Winter Clothing Drive for the Homeless
As the weather is getting colder, a winter coat and snowpants can literally be a matter of life and death for those that are less fortunate and living on the street or in shelters. Let’s make some room in our closets and basements and donate winter gear to keep people warm on these freezing nights. We are looking for all types of clean warm clothing such as coats, snowpants, hats, gloves, thermal underwear and socks. Please drop of items at the front door at 8715-117 street and they will be distributed to those that need it most in the inner City.
Thank you for helping people who really need it!
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Windsor Park School Request – No Dogs Allowed on Grounds – Bylaw Reminder
You may have noticed new signs around the school grounds. The school contacted the league because there is a problem with dogs on the school grounds. Bylaws 2202 (parkland) and 13145 (animal control and licensing) prohibit dogs on school grounds and within 30 meters of a playground. School grounds do not have to be posted for the bylaws to be in effect but we thought that reminding people would be a better deterrent than reporting on our dog-loving neighbours. Please be considerate of our children and walk dogs elsewhere in the community.
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Windsor Terrace Update
The City is planning to hold an online open house for the community on the proposed Windsor Terrace rezoning. (Windsor Terrace is that hole in the ground at the corner of 87th Ave and 118th St.) The open house is expected to launch in the latter part of February. It will provide an opportunity to review the revised DC2 bylaw, other information about the project, and provide comments for a period of 21 days.
The open house will be announced in the e-news once it’s available online. Properties within 120 metres of the site and the league will receive a post card from the City about the open house. Rezoning is an iterative process. The comments received will be considered by the City and the developer in preparing the rezoning materials for City Council to consider at a Public Hearing later in the year.
In a recent online meeting with the City planner assigned to this file, the league’s Development Committee learned that the developer is making some changes to the proposal circulated in the fall because of comments from the City, residents and the committee. Some of the basement space will be used for a bicycle maintenance station and a car wash for building residents. This will reduce the number of parking spaces slightly. A few 3-bedroom family-oriented units will be provided (we have asked for more). The north and east alleys will be resurfaced at the request of the City.
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Donate Bottles to Charity
Empties piling up? Because of Covid, the soccer team hasn’t been doing regular bottle drives lately. Other organizations can fill the void until they’re ready to resume. Putting bottles in the blue bag with other recyclables isn’t recommended because it attracts homeless people to our alleys to look for bottles and other things they can turn into cash. This doesn’t address the problem of homelessness in Edmonton.
Here are some easy ways to donate your bottles to good causes.
– The Winnifred Stewart Society does regular bottle pick ups. The organization provides programs and services for Edmontonians with developmental disabilities. For info and to sign up for “empties to winn”: www.winnifredstewart.com
– Skip the Depot picks up bottles on a regular schedule and donates them to any number of charitable organizations–you pick the one you want to support. For info and to sign up: www.skipthedepot.com.
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Subject: open letter re. proposed demolition of the Ring Houses at University of Alberta (near Faculty Club)
Date: February 5, 2021 at 7:06:19 PM MST
Please see the link below for an open letter to the university requesting a moratorium on the plan to demolish the ring houses.
The University of Alberta has announced a plan to demolish the four Ring Houses and return them to green space, on the grounds that these properties “do not align with the academic and research mission and fiscal plan” of the university.
There is a link at the bottom to add your signature. The signatures will be curated and added to the letter every day or so.
Please feel free to spread this through any networks you belong to, if you agree with the sentiments expressed.
These properties are all over a century old, dating back to the earliest years of the University. They were all designed by the university’s first (and only) professor of architecture, Cecil Scott Burgess. Ring House One, the second-oldest building on campus, was built in 1912 to serve as the home of the university President. It served that function from 1912 until 1959, housing the first five presidents of the university, beginning with Henry Marshall Tory.
Great universities commonly devote care and resources to preserving their historic buildings, which not only provide a visible connection to the university’s past but also signify the prestige and distinction of the institution. There is expertise on campus (e.g. in the Department of Art and Design, the School of Urban and Regional Planning and other academic units) that could and should be consulted before deciding that there is no viable option for preservation of these buildings.
We, the undersigned, call on the University of Alberta to suspend the planned demolition of Ring Houses One, Two, Three and Four for a minimum of twelve months. We further call on the University to initiate a public consultation, on campus and off, including via the U of A Alumni Association and with donor communities, about the possible preservation of the Ring Houses and their integration into the future of the university, and to undertake a serious good-faith effort to seek donor funding for their preservation.
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February 12 Deadline to Choose New Waste Carts
Edmonton’s new waste carts are rolling out between March and August 2021. Windsor Park residents will receive the new garbage and food scrap carts in June.
February 12–that’s Friday–is the deadline to tell Epcor you want a smaller garbage cart (120L). If you choose the smaller cart the monthly waste collection fee on your Epcor bill will go down by $3.90.
And if you have a secondary suite or a garden suite, Friday, February 12 also is the deadline for telling Epcor you want to cart-share, i.e., share one set of carts between the principal dwelling and the suite rather than get and pay monthly for 2 sets of carts ($43.32 or $48.32/month per set, depending on the size of garbage cart selected).
Can’t decide by Friday? Each residence and registered suite will receive a large garbage cart (240L) in June and a corresponding increase of $1.10/month in the waste collection fee. There’ll be an opportunity to change your mind in September 2021.
For more information and to indicate your cart selection: https://www.edmonton.ca/programs_services/garbage-recycling-waste.aspx
January 11, 2021 Update
This week we have:
1. A recommendation from one of our neighbours. 2. An announcement regarding property assessments 3. Some local food recommendations from the rising culinary, EDMONTONIAN, star, Lindsay Porter! 4. An optic opportunity brought to us by the U of A (it’s sure to make you go STARRY-eyed) 5. Something for the little ones to do that DOESN’T drive you crazy! 6. An invitation for your voice to be heard. 7. A chance to find out JUST HOW MUCH of an eco-ally you are! 8. Remembering Betty Lilge, 105 years old Lots of love! A Recommendation from One of Our Neighbours Last week we put out a list of interesting local places to support around town. Recently we got an email from our lovely neighbour Ruth that the WEE BOOK INN is another very worthy local place to support! They have.excellent service, new and/or almost new books for a very low price, and free parking off the lane and store entry at the back of their store! If the guaranteed kitty in every store isn’t enough, the Wee Book Inn will take note of any books you’re looking for, and call you if it comes in! If you’re ever in need of a book on a budget, check them out!! https://www.weebookinn.com Property assessment notices will be sent out February 12, 2021 In a change from previous assessment cycles, 2021 property assessment notices will be sent out on February 12. Notices were previously mailed in the first week of January, but the COVID-19 pandemic meant that City assessment work was more complex in 2020. “Our estimated assessment values are based on a property’s fair market value as of July 1, 2020,” explained Cate Watt, Branch Manager, Assessment & Taxation. “In the face of the pandemic, our assessors took a little bit of extra time to ensure fairness and accuracy while they were doing their work this past year, and so we’re sending out assessment information in February instead of January.” Assessment information will also be posted to the myproperty.edmonton.ca website in February, enabling Edmontonians to access all of their assessment and tax information online. To sign up for an account and receive electronic assessment and tax notices, visit myproperty.edmonton.ca. Property tax notices will be mailed to property owners in May. Local food recommendations from Edmonton’s own Lindsay Porter! Mom and I were watching Guy’s Grocery Games (cooking competition show with Guy Fieri) the other day, and one of the contestants was from Edmonton! She won the competition with a fascinating recipe called Cha Ca La Vong (I think it’s Vietnamese? Recipe below!) Mom found an interview of her, and it turns out, she has her own restaurant right here in Edmonton! Lindsay had some great recommendations for local restaurants to support in Edmonton! Her interview, winning recipe, and recommendations are listed below! Recipe: https://explorepartsunknown.com/seattle/recipe-cha-ca-la-vong/ Interview: One day in Edmonton: Celebrity chef Lindsay Porter Restaurant 1 (Breakfast): Pip on Whyte Ave Restaurant 2 (Lunch): Japonais Bistro Downtown Restaurant 3 (Dinner): Three Vikings Pub. Here is their Website An Optic Opportunity The U of A has made itself the only University in Western Canada that has a Dark Sky Observatory, available to you on January 12th! This day will involve a virtual ceremony, hopefully with ticket prices soon to follow after lockdown is lifted! See more below! New U of A observatory gives a clear window into the wonders of the night sky This One’s for the Little Ones As we all know, keeping our kiddies entertained during lockdown is super easy and refreshing. In fact, we just can’t stop thinking of new ideas for fun and engaging activities for every. Single. Day. PSYCH. For those of you who only have a few clumps of hair left (and for those of you who would rather not get to that point), the St. Albert Art Gallery is running virtual Art and Clay classes twice a week through the month of January. See the link below! READ MORE An Invitation to Have Your Voice Heard – A Message from Windsor Park’s own, Susanna Biro Dear friends! I’d like to invite you to fill out the province’s survey regarding usage of Alberta Crown lands (including provincial parks and natural areas). Full disclosure: I think it’s important that not only the ATV/quad/snowmobile/powerboat/jetski users are heard, but that others who enjoy less harmful forms of outdoor recreation are also heard. 😊 If you have time and interest, please follow the link to find the public survey! https://your.alberta.ca/sustainable-recreation How Much of an Eco-Ally are YOU?  Think you know your fair share of sustainability facts? Want to learn more about sustainability in a format that isn’t a textbook? Looking for an opportunity to hang out, win prizes, and play trivia with like-minded people? Net Impact: Edmonton Professional Chapter is hosting a fun virtual trivia night! Join us to test your knowledge and learn more about sustainability, social impact, and all the different ways to make your community (& the planet!) better. What to expect at Trivia Night? Host: Ritchie Panas from Sorry not Sorry Productions Format: 4 rounds of questions, 15min each – first three rounds are tailored questions specifically about different areas of sustainability, last round is a BONUS round of various sustainability facts! Tickets: $10 per participant with net proceeds going to charity All proceeds go to Youth Orchestra of Northern Alberta Celebrating the Life of our Windsor Park Neighbour – Betty Lilge, 105 Years Old As many of you know, Betty Lilge passed away on Christmas Day. I have attached the link to her obituary and her service below. What a lady! Elizabeth Anne Lilge (Betty) April 24, 1915 – December 25, 2020 On Friday, December 25, 2020 Elizabeth Anne Lilge (née Burke) of Edmonton passed away in her 106th year. Betty is survived by her daughter Rhoda Witherly (Don); her son Jay Lilge (Amelia); grandchildren Michael (Stacy), Kate (Chris), Nicole (Chris), and Andrea (Dan); six great-grandchildren: Sophia, Max, Violet, Natalie, William, and Celeste; as well as extended family members from both the Lilge and Burke families. She was pre-deceased by her husband Ewald Oscar (Walter) Lilge in 2003, her brother Jay Burke, her sister-in-law, Marguerite Burke, and her daughter-in-law Linda Lilge. Betty Burke was born on April 24, 1915 in Onalaska, Wisconsin, but she was a deep-rooted Albertan. Her father Jules and mother Mildred had moved from Onalaska to Alberta in 1908 where Jules was a telephone engineer for the new telephone company, AGT. Initially the family lived in Lethbridge, and then in Calgary for most of Betty’s school years. The family moved to Edmonton as Betty was completing high school. Betty attended the University of Alberta from 1934-1937 where she was a member of the women’s basketball team as well as the Pi Beta Phi sorority. Betty worked as a school teacher until her marriage in 1942 to Walter Lilge. After a brief time in Kimberley, B.C., Betty and Walter settled back in Edmonton where Walter was a professor at the University of Alberta. In 1949 they moved into their newly-built home in Windsor Park where Betty lived for 70 years. During that time, Betty was active in the University of Alberta Faculty Women’s Club where she served as president for a period. She and Walter were long-time members of the Edmonton Country Club where they enjoyed many rounds of golf. In the neighbourhood, Betty was active in the Windsor Park Community League, as well as being an avid bridge player and book club member. Betty moved into a care home at the age of 103. The family would like to thank Betty’s caregiver, Lori Strickland, for the time she spent with Betty and the compassionate care she provided. The family would also like to acknowledge the comfort the staff at the Hardisty Care Centre provided Betty during her final years. Due to Covid restrictions, a private family funeral will be held on January 12, 2021, at the Westlawn Funeral Home with interment to follow at the Mount Pleasant Cemetery. A link to view the service can be found on the Westlawn Funeral Home website. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Salvation Army or the Spirit of Hope United Church. To send flowers to the family of Elizabeth Anne Lilge, please visit Tribute Store Obituary: https://edmontonjournal.remembering.ca/obituary/elizabeth-lilge-1081354786 Service www.livememorialservices.com/Home/ServiceDetail/9356 Rest in Peace, Betty.  —————— |
December 2020 Snow Removal
https://www.edmonton.ca/safesidewalks
“Snow and freeze/thaw cycles can result in hazardous conditions on walkways and sidewalks. These conditions are a safety concern for everyone — particularly for those with limited mobility, service providers and waste collectors.
Property owners should remove snow and ice as soon as possible, especially during days of continuous snowfall and during freeze/thaw cycles. As residents of a winter city, we need to be considerate of the impact snow-covered and icy sidewalks have on our neighbours and fellow citizens. Free sand is available at participating community leagues and Roadway Maintenance Yards.”
The Community Standards Bylaw says one must clear the sidewalk of snow. The Traffic Bylaw says one shall not place snow onto the road.
Here are the relevant bylaws:
7 A person shall maintain any sidewalk adjacent to land they own or occupy clear of all snow and ice.
https://www.edmonton.ca/documents/Bylaws/C14600.pdf
BYLAW 5590 Traffic Bylaw
48 A person shall not place, cause or permit to be placed any earth, sand, gravel, grass, leaves, snow, ice or other material upon any sidewalk or roadway.
https://www.edmonton.ca/documents/Bylaws/C5590.pdf
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