June 2022 Newsletter

Hello Ward 6!

In this edition of our monthly newsletter you will read about the pavement rehabilitation program, compostable bags, reminder of the new Tsuut’ina fence, Canada Day celebrations and much more. 

Virtual Discussion Series

The Ward 6 Virtual Discussion Series have been a great success thus far. I would like to thank all of our guests and constituents who have watched and sent in questions. We will be taking a break for the summer. Is there a topic you would like to see for our "Discussion Series"? Send ideas to clward6@calgary.ca. To watch my previous “Discussion Series”, click on the links below:

• City Manager David Duckworth click here
• Calgary Deputy Fire Chief Mark Turik and CEMA Chief Susan Henry click here
• Calgary Police Service: Inspector Shanon Scott, Cst. Suzanne Sheppard and Cst. David Prajoux click here
• City Planning & Development: General Manager Stuart Dalgleish, Director Community Planning Debra Hamilton, Director Calgary Growth Strategies Josh White click here

Pavement Rehabilitation Program

The pavement rehabilitation program is underway. This year, the focus of the program is primarily on restoring major roads’ condition and addressing citizen requests. As part of the prioritization process, roadways selected for pavement rehabilitation throughout Calgary are determined through an extensive evaluation process which includes various road condition surveys, engineering evaluation, and 311 repaving requests.

You can view the streets that will be paved this year and which are tentative for next year here: https://maps.calgary.ca/RoadwayActivities/

For FAQ more info Calgary.ca/paving

REMINDER: New Tsuut’ina Nation Fence

For the last few months, our neighbours, the Tsuut’ina Nation, have been constructing fencing along a portion of the northern border of the Nation’s land extending from Rocky View County to Stoney Trail S.W. Weather pending, the fence is projected to be completed by the end of August.

In preparation for fence construction, the Nation has been working closely with The City of Calgary, the Ward 6 Councillor office, and the Discovery Ridge Community Association to ensure minimal disturbance within the community and to local wildlife.

Why is fencing needed?

From the early-to mid-1900s, the Canadian Military used a portion of the Tsuut’ina Nation lands as a firing range as well as for training exercises, leaving behind unexploded ordnance or UXO (including bombs, bullets and shells).

In the 1940s and 1950s, there were a number of incidences where these UXO were uncovered and went off, resulting in serious injuries. UXO surfaced on Nation land after the 2013 floods and more have been uncovered as recently as last spring, demonstrating that the UXO still pose safety risks today.

In order to prevent similar instances from happening again, and noting that many people are not aware of the Tsuut’ina Nation boundary, the Nation is building the fence to prevent accidental trespassing and help keep people safe. 

Will the fence affect local wildlife? 

The fence will be constructed high enough that animals will not attempt to jump over it and there is sufficient spacing to ensure nothing will get caught in the fence. Water crossings will still be available to wildlife moving through the area.

Could flooding create debris pileups along the fence?

The Nation has managed this land for thousands of years and knows that the river can be unpredictable as it changes with the seasons. As a result, they will not build fencing in areas where there is a risk it could wash away and there won’t be any fencing in the majority of places where debris pileup may occur. The fence will be set back roughly 10 metres from the river’s edge and approximately 5 metres from banks of solid ground.

What is the construction timeline? 

• Brushing and hand clearing in the area began in mid-to late-January.
• Fence construction began in early February. Construction started in the west by the Elbow Springs Golf Course and then moved east toward Griffith Woods Park and then on to Stoney Trail S.W. 
• Fence construction should be complete by the end of August.

The Nation is working hard to ensure all work can be done from their property on the south side, as they do not want the construction work to disturb the Discovery Ridge community or users of Griffith Woods Park. Should any work need to be done in the community, the Nation is committed to keeping disturbances to a minimum. 

More info:

Please visit calgary.ca/GriffithWoods for project updates or contact 311.

Important notice:

The Tsuut’ina Nation is the sovereign owner of the land (including the Elbow River) beyond the Tsuut’ina/City of Calgary boundary line. Exploring any further than this line, including along the riverbanks and into the river, is trespassing on Nation property. Please help respect our neighbours and do not try to cross the fence/boundary line into Nation lands.

Using Correct Compost Bags

Using compost bag is a great way to keep your kitchen pail and green cart clean, and reduce odours and pests. If you use a compost bag, make sure it is a certified compostable plastic bag that is acceptable by the City's Green Cart Program. For more info on accepted bags and retail stores that carry them, go to https://www.calgary.ca/.../compostable-bags-liners.html

Fallen Tree Debris

With the recent storms that we have seen in Calgary, many of us have fallen tree debris in our yards. Citizens are being asked to utilize their green cart first for any organic storm debris that needs to be collected:

• Branches and tree trunks must be less than 15 cm (six inches) in diameter and less than 1.25 m (four feet) in length.
• Make sure the lid of the cart can close.
• Always fill the green cart first.
• If the green cart is full, place extra cut branches into paper yard bags, roll the tops of the bags closed and set at least 0.5 m (2 ft) to the side of the green cart for collection.

We will be accepting fallen tree debris from residential customers at all 3 of our Waste Management Facilities, for free, until July 15.

Dandelions

Dandelions are not considered a noxious weed under the Weed Control Act. The City has 74 noxious and prohibited noxious weeds that must be controlled or eradicated to comply with provincial legislation.

On occasion we will use herbicides as one tool to assist in the attempt to control weed populations. When herbicides are used it will likely be on a high-use sports field where high numbers of weeds can cause safety issues and will be used in conjunction with other techniques such as aerating and fertilizing.

What can I do about dandelions on my property? 

Calgary bylaws do not prohibit dandelions on private property. However, grass and other herbaceous plants must be kept shorter than six inches. Some people prefer to keep their lawns dandelion-free. Techniques to do that without using herbicides include:

• Routinely pulling broadleaf weeds out by their roots, especially before they go to seed.
• Good turf management (water, aerating, topdressing, overseeding, etc.).
• Keep your grass at least three inches long so it shades its own roots from the sun, chokes out pesky weeds and hold moisture better.

For more info visit the website

Canada Day Get Together Plans

In-person Canada Day is back this year at three new downtown locations – Fort Calgary (750 9 Ave. S.E.), Olympic Plaza (228 8 Ave. S.W.) and St. Patrick’s Island Park (1300 Zoo Rd. N.E.) - celebrating the Original Peoples of Canada and what it means to be Canadian at The City’s annual July 1 get together.

Canada Day Get Together details: 

• Indigenous Showcase and Powwow at Fort Calgary from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a focus on education and reconciliation with Indigenous leader and Founder of the Orange Shirt Society Phyllis Webstad, teaching tipis, Indigenous artisan market, Metis jigging, and Powwow with opening prayer, Grande Entry, dancing and resting of the flags.
• TD Canada Day Stage with CBC Calgary Eyeopener’s Angela Knight as emcee featuring an all-Canadian line-up of musical performances from 3 to 11 p.m., with rock band Sloan headlining at 9:45 p.m.
• Live, outdoor ArtsXpeditions performances from Arts Commons on the Olympic Plaza stage from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. featuring a variety of local musicians performing jazz, Indigenous, Afro-Fusion, hip-hop, folk, country and more.
• Family friendly entertainment through St. Patrick’s Island Park on three stages showcasing music, arts and theatre, fun activities, and outdoor spaces for playing, eating, and enjoying the day from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Thanks to support from Heritage Canada, the finale of the day will be fireworks show from the Municipal Building (800 Macleod Tr. S.E.) with music soundtrack on CJSW 90.9FM at 11 p.m. The fireworks show will include a blessing from Stoney Nakoda Elder Cindy Daniels and a message from Mayor Jyoti Gondek and be available on livestream at Calgary.ca/CanadaDay or seen from anywhere with a view of the Calgary Municipal Building. 

Free Outdoor Summer Programs

There are many free community outdoor summer programs for kids and adults that are occurring in Ward 6 this summer that you don’t want to miss. Visit calgary.ca/free for more information. 

Stay n’ Play | children ages 3 - 5 yrs + adult & Park n’ Play | children ages 6 - 12 yrs

July 4 - 8

Mon. - Fri.

Stay n’ Play - 10 a.m. – noon

Park n’ Play - 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

WEST SPRINGS

West Ridge School

8903 Wentworth Ave. S.W.

July 11 – 15

Mon. – Fri.

Stay n’ Play - 10 a.m. – noon

Park n’ Play - 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

SIGNAL HILL

Battalion Park School

369 Sienna Park Dr. S.W.

July 18 – 22

Mon. – Fri.

Stay n’ Play - 10 a.m. – noon

Park n’ Play - 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

GLENDALE

Glendale School

2415 Kelwood Dr. S.W.

August 2 – 5

Mon. – Fri.

Stay n’ Play - 10 a.m. – noon

Park n’ Play - 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

GLENBROOK

Glenbrook School

4725 33rd Ave. S.W.

August 8 – 12

Mon. – Fri

Stay n’ Play - 10 a.m. – noon

Park n’ Play - 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

SPRINGBANK HILL

Griffith Woods School

7652 26th Ave. S.W.

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Youth Job Skillz | youth 13 – 16 years

August 15 – 26

Mon. – Fri.

Youth Job Skillz

10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

WILDWOOD

Wildwood Community Association

4411 Spruce Dr. S.W.

Barcode: 61181

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Unplug n’ Play | family/all ages

July 12

Tuesday

Unplug n’ Play

6 – 8 p.m.

SIGNAL HILL

Battalion Park School

369 Sienna Park Dr. S.W.

August 4

Thursday

Unplug n’ Play

6 – 8 p.m.

GLENBROOK

Glenbrook School

4725 33rd Ave. S.W.

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Mobile Skate & Scoot Spot | family/all ages

August 4 – 16

Sun. – Sat.

Mobile Skate and Scoot Spot

Noon – 8 p.m.

WEST SPRINGS/COUGAR RIDGE

West Springs/Cougar Ridge

Community Association

8903 Wentworth Ave. S.W. (parking lot)

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Fit Park Exercises | adults

Fit Park Exercises

ASPEN

Mobile Fitness Park

Aspenshire Crescent and Aspen Stone Way S.W.

August 11- 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.

August 13, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

August 16, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.

August 18, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

August 22, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.

August 24, 9 a.m. – noon