Community
Perspective
Winter 2012 - 2013
Who Done It & Who Won It : 2012 Volunteer Recognition Celebration
On Wednesday, December 5th, 2012 over 250 community volunteers from community associations across the city gathered
together at Vertigo Theatre for an evening of recognition and celebration. Distinguished guests such as Alderman Jim Stevenson
and Alderman Andre Chabot were also in attendance. The evening began with the presentation of the four 2012 Encana
Community Volunteer Awards to some extremely hard working and dedicated community association volunteers from the
communities of Deer Ridge, Renfrew, Silver Springs, and Haysboro - see their individual stories on the following page.
Following the community volunteer awards presentation, guests enjoyed Vertigo
Theatre’s murder mystery performance of It Could Be Any One Of Us - an oddball comedy
thriller from one of Britain’s greatest playwrights, Alan Ayckbourn, about a reclusive
family of failures fighting over a will on a stormy night when something goes terribly
wrong. Once the theatre performance ended, guests networked and shared many stories
and ideas. Discussions revolved around how inspiring the award winners stories were,
that it feels good to be a part of the community association network, and how to expand
the work they do in their own neighbourhoods to better serve their residents.
As the evening of celebration came to a close, our community volunteer guests left feeling a renewed sence of excitement
towards the work they do each and every day in their own communities helping to improve neighbourhood life in Calgary. The
community association network of deciated volunteers makes up the largest volunteer movement in the city with more than
20,000 strong! To view photos from this exciting event please click here.
Rebecca Dakin, Communciations & Community
Relations, chatting with Alderman Jim Stevenson.
Inside this Issue:
1
Who Done It & Who Won It
2 Encana Community Volunteer Awards
Guests filling Vertigo Theatre for a night
of recognition and celebration.
2012 Community Builder Award winner
Jack McDowell accepting his award.
The Inside Scoop
This report is given as a snapshot of what is taking place at The Federation
and what to expect from it in the future.
4
Transforming Planning
5
Building Safe Communities
We hope that you, as our valued stakeholder, will find the information useful
and we invite you to communicate with us about issues, concerns or ideas.
6
Our Sponsors, Members, Board & Staff
Be part of it! Together we can “Improve Neighbourhood Life in Calgary!”
2012 Encana Community Volunteer Award Winners
The Encana Community Volunteer Awards were launched in 2011 as a legacy for the 50 th Anniversary of the Federation of Calgary
Communities. Now, in their second year, these four awards continue to celebrate and recognize dedicated grassroots community
volunteers from neighbourhoods across the city. These volunteers, along with the Federation and the 20,000 volunteers in the
community association network, are working every day to continue improving neighbourhood life in Calgary. To view videos on
these four award winners please click here.
Step Up Award
The Step Up Award recognizes a volunteer who shoulders the responsibility for things that regularly go unnoticed; someone who
is not only humble, but also dependable and passionate about their community. This individual steps up to help out without
hesitation; they are the unnoticed volunteer who always acts upon the need without being asked. The winner of the 2012 Step
Up Award is Gord Miller, of the Deer Ridge Community Association, nominated by Bob Hall.
Gord steps up in Deer Ridge in a variety of ways with the most prominent being his dedication to the community ice rink. The ice
rink is not only his biggest volunteer task; it’s also his true passion. During the winter months, a hockey rink and a pleasure rink
are enjoyed by hundreds of residents. Since 2002 when the rinks were constructed, Gord spends up to three hours every day
of the week resurfacing the ice, blowing snow, shoveling slush, or flooding the rinks. In addition to ice maintenance Gord also
cleans up litter from the surrounding area and patches up any damage to the ice rink boards. Even though these tasks are time
consuming and sometimes difficult, Gord can always be seen with a big smile on his face.
Bob Hall & Gord Miller at the Deer Ridge hockey rink
The Deer Ridge community hockey rink
Spark Award
The Spark Award recognizes someone who engages people to be a part of their community in unique and exciting ways.
Someone who is committed and passionate about their community, a motivation to others, and has sparked further community
interest. The winners of the 2012 Spark Award are Linda Carreiro and Richard Smolinski of the Renfrew Community Association,
nominated by Kathy Graham.
Linda and Richard are true examples of “sparks” within a neighbourhood through the unique and exciting projects they have
introduced into the community of Renfrew. Being artists, the couple wanted to find a fun artistic way to increase engagement
and excitement among Renfrew residents. This spawned the introduction of the Tiny Tots Art program; a program that has
children in the community paint pictures that will all be compiled into a large mural to be painted onto the ATCO Trailer which
houses the Tiny Tots. The community also had the idea to create a photo stand-in to use at the Stampede breakfast for people to
take their photos in. Linda and Richard not only gladly accepted the task of creating, constructing, and painting the stand in, but
they also decided to create two of them; one for adults and one for children! These photo stand-ins are now part of the fabric of
Stampede time in Renfrew with adults and children alike coming back each year to get their photo taken in them.
2
Children taking part in the Tiny Tots Art Program
Richard & Linda reading to the Tiny Tots children
Be Part of It Group Award
The Be Part of It Group Award honours a group of volunteers whose community contributions have improved neighbourhood
life and created a strong sense of belonging. This award is project or event focused and recognizes a group of three or more
volunteers who are engaged and involved in their community and make a memorable contribution. The winners of the 2012 Be
Part of It Group Award are Bob Caddel, Duncan Badger, and Tom Mayhew of the Silver Springs Community Association, nominated
by Cydney Elofson, Jeremy Gukert, and the Board of Directors of the Silver Springs Community Association.
Bob, Duncan, and Tom are the chairs of the “Botanical Gardens of Silver Springs (BGSS);” a group consisting of more than thirty
community volunteers from Silver Springs and other neighbouring communities who spend up to 4,000 volunteer hours a year
working in the gardens. These volunteers contribute gardening and landscaping skills, carpentry and design skills, and are
continually fundraising to support their efforts. The botanical gardens are located in and around the 2002 Birthplace Forest near
Crowchild Trail and Silver Springs Gate NW. Started only five years ago, the BGSS has grown to include over 15,000 square feet
of diverse, beautifully maintained gardens which now make up the largest public garden in Calgary run 100% by volunteers. The
BGSS includes ten different gardens including an oval garden, a wall garden, a sandstone garden, rose gardens, and a Shakespeare
garden featuring flowers from popular Shakespeare quotes.
2012 Be Part of It Group Award winners
Duncan, Bob & Tom with other BGSS volunteers.
One of the many featured gardens within the BGSS.
Community Builder Award
The Community Builder Award is a lifetime legacy award that recognizes people, organizations, or companies based in Calgary
whose extensive efforts have enhanced and made a significant difference to the quality of life in Calgary. The winner of this
award is dedicated to improving neighbourhood life, has a strong belief in community spirit, and has enhanced the quality of life
within both their community and Calgary as a whole. The winner of the 2012 Community Builder Award is Jack McDowell of the
Haysboro Community Association, nominated by Pat Sparrow.
Jack has lived in Calgary for over 50 years and has always had a passion for volunteering. During his working years he struggled
with the fact that he couldn’t dedicate more time to volunteering. So, when he retired in 2000 his volunteering really took off,
both within the Haysboro Community Association and other organizations throughout the city. Jack is heavily involved in the
snow shovelling program in Haysboro which involves neighbourhood youth shovelling snow from senior’s homes to keep their
driveway/sidewalk clear and safe, allowing them to stay inside during the adverse conditions, and foster relationships between
the youth and seniors in the community. He also volunteers with two different retirement groups that complete more than ten
kilometres of highway clean-up each year, and harvest up to 10,000 pounds of vegetables each year at the Garden of Eden in
support of The Calgary Food Bank. Jack also spends up to 500 hours every year at Heritage Park putting his wood working talents
to good use making historical toys, furniture, and other items for the park. When something needs fixing, Jack is there!
Jack volunteering at the Garden of Eden
in support of the Calgary Food Bank
Jack volunteering at Heritage Park
3
Transforming Planning: What does it all mean?
Transforming Planning was launched in June 2012 by The City of Calgary’s Planning, Development & Assessment (PDA)
department in response to a Council directive to undertake a broad-scale review of the planning process. As part of
PDA’s “nextCITY” concept for delivering Calgary’s planning vision, Transforming Planning has engaged City staff and
stakeholders – industry, communities, citizens – to deliver a world-class planning system that will help build a vibrant,
prosperous and sustainable city for everyone. Transforming Planning aims to re-design the planning process and
system with a threefold focus: implement the MDP, change the culture of The City and stakeholders in planning, and
improve the process.
Since Council approved the Planning Improvement Program in June, through an application process, Administration
has established an external stakeholder working group. The objectives of the working group are to develop and
implement a work plan to achieve the goals of the initiative. Members of this group include Natasha from the
Federation, as well as another community representative, industry reps and internal City staff.
Since October, the Working Group has determined the characteristics of an ideal planning system and proposed two
objectives to be completed by June 2013: The first recommendation is to outline a new Calgary Planning system,
which includes looking into roles (of The City, applicants, communities, City Council, the Subdivision and Development
Appeal Board, Calgary Planning Commission and the Urban Design Review Panel), processes, culture, and desired
outcomes. Each stakeholder will maintain meaningful and constructive roles in the process.
The second recommendation is to pilot a select number of applications in a new process to test the process, develop
the capacity of internal and external stakeholders and inform the new Calgary planning system. The recommendations
were approved at a Strategic Meeting of Council on December 10 th, 2012.
The Federation organized an event to formally introduce Transforming Planning to community associations, entitled
An Explanation of Transforming Planning. Ninety-two community association presidents and planning representatives
heard presentations from Whitney Smithers, the Transforming Planning lead, as well as Rollin Stanley, General
Manager of Planning, Development & Assessment. It was a great introduction for communities to better understand
Transforming Planning and learn about the direction of PDA.
Transforming Planning will have an impact on all stakeholders in the planning process including community
associations. Many discussions will revolve around redefining roles and expectations of each stakeholder, as well as
determining better opportunities for stakeholders to contribute and participate in the planning process. As such, the
role of community associations may change and even become more meaningful to the system and the community
association.
4
“An Explanation of Transforming Planning” community event hosted by The Federation on November 27 th, 2012.
Building Safe Communities:
One Small Pilot - Several Major Impacts!
The Building Safe Communities program is a crime prevention and safety pilot with emphasis on crime prevention
through community engagement. Building Safe Communities supports both community associations and their
residents to identify issues and develop strategies and initiatives focused on preventing and reducing crime and
creating safe communities.
To date, Building Safe Communities has launched the pilot project in seven communities - Crescent Heights,
Rosscarrock and Southwood in January 2012 and Chaparral, Hidden Valley, Riverbend and Scenic Acres in September
2012. We are presently exploring the exciting possibility of opening the project to even more Calgary communities!
Building Safe Community staff facilitate a community development process where the initial pilot communities
developed plans which included 18 innovative initiatives to address crime and safety issues in their communities.
One project in particular, “Take Back the Park” included several initiatives. The Southwood community association
partnered with the Calgary Police Service, City Parks and Community and Neighbourhood Services to improve the
green space behind the Anderson LRT station. Lighting was improved, fences taken out, landscaping cleaned up,
a family BBQ event in the park and a large-scale photo mural wall was unveiled. In reviewing Calgary Police crime
statistics for the park and related area, the number of calls for January to July 2012 compared to those in 2011
decreased by 28%. This resulted in a savings of over $125,000 in front-line policing costs for this area.
The “My Neighbour Card” is a tool, created in partnership with the Calgary Police Service, to urge residents to know
their neighbours. Over 10,000 cards were distributed in six weeks through Building Safe Community initiatives such
as community newsletters, resource fairs, community cleanups and events as well as through Calgary Police Service
displays and members.
Building Safe Communities also includes a Virtual Resource Centre which houses 28 crime prevention and safety
tools such as tip sheets, resources and articles, including the “My Neighbour Card”. Some are direct links to Calgary
Police Service resources. “These resources will help to enable citizens of Calgary to develop the capacity to create
safe neighbourhoods through individual and group initiatives focusing on preventing and reducing crime,” says Leslie
Evans. Those communities not part of the Building Safe Communities pilot have access to the information, tools and
resources on our website. Our resources will continue to grow as learning and new resources are developed and key
findings are determined through the pilot community initiatives.
Please click here to visit the Building Safe Communities webpage.
Photo mural wall in Southwood community created
to reduce crime near the Anderson LRT station.
Community event and resource fair
in Hidden Valley.
“Improving Neighbourhood Life in Calgary.”
5
Our Funders, Sponsors & Supporters
Suite #301, 1609 - 14th Street SW
Calgary, AB T3C 1E4
Platinum— over $30,000
Gold—$20,000-$29,999
Silver—$10,000-$19,999
Bronze—$5,000-$9,999
Phone: (403) 244-4111
Fax: (403) 244-4129
E-mail: [email protected]
Friends—$500-$4,999
www.calgarycommunities.com
2013 Federation of Calgary Communities Members
COMMUNITY MEMBERS
Abbeydale
Acadia
Albert Park/Radisson Heights
Applewood Park
Arbour Lake
Auburn Bay
Banff Trail
Bankview
Beddington Heights
Beltline Communities of Victoria and
Connaught
Bonavista Downs
Bowness
Braeside
Brentwood
Bridgeland/Riverside
Britannia
Calgary Evergreen
Calgary Marlborough
Calgary Parkland
Calgary Rosedale
Calgary Wildwood
Cambrian Heights
Canyon Meadows
Capitol Hill
Cedarbrae
Chaparral
Chinook Park/Kelvin Grove/Eagle Ridge
Citadel
Cliff Bungalow - Mission
Coach Hill/Patterson Heights
Coral Springs
Cranston
Crescent Heights
Crestmont
Crossroads
Dalhousie
Deer Ridge
Deer Run
Discovery Ridge
DouglasdaleGlen
Dover
Downtown West
East Village
Eau Claire
Edgemont
Elbow Park
Elboya Heights
Erin Woods
Erlton
Evanston-Creekside
Fairview
Falconridge/Castleridge
Forest Heights
Forest Lawn
Glamorgan
Glenbrook
Glendale/Glendale Meadows
Hamptons
Hawkwood
Haysboro
Hidden Valley
Highland Park
Highwood
Hillhurst/Sunnyside
Hounsfield Heights Briar Hill
Huntington Hills
Inglewood
Killarney/Glengarry
Kincora
Kingsland
Lake Bonavista
Lakeview
Lindsay Park
Marda Loop (formerly
South Calgary)
Marlborough Park
Marquis de Lorne
Martindale
Mayfair Bel-Aire
McKenzie Lake
McKenzie Towne
Mid-Sun
Millican Ogden
Millrise
Monterey Park
Montgomery
Mount Pleasant
Mount Royal
New Brighton
North Glenmore Park
North Haven
Northern Hills
Oakridge
Palliser/Bayview/Pumphill
Parkdale
Parkhill Stanley Park
Penbrooke Meadows
Pineridge
Queensland
Ramsay
Ranchlands
Renfrew
Richmond/Knob Hill
Rideau Ridge Society
Rideau/Roxboro
Riverbend
Rocky Ridge / Royal Oak
Rosemont
Rosscarrock
Rundle
Rutland Park
Saddle Ridge
Sandstone MacEwan
Scarboro
Scenic Acres
Shaganappi
Shawnee/Evergreen
Shawnessy
Shepard
Sherwood
Signal Hill
Silver Springs
Silverado
Skyview Ranch
Somerset/Bridlewood
Southwood
Springbank Hill
Spruce Cliff
St. Andrew’s Heights
Strathcona Christie Aspen
Sunalta
Taradale
Temple
Thorncliffe/Greenview
Triwood
Tuscany
Tuxedo Park
University Heights
Valley Ridge
Varsity
West Hillhurst
West Springs/Cougar Ridge
Westgate
Whitehorn
Willow Ridge
Windsor Park
Winston Heights/Mountview
Woodcreek
ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
Bearspaw-Glendale
Bow Valley Agricultural Society (Indus)
Bragg Creek
Chestermere Regional
Riverview (Cochrane)
Springbank Park
AUXILLARY MEMBERS
Chaparral Residents Association Ltd.
Gleneagles Community Association
Hamptons Homeowners Association
Lake at Heritage Pointe
Panorama Hills Estates Home Owners Association
Rocky Ridge Ranch Home Owners Association
Sterling Springs Estates Residents’ Association
SERVICE MEMBERS
33 Street NE Community Bingo Association
(Bingo Barn)
Alberta Bicycle Association (ABA)
Alberta Community Crime Prevention
Alberta Family Histories Society
Alberta Magazine Publishers Association
Alberta Senior Citizens Sports & Rec. Association
Alexandra Centre Society
Animal Rescue Foundation
Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area
ArtPoint Gallery & Studios Society
Babe Ruth Baseball Association of Calgary
Best Bingo Association (Grey Eagle Bingo)
Bow Cliff Seniors
Bowmont All Season Service (BASS) Society
Calgary Academy Parents Association
Calgary Area Outdoor Council
Calgary Chinese Community Services Association
Calgary Community & Sports Bingo (Bingo Palace)
Calgary Community Theatre Ltd.
Calgary Ethiopian Community Association
Calgary Horseshoe Club
Calgary Irish Music & Dance Association
Calgary Minor Softball Association
Calgary Multicultural Centre
Calgary Rangers Soccer Club
Calgary Reads Society
Calgary Region Airshed Zone Society
Calgary Retired Teachers’ Association
Calgary River Forum Society
Calgary Ski Club
Calgary Society of Community Opportunities
Calgary Sport Council
Calgary Tour de Nuit Society
Calgary Youth Justice Society
Child Find Alberta Society
Chinook Guild of Fibre Arts
Community Kitchen Program of Calgary
Community Mediation Calgary Society
Cooper Memorial Benevolent Society
Crowchild Hockey Association
Crowfoot Minor Hockey Association
Dalhousie Community Kindergarten Society
Fairview Women’s Hockey
Family Leisure Centre (Trico Centre)
Family Leisure Centre Seniors Club
Fiona Malena Flamenco Society
Fish Creek Little League Association
Five Star Bingo Association
Foothills Land Trust
Foothills Major Baseball Association
Ghost River Rediscovery Society
Good Companions 50 Plus Club
Leighton Foundation
Lions Club of Bearspaw
National Sports Development Soccer Club
NE Centre of Community Society
North of McKnight Comm. Resource Centre
Nose Creek Sports & Recreation
Ogden House Seniors’ Club
Peer Mediation and Skills Training
Peer Support Services for Abused Women
Rotary Park Lawn Bowls Club (formerly RCL#1
Branch Lawn Bowling Club)
Society of Briar Hill Children’s Programs
South Fish Creek Recreation Association
Storehouse 39-3-10
Sunrise Community Link
Swim Alberta
Federation Board of Directors and Staff
Board of Directors
Robin Elford, President
Cecilia Chen, Vice President
Kelly Leveque, Treasurer
Tara Prudhomme, Secretary
Mark Ellis, Director
Olga Knight, Director
Ryan Martinson, Director
5
Staff
Peter Rishaug, Director
Myles Rusak, Director
Michael Wilhelm, Director
Titan Xie, Director
Andrew Yan, Director
Ned Shillington, Director
Melanie McDonald, Past President
Leslie Evans, Executive Director
Barbara Payette, Director of Community Engagement
Rebecca Dakin, Communications & Community Relations
Paul Meunier, Member Services
Natasha Kuzmak, Urban Planner & Engagement Facilitator
Karly Morgan, Urban Planner
Stephanie Sokolowski, Building Safe Communities
Lori Winder, Administrative Assistant
Gary Zhang, Senior Accountant
Vince Ma, Bookkeeping
Rong Ma, Bookeeping
Heidi Brauer, CMA, Auditor
Nancy Murdoch, CA, Auditor
Keryn Sulimma, Audit Manager
Annie An, Audit Tech
Sophie Khatkar, Audit Tech
Lamya Mulla, Audit Tech
Sophia Wu, Audit Tech
Vivian Zhao, Audit Tech