October 2009 - Ramsay Community Association

Ramsay Community Association & HallBoard of Directors & Community Chairs1136 - 8th St SE T2G 2Z7• T: 403.265.4898 • F: 403.265.4858Position Name Contact InfoPresident JudyHellevang403-697-3068 president@ramsaycommunity.ab.caVice President– ExternalMichaelBenoit403-291-0865 vpexternal@ramsaycommunity.ab.caVice President– InternalLexie Shmyr 403-265-4898 vpinternal@ramsaycommunity.ab.caTreasurer Brenda Zinn treasurer@ramsaycommunity.ab.caSecretary Adele Sanoy secretary@ramsaycommunity.ab.ca2 yr MemberAt LargeKarinPoldaas403-891-9097kp@1128media.com2 yr MemberAt LargeBrad Kuhne 403-542-3587brad.kuhne@hitachi.ca1 yr Member Natalia 403-265-4898At Large Gorobinski1 yr MemberAt LargeShelly Reid 403-640-7071shelly_reid@cpr.ca1 yr MemberAt LargeTarasSemeniuk403-264-1972taras@arcmetallurgical.comTraffic TarasSemeniuk403-264-1972 traffic@ramsaycommunity.ab.caHall Mgr. Gisele Ruel 403-265-4898 (hall)Summer VacantSportsWinter Sports DaveGraham403-264-9233neoublee@telusplanet.netCasino Pat Baker 403-237-7927bakerpals@shaw.caBeautification Brenda Japp 403-264-7137brenda.japp@gov.ab.caRamsay School Jenny Jensen 403-248-9335Liaisonramsayschool@hotmail.comWebMaster Art Matsui webmaster@ramsaycommunity.ab.caWebsitewww.ramsaycommunity.ab.caNewsletterEditorJenniferQuigley403-475-0304 news@ramsaycommunity.ab.caNewsletterLayoutFred Holliss 403-815-3733fred@holliss.caComplaints about Lilydale smells:• City of Calgary 311• Alberta Environment 1800-222-6514• Calgary Health Region 403-943-8060Pol i c e Co n t a c t s • Emergency: 911If you see crimes in the area, please contact the police byphone at 403-266-1234 ore-mail: pol3372@calgarypolice.caCommunity liaison officer:Const. Erin Partridge, Badge #3372403-567-6100Dr u g Ho t l i n e 403-206-8100 leave msg.Newsletter ContributionsAny community member is welcome to contribute to thisnewsletter. The deadline for submissions for each upcomingmonth’s issue is the 15 th of the preceding month. Please emailyour contributions, comments, and articles to:news@ramsaycommunity.ab.ca or drop it off:Ramsay Community Hall, 1136 8 St SEDISCLAimer: Opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarilythose of the Ramsay Community Association.TRAFFIC CALMING. LILYDALE. SHAMROCK. IMPROVEMENTS.SAFETY. DEVELOPMENT. GREEN SPACE. STAMPEDE. RINK.Everyone has an opinion. Share yours.Come & Vote for Board MembersRamsay Community Association Annual General MeetingTuesday, October 6Doors will be open at 6:30. The meeting starts promptly at 7:00.Lower HallBring valid government issued ID showing your name andcurrent Ramsay address & your Ramsay membership.If you were a member last year, you can renew yourmembership at the meeting.Voting will be by Secret Ballot.Childcare will be provided by a supervising adult & teens.However, you must pre-register for this service by contactingJudy at 403-697-3068 or jhellevang @hotmail.com by October 2.SEE YOU ON OCT 6TH!COMMUNITY MEMBERSHIPContact Lexie Shmyr at 403-265-4898You are the community – Your voice is important!Annual Membership allows you to: Participate in Community Sports • Voice your concerns to the CivicGovernment • Beautify our Community$10 Family • $8 Single • $6 Senior, Disabled, AssociatePlease cut out this form and mail with your cheque or money order to:Ramsay Community Association, 1136 – 8th Street SE, Calgary, AB, T2G 2Z7Ramsay Community Membership FormFamily Name(s): _________________________________________________________Your Name: __________________________Spouse’s Name:____________________Address: _______________________________________________________________Postal Code: __________________________ Telephone: ________________________Email: _________________________________________________________________Children:1. _______________________________________ Age: _________2. _______________________________________ Age: _________3. _______________________________________ Age: _________I would like to become involved with:___ Board of Directors ___ History ___ Beautification ___ Civic Affairs___ Membership ___ Casino ___ Sports ___ Technology___ Newsletter ___ Safety ___ Traffic ___ As requiredAd v e r t i s e Wi t h Us!Ramsay News is the perfect way to communicate with yourneighbours! The Ramsay News is a non-profit newsletter offeredfree of charge to the community each month. With a circulation of1200, the Ramsay News is a fun and affordable way to advertiseyour business.Submission deadline is the 15 th of the month.• Email us at news@ramsaycommunity.ab.ca or• Phone Jennifer at 403-475-0304Ad size 1 mo. 5 mo. 10 mo.business card $45 $210 $400¼ page $75 $350 $650½ page $100 $475 $900Full page $180 $875 $1600Flyer inserts $80* special rates may apply for designated pagesRamsay News page 3

Pr e s i d e n t’s Me s s a g eJudy Hellevang“Without Prejudice”This is my final report as President; my swansong if you will…After threatening to deliver “a petition” for months, a smallgroup of people opposed to the rink redevelopment project finallydid so on September 1, 2009; it is signed by one person twelvetimes, by another seven times and multiple times by several others.Some of you have told us that you felt stalked and essentiallyharassed into signing their half baked document; others havereported that they have been lied to and they want their “name offof that petition”.This handful of people think they can shut down a much-neededand supported project through heavy-handed and questionabletactics. They have disrupted community meetings by yelling,threatening volunteers and they have spread misinformation at yourdoorsteps to collect their signatures. We have the facts of the RinkRe-development Project on the Ramsay Community website andencourage you to view it at http://www.ramsaycommunity.ab.ca/sports.html. The site outlines ongoing communication with community,including open houses - yet all of this has had no impacton the misinformation they have disseminated over the last fewmonths. The Board has offered invitations to meet with the groupthough they do not show up or follow through. This controversyis being stirred up by property owners who may not even live inRamsay and it is you and your family that will lose out; these peopledo not ‘own’ the hill.Thanks to those who had the courage to step up and describethat “very friendly, well spoken, little old lady” on your doorstep.She appeared very concerned for her community as she disseminatedher misinformation. Please know that despite what you haveheard from her, or anyone else for that matter, that:• The playground at the rink site is NOT being removed. It isbeing UPGRADED to improve child safety standards. Lowimpact black rubber matting that one sees at all licensed childcare facilities will be installed increasing the safety of youngerchildren.• The ice will NOT “always be rented” as the dissenters allege.Time for your much-loved shinny WILL be there for you.Further, after the completion of Phase 1, the ice can be dependedon and it will not melt at the first sign of a Chinook.• The time slots that have been reserved for community use foryears will still be there for you. Furthermore, the hundreds ofvolunteer hours that it takes to keep the rink flooded and readywill not be required. Volunteers who have been working on thisrevitalization project for over a decade will be able to stop thisvery intense volunteer commitment of making and maintainingice as paid staff will be in place.• Ramsay’s school aged children will be offered after-school programming.The ice will be safe and have consistent quality so wecan offer children learn-to-skate programs and figure skating lessons,on a regular basis.• There will NOT be a 140-seat restaurant “with dancing until allhours of the night.”• There will be 60 parking spots NOT 600 – 800 spots. The parkingspots will reduce the present requirement for on street parking.• This redevelopment is NOT being done across the “untouchedOld North Trail”. “The original prairie surface had a longer gentlerslope up from Spiller Road, with a more irregular surface. In otherwords the relatively flatter hilltop was smaller than it is now, meaningthe eastern part of the rink footprint … is fill material thatraised the natural pre-disturbance surface to its current height. Thisis supported by the geotechnical report information.” Further there isa 1924 aerial photograph showing this.Recently, this small group delivered 127 memberships. They hadbeen covertly selling memberships for months while they disseminatedtheir misinformation. They ignored instructions to sendcheques or money orders to the hall and dumped several hundreddollars on volunteers with no regard for the secure handling of cashor the safety of the holder; on September 5 they delivered 20 more.As you know, our AGM is on October 6, 2009 and it appears thatthis group is planning to thwart the rink project by stacking theBoard of Directors with dissenters. I urge you to attend the AGMand reinforce that you too have say in what happens on the hill. Itappears that the hill has become their property and that they feelthey have domain over the rest of us because of where they live orown. How does the Ramsay Community Association work withthose who think they are above us due to their location, money orsome sort of misguided sense of entitlement? If the Ramsay Boardof Directors gets stacked with rink dissenters it will sterilize theBoard and ensure that nothing of importance to the ENTIRE communitygets done.This is a revitalization project, the rink is already there and it isin need of some TLC. This hill is outdoor space zoned for recreationand the Mandate of the Ramsay Community Association isto facilitate and encourage the recreational, cultural and social activitiesof the Community; to provide a focus for Community activities...and to …forward the interests of Ramsay and its residents.You need to come to the AGM and let these people knowthat, in the end, their tactics did not work.I, for one, have ReThought the Rink and, yep folks, I still wantit. An amenity like this can do nothing but build a healthier andmore vital community; we will ALL benefit.This amenity is about more than those who participate in sport,it is about community coming together at a year round outdoorfacility. It will enhance the cultural fabric of the community andwill allow for the shared experience that promotes fellowship. ThisIS a project with innumerable benefits and I hope you come tothe AGM and vote for community members who will act in thebest interest of Ramsay as a whole.Please be advised that ALL VOTING WILL BE BY SECRETBALLOT. Those of you who felt “terrorized” and/or “stalked” mayvote without fear of repercussions.• Remember to bring your government issued ID with your nameand Ramsay address to be eligible to vote at the AGM.• If you were a member last year you may renew your membershipat the AGM.• Childcare will be provided if you register by October 2 (seedetails on Page 3)• The AGM will be held downstairs in the hall. Doors will open at6:30 PMI hope to see you there.— Judy HellevangRamsay News page 4

Ra m s ay Sc h o o lJim Gibb, PrincipalGreetings to all our Ramsay families andthe Ramsay/Beltline community! I would like totake this opportunity to welcome you all to thenew school year and to welcome new students and their families.Also, congratulations to our new Chief Superintendent, NaomiJohnson. Our school community is a very welcoming one and weencourage you and your children to get involved with all aspectsof the school. We welcome families new to Ramsay/Beltline tovisit the school and make an appointment to learn more. We arealso able to consider “Out of Attendance” students. Please contactthe school office at 403-777-6790 for information.At Ramsay School we connect our learning to the Olympicvalues:Excellence- we believe in the right of all people to pursue theirpersonal bestFun-we believe learning can be funFairness-we believe in fairness through equality and trustRespect-we believe in open communication and respect for viewsand contributionsPersonal Growth-we believe in achievement of your highest personalpotentialLeadership-we believe in the responsibility to teach, to involveand to inspire a dreamPeace-we believe in education to promote understanding and harmonyin the worldWe expect all students of the Ramsay School learning communityto strive to:Take care of myself – be safe and come to school ready to learnTake care of others – act with kindness and respectTake care of this place – act in responsible ways and keep ourschool cleanAlways do my best – strive to be a positive role model and citizenWe focus our vision, planning and work on each student acquiringthe Calgary Board of Education Ends (www.cbe.ab.ca):Mega End – Build a foundation for life, work and continuedlearningAcademic success- possess knowledge, skills and attitudes for lifeand learningCitizenship – each student will be a responsible citizen by beingan informed and involved member in his or her communityPersonal Development – each student will acquire the skills,attitudes and knowledge to achieve to their personal highestpotentialCharacter – each student will possess the character to do what isright, act morally with wisdom and balance individual concernswith the rights and needs of othersWe have an incredibly positive, energetic and creative school culturewith an amazing group of staff and students. We encourageall parents to become involved in volunteering and with SchoolCouncil and the School Association. We know parental involvementhas a significant impact on student learning. We are committedto a safe, caring and effective learning environment. Helpus “Inspire a Dream” at Ramsay School – an awesome place tolearn!Happy Thanksgiving!Be a u t i f ic at i o n Co m m i t t e eSharon JonesAfter a slow start at the beginning of the summer theBeautification committee has recently recruited Chuck Smithfrom Smith+co to act as project manager for the new communityentry signs unveiled last winter. Chuck has agreed tovolunteer his time to manage the application for permits andto coordinate efforts to construct and install the signs at thevarious locations in the community.Four sign locations are being proposed; 2 will replace theexisting signs at the 8th street and 11th street entries into thecommunity. One sign will be reinstalled just south of the newSpiller/Stampede overpass on the west side of the road. A newsign location is being contemplated at the corner Of Bellevueand McDonald Avenues across from Pop’s Dairy Bar.The committee has a meager budget committed for theproject as well as three contributing corporate sponsors to dateand would welcome any additional individual or corporatedonations of time, materials and/or good old cash. Anyoneinterested in more information about donating please contactme, Sharon Jones, the acting chair of the BeautificationCommittee, at 262-5999.Looking for piano lessons in Ramsay?Contact Ernán Mc Loughlin, B.Mus20+ years experience in ireland and U.s.a.Children and adults welcomeWill prepare for exams or work with you just for fun!403 269 1437 ernanmcloughlin@hotmail.comRamsay News page 8

Civic Af fa i r sMichael Benoit, ChairmanSeptember Activity: DP2009-2765, 1124 – 9Street S.E. An application to build a new singlefamily dwelling using the foundation of the existinghouse on the site, with a modest increase inthe building footprint. The applicant had not requested anybuilding bylaw relaxations and the Committee noted thatthe redevelopment proposal was contextual with the existingstreetscape and the design quality appeared to be very high.DP2009-2959, 2018 Salisbury Street S.E. A similar applicationto renovate and slightly enlarge an existing two storey home.No bylaw relaxations were requested and the building plansindicated a high quality of design and construction to improveand enhance the existing streetscape.Pre-DP meeting on 725 – 23 Avenue S.E. The Committeemet with the owners of the building lot who have recentlydemolished the home situated there. The lot owners sharedtheir redevelopment building plans with the Committee andan informal discussion centered around removal, rescue andreplacement of trees, potential privacy issues with neighboursfor window and deck placement, and possible hurdles toapproval with the City Planning department.The Ramsay Annual General Meeting is scheduled for TuesdayOctober 6, and at that time I will be stepping down as Chairmanof Civic Affairs, having served my two year term. I was a memberof the Civic Affairs Committee before becoming Chairman and Iwill continue to be a Committee member to ensure that there iscontinuity and consistency in the community’s interaction withexternal stakeholders. Over the two years that I was Chairman,the Committee worked very hard to research and understand theissues surrounding the Ramsay Exchange redevelopment proposal,and I wish once again to thank all the Committee memberswho volunteered many, many hours of time in meetings withstakeholders and in researching inter-governmental legislation,environmental issues and transportation analysis. The conclusionsof the Committee in early 2008 were that this developmentproposal would not benefit the community enough to outweighthe enormous increase in traffic volumes, shadowing from theseven tall buildings being proposed, the allotment of publicspaces on the site, and the risks to public health for the futureresidents. This conclusion was not popular with some residentsof Ramsay who wished to see the large 22 acre site redevelopedat any cost. A vocal segment of community opinion over thosetwo years was that the Torode project would be the salvation ofRamsay, bringing restaurants, shops, a hotel, commercial activityand high-rise residential housing to the south end of the community.As I write this article, it is unknown if the project willproceed because of the recessionary financial crunch and oversupplyof both commercial and multi-family residential real estate inCalgary. It is my personal wish that in the future, new owners ofthe site will formally engage the community to discuss a developmentproposal that will allow for modest height townhousesalong the perimeter of the site to attract young families withchildren to populate the historic Ramsay Elementary School,and to redevelop the historic industrial buildings under directcontrol (DC) with support from the City of Calgary, for workingspaces for artists and possible public uses like theatres andrehearsal spaces for the performing arts, in a pedestrian orientedenvironment. There are many examples of successful adaptivereuses of historic and industrial buildings in Toronto, Vancouver,Portland Oregon and many other cities in North America andEurope. There is enormous potential for Ramsay to become thetrue historic centre of a vibrant, healthy, diverse and sustainableinner city. Any future development in the community of Ramsaymust demonstrate that it will benefit the community to maintainand enhance its village-like residential ambience. Hence the missionstatement of the Civic Affairs Committee: “The communityof Ramsay welcomes sustainable development that respects the historyand emerging character of the neighbourhood, complies withthe Area Redevelopment Plan and Bylaws, and will be a benefit tothe people who live here.” For a complete review of all documentson Ramsay Exchange, visit www.ramsaycommunity.ab.ca, underCivic Affairs.In an effort to understand what the future of Ramsay mightlook like as an inner-city residential community, it is vital thatcommunity leaders undertake a visioning exercise with help fromprofessional planners, architects and developers. The processwould involve taking an inventory of existing streetscapes andtypes of land use zoning, discussing what the impacts of thefuture S.E. LRT line and any new road improvements will be,and what affect external development might have – the City’sbuildout of the Manchester Business Park, the Stampede’s continuingexpansion plans, Lilydale’s exit date, the Blackfoot toMacleod Trail transportation corridor, and the new site for theSaddledome in Victoria Park. All these things and many more,will have an impact on this community and it is important thatcommunity leaders create a community plan that can eventuallyform the basis for a much-needed update and revision of theArea Redevelopment Plan for Ramsay. I hope to help undertakethis process with other residents and whatever help we can recruitfrom community planning professionals. If we don’t do thisourselves, the City and developers will do it for us, with resultsthat may adversely affect the community fabric. This was demonstratedwith the proposed ARP amendment that was written tofavour the Ramsay Exchange development at the expense of thecommunity.As always, the Civic Affairs Committee welcomes new members.Contact the Chairman for information about upcomingmeetings and the Committee Terms of Reference and theVolunteer Code of Conduct.Ramsay News page 9

ROYAL LEPAGE REAL ESTATE1. From One Generation to the Next, 2 Full Time Community Realtorscommitted to you no assistants and hands on service.2. Life Time member of distinguished Chairman’s Club representing Top1% in Canada since 1983.3. Over 500 Corporate clients with Royal LePage Global RelocationService Global marketing – Royal LePage International Web Site:www.royallepage.ca & www.realtor.ca & www.yoki.ca4. Canada’s Most Referred Realtor Member5. Royal LePage National Sponsor of Women’s Shelters. We donate aportion of all our commission to Calgary Women’s Shelter BUY ORSELL – Help us open doors, to Mom’s in need who have had doorsclosed to them. A very worthy cause!!Yoki & Jeff NicholTOP 1% in Canada Since 1983Bus: 271-5555From one Generation to the Next…Both working for you withSINCERITY AND INTEGRITYRelocation Specialist with over 300 Corporate ClientsWe appreciate and we thank you for your loyalty.www.yoki.caLicensed Agent13 years sales experience7 years MLS Million Dollar Clubyoki@yoki.cajeff@yoki.caRAM REALTY

C ommunityT idbitsKUDOS FOR CARLINEI am writing to let you know of the fantastic customer serviceI received from one of your advertisers A-1 Carline Muffler. Ihad taken my car in for a pre-vacation oil change to anotherfacility. They told me I had an oil leak and needed a new oilpan bolt as the one in my vehicle was likely to cause a leak.I took my car to Carline for a second opinion. The staff wasfriendly and the issues were explained to me clearly withouttalking down. I was told I did not need to take the motorapart for an expensive repair and there was no charge fortheir time. It’s nice to have an honest mechanic in the area. -Catherine CartmillPENGUIN CARWASHNew owners, new management, new paint job, new cement,new sign. Come and check us out.ARTPOINT GALLERY & STUDIOSOCIETYOCTOBER 2 - 31, 2009. OPENING, FRIDAY OCT. 2 from5-9 pm.MAIN GALLERY: Eric Proulx - brilliant, intricate carvings inwood; paintings on glass. UPSTAIRS GALLERY: Pam SimsDalsin, “Imbodiments” - Mixed media; Sculpture, Wall andRelief pieces. RED GALLERY: Artpoint Member group show,“Trainspotting”, works in different media.PUBLIC INPUT ON PESTICIDEBYLAWVoice your opinion. A short survey of five (5) questions togather the input of Calgarians has been developed to help TheCity of Calgary draft a pesticide use bylaw to present to CityCouncil in December 2009. The survey can be completedonline at: http://www.hargroup.ca/ppbc/7281logn.htm.RAMSAY SENIORSPlay pool on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Whist isplayed on Tuesdays. A potluck supper is held on the 3rdThursday of every month. Call Roy Braybrook at 262-5650for more info.ODD JOBHandyman ServicesRamsify your home•Decks and Fences *all screw construction*•Siding Installation•Painting•Repairs to Almost AnythingERIC 863-­‐2237•Kitchen Kits Installation•Bathroom Remodeling•Junk Removal•Revolutions OrganizedIncorporating the 3R’s.....Reduce.....Re-use.....RecycleJoe Ceci268-2430 or joe.ceci@calgary.caFor The RecordSee www.joececi.ca for my opinions and reasons behinddecisions that Council is making that affect both Ward 9 andthe City overall. I hope to give a deeper insight into City mattersand my position on issues.403-268-2430joe.ceci@calgary.caJonathan Denis, M.L.A.Calgary Egmont ConstituencyCalgary Egmont Constituency#10, 8318 Fairmount Dr. S.E., T2H 0Y8640-1363, 640-2970 (f)Edmonton - toll free - 310-0000 and key in 780-427-5777calgary.egmont @assembly.ab.caGovernment Cautions Albertans about Online Car AdScamsOur offices have been receiving inquiries about fraudulentInternet vehicle sales advertisements that attempt to defraudunsuspecting consumers.The advertisements are typically placed on classified advertisingor automotive-listing sites. The seller then directs potentialbuyers to a phony site designed to resemble a legitimatepayment-protection website. No vehicle is ever delivered andthe buyers lose their money.Red flags for consumers include: if the seller is fromanother region or country and uses a general e-mail account(i.e. Hotmail or Yahoo) or uses a post office box; if the sellerrequires the use of a payment protection site or a wire serviceto send money, especially to another country; and if the vehicleis priced well below its actual value. Consumers should also bewary of sellers who insist on a quick decision.Consumers can learn more about protecting themselveswhen shopping online by calling the Consumer ContactCentre toll free at 1-877-427-4088. Additional informationcan be found on the Internet Shopping Tipsheet on the ServiceAlberta website at www.servicealberta.ca/1020.cfm. If you feelthat you may have come across of one of these scams, you arealso encouraged to contact the Calgary Police Service at 403-266-1234.As always, please feel free to contact me with your commentsat 403-640-1363 or calgary.egmont@assembly.ab.caRamsay News page 11

call it fallcall it harvestor call it autumnit comes too soonand leaves too early(did you notice the leaves?they turn, they turn)i’ve waited my fifteen minutes, andyes, the weather has changedi’ll wait another fifteen andwatch it change againinevitable, inevitablythings will changethey turn, they turn815-3733fred@holliss.caweb design printone more lawn mow before snow fallKaraokeNightOct. 17403.262.86622016 Spiller RoadMondays: 25¢ WingsTuesdays: $7 .95 PastaVisit www.ramsaycommunity.ab.caEveryday:Pizza Slice & Pint $5 .99Happy Hour 4-8pmFree DeliveryRamsay News page 12

Tr a f f ic Co m m i t t e eTaras Semeniuk, ChairPermanent Closure of 30 th Avenue: This isthe short stretch of road that crosses the CPRtracks between Highfield and Dartmouth Roads.The closure is part of a deal between The City and CPR tobuild the 4 th Street SE underpass and will have CPR relocatetheir shunting lines from the south side of 9 th Avenue SE tothe vicinity of 30 th Avenue. This involves the construction ofa ‘round-about’ at the 26 th Avenue and Dartmouth Road SEintersection (presently underway).A review of the proposed plan and associated Traffic ImpactAssessment (TIA) by the Ramsay Traffic Committee andother Ramsay residents identified a number of concerns (seeJuly newsletter and website for more details). Communityissues render down to ‘safety’ and ‘quality of life’ associatedwith increased rail traffic. Interestingly, feedback from oneCalgary Police District 1 officer that I talked to echoes ourconcern that timely access to the community may not happenwhen a train is blocking 26 th Avenue. The officer explainedthat when the traffic circle was blocked by the train, responsefrom District 1 would be via Blackfoot Trail, 15 th Street SE,9 th Avenue SE and either 8 th or 12 th Streets. Considering rushhour traffic, response time is certainly a concern.To that end, a letter was written to the City of Calgary on22 August 2009 itemizing community concerns. City administrationand Alderman Ceci have been silent on the matter, possiblyconsistent with the ‘feigned community consultation policy’that seems to be in place when the ‘approving authority’ andthe ‘developer’ are one and the same.Stairs on Scotsman’s Hill – On September 3 rd we receivednotice that the timber stairway between Scotsman’s Hilland Stampede Park would be closed on September 8 th forreconstruction. This work is part of life-cycle replacementand is expected to last approximately one month. Apologiesto those residents caught by surprise; City communicationsrepresentatives have agreed to “tighten up the linesof communication between what’s happening in the fieldwith operations staff, us here in the office, and the citizensin our communities such as yourself.” One suggestion putforth was that the base of the stairs should align with theopen area rather than the side of Stampede’s chain link fence(thanks to Brad Kuhne). Anyway, the stairway should reopenby the second week of October.Rink Redevelopment: Baseline speed and volume data onRamsay Street and Burns Avenue prior to any improvementshave been collected. This data along with traffic projectionsprovided by the Rink and Recreation Committee’s businessplan were analyzed and updated to the website on 27 July2009 [see rink frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) at http://www.ramsaycommunity.ab.ca/rink/FAQ_rink.pdf ] as follows:Q: How much traffic can be expected as a result of the rinkredevelopment?A: Baseline traffic counts prior to any re-development were150 vehicles per day (vpd) for Ramsay Street (March 2009)and 460 vpd for Burns Avenue (July 2009). From the July2009 business plan, anticipated Phase III daily volumesrange from 135 to 330 vpd. It is likely that this estimaterepresents ‘worst case’ and over-estimates actual volumesconsidering not all rentals will be 2-teams with each persondriving their own vehicle. Rather, it is more likely that practicerentals would be approximately half the volume, someusers will car pool and some programmed events will havesmaller groups, e.g. figure skating.For Phases 1 and 2, it is likely that traffic will use 6th Street,Ramsay Street and Burns Avenue whereas for Phase 3 it islikely that the majority of vehicles will use Burns Avenue giventhat the parking lot entrance is roughly one block west ofSpiller Road. It is anticipated that Spiller Road, 8th Street and21st Avenue will be used to connect with Burns Avenue.Ramsay Street, Burns Avenue and 6th Street are classifiedas ‘residential streets’ under City policy and have an ‘environmentalcapacity’ of 500 to 1,500 vpd. Therefore, assuming100% of the vehicles use Burns Avenue, this equates toapproximately 595 to 790 vpd, and lies at the lower end of theCity’s environmental capacity range. Generally, it is expectedthat Ramsay traffic volumes would further increase by about3% per year based on the overall growth of the City of Calgaryand the ensuing effect on inner city communities such asRamsay.Please contact the Traffic Committee at traffic@ramsaycommunity.ab.caif you have any traffic-related comments, concernsor would like to become involved the committee.COMMUNITYCLASSIFIEDSRamsay Bumper Stickers – are stillavailable. Contact Ev at 708-8012.Babysitting – in Ramsay, call Jazmin at259-3753.IS YOUR SPACE TOOSMALL?Check out Ramsay’s renovated community hall.Call Gisele at 265-4898.Ramsay News page 13

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CAUSE Ro o t s Ou t Li ly d a l e St i n kJennifer QuigleyOn August 28 Citizens Against Urban StinkyEnvironments (CAUSE) staged an event in thefield next to Lilydale in response to their frustrationover the situation with Lilydale. The Unveiling of theDevice to Root Out Stink event comprised of a communityBBQ, egg races, a giant drumstick relay race and the unveilingof a gigantic chicken sculpture (whose name is a play on TheDevice to Root Out Evil by Dennis Oppenheim); it all woundup with an outdoor screening of “Chicken Run” on the side ofthe Lilydale plant.I didn’t know what to expect when I attended the event,but it was actually very fun, upbeat and positive (especiallyconsidering it was a demonstration). I learned that the giantchicken took a week to create and that the whole event wasorganized by CAUSE volunteers. I was really surprised to discoverthat Lilydale actually donated the chicken that was beingbarbequed. “We invited them to be involved. We wanted toensure they were aware of what we were doing. We asked themto attend, speak and make a donation. They chose to make adonation”, said Xstine Cook, a CAUSE artist.CAUSE formed about a year ago and is comprised ofRamsay residents who are unhappy that Lilydale continuesto create unlivable stink, noise and debris in our community.Xstine continued, “The Device to Root out Stink is a piece ofart and it’s created by the community to embody our dissatisfactionwith what’s going on. We believe art can affect positivechange.” CAUSE members believe that Lilydale operations arethe number one reason why our community is not as enjoyableas it could be. CAUSE artist Nicole Schon summed up herfrustrations, “You wait all year for summer to come around,and then, when it does you can’t stand to be outside because ofthe stink or because there are chicken parts scattered over youryard.”What does CAUSE want Lilydale to do? “Support ourCAUSE. Move out of Ramsay” says CAUSE artist Cor Koster.Xstine chimes in, “Until they move out, we want to have afriendly relationship. We invite Lilydale to be a better neighbourto Ramsay residents.” CAUSE has plans in the worksfor continued art work, direct discussions with Lilydale and a“Green Screen” of trees between the plant and the neighbourhood.“We believe art can inspire positive action and we have alot of community support” says Cook.CAUSE thanks everyone who helped with the Unveiling ofthe Device to Root Out Stink: Josep Boutin, John Braak, MaryContrary, Xstine Cook, Kevin Cunningham, Sean Dennie,Maezy Dennie, Medina Dennie, Zaiyah Dennie, RachelEscoe, Evi the Hen, Laura Fenniak, Charlotte Ford, IsabelFord, Jackie Ford, Todd Ford, Kat Hansen, Bev Holt, BrentHolt, Jesse Holt, Bill Hornecker, Paul Hughes, Sharon Jones,Cornelius Koster, Sophie Koster, Quinn Koster, ElizabethLeseur, Art Matsui, Philana Morin, James Phinney, Matt Risler,Andrea Rhymer, Adele Sanoy, Nicole Schon, Chuck Smith,Sam Smith, Smith and Co, Taras Semeniuk, Don Tuffle (forthe styrofoam!), Josh Van der Kerkhove, Adrienne Weare andMatt Wilson. Special Thanks to City TV, CTV and CBC fordoing stories on the issue.Editor’s Note: Over the next few months, I’ll be writing aseries of articles featuring different perspectives on Lilydale. Inmy opinion, the ammonia leak on September 14 is just onemore reason why Lilydale should not continue to operate in aresidential community.Ramsay News page 15

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