Community Blog

Did you know? We thought we'd share some helpful resources and updates to help you navigate this period of self-isolation. Owl's Nest Books in Brittania is offering free delivery and curtsied pick up between 11 and 4 Monday to Saturday. Books can be ordered online or by phone. owlsnestbooks.com 403-287-9557 Birthday Drive By - The Calgary Fire department drove by a home near the Clubhouse on Friday and blared their sirens for someone's birthday.  This new program has them drive by the homes of people aged 4-12 or those 75 and older and blare a siren and/or play Happy Birthday over the truck's loudspeaker.  Call 311 or fill out a Fire Department-Operation Birthday form online.  Of course, if the trucks are busy with emergencies the request will not be accommodated. The Calgary Public Library has online lessons to upgrade your professional skills or learn a new hobby and they are free of charge.   All you need is a free library membership you can get online at calgarylibrary.ca. lynda.com has courses taught by industry experts in a wide variety of subjects including graphic design, Microsoft Office, project management and creative photography. There are also over 300 "Gale Courses" that are 6 week courses led by instructors to help advanced your skills in industries such as health care, finance, art, business and more.  These sessions start monthly.  Your library membership also gives you access to Rosetta Stone language software for free.  Learn how to speak a new language with topic based lessons designed to help you communicate in different environments.  Kanopy is a movie streaming platform that gives you access to quality videos, documentaries, virtual lessons or award-winning dramas or silver screen classics. It can be downloaded to your smartphone, tablet or home streaming device. Free e-Books and audio books are also available for all ages and interests.  Parents can find good resources for home learning here.  Christ Church is offering Worship links on facebook or youtube.  They even have Live Service for families and kids on facebook. Check it out at christchurchcalgary.org Annex Ale Project Brewery - This adorable local brewery, located at 4323 1 St SE, closed their tap room on March 16 and began to make hand sanitizer.  Their goal is to "keep the brewery operational and help their friends at other breweries and distilleries stay in business, while making a small and humble contribution to the fight against COVID-19". The hand sanitizer refills come  in 473 ml cans. Once opened, the sanitizer needs to be transferred to a resealable vessel, such as a spray bottle, immediately. It's not the typical gooey sanitizer, but, it works! The hand sanitizer can be found close by at the Midtown Co-op or Britannia Sunterra.  The Banff Centre wants to share the epic adventure of the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival with you! They are providing a curated program of free Festival films that are available online for you to watch at home with your family.  Youth Centres of Calgary Repurposed to meet New Need - Elbow Park resident, Jane Wachowich, Founder and Executive Director of the Youth Centres of Calgary has re-purposed the youth centre in Ogden to a place where people who struggle with food security can pick up lunches and bags of groceries on a daily basis.  She is expanding the service into the Dover community this week. Many other Elbow Park residents volunteer at the Centre and are now assisting with the new food program. Contact jane@youthcentresofcalgary.com if you would like to assist with a donation. Puzzle Games for Kids - This local company specializes in creating awesome educational puzzle games for kids. Escape Mail is a curriculum-based puzzle adventure for kids and grownups alike. Best of all, you never have to leave your house, because it gets delivered straight to your mailbox. Town Halls Every Thursday with Jeromy Farkas - Jeromy Farkas is hosting WEEKLY Town Hall meetings through Facebook LIVE where he will update you on what is happening at City Hall and field any questions you might have.  If you would like to join him on Thursday nights at 7 pm go to https://www.facebook.com/JeromyYYC/.  You should be able to view the video even if you do not have a facebook account.  If the meeting doesn't begin at 7 pm, Refresh, and try again. Christy Haynes Pilate has moved Online - The Pilates classes that Christy was teaching at the Clubhouse are now available online!  Five free videos have been downloaded to date for your choosing, as well as mini “shorts” you can add to your home practice. Stay strong Stay Tall and stay positive - Christy ️  Elbow Park Porch Portraits - Elbow Park resident and professional photographer Laura Colpitts is offering Front Door Portraits in Elbow Park on April 16, 17, and 18.  Laura will come to your house, and from beyond a safe physical distance,  will photograph you, your family, your pets — whomever you want, pyjamas welcome — through your windows, your front door, porch, driveway…whatever you ’e comfortable with. The purpose is to document who we are spending our time with, to inject a bit of fun into this pandemic process, and to give back to the community at large.  If you are interested, please contact her at lauracolpitts.1@gmail.com to book a time.  The suggested session fee is $25, with $10 being donated to a local Covid-related cause.  You can view her work on Instagram @copperbluephotography. Dust Off the Sewing Machines!  Some people in Elbow Park are making their own cloth face masks and to make scrub caps to donate to organizations in need.  Check out this link to find out more.  How to Make a Face Mask.

Residents of Elbow Park are able to send their comments regarding upcoming development permits through a new online system. Go to the Development Map and zoom into Elbow Park on the map, then click on the property you want to check (blue indicates DP application, green indicates Land Use Re-designation), click on the arrow next to the DP # to expand it, click on the Details (big red rectangle), you will see a red “Share your comments” button. You can only leave your comments during the review period, before the deadline. Contact development@elbowpark.com for more information.  Visit our website for additional info on current applications.

Local Favourites Offering Curbside Pick-up & Delivery

Some of Elbow Park's favourite restaurants are now offering curbside pick-up and meal delivery services to deal with the closure of their sit-down areas.  If you need a break from meal prep and would like to support a local business, we encourage you to take a peek at this list of restaurants for a robust look at offerings. This coming Wednesday is national #TakeOutDay so a good opportunity to show your support for your favourite eatery!

Click Here for Restaurants Offering Curbside & Delivery

With Governments offering up COVID-19 financial aid, people are vulnerable to predatory cyber scammers.  People have been receiving text messages supposedly from the Federal government saying a $1,375 relief payment had been sent to them.

The message provided a legitimate-looking URL and warned that "data rates may apply".  What those who clicked found was a website looking like a legitimate government site asking for personal information - including banking information- required to accept the deposit.

The Canadian Fraud Centre is warning people to be wary of communications requiring urgent action or payment and/or offering medical advice, financial relief or government assistance and compensation.

RCMP say that Albertans have reported being contacted regarding fake positive COVID test results, self assessment surveys, fraudulent donation campaigns and door-to-door decontamination services.

Anti Fraud Tips

•       If you didn't initiate contact, you don't know whom you're communicating with

•       Never respond or click on suspicious links and attachments

•       Never give out your personal or financial details

•       Don't be pressured into making donations

•       Verify independently what charities are registered

•       Check the "from" address by hovering over the name

•       Be wary of high-priced or low-quality products purchased by bulk by consumers and resold for profit

•       Be wary of questionable offers, such as miracle cures, herbal remedies, vaccinations, faster testing

•       Be wary of fake and deceptive online ads, including cleaning products, hand sanitizers adnd other items in high demand

•       Verify information sources

•       Be wary of clicking on the links provided in emails unless you know it is coming from an official source

•       Do not follow the link in a text message, but instead, go to the URL using a trusted search engine such as google to find official resources

•       Be wary of links that look official. Links can be directed to any page on the internet, including the scammer's own site

•       Be wary of advertisements for "N95 Masks in Stock" or COVID-19 Testing Kits

•       Be wary of offers for Free and you pay the shipping fee

•       Check the Canadian Anti Fraud Website for a list of reported scams

Dear Residents,

I hope you're having a wonderful Easter weekend with your families.  As I know this is a day many of us would normally be gathering with our friends and extended family for a holiday meal, today may be a difficult one for many and I want to ensure everyone knows they're not alone in this amazing community. 

At different times through this COVID journey, every one of us may need help, regardless of age or circumstance.  EPRA is grateful to have a list of people willing to volunteer and we are able to provide support in a variety of ways.  It is now time for people to provide those people with the opportunity to help.  Use this Elbow Park Cares Link  to fill out a form and a volunteer will contact you to provide assistance.

If someone doesn't take on the job of receiving, others are unable to give.  And, this neighbourhood knows from experience that we are a group of people who like to give. How about we start to view the act of asking as a way of giving? 

This is a time when each one of us is vulnerable.  It is time for us to gracefully accept our vulnerability, clearly define what it is we need and then, ask for help. 

This is a time to shed our stoicism and our belief that being overwhelmed or emotional is a weakness. Vulnerability forges connection and the circumstances we find ourselves in right now is a perfect time for us to connect through vulnerability, become communal beings and find the joys of community.

Asking for help is difficult because

• we tell ourselves that we have it easy compared to someone else. It's easy to convince ourselves that we just need to toughen up and cope like everyone else. It's time to shed that belief.
• we are afraid of rejection and a fear of being belittled if we share our vulnerability. Trust!
• you may have experienced other people being dependent on you for help in the past and you don't want anyone else to feel resentment toward you. It's time to get over that.
• perhaps you struggle with being the centre of attention and the sense of self consciousness about talking about yourself or a problem and asking for help is uncomfortable for you. It's time to be brave.
• you might be afraid of what will be expected of you in return if you accept help. It's time to remind yourself that you have gifts that you share everyday without even knowing it. Let others share with you too.
• you may feel that you have a sense of control if you deal with things all on your own. It's time to get clear on what you need and learn how to ask for something specific.

Here are a few suggestions of what you might ask EPRA volunteers to assist you with:

• you just got groceries, either delivered or on your own, but, they didn't have vanilla. Ask us to help you get vanilla delivered to your door.
• you would like to put up a heart in your window, but, you don't have the supplies (or skill) and you'd like one delivered to your house
• you are feeling overwhelmed and feel embarrassed because everyone else seems to be coping just fine. Ask us to have a volunteer call you on a regular basis just to say hi, how are you today?
• you are having trouble with your computer or phone and would like someone to call and walk you through a solution
• you need something mailed at the post office and you've been out several times this week already and you'd like someone who is going anyway to take your package for you
• your son is teething, you're home alone and you'd like someone to bring over some Tylenol
• you would like someone to make you a cloth face mask
• you would like to join in on a Zoom session to meet new neighbours

Please reach out to ask for help at Elbow Park Cares Link or phone Jane at 403-680-9320.  Any request is worthy, valued and treated with respect.

We've done this before Elbow Park. Let's Connect and do it again!

Jane Virtue

Residents of Elbow Park are able to send their comments regarding upcoming development permits through a new online system. Go to the Development Map and zoom into Elbow Park on the map, then click on the property you want to check (blue indicates DP application, green indicates Land Use Re-designation), click on the arrow next to the DP # to expand it, click on the Details (big red rectangle), you will see a red “Share your comments” button. You can only leave your comments during the review period, before the deadline. Contact development@elbowpark.com for more information.

DP2020-2159 3441 6th St SW Application for a Detached Garage with relaxation for driveway length. Comments due April 30.

DP2020-1389 313 40th Ave SW Application for Discretionary Single Detached Dwelling. Currently being reviewed by the review Committee. Concerns identified: the intent of the applicant is to subdivide this 75 ’ lot and build a second home on it. The current proposal only shows one tall, narrow house extending much closer to the riverbank than any of the neighbouring existing houses, which may negatively impact neighbours ’ properties to the west during floods. Please email development@elbowpark.com for more information or concerns.

DP2019-6420 3620 13A St SW Application for Discretional Single Family Dwelling. This one has an attached rear garage, but, EPRA has heard no concerns from neighbours. In advertising stage.

DP2019-5600 337 40th Ave SW Application for a deck. Was initially approved, but then appealed because of concerns that it was in the flood zone. Application has been refused, but the partially built deck has not been demolished yet.

Contact Information & COVID-19 Resources Emergency Funding The province of Alberta has launched emergency isolation funding, utility payment deferral and student loan repayment deferral. https://www.alberta.ca/covid-19-supports-for-albertans.aspx The Federal Government has implemented some assistance through employment Insurance and Emergency Care Benefits https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-sickness.html Distress Line 403-266-HELP (4357) for 24 hour support. Police NON-emergency 403-266-1234 or online Health Link 811 Alberta Health Services (AHS) https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/ Alberta Government https://www.alberta.ca/coronavirus-info-for-albertans.aspx

Staying Connected - Zoom Zoom! Video conferencing is a great way to stay connected with your usual social groups or form some new ones. Some neighbours are taking advantage of ZOOM in order to host virtual Book Club, Wine Tastings, Coffee and visits with friends and family. If you would like some assistance figuring out how to get Zoom loaded onto your computers, iPad or phone, send in a request form to EPRA and we will find a volunteer to phone you and assist. Tips for Zoom For laptops you can hover your mouse on the bottom portion of your screen in order to mute/unmute your microphone, have reactions (e.g., thumbs up for board motion approval or that you would like to speak) Side conversation for all to see is available. You can also have the option to send someone a private message during the call Anyone can pull up a document for everyone to review. They can scroll through the document, etc. Host can mute all participants Free however, the call is limited to 40 minutes. If a board member has a license, they can have 100 participants and unlimited calling time

Getting food to your door Calgary Co-op is delivering free care packages to those under Covid-19 quarantine until April 15. The packages feature non-perishable food essentials and are available while supplies last. calgarycoop.com Sunterra delivers groceries for $8 with a minimum order of $50. In addition to everyday groceries, you can also have Sunterra’s daily features delivered as well as its Friday Night Feast, a three-course meal for just $18.99. Voila, dinner is served. sunterramarket.com Hello Fresh is a meal delivery service that delivers perfectly portioned meals to your doorstep once a week. All you have to do is cook them. Choose meals for 2 or 4 people and order from 3-7 meals per week. Email president@elbowpark.com if you'd like a free trial or $40 off coupon. https://www.hellofresh.ca/ Costco members can take advantage of the store’s two-day delivery service, which is available on weekdays for household items, non-perishable food and specifically marked products. And if you spend $75 or more, there’s no delivery fee. costco.ca Grocery Link is a local grocery delivery service that allows you to place an order at one of eight grocery stores (including Superstore, Save-On-Foods and M&M Food Market), then delivers it within a two hour span on weekdays. The base rate for regular delivery service is $19.99, plus there are discounted programs for seniors and those with limited access. thegrocerylink.com In-a-buggy allows you to order from multiple big-name stores, which currently include Walmart, Costco, PetSmart, Rexall Pharma Plus, Safeway and M&M Food Market. The delivery fee is $19.98 and there’s an additional fee of $9.99 per store if there are multiple stops. inabuggy.com Insta-cart offers delivery from a wide range of stores, including BulkBarn, Staples, Walmart, Real Canadian Superstore and more. Plan ahead by placing an order in advance (maximum six days) or get a last-minute delivery within two hours. The service uses your delivery time and order size to determine the delivery fee. instacart.com Parcel Pal is a Canadian-based app that will deliver "anything you want". Along with restaurant and alcohol delivery, you can order groceries from Sunterra Market and five downtown Corner Store locations. Grocery delivery is $9.99. parcelpal.com Save on Foods Delivery fees range between $7 to $10. Through your account, you can create and save shopping lists and add notes to specific items like if you want a ripe avocado or a green banana. saveonfoods.com   Healthy Chef Deliver Healthy Chef Delivery provides delicious fresh, whole food prepared meals delivered to your home or office weekly. We work with local Calgary area and Alberta farmers for organic and natural ingredients that are chemical, GMO and antibiotic free. https://www.healthychefdelivery.com/

The Council meeting that was going to be held by video and phone-in participation on April 27 has been postponed thanks to the efforts of the letters written by Community Association Coalition including Elbow Park. This is a significant win for our neighbourhood! The City was attempting to push this document through without proper engagement with you, our residents and that was unfair. We are pleased that we now have more time to prepare for the Council meeting to be scheduled when social distancing mandates have been lifted. We will keep you informed as to when the meeting will be held.

We have heard that the Multi-Community Local Area Plan engagement meetings have been postponed. The application process, however, continues. An extension of the deadline to April 16 was given. We encourage our residents to apply to be on the working group. Click here to do so. We are surprised that the City administration would choose to continue with this process given what all Calgarians are facing during these uncertain and challenging times.

Thank you to Jeromy Farkas for his unwavering support in this matter.

In the meantime, continue to become informed about the Guidebook, Apply online to be a community rep on the working committee and get your letters prepared to take to the Council meeting when it is rescheduled.

We thought we'd share the most recent compilation of crime statistics for Elbow Park, as well as a reminder to report any suspicious activity immediately to the police non-emergency line at 403-266-1234. As we continue to hear reports about car break-ins and package thefts from porches, we encourage you to report any of these incidents as it helps CPS prioritize which neighbourhoods to patrol more regularly.

If you feel threatened or witness a crime in progress, call 911.

VIEW STATISTICS

 

A few days before the Christmas holidays, collection of the garbage from our bins in the Clubhouse park ceased.  

Upon further investigation, we were informed by the City that the garbage bins located on our LOC (License of Operation, the park land we lease from the City) had been "donated" to our community association in 2016.  This was the first I had heard of that.

Since 2016, somebody was collecting our garbage. I suspect that it was the contractor working for the City who was unaware that the City was no longer going to collect our garbage on the LOC. This contractor had been collecting our garbage for years and probably assumed that it would be strange for the City to stop collecting the garbage from the bins in the SAME park.

A few days before Christmas 2019, we experienced FULL bins.  This was the first indication that it was EPRA responsibility to collect the garbage. The City has collected the garbage in our LOC Park  for over 50 years.  It took us by surprise that they would stop providing this service.

I asked the City to collect the overflowing garbage from the bins prior to Christmas, and they obliged.   Since I have been unsuccessful in resolving the issue since Christmas, the bins are overflowing once again. 

My attempts have been:

Contacting the Contractor who collects the garbage container at the playground adjacent to our LOC, however, they are unable to assist because it would be a "breach of contract".

I contacted the Contractor that the City used previously, however, they no longer work in the area and it is not financially lucrative to come to this area of the City.

I have contacted smaller companies that collect garbage, however, I've been told that they are unable to collect garbage that contains "animal products" (dog waste).  Regulation stipulates that no animal products can be disposed in the landfills. Given that our containers are 80% dog waste, these companies are not an option.

I've gone back to the City to request their assistance.  They offered to collect our garbage for $50 each time, however, will only do this for two garbage cans and when we get our new cans, bringing the total to 4, they will not be able to accommodate that many.

We are now investigating the possibility of moving the garbage bins onto the City owned land.  The City will pick up at these locations without charge.  One can be moved to the corner of 8th and 34th near the toboggan hill. I am waiting to hear where the other can be moved to.  

As for the donation that Valentine Volvo made to purchase us 4 new garbage cans and 1 recycle container; we will wait to see if we can move forward with this or not??

I will keep you informed as I hear more from the City. In the meantime, please use the garbage can near the playground to deposit your dog waste. This one is on City land and will have collection services.