Dear Brentwoodians,
As I write the May editorial, I am getting busy with preparations to move house. After 10 years in Brentwood, our family decided to look for a home that was better suited to our needs (and our stuff). One important criterion was proximity to school and work, so that cycling, transit, or walking is possible. Great parks and other neighbourhood amenities were another, as was an active community association. So, of course, we are staying in Brentwood! Moving from a home with so many memories is bound to be bittersweet, but we are glad to be staying close to friends and neighbours, and we will look forward to meeting new ones as well.
The daily scenes of devastation from Ukrainian cities are a stark reminder of how fortunate we are in our community. Because so many Albertans have roots in that country, it is no surprise that some of our neighbours have taken in family members fleeing the violence. Some of these individuals may need support as they get settled, so keep an eye out for updates from Brentwood Cares about how to help.
Waste Not, Want Not
Brentwood will be part of a seven-year pilot program for outsourced garbage collection. Soon you will start seeing bright green GFL trucks on black bin collection day instead of the City of Calgary’s white ones, although the latter will continue to collect blue and green bins. The city expects this will save up to $1 million a year, from a total waste collection budget of $50 million. Because this is a pilot, it is important that we as a community provide feedback to the city via 311 to let them know how it’s going – we’ll have to wait a few years to see if the proposed cost savings are realized or not, and whether this is done at the expense of service or safety.
In 2011, Toronto mayor Rob Ford implemented a similar deal with GFL covering the western half of Toronto, touted to save that city $11 million per year. However, City of Toronto data reported by the CBC in October 2021 shows that the outsourced collection costs about the same as the city-run collection in the eastern half. GFL was last year awarded a sole-sourced extension to their contract regardless.
Art Classes
Finally, a big thank you to Kui Wang who provided six free art classes in February and March at the Brentwood Community Association. As we were nearing the end of the latest wave of the COVID pandemic, it was wonderful seeing people in a safe setting and for the last lessons even getting to see their faces.
Kui is originally from China, but has been in Canada for almost 40 years, first studying at the Banff Center of Fine Arts before settling down in Calgary, where he has been teaching and exhibiting ever since. We hope that Kui will be the first of many artists who will come by Brentwood and share their love and knowledge of arts.
Photo Contest
The Bugle is looking for Brentwood’s best amateur photographers to provide cover images each month. If you have a great snap of our neighbourhood saved on your phone or posted on your social media feed, send it in for a chance to be featured on the cover of an upcoming issue! Photos must be 300 DPI or higher (i.e., from a newer model phone or good digital camera), 2400 x 1600 pixels minimum size, and portrait orientation. If submitting pictures of minors, please make sure that you have direct, express permission to submit the picture from a parent or guardian. Send your photos, or any questions, to [email protected].
Yours sincerely,
Jonathan Jucker, Editor
