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 Spring - a time for cleaning up and looking ahead
 Well, this week it certainly seemed like a stretch to talk about spring, but we know it's just around the corner.
Looking Ahead
And with spring comes renewed energy and it's a good time to look at where we're going to be directing our efforts in the next few months.
One development I'm particularly excited about is The Quarters, which will breathe new life into the east part of downtown, and the Boyle Renaissance project in particular.
The Quarters represents one of the best opportunities for urban renewal in our city. It is a neighbourhood that we have all felt has been under-developed for far too long, and its excellent proximity to downtown and the river valley should make it one of our most desirable neighbourhoods.
We are now seeing interest begin to spark in the Quarters, a major new residential tower was just approved for the area two weeks ago. Long-term, more than 20,000 people will call the Quarters home. And while it's exciting to see interest start to spark, we also must recognize that we cannot simply build a new neighbourhood downtown without addressing some of the fundamental social issues facing the people who still live on site. The need to provide "service-in-place" is behind the new Boyle Renaissance proposal - especially as more expensive housing places even more pressure on current residents of the Quarters.
Boyle Renaissance is a plan to build up to 900 housing units, including supportive housing, seniors housing, and continuing care facilities for area residents. A number of established agencies have come on board and services will be integrated to offer the best possible service and links to the neighbourhood at large. It's innovative thinking that will help us find the right balance between growth, which is inevitable, and ensuring the proper mix of housing in our downtown core.
If you are interested in finding out more about these, or any other city initiatives, please visit www.edmonton.ca or call my office at 496-8100.
Capital City Clean Up
 With spring comes the inevitable need to sweep away the dirt that's been hidden under the snow for the last few months. All you need to do is look at your yard or your street and you'll know what I mean.
 The city is busy clearing away the sand and dirt that comes from keeping our roads clear through the winter and we are looking for some good neighbours to commit to keeping their block clean and litter-free. We've already had 696 Edmontonians volunteer to be Block Captains for our annual Capital City Clean Up. Now, we'd like you to take up the challenge.
Edmontonians are truly outstanding citizens when it comes to curbside recycling and the Capital City Clean Up builds on this. We're hoping people will start to think about spring clean up in their neighbourhood the same way they tackle it in their own back yard.
You can sign-up today online to be part of Capital City Clean-up by visiting www.edmonton.ca/capitalcitycleanup or by emailing capitalcitycleanup@edmonton.ca.
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