by Michelle Varem
This summer, the SBHCA put out a community survey to help direct future planning and programming. The board would like to thank all residents who took part in the survey and shared their thoughts; it was very helpful. In this article we will be sharing some of the results and takeaways from that survey. Keep in mind the board received 185 survey responses and as of the last federal census in 2021, our neighbourhood had a population of nearly 10,000 people so this represents only a small portion of Springbank Hill residents.
Languages
Did you know we have several multilingual households in Springbank Hill? Survey respondents selected 17 languages other than English that are spoken in their households including Spanish, Urdu, Danish, Korean, and Hindi. The top three languages other than English spoken in Springbank Hill households were French, Cantonese, and Mandarin.
We Love Springbank Hill!
Residents have a lot of love for our neighbourhood. When asked what they love the most about living in Springbank Hill, respondents indicated proximity to the mountains, our widespread pathway system, and amount of green spaces as the top three answers. Other answers that were given included that we have great access to services such as doctor’s offices, city transit, nearby groceries, library, and recreation options.
Together We Can Be Better!
As with all neighbourhoods, we have areas of improvement as well, and there was one very clear answer from residents when asked their least favourite part of our neighbourhood – traffic. The main comments about traffic were about drivers who speed far too quickly down our streets, as well as the noise from Stoney Trail traffic. The SBHCA is aware of both issues and is currently working with both the city and the province on the ring road noise issue. It is up to residents to respect the rules of the road and to observe speed limits, and the SBHCA welcomes anyone who would like to volunteer on our Traffic and Road Safety committee to help make our roads safer for everyone in the neighbourhood.
Springbank Hill Gets Active
As we live in a community with easy mountain access and a neighbouring recreation centre it was no surprise to see how many households participate in recreational activities. 88 respondents are skiers (both cross-country and downhill), 52 enjoy pickleball, and many more engage in several other sports and recreational activities. We also have a very musical group, with 51 respondents indicating they play an instrument or sing.
Community Connections
When asked about programming and events the SBHCA were given a wide variety of answers and ideas for future programs. We have a robust community garden program currently, which 48 respondents indicated they currently or would like to participate in. Residents have expressed interest in future events including Stampede themed, food trucks, music in the park, community garage sales, and several more. This gives the board quite a lot to work with as plans are created for 2026 events and programs. With all these great ideas comes a need for volunteers to make things happen. As always if any residents are interested in volunteering, please email [email protected] and check out the volunteer opportunities article in this newsletter.
Safety
The majority of survey respondents indicated they feel very safe in Springbank Hill. We have had some issues with vehicle break-ins, the best way to keep this from happening is to remove anything visible or valuable from vehicles and ensure all vehicles are locked as part of a nightly safety routine. More safety tips can be found in our 9 pm routine reminder further on in this newsletter.
Big thanks once again to everyone who took the time to complete the residents survey. Even though the survey is now closed, the SBHCA is always welcoming of feedback from residents as they work to keep our community a great place to live and connect with the city on issues that matter to residents.
Click here to the Springbank Hill Community News home page for the latest Springbank Hill community updates.
