With the arrival of Spring on March 20th, we look back on a very snowy winter in Calgary. Hats must go off the Rink Rats led by Scott Jacobson who have done yeoman’s work keeping the Cambrian outdoor ice rinks clear and in excellent condition. In addition, the beginning of 2018 has witnessed changes in our community development. City Council is turning administration of secondary suite applications over to Administration and this has resulted in a large number of submissions questioning the enforcement of illegal suites, the regulation of newly approved suites and the use of backyard lane suites as opposed to basement style suites. We encourage owners to be vigilant towards new applications as they impact your residence and make your concerns known to the City authorities. Similarly, there has been an increase in new development applications and you have a definite right to see the details of new construction and evaluate the impact on your residence and privacy. We encourage you to visit our website for guidelines especially our publication “Lessons Learned” for a practical guide to development issues.

A joint February Rustic Sign Handicraft Workshop involving the Cambrian School Parents and the Community Association was a great first success as the enclosed picture demonstrates with some of the participants. This was run as a fundraiser for the benefit of the school children.

In April there are three main events. On April 3 from 6:30 to 7:30 there will be a free registration session with a door prize and refreshments entitled Fun and Fearless Fitness. This will kick off four weekly evening sessions involving different disciplines for exercising designed as new programs to complement our existing yoga and Jazzercise programs.

This will be followed by a Red Cross sponsored  “Be Ready” evening program on April 10 at 7 PM designed to prepare your family for any personal disaster.

A highlight of the month will be the Wine Tasting Evening on April 14 at 7:30 featuring Spanish wines and speciality cheeses supplied by Springbank Cheese. This will be a great introduction to inexpensive quality wines from Spain. A sparkling white wine will introduce you to the tasting of 3 whites and 3 reds from different regions of Spain all explained in detail and matched to cheese and charcuterie plates. Tickets are $35 for members and $40 for guests and are available through eventbrite.ca

A complete list of currently scheduled special events at the Community Hall are as follows:

Other than the Wine tasting all these events are free to attend. Please check our website for updates and details of all events. Volunteering for setup, takedown or general assistance is an excellent way to make sure such events continue and to meet other members of the community. Please contact cambrianheights@gmail.com for more information.

We note a recent announcement by the City of Calgary that the off-leash dog park located at 32 Avenue and 10 Street will be closing with an expansion of the City’s Queens Park Cemetery. The City will be hosting an informational meeting at the Highwood Community Hall on May 9. This will be followed up in June with a community engagement on potential future sites. For more information visit calgary.ca/offleaseprojects.

We continue to look for volunteers who may have a specific interest in the Planning Committee or who will be able to become involved in the Provincial Casino fundraising program. The next Casino we estimate will not be until early 2019 so there is plenty of time to benefit from past experience and procedures.

The next meeting of the Board will take place April 9th. All residents are welcome to attend and share any concerns, questions or ideas you may have for our community. Please contact us at our email address for the specific time and place.

Remember Participation Builds Better Communities.

Daryl Connolly, President CHCA

To date, we have held three social events at the Hall. The Polar Party in January (pictures attached) witnessed colder weather than we would have liked but the addition of the inside Chilli, outside hot chocolate and a fire pit warmed the participants. This year the Cambrian School parents participated in some new fundraising events lead by Jessica DeMars. Assistance was also provided by the City and the nearby Baptist Church. Credit goes to the ice rink volunteers led by Scott Jacobson for providing two excellent sheets of ice.

February events included a Pub/Games Night organized and run by volunteer residents Carol Tubman and Pat Herrel on February 10 and the Rustic Sign Handicraft Workshop run by the Cambrian School parents as a fundraiser on February 24.

Current additional scheduled events are as follows:

Fun & Fearless Fitness           April 3

Wine Tasting                           April (tbd)

Red Cross – Be Ready             April 10

Janes Walk                             May  5

Annual General Meeting         May 15

Stampede Breakfast               July 14

Community Cleanup Event     Sept. 9

Other than the Wine tasting all these events are free to attend. Please check our website (www.cambrianheightscommunity.com) for updates and details of all events. Volunteering for setup, takedown or general assistance is an excellent way to make sure such events continue and to meet other members of the community. Please contact cambrianheights@gmail.com for more information.

We continue to look for volunteers who may have a specific interest in the Planning Committee or who will be able to become involved in the Provincial Casino fund raising program. Our next Casino we estimate will not be until early 2019 so there is plenty of time to benefit from past experience and procedures.

The Planning Committee has published on our community website a summary for the process of Development Permits dealing with the City approvals. In addition a practical guide entitled “Lessons Learned” written by two residents of our community details the practical process to avoid costly and lengthy delays in obtaining such City approvals through harmonious consultation with neighbours.

The next meeting of the Board will take place in March. All residents are welcome to attend and share any concerns, questions or ideas you may have for our community. Please contact us at our email address for the specific date, time and place.

Remember Participation Builds Better Communities.

Daryl Connolly, President CHCA

January witnessed our first event of the year our 4th Annual Polar Party. At the writing of this letter, plans call for the addition of, in partnership with the Cambrian Heights Elementry School, a Chilli cook-off and a 3X3 Hockey Tournament. While weather always impacts this event we hope the fire pit and hot chocolate provided relief from any cold weather. With free rental skates, no admission charge and the new events we know our community families took full advantage of this event.

February scheduled events include a Pub Night for February 10 and the Rustic Sign handicraft workshop on February 24. Other events scheduled for 2018 include a Wine Tasting in March or April, a Janes Walk on May 5, our Annual General Meeting on May 15, the Community Cleanup Event in May and our Stampede Breakfast July 14. Other than the Wine tasting all these events are free to attend. Please check the website for updates and details of all events. Volunteering for setup, takedown or general assistance is an excellent way to make sure such events continue and to meet other members of the community.

The continuation of these programs, development of new programs and the financing of new and existing facilities within our community is the continuing objective of your Board of Directors. New volunteers are always needed for social and recreational programs throughout the year. No less critical are the financial, area developmental planning and administrative issues that may be less visual but are equally important. This Winter/Spring explore the possibility of volunteering a little of your time towards areas in which you feel comfortable and allow for flexible time commitments. In particular, we are looking for someone who wants to become involved in the Provincial Casino fundraising program. Our next Casino we estimate will not be until early 2019 so there is plenty of time to benefit from past experience and procedures. Please contact cambrianheights@gmail.com for more information.

The outdoor ice guys continue to maintain both our ice surfaces in great condition through the different weather patterns Calgary endures. Our hats go off to them on behalf of all users. Please volunteer to help out this winter and if you have questions/recommendations about the ice please let me know at the email address (president@cambrianheightscommunity.com).

The Community Hall has completed an upgrade this fall to establish our facility as a full commercial kitchen. We await a final access requirement to be completed before our commercial status can be approved. This provides increased usage of the kitchen and thereby expands the types of events that may be hosted at the Hall.

As announced by the City and detailed in the January Newsletter, the recycling centre located at the Rosemont parking lot was scheduled to be removed sometime in January. One recycle option will be the east side of the North Hill Mall. A second option is the Superstore parking lot off 4th Street and 68 Ave. NW.

Capital projects for 2018 are currently being reviewed on a priority basis for improvements to the Community Hall. Consideration is being given towards completing an LED conversion from current fluorescent lighting, improvements in Hall facilities including audio, ventilation, security and signage enhancements. All these will be designed to increase usage by the Community residents.

We encourage you to watch for posted development permit announcements as construction activity is increasing throughout our community. Whether it is a new deck, garage, complete rebuild or an application for a secondary suite, you have a right to understand the development and object if City guidelines are being amended or there are certain detrimental impacts on your property. We direct you to our website for information on pending Permits or Land Use amendments. Soon we will be posting a discussion of recommended procedures for both builders and residents alike based on recent experiences within Cambrian Heights. If you wish to get involved with the Planning Committee they are currently in need of a Secretary to help out with their meetings and communications.

The next meeting of the Board will take place Monday, February 12 at the Georgina Thomson building on 14th Street and Northmount Drive NW at 6:30 PM. All residents are welcome to attend and share any concerns, questions or ideas you may have for our community.

Remember Participation Builds Better Communities.

On Behalf of the Board;
Daryl Connolly, President