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The Emergency Evacuation Planning Group Needs You!

Submitted by Marion Gauzer

Whether you love giving your two cents’ worth, enjoy event planning, like to be out there meeting people, or just want to do your quiet thing on your own, we need you to join the Emergency Evacuation Planning group.   


If you’re interested in helping out, please email Marion at mgauzer@yahoo.ca, or leave a message at 403-243-0132.

CHF Canada e-News

Emergency Evacuation Survey Results

Submitted by Marion Gauzer on behalf of the Emergency Evacuation Planning group

In order to understand the needs, concerns and insights of co-op members, as well as the facts surrounding the 2013 flood, the Emergency Evacuation Planning group created a survey to help in planning for future emergency evacuations.  We received 15 completed surveys.  Of all the members who responded, all 15 were living at the co-op during the flood of 2013.  Here are some of the most notable findings:

  1. Eighty percent of respondents were home at the time they received notice of the evacuation.

  2. About 13 percent had more than two hours notice to evacuate; 47 percent had between one and two hours; 40 percent had less than half an hour.

  3. Forty percent of respondents received notification through a co-op member or news media (20 percent each); most of the rest of members who responded received notice through a family member or friend, social media, emergency personnel (about 13.5 percent each); one member received notice through word of mouth.

  4. Eighty percent of respondents evacuated by car, 13.5 by walking, and one respondent was out of town.

  5. Regarding evacuation assistance, respondents were able to select more than one response:

    1. Eighty-seven percent of respondents received assistance from a family member; 53 percent from a friend; 47 percent from a co-op member and/or emergency personnel; other assistance came from friends, co-workers, other neighbours.

    2. Three members did not have any assistance while evacuating.

  6. We had 10 responses to a question asking what other kinds of assistance would have helped members evacuate:

    1. The most common response was that more time or notice would have helped.  

    2. Other kinds of assistance that might have helped included:

      1. more information about the severity of the flood,

      2. a vehicle or party bus,

      3. a list of items to bring,

      4. help finding a place to stay, and

      5. knowing what to pack/plan for.

    3. One respondent preferred not to bother others.

    4. One respondent didn’t need any more help.

  7. Transportation challenges respondents experienced included:

    1. Road closures

    2. Slow moving traffic

    3. Feeling panicked while stuck in traffic and worrying

    4. No vehicle—walking out with dog that had just had surgery

    5. Respondents also mentioned a van was available from a church to U of C housing; some felt lucky to have a vehicle that would fit all their family and pets.

    6. One respondent thought that planned departure times would have alleviated anxiety and provided extra time to prepare.

  8. Almost 80 percent had a place to go to at the time of evacuation, the rest of respondents did not.

  9. Most respondents (80 percent) took any pets with them to where they were staying, with the rest leaving pets with family members, dropping them at a City of Calgary Animal Services facility or leaving their pets in their units.

  10. Respondents received information/updates about the co-op and communicated with other members during the evacuation:

    1. by phone, Facebook and/or email (64 percent),

    2. other social media (17 percent), and

    3. other (0.00 percent)

  11. These are some of the things that worked well for respondents:

    1. Helpful relatives

    2. Staying calm

    3. Previous emergency response training

    4. Obeying the order to evacuate

    5. Being at home at the time the evacuation order was given

    6. Having important information available

    7. Sunnyside neighbours and Calgarians who helped

    8. Having a place to stay that would allow respondents to bring pets

    9. Having more than one place to stay to accommodate all family members

    10. Being able to stay in touch with other evacuated members to touch base and start planning for return to co-op home

    11. Supportive friends

    12. U of C housing (great!)

    13. Being able to find a place to stay and a place for pets

  12. These are some of the things respondents thought would have worked better:

    1. More notice, longer lead time

    2. More preparation on the part of the co-op and members

    3. More time to move belongings from basement to upper floors

    4. Better access to the co-op’s Facebook page

    5. Having an email/phone tree with all members’ contact information to find out if all members were safe and accounted for and had transportation and a place to go to

    6. Earlier notification from the city

    7. Transportation available for everyone

    8. Better co-op communication

  13. One hundred percent of respondents would be willing to supply the office with emergency contact information and 92 percent would be willing to supply the board with the same.


We wish to thank all the co-op residents who took the time to complete this survey and offer their feedback.

Upcoming Events for May

Early May -- Income and residency forms due -- Financial Committee

Early May -- Deliver new Housing Charge notices -- Financial Committee

Early May -- Walk around with Curbside -- Grounds Committee 

First Monday -- Grounds Committee Meeting -- Grounds Committee

Second Week of month -- Board Meeting -- Board of Directors

Third Wednesday -- Buildings Committee Meeting -- Buildings Committee

Saint Patrick’s Day 2017

Submitted by Candace Weir

The Coop’s annual celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day at the Curling Club is one of the most enjoyable ways of celebrating our community.  

Around 50 coop members of all ages came together on Wednesday, March 16th to share snacks, some beer (or other drinks) and lots of conversation. The bigger kids formed their own huddle on the couches, playing board games and talking or watching the curling. It was a very relaxed evening.  

Many thanks to Marzcena for organizing the venue and the refreshments.

Update on Pumping Station #2

Submitted by Candace Weir

Shake, rattle and roll, it must be 7 am.  

The drilling crew is probably on it's last week on the worksite.  They have drilled 39 pylons: 6 of which are huge, 19 of which will support the building.  Each pylon has taken about 6 cubic feet of concrete.  Impressive!

This was the view from my balcony earlier this week.  The drill behind the remains of last summers basil crop was about 5 feet from the edge of the unit.  The next photo gives a better view of the business end of the drill.  They drill for a bit, withdraw the bit, then knock and spin off the detritus and get back at it.  Each hole takes several tries to complete.

The machine delivering the concrete in the holes drilled resembles the back leg of a huge grasshopper.  

I didn't get pictures of the crew negotiating the huge steel beams into the cement.  One wrong move and there would have been no 743.  I really appreciate just how good everyone is at their job.

Phase 2 should be fun.  

C-Train Tunnel Testing

Submitted by Eric Moschopedis

The star indicates where the drilling was happening.

The star indicates where the drilling was happening.

Did anybody see this giant truck parked in the middle of the Bow River or along the pathway last week? I was so curious as to what was happening that I tracked down one of the workers associated with it. Turns out they were gathering core samples from below the river and all the way to the bedrock, to see if it would be a suitable place for a tunnel for the proposed C-Train line. The gentleman I spoke to told me how strict The City was with the drilling. One day they needed to halt all operations because the drilling was kicking up too much silt and polluting the river. If you see the truck east of Centre Street Bridge, The City isn't drilling for the C-Train, but a proposed new sewer line.

Conversation Café Topic: Volunteering

Submitted by Jane Roberts

from: clipartfox.com/

from: clipartfox.com/

At the Conversation Cafe held on January 15, 2017, there were several topics covered, and this topic is volunteering. Many ideas were brought forward for consideration:

  • creating a "volunteer deposit" : members could pay money into a fund, and be refunded for volunteer work; another option was only requiring a deposit from non-volunteers
  • because we are not in a rental situation, members who do not attend χ number of meetings must attend an education event
  • a letter sent out to non-volunteers
  • members should RSVP to meetings? Why aren't members attending meetings or sitting on a committee? (survey)
  • member Involvement follow-up twice a year? Or ask a volunteer to do this?
  • send out a form with the annual income form, that asks about contributions/committee involvement
  • put an Education piece in the newsletter about what counts as volunteering
  • consequences for non-involvement - becoming a member not in good standing? Members not fulfilling obligation as shareholder/member
  • value of volunteer time compared to market rates (for housing)
  • what is the cost of not volunteering/paying for property management
  • creating work credits (i.e. 100 volunteer hours) - taking the long view of contributions and the ebb and flow of what members do
  • one year without volunteering = monetary penalty added to member's housing charge
  • why doesn't the Board call people in and ask them about issues they might have?
  • encourage members to volunteer; we don't want regular volunteers to feel resentful, and we don't want to shame non-volunteers
  • carrot vs stick - the carrot is more successful; possibility of incentives for volunteer work
  • consider the social value of helping in the community; it's a good practice for children
  • there is great value in showing up, helping and contributing
  • positive effects of meeting neighbours, building community, ease of conversation and getting to know people
  • activities that can be done on an individual member's schedule
  • recording volunteer activity and/or meeting attendance
  • offer education on the physical and other benefits of volunteering (Gladwell* example about heart attacks); articles and/or interviews in the newsletter about the medical and measurable benefits

*An excerpt from Malcolm Gladwell's book Outliers can be found here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/30/books/chapters/chapter-outliers

Grounds Report for April

Submitted by Pamela Boyd

The Grounds committee is in the calm before the bursting-of- spring storm, hoping and encouraging everyone to plant those egg carton seedings - flowers, herbs, veggies - for planting in the gardens a month or so hence and trading up with neighbours.  

Watch for Spring Shoots, a co-op wide event in mid May for:

the trading of seedlings,
the sharing of tips and gardening ideas,
an amazing weed finding game with prizes and tons of fun,
the drinking of tea and the munching of goodies and….
the watching of neighbours finally crawling out from
their winter hovels, white and creaky, the kids taller
and bigger and stronger than ever.  

from clipartfox.com/

from clipartfox.com/

Composting

The City has announced an expansion of their waste and recycling bylaw.   It states; “Similar to our multi-family recycling requirements, your building owner or manager will be responsible for setting up a food and yard waste diversion program.”

We’ll be working on the details for this over the next few months to have a full composting program up and running by the fall or sooner.  Watch for updates.

Many thanks to whoever drained Sunnyhill Lake.    

HILLHURST SUNNYSIDE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Submitted by Eric Moschopedis via HSCA newsletter:

Save the Date! Annual General Meeting April 25, 7pm

All residents of Hillhurst Sunnyside are invited and encouraged to attend. Come spend the evening with us and learn what the HSCA Board of Directors and our various committees are up to. What did we achieve in 2016? What are our plans moving forward in 2017?
 
Members must have their 2017 memberships purchased and paid for by March 25, 2017 in order to vote for Board of Director positions. Members of the community association who are in good standing are permitted to vote and run for board positions during the meeting. To access the nomination form online please visit: http://hsca.ca/annual-general-meeting-2/
 
Resident participation in the voting and nomination process is highly encouraged. Our Board of Directors at HSCA has an active involvement with numerous programs, events and activities in the facility. The Board also operates critical task forces and committee, such as the Planning Committee and the Sustainable Centre Task Force, which help shape long-term planning goals for the community of Hillhurst Sunnyside.
 
Please contact our Board Vice Chair Ken Uyeda, or our Executive Director Quentin Sinclair for details: k.uyeda@me.comor quentin.s@hsca.ca

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