President’s Message – May 2024

On April 12 we held our first Volunteer Appreciation Event since before Covid. It recognized those in the Community who had volunteered their time for social events, facility improvements and our Casino fund raisers. In addition those interested in future volunteer opportunities were invited to join the group for a social evening at a local pub Moose’s Beanery & Bar Room. During May we have joined with Rosemont Community to hold a Spring Cleanup Day on Sunday May 19 at the Cambrian Community Hall. All are invited to bring yard cleanup materials, discarded electronics and tools for disposal and recycling. Please check the website (www.cambrianheightscommunity.com) or the poster in this newsletter for more details. Beyond that event we have plans to host our third annual Bicycle Day Saturday June 1 which will involve other NW communities and our AGM is scheduled for June 18 with invited guests Lizette Tejada our MLA and Sean Chu Councillor for Ward 4. So save the dates. 

While we have no community wide plans for Calgary Neighbour Day on June 15 this year, we do encourage block parties within the community by providing a $100 fund to defer the costs of organizing and running a block party in your neighbourhood. Simply email cambrianheights@gmail.com for details.

This summer the hall grounds will welcome for the third year the Die Volksmesse car show on July 13.  The Hall also welcomes back for its third year the Between Friends summer camp. They plan to hold an open house for parents at the Hall June 27 for those who might be interested in enrolling their children this summer. See betweenfriends.ab.ca for details.

We still have garden plots available this summer for those interested in growing their own produce. If you are interested please contact us for more information.

There remains some confusion about the use of the park and playground space on 39th Avenue and 10th Street boarding QPC. Despite the unlawful removal of City signage by someone, it is not designated an off leash dog park and should not be so utilized. 

In past newsletter issues we have highlighted our intention to place a community identification sign in the park that is bounded by Cambrian and Northmount Drives. While development in Cambrian Heights started in 1956, there has never to our knowledge been a community identification sign. We are continuing our  process of designing alternatives for consideration. A development permit will ultimately be required. Our community certainly qualified in original construction design as “mid century modern” but like all inner City neighbourhoods is undergoing change with infill development. If you have any signage design thoughts feel free to comment through email to president@cambrianheightscommunity.com .

The Community continues to encourage resident participation at the Board or event volunteer level. The Treasurer position remains our most urgent need. Accounting or financial expertise will certainly be required. Involvement at a Board level offers an opportunity to help develop the programs, events and residential planning for Cambrian Heights. Help us improve our community resources by volunteering. To discuss any opportunities for participation please contact us at cambrianheights@gmail.com .

Daryl Connolly, President CHCA

President’s Message – April 2024

We held our second Celtic (Ceilidh) social and dance evening was held March 9 with over 65 participants enjoying the Mercat Cross band and Leslie Gotfrit as the dance caller. It was a lively affair enjoyed by all. In addition a Volunteer Appreciation night is planned for April 12 at Moose McGuires. As well as giving thanks to volunteers for their efforts over the last 12 months, we also encourage residents to attend who may wish to explore volunteering in the future in support of our community events. Details are available on our website and Facebook page. Beyond that we have plans to host our third annual Bicycle Day in May and have applied to the City with Rosemont for a Community Cleanup date in May or June. Our AGM is scheduled for June 18 so save the date. 

While we have no community wide plans for Calgary Neighbour Day on June 15 this year, we do encourage block parties within the community by providing a $100 fund to defer the costs of organizing and running such an event. Simply email cambrianheights@gmail.com for details.

This summer the hall grounds will welcome for the third year the Die Volksmesse car show on July 13.  The Hall also welcomes back for its third year the Between Friends summer camp. They plan to hold an open house for parents at the Hall June 27 for those who might be interested in enrolling their children this summer. See betweenfriends.ab.ca for details.

It is never too early to consider joining the garden group on the Hall grounds. We have plots available this summer for residents who are interested in growing their own vegetables. If you are interested please contact us for more information.

In our February issue we outlined a proposal to place a community identification sign in the park that is bounded by Cambrian and Northmount Drives. We are currently in the process of identifying a theme and ultimately some designs to consider. The Board feels that our community identifies  as a mid century modern inner City housing design with its park space and proximity to Confederation and Nose Hill Parks being our main attributes. If you have some theme related or design thoughts feel free to comment through email or phone call to any Board member.

With anticipated changes this year to zoning bylaws by City Council establishing a City wide RC-G designation, we will witness more multi family housing construction in the future with the corresponding issues of increased density and street parking. This densification will be impacted by the removal of all parking restrictions on new developments and the permitting of both secondary suites and back yard suites on a single parcel of land. This program promises an easing to the housing crisis over time supported by a promise of Federal funding. We encourage individuals to follow developments on the City website (calgary.ca) as these bylaw amendments are promoted. A recent development by 5 City Councillors is a motion calling for a plebiscite on this issue of blanket re-zoning. The last chance to file comments on this issue will be a public hearing with City Council April 22. Cambrian Heights has joined a number of Calgary communities in submitting a letter outlining our opposition to the blanket re-zoning.

The Community continues to need resident participation at the Board level. The Treasurer and Social Media director positions remain our most urgent need. Involvement as a Board member offers an opportunity to help develop the programs, events and residential planning for Cambrian Heights. Help us improve our community resources by volunteering. To discuss any opportunities to participate please contact us at president@cambrianheightscommunity.com .

Daryl Connolly, President CHCA

President’s Message – March 2024

While March generally signals the end of the outdoor ice we did enjoy our eighth annual Polar Party on January 27 featuring hot beverages provided by Tim Hortons and the Bullet Coffee Shop along with pastries sourced through Ola Luna Bakeshop on 40th Avenue. The weather was surprisingly warm for the ice surface by the afternoon but music provided by Moontide Agency, a resident DJ, kept everyone entertained. Over 100 residents and visitors enjoyed the skating, fire pit and the impromptu snowmen building. The enclosed pictures highlight the Rink Rat crew that make both ice sheets available and the popular goodies table during the event. We thank the ice rink volunteers for another successful season.
We are planning our second Celtic Dancing evening March 9 (see the website for tickets and details cambrianheightscommunity.com ). Attendance will be restricted so we urge you to obtain tickets to avoid disappointment. In addition a Volunteer Appreciation night is planned for April 12. We also encourage res-idents to attend who may wish to explore volunteering in the future in support of our community. Details will be available on our website and Facebook page. Beyond that we have plans to host our third annual Bicycle Day in May and have applied to the City with Rosemont for a Community Cleanup date in May or June.

It is never too early to consider joining the garden group on the Hall grounds. We have plots available this summer for residents who are interested in growing your own vegetables. If you are interested contact us at cambrianheights@gmail.com for more information.

This summer the hall grounds will welcome for the third year Die Volksmesse car show on July 13.
Also the Hall welcomes back for its third year the Between Friends summer camp. They plan to hold an open house for Parents at the Hall June 27 for those who might be interested in enrolling their children this summer. See betweenfriends.ab.ca for details.

Re-development within Cambrian Heights will continue in 2024. With anticipated changes this year to zoning bylaws by City Council establishing a City wide RC-G designation, we will witness more multi family housing construction in the future with the corresponding issues of increased density and street parking. This densification will be further impacted by the potential removal of all parking restrictions on new developments and the permitting of both secondary suites and back yard suites on a single parcel of land. This program promises an easing to the housing crisis over time supported by a promise of Federal funding. We encourage individuals to follow developments on the City website (calgary.ca) as these bylaw amendments are explained. The last chance to file comments will be a public hearing with City Council April 22.

The Community continues to need volunteers to replace our interim Treasurer and Social Media volunteer. These positions provide the Community Association financial controls and coordinate our social media communications activities. They both offer an opportunity to join an experienced team and the opportunity to help develop the programs, events and residential planning for Cambrian Heights. It is your community. Help make it better for your family by volunteering even on a limited basis. To discuss any volunteer opportunities please contact us at president@cambrianheightscommunity.com.
Daryl Connolly, President CHCA

President’s Message – February 2024

January provided the onset of winter which was celebrated by our eighth annual Polar Party January 27 with hot beverages, cookies and music for all. While the date for writing of this letter does not allow me to summarize the events of that day we hope the weather cooperated and was an event enjoyed by all participants. We are planning a Volunteer Appreciation evening in Q2 for all those who helped organize and run social events as well as those who make the Casino funding for the Community possible. We are also planning a repeat of the highly successful Ceili Dance social for March 9. Check our website for dates and details (cambrianheightscommunity.com). Our Yoga and Fitness programs also are continuing with details in this newsletter.

We encourage residents to utilize our excellent outdoor ice surfaces behind the community hall and serviced by a dedicated group of volunteers. It is never too late to volunteer some time to help out our Rink Rats. See contact information for Scott Jacobson in our list of community volunteers. Fabrication of a fire pit is complete and by the reading of this newsletter will have been in operation. Look to the website for advanced scheduling of this ice rink feature as we test its usage with safety considerations.

Re-development within Cambrian Heights will continue into 2024. With anticipated changes in Q2 of this year to zoning bylaws by City Council, establishing a City wide RC-G designation, we will witness more multi family housing construction in the future with the corresponding issues of increased density and street parking. This densification will be further impacted by the removal of all parking restrictions on new developments and the permitting of both secondary suites and back yard suites on a single parcel of land. We encourage individuals to follow developments on the City website (calgary.ca) as these bylaw amendments are approved to appreciate the limits in our ability to modify such new development designs. Our Planning committee will continue to monitor these changes and comment to the City planners and our Ward 4 Councillor where concerns exist. 

As part of our program to work with Calgary Parks to improve our community green spaces, we have decided to add a Cambrian Heights community sign in the park bordering Northmount and Cambrian Drives this year. While preliminary sign designs are being discussed at the Board level we welcome any suggestions for the sign design from community residents. If you have a comment or ideas please forward them to us at cambrianheights@gmail.com.

The Community continues to need volunteers to replace our interim Treasurer and Social Media Director. These positions provide the Community Association financial controls  and coordinate our social media communications activities. They both offer an opportunity to join an experienced team and the opportunity to help develop the programs, events and residential planning for Cambrian Heights. It is your community. Help make it better for your family by volunteering even on a limited basis. To discuss any volunteer opportunities please contact us at president@cambrianheightscommunity.com .

Daryl Connolly, President CHCA

With a new year upon us the Board extends best wishes to all our community residents for 2024. We continue to offer social events designed to appeal to the cross section of our residents. For 2024 we plan to continue with our annual Polar Party this winter and are also planning a volunteer appreciation evening early in the new year for all those who help design, organize and run events as well as those who make the Casino funding for the Community possible. Check our website for dates and details. Our Yoga and Fitness programs will continue for those looking to fulfill their New Years resolutions. 

A hearty shout out goes to our Social Committee for two very successful events closing out our 2023 activity. The Lego Contest was reintroduced after a COVID caused suspension and drew 56 entries in 6 age categories. Everyone enjoyed the contest and sponsors were found contributing to the prizes and special thanks to Noah Sonnenburg, Stephen Joe (Season 3 Lego Masters NA contestant), Mike Allan and Nancy Else for judging. I have attached a picture from the event but reference you to our website for additional photos. 

On December 8 the Community held its first ever Movie Night with pizza, popcorn and a Christmas movie. There were over 85 participants which made the evening a complete success for kids and adults alike.  I have attached a picture from the event below. 

We encourage residents to utilize our excellent outdoor ice surfaces behind the community hall and serviced by a dedicated group of volunteers. Plans have been made to add a fireplace some evenings to afford a warmup opportunity. Look to the website for advanced scheduling of this ice rink feature.

Re-development within Cambrian Heights is anticipated to continue into 2024. With anticipated changes to zoning bylaws by City Council it will be more difficult to restrict multi family housing construction with the corresponding issues of density and traffic. We encourage individuals to follow developments on the City website (calgary.ca) as these rules change to understand the limits in our ability to modify such new development designs. Our Planning committee will continue to monitor such developments and comment to the City planners and our Ward 4 Councillor where concerns exist.

We continue to work with Calgary Parks to improve our community green spaces. The addition of two new picnic tables and the promise of more trees in 2024 to the Cambrian Off Leash Park on 32nd Avenue was very welcome as was the new bench in the park bordering Northmount and Cambrian Drives. Some preliminary discussions are also underway concerning the park on 39th Ave. and 10th Street. If you have ideas for any of our park spaces please let us know (cambrianheights@gmail.com). 

The Community continues to need volunteers to replace our interim Treasurer and Social Media Director. These positions provide the Community Association financial controls  and coordinate our social media communications activities. These both are opportunities to join an experienced team with systems in place and help develop the programs, events and planning for Cambrian Heights. It is your community. Help make it better for your family by volunteering even on a limited basis. To discuss any volunteer opportunities please contact us at president@cambrianheightscommunity.com .

Daryl Connolly, President CHCA

At the writing of this report October has brought us bright colours and mild fall temperatures. This has allowed for continued use of our many park spaces including adjoining Confederation Park and nearby Nose Hill. November will bring the potential of snow and colder temperatures. Our two outdoor rinks have always been well maintained and enjoyed by residents and visitors alike. Their maintenance is dependent upon volunteers and we ask if you wish to lend any assistance to the Rink rats it will be well received. Especially this winter with plans for a fire pit to enjoy. Please contact us at cambrianheights@gmail.com to offer your help even on a limited basis. 

We held our annual Pumpkin Event this year on October 21. We distributed free pumpkins to all those who visited us at the Community Hall steps. We plan to add an additional Christmas themed event before year end and kick off 2024 with another outdoor Polar Skating party in January. 

Recently City Council passed a resolution approving a motion that will eliminate all R-C1 zoning (single family detached) in Calgary in favour of re-zoning to R-CG for all residential areas, enabling multi family structures on existing single housing lots plus permitting secondary suites and backyard suites on one parcel of land, and eliminating parking requirements. This process is of course being driven in the name of the reported housing cost and availability crisis. There are still some regulatory steps to complete before the Bylaws are changed but expect to see such development accelerate into 2024. We will continue to monitor the changes as they occur. If you have questions on these planning development issues or the process please reference the City website at calgary.ca .

The previously reported garden project at the park space bordering Cambrian and Northmount Drives continues to progress thanks to a group of resident volunteers and contributions from Calgary Parks. We have initiated a signage design to provide a visible entrance to our community at this location. 

The Community continues to need volunteers to replace our Treasurer and our Social Media Director. These are critical positions for the Community Association controlling our finance and communications activities. We also are looking for volunteer Directors to enhance our ability to plan events and programs. This is an opportunity to join an experienced team and help develop the programs, events and planning for Cambrian Heights. It is your community. Help make it better for your family by volunteering even on a limited basis. To discuss any volunteer opportunities please contact us at president@cambrianheightscommunity.com .

Daryl Connolly, President CHCA

October brings the chill of fall and the bright colours with the potential of a blanket of white. The outdoor Rink Rates will be planning for another great skating season and this year we will introduce a fire pit at the rinks behind the hall on a trial basis. Details will be provided on our website as the ice rinks are flooded. 

September was highlighted by our outdoor concert featuring the southern Alberta Six Corners country band supported by a food truck and beer garden. This is the third such outdoor concert to start the fall/winter schedule of social programs. We hope to add an additional event before year end and kick off 2024 with another outdoor Polar Skating party in January. 

With the increase in construction and development permit applications, including the recent land use application change from R-C2 to the new R-CG designation we want to remind everyone that your comments to City Planning representatives as identified in any application is important. Equally are comments to your City Councillor Sean Chu (sean.chu@calgary.ca). While the Community attempts to comment on these applications, particularly in the areas of parking, setback and mixed zoning use, your direct participation where you live in close proximity, are taken into account by the City planners.  At this point there is a resolution before City Council that will eliminate all R-C1 zoning (single family detached) in favour of re-zoning to R-CG for all residential areas, enabling secondary suites and backyard suites on one parcel of land, and eliminating parking requirements. This process is of course being driven in the name of the reported housing cost and availability crisis. If you have questions on developments or the process please reference the City website at calgary.ca or contact our Planning Committee at planning@cambrianheightscommunity.com .

We encourage everyone to participate in our Fitness (Monday) and Yoga (Wednesday) programs. Details are available in the Newsletter. New this year are the twice a week (Tuesday/Thursday) Scottish Country Dancing lessons and evening socials. Enjoy the music, camaraderie and exercise afforded by qualified instructors and Scottish music. Details are found on the website and in this newsletter. 

The previously reported garden project at the park space bordering Cambrian and Northmount Drives continues to progress thanks to a group of resident volunteers and contributions from Calgary Parks. This fall we will initiate a signage design to provide a visible entrance to our community at this location. 

The Community continues to need volunteers to replace our Treasurer and our Social Media Director. These are critical positions for the Community Association controlling our finance and communications activities. We also are looking for volunteer Directors to enhance our ability to plan events and programs. This is an opportunity to join an experienced team and help develop the programs, events and planning for Cambrian Heights. It is your community. Help make it better for your family by volunteering even on a limited basis. To discuss any volunteer opportunities please contact us at president@cambrianheightscommunity.com .

Daryl Connolly, President CHCA

President’s Message – September 2023

With the advent of September we witness the colour change and cooler temperatures. Hopefully the summer weather we have enjoyed will continue and everyone will enjoy Confederation Park, Nose Hill Park and our own Off Lease Dog Park this fall.  By now the new trees in our Dog Park will have been planted and additional tree log landscaping and planting of wild flowers on the northern edge will have been completed. Unfortunately, some additional wild flower planting will be necessary resulting in the fencing staying in place until next year. Calgary Parks has also added three free compostable “poop” bag dispensers that I hope everyone is utilizing. These bags are compostable and are recommended by the City for use over the less expensive biodegradable types. 

I am sure everyone has noticed the construction activity within the community, particularly in the area around Confederation Park. Recently we have received our first land use application change, in this case from R-C2 to the new R-CG designation that if approved could allow up to 4 units being developed on a 50 foot frontage corner lot. This is the first of a trend that is well represented in the neighbouring Mount Pleasant community.  If you have comments on such developments please contact our Planning Committee at planning@cambrianheightscommunity.com .

In September CHCA will restart the Fitness (Monday) and Yoga (Wednesday) programs. Details are available in the Newsletter or our website (www.cambrianheightscommunity.com). The Community Hall will also see twice a week (Tuesday/Thursday) Scottish Country Dancing lessons and evening socials. Enjoy the music, camaraderie and exercise afforded by qualified instructors and Scottish music. Again details may be found on the website. We hope to have a family concert event outdoors in mid September but we have no firm plans at the writing of this report. Watch the website or Hall signage. 

The previously reported garden project at the park space bordering Cambrian and Northmount Drives has progressed thanks to a group of resident volunteers. This fall we will develop cost estimates to design and install signage to identify an entrance to our community at this location. If you wish to get involved with this project please let us know by emailing us at cambrianheights@gmail.com . 

The Community continues to need volunteers to replace our Treasurer and our Social Media Director. These are critical positions for the Community Association controlling our finance and communications activities. We currently have only 5 volunteer Directors which restricts our ability to plan events or programs. This is an opportunity to join an experienced team and help develop the programs, events and planning for Cambrian Heights. It is your community. Help make it better for your family by volunteering even on a limited basis. To discuss these two volunteer opportunities or others please contact us at president@cambrianheightscommunity.com .

Daryl Connolly, President CHCA

We hope everyone has been enjoying the summer and the July celebration of the Calgary Stampede. Your Board continues to work on future social planning events as well as organizing fall programs and reacting to the increasing development activity within the community through the City Development Program approval process. New houses are being built with larger two story footprints and soon we will be seeing the multi family structures prevalent in our neighbouring communities being proposed around changing land use applications. If you have comments on new development please contact our Planning Committee as identified on our website.

We hosted on July 15 our second Die Volksmesse car show on the community hall grounds. In addition we have recently added a Church group and committed to 2 Fall Scottish Country Dancing group programs. One each on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Consider joining in for an evening of dancing lessons for only a $2 fee. Check our website (www.cambrianheightscommunity.com) for further details and any updates. Our Yoga and Fitness programs will be returning in September as detailed in the poster announcements found in this issue of the newsletter or our website. We also hope to have an outdoor event in September as a close to our summer.

As previously reported, there are two gardening projects in our Community. The most recent project focuses on the re-design and planting of flowers at the park space bordering Cambrian and Northmount Drives. This project is being undertaken by a group of volunteers from the Community in response to the City Parks cutting back on such activity. I have attached a picture reflecting the work done to date. We believe this park is a central gateway to the community and deserves further development in the future. At some point we may consider designing and installing signage to identify our community. If you wish to get involved with this project please let us know by emailing us. 

 Our second garden project is a demonstration garden sponsored by the Alberta Low Impact Development Partnership. (“ALIDP”) at the rear of the Community Hall. The ALIDP garden is a provincial sponsored project that identifies low maintenance natural plants designed for Alberta weather conditions as an alternative to high water demand grass lawns.  Come visit the garden behind the hall that is also being monitored and studied by the University of Calgary for natural moisture levels. 

The Community is in need of volunteers to replace our Treasurer and our Social Media Director, both of whom have retired this year. These are critical positions for the Community Association controlling our finance and communications activities. We are also down to only 5 Directors which restricts our ability to plan events or programs. This is an opportunity to join an experienced team and help develop the programs, events and planning for Cambrian Heights. To discuss these volunteer opportunities and others please contact us at president@cambrianheightscommunity.com .

Daryl Connolly, President CHCA

With the advent of summer the Board of Directors take a two month holiday from meetings. However work continues on planning social events, continuing progress on our Off Leash Dog Park development, the volunteer effort to enhance the park space bordering Cambrian and Northmount Drive and the attention to increasing development permits as our community grows and experiences changes in housing design. 

June was highlighted in Cambrian Heights by our Annual General Meeting on June 27 and some Neighbour Day block parties held on June 17.  Those that attended the AGM heard of the continuing strong financial position the community enjoys while our need for residents to join in planning and participating in social events remains a challenge. We are planning to host an outdoor event in mid September with entertainment and food to welcome the fall months and a new season of social activities.

Of major impact to the residents was the provincial general election. We congratulate our new MLA Lizette Tejada on her successful campaign and look forward to establishing the same level of communication and community support enjoyed with our previous representative Jeremy Nixon. 

The Community Hall will remain busy this summer season with the second year of the Between Friends summer camp occupying the facility and grounds throughout the July August months. We will be hosting on July 15 our second Die Volksmesse car show on the community hall grounds. In addition we have recently added a Church group and committed to a Fall Scottish Country Dancing group program. We are looking to add additional programs this fall as well as return with our Yoga and Fitness programs in September. 

As previously reported, there are two gardening projects in our Community. One is the planting of flowers at the park space bordering Cambrian and Northmount Drives, and the new demonstration garden sponsored by the Alberta Low Impact Development Partnership. (“ALIDP”) at the rear of the Community Hall. The first garden is a beautification project on this park spacing as a visible entry point into our community. With the City reducing services we have gathered a volunteer group to plant flowers and care for this park space. Should you wish to help out in this regard please contact us at cambrianheights@gmail.com. The ALIDP garden on the other hand is a provincial sponsored project that identifies low maintenance natural plants designed for Alberta weather conditions as an alternative to high water demand grass lawns.  Come visit the garden behind the hall that is also being monitored and studied by the University of Calgary for natural moisture levels. 

We continue to pursue future enhancements to the Off Leash Park on 32nd Avenue and 10th Street. Progress has been slowed by a current small volunteer base but with Calgary Parks help improvements have been made and will continue with the planting of new tress this summer. You may have noticed fencing around some areas of this park which are designed to allow the initiation of a taller growing but hardy grass to minimize maintenance of the area. This is part of a City wide parks program. The City will continue to cut grass in the main area for off leash activity and water new trees until they are stabilized. Please consider involving yourself in our Parks enhancement projects. 

The Community is in need of volunteers to replace our Treasurer and our Social Media Director, both of whom have retired this year. These are critical positions for the Community Association controlling our finance and communications activities. This is an opportunity to join an experienced team and help develop the programs, events and planning for Cambrian Heights. To discuss these volunteer opportunities and others please contact us at president@cambrianheightscommunity.com .

Have a Great Summer!

Daryl Connolly, President CHCA