Strathcona Centre Community League
February / March 2010 Newsletter

The copy deadline for the April-May 2010 newsletter is March 10, 2010.  Please contact Donna Fong, Newsletter Editor, at 780-433-5702, or by e-mail at donnafong@shaw.ca

President’s Report

Presented to Board at January 11, 2010 Board Meeting

1.    League Finances

Thanks to Ann Matheson and Mark Anielski, SCCL is back in AGLC’s good graces. They completed the outstanding financial reporting for our 2007 CFEP grant, which paid for the hall’s new roof and sidewalks. The current grant applications for the Spray Park and the Facility Assessment are therefore back on track. There is no word yet on whether either will be approved.

2.    Civics and Planning

a)      STRATHCONA JUNCTION, WEST RITCHIE

The proposed amendment of the Strathcona Area Redevelopment Plan, to revise the zoning for West Ritchie, will be discussed with the effected communities before the approval process begins.

A “New Retail and Commercial Business Interior Improvement Grant Program” will be launched this year by P&DD. It’s aimed at helping owners of storefront commercial spaces that have been vacant to over a year. With the City’s matching grants, interiors can be spruced up, so that a new tenant can be found. West Ritchie has been targeted for this funding assistance.

b)    BOULEVARD 99

Both developers of proposed apartment buildings along 99 Street have expressed some interest in improving the public sidewalks. The suggestion is to replace the existing crumbling curbs and slabs, relocating the sidewalks tight to the flanking property line. This would leave a boulevard of about 1.0 m wide, in which trees can be planted.

The Transportation Department has no interest in facilitating this plan because Sidewalk Strategies resulted in no recommendations for pedestrian improvements in Strathcona. Therefore, SCCL will approach individual builders with this idea, as properties along 99 Street are redeveloped.

3.    Social Programmes

EFCL has asked all community leagues to schedule their fall events for the same day, September 18. Promotions will encourage Edmontonians to “Play Local” that day.

4.    Edmonton Heritage Council

The proposal to install fire sprinkler systems in all buildings designated as Municipal Historic Resources has made some headway. The Old Strathcona Business Association will discuss this idea in conjunction with its own “Greening of Whyte” sustainability initiative. The Garneau Community League’s Carl Sorenson and I recently met with Fire Chief Ken Block and retired Fire Marshall Ian Sterling. They are very interested in the possibilities and will make contact with other city’s Fire Departments, to see how heritage building retrofits are funded.

5.    Scona Pool and Strathcona High School 

a)    Strathcona High School Council will be meeting on Wednesday with Education Minister Dave Hancock. He is the MLA for the Queen Alexandra community, in which the school is located. An important agenda item includes clarifying the ownership of Scona Pool and establishing that it is a Public School District facility. This can open the way to allocating Education Department funds for the pool’s maintenance and upgrading.

b)    During the weekends of November and December, SCCL members used the pool _ times, resulting in a cost to us of $_. City Councillors and administrators have stressed that, if the increased use of the pool continues, it will be kept open and eventually be brought up to current technical standards.

Respectfully submitted,

Rob McDonald

President, Strathcona Centre Community League

2009-2010 Memberships Available

Benefits of the Community League:

• A voice in your community – provide a consolidated voice to city Hall regarding transportation, zoning, housing, etc.
• Discounts on an annual pass or multiple admission pass packages to City of Edmonton sports and recreation facilities
• Sports programs – soccer, basketball, skating, hockey, etc.
• Social/leisure activities – playgroup, pub night, City of Edmonton Leisure Centre discounts, community swim at Mill Creek pool, Winterfest, etc.
• Hall rental – discount on the hall/room rentals at the community hall

Membership fees are $20/family, $15/single, $5/senior. 

If you would like a membership, please contact Membership Coordinators: Lois Hameister, loish@athabascau.ca, 780-439-5774, and Jeanie McDonnell, jeaniemc@telus.net, 780-433-0521.

The Strathcona Centre Community League is one of 150 leagues belonging to the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues.

Letter to Board Members

January 14, 2010

Dear Board Members,

I just wanted you to know of the fabulous success of our early dismissal Thursday afternoons at the rink. Today the early dismissal shinny, coupled with the first day of skating lessons, brought out approximately 50 kids and their parents/caregivers. It was like being at the Victoria Oval on Boxing Day with nary a vacant bench to sit on! Truly, it was a lovely sight and I just wanted you to know how fantastic it is that you've continued to put money into the rink. 

On a day like today, with temperatures hovering around zero, our rink was a fantastic gathering place for the community. 

Best,

Theresa Shea

Note: The Board extends many thanks to Helen Gillespie (Hall Manager and ice maker), rink assistants, and volunteer snow shovellers for their hard work and dedication to our ice rinks. Helen has been involved in outdoor ice making for more than 20 years!

Helen and Theresa were photographed after 10:30PM working hard to make ice for Strathcona residents.

The Strathcona Centre Community League is seeking additional volunteers for our casino fundraising event, March 18-19, 2010. Proceeds will be used to support sports programs, building and rink improvements, and the proposed Spray Park. Please contact Lois at 780-439-5774 or email loish@athabascau.ca

I am pleased to say that the Winter Light Festival has already had a terrific impact on Edmonton’s winter festival scene, creating many new opportunities to enjoy our long winter season.

In 2010, Winter Light’s second year, we will see 8 new winter events, and expanded programming for our existing winter festivals. Winter Light truly has something for everyone – all ages, and all walks of life. The project brings together recreation, art and heritage with projects like the Baba Yaga Trail Adventure (Jan 22 – 23 at Whitemud Park), a magical walk in one of Edmonton’s most beautiful parkland areas. Last year’s Baba Yaga Trail was one of the festival’s most talked about events. Watching kids and adults alike meeting Baba Yaga was truly a delight.

Winter Light artists have a special affinity for light design, and they are using new technologies to create remarkable ‘installations’ of light. These light-filled festival sites make our winter nights much more inviting and interesting.

Winter Light is working with festivals like Deep Freeze (Jan 9 - 10), Ice on Whyte (Jan 14 - 24) and Silver Skate (Feb 19 - 21) to increase their connections to Aboriginal and heritage programming. They are also contributing the mobile Winter Camps, where everyone is invited to enjoy warm shelters, campfires and free hot chocolate. These welcoming touches make the outdoor festival experience surprisingly comfortable, and I know I experienced a deep sense of community with people as we gathered together around the fires.

I’m particularly excited about this year’s Family Day Global Village (Feb 15), where the music, culture and art of our many diverse communities will be showcased in a warm-hearted representation of Edmonton’s combined civic ‘family’. This feeling is also visible in a wonderful inner city event, Hearts of Fire (Feb 13).

Edmonton’s amazing festival scene is one of our great cultural strengths – we’ve seen the growth from modest beginnings to our current status as a renowned “Festival City”. I think generating that festival spirit during the winter is a key part of how Edmonton will grow into its own as a northern capital. 

So bundle up, step outside – and see you at the winter festivals!