Volunteers Grow our Community: Volunteer Appreciation Event 2019

“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” ~Audrey Hepburn

November 21st marked HSCA’s annual Volunteer Appreciation Event and this year’s theme was ‘Volunteers Grow our Community’. The event was an opportunity to bring our volunteer community together and celebrate this sentiment by acknowledging the hard work and passion they’ve shown throughout the year.

You GROW girl! Heather & Sarah strike a pose at the Volunteer Appreciation Photobooth, 2019 [Photo by Dexter Martin]

With the help and generous donation from Jungle Plant Project, our volunteers were encouraged to interact with a fun, plant-themed Photobooth. The evening also featured a talented photographer, Dexter Martin, who generously volunteered to cover the Photobooth and capture some of the evening’s activities. [Be sure to watch for our next featured blog posts on Jungle Plant Project and Dexter Martin Photography & Design, highlighting their thoughts on community, favourite part of the event, and more!] Our (super delicious) meal was catered by Christine Kyte and her team at Reflective Catering. We also had a ton of raffle prizes generously donated from some great local businesses in our community, including:

• Mañana Imports and Gifts

• Kin + Pod Chocolate

• Pages on Kensington

• Sidewalk Citizen Bakery

• Vine Styles

• Orange Theory Fitness, Kensington

Greetings from the Future! A look at some of the postcards done by attendees.

This year, our activity was called, ‘Greeting from the Future’ and we asked attendees to think ahead into the future. Volunteers were given blank postcards and encouraged to write a note or draw a photo showcasing their vision for Hillhurst Sunnyside—ten years from now. We’re so excited to display these visioning postcards at HSCA in the new year, so stay tuned!

This year alone, HSCA volunteers contributed over 2000 hours—hours which have played an important role in ensuring our community continues to grow and flourish. Each hour volunteered showcases the commitment and dedication residents have to their Hillhurst Sunnyside community. Whether it’s volunteering your time with HSCA’s senior support network, spending an afternoon cooking for Neighbour Night, packing groceries for Fresh Food Basket, participating in community clean up events, or part of a committee: you are the anchor of our community. And just as a plant requires a root system to nourish and grow, our team of volunteers' function in a similar way: they grow our community. If you are interested in volunteering with HSCA, please see current opportunities listed here.

By Stephanie Corbett

Kate Stenson, Executive Director of HSCA, was the evening’s MC and gives thanks to our volunteer community.

Badminton at HSCA- Health Benefits of Badminton

Do you know the Health Benefits of Playing Badminton?

·      Reduces weight

·      Improves Lung and heart functions

·      Reduces stress

·      Increases bone density

·      Improves reflexes, intelligence and productivity

·      Improves metabolism

Other comments from players:

“It can also help me sleep better, eat better and even regulate my digestive system!”

“I used to feel very tired but after playing Badminton on a regular basis, I can play two-three times a week and still have enough energy to do my daily chores.” 

So why not try playing some Badminton this year at this wonderful gym in the NW? With a small fee, you can improve your overall health and add more fun activities in your daily routine.

Location: Hillhurst/Sunnyside Community Center

                1320 5 Ave NW, Calgary AB (Free parking)

Dates: Mon/ Thurs 10am -1 pm

Fee: $6 (each gym fee $ 4 and drop-in $2 bird fee)

Facilities: Four well maintained courts with rubberized compound floor, good lighting, air condition, fountain, showers, lockers and change room, snack/ coffee machine.

Group size: 16-22 friendly players

Levels: Post beginners- advance

Contact person: Grace Yuen  gymyuen@gmail.com

Emergency Preparedness and Response Committee Update

(1) The Upper Plateau Separation (UPS) Project is moving forward

The UPS project will divert stormwater from the North Hill directly to the river, removing the connection with storm sewers in Sunnyside.  This will eliminate water from the upper plateau as a cause of flooding in Sunnyside.

The City plans to proceed with a new tunnel from 10th St (near Aurora) to the Bow River more-or-less underneath 7th St.  Unfortunately, all the less expensive options, such as lining the existing stormwater ducts, have proven infeasible.

The geotechnical drilling conducted earlier this year showed that the tunneling cost will be much lower than previously thought (all bedrock is easier than mixed gravel/clay/bedrock).  The project cost is now expected to be much lower than the original, preliminary estimate of $37M and less than half the revised estimate from last year.  This project should be going ahead!  

Some of the funding for this project is to come from the provincial Alberta Community Resilience Program (ACRP).  This program has been suspended for review by the new provincial government but we anticipate that this funding will be reinstated after the review.

The City has an aggressive project schedule for UPS.  They anticipate awarding a contract early next year with construction starting later in 2020 with construction taking more than a year to complete. 

(2) Public Information Sessions about new Flood Mitigation Infrastructure on the Bow River Upstream of Calgary

For effective long term flood protection of Hillhurst and Sunnyside new flood mitigation infrastructure will be required on the Bow River upstream of Calgary.  The province has a study underway to look at options.  All options identified will be expensive and will take many years to deliver.  All involve overcoming challenges.  Nevertheless work must be started if it is ever to be finished.  We support new flood mitigation infrastructure upstream of Calgary.

The province will be hosting two more public information sessions to describe the options under consideration.  These should be very informative for those who are interested.

(1) Thursday, October 3 2019 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.

     Rockpointe Church Bearspaw, 255024 Lochend Rd, Calgary, AB T3L 2R2

(2) Tuesday, October 15 2019 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.

     Rockpointe Church Bearspaw, 255024 Lochend Rd, Calgary, AB T3L 2R2

 More information can be found at these websites:

www.alberta.ca/bow-basin-water-management-options

www.talkaep.alberta.ca

The Hillhurst Sunnyside Voice: Lend YOUR Voice!

(Pictured) The Hillhurst Sunnyside Voice, October 1989 Edition

The other day I had the opportunity to flip through some of the older issues of the Hillhurst Sunnyside Voice and an October 1989 issue caught my eye. Beyond the #TBT potential inside these yellowed and oxidized pages, it was packed full of content submitted by members of the community, including cartoons, news articles, some PSAs, and a monthly column entitled, ‘dear VOICE’. Reading through the perspectives of residents and seeing the photos captured by members of our community (side note: The Fall Fair of 1989 had great weather and an excellent turnout of more than 15, 000 people!), I couldn’t help but think about how our community newsletter has changed. Of course, it is no surprise that our newsletter would evolve just as the Hillhurst Sunnyside community itself has over the last 30 years (be sure to check out our post Hillhurst Sunnyside at a Glance, highlighting our community and demographics based on the 2019 City of Calgary Census Data). Today, the Hillhurst Sunnyside Voice is delivered to 7, 200 households each month and the cover reads, “preserving and enhancing the quality of life for residents of Hillhurst Sunnyside”, echoing HSCA’s mission.

HSCA also uses our social media platforms, e-newsletters, and our blog to distribute news and events to the community and a digital copy of the monthly newsletter is always available on our website. 

As your new Voice Editor, I want to take this opportunity to ask YOU what you want from your community newsletter. What content do you enjoy reading most? What would you like to see more of in our community newsletter, blogs, e-news, and social media posts? How can the Voice best serve the community? 

The Hillhurst Sunnyside VOICE, September 2019 Edition

Here’s a little experiment that might get you thinking. Let’s fast-forward 30 years…Imagine someone is flipping (scrolling?) through the pages of the September 2019 Hillhurst Sunnyside Voice—what values and perspectives would they see? Would someone be able to get a sense of our community through our newsletter? How can the Voice represent the Hillhurst Sunnyside community today? 

I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to email me at stephanie.c@hsca.ca, share your ideas, submit your content (pictures, articles, event listings, etc.) and lend your voice as we define our 2019/2020 community newsletter. 

Hillhurst Sunnyside: Historic Street Names | THEN & NOW

BUILDING COMMUNITY ONE STREET AT A TIME: Hillhurst Sunnyside neighbours gather at the pedestrian gates of historic 10A, 11, 11A and 12 Streets (with bonus Gladstone Road) at a recent community photo shoot. Photo collage by Stephanie Corbett

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Written by Lisa Chong: this article appeared in the September 2019 issue of the Hillhurst Sunnyside Voice

Walking along the north side of Kensington Road, reminders of our neighbourhood’s historic street names are posted on the splendid wrought iron pedestrian gates into the residential areas of our 100+ year old community: 10A St was Norfolk Road; 11th St was Beverley Street; 11A St was Preston Street; and 12th St was Oxford Street. The street gates were designed by resident and visual artist, Pamma FitzGerald in ~1992 and appears on the September 2019 cover of the Hillhurst Sunnyside Voice newsletter (above).

Prior to European settlement, this area was home to the people of the traditional Treaty 7 nations, the Piikani, Siksika, Kainai, Iyarhe Nakoda and Tsuut’ina. Gladstone Road / 4 Ave – which crosses our community diagonally (SW to NE) from 14th Street to 10th Street – was part of an indigenous trail, which explains why this roadway breaks from the gridiron layout of Calgary’s inner city communities.

Street names in Calgary’s early days often reflected the heritage of the landowners. Author, Harry Sanders describes that Hillhurst streets were given Anglo-Saxon names to attract British residents in the same way that Bridgeland streets were given Italian names in the predominantly Italian neighbourhood.

10th Street was formerly Morleyville Road which led to the Methodist Mission in Morley; the very short 3rd Ave in Hillhurst was known as Cornwall Avenue, while 13th St was Richmond Street. As we move west to what was historically Upper Hillhurst, there is a note indicating “Scattered Wooden Dwellings Beyond” in neat printed writing on the old fire insurance maps; indeed, the area was home to a few small-scale agricultural and textile facilities. 14th St was known as Strathcona Street; 15th St was Imperial Avenue and 16th St was Nelson Street. 1st Ave (between 16th & 18th Streets) was Alexandra Street.

Aerial map 1924-26: City of Calgary

7th Ave, adjacent to the St. Barnabas Anglican Church was fittingly, Church Ave, while 5th Ave in Hillhurst was originally Victoria Avenue. The soon-to-be-built “Victoria on 5th” apartment redevelopment between 10th St and 11th St takes its name from the historic street name, which was given in honour of Queen Victoria (1818-1901).

Riley Park:  Ezra Hounsfield Riley and his family were prominent homesteaders and sold the land (now Hillhurst) to the City of Calgary between 1904-1910. They resided on Buckingham Ave (8th Ave) where the Agape Hospice stands today. The adjacent 8.23-hectare Riley Park was donated by the Riley family to the citizens of Calgary as a public park.

Salvation Army Sunset Lodge, formerly Ezra Riley home, then Salvation Army Rescue Home, 1302 8th Avenue NW: Allison Jackson, 1965

Sunnyside was a predominantly a Scottish homesteading settlement in the late 1800s and was called New Edinborough. Sunnyside was developed further in the early 1900s by the CPR as the community grew. Numbered streets started perpendicular to the Bow River and westward from Centre Street. 9A St next to the train tracks was once Merchiston Avenue, a name that reflects Sunnyside’s Scottish-Edinburgh origins.

New Edinborough Park located in the heart of Sunnyside – continues to be the community gathering place for the annual volunteer-led park party celebrating community spirit after the 2013 flood. It is also where Calgary’s annual, city-wide Neighbour Day got its start!

Calgary 1911-14 Fire Insurance Map: University of Calgary

Kensington Road/Centre Avenue: Calgary historian, Alan Zakrison says that Kensington Road and many of the streets in Hillhurst were named by the primarily English settlers. After some back and forth between the City and communities in switching between numbered streets and named streets, the City of Calgary decided that the dividing line between North Calgary and South Calgary would be Kensington Avenue (renamed to Centre Avenue) north of the Bow River.

Because the Centre Ave dividing line was causing a great deal of confusion, the north/south boundary was changed in 1925 to follow the north and south banks of the Bow River. Centre Ave NE still exists in Bridgeland to this day. Centre Ave NW was renamed back to Kensington Ave (later Kensington Road) and the streets to the south of Kensington continue to this day with historic names such as Westmount Road (1st St SW), Bowness Road (2nd St SW) and Broadview Road (3rd St SW) in the neighbourhoods of Westmount (west and between 14th St and Crowchild Trail) and Broadview (east and between 14th St and 10th St).

Calgary 1912 Map: Calgary Public Library

Memorial Drive NW:  Memorial Drive was known as Broadview Boulevard prior to 1911, The Boulevard from 1911-1919, and Westmount Boulevard (west of 10th St) from 1919-1965. Memorial Drive is also the north/south boundary east of Deerfoot Trail today.

Yes, there is a Bowness Road in Hillhurst Sunnyside!  Residents in the area recount that Bowness Road was laid out with extra width because it was intended to host the streetcar route leading to the town of Bowness (annexed to the city of Calgary in 1964). The 1945 Municipal Railway Map shows the route running along Kensington Road and onto Bowness Road instead.

Today, Hillhurst’s Bowness Rd hosts one of three lilac medians in Hillhurst, planted by the City of Calgary’s third Parks & Cemetery superintendent, William Reader between 1929-32. The lilac medians on 6th Ave, 11A St and Bowness Rd were planted during the City Beautiful Movement, which was a deliberate effort to construct tree-lined boulevards and medians with formal plantings and to beautify city streets and contribute to citizen well-being. The three lilac streetscapes were added to the City’s Inventory of Historic Resources in 2011.

Bowness Rd continued under its moniker as it made its way east across 14th Street. Some time ago, the eastern portion of Bowness Rd was renamed to Kensington Crescent between 11A and 11th Streets. In the 1990s, the developer of the Providence Kensington condos used this precedent and obtained signatures going door-to-door and through a plebiscite, the western portion of Bowness Rd between 13th St and 11A St became Kensington Close. This change was intended to reflect a more prestigious street address for the building.

Do you have any stories about your street? Contact lisa.c@hsca.ca and share your story with the HSCA Heritage Subcommittee and we would be happy to include these in a future article. You can also view Margaret Tanko’s Hillhurst Sunnyside Remembers (1978) book located on our website at: www.hsca.ca.

Resources/Sources:

• Alan Zakrison, Calgary historian and researcher, Old Sidewalk Stamps

• Calgary Fire Insurance Maps (1911-14)

• Calgary Municipal Railway (January 22, 1945)

• Calgary Public Library: Historic Maps of Calgary and Alberta

• City of Calgary Inventory of Evaluated Historic Resources

• Conserving Calgary’s Historic Streets (2018)

• Harry Sanders, Historic Walks of Calgary (2005)

• Hillhurst Sunnyside Remembers (1978)

• Hillhurst Sunnyside Walking Tour (2007)

• Lorna Cordeiro, Pamma Fitzgerald, Patti Dawkins & Robin Lee, Hillhurst Sunnyside residents

• Memories of a 70 Year Old Community Association (2018)

Sunnyhill Housing Cooperative- Food Forest Pilot Project- UPDATE

Correction: Please note the date was listed incorrectly in the September Hillhurst Sunnyside Voice. The correct date for this event is Sunday September 15, 9-5pm.

Sunnyhill Housing Cooperative recently received a $3,500 grant to implement a community greening project. On Sunday September 15, 2019, Sunnyhill will be planting a Food Forest Pilot Projecton their property. The work will be done in collaboration with Sunshine Earth Works, a Calgary permaculture organization “committed to repairing the earth one yard at a time.”   

Please join us between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Sunday, September 15, 2019.  All volunteers welcome.   Lunch will be provided and the day will conclude with a pot luck celebration and bonfire held on site.  

These grants are part of a multi-year partnership between Tree Canada, Canada’s national tree planting charity and Pembina Pipeline Corporation.  More than 230 project applications were received for the Green Canada Edible Trees program and SHC has been selected among 60 others. 

What is a food forest?   “Forest gardening is a low-maintenance, sustainable, plant-based food production and agroforestry system based on woodland ecosystems, incorporating fruit and nut trees, shrubs, herbs, vines, and perennial vegetables that have yields directly useful to humans.”

Trees are critical to strong communities. They help us to live healthier lives by providing multiple environmental, social and economical benefits to our cities such as absorbing CO2, cooling our homes and reducing our stress. Research shows that living near trees lowers the risk of mortality from common causes and helps to improve our mental health. The effects of climate change in our cities can be mitigated by increasing our urban canopy.

Under the guidance of Jeremy Zoller and his crew from Sunshine Earth Works, the Grounds Committee, co-op members, and volunteers from Pembina and the whole community will be removing sod, preparing the soil, and planting trees and shrubs. 

Plan to join us on Sunday, September 15, 2019, in participating with our community in some healthy physical labour to bring this fabulous project to fruition (pun intended).  

Submitted by 

Pamela Boyd

SHC Grounds Committee

Hillhurst Sunnyside at a Glance | Census 2019

Contributors: Lisa Chong (author, infographic) + Matt Crowley (data analysis) | HSCA Community Planning

The City of Calgary has released their April 2019 census results on September 3rd. This data is available for viewing at www.calgary.ca/census. Overall, Calgary’s population has gone up from 1,267,344 in 2018 to 1,285,711 at a 1.45% increase. Population increase was largely attributed to new suburban communities: Mahogany, Legacy, Nolan Hill, Cornerstone, and Redstone saw the most growth.

A Vision for Calgary

City Council adopted the Municipal Development Plan (MDP) in 2010 in response to continued, projected population growth in Calgary. At the time, the MDP envisioned a 1/3 population growth in the established areas and 2/3 in the new suburbs for the next thirty years with the goal of a 50/50 split in sixty years’ time. The City’s recent Next 20 project was intended as a ten-year policy review of these goals (the MDP review has now been reduced in scope as a result of the City’s budget cuts in June 2019).

A Vision for Hillhurst Sunnyside

Ten years have passed since Council’s approval of the Hillhurst Sunnyside Area Redevelopment Plan: Part II Transit Oriented Development (ARP; 2009). The ARP is the policy that guides new development in our community. Since then, we have seen a steady population increase of around 1,800 people. Hillhurst has lost population in the last two years, in part, due to the permanent evacuation of residents at Kensington Manor.

Using the City of Calgary’s census numbers and 2008 population prior to the ARP, Hillhurst Sunnyside has seen a compounded annual growth rate in its population of 1.8%. By comparison, Calgary has experienced a 1.9% compounded population growth over that same time period. In order for the City to meet 1/3 of its total growth from established areas, higher growth rates are needed in mature areas.

Based on HSCA’s internal development application tracking, Hillhurst Sunnyside has a total of 25 developments ongoing with a minimum of 6 units. There is a total of 132 residential units currently under construction.

Hillhurst Sunnyside Planning Committee Development Tracking | Current as of September 2019

Over the next 5 years, we can expect to welcome an additional 1,800 people the community (based on completion of 30% of predevelopment projects and 60% of approved projects). This would amount to a compounded growth rate of 2.8% since 2009 and 5.8% since 2019. In part, this represents a change in consumer preferences to be located in walkable communities, complete with amenities and services that emphasize lifestyle. As Hillhurst Sunnyside residents, our livable community is something to be truly proud of. For the second year in a row, the Economist has rated Calgary the #1 most livable city in North America and 5th most livable in the entire world.

Despite the current economic climate, planning and development for new buildings in the community continues to forge ahead (see: developmentmap.calgary.ca). The community is now poised to take part in the City of Calgary’s new approach to planning with the multi-community district-based planning (see: North Hill Communities Local Growth Planning).

A Vision for Your Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association

As a community association that serves Hillhurst and Sunnyside, a deeper understanding of the demographic makeup of our community is crucial to the sustainability of our organization and ensuring we continue to offer relevant programming to our current and future neighbours.

HSCA continually works at achieving diverse representation on our Board of Directors. This includes a wide range of ages, professions, expertise, housing tenure and geographical location in the community.

In recent years, we embarked on imagineHSCA in 2014, which was a visioning exercise for our community association. In 2017, we hosted a larger-scale community survey that served as a starting point of conversation about current programs/services and understanding the value which residents hope to gain from us. This valuable feedback is helping us shape current and future offerings at HSCA. You can review the results of our survey at this link.

While there is a general perception that community associations are made up of more established residents, we have observed a steady flow of volunteers, members and participants from a variety of backgrounds and ages. It is important to hear from not only these residents, but neighbours that traditionally have a smaller voice: HSCA meets regularly with various social agencies and non-profit housing groups to share information, build relationships and invite neighbours to take part in community life.

A Vision for the Future

HSCA continues to serve our strong, vibrant, inclusive community with a proud housing mix of rentals, home-ownership, cooperative housing, multi-residential, laneway homes and everything in between. We are an intergenerational and mixed income community. All are welcome at your friendly Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association ❤️

Check out our community overview on our accompanying infographic!

View fullsize

Hillhurst Sunnyside Factsheet | September 3, 2019

Harvest Fair 2019 | Your Chance To Win Local Bragging Rights!

This post was originally posted on the HSCA Farmers' Market Blog on August 22nd and in the September Hillhurst Sunnyside Voice.

By Heather Ramshaw

Last fall, I found myself in my garden, examining my sad attempt at growing buttercup squash. All I had were 3 measly mini-squash, the size of a baseball each. After a summer of losing tomato plants to blight as a result of heavy hail, and sad bean yields from all the smoke and lack of direct sunlight, I was feeling disheartened. So much so, I almost wanted to give up gardening all together! But then I remembered... despite the disappointment in the garden, I had a GREAT shot of winning a red ribbon at the Hillhurst Sunnyside Harvest Fair! Suddenly, it didn’t matter that my husband and I had to buy all our vegetables that year; my excitement for gardening had been renewed and I even felt great pride as I entered my mini-squash in the category of “Most Pathetic Vegetable”.

With over 50 categories to choose from, there is certainly something for everyone. Whether you love to bake, cook, ferment, compost, create art, or grow food (as successful or unsuccessful you may be!), you have a chance to be a Blue Ribbon winner. Our panels of local celebrity judges, including John Gilchrist, Sylvia Kong and Rod Olson, always have a blast sampling pies, weighing pumpkins, and interpreting recycled garden art.

This year, we are excited to have the Harvest Fair and Farmers’ Market combined and out in the sunshine. On September 11 from 3-7pm, you will be able to do your weekly shopping along with viewing all produce, art and culinary creations that have been prepared for ribbons and bragging rights. Join in some square dancing, eating contests, play games, listen to live music, learn how to save seeds, and become part of our garlic bank!

See our Harvest Fair page for details of categories and rules. 

To enter your submissions, bring your items to the HSCA with the attached form completed on September 10th from 4:30-8:30pm or September 11th from 10-11:30am.

Which red ribbon will you take home this year??

Steel Wave: A Full Circle Moment

This blog post originally appeared in the August 2019 Hillhurst Sunnyside Voice, by Patti Dawkins

“Steel Wave before restoration”. Photo by Patti Dawkins

Do you remember a faded, rusty and rather tired looking sculpture outside the CBC building facing Memorial Drive for many years? I am pleased to inform you that it has been donated by the CBC to the Kiyooka Ohe Arts Centre (KOAC) in Springbank.

The name of the sculpture is “Steel Wave” by former artist Roy Leadbeater (1928-2017). The CBC commissioned it in 1978 for $250,000. "It is an outstanding sculpture. In terms of Alberta sculptures, it is one of the better pieces. The imagery is about wings, and abstract wings imply freedom," Harry Kiyooka told the CBC’s Homestretch.

Leadbeater came to be an artist late in life. While living in Calgary in the 1960’s he enrolled in art classes with Katie Ohe at the Calgary Allied Arts Centre (Coste House). He worked full time to subsidize his art practice: for Shell Oil in Calgary and then EPCOR in Edmonton. Dominion Bridge Company in Ramsey liked his work so much they offered him access to a workshop space after hours. In Edmonton he ran his own foundry with eleven employees and produced sculptural commissions.

The KOAC is a not-for-profit charity organization founded by artists and educators Harry Kiyooka and Katie Ohe. According to their website, KOAC is “dedicated to the preservation of its surrounding environment, enriching Canadian art culture and providing community programming”. The Springbank property has been their home since 1978. The house, two studios and a future pavilion will be used for the three R’s: Retreat, Research and Residence. There is currently a sculpture park on the property with over 100 sculptures. Kiyooka taught at U of C 1961-1988 and Ohe taught at AUArts (formerly the Alberta College of Art and Design ACAD) from 1970-2016.

“Steel Wave Today”. Photo by Patti Dawkins

This year Ohe will receive the highest honour the province can bestow on a citizen, The Alberta Order of Excellence (AOE).You may be familiar with some of her public art, “The Zipper” (1975) a kinetic sculpture in the University of Calgary Sciences Building, “Cracked Pot Foundations” a stone fountain in Prince’s Island, and “Janet’s Crown”, a kinetic sculpture that sits on the grass outside of the Alberta University of the Arts (AUArts) at the top of the hill above Hillhurst School. 

After long negotiations between the CBC and KOAC, Leadbeater’s two-ton “Steel Wave” was donated and transported to KOAC for restoration. Local artist Alex Caldwell meticulously restored the sculpture, removing all rust spots, making necessary repairs and applying a fresh bright coat of orange paint that will last for decades. The sculpture was unveiled on June 22, 2019 at KOAC’s annual open house with over 100 people in attendance, including CBC Calgary’s Doug Dirks. Attendees enjoyed tours of Kiyooka and Ohe’s studios, home, library, fantastic art collection and sculpture garden.

As a former student of Ohe, Leadbeater’s sculpture now graces the property and begins a new life in the KOAC sculpture garden, a very appropriate full circle moment.

For more information about KOAC please visit the website http://www.koartscentre.org/

Written by Patti Dawkins, Community Member

Further Reading & Sources:

1.    CBC News September 2018 David Bell

2.    Kiyooka Ohe Arts Centre

3.    Avenue Magazine September 2014

Have your say in protecting Sunnyside from future Bow River flooding!

Sunnyside Needs Improved Flood Barrier Protection

Please be sure to drop in to the important City of Calgary Open House on the Sunnyside Flood Barrier Project to be held in September.  
 

When: Tuesday, September 24, 2019
5-8 p.m. 
Where: Sunnyside School Gymnasium 
211 7th St. NW
 

The City is exploring various barrier/berm height options that will provide different levels of protection from high river levels. At the open house you can learn more about the options being explored in Sunnyside.  Your feedback will be important to ensuring the right option is selected.

For the last 2+ years the HSCA EPARC Flood Infrastructure Committee has been advocating for a flood barrier (aka berm) that will provide adequate protection for Sunnyside.  Pressure from this group was key to pushing the City to consider alternatives to their original plan.  Now we are calling on community members to make their voices heard so that an appropriate (higher) alternative is selected – the more voices, the better.

The City’s original plan for our berm is for no material height increase and this is not acceptable.  Sunnyside needs a higher berm, and we need it now.  How much higher has not been determined, but a one-half metre height increase is the minimum plausible.

Below are explanations of some terminology used in discussing river flooding and the berm.  These are intended to provide clarity and understanding.  One does not have to get very deep into the subject of river flooding for it to get very complicated.  Although this note is very long we have tried to simplify for brevity.

Explanation of Terms Used When Discussing the Berm

(1) River Flow. Rainfall and snowmelt west of Calgary can cause high flows in the Bow River. In the case of large floods the most important factor is the rainfall, with snowmelt contributing perhaps only 10-20% of the flow. At any point in time the flow in the Bow River is different at different locations. The river starts with a small flow at Bow Glacier and the flow increases with tributaries joining as the river runs eastwards.

The Ghost Reservoir west of Cochrane is also important. Depending on the available room in the reservoir and the management decisions taken the reservoir can temporarily hold back water and reduce the outflow to Calgary to less than it would otherwise be. More on this below. On the other hand, the Bearspaw Reservoir has little storage capacity and therefore little potential impact on river flow.

Complex hydraulic models are used to project river flows under different scenarios of rainfall and snowmelt.
To simplify discussion, when we speak of river flow, we always refer to the flow of the Bow River upstream of the confluence with the Elbow River, as measured by an Alberta Environment and Parks flow meter on the Bow at Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary. The flow is measured in cubic metres per second which is abbreviated either as m³/s or cms. The flow at Reconciliation Bridge is a good approximation of the flow at Sunnyside because the contribution from runoff between here and there is relatively small.

(2) Return Period. The risk associated with major floods is expressed as a return period. For example, 1:100 means that a specific high flow is expected to return on average once every 100 years. This is more correctly stated as “a 1% chance of that flow occurring in any year”.

Below is a table translating return periods into probabilities of floods in any one year and over time. Note that at a constant risk the specific flow will be different at different locations up and down the Bow River. The river flow at Reconciliation Bridge corresponding to each return period is shown at the right of the table. These flows are calculated by taking historical river flow data, using statistical techniques to fit the data to a curve and then picking flow values off the curve for the chosen return periods.

The probability of occurrence or the return period is a measure of the risk that we are willing to tolerate. Risk tolerance varies from person to person and represents our perception of the consequences of the flood versus our perception of the cost of mitigating against that flood.

An example of acceptable risk tolerance is the Alberta provincial standard for flood protection which is 1:100, or a 1% probability in any year. In the Netherlands their standard for flood protection can be as high as 1:1000 or more. Calgary has no established flood protection standard, instead individual flood protection infrastructure is built to different risk tolerances, seemingly at the whim of City Administration.

It might seem counterintuitive that there is only a 65% chance of a 1:10 event occurring in any 10-year period. However this is correct, and is a result of the way probabilities are mathematically combined.

(3) River Level. The level of the water in the river depends on the flow in the river, but it also depends on the width of the river at any point. The same flow increase in a wide section of the river will result in less level increase than in a narrower section of river.

The effective width of the river at a specific location can vary with the depth of the water. For example, at 10th Street NW there is a gravel bar. When that gravel bar is dry the river is flowing in a narrower channel and a smaller change in flow will result in a given change in water level. When the river level rises above the gravel bar its width is effectively greater and a larger change in flow is required for that same change in water level. This change in width with depth is referred to as the river cross-section, and it is different at every point along the river. Sophisticated river surveys and flow models are used to estimate projected river levels for specific flows.

A further complication is that the Bow River is in some ways more like a mountain stream when compared to most major rivers. In other words, the Bow River is falling rapidly downhill as it passes through Calgary. Just from one end of Sunnyside to the other the river elevation drops about two metres.

(4) Berm Height. From the paragraphs above we can say that the height of an adequate berm at a specific point depends on the desired risk tolerance as indicated by the probability or return period of a damaging flood, the river flow associated with that return period at that point in the river and the river cross section, or effective width, at that point.

In addition, good engineering practice is to allow for “freeboard”. This allowance is to compensate for any modelling errors, upstream or downstream debris dams, and wave action including any standing waves. Freeboard is to ensure that the berm is not overtopped in a flood of the return period for which it was designed. In the case of the Bow River the freeboard allowance recommended by City engineers is one-half metre (0.5 m). We are using that number.

The table below takes all the discussion above and identifies the increase required to the Sunnyside berm at various points along the berm. The elevation of the existing berm is given in metres above sea level.

There are a lot of numbers in that table.  Here is a simple summary:

For 1:20 protection:  No change to current berm height (the City’s original proposal)
For 1:50 protection:  The berm must be raised about 0.5 m
For 1:100 protection:  The berm must be raised about 1.0 m (the Alberta provincial standard)
For 1:200 protection:  The berm must be raised about 1.5 m (to match the new flood protection on the south bank)
Note that in the case of 1:100 and 1:200 protection the berm should also be raised in Hillhurst.

It is plausible that for modest height increases over modest lengths temporary “water tube” type berms could be deployed when high river levels are anticipated.  This might be an acceptable plan for Hillhurst and perhaps everywhere west of the Peace Bridge, but it is implausible that temporary berms could be deployed for the full height and along the entire length required in Sunnyside. The City has limited resources and many other priorities for water tube berms.

(5) Ghost Reservoir TransAlta Agreement.  The most complex and contentious issue has been left for last. To properly understand the impact of the TransAlta agreement for management of Ghost Reservoir levels and outflows requires the use of differential equations that I last studied in second year university, as well as an understanding of human nature and people’s reactions during crises that I only know through observation during our 2013 crisis.  This is to say that I find it difficult to explain the possible operation of the Ghost reservoir in a clear and succinct way.
 
There are other upstream reservoirs besides Ghost included in the agreement between the Government of Alberta and TransAlta for reservoir management before and during a flood event.  For the purpose of simplicity, they will be lumped together as “Ghost”.
 
The Ghost Reservoir has a working capacity of up to 61,000 dam³ (dam³ is an abbreviation of cubic decametre.  1 dam³ equals 1000 m³, and m³ means cubic metres).  Working capacity means the amount of water the dam can store if it is as empty as possible at the beginning of an event and is allowed to fill to just before overflowing.
 
The flow rates into the Ghost Reservoir from the Bow River and the Ghost River depend on the amount of rainfall upstream.  The flow rate out of the Ghost Reservoir is controlled by TransAlta in consultation with the Province and the City at whatever rate they choose, until the reservoir is full.  Outflow rates that might be chosen correspond to the following flows at the Reconciliation Bridge in Calgary:
Up to 400 cms – no special action required in the City.  Allows time for thorough evacuations.
Between 400 and 800 cms – Pathways closed, some basement groundwater flooding expected.
Between 800 and 1230 cms – Significant overland flooding in Bowness (until their berm is built)
Over 1230 cms – Damaging flooding in Sunnyside unless a higher berm is built.
 
For comparison the Bow River flow was about 250 cms at its highest this summer, the peak flow for a 1:100 flood is 2020 cms, and the actual flow at the peak of the 2013 flood was 1850 cms.
 
The river flows corresponding to return periods listed in the berm height table above are “peak flows”.  If the Ghost Reservoir is not used (outflow = inflows) it will take some time for the river flow to rise to that peak flow, where it will remain for a relatively short time before gradually declining, eventually returning to a normal low flow (the flow if the Ghost Reservoir is not used can be called the naturalized flow). Representing this rising-peak-declining inflow pattern and calculating the time to fill the reservoir at a chosen outflow is where the differential equations are used.  When the reservoir becomes full there is no option other than to increase the outflow to whatever the inflow happens to be.  If the reservoir is full before the naturalized peak flow is reached then that full peak flow becomes the outflow.  
 
The key point for us is the amount by which the actual peak flow is less than the naturalized peak flow.  Estimates of the amount by which the naturalized peak flow can be reduced vary from 0 cms to 500 cms.
 
The 0 cms peak flow reduction benefit occurs if the reservoir capacity is used to delay the onset of high flow to ensure complete in-city preparations.  The use of the capacity for this purpose has been suggested by both the City and the Province in previous communications. Reservoir capacity used for high flow onset delay will not be available for peak flow reduction.
 
The 500 cms peak flow reduction benefit is a very optimistic case where perfect knowledge of the incoming flow patterns is available and immediate and aggressive action is taken to increase the reservoir outflows.  Of course, perfect information is not available in a flood emergency.  I suggest that it is unlikely that officials with less than perfect information will quickly take the decision to increase the flows and knowingly flood Bowness.  And failure to take quick action means the full 500 cms reduction cannot be achieved.
 
In our analysis in the next section we have chosen an intermediate Ghost/TransAlta peak flow reduction benefit of 300 cms.  Applying this to the berm height table above we can see that our “1:20” berm will protect us up to a flood of about 1:40, while a “1:50” berm would protect us in a flood up to about 1:90 (the peak flows quoted in the table are naturalized flows).  Similarly, a “1:100” berm would protect to about 1:180 and a “1:200” berm would protect to almost 1:350.  Is our 300 cms peak flow reduction benefit choice correct?  Maybe, but maybe it is too optimistic.  Probably the peak flow reduction is not constant for floods of different sizes as these calculations assume.
 
In summary, we do not accept the City’s contention that a Ghost/TransAlta benefit of 500 cms is appropriate and we feel that a reasonably optimistic assumption is 300 cms peak flow reduction benefit.

(6) Upstream Mitigation.  The province of Alberta is now studying options for a new or expanded dam on the Bow River upstream of Calgary.  It is proving challenging to find a suitable location for such a dam.  Even if a location is identified the cost of a new dam will be close to $1 billion.  With the current state of the province’s finances it is not clear that money would be available to begin significant work anytime soon.  In the very best case scenario, a new or expanded dam would not be operational for 10 years minimum with 15, 20, 25 years or never all more likely cases. When/if this dam is completed it will provide good protection for all of Calgary and a 1:20 or 1:50 berm would be sufficient for Sunnyside.  During the time we are waiting for this dam we will be at significant risk of a damaging flood.
 

Comments on Alternative Berm Heights

[This section was previously distributed as part of the HSCA August e-newsletter]

The City’s original plan was for no material change to the height of the Sunnyside berm, which on its own provides protection against a 1:20 flood (1:20 means a 5% probability of occurrence in any year).  When the 1:20 berm is combined with reasonable estimates of upstream dam operation and future upstream infrastructure construction there is a 30% probability of a damaging flood in the next 15 years.  This is unacceptable, especially when a higher berm is technically, economically, environmentally and socially feasible.
 
The stress that is palpable in the community each year when flood season rolls around is an important social factor that a higher berm would help alleviate.
 
Another important social factor the lack of equity and fairness between communities.  Recently constructed or proposed barriers protecting Inglewood, Downtown, Eau Claire, and even the Zoo and the Field of Crosses are substantially higher than that originally planned for Sunnyside.  This discrimination against our densifying inner city, mixed income community is unacceptable. 
 
If Sunnyside is protected with an adequate berm the City would consider relaxation of redundant mitigation in buildings.  This refers to the prohibitively expensive requirements in the case of significant renovations and to the sub-optimal designs required in new construction.  Both impact the character of our community – an important social factor.
 
In addition to the social factors above the following technical points are important.
 
The City’s own Triple Bottom Line economic analysis shows that a higher berm for Sunnyside is solidly justified.
 
The provincial standard for flood mitigation is 1:100 (1% chance in any year). Even in combination with improved upstream facility management the berm originally planned falls short.  This jeopardizes any provincial contribution to the cost of the project, and is the reason no provincial funds have been awarded to this project to date.  It is likely that the provincial money attracted by a higher berm would more than cover any additional cost for the added height.
 
All of the probabilities mentioned in this email assume no impact of climate change.  If more frequent extreme weather events occur as a result of climate change then larger floods will be more common.  For example, what is now projected as a 1:100 flood (1% chance in any year) could be as frequent as 1:50 in future (2% chance in any year), and so on.  Consideration of climate change would further justify a higher berm.
 
For more information on all the Flood Committee concerns with the flood barrier project please refer to
https://www.hsca.ca/s/Concerns-with-Sunnyside-Barriers-July-2019-f11.pdf
 
The original flood barrier plan for a 1:20 berm is unacceptable.  We hope you will join as we advocate for one of the other options to be presented.  These include berms that would protect against river levels that would be expected to occur 1:50 (2% chance in any year), 1:100 (1% chance in any year) or 1:200 (0.5% chance in any year).  Each of these options will have their own pros and cons.

Conclusion

 
We are nearing a critical point regarding the protection of our community in the event of future river flooding.  Your support and some of your time is needed at the Community Engagement Open House on the Sunnyside Flood Barrier Project to be held on Tuesday, September 24.  I look forward to seeing you there.
 
I would be happy to discuss this whole issue or any part of it further individually or in a group.  If there is enough interest we can convene a meeting of those who want a better understanding.  Either way, please contact me at cdlund2@yahoo.com
 
Charlie Lund
Chair, Infrastructure Group, Emergency Preparedness and Response Committee
Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association.

Fraud Alerts

Recently, a senior had a phone call – referred to as an Emergency Scam, and it went something like this…

“Hi grandma, I need your help. I am in Montreal and I had my wallet stolen. I need some money to get back home.”

“Who is this?”

“Grandma, don’t you recognize your own grandson’s voice?”

“Jesse?”

“Yes, it’s Jesse. I really need your help grandma.”

“What are you doing in Montreal?”

“I came here for a friend's wedding, but my wallet was stolen, and I have no way to get back home. Please grandma, I need your help.”

“Why didn’t you call your mother?”

“No grandma, please don’t call mom. She will be so upset with me because I didn’t tell her I was going. She can’t know I was here. Please grandma you have to help me.”

“Jesse I can’t help you. I don’t have any money to send you.” “Please grandma, I really need help. Couldn’t you….”

Thankfully the senior ended the conversation with “I cannot help you, call your mother.” The caller then hung up. As I am sure you realize, this was a scam. It is called an Emergency scam and many seniors fall victim to it every day. We care about our kids and grandkids and we want to help or get them out of trouble. Unfortunately, scammers have tapped into this care and concern and some seniors have lost money after attempting to ‘help’ a grandchild in a bind—only to discover they had been deceived by a convincing scammer. When I talked to this senior about this being a scam, her response was, “but how did he know Jesse’s name?” I explained that she told it to him when he made the comment, “Grandma, don’t you recognize your own grandson’s voice?” If we are not careful, when we receive “scam” phone calls, we can inadvertently give away personal information. The callers are very good at picking up on the clues and working with them. They are very good at what they do. This is only one type of scam. I am sure that most of us have received the calls about lowering our credit card interest, or from Canada Revenue indicating we owe them money, or even the special holiday trips that will give us a lot of “free” stuff, including reduced hotel rates, for a small fee or any of several other calls from scammers. You can block the number, but generally they can just call again using another number. You can tell them to stop calling, but usually they are randomly generated numbers and they don’t know who they are calling, the phone number for that person, or where they are located. They get that information the more they talk to us, often without us realizing that we, ourselves, have given them that information.

Competition Bureau Canada has a great publication called “The Little Black Book of Scams” that can be found on their website: www.competitionbureau.gc.ca. Scroll down and click on “The Little Black Book of Scams 2nd edition”. There is information about different types of scams, tips to protect yourself as well as what to do and who to call if you want to report a scam. Share what you learn with other family members. These scammers are creative and always coming up with something new. If someone is asking for personal information or money, just hang up.

When we are struggling with finances (which can happen to most of us at times), we may expect to get a call. If you do, ask for their name and id number, write it down, then hang up and call the number you have for that service, DO NOT CALL THE NUMBER THEY GIVE YOU.

Don’t let yourself be bullied over the phone, hang up. If you are worried about your credit card or you bank, energy bill etc., call the number on your statements to check it out.

Resources:

https://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca

Written by Debbie Olson, Seniors’ Connection Coordinator

Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Garden Turns 30!

Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Garden Turns 30!

 The Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Garden (HSCG) celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Initiated by Jim Hollicky in 1989, the garden boasts 33 plots for residents in Hillhurst Sunnyside, and has served as a great connector of residents.

Garden Leader, Richard Smith and his partner Buff Smith have been involved with the garden for 12 years. They moved from Peace River — where they maintained a huge garden — to their home in Sunnyside — which has a small and shaded backyard — and sought a space to grow some veggies. Buff says, “We saw [the garden] and I asked about it (because I always chat people up). We thought it would take a while and just kept asking every two weeks until finally they were like ‘*sigh* okay here’. We were so lucky the way it all happened.”

Buff and Richard speak about the community and connection that makes the HSCG such an excellent tool for residents to engage with one another. Richard says the greatest reward has been the gardeners. He says, “[It’s a] great group of people. They really are excellent. And a number of them have become friends. People that you see on the street and chat with and talk about gardening and other stuff are the best part.”

Buff agrees, “Definitely the people [are the greatest reward] and the fact that you get to run over and pick fresh vegetables too.”

But the garden is not without its obstacles. Richard says routinely weather is the biggest challenge. He says, “Hailstorm in a garden and it looks like somebody put it through a shredder. It’s pretty disappointing.”

Another challenge, the duo says, can be gardeners with an agenda and who may not be so community minded. Richard says, “It’s the same in any group of people, 95% of them are willing to do their bit and volunteer and then there’s 5% who don’t and they can be a pain. There are obligations like coming to the spring clean up and fall clean up and some people just don’t and it’s frustrating. But as I say, it’s 5% of the time. A small minority.”

Buff believes this is “Only because it’s a community garden, so it’s not just about growing the produce it’s about growing the community. When there are people who only want to come and garden then that’s their expectation and that’s all they want to do, so you have to recognize that not everyone thinks community is important.”

The HSCG also produces a lot of compostable material and Richard mentioned that the City’s compost program has been a barrier for the garden financially. In order to eliminate their black cart, the garden took on two green carts, but this changed their status and the price per month skyrocketed. He says, “It cost us over $1100 to have two green carts. It’s $75 per month per cart because we’re classified as commercial. So that’s a challenge right now.

Our total revenues are only $1540 for the plots. And if we’re spending $1100 for compost we can’t do it. So I’m trying to get Waste and Recycling to classify us as residential.

I’m hearing from other community gardens that they’re not using the green carts, they’re doing something else, so there isn’t pressure right now from other community gardens.”

And what do they and HSCG gardeners hope for the next 30 years of gardening? Richard says, “We need more community gardens. There must be 60 people on the HSCG waitlist right now. And it’s at least a two year wait to get on a plot. There are 33 plots in our garden and there were 4 vacancies this year and that’s kind of typical. I think it was a similar case with the Kensington Community First Garden. I hear there’s some talk with Bow to Bluff and Sunnyside Shared garden and making that into an allotment garden.”

Community gardens are important for Hillhurst Sunnyside residents. Richard says, “It brings people together and helps to create community. And aligns with so many other things the community association does like drop in badminton, soccer, potluck nights and stuff. It brings people together. And gives them an opportunity to donate some produce to Fresh Food Basket. And there are people who share their gardens, or their skills and expertise to help others out.”

Buff says community gardens such as HSCG, “Allow people who live in the city and don’t have access to a plot to grow fresh food and feed their family better. And get back to the dirt. There are people who have never gardened before and they’re so intimidated and then when they get their first crops their so excited to be eating fresh stuff.”

We hope that HSCG enjoys another amazing 30 years (and more!) and that community gardens in our neighbourhood will continue to grow (pun intended) and flourish.

Written by Jessica Clark, Communications Manager

Neighbour Day Events in Hillhurst Sunnyside

Hillhurst Sunnyside Community | Neighbour Day Happenings June 15th

Neighbour day is coming up on June 15th and there are so many exciting things happening in Hillhurst Sunnyside for you to enjoy! See below for this year's exciting events and click through the links for more details:

Bowview Pool OPENS- The Bowview Outdoor Swimming pool opens up to the public. Lessons are currently taking registrations!

Community Wide Yard Sales-  9am-2pm between Kensington Road & 5th Ave NW, visit the streets of 10A, 11th, 11A, 12th, and 13th (and beyond??) It’s back! The super-duper, you-won’t-wanna-miss-it: Kensington-Wide Yard-Sale Day! For 18 years (and counting), neighbors have pillaged their attics & storage spaces to find all kinds of interesting things to offer for sale--AND, as an added perk, there are always some young entrepreneurs offering up tasty treats to eat, too.

Sunnyside Park Party- A community-led event at New Edinborough Park from 3-7pm complete with live music, games, baby racing and more! Donations welcome to make this event a success! 

Hillhurst Block Party BBQ- 3-7pm at 1700 Block Bowness Road NW. If you live in Hillhurst come out for some games and food! Donations welcome to make this event a success! 

Framed on Fifth Sidewalk and Backyard Festival-  Framed on Fifth invites you to meet your Calgary area artists.  Chat, watch them work and check out their skills  and finished artworks in front of our gallery and in our open backyard.

Food Forest Pilot Project - Please note this project has been postponed. Stay tuned for future updates.

Community Planning and Engagement Update for June

Community Planning and Engagement

The Hillhurst Sunnyside Planning Committee (HSPC) will be meeting on Tuesday June 11, 2019 from 7-9pm. All community residents are welcome! Agendas and past minutes are posted on www.hsca.ca/meetings.

Please help us welcome the applicant’s team at Ocgrow and architects at Riddell Kurczaba as they provide an update on the proposed development at 211-221 14 St NW (site of the yellow National Transmission auto garage on the west side of 14 St between Kensington Rd and 2 Ave).

Want to volunteer? HSPC is looking for more representation from Sunnyside and condo neighbours. All are welcome – guests, students and whether you rent or own your home or have a business in the neighbourhood. Please bring your ideas and an open mind. Contact lisa.c@hsca.ca.

Ocgrow | 211-221 14 St NW (National Transmission Building)

Ocgrow has submitted a rezoning and ARP amendment application for this site for a 26m (8-storey), 5 FAR mixed use building (ARP limit of 20m or 6 storeys and 4 FAR). Because this is a proposed change to bylaw, the application will need to go through City Council for their final decision.

The due date for community comments is Monday, June 10, 2019. For information or to provide comments, please contact the City of Calgary File Manager at matt.rockley@calgary.ca. You can copy HSPC at lisa@hsca.ca and Councillor Farrell’s office at caward7@calgary.ca.

Background information:

·       HSPC overview: https://hsca-community-planning.mn.co/posts/residents-meeting-may-30-2019-natl-transmission-redevelopment.

·       Developer’s project website http://engageocgrowkensington.com

·       Review the status of the application at the City’s Planning Map website at www.calgary.ca/pdmap.

Kensington Manor | 321 10 St NW

View an update on the vacant Kensington Manor building at https://hsca-community-planning.mn.co/posts/kensington-manor-june-4-2019-council-report.

Bow to Bluff public parks project – FUNDED

Check out an exciting news announcement from Councillor Druh Farrell on the citizen-initiated Bow to Bluff project. The project was the result of years of resident engagement and advocacy to transform and create activity on the triangle-shaped parks along the LRT line from the Bow River to McHugh Bluff. Read more at https://hsca-community-planning.mn.co/posts/bow-to-bluff-funded.

Water for Riley: the drinking fountain

Check out another win for the community from the volunteer team at Water for Riley on the installation of the drinking fountain on the west side of Riley Park by the playground! Check out their blog for updates at http://www.waterforriley.org.

Bow River Naturalization and McHugh Bluff Goats

The City is beginning work this May to naturalize the park open space near 14 Street NW along Memorial Drive, and a portion of the McHugh Bluff natural area. The goals of this naturalization project are to: establish more natural, self-sustaining vegetation communities within the boulevards, provide habitat for native pollinators (e.g., bees, butterflies) and reduce non-native invasive plant species.

Read more and view the map of the affected areas at https://hsca-community-planning.mn.co/posts/city-of-calgary-naturalization-the-goats-are-coming-back.

Residential Parking Program Review

Written by Lisa Chong, Community Planning and Engagement Coordinator

Food Forest Pilot Project

Sunnyhill Housing Cooperative recently received a $3,500 grant to implement a community greening project.  These grants are part of a multi-year partnership between Tree Canada, Canada’s national tree planting charity and Pembina Pipeline Corporation.  More than 230 project applications were received for the Green Canada Edible Trees program and SHC has been selected among 60 others.  

On Saturday, June 15th Sunnyhill will be planting a Food Forest Pilot Project on their property. The work will be done in collaboration with Sunshine Earth Works, a Calgary permaculture organization “committed to repairing the earth one yard at a time.”  

What is a food forest?   “Forest gardening is a low-maintenance, sustainable, plant-based food production and agroforestry system based on woodland ecosystems, incorporating fruit and nut trees, shrubs, herbs, vines, and perennial vegetables that have yields directly useful to humans.” 

Trees are critical to strong communities. They help us to live healthier lives by providing multiple environmental, social and economical benefits to our cities such as absorbing CO2, cooling our homes and reducing our stress. Research shows that living near trees lowers the risk of mortality from common causes and helps to improve our mental health. The effects of climate change in our cities can be mitigated by increasing our urban canopy.

Under the guidance of Jeremy Zoller and his crew from Sunshine Earth Works, the Grounds Committee, co-op members, and volunteers from Pembina and the whole community will be removing sod, preparing the soil, and planting trees and shrubs.  

The work for this is currently postponed. Please stay posted for future updates.

Plan to join us in participating with our community in some healthy physical labour to bring this fabulous spring project to fruition (pun intended). 

Submitted by

Pamela Boyd

SHC Grounds Committee.

Seniors' Week in Alberta

Written by Debbie Olson

June 2 to June 8, is Senior’s Week in Alberta. It is a time to celebrate the contributions our seniors have made to our communities, our city, our country and our lives. They are past and current leaders. They helped to shape the technologies we use and rely on today. They have impacted the lives of family, friends, neighbours and strangers over the years by providing support when and where they can, staying active when possible and volunteering time to help others.

Contributions from the over 1,800 seniors currently living in our community and those who came before and have passed on, have invested time, effort, imagination and supports over the decades to make our community what it is today. Their legacy has provided us with a wealth of history and the foundation on which we build moving forward.

Many of our seniors have faced challenges we can only imagine. If we have been lucky enough to interact with our senior relatives over the years, and if we have truly listened, we have gained personal insights not only to our personal family history, but we have also learned how much the world has changed, in their lifetime. If we take the time to reflect on our own histories, we see the changes that have occurred for us over the years. I often wonder, if I am lucky enough to still be around when I am the age of some of the oldest seniors in our community, what changes are still to come and how much will our future lives and the lives of those who are following us, be impacted by the things we are creating, the technologies we are expanding on and the decisions we have made and will continue to make over the next years.

Too often we don’t acknowledge the contributions of seniors to our lives. Our world is not perfect, but neither are we. We learn, grow, adapt, change and try to make things better in the same way many of our seniors have. We forget that the advances we have today in technology, medicine, business etc. are based on work, creativity, perseverance and the skills of those seniors who came before us. Just as they built a foundation which gave us the advances we take for granted now, we are hopefully doing positive things to create advances and improve things for those who come after us.

We all can have very different views of seniors. Positive views are a result of good interactions and connections. Negative views could be influenced by past adverse experiences or having no experience at all with seniors in the past. This is no different then other interactions we have had, some will be good and some not so much, but I hope we do not “paint” all new interactions with the same brush, or lump all seniors into the same category, based on negative past experiences. We need to give ourselves the opportunity to connect and experience new relationships that may surprise us, despite past negatives.

As with any other stage of life, growing older can have its challenges, joys, downfalls, heartaches, successes, and wonders. Getting older can be an achievement and cause for celebration, looking forward to the possibilities of having the time to travel, enjoying things there hasn’t been time for or crossing items off a bucket list. Challenges faced can be the result of changes in health or circumstances and can be made worse when a support system is lost or was never available.

I am proud of our seniors and enjoy the stories and experiences they are willing to share with me about their lives. I sometimes learn knew things or gain an understanding of the difficulties they have faced and overcome over the years and that creates a whole new learning curve. I look forward every day to connecting and finding ways to help when needed, making connections for support and building a network in the community.

We have all heard time and again that the senior population is growing. Those who were born between 1946 and 1965 are referred to as “baby boomers”. This twenty-year span saw more than 8.2 million babies being born in Canada alone (stats Canada). That’s a lot of babies and while the first of the baby boomers turned 65 in 2011 there are still a lot of seniors to come. Those of you reading this, if you are lucky, will one day have the privilege of becoming seniors and I hope that will make you proud. For some that will be a good experience, but for some there will be challenges. Hopefully there will be a support network of family, friends or neighbours in place to help you when needed.

The next time you see a senior, trying saying hello and giving them a smile. Strike up a conversation or ask how they are doing. You never know how much of an impact having someone acknowledge you, can have on a person’s day and you never know what you might unintentionally learn. Remember our seniors in June and in the months to come. Remember that if you are lucky, someday you will be a senior and I hope you will be Senior Proud.

The Year of the Farmer Steps into the Sun

Hillhurst Sunnyside Farmers’ Market Outdoor Season begins May 15th

When the Wednesday tents go up outside the HSCA, you know summer is just around the corner. It is the beginning of the outdoor Farmers’ Market season! Sure, we might be a little keen, making the move outside the week before May Long weekend, but as a year-round market, our vendors are eager to get out of the confines of our indoor set up, and into the sunshine and fresh air!

To reflect our excitement of being back outside, our Outdoor Season Opener –the first special event of many for the 2019 season- takes on a street party feel.  On May 15th, we make the move; come celebrate local with us from 3-7pm! Our strong line-up of local vendors bring you the best in YYC produce, honey, soap, bread, meats, prepared foods and more. Two food trucks provide great on-site dinner options. Get to know your grower to win prizes, and participate in games with your neighbours! Kids will also have a chance to plant their very own bean seeds to take home and nurture. Local favourite, The Sadlier-Brown Band will be playing the Sweet Beet Stage from 5-7pm. They are a family trio playing bouncy bluegrass, sure to get you groovin’. Our Outdoor Season Opener is a great way to kick off a season of community connection, outdoor play, and healthy habits.

Beyond our Outdoor Season Opener, our Farmers’ Market family gathers in the East parking lot of the HSCA every Wednesday until mid-October when we find refuge from the cold back inside the Hearth Room. Until then, expect to find our tents out there, filled with smiling vendors bringing you their high-quality products no matter the weather. We are so much more than a venue for growers to connect with their consumers, and in an effort to ‘grow a good food community’ we are always coming up with ways to make your Wednesday’s something special that you can look forward to week after week. Each week our Sweet Beet Stage hosts live local talent, our Community Booth gives you the opportunity to engage with important grassroots work being done in your neighbourhood, and our Incubator Booth gives you the chance to test new products all season long. We also have special events planned for each month from our Pollinator Party, to our Teddy Bear Picnic, our annual Salsa Fest and Harvest Fair. Keep up with all these events and more on Facebook.

2019 is our Year of the Farmer and we can’t wait to take this party outside! We will transform your weekly grocery shop from complicated to conscious, and give you a reason to love Wednesday’s again. See you at the market!

Written by Heather Ramshaw, Community Connections Coordinator & Farmers’ Market Manager