May 2024 Newsletter Sneak-A-Peak

Message From the Board

Deer fellow residents, 

I would like to start this letter by stating our hearts go out to our neighbours displaced or otherwise affected by the recent fire at the Meadowbrook building.  We wish you a smooth and swift recovery from this tragedy. 

With another winter season behind us we look forward to a summer ahead!  The replacement of heating and air conditioning systems is complete and (with special thanks to Brenda) our kitchen cupboards, countertops, and appliances have been upgraded!  Now we are ready to continue focusing on our goal to keep our centre current and vibrant with renovations and upgrades being planned and completed throughout the coming months. 

 We have had many successful special events over the year such as our Neighbourhood cleanup, Skate party, Easter party, Christmas market, litter cleanup, Jelly bean dances, and Family Movie Nights!  Also please look forward to more of our events coming soon, like our stampede breakfast!  Watch our website and social media for more information! 

Help Us Help You: Become an Official Deer Run Community Member

Why purchase a community membership? Well, you are helping your community center operate programs like senior’s weekly social meetings, family events, Stampede Breakfast, and winter skate parties, as well as our community projects.  

And you are also helping yourself. All members can save $5 per hour on hourly rates for the gym, multi-purpose room or kitchen, and as much as $100 in savings on our daily flat fee rates for the gym. Our drop-in ping pong and drop-in volleyball are free with membership. That means unlimited ping pong games with friends or get active playing volleyball.  

Local businesses have contributed to the value of our community membership. Find at least a 10 per cent discount at:  

• Around the Bend (pretzels and sandwiches)  

• Bodez Urban Spa  

• Darrin the Cleaner  

• Kiwi Grocery  

These are just a few of your neigbourhood shops and restaurants that we include in our community membership experience. We want the membership to be worth your while! Not only are you helping the community center, but you get something out of it too – all while supporting locals who make our community great. Everybody wins! 

Thank you to all Our Family Easter Party Volunteers

A sincere thanks to all the volunteers who made Easter extra special for our kids this year. A special shout out to the Easter Bunny who made a delightful appearance and was kind enough to shake everyone’s hand. Deb Monteith attended the chaotic cookies and crafting table for the first time and she was fantastic. We also bumped into the Easters -- Mom and daughter Charysse and Tristan – who got all the little egg seekers attention by holding up the cartoonishly giant Stop sign at the rendezvous for the egg hunt. That’s not all of our volunteers, but as the year goes on we’d like to photograph and thank as many of you as possible in these pages.  Whether its parties like these, or community clean up events, they don’t happen without all of your help, so please accept our gratitude and sign up for the next opportunity to keep our community special.  

April 2024 Newsletter Sneak-A-Peek

Peter Demong Town Halls on Citywide Rezoning in Ward 14

Councilor Peter Demong is holding two open house sessions to discuss a proposal to change the base zoning for residential properties in Calgary. 

The proposed change would remove the requirement for public hearing on any proposed development up to a density of four rowhouses. Each of these rowhouses would be allowed a basement suite, for a total maximum of eight dwelling units on the base residential parcel of land where the maximum had previously been two.  

All applications would still be subject to the development permit approval process. 

Join Peter Demong to discuss the proposal and provide your feedback to City Hall. 

Session #1 Tuesday, April 9, 6:30 to 8:30 pm, Lake Bonavista Community Hall, 1401 Acadia Drive S.E. 

Session #2 Thursday, April 11, 5:30 to 7:30 pm, MidSun Community Hall, 50 Midpark Rise S.E. 

Board Message

Well, everyone – more good news. We got about $68,000 in funding from the City for projects around the center. What are we doing with the money? New gym doors to fix the hinges (people keep wedging the hinges to keep the gym doors – so it's around $6,000 each time they need to be replaced), a new sump pump system to ensure we don’t flood, some plumbing repairs, gym lighting remediation, new wooden light poles for our rink/outdoor area, new fire shutters in the kitchen and new bathroom vanities.  We are hoping for the provincial grant to cover the other 25 to 50 percent of the costs above. 

Other repairs that are going on around the center are electrical circuit tracing and bathroom door repairs – exciting? Not really but it gives you some insight into what happens around the center. 

******* DRCA CASINO MAY 22 and 23 – WE NEED VOLUNTEERS!!! Please sign up online by clicking the button at the top of deerruncalgary.com. Put your contact information so we can get you the official form. This could mean anywhere from $50,000 to $70,000 of funding for YOUR COMMUNITY. The money is spent on items that affect all community members (the AGLC are quite strict). This year’s casino is at the Deerfoot Inn and Casino – as always. 

The Daycare improvements are coming along. There is a super-secret team picking the colors of the new daycare space. It's super-secret because such topics split organizations (no I am not kidding), so we have decided to just let them decide on the color scheme. Just look at what happened downstairs; people love it, with the exception of a few critics.  It is bright, cheerful and plain fun, especially compared to the old drab colours which were likely “in” when those colours were updated. Lastly, the designs for the new day care are in! We are just waiting for permits. 

We believe we have someone to lead the flower planters. We have money coming for new asphalt for the rink, but we really need project management and admin volunteers to finalize the placement, dot all the i's and cross all the t’s. We are likely turning the hockey rink to allow a pleasure rink in FRONT of the hockey rink.  If you have experience writing business plans, communicating with your Neighbours via writing and working with project planning or procurement – we really need a few hours a week. Call or email Rob at the center info@deerruncalgary.com, 403-278-3117. 

Deer Run Spring Litter Clean-up

Join our community litter clean-up and show you care! Come to the Deer Run Community Centre where you can pick up a litter kit, get information. Then spend an hour or so picking up litter along a designated route in the green spaces or roadways in our community. Dispose of the litter at an existing City of Calgary garbage bin or return it to the centre. Enter our prize draw for one of four $25 Gift Cards from Calgary CO-OP Deer Valley or aTrico Centre for Family Wellness Family/Single Admission Pass. Families are welcome to attend. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

Date: April 13, 2024 / Time: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Borrow Summer Reads at the DRCA’s Community Bookshelf

Nicole B.

Have you ever been to the Deer Run Community Centre? If so, I bet you’ve seen the bookshelf at the entrance of the building. The bookshelf is actually a community library!  

Our community library is for everyone of any age. Anyone can come and take a book to read, and anyone can leave any books at our community library. Read Stephen King’s chilling Under the Dome then binge watch the CBS series from a decade ago. Or, fInd half a dozen detective novels from Anne Perry’s popular “Thomas and Charlotte Pitt” detective series, among many other good reads.  

Share your favorite books or find your next favorite book here! Keep in mind when dropping off books little eyes will be browsing books on the shelf. That said, we encourage families to stock the shelves with all those old board books and fairy tales your kids have grown to love and leave behind.  

Fall in Love with Pickleball: The world’s fastest growing sport needs to grow a little more in Deer Run – and here’s why

Todd Andre

Kyle May showed up to the courts to play tennis. He left the court that day with an unexpected passion for a quirky new game. 

“We showed up with our tennis rackets and gear, then Craig Button came over,” says May, dropping the name of former Flames General Manager and currently one of Sportsnet’s top hockey analysts. “They asked us to play, and I fell in love with it.” 

What kind of game could divert your carefully planned tennis match and create such a strong connection in a single afternoon? Pickleball. 

It’s the fastest growing game in North America. Its surging popularity pushed by celebrities like reality TV queens The Kardashians, former NFL star receiver Larry Fitzgerald,  Supermodel Heidi Klum and yes, even our own rumpled Craig Button. Button himself would be surprised to see his name in the same sentence as those other celebrities, but that’s what makes pickleball so unique; it’s played by seniors, teenagers and toddlers alike -- all who can learn it in fifteen minutes and fall in love by match end. 

It all started when a group of ragtag rowers in the “pickleboat” needed something to keep their kids busy while they were on the water. They had ping pong paddles, a badminton net and a plastic wiffle ball. Pickleball was born. Essentially, it’s wiffle-ball tennis played on a much smaller, badminton-sized court – which has its advantages.  

“You can fit two pickle ball courts on a standard tennis court,” says May. “Eight people can fit on a court that would usually have a max of four.” 

Later, it became the perfect pandemic pastime. Pickleball courts can be set up in a typical Deer Run driveway, and the game is such that highly skilled players can match up against beginners, and the young can play and compete against the old. It was the perfect way to spend time with your family outside, while staying home.  

Today, Major League Pickleball projects the sport to grow at 30 to 40 per cent every year in the next ten years, increasing amateur players from 5 million to 40 million, and vaulting itself in popularity over golf and tennis in the process. 

“If you’ve ever taught someone to play tennis, it's difficult. The ball is flying everywhere and you’re either hitting it too hard, or not hard enough," says May. “Pickleball is a game where anyone can pick it up and rally.” 

That versatility is spreading the sport like wildfire. And it's spread here, too.  Come down to the Deer Run Community Centre on Sunday mornings between 9:45 am to 12:45 pm and try for yourself. Grab paddles and balls from the front desk on your way into the gym. 

Skeptical? Scared? Even avid players like May were hesitant before finally picking up the paddle, but he’s an advocate now.  

"Just try it once and you’ll love it.”  

Introducing Deer Runes: Poems from the Community

Plan the Future of the Outdoor Rink

Todd Andre

The outdoor skating rink at the Deer Run Community Centre has finished its 40-year run of skate parties and impromptu shinny hockey. Let’s get together to plan the infrastructure for the next 40 years to be even better than the last.  

We are creating a committee to help plan and manage the project. Some of the future plans the board members have discussed include:  

• Orientation of Rink 

• Placement of recreational skating area  

• Placement of Pavement and boards for hockey rink  

• Placement of light poles  

• Placement of Future Buildings (heated garage, possible indoor rink) 

Ideally candidates would have experience in any or all of the following: 

• Project Management 

• Creative Problem Solving 

• Planning  

• Hockey or other related skating sports 

As soon as you finish reading this, send an email to the community centre manager Rob expressing your interest at info@deerruncalgary.com, or call 403-278-3117. Budget is approved and work will begin this summer, so we need your help as soon as we can get it! 

THANK YOU JELLYBEAN DANCE VOLUNTEERS!

A big shout out to our faithful Jellybean Dance Volunteers! About seven teens planned and ran the woodland-themed dance this past month. We had a great turnout! The notable costumes were the group with green face makeup, a tree complete with owl burrow, and many flowers-in-hairdo’s that must have taken hours.  Our guessing game was to find the 23 strategically placed woodland creatures – and it was a lot of fun. Our decorating crew created a massive 15-foot tree, complete with 3 footprints from our special guest, Mr. Bigfoot (his wife could not make it). This only happens with the adult chaperones who faithfully ensured that there were no shenanigans and that all went orderly.  Thanks everyone for making Deer Run the best place to raise kids! 

Your Voice Matters: Be heard at our monthly board meetings

Are you interested in your community? We have the perfect thing for you! Monthly meetings fall on the first Wednesday of each month at 7:00 pm and everybody from the community is invited.

Our executive board leads our meeting and discusses future community events, renovation and improvement projects, as well as community center programs. Meetings run until all board members and community association members have had a chance to speak. Your voice matters and we want you to have your say!

Getting involved helps the community by giving your input, perspectives, and suggestions. It helps our community grow. But keep an eye on our website calendar when summer months roll around, as meeting times and dates will be adjusted for travel and vacation.

For more information -- or to buy a Deer Run Community Association Membership -- please go to our website at deerruncalgary.com/staff-board.

Out of School Care - Day Camps

DRCC Summer Camp registration is open now! Children in kindergarten to grade 6 are all welcome!Our summer camp program strives to foster personal growth for children by providing them fun, safe educational/recreational activities, outdoor experiences and group activities during summer. We have highly qualified educators who are committed to making sure children have fun while making new relationships! Our daily activities will include emergent and planned activities to cater for children’s needs and interests. We also have weekly fieldtrips and neighbourhood walks.

Cost is $250/week. Come join us!

President’s Message

It's been some time since I wrote a president's letter. Staff and board members have been hard at work behind the scenes and the community is in good health. We are looking for a few more people to join our board as well as Volunteers for various events each year. We will also be forming two committees, the first to have a group of people to help plant and maintain the new cement flower pots and the flower beds in front of the centre. The second is a group to clean up the 146 ave sign for Deer Run and come up with possible options to replace the sign. Please leave your name with Rob at the centre.

Stampede breakfast is upon us again, volunteers are needed to make this event the success it always is. We will also be sending out door hangers in June and be asking what you would like to see us work towards bringing to the community. www.deerruncalgary.com/survey This includes programs but also additions to the facility to offer other services. Some of the ideas/options are:

No changes or Improvements Indoor sports simulator such as golf

Board one of the outdoor rinks Lawn bowling greens

Indoor Social/meeting space Outdoor spray park

Indoor climbing wall Additional indoor gymnasium

move tennis courts closer to parking lot and/or add more pickleball courts

Improve Kitchen Add more equipment to the Gym

Purchase Zamboni Surf Simulator

Additional adult ball diamond Indoor hockey arena

We have had a community centre for over 40 years now and other complexes are offering more. To ensure we remain vibrant these are some options that have been brought up. Please take the time to do the quick survey so we all get our say on what our community will look like.

Please buy your membership and see you at the stampede breakfast.

Yahoo!

Kim Semeniuk

President DRCA

Stampede Breakfast

All residents welcome. If the DRCA serves you - you are invited on June 17th from 9 til noon for some (new) sausages, pancakes and coffee. Then stay for wagon rides, live music and family fun like face paints, balloon animals, live and parking lot games. If you can volunteer, please sign up online at https://deerruncalgary.com/stampede

Bottom Line - write down the date, tell all your friends and neighbours and please sign up volunteer online!

June 17th from 9-noon

2223 146th Ave SE

Your opinion matters

Volunteers with Green Thumbs wanted

Got a green thumb in Deer Run or Deer Ridge?

We have gotten some new planters in front of the building. Why? Its actually a protection from cars that might go rogue and it protects our kids and users of the building. Its a SUPER way to beautify the building as well - WE ARE LOOKING FOR GREEN THUMB VOLUNTEERS! If you have a vision or just a helping hand and enjoy gardening - please call the center and talk to Rob at 403-278-3117,

Open Board Meeting for our community

Big changes are planned for the DRCA and YOU ARE INVITED to the Board Open House on June 7th. If you feel Deer Run Community Center serves you, you should come out...all communities residents welcome. Topics include a community needs survey, a new gym, solar energy, new asphalt for a rink/summer tarmac, a new garage, new indoor space for increased child care and rental and community use of the building.

We want you to be a part of the process. We are looking for committees of those who have gifts in project management, procurement, repairs etc. A specific and immediate committee is to spruce up the sign on 146th Ave and Bow Bottom - its looking old - what can be done? We could just refresh the wood and paint or do something else - but we can’t do it without volunteers. Come out on June 7th . If you already know you want to volunteer, please call Rob at the center 403-278-3117 and he will get you in touch with the current committee head.

Broxburn Mobile Farm Stand partnership

The DRCA is proud to host the Broxburn mobile farm stand. It will be open every Friday, from May through October, from 10 AM until 1 PM in Deer Run Community Centre parking lot. This program is a partnership between the City of Calgary and Broxburn Farms.

The City of Calgary’s Farm Stand Program supports five incredible local farms and vendors to bring more fresh Alberta fruits, vegetables and artisanal products to more Calgary communities.

For more information on what fruit and vegetables to expect visit www.broxburnvegetables.com.

For more information on vendors and locations visit: www.calgary.ca/localfood

Source:: https://www.calgary.ca/localfood

• Posted in Community

• Tagged Farmer's Market, Local Food, Broxburn

Community Cleanup

Save the date … Sept 23rd. Volunteer Signup is already underway - click here to learn more and sign up. https://deerruncalgary.com/cleanup

Easter Event Thank you

Did you know 181 kids AND their parents could fit into our gym for 2 hours? Well they did. A crew of 15 teen volunteers grades 5-12 and 6 adults pulled off a fantastic event on Palm “Saturday”. THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS! We had a colouring and hoola hoop contest, a cookie craft, bouncy castles, live game, e-games and bingo and a preschool play area. The Easter Bunny came to visit and he had his crew have 4 rounds of Easter egg hunts where we ran out of bags (more were made) but it was a lot more kids than we expected - the biggest ever. Not only that but the following businesses partnered with is to donate prizes, cash and supplies to make this an excellent event. Starbucks provided coffee, Richard Gotfried donated Prizes, No Frills and Salon 5 helped with lunches for the volunteers, door prizes were donated by Deer Valley Vision (free pair of glasses!), Bow Bottom Veterinary Hospital, Kayla’s nails, Strands, Phamtastic Esthetics and Spa, DQ and Deer Valley Barber shop. Booster Juice supplied discounted teas and smoothies and we got to keep the profit. Please say thank you by shopping at these establishments in YOUR neighbourhood.

Jelly Bean Volunteer Thank you

Many thanks to the volunteers of the 60’s Hippy themed Jelly Bean Dance - 100% planed by the Grade 8 to Grade 11’s of OUR community (and a couple of their friends). We had a super compliment of Adult volunteers ages 19 to 60+ - we clearly want to help the kids of our community have a safe and fun place to gather and hang out together. We had games, concession, hotdogs, a new set of black lights, glow bracelets and 60’s music and 60’s duds. ALMOST EVERYONE dressed up in Tye Dye or 60’s gear, 60’s sweaters and dresses, bandanas and round shades. We are going to be VERY thankful when the new air conditioning is installed (should be installed by the time you read this article) . Opening the door to let out some heat of 92 kids kinda wrecks the vibes. The look-alike was given to a child dressed like Jim Morrison - but the irony is the winner didn’t know who Jim Morrison was - but he was very 60’s. We had a great time - MANY thanks to all the teen and adult volunteers.