Calgary Hays is located in Calgary's 'deep south' and includes the communities of:

Auburn Bay
Copperfield
Cranston
Douglas Glen
Douglasdale
McKenzie
McKenzie Lake
McKenzie Towne
New Brighton
Seton

For more information on these communities click here.

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Calgary Hays MLA Art Johnston's
Report To Constituents

May 2008

I’d like to thank everyone for their support in the recent election and promise that I will continue to work hard to represent all the people and issues of Calgary Hays during my term as your MLA.

To assist me in getting your issues brought before the government please contact me with any comments you may have. I really appreciate your taking the time and effort to get in touch with me and I will do everything in my power to address your issues and concerns. You can:

• Drop by my constituency office at 11488 24th St. S.E. Unit 25 Calgary, Alberta T2Z 4C9

• Phone 215-4380 or email at calgary.hays@assembly.ab.ca

• Information is also available at www.artjohnston.ca and www.assembly.ab.ca

I have been appointed by Premier Stelmach to Chair the Cabinet Policy Committee on Community Services. This committee will review and make recommendations on policies, programs and legislation in several areas including Tourism, Parks and Recreation, Education, Housing and Urban Affairs, Municipal Affairs and Culture and Community Spirit. Our committee will annually review the budgets of these areas in order to help Ministers better prepare for budgets and three-year planning.

I hope to introduce a Bill this fall that I have been working on that will ban the use of handheld cell phones while driving. Also, the hiring and training of officers has begun for the Safe Communities Act that I introduced which was passed in the Legislature last year.

Plans to address the staffing of our new hospital are being addressed by the government. They include hiring new medical staff as well as transferring medical personnel from existing facilities in Calgary. As well the government has increased funding for the expansion of nursing and other health programs at several Alberta colleges and universities. The government is also expediting the process to test doctors from other countries as well as providing incentives for Albertans studying in the U.S. to return home to practice medicine.

Over the last several months I have had several meetings with the various community associations of Calgary Hays, the items we discussed included:

Marquis de Lorne – funding for the recreation centre is still being discussed and I am working with the community association on this. I also met with the school trustee and the separate school has been approved for the area and I am continuing to work to get approval for a K to 4 school.

Douglasdaleglen – the tendering process for the entrance gate has been completed and I am working with the community association, the city and the province to get this project completed which should be within the month.

McKenzie Lake – construction of the new hospital in the community is continuing with the development of the underground parking lot. The project is still on schedule and if you have any questions please contact Andrea Robertson at (403) 943-1154.

McKenzie Towne – construction on the new K to 4 public school is scheduled to begin this month and should be completed by April 2010. This school will have a capacity for 450 students when it is opened and will subsequently expand to accommodate 650 students.

Cranston – two P3 schools have been approved including a K to 4 public school with a capacity for 550 pupils and a K to 9 separate school with a capacity of 800 students with construction of both to begin this year. The new P3 separate school in New Brighton has yet to be finalized and I will update you on that when new information is available.

Finally I’d like to wish you all a safe and happy Victoria Day long weekend.

I appreciate the input I receive from you and welcome any comments you may have. Please contact myself or Donna Elms at the constituency office at 215-4380, calgary.hays@assembly.ab.ca. Please include your name, address and phone number so we can respond to your inquiry. Information is also available at www.assembly.ab.ca.