| City administrators are once against recommending that the city eliminate flat rate water bills, and install water meters in every home in Calgary.
Although universal water meters have been rejected in three Calgary plebiscites over the years – the last one was held in 1989 – increasing demands on the city’s water system has prompted the city’s waterworks department to ask city council to consider phasing in universal meters as a way to conserve water.
The city already has an aggressive voluntary water meter incentive program in place, and thousands of Calgary homes are charged by the amount of water they use rather than by a flat rate.
If approved by the standing policy committee, the recommendation will be brought before council.
The much anticipated meeting of leaders of the world’s richest nations in June in Kananaskis Country has been reduced by one day.
Prime Minister Jean Chrétien announced last week that the G8 summit would take place June 27 and 28, dropping June 26 from the itinerary in an effort to scale back the meeting as much as possible.
Chrétien is aiming to eliminate much of the spectacle surrounding other recent meetings, which have experienced clashes between police and protesters.
The emergency response system at the Calgary Municipal Building will be upgraded after faults were identified following September 11.
City council agreed earlier this week to launch a study into the existing security system and asked for recommendations and a cost-analysis of upgrades.
When tests were conducted following the terrorist attacks in the United States, the building’s emergency response system was found to be inadequate and its security and fire alarms were out-of-date.
The report will also include plans to keep the security system from falling into disrepair in the future.
Council requested the study by September of 2002, but parts of it are already under way and information may be available before that deadline.
After almost six years, the $9-million expansion of the MacEwan Student Centre expansion at the University of Calgary is finally complete.
The expansion adds a 50,000-square-foot live music facility to replace the old ballroom, which will still be used for smaller events, and joins the MacEwan Student Centre to the Science B building with an underground link.
The venerable Dinnie’s Den pub and Max Café were also involved in the renovations, all of which is part of an larger, multi-phased development project.
A number of roadblocks held up the construction over the years, and the original concept for the facility was abandoned early on in favour of a smaller project.
The new facility will officially open during a ceremony at noon on January 23.
Anyone who’s ever wondered what a haggis launched across the Bow River would look like will have that question answered next week as part of Robbie Burns Day.
Gordon Sinclair, of Gordon’s Fine Meats in Eau Claire Market, is going to show his Scottish spirit on January 19 by using his patented Haggis Launcher to launch the haggis across the Bow River on Prince’s Island Park – all to the sounds of kilt-wearing pipers.
But not to worry, the traditional dish of oatmeal and ground offal baked in a sheep’s stomach won’t go to waste – he vows to eat the whole thing after it comes back to earth.
Sinclair will also host a fund-raising charity night on January 25 at the Hospitality Inn as part of the celebration of Scottish poet Robbie Burns. |
