Dear Friends,
This month marks the fifth anniversary of the 2013 flood. As many of you are intimately aware, this disaster caused significant economic disruption, social impacts, and unprecedented damages. The road to recovery has seen both significant milestones and setbacks and I wish to acknowledge the leadership of the Calgary River Communities Action Group for their continued advocacy efforts.
Thank you to the many of you who attended last month’s Special Edition Town Hall on Flood Mitigation and Preparedness, and a special thanks to the Elbow Park Residents’ Association for hosting us. We know is that accurately predicting the large rainstorms that can cause flooding on Calgary’s rivers is challenging because we are so close to the mountains. We may only have 12 hours to respond appropriately. Calgary is at its greatest risk of flooding from May 15 to July 15 and both The City and citizens need to be prepared to take action on what could be short notice.
My position is that this is not just a Ward 11 issue, but a city-wide issue. Calgary is a key economic engine for Alberta, and while the risk has been reduced, we remain vulnerable to flooding on both the Bow and Elbow. We have to keep pushing the provincial government to live up to its existing commitments, as well as start the work on new flood mitigation. If effects of climate change are considered, the urgency for additional flood mitigation infrastructure is even more apparent.
In great part because of what we’ve seen and done together, June is a great month to come together. I look forward to seeing you at the Ward 11 booth at the Lilac Festival on Sunday, June 3rd (10am – 6pm) and on Neighbour Day, Saturday, June 16th at one of the many events taking place in and around Ward 11. If you see me, please come up and say hello!
Just a reminder that your property tax bills are due on June 29th. This is also a good time to consider enrolling in the Tax Installment Payment Plan (TIPP) which allows you to pay your property tax on a monthly basis versus a lump sum in June. For more information, please contact me or 311.
Finally, this month, please join me at my monthly Town Hall taking place from 7:00 to 8:30 pm on Tuesday, June 26th at Braeside Community Centre (110247 Braeside Drive SW). This will be the last Town Hall before summer, and we will resume again in September.
Respectfully yours,
Jeromy
(Ward 11 Councillor and Palliser resident)
