Thank you to everyone who joined us at our Winter Festival last month. It was so nice to get out after the Christmas freeze and mingle with neighbours again. All Calgarians know the difficulty in predicting our weather; and planning these events months in advance adds a further level of the unknown. I don’t know a person or a weather model that can anticipate +8℃ chinooks so far ahead but thankfully most went as planned! About 120 guests passed through during the three-hour event to enjoy hot chocolate, music, skating, and fire pits. Although the ice was soft and grass mostly brown, everyone was happy with the day. And our new solar powered streetlights were unveiled. These lights charge during the day and come on between 6:00 to 9:00 pm when motion is detected to illuminate the rink.
In January, I met with the Presidents of Nolan Hill, Kincora, Sherwood, Evanston, and Symons Valley Park Society to discuss issues in our communities. Historically, we try to meet three times a year but since the pandemic, this was the first time we’ve met. We discussed politics, schools, soccer, baseball, sportball, traffic, events, infrastructure projects, membership and financial limitations, volunteers, and collaborations. As Community Associations, we want to be in a position to offer more in our communities but need a higher level of support from our residents than we currently have. This is achieved through more Annual Membership sales, sports registrations, and more volunteers to help with the workload and goals. Community Associations are here to improve our neighbourhoods and all we ask is for every house in the community to purchase a voluntary $25 annual membership, then get involved! Memberships can be purchased at www.sagehillyyc.comregister/.
Sage Hill, Nolan Hill, Kincora, and Sherwood community Soccer through Calgary Blizzard soccer club will be opening registration this week for the upcoming spring season. For information or to register, go to www.sagehillyyc.com, hover over the “Sports” drop down tab, then click ‘Soccer’ to be re-directed to www.calgaryblizzard.com, where you can hover over “In The Community” drop down tab, and finally click ‘2022 Outdoor Community Programs’.
Last week, it was brought to our attention that the Free Little Library box in Symons Gate was in need of urgent repairs. The glass door was damaged and missing, and many of the shingles were gone. If these ever need repair, please contact us through our various Social Media accounts or send us an email. We want to keep these operational for many years and not have them fall into disrepair, but we don’t always see issues right away.
At the February board meeting, we are hosting Hive Developments for a presentation regarding 30 Sage Hill Road NW development (LOC-2021-0178 and DP2021-09197). If built, it’s supposed to be a six-story apartment complex. One role of Community Associations is to offer comments to City Hall on various municipal Permits in our community. These can include Building or Relaxation Permits, Business License Applications, and New Development Permits. If residents have questions surrounding purposed Permit Applications in Sage Hill, we encourage you to get in touch with us so we can share information, gain knowledge, and take a democratic group approach with the City. The SHCA doesn’t comment on every application, but we do pick higher priority developments and advocate for the best interest of our community. This project is one of them and will be the fourth time in our existence we’ve met with a developer. Hive Developments will be delivering door hanger/information packages to homes nearest Sage Hill Drive and Sage Valley Blvd in February and I am told it will contain information as well as a link to an online forum where one can engage with both the City and Developer.
If anyone has a desire to attend any Board meetings, you are welcome to request an invite. There are some requirements, such as you must hold a valid SHCA Membership and be quiet and respectful during the meeting. Member questions must be held until the ‘Questions from the Floor’ period, which is at the end of the Agenda, unless the Chairperson allows otherwise. Usually, guests leave after their time period, so to ensure your question gets answered, you can submit them in writing to [email protected]. The Chairperson can then read questions on your behalf so long as it’s within the allotted time.
We have a number of vacancies on our board and an AGM in April and would love to recruit a few new motivated Directors. If you are thinking of joining, or just want to get more involved in our community, come sit in on a meeting and see who we are and what we do. Directors can do as little as a few hours a month, or as much as a part time job should you wish that. Not only is volunteering a great way to give back to the community, but it also looks good on a resume and applications.
Upcoming SHCA meetings: February 8 and March 8, both from 7:00 to 8:00 pm via Microsoft Teams.
Thank you,
Ross Utigard
President, Sage Hill Community Association
