
The neighbourhood of Manchester is truly a special place, and the spirit of cooperation and community-building is thriving here. Bordered by Manchester Industrial to its north, south, and east, and Macleod Trail to the west, Manchester is brimming with families, seniors, and students who are all proud of their diversity.
Although Manchester does not have a community association, a dedicated group of volunteers and city staff, have been helping develop a neighbourhood organization to create a vision for their future. Together we are working towards Manchester becoming the home of Calgary’s first next-generation community association.
Beginning in mid-April, a series of borehole tests will take place to analyze ground conditions along the Green Line alignment. Work will occur on City-owned property and no significant impacts are expected on roadways. Each test will take one to two days. If more direct impacts are expected to residents or businesses, the Green Line team will coordinate directly with those affected.
As the wire service provider for Calgary, ENMAX Power maintains and operates the system of wires and infrastructure that delivers electricity to our city’s homes and businesses. ENMAX Power crews work 24/7 to ensure safe and reliable power throughout Calgary.
Below are the anticipated projects scheduled over the coming months in Ward 9. It is important to note that this list does not capture inspections, routine maintenance, or emergency work.
Beginning March 17 through to early April, the Green Line is undertaking a series of borehole tests, identifying utility locations along the future LRT alignment. The objective of this project is to determine whether existing utilities (owned by ATCO, ENMAX, The City of Calgary, Bell, TELUS and Shaw/Rogers) along the Green Line route need to be relocated or can be protected in place.
Test sites are limited to City-owned property but may impact general traffic in the area. There are approximately 200 locations across the SE Segment of the Green Line LRT, on City-owned land. Each investigation is expected to take one day with work happening between 9:00am and 3:30pm. Where there are potential impacts to residences or businesses, the Green Line team will contact those who may be directly affected.
The City of Calgary is moving forward with plans to build a new South Central Bus Garage in the community of Alyth/Bonnybrook/Manchester. This facility is a critical step in ensuring Calgary Transit can meet the needs of our rapidly growing city while modernizing its fleet, increasing storage, and expanding service levels. It will also replace the aging Victoria Park Garage, which is set to be decommissioned.
With Calgary’s population expected to grow by nearly half a million people over the next 30 years, the demand for efficient, sustainable transit services will only increase. The new South Central Bus Garage will provide the capacity to double the number of buses currently accommodated at Victoria Park over time, ensuring we can continue to provide reliable transit options to Calgarians.
The Province of Alberta is currently working on Deerfoot Trail Improvements in Ward 9, which includes the relocation of a large sanitary force main from the Deerfoot Trail corridor to 12 Street SE. This work is expected to begin in mid-March and carry through to the summer.
From our families to yours, with love and fellowship, we wish you peace, respite, rejuvenation, and all the best in 2025.
In lieu of mailing traditional holiday cards, we’ve opted to donate to several notable local charities. This season, our focus is on supporting four organizations doing deeply meaningful and important work to care for our 2SLGBTQIA+ neighbours.
Happy Holidays!
In late November, the Green Line team hosted three information sessions along the southeast portion of the alignment. We shared the current 60% design for stations between Ramsay/Inglewood and Shepard, as well as plans for bridges and guideways.
At this level of design, key elements have been established and can show Calgarians how these features will integrate within their communities.
Happy November Manchester! There are some exciting activities and events happening over the next several weeks. All great ways for you to meet your neighbours, learn something new, and have some good ol' fashion community fun!
As GreenLine design work resumes between 4 Street SE and Shepard, the project team will be hosting several community information sessions in late November to share the most recent designs plans for the southeast stations. This is an opportunity for Calgarians to ask questions, learn more, and get an updated look at the project’s progress.
The final draft of the Chinook Communities Local Area Plan (LAP) is ready. Together with thousands of community members—including a working group, community association members, and development industry representatives—a local area plan has been created for the Chinook Communities. This means new policies to guide growth and change in the areas of Manchester, a south portion of Manchester Industrial, Bel-Aire, Britannia, Elboya, Mayfair, Meadowlark Park, Parkhill, Windsor Park, and a small eastern portion of Glenmore Park.
Earlier this spring, neighbours in Manchester came together to build a new community garden space for residents to learn about and grow food, herbs, and flowers together.
Community gardens help enhance the health and well-being of neighbourhoods and communities by providing the space and opportunity for people of all skill levels to learn and interact. They are a place where people can connect with nature, better understand where their food comes from, and provide opportunities for sharing and learning.
The City of Calgary is delivering new routes and local improvements to Calgary's Pathway and Bikeway Network to enhance healthy, safe, and accessible travel options in Calgary.
We're developing dedicated pathway and bikeway routes in Ward 9 (Penbrooke Meadows, Forest Heights, Forest Lawn, Dover, Erin Woods, and Eastfield) aligning with Calgary's established Pathway and Bikeway Network. The proposed routes currently serve residential, recreation, shopping, education, and work destination. When the routes are improved, they will provide safe, healthy, and affordable travel choices for people of all ages and all abilities.
This year’s HMCS Barn Burner was a wild success!
Councillors Kourtney Penner and Gian-Carlo Carra along with the Friends of HMCS Calgary Committee welcomed nearly 600 friends, family, community organizations. and service members to this year’s event! All to help raise funds for the Foothills Burn Treatment Centre and The Veterans Food Bank of Calgary on behalf of HMCS Calgary, our city’s namesake Navy ship.
Phase 3: REFINE of the Chinook Communities Local Area Planning project is taking place May 28 – June 24, 2024. In this phase, we are looking to further discuss and refine how redevelopment and revitalization could happen in the Chinook Communities of Bel-Aire, Britannia, Elboya, Mayfair, Meadowlark Park, Parkhill, Windsor Park, Manchester, a south portion of Manchester Industrial and a small eastern portion of Glenmore Park.
Share your thoughts from May 28 – June 24, 2024.
Councillors Kourtney Penner and Gian-Carlo Carra along with the Friends of HMCS Calgary Committee are delighted to invite you to this year’s HMCS Calgary Barn Burner!
Dust off your best western attire and kick off Stampede with the Commanding Officer and members of the HMCS Calgary crew, our city’s namesake Navy ship.
There will be good food, good drink, good music, and most of all good people! This event is family-friendly (kids under 12 are free!) with proceeds going to support two soon-to-be-announced local charities.
This weekend, stop by Manchester’s Annual Community Yard Sale!
May 25, 2024 11am-3pm
5757 2 ST SW
Households will be selling a variety of goods at the yard sale, all accepting a range of 20% - 100% Calgary Dollars towards purchases.
Our office is seeking proposals from Indigenous artists with a connection to Treaty 7 land interested in partnering to design and create an illustrated map about water. This map will highlight water resources, infrastructure, and landmarks, while sharing stories and raising awareness about water conservation, management, history, and the importance of water in Ward 9 and through Calgary.
After a 15-day Public Hearing, City Council has voted to approve citywide rezoning to allow for the construction of a variety low-density homes across Calgary.
In response to feedback from Calgarians, amendments have been introduced to address concerns regarding community engagement during the development permit phase, modified parking requirements, and adjustments to secondary suite allowances for row houses.
The What We Heard Report from Phase 1 is now available here.
The City of Calgary is working on several projects that will guide the future of the 50 Avenue S.E. corridor. These include the Chinook Communities Local Area Plan (LAP), the Central Bus Maintenance Storage Facility (MSF) Study, and the 50 Avenue Functional Planning Study (FPS).
The City of Calgary is making improvements at the Calgary Soccer Centre (CSC) located at 7000 48 Street SE
Construction is underway and is expected to be completed by early 2025.Once complete, citizens will have access to a high-quality, year-round practice and play space. It will be bookable by anyone. Learn more at Calgary.ca/CSCDome.
One of the best days of the year is just around the corner! Neighbour Day is Calgary’s celebration of community connection. Held each year on the third Saturday in June, Neighbour Day is a step toward creating welcoming and inclusive communities where neighbours connect and belong every day of the year.
Neighbour Day 2024 will include two kick-off events on May 4 to help raise awareness of Neighbour Day and invite Calgarians to start planning their own Neighbour Day block party or community event for June 15.
Jane’s Walk 2024 is back and taking place May 3rd through 5th. Calgarians of all ages are invited to participate in free walking tours throughout a variety of communities and areas of interest in the city!
A global event inspired by and in honour of Jane Jacobs, an urbanist and activist who championed a fresh, community-based approach to city building. Jane believed that in order to properly observe how people, through their actions and interactions, create communities with a strong sense of belonging, we need to get out and walk the city.
The City of Calgary takes a proactive approach to protecting and replacing aging assets. The water main replacement program reduces emergency water main breaks and service interruptions by replacing corroded mains with new PVC pipe and adding protection to reduce the rate of future corrosion.
Since 1980, this program has contributed to a 73 per cent decrease in the number of emergency water main repairs. As part of this years water main replacement program contract, water mains will be replaced along with some public and private water services in the following Ward 9 areas:
There is an exciting opportunity for a local Manchester artist to paint some of the windows in the Manchester Tower Community Space. They are currently looking for a creative person who is available in April to paint. If that's you, see more details above on how to submit a draft proposal before March 31.
Calgary is in a housing crisis. We need more homes. The citywide rezoning proposed in Home is Here: The City of Calgary’s Housing Strategy will help.
How will rezoning help?
This change will help increase the supply of housing to better meet demand by reducing the costs and timelines for permit approvals. This means more housing is able to be built faster. It also allows for greater housing variety, options, and price points to suit more Calgarians needs.
If you’re renting or buying, rezoning increases the number and types of homes available in all communities, making homes more affordable. If you own property, you’ll have more options to meet your future needs.
As the GreenLine LRT begins to shift from planning to implementation, we are at a place where key challenges and opportunities associated with the current GreenLine station designs in Ward 9 need to be addressed. These challenges and opportunities are grounded in the perspective I have as a 10+ year advocate and champion of the GreenLine in my role as the area’s City Councillor, as well as my 20+ year role as an urban design professional working with East Calgary Communities towards the transit-oriented future we are now on the brink of achieving.
The City of Calgary is currently in the second phase of the Chinook Community Local Area Planning project, which includes the communities of Manchester and Manchester Industrial. Some great conversations and engagements have already taken place with the working group and local community associations.
Opportunities for the public to get involved are open from November 14 to December 11, 2023.
From November 30th - December 10th, we will be collecting donations for the Calgary Food Bank as part of the Mayor’s Annual Food Drive.
Like Food Banks across the country, the Calgary Food Bank has seen an unprecedented increase in demand this past year. In 2022, Council raised just over $80,000 in food and funds for Calgarians in need. We hope to surpass that number this year.
The City of Calgary is updating plans that will shape the Calgary of the future and make sure our city keeps on being a great place to live. We want to hear from you.
Calgary is a city of opportunity and choice. As our city’s population approaches two million, The City of Calgary must prepare to support this growth. The City Building program will align and strengthen The City’s plans and tools to create a place where everyone can thrive.
Please Note: Due to pending Canada Post strike action set to begin on May 23, 2025, the City of Calgary mailroom will be unable to provide Canada Post delivery starting May 21, 2025, until the situation is resolved.
This means we will be unable to send mail during this time, including orders for Ward 9 Map and Pedestrian Access Cards for the Zoo.
Other City of Calgary services that rely on mail may also be affected. Online payments remain available for many services such as parking tickets, animal licences, tax payments, and home permits. However, if you have pending payments or rely on mail delivery for other City services, please visit the City of Calgary website for more information on how this action may imapact you.
Neighbour Day is Calgary’s annual celebration of community spirit, connection, and belonging. It’s a reminder that building welcoming, inclusive neighbourhoods starts with small acts, like a friendly conversation or lending a helping hand. When neighbours connect, communities grow stronger and everyone benefits.
Join the celebration by hosting a block party, BBQ, or neighbourhood gathering on June 21!
The City of Calgary has proudly selected Onward as the official housing developer for the Franklin Station Area Improvements. This project will introduce 350 new homes to the area, half of which will be affordable housing, supporting sustainable growth and improved transit access for the surrounding community.
Looking for fun, FREE activities for children, youth, and families this summer? These safe, supervised programs are great for making new friends and learning new activities.
Visit calgary.ca/FREE to learn more about scheduling, locations, and programs being offered in your community.
Big changes are underway at the Calgary Zoo’s Exploration Asia area as the as they undertake exciting renovations to create larger, more dynamic habitats, and inspire even stronger connections between people and wildlife.
As part of this work, the seasonal West Gate, typically open from the spring through the fall, will remain closed for this season. It is expected the West Gate won’t reopen until at later in 2028/2029 season.
During this time, all access to the Zoo will need to be through the main North Gate.
TThe City of Calgary Mobility business unit is making investments in safe and accessible mobility infrastructure for Calgarians.
Below are some of the projects planned or already underway in Ward 9 for 2025. All programs include environmental and accessibility considerations during the review and selection process.
To learn more about all mobility projects planned through0ut Calgary, please visit calgary.ca/mobilityprograms
We understand that construction can be disruptive for residents and businesses and thank you for your patience during these projects. The City’s aim is to minimize impacts where ever possible. Our office will continue to share information and updates on projects scheduled in Ward 9
A new chapter in Calgary’s relationship with the Blackfoot Confederacy has officially begun.
The City of Calgary and the Nations of the Blackfoot Confederacy have signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding on Communication and Cooperation (MOU), solidifying a renewed partnership grounded in trust, respect, reciprocity, and honesty. This is the first formal agreement of its kind between the City and the Blackfoot Confederacy, and it marks a meaningful step toward deeper collaboration.
It is with wistfulness, but also clear conviction and fierce pride, that I announce my decision not to seek a fifth term as Ward 9’s City Councillor this October. While this may not come as a surprise, I have some reflections I’d like to share.
Building on the success of Calgary’s Extreme Weather Response (EWR) program, a partnership between Calgary Homeless Foundation, The City of Calgary, Calgary Police Service, and United Way of Calgary and Area has led to the creation of two new year-round Day Spaces to support individuals at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
Establised in 2003, the Ward Community Event Fund (WCEF) was created to support community groups, non-profits, and local organizations hosting events or launching initiatives that strengthen and connect our neighbourhoods.
On April 29, 2025, Council approved an additional $280,000 in funding for the WCEF for 2025 and 2026. A total of $20,000 is now available to each ward to support events and initiatives in each year.