Spring is finally upon us! While all of us wait for the ground to thaw and trees to bud, the NDHA will be working behind the scenes with our ULS team, preparing for the start of another busy growing season. As weather dictates, the main priority will shift away from pathway snow clearing and toward spring clean up of the greenspaces, medians, and boulevards.
Bristles: When snow accumulation is not substantial enough to require a blade, sweeping is the best way to clear down to the pavement. An unavoidable consequence of using the brush apparatus to carry out this task is that some bristles are shed. The NDHA requires ULS to clean up visible bristles on a regular basis throughout the winter. As the snow melts, more of these rogue bristles will be revealed. Please know that we are “on it,” and that ULS will do a thorough deep clean of the bristle litter during their spring cleanup measures.
Street Sweeping: The City of Calgary typically launches street sweeping in mid-April. At the time of this writing, the community sweeping schedule is not yet available. Please access the City of Calgary website for schedule updates or to sign up for their “Street Sweeping Service Alert,” which will notify you via email or text. Please note the following:
• During the program, daytime crews will sweep in neighborhoods Monday to Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.
• Major roads are swept overnight to reduce traffic impact.
• Watch for signs in the community indicating when your street is scheduled for a cleanup.
• Parking bans are in place when signs are present. Vehicles are subject to be ticketed and towed. Remove vehicles and cart bins from the road on the posted dates and times.
The NDHA will work with ULS to ensure they have completed all median and boulevard cleanups prior to the City of Calgary carrying out street sweeping operations in our neighbourhood.
Yard Cleanup and Garbage Bins: Once the snow is gone and we truly break into spring, many of our residents begin the hard work of cleaning up their own yards in preparation for the growing season. It is always surprising how much garbage and other debris can be collected after a long winter! The NDHA would like to ask that residents use their own green/blue/black bins to dispose of waste from their household and property. We have had instances in the past where community park garbage bins were inappropriately used for the disposal of large cardboard, Styrofoam, plastics, etc. This is considered “illegal dumping” and offenders can be fined. The City empties community bins only a few times a month; please use them as intended so that all of us can benefit from the convenience. If you find a full or overflowing bin, call 311 to have it emptied.
Dog Waste Bag Dispensers: The NDHA installed and continues to maintain several of these stations throughout the community. This initiative was undertaken to help dog owners ensure dog waste is never left behind. Unfortunately, some people have been observed taking out reams of bags at a time, rather than only one or two. This behavior is inappropriate and causes unnecessary expense. The dispensers are not intended to be used as a personal bag supply for pet owners; they are there for occasional need and should only be accessed when unexpected situations arise. We ask that you purchase your own bags at a store and bring them along on the dog walk. Please contact the NDHA to have a pet waste bag dispenser refilled if you see it empty, and also indicate the station location.
We are always happy to hear from our NDHA members; please access our website at www.ndha.ca for NDHA news updates or to send an email. You can also call us at 403-237-9595.
