Connecting communities

How social media is bringing Calgarians together

When the Green Line is complete, it will add 40 kilometres of track to the city's 59-kilometre LRT system and link North Pointe and Seton to downtown. Eventually, it will serve 41 million passengers annually and link Calgary's neighbourhoods like never before.

As with any large development project, the City of Calgary has been consulting with the community during the design process. And to that end, they've been relying heavily on social media to get the word out.

"We've been using a number of social media channels, primarily Facebook and Twitter," said Julie Yepishina-Geller, Green Line communications co-ordinator for the City.

Earlier this year, the City added paid social media to its strategy so it could communicate to a wider public, including people who aren't already engaging with City events and initiatives online. The strategy appears to be working, as evidenced by the younger demographic now coming out to information sessions, said Yepishina-Geller.

"One of the most important things about the Green Line is that it isn't just a transit project. It's definitely a community shaping project, too."

But social media isn't just helping get Calgarians involved in the planning process — it's bringing people and neighbourhoods together around the project.

"One of the most important things about the Green Line is that it isn't just a transit project. It's definitely a community shaping project, too," said Yepishina-Geller.

"The fact that it's 40 kilometres long and spans the entire city is really going to change how people move and live in Calgary."

Social media is also a community-building tool for many community associations in Calgary. Federation of Calgary Communities executive director Leslie Evans said more than half of its 150 members maintain social media accounts.

Although associations were initially slow to embrace social media, "in the last year, it has blossomed," she said. Twitter has become especially popular, likely because of its ease of use and its "polls" feature, which allows community associations to ask followers for feedback on certain issues.

In the last year, Instagram has also caught on as a way for associations to share photos of community events (i.e. farmer's markets) and amenities (i.e. ice rinks and community gardens).

Using these channels, associations are able to share a wide range of information relevant to their specific community — everything from association membership sales to crime reports from police, said Evans.

But she also stresses social media's benefits go beyond the dissemination of information. It also provides opportunities for more associations to connect with one another, not just with their own residents, to collaborate on mutually beneficial projects or events.

"I think there's more opportunity for partnership and sharing ideas," said Evans.

Looking to connect with your community on social media? Find your community below to locate its respective Twitter handle.

NORTH

Beddington Heights @BeddingtonCA

Carrington @MattamyCal

Country Hills @NorthernHills

Country Hills Village @NorthernHills

Coventry Hills @NorthernHills

Evanston @NorthernHills

Harvest Hills @NorthernHills

Hidden Valley @HVCAHiddenhut

Huntington @huntingtonyyc

Livingston @BrookfieldYYC

MacEwan Glen @macsnd

Panorama Hills @NorthernHills

Sage Hill @SageHillYYC

Sandstone Valley @macsnd

Sherwood @MelcorYYC

Thorncliffe @TGCACalgary

NORTH WEST

Arbour Lake @arbourlakeyyc

Bowness @mybowness

Brentwood @BrentwoodYYC

Charleswood @TriwoodC

Collingwood @TriwoodC

Dalhousie @dcayyc

Edgemont @EdgemontCA

Greenwood/Greenbriar @mybowness

Hamptons @hamptonscalgary

Hawkwood @HawkwoodCA

Montgomery @mcapeople

Ranchlands @YYCRanchlandsCA

Rocky Ridge @RRROCA1

Royal Oak @RRROCA1

Scenic Acres @scenicacresca

Silver Springs @SSCACalgary

Tuscany @Tuscany_Calgary

University District @UHCACalgary

University Heights @UHCACalgary

University of Calgary @UCalgary

Varsity @VarsityVca

NORTH EAST

Castleridge @FCCA_Official

Cityscape @MattamyCal

Falconridge @FCCA_Official

Mayland Heights @CrossroadsComm

Monterey Park @MontereyParkYYC

Pineridge @PineridgeYYC

Redstone @QualicoYYC

Saddle Ridge @MYSRCA

Taradale @Taradale_ca

Temple @TempleCommunity

Vista Heights @CrossroadsComm

CITY CENTRE

Altadore @YYCMardaLoop

Banff Trail @BanffTrailYYC

Bankview @BankviewCA

Beltline @yycbeltline, @beltline_pres

Bridgeland-Riverside @BRCAssociation

Capitol Hill @CapitolHillCA

Chinatown @SaveChinatown

Cliff Bungalow @CBM_CA

Crescent Heights @chcayyc

Downtown Comm. Core @downtowncalgary

East Village @EastVillageYYC, @yycEVNA

Eau Claire @eauclaireca

Elbow Park @ElbowPark

Elboya @ElbowPark

Erlton @ErltonYYC

Garrison Woods @YYCMardaLoop

Greenview @TGCACalgary

Highland Park @HighlandPkCA

Hillhurst @HillhurstSunny

Hounsfield Heights/Briar Hill @hhbhca

Inglewood @icacalgary, @InglewoodYYC

Killarney/Glengarry @killarneyyyc

Meadowland Park @meadowlarkpark

Mission @CBM_CA

Mount Pleasant @MountPleasantCA

Parkdale @ParkdaleYYC

Parkhill @ParkhillStanley

Ramsay @ramsaycalgary

Renfrew @RenfrewCA

Richmond @RKHCA

Rosedale @CalgaryRosedale

Shaganappi @ShaganappiComm

South Calgary @southcalgary

Sunalta @SunaltaYYC

Sunnyside @HillhurstSunny

Tuxedo Park @TuxedoParkYYC

West Hillhurst @WestHillhurstCA

Windsor Heights/Mountainview @winstonheights

EAST

Applewood Park @ApplewoodPark

Dover @doverdossier

Forest Lawn @ForestLawnYYC

WEST

Garrison Green @NGPCA

Currie Barracks @CurrieLife

Cougar Ridge @WSCRCA

Crestmont @crestmontca

Discover Ridge @discovery_ridge

North Glenmore Park @NGPCA

Spruce Cliff @sprucecliffyyc

West Springs @WSCRCA

Wildwood @InspireWildwood

SOUTH EAST

Auburn Bay @AuburnBayRA

Copperfield @CopperfieldYYC

Douglasdale/Glen @DGCA_YYC

Bridlewood @mysbca

Mahogany @mahoganyliving

McKenzie Lake @mlca2

McKenzie Towne @MTCouncil

New Brighton @NBrightonCA

Ogden @MillicanOgdenCA

Riverbend @RiverbendYYC

Seton @BrookfieldYYC

SOUTH

Bayview @PBPCommunity

Braeside @BraesideCalgary

Bridlewood @bridlewoodca

Cedarbrae @Cedarbraeinfo

Chaparral @ChaparralCA

Deer Ridge @DeerRidgeCA

Deer Run @DeerRunCalgary

Evergreen @EvergreenRsdnts

Haysboro @HaysboroCA

Kingsland @Kingsland_YYC

Lake Bonavista @LakeBonavistaCA

Legacy @LegacyCalgary

Maple Ridge @WillowRidgeYYC

Midnapore @MidSunCommunity

Millrise @MillriseCgy

Palliser @PBPCommunity

Pump Hill @PBPCommunity

Silverado @SilveradoCA

Somerset @mysbca

Southwood @SouthwoodYYC

Sundance @MidSunCommunity

Walden @Walden_YYC

Willow Park @WillowRidgeYYC