County Pride Year in Review Fire Pits

June/July 2014
County Pride
A look at our parade truck.
Year in Review
Enforcement Services.
Fire Pits
Have fun and stay safe.
Break Glass
In Case of
emerGenCy
Facebook: www.facebook.com/RockyViewCounty
Twitter: @RockyViewCounty
Residents can also sign-up for Alberta Emergency
Alert at: www.emergencyalert.alberta.ca. This is
a province-wide service created to alert residents
of any danger. Alerts are received on your smart
phone or by e-mail.
014-0503 © Rocky View County
Rocky View County wants all residents to stay safe
during an emergency. Follow us on social media
for up-to-the-minute information to help keep
you and your family safe. We will provide updates
on road closures, flooding, fires, and other
emergency incidents.
June/July 2014
November 2013
Recent County Council
decisions.
5 Riparian
Snowbound along
Development
Year in Review
This will be the last in our series of
reports on Rocky View County’s key
activities and services in the past
year. This report covers:
needs, and the safe and smooth operation of
the community as a whole. Through patrolling all
County roads for traffic violations, and enforcing
bylaws throughout the County, Enforcement
Services is working to keep Rocky View County
safe and to maintain the quality of life that Rocky
Viewers enjoy.
Enforcement
Tickets per
Month
y
ar
nu
Provincial Statutes
219
M
ar
e.g. Gaming and Liquor,
Smoking, Trespassing
il
229
Apr
63
M
ay
19
218
Unsightly Premises
455
431
us
t
Public Safety Hazards
Month
21
Parking Control
215
Ju
ly
35
Noise Complaints
be
r
325
If you are interested in submitting
articles or material for publication in
Vantage Point, please contact Rocky
View County Communication Services.
Printed in Canada with environmentally
responsible ink on Forest Stewardship
Council ®certified
certifiedrecycled
paper. paper.
te
Sep
O
ct
ob
er
557
Winter emergency supplies
waterways.
are an essential part of
living in rural Alberta.
Year in Review
Enforcement Services
By the Numbers
statistics for 2013.
New stats about the
people of Rocky View.
r
485
ov
em
be
e.g. Building Permits, Home Based
Business, Signage
314
N
53
Pumping Complaints
be
r
9
Municipal Addressing
em
9
Abuse of Public Land
ec
266
Compliance Issues
2
Road Damage
D
Vantage Point is published by
Rocky
monthly
View
County
and
delivered
of
by Rocky
View
County
and free
delivered
charge
to County
households.
Vantage
free of charge
to County
households.
Point
is also
available
online under
the
Vantage
Point
is also available
online
News
Events
at
under &
the
Newstab
& Events
tab at
www.rockyview.ca.
m
210885
6
263
Aug
Printing:
Apache Superior Printing
287
Ja
168
ry
Littering
ua
18
br
21
Burning Complaints
Fe
440
Animal Control
ch
Number
of Public
Complaints
Enforcement Services
Rocky View County is a community of people
involved in many different activities, with many
different needs. Enforcement Services helps to
ensure a balance between those individual
Ju
ne
Manager, Communication Services:
Grant Kaiser, APR, P.Mgr.
Manager, Communication Services:
Contributors:
Grant Kaiser, APR, P.Mgr.
Amanda Bradley, BCMM; Anna
Melnick,
BCMM; Cheryl Wallach;
Contributors:
Garth
Nielsen;
Stacy Williams;
McGuire, Glen
BAComm
; Anna Melnick,
Lorraine
BAComm;Wesley-Riley
Ryan Lisowski; Lora Plante;
and Cheryl Wallach
Design:
Sheldon
Design: Bueckert;
Tyler
Design
Tyler Williams,
Williams,B.
B.Des
Votes
4 Council
CouncilCouncil
Votes decisions.
County
0
200
400
600
Number of Tickets
9
11
8
Dust Control
Alarm!!
Save your life for under $100. Hitting the dusty trails.
The Business of Rocky View
Annalise Astley-Blishen – Go4Snow Distributors.
Pits
9 Fire
Enjoying fire pits safely.
Welcome to the New Vantage Point
We’ve been working hard on County communications over the past few months,
with a new website, less (but improved) paid newspaper advertising, and more
Neighbours
public open houses and information sessions. Meet
We’ve your
also heard
your concerns
County
about Vantage Point – big, untimely, expensive,Featuring
and difficultthe
to read.
10
community of Landgon.
Rocky View County
Communications Services
911 – 32 Avenue NE
Calgary, AB, T2E 6X6
403-230-1401
www.rockyview.ca
Vantage
Point contact
e-mail:
General Rocky
View County
[email protected]
contact e-mail:
[email protected]
Vantage Point contact e-mail:
© 2014 Rocky View County. All rights reserved.
[email protected]
Reproduction or reuse of any information in
this publication, in whole or part, without the
express written permission of Rocky View
County Communication Services is strictly
© 2013 Rocky
View
All rights
prohibited.
While
allCounty.
reasonable
care isreserved.
taken
Reproduction
or reuse
any information
in
in
the preparation
of thisofpublication,
Rocky
this publication,
in whole
or part,
without for
the
View
County cannot
be held
responsible
express written
permission
of Rocky View
unintentional
errors
or omissions.
County Communication Services is strictly
prohibited. While all reasonable care is taken
in the preparation of this publication, Rocky
View County cannot be held responsible for
unintentional errors or omissions.
We’re listening to you with this new Vantage Point. We’ve reduced the
size of the publication and the way it’s printed, and made it monthly. That
dramatically reduces postage and printing costs. This new version costs
under 25 cents per person to print and mail – less
than the
price of a firstParade
Truck
class stamp.
11 A look at the County’s
truck.
The more frequent delivery helps us give you parade
more timely
information about
County Council decisions, upcoming events, and arising issues. We’ve made
that information easier to read, and the design easier to follow.
On
the
Over the
nextCover
few months, we’ll be tweaking Vantage Point to get it just right,
and ifand
you Dustin
have any
comments
suggestions
Pam
Ogden,
and or
their
children we’d love to hear them. Drop
us a line(3),
at [email protected].
Kaylar
Kaysen (2), and Karter (3 months),
have deep roots in Rocky View County.
We hope
you like the new
and improved
Vantage
Pam’s
grandparents
homesteaded
land
in the Point.
Yankee Valley area in 1910, where her family
has farmed ever since. The Ogden family
now lives on their acreage
nearCover
Kathyrn,
On the
where the kids have lots
of
room
to play and
Deanna and Mark Muchka and their children, Derek and
endless adventures right
out
their
front
door.
Kate, take a break
from
wrapping up their 2013 season at the
Calgary Corn Maze and Fun Farm in Rocky View County,
Photograph by Carl Patzel
Photography.
southwest
of Indus. The popular attraction brings the country
experience to Calgarians and visitors from around the world.
Do you know a great face for the cover of
Photograph
Carl Patzel Photography.
Vantage Point? Let us
know bybye-mailing
[email protected].
Do you know a great face for the cover of Vantage Point?
Let us know by e-mailing [email protected].
Rocky View County | 3
Rocky View County
|
3
Council Votes
Here are the highlights of significant or County-wide decisions from the most recent
Council meetings.
Bearspaw Oral
History Project
Bragg Creek Centre
Geotechnical Studies
Director of
Disaster Services
Council voted to extend the
deadline for the Bearspaw
Historical Society’s Oral
History project by six months.
Normally, Community
Recreation Capital Grant
projects must be completed
within two years, but the
Society has had difficulty
recruiting qualified people
to transcribe oral history
recordings. The County
is paying $30,000 of the
estimated $100,000 cost for
the project.
Council voted to pay up to
50 percent of the costs (to
a maximum of $46,750)
of geotechnical studies
that will form a first step
towards redevelopment of
the Bragg Creek Community
Centre site. The studies
will include information
on flood mitigation, storm
water management, erosion
control, and more.
Council voted to appoint the
County’s Fire Chief, Randy
Smith, as the Director of
Disaster Services under
the Alberta Emergency
Management Act. The
position had been held on an
interim basis by the Manager
of Enforcement Services,
Lorraine Wesley-Riley, since
the fall of last year.
Springbank Heritage
Club Renovations
Council voted to pay up to
50 percent of the costs (to
a maximum of $16,500) of
washroom renovations at
the Heritage Club facility
near Range Road 33 and
Township Road 244.
Fire Guardians
Council voted to grant 2014
Fire Guardian status to
five Rocky View County
residents, plus a number of
County staff. Fire Guardians
have the authority to issue
fire permits, which helps
provide service throughout
the County, rather than
requiring everyone to visit the
Municipal Building.
On average, County Council
deals with many agenda items
at each meeting, most relating
to localized land use and
development issues. If you’re
interested in all of Council’s
decisions, or details on the
decisions shown here, you can
read the full Council Minutes by
visiting www.rockyview.ca and
clicking on the “Government”
then “Council” tabs.
Bearspaw Fire Station Update
Rocky Viewers around the
new Bearspaw Fire Station
on Lochend Place will start
to see activity over the next
few months, as the County’s
Fire Services, Corporate
Properties, and Information
Technology departments
begin operationalizing the
station.
4 | Vantage Point
When lives are at stake,
you don’t just open the
doors and hope for the best.
Commissioning a fire hall
is a detailed, rigorous, and
time consuming process. All
equipment must be tested
and installed, alarm and radio
systems must be dialed in and
proven, and response protocols
developed. The new station will
be brought online over the next
few months, with the objective
of providing the best fire and
emergency coverage possible.
A full crew should be in place
by Canada Day, but the official
opening of the station won’t be
until August, and everyone will
be invited to see the new facility
at a grand opening celebration.
Details will be in the next
issue of Vantage Point.
Keeping County waterways healthy is an important way to protect plants, animals, and property.
Development Along Waterways
How new setbacks might affect you.
Just under five percent
of Rocky View County’s
land is touched by flowing
water–creeks, rivers, and
even stream-fed ponds and
lakes. Although small in
size, these waterways are an
important part of the natural
environment, and keeping
them healthy protects plants,
animals, and property alike.
Any area where water, soil,
and vegetation interact
is called a riparian zone.
These areas, with their thick
grasses, cattails, and shrubs,
are an important part of:
•Stabilizing banks and
shorelines, protecting
property and infrastructure
from flooding and erosion
•Filtering water by trapping
sediments and removing
pollutants to improve water
quality
•Providing food and shelter
for wildlife
Following Provincial
regulations, Rocky View
County has always had
development setbacks from
flowing water, but the County
is proposing changes to
the Land Use Bylaw which
will further limit building
new homes, structures,
septic fields, parking lots,
and storm water ponds in
riparian areas.
If you think you might have
a riparian area on your land,
and want to know how the
new setbacks might impact
development, you should
plan to attend an open
house to see the new bylaw
changes and understand how
they may affect you:
Wednesday, June 25
4:00 to 7:30 p.m.
Rocky View County
Municipal Building
911 - 32 Avenue NE, Calgary
You can also find more
information, including
answers to frequently asked
questions, details on soil
types and setback distances,
and how the new guidelines
will affect the building permit
process by visiting
www.rockyview.ca and
searching “Riparian.”
Rocky View County | 5
Year in Review
This will be the last in our series of
reports on Rocky View County’s key
activities and services in the past
year. This report covers:
Number
of Public
Complaints
35
Noise Complaints
Enforcement Services
Rocky View County is a community of people
involved in many different activities, with many
different needs. Enforcement Services helps to
ensure a balance between those individual
440
21
Animal Control
Burning Complaints
21
19
Parking Control
Public Safety Hazards
210885
2
Road Damage
6 | Vantage Point
9
Abuse of Public Land
9
Municipal Addressing
needs, and the safe and smooth operation of
the community as a whole. Through patrolling all
County roads for traffic violations, and enforcing
bylaws throughout the County, Enforcement
Services is working to keep Rocky View County
safe and to maintain the quality of life that Rocky
Viewers enjoy.
Enforcement
Tickets per
Month
ry
nu
a
Ja
y
219
ch
Provincial Statutes
263
ua
r
168
br
Littering
Fe
18
287
M
ar
e.g. Gaming and Liquor,
Smoking, Trespassing
ay
M
215
455
Ju
ly
63
218
Ju
ne
Month
Ap
ril
229
431
Au
gu
st
Unsightly Premises
Pumping Complaints
Se
ov
pt
O
em
em
ct
ob
be
be
be
e
r
r
r
r
557
485
N
314
em
ec
53
e.g. Building Permits, Home Based
Business, Signage
D
266
Compliance Issues
325
0
200
400
600
Number of Tickets
Rocky View County | 7
Rocky View County treats gravel roads annually to reduce dust in the air.
Hitting the Dusty Trails
Southern Alberta is classified
as a semi-arid climate –
essentially one step above
desert. It doesn’t take long
after the winter snow and
spring rains before Rocky
Viewers start seeing dust
from millions of acres of dry
land throughout the south.
A small part of that dust
comes from the over 1,600
kilometres of gravel roads
within Rocky View County.
Every vehicle that drives over
these roads, plus the strong
winds this part of Alberta is
known for, can stir up loose
dirt and dust.
The easiest way to reduce
dust on gravel roads is to
slow down when driving.
Rocky View County also
helps by spraying a dust
8 | Vantage Point
control solution on gravel
roads near homes. The
solution is a brine that
essentially consists of salts
and molasses.
The salts are primarily calcium
chloride, which is used in
canning foods and dehydrating
meats and fruits. It works
by absorbing moisture from
the air, helping to “wet” the
gravel road surface to keep
dust down. The sugar beet
molasses in the brine helps
stop the salts from corroding
vehicles, culverts, bridges, and
other infrastructure.
Beginning in late May, Rocky
View County Infrastructure
and Operations staff
automatically treat all gravel
roads for 100 metres (330
feet) on each side of a
residential driveway, as
long as the home is within
150 metres (500 feet) of
the road. The dust control
brine is applied once each
year. Residents who want
additional coverage, or
who don’t want dust control
should visit
www.rockyview.ca and
search for “Dust Control” for
more information.
One-third of all the land on
the planet produces dust,
but the County works hard
to ensure we keep the view
in Rocky View County by
cutting down dust for those
living near gravel roads.
This fire pit is being built for fun and safety, with a spark screen and non-combustible apron area.
Enjoying Fire Pits Safely
For tens of thousands of
years, mankind has gathered
around the light of a fire for
warmth, companionship, and
cooking. But for an equal
amount of time, mankind has
been starting devastating
wildfires and grassland fires.
As Rocky Viewers begin
spending their evenings
sitting with family and friends
around the glow of their fires,
here’s a reminder of the rules
for a safe fire pit:
•The diameter of the fire
pit’s opening should be no
more than 60 centimetres
(24 inches).
•There should be a metal
grate or mesh screen
covering the opening to
stop sparks from flying.
•The pit should be
surrounded by a 60
centimetre (24 inch) or
larger apron of noncombustible material such
as concrete, brick, or steel.
•The fire pit must be at least
4 metres (13 feet) away
from all trees, overhanging
branches, shrubs, or other
combustible materials.
•Green stick or other
marshmallow roasting stick
While enjoying your safetyfirst fire pit with family
and friends, try a fun and
traditional substitute for
toasted marshmallows.
Put the flour, baking powder,
oil, and salt into a bowl and
mix until crumbly. Slowly add
water and mix until the dough
just holds together. Don’t add
too much water.
Bannock
Bannock is a kids’ favourite,
and easy to cook on a stick
over the fire. Here’s what
you’ll need:
•2 to 3 cups of whole wheat
flour (European tradition)
OR corn flour (Native
American tradition)
•1 to 2 tablespoons of
baking powder
•2 to 3 tablespoons of oil or
butter
•Pinch of salt
•2/3 cup warm water
•Aluminum foil
•Butter, honey, or jam
Wrap the end of a green stick
with aluminum foil, or use a
metal marshmallow roasting
stick. Knead a small amount
of dough around your stick.
You should end up with
something about the size
and shape of a corn dog.
Cook just as you would a
marshmallow – rotate it, don’t
get too close to the flames,
and watch for a golden brown
colour. It should take about
ten minutes.
When done (remember it’s
hot), add a bit of butter, jam,
or honey, and enjoy!
Rocky View County | 9
Langdon’s Main Street is like stepping into the past.
Meet Your Neighbours - Langdon
Langdon is a growing hamlet
in Rocky View County’s
southeast. About 4,900
people call Langdon home,
and the hamlet is growing
by an average of over 12
percent a year.
The subcontractor who built
the Canadian Pacific Railway
line just east of Calgary gave
the community its name. R.B.
Langdon broke ground for
a community in 1882, and a
year later a railway station
was set up in a boxcar and
named after him.
Langdon hit the big time
with the addition of a post
office in 1890 and telegraph
office in 1899, and grew
into an important stop along
the CP Rail line. Soon it
was booming, with livery
barns, blacksmith shops, a
telephone office, and even
a jail. The jail was used
only once in the law-abiding
hamlet, but unfortunately that
one prisoner escaped.
In 1908 Langdon became
known as “the good luck
town.” This was partly
due to its location on the
Adopt a Pet
This is Albert! He came into the Cochrane & Area Humane
Society as a stray and while he’s sad no one claimed him,
he’s excited for his new family to bring him home! Albert is a
very social boy who would love nothing more than a cat tree
in a window and a nice soft bed to curl into. He’s a pretty
good looking guy too, with adorable freckles all over his nose
and gorgeous green eyes! If you think Albert may be the
perfect match for you, don’t wait, come and meet him today!
Learn more about adopting pets from the Cochrane & Area
Humane Society by visiting www.cochranehumane.ca.
Photo by Virginia Booth
Rocky View County funds and works with the Calgary and Cochrane
humane societies to ensure the welfare of animals throughout
Rocky View County.
10 | Vantage Point
railroad’s horseshoe-shaped
turnaround, and partly due
to the fact that no one had
died in the community in the
previous 25 years.
While most of the homes
currently in Langdon were
built over the last 10 years,
visiting Main Street is like
stepping into the past, with
replicas of buildings from
1908. This mix of new and
old helps give Langdon the
charm and character it’s
known for, while still meeting
the ever-changing needs of
its growing population.
A little piece of Rocky View County spirit.
Pickup Some County Pride
This summer you might have
the chance to see Rocky
View County’s colours
on a beautifully-restored
old pickup. The truck is a
terrific example of the kind
of community spirit, pride,
and can-do attitude that is
so important to life in Rocky
View County.
The truck was a labour
of love (and hard work)
for the County’s Fleet
Services staff. For over a
year, they volunteered their
evenings and weekends
to carefully dismantle and
then reassemble two aging,
neglected trucks into one
shining symbol from our past.
They began with a 1956
Chevy from Alvena,
Saskatchewan, and another
from Bonnyville, Alberta.
The ’56 models were chosen
since that’s the year Rocky
View County was founded.
Several local businesses
donated parts, labour,
and money, and the staff
volunteers carefully sourced,
refurbished, or even made
all of the necessary parts.
Even though County
staff are experts at fleet
maintenance, dealing with
a vehicle manufactured
before many of them were
born posed some unique
challenges. But between
their expertise, ingenuity,
and a little bit of YouTube
searching, each and every
aspect of the pickup was
lovingly restored.
The pickup will be used by
Councillors at parades and
events in the County and our
neighbouring municipalities.
There’s only one catch.
The accurate and beautiful
restoration included the
donor truck’s original manual
transmission, so everyone
will need to know how to
drive a stick.
When you see the pickup
in your community, give an
extra wave and a shout out to
the staff volunteers and local
business supporters who
made this little piece of Rocky
View County spirit possible.
A special thanks to Rocky
View County’s Fleet staff,
both past and present, and to
the following companies who
donated time, services, and
money: AMEC, Drive Products,
Fleet Brake, K&J Auto Body,
Kal Tire, King’s Glass, Kowal
Construction, Thunder Projects
Consulting, and Volker Stevin.
Rocky View County | 11
Food doesn’t
come from a
grocery store.
The 2014 Agriculture Tour
The cost is $35 per person and includes a bus tour,
lunch, and a terrific barbecued steak dinner. The
2014 Master Farm Family Award will be presented
at lunchtime.
The registration deadline is July 11, and space
is limited.
Book now at www.rockyview.ca/Agriculture.
014-0503 © Rocky View County
Join us on July 18 for a day-long tour of agricultural
operations in Langdon and east Rocky View County.
You’ll learn more about agriculture, farming best
practices, and how food is grown in our community.