THE OFFICIAL COMMUNITY LEAGUE NEWSPAPER: BRITANNIA-YOUNGSTOWN, CANORA, GLENWOOD, HIGH PARK, MAYFIELD & WEST JASPER / SHERWOOD ALSO SERVING THE STONY PLAIN ROAD AND AREA BUSINESS REVITALIZATION ZONE
after year without the need to buy more and plant again each year thus saving money. One thing to note is that if you plant your herbs in containers, you will either need to move them indoors for the winter or plant them in the ground to overwinter as they will not survive our cold winter climate outdoors in pots. SHERI LANDRY
It's a beautiful time of year. The snow is melting and the ground is thawing. There's a different smell in the air. Dare I write it? I think it means that spring is right around the corner, and with this comes another opportunity to save money. Save Money on Groceries If you are trying to cut back on expenses, one way of saving on your grocery bill is to plant your own garden. Who doesn't love the taste of freshly picked foods and you can plant your own vegetables, fruits and even herbs to cut your costs in the long run. Make sure you plant vegetables and fruit that will grow well for the area. To read more about planting and maintaining your garden, go to your local library to take some books out on the subject, or search around online. You can also ask at your local nursery. If you use a lot of herbs, you may want to look into planting some in your garden or in pots in your yard. An added bonus to herb gardens is that most herbs will actually come back year
Insidethis issue
Save Money Gardening If you are already a green thumb and you are looking for some ways to save money while doing what you love, then here are some tips to help stretch your dollar. Composting is good for you and the environment. It helps to dispose of unwanted table scraps, and it will help to keep the need for chemicals at bay. You can make a very cheap composter in your yard and even in your house. Just read up on 'do-it-yourself' compost bins online to get an idea of what you will need. If you have a neighbour with some beautiful plants in their yard, ask about them. Find out if they go to seed and see if your neighbour has any that they would like to share, trade or get rid of. I know each year at our house I have a few plants that give off a lot of seeds. It benefits your neighbours to have nice looking yards around them, so they may be happy to help you out. The same goes for vegetables. If your neighbour grows vegetables and you would like some seeds, ask if they can save some seeds
BYLAW BUZZ page 7 Keep your sidewalks ice free during the big melt!
JPRS UPDATE page 2 UPDATE on the LRT!
APRIL 2010 VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 3 CIRCULATION 15,000
for you for the next planting season. If you put the word out early that you are interested in plants, they may think of you first if they have some extra seeds left over from their spring planting. One last way to save money while gardening is to wait until the late summer and early fall to purchase your plants. If you aren't too particular to what you want to plant, you may want to hold off on paying full price for a couple of months. Most nurseries will sell off their stock of outdoor plants starting as early as just after Canada Day. The discount will increase as the summer goes on and with that the selection will decrease. So the longer you wait, there won't be much to choose from, but you should be able to find something to fill that gap in your yard at a great price. You will need to get the plants into the ground as soon as possible before the fall and double check with the nursery to see if you should be fertilizing it to give it the best chance of surviving winter. I hope these tips help you to save some additional money around the yard. See you again in May when Michelle will be back with more tips on gardening. Sheri Landry is the owner and author of www.thisbirdsday.com.
BRZ UPDATE page 3 What is the HUM!
THE SPURR SAYS page 6 Congratulations to Marian Bruin!
SPURR • APRIL 2010 VOLUME 3 ISSUE 3
J A S P E R P L A C E R E V I TA L I Z AT I O N U P D AT E
www.thespurr.ca Gardening: Michele Hebert gardening@thespurr.ca It Makes Cents: Sheri Landry itmakescents@thespurr.ca
WENDY KINSMAN Community Info: Wendy Kinsman community@thespurr.ca Business Info: Diane Kereluk business@thespurr.ca Advertising: Jim Wooley ads@thespurr.ca Publisher: Pie Communications Inc. 544, 12222 137 Avenue Ph: (780) 757-0993 Fax: (780) 401-3438 Edmonton, AB, T5L 4X5 www.piecommunications.com What is SPURR The Stony Plain (road and area) Urban Revitalization Report is a community based newspaper whose mission it is to serve the west-end communities of BritanniaYoungstown, Canora, Glenwood, High Park, Mayfield, & West Jasper / Sherwood along with the Members of the Stony Plain Road and Area Business Association. SPURR is a joint initiative for Community & Business Interests of Edmonton’s westend lead by: City of Edmonton Community Services, Neighbourhood Revitalization Project and the Stony Plain Road and Area Business Revitalization Zone. The opinions expressed in the articles appearing in The SPURR are those of the people named as the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of The SPURR, its editor, its publisher, the City of Edmonton or the Stony Plain Road and Area Business Revitalization Zone. For More Information Please Contact: Wendy Kinsman, Jasper Place Revitalization Coordinator, Office of Great Neighbourhoods City of Edmonton Community Services Dept. 100835 - 120 St. N.W. P.O. Box 2359, Edmonton, AB, T5J 2R7 Ph: (780) 495-0321 wendy.kinsman@edmonton.ca Diane Kereluk, Stony Plain Road and Area Business Association 10043 151 Street. Edmonton, AB, T5P 4Z7 Ph: (780) 477-5169 info@stonyplainroadbrz.ca
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS Without our Advertisers you would not be reading this newspaper. Our Advertisers survive on your business. Please support our advertisers and when you call or visit them please make sure to say you saw them in the SPURR. Thank you.
THE SPURR NEEDS YOU! If you have a story or a photo depicting how life is, was or should be in Edmonton’s west end we would love to hear from you. Please forward your stories to the publishers address above, thank you.
FREE EVENT CALENDAR The SPURR publishes area events and activities in a monthly calendar in print and online. Please send us your date sensitive event information, we would love to include what we can
(780) 495-0321
Hello everyone; I am your new Jasper Place Neighbourhood Revitalization Coordinator and I bring you my enthusiasm and direct experience working with communities for the past 18 years working for The City of Edmonton. I am very excited to be working in this position and have the opportunity to meet great volunteers who are supporting the Jasper Place Revitalization, committed working men and women who lead the Stony Plain BRZ, not-for-profit agencies and outstanding citizens who all have a vision to build a better place. I would like to thank Marian Bruin, my predecessor, friend, and colleague who has worked extremely hard to hear all of your ideas, dreams and concerns to create the Jasper Place Revitalization Strategy which will continue to build healthy, vibrant well connected communities. Wendy's Monthly Quote: Changing things is central to leadership. Changing them before anyone else is creativeness. -- Jay's First Law of Leadership I have been in this Neighbourhood Revitalization Coordinator four weeks now, and I have had the opportunity to meet many of you. Your input has been invaluable as I try to get a true pulse of the work that many of you have either planned or participated in. I thank you for being patient with me learning my new job and giving me the time I need to get my feet on the ground. It has been brought to my attention that with all of the joy, hopes and accomplishments that have occurred over the past three years, there has been some surprizes, concerns and some abrupt changes put before all of you. I have met with staff from the Transportation Department and the Planning and Development Department, to understand what plans are in place for the communities that are connected to Stony
Plain Road between 149St. and 170St. I have heard many varied comments from the people and committees I have met with on the future of the LRT coming to your communities. Some of you see it as progressive, going green, fast efficient transportation, new architecture and keeping up with a fast growing population. Other people have expressed concerns over safety for families with young children, seniors who have mobility disabilities, businesses who are concerned over the welfare of their business, customer access to their shops and not receiving updated information on the details on the LRT routes, station locations, street alignment and how is this going to affect the vision and plans that have been created for the Jasper Place Revitalization (JPR) Strategy.
Transportation Department, City of Edmonton update: The Transportation Department is currently planning LRT Public Consultations for all of the new routes in Edmonton. The WEST LRT ROUTE CONSULTATIONS are tentatively planned for the first week of May, 2010. The specific dates and locations for each section of the West LRT will be posted in mid April on the City of Edmonton's web page:
www.edmonton.ca/transportation/ets/west-lrt.aspx. During this LRT consultation, you will be able to view the drawings, which will include the position of the LRT on the road and the location of the LRT stations. You will learn what are the structural givens and areas where you will have the opportunity to provide input. I encourage all of you to come and see the plans. Change is coming and as the Jasper Place Revitalization Coordinator, I am planning a workshop with the Jasper Place Revitalization Steering Committee to discuss their successes, challenges, and issues and how we can make the JPR Strategy a living, breathing, action orientated document. The 2010 JPR Plans include, continuing support of the SPURR, with further public consultation to develop a finalized land use plan and streetscape plan integrated with the LRT for the Stony Plain Road area; supporting community events, signage to the river valley, work with the Business Association to develop a Holistic Urban Market and work with interested citizens to support the development of community gardens. I look forward to working with all of the volunteers, staff and businesses who are supporting the JPR Strategy and meeting citizens at all of the exciting events that are planned over the next few months! Working closely together we can take planned action and make our communities a better place to live.
and it’s FREE.
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S P U R R APRIL 2010
STONY PLAIN ROAD AND AREA UPDATE
DIANE KERELUK (780) 477-5169
What’s the HUM? Holistic Urban Market
en k c i h C t s a o R n a Leslie's Morocc
juice, 2 pinc fresh lemon l, oi r and Chicken e iv ol Method ttom of roaste Combine bo 0. ith sh 35 ru to B l. en w Be a part of this exciting Preheat ov 2 hour top w all bo 2 hour - last 1/ oning in a sm 1/ as y se er n ev ca g oc in bast development, to kick off the rind, mor k for 2 hours e mixture. Coo th ith w H.U.M. the Stony Plain esh parsley Road and Area Business fr en Salad ous and a Gre dinner this Association will be hosting a Serve with Cousc
Business/Community mixer that will exhibit retailers in the area that provide services and products related to the holistic healthy lifestyle. Come out and see what we have to offer. First 60 tickets are free. Pick up your ticket at 10043 151 Street. Join us for the first
Business & Community Mixer $10
S BUS TONY P INES S& C
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As a non-profit organization funded by its member, the Stony Plain Road and Area Business Association strives to establish long-term partnership between the business community, the surrounding communities and the public and private sector to improve safety and security, to promote business revitalization and to encourage economic development and business recruitment. In order to attract more people to the street, improve image of the Stony Plain Road and Area Business Revitalization Zone, raise more funds, and interest new businesses and investors, various events and activities are launched and offered free to the public. We are very excited to announce another new launch. To further enhance community and business development we are working towards establishing a world class indoor/outdoor year round Holistic Urban Market that will attract the public who not only enjoy frequenting the standard farmer markets but also those who are interested in the holistic approach to a healthy life style. By creating the big dream and vision, attracting the people who believe the vision is achievable, encouraging stakeholders to
invest their time and resources trip to the south side of try along with several Dutch and and seek out sponsorship who Edmonton. Stony Plain Road is Indonesian treats. Wanting to appreciate the value and want to bursting with healthy alternatives, grace my table with locaI poultry be part of the development, we right here in our own community. I decide on a Chicken for my believe all of this is a combination Just steps away from for success. By creating a holistic and unique approach we are hoping to attract the very valuoil 1/2 cup olive recipe below u do not have yo able consumer, by entic- 3 lemons if ng ni so oroccan Sea ing them to visit and 2 Table spoon of M rsley fresh pa b chicken explore a whole new con- 2 springs of I am using 4l g in st oa R r en fo cept for a farmers market Chick s of All Spice which in turn will only soning 2 1/2 Teaspoon ginger Moroccan Sea ons of ground eg po m as ut N Te 2 of 1/ s 2 increase the chances of 5 Teaspoon Pepper cumin on of Cayenne nd po ou as gr Te 4 of 1/ s 1 er success in an already com- 5 Teaspoon irtight Contain er and store in A s ons of Coriand ce po pi as S Te ix 5 M petitive and repetitive marof Cinnamon 1 1/4 Teaspoon ket. hes of lemon
$10.00 Thursday April 29 $10 5:00 – 7:00 pm Appetizers and Refreshments (Cash Wine Bar) 15211 Stony Plain Road RE F
Eclectic Strip Offers Up Healthy Alternatives to Big Box Shopping By Leslie Marks Finding healthy organic food choices needn’t involve a lengthy
The next several articles will unearth some of these wholesome hidden gems and offer some great ideas for healthy living found along our unique retail strip. With the support of its residents and the Stony Plain Revitalization Committee, our eclectic west end community will continue to grow, we must shop locally.
evening. David wraps up a plump free range roast chicken as he chatters away with some regular patrons. Within a few minutes of our meeting, David has given me a couple of great ideas for a pork roast, offered a short lesson on selecting meat, and provided some background about the farm, south of Edmonton, where tonight’s chicken dinner originated. Even the elderly shopper waiting her turn in line, chimes in with her secret for tender poultry. One trip to Ben’s and I’m hooked.
Long before anyone had heard of organic, trans fat free or free range, Ben’s Meat, still operating today from their original location on Stony Plain Road , has been gracing dinner tables with quality, local products. Now operated by Ben’s grandson, David, this third generation retail icon store boasts a variety of meat, eggs and poul-
After years of battling the bustle and anonymity of big box shopping, it is a real treat to pause and interact with the person behind the counter and meet my fellow neighbours. Shopping locally provides so much more that just fresh food – it gives us a connection to our community and a strong, sustainable future.
your front door are a variety of businesses who want to help you make positive long term lifestyle choices.
You be the Judge…Restaurant Review I just had to write you about a most memorable experience we recently had. My family and I went to Haps Restaurant recently on a Saturday morning. Although the restaurant was very busy we were greeted at the door by a cheerful hostess who showed us to our table. She delivered menus and water for each of us. Our waitress came soon behind her with a coffee pot and asked if we would like any other beverages. After our order was taken for drinks she soon arrived back at our table with milk
S P U R R APRIL 2010
and a carafe of coffee. What a treat not having to wait for a second cup of coffee.
good tip (always worth a big one for great service) was under $45.00.
Breakfasts were well priced and very large servings. When you have teenage boys you are trying to feed there never seems to be enough food. One ordered pancakes (3) and bacon and could not finish his meal. The second ordered the special, bacon, eggs, toast and hashbrowns. Guess what, he could not finish all of it either. I had the Eggs Bennedict and was very delighted. Grandma had the Veggie Omelette which was loaded with veggies. The total breakfast bill for us all including a
I don't know where else I could fill these boys up for so little. I would highly recommend Haps Restaurant to anyone looking for a great meal at a good price with wonderful service, but hurry they are only open till 3:00 pm and are always super busy. Thank you. Debbie de Boer Submit your reviews! If we choose to print your review, you will win a
$50 gift towards your next dining experience within the qualifying business area and your review will get printed in the next edition of the SPURR. Reviews should be around 300 words and e-mailed in Word (.doc) or Rich Text (.rtf) to: editior@thespurr.ca. Winning entries will be based on the quality of writing and may be edited for content and length. Congratulations to the following restaurants for the great reviews: Hoang Long Restaurant Vic’s Pizza Cheese Cake Tasty Tomato Joeys Grill & Lounge
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SPURR COMMUNITY NEWS BRITANNIA-YOUNGSTOWN Contact: 15927 - 105 Avenue Edmonton, AB T5P 0T8 Phone: 780-483-8983 Gardening Club In February we launched the upcoming spring with a Gardening and Seed Party. It was such a success that we've decided to start a gardening club. Interested in joining? Our second event is planned for mid-May - a perennial exchange. Watch for the May SPURR for the exact time and date. Start thinking back to how your perennials looked in the fall. Do any need dividing? Do you need to add anything new? Spring is a great time to sort them out and enjoy a beautiful summer of blooms. Come and join us! Contact miep@shaw.ca or byclcommunications@hotmail.com (Evelyn at 780-930-2195) to get onto our email list and don't miss any of our gardening events. Soccer Are you still looking for a soccer team for your child this spring? Email Debbie Yochim at dyochim@hotmail.com and she'll do her best to match you up with a team. Hope to see you on the field this year! Senior's Spring Tea A traditional way to celebrate the return of warm weather is with a tea party. With April not being predicably spring-like, let's wait until May. Watch for the date in the May SPURR and come on out to join us. Hall Bookings For hall bookings, general inquiries, requests for programs or to join our league, please call Britannia Youngstown Community Hall at 780-483-8983 or email BYCLgeneral@hotmail.com. We'd love to hear from you.
CANORA Contact: 10425 - 152 Street Edmonton, AB T5P 4P1 Phone: 780-489-6007
GLENWOOD Contact: 16430 - 97 Avenue Edmonton, AB T5P 0E8 Phone: 780-489-7571 Glenwood's Gone… …through one of it's busiest years ever! From a crowd of 500+ at a birthday bash, to being front and centre in the debate over the path for the largest light-rail expansion in Edmonton in 30 years. 4
Come out to the Glenwood Tea and AGM on Sunday, April 18th. Join us for specialty tea, coffee and share some sweet treats around a table with your friends, neighbours and some new faces. Everyone is welcome to come and share their ideas for activities, events and suggestions for improving the beautiful community of Glenwood. We will be going over the past year's activity, and looking forward to the next year. There will be plenty of information about things happening in and around Glenwood including information regarding the LRT expansion. All Glenwood residents are welcome, including those in apartments, condos and houses.
attend. Cost for dinner - $15.00 Family of 4 or more $4.00 per person. Adult must be in attendance with children. Additional Movie/ Dinner Nights will be last Friday of each month unless otherwise noted. For additional info or to register, contact Nora at 780-4861867. Adult Drop-In Please join us when we reconvene in September . Drop in, have a cup of coffee and a visit! Wednesdays – 12:30pm – 3:30pm. High Park Community Hall, for information, call Joan at 780-489-5419 High Park Community Hall seats 200 people. Please call Roger to book your special event @ 780-474-7892 before 8 PM.
Glenwood Annual Tea and AGM Sunday, April 18th, 2010 at 2:00 pm Glenwood Hall - 16430 97 Avenue Everyone welcome!
Are you interested in your community? Meeting new people and making a difference? Join our Board of Directors. If you are interested, contact Janice Gargas at 780-489-4753
(The Glenwood boundaries are from 156 Street west to 170 street, and from 95 Avenue north to Stony Plain Road.)
Did you know that you can use your community Credits for use OUTSIDE of the community! Registering your child for tae kwon do, etc?
Higher Density Housing = More People in a Smaller Area (i.e. Apartments, Condos etc.) Do you know where higher density housing will be allowed in your mature neighbourhood? Find out at the Residential Infill Guidelines Session at the Glenwood Community League Hall, 16430-97 ave, 7 pm, May 5, 2010. The session will provide a map of where higher density housing is recommended (giving Glenwood as an example), an overview of quality control guidelines, and the opportunity to have input into requirements for apartment yards suitable for children. For more information contact Paula.Ainsley@edmonton.ca or Bev.Zubot@efcl.org, 780-437-2913
Cheques are issued at the Board of Directors meeting, the second Tuesday of each month at 7:30pm. Contact Nora St Jean prior to registering 780-486-1867!
HIGH PARK Contact: 11032 - 154 Street Edmonton, AB T5P 2K1 Phone: 780-484-4646 www.highparkcommunity.com High Park Community League Annual General Meeting Sunday, May 30, 2010 1:30 – 2:30 Everyone Welcome! High Park Preschool Registration for September, 2010 Ages 30 months – 4 years. Thursday April 29 @ 7:00. High Park Community Hall. Contact Paula for more information @ 780-479-6929 High Park Garage Sale Saturday May 8th, 2010. For Tables contact Paula – 780-297-0648 1st High Park Movie Night Friday April 30. Dinner & Movie, 6:00 pm. Must have Community League Membership to
MAYFIELD Contact: 10941 - 161 Street Edmonton, AB T5P 1G2 Phone: 780-483-4675 It’s time to Spring Clean the Executive! At the Annual General Meeting, some Board members will be vacating their positions. Volunteering on the Executive Board is an excellent way to have an impact in your community. If being on the board is too much of a time commitment, there are other ways to get involved. Please plan to attend the Annual General Meeting to find out more about how your Community League operates. The Annual General Meeting is Thursday, April 8, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. Come meet the Executive Board members at a Twoonie Pancake Breakfast on May 15th from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Contact Information Community League President: Tara Middleton 780-486-6152 or e-mail mayfieldcommunity@yahoo.ca What do you think? Watch your mailboxes for a questionnaire asking your opinion about the community and its needs. You can return it at the Community League Hall or at Save On Food at Mayfield Common. Each questionnaire will be entered in a prize draw, which will occur at the Annual General Meeting on Thursday, April 8th. S P U R R APRIL 2010
COMMUNITY NEWS Please make sure you fill out the questionnaire as it gives important feedback to the Community League and to the City of Edmonton of how best we can serve the community. Mmmm…cookies! The Girl Guides will be out selling girl guide cookies on March 31. Cookies are $4.00 per box. We will also be out for a bottle drive on April 17 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Please have your bottles ready for us when we knock on your door. All your support is greatly appreciated in our fundraising efforts. If we miss you, please contact us at bonniesgirlguides@yahoo.ca Spring Cleaning Your Community Pitch-In Canada week is April 19 – 25, 2010. This is the time to rally the neighbours and get rid of the unsightly gunk revealed by the melting show. Check out www.pitch-in.ca for more details. Contact Tara the Community League President at 780-486-6152 or e-mail mayfieldcommunity@yahoo.ca to get involved in our community clean-up. Start Thinking of Summer! The City of Edmonton “Green Shack” program will be running again this summer.
Mark your calendars for August 9 – 13, when Mayfield Community League will be hosting Rock Star Camp/Rock for children aged 9 – 12. Watch for registration information coming soon in the City of Edmonton Summer Programs Booklet as space will be limited. Baseball The Mayfield Community Ball Tournament will run again this year on the Father’s Day weekend, June 18th – 20th. Watch for details. Bingo Mayfield is always looking for volunteers to work. The credit you receive can be used towards Mayfield Community classes and even children's programs outside our community. Please call Tara if you are interested. The next bingo dates are: Saturday, May 1st and Sunday, June 6th. Hall Rentals For resident members only. Leave a message at the hall and a Board member will call you back. 780-483-4675. Community Memberships Get your membership now! Call Elaine 780-481-8108 Singles - $15.00 Families - $25.00 Seniors - $10.00
BUSINESS
More Soccer for the Little Ones Is your 4 - 6 year old interested in trying out soccer? Call Mike @ (780) 487-1031 to join Mayfield's Little Kickers program. Available to Mayfield residents. Pilates Every Monday at the hall 8 to 9 pm. Call Bonnie for more info 780-489-3254. Yoga Every Tuesday at the Hall 6:30 to 7:45 pm. Call Fran for more info 780-484-1476. Seniors Carpet Bowling Tuesdays and Thursdays. For more information call Doreen @ 780-486-1833 or Marlene @ 780-484-5728. Moms and Tots Dads, newborns, grandparents, and caregivers all welcome. No cost. Wednesdays 9:30 11:00 at Mayfield Hall. For information contact Tara @ 780-486-6152.
WEST JASPER / SHERWOOD Contact: 9620 - 152 Street Edmonton, AB T5P 4N9 Phone: 780-483-2815
CONNECTOR
Place your business card in the SPURR and reach out to the community. Email: ads@thespurr.ca
000
New-to-You Sale April 10, 9am – 1pm Trinity United Church 8810 Meadowlark Road Clothing, linens, household items, toys, books jewellery, garden items, and more _________________________
BUSINESS & COMMUNITY MIXER
000
For Sale
$10
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CLASSIFIEDS
STONY PLAIN ROAD AND AREA
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Deadline for next issue is: April 21, 2010
$10
5 - 7 PM APRIL 29, 2010 APPETIZERS AND
REFRESHMENTS SERVED CASH WINE BAR 15211 STONY PLAIN ROAD
FOR MORE INFO VISIT WWW.STONYPLAINROADBRZ.CA OR CALL 780-477-5169
Mary MacDonald Fe d e ra L Li b e ra l C a nd i d a t e f o r E d m o nt o n C e nt r e
If you have questions or concerns please feel free to contact me:
Karen Leibovici Councillor, Ward 1 2nd Floor, 1 Sir Winston Churchill Sq., Edmonton, AB T5J 2R7 Phone: 496-8120 Fax: 496-8113 Email: karen.leibovici@edmonton.ca
Cat Sitting by
The Cat Lady Call Joan at 451-3384
e-mail: ElectMaryMacDonald@gmail.com
Let your cat(s) enjoy your holiday in the comfort of their own home.
Got Something to Sell? Place your text only classified ads here in your local community newspaper and reach 15,000 people in Edmonton’s West End. At $0.10 per character this Ad you are reading costs less than $20.00.
S P U R R APRIL 2010
5
U N D E R S TA N D I N G P E T F O O D JILL BLADON
Pet food commercials can be very convincing. Vibrant dogs intently stare and jump at morsels of their kibble and adoring owners playing with their cats. When only the finest will do, why is a commercial or what your friends or family feed their pet the reason you selected a particular brand for your animal? In reality if images of your pet’s food are flashed across a television screen, then it’s probably not that great for them. Pet foods need to meet or exceed the minimum nutrient standards set by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). This can be done in two ways, formulating the food and having it chemically analyzed afterwards to prove that it provides adequate nutrition or by testing the food on pets to see if it meets adequate nutritional levels. The latter is often the preferred method by veterinarians; however it would seem unnecessary to have animals suffer from the ill effects of food when the food could be formulated properly to begin with. To really understand what you’re feeding your pet you need to start
with the basics. Every ingredient on the ingredient panel is listed by weight. Pet foods are made up of many components, but for this exercise concentrate on what it is mainly comprised of. Locate the ingredients panel on the bag of pet food and find the first fat or oil. The ingredients that come before that fat or oil is what the food is primarily made up of. Secondly, analyze the quality of all of the ingredients. Grains (often an allergy source) are not that highly digestible, and as a general rule it’s best to avoid corn, wheat, and soy. Protein sources should be highly digestible and easily recognizable such as chicken or chicken meal. Mysterious protein sources such as “meat”, “animal”, and even “poultry” do not pin point a specific animal. When vague terms such as these are found on the ingredients list, you likely do not want to know what was actually used. Another problem is the use of rendered animals and by-products in pet foods. Be aware that euthanized animals and even animals used in laboratory tests can end up in pet food. Even if that is not the case with your pet’s food, it may
still contain by-products which essentially are the hair, hooves, feet, beaks, and feathers of animals that would normally be discarded. In low quality pet foods, they will use this cheap and barely digestible ingredient to increase the crude protein content of the food, often trying to pass it off as a natural source of glucosamine. Lastly figure out how your pet food is being preserved. Chemical preservatives allot up to a 5-year shelf life and are believed to be carcinogenic. To be safe avoid BHA, BTA, Propylene Glycol, Ethoxyquin, TBHQ, Propyl Gallate, and Sodium Benzoate. Alternatively look for natural preservatives including mixed tocopherols, citric acid and rosemary that keep pet food fresh for up to 18 months without potentially nasty side effects. Our pets live only a fraction of our lifespan and bring so much joy to our lives. There are safer and healthier pet foods available on the market than perhaps the one you’re currently feeding. Likely it will not cost that much more, if at all, to treat them to a better diet. Bring in a bag of your pet’s current food to Tailz for a complimentary analysis.
THE SPURR SAYS…
The SPURR Staff send Congratulations to Marian Bruin on her new position at the City of Edmonton. Marian was a driving force in the creation of SPURR and a vaulable asset to all in the Communities she served. We wish Marian the best of luck in her new adventure.
POSITIONS AVAILABLE Editor: The candidate for this job will have editing experience and a desire to be a part of the SPURR community. Basic computer skills a must along with a good understanding of MS Word and Email, other software experience a plus. Join the SPURR and get involved in the communities it represents. Sales Associate: Do you want to work from home, make your own schedule, and get rewarded in proportion to your efforts? Then you might be the person we are looking for. The SPURR is looking for an energetic individual who can knock on doors and chat with clients regarding their advertising needs. This is a commission based position, so ad sales experience would be a plus, but all you need is a good work ethic and be willing to take direction. Interested? Please forward your resume to info@piecommunications.com or fax your resume to 780-401-3438.
Come out and Play Full Contact Football
with
The West Edmonton Raiders
The West Edmonton Raiders Minor Football Association is now registering kids between the ages of 7 and 15 for our new season of full contact football. All equipment is provided, check out our website for more details.
The registration dates and times are as follows: Friday March 26th from 6:30 - 9:00 Saturday April 10th from 5:00 - 8:00 Friday April 16 from 6:30 - 9:00 Registration will take place at Aldergrove Community League in the hall the address is 8535 - 182 Street.
www.westedmontonraiders.com 6
S P U R R APRIL 2010
B Y L AW B U Z Z
ANDREW JABS
As the sun shines a little longer each day and the snow disappears from our yards, I am pleasantly reminded that the passing of winter and the transition to spring means “it’s time to clean up.” Homeowners, please be sure to keep city sidewalks adjacent to your properties safe. We all know how slippery sidewalks get with the melting snow and freezing rain. Free sand is available to all residents at local community leagues.
As the snow melts, garbage is often found hiding beneath it. Property owners are responsible to keep their own yards clean and the adjacent boulevards and alleys. Keep in mind that this means owners must maintain cleanliness from their property line to the centre line of the street. Keep an eye out for Big Bin Events in your community. These events provide residents with the opportunity to discard refuse not appropriate for regular waste collection, and they are FREE of Charge.
CANORA PARK WATCH Happy Spring Everyone. The snow is quickly melting and soon it will be time to get out and enjoy the great outdoors and our parks.
your families, friends and neighbours out to join in the fun.
Everyone is invited to join the Canora Park Watch committee. Our meetings are held on the Upcoming events in St. Anne third Tuesday of the month at Park at 102 Ave and 153 St is: Canora Community Hall, 10425 152 St, at 7:00 pm. If the weathMAY 30 er is nice we will hold them at St Third Annual Mini Carnival Anne Park. Contact us at canorafrom 1:00PM to 4:00PM. parkswatch@yahoo.ca or call us at 780 489 6007 and leave a mesCome out and join us for a sage for Park Watch. Barbeque. We will also have three live bands, face-painting, For more Park Watch items games and much more. Bring please visit www.thespurr.ca
For more information, please check our city web site at www.edmonton.ca or contact Customer Service at 311.
O N E S T E P AT A T I M E Did you ever wish that you could change the world? Well, you can make it happen, one step at a time. Positive thinking can make it happen. Remember the little choo-choo train? Let me share with you what I’ve done and now I can enjoy the results of my efforts for the rest of my life. Every time I see a yard that is all cluttered with stuff I am reminded of this story. I see yards in the area full of old vehicles and garbage. Some have fences needing paint or are in general disrepair. This encourages bad things to take place and is not an asset to the community. Our yard was the same once, a real mess before I cleaned it up. My husband was in the construction trade, so our back yard was full of boards, bricks, gravel, wire, etc. This was a magnet for rodents like mice and squirrels. A clean, attractive yard is pleasant to the eye and an environ-
S P U R R APRIL 2010
mental plus for the area. It encourages beautiful things to happen. When I cleaned all of the rotten wood and hauled away the useless stuff from our yard, I planted a vegetable garden, new grass and flowers. And last year, when I was taking a break and sitting quietly in the shade, a hummingbird flew from flower to flower in my yard. It was such a beautiful site and stirred my emotions. I even cried a little. This was the first time I’d ever seen a hummingbird and it never would have visited my yard if I had not cleaned it up. The squirrel has moved his home across the avenue, but now I have robins, blue jays and other birds coming to feed in my back yard. Of course the magpies are still behaving as they do naturally, but it is truly amazing what a clean yard can do. One small step at a time, we can change the world, starting in our own back yards.
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S P U R R APRIL 2010