SOCCER is ON for Thursday, May 17 is a post from: Townsite of Redwood Meadows

Everyone loves Canada Day in Redwood and the event is growing in popularity every year.  The RMCA needs volunteers to keep this event a running success.   This is a great opportunity to get involved in the community, meet new friends and have fun all at the same time!   Help is needed Sunday, July 1 in the following areas: 

·         Bike parade decorating helpers (for crafty people who like to work with kids)

·         Table and chair set-up and take down (for behind-the-scenes types with strong backs)

·         Beer garden security (must have very cool sunglasses)

·         Bartenders (cheerful with experience pouring beer)

·         Food service (familiarity with basic food handling safety an asset)

·         Kid’s activity helpers (another fun thing to do if you like to work with kids!)

·         Ticket sales (for those who are good with money!)

·         And more!!

To sign up for the big day, call Wanda at Townsite Office @ 949-3563 or email redwoodvolunteer@gmail.com

Canada Day – Our Community’s Most Popular Event Needs Volunteers! is a post from: Townsite of Redwood Meadows

Dates:  Sunday, May 20, 27, June 3, 10

Time:  1:00 – 4:00pm

Download a registration form Sunday Series Registration Form

Register Now for Kid’s Painting and Drawing Workshops: Sunday Masters Series is a post from: Townsite of Redwood Meadows

Register your team / family by May 15 and receive a $5 coupon off your brunch bill.  Download your registration form HERE and drop it off at Redwood House today!

June 3 RIGHT TO PLAY Fun Run & RMCA Brunch with Martin Parnell is a post from: Townsite of Redwood Meadows

Local Business Directory is a post from: Townsite of Redwood Meadows

After 30 years of service, Redwood Meadows Emergency Services (RMES) Capt. Dave McPherson has hung up his helmet for the last time.  “I decided that 30 years was a good career,” said McPherson, a resident of the townsite.

RMES deputy chief Rob Evans said that to volunteer for that long is something special.  “Giving that much time and effort to the department, it just means the world to the community,” he said.“It’s sad to see Dave go and a lot of knowledge goes with him,” Evans added.

McPherson joined RMES in 1981 after he moved to the community while working for Alberta Government Telephones where he did switching maintenance and later database management.

After joining RMES, McPherson literally helped to build the department.  He remembers working with fire chief Ed Bowen to build some of the original fire trucks.  “Fundraising was just about non-existent back then, so we bid on decommissioned trucks and rebuilt them in house,” said McPherson.

The biggest project was building the department’s second engine, known as the Squirt, which features a 50-foot boom. It was constructed from parts of several decommissioned trucks purchased by the department.  “I spent most of the winter of ’97 here tearing the truck apart,” he said.  McPherson thinks that both he and Bowen spent around 1,500 hours each working to build the Squirt.

After spending all that time building it McPherson said they had the misfortune of having a small electrical fire burn out some of the truck’s wiring.  “I spent about three weeks laying on my back and I had to splice in about six feet of wiring underneath it to get the truck running again,” said McPherson, laughing.

In addition to all the time he spent building the fire trucks, he also spent a lot of time responding to emergencies.  “I went on probably 95-99 per cent of the calls at that time,” he said.

McPherson could almost run down to the hall faster than he could jump in his car and drive down.  One call that stands out in his memory was when a house on his cul-de-sac burnt to the ground on a freezing cold, snowy, night in November 1997.  “I got a call 8 o’clock at night and they said your neighbour’s house is on fire,” said McPherson, “I rolled up my garage door and they were right.”

The cold weather made fighting that fire difficult, initially the fire hydrants were frozen.  “At about that time I was getting a little more urgent on my messages over the radio to get the water tanker down here, we’ve got problems with water,” he said.  McPherson ended up staying up all night at that scene.

In the morning a neighbour made him breakfast and he started digging the hose lines out from under the snow.  “We had probably 2,000 feet of fire hose laying under three feet of snow…it was one of the heaviest snowfalls we’ve ever had,” he said.

Despite the hardships that come with the job, McPherson never really considered retirement until after he turned 65. McPherson turns 67 in May.  “My goal was to get the 30 years,” he said.

Long-time Volunteer Firefighter Calls It a Career is a post from: Townsite of Redwood Meadows

Snow & Trail Report: March 6 is a post from: Townsite of Redwood Meadows

Sustain Kananskis is asking that the public be given a “voice” – a transparent approval process that includes facilitated, accessible and meaningful public consultation in regards to logging activities in Kananaskis Country. 

The group also encourages the residents of Redwood Meadows to get involved and informed because of the potential impact of logging activity on the Elbow River Watershed.  Writing letters to local MLAs and government officials is the most effective means of having a voice and SustainK strongly encourages residents to make their concerns known.  Please visit the Sustain Kananaskis website at www.sustaink.ca for contacts and details on an effective  letter writing campaign.

Sustain Kananaskis: Local Group Encourages Redwood Residents to Get Informed About Proposed West Bragg Creek Logging Plans is a post from: Townsite of Redwood Meadows

1. Stop Using Plastic Bags. I know everyone knows this one – they sell fabric bags in every super market these days – but still, every time I’m in the checkout line, there’s someone without one. Make a rule for yourself. No bags. If you forget your bag, don’t buy it, or carry your goods without one.  Use cotton or mesh bags for produce and bulk as well.  This isn’t just for groceries either. Have a pocket-size bag on you when you’re clothes shopping or just going out – you never know when you might buy something.
2. Set Up Your Recycling in a convenient place. This sounds like a little thing, but it has a big impact! We found that if we have bins for newspaper, mixed paper, and bottles and cans next to each other in the kitchen, we were more likely to use it than if we had to walk downstairs and outside every time we wanted to recycle a tin can. These are all “dry” recyclables, so they should be washed clean and won’t smell. Don’t be afraid to put them out in the open. If you have a nice set of baskets, people are more likely to ask what your system is all about, and you can share your recycling knowledge.
3. Compost! This is the single most effective way to cut your garbage output. According the the David Suzuki Foundation, “roughly 40% of the waste in our landfills is compostable organic matter”. That’s crazy! If you compost properly, composts don’t smell, and you can cut your trips to take out the odorous trash by half! You can get a small worm composter for your deck or kitchen or a bigger one for outside. See the resources page for more info.
4. Recycle everything you can. I mean everything. Look on your municipal website or give them a call to find out exactly what they take. Do a bit of research to seek out alternative recyclers – maybe ther don’t take milk containers in your curbside pick up, but they might at your local grocers.  We find it helps to have a list posted on the inside of a kitchen cupboard as a quick reference. Remember that even little bits, like paper receipts, are recyclable, and small things add up.
5. Give Up Take Out Containers. And I’m not just talking about coffee cups.  When you’re leaving the house in the morning, and you don’t have a lunch with you, it’s pretty obvious you’re going to have to buy something, so grab a container and some cutlery. We keep a couple “to go kits” in the car with our fabric bags.  If you’re buying something simple like a piece of pizza or a muffin that you’ll eat right away, just ask for it in your hand.
6. Check the Package BEFORE you Buy It. This is another one that sounds easy to do but is also easy to forget.  You can keep a reminder card in your wallet listing they types of containers your city picks up.  If they’re not recyclable, we make a choice when we’re in the store not to buy them.  We also try to go for “pure” packaging products like glass instead of composite products like tetrapaks that are hard to recycle.
7. Buy Secondhand. Besides saving you money, previously loved goods don’t come with packaging. Who says you need a brand new bread machine or a brand new frying pan. There are millions of them already out there, and a lot of them need a new home. Try craigslist, freecycle, or your local thrift shop.
8. DIY (Do It Yourself).  You can make a surprising number of things yourself (and save some serious cash at the same time).  From bread to clothing to laundry soap, check out what we’ve been making on our DIY page.
9. Get Educated. Read about recycling and going waste-free to learn about what others are doing.  Watch The Story of Stuff , an eye opening animated, short film about the cycle of waste and consumerism.  Search the internet for information on waste.   Check out our blog’s Resource page.  There is tons of information out there that can help you reduce your garbage.
10. Let businesses know how you feel. Leave your packaging at the till or mail it back to the manufacturer. Writing a letter or calling a company goes a long way; I almost always get a response of some kind. 

Top Ten Tips for Reducing Household Waste courtesy of the Clean Bin Project is a post from: Townsite of Redwood Meadows

These are balanced, total body workouts mixing up strength training, cardio and core work for all levels.  Please bring weights and mat to classes.  Stability balls and steps may also be required. 

The schedule is as follows:  

Monday / Friday Mornings with Ann Sullivan:  9 – 10 am.  Contact anns@safari.ca for details.

Tuesday / Thursday Evenings with Trisha Koomans:  6:30 – 7:30 pm.  Saturday Morning Metabolic Resistance Training Class 8:30 – 9:30am.  Contact tmkoomans@hotmail.com for information.

Redwood House Fitness Schedule is a post from: Townsite of Redwood Meadows