March 2021 Newsletter

Greetings Ward 14!

We are closing in on the official end of winter. Brighter days are ahead. Here is some information I hope will serve you well in the near future.

2021 Property Assessments

Reviewing your property assessment is a habit that you should get into. You have the right to ensure that it is accurate, fair, and equitable. The City of Calgary assesses more than 500,000 properties in Calgary every year in compliance with the Municipal Government Act and regulations set by the Government of Alberta, and mails property assessment notices.

Your 2021 property assessment value will be used to calculate your share of taxes. That value is based on the real estate market on July 1, 2020 and the physical condition of the property on December 31, 2020. Be sure to review your assessment notice for inaccuracies when you receive it, because it may save you some money.

Here is how you can help you complete a self-review:

1. Review your notice for factual errors and contact the City if you find any.
2. Log on to your secure Assessment Search account (calgary.ca/assessmentsearch). While logged on you can review your property’s details, compare your property’s assessed value with similar properties in your area to ensure fairness, and review real estate market trends.
3. Understand your tax implication. The City offers a preliminary property tax calculator to help property owners estimate their upcoming taxes. Please visit calgary.ca/taxcalculator.

You can contact the City during the Customer Review Period and one of our property assessment experts will help you. Call 403.268.2888 or visit calgary.ca/assessment.

Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms

When the time changes to daylight savings this spring, in addition to moving your clocks ahead, make sure your home’s smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms are in good working condition by pressing the test button.

Working, and properly placed, smoke and CO alarms save lives. Have working smoke alarms on every level of your home, both inside and outside every sleeping area and have working CO alarms on every level of your home, close to sleeping areas. These are two of the easiest things you can do to keep your family safe.

CO is called the invisible killer because you cannot see or smell it. This poisonous gas can come from many sources, including cars, malfunctioning fuel-burning appliances like furnaces, ranges, water heaters and room heaters; as well as engine-powered equipment like portable generators. Burning charcoal in fireplaces or in barbeque grills inside a home, or in semi-enclosed areas can also result in lethal carbon monoxide levels.

At low levels, CO poisoning symptoms include dizziness, headache or flu-like symptoms. At high levels, they can cause mental confusion, vomiting, and even death. At extremely high levels, it is possible to lose consciousness suddenly without experiencing any other symptoms. Sustained exposure can quickly incapacitate and kill you.

Smoke alarms alert you to any smoke in your home. Replace the batteries in your alarms according to the manufacturer’s recommendations and test alarms once a month to make sure they are working.

For more information, and other fire safety tips, visit calgary.ca/csps/fire/safety-tips/fire-safety-and-prevention.html

Green Line Business Support Program

Green Line is developing a Business Support Program to help businesses and communities prepare for and manage the potential impacts of Green Line LRT construction.

Stage 1 of the Green Line LRT (16 Avenue N to 126 Avenue S.E.) runs through more than 15 communities and alongside hundreds of businesses. We are conducting an outreach survey for area businesses to get to know stakeholders and better understand operational needs as we plan for construction. If you are a business owner, manager or staff along the Stage 1 alignment, answer our short questionnaire at: greenlinebusiness.questionpro.ca/

To share your information and join our Green Line business database. Visit engage.calgary.ca/greenline/business-support to learn more about the Business Support Program.

The City’s calgary.ca Map Gallery

It’s a winter like no other in Calgary and the City’s Map Gallery still offers up reliable information to help get you out and about, while keeping you safe. 

The Pathways, Bikeways and Walkways map displays the pathways and sidewalks, as well as snow and ice controls by The City of Calgary. It also includes information about proposed future work on Calgary’s bikeway and pathway system. The map can be found in The City’s Map Gallery: maps.calgary.ca/PathwaysandBikeways.

Also of interest to Calgarians, the Snow and Ice Road Conditions map shows the progress of snow clearing operations, priority routes, and traffic camera images. We’re not through winter yet! The Road Conditions map can also be found on The City’s Map Gallery: maps.calgary.ca/RoadConditions.

As a growing city and one that moves, Calgary’s Ring Road makes our road network better and provides more options to get around Calgary. Overall, it shortens travel time between communities and popular destinations in and outside our city. Have a look at the Calgary Ring Road Map on the Map Gallery before heading out on it. The Calgary Ring Road Map can be found at: maps.calgary.ca/calgaryringroad.

Check out all our Map Gallery maps at maps.calgary.ca.

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Feel free to contact me any time. The best way to contact me is by visiting calgary.ca/contactward14.

-Councillor Peter Demong