COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION HAPPENINGS

Recreation

Rocky View has unveiled a website for the proposed community centre.  Check it out. 

The proposed project will cost approximately $15M.  We need new voices to represent Springbank! Can you help?

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

ROCKY VIEW COUNTY UPDATES

Springbank Municipal Development Plan (MDP)

The next Municipal Development Plan ‘Coffee Chat’ will be held on January 22, 3:30pm-8:00pm at SPFAS.

Recreation Governance

In January 2022, the SCA presented to the Recreation Governance Committee regarding our concerns about the lack of local representation in recreation decisions.  Nearly two years later, the Recreation Committee heard back from administration on some alternative methods to incorporate local feedback. The alternatives discussed.

We have sent an email to recreation administration requesting an update.

Update:  The Recreation Governance Committee endorsed Model #2.  A report is attached for reference as well as a link to the presentation and discussion (starts at 2:05:39).

As a result of the Committee’s direction, Administration will be bringing back a report in June that includes draft bylaws for consideration and will incorporate some criteria from the historical Recreation Board bylaws. If endorsed, Bylaws will be approved and advertising for members will be conducted in preparation for the fall 2024 Organizational meeting appointments. 

Land Use Bylaws

Administration is looking to Council for guidance on January 16 on several Land Use Items:

The full document is available to read here.

If you have any comments on these items, please email or call your councillor:

Division 1: Kevin Hanson
403-463-1166
KRHanson@rockyview.ca

Division 2: Don Kochan
Deputy Reeve
587-435-7172
DKochan@rockyview.ca 

Springbank Area Structure Plans

Visit the Website

Link to summary of community feedback  

From the County’s website: 

County Administration will provide an update to the Governance Committee on January 16, 2024, for consideration based on what we heard from the community, a new commercial demand analysis and further exploration of servicing concepts. An alternative option of maintaining the existing Springbank ASPs will also be presented to Governance Committee.

Link to the agenda is available here.

Petro Canada

We will share the results with our councillors and planning at RVC. 

We had an issue with some of our survey responses on the Petro-Canada survey.  A bot was used to submit responses in favor of the application (there were dozens of “in support” responses submitted within a few minutes with no associated comments).  We have removed the compromised responses. The updated results of our community engagement are here.

Fire Update

As of Jan. 10th, there are no fire bans/advisory.

You may be interested in the rules surrounding Fireworks in Rocky View County. Visit this link for more information.

Council Resolution Tracker 

More information on the council’s resolution tracker.

Highway 8 Corridor

No updates. 

PROVINCIAL PROJECTS

Springbank Off-Stream Reservoir (SR1)

The SCA met separately with Alberta Parks and Alberta Water Infrastructure to advocate for the advancement of the SR1 Land Use recommendations. 

Draft land use plan is available here.

Bow River Dam

The feasibility study was supposed to be released by December 2022 but it looks to be delayed until next summer. Read here for more information on the Bow River Reservoir Options initiative, including feasibility study updates and engagement opportunities.

SPRINGBANK SPOTLIGHT

As we toast the new year, we have an accomplished “toastmaster” who lives in our community.

Everyone has a message to share with the world, and Molly Hamilton has dedicated countless hours to crafting speeches that have a lasting impact on people’s lives. Molly is not solely a speaker but also a seasoned singer and entertainer with over 35 years experience. Her recent achievements include:

• Semi-finalist in the 2023 Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking
• First place in the 2022 Toastmasters District 42 Humorous Speech Contest
• Finalist in the 2022 Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking

Molly placed in the Top 8 in the world from over 33,000 participants from 143 countries!

Head to her website www.mollyhamiltonspeaker.com to learn more about her and toastmasters.

ROCKY VIEW SCHOOLS

Springbank High School

Happy exam season! 

Welcome, 2024! This month at Springbank Community High School, staff and students will primarily be focused on Diplomas, PATs, and final exams. Because of this, there is little going on at the school in January that calls for community involvement.

Regardless, we would like to thank the Springbank community for their help with the Mustard Seed Charity Hockey game at the beginning of December. The event was incredibly successful in raising nearly $1,500.00!  SCHS is proud to be a part of this charity event; students and staff alike look forward to watching and playing in the games all year, and we have you to thank for making this possible! Thank you to the Calgary Flames alums who volunteered their time and talents on the ice to help raise money, and thank you to the Springbank Park for All Seasons for hosting the event. We hope to continue participating in this tradition for years to come. 

Cheers!

~ Summer Dunning, Youth Board Member and SCHS student

ROCKY VIEW SCHOOLS TRUSTEE UPDATE
JUDI HUNTER, WARD 5

The new school in Langdon has been approved as a grade 9-12 high school.  Doors are set to open September 2024, initially with students from grades 9-11.

The Board is in an accommodation consultation with parents of Airdrie school to address the space issues in schools.

Long Service Award

On Nov. 17, RVS hosted our 42nd Long-Service and Retiree Celebration. This long-running event recognizes the contributions of our veteran staff members and offers a chance for us to reflect on and celebrate the positive difference they have made in the lives of so many students.

This year, we recognized 71 individuals who have passed either a 20-, 25-, 30- or 35-year milestone with RVS, and congratulated 58 retirees who are embarking on exciting next chapters of life. 

Thank you to Springbank Community Association on a successful raffle raising $15,000 to support the physical education department at Springbank Community High.

Congratulations to the Springbank Community High School Robotics teacher Mr. Matthews and robotics parents on hosting its first and successful Robotics competition with other 27 teams competing and over 500 people in attendance.  All three Springbank Teams won a seat at the provincial robotics competition in February 2024.

The Canadian Parents for French held a fun afterschool event at Elbow Valley School where children created Christmas centrepieces and had a chance to practice their French.  They also hosted a luncheon for the Grade 8 students at Springbank High School where the French high school students shared their love of the program and the opportunities provided by a second language.

Kudos to Banded Peak School on their entrepreneurial evening event which was well attended and appreciated.

Thank you to all our school councils for their tireless work in supporting student learning.

Across Canada, School Divisions struggle with Accommodation Spaces for Students

Surrey, B.C. school district's survey seeking solutions to overcrowding draws outrage from parents, teachers  

Parents and teachers are calling on the B.C. government to construct more schools in Surrey after the school district sent out a survey seeking solutions to a worsening overcrowding problem. Surrey schools says it's seeing an average of 2,400 students join over the last two years, compared to 800 new students per year in the previous decade — a 200% increase in school enrolment. On Nov. 20, 2023 the school district sent parents a survey, asking for their input on long-term educational strategies to manage the ballooning enrolment numbers — with some proposed solutions including hybrid learning, tri-semester schooling, evening classes and bussing students to other schools. Similar issues appear across Canada.

Space Shortages are not just in Education

Surrey city councillor Linda Annis, called the city the “portables capital of B.C.” after Fraser Health installed a temporary paediatric emergency wait room in portables at Surrey Memorial Hospital. 

Pronoun Controversy

Alberta's government is having an "active conversation" about whether school employees should require parents' permission before changing the names or pronouns they use to address students. Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said parent concerns and inconsistent policies across the province have sparked the discussion about whether to introduce optional guidance or binding rules. New Brunswick's new law on this issue has sparked a court challenge.

Holocaust Education

The head of the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada applauds a move by Manitoba to make Holocaust education mandatory. "Holocaust education is a key tool for countering prejudice and cultivating inclusion. It's not just about this tragedy that happened, of course, to the Jewish people, but its implications for broader society," said Belle Jarniewski, executive director of the Winnipeg-based organization. "When students learn about the Holocaust, they engage with very complicated moral questions — some that do not come with simple answers — and critical thinking is also a big part of this."

Math and reading scores for Canadian students declined sharply since 2018, study finds  

Math and reading scores of Canadian students continue to decline steeply, matching a global trend, according to a new study. The state of global education was given a bleak appraisal in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), which is the first study to examine the academic progress of 15-year-old students in dozens of countries during the pandemic. Released Tuesday, it finds the average international math score fell by the equivalent of 15 points compared to 2018 scores, while reading scores fell 10 points.

Alberta Students, however, performed well.

The 2022 PISA results released December 5, show that Alberta continues to be a leader in education in Canada and worldwide. Alberta students rank first in Canada in reading, first in Canada in science and second only behind Quebec in math. In addition to our impressive results nationally, Alberta students also perform exceptionally well against international competitors. Globally, Alberta ranked second in reading, second in science and seventh in math, within statistical deviation.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Blue Jays Baseball Academy is coming to Alberta!

Webber Wildcats Baseball is pleased to host the Toronto Blue Jays National Coaches Clinic at the Webber Academy Athletic Park. 

The 2024 National Coaches Clinic is scheduled to take place January 19 - January 21, 2024 at Webber Academy Athletic Park located in Springbank.  It will feature presentations and on field sessions designed to provide coaches with tips and techniques to bring back to their local teams. In addition, coaches in attendance will have the opportunity to attend a 4-hour National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) module, as well as a 1.5-hour Top of the First (NCCP) module presented in partnership with Jays Care.

In connection with Baseball Canada, Baseball Alberta and the National Coaching Certification Program, the Blue Jays Baseball Academy is proud to present the 2024 National Coaches Clinic at Webber Academy Athletic Park in Calgary, AB January 19 through 21. The clinic will feature a wide range of speakers from Baseball Canada, and the Toronto Blue Jays, including Buck Martinez, Pat Borders, Devon White, Ernie Whitt and Ashley Stephenson.

Speakers will discuss various aspects of the game with the goal of providing coaches with tips and techniques to take back to their teams. The clinic will close with a drill station, allowing for coaches to speak with experts in a more hands on environment to fully understand take away points and ask questions.

In addition to the speakers and on field portions on Saturday and Sunday, coaches in attendance will have the opportunity to attend a 4-hour National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) module on Friday, January 19. Coaches that attend one of the competition development, performance planning, pitching and catching or strategy sessions offered on Friday morning will be awarded five (5) Professional Development points towards their certification. NCCP sessions are not mandatory and are offered as a bonus to coaches free of charge for those able to attend. As a new feature, coaches will also have the opportunity to attend a 1.5-hour Top of the First module, presented in partnership with Jays Care. Coaches who attend this Top of the First module will be awarded an additional three (3) Professional Development points, and will be provided dinner during the module.

All coaches attending the National Coaches Clinic will be awarded three (3) Professional Development points. Please note that only registered coaches will be able to be credited NCCP points. Registration can be completed at www.nccp.baseball.ca.

All coaches in attendance will receive: a Blue Jays Baseball Academy clipboard, a Blue Jays Coaches Clinic Program Book, and admission to the Coaches Social on Saturday, January 20.

Learn more at www.wildcatsbaseball.ca

Springbank Ladies Time Out

Visit springbanklto.ca

CHAPS and CHINOOKS MOMENT

We have had a pretty easy winter so far, but don’t you start thinking about when a chinook might blow in during a cold spell? This month’s Chaps and Chinooks article is a couple of ‘chinook’ stories that E. Buckley and W. Kumlin recount when explaining the naming of our history book.

…the foothills tribe tell this legend of how the warm winds come over the mountains in the dead of winter. Once upon a time, they say, there was a beautiful maiden by the name of Chinook. One cold winter’s day she wandered into the foothills and was lost in the mountains. The bravest warriors began a great search for the missing maiden, but she was never found again. One day a warm breeze came over the mountain, melting the snow and ice before it. The warriors gazed at one another in wonderment and whispered “It is Chinook’s breath”.  

One of the more modern settlers tales, concerned a traveller who drove a horse and sleigh west of Calgary. He was about to head home when a Chinook wind sprang up. He quickly reversed his horse in the shafts so the animal pushed the sleigh. By simply keeping up with the Chinook, the horse galloped on dry ground, while the sled slipped easily on the snow ahead.

Chaps and Chinooks, Vol.I, p.23

BRAGG CREEK CORNER

Program Guide

CONNECTIONS WITH COCHRANE

Program Guide

Sponsored by Springbank's own ActiveDEMAND

-The essential marketing automation tool for growing businesses. You have an awesome business but no marketing team. No problem. Market Automatically!

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

View the Privacy Policy
This email was sent to springbankcommunityassociation@gmail.com
Opt Out / Unsubscribe