On September 14 the City Planning Department informed community residents that Calgary Parks had withdrawn their Re-Designation Application DL2018-0062 converting the Community’s existing Reserve (S-SPR) Park land bounded by 10th Street and 32nd Avenue into S-CRI (Special Purpose – City and Regional Infrastructure) classification thereby allowing an expansion of the Queen’s Park Cemetery (“QPC”) onto these lands. These lands are currently being used as a Dog Park and have been part of the Community since its inception in 1956. We wish to thank all those residents who filled objections and/or attended the two Open Houses sponsored by the City to express their opposition. We also wish to thank Councillor Chu for his help and Calgary Parks for responding to this overwhelming opposition by withdrawing their Application.

The Fall Cleanup organized by Gary Wilson and his band of volunteers shown below was once again a success. It took place in the Community Hall parking lot on Sunday, September 9th. Thanks to all the volunteers and those residents who disposed of excess metal, appliances, electronics and general yard and garage/household waste. We also thank everyone for their household and clothing donations to the Diabetes Association.

At the writing of this message, we are also looking forward to our Asado and Open Mike Event on September 22. Asado is a Latin American term for a social gathering involving open fire and freshly grilled food. I trust the weather will cooperate and our residents will support this family affair.

In October we will be hosting our annual Halloween Dance on October 27th at the Community Hall. Details may be found on our website. There will be pizza, a DJ, best costume and other fun activities. This is always a popular family event and I urge you to come early to participate.

We also encourage all residents to take advantage of the early evening programs at the Community Hall. We have yoga every Wednesday evening from 7-8, Jazzercise Monday & Wednesday 5:45-6:45, Fun & Fitness Tuesday (check the website for times) and Piloxing Thursday 6:30-7:30.

Construction has been completed on our Hall kitchen and outside access ladder. We will now be applying to have our commercial kitchen status approved. This will open the Hall for cooking events that were not previously allowed. We encourage any ideas to develop this new option for increased Hall usage within the Community.

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

• Halloween Party: Oct. 27
• Christmas Trade Show: Nov. 3
• Sugar Craft Guild: Nov. 24
• Lego Contest: Nov. (TBD)

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 on volunteering.

From the Planning and Development perspective, there has been an increasing amount of new developments within the Community over this year, especially in the southern portion. We expect this to continue and reference you to the website for information on procedures as well as contacts within the Planning Committee for your Community. We encourage everyone to get involved as this re-development of our Community takes place.

The Board has also been involved with complaints of speeding up the 10th Street hill towards Queen’s Park Cemetery. We have involved our Police Liaison as well as Alderman Chu in this review. Recent discussions at City Council towards lowering the residential speed limits off main transit routes to 30 km/h may impact this situation.

We continue to be urgently in need of the following part-time volunteer positions:

• Secretary for Board & Annual General Meetings
• Social Activity Organizers
• Planning & Development Committee Members
• Casino Fund Raising Organizer

Job descriptions and experienced past directors are available to guide and ease the transition into community service. For more information please contact president@cambrianheightscommunity.com .

The next meetings of the Board will take place October 1 and November 5. All residents are welcome to attend and share any concerns, questions or ideas you may have for our community. These meetings take place at the Georgina Thomson City building on 14th Street and Northmount Drive at 6:30 PM.

Remember Participation Builds Your Community.
Daryl Connolly, President CHCA

Once again I have no new update on the Calgary Parks filing of the Re-designation Application DL2018- 0062 converting the Community’s existing Reserve (S-SPR) Park land bounded by 10th Street and 32nd Avenue into S-CRI (Special Purpose – City and Regional Infrastructure) classification and then the proposed expansion of the Queen’s Park Cemetery (“QPC”) onto these lands. These Reserve Lands are currently being utilized as an Off-Leash Dog Park. The Application remains on hold. Background on this Application and Community response may be found on our website.

September marks the beginning of the Fall/Winter community events.  First will be the Fall Cleanup allowing disposal of excess materials from summer renovations and garage purges. Following that will be a new event. A fall Family BBQ with a South American cooking theme will highlight a day for residents to gather, party and share summer experiences. A detailed description of planned activities is presented within the newsletter.

This Fall our commercial kitchen status should be approved. All facilities are in place and this will open the Hall for cooking events that were not previously allowed. We encourage any ideas to develop this option for increased Hall usage within the Community.

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

Community Cleanup                Sept. 9

Fall Family BBQ                      Sept. 22

Halloween Party                     Oct. 27

Lego Contest                          Nov. tbd

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 on volunteering.

We continue to be urgently in need of the following part-time volunteer positions:

• Secretary for Board & Annual General Meetings
• Social Activity Organizers
• Planning & Development Committee Members
• Casino Fundraising Organizer

Job descriptions and experienced past directors are available to guide and ease the transition into community service. For more information please contact president@cambrianheightscommunity.com .

The next meetings of the Board will take place September 10th and October 1st. All residents are welcome to attend and share any concerns, questions or ideas you may have for our community. These meetings take place at the Georgina Thomson City building on 14th Street and Northmount Drive at 6:30 PM.

Remember Participation Builds Your Community.
Daryl Connolly, President CHCA

Firstly I have no new update, other than this July summary, on the Calgary Parks filing of the Re-designation Application DL2018- 0062 converting the Community’s existing Reserve (S-SPR) Park land bounded by 10th Street and 32nd Avenue into S-CRI (Special Purpose – City and Regional Infrastructure) classification and then the proposed expansion of the Queen’s Park Cemetery (“QPC”) onto these lands. These Reserve Lands are currently being utilized as an Off-Leash Dog Park. The original application was filed March 19. After overwhelming opposition to this application from individuals and the Community Association as well as Alderman Sean Chu, City Parks agreed to “slow down” the process.

Two “drop-in engagement” sessions took place at Highwood Community Hall April 25 and May 9. The comment period for residents was held open till May 25. Calgary Parks, after our recent inquiry, has stated

“When we say the application is on hold no further work will proceed on the land use redesignation until after the report to Council and Council direction in the fall….The report developed by Parks will outline background previous reports, options and alternatives considered, and the remaining capacity of Queen’s Park cemetery and the status of new cemetery development and land acquisition.”

The full text may be found here.

We anticipate that this “report” is in answer to our numerous submissions on the operation of QPC and reflects a continuing desire on the part of Calgary Parks to ultimately proceed with their application. We will await the publishing of this report and respond accordingly.

We are now halfway through summer with our next community events scheduled for September.  First will be the Fall Cleanup allowing disposal of excess materials from summer renovations and garage purges. Following that will be a new event. A fall Family BBQ with a South American cooking theme will highlight a day for residents to gather, party and share summer experiences. A detailed description of planned activities is presented within the newsletter.

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

Community Cleanup                Sept. 9

Fall Family BBQ                      Sept. 22

Halloween Party                     Oct. 27

Lego Contest                          Nov. tbd

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 on volunteering.

We continue to be urgently in need of the following part-time volunteer positions:

• Secretary for Board & Annual General Meetings
• Social Activity Organizers
• Planning & Development Committee Members
• Casino Fundraising Organizer 

Job descriptions and experienced past directors are available to guide and ease the transition into community service. For more information please contact president@cambrianheightscommunity.com .

The next meeting of the Board will take place September 10th. All residents are welcome to attend and share any concerns, questions or ideas you may have for our community. These meetings take place at the Georgina Thomson City building on 14th Street and Northmount Drive at 6:30 PM.

Remember Participation Builds Your Community.
Daryl Connolly, President CHCA

The continuing focus of the Community remains the filing of the Re-designation Application DL2018- 0062 converting the Community’s existing Reserve (S-SPR) Park land bounded by 10th Street and 32nd Avenue into S-CRI (Special Purpose – City and Regional Infrastructure) classification and then the proposed expansion of the Queen’s Park Cemetery (“QPC”) onto these lands. These Reserve Lands are currently being utilized as an Off Leash Dog Park. The original application was filed March 19 with responses required by April 13 to City Planning and Development. With an overwhelming opposition to this application from individuals and the Community Association expressed in emails to Planning and Development, City Parks as well as Alderman Sean Chu, City Parks agreed to “slow down” the process.

Two “drop-in engagement” sessions took place at Highwood Community Hall April 25 and May 9. The comment period for residents was held open till May 25. Calgary Parks continued however to disguise this Application as a dog park issue and presented the expansion of the QPC onto the second largest Park Reserve lands within Cambrian Heights as their sole right. They sought in their engagement sessions to address only two issues; alternative off leash dog areas and annotating the application process. No attempt was made to justify the need for QPC expansion and the annexation of this Park forever. The Community Association provided members outside the Hall for both these meetings to answer questions and explain the issues to residents attending the sessions. A photo from the first meeting is shown where the only true engagement with Parks and Planning representatives took place informally in the parking lot.

As pointed out last month this coercive approach to “annexing” these Park Lands is a repeat of Calgary Parks efforts in 2005-6 to expand the QPC into these lands. Details of this history and how the Community Association successfully fought this application may be found on our website (www.cambrianheightscommunity.com). In July 2006 City Council instructed Calgary Parks to not proceed with the acquisition of these lands for QPC expansion but rather to search out lands in the southern part of the City for a new cemetery. That of course was 12 years ago. They have failed to complete that mandate and want our Community to pay the price.

The Community Association continued through May to lobby Calgary Parks to withdraw the Application. Repeatedly Parks officials have quoted inventory within the existing boundaries of QPC to be 2-3 years. That is with the current 2017 practice of selling pre-needs burial sites at twice the rate of at need sites. This artificial “demand” could be easily reduced to extend further the existing life of QPC. This is against the scheduled opening of the City’s new cemetery in south Calgary slated for late 2019. We are apprehensive, since there has been no future plans provided, of a desire by Calgary parks to continue to expand QPC over the years to satisfy the demand for an inner City cemetery at the expense of park lands in our community. At the writing of this letter the Planning department will be making a recommendation to the Calgary Planning Commission (“CPC”) in June/July and the further recommendation of CPC going to City Council in the Fall. At that point Council will allow presentations or submissions by interested parties. We encourage all residents to follow developments closely on our website and by joining our facebook page (Cambrian Heights Community) which may be easily accessed from our website.

On a positive note the first Jane’s Walk held in our Community on May 5 was a resounding success with over 50 attendees with children and dogs walking the neighbourhood. A picture of the attendees leaving the Community Hall is shown. Thanks to organizers Pablo Policzer and Jodi Dixon everyone learned of the community history and met some of the original homeowners within Cambrian Heights dating back to 1956. At the end everyone returned to the Community Hall for refreshments and conversations with new friends.

The Annual general Meeting was held on May 15 with higher attendance than is usually the case. The Park issue discussion plus attendance by Alderman Sean Chu and representation from our MLA Craig Coolahan made it an evening well worth attending. Our presentation and the Community financials have been added to the website for your reference.

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

Community Cleanup Event     Sept. 9

Fall Family BBQ                      Sept. 22

Halloween Party                     Oct. 27

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 on volunteering.

Due to a lack of volunteers we are not holding our Stampede Breakfast in July. It is unfortunate but an undertaking to prepare and feed 200-300 people involves a pre-commitment of residents and we cannot rely on the same few people for all our social programs.

We continue to look for volunteers who may have a specific interest in:

• Secretary for Board & Annual General Meetings
• Social Activity Organizers
• Planning & Development Committee Members
• Casino Fundraising Organizers

All the above have specific job descriptions and experienced past directors who can guide and ease the transition into community service. For more information please contact president@cambrianheightscommunity.com .

The next meeting of the Board will take place September 10th. All residents are welcome to attend and share any concerns, questions or ideas you may have for our community. These meetings take place at the Georgina Thomson City building on 14th Street and Northmount Drive.

Remember Participation Builds Your Community.
Daryl Connolly, President CHCA

The major issue that has arisen in our Community was the filing of the Redesignation Application DL2018- 0062 converting the Community’s existing reserve (S-SPR) park land bounded by 10th Street and 32nd Avenue into S-CRI (Special Purpose – City and Regional Infrastructure) classification and then the proposed expansion of the Queen’s Park Cemetery (“QPC”) onto these lands. These reserve Lands are currently being utilized as an Off-Leash Dog Park. The application was filed March 19 with responses required by April 13 to City Planning and Development (giyan.brenkman@calgary.ca). Further, the City of Calgary Parks announced there would be an “informational session about the cemetery expansion” on May 9 from 6-8 PM at the Highwood Community Hall.

This coercive approach to “annexing” these park lands is a repeat of City Park’s efforts in 2005-6 to expand the QPC into these lands. At that time the Community Association successfully fought this application based on these lands having been part of the Cambrian Heights Community since 1956 and had been assigned Reserve Status as parkland or green space for the community. In combination with the Reserve Status the Community demonstrated that according to the Provincial Municipal Government Act (“PMGA”), the City would have to pay into a special fund the market value of the land estimated at the time of between $6.5 – $9.0 million. Accordingly, in July 2006 City Council instructed City Parks to not proceed with the acquisition of these lands for QPC expansion but rather to search out lands in the southern part of the City for a new cemetery. That, of course, was 12 years ago.

So once again, City Parks is asking to do the same thing and is doing so without proper consultation with the Community involving reasonable timeframes for evaluation and response. With an overwhelming opposition to this application from individuals and the Community Association expressed in emails to Planning and Development, City Parks as well as Alderman Sean Chu (sean.chu@calgary.ca), the City Parks suspended their application on April 6. At the writing of this letter City Parks has indicated they are evaluating the application and will be holding engagement opportunities on the previously announced May 9 date and on possibly April 26. We strongly encourage all residents to attend and make your opinions heard. The City puts significant value on these types of meetings feedback. For updates involving this issue, residents should go to the City website (www.calgary.ca) and search QPC Expansion or LOC2018-0062.

While recognizing the space limitations of QPC all inner-city cemeteries have finite room for expansion. This public cemetery is over 80 years old and has served the City residents well. Now it is reaching capacity and there exists the new cemetery east of the Ralph Klein Park in the south. This is scheduled to be ready for interments by 2020. QPC has ample room to accommodate the next few years especially if bulk sales of “reserved” plots are ceased. Responses from residents copied to the Community Association has been 100% against the loss of this large park space for reasons of active year-round social recreation on the lands, the retention of this park as a Reserve for future generations, the need for inner-city communities of green space and the precedent this may establish for future annexation of the nearby public tennis courts and baseball ball field adjacent to the QPC to cover short-term needs. Once a cemetery, these park lands are forever lost.

I attach a picture of the three children who obtained over 100 names on a petition against the QPC expansion within a week or so of its announcement. Such community spirit is worth applauding. A second online petition gathered over 500 signatures can be found at www.change.org and search Cambrian Heights.

We encourage all residents to follow developments closely on our website and by joining our Facebook Group (Cambrian Heights Community) which may be easily accessed on our website. At the upcoming Annual General Meeting on May 15 at the Community Hall, we will also be updating the status of the City Parks plans and our response.

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

Jane’s Walk May 5
Annual General Meeting May 15
Stampede Breakfast or July 14
alternatively a Fall BBQ September 22 or 29
Community Cleanup Event Sept. 9

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 on volunteering.

We are currently evaluating whether to re-instate our Stampede breakfast that was suspended due to the kitchen renovations last summer. As an alternative, we are investigating the possibility of hosting a family Fall BBQ in September as a replacement. Please voice your opinions by contacting the community at the previously identified email address.

We continue to look for volunteers who may have a specific interest in:

Secretary for Board & Annual General Meetings
Social Activity Organizers
Planning & Development Committee Members
Casino Fund Raising Organizers

All the above have specific job descriptions and experienced past directors who can guide and ease the transition into community service. For more information please contact president@cambrianheightscommunity.com.

The next meeting of the Board will take place May 7th. 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

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

January is a new year and we wish all residents of Cambrian Heights a very happy and rewarding 2018. What better way to enjoy your neighbourhood and your children than participating in the growth and activities provided in our community. Your community Hall and facilities are there to be utilized by all residents. Whether winter ice skating under the lights, Hall birthday parties and family gatherings or spring and summer barbecues the facilities are yours to enjoy. Feel free to contact any Board member with questions, suggestions or proposals that utilize or improve our neighbourhood.

November witnessed the generation of two new events resulting from asking community residents to participate in the design and management of new programs sponsored by the Community Association. The first was a Lego Contest for children age categories from 4 to 14. This took place Saturday, November 18 and was an immediate success with the participation of all age categories. Pictures from this event may be found on the Community website at www.cambrianheightscommunity.com. A second event originally scheduled for December 2 witnessed the first joint project with the parents association from the Cambrian Heights Elementary School. This was a Rustic Sign workshop initiated as a fundraiser for the school children. Due to timing issues, this event was subsequently re-scheduled for early in the new year. We anticipate future events being held at the Hall throughout 2018 involving participation from both organizations in our attempt to increase volunteerism and community participation.

Our first scheduled event for 2018 will be our 4th Winter Polar Party on the outdoor ice rinks Saturday, January 27. This event is fun for all ages of children and ice skates, games, a warming fire and refreshments are provided free of charge. At this point, we also have scheduled another Pub night on February 10 and a Wine or Scotch tasting event in the first half of 2018. Our Annual General Meeting is tentatively scheduled for May 17. Be sure to mark your calendar and explore what is happening in your community. Lots of ideas are being generated for children’s activities based on our new partnership with Cambrian Elementary. Again, look for details in our website or the Community monthly Newsletter as we draw closer to the events.

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. Currently, we need rink rat volunteers for our outdoor ice maintenance. Please contact Scott at scottcolleenj@gmail.com for information.

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. Contact cambrianheights@gmail.com for more information.

As previously announced the Community Hall has witnessed an upgrade this summer to establish our facility as a full commercial kitchen. This now provides increased usage of the kitchen and thereby expand the types of events that may be hosted at the Hall. The challenge will be to generate ideas and programs that will develop its use potential into 2018 and 2019. Renting it out to commercial enterprises can add revenue for the Community but we hope its greatest use will be through community activities whether social, educational or charitable.

Thanks to a grant issued by the Federation of Calgary Communities and financed by ENMAX Corporation we have now replaced current ice rink and building lighting with LED energy saving fixtures that should reduce our electrical costs significantly. We added lighting to our secondary ice rink surface at the same time.

The next meeting of the Board will take place Monday, February 5 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 relevant to Cambrian Heights.

Remember Participation Builds Better Communities.

On Behalf of the Board;
Daryl Connolly, President

On Saturday, October 28 the Community hosted their annual Halloween Party featuring music, games, prizes and a great exhibition of costumes. Attendance was at a maximum for the Hall at times as participants came and went.  We want to thank all the volunteers that made this event possible especially Jessica Demers, Chris Maggiora and Board member Jennifer Manns. In addition, the City of Calgary provided three volunteers whose help was greatly appreciated.

At the writing of this letter, we are looking forward to two new events.  The first new event is being introduced on Saturday, November 18 at the Community Hall. Thanks to one of our members, Nancy Else, we are holding a Lego Contest for children age categories from 4 to 14. The theme for the contest is Canada 150 and is open to community residents and those of surrounding neighbourhoods. A second new event is planned for December 2 involving a joint effort between the Community Association and the Cambrian Heights School Parents Association. This is a fundraiser for the school focused on an evening of Rustic Sign Painting, wine and deserts. For more information and event details please see our website www.cambrianheightscommunity.com or contact Jessica Demers at jessdemers@hotmail.com. In addition, the Polar Party will return January 27 with expanded activities. At this point, we also anticipate another Pub night and a Wine or Scotch tasting event in the first quarter of 2018. Again, look for details on our website or the Community Newsletter as we draw closer to the events.

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. Our developing partnership with the Cambrian Heights School holds great promise for new events combining the Community resources and the school volunteer base. New volunteers are always needed for social and recreational programs throughout the year. No less critical are the financial and administrative issues that may be less visual but are equally important. This Fall/Winter explore the possibility of volunteering a little of your time towards areas in which you feel comfortable and allow for flexible time commitments.

The Community Hall has witnessed an upgrade this summer to establish our facility as a full commercial kitchen. This now provides increased usage of the kitchen and thereby expand the types of events that may be hosted at the Hall. This program has been in planning and development for the past three years. With grants from both the City of Calgary and the Provincial Government, the cost of this work is minimal to the Community. We anticipate the establishment of our kitchen as a full commercial cooking facility in late December or early January 2018. In anticipation of this enhanced use capability, we have modified our rental rates slightly in recognition of other community halls with equivalent facilities. The challenge will be to generate ideas and programs that will develop its use potential into 2018 and 2019. Renting it out to commercial enterprises can add revenue for the Community but we hope its greatest use will be through community activities whether social, educational or charitable. If you have any ideas please contact us at cambrianheights@gmail.com.

Thanks to a grant issued through the Federation of Calgary Communities and financed by ENMAX Corporation we will be replacing current ice rink and building lighting with LED energy saving fixtures that should reduce our electrical costs significantly. We will add lighting to our secondary ice rink at the same time.

We have at our Annual General Meeting held in May raised the membership fees (except for senior rates which remain constant) for the Community effective January 1, 2018. These fees will now be more comparable to those of surrounding communities. However, until the effective date, 2018 memberships may be purchased at existing rates. See our website or the Community newsletter for registration.

The next public meeting of the Board will take place Monday, January 8 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 relevant to Cambrian Heights.

Remember Participation Builds Better Communities.

On Behalf of the Board;

Daryl Connolly, President