COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION HAPPENINGS

Community Dance!

Purchase tickets

Want to rent our sign? 
Mr. Douglas did — quite the anniversary card! 
Rent our sign for only $50/week!

We are now offering our memberships for 2023 FREE of charge.
Signup up TODAY!

SPRINGBANK SPOTLIGHT

We appreciate the support of Alberta Indoor Comfort towards the production of our newsletter.

ROCKY VIEW COUNTY UPDATES

Thank you to Rocky View County for their support of the SCA! We received grants for beautification, operating funds and support for our fall community dance :)

Fire Update

As of August 7, there is a fire advisory for West Rockyview - more information.

Council Resolution Tracker 

Click here for more information on the council’s resolution tracker.

Springbank Area Structure Plans

ASP online survey deadline was July 31st. We will update when we hear what comes from it.

PROVINCIAL PROJECTS

Springbank Off-Stream Reservoir (SR1)

The new raised highway 22 is taking shape. Road closures and detours will be affecting our community soon, specifically a portion of Springbank Road and the underpass of Range Road 40. 

Bow River Dam

The Bow River Reservoir Options - Phase 2: Feasibility Study - July 2023 Update

Round One Engagement

Public engagement enables the Government of Alberta to understand Albertans’ thoughts and opinions on three reservoir options on the Bow River being explored for flood and drought mitigation purposes.

Round One of engagement for Phase 2: Feasibility Study of the BRRO engagement kicked off in May 2021. This was a busy period for the study team. During this time, the initial BRRO feasibility study newsletter was sent out to subscribers by email and to property owners, The Bow River Working Group (BRWG) and stakeholder organizations by postal mail. This initial newsletter provided an overview of the BRRO project and outlined the opportunities for people to have their voices heard throughout the engagement. The project team prepared field activity information and other materials such as information sheets to support the engagement. The BRRO website was updated to provide an easily accessible venue for sharing information about the project.

In June 2021 the BRRO Study Team launched the Virtual Information Centre. This online platform provided interactive tools with drone imagery, study maps and computer-generated animations. There were also feedback forms, presentations, information boards and other informative resources available. Virtual Live Sessions occurred over three days in June as well, which offered participants multiple breakout rooms with Environment and Protected Areas management and subject matter experts as well as technical experts from the primary consultant (WSP) who answered participant questions.

Other engagement activities in June included a BRWG meeting and the launch of the Engagement HQ website, which allowed the public to provide feedback on where they live, work, and play in the study area through virtual maps. The site also featured a Question and Answer section for the public to ask the BRRO Study Team questions.

Stakeholder meetings were held in June, August, November and December 2021. A second BRWG meeting was held in November 2021.

In 2022 the BRRO team released May, July and October newsletters and held two meetings with the BRWG. The Study Team also held a meeting for potentially directly affected property owners in November 2022. At this meeting the study team heard from approximately 30 potentially directly affected property owners for the Glenbow East and Relocated Ghost Dam options. This meeting helped the study team gain a more in-depth understanding of property owner concerns. Newsletters were sent in January, April and July 2023, and will continue quarterly to provide information and updates about the BRRO initiative. The project team continues to respond to inquiries to the BRRO email account.

The BRRO team is currently reviewing the results of Round One engagement and starting to plan Round Two, while discussions with Indigenous communities and organizations are continuing.

You can find more information on the BRRO initiative, including feasibility study updates and engagement opportunities online.

Spotlight on Engagement

The Government of Alberta conducts public engagement to enable Albertans to contribute to decisions that affect our province. Having input from diverse perspectives helps the Alberta government better understand complex problems and develop ways to improve policy, programs and services for Albertans. Major projects often require multiple rounds of engagement with a variety of groups. Government of Alberta engagement activities are designed to hear from the people who may be impacted by a decision. Public engagement takes place in a variety of forms, such as through online surveys, town halls, information sessions, or stakeholder meetings. Data are collected and analyzed by engagement professionals, who then share results with the project or program team. Input collected through these engagements is used to inform Alberta government policy or decisions. As much as possible, the stakeholders who will be most impacted by a decision are engaged in the decision-making process. This might include representatives from Indigenous communities, special interest groups, industry professionals, not-for-profit organisations, municipalities, and/or the public.

For more information on engagements conducted by the Government of Alberta or to see all open engagements, visit the Public Engagements website.

Ring Road

West Ring Road Updates

SPRINGBANK GARDENING CLUB

This morning I pulled up a Henbane plant at the top of my driveway. This is not good! Black Henbane or Stinking  Nightshade, 2 common names for this noxious weed, is poisonous to animals and humans. It can cause heart failure and even death! A single plant can produce as much as half a million seeds in one season, which are viable for about 4 years. The flowers can be quite attractive and are sometimes mistakenly cultivated. Don’t make that mistake!

The Springbank Garden Club booth can be found at the annual Springbank Fall Fair, Saturday, September 9.  Drop by the booth, view the photos of our Junior Gardeners, purchase locally grown plants and pick up membership info for the Garden Club. 

~ Simone Byers, The Springbank Gardening Club

The community gardens are thriving!

ROCKY VIEW SCHOOLS

 ROCKY VIEW SCHOOLS TRUSTEE UPDATE
JUDI HUNTER, WARD 5

Our wonderful summer will soon be only a memory.  Soon our youth will be returning to school and a year of activities and commitments begin again.  I hope that each you have enjoyed some family time and the opportunity to rejuvenate in preparation for another busy school year.

The Government of Alberta is moving to a digital assessment platform. With this, students will see more multimedia-rich, interactive content and will be able to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in different ways. The new platform will offer a wider range of built-in learning supports and accommodations, resulting in an improved, more inclusive test-taking experience for students. The new platform will also streamline the process schools use to administer provincial assessments. The province is phasing in this approach.  For the 2023/24 school year, school authorities can participate in a variety of optional implementation activities. 

The 2023-2024 will not be without its challenges for the Board and our families.  Each September, RVS welcomes between 750 and 1,000 new students. Many of our schools are already over capacity, and our students and teachers are being negatively impacted as a result. RVS continues to be creative in how we use our existing space, but the situation is rapidly becoming untenable. 

Our students come from rural and urban communities, some of which have been experiencing exploding population growth for several years. For instance, Airdrie’s population grew by 14.29% from 2019 to 2023. With population growth comes increased school enrolment. During the 2022/23 school year, the utilization rate for all RVS schools was 91% up from 87% in 2021/22. The result is crowded classrooms and the need to repurpose non-instructional spaces into classrooms. 

RVS is urging the Government to move all four projects approved in the Budget 2023 from the design, planning or pre-planning stage to construction in Budget 2024. The last K-8 school to open in Airdrie was Northcott Prairie School in 2019. W.H. Croxford High School, which opened in 2014, was the most recent high school to be opened in Airdrie. By the academic year 2022/23, it had reached a utilization rate of 109%. With an additional 833 students expected in Airdrie in September 2023, the Board will have to look at adjusting grade levels and attendance areas across the city to help address the space crunch. These changes will impact thousands of our families. 

Another issue impacting RVS, and its students, families and staff is how funding for public education is determined in Alberta. In 2019, a weighted moving average (WMA) funding model was introduced. For a rapidly growing division such as RVS, the WMA model, with its three-year average system, leaves the division with a significant shortfall in instructional funding. 

The WMA model means a total of 802 RVS students will not be funded by the provincial government for the upcoming 2023/24 school year, resulting in a loss of $5,625,163 for RVS. The Board approved allocating $1 million from reserves to help offset this shortfall but is unable to do more without depleting already stretched reserves. The result of WMA is even more crowded classrooms due to a lack of funding to hire new teachers to teach those 802 additional students. In what could be described as a “perfect storm,” we are also challenged to find space for these students because we have not had sufficient new schools approved for the division. RVS is working with government to address this concern.

Despite ongoing funding and space issues, each year our staff welcomes our young people and strives to provide the best learning opportunities for them. Each year, our parents work to support the efforts of our schools and each year our young people show up ready to take on another year. Educating our next generation of citizens takes the efforts of all of us. I am honored to be part of this process.

DUKE OF EDINBURGH – SPRINGBANK CHAPTER

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is a global program that challenges, empowers, and recognizes young people between the ages of 14 and 24. By recognizing the amazing things young people can do and learn outside the boundaries of formal education, the Award empowers them to discover hidden talents, develop untapped leadership potential and make a difference in their community.

The Award is designed as an experiential learning framework that supports the work done to build young people’s skills and develop the confidence, they need to take their future in stride. The adventurous journey focuses on teamwork and recognition of the skills that all participants bring while at the same time challenging participants out of their comfort zone.

Our chapter takes pride in supporting young people to achieve their potential. We are growing, with over 33 active participants.  This summer has been busy with members trying to complete journeys.

Bronze level members enjoyed a one night, two day adventure in the beautiful group campground at River Cove, Kananaskis.  Our Silver level members were challenged with a backcountry trip from Little Elbow to Tombstone for a three day, two night hike.

The awards ceremony for Bronze Level Completion will take place on September 15 and Silver Level Completion on October 22, 2023. We celebrate the dedication and commitment of our young people in completing their award level!

Our club welcomes Sanna LaFontaine as a new leader working with these amazing young people.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Forge Golf at Springbank Links Golf Course

Looking for an August golf camp for your junior player?  Beginner and Intermediate junior golfers will enjoy an introduction to the game of golf and an in-depth look into each aspect of the game while also focusing on having fun and enjoying the game hosted at the Springbank Links Golf course. 

Camp 6: August 24 - 25

Forge Golf also offers Global Golf programs with upcoming information sessions on August 15 and September 12 from 6:00-7:00pm in the Forge performance centre. During these sessions, their coaches will provide insight into each program as well as answer any questions that you may have. In addition, they will have draw prizes for each info night courtesy of their Callaway Golf sponsor. 

Forge and Global Golf aims to provide skill-based golf programs that build character, develop a strong work ethic and teach on-course skills. Their coaches build positive relationships to motivate students to achieve their full potential on and off the golf course. They offer many different program styles to give the best opportunities for juniors to flourish. 

For more information on their August summer camps and Global Golf programs, please visit their website or contact Wade Waters, PGA of Canada
Director of Golf & Head Golf Coach at Forge Golf.  

Come out to KOAC and enjoy contemporary art in a beautiful natural setting! 

At the Kiyooka Ohe Arts Centre, nature is our gallery! Regularly scheduled Saturday GUIDED TOURS ARE AVAILABLE NOW. Tours are approximately 1.5 hours long (from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm). Tickets: $25 (children under 12 are free.) Get your tickets here.

The KOAC sculpture park celebrates the relationship between contemporary art and nature. Visitors experience large, medium, and small-scale outdoor sculptures and site-specific commissions under the vast open sky, and amidst the beauty of 20-acres of mature forest and grasslands.

Presenting sculptures in a park and garden environment is a ritual that dates back to ancient times. The interaction of artistic formulations and natural forms stimulates perception and thinking and the understanding of artistic visions.

Plan a special Saturday in Springbank and book your tour tickets now!

You are also welcome to drop by at your leisure for a self-guided tour on Thursdays through Sundays, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. The west half of the park is open during these hours for self-guided visitors. Donations are accepted for self-guided tours. If you would like to experience the private sculpture gardens around the house and studios, please inquire about private tours at info@koartscentre.org.

Donations to KOAC are deeply appreciated and always welcome. We also invite you to become a Friend of KOAC with annual membership.  

CHAPS and CHINOOKS MOMENT

It is haying time in the community. Here is a flashback to early days — year unknown.

Chaps and Chinooks, Vol II, p. 488

BRAGG CREEK CORNER

Program Guide

CONNECTIONS WITH COCHRANE

Program Guide  

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Springbank Community Association
244259 RR33, Calgary, Alberta T3Z 2E8

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