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A Look Back at Our 2019

2019 has been a tremendous and successful year for us at the West Hillhurst Community Association (WHCA). Throughout this past year, we have seen the return of some of our favourite programming and events, as well as plenty of new opportunities to engage with families and community members in West Hillhurst. We’re always dreaming up new ways to make use of all of our great spaces here at the centre, from the gymnasium and ice arena, to the squash courts and weight room (as well as all of our other green space, rental rooms, and offices).

To showcase the growth we’ve experienced over the years, we assembled some of the numbers and figures from this past year into some helpful graphics to give community members an idea of the scope of the facility and insight into what the WHCA does throughout the year. Please take a look at the images below and let us know ways you think we can continue to improve in the coming years.

Make a Difference in Your Community

There are plenty of great ways for you to get involved in the West Hillhurst community; volunteering, becoming a member, participating in local events/fundraisers, and much, much more. There is almost no better way to have your voice heard and make an impact, however, than joining the board of directors at the WHCA!

By becoming a board member, you have a direct impact and say on the goings-on within the WHCA facility. The minimum requirements for becoming a board member is you must live within the West Hillhurst community and be able to attend the 10 2-hour monthly meetings in the WHCA Boardroom. It also helps if you have a community-first mindset and are motivated to make positive change happen in our community.

We currently have multiple openings on our board so it’s the perfect time to jump-in and get involved! The coming years promise to be exciting ones at the WHCA due to a number of ongoing and upcoming projects. As a board member, you’ll be among the first to know about future plans at the facility and lend a hand in our journey towards community prosperity and success.

Want to learn more about the board, the WHCA, and the community? Be sure to attend our annual AGM! This year (2019) it will be held on Tuesday, November 12th in the Go-Getters.

We hope to see you here!

Halloween Trick-or-Treating Tips

A message from the Federation of Calgary Communities

Halloween can be a fun and exciting event for kids (and adults)! Below are some informative tips to increase neighbourhood safety on October 31.

Residents: 

  • Turn on outdoor lights and replace burnt-out bulbs. 
  • Clear a path from the road to your front door and remove any potential obstacles or tripping hazards. 
  • Keep your pets safe. Keep pets indoors and away from the unfamiliar (and spooky) guests at the front door. 
  • Beware of potential food allergies; consider alternative goodies. 
  • If you’re driving be cautious of Goblins, Ghouls and Ghosts out and about in your neighbourhood. 

Parents: 

  • Costumes should be short enough to avoid tripping; and be light coloured in order to be easily seen at night. Having your child wear reflective tape will also help them be better seen by drivers. 
  • Use non-toxic makeup to complete costumes instead of masks as masks can reduce visibility for your child. 
  • Create an easy to follow route with your children and teenagers. 
  • Travel in groups of three or four. Young children should be accompanied by a responsible adult. 
  • Practice crosswalk safety. Make your way up one side of the street and cross to the other side looking both ways, don’t criss-cross back and forth. 
  • Double-check you child’s goodie bags to ensure everything is safe to eat. 

Remember: 

Connect with neighbours! Halloween is a great time to familiarize and engage with your community!

7 Ways Your Family Can Benefit From a WHCA Membership

The 7 ways your family can benefit from a West Hillhurst Community Association (WHCA) Family Membership.

  1. Gain immediate access to WHCA Free Member Programs.
    • For just $35 a year, you can join other WHCA families for great free programs such as Member Skates, Sticks & Pucks, Friday Family Gym, Tai Chi, and more! 
  2. Experience a healthier and more active lifestyle.
    • On the North-side of the WHCA is the Squash & Fitness Centre, featuring 3 international squash courts, a fully-stocked weight room with cardio equipment, a dance studio, and tennis courts. Members get 10% off registrations for group fitness classes.
  3. Get invited to Members-only family-friendly events year-round.
    • A WHCA Membership means you’ll be on the list for our annual member’s only events, including Taste of the Neighbourhood, Summer Fest, the Halloween Party, Community Garage Sale, the annual Squash Championship, Skate with Santa, and more! 
  4. Get more involved in your community. 
    • With all of the activity at the WHCA, we offer volunteer opportunities year-round. There is no better way to give back and enrich the West Hillhurst community than to volunteer your time and skills. 
  5. Keep the kids active all year long.
    • With soccer, tee-ball, tennis, basketball, and more, we have sports for kids of all ages available all year-round, inside and outside the facility. 
  6. Meet new friends and build stronger bonds within West Hillhurst. 
    • We have over 2,500 active members at the WHCA and serve as a hub for community members to gather, meet, and mingle. Whether you’re new to the community or a long-time resident, we are always open to meeting new community members!
  7. Save big with exclusive member discounts at local area businesses.
    • Shop, save, and support local with 15 great discounts in the West Hillhurst and surrounding communities. Whatever you’re in the market for, our member benefits partners have a little something for everyone. Some of the great discounts include 10% off at Amato Gelato, 10% off wine at Kensington Wine Market, 25% off regularly priced items at Showhome Furniture, 15% off at West Hillhurst Paint & Design, 10% off at The Barn, and much more! 

Visit westhillhurst.com/whca-membership for a complete list of discounts and more membership information. 

Get a TASTE of West Hillhurst this September

Looking to have a fun, adults-only night out where you can drink some cocktails, sip some wine, and sample some of Calgary’s best food? Well, we’ll save you a seat for the WHCA’s annual premier fundraiser, TASTE of the Neighbourhood!

Some of the vendors we’ve lined up for this years event include Sunterra Market, Midtown Kitchen, Amato Gelato, Rig Hand Craft Distillery, The Barn, Village Brewery, Springbank Cheese Co, Burwood Distillery, Osteria Chef’s Table, Bravara Coffee, Apex Predator Brewing, Kensington Liquor Cellar, Vinestyles, Get Smoked Southern BBQ and more to be announced!

If sampling food and drink wasn’t enough to convince you, this year we’ll also have a fun-money casino courtesy of our friends at Aces R Wild! This is a great excuse to play some high-stakes, casino-style table games at no cost to you. At the end of the night, our chip leaders in various games will be taking home prizes, so bet big and play often!

We’ve also put together our best silent auction to date, with generous donations from Calgary businesses such as 9-Round Kickboxing, the Calgary Roughnecks, Bowtown Music, Calaway Park, and more!

For the first time ever, we’ll be hosting a Wine Survivor at TASTE. To join the pool, bring a bottle of win and $10 entrance fee and YOU could be the one to take home half of the total wine pool at the end of the night.

So join us Saturday, September 28th from 7pm to midnight for a wonderful evening of fun, friends, and food. We hope to see you there!

Saddle Up for Stampede Breakfast

Our Annual Stampede Breakfast returns Tuesday, July 9th from 9 to 11:30AM!

Join us at the WHCA facility and enjoy a morning of delicious, fresh-made pancakes, sausage, and coffee with some family-friendly activities all courtesy of our wonderful events sponsors! Don your western wear and get in the Stampede spirit with us while we enjoy some great music by local group The Hubcaps.

This is a free event for community members, so get your family together and bring the whole posse on down for a breakfast with your neighbours and friends. Our staff and friendly volunteers will be waiting with a plate of hot and fresh breakfast!

No registration required. For more info, visit westhillhurst.com/whca-events.

YEEHAW!

Get a Taste of YYC Food Trucks

Calgary has some of the best food trucks across the province, and if you’re looking for a chance to try some of the best of the best, we can help!

Come by June 11th & 12th to the fields behind the WHCA arena and sample some great food from four of Calgary’s best food trucks! Both days, we’ll be joined by Stuff’d, Family Dogs, Family Squeezed Lemonade, and Calgary Mini Donuts, so there will be a little something for everyone. This is a great opportunity to not only try something new, but support local food trucks while saving yourself from cooking family dinner.

So stop by June 11th between 5:30 and 7pm or June 12th between 4:30 and 7pm and treat yourself to some great food!

Send Us Your Village Beer Receipts!

Neighbour Day is all about gathering, and Village Brewery was built with the purpose of gathering people around community. To support this, they are working with the Federation of Calgary Communities to offer rebates to  community associations for all Village beer purchases made by Calgarians throughout the month of June, as part of Neighbour Day celebrations.

Purchase any kind of Village beer from June 1 to June 30, 2019 and send a copy of your receipts to us at the West Hillhurst Community Association. Village Brewery will then donate 15% of all neighbourhood beer purchases back to us for future community-building initiatives! We will also make receipt donation boxes available in select liquor stores throughout the neighbourhood, so keep your eye out for them and make sure to submit your receipts! This funds go a long way for the WHCA and our fundraising efforts, and every little bit counts. You can also stop by the office at WHCA and drop your receipts off in person.

Raise a glass in honour of Neighbour Day on June 15, 2019 and help support your community!

Child Safety & the WHCA

Safety should be a top priority at any age.

Get your kids in a safety-orientated mindset at an early age with child safety classes at the WHCA with certified instruction from Child Safe Canada.

Starting in May, we will have Home Alone Safety & the Babysitter Program for ages 6 and up.

Home Alone Safety prepares youths for all of the important steps for being on their own. This interactive safety course will provide them with the skills and confidence they need to be able to handle unsafe and uncomfortable situations they may encounter while you’re away. Some of the skills they will learn are:

  • first aid
  • fire safety
  • answering the door & phone
  • flooding toilets and plumbing
  • and more.

Home Alone Safety will be held on Sunday, May 26th at the WHCA. Registration is currently closed and enrollment is full for this class.

The Babysitter Program teaches youth ages 10+ who look to be future babysitters how to be safe while also building their self-esteem. Skills taught through this course include:

  • being a responsible babysitter
  • safety & injury prevention
  • handling emergencies
  • preparing meals
  • feeding & caring for babies,
  • and more.

The Babysitter Program will be held on Sunday, June 23rd at the WHCA. Registration is open and enrollment will close on June 4th, so register soon!

Thank You for Your Clean-Up Efforts

We would like to take an opportunity to thank all of our community members who participated in Spruce It Up! and made our community clean-up day such a success.

With help of our volunteers, area businesses, and the city, we were able to host a success spring-cleaning in the arena parking lot. We hope we were able to take some of your pesky waste and recyclables off your hands and free up some space and time for you in your cleaning efforts!

The City of Calgary provided us alone with 3 truck loads of waste removal, with 6850 kg of garbage removed and 250 kg of organics!

Thanks again for making this event a success and we will see you once again next spring.