BBQ Raffle

Win a TraegervPro 780 Wi-Fi enabled Wood Pellet Grill

*Valued at $1350

Tickets:

• 10 FOR $50.00

• 50 FOR $100.00

• 1 FOR $10.00

• 3 FOR $20.00

Ritchie Community League is excited to announce our new hall fundraiser! - Grab your tickets now and enter to win a Traeger Pro 780 wi-fi enable wood pellet grill BBQ!

Ritchie Community League exists to create a welcoming and inclusive community for all Ritchie residents through advocacy, activities, programs, and supporting each other with opportunities to get to know our neighbours and have a sense of belonging within the community. We are based in Edmonton, Alberta.

Funds raised by this raffle will support our long journey to build a new hall! This community need was identified many years ago through direct consultation with Ritchie residents.

The winner will be contacted to claim their prize.

Thank you for your support!

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Rules

1. Players must be 18 years of age or older, and use a major credit card, Visa Debit or MasterCard Debit.

2. Tickets will be available online and sold at a rate of:

1 FOR $10.00 * 3 FOR $20.00 * 10 FOR $50.00 * 50 FOR $100.00

3. Ticket sales will end on September 22, 2024 at 3:00pm with the draw taking place at the Ritchie Community League Hall 7727 98 STREET NORTHWEST, EDMONTON, AB, T6E 5C9 on September 22, 2024 at 6pm.

4. The winner will receive a Traeger Pro 780 wi-fi enable wood pellet grill BBQ *valued at $1349.99 retail

5. All ticket numbers will be emailed to ticket purchasers by the registered Electronic Raffle Supplier (ERS) (Rafflebox). A physical ticket will not be mailed out for this draw.

6. The winner will be determined by a random draw using a registered Electronic Raffle Supplier (ERS) Random Number Generator (RNG).

7. The winner will be contacted by phone and email. The winner has 7 days to claim their prize, a second draw from the same numbers will occur after 7 days if the prize goes unclaimed.

8. By playing you consent to having your name and winning numbers published.

PRIZE DESCRIPTION

TraegervPro 780 Wi-Fi enabled Wood Pellet Grill

All-natural hardwood pellets fuel the fire and add incredible flavor. Pick the temperature you want, then Set It & Forget It®. 

• 780 sq. inch grilling area - Enjoy enough grilling space to hold up to 24 burgers or 9 racks of ribs.

• WiFIRE® Controller - Adjust temperatures and monitor food on your smartphone with the WiFIRE® controller and Traeger App.

• Porcelain Grill Grates - These grates are non-stick and easy to clean no matter what you cook

• 18 lbs. hopper capacity - Enjoy hours of cooking without needing a refill thanks to this spacious hopper size.

• D2® Direct Drive - The D2® Direct Drive drivetrain features more power, precision and durability for better wood-fired flavor.

• Pro D2 Direct Drive improves searing and allows low and slow cooking with broader temp ranges

• TurboTemp allows ultra fast startup and rapid temperature changes

• Exterior storage hooks for extra grill rack

• Traeger's easy-to-use controls make wood-fired cooking simple. Just set your grill temperature like you would your oven and let your Traeger do the work for you.

• Consistency - Get consistent results thanks to consistent temperatures every single time. Traeger makes mastering your BBQ easy and reliable.

• Taste - Traeger grills are fueled by 100% all-natural hardwood pellets that infuse amazing wood-fired flavor into everything you cook.

• 6-in-1 Versatility - Traegers aren't just for grilling, you can smoke, bake, roast, braise, and BBQ food too, from ribs to apple pie.

Traeger's all-natural hardwood pellets ensure you get only the highest-quality pure hardwood flavour, and nothing else. Whether you're grilling, smoking, roasting, baking, braising, or barbecuing your food, the Traeger hardwood pellets got you covered. Note: Pellets sold separately

West Ritchie Garden Perspective

I write this to help clarify a bit of what the West Ritchie community faces with the homelessness situation and to explain how complex this issue really is. 

My motivation to create a community garden didn't stem from my love of gardening; I have a bit of a black thumb. Instead, my drive came from my observation of the land: overlooking it from my balcony and witnessing first-hand how neglected, dirty, and under-utilized it was. No one had cared for it in a long time, that was evident. I watched pickup trucks back in and dump mattresses, TVs—you name it. I watched homeless camps pop up, get looted, and/or burn down. Even the City was on the hook; garbage from construction projects, utility poles, and exposed wires could be found across the property. Even more concerning was others’ apparent obliviousness to the dangers of this space. Off-leash dogs ran through the lot, their owners unaware of the broken glass, disposed needles, and other hazards. Teens came by at night, not knowing that they were drinking near a bike chop shop. It went on and on. So I took it upon myself to do something. 

First, it was just calling around. The City said any garbage near the fenceline is CP Rail's jurisdiction. CP argued that side of the fence was city land. This went on and on for months while real people were still trying to use the green space. Large dumped items were removed, but the real hazards—the abandoned encampments—remained. So a few good neighbours chose a day to go down there and haul trash. 

Now, this was not easy. We pulled around 50 needles from the site on the first day. We didn't know what to do with these needles—we ended up putting them pointy side down in a coffee can that we found. We didn't have cut-proof gloves, safety training, or really any good reason to be out there, other than the fact that no one else would help. I look back and realize that we should've stopped as soon as the needles began piling up. But we continued. We hauled a huge amount of trash to the road and called 311 to come get it, since they wouldn't if the trash was located on the fenceline. Seeing how the green space looked after a little TLC was hugely motivating and the garden idea bloomed. 

Throughout my time building this garden project, homeless encampments have been the absolute biggest issue. There have been massive fires both in the garden and directly adjacent on CP land, and the fire department comes several times a year to put out small and large blazes. Needles have been an ongoing issue, popping up in the grass, on the picnic tables, and once thrown into our compost piles, which can be extremely dangerous for gardeners. Open drug use happens all the time, often with paraphernalia left on the picnic tables. We've had gardeners approached by campers asking if they are alone and if they brought anyone with them. We've had human feces directly beside the path. We have had full-scale bike chop shops, with multiple men dismantling dozens of bikes per day within view of my balcony. But we've had many good campers too. I go down and speak to most campers that set up, letting them know that they are in a community garden, and I usually offer them some garbage bags and water. We've had campers apologize for using our space, some saying that they truly didn't know where they could legally stay the night. I’ve had laughs with campers, had campers help me pick up garbage, and had campers help me repair the compost lids. I've seen their camps looted by people—homeless or well-off—while the campers were away. We had Paul, who dubbed himself the garden guardian and protected the produce. I didn't exactly believe him, but alas, after he moved on, the gardeners began to complain that their produce had been picked. I know that campers are not the issue, it's the lack of support we have in managing the ones who are being bad neighbours. 

More support is needed for grassroots projects like this. For years, the City fought with both us and CPR about jurisdiction, and in that time no one would clean up the space, regardless of hazards. This is an issue, especially with the garden being the closest green space to homelessness supports in Ritchie. Of course people will want to shelter there. But we need help with encampment cleanup and proper needle response, regardless of jurisdiction. The City added a needle drop-off box a block away from the garden, on the corner of an intersection with no sidewalk—this kind of response is laughable, in my opinion. I hope that the supervised consumption site in Ritchie that will open will offer more comprehensive supports than the City has for the issues we are facing. Related to this, we also need prompt City response when citizens take it upon themselves to clean up on their behalf. We have 311 bags, which the city advertises citizens can use for community cleanups, but the full bags sit there for days or weeks, attracting attention and getting rooted through. I understand that this comes down to budget, as litter and encampment cleanup costs around the city have skyrocketed, but it still impacts the quality of the garden and our neighbourhood. One group that I don't have complaints about is EPS and the beat cops that we call when campers pose a risk to gardeners. Our beat cops are extremely friendly to us, understanding of our situation, and always ensure that they're clear on what we need before they talk to the campers. They only ever evict campers if we provide cause (ie, threats, needles), and otherwise just coordinate with us and the campers' social workers. 

Overall, the garden has become what it is because of volunteer support and community vision. The number of hours put into improving this space by people who simply want nicer neighbourhoods is amazing, and something that all neighbours benefit from. I hope to see the City supporting these citizen-led efforts with more funding and less red tape, because people-led projects are the lifeblood of the neighbourhood.

A community volunteer’s perspective

Hanna Davidson, West Ritchie Director

Community Safety

In support of our members and to benefit the neighbourhood, the Ritchie Community League is committed to sharing resources and tools with residents to help ensure a safe and healthy community.

Quicklinks: 

• Important numbers based on the situation 

• Guide to positive interactions (pdf) and training video (50 min).

• Residential Property Safety video (50 min) and guide using environmental design.

• Lots of tips, guides, and help, including information in multiple languages, found on the Neighbourhood Enhancement Team’s website.

When to call 911

If you see a crime in progress or if you encounter a person who is violent towards you, call 911.

If you witness someone causing damage to property or someone watching a house, lurking around, etc. with the intention of monitoring someone.

When to call 211, option 3

• If you see someone in distress, or behaving erratically

• If you see a person regularly sleeping in public areas

• If you witness aggressive panhandling

When to call 311

• If you come across an encampment, tent or shelter on public or private property.

• If you see people smoking in a non-smoking area.

Resources and actions

For community safety initiatives, the following resources and actions support community safety.

• A printed version of this guide with directions on who to call in what circumstances will be available at league events.

• On July 24, RCL hosted an introduction to personal safety while in the community…more workshops to come!

• Watch the on-line presentation on how to have positive interactions who are agitated or aggressive (50 minute video).

• Can’t do the video? Check out The Positive Interactions Guide.

• RCL can work with the community safety liaison on assessments for areas that have negative interactions and strategies that foster position interactions. This can be for individual households or a public area. Contact inquiries@Ritchie-League.com for questions or interests.

• The league is looking for an instructor to teach self-defense, with drop-in workshops this fall/winter.

• We encourage everyone to talk to your neighbour, say hello when passing someone on the sidewalk, and keep an eye out for each other and one another’s property.

Membership Value Survey

SWITCH TO MOBILE VERSION

Improvement Opportunity

Share your thoughts! how can we improve?

SWITCH TO MOBILE VERSION

Parent lead playgroups

This program is for parents/guardians with kids ages 0-5 who are interested in connecting with other Ritchie (or adjacent neighbourhood) families.

Weekly meet-ups at the hall for ages 0-5, Wednesdays, 9 to 11 am (led by Hannah) except during July, August, spring break, and December/January holiday break.

There is no cost to drop-in but we ask that you consider purchasing a Ritchie membership, an affiliate membership or donate what you can.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNTIIES

1. For September 2023 onward, we are looking for a new program lead for the 0-5 year old playgroup.

2. Starting and hosting a different playgroup for a different age range.

CONTACT: Programs@ritchie-league.com