TD Summer Reading Club at EPL

Looking for a fun way to keep your children reading over the summer? Check out the TD Summer Reading Club at the Edmonton Public Library. Kids can earn badges, enter to win amazing prizes, and attend free programs all summer long. Check out the EPL Programs page for a full listing of SRC programs at the Castle Downs Branch and all branches throughout the city.

The Summer Reading Club runs from June 27 to August 22, but online registration is already open. Visit the TD Summer Reading Club site and start tracking your reading today!

Front Yards in Bloom 2015

Do you know someone in the Lorelei Beaumaris area with an outstanding front yard? Do you have a neighbour that turns you green with envy with their green thumb? Why not nominate them for Front Yards in Bloom 2015?

Front Yards in Bloom started in 1999, with 150 nominations in its first year. It is now the largest program of its kind in Canada. Last year, the City received over 3,400 nominations. This year, the goal is to receive 3,700 nominations. Nominations can be submitted Wednesday, May 20th – Tuesday, June 30th.

There are four categories for nomination:

1. General: Appealing front yards that make people smile as they pass by! These yards can include a variety of colours, textures, plants, and garden features.
2. Natural: Yards with a “natural” aesthetic, using native plants and limiting pesticides and herbicides.
3. Edible: Yards incorporating edible fruits, flowers, and plants into the landscape design.
4. Public Spaces (*new*): Yards with landscaping features and aesthetic appeal in front of a public building (including schools, businesses/offices, multi-unit residences, churches, and community league halls).

If you wish to nominate a front yard (and its owner), or for more information, visit the City of Edmonton Yards in Bloom 2015 page.

Root for Trees

Edmonton needs more trees! We want you to help us plant more trees to double the size of our urban forest. 

Root for Trees is an enhanced tree planting initiative which intends to increase tree planting within the city through continued partnerships with corporations, individual residents and community groups. The annual target of this initiative is to plant an additional 16,000 trees annually on public and private land.

Every year in June, Tree Fest invites you to come plant trees to a live bluegrass band and register for the kids tree-athlon, the only race of its kind in Edmonton!

This year the Root for Trees Festival is being held in Beaumaris Park (100 Street and 155 Avenue), Saturday, June 13 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.

Have fun in nature and plant trees with us at a free family event! Root for Trees Fest is an annual event which highlights the City of Edmonton Root for Trees Initiative – a program that makes it easier for you to plant trees in our city.

Activities include the annual Tree-athalon, musical guests Doug Hoyer and Jesse and the Dandelions, tree planting, and community displays.

For more information, please visit the City of Edmonton Root for Trees site or phone 3-1-1.

Castle Downs welcomes its new MLA, Nicole Goehring

As a result of the recent provincial election, Edmonton-Castle Downs has a new Member of Legislative Assembly, Nicole Goehring. The LBCL Board of Directors wish to welcome Ms. Goehring as our representative and look forward to working together with her to give Castle Downs a strong voice in the Legislative Assembly.

The Board would also like to take this opportunity to thank out-going MLA, Thomas Lukaszuk, for his many years of dedication and service to the communities of Castle Downs. 

City of Edmonton Summer Programs in Lorelei Beaumaris

While we wait for the snow to melt, again, check out our Programs page for the City of Edmonton summer programs being offered on the area including Summer Survivor, Green Shack, and Youth Drop-In.

Drop In Bike Safety Programs

Once again the City of Edmonton is offering drop in bike safety programs in communities around the city. For more information, visit the City of Edmonton website or call 3-1-1.

Lake Beaumaris assessment and rehabilitation

A group of concerned Castledowns and area community residents met on site with Councillor Dave Loken in September 2014 to express concerns regarding the deteriorating infrastructure of Beaumaris Lake and adjoining City of Edmonton Water Park.  On March 27, 2015 the group received an update on the situation regarding Beaumaris Lake.  They have been informed of the following from Councillor Loken’s Office:

In response to the on-going issues regarding the conditions of Beaumaris Lake the City of Edmonton has initiated a task force to respond to the concerns.

Under this initiative Beaumaris Lake will be the first facility to have an overall condition assessment completed. This initiative will be used as a pilot model to address other issues regarding lakes in the city in the future.

The task team is divided into two working groups. Each working group is a collaboration between the drainage, transportation, and parks departments in the city. The initiative is headed by the drainage department.

The first working group will focus on short-term and immediate concerns regarding Beaumaris Lake. This working group will be responding to regular maintenance needs of Beaumaris, as well as responding to any concerns that arise in the interim. As an example, this group will address concerns regarding the stairways and the brick pavers.

The second working group will focus on the medium and long term needs of Beaumaris.  This working group will conduct the overall condition assessment of the lake, and will develop a pro-active approach to rehabilitation of the assets. This group will look at permanent solutions to infrastructure that experiences ongoing repairs, and using the results of the overall condition assessment, will develop a prioritized list of rehabilitation needs. This group will facilitate capital planning and ensure that the recommended projects have an approved budget in place to be able to implement these projects.

The “Friends of Beaumaris” have worked hard to bring this issue to a plan of action so that we can all have a beautiful lake and that the infrastructure is returned to its original pristine state.  Thank you to all of the citizens working on this project and to Ed Rasko for sharing this information.