With fall in full swing and most people back to the routine of school and work, our focus shifts from vacation mode and returns to our neighbourhoods, as well as the quality of our everyday lives. When we talk about investing in quality of life, the communities of Ward 3 are in an odd position when the City of Calgary discusses new versus established areas. While many of our neighbourhoods have been around for 20 or 30 years, we are continually labelled as “new”, resulting in a philosophy that we should wait our turn for investment. This has meant that our orphaned pathways, missing crosswalks, limited road access or traffic safety needs have been sidelined during budget cycles. Over the past year, I have managed to demonstrate that Ward 3 communities are not new, and that addressing our long abandoned projects is critical to improving the daily lives of north central Calgarians.
As a result of your clear community voice and my efforts on your behalf, there has been a shift in prioritization of our needs. For example, Hidden Valley has seen reinvestment in a local park and is presently being considered for a pilot project to address traffic speed and safety. During our budget deliberations, I continue to advocate for creation of complete communities in Ward 3. I’m optimistic that we will continue to meet with successes that will translate into positive change. I also realize that this process of advocacy has been slow and it has frustrated many of you (myself included). All I can ask is that you keep the faith that we can make our voices heard through persistence and collaboration. Thank you for your support, and I look forward to updating you on projects in your community as they are finalized.
