It is hard to believe that we are rolling towards fall and the start of school next week. We hope you have all had a wonderful summer.
It has been surprisingly hot, with the City implementing water restrictions, which is the first I can remember in a number of years living in Calgary. Which is why I want to remind everyone that we are at high risk for grass 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, and I still see people tossing cigarette butts out their car windows.
We have planted our six fruit trees: three apple trees, two pear trees, and one cherry tree and look forward to the fruit they will provide the community in the coming years. Our one volunteer even got to enjoy the three apples that the one tree had, and she said they were quite delicious even if not fully ripened. We ended up having to hire a bobcat to come and drill post holes as the ground was rock hard and near impossible to dig up by hand. A huge thank you to all the volunteers that came out and provided their expertise. We even used some of the dirt to fill the hole by the curb, which didn’t look too bad, but we had to use three wheelbarrows full to bring it up to level with the surrounding ground.
Unfortunately, the driver for Broxburn Farm recently quit and left them unable to find someone to host the market at Auburn Bay school. So, the City of Calgary’s Farm Market Stand program had to cancel Auburn Bay for the remainder of this year.
We owe a huge debt of gratitude to all the amazing volunteers that came out to support our first Casino, we ended up only having to fill three spots with the advisors and Casino Volunteer crew. We all had a lot of fun visiting with each other while we awaited being called upon for our shifts, definitely something I would do again. We will know what our share of the quarter will be at the end of September when they split up the pool of funds. I hadn’t realized how the casino fundraisers worked as I worried that it was a super slow night.
Now we can start planning for the replacement shed and the few upgrades at the community garden. We have been having a lot of issues with the water tanks being drained overnight as a prank. It could be a lot worse though as Lakeshore Middle school was hit by rocks that smashed two of the large panes of glass at a substantial cost to us as taxpayers. Unfortunately, I wish I could say these are outsiders, but Copperfield CA got hit by vandals that burned down their free little library and stole a couple of bikes for a program at their community centre. Their cameras caught great shots of the youths who were recognized by a local resident as being from their community (10 to 12 years old). Also, in talking with the Porta Potty company we used at the gardens, she noted that ours being overturned was not an exception to all the damage they experienced this past year, especially in the SE. I noticed the other day that the large chair on the west side of Prince of Peace is missing all of their back boards, which would have had to be pulled off. I am not sure what we can do to help our youths understand that what seems like harmless fun does have a cost, whether it is the City’s property taxes being used to cover graffiti, our taxpayers’ money being used to replace smashed windows or fix vandalism of school equipment, or the countless hours volunteers donate to various projects around the community. I know a couple of years ago, some youths were tearing branches off the trees at the park by my house, and when I ran into one of the youths at an event, I asked him why. He really had no answer, so I asked him, “Why would you destroy your home?” For me, all of Auburn Bay is part of my home and I am so proud of all that we have accomplished in these past 18 years.
If you are a homeowner that is directly adjacent to the Blvd, Ave, or pedestrian access points, please note that you are officially responsible for the maintenance of the strip of grass between your home and the street, or the pedestrian access. Which means keeping weeds/grass to 15 cm (6”) high and removing snow. If you notice any infractions, you can report it to the City of Calgary by calling 311. If you are in question of whose responsibility it is, 311 is able to confirm on their map whether an area is the responsibility of the City, RA, or homeowner.
Thank you to all the volunteers that were able to come out and help me replace all the broken tracks on the community signs. It will hopefully make changing the messages a lot easier, especially when it is unbearably cold and snowy.
The Community Kitchen Good Food Box program continues to grow each month and is a great opportunity to get affordable and delicious produce. After many years they have had to implement a small price increase of $5 per box. You can now get a small box (approximately 20 to 25lbs) for $30, medium (30 to 35lbs) for $35, or large (40 to 45lbs) for $40, delivered once a month. Please check out the post on our website for the google form to place your order. Next order date is September 12 for September 22 delivery. I would like to thank Tracy S. for stepping forward to take over the pick-ups at her home starting August.
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 September 13, followed by October 11. 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)
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