Playgroup Coming to Evanston

MAY 2013
Playgroup
Coming to
Evanston
Community Household
Clean-Up
Saturday, June 8
9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
ECCA Meeting
Volunteers Wanted
Details inside
The next ECCA meeting is June 3rd at 7:00 p.m. and will take place at
Symons Valley United Church.
EVANSTON-CREEKSIDE CURRENT
MAY 2013
3
In Our Community
Evanston-Creekside
Community Association
PO Box 47059
20 – 12192 Symons Valley Road NW
Calgary, Alberta T3P 0B9
eccacalgary.com
Board of Directors
President:.............................. Doug Balzer
.......................president@eccacalgary.com
Vice President:..........................Joerg John
..................................vp@eccacalgary.com
Treasurer:............................Martin Foster
........................treasurer@eccacalgary.com
Secretary:.......................... Tianna Melnyk
Communications:..... Evangelos Kordakis
........... communications@eccaclagary.com
Safety:.................................James Enarson
............................ safety@eccacalgary.com
Planning & Development:.......Joerg John
Sports:.......................... Paulina de la Cruz
........................ eccasports@eccacalgary.ca
Newsletter Editor:............ Tianna Melnyk
..................... newsletter@eccacalgary.com
Elected Officials
Alderman: Gord Lowe.......403-268-2430
MLA: Neil Brown.................403-215-7710
.....calgary.mackay.nosehill@assembly.ab.ca
Suburban Journals Publishing
Editor & Article Submissions:
Tianna Melnyk
newsletter@eccacalgary.com
Advertising Sales:
Pam, 403-880-1819
pam@suburbanjournals.ca
Ad booking deadlines for this monthly publication are
the 14th of the month, prior to the distribution month.
This publication is published 12 times a year by
Suburban Journals Publishing and delivered to
residents by Canada Post. This publication is also
available for pickup from local retail outlets.
Please note: the information and opinions in
this newsletter are subject to change, and do not
necessarily represent the opinions of the publisher
or editor. Content contained in this publication may
not be reproduced without the written consent of
Suburban Journals Publishing. The information
herein is believed accurate but not warranted so.
Any advertisements, home businesses, babysitters
& nannies, or other parties listed in the Evanston
Suburban Journal should not be interpreted as
recommendations or endorsements by the editor or
the publisher.
Letter from the Editor
I have always been under the mistaken
impression that working with hundreds
of teens everyday would put me a
category of germ exposure that would
sufficiently satisfy my sickness quota.
But somehow one little baby in my
house has managed to create more
illness in two short years than in all my
years in schools combined.
As a child I swore I would never
subject my kids to the litany of home
remedies my mother used to ‘cure’ my
ails. I clearly remember dreading that
first cough of an impending cold, not
because I would feel bad, but because
my mother would soon cover my chest
with a sticky, smelly, burning glob of
mustard. Perhaps it was her way to
motivate us to go to school. Her rule
was that if you were sick enough to
stay home you were sick enough for a
mustard plaster. She once even soaked
a piece of bread in milk and attached it
to my skin to rid me of a pimple.
In spite of my solomn oath not to
make my child endure the horrors of
the home remedy, I find myself utterly
desperate. Since September, Emma
hasn’t spent more than a few short days
feeling healthy. I mean, really, I want
to know, at what age does a kid’s nose
finally stop running? I’m willing to try
anything.
On top of my mother’s own home
grown cures I’ve forced upon my two
year old, I once even resorted to placing
a cut onion in Emma’s room in a failed
attempt to help her ongoing cough on
the advice of a friend. The result was
that she coughed and her room smelled
terrible.
Some people swear by these remedies
and I have nothing particular against
trying but there was no way Emma
was going to allow me to put a warm
tea bag on her swollen eye. From
her screams I’m sure the neighbours
assumed I was gouging out her eyes
with hot pokers.
So after two years as a new mom
dealing with the non-stop coughs and
running nose, what have a learned?
What great insights can I provide to
new parents? And more importantly,
what would I do differently if I were
starting all over again? Buy stock in
Kleenex!
Tianna Melnyk
MAY 2013
EVANSTON-CREEKSIDE CURRENT
5
In Our Community
Community Household Cleanup
Saturday, June 8
9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
We are happy to be organizing our 2nd
Annual Household Cleanup event. This
year we have strategically planned
it to be the weekend following the
Community Garage Sale (see opposite
page) at the request of our members.
This allows you to attempt to sell items
at your garage sale and then get rid of
them at the Cleanup.
This is an event sponsored by The City
of Calgary and they will be supplying
sump trucks and recycling bins. Again,
we have eCycle Solutions for collecting
electronics and Women in Need Society
collecting donated household items and
clothing. We are excited to have Green
Calgary collecting old cellphones and
providing helpful information on going
green! We are also excited to team
up with Kidseat Recyclers this year
offering an option to recycle your old
car seats. The KCA is also happy to say
that we have negotiated a reduced rate
on the recycling levy for our attendees.
For a small fee of $5/seat, you are
assured that all plastic and metal will
be recycled and reused. The normal
rate is $10/seat. A small fee for easing
your conscience and getting rid of those
seats that you can’t sell.
batteries,
metals, or
glass.
• No mattresses/
boxsprings
that are torn/
stained,
encyclopedias/
textbooks, baby cribs/swings/gates,
oversized furniture weighing more
than 100lbs, or stuffed animals.
• Please remove fabric covering from
all children’s carseats and dispose in
garbage.
Our recyclers and participants have
some exceptions:
• No paint, household chemicals,
liquids, tires, home appliances,
propane tanks, microwaves, car
In order to support this great green
initiative, we require volunteers like
you. Please drop us a message at kca.
volunteers@gmail.com with the times
that you can help us out.
Thank You
Evanston
Residents!
The team at Qualico Communities
would like to thank all Evanston/
Creekside residents who took the time
to respond to our Evanston Resident
Survey. We had 128 people participate,
which we feel is a great response rate!
Evanston-Creekside
Community Association
Membership Application
PO Box 47059, 20 – 12192 Symons Valley Road N.W.
Calgary, AB T3P 0B9
Cheques made payable to: Evanston-Creekside Community Association
92% of you replied YES – you would
recommend Evanston to family and
friends!
We would also like to congratulate
Matthew D., winner of the Gift Cards
to CrossIron Mills Mall, and Creekside
Boston Pizza!
Congratulations from the team at
Qualico Communities.
$
(Membership Fee: $20 Family/Year)
MAY 2013
EVANSTON-CREEKSIDE CURRENT
7
In Our Community
Call for Volunteers!
Are you looking for an opportunity
to meet your neighbours and really
make Evanston “the neighbourly
neighbourhood”?
My name is Paulina de la Cruz, an
Evanston Creekside Community
Association Board member, and I am
interested in championing some new
initiatives in our neighbourhood but,
as Joe Cocker would say, I need a
little help from my friends!
Please look at the following
initiatives and email me at sports@
eccacalgary.com , if you are
interested in working on moving
them forward or if you have some
new ideas please contact me and we
discuss the possibilities.
Parent and Tot Play Group
Want to meet other moms and kids
in Evanston? We are looking for a
few key volunteers to take control of
this initiative. Volunteers would help
with the coordination of play group.
Running Club
Do you like running but like having a
partner or are you looking get started?
I am looking for 3-4 volunteers that
are interested in starting a running
group. We would need to do some
research before we “hit the ground
running” but would like to have a
couple of committed volunteers to
ensure we have a variety of times,
days, and skill levels available for
those wanting to join.
Family Baseball Tournament for
summer 2014
Looking for baseball lovers looking
to hit a homerun for their community!
I am looking into the possibility
of planning a family baseball
tournament for community next
summer. I am looking for volunteers
to be part of the planning committee,
do research, fundraise, etc.
I hope to hear from interested folks so
that these initiatives can come life!
Paulina de la Cruz
Sports Director
Fire Station Grand Opening
On behalf of Fire Chief Bruce Burrell
of the Calgary Fire Department, we
are pleased to invite your community
to join the CFD as we celebrate the
Grand Opening of the Symons Valley
Fire Station No. 40. taking place May
8th, 2013
Hope to see you there!
For up to date information check out our
community website at
www.eccacalgary.com/ and become a friend on
Facebook.
Parent and Tot/
Child Playgroup!
Looking to meet other parents in
Evanston Creekside? The EvanstonCreekside Community Association is
proud to announce the formation of
a Parent and Tot playgroup! Mom’s
and Dad’s are encouraged to partake
in this trial initiative hosted by our
new community business partner, Soul
Connexion. If it is a success, we will
look at the possibility of offering the
initiative again in the fall.
Date: Monday May 13th, 2013 and
Monday June 10th, 2013
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Where: Soul Connexion, #28, 12192
Symons Valley Road NW,
Cost: Free to Evanston Creekside
Community Members and $5.00 dropin for non-members.
Please bring some portable chairs or
camping chairs for seating, some toys
to share. Also, ensure you bring a
pair of clean indoor runners for your
children.
So, if you are interested in getting to
know your neighbors, come out! We
look forward to meeting you.
Evanston Creekside Community
Association
MAY 2013
EVANSTON-CREEKSIDE CURRENT
9
In Our Community
Some Helpful Traffic Tips and Reminders
• The amount for reporting collisions
to police has gone up from $1,000
to $2,000 combined damage to
both vehicles.
• If you are involved in a collision
and the vehicles movable, get them
off the road to a safe place and you
must exchange driver information.
• If you come into contact with an
unattended vehicle, you must leave
a note with your driver information
on it and what happened, it is
considered a hit and run if you
do not.
• You can not pass another moving
vehicle in a school or playground
zone, it is a $172 fine if you do.
• Speeding can be 1 kilometer over
the limit, it is the law.You must
stop for a yellow light, it is a $115
fine if you don’t.
• You must slow to 60 KPH or
slower if posted when passing
emergency vehicles or tow trucks,
if you do not have a complete
clear lane between you the the
emergency vehicles / tow truck, the
speeding fine is double.
• It is illegal to have an obscured
license plate whether it is covered
by dirt, snow or in any other way.
It must be legible and visible
directly from behind.
• Bicycles share the road and are
allowed the same courtesies as
other vehicles however, they must
obey the rules of the road and ride
to nearest the curb, it is the law.
ECCA has gone on-line!
Memberships can be
purchased and updated at
http://www.eccacalgary.com/
• If someone is displaying the
obvious signs of road rage, do not
get out of your vehicle to confront
them, get a license plate and call
the police.
• Always try to be courteous to other
drivers; a wave of thank you goes a
long way. Remember, your not the
only one using the road and being
nice to others goes along way.
• When you are coming to a merge,
move over and create a gap, or
slow down, if you are merging off
the road to allow others to speed up
and get on the roadway, this causes
less congestion and allows for a
smoother merge.
• If you see a vehicle weaving on
the road, not signaling, cutting
off other vehicles, it might be an
impaired driver, please call 911 so
the police can get there and deal
with the situation.
James Enarson,
Community Safety, ECCA
safety@eccacalgary.com
Crime Prevention Delivered To Your
Inbox
The Calgary Police Service is going
digital with community crime
prevention messages.
The Service is expanding the Police
and Community Awareness Program
(PCAP) to include e-mail and text
capabilities, and is being rebranded
“The Hub”.
Starting March 1, 2013, Calgarians
who want information about crime and
other activity in their community can
sign up to receive voicemail, email or
text alerts as part of The Hub, the new
CPS information headquarters.
persons. The Hub will also be used
for proactive community information
such as crime prevention advice, and
promotion of community events.
More than 64,000 households and
nearly 6,500 businesses subscribed
to PCAP. Current subscribers will be
required to re-register with the new
system in order to keep receiving
alerts.
The Hub will also help deliver
messages to Calgarians based on
several factors including demographics
and their geographic location.
The system, originally known as the
Police and Community Telephone
(PACT), has sent approximately 2,700
voicemail messages to Calgarians
since 1993.
To sign up, visit www.calgarypolice.ca.
The Hub is proudly sponsored by
Encana.
The Hub will alert citizens to
important situations such as criminal
activity or requests for public
assistance in cases such as missing
James Enarson
Community Safety
ECCA
safety@eccacalgary.com
Thank you,
MAY 2013
EVANSTON-CREEKSIDE CURRENT
11
In Our Community
Soccer Season is Underway!
Well we are happy to say that we have
started our soccer season!.....Now let’s
hope for minimal rain so that the kids
play as much as possible!
We are set to have quite the successful
year over over 375 kids registered
in the program from Evanston and
neighbouring communities.
The Soccer Committee would like
to thanks all the volunteers that have
put in their time prior to the season
starting at the in-person registration,
the equipment pick up and inventory,
the field clean up, field marking, and
coaches clinic! We would also like to
give a special thank you to the hard
working division coordinators and
the coaches and assistant coaches for
stepping up to the challenge!
We would like to take this opportunity
to let families know that our wrap up
party will take place on Saturday
June 15th at 11:00 a.m. (Rainout date
June 22nd at 11:00 a.m.) and shaping
up to be our biggest and best party to
date!
Northern Hills Community Gardens
Every gardener knows under the
cloak of winter lies a miracle – a seed
waiting to sprout, a bulb opening to
light, a bud straining to unfurl. And
the anticipation nurtures our dream.
– Barbara Winkler
Community gardens in the Northern
Hills communities of Harvest Hills
and Coventry Hills have plots
available for the 2013 growing season.
For more information on how to get
involved please contact:
Calling all gardeners, young and old,
experienced and inexperienced.
Harvest Hills Community Garden
harvestgarden@northernhills.ab.ca
Would you like to:
•meet new people?
•grow your own produce?
•support the foodbank?
•reduce your footprint on the
environment?
Then you need to join us in the
community garden!
Coventry Hills Community Garden
coventrygarden@northernhills.ab.ca
Visit the NHCA website at
www.northernhills.ab.ca
or call the NHCA office at
403-226-6422.
If you have any questions about the
program or party, please email me at
sports@eccacalgary.com
The ECCA Soccer Team
St. Bede
School News
Spring has sprung and learning is
in the air! The students at St. Bede
School were very busy in April. Our
main focus was our Eco-Energy Fair.
As part of celebrating the BP A+ For
Energy grant, the school hosted an
Eco Energy Fair on April 25th. The
day began with a key note speaker
focusing on the environment. The
students then had the opportunity
to attend sessions to learn more
things about how they can help the
environment. The day continued with
the students setting up environmental
displays that they had created.
We finished the day with a family
barbeque and an opportunity for the
parents to view the displays. It was
an awesome day! Our grade three and
four students had the opportunity to
improve their swimming skills through
lessons – everyone had a great time.
We are looking forward to learning
more about North America when the
National Geographic giant travelling
map visits the school. We will improve
our dancing skills through our Hip
Hop Dance program – we can hardly
wait to learn some new dance moves!
We are excited to meet our new
kindergarten students at the Welcome
to Kindergarten night on May 23.
Enjoy the spring and all of the fun it
brings!
MAY 2013
EVANSTON-CREEKSIDE CURRENT
13
In Our Community
Country Hills
Library
Park n’ Play
Free Drop-In Program
Stay n’ Play (3-5 yrs):
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Children must be accompanied by an
adult/guardian
Park n’ Play (6-12 yrs):
10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
August 19 – 23, 2013
216 Evanston View NW
Play Faster this Summer!
We have a new “PLAY PASS” for
easier registration! Visit calgary.ca/
cns or call 311 for more info!
Brought to you in partnership with
Evanston Community Association
Park N Play
•July 2 – 5: Hidden Valley (10540
Hidden Valley Dr at Hidden Hut)
•July 15 – 19: Royal Oak (9100
Royal Birch Blvd. at Royal Oak
School)
•July 15 – 19: Kincora (1100
Kincora Dr at Symons Valley
United Church)
•July 22 – 26: Panorama Hills (1057
Panorama Hills Dr. at Panorama
School)
•July 29 – Aug 2: Sandstone (375
Sandarac Dr at Symons Valley
School)
Lawnchair Theatre
•Aug 1: Edgemont (33 Edgevalley
Circle)
•Aug 8: Citadel (Citadel Way and
Citadel Bluff Close)
Skateparks
•June 30 – July 29: Cardel Place
(East parking lot)
•**July 11: The Source Series
Contest (5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.)
•July 14 – 27: Royal Oak (9100
Royal Birch Blvd. at Royal Oak
School)
•**July 21: Source Sunday Skate
Contest (4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.)
•July 31 – Aug 29: Edgemont (John
Laurie Blvd. and Edgemont Dr. at
Community Outdoor Rink)
As always, this information can be
found by calling 311 or visiting
www.calgary.ca
Calgary International
Children’s Festival
The Calgary International Children’s
Festival is a dynamic performing
arts festival that presents acclaimed
professional theatre, music and dance
for young audiences. osters a lifelong
passion for the arts. Join in the fun
from May 22 to 25, 2013 throughout
Calgary’s Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts and Olympic Plaza for
fun-filled days of shows and activities.
Public Tickets are on sale now!
To purchase tickets and view the
show schedule go to
www.calgarykidsfest.ca.
•Grow, Grow, Grow: Jun. 4,
10:10 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Ages 2 – 3
with a parent/caregiver.
•Drop-In Family Storytime: Sat.
Apr. 27 – Jun. 1, 2:15 p.m. – 2:45
p.m. Ages 2 – 5 with a parent/caregiver. No registration required.
•Family Storytime: Mon. Apr. 22 –
Jun. 3 (no program on May 20) or
Thu. Apr. 25 – May 30, 10:15 a.m. –
10:45 a.m. Ages 2 to 5 with a parent/
caregiver.
•Computer Technology Coaching:
Wed. May 1 – Aug. 28, 2:00 p.m. –
3:30 p.m. No registration required.
•Adult Book Club: May 27 & Jun.
24, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
•ESL Teen Talk: Jul. 15 – 19,
2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Ages 10 – 14.
•Twisty Tales: Jul. 22, 7:00 p.m. –
7:30 p.m. Ages 6 – 8.
Visit www.calgarypubliclibrary.com
for more information on these programs. Registration is required for all
programs unless otherwise noted.
5-1-1 for Roads
Before you set out on your trip, get
up-to-date information on highway
and major road conditions in the
province through 5-1-1 Alberta. This
free traveller information service,
operated by the Alberta government,
may be accessed via phone, mobile
device or computer. 5-1-1 Alberta is
part of a North American approach
to providing weather and traveller
information.
www.511.alberta.ca
MAY 2013
EVANSTON-CREEKSIDE CURRENT
15
Seniors
Create Your Way To Community
Creativity is inherent to all people—no
matter what age or stage of life! The
arts are a powerful connecting force
for community, too—creating lifelong
connections.
Yes, but isn’t it too late to start
something new at my age? Just ask
the Seniors Action Group (or SAG for
short)! This self-organized group of
older adults have been writing, composing and performing theatre productions since 2006. Originally intended
to be a mild-mannered Seniors Theatre
group, SAG members have found
themselves getting stronger in their
own voice each year. Through their
art, they have taken responsibility for
doing what they saw as most needed.
They’ve earned a reputation for a
unique mix of irreverence and insight
through plays like “Seniors A Gogo”,
which explores sexuality and aging,
and “The Wise Journey”, which looks
at what it takes to be a wise elder. The
Seniors Action Group is currently
touring with The Wise Journey and
is always on the lookout for kindred
spirits. If you’re interested, contact
theatre director Mariette Sluyter at
403-618-3278.
What kinds of opportunities are
out there? Calgary is awash in
creativity. There are arts classes and
groups at most Seniors’ Centres and
many branches of the public library.
Searches for ‘music’ and ‘arts’ return
over a dozen results on www.thirdagecommons.ca. You can join one of the
new “Adventures in Creative Aging”
groups at Calgary Family Services.
And if no existing option seems to
catch your interest, it doesn’t take
much to start your own group—just
some courage to ask if others might
be interested and some basic supplies.
That’s how SAG got started!
Are you interested in talking with
others about Calgary’s aging population and what this may mean for
your community? Join us for a Conversation Café on May 16 at 1:30 p.m.
at the Country Hills Library.
For more info or to RSVP, please contact Diane Janota at 403-974-1519 or
diane.janota@calgary.ca.