Calgary ACORN Launches First Chapter!
Posted August 17, 2022
Posted August 17, 2022
Calgary East ACORN officially formed a chapter with the election of the chapter leadership and the launching of their Safe Parks campaign!
Elected Leadership:
Chair: Lisa Johnson
Co-Chairs: Elrasheed Siddig and Vanessa Badger
Secretary/Treasurer: Alan Haggerty
Members spoke passionately about fighting for what the Forest Lawn community deserves with power in numbers. Starting with Safe Parks. Parks and community spaces in Forest Lawn are seriously lacking and sometimes outright dangerous.
There are used needles literally everywhere, a lack of lighting, rundown play equipment, and frequent gun violence.
Safe Parks campaign demands are:
- The city must clean up the needles in parks and alleyways, starting with Fonda Park, and Rainbow Park and the alleyways surrounding the entire neighbourhood
- The city must place used needle drop boxes in public common areas in the east end
- Park lighting must be installed in major dark areas including Fonda Park and Rainbow Park
- Park upgrades including benches, play equipment shade, picnic tables, and garbage cans should be installed in areas such as rainbow park and the dry pond
East-End members then held their first “Safe Parks Action” in Fonda Park.
Members spoke about the issues in the parks, gathered petition, signatures and presented demands to one of our targets who was in attendance.
The City of Calgary currently outsources this issue to a non-profit organization called Alpha house.
A rep from Alpha house came to the action to listen to members’ concerns and to tell us that they would be adding our requested parks to their scheduled routes for needle cleanup and that they would look into setting up used needle drop boxes!
The City councillor was not in attendance because he is out of the city with a family emergency. However he did agree to meet with us when he is back.
More coming soon!
