General.Manager

West Hillhurst Garden Sessions

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Phone it in to (403)283-0464 ext. 6 and save the admin fee. All talks in the Go-Getters section off the gym.

March 14th – 6:30-9:00 “PLANNING – YOUR GARDEN FOR SUCCESS  with Janet Melrose 6:30-9:00 – $20 Graph paper, will be supplied along with how to instruction for planning this year's edible garden. The focus will be on flowers, herbs and vegetables that grow best in Calgary's climate and we will assist you in deciding what to grow in 2018. You will walk away with a plan, seed catalogues, a seed starting chart, some seeds and information to help you  grow your garden successfully. West Coast Seeds has graciously donated catalogs, and growth charts.

April 11th 6:30-8:00 – Chelsey Anderson and her famous gardener mother Donna Balzar have co-authored a new book. “It Takes a Village to Raise a Chive” will shine a light on all the critters who are truly responsible for growing the food in our urban gardens. During this talk you will learn how to encourage this “village” in your own gardens, meaning you can let nature take care of it! From microbes who feed your plants on demand, to robber flies who will eat almost any pest, to our native bumble bees who pollinate 1/3 of our crops; find out who does what and how you can employ them in your own edible backyard. Chelsey will have some autographed books on hand for sale. $5 donation at door. Please RSVP to ckoper12@telus.netckoper12@telus.net.

April 18th – 6:30-8:30 – GROWING HERBS INDOORS AND COMPANION PLANTING with Janet Melrose. $35 – the focus will be on herbs – and as part of this session you will plant a beautiful 10 in. planter to take home that includes herbs, vegetables  and edible flowers for the outdoors. You can have a planter that not only looks spectacular but is useful too! Keep an eye on the website for details! Supplies will be included in the price.

May 16th – 6:30-9:00 “GARDENING TECHNIQUES AND GETTING THE GARDEN STARTED” we will be sowing and planting. This session focuses on the techniques, getting your garden started and growing strongly. Weather permitting, we will take the class outside for some hands on experience, and you will take home some seedlings you have transplanted to kickstart your garden!

Dcember 5th 6:30-9:30 BUILD YOUR OWN SEASONAL PLANTER – Back by popular demand, it was such a huge hit in 2017. Pricing to be determined.

Board Profile – Jeff Allan, President

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Welcoming our new president

Jeff Allan, newly elected president of the Hounsfield Heights-Briar Hill community association board of directors, is a returning member of the board and a man with a mission.

Born and raised in Victoria, British Columbia, a career opportunity led Jeff and his wife to Calgary in 1998. In 1999, after a year of living in Crescent Heights, they set out to purchase a home within the community. The path that led them to Briar Hill was not an intended one, but obviously destined.

“I took a wrong turn,” says Jeff when explaining how he and his wife ended up in Briar Hill. “We set out to find a house in Crescent Heights and suddenly I was driving through a beautiful community with mature trees, well-kept homes, wide streets and big yards. We fell in love with Briar Hill so, within a very short period of time, we found a house, finalized the deal, secured early possession, and became residents.”

Jeff recalls first walking into the 1952 bungalow he and his wife now share with their 14-year old daughter and seeing that beyond the swag lamps and gold shag carpet was a home with warmth and character. Purchased from the original owners who were retiring and downsizing, the house has since undergone several rounds of renovation and expansion but retains the feeling of a well-loved family home.

“This community has given so much to me and my family. Our daughter has grown up here, from kindergarten and elementary school, soccer, dance and all the local events such as our annual Summer Solstice,” says Jeff. “I am excited by the possibilities and challenges we face going into our 65th year as a community, and I want to participate, and increase others’ participation, in our future.”

Jeff’s passions include music (he used to own a nightclub), yoga (his wife is a yoga teacher) and travel. He loves opportunities to immerse with his family into cultural adventures – their last vacation included being in an open vehicle 10-feet from a lion and a plane crash in Africa, and an impromptu flight from Amsterdam to Venice as his daughter expressed her desire to visit before its potential disappearance into the ocean.

With a Masters degree in leadership, and long professional career in the oil and gas industry, Jeff has the skills and knowledge needed to lead the continued evolution of the HH-BH board from operational to strategic.

“My mission is to firm up community association operating policies and procedures, so we can then focus on increasing community participation and honour the amazing legacy of this small but vibrant community by uncovering and sharing it’s rich history. We also need to develop strategies to get community residents engaged in upcoming opportunities such as secondary suites, North Hill Mall development, community centre expansion. 

Jeff encourages HH-BH residents to contact him with thoughts, ideas and concerns at president@hh-bh.ca.