Serving Ridge and West Springs COUGAR RIDGE JULY 2016 TIMES

A Little Dabbler

Green Cart Roll Outs

Yahoo! It’s Stampede Time! In Our Community COUGAR RIDGE Green Cart Set to Roll TIMES Out Next Spring CONTACTS fter a successful pilot that saw a West Springs Cougar Ridge Community Association A40% drop in garbage and 89% Mailing Address: satisfaction among residents, the Suite 138, Unit 406 Green Cart Program will roll 917 - 85 Street SW out to all single family homes Calgary, , T3H 5Z9 beginning next spring. All communities should have the Phone: 403.770.8585 service by fall 2017. Here are www.wscr.ca the highlights: • All food, yard and pet waste Elected Officials is accepted in the program. Councillor: MLA: • Unlimited quantity. Use paper Richard Pootmans Deborah Drever yard waste bags for extra yard 403-268-1646 403-216-5400 waste that doesn’t fit in the cart. [email protected] [email protected] • Green and blue carts will be collected on the same day every week. Suburban Journals Publishing • Black carts will be picked up once every two Editor & Article Submissions: weeks on a separate day since most household waste [email protected] can be recycled or composted. Submission deadlines for this monthly publication are the 10th of the month, prior to the distribution month. Residents will receive everything they need to get started including the green Advertising Sales: Pam cart, a kitchen pail for collecting food 403-880-1819 scraps inside the home, a sample of [email protected] compostable bags for the kitchen pail and yard waste bags. Once service begins, households The ad booking deadline is the 14th of the month prior to the distribution month. will pay $6.50 per month. This charge reflects the savings This publication is published 12 times a year by Suburban Journals Publishing and achieved by changing black cart garbage collection from delivered to residents by Post. This publication is also available for pickup weekly to once every two weeks. from local retail outlets or view it online at www.suburbanjournals.ca/current-issues. Please note: the information and opinions in this newsletter are subject to change, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the publisher or editor. Content Green carts go beyond backyard composting contained in this publication may not be reproduced without the written consent If you’re already backyard composting, keep it up. Use of Suburban Journals Publishing. The information herein is believed accurate but your green cart for all the other materials that cannot not warranted so. Any advertisements, home businesses, babysitters & nannies, be composted at home like meat, bones, shellfish, dairy, or other parties listed in the Cougar Ridge Times should not be interpreted as recommendations or endorsements by the editor or the publisher. weeds and pet waste.

Why we need to keep food and yard waste out of landfills It may be hard to believe, but more than half of residential garbage is food and yard waste. Composting this material is the right thing to do. When food and yard waste is buried in the landfill it releases methane, a greenhouse gas that is 25 times stronger than carbon dioxide. By using the green carts we reduce dependence on our landfills, reduce greenhouse gas, and turn food and yard waste into nutrient-rich compost. To learn more about the Green Cart Program, visit www.calgary.ca/greencart. The City of Calgary Waste & Recycling Services

COUGAR RIDGE TIMES JULY 2016 3 In Our Community

mixed-use community for seniors. The design, while Councillor Report still in the very early stages, will include building locations, pathways, streets and a park space. ood news, your Ward 6 office has been working More application details will be released closer to Gsuccessfully to bring two new senior living facilities construction completion. to Ward 6! We will be welcoming Signature Retirement Living to Patterson and Silvera for Seniors to Glamorgan. The City is leading the development of a Seniors Age- We encourage planning for complete communities, Friendly Strategy to help plan for the growing number including housing options for people throughout their of older adults, expected to be 1 in 5 Calgarians lives in areas they have lived - close to family, friends and by 2036. The Seniors Age-Friendly Strategy has six amenities they are familiar with. priority areas which include; access to information and services, community support and health, Prominence Way Retirement Community is anticipated housing, participation and inclusion, prevention of to open in late spring of 2018. In May, construction and response to elder abuse, and transportation and began on Prominence Way Retirement Community, mobility. The City is working closely with community located in the community of Patterson Heights just partners and Calgarians to implement the plan north of Old Banff Coach Road SW near Bow Trail through 2018. A report to Council on implementation SW at 908 Prominence Hill SW. Owned and operated progress is set for October 2016. Visit Seniors Age- by Signature Retirement Living, Prominence Way Friendly Strategy on calgary.ca to get involved. Retirement Community will be a 4-storey building For general information, safety and transportation containing 180 suites. The design provides 126 information, housing and home support services as independent living suites with a mixture of types of well as Police services and recreation, culture and units as well as 54 designated assisted living studios fitness services for seniors provided by The City of supported by Alberta Health Services, for persons Calgary, please visit calgary.ca/seniors. requiring additional care and including a wing for Richard Pootmans, Councillor, Ward 6 memory care residents.

Two well-established not-for-profit organizations in Calgary, Silvera and Horizon Housing, are working Stampede Taxi Stands together to redevelop the land next to Silvera’s Stampede taxi stands are designated areas near Westview Community at 5025 45 Street SW adjacent Stampede Park where taxis will be lined-up to wait for to Glenmore Trail. The Elbow Valley lands came into customers. Two temporary taxi stands will operate at Silvera’s portfolio in 1964 and in 2000, the lodges all hours during Stampede. These stands were decommissioned. Silvera is redeveloping the are located at the South and North land to increase affordable senior housing options in entrances of Stampede Park. The Calgary while creating spaces for seniors to stay in taxi stand located at the North their communities as they age. The new development entrance of Stampede Park will will include the addition of more independent and provide priority service to people supportive living suites with a vibrant, connected with accessibility needs as this entrance provides the most direct route to enter into the park.

DID YOU Late Night Temporary Taxi Stands KNOW?? Within Stampede Park there are multiple entertainment venues. In Over 200,000 2016 all venues are closing at 3 a.m. pancakes are To accommodate the evening rush two additional late night temporary stands will be served during the established. For details, visit Calgary.ca and search taxi Calgary Stampede. stands.

COUGAR RIDGE TIMES JULY 2016 5 In Our Community Girl Guides Wants You! Window and ere you in Brownies or Guides when you were a Balcony Safety Wgirl? Do you have fond memories of playing games, selling cookies, going camping, and having fun with your How to Protect Your Children friends at Girl Guide meetings? he warm summer breeze is not the only thing an If so, we invite you to consider coming back to Girl Topen window invites into your home. Unchecked, that Guides as an adult! same window can invite unnecessary risks.

Today, Girl Guides is still going strong and is Canada’s Open windows and balcony doors are potentially leading organization for girls and women, with over dangerous to curious children. 80,000 members in communities all across the country. Girl Guides is full of great women! Our adult members As summer temperatures go up, Alberta Health Services are wonderful role models who support girls to achieve (AHS) EMS and Emergency Departments report an and succeed through fun and adventures. increase in the number of children injured after falling out of windows or off of balconies. SARCEE HILLS GIRL GUIDES NEEDS SPARK, BROWNIE, GUIDE, AND PATHFINDER LEADERS FOR FALL 2016! Most of these falls can be prevented with a few We have over 60 great women volunteer Leaders in our precautions: Sarcee Hills District, and we would love for you to join • Move furniture such as cribs, beds, stools, and change us! FUN is guaranteed! tables away from windows to prevent access to them.

Come back to Girl Guides! Interested in joining us? • Install window guards on all windows on the second Contact [email protected] floor and above. These act like gates in front of windows. Sarcee Hills Girl Guides • Consider installing safety devices which limit the distance in which a window be can open to 10cm (4 inch). • Remember: screens are designed to keep bugs out, NOT to keep children in. • Ensure that your balcony railings are not more than 10 cm (4 inch) apart. This will eliminate access between the vertical bars of a balcony, or deck. • Furniture and other items stored on balconies and decks can be used to climb, resulting in a fall over the railing. • Keep drapery cords out of children’s reach. Wrap excess cord around cleats, or tie-down devices placed high on the wall, to avoid a choking hazard. • Removing corded window coverings is the best way to keep your children safe, especially in your child’s bedroom and other rooms where they play. • Direct supervision of children is always the most DID YOU KNOW?? effective way to prevent falls. O Canada was written by Robert Take precautions today so your child can enjoy tomorrow. A safe summer is a fun summer. Stanley Weir for the Diamond Jubilee of AHS EMS is proud to be a member of the Partners Promoting Window and Balcony Safety. Visit us at: www. Confederation in windowsafety.ca 1927. Alberta Health Services

COUGAR RIDGE TIMES JULY 2016 7 In Our City

Calgary Connection Bring sunscreen, water, hat, bug spray, binoculars, walking shoes and a camera. Included this season visits Volunteer Calgary to Big Hill Springs and Glenbow Ranch Provincial Parks and guest presenters from Trout Unlimited Canada, The Visit the “Volunteer” page of www.propellus.org for Friends of Fish Creek Provincial Park Society and more. volunteer opportunities in Calgary. For more information and to register, pease phone 403- Women’s English & Social Group 297-7927 or email [email protected]. Improve your English and meet new women at a New Friends and Neighbourhood Group. We have 16 groups locations in the city. Groups meet once a week Free Nature Drop-in Programs Drop by Ralph Klein Park this summer for The City of for 2 hours to practice English, make friends and have Calgary’s free nature programs. Designed for children fun! No cost, no immigration requirements and no ages 5 to 12 (with an accompanying adult), these minimum English. Free childcare provided for children interactive sessions explore wetland wonders and 6 months to 6 years old. Visit www.ciwa-online.com birdwatching basics using fun, hands-on activities. The or contact Debra Colley at [email protected] City’s nature drop-in programs run from July 5 to August or 403-444-1752. 25. Registration is not required. Due to limited staffing and supplies, please no day camp or daycare groups of Free Stampede Breakfast more than five children. Visit calgary.ca/parksguide for Sunday, July 9 from 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. at the SCA more information. Community Association, 277 Strathcona Dr SW. Hosted by Centre Street Church. Balloon animals, face painting and Get moving this summer! bouncy houses. This summer, The City of Calgary is providing a variety of free and affordable community programs and events 2016 FREE Guided Cemetery Tours for families, youth and seniors. Get out and get moving Until October 30. Cowboys and cooks, prohibitionists this summer! Visit calgary.ca/GetMoving. Don’t forget and politicians, suffragettes and speculators! Join our to share your summer adventures by using the hashtag volunteer guides for a walk through time to learn about #GetMovingYYC. the people and events that shaped Calgary. Tours are 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. (weather permitting). Take place at Park n’ Play and Stay n’ Play Offers Free Burnsland Cemetery, St. Mary’s Pioneer Cemetery, and The City of Calgary’s Park n’ Play and Union Cemetery. Visit calgary.ca/cemeteries for dates, Summer Fun: Stay n’ Play supervised programs help children make location and more information. new friends and learn a variety of games and activities Fish Creek Provincial Park Summer Tour Series that they can use on their path to healthy and active 2016 lifestyles. Park n’ Play is for ages 6-12 while Stay n’ This summer discover the natural wonders of Fish Creek Play is for ages 3-5 provided they are accompanied by Provincial Park. Bring your family and friends and join an adult. Programs run weekdays and are weather us as we explore this oasis in the city. dependant. View the program schedule at calgary.ca/ Come prepared for the weather and walking (easy trails). CommunitySummerPrograms.

8 Cougar Ridge Times SUBURBAN JOURNALS www.suburbanjournals.ca In Our City Blue-winged Teal – a Little Dabbler

he Blue-winged Teal’s formal name (Anis discors) Tcomes from the Latin words for “a duck” (Anis) and discors or “disc about the mouth” which may refer to the face pattern of the male. The adult male has a rounded slate blue head with a crescent shaped band of feathers behind its black bill and in front of its black eyes. The male has a light brown body with a white Alan & Elaine Wilson of Nature’s Pics Online patch near the rear and a black tail, and shows a blue patch with a white spending most of their time foraging border on its fore wings, especially This is the most common teal in shallow waters. They are described when in flight. The adult female is a in Alberta’s grassland and as being “abundant” in North mottled or scalloped grey-brown with parkland areas. The best area America, with numbers varying in a whitish patch at the base of the for it to live in is likely to have response to water conditions, with tail and bill, and a dark line through grassy spaces mixed with drought causing populations to fall. its black eye. The bill is quite large. wetlands. It is most likely They are the first ducks to go south Blue-winged and Cinnamon Teal found in the calmer waters of in the fall and the last ones to arrive females and immatures are very hard marshes, sloughs, ponds and north for the breeding season in the to distinguish from one another. the weedy edges of small spring. It is likely that they leave

lakes. early and arrive back late because This is a small (especially compared they are long distance migrators, to the large Mallards common to some going as far as South America (a Blue-winged Alberta waterways) dabbling duck (meaning that it Teal banded in Alberta was found in Venezuela a feeds on the surface on vegetation or water insects month later). The oldest recorded Blue-winged Teal just ducking its head under water, or by tipping right was a 23-year-old male, banded in Alberta and found up, pointing its tail end upwards while feeding on in Cuba. Overwintering in Alberta is not common, but submerged vegetation). It is only about 16 inches has been recorded in Calgary and at Wabamun Lake. (40 cm) long, with a wingspan of 23 inches (58 cm) and weighing in at only 13 ounces (370 g). If you find an injured or orphaned wild bird or animal in distress, please contact the Calgary Wildlife This is the most common teal in Alberta’s grassland Rehabilitation Society hotline at 403-239-2488, for tips, and parkland areas. The best area for it to live in is instructions and advice, or look at the website at likely to have grassy spaces mixed with wetlands. It www.calgarywildlife.org for more information. is most likely found in the calmer waters of marshes, J.G. Turner, CWRS sloughs, ponds and the weedy edges of small lakes. Nests are built in concealing grasses or vegetation on dry land, but near to water. You might see a Blue- winged Teal cruising near the shoreline (rather than DID YOU out in open water) or resting on logs or rocks sticking above the water, on top of houses, on bare KNOW?? shoreline or mud flats. In the late summer they undergo a moult (during which they shed their old "Canada" is an feathers and grow new ones), which prevents them from flying so they will spend this time in prairie Iroquoian sloughs or large marshes with good food supplies. language word Although it is found in the right habitat throughout the province, the Blue-winged Teal is most common in meaning central and southern Alberta. "Village."

This little duck hangs out in pairs or small groups

10 Cougar Ridge Times SUBURBAN JOURNALS www.suburbanjournals.ca In Our City Top 10 Ways to Enjoy the Calgary Stampede

10. Wear a bandana. This is a Stampede must! Don’t have one? Dollar stores often carry them. Wear it around your neck, on your head, tie it around your purse strap, or tuck it in a pocket. This is a Stampede must have!

9. Take in a free pancake breakfast. The pancake breakfast has been associated with the Calgary Stampede since 1923! Find some around the city at stampedebreakfast.ca

8. Host a Stampede-themed gathering for friends. It’s easy to throw something together; make a big bowl 1. The Calgary Stampede wouldn’t be Stampede of chili or barbecue some ribs. Serve corn bread, without the rodeo! Take in some barrel racing, some potato salad, and cold beer. Play some great bareback riding, steer wrestling or the chuck-wagon country music and the party atmosphere takes care races! It’s live and amazing! of itself! Larynda McKay 7. Feel confident wearing your cowboy hat! During Stampede, the cowboy hat is a crucial wardrobe essential! Enjoy those few days to really bring out your inner cow-person! Yee haw! Sudoku Corner 6. Take the family to see the Calgary Stampede parade! The objective is to fill a 9x9 grid so that each column, It starts at 9am on July 8, 2016. If you are an early each row, and each of the nine 3x3 boxes contains the bird (which is recommended for securing the best digits 1 – 9 only one time each. spots!), the parade prelude starts at 7:30 am. Wow, just typing that out, I feel excited! 7 6 5. Try something new and possibly on the weird side to eat at the Stampede. This year there are apparently 2 6 9 34 new things on the menu! 9 5 6 2 4. Take in the midway at night. There is something very special about walking the midway of the Calgary 2 4 9 1 Stampede at night. When everything is loud, lit up, and the smell of greasy, sweetness fills the air; it 6 2 5 8 brings back those decadent memories of youth! For the little ones, it excites all the senses and creates 9 7 6 4 new memories that they’ll take into life forever. 5 1 8 7 3. Enjoy the fireworks! They’re just spectacular! 6 1 5 2. Have you ever attended a grandstand show? Do it this year! The talent is always so amazing! Lots of 2 4 dance, lights and wow!

Answer on Page 15

COUGAR RIDGE TIMES JULY 2016 11 In Our City Book Review Celebrate – A Year of British Festivities for Families and Friends by Pippa Middleton

aybe it’s because the MQueen turned 90 this year, or perhaps it was just my love for Royalty, but when I spotted this great party book by the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton’s sister, Pippa Middleton, I had to have it.

The book is broken into the 4 seasons, and within each, she focuses on a few of the popular little holidays and celebrations found within each. The summer celebrations, which include party ideas, recipes and décor to make the occasion shine, are children’s parties, barbecues, picnics and camping.

As someone who loves a fabulous picnic, I loved that she included a list of picnic essentials and beach luxuries, along with some easy-to-prepare sandwiches and drinks. Additionally she adds some easy-to-create crafts that make a simple picnic, extraordinary. Am crushing over the little shell skewers! They are SO easy to make!

If you have kids, you’ll love her section on camping. She shares such great ideas for kids, including a few simple outdoor crafts and games. There are even a few suggestions for songs to sing around a fire. How great is that? Her campfire corn recipes (fritters, corn-on-the-cob, and cornbread) are easy, and look delicious! You’ll definitely want to head out with your tent this weekend after reading her book.

I have looked through this book over and over and over. It’s such a beautifully photographed book, with so many ideas. It’s a party-planner’s must-have! Since it’s seasonal, it’s a book that can be kept around for any time of the year. I have made a personal goal to host at least one of her themed celebrations this year. The moment you pick up this book, you’ll want to as well. It’s an absolute delight! Larynda McKay

12 Cougar Ridge Times SUBURBAN JOURNALS www.suburbanjournals.ca In Our City In Case of an Emergency, Know Your Location

ach year, Calgary’s 9-1-1 centre receives over one Emillion emergency and non-emergency calls. It takes a team of over 300 employees, working in a 24-7 environment to answer those calls and get citizens the help they need.

The most important piece of information a 9-1-1 emergency communications officer needs is your location. If you don’t know where you are, there may be a delay in getting you the help you need. Many citizens Creek Park, or on the assume that emergency responders can find them based pathway, you can look for our emergency locator signs. on cell phone GPS. This is not true. While the 9-1-1 officer These signs are an initiative between Calgary Parks and may receive your approximate location, it’s not always Calgary 9-1-1. Taking note of them will help crews locate accurate. That’s why it is so important to always pay you in an emergency. attention to your surroundings and know your location. Whether you’re at home or out enjoying the summer in It’s easy if you’re at home where you can provide your our city, Calgary 9-1-1 is there to help you stay safe. home address to the 9-1-1 officer. But what if you were outside, enjoying your day in one of Calgary’s parks, For more information on Calgary 9-1-1, visit calgary.ca/911 when you suddenly need to call 9-1-1? If you’re in Fish City of Calgary

A O U F S T O O B N E D A R A P Q N L P Y C Q N G Z R A R I G C R S C O P Q Z U W Y A V K Q F E S O O Q L B Word Y S K R O W E R I F K E T W D I S E Z E J B S S P B L K K Q Z S E T V L Search H D W I Y L E R R A B J Z Y E N L D D O T L H R S S C E H P D E L W D D C T T T N S A N T T O O R V S U C A

BARREL HAT B O O U Z P A G Q M S N Q V Z G J S BOOTS HORSES S M R X W P R U L L J P Q G O N Z Q BUCKING JULY S T A M P E D E Y A L C O W G I R L BULL MIDWAY E Y D S N O G A W K C U H C N K N G CALGARY PANCAKES Z J A N D J O U V T A F V E B C O O CHUCKWAGONS PARADE Y K K W Q S K U M O G V P Z A U G I CLOWN RODEO Z U A O D F Y Z A S E S R O H B L Y COWBOY SADDLE COWGIRL STAMPEDE B H M L A I E U E N S D F Q M Q T L COWS STEER U X A C V J M L M W I E O Q F V Z W FIREWORKS WESTERN H H U T X S O F T O N A W R E L N T

COUGAR RIDGE TIMES JULY 2016 13 In Our City Calgary Stampede History Facts

here is so much rich history in the onset of, and Tcontinued success of the Calgary Stampede. Here are a few facts about it! For more information, do check out the Calgary Stampede website!

• Guy Weadick, a vaudeville performer, came to Calgary in 1912 to pitch the idea of a 6-day celebration and rodeo championship.

• The ‘Big Four’ of the Calgary Stampede were four prosperous Alberta ranchers, A.E. Cross, George Lane, Pat Burns, and A.J. McLean. Together they supported the dream of Guy Weadick.

• The first Stampede was held in September of 1912. • 1923 was a big year for the Stampede. The collaboration of the Stampede and the Exhibition as • An economic depression and the beginning of World one big event occurred in July. The same year saw the War 1 derailed plans for an annual event. In 1919, the beginnings of the tradition we know as the ‘pancake Big Four, along with Ernie L. Richardson, called Guy breakfast’. Weadick back to Calgary to hold a Victory Stampede. Larynda McKay

14 Cougar Ridge Times SUBURBAN JOURNALS www.suburbanjournals.ca Food & Drink Rainbow Fruit Skewers with Creamy Lemon Dip

hese delicious skewers are easy to make plus the Tcreamy lemon dip adds a great boost of flavour and is perfect for parties.

You can make both the skewers and dip ahead of time. Simply wrap skewers tightly with plastic wrap or place in a resealable bag and refrigerate up to 12 hours. The dip can be made up to 24 hours ahead.

Makes: 10 skewers

Ingredients:

Fruit Skewers • 10 small strawberries • 10 cantaloupe balls or peach wedges Directions: • 10 pineapple wedges or banana chunks • 10 kiwi wedges or honeydew balls 1. Whisk yogurt with honey, lemon and cinnamon. Set • 30 blueberries aside. • 10 purple grapes 2. Skewer the fruit in a rainbow pattern. Serve alongside Creamy Lemon Dip dip. Tip: If skewers start to splinter, use a twisting • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt motion to skewer fruit. • 1 tbsp Great Value Honey or Maple Syrup • Zest of 1 lemon Find more recipe inspiration, visit walmart.ca/ • Pinch cinnamon recipecentre. • 10 short bamboo skewers News Canada

Stampede Food Quest! Sticky Toffee Bug Balls. A bit like a donut hole, covered ave you heard about the new foods to hit the Calgary with cinnamon, sugar, it seems most delicious until you HStampede? This year there are apparently 34 new read the part about the mealworms and crickets. Yikes. foods to try this year. I keep wondering how they can top the odd, the gross, and the unique every year, but it keeps Young teens like the bright and colorful choices... so this happening. year, the hot pink, Strawberry Candy apples will likely be a hit. Or maybe try a grilled cheese with fruit-infused For the ones who love a twist on an old favorite, you may cheese inside, in what is being called, “a mind blowing enjoy the Big Pickle Corn Dog. That’s right, a hot dog, rainbow colored experience”. stuffed in a pickle, surrounded by cornbread. Maybe the old mac & cheese standby, stuffed in a burger is more For more information and some amazing food your thing. It’s gooey and thick and we think... looks photos, see the Calgary Stampede website blog: blog. delicious. calgarystampede.com/2016/05/03/34-new-foods-hit- the-stampede-midway-in-2016 Maybe you’re into finding the grossest item on the menu. Larynda McKay This year the Stampede blog says that you can find some

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