Ward 6 - Richard Pootmans

June 2023 Newsletter

Hello Ward 6!

Once again, Summer is upon us and so are some exciting events that I look forward to every year - Canada Day and Stampede. In this edition of the Ward 6 newsletter, you will read about the Canada Day event schedule, free summer children’s programing, the new home upgrade program and so much more.

COUNCIL UPDATES

Housing and Affordability Task Force Recommendations

With the defeat of the Housing and Affordability Task Force motion at Council yesterday, Calgary was left with an incomplete affordable housing policy. This was rapidly becoming a national embarrassment, with possible housing funding implications from other orders of Government.

With our population growing at a rate of 25-30,000 people annually, this gap is an unacceptable situation for us today and could present even worse problems in our future.

Like everyone else, I saw elements in the Housing and Affordability Task Force work that I could agree with, and some parts that I struggled with. Procedurally at Council, however, we were unable to resolve our issues and challenges as the recommendations were part of a package from our expert advisors. Nor could we bring independent due diligence into the discussions.

For me, the most problematic matter was our inability to use the Council forum to hear from the public, especially on matters such as land use changes and parking requirements. The solution was to work with colleagues to provide an alternate series of recommendations for the Task Force.

These recommendations (shown below) provide for a public hearing at the Community Development Committee (CDC) on September 14^th, 2023. This lead time should enable all of those interested to participate in the hearing. If there were to be recommendations accepted at CDC, for example a change in base land use districts, those changes would have to be initially brought to a public engagement and then subsequently to a public hearing at Council.

Should further work specific to initiating a change to the base land use district be directed by Council through an updated Corporate Affordable Housing Strategy this fall, any such adjustment would then require a fulsome property owner notification approach and public hearing process as well as subsequent Council deliberation.

We have a lot of work ahead of us, but I look forward to continuing discussions with residents, Administration and my Council colleagues.

RECONSIDERATION OF 9.1.3

ALTERNATE RECOMMENDATIONS:

That Council:

1. Receive the Housing and Affordability Task Force Recommendations and Actions (“Recommendations”) for information (Attachment 2);

2. Disband the Housing and Affordability Task Force and thank its members for their time and professional advice;

3. Direct Administration to incorporate the Housing and Affordability Task Force Recommendations and Actions into the revisions presently underway on the Corporate Affordable Housing Strategy, which is scheduled to return to Community Development Committee in September 2023;

4. Direct Administration, as part of the September 2023 Committee presentation, to clearly identify which Housing and Affordability Task Force Recommendations and Actions were incorporated into the Corporate Affordable Housing Strategy, the corporate-wide implications (including but not limited to changes to base land use district, parking requirements, or funding for the downtown incentive program), and the decisions required from Council as a result;

5. Direct Administration to bring forward specific actions for further consideration and deliberation through committee to Council, including those that require additional budget resources to the monthly standing Executive Committee item “Strategic Discussion on Building and Delivering on Plans and Budgets”.

6. Direct Administration to report on the status of the implementation of the updated Corporate Affordable Housing Strategy on a quarterly basis, through Community Development Committee to Council, commencing in Q4 2023.

DID YOU KNOW?

Westhills Community Recycling Depot Closing

Waste & Recycling Services (WRS) recently received a request by the Westhills Community Recycling Depot (CRD) host to remove the CRD located on their property at the Westhills Towne Centre - 200 Stewart Green SW.

The City and the Depot Host have been dealing with increased instances of illegal dumping and scavenging at this location over the past two years. Together with Calgary Corporate Security and Bylaw Services and the various charity organizations with drop- off bins nearby we have implemented various measures in an attempt to discourage this behaviour. This includes signage, increased security and a mobile security camera. As this is a busy commercial area with easy access for those seeking to misuse the depot, the issues have continued unabated and the property owner has requested that the bins be removed immediately.

The Westhills CRD will close effective July 10, and the bins will be removed during the week of July 10-14.

A sign will be posted at the site in advance to notify users and advise them to visit Calgary.ca/recycledepot for alternative locations.

Waste & Recycling Services recognizes that the loss of this location leaves a significant gap in the Community Recycling Depot network in the West and Southwest.

As this issue has been ongoing for almost two years now, Waste & Recycling Services has been seeking an alternative location(s) that perhaps better serve the residents of the nearby communities and is less attractive or convenient for those seeking to misuse the depot. To date we have been unsuccessful in identifying an alternative location, if any Community Association or other property partner is interested in piloting a Community Recycling Depot, Waste & Recycling Service would be interested in discussing the opportunity.

New Home Upgrade Program

Alberta Ecotrust Foundation, a charity that leads urban climate change action through their Climate Innovation Fund, is partnering with Kambo Energy Group to launch a scalable, proven solution to reduce both energy poverty and emissions. The Home Upgrades Program helps homeowners reduce their energy consumption by offering deep energy retrofits and providing energy education and mentorship free of charge to eligible families in Calgary and Edmonton.

In Calgary, the program will provide education and home upgrades to ~100 qualifying households with support from Alberta Ecotrust through the Climate Innovation Fund, Alberta Real Estate Foundation, Calgary Foundation, City of Calgary, ENMAX, McConnell Foundation and Suncor Energy Foundation.

The City of Calgary strives to present Calgarians with an equitable future, and it is programs like this that help make these initiatives come to realization. 73% of Calgarians want us to “invest more” in Affordable Housing, and Council has made it a priority. However, the focus cannot remain on affordable housing without addressing the increased energy bills that our homeowners face. The program identifies and installs home upgrades based on each household’s unique needs, possibly including items like new windows, high-efficiency furnaces, and insulation. Upgrades are designed to reduce consumption and improve affordability as much as possible for these families.

To apply or learn more, please visit www.homeupgradesprogram.ca

Understanding your water utility bill

As we head into the heat of the summer, where we tend to use a bit more water, it is important to understand your water utility bill. Do you sometimes wonder what the information on your bill actually means? Click to have your bill explained.

https://www.calgary.ca/water/customer-service/how-to-read-your-water-bill.html

EVENTS

Canada Day

Calgarians and visitors are invited downtown on July 1 for a full day of Canada Day festivities! This year’s free and family-friendly celebration features an Indigenous showcase and powwow, live music, and will end with a fireworks show lighting up the sky above Stampede Park. Other attractions throughout the day include cultural performances, face painting, turban tying, lion dances, a street fair and more.

Events will take place at Fort Calgary, St. Patrick’s Island, Olympic Plaza, the Municipal Building Atrium and several other downtown locations. The main stage evening show at Fort Calgary will include performances by Dear Rouge, William Prince and headliner act The Funk Hunters, with a musical set that includes on-stage special effects.

With so many attractions and activities to choose from, you can plan your day using the event schedule and interactive Canada Day map at calgary.ca/CanadaDay. We’ve added pins for each downtown site to mark the service and event locations, times and descriptions.

We look forward to seeing you at Canada Day 2023!

2023 Stampede Planning Tips

Value Days

Sneak-A-Peek: Thursday, July 6 - $11 entry for everyone from 5 p.m. - 12 a.m.
Parade-To-Park – Presented by Suncor: Friday, July 7 – Adults, children and seniors receive FREE admission from 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Tim Hortons Family Day: Sunday, July 9 - Admission is FREE from 8 a.m. - 11 a.m., a FREE variety show from 8 a.m. - 10 a.m. and a FREE pancake breakfast will be available until 10 a.m. (while supplies last).
TC Energy Community Day: Tuesday, July 11 – FREE admission for adults and children from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., seniors’ FREE admission all day.
BMO Kids’ Day: Wednesday, July 12 - FREE breakfast in the GMC Stadium Courtyard from 8 a.m. - 9:30 a.m., FREE variety show from 8 a.m. - 10 a.m. Park opens at 7:30 a.m. with FREE entry for everyone from 8 a.m. - 10 a.m. and FREE entry for kids 12 & under all day.

Value Deals

Stampede SuperPass: Unlimited entry all 10 days! Experience 10 days of food, music and fun for $49 plus GST, available online and at participating Sobeys, Safeway, IGA. Only available until Thursday, July 6, 2023, while supplies last.
Ride All Day: Save over 25% with Ride All Day Cards! Purchase a Ride All Day Card in-store for $44.99 plus GST at participating Sobeys, Safeway and IGA. Valid from July 7 - 16, 2023 on all N.A.M.E. Midway rides, games and the Westjet Skyride
Stampede Bucks: Save 20% on Stampede in-store at Costco! Get $50 in Stampede Bucks for just $39.99 and redeem them on everything from rides to Rodeo and Evening Show reserved tickets.
Circle K – 2 for $33: Visit any participating Circle K locations to purchase two Calgary Stampede General Admission tickets and two 500ml Coca-Cola® products for $33.
Co-Op Offer: Until July 7, save $10 on a Calgary Stampede Park Admission when you spend $5 on any participating Coca-Cola® products, at any Calgary Co-op Grocery or Gas location.
Lotteries Offer: Buy a Lotteries ticket before July 6, 2023, and receive 50% off Rodeo and Evening Show tickets.

For more information on Value Days or Value Deals, visit CalgaryStampede.com/value-days and CalgaryStampede.com/value-deals

Stampede Rideshare Ensuring Safety

The City of Calgary works closely with the rideshare industry and the Calgary Stampede to ensure Calgarians get home safely. However, passengers should do a few important checks before they get into any vehicle, both during Stampede and throughout the year.

When booking a rideshare, the app provides passengers with a photo of the driver, the license plate number, the make and model of the vehicle and real-time GPS tracking. Double-checking these details for the driver and the car will safeguard riders against getting into a vehicle with a potentially unsafe, unlicensed driver.

When street-hailing a taxi, passengers should ensure that the driver and vehicle are both licensed. A taxi plate verifies these on the car's rear bumper, and the driver’s ID must be posted in a visible location. Passengers are also reminded to take note of the taxi number, company and colour of the vehicle.

For more information on regulations and safety tips, visit calgary.ca/taxi.

If you have any concerns or are approached by a driver soliciting business, please report the incident to 3-1-1 for investigation. If your safety is threatened, call 9-1-1 immediately.

Free Summer Children Programs

It is finally summer, and while all the school kids are rejoicing, most parents are trying to find programs to keep their children active. If you are looking for some FREE, fun activities for children, youth and your family this summer, these safe, supervised programs are great for making new friends and learning new activities. Here is a list of summer programs in Ward 6.

Date

Program

Location

July 3 - 7 Mon. - Fri.

- Stay n’ Play - 10 a.m. – noon