The Beltline Neighbourhoods Association is a vibrant community association for the Beltline district in urban Calgary encompassing the neighbourhoods of Connaught and Victoria Park.
With our home at the McHugh House Community & Arts Hub, we are proud to be a recognized member of the Federation of Calgary Communities inviting residents to get involved in making the Beltline an even better place.
It’s been another busy year in the Beltline. Here’s what we’ve done together…
We Hosted New and Exciting Events
The Beltline Bonspiel
The 2018 Beltline Bonspiel at Lougheed House was another huge success for Calgary’s only outdoor curling bonspiel. This year we added a rinkside beer garden with local brews and grub to enjoy the friendly competition between East Village, Sunalta, Inglewood, Beltline, Lougheed House, and CBC Calgary. This year’s chilly -18C temperatures were no match for the hot tracks spun by DJ Catfish the Wizard and Myke Atkinson, or the Alberta-based folk and roots artists Todd Stewart and T. Buckley inside the Lougheed House.
BUMP 2018 Jane’s Walk
We hosted the first Beltline Urban Murals Project (BUMP) Jane’s Walk giving a tour of our 2017 BUMP murals and previewing our plans for the 2018 BUMP season.
BUMP Launch Party / Beltline Neighbour Day
The BUMP Launch Party was spread out over two days this year as we dodged multiple days of inclement weather until we finally scored a beautiful evening in Central Memorial Park for live music and the outdoor movie in the park where we screened Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox with our friends at Qualex-Landmark.
Live music featured Juno Award-winning electronic tunes by Ryan Hemsworth, Myke Atkinson, Dr. Space, catfishthewizard, DJ Dine n’ Dash, Homesick, and Selci. The day wrapped up with the BUMP Launch After Party at the Hifi Club with an amazing live set by Ryan Hemsworth.
BNA Live at McHugh House
We’ve hosted dozens of community events and shows at the McHugh House including the CJSW Presents All-Ages Music series, Sled Island 2018 All-Ages music lineup, Studio M Exhibition, Beakerhead, Major Minor Music Productions, BUMP Artist Talks, BreaksYYC, Sampler Cafe, and more!
BUMP Festival 2018
This year we tripled the number of murals from 2017 and added a festival to make the 2018 Beltline Urban Murals Project (BUMP) bigger than ever. Eleven murals were completed this August and September by artists from Calgary, across Canada, and one international artist creating murals as large as 9 stories tall.
The 2018 BUMP Festival featured artist talks, mural tours, and an alley party with local food, beer, interactive mural painting with Contemporary Calgary, and of course live music and DJs. The BUMP Festival wrapped up with a late running After Party at the Hifi Club headlined by Sabota and Neon Indian.
We Advocated for Beltline Neighbourhoods
2nd Street Cycle Track
When the City announced plans for unprotected bike lanes on 2nd Street SW, we advocated for protected cycle tracks so that people of all ages and skill levels can have a safe way to bike from the Elbow River to the Cycle Track Network in the Beltline and Downtown. Thanks to these efforts the City is now revising their plans and engaging with the community on cycle tracks for 2nd Street SW.
CP Rail Digital Billboards
When CP Rail announced their plans to add digital billboards to the underpasses we stood up for Beltline residents. We are still advocating that City of Calgary and CP Rail respect the 25,000 residents that live in the Beltline and the impact backlit digital billboards would have on the community, as they would any other residential community in Calgary.
Springbank Reservoir
It’s been five years since the devastating floods that impacted Victoria Park in the Beltline as well as Downtown Calgary and many surrounding communities. We continue to advocate for all levels of government to proceed with the Spring Bank Reservoir plans, which is the best option we have for flood protection in Calgary.
17 Ave Reconstruction
We continue to work with the City of Calgary 17th Ave Reconstruction Team to help share information and to ensure that the construction, while a major inconvenience, is sensitive to the residents and businesses in the Beltline and ultimately improves 17th Avenue for all residents to enjoy.
Reinvestment in Existing Neighourhoods
We’re currently advocating for City Administration and Council to allocate adequate funds in the 2019-2022 budget to reinvest in existing Calgary neighbourhoods through the Main Streets and Complete Streets projects that are critical to Calgary meeting its long term goals of more balanced growth and becoming a more economically viable city.
We Planned for the Future
11 Street SW Upgrades
We’re working to bring exciting upgrades to 11 Street SW, including pocket parks, movable furniture for Connaught Park, and road safety improvements.
Humpy Hollow Park Revisioning
We’re working with the City of Calgary Parks Foundation and renowned local architects at DIALOG to create a new vision and plan for the future Humpy Hollow Park located beside the McHugh House.
Beltline Urban Development Committee
We’ve reviewed and provided feedback dozens of development permits in the Beltline, met with developers, City Planners, and local stakeholders to help with better urban development in the Beltline. The committee is open to all Beltline residents who want to get involved in improving the the Beltline neighbourhoods.
Rivers District Master Plan & Beltline ARP
We’ve engaged with the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) and the City of Calgary to provide input and feedback into the Rivers District Master Plan and the new Beltline ARP for East Victoria Park and Stampede Park so that it is not just a successful cultural and entertainment district but also a great neighbourhood to live in and visit.
HELP US KEEP BUILDING A STRONGER, BETTER BELTLINE. PURCHASE YOUR 2018/2019 MEMBERSHIP AND ATTEND OUR AGM & BUMP ARTIST TALKS MONDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2018.
