Wednesday, March 07, 2012  

To reduce potential road damage caused by spring thaws, Rocky View County will be implementing district-wide road bans this year for the duration of the spring breakup.

The bans will be as follows:

• Asphalt-surfaced roads 90%
• Gravel roads 90%
• Chip-seal and oil-surfaced roads 75%
• Roads that currently have a 50% ban in place will remain at 50%

The effective dates are March 12 to June 4, 2012.

Please note these dates are subject to change based on weather and road conditions. Signs will be posted on roads when the bans are in effect. Please watch for future announcements.

For additional information, please call Armando Rizzo, Road Operations Supervisor, at 403.230.1401 or visit www.rockyview.ca.

Do you like to have fun??

Would you like to be a Big Deal to a young person??

Big Brothers Big Sisters are looking for mentors for our in school mPower mentoring program at Bearspaw School. Please contact Sandra MacKenzie, Program Coordinator, Cochrane and Area at 403-771-4341 for more details.

Bearspaw Historical Society constructing replica 1920s barn

The Bearspaw Historical Society is constructing a replica of the original 1926 Bearspaw School horse barn.

The barn, expected to be completed this spring, is to be located next to the school and teacherage on Bearspaw Road across from the Bearspaw Lifestyle Centre.

“It is 50 per cent complete,” said Roger Pilkington, Bearspaw Historical Society member.

The building will be used as a recreational space for the community, joining the one-room school restored in 2002, which Pilkington said is heavily used by local groups. Originally, the school was purchased by the Bearspaw Lion’s Club and moved to create more room for the local farmer’s market.

The school’s two-room, 320-square-foot, teacherage was also moved to the site in 2006.

The society recently completed a survey of 902 buildings, circa 1880 to 1969, in the Bearspaw and Madden areas, which is located north of the Bow River and east of Big Hill Country. The area was homesteaded in the 1880s. Over the next century, it flourished with farms, dairy operations and large cattle and horse ranches.

Rocky View County, the Alberta Heritage Resources Foundation and the Bearspaw Historical Society funded the survey, which catalogued details about the buildings, including foundations, shingles, rooflines and a history of inhabitants.

“As the city (Calgary) moves out into Rocky View, a lot of these buildings will be taken down,” said Pilkington. “And this is why it is important to do the study.”

Reeve Rolly Ashdown was impressed with the project and said the County encourages the same initiatives in other areas.

“I think the work those people are doing is quite amazing,” said Ashdown. “The community can’t help but appreciate the work they are putting in.”

Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park is one of Canada's newest Provincial Parks, protecting over 1300 hectares of foothills fescue parkland along the Bow River Valley, between Calgary and Cochrane.

The Park preserves and protects significant natural and cultural features, including examples of endangered ecosystems and rare species, First Nations and early ranching and industrial settlements, and breathtaking landscapes.

The Park is located approximately 34 kms, or a 35 minute drive, from downtown Calgary, and 4 kms, or a 5 minute drive, from Cochrane.

Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park is currently not open to the public, as facilities and services
are being planned and developed.

Do you like to walk in Bearspaw?

Wish you didn’t have to walk on the busy roads? If so, maybe this volunteer work is for you!

The Bearspaw-Glendale Trails Committee is a sub-committee of the Bearspaw-Glendale Community Association. We are looking for new volunteers to help on the committee. 

The Committee monitors the state of exisiting trails and pathways within the Bearspaw-Glendale district and in collaboration with the Bearspaw-Glendale

Recreation Board, provides recommendations for the ongoing development of regional pathway and trail networks within the district.  The Committee works closely with the Bearspaw-Glendale Community Association, the Bearspaw-Glendale Recreation Board and the Rocky View Administration in engaging the residents and developers in exploring new trails and pathways.

If you are interested please call Barbara Hatt at 403-239-3544 or Paulette Bentz at 403-239-0305