In 2018 a man walked into the Beakerhead office on 4th street close to Safeworks. He was clearly in distress needing to use. I watched my co-workers freeze and one picked up the phone to call the police. We were two blocks away from the Chumir. I stood up and introduced myself, asked his name, and offered to walk him down to the site. My friend and co-worker joined me as we walked and made small talk about the weather.

The province is set to close Safeworks, the Safe Consumption Site at the Sheldon Chumir with plans to reallocate to 'partner organizations' (likely shelters) according to this recent article. I worry about the strain on social agencies to provide increased care and service for vulnerable populations. I see the continued stigma and assumptions made about users.

Access to a site assumes you are proximal or have means to use transportation to arrive. It also assumes the site will feel safe, welcoming, and inclusive. We have users of all genders, ethnicities, and span socio-economic statuses who need a site. Have these factors been considered when choosing new locations?

Three thoughts:

First - locations should have been chosen in partnership with the City of Calgary. I am not certain this is the case.

Second - by moving the consumption sites to shelter or social agency sites, we are stigmatizing who uses and casting a broad assumption that all users are homeless or living in the shelter system. We know this isn't the case.

I will say that I support having locations within social service agencies IF there are other sites as well and IF those sites are staffed (funded) by the province and the expectation of staffing does not suddenly become part of the agency's operating budget without funding from the Province.

Third - the recognition that need for sites does not exist solely in the beltline or downtown core; drug use is not a geographic phenomenon.

The need for MORE sites exists. We see this in the number of users at the Chumir site, and in the spillover for the users who are unable to access the site. I have spoken with communities and Calgary Police who see users at sites such as transit stations - because they are monitored with cameras and help buttons. 

There isn't one answer to solving the challenges associated with drug use. I believe we need a comprehensive approach that is supported by the Province and the City which support both users and communities. We need funding for mental health care, housing, safe consumption sites, addictions treatment, and funding for social service agencies as early interveners. We need training for our first responders, bylaw and transit officers, and community leaders to be part of the solution in communities.

Mostly we need to talk about users as people - humans with complex emotions, needs, and histories. We need to see that we are all part of the problem when we stigmatize users but can also be part of the solution when we see users as humans who are for their own reasons, in a position where drug use is part of their life. Is this easy, not always. I believe we need to keep talking about it, openly and candidly. I am committed to these conversations to support all Calgarians regardless of the situation they find themselves in. 

Kids identified that the number one thing that makes them feel safe in their community is knowing their neighbours. When we have streets, sidewalks, and parks that help us know each other, we support even our youngest residents in their participation in community. Their fears: coyotes (totally valid).
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Teen girls had this to say about their interactions in their neighbourhoods...

What does this all this mean as I ask to be your representative at city hall? It means that I recognize the amenities of neighbourhoods which you value, and I value them too. I want to ensure we continue to support the amenities which foster relationships (like community halls and rec centres), the local economy (supporting residential adjacent businesses), and active living (ensuring quality pathways and park spaces). 

Earlier this year, I made a birthday wish list for Calgary for my 40th. There is lots of overlap between the keep/add lists.

It's not to late to give your answers. Here are the links to the original blogs/surveys:

The Kids Point of View (best for kids in elementary)
Girls in the City
Changing Communities - What do you want to see?

Here's hoping I will see you out on the pathways!

We know kids have a  much different point of view of moving around their neighbourhoods than adults do.

Often when we think about city planning, programming, and design, we have conversations exclusively among adults for spaces that affect children. As a parent myself with children in this age bracket, I know they have strong opinions and a sense of what makes their neighbourhoods great. That's right - they have two neighbourhoods as their dad and myself live in different communities. They interact differently based on proximity to parks and greenspaces, have different routes to these areas, and the amenities differ.

My ask - if you have a K-6 child in your house, have them complete one or both of these activities.

1. A short survey designed with kids in mind.
2. Save and print the following images (designed for standard paper). Take a photo and share on social (tag me @kourtbranagan) or email me the photo at hello@co11aborate.ca

Get outside - enjoy the weather! Have a little competitive fun with your family. 

Inspired by a friend, I made a birthday wish list for Calgary. May as well mark turning 40 with all I can! 

This list is aspirational and (mostly) actionable. I wanted to dig in to how we interact with our neighbourhoods and our city. They are small things that add up to moments of joy and participation. I focused on items that were, as much as possible, about inclusivity, providing equity, and designing an environment which is sustainable, vibrant, and fun. We need more fun!!!

So here are my 40 birthday wishes for Calgary:

1 - That the majority of people buy a community association memberships
2 - That community associations ensure cost isn’t a barrier & have pricing options for residents (including free!)
3 - More little free pantries
4 - More community fridges
5 - More garbage cans at Edworthy off-leash dog park (not in 11 but we love it there)
6 - Allow paddle boarding on the reservoir
7 - More crosswalks, less pedestrian detours
8 - More naturalization along roadways & less grass to cut
9 - More perennial plantings that attract pollinators (less annuals)
10 - Explore the return of a block parent/block watch program (remember those days?!)
11 - Wider sidewalks in older neighborhoods
12 - More curb cuts at pedestrian crossings
13- More alley way garage door art
14 - More backyard suites & laneway housing
15 - Yes to hens in backyards 

There is no doubt that being a mother of three girls informs my view of our city. As they grow up, I explore the city through their lens. Walking to and riding the bus, spending time with friends, and opportunities to spend time in our city, outside, moving their bodies for both physical and mental health.

As the winter has passed and we've negotiated Covid restrictions, I've especially seen our two oldest girls struggle to find suitable outdoor space. Our middle is quickly outgrowing playgrounds in favour of climbing trees to challenge her abilities. Our oldest can find few spaces to be with friends that cater to the teen experience they crave (whatever it is, I am still trying to figure it out too TBH).

I look at how our city has invested in outdoor public recreation and I see a gap on where young women aren't going. It's not intentional, but it happens by unintentional design in not considering how different groups view spaces for their physical and psychological safety.
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• Skate Parks
• Hockey Rinks
• Pump Tracks
• Basketball courts

These spaces tend to attract young men and boys. To be clear: all men are not the problem here, but the perception of belonging gets skewed when a certain type of consistent traits appear over and over. It is the same for racialized groups entering homogenous white person filled spaces. It is not that men and boys exclude women and girls who do show up - but is it a place women and girls feel comfortable showing up to in the first place? Do they see themselves as part of that community; do they see users as their peers; is there room for them to experience failure in a psychologically safe environment?

I look at the rinks in our community. The large rink has been the one with the hockey nets. And yes, it attracts both genders, but more so the boys. My girls are not comfortable skating on the large rink in the midst of a pickup hockey game. So we are relegated to the smaller 15'x25' rink - about 1/4 the size of the large rink (honestly probably less). It's virtually impossible for the pre-teen to stretch her legs and get more than a few pushes in, I dislike it too. 

Its not about abolishing hockey rinks or removing nets, but asking ourselves - should both rinks not be the same size to provide equal opportunity to skate within our neighbourhoods?

I don't have all the answers to providing safer and more equitable spaces for young women in our city. But I do have ideas and I am willing to ask the questions - of city planners, of parents, of girls themselves, and also the boys who need other recreational opportunities too. Here are just a few ideas I have:

• Outdoor badminton
• Frisbees
• Interactive art parks
• Pollinator gardens
• More benches & picnic tables

But I want to hear from you, your children, especially your teen and tween girls. Use this survey to send me your ideas and dreams.

This week, the Guidebook for Great Communities goes before the Planning and Urban Development (PUD) committee to be voted on to refer to council for a vote for adoption (March 2021). The Guidebook is a high level planning document which lays the groundwork for re-imagining the functions and form of our neighbourhoods.

I've been fortunate to be part of the working group to shape the Guidebook. I came to be on the group through my work as a community advocate in Haysboro on the planning committee and as president of the community association. To the group I brought the perspective of community members and advocated strongly for the use of language that was common - ie. not planner speak. I also know that there is much concern over how the guidebook can affect communities and specifically individual properties around zoning. This FAQ page answers many issues including the fact that the guidebook does not make a blanket zoning change in neighbourhoods.

I endorse the guidebook. In part because yes, I was on the working group, have been a part of multiple planning exercises for Haysboro and Ward 11, but also I see the the opportunity the guidebook affords us in thinking about some of the larger challenges established neighbourhoods face around aging infrastructure and amenities. The guidebook lays the framework for tools being created in the Established Areas working groups (which I'm also a part of) - this is the conversation on how dollars are invested into neighbourhoods when development happens. The guidebook also is the basis for a Local Area Plan - in which multiple communities actively work together to imagine the future. The guidebook by very nature set the stage for participatory planning, this is its greatest success.

Yes, it is an ambitious piece of policy that encourages densification. It also encourages local commercial integration into neighbourhoods so businesses can thrive. It demonstrates how commercial and residential can operate in tandem to create a vibrant sense of community. It makes space for thinking about the neighbourhood as a whole rather than individual lots - this leads to thinking about how green spaces, parks, libraries, schools, transit, and recreation amenities continue to stay viable and operational through a well populated residential strategy. This is as much about the future economy as it is about the future of how we can live sustainably in our neighbourhoods, flexing through housing types as our needs change throughout the years.

Currently, most Ward 11 communities are below peak population. Densification gets us our best return on investment for services - fire, police, snow clearing, transit, utility upgrades and delivery. I want neighbourhoods where schools aren't at risk of closure. I want residents to be able to operate a thriving local business in their community - restaurants, flower shops, massage studios. I want to be able to walk to get milk or a coffee. I want playgrounds to be upgraded not through fundraising but because there is a tax base which provides the City with the funds needed to take on upkeep. 

I want you to know that I'm aware of the concerns many have. I am invested in supporting communities through planning. I believe that new residential units bring people coming to your community - neighbours, friends, volunteers, students, local business owners. People are what make communities, not buildings. Providing choice, space, and opportunity for many is what I support.