July 2012 Newsletter

Howdy! There are some things that don't change - come what may. It's July and we all know what happens in Calgary in July. This year's Calgary Stampede is extra special - it seems like we've been through it a hundred times. There have been events going on in preparation for this momentous occasion for several months now, but we all know that the real beginning of the Stampede is marked with a parade. There will be no Dukes or Duchesses involved this year, but I think that there is no better person to be the Centennial Parade Marshall than Ian Tyson. He will be joined by the leaders from the Treaty Seven Nations who will be honorary Parade Marshalls. Get downtown early on Friday, July 6 to ensure you get a good viewing spot. The parade begins at 9 a.m. I will be there waving back at you.

Four Strong Winds will be bringing a very special fireworks display to the edges of the city for us to enjoy this year, and when I say special, I mean SPECIAL. On the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of both weekends during Stampede, starting between 11 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. international-scale fireworks will be set off near five viewing locations around the city. You will be able to view the fireworks at Stampede Park, Elliston Park, Heritage Park, McCall Lake and Canada Olympic Park. This means that you will have a much better chance of seeing the fireworks from your home in Ward 14. The fireworks will also be synchronized to music, which you will be able to hear on the radio stations Country 105, Q107 and AM770.

There will also, I'm sure, be many wonderful Stampede-oriented events put on by Ward 14's wonderful Community Associations. Since I must write this column far in advance of when it was published, I can't give much detail about association events yet, but please check out what is going on with your local association by picking up a community newsletter, searching your local association on the internet (many have websites, Facebook pages, and twitter accounts) or by just visiting your local community hall.

 As for the numerous other "official" Stampede events that will be going on, the Calgary Stampede website has loads of information.

That brings me to the final event that I would like to mention for this month. Who says that breakfast is the most important meal of the day? My Community Pancake Breakfast has made a transformation into the Ward 14 Communities BBQ. I encourage all Ward 14 residents to show their support for Ward 14's Community Associations by joining me at the southeast corner of the South Centre parking lot to eat a burger and make a donation to the food bank on. The event will be on Sept. 22 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. There you have it. Until next month, I can always be contacted by phone at 403-268-1653 or contact my office.

YAHOO!​