Crisp mornings and early sunsets are sure signs that the snowy season is beginning in Calgary. We had a wonderful summer and fall season, which allowed our signature waterfall feature to run continuously (for the first time in several years!). Favourable summer weather also meant we saw the best from our curated landscape features, the features that make Discovery Ridge one of the most beautifully landscaped communities in our city. For the NDHA, the coming of winter means our focus turns to snow removal from pathways and our planning for the landscaping year ahead.
Fall Cleanup
ULS crews have been working to prepare our landscaped beds, medians, and turf areas for winter. The crews have tidied all median beds and linear parks by trimming back many perennials, weeding, litter cleanup, and sweeping gravel from pathways around playgrounds. ULS snow removal crews and equipment are in place and ready to go as soon as the snow flies.
Snow Clearing
When we do get snowfall this winter, you may notice the community pathways have been cleared while sidewalks next to main roadways remain snow covered for several more days. The NDHA shares responsibility for snow clearing in the community with the City of Calgary. The NDHA and City have different policies governing snow clearing:
• City policy is that sidewalks under its control will be cleared within 24 hours of the end of a snow event. If it is snowing anywhere in the City, the snow event is not considered “ended”.
• The NDHA’s policy is to have walkways and sidewalks under its control cleared within 24 hours of a snowfall in the community, and every 24 hours thereafter until the snow stops.
FAQ #22 on our website includes a map showing where the NDHA clears pathways. Note that unless adjacent to a private home or business, sidewalks on Discovery Ridge Boulevard, Discovery Ridge Lane, and Discovery Ridge Hill, in addition to several other small sections of sidewalk in our community, are the City’s responsibility. Please call 3-1-1 if you have concerns about snow clearing in these areas.
If you have concerns with a NDHA-cleared pathway, please let us know. Early season snow often melts during the day and becomes ice in the evening. Please take care when enjoying our pathways this winter.
Holiday Lights and Decoration
Our holiday light displays at the entrance and near the leisure ice rink will be turned on in mid-November. We will also bring back the holiday foliage installed in the entrance planters for your enjoyment. The timing of this installation is weather dependent.
Progress on City Projects
You may have noticed that the City has taken action to rebuild the retaining wall behind Discovery Ridge Mount. The re-opening of the pathway beside this retaining wall is a real benefit for regular pathway users. While not part of NDHA’s landscape area, there has also been significant work taking place in recent weeks to remove sediment from the Discovery Ridge Ponds in Griffith Woods. NDHA has heard that the City of Calgary will be hosting an information session about their plans for the Discovery Heights Pond and surrounding lands sometime this month. Hopefully this information session will let us all know about what we can expect after the City lowered the level of the pond in spring 2024. It is good to see these projects move forward for the benefit of our community and all Calgarians.
Fees
The 2025 NDHA fee of $325 was due on June 29. We would like to thank our members who have paid their fee on time, and ask that those who have not, please remit immediately. It is legally required. If you are unsure of your payment status, please access your membership portal on our website. If you have questions or concerns, you may contact the NDHA treasurer at [email protected]. Please reference your property address.
Volunteer Call Out
One of the big benefits of living in Discovery Ridge is our top-notch community landscaping. The NDHA Board of Directors is a group of your neighbours volunteering their time to deliver the beautiful landscaped public spaces in Discovery Ridge. Volunteers ensure we can do this without having to hire an external management company. We are currently seeking a Newsletter Article Director. If you would like writing to tell your neighbours what is going on through the newsletter, we would like to talk to you! Reach out to us through the website (www.ndha.ca), by calling us at 403-237-9595, or by emailing [email protected] and we can discuss your potential role.
We are always interested in hearing from our NDHA members. You can contact us in various ways via our website at www.ndha.ca, send us an email at [email protected], or even call us at 403-237-9595.
Click here to the Discovery Ridge Community News home page for the latest Discovery Ridge community updates.
