Allendale Advisor 2020 Winter Edi on The Allendale Community League Quarterly Newsle er
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Allendale Advisor
The Allendale Community League Quarterly Newsle er
2020 Winter Edi on
ALLENDALE COMMUNITY ALLENDALE COMMUNITY
LEAGUE MEMBERSHIPS LEAGUE BOARD MEMBERS
M B President: **VACANT**
Up to 20% off at City of Edmonton Vice President: Sarina Loots
recrea on centres
Past President: Mayja Embleton
Access to League events and programs
Treasurer: Mahin Khalid
Ability to register for certain sports
Communica ons Director: **VACANT**
programs, such as EMSA soccer
Secretary: Linda
Skate and tennis shoe tags
Opera ons Director: Dianne Ockerman
Periodic emails from the League
Civics Director/CACCL Rep: **VACANT**
H
Memberships Coordinator: Catherine Toole
A) Online: Use the Edmonton Federa on of
Community Leagues online tool at www.efcl.org. Hall Rentals: Carol McMorrow
Click the "League Membership Purchase" tab. Community Garden Chair: **VACANT**
B) In person: Visit the Edmonton Federa on of Crime Awareness Coordinator: Joseph Stacewicz
Community Leagues, Monday to Friday from 8:30
a.m. to 4:30 p.m., located at 7103 ‐ 105 Street Sports Director: Alistair Deans
(next to Strathcona High School). City Projects: Jeff Papineau
C) From the Allendale Community League: Call Social Media: Fa ma Khawaja
Catherine at 780‐469‐0361, or email
Web: Kayleigh Cline
allendalecommunityleague@gmail.com, or leave
a message at 780‐438‐0885. Event Coordinator: **VACANT**
M Volunteer Coordinator: **VACANT**
Single membership $10 ‐ includes 5 free swim Programs Coordinator: Jamie Baron
passes for Scona Pool, plus all the other benefits.
Family membership $20 ‐ includes 10 free swim
passes for Scona Pool (in total, not per person),
plus all other benefits.
Note: members must fill out a membership card with
an email address for communica on purposes, but
can later unsubscribe.
S E P
Special event pricing is op onal and will be
available ONLY IN PERSON at adver sed events
(such as the Allendale Big Bin Event, door‐to‐door
membership drives, etc.), so please watch for
no ces. Special Event Pricing is $5 and includes:
Single or family membership
No swim passes
COMMUNITY HALL RENTALS Did you know that the Allendale Community League Hall is available to rent for your next event and can accommodate up to 80 people? You'll need a valid community league membership (from any community) to rent the hall and a damage deposit will be required at the me the rental agreement is signed. Kitchen ameni es include a fridge, stove, microwave, and coffee maker, as well some dishware and utensils. The playground, basketball courts, tennis facili es, and outdoor ska ng rink are available for your enjoyment (though not available for exclusive use). Please remember that you will need a licence for the sale and consump on of alcohol on the community league premises. Call Carol at 780‐435‐9485 or email her at carolmcmorrow58@gmail.com for inquiries. Hall Rental Rates: $70 ‐ Monday to Thursday, morning or evening $140 ‐ Monday to Thursday, full day $170 ‐ Friday to Sunday, morning or evening $340 ‐ Friday to Sunday, all day ANNOUNCEMENTS ACL Board Member Ashley Stacewicz and Project Lead Joseph Stacewicz welcomed their second child on October 19, 2019. Thomas Joseph Stacewicz was born at 5:01 p.m., weighing in at 6 lbs. and 9oz. CHECK US OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA As you may know, students from the University of Alberta helped us create a new website last year. The website is www.allendalecommunity.ca and there you can find up‐to‐date informa on on the league, the hall schedule, and links to our social media accounts. You can sign up/renew your membership right online too! Special thanks to the social media and website volunteers for their me and energy keeping the community well‐informed. Remember to follow us on Twi er, Instagram at @AllendaleYEG and like us on Facebook! NEXTDOOR There is an app called Nextdoor that describes itself as “the world’s largest social network for the neighborhood.” It is hyper‐local and based by community. According to its website, Nextdoor’s goal is to “[enable] truly local conversa ons that empower neighbours to build stronger, safer and happier communi es.” Allendale has launched on the app, so if you like to be linked through social media pla orms, please consider joining. Disclaimer: This is not an endorsement from the Allendale Community League. The City of Edmonton has signed on in the “Public Services” category. As with most social pla orms, Nextdoor is a private U.S. company and collects personal informa on. You are encouraged to do your due diligence and sign on only if you are sa sfied with your own research.
MAKE THE MOST OF WINTER IN
THE NEIGHBOURHOOD
Spring and summer are my favourite seasons. AND I have
learned to make the most of winter. For me, that means
ska ng and cross‐country skiing. Ironically, ge ng outside
for ac vity helps me stay warmer. We are entering into our
dark season. Historically, this has been the season to rest, restore, and plan for the following season. We use
colorful lights, both indoors and outdoors, to make merry and “to brighten” this me of year. Thank you to
those who have festooned your yard/home/trees with lights and decora ons for all passersby to enjoy.
Following on that theme, there is a plan afoot to create “Ice Lanterns” in the community. Various how‐to
instruc ons can be found online. Contact me if you would like to get involved, and perhaps make some with
your neighbours, too.
Since the last edi on, we have had several more block socials including a barbecue, a couple of yard par es,
and a Halloween themed get‐together. Each one has brought old and new neighbours together and forged
new connec ons. I am excited to say we have several new Block Connectors since last wri ng. If you have
been considering Block Connec ng there is never a wrong me to start...except sooner is be er than later.
Winter is not typically thought of as Block Party season. However, there are various opportuni es to engage.
As the Neighbourhood Connector, it is my pleasure to help, support, encourage, and assist you on your block.
If you are new to the neighbourhood, welcome to Allendale!
We have held two very successful community potlucks at the
hall this fall. The potlucks have been fun and growing. They are
s ll small enough to really meet others and yak. A “shout‐out”
to 66 Ave for the greatest representa on. Their summer block
social was rained out, so they used the November potluck to
convene. Look forward to another potluck in March for spring,
and perhaps another social gathering in late January or early
February. If potlucks are not your thing, what would you like to
do in the neighbourhood? I’m listening.
We’ve had a bit of snow. No doubt there is more coming.
Thanks to all the snow angels who help neighbours. Thanks to
the team crea ng and maintaining Allendale’s ice rink. Thanks
to those looking out for neighbours and the neighbourhood in
all kinds of ways. Indoors or outdoors, what can you do to
make the most of the season!?
I love hearing from you. You can reach me at 780‐469‐0361 or allendaleace@gmail.com.
*Contributed by Catherine Toole, Membership Coordinator, on behalf of the Abundant Communi es Team
ADVERTISE IN THE ADVISOR
The Allendale Community League Newsle er is published four mes a year and distributed throughout the
community to both residen al and commercial addresses. It is produced and delivered by Allendale
residents.
Submission deadlines for each publica on are:
Spring — February 28 Summer — May 30 Fall — August 31 Winter — November 30
To place an ad, contact allendalecommunityleague@gmail.com
Full inside page — $200 Third page — $125 Quarter page — $110 Business card — $75
A 15% discount is offered to those who commit to one year's worth of prepaid adver sing (four ads).
Please note that we do not accept adver sing inserts. Please supply ad copy in digital form in one of the
common file formats (pdf, jpg, f, doc). The newsle er is hand‐delivered to the community within a month
of the copy deadline. We reach approximately 1300 households.
Contributor— Catherine Toole
Newsle er Contributors
Contributor— Jeff Papineau
Content Supervisor—Ashley Stacewicz
Contributor— Dianne Ockerman
Contributor— Dr. Elaine Soong
Copy Editor— Kayleigh Cline
CRIME PREVENTION — CRIME SURVEY
A crime survey for all of Ward 10 has been distributed. For the link, please email allendalewatch@gmail.com. Help
highlight your concerns for the neighbourhood!
Last year, we had a Allendale
survey that we distributed at
the annual Okoberfest. It was
very helpful and aided in a
conversa on with the police
and neighbouring communi es.
This year the Neighbourhood
Empowerment Team has taken
our lead and decided to expand
it for the whole ward.
NET is a partnership between
the City of
Edmonton, Edmonton Police
Service, The Family
Centre and United Way of the
Alberta Capital Region.
ALLENDALE GROUNDS RENEWAL PROJECT 2020
The next big project on the Community League’s to‐do list is the remedia on of the remaining asphalt
space adjacent to the hall. This project has been on the books since the comple on of the community
garden, and, a er several years of planning and engagement with the community, the business case will
be sent to the city in early 2020 for feedback and hopefully for approval.
The vision for this project is to create a community hub that provides both ac ve and passive social
engagement opportuni es for community members of all ages. In line with this vision, the project will
have three major components:
1. Three‐on‐three basketball court: This will u lize the exis ng court site. This court is well‐used
and will be maintained to provide ac ve recrea onal opportuni es.
2. Naturalized park area: This area will provide space for more passive social engagement and
provides a new park in the community. This space will include:
pa o spaces with picnic tables and benches,
a dry creek bed with plan ngs that can help with drainage as well as provide an a rac ve
natural landscaping backdrop,
a variety of low‐maintenance plants and trees,
a small pergola.
3. Mul ‐use recrea onal space: This space will be located on the exis ng surface at the east end of
the asphalt area. Assessments of this site have indicated that the asphalt is no longer stable
enough to accommodate features such as parking, but it is perfect for a variety of recrea onal
pursuits. This space could include an outdoor street hockey space or become the site for other
outdoor ac vi es, such as badminton, a basketball play area for smaller children, or a hopscotch
pathway, etc. These ac vi es would not require the community to rehabilitate the asphalt with
the excep on of pain ng lines for these ac vi es. We are reaching out to the community for
recrea onal ideas for this mul ‐purpose space. Please forward your ideas to the email provided
below.
Ideally, we would like to complete this project during the summer of 2020 and we are open to further
input into this project un l the end of January 2020. This project will be funded by the proceeds of
casino fundraisers and would not be possible without the generous volunteer efforts of Allendale
residents who have worked these events. We are also exploring various grants to assist with this
development.
If you have ideas for the recrea onal space or comments about the project, please send them to
allendalecommunityleague@gmail.com. A dra copy of the plan and perspec ve drawing are included
on the next page.
*Contributed by Dianne Ockerman, Opera ons Director with the Allendale Community League
SHINGLES IS...
...the old Chickenpox virus lying dormant in your spine, wai ng
for the right circumstance to reac vate.
It wakes up and travels along a nerve, showing up on your skin
as clustered blisters with redness.
It damages the nerve it travels on. Some mes, the nerve can
heal funny and produce pain which can become permanent.
This is called Postherpe c Neuralgia.
To prevent serious pain:
Know the symptoms and seek treatment early.
Get vaccinated if you are 50+ years old (Shingrix or Zostavax). No vaccine can be administered for 1
year a er a shingles episode.
Note: The vaccine doesn’t prevent shingles. It does reduce the severity of an a ack and reduces the
chance of developing permanent debilita ng pain from an infec on. My colleagues and I have
encountered in our prac ces that pa ents who have been vaccinated don’t experience as much pain as
those who haven’t.
When to suspect:
A weird pain shows up on one side of body. ANYWHERE. There’s no reason for it and the pain bugs
you. It can be burning, cklish, sharp, shoo ng, or aching.
So you rub at the pain, but it doesn't seem to hurt much when you do that. You are puzzled.
Recent circumstances have you feeling a li le rundown.
Go see your doc. Ask if it might be shingles. Treatment is most effec ve when caught early. The rash will
usually show up 24‐72 hrs from the start of symptoms. It can be difficult to think of shingles as a possible
cause of vague symptoms. It helps to prime the doc’s mind if you ask if it’s a possibility.
*Symptoms on the scalp/forehead with eye involvement need to be seen urgently. Optometry clinics
(eyeglasses places) have the right equipment to check the eye and have the power to prescribe and refer
to specialists if needed. Long weekend? Royal Alexandra Emergency has urgent eye care services.
Treatment may include:
An virals ‐ these tend to be most effec ve if the symptoms are caught VERY early. Usually, they are not
very useful if the rash has appeared already.
Steroids ‐ these can help reduce the inflamma on and discomfort of an infec on. Oral steroids can have
some nasty side effects, so we reserve them for more serious cases and we limit the amount of me you
are on them. Con nued on next page...
SHINGLES cont’d Am I contagious? Technically, yes. But there’s no need for quaran ne. Most of us are actually immune to this virus and have our very own chickenpox babies si ng in our spines already. (That’s a warm fuzzy thought for you!) Cover the rash with a dry dressing to absorb any leaky blisters. Stay away from infants who are not vaccinated yet, pregnant women, elderly people, and people who are very sick (chemo, transplant, immunocompromised). If you have shingles on your face/head, avoid the public. *Contribu on by Dr. Elaine Soong ‐ family physician at Jus k Medical Centre
Affordable Housing and Budget Updates Hello Allendale! I wanted to send out some two major updates on happenings in City Hall from this fall. Updates from the Supplemental Budgets Council sets its two budgets, for opera ng and capital expenses, in four‐year cycles with the latest being the 2019‐2023 budget. That budget isn’t the last word, however, and every year we discuss supplements to those four‐year budgets to account for unan cipated costs, new projects, and changing economic fortunes. I’ve heard over and over from residents and small business owners in my Ward that property taxes are becoming untenable for them, par cularly as the cost of living is rising rapidly due to recent ac ons taken by the provincial government in tandem with increases in underemployment and unemployment in our city. For these reasons and more that you can find on my blog, I think fiscal restraint is overdue. This past budget season advocated strongly for zero percent tax increases for this upcoming year and the foreseeable future. Ul mately, Council opted to increase property taxes by 2.08% versus the projected 2.6% increase. I look forward to the new year when Council will receive back the results of the City Auditor’s review of City staffing and produc vity, a poten al policy to limit the impacts to the opera ng budget of capital budget spending, and other fiscal strategies. I will con nue to fight hard for a priority‐based budge ng system, which I am not convinced is what we have now. Finally, I will advocate for “small is beau ful” capital projects. These are community investments like strip mall revitaliza on that, while not expensive or large in scope, can make a significant contribu on to the well‐being of our city. Affordable Housing In November 2019, 1,812 people were experiencing chronic homelessness in Edmonton. These people are considered the hardest to house, as they are o en struggling with serious mental illnesses and addic ons. It costs $75,000 ‐ $100,000 per year per homeless person in emergency services. Addi onally, it costs $35,000 per year per person to provide permanent suppor ve housing. Housing and homelessness is the cons tu onal jurisdic on of the provinces, yet the City of Edmonton in our 2019‐22 budgets has allocated $140 million toward ending homelessness. Edmonton homeless shelters operate at about 70 percent capacity, but, on any given night, approximately 500 Edmontonians sleep outside because they believe that’s their best op on. What we need are 900 units of permanent suppor ve housing. Despite that need, the provincial budget cut the rent supplement program, which helps low‐income families afford to pay their rent, by 24 per cent. The City of Edmonton has created a plan that we are handing to the provincial government so they can be our partners in ac on. It can come close to ending homelessness in our city. The real ac on is now needed at the legislature. This isn’t a par san issue. This is an issue that our community can solve together. If you have any ques ons or concerns about these topics or anything else in your community, I’m always happy to chat. Please email me at michael.walters@edmonton.ca or call (780)‐496‐8132, and either myself or my staff will be pleased to connect with you. For regular updates on city topics, please follow my blog at www.michaelwalters.ca.
‐ Please pitch in with shoveling off the rink. A bit of
ALLENDALE SKATING RINK IS me and effort invested in keeping the surfaces
OPEN maintained throughout the season makes for a
be er ska ng experience for all. Most importantly,
Winter is upon us and the Allendale Rink Crew are please do not shovel the snow into piles against the
gearing up to get ska ng season underway as soon boards ‐ throw it over! Frozen lumpy piles against
as possible. We're excited this year to have support the board on the hockey rink make for terrible play.
from volunteers with the Queen Alexandra ‐ Please be respec ul of the ice facili es, the skate
Community League who, in addi on to sharing their room, and the community hall and help keep them
me and exper se, have set up boards for what will clean by picking up li ler, keeping equipment dy
be a great secondary ice rink next to the new and keeping pets off the rinks and out of the hall.
Community Garden for kids and beginners. Without
permanent rink facili es of their own, QACL is ‐ Helmets are not required but are strongly
throwing in with us to share the work and promote encouraged for children and inexperienced skaters.
Allendale's rink within their community as the place ‐ Security cameras are in opera on in the public
to get out and enjoy some winter ice sports. areas in the and around the hall. Users are
In addi on to the main hockey rink and a secondary encouraged to use the bathrooms to change their
rink for the wee ones, we are planning to experiment clothes.
with a curling surface and a meandering ice path. We ‐ We get requests every year from people who want
are also hopeful that we'll be able to have some to rent/reserve the ice for func ons. We simply
events focusing on winter fun and recrea on over cannot facilitate such requests for two reasons. First,
the course of the winter. (We'd love some ideas and the outdoor ameni es are for the use of the
some volunteers.) We'll see how it all comes community. Informal gatherings and organized ice
together ‐ despite our best inten ons and a healthy sport events are welcome but will be subject to
con ngent of volunteers, Mother Nature will have sharing the ameni es with the community. Second,
the final say in how it goes. variable weather condi ons make it very difficult to
guarantee that ice surfaces will be usable on any
given day. If you are planning something, let us know
A few things to note: and we'll do our best to make sure that the ice is in
‐ Opera ng hours for the rink and change room will the best condi on possible.
be 5‐10pm on weekdays and 10am ‐10pm on Come out and enjoy the ska ng season while it lasts!
weekends. Opening and closing will be con ngent
upon weather condi ons and volunteer availability. *Contributed by Jeff Papineau on behalf of the
We'll try to post closures to social media in a mely Allendale Rink Crew
fashion.
‐ If you have skate tags, wear them. While they are
not required to use our ice facili es (they are
required in some other communi es), it is a great
show of support from our members for the Allendale
Community League and its rink volunteers.Ice Lanterns
WHAT IS GOING ON IN
There is a plan afoot to create ice lanterns and to
ALLENDALE share them with neighbours. If you would like to be
involved check with your Block Connector, keep an
Babysi ng eye out on social media and the website or email
Are you a babysi er? Are you looking for a allendaleace@gmail.com. Or just google how to do
babysi er for occasional evenings? Contact it and do it. Let’s light up Allendale!
allendalecommunityleague@gmail.com with New to Allendale?
"Babysi ng" in the subject line.
If YOU are new to Allendale, WELCOME! To
Block Connectors welcome new neighbours, we need to know who
Do you see yourself as the “Point Person, the Party you are. Have you no ced a new neighbour move
Person, and/or the Listener”? Perhaps you would in? Or a home that has just sold? Please let your
like to get to know your neighbours a li le be er. If Block Connector or me know, so that we can
you want to consider being Block Connector for your personally welcome them to the community. A
street, let’s have a conversa on to explore the shout out to the businesses, associa ons and
possibili es. No pressure. Contact Catherine 780‐ ins tu ons that have made contribu ons to the
469‐0361 or allendaleace@gmail.com. “New Neighbour Welcome Package.” Please contact
Catherine at 780‐469‐0361 or
Community Garden
allendaleace@gmail.com and put “New Neighbour”
The very rainy summer meant lots of things grew into the subject line. Thank you!
very well in the community garden. The 2019 season
Pets Group
has wrapped and plots have been cleaned up. Plot
assignment happens in the spring. The large Calling all pet owners and pet enthusiasts. Would
compost bin in our new garden is great. With some you like to connect with a neighbour for a li le
turning in the spring, there will more new compost support for pet‐si ng if you are to be away for a
for applica on next season. Note: the composter is week or a weekend? Does your pet need a li le
for the use of the community gardeners only. It more care and a en on because you are very busy
cannot accommodate your lawn clippings. or working long hours? Would you be open to
sharing your pet, a li le? We are interested in
GardenShare
linking up pet lovers in the community. Are you
To build on the success of the first summer of interested in mee ng at the hall over a pet care
GardenShare, let’s iden fy more gardens and more informa on seminar? Email Tara at
gardeners. The project teams up unused garden allendalecommunityleague@gmail.com with “Pet
space with neighbours who would not otherwise be si ng” in the subject line.
able to garden, e.g. apartment or suite dwellers.
Potlucks
This provides benefits for both par es. We can
custom tailor to your situa on. It’s not too soon to Sharing of food and ea ng together are
plan for next season. Email allendaleace@gmail.com quintessen al elements of hospitality. Hospitality is
with GardenShare in the subject line or call a prime ingredient of neighbouring. Con nued on
Catherine at 780‐469‐0361. next page...Potlucks (cont’d) A community potluck is great way to meet new neighbours and to share me with neighbours you know. Look for the next Community Potluck in March 2020 to celebrate spring. If you would like more informa on, or to help with a poster, theme, set‐up, or clean‐up, please email allendaleace@gmail.com with “Potluck” in the subject line. Quil ng Calling quilters and interested quilters‐to‐be. There is an expression of interest for quil ng. Are you interested too? Do you have some (or a lot) of quil ng know‐how and would like to share with others in Allendale. If interested, please email allendaleace@gmail.com with "Quil ng" in the subject line. Snow Sculptures Assuming mother nature has more snow in store for us this winter, there could be a Snow Sculpture contest in Allendale. We could have individual (one family) and teams (several families or even a block entry). Would you like to be a judge? Shall we have community vo ng? Please indicate your interest. allendaleace@gmail.com *Contributed by Catherine Toole, Membership Coordinator, on behalf of the Abundant Communi es Team URBAN HOMESTEADING —AN EDITORIAL There are so many benefits of living in the heart of Edmonton, including being close to transit and work, as well as being able to walk to so many wonderful places and events in our great city. A er purchasing an old house in the Queen Alexandra neighbourhood last year, my husband and I decided to undertake an experiment in Urban Homesteading—that is, we are resolved to reduce, reuse, recycle, and restore our beau ful historic home. Whether we are hanging laundry out to dry on the line, sowing seeds in our vegetable garden, or preserving our food for the winter , we are doing so in the interest of reducing our carbon footprint and you can too! I heard this great idea once and it really stuck with me: we do not need some people doing everything right; we need everybody doing something right. Whether it is taking your own bags to the grocery store, taking your bike instead of driving, or trying to reduce your garbage by purchasing products with less packaging and se ng up your own composter, every small ac on counts towards making this city and our world a li le bit nicer to live in. If you are interested in learning more, follow me on Instagram @urban.homesteader. *Contributed by Ashley Stacewicz, Content Editor
2019 CENSUS RESULTS Edmonton's official popula on on April 1, 2019 was 972,223. The popula on has increased by 72,776 since the last Municipal Census in 2016. In Allendale, specifically, the popula on decreased to 2,728 from 2,739 in 2016. When comparing the age distribu on, it seems as though there are less seniors and more young families living in Allendale now than in 2016. In 2016, there were 316 individuals over the age of 65 whereas now there are 263 (17% decrease). Also, there were 321 individuals under the age of 19 in 2016 and now there are 377 (a 17% increase). You can check out all of the results here: h ps://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/facts_figures/ municipal‐census‐results.aspx
A MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR With the arrival of my second child, I have decided I will be stepping down from my volunteer work to focus on my family. I have been volunteering with the Allendale Community League as the Communica ons Director and Content Editor for the Allendale Advisor Newsle er for just over two years. I have met so many wonderful people and have gained a ton of experience. I would like to thank Mayja Embelton for welcoming me and orien ng me to this role, as well as for her ongoing friendship—her dedica on to public service and her community is inspiring. I would also like to thank all of those who con nually contribute content for the newsle er including Trustee Michael Janz, Councillor Michael Walters, Dr. Elaine Soong, Catherine Toole, Dianne Ockerman, and Joseph Stacewicz. Also a thousand thank‐yous to our copy editor Kayleigh Cline, who is integral in making sure the newsle er is a success. I wish the Allendale Community League Board all the best in the future, and send special love and thank you to the community at large. Sincerely, Ashley Stacewicz
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