The Community Connector Effect: The Power of Community Associations in St Andrews Heights.

Community Associations (CAs) form the backbone of many communities in Calgary. They are vital in creating and sustaining communities. They strengthen community bonds, increase safety, and improve local amenities. CAs organize community members and create social events, community cleanups, sports, and provide child care. St Andrews Heights is one of such communities, calling forth local citizens’ capacity and powers as a means for engagement -John McKnight. One of the ways St Andrews Heights have been creating citizen power is through their involvement in the Building Connected Communities (BCC) project with the help of a Community Connector.

Before the BCC project began, St. Andrews Heights already felt like home. Residents often described it as a quiet, close-knit neighbourhood, where you knew the people next door or across the street.

But even with those warm pockets of connection, some of the relationships were limited. As one resident puts it, “I knew the people right around me, mostly just because we had lived here so long.” There wasn’t yet a sense of community that stretched across the neighbourhood.

A Shift Begins

Once the BCC project started, things began to change. Residents noticed it almost immediately:

“Now, when I walk out of my house, I say hi to way more people.”

Events became shared reference points. Conversations deepened. Stories were exchanged. And the Community Hall? It transformed from a rental space into a true gathering place filled with weekly events, familiar faces, and a renewed sense of purpose.

Co-Creating Community

Community is built , sustained and grown through people ‘connecting’. In St Andrews Heights there is a group of 30 people who are currently leading, organizing and supporting the Connection Program. While all these people deserve recognition in their own right, we want to share the story of one community member who has brought great energy and skills to the table. This story illustrates the community member's impact on the program and the program’s impact on him.

Before the BCC project, Clarence was involved in the Board and 55+ program, but his broader community connections were limited. Now Clarence has stepped fully into his gifts; woodworking, organizing, baking, and bringing people together. If you see a green sign, a hand-delivered poster, a homemade pie, or treats at a meeting, chances are Clarence made it.

At one point, he counted over 40 neighbours he now knows by name. He once thought about moving away to find more connection. Now he says: “I will die in this community.”His roots are deep and his presence is woven through everything.

More Events. More Leaders. More Life.

Before the project, St. Andrews Heights offered a small handful of events:

  • Neighbour Day

  • Community Cleanup

  • A 55+ group

  • AGM meetings

Now the list is growing:

  • Kids’ yoga

  • Intergenerational knitting circles

  • Beer & crib nights

  • Eco-group gatherings

  • Pub nights and regional happy hours

  • Weekly coffee shop drop-ins

  • New partnerships and new leaders

The culture has shifted from “Is this possible?” to “Yes—and how can we help?”

Gratitudograms: A Culture of Appreciation 💌

To address volunteer burnout, the community introduced gratitudograms: handwritten notes of appreciation, paired with a chocolate and delivered by hand.

The response has been overwhelming. Neighbours thanked one another for small acts that often go unseen: shovelling sidewalks, welcoming newcomers, quietly keeping things running.

These small gestures sparked something big; a culture where gratitude is visible, intentional, and contagious.

What’s Growing Here

What’s happening isn’t complicated but it is profound. It is about showing up, having a “yes, and” attitude, sharing skills, noticing and sharing gratitude for one another and intentionally creating space for belonging. 

Sometimes all it takes is a poster, a pie, a yoga mat, or a handwritten note.

What started as a project has become something lasting; A community where people don’t just live near one another… they live with one another.

BCC, StoriesCDLIBuilding Connected Communities, community host organizations