January 2025 Newsletter

Happy New Year!

The holiday season is such a great time of year. With friends and family, Christmas time brings such great feelings. It is a warm refuge when it is dark and cold outside, but I must admit that knowing the days are getting longer makes me happy. It is time to say goodbye to 2024 and welcome what 2025 has in store.

I will start the year off with a reminder about your annual property tax assessment and how to set yourself up for monthly payments. Then I will share a bit about a project my team has been working on and how it will help you in a tight situation. I will also talk about protecting your water pipes, the Calgary Awards, and some winter opportunities in Calgary’s downtown and parks.

Property Assessment Notices Are Out!

Property Assessment notices are out. These are important documents, so make sure to pay attention to them. They will partially determine how much property tax you pay this year, and you have the right to question them and even appeal if necessary.

To help you review your property assessment the City offers general resources on calgary.ca/assessment and property specific tools through the secure logon feature of Assessment Search at calgary.ca/assessmentsearch. By logging onto your property specific account on Assessment Search, you can:

• Check the property details used to determine the assessed value of your property.
• Update your residential property details. It’s important you keep your information current, as incorrect property details may result in assessments that do not accurately reflect the value of your property.
• Compare your property’s assessed value to other similar properties in your area to ensure fairness.
• Review real estate market trends and learn how your property was assessed.

If you have questions about your 2025 property assessment, please contact us during the 2025 Customer Review Period which runs from Jan. 2 to March 11, 2025. You can also visit calgary.ca/assessment for any other information you might need.

A Helpful TIPP

The City of Calgary’s Tax Instalment Payment Plan (TIPP) program lets you split your annual property tax payments into 12 equal monthly instalments, instead of paying in one lump sum. It’s an easy way to stay on top of your property taxes.

Enrolling now means you’ll enjoy smaller, regular payments throughout the year. While joining in January offers the full budgeting benefits of spreading payments over 12 months, you can enroll at any time during the year. Your payments will be adjusted to ensure your tax bill is fully paid by year’s end. Plus, there are no fees, making it even more affordable to join.

Our online process streamlines registration, allowing you to enroll from the comfort of your home, 24/7. All you need is your roll number and banking details, and we’ll confirm your enrolment in real-time.

Visit calgary.ca/TIPP to get started and enjoy easier budgeting for the year ahead!

Tow Truck Tricks

Late last year I presented a Notice of Motion to City Council. That motion was passed. The point was to begin addressing a growing problem on our roads—predatory tow truck behaviour.

What many are finding across Alberta, and even across the country, is pushy behaviour from tow truck drivers who have arrived, unsolicited, at the scene of an accident. They make untrue claims to convince you to use their tow service and often provoke altercations with you and even first responders. Once they have possession of your vehicle, you may not be able to access it without paying an outrageous fee.

My Notice of Motion proposed using the typical levers that the City has at its disposal including bylaws, licenses, fees, and penalties. Those are all great, but I have found a little bit of information can go a long way toward preventing scams like this.

Over the course of researching tow truck practices, my team and I have had the opportunity to meet with those in the towing industry. They have some helpful tips to protect yourself from wrongdoers.

The Alberta Motor Association (AMA) knows their way around the towing industry, and they have developed a list of your “towing rights” as an Albertan.

1. You have the right to refuse unsolicited towing services.
2. You have the right to choose who tows your vehicle, and where, unless otherwise directed by police.
3. You have the right to access your vehicle to retrieve personal items during a storage facility’s business hours.
4. You have the right to ask if the towing company receives a kickback for taking your vehicle to a particular storage facility or repair shop.
5. You have the right to a quote prior to service, and an itemized invoice prior to making payment. 

Albertans can visit ama.ab.ca/KnowBeforeTheTow to download a digital copy of their towing rights, helping them feel confident if faced with a tow scam. Soon all AMA centres will offer free print versions, which are small enough to tuck in a glovebox.

Calgary Awards Nominations

Do you know a neighbour, colleague, community leader, local group or company that makes Calgary an incredible place to live, work and play? If you do you should consider nominating them for a Calgary Award.

For more than 30 years the Calgary Awards have recognized outstanding individuals and organizations whose exceptional achievements and contributions make life better for Calgarians.

The nomination process is easy – visit calgary.ca/calgaryawards for a list of categories and submit your nomination by Jan. 26.

Protect Your Pipes

The City’s Frozen Pipes Prevention Program works proactively with homes considered higher risk because of things like location, depth, configuration of water pipes, and a history of freezing. Recently there has been an increase in frozen pipes in homes that are typically at a lower risk, where taking some of the steps below could have prevented household pipes from freezing.

Here are some ways you can protect your pipes from freezing:

• Keep your thermostat at a minimum of 15°C, even if you’re away from home.
• Eliminate any cold drafts in unheated areas where water supply lines are located. This can include basements, crawl spaces, attics, garages and under bathroom and kitchen cabinets.
• Repair broken windows, check doors and insulate areas that allow cold exterior air to enter.
• Insulate your hot and cold-water pipes located in cold areas.
• Open interior doors and cabinets in cold areas to allow heat from the house to warm unprotected pipes.
• Turn off, disconnect, and drain the water line to outside faucets, garden hoses, pools or decorative water features.
• If your hot water tank is in a maintenance room outside of your home, make sure the area is adequately heated.
• Regularly run water in your pipes through everyday use.

Visit calgary.ca/frozenpipes to learn more, including things to do if you suspect you have frozen pipes.

Warm up to winter in Calgary parks

Winter makes it possible to enjoy Calgary parks in a different way than during any other season. Many cold-weather park activities are also free with minimal equipment needed. Only in winter can you skate on outdoor rinks, marvel at beautifully lit ice trails, play Crokicurl and ride an ice bike in our parks.

We have several established outdoor rinks and two new ones this year - Prince's Island Park lagoon rink and the Lot 6 Pop-Up rink, making a total of 10 outdoor, natural ice skating rinks, over 60 volunteer-run Adopt-a-Rinks and indoor skating at 12 arenas with 19 rinks. Have you visited Prairie Winds Park in the winter before? There are two skating rinks and decorative winter displays to enjoy.

You can plan an afternoon at your local community park snowshoeing or cross-country skiing. For easier skiing, visit a park or golf course that has groomed cross-country trails.

For more ideas about how to stay active during cooler temperatures at city parks, visit calgary.ca/winteractivities.

Chill Downtown this Winter!

Whether you’re looking to sip hot cocoa, enjoy a Downtown Winter Festival like Chinook Blast, master your skating skills or simply soak in the festive atmosphere, there’s something Downtown for everyone. Grab your mittens, gather your friends and prepare for a season filled with twinkling lights, mouth-watering treats and fun events that will warm you up from the inside out!  

As Downtown continues to transform, The City along with its partners are proud to offer a wide variety of activities and entertainment, with the goal of becoming a 24/7 destination where people live, work, learn and play all year long. To ensure Calgarians and visitors know what’s happening Downtown and to help plan your day, we’ve created Choose Your Own Downtown Adventure Itineraries. With a new itinerary released each month until March, you’ll have fun and unique ideas at your fingertips to help plan their Downtown outing.

To learn more about the Choose Your Own Downtown Adventure Itineraries and other exciting events and activations happening downtown, visit calgary.ca/exploredowntown. 

---

Feel free to contact me any time. The best way to contact me is by visiting calgary.ca/contactward14 or calling (403) 268-1653.

Sincerely,

Councillor Peter Demong