Construction of Flood Mitigation Infrastructure

Starting this September, The City will begin upgrading stormwater infrastructure in some areas in the northwest inner-city.  This includes parts of Hillhurst - Sunnyside that are prone to pooling and flooding after intense rainfalls, both in normal conditions and when the river is high and the stormwater outfall gates must be closed.

This is good news because it provides more of the flood mitigation infrastructure that our community has been advocating for since the 2013 flood.

The work starting in September will include upgrading storm drains and replacing or upsizing existing pipes that will help increase the capacity of the system in our neighbourhood.  In addition, it is anticipated that construction on the long awaited Upper Plateau Separation (UPS) project will commence (UPS is a dedicated pipe to move stormwater from the communities on top of the hill directly to the river, bypassing Sunnyside).

Construction will take place in phases over the next three years. Please see the map at http://calgary.ca/sunnysidecdi for the locations of the specific projects.  It is anticipated that work on the following projects will commence this fall: (1) West Hillhurst;  (5) 10th Street N.W.;  (6) part of Kensington;  (7) Upper Plateau Separation.  The plan is for construction of the other projects shown to commence in 2022.

The City is committed to working closely with residents, business owners, the Kensington BRZ and community groups throughout the project delivery to minimize disruptions.  They will keep communities up to date with their plans and construction schedules as timelines and details evolve. 

Unfortunately a number of trees must be removed to make way for this construction, particularly for the UPS project.  Through the design process the City has preserved as many trees as possible.  To compensate for the tree loss, the City will be replanting a greater number of trees in the closest suitable location to help restore the urban canopy.

HSCA Hosts Community Pop ups & Hosted Food Truck Events

Beginning Thursday, August 19th HSCA will host our FIRST Community Food truck Pop up event with YYCFoodTrucks! 

The next Community Food Truck Pop ups will take place:

• Thursday, Sep 2nd

•  Thursday, Sep 16th

What is it?

YYCFoodTrucks will bring some great food truck options right to our community. Started in 2010, YYCFoodTrucks aim to connect communities by providing Calgarians with “locally made, high quality and sustainable [food] options” (YYCFoodTrucks, 2021). 

Community Pop ups at HSCA 

The Community Pop ups will be held at HSCA in our North Parking lot from 4pm-8pm on:

• Thursday, August 19, 2021

• Thursday, Sep 2

• Thursday, Sep 16

The Community Pop up will feature between 3-6 different food trucks and is open to the public! Food truck vendors will be announced the day prior to each event. Follow HSCA and @YycFoodTrucks on Instagram for details! 

Pop by for any of these dates and you can enjoy some delicious take-out, while supporting local vendors and business and you’ll be supporting HSCA programming and offerings (a portion of the proceeds will go directly back to HSCA). 

Hosted Food truck Events at HSCA- 1 Month Pilot Project

As part of a pilot project, in collaboration with YYCFoodTrucks, HSCA will host a series of Hosted Food truck events from August 16th-September 15th. This event will feature 1 food truck on

Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays between 10am-7pm (specific vendors, times, and further details will be released on the HSCA Instagram).  

The truck will be set up and located in HSCA’s East Lot on these days. 

Hope to see you there! 

HSCA Spotlight: Ali

““We are thrilled to welcome Ali to HSCA. I am excited to see Ali bring her considerable experience in community engagement and planning to Hillhurst-Sunnyside, and look forward to her contributions to our team, and ultimately to the diverse residents that make up our vibrant community.”
”

— Matt Youens, Interim Executive Director, HSCA

Introducing HSCA’s New Community Planning and Engagement Coordinator

HSCA is pleased to introduce Ali McMillian into the newly revamped position of Engagement & Community Planning Coordinator!

About Ali

• A former teacher, Ali’s previous role was as the Planning and Development Director/ Business Liaison for the Bridgeland Riverside Community Association (2015-2021).

• Alongside significant volunteer and planning experience, Ali’s considerable project portfolio includes: Bridgeland Arctic Adventure (2021), Bridgeland Peony murals (2020), Flyover Park (2016-2021), Bridgeland Hollywood Sign (2019), Bridgeland Mapping/ Wayfinding Project, (2019-2020), Pride Intersection (2019), Village Piazza Revitalization (2018), Polka Dot intersection (2018), East Riverside Master Plan, and the Bridgeland Riverside Area Redevelopment Plan (2018-2020).

About the Role

As Engagement & Community Planning Coordinator, Ali is responsible for two main portfolios:

1. Supporting, encouraging, and growing community engagement; and

2. Supporting the Hillhurst Sunnyside Planning Committee.

   Get to know Ali (in 5 Questions or Less)

   Q1. What is your favourite part of HSCA?

   A1. The people are welcoming, creative and passionate about the community!

   
   Q2. Tell us a fun fact about yourself 

   A2. My daily driver is a 1977 Volkswagen Van called “The Honey Bus"

   
   Q3. What is your favourite part of the Hillhurst Sunnyside community?

   A3.  I LOVE the Sunnyside garage murals!

   
   Q4. What keeps you busy outside of your role at HSCA?

   A4. With two teenage daughters, we are a crazy Basketball family - coaching and being my kid’s biggest fan!

   
   Q5. What topic could you give a 20-minute presentation on without any preparation?

   A5. Tactical urbanism and placemaking: How residents can be the change they want to see in their neighbourhood!
   

   Ali can be reached via:

   • P: 403-283-0554, extension 229

   • E: ali.m@hsca.ca

311 Calgary- An overview of Hillhurst and Sunnyside Service Requests

By Tim Schaefer (Sunnyside Resident)

As part of the City of Calgary’s (CoC) commitment to information access, summary level data on the millions of 311 requests made by Calgary citizens is available to download for free from calgary.ca.  

What story does the data tell for Hillhurst and Sunnyside (HS)?  Here are some questions and answers specific to our community.

How does HS compare with other communities on the number of requests submitted?  

CoC provides a color-coded map on calgary.ca that illustrates the relative number of 311 requests made by each community.  It uses seven different colour ranges and while Hillhurst and Sunnyside are reported separately, they are both in the 3rd highest tier for 2021 year to date.  The colour ranges don’t take population into account, so this means HS has higher per capita 311 requests because HS has average to below average populations compared to other neighborhoods.  

Looking more closely at the numbers, the average annual requests for HS has been trending downwards over the last few years.  This is mostly driven by Hillhurst’s numbers trending downwards after a peak in 2014.  Sunnyside on the other hand peaked in 2013 (due to flood) and while numbers dipped to a low in 2016, Sunnyside’s numbers are trending upwards for the past few years.  

It is difficult to interpret what this might mean exactly as there is not enough data to conclude an answer. 

Bottom line, it is better to see increasing request counts.  Why?  Service requests inform the City on citizen issues and can influence prioritization of city services and projects.  

What sort of requests do HSCA residents submit?

Specific details of 311 requests, such as the description or name of reporter, are not provided in the data available on calgary.ca.  However, the agency that is assigned to a request and the assigned category for request is shared.  This provides some good insight about the types of requests submitted by HS citizens.

The agencies and categories assigned to HS requests have evolved over the last 10 years.  To understand the issues of concern this year, here is a look at the 3,700 requests made in the first half of 2021.

The top agency for HS is Community Standards and the top categories under this agency are Graffiti, Snow/Ice on Sidewalk, Disturbance Concerns and Encampment Concerns.  The top HS categories in Roads includes signs, detour inquiries and back lane maintenance.  Building Services covers various inspections for new construction and renovations.  Finance covers various types of Property Tax and TIPP inquiries.  The top HS categories in Parks includes park trees, garbage in parks and park infrastructure.

Setting the agency aside and looking solely at categories, the top concerns in Hillhurst and Sunnyside are somewhat different.  Here’s a view at the top ten for both neighborhoods.

Graffiti is the combined number one request overall for HS with Sunnyside having significantly more requests.  This is likely not surprising to most residents for various reasons.  

Some other observations:  Hillhurst seems to have more concerns with Snow on Sidewalks and with Waste and Recycling carts than Sunnyside does.  Whereas Sunnyside has more concerns with Transit, likely given the location of the CTrain Station.

What are the top categories for the city as a whole?  The City as a whole has similar top 5 concerns and HS, just in a different order. Property Tax and TIPP are the top concern for the City as a whole with Waste Recycling Carts and Snow and Ice on Sidewalk also making into the top 5.

How do HS residents prefer to submit their 311 requests?

The 311 Request system began in 2012 as primarily a Call Centre service (hence the “311” name) but it also launched with a web portal option.  In the first year of service HS citizens submitted over 70% of its requests by phone.

In 2013, the CoC introduced the 311 smart-phone app and while its use has grown in popularity, HS residents still have a preference of calling in requests with just under 50% of all 311 requests being made over the phone in the first half of 2021.

It’s anticipated that as the 311 smart-phone app grows in use, it will become the preferred method.  The app definitely makes it very quick and easy to report issues, particularly when residents come upon a concern when they are out in the neighborhood.  An added bonus is there is no wait time to submit your request like there might be on the phone.

The HSCA encourages all HS residents to submit 311 service requests by any method and thanks you for your support of the community!

About 311:  311 is a specific telephone number supported in many North American municipalities that provides access to non-emergency municipal services.  In Calgary, the service is known as “311-Calgary” and is provided by the City of Calgary’s (CoC) Citizen Services division.  The service has grown beyond just a 24-hour call centre and offers inquiry services through a web portal as well as through a smart phone app.

e-Scooter and Bicycle Safety Hot Spots

Resident Submission by Tim Schaefer (Sunnyside Resident)

It’s a beautiful day and you are walking along the Bow River pathway near the Peace bridge then suddenly an e-scooter rider zips past you from behind, almost hitting you over.  You are biking in a designated cycle track on your way to meet friends for a backyard barbeque and a vehicle swerves across your bike lane cutting you off and forcing you to stop suddenly.    

Safety is a top priority for everyone in our community, so what can be done to help prevent these kinds of e-scooter and bicycle safety incidents?  How can our roads, sidewalks and pathways be safer for everyone? 

There are different levers that can be pulled to help improve safety.  Awareness campaigns on safety rules and enforcement of rules often come to mind.  Design and path designation can also have a major impact.   

Before any measures are taken, we need to know how many incidents are happening and where they are occurring.  That way we can focus our efforts on the main issues and on the Hot Spot areas with a history of incidents.  Unfortunately only about 30% of bicycle and e-scooter safety incidents are ever reported (according to bikemaps.org).  Furthermore, the occurrences that are reported aren’t managed in a centralized system that can identify hotspot problem areas.   

Thankfully, there is a solution to this safety-data shortage: bikemaps.org 

Bikemaps.org is a free and anonymous crowdsourcing platform that allows people to report as well as see the locations of e-scooter and bike collisions and near misses.  The platform allows you to report incidents that happened to you or that you witnessed happen to someone else.  You can also report occurrences that happened up to 2 years in the past.  And YES, there is an “App for that”!  The bikemaps.org app is available for both iOS and Android. 

Here is where we need your help:  The HSCA is requesting citizens to report their e-scooter and bike safety incidents and concerns through bikemaps.org.   

As the HSCA works with the City of Calgary on future improvements in our community, such as the Streetscape and Public Realm Improvement initiative, we will use the info reported in bikemaps.org to help identify safety Hot Spots and from there advocate and prioritize improvements where safety risks are highest. 

Whether you’ve been involved in an incident or not, we encourage all citizens to check out bikemaps.org to see where problem areas exist.  That way you can take extra care when travelling through those trouble spots.  Keep in mind that it may take some time before incidents are reported so check back regularly.  

Thanks in advance for taking the time to help make our community safer by reporting your Safety concern on bikemaps.org.   

Have questions or feedback please email hscatraffic@gmail.com. 

Tim Schaefer (Sunnyside Resident) 

Strava Heatmap: Highlighting the Human Powered Movement in Our Neighbourhood

Resident Submission by Tim Schaefer (Sunnyside Resident)

One of the most popular cycling apps on the market today is Strava.  This freemium model service (basic features are free, advance features for a fee), is one part GPS fitness-tracking and one part social-media-fitness-motivation-network that has grown to nearly 80 million users since 2009.  In recent years it has moved beyond cycling to include running, hiking, walking, swimming and just about every other human propelled activity that exists.

What’s interesting for Strava users and non-users alike is in 2017 Strava made an anonymized mass-data version of their members' movement available free to the public through what they’ve called Heatmap.  This online map shows the most travelled routes recorded by Strava members by highlighting the relative usage with different colour intensity.   

Have a computer or device nearby?  Open up Strava Heatmap now (strava.com/heatmap), position the map over Hillhurst-Sunnyside and follow along as we walk through some observations.  If you don’t, you can still follow along. 

When you take a close look at Hillhurst-Sunnyside on Strava Heatmap, to no surprise the most popular route is the river pathway along the North shore of the Bow River.  This multi-use lane is protected from vehicle traffic and is well suited for recreational and commuting purposes.

The next most popular routes (as of July 2021; Heatmap updates monthly) are the cycle tracks on 5 Ave and 6 Ave NW and the cycle tracks on 9A St and 10 St NW.  This makes sense as dedicated lanes tend to see high usage, but not as much as lanes protected from vehicle traffic.

Streets that do not currently have dedicated lanes but show relatively high usage include 7 St NW, 9 St NW, 19 St NW, 21 St NW and Broadview Road NW.  All of these streets are all listed as “bike friendly roads” in the City of Calgary’s bicycle network, but they show higher usage than other similarly designated bike friendly roads.  Their higher usage is likely influenced by those travelling through our neighborhood to reach the popular river pathway, but also to reach downtown and in the case of 9 St NW to reach Kensington.

 While Strava Heatmaps only shows generalized usage (start and end points not listed), a more advanced data-rich platform called Metro is also available from Stava. Metro still keeps Strava users' data anonymous but provides more specific details and trends on where people are going and when they are travelling.  In September 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Strava decided to drop the $20,000 annual fee for Metro and made the service completely free to municipalities and other advocacy organizations. This goodwill gesture allows communities to have the best information from Strava’s dataset so the best decisions can be made when planning or evaluating human powered movement infrastructure. 

How relevant is Strava’s dataset in understanding human powered movement in Hillhurst-Sunnyside?  

While Strava provides the single largest source of data of human-powered movement, Strava estimates that in general its data represents at most 40% of all movement.  Strava also acknowledges and is making efforts to improve the societal representation of its data.  So While Strava provides a great data set, it tends to skew towards more athletic individuals and does not proportionately represent society. 

Another limitation is Strava’s data only represents historical data (obviously), so while it may guide decisions on future investment in pathways and sidewalks it is unable to predict future usage.  So the question “If we build it they will come” won’t necessarily be answered by Strava’s dataset.

Despite these limitations, Strava’s data remains the best available source for people powered movement and it’s working every day to improve its representation of society. 

As HSCA works with the City of Calgary to plan and prioritize future investments in human-powered movement, Strava data will be used as one of the tools to help guide decision making and evaluate effectiveness of past investments.  

 While Strava may not be for everyone, if you are interested in contributing towards Strava’s anonymous data set (and track your fitness activity too), you will find there are numerous privacy settings within Strava that you can use to protect your identity, maintain your privacy and still contribute towards the dataset.

If you are already a Strava user, please consider tracking more of your casual activity in the neighbourhood to help provide even more data to the heatmap dataset.  Your contribution will help the planning and understanding of people movement in Hillhurst-Sunnyside and elsewhere in the City of Calgary..

Have questions or feedback, email hscatraffic@gmail.com

Tim Schaefer (Sunnyside Resident)

Land Blessing to Welcome New Season of Farmers’ Market

Photo courtesy of @alphahousecalgary

A land blessing was held at the HSCA prior to opening the 2021 Outdoor Season. As farmers and food producers, we are deeply connected to the Land. Our relationship to the Land supports our families and communities. We acknowledge and honour those who have been and continue to be stewards of these Lands since time immemorial. The intention of this blessing is to hold space and build bridges with our Indigenous community members; this is the first of many upcoming opportunities to listen, to share, and to foster new connections.  

The Blessing began with a smudge, then Elder Earnest Poundmaker gave thanks to the land and the peoples whose traditional territories on which we stand. These Lands hold the histories of the Blackfoot confederacy: Siksika, Kainai, Piikani, as well as the Îyâxe Nakoda Nations; the Bearspaw, Chiniki and Wesley First Nations, and the Tsuut'ina Nation families and Ancestors, and the Métis community, specifically the Métis Nation Region Three. Elder Poundmaker then offered a prayer in Cree language inviting others to participate in prayer however they choose to pray. 

The singers from Stoney, Blood, and Cree Nations continued to offer prayer through four songs; one song to honour each of the four directions. During these songs, a crow crossed behind the singers. Wade Maude shared teachings about the significance of the crow: 

The crow spirit is the embodiment of creator, keeper of natural law, and symbol of rebirth and change. This crow coming to join in song is a physical manifestation that creator is happy with what we are doing. The crow gives guidance from creator to indicate that we are on the right path.

Strengthening relationships with Indigenous community members and knowledge holders is essential to building resilient communities and food systems. Building bridges and relationships will revitalize our communities and is important to our social, environmental, and economic wellbeing. It is our collective responsibility to continue stewardship of this Land for our communities and future generations. 

In honour of Indigenous Heritage Month, we call on our communities to reflect on the teachings of this Blessing and engage in meaningful conversations. We invite you to share in the comments, or send your thoughts to Stephanie.c@hsca.ca

Resources

• The Calgary Foundation's Indigenous Ally Toolkit

• Visit the TRC's Calls to Action and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

• The University of Alberta offers a free online course Indigenous Canada

• Check out the National Film Board's (NFB) Indigenous Cinema page and check out their collection of Indigenous-made films

• We encourage you to check out the #IndigenousReads reading list on the Government of Canada site AND this reading list on CBC

Bow to Bluff Construction Starting!

Councillor Druh Farrell’s April Ward 7 News Nugget

Bow to Bluff began as a citizen-led initiative focused on transforming the neglected spaces along the LRT line between the Bow River and McHugh Bluff into a green necklace of mini-parks. Out of this award-winning engagement process, we created a design that focused on community vibrancy, safety, and beautification. Now, after years of hard work and a short delay caused by the pandemic, construction on Bow to Bluff starts this spring!

While the community and the City built a remarkable vision for Bow to Bluff, and while the project was also identified as the top public improvement in the Hillhurst/Sunnyside Area Redevelopment Plan, it took time to deliver on the funding. Originally fully funded by the ENMAX Legacy Parks Program, this money fell through during the economic recession as ENMAX’s revenue declined. However, the City and I never stopped pursuing the funding needed to make Bow to Bluff a reality.

Fortunately, the stars recently aligned to secure $4 million for the project. The City’s Parks department first secured $840,000 for Bow to Bluff. I then worked with City staff on the creation of a new Leveraged Partners Program for parks that would top up this fund if we could leverage further money elsewhere. Fortunately, the Hillhurst/Sunnyside Community Amenity Fund (HSCAF) was the perfect source. The HSCAF receives money from developers in exchange for increased density, with the intent of using that funding to improve public spaces for current and future residents. The HSCAF committee, which is made up of community and City representatives, unanimously committed $566,931 from the fund to Bow to Bluff. Council likewise unanimously supported directing HSCAF funding to Bow to Bluff. With the Parks funding and HSCAF funding in place, we secured $2.6 million from the Leveraged Partners Program to fully fund Bow to Bluff! Funding for construction partially comes from Provincial stimulus money as well.

With construction starting, and expected to last until Summer 2022, you can stay up to date on the project at: http://www.calgary.ca/bowtobluff

Thank you again to all of the community volunteers and City staff who are bringing Bow to Bluff to life!

Seniors' Week is June 7th-13th in Alberta

The theme for 2021 is resilience. 

Celebrate the resilience of the older adults in our community.

Most events during this week are being held virtually so that people can maintain safe physical distancing staying active at home. 

A: Physical Activity Guidelines:

http://csep.ca/CMFiles/Guidelines/CSEP_PAGuidelines_0-65plus_en.pdf

This link is to the Canadian physical activity guidelines. Scroll to the bottom of the site for info about physical activities for 65 years and older

This resource provides ideas/guidelines appropriate for all ages from zero to 65 plus around physical activity. 

Look at the suggestions and see if there is an activity you can do with seniors and other family members to help with physical activity.

B: Other Activities for families and Seniors:

At home activities (calgary.ca)

In the first link, if you scroll to the bottom there are some links to online activities that you might be interested in exploring:

Contemporary Calgary – Experiences around Artists and their works

Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra – Access a library of Live Stream Performances

Calgary Public Library – virtual story times, online courses, music, movies, and digital books. This is a free access.

Calgary Zoo – daily behind the scenes look at animals, humans and conservation programs

Glenbow Museum – Virtual Tours and Webinars. 

C. Seniors Week Activities from Alberta Seniors and Housing / Events Calendar

https://www.seniors-housing.alberta.ca/events/?ai1ec=action~posterboard|page_offset~1|request_format~json

There are three webinars that you might be interested in joining:

1.     June 8, 1:00 – 2:00 pm / When to Step in with a Parent’s Finances

2.     June 9, 1:00 – 2:00 pm / Leave my House!!! And go where????

3.     June 10 at 1:00 pm and June 11 at 2:00 pm / Supporting Your Older Adult to Age in Place

D. To Celebrate and Support Seniors, here is a link for some ideas that are COVID friendly:

https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/75153ac2-03a5-4128-a5b4-1c8224e95844/resource/eb396bb2-450c-44c2-8a58-17b1dc7421d8/download/sh-celebrate-and-support-alberta-seniors-2021-01.pdf

E. And finally, here are some suggestions from the City of Calgary for celebrating Seniors Week.

https://www.calgary.ca/csps/cns/seniors/seniors-week/seniors-week.html

Remember that depending on the restrictions around COVID, which could change, the in-person activities could be limited or cancelled.

Neighbour Day 2021: Saturday June 19!

This year, Neighbour Day falls on Saturday, June 19th, 2021 and as many Hillhurst Sunnyside residents know, Neighbour Day is an important event in our community. After demonstrating resiliency and community strength after the 2013 floods, Neighbour Day has evolved into a celebration of community and neighbourly fun with residents hosting block parties, BBQs, potlucks, yard sales and more.

This year, our 2021 Neighbour Day will look different than years before but we’re confident our community can find ways to celebrate safely! For a full list of resources and ideas visit the city’s website at https://www.calgary.ca/csps/cns/neighbourhood-services/neighbour-day.html

Here are just some of the ways we can celebrate safely (please ensure to follow provincial health guidelines):

• Fill out the City of Calgary’s ‘Neighbour Day Pledge Card’ and tell us three ways you plan to celebrate Neighbour Day this year. Take a picture, post to social media using the hashtag #yycNeighbourDay and tag us on Facebook (@hillhurstsunnyside) or Instagram (@hillhurst_sunnyside) to share your ideas with the community • Decorate! Display signs/art/or words on your window/door/balcony/yard for your neighbours to see • Host a virtual meal or BBQ • Grab some sidewalk chalk and share some art or kind words with neighbours and passersby’s

Throughout the pandemic, we’ve heard incredible stories reflecting acts of kindness and support taking place in our community. The Hillhurst Sunnyside community has continued to showcase our strength, creativity, and resiliency and we can’t wait to hear and see your ideas for Neighbour Day! We encourage you to share your ideas with our community this year. Share photos, post a blog, share an idea! Email stephanie.c@hsca.ca or connect with us on social media Facebook (@hillhurstsunnyside) or Instagram (@hillhurst_sunnyside).

Land Blessing Ceremony at HSCA: Participate Virtually!

Please note this is not an open event. The blessing will take place outdoors and will be in full compliance with all AHS regulations. We look forward to when we can gather in person, until then, we ask our community to please participate remotely (details below).

On Wednesday, May 26 the HSCA will be opening the 2021 Outdoor Season of the Farmers’ Market. 

A land blessing will be held at the HSCA prior to opening this new season. As farmers and food producers, we are deeply connected to the Land. Our relationship to the Land supports our families and communities. We acknowledge and honour those who have been and continue to be stewards of these Lands since time immemorial. The intention of this blessing is to hold space and build bridges with our Indigenous community members; this is an opportunity to listen, to learn, and to foster new connections through our relationships with the Land. It is our collective responsibility to continue stewardship of this Land for our communities and future generations. 

These Lands hold the histories of the Blackfoot confederacy: Siksika, Kainai, Piikani, as well as the Îyâxe Nakoda Nations; the Bearspaw, Chiniki and Wesley First Nations, and the Tsuut'ina Nation families and Ancestors. In honour of upcoming Indigenous History Month, we invite you to participate, learn, and reflect.

Join us virtually! You can participate in the land blessing via Zoom livestream. 

Where: Zoom live stream

When: 11:00am on Wednesday May 26 via Zoom:

https://zoom.us/j/91081716298?pwd=QkNqbExrcWVqaUliV3V1UlZYaWZHZz09

Please note this is not an open event. The blessing will take place outdoors and will be in full compliance with all AHS regulations. We look forward to when we can gather in person, until then, we ask our community to please participate remotely. 

It’s Jane Jacobs’ Birthday!

Jane Jacobs was a celebrated urban activist, observer, and author. Ms. Jacobs changed the way that we experience and plan our cities through her book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities.

In celebration of the annual Jane’s Walk weekend, we would like to highlight HSCA’s long-time volunteer and Jane’s nephew in Calgary, Dr. Decker Butzner on what makes Hillhurst Sunnyside such a vibrant community: ‘In the family footsteps: An interview with Jane Jacobs' Calgary nephew’.

Spring is a special time of year when people start walking and moving outside. While we are not able to gather this year, you can check out virtual walks and tips about exploring your community around you on Jane’s Walk website.

Partner and community content 

• The Kensington Art Walk Map was created by the Kensington BRZ/BIA showcasing the artwork on 10th St and Kensington Road. Find an e-copy at Kensington YYC.

• Spring is a special time of year when people start walking and moving outside. Be sure to check out the virtual walks at Jane’s Walk Calgary Foundation.

• Sunnyside is home to an outdoor art gallery! Check out the art that adorns many a garage door in the community at Sunnyside Art Crawl.

• In summer 2018, twelve printmakers and writers interviewed people who live/work in the community, researched neighbourhood history, and transformed collected stories into art. Check them out on Instagram at @Utilistories

Here are some of the walks that the Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association has hosted over the years: 

• A walk on alternative/affordable housing with Alpha House Society, Brenda Strafford Place, City of Calgary, Horizon Housing, Norfolk Housing, Sunnyside Sustainable Living and our neighbours, organized by Decker & Lisa, ‘More Calgary affordable housing units urged’.

• A walk on gentle density in a historic neighbourhood with HSCA members, Lorna, Decker & Lisa, Studio North and neighbours:  ‘Photo Essay: 2019 Calgary Jane’s Walks’.

• A walk on laneway housing with Lisa and Maricris (BEA Calgary), Alloy Homes and City of Calgary: https://twitter.com/mpotkins/status/1125143112576163840 

• A walk exploring flood protection in Sunnyside with Charlie Lund Chair of the HSCA Infrastructure Division and City of Calgary Water Resources friends: ‘Flood season approaches, events kick-off this weekend’.

• Check our Heritage Calgary Lion Award award-winning Hillhurst Sunnyside Walking Tour and Map. OR get your free copies (while supplies last) at the HSCA Little Free Library! Read here for best practices for common touch surface during Covid.   

• Have you seen our HSCA Heritage Week 2020 Instagram campaign? Inspired by Jane’s Walk and the Chinook Country Historical Society’s summer walking tours, we celebrate the people who make up our community.

• Partially inspired by Jane’s Walk and Historic Calgary’s walking tours, you can find a visual story of the Hillhurst Sunnyside Heritage Week 2020 campaign over social media at: 

https://www.hsca.ca/blog/2020/8/11/hillhurst-sunnyside-heritage-week-2020

Asian Heritage Month | Chong Family

Lisa & Mom Chong @ Riley Park

May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada, a time to reflect on and celebrate the contributions that Canadians of Asian origin continue to make, to the growth and prosperity of Canada." -Government of Canada

My name is Lisa Chong. I have been telling the story of Calgary's community of Hillhurst Sunnyside for many years through the lens of redevelopment and inclusion. As HSCA staff, we have celebrated volunteers and welcomed new neighbours into the community. In recognition of Asian Heritage Month, I would like to share my family's story. 

2020 was a tumultuous year for us all - the stress on our mental and physical health, on our pocketbooks, and our communities. At a time when the world was collectively grieving, we saw harmful rhetoric and actions directed towards Asian communities. 2020 was a year that brought more voices into the forefront, highlighted by the disparity of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mohkinstiss is the Blackfoot name for Calgary, at the confluence of the Elbow and the Bow Rivers, a space where people have gathered for generations and built community. Alberta became a province in 1905 on land that was populated by our Indigenous people for thousands of years. 

Our family story runs parallel to the signing of Treaty 7 in 1877, which changed the traditional way of life for our First Peoples forever. Treaty 7 was signed with Indigenous leaders and drove European settlement and colonization in southern Alberta. It was the final treaty that realized the Dominion of Canada's promise to build the transcontinental railroad.

Our first ancestor, my mother's great grandfather arrived in Canada in the 1880s to support labourers working on the railroad. Many of the workers emigrated from the Four Counties of Canton (now Guangdong) province in southern China. Chinese men were recruited and worked on the Canada Pacific Railway through its most treacherous tracks through the Rocky Mountains. Many perished under extremely harsh work conditions. 

Once the railroad was completed in 1885, Chinese labourers were no longer welcome in the nation that they helped connect. Great great grandfather was expelled and relocated to a small mining frontier town in America or Gold Mountain. His grandson, my Grandpa Ernesto, made his living in Cuba (at the time, Canada and the USA were closed to Chinese immigration). He later joined his family in America, twice a refugee of communism. 

My great grandfather on my father's side paid a head tax of $50 to emigrate to Canada. The 1885 Chinese Immigration Act was the only head tax collected by the Dominion of Canada that was based on country of origin, intended to curb immigration, and dehumanize a group of people.  

Grandfather Chong paid a $500 head tax to the Dominion of Canada in 1924 at 11 years old

Poverty was rampant in southern China at the time. Migrant families would pool their money to send their sons to the West. My grandfather, Jack at age 11, paid a head tax of $500 in May 1924. At that time, $500 could pay for two houses in Montreal. 1924 was the same year that Chinese immigration to Canada ended on July 1, Canada Day, otherwise known as Humiliation Day to the Chinese community at the time.

Families were separated. A generation of bachelors were created. Only the wealthiest merchants could afford to bring their wives to Canada prior to the 1924 Chinese Exclusion Act. Many Chinese men formed unions with Indigenous women (check out Cafe Daughter, a stage play based on the life of former Senator Lillian Eva Dyck). Chinese-Canadians who were born in Canada before 1947 were nationless and were not considered citizens.

The journey to equal rights is complicated. For background reading, the Canadian Encyclopedia details the history of the vote from the women’s suffrage movement and the Black Canadian vote in 1919, onward. Hundreds of Chinese-Canadians served in World War 2. The young men who fought for our collective freedom with the allied forces also fought for human rights and the hope of gaining citizenship and to simply hold the same rights as their peers, the right to vote. 

Canada's internment of Japanese-Canadians drew strong parallels and criticism on the world stage to the atrocities of World War 2. Partly because of the demonstration of loyalty on the part of Chinese-Canadian soldiers during WW2 and partly due to the global call for humanitarianism on the prosecution of the Jewish people, Canadians with Chinese and East Indian ancestry were allowed to vote in 1947, while Japanese-Canadians were permitted to vote in federal elections by 1948. For Indigenous people, 1960. 

We are a family of economic migrants. My grandfather Jack sailed to his ancestral home in Hoyping and married my grandmother, Hon Fong of Guangzhou and had two sons. With a small family to support, he departed back to Canada alone. The promises of the West beckoned. 

The Chinese Exclusion Act was lifted in 1947, which initially only allowed wives and any dependents under 18 to reunite. Jack made a marginal living running the local rural Alberta community corner store and saving up until his family could join him in 1957. Immigration in the broader sense only opened up in 1967, which is when Jack's sons married their respective spouses in Hong Kong and our family story finally begins.

Dad & Mom Chong at the family restaurant

Our family ran the only Chinese restaurant in a small resource and farming town in Alberta. My mother managed the restaurant for over 20 years and forged lasting relationships in the community. Over time, the restaurant became a permanent fixture and a treasure in the collective consciousness. It was a trusted Third Place, outside of the home and work where townsfolk would gather and build community and fellowship.

I am the first generation of my family to have been born in Canada. Red Hair, our people called it, referring to the country itself, owing to the red-haired settlers of British Isles origin. Indeed, Sunnyside was once called New Edinborough as adopted by Scottish settlers in the area.

This story represents many years and generations in the making. For my father, our immigrant story was seen as shameful. As pink-collar workers, our parents and grandparents mourned the loss of opportunity. As children of immigrants, the aspirations of our forebears live with us as the next generation. Our family's story is a part of Canada's living history. And as Treaty People, we continue to build families, relationships, and community together.

---

Sources

• Canadian Encyclopedia

• Malaspina University

• Chong family oral history

May is National Asian Heritage Month

Photo Collage by Lisa Chong

May is National Asian Heritage Month. Asian Heritage month is "a time to reflect on and celebrate the contributions that Canadians of Asian origin continue to make, to the growth and prosperity of Canada" (Government of Canada, 2021). Read our blog submissions and stories for National Asian Heritage Month! See some important resources below:

• The documentary Unwanted Soldiers (Jari Osborne) is available to watch on the National Film Board of Canada's (NFB) site.

• Learn more about the important contributions made by Canadians of Asian origin on the Canadian Heritage website.

• Check out Asian Heritage YYC's site for a list of events for Asian Heritage Month. Follow @ahfcalgary on Instagram and follow them on Facebook.

• Check out CBC's article 'Celebrate Asian Heritage Month' to see "ways for you to celebrate and learn about the meaningful contributions of Asian Canadians" (CBC, 2021).

• If you'd like to share an online event, story, or resource with our community related to Asian Heritage month or other topics, connect with us on Instagram (@hillhurst_sunnyside), Facebook (@hillhurstsunnyside) or email Stephanie.c@hsca.ca to tell us about it.

Reflections on Race

Anonymous Community Member Submission 

There has recently been a disturbing pattern of hateful rhetoric and physical violence directed at Asian Canadians. While distressed at these events, I am not particularly surprised. Canadian history is full of such incidents during periods of great stress – recessions, unemployment, country at war, periods of mass immigration and now pandemics – but also during periods of change from one “normal” to unknown future.

I have been lucky in my life; I have not faced a great deal of  anti-Asian discrimination. This does not mean that I was unconscious of the difference between myself and my classmates, friends, and neighbours.

I remember well when the issue of “race” first pushed into my conscious mind. We lived across the highway from the local school that held classes from grades one through grade nine. Every day I walked from home to school and back across the school playing fields.

On a particular day when I was in the 5th or 6th grade, I happened to cross paths with two female students who were a grade or so behind me. Politeness required me  to at least say “hello” and so I did. One of the girls was the daughter of the school principal who lived in the teacher’s accommodation in the far corner of the schoolyard. We were all terrified of Mr. B but not of his two children.

“Hi you Jap” came the reply. 

The two girls continued on to wherever they had been going, looking back, and giggling into their hands. This incident imbedded in a shy, fat, near-sighted and awkward child a harsh lesson never to be forgotten. As confused and hurt as I was, I never related this incident to anyone.

Over the years there were other instances of unfairness so obvious that it was difficult not to interpret the situation as one of discrimination against my obvious Asian-ness. But I simply did what all of our grandparents and parents and uncles and aunts did: put your head down, stay under the radar and work harder than everybody else. 

Shikagata-nai. Nothing can be done. What cannot be changed must be endured. 

Anti-Asian racial discrimination has been tolerated for a long time in our country. At times it has been encouraged by government policies. The Chinese Immigration Act of 1885 imposed a head tax to discourage Chinese men from bringing their families to Canada. In Vancouver in 1907, mobs of whites rampaged through Chinatown vandalizing the businesses owned by Chinese Canadians and physically assaulting those who tried to fight back. 

The Komagata Maru incident in 1914 was a blatant example of  Canada’s attempts to discourage immigrants of South Asian ancestry. Throughout the early 1900s Asians were denied access to jobs, licenses, union memberships and the right to vote. 

Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbour was incentive for the United States to enter WWII but it was also the beginning of a mass relocation of citizens of Japanese ancestry throughout the Americas. In British Columbia, all residents of Japanese ancestry were rounded up, detained and later relocated to internment camps in the interior of the province or to farms in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Their businesses, boats, cars, and homes were seized and sold by the government to help pay for their own incarceration.

The above are well documented and part of the Asian immigrant experience in Canada. All have caused pain, suffering, and sometimes directly led to deaths. We cannot escape our history. We cannot gloss it over. We should not attempt to re-write it in a kinder light.

I believe what matters is whether you live your life with your hands open and palms turned upwards - uplifting and helping those around you. Or if you use your hands as a clenched fist - as a gesture towards the “other”, as a threat or a tool to suppress or diminish another.

A community association to me has been place where democracy, equality and humanity can be practised at a grass roots level; a place where the organization has a quasi-legal status bestowed upon it by the government to ensure this is so. 

This is where we, as a group, should perform at our best to ensure that the following invocations become our everyday reality:

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

We won’t often get the closure from another that we desire. This means that we must discover it on our own. Forgiveness is how we find peace, no matter if they want to give it to us or not.

Tenzin Gyatso, The 14th Dalia Lama

Between striving to change the way things are and forgiving the transgressions of the past, there is a path forward. n our journey we ought to also remember those other words from Dr. King’s speech:

"…In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.”

Sunnyside Traffic Calming

Sunnyside needs your help to make 2nd Ave and 7th St safer! Check out the video made by Sunnyside neighbours to find out how you can make a difference and help calm traffic in our community.

It starts with a 311 call to the City of Calgary to request an adaptive roadway. If approved for a pilot, this process includes community engagement. Adaptive roadways can help can slow down traffic and make it safer for all road users: from pedestrians, bicycles, e-scooters, and motor vehicles.

Scroll down to find the instructions below the video for more information.

HSCA Volunteer Spotlight: Mary

HSCA Spotlight: In 5 Questions or Less

The HSCA Spotlight will introduce (or reintroduce) our community to HSCA staff, volunteers, and members of the Hillhurst Sunnyside Community. If you know of a resident interested in participating in the HSCA Spotlight Series, email Stephanie.c@hsca.ca with SUBJECT LINE: HSCA Spotlight. We know our community is full of awesome residents and captivating stories and we’re hoping to share that with everyone!  

As part of the HSCA Spotlight Series, allow us to introduce you to Mary! Mary is Vice-Chair of our HSCA Board and a long-time resident of the Hillhurst Sunnyside community (for 24 years!). She’s been on the Board for the last 3 years and is committed to supporting HSCA reach our Strategic Goals. 

1. What is your favourite thing about the Hillhurst Sunnyside Community?

The people who live in this community 

2. What made you want to join the HSCA Board? 

[I] wanted further Board Governance experience 

3. What keeps you busy outside your Board duties?

Spending time with neighbours, walking our dog, cooking

4. What are some of your favourite spots/walks/eats/hangouts in the neighbourhood?

Kensington Pub, the river paths, Sunnyside Market, Sidewalk Citizen bread, Pulcinella

5. What does community mean to you? 

A sense of belonging.

Are you interested in joining the HSCA Board? 

 The HSCA Board of Directors is recruiting new board members! We are looking for members with expertise in any (or a combination) of the following areas: Legal, Planning, Childcare, IT/Tech or Engineering/Facilities.

The monthly hourly commitment is 4-6 hours, including a monthly board meeting. HSCA covers from the Calgary Curling Club to 18th street, and all members are welcome. Learn more here.

Painting Your Garage Door This Summer

By Christie Page (Local Garage Art Pusher)

So, you’re going to paint a mural on your garage door this summer.

 f you’re not an artist, should you attempt to paint a mural by yourself? Absolutely! It’s a garage door, it’s blank, boring, and maybe old and ugly. You can’t possibly make it worse than what is there right now. A stick man, a flower, a hand print - anything is an improvement on doing nothing at all. If you want to improve upon your first concept you can paint over it. You can’t mess this up! If you don’t have a garage door? Look around and be creative – a fence, a shed, or ask your neighbour.

Should you sand and clean the door first? Probably wouldn’t hurt but I personally didn’t even wash off the current layer of dirt on my metal door before I painted it. It has been up since 2014 and is holding up well.  

What paint should you use? Probably exterior paint is the way to go. Although some of the paint on my garage is proper exterior paint, this is just by chance. I just used what I had in my basement (interior, exterior, water based, oil based and even a little wood stain). I also grabbed a few colors from the return rack at local paint stores that were on a deep discount. If you have a garage door with a lot of south west hot sun exposure, paint choice might be more important. 

How do you hire an artist? If you do want to hire an artist, you’re in luck because Calgary is full of talent! Expect to pay around $10/sq ft. Although established artists might charge more, someone just starting out might be willing to work for the cost of paint. If you ask for a pre design concept work, be prepared to pay the artist for this time, even if you don’t go ahead with the mural. Here are a few #YYCarts Instagram follows to help find an artist: @sunnyside_garage_art @sunnysidemurals @yycbump

If you have a high visibility location consider contacting Dexter with the Sunnyside Murals Project who is hoping to apply for a grant to hire 5 YYC artists to do new murals in Sunnyside this summer. He can be reached at dexter.sunnysidemurals@gmail.com

If you’re able to give a young artist just starting out a location to paint be in touch with Gerald gerald.wheatley@gmail.com He has helped facilitate connecting youth from the Alex to the ContainR lot and allowing them to build their portfolio. You would need to cover the costs of paint.  

Can’t wait to see our out-door gallery grow this summer. 

How to find art in Sunnyside:

http://bit.ly/sunnysideartwalk

In Memory of Doreen Orman, Sunnyside Resident & Life-long Volunteer

HSCA’S Virtual AGM is April 27, 2021. HSCA celebrates National Volunteer Week (April 18-24, 2021) with a dedication to Doreen Orman.

Doreen Orman (1925-2020)

By Lisa Chong & Lorna Cordeiro, friends of Doreen

In memoriam of Doreen Orman: 1925-2020.  Featured in the YWCA “She Who Dares” Canada 150 project, Doreen lived in Sunnyside from 1946-2017. Since the 1930’s, Doreen has dedicated her entire life to volunteering. Doreen’s passion for social justice included advancing the rights of youth and women and especially Indigenous and marginalized people. Doreen received the Governor General’s Award in 1992 for her work on advocating for women’s rights.

Doreen lived in Sunnyside for 70 years. Her husband, Jack was raised in Sunnyside and his parents lived down the street from Jack and Doreen’s home. Jack’s grandparents lived nearby. Lilian Orman (or Nana to Doreen & Jack’s children) parents, the Dunns were British immigrants who settled Sunnyside in the early 1900s. Doreen’s father, Jack Dunn was the first sanitary engineer in the city. 5 generations of Doreen’s family have lived on Memorial Drive.

Doreen’s vision and activism and collaboration with the City of Calgary and development partners helped shape the special character and charm of Hillhurst Sunnyside as an urban village; Doreen was HSCA Board President and a strong community voice behind the original 1988 Hillhurst Sunnyside Area Redevelopment Plan, which envisioned a choice of housing, including family-oriented housing to prevent the closure of inner city schools. She also fought against the proposed widening of Memorial Drive in the 1970s. 

To date, Memorial Drive is the only designated parkway in Calgary, hosts the Bow River Pathway – the crown jewel of Calgary’s pathway system – is popular for its scenic views of the river, the Landscape of Memory and Road of Remembrance legacy projects (see: our HSCA blog on Memorial Drive Trees: A Living Legacy). 

Plaque Ceremony, 2016

While she served on the HSCA Board, Doreen helped foster a tone of collaboration by starting the practice of asking developers to come to the community association with their proposed buildings and to allow residents to have a dialogue with developers to build a better community. This is a practice that continues today.

Doreen had the foresight to go through the process via the City of Calgary to legally protect her home. The Orman Residence at 734 Memorial Drive NW, was the first home in Sunnyside to be designated as a Municipal Historic Resource for its architectural and cultural significance, forever embedded in the historical fabric of the city.

We are honoured to have dedicated the 2020 Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association Annual General Meeting to Doreen Orman, a community member who dedicated her life to the service of the community. We were joined by Doreen’s children, Maureen & Rick to celebrate Doreen’s memory and legacy to HSCA at the very spot she was presented with HSCA’s Volunteer Service Award in 2017!

Photo by Carol Armes, HSCA AGM – April 25, 2017

 Photo credits: Jenn Crack, Lorna Cordeiro, Orman family

Share your Vegetarian Recipes! Participate in our Community Cookbook

Submit Your Fave Recipes to our Community Cookbook 

HSCA is currently collecting as many vegetarian recipes as possible to fill up our community cookbook! The idea is to be able to still feel connected and engaged in our community over food when we are not able physically share a meal. Copies will be printed for all who want them, and it will be made available digitally. 

 This is open to all HSCA friends, neighbours, vendors, businesses, staff, etc. to contribute. We would love this to be a celebration of all the folx who make this community such a vibrant and welcoming place. Please submit by Friday April 9, 2021. 

Here is the link to fill out the form. You can submit as many recipes as you want!