CentreCity

Updating You on Clean to the Core

Earlier this week we told you about an important celebration of our own - a fifth anniversary event for the Clean to the Core and the Centre City Safety Impact teams. The gathering on Thursday was a great way to celebrate and look ahead at the various initiatives put forth by everyone invested in the groups. 

Mayor Naheed Nenshi was there, and so were Aldermen Druh Farrell and John Mar. 

The Clean to the Core team is made up of City staff and community partners, all working together to enhance safety, add vitality and make our Centre City a more livable, thriving and caring place to live, work and play.

Watch the video below to see a Clean to the Core team member (The City of Calgary's Dan Jones from Roads) describe the successful work done over the last five years.

  

A Clean to the Core Anniversary Celebration!

Much has been done in the five years since the Clean to the Core and Centre City Safety Impact team began their work. Because of these teams (made up of both City and community partners) -  their collaboration and the inspiration they've initiated, our Centre City has become  a more livable, thriving and caring place in which to live, work and play.

Thanks to the teams' leadership efforts, in just five short years, we've seen a positive trend toward Calgarians putting in their own individual effort to help keep our Centre City clean (remember this initiative) and safe - a place that draws people in to visit.

The recently launched Best Bar None program which has individual business owners investing a little more time and effort to make going out at a night a safer and more rewarding experience is a perfect example of the great progress that is being made in our Centre City. And of course, there are so many other worthwhile initiatives and events that have strengthened us all at the very core (see a listing at calgary.ca/centrecity). 

So today it's time to celebrate a little. A fifth anniversary gathering is happening - a chance for everyone involved to look back over the past five years and spend a little time to acknowledge the projects and people who have worked to make our Centre City a move livable, thriving and caring place. It's also a chance to make some plans for the next five years.

Mayor Naheed Nenshi, Aldermen Druh Farrell and John Mar will be there to help recognize the efforts of those behind the projects. Check back tomorrow here for photos from the event. 

 

Wayfinding in our Centre City

 

 

Wayfinding is the next best thing to having a  guided tour of the city by a proud Calgarian. And the good news is that The City of Calgary is working on a wayfinding system for our Centre City!

What is Wayfinding?

It's an intuitive and simple set of signs that connect a common "look, language and logic." This wayfinding system will highlight key attractions in our Centre City for visitors and Calgarians - anyone who lives, works or plays here that wants to explore.

A Great Way to Tell a City's Story

The City’s Graham Gerylo has been working on the wayfinding program. He explains, "What we're looking at is developing a comprehensive program - a unified way of communicating all of those great places we have in our Centre City - including parks, shopping districts, art venues, +15 routes, landmarks, etc. - in a consistent and recognizable way. It’s a way to enhance the experience of visiting the area."

Gerylo points out that this wayfinding system will bring some high quality architectural signage to the street level - to those who want a clear idea of what's around them - of what's easy to get to by foot, bike or public transit.

 

Sustainable Signage

The signs will be appealing to the eye (they have a clean modern look and feel); they will also be built to last and to endure our temperamental weather. On top of that, they'll be designed so they're easy to update content-wise which is obviously a smart sustainable move.

The idea is that the cost of the wayfinding signs will be returned  in visitor dollars spent in our Centre City. Gerylo notes, "We will have confident and comfortable visitors that are exploring the core more, spending more as they're exploring and leaving Calgary with a positive and memorable visitor experience." He adds that this translates to those visitors going home to share their great experiences with others: "And you know, they might not say the signs made the experience for them but the signs definitely will have helped them achieve that experience...so certainly there's a large return in investment component there."

 

 

Looking Ahead

Another interesting aspect to this proposed wayfinding system is that there are myriad tech possibilities that can be built in the future to complement the information.

Gerylo says, "You can use this same content if you are looking to develop a geocache app, for instance. ...and because the artwork is available, different groups may be able to access this information to create, say, a mobile shopping application and start to identify specialty shops on key streets in Centre City." So the opportunity is there for others to grab that data and start to create their own wayfinding communications which only adds to the whole positive CC experience.

Gerylo says the hope is to have the signs in place in time for most of the 2012 Cultural Capital celebrations in our city this coming summer. Calgary is the Cultural Capital of Canada this year and that means visitor numbers are expected to increase. It's also the Calgary Stampede's 100th birthday. Gerylo says they'd like to start putting some of the signs up by June.

 Let us know what you think of this idea. Leave us a comment if you have a moment.

Kung Hei Fat Choi Calgary!

Happy Chinese New Year Calgary! The Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre in our very own Centre City played host to another wildly successful Chinese New Year celebration. The Year of the Dragon was ushered in with a parade, dragon dancers, bright brilliant costumes and the best part: hundreds of smiling Calgarians. 

There were booths at the CCCC, lots of opportunities to taste some wonderful food, and just an overall amazing and cheerful spirit. We hope that if you make any new year resolutions this year, that one of them is to visit your Chinatown at least once in 2012. It's a colourful and vibrant part of our Centre City - lovely parks, interesting shops, amazing food, and the Cultural Centre is a must-see if you've never been. 

Centre City Aldermen Druh Farrell and John Mar were on hand to celebrate. Alderman Mar took some photos at the event. Here are a few of the candids he shared on his Twitter account: 

 

 

This was Alderman Mar's dragon.

Mayor Naheed Nenshi and Premier Alison Redford.

Mayor Nenshi talking to the crowd.

 

Year of the Dragon +15 Parade

Centre City's +15s were jam packed with Chinese New Year revellers Friday afternoon thanks to a parade put on by High Performance Rodeo. The hugely successful event was a great way to celebrate the Year of the Dragon. Musicians, dragon dancers and plenty of other people dressed in colorful costumes ushered everyone through the +15 system during rush hour. 

(Parade about to commence - photo posted by Mayor Nenshi on Twitter - @Nenshi. Mayor Nenshi was the parade marshall!)

 While some people obviously planned to take part in the parade, many other commuters were treated to the great surprise of it all - such a festive way to start the weekend, we think!

  

(The main attraction - the dragon! Photo taken from www.hpr.ca)

Happy Year of the Dragon to you! Have a wonderful week in your Centre City, Calgary. 

(Photos below courtesy of Daorcey from the Mayor's office - thanks!)

 

 

 

 

Best Bar None Launches in Calgary

Calgarians love a good night out, and we're fortunate to have so many fantastic bars and restaurants to choose from in our Centre City.

Now is a great time to take that experience to the next level by continuing to enhance the overall safety of going out at night. That's where a new voluntary program called Best Bar None (BBN) steps in.

Launched today, BBN, works to reduce alcohol-related violence in and around licensed venues. This safety initiative is firmly focussed on Calgary’s pubs, clubs, bars and lounges and everyone is invited to take part to help make the city’s nightlife safer and more enjoyable.

BBN is an accreditation and awards program that uses a system of assessment and awards to engage nightspots in responsible management and safe operations. To learn more about the program and also how your establisment can earn Best Bar None (BBN) status, check out this link: bestbarnone.ab.ca. 

Some Centre City team members were at the Bar None Launch event today (which by the way, was a packed room - lots of people inspired and invigorated by the BBN program). Here are a few photos we took (that's The City's Chief Compliance Officer Marc Halat at the podium): 

 

 

(Samples of BBN accreditation and awards)

This new program is a positive opportunity for all parties involved - a great way to build relationships amongst bar owners, licensees, law enforcement, industry partners and community groups; with the ultimate benefit of making a night out safe and fun for all Calgarians.

Safer nightlife means a more vibrant and inviting Centre City. That means everyone wins.

The Best Bar None program has already been launched in Edmonton. The Calgary Best Bar None program is led by Alberta Gaming Liquor Commission (AGLC) with the support of Calgary Police Services and also The City. 

 

East Village Redevelopment Update

A few brave media representatives took a chilly tour in the Centre City's East Village yesterday - it was a chance for Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) officials to give a solid update on the area's redevelopment plan that's in the works.

Pictured above is the sign that you'll now see welcoming people to the East Village Experience Centre. This 743 square metre sales and marketing building is set for opening on April 1st. It's being built to help educate possible buyers and other interested community members about the vision of the remaining redevelopment plans. 

Check out the links below for the full news stories from media that attended yesterday's tour: 

Read the CBC.ca story here, the CTV story here, the Calgary Herald article here, and the Calgary Sun article here. 

And you can click here to visit the East Village Experience website and here for the CMLC site. 

We'll make sure to post a story here once again as soon as that information centre is officially up and running. 

Media Tour Today EV Redevelopment Project

While we're all hunkering down, trying to stay warm at work and home during this wild cold snap of ours, the East Village Redevelopment plan continues to march forward - builders, construction workers; anybody who's working outside in this harsh weather of ours deserves a moment of applause at this stage of the game. 

Lots of progress has been made recently in the East Village and now media are invited to check it out for themselves. Today a walking tour of the Centre City's EV is being conducted by Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) President and CEO Michael Brown. It'll be a good chance to get the lowdown on what's already happened - and to see what's just around the corner. 

So check back here tomorrow for any new photos and stories that have been gathered after this morning's update on the CMLC's 2012 infrastructure programming. There will also be review of the launch details of the area's residential mixed-use projects. We'll keep you posted. 

 

 

New Year's Plans in the Centre City

Now that the gifts have been unwrapped, the Boxing Day sales have been shopped, and the eggnog is fast approaching its best before date, time to make a New Year's Eve plan that involves your Centre City.

Here's a little list of all the activities planned in our CC (text courtesy Calgary City News)

Citytv New Year’s Eve Bash
The City of Calgary, in partnership with CityTV, will host a free, family friendly New Year’s Eve celebration at Olympic Plaza. The fun starts at 9:30 pm on Saturday, December 31, 2011 and ends at 12:15 a.m.

CityTV will nationally broadcast the event showcasing  live performances of Canadian country music artist George Canyon, R&B artist Raghav, multi-platinum selling artist Alyssa Reid and award-winning Canadian band Down With Webster. The evening will culminate with fireworks at midnight from the Municipal Plaza.

“Calgary is proud to host the western Canadian portion of this 27th annual national broadcast and looks forward to this partnership with CityTV that showcases Calgary to the rest of the country and creates an amazing experience for Calgarians,” says Beth Gignac, The City of Calgary, Arts & Culture.

Hockey in Calgary
Hockey in Calgary is a free, family friendly New Year’s Day celebration being held on Sunday, January 1, 2012 at the Municipal Building and Olympic Plaza.

The day kicks off at 11 a.m. with entertainment and public skating, hockey demonstrations, Hockey Hall of Fame memorabilia, hockey-themed art, and a ball hockey mania event with Hockey Canada alumni. A public outdoor ceremony will take place on the Olympic Plaza entertainment stage at 12 p.m.

“It’s the perfect start to a year-long celebration of Recreation’s centennial,” says Teresa Byrne, City of Calgary Recreation. “We’re planning a full year of events and activities that will highlight 12 monthly themes – starting with hockey and skating in January.”

Hockey in Calgary is being offered by The City in recognition of REC 100, and in partnership with Hockey Calgary and the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Public Ice Skating
Bring the family and skate under the stars at the Olympic Plaza outdoor ice rink, the only outdoor refrigerated ice surface in Calgary. The City of Calgary’s other outdoor ice rinks include Big Marlborough Park, Bowness Park Lagoon, Prairie Winds Park, and Prince’s Island Lagoon.

“Maintaining the outdoor ice rinks is a labour of love for the Parks’ staff. They are often out at 5 a.m. flooding rinks around the city to ensure smooth rink surfaces for the kids and community members who skate on them,” says Geraldine Henwood, The City of Calgary Parks. “It’s nice to see families and friends skating on the rinks and having fun. That’s what gets us up and out of bed on a cold, early morning.”

Public skating in Olympic Plaza will be impacted to allow for the set-up and take-down of New Year’s events.  A complete listing of City ice skating rinks available over the holiday season is available on calgary.ca, With the exception of Olympic Plaza all outdoor rinks are weather dependant and are tentatively scheduled to open in late December.

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(photo by yoniamir) 

And for a lengthy list of what's happening at nightclubs in the Centre City in New Year's Eve, click here.

Have a Moment? Nominate Someone for a Calgary Award.

Brett Wilson, Aretha Van Herk, and Gordon J. Hoffman; each are proud Calgarians - and while their work and histories are wildly different from each other (a businessman, writer and lawyer respectively), they're all proud recipients of a Calgary Award in 2010 (click here for a full list of last year's award recipients). The Calgary Award is a citizen recognition award and it acknowledges the work and dedication of special Calgarians who have helped to improve the quality of life in our city.

Now it's time once again to nominate someone special you know for this prestigious award. Think about the individuals, groups, organizations, schools, or corporations that have made a difference in your life. If you have someone in mind who meets the following criteria, and you believe they have contributed in a significant way to our city and its citizens, please consider filling out the nomination form:  

Nominees must be residents of Calgary (permanent address in Calgary) for two years as of December 31, 2011, or reside within 10 km of the city's boundaries for two years as of December 31, 2011. In special circumstances, the selection committee may consider a nominee from outside the 10 km radius.

Groups, organizations, schools, or corporations nominated for a Calgary Award must meet the following criteria:

• The organizations must be Calgary-based or be a local branch of a Canadian or international organization.
• Crown corporations are eligible for the Environmental Achievement Corporate Award.

You can refer to each award section for eligibility criteria specific to each award.

For more information, please call 403-268-8881 or e-mail calgaryawards@calgary.ca

Nominations must be received by the City Clerk's Office by March 2, 2012. 

Online Nomination Form 

The awards will be presented in the spring of 2012. The Calgary Awards Committee selects all award recipients and bases its decision entirely on the information provided in the nomination package.

For more information or to send your nomination via email, the address is calgaryawards@calgary.ca 

A side note, if you are interested in nominating a Calgarian for The City of Calgary W.O. Mitchell Book Prize your submission needs to be sent directly to the Writers Guild of Alberta. Click here to check out some of the award's previous winners. The deadline for The City of Calgary W.O. Mitchell Book Prize is December 31st, 2011.