Airdrie Minute: Wasp Activity, School Enrollment, and Automated Garbage Collection

Airdrie Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Airdrie politics

This Week In Airdrie:

• The Community Safety and Social Services Standing Committee will meet on Tuesday at 9:00 am. The Committee will receive a presentation on the Rocky View Foundation - the housing management body for the Rocky View Region, as well as a report on the RCMP Q1 update and an overview of the Transportation and Training Department.
  
  
• The Community Infrastructure and Strategic Growth Standing Committee will meet on Tuesday at 1:00 pm. The Committee will hear an update on the automated garbage collection program. Changing from a manual to an automated collection program has an estimated yearly increase between $8 and $22 per household ($0.62 to $1.73 per billing cycle). Despite the increase, residents who responded to the City’s public engagement were generally supportive of the program.
  
  
• Repairs are ongoing for the Veterans Boulevard (Highway 567) bridge over the QEII, impacting traffic. Motorists are being advised to use alternate routes, such as 40 Avenue or Yankee Valley Boulevard. The repairs are expected to last up to eight weeks, ending on October 31st.

Last Week In Airdrie:

• Airdrie celebrated the opening of its new artificial turf field at Ed Eggerer Athletic Park. The project, funded largely by the Canada Community Building Fund with additional support from the Alberta Community Partnership program and Rocky View County, cost $6.2 million. The field, which has been highly anticipated by local sports teams, hosted its first high school football games, marking Airdrie's debut of Friday Night Lights. The new facility is expected to attract provincial and national events, and is projected to serve about 35,000 residents annually.
  
  
• At the first Rocky View Schools (RVS) Board of Trustees meeting of the school year, Superintendent Greg Luterbach reported on student enrollment. While RVS projected 29,350 students for the year, current enrollment numbers have fluctuated, starting at 29,307 and dropping to 29,272. Luterbach expects the enrollment to reach the projected figure by the end of September. Additionally, RVS has introduced new administrative procedures restricting the use of personal mobile devices and social media in schools to minimize distractions and enhance focus on learning. The procedures mandate that devices be kept out of sight and turned off during instructional time, with limited exceptions for health or educational reasons.
  
  
• Airdrie has experienced an increase in wasp activity due to a combination of a wet spring and warm summer, which has led to a surge in aphids, a key food source for wasps. The City’s integrated pest management team has addressed about a dozen nests so far, focusing on those near high-traffic areas, while allowing wasps to continue their natural behaviour elsewhere. Residents are advised to avoid disturbing nests and seek professional help if removal is necessary. To reduce wasp stings, Health Canada recommends avoiding uncovered food, using unscented products, and keeping garbage tightly sealed.