Writing my first President's report of 2010, in December, with 2009 quickly fading into the background, I am in a reflective and contemplative mood.  Looking back over the past year, there is very little to report to you on the proposal that was conveyed to residents by Geo-Energy at their January 2009 town hall where we heard that they planned to develop and build 1100 condos along with retail units on the golf course.  Here is a recap of what has happened since then, in a nutshell, very little:

Meantime, Geo-Energy representatives are attending civic politicians' fund raisers in the hope that their plans will be supported by the mayor and aldermen when their application comes before city council.  However, a civic election will be held in the Fall of 2010 and the Shawnee-Evergreen community could very well become an election issue if we make it one.

In this, the era of environmental consciousness,  politicians and citizens in the western world are seeking ways to improve the environment.  However, here in Calgary, we have a group going in the opposite direction, contemplating the eradication of valuable green space, planning to bulldoze and tear out the heart of a development that was sold to its residents as a golf course community.  This beautiful green space at the heart of our community, is no ordinary golf course due to its history.  It originated on land that belonged to a pioneer family; adjoins the country's largest provincial park and, as a result, is inhabited year-round by wildlife and wild fowl.  It will, if Geo-Energy gains approval to change the zoning, be replaced by a quasi concrete jungle.  Our sub-division remains, by Calgary standards, a young community: it is not even twenty-five years old, and, in my opinion, it will be a hard-sell to convince our civic politicians to destroy it.

Moreover, this community of ours is already struggling to cope with traffic congestion and problems associated with the high volume of traffic that currently exists and this before Highbury and other developments underway in Millrise and Evergreen have been completed and occupied.  The number one reason the majority chose this community over all other city communities was the quality of life it afforded to us and our families.  If successful in their rezoning application our quality of life in this community will be wiped out forever by the self-serving goals of a developer whose only target is profiteering from lot sales.  No other conclusion is plausible.  A golf course valued at $8 to $10 million dollars is sold for an amount that we believe to be $25 million.  What else would explain the rationale for the proposed development other than the potential to make a huge profit from land sales? 

During the year that we have been waiting for this scenario to unfold, we have, as a community, been unanimous in our decision to fight this developer as soon as we are put to the test.  Residents have turned out in droves for town hall meetings to obtain information on the status of the golf course; they have expressed their willingness to volunteer alongside SECA board members and the Land Use Committee to do the work that will be required to oppose development.   In winning battles such as this, the power is with the people of our great community.  Everyone I have met has expressed their passion for saving their investment in their community.  By harnessing this energy to organize and express ourselves politically, we will show Geo-Energy that we are unstoppable in the fight to preserve our values, homes and community.

Our Alderman, Diane Colley-Urquhart will be fighting alongside us and we will be in touch when we have set a date for the next town hall where you will learn more about the rezoning application and Plan-It Calgary.  We anticipate a long, drawn out process but, as already demonstrated by turnouts for meetings and the interest you have expresssed, we have the collective stamina to fight long and hard to preserve our much loved community.  No-one has the right to destroy the sub-division that we, the residents invested our money in, and which the City of Calgary approved and supported less than thirty years ago. 

Respectfully submitted.

Gloria Dingwall

President

Shawnee-Evergreen Community Association