant changes is the faster clearing of all major routes. Under the new policy, Priority 2 infrastructure, which includes major Transit routes and higher-volume community roads, will be cleared within 24 hours after snowfall stops, compared to the previous 36-hour timeframe. 

Additionally, the new policy introduces new enforcement options for existing rules. For instance, homeowners are now subject to fines for shoveling snow from their private property onto City roadways or bike lanes. Furthermore, the Council approved to increase the winter maintenance reserve fund from $15 million to $22 million, providing greater flexibility during heavy snowfall years. This new policy will be implemented in the upcoming season. 

In addition to the Winter Maintenance Policy, Council also approved an amendment to allocate the remaining $8.9M of last year's snow clearing budget towards addressing pavement issues such as potholes in the coming months.

Road maintenance has begun on Crowchild Trail N.W. from Stoney Trail N.W. to 32 Ave N.W. This year's project includes asphalt roadway repair and replacement, alongside concrete repair and replacement of sidewalks, wheelchair ramps, curbs, barriers, and gutters, with an expected completion date in mid-September 2024, depending on weather conditions. 

During this period, lane closures will be in effect with speeds restricted to 50km/hr, and both daytime and overnight lane closures will occur. Residents and businesses in the area may experience construction noise and vibrations, but efforts will be made to minimize disruption. Additionally, transit services along Crowchild Trail N.W. may be impacted by ramp closures, and pedestrians and cyclists should expect local detours with pedestrian ramps being removed and replaced. 

Regular project updates, including anticipated start and end timelines, will be available on calgary.ca/paving-crowchild. You can stay informed about road disruptions using calgary.ca/trafficinfo for real-time updates, including paving activities. You can also stay in the know by tuning in to 107.9 FM for live traffic updates. For more information on transit impacts, please visit calgarytransit.com.

Calgary's celebration of community connection, Neighbour Day, is held every year on the third Saturday in June, and is dedicated to fostering welcoming and inclusive communities where neighbours connect and belong all year round. Below are Neighbour Day celebrations happening in Ward 1.

• Vardell Place Neighbour Day block party from 2 pm – 5 pm

For more Neighbour Day celebrations, visit calgary.ca/neighbourday.

The City of Calgary's Real Estate Development Services team is holding a public open house on June 19 at the Irish Cultural Society from 6 pm – 8 pm. Councillor Sharp and the Ward 1 Office have extensively worked with the Real Estate Development Services team on the proposed redevelopment of the former R.B. Bennett school site in Bowness. The project team provided updates during the engagement process emphasizing Council's direction for the site and the importance of community engagement throughout the development process. Councillor Sharp looks forward to further collaboration with the community as this project progresses, and encourages all residents to attend and share their thoughts on the future development of the R.B. Bennett school site. You can learn more about the redevelopment and details for the open house at engage.calgary.ca/rbbennett.

Are you planning an event, gathering or outing this summer in Ward 1? The City offers park space, picnic sites, meeting rooms, tennis courts, pathways and other unique venues and event facilities in our parks that are available to rent at reasonable prices. It is advised but not mandatory to have a permit to use park space for a gathering.

Other groups and individuals may require the following permits:

• Greenspace Permit - an issued greenspace permit will provide permission to use the public park and ensure public access and safety is managed. It does not provide permission to sell services within the park, nor does it provide exclusive use of the park space.
• Mobile Vendor Permit - a mobile vendor agreement is generally for a one year period and provides permission for a commercial entity to advertise/solicit business in a public park (ie. hot dog and ice cream vendors).
• Food Truck Parking Stall Application - licensed food truck vendors can apply to reserve a parking space in a park or athletic field parking lot.

For more information, visit calgary.ca/bookings/parks-greenspaces. 

National Indigenous History Month is a time to honour and celebrate the rich cultures, traditions and contributions of Indigenous peoples in Canada. June serves as a reminder of the ongoing journey towards Truth and Reconciliation, acknowledging past and present injustices and working towards healing and understanding between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

Take advantage of one (or all!) of this month’s many amazing opportunities to learn about the history, experiences and resilience of Indigenous communities, including their struggles and triumphs.

• Aboriginal Awareness Week Calgary – June 17 -22
• Opening Ceremony at Olympic Plaza, June 17, 11:30 a.m.
• Family Day Pow Wow, children’s corner and talent showcase, Enmax Park, June 22, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• The Confluence (formerly Fort Calgary), June 20, 1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
• National Indigenous Peoples Day – June 21

Calgarians can bring their foam packaging, also known as Styrofoam, to any City of Calgary landfill location for recycling as part of a six-month pilot project free of charge. The foam packaging pilot is an opportunity to further expand Calgary's diversion programs to keep recyclable materials out of the garbage, ensuring these materials get recycled and turned into something new. 

If Calgarians can’t take their foam packaging to the landfill, then it should go in the black cart as garbage. The pilot project is for residential customers only. Businesses who generate foam packaging as part of their operational waste can contact Styro-Go directly to inquire about recycling.

For more information on how to recycle foam packaging, visit calgary.ca/waste/what-goes-where/plastic-polystyrene-foam. 

Another option to participate in Neighbour Day is the All Sport One Day, where children can try new sports for FREE at various locations.

Here are the 12 multisport hubs for June 15: 

• Brookfield Residential YMCA at Seton 
• Citadel Community Association
• The Genesis Centre & Saddletowne YMCA 
• Glenmore Athletic Park
• Marlborough Park Community Association 
• MNP Community & Sport Centre 
• Trico Centre for Family Wellness 
• Southland Leisure Centre 
• Trico Centre for Family Wellness 
• University of Calgary 
• VIVO for Healthier Generations 
• Westside Rec Centre 
• Winsport

Online registration is highly encouraged at AllSportOneDay.ca to guarantee each child’s spot, but they will also accept drop-in participants! Each site will operate from 10 AM - 3 PM.

• Property tax bills for 2024 were mailed out on May 24, 2024, with a payment deadline of June 28, 2024. Delays in processing ownership and mailing address changes may result in new owners not receiving their tax bills, but the tax is still due on June 28, 2024. If the tax bill is not received by the first week of June, owners should call 311 (403-268-2489 if outside of Calgary) to obtain an up-to-date statement of account.
• Wading pools and spray parks will not be opening this coming weekend (Father’s Day) as originally planned. Wading pools and spray parks will remain closed until the restrictions are lifted so that final preparations that involve water use can be completed. Status of wading pools and spray parks are available on Calgary.ca/sprayparks. 
• Looking for free outdoor activities for children, youth, and families this summer? Check out the City’s Spring and Summer lineup for a variety of programs starting in July.
• The City of Calgary, in collaboration with the Tamarack Institute, has developed the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) toolkit, an evidence-based approach aimed at fostering community connection by identifying and utilizing local assets, providing free access to a program consisting of six modules containing videos, tools, and resources for public use. For more information, visit calgary.ca/abcd.