Calgary
Calgary Recovery Community Responds During COVID-19 Pandemic
Two worlds collide as Redefin’d in Calgary connects young people in trauma recovery with local volunteers and seniors through the “Bowness Food Work Project”.
“We have grocery delivery happening today, the [Redefin’d] Krew will show up any minute with a massive amount of groceries for our tenants,” starts Donna Bennington, the building manager at Bow Center Place Seniors Residence in Bowness. “We will deliver 81 food bags today. What a treat for people.”
The facility has 10 Bachelor Suites and 71 one-bedroom suites, some units have balconies overseeing a large enclosed garden. The tenants are on a fixed income and the building encourages independent living.
“We have an average age around 75-80, our oldest tenant is 95, the first time we met Redefin’d they brought hot turkey soup and the tenants absolutely loved it. We have many tenants that live on pension and pension alone, the building is not subsidized so the tenants living here pay a lower rent but it is market value so if their pensions are $1,100 per month and we charge $835 for rent to cover our costs, it doesn’t leave much.”
One tenant said, “I went to a movie at the theatre! I haven’t been to a movie in twelve years,” this food is having a tremendous impact on the quality of life. Redefin’d offers quality groceries, fresh produce, non-perishables, it allows residents to have that little bit of extra in their pockets.
Following the closure of the Redefin’d commercial kitchen due to COVID-19, the team has successfully pivoted, using their existing connections to continue to operate their trauma recovery program, and meet the rising need for food in the community. As the program gets closer to achieving its fundraising targets, they want to expand this project to a weekly delivery schedule.
“Our team of young people has been providing food in the Bowness Community for the last 18-months, building relationships with residents and local seniors. Now wasn’t the time to stop being that support.
The launch of the Bowness Food Work Project allows our Krew to stay connected to their recovery and addresses acute food insecurity issues in the Bowness area arising from the COVID-19 Pandemic,” says Liz Duerholt, Redefin’d Founder.
We are sourcing new connections to food, exploring food transportation options, researching safety protocols and working with residents to monitor needs.”
Redefin’d is a program for young people labeled at-risk, connecting them to the community in a way that generates real-life interactions with people and mainstream society, giving them a safe space to gradually reintegrate.
“It’s amazing what we are seeing happening with grocery cafe because it allows Liz’s Krew to socialize with the seniors, so there is the social aspect of a younger generation coming in and it allows the people there that have no family or support to be in touch with the outside world…people making eye contact and smiling and saying hello – it’s pretty incredible.” Says Bennington.
Redefine’d need you! We are seeking $20,000 to launch the 3 month Bowness Food Work Project to expand our deliveries in B0wness. If you can help activate this project click on our donate link below.
Redefin’d is a Canadian Registered Charity, but does not identify with traditional labels like social enterprise, or non-profit, they are a catalyst organization for radical social change in a time when we need it most.
Learn more about the program here: https://www.redefindcalgary.org/donate-2
For more stories, visit – Todayville Calgary
Alberta
Calgary Ring Road opens 10 months early
Christmas comes early for Calgary drivers
The Calgary Ring Road is now ready to be opened to public traffic, several months ahead of schedule.
Calgary’s ring road is one of the largest infrastructure undertakings in Calgary’s history and includes 197 new bridges and 48 interchanges. The 101-kilometre free-flowing Calgary Ring Road will open to traffic Dec. 19, completing a project decades in the making.
“Calgary’s ring road is a project that has been decades in the making and its completion is a real cause for celebration. This has been an important project and our government got it done. With this final section completed, travelling just got a little easier for families and for workers. This will not only benefit Calgarians and residents in the metro region, it will provide a boost to our economy, as goods can be transported more easily across our province.”
Although construction of the entire ring road project began in 1999 under former premier Ralph Klein, discussions on a ring road around the City of Calgary began as early as the 1950s. In the late 1970s, under former premier Peter Lougheed, high-level planning and land acquisition started and a transportation utility corridor was established to make the Calgary Ring Road a reality.
“The final section of the Calgary Ring Road is now complete, and I’d like to acknowledge the work done by former premiers and transportation ministers and their vision to build Alberta. I’m proud to announce that the final section was completed on budget and months ahead of schedule.”
“I’m thrilled to see the Calgary Ring Road project completed. It was something I have helped shepherd through the process since 2014. Finally, all the hard work put in by everyone has become a reality. The Calgary Ring Road will provide travellers with over 100 kilometres of free-flow travel, create new travel options for the City of Calgary and surrounding area and provide improved market access across the region.”
Opening the ring road means new travel options for Calgarians, which will draw traffic away from heavily travelled and congested roads such as the Deerfoot Trail, 16th Avenue, Glenmore Trail and Sarcee Trail. For commercial carriers, the ring road provides an efficient bypass route, saving time and money for the delivery and shipment of goods and services.
“The ring road investment generated thousands of local jobs and will now play an integral role in keeping Calgarians and the economy moving. This important transportation link will ease congestion on city routes and greatly improve connectivity and access for businesses transporting goods.”
The ring road is a critical component to growing economic corridors in Alberta and Western Canada, as it connects the Trans-Canada Highway to the east and west, and the Queen Elizabeth II Highway and Highway 2 to the north and south. It is also part of the CANAMEX corridor, which connects Alberta to the highway network in the United States and Mexico.
The completion of the ring road is a major boost for Calgary, opening new business opportunities and supporting key components of the Calgary economy. It sends a signal to businesses and investors that Calgary has a strong highway infrastructure, providing economic corridor connections through the entire region.
“With one of the smoothest commutes in Canada and the capacity to reach 16 million customers by road within a single day, Calgary offers unmatched quality of life and economic opportunities. The triumphant completion of the Calgary Ring Road further improves our capacity to attract even more companies, capital and talent to our city.”
“This is an exciting step forward for the Calgary Metropolitan Region. This key artery will not only improve the quality of life for the residents of the region, it is also a key economic enabler and we are thrilled to see its completion.”
Quick facts
- Stretched into a single lane, the highway is 1,304 kilometres long, the distance from Calgary to Winnipeg.
- Other sections opened in 2009, 2013, 2020 and 2023.
- The West Calgary Ring Road is the final piece of the ring road project.
Alberta
Canadian pizzeria owner planning civil suit against gov’t officials over tyrannical COVID mandates
-
Energy2 days ago
Most Canadians support Saskatchewan’s refusal to collect Trudeau’s carbon tax: poll
-
Taxpayers2 days ago
Police admit Canadian bribery scandal was nixed without talking to Trudeau, reviewing records
-
Alberta1 day ago
Calgary judge rules against father opposing euthanasia of autistic non-terminally ill daughter
-
Business1 day ago
Balanced budget within reach—if Ottawa restrains spending
-
Banks2 days ago
Canada is preparing to launch ‘open banking.’ Here’s what that means
-
DEI16 hours ago
WEF report suggests digital ‘metaverse identity’ will become central to daily life
-
Great Reset23 hours ago
World Happiness Report ranks Canada as one of the unhappiest places in the West for young people
-
COVID-191 day ago
WHO urges countries to sign globalist pandemic treaty by May: ‘A new threat will emerge’