'Caustic' tone of Save Lakeview lobby group prompts community association resignations

The president and multiple board members have resigned from the Lakeview Community Association, with some saying their departures are the result of a relatively new lobby group, Save Lakeview, and purported "caustic" behaviour at local meetings.

The group, which has unknown membership, wants to reject connecting roads between Lakeview and the proposed Taza development on the Tsuut'ina First Nation. That development is planned to include entertainment, hospitality, retail and mixed-use developments.

Access is being planned as part of Calgary's ring road project, including the possibility of several access points along 37th Street S.W. in the Lakeview area. 

The province says it is adding only one new access point that will be connected to an active road at this point. 

However, Save Lakeview says that four connections are planned between their neighbourhood and the Tsuut'ina development, complaining that traffic in the residential area will increase drastically.

Meeting called for residents on Saturday

On Saturday, the community association called a special general meeting so residents could vote on whether they want to lobby the province to find an alternative plan for 37th Street S.W., and also lobby the city to apply rules that would apply to residential streets in other neighbourhoods. Results from the vote are not expected for several days.

At that meeting, community association president Geoffrey Vanderburg announced he will be resigning, effective March 12.

"The more caustic remarks that have been made is something that I can't stand behind, so for that reason I decided to announce that I would be resigning," said Vanderburg. Board members Janet Eremenko and Kathy Thompson had earlier resigned within the past two weeks.

Vanderburg's resignation came two days after the chair of community association's Tsuut'ina Nation Relations Committee also resigned. In his resignation letter, Jesse Salus specifically cited "the agenda of Save Lakeview" as a concern.

"What I'm starting to see I think, is there seems to be a desire to close off our community," said Salus on Thursday. In his resignation letter, Salus said he believed the Lakeview Community Association's meeting on Saturday could "impact the association's relationship with the [Tsuut'ina] Nation."

'Anonymous' group

Save Lakeview did not respond to emailed requests for comment from CBC News, and does not list any members on their website. As of March 3, 2018, social media icons on their page went to incorrect or dead links.

LCA board member Brad Gaulin said in an interview that he is involved with the group. According to Gaulin, their concern is they do not feel Lakeview residents have been sufficiently consulted on the Tsuut'ina development.

• Tsuut'ina chief meets with Lakeview residents over ring road development

"I'm disappointed that Save Lakeview is being villainized and portrayed as racist," said Gaulin, who opposes access to Lakeview from the Taza development under the current plans. Gaulin feels the Lakeview community should have more influence on decisions, and said nobody has considered the community in their plans.

"I think development for the band is wonderful, I only wish good for them. My only concern, and the only concern so far has been lack of information," said Gaulin.

Some attending Saturday's meeting had similar concerns to Save Lakeview but didn't have much information on the group. "I know they're anonymous," said Brittany Thomas.

"They're concerned, as I am." 

The potential benefits of easy access to the proposed Taza development didn't sway Thomas as a resident of Lakeview.

"I feel like I live in Central Calgary as it is and I have excellent access to amenities as it is," said Thomas.

Roley Ferguson has lived in Lakeview for 37 years, and pointed out that some of the intersections Save Lakeview is concerned about may already exist.  

"Those accesses are there currently. They have been there for years when the Canadian Armed Forces had their base," said Ferguson.

Other residents at the meeting did not share Save Lakeview's perspective. "I think that we can't stay stuck in the 1960s. We're an inner city community and we have to move with the times," said Connie Schulz, who lives four houses away from 37th Street.

Schulz added that concerns about traffic don't match her lived experience in Lakeview. "I was very concerned [about traffic] when the casino was built… and that traffic did not materialize," said Schulz.