-
Subscribe
Subscribed
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
I’m sure many of the members of the Calgary Regional Partnership (CRP) have been waiting nervously to see how Mayor Naheed Nenshi is going to proceed with implementation of the Calgary Metropolitan Plan. I was following His Worship on Twitter on Friday, June 17 as he attended the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association’s Mayor’s Caucus in … Continue reading
“Density is often used as an excuse for more development. Increasing density within city areas that already have development can work to minimize a city’s footprint. Developing areas where there is little or no existing development is nothing more than sprawl.” Panos Grames, The David Suzuki Foundation
In a development that reminds me of a Godfather movie, Calgary has taken steps to create its new water utility and Airdrie will be the first to sign on. Instead of the drugs that fuelled the infamous fictional crime family, this transaction will involve water and Mayor Bronconnier is looking more like Don Vito Corleone … Continue reading
Hello everyone, The number of people who have signed the Just Say No to a Calgary Veto petition is now hovering around 1000. I’m hoping that we can break through the 1000 mark so spread the word to your neighbours. They can sign the petition by emailing me at nocalgaryveto@me.com. A protest was held on … Continue reading
http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/calgary/Rural+communities+demand+voice/1688832/story.html By Jason Markusoff, Calgary Herald CALGARY – The rural communities that occupy the vast majority of the 12,000 square kilometres in the Calgary area are demanding make-or-break changes to a proposed plan that would chart population growth and water servicing across the region. Politicians from cities, towns, villages and rural districts around Calgary will … Continue reading
Okotoks, June 9, 2009: Under the guise of the new Provincial Land Use Framework, the Calgary Regional Partnership has created the Calgary Metropolitan Plan (CMP). We believe the CMP is not aligned with the Land Use Framework or with overwhelming grassroots support for a sustainable future for Southern Alberta. The plan was formed without adequate … Continue reading
If you are unable to view the poster below, please download a PDF version here.
J.C. Anderson, founder and former CEO of Calgary-based Anderson Exploration has written a letter to the Reeve of the MD of Foothills with his concerns about the Calgary Metropolitan Plan. Sustainable Resource Development Minister, Ted Morton and Okotoks Mayor Bill McAlpine were cc’ed on the letter. Mr. Anderson attended the MD of Foothills Open House … Continue reading
Hello Petitioners, On Wednesday, June 10, the MD of Foothills is has called a meeting to discuss the Draft Calgary Metropolitan Plan (CMP). This meeting will be held at the Foothills Centennial Centre, 204 Community Way in Okotoks. Since I last wrote to you, at least five members have submitted letters to the Calgary Regional … Continue reading
If you think what’s happening with the Calgary Regional Partnership is alarming, just wait until Bill 36, the Alberta Land Stewardship Act is enacted. The following article appeared on Liberal MLA Kent Hehr’s website and even though he is in opposition, the many people quoted in the story are raising alarm bells–from industrial associations, to … Continue reading
The County of Wheatland reportedly tried to duck the whole Calgary Regional Partnership early in the process. The story goes that they received a visit from a Cabinet Minister and were back at the table. Their concerns are in the areas of governance (the Calgary veto again) and Land Use. They preface their comments by … Continue reading
The MD of Foothills did not really surprise anyone by submitting a lengthy document (12 pages) with many revisions proposed to the Calgary Metropolitan Plan. In summary, the concerns are: 1. The process for defining the blue blobs (just about everyone has struck these two words from their vocabulary on instruction from the CRP language … Continue reading
In a lengthy 12 page report, the MD of Rocky View says “we wish to advise that if the key issues outlined below go unresolved, we will be unable to ratify the CMP.” The issues are: 1. Annexation/Juridiction: They want to remove two policies (1.8 and 1.9) which they say threaten the autonomy of individual … Continue reading
Okotoks Mayor Bill McAlpine must have been squirming a little bit when he signed the Town’s letter to Mayor Linda Bruce. He claims that Okotoks facilitated “extensive community consultation over the past few months.” There were two open houses in March and at each open house the Mayor and several Town Councillors read statements at … Continue reading
The City of Calgary submitted its agreement to sign on to the Calgary Metropolitan Plan and is quick to point out that the province has brought in the overarching legislation (the Land Stewardship Act, I presume, to support its Land Use Framework. “We believe the province is anticipating a timely ratification of the proposed CMP,” … Continue reading
The Priddis-Millarville Residents Association representing 400 people living in the MD of Foothills have now officially joined the coalition of community groups opposing the Calgary Regional Partnership/Calgary Metropolitan Plan. President Frances Jackson Dover is asking residents to write letters to the Premier and to Ted Morton to protest the following: a) Water supply, in our … Continue reading
Hello everyone, I’m happy to say that my mailing list has grown so large that my email service provider has flagged me as a possible spammer! My apologies as this may create some delays in receiving my messages. The list which has grown to around 260 people, while the petition continues to accumulate names, albeit … Continue reading
The Town of Okotoks Mayor and Councillors voted today to move forward with the Calgary Regional Partnership and propose amendments to the Calgary Metropolitan Plan. This, despite the high risk that the Sustainable Okotoks Policy, which includes a cap on the population based on the carrying capacity of the Sheep River, likely will NOT meet … Continue reading
CITIZENS FOR A SUSTAINABLE OKOTOKS __________________________________________________________________________ May 21, 2009 To: Mayor Bill McAlpine and the Town Council of Okotoks: Councillors Stephen Clark, Beth Kish, Naydene Lewis, Bill Robertson, Ed Sands, and Ralph Wilson Dear Mayor and Councillors, Before the Okotoks’ Town Council decision is finalized on May 25th, Citizens for a Sustainable Okotoks would like … Continue reading
Hello everyone, There are two important dates that I’d like to let you know about: On MONDAY, MAY 25 at 1:30 p.m. Okotoks Town Council will vote on how to move forward with the Calgary Regional Partnership and the Calgary Metropolitan Plan. The recommendation from administration is: RECOMMENDATION That Okotoks maintain the current growth management … Continue reading
The following letter has been sent to Reeve Roy McLean and MD of Foothills Council:May 14, 2009 Reeve Roy McLean and Councillors M.D. of Foothills No. 31 309 Macleod Trail P O Box 5605 High River, AB T1V 1M7 By Hand Dear Council Members: Re: Calgary Regional Partnership The Executive Committee of the Priddis-Millarville Residents … Continue reading
Okotoks Town Council will be holding its regular meeting on Monday, May 11. On the agenda is a presentation of the preliminary results from the community survey re: the cornerstone of Okotoks sustainability, which is living within the carrying capacity of the Sheep River. The majority of residents — 55.9 per cent — have voted … Continue reading
On May 7, 2009, the following letter was sent to media and government representatives: David Suzuki Foundation speaks out against urban nodes in rural Alberta communities Joint response from MD-wide grassroot community planning groups to the Calgary Regional Partnership Plan and local municipal development plan We applaud the province, the region and local municipalities for … Continue reading
Good day I have been reading up on the CRP and I am amazed at what I am reading, we live in the City but were looking at obtaining the acreage dream which now seems to be a ticking time bomb. Does the City really think it is right or fair to dictate what people … Continue reading
It’s not only about land use any longer. The voice of the average Albertan is being suppressed in many different areas. I recently read in the Lethbridge Herald newspaper about the April 29th Alberta Health Services Board meeting: “There’s no longer an opportunity for the public to be heard at board meetings, he (Dr. Stephen … Continue reading
The Environmental Law Centre media advisory says: ALBERTA LAND STEWARDSHIP ACT NEEDS MORE PLANNING AND LESS POLITICS Edmonton, AB, 1 May 2009 – On April 27, 2009, the Alberta government introduced Bill 36, the Alberta Land Stewardship Act (ALSA). While the Bill is a positive step to give legal effect and support to the provincial … Continue reading
I received the following email from Al Secuta, who blogs and comments on development news in Bearspaw. He has submitted a comprehensive report on the impact of the Calgary Regional Partnership on his community. The Rocky View Weekly newspaper has written a story about his campaign against the CRP (reproduced below, also): Jody: Most people … Continue reading
MYTH 1: “Growth is inevitable and can’t be stopped.” FACT: Growth is not inevitable although it is often promoted as such to the public by those who have vested, short-term interests. MYTH 2: “You can’t throw up fences around a town or region.” FACT: Regions, cities, and countries, worldwide, have established limits to growth, but … Continue reading
This is the latest from Mayor Bill McAlpine in response to an email from an Okotoks citizen: “Good morning: The following is the decision making process as discussed by thepartnership. 1 – Decisions to be by consensus, but with capacity to makebinding decisions 2 – Calgary CANNOT impose its will on the region, but neithercan … Continue reading
As reported in the Cochrane Times: http://www.cochranetimes.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1515872&auth=Sara%20Loftson Springbank residents got to view the Calgary Regional Partnership land use draft plan April 2 at the Springbank Park For All Seasons. The plan is an attempt to manage population growth in the Calgary area region into the next 60 years, when the population is expected to increase … Continue reading
An Okotoks citizen received the following email from Mayor Bill McAlpine in response to her email protesting the Calgary veto: Good morning: The following is the decision making process as discussed by thepartnership. 1 – Decisions to be by consensus, but with capacity to makebinding decisions 2 – Calgary CANNOT impose its will on the … Continue reading
Joe Obad of Water Matters (www.water-matters.org) recently sent out the following message via the Alberta Environmental Network: The Calgary Regional Partnership’s regional plan needs to set targets for maintaining open spaces, clean water, and wildlife. They need to hear from you to make this happen. Why the CRP matters The CRP is a regional partnership … Continue reading
BY NANCY GINZER COLUMNIST In a move that will sweep 100 years of historical independence down the Sheep River, Okotoks is about to sign onto the Calgary Regional Partnership (CRP) plan. This signals the beginning of the end for a great little town. In the CRP agreement, Calgary, with the consent of two-thirds of 17 … Continue reading
Published March 25, 2009 The Calgary Regional Partnership’s (CRP) regional land use plan is a clear example of damned if you do, damned if you don’t. When the recent boom hit Alberta several years ago and growth exploded at an uncontrollable pace then Premier Ralph Klein became infamous for his statement, “We have no plan.” … Continue reading
By Don Patterson staff reporter Land in the DeWinton and Dunbow areas proposed for long-term, urban-style development should not be written in stone in a regional plan, say MD of Foothills councillors. Councillors asked Calgary Regional Partnership (CRP) officials last week plans for a large area in the northern portion of the MD near Calgary … Continue reading
By Don Patterson staff reporter The Sustainable Okotoks policy is best known for the 30,000 population cap, but it is only one of the goals set out in the policy. Key to the 1998 plan was living within the carrying capacity of the Sheep River. The vision was to be used to guide future growth … Continue reading
By Don Patterson staff reporter A group of Okotoks and foothills-area residents is lining up to say “No” to a move they say will give the City of Calgary too much power over its neighbours. The website http://www.nocalgaryveto.com appeared on the Internet last week saying the Calgary Regional Partnership’s (CRP) proposed ‘double majority’ voting structure … Continue reading
By Don Patterson staff reporter Residents voiced their concerns over a residential plan that could see Okotoks’ population and its residential densities potentially double. The Town of Okotoks held two meetings last week looking to residents for direction on the fate of the Sustainable Okotoks policy and the town’s 30,000 population cap as the deadline … Continue reading
Most Canadians call water the country’s most valuable natural resource, yet they use it at “alarming rates” and they’re not cutting back, a study says. Canadians currently use an average of 329 litres of water per person, per day — second only to the United States in the developed world, and more than twice as … Continue reading
See today’s article in the Calgary Herald. “A landmark regional plan that will guide the development of 18 municipalities for the next six decades will be counting on a finite resource to make sure those municipalities don’t break the rules. It may not be written directly into the Calgary Regional Partnership’s plan, but water–more precisely, … Continue reading
http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/fp/Plan+CHILL/1389392/story.html See this story in the Calgary Herald yesterday (March 14, 2009). The City of Calgary is conducting public consultation on its plan called PLAN-IT Calgary. This is Calgary’s municipal development plan, which like Okotoks’ municipal development plan, will have to conform to the larger Calgary Regional Partnership Plan. In Okotoks, citizens are asked to … Continue reading
Bighorn not in Calgary region Posted By Hamish MacLean Posted 4 days ago By Hamish MacLean Banff Crag & Canyon The Calgary Regional Partnership is not going to include the MD of Bighorn. The draft regional plan that the partnership will vote on June 19 provides a vision and guidance for local municipalities as decision … Continue reading
Since starting this campaign, I’ve been searching for confirmation in writing of the Calgary veto. It seems that mysteriously, this fact is missing from the main sections of the CRP website and most of their materials. Hmm…I wonder if this omission in by accident? Alas, with some help from someone much smarter than me, I … Continue reading
By Don Patterson staff reporter A draft development plan for the Calgary region was given a resounding ‘no’ vote by foothills residents during a heated open house last week. MD of Foothills residents attending a Feb. 25 open house roundly panned the Calgary Regional Partnership’s (CRP) plan that many called unfair and undemocratic, however, an … Continue reading
Just say NO! to a Calgary VETO 
Latest Post
Okotoks’ Mayor’s denial of the Calgary veto is simply dishonest
It appears that Okotoks Mayor Bill Robertson has denied the Calgary Regional Partnership’s flawed governance model. In the excitement leading up to the provincial election, I missed this letter to the editor of the Okotoks Western Wheel, which seems to indicate Mayor Robertson has “drunk the Kool-Aid” as they say (a very morbid reference to … Continue reading →