Recently, I was asked to write an article for Calgary's Child Magazine. It is part reflection on the 2013 floods and part exploration on what makes our communities great for our families. It's no secret that Calgary is a great city in which to raise kids (as I cite in the article), but I know that we can make our communities even better.
We will never forget the summer of 2013.
Whether or not our homes were flooded, we were all affected by the rising waters.
Maybe your children were supposed to attend summer camps at the Zoo or Talisman Centre and you had to make other arrangements. There were no long days spent enjoying Sandy Beach or Bowness Park, and our Central Library remains closed.
And many of our friends, families, and neighbours went through a lot of pain.
But we did great. I am blessed to have nearly 20,000 colleagues at The City of Calgary who all worked hard to keep us safe and to help rebuild our community. From first responders like police and fire to the folks in Waste and Recycling Services who kept flood-ravaged neighbourhoods clean to the people safeguarding our water supply, and all the rest, they showed us the true meaning of public service. I've never been more proud.
I'm even prouder of regular citizens -- everyday Calgarians who used their own hands, hearts and minds to help our neighbours. It’s part of what makes our community work.
Earlier this year, MoneySense magazine ranked Calgary as the Best Place in Canada to Raise Kids. It’s easy to see why: we have great schools, plenty of recreational opportunities, and a young, diverse, population that dreams big and is rewarded for effort. But really, it’s because of the fact that we look after each other, and we realize that we need to make sure that all kids have opportunity and access to a great life in this city.
There’s still a lot of work to do, though. For example, we need to invest in more and better recreation facilities.
Through the Community Investment Fund we created in 2011, we have been able to refurbish existing parks and playgrounds, and are building four new recreation centres and three new libraries, including a new Central Library.
City policies need to be updated so that we can make more housing choices available throughout the city. I believe that where you choose to raise your family should be a true choice--not something you settle for because nothing else was available or affordable for your family.
Along the same lines, we also need to make sure that we are building new communities in a more thoughtful way so that it’s easier to provide the services and amenities that Calgarians require, whatever their stage of life. As more families rely on grandparents to help with childcare, or if adult children need to assist with their aging parents, we must ensure that neighbourhoods are built so that everyone is welcome and has choices.
We also need to ensure that these choices extend to transportation; that young families can see that second or third family car as an option, not a necessity for life in our city.
The future of Calgary is one of choice and opportunity -- that our families can thrive wherever they want to live. This is an amazing city, but we must keep working together to make it even better.
- Mayor Naheed Nenshi
