Ward 7 Newsletter Aug. 2022

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In this newsletter, you will find the followings:

August Events

Ward 7 Project Engagement Activities

Constructions and Notices

Announcements

Overdoes Prevention Site [OPS] at The Drop-In & Rehab Centre [DI]

East Village Safety Hub

Funding Opportunities

July Activities Recap

August Events

Aug 12 - 13, 2022

Parade on Aug 12 from 6pm to 10pm at Shaw Millennium Park

Aug 13, 2022

9am -6pm

St. Patrick's Island Park

Calgary Japanese Festival "Omatsuri"

Aug 13, 2022

10am - 5pm

Max Bell Centre

Aug 18 - 27, 2022

Aug 18, 20, 23, 25, 27

6pm - 9:15pm

Elliston Park

Ward 7 Project Engagement Activities

Telling the Story of Downtown Calgary

The City of Calgary's Downtown Strategy Team is looking for input from community members and visitors to develop a unique story and positioning statement to support the ongoing delivery of the Greater Downtown Plan that will resonate across diverse residents, talent, visitors and businesses.

Survey will take approx. 10 minutes to complete; and ends Aug. 12, 2022.

Vendors in Park [VIP] 2022

The VIP Pop-Up Program was created to help support local business and our economy while enhancing your enjoyment of Calgary's parks this summer. If you have recently visited South Glenmore Park, Valleyview Park, Shouldice Park, or Prairie Winds Park, you might see tents there. Share your experience.

Calgary Community Anti-Racism Action Strategy

This strategy will focus on The City's role in addressing systemic racism in Calgary and our community-based services. Add your voice, experience, and ideas for change.

16 Avenue NW/29 Street Pedestrian Bridge

The project is currently in the first steps of the preliminary design phase. Designs are expected to be complete during 2022 and construction is anticipated for 2023 and complete by end of Fall 2024.

13 Avenue NW/29 Street Safety Improvements

Signage improvements, pavement marking improvements, and surface rehabilitation and repaving were developed collaboratively between multiple City divisions to improve the experience of those walking, wheeling, and driving in the area.

Crescent Road Master Plan

What We Heard Report for Phase Two is avaliable; the project team is working towards the final concept that will be shared with Infrastructure and Planning Committee [IPC] in September. In the meantime, please connect with 311 to report parking concerns; 911 for time sensitive criminal matters; Police non-emergency line (403)266-1234 to report what you've seen.

Inclusive Playgrounds

Share your experiences at City's inclusive playgrounds to help with potential future design features on the next round of accessible playground builds.

Indian Residential School Memorial Project

This engagement process is focused on gathering input from Indigenous community members and Indigenous-serving community agencies and organizations.

Chinatown Mural

Share your thoughts about Chinatown to help local artist Jarett Sitter to create visual interest for residents, businesses, and visitors.

Constructions and Notices

West Confederation Bicycle Pump Track

Community members have been expressing their excitement about this new pump track; construction is underway and expecting to open in early October if weather permitted.

West Confederation [Canmore] Park Wetland Restoration

2022 Update: We aim to do weed control/removal at the proposed site over the summer/fall 2022; and begin construction for the restoration in Spring 2023.

North Mount Pleasant

New sidewalks and pathway missing links:

9th Street N.W. between 23 Avenue & 24 Avenue N.W.
Sidewalk and pathway connecting 7 Street to 27 Avenue. N.W.
26 Avenue between 4 and 5 Street N.W. (south side of Arts Centre)

New safety improvements to Confederation Park pathway anticipate construction to be completed by end of 2022.

Learn more about the North Mount Pleasant Arts Centre Area Improvements.

Plus 15 Network Accessibility Improvement

You might have noticed some constructions on the Plus 15 Network since mid-July 2022. Many of the Plus 15 bridges were built in 1970s and 1980s; and require improvements to bring them up to modern-day accessibility standards such as ramps, flooring, lighting, handrails, and doors. Major construction activity is expecting to be completed by early 2023.

Learn more about Plus 15 Service Updates.

North Hill Neighbourhood Streets Project

This summer, we are moving forward with improvements to our neighbourhood streets in the North Hill area, that will discourage shortcutting and ensure residential streets remain pleasant and quiet routes.

Making the diagonal diverters permanent at 1 Street and 34 Avenue N.E. and 2 Street and 22 Avenue N.W
Installing new speed humps on 23 Avenue and 2 Street N.W. to help slow down vehicle speeds on adjacent avenues
Installing new temporary traffic calming curb extensions beside Crescent Heights High School, to increase pedestrian and school safety

To support the Beltline Downtown Utility Relocation Project, 3 Avenue S.W. will be converted to a single, one-way eastbound lane for vehicular traffic, and be limited to Local Traffic Only between 3 Street S.W. and 2 Street S.W. The cycle track will be temporarily impacted, with the current eastbound track expanded to support bi-directional travel. Impacts will also extend to the northbound lane of 3 Street S.W. and across 2 Street S.W. for a limited during construction. Expected start date of construction is between Aug. 23-30; approximate duration of this work is five weeks.

Announcements

Overdoes Prevention Site [OPS] at The Drop-In & Rehab Centre [DI]

At the Calgary Drop-in & Rehab Centre Overdose Prevention Site (OPS) July engagement sessions that Cllr Wong attended, the Ward 7 team observed much emotional fatigue overall. It is understandable that when people are confronting challenging subject matter like poverty, mental health, and addiction issues, compassionate perspectives get lost in the mix. But there is genuine compassion and love of community at the center of the friction between housed and un-housed residents in the area. It is clear that neighbours are looking out for one another and just want to ensure that safety, dignity, and wellness are accessible to all even when there are clear disagreements about the potential implementation of OPS at the Drop-in.

The Ward 7 team is inspired by the brain trust and wealth of knowledge available within everyday Calgarians to contribute to a Calgary-made solution that is sensitive to neighbourhood nuances. Cllr Wong is adamant in his belief that these are our neighbours, both housed and unhoused citizens, and there is great potential to tap into other people and give them something to point all that compassion towards.

There is much that is out of scope for the municipality as OPS is a healthcare matter within the Provincial government's jurisdiction. However, we hear you and want to ensure that everything that The City can do to push for advocacy through the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee and appropriate Administrative departments will be done. Cllr Wong is currently working on building a forum that enables deeper community conversations. These ideas, stories, and perspectives generated may be of use to Council in championing for greater collaboration with the Provincial government and investment; or perhaps give clarity to social service partners like the DI on how to strengthen relationships with their fence line neighbours.

More details and invitation to follow. In the meantime, please share your feedback through DI's engagement intake and/or issue a letter to communityfeedback@thedi.ca, and cc'ing your area MLA [for MLA Honourable Joe Ceci: calgary.buffalo@assembly.ab.ca] and the Office of the President & CEO of Alberta Health Services at ahs.corp@albertahealthservices. Stay tuned!

East Village Safety Hub [EVSH]

Safety in Calgary’s downtown has always been a top priority for The City, whether during busy and vibrant times or through a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic. A partnership between Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC), The City of Calgary, Calgary Police Service and Alpha House Society’s Downtown Outreach Addictions Partnership Program, the East Village Safety Hub will provide social supports and police presence to better respond to the neighbourhood’s evolving social needs.

Enhanced presence of community safety agencies and outreach supports through daily patrols/visits to Dermot Baldwin way and surrounding areas has resulted in RioCan reporting decreased vandalism, shoplifting, and other disturbances for the month of July. Vandalism incidents have decreased month over month since April 2022, with zero incidents in July.

2022 Boards, Commissions and Committees [BCCs] Recruitment

BCC members apply their skills, interests, and expertise to guide decisions across a wide range of urban issues – including social wellbeing, anti-racism, planning & design, community standards, climate, and other areas. If you value public service and would like to take part in the future decisions of our dynamic city, apply at calgary.ca/boards! Recruiting opens on at 8am on Aug. 12 and closes at 4pm on Sep. 12, 2022.

2021 Federal Census data release

In 2021, there were 356,225 census families in private households in Calgary and the average family size was about three people. Learn more about the latest census results at Statistic Canada.

Centre Street Platform Redesign

The redesign aims to improve overall safety for all users of the platform. Implementation of design will begin in mid August.

City Hall School

515 Calgary students and 21 teachers and supports staff participated in City Hall School in the 2021-2022 year to learn about municipal government nd what it means to be a responsible citizen in Calgary. 8 Council members, Mayor Gondek, 23 City of Calgary staff, and 14 community experts shared their work and experiences with students.

Peace Bridge Vandalism

The pathway on the Peace Bridge remains open to pedestrians but is closed for wheeling users. Application of silane sealer to the concrete sidewalk and pathway is planned for this summer. An architectural consultant has been retained to evaluate bridge railing options, review alternate materials and develop cost estimates.

Funding Opportunities

ENMAX Community Solar Fund

Partnering with The City of Calgary to support the energy needs of community halls aligns with our shared commitment towards building a lower carbon energy future and strengthening our community.

Building Safer Communities Fund [BSCF]

This is to further develop and enhance community-based prevention and intervention programs specifically for young people, to reduce gun and gang violence in Calgary.

Applications will be accepted until Sep. 19, 2022 at 11:39pm MST.