august 2020 delivered monthly to 4,500 households ...€¦ · the official sandstone & macewan...

THE OFFICIAL SANDSTONE & MACEWAN COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER

your SANDSTONEMACEWAN

DELIVERED MONTHLY TO 4,500 HOUSEHOLDSOCTOBER 2020

Cover Image by Jason Song

Your mortgage may be costing you thousands more than you need to pay! As a local mortgage professional, I have helped your neighbours navigate their purchase, refinancing, and renewal options.

Licensed by Verico Avenue Financial Real Estate Solutions.

ANITA403-771-8771 • [email protected]

LOCAL MORTGAGE BROKER

BEGINNERCOMPETITIVE

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Pre-Power | AdultIntro to Figure Skating

Figure Skating programs

National Certified Programs taught by National Certified Coaches

www.HHSkatingClub.com

@HHSkatingClub

403-275-6061

Huntington HillsSkating Club

COME SKATE

WITH US!

REGISTER ONLINE

Programs run out of theHuntington Hills Community

Centre and VIVO

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FIND SOLUTION ON PAGE 6

Cover Photo Runners-Up

Jennifer Bidlake Schroeder

Moon by Sven Stuwe

S A N D S T O N E M A C E WA N I O C TO B E R 2020 3

5 Excellent Reasons to Advertise in Community Newsletter Magazines1. Top of Mind Brand Awareness: Consistent advertising leads to increased sales. Companies maintain and gain

market share when community residents are consistently reminded of their brands.2. Payback: Community residents trust, and call businesses that advertise in their community magazines.3. High Readership: 68% female | Even distribution of Millennial, Gen X, and Baby Boomer readers4. Cost Effective: With advertising rates as low as $0.01 cent per household, advertising in our community maga-

zines is incredibly affordable.5. Geofence Your Audience: Manage your budget, optimize your returns and target your audience by specific

community magazines.

Nearby Community Newsletter Magazines:

To Advertise Call 403 720 0762Email [email protected]

GREAT NEWS MEDIA

GREAT NEWS MEDIA

Your Sandstone MacEwan - Designed, manufactured, and delivered monthly to 4,100 Households by:

Magazine EditorJocelyn [email protected]

Design | GraphicsJoanne BergenMarina LitvakErica Morton

Advertising SalesSamantha Brown

[email protected] 720 0762

Print & DigitalTARGETEDMARKETINGBY COMMUNITY

4 O C TO B E R 2020 I Ca l l 403-720-0762 fo r adver t i s ing oppor tun i t ies

are held the 2nd Thursday of the month at 7:00PM at the Berkshire Citadel-Sandarac Drive, NW

Everyone is welcome to attend.

Sandstone/MacEwan Community Association Meetings

No meetings July or August

SANDSTONEMACEWAN

300, 8120 Beddington Blvd. NW • Calgary, AB T3K 2A8General Inquiries: [email protected]

sandstonemacewan.com

Girl Guides Leslie Jones 403-275-7098#224 Sandstone Steve Herz 403-262-2871Community Heather Gibbons [email protected] Police Const. Bruce Graham [email protected]

Disclaimer: Published articles, reports or submissions reflect the opinions of the author and should not be considered to reflect the opinions of Great News Media (GNM) and the Sandstone MacEwan Community (SMCA) and/or Residents’ Association (SMRA). The information contained in this magazine is believed to be accurate but is not warranted to be so. GNM and SMCA and/or SMRA do not endorse any person(s) advertising in this newsletter. Advertisements are not an endorsement of any goods or services.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORSPresident Sue Coatham1st Vice-President Trevor Bacon2nd Vice-President Phil NantaisTreasurer Sharon MazurkewichSecretary Willa (Yanhua) WuDIRECTORSMembership Director Carolyn GomezCasino Director Willa (Yanhua) Wu Newsletter Director Trevor Bacon Director at Large Shayne ChidlawDirector at Large Jennifer Bidlake SchroederDirector at Large Colin May

YOUR CITY OF CALGARY

Preparing Your Home and Yard for Winter: Fall Checklist is a Great Place to StartDo you wonder if you are doing the right things – in-doors and outdoors – to prepare your home for winter? The Homeowner Water Guide Fall Checklist, with simple steps you can take to protect your home from leaks and prepare your yard for winter, is a great place to start.

You’ll find reminders and tips like:

•Check your toilets, taps, humidifier, hot water heater, water softener and other water using devices for leaks

•Turn off your outdoor water supply and winterize your irrigation system to avoid winter leaks

•Check the Watering 101 Guides to find out when to stop watering plants, shrubs and trees

•Check the lawn care guide for tips on letting your grass grow into dormancy – when best to stop watering and cutting your lawn.

When it comes to residential and household leaks, toi-lets, faucets and outdoor irrigation are the most com-mon culprits. Our library of Homeowner Water Guides provides step-by-step guidance to identify and repair leaks in our homes, and ideas for using water in the most efficient way possible. Given the pressures our riv-ers feel from a changing climate and a growing city, ev-ery effort to be water efficient will help keep our rivers – and our community – healthy and resilient.

To find everything you need, including the Fall Check-list, visit calgary.ca/waterguide.


NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENTHappy Thanksgiving Day!Fall is a great time of year as the trees start to turn, leaves fall, and gardeners harvest the last of their yields. Farmers have worked nonstop getting the crops off the field. Thanksgiving is steeped in Canadian tradition and is a time for family and friends to come together in ap-preciation for what they have. Families and friends have had months to practice safe social distancing because of COVID-19, and it is critical to continue to plan gather-ings with a small cohort.

October 4 to 10 is Fire Prevention week, and this year’s theme is Fire Safety in the Kitchen.

Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in most provinces. Use the week to educate your family and friends on cooking hazards, the dangers of unattended cooking, and precautions they can take to prevent cooking-related fires.

Thanks to those who have sent in photos for the SMCA Photo Contest. Every month we select one picture for the cover page of our SMCA Newsletter and include sev-eral other pictures for inside the newsletter that show-case our great community. Submit photos to [email protected]. Pictures must be high resolu-tion and received by the 9th of the month to get into the following month’s edition.

Our SMCA Casino scheduled for July was postponed due to COVID-19. Recently, casinos have opened again, and the SMCA Board is anxious to receive our rescheduled date. Every eighteen months approximately, we are for-tunate to benefit from a casino event that generates the operating funds to support our many community initia-tives, including rink maintenance, music in the park, com-munity clean-up, and so on. As we have mentioned, we have a major capital project we are working on to replace the hockey rink and replace the sheds with one building.

The SMCA monthly Board Meetings are held at the Berk-shire Citadel Church, on the second Thursday of every month, at 7:00 pm. Given social-distancing guidelines, we ask guests to contact us in advance to arrange to at-tend in person or call into the meeting.

Our SMCA Annual General Meeting is being held on November 12, 2020, at the Berkshire Citadel Church on Sandarac Drive, at 7:00 pm. We have vacant positions on the Board and are looking for volunteers to consider joining the Board. Our Board Members contribute to the planning of all SMCA events, maintenance of the rinks,

websites, social media pages, and the monthly newslet-ter. Please contact us for more information in terms of the scope of the vacant positions, as well as the level of commitment required.

Please contact us on our website or our social me-dia sites, including Sandstone MacEwan Community Association (SMCA) www.sandstonemacewan.com SMCA Facebook (983 followers) @sandstonemacewan SMCA Twitter (428 followers) @sandstonemac SMCA Instagram (132 followers) @sandstonemacewan Look for our occasional emails, and email us at [email protected] to be included in this distribution list.

Please go to sandstonemacewan.com to purchase your SMCA memberships online or email Carolyn Gomez at [email protected]. Those who purchase a three-year member-ship ($50.00) will receive a SMCA go-mug and those with a one-year membership ($20.00) will receive two SMCA beverage koozies.Sue CoathamPresident SMCA | [email protected]

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RESIDENT PERSPECTIVES

Ever heard the saying, you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone? I’m pretty sure everybody in quarantine can relate to this quote right now due to all the isolation protocols that have been put in place throughout Calgary. I planned to dine at local restau-rants, travel to amusement parks, spend quality time with close friends, and many other things this summer until COVID-19 came along. These activities that had seemed so small and meaningless not too long ago now have a massive impact on the state of this virus in our city and are also the things that make me feel incred-ibly nostalgic. Everyone is longing for some type of interaction and is willing to look to various things for comfort, including a fluffy, scaly, or slimy creature with endless amounts of love to give. Why go out if you have a comforting companion right in your own home? Many benefits come with having a pet. Pets keep us con-tent and healthy, along with relieving stress and anxiety, as well as encouraging us to exercise and spend time outdoors.

Most importantly, they keep us from being lonely. There is a guaranteed satisfaction stroking a pet causes that feels like no other. The solace people can have from owning a pet must be why so many people have chosen to welcome an animal into their home, especially during this pandemic. Animal rescue or-ganizations all over Canada have given an account of a consider-able upswing in foster applications. Six rescue organizations in Canada reported an increase in foster applications, with a few or-ganizations receiving six times the number of average requests. One organization even claimed to acquire as many applications in two days as they usually accept in six months (Slaughter).

The sudden fondness towards animals across the country has very straightforward reasoning behind it. With work and schools closed down due to COVID-19, people have found themselves with much more free time, and due to this temporary lapse in ev-eryone’s schedules, some people have chosen to bring an animal into their home to fill that gap. There is nothing wrong with de-ciding to adopt a pet; however, some people have not thought about the long term. I have been trying to convince my parents

to get a dog for years, but they would always find a reason to deny my requests.

“Sweetie, you are just too young, you are not re-sponsible enough to care for an animal, we just don’t have the time,” they would say.

This pandemic was the perfect opportunity to make a move. With a thorough presentation providing my parents with a list of reasons stat-ing why they can entrust us with a dog, we have now welcomed an adorable poodle as a mem-ber of our family. Although it is lovely having a furry little friend scampering around my house day and night, to accommodate this pet, we have had to make several lifestyle changes.

Social distancing protocols will be lifted soon, but will people still have the time or energy to care for a pet by then? While many shelters are grateful and overjoyed that a bunch of animals are finding safe homes, whether that home is temporary or permanent, some shelters are worried about the potential outpouring of re-turned pets, once the pandemic cools down. Before adopting or fostering a pet, ensure that this animal is the right fit for you and your fam-ily. It is terrific that animals in need are finally getting the attention and love they deserve, but hopefully, those pets will still have some-one to care for them by the end of quarantine.

Are Household Pets the New Quarantine Craze?by Erica Yakubu


For Office Use OnlyDate Received: __________ Reg/AssocCard # Issued: ___________ New/RenewalInit: ___________________ Cash/ChequeSource: ________________ Rectified if Assoc:

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT!PURCHASE YOUR COMMUNITY MEMBERSHIP TODAY!

Membership ApplicationFamily Name: __________________________________________________________________________________Address: __________________________________________ Postal Code: _________________________________Phone: ____________________________________________ Email: ______________________________________Number of Residents: ________________________________ Children’s Ages: ______________________________Date: _____________________________________________ Signature: ___________________________________May we put you on a list of volunteers? Yes NoMembership Fees are:$20 per household per year, or $50 for a 3 year membershipMake cheques payable to Sandstone/MacEwan Community AssociationMail or deliver to:300, 8120 Beddington Blvd. NW, Calgary, AB T3K 2A8Email: [email protected] can be purchased online at sandstonemacewan.com

Stay informed, Get involved!Submit pictures, community articles and upcoming events to [email protected].

Front cover pictures must be at least 1MB in size. 300 DPI preferred.

Every month we will select one picture for the cover page of our SMCA Newsletter and also include several other pictures for inside the newsletter that showcase talents in our great community.

SMCA PHOTO CONTEST


BUSINESS CLASSIFIEDS

For business classified ad rates call Great News Media at 403-720-0762 or [email protected]

LOCAL MORTGAGE BROKER: Your mortgage may be costing you thousands more than you need to pay! As a local mortgage professional, I have helped your neighbours navigate their purchase, refinance, and renewal options. Call Anita at 403-771-8771 | [email protected] | Licensed by Verico Avenue Financial Real Estate Solutions.

NEIGHBOURHOOD CONFLICT? Community Mediation Calgary Society (CMCS) is a no-cost mediation and conflict coaching service that can help you resolve problems and restore peace! We help neighbours be neighbours again! www.communitymediation.ca, 403-269-2707.

DARCY’S SNOW REMOVAL: is located in the Sandstone area and is looking for new clients in the Sandstone/Beddington/MacEwan and Harvest Hills area. I am a small private company. Contracts are for snowbirds, monthly or per snow fall, my rates are good and the service is great. Please call to book at 403-863-4679.

THE GUTTER AND SNOW DOCTOR! Eavestrough cleaning, repairs, and replacements. Fascia, soffit, cladding, roofs, siding, and snow removal. For over 17 years and 40,000 projects, we have done the job right – and it’s always guaranteed! Full liability insurance and WCB. A+ rated BBB member. Top award winner. www.gutterdoctor.ca, 403-714-0711.

Councillor, Ward 4 Sean Chu

403-268-3727 [email protected] www.calgary.ca/ward4 www.seanchu.ca

Dear Ward 4 Residents,

Flu season this year looks very different as it coincides with the COVID 19 pandemic. As you begin to prepare for flu season, it is good to know the difference between COVID-19 and the flu and what you can do to stay safe.

In some ways, COVID-19 is similar to the flu:•Both COVID-19 and the flu cause respiratory disease in

people who get sick.•Both are spread the same way, via small droplets from the

nose and mouth.•Neither one is spread through the air over long distances

and times, unlike a disease like the measles.

However, there are some key differences between COVID-19 and the flu:•COVID-19 does not appear to transmit as efficiently as

influenza. Only those with symptoms seem to be mainly spreading the disease. This means that when people with symptoms are isolated, controlling spread is possible.

•We currently have no specific vaccine or treatment for COVID-19.

•COVID-19 causes severe disease in a higher percentage of cases than seasonal influenza. Estimates of mortality on average range from about 1-2 deaths per 100 people infected. By comparison, seasonal influenza is 1 in every 1000 who are infected.

•Because COVID-19 can cause such a serious illness, it is critical to keep it from spreading by having people with a cough or fever stay home and away from others.

•The same steps can be taken to prevent the spread of both the flu and COVID-19.

•Wash your hands often and use hand sanitizer when you can’t wash your hands.

•Stay 2 metres away from others. •Wear a mask when you are in public. •Stay home when you feel unwell.

For more information, visit ahs.ca/covid or calgary.ca/ covid19.

To prepare your home for winter? The Homeowner Water Guide Fall Checklist (visit calgary.ca/waterguide), with sim-ple steps you can take to protect your home from leaks and prepare your yard for winter, is a great place to start.

Thank you for your attention and stay Healthy!

OCTŌ-BER The name of the month of October has Latin origins. “Octō” is the Latin word for eight, and since October used to be the eighth month of the year when the Roman calendar was being used, it was then given its name. The name remained during the Julian calendar reform, and is now the tenth month of the year.


News from the Friends of Nose Hillby Anne Burke

During a Parks and Recreation Study, an interim report in May 1968 set aside City-owned land designated as Public Land for Park Purposes on Nose Hill. It was “not likely” to be the total extent of the Park. The agreement anticipated major roadways and City waterworks. City Council proposed Nose Hill, Bowness Flats, Glenmore, and Fish Creek. (Fish Creek is now a provincial park).

When the 1980 Nose Hill Park Master Plan was ap-proved, the City owned about one half of the proposed park area. By 1990, the remaining lands were assem-bled. The public preferred natural and cultural resource values. The uniqueness of the park must be preserved and perpetuate the natural character of the landscape. Although public use increased, Nose Hill is managed as a natural area, with compatible, low-impact recreation.

The Responsible Pet Owners Bylaw is under review. The October 2020 - Phase 2 What We Heard Report will be posted on https://engage.calgary.ca/petbylaw, with comments from the public, stakeholders, and City staff. There are phone surveys and focus groups for By-law updates to the Council Committee on Community and Protective Services and to City Council by January-March 2021.

Did you know that Canada has 450 bird species? Yet, grassland birds, aerial insectivores, and shorebirds have all experienced alarming population declines—and many more remain at-risk. We can create bird-friendly cities and reduce bird mortality rates in urban centres. National Wildlife Areas or Migratory Bird Sanctuaries may help Canada meet its protected area targets.

We should have international relationships and set higher standards for protecting the connective habitat on which migratory birds rely. Their diverse habitats have been heavily degraded due to human activity and their populations face rapid decline. More information on Birds Connect Our World at www.naturecanada.ca.

CCSD BOARD OF TRUSTEESWebsite: www.cssd.ab.ca/BoardOfTrusteesEmail: [email protected]

Learn more about your Calgary Catholic School District Board of Trustees!

Mental Health and School Re-EntryAt the Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD), the return to school each September is usually greeted with excite-ment at meeting old friends, making new ones, as well as the anticipation of amazing new learning opportunities. While all these elements remained present for our families, staff, and students as we resumed school, we do know that re-entry this year has presented unique challenges.

This past spring, the COVID-19 pandemic, a once-in-a-century event, demanded significant changes to how our more than 5,500 staff delivered education to over 59,000 students. This unprecedented situation continued to re-quire significant adjustments even as we opened our doors in September. We also know that uncertainty still exists and that the future course of this pandemic remains highly variable. Over the next few months, we will need to be able to pivot between a variety of potential learning scenarios.

This dynamic has understandably contributed to in-creased levels of anxiety among our students, staff, and families. Please know that your Board of Trustees appre-ciates this dynamic and that we continue to advocate for funding for additional mental health supports.

To assist staff and students with re-entry, a strategic plan for addressing mental health was developed by CCSD. It includes providing resources for principals to share with staff and lessons for staff to share with stu-dents. All regular supports for addressing mental health for students and staff have remained in place, such as our school-based and district mental health supports and our Employee and Family Assistance Program.

If you or someone you know could benefit from mental health support, CCSD has the following pages on our website with resources and links to a variety of local supports:•School Guidance and Counselling - https://www.cssd.ab.ca/

Students/GuidanceAndCounselling/Pages/default.aspx•Community Resources during COVID-19 - https://www.

cssd.ab.ca/News/COVID-19/CommunityResources/Pages/default.aspx

We are all in this together. As a community of faith, let’s continue to support and look after each other.


DOLLARS & SENSE

Many online shops are offering pay in installment ser-vices that target high school and college-age buyers. These buy-now-pay-later services are new and quickly gaining popularity. They allow shoppers to purchase just about anything – from electronics to a pair of shoes – by agreeing to pay a series of smaller installments. Of course, as with any financing option, consumers should do a little research before signing up so they can make informed purchasing decisions and avoid getting in over their heads.

How Paying in Installments WorksAs you start the checkout process with an online store, you notice that in addition to the option to pay with a debit or credit card, you can choose to pay for your purchase in a specified number of installments. The op-portunity to split up payments is appealing to many shoppers, but especially younger shoppers who don’t tend to have and use traditional credit cards.

Most of the time, this option comes from a third-party financing company that makes money by charging re-tailers a small percentage of each sale made through their financing options and by collecting late fees and interest from consumers. Interest rates on pay in install-ment purchases can range between 0 to 30 percent depending on your credit history and the retailer. In-stallments can last for as little as a few weeks or as long as 39 months. You’ll likely need to be approved by the financing company before you can take advantage of an installment payment plan.

Pay in Installment Smart Shopping Tips•Don’t forget you are borrowing money. Even though

many installment payment services come with only a few small payments and zero-percent interest, it’s criti-cal you keep in mind you are still borrowing money to enjoy a product before you’ve paid for it in full. Ask

yourself if paying the total price means spending more than you can actually afford and make your decision accordingly.

•Stick to your budget. Think about how bi-weekly or monthly payments could affect your budget – even if the payments seem small. Will they cut into the funds you’ve set aside for necessary expenses, such as your rent or groceries?

•Read the fine print. Before you sign up to pay in in-stallments, be sure you understand exactly how the service works. Find out what company is financing your purchase, how long you have to pay off the pur-chase and in how many installments, how they han-dle late payments, and how much interest you’ll be charged, if any.

•Get to know the financing company. If you do decide to take advantage of an installment payment plan, look up the financing company on BBB.org to make sure they are a reputable company with honest busi-ness practices.

•Know how your credit could be affected. Keep in mind that unpaid debts can be sent to collections agencies and after a delinquent period of 90 days can be reported to credit bureaus. This could have a nega-tive impact on your credit score.

Pay for Online Shopping in Installments? Sounds Great!Be Careful

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