CentreCity

20 Minute Makeover: Are You Spreading the Word?

(photo by D'Arcy Norman)

In a little over a week, the Centre City will get some extra love in the form of swift sweeping, green garbage bag tossing, rapid recycling and spiffy spring cleaning. We've been talking about the 20 Minute Makeover so much here on the blog because it's happening right here in the Centre City and we think it's a brilliant plan. We are hugely excited to see everyone chipping in, young and old, to make our CC a cleaner, lovelier place to work, live and play in. 

It's a first time for Calgary to take part in the 20 Minute Makeover event, but it's already been a huge success in other locales.

We want to know if you plan to take part in this cleaning blitz.

Do you have office teams already lined up? (If so, claim a CC area right here.) Are you taking the kids out for some serious Centre City cleanup time? How about making a lunch date with an old pal and then afterwards, the two of you could give your favourite park some serious sprucing up time? 

We'd like to hear what your plans are for June 8th at 12:20 p.m. Do you have any ideas to help inspire friends and colleagues to get involved and show some true civic pride? Please leave us a comment. We're interested in your thoughts and ideas - positive ways to get as many people in the Centre City as possible to participate in this wonderful event. 

 

 

Chinatown Looking Back and a Vision to its Future

Did you know our Chinatown is the 4th largest in Canada? And did you know that way back in the year 1900 we had fewer than 100 Chinese people living in our city?

Those are just some of the interesting facts that will be shared at an upcoming event titled Heritage Matters: Calgary's Chinatown. On Thursday June 2nd, we will be treated to an historical reflection and forward-looking discussion about Calgary's Chinatown. The lecture will be presented by Victor Mah, Honorary Chairman of the Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre and Chinatown Centenary Community Champion.

There's even a walking tour slated to happen right after the presentation so bring your comfortable shoes (and umbrella?) and be prepared to learn some fascinating stories about our city's thriving Chinatown - the old and new.

(in the photo: Centre Street and Chinatown Banner art by Christine Cheung) 

We are proud of this area in our Centre City. Many festivals, performances and significant events take place there, (including the centenary events last year) and it's a destination for everyone living in or visiting our city. 

This engaging and informative lecture is happening Thursday June 2nd at the Central Library - Main Floor and it begins at 12 p.m. Please register online here (search for Heritage Matters) or call (403) 260-2620. 

 

 

 

 

Call For Bike and Bike Part Donations

The Bicycles for Humanity (B4H) chapter here in Calgary is looking to collect new and used bikes to be shipped to developing countries where the ability to be easily and affordably mobile is greatly needed.

Why not take a peek in your own garage and see if you happen to have anything you're willing to part with. Or if you're feeling extra generous, you might pick a new one up at one of the many sales going on at any of the great bike shops here in the Centre City. 

B4H is always on the hunt for bike donations but they're also obviously looking for bike parts and tools as well. What they end up doing with these donations is pretty cool. They put together what they call a Bicycling Empowerment Centre (basically a bike shop in a box: 300-400 bikes, tools, spare parts and training information in bicycle mechanics) and send it to their chosen donor destination. 

Thian Hundert, with Bicycles for Humanity, explains that the whole bike shop in a box concept is "designed to empower disadvantaged people and their communities with their own transport and their own means of maintaining it. He tells us, "Once the container arrives it is modified to make it more workable. They are painted, re-roofed, signage is added, and the internal layout is organized with a tool board, hangers for accessories and boxes for spare parts." Imagine a whole bike shop being sent out by us here in Calgary? That's an admirable feat.

So how do we get to it? Right, well, they did have a bike drive earlier this spring but poor weather was not on their side. So now the group is taking donations whenever and wherever they can over the summer. The Centre City is a bike-happening area in Calgary - so that's why we're posting this information for B4H.

Here's where you can drop of bike donations or parts and tools: 

1/ BikeBike Bike Shop on 17th Ave. S.W. (1501 17 Ave. S.W.).

2/ There will also be a concert/fundraiser on June 10th at the Richmond/Knob Hill Community Centre, and this event is being organized by a group of students at Westmount Charter School. Find Bicycles for Humanity on Facebook here. 

Graffiti and Mural Cleanup in Chinatown Saturday**POSTPONED**

Since we're on the topic of all things CLEAN, here's another event happening in the Centre City to help spruce up the place. As a response to graffiti in Chinatown, the Calgary Chinese Community Service Organization (CCCSA) is organizing a one day graffiti and mural cleanup (which was originally scheduled for this weekend but has had to be postponed due to the rain) for Saturday, June 11th.

And you know, we love to encourage all Calgarians to take part in beautifying and caring for our city so you're of course invited to volunteer.

If you are interested in helping out with a little elbow grease and painting (and we promise, it'll be fun as well as rewarding!), please contact the organizers at (403) 265-8446 to sign up - but you're also welcome to simply meet up outside of CCCSA (#1, 128 - 2nd Avenue SW) at 12:30 p.m. on the new date of Saturday JUNE 11th. 

 
In the photo: CCCSA staff members Olivia Dam & David Tam cleanup the “Hands of the Community” mural just earlier this year.

 

 

 

20 Minute Makeover - The Where and How

The 20 Minute Makeover in our Centre City is fast-approaching so mark your calendars for June 8th at 12:20 p.m. Over the next few weeks in the lead-up to the event, we'll post some useful information and stories here to help get you inspired to chip in. Better yet, maybe you'll even tell a friend or two. 

Today, we're talking about where and how to take part in the 20 Minute Makeover. 

(photo by raelmyfi)

Where: The event is formally happening within the Centre City (but of course, feel free to participate wherever you live). For CC parameters, click here. You can pick a block to tidy with your co-workers or a park you like to eat lunch at with a friend or two. It's up to you, just help where you can. 

How: For those asking where one can obtain the Makeover cleaning kits, here's all the info you'll need:  

There are plenty of ways to obtain your 20 Minute Makeover cleaning kit before June 8th.

• Kits will be distributed at the Centre Street CTrain platform from May 30 – June 3 and then also with the morning edition of METRO at 7 Avenue SW from June 6 – 8.
• You can also find GLAD hosts (our sponsor) at CTrain stations along 7 Avenue SW from June 6 – 8.
• Finally, feel free to drop by the Central or Memorial Park Libraries to grab a kit.

Beyond that, just some old-fashioned elbow grease will do the trick. Pick up any and all litter you spot and watch with pride as your city shines! 

Centre City Kids!

It's back!

The 2011 Calgary International Children's Festival is in our Centre City from May 24-28. Already, there are dozens of raincoat-clad kidlets partaking in the festivities in and around Olympic Plaza. 

While it's set to drizzle this week, grab your umbrella, pull on your rubber boots and consider taking a trip to participate in the festival's 25th anniversary year, one that is featuring artists from Italy, Scotland, The Netherlands, Australia, the USA and Canada.

 
(Image courtesy Calgary International Children's Festival)

20 Minute Makeover Announcement - a Recap

There are some serious spring cleaning plans brewing in the Centre City right now. In case you missed our big announcement yesterday about the upcoming 20 Minute Makeover (June 8th at 12:20 p.m. on the nose), you can read about it here. 

We also thought we'd share Mayor Nenshi's announcement and preview of this exciting clean up event. You can watch that video here: 

 

In the weeks leading up to the 20 Minute Makeover, make sure to check back here on the Centre City Talk blog often. We'll post updates, reminders, ideas as to how to inspire friends and colleagues (browbeat them even) to get involved. In the meantime, you can find more information on the Facebook page which has been created for the event. You can also read more about it at calgary.ca/centrecity and also on the Calgary Downtown Association blog. 

And for those readers of ours who are into Twitter, would you do us a huge favour and tweet often about this amazing event? We adore our city. Now it's time to give it a little extra care and attention. Spread the word, do what you can to spruce the place up. The Twitter hashtag for the 20 Minute Makeover is #20minmakeover. 

 

 

 

20 Minute Makeover Announcement!

Sometimes the recipient of a makeover needs more than just highlights and a well-tailored suit jacket. Sometimes it's the space around us that needs a little TLC as well. 

Next month, the Centre City is launching a new cleaning effort called the 20 Minute Makeover. On June 8th, just after noon (12:20 p.m. to be precise), Centre City residents, workers and visitors are all being asked to get out for 20 minutes and lend a hand in tidying up our core. It's a tiny amount of time and a small gesture but it means we care about our city and it'll make us feel good at the same time. 

Mayor Nenshi will be leading the effort with a group of Centre City partners down on Stephen Avenue near the Calgary Downtown Association stage (just a few steps past Winners, towards 1 Street SW).

 
(These photos show Mayor Nenshi, Alderman Mar, Alderman Farrell  and dozens of Centre City partners announcing the June 8th event with a quick demo.)

So come and pitch in! Cleaning kits can be picked-up at the Central Library (616 Macleod Trail SE) or the Memorial Park Library (1221 2nd Street SW). GLAD garbage bags will also be tucked inside your Metro newspaper in the days leading up to the event.

The CIty and the Calgary Downtown Association are working together to bring this 20 Minute Makeover idea to Calgary for the first time. Lead sponsor GLAD is also playing an important role after holding 20 Minute Makeovers throughout Ontario cities over the last few years. 

 

(Mayor Nenshi talking about the need to discard cigarette butts properly. These handy small litter bins are conveniently located throughout our Centre City for that purpose.)

The 20 Minute Makeover truly has been a huge success in other cities. Imagine the possibilities: you can get a group together at work - make it a competition within your office building to see who can gather the most garbage and recyclables.

And this is a great exercise for children as well. We teach our children that littering is a bad thing...but taking this extra step to show them what's right; picking up litter because we care about our city and each other, well that's truly meaningful.  

 


 
 

So please do join us! Spend just 20 minutes collecting litter around your home, your workplace or a spot you like to visit. It will surely make a difference in making our Centre City a livable, caring and thriving place. And make sure you spread the word. In less time than it takes you to eat a sandwich and check your email on your phone, you can boost Calgary's self-esteem in a huge way. This 20 Minute Makeover will produce far greater results than a few Botox sessions ever could.  

And watch this blog for more information in the days leading up to the event. We'll have much more information to help get you inspired and in the mood to roll up those sleeves and show Calgary you care. 

20 Minute Makeover Coming to Calgary (posted May 18, 2011)

Watch this blog tomorrow for an exciting announcement about something we're calling the 20 Minute Makeover. And you know what's especially cool? It doesn't involve your hair, makeup, or clothing. We will NOT be asking you to rethink those 10-year old chinos. Nor will we try to give you hair extensions. This makeover has everything to do, though, with loving who we are, where we are, together. So stay tuned! 

For those of you who can't stand to wait, here are a couple of hints for you...

 
 

 

 Check back here tomorrow for the announcement!

 

20 Minute Makeover Sweeping through our Centre City!

The 20 Minute Makeover in our Centre City is fast-approaching so mark your calendars for June 8th at 12:20 p.m. Over the next few weeks in the lead-up to the event, we'll post some useful information and stories here to help get you inspired to chip in. Better yet, maybe you'll even tell a friend or two. 

Today, we're talking about where and how to take part in the 20 Minute Makeover. 

(photo by raelmyfi)

Where: The event is formally happening within the Centre City (but of course, feel free to participate wherever you live). For CC parameters, click here. You can pick a block to tidy with your co-workers or a park you like to eat lunch at with a friend or two. It's up to you, just help where you can. 

How: For those asking where one can obtain the Makeover cleaning kits, here's all the info you'll need:  

There are plenty of ways to obtain your 20 Minute Makeover cleaning kit before June 8th.

• Kits will be distributed at the Centre Street CTrain platform from May 30 – June 3 and then also with the morning edition of METRO at 7 Avenue SW from June 6 – 8.
• You can also find GLAD hosts (our sponsor) at CTrain stations along 7 Avenue SW from June 6 – 8.
• Finally, feel free to drop by the Central or Memorial Park Libraries to grab a kit.

Beyond that, just some old-fashioned elbow grease will do the trick. Pick up any and all litter you spot and watch with pride as your city shines! 

PechaKucha Night - Inspire Japan Update

We told you about this event before - but at the time, we didn't have a firm date to give you. Well now, that's changed and here's all the information you'll need now for the upcoming PechaKucha Night in Calgary: 

 PechaKucha Night - Inspire Japan

PechaKucha is an amazing community involvement concept created by Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham in Japan - a chance for inspiring guests to present 20 images in 20 seconds - a slide show NOT like your grandparents used to host...It's fast, hip, and full of motivation and creativity. It's a time for everyone to come together and share their ideas and experiences. 

PechaKucha has been wildly successful worldwide (some 400 cities have hosted around 1000 events already), tackling limitless topics: homelessness, love, architecture in nature, and on and on and on. But this time the topic is very close to Klein and Dytham.

The upcoming PechaKucha night in Calgary will be to "Inspire Japan" after the devastation and destruction that the March earthquake and tsunami caused people living there (and extending impacts worldwide). 

So as part of Global PechaKucha Day, the founders are asking everyone worldwide to come together to show Japan that they are forever on our minds and that "with creativity and passion, anything is possible" (Klein and Dytham) - even restoring a broken land. 

Calgary's participation in Global PechaKucha Day is on Monday, May 30th in the Centre City.

It's happening at the Theatre Junction Grand (608 1st Street SW). Doors open at 6:30 and it begins at 7:00 p.m.

You can grab tickets ahead of time here and you can also make a donation to Architecture for Humanity's work to rebuild Japan. For more information, visit the main PechaKucha site here.

Calgary PechaKucha Nights are hosted by Calgary Arts Development (CADA) and sponsored by the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC).

(Pechakucha night #2 photo by LiminalMike)

**A note: another event is happening at the Theatre Junction Grand on the same evening, just prior to the Inspire Japan function. Between 5:00 - 7:00 pm, there will be a report to the community by the Calgary Arts Development team. You'll hear highlights from 2010-11 and also, a look-ahead at some goals for the year head. Refreshments will be served during that session. The event is free but you are asked to RSVP here.