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Ho Ho Hello Reader,
The snowy days are here and Braeside is ready to turn them into something special for everyone. This month, we're calling on all BIG heroes — our Braeside Ice Guardians — to help keep the rinks smooth and skate-ready. Let’s face it, they’re the real MVPs of winter! We’ve got important road safety updates to ensure our streets are safe for walkers, wheelers and drivers. Be sure to order the monthly Good Food Box; it’s perfect for making your holidays delicious and stress-free. And to top it all off, our Hall Dream Team™ (Karen & Gail) have crafted a lineup of festive events. Let’s unwrap all the details together...
Don’t miss our Holiday Event & Market on Saturday, November 30th. Shop local vendors, decorate cookies, and grab a photo with Santa. Dogs are welcome too because even Santa knows every sleigh needs a co-pilot!
Give a gift that gives back! The 2025 Braeside Calendar is the perfect way to celebrate our community while supporting our kids. Proceeds will fund essential upgrades to the flooring in our Before and After School Care facilities. It’s a thoughtful stocking stuffer for your friends and families and a meaningful way to contribute to our community. Order by December 16 to ensure delivery in time for Christmas! Calendars cost $25.
Order your Good Food Box online so you don't have to stand in line! Sign up for a monthly Good Food Box. It's fresh, tasty, and easy on the wallet. Order by Dec. 2 and pick up on Dec. 11. Questions? Email gfb@braesideyyc.ca. Small box (20-25lbs) $30, Medium box (25-30lbs) $35, Large box (35-40lbs) $40.
12 Days of Braeside Holiday Cheer
Join us for a festive twist on tradition! Braeside’s '12 Days of Christmas' event is happening throughout December! Stay tuned to our socials and watch our website for more info!
Deck the Hall
Day 1: Decorate the Hall
Dec. 2, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Help us bring the holiday spirit to the community centre!
Day 2: Veterans Food Bank Collection
Dec. 3, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Donate non-perishable food items to the Veterans Food Drive. Donations will be accepted until Dec. 5.
Day 3: Recipe Collection
Nov. 22 - Dec. 5
Share your favourite recipes for the BCA’s digital holiday cookbook. Share your recipes with hallrental@braesideyyc.ca before Dec. 5.
Day 4: Free Introductory Yoga Class
Dec. 7, 9 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.
Get a taste of what’s to come! Join Janine Herman, a 500-hour registered yoga teacher, for a free introductory class and discover what’s in store with new classes launching in the new year.
Day 5: Kids Holiday Cards and Gift Tags Event
Dec. 9, 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Create holiday cards and gift tags in the upper hall. All supplies provided by the BCA.
Day 6: Trivia at Rozzini’s
Dec. 11, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. (Trivia starts at 7 p.m.)
Enjoy a family-friendly trivia night with food and drink specials for Braeside members. $1 from the purchase of every special drink curated for this event will be donated to the Braeside Childcare.
Day 7: Community Member Potluck
Dec. 13, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Bring a dish and enjoy a night of great food and community connection. Membership required.
Day 8: Toy Drive
Dec. 1 - 16
Donate NEW toys, games, or puzzles for the Children’s Toy Drive. Drop off donations between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays. For other times, contact hallrental@braesideyyc.ca
Day 9: Seniors Candy Cane Social & Games
Dec. 17, 10:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
Enjoy coffee, donuts, and games with friends in the upper hall.
Day 10: Scavenger Hunt
Dec. 1 - 19
Get the family involved in a community scavenger hunt for a chance to win prizes. Email beautifulbraeside@braesideyyc.ca to get your form and submit answers.
Day 11: Colouring Contest
Pick up a page starting Nov. 30; submit by Dec. 19
Enter your colouring page to win prizes in age categories (0-7, 8-12). Pages are available at the BCA.
Day 12: 12 Days Wrap Up
Dec. 20, 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Wrap up the festivities with our gift-wrapping service! Volunteers will wrap your gifts for a donation. If you’d like to donate wrapping paper, drop it off at the BCA between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday before Dec. 20.
Braeside's Got Talent — Show Us Your Star Power!
Flo, a talented Braeside resident and musical member of our community, is hosting a special Open Mic Night! Whether you’re ready to wow the crowd or just looking for a fun evening, bring your voice, instruments, poetry, or comedy and join the excitement. Let’s hear what you’ve got!
Community Planning Updates
Crosswalk on Braeside Drive by Brae Centre
We’re working with the City of Calgary Roads department to improve safety at this busy crosswalk. Visibility is a concern, particularly during heavy traffic. To address this, we’ve requested:
Extended no parking zones to ensure clearer sightlines for drivers.
Additional and wider white paint stripes on the roadway.
Installation of flashing lights to draw attention to the crosswalk.
A new service request (SR-00871223) has been submitted. Your input can help move this forward! Call 311 to share your thoughts.
Back Lane Traffic Concerns (Between 110th and 111th Ave)
We’ve heard concerns about vehicles speeding over the 15 km/h limit, parked cars blocking resident access and drivers ignoring the stop sign at the Bradford Street intersection. To address these issues, a door-to-door survey will be conducted when the weather warms up. Once we gather feedback, we’ll share the results and notify the appropriate City of Calgary contacts to advocate for necessary changes. Board member Robert Grigg is taking the lead on addressing these traffic safety concerns: robert@braesideyyc.ca.
Braeside Ice Guardians: Keeping the Rinks Cool and Ready!
Our incredible Braeside Ice Guardians (BIG) are back in action! On Nov. 21, Doug and the team poured the first flood of water onto our rinks — beating last years start date. After a balmy start to November, Mother Nature finally delivered freezing temperatures and a hefty dose of snow. While the snowfall brought its share of challenges and benefits, the team didn’t miss a beat and got straight to work. With over 70 hours of rink preparation behind them already, the BIG team is optimistic about opening the Hockey and Kiddie Rinks on Sunday, Dec. 1. The Pleasure Rink is still in progress due to snow clearing efforts but it’s coming soon!
Rink Info & Safety Reminders
As we gear up for another fun skating season, here are a few important updates and reminders:
Rink Hours: 10:00 AM – 11:00 PM, with occasional evening closures for maintenance. We’ll aim to keep disruptions to a minimum.
Three Rinks for All:
Hockey Rink: A nearly full-sized, fully lit rink.
Pleasure Rink: Perfect for casual skating. (Please leave hockey sticks and pucks at home!)
Kiddie Rink: Ideal for beginners and young skaters, located near the building. Priority goes to tots and those just learning to skate.
This year, we’ve introduced a new safety feature near the Kiddie Rink: blue traffic delineators with a yellow chain to separate the rink area from the adjacent sidewalk, which serves local foot traffic. The main entrance to the Office & Hall remains on the south side of the building.
Doug and the BIG Team hope you enjoy the ice, have fun, and skate safely. Don’t forget — helmets are encouraged for all skaters!
Help build the heart of Braeside
Being on a community board might not sound glamorous, but where else can you say, “I helped build the benches, birdhouses and garden that everyone loves,” and actually mean it? Join the BCA as a member or committee volunteer and help shape Braeside's future. We are seeking a talented Communications Director to orchestrate our growing communications initiatives & look forward to welcoming an imaginative & organized Secretary to sit on our Executive Board. We look forward to connecting over a coffee or tea, while guiding you through our newly enhanced board nominations process. Reach out to the BCA President, Jenny Mae, to learn more - president@braesideyyc.ca. Our slate of 2025 board members will be voted in at our AGM on January 27th, 2025!
Volunteers are the backbone of Braeside
This month, we’re proud to introduce one who’s gone above and beyond!
Jen Burgess is proud to be raising her family of six (plus a big dog!) in Braeside. She has lived here for almost seven years and knew right away Braeside would be her forever home. Jen is one of the BCA's longest-serving board members, now in her sixth consecutive year. She has held multiple volunteer positions with the BCA, including transportation committee lead, vice-president, president, and now serves as the governance director.
She led the BCA through the challenging COVID-19 lockdowns and oversaw the recent comprehensive bylaw review. Community building and grassroots change are at the heart of her work and last year she started a small business supporting local organizations with public relations and engagement.
Leading the governance committee has been an incredibly rewarding and interesting experience. The BCA is now looking for new members — no prior knowledge required! Contact Jen at jennifer@braesideyyc.ca to learn more.
Governance: Update of BCA bylaws
In October, the BCA held a Special General Meeting (SGM) to propose updates to our bylaws, focusing on clarifying key sections and improving governance. Thanks to your support, the updates were unanimously approved by members in attendance.
We’re excited to let you know that the updated bylaws have now been officially filed with Service Alberta: 500051107 Filed Copy Bylaw Change.
Some highlights of the proposed changes include:
Establishing a Nomination Committee to manage board recruitment and retention.
Allowing every adult member to have a voting membership, rather than one per household.
Introducing a 30-day probationary period before new members can vote at Membership meetings.
Thank you to everyone who participated in this important step toward strengthening our community’s governance.
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