October 2016 Newsletter

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Greetings Ward 14!

Thank you to those who attended my Ward 14 Communities BBQ! It was a great time! Don’t worry if you couldn’t make it. There will be another chance next year—although it will look slightly different because of the upcoming election. I will speak more about that next month.

I do want to remind you that I send email notifications about events like my BBQ, Counciltalk, and other important information relating to municipal government. To receive them you must sign up at stay connected. I encourage you to do so.

Free Leaf and Pumpkin Drop-off

We are undeniably in autumn now, and the remains of summer are likely lying on your lawn waiting to be raked and bagged. My October column is the perfect opportunity to remind you of a great program we have at the City: the Leaf and Pumpkin Composting Program. It is currently underway, and runs until November 6. Bring your bagged leaves and pumpkins to one of our 35 drop-off locations around the city. By composting this material it stays out of the landfill, reduces harmful greenhouse gas emissions and helps turn the leaves and pumpkins into useful compost. We recommend using paper yard waste bags as they can be composted with the rest of the material. No sod or rocks please.

For a full list of Leaf & Pumpkin drop-off locations, please visit calgary.ca/yardwaste.

Check your smoke detectors

Now I want to make what you might call a public service announcement. Did you know that your smoke detector needs to be replaced every ten years? You should be replacing its batteries every year at least, and checking that it works every month.

October 9th to 15th is Fire Prevention Week. It may be the perfect opportunity to learn what you can do to protect your home and your family. There is a lot of great information about that and more at calgary.ca/fire.

Being prepared for snow

We didn’t get much snow last winter, but if I have learned anything from this spring and summer, it is probably best to be prepared for anything. That is why I’m getting an early start on my usual snow clearing reminder this year.

Not much has changed. The City still aims to have all roads in drivable shape within seven days. Crews work on a priority basis. If necessary, the snow on your street will be packed down, and ruts will be removed anywhere between three and seven days after the end of the snowfall.

There are many ways to stay informed during a snowfall event. You can follow @yyctransport on twitter, download the City of Calgary Roads App, or visit calgary.ca/roadconditions for current road conditions and progress. There is much more information about snow and ice control on calgary.ca/snow too.

One last thing: please pay attention to snow parking bans, and any other signage. Doing so will help everything get done as quickly and painlessly as possible.

That’s it for October! Have a great month, and remember you can contact me anytime.

- Councillor Peter Demong​​