News & Upcoming Events
New Year's Day skating shindig
2025 Skating Shindig
When: January 1st from 1-3pm
Where: EBCA Community Hall & Stanley Park Rink
What: Bring your whole family to skate, play shinny, drink some hot chocolate and socialize! We will provide snacks and refreshments.
Winter Wonderland Concert
The Creative Aging Calgary Society, with a mandate to provide cultural opportunities for seniors, is presenting a Free Winter Wonderland Concert on Saturday, December 7, 2024 at Christ Church, 3602- 8th Street S.W.
Rink volunteer info session
Have you ever imagined a volunteer role that is entirely flexible to your schedule, allows you to listen to your favorite podcast or music while you carry out your work, gets rewarded with a beer afterwards AND provides the satisfaction of knowing you are contributing to what helps make Elboya Britannia the best community in Calgary?
If yes (ok, and even if your answer is no ...) do we have a role for you!
You may have noticed that we have started building our amazing outdoor skating rinks, its also time for our annual call for more RINK VOLUNTEERS.
We need two types of volunteers:
Ice prep & maintenance: to commit to a few hours per week to sweep and flood the rink. This is honestly much easier than it sounds – ne person, once they get the hang of it, can do this in 1 to 2 hours. And you absolutely can listen to a podcast while you do it.
Less frequent, but more skill specific volunteers:
Gas and diesel engine mechanics (properly functioning equipment is key to make this easy for the volunteers)
Deck snow shoveling volunteers (could be youth volunteers)
If you are interested please contact John Harrop by email or come to the info sessions at the Elboya Hall on Wednesday Nov 20 at 8pm
Draft Calgary Plan release events
The City of Calgary has announced an interactive launch event for the final draft of the Calgary Plan. We encourage you to join these sessions.
The Calgary Plan will guide how Calgary will grow and change over the next 30 years and set the direction for future land use and mobility decisions and inform servicing and investment decisions. Learn more about how the Calgary Plan has evolved, what comes next and more opportunities to get involved.
In addition, The City will be posting the final draft Calgary Plan on the City Building Program Engage portal page for public review on Monday, November 4, 2024.
The City is offering both an in-person and online option for this event.
In-person:
Date: Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Time: 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM (doors open at 6:00 PM)
Location: Engineered Air Theatre (Arts Commons, 234 9 Ave SE Calgary AB T2G 5C4)
To participate, register here.
Online:
Date: Wednesday, November 6, 2024
Time: 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
To participate, register here.
Neighbour Day 2024
Now in its 11th year, Neighbour Day is an opportunity for Calgarians to celebrate our community spirit and kindness.
Neighbour Day started in June 2014 to recognize the incredible outpouring of support and generosity of neighbours following the 2013 floods. Held each year on the third Saturday in June, Neighbour Day is a step toward creating welcoming and inclusive communities where neighbours connect and belong every day of the year.
Here are some ideas:
Organize a block party (permits are free) or backyard BBQ with your neighbours
Organize a neighbourhood sports activity or picnic in the park
Organize a small community clean-up using the City of Calgary’s TLC Kits
Lend a helping hand to a neighbour
Complete a My Neighbour card as part of creating a safe and caring community
Or another idea you have!
Take a look here for more information.
Member Appreciation Event & Bocce Tournament
Bring the whole family for a Member Appreciation Event and Bocce Tournament!
Food & drinks
Pink Door Pizza will be slinging pies, we will have beer from our neighbours at Annex as well as non-alcoholic beverages. Members will be given food and drink tickets for each member of their family, with additional items available to be purchased.
Entertainment
In addition to bocce, we will have a bouncy castle and face painting to keep everyone entertained.
Learn about the Bikeway project
We will also have the City of Calgary in attendance to answer any questions you may have about the SW Neighbourhood Bikeway project.
This is an event to celebrate our members - please purchase a 2024 EBCA membership beforehand if you haven’t already. Memberships are available here. Please also be ready to show your membership card (you can do this by logging into your account) - more info here.
Community Cleanup Day
The Annual Elboya Britannia Community Cleanup Day is on May 12, 2024.
Save a trip to the landfill for items that do not fit in waste and recycling carts or for residents who do not have cart service. There will be electronics and metal recycling, as well as representatives from the Calgary Drop in Center collecting donations of household items, clothing, furniture etc.
This service is free of charge to all Calgarians. See here for more information, or contact info@elboyabritannia.com. If you’d like to volunteer please contact Jim Prokop.
Sport Chek Mother’s Day Run, Walk & Wheel
The Sport Chek Mother’s Day Run, Walk and Wheel is back on Sunday May 12th. Gather up your family and friends to celebrate moms.
For nearly five decades, the Sport Chek Mother’s Day Run, Walk and Wheel has been one of Calgary’s largest family fundraising events supporting both Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities and the Calgary Health Foundation.
Please consider supporting this great event by participating, volunteering or cheering everyone on!
The event will be running through our neighbourhood with road closures beginning at 7:15 am and remaining in place until 12:00 pm. Residents of Rideau Park, Parkhill, Roxboro, Elboya, Windsor Park may be impacted. Note that Calgary Police and Course Marshals will be managing intersections and letting drivers through when it is safe to do so.
The following roads will be closed to traffic (see map here):
Macleod Trail (south bound lanes) - Northbound lanes will allow for counterflow traffic
4 St SW (between 56 Ave & 42 Ave)
42 Ave SW (between Macleod Trail & Elbow Dr)
Elbow Drive (northbound lanes) - Southbound lanes will allow for counterflow traffic
58 Ave SW
26 Ave SW (between Mission Rd & Rocky Beach)
Please Consider:
Leaving your car at home Sunday morning or parking in an alternate location.
Give yourself more time if you are driving.
Be courteous to participants and volunteers.
Easter Egg Hunt!
Come join us for an Easter Egg Hunt at Elboya Park (near the playground)!
There will be a hunt for younger children at 10:30am followed by one for older kids at 11:00am.
Bring your own baskets!
Town Hall meeting
The City of Calgary is implementing significant changes to Development rules in our neighbourhoods.
Please join us to learn more about these changes and how to get involved.
Development meeting
The City of Calgary is implementing significant changes to Development rules in our neighbourhoods.
Please join us to learn more about these changes and how to get involved.
Calgary River Valleys Project – Engagement information
On behalf of the City of Calgary:
The City of Calgary is planning for the future of our river valleys, including our flood hazard areas, through the Calgary River Valleys Project. The Calgary River Valley Project is launching Stage 2 engagement on January 29, 2024. We will look at floodplain policy and land use decisions, with a focus on location-specific regulations and flood mapping.
Calgary River Valleys Project Stage 2 engagement is open January 29 – March 3, 2024. Calgarians can provide feedback through an online survey, or by attending an in-person drop-in event or a virtual information session. Engagement is open to all Calgarians who wish to participate. Visit Calgary.ca/RiverValleys for more information and to participate.
Engagement will be open to all Calgarians who wish to participate, and we are especially interested in hearing from residents, businesses and community groups in flood risk communities. We have several engagement opportunities for community groups and members of the public to get involved:
Online survey
Our online survey will be open January 29 – March 3, 2024 at www.calgary.ca/rivervalleys.
Virtual information sessions
Join us at one of our virtual information sessions (hosted on MS Teams):
Wednesday, Jan. 31 (6-7 p.m.) – Pre-register here
Tuesday, Feb. 13 (6-7 p.m.) – Pre-register here
Drop-in events
Drop in at one of our in-person events:
Wednesday, Feb. 21, 5 – 8 p.m. at Bridgeland Community Association 917 Centre Ave. N.E.
Tuesday, Feb. 27, 6 – 9 p.m. at Parkhill/Stanley Park Community Association 4013 Stanley Rd. S.W.
Friday, Mar. 1, 5 – 8 p.m. Montgomery Community Association 5003 16 Ave. N.W.
Chinook Local Area Plan (LAP) - Phase 2 Deadline for input Dec 11
Potential Focus Areas for Growth Map
Changes to Green Cart Collection This Fall
Changes to Green Cart Collection This Fall: What You Need to Know.
Starting in November, green cart collection will be once every other week, resuming weekly in the spring. Here's what you need to know:
Fill Your Green Cart First: Leaves, branches, grass, and plants can go directly inside the green cart. If it's full, use paper yard waste bags for extra waste.
Extra Yard Waste Bags: Place them at least 0.5 meters (2 feet) away from your cart. Roll the tops closed to prevent spills, and make sure you can lift the bag with one hand.
No Plastic Bags: They are not allowed in your green cart.
Do You Have Too Much Yard Waste?
You can drop off yard waste free of charge at any landfill from Friday, September 22, 2023, to Saturday, November 4, 2023.
Check your schedule at calgary.ca/collection and sign up for reminders.
Visit calgary.ca/waste/drop-off/yard-waste for more information
MNP Community & Sport Centre - Access Strategy Public Engagement
The MNP Community & Sport Centre, situated in Calgary's Lindsay Park, serves as a vital hub for high-performance athletes and community users. The MNP Centre is expanding and will become the main Aquatic Recreation Facility for downtown and we want to ensure that the facility is accessible and welcoming for all. The City is committed to providing safe travel choices, especially to regional recreation facilities. Learning from Calgarians will help us understand any travel barriers that make it hard to walk, bike or choose transit to reach MNP.
This round of engagement will help our project team understand challenges and potential solutions to better welcome visitors to MNP Community & Sport Centre (MNP). The plan will also fulfill The City’s commitment to the community to thoroughly review the area transportation network and collaborate on improvements. The final strategy will be used a roadmap for future investment that connects with the feedback we receive.
Engagement opportunity to provide feedback
MNP Access Strategy will be hosting online engagement at Engage.calgary.ca/mnpaccess from Nov. 1 – Nov. 21, 2023, and we will be hosting pop up sessions at MNP:
Sunday - Nov 5, 2:00 - 4:30 pm
Thursday – Nov 9, 4:30 – 7:00 pm
City of Calgary - Community Development Committee Meeting
IMPORTANT UPDATE ON HOUSING AFFORDABILITY
Courtesy of the Federation of Calgary Communities
We are continuing our communications with the City of Calgary concerning housing affordability.
From the meeting of Council on June 6, 2023, Administration was directed to incorporate the recommendations and actions of the Housing and Affordability Task Force into the City of Calgary’s Housing Strategy (formerly known as the “Corporate Affordable Housing Strategy”) that will be updated and presented for approval to the Community Development Committee on September 14, 2023.
Hear about the Strategy and have your say at the Community Development Committee Meeting on September 14.
The deadline to provide a written submission and submit a sign up form for the opportunity to speak is on September 5, which can be found here: Participate in public hearings of Council and committee (calgary.ca)
Meeting link
Climate Futures Lab program
Youth Challenge International is recruiting for our Climate Futures Lab program which starts this fall!
This free 6-month program is for youth aged 16-24 in Calgary who want to build skills, experience, network and make an impact in their community. We provide youth with the platform, training, resources, mentorship, and funding to design and create a climate action project with a local team. Through the design thinking process, you will critically analyze climate issues within our community and move forward with synthesizing tangible solutions. We are working with youth to take space in climate conversation, community engagement, and sustainable innovation. Join our 2023 Cohort now.
Find out more here
Neighbour Day
Now in its 10th year, Neighbour Day is an opportunity for Calgarians to celebrate our community spirit and kindness.
Neighbour Day started in June 2014 to recognize the incredible outpouring of support and generosity of neighbours following the 2013 floods. Each year on the third Saturday in June, we continue to celebrate one of the things that makes Calgary such a great city—our strong and caring communities.
Take a look here for some great ideas on ways to celebrate Neighbour Day
Community Cleanup Day
The Annual Elboya Britannia Community Cleanup Day is on June 11, 2023.
Save a trip to the landfill for items that do not fit in waste and recycling carts or for residents who do not have cart service. There will be electronics and metal recycling, as well as representatives from the Calgary Drop in Center collecting donations of household items, clothing, furniture etc.
This service is free of charge to all Calgarians. See here for more information, or contact info@elboyabritannia.com. If you’d like to volunteer please contact Jim Prokop.
Chinook LAP Working Group application deadline
Apply to Join the Working Group
We want you! Are you interested in participating in more in-depth discussions about the Chinook Communities with other community members?
Apply to join the Chinook Communities Working Group by May 23, 2023
Crime Prevention Virtual Meeting
Our Community Resource Officer, Cst. Arthur Rekshta, has generously offered his time to do a virtual question and answer session about crime in our community given what seems like an uptick on property crime in the area.
The virtual meeting will be on Tuesday, May 16 at 7:30pm for anyone who wishes to attend so please save the date. To sign up: please email Janice Parker.
A link to join will be sent for Microsoft Teams before the event. If you have specific topics or questions you would like to ask, please send them to Janice so that Cst. Rekshta can be prepared at the meeting.
Sport Chek Mother’s Day Run, Walk & Wheel
The Sport Chek Mother’s Day Run, Walk and Wheel is back In-Person on Sunday May 14th. Gather up your family and friends to celebrate moms.
For nearly five decades, the Sport Chek Mother’s Day Run, Walk and Wheel has been one of Calgary’s largest family fundraising events supporting both Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities and the Calgary Health Foundation.
Please consider supporting this great event by participating, volunteering or cheering everyone on!
The event will be running through our neighbourhood with road closures beginning at 7:15 am and remaining in place until 12:00 pm. Residents of Rideau Park, Parkhill, Roxboro, Elboya, Windsor Park may be impacted. Note that Calgary Police and Course Marshals will be managing intersections and letting drivers through when it is safe to do so.
The following roads will be closed to traffic (see map here):
Macleod Trail (south bound lanes) - Northbound lanes will allow for counterflow traffic
4 St SW (between 56 Ave & 42 Ave)
42 Ave SW (between Macleod Trail & Elbow Dr)
Elbow Drive (northbound lanes) - Southbound lanes will allow for counterflow traffic
Mission Rd SW (between Elbow Dr & Macleod Trail)
38 Ave SW
3 St SW (between 38 Ave & 36 Ave SW)
1 St SW (between 37 Ave & 40 Ave SW)
38 Ave SW (between 1 St SW & Macleod Trail)
Please Consider:
Leaving your car at home Sunday morning or parking in an alternate location.
Give yourself more time if you are driving.
Be courteous to participants and volunteers.
Flood preparedness
Be flood ready. High river flow season is May 15 – July 15
Submitted by The City of Calgary
Did you know heavy rainfall upstream of Calgary can make up 80 per cent of the river flow during a flood? A single day of heavy rainfall in the mountains, combined with a melting snowpack can change river flows enough to cause flooding in Calgary.
During the spring, we’re monitoring conditions all the time, but the mountains can change our weather quickly and we may have less than 24 hours to really confirm what’s coming. That’s why it’s so important we’re all prepared.
Starting in mid-May, visit calgary.ca/floodinfo for a daily quick snapshot of the river conditions along with details on the days’ forecast. We’ll let you know how we’re responding to the current conditions, and what actions you may need to take to be prepared based on the current and forecast conditions. Be sure to check it out and sign up for our e-newsletter to get information every week!
We’re ready
This June marks 10 years since the 2013 flood. Over the past decade, we’ve made a lot of progress in increasing Calgary’s flood resilience. We’ve invested in dedicated infrastructure to protect Calgarians, which has already reduced our flood risk by approximately 55 per cent.
What’s new along the Elbow & Bow Rivers?
Construction continues on the Springbank Off-Stream Reservoir. Together with the higher gates at the Glenmore Dam, they will protect Elbow River communities from a 2013-sized flood. It’s expected to be operational in 2024 and fully complete in 2025. When the Springbank Reservoir is complete, our flood risk will be reduced by an additional 15 per cent. This means we will have reduced our flood risk by a total of 70 per cent, just 12 years after the 2013 flood. Until the Springbank Reservoir is operational, the Glenmore Dam provides flood resilience for Elbow communities. With the installation of steel gates on Glenmore Dam’s crest in 2020, the dam has doubled its capacity to hold flood water.
On the Bow River, the downtown flood barrier will be operational for the 2023 flood season, protecting Downtown, Chinatown, East Village and Eau Claire communities from a 1:200 flood. The rest of the improvements planned for the Eau Claire area are anticipated to be completed towards the end of 2023.
In Sunnyside, design work is progressing on the Sunnyside Flood Barrier project as part of the Memorial Parkway Program. Construction on the flood barrier component is expected to start in 2023 with completion anticipated in 2025.
The Government of Alberta’s agreement with TransAlta remains in place for the operation of the Ghost Reservoir on the Bow River during flood season. This agreement means the Ghost Reservoir is kept low during flood season to capture potential flood water. This prevents overbank flooding along the Bow for smaller flood events and helps reduce the peak flow for larger floods.
The Government of Alberta continues to evaluate the feasibility of three sites for an upstream reservoir on the Bow River with the study expected to be completed in 2024. If a location is approved, an upstream reservoir is at least 12 years away but is critical for future flood and drought management. The City is actively supporting this important project.
Flood resilience throughout Calgary is also built through flood-smart development, awareness and preparedness, and emergency response.
How you can be ready
Understand. Use our online interactive flood map to see if you live or work in an area at risk.
Be prepared.
Review your insurance. Learn about the different coverages available for overland flooding and your eligibility.
Move valuables and documents out of your basement.
Clean out your eavestroughs, downspouts and drainage gutters.
Check your sump pump and backflow preventer valve if you have one.
Be ready with a 72-hr kit and an emergency plan if you need to leave quickly.
Know how to quickly turn off your water, gas and electricity mains.
Park vehicles on higher ground.
Stay informed. Follow local media and sign up for emergency alerts.
If flooding is forecast, The City will utilize local media channels to provide Calgarians with the most up-to-date information available. Because forecasts can change quickly during an event, early communication and preparation is critical to ensure there is always enough time to protect Calgarians if needed.
For details, visit calgary.ca/floodinfo
Beyond flooding: Living in Calgary’s river valleys
We are updating the Calgary River Valleys Plan, including planning policies and floodplain regulations, to protect and enhance our river valleys and create more resilient river communities.
To inform the update, we are embarking on a multi-phased public engagement process. The first phase will seek to clarify priorities and values for our river valley communities. Engagement begins April 27, 2023 and will continue throughout May. Learn more about the project and how you can participate by visiting Calgary.ca/RiverValleys.
