Happy summer everyone!
I am always surprised how quickly the seasons change, and it looks like we are in for a hot summer, starting with temperatures in the high 20s and potentially some 30-degree weather in the forecast. With the hot dry weather, comes the high risk for fires, please make sure that you dispose of any burning material accordingly. If you smoke at home, note that planters can be full of peat moss which can catch fire. Also, please don’t toss lit cigarettes out of a vehicle window as most grass fires start that way.
Many people may have noticed that there have been a number of changes at the community gardens site already this year. We have moved the brown shed from the LRT site for additional storage, ten of the white beds, additional water totes, and supplies. Thank you to all the volunteers that stepped forward and to Kyle’s Dump Run for helping to make it happen. Thank you to Lowe’s 130th as well for the donation of wood we needed to expand the white beds to match the steel ones.
A huge thank you to all of the volunteers that came out on May 13 for the final push to get the white beds in place and filled with dirt. Thank you to Terry R., our wonderful CA president for the use of a skid steer and being the operator to get the dirt loaded; 90 minutes of work would have taken days if we had to do it by hand. His skill set enabled us to create a seating area with the rocks that I am sure the local teens will find to be a great hang out spot. Hopefully, they will find it more comfortable and safer than the roof of the green shed. Thank you to each volunteer that donated a couple of hours of your time to not only help with the dirt, but help in organizing the garden sheds, and making the space feel welcoming for people who just want to stop by and enjoy it. We look forward to seeing it come together.
We have continued to investigate other low maintenance options for the replacement of the CA shed. Once we raise the funds, we will have the new unit placed to the SW of the green one, then we can transfer over our supplies and finally return the green one to the City’s inventory. It will all depend on when we receive money from the casino. We hope to also have a bit of money left to upgrade the brown garden shed, as it got damaged by hail before being donated to us and moved.
The City of Calgary’s Farm Market Stand is back in Auburn Bay, with Broxburn Farms providing a variety of locally grown produce. The market will be set up in the Auburn Bay School parking lot on Saturdays from 4:00 to 7:00 pm. I had the opportunity to stop by and pick up some items to try and found that they were definitely more flavourful than store bought options.
We will have an update on the various May 27 events (YYC Community Cleanup, Auburn Bay Cleanup, and BBQ event) in the next edition, but expect that they will go well since we have hosted them in the past.
We did extremely well with the Fundraiser BBQ we hosted May 6 during the Parade of Garage Sales. We had a number of volunteers brave the rainy weather to help make this a great success. Thank you to all the people who stopped by to enjoy a burger or hotdog; the Cobb’s buns were definitely enjoyed by all. I am sure that if the weather had been a bit nicer, we would have completely sold out of everything. Thank you to realtor Shannon Spearle for including us in this year’s events, I am sure that we will want to be part of it in the future.
As for future events, we have started plans for the upcoming Stampede Breakfast on Saturday July 8, more details to follow.
Just a reminder that we will be hosting our first casino on July 26 and 27 at the Deerfoot Inn & Casino. We have filled a number of the shifts already and hope it will be a great success. Please ensure to check out the post on our website and Facebook page for the link on how to sign up. We need the support of our amazing community if we want to continue to offer our subsidized (free) programs/events that are enjoyed by so many.
Once again, we would like to remind everyone that the speed limit within the community is 50 km maximum along the Blvd/Ave. Every day I feel like I am putting my life in someone else’s hands as I have to cross the Blvd to leave, seeing many people doing 60 to shave off a minute from their driving time. Most of the side roads have a maximum of 40 km, and many stretches have playground/school zones of 30. We have been trying to get some additional policing out to try to help curb our speeding, as there is no reason vehicles are ending up in people’s front lawns due to not slowing down enough to make the corner. Too many people are reporting almost getting hit trying to cross the road. Reminder all intersecting road corners are considered to be pedestrian crosswalks, whether or not they are painted and have signage. Vehicles must yield the roadway to the pedestrians. Please call 311 to voice any complaints/concerns you might have around the community, as the City gives higher priority to areas with higher reports.
Additionally, CPS has been doing a “Drive Safe” campaign around the city to ensure drivers are aware that if you see a vehicle along the side of the road, you should be moving a lane over to provide clearance. I saw the issue firsthand a couple of years ago, when my daughter and I got a flat tire along Deerfoot and although we had pulled almost into the ditch, people were refusing to move over and almost collided with the emergency vehicle that had pulled over to help us. Believe me it is terrifying to be the person that has to stop on the side, and then to see a number of vehicles almost collide is indescribable. Please move over and provide space for those vehicles.
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. Please check out the post on our website for the google form to place your order.
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 June 14, then we are off until August 9. 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
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