Evanston’s President’s Message for June

Evanston cn

Summer is nearly here and many of us will be thinking about how we will spend the time with our family, friends, and neighbours. Neighbour Day in Calgary is a celebration of community spirit and connection. Held each year on the third Saturday in June (21st this year), Neighbour Day is a step toward creating welcoming and inclusive communities where neighbours connect and belong every day of the year. Please share your stores and photos with us at [email protected] so we can showcase what you and your neighbours did this year!

It’s Alive!

We built and planted our new Community Garden last month! This was made possible by a grant we applied for from the Calgary Foundation along with our agreement with the charity Friends of the Federation of Calgary Communities. The ECCA Garden Committee then got to work. It arranged for twelve garden boxes to be built by Evanston-based Topnotch Fence and Deck. The Committee and volunteers went to Spyhill Landfill and brought back 1,405 kgs of compost in addition to going to Airdrie to pick up wood stumps to line the bottom of each box. We have a bespoke rainwater collection system designed, built, and installed by one of our directors. Soil was obtained and laid into the boxes and seeds were donated. All of this began in mid-March! The aim for this year is to grow crops and donate to the Calgary Food Bank. What an excellent example of being community-focused, with dedicated volunteers, to build community and give back.

If you are interested in becoming part of the Evanston Community Garden, please let us know by contacting [email protected]. We are looking for volunteers who are enthusiastic about coming together as a community to give back. Any help is welcome, whether you are an avid gardener or simply happy to be part of something that allows you to meet your neighbours.

Litter Pickup – Saturday, June 7, 10:00 am

June 2 to 8 is Environment Week and what a better time to launch our Litter Pickup Program! There is growing concern by some residents about the amount of litter in Evanston and grassroots litter clean-up efforts are already underway. The ECCA has a long-term goal to maintain a litter-free community, which will require ongoing efforts beyond a one-time pickup event, but this first event can help kick-off a broader ongoing commitment to manage litter in the community. The Litter Cleanup (TLC) kits will be provided by the City for us (bags, gloves, instructions). We will also have prizes for volunteers to enter their names to win. To volunteer and for more information, email [email protected]. Let’s get engaged and tidy up Evanston!

Community Cleanup – Saturday, July 19, 9:00 am to 2:00 pm

Up to three large City garbage trucks will be at St Josephine Bakhita School’s parking lot (same as last year). Community Cleanup events provide an opportunity for Calgarians to dispose of items that do not fit in their waste and recycling carts. Accepted items include furniture (mattresses, sofas, chairs, desks, dressers, etc.), toilets, broken recreational items (old treadmills), lumber from old fences and decks, weird items: garden gnome collection, broken grandfather clock, taxidermy items. It will be first come first dump and the queue will close at 1:30 pm.

Join Your Association

We have a brand-new membership rewards program with discounts available for ECCA Members at Blowers & Grafton Creekside, Servus Credit Union, JPs Indian Bistro, and Kal Tire Creekside so far! Purchase your membership at https://www.eccacalgary.com/register/. Add your name to the volunteer list at https://www.eccacalgary.com/volunteer/. We are always looking for enthusiastic people to help!

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