Welcome to Fall Everyone!
We are excited that we have made it through another busy summer. I believe both of our new schools opened and have definitely changed up the traffic flow around the neighbourhood, with most of the Blvd and Aves being reduced to a maximum speed of 30kms and having to navigate around school bus zones.
I would like to extend a huge thank you to our amazing Residents Association and the wonderful firework celebration to mark the end of summer. It was another great event enjoyed by so many.
The Community Association (CA) was officially chosen to be part of the AGLC and given a date of 2023 to host a casino. We are looking to spend the funding we receive on a couple of important projects in the community: A new maintenance free shed on the CA site and potentially some upgrades to the gardens. Currently, we are looking to raise just over $25k for these projects, and the casino would cover these costs.
One thing I have noticed these past couple of months is that a few community residents have been very vocal about things they feel that the CA isn’t doing well. We do appreciate the feedback but want to remind everyone that the CA is a Volunteer Run organization, and that we can only work within the confines of the money we raise and the volunteers that step forward to help; we have no one backing us with endless funding. If you don’t like how things are working outside of the lake area/Auburn House/Residents Association, please step forward and make a difference in your community. We are always open to anyone who is willing to come forward to share some solutions to a problem/issue. Remember, it is the CA that plans the Parade of Lights and Stampede Breakfast, which are two great free events that over 10,000 residents get to enjoy, but we cannot do it without the support of the community. Please remember that “volunteering is the price you are willing to pay, for the community you want to live in”, and can give you the opportunity to make new friendships and be part of something bigger.
We had to move the Garden’s Grand Opening to September 24, 2022, so we will have an update in the following edition on the event.
Our September 10, free financial workshops went well, with a number of attendees at the events. We would like to thank the Calgary Co-Op for the use of the room and will be doing our best to share the edited videos on our YouTube channel soon. A huge thank you to the following for coming out and sharing their knowledge: ATB Mahogany (Joaquin Marquez), Aurora Capital (Phil Walker), and Experior Financial Group (Maurice Campagnaro). I learned a bit from each of these sessions, including the need to sit down and review my life insurance policies.
The Community Kitchen Good Food Box program continues to grow each month and is a great opportunity to get affordable and delicious produce. You can get a small box (approximately 20 to 25lbs) for $25, medium (30 to 35lbs) for $30, or large (40 to 45lbs) for $35, delivered once a month. I am glad to announce that the Residents Association has partnered with us to be the pickup point for Depot #2. I hope this will be continuing into the future, to help alleviate some of the workload I am under. I heard from a couple of people that they thought it went well. I haven’t heard recently how the City of Calgary pop-up vegetable market is going, as they were looking for a better location.
Auburn Bay has a large number of Facebook groups. There is a Pet Group, Seniors Group, Grillers Group, Ladies Group, Food Lovers Group, Gardening Group, Community Garden Group, Ladies Clothing Exchange Group, Business Group, Buy-Nothing Group… the list is nearly endless. Make sure to go and check these fabulous interest groups out.
Finally, a reminder that the next CA online meeting will be on October 12. These meetings are open to everyone, and we look forward to having you there for your input and participation. The links to join in the meeting are available on our website. We have also uploaded the minutes from the past meetings as well.
Carla Obuck
Sports and Events Director, Auburn Bay Community Association (ABCA)
