Calgary Minute: Insured Damages, Cemetery Restoration, and Water Main Repairs

Calgary Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Calgary politics

This Week In Calgary:

• Council is in recess, and there is just a single meeting at City Hall this week. Today, at 9:00 am, there will be a meeting of the Green Line Board. No agenda is available for this meeting yet.
  
  
• The recent hailstorm may result in over $1 billion in insured damages, comparable to the June 2020 hailstorm. Researchers from the Northern Hail Project at the University of Western Ontario found that the storm caused extensive damage to rooftops, siding, and vehicles. The storm's impact was similar in scale to the 2020 event, which resulted in $1.3 billion in damages. The researchers also noted significant damage to crops and properties beyond Calgary, with some areas experiencing 100% crop loss.
  
  
• Calgary's Chinese Cemetery is undergoing a $50,000 restoration project to repair crumbling and toppled headstones. Initially, the community delayed the restoration due to concerns about feng shui. In 2023, a feng shui master advised the community to proceed with the cleanup to positively impact the descendants of those buried there. So far, 177 headstones have been repaired, with 162 more scheduled for next summer.

Last Week In Calgary:

• Calgary officials have identified five additional sites of the water feeder main that require repairs. The number of segments needing reinforcement has increased from 16 to 21, with repairs concentrated along 16th Avenue N.W. and 33rd Avenue N.W. While the City plans to communicate with residents and businesses about the impact, concerns have already been raised, particularly from landscapers worried about the economic effects of water restrictions. The Stage 4 water restrictions, including a 25% reduction in indoor water use, will take effect on August 26th and last until September 23rd.
  
  
• Calgary Transit has expanded its On Demand transit service to include four new zones, with a fifth zone to come later. The service is designed to provide better transit access for communities currently lacking convenient options, allowing residents to book trips through an app to connect with larger transit hubs. The new zones are Ambleton (added to the existing Carrington/Livingston service), Glacier Ridge, and Sage Hill in the northwest; Ricardo Ranch, Seton, and Rangeview in the southeast; and Pine Creek, Belmont, and Yorkville in the southwest. The fifth zone will serve the University of Calgary's Spy Hill campus and will be added on August 26th.
  
  
• Construction began on a new playground behind Haultain Memorial School and the Queensland Community Centre. The new structure, which replaces an aging playground, is the result of five years of fundraising and planning, with $400,000 raised since 2019. The design, selected by students, includes slides, swings, and a picnic area. Volunteers are working to complete the build, with inspections set for August 26th, just in time for the new school year.

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