January 2023 Newsletter

Happy New Year's, Ward 6!

I hope everyone is beginning 2023 in good health and with a great viewpoint on all the good that is to come this year. I look forward to continuing to work with the remarkable residents in Ward 6 and helping make our communities flourish. This edition of the newsletter is a look back at the successes & achievements of the Ward 6 office’s advocacy for residents’ issues & concerns in 2022, and spans multiple City departments.  I also cover something new for constituents- how to access Council voting records and much more.

I would like to thank residents for bringing their concerns to the attention of the Ward 6 office in order to make our community a better place to live. I would also like to extend a big thank you to all our City colleagues that work with the Ward 6 office on these concerns. The hard work that goes into planning, strategizing, and implementing requests into the best possible solution has not gone unnoticed.

Mobility- Ward 6 Year in Review

The last 5 items on the list above are high level Material & Surface Restoration items.

Total of 35 ln-km roads repaved in Ward 6 in 2022 (Highlighted in blue lines in the map below).

• • SIERRA MORENA BV SW 
  • RICHMOND RD SW
  • Community of Coach Hill
  • Community of Strathcona Park

Total of 2.6 km concrete repaired or replaced in Ward 6 in 2022 (Highlight in red dots in the map below)

Transit- Ward 6 Year in Review

Highlights of the Ward 6 changes and improvements implemented by Calgary Transit: 

• We achieved new ridership records on the On Demand service in Springbank Hill, as many Calgarians returned to in-person learning and working in the office.  In anticipation of increasing ridership, Calgary Transit introduced new technology features in August to optimize capacity on the service without increasing the operating cost.

• In 2022, Calgary Transit introduced Transit (https://transitapp.com/) as our official multimodal trip planning and fare payment app. Calgarians can plan trips that integrate Calgary Transit buses, CTrains, and On Demand, shared e-scooters/e-bikes, and ride-share to get across the city. Customers can also purchase mobile tickets and day passes using the app, offering bespoke convenience. Additional features will be introduced in the app in 2023.

• In 2022, Calgary Transit placed 9 additional transit shelters in Ward 6 at:
  • SB 85 ST @ 8 AV SW
  • SB Cortina DR @ Tremblant WY SW
  • SB Sienna Morena RD @ Sienna Park DR SW
  • NB Sienna Morena RD @ 34 AV SW
  • EB Old Banff Coach Hill RD @ 85 ST SW
  • WB Springbank BV @ 69 ST SW
  • NB 69 ST @ 34 AV SW
  • NB 69 ST @ Elmont DR SW
  • EB Old Banff Coach Hill RD @ 77 ST SW

Park & Open Spaces- Ward 6 Year in Review

• Site preparation for the Battalion Park Remembrance Day Ceremony
• Assorted Natural Area plantings and habitat restoration work
• Weed control in 10 Ward 6 communities
• Supported the 6 Adopt A Rinks in Ward 6
• Installed new Water Service and ran a water line to provide on demand water for a new Community Garden
• Worked with a Community Rep. to provide a work plan for moving forward with maintaining assets on site together.  (Standard Operating Procedure created for water service On/Off, maintenance and annual testing)
• Community Garden irrigation system upgrades
• Fencing replacement
• Worked with Tsuut’ina Nation on the Griffith Woods safety fence
• Pathway Lifecycle replacement work
• Playground Lifecycle replacement
• Standard mowing and shrub bed maintenance
• Standard snow and ice clearing of Parks sidewalks and select pathways
• 25 trees were planted in 2022 in Ward 6
• 835 trees were pruned, and 370 dead trees were removed

Utilities Delivery- Ward 6 Year in Review

In 2022, The City of Calgary completed six (6) Anode retrofit projects in Ward 6. The Anode retrofit program is a corrosion protection program where anodes are attached to the metal pipe, over time the anode will corrode instead of the pipe thereby increasing the lifespan of the pipe and allow it additional protection.

In addition, we would like to flag the following for Ward 6 constituents:

• TransCanada Sanitary trunk project – This project is currently at the preliminary design stage and is on the limits of Ward 6 (north on the TransCanada Hwy/16 Av NW and the section between Stoney Trail and Sarcee Trail). With that said, this section is outside of Ward 6 but may impact to Ward 6 constituents.

Lawrey Gardens Outfall B76 Local Drainage Improvement project – this project is in Stage 3 and partially in Ward 6 and spans into Ward 8. This project was initiated in the spring of 2022. Planning and design is currently ongoing. This project will address flooding and icing issues over the CP Rail tracks south of Hemlock CR SW and the Shaganappi Point Golf Course in Lawrey Gardens Park.

Emergency Management & Community Safety- Ward 6 Year in Review

• Addressed citizen concerns for the 37 St SW boulevard street scape enhancements.
• Selective enforcement on developer signs along Bow Tr, 85 St SW, 69 St SW, 17 Ave SW – removal of illegal developer signs that were making it difficult for the Mobility Dept for road maintenance.  34 signs removed
• 2800 Blk 37 St SW - area officer and Coordinated Safety Response Team involvement in the removal of eight derelict vacant houses and six vacant/derelict garages.
• 1,243 pro-active calls – calls generated by the officers to address matters that they had personally encountered; not citizen-generated complaints.
• Numerous instances of officers providing additional assistance to citizens outside of normal bylaw operations – welfare checks, vehicle assistance, etc.
• Almost 13,000 calls for service during the year

Calgary Firefighter Department- Ward 6 Year in Review

• Ward 6 had 3201 Hot calls attended by CFD in 2022, where the average response time for these calls was 5 min 30 sec.
• Ward 6 had 3587 total (hot and cold) calls attended by CFD in 2022, with the average response time being 5 min 43 sec.
• Ward 6 made up 4.4% of total hot responses citywide for 2022

*CFD target time is 7 minutes for the first responding unit for fires and medical responses.

*“Hot calls” means we responded with lights and sirens (cold calls could be for a non-emergency assist or similar circumstance). 

Calgary Police Service- Ward 6 Year in Review

2022 Crime Activity Statistics By Community

Westbrook Local Area Plan Council Decision

January 17th was a significant day for the Ward 6 communities of Glenbrook, Glendale, Westgate, Wildwood and Spruce Cliff, as Council approved first reading of the Westbrook Local Area Plan. With the LAP in place, it will provide more assurance of future high quality development and livable communities.

The LAP process has much more importance than just a community redevelopment plan. It helps make neighbourhood relationships stronger. I have witnessed residents coming together and bonding through their passion for their community. I have no doubt these communities will become stronger than ever before through their mutual sense of purpose and pride for where they live. This is what attracts people to living in close-knit communities where neighbours all care for each other.

The Westbrook LAP included a review process which provided an opportunity for stakeholder input. This was an opportunity for community members to come together to shape what the community will look like in the future - one they will be proud of. Policies will be monitored on an ongoing basis and be updated by Administration as part of a continuous improvement process with stakeholders. As Councillor, I will strive to preserve the uniqueness of each community, and the value of every particular property to that community. I will continue to advocate for my fellow Councillors to consider the existing residents and those who live “next door” when we give our approvals.

We must all view the LAP as a living document, a tool to be used and followed every time we make a decision that affects a neighbourhood. It may be more prescriptive than things were before, but the overall result is still subject to Council approval. Used properly, I see it as being favourable to our communities and allowing them to flourish and develop into the walkable communities with great amenities that residents have always wanted.

I’d like to offer my personal thanks to all the constituents who took part in this long and sometimes arduous process, and reassure them that this is the start of something that will strengthen their communities, and will not be detrimental to their continued survival.

Council Votes

Have you been curious how City Council members vote on certain items? Now you can view Council voting records here. There are multiple filters on the left side where you can select one or more council member, as well as meeting type and keyword searches.

You can also view Legislative Services (calgary.ca) to see “how to get involved”, Council agendas, City bylaw library, Council records and much more.

Parking Recreational Vehicles on Residential Property

The City of Calgary is engaging with Calgarians to hear their feedback on parking recreational vehicles on private residential driveways. Currently the Traffic Bylaw regulates the parking and use of recreational vehicles, such as motor homes or trailers, in the city. Below is an overview of our regulations:

• Detached trailers and campers cannot be parked on city streets or alleys.
• RVs, such as motor homes, can be parked on a street immediately adjacent to the owner's residen​​ce for a maximum of 36 hours. The RV must then be moved to an off-street location for at least 48 hours before it can be returned to the street.
• The Community Standards Bylaw allows parking of Recreational Vehicles (for example, RVs and boats) on a hard surfaced driveway or parking stall in the front yard of a house for up to 36 hours.
• Parking of RVs in a side yard setback is allowed under Land Use Bylaw 1P2007.
• Parked RVs and boats cannot block the view of intersections, crosswalks, playgrounds or signs.
• Parked RVs and boats cannot obstruct the movement of other vehicles.

Let your voice be heard and be part of the change here https://engage.calgary.ca/rvparking. Feedback input ends February 13, 2023.

City Events - Future of Stephen Avenue

The City of Calgary is commencing an exciting journey to reimagine Stephen Avenue and position it for a renewed era of success, ensuring its future as Calgary’s hallmark downtown main street. We’re working to make Stephen Avenue a more livable, vibrant, and a thriving downtown destination for citizens, businesses, and visitors to our great city. We want to hear your thoughts.

The City is hosting three virtual open houses for business and property owners along or near Stephen Avenue.

• February 6 – 12-1 p.m.
• February 6 – 3-4 p.m.
• February 6 – 6-7 p.m.

The City is hosting a virtual open house for its downtown and institutional partners.

• February 7 – 12-1 p.m.

The City is hosting a virtual open house for all Calgarians.

• February 15 – 5:30-7 p.m.

The City’s online engagement portal will be open for feedback at engage.calgary.ca/stephenavenue between February 6 –28, 2023.

Community Events

SCA Community Association- 277 Strathcona Dr SW, https://scacalgary.ca/

• Family Day Skate – Monday, February 20, noon to 3 pm

Bring your family and friends and come join us for this fun annual tradition! 

Kidsport Skate Shack will be there for those who need to rent skates.

Please note: In addition to handing out cookies and hot chocolate, our SCA President Maureen Smith will be collecting donations for a local pet rescue - laundered old towels, blankets, pet beds and unopened pet food and treats.  This can be a jump start to your spring cleaning and help save abandoned and neglected animals. 

Please note: this event is weather dependent.