November 2014 Newsletter

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Hello Ward 14,

November is a month of remembrance.  I hope you have got your poppy ready to go.

I remember the first week of September. It was a week that brought a rare amount of snow. The snow brought broken branches, and a big mess to clean up. I also remember the week ending with the clouds breaking and the sun shining on the fourth edition of my Ward 14 Communities BBQ.

If you haven’t already heard, the Ward 14 Communities BBQ is a membership drive for Community Associations in Ward 14. Local sponsors donate funds to pay for Community Association memberships that are given away for free at the event. People get a free burger, beverage, and are entertained with music, City Department displays, and many other exhibitors. Donations to the Calgary Food Bank are also accepted.

Without the sponsors, City departments, exhibitors, volunteers, and smiling faces who attend there would be no BBQ. There is a newsletter column’s worth of people to thank.

Southcentre Mall—as always—provided the location and donated funds. The Southcentre Safeway donated beverages, and Deer Valley Calgary Co-Op provided hamburger buns. M&M Meatshops of Willow Park provided the delicious burgers and grilled them for us.

Many sponsors donated funds: Canyon Creek Toyota, Jack Carter Chevrolet Cadillac Buick GMC, Southgate Chevrolet Buick GMC, United Communities, and Qualico Developments all chipped in again this year. Progressive Waste Solutions, Shaw Communications, Mattamy Homes, and ATB Financial wrote cheques for the first time to help add members to Ward 14’s Community Associations and put money in their pockets.

Line dancers, both School Board Trustees, and groups like the Primary Care Network of South Calgary, Bow Valley Ranche – Artisan Gardens, the Calgary Mountain Bike Alliance, and the Friends of Fish Creek presented the wonderful work they do. We also had all the Ward 14 MLAs in attendance: Jonathan Denis, Jeff Wilson, Rick Fraser, and Heather Forsyth.

The Community Associations of Ward 14 are what the BBQ is all about, and without their support there would be no point. Last year the fledgling Silverado Community Association impressed everyone by handing out 21 more memberships than in the year prior.  This year almost $8,000’s worth of memberships were given away, and Willow Ridge added 56 members for the upcoming year. It is so great to see these hardworking community groups growing in numbers.

No matter what their role, there are not enough words to express how grateful I am to everyone who helped make the Ward 14 Communities BBQ a big success.
You can always contact me by using the Contact Ward 14 form, and learn more about the Ward 14 Communities BBQ at www.calgary.ca/ward14/events.

So long until next month, and I hope to see you at an even bigger and better Ward 14 Communities BBQ next year.​