CentreCity

Centre City team takes home awards

It’s not all meetings and minutes for the group of City employees charged with the care and improvement of Calgary’s Centre City.

The Calgary Downtown Association has handed out two of the much deserved awards and the D.E. Frost award for excellence in lighting was given by the the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America. (IESNA)

For enhancing the downtown through streetscape improvements, the 2012 Vitality Award for Pedestrian and Transit Wayfinding went to the Centre City Implementation Team for Centre City planning and implementation with project manager Graham Gerylo at the helm.

The Clean to the Core Program, made up of the Centre City Implementation Team headed by project manger Cathy Taylor, took home the 2012 Vitality Award for excellent community partnership. The award was for works done to enhance the downtown through excellence in community building.

The D.E. Frost Award, from Lighting Design International recognized the work done on enhancing the lighting of the Lions on the Centre Street Bridge. Managed by Centre City Implementation with Graham Gerylo acting as project manager.

These awards highlight how The City, its employees, community groups and stakeholders work together to achieve common goals. Congratulations to all Calgarians on a job well done.

APPI Free Lunchtime Event

Municipal Government Act Review - May 15

APPI Event - May 10, 2013

Heritage Matters: Invisible People and Places in the 1950s and 1960s

The Calgary Heritage Authority, City of Calgary, Land Use Planning and Policy and Calgary Public Library are pleased to invite you to

Heritage Matters: Invisible People and Places in the 1950s and 1960s

Funded by a Calgary 2012 grant and driven by his curiosity about a hidden social-cultural past within Calgary, Kevin Allen has been researching the lives and gathering spots for gay and lesbian people in Calgary’s post-war period of the 50s and 60s.  Join us to re-look  at Calgary from the perspective of people who were widely deemed to be mentally ill and were often treated as criminals during the period of Calgary’s post war boom and the emergence of a new modernism. 

Friday, May 3, 2014

5:30 – 7:00 p.m.

Calgary Public Library

Central Library, Main Floor

616 Macleod Tr. S.E.

Register for this free event with your library card  in person at any Calgary Public Library branch, by calling 403.260.2620 or online: http://calgarypubliclibrary.com/services/programs-events/register-for-programs

Kevin is also going to be hosting a Jane’s Walk on  May 4. He will be conducting a tour of the Beltline area, looking at sites that were significant to the gay and lesbian community in the 1960s and 70s. You can find out more about Kevin’s Jane’s Walk and the other walks at the Jane's Walk http://www.janeswalk.net/index.php/walks/canada/calgary/calgary-gay-history-walk/

Explore your neighborhood on a Jane's walk

This May 4th and 5th, you may notice large groups of people enjoying the onset of a very late spring as they explore the streets of many a Calgary neighbourhood. What you're seeing is known as a Jane’s Walk and the folks meandering the city sidewalks are actually out enjoying a unique urban experience.

Led by locals, Jane’s Walks are free tours of participating neighbourhoods and any and all are invited. Named in honour of Jane Jacobs, the walks are organized world-wide on the first weekend in May. Jacobs (1916-2006) was the author of the 1961 publication, The Death and Life of Great American Cities.  

Her thesis was cities act as ecosystems with dynamic qualities which change over time as they evolve. She wrote of many ideas of how modern cities function, grow and fail and her thoughts echoed those of many a great architect, planner, politician and activist.

Jacobs championed the concept of making cities less car-centred. She dreamt of urban scenes filled with sidewalks, parks and people where work and play intermingled on a human scale. She promoted higher density cities and shorter blocks again for ease of walking. Jacobs’ urban approach is what most larger cities are embracing in this day and age. More places for people to be, car-free, without compromising the economy or environment.

The Jane’s Walks came about through Jacobs’ firmly held belief in the importance of local residents having an input into how their neighbourhoods develop. In Calgary, you can find a list of local walks and talks at janeswalk.net.

Some examples of local walks are:

Calgary Centre City - All That Jazz
Meeting Place: 10:30 a.m. May 4 - City Hall, in front of the bronze horses statues
Guided by: Sonny Tomic
Centre City plan was approved by Council in 2007. It outlines a vision for Calgary's Centre City as a livable, thriving and caring place. Come get jazzed by the new public spaces, improved streetscapes and other urban design gems as this award-winning plan comes to life.


Bike to the Future- a walk on the cycle side
Meeting Place: 10 a.m. - May 4 - South entrance of the Peace Bridge
Guided by: City of Calgary Transportation Solutions staff
Residents will walk along 7th St and explore the construction of the new protected bike lane which will open in Summer 2013.

Calgary Gay History Walk
Meeting Place: 10 a.m. - May 4 - 223 12 Ave. SW
Guided by: Kevin Allen
Where did Calgary's fledgling gay community meet in the 1960s and 1970s? Come on this walk to learn and share stories about Calgary's gay history.

Voice your thoughts on condo and apartment recycling service

The City of Calgary is currently conducting stakeholder engagement to develop a multi-family recycling strategy. You can learn more online at Calgary.ca/recycling, or you can attend the next open house on April 27 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Sunalta Community Hall.

This spring, there will be many others opportunities available where residents of Calgary can attend an open house or participate online to review potential service options and voice their opinions on this interesting issue.

For many who live in multi-family dwellings such as apartments, condominiums, townhouse complexes and other multi-unit housing, having recycling services is something that's important to reducing dependency on landfills and protecting the land, air and water around Calgary.

Multi-family dwellings are typically places where there are more than four housing units on a parcel of land, or are part of a complex with a private road. This may include apartment buildings as well as some condominium complexes and townhouses. Multi-family housing is currently not eligible for the Blue Cart recycling program.

However, The City of Calgary has a network of about 50 Community Recycling Depots that accept the same recyclable materials as the Blue Cart recycling program. Also, there are a number of companies that provide collection of recyclable materials for multi-family residents. For a list of providers, visit the Recycling Hotline and search under residential recycling collection.

While in the planning stages for the Blue Cart recycling program, Calgary's City Council gave specific direction that Waste & Recycling Services:

"Not undertake collection of recyclables from multi-family residences prior to 2020, provided The City is on track in achieving its target to divert 80 per cent of its waste from landfills by 2020."

Access to recycling for those living in multi-family residences is an important piece needed to achieve the 80/20 by 2020 goal. More information on the 80/20 by 2020 goal can be found on the Recycling Programs page.

Following Council's direction, The City rolled out Blue Cart recycling to single-family homes, up to and including four-plexes. Residences that are eligible to receive blue cart collection pay the monthly blue cart charge.

For background information, visit The City of Calgary's engagement project page on the multi-family recycling strategy.

There's opera coming to the East Village...

This summer, Calgary will host the first ever outdoor opera festival in Canada on the bank of the Bow River in the East Village. A collaborative effort with Calgary Municipal Land Corporation, the Opera in the Village will showcase not only the musical talents of Calgary’s singers but also the new RiverWalk area.

A stone’s throw from the Bow River, the festival is not only about opera but also many other activities such as sword-fighting demonstrations, impromptu operatic performances, outdoor movie nights and food truck vendors. The site will be awash with swashbuckling characters of all sorts, getting visitors and performers ready for the main attraction, Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance.

“There are successful summer opera festivals around the world, but until now Canada has yet to take the plunge,” said Bob McPhee, the General Director of Calgary Opera. “We feel that the time is right to introduce Canada’s first outdoor summer opera event and can’t think of a better setting than the RiverWalk in Calgary’s East Village.” McPhee also introduced and thanked The Imperial Oil Foundation, presenting sponsor of Opera in the Village.

“Calgary Opera consistently impressed everyone with their creative vision for the arts in the city of Calgary,” stated Susan Swan, President of the Imperial Oil Foundation. “We are excited to partner with them for this one-of-a kind festival in Canada.”

Opera in the Village runs August 22nd to the 25th. Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance, has six performances over the four days. An all Canadian, all-star cast of Brett Polegato as the Pirate King, Tracy Dahl as Mabel, Colin Ainsworth as Frederic, Elizabeth Turnbull as Ruth, Thomas Goerz as the Sergeant of Police and Calgary’s own David LeReaney as Major General Stanley perform the leading roles. The show is directed by Robert Herriot and Gordon Gerrard returns as conductor to the orchestra and singers.

The family-friendly event also includes a two week opera camp for kids aged 9 to 14. The camp culminates in a free public performance of the kids’ own mini-production of The Pirates of Penzance.

“The Government of Alberta is proud to lend its support to this new cultural project,” said Honourable Heather Klimchik, Minister of Culture. “Participation in cultural and recreation activities, like Opera in the Village inspires citizens to feel a sense of pride and belonging in their community.”

“Rebuilding a community like East Village involves much more than the delivery of critical infrastructure,” said Susan Veres, vice president of Marketing and Communications with the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation. “It involves building great spaces and programming those spaces to showcase how they are best experienced. Opera in the Village will bring thousands of people to the banks of the Bow River to experience the transformation taking place in this downtown neighbourhood.”

Calgary Opera would like to extend their thanks to its presenting sponsor, Imperial Oil Foundation as well as the Government of Alberta, The Remarkable Experience Accelerator Program, the Calgary Hotel Association and Calgary Arts Development Authority, The City of Calgary’s Event Stimulus Program, festival founders FRAM + Slokker, Embassy BOSA and Cenovus as well as Tourism Calgary.

Tickets go on sale Monday, April 22, 2013 and are available by calling 403-262-7286 or by visiting calgaryopera.com.

Catch an ATP Show before the end of the season!

With just a few days more to catch an ATP 2012-2013 show, you’d better get your tickets fast if you want to see one of their feature plays. Here's a list of what's playing:

The Valley
by Joan MacLeod 

March 6 - April 7, 2013 

A personal look at protection, safety and mental illness traces two families’ interactions with police. The play speaks about perceptions about police and how they change, or don’t change over time. The Valley also examines the concept of protection. Protection as it relates to being a police officer, a mother or a member of society and what is means to protect and feel protected.
When an episode on the Skytrain between a troubled teen and a police officer turns violent, it reverberates throughout the community, sweeping both families up into a storm of emotion, opinion and conflict.

Dust
by Jonathan Garfinkel and Christopher Morris

March 7 - April 6, 2013

Dust is a deeply compassionate story about the conflict in Afghanistan and how it has affected families of soldiers in combat.

“Dust illuminates the way that loss through this conflict has created a painful legacy in families and the communities around them. It is about the struggle to move forward after loss and find some peace,” says Vicki Stroich, Alberta Theatre Projects Interim Artistic Director.

Based on true stories, this play about courage, grief, and witness is an international collaboration. It features Samiya Mumtaz from Pakistan in the cast.

Contains male nudity and strong language.

The Apology
by Darrah Teitel

March 8 - April 6, 2013

It is 1814 and young Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Lord Byron and Claire Clairemont retreat to a castle to write poetry, make love, do drugs and try to invent a new way of being alive. In this funny, hot-blooded portrayal by newcomer Darrah Teitel, romantic tradition is ripped open, unleashing rich, wild and fiery spirits.

Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, offers a metaphoric framework for the play, explains Teitel, “since it’s about human perfectibility and a utopian vision of society. In a parallel to Victor Frankenstein creating life, the four characters experiment with their lives, hoping for the best. In both cases, the result is an uncontrollable monster.”

The Apology by Darrah Teitel runs from March 8 – April 6, 2013 with curtain times at 7:30 pm Tuesday through Saturday, and matinees at 2:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets start at $30.

Contains nudity, sexuality and strong language.

The God That Comes
Music and performance by Hawksley Workman

Created by Hawksley Workman and Christian Barry
In association with 2b theatre company

March 19 - April 7, 2013

In a world governed by greed, rules and order, people take to the hills in a hedonistic revolt fuelled by wine, ritual madness and ecstasy, in this contemporary take on the Greek tragedy, The Bacchae. The performance stars Hawksley Workman and fuses the chaotic revelry of a rock concert with the captivating intimacy of theatre. Have a drink, hear a story, and get lost in the music.

“Watching Workman sample himself, then go on to another instrument while his first strain repeated and then adding a third on top of it was the kind of brilliance we all came for. What I wasn’t expecting was the slashing sardonic wit he brought to the tale of the uptight king Pentheus, his swinging mother Agave and the demonic god of pleasure, Bacchus/Dionysus.”-The Toronto Star

Contains strong language.

If you can’t make it in before the last run of the 2012-2013 season on April 7th, check out ATP’s spring show Red by John Logan running April 30th to May 18th, 2013.

Red
by John Logan

A young artist is hired to assist Mark Rothko, the world-famous and famously cranky abstract painter. This 2010 Tony Award-winning drama portrays a fierce, funny, and ultimately life-changing relationship. A triumphant return to playwriting by one of the most notable screenwriters of our time, John Logan’s credits include Hugo, The Aviator, and Any Given Sunday.

Please check the Alberta Theatre Projects website at ATPlive.com for details and ticket purchases for any of the shows. Or call Alberta Theatre Projects at 403-294-7402.

Calgary’s downtown parks open for springtime sunning

With the spring sun warming the brick and concrete of the downtown landscape it’s easy to forget under the grimy, melting snow shoots of grass are starting to peek out. The weather is starting to turn and Calgarians should take this early chance to head outside into the melting city. Warm, sunny days don’t last long in this part of the world so get out while you can, even if there is still a spring chill to the air.

The Centre City boasts many nice parks and green spaces for all to enjoy. If you’re lunching, running, people watching or just checking out of the office for a few blissful minutes of natural light, here are a few beautiful places to just be outside in the downtown.

James Short Park

A popular place for Calgarians to relax during the lunch hour, James Short Park at 115 4the Ave SW is right in the heart of it all. A cupola with a hand-winding clock, a seating area and a small playground if you are so inclined make up the amenities in this park. The park was finished in 1991 and was named for the James Short School which once stood here. For those interested in sustainable infrastructure, this park is one of a number of green roofs in the centre City.

Beaulieu Gardens

Tucked away in the centre of the Beltline area is Beaulieu Gardens. In the shadow of the historic Lougheed House, which dates from 1891, this terraced formal garden just cries out to be enjoyed. Even without flowers, the architecture of the space gives visitors much to see even during the cooler months.

Christened by the Lougheed family as Beaulieu, or “beautiful place” is located at 707 13th Avenue SW.

Century Gardens

Another popular lunch spot in downtown Calgary is Century Gardens. Located on the block surrounded by 7th Avenue, 7th Street, 8th Avenue and 8th Street SW.

In 1975, the Devonian Group donated the space to the City in celebration of Calgary’s Centennial. Boasting waterfalls, a pond, benches, a grassy area, sculpture and its proximity to the LRT line, it is no surprise Century Park is a popular destination for many looking for a little lunchtime respite. 

Sien Lok Park 

You’d be hard pressed to miss Sien Lok Park if you are coming from the south. The entrance at Riverfront Ave and 1st Street SW is flanked by two Chinese Lions and borders the Bow River pathway to the north.

In the centre of the park sits the massive sculpture “In Search of Gold Mountain” by Chu Honsun. The sculpture is made from 15 tonnes of granite from the Hopei Province in China and was made to honour Canadian-Chinese history.

Sien Lok Park, named for the motto “happiness comes through good works” and the society by the same name was built in 1982. The park also holds a pagoda, a concrete tai chi area, benches and a small playground and is a lovely way to access the Bow River from the downtown.

Central Memorial Park

At 1221 2nd Street SW sits Calgary’s oldest park. Also known as Memorial Park, it is home to the Memorial Public Library, the Boer War Memorial equestrian statue, a statue of a World War I soldier and a Cenotaph. It is no wonder then that Remembrance Day ceremonies are held here annually. Central Memorial Park is also the home to the Boxwood Café, the casual dining offshoot of the River Café.

Shaw Millennium Park

North America’s largest free outdoor, 24 hour skatepark is at 1220 9th Avenue SW. With a stage and amphitheatre, a waterfall, clock tower, laser lights, basketball courts and washroom, Shaw Millennium Park is a progressive concept that has proved immensely popular.

Established in 2000, the park features 75,000 square feet of skate-able surface. It was designed as a family activity park and sees more than 35,000 visitors per year.

Olympic Plaza

But let's not forget Olympic Plaza! Touted as one of the most frequently accessed parks in Calgary’s downtown, the Plaza offers year-round enjoyment as a skating rink, a special events venue and as simply a lovely place to enjoy the outdoor cityscape. Built in 1988 for the Olympic Winter Games, it is located at 228 8th Avenue SE on the west side of City Hall.

The City of Calgary also has additional parks to enjoy like Prince’s Island Park where numerous music festivals are held each year and Tompkins Park which stretches a block along 17 Avenue and is home to many eclectic shops and restaurants.

Also, St. Patrick’s Island, an all-but-forgotten treasure at the city’s centre is poised to regain its former glory…and then some! As part of the rejuvenation of the Rivers District, St. Patrick’s Island has a master plan to steer its development as an amenity-rich, family-friendly park space for all Calgarians to enjoy. Development of the island amenities began on March 12, 2013, and the revitalized St. Patrick’s Island is expected to open to the public in the fall of 2014. During construction, the island park will be closed to the public.