April Newsletter

Hello Ward 6,

As we move further into spring and look ahead to the summer months, I want to take a moment to share a few updates from around our community.

This time of year is always busy across Ward 6, with more people out walking, cycling, and enjoying our beautiful parks, pathways, and neighbourhood spaces. It’s also a time when many important conversations are happening at City Hall.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to connect with residents, local organizations, and City teams working on everything from mobility and infrastructure to community programming and public safety. These conversations are critical in helping guide the decisions we make and ensuring your voice is reflected in the work we do.

In this edition, you’ll find updates on recent Council activities, community visits, opportunities to get involved, and initiatives aimed at improving safety and access across our city.

As always, if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas, I encourage you to reach out to my office.

Sincerely,

John Pantazopoulos, Ward 6 Councillor, CFA,  ICD.D

Building Calgary's Creative Future: A Long-Term Arts, Music, Culture, and Creative Economy Strategy - Councillor Pantazopoulos' Latest Notice of Motion

During the April 28 Regular Meeting of Council, Calgary's City Council voted 13-1 to approve our latest Notice of Motion, "Building Calgary’s Creative Future: A Long-Term Arts, Music, Culture and Creative Economy Strategy." 

This strategy is an important step toward positioning Calgary as a national leader in the development of our creative industries.

The impact of this sector is significant. Calgary’s creative economy contributes $1.33 billion to our local GDP. 

This isn’t a niche sector. Creative industries represent nearly 10% of all businesses in Calgary including a large number of small businesses, entrepreneurs, and independent creators. Supporting arts and culture means supporting local jobs, small business growth, and economic diversification.

The connection to tourism is also clear. In 2022 alone, visitors spent $62 million on arts and culture in Calgary, reinforcing its role as a key driver of our visitor economy.

Behind it all is a strong base of our friends and neighbours, with more than 50,000 Calgarians volunteering more than 2.25 million hours to support arts and culture. Arts and culture is a true driver of civic pride.

Water Efficiency Plan

Council approved the Water Efficiency Plan in a 10-5 vote.

At its core, this plan is about fixing and strengthening Calgary's water system. It includes major investment to reduce leaks, replace aging pipes, and improve how the system operates. That's long overdue and necessary to keep water reliable as our City continues to grow.

At the same time, we were clear that any changes affecting residents need to be reasonable and not heavy-handed.

Councillor Pantazopoulos brought forward amendments and motions arising to:

- Ensure voluntary measures are tried first before restrictions are used

- Require clear rationale when restrictions are applied

- Add regular reporting so Council can track how these powers are being used

Those changes passed.

Councillor Pantazopoulos also pushed to remove the outdoor watering schedule from the bylaw and make it voluntary first with a pilot project, which did not pass.

For clarity: this is not a ban on water use. The schedule is meant to spread out lawn watering across the week to reduce peak demand and avoid more severe restrictions down the road.

Learn more at this link.

April 30 Town Hall

We were honoured to host a Town Hall on community safety with our outstanding Calgary Police Service leadership. Community safety was a core pillar of my campaign. Every day, residents across Ward 6 take the time to share concerns and thoughts on safety. That's why events like these are so important.

We were thrilled to have our special guests, Chief Katie McLellan, Acting Superintendent Hurley, and our Community Resource Officers attend and speak on how they are working to improve safety in our communities.

Thank you to all who attended and asked questions. Your engagement is paramount in building a safe city.

Tour of Signal Hill Library

Councillor Pantazopoulos and our Ward 6 team recently had the opportunity to tour the Signal Hill Library and connect with staff about the important role the library plays in our community.

During the visit, we saw firsthand how the library continues to be much more than just a place to borrow books. It serves as a welcoming community hub where residents of all ages can access programs, technology, study spaces, and support services. From early childhood learning to resources for job seekers and newcomers, the library is a vital space that brings people together.

We had the chance to hear directly from staff about the growing demand for services and the evolving needs of the community. Their insights are invaluable as we continue to look at how City services can best support residents now and into the future. The Signal Hill Library is such a tremendous asset to our community, however, it alone cannot keep up with the growth our Ward 6 communities have experienced. This visit highlights the importance of investing in our civic partners.

Thank you to the team at the Signal Hill Library for taking the time to show us around and for the work you do every day to support Calgarians.

Women In Need Society (WINS)

Councillor Pantazopoulos and the Ward 6 team had the chance to visit Women In Need Society and see their work up close.

WINS is doing incredible work supporting Calgarians with basic needs, emergency clothing, and household essentials, while also helping people get back into the workforce through hands-on training programs.

Thank you to Sam and Shaela for the tour. If you are able, consider visiting and donating to any WINS location. The Glenbrook store at 67 Glenbrook Pl SW is right here in Ward 6!

Travel Safe Event

Two Ward 6 schools – Dr. Roberta Bondar School and Calgary French & International School – took part in the City’s 3rd Annual Travel Safe Student Video Contest, an initiative that supports Calgary’s Safer Mobility Plan by engaging youth in promoting safer streets.

The contest invited students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 to create short, original videos highlighting important safety topics like pedestrian awareness, distracted travel, speed limits, and cycling and wheeling safety. Delivered in partnership with the Calgary Police Service and Calgary Public Library, the program empowers students to use their creativity and lived experiences to encourage safer habits across all modes of travel.

Thank you to all the students who took the time to participate!

Douglas Fir Trail

Pre-engagement is now open! We want to hear from you!

We are inviting Calgarians to take part in pre-engagement for the future of the Douglas Fir Trail. This first step will help us understand how people would like to participate in upcoming engagement opportunities and how we can make it easy, accessible, and meaningful for everyone. Pre-engagement is open until 15 May 2026.

To get started, please visit: https://engage.calgary.ca/DFT

Your input will help shape how we connect with the community as the project moves forward.

Why your voice matters:

We are working toward a safe, sustainable, long-term future for the Douglas Fir Trail. Community feedback will help inform how repair options are developed, reviewed, and refined within clear safety, environmental, and technical requirements.

This is an opportunity to share what matters most to you and help shape the future of one of Calgary’s most unique natural trails.

How to participate:

There will be several ways to get involved:

• Complete the online pre-engagement activities

• Learn about future engagement phases and provide feedback online

• Attend an open house or community pop-up event

• Check back regularly for updates and new opportunities

Visit: https://engage.calgary.ca/DFT

Discovery Ridge Dam

Upcoming public engagement:

The City is addressing risks posed by the Discovery Ridge dam while reimagining the surrounding park space. The new area design will allow water to flow naturally through the area while retaining valuable amenities.

Your input is important to us. Share your thoughts on potential design concepts before one is chosen in one of two ways:

Ambrose Circle S.W.

Drop-in engagement session:

When: Wednesday, May 13, 2026, 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Where: Ambrose University (Room 2131), 150 Ambrose Circle SW

Online survey:

Live starting May 4 (see link below) Find out more about this project  and engagement opportunities at calgary.ca/DiscoveryRidgeDam

Community Clean Ups

Annually, The City of Calgary works closely with many community partners such as community associations, homeowner associations, and resident associations and their volunteers to host community cleanups. The cleanups help residents dispose of unusable or broken household items and property waste that doesn’t fit into their black cart, keeping neighbourhoods and properties clean and well-maintained.

Community cleanup events run from April 25 to September 27. There are two to three events per day on Saturdays and Sundays throughout Calgary. Community cleanups are open to all Calgarians, regardless of whether they live in the host community. Event schedules are subject to change based on weather conditions, volunteer availability, and community organization support. In some cases, events may need to be cancelled at short notice.

For the full schedule and items that are accepted, please visit calgary.ca/cleanups

Upcoming Clean-Ups in Ward 6:

- West Springs / Cougar Ridge - May 17, 2026 (9 a.m. until 2 p.m.) - 700 77 Street SW
- Strathcona Park / Christie Park - May 23, 2026 (9 a.m. until 2 p.m.) - 277 Strathcona Drive SW
- Glenbrook - May 24, 2026 (9 a.m. until 2 p.m.) - 3524 45 Street SW
- Springbank Hill / Discovery Ridge / Signal Hill - June 13, 2026 (9 a.m. until 2 p.m.) - 3939 69 Street SW
- Westgate - August 9, 2026 (9 a.m. until 2 p.m.) - 4943 8 Avenue SW

Upcoming Events

Thanks for reading!