In the age of COVID-19, connecting with others is a lost art. Thanks to cohousing and a new model that aims to broaden its use, however, that sense of community could return with a vengeance.

You can always go downtown. At least that's what the song says.

Much has been written about the current woes of Calgary's Downtown Commercial Core. Office vacancies are approaching 30 per cent and many businesses and commuters are conspicuous in their absence from the area.

However, there are a significant number of Calgarians who have no intention of going anywhere, even after the workaday crowd goes home.

To guide Town for next 20 years

Okotoks has launched a new parks and recreation initiative that it hopes will guide planning efforts for the growing community south of Calgary.

The master plan is designed to provide an overall framework to guide the development, delivery, and continuous improvement of parks and recreation programs, services, and facilities for the next 10 to 20 years.

"Parks and recreation are important services that help us enjoy a great quality of life in Okotoks. The Recreation, Parks and Leisure Master Plan is a key initiative to help us effectively plan for the future of these services," said Mayor Bill Robertson.

More than 90 per cent of Airdronians feel safe

Airdronians are generally a happy bunch – at least with local amenities and services, according to the City of Airdrie's 2016 citizen satisfaction survey.

Residents' rating of overall quality of life, quality of services and efficiency of services remained strong, with no significant change from 2015.

To read the full survey, click here.

Citizen engagement front and centre of new initiatives

What is your vision for your community in the next 20 years?

The City of Calgary recently asked this question to a group of nearly 40 Dover residents; the general consensus was a community that is safe, quiet and fun for kids.

Based on this feedback, City representatives will return to the southeast community later this month to present a list of small-scale improvement projects that can be completed within a year. Community members will get to prioritize the projects.

Developer hands keys over to community 

Nearly two decades after it was first constructed, Panorama Hills' e-Community Centre is officially being handed over to the community in which it resides.

Genstar Development Co., the developer behind the northeast Calgary community, will turn over ownership of the two-and-a-half hectare private park to the Northstar Residents' Association, by way of a volunteer board of directors, on April 1, 2016.

The ownership change was part of a long-term plan after Genstar built the facility in the late 1990s. The developer agreed to maintain and operate the facility before handing over control to the Northstar Residents Association, which encompasses residents in Panorama Hills and neighbouring Hanson Ranch.

The original agreement had the cutover occurring on or before April 1, 2026.