Seasons Greetings for Your Team Ward 9

This holiday season began for me with a one-two punch. Early in the morning at the end of November, my son, my Chief of Staff’s child, and I assembled at the Calgary Food Bank for a food hamper stuffing competition, kicking off the 35th Annual Mayor and Council’s Food Drive. It was a spirited morning with Councillors and their teams competing to see who could pack the most hampers, and while the mood was fun, and the competition brought out the press to help spread awareness, the underlying message is sobering. Too many of our neighbours are struggling to make ends meet in this post-Covid period of unprecedented economic inequality, high inflation, high interest rates, and an increasingly constricted housing supply as the population of our wonderfully livable city booms. The Calgary Food Bank is facing a record 30% year-over-year increase in demand, with a third of the clients they serve being children. And while it’s imperative that we pursue larger fixes to larger societal issues, our neighbours need our help right now.

On New Year’s Eve, Calgarians are invited to ring in 2024 with a midnight fireworks show launched from Prince’s Island Park. The spectacular display will be synchronized to music on CJSW 90.9 FM, highlighting the talents of Canadian artists.

Watch the fireworks from any location with a view of Prince’s Island Park or from home via livestream at calgary.ca/NYE.

Team Ward 9 recently spent an afternoon touring and learning about BonnyBoom - a multi-disciplinary arts venue right in the heart of the Bonnybrook Industrial Area.

Unofficially being dubbed the Scrap Yard Arts District, owner and founder Doug McKaeg initially started BonnyBoom in order to provide a new home for The Old Trout Puppet Workshop. Post-Covid, the building has welcomed a variety of independent artists, actors, and musicians renting office, studio, and gallery spaces.

With an expansion to a second nearby location in the new year, (a future home and circus school space for The Green Fools, BonnyBoom is trailblazing a new and unique path for the creative sector in Calgary.

As the GreenLine LRT begins to shift from planning to implementation, we are at a place where key challenges and opportunities associated with the current GreenLine station designs in Ward 9 need to be addressed. These challenges and opportunities are grounded in the perspective I have as a 10+ year advocate and champion of the GreenLine in my role as the area’s City Councillor, as well as my 20+ year role as an urban design professional working with East Calgary Communities towards the transit-oriented future we are now on the brink of achieving.

As part of the 2023-2026 Service Plans and Budgets review, Council has approved new user fees for parking permits. The introduction of user fees allows the program to recover the operational costs from those who benefit from the program and aligns with the Council-approved User Fees and Subsidies Policy.

The Council-approved user fees for residential parking permits will be effective December 4, 2023. Council also approved new user fees for the Market and Low-Income Market Permit that will be effective for the January 2024 permits.

We were fortunate to be invited to tour the newest Mustard Seed project in Ogden, Hub:29. Set to open early next year, the former United church site is now being stewarded by The Mustard Seed, delivering a unique mixed-use social hub and affordable housing project in the community. Hub:29 was designed to bring people together, exemplifying the true meaning of community, anchored in the betterment and wellbeing of all residents.

Ward 9 is home to many of the absolute best local businesses and organizations in Calgary. As the holiday season approaches, we’ve compiled a list of gift ideas that support some of these local Ward 9 businesses and create happy memories and opportunities for connection in the process.

Learn more and support local this holiday season…

The role of Constituent Liaison is an opportunity for a team player who is keen to get involved in city building and who excels in customer service. This role works directly with the Ward 9 Councillor and team to:

• Correspond regularly with constituents about ongoing projects and issues.

• Liaise with Community Associations, Business Improvement Areas, business owners, and advocacy groups to collect information and help solve issues.

• Work with City of Calgary Administration to identify problems and solutions.

Yesterday, Council approved adjustments to The City of Calgary's service plans and budgets. These adjustments balance the desire to keep property tax and water, sewer, and waste and recycling fee increases as affordable as possible for Calgarians while making meaningful investments in priority areas, such as affordable housing, public safety, and transit. 

The approved adjustments ensure every dollar spent creates the most value for our community and the people who live here. Council’s decisions today will have positive and tangible impacts on the quality of life for Calgarians and businesses as we continue to grow as a city.   

From November 30th - December 10th, we will be collecting donations for the Calgary Food Bank as part of the Mayor’s Annual Food Drive.

Like Food Banks across the country, the Calgary Food Bank has seen an unprecedented increase in demand this past year. In 2022, Council raised just over $80,000 in food and funds for Calgarians in need. We hope to surpass that number this year.

Station, a partial closure of the RedLine LRT is needed to safely accommodate this work.

From 8:00 p.m. on Friday, November 24 to 4:00 a.m. on Monday, December 4, Victoria Park/Stampede, Erlton/Stampede, and 39 Avenue stations will be closed. The southbound Red Line will terminate at City Hall/Bow Valley College Station and northbound Red Line will terminate at Chinook Station, with no CTrain service in between.

On November 10th, Love with Humanity Association in collaboration with the SE Calgary Community Resource Centre, celebrated the grand opening of a new community outdoor food pantry and multicultural outdoor free library in Ogden.

Community food pantries provide easy, dignified access to food for anyone who needs it. No questions asked, no referral needed. Community members can collectively donate food to the pantry for their neighbours in need to utilize.

SE Calgary Community Resource Centre: 2734 76 Ave SW

The City of Calgary is looking at conducting a site mobility review of the MNP Centre (formally known as the Repsol Sport Centre) that will consider and explore improvements to area walking, wheeling, and transit connections, creating easier and safer access to MNP from the surrounding areas. We are asking users of the MNP Centre, and residents in the surrounding communities, to provide important feedback on access improvements.

The City of Calgary is updating plans that will shape the Calgary of the future and make sure our city keeps on being a great place to live. We want to hear from you.

Calgary is a city of opportunity and choice. As our city’s population approaches two million, The City of Calgary must prepare to support this growth. The City Building program will align and strengthen The City’s plans and tools to create a place where everyone can thrive.

The City of Calgary is investing in one of Calgary's oldest neighbourhoods to keep it safe, beautiful, and vibrant. With the recent completion of the new 9 Avenue S.E. bridge and updates to the CPKC Rail bridge and tracks, plus the future installation of the Green Line LRT bridge, we are looking to potentially improve and expand the pathway on the east side of the Elbow River between the Bow River and the McDonald Bridge, including underneath the 9 Avenue S.E. bridge. Improving this pathway would improve accessibility and connectivity for all Calgarians between the communities of Inglewood and Ramsay, the future LRT station, the River Walk and other connecting pathways, and surrounding amenities.

he City of Calgary is currently in the third phase of the Greater Forest Lawn Communities Local Area Planning Project and some great conversations and engagement have already taken place with our working group and local community associations in both online and in-person sessions.

Opportunities for the public to get involved in Phase 3 are open now until November 13, 2023.

Work during this phase of engagement will refine how redevelopment and revitalization could happen in the Greater Forest Lawn Communities of Albert Park/Radisson Heights, Applewood Park, Dover, Erin Woods, Forest Heights, Forest Lawn, Forest Lawn Industrial, Penbrooke Meadows, Red Carpet, Southview, 09Q, and a portion of Golden Triangle. We are also looking for input on local community improvement priorities.

With the first snowfall of the winter season underway, The City of Calgary is ready to jump into action to help commuters stay safe and keep moving.

Calgary is a winter city, and adapting our service delivery for colder temperatures, snow, and ice is critical to keeping our communities vibrant, safe, and welcoming for residents, businesses, and tourists in the months ahead.

The City’s Snow and Ice Control (SNIC) program plan is organized months before the winter season begins to account for a variety of weather conditions. Under the plan, crews sand, salt, and plow roads based on a Council-approved priority system - the more traffic there is on a roadway, the higher the priority.

The City of Calgary is writing the next 20-year plan on how we develop, redevelop, and manage parks in Calgary. Our goal is to better connect Calgarians with the environment, wellness, and each other, through our shared park spaces.

By 2024, The City of Calgary will develop and present the Connect: Calgary’s Parks Plan to Council for approval. This Plan will replace the original Open Space Plan approved by Council in 2003 and will determine how Calgary’s parks are managed, developed, and redeveloped over the next 20 years. The process of creating this Plan includes three phases of engagement.

Your voice matters! We want to hear from you to create a Parks Plan that works for our city, our environment, our communities, and our future.

The second round of engagement is taking place October 16 - November 10, 2023.

A beloved wildlife sanctuary in Calgary has received much-needed upgrades to repair flood damage and erosion, improve water quality and restore habitats for the birds, fish and other animals that call the park home.

Join the conversation on climate action at this year’s Calgary Climate Symposium Oct. 23-27, 2023.

The City of Calgary is hosting 12 free public sessions over five days with community leaders, entrepreneurs, prominent climate experts, and City staff to discuss climate change impacts to Calgary, the actions we can take as Calgarians, and the importance of keeping the conversation going.