History of Deer Ridge

History of  Deer Ridge 
-by Karen Stevenson

The history of Calgary is one of growth and development. By 1960 the entire area around Fish Creek Park was privately owned farm and ranch land east of Macleod Trail. Some early developers, including Qualico, Kelwood, Westco, and Art Sullivan, had options to buy the Burns ranch lands. The Deer Ridge area was annexed to the city in 1961. This annexation was one of the largest in city history. It included the land south of Anderson Road to about 162nd Ave, and east from the reserve lands to the Bow River in the west, and north and northwest around the city centre.

On Feb 19, 1973 Premier Peter Lougheed established Fish Creek Park stretching from the reserve lands in the west to the Bow River in the east, a massive 2800 acres. The cost of the land was 15 million dollars. These events set the stage for Qualico and other builders to start the development in our area in 1978. Deer Ridge includes a mix of developments – single family, duplex and triplex homes, condos and townhomes and estate homes along the ridge.

The first meeting of the Deer Ridge Community Association was held at Willow Park Community Hall on May 7, 1980. Deer Ridge Community Association was registered as a society with the Alberta government on May 27, 1980, with Bob Mondy as the first president.

The students in the community were first bussed to nearby schools and later attended Queensland Elementary School. Wilma Hansen Junior High School and Don Bosco Catholic School opened in 1983, providing local education facilities for Deer Ridge students. Since the 2010 closing of Queensland Downs School, our public-school students have been bussed to nearby Deer Run Elementary.

Deer Ridge started out in Municipal Ward 14, with Alderman Sue Higgins serving us until 1983, when she ran unsuccessfully for mayor. Diane Hunter took her place as Alderman. Due to a boundary change, Deer Ridge became part of Ward 12 from 1986 to 1995. In 1995 the boundaries were changed once again, and Deer Ridge was returned to Ward 14. Sue Higgins successfully ran again as Ward 14 Alderman, serving us from 1995 until 2001. Linda Fox-Melway was Alderman from 2001 to 2010, when Peter Demong was elected as our Ward 14 Councillor.

In 1979, Deer Ridge was incorporated into the new Provincial riding of Calgary Fish Creek, represented by MLA William Edward Payne until his retirement in 1993. MLA Heather Forsyth succeeded MLA William Payne and represented us until 2015, when our current MLA, Richard Gotfried was elected.

Initially, Deer Ridge was part of the federal riding of Calgary South, represented by John William Thompson from 1979 to 1984, and Bobbie Sparrow from 1984 to 1988. In 1988 the riding was split up and we became part of Calgary South East, with Lee Richardson as our Member of Parliament (MP) from 1988 to 1993, followed by MP Jan Brown until 1997. MP Jason Kenney was elected following Jan Brown and served us until 2016, by which time Deer Ridge had been folded into the new federal riding of Calgary Midnapore. After a by-election in our riding, our current MP, Stephanie Kusie, took office in 2017.

Deer Ridge Community Association – Time Line

• First meeting Deer Ridge CA  meeting May 7, 1980
• Became a registered society May 27, 1980
• First date of incorporation August 1980
• First general meeting at Don Bosco school Oct 13, 1982
• FLC was turned over to 5 member communities in Nov 1982
• Deer Ridge had 96 charter members at the FLC
• Qualico homes released the “Yellow Slide Park” site to city Parks and Rec.
• Yellow slide park playscape built 1982
• First Children Sports Day June 1983
• Don Bosco school playground built with Deer Ridge CA help Oct 1984
• Bingo fund raisers started at Willow Ridge Community Hall 1983
• First Deer Ridge CA casino Jan 1984 with  a profit of 39 thousand
• Deer Ridge CA hockey “QueensRidgeDowns” later became BVH Dec 1983
• Deer Ridge CA started soccer under  “Queens Ridge” banner
• Deer Ridge CA put $7,000 toward playground at Yellow slide Park
• Rink on Deerview Place and Deer Ridge Drive started in the winter of 1983-1984
• Community Fair Day 15 June 1985
• Block Watch started 1985
• Ball diamond built at Don Bosco school 1986
• Community saw a need for a snowblower and rink equipment storage Feb 1986
• Community newsletter started Nov 1986 sent out every 2 months
• Calgary Public school board gives up Deerview Park site 1986
• Bow Valley Hockey Society started for 1986-1987 season
• Rink moved to Don Bosco site for the 1986-1987 season
• Deer Ridge held an Olympic celebration on Jan 23, 1988
• Horizon Village started
• Deerview Village was started in the fall of 1988
• First appreciation for 52 volunteers at Deer Run Community hall
• Community bought hockey nets and saw the need for permanent rink boards
• Tennis courts built at the Yellow Slide Park 1990
• Newsletter to be done by Riverside Printing and sent by Canada Post 1991
• Community explored building a hall or storage shed  April 1991
• Yellowslide Park playground built in May 1992
• Newsletter was again taken over by the community and delivered by hand
• Deer Valley Village was started in Sept 1992
• Tennis lessons were held in the summer of 1993
• Sandy Gill received the “Canada 125 Birthday” medal for volunteering
• Over 300 kids are playing soccer in Queensridge 1993
• Community Needs and Preference study done Sept 1993
• No community rink in the 1993-1994 due to poor conditions
• DeerPoint Village with IGA store developed in 1994
• Licence of Occupation for rink site was refused in  1994
• Improvement made to playscape and rink site May 1995
• Park and Play and Stay and Play city programs Summer 1995
• First winter carnival Feb 1996
• Licence of Occupation signed with the city May 1998
• Don Bosco school upgraded their playground with Deer Ridge CA donation 1998
• Youth justice committee started with Larry Lamieux as chair 1998
• Deer Ridge rink received first Enmax rinklighter program rebate 1998-1999
• Improvements by the city at the rink 1999
• FLC final debt payment 1999
• Newsletter was taken over by Carol Benoit at Digital Gallery Oct 1999
• Summer carnival was a big success June 3, 2000
• Queensland school upgraded their playground with DRCA donation 2000
• First community clean up day May 5, 2001
• Deerpath Road playscape was replaced (due to lead paint) by the city in 2001
• Block watch and Fish Creek Youth justice working together
• Deer Ridge CA held its first joint Christmas party with QDCA December 2001
• First Christmas light display contest December 2001
• Deer Ridge CA official website was created April 2002
• Deer Ridge rink and tennis courts were upgraded 2002
• First ever Calgary “Movie in the Park” Aug 2002 – Spider Man
• Shady park playscape upgraded by the city in 2003( due to lead paint)
• Deer Ridge CA provided an emergency donation of $4,000 to FLC for ice edger
• Deer Ridge CA helped install new basketball nets at Don Bosco Park 2003
• Shed was built at the rink site 2003
• Deer Ridge CA provided the FLC with $7704.85 toward a ice chiller June 2004
• Deer Ridge CA purchased Olympia ice surfacing machine in winter 2005
• Deer Ridge CA purchased a BBQ and snowblower for community use 2005
• Deerpath Park playscape planned
• Deer Ridge CA painted the court lines at Don Bosco Park for kids games 2006
• Landscape project at Yellowslide Park was ongoing
• New lightning was installed at the rink 2007
• Deerpath Park playscape was replaced 2008 with grand opening Oct 2009
• Broken rink boards replaced Nov 2008
• Deer Valley Mall redevelopment is announced May 2009
• Plan-it Calgary future plan unveiled May 2009
• Fence was installed between the hockey and pleasure rink 2009
• TRICO centre (formally FLC) held grand opening of new spaces Jan 2010
• First annual Deer Ridge community “Dump your Junk” clean up May 8, 2010 in Deer Valley Mall Parking lot
• Deer Ridge “Movie in Yellow Slide Park” – Fantastic Mr. Fox – July 23, 2010.
• Life cycle report done of Deer Ridge CA facilities 2010
• Tennis court were upgraded 2011
• Deer Ridge CA members represented the first Ward 14 Community BBQ/ breakfast June 11, 2011 at South Centre Mall.
• Second annual Deer Ridge community “Dump your Junk” clean up  May 2011 in Deer Valley Mall Parking lot
• Kelby St. Vil represented Deer Ridge CA in Stampede Parade July 2011.
• Surplus land at the Yellowslide park was deeded to the Francophone school board for their use as a school site in the future Oct 2011
• Licence of Occupation was signed with the city 2011
• 1500 residences with a population of 3900 in 2011
• Deer Ridge “Winter Skate” event January 2012
• Third annual Deer Ridge “Dump your Junk” clean up  2012 – partnered with Queensland CA
• New Deer Ridge Community Blog/Website released online June 2012
• Kelby St. Vil represented Deer Ridge CA in Stampede Parade July 2012
• Deer Ridge “Movie in Yellow Slide Park” – THE PIRATES – BAND OF MISFITS  – August 11, 2012.
• Deer Ridge CA represented the 2nd  Ward 14 Community BBQ Sept 2012 at South Centre Mall.
• Deer Valley mall redevelopment and expansion started  2012
• Mr. Gord Miller received the FCC – Encana  “Step Up Award” for community volunteering December 5, 2012.
• Deer Ridge Twitter Account opened January 2013
• Deer Ridge “Winter Skate” event January 12, 2013
• Deer Ridge CA submitted an “Expression of Interest” to the city Calgary for a permanent Skate Board Park in Deer Ridge February 28, 2013 (Skate Park awarded to Deer Run)
• Fourth annual Deer Ridge “Dump your Junk” clean up May 2013- partnered with Queensland CA
• Deer Ridge Community Gardens opened in June 2013.
• Deer Ridge represented  in the Calgary Stampede Parade July 2013 ( B.Hall )
• Deer Ridge CA  “Movie in Yellow Slide Park” the Croods – Sat. July 6, 2013
• Deer Ridge CA  “Movie in Yellow Slide Park” the Avengers – Sat. Aug 10, 2013
• Deer Ridge CA members attended the 3rd Ward 14 BBQ Sept 2013.
• New Deer Ridge Yellowslide Playscape completed and opened in Sept./ Oct. 2013.
• Deer Ridge CA board met to complete a business plan, vision and mission November 2013
• Deer Ridge “Winter Skate” event January 2014
• Deer Ridge Volunteers work their fund raising Casino March 2 & 3, 2014
• Fifth annual Deer Ridge “Dump your Junk” clean up May 2014 – partnered with Queensland CA
• Deer Ridge CA Sponsored Red Cross Babysitting program June 14, 2014 at Deer Park United Church
• Deer Ridge represented  in Calgary Stampede Parade July 2014. ( B.Hall )
• Deer Ridge CA  “Movie in Yellow Slide Park” Captain America– Sat. July 19, 2014
• Deer Ridge CA  “Movie in Yellow Slide Park”  Spider-Man 2 – Sat. Aug 23, 2014
• Deer Ridge CA represented at the 4th Annual Ward 14 Community BBQ Sept 2014.
• New Deer Ridge Journal – Community newsletter launched by Great News in October 2014
• Mr. Roy Franco celebrated 15 years of volunteering in the Deer Ridge  – December 2014.
• Deer Ridge “Winter Skate” event January 2015 at the Deer Ridge Ice Rinks.
• Deer Ridge CA Sponsored Red Cross Babysitting program March 7, 2015 at Deer Park United Church.
• Sixth annual Deer Ridge “Dump your Junk” clean up June 2015-partnered with Queensland CA
• Mr. Gordon Miller celebrates 19 years of volunteering in Deer Ridge – June 2015
• Deer Ridge CA /Lutheran Church sponsored Stampede Breakfast June 2015.
• Deer Ridge CA represented at the First Annual Community Festival at Deer Point Plaza – June 2015
• Deer Ridge represented in Calgary Stampede Parade July 2015 ( B. Hall )
• Deer Ridge CA  “Movie in Yellow Slide Park” – Big Hero 6– Sat. July 18, 2015.
• Deer Ridge celebrates the 35th Anniversary of the Deer Ridge CA July 18, 2015 with over 600 in attendance at “Movie in Yellow Slide Park”.
• Deer Ridge Volunteers work their fund raising Casino July 26 & 27, 2015.
• Deer Ridge CA  “Movie in Yellow Slide Park” The Lego Movie”– Sat. Aug, 22 2015.
• Deer Ridge CA represented at the 5th Annual Ward 14 Community BBQ Sept 2015.
• Deer Ridge CA sponsored Red Cross Babysitting program November 14, 2015 at Deer Park United Church.
• Deer Ridge “Winter Skate” event January 9,2016 at the Deer Ridge Ice Rinks.
• Deer Ridge CA sponsored Red Cross Babysitting program May 7, 2016 at Deer Park United Church.
• Deer Ridge Parks & Playground Volunteer Clean Up May 15,2016.
• Mr. Larry Lemieux celebrates 21 years of volunteering in Deer Ridge – June 21, 2016.
• Deer Ridge CA represented at the 2nd  Annual Community Festival at Deer Point Plaza – June 26, 2016.

_{This information was last updated on July 4, 2016.}