CentreCity

20 Minute Makeover Sweeping through our Centre City!

The 20 Minute Makeover in our Centre City is fast-approaching so mark your calendars!

From Wednesday, June 6 to Saturday, June 9, 2012, Calgarians are invited to participate in a city-wide litter cleanup. So take 20 minutes and grab a garbage bag and gloves and clean up a boulevard, back alley or park – any public space benefits from a few minutes of special attention. Then, deposit collected litter in your regular garbage.

Here's  how to take part in the 20 Minute Makeover:

Join the challenge by signing up! If you have a group of twenty or more, garbage bags will be available for your group. Everyone who signs up will be entered to win prizes. While registration is optional, we encourage you to sign up so we can map the cleanup.

We also encourage you to post your before and after photos on 3 Things for Calgary. Group activities and events will be posted there too. If you’d like to be part of a group event, watch the site for a location near you. If you’re planning a group event, we are happy to post details of your event on the events page. 

Questions? Contact​ the 20-Minute Makeover Team and visit our website at www.calgary.ca/20minutemakeover, or call 3-1-1

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. 

 

High-Fives for Being Fifth Most Livable City!

(photo by Stephenccwu)

We've always heard talk from folks all over who think Calgary is a pretty amazing city in which to live...and now it's being confirmed: turns out we're the fifth greatest city in the world to live and we're proud of it!

The Economist Intelligence Unit says we ranked fifth out of 140 cities in their livability survey this year. We're in good company with Toronto (4th) and Vancouver (3rd) just ahead of us; Vienna takes 2nd place and Melbourne takes first. 

Great news for us all. Let's pat each other on the back because after all, it takes great people to make a great city. What do you think is our secret to being such a livable city? We'd love to hear your thoughts so leave a comment when you have a moment. 

To read the full breakdown of the livability rankings, click here. For GlobalTV's news report, click here. 

New Poet Laureate Program In Calgary

We live in a city that thrives on progress, motion, design and limitless opportunities to express ourselves. It's a great thing we have here in Calgary and sometimes those feelings of gratitude and inspiration need a universal outlet - something like poetry - to tell the world what what we're thinking. 

Thanks to Calgary City Council's approval of a motion to establish a Poet Laureate, now we'll be able to share this perspective of ours in a creative manner that can reach all walks of life. 

This new Poet Laureate will compose and present poetry for official occasions and also work to raise awareness of local issues through select commissioned works. This individual will be an ambassador for the arts in Calgary. It's a two year position and funding for it comes through a grant from The Calgary Foundation along with five Calgary-based corporate sponsors. The Poet Laureate program will be developed and administered through Calgary Arts Development in conjunction with The City of Calgary. 

(Poetry books photo by chillihead) 

So The City's first poet Laureate will be appointed in January 2012 and will receive an honorarium to carry out their duties. 

For more information about this exciting new program, click here. 

And here's a map of some of Canada's Poet Laureates through the years. 

Who do you have in mind for our inaugural Poet Laureate? Leave us a comment if you can think of a Calgary writer you'd like to see take this position. 

Focus on Safety: Centre City Lunch and Learn June 23

(Calgary Miniaturized - by Debby A)

159,000 people work in our Centre City. More than 30, 000 people live in it. And then there are the renowned concerts, festivals, shops, businesses and organizations that draw the rest of the city in on an annual basis. So what's being done to maintain our Centre City's livability? How do we keep it thriving, clean and safe? What's on the horizon? Answers to those questions and much more will be offered up to every Calgarian this week at our Focus on Safety Centre City Lunch and Learn.

It's happening Thursday, June 23rd, 2011 between noon and 1:00 p.m. (with doors opening at 11:30 a.m.) at the ConocoPhilips Theatre, Glenbow Museum 130 - 9th Ave. S.E.

The heart of Calgary, our Centre City, is deeply cherished and so very well cared for by citizens and City of Calgary staff alike. With our Clean to the Core program and Centre City team, our Centre City is in good hands. Maintaining a livable, thriving and caring Centre City is important for all Calgarians. And that's why we're inviting all Calgarians to attend this meeting. The City of Calgary, along with its partners on the Clean to the Core and Centre City Safety Impact Teams will share their most recent work to keep the CC strong and flourishing, safe and clean.

This will also be a time to hear about the impact all of this concerted work is making in the core. (What's wonderful, in fact, is that Calgarians already have noticed an improvement in safety and cleanliness  in our Centre City and they told us so in the first Centre City Perception Survey.)

So please try to attend this important meeting. On the agenda is an update on the Late Night Ride Home Stands, launched in December as part of the team’s current late night focus, along with a discussion on the outcomes of a recent initiative, the 20 Minute Makeover.

This is an excellent opportunity for you to learn more about the work that is being done to ensure our Centre City is Where You Want to Be.

 

 

 

A Salute to You!

For all of you who came out and rolled-up your sleeves for the 20 Minute Makeover - a job well-done!

As a small gift to all of you sweepers and garbage picker-uppers, our partners at the Calgary Downtown Associaton put together this video to commemorate the activity. 

Take a look, it's fun!

 

20 Minute Makeover: Success!

Mother Nature held off for the first 12 minutes... and then it poured... but we kept on cleaning. Our Mayor and his team were joined on Stephen Avenue by Alderman Mar and Alderman Farrell and over 80 others - all helping to sweep up our Centre City. The number one form of litter picked up today on our walk: cigarette butts.

Thanks again to all who participated - it was a great time and a great feeling - all of us out there caring for our city.

Here's a few photos from today. Take a look at the last one, Mayor Nenshi made sure to colour-coordinate. :)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

20 Minute Makeover: TODAY!

Pull out your brooms, bags and dustpans – it's Calgary’s first 20 Minute Makeover.

Join us as we roll-up their sleeves to make our Centre City a cleaner place.

 

Date: TODAY! Wednesday, June 8, 2011 Rain or shine

Time: 12:20 – 12:40 p.m.

 Location: Anywhere in the Centre City (or in your own neighbourhood!)

 

Mayor Nenshi will also do his part. He will be joining GLAD, the Calgary Downtown Association and The City’s Centre City and Clean to the Core teams, along with over twenty community and corporate partners to clean up a portion of Stephen Avenue.

So come on, get out there, rain or shine, it’s a chance to encourage everyone to share the responsibility of making our city a clean and vibrant place.

Check out this video about the event:  

Rain or Shine: Why Should I Chip in on 20 Minute Makeover Day?

Tomorrow's forecast calls for light rain - but whatever the weather - we'll be out cleaning during tomorrow's 20 Minute Makeover! So join us, with your litter bag, your umbrella and your coffee cup (The Unique Blend is bringing coffee for Stephen Avenue participants)!

 

 
Lorna Wallace (above) is project manager for Centre City Implementation. Her role within the team is critical to the Clean to the Core Program. Their values are to keep the Centre City clean, safe, to beautify the area, to work on graffiti abatement and to collaborate with the community.

You'd think all of that on its own would be reason enough for her to take part in the upcoming 20 Minute Makeover in Calgary. But that's honestly not the only reason why she's doing it.

"Oh you can bet it's going to be fun!" says Wallace in anticipation of the scene on Centre City streets, sidewalks and parks tomorrow at 12:20 p.m. Picture, if you will, a friendly flash mob of people in gloves, gathering small trash, sweeping up, recycling stuff they find strewn about. It will be like a huge group hug for our city.

"All Calgarians have a responsibility in looking after our Centre City. We have 125-thousand people working in our CC... we all need to pitch-in, to work together to beautify the place where so many of us work and play."

When GLAD approached the team to see if they'd be interested in hosting its own 20 Minute Makeover in Calgary (a first in Western Canada) they jumped at the chance.

Wallace mentioned she was going to focus on tree wells and the surrounding areas - picking up cigarette butts and so on. Her goal is to do everything possible to prevent them from eventually getting washed away into our waterways. Yuck. 

Wallace also mentioned there are already over 20 community and corporate sponsors in on a friendly challenge in this cleanup. ConocoPhillips, Cenovus and Penn West have all adopted blocks - and you can as well, just call 3-1-1 to register or click here. Think about it: 20 minutes is less than most people take to vacuum out their car.  

To read more about the 20 Minute Makeover and how to get ready for the big 20 minute tidy-fest coming June 8th in the Centre City, click here. 

So...to answer that question, "Why should I chip in on the 20 Minute Makeover day"? Because you care about your city. And you kind of like that whole community spirit vibe, too! 

Another Great Way to Invite Friends to 20 Minute Makeover

 
Don't know how to nudge your friends to get out and help with the upcoming 20 Minute Makeover in our Centre City? How about an invitation to the event through Facebook? Invite everyone...even if they're in far-flung places; you never know, your faraway friends may re-post it for you. 

Here's the link for the Facebook invitation to join in on the June 8th 20 Minute Makeover. Post it on your wall or individually pester all your friends. After all, it's up to each and every one of us to do our part to keep the city as clean and inviting as possible. 

While you're at it with all this social networking business, why not just tweet this link as well? Hashtag it #20minmakeover ...thanks! 

 

 

 (photo by Mikesoron)