Beverly Heights Community League

As I reflect on the great day we had on Saturday September 16, 2023 at our annual Community League Day event, I am so grateful for so much! Rather than doing several Facebook Posts I thought a longer blog post is appropriate.

First – I am so thankful for this community who showed up to learn more about the league, visit the display tables, enjoy the free pasta dinner and show, and fellowship of other community league members. We didn’t count but estimate we had 250-275 attending this year! That was incredible!

Our displays were well attended! Thank you to our MP Blake Desjarlais and our MLA Peggy Wright for making time to greet our community and answer questions, and for bringing some swag and treats. WeCan Cooperative, the Edmonton Public Library, Edmonton Fire Rescue Services, the Girl Guides and Scouts and the Beverly Historical Society do great work in supporting our community and we are so thankful they could attend.

For the Beverly Heights Community League, thank you to Jim for sharing the word about the Beverly Active Senior’s Society (and later being a good sport on stage with the magician!!), Donna showcasing the programs and activities she is launching to keep you active and engaged, Sara with the Variety Show details, Chris and Noma handing out memberships and the free cups, and Shannon and Kyla talking about Abundant Community and the Community Safety and Wellbeing Project.

THANK YOU TO OUR AMAZING VOLUNTEERS!

First I want to thank the volunteers who prepared your free pasta dinner! Cindy Lazarenko and Geof Lilge toiled in the kitchen from 4:30-8ish, and they are actually from Highlands and not Beverly! I’m especially honoured as Cindy is a chef and owned Culina Highlands 2007-2012ish (where Bodega is now) and is still creating amazing food with Culina! Check out the pop-up brunch and dinners – on eventbrite search “Culina” to see upcoming events – there are three there right now – here is the link https://www.eventbrite.ca/d/canada–edmonton/culina-family/?page=1.

Other kitchen helpers include Quinn and Josh, two 16 year old Beverly boys (my son and his friend), who went over and above the call of duty washing all the dishes – they were the last to leave that night with water logged hands. Derek, Jackie, Edie, Heather and Alene also helped out with prep and keeping the kitchen running smoothly! We had some uncooked/unopened leftovers and have donated items to the Candora Society Free Lunch program.

We had more youth helping serve you your dinner! Brooklyn has volunteered many times at many events and is such a pleasure to work with, Sadie, Leah and Ben are new to volunteering with us and did an awesome job! Their mom, Robyn, sold 50/50 and drink tickets, along with Darcie – and our 50/50 winner took home $127.50.

Our youngest volunteer did 3 shifts (all with a name tag on his forehead) – set up, greeter, and clean up – thank you Isaiah and his mom Jamie for everything! Isaiah made sure the crayons were scattered around the tables and drew a few tic-tac-toe boards for inspiration.

Gina is another Highlands resident who came to lend a hand, we are so grateful for our volunteers and even more grateful when you come from another league! Shawny is also from outside Beverly but volunteered all night with us and helped with clean up the next day too. Jill was another server – one of the busiest jobs of the night!!

Our bartenders kept busy filling your free cups with pop all night, and serving the adult beverages. Peighton (my niece) and Alex (my son) were experts with the pop gun by the end of the night!

Sandy and Jamie helped with set up, all day at the event, and with clean up after! Chantel helped with set up, and came back to enjoy the party. Thank you to Chris, Sara and Riplea for joining me for the final clean up on Sunday. I also want to thank our Facilities Manager, Ashley, for offering to clean the floors and washrooms – she keeps the facility in amazing condition and we are so thankful she is part of our team!

Did you stay to watch the magician? He had the kids cheering, laughing, and participating in his tricks! Thank you to Magician Donovan Day for providing the entertainment to wrap up the evening.

Another exciting note – we were able to present May LeDrew with an Honourary Lifetime Membership to the Beverly Heights Community League.  A long time resident and volunteer, May has supported the league and our events for many years and was nominated for this award. Our last volunteer appreciation event was before covid – we are looking forward to getting together again soon and accepting more nominations for Lifetime Members!

Engaging with you, the community, is such an uplifting experience and I am so grateful for the way you support our events, activities, and the league. Some couldn’t make it to Saturday’s event, we will be offering other opportunities to get your free membership and share the benefits of membership with you. I hope you added your email address to your membership card – we send out a monthly MailChimp newsletter with all the details of upcoming programs, events and activities, and share news on our Facebook group as well. We hope to keep you engaged and excited, and encourage you to attend the Annual General Meeting in April!

I apologize if I missed naming anyone, it takes many hands to pull all this together and I am so very thankful we got to gather to enjoy this meal and each other’s company. Together we make a strong community, a place we belong and a better place in which to live. Please reach out if you would like more information about volunteering with the board or at events – email volunteer.bhcl@gmail.com.

Gratefully yours,

Tracey Hirtle

President, Beverly Heights Community League

Exciting news! The Beverly Heights Community League (includes Beverly Heights and Rundle Heights communities) have been selected for alley renewal. The City of Edmonton manages the project, and is in the planning stages with construction starting in 2023 or 2024 and expected to take 2 years to complete all the alleys with the construction season running about June 1-October 31. Although it will be absolutely wonderful to have the deeply rutted and pot hole-y back alleys repaired, it will cause some inconvenience but will be worth it in the long run! There are no fees for the improvement as it is funded through the Neighbourhood Improvement Tax Levy – we are fortunate to be one of the first group of neighbourhoods to get this much needed attention.

Visit the website https://www.edmonton.ca/transportation/on_your_streets/beverly_heights for more details, a map of the alleys, and to sign up for email updates. The City of Edmonton project managers met with the BHCL board members today and shared that we will have about a one-month notice of when construction will be in our specific area, and will receive a hand-delivered notice 7 days before construction starts on our block. Each back alley takes about 4 weeks to complete as they take it down about 50cm (half a meter) as well as making some improvements. During construction, we will have ABSOLUTELY NO ACCESS to the back alley so will have to park on the street, and garbage pick up will also be in the front rather than in the alleys. We’ll be looking for more details on how that will work – perhaps our neighbourhoods can work together and encourage everyone to park on one side and all garbage carts on the other side just on trash days. The project managers indicated that construction would be staggered rather than several blocks next to each other to allow space for parking.

In the planning stage and before construction you may notice flags, paint markings, and the city will also be bringing in an arborist to manage trees and shrubs. Existing lighting will be upgraded to LED and any required utility repairs and upgrades will be done before the alley is completed.

In fall 2022 there will be public engagement and perhaps an info session (in person or virtual). By then planning should be in place and more details available, and the project managers can answer all your questions. The community league has as much information as is available on the website at this time, when we get updates we will share on the website as well as in the monthly eNewsletter.

Here are two documents that are also available on the website link above:

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Exciting news! Our community was approved for a pop-up community garden. The City of Edmonton started this initiative a few years ago as a way to help communities grow fresh food and we have been fortunate to have been approved for gardens three years in a row.

Applications are now being accepted from those that do not have yard or patio space to grow food! If you have some seeds or seedlings to donate, would like to volunteer as a gardening mentor, or would like to offer to help tend the gardens please email volunteer.bhcl@gmail.com. Click HERE for the application for a garden bed.

The objectives of the 2022 Pop-Up Community Gardens pilot are as follows:

• Increase access to freshly grown food for the community
• Reduce barriers to increase local food growing spaces
• Create opportunities to enhance the wellness of participants
• Increase the number of people who can benefit from community gardens
• Promote community involvement, recreation, and wellness

Here are the details:

Garden Specifications and Resources

• Your garden will receive 12 temporary garden beds filled with garden soil mix.
• The approved garden location is 10906 40 Street (near the Beverly Rink Building)
• If the temporary garden beds have been placed on City maintained grass, please be aware that the area within 3m of the beds will not be mowed by the City.
• Your garden will be receiving temporary signage indicating information about the Pop-up Community Garden program and an opportunity to state your garden leader’s contact information. In the event that your garden requires extra signage, please contact us at communitygardens@edmonton.ca

Requirements and Guidelines

• The garden is intended to grow edible plants.
• Gardeners must provide all plants, seeds, disinfecting products, personal gardening protective equipment, watering cans and tools. Seed donations may be available.
• The use of fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides within the gardens is strictly prohibited.
• Gardeners are responsible to plant, weed, harvest, and remove stems/inedible growth from the beds at the end of the season. The Beverly Heights Community League will provide water with an on-site rain barrel.

End of Season

• As part of your participation in the program, you are expected to submit a survey about your garden experience at the end of the season. Please complete this survey to provide feedback on your pop-up garden season with the City of Edmonton.
• All temporary garden beds will be removed by the City at the end of season. The final date is TBD, with removal anticipated near the end of September. Communication to garden groups will be provided to ensure all plant material is harvested and removed prior to pickup.

Since 1971, community volunteers have been working together to bring the annual Variety Show to life! The process starts months ahead with the planning committee, recruiting writers/directors, then recruiting volunteers for the cast, backstage and support crew, sound and lights, bartenders, serving staff, token booth, 50/50, Nevada, admission, clean up and set up and MORE! But do you know what makes it all worthwhile? It is seeing you – the patrons – finally able to come to a show and laugh all night. It is so amazing to see all the support – if you have joined us at a show – thank you, and if you haven’t yet – get your tickets before they sell out! Shows run Friday and Saturday evenings until April 2, 2022. Doors open at 6:30, show starts at 8 and is done before 11. Tickets are $20 and you can add an optional dinner by Paulina’s Catering, or you can add the dinner at the door, or check out the yummy concession menu! Of course, the tradition of bringing in your own food still stands.

Remember 2020? That was the 50th anniversary show – and 6 of the 12 shows ran before the pandemic reached Canada and everything stopped. Well, we’re back and STILL celebrating 50 years, receiving rave reviews for the show! If 2020 was the 50th annual, but we had to skip a year, does this make it the 51st annual, or the 52nd (but skipped one) annual, or do we have to start the numbering all over again at 1 because we missed a year? That’s too complicated, but these reviews from the first four 2022 shows are clear – the show is AWESOME!

What did you like best about this year’s show?

• Everything, you guys did a great job! 😊
• Rocky Top
• Very funny! We give the actors a lot of credit for their time and effort! Well done!
• Appreciate the volunteers and their commitment to the community. Great show!
• Cheech & Chong, Canadian Humour, The Weather Report, Cannabis Man.
• We had so much fun tonight. Love the performers & the jokes that push the limits.
• I loved it!
• It was hilarious. The Cannabis Man was my favorite skit.
• LMAO!
• LMAO
• The whole show was awesome, I laughed so hard and I needed that. Thank you very much.
• I have never attended a show like this before & I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did.
• I would like to volunteer for next year’s show and so some acting and singing.
• The political jokes and references to the neighbourhood.
• Loved there wasn’t any judgement for those who cross dressed.
• Will – stand up before Doctor skit. Yee Haw jokes, candy man satire.
• The amazing puns!
• It was fun, loved all.
• Very entertaining.
• Very entertaining. Finally nice to laugh – thank you.
• We will definitely be back! Absolutely loved it! All of it was great!
• Just loved it all.
• Much cleaner comedy than other shows. Dr skit, weed skit, Mary and Olga, men’s dance funny.
• Everything was wonderful.
• Good show 😊
• The band, songs – everything was fun!

The annual Variety Show is more than a show and a fundraiser, it is community-building at it’s finest. Get your tickets at https://beverlyheightshow.eventbrite.ca, check out the show, interact with the volunteers and maybe even consider volunteering with us!

After a year off due to Covid-19, the Beverly Heights Community League is excited to continue the Christmas Craft Show tradition into the 27^th year! This fundraiser supports programming and events in our community throughout the year.

A few handmade/artisan vendor tables are available – email volunteer.bhcl@gmail.com for an application.

A note from our board: As we transition to more in-person activities, the health, safety and wellness of our community league members and partners is a top priority for the Beverly Heights Community League Board when considering and planning community events.

We want to share that as a Board, we have made the decision to implement the Restrictions Exemption Program at our facilities – the Beverly Heights Community League Hall, Family Centre and Sports Building/Rink. In addition, a vaccine policy for staff and volunteers has been approved to ensure our patrons and renters feel comfortable while enjoying our venue.

Masking will continue to be required.  We will also continue to be conscious of physical distancing requirements and will space display tables, etc. to allow for proper distancing. Attendees will be offered hand sanitizer and reminded to wear a mask and maintain physical distancing when in attendance.

We continue to be mindful that there are differing levels of comfort around transitioning back to in person events and participating in activities and welcome suggestions and feedback from our membership on how we can create a safe environment to bring our community back together.

Order a biweekly produce box and support your community league!

We will be missing fresh veggies and fruit once the Beverly Farmers Market closes for the season… To keep things “fresh” the Beverly Heights Community League is partnering with The Güd Box! Produce boxes purchased through The Beverly Heights Güd Box raise funds that will be used to enhance green spaces and parks within the community.

www.thegudbox.ca/beverlyheights 

The Beverly Heights Güd Box is a large box of fresh, seasonal produce. Selection is always changing but boxes will feature staples such as carrots, apples, potatoes, onions, and a variety of other fresh produce based on seasonal availability. There is significant savings to families over shopping at the grocery store, anywhere from 20-40%. The photo below and on the website are actual photos of past boxes.

Boxes ordered online are available to pick up at the Beverly Heights Sports Building (rink) at 10906 40 Street NW on the scheduled Friday. Boxes are available twice a month with the order deadline at 9am Monday and pick up from 4:30-6:30pm that Friday. Our first order deadline is October 11 and pick up is October 15!

The Beverly Heights Community League can offer a limited number of volunteer home deliveries for seniors or those with mobility issues. Interested in volunteering? We are looking for delivery drivers (as needed) and for helpers at the sports building from 4-7pm on Fridays.

Please contact Tracey at volunteer.bhcl@gmail.com to request delivery or to volunteer.

We are so excited to get our community league members together again! Join us on Saturday, September 11 starting at 2pm and wrapping up with our headliner musicians from 5-6pm (come early – some activities wrap up at 4:30). Purchase your 2021/2022 membership and enter for door prizes, learn more about the community league, check out the information displays, enjoy a free BBQ and family fun. Entertainment includes two bands from 2:30-3:30 and 5-6 pm. The location is the BHCL hall and green space at 4209-111 Avenue. See the Event poster below, as well as four ways the Beverly Heights Community League is offering for you to participate in the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues “100 Community Actions” theme.

The BHCL board is closely monitoring the pandemic situation, and has added a note about precautions below.

A note from our board: After more than a year of strict COVID-19 regulations, the province has opted to remove many of the previous restrictions including mandatory masking and social distancing. As we transition to more in-person activities, the health, safety and wellness of our community league members and partners is a top priority for the Beverly Heights Community League Board when considering and planning community events.

We want to share that as a Board, we have made the decision to operate above the provincial standard and that masking will continue to be required for staff and volunteers at all community hosted events when interacting with the public.  We will also continue to be conscious of physical distancing requirements and will space display tables, etc. to allow for proper distancing. Attendees will be offered hand sanitizer and encouraged to wear a mask and maintain physical distancing when in attendance. If additional provincial or municipal restrictions are in place we will, of course, comply with those as well. 

We continue to be mindful that there are differing levels of comfort around transitioning back to in person events and participating in activities and welcome suggestions and feedback from our membership on how we can create a safe environment to bring our community back together.

Are you looking to host an event or celebration? The Beverly Heights Community League Hall and Family Centre are open for rentals! Email rentals.bhcl@gmail.com to check on availability of your dates and to book an appointment to see the hall and review the rental application.

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