July 2015 Newsletter

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Howdy Ward 14!

Every year I try to wrangle up some money for a good cause and celebration. The cause is our hard working community associations, and the celebration is the Ward 14 Communities BBQ.  You can get a tasty burger there, and you’ll see all sorts of displays from the BBQ’s generous sponsors. There will be a whole raft of City of Calgary information as well.

My Ward 14 Communities BBQ is on Saturday, September 26 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m in the Southcentre Mall parking lot, but if you don’t think you will remember then keep these three things in mind. First, I will write about it in my next two newsletter columns. Second, you can find the information on my website at www.calgary.ca/ward14bbq. Third, I will send you updates via email if you sign up at www.calgary.ca/ward14connect.

Another season of Aldertalk is now over. I want to sincerely thank everyone who turned up at one of the six sessions, and to all of the venues where we congregated. Every time I hold an Aldertalk it seems there are just a few more people than the last.

Aldertalk is probably the most important tool that I have at my disposal. The input that I receive there is invaluable.  While I can rightly claim to be the originator of the Aldertalk idea, I must admit that City administration is catching on with Citizen’s View.

Citizen’s View is an online panel that encourages citizens to participate in shaping City of Calgary programs and services. You can participate in surveys, have access to online discussions, provide your input on a variety of topics, and receive information and updates on upcoming events and service improvements. To sign up you just need to visit calgary.ca/research. I encourage you to do so.

Did you know? The City operates and maintains over 200 storm ponds.

You should also know that they are a vital part of Calgary’s storm water system. Storm ponds (or more specifically, wet ponds) collect water and run-off from the storm water system. They trap things like oil, chemicals, fertilizer, pesticides, and sediments. Besides helping to mitigate local flooding, storm ponds improve the quality of water that eventually reaches our rivers.

With all of the nasty things that they keep out of our rivers, storm ponds are not surprisingly a bad place to swim. Storm ponds are not intended for recreational use. Their water levels are constantly fluctuating and they can contain pollutants. Swimming, skating, boating, fishing, and fish stocking are just some of the activities that are strictly prohibited in storm ponds.

Happy trails to you, and don’t hesitate to contact me for any reason.

-Councillor Peter Demong​